We're Still Here, We Still Have Each Other

[induality]

[It takes Fukawa some time to pull herself together but when she does-- she moves with a purpose. Everyone will find a note in practiced writing:]

Though all we've be through today was awful, and you might not want to face it-- you're not facing it alone. There will be food and drink in the VIP Lounge. And company. Whatever your feelings are now, it's okay. I won't tell you want to think or how to feel. But you don't have to carry it alone.

- Touko Lucis Caelum

[True to her word, she worked hard to make snacks and light warm foods for everyone as well as drinks-- alcoholic and otherwise. Everyone is welcome. She even stops by the information desk to extend an invitation to SIS.]

Comments

[kingshaming]

[Xander doesn't go to the party at first. How can he, after that? He had rolled the dice, and... well, Fire Emblems and bad rng go hand in hand honestly, what do you expect.

Instead he goes as far away from the party as he can. All the way up to the third floor- and into the Exercise Yard. He can see the stars here, closest to the many eyes of the gods.

He looks up at them and screams.

Once he empties out his lungs and heart he finally goes back to the VIP Lounge and sits with the others, resisting the urge to drink- he's sure people will have questions, but he saves answering any of those until he can meet up with Church. But if anyone wants to scream at him for what happened, he is.... here]

VIP Lounge

[cyan_maid]

[When Xander comes in, he finds that Jane sticks right by him, cradling her hands to her chest.]

...We fucked up.

[kingshaming]

It was... ill luck. When Church is ready, we will explain in more detail but... that cube is meant to warp someone to one other place in the station. I've used it before.

Yet somehow, she went right where I wanted her least. It's like the gods are laughing at me.

[cyan_maid]

...It's not your fault. Y-You were only trying to help...

[But they couldn't have a victory. No matter how much they refused, no matter how much they fought...everything keeps getting taken away from them.]

[kingshaming]

If we had voted wrong and tried to use it, I wonder if the dice would have fallen the same and killed us all. No way to know now.

[cyan_maid]

...

[Sniffle.]

I guess...we can only be lucky so many times, huh?

VIP lounge

[ratherdoweddings]

Xander-san, I... I'm so sorry.

[Yurika sinks into a couch with a sigh.]

I really thought we could do something. I know she could be awful, but...

VIP Lounge

[induality]

[Fukawa wasn't sure he'd come. But-- she's glad when he does. She doesn't want to pull herself away from what she's doing but she wanted to talk to him even if it was just for a little bit.]

I don't-- I don't know what you did in there... but... thank you for trying.

[kingshaming]

I failed... I'm so sorry.

[induality]

That's stupid. You... did more than any of us could.

It was reckless but... I don't think having you on our team is a bad thing.

exercise yard

[motherfucking_ghost]

[Hey fellow parent. He knows Xander's not gonna go first thing, and he doesn't blame him one bit. He feels like...after everything that happened, he's gotta talk to Xander first. That they have to talk.

But he'll let uh. Xander. Do his thing. Just don't mind Church in the doorway.]

[kingshaming]

[Once he's done he turns slightly. His face is an unattractive splotchy red, and his breath heavy]

... godsdamn it.

[motherfucking_ghost]

Yeah. ...Yeah. I feel that.

[kingshaming]

I'm... sorry. I was so sure. Perhaps... we should have done a protest vote after all.

[motherfucking_ghost]

We never know. We're never sure. That's the risk we take, every time we buck the system.

...It might still work out. That's what happened last time, in my group, when we thought Queenie was dead.

[kingshaming]

What happened? With Queenie? Her name keeps coming up... the earlier motive- PAL even picked her in the game I was playing on your old Overseer's tablet.

[motherfucking_ghost]

What, there's a game with her in it?

She, um. It was bad, the how and why and what she did doesn't...really matter, but we weren't going to do it. We all stood together. We-- [He scoff-laughs, rolling his head and staring up through the ceiling.] We sang a song. Turns out one person was still willing to vote for her, so she ended up executed.

We technically didn't see the body, but we thought she was gone. Dipped in a pool of...something bad from her world. Day or two later, she pops back up good as new.

PAL saved her. Well. Guess he was being run by Kip at the time.

[kingshaming]

Indeed. Heh, in fact, we all are. All us adults at least. It's a... romance game?

...

[He thinks on this]

The cube worked, I'm sure it did. Perhaps PAL redirected the teleportation. Maybe something else- the odds seem almost impossible she would go into the execution chamber but it's not completely impossible. Either way... we know she is alive and sleeping at least. We are not done yet.

[motherfucking_ghost]

......I don't remember seeing the cube. When she showed up, I don't know if maybe it was on the ground? Unless the cube went somewhere and she didn't.

We'll find out. In a day or two, probably.

It was a plan, man, and it didn't suck.

[kingshaming]

It was a gamble. I... don't know if I can bare to look at Pyrrha just yet.

[motherfucking_ghost]

Pyrrha wanted to kill her girlfriend just so she could also die. I don't know that she's allowed to have an opinion on things right now 'til she's calmed down.

[kingshaming]

[Xander makes a noise that's not a laugh at all- it's not funny. But it's a noise of SOME kind of emotion]

I understand where's she's coming from. I truly do. Still... I don't plan to sit here and wallow all night. What of you?

[motherfucking_ghost]

I wanted to make sure you weren't gonna wallow.

Look. This sucks. It sucks for every reason all the others sucked, and now it's just me and Ari left from my group, and we lost one of the best one of us, and it's the worst. It's always the worst. Every fucking week is the fucking worst.

...And this was a really low blow. A really...a really...bad, low blow, and this upcoming week is gonna be a fucking nightmare.

Which means we gotta get our shit together and make sure the others are ready for what's coming.

[kingshaming]

[Xander is a bit surprised, and it shows on his face... but he nods]

Yes, yes of course. Things are only going to get worse from here on out... and this proved they will not stand another trial. For good or ill, this may be the end of it.

[motherfucking_ghost]

I trust you. I trusted your plan. Even if I could've gotten everyone to vote the right way, and then even if we could've gotten everyone together, and then even if the cube could've taken us all somewhere...something would've happened. We still have the armbands, the PIPs. Could've probably just killed us off with those anyway.

I hate...all of this. And I'm probably gonna feel like shit later. Shittier. But I'm determined to trust you to help get all these people out.