I THOUGHT BY NOW YOU'D REALIZE

[maskormods]

WHO: ImPorts!
WHERE: The Jefferson Hotel, Washington D.C.
WHEN: July 17th, 4:00PM - 11:00 PM
WHAT: A Swearing-In gets ruptured.
WARNINGS: Will updated if necessary.

This Swearing-In this July takes place in presidential Washington, D.C. for a highly patriotic evening. The eternally classy Jefferson Hotel, complete with appropriate dining and the presentation hall serves as the evening venue. The dress code requested is fancy, suit-and-tie, but business casual would be acceptable. The evening air is heavy -- the humidity can be unforgiving, even north of the warmer states, but the crisp coastal breeze will bring some Atlantic relief. You are free to walk around the Jefferson Hotel in any room that isn't already being rented out by other patrons -- so yes, you can get up to personal shenanigans! But try to have a little decorum about those amorous impulses, won't you? If you wander in the secondary reception room, you'll be able to engage the totally patriotic informational material decorating the grand and gilded hall. There's a painting covered by a black velvet drape, though you might easily peek beneath it to check it out. Wonder why that's been hidden! Well ignore it, because there's plenty of beautiful art to behold all evening. Get absorbed in the messages, unironically!

Your Swearing-In itinerary is as follows:

4:00 Arrival time. You are free to waltz around the Jefferson Hotel, or explore the national monuments of Washington, D.C. The capital will look exactly as it did during the year 2000.

You cannot meet with President Freemason.

5:30 Cocktail hour. Enjoy! Juice hour for the young'uns. You may also use this time to dance along the designated dance floor in your fancy pants.

6:30 Keynote speaker SENATOR HAIK addresses imPorts in the presentation hall about why you're better dead than red. You might nod off at a point or two, but you'll catch the following:
1) The USSR is moving beyond nuclear power, seeking to match the imPorts in capability.
2) The CIA has lost two undercover agents in Moscow. Haik believes this foreshadows a deep risk.
3) The US will respond if attacked.

6:55 An anti-war protester, a young man with sandy hair who had masqueraded as a newly imPorted man, storms the podium stage. He screams about a conspiracy! A conspiracy!! Between Freemason and Volkov! That this cold war is but a fabrication! Thousands of American lives are put at risk because of their mutual thirst for power!

6:56 Protestor is tackled by security. His arms are broken (snap!) as he's carried away.

7:30 A stately dinner! Have at the options.

8:01 The lights cut out. Any NON-LIFE DEPENDENT tech that you have on yourself dies, meaning communicators and phones are temporarily disabled. Full on blackout, not even wireless is accessible. But don't worry, EVERYTHING IS OKAY! Remain calm. Remain where you are. Please do not make out under the white linen tables.

8:49 All power returns.

9:30 The All-American Agenda Regarding imPort Interaction and Integration Presentation will be showcasing exemplary imPorts who have exhibited their true moral integrity and patriotic glamor to the height of good citizenry! This presentation will be holographically delivered back in the presentation room, and will be moderated by Senator Haik. All images and video will present as a semi-transparent 3D visual and will be complete with fully articulated audio. You won't miss a single detail! Sit back, relax, and congratulate your extraordinary fellow imPorts! Media from domestic AND most Western international outlets are welcomed into this venue for broadcast. You can EXPECT THIS to go VIRAL on the incredibly democratic BLUETUBE (no communists allowed).

PRESENTATION IS AS FOLLOWS:

Unless otherwise specified, as each name is rattled off, a picture of the figure in question is displayed on the screen, an ominous accompaniment to the lies - and truths - being spread. What's a name without a visual, after all?

"NAGACHIKA HIDEYOSHI... an ordinary young man, or a turncoat? From yet another world with bloodthirsty threats waiting to come out of the Porter at any time, Nagachika is the son of a man who strives to fight against the threat: the Ghouls. But Nagachika has turned against the will of his family, the government, and the good of mankind to use these horrific creatures for his own gains! What's stopping him from doing the same here?"

As the dialogue - complete with subtitles for anyone that needs them - runs its course, a picture appears on the screen: Nagachika and Ken Kaneki, the ghoul in question. Ken's claws are out, and contrary to its apparent monstrosity, Nagachika looks perfectly placid.

