[IC] Code Vein (Closed)

[FunnyGuy]

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Location: The Telescope & Strategy Room
Interactions: Poppy, Cerise, Akaia
Mentions:

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Erik wore the warmest of smiles watching Lysandra wheel herself from the Telescope & Strategy Room. He had always enjoyed her company and her witty remarks but it was not the only thing keeping his attitude so bright at the moment. It was the simple fact that he felt so fortunate to have this group… the Commune. It had taken years to get here, and it was never easy even if he made it seem that way. Despite his happy demeanor, however, a hint of sadness shone through. Small, but present, and he could feel it. Encroaching on him. Erik suddenly dug into his pocket for his wallet.

Mahogany brown, dingy, and something no one ever used anymore. It’s not like one could fit blood beads or any other sustainable resource within its confines. Once he opened the leather accessory in his hands he grabbed a single piece of folded paper that he forced to fit snugly into one of the card-pouches. He took a step towards the table where the map lay and set his wallet down so he could carefully manipulate the slip without unintentionally tarnishing it in any way. He unfolded the worn piece of paper, revealing the short neatly written message contained.

Keep your heart

Erik looked upon the three words for a brief moment before giving a slight nod towards it. Always. With a shallow yet deliberate breath, Erik buried the hint of sadness down as deep as he could manage before he couldn’t feel it any longer. Then just like that, he returned the slip to his wallet as carefully as he removed it.

“I have to get ready or they might leave me behind… but first!” He spoke aloud. Erik started for the doorway, his signature smile again worn comfortably and confidently as he ventured down the long hall of the Crow’s Nest. His eyes were focused forward as he had no reason to peek into each room he passed. Normally, Erik would, but he didn’t have enough time. His feet would soon come to a halt as he stood square in front of the Memorial of the Fallen.

“Hey old friends.” He greeted with the grandest smile he could muster. “Just wanted to check in with you before we head on another mission. Shouldn’t be gone for too long.” He shrugged nonchalantly. “We’re just retrieving some samples from a dying mistle in the Ruined City, but you should have seen how excited everyone was when I briefed it. It reminded me of old times…” He paused, but his bright demeanor did not wane as it had before. “Anyway, I have to get myself ready to go! And of course, I’ll bring a souvenir back.” He promised before he strolled around the garden towards his room.

Just before he could reach his doorway, he spotted Poppy, Akaia, and Cerise in the medical area. Erik was aware of Poppy’s desire for that particular area to be kept peaceful and calm but he viewed his excitement as uplifting, not disturbing.

“Great job taking care of Akaia, Pops! And excellent smile! 8 out of 10! Keep it up!” Erik’s delight was carried by his excited tone before he entered his room to grab a few items he could pocket. He grabbed his gas mask that sat at the edge of his desk and looked around the room for his bow. He was always just leaving propped up somewhere. The hammock! He remembered quickly setting it down there after returning from the meeting with the Provisional Government. His swords were over in the armory where he’d head next, but he made the effort to stop in the medical area.

“Hey you three! Or wait, it’s five! Licorice and Laplace!” He acknowledged the two crows, giving each one a single nod before his gaze shifted to Akaia. “Glad to have you back. Think you’re up to go out again?”

[Exit]

A K A I A A K A I A The Wild · Midnight · A Man

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"Look at me, girl."

Through the ambient crackle of snapping firewood and the noise of a feral growl between her ears did the man's voice reach a distracted Akaia. She struggled, but with effort managed to pull herself away from a prize she knew was hers and turned to stare daggers at the man addressing her. He was layers of dirt caked like a second skin and eyes like bruises the color of exhaustion. There were lines in his forehead that looked as if they were carved out of stone and his beard reminded her of a dead tree. Like stripped branches hung upside down that clawed at the air under his chin. His complexion was dark and mottled, his nose bent and his lips chapped and sharp. When he spoke he spoke to her but stared at the fire between them both. Hot light danced reflections in the dark circles of his eyes and a knife glinted a bright orange as it tumbled lazily in his grasp.

"This world..." He began when he could feel her gaze on him. "...This world only wants one thing." He pushed the edge of the blade under a sliver of half-eaten burnt meat and with a quick horizontal slice, peeled free a thin layer that fell between two fingers. "It wants to survive." Turning away from the fire, he noticed that once again, she was no longer focused on him but on what he had in his hands. "¿Entiendes? It wants to survive... like me." With eyes ravenous watching his every move, he brought the morsel up to his mouth and tore it in half between stained rotting teeth. As he chewed, she watched, unmoving and unblinking. A girl entirely unaware of the world asleep around them and hyper-focused on the fact that there was still half of the sliver remaining. He continued to chew as he gestured at a bundle of dead crows by the fire. "Like them." He then tossed the small piece of one of their own at her feet.

Akaia immediately fell to her knees next to the scrap she'd been offered and ate it directly off the forest floor.

"Like you."

"I think we don't have to worry about Kaia not finishing the soup."

A soft and cheery voice cut through the surrounding dark like a familiar song. The fire, the trees and the midnight sky fell away until all that remained was the empty bowl in front of her.

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_{The Crow's Nest, Medical Bay · Morning · Interacting with @DreamingFlowers, Mentions @Everyone
Collaboration with @Medili}

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Cerise's giggle was unmistakable. An easily recognizable melody like the bouncing of joy and a reminder that a certain Sidhe was not alone. There seated next to her at the table was her closest friend. The girl wore a smile Akaia knew well and a look of genuine happiness at the return of her sister. A look also imposed over one of amused surprise at the speed with which Akaia had consumed the questionable concoction.

Cerise moved to pick up the jug and began pouring some of the water into a glass. Whether to sate thirst or to save what remained of Akaia's tastebuds was anyone's guess. "Here Kaia. Don't forget the water too. Should make you feel much better."

Anxiety left in the wake of a half remembered dream was drowned in a warmth not easily forgotten. The care here was real and not a love covered in thorns. It was a rare thing to find, she knew, and it was a scary thought to know that it was not always like this. Even now as she took the glass from Cerise in both of her hands and nodded in compliance, she was afraid a touch would wake her up. But as she lifted the cup to her lips and took her first big gulp, the world around her remained... as it always did. Within the minute, the glass had been emptied as well.

