and after the party it's the AFTER PARTY

[likemypicture]

[Tradition is Tradition.

Anne figures it's best to keep everyone busy in the aftermath of the trial, so she wrangles together a team of Mephisto, Santana, and Stephen to help her set up. Mephisto writes the notes and slides them under the door for Nana, Steven, and Christine, letting them know there's food and people in the dining room. The handwriting's not too great. Christine's note contains a 'P.S. If you don't feel up to it, I'll bring some food by later.' from Anne and a little doodle of Tad Cooper.


Thankfully, Anne has help setting up, so the weirdest of her food experiments don't make their way out of the kitchen. However, her platter of sandwiches does contain some interesting surprises--- you may find cheese and jelly, or peanut butter and chicken. There are normal things there too, though! And Biscuits, courtesy of Mephisto.

Their resident therapy dragon is on duty, too. Anne's made him a tiny crown for the event, and a regal little cape. He sits on a pillow in the middle of the dining room table, reigning proudly. ]

Comments

[37773972]

[It's probably a very good thing that Anne roped Stephen in to it, because while he's slow to get started, once he does? He's helping as best he can. He may be still healing, but working with Santana has given him back as much functionality of his hands as could be expected at this stage. And it's not like he's doing the cooking.

He doesn't talk much, though. Or insert himself to check on others like he has been before. And while he eats, he leaves early, briefly stopping by Christine's Room before heading for his own.

Space dad was Angry.

Now he's just Tired.]

Christine's Room

[madgiganticfeelings]

[When Stephen reaches her room, the door is open just a crack. There's no light coming from the room, but there is the sound of fabric shifting, and soft crying.

She's present at least. Maybe in time her sobs will quiet completely.]

[37773972]

[He Should Go. He really should go. She probably doesn't want him here, not after how he treated her, not after how he threatened the SQUIP-and-Jeremy-by-proxy, and...

He clears his throat.]

...you mind some company?

[likemypicture]

[Anne’s okay with letting him to his own devices for the most part, but during the party itself? He’s not getting away that easily. She sets a glass of orange juice in front of him, then plops down in the seat next to him, with her own plate of—- all vegetables? Oh. They’re for Tad Cooper. Gotta get his leafy greens in!]

...Feeling any better?

[37773972]

[Well, that's a cue he can take. Stephen glances up as she sits down, glances at the juice, then reaches for it after a moment. He has to hold it with both hands, but he can hold it, at least.]

...a little. [He's not as Upset as he was before, with the realization of being manipulated. Seems he has a big red button even he didn't know about until recently.] Thanks.

Stephen's room

[heathencall]

[It's late enough that Mephisto doesn't even know that Stephen will still be awake when he approaches. Still, he knocks, ear pressed to the door as he waits.

He hasn't been avoiding Stephen, not really. He just needed time to clear his head. But now the thoughts in his mind have grown louder, and he can't quite stomach it any longer.]

[37773972]

[It takes a moment to hear anything, but after a bit, there's muffled shuffling. When the door opens, Stephen's already dressed down for the night, and when he sees who it is? He doesn't hesitate to step aside to allow Mephisto to enter.]

[garbageface]

[ Thanks to her cookie fiasco with Mephisto, Santana is justifiably not allowed to do much of the cooking. Making about fifteen peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, however, doesn't really count as cooking. That's just assembly. She's been working methodically since the execution, using the activity and repetition as a distraction.

Stephen, she figures, could also use a distraction. She's got two plates of those sandwiches made. She hands one off to Stephen, practically forcing it on him. ]

Here. Take this to the dining room.

[ She's almost able to muster the sternness of her early-morning Coach Voice. ]

[37773972]

[Distractions are good. Very good right now. He glances down - mostly to make sure he has the plate steady - then cracks a bit of a smile as her tone pierces.]

Whatever you say, Coach.

[Look at him heading off just like a good waterboy. Sandwichboy?]

Stephen's Room

[holyspit]

[At some point or another, there's a knock on the door.]

[37773972]

[We're just setting this before Meph so Steven doesn't get to see Stephen in his PJs

But that door is opened before too long, and Stephen looks...a little worse for the wear, but more composed than before, at least?]

[stagemanagers]

[For whoever goes to find the phone in Jeremy's room, they'll see that there's two texts on it:]

hey sorry i have to give this phone to someone else

k??
why?

[holyspit]

[At some point, Steven is going to make his way to Jeremy's room on the off chance the Squid wasn't completely full of it.]

[And oh boy does that text hurt. So once he stops crying, he'll peck out a response.]

jeremys gone

i'm sorry

this is chewie right

my name is steven

[musacal]

[ Nana was also stopping by Jeremy's room, after checking out Angus' room last week and finding her cast photo made her sort of... used? To checking other people's rooms? And of course since she and Christine were the ones to find the phone, she wants to check up on it.

