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

[housenurse]

[she's not sure how she's supposed to handle this. how do you deal with such massive losses, so close after the other? she has no idea how she's meant to manage this pain and return to a sense of somewhat normalcy.

there's laundry to be done. there's always laundry to be done. she can control that, focus on that. she takes an unreasonable amount of laundry with her and sets herself on washing herself to exhaustion, until she's too tired to feel this grief.

she manages to half-clean a shirt before she breaks, collapsing against the washboard, huge sobs wracking her body.]

[rickdiculous]

[...haha okay. this is. not cool.

Rick is gonna take that neat little blue-and-puke-green scarf Ashley made him, which he hasn't stopped wearing at this point, and just kind of silently try to wrap it around her neck.]

[housenurse]

[she does jolt at first-- and now someone's come for me-- but when she sees who it is she immediately calms. she looks at the scarf, touches it, clearly uncomprehending at first... but, then she recognizes what it is. and who must have made it...

-- and she wails, reaching out to clutch whatever part of Rick she can.]

[rickdiculous]

[wow, there's a wild mother grabbing his side now and sheesh, Rick is trying to play it off as cooly as he can. He's seen a lot of shit in his lifetime and still tries to hide it as well as possible.]

Y-y-you don't have to get tears on me. Sheesh. I - you know, unless those losers actually get the clothes petition through. Then you can cry all you want, I guess. Whatever.

[housenurse]

Why wouldn't he let her die? [there's so many awful things cycling through her head right now, and the wheel happens to land on that one this time.

she tries hard to get her hysterics under control, and manages to tamp it down to slightly hiccuping sobs by the time she speaks again.]

I'm sorry for messing up your clothes, Rick-san. I'll clean them if you want.

[rickdiculous]

Yeah, no. I-it's - don't worry about it.

[he's more for letting this happen, honestly, and just doesn't really do anything but raise a dismissive arm.]

Some people are just...t-they're bad.

[housenurse]

... He let grief get the best of him. That's all. It was just a mistake. [though she seems more focused on convincing herself of that.] Nobody would be that cruel on purpose...

comes back to this because it makes me sad

[rickdiculous]

O-or some people are just fucked up.

[He gently uncoils the scarf from her neck, looking down at her.]

Really, there's - there's no way that this guy is capable of rational emotions. He can't just take out his frustration with furious masturbation like - like normal people.

[housenurse]

He's not a normal person. Normal people don't sit around and watch people kill each other... But, he is a person. Sometimes we act like he isn't.

... I really do think he loved her. Ashley-chan. But, I think he loved her the way you love a doll. He's upset she's broken and he can't play with her anymore. But nothing more than that.

[midnightsea]

...

[That obnoxious wailing was hard to miss--what now? Was this whole place just going to fall into a pit of annoying misery and-]

[...oh. Oh hell, why did it have to be her he saw the second he stopped in the doorway?]

...Mankanshoku, you-

[He absolutely did not care. At all. About anyone. But damn if this wasn't bothering him in some way Dio couldn't put a name to.]

[housenurse]

[she looks up suddenly, surprise in her teary eyes, and immediately ducks away self-consciously, rubbing her eyes against her sleeve almost violently.]

Ah, no, I'm fine, I'm fine... J-Just got soap in my eye... [she says, continuing to obviously weep even while she's saying this.]

[midnightsea]

[Hands on his hips, Dio frowned and made a token attempt to keep a look of distaste out of his expression. She really was too kind for her own good. Uncomfortably so.]

There's no point in crying. Shouldn't you be more concerned with yourself rather than those who aren't even alive to waste sentiment on?

[...he already knew she wouldn't see reason about the matter. People like her who cared so much did so despite all logic saying it was useless.]

[housenurse]

They deserve to be cried over. Everybody does. ["and I'm never concerned about myself," she doesn't say.] Wouldn't you want to be mourned, Dio-san?

[midnightsea]

I can't die. Mourning my loss would be meaningless.

[Only one of those statements was true.]

[housenurse]

Everyone dies. If this school only teaches one thing, it's that.

... Do you really think Conductor-san would bring you here if there wasn't some way to kill you? That's obviously all he wants! [there's an uncharacteristic amount of bitterness in her voice.]

[midnightsea]

Everyone human. I have a body possessing eternal life.

[Dio shrugged, reaching across to his left shoulder...to lay his hand over a star-shaped birthmark hidden by his clothes.]

Even if that was all he wanted, folding beneath the pressure isn't going to accomplish anything. If you continue the way you are now, someone's going to take advantage of your sentiment and this situation will crush you underfoot.

[As careless as he sounded, it was almost phrased as...backhanded encouragement?]

[housenurse]

Ah, I hope you're right, Dio-san. There's something comforting about knowing that no matter what happens, you'll still be here. [a sexy constant in all their lives.]

But... No. I don't want this place to change how I feel. Even if Ashley-chan and Asuka-chan are gone, their spirits deserved to be remembered and cried over! And if I get hurt because of it... [sniff] Well, there's worse things.

[decrees]

[Logan kind of needs to wash his shirt after the... everything Youko did to it, so here he is. He's wearing the shirt Blue made for him instead, which manages to make him look a lot scrawnier than the chestplate and epaulettes usually do. He's a bit surprised to see Sukuyo in there, but once he realizes she's crying he immediately moves to sit beside her. His immediate reaction is to reach out to gently touch her shoulder. There isn't anything to say at this point, not after what just happened.]

[housenurse]

[she startles, but once recognition sets in, she practically leans in to the touch, allowing herself this...

then, she perks up a little, and furiously wipes away tears before turning to look at him.]

Oh! I made something for you! [because that's the easiest way for her to carry on. focus on everyone else.]

[decrees]

Ah, did you?

[He wasn't expecting Sukuyo to make anything so quickly. He also wasn't expecting her to recover quite this fast, but Logan isn't really one to talk. He focuses on anything but his problems whenever he can, so that makes perfect sense.]

[housenurse]

Yep, I had Rakka-chan as my little helper! It took a few tries, but I think it came out looking really good!

[she walks over to her pile of laundry and pulls something up. when she holds it out to him, it is revealed as the ugliest coat that's ever been.]

It's a coat! So you don't get cold! [her emotional stability is now 100% dependent on his acceptance of this gift so no pressure]

[decrees]

[...jesus christ what did he ever do to deserve such a disaster

it is a damn good thing he has the poker face from hell because oh my god

just... let him take that disaster coat and uh, try very hard to sound thankful...]

...Thank you very much, Sukuyo. You're very kind.

[oh god she's going to expect him to wear this thing, isn't she]

[housenurse]

You're welcome, Logan-sama!

[literally if he doesn't put it on right now she'll start crying immediately instead of waiting patiently for him to leave.]

[decrees]

[SUKUYO]

Would you prefer to be alone...?

[QUICK A SUBJECT CHANGE oh my god he is not going to wear this thing]

[housenurse]

... I don't know. I've never been alone before, until I came here.