How could this happen? (afterparty)

[folkscallmewander]

[Wander has reeled back from this execution faster than Mulan's. This murder wasn't an accident, but it was still terrible all around, and it wouldn't have happened under normal circumstances. Knowing that Tadashi planned this out made it...a bit better, but it still made something awful eat at his stomach.

Speaking of which, everyone needed to eat something light today. Right after the trial, he heads to the kitchen and prepares twenty bowls of fruit salad and mixes together ingredients for chocolate chip cookies. While they're cooling off, he slides a note under everyone's rooms.]



There's fruit in the lounge, cookies coming soon. We should stick together, especially after this.

♥ Wander

Comments

[thetimebomb]

[Since Sylvia has been sleeping in the same room as Wander the past week, she was the first person to hear about this party. So, well, it would have been rude to refuse the invitation.

She takes an apple and settles into a chair in the foyer and just... stares into space. It was so hard to keep up hope now that's it been confirmed that there are people who would kill on purpose. So, between spacing out and having a panic attack out of despair, spacing out was the better of the two options.

Try not to make her too jumpy though because she will punch you.]

[whistlenotchirp]

[Jiminy is actively trying not to be a shit right now. He's... not entirely sure how to be supportive, given that this is a lot more difficult than most moral problems he encounters, but. Trying is key.

He probably forgets how easy it is to miss him as he hops up near the dinohorse. She may be morally dubious, but she's a stable sort who was obliviously persuaded by his warnings of billiards tables. He can be more casual here.]

Geez. What a day.

[thetimebomb]

[Sylvia jumps in her seat when Jiminy speaks and nearly goes to punch him. She stops short as he registers who it is (well she normally wouldn't mind punching Jiminy but also she doesn't want to kill anyone). With a short, nervous laugh, she slinks back into her chair.]

Y... yeah, grop I really hope that's the last of this...

[whistlenotchirp]

[He jolts a little and would happily go into a rant but... everyone's tired. He just leans on his umbrella.]

...Do you think it will be?

[Being a realist, here.]

[thetimebomb]

[She sighs, at least Jiminy didn't scold her for violence or something.]

I dunno. I hope this will discourage people from killing from something as stupid as these motives, at least.

[She tends to be a realist herself but she just needs a tiny ray of hope.]

[whistlenotchirp]

Honestly, death tends to be stupid just generally.

[thetimebomb]

Honestly I thought I would have died myself before I would have agreed with anything you said.

[She takes a small bite of her apple.]stupid, really.

[Understatement of the year.]

[folkscallmewander]

[Why did Ghostave - or whoever arranged the tombstones - put his best buddy in the galaxy on the opposite side of the room? At least the two of them can cuddle immediately after the trial, because otherwise Wander would get lonely. Unfortunately, he can't be around for here when there's so many more to attend to.

Once he is finished cooking and folded fifty stars, he decides it's time that he returns to his anchor and slides up to the chair.]

Sylvia? [One word says many things. Are you okay? I'm here if you need me. I love you and I want to let you know that I'm here for you, just like you are here for me.]

[thetimebomb]

[Sylvia jumps a tiny bit, but she instantly relaxes when she realizes that it's just Wander. Good, she really needed him at a time like this. She smiles at Wander but it feels a tiny bit forced, like she's trying to keep Wander happy instead of actually being happy herself.]

Hey Wander, thanks again for the party.

[folkscallmewander]

[Without asking, Wander pulls himself onto the chair and sits on Sylvia's lap. He leans back and lets the hat fit under Sylvia's snout, the way that feels just right.]

It's honestly nothin'. We all needed somethin' to eat tonight.

[Better he did the work that someone else who needed the rest. He would only stress out even more if he sat there being unhelpful.]

...Thanks for earlier today.

[thetimebomb]

[That earns a more genuine smile out of her as she cuddles against him. It's times like these where she's glad she's not sleeping in her own room anymore. It would feel so lonely without Wander.]

Well what kinda friend would I be if I didn't help out my best buddy? It's the least I could do after everything you've done for me.

[folkscallmewander]

Aw, Syl...! [He cranes his neck and smiles at her. How is she The Greatest in the galaxy?]

Really, I need to be the one payin' back for all the times you saved my life. [From Watchdogs and bad guys and giant vore worms and yandere planets and magic caves and generally everything.] I wouldn't have done half the things the past few seasons of our lives without you.

[thetimebomb]

[Says Mr. The Greatest in the galaxy himself.]

What? And you think I would have done any of those amazing things if I never met you?

[Her past is never something she liked dwelling on. She was practically an entirely different person than she was a few years ago and she rather focus on what she's like now rather than a long dead version of her.

But... Wander's affect on her is something that dwindles in the back of her mind every day, and it's something she feels she can never properly thank him for. She smiles fondly at Wander.]

Trust me, Wander, my life wouldn't be half as great without you.

[outsidethecircle]

[She was going to the foyer to look at the biographies again but when she sees dinohorse Sylvia she stops.]

Ah.. [What was her name again? Right--] Miss Sylvia?

[thetimebomb]

[She offers a smile when she sees Anna. They didn't talk much but honestly none of the children deserved to be there, she could at least try offering some comfort.]

Sylvia works just fine. You holding up alright?

[outsidethecircle]

[She nods a little. True, she had a coughing fit before but now--]

I--think so. It was pretty rough, though.

[thetimebomb]

[She sighs heavily, slumping further into her chair.]

Tell me about it. I'm still not sure if this was better or worse than last time.

[She really shouldn't be ranking this, but she can't help it.]

[outsidethecircle]

Worse. [She seems sure on that. Mulan's death didn't stink like this. It was horrible but quick.]

[thetimebomb]

Yeah, you're right, definitely worse. [The fact that, at the end of the day, Mulan didn't deserve any of it did make her think that maybe her execution is worse. But she really wasn't in the mood to argue.]

It almost makes me wish being hunted down by Watchdogs. Grop at least I could fight back if worst came to worst. Here it's just... torture.

[ilovepuppies]

[Star is in a chair next to her, but instead of piping up, she draws her knees up to her chest and buries her face in them.

Seems like she's got the same things on her mind.]

[thetimebomb]

[Sylvia leans over to place an arm on Star's shoulder. She knows how much all of this is hurting Star, she could at least use a tiny bit of comfort.]

Maybe we should try that seance room again. I got somewhere last time, maybe next time we'll get lucky.

[ilovepuppies]

You... you think we still have a chance?

[thetimebomb]

[She's not entirely sure if Star means "a chance with the seance" or "a chance to escape", but she's gonna assume the latter.]

We gotta. Even if it seems impossible, we gotta still believe we can get out of here, Star.

[ilovepuppies]

[A little of column A, but quite a lot of column B.]

I've looked everywhere, tried everything. I'm starting to run out of ideas.

[thetimebomb]

{She feels you, Star. Sylvia is so tempted to just give up but she just can't.]

Well, remember how those stairs opened up last week? Maybe more of the mansion will be open to explore next week. I'm sure we'll have more ideas then.