➹.28

[ex_avenged224]

[Alleria is just out and about today. Her quiver is full and her bow is slung across her back like always, but she's visibly irritable.

Eventually she takes her journal out of her satchel and dictates into it.]

For any wishing to learn archery, apparently we are unable to hold lessons today. And yet another thing this place takes from us for no reason, to drive us further into servitude.

I grow very tired of being treated as a toy, placed against an ever-changing backdrop though our actions continue to be dictated for us.

[There's a pause, as if she wants to say something more, but then she huffs and snaps the journal shut.]

[ooc. backdated to earlier today, obvs. open in person or over the journal, whatever! this is your last chance to thread with a winrar, so get to it!!]

Comments

[dictated]

[dupable]

Well... technically we don't have to listen to it, it just makes it really hard not to sometimes.

tears falling as I fall down in a slow circle and die

[echivoc]

[ Cross is out doing ~camp director~ duties — aka he is really making sure the ladies are comfortable and the boys suffer in some way — and catches sight of the eldest Windrunner. ]

Alleria.

forever!

[ex_avenged224]

In the case of acting out its roles for us, no. But we haven't a choice in where it places us at all.

spins slowly in space, my tears acting as a propellant

[ex_avenged224]

[Alleria gives him a curt little nod.]

Cross. Enjoying the role this place has thrust upon you?

[dupable]

Yeah, that is kind of true... Though a summer camp isn't as bad as some of the places it's brought us.

[ex_avenged224]

It does that on purpose, I think. To make us accept the things that are "not so bad," even though they are all taking advantage of us against our will.

and away we gooooooooooooooooo.........

[echivoc]

Don't you see the excitement on my face? [ lol sarcasm ]

I am sure you enjoy doing what you do best, although I wonder how your students are holding up to your expectations...

weh

[ex_avenged224]

[She snorts, glancing off to the side.] They are fine. I did not get very long to assess their skills, however, before this place cancelled my classes for me.

[echivoc]

It simply wanted you to relax, Alleria.

[dupable]

I guess that is definitely one way to look at it... but either way we aren't dying horribly right now! So that is still something.

[ex_avenged224]

Are you implying I'm high-strung?

[ex_avenged224]

[SNORTS.] If "we aren't dying horribly" is the only thing that makes this a positive, you have just proven my point.

[dupable]

Well, I mean... it's summer camp! It's not like it has good food here or anything.

[echivoc]

You are high-strung — not that it is a bad thing.

[ex_avenged224]

[Despite herself, she smiles at that. Just a little, though.]

If ever I depart from this place, Cross, you will be one of the few I will genuinely miss.

[ex_avenged224]

[sigh...] You're missing the point.

[dupable]

I get the point! You are upset about being here. I guess it just doesn't feel a lot different than being back at the castle for the most part.

[ex_avenged224]

No, it is this entire world that I do not like living in. The idea that it can force us to do its bidding, or at the very least guide us toward something -- it takes away our free will for its own amusement.

[dupable]

Hmm... I don't know about that! I am still making my own decisions for the most part, it just makes it really hard to do the things I want sometimes. But that's a little different.

[ex_avenged224]

Would you have decided to come to this camp? Or on one of those ships? Or to be attacked by monsters?

Our fates are not our own in this place.

[dupable]

Maybe! I thought some of it was kind of funny. Maybe not the monster part though. But even if you are put into some really crappy situations, you are still making your decisions in that situation. Even if the castle wants you to go left, you can still go right.

[ex_avenged224]

But the castle places us at the fork in the road in the first place. This is my point.

What if we wished to diverge from the path entirely? We cannot. Not while we are still enthralled by the castle's whims.

[dupable]

I guess it depends if you want to stay on the road. Because you can always go off it.

[ A few seconds pause. ]

I mean moving out into the Dead Zone, by the way. Which kind of ruins the whole metaphor thing to explain.

[ex_avenged224]

[She pauses too, mulling this over.]

Yes, that is what I suspect. Though it is still not returning home. But it appears to be the only option we have that will guarantee full freedom while we remain in this place.

[dupable]

Yeah. Only, if you leave for the Dead Zone I kind of got the feeling like you can't really get sent home. So that's kind of a big problem too.

[ex_avenged224]

Do we know this for certain? Or are those who live in the Dead Zone simply unlucky enough to have never been sent home regardless?

[dupable]

Well... most of them have been out there for a really long time, but I guess maybe there are people that have been sent back that they never told us about.

[ex_avenged224]

Anything is possible.

[dupable]

If we could find one of the people out there again maybe we could ask them?

[ex_avenged224]

Also a possibility. They seem to keep to themselves, though -- or otherwise only offer cryptic answers.

[dupable]

There are a couple that are pretty friendly though, so maybe if we ask one of them instead of the people in the bigger groups? I mean, they've been around for awhile, and probably haven't been living by themselves this entire time.

[ex_avenged224]

Such as Flora or the rabbit woman? They seem sympathetic to our plight, but not very interested in helping.

[dupable]

Right! But both of them were also pretty willing to answer all the questions I had for them, so maybe they would be okay with answering any you had too?

[ex_avenged224]

[She sighs.] Again, this is a possibility. It is certainly better than the alternative of sitting around doing nothing.

[dupable]

Yeah! Though I guess we are basically stuck waiting still until things go back to normal, like you said.

[ex_avenged224]

In essence, yes.

[She sighs a little sharply.] But thank you. You have given me much to consider.

[dupable]

No problem! I am glad to help. Er, try to help!