"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

[yourattention]

Yeah. She was... He was... I told Orpheus this last week, but like. Hope's important and shit, you know? I'm not built like that but... I hope everyone else can be, I guess.

[He shrugs. Again, the grief's not really his forte and he just can't... do that? It's not really that he doesn't feel emotions, mostly just that they make him uncomfortable and, uh. He doesn't know how to deal with them. Can't really imagine why being raised to feel like all his emotions are an inconvenience to other people might make him bad at dealing with them.]

[alchemistake]

[Honestly...Varian can relate. He's a pretty emotional person in his own right, but that doesn't mean he knows any better how he should deal with them. And his track record of the ways he does deal with them is, uh...

Not great. It isn't great.]

I think we will be. It's going to be hard, but...our group seems pretty tenacious. I can't imagine a lot of us going down without a fight.

[yourattention]

[There's a gentle music from... somewhere! Connor stands, holding out a hand to Varian.]

Even when the dark comes crashing through
if you have a friend to carry you
though you're broken on the ground
Courage abounds

R Im sad

[alchemistake]

[There's a moment where Varian hesitates, but...it doesn't last long at all. He'll take Connor's hand, using it to help stand up from where he'd been knelt on the floor.

The words are encouraging. It's a side of Connor Varian hasn't seen before, and it's one he won't soon forget.]

...thank you, Connor.

:)

[yourattention]

You're welcome. I'd say don't expect this touchy-feely shit very often, but I get the feeling it's gonna happen again.

['cause he's 100% sure this? This is all going to happen again.]

C'mon. Maya made a bunch of potato shit and Spongebob made Krabby Patties.

[alchemistake]

[Honestly...Varian is too. He hates that he feels that way, but.

It is what it is.]

I'm glad somebody's keeping up with that...I wasn't even planning on eating anything today otherwise.

[Kindof hard when you just watched a poor woman be executed.]

[yourattention]

Yeah. [He pats Varian's shoulder.] After shit like that it's hard to remember or want to eat, but it's important. Gotta eat to make sure you keep your energy up, you know?

[alchemistake]

Yeah...yeah.

[That last little "yeah" is just...sighed out.]

Let's go.