How to Win an Election Without Even Running

[not_over_yet]

[ So. Many things have been pretty awful lately. But Randy gave Basil a very unique opportunity, and. Well. Freddie had always been as much for showmanship as their first host--down to the execution: she went out on her terms, with very impressive results. Basil's not about to pass up the closest thing to a victory they've had so far.

He can't do much on his own, but he finds a few others willing to help ok so they did the majority of the actual work. Point is, there's something to celebrate, and they're going to do just that.

Going through Freddie's room (of course he's looting it, she told him to) and setting things up both take time, but eventually the others will find handwritten invitations slipped under their doors.
You Are Cordially Invited To The
~INAUGURAL CELEBRATION~
of
Manor President
~ Freddie Facilier ~
( Dining Room; bring your own liquor, due to compromise )

Hanging on the wall opposite the room's casino-side entrance is a large blue banner--oddly on-base as far as matching the color of that wand-splosion--which sports metalic-gold lettering, declaring:

winner of the 2018 Manor-Presidential election
~ FREDDIE FACILIER ~


Vice Presidents
MABEL PINES and ACKBAR THE PIG
will act on her behalf during our president's absence

...That may be the most tasteful decoration in the room, as Basil told VP Mabel to raid both the sewing and art rooms for "anything in colors that would remind one of our president". There's a lot of extremely vivid violet everywhere.

There's food, naturally--provided by Lekmet--and. Well, technically no alcohol served, but as the invitations stated, there's nothing preventing you from bringing your own. ]

Comments

[stanbyme]

[Stan isn't in his room (or Mabel's, or Leia's) when the invitations go out. When they get back upstairs, he goes straight to his room, strips out of his suit and puts on his jeans, and then goes up to the gym, tapes up his hands, and starts punching.

...Yeah, he's gonna be at this pretty much all night.]

[hasit]

[Leia notices Stan's absence pretty quickly, but she figures he needs some time alone, and she can't exactly blame him. So it's awhile before she goes looking for him; eventually, the sound of grunts and fists hitting leather lead her up to the gym. For awhile, she just stands in the doorway, watching. Looking half-fond, half-worried.

But when he stops for a breather, she decides to make her presence known.]

Hey, honey. Blowing off some steam?

[stanbyme]

[He stops to wipe sweat off of his face with a towel. His undershirt is sticking to him, and his ponytail is glued to the nape of his neck, and he almost drops the towel in surprise when he sees her.]

Uh- Yeah. That obvious where I'd run off to?

[scrapplinghook]

[Mabel still felt sad. She really liked Freddie, after all. She'd worked on her sweater the hardest! She... she helped her and Ariel figure the whole dating thing out... how could this not hit her the hardest of all the trials so far?

But she can't let that get her down! Freddie gave her some last requests and oh boy she'll definitely honor them! So she's here at the party, making sure nobody looks too sullen as they drag themselves in. She's got a blue sash hanging from her shoulder reading VICE PRESIDENT, and Ackbar the Pig is close on her heels as she makes her way around the room.

... Care to talk to your new VP, guys?]

[athleticallyinclined]

[ Did you say sullen because Gaston is.

Not only had he lost the election, the new vice president is now a pig. ]

[scrapplinghook]

[Good. Good. This is why you don't mess with the Pines family!]

Aww, someone's jealous!!

[hasit]

[Mom is here and she's...not as pissed as she could be, honestly. Today has been long and disheartening, but she feels better after learning the truth behind Freddie's intentions than she would if she'd settled for the first explanation. It's still sad, and awful, and she's very concerned about the State of the Randall, but things could and have been worse. This week alone, things have been worse.

She's forgoing the alcohol this week, even though she's pretty sure Freddie would appreciate her having a drink in her honor. Instead, she's got a big, hot cup of coffee, black with no sugar, and she's sitting at one of the tables with her pet pig, who is suddenly in a position of political power.

He's at least enjoying all the attention.]

[bayoublues]

[Louis is here, but he's in the corner, playing his trumpet. If one listens closely, one realizes these are similar, if not the same songs he played during the Mardi Gras afterparty. Basil did ask him to play, after all. He figured this is what Freddie would've wanted--some proper New Orleans jazz to remember her by.

...God. In the end, she really was a good kid.

If anyone approaches him, he'll smile hollowly and maybe stop playing.]

Hey there, wanna request a song?

[athleticallyinclined]

[ STEERING CLEAR OF LEIA Gaston finds himself near Louis instead. ]

Yes.

[ Finally, someone offering to give him things. Just like it should be. He points at Louis. ]

Play mine.

[bayoublues]

[Uh.]

Your...?

[Sorry, Gaston, he's just not getting it. It's not often you meet someone with their own theme song.]

[scrapplinghook]

The brightest, loudest song you know!! And one that you can use backup on!

[She still has no things with her she can play music on, but she can still drum up some makeshift percussion stuff, like she did what seemed like forever ago.]

... Freddie wanted me to play with you, and we can't say no to her, right?

[angelgoatdemon]

[It would be weird now if the afterparties didn't have Lekmet's cooking. This week's food in the dining room isn't anything spectacular or fancy, he guessed some comfort junk food wouldn't be too bad. There's a bunch of french fries, chicken fingers, deep fried...whatever it is the American Earth Dimension loves. There's also a mocha ice cream cake (not deep fried); he's come a long way from brownies, don't you think?

