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

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]

[life_inshadow]

"We went home with Karla and things got very bad very fast," Tara answered, then glanced over to the felid in question. "Uh. N-not the cat thing, that's ... not part of it at all."

Re: Talk to the Leaders [11/03]

[swordsandsoccer.livejournal.com]

Somewhere, in 13th century Venice, an Italian mathematician exhaled in relief over the fact that Rudolf had finally met people who didn't tell him about every single thing that went wrong; he'd been worried the boy wouldn't make it to sixteen.

Back in this time and place, though, Dolf frowned. "So it was bad," he muttered. "How bad was it? Did anyone get hurt?"

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]

[swordsandsoccer.livejournal.com]

"It was bad," Dolf said, sighing. His shoulders relaxed, maybe a little, from the tense space they'd been in since he'd gotten here and saw everyone. "It got really bad."

Re: Talk to the Leaders [11/03]

[onlymistaken]

"It wasn't here?" she confirmed. The thought that there might have been something bad here on the island that she'd been unaware of bothered her in a different, and perhaps slightly selfish, sense, than the general air of unease about the whole thing.

Re: Talk to the Leaders [11/03]

[swordsandsoccer.livejournal.com]

He shook his head. "Karla's home," Dolf elaborated. He wasn't sure if he should be telling, but the whole thing had thrown him too much for him to not tell. "There was something bad going on last week and they all left for it." Except for Dolf.

Somewhere, Leonardo was a lot happier about this turn of events than Dolf was.

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]

[life_inshadow]

Tara drew Kennedy in for a hug as soon as she could.

Wordless comfort was a very good thing.

Re: Talk to the Leaders [11/03]

[brat_inslayage]

Kennedy wouldn't cling for very long, but there wasn't anything tentative about that hug, either.

"'s my girl," she said quietly, eventually.

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]

[life_inshadow]

"It's okay," Tara said, smile a little tired. "What's up?"

Re: Talk to the Leaders [11/03]

[angelo_wings]

"It's nothing all that serious," she said. "It can wait, if you'd rather. I was just wondering what you meant. About power scaring you. Is there something ... about your power that's upsetting?"

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]

[trigons_child]

"Well enough," Raven said, keeping her inner doubts from her face. "I suspect it will take some time for all of us to recover. How are you feeling, Kennedy?"

Re: Talk to the Leaders [11/03]

[brat_inslayage]

"Getting there," Kennedy answered as neutrally as she could, though Raven would probably be able to tell the neutrality took some effort. "Sorry I didn't check in with you earlier. Kinda figured you needed some down time. We all did."

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]

[trigons_child]

Raven managed a small smile. "Hello, Dolf," she said. "I must apologize, this is the second meeting in a row that you must be confused about what has happened with Tara and myself." She bent to scoop up the kitty in her arms. "And Karla, of course, but at least she is here, but not entirely herself."

Re: Talk to the Leaders [11/03]

[swordsandsoccer.livejournal.com]

"Tara told me some," Dolf said, shaking his head. "Don't worry about it." His eyes flicked to the cat for a second - he still had a little trouble picturing it as Karla. "How are you feeling?"

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.