and i know things now, many valuable things...

[isawallflower]

[ Another horrible week. Watching a little kid cut down by someone kind, someone who wouldn't have done that to begin with, it's...pretty horrible. More than a little horrible. Very horrible.

So. You know what time it is? Aggressively coping with organizing! Everyone will receive a handwritten note, either in person or under their door. They are delivered by Spinel. ]



[ Along the way, she runs into some help, so. Prepare for a regular smorgasbord, everyone. There's muffins and sandwiches (Nana), biscuits (Mephisto), dumplings and other Chinese cuisine, and cookies (Christine), and salads and heaps and heaps of pasta (Riley). The dining hall itself is...actually decorated? Like, there's plates and silverware set up and napkins folded into animals. Things a child would like. Someone (Anne) made this a proper gathering.

A little later on, there's another item on the menu. Pancakes! Thanks, Steven. That's...not emotionally destructive or anything. ]

Comments

[37773972]

[Stephen is...

Not okay. He's really not okay. He's somehow found a bottle of alcohol, and he may have already gotten through a portion before he makes himself eat something.

Even so, he's more or less keeping to himself. Head down, eyes wet, for a man who had forced himself to be so strong last week, apparently Red's death has hit him in a completely different way.]

[heathencall]

[Well. That's probably fine!

No, it's not. Mephisto is approaching his. He doesn't say anything at first, merely holds both hands out. One has a plate of biscuits. The other is open, motioning for the bottle.]

Enough

[likemypicture]

[Yeah, this isn't happening. Not now. She was married to Henry VIII for six very short, yet somehow also excruciatingly long months-- she knows how to deal with someone who has drank too much.

She makes him a plate, making sure to load it with carbs, oh, and a nice side salad too, and brings it to him.]

You ought to hold off on that until later, with less teenage eyes. [She's referring to the bottle. But... she's not a monster. And her heart's breaking too. So after giving a quick glance around, she lowers her tone.]

Or at least share.

[isawallflower]

[ It's while she's running food out that she sees Stephen. First few times, she was willing to let it go. But.

Riley stops by him with a plate of pasta and...places a tentative hand on his shoulder. ]

Hey, Dr. Browning~ [ Her singsong's there! It's. Forced. But it's there. ] I wanted to...make sure you got something to eat.

[holyspit]

[Hey, Stephen-with-PHD. There's a plate with a single large pancake being slid in your direction. It might, in fact, have a pair of sunnyside up eggs and a couple slices of bacon forming a face.]

Hey. Just- if you want it. Liquid's not good on an empty stomach.

[heathencall]

[It's been... a long day. He throws himself into work, lending a hand to the teens in the kitchen where he can, and making biscuits elsewhere. He takes each off by hand, fingers aching and stinging as he works. He's clinging to the memory for as long as he can.

That busyness keeps him going into the dining hall. He brings food to those who seem less than eager. His face is... tight, as close as he can get to as emotionless as possible. He forces a smile where he can, if he thinks it'll help.]

You need this. Don't argue.

[Late that evening, after everyone has dispersed, Mephisto makes his way outside. He sits himself in the grass and looks at the sky. He tightens his hands into fists.]

Are you enjoying this show?

Outside

[mcfife]

[A dragon needs fresh air, so Angus eventually finds himself outdoors, watching the same skies, Tad crawling through the same grass for bugs. A few days ago, Richard arrived to bring his pet home. They talked about dragons, and today-]

At least the sky is nice.

[He sighs and sits next to Mephisto.] I'm certain the Phantom is feeling high and mighty right now

[likemypicture]

[Anyone who is helping set up, or anyone who shows up slightly early, may find Anne putting the finishing touches on things. While there are a variety of neatly folded napkin bunny and birds across the table, she is fussing about with another stack of cloth napkins, trying desperately to craft.... something. It's not obvious what she's trying to do at first, but after a few attempted failures, she almost breaks down into tears. Bunnies, swans, fish, flowers and bows are all easy enough.

But there simply is no easy way to make a dragon.

After a few more frustrated attempts, and a few hot, frustrated tears running down her cheek, she finally gives up, and folds the napkin she was working with into a swan.]

There.

[For the rest of the event, she is strong. At some point at the beginning, she ducks out to change-- and comes back in one of the ridiculous floofy princess gowns that has been hiding away in the costume shop and the sparkling ruby slippers from the machine, the spikes in her hair expertly arranged as they were the day she appeared-- in some sort of a crown shape.

She makes sure to greet every person. To smile broadly and point out what food was made by who, and to dish out praise-- and make sure that fruit and vegetables are eaten as well as the sweets.

Anne of Cleves spent an entire life hiding her pain within, and in this moment, she does it almost better than ever.]

prep!

[isawallflower]

[ Riley steps out to check something. Or...maybe just to get a bit of air, honestly. She did not expect to find Anne, weeping over...something. One of the napkin-things she's making. ]

Um... Should. [ Seeing adults cry is. Awkward. A kind of awkward she's not really used to. ] Do you...need any help?

Party

[holyspit]

[Steven's late with his contribution, which is probably for the best because otherwise there's a good chance this would have ended up with both of them crying in the kitchen and Riley et al don't need to deal with that right now.]

[So here they both are, making sure everyone else is okay and Definitely Being Okay Themselves.]

Hey! You look great. Was that dress in the costume shop?

Set Up

[heathencall]

[Mephisto is in the process of bringing biscuits in when he catches sight of Anne. He... hesitates, thinks briefly about turning on his heel and moving back into the kitchen. After a moment to steady himself, he steps further in and places the biscuits on the table right beside her.]

