that's not what we usually mean by 'dance with death'

[cherryblooded]

[That certainly did happen. Cherryblod's not the type of person who will judge one person's value as being more than another's, so he can't say whether it was better or worse than the first week. It came as less of a shock, maybe, but even so...

It's not the kind of thing people usually want to go through alone.

So, after he spends some time in the kitchen preparing (with assistance from Bruce), he'll slip some personalized notes under everyone's doors.]

[Name],
If you'd prefer to spend this time alone, that's fine.
If you'd prefer not to, I've made some food and set it out in the dining hall.
Even if you're just hungry and would rather not talk, feel free to come take some.
But if you'd like the company, we're here for you.
-Cherryblod

[Those arriving in the dining hall will find an assortment of food - a fair number of sandwiches and other, actual meal-like options since most people missed a meal or two, but also a goodly number of desserts. There's tea, as well as coffee for those who favor it.]

Comments

[captainobnoxious]

[It's no stein, but it'll do.]

I do! It's much nicer. [And holds more! Look at that, nice. She'll take a grateful sip, though tea still isn't her cup of tea.] Not bad either, I guess. How does tea do so much?

[cherryblooded]

It's the different kinds of herbs you can put into it. Some are good for headaches, some are good for sore muscles... It's versatile.

[happysweets]

[ Misa's here, of course, because she thrives on being with other people and God knows she wouldn't be able to stay by herself without crying her eyes out, so, being in the dining hall is at least helping her keep her feelings in check. She's quieter, though, far moreso than usual; she didn't quite have it in her to bake tonight, and the whole thing just fills her with a huge mess of emotions that she'd really rather not deal with right now, so...being social it is, she supposes!

She's not one to show up empty-handed, though, so she has a bottle of that alcohol-free sake! And she's more than happy to share with someone, if they're so inclined to want a bit! ]

[happysweets]

Just tea with a lot of sugar...

[ She's not one for coffee, and she needs to indulge her sweet tooth somehow because she's not quite in the mood to eat after, well, everything. ]

[cherryblooded]

Coming right up.

[He's not usually the type to dump a lot of sugar in his tea, but if that's her preference, he'll give her plenty.

One cup of tea, plus sugar.]

Here you are, Miss Misa.

Funeral

[sleepingkogoro]

I didn't expect you to do a ritual like this one.

[Mouri watched most of it from the entrance without saying a word. It seemed rather...private, so to say. Only when it seemed Mettaton was almost over he dared to approach]

Vending Machine

[sleepingkogoro]

[Well that was sure a thing.

Mouri hadn't expected Caren to kill anyone. He had thought of her as grouchy and overall a bit of a handful to be around with, but a killer she never thought her as. While there was a dose of self-defense, in the Vault that didn't matter.

Before going to Cherryblod's reunion Mouri went to the Vending Machine. He wanted to say if he could obtain anything to remind him of home. The result...

...was a sledgehammer, just like the one that was used to smash Pearl. That is too much for Mouri]

This has got to be a joke!

[He just shouted it at full volume. Furious, he grabbed the sledgehammer and swung it with unexpected strength against the wall, the impact unable to break the concrete. It made him vibrate, though, and that saps him of his strength for now.

He is just...very frustrated]

[happysweets]

Thank you, Cherry...

[ She has to wait for it to cool off a bit, so... ]

And thank you for doing all of this, too. Misa-Misa's sorry she couldn't be a bigger help, but...

[cherryblooded]

Nothing to worry about. Some of us get hit harder than others, that's all.

[uro_cyon]

You'd think he would give us the real stuff in times like this. [ He could certainly go for a drink right now.]

[clubleader]

[ She sits across the table from him, quiet for a second before finally asking: ]

What are you writing?

[clubleader]

Is that sake helping any?

[ It has no alcohol in it but maybe there's some placebo effect... ]

[goodforsomething]

[Stan returns to his room after the trial, very briefly.

