Magic + Support Reserves, Dorm Lobby, 11/3

[life_inshadow]

The reserves meeting had been moved into the dorm lobby for the day, and the theme of the snacks was definitely comfort food: Hot cider, soup, cookies.

Lots of cookies.

"Welcome back," Tara said, with a slight smile that was the most she could manage. "This week, some of us went to help a friend and ended up -- m-more than a little over our heads. We're all okay" -- at least physically -- "b-but it made me think. What can we do when we can't really do anything? How do you wake up the next day and go on? And what do you do s-so if something similar happens, God forbid, you aren't so -- so -- stuck?"

She drew a breath and went on, "Speaking, uh, just for me? I'm going to be doing a lot more training. it scares me. Power scares me. But it's better than not being able to help the way you'd like to."

This was the first time Raven had been out in public outside of going to class, and she was doing her best to act like everything was normal. Her shields were much stronger now, thanks to Anakin, and that helped a great deal. "I will be doing the same," she said quietly. "I will identify where my weaknesses lie and do what I can to eliminate them. Hopefully such a situation will never happen again, but if it does, I wish to be prepared."

Karla had no stake in today's discussion. She was too busy trying to sneak onto the table where all the yummy smells were coming from. Besides, she was an Arcerian kitten. That meant she was already perfect, as cats were wont to be.

Dolf wasn't feeling left out, honestly. He was just feeling a little-- something. He didn't know. The implication that something really bad had happened had left him feeling like his own problems shouldn't matter to him as much as they did, in comparison. "...I wait and hope," he muttered, trying not to think anything along the lines of scarlet fever or something equally disconcerting. "Wait and hope and if you can't solve it, maybe someone else can. But keep hoping, mostly." And try not to collapse anywhere crying next time.

[OOC: Preplayed with the delightfully oblivious swordsandsoccer, the delightfully emo trigons_child and the delightfully feline glacial_witch.]

Comments

Arrive + Mingle [11/03]

[life_inshadow]

Well. Today's meeting is cheerful.

Re: Arrive + Mingle [11/03]

[daventryprince.livejournal.com]

Quite.

The discussion actually reminded Alexander quite a bit of the time his father had taken ill and Rosella was the one to go off in search of the way to cure him, while all he and his mother could do was stay by Graham side, waiting and trying to keep the kingdom going while he was out.

So he was nibbling on a cookie, frowning with thought and concern. Whatever had happened with the handful of people leading today's reserves, it had clearly not gone as well as they'd hoped it might.

Re: Arrive + Mingle [11/03]

[stylin-wizard.livejournal.com]

Alex helped herself to some hot cider and a cookie, wondering what exactly it was that had happened to prompt the meeting's topic. It was definitely something to think about.

Re: Arrive + Mingle [11/03]

[brat_inslayage]

Oh, yeah. Total joy-fest.

Kennedy settled herself in a chair as close to Tara's as she could get, a small stack of cookies and a mug of cider balanced carefully on one of the arms. She was quiet, not really saying anything at all, just... trying to be moral-support-y and stuff.

She wasn't all that cheerful herself for pretty much the same reasons that were behind today's topic, after all.

Re: Arrive + Mingle [11/03]

[bamf-tastic.livejournal.com]

Kurt was there, but... well, the topic of conversation just made him uncomfortable, so he hid in the back.

Re: Arrive + Mingle [11/03]

[onlymistaken]

Quite cheerful, yes. About as cheerful as, for instance, Ben had seemed yesterday in class, when Cally wondered why he was so fine that he needed to emotionally reassure the world of it -- but didn't ask. Because it had every sign of being, aside from not her business, something she couldn't help with.

The topic left her pensive today as she sipped at a cup of cider, thinking about whether she'd been wrong, as well as how well the wait and hope approach was working out for her own situation.

Re: Arrive + Mingle [11/03]

[nothornlessrose.livejournal.com]

Cassidy was going to be quiet and thinky as she listened to Tara and the others. She had already decided she was going to poke Karla -- when she wasn't a kitten -- about that Black Widow training she had mentioned. She was also wondering if there was anything else she should learn.

You know, like how to fight and defend?

Not being able to do a lot of anything in Agio had scared her and depressed her.

She tried to smile at Shira, really she did, but her healer had spent enough time with her the last few days to know that she was doing a remarkable job of Not Dealing.

Re: Arrive + Mingle [11/03]

[angelo_wings]

Rinoa wrapped her arms around herself and shivered. Some of what Tara was saying, about powers scaring her ... she knew that feeling far too well.