I am sorry for any animosity in the trial. And... [A beat.] For your loss, of course.

[isawallflower]

[ Much like last week, Riley's got herself into a rhythm. Both before and during the afterparty, she's mostly in the kitchen. If you want to talk to her, you'll have to go there. Yes, she will stop and have some food herself, but not very often. There's got to be enough for 13 people, right? ...Well, 12 since Spinel doesn't eat.

That's four less people. Four people she's interacted with have died.

Riley doesn't think about it.


Later. Much later. She's...well, she's actually on the wall again. That girl's great at climbing. It's...kind of nice. Even if she's just looking out on a dark, dreary wood. She's more murmuring than singing, but: ]

And every broken bone and scar,
Won't define just who you are.
Someday you'll grow up just like you should.
Before...

[ Riley sighs and presses her palms to her face. In and out. In and out. ]

[heathencall]

[The singing draws Mephisto from his own thoughts in the grass. He looks up, furrowed brows and all, and lays his eyes on Riley.

He crosses the distance quick enough, eventually coming to rest with his back against the wall, just below Riley.]

View better up there?

[stagemanagers]

[For anyone who decides to read their letters from the good late king, their contents are as follows:
Steven
Angus
Anne
and finally, the last will and testament of King Richard of Richard's Land.]



[ooc: and here's a transcript of Richard's will in case it's too hard to read!]

[madgiganticfeelings]

[Christine naturally spends most of her time at the party. She goes from table to table, fussing over everyone, trying to fill up any empty plate. She feels a bit like her grandmother, but hey.

If anyone tries to refuse her food though, she'll sigh... and set her platter down, opening her arms up.]

Okay. Either you take my food or you get a hug. One of these will make you feel better, so it's your choice.

[When the party is winding down... she wants to head to bed. She knows she probably should. But instead, she finds herself standing in front of Sigyn's old room. She looks one way, then the other... and kneels down to try the doorknob, or maybe pick it if it's still locked. She knows she needs someone watching over her, and unfortunately, that means she needs the cloak. Hopefully no one catches her being an absolute weirdo...]

Sigyn's Room

[heathencall]

[Mephisto notices Christine leaving, quickly finding that his feet are moving without much of a thought. He trails behind her, making enough noise to not be seen as sneaking. When she stops, he stops.

Right.]

Come to admire your handiwork? [He motions to the star.]

Party

[mcfife]

[Angus doesn’t want to talk to anybody, but Christine is here and he must be strong for her sake, so he accepts her offering of dumplings.]

I couldn’t refuse any of your meals.

[He even rips off a bit for his new dragon.]

party

[holyspit]

I got enough to eat, promise.

[But he'll hold open his arms, he's never gonna say no to a hug.]

Wildcard, halls

[isawallflower]

[ Riley's just finished cleaning up the kitchen, and she's headed back to...well, not to her room to rest, but to go grab something. Probably she'll run into someone, but what she doesn't expect is Christine in... Well.

That sure is a wolf cloak. ]

Christine...? Where'd that come from?

[mcfife]

[The day has passed, and they have send a young girl to die because she was afraid. Angus spends some time in Room 15 organizing his things and just...reminiscing.

He lost two friends today. Two people that he grew closest to in this madness, two with whom he made promises. Just like Sigyn. Just like everyone he lost before The Phantom stole him away. Perhaps this was part of his mighty destiny: to lose those he cared for.

But no prince is fit to mope alone in time of great need. He has to push himself to wipe the wetness from his eyes and stand tall. He emerges with Tad Cooper and Red's letter to grab some parsley and take a seat at the dining hall with his new dragon. The letter is by his side for all to read.]

Stay. We shouldn't stray into solitude in this time.

[Otherwise, he gives Tad Cooper his healthy dinner while humming a song to him.]

[holyspit]

Hey. How are the two of you holding up?

[He's got a small platter with a few pieces of crisped bacon on it.]

...I wasn't sure what dragons eat, so I just brought this. You two can share it if you want.

[Everyone likes bacon, right?]

dining hall

[isawallflower]

[ At some point. Riley brings out a lovely little plate of cut apples. ]

I brought him something special.

[holyspit]

[At some point before Steven makes his appearance at the party proper, another posting has been made near the rules.]

ROYAL DECREE no. 2
By order and in memory of his majesty King Richard the Tagalong of Room 7

Be better for each other.

[Once he does appear, he's- looking okay? Put together, at least. He delivers his totally non-emotionally-damaging food to the available spread, and checks in with a few people. And then he's mostly working with something on the notepad from his room.]

Room

[heathencall]

[Mephisto actively goes out of his way to find Steven after things start to die down. He's felt a lot of things tonight, the heaviest of which is guilty. There will be no shedding what he feels for Red's loss but... perhaps he can ease the rest of it.

He knocks a few times, a handful of raps against the wood.]

Steven. A moment?

[justmeheere]

[Jeremy actually does not show up at the party for a long time. When he does, he looks wrung-out and tired. Also his face is still red from the slapping. Y'all really did a number on him. Thanks for that.

He doesn't stay for very long, just long enough for someone (or several) to hand him some food and then he disappears into the garden.]

I'm waiting it out 'til it's time to sleep
And picking at food as I softly grieve
I'm just thinking what do I know, honestly just yolo
Sitting in the garden by myself
All by myself

[Joe Iconis is weeping somewhere because he didn't think about using yolo in a Broadway musical first.]

[likemypicture]

[She may have been a little too caught up in her own sadness to chase him down right away after he slinks out of the party--but he's not getting away that easily. It was hard for her to step into the garden again, but she feels sorry for this strange boy-- so she followed his song here.]

Yolt, for some of us.