"KANG is a living embodiment of monsters living in our midst, among our families and children as the government stands idly by! Don't be fooled by the imPorts' ability to blend in with the rest of us -- monsters are monsters, no matter what form they take. Kang is a childslayer, and viciously killed and devoured his brothers and cousins in a bid for power and dominance! If that wasn't enough, he ate his parents too! It's only a matter of time before he decides to make a bid for power here, and like all creatures of his race, the only way to establish dominance is through feeding on the children. Want to keep your babies safe? Keep them away from Kang!"

Next, a poster appears on the screen, though in the interest of accessibility and good old fashioned theatricality, a voice-over booms throughout the room.

"TOUKA KIRISHIMA and KEN KANEKI are a duo of criminals, preying on the innocent citizens of De Chima. While Touka Kirishima uses her beguiling charms to seduce unsuspecting victims in her homes, Ken Kaneki lies in wait to devour them. Their home is one of depravity of the highest kind; though Touka may not have any interest in those she preys upon, she'll do anything for Ken. Even sociopaths can fall in love, and this twisted figure will kill for it."

"Self-hatred is an ugly thing, and none are as ugly as ABIGAIL HOBBS, a witch so disgusted with the beastliness inside that she has lashed out against the public! She may be lovely enough aside from that aberration of a missing ear, but beware! There's nothing but rot inside. She preys only on young women who look like her, hiding them away to perform black magic. And who has been able to get close enough to her to hack away her ear? She did that herself... a true product of a twisted mind!"

"KANAYA MARYAM... this alien menace walks among us, sowing the seeds of her sinister kingdom in our own innocent citizens! Within our very own cities, where good people should be able to sleep safe and sound, Kanaya has begun feeding and harboring a vampire army of her own creation. How many has she already turned? How many more will she turn? Could your family be the next to join their ranks? The only certain thing is that this mother of monsters won't stop until she's shrouded our planet in darkness!"

"VERITY WILLIS is a walking polygraph, and while she's free to lie through her teeth about her own decency, she wants to know all of your secrets for her to twist at her command, knowing that none dare cross her! She's a cheater and a blackmailer, willing to blackmail unsuspecting men into dating her lest she give away their deepest, darkest secrets. Even if her power could be a boon to the public in helping save the city from criminals, she is a slave to her own greed. All she wants is money, sex and power, and she might just use your secrets to get them! Think you can still trust her? Then what kind of truthteller spends her time with the God of Lies?"

"OWEN BURNETT'S life is built upon lies after lies after lies! He may seem to be a harmless bureaucrat on the surface, but don't be fooled! His apparent dullness is nothing but a front for his sinister intentions: to get into the imPort government and dismantle society from within! A mere proficiency in lies may seem impotent next to the monsters and beasts he works with, but just consider: what kind of mind does it take to keep up a constant facade?"

"JONATHAN CRANE has been moonlighting as an upstanding citizen, psychiatrist to all who need his help, but he is the one that needs help -- in a mental asylum! Unbeknownst to everyone he claims to be helping, he is a cold-blooded murderer. After he was abandoned by his parents, his grandmother kindly took him in, but in a cruel twist of fate, her empathy and selflessness was repaid by Crane murdering her in cold blood! Unsatisfied with killing one person who showed him kindness, Crane moved on to kill a second... his mentor at the university, Avran Bramowitz, was killed by him, and Crane took his position. If that wasn't enough, he was fired from his position for unethical experiments on his students, scarring them to this very day. Is this the man you want dealing with our volatile imPorts? We think not!"

"TRACI THIRTEEN is another witch in our midst, but she doesn't stoop to the likes of Abigail Hobbs! No, mere cruelty to those around her isn't enough to quench her bloodlust. She has made deals with demons for her magic in a never-ending quest to become powerful enough to rule over all who would oppose her! She may be doomed to Hell, but until then, she plans on creating Hell on Earth -- one look at what she's capable of is proof enough of the devastation she's plotting to wreak! Would you let her go any further?"

Accompanying this voice-over is a rare image of one of the imPorts in motion; Traci is seen in the middle of the street, the black shadows around her echoing the pure black of her eyes as a giant snake bursts out from underneath the ground.

"Don't be fooled by his diminutive stature! EDWARD ELRIC is a menace to those around him, willing to tie human lives into his sick experiments! His powers of transmutation is not limited to the destruction of property around him. No, he has committed human transmutation, satisfying a dark curiosity for what happens when he uses his powers to corrupt a human form. Stay away from this boy at all costs! Death would be a kinder option than the suffering he puts his subjects through."

