pageant of the bizarre

[goodforsomething]

[Throughout the late afternoon and early evening, Stan seems to have put a surprising amount of effort into setting up the dining hall. It's not usually something he would do without any kind of potential gain, but hell - there's not a whole lot else to do here. And really, if he hangs up some of the ribbons from the sewing room, well, it's not like anybody was using them. He knows how to decorate for parties.

There is a conspicuous lack of glitter in any of the decorations, though. Too soon.

The only dish currently set out is a pan of cinnamon noodle kugel. It's a potluck, bring your own shit! He has bothered to make some punch, at least, as well as bringing down some booze from the bar. Maybe alcohol on Murder Night isn't the best idea, but he'll keep an eye out for anyone who decides to indulge. He'd have to anyway. Apparently passing out in the dining hall will end in explosions.

Speaking of rude and arbitrary rules: off to the side, there's a table labeled KINGMAKERS. There's only one piece of paper there now, a well-done drawing of what looks like a young, ostentatiously emo Mitt Romney. It's obviously Stan's, since he got here first, but he hasn't bothered to sign it; apparently you can submit anonymously or not, however you feel like. As long as we're all participating in the public mockery!]

Comments

[penduli]

[ it's just too bad they didn't have the ingredients for haggis.

Black's come bearing a lovely shepherd's pie to make up for it (lamb, for the curious, since he's used to it) and... of course he'd be entering, he needs to use his pens up.

......which explains the realistic sheep portrait drawn with the creepy nolo pens sitting with the rest of the entries. ...the sheep also has a crown on it, not pictured.

he's taken the corner of a table for himself to work on a few stuffed animals; there's the larger golden retriever from before, alongside what looks like a shrimp and a frog. ]

[cherryblooded]

[Of course Cherryblod has to come investigate once he sees the shrimp.]

To be honest, I was going to laugh if you asked me what my favorite animal was.

[penduli]

I would've honestly guessed lobster, [ seeing as his wife is one ] but that didn't really fit you.

[ ...and it wouldn't have looked half as cute in a tuxedo. This shrimp is getting a tuxedo, Cherryblod, he has the stuff for it already set aside.

He's... also glad that Cherryblod seems to be looking better, and after a moment he goes back to working on his animals. He's quieter too—this is a private matter. ]

...I'm sorry about my question earlier in the week. Yosuke told me you had a bad memory, and... there's no way I could've known that, but it was still really awful of me to ask.

[cherryblooded]

['Tuxedo shrimp' sums up Cherryblod pretty well.

His smile fades when Black brings up the earlier conversation.]

You couldn't have known that, and you were hurting. [Still are hurting, probably.] So I don't blame you.

[penduli]

[ He knows Cherryblod's right, but...

still. ]

I hope they're all right. Miss Doloz doesn't seem like she'd go down without a fight, and Lobco... she sounds just as strong as her mother. As you, too. [ Children always get the best parts of their parents. ] For what it's worth, I mean. Keeping hope.

[cherryblooded]

My wife is the toughest woman I know.

[And he knows Sigrun, so.]

So I can't give up on them just yet. I won't.

[penduli]

[ ...is Schrödinger's Loved One worse than knowing how they're actually doing? Or maybe they can't be compared—

Black's sort of wishing he never remembered what happened to White, but on the other hand... ]

I won't either. I'm sure they'll both be perfectly fine when you get to see them again, after all this is over.

[ A small smile. He honestly doesn't know how any of them are going to get out of here without getting away with something none of them really want to do, and despite his loss he's not ready to lay down his life just so someone else can make sure their people are fine.

But—he can pretend not to be a total downer for a night. For Cherryblod, at least. ]

[goodforsomething]

Hahahaha! I like it!

[Stan is appreciative of the sheep.]

[penduli]

[ He knew his nolo sheep would be appreciated. ]

Thanks. I'm really bad at drawing people, but I wanted to try and draw something decent... [ ...even if, uh, looking at the other entries he's

he's kinda thinking. that artistic ability doesn't matter. Maybe he should have drawn an actual person then? ] Yours is good too—he looks like a scene kid.

[goodforsomething]

[Stan snorts.]

Twenty-five. I've got cans of beans older than him.

[penduli]

...why.

[goodforsomething]

End of the world preparation! They don't go bad!

[garudynamic]

[As the night wears on Yosuke saunters his way over towards Black]

Only a couple more hours till I win.

[penduli]

[ Well, someone looks cocky. ]

You'll jinx yourself like that, you know. [ And then he'll win. It'll be great. He loves winning. ]

[garudynamic]

Like he- no I won't. I've got this on lock.

[he's just gonna sit right here now] Whatcha making?

[penduli]

[ He has this on lock until Black puts his mind to messing with him— ]

Stuffed animals. [ ...thanks black that wasn't obvious at all. ] Shirazu and I agreed that it'd be nice if we made them for everyone, not just the dead, so we've been figuring out what animals suit everyone best.

...or just asking them their favorites if we can't figure any out.

[ He glances at the golden retriever—that's not one for the stuffed animal zoo—and sets his hands in his lap. Picking at his bandages. ]

The shrimp is Mr. Cherryblod, obviously, and... I guess I took some liberties, but, er... [ Pick pick pick— ] The frog is you?

[garudynamic]

Oh I get it, like Jiriya!

[he sounds pretty legitly charmed]

Kanji makes knit dolls too, all kinds of animals and stuff like that. Once this is over I'll see if he can give you some tips.

[ once upon a time a guy doing something so cute would have made him balk. But he wasn't the same guy he once was anymore]

[ratingspoint]

[...Black, what the actual fuck is that sheep- ]

That is actually terrifying, I love it.

[penduli]

[ #WELCOMETOHELL ]

You're not the first person to think that. [ His sheep are........ very good! They're very good sheep! ] I grew up around them, so I got used to drawing them—they're the only thing I can do, actually.

...more people get freaked out by the fact they're made out of sentences than how they look though, I think. [ Hmm. ] I offered to take those pens off everyone's hands though, I need to use them for something.

[ratingspoint]

I've got three more for you, remind me to give them to you later. If this is what they're going to be used for, I'm more than willing to donate them to the cause.

[penduli]

[ Two guaranteed sources of creepy fountain pens. ...is this what friendship is, is that what this is. ]

Will do. Do you want me to draw you a sheep too? [ He'll like, throw glitter on it and everything. A sparkly, incredibly detailed sheep.

With awesome legs. ]

[ratingspoint]

Please do! I'd like to see what you come up with.

[...Said with all the confidence of a person who is offended by literally nothing and finds this fucking hilarious, if more than a little uncanny.]

[pokexplorer]

[Colress approaches after checking out the entries. Before he even says anything, he looks hella impressed.]

You managed that using only the pre-programmed pens? Black, that is rather amazing!

...Might I ask what animal it is?

[It looks kinda like a Mareep but he's pretty sure it's not that.]

[penduli]

[ He's impressing everyone with his great sheep drawing skills, this is nice.

...and that's a weird question to ask until Black remembers they don't have, like, proper animals in Colress' world. ]

A sheep. The king of sheep, actually, since he has a crown.

[pokexplorer]

A sheep? Hmm, so it really must not be far off from Mareep after all...

[He realizes he's thinking out loud, oops.]

And you believe that the Kingmaker is the King of Sheep? Talking animals...now that would be something to see!