sleepover sleepover SLEEPOVER

[phantasmagorial]

[ With the handful of new Executors awakening after the first batch, Rei's starting to get a little bit dithery. They're getting to be a big group now and while she's more than grateful for the help (and the company), she still finds herself worried about the group's cohesion. After all, Lion had admitted that he'd lashed out when he'd first awakened, Kingslayer and Pariah were at each other's throats and Iris wasn't even sure she wanted to be here at all.

Not that Rei could blame her.

But if they're going to be a team, then they at least need to be civil with each other. And getting in a bit of bonding before they have to go down and potentially double-die couldn't hurt.

So Rei borrows one of the hotel suites – a 'luxury' suite, according to the receptionist but to Rei's eyes, it just looks tacky as all get out. But it's big enough for the whole group and after spending an afternoon dragging in all the blankets she can find (and a few mattresses – thank god there aren't any other actual guests here to complain about her pillaging their rooms), Rei makes one final trip to the conbini to get... pretty much everything she can carry. Alcohol is right out (sorry, wine grandpa) but she brings back bulging bags of sodas, sweet drinks of all kinds and pretty much anything that looks made to be chugged. After that comes everything vaguely snack and candy-like in the store and a few things that might not actually be good to eat, and Rei feels confident in saying she's done.

She'd mentioned to a few of the others that she was having a bit of a get together that night, so all she can really do is wait for them to show up. She's in her pajamas, she's looked up sleepover games in the library and snacks, there's a TV mounted on the wall and she has... never held a sleepover before.

This is gonna turn out just fine. ]

Comments

[schardynfreude]

Phoenix. [To his credit, His Majesty is more...cautious about approaching this time. Makes his presence clear but keeps a respectable enough distance.] You seem a bit out of place, if you'll permit me to observe. I daresay you wouldn't be the only one.

Would you care for a drink?

[discutio]

[At least this time he wasn't walking and therefore able to have his path blocked. That would've put a sour note on their interactions.]

...I might not mind one, if you're offering. I've a poor grasp on where everything is at present.

[schardynfreude]

Rei has provided a variety--though I suppose...no one really knows what they like until they have it. Soda? [he probably would've offered wine but that isn't here ALAS]

[discutio]

That's fine--as you say, I know very little of any preferences I might have.

[schardynfreude]

All right. Give me but a moment. [something something soda here--he arrives again much closer, nudging a hand and a cup lightly to an arm.] Hopefully it's to your liking, though I'm aware the flavors around here can be sometimes...chaotic seems a kind enough word for it.

[discutio]

Thank you--I've rather accepted by now that few things make any sense here.

[...Hm. Tasted very vaguely fruity. Like the concept of orange as distantly remembered by someone who only sort of knew what a fruit was.]

[In other words, your standard LaCroix.]

[schardynfreude]

Rolling with the punches as it were is a good ability to have. When something seems fantastical, I think at this point I would rather just shrug and accept it. A little less so the things people around me say about themselves or their own lives, but...who can really ever know much about their lives at this point.

[discutio]

Indeed. Laboring on the apparent impossibility of things does little but waste time. The fact of the matter is that such things are transpiring, not whether or not they should be able to. I've no interest in wasting time on that sort of thing, whatever manner of person I may turn out to have been.

[schardynfreude]

Determined to look forward instead of worrying about what's behind. You're a bold sort, if very practical. We can always use more of that, so long as you aren't reckless about it.

[discutio]

Who knows? I've barely the faintest idea if I should be reckless or not--if I were, that might explain a thing or two about me.

[schardynfreude]

We won't know what kind of people we are until we face the challenge of battle. And the aftermath thereof.

[discutio]

I'm afraid I have to agree with that. What do you make of our chances?

[since...you can actually see who we're working with here]

[schardynfreude]

With the time of training and attempting to get used to our newfound powers, and the power of numbers on our side, I think our chances are fairly good. So long as we go into fights with a plan of action and the ability to work together, rather than as individuals.

And that is going to be the truly difficult part.

[discutio]

Coordinating such a group does sound a daunting task, more so when I doubt our abilities and the like are common knowledge amongst one another. There's no way of knowing whose areas of expertise may or may not complement another's, and less way to plan accordingly.

[schardynfreude]

Another meeting in the future, of the type where we can discuss plans of action before going to battle, perhaps even splitting into teams to take care of multiple enemies at once, might be prudent.

Have you had much chance to figure out what you can do?

[discutio]

Nowhere near as much chance as I would like. But I should be able to look after myself.

[schardynfreude]

Hopefully you won't have to. We are all in this together, after all.

[discutio]

I would rather not be perceived as slowing the rest of you down.

[schardynfreude]

Nonsense. This city is confounding to all of us, but you navigate it like you've lived here for years. I've my doubts you'd slow anyone down. Perhaps we're the ones who might slow you.

[discutio]

[Phoenix smiled just the smallest amount, adjusting his visor.]

Only one way to find out for certain, I would think.

[schardynfreude]

[Thank the gods, he's finally not annoying the lad.] Look at it this way: none of us are going to be perfect at this the first time around. We're all trying this the first time, save for Rei, and we're backing each other up.

And it isn't as though we're necessarily under some kind of time crunch. I mean, yes, eventually everyone up here will become some form of monster...but we've time.

[discutio]

You sound remarkably calm about such a dismal possibility. Then again, you've a reasonable point.

[He paused for a moment, tilting his head slightly and listening to the general chatter.]

...Is it my imagination, or are nearly all our number children save for you, myself, and perhaps Lion?

[schardynfreude]

[He shrugs, more for himself than Phoenix for obvious reasons.] We don't even have any idea how time works here as it is. I am not about to get worked up on possibilities at the moment.

...As to our fellow Executors.

[He frowns and leans himself against the wall beside his conversational partner.]

None of us can possibly attest to our ages. Some are likely older than they seem. ...And then there's Kingslayer, a suit of armor who seems convinced they're some technically undying spirit of a hero of some renown, and who knows the veracity of that in the end.

But, yes, it does seem that, comparatively, there are a good number of children. [Teenager are children. Young 20's are /handwaggle] It pains me to consider what that means for their deaths.

[discutio]

True enough that time as well as how it applies to any of us is highly questionable. I confess the idea does not exactly sit right with me, regardless.

[schardynfreude]

The choices are theirs to make. But I will worry after them nonetheless.

Our dear Rei is...seemingly too young to be putting so much responsibility on her own shoulders. I detest how it makes her feel, but I've tried to impart on her that she isn't carrying this alone.