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

[emberserker]

I don't see why not, it isn't as if it matters.

[schardynfreude]

Names matter.

But at least in this case, these titles of ours hold less power than true names. [SHRUG]

[emberserker]

What, do you suspect we'll be cursed?

[schardynfreude]

I'm not saying literal power--though in the afterlife with souls turning into beasts, I suppose anything is possible. I just mean that names matter. As a part of identity, which we are all lacking at this time.

[emberserker]

That's true enough. Letting go of the past in order to be reborn, is it? I'm not sure.

[schardynfreude]

Rei indicated it's more about, ah, moving past one's sins? Though I have to wonder how one could do that if one does not remember what their sins are. And, should we come to remember more of ourselves, what does that say about our chances of being reborn anew?

...Perhaps that's too deep a topic when we're contemplating nicknames more comfortable than 'Your Majesty'.

[emberserker]

I suppose. We awoke to become Executors, didn't we? Rei did say the power was meant for more than one.

[phantasmagorial]

Um... for what it's worth... I think the forgetting might be part of it. Or it would be, if things were working normally, at least.

[ But she sounds a little unsure of it, even as she says so. ]

[schardynfreude]

Perhaps when things are normally functioning again, we'll lose what little we've remembered. We may become the unaware spirits once more.

[phantasmagorial]

... Do you really think we might?

[ She looks INTENSELY uncomfortable at the very suggestion. ]

[schardynfreude]

We'll find out eventually, I suppose. I can't say I'm a fan of the idea, nor of having any memory at all and then having it taken away again.

[phantasmagorial]

I'm... sure that it won't. [ She says, sounding entirely unsure. ] We're Executors, after all. The whole point of us being here is so we can fight and protect the peace. We can't do that if we don't even remember that we're here to do it.

[ ... it really sounds like she's trying to convince herself of that more than she is anybody else. ]

[schardynfreude]

And when the job is done? When [and he gets a little flippant, or perhaps impatient] the monsters are slain and the gears once more turn and the peace is kept.

Perhaps we will rejoin the rest of the souls and have our turn at reincarnation, and should the need for Executors rise again, a new group of hapless souls like us will awaken.

[phantasmagorial]

Mm. With any luck... that's how things are supposed to go, anyway.

[ But for some reason, the idea of it makes her feel intensely anxious. ]

Maybe it's silly to be worrying about that already when we haven't even left Limbo already, though.

[schardynfreude]

[He sighs out the nose and relaxes some. He hadn't, apparently, meant to tense up in the first place.]

We're still worrying about what to call each other at any rate, which is at least a much more present matter. At least we can still call you Rei as it is.

[phantasmagorial]

Mm. At least there's that.

[ A change of subject! Thank god! ]

It's strange, though. I don't understand why I'd remember my name, but no one else does. ... Assuming it's even my name in the first place. There's no way to be sure.

[schardynfreude]

Perhaps you're merely our ray of sunshine. [He doesn't know it's spelled Rei, it could be Ray, it could be Rey, you don't know!!!]

[phantasmagorial]

[ For a long moment Rei just stares him down, processing that.

Then she closes her eyes and sighs. ]

Just how do you come out with something like that without passing out with embarrassment first? Jeez.

[schardynfreude]

[He grins ear to ear, laughing.] Well, I can hardly die of embarrassment. Was it really that bad?

[phantasmagorial]

It was awful.

[ said in the tone of universal exhaustion that comes with facing Dad Jokes ]

We don't even get sunshine down here in Purgatory, anyway!

[schardynfreude]

All the more reason for you to be our sun.

[phantasmagorial]

You absolutely had better not start calling me something like "Sunshine", before you get any ideas.

[ rei when you say it like that you're just GIVING him ideas ]

[schardynfreude]

[There might be a certain twinkle in his eyes! What a wonderful idea!]

Absolutely not.

It'd be something more akin to, hm, Solis, maybe. Solara? Aurora. Lux. I've options.

[phantasmagorial]

I'm vetoing every single one of these!

[ She has gone SO RED ]

[schardynfreude]

Rubesco. [Now you're being rude.] I suppose Rei is a fine enough name to remain a name if we must.