"There you go. It's done, Poppy! Two bowls of soup and half of the jug of water, all gulped down. Hehe~"

Akaia smiled at Poppy triumphantly. Already, there was a bit of color returning to her pale skin, although even when healthy, there wasn't much to be found. To her surprise however, she also felt a lot better. As was a glaring oversight on her part when focused on any given task, she hadn't taken into account the strain she'd put on herself and it was always others, namely Poppy, who took the time to notice it. Stranger still, it was always her... as if she could tell before Akaia could. Even now, distracted as she was with the contents of the box Akaia had found for her, was Poppy thinking of Cerise.

...Wait, what?...

Both Sidhe looked at the Revenant in the room who had already taken it upon herself to move the dishes to the wash basin. It was yet another task of care the girl had done on her own and a sobering reminder that this person so willing to tend to Akaia upon her return Akaia had left for a week. The small comment made earlier, although innocent she was sure, began to weigh heavily on her mind and it wasn't until Poppy that Akaia realized she could do something about how she felt.

"Thank you Akaia, I'll fill up the box with new supplies. We can still use it." Words of gratitude were loss on Akaia as she was already in her satchel a second time. Before Cerise returned to her seat, Akaia had produced a rather small bead of an object. Carried carefully in the palm of her hands was a miniscule, dirt brown seed that she placed on the table for Cerise to find.

"Ooh. A seed! Of what plant, Kaia?"

It was hard for the Sidhe to match the joy in the girl's eyes. Cerise's excitement was real. The possibilities Akaia was sure she could see were endless and yet, it seemed so small a gift compared to a useful box of supplies for Poppy or the location to something exciting Lysandra could fix. A seed was a needle in the haystack that was the Commune's garden and the collection of flora around the observatory belonging to Cerise and Akaia alone was extensive.

Akaia ignored the ask and replied with a shake of her head instead. "Share." She stated simply. There was a tinge of guilt in her eyes as she looked at the Revenant. "I am sorry you slept alone."

"Oh don't worry about it, Kaia." Cerise replied back, shaking her head in return and waving her hands. "Yes, I was worried and yes, it was lonely to sleep alone in the room... But the important thing is that you're back safe and sound. And that's more than enough to make me forget of the loneliness!"

Akaia pulled a fully loaded Glock 19 out of the satchel and placed it on the table as well, sliding the weapon over to Cerise. "I am so sorry."

Before either could elaborate further, noise from across the foyer drew Akaia's attention. On the far side of the room, it looked like four or five of their troop were in the process of loading the van. There was Lysandra, Dallas, Desmond, a male she was unfamiliar with and Ionna, whose face she lingered on a little longer than the others. A passing comment from Cerise identified her as one of the newer arrivals and Akaia had only permanently burned the knowledge of her being the master of Laplace into her mind. By now, her own crow had retreated from the smaller bird to Cerise's shoulder, picked a stray bit of lint from the girl's hair and flitted to safety in the rafters.

Then, there was Erik who had stepped out of the hall and addressed the three of them in the Medical bay, making a point to mention the two crows. Without a doubt, the entire commune was mobilizing and Akaia was reminded of the 'why' she returned home.

She turned to Poppy with an expectant and curious look. "Work?" She asked before looking down at herself. "Change. I should change." She then turned to Cerise. "I am sorry. I should change. Are you hungry?"

Akaia pinched the skin of Cerise's arm.

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Actual Collaboration Posts

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Medili Cerise sat beside Akaia as the Sidhe downed the bowls of Poppy's 'soup'. The teenage-looking Revenant giggled softly at that as she responded to the medic. "I think we don't have to worry about Kaia not finishing the soup, hehe." She then picked up the jug of water and a glass, pouring the liquid from the jug to fill the glass and offering it to Akaia with a warm big smile. "Here Kaia, don't forget the water too. Should make you feel much better." Exit Akaia nodded obediently as she complied, taking the glass in both her hands and gulping down a surprisingly large amount. When she had had her fill, the glass was replaced and she was back to fishing around in her sack. This time, she produced a rather small bead of an object. In the palm of her hands was a miniscule, dirt brown seed. She placed it very carefully on the table in front of Cerise. "Share." She stated simply. There was a ting of guilt in her eyes as she looked at the Revenant. "I am sorry you slept alone." She shook her head. Meanwhile, Licorice had retreated to Cerise's shoulder, managed to pick a piece of lint out of the girl's hair and then abandoned his perch for something a little safer when Laplace continued his friendly assault. He shrilled at the smaller bird from the rafters. Medili Cerise watched as Akaia gulped all the water down, looking relieved as it really seemed like Akaia was alright after all. Exhausted perhaps, but fine nonetheless, and that was already all Cerise wished for. "There you go. It's done, Poppy! Two bowls of soup and half of the jug of water, all gulped down. Hehe~" As Akaia then rummaged through her sack, Cerise took the glass and the bowl, placing them into a washing basin to wash later. When she returned to her chair, she noticed the brown seed that Akaia had placed on the table. Cerise's eyes lightened up with excitement at the sight of the seed. "Ooh. A seed! Of what plant, Kaia?" Already, she was eager for the possibility of adding even more variety of plant to the collection in their room, or in the garden, or even in one of the many pots that she and Akaia had placed around the Crows' Nest to decorate the place. But then she caught herself, waving her hands and shaking her head in return at Akaia's apology, still smiling. "Oh don't worry about it, Kaia. Yes, I was worried and yes, it was lonely to sleep alone in the room... But the important thing is that you're back safe and sound. And that's more than enough to make me forget of the loneliness!" Her eyes then flicked toward Licorice and Laplace, giggling cheerfully at the sight of the younger crow stubbornly 'attacking' the older one. "Oh right. One of the new member, Ionna? This crow is hers. It's name is Laplace!" End__________

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[Daxam]

Vincent Ryder

_{Interactions: @Izurich, @pantothenic, @Force and Fury, and possibly @Theyra}

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As Vincent followed Dallas to the storage room, he took the time to once more look around the base as he walked. It still amazed him that not only were there so many revenants, Sidhe, and even humans in one place, but that everyone seemed to get along really well. Every time he had tried to put down roots with a group, it never took long for the group to tear itself apart. Sometimes it was something major, like one person cheating on someone else with another of the group, but most of the time it, it seemed to be a series of conflicts that ended with a straw breaking the camel's back. Let's hope this one stays together, he thought as he followed Dallas and Ionna into the storage room.

They weren't inside two seconds when Ionna gathered up three munitions crates and carried them toward the van. Vincent let out a low whistle as he watched the small girl carry the load to the vans. "Well, I'm not about to be outdone by someone almost half my size," he joked as he hoisted a crate onto his right shoulder and another underneath his left arm. He carried the cargo out to the van Ionna was loading, having assumed that was the one for supplies. As he loaded the crates into the back of the van, he decided it was high time to start getting to know his comrades.

