paradisabeyond | (no subject)

[Good evening, explorers! After departing from Cair Paradisa, the path was south at first, but turned west fairly early on. Skirting well south of Eldritch Forest, the travelers had camped near the edge of the Amber Steppe, not quite within sight of the forest that marks the Totem Coast. The grasses are parched brown by the heat, though greener patches mark the presence of water. It's near one of these - a small, bubbling stream leading west that Raine has chosen to follow as it will almost certainly run into the river marked on her map - that the travelers have made their camp.

The carts and wagons are arranged in a defensive circle, though the campers are free to set up their tents outside them as well as inside wher ethe rest of them are. There are small cooking fires scattered around as well as a large bonfire in the center for socializing.

Play music? Sing? Teach those poor non-Earth kids how to make s'mores? Or just sit around and socialize with others.

Or hide in your tent and ignore everyone, if you really want to.]

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--Eh?

[He looks over, blinking a bit when he sees who it is.]

Oh, Kate-san!

[He hadn't seen her in awhile.]

[ She raises her arm in greeting as she approaches his side. ]

What are you doing here?

Oh, um, just... thinking.

About? [ She asks delicately. If he doesn't want to elaborate, she won't press. ]

...

[He looks back out.]

Just... about home.

[It's not so much that he doesn't want to elaborate-- rather, he doesn't want to bother Kate with all the details.]

Ah. [ She follows his gaze. ] I think a lot of us are on this trip.

I was rarely away from home like this, so being here for two months has been weird...

I mean, I know that's a lot shorter time than most of the other people here have been, but...

It doesn't matter how long you've been here. We didn't ask to be brought to this world.

Yeah. I guess I'm just a little homesick...

That's normal.

Mm...

How've you been doing, Kate-san?

I'm alright. [ A pause. ] We're both first timers on the expedition.

[ But Tsuna is still young, so. ]

You think you can handle it?

I think so. I mean... I've never been on something like this without my friends before, but, I have new friends here. And my tutor's trained me really well, too.

[ Right... the tutor. ]

The hitman... right?

[Oh yeah, she'd been kind of skeptical about that, hadn't she? He gives a slightly sheepish laugh.]

Aa. His name is Reborn. ... or, well. That's what me and my friends know him by.

Odd name. [ Symbolic? Or... just really his name? ]

[Fondly:] Mmm, well, he's definitely an odd guy.

A hitman training a kid. Must be.

Ahahaha. [That's probably the least weird thing about him, all things considered...]

How did you fall into that? [ He seems like such a nice kid. Problems at home? Yakuza family ties? ]

--huh? ..oh, um.

[He looks distractly back out for a moment.

... well, either she'll believe him, or she won't. No reason to beat around the bush.

Still looking outward:]

... I'm the last living candidate for the next Vongola boss.