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]

... At least he's a good person.

[Names aside, Cherryblod's good people and so is this Asgore guy if they're anything alike.]

Is his former lady any better, do you know? Maybe they balance each other out.

[garudynamic]

Dude!

[He's not even going to get into that. Instead he's going to jump right to the girls in a rush to make Taichi change topic-]

Ca-

[Oh.

Well, he can't deny that was probably true. He covers up his fumble quickly]

Probably Misa. I mean, she's a model after all~

[goingdigital]

[Alright, c'mere pal you're getting a shoulder hug/pat combo.]

[garudynamic]

[Aw man, he had hoped Taichi hadn't noticed. But he can't bring himself to play it off, instead just slumping into the comfort]

...shit.

[goingdigital]

[Sorry Yosuke, but he did. He's going to give his shoulder a small squeeze.]

Sorry, man.

...

But Metaton might have those two and Aqua beat.

[garudynamic]

[He snorts back laughter even through the sudden grief]

Mettaton is an idol robot. That's not really fair.

[He's a robot, it doesn't count]

[goingdigital]

[Mission accomplished. At least for now.]

Totally is fair. Name an idol that isn't manufactured in some way.

[garudynamic]

Excuse you, one of my best friends is an idol.

...I mean okay, her public persona [lol] is pretty packaged, but she's no robot.

[...he does pause to picture this, though]

[goingdigital]

Lucky!

...exactly what are you thinking about?

[garudynamic]

N-nothing!

...look, I was a big fan before I knew her personally. You don't just forget that kinda stuff.

[Come on Taichi, you're his age. You know dudes who are into idols. Don't make him recite her 'public' measurements (which he now knows are in fact exaggerated by 2cms in the bust) ]

[goingdigital]

Or stop imagining them for certain uses?

But really, what is she like?

[Bro he's more concerned that you paused like you were picturing she's a hot bot.]

[garudynamic]

[He's not telling that one bro, you gotta leave it to imagination]

Oh man, she's cute and sweet, but really feisty. Plus she has an *amazing* singing voice.

Annnd completely in love with my best friend. You know how it goes.

[garudynamic]

[He shrugs]

A lot of it repeats too. Like maybe he got it in bulk.

[garudynamic]

If you can remember anything that stood out that would definitely help.

[garudynamic]

Yeah.

[He doesn't really have an argument. But the lack of information is all some of them are holding onto right now]

[ratingspoint]

[It doesn't take him long; the sort of mental process it requires is along the lines of the intent to engage in some sort of fight, which is a little odd to conjure up out of nowhere, but at the same time it's not like he's unfamiliar with doing it for no real reason - he fights often on television against people he has nothing against, after all.]

It's yellow, darling - really, it's= pretty.

[And it clashes less with your everything than Cherryblod's did, thank anybody who happens to be listening up there.]

[cherryblooded]

How many pens that only write one sentence do you really need? I'm glad Black's taking them off my hands now, I was starting to get annoyed about seeing them.

[captainobnoxious]

It's like my great-grandmother used to say: You never know until you try, and when that doesn't work you try try again until they toss you out into the troll infested hills!

[... Admittedly her great-grandmother was Kind Of An Ass (TM) so.]

It's not like he can stop us from calling him or anything, so as long as you're persistent there's bound to be places he'll give. But you gotta be polite or he'll give you lip.

[amygdalae]

It's already happened twice. Considering everything, its hard to write it off as anything but deliberate.

[And honestly... Bruce doesn't know what to make of that. Or rather, of what the Kingmaker thinks or even his reason for employing this method of doing the deed.]

But to be honest, I'd rather not see it for a third time.

[captainobnoxious]

Want to or not, I'll bet it'll happen again. Especially if he starts offering stuff like he did before, which, seeing how great that went, is probably something that'll happen again too. And the next person'll think they've got it this time.

[... Probably.]

I'd hope not too, because I'm really starting to like all of you, but if it happens it happens.

[amygdalae]

Of course.

[He lends his help to her without another word, going around to help bring the other ingredients that she needs for her baking so that she can concentrate on the actual baking herself.]

Here you go - if you need anything else, feel free to ask.

[amygdalae]

Besides the obvious? Nothing in particular.

[Because he doesn't have anything.]

[amygdalae]

[It's... well, there's certainly an irony to it.]

Don't dwell on it too much, as much as we all like to. It hurts, but we'll have to do our best to keep going.

[amygdalae]

[Its not hard to see at all where Sigrun is coming from - and Bruce won't say he will be surprised if this does occur again - but he certainly doesn't hope so either.

Two was already enough. Four now is much worse. He really doesn't want it to be six.]

...we'll just have to be prepared for whatever the Kingmaker might want to throw at us next. [And just mentally be ready, and understand the full consequences of whatever they might think of doing or saying.]

[captainobnoxious]

[hey this time it might be just one]

And be prepared to take out another of our own if they decide that they're worth the risk. We're pretty lucky that the world's pretty black and white in here, huh?