"MILES EDGEWORTH is a lawyer more corrupt and twisted than the supposed criminals he's put behind bars! Yes, supposed — known in his own world as the Demon Prosecutor, this amoral attorney has made a mockery of the justice system time and time again! Nothing is below him — bribery, forgery, blackmail, and lies are all fair game! His obsession with winning at any cost has led to the death of at least one innocent man, Terry Fawles — and how many more skeletons does he have in his closet? How many murderers has he allowed to walk the streets while innocent citizens suffer behind bars because of his tactics? And if innocent until proven guilty no longer has any meaning, why harbor a criminal prosecutor?"

"ANDREW WARNER is a college drop-out. That may be a typical fate among listless and misguided youth, but each man has his reason, and his speaks to the moral bankruptcy of imPort youth! After gambling away his student loans, Andrew Warner desperately tried to have an affair with his married professor to stay in school. When that foray into the dark side didn't work, he dug deeper, turning to gang activity to drum up funds until he dropped out of school entirely, too addled by drugs and violence to string together a sentence, let alone be able to write a single word!"

"HARRY HART is but another example of the secrecy imPorts keep about their true talents, all the while making their way into the people's good books! He secretly makes regular trips to the local shooting range, but what nobody knows is the pictures he puts on the targets. From everyone from his neighbours to the teachers from the local schools, Harry harbours a deep resentment towards those around him. What will he use this anger for? To rob the honest businesses around him? To start a public shooting? The real question is: do you really want to be around to find out?"

Attached to this particular voiceover is a clip of a man, indistinct in face and demeanor, viciously unloading a clip at the shooting range. Is it actually Harry Hart? That much is debatable.

"KAITO KUROBA may not have any dark secrets to divulge, nor is he a danger to society. No, he is an example of something much worse -- the true nature of the people asked to protect the people around them, the true nature of what sort of people are being given homes and jobs free of charge and effort! He is a lily-livered coward, the sort that has never had to fend on his own; by accepting government hand-outs, the government is merely prolonging his pathetic life. He even screams like a child at the mere sight of something as innocuous as fish. Is this what you want your tax dollars going towards? Is this what you want protecting your homes?"

"MILES MORALES may appear to be nothing more than a child, as sweet and innocent as children come, but even the youth among us may be corrupted. Perhaps it is not his fault that his uncle had ensnared him from such a long age, but once the rot is set in, it's not so easy to get it out again. Miles assisted his uncle in all sorts of crimes, each escalating so quickly that it eventually culminated in murder. If you think you're safe from imPorts just because they're children, remember what they're truly capable of...!"

"ANYA BORZAKOVSKAYA is a necromancer. Not only are imPorts hellbent on killing and destroying the innocent people of this nation, but they won't even let them rest peacefully in their graves. After the tragic deaths of so many at the hands of the imPorts, Anya digs up their bodies and raises their ghosts, adding them to her morbid collection so that they may never find peace again!"

Accompanying this voice-over is an image of Anya with ghosts on leashes being dragged behind her. It also looks suspiciously photoshopped. Are those really ghosts...? Well, it's not as if any natives have ever seen any to say for sure!

"Is there any youth among the imPorts that haven't engaged in a life of debauchery and crime? If there is, GOGO TOMAGO isn't among their ranks. At the ripe age of only eleven, this woman was a lawbreaker to her very bones; she was an irresponsible speed racer, a speed demon whose hunt for a simple adrenaline rush outweighed the importance of all the lives that hung in the balance. Do you trust imPorts like these to stay in control? When someone like this is given something like superpowers, watch your back! While she searches for her next big rush, your life may be on the line!"

10:50 Senator Haik speaks to ANY reporter who will listen WITH ONE solid soundbyte: THE US DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION AND TECHNOLOGIES HAS BEEN HACKED BY SOVIET SPIES. This is clearly an aggressive tactic that WILL be appropriately responded to!

Comments

early

[kinesia]

[ Grey does not like the art. He's been looking at the poster of the family for a long time. At first he thought it looked nice. Family is not a thing he has much experience of - living with Will, April and Abigail is the closest thing he's ever had to a traditional family.

But the more he looks at that poster, the less he likes it. Their false smiles. the way it talks about bonds. It reminds him of the way Wilford's people used to smile. It's all false.

So is the suit he's wearing. His hair is combed and he's wearing a suit that's big across the shoulders and a little short in the legs, and there's a tie around his neck that he keeps pulling at. The knot is tiny, by this stage. He's not used to suits. He's as fake as the people in that picture, tonight.

