The world is all one! Unity mind!

[brandnewday]

[Another week, another set of disasters. Hibiki’s head is still reeling from the lengthy ordeal that was Solf J. Kimblee. But it’s because of that exasperation that she’s able to turn her restlessness into something useful. It’s too late to set about making curry for everyone, so it’s time to make some easier dishes. A replication of Fern’s mac-and-cheese, somehow she’s whipped up some kind of donut to go with her animal-shaped rice balls. There’s coffee, tea...hopefully it’s enough? And if it’s not, Rin has provided some delicious Chinese food. And that always tastes better late at night, doesn’t it?

And for the adults (or the exasperated teenagers), Susan is carting down booze from the bar. Joy. Hibiki’s never written to the group en masse before, but she delivers a piece of paper to everyone while Rin and Susan finish up the preparations. Each paper has a drawing of an animal on it, too.]

Too much has happened today. Whether you want to get angry, cry, smile, laugh, or just be out of your room, you don’t have to do it alone. Rin and I have prepared food for everyone, and Susan’s brought the drinks downstairs so none of us have to go into the bar tonight.

Even if it’s just for a little while, won’t you think about joining us in the dining room tonight? Being together is just as important as working hard. And remember, nankurunaisa!

-Hibiki Ganaha

[Three more candles are lit today. Tabitha Smith. Sigrun Eide. Solf Kimblee. They’re all Cabanela’s doing. There aren't any decorations, but the food is spaced out so everyone should be able to grab something and munch if they need it. It’s not clear how many people will come, but a serious attempt was made this time.]

Comments

[matchbreaker]

[ Elda... Isn't bothering to go to the afterpaty, honestly. She's too tired by half, too emotional. Too... a lot of things, really. So while she does have some specific people to seek out for the most part, she just goes briefly to the infirmary and then, with some blood and a glass in hand, she's settling back to ...

Her room barely feels like her room, still. She'll just settle into the ballroom with her glass, sitting at the piano. Not playing, but for once drinking human blood out of a glass.

This all sucks. ]

[ninehundredlives]

[Susan is true to her word; she'll go and seek Elda out once she's finished toting a few bottles from the bar to the dining room.]

Do you want to have this conversation here, or somewhere more private? [She'd opt for private, if we're going to be talking about her personal life, but she's sort of curious about where Elda would prefer to make her request. Or, rather, her demand.]

[matchbreaker]

Wherever you'd prefer to get drunk.

[ ... This is sure a thing that she's said. With somewhat more vividly red eyes than normal. ]

[ninehundredlives]

...let's just go back to mine.

[She's already been in Elda's room, after all. And anyway if she's going to be the only one drinking, she wants to sit on the bed.]

I'll grab some wine. Or maybe something harder...

[matchbreaker]

Whatever you prefer.

[ Her expression... shifts. It goes more awkward and then she ... somewhat hesitantly, she clarifies: ]

I can't taste wine or whiskey or anything, it'll have no effect on me. But I've been told by some associates that biting and taking the blood of a properly drunk person will give to effects to me. I... would test that, if you'd let me.

[ninehundredlives]

[........oh. She clearly was not anticipating that.

But then, she was the one who'd asked Elda about it before, wasn't she? And...a few weeks ago, she probably wouldn't have thought it, but she thinks she does trust the woman. It isn't a particularly warm and sentimental thing, but with two people like them, maybe it just doesn't look like that.]

.....alright. Whiskey, then. It'll be faster for the both of us.

[matchbreaker]

[ Her already big eyes widen. In spite of herself, she looks... surprised. Flummoxed, even. On her fairly youthful (for how old she acts and talks) face it probably looks a little comical - briefly giving her a more innocent appearance where she might pass for sixteen or younger as opposed to the old women she is.

But then she swallows, nods, and ... ]

... Thank you. Let us go.

[ninehundredlives]

[Susan nods, and leads the way back to her room once she's got her liquor.

It's reasonably neat inside; her bed is made and everything. It looks like she's even made some attempt to decorate, with a few of the prettier pieces of random vending machine junk placed on her desk. Like that Blue Orb...clearly it's mostly good for being a fancy paperweight, right? She'll go to sit on the bed, opening the bottle.]

You know, I never really used to drink anything stronger than wine before all this? I guess it just doesn't seem like enough for being here.

