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

[The sucky thing about regular armor, genetic enhancement, and the Dead Zone? You're not as strong as you're used to being. It's a pain but habit does help in getting everything into place, and there's a moment to relax after.]

I might just be too used to working alone, too; been a while since I had a unit under my command. [There's a smile, and a nod toward a still hot coffee pot, one of those simplistic dealies you heat over a campfire.] Help yourself if you like.

[With a grateful nod, Carolina digs a cup out of her mess kit before reaching for the pot of coffee. She doesn't indulge in caffeine often, but this is one of those necessary occasions.]

Been solo for long? [She pours herself a cup and sets the pot back in its place. ]

[Coffee is a godsend out here, because sometimes you just need a little liquid energy.]

Four, five years? [A large part of that spent as an experiment in a Mako tube, but that's a detail he doesn't need to share.] Plenty of solo missions before that, but... [Shrug.]

But you weren't ever technically solo before then. [Carolina feels she understands that part well enough. She'd been on solo missions herself, but always come back to the team. Well, that and the general atmosphere of Freelancer strongly encouraged independence and undercutting others to get ahead in the rankings.]

Not technically, no. [Gear's in place, but military is always quick to get ready, Zack's noticed (individually, at least; he won't comment on organizations as a whole). That means they've got some time to just wait -- not really relaxing, because Zack doesn't think he can even really relax out here -- but enjoying the company, the conversation, and the coffee.] Things change, you know how it is.

[Nodding, Carolina takes a sip from her cup of coffee. Oh man, this is wonderful and just what she needed this morning.]

Ever miss it? [She glances over at him, her posture casual, her tone similar. At times, she knows that she just aches for home, for familiarity, for order, but it's been getting less frequent the more she learns about what she'll go back to.]

[Dead Zone Survival Kit: one pot of coffee, a handful of various soldiers from various worlds, and room for them all to play.

But there's a hesitation to reply, one he knows Carolina will sense, but it can't be helped.] I miss what it used to be.

[Another pause, but this time because mmmm, coffee.] You miss yours?

[Zack's response strikes a chord inside Carolina as she nods in return. She could definitely identify with how that felt, how sometimes she just wanted her team back the way they were, not with all the in-fighting and threats. The whole dynamic was FUBAR.]

Miss what it used to be. [Maybe because she was on top and in control in how things used to be, maybe because she felt she could still trust her team. She's still not sure.] Things change. People change.

Hey. Yeah, and not always for the better. [Why are they even talking about this? Probably because it seems like vague terms are enough, that they don't need to go into detail to know someone understands. In a way it's a relief to talk without talking.]

I dunno, I kind of like this place because of that. Don't have to deal with it, you know?

[Carolina tries to busy her mouth with her cup of coffee to keep down a snort. She hadn't experienced any of that change or outright deconstruction of her team until coming here. Hell, right out of the gate, Wash was different than she remembered, and then dealing with the knowledge of the fate of her team in the future had only added to the burden she felt daily.]

Depends on the timeline. It would work better if everyone was on the same page.