Who will tell your story?

[solomonjihad]

[Sometimes after the trial, Astarte decides to burn her anger off in the kitchen. That's a good idea, right? Right?? This trial really opened her eyes. Monsters - real monsters - they could be in any form.

The voice would be enjoying the anger, if it had not been so suppressed beforehand. If the anger hadn't been real, righteous anger like Astarte feels.

At some point, the small of cooked pumpkin wafts through the air, and soon enough in the first floor lobby, there's a little paper at the merchandising booth.

CAKE AND COFFEE IN THE TEA ROOM.

Its not a crazy recipe - its just pumpkin bread. Where did Astarte get the pumpkin to make it? Who knows? In any case, at least one loaf is a little burnt on the bottom. There's also a large thermos of coffee on the table. Feel free to help yourselves.

Astarte, for her part, is sitting in the tea room, staring at the fire as she drinks her cup of coffee. Staring, and thinking. Ruminating.

There are more question than answers that have come up, after all.]

Comments

[inforapenny]

[Billy needs coffee because right now he's running off of anger and adrenaline and he's shaking but he can't just do what he's done after the other trials, the other executions. He did more this time. He investigated, he helped corner Hook at the trial.

He was part of the reason two more people were killed.

He helps himself to a mug of black coffee and goes to sit down, staring into the inky liquid like it will help him forget the last 24 hours.]

[robitussin]

You don't look so hot.

[Very helpful commentary from the peanut gallery.]

[inforapenny]

I'm... I'm fine.

[He straightens a little and gestures to one of the seats near him.]

It's been a long day.

[robitussin]

Those things kind of contradict each other, you know.

[But she takes a seat with her cup of coffee.]

[inforapenny]

Well, I'll be fine, anyway.

[He sips his coffee and seems a little steadier.]

How- How are you holding up?

[dieformymusic]

[It was a dour, horrible trial. A child dead and Eliza gone. All for the sake of an insane plot. Winslow considered skipping out when he spotted the invitation by the merchandise booth.

But for once...maybe he could use his gift to help the poor remaining souls. So Winslow comes along with his face prosthetic and an acoustic guitar found in the music room.

He sits down with a helping of cake, but other than that he may play you a song as long as you're not Hans.]

[inforapenny]

[Billy finds himself gravitating toward the sound of music, approaching like a wary cat and sitting down nearby with his mug of coffee held cupped in his hands.

At the next break between songs, he finds his voice.]

Is there any instrument that you don't know how to play?

[dieformymusic]

[It's nice to be recognized for music! Recognized not exploited. Winslow gives a winsome grin as he puts aside the guitar.

"Trumpet. More trained in the piano and vocals. Rock kind of music."]

[inforapenny]

[We could all use some music right now. The grin is apparently surprising, but Billy shifts forward to read the response.]

Rock music, huh? Like, top 40 rock or indie rock?

[Given the lack of banjo and "The Sellout" he's going to guess not indie, but you never know.]

[robitussin]

...I thought you played piano, not guitar.

[dieformymusic]

[He grins nodding.

"The guitar has a lot of key placements similar to guitar. If you know the chords and notes going between them is easy."]

[robitussin]

Huh. Maybe I'll have to try it sometime.

When did you learn to play?

[onthebusagain]

[After listening to him play a while, Heather claps for him.] I didn't know you played guitar! That's like, super cool!

[dieformymusic]

[He bows.

"Thank you. Any requests?"]

[onthebusagain]

I don't know. Something cheerful? [They could all use cheerful, right now.]

[dontfeedplants]

You play guitar?

[Wow what are you, some kind of musical prodigy?]

[dieformymusic]

[Maaaaybe.

He nods fast before putting his guitar aside.

"You like it?"]

[dechagny]

[Well, they did hack the crap out of pumpkins in the beginning of last week. Honestly, it's a nice smell, so Raoul will be showing up to the tea room in a little bit. He's not...as shaken by this execution as he was from D-ne's and from the murder played out before them the week before. Has Raoul grown cold to watching death play out before him? Not really - he just considered Hook a dirty scoundrel the moment he met the man, and is...glad, for Eliza and Darla's sake, that he's been apprehended. They should not have had to die, though. Not one of the victims of the opera house should've had to die.

...God, fucking...to hire Billy Flynn as a lawyer, really? He's still not over how stupid that was.

But back to the present. Raoul enters the tea room, spotting Astarte lost in thought, and does his best to be quiet as he prepares himself a slice of pumpkin bread and a cup of coffee. France isn't big on caffeine, but he'll try a cup - it's hilariously light and sweet, though. Because why not. And once he's all set, he comes to join Astarte by the fire.]

...You've done an excellent job on the bread, Astarte.

[solomonjihad]

[Miss Astarte? She blinks, looking up.]

Ah, thank you...Raoul.

[dechagny]

[It's...been a long month. They've all gotten to know each other very well. It's about time the titles were dropped.

Taking a small sip of coffee. Making a...face...what a weird taste that is, he's not used to it, but he takes another sip.]

...Should we, perhaps, suggest...locking our doors and staying in our rooms on Thursday nights?

[solomonjihad]

[Ah...too true.]

That is a good idea. I...don't know how many people will heed it, though. Javert did mention something similar, after all.

[Barricading people, you know...]

[robitussin]

[She might not be too excited to be around people after trials, but for her, this one was at least less emotionally draining, even if it's left her furious. And, well... Coffee. Coffee is good.

She takes a piece of the bread, too, tasting it experimentally.]

...It's not awful.

[High praise.]

[solomonjihad]

Thank you.

[She didn't say it sucked, so its a compliment!]

I at least hoped it might help. That...

[Her fists are clenching a little.]

...that man wasn't right. At all.

[robitussin]

Yeah. He deserved what he got. Worse than what he got, actually.

[It's the first time she's felt secure in that conviction. D-ne was her friend, and Gabe... Well.]

Thanks for, um, making this.

[solomonjihad]

You're welcome.

...

Ah, how are you...holding up?