(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

[onlyyoucan]

Emily's the only thing I have left.

[She shudders and clenches her fists at her sides.]

Allenby always just seemed unsettled by her when I explained what a Mimic was, how they work to connect a Reasoner to their Strain. She was probably thinking about that system they forced her to use, the one that got into her head.

[paucipan]

[Plumeria listens closely, for what it's worth. It connects all too easily, the more Plumeria thinks about it.]

...Yeah, I can see where she'd be wary of it. Considering the things that it sounds like she got put through, she'd have every right to be wary of such a thing. Maybe she worried that...

[...You know what, no. Plumeria has enough tact not to make that comparison, at the very least. All of it's flying over her head a bit, but...]

...It's not important, but I can see where it would be troubling, considering how precious that doll is to you. [...] Are you...going to be okay?

[onlyyoucan]

[She turns the question over in her head quietly.]

She didn't even want this. And Adeline must have been trying not to fight back lethally. Even if we all got along, all this would keep on happening, and we don't. Can't.

[paucipan]

[...]

That's just the unfortunate reality of our situation. No matter what we do, it's just going to keep happening--be it the Captain prodding us, or our own problems rearing their ugly heads at us, it's going to happen.

[She doesn't sound pleased to say that much, but it's a very blunt, harsh reality.]

...It's probably good if we just start accepting that much, and making due with the time we do have to try and bring the dastard low.

[The Captain, she means.]

[onlyyoucan]

Just try and live? Try not to be the one that gets killed, while it keeps happening? Living like that -- all it does is make you wonder why.

[paucipan]

And what else can we do, at this point? Trying to keep everyone's spirits up to prevent them from killing has failed. The Captain's just going to keep pressing buttons until we're all dead for his entertainment and--

[A deep, simmering fury coats Plumeria's words before she forces it down.]

...That's really all we can do. Nothing else is bound to work.

[onlyyoucan]

[She gives a tense, serious nod.]

...We have to deal with him. No matter what, what he does can't keep standing like this.

[paucipan]

Oh, we will. Maybe with enough time and effort, we'll find a way to break that miserable Captain in two and make him pay for everything.

We just need to keep our wits about us, and keep our eyes peeled. He'll reap what he's sown eventually.

[onlyyoucan]

Why would anybody even do this? What purpose does it serve to drag all these people into this?

[paucipan]

Because humans are sick, sadistic freaks. They'll do anything if they think they'll enjoy themselves doing it. That's just the way humanity is; they'll do anything for their sick, vulgar pleasure.

[you asked exactly the wrong person about this, sara]

And if their pleasure is hurting others, well, what do they care? They're getting what they want out of it.

[onlyyoucan]

Even someone like him has to have a reason beyond just wanting to see people suffer. Everything he put into this? Taking us from all different dimensions with what he calls unlimited power?

[paucipan]

[Plumeria shrugs at that, honestly.]

Your guess is as good as mine, unfortunately. Maybe there is some sort of deeper thing that he wants out of this, but I wouldn't have the faintest clue of what it could be.

[onlyyoucan]

...we'll find out. He might only be letting small things out to taunt us because we can't do anything about them, but he can't judge right forever.

[paucipan]

...Yes. He's bound to let something out of his big, stupid mouth that he doesn't intend to eventually, and we can find a way to use it against him.

[That's Plumeria's hope, at least.]

For now, though...we have to focus on staying alive.

[onlyyoucan]

Because we'll be useless dead. And because we have things we need to accomplish back where we came from. If we still can.

[paucipan]

[...On one hand, she absolutely wants to say exactly, because that is the truth. But...]

...A rather morbid way of putting it, but yes. We all have things we need to do.

But we need to be careful not to burn ourselves at both ends while we're here so we can do them.

[onlyyoucan]

Easy to say in theory, but it feels useless not working to give him what's coming.