some moments last forever, and some flare out with love, love, love [afterparty]

[visiblepattern]

[So that all sucked really bad, huh.

Forrest had meant what he said about going to the clinic immediately after all of this, getting medical supplies ready and set up on hand to prepare to receive people - Dandy is the primary candidate for this, whether he likes it or not - but before he goes he grabs Rossiu for the briefest moment before sending him on his way. Sure enough, when the note comes in a few minutes it isn't in Forrest's flowing, delicate hand but rather something blockier and incredibly neat. If you've seen Rossiu's handwriting, you'll recognize it: ]

We're having a memorial gathering in the ice cream parlor in an hour. Feel free to attend if you'd like, or if you would prefer to not be alone.
[...It seems like as good a place as any.

There are some things set up, though not terribly many; the tables are set out and are perhaps a bit closer than they normally would be, but go ahead and make yourself some sundaes, pull up a chair, talk to one another, ruminate over whether Jason and Hagakure would have liked this (or whether Vholran wouldn't have, either way) - it's your night, to do what you want with.]

Comments

[visiblepattern]

[Forrest is actually spending a fair amount of the night in the clinic, in case people were caught up in Vholran's everything and decided they weren't feeling well or wanted something looked at, or likewise just in case…well, in case someone wants to talk, he supposes. It's a quieter place than most, and even if he supposes it can seem a bit impersonal as all medical places do, it's also close enough that he can step into the ice cream parlor once in a while if he so chooses.

He stays there for quite a while, actually, until it's extremely late; at that point he's feeling pretty spent, but he doesn't go upstairs. He just makes his way back to the garden as usual, and he prays there until…well.

It'll probably be more morning than not by the time he stops.]

[hotpaprika]

[Much like last week, Jonathan makes a round at the suites, providing drinks and snacks for those who are skipping the party, as well as lend an ear for those who need it.

Once he's done, and receives the message, he decides to go down to help Forrest set up for the party, and checking up on those at the clinic.

Eventually he gets himself a scoop of ice cream but he finds himself... strangely not very hungry.]

Dear God, all I want right now is a good, stiff drink.

[When he leaves, instead of going back to his room, he heads to the church to just... sit in silence and pray to whoever will hear.]

[onemillion]

[After assisting with the invitations for the afterparty and passing them out, Rossiu returns to his room for a little while. It's partially to destress, partially to make sure Leafeon's fine, and... mostly to get changed into the jacket Forrest made him and dark slacks, since his usual attire needs to be cleaned after dealing with soot. He returns to the afterparty with Leafeon, and since Leafeon is not allowed to eat ice cream, he has snacks for our adorable Pokémon friend. He's more focused on feeding Leafeon said snacks than he is on anything else, including getting himself some ice cream. Actually, he seems pretty distracted in general...

Eventually though, he ends up leaving the afterparty. He eventually ends up at the incredibly cursed patio, where he has a sketchbook and some pencils with him. If you happen to catch a glimpse of what he's working on, it's obvious he's not an artist - these are closer to mechanical drafts and designs rather than actual art. He seems to be drawing some kind of big robot with a face. Wow I wonder what that could be.]

[buriedstar]

[ Seo Dawon is not at the after-party, which probably isn't surprising. For those in his suite he can be found cooking food like none of that just happened. It is without garlic as usual! ]

Do you have any requests? I'm in a giving mood~. [ ...somehow. Later you can find him at patio, reading a book from the library. He'll look up if anyone approaches and give them a friendly wave. ]

[inaclearing]

[Brett takes a while to arrive at the party. Immediately after the execution, he escorts Dandy to the clinic - drags him there, if need be - and then goes to the garden to collect some white flowers as promised.

He washed his hands in the clinic. He isn't just walking around soaked in blood, you know? But it's still on his shirt and beneath his nails, tacky and drying. He still had to do first aid on a stab wound today, and two more people are dead.

You may find him kneeling on the grass here with an arm pressed over his mouth, taking his own deep-breathing advice.