As he walked back toward the storage room, he grinned and nodded at Lysandra before he hefted another crate onto his shoulder. He opened his mouth to address the group, but stopped. The color drained from his face and he felt his heart hammering in his chest as he stared at the creature that had appeared in front of him, dangling on a thread so fine, it was almost invisible. It was small, but to Vincent, the eight-legged menace may as well have been as big as a dinner plate. "I...sp...sp-sp..." he tried to say, though in the presence of such a creature, his voice couldn't seem to work.

[Force and Fury]

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_{Location: Outside the Storage Room @ The Crows' Nest // Date: February 23, 2057 // Time: 09:47 // Interactions: Vincent, (Ionna, Dallas)}

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Lysandra had noticed a great many things over the past couple of minutes: the cheerfulness of Akaia even with that 'soup' to eat, the way that Dallas marshaled the others, how strong Ionna was and how... very truly childlike. Then Vincent was smiling at her and she was arching an eyebrow: not hostile but also less-than-won-over. She was about to move on when she noticed him freeze. It would've been comical were he not carrying her solar panel charger, extra headset, and spare batteries in the crate under his arm and also were his face not genuinely terrified.

It was a spider.

Lys stopped, turned, and rolled right up to it. "Oh nooo," she chirped in something like the 'baby voice', "my little eight-legged friend: this is certainly not the place for you. Tsk tsk." She reached up with one hand, delicately holding a finger out, and let the scared little arachnid settle gently onto it. She'd always had a soft spot for spiders, ever since she was a girl, and perhaps that was why so many of her creations superficially resembled them.

The critter clung there to her fingertip and Lysandra was glad that she had mastered the art of one-handed wheeling. She shifted her body weight, leaned judiciously, and rolled over to the edge of the garden. "Here you go, little miss or mister." She rested her finger gently on a broad, rough-skinned leaf and the eight-legged friend scampered off with a bit of coaxing. Lys brought her hands back to her wheels, turned, and rejoined the group. "You okay?" she asked Vincent, eyes darting pointedly to her crate of valuables. "I can take that if you need a moment." She patted her lap. "Got a spot right here." Lys didn't mock him, fun as that would've been. To be honest, she wasn't quite sure why she was being so nice or what had come over her. Was this how Cerise felt every moment of every day? It was one helluva drug...

She blinked and regarded the others. A couple had turned her way. "What are you looking at, galoots!? Don't you have a van to be loading?"

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[Medili]

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Place(s): The Crows' Nest - Medical Area → Cerise's & Akaia's Room → Storage Room & Armory
Time: Feb 23rd, 2057 - Morning
Interaction(s): Akaia & Erik

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Cerise shook her head again as Akaia repeatedly apologized to her. "No, really, it's okay Kaia. Please stop apologizing... Oh, this is for me?" She then picked up the handgun, examining it briefly. She nodded in satisfaction and smiled even wider as she addressed Akaia again. "Thanks, Kaia! This will be perfect as a sidearm. I owe you one! Anyway, I actually need to get changed too." She was still wearing her casual at-home clothes herself. "And nope, I'm not feeling hungry at all. Go on ahead and get changed then, Kaia. I'll catch up!" Then she stood up from her chair and started walking to the washing basin to wash the bowl and drinking glass. Along the way, she waved at Erik, giving him a big bright smile along with it. "Hi, big brother! All done with the thing in the Strategy Room?"

As soon as she were done with washing the dishes, Cerise then skipped briskly to head to her and Akaia's room. There, she changed into what she called as her 'mission outfit', a much more practical and sturdy set of clothes that nonetheless will not hinder her mobility. She kept her new glock courtesy of Akaia in a spare holster attached to her belt. Then she headed off again to go to the Storage Room & Armory to fetch some other personal supplies that she will need along with her trusty custom-made rifle, Lariat, not forgetting to cheerfully greet the others that were working on loading the van and then doing whatever she can to help speed up the process as well. Physical strength wasn't really her thing, but she was still deceivingly stronger than the average human, allowing her to lift heavy crates without a problem.

And thus, after all the preparations were done, she were fully ready for the mission ahead.

[Theyra]

Desmond Mores

Interactions with Vincent and anyone in storage

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As Desmond came back to the strategy room and passing several people on the way there and stopped briefly to say hi to Ionna."Hey Ionna and thanks," noting Dallas's invitation to help with loading supplies. Saying nothing at first as he thought about what Ionna told him. Though it was comforting that this group he is with seems to care about him and his sister. Desmond did not know what to expect when he brought his sister with him to this place. He seemed to have made the right choice with this group though he is not sure if this group will ever compare to his old group back home. Well, what was a home for him and Desmond started to feel sadness but forced it back. They are going on a mission, and he means to be focused. Not thinking of the past. So after a moment, he headed to the storage room.

And by the time he got there, which was a short time. It looked like most of the heavy lifting was done with. Based on inspecting the supplies van nearby, he probably should not be surprised. Revenants are stronger than humans, so they can carry heavier loads. Even Ionna is stronger than him, which just reminds him how weak he is in comparison to everyone else. Except for the Sidhe and Lysandra. But that did not really comfort him. Still, Desmond will do his part, and he is not afraid to fight. He has been surviving as a normal human for years, and he is not going to stop now.

Either way, Desmond elected to ask if there were any more supplies to be loaded up. "So Vincent, are there still supplies I can help with moving to the van?"

[Daxam]

Vincent Ryder

_{Interactions:@Force and Fury @Theyra (and everyone else in earshot)}

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Vincent blinked and the spider was gone. He had been so focused on it that he failed to notice Lys approach, though that could also be in part due to how silent her wheels turned. When she returned and offered to take the crate he had been carrying, it took a moment for Vincent to gather himself. Awesome. Now I'm gonna be that guy who's scared of spiders. He quickly put on a grin that hid his embarrassment and said, "Oh, uh, thanks, Lys. For that and the offer, but I'm good. Really. I, uh, was just taken a bit aback by..." After a moment, he realized he was about to make excuses and mentally slapped himself. Oh, come on, Vince, you're better than that! Besides, you know she'll see right through it. He sighed and gave Lys a rare, uncharacteristcally sheepish smile as he said, "Thanks, Lys. But I'm fine, really. Though, since you're offering..."

