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

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....]

[nothingcanstop]

So what?!

[ With one big, defiant swing, she crashes the mace into the sewing machine, and its casing shatters.

She breathes heavily and just...swings around to look at Rose, through her goggles, trembling. ]

What's worse, breaking a few things, or screwing everything up?!

[lovelikeyou]

[Rose flinches at the blow.]

What are you talking about?

[How are those things ANY different?]

[nothingcanstop]

[ Rose is...distressed. And Della can see that, but she's a little in her own head, and it's hard to stop once she gets started. ]

I'm pissed is what I'm talking about and I can't-- I can't do anything about it but this! [ Slams the mace into the ground. ] I can't break the piss-weasel Professor's stupid jaw! [ Slams it again. ] I can't comfort a scared girl who just wanted her dad! [ Again. ] I can't find a stupid way out of here and get back to my kids! [ Again. ] I can't even keep my...my anger under control!

[ Again...and she lets it fall from her fingers. ]

Who cares if I break a some meaningless junk... Who even cares...?

[lovelikeyou]

[Rose starts just fully backing away as the slamming continues. This is - this is all just so familiar. Far too familiar. She can't - she couldn't - she can't.]

I should go.

[yep, she's outta here]

[nothingcanstop]

[ Some time later, Della will realize something bad was happening there. She will.

But right now, she's a little too in her own head.

So, that'll have to wait. Sorry, Rose. ]