The bodies in my floor all trusted someone. Now I walk on them to tea.

[kingshaming]

[After the trial, Xander does what he does best. What always blanks his mind when training is not an option:

He organizes.

The hot food for lunch is out still, and while he feels far from hungry, he knows they all SHOULD eat. Everyone wanders off to take care of their own grief, and he lets them for now- and instead busies himself at the espresso bar. There's something specific he wants to do.

Later, under each door, and with the same thing written on the white board he had dragged out for meetings:]

There is hot food and tea in the cafeteria, and while I have no stomach for food it is there for those that can.

While it is tempting to be alone right now, if you wish company I shall be there until evening. Now may be a good time to compare new information while it is fresh.

If not, please stay well.

Xander

[And as promised there is fresh tea. Green tea in fact, though it lacks the milk Chitanda made- but basic tea he can manage at least]

Comments

[cyan_maid]

[Jane will come, though not immediately. She'd run right to her room once she'd gotten back, and when she gets Xander's note, she decides to make herself a little presentable first - she's been crying hard, and a hot shower at least flushes the rest of her body so it doesn't look too noticeable. Her hair is still wet and her eyes are still reddish, but she's here, and she ends up nursing a cup of the tea, her expression tired, her head full of thoughts.

Someone talk to this poor kid.]

[ratherdoweddings]

Jane-chan?

[Yurika looks over, picking at her food.]

That was terrible, wasn't it?

[cyan_maid]

[She looks up at her name, registers who's speaking to her, and then she looks back down at her cup of tea.

What was it Chitanda liked, that was on her profile? "Matcha milk"? They...should be drinking that.]

...It was...more than just terrible. I...I don't know what I could call it that would be strong enough. [She lets out a breath and lets her head droop a little.] This is bigger than me. This is all so far out of what I know I can do...

[ratherdoweddings]

I know your life is ordinary compared to the rest of us, but I feel lost, too. They want us to be afraid. But we have to keep on going, because what other choice have we got?

[cyan_maid]

[It takes a moment before she nods, hands curling a little tighter around her cup.]

I...I want to do something. For Chitanda. For...for the Griffin too, and Toby, even if he...was deplorable. We should...we should have some kind of...of ceremony. Or...or put up a little something, at least, for those of us who'd like to mourn.

[ratherdoweddings]

Xander-san and I were talking about that. But what do you think they would want? They were all so different.

[cyan_maid]

[She shakes her head.] I don't know. Maybe some of the others from Japan would know what to do for Chitanda, but I'm not familiar with funeral rights for griffins or...alien penguins. But, it doesn't feel right not to try.

[As much as the thought of Toby leaves a sour taste in her mouth, nobody deserves to go in such a way.]

[ratherdoweddings]

Maybe we can all build a little memorial. None of us had a lot of things of our own, but... maybe something we can make with the art supplies?

[cyan_maid]

[Jane goes a bit stiff.]

I...I don't know...if I can go into the art room for a while.

[You know, after finding someone she'd become so quickly close to turned into a knife pincushion.]

[ratherdoweddings]

...I can get a paper roll and bring it in here. Maybe that'll work.

[cyan_maid]

That should be fine. I...I know I took a pen for myself. I'm sure others have pens and pencils, too.

[ratherdoweddings]

Just hold on a minute.

[Yurika gets up, taking her plate to clear it off, and steps out; she returns moments later with an art paper roll and a box of pencil crayons.]

We can start drawing on this, I think.

[cyan_maid]

[Hm? What could she be...

When Yurika returns with the art supplies, Jane can't help but let her mouth hang open a little.]

...Gosh...y-you have a stronger constitution than me, Miss Yurika...

[curdle]

Jane...

[ This is nothing like comforting a sibling, which Thomasin is an old hand at. There is no fixing this. But she barely knew the girl, and all these others already loved her. She is the one who ought to be dispensing kindness, no matter how awkward it feels. ]

Might I sit?

[cyan_maid]

[Jane does look up when Thomasin says her name, and after a beat, nods. She certainly can't stop you from sitting down.]

Go ahead.

[curdle]

[ Truthfully, just Jane looking at her already makes her feel she's done something terribly wrong, but after a period of silence she presses on, looking at the detritus at the bottom of her cup. Her voice is quiet. ]

... pity has no virtue in the face of this abomination. You've helped me. If I can be of any use to thee, I'll to it.

If not, I'll speak no more.

[cyan_maid]

[Wrong? Thomasin, you haven't done anything - Jane would say as much if you so much as suggested it. None who remain are those who've taken on this task of grisly spacemurder.]

...I wouldn't mind...just having some company. Perhaps...to have a chat about something other than today. If you don't mind, that is.

[curdle]

I don't.

[ She pauses, thinking. What's some light material? Jane's home? She must miss it. Her home? Nothing there has been good, not for a long time. ]

I did think the privy was a well, my first day hither.

[ NAILED IT ]

[cyan_maid]

[...

That is definitely a tone switch from everything involving murder. You're quite lucky Jane knows some old-timey words, Thomasin.]

O-Oh...you didn't...please tell me you didn't take a drink out of it...

[curdle]

Never! [ A day earlier she would have laughed, especially at having a conversation where someone else is the one taken aback, but it's not that time anymore. ] I wondered why we should have one with no buckets, nor even a cup... and then you taught me of the showers, so there was no need. Does it not look like it might be?

[cyan_maid]

Well, I've never grown up in a place where wells resemble toilets...

[A pause...]

...Have you...been drinking from the showers instead?

[She doesn't look disgusted, since the showers should be cleaner, but...oh, Thomasin, honey, let's show you how the sinks work.]

[curdle]

Only when close at hand. Most oft I use the sink.

[ But you better believe that she's drinking from the tap most of the time! She raises her cup and takes a sip. ]

With so much new to drink of, it would be a shame to take only water. I've still not touched that machinery over yonder. [ It is an incredibly good thing that she has not, since that machinery is the espresso maker. She had wondered about its use with... she won't think of it. ] What is it?

[cyan_maid]

Okay...well...erm, let's see if we can't get you something that lets you keep water on you at all times, or at least closer to you than the showers.

[She doesn't say it chidingly though - she's grateful it wasn't the toilet.]

Oh, that thing? It makes coffee - very, very strong coffee. If I have some, I water it down a lot, because it's supposed to help you stay awake, but since it's so strong, it would give me the jitters if I drank it straight away!

[curdle]

I didn't wish to take from the kitchens, [ she admits, ] else I should have stolen away a cup some time past.

[ Her history with the supposition of having stolen cups is a contentious one! ]

The jitters? [ Look she's even more of a grandma than Jane but that one is new to her. ]

[cyan_maid]

It should be alright. All this stuff is here for us to use - no one would miss a cup.

[A soft chuckle.] Ah, it would make me very shaky and nervous. But if you water it down enough, you just get a bit of energy, that's all.