onceuponacomm | Afterparty I: Once Upon a Hotpot Dreary...

[It's very likely that many want to be alone after all of that (and it was a lot, all of that altogether), but there's also merit in gathering together and rebuilding connections after everything that was upended in something as contentious as a trial in a tree. They even had to all slide down from the heights afterward, unfortunately for those with a fear of heights.

So what Jack sets about doing is simply passing on a message by word of mouth at the bottom of the absurd tree slide, tapping shoulders and nodding at those moving away as well, there will be food and drink and company later on in the lounge should it be needed. No one needs ballroom memories on top of everything else, yes?

And so anyone who comes out of their room will be hit by the wonderful smells of fresh bread and pastries, fragrant whiffs of hotpot (it's unfortunately left over from the other day, but it's hotpot so surely it's fine), the inescapable spices of curry and who knows what else has been thrown together in the moment. Jack certainly isn't the cook here, but he can heat things up in a pinch.

There are no signs or fanfare or decorations, unlike the other day; this is just a gathering place, for those who wish to shake off the weight of the days and lives on their shoulders.]

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...Yes, I think I do.

[Even if she still sounds understandably sorrowful about it.]

Thank you for your concern.

[Tears. Um Gottes willen, he didn't like emotions. But, if there was any time that someone should cry and throw a pity party, during an actually party was probably one of the better times to choose.

So instead of criticizing her further, the parrot turned his head to look at something else. An extremely ~~not at all~~ interesting wall.]

You are velcome. Let us hope sings go better in the coming veek.

[She hurriedly wipes away the tears with her free hand, much more composed now than at the trial if nothing else.]

Yes. Thank you... for coming to speak to me like this.

[The self-control of this parrot is the one thing from doing or saying something incredibly stupid.]

You vere one of the people zat seemed most effected by the case. It seemed only logical to say somesing.

Still... it means a lot. And you didn't have to.

[The gratitude can be heard in her voice.]

Anyvone wis common sense woult have done it, truly.

[He is...surprisingly uncomfortable with positive praise! He doesn't like it! Make it stop!!]

I'm not so sure...

[She trails off, before running her wrist along her eyes one last time just to be sure.]

Um... did you still need dinner? We could eat together.

I...suppose ve could, zough don't expect me to eat that much.

[Whatever it takes to end this emotional praise-it feels weird!]

That's okay. You probably don't need to eat as much as us, do you?

[She'll find some nice bread with seeds for him while collecting reheated leftovers for herself.]

Correct-usually I vill be satisfied wis arount a handful of seets.

[And given the look he gives some of the seed bread here, he doesn't seem to mind deviating from sunflower seeds this time.]

Is that what you've been having since we got here?

[A plate of food for herself and a plate of bread for the professor - she'll stretch out the arm holding the bread, offering it as a perch so they can move to a table.]

[He does land and stay on the offered plate, continuing the conversation after he sits.]

More or less. I have been getting my meals from the bakery, usually having a loaf of sunflower seet bread.

[She will carefully walk them over to a seat, movements smooth and graceful as ever as she sets the plate down.]

This place has good food no matter what species, huh?

[The ride is...weirdly nice. He's used to it being more on the bumpy side.]

It is surprisingly goot, yes. I expected zis place to mainly be catered to the needs of humans, but vhat is here has worked for me as vell.

Nageki ate human food at the party... I suppose birds from his time must be different because of their size.

[Huh. But she'll begin eating, too.]

Zat, and the differences in our vorlds is likely a factor.

[peck peck the food like that's just a casual thing to say.]

...Like how his world has giant birds?

[Is that technically wrong.]

Yes, but also how exactly birds became so large on his worlt. I doubt it was anysing as simple as just vaking up vone day to find all birds were the size of humans.

[There's gotta be reasons behind it. SCIENCE and STUFF.]

...They didn't just get bigger over time?

[Yor.]

[Just...staring for a second...]

No. Sings can get bigger over time, but zere has to be reasons behind zem. If anysing got bigger over time, one woult have to ask why insects are not the size of felines by now.

[Hmm...]

I wonder why birds would need to get bigger and eat human food.

[okay, that's better]

The initial guess woult be survival against larger predators. Natural selection woult cause a bird of Herr Fujishiro's size to have a higher chance of survival against a wolf zan, say, a bird of my size.

[Her eyes are rising to the ceiling as she imagines Nageki fending off a wolf.]

[The small bird chuckles.]

Yes, it is a raser amusing image. Still, among the two of us, which of coult you see surviving a wolf attack? Myself, or Herr Fujishiro?

[...]

In the case neizer of us coult fly, of course.

[Another moment of silence ~~for yor's brain~~ while she thinks this over.]

I don't know... dogs can be pretty dangerous, even for adults. If it was a wolf...

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