He picked up another crate, one small enough to fit in Lys' lap, and handed it off to her as he added, "It'll go by a lot faster with you helping out." Just as he said that, he heard another voice address him and turned to find the one-eyed Desmond there, asking if there was anything else to load. "Oh...Desmond, right?" Vincent asked, still doing his best to learn everyone's names. He cast a quick look around the room and picked up a case of ammunition. "I think we're just down to the smaller things, like this," he said as he handed the case off to Desmond with a grin.

He carried his crate back to the van and loaded it up before he took a step back. He took in the sight of everyone going about their tasks as they prepared for the mission ahead. Even someone as dense as he was could pick up on the layer of tension that hung in the air, which was unsurprising given the nature of the job. Vincent was no stranger to fighting large groups of Lost and he was sure many in the group weren't, either. He eagerly threw himself headfirst into such encounters. This time, however, he was with a group. There were other revenants, sure, and Sidhe, but there were also humans. He was perfectly fine getting hurt in battle, but if he let himself get too wrapped up in the fight and someone got hurt due to his inattentiveness? "Guess I'll have to make sure to keep everyone's focus stays on me," he quietly said with a grin as he stepped into his room. "Shouldn't be too hard."

[pantothenic]

The armory had gotten quite full in the span of a few minutes. Lysandra and Cerise had unexpectedly mixed themselves in with the team assigned to loading the vans. Toes inevitably got stepped on here and there, so Dallas freed himself from the supply wing and checked on the cargo that was already loaded. He took the bundles and crates brought out by the others and packed them into van #2. Boxes were stacked and tied together to prevent them from toppling over. Spare weapons were slotted into racks bolted to the inside of the vehicle. If there was too much or too little of a requested item, Dallas sent one of the the other revenants back to straighten it out. Most of the bulk goods in the base were properly labeled, so the loading procedure was going smoothly, and at this point over three-fourths of the material they needed was packed.

Dallas took another look at Poppy's list, conveniently taped to the door of the van. He jumped out of the back of the vehicle and intercepted Ionna, who was walking up while balancing a couple of ammo cases over her head. "Ionna, the list says two bandoliers of .357, not two cases. Let me take those back." Dallas smoothly pilfered the boxes from his shrimpy companion and started making his way back to the armory. Cerise was on her way out carrying her rifle and other effects, and Dallas exchanged greetings with her as the two crossed paths. Vincent and Desmond were coming out with a fair bit equipment as well, enough to wrap up Poppy's shopping list from the looks of it, and Lysandra wasn't far behind with a box or two of her own.

Dallas stacked the cartridges with the rest of the cached pistol rounds and dusted his hands against his pants. The general supply run was pretty much complete. He scanned his eyes across the sea of packages and containers and located the metal stand holding his personal weapon. Dallas marched over and rested his hand on the metallic haft, which was a little over five feet long. There was a strip of alloy just under the giant axe blade, wrapped around the handle and bolted on to keep it from falling apart. This nameless battle axe had served as the executioner to dozens of Lost. Dallas couldn't remember who forged it. He did not even know if he was its rightful owner, though the weapon's weight seemed to balance in his hands perfectly. He heaved the axe onto his shoulder and walked back towards his other team members, who were putting the finishing touches on supply detail.

"I think we're about done everybody. We should follow Cerise's example and start organizing our personal equipment. Erik and Ajax are should be on their way to do the same thing." Dallas elbowed the door of the van closed. "Poppy is in charge of our medical kit, so we don't need to worry about that. She probably has Akaia taken care of by now. Let's suit up and wait for the others."

[dreamingflowers]

Location: Medical area --> Storage room
Interactions: Akaia, Erik, everyone who is packing

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Poppy ignored most of the smiles aimed her way. Cerise merely received a nod and she let the two close friends catch up. She rolled her eyes at Erik and the smile he complimented her about turned back into a stern line, lips pressed tightly together. He was gone before she could admonish him about the loud use of his voice.

She moved to the distilling area. There was a large barrel filled with boiling hot water. It was constructed by Lysandra and Erik and in essence functioned like a thermos. Unlike before she only needed to boil water once a day to have it on hand whenever she needed it. She filled up a wooden basin to about tree quarters, adding some cold water to adjust the temperature. Once she was satisfied she hoisted it up by the rope handles and huffed. She adjusted her grip and moved it to a side table next to one of the empty beds. The water slushed and some spilled onto the floor.

To the water she added a cut up lemon, and a few drops off various vials of essential oil. Unlike the soup from before, the bathwater smelled pleasant. Hints of several flowers and a fresh citrus smell, neither overruling the other, combining into a scent many associated with bathing and washing. Something Poppy was very adamant about. No one was allowed to sleep on the clean sheets Dallas so diligently washed if they hadn't bathed.

Poppy went to fetch Akaia. She swatted her hand away from Cerise. Akaia had this habit of copying many things she did, but there wasn't time for that nonsense now. Erik had returned and enquired if they were ready. Poppy was quick to reply.
"She's not, she needs a bath and a fresh set off clothes."

She took Akaia's hand and directed her to one of the beds, sitting her down. Poppy closed the curtains around her and went to fetch a set of clean clothes from Akaia's shared room. Without warning she opened the curtains back up and set down the clothes wordlessly.
"Don't take too long and wash your hair. If Cerise doesn't have time to braid it I'll do it for you later"

Poppy left the medical area, retreating back to her room to change. Before she left the room she stopped in front of a small box. The Sidhe opened it carefully and unlocked a secret compartment. There was a portrait drawing inside. She looked at it. The simple stare drew her into a whirlwind of emotions. She let it pass one by one, love, longing, gratitude, hopelessness. No specific memory came to the surface, just the general sense of happiness she felt when they were together. She kissed her hand and pressed it on the portrait.
You always said I looked grumpy, but those were the happiest days of my life.

When she arrived at the vans she was pleased to see they were almost finished packing. Poppy held the medical supplies in two large boxes, stacked on top of each other. She weaved in between the other Commune members and inspected the list on the inside of the door. Everything was marked off, except for the medical supplies she was carrying.
"I see we got everything, we should be leaving in about half an hour." She said to everyone present.

[FunnyGuy]

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Location: Garden → Armory
Interactions: Cerise, Dallas, Lysandra, Desmond, Vincent
Mentions:

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A warm greeting from the sweet Cerise managed to lift Erik's spirits even higher than they already were. It was a feat only made possible by the female Revenant's pure and genuine kindness.

