Afterparty 5.0

[forcegalactic]

[There's not much that can be believed about that trial. Or that execution. Still, like before, two hours after everyone leaves, they'll find a note slipped underneath their doors.]

We have to stick together. The dining room is there for anyone that needs a quiet space, and I cooked dinner.

Hibiki made some coffee and dessert for all of us.

-Mordecai Benmont Jiminy and Hibiki Ganaha

[Today's selection includes potato pancakes and a light coffee cake. Hibiki has lit two more candles in the dining hall. It doesn't take long before Mordecai lights a third.]

Comments

[decrees]

[Logan actually shows up in a timely manner for once. He's got Dio's notebook with him and he's currently reading through that at one of the tables. There are some notes he will blatantly refuse to show people (because holy shit some of these people don't need to see Dio's thoughts on them), but this... is actually sort of giving him a feeling he never wanted so uh. Here we are.

Occasionally he'll glance over at those candles. The third one is the one he keeps being sort of confused by. But hey, he's not about to complain about it. Everyone who died here deserves to be remembered in his opinion.

Eventually Logan will start drafting out letters, though this time there aren't addressed to anyone.]

[forcegalactic]

[Mordecai had been curious about Dio ever since he ran into him. His view on life, why he thought he could manage anything on his own without consulting the others. Dangit, why did he have to get close to him?

He walks up to Logan empty-handed. He hasn't been in much of a mood to eath.]

That his notes on philosophy?

[decrees]

[Logan looks up for a moment, tipping his head a bit before he gestures for Mordecai to take a seat.]

The first part seems to be. It is a bit beyond me, however.

[He hesitates for a moment before taking all of the loose sheets of paper and the note to Enrico out and handing the journal over so Mordecai can read the first portion of it.]

[forcegalactic]

[He expects the rambling and nonsense college-educated young men would pass edgy philosophy. This looks more like the thoughts of a man who's trying to aim for something he can't reach. Time and gravity? That's the familiar train of thought they discussed.]

"There is no need to panic. I possess a body with eternal life."

Sounds like he was doin' the opposite of that at the time.

[decrees]

...He never sounded like that when he talked with me. We didn't speak very much before this, unfortunately, but he was never angry or panicked.

[Dio was always on top of his shit. It wasn't like this. This is a bit too close to what happened with Reaver for Logan's tastes.]

[forcegalactic]

Yeah, but just because he don't sound like it means it's true. Logan-- [It sounds so weird calling someone you aren't on the closest terms with by their first name. Congrats Logan, you are considered a friend by technicality] -- I know folks him him on Mars. The local Marshal's always actin' tough and like he don't need emotions or friends, but he's always in need of help when it comes to dealin' with other people.

[Emotionally unavailable, Rebecca called him. Brave and brilliant when it came to fighting, stupid when it came to everything else.]

...Dio reminded me of him. The Marshal, and his Martian friend. He's got ideas, but it's because he doesn't think on 'em that it makes things worse.

[decrees]

...I might be reading too much into it, I'll admit. There are plenty of things about this case that have reminded me of the first one.

[The way Rakka died. The way Morty died. The way Dio screamed at everyone...]

I do not wish to defend Dio's actions. What he did was wrong, regardless of his reasons. He killed two innocent children. They never would have harmed anyone. Regardless of his reasons, he never should have hurt them.

But Dio could not get help from any of us. We wouldn't have trusted him. He was on his own, and he acted in a way he thought would work. It was wrong - horribly wrong - but...

[He's done that entirely too many times, hasn't he? Acting like he knows what's best for everyone, when in reality he didn't have a goddamn clue what he was doing. He's hurt (and killed) so many people because he thought he had to handle everything alone.

He knows now that he didn't. But that doesn't change the past.]

...I apologize, I'm a bit worked up over all of this.

[zomgboom]

[drops down in the seat next to logan.]

Do you ever think about, like, what chickens think about?

[what the fuck brought this on? who knows.]

[decrees]

[Well, that's new. Logan closes Dio's notebook as Tabby sits down.]

...I've thought about it a bit, yes. I imagine they're mostly focused on where their next meal will come from. Why do you ask?

[zomgboom]

[She throws her hands up, neatly flicking a folded letter into Logan's lap.

