Afterparty I: Once Upon a Hotpot Dreary...

[heroicact]

[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.]

Comments

[hellochildren]

Yes, zat woult have...lowered the mood considerably, to put it lightly.

[Yor gets to live another day, thankfully.]

[libirdian]

[ And keep on living, hopefully. Nod, nod. ]

...Thank you for all the work you put into the investigation.

[hellochildren]

Sink nothing of it. Any genius worth zere title woult do the same.

[Then mostly under his breath-]

Not zat it did much to help, zough.

['Not that he's bitter or anything!!' he thought, sarcastically.]

[libirdian]

I suppose, but it's thanks to that and the others that we had all the information we needed.

[ There was just a lot of wild theories and interpretations flying around. ]

[hellochildren]

True. I just vould have preferred zat things had gone differently. I am...unuset to overestimating an opponent.

[Generator of wild theories speaking, and he feels very upset that he had to get proven wrong in this way, this badly.]

[libirdian]

It's easy to overthink things when there's that much pressure on getting it correct.

[ Better than underthinking things at least. ]

[hellochildren]

Also correct. It is mainly somesing zat irritates me at the moment. I vill get over it soon, most likely.

[He really will. While it made him feel foolish, he didn't suffer because of any stupid decisions, so he at least has that.]

[libirdian]

...I'll try to, too. It's the least I can do.

[ Or at least he'll make an attempt to in good faith. There's no other way to move than onward. ]

[hellochildren]

Zat is the most ve can ask for, at the current moment.

[It really is.]

[libirdian]

I guess it is. Thank you.

[ He knows he's not particularly riveting company right now, so he appreciates the effort to talk to him. ]

[hellochildren]

It is not a problem, my fellow feazered friend.

[Birds gotta stick together!]

[libirdian]

I appreciate it.

[ Bird solidarity! ]

...Did you eat yet?

[hellochildren]

[As if to answer Nageki's question, the rumbling and growling of a small stomach is heard, coming from the parrot's direction. The parrot himself is suddenly a bit more grateful about feathers, since they hide any signs of blushing.]

It...seems to have slippet my mind.

[libirdian]

Same here.

[ Between waking up in the library, the body announcement, and the trial, he didn't get much of a chance to eat. Of course, that's the same for most. It has really been a long day, so stomach rumbling is only to be expected. Hence the sympathetic glance. ]

Sunflower seed bread sounds good right now.

[hellochildren]

[Usually the parrot wouldn't take kindly to a sympathy being shown his way-sympathy was just another word for pity as far as he was concerned-but for once, he paid it no mind. Better it be over something stupid like hunger than something more important.]

Ve may be able to find some here. I believe Herr Vessalius gazered foods from the bakery as vell.

[libirdian]

All right.

[ Good, because he doesn't really want to leave the building right now. He just doesn't have enough energy to. ]

Shall we grab some?

[ Or at least bread in general. He'd be fine with that as well. Not like he has much of an appetite anyway. ]

[hellochildren]

I don't see vhy not.

[The parrot flutters into the air, hovering.]

It shoult not be too hard to find.

[libirdian]

Just follow the smell, I guess.

[ He'll follow on foot, book tucked under one wing. At least this feels a lot more normal than the last few hours have been. ]