About The Dorms, Friday

[dark_slippy_thing]

Valentine was pretty certain he was doomed.

Donatello (turtle_techie)	Donnie had been heading back to his room when he passed through the fourth floor common room and spotted a familiar face. "Valentine! Hey, it's been a while since I've seen you around - are you on this floor?"
Valentine (importantman)	"Currently, I am indeed on this floor." It was possibly a far too literal answer, given that Valentine had made himself comfortable by taking a seat on the floor itself, rolling a ball around in the palm of his hand as he studied the people in the common room. "But I live on the second floor. This is just the place to be at the moment, I suppose." He looked up at the turtle, opened his mouth to say something, then just froze there for a moment as his mind stagnated on him, shut his mouth again, and simply rolled the ball around some more.
Donatello (turtle_techie)	Donnie had been meaning to find Valentine again anyway now that he had his computer set up, but the slightly awkward pause had him taking a different tack than asking about poster design. He frowned slightly and sank down into a crouch to look at Valentine on his level. "Is something up?"
Valentine (importantman)	Valentine looked up from his ball at the frowning turtle and shook his head slightly. "I've gone and made a decision to do something huge, and I'm in the painfully confusing process of talking myself out of talking myself out of it." Might as well be honest. This was probably going to get him killed or worse, so he wasn't too worried about embracing the drama today.
Donatello (turtle_techie)	He may not have known Valentine that well, but if the other boy was telling him that much, maybe he was looking for someone to listen. "What did you decide to do?"
Valentine (importantman)	"The more it think about it, the more I see it as deciding to run headfirst into something that will most likely get myself killed." He caught the ball in the palm of his hand and closed his fingers around it tightly. "But then, if I don't do it, who will?" He had to pause for a moment to take in what he was saying. That sounded clearly far too noble for any Valentine to be uttering. "I mean, if my world ends, where will I make my living? The pay for juggling around here is lousy."
Donatello (turtle_techie)	Donatello's eyes widened slightly; whatever he'd been expecting, it certainly wasn't of that magnitude. "If you can do something to save an entire world, shouldn't the attempt be made? Even if it's dangerous... Well. A world is a lot to have weighing on your shoulders, if you could have helped and didn't, just because you were afraid."
Valentine (importantman)	"I don't know that I'll be so much of a help, really, as it stands. I'm supposed to gather people who can help, and I don't know where to start. I don't know any fighters in this place, do I? And I'm certainly not one, myself." Valentine bounced the ball against the floor halfheartedly. "And to top it off, we have to do some oooh, creepy mystical 'power of five' matching people with elements thing. How in the world am I supposed to do that? It's hopeless."
Donatello (turtle_techie)	Donnie smiled slightly, . "You know me, don't you? I'm not as good a fighter as Leo or Raph maybe, but I'm a ninja - that's got to count for something?" He tapped a finger against his knee, pondering a moment. "Being a turtle, I think that I'd be water. If you need someone for that element, I could help."
Valentine (importantman)	Valentine didn't even know what a ninja was. But at the very least, there was one more heroic idiot willing to join him on what he figured was most certainly a suicide quest. "I had no idea that you could fight," he commented evenly, trying not to seem to suddenly interested and failing miserably. "How are you with shadows?"
Donatello (turtle_techie)	"Shadows?" Donnie frowned again, confused. "I'm pretty good at hiding in them, if what's what you mean."
Valentine (importantman)	"You wouldn't want to hide in these ones," Valentine said with a thoughtful shake of his head. "They'd eat you alive. There wouldn't be anything left of you but a crispy black pile of charcoal. Best to keep as much distance between yourself and the shadows as possible, if you're really offering to come along."
Donatello (turtle_techie)	"Oh." Donnie nodded slowly. "Okay, so avoid the shadows. And I am. I mean, if you need help... If I can, then I'd like to. Should I bring any anti-shadow ordinance?"
Valentine (importantman)	"You have anti-shadow ordinance?" Yes, this was Valentine sounding duly impressed.
Donatello (turtle_techie)	Donnie had the grace to look sheepish. "Not exactly. But if they're shadows, light would work against them, right? Because I could rig up some heavy duty flashlights and hand-carried spotlights."
Valentine (importantman)	"Things that make light?" Valentine sounded actually rather interested, now, indeed. He held up his juggling ball and eyed it for a moment before looking at the turtle. "Throwing these at them will slow them down. I imagine that pulling out some really powerful light would do more than just that."
Donatello (turtle_techie)	"Okay!" Donatello beamed, glad that his idea sounded at least feasible. "I can get started on that-- when are you going, by the way?"
Valentine (importantman)	Valentine paused for a moment to consider that question. "Saturday," he decided. "On Saturday, we'll head off to save the world." And the only one who thought that this was a ridiculously stupid idea was Valentine. Go figure.
Donatello (turtle_techie)	Donatello nodded, looking solemn. "Okay then. I'll be ready."