Re: Arrive + Mingle [11/03]

[showmetheproof.livejournal.com]

Extremely. Scully was looking from one leader to another in concern, wishing she could help, but not knowing either girl well enough to pry.

Her own approach was to take the very long view of 'there is always a next time'. But she wasn't sure how much help that would be to unhappy teenagers.

Discussion [11/03]

[life_inshadow]

What can you do when you couldn't help?

Re: Discussion [11/03]

[daventryprince.livejournal.com]

"I think I quite agree with the lot of you," Alexander said after considering the question proposed for discussion today. "I would try to improve myself to be better prepared, as well as doing whatever I could do to support those who are more capable, so that they know they have backing to inspire the courage that might be necessary to go through with whatever obstacle it is they are facing."

Re: Discussion [11/03]

[showmetheproof.livejournal.com]

"It helps to know you did all you could," Scully had to agree. "Went through all the steps of an emergency plan, for instance. Contacted everyone who could help. And then to realize that the aftermath," she gave Raven and Tara considering, sympathetic looks, "Is something else that has to be dealt with, too. It's inevitable. There are reasons why police and emergency workers have required debriefings and counseling after incidents, especially if they didn't go well."

Talk to the Leaders [11/03]

[life_inshadow]

Two of them might even explain why they're extra-emo today.

One of them might pounce on your feet.

Re: Talk to the Leaders [11/03]

[swordsandsoccer.livejournal.com]

...and the last one of them was trying not to look 1) sulky; 2) worried; 3) broody; 4) flashbacky.

He managed a little bit of all of the above. Obliviously.

Re: Talk to the Leaders [11/03]

[life_inshadow]

"I feel like we should apologize to you," Tara remarked, in a low voice. "You, uh. Didn't sign on for depress-o-rama."

Re: Talk to the Leaders [11/03]

[swordsandsoccer.livejournal.com]

"Raven said something was wrong last week," he offered. "It's no problem. Don't worry about it."

That was about as far as Dolf's attempt at Not Trying To Look Like 1234 reached, because the next thing out of his mouth was an urgent, "What happened?"

Re: Talk to the Leaders [11/03]

[onlymistaken]

There was enough empathy mixed into the Auronar bag of psychic tricks that Cally would have known something had happened just from the combined mood at the meeting, even if the others hadn't said anything.

"That explains why so many people were scarce this last week, I suppose," she said quietly when she found a free moment near Dolf -- who was the one person she felt she knew well enough to have any right to talk to about it. The one who, ironically, hadn't been involved.

Re: Talk to the Leaders [11/03]

[life_inshadow]

Tara would explain if you asked, she just ... didn't feel much like talking.

She liked the cider, though.

Re: Talk to the Leaders [11/03]

[brat_inslayage]

Kennedy, for once in her life, wasn't going to push anyone to talk, and she didn't need an explanation anyhow. After her talk with Anakin yesterday, hearing what Tara had to say was a relief, and she came over to wordlessly give Tara's hand a quick squeeze.

Hey, she was proud. And maybe not minding a little comfort herself. Shh.

Re: Talk to the Leaders [11/03]

[angelo_wings]

Rinoa was curious about what Tara had been mentioning, but wasn't sure the girl was up to talking. She approached hesitantly.

"Are ... you all right?" she asked, first. "Is this a bad time?"

Re: Talk to the Leaders [11/03]

[trigons_child]

Raven was trying hard not to be emo. She was fine. Just ask her.

She was keeping an eye out for those who'd been to Kaeleer, though, to see if any of them needed her meddling help.

Re: Talk to the Leaders [11/03]

[brat_inslayage]

Kennedy made her way over, and by the way, she wasn't going to buy any claims of being just fine. Just to get that out of the way right off, 'kay, Raven?

"Hey," she said softly. "Holding up?"

Re: Talk to the Leaders [11/03]

[swordsandsoccer.livejournal.com]

"Raven?"

This one hadn't been in Kaeleer, no. This one was just here to hover.

Re: Talk to the Leaders [11/03]

[glacial_queen]

There was a furry snake attached to her butt. A FURRY SNAKE! Karla was going to chase it and kill it because she was the bestest hunter there ever was.

And maybe take a nap. And maybe stalk and pounce for awhile. And maybe--FURRY SNAKE.

OOC [11/03]

[life_inshadow]

I ran out of nonhuman icons!

Here, have Elijah Wood instead.