Afterparty II: Two Hearts, One Valve

[purefuries]

[ There's some joke about pizza to be made after all of that, but the bakery is broken, so we'll make do. The gathering seems to be happening outside this time, just around the entrance to the lodgings building, someone having left small notes and quick knocks and promptly disappearing, all saying something about getting fresh air.

Presented on a collection of tables is tea, fish stir-fry courtesy of Edelgard, chazuke from Tenn, and some sweet tarts from Junko. There also seems to be seeds in a bowl...? (Nageki is trying) Some chairs have been dragged out if you'd rather not stand around.

It's nice and breezy out tonight, though. Look up at the moon, and try not to feel too alone. ]

Comments

[incompletely]

[ Tenn is visibly shaken up, and it seems like him cooking this time around is more to keep himself grounded and distracted more than it is to feed everyone. He's looking at his pot of chazuke -- tea and rice -- tiredly, and as he lifts the ladle to pour bowls for people, it's not hard to see that his hand is still shaky.

He's completely silent as he does this. He may not have much to say, because he doesn't have it in him to sass or tease anyone like he usually does.

After he's done cooking, though, he walks off to be in his room, which is Room 3, should anyone want to talk to him there. ]

[libirdian]

[ Nageki repeatedly looks between Tenn and the pot, worried he might accidentally spill something hot on himself. It's not like him to be so openly distracted (though he can't blame him at all), so after a few seconds of internal debating, he quietly speaks up. His current plating can wait. ]

...Do you want to sit down? I can finish the ladling.

[ Even if he can't cook, he can at least do that much. ]

[edamamepon]

[ Makoto didn't really want to deal with anyone at first. It's not until he's made an attempt to pull himself together that he's heading to the stairs alone. He almost doesn't see Tenn coming up them.

It's clear that he hadn't expected to run into him, the pained look that crosses his face broadcasting it well enough before his gaze drops. ]

Kujo-san. I... [ If Tenn doesn't just ignore him here, he'll continue-- ]
I'm sorry. I know you're probably sick of hearing that.


[ ooc: is this okay? ??? /facehands hahaha ]

[eternaljune]

[Rika walks over to Tenn, holding a cup of tea. She has a favor to return.]

I...hope this won't be too redundant since you're making chazuke.

Do you want help...?

[heroicact]

Tenn.

[Jack has come in at some point and set more water to boil; there is some tea set out in the kitchen itself just for the so-called staff of this not-quite-gathering too. But not much of it has been touched -- either they were all too distracted or much too busy or in some cases all of the above.

And regardless, tea or tea-based cuisine or a barebones menu with way too much time put into it -- he thinks that there's so very little they can still do for those caught up in the trial, but especially the boy here.]

... I find myself at loose ends in the kitchen, still, I'm afraid. [apparently one (1) day of omurice school just wasn't enough] And they certainly say a watched pot never boils. So, if you'll allow me to help you... I'm sure we can put together something in good time.

[Well, at least he's self-aware about being a ridiculous stove-watcher. On the other hand, this at least isn't the first time they've puttered around in the kitchen together, so hopefully he won't be in the way ~]

[libirdian]

[ Nageki's main priority tonight will be trying to make sure everyone, especially those particularly hit hard by the trial, have some sort of dinner after the long day. No reading this time--he's going to be zooming around asking people what they'd like to eat and drink. An impromptu delivery bird, if you will. He'll even delivery non-food related items if asked.

This will go on as long as needed because he's not about to sleep anytime soon. ]

Is that what you wanted? I can see what else I can get.

[ Not having the bakery available is a hard blow in these trying times, but he'll try his best to figure something out. ]

[purefuries]

[ Junko watches him skittering around when it clicks in her head ]

I assume I can attribute the bowl of seeds to you?

[ mystery solved. she wondered why it was out with the other food. ]

[biyishuangfei]

[ Eventually he'll show up. He's not happy to be here, and was late like last time, but he's here...probably to mostly grab some food because what was fixing food for himself?

He'll take what was presumably some food from Nageki. ]

...How long have you been doing this?

[ideismo]

[Alexei isn't returning to the lodgings.

He has no interest in being around people; he's never had interest in being around people after things go poorly, he wants to be left alone with his thoughts, he wants to just wait for whatever's going off in his head to shut off and remain that way because at this exact moment everything just-

He's out near the fountain tonight, simply because it's somewhere relatively clear, and he's trying not to think about SQ; he's got his sword out with him, the false Dein Nomos glittering in the low light, and he's rotating it a little in his grip, occasionally practicing strikes large and sweeping in their reach - just reacquainting himself with the damn sword, getting used to the weight of it in his grasp again, trying to get whatever the hell is happening in his head to slow a bit. There's nothing here for him - at the very least back in the Empire there was always something to do after setbacks like these - and honestly, he has no interest in coming back in tonight.

He doesn't care what the later hours bring. Better than being with the others.]

[amortristis]

[ ... yeah, this seems about right. ]

You'd probably have more room out in the desert to here, if you're practicing.

[ She's not really trying to hint at anything, just. Suggesting. ]

[crimson_flamel]

[Edelgard offers to help out with the cooking, mostly for something to do, something to keep her mind off all of this.