“Yup, all done! Once we're geared and packed up we'll meet back in the Strategy Room to get our bearings. There'll be more of us out there than usual.” Erik said in passing, but he turned his body to address her until he was briefly walking backward.

With a quick effortless turn, he was back to moving forward and towards the armory. His eyes caught several members of the Commune working cooperatively. “Wow, look at the dream team setting us up for success!” Erik beamed as passed by to reach the armory. Unlike his bow he placed around willy-nilly, his swords were always set in the same place within the armory. He equipped his two swords, one depicting a sun and the other a moon.

“Sun for fun! Moon for fortuune” A very poor rhyme he announced as he equipped the two weapons. As poor as it was, those in the Commune that had witnessed Erik engage in enough combat situations discovered how much weight the rhyme held. Despite equipping a pair of swords, he only used one. Eventually, someone would ask, curious as to why he brought along a weapon he never unsheathed, and he'd always answer with his big ol' smile.

“For good luck!”

Stepping out of the armory, he eyed the crew loading some of the last few items into the van.

“When we get back, don't worry about unpacking anything. You've already earned an immediate post-mission relaxation.” Erik was fine with taking on the busy work after the mission, partly because he wanted to pull his weight in the group.

[Exit]

_{___________________________________________________________________________________________}

A K A I A

A K A I A

<sub>The Crow's Next · Morning · Mentions @DreamingFlowers

___________________________________________________________________________________________</sub>

Love. Longing. Gratitude. Hopelessness. Happiness.

It was becoming harder to tell if the thoughts and feelings in her head were actually her own. Emotions crowded her limited headspace, fighting each other for attention and bubbling to the surface like the air being pushed from her lips. Meanwhile, even submerged in the heated water nearly up to her nose, Akaia could still feel a lingering warmth pounding her cheeks. Residual embarrassment from having Poppy peel away the curtain when Akaia was mid-strip.

She hadn't always been like this either. At a time she could still think back on, she wouldn't have cared if she had been caught naked, here or in the wild, but her time with the group changed her. Nothing was more evident of that than the very bath she was in. Where once she would have had to wash in a river or lake, constantly on alert for the inevitable who or what might happen upon her, now she sat complacent but safe in a basin, watching bits of lemon peel float lazy circles around her. This was her normal now. Water that smelled nice. Water that felt nice. Clean clothes waiting nearby and food in her belly. A family.

She started drawing them in the mist around her, pondering perfectly memorized features and matching each face with their name. Some of the group she barely knew but for those with whom she'd spent much of her life, they elicited a specific emotion or word. Erik was 'bright'. Lysa was 'smart'. Ajax was 'safety'. Cerise was 'love'. And then there was Poppy...

Poppy was an image. A fuzzy picture of fields she couldn't place and faces she couldn't name and feelings that-

...Wash your hair...

Akaia nodded at the stern phantasm. Expelled air became violent bubbles on the surface of the water as she exhaled, took another deep breath through her nose and dunked her head.

_{___________________________________________________________________________________________}

A Sidhe found herself in the strategy room ahead of the group on notice from Licorice. The crow had kept a close watch on final preparations while she had been getting herself ready and overheard Erik's mention of a plan to meet before their departure. Now, freshly bathed, fed and somewhat recouped, Akaia felt as ready to go as she possibly could considering her recent travels.

She'd even changed from her usual attire, thanks in large part to the luck of Poppy picking out exactly what Akaia had intended to wear. The well-worn wrappings and loose outer fittings had been replaced with something a little more fit to her figure while still remaining flexible and somewhat breathable. Dark jean pants traveled down the length of her leg and fed into a pair of cognac leather high-top boots. She had on a plain off-white shirt worn under a tan poncho with a hood that could be pulled over her head not unlike her shawl before. Black leather gloves kept her hands and fingers protected and provided her a firm grip on anything she intended to climb while her mask hung loosely around her neck. On her person was her satchel, four small cylindrical objects strapped to the outside of her thigh, and a network of tubing threaded easily through the layers of her wear that fed from the mask to the two tanks on her back.

Perched happily on her shoulder was her crow. Beady red eyes stared at the map on the table alongside it's master and every now and again it would cluck something at her to which she would nod a reply.

"Mistle...P-...P-...pro-vision-all..." The grip around her staff tightened. "...Government."

[Force and Fury]

---

---

_{Location: Outside the Storage Room >> the Telescope Room @ The Crows' Nest // Date: February 23, 2057 // Time: 09:52 // Interactions: Cerise @Medili, Akaia @Exit, Vincent, Ajax (mentioned)}

---

---

Lysandra felt a twinge in her arm and that was it. She'd loaded all of her stuff, done all of her prep, and now she was just helping out of the goodness of her heart and maybe a slight sense of inadequacy. Her body was telling her that it had had enough and she needed to listen to it. Goddamned lucky revenants, she grumbled inwardly, never aging. She was on the wrong side of thirty now and the notion that she would start declining physically often nibbled away at the edges of her confidence. She finished with the bag she was loading and backed gingerly away from the van, rubbing at her bicep and grimacing slightly.

That's about when she noticed Cerise: another less-than-super-physical specimen also pitching in. They caught each other's eyes for a moment.

Cerise had already finished all her personal prep as well. Upon noticing Lysandra, she unsurprisingly immediately greeted her with her usual big warm smile on her face. "Oh, hi Lys! Are you done with your preparations? Do you need any help? I'm done, so I can give you some hands if you want!"

God, girl, how are so cheerful all the time? Lys arched an eyebrow. "I dunno, can you get rid of the lactic acid in my arms? 'Cause that'd be nice." She snorted, but paired it with a faint smile. "Nah, I'm good, sis, and as done with this as you are." She rolled her shoulder a bit. It was nothing. She was fine. Thank God. the last thing that she needed was a pull or a sprain. "Wanna head over to the scope room? Get the best seats?" she joked.

Cerise giggled lightly in response to Lysandra's remark. "If only I could. Unfortunately, all I can do is reduce the amount of iron in your body instead~" She stuck her tongue out slightly at that, feeling a little bit mischievous. "Anyways, sounds like a good idea to me! I think the general preparations are already done and everyone just need to finish their personal preps now. So let's go~" Finishing her words with a nod, Cerise then started walking to head to their destination.

