Terre Haute expedition: Camping Day 1

[lord_wizard]

[It's been a more or less uneventful day of travel for the expedition team. Not unexpected for the first leg of such a trip, and with any luck, it will stay that way.

As the sun starts to get low in the sky, Felix signals the group with a sharp whistle to stop, shortly after he feels the change. They've entered the Dead Zone. That sudden loss of power for anyone used to that sort of thing. Not an easy thing to adjust to, at first.]

"We've crossed into the border of the Dead Zone now. We should stop here for the night. Those of you with experience, help set up camp as needed. And I recommend a few of you working out a watch schedule. You never can tell what might be out here."

SET UP | CAMPFIRE | IN THE NIGHT

Comments

Re: CAMPFIRE

[deltacain]

[And there's someone sat in silence, his nose in a book, reading quietly.

Obviously begging to be disturbed, but, for now, content to just sit.]

[lord_wizard]

[The sight of someone reading is enough to attract his attention, especially given the man doesn't have the typical look of an intellectual]

What are you reading?

[deltacain]

Hóng Lóu Mèng by Cao Xuequin. It's one of the sì dà míngzhù of Chinese literature.

[And, yes, on closer inspection, he is reading it in its native language.]

[lord_wizard]

[He honestly wouldn't know it if it hit him on the face, but he can at least tell it's NOT in the the common tongue, which is interesting enough]

I'm not familiar, I'm afraid. That's an Earth dialect, correct?

[deltacain]

Yeah. One of the oldest.

[And a pause.]

Take it you're not from Earth either?

[lord_wizard]

Afraid not. I hope you won't hold it against me.

[deltacain]

As long as you don't hold any accidental social faux pas due to geographic distances to me.

[lord_wizard]

I don't think there's much danger of that.

So what is the book about?

[deltacain]

[A smile spreads across David's face. This is the one thing he enjoys talking about.]

It's about the rise and fall of two wealthy families part of the Jia clan in ancient China. It features many aspects of spirituality, romance, the rise and fall of power... It's a good insight into the novelistic works of the era.

[lord_wizard]

I admit to not being much of a reader of fiction, but it sounds interesting. In what way do you mean? Is it based on history?

[wizard_redfive]

[Why hello book, does Dari know you?

Oh. Right, there's also the guy from the clinic. But Dairine is more preoccupied with leaning over to try and read the book cover. What is he reading?]

[deltacain]

[The title is written as 红楼梦 and it's owner is completely engrossed in it. He'll only look up if spoken to.]

[wizard_redfive]

[Ah, crud. If they weren't in the Dead Zone, she could have read it through the Wizard's Speech filter but no luck now. Only one thing to do then: speak up.]

What're you reading?

[deltacain]

Hóng Lóu Mèng by Cao Xuequin.

[This is said automatically. David is well-versed in the art of answering minimalistic questions when concentrating on something else. It's one of the talents that spans both him and Bourne.]

[wizard_redfive]

Is it good?

[deltacain]

That depends if you enjoy sprawling epics about Chinese noble houses, theology, romance...

Or if you just like the history.

[wizard_redfive]

Well, what do you think?

[deltacain]

I enjoy it. It's prose is pretty free-flowing.

[wizard_redfive]

Huh. [Dairine leans over further, interested.]

Do you think I could borrow it? When we get back to the castle, I mean.

[deltacain]

It's the castle's copy. It's pretty useless if you can't read Chinese, though.

[wizard_redfive]

[Raises eyebrow]

We'll see about that.

[deltacain]

[And a one gets raised in return.]

There's not many people your age who know how to read Standard Chinese without having been born or raised there.

[wizard_redfive]

You'd be surprised what I can do when I set my mind to it.

[deltacain]

Or... [He taps his book, idly.] ...With the right type of... magic?

[wizard_redfive]

Wizardry. [She corrects him.] And yeah, sometimes that helps.