Sami, Zola, Riku, Gin, C-Ta, SQ. This game isn't being considered, it's being played.

That's what runs through her head, after the cooking is done, and she sits in a corner staring into a cup of tea darkly.]

[edamamepon]

[ After the cooking is done is about the time Makoto even makes it here. He doesn't want to be alone, but he doesn't know if he wants to talk either. And he hasn't even started in on the coffee in his hand. ]

... Mind if I join you?

[libirdian]

Do you need sugar or anything else for the tea?

[ Honestly, he's not sure what to say, but he can at least offer to grab something for her. ]

[reallyfishy]

[Raven knows he's probably not a popular person at the moment due to the...everything...at the trial, but he does make an appearance at the afterparty to clear up some things if anyone has any questions for him. He can be found lying in the grass a little ways from the gathering, arms behind his head and eyes on the moon.

Oof, what a fucking day.

Later on, he's back at the sparring area, swinging his wooden sword around and trying to take his mind off of things. His teeth are absolutely chattering from the cold desert air, though. Maybe this was an unwise idea.

He returns to room 17 after everything's said and done, and can be visited there should anyone want to speak to him outside of PCs!]

[incompletely]

[ Tenn isn't making it a point to really talk to anyone today, but Raven is someone he feels like he should speak to. He approaches him at the afterparty, feet crunching the grass beneath his boots, making himself known. ]

Raven-san.

[ A beat. ]

...Is it...okay if I join you?

sparring;

[ideismo]

[He won't follow Raven right away; he'll let him have his space, though he'll eventually find himself by the sparring area as well. He has Dein Nomos sheathed for the time being as he just stands near the fence and watches for a while before saying anything.]

Trying to clear your thoughts a bit...?

room 17;

[biyishuangfei]

[ Huaisang will come on over to Raven's room and give the door a soft knocking. At least there was no surprises or anything.

He's exhausted like probably most people were, but he wanted to at least speak to Raven somewhere. ]

Raven?

[heroicact]

[Jack's much less in evidence this time around, notably because he spends much of the beginning of the gathering just... in the kitchens staring down the teakettle; perhaps watching water boil is soothing, or perhaps making entirely too much tea is his way of relieving stress and bearing against some of the blows of the trial.

They really did seem endless this time around, two deaths (four deaths) somehow much, much heavier; but perhaps there was something inevitable about it, about the way all of them have started to tangle together despite themselves.

So he can be found back there with the kettle and a sundry tea set, absentmindedly staring at the whistle and possibly forgetting what he was doing (RIP that water)... or you can spot him sometimes later in the evening at the tables here and there, setting out more cups and... apparently eating seeds. Sure. He's even got a book at some point, though he'll close it should anyone approach him or linger nearby.]

Did you want to sit with me for a while?

[libirdian]

...If it's all right with you? It's fine if it isn't.

[ He's been flitting about here and there, trying his best to make up for his listlessness during last week's afterparty. But a break is fine here and there. Stamina was never his strong point anyway. ]

Later in the Night

[hellochildren]

...if you woult not mind.

[Hey Jack, the parrot is Feeling~(TM) and he hates it.]

[adorabilities]

What are you eating?

[ curiously, though not exactly-- with much feeling? but hey. at least she's no longer covered in flour. ]

afterparty + optional saturday prompts

[mathodical]

AFTERPARTY

[ the good thing about the afterparty being outside is that, you know.

he's here, and he's got a lit up homemade cigarette in his hands, thin wisps of smoke curling upwards as he inhales, exhales, visibly relaxing, because that mess of a trial was A Lot. he'll share, if anyone asks - it's not like victorians know about lung cancer anyway.

alternatively, the smell of food has made him realise he probably hasn't eaten since morning, so he'll just accept whatever food is passed to him, even though his appetite isn't fantastic. please help to feed and water this houseplant. ]

SATURDAY PROMPTS

[ it's a good thing that saturday is a free day, isn't it - because there is much on william's mind and not much to do with it.

he can and will be found in the sparring area in the morning, and there's a certain steely gaze in his eyes as he works with a pair of wooden versions of what look to be double edged daggers, hacking and slashing at a wooden practice dummy which happens to be a little bit worse for wear.

he will also revisit the echo houses in the afternoon - hopefully now cleared of any incriminating evidence. the fact that they couldn't find a culprit-- perhaps you'll find him running back and forth between the two houses while he conducts various tests, moving around objects and generally being far too absorbed than he should be. ]

afterparty

[edamamepon]

[ Makoto knows he shouldn't. It's a bad habit and maybe he should be grateful for being forced to quit, but the smell and the stress of the day prove too much for him.

He blurts out before he can stop himself. ]

Where'd you find those here?

echo houses;

[biyishuangfei]

[ Huaisang didn't like coming here, but he'd been a little curious himself.

He found William in the middle of his tests, and was watching for awhile, before speaking up. ]

...Did you figure anything out?

echo houses

[kowashi]

[ i almost typed echo chambers fml ]

Oi, Moriarty.

[ She's gonna ask because she needs a smart person to help explain things and he's very intent on understanding them, it seems. Sorry to Suga's art. ]

How do these two houses work? Is it magic or something...