cancry | Training Log 01: Shiny new powers

It's been a day- or something similar to it. After all, time seemed to be a weak thing here. But it's long enough that the pounding in his head from the attack under the Founation is... manageable. His ribs still ache, but he's not going to let that stop him- if Rei needed them to fight, then he would fight. Especially since he now remembered HOW to fight- a weak memory that came with a few other things. Like that fact that he might be royalty(?), but more useful was his skills with a weapon.

So he goes hunting for a big open area- and every other Executor he sees he mentions his intention: to train and test out these new powers. Eventually he finds what he's looking for: what probably was supposed to be a park, though it was slightly twisted like everything else here. But it was open enough that he probably wouldn't hit any non-combatants. A quick switch to his Executor uniform, massive black armor with a fur lined cloak, and he spins his bone spear like an expert.

How strange to have this knowledge but almost no context. Well, it is what it is. He wonders if any of the others will join him?

((ooc: feel free to tag amoung yourselves as well!))

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And now we're all here to fight with you. Softens the blow a bit, doesn't it? So to speak. And we've healers among our number. Although...

We will get better as he go, will we not? I daresay I won't be able to do much if someone does get hit a few times. Ease the pain, perhaps, but not tend to all the wounds.

I just wish... there was more I could do to help with the training. If I could safely take out the Revenants down there by myself, we could at least head down and train there against real Revenants. But it's so risky, and if we ended up hurt or worse, then who knows what would happen to all the Specters here?

[ Her shoulders are sagged and her expression, though she tries to keep it level, is tired. ]

Maybe it's just because I don't have anything else to do here but, I really do feel like I have to do something for them. Like... since I'm awake and they're not, I have a responsibility to protect them.

What more could you truly do? [He turns in his seat, concern clear on his face.] You've barely had more time at this than we have, and you blessed us with these abilities. You saved our wayward backsides from that Revenant down below. And our sleepy Specters can do nothing, unless they wake up like we have.

I don't know. I just feel like it could be something more.

[ She's the one they're calling their leader, after all. Even though she barely knows any better than they do. But if they're going to put that faith in her and put themselves in the line of fire for her, then Rei needs to live up to that with aplomb. ]

I'm just hoping I'll have a better idea of things when we're ready to actually go down there again.

My dear, we're all learning this, and you'll have help from us. We may rely on you to point us in the right direction, but once we get going, you won't have to call all the shots. We'll learn and have a better idea what we're doing and how to do it.

[He...very, very cautiously lays a broad hand on her shoulder.]

You don't have to carry all of this alone.

[ Rei starts, just a bit, under the touch of his hand and going by the deer-in-headlights look on her face, this might be the first time in a long while she's been on the receiving end of a reassuring hand on the shoulder like this. A moment later, her eyes suddenly shine with the onset of tears and her face crumples as she presses her sleeve to her eyes to try and keep them from overflowing. ]

I'm– I'm sorry. It's just...

All this time, I thought it would just be me. No one else every understood what I was trying to say. It was like they couldn't even see me, sometimes. But now you're all here and it's because of me that you have to fight! If I could do it alone then none of you would need to put yourselves in danger!

[For a moment, he looks apologetic--should have asked if she wanted to be touched, clearly made some error in judgement here. And then she's crying OH NO oh no. No no no, here she is, feeling such immense pressure of all of them existing, and the sad idea of having to go it alone, and neither option seems preferable, does it?

He makes a shushing noise, wrapping his arm around her shoulders to pull her in against the folds of his robe. If she needs to cry, he's got a couple layers to absorb, okay.]

We see you. We see you, and we hear you, and we all chose this, one way or another. You laid it on the line and gave us the option, and we all of our own volition decided fighting for the rest of the dead was better than staying up here with little else to do.

[She looks so small (is, really), and so young. It hurts to see how young some of these people are. To know that they're all dead, and some leave the world far too soon.]

You can't do it alone. And that's all right. It's far better to ask for help and work as a team, to boost one another and play to our strengths, than to struggle to go it alone and then what--die, again? Absolutely not. We're here, and that's that.

[ Her first thought when she realizes that she's crying is that she needs to apologize – losing her composure and making him uncomfortable to boot isn't going to help anyone and she can't be letting herself crack already when they're barely two weeks into this whole venture. He and all the others are putting themselves in danger to help her and if she can't be a semi-capable leader then how can she possibly accept her help?

But when he pulls her in to let her cry, Rei doesn't protest. She hasn't let herself cry properly since waking up here and realizing what that meant, but now the weight of what he's saying is really settling on her shoulders. She isn't doing this on her own anymore. There are people here to help – and they're all being so kind to her, even though she doesn't understand why, doesn't even know if she deserves it and–

And–

And maybe that's alright. Maybe, just for now, that can be alright.

It takes her a while to calm herself down enough to say something. She's still sniffing and her face is damp with tears, but her first, ridiculous thought is– ]

I, um... s–sorry. About your robes.

[ There's... a sizable damp patch. ]

Think nothing of it, dear. [He reaches to swipe a thumb across her cheek, blot some more of the damp away.] They won't stain from a few sniffles.

And you won't break under the weight you've decided to place upon yourself. Not with a dozen or more shoulders to even out the load.

[ Rei pulls in a rattly breath, shoulders shaking in tandem with it before she forces herself to square them and pull herself up a little straighter. He's right – she knows he's right. Whatever's going on in Purgatory, it might not be something she can fix alone, but they can certainly start making some steps towards it as a group. Hopefully. ]

... Right. I wish I could promise you all it won't be dangerous but... I don't even know for sure what's past this first layer. I don't think I've ever been down past the place I sealed off.

Training Log 01: Shiny new powers

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