(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]

[She nods, holding Emily firmly.]

If he let us see him in the first place, was that deliberate, showing us more of what he can do... or a mistake, because he knows we can't do anything with it?

[jibunwo]

[eventually he is going to ask what the fuck is up with the rozen maiden shit but you know, place and time]

I think perhaps the answer is 'both'; deliberate, because he thinks we can do nothing with it. I don't think him truly careless, no matter his presented demeanor.

[onlyyoucan]

So he's probably just taunting us. There has to be a time where he'll slip up for real.

[jibunwo]

He's already given us valuable information. For all we knew before now, he was within communication range but nowhere near this ship. Now, we know he's far closer than that.

[onlyyoucan]

[Sara nods.] I know that's what we wondered. It would make sense, too, with how this place tampers with spacetime. It probably also interferes with communication outside of it.

[jibunwo]

Possibly, yes. Even if we could find our way to the bridge, surely sending a message would not be so easy. And that's assuming anyone that may or may not be beyond this ocean would hear it to begin with, much less believe us.

[onlyyoucan]

We'd have to somehow get whatever let him take us from across time and space.

[jibunwo]

Indeed we would, a task which is linked with defeating him. Once we can travel the ship freely, then we can access whatever areas he can and discover what it is he's truly hiding.

[onlyyoucan]

Mm.

[She won't say it's impossible. Instead, she just keeps watching everyone else brooding in the lounge.]

So what you're thinking is we just need to get one step behind him while he still thinks we're several paces back. So he'll let something slip that he thinks is inconsequential.

[jibunwo]

I know it's not an ideal approach. But we don't have much else to work with.

[onlyyoucan]

I won't complain. I'm used to starting again with nothing.

[jibunwo]

Starting over from zero, you could say.

[was...did he just tell a joke]

[onlyyoucan]

[...okay, she actually kind of laughed at that one, broken and small as it was.]

Is that where you got your name?

[jibunwo]

More or less. I wanted something indicative of as little and yet as much as possible; 'zero' is nothing, the blank slate from which anything begins.

[onlyyoucan]

[She nods and thinks for a minute.]

Saying that even if there's nothing, it won't remain that way. Maybe that's where your title came from, too.

[jibunwo]

I have a clearer idea of where the title came from. It originally belonged to a general that works with the Black Knights; some of them have compared us for a similar tendency to turn the tide of battle from hopeless odds. So in that respect, perhaps you're exactly correct.

[onlyyoucan]

At least it makes sense.

[sara you're --]

...Thanks. I try not to bother people, but...

[jibunwo]

...What do you mean? You're not bothering me.

[onlyyoucan]

If you're sure. I know you've got your own problems.

[jibunwo]

At the present time, 'my' problems are one and the same with 'our' larger problems. And a leader can not hope to be effective without understanding the morale of those around him.

[onlyyoucan]

...Right. If we are a "we." We should be, but this'll happen again.

[jibunwo]

I don't think it's beyond hope that most of us can still potentially band together. Difficult, but not hopeless.

[onlyyoucan]

Is that because of what happened in the courtroom?

[jibunwo]

That, and that larger circumstances beyond it. This situation is already tailor-made to sow distrust and paranoia; if we all start turning on one another before we have the full picture like that again, we're not getting out of this.

[onlyyoucan]

Right. So if a conclusion we're making doesn't make sense, we have to go deeper. It sounds simple, but it almost killed us.