AFTERPARTY III: Never Have I Ever Been Quite This Drunk

[mirrite]

[There's absolutely nothing celebratory about this drinking party. "Party" isn't even the right word, not really-- it's more like a "drink until you forget and/or black out" session for anyone who wants to participate, and even the bartender isn't immune from that much. Please forgive him if your drink isn't mixed quite right; he's trying his best under the circumstances.

There's food, too, if anyone wants to attempt to stave off a hangover tomorrow, or just get something in their stomach after the events of the day: stirfry from Makoto, vegetable soup from Nageki (mediocre, but hey, a genuine effort was made and that's what counts), and some tea for those who would rather abstain from the harder stuff. (Is that even many people tonight? Probably not.)

Come on by the bar if you're hungry or want a drink, or even if you just don't want to be alone right now. That much, at least, is something that can be guaranteed tonight.]

Comments

[hellochildren]

[This professor is already pie-eyed, so there's no need to get any more alcohol for the parrot. However-]

Somevone to converts-converse vis woult be apreciatez-appreciated.

[gemuinemanagement]

[That sure is a wasted bird, but he can't really judge.]

Thank you for earlier
I don't think I could have done that myself
Even if I had any anatomical knowledge

[hellochildren]

[A sloppy wave of a wing.]

It zas-vas nosing. Someone hat to, and I vasnt-vas not interested in forcing you to examine a corpse.

[Let alone someone most of them saw as a friend.]

I appreshate-appreciate zat you stayet close. I colt not have-coult not have looked her over properly wisout assistenz-assistence, so sank you.

[gemuinemanagement]

Glad to help
I've had to search places where people were killed before, but
They don't usually leave corpses when spirits are involved
I'm not sure if that's better or worse

[It doesn't feel good either way, to find someone's discarded belongings and only guess at their fate.]

[hellochildren]

Warum nicht beide-er, vhy not bos?

[He may have had too much, if he's started to reply in German first.]

Vhile not fishually-visually horrifying, imagination in sucht-such instances likely filt-filled in the gaps of vhat happened, and zat tense-tents to be more effective vith fear.

Still, she vas...somevone we all liecht-liked, until recently, so I must still express some form of gratitoot-gratitude.

tw: child death mention

[gemuinemanagement]

That's true
I've seen too many discarded children's backpacks
Balls and toys
Dolls

[It never gets easier no matter how many times it happens.]

Re: tw: child death mention

[hellochildren]

[Oh...huh...]

I beleaf-believe even vone is more zan enouv-enough for a lifetime.

You set-said you vere a janitor of sorts, yes? For a museum? Vhat is hellt-held zere?

["And why is that a thing that happens there?" was the final question he felt he didn't need to ask.]

[gemuinemanagement]

It teaches about the history of the town
Including the violent spirit in the nearby forest that targets children

I do what I can to keep people out
And sometimes I've been able to rescue them before they were caught
But sometimes I haven't

[hellochildren]

Ant I am azooming-assuming zere is no vay to permanently be rit-rid of zis spirit? No exorzist-exorcist or somesing similar, or spells or some such to send it afay-away?

[gemuinemanagement]

No
I can make protective charms to keep it away from people
But that's about it

[hellochildren]

Is zere anyvay to evaqivate-evacuate the town? Or is zere a lechen-legend of some sort stading-stating ze town can not be abandoned completely?

[Why is he bothering with this? Because fixing other people's problems from home sounds much more satisfying and preferable to thinking about recent events, that's why.]

[gemuinemanagement]

[If he's any good as a distraction, he's glad to be of service.]

Not going to happen
Most people these days don't believe the spirit exists

[hellochildren]

[Okay, that's actually new.]

Deshpite-despite a goot number of zeir chiltren-children disappearing to it, zey don't belief-believe it.

It sounds a-[HIC]-as sough you are fun-vone of ze smarter people from you worlt.

Let me guesh-guess, spirits do not appear on camera in-on you vorld?

