It keeps happening

[forcegalactic]

[After that horror show of an execution, Mordecai is still restless from the investigation and trial. He has too much pent-up energy, and plenty of others are sure to be upset, too. Ashley was loved by nearly all of them, the trial was mentally draining, and that execution was crueler than it should have been.

Two hours after everyone has returned to their rooms, they'll find a note slipped under their doors.]

We can't go on with empty stomachs. There's food in the kitchen, and the dining room is always open if you need someone to talk to.

Please keep anything outside of eating and civilized conversation away from the dining hall. That room is meant to be a peaceful place for those of us that need it.

-Mordecai Benmont Jiminy

[Today, there's cream of tomato soup warming up on the stove with a set of bowls besides it. It's a more mindless dish to prepare than mashed potatoes, as much as Mordecai wants to vent his frustrations on the potatoes.

He decides to follow Cabanela's tradition and lights one more candle, and after some consideration, lights a sixth. Let those who cared about either girl pay their respects.]

Comments

[swirlied]

[ At first he doesn't want to go to the dining hall, but staying in his room begins to make him feel even more like he's trapped and he has to leave to feel like he can actually breathe again.

He really appreciates the soup and even gets himself a bowl, but when he sits down at a table with it Yuuri realizes he's not going to be able to stomach anything for a while.

For the most part, Yuuri is staring listlessly at his soup, occasionally glancing up if someone walks by. At some point he takes his pendant out from under his shirt, clutching it for some form of comfort. It doesn't help much. ]

[announcemyvictory]

[Elise wants to leave. Instead, she's staring at her own soup.]

They were friends.

[swirlied]

[ He looks up, nodding. ]

I can't even wrap my mind around it... It's just... [ Too much. But he can't say anything else without getting choked up. ]

[announcemyvictory]

I'm glad we caught her. But she really seemed to care before now, didn't she?

[swirlied]

...She really did. [ But she was pushed over the edge and killed Ashley, and he just can't comprehend why. ]

I don't know what to think anymore.

[announcemyvictory]

[She barely manages to speak.]

We can't trust anyone if we're all going to betray each other anyway.

[swirlied]

But we still need to try... [ "This won't happen again" is what he wants to say but after the third time does he really have the right to even think that?

There's a long pause before he finally says, quietly: ]

I don't want to be suspicious of anyone here. I can't do that.

[announcemyvictory]

Good faith is getting harder to come by in here.

[swirlied]

...It is. But I'm still going to try. I don't want to be suspicious of everyone all the time.

[charcoalfeather]

[As much as Rakka didn't want to be here, she knew that the the last person that didn't like to show up to the after parties was... well.

Thankfully, Bakugou got her down here without much trouble, and she manages to find her own seat, somewhat close to Yuuri. She didn't know him all too well, but he seemed nice. She needed nice.]

...H-how are you feeling? [She's not usually the one that asks that.]

[swirlied]

[ He tries to offer her a smile when she sits down, but it just falls flat. Her questions has Yuuri pausing for a moment, not really knowing what to say. ]

I... I don't really know, actually. Are you okay?

[charcoalfeather]

[That's cause enough for Rakka to pause and think. Was she alright? she had already broken down three times today. Her eyes were still looking a little red and sore.]

...I don't know either. I just thought that I'd ask....

[Well this didn't go well. Dangit.]

[swirlied]

[ This time he actually manages to give her a smile, even if it is small. ]

Thanks. It's kind of nice to be asked, actually. [ It's nice that, after everything, they can still ask one another if they're okay.

He gestures to his bowl. ] Do you want some soup?

[charcoalfeather]

[It's a nice thing to have, since there may come a day when they can't ask that any longer.]

...O-oh. Yeah, I guess. [She wasn't adverse to eating, though her appetite had certainly taken a steep dive after this trial.] What is it?

[swirlied]

Tomato soup, I think. It's pretty good. Well, it smells good... I haven't eaten mine yet.

[ He hands her his own bowl since he hadn't touched it yet and so she doesn't need to go grab one. He'll probably get up and get another one for himself later. ]

Mordecai probably made it, since he's the one that organized everything this time.

[charcoalfeather]

[She stares down at the bowl that has been passed her way. The sudden hospitality is not unwelcome in the slightest, but it's still a little out of the blue.

...She'll draw her finger along the rim of the bowl, gathering enough to bring to her mouth for a taste. Yup, tomatoes.]

Well, it smells pretty good. [Which meant it probably was good!] yeah, I think he's a really great cook, don't you?

[swirlied]

Yeah, I do. I'd actually like to learn some stuff from him. I don't know how open he would be to that idea, though.

[heymcfly]

[ He takes a seat beside him, quiet. Marty just notices Yuuri taking out the pendant. He tries to smile; tries being the key word. ]

What's that?

[swirlied]

[ Yuuri's gaze snaps up at the sudden presence next to him, and he tries to offer a smile back. It doesn't really work either. ]

This? [ He holds up the pendant a little, so Marty can see it better. ] My grandfather gave this to me a little while ago. I got it from the vending machine last week.

[heymcfly]

Get outta town! [ Marty leans forward, trying to get a closer look at the pendant. It was...unique. Different. ]>/small>

How old's it?

[swirlied]

[ He holds it up so Marty can see it better. ]

No idea. I mean, it can't be that old, but you never know.

[heymcfly]

Right, right. [ He squints, looking over the pendant a little more closely this time. ] ] You got that from the vending machine?

...how does he find that shit? I got a picture I don't even remember taking

[swirlied]

That's what I want to know. It's kind of creepy, isn't it?

[ How does this guy know all this stuff about them? ] And a picture you don't even remember taking? That's really weird...

[heymcfly]

Yeah, a little.

[ He pulls out a picture that he's been keeping on his person religiously. It's an old photo of him and his friend from the Wild West, standing by a clock. It was old and withered, browned by age. ] That's my best friend there, but I don't remember.

I have these weird ass dreams every now and then too. I'm guessing you eat 'em too, right?

[swirlied]

[ He takes a look at the photo. How could you not remember taking something like that? ]

Yeah, I do. I don't know what to think of them, to be honest. They're so realistic.