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

cw: alcoholism, probably

[scouserer]

[Constantine isn't seen lurking at the buffet--not at first. You might see him stroll with the determination and vigor of a New Yorker late to an important business meeting, only to immediately make a bee-line for the bar and disappear. Before long, he's seen leaving the area with at least two bottles of whiskey tucked under each arm, respectively.

He does not stop to grab food, and, in fact, straight up ignores you if you try to approach him in the buffet. However, if you follow him, you'll find that he makes his way to the movie theater and has settled himself down there. He's sprawled out across two of the chairs, looking apathetically at the screen. Seems like he's put on something called...Paul Blart: Mall Cop? Probably just selected it at random.

He might not immediately notice if someone approaches, but when he does, he turns to glare.]

What do you want? Go get your own movie theater.

[Even later, Constantine disappears from the movie theater...again, nowhere to be found. Unless you head up to the top deck and make your way over to the lazy river. A body can be seen lying face-down, half in and half out of the water. His head, at least, remains out of drowning range.

He lies still. Perhaps in this state, he might even be mistaken for a dead body. But if approached, a miserable croak can be heard as he speaks.]

Sod off. Can't you see that I'm busy?

[Evidenced from the empty whiskey bottle on the ground, slightly out of his reach, it's easy to tell how he ended up like this. He continues to lie in the lazy river.]

lazy river

[ltcommandroid]

[Data was initially alarmed - rushing over, in fact - but upon the confirmation that Constantine is not actually dead, he slows his pace. Once close, he drops into a crouch next to him.]

It is particularly dangerous to go swimming while intoxicated. I must insist that you...not.

[scouserer]

Too late. Also, didn't swim. Just slipped and fell.

[And he didn't get up, because he just...accepted his fate. He lets out a groan, tilting his head up ever so slightly.]

Data, love, we have got to stop meeting like this.

[ltcommandroid]

You do not make a good case for your own safety. [Just, like, generally. You never do.] But I do agree.

[He reaches out to just sort of drag Constantine up out of the water a bit.]

[scouserer]

[Constantine allows him to be dragged out of the water. His clothes are utterly soaked, and water drips onto the deck as he's lifted.]

I must seem like a proper miserable asshole to you at this point.

[He pauses, eyes down towards the ground.]

Why do you do this? You know--go out of your way to help people and...stuff. [He makes a vague gesture with his arm.]

Lazy River

[ahelpingpaw]

[This is the second time in little more than a month that he finds someone floating in water and the first thought he has is that it's a corpse. That's two times more than he should have in his entire life. This time it's Constantine.

And, judging by what he says, he's in a pretty bad mood. For many understandable reasons, probably.

Filbo hears the croak. It's strange for him to think that mere months ago someone telling him that would have made him go away without a single word. Nowadays, though...]

...no. I'm not leaving. Did you really think I could just...walk away and risk you drowning if something happens?

[scouserer]

[Constantine doesn't respond for a moment, his brain slowly registering the voice of the person speaking to him.]

Oh. S'you, Filbo. I'm not dead, yet.

[Unfortunately. He turns his head to the side so that a singular eye peers up towards the sky. His clothes are absolutely sopping wet, but it doesn't seem to bother him. Or maybe he's just beyond the point of caring.]

I'll be fine. Listen--Listen, s'just a matter of waiting it out. I'll always get back up again, see, watch--

[He pushes himself off the ground--or at least attempts to. He gets about an inch or so before he gives up and goes right back to lying down. A pause.]

Might need a bit of help.

[ahelpingpaw]

...I can't believe this...

[This is such a sorry state, seriously. Filbo approaches, crouches and, grabbing one of Constantine's arms and throwing it around his shoulders, hoists that arm up. That's not going to lead anywhere unless Constantine gets his legs moving and tries to get up, yup]

You're gonna have to do some of the work here, I don't think I can lift all of you up.

[scouserer]

[Constantine doesn't respond, opting to divert most of his energy into getting his legs working. He pushes off the ground with his other hand, trying to get his feet underneath him. It...takes quite a bit of effort, but eventually, he lifts himself up on his shaky legs. Water drips from his coat onto the garden floor.]

Thanks.

[The word is muttered under his breath, more of a sigh than an actual sentence. He probably looks arguably worse, having now been dragged out of the lazy river. Constantine sways slightly where he stands.]

Filbo, mate, I can always trust you to be honest, yeah?

[Hm. Where's this going?]

movie theatre

[dokkalfheimr]

[...Constantine, for the love of god.]

I think this one is large enough, is it not? Besides, I don't intend to keep you for very long.

