No party like an pope party??

[archboxer]

[That... that was a thing for everyone. There should be no celebration for Lif but, well, even if Rhea has a very cynical view of such things it's probably for the best that everyone stays together. Her first stop is the cafeteria, after all nothing better to keep people in one spot than free food. There she bumps into Mira, leaving the snacks to her Rhea ends up writing notes to everyone to come to the cafeteria in a few hours.

Some she hands personally and if she can't find someone she slid it under their door. Rin's she slides into her room regardless.

Fortunately, you won't hear a sermon.]

Comments

[nothingcanstop]

[ You know how some people need time alone to think, after horrible traumatic events?

That is not Della Duck.

So, before the gathering even starts, she's out in the lounge, waiting to...well, to see if anyone else is in a similar boat. It's at least somewhere she knows people will need to pass. Anyone who...needs to talk, she can flag down, right?

And the moment the event starts, she's there. There's the big question of what to say, what to do, but... Well, she didn't get anything to eat before, so that's welcome. Besides that, Della has some of that foul-smelling alcohol, a picture that she's fiddling with, and a strong desire to eliminate the silence. ]

Hey. How're you... How're you doing after all that?

[reallyhatesharks]

I'll be fine.

[Not "I'm fine," but "I will be fine." Trauma isn't anything new to her. She'll get over herself in a few days.

For right now, she's eating a garbage amount of funeral potatoes and that's the best she can do.]

[nothingcanstop]

Need anything?

[ It doesn't get her to stop asking. ]

[reallyhatesharks]

I'll probably just punch something later. [She waves a hand around, more a meaningless gesture than anything.] Dunno. Hits different when the thing you're getting revenge on for killing someone is a person.

[nothingcanstop]

Was that was that was? ...Revenge? [ Sounds a little empty. ] It didn't feel like it.

pre-gathering

[precognit]

[Alice was quiet throughout the whole trial; she didn't have much to contribute, after all, and it all feels too much like a weird nightmare. Surreal. But the execution shocked her out of it, and when she comes out to the lounge wearing a fresh set of clothes—the ones she arrived in—she looks paler than usual, and shell-shocked, with her golden eyes wide as dinner plates.

She sees Della, and without a second thought goes to sit down next to her.]

What did I just watch?

[nothingcanstop]

[ Internally, Della's thankful. Thank goodness she doesn't have to be all alone again-- ]

Something completely unfair. [ She sighs. ] And I guess what this experiment's really about.

[precognit]

I hated every single minute of that. I mean, I've seen unfair, but this...

[Alice's lips press into a thin line, and she shakes her head.]

I feel so sick.

[nothingcanstop]

[ A moment passes and Della reaches over to place her hand on Alice's arm (can't quite reach her shoulder). ]

Me too. I hate what he made us do too.

[mouflon]

[ Rin shrugs, the movement as brusque as the answer the comes a second later. ]

Better than you are, from the look on your face.

[ Who knew ducks could be so expressive? ]

[nothingcanstop]

[ Who indeed would've guessed? Della makes an active attempt to brighten at that. And you know? It works. ]

I'm mostly tired, honest. Can't say that's an experience I've ever had before.

[mouflon]

I'm pretty sure everyone here can say the same, in one way or another. It's not playing judge, jury, and executioner exactly, but it's pretty close.

[ And, you know what? It's made Rin tired, too. She lets some of it seep into her demeanor, in her posture and the set of her shoulders. ]

[nothingcanstop]

It's bound to leave all of us...messed up in some way.

[ Della can see the girl's let herself droop a bit, so... ]

You need anything? Eaten, right?

pre-gathering

[archboxer]

[She's giving out invitations and.. oh. Hm. This is awkward. She'll confront Rin later (and then make an uneasy peace) but unlike Rin she liked Della. So it's time to eat crow humble pie.]

Ah... I am sorry for forcing you to step in during the trial.

[nothingcanstop]

[ Ah... Well, Della does want any interaction she can get. She gives Rhea a bit of a tired look. ]

I sure hope this doesn't become a regular thing.

[archboxer]

... I believe I saw red when the possibility of Seteth being a suspect, even just on a general list.

[Family is... important.]

Event

[drladysounds]

Badly.

[Yyyyeah, that's succint. Then she adds:]

I still can't believe any of that happened. It's like a nightmare.

[nothingcanstop]

That's fair.

[ And RELATABLE. ]

It might take a few days for it to sink in for me too.

[drladysounds]

And now we have to watch our backs. No more nightly walks for anyone.

[Hmmm...]

Maybe that should be some sort of rule between us all, a curfew or something. The problem is enforcing it.

[thieviusraccoonus]

[What a coincidence that Sly has some of that awful alcohol as well. His nose wrinkles at the inclusion of another bottle. Or maybe it wrinkled in general, at everything.]

I should be asking you the same thing. Looks like we both prepared for this in the same way.

[nothingcanstop]

[ OH HEY, Malort buddies. A wry smile crawls onto Della's face. ]

What do you know? Most people can't stand this stuff.

[thieviusraccoonus]

Well, when you travel as much as I do, you get a taste for things.

[He smiles in kind. A good, fake smile.]

I've been all over the world, and through time. This is hardly the weirdest thing I've drank.

Event

[lovelikeyou]

I guess I'm okay.

[She...is? She's still sort of upset, and this is something she's actually allowed to be upset about, but she's not devastated.]

I've seen a lot of people die. Humans don't live very long compared to Gems. But we've always stayed out of their wars, so it's not...usually like that.

[nothingcanstop]

...It's the first time for me. I've known people, yeah--my parents, when I was young. But... It's how little control we had over anything. That's what's really getting to me.

[ Is Rose sitting? If Rose is sitting, Della's gonna sit next to her. ]

[lovelikeyou]

...I could have healed her. If we still had our powers. And him...of course what he did was terrible, but...

[But she wouldn't have killed him for it. Maybe some other people would have, but that's not right, is it?]