And we're all adrift together through the cold mist, 'til we're lifeless together

[dokkalfheimr]

[The preparations hit differently this time.

Last weekend was at least an attempt at being festive, even with the light supplies they have; at being joyous, at giving people at least one nice thing to look back upon before things inevitably took a turn for the worse. And now two people are dead, and instead of trying to figure out structure placement and how best to keep everyone entertained and occupied and well-fed, the preparations now are given to much more practical purposes.

Large amounts of bottled water from the machine. Bagels and bread and muffins, light starchy things to avoid forcing anyone to keep meat or seafood down after seeing a corpse. Fruit for the sake of providing energy. Avoiding including bananas for any reason. Quietly pulling aside one of the first people she sees with any experience in the matter and asking them to help her make tea.

Once she's got one of the tables at the party zone set up and the tea is on its way to being prepared, she'll set around letting people know; the invitations are simple, written in Freyja's broad, elegant handwriting:

I think another gathering tonight would be beneficial. Not to celebrate, but to remember; perhaps more importantly, to ensure that no one is alone if they don't want to be.

Tonight is hard. There is nothing further to do but get through it.]

Comments

[ahelpingpaw]

I have no idea what else he can say now. If he tries to threaten with destruction for our homes it'd be the same than what he already said, no? He doesn't seem to me the kinda person that'd repeat things like that! Because, you know...

[The showboasting type wouldn't do that, and the Captain seems to have some measure of showboasting]

[calx]

Reframing can be effective. But consider this—he offers not a penalty, but a reward. The item we desire most, the life of someone we lost, a truth we yearn to know the answer of.

The possibilities are infinite.

[ahelpingpaw]

[Ooooooh no. He hadn't considered the possibility the Captain would try to make rewards instead of threats. That really opens all sorts of options, options Filbo can't even imagine]

D-Don't say that aloud! You'll give him ideas!

[calx]

Ah? [ Blink, blink. ] Is he really that unimaginative on his own?

[ahelpingpaw]

Well, have you seen the profiles? They all have these titles. I mean, look at mine, he pretty much used a word that's right here where everybody can see it. [He tugs at his mayoral sash. Yup, there it says it in capital letters and all] He doesn't seem...that imaginative.

[Only someone unimaginative wouldn't come up with a good title, right, Nick? Hah! But yeah, Filbo is aware it is a quite weak point. He's grasping at straws]

[calx]

That is a fair observation.

[ Looking at the sash and then crossing his arms. ]

I am actually unaware of how he derived my title.

[ahelpingpaw]

You know what an elevator is, right? Or are you from one of those places where they don't exist?

[He already had to explain treadmills and airplanes to people, maybe elevators as a concept will have to be explained too]

[calx]

I looked it up in the library shortly after we arrived.

[ This is what he was doing the first week as work killed me, it is now canon. ]

But yes, elevators do not exist in my world so I find the association odd.

[ahelpingpaw]

Seriously?

[Hmmmmm...well it probably wasn't a title he received for nothing! In that case, maybe they're focusing on the wrong part. Maybe the attendant part is what matters here!]

What about the trivia part? Is that--is that part true?

[calx]

I wouldn't joke about something like that.

[ ...would Albedo joke period? Hmm. ]

Ah, "Chief Babysitter", yes that is true. Though it's far from an official title, but it does take up a large amount of my time compared to the other duties I have as a Knight of Favonius.

[ahelpingpaw]

I see.

[Attendant, attendant...babysitting attendant? Uh, does Favonius mean 'elevator' in some language he doesn't know, or something? Maybe whoever he is babysitting is such a handful Albedo feels like he's, uh, attending an elevator--no that doesn't make sense at all.

...

Darn it. He's got no idea at all]

...I give up. Whatever reasoning is behind this it probably is the Captain mocking you. That much is...almost guaranteed.

[calx]

[ Oh my god an elevator babysitter. The truth of the matter is that his title is very meta so no one here will ever get it, alas. (Albedo's ultimate ability makes a flower that you can use to ascend things and so for a while people said that was his only use in Genshin, but it turns out he's pretty solid all around actually. Now you know! ). ]

I appreciate your work, but I don't fault you for quitting. It's not something I think any of us would know here, though I'll consider asking the Captain himself.

Is your title mocking, then?

[ahelpingpaw]

No! It's literally what I do. I'm the mayor of a city!

[He sounds so dang proud about it]

I-I guess it's not that subtle, but better that than him mocking me -- and there's so much to mock me for.

[So in a way he's very relieved he didn't get something worse]

[calx]

Regardless of the subtly it's fitting. And it is good to see that not everyone received ill-thought titles.

[ Some people don't like their job but Filbo doesn't seem like one of those. ]

[ahelpingpaw]

[Filbo adores his job, that's for sure, hah!]

Well, it's not really that important in the long run, anyway. It could have been just...another thing he did to try to make himself look less dangerous than he actually is. You know, like the malfunctioning flamethrowers? And the showboasting?

[Things Filbo fell for, hook line and sinker. He really did think the Captain was hopeless]

[calx]

Ah, so you're saying he's using ignorance in an attempt to get us to underestimate him?

[ ...valid tbh. ]

[ahelpingpaw]

Yeah, exactly! I mean, if we thought he couldn't do anything, we wouldn't be in any hurry to get out, right? Because we'd think there was nothing he could do -- and from what I saw around I was one of the few who seemed to be losing sleep over it at first, anyway.

[Metaphorically, really. Boy did Filbo go all-in the first couple days, so much he ran out of places to search and stuff to investigate. Then he fell into the complacency trap the Captain probably set for them all.

Boy does he feel stupid about that now]

[calx]

I think that varies on the individual, but I do see your point. A novice can be just as dangerous as an expert...

[ ty filbo you've given him stuff to mull over for sure. ]