(too late) you're at the party

[scouserer]

[Well, it's safe to say that trial fucking sucked. Therefore, some sort of afterparty is in order. Constantine is admittedly not good at throwing parties without some sort of liquor or other drug involved, but that's where Data and Sylvando guide him.

First order of business--invites. Upon returning to your rooms, crumpled pieces of paper have been taped to the doors. Written in poor handwriting is the following:]

meet at the lounge
bring whatever you want
[Simple, but effective. The lounge itself has been livened up a bit with Sylvando's help. Some nicely patterned fabric has been draped around on the tables to liven up the place a little, and snacks from the café and vending machines have been placed out for people to peruse.

A few supplies from the first aid room have been gathered, as well, for those who may need it. But perhaps the help is unnecessary, as tomorrow will likely bring another New Years Eve. And with it, another week of despair and frustration.

But for now, they can forget about that and pretend that all that matters is the present.]

Comments

[ahelpingpaw]

[Filbo goes straight to the infirmary as soon as he gets off the trial elevator. He gets the most resistant looking bandages he could find, and takes it with him to Room 1. The Strabby made no reaction at all while Filbo was doing any of that, apparently content with just letting the grumpus go wherever he wished.

Then in Room 1, he takes the Strabby and wraps it in the bandages, trying to make sure it wouldn't be able to move. He doesn't harm the little Strabby at all -- not even treating it roughly -- and the Strabby just...lets it happen, staying still and staring at him all the while. It's really unnerving him, if he has to be honest. If Jasper goes into the room at any point before Filbo leaves for the gathering, he may find Filbo placing the imprisoned Strabby in a corner of the junk objects pit, surrounding it with as much junk from the vending machine as possible, even going as far as dragging his desk until one of the legs is right on top of the junkpit door once it's closed.

'Dislikes: Bugsnax'.

He does attend John's gathering in the lounge, though, but his mood hasn't improved much yet. There he is, munching on the cake pop snacks from the cafe, just...looking like he's a bit disconnected from reality right now.

Well, until someone approaches. If they stay for long enough, he says aloud:]

Another tough week behind us. Didn't get any better the second time.

[The trial and murders and everything else, he means. Of course he didn't expect it to, but seriously. The flippant demeanor he had during the week is completely gone for the time being]

lounge

[scythegun]

It didn't, no.

[Hi, Filbo. You don't mind if he joins you, right??]

It's likely always going to be difficult, for different reasons each time.

[ahelpingpaw]

[Yeager's always welcome, definitely]

It will. At this point I just dread what's the Captain's next trick. After the whole...memory thing? Clearly there's no limit.

[He feels so stupid about having taken the memory erasure so lightly. Once the missing memory came back, it was as if a bunch of wires got scrambled to make the memory fit again. He really hadn't realized how much his own memories had tricked him until what was gone returned]

[scythegun]

Ja. I never would have thought such a thing was possible until he decided to use that against us. There's no telling what he'll do next - or what else he's capable of.

[It's certainly not pleasant to think about. If things have already escalated this far... then what comes next?]

[ahelpingpaw]

...well! Nothing to do but face it! It's gonna be hard, but backing down isn't an option at this point, is it?

[Sometimes optimism is so hard to keep up, but he'll be dead and buried before he stops trying]

I just wish I wasn't so...soft? I guess? Maybe if I was a little more hardened I'd be able to take this all with less effort. I mean, when Allenby started attacking, all I could do was hide behind my podium while almost everyone else went to try to stop her. That's...kinda embarrassing.

[But he knows he'd have been completely useless in a fight, really]

[scythegun]

That's not embarrassing, Filbo. You know what you can and can't do, and you stick to it. I think that's important. Just imagine if you'd tried to get in on that fight - there was already so much chaos over there, it would have been difficult to handle! Honestly, I'm a bit surprised no one was injured...

[Good teamwork, everyone!! But also, you guys are damn lucky you didn't taser each other.]

Knowing your own limits is important. Knowing what you can and can't do and focusing on what you can is still very useful. There's no shame in letting other people take the lead sometimes, right?

[ahelpingpaw]

I guess when you put it like that I can't feel...too bad? But I wanna be better. There must be a way I can do that.

But yes, you're right! No shame in letting someone else take the lead sometimes. Maybe I am starting to spread myself a little too thin.

[That and this murdercruise sure has a way of making him feel down in the dumps. It's happening every few days, hah. He hadn't felt so introspective in a long while]

Room 1

[guffawsungraciously]

[Jasper does, indeed, return to their room fairly shortly after the trial on account of wanting a nap, and...

...

Okay look he’s going to start removing his armor but also, he needs to find out what the fuck...]

What are you doing to that thing, exactly...?

[ahelpingpaw]

[Filbo looks up, a bit alarmed. He had hoped to be done with this before JAsper returned, but apparently he wasn't quick enough. Darn]

Oh, grump. I can explain.

[......]

...fine, I can't explain. I just...I had to find a place for it. Out of sight, out of mind, you know? It'll be fine, it doesn't even...eat? Because it's not an animal or a plant?

[.......welp. Sighing, he resumes building a wall around the Strabby. It just is looking between Filbo and Jasper, its googly eyes examining the surroundings]

It's for safety. I can't let it roam around and risk anyone eating it.

[It's not the entire truth but it's an important part of the truth! At least he hopes it'll explain why he's taking so many precautions about this]

[guffawsungraciously]

Oh, so they are dangerous to eat, then?

[He thinks about it, then shrugs as he undoes his breastplate.]

I suppose that makes sense. I imagine there would be no reason for a creature to look that much like another, completely safe variety of food unless there was some sort of reason for it.

