into each breaking wave

[thisaroma]

[ Well, that was — no pun intended — unfortunate. ...But in light of what they already saw happen the first two weeks, maybe it's not really that surprising, either; and maybe it's at least a little easier to recognize when something is going to be a lost cause, if not necessarily to accept it.

In spite of everything, this is the first time Decus has been in a halfway decent mood after a trial, which he can gather is... probably not the case for most of the rest. So he figures he can take on the party host duties for this week rather than push it onto someone who needs a break. Anyway, he wants to keep up this feeling-okay thing for as long as he can, and if he has too much downtime and starts to think about what happened a week ago today... he might end up a little less okay.

So, he brings some food down to the buffet from the cafes for a little variety (even though most of them probably aren't going to be too picky at this point), along with some tea and cocoa from Starbucks and a few harder options from the bar, and gets that all set up in as welcoming an arrangement as he can manage. And...

Well. Despite how he may come off sometimes, he actually is self-aware enough to realize that some of the others might not appreciate being reminded that he's still alive when three people who'd never had any intention of killing are dead. It doesn't really bother him, but he doesn't want to create unnecessary drama, either; so he doesn't put his name anywhere on the invitations he puts up around the place, just a simple:

food and drinks at the buffet

...Which is almost always the case, technically, this past week excluded, but hey.

And while he might come by to offer a drink or something to someone who looks like they need it, he's mostly going to hang back and let everyone do their thing. ]

Comments

[jibunwo]

[Zero absolutely didn't show up to any kind of meeting whatsoever. Instead he went to Sara's room intending to leave Emily there for Flayn to take care of...and then he caught sight of a note with his name on it. For whatever reason, he took a quick side trip to the bar long enough to find some matches, then shut himself in room 11 for a brief time. (sorry, Scott).]

[For most of the evening, he would be in the library; back to work focusing on his notebook and appearing to concentrate on his work as if nothing at all had happened. Until one might have noticed the pen in his hand wasn't moving and it was almost like he was staring at a blank page.]

[Of course now that the mask was back on, it was impossible to see if he really was staring at anything, or to read the expression on his face.]

[Maybe that was the point.]

Library

[cethflayn]

[Probably after Flayn has eaten a food and done her dramatic haircut, she's realized, oh, Emily. Fuck. And when not finding Zero, she chanced herself in Sara's room and found her.

And found the letter for her.

And read it and cried.

But now Emily...is her responsibility. And she will do her best to live up to that, not just for Sara's sake, but because it's only right. So it's pretty late in the evening when Flayn finally does manage to find Zero. She's holding Emily in both arms, and stops in the doorway when she sees him working.

It's a little like their first interaction, in a way, except Flayn isn't going to drag a chair across the floor. Instead, she just. Quietly comes in and sits at the same table, staring at the wood grain. Hugging Emily tight.]

...I am sorry.

[It's a whisper, since she knows he is working. Or. Trying to. Probably. If Zero looks up, he'll notice Flayn's done a little something to her hair, and her ears are out. And pointy. That's new.]

[jibunwo]

Forget it. It's done and over with.

[It sounded like Zero had done all the angry shouting he intended to do for a good while, at least. He didn't completely look up, but the mask tilted slightly as if he was regarding her out of the corner of his eye.]

[cethflayn]

...I was still a fool. I cannot even promise I will not do something foolish again.

[Emily, keep her safe, please.]

But I cannot make excuses. That I know.

[jibunwo]

It's not my concern anymore. Do as you like, but don't expect me to intervene again.

[cethflayn]

I understand.

[It seems like she's not going to press him into further conversation, but...Flayn doesn't leave, so. If he wants to pretend she's not here and talk to the air, she won't judge.]

[jibunwo]

...


. . .


Was there something you needed here?

[cethflayn]

...I was looking for you. So now that I have found you, I thought...I would sit near. Unless you would rather I not.

[jibunwo]

I don't care.

[he said, pretending not to care immensely.]

[cethflayn]

Then if that is so, I shall remain.

[If he doesn't care then he won't mind, right?]

[jibunwo]

...

[this is the expressionless face of a man who just got played]

[cethflayn]

[Zero, meet Flayn, who cares too much.

She is very quiet as she sits, looking at the table's wood grain again. Her chin is gently propped on Emily's head, and her hands rest over Emily's hands.

Flayn never got to have a doll like her. And...well, this is less "having a fancy doll" and more "taking care of a friend". She only hopes she can do right by Emily, now.]

[jibunwo]

[flayn i'm so sorry he's just completely stonewalling and keeping his mouth shut, godspeed.]

Library

[silentscout]

[Lalli is going to mistake that for Zero falling asleep. It's not like he can see Zero's face or anything, so.

He's going to leave, come back with a blanket, and drop it around Zero's shoulders.]

[jibunwo]

[Sigh.]

What do you want.

[Nope, wide awake.]

[silentscout]

[Oh whoops.]

I thought you were asleep.

[jibunwo]

Well, I am not.

[just, you know. dissociating into the eighth dimension]

[silentscout]

Oh. Okay.

[He's still leaving the blanket there.]

Why did you put your mask back on?

[jibunwo]

Do you have a reason I shouldn't?

[silentscout]

Because you're hiding and it makes it obvious?

[jibunwo]

I'm doing what I should have done from the start. It was pointless to let any of you act as though it matters whether or not you can see my face.

[silentscout]

[He frowns a little at that, but it's not because he's angry. It's more because he's confused.]

Why do you think it doesn't matter?

[jibunwo]

Because it doesn't. None of you need to know who I am, and there's no point in acting as though any of us are actually friends here. We just have to survive long enough to kill Jack and get out, and then we can all go our separate ways for the rest of our lives.

[silentscout]

Why does it matter if we're not friends? We don't hate each other, and we're cooperating with each other. That's enough, right?

[jibunwo]

...This is what we're calling 'cooperating' now? We're half-dead and limping our way through disaster after disaster while barely managing to get through.