we're all living under loaded gun

[amygdalae]

[Every week was bad, but this one? This one most likely has hit them all the hardest.

All well, almost all of them. Bruce certainly can't speak for everyone here... not that there's a lot of them left now.

Anyway.

Working with Speedwagon in the kitchen the two of them whip up a decent, simple fare of food just so that their stomachs won't go empty - Bruce knows that a lot of them won't have much of an appetite at all after what happened, and he can't blame them. He doesn't have much of one himself even after the food is done.

Once everything is set up in the dining hall a couple of hours later after everything that happened downstairs Bruce goes around to slip a notice to every body's room. (Everyone that is still alive, that is.)]

I know what happened was hard to take in. I feel the same as well.
If you wish to be alone I understand, but if you need company, or somebody to talk to... there is food in the dining hall made by Speedwagon and I.

I sincerely hope to see you there.

- B. Banner

[For Sigrun and Cherryblod respectively, he'll have the note along with a plate of some food from the gathering by their door.

As mentioned earlier, there's a small fare of simple, light food and snacks for everyone to eat if they have the stomach for it. For better or for worse there's alcohol too, although Bruce certainly isn't going anywhere near it. But if anybody needs that drink after what happened, he can't blame them for the need for it, either.]

Comments

[cherryblooded]

[For a long time after the trial, Cherryblod will be in his room with the door closed and will not open it, no matter who knocks or calls to him.

Eventually, though, he'll make his way to the dining hall. His eyes are redder than normal, and he doesn't make a move to interact with anyone - merely carries in the plate of food Bruce so kindly brought out to him and starts to eat in silence.

He can't shut down. He can't close himself off. He has to be here, because if he cuts himself off then he won't recover from this.

It's hard to imagine recovering from this anyway.]

[garudynamic]

[Yosuke doesn't come to talk to him most of the night- there's nothing he could say that would help

(after he helped kill the other person Cherryblod considered a son)

but when people start going to bed he finally makes his way over. No words, but he takes Cherry's plate, putting it aside and putting a hand on his shoulder, urging him up. Gentle, but insistent]

[cherryblooded]

[It's not as if Cherryblod didn't have his own part in killing him, either.

He's up, not quite looking at Yosuke.]

[sleepingkogoro]

[Mouri had gone to knock onto Cherryblod's door, but he didn't answer. It was a relief to see the shrimp in the afterparty.

It doesn't make it any easier to go talk to him, though]

Cherryblod-san. I...

[God damn it, why does this have to be so difficult. Stupid Mettaton, breaking everyone]

I won't ask if you're okay because I suppose you aren't, so...instead I'll ask if there's anything I can do so you will be okay.

[cherryblooded]

[It takes a moment for Cherryblod to answer.]

Can't think of much. Kind of you to offer.

[isafraid]

[Speedwagon's at the party for, well, the whole of it- he's not going anywhere, and he gets a good idea of who's coming and who isn't soon enough.

Maybe that's why he's surprised that Cherryblod shows up so late. Or maybe it was that he didn't expect him to come at all. After that trial, he didn't blame him in the slightest.

....Heck. He was about to head out, but. Here he is, quietly pulling up a chair beside him, sitting himself down with an even look, despite the similar but slight redness in his eyes.

He nods, solemnly.]

[cherryblooded]

...Didn't want to believe it was him, and I pushed anyway. Didn't want him to die, but I voted for him anyway.

[He can't meet Speedwagon's gaze.]

[notjustawriter]

[Gabriel doesn't know what he can do.

He's one of those people who helped doom Mettaton, but Gabriel Knight is also not a heartless man. It was murder, what Mettaton did. But what they did to Mettaton is just as much of a senseless killing.

Their numbers are down more than half, and for what? Some freak's entertainment?

When he approaches Cherryblod, he's holding what looks like some kind of mixed drink-- nothing too boozy, but it should taste all right.]

Brought you something.

[cherryblooded]

...Mostly I drink to celebrate, but I'll make an exception for this.

[He accepts the drink with a hand that's only trembling a little bit.]

Thank you.

[pokexplorer]

[Colress isn't sure what to say at all when he sits near Cherryblod. Honestly, when everything began to spiral downward at the trial, observing just how badly it hit Cherryblod and Sigrun...it was a very strong showing of how deep bonds can get, and the harshness of when they are severed so. It's still a bit of unfamiliar territory, but after the last few weeks...

While he is unable to find words at the moment, he at least wants to be here for Cherryblod. He hopes the show of support is at least a little helpful as it helped him in the past.]

[goodforsomething]

[Stan's been at the afterparty nearly the entire time, but after he sees Cherryblod enter, he'll pick up his work and move it over near him instead. One can glue a Wayfinder back together from pretty much anywhere. It was pretty well smashed, and it seems like it's going to take a while, but he's got little better to do.

He can't think of anything to say, so he doesn't.]

[amygdalae]

[Bruce comes by, eventually, with a cup of tea that he'll put in front of Cherryblod.

...although he doesn't really linger; once he places down the tea and Cherryblod sees it Bruce starts to move on. It's hard to say how much Cherryblod wants to see him right now, after what happened - not when it was Bruce who had kept pushing against Mettaton. Despite his reactions, and Sigrun's reactions.]