Valentine (importantman)	Valentine felt stupid standing in the hallway and trying to will himself to knock on the door in front of him. It was just a door. And there was hopefully a person on the other side who came highly recommended by the Spoon Avenger, according to the Chicken, and who decorated her walls with pointy objects and thought it would be interesting if he were to juggle them. And that won her bonus tickymarks in the "save the world" category, he was fairly certain. And bonus tickymarks meant that he'd probably have a better chance of coming home alive. Alive was good. So, finally, Valentine knocked.
Buffy (1ordinarygirl)	It took a moment, but then the door opened. "Valentine?" Buffy said, puzzled. Then, remembering her conversation with Sokka, she added, "I'm sorry you didn't make the squad, but you can totally try again later!"
Valentine (importantman)	Valentine looked puzzled for a moment, then perhaps slightly amused before the flaily-panic button was switched to 'on' once more. "Oh, I wish this was about the squad," he muttered. "I came looking for... help, actually. Doing something big and dangerous and largely stupid. Also, it requires pointy objects, if at all possible, and the threat of certain death."
Buffy (1ordinarygirl)	Buffy brightened and bounced a little. "Really? Can I come? How many pointy objects do you think I should bring?" She opened her door wider to show off the wall decoration. "I'd have to get Dawn to feed Bertie unless she's coming too?"
Valentine (importantman)	"Get her to feed Bertie," Valentine replied, somewhat in a bit of a daze as the last crazy heroic type person agreed to join his world-saving party. "Bring as many pointy things as you think you might need, and shiny things couldn't hurt, if your pointy things just happen to have a bit of shine, as well." He eyed the wall decorations and found himself duly impressed. Also, he made a mental note to never, ever attempt to juggle those things.
Buffy (1ordinarygirl)	"Awesome!" Buffy said happily. She was already eying the shiny, pointy things on her wall thoughtfully. She had no idea where they were going or what it was like, so it was better to be safe than sorry and dead, right? "When are we leaving? Ooh, what kind of shoes should I wear?"
Valentine (importantman)	"We'll all leave on Saturday-- we can meet later to discuss what in the world we're going to be doing. And bring your best running shoes. You'll be thankful that you did." Yes, this was Valentine's 'bloody terrified' face. "You aren't afraid of the dark, I hope."
Buffy (1ordinarygirl)	Buffy couldn't really tell Valentine's expression at all, so she smiled. "Okay! I totally have some stylish sneakers I can wear." She hmm'd. "Will there be vampires?"
Valentine (importantman)	"Vampires?" Valentine actually had to pause to think about that for a moment. One never knew what would pop up in that place, after all. "No, I don't think there will be," he finally said. "But the sky eats people. Is that close enough?"
Buffy (1ordinarygirl)	Buffy blinked. "I don't think I've ever seen the sky eat people before. Cool." She wasn't quite sure how you'd go about killing the sky though. Drive lots?
Valentine (importantman)	"Shadows in the sky, really. Or from them. The trick is to not let them touch you." ... "I think."
Buffy (1ordinarygirl)	"You think?" Buffy eyed him. "DO I want to test this out?"
Valentine (importantman)	This prompted a bit of a panicked flail of the arms from an already wound-up Valentine. "Nononono! There will be no testing this out! When it touches people, they turn to blackness and crumble and are never heard from again- we are not to be testing this!"
Buffy (1ordinarygirl)	"Okay, okay! Calm down, there'll be no testing! I swear!" Buffy tried to assure him. "I don't want to crumble like a vampire."
Valentine (importantman)	"Good, I'll have no crumbling on my 'save the world' quest." There was no glory in crumbling. And it gave him the creeps. "You'll be ready for Saturday, then?"
Buffy (1ordinarygirl)	"Definitely," Buffy promised. "I'll bring my axe too."

(More shiny preplay, this time with turtle_techie and 1ordinarygirl. Broadcast away, but not for interaction. MANY thanks to the_merriest for coding this for me. And this is me, stopping with the spamming of your flists with plotplay for a few hours while I sleep. Hooray!)