Deciding he's had enough, he retreats to Will's side, and looks critically at the bunny on his poster. He reaches out, touching the explosion beside it, and his eyes slide over to look at Will. His expression is wry, and he lifts an eyebrow. None of this surprises Grey. This government is getting worse all the time. His prevailing feeling is that he can't trust any of them. Will is shown the tattoo that says 'trouble', and Grey turns away from the picture again.

They should go home soon. He wants to go home. ]

[infomodder]

[Once he realizes who's come up to him (and it doesn't take long at all), he turns just enough to open some space, an invitation that Grey is more than welcome. The smile that naturally takes over his face whenever Grey is around fades when he looks at where he points, his tattoo, turns to a frown when his eyes falls from Grey's raised eyebrow to that teeny tiny knot. He gives the explosion another look before he destroys any personal bubble, reaching out to gently fix the knot under Grey's chin with the patience and gentleness Grey has probably noticed Will using when the time comes for the dogs (or anything else in the house, really) to get a bath. He might not be a fashion forward individual, at all, but he can fix a tie gone bad. Fix it and lower it enough that it won't leave Grey feeling too choked, and Grey can pull off a sloppily-done tie no problem.]

Preferably whatever trouble comes up won't be that bad. [He mumbles, flattening the tie against Grey's chest with some approval. Job well done. Grey might not like the way he needs to dress, but there's not much to be done about it.] These feel more like propaganda—meant to cause blindness, not clarity. But it's nice to get out sometimes anyway.

[Sometimes. Like, when they can dress in plaid and comfort instead of fancy pants.]

[kinesia]

[ Grey looks like he’s fighting his own impatience while Will fixes that tie. This is the clothing of a class Grey has never belonged to. If Curtis could see him now, he’d look like a traitor. He hates that.

But Will is right. This is what’s required, because this is a Government building, and they’re all here because the Government says so. It wants them to look at its pictures and agree to Register (Grey remains a resolute ‘no’ to that) and eat its food and generally behave appropriately. Grey is here because Will and Abigail and April are here. His dislike at the thought of it is superseded only by his worry that they might come without him, and this is the last place he wants them to go without him. His nervous edge never really goes away while he’s here, manifesting in a tightness across his shoulders and an itch in his fingers. He wants his knife.

He shows Will his Surrender tattoo – while keeping the nearby ‘Die’ turned away, because he still doesn’t want Will to know about that – and then nods at the pictures. That’s what they want them to do – surrender to the will of the government. He looks particularly at the one where an American-flagged hand is covering a man’s mouth. They want to close down dissent. ]

we cant trust them .

[ The words flick across Grey’s cheek for a moment or two, and then they’re gone, and he looks away. ]

[infomodder]

[An impatience that Will doesn't miss but one he can't do much to ease, other than keep his moves gentle and patient, provide a stable ballast that Grey can trust in even when the world around them isn't one he approves of. The rest of the house might be Registered, but that doesn't mean any of them have a right to take Grey aside and try to change his mind. None of them are better than anyone else for their chosen status with the government, end of story.

He follows Grey with his eyes, keeps close so he doesn't have to gesture too much and give away their "talk" to anyone who might be watching, and worries his bottom lip between his teeth for a moment as he watches the words come and go.]

Sure you can. There are different kinds of trust. I trust the people I know. But I also trust wolves, bears, sharks. [He looks back at Grey, smile lopsided, not quite right. This conversation isn't quite right, this world isn't quite right. It fits.] You can trust someone or something to be true to their nature without trusting them. Know what I mean?

[Will isn't Registered because he suckles The Man. But The Man did pull him into this world in the garb of a prisoner and gave him a second chance, the least he can do is say yes. Make it easier. There's no point in him struggling more than he has to, and he can probably do a bit more good if he can travel easily through the cities and glean benefits with a polite thank you and smile. Even if he'd been a fight The Man instead of befriend The Man and keep an eye on him type, he'd also come through the Porter with a raging sickness and needed healthcare to cover that. So. His decision was pretty much obvious.]

[kinesia]

[ Grey follows Will without even thinking about it. He walks in the same direction. He leans closer when Will does, and he listens, because even if they don't agree on registering, by and large he trusts Will's judgement. He thinks that Will, and the others in the house, are too quick to trust this government, but he can't blame them for that. They haven't seen how bad it can get, when someone has too much control. Grey can still trust Will.