[ahelpingpaw]

Yes, pretty much. It's all about trying to get you to eat 'em. It's...pretty horrifying when you think about it.

[And now he has to sleep with one of those nearby even if it's under the desk -- and worse, he has to sleep while Jasper is equally close to the Strabby. Putting himself in risk? Fine, but Jasper being there will worry Filbo to no end]

I guess the cucumber you showed during the trial isn't like that! Since...it has weapons and all. Why would a cucumber suddenly grow limbs and try to attack people?

[guffawsungraciously]

Ah, well, cruelcumbers are essentially old fruit that have been possessed by evil spirits instead of rotting. I suppose "evil" is not the right word given that it is not entirely impossible to negotiate with them, but they tend not to be too fond of humans.

[HE SAYS, LIKE THAT'S COMPLETELY NORMAL]

There are monsters that disguise themselves in order to lure in unsuspecting adventurers, though they tend to want people to open them instead of... eat them. What do these "Bugsnax" do if you eat them...? Is it a case of possession?

[ahelpingpaw]

...okay, after how Bugsnax popped up here I can't comment about how strange other places are. I did lose that right.

[Just like Jasper said it so plainly during the trial when Filbo commented that, haha.

Filbo seems to take a moment to think of how to word things, but...hey, this is his roommate. The one he should try to keep as safe as he can while in the confines of the room. What option does he have to be honest?]

N-Not quite. But, uh...Bugsnax, their effects are physical and mental. When you eat one, a part of your body turns into some of what you eat, so it'd be strawberries for a while. It goes away as long as you don't eat more Bugsnax! So that's why they also, uh...they also attack your insecurities and your problems and everything to--to make you think Bugsnax are the way to tackle them, so you eat more, and...

[......]

...I don't think it'd drive someone more likely to kill, but I'm sure you understand how having your problems picked on by bugs in here of all places can go really badly, right?

[Admittedly, Filbo is considering outright killing the little Strabby -- it's a lot more trouble than it's worth, but he doesn't know for certain what will happen when he does. Will it stay dead? Will something be left? Will it divide or something and then there'll be two? He just doesn't know and finding out right now seems so risky]

Lounge

[cethflayn]

No, it did not.

[In fact, this time was just as traumatizing but for completely different reasons. Flayn would be in a worse state were she not unfortunately accustomed to fighting going on around her.]

...Mister Mayor. I do intend to ask about the strawberry that had eyes, but not tonight. I hope that is okay.

[ahelpingpaw]

[Somehow, Flayn asking it like that gets a laugh from Filbo. It just is such a strange sentence to say to anyone, hah!]

I'd tell you anytime you want. Although I guess not tonight, if only so...so there's not another overwhelming thing to deal with today. There's already so much in all of our heads to try to add one more, right?

[cethflayn]

[Welcome to Flaynville, everything is said in the weirdest way.]

That is exactly right.

[There is a pause.]

...Would it be alright if I gave you a hug? I think...hugs are something most needed, right now.

[She really, really wants a hug, and Filbo seems like the kind of guy who also needs a hug sometimes.]

[ahelpingpaw]

[Filbo blinks, slumping over]

If...if you don't mind...I'd like one. Everything is starting to be a little too much for me.

[It's not often he gets hugs, admittedly. It's been just two weeks of murders and it really is hitting him harder than he figured. Filbo may not break down or fall into despair easily, but...it really is starting to make him feel like he's not doing enough]

[cethflayn]

[People are not offering Filbo hugs? That is a crime.

Flayn leans in and gives him the best hug her tiny arms can give. It is warm and gentle.]

[ahelpingpaw]

[It's so unusual to actually be able to wrap his arms around someone. The majority of grumpuses are a little too wide to really do that -- therefore most hugs are kind of awkward, hah! This is almost a novelty.

Hugging him really is like hugging some sort of large and firm stuffed animal, all fuzzy, yup]

...thanks. I hadn't realized how much I needed this until...well...

[Until he actually got it, really]

lounge

[scouserer]

[Constantine is sitting backwards in one of the chair, staring up at the ceiling listlessly. He snaps back to attention as soon as Filbo speaks, sitting up and glancing towards the Grumpus.]

S'only going to get worse, y'know. The more people dead, the more likely our luck might run out.

[He pauses for a moment.]

Sorry. I suppose I'm just...rather desensitized to this whole thing.

[You know. People dying around him.]

[ahelpingpaw]

Better to be desensitized than to be feeling down in the dumps about it all, I guess.

[He's feeling exhausted. Really, it isn't in his nature to break down, instead opting to shove it deep inside so he can focus on continuing forward, but thiiiiiis whole thing from today is taking a while longer to deal with than he'd like]

[scouserer]

[Constantine observes Filbo for a moment, tucking his hands behind his head.]

Y'know what I'd do when I was like this? I'd channel every little nasty emotion I felt and scream it out.

[....]

Course, it's a hell of a lot more acceptable to just scream if you're also singing punk rock.

[ahelpingpaw]

Really? Do you think that'd help?

[Well he sure seems willing to try, at least!]

I guess not in here because...you know, someone screaming his head of is going to be uncalled for, but maybe outside?

[scouserer]

Sure it will! Guarantee it'll at least make you feel something afterwards.

[He offers Filbo a (hopefully) reassuring grin.]

We could head up to the top deck, if you'd like.

[ahelpingpaw]

That should work. Come on, let's go.

[Time to go scream, apparently. Just...follow him to the top deck! Let him stand near the hot tub. Filbo looks around awkwardly, like he's concerned he's going to bother anyone]

Uh...so, just push everything into screaming something? Just like that?