now listen good and listen straight, you're not the master of your fate

[bloodisthicker]

[Another week, another murder, another absolute shitshow. Tarrlok kind of just wants to lock himself in his room for a while, but... well, he volunteered. So... it's definitely going to be much later in the day before a note advising everyone to meet up in the bar for some comfort food is slipped under everyone's door.

At least Tarrlok didn't have to take care of everything alone, though; while he spent most of the time cooking by himself, Speedwagon and Yosuke helped take some delicious pork buns up to set them out across the bar so that everyone could drown their sorrows in stuffing their faces. And, you know, alcohol, maybe that too. There's also some vegetarian stir fry for people who don't like pork, too, of course.

There isn't an official bartender to start out with, but there is live entertainment courtesy of Yosuke, who's strumming his guitar over in the corner there.

Hopefully someone will step up, because lord knows everyone in the Vault needs a drink right now.]

Comments

[bloodisthicker]

[...Tarrlok isn't really sure how to feel about being thanked for that, given that while he felt great at the time, looking back on how he brought Norman down... it just felt kind of ugly, didn't it? Going in and enjoying it... dragging out personal secrets, getting that laid out in front of everyone...]

...I just did what needed to be done to get the rest of us out in one piece. That's all.

[...couldn't something just be straightforward and uncomplicated for once...]

It would have been better if we could have avoided it altogether.

[pokexplorer]

I- I know. It was simply the first thing to say that came to mind.

[He frowns, keeping his gaze on his drink. He knows why that is, and it's something he wishes he wasn't letting weigh so heavily on his mind.]

I suppose the emphasis of putting an end to it was stronger this time? [There's another pause, and then in reference to Tarrlok's last bit:] She was right there.

[Mettaton was right about playing favorites, and Colress would agree wholeheartedly in most cases! But...this one hit so close to home. It's making him experience a sense of guilt, and he obviously doesn't like it.]

[bloodisthicker]

...At least everyone else is still alive. We can say that, at least.

[Would they have been able to come down on Norman if he hadn't known...? He seemed like the kind of guy who might've cracked under pressure at some point, but...]

...

I'm just so tired of all this. What happened over the last few weeks... you could say there was some mutual desire to kill to them, or something about it was agreed to.

Megumi literally did nothing wrong whatsoever, though. If any of the deaths were preventable, hers should have been.

[pokexplorer]

Indeed...

[When he thinks back to the previous trials, they all left something of a sour taste in his mouth, but for varying reasons. Tarrlok is right about there being agreements involved in them though- Kamui and Zagi's fight, Yato and Mion's "bet"...

But this was just. This was something on a completely different level. It was disturbing and cruel. Megumi's only flaw was her trusting nature.]

It obviously isn't much consolation- it certainly isn't to me- but there truly was no way we could have known. Not even that little incentive the Kingmaker put forth truly threatened any of us. This could have happened at any time...

[He sighs, taking another good sip of his drink. He says all of that, but it's still awful to think that it happened just a wall away from him and Tarrlok.

Part of him wishes he didn't allow himself to start getting attached.]

[bloodisthicker]

I wouldn't be surprised if the incentive effectively pushed Norman over the edge, though. He was definitely more of a time bomb than the rest of us, but...

[...]

I... think it'd be easier if I could just hate him for what happened. Then I'd at least be able to be angry at someone other than myself.