EXPEDITION: DEPARTURE

[ino]

[ To Terre Haute we go! Hope you've packed your things, travelers, because it's going to be a long trek there. Feel free to mingle about in the lobby with everyone else waiting to get going, or grab a bite to eat! After all, it might be awhile before you see fresh food again … ]

[ooc: LOBBY | KITCHEN | OUTSIDE ! Feel free to add your own sections!]

Comments

Re: LOBBY

[princelyspirit]

[Food? Check. Sleeping bag? Check. Journal? Double-check. Utena also made sure that her new pencils were there, too - she's no artist, and she's certainly no scholar, but she did promise to make notes on the expedition. Besides, this was definitely something she wanted to remember. After all, how often does somebody get to go on an adventure like this? And besides, after Samkranti, well... she definitely needs something else to take her attention.

Pleased with herself, Utena admires her handiwork for a moment before adjusting her clothes. Her shorts and sneakers have been replaced with some sturdy pants and boots - all the better to adventure in - and her hair's tied up in a tight ponytail. Ready to go, she hoists her backback over her shoulder, and-

...and sways to the side, before straightening up with a grunt. Geeze, she almost forgot how heavy this thing was! It's nothing she can't handle, but... well, it's going to be a long trip at this rate.]

[ino]

[ ... and she's spotting you from afar. naturally, she's going to mother hen you now, utena. SORRY. ]

Everything alright over here?

[princelyspirit]

[Well, this is embarrassing. Utena forces a smile, standing up straight.]

I'm fine, really. It's just- this is my first time on one of these trips, you know? I tried to bring everything I could think of, but, well, I miiight have packed a bit too much.

[ino]

[ she can't help it, she lets out a bit of a good-natured laugh ]

Maybe. But don't worry -- you can keep it in one of the wagons if it's too heavy to carry.

[princelyspirit]

[Now that's a relief! She laughs a bit, and her smile broadens, becoming more genuine as she relaxes]

Well, that's a load off my back- no pun intended. But really, I think it'll be fine for now. I mean, it's good training, right? Anyway, you sound like you've been on quite a few of these trips. Is there anything I should watch out for?

[ino]

I guess you could count it as training, if you wanted to ...

[ but hey, that's a pretty important question ]

Well, there's plenty to watch out for. It can get pretty dangerous out there. But since we don't know exactly what we might run into, the most important thing is to get to know the group you're traveling with, and keep a sharp eye out for anything unusual outside of that.

[princelyspirit]

In other words, we have to watch each others' backs. Make sure we're all safe, that nobody gets into trouble, that sort of thing. But, what do you mean by unusual? From what I've heard, this whole place is kind of unusual.

[ino]

Well, yeah, it can be a bit hard to tell what's "normal" weird around here compared to weird-weird ...

[ sigh. this is a bit tough to explain to someone so new, but she'll give it a shot! ]

But that's what I'm saying about making sure you know who you're traveling with. There'll probably be some people on the trip who you think are really weird, but if they've been with us the whole time, then they're not who -- or what -- you need to look out for.

[princelyspirit]

[Her eyes narrow, as if deep in thought, as she listens to Ino's words. She's quiet for a moment before she snaps back to attention, speaking again]

That makes sense - I mean, we all come from so many different places, that nobody's really going to have the same idea of what's "normal". But, who will we need to look for? If everyone in the group is safe, that is.

[ino]

Well, for starters, there are some people in metal suits that we know are hostile, so that's definitely important to keep an eye out for. They have the technology that we haven't figured out how to operate out there, which makes them extra dangerous.

[princelyspirit]

Wait, technology? I thought that sort of thing just went dead out there! I mean, isn't that what makes the Dead Zone, well, the Dead Zone?

[ino]

It usually does. But --

[ she'll pause to stick a hand into the collar of her shirt, and she pulls out a simple necklace with a small crystal attached to it ]

This is a special crystal that comes from this world. If you use it you can operate technology in the Dead Zone. Problem is, we only have a few of these small ones -- which only give off about as much energy as a small battery. They have a much bigger one, and we have yet to figure out where they got it from.

[princelyspirit]

Hmn... maybe it has something to do with what fell out of the sky? I've heard some people call it a meteor, and, well, meteors are just big hunks of rock, right? Then again, that thing wasn't really meteor shaped, either-

[shakes her head]

Sorry, I didn't mean to ramble on like that. It's just that I'm still trying to wrap my head around all of this. It sounds almost like something out of a storybook, you know?

[ino]

[ she gives utena a reassuring smile ]

It's alright. You're pretty new, right? It takes awhile to get used to everything around here.

[princelyspirit]

[smiles back]

Yeah, I can imagine! But, I guess things like this help, in a way. I mean, the more you know about a place, the more familiar it is, right?

[ino]

Exactly. That's why we go.

Well, in the meantime, there's a report of all the other places we've been that's written up fairly comprehensively ... [ she opens her journal and flips to this bookmarked page ] Right here! You'll probably have plenty of time to check it out on the way there.

[princelyspirit]

[Skims over it - there's too much to actually read in depth right now - but what little she sees piques her interest! She glances at the maps, before looking back up at Ino]

So, we've got our own little visitor's guide, then. I'll definitely check that out. Is there anything else I should read up on, though? Or just keep an eye out for, I guess.

[theabjectauthor]

Are you alright, miss? [that might be a familiar voice coming from the gentleman headed her way ... with a duck waddling behind at his heels]

[princelyspirit]

Hmn?

[That voice...Utena turns around, coming face to face with a gentleman, and his...duck? Utena glances between the two, before focusing on the man]

Yeah, I am - or at least, as alright as I'm going to be. But, hey, it's all part of the expedition experience, right? I just need to remember to pack a little less next time...

[She's still trying to place that voice, though. Just where has she heard him before?]