Lysandra grinned. Cerise was not without wit, and there wasn't a barb there like there usually was with Ajax. She rolled alongside her friend, not bothering to avoid the tiles this time. It was a goofy habit, like a kid avoiding cracks in the sidewalk or purposely jumping from puddle to puddle, not that Cerise would ever be critical. It was nice to have people like that, who were just reliably... nice. A part of Lys wished that she could be that way. "Well, even if they're not," she tossed out there, "that new guy will handle things..." she knew his name, of course, but didn't want to make like she cared too much. That could be embarrassing. She lowered her voice. "If he doesn't break all our gear somehow."

Cerise walked beside Lysandra as they talked, a bag of supplies carried on her left shoulder while her rifle hung on her right shoulder. "'That new guy'?" Cerise contemplated it briefly, before she quickly realized who Lysandra meant. "Oh, you must be talking about Vincent then." She giggled again as she was also aware of how careless Vincent could be with things despite only knowing him for a few days. "True, I suppose. Still, he definitely seems nice enough!"

Lys nibbled her bottom lip for a second, trying to gauge Cerise's tone. That was the problem when someone was so damned nice all of the time. "Oh, he's definitely... nice," she replied lightly, keeping her tone neutral enough that she could maintain plausible deniability. Eyes quick as a wisp, she spared a glace in her friend's direction before flicking some hair over her shoulder and continuing on.

Being especially empathic, Cerise noticed the nuance of how Lysandra spoke her words. She glanced at Lysandra in return, still with a smile on her face. "You sound like you wanted to say something, Lys. Anything on your mind? You know I'm always up to listen if you have some worries or such that you want to let out!"

What Cerise had just said effectively translated to, "hehe, we can totally talk about him," just... in Cerise language. Lys kept her voice low. AB revenants had good hearing. "Okay, like... am I wrong in thinking that he's hot? I mean... those arms. That jawline. Sis..." Blushing and smirking at the same time, she made a chef's kiss gesture. She reached down for her wheels after a moment and sighed, deflating a little bit. "But such an idiot." She rolled her eyes.

Soon enough, they arrived at the Telescope & Strategy Room, entering as they kept on their gossip-y conversation. "Hmmmm. Well, to be honest-" Cerise started saying while also keeping her voice low like Lysandra "-I kind of get what you're saying. He is handsome, huh? But yes. Umm, it seems like he's more the physical type than the thinking type, hehe." She then sat down on a chair before continuing with her words. "Then again, I suppose that's also a part of his character; what's making him unique? Ahaha."

Lys pulled to a stop beside Cerise and a bit forward of her, clicking her brakes into place. "Girl, someday I'm gonna get you to say something not incredibly nice." She grinned. "Not today, though, looks like." She leaned forward, resting her elbows and forearms on the map table's cool stone surface and her chin, in turn, on them. "So hot," she murmured to herself. "So dumb." It was right about then that she noticed Akaia at the opposite end of the table, dressed and ready to go, and she realized that the latter part of her statement may just have served as a self-description. She'd been so in her own head. That wasn't like her at all. Lysandra sat right back up, unlocking her brakes and half-turning. "Oh, hey there, Akaia." She tried to suppress a blush, but it was hopeless. "You sure got here early!"

---

---

[Exit]

_{___________________________________________________________________________________________}

A K A I A

A K A I A

<sub>The Crow's Next, Strategy Room · Morning · Interaction @Medili@Force and Fury

___________________________________________________________________________________________</sub>

Akaia nodded excitedly at Lysandra. "So hot. So dumb." She repeated a little too loudly, her eyes bouncing curiously between both girls. "Who?"

Although communication was a struggle, the Sidhe had enough social bones in her body to understand the concept of a 'crush' or the want of another for oneself. Cerise's tone upon entering the room, the dreamy haze in Lysandra's eyes, the blush on her cheek, and more importantly, no immediate ask about what Akaia had brought in. The girl was the very color of distraction. All Akaia needed now was an answer to quell a curious heart.

The crow on her shoulder tilted it's head a little to the side.

[Force and Fury]

---

---

_{Location: The Telescope Room @ The Crows' Nest // Date: February 23, 2057 // Time: 09:56 // Interactions: Akaia @Exit, Erik @FunnyGuy,Cerise @Medili}

---

---

"Flower Power," Lysandra replied, improvising a new term of endearment as she rolled up to Akaia, "Shhhhhh." She held a finger up to her lips in the universal gesture for quiet, but softened it with a conspiratorial smirk. "I think you know very well what we're doing. I think even Licorice knows." She glanced over at Cerise, who was examining her nails in an only marginally less universal gesture for, "I'm staying out of this one, hun. You made this bed and you're gonna sleep in it." The only thing that would've made it more complete was if the revenant had been whistling mock-idly.

Lysandra reached for Akaia's hands and lowered her voice to just above a whisper. "And it was about Vincent. I'd say both of those qualities are a bit hard to miss, though maybe I'm being a bit harsh with the second. He's just broken so much of my stuff already. Speaking of stuff," she pivoted, "You're all kitted out." She looked the petite sidhe up and down and leaned in a bit more. "Bring back anything cool for me?"

Then a sudden entrance, marked by a familiar ecstatic voice.

“Alright! I think you ladies earned a few extra points for being early. You all look ready. Good!” He stood in the doorway of the strategy room and nodded in approval before joining the three around the table. It was then that he noticed the odd silence between them all as if he had walked in on a conversation he was not meant to be privy to. A curious look of narrowed darting eyes crossed Erik’s face as if searching for an answer. However, as usual, it was only a brief break in his usual demeanor. His eyebrows perked up when his eyes landed on Akaia.

“Switching up the style, huh? It looks nice on you!” Erik stepped towards his favorite Sidhe to get a closer look at her outfit while also minding Licorice perched on her shoulder. He’d feel quite awful if he unintentionally startled the crow… something he had a history of accomplishing. After visually scanning Akaia, Erik nodded once more in approval. He had the feeling that someone else might have assisted with Akaia’s current attire but did not find the detail all that important as he complimented her. Erik was simply spreading around his feel-good energy.

Lys was feeling it. A giddy kind of excitement made war with her nerves and it won out. There were nine of them going into the field (for it had already been decided that Ionna would be staying back): a veritable army. It reminded her of those superhero teamups from the comics she’d read as a kid. “Yes, totally, hun. You look legit amazing.”

There was a short pause of silence as Akaia looked down at herself in surprise. She hadn’t expected to get any comments on her changed appearance, but hearing the both of them comment on the attire stoked a prideful flame in her. She beamed them both a smile and nodded a small ”Thank you” in return before turning to her crow.

