"A Swing and Miss Doesn't Mean it's Game Over"

[mayavericks]

[Well… All of that sure happened. And while Maya is visibly shaken Sissi's literal dance with death, she’d meant what she’d said to the others -- she would protect them. At that moment, it meant voting and making the “right” decision. Now, though? It means ensuring that no one feels alone, and that everyone has a good meal in them.

She’s not Nana Daiba, however, she certainly can’t do this alone. But she does have the resourcefulness and authoritative disposition to to recruit allies. Discord is sure to be… mostly unbothered by everything that’s happened, and Spongebob will likely be eager to help. She approaches both men: one is asked nicely; The other is grabbed by the collar and dragged from whatever hole he’s locked himself in. Sorry Discord.

For Maya's part, several potato dishes are prepared (can you tell someone has a bias). And while she doesn’t have the resources to make baumkuchen, Maya does manage to produce a cake, as well as… muffins? They’re not… quite how she remembers Nana making them, but she can at least recall how hearty the food had felt, and how it had restored her energy on long days.

It’s a pleasant memory, even if it does make her a touch melancholy.

Nevertheless, the food is laid out in the kitchen, as are a number of pies that Maya has uncovered. She even tucks a few bottles of wine in a corner for the adults that might like it. This is in addition to the mead apparently brought by Salieri. Look she’s not a fan of having alcohol but… she can’t tell the adults no.

But hey, courtesy of Benjamin, there is even some cocoa. It doesn’t start off spiked but… you know. Thanks to Spongebob there are, well… Angry Patties? It’s fine. Even Discord managed to contribute some pies and tea, as well as being bossed around to do the grunt work in the kitchen. There’s also that inexplicable pizza? Huh, that’s weird.

Eventually the group goes around extending invitations to the dorms, knocking on doors and explaining what’s been set up. No one will be forced to go, just… strongly encouraged. Maya herself will even duck into the principal’s office and, if she’s there, invite Hester.

She seemed just as upset as the rest of them.]

Comments

[fourbutts]

[ Janis is, for once, all too happy to hang out in the same place as a bunch of other people. That execution may have been deeply Aesthetic, but like. The artistic value of the production only hangs on her mind because it's easier to think about than whatever the rest of that was.

Two people are dead. Two people are dead for real, and now they just have to keep going. She's... going to do her best, anyway!

God she wishes Damien was- well, not here, obviously, but she wishes she could get a phone call or something. Normal prisoners get a phone call.

But while she does hang around the party, she is mostly around the edges, poking at a few various food items over the course of the night that she never seems quite able to drum up the appetite for. If someone comes by and doesn't have something else they want to say first, though, she won't shy away from starting conversation. ]

Well. That was some shit.

[ Just Saying Things continues to be at least in part, as it has always been, a coping mechanism. ]

[mayavericks]

[Hello Wallflower, the other Wallflower is coming your way. Honestly, Janis seems the type to underage drink but... Maya's not going to encourage that. She does bring a mug of cocoa and a simple baked potato over, setting it beside Janis before --

Well. She doesn't have time to say anything.]

I... have to agree.

[fourbutts]

[ Strangely (maybe) enough, Janis is making absolutely no effort to underage drink! But she will in fact take the hot chocolate. ]

Not... definitely not my favorite day I've ever had.

[mayavericks]

I would not be surprised if all of us felt that way. [Except maybe the SQUIP? Who knows about that thing.]

You held yourself well today, though. I... am grateful for your strength.

[fourbutts]

Yeah. I.. yeah.

[ She exhales. ]

No worries. And I mean... same to you, I wouldn't know what to do with a sword.

[barberic]

[Benjamin slides a cup of cocoa in front of Janis.]

It was, indeed, 'some shit.'

How are you holding up, pet?

[fourbutts]

[ She takes it and nods. ]

It's... you know. I'll cry later, maybe, but for now I'm doing alright.

[yourattention]

Yeah, I simply disassociated for most of that and now I don't have trauma.

[Connor???? CONNOR????]

[fourbutts]

Damn, mental illness coming in clutch.

[ /deadpan ]

I'm mostly carrying myself on what a out of touch piece of shit boomer our kidnapper is.

[yourattention]

Oh, mood. Nobody even got killed by a baseball.

[a boy dies in a gas chamber for you—]

[fourbutts]

[ she laughs, but it's a little hollow. ]

Or a weird moralizing trap. That seems more this guy's speed.

[whatyouwant]

[Elle lets out a hollow laugh and offers Janis some potato wedges.]

You can say that again.

[fourbutts]

[ aw yeah potato wedges, she'll. do a little more than just pick at those, but mostly just pick at those. ]

And I would, if it would help anything. Ugh.

[whatyouwant]

Venting is important.

[Elle sighs and leans against the wall next to Janis.]

None of this makes sense.

[fourbutts]

Oh, absolutely.

[ A year plus of art therapy will definitely give you that message, if nothing else. ]

I just wish it at least made sense what that asshole is actually getting out of all this.

[tellthestory]

[The Balladeer snorts. He can't help it.]

Yeah. It was.

[fourbutts]

[ It's not not the reaction she was looking for. ]

Over for now, at least. But uh. Christ.

[tellthestory]

Yeah. Yeah...

["For now", she says.]

You don’t...think something lie that would happen again, do you?

[fourbutts]

I mean... I hope not, but this place constantly tries to redefine bullshit nonsense.

Edges

[sugarlumps]

The worst lumpin' shit.

[Like really, what else is there to say.]

So we're all gonna, like, find that wizard creep and snap HIS neck now, right?

[ah of course, death threats]

[fourbutts]

[ It definitely derails any negative train of thought Janis might have been on, if just in its audacity. ]

I mean... I'm definitely down to try. Tracking him down at least, for sure.

[sugarlumps]

Even if he really is some weird Robot Wizard, like. Varian's a nerd, he can probably do something with robots.

[violentenvies]

Agreed. [dry and drawled, and Salieri is just going to take a sip from the glass of wine he seems to be nursing]

That summarizes the entire experience quite thoroughly, in fact.

[fourbutts]

This whole place may not be consistent in some ways, but management is consistently shitty.

[violentenvies]

It's really the only thing we can expect out of this place. It creates a very low bar for anywhere any one of us goes after this.