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]

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.

[discutio]

I'm a touch concerned for her as well--if I were to have harbored any doubts over whether or not to establish a contract, speaking with her would have erased any such thing swiftly. I worry she's needed the aid for perhaps a bit too long.

[schardynfreude]

It was just her alone before the rest of us began to wake up. I imagine suddenly having so many new hands is overwhelming. But better than facing it all by her lonesome.

[discutio]

Agreed, certainly. This seems a lot to handle even with so many of us, I can scarcely imagine how difficult it would be alone.

[schardynfreude]

We've healers among us, and skilled fighters, and sound minds. Together, we'll face what lives on in the night the Revenants and have a much better feel for our strengths and weaknesses against them, adjust our tactics from there.

But for now...this is a party, of sorts. We ought to enjoy ourselves.

[discutio]

We should. Perhaps I've just a bit of a focus on the longer term rather than the moment at hand.

[schardynfreude]

Time and a place for it. We could easily spend all evening fretting over the children as two presumably reasonable presumable adults, but we could also spend it getting to know them and one another.

[discutio]

And ourselves, I would dare say.

[schardynfreude]

True enough! I suppose if one wanted, one could debate the idea of innate psychological and personality traits even when one is completely amnesic or if one becomes a different person with the addition of memory, but...seems a mood killer.

[discutio]

Contemplating the deeper meaning of whether we are who we were does indeed seem poor party chatter, indeed. Regardless, I do falter a bit for much of worth in a conversation.

[schardynfreude]

[He does not suggest that Rei may have been reaching a bit too far in the idea of throwing a party to get to know each other better when they don't know themselves at all.

But he's definitely thinking it.]

The typical icebreakers do seem to be off the table, and even idle chatter about the weather would be redundant. Though games could still be played. Movies to listen to. Food and drink to discover.

Trouble to get up to, I'm certain of it.

[discutio]

I do hope you've nothing too troublesome in mind.

[schardynfreude]

[He presses a hand to his chest, and even still, his voice is just dripping with mock offense.]

Troublesome, me! Why, the very idea!

Accidentally open a locked portal farther into the afterlife full of monsters, and suddenly you're a troublemaker, goodness.

[discutio]

...

[Phoenix turned in his direction with a flat stare he probably shouldn't have been nearly so good at.]

Really.

[schardynfreude]

It was an accident, and Lion can attest to it. We were simply trying to fix the fountain in the center of town.