[matchbreaker]

I've had a lot more firsts than that. I imagine many have.

[ She settles into the room after her, taking in the decor of it and given the option she'd kill the lights but... well, this is Susan's room. Instead, she situations herself on the desk chair, pulling it up closer to the bed and looking down. She... Frowns, all the deeper.

... What is she doing. ]

assumedly SPECIFICALLY SOUGHT OUT (infirmary)

[destage]

[Sayaka's walking out of the afterparty at some point, assumedly--she's gonna head up to the bar and...play around with some stuff there, but she catches Elda while she's walking, and goes into the hallway while she walks out.]

Hey, Marker-san!

PRETTY FUCKING MUCH

[matchbreaker]

[ She... ]

... Come here, girl.

[ She ... she feels embarrassed to have a blood packet and a glass in hand in front of Sayaka, honestly, so she's going to set them down right here in the hall as she closes in on her. She's walking with sure steps, but her face is uncharacteristically uncertain. ]

[destage]

[...well, if that's the case, Sayaka's gonna walk right over to her with a smile. She's got her hands empty right now, at least, so she tilts her head a bit.]

Marker-san...?

[matchbreaker]

[ She's pulling Sayaka into an embrace as soon as they're close enough. This shouldn't be in the hall, she knows. Perhaps there's some way that they could go somewhere else... but...

She...

can't help it. She needs this, to pull her closer. To burry her face into Sayaka. ]

[destage]

[Ah. This is definitely a little bit public, but...she can tell Elda needs this, and she'll pull the woman in for the hug as well. She's...kind of been wanting a hug, too.

She'll hum a bit too, idly--more meant to soothe Elda, than anything.]

[matchbreaker]

[ Yeah but does Sayaka see what's coming next?

... Namely, Elda starting to sob into her, holding her tight. This... all of this sucks. all of this sucks so much. She nearly died today, it was closer than at any trial so far. She didn't even do anything.

It's so frustrating. It's so infuriating and -- and she's so lonely. ]

[destage]

[...she does not.

She's definitely not expecting the tears, the--god, she never thought Elda could get like this. Elda's always so strong, so whimsical, so...much better at this, than she ever was. She never expected this to happen, but...

She clings a little tighter to Elda, letting her sob.]

Let it out, Elda-san...let it out.

[matchbreaker]

[ But it's a -- she's -- Sayaka is regrettably, hatefully, awfully human. The woman shouldn't be doing this. She should not be doing this. She grips a Sayaka tighter. She feels sick. She feels repulsive.

James...

Tears continue to fall, and she roars out some frustration. She's so... infuriated. She ...

She's trembling, isn't she?

... Some indomitable. ]

ballroom

[bloodbiter]

[First, Adelina seeks her out in her own room, but when her knocking doesn't earn a response, she moves through the building until she catches sight of Elda. Luckily, she doesn't recognize the blood for what it is as she enters the ballroom.]

Hello.

[matchbreaker]

Hello.

[ She... despite her planned bravado, to drink out of a blood goblet in front of adelina is so... so something she doesn't want to do. She sets down the glass at the side of the piano stool, arching her back a bit before she sits back up and fixes her hair. ]

[bloodbiter]

[The gesture doesn't seem too strange to her, and she takes a few more steps towards the piano.]

How are you feeling?

[matchbreaker]

[ awful, tired. confused. lonely.

... so lonely.

She grits her teeth, exhales hard, and ... ]

Well, I shall recover, as ever.

[bloodbiter]

[She pauses, and then a new kind of gentleness comes through in her tone.]

That is not what I asked, Elda.

[matchbreaker]

Don't question me, girl.

[ Her tone shoots out defensively at that, dripping with malice. Her eyes don't turn predatory though, instead just looking bloodshot and angry. ]

[bloodbiter]

[In stark contrast to the last time Elda took her by surprise, here she barely flinches; she moves her head slightly so their eye contact is more direct, and she pauses for a moment.]

...You have no reason to be cross with me. I am trying to be certain that you are alright.

[matchbreaker]

[ For a moment she feels abashed, almost embarrassed to snap at adelina. But then... then that same feeling makes her feel sick t her stomach. What is she doing?

... For some human girl?

Her eyes harden, her expression becoming more dark and clouded. She curls in on herself, one of her long nailed fingers brushing towards her lip. ]

To which I provided an answer.