Lekmet's still adamant on making sure people are eating enough. Once he's done with his cooking frenzy, he heads out of the kitchen to mingle.]

Hey, have you eaten yet? Want some soda? There's some ice cream cake if you want some!

[ ...Much later, he can be found with a Magic Staff in the wax museum, using the statues as target practice. He's not very used to casting offensive magic, or even spells for self-defence. But nothing's going to stop him from throwing magical fireballs at these suckers. Join him in vandalism?]

wax museum

[bayoublues]

[Well, that was a nice party! Even though his friends are all dying. But it's fine. Jazz brings everyone together, and he's sure that Freddie would have enjoyed it, if she were still alive. He passes by the wax museum on his way back to his room and glances in--]

What the hell?!

[So that's where Lekmet was this whole time. He rushes in, seeing Lekmet summon a fireball and fire it at the pharmacist statue.]

What are you doin', throwin' around fire like nobody's business! You could get hurt!

[kickbuttseatnuts]

...Ice cream does sound pretty good.

[sorrydoods]

[...holy shit dude]

You can shoot fireballs too now?! That is so cool!

But, uh...how is that possible?

[He's not complaining, but last he checked all Lekmet could do was heal small cuts and stuff like that.]

wax museum

[not_over_yet]

[ Depending on how focused Lekmet is, he might not notice Basil's arrival at all: the mouse only goes as far as the doorway, choosing instead to lean against the wall and watch the fire-flinging. It's a while before Basil speaks up. ]

Think it'll help much?

[astronomics]

[ Jyn is... this week's case leaves her less drained than most have, at least? Maybe it's selfish, just because she didn't know the involved very well, but... while she doesn't look particularly sad or drained, Jyn does look a little distracted at the party? She keeps biting her lip in thought, or staring off into wherever. Come distract her from the distraction? Or just say hi? ]

[kickbuttseatnuts]

[She doesn't know if its a distraction per se, but she'll just sidle up to her casually, lacing some fingers.]

[upgradeit]

[Right, so. The reason why Hiro's fingers are Fucked Up, is because he has something new. Lekmet gave him a chainsaw, and he realized he could put it to good use so. One of the tables is conspicuously missing and the whole of Hiro's shrine has been rearranged because he built an actual shrine after Marco died. It contains a list of names on the doors and a prayer in the main cavity he really hopes he remembered correctly. Nobody here will know if he got it wrong, but he literally can't remember kanji for shit.

It's a little small for the portraits, but there were beginning to be too many of them anyway. He still made one for Ariel and Freddie, but all the portraits have been converted into a sort of . . . scrapbook thing? That's set in front of the actual shrine next to a plate of food from the party. He doesn't go to the actual party aside from getting food, instead opting to sit out in the foyer and talk to Ariel, mostly. It's not Freddie's fault, he says quietly, so don't be too mad at her. She's just really dumb sometimes, I think.]

[sorrydoods]

[Soos hasn't really gone to the party either. He just feels...really bad at the moment, with how everything turned out. Seeing Hiro like that in front of this makeshift shrine, he felt like he shouldn't be alone.

So Hiro will feel a tap on his shoulder find Soos behind him.]

Hey. Do you...do you think I could join you?

[lovelylilmouse]

Did you build all of this yourself, Hiro...?

[Minnie's voice is quiet. She hasn't gone to the party, not in much of a mood to go after all of the events that had happened. She, however, notices the shrine and can't help but to stop in her tracks to look over it.]

[not_over_yet]

[ The party may have been his idea, but it's very much not his party... so when Basil feels his emotional energy starting starting to run out he quietly sneaks away before he can ruin anything.

He ends up in the foyer, where he discovers the shrine's upgrade. He comes closer to investigate. ]

...That's what became of the table.

[not_over_yet]

[ Before the party, Basil can be found going through Freddie's room. He's looking for his gris-gris, her jewel, and... well, pretty much anything else of interest. At one point he manages to find a tiny hand-bell, and the search is immediately put on hold as he contemplates his find. Near the end of his search he pauses again, this time to admire the wall art she left behind. He rather likes them, even if he can't identify anything (past most being "that looks voodoo-y, maybe" at least). Yes, even the ones drawn in blood.

Of course he's at the party later on, clearly enjoying himself and keeping an eye on things. He's not around as much as one might expect though? Or maybe he's just easily overlooked because of how small he is. (Spoilers, it's a mix of both: for much of the party he's tucked himself into a corner in the kitchen area. He has a couple french fries and a thimble of something and looks depressed as hell.) ]

Kitchen

[lovelylilmouse]

[Mice solidarity! Minnie only shows up to the party to check up on the others to see how they're doing. However, she can't help but to wander into the kitchen, where she spots Basil and she can't help but to worry over his well-being, knowing how close he was to Freddie.]

Basil? You holding up alright?

[She sure isn't, but she's not too worried about that.]

Kitchen

[sorrydoods]

[Soos is hungry, therefore he goes to the kitchen to get some food. He'd try hanging out at the party, but he's...just not feeling up to it right now.

He sees Basil in the corner and he can't help but raise an eyebrow at the fact that he's not even attending his own party. He'll walk over and crouch down, hoping that it feels less awkward that way.]

Hey dude. You feeling okay?