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

[sleepingkogoro]

...that doesn't make me feel any better.

[In the past maybe he would have bragged. Maybe if this had happened like a week after his accusation he would have proudly added it to his list of successes.

Right now...he feels like a jackass]

I didn't even have any reason to suspect him back then. I was a major idiot that day, wasn't I? In fact...I'm sure you thought that at least once.

[The slight condescencion didn't go unnoticed, after all. He had just ignored it because he had thought something along the lines of 'what will he know, I know what I'm doing']

[isafraid]

That's the worst part of it. And it sounds like Kingmaker's getting worse and worse about leaving us alone.

[cherryblooded]

At least once. You've gotten my respect again after that, though.

[So, you know, there's something.]

[cherryblooded]

What did we even do for him to decide this was the week to kill us?

[isafraid]

Might have thought that no one was going to do anything this week. We're down to about half of us now, so it's possible.

[He speaks through half-gritted teeth. The guy was seriously starting to get on his nerves.]

So he had to have his own fun for once.

[cherryblooded]

[...He sighs, then pulls out his phone and texts something brief before he can think better of it.]

[isafraid]

....What you doing?

[Cherry....?]

[cherryblooded]

Just telling the Kingmaker to go fuck himself. Nothing you need to worry about.

[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.]

[cherryblooded]

[He appreciates the support, and after a moment or two he'll speak up.]

Do you think it was stupid to get attached, in a place like this?

[If anyone can speak reasonably and neutrally about attachments to others, it's probably Colress. Or Black, but Black's not here right now.]

[isafraid]

[....Ah.

You know what, that's going to get the most happy smile Speedwagon can muster. And a thumbs up. you do that, cherryblod.]

[sleepingkogoro]

It wasn't long after that day Mettaton talked to me. I had taken it as a chance to start gathering evidence to prove he was no more than an accomplice. I feigned patience and asked questions, but...

...I don't know, the more I talked the more interested in him as a person I was. I threw away that theory and tried to know him better. I suppose...I wanted to see him as a person instead of as a suspect.

[Short silence. He had just blurted all that without thinking much.]

Uh, sorry for having turned all this about me. I didn't mean to do that.

Do you even know how you got so close to Mettaton, what got you to...be so close to him?

[cherryblooded]

[Cherryblod's smile in return is not exactly happy.]

Wasn't going to show him mercy before this, but now when I get a hold of him...

[isafraid]

They will be plenty of time to deal with him once we can. He's got to be trying something again soon, now that his "kill switch" is gone.

We weren't supposed to survive that trial.

[cherryblooded]

...Mettaton was bad at feelings. Really bad. Even without the excuse of what his job was, he was just - his feelings, other people's feelings, they weren't his strong suit.

But he tried for me. He gave me hugs when I asked for them, supported me when I needed it, told me I wasn't evil when that was a real concern I had. He was there for me, despite how difficult he must have found it, and I wanted to be there for him.

[cherryblooded]

No, we weren't.

We'll come up with something. This isn't going to stop us. It can't.

[isafraid]

It wouldn't be right... would it?

[Ugh, this day...]

We just need to keep going... eventually we'll get through.

[cherryblooded]

...Right. Because, he told me he believed we'd get out of here - I don't want to disappoint.

[isafraid]

Wouldn't do to give up now, not after the awful things we've muscled passed.

[And... he's all concern now.]

You need anything else then? Extra food, or a drink?"

[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.]

[notjustawriter]

Losing people is never easy.

I've been through it a lot, even before comin' here.

[uro_cyon]

If I was, do you really think I'd tell you just like that? [ May or may not be his idea of a joke in return.]

[sleepingkogoro]

[Well he is right. Mettaton was real bad at feelings, but he tried, at least, although Mouri now couldn't avoid wondering how much was performing and how much was sincere]

I don't think he ever had someone dotting on him ever before. His past life, then being a celebrity...it didn't sound to me there was someone trying to take care of him.

Despite what he said I think he appreciated your support much more than he admitted. Otherwise I don't think he would have tried to support you like you say he did.

[At least Mouri wants to believe that]

[pokexplorer]

[That. That gets Colress to flinch. And he has to take a deep breath before actually answering.]

...Scientifically speaking, yes. Forming attachment means forming trust, and in a place where the one you form that attachment with is killed or becomes a killer and betrays you, like so many unfortunately have, the only thing that awaits is pain and regret.

[He clearly doesn't sound like he feels good about what he's saying, though. Maybe a few weeks ago, he'd be perfectly fine with that logic, but...]

That does not mean it is so easy to prevent from happening in such a time of shared hardship, however. This, coming from the one who directly told you he had avoided such things entirely back in his world.

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.