Behind the Dorms, Tuesday Afternoon

[future_sandworm]

Leto had actually made some plans for this meeting, in case Arthur and Zack would still be asleep, although if they had been, there would certainly have been a lot fewer people showing up.

Those plans were now pointless, however. There was no way he would put people through defining the goals of defensive tactics today. Clearly those who had spend their weekend in another reality were a little too emotional to deal with that now. Leto knew that from experience; he had spent the previous day being bitched at (hello Arthur!) or hugged and cried on. It was obvious that people needed some kind of emotional outlet today.

Also, it seemed like some people had trust issues after having run into alternate vampire versions of themselves. That could prove dangerous in a fighting situation.

"Good afternoon," he greeted everyone gathered. "Today we will work on what I believe is referred to in this time as team-building. Without loyalty and trust - both of leaders and of fellow warriors - a military unit is nothing. Where that trust is strong and army may rise about their actual level of fighting skill."

"Often this loyalty has been nurtured by shared pain and suffering. A guerilla group might have faced persecution together for a long time. Many forms of military training forces the warriors to endure severe hardships together in order to achieve something similar."

Leto smiled. "Today, I decided for a more playful and gentle approach. We will start with a shared meal. Eating together is a sign of friendship in many cultures. First, you need to divide the food." He gestured at a blanket on the ground with a large fruit bowl in the middle. "It needs to be divided equally, but for every fruit you take, you need to tell the group something significant about yourself."

"When the food has been divided, you may eat, but you may not feed yourself, only other people."

He watched the people gathered. "Any questions?"

[Wait for OCD! OCD is up!]

Comments

Re: Feed other people

[glacial_queen]

Karla held out a grape. "The rules of this exercise forbid pranking," Karla informed Triela with a grin. "So it's safe."

Re: Feed other people

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

"I don't remember that being mentioned," Triela said.

She did not go for the grape. Someone might be paranoid.

Re: Feed other people

[glacial_queen]

Karla's face fell a little. "I wouldn't do that to you," she said quietly.

Re: Feed other people

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

Triela cocked her head slightly in consideration. On the one hand she didn't like seeing Karla unhappy like that. On the other hand, that is exactly the expression she would expect Karla to use to set up a prank.

The other girl was quite crafty, after all.

Re: Feed other people

[glacial_queen]

Triela had an excellent point, one that would cheer Karla up immeasurably later.

For now, however, Karla just brought her hand up to bite the grape in half.

Re: Feed other people

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

That made Triela smile a bit almost in spite of herself. "It's good to see you eating." She still remembered that worryingly-skinny Karla.

Re: Feed other people

[glacial_queen]

Especially since this Karla had lost her own fair share of weight. Several days of not eating right had already taken its toll on her.

"I could still eat and share, you know," Karla pointed out, slightly sulky

Re: Feed other people

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

"True, but I don't have anything to give you so it'd be like taking food away from you." Someone (A) didn't like sharing in public and (B) thought this entire exercise was ridiculous anyway.

Re: Feed other people

[glacial_queen]

"I'm not supposed to be eating it anyway," Karla pointed out. "So all you're doing is making it so I can't feed my friend."

Re: Feed other people

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

"You fight dirty," Triela complained.

Even if she thought that was a good thing.

Re: Feed other people

[glacial_queen]

"Is that what we're calling honesty now?" Karla asked with a smirk.

Re: Feed other people

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

"That's what we call what you do," Triela countered archly.

Then she sighed and held out a gloved hand, palm up.

Re: Feed other people

[glacial_queen]

Technically, Karla was pretty sure she was supposed to actually feed Triela, but she wasn't going to push the subject. She dropped a grape into Triela's palm and smiled. "See? You're trusting me. Exercise accomplished."

Re: Feed other people

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

Triela rolled her eyes. "I already trust you. This is silly."

Re: Feed other people

[glacial_queen]

"Not enough to take the grape originally," Karla reminded her. "And besides, not everyone here is lucky enough to be us. I think trust was strained for a lot of people last week. Not to mention the act of giving and receiving food brings people closer together."

Re: Feed other people

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

"I trust you when it matters," Triela insisted. "And... the food ritual thing... it's not mine." Then again, with Triela, not many humanizing rituals or customs were.

Re: Feed other people

[glacial_queen]

"I know, and I'm glad for it," Karla said with a smile. "Who else would give me boots like these?"

"Even though it isn't your ritual, it's important to many people. I know Dinah's probably happy to be eating something like fruit. It's a reminder and a communion all at once." She cocked her head. "What rituals do you have?"

Re: Feed other people

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

"..." Huh.

"Tea. Tea and cake." That was as close to a ritual that didn't involve shooting people as Triela tended to get.

Re: Feed other people

[glacial_queen]

Karla called in a small wooden box. "Here," she said, offering it over. "I have something that belongs to you."

She could always get more in Dhemlan.

Re: Feed other people

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

"More presents?" Triela asked, eyebrow lifted. "But I think it's my turn again."

That didn't stop her from taking the box, though.

Re: Feed other people

[glacial_queen]

"I like being ahead," Karla answered with a grin.

Inside the box was a small mountain of cloth teabags, neatly ordered and smelling wonderful and oddly deja-vu-ish.

Re: Feed other people

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

Triela lifted the box to her face and inhaled. "What blend is this?" she asked, distracted from her bad mood by the presence of tea.

Re: Feed other people

[glacial_queen]

"Several blends," Karla explained. "From home." There were five different blends in the box, with four teabags of each kind. Karla pointed to each, explaining what was in them and the intended effect. She knew Triela had to be careful of what she ingested, and wanted to make sure that each blend was okay for her. "I'll bring you some more when I get back from Dhemlan," she promised.

[Night!]

Re: Feed other people

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

"Tea and cake were always a Claes thing," Triela said thoughtfully. "That's why I started. Even though she says she doesn't like them." Claes never tried to hide her lies. She knew she wasn't good at them, so she rarely bothered.

[Sleep sweet!]

Re: Feed other people

[glacial_queen]

Claes. There was that name again.

"Did something happen to Claes?" Karla asked quietly. "Something that lead her to the breaking point?"