I have died every day waiting for you

[lovelikeyou]

[That was, in Rose's opinion, even worse than last week. Any loss of life is an awful waste, but for it all to come of some horrible accident...

This week, she doesn't retreat back to her room. She knows now that the people here, or at least enough of them, like to gather after these experiences. Many of the Crystal Gems were the same way; she remembers their post-battle huddles well. It's not a party, really, but...it's good to be together. To have friends around. Maybe, to remember those who were lost.

So this time, she'll go to the cafeteria herself and request some food for everyone. It's just basic snacks, the kind of human food she knows well enough to ask for. There's some hot chocolate provided, too. She definitely knows people enjoy that. It doesn't take too long, since she isn't making most of it, and then she goes to invite everybody she can find.

She doesn't slip any notes underneath doors, for the people she doesn't happen across. Some Crystal Gems didn't join the groups, or maybe did after one battle but not another. Sometimes they wanted to be alone. She never really understood that...but it wasn't her place to tell them otherwise. Weren't they all about freedom?

Everybody probably knows something like this is going to happen again, anyway. It's their choice to come.]

Comments

[nothingcanstop]

[ HOW ABOUT THAT!

In a stark contrast to last week, Della doesn't go to the gathering right away. Instead, she can be found in the workshop. Or like...right outside it? She's got her goggles on in front of her eyes, and she's standing away from any doors. But she has some wood -- some large would -- and...an IKEA nightstand, actually, and...a sewing machine? Just a lot of things she's cobbled together from around the area, or things from the vending machine. A fake Oscar, an action figure, the shitty game device, the nisse, that kind of stuff.

She also has a mace. And that honking big rock. And a whole lot of pent-up aggression.

For...some time, a fair bit of time, Della's going to take the rock, the mace, even just some slabs of wood, to everything she's got there. Yelling, slamming her metal foot into the nightstand, just doing, you know. Whatever she has to.

There's a few tears in there, perhaps. Just a few.

It's mostly rage.

It's not until later, much later, that Della actually goes to the gathering get some food and hot chocolate. She's got the hot chocolate and...some of that premixed Appletini she mentioned, that probably doesn't go together all that well, but screw it. She's tired, but she's not crying, so. That's something. ]

workshop

[philoxenia]

.... Della?

[ She's here at the tail end, when she's already let quite a bit of that aggression out. And in her hands... an expensive orange scarf. ]

[nothingcanstop]

[ She finds Della heaving, shoulders moving up and down. There's a surprising amount of destruction, for such a small creature. Her head hangs and the mace drops from her fingers, landing next to her prosthetic. She doesn't look up, nor does she turn around. ]

What? [ ...That's too harsh, that's too hard. Her bill presses hard together. ] What is it, Mira?

[philoxenia]

[ If anything, she understands. She certainly isn't upset by Della, at least. ]

I have something for you, from-- [ Her throat tightens, and her eyes are so red but she feels like crying all over again. ] If you want, I can give it to you some other time.

[nothingcanstop]

[ After a few moments, after she tries steadying herself and her breathing, Della turns a little. It's convenient that her eyes are hidden by her pilot's goggles. ]

Is that...? [ Oh, damn it. ]

[philoxenia]

She-- she wanted it to, um. Go to you.

[fivestagegod]

[Birkin's been in the workshop for a while, creating...more abominations because the machine decided to give him more materials for whatever reason. He's content to keep working even through the sound of wanton destruction happening outside; judging from the yelling it's Della, and judging from the other sounds of it she doesn't seem to be going to town on a person, and so he'll just leave her to it for the sake of continuing Real Frankenpuppet Hours in here until she's calmed down a little.

But eventually the noises will slow, and he'll go to see what's going on, and that's...well, as is expected, a lot of destruction.]

...Did it help? All of that.

[He sounds like he won't be altogether surprised if it didn't, but he isn't judging either way.]

[nothingcanstop]

[ That's quite impressive, she's been going on for awhile. By this point Della doesn't have anything in her hands, no weapons or anything. She's sitting on the floor, in fact, just kind of taking in all the splinters and scraps around her. ]

I don't wanna break someone else's face as much. But I still feel like crap. So, jury's out.

[fivestagegod]

Sometimes it's like that. Definitely better that it's stuff that won't care if you hit it, though.

[It's quiet, though; seems he's left most of his own aggression back at the trial.]

You want to be alone for a while?

[nothingcanstop]

[ Almost instantly, in a strangely quick and vulnerable moment: ] I never want to be alone.

[fivestagegod]

...I won't go anywhere, then.

[And he won't, from the look of it.]

I used to do stuff like that a lot, you know. [He gestures toward the broken...everything, vaguely.] Had a pretty bad temper on top of it, too.

workshop

[lovelikeyou]

Oh...

[Rose seems...concerned about this, honestly. Della seems fine, and it's not as though she's hurting anybody, but...]

Are, um. Are you okay?

[nothingcanstop]

[ Della hears the question, she does! But she's a little...involved in what she's doing, which, at the moment, is smashing the sewing machine with her mace. ]

I'm...just...fine...!

[ Which is a lie if you've ever heard one, but it's delivered with such an energy! ]

[lovelikeyou]

................okay.

[Don't! Like! This!]

Just don't - [hurt anything you love?] - just be careful?

[nothingcanstop]

[ It's probably fine! The sewing machine cracks and shatters. ]

Who's not careful?! I'm always careful! So, soooo careful!

[ She kicks the ruined sewing machine, with the metal leg. ...That thing's gonna get dented if she keeps doing that, huh. ]

[lovelikeyou]

You're going to break it!

[Rose seems rather more upset than a sewing machine she doesn't care about actually...probably warrants....]

gathering

[archboxer]

[Rhea's been in the gathering for a while just... musing over her now cold tea. It's almost gone. She's about to go use her own pent up aggression in the gym but for now it's still simmering under the surface mostly in the direction of a teenager she didn't mean to get into an argument with again.

She sits down next to Della and notices the Appletini. She's not exactly sure what one is but given the situation it doesn't take much to guess.]

That might not be a bad idea, in this situation. [She can't get drunk herself but she gets it.]

[nothingcanstop]

[ Rhea receives like...half a smile. It's nothing personal, she's just a little exhausted. ]

Might be better off with asking for some cooking alcohol, if you want something that's not room temperature. ...Or, you know. Some ice.

[archboxer]

I do not drink. [She shakes her head.] That is, I believe the amount I would need would... mean that no one else could.

[nothingcanstop]

...Oh. High tolerance thing. [ Probably something to do with the...whatever she's keeping to herself thing. Hell, Della isn't going to pry. She doesn't have it in her. ] Well, this stuff isn't even heavy to begin with. It's about the taste.

[archboxer]

Yes. [The fact that she mentioned it at all is... something she wouldn't have done before that blow up at least so. That's something? I guess? She gives a sniff.] I will admit I never tried much alcohol before I became the Archbishop. [Because why drink if you can't get drunk?]

gathering

[thieviusraccoonus]

[Hey, who's going to stop her from drinking those? Sly's not. Of course he's got a cup of something that's probably not alcoholic.]

This had better not become a trend.

[nothingcanstop]

...I'm a little worried it might be.

[ Hi, Sly. Everyone's going through it today. ]

[thieviusraccoonus]

[Yeah, he... he knows... He tugs gently on his new laser-patterned bowtie.]

Wish I had my friends right about now. Or some way to plan a breakout without our host hearing about it.

[nothingcanstop]

[ There's something she wants to address there, but first- ]

...You're wearing Alice's tie.