when your thoughts turn sour make them sweet instead

[sentree]

[ That was...positively horrible? Ugh. After a few hours, notes are slipped under each person's door. They read, in a neat handwriting: ]

Banquet in Vanellope's honor in the dining room.

- Reyna, Sally and Thalia

[ You may not know what to expect when they say banquet, but it...really is one, isn't it? Thalia's main dish is cheeseburgers, so there are so many of those, but the table's positively covered in an arrangement of fruit and vegetables and all kinds of bread. Looks like they've gone all out.

What's really the cream of it all, though, are the desserts. Not a lot that's special, but there's a wide collection of cookies and cupcakes, and enough hot chocolate to feed an army. Maybe literally. There is a section that's particularly fancy, and that's the many candy apples, definitely courtesy of Sally. Along with a cute amount of peppermint bark. It seems like the food is unending, too, since there's the delicatible smell of baking cookies and simmering candy from the kitchen. Thalia and Sally are keeping you stocked, don't worry. ]

Comments

dining room

[geomanctic]

...I have a younger sister. She reminded me of her, in some ways. [She's super not okay right now. She's not about to let it show, though.]


You were really cool back there.

[sentree]

[ Thalia has a few glasses of water you know, and she just...puts one down for Cornelia. ]

I was just doing what I know best: Punching a problem right in the nose.

[geomanctic]

That's one way to deal with a problem.

You do a lot of...punching, huh?

[sentree]

Usually it's stabbing or shooting. ...With arrows, I mean. Being here without my bow makes me feel kind of naked.

[geomanctic]

You shoot people with arrows?! [She's scandalized, as if she hasn't choked people out with vines.]

[sentree]

...Yeah? [ Why is this a weird thing? ] Well, monsters, but it kind of comes with the Hunter of Artemis territory.

[geomanctic]

Monsters. Okay. That makes it better. [Probably? There's a moral gray area there.] What exactly is a Hunter of Artemis?

[sentree]

Well... It came up during the trial, sort of, but-- I'm a demigod. A daughter of Zeus. Greek gods are real, et cetera et cetera. Artemis never had any kids, but...she does take in girls who need a place to go, or who have a calling for the hunt. I'm...her lieutenant. Her second-in-command. I lead those girls, and we hunt particularly tough monsters that are menacing demigods or sometimes even mortals.

[geomanctic]

Wow. Girl power. [Is that the tiniest bit of approval in Cornelia's voice? It sure is.]

[sentree]

...Yeah, that's kind of how it goes. Lady Artemis is one of the cooler Greek Gods. She's... I owe her everything, and I'm honored to have my position.

[geomanctic]

That's...really cool. [if it isn't so weird that she's a literal God.]

I'm part of a similar thing. I think mine's a little more...relaxed, though.

[sentree]

Oh, really? A group of people...of girls, only? Defending something?

[geomanctic]

Five of us. Guardians of the center of the universe. [Cornelia looks sad and kind of nostalgic.]

I wouldn't have believed anything anyone here had to say, three years ago. But now- even a girl gang led by a demigod sounds normal.

[sentree]

We're not a... [ ...Beat. ] No, we kind of are. Carry on.

Do you miss them? Your friends.

[geomanctic]

More than anything. If they were here... I don't think we'd be stuck here. None of this would have happened.

[sentree]

Even without your abilities? I assume you have some pretty amazing ones, if you're Guardians of the universe.

[geomanctic]

Not the universe! Just a place that...is basically the center of it. [Come on. She's not that great.]

My powers are dampened to begin with, being away from the Heart. My friend Will carries it. I'm sure I could do more, if it were here-- even with whatever barrier is stopping my magic.

[sentree]

Center is still a pretty impressive task.

[ However... ] It sounds like how I work with Lady Artemis. I can still feel her blessing, but only barely. If only her power was coursing through me...

[geomanctic]

[She shakes her head. This whole thing is such a mess.]

It's something strong, to cut us off from them like this. If we could just-- I wonder what we can do to break through...

[sentree]

Immortals have incredible powers. Even if they're only spirits... Roddy and whoever he's working for must be the source of it. Breaking it... It'll be beyond difficult.

[geomanctic]

Roddy. Is that what we're calling him now?

We have time to figure it out. After that-- [Mr. Northwest going splat] -- no one would want to risk getting caught again, right?

[sentree]

It's what I call him. He didn't protest.

[ She's being a little shit. ]

I...sure hope no one would, anyway, but we should still stay on our guard. All of us, in whatever way we can.