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

[cherryblooded]

...As far as we know. There's no proof of some things.

Still hoping that my family's alive, so please forgive me if I don't want to pursue that reasoning too far.

[He needs to keep himself together, after all.]

[captainobnoxious]

Oh no, I'm positive he was just talking crap to get us in a stabby mood. Because they're definitely still out there.

[... or they're definitely dead, no two ways about it.]

I told Black the same thing too, so. Not like I don't believe myself. [... He's a twin too. She oughta be on the lookout for him.] There's just no way we're all the only survivor of whatever it is.

[cherryblooded]

[He relaxes a little - he hadn't even realized he tensed up.]

Glad we're in agreement there.

How's he doing? You're the person who talks to him the most, I think.

[captainobnoxious]

I think he's pretty freaked out that the last two killers have both been twins, since he's got his sister he loves very much and misses dearly too, but I haven't talked to him yet.

He's probably shut himself away somewhere again though. He did it last time too.

[cherryblooded]

Completely understandable. I'll talk to him tomorrow.

[Right now he's running this whole thing and doesn't want to go looking for people who'd rather be left alone.]

[captainobnoxious]

Good idea. I'm sure he could use the reassurance that just because he's a twin too it's not like we're gonna suspect him of anything. Not that I'd blame him anyway.

[She would herself, but honestly she has no idea where he is....... And he was mad with her earlier too.]

[cherryblooded]

That would be a silly reason to suspect someone of murder. We're all smarter than that here.

...Probably.

[captainobnoxious]

It's not wrong to make a connection though, especially from at least one of our detectives. I just don't want Black to feel like he's trapped to the point he might have to.

[cherryblooded]

You're right, of course.

[Not that he thinks lowly of one of their detecting skills, but... yeah.]

It's easy enough to feel like you're in a hopeless position.

[captainobnoxious]

So we have to make sure that him and the others don't feel that way. That's going to get harder and harder if this keeps happening, but it feels kind of inevitable honestly. Especially the longer we're stuck here.

[That's just how it goes.]

Well, we've just got to keep our chins up, right?

[cherryblooded]

That's something we can manage.

[At least, he thinks he and Sigrun can manage it.

Not sure on the others, but he'd like to believe.]

[captainobnoxious]

Yeah, it is. Hopefully the others won't give any trouble in following along.

[She's gonna take a last swing of this tea and give the cup back, nodding with her thanks.]

Thanks for the tea, Cherry. I gotta get back to trying to figure out how to do a funeral for a rock, but I think I'm going to carve an old rune on a piece of the gemstone [a motion with the knife] since I think the both of them wouldn't have minded the meaning.

[cherryblooded]

Good idea. I think they'd appreciate that.

[Explains why she's holding that knife, too. He'd been wondering.]

I'll get back to making food.