when your thoughts turn sour make them sweet instead

[sentree]

[ That was...positively horrible? Ugh. After a few hours, notes are slipped under each person's door. They read, in a neat handwriting: ]

Banquet in Vanellope's honor in the dining room.

- Reyna, Sally and Thalia

[ You may not know what to expect when they say banquet, but it...really is one, isn't it? Thalia's main dish is cheeseburgers, so there are so many of those, but the table's positively covered in an arrangement of fruit and vegetables and all kinds of bread. Looks like they've gone all out.

What's really the cream of it all, though, are the desserts. Not a lot that's special, but there's a wide collection of cookies and cupcakes, and enough hot chocolate to feed an army. Maybe literally. There is a section that's particularly fancy, and that's the many candy apples, definitely courtesy of Sally. Along with a cute amount of peppermint bark. It seems like the food is unending, too, since there's the delicatible smell of baking cookies and simmering candy from the kitchen. Thalia and Sally are keeping you stocked, don't worry. ]

Comments

[grownmammal]

[ Finnick is just going to angrily eat for now. He's got burgers and he's sitting off on his own, and he seems to not be okay at all. Give him meat. ]

...At least somethin' good came out of this.

[ Even the fox is looking a bit haunted. ]

[hallotween]

[frowns]

What?

[grownmammal]

We got rid of the biggest... Jerk we've all ever seen.

[ That's what he meant. They got rid of Preston. ]

[hallotween]

Oh. [she. well. agrees. mostly. kinda.]

It was still really gross, though. He didn't have to make it a whole drawn-out thing like that. It probably violates the Geneva Convention or something.

[grownmammal]

I really don't think our host cares about that.

[ Shrug. ]

...Shoulda just burned the guy's money, he probably would've had a heart attack on the spot.

[hallotween]

I was shocked he didn't drop dead after getting his suit stained.

[grownmammal]

[ That gets a bit of a laugh. ]

Yeah. Yeah, that is surprising.

[ Wow you got him to soften up a little bit, Marnie. ]

...We'll get out of here, kid. Don't worry about that. Okay?

[hallotween]

Of course! Just because some jerk freaked out after only two weeks doesn't mean the rest of us are gonna be that weak.

[preens a bit] Me and Merlin are investigating all kinds of magic stuff to get us out of here. It's only a matter of time!

[grownmammal]

You better be careful, kid. Don't need anymore dead children.

[ Especially not dead kids. ]

[hallotween]

[PSH] Please, if he'd gone anywhere near me? He would've been eating caviar with a straw. I might be a kid, but I'm definitely not defenseless.

[grownmammal]

It's not people like him I'm worried about.

[ RULES. Gotta be careful with that. ]

Just... Take care of yourself, okay? And be careful with what you do.

[hallotween]

I'm always careful. [she says, lying] I don't think there'll be too much trouble after all this. Not now that everybody knows what failure gets you.

[grownmammal]

[ SNORT. ]

Kid, you're talking to someone who cons for a living. Something having consequences won't stop people.

[hallotween]

Are cons usually punished with ironic death? [ironic is the worst kind of death]

[grownmammal]

Nah, but everyone knowin' you're a con puts a real damper on trying to actually do your job. You end up hurtin' in other ways.

[hallotween]

[frowns] Like what?

[forgottenfounder]

I'm not sure how 'good' it is, but at least we won't have to deal with him trying to pay his way out anymore.

[grownmammal]

Never thought someone would give me a distaste for money.

[ He loves money!!! It makes the world go round! But killing a kid and trying to bribe your way to safety? Ew. ]

You holdin' up?

[forgottenfounder]

Money's overrated, honestly. Or maybe that's just how I see it.

[When your culture doesn't have a need or desire for money, it kind of loses all its glamor.]

I guess I'm okay. Just thinking about home now. That guy would probably flip out if he so much as set foot in Wasteland.