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

[aboyandhiscar]

That's pretty admirable, but you haven't made any slip ups yet, and I don't think you will any time soon. You can't blame yourself for anything that's happened so far. Just--take it from me, being too high alert can work against you.

[defyingfrigidity]

[Ohhhh friend she knows this so well. She knows how badly holding back her powers hurt, but she can't avoid doing that now.]

Your belief in me is reassuring. But I still need to ne careful. It wasn't as bad last week, but now....

[She lost her sister. She lost someone who was a bit closer to her than Karolina or Mulan. It all hurt so much more this week....]

[aboyandhiscar]

[someone get the this queen a vacation and a martini, she deserves it. Mike sighs a bit, rubbing the back of his head.]

But now everything's been turned up to eleven. I get it. But remember, there are still a good chunk of folks here worried about you, too. Be careful, but be well, you know?

[They're not close, but Mike sure noted the response to Anna's death. There are a lot of good people here, all worried for the sisters. If anything happens to Elsa now, welp. He's pretty sure at least a couple people will shut the heck down.]

[defyingfrigidity]

[Ah, yeah... that causes a flash of guilt to cross her face.]

I'm sorry. I'll try.

[aboyandhiscar]

Hey, hey, no apologizing, you haven't done anything wrong. Just trying is all I'm asking.

Like I said, you haven't made any mistakes.

[defyingfrigidity]

I wish I could agree with you.

[She made the biggest, worst mistake of her life here, after all.]

I made the mistake of not keeping an eye on Anna as much as I should have.

[aboyandhiscar]

[A worried look. It takes a moment for him to speak up again. If it was one of his friends, he would have blamed himself, too. It's kinda hypocritical to try and reassure her, he knows that, but he still can't just stand around and let someone beat themselves up over it. At the very least, he knows he can redirect his anger at the murderhouse ghost.

He taps his foot lightly, thinking.]

I--yeah, okay, I get it. Just wish you coulda done more, wish you were there to protect her. Your head's thinking man, if only I'd paid a little more attention, she. . .she'd still be here.

But that's not how it goes.

Everyone here is pretty sure you'd probably throw yourself to the wolves for your sis. You'd do anything for her. And the hosts here know that too. How do we know they didn't lure her up there, or egg her on? It's screwed up, but for all we know? This was done just to get at your head.

You did what you could. You're a great sister, and a cool queen.

. . .

Pun kinda intended.

[defyingfrigidity]

I'm not. I'm an awful sister. This... this isn't even the first time Anna's been in a deadly situation. And because of me...

[The only difference is that this time whatecer it was that hurt Anna didn't come straight from her.]

How can I call myself a good big sister if Anna keepz falling into danger?

[aboyandhiscar]

Woah, woah now, just calm down a sec. 'Course you wanna put all the blame on your shoulders--that's just what good siblings do. But it's not right.

Look, I dunno what happened before here, and I'm not gonna tell you how to feel about it. But this here? There's no way you can say it's because of you. You didn't make her go upstairs, you didn't kidnap her and bring her here. If you think that way, you might as well blame all of us for not watching both your backs better.

[defyingfrigidity]

No, that's not-!

[That's not right at all! It was Elsa who screwed up, Elsa who once again couldn't do what she was supposed to, just like when she was growing up and couldn't learn to control her magic. It made a lot of sense to blame herself, but the others??? That made no sense.

But... she can tell she's upsetting Mike with this, so for now, she'll just bite her tongue.]

I'm sorry...

[aboyandhiscar]

[Oooh he's familiar with this, he's done it himself. But he also takes it as a cue that she doesn't want to talk about it anymore. He lets out a little frustrated huff of air, rubbing at his neck.]

Nah, I'm sorry. Like I said, no reason for you to apologize.

I said I'm not gonna tell you how to feel so. You gotta cope with it on your own.

I'm gonna skiddaddle, but. . . don't be afraid to reach out, okay?

[defyingfrigidity]

... Okay.

[Good job Elsa, you're annoying him now. Can't do anything right this week, can you?]

Thank you... for trying to help.

[He may not have been able to change her mind, but he tried to. It just showed that he cared.]

[aboyandhiscar]

[Elsa honey no, plz. Mike pockets his hands, nodding and going to mosey off.]

S'what I do. But not exactly the best at it, heh.

Later, Queeny.