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

[holyspit]

[Steven accepts the sacred vow of the pinky swear, letting Christine be the one to pull away.]

[Somewhere in another, distant timeline, Vegeta Briefs experiences a wave of deep paranoia and fuchor for no apparent reason.]

I feel that way about my mom sometimes. ...A lot. Especially lately. And- I don't think you should hate ANYONE? But he hurt you- hurt all of us, even if he didn't mean to. It's pretty messed up, this whole thing is.

[madgiganticfeelings]

[After causing a bit of agony in an alternate universe, Christine moves her hand back away, leaning her head against Lion while one hand still slowly strokes his mane.]

I'm sorry. I wish you didn't know how this feels.

[He probably has it worse, with it being family... but she stays quiet about that.]

And I'm sorry he hurt you too. You were just trying to help us connect. It's not your fault he wouldn't. And... I guess it's not all his fault either, but...

It's gotten too hard to not be angry.

[holyspit]

So- be angry for a while, I guess? I just wish I didn't think that's what the Phantom wanted.

[Is this what they call a vicious cycle? Cause it feels pretty vicious.]

Maybe Dr. Browning was right.

[madgiganticfeelings]

...I know. I wish I wasn't playing into his hands either. I already did enough of that for the SQUIP.

[She frowns a bit at the mention of Stephen, still painfully aware of the tension between them in the trial.]

What did Stephen say?

[holyspit]

The Squid.

[This is either too insulting to squids or too complimentary to the SQUIP but Steven's feeling petty enough to run with it for now.]

That the Phantom's never going to change his mind about any of this. I'm pretty sure this friend of his is just using him, same as us, but either doesn't believe it or doesn't care.

[madgiganticfeelings]

Sure. The Squid. [She does at least manage a soft giggle.] No one ever got that stupid computer's name right, but we shouldn't start now.

[It doesn't deserve that amount of respect. Jeremy's or... hers.

She hesitates a bit at the rest of Steven's words, trying to avoid eye contact.]

I... I'm angry at the Phantom too, right now, but I don't think what's happening is his fault. I want to... I know it's a long shot, but I want to believe he can change. Same with Jeremy.

You can love someone and still be in a fight with them sometimes. That's just the way feelings work sometimes.

[And she still cares for Jeremy, so she feels like she has to extend that same courtesy to the Phantom.]

[holyspit]

It might be kind of his fault. But I don't think he really WANTS to be doing this. He just- doesn't care enough to stop it.

[...That actually seems worse, hm.]

I know. The other Gems all love each other and they've still had some really big fights. Bad ones.

[They all ended fine but we still Do Not Talk About the Sardonyx thing.]

[madgiganticfeelings]

He said he was getting paid for this, and that there's something he wanted to accomplish. Maybe he felt like he had to do this to accomplish what he needed to, and just... wishes there was a better way.

[It's just a matter of finding that better way, which Christine offered to do, but...]

The Gems... you mean like Spinel, right? I never really understood what that was about, and I don't think Spinel could explain it to me.

[holyspit]

Yeah, it's-

[He pauses for a second, thinking of some of the slightly glazed looks he's received for past explanations.]

They're- not from Earth, originally. They came from space. They don't need to eat or sleep or anything, and their bodies are made from light except for the actual gemstone.

[He makes a small heart-shaped gesture with both hands about where Spinel's gem was located.]

And- my mom was a Gem, I have her gemstone now-

[He lifts his shirt briefly to demonstrate, showing the shining pink diamond where a bellybutton would normally be.]

So I'm mostly human, but I can do stuff too. Usually. When I'm not here. That's- kind of the short version.

[madgiganticfeelings]

[Steven could have expected a glazed look if he had tried to explain this a few weeks ago, but Christine has been making an effort now to focus when people are talking to her, to try to pick up on the details she needs to keep people safe.

The gem certainly seems to be one of them. She stares at the diamond with wide eyes, and then looks up at Steven with a soft frown.]

So... you're half human and half gem, because your mom was an alien, sort of? ...How did you end up getting her gem? Wouldn't she need that to survive?