cause sometimes the stars seem closer than they should

[oh_worm]

[ This week's party is... a quieter affair. There's not as much salad laid out, but courtesy of Beth and Otis, there's still some, as well as some hot dogs and some other assorted quick foods from the kitchen. There aren't fancy invitations, just pieces of paper slipped under people's doors. ]

Come to the lobby if you don't want to be alone. Sorry it's mostly salad again, feel free to bring other stuff.

-Beth and Otis

[ And that's that. Come mingle and try not to think about the death of a rapidly-aged little girl! :D ]

Comments

[oh_worm]

[ Beth hangs around the party as much as she can, but... she's not doing as great on the "go around and encourage people" front as she was last week. Something seems to be weighing pretty heavy on her, but once in a while she does get around to actually talking to someone. ]

Hey, are you okay?

[ ... later on she's sitting outside of the hotel, knees drawn up to her chest and looking up at the sky. She uh. Doesn't look okay, but her face gets less sad when she sees anyone else? ]

Trashy garbage night, huh?

outside

[udderly]

Pretty much. [He sits next to her.] This whole situation sucks.

Outside

[in4apounding]

[Yeah, outside is pretty great, isn't it? Everyone loves outside, and spending more time there.]

[That's probably why when Penny spots Beth she abruptly turns on her heel and walks back the way
she came. Almost certainly.]

[Bu-u-ut she promised, sort of. And Beth's a friend, question mark? Probably. What's the worst that could happen, besides her secret getting exposed to everyone and them getting mad that she'd lied or being afraid of what she was and living in exile for however long they were here.]

[So yeah, she's looking maybe a little nervous as she turns back and shuffles closed the distance between her and Beth, sitting down and mimicking the knees-to-chest position.]

Salutations, Beth. I'm- okay. [hic] Really. [hic]

Around the party

[toogoodtobetrue]

...not really. [Coraline arrived not too long ago. She looks like she cried in the privacy of her room] That wasn't how this was supposed to go.

I thought we'd be able to do something about it.

[studentbody]

[Cleo is absentmindedly chewing on some lettuce, staring into space a little glassy-eyed. Even though she's skated through these last few weeks relatively fine, something about watching the Little Girl turn old right before her very eyes seems to have rattled her. She looks...pale, even. It's weird.

She looks up when she hears Beth ask after her well-being, and shrugs.]

Me? I'm fine. Totally fine. I'm just going to be young forever, and, like, never age! It's fine!

Around the Party

[dothebackslide]

[Dan Backslide (coward bully cad and thief) immediately swirls around to glare at Beth.]

EXCUSE ME, I AM DAN BACKSLIDE, HOW DAAAAAARE YOU MISTAKE ME FOR ANYONE ELSE. I'M A STAR. I DON'T KNOW WHO THIS "OKAY" IS, BUT I CAN ASSURE, I HAVE NEVER BEEN OKAY IN MY ENTIRE LIFE.

[He's somewhat very wasted.]

[dothebackslide]

[Well, that sucked. That sucked a lot. It was serious and hurtful and just plain rude.

Dan Backslide, coward, bully, cad, and thief, archenemy of the Dover Boys, is getting plastered. He probably looted it from King Dice's casino or maybe he asked politely or whatever but the fact remains he is drunk as a skunk in the corner of this afterparty. He's got a tie around his head and his suit is frazzled and he's got bottles to spare and he reeks.

So that's the main thing in his life, how are y'all.]

[toogoodtobetrue]

You're so drunk, Mr. Backslide.

[Understandably, given the circumstances]

You think you can go back to your room later? Because I sure can't drag you there once you black out.

[captain_cronch]

[Centi is not the party gem she should be tonight. She failed the human. She wanted to fight for her so bad but they voted for her to die. She doesn't seem to bother eating at the party. Instead, she seems to be staring at the humans with worried expressions, scurrying off if they catch sight of her watching.

Later in the shop, she's drawing on a different shirt again. But the subject matter doesn't seem so light.]

in the shop

[carbonairhead]

[ A slow, sad clip-clop signals Fizzy's approach. She's...kind of hesitant, but... ]

Um... Centipeedle? Gosh, are you...okay in there?

[carbonairhead]

[ Well that was completely awful!! Fizzy isn't there for awhile. Just...really not out there. But eventually, she trots her way out, tail drooping and eyes to the ground. It's not really a completely-crushed look, but it's sure a sad one.

But it isn't the party she stays around. Surprisingly...she goes to King Dice's tent... How strange.

When she returns to the hotel sometime later, she's notably followed by...a puppy? Yes, that sure is a puppy. And she has some other things, in a sack she's got around her back. Go see? ]

[bringmecontracts]

[And King Dice is back in the casino! He grins when Fizzy enters the tent.]

Hey kid! Thought ya would be too scared to see me again so soon!

[udderly]

[Puppy??? PUPPY????]

Whatcha got there, Fizzy?

[dothebackslide]

[Dan is gonna drunkenly follow the puppy (and by extension Fizzy) via crawling on the ground. He's hunting prey, which is definitely a sentence anyone wants to read right after getting a cute puppy.]

[thegreateggscape]

[That was pretty heavy. Instead of immediately seeking out the afterparty, Ginger instead wanders to a quiet spot in the park, perch herself on the highest point of the most stable trash pile she can find and stares solemnly into the distance of the park.

She knows she’ll have to attend the party eventually, she needs to give everyone there some support and hope.

But for now she just needs to cry a bit.]

[toogoodtobetrue]

You don't look too good.

[Hey, Ginger, salutations from the bottom of the trash pile.. Well, not that Coraline looks much better. She cried in her room for a while too]

[udderly]

Hey, Ginj. [Otis is here, because he needs to check up on his fellow animal friends. He's got a smoothie.] Brought you a smoothie, if you want it.

[dothebackslide]

[Dan picks up some trash and throws it at her. He misses, but. Still.

This Guy.]

[in4apounding]

[Penny is... not at the party, not for a while.]

[When she does arrive, it's well after things have wound down, and she's. Mostly here to stand quiet vigil at the Little Girl's bio, it seems.]

[toogoodtobetrue]

...you know...you were really brave back then.

[Hi, Penny. Just like everyone else, you look like you have seen better days]

[codeofhero]

[Ah... mmmm. This is a bit uncomfortable.]

An... unfortunate loss.

[udderly]

Hey. [Otis sets a hand on Penny's shoulder.] You did good, kid. You - you were braver than a lot of us, but maybe next time don't try to fight him?

[studentbody]

[When Cleo happens to spot Penny over by the bios, it takes her awhile to summon up the...will? Courage? to go over to her. But their talk at the end of the trial, after Penny tried to attack the dice guy, is still weighing on Cleo's mind.

They're friends, right? So Cleo can just...go say hi. Make sure her friend is okay. That's a thing friends do, right? She's always been a lone wolf, keeping everyone at an admiring distance. This is sort of unprecedented.

She wanders over, fidgeting with her hands.]

....Hi, Penny.

[standsforrevenge]

[That sure was fucked up.

Gandhi is sitting in the corner staring into space because how the fuck do you process something like that.]

Wack.

[in4apounding]

Wack.

[She has no idea what it actually means, but it sounds about right.]