We're... friends... right?

[newhire]

[Her students... friends? The Apprentices here have always gathered in the aftermath of even the worst tragedies. And she wants to support that strength they find in one another.

With Tsukasa's help, she's made a star-shaped cake. The icing is shades of yellow and orange, and there's a little card next to it that says `Happy Birthday Terra`. It's rather lovely, thanks to Tsukasa's help. But it's nothing extravagant. She also throws together various drinks of all types and some snacks-- but the others are welcome to make additions to the food options. She's not very skilled with that type of thing.

Likewise, when it's finished, she leaves notes for everyone.]

Should you wish, there's food and drink in the cafeteria. I'll be here, if you want to talk. You don't have to be alone after something like that.

Take care.

- Vivienne

[Like she said, she's... staying. Should anyone want to talk to her. Anything else she had planned could wait.]

Comments

[swordsinternally]

[ Even though Tsukasa helped make the cake, he's not going to the afterparty-- instead, he can be seen sitting in front of the door of his room drinking some of the canned beer-flavored soda, staring at the ceiling.

Once it's done, he can't help but let out a noise of displeasure. ]

Damn it. It really is hard to get out of being "Emiya Shirou" sometimes. Forcing myself to do things that he wouldn't do in order to form a sense of self... where is the real me, anyway?

[newhire]

[Vivienne taps the top of his head with a perfectly normal can of normal soda. And with a sigh, she leans against the wall and slides to a sitting position on the floor next to him.]

It's okay not to know all the time... at least that's what I've... told myself.

[She closes her eyes and smiles sadly.]

Where does "Vivienne" end and where... do the personality traits I've greedily absorbed from the others around me... start.

[swordsinternally]

Ah, hey.

[ If he sounds a little tired, it's probably because of everything that's happened during that trial. He stares at the ceiling, not sure where else to look. He can't look anywhere else right now. ]

Maybe it's kind of why I'm scared... of my own memories. Since I know I might remember something of how I acted as Emiya Shirou and not as myself. I feel like whenever I try to do something that is unlike the person that I'm supposed to be... it makes me feel whole.

But I can't just rip out all of the personality traits of him, either. Because they've helped me so much. That life of his-- it was something beautiful, even if it was distorted. I have to ask myself if these emotions are honestly, truly mine and not just an imitation. It's hard to figure it out. But I think that I can one day truly be myself. That maybe... these experiences are what shape me. The things I do are what make "Tsukasa".

[newhire]

I don't think... finding yourself means that you have to completely start over. All the things you did before that... they may not have been done entirely by "Tsukasa" but I think... there were little bits and pieces of "you" that were there in everything you did even before you decided to live your own life. I'm sure detangling them won't be easy but... I know you can do it.

And I think... when you find all of them and put together... the life of Tsukasa will be something that you can see as beautiful too.

[Vivienne seems to contemplate something anxiously for a moment before--]

Someone once told me that we were... like family... this group. And... I think that's kind of true, in a sense. So... Um. I know... you said you didn't... really want to keep the name "Emiya". So... I wondered... if maybe... you'd consider taking the name "Satou"...

[You know. Her alias name.]

Closed to Osomatsu.

[whatsmytalentagain]

[It's not that Rantaro doesn't like Vivi. Not at all. But there's something he has to take care of first.

He returned to his vow as soon as Mitarai drew his last breath. Back to not saying a word and writing in notebooks. His choice, not theirs. So it is his choice that the first thing he did was locate someone he trusted in this school. Osomatsu wasn't particularly special or anything, but he did know that guy's got a good enough head on his shoulders.

So he'll find him, tap him on the shoulder, and show him this:]

Can you help me with something real quick?

[ososoi]

[ 'Osomatsu wasn't particularly special'. Oh, if only Rantaro knew about Oso's gag anime character status... Unless he already does? ]

[ Osomatsu wasn't expecting anyone to come up to him after the trial, but here comes Rantaro, with a favour to ask him. ]

Uh... okay?

[ Oso looks like shit. ]

[whatsmytalentagain]

[OKAY BUT COMPARED TO THE OTHER CHARACTERS HERE

Rantaro pats Osomatsu on the shoulder as he nods and starts leading him to the elevator.]

[newhire]

[Vivienne sits in the corner like she's... not quite sure what she should be doing. Anxiously fidgeting--

She's never hosted a party.


...she's never been to a party. She doesn't know the first thing about what she's doing but. Well. She's trying.

