you'll be alright, no one can hurt you now

[flagitate]

[ After a hell of a trial, Katniss needs to focus her energy into something. So, the afterparty it is. Since she's not good at this kind of stuff, she's had some help. She'll pass out invitations to anyone she passes by, or she'll slip them under the door. ]



[ There is some food set up, but it's very much in sealed containers. Cookies, specifically, along with anything else she could scrounge up. There are very tightly sealed bottles of drinks, too. After that whole thing, she figures it'd be best to tread with caution. She won't blame anyone who brings their own food, of course.

There are fixings for smoothies, just in case someone's feeling it. Katniss has set up a couple of blenders around the game room. There's also some surf 'n' turf food, to honor Mack, too.

There are some decorations--courtesy of the guys, of course, because how the heck do you decorate for anything. ]

Comments

[seventhprogenitor]

[He's quiet for a moment, then he glances aside, a tired smile on his face.]

I've lived for a very long time, detective. I've seen very much and... while I should be desensitized to such things, I'm afraid I haven't. I grew up surrounded by it as well and I never handled it well then, mostly due to the helplessness I felt as everyone I knew...

[...]

Well, I survived, and I suppose that's all that matters there, in a sense.

[fortunatedetective]

[Naoto thinks she doesn't need more details. That explained it quite well, although now she's supposing the reason Ferid is the 'seventh progenitor' is because his predecessor(s) got killed]

I wouldn't have ever guessed you had gone through a situation like that. The way you have been reacting to everything so far wouldn't have indicated you were uncomfortable about being helpless or seeing people die.

['A vacation'. She hasn't forgotten that's how Ferid is taking it]

[seventhprogenitor]

It's a way of coping with things. You'd agree that it's easier to deal with situations you don't like by pretending it's something else, wouldn't you?

[Distancing oneself from everything.]

[fortunatedetective]

...you're right about that. I haven't needed to do that, but it sounds like a popular coping mechanism.

Makes me wonder who else may be hiding how much this all affects them.

[seventhprogenitor]

It's tough to see people we've sat beside, lived with, even taken dinner with as bodies on the floor or the culprits behind the acts. It makes one feel unsafe. Who might be planning at any given moment? Who's going to be unlucky, or even targeted?

[...]

I'd say that there's many of them who might be hiding that fact. Some easier than others. But that's a secondary reason for Aligula and I's weekly gatherings -- to give some relief for a weary mind, to distract. It's been working wonderfully, I think.

[fortunatedetective]

[You're right about that all, Ferid]

Everyone needs distractions. I'm sure Aligula-san and you already have something planned for next week.

[She's also almost sure those two have planned enough events for eleven months, somehow]

[seventhprogenitor]

Well~. We haven't spoken about it just yet, but we certainly may have an idea or two! Both of which have been on hold for weeks now.

[You'll probably see him working on things in the sewing room this week for it.]

I'm simply glad everyone seems to have gotten used to them.

[fortunatedetective]

...been on hold...tell me it isn't the beauty pageant idea.

[Oh joy. She's so rejecting it when Aligula inevitably comes by to give her an invitation]

[seventhprogenitor]

It is, in part~. No one's required to model for us, though I'll certainly be on the catwalk to strut myself.

[... In an outfit he got from the vending machine and some dresses he's made, but still.]

[fortunatedetective]

In part? What's the other part of the plan?

[seventhprogenitor]

That's a surprise, Naoto. It's going to be something everyone can enjoy though.