How to Win an Election Without Even Running

[not_over_yet]

[ So. Many things have been pretty awful lately. But Randy gave Basil a very unique opportunity, and. Well. Freddie had always been as much for showmanship as their first host--down to the execution: she went out on her terms, with very impressive results. Basil's not about to pass up the closest thing to a victory they've had so far.

He can't do much on his own, but he finds a few others willing to help ok so they did the majority of the actual work. Point is, there's something to celebrate, and they're going to do just that.

Going through Freddie's room (of course he's looting it, she told him to) and setting things up both take time, but eventually the others will find handwritten invitations slipped under their doors.
You Are Cordially Invited To The
~INAUGURAL CELEBRATION~
of
Manor President
~ Freddie Facilier ~
( Dining Room; bring your own liquor, due to compromise )

Hanging on the wall opposite the room's casino-side entrance is a large blue banner--oddly on-base as far as matching the color of that wand-splosion--which sports metalic-gold lettering, declaring:

winner of the 2018 Manor-Presidential election
~ FREDDIE FACILIER ~


Vice Presidents
MABEL PINES and ACKBAR THE PIG
will act on her behalf during our president's absence

...That may be the most tasteful decoration in the room, as Basil told VP Mabel to raid both the sewing and art rooms for "anything in colors that would remind one of our president". There's a lot of extremely vivid violet everywhere.

There's food, naturally--provided by Lekmet--and. Well, technically no alcohol served, but as the invitations stated, there's nothing preventing you from bringing your own. ]

Comments

[stanbyme]

[Stan isn't in his room (or Mabel's, or Leia's) when the invitations go out. When they get back upstairs, he goes straight to his room, strips out of his suit and puts on his jeans, and then goes up to the gym, tapes up his hands, and starts punching.

...Yeah, he's gonna be at this pretty much all night.]

[hasit]

[Leia notices Stan's absence pretty quickly, but she figures he needs some time alone, and she can't exactly blame him. So it's awhile before she goes looking for him; eventually, the sound of grunts and fists hitting leather lead her up to the gym. For awhile, she just stands in the doorway, watching. Looking half-fond, half-worried.

But when he stops for a breather, she decides to make her presence known.]

Hey, honey. Blowing off some steam?

[stanbyme]

[He stops to wipe sweat off of his face with a towel. His undershirt is sticking to him, and his ponytail is glued to the nape of his neck, and he almost drops the towel in surprise when he sees her.]

Uh- Yeah. That obvious where I'd run off to?

[hasit]

[She smiles at him, unfolding her arms and coming into the room proper.]

I checked one or two other places first.

[She reaches into her pocket and pulls out something cylindrical, tossing it to him: it turns out to be a can of Pitt from the fridge.]

Thought you might be thirsty.

[stanbyme]

[leia dont throw something at a man with cataracts

He yelps and almost misses, but catches the can and turns it over with a smile.]

Aww, you know me. Thanks, Starshine.

[He taps the top to knock the fizz down and then cracks it open, draining half the can in one go.]

[hasit]

[square up and get LASIK, thot

A simple shrug of her shoulders.]

I had a hunch.

[She comes a little closer, hands folded together in front of her.]

I should know better than to ask this, but...are you alright?

[stanbyme]

[He meets her question by averting his gaze a little and taking another swig of peach soda, then swirling it around and listening to the pit clink against the aluminum.]

...Wish we could go one week without losing a kid, but... Yeah, 'bout as alright as I can be.

[No he's not.]

[hasit]

That's about all any of us can ask for.

[She moves like she's going to go and sit down on a weight bench, but pauses.]

If you want, I can go. I just wanted to check in on you.

[stanbyme]

When have I ever said no to you keeping me company?

[He beats her to the weight bench and sits down, patting the space next to him.]

...Can I ask you a favor?

[hasit]

Well, that's true. I figured I'd give you the option.

[She sits down next to him, ignoring how sweaty he is, because, well, She Has A Type. Curious, eyes a little worried, she glances up at him.]

Of course, Stan. What is it?