[scouserer]

[Listen. Paul Blart was the first thing he saw that he thought to himself "This looks like shit, I need to watch this immediately."

Constantine lets out a groan, dragging a hand down his face. Still, he attempts to sit up a little straighter, eyeing Freyja carefully.]

What do you want, then? You here to criticize me on my stupid half-assed plan that never even went through?

[dokkalfheimr]

No. I... If anything, I wanted to apologize for implicitly including you when I lost composure. It was mostly directed towards Flayn, but I admit I also panicked and became agitated at the way that things were going.

If anything, I trusted you more than the rest of them to know what you were doing.

[scouserer]

[Constantine pauses, an incredulous expression on his face.]

Well, that's one out of...twenty...no, seventeen at this point, isn't it?

[He lets out a snort, running a hand through his hair.]

I appreciate it, but there's really no need to apologize. I didn't know what would happen if that spirit had decided to jump ship--and I was prepared to live with that.

Movie Theater

[silentscout]

[Lalli is just going to wordlessly stuff a piece of paper into the cup holder next to Constantine.]

When you're not inebriated, read it.

[If Constantine looks at it, he might actually be able to get a bit of what Lalli's drawings represent. They're about ghosts. Good luck reading the words though, he wrote the words in Finnish.]

[scouserer]

Hah! S'gonna be a while before that happens, mate.

[Still, Constantine picks up the paper and squints at it. He turns it over, as if looking at it upside down would somehow help him comprehend the gibberish laid out before him.]

What's this? You gotta work on your ghost drawings, mate.

[silentscout]

It tells people what to do if they find a ghost. Since nobody here listened to me, they need to know.

[He got that Constantine has handled ghosts before but Constantine was also being stupid about it.]

[scouserer]

[Constantine was being utterly stupid, and he knows it! He gives Lalli a measured gaze before folding the paper and tucking it into his pocket.]

I assume you're givin' this to me so I know what to do.

[A pause.]

I appreciate it, but shouldn't you be giving this to someone else? Someone who--who isn't an utter prick like me?

lazy river

[guffawsungraciously]

[aw fuck is he dead. are they going to have to go right back to have another damn trial.

...

oh, wait.]

Busy doing... what, exactly.

[scouserer]

Lying in the lazy river and bein' miserable, what does it look like?

[He's still not getting up, by the way. He gropes blindly towards the whiskey.]

[guffawsungraciously]

...I am not going to say I do not get it, but try not to die, at least.

[He crouches down a bit to... make sure...]

[scouserer]

[His chest is still rising and falling, so...yes, he's still alive. Constantine lets out a sharp grumble.]

Oh, I'll certainly try not to. Wouldn't want more bodies for people to deal with, despite the fact it's enormously easy for people to not kill each other under normal circumstances.

movie theater

[scythegun]

[Yeager makes no secret of entering, and is not deterred at all by Constantine's words. Instead, he takes a seat nearby.]

This is the only one we have, ja?

[He isn't angry or upset; he's a bit more subdued then usual, but that's how he tends to be after these trials when he's not having some sort of crisis in the laser tag arena. And no, he has no plans on leaving. You're stuck with him and Paul Blart: Mall Cop. I'm not sure which is worse.]

[scouserer]

[You know that feeling when you're in an empty parking lot and you see another car decides to park next to you despite all the other spaces being perfectly available? Constantine is feeling whatever emotion that incites when Yeager sits down near him. He scowls, taking another sip from the whiskey bottle.]

Well, then, if you'd like to sit through the other hour of...whatever this bullshit is, then you're welcome to.

[Well. It's certainly not Groundhog Day, that's for sure.]

What do you want, anyways? S'not like you came in here just to watch more shitty movies.

[scythegun]

[that is the exact feeling yeager likes to inflict on everyone, including and especially constantine right here and right now.]

I didn't, no. Mostly I just wanted to talk to you.

[He holds up a hand - let him continue, he's already anticipating the interruption!!]

And I'm not here to tell you how stupid that was or how irresponsible it was or whatever else the others have been saying to you. I just wanted to say that I do appreciate the attempt. It bought us time and it gave us a better indication of what we were working with.

[Which may not have been the exact intent, but it certainly did help in that way.]

[scouserer]

[Constantine opens his mouth to respond, but gets stopped as soon as Yeager puts his hand up. He gives him a sort of incredulous look, raising an eyebrow.]

Well! Then, that's two out of whatever number of people are still alive on this ship.

[He kicks his legs up onto one of the nearby armrests.]

As much as I wish some of the people on this ship had half the sense as you did, it didn't work. And it sure as hell didn't matter, since the girl's dead, isn't she?

[John Constantine? Bitter. Never.]