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

[sivard]

Well, I've never... actually needed to use a carriage. I've just seen them before.

[hellahighwater]

What? Do not tell me you walk everywhere.

[sivard]

Well, it's not like I'm usually in much of a hurry. Besides, I've got Eizen's ship now.

[hellahighwater]

Like, this kinda ship? You were on a boat before all this too?

[sivard]

Oh no, this ship is enormous. You could probably fit dozens of ships the size I'm used to in it.

But I was at sea before this, yeah.

[hellahighwater]

Whoa... [ ... ] Was it a pirate ship? Like— that sounds like a pirate ship.

[sivard]

It was, actually.

[You did it, Chloe!]

[hellahighwater]

[ She sits up a little. ]

Yeah? Fuck, your profile thing said nothing about you being a pirate. That's cool!

[ Despite it all, she still thinks pirates are cool. ]

[sivard]

Well, I'm not the pirate, but Eizen is.

[hellahighwater]

Doesn't sailing with a pirate make you a pirate?

[sivard]

Maybe in the technical sense?

But we're both malakhim, so his crew doesn't know I'm on the ship. They know he's still around, though.

[hellahighwater]

...Okay, what's a...malakhim?

[sivard]

[....man it's getting hard to remember who knows and who doesn't.]

Me. An earth spirit.

[He IS listed as 500 years old.]

[hellahighwater]

A spirit? Like...magic faerie shit, like Plumeria and Freyja?

[sivard]

Uh... something like that, yeah.

[Though he hasn't really asked them much about it.]

Malakhim are born from the earth.

[hellahighwater]

What kinda powers do you have? Terrakinesis? Talking to plants? That cool shit where you can jump from one tree to another?

[sivard]

Man, talking to plants would be pretty interesting. Trees are about as long-lived as us. They'd probably have a lot to say.

[....]

I'm a wind malak. I can usually manipulate the air around me. I've never not been able to do it, it's honestly pretty creepy.

[hellahighwater]

Oh, when you said earth, I thought you meant like, specifically rocks or nature... Wind's pretty fucking cool! I...seriously can't imagine how fucked it is that you're cut off from it.

[sivard]

Eizen's an earth Malak.

[Yes, the pirate is actually weak against water.]

Though I don't think he can communicate with nature. I'm gonna harass him with that now.

[hellahighwater]

[ oh rip to eizen ]

Fuck yeah, needle 'im!

[ It's nice after the mess that was today to just. Joke around. Act like, for a little while, nothing's wrong. ]

[sivard]

[Zaveid laughs, even if it's strained.]

I'll give it to 'im good. He doesn't have much of a sense of humor, which makes it funnier.

[Sometimes pretending nothing is wrong is all you have.]