[stanbyme]

[Out of courtesy, because he is Sweaty and Gross, he doesn't put his arm around her. He leans forward and rests his elbows on his knees, looking at the ground.]

Can you look after Mabel for me for a while? Think it's probably best if I sleep in my own room for a few nights.

[You saw how Mad she was.]

[hasit]

[She watches him lean forward on his knees, her own hands folded in her lap.]

Of course, Stan, but—why? She's not still upset with you, is she..?

[stanbyme]

[He huffs a tired laugh.]

Believe it or not, the number one Pines trait ain’t the curls, it’s stubbornness.

[hasit]

[Leia chuckles, too, nudging his knee with her own.]

That's a Skywalker trait, too. If you'd met my brother, you'd know. Don't worry, Mabel's in good hands with me. Though...

[She leans in a little closer, her voice dropping.]

I'll miss you.

[stanbyme]

[He leans closer to her with a small smile, bumping her shoulder lightly.]

Don’t think I’ll sleep near as well on my own without my girls.

[And then sighs.]

...I wasn’t trying to baby her, I just... panicked.

[hasit]

[It makes a little more warmth bloom in her chest, hearing him say that. 'His girls.' Like they're teenagers all over again. Or like...

Like a family, the three of them.

And that's...nice. It's a nice feeling. She hopes it lasts.]

I know. You had the best intentions. In time, she'll see that.

[stanbyme]

I wasn’t...trying to baby you either.

That girl, she started laughing and all I could see was-

[hasit]

I know. [She straightens up, leaning back on her hands, a little. Stretching out her back and her neck.] I get it. I do. But...I think you're just underestimating what I can handle.

[She looks up at the ceiling for a moment, contemplative.]

Would you like to hear a story, Stanley?

[stanbyme]

[He squeezes his eyes shut briefly, and then looks over at her.]

Sure? Go for it.

[hasit]

[She lets out a sigh through her nose, trying to formulate the words to tell this story that honestly? She's sometimes not sure if it was all a dream. A hallucination.]

A while back...not long before we came here...there was an attack on our ship. An enemy fighter...took aim at our bridge, and took its shot. Myself and my entire high command were all thrust out into open space. The rest of them...Ackbar—the real Ackbar—all of them, died. Me...

[She closes her eyes for a moment, squeezes them shut, and goes on.]

It was so cold out there, Stan, unbelievably cold. I remember thinking, "This is it. This is the end of Leia Organa. At least if I have to go, it's surrounded by all these stars."

[The look she gives Stan is bittersweet; a sad smile.]

But the thing is, I was born with...something. A gift. My brother had it, my father had it, and...my son has it, too. I've always been attuned to what my kind call the Force. It had always been more emotional in nature, I'd always been able to sense things. I knew when something was wrong, I could sense shifts in peoples' moods...I can't reach it here, of course, where it'd be useful.

But that day...I used the Force. Truly used it. Even thoughI should have died, I was half-frozen, I was able to pull myself back into that broken-up bridge, and get through the airlock. It wasn't an easy recovery by any means.

[She reaches over and gives Stan's hand a squeeze.]

After that...being stabbed ranks pretty low on your list of fears.

[stanbyme]

[As Leia tells her story, Stan's poker face falters. Of all the things that ever happened to him, he's never had to fear space itself, but he feels a chill run down his spine at the way she says the word cold, and an icy stone settles in the pit of his stomach.

She could have died, and he would never have met her, and he would never have known what he was missing.

His hand feels cold when she reaches over and takes it, and it trembles before he squeezes her hand back.]

...Sure beats the hell out of any story I could tell ya.

[It sounds like something out of a sci-fi story, it doesn't even sound real.

He keeps hold of her hand, because she is real, at least.]

It may be pretty low on your list of fears, but losing you's gotten pretty high on mine. [He kisses her knuckles.]

[hasit]

[It hurts to see that look on his face, and know that she put it there, but this is important for him to know. She wants him to know these things about her.

Leia watches Stan raises her hand to his lips; he's always showing her these little pieces of affection, and it's something she could see herself getting used to. She shouldn't, but she could.]

You won't lose me, Stan. Even if, Force forbid, something should happen...you won't lose me.