[amygdalae]

[During the gathering itself Bruce will do his best to go around, offering food and talking with people and checking up on them - although if they don't desire his company and/or want to be alone he will understand. This whole thing, after all, has been especially hard for everyone.

...as it dies down, however, Bruce takes his leave to head to the chapel, where he'll be fixing up the two new portraits of Misa and Aqua, as well as making a spot for Mettaton eventually if they go there again. Aqua in particular he pays more attention to, and when he's done he sits at the front pew right in front of her picture and... more or less just stares at her picture, a somber look on his face as his hands toy with the charm that she had made for him not so long ago.]

Chapel

[goodforsomething]

Hey.

[Stan doesn't mean to corner Bruce in the chapel, except that's sort of exactly what he meant to do.]

Thanks for settin' all that up down there.

chapel

[uro_cyon]

You do this every time, don't you? [ It's pretty much a rhetorical question, but he can't help it-- not when he's staring at a rather pertinent reminder of how little of them are left.]

[notjustawriter]

[Gabriel has absolutely no appetite tonight.

He wants to hate Mettaton, but just like with Misa, all he can feel is a growing numbness.

He'd like Mettaton, liked Aqua... this is all too much.

They're down to twelve, now, and he doesn't really know what to think anymore. He doesn't look like he wants to be left alone tonight, though he'll be hesitant about approaching people-- after what just happened, well... he wishes he could be a lot angrier than he is right now.

So much for being a protector of good.]

[amygdalae]

[Don't worry Gabriel, eventually Bruce will be here with some food and tea, if Gabriel is up for that.]

--here. At least have a bit of something.

[He won't push, though, if Gabriel really isn't in the mood for it.]

[penduli]

[ ...Sigrun's not in her room, and her plate is still there, so he picks that up and—after a very quick stop at the chapel to set Misa's lamb by her picture and murmur a small prayer, Black sets out to find her.

Music room—nope, of course not, who the fuck is going to be there. Workshop? Work—ah, there she is. ]

Miss Sigrun?



[ And after he's spent some time with Sigrun (and dropped off her plate of food and a solid bottle of gin, whether she wants either of them or not), Black'll wander back downstairs. He peeks into the dining hall, considering it, then turns on his heel and goes to the library instead.

He's not hungry—he rarely ever is—and he's not trying tonight. Tonight is a time to get lost in fiction and slowly set books aside in piles like he'd done the first week. He won't say no to company, but... he's not particularly seeking it out. He's not really sure anyone is. ]

[captainobnoxious]

[It'd been the first place she came to do... something, though that something has mostly been staring at the project she'd been working on all week until Black calls her. Her head snaps over and her eyes are still noticeable puffed and red, every sign points that she's been crying, and she doesn't even have the energy to force a smile.

Just... turns back to the Mettaton she'd been working on, fingers tracing the grooves she'd so carefully etched and the section that opens up. The only reason it's closed it because she's afraid of what she'll do inside.]

Hi, kitten.

[amygdalae]

[Bruce, of course, notices the lack of Black's presence in the gathering, and though he doesn't want to be rude and intrude eventually he takes a plate of food and some tea out and goes around to find him.]

--hello. [He starts, once he's spotted Black at the library. Even though his voice is soft its loud enough with how quiet the library is.]

[garudynamic]

[Yosuke remembers that night, so many weeks ago, when he found Black in the storage room. By now he knows better then to bring food, or try to talk his friend into coming to the gathering. But it'll be awhile before he ushers Cherryblod to bed before he passes out on the table in grief, so he can afford to come visit]

Find anything good?

[isafraid]

[Even with all this food, Speedwagon isn't feeling too up for eating, even if he made it. Plenty of alcohol too, but... that's for later. Too bad the numbness was already here.

He didn't want to think about the case anymore, it was so long and nagging, and Mettaton went to his death all the same. Did he hate the robot? To a degree. He liked Aqua, and she certainly didn't need to be killed for no reason besides that the Kingmaker wanted them gone.

But what that meant, he wasn't sure. And his thoughts would be spinning for the rest of the night. The gathering sees Speedwagon going around at a steady pace, offering food, making a bit more of it, then taking a seat off to the side where he steals a few more looks at that 'H' locket, a look of consternation edging onto his face.

Even later Speedwagon's left the party, but not for anywhere specific. He's... patrolling, checking out the dark corners of the floor and moving up to the next one. A chunk of the night patrol was gone, which didn't do. And, as somber as he looks, and how his shoulders slump, he still keeps walking.]

[uro_cyon]

[ At this point, Aiden has little interest in the after parties. He does spot Speedwagon though when he's out patrolling and he waves him down.]

We keep meeting like this. [ He's also walking around, not really wanting to sit still.]

[amygdalae]

Thanks for helping out, Mister Speedwagon.

[Bruce approaches him with that thanks as the gathering slowly starts to peter out. He's got some remaining food and tea with him, if Speedwagon is up for a bite.]

[garudynamic]

[Seeing Speedwagon, Yosuke sits next to him, peering at the locket.]

Spot any secrets?