If anyone does come she'll be glad.]

[unhalting]

[It's not that he particularly feels like he needs company, but he's restless and the note from Vivienne... well. It might not be a bad idea to chat with her for once. So he makes his way to the cafeteria, practically making a beeline for Vivienne before he notices the cake. Huh.]

...It's his birthday today?

[betrayal is the worst present, wow]

[newhire]

...yeah. I... he was the one who got the flowers for Professor Han. I just... wanted to try and give something back.

[She's not sure she succeeded but. Well. She put herself out there with an attempt.]

[buriedearth]

[ He's not planning on being here for long, but also, there is the fact she still tried--her and Tsukasa. So, he'll come over to her at the beginning of all of this before leaving. ]

...Thanks, for trying to set this up.

...I don't think I can really enjoy it as this is right now, but I wanted to let you know that I appreciate that you gave it some thought.

[newhire]

Oh-- n-no. You don't have to...

[She shakes her head several times.]

Don't thank me. Really. I never know what to do in these situations and... I just end up imitating others.

It's... just me now...

[She wrings her hands together tightly.]

But I don't feel like I've become the kind of strong person that you all can count on at all. Week after week this always... and there's nothing I'm capable of doing. I... should be apologizing... to all of you...

[blackcatintheruemorgue]

[Poe is not at the after party. He can however, be found in the Simulation Room though. It's barely been messed with... there's just a raccoon sitting next to Poe as he mutters to himself as he messes around with an Ouija board. He's fine. He's coping. This is fine.]

... Please work.

[sendintheclown]

[Gogol leans in the doorway. He wasn't actually looking for Poe, but it seems he managed to stumble upon him anyway. Funny how that keeps happening.]

It's not going to.

[blackcatintheruemorgue]

[Poe freezes for a good few seconds before his shoulders slump in defeat and he slowly turns to look at Gogol.]

.... I know.

[But... he's desperate. So desperate to dull the stabbing feeling in his chest. So desperate to dull the anger at himself and the regret at not realizing sooner just what Waver meant to him.]

[covertizer]

[ Like a lot of others, Akira is not at the after party either. From the trial, he goes straight to the garden and can be found there for the rest of the day, positioned closer to the main building itself. Even after all the deaths that happened or involved here, there’s something soothing about being outside here. Not just for the scenery and sounds of nature, but in a way it lets him feel closer to the people lost here.

Because maybe for the first time since this started, Akira looks really, truly tired, like the trial just gone by had plucked and picked at the scab he’d formed over all the hurt each case caused and left him exposed and raw. Less than five minutes after settling down, he flops backwards to the ground, folds his arms across his eyes and just lies there. Tired and drained and so very done. ]

[yourfuture]

[ just fuckin lies down next to him, with less arms over eyes ]

Fuck this.

[covertizer]

[ The arms over the eyes are the best part though, Tess. ]

Absolutely fuck this.

[buriedearth]

[ Terra's not present at the party for much. By which we mean, he's elsewhere by the time it's well into the night and people normally would be.

He feels...a little guilty about that, but he's just--for once he just can't?

The garden, however, is one place he is here at the night. When he spots the other is out here as well, he decides to head on over and sits down nearby. ]

...it's really been a night, hasn't it?

[covertizer]

[ It’s a garden full of death now, but it’s still a good garden. And being outside feels better now. ]

That’s an understatement and a half.

[ This hadn’t even been a violent case, compared to some of the others, like being stabbed 28 times, but it had been one of the most harrowing and draining ones because of the logic behind it. ]

[reshoot]

[Max passes by him, briefly shooting him a glance––no, a glare.]

[covertizer]

[ Hello Max. His angry lady senses are tingling.

Without really glancing up he just waves a hand at her, and then taps the ground near him with the same hand. ]

[myliteratureclub]

[Monika is in her usual spot: the library if you need her. She's sitting at a table with a book, and the only light in the room is coming from a lamp on the desk. She sitting hunched over as she's trying not to cry too loudly. It's a library after all.

There's a letter in her hands. She's holding it so tightly it's crinkly and her fingers have smudged the ink slightly.

She's lost three good friends this week. She's not okay.]

[yourfuture]

[ Tess, of all people, is out doing rounds to check up on people?? She's everyone's mom now. ]

Uh... Monika?

[myliteratureclub]

Ah...

[Monika glances up and rubs her face.]

Sorry...did you need something?