Didn't we just do this last week?

[perpend]

[It's starting to look like this is going to be a weekly occurrence.

Just like last week, Cabanela waits a while before he makes his rounds, writing everyone quick notes and sliding them under each occupied door.]

Stay strong.
If you don't want to be alone tonight, meet in the dining hall.
-Cabanela

[Like last week, Cabanela hasn't bothered to provide anyone with food-- that would just be... rude right now, he thinks. Upon first entering, you'll notice that there are now four lit candles in the center of one of the tables.

Feel free to leave mementos for the dead; it's probably appreciated.]

Comments

[forcegalactic]

You can call me Mr. Jiminy. "Barkeep" is the usual designation, but ownin' a saloon ain't the qualification I meet no more.

[He slides into the next chair over and folds his arms on the table. He's not spoken to Morty at all since he arrived, despite how bad he felt for the kid for being related to someone so awful a Rick. He looks at Morty for a few moments, mulling over what to say.]

You're a brave kid, you know that?

[mortyfied]

[He starts digging in almost immediately, after learning what to call him. He'll make sure to remember Mr. Jiminy in the future, even though it's kind of a weird name. But, he doesn't judge!

Anyway, the statement kind of throws him off guard and he gives Mordecai a bit of an awkward glance.]

Um... yeah, I - u-um. [He doesn't want to seem rude by being like "oh yeah totally" but he doesn't know if that's something to thank someone for saying?]

Y-y'think so?

[forcegalactic]

Sure I do. Can't think of many kids that can deal with all this, stayin' together even if they're afraid. [And deal with Rick.] I don't know what Rick has against you, but whatever it is, I bet he's wrong.

[There are child soldiers and warriors among them, and here's a regular kid thrown into chaos. He can't help but feel sorry for him.]

Thanks for keepin' him in line durin' the trial.

[mortyfied]

Oh, yeah! O-of course. [He kind of drops his gaze towards his bowl for a moment, feeling... actually pretty weird. Compliments, people calling him brave.. those aren't things he's really used to? He hardly has friends back home, and the only reason anyone really paid much attention to him was because of Rick. Here it's like everything was turned upside down, and it's just such a weird thing to get used to, to be honest.]

But y'know uh, he doesn't - I-I mean, he's an asshole for sure, but I think it's kind of his way of showing affection? O-or that's what I like to think, anyway. I dunno if it's true but he's not all bad - he can actually be pretty nice when you're talking to him one-on-one?

I just think being here is... it sucks, so he's being more of a douche than he normally would be. Or it's lasting longer than usual at least. I might be completely wrong about this, but it's not like he really shares his feelings or anything so who even knows!

[forcegalactic]

Affection? By callin' you names? [That could be true, but he thought making fun of each other was a sign of a trusting friendship, not how you make friends, unless they were from some sort of Opposite Zone where being mean to each other was how you treated your loved ones. Or hated ones, however that would work.]

Now look here, Morty, it may be that he's upset - heck, we all are! - about bein' stuck, but that's no way you treat family!

[mortyfied]

Well he treats my parents and sister the same way... more towards my dad than the rest of us though but I don't really blame him. [His dad is a trip and a half.]

Um, look.. I-I'm not trying to defend him, because believe me! I hate it more than anyone else! I've been tagging along with him on his stupid, science adventures for over a year and he still treats me like crap even after all that time - it really hurts sometimes, y'know?

But I mean this - this is the longest we've been stuck in another dimension and honestly... I-I think it's the first time Rick has no idea what to do about it. I mean, I've literally never heard the words "I have no idea what's going on" from him before, b-but that was the first thing he told me when we first got here. [..did it really take Morty two weeks to realize that Rick was probably stressed out? Yikes, kid..]