What I want to hear on nights I can't sleep is your voice

[philoxenia]

[ ... Well, that was an absolute shitshow, wasn't it? Instead of dwelling on how she feels about everything that just happened, Mira's channeling that energy into something else--and she has a little bit of help doing it. Zerinda and Ema are here in the bar to make drinks, and Mira's brought in a ton of food that's definitely not healthy for anyone, but screw it, who cares about health right now?

Della's here to pass out invitations, too--they let everyone know there's a gathering in the bar, if they'd rather not be alone.

If you choose not to come, well... Mira's got that taken care of, too. She'll place a little container of cookies and hot cocoa outside your door. Maybe it'll help someone feel a little less alone--at least, that's what she's hoping. ]

Comments

bar

[philoxenia]

[ Oh boy. She'd seen the results of Jasper's rampage, and she'd gone to her room to grab a couple of things, but by the time she'd returned, Jasper had been gone.

But Mira finds her at the bar, and she approaches, placing not one, not two, but three kangaroo plushes on the bar. ]

In case you need a few more, for in the future.

[ Should she be encouraging the ruthless slaughter of innocent stuffed animals? ... It's debatable, but whatever. It's fine. ]

[hardnosed]

I've got enough garbage lying around without taking yours.

[ She also does absolutely nothing to move any of the kangaroos out of her way or back this statement up physically, and instead turns her head to regard Mira. ]

How'd you know?

[philoxenia]

[ Nor is she making any move to get them out of the way, at least! ]

... I saw you in the lounge, and went to grab more things just in case, but you'd gone by the time I went back.

[hardnosed]

[ Well, that answered the question she actually asked and did nothing for the vague ones piling up in her subconscious. It's about what she should have expected! ]

No reason to stick around. [ Her gaze flickers back over to the three little kangaroos, and her brow furrows. ] Hey. I've got a question.

[philoxenia]

I can do my best to answer... What is it?

[hardnosed]

What are those?

[ Yep, that's it. That's the whole thing. But on the bright side, if you think too long about Gems having no concept of stuffed animals or toys in general, it gets pretty depressing real fast! ]

[philoxenia]

[ Ah. That she can answer. ... Though now that she thinks about it, she's-- never really thought through the concept of stuffed animals?

Huh. ]

Well... it's a toy that's a sort of companion. When I was really little, I used to have a lot that I'd hold onto while I slept. I suppose it's a sort of comfort thing, more than anything... It's nice to just have something to cling to at night, to keep you company even if it's just sort of there.

[hardnosed]

I see. So it's something for [ and this word in particular sounds unbelievably foreign coming from Jasper's lips ] kids.

[ She truly thought they might be miniature reproductions of earth life forms! Which maybe they still are. She was just stuck on the why, but that's a pointless question to ask when it comes to anything from earth. Mira's answer, which she has no reason to disbelieve, makes no more sense to her. ]

It sounds like he's mocking you.

[philoxenia]

Sort of... I know of a few adults who have stuffed animals. It might be strange to think about, but sometimes, you tend to get attached to a toy you had as a child, so it's hard to get rid of it...

[ ... It's definitely an odd concept, thinking about it. But Jasper's conclusion-- ]

... Well, it's not that surprising to think about. I don't really see any shame in having stuffed animals--I have a large penguin here that I'm content to keep--so unfortunately for him, the mockery is lost on me.

[hardnosed]

I don't know if he cares that it lands — probably not. He just wants to say whatever he feels like from behind the safety of that screen.

[philoxenia]

Well, I can't argue with that... I'm fairly sure he'd be a lot less mouthy if we could get to him, considering he probably couldn't stand a chance against a fair number of us.

[hardnosed]

Or any of us. We know he’s cheating for some reason, and it isn’t to even the odds.