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

[perpend]

[He'll give it back, don't worry. Cabanela reads it over carefully, his expression neutral.

Or, well. He tries to read it neutrally, but he's sure frowning by the time he reads that hastily added bit for a second time.]

I don't understand....

He must have... truly wanted to get all of us out of here.

[Now he really doesn't know what to think.]

[decrees]

...I didn't know him very well, so I can't say for certain, but I believe his primary motivation was to destroy the Conductor.

[He hesitates for a moment before he presses on.]

With that said, the other entries in here make it seem as though Dio really did care about some of us. He was genuinely trying to help in his own horribly misguided way.

If becoming a vampire worked for him, why wouldn't it work for us as well?

[Believing he knew what was best for the group as a whole instead of consulting them because he thought they couldn't trust him... That hits a little too close to home.]

[perpend]

[Cabanela shakes his head, frowning.]

He needed someone the group trusted to take the fall...

[Well, the group minus Tabby, but Cabanela isn't particularly bothered by her hatred of cops. That's one of those things you just Deal with in law enforcement.]

His methods might not have been something we could understand easily, but turning all of us into vampires to kill the Conductor, hmm...

[Cabanela shakes his head.]

I trusted him. He could have come to me-- he told me he had a plan, even. He just didn't want to say what it was at the moment.

[decrees]

...There were many people Rakka would have trusted. I'm not sure why he chose you.

[...]

Even if he had told you his plan, would you have believed him? You wouldn't have agreed with it and I'm sure he knew that.

...He was right. None of us trusted him. Because of what he was. I considered him a threat, I thought... He told me he wouldn't kill anyone, should he run out of blood to consume from the infirmary.

[At least he was right about that portion of it. Still, this whole mess...]

[perpend]

[This is such a goddamn mess.]

...I don't know. If he had told me, I...

[No, he wouldn't have believed him. He wouldn't have gone along with it.]

There must be another way to save everyone.

[Though for once, he doesn't sound confident at all.]

[decrees]

...There must be. I...

[He shakes his head. It's an agitated gesture.]

We will find some way to bring everyone back. Everyone. Asuka, Reaver, Chie, Undyne, and Dio as well.

[Murderers, monsters, whatever everyone else wants to call them, they're still people. People who made stupid decisions and tried to get everyone killed, but they didn't deserve being stuck in a murder game any more than anyone else. ...Probably.]

[perpend]

That's riiight.

[He has more emphasis in his voice than he's had all day; he sounds confident, for once.]

We're not going to leave anybody behind.

[They may be murderers, but so are the rest of them. They've all voted to kill; as far as Cabanela is concerned, none of them are innocent.]

[decrees]

[That's exactly how he thinks of it. It was for survival, but none of them are innocent here.]

Of course not. I will do everything in my power to ensure our survival. Finding a way to bring back the others is equally important, but for the time being we need to focus on those that are still alive.

[The dead aren't entirely safe from the sound of it, but it would be best to prevent more from joining them.]

[perpend]

We've lost nearly half our numbers.

The survivors need looking out for, right now.

[Cabanela really should include himself in that, but he can't bring himself to.]

[decrees]

[...]

We all need that. You included. Pushing yourself to your limits will not aid anyone. Take care of yourself as well.

[ADVICE LOGAN SHOULD PROBABLY LISTEN TO TBH]

[perpend]

[That earns a smile.]

Of course. You should do the same, you know.

[decrees]

...I'll try.

[That's surprisingly honest instead of the usual "Of course I will" he'd normally give.]

Youko has been making sure I'm doing well.

[As well as possible, at least. Though that seems to be better now that he's aware of Reaver's status as a ghost.]

[perpend]

Good. I'm glad someone has been checking on you.

...Our patrol numbers may be down, but I belieeve we still need to keep it up. We might be able to stop something yet.

[decrees]

I will step up to help fill in the gap Dio has left. I cannot take every night, but I can attempt to sleep in later to make up for it.

[and then logan became nocturnal]

[perpend]

[Cabanela shakes his head.]

No, I think....

We can't spend the entire night away, none of us.

[decrees]

...What would you suggest, then?

[perpend]

I dooon't know.

This keeps happening, though; I think we should pick a day, one day, and patrol.

With the help of Giovanni's Pokemon, maybe we shouldn't be looking for a potential killer, but that.... whatever it was that was impersonating Dio.

[decrees]

One day might not be useful. I'm not certain. I do like that idea though - we need to see if we can find it again to learn more about it.

[He's convinced that wasn't Dio. It's probably dumb to believe Dio after everything that just happened... but here we are.]

[perpend]

If it really wasn't Dio, then Beedrill would probably run into it again, assuming Giovanni gets lucky for a third time.

I want to believe he was teeelling the truth about that, he seemed like he believed he could solve this problem-- why would he lie about wandering into the kitchen to make a weird snack?

[decrees]

I don't believe it was him that the ah, bee saw.

[WHY IS IT A BEE]

He would have no reason to lie about that. There must be something else at work here.

[perpend]

[He doesn't understand why it's a bee.

How does the bee talk to Giovanni, anyway?]

There must be. I'm just not sure what.

[decrees]

[Hopefully bee charades.]

We don't know exactly what the Conductor has at his disposal. That shadow creature is not like the ones I fought.

[And that is totally okay with him.]

[perpend]

There's also the matter of... whatever it is that he has on his side.

[decrees]

Exactly. I'm not sure what to make of any of this just yet, but perhaps the new floor will reveal something else.

[We'll have to tear the rooms apart again, but Jean clearly has no problems with that.]

(frozen comment)

[perpend]

Here's to hopin' we find some answers in the next floor.

I wooonder how big this place could possibly be.