Post-Trial I Afterparty

[cellpreservation]

[They're down two of their number, and who knows how many more will follow, but for tonight at least... They have a chance to rest.

The school has already been cleaned, leaving no signs of the deaths that occurred on this very day, but that's just as well. After looking around to make sure of that much, Yuta marches into the kitchen and, after a bit of looking around, ends up gathering some snacks: boxed crackers and apple slices that aren't perfectly even in cut but look, he's not the chef of his group, he did his best. These he sets out on some plates in the cafeteria before finding his usual seat to lounge in, eating some apple slices off of a smaller plate he grabbed just for himself.

And then, he waits - to see who trickles in, and who doesn't.

Where is your character in the aftermath?]

Comments

[canismajorcontrolfreak]

[That, possibly surprisingly, gets a shiver out of Dylan.]

Yeah, no, don't worry. Something like that is fine. I'd be more offended if you called me a mutt.

[Not so much because of the term, more just inaccuracy.]

[gotnothing]

That wouldn't even make sense, you're like... I haven't seen a dog I wasn't running away from in years, but I'm pretty sure Dalmatians are a specific kind, right?

[canismajorcontrolfreak]

Exactly, it's inaccurate, and just plain rude. At that point it's just malicious on the same level as calling me an idiot or a slacker.

[...wait a second...]

Am I the first dog you haven't had to run away from in years?

[How many dogs do you even run into in space???]

[gotnothing]

Uh... okay, it's not like I'm afraid of dogs, or anything! I just don't like being, you know. Bit. By dogs. And there are a lot of places in the galaxy that would be perfectly great places for a teenage girl to sleep that happen to be very vigorously defended by dogs! Among other things.

[ A beat. ]

Honestly, dogs are an improvement over a lot of guard animals.

[canismajorcontrolfreak]

I mean, I figured you weren't scared when you didn't run away screaming like a mailman, it's more like...how many dogs do you run into in space? I figured it would be a lot more alien creatures waiting to be discovered.

[...wait...]

Why would you want to sleep in a place where the guard dogs are just as likely to attack you as they are anyone else?

[gotnothing]

Humans like dogs. Don't worry, buddy, we took you guys with us into space.

[ Ava deflates a little. ]

It wasn't... on purpose? [ She sighs and, in the tone of someone admitting an embarrassing personal fashion phase and not a personal tragedy: ] I was maybe slightly homeless for a while.

[canismajorcontrolfreak]

Oooooooh, okay, I get it know.

[Humans brought dogs to space. Sure, that's how it went.

And oh thank goodness, he was starting to think it was something else...of course, that answer is still...]

You-you were- [He stops himself before can say that too loudly.] I-I'm so sorry, that...that must've been awful. I didn't-I didn't mean to bring up any bad memories, or anything.

[gotnothing]

Nah, it's fine, I'm totally normal about it now.

[ This Is A Lie, but in this moment it might as well be the truth! ]

Not that I love talking about it, but it's easier now that it's, like... behind me, you know?

[canismajorcontrolfreak]

That-that's fair. We can-I can stop, if you want.

[please stop him before he puts his paw in his mouth, he's not sure if he trusts himself with this kind of subject.]

[gotnothing]

[ She waves a hand. ]

Sure, sounds good to me, but no worries.

[ If she waves it off she doesn't have to deal with it! #problemsolving ]

Anything you wanna talk about?

[canismajorcontrolfreak]

Well, there's...one thing I'm kind of curious about.

I looked over everyone's profiles and, ignoring the things that sound ridiculous, I have to ask about...Vault Hunters? What exactly are they?

[Do...do people in space...hunt vaults? Is that...an alien creature, or...as literal he can think of??]