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]

Thank you.

[As he settles down into Yosuke's bed, he sighs.]

...Was there anything I could have done?

[garudynamic]

[He flops down too, ruining some of his work straightening it]

In the time you had? Probably not. I dunno.

[isafraid]

....It's simple survival. The same thing we've been going through every week.

[His voice was quiet. And no, he doesn't expect Cherryblod to look at him.]

If we didn't push against him, then we'd all be dead, then the Kingmaker would get just what he wants.

[cherryblooded]

No way to know now. Not that it really matters. He's gone and nothing I wish I did will change that.

[He rests his face in his hands so he doesn't have to look at Yosuke.]

[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]

If I hadn't had Yosuke here I might not have said as much as I did.

[Guilt is clear in his voice.]

It's not that I don't care about you. You're a dear friend. You're all dear friends. But he was my son.

[garudynamic]

[He can kinda understand why he doesn't want to look.]

It... it still matters.

[penduli]

[ ...the one he asked Mettaton if he'd like a sheep at too, oh, he's

going to fulfill that request and then tear it up. That's how he feels right now, but he's careful not to let it show. Not in front of Sigrun, and especially not when things are the way they are. ]

What was it?

[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.

[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.]

[cherryblooded]

[He makes a noncommittal sound at that. It's just another 'maybe'. He'll doom himself with maybes, thinking like that. He was told something of the sort.

He can't stop wondering anyway.]

[garudynamic]

Sleep for now. There's tomorrow for thinking about it, I think.

[Might not be a tomorrow. But he hasn't been around Black THAT much yet to think that way. Yet.]

[captainobnoxious]

Apparently, [and she twirls the hearts around with a smile that might seem a little wistful, a little rueful,] in Cherryblod's world, I was engaged.

[To Mettaton.]

I wasn't really sure how to feel at the time, even if I didn't mind it all that much. I didn't think about that kind of thing a lot back home either, and here it seemed a little.

[She shrugs.]

Well, you know. This place is pretty unpredictable, huh?

[Sigrun's doing her best.]

[cherryblooded]

Alright.

...Love you, dear. Goodnight.

[He sets his head on the pillow.]

[isafraid]

I get it. As much as I can. [He won't admit to anything else.]

I've seen the sorts of things families do for one another... lots of great sorts caught in one mess or another. Sometimes it ends badly, but you never wish it to.

[...His hand finds itself on cherry's shoulder again. Just like a week ago.]

[garudynamic]

[Yosuke does the same, reaching out to shut off the light, and pulling the blanket up. It's very close quarters, but if Yosuke minds he's not making it known]

Wake me up, if you need to.

[He might not sleep either way, honestly]

[cherryblooded]

No. Never would. If there had been anything else I could have done...

Should I have known something was wrong? Aside from Sigrun, I spoke to him more than anyone else here.

[If there is a way to blame himself, he'll find it.]

[isafraid]

[Speedwagon's glad for the company. One-on-one is a bit easier to handle after the chaos of the day.]

Seems we do. [He nods curtly towards Aiden as he approaches... a level look on his face.] Don't suppose you're planning anything, are you? Wouldn't do to have a trial right after that one.


[He's half-joking. But he just sounds tired.]

[sleepingkogoro]

...thought so.

[Mouri feels kind of awkward, but he has his own guilt and feelings to deal with too. It's kind of hypochritical to keep it bottled and ask others to not to do it, so may as well set the example]

Is it stupid I'm feeling like an idiot right now?

[It...may not be all worded very well]

[cherryblooded]

[Cherryblod's tired enough that even with all the stress, it won't take long for him to drift off to sleep.

It's thankfully a dreamless one.]

[cherryblooded]

No, it's not. You were right from the start, just for the wrong reasons. Congratulations.

[isafraid]

Hard to say if any one of us could have noticed something that was off about him. Besides that bit about 'texting' the Kingmaker he did so often. [That could have... been a clue, couldn't it? Not that he really thought so. Everyone messaged him for some reason or another.]

Try not to blame yourself... even if you knew, it may not mean you could have done anything.

[worst case... cherryblod turned up dead one day. He hated thinking that.]

[cherryblooded]

But I could have at least tried.

[Instead of what really happened - not being able to help his son because he didn't know anything was wrong in the first place.]

[isafraid]

Right. If anyone here could have tried, I'd put money on it being you.

[He means it. Cherryblod could have done something. It's... it was unfair.]

[cherryblooded]

...Nothing I can do about it now. Too late for anything but regrets.