unknownseas | into each breaking wave

[ 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. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

The furthest I've made it is halfway on my own. It's not very impressive.

[But he laughs anyway and shakes his head.]

I don't give up easily, though! I intend to master this song and I will.

[He's going to have plenty of time to do it, after all...]

[Plumeria manages a small chuckle at that.]

Halfway is better than anything I could do, to say the least. As long as you keep on with it, you'll certainly master it.

[...]

Do you mind too terribly if I stick around and watch, then?

[Oh...]

Of course I don't mind. Or we could find a different game to play together - perhaps we should see what else the arcade has, hmm?

[Might as well, right?]

[...You know what, that sounds like an even better idea.]

I wouldn't mind that at all. Let's see what we can find, hm?

[She can at least vouch for the quality of the racing games, but if nothing else, she's also curious what this arcade has. Lead the way, Yeager!!]

[Since Yeager hasn't tried his hand at racing games, let's do one of those!! Gotta go fast.....

Of course, Yeager is greatly inexperienced at this, and even after Plumeria's crash course in totally-not-Mario-Kart, she is still going to absolutely destroy him. Which is what he deserves, but at least he's laughing and having a good time.]

My, you really did take well to this one! I'm impressed!

[Honestly, Plumeria's having a grand time too--she's always loved the sort of disruptive nature of it, and there really is just something great about it that's helping her get her mind off the situation.

By the time they're finished, Plumeria's actually got a grin on her face. Rampant destruction and disruption (and blue shells!!) are good for the soul, it seems.]

Of course I did! There really is nothing like having the ability to cause a little chaos without any downsides.

[Sometimes you like to cause problems on purpose, and that's okay.]

You didn't do too badly yourself. Maybe with enough time and practice, you'll be able to get even better than me.

[it's a shame untitled goose game is not an arcade game...]

Oh, agreed, it's always been quite enjoyable!

[............i mean there were downsides when he did it, but moving on!!]

Careful, you're going to make me take that as a serious challenge!

[time to git gud at mario kart so he can beat plumeria!!!!!!!]

...I trust you're feeling a bit better after that?

[But more seriously, today was A Lot and Plumeria probably needed the break from checking on people and trying to give a shit (badly, sometimes).]

[god are you kidding, they'd never leave if that was in the arcade]

I'll have to take it seriously too, then.

[Of course, the question Yeager poses gets Plumeria to pause a bit. Her look doesn't damper any, really, but the competitive pep drops in favor of something a little bit more serious.]

...I am, yes. [...] Not that I wasn't feeling...well, "okay" isn't exactly the term I want, considering everything that happened with Lorna. But this was nice, and I appreciate it.

[Plumeria sighs a bit, just kind of looking at the demo loop.]

...I'm kind of tired of breaking down after these trials, though. It's why I wanted to try and help the others--you've all been pretty good at trying to help me, after all.

[Yeager glances back at the demo loop as well.]

I've wanted to. I only ever do what I want to do; I'm hardly one to act out of obligation.

[So it isn't like he's been doing it because he's forcing himself to, or because he's pitying her, or because he thinks it's the right thing to do. No, he does it because he feels like it. Because he likes Plumeria, and because he wants to help her.]

I understand, though. It's good of you to try to look out for us! Today was difficult... but I think we're getting used to the routine. We take a day to mourn, and we get up and continue on soon enough.

[It's sort of shitty, yes. But it's adapting, and that's what they have to do to survive.]

...You don't have to keep justifying it to me, you know. [Plumeria shakes her head when she says that, but there's nothing derisive behind it.] I meant it as a compliment. I know you're just going to do whatever you want, when you want, and there's not a single thing that can be done to stop you. I wouldn't expect any less.

[That's just how Yeager do, and even if Yeager can be a dumbass sometimes, he's at least consistent in his inconsistency. Not that it makes that much sense, but it makes about as much sense as Yeager does, so it works!!]

...Yeah, I think we are at this point. It stinks that we have to adapt like this, but what's our other option? Cry? Wallow in our own misery? The Captain would probably enjoy that. [Not that Plumeria blames...okay no, she has bones to pick with people being stupid about it but never let it be said that Plumeria has well adjusted reactions to anything.] It's really the best we can do, is continue on and hope we can find a way to destroy that man.

[The first part gets a smile from him; that's exactly right. He's predictable in his unpredictability, because it's entirely driven by whatever it is he decides to do that day. He's ultimately not a very difficult person, once you've figured that much out.]

Ja, precisely. The more time we spend upset and wallowing, the less time we have to keep fighting. The Captain seems to be looking for a show - and I have no doubts he delights in our misery. So it's best to take some time to ourselves, and then find a way to keep on moving.

[And someday we'll get a proper shot at him, one that doesn't involve dying horribly, rip Chloe...]

into each breaking wave

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