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.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[She nods]

Uh-huh. I told everyone where I was going but I can take care of myself in the woods.

Is it really running away if you tell everyone? That sounds like more 'oh hey I'm on vacation, hold my mail' sort of thing.

I just told them I was gonna be in the woods. [She shrugs] There's someone here they were afraid would hurt me. I didn't want them to think she did.

Oh man, you too? There's always some asshole messing things up, huh?

Yeah... It's not fair. I had to stay in my room or with friends so she couldn't find me.

What you need is some power armor. [A little bit of a joke, since she didn't think they ever made it that small, but at the beginning it made her feel just a tad bit safer from Washington.]

[She cocks her head at her, confused]

Power armor?

Yup. What I'm used to wearing but, it doesn't work out here. It lets me go into space and punch people really hard. [~~she misses it out here~~]

You go out to space?! [Omg what?! All the awe inspired staring. ALL OF IT]

[Awe and inspired staring? It's like throwing gasoline on a fire. South practically preens with the attention.]

Yeah! In fact, the project I was with was housed in a frigate; I lived and worked and slept in space.

You lived in space?! What's it like? I didn't know it was possible for people to go up there at all.

[South's ego needed this boost. She's definitely relaxing a little.]

Oh, it is possible. It's pretty dangerous, though. It's cold and dark and a complete vacuum, so you can't breathe just out on your own. The ships are fully encased, with their own oxygen and gravity systems.

My suit has temperature regulation and it's own oxygen system, too, so ... so I guess it's almost like it's own little ship. It's awesome.

[Excitable small child is good for that. Her eyes get big and she looks sufficiently impressed]

Oh wow! What do you do in space?

[South is loving this.]

We'd train. We're elite soldiers, you know? Special forces. We'd spend all our time honing our skills, and then they'd send us planet side to pull off operations against the Innie assho-- [~~Kid, South. Kid.~~] The Insurrectionists.

The Insurrectionists?

Yeah. Spoiled rotten rebel scum blowing up civilians because they're mad at the UNSC.

[Her eyes get wide] Why would they do that? Why are they mad?

I dunno, sovereignty or some shit. I didn't really know. Just that they were willing to blow up cities and luxury cruise liners and shit to get attention like some spoiled brat.

They shouldn't hurt innocent people to get what they want... that's not right.

I know, right? Bastards.

I don't understand how people can do that to other people...

Unfortunately I think part of it is just human nature. You've got the protectors and the people who fuck shit up.

[~~South doesn't turn out to be such a great human being herself, later in her timeline~~]