do it for love

[penduli]

[ Every week is the same song and dance, but it never really gets easier, or works, or ever seems like it’s going to stop.

There will be time for everyone to rest before Black comes knocking on their doors (a moot point, given the soundproofedness of them) and slipping a note beneath them. He needed the respite too, and they needed to prepare food, and… he still thinks it’s a little weird to have a party after a trial, but he’s starting to really understand why it’s not a bad idea, either. ]

[Name],

Misa would’ve wanted us to keep a smile on our faces, or at least put a smile somewhere. There’s a pancake bar up in the chapel, if you’d like to come by and make a few happen. If you don't want to come, that's fine, too. The offer's open all night.

Ever yours,
Black

[ …the ending is something he’s never quite shaken, unfortunately.

Those that make their way up to the chapel will, indeed, find a pancake bar, courtesy of Yosuke and Stan (because Black never feels that hungry after trials and someone needs to stress bake here). That is, there are pancakes! There are syrups, whipped cream, fruits, berries, candies, etc! Sprinkles! Hot chocolate, ice cream… everything you could want for your build-your-own-pancake masterpiece. It’s all set up on some tables shoved against the chapel’s walls.

…special Stancakes (or pancakes with a hint of Stan in them, aka some of his hair that might’ve gotten in there accidentally, whoops) are also available.

There’s also alcohol—dessert wines mostly, to pair with their overwhelming sugar bias, but there’s some ordinary stuff there too. Pancake bar.

The framed photos are where they’ve always been on the center area, along with their matching stuffed animals. …or most of them; some haven’t been made, some pictures haven’t been put up, you get the idea. ]

Comments

[prismbloom]

[ ... a pancake bar. Aqua couldn't think of anything more perfect. She doesn't immediately go up there; rather, she gathers a few things that are definitely needed.

(She also finds the fourteen biggest cups she can and takes them up in a big box.)

And when she arrives, she can be found very meticulously whipping up mugs of hot chocolate--with cinnamon in the drink itself, a big pile of whipped cream. The last touch is a considerable drizzle of chocolate.

When she's done, she makes sure everyone gets a mug of their own. Aqua does eventually grab some pancakes; it's just... making Misa-Misa's Special Hot Chocolate was the most important thing to her.

She's pretty quiet, considering... but she'll talk to anyone who comes over to her. ]

[sleepingkogoro]

[Mouri stares into his mug. How thoughtful of you, dear. Still, chocolate doesn't magically make everything okay.

...but it helps]

Misa-ch...Amane-san and you seemed to be close friends, at least there at the end of the trial.

[He isn't sure how to check on Aqua, a simple 'are you okay?' sounds so bland...]

[prismbloom]

[ Aqua sips at her own hot cocoa, but somehow... it tastes bitter. ]

She was the closest thing I had to a sister, if I'm to be completely honest.

[sleepingkogoro]

[Mouri winces]

Ouch. I hadn't noticed you had gotten so close to her.

[Another line for the long list of stuff Mouri doesn't notice]

[prismbloom]

It's alright, Mouri.

[ It's not--it's far from it, but. She doesn't want him to feel bad. ]

Were you very close to her?

[sleepingkogoro]

Not really. I appreciated everything she was doing but I never got too know her very well.

...I think I was a tad ashamed to talk to her ever since she found me cheating when I was solving the first crossword she made.

[amygdalae]

[Hey, Aqua. Bruce just... slowly comes over to her, mostly once she's done with the most of this and doesn't have much else to occupy her anymore.]

...do you want to sit somewhere with me? [...just an offer, if she needs company.]

[prismbloom]

[ She offers him a mug of cocoa, before nodding once. ]

I'd like that.

... Somewhere else. Maybe, the library?

[amygdalae]

The library sounds like a fair place.

[He takes his mug and does his best to smile, even if it doesn't quite stick as well as he hopes. Still, he gestures towards the doorway.]

After you, then.

[prismbloom]

[ She nods, making her way over--she props the door open for him, holding onto that mug like it's a lifeline. ]

It feels like it's been an eternity since I visited the library.

[amygdalae]

[Bruce murmurs a soft thank you in return when Aqua does that, holding it back in turn after he steps in and closes it after she enters as well.]

...likewise. [He's been in and out of it still, but with all the new floors popping up he hadn't been around here as much as he used to.] It feels like a lot has happened since then.

[notjustawriter]

[After everything that's happened, Gabriel really isn't in the mood for sweets. He has a bowl of vegetarian jambalaya that he's holding.]

I brought you something, if you want it.

[prismbloom]

Thank you, Gabriel. It smells amazing.

Did you make it yourself?

[notjustawriter]

I did. Figured people might want a full meal.

[It's not like he's a master chef or anything, but it's obvious he tried and at least remembers his grandmother's recipe.]

[prismbloom]

You figured correctly. It seems like the kind of food that's good for comfort.

[notjustawriter]

It's pretty tasty.

Usually there's some kind of meaty protein in it, but I'm not sure what folks around here eat. Better to be safe, I figure.

[penduli]

[ Ah, hot chocolate. What he'll be pairing with his wine and pancakes when he settles down. He smiles when she hands it over, nodding his head in gratitude. ]

Thank you. It smells great. [ There's also so much whipped cream. (There is so much whipped cream at this party in general.) ] ...are you going to be okay, Aqua?

[ Genuine worry here; her and Misa were pretty good friends, from the looks of it, and... yeah. ]

[prismbloom]

[ So, so much whipped cream. But honestly, they need it. Who gives a heck about calories, am i right-- ]

I hope you enjoy it. [ ... His question makes her pause, and she runs her finger along the rim of her mug. ] I don't think I'll ever be one hundred percent, but for Misa, I'll keep my head up.

[ ... as best she can, anyway. ]

[penduli]

She would want that. [ ... ] She did want that. Almost every person we've had to vote for's wanted that.

It's... getting sort of hard, to be honest.

[prismbloom]

... It is. I'd say "sort of" is somewhat of an understatement, though.

[penduli]

[ ...as someone who's had to recently come to terms with the fact he cares about people here and he feels terrible about them dying, past the usual "oh, that was sad" that people feel when they hear or see something like that?

It sort of is. ]

There's nothing we can do about it, though. [ Ever the defeatist cynic. ] Except keep trying to keep our heads above the waterline. I don't know if that'll even last though, even if we keep getting cheered on—that might make it even harder to.

[captainobnoxious]

[-- Ah. Huh. She gets one too. This is a shame it's going to go to waste.]

What are we going to do, Aqua? We're the only women left in this place, and therefore we're the only smart people left. The guys are a bunch of fools.

[prismbloom]

They'd be lost without us, Sigrun. [ Her voice sounds almost hollow. ] The guys are too hopeless, aren't they?

[captainobnoxious]

So hopeless. Just imagine if they had to go on without us. They'd be dead within a day.

[Morbid humor's the way to go, yup, but she's taking Aqua's hand in her own to squeeze it.]

But... like we told Misa. No more. We'll do the best we can and keep who we can safe.

[... Even if it feels hopeless in that regard.]

[prismbloom]

[ ... She admires Sigrun's strength, truly. Sigrun's the type of person Aqua wishes she'd known, growing up. She's never been unhappy, far from it, but sometimes she'd wished for another female role model.

Better late than never, she supposes. Aqua hesitates for a moment, then leans against her, head on the other woman's shoulder. ]

You don't have to do it alone, Sigrun. None of us do. [ She's noticed--noticed that Sigrun's been less than herself lately. Aqua knows well what it's like to take on so much responsibility. It's not something anyone should shoulder alone. ]