AFTER-ICE-CREAM-PARTY

[pecker]

[Boy everyone is so bloodthirsty tonight. And now a kid is dead and another is gonna execute. Do y'all need some baskin robbins, because it seems like you do!!! So before everyone can leave, Niwatori raises her voice louder than it's gone before now to draw a little attention, and then deflates immediately when she actually gets it.]

Excuse me, please! U-um... this case was really hard, and I think we could all use some time to cool our heads before we finally go back. So... ice cream? Who's with me?

[she'll lead the pack there and anyone else can go home or to visit Clarisse on the set of Orange is the new Black.

Niwa's not that good of a host though, she just gets her own ice cream and lets everyone serve themselves. Who is she to limit your freedom. (Someone who doesn't want to be partly responsible for a Millium Monstrosity, that's who.)]

Comments

[clearities]

[ While Sakura herself takes up the invite, it's only when she's finally eating her strawberry ice cream that she can finally let it all out. She's been burying her feelings, even though she's not very good at it. So it's only when she's eating that the tears start to fall from the sides of her cheeks. And they just don't stop. It's all too much for her. She can't handle it. It's too much. ]

[odasaku]

[ after eating his own boring, vanilla ice cream, oda goes to check on sakura. after all, millium seems to be doing much better than most of them.

but when he sees sakura crying, oda knows that he has to do something for her...although he doesn't know what. ]

Hey.

[ he'll sit next to her and wrap an arm around her in a comforting gesture. to show her that she's not alone. ]

[clearities]

Oda-san... I can't take it anymore. It shouldn't have been me- I shouldn't have gotten that second chance to go home. It really, really shouldn't have. [ She might not be alone anymore, but it still hurts. Her heart aches so much, and it's not even for herself. ]

[odasaku]

It's okay. It's okay.

[ he'll pull her into a hug, running his fingers through her hair. he knows that his words are empty, and that things are definitely not okay...but she doesn't deserve to hear that. ]

You were as deserving as everyone else that was with you before. You can't give up.

[clearities]

Do you think I can save them? Everyone else... they're still here. They're still stuck in this town, and I feel like I can't do anything. I want to be able to do something. [...] But I don't even know where in the town they are.

[odasaku]

I think...we won't know until we try.

[ oda sighs. he's no good at this. ]

But...you can't do this on your own. There's a lot of other people still alive. Maybe you can work with them.

[clearities]

Then... I want to try. It just hurts to know that the others are still here. That they were forced to forget. And then, Bakugou-kun had to die like that... [ Not to mention that Millium has to kill Clarisse tomorrow, but she. She doesn't want to talk about that. She doesn't want to linger on that particular thought. ] It hurts. [...] Oda-san. What about you? Would you... help me, too? [ Because with the way he says it. "Them" seems to imply something else. ]

[odasaku]

I...don't know if I'd be any help.

[ a pause. ]

But I'll do my best.

[silvertongueheir]

[Franciscus is mostly ignoring people, but Gerard isn't. The Archeops pauses in nibbling at the ice cream, before waddling carefully over and starting to preen her hair again. Franciscus notices, but doesn't stop him.]

[clearities]

Ah- [...] Sorry. I didn't mean to have you see me like this again.

[silvertongueheir]

[Gerard doesn't seem to mind, continuing to chirp and nuzzle her. After a while, Franciscus comes around as well.] He's not being too much of a bother, is he?

[clearities]

[ When she gets the chance, Sakura decides to tentatively stroke his head, giving him pats. Hopefully Gerard likes that spot! But at his question, Sakura shakes her head. ] No, not at all. He's good company.

[silvertongueheir]

[He seems to enjoy it quite a bit, leaning happily into the strokes until she's patting his favorite spot. He lets out another happy chirp.]

He is. I've missed his presence for the first two weeks we were trapped here.

[clearities]

He must have missed you, too.

[silvertongueheir]

Yes. At least he seems healthy, so the Sergeant has probably been taking care of him as promised.

[clearities]

That's good. I'm glad.

[silvertongueheir]

[He nods.] I can only hope the rest of my Pokemon are being treated as well.

[clearities]

[ Sakura closes her eyes, humming pleasantly in response. ] I hope so, too. I'll believe that they are.

[silvertongueheir]

[He nods, watching a bit more as Gerard leans into Sakura-pets.] Thank you.

[clearities]

Hm?

[ Sakura blinks at him for a moment, maybe two before shaking her head. ]

You don't need to thank me. I didn't do anything.

[silvertongueheir]

Still, I appreciate your offer of hope. I'm sure Gerard does too, isn't that right? [Gerard responds by nudging Sakura's cheek slightly with his snout.]

[clearities]

I'm glad... that you appreciate it, even though it doesn't really mean much.

[silvertongueheir]

[He smiles at her.] It means enough to me.