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Baxter recognised the "brow furrow of confusion" which usually occured whenever people happened to be paying attention as words fell out of his mouth, and was pleased.  Not so much because he was happy to confuse, he didn't actually make that connection to the facial expression, but he did like that it meant that people were actually paying attention to him.

His vague smile broadened.

[color=#cd5c5c]"Sorry to say, but there is no party at the arena."[/color] Crestfallen!  The broadened vague smile dropped under weight of colossal disappointment. 

[color=#cd5c5c]"Today is training day,"[/color]

[i]"What, like Denzel?"[/i]

Baxter thought back to a room filled with the haze of smoke.  A movie playing on the television many years ago, the residue and ash of a non-vine grown dried plant covering evey surface, with pipes and a soda bottle home-experiment adorning tables.

[i]"I'm the zig-zag man.  Who the fuck are you?"[/i]  He recalled.  [i]"King Kong ain't got shit on me!"[/i]

[color=#cd5c5c]"...and while some like me are done for the day. There are still some who had to redo the course, and you might be able to catch River, our leader, still there at the arena."[/color] 

Baxter didn't remember anything about a leader.  Or a vote for a leader.  Or a coronation to crown a leader.

And this was the first he'd heard of a 'River'.

'River'.  Strange new leaders.  In a weird community way off in the wilderness.  He hadn't wound up in one of those cults he'd seen on the news, had he?

He thought back on the previous night and was relieved he didn't recall any paper cups, and was further relieved when he recalled that he was the one who'd been pouring the drinks then as well.  And he was pretty sure he wasn't a cult leader.  Probably.  He wasn't a cult leader, right?

It would answer a lot of strange questions angry authority figures seemed to want to chase him down about though.

[color=#cd5c5c]"By the way, is your name Baxter?"[/color]    

[color=firebrick]"Why, yes!  Bax.  Baxter Marsh."[/color]  His crooked vague grin returned, cracking its way across his face.  [color=firebrick]"Charmed to meet you, too!"[/color]  He extended a hand in warm greeting, having not been provided with a name.

[color=firebrick]"So should I--?  Go to the arena?  Or should I very much [u][b]NOT[/b][/u] go to the arena?  And what are we training in?  I didn't know this place had a football team or that participation was compulsory."[/color]

[color=firebrick]"I can't purport to being particularly good at it, myself.  A looooot of lunchtimes last against the wall waiting to be picked."[/color]  He explained.  Before holding out a hand to hold back his new compatriot's response, as he turned up the alcohol content in his blood with the other hand and his mind's eye, flushing the unpleasant memory away, his grin widening significantly as it dreamily floated way from the foreshore of his mind.

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[color=808080][b]interactions[/b] [color=2e2c2c]....[/color]|[color=2e2c2c]....[/color] Leo - [@Theyra][color=2e2c2c]...............[/color] [b]mentions[/b] [color=2e2c2c]....[/color]|[color=2e2c2c]....[/color]   Nil [color=2e2c2c]...............[/color] [b]collabs[/b] [color=2e2c2c]....[/color]|[color=2e2c2c]....[/color] Nil[/color]
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