See? She can be smart.]

I dunno! I just, like, started thinking about it? And I was, like "Logan likes chickens! Maybe he'd know!"

[decrees]

[Oh, that's very interesting. He'll casually flip the notebook open again so he looks busy with that while he's getting that note open.]

Well, I'm sure Hibiki would have a better answer for you. She seems to like talking to the chickens.

[Not sure if crazy or if she can actually talk to animals. He wouldn't be surprised either way at this point.]

[zomgboom]

[The note is relatively short. I mean, c'mon. Tabby wrote it. Anyway it reads:

did you see during the trial? conductor talked to someone behind glass.

he seemed angry, like that was unexpected. has a control panel, maybe.

She sighs, looking a little sad.]

I, like, yelled at her or whatever. Maybe I'll ask later.

[decrees]

[Hmm. That's interesting. Logan tips his head a bit at that and then flips to a blank page in Dio's notebook. What he writes is simple.]

Bring paper and pens to the meeting on Tuesday. This is something we all need to discuss. Thank you.

We all need to attempt to work together. She may be willing to talk after everyone has calmed down.

[This trial was not as much of a mess as it could have been. Somehow. Despite the flying, screaming Dio head.]

[announcemyvictory]

Are those Dio's, then?

[decrees]

They are, yes. Is there something you're curious about?

[He can try to answer any questions you have.]

[announcemyvictory]

Mainly why on earth he thought all of that was a good idea.

[decrees]

I'm afraid I cannot answer that one. All I can do is speculate. I did not know him very well, so keep that in mind.

[...]

I'm certain he believed this was for the best. Killing the Conductor was his primary goal, but... there would be no need to bring everyone back as a vampire, if that had been the only reason for this plan.

[People like Rakka and Morty probably wouldn't make very good vampires, right?]

[announcemyvictory]

Perhaps it was out of spite for the Conductor. For... using his image, if that really wasn't him. Ah, sorry; I heard it secondhand from Hibiki. I, er, left that meeting early.

[she didn't want to be anywhere near ghosts...]

[decrees]

Ah, yes, that's right...

[It really wasn't that bad! Sure, ghost Reaver was kind of rude, but of course he was.]

I'm not sure what his reasons were. Perhaps he was furious at being captured and kept in here, perhaps he was genuinely bothered by the deaths of our fellow "Participants". I don't know.

Regardless, what he did was wrong. However, given what we knew about Dio, none of us would have trusted him had he come to us with this plan.

Maybe there was a way to prevent this, but I'm not sure what it would have been. What matters now is that we attempt to move forward.

[His gaze flicks over to the candles again. Rakka and Morty. Neither of them deserved this and while he's trying very hard not to make excuses for Dio... it's becoming entirely too easy to sympathize with the murderers.]

[ninehundredlives]

Is there anything helpful in there?

[Dio walked around at night. He might have seen something.]

[decrees]

Unfortunately, no. There isn't anything in here we don't already know.

[Except for Dio's thoughts on people, which usually aren't very pleasant. There's also that note in the back for someone else, but Logan hasn't read it and doesn't plan on it. It's not his place.]

[ninehundredlives]

Shame. I didn't really expect there would be, I guess...

...I did always think he'd tell us if he found anything, at least.

[decrees]

...I thought so as well. I believe he would have.

[Is it stupid to still trust Dio after that? Probably. But like hell if he's going to change now.]

I'm... I'm very sorry you had to...

[The investigation. The bodies of those two kids--

But he doesn't know how to word that and instead Logan shakes his head and falls silent.]

[ninehundredlives]

[Susan falls silent as well, visibly withdrawing as the topic shifts to something far less pleasant.]

I...I think if Hibiki hadn't been there, I might have left. But that wouldn't have been fair to the Inspector.

[Anyone can see this has hit him badly too.]

[decrees]

[Logan glances away at that.]

...I'm sorry. I...

[Hell, he doesn't have the experience to help. He's seen plenty of dead bodies and he's killed plenty of people, but he's never stuck around to handle the bodies and he's... well. He's far too attached to almost everyone here at this point.]

Thank you for everything you have done, Susan. I cannot imagine what it's been like. You've been immensely helpful.