Eventually, though, he picks himself up. After giving the flowers to Dandy, or at least leaving them where they can be found, he goes upstairs and takes the world's longest shower. It's only a while after that that he actually shows up in the ice cream parlor, wearing the green embroidered jacket Forrest made him and toting several plates stacked high with pancakes, for whatever reason. Some of them are funfetti; some have berries.]

Just in case anyone wants...something a little closer to real food.

[It's still not exactly there, but it's probably better than only eating ice cream? Brett's just gonna make himself a soda float, take a few pancakes, hang out here for a while. He does look a lot better now that he's had time to clean himself up and, presumably, freak out a little in private!]

[fuckingguy]

[ The first thing Nandor does, upon returning to New Rapture, is head back to his room in Suite 1 and shove his sooty clothes into the laundry tube! This puts him back in the Hawaiian shirt/punk jeans combo for the rest of the night. He shows up to the ice cream parlor for the memorial gathering, but, again, he doesn't look particularly invested in being there; he stays for a time, and definitely isn't as restless as last week, but all he's really doing is staring at the jukebox selection and zoning out. Occasionally, he'll politely check in with others. And there's one extremely predictable hot take that's going to come up if you end up speaking to him: ]

We are overdue for a meeting.

[ Later on, he once again enters the church, still looking a bit apprehensive — as if the earlier immunity were a fluke somehow caused by an active investigation being on. Once again, nothing happens. This time around, without a crime scene to investigate, he quickly gets bored and heads over to the back wall to survey the symbols. He's just going to touch, like, all of these things, starting with the cross and going from there. ]

[bootyhunter]

[Dandy is first going to be patched up in the clinic by a very wonderful beeb named Forrest, so if anyone wants to yell at him for being a complete dumbfuck, he is here sulking like an idiot. No matter where he is tonight, that bandaged gash on his arm will be visible.

However, after the damage is patched up, Dandy will be doing his rounds in a white linen shirt and pants to pray for each of the dead today after having showered. His hair is not up, but instead of being a complete flowy mess, he's parted it a little more conservatively to the side. He will be trying to get white flowers from the garden courtesy of Brett, and will have picked up incense from the spa. However, it's clear as he is walking around that he is not necessarily the best person for this job... So he mutters what he remembers of a Buddhist prayer-]

"May I know myself forgiven for all the harm I may have-"

Shoot. Was it "brought" or "thought?"

[Then tilting his head.]

Oh baby, oh baby! I've got no idea what I'm doin'.

Oh no. I've gotta find somebody else to help me or their souls are just gonna be cursed!

[At the very end of the evening, he can be found locked in his room in Suite 4. These threads will be very sad?! Um, warning. If you wanna get into some existential dread, baby... Find him in his room.]

Ice Cream Parlor

[giddyundertaker]

Indeed. Though I doubt anyone will be in any right state to contribute to one.

[ Undertaker himself is having himself a sundae with one of his signature homemade biscuits added in. And he's noticed Nandor loitering near the jukebox. ]

Need me to put on your housemates' music for you?

Ice Cream Parlor

[hotpaprika]

... Do you mean a suite meeting or...?

[He supposed they could have a suite 1 meeting soon.]

[specialyellthing]

Yeah?

[He's caught her on her way out-- it feels a bit too funeral-esque for her taste, even with the jukebox blaring.]

A meetin' of two?

[bootyhunter]

[While Dandy is being patched up by Forrest, his face is sour, like a grapefruit. Eventually, however, he heels.]

I'm sorry.

For all the shit I said today.

[He kicks at the ground with his foot.]

I didn't want you hangin' around the body when I put it down, 'cause I...

Lost it a little, I guess.

I just wanted one last chance for him and me to be alone.

[allatonce]

[From behind him, quietly:]

"May I know myself forgiven for all the harm I may have thought and done."