Seeing Steven already there though, she gently approaches. ]

Are... you talking to our texting friend...?

[madgiganticfeelings]

[As people probably expected, Christine doesn't come to the party. She doesn't leave her room at all, though she leaves her door slightly open.

She was afraid that she wouldn't hear anyone knocking on the door or speaking to her over the sound of her crying, to be fair.

She waits until she's heard the party die down, until everyone goes back to their rooms, that she heads back to the cemetery, quietly as possible, her way lit by a candle and her shoulders once again huddled under Red's cloak.

When she gets there, she surveys the graves, her hand tracing the inscription on each stone in the dark.

She sits there for a while, silent, but after a while, her wobbly voice can be heard:]

Why do my words
Always lose their meaning?
What I feel
What you hear
There's such a rift between them
You said you can't
It won't let you say the words
And I just sit here
Searching for an answer...

[Her gaze turns up to the sky, as she scrubs fresh tears from her cheeks. At this point, she's sure some director would call her out for getting so over the top, but... she's always felt too much, and she always will, whether or not the subject deserves that.]

If anyone is there, please... I just need an answer. A solution. Something I can do, because... because I can't fail anymore. I don't think I can take that.

[holyspit]

[At some point, Christine might or might not hear outside her door-]

Go on, go on in.

[-but what's more immediately noticeable is Lion's massive form padding quietly into the room and just. Resting his head on Christine's mattress, letting out a huff of air and looking at her. Therapy cat is here, pet it? y/n.]

[madgiganticfeelings]

[There's a soft gasp as Lion's massive head hits her bed, but after a moment, she does shift in her bed, looking at the big guy. Her eyes are red and she sniffles hard, before slowly reaching a hand out towards his snout.]

H-Hey there, big guy... what are you doing here?

Cemetery

[heathencall]

[This is becoming the norm for them, it's starting to seem. He clears his throat as he draws closer, and again as he settles down beside her. Announcing himself, even if he knows she'll still be startled.

This time he doesn't hesitate to wrap her in his embrace. He doesn't have words, not right now, but he can offer this.]

[madgiganticfeelings]

[For once, she actually doesn't jump much. Her breath hitches as he clears his throat, searching the darkness for him... but when she sees it's Mephisto, her posture relaxes.]

...I thought you went to your room.

[She doesn't push him away as he holds her, though.]

Christine’s room

[likemypicture]

[After she’s wrapped things up at the main after party, Anne makes good on her promise. She comes with a plate full of biscuits with butter and jam on them, half an orange, and half of a thankfully normal pb&j sandwich. Tad Cooper and his magical crown and cape are perched on her shoulder as she knocks twice on the door, before pushing it open the rest of the way with her hip.]

Christine?

christine's room

[garbageface]

[ Santana does not have a cute animal, nor is she especially good at cooking, or providing words of comfort. What she does have, however, is a poster of Zac Efron and a mug of herbal tea. The tea is soothing and the poster is kind of funny, right? Theater kids like? Zac Efron?

Tea in hand and poster tucked under her arm, Santana knocks on Christine's door in an unprecedented show of respect for Christine's personal space. ]

Hey, it's me.

[stagemanagers]

[Before Christine leaves her bedroom something unusual but not wholly unexpected at this point happens.

She won't hear anyone enter or exit but at some point when she looks up at her vanity she'll see a bowl of a lumpy mash of partially-soft turnips, potato mush, and too much parsley. It looks just barely edible but hey, someone was clearly thinking of her?]

[heathencall]

[After everything is said and done, food is cooked and notes are passed out, Mephisto takes a moment to himself. He tucks himself into the supply closet, and rests his head about where Jonny's had been those few weeks prior. He brings his hand to his mouth and... lets out a small, muffled sound of frustration.

There are so few names left now. For the first time, or perhaps simply the first time he's bothered to acknowledge it, he feels something at least close to fear.

He leaves like nothing has happened, collecting Octokitten, RiRi 'Ribbit' Ozymandias Puck Jr, he's decided, and carries it back to the so-called party. His smiles are a little tight, sure, but he offers the cat out to whoever needs it, and a biscuit to whoever isn't eating.

Long after everyone has settled in, Mephisto lets himself come to rest in the lobby. He settles down across from the door and... waits. He doesn't know what he's looking for. Doesn't know what he expects. But he's determined to wait and watch for any threats. He'll do whatever he can to protet them.]

lobby

[likemypicture]

[It’s far past Anne’s bed time when she passes through the lobby, in the same white, victorian style night dress that she showed up to the meeting of adults/sleepover in. She’s armed with one apple to defend herself with—- or maybe it’s just an apple. Super suspicious, right, the way she moves towards the door, alone in the middle of the night.]

party

[garbageface]

[ Santana, as usual, is having a hard time eating at this party, but takes a biscuit when Mephisto offers it. ]

Hope this turned out better than our cookies.

[ She does manage to take a small bite. Progress! ]