And he's right about this, after all. Grey turns a slightly wry smile on him, and nods. Yes, they can trust the government to be untrustworthy, if that's what he means. They can always rely on that.

Grey will have to keep them safe, if it comes to that. All of them. Will and April and Abigail. They've become the closest thing he has to family. He won't let them be taken from him.

Not again. He turns his hand up, imagining fresh words that show up on his palm. ]

it wont end with this . do you think russia will attack, will ?

[ That's a whole other problem. Russia, the other government. That's a level of conflict Grey has never experienced before, and he doesn't really know what to make of it. Or how he should feel about it. All he feels now is that he's not on this government's side, which in the grand scheme of things, really doesn't help. ]

[infomodder]

[He doesn't know how deep Grey's loyalties to their little family run. He can guess, and he assumes that if anything happened, if it came down to the wire, Grey would jump in to help out in any way he could, yes. But Will's always been the overly protective one, has always been ready to risk harm to himself before he'd do what others might consider the sane thing and unleash his dogs on an intruder. That was never how it worked, in Will's mind. He took care of them, that didn't just involve bathing and feeding and a warm place to rest. So while he expected that Grey would step in and step up if he had to, Will unconsciously never assumed that would happen because he was there. He was always the first to go in, to run in, to protect and serve and defend, especially when it came to those he held dear. Grey is in that group, gets a smile similar to his in return as Will walks abreast him like two equals, all while Will doesn't yet truly understand how similar they are in certain aspects.

Their house is better off than he realizes, which one could argue is his design. To bring together those he and April can't tolerate being too far away and, at the same time, work towards making their place safe by virtue of not only caring about the others that live there but also having additional powers to make sure everyone stays in one piece. It's simply that Will's always thought of himself on the front lines, taking the most damage. That's what he's used to.]

I couldn't say. [The disgruntled face he makes at Grey's hand has nothing to do with Grey and everything to do with the question, the situation at hand (badum tsh). He can guess, but his guesses might be as worthless as half the "art" in this place.] I'd hope not, but...I'd also hope we wouldn't attack. It could go either way, I suppose.

[kinesia]

[ That’s the other problem. What if this country attacks? They’ll draw imports into it, or they’ll try to. Isn’t that what all the pictures are all about? And it’s those who are registered that will be in the most danger, because they’ve declared their allegiance. They’d be expected to help.

War between countries is a strange thought. Grey can’t really visualise it. War, to him, means the fights that would have happened on the Train, two sides meeting in a very contained environment with a limited number of people on every side. He knows that this would be bigger in scale, bigger than he can even imagine. Bigger than the Train itself. That’s hard to imagine, too. ]

i don’t want you to fight

[ Actually, fighting isn’t the problem. Losing the fight is. ]

we tried to fight to make things better . we waited and waited for the right time

this was supposed to be better .

[ He lets those words fade away, and his hand drops, and he looks at the picture with the explosion. Grey has never seen one before. He’s seen fire, but that’s all. They have to stop this from happening. At the very least, they have to stop imports from being caught up in it. There has to be a way. ]

[infomodder]

[...ah.

Will does his best to keep his face completely neutral. Difficult, and there are cracks to it—he stiffens at Grey not wanting him to fight, frowns deeper than usual at the idea of here being better but not being better. He follows his look back to the explosion and his lips twist like something sour is sitting on his tongue, something he can't spit out.]

I'm not a stranger to fighting when it's necessary. [If the need arises, if there is no way around it...he'll get his hands dirtier than a day spent digging in the garden, and he doesn't mind shining a bit of light on that. Not to Grey, not if he's got some worry that Will either can't handle his own or can but isn't willing to...or, what, that he's capable but afraid of it happening, maybe?] Few truly good things come easy. Things that are worthwhile aren't cheap, in my experience. Having a good thing and maintaining it, holding onto something better is going to involve a fight. In way or another. There has to be balance. A give and a take, a this for a that. I don't want it to happen, but if it does, it does, and this place is full of good things worth fighting for.

[Like Grey himself, if the way his voice drops to something fond and he focuses on Grey entirely is anything to go by.]

[kinesia]

[ Like you, Grey thinks, while lifting his hand to point at Will. His eyes slide back to the other man. That's what is worth fighting for. Will, April and Abigail. The family he's found here. Grey can't imagine any role for himself but as their protector. Of course thats what he must do. That's what he has always done. He was never any good at the other things, like speaking or planning or leading. He did what he was told and he fought. He can do that again.