[While Dandy was getting patched up, she took the opportunity to shower herself, changing into the all-white suit she hasn't worn since arriving. She touches his shoulder.]

Do you want me to do it?

[fuckingguy]

I know how to use a jukebox, Undertaker. [ With less bite, no pun intended: ] I just do not think most of their selection is appropriate for the occasion, except perhaps Kokomo.

Clinic

[pairtner]

[By the time Aiba arrives to the clinic, Forrest is there already. Oh, nice]

It's possible you may not need me, but I decided to come here. I can provide painkillers, if the need arises.

[If anyone needs stitches -- Dandy -- then painkillers might make things easier, she figures. She thought she should offer]

Clinic

[pairtner]

Aching?

[Oh, Aiba has been hanging out in the clinic, it seems]

[bootyhunter]

[When Joy responds, somehow with the words that he has been searching for exactly, he inhales sharply.

Joy has been there for him ever since the very first week, every time things have gone to shit. To make matters even more harrowing, he feels as though he has done nothing for her in return. He can't explain to her, how happy he is to have met her, despite their miserable circumstances. For once in his fucking life, all the strange circumstances around his peculiar "gift" have been easier to come to terms with.]

Yeah.

Yeah that'd be great.

[He sits and stews in fear that next week she will be next. She is aching too, constantly fighting the emptiness inside of her, and still forcing herself forward to help the others despite it all.

Dandy, meanwhile, has gone and gotten his arm torn the hell up.]

I'm so sorry, Joy.

Thanks for always cleanin' up after me. I'll, uh. Go with you.

If that'll be easier.

Whatever you think works best.

church

[allatonce]

[Joy's already in the church when Jonathan enters, dressed in an entirely white suit. She says nothing for a few minutes and then:]

Does it help? I... We don't have that in Buddhism.

[visiblepattern]

[He'd been keeping mostly quiet, his expression tightly neutral, but he does listen to that, at the very least; he takes it in and just...considers, for a little while, before responding.]

I'm not...very good at that sort of thing. Handling the bodies of people I loved.

It's one thing when it's the people I care about here. I can shut my feelings off and handle them, because I have to, or everyone else I care about here will die. If you put me in a room with...I don't know. If it were to be Midori's body, perhaps, I wouldn't know what to do with it.

Maybe I'd say things, too.

[fuckingguy]

Well, yes, we are even more overdue for that, but it was not what I meant. I was referring to a general meeting. [ a beat ] For, you know...

[ he really thought he'd be able to come up with a euphemism for "defeating fontaine" when he started this sentence, and he thought incredibly wrong! ]

clinic

[specialyellthing]

[Zinda had heard Forrest’s intentions to fix people up at the Clinic—- so when she doesn’t see him for a bit; she takes matters into her own hands.

It’s only once she’s standing in the clinic holding a bowl of strawberry ice cream that she realizes—-]

I did not think this out. This is probably awful unhygienic, huh? Me bringin’ you have ice cream into the med tent?

Re: Clinic

[visiblepattern]

I appreciate it, Aiba, it's good of you.

[...]

It certainly became...eventful, toward the end. I wasn't expecting that.

[visiblepattern]

[He laughs a little at that, a bit tiredly.]

As long as I'm not dropping it into anyone, it should be all right. I'll clean everything up before I go.

...Or I could go with you into the other room, if you'd prefer to not just have to sit in here.

[bootyhunter]

...Does it matter?

[He seems determined to be a jackass for the teensiest bit longer, it seems!]

[allatonce]

We can do it together. For all of them.

[She bumps her shoulder against his good arm, affectionately, but she can't quite manage the smile. Joy's fucking tired, but she swallows it down because... because Dandy is the first time in a long time that she feels seen and that's something.]

You hold the incense, I'll say the prayer.

parlor

[allatonce]

[Joy takes a single berry pancake and starts tearing at it with her hands. In her defense, it's how you eat scallion pancakes.]

Thanks. I, uh.... can't eat the ice cream anyway. Lactose intolerant.