And we're all adrift together through the cold mist, 'til we're lifeless together

[dokkalfheimr]

[The preparations hit differently this time.

Last weekend was at least an attempt at being festive, even with the light supplies they have; at being joyous, at giving people at least one nice thing to look back upon before things inevitably took a turn for the worse. And now two people are dead, and instead of trying to figure out structure placement and how best to keep everyone entertained and occupied and well-fed, the preparations now are given to much more practical purposes.

Large amounts of bottled water from the machine. Bagels and bread and muffins, light starchy things to avoid forcing anyone to keep meat or seafood down after seeing a corpse. Fruit for the sake of providing energy. Avoiding including bananas for any reason. Quietly pulling aside one of the first people she sees with any experience in the matter and asking them to help her make tea.

Once she's got one of the tables at the party zone set up and the tea is on its way to being prepared, she'll set around letting people know; the invitations are simple, written in Freyja's broad, elegant handwriting:

I think another gathering tonight would be beneficial. Not to celebrate, but to remember; perhaps more importantly, to ensure that no one is alone if they don't want to be.

Tonight is hard. There is nothing further to do but get through it.]

Comments

[dokkalfheimr]

I'm doing well enough, though I admit that I did not know either of them well.

[calx]

Even still, familiarity isn't the only reason for unease. There were several who seemed shaken by the fact that a kill happened in the first place, or that Shard would lie given the rules that were established.

All of these reasons are logical on their own.

[dokkalfheimr]

[...Albedo, has anyone ever told you that you're kind of odd...]

Of course. Though I believe it to be both naive and oddly arrogant to assume our lives so important that he wouldn't lie about it, even knowing the stakes.

[calx]

[ ...he gets it sometimes. But then again, he doesn't interact with others too much either, oh the joys of being a scientist with a remote mountain lab. ]

Arrogance is not something I had heard today, until this moment. [ He tilts his head and thinks on it. ]

As most life is inherently selfish, it is easy to overlook.

[dokkalfheimr]

I suppose so. I just find it difficult to find another way to describe expecting someone to permit their world to perish to spare the lives of less than thirty people that they have known for less than a fortnight.

[calx]

Ah, but that implies that they believed in the validity of the threat.

[dokkalfheimr]

It implies that the person who acted believed in the threat. Whether the rest of us did or not is irrelevant; if the person who acted believes that the threat is real, then we cannot expect them to behave as though it is not for the sake of our own interests.

[calx]

Hm, yes. And in Shard's case, he acted in self-defense. I wonder how frequent that will be, as a culprit with intentions from start to finish will likely prove more difficult to rout.