A click of her tongue alerted the bird and it hopped off her shoulder and landed gently on the table, skipping to a spot on the map and tapping its beak on it repeatedly. ”For Lee-Saw. Too big.” She said, opening the satchel on her shoulder to demonstrate the limited width of its opening.

The location in question was not terribly far from where the mission had to take place and had been visited briefly by the Sidhe early on in her travels.

“Well geez, now you have me intrigued.” Lys looked up, brow furrowed. Her travel bag was sizable, but she might have to choose between filling it with things that she needed and things that she found. Anything that large was likely to be a substantial piece of useful salvage. She knew that Akaia was generally much better at identifying than articulating what she’d found, but Lys was curious and would have to trust that, not being a cat, she would survive the explanation and maybe even make something of it. She thought of how best to put things. “What sort of thing is it? Will it take up most of my bag?” she inquired.

Akaia placed her satchel flat on the table, coaxing the worn leather into a vague and very imperfect shape of a rectangle. She then held her hand a foot and a half above the pressed bag and turned to Lysandra. Pale eyes searched hers for an image of an object that was not in the room.

”Box.” She stated simply. Her other hand found an invisible spot in front of this box and from her mouth was the perfectly recreated sound of a button’s click. She repeated this a number of times to drive the point.

So, it’s a box with a button: a computer? That’d certainly be welcome. Whatever it was, she was not about to play a lengthy game of charades to find out precisely. It was enough to know that the find was mechanical in nature and worth picking up. She remembered to smile. “Thanks, Kai,” she began. “I’ll make room for it.” Turning back to the table and rolling up to it, she twisted for a moment. “You’re a treasure.”

People were filtering in now and hopefully they’d be off and away soon. The anxious anticipation building up in her was of the species that made you curl and uncurl your fingers, pace, and tap your foot as you waited. Lysandra settled for drumming on the tabletop and thinking, mind skimming through potential scenarios, obstacles, and opportunities at a breakneck pace, but she found herself distracted. In the background, Akaia continued clicking away with two fingers, thoroughly amused with herself, and Lys imagined the little routine as the sentient version of an ‘Error 404’. She groaned inwardly and hoped that Birdbrain wouldn’t keep it up for the entire ride. She’d have to stop for a drink at some point… right?

---

---

[pantothenic]

Location(s): Dallas's room -> Telescope room

Before heading to the briefing, Dallas wanted to gather a few personal effects from his room. The most important thing was his outerwear and miasma filtering mask, but there were some odds and ends besides that he thought would make the drive less boring. Dallas left the vehicle storage and began heading to the opposite side of the base. He circled around the perimeter of the garden going towards the left. His route took him past Lockup and through Medical, and after several minutes Dallas was standing in front of the door to his own private piece of the Crow's Nest.

A month ago this was nothing more than a big custodial closet. The plain metal door was unadorned save for a rectangular piece of wood which hung from the doorknob on a thick piece of string. Dallas's name was carved into the wood with a blade. He didn't bother reaching into his pocket for a key. He almost never locked his door. It was only recently that Dallas made a habit of locking it in the first place, on account of someone barging into his room and getting an eyeful of his naked glory. He assumed it was one of the girls because he'd been hit in the head so hard that he couldn't remember who it was. He twisted the knob and walked inside.

Dallas's room was a spartan affair. In one corner of the room were two cabinets. The first contained things like brooms, paper towels, cleaning solutions, and other assets. The second was used as a makeshift closet. There were small hanging shelves nailed to a wall which Dallas used to stash his collection of manuals and guidebooks. Pushed up against the back wall were a couple of mattresses covered in a scruffy looking quilt and some pillows, and next to that was an end table and standing lamp. The room was kept meticulously clean, but the furniture was obviously worn by age. Erik explicitly told Dallas to furnish the space with anything he wanted, but Dallas spent so much time outside his room that he saw it as nothing more than a place to sleep.

Dallas pulled open his closet and immediately grabbed his jacket. The black jacket was made of a thick fireproof fabric, with reflective tape glued around the chest and arms. Before throwing it on, Dallas noticed something odd about his appearance in the closet mirror.

Oh. My shirt is backwards. No wonder my collar felt so tight. Dallas tucked his arms inside his golden yellow t-shirt and twisted it into the correct position. He felt just a tad embarrassed at his mistake. Did nobody notice the problem, or were they sparing his feelings by ignoring it? Regardless, Dallas donned his coat and reached back into the closet for his protective mask. Many revenants had masks custom made just for them, but this one was a mass produced model. It was a device crafted purely for function and Dallas had been wearing it since his earliest memories as a revenant, scattered as they were. Inside of the mask in small print, someone had engraved the name Master Sergeant Joseph Magnus. Dallas had never seen someone wear a mask like this in the government peacekeeping forces though. It could have been an antique from the early days of the Collapse, worn by an unburied soldier serving his country one last time. In truth, there was no way to know its origin.

After shutting his closet, Dallas leafed through his shelves for some quick reading material and stuffed it into his big pockets. Then he was on his way to the Telescope Room to link up with the rest of the team. Erik was already waiting there along with some of the girls. Half the team was ready for the briefing. Dallas closed the distance and greeted them with his usual stone faced expression. "Hey. I'm glad I wasn't the last one here."

[Medili]

---

Place(s): Telescope & Strategy Room
Time: Feb 23rd, 2057 - Morning
Interaction(s): None in particular

---

Mostly out of curiosity, Cerise had decided to let Lysandra explain everything to Akaia. She thought it'd be interesting to see how Akaia will respond to such things. It seemed though, that the Sidhe didn't really have much to say about it, something that Cerise kind of expected from Akaia. Perhaps one day... She thought. That'll be something to look forward to. Of course, regardless of that, Cerise smiled silently as Lysandra and Erik commented on Akaia's attire. Her best friend indeed looked quite nice in the outfit that she's wearing.

Afterwards, Cerise decided to perform some last minute checks on Lariat, her trusty rifle. To Cerise, Lariat was more than just a weapon; it was her partner of many years, her most prized possession that had saved her and her comrades' lives countless times by now. I probably wouldn't be here if I didn't have you, huh, Lariat? She smiled fondly as she continued with her inspection of the rifle, very carefully making sure that nothing was wrong with it. Once she were done, she laid the rifle to rest on her right shoulder, right arm wrapped around it as if hugging it. Then she closed her eyes and laid her back to rest on the back of the chair, just wanting to silently be lost in her own thoughts while waiting for everyone to gather in the room again.

