unknownseas | but even if the stars and moon collide [afterparty]

[Well, that sucked!

After about an hour, invitations written in colorful ink appear under everyone's doors.]

Understandable if you're not up to it, but we're having a memorial and "don't wanna be alone" hang-out in the restaurant again.

[The restaurant has very much been decorated with the most rainbow fabric she could find in the department store. Jonathan got roped in, mainly so she could make sure he was doing okay, but also because she assumed that he knew how to put a tablecloth on a table. He seemed like the type, anyway.

After consulting with Undertaker, most of the food that's been set out is more traditional Chinese funeral food than Victorian—you can get a whole roast duck in the restaurant—but she tried for a mix of things. There is fruit, the aforementioned roast duck, and several vegetarian dishes along with potatoes for some reason and... cookies? Okay then.

Joy's trying, because that was way less terrible for her than it was for basically anyone else.

Happy ~~Pride~~ Wrath, New Rapture!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Quietly, Jonathan sets a mug of fresh herbal tea next to Forrest and sits down next to him. He doesn't say anything. He know no words will help, but... he wants to be there for Forrest, even if he can't do anything.

They may have had their disagreements, but he has suffered far too much, and he did genuinely care for him.]

[Oh, hey Jonathan...

Forrest will actually try to pull himself together a little bit, angrily swiping at his eyes with the heels of his hands; the anger isn't at Jonathan at all, though, don't worry about that, and it kind of takes him a moment to collect himself but he does eventually manage.]

Thank you. For the tea.

[...No shit, Forrest.]

...And for not punching Penelope.

[Even if that was likely more due to everyone else running interference.]

[He lets out a humorless laugh.]

You should hardly thank me for that. I promised you that I would control my emotions better and yet I still attempted to...

[No, this wasn't about him.]

You have been through so much, haven't you? [Absolute detective here.] I am so sorry for the pain you've had to endured.

It's all right. I... The past incentives have been difficult, but I'm still here, I suppose.

[He picks up the tea; takes a sip of it, about as delicately as is to be expected.]

I hate this place.

[That, however, is more candid than he usually lets himself be.]

[Jonathan nods, somewhat surprised by his candid reaction.]

I wholeheartedly agree. The prison Fontaine trapped us in is worse than Hell. At least damnation is reserved for sinners.

That's exactly it. Even in times of war, you don't involve civilians, or those uninvolved with the conflict. At least, you're not supposed to.

[like there was that one time that ryoma was apparently just off the shits insane at forrest's aunt, but thankfully he's not from that route.]

You aren't. Fontaine just appears to be delighting in our torture for the sake of this. At this point, I cannot see a possible end goal for him besides pure suffering.

[He pinches the bridge of his nose, trying to keep himself from crying again.]

[That makes both of us in the trying-not-to-cry department.]

I... I'm sorry. About Obi.

[He places a hand on Forrest's shoulder.]

You... you don't need to apologize. He was a good friend to all of us. His soul was absolutely pure.

It was. I didn't know him as well as some others here, but I could tell that much from what little I did know.

He was so nice. He was always so quick to help out those in need, he let me sleep with him when he learned that I stay up all night.

[He smiles, bittersweet.]

He more than earned his title as a knight.

It certainly sounds that way, yes.

[He sighs a bit. Has some more of the tea.]

He didn't deserve anything that happened to him.

He did not.

... None of us do, truthfully. [~~Except maybe Seo~~] Fontaine is a cruel monster for even fancying such a plot.

[There is another pause as he stares out into the pool.]

I pray we can... no, we will find find a way to stop Fontaine's wicked ways.

We will. I refuse to believe that we're just going to die here.

[...That's probably the best he's sounded for this whole discussion.]

We're... Well, we're likely to lose more, before that day comes. But I believe that it will come.

[He nods, letting himself smile briefly.]

Certainly. We need to remind ourselves that no matter how grim the situation is, we still outnumber our foes, and Fontaine cannot hide any weakness from us forever.

We just... simply need to keep ourselves from falling into despair as we look for those weaknesses. The moment we do fall, that's when he wins.

[He's saying this as much to Forrest as he is saying this to himself.]

but even if the stars and moon collide [afterparty]

Pool

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject