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

[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.]

[penduli]

[ —ah. Black looks up from his book, eyes straying momentarily to the food, before he lays what he's reading flat on his lap and folds his hands over it. ]

Hi. [ His voice is equally soft, though he clears his throat to make it just... a touch bit louder. ] I guess that's for me, huh? That's very thoughtful of you, Mr. Banner.

[ ...the gratitude doesn't quite pull through, but he has a smile that isn't tight. Just tired. After all the mad he's been, he's tired. ]

[amygdalae]

[It's alright, Black, you don't need to try and force anything for his sake. He's just here to make sure you're alright for the most part.

Bruce goes to place down the food for Black to deal with it as he wishes, stepping back after that.] You weren't around, but I thought you could do with a bit of something to eat and drink - it's been a long day.

[penduli]

[ He never gets the chance to eat before investigations, it's rude to eat during them, and then there's... not a lot of time to actually do that before trial starts. ]

Thank you. I'll try to get something down. [ ...he's never hungry after trials, but the drink is nice; he'll take a sip of it and smile more genuinely. ] How's everyone else doing? I'd guess they're not exactly in high spirits, but we never are.

[amygdalae]

[Yeah Bruce has noticed that they rarely get to eat until now... which is why he's trying his best to make sure everybody does have some food at least. Especially now that Cherryblod isn't around to do the fussing.]

Everybody's doing their best to manage. [...a soft sigh.] Mister--Cherryblod is doing his best to cope. I'm not surprised that Captain Eide wasn't around, either.

[penduli]

I found her in the workshop earlier. [ By her project. A soft sigh, too. ] I convinced her to go back to her room so she wouldn't pass out outside of it, and she said she'd try to sleep, but...

[ A shrug. ] I don't know if she'll be able to. I wouldn't blame her if she couldn't, though.

[amygdalae]

I don't think anybody can blame her.

[Bruce at least certainly can't, having spent countless sleepless nights here--but that isn't the point, really. Nobody can expect Sigrun to just be okay after... everything that happened.]

...I just hope she'll be alright. [Eventually, that is. And perhaps never at 100%. But they do still need their self-appointed leader.]

[penduli]

I think she will be. [ She'll have to be—he's sure that's what she's thinking. Be strong for everyone.

...he just hopes she knows she can still rely on them as much as they can rely on her. Black frowns for a moment, then sighs. ] It's... hard losing someone that important to you, but Miss Sigrun isn't the type to do something stupid, so we don't have to worry about that. She thinks more with her head than she does her heart.

[ Even if... sometimes, the heart overrules. You can't account for it all the time. ]

She wouldn't do anything that'd put us at risk. [ ...she even gave on the Mettaton front, as much as that must've sucked. ]

[amygdalae]

[Bruce listens to Black's response and after a moment, gives a nod of agreement.]

I know she won't. [Despite everything, after what had happened... Bruce can't blame her for being how she was. Everyone had taken it hard in their own ways, but Sigrun probably took it the hardest of them all.] ...and as foolish as it sounds, I think its good that sometimes she still thinks with her heart.

[It makes her more human. Ensures that she remembers her feelings despite the fact that she has to carry the burden of being the leader. She's a good leader, yes, but she wouldn't be great unless she had those feelings too.]

I mean, what happened wasn't the best example... but at least it helps reminds us that we're still human.

[That they had feelings, and that they wouldn't be anything like the Kingmaker.]