This is fine. It's fine. We're fine.

[sharpasanarrow]

[Well that was.

Something.

Underneath everyone’s door they’ll find a slip of paper, in shaky calligraphy, that reads:

INVITATION

Meet in the Dining Room.

Do not bring alcohol of any sort.

Upon arrival into the Dining Room it’s clear that this is very much...not a party.

The center of the room is cleared of all tables, and instead has all the chairs arranged in a circle, facing inwards. On the tables pushed to the side are jugs of water, cups, plates of saltines, and several hastily-made pamplets that read on the front ”How to cope with Child homicide” that contains an advisory list:

1. Try not to think about it.
2. Do not get hysterical.
3. Crying is permitted, but keep it within a reasonable volume. (For the consideration of fellow mourners)
4. Maintain civility
5. Do not plunder the belongings of the deceased.
6. No drinking or gambling your sorrows away. Set an example.

Standing in front of one of the chairs already is Mr.Arrow. He clears his throat as people start to slowly come in.]

I gathered you all here because I believed it would be conductive to group morale if we all worked through our feelings regarding recent events. Talk about your feelings with one another, but not with me.

[He steps back a little, out of the circle of chairs, in what seems to be an invitation for people to sit down and discuss with one another.]

Comments

[tanukey]

Yeah, sometimes you take what you can get. Jobs go bad an' you can't do anything 'cept save your own ass and anyone else you can.

[bestchefinparis]

It doesn't get any easier no matter how many times it happens, right?

[Not that Rémy has been in such situations before, but...this whole thing here is kind of close, he supposes]

[tanukey]

Guess if you care about that kind of thing.

[Which he doesn't. Honest. Really.]

[Ever.]

Me, I just. Keep moving foward.

[bestchefinparis]

How do you do that?

[The part about not caring about that kind of thing. Can that even be learned, he wonders]

[tanukey]

Not bein' stuck in a technological deadzone'd be a good start. There's always just- I dunno. Another job. Dodgin' the consequences of the last job.

[bestchefinparis]

I guess that's not something that'd be good for me. Some have said I'm stubborn and don't know when to quit.

[...]

Okay, no, that was mostly Dad.

[Nobody else but him and Émile knew about Rémy's interests]