I won't pretend that I intend to stop living

[mildwildchild]

Who: erryone in Pride
What: recovering from the events of December 7
When: late December 7/early December 8 - ???
Where: Pride HQ and wherever else they're allowed to go
Warnings: Carnies? references to I Will Twist the Knife


So maybe you've just gotten back from the most mellow kidnapping ever and you're itching to tell your bandmates about what went on with the cool helmeted guys while everyone else was at that stuffy party. Unfortunately, you'll have to wait a little while to tell them, but that's okay - surely you can keep yourselves occupied until everyone else returns.

Or maybe you're one of those who wound up at that party of Naomi's, and your night was a little less fun. Now you're back at HQ, possibly with mended physical injuries and almost certainly with a few new psychological scars. Now's your chance to check in on your friends and bandmates who missed out on all the trauma and deal with things as best you can.

Comments

[traumatizing]

"All the time." [He scoffs as he pulls a bag of coffee down.] I feel like I should be insulted.

[dishevelment]

Accidents, not you specifically falling off stage.

[Cups in hand, Koumei leans back against the counter.]

But that doesn't change my point. This is different.

[traumatizing]

Yeah.

[He sighs, pausing a moment to frown at the bag of coffee in his hands.] Stages don't typically try to murder you, I guess.

[dishevelment]

Not typically, no.

[He cast Terry a concerned look, knowing full well that there was no way they could hide their injuries from eachother.]

...What do you think about everything, Terry? Honestly.

[traumatizing]

I think this is all fucked up and doesn't make any kind of sense. [Terry puts the coffee down and plants his hands on the counter, as if to steady himself.] And I feel like there's something right under my nose that'd help me figure some of this out, but either I can't or I don't want to see it.

[dishevelment]

Like an annoying puzzle that you don't have the reference image to, right?

[Koumei heaved a deep, heavy sigh. His side hurt and his mind was still a haze, but this was becoming a familiar refrain no matter who he spoke to.]

[traumatizing]

Exactly, yeah.

[Terry chews his lip, frustration clear on his face. It's like he's constantly falling just short of any kind of answers that'd make things make sense.]

I just wish I could figure it out.

[dishevelment]

....Don't think too hard on it, [he said automatically, nervously toying with his mess of a ponytail while he impatiently waited for the coffee to brew.]

More and more of us are having the same problem, Terry. At first I thought our food was getting spiked with drugs at various parties. But, I'm not so sure if that's actually the case.

[traumatizing]

Me either. Unless they're keeping us drugged up somehow... It's happening too often to too many people.

[dishevelment]

Too high maintenance, Terry. It's a loss of profits on all accounts, which makes it a stupid tactic to employ.

I just wish we had more clues, that's all.

[traumatizing]

Well we know Blanche and Santiago are in some kind of blood feud, right? [He wasn't there to see Lesedi punch her hand through Naomi, but news travels fast.] Maybe if we could find out why...

[Easier said than done, but it's something right?]

[dishevelment]

Do you really want to question Santiago after all that?

[The fact that he dropped his customary 'Ms.' when referring to her was telling enough. He no longer trusted the woman either, and didn't dare approach anyone who had that little regard for the lives around her.]

[traumatizing]

Shit no. [If he could avoid ever speaking to her again that would be fantastic.] But there has to be other ways to find out about it.

[dishevelment]

[Koumei intended to avoid being in the same room as Santiago for a long, long time after this-- it was ridiculous.]

I don't know. I'm too tired to deal with this right now, it's too much.

[traumatizing]

Yeah, you're right.

[Terry sighs, staring at the coffee intently and then pours out two mugs. He really wants to figure this out, but his brain isn't all there yet. All he'll do is make himself more frustrated right now.]

Today is for recuperation, I guess.

[dishevelment]

...Yeah, [Koumei agreed, running a hand through his thick, tangled hair. As much as he wanted to figure this out as well, it was going to be a fruitless endeavor.]

It's like prepping for a show. It's not gonna be good if you're exhausted. Maybe we'll see more clearly after we've rested some.