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

[pioailurophobia]

[Kingslayer hovers at the periphery of the party, lurking in the corners as they observe everybody else mingling and chatting.

They can't help but feel a twinge of jealousy.

What were they supposed to do? Sit down with the rest of the teenagers, get their nonexistent horns braided? Slouch over to the grumpy adults and commiserate about their situation?

Somehow, being the outsider feels achingly familiar. Almost comfortable.

So they stand, and they watch, and they wait, and they examine the soda can in their hands with extreme disgruntlement.]

...damnit, now that I'm actually thinking about it, I have no clue how to drink this thing.

[mementomoritz]

[You know what, Medic is here for this.]

What happens if you pour it into your helmet? Does it go anywhere?

[pioailurophobia]

That's what I've been trying to figure out!

[They groan, lightly banging the back of their helmet against the wall.]

When I first got here and didn't know I was just a bunch of metal stapled together in the shape of a person, I didn't think about it at all, but now I can't stop wondering if, like. There's a bunch of food and crap in my armor and I'm rusting from the inside out or something. It's pissing me off just thinking about it.

[mementomoritz]

[Medic sniffs the air lightly, a considering expression on her face.]

I can't smell any mold or rot... so either you don't have food in there, or anything you do have isn't decaying.

Ooh, I could stick my head in and check if you opened up!

[pioailurophobia]

Try and I'll rip your head off, pipsqueak.

[mementomoritz]

I wonder if I could learn to detach it like yours? [She seems genuinely admiring of this capability.]

[pioailurophobia]

I'd say I could test it out for you, but we need somebody with your skills and I really don't want to risk you getting... Spectre'd or whatever.

[mementomoritz]

Aw, thanks! I hope you don't die again either. [Is this how friendship works??? Unclear.]

[pioailurophobia]

Eh. It's not like there's any stakes if I do bite it.

[beknights]

[ Here's someone else not mingling, and that's because Seal is completely and comfortably Lost In The Sauce. For no reason they could adequately explain, being able to lie down in comfort has made them blissfully unconcerned about much of anything, for once. It hasn't made them much of a socialite, but since interacting with people makes them nervous, it wasn't going to anyway.

A mound of blankets shifts; a horned head burrows its way out near Kingslayer. They turn their head to peer at their fellow horned-head knight with a curiosity bordering on what they'd normally classify as impolite. ]

[pioailurophobia]

...oi, Seal.

How do you normally eat and drink stuff?

With the... not being... anything stuff, [wouldn't that make them not-stuff by default?] I can't figure it out.

[Kingslayer? Actually asking for help? Implausible.]

[phantasmagorial]

[ She peers at Kingslayer's helmet thoughtfully for a moment, and then pipes up: ]

... I could get you a straw, maybe? You could probably fit it in somewhere.

[pioailurophobia]

I-

[Kingslayer almost surprised that somebody is actually interested in helping them rather than mocking their predicament.]

..that's be good, actually.

Thanks.

[phantasmagorial]

Okay then. Just one second.

[ Rei digs around in the carrier bag she'd been transporting all the drinks in, to see what she can find. She didn't think to bring any dedicated straw apparatus to the party, but eventually she finds a juice box that she decides to sacrifice for the cause. She pulls the straw out of its wrapper and then presents it to Kingslayer. ]

How about this? It might be too small but I'm not sure if there's anything any bigger.

[pioailurophobia]

[Kingslayer delicately takes the straw, fumbles a bit with it with their gauntleted fingers, carefully unpeels it, and puts it in the soda. Sipping through it, they're silent for a few moments before blurting,]

I shouldn't be here.

[phantasmagorial]

[ Rei's eyebrows shoot up in surprise and then furrow in confusion. ]

Why not? I invited you here. Why would you say something like that?

[pioailurophobia]

It's just...

All this. It's supposed to be some... bonding ritual for, right? Braid each other's hair. Eat snacks. Drink soda, sleep in jammies. Right?

[Kingslayer's fist clenches, starting to crunch the can of soda in their hand.]

That's all human stuff.

I'm a Servant, anyways. I should be like... outside, guarding the door. Maybe patrolling for Revenants. And I'm a suit of armor besides, so why...

[phantasmagorial]

And why does that matter?

[ She's not being sharp with them exactly but her tone is surprisingly firm. ]

Even if something "should" be this way or another way, or you're "supposed" to do something or something else, there's nobody holding us to any of that anymore. We're dead. We can decide for ourselves what our "shoulds" and "supposed tos" are.

[morelikeisabeast]

Can't you just take the helmet off?

[pioailurophobia]

...you know what? Sure.

[They do, in fact, take the helmet off.

There's nothing underneath.]

[morelikeisabeast]

Oh.

Hmm.

[pioailurophobia]

[Kingslayer fastens the helmet back on, shrugging.]

Yeah. "Hmm."

I didn't even realize the first day or so I was here. Too busy kicking ass, you know?

Then SOME LITTLE JERK, [they glare at Pariah from across the party,] knocked the helmet off and everything went to hell.

[morelikeisabeast]

Do you even NEED to eat, then?

[pioailurophobia]

...maybe not?

But it feels weirder not to.

[morelikeisabeast]

[She looked down, thoughtfully.]

Eating IS pretty awesome.