after the event

[a_shadow]

Okay, if you were at the faire and are now at the camp, speak up. I want to get a head count.

I'm Tex, by the way. I'm not the leader or anything, I just want to get things a little bit organized.

Comments

[cachedout]

You better watch yourself. That's some dangerously leaderly behavior!

[ So says a robot, apparently. He seems to be on the move. ]

[a_shadow]

Well, at least I'm trying something, I guess.

[ Whether that sticks, she doubts. ]

[cachedout]

Not it, for the record. I've done way too much responsibility lately.

[ He's helping. ]

I think there's at least a couple dozen of us, but I haven't been counting.

[credit_not_blame]

[ Given that they've all been fighting and running through the woods, this teenage girl looks remarkably put-together. ]

Not the leader of what? Is there a previously-established gang of Chosen Ones running around, or are we all new arrivals here in this mess?

[ That's what the spooky sisters had addressed them as, 'Chosen Ones'. It's better than 'New Hires', at least. ]

[pasthole]

Absolutely fucking not if I have anything to say about.

[credit_not_blame]

[ Stacia laughs. ]

Sounds like somebody is speaking from experience.

[a_shadow]

This also counts as a 'not it' on my part.

[ Not that she's helping her case any by trying to take a headcount. ]

If you want to know the total, I can let you know.

[a_shadow]

As far as I can tell, we're all new. I don't know why we got called that.

[credit_not_blame]

Oh goody, I'm starting at the beginning of an adventure again.

[ Stacia indulges in a brief pout before moving briskly along with the business at hand. ]

I'm going to take a stab and say that they're calling us that because 'the Green' -- whatever that is -- brought us here to do something. 'Chosen one' is a pretty solid shorthand for that kind of thing.

[wheyoftheadept]

Nah, I think the Chosen Ones is us, actually. Any more 'a this shit an' I'm gonna have to start charging. Do forest spirits write checks?

[a_shadow]

I have had enough of being chosen, thanks. And adventures, come to think of it.

[cachedout]

Sure, let me know once you think you got one finalized. Then we can count again when we get... wherever it is we're going. See how we do.

[ Is this a kind of fucked up and way-too-familiar way to talk about the possibility of losing people? Yeah. ]

And, to finish off our vitally important leadership sidebar: Dammit.

[pasthole]

If I've just made another blind turn into the secret final chapter of having a very special destiny I'm supposed to be fearless leader of, I am going to choke myself to death and be done with it.

[ Karkat folds his arms in grumpy defiance. ]

[credit_not_blame]

If it helps, I've been known to take over most groups I join. I'll find something for you to do so that destiny can't trick you into supplanting me. Sound good?

[credit_not_blame]

I hear that. Though at this rate, I think the only way to get out of this gig is to die.

[credit_not_blame]

[ siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh ]

I was just really hoping that there was a team of Chosen Ones who already knew what was going on and had partway solved whatever was going on instead of having to start from square one.

And no, they don't. I'm pretty sure forest spirits don't believe in capitalism.

[wheyoftheadept]

Goddamit. How's a girl supposed to make a living?

[credit_not_blame]

Still working that out. I need to consult with people who talk to spirits more than I do to figure out how to make them understand the necessities of being made out of meat.

[pasthole]

Wow, okay, I'm gonna consider this offer, but can you dial back the future sinister overlord levels on that just a tiny bit? As a favor? Thanks.

[greyerrant]

It would appear we're in another... strange place again.

[ Loken sounds really annoyed. ]

[crayon]

[takenalive]

[Ugh. Alloran has used his tailblade to trim one of the waxy cylinders down to a finer point. His handwriting is very precise.]

I believe I like these even less than the devices we were issued on the Rig.

[a_shadow]

Well, I'm dead, back where I came from. So not necessarily.

[a_shadow]

I don't know if we even need a leader, but we definitely do need to gather our wits. And protect each other.

[a_shadow]

Yeah, thanks for the news bulletin.

[wheyoftheadept]

Could be worse. Could be shock collars.