[Daxam]

Vincent Ryder

_{Interactions: Everyone in the Strategy Room}

---

Ah-choo!

Shortly after he entered his room, Vincent let out a sneeze, one loud enough that he was sure people could hear even as far as back at the armory. He sniffled and wiped his nose. For a moment, the old wife's tale that you sneezed when someone talked about you crossed his mind. "Hope it's something good," he mused with another sniffle. "Though, I'm sure I might've pissed someone off at some point in the past."

He picked up his coat from where it hung on a bedpost and was about to put it on when he heard something clatter to the ground. He looked down and saw the old, cracked smartphone that seemed to always reappear in his pocket, even despite all the times he had dispersed. He couldn't begin to count the number of times he had pressed the buttons on the thing to try to turn it on, but to no avail. As he picked it up, he gave it another try, pressing the few buttons it had in hopes that the jolt from falling to the floor knocked something into place. "Nothing," he said with a sigh. After a moment, a thought occurred to him and a grin crossed his face. "I may not be able to fix it...but I think I know someone who could. When we get back, of course."

He placed the phone on his bed and threw his overcoat on. The last thing he did before he left his room was slip his trusty studded leather gloves on his hands. He caught a glimpse of Dallas' back disappear behind the door to the strategy room and followed. He made the short walk down the hall and entered the room to see several of the others had already assembled. He approached the table and leaned forward, placing his hands on the flat surface. He had started to feel antsy when he first saw the group of Lost they would be encountering through the telescope, but as the time to leave grew closer, he couldn't help but grow impatient with excitement. "So, what're we waiting for?" he asked. "There are Lost that need killing!"

[Theyra]

Desmond Mores

Interactions: Everyone in the Strategy Room

---

"Then we should be heading out soon then, Desmond replied as he picked up the small crate and moved it to the van. At least he can do something around here he thought and moved the rest of the small crates to the van. Once he was done and hearing about having to head back to the strategy room. He walked to the strategy room and was the last to arrive. He guessed he took longer to move those crates than he thought and it better not turn into a habit of being last to arrive. Either way, Desmond took his spot near the back of the crowd. Realizing that based on Vincent's eagerness to get out there that they were waiting on him. Speaking up, "well I am here now so everyone is here. So when are we leaving to get this mistle or is that more to talk about?"

[FunnyGuy]

---

Location: Strategy Room
Interactions: The Commune
Mentions:

---

One by one, the members of the Commune trickled into the strategy room. The early birds to include Licorice had mingled within the room until the others arrived ready to set on their mission. Looks like everyone’s here… except Sleeping Beauty, but I got her covered. Hell yeah let’s do this! Erik’s eyes filled with a fiery passion as he hyped himself up.

"So, what're we waiting for?"
"There are Lost that need killing!"

"Well I am here now so everyone is here. So when are we leaving to get this mistle or is that more to talk about?"

The eagerness of the group, especially from two of the fresher faces only impassioned him more!

“Easy there! I want to go out there as much as anyone else here but we can’t accomplish anything without a little bit of organization. We’re bringing along almost everyone for this trip into the Ruined City and I want to make sure all my companions, old and new make it back safely.” He had directed “new” towards the two who spoke due to their eagerness. “Now…” Erik had walked over to far corner of the room where a grabbed a hold of a large whiteboard with wheels. Rolling it over towards the table, he grabbed a marker from the tray below. He made sure to keep the side he wrote on away from everyone else while he went to work on the board. “So because we have so many people going, eleven to be exact, I thought about splitting us up into three teams. The Forward Team, Rear Team, and the Home Team.” Erik’s tone had gone from what one would consider to be carefree, to slightly more serious. It was definitely a noticeable switch as he gave his briefing. “I really gave this some thought based on some of my early fighting days that I honestly barely remember… Ah that doesn’t look right…” He mumbled before continuing. “Alright, so the Forward Team will consist of yours truly, Cerise, Pops, and Akaia! The telescope is cool and all, but we need to use our scouts to survey the area ahead. If we find a threat we can’t easily pick off, then we send in the big guns. And that’s the Rear Team consisting of Ajax, Vincent, Lys, Dallas, and Desmond! Your team will follow right behind ours. Ensure you do not lose sight of us. We don’t want a situation where we have Lost in between our teams. I will be at the rear of the Forward Team so I’ll be the bridge for communication between both teams, assisted by Akaia and Licorice. Finally, the Home Team will be two lucky young ladies. Ionna and Amelia. Ionna’s far too young to come along on a mission like this, and it would be irresponsible to leave Amelia alone when she could wake at any time. Remember, we’re heading into some unexplored territory, spots that I’m not even too familiar with myself.” Erik turned the whiteboard around.

“Just in case anyone forgot, here’s the breakdown of the teams. Now if there are no questions, let’s load up in the vans and have an adventure!”

[Force and Fury]

---

---

_{Location: The Telescope Room @ The Crows' Nest // Date: February 23, 2057 // Time: 10:02 // Interactions: Erik @FunnyGuy, everybody}

---

---

Lysandra's hands were already on her wheels as Erik began wrapping up his little strategy speech. She nodded along with most of his tactical decisions, thoroughly ready to go. A dedicated scouting party meant saving Sage and Princess' batteries. In fact, she was starting to consider reworking her RC team now that they'd picked up so many new people. It wasn't like the old days with just her and some combination of Erik, Ajax, Cerise, Poppy, and Akaia minus whoever stayed back. Sage could do with some more offensive oomph, or maybe she'd retire the Immortals-themed team, finally, once she'd finished work on The Federation. Enterprise, Voyager, Discovery, Defiant.

Then, everything changed in the blink of a cliched eye. Erik turned that whiteboard around and Lysandra Tran beheld the greatest work of art to see light of day since the cataclysm of the Great Collapse. She made a face that looked just a little bit like this:

She glanced back and forth at a couple of the others, trying to gauge if they were even half as amused as she was. Almost involuntarily, her hands migrated from her wheels to her backpack, where she kept an old Polaroid camera for field observations. Without shame, she pulled it out and took a picture of the masterpiece, grinning like a magpie. At one or two quizzical looks, she merely shrugged and arched an eyebrow. "Are any of you seriously gonna tell me that didn't deserve to be preserved for posterity?"

The photo was finished. She pulled it out, grinned, and set it and the camera on her lap, glancing down momentarily in admiration. Her hands settled back on her wheels. They released her brakes. "Anyways, I'm more than ready to go. Anyone feel free to lead the way."