[gemuinemanagement]

[He nods, at both parts. He has never claimed that the townspeople were smart.]

Most people don't survive an encounter to talk about it either
I'm one of the lucky ones

[hellochildren]

[A sigh, before the parrot thinks for a few moments, then speaks.]

Zere are two opsons-options I can immediately sink of, bos vith pros ant-and cons, but one relatively more moral-moral? Yes, moral.

[Ignore that moment of Pericles talking to himself out loud-]

I am assumink-assuming you want to hear the moral vone fst-first?

[gemuinemanagement]

[He nods. Yes, he'd like to do the moral thing, please.]

[hellochildren]

Okay, okay.

The besh-best sing to do wis zose contisions-conditions woult be to create a jewelry brand zat appears-appeals to children specifically. If children agively-actively vant necklaces and bracelets and udder-ozer jewelry pieces, zat eliminates ze izzu-issue of getting zem to wear the jarms-charms. Zen it's a masser-matter of mass-producing charmed jewelry, and zen most chitren-children vill be vearing your charms.

Offiously-obviously ze biggest difficulty in dish-dis-zis plan is the entire process of creating brant-brand zat sussesfully-succesfully appeals to children, as vell as how much effort it voot-woult take to mass-produce the charms, and the profit itsues-issues zat vill likely avrize-arise, as some charms vill have to be sold at cheaper pieses-prices so zey can be bought by poorer families.

[It's very similar to the solution he gave to Yuri's problem, but if these charms are the only way to protect these children from spirits and the stupidity of their parents, then it's the most logical thing he can think of.

Well, one of them.]

Do you vant to ze utter-ozer solution as vell?

[gemuinemanagement]

[Suga nods along, taking notes as Pericles talks. Mass produced... Appeal to children...]

The mines have been running low on the gemstone I use to make the charms lately, so it'll be tight trying to have enough for everyone
But I think I could do that
What's the other solution

[hellochildren]

I reccomend taking some genstons-gemstones from the cave if zey can vork for zeesh-zese charms.

The ozer solution voot-vould be to convince the town to evacivate-evacuate permanently for anozer reason. From vhat ife-I've seen, vone of the more effective mesods would be enver-envine-environmental disaster, specifically radiation. If staying ink-in zis town for a long time vill do more harm zed goot-good, zen they vill leave it.

Ze cons is zat you woult have to find a vay to agsess-access enough radioactive material to gauze-cause health risks for humans - among ozer sings.

[There's a reason why the first one was the more moral solution.]

[gemuinemanagement]

It seems like it would be hard to get something like that in the middle of nowhere

[And also the other moral quandaries... on the other hand, can spirits get radiation poisoning?]

I'll try the first one
Thank you
You're a good friend

[hellochildren]

Fair enouv-enough.

[And there's that statement again. The parrot doesn't know how to take a complement like that. Say he was a genius, and he'd puff out his chest and ruffle his feathers with pride. A good friend, though? Even if it was only twice that it had happened that he could think of at that moment, it just felt...odd.

He tried to let the statement go past him without a physical reaction. He couldn't help turning his gaze away from the man, apparently finding the blank wall much more interesting in that moment.]

It is nosing, truvy-truly. It is goot to find solutions to proplems-problems such as zis. Keeping ze braid-brain sharp or...somesing...

[Even if his brain is dealing with an obstacle at the moment.]

[gemuinemanagement]

I don't think you of all people need to worry about keeping sharp
I think you're probably the smartest person here

[moriarty who]

[hellochildren]

Pacish-practice is never a bad sing. Keeps ze mient-mind on it's toes, figuratively speaking.

Still, sank you for she-ze complement.

[Not arguing being the smartest because thank you for acknowledging his intelligence.]

[gemuinemanagement]

I wish I could help out in return
But I'm not as good at giving advice

[hellochildren]

I si-[HIC]-ink I have a plan alreaty, merely resueses-resources, time, and vay out of here.

...zat does not rekyer-reqvire killing someone.

[Because, you know, shouldn't do that.]