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

[waterproofed]

It was whiskey... I think. A friend and I were drinking just before the expedition started.

[the_effect_she_has]

Och. [That makes sense. She's seen Haymitch on the worst side of whiskey.] Well, if you feel ready I'm ready.

[waterproofed]

I'm ready. [he waves the baseball bat he's carrying. Not as good as a sword but it'll do]

[the_effect_she_has]

[She jerked her chin slightly, so he could fall into step with her. Hooking her bow over her shoulder, she arched an eyebrow at him.]

So, just out of curiosity, how does it feel for you, out here?

[waterproofed]

I don't have those annoying dreams here, so that's a plus. But I can definitely feel a difference in my strength. I can't really describe it.

[the_effect_she_has]

Do you feel weaker? More vulnerable? Or stronger - because you know you have the training even if you don't have the supernatural ... juice?

[waterproofed]

I guess I feel like any normal person who's been trained in sword-fighting would feel.

[the_effect_she_has]

[Katniss smirked slightly, tossing her dark braid back and forth.] And people say I'm hard to communicate with.

[waterproofed]

Being merely human does have its problems.

[the_effect_she_has]

It has it's downsides - but it has it's upsides too.

[waterproofed]

True. Just like anything else.

[the_effect_she_has]

[She breathed in the cold night air of the Dead Zone, grey eyes scanning the darkness.]

You know, the more I learn about this place, the more I wonder what we can do to change it.

[waterproofed]

I think we can, if we're determined enough. The castle might have its own agenda, but we're here now and we can do what we can to leave an impression.

[the_effect_she_has]

Were you ever not a fighter, Percy? [She turned to look at him, her gaze curious.] I think you've always been a warrior, the way you talk.

[waterproofed]

I didn't start training until I was eleven, but even before that I had the spirit. And I grew up in New York City... You kinda have to learn to stand up for yourself early in life.

[the_effect_she_has]

[She nods her head in silent understanding. Sometimes, where you come from defines how hard you fight, and what you'll do to survive.] What did you want to be, when you grew up?

[waterproofed]

I hadn't thought about it. I was just trying to last a whole school year without getting kicked out.

[the_effect_she_has]

Were you that much of a fighter? [Percy didn't seem like it, honestly.]

[waterproofed]

Stuff just happened. Like even when I was in preschool, they found me with a dead snake. Then once I found out I was a demigod, monsters would follow me to school. They wrecked the gym one time, and another time there was this big fire... So the school system saw me as trouble.

[the_effect_she_has]

Aha. It wasn't that you were trouble - trouble followed you. [A pause] ...Monsters followed you to school?

[waterproofed]

Yep. They can smell demigods, so they follow us around a lot.

[the_effect_she_has]

You ... must cause a lot of property damage.

[waterproofed]

Only a few national monuments and some statues. No big deal.

[the_effect_she_has]

[She stopped. She looked at him. Then her lips curved up into a smile that melted into a laugh.]

[waterproofed]

[write it down in your history books, people: the day Katniss Everdeen laughed]