When he comes out again, he's got a bottle in one fist and two held carefully in the other hand. He takes them all into the kitchen, pours himself a glass, and then takes a bottle out on a quest to find everyone else. Regardless of personal connection, he's disinclined to hoard his good fortune just now, and he'll approach anyone to lift it with a grim not-quite-smile.]

Hey. You wanna drink?

[uro_cyon]

[One of his pastimes is challenging random strangers to drinking games, oh boy.]

Does it have actual alcohol in it? [Not getting his hopes up.]

[sleepingkogoro]

In times like this all I want to do is drink. I really wish I had a few bottles of beer for myself and some cigarettes.

[Yes, he is definitely taking up that offer. About time he got some booze]

[goodforsomething]

Yep! Got it special order.

[He will take that as a "yes" and pour one out.]

[goodforsomething]

Guess you're gonna have to settle for some whiskey. [Let's do this.] No idea what kind. It was hard enough to get any booze at all.

[ratingspoint]

Not at all, actually.

[And that goes for both of them, really. He hadn't really talked to Pearl, and Caren...it was pretty obvious that he didn't get along with Caren.

That said, though, Mettaton just...shrugs, and he smiles a bit, and the expression is a strange one but there's some effort being put into it, at least.]

It's nothing to be troubled over, I'll be fine.

[cherryblooded]

I know you will.

[Because if Mettaton is good at anything, he is very good at being Fine.]

But - like you said. It's something I can't switch off.

[ratingspoint]

Well, it's not as though I'm any good at it.

[He isn't making eye contact still, keeping his gaze focused on the photo instead; usually this is when the ego would come in, when he'd insist that he's good at pretty much everything else, but now isn't really the time.]

It's something monsters do back home. You're supposed to spread someone's dust on their favorite thing, but photographs work too, if you don't have any objects like that.

It's supposed to keep the person's essence alive.

[ratingspoint]

[It's a good night for funerals, it seems.

Mettaton runs into Sigrun in the halls; it isn't as though rooms 5 and 7 are far enough apart to avoid that sort of thing. He doesn't seem angry with her for earlier; just kind of...there, really.]

...Hi there, darling. Holding up all right?

[sleepingkogoro]

Whiskey is fine. At least it is strong, that should help.

[Nothing like drowning your sorrows. Mouri drinks his first cup immediately, with the experience of somebody used to liquors for years]

Got this from the vending machine, I suppose.

[bloodisthicker]

[Well, there was no point in waiting around and feeling sad about, say... the fact that he kept having inconvenient reminders of Feelings or the fact that he liked talking to Caren and now she was dead or stuff like that. No, Tarrlok was a man of action, and he definitely wanted to get a discussion going about what the hell was that, now that he wasn't busy cooking.

...of course, he wasn't quite enough of a walnut to try and approach people who might legitimately be grieving about the whole thing, as much as he really wanted to... so he essentially took a corner of a table in the dining hall, set out a notebook in front of him... and sort of tapped his pen on the table, in the hopes that people would recognize that he wanted to talk business. If anyone sits down next to him, he'll start out, then...]

...all right, so, it's clear that whatever that was in the pit couldn't have been Pearl's reanimated corpse or anything, given that we had what was effectively her actual body with us the whole time.

So, any ideas on what that thing wearing her face even was?

[sleepingkogoro]

[Huh. So that is a monster ritual. It isn't so different from stuff that comes to mind]

I don't know if it happens in all worlds with humans, but in mine some people spread their loved ones' ashes in some sort of place full of nature. Forests, meaningful places, the sea...

I don't think it is to keep anyone's essence alive. It's more to give the dead and the mourners some peace.

[And others keep the ashes in jars to put them on the chimney. Mouri isn't sure if Mettaton would like hearing that, though]

[capyper]

... You're gonna get in trouble if you let your temper get the best of you, y'know.

[ Seriously, don't accidentally strain something... ]