He just doesn't want to lose another rebellion. He's seen far too much of that, and he only realises that now that he thinks about it specifically. ]

i will fight .

[ Not wanting Will to do so doesn't mean Grey imagines himself hiding from it. Of course he wouldn't. ]

but last time they died

most of them . here people can come back . its supposed to be better

[ He looks up at Will, and then reaches to brush his fingers over the explosion. The picture, that mass of flames and smoke. ]

this looks worse .

[infomodder]

[Will reaches out, gently covering Grey's wrist with his fingers and pressing down, pulling him away from it. No slap, no real force, something much quieter and fluid, like he'd use when taking April's hand on the couch, when helping Abigail up from the ground. He isn't dismissive or controlling, he's simply hoping to guide while doing so in a way that displays genuine care.]

We can't control Russia. We can't control this government, either, can we? [He pauses for a quick, rueful smile.] What we can control is ourselves. So I prefer to focus on that. Worrying about something we can't control, focusing on the worst possible outcome...that's not going to do us any good. That's what that picture is, Grey, that's a worst possible outcome. It's meant to get a unpleasant reaction. But.

[He nudges his head in the direction of April, loosely waves a hand in the direction of her, Abigail. Whoever they're near.]

Bet you'll have much nicer, less stressful reactions if we wander juuuust over there. We don't have to think about fighting. The people who died, the scars we're left with...we can talk about it more at home if you really want to, of course. Just might be nice to go spend some time with the living thinking about the best instead of the worst...especially when they're all dolled up. And you know we won't be seeing this any time soon around the house. April'll start pressure washing the siding and scrubbing the kitchen tile and clipping our rose bushes before we get this every day.

[He says it lightly, fondly, going from serious and grim to pleased and adoring. He might actually have a heart attack at his ancient age if he caught April doing any of that. Raccoons? No, normal. April doing it without it being, like, some attempt to teach the raccoons their job? Absolutely not, has she gone mad, give him that, go inside and think about what you've done, I could have DIED! Affection springs eternal for family and maybe Grey can feel that, too, as Will's hand goes to his shoulder, another gentle, guiding grip, leaning in to drop his voice like he's sharing some very very confidential secret, though his eyes never leave Abigail.]

Leave this shit behind, go have a good time. Pester the girls a little. What do you say?

[kinesia]

[ Grey is remarkably easy to guide. He drops his hand and turns at Will’s urging, without either question or complaint. He does worry about the intent of the people ruling over them. He worries about where all of this will lead, and what will happen to the people he cares about when it does. But he won’t focus on it, if Will doesn’t want him to. He nods acceptance, and only lifts a curious eyebrow at the thought of pestering the girls. Pester them how? They shouldn’t leave them alone for too long, he supposes. ]

pester Abigail ?

[ He sees where Will is looking. In fact Grey taps his hand, and then holds out the palm with those words on it to make sure Will sees them. ]

they’re happy tonight . [ …so far, anyway. Give them a couple of hours and it’ll be a whole other story. ]

[infomodder]

[Clearly they're going to pour ice down their dresses and put fake flies in their drinks, as all good men must do to let women know that they Like them. Pulling on hair is optional.

Will follows easily, too, face breaking out into a large smile when he reads those three words. With no knowledge of the nonsense about to happen, difficult not to. They do look happy, and if there's one thing Will Graham is always going to find worthwhile and good, it's Abigail's genuine happiness.]

I think you're right. [His hand runs along Grey's shoulder a moment before he leaves a gentle pat and stuffs both into his coat pockets, slowly heading over while keeping in Grey's personal bubble, grin stuck in place.] Maybe next time we won't have to dress up and we can all be comfortable, too.

[Grey isn't the only one who's not a fan of these clothes by any stretch of the imagination. As soon as they can home, it'll be a race to see which one of them can disrobe first because fuck fancy clothes, man.]

should we round this off here?

[kinesia]

[ As Grey turns to follow, he looks at Will with unmistakeable fondness. He agrees with that sentiment too, of course. Fancy clothes are not for him.

Though, they do suit the girls. He's decided that already. It's going to be a shame when they ruin those dresses with ice. ]

Jeans next time . [ As opposed to these pressed trousers. These aren't good for anyone. What if there's a need to run? They'd never stand up to that. ]