exsiliumlogs | [OPEN]

Date & Time: During/After the bombing
Location: The Continent
Characters: Assassins and refugees - OPEN
Summary: Those who have escaped the bombings by going to the mainland instead of to the moon... (though they will be dragged up there come Oct. anyway)
Warnings: Possible bloodshed, roughing it in the wilds

To the moon they said, THE MOON? Why go to so much trouble when the main land was so close? Those who felt the same took to the waves to cross the channel and invade enemy soil. The seas were choppy but the real danger came from United Earth who had stationed troops along the coast to kill any who tried to escape the destruction. Still, if you were lucky, quick, or skilled enough you might stand a chance of evading the increased patrols and scratching out some kind of existence from the ruined landscape.

It was difficult to stay in any one place for very long. The United Earth kept their patrols active day and night and alternated their patrol patterns but occasionally small encampments could be formed in secluded areas. Campfires were dangerous but were the only real way to cook most food and supplies were difficult to come by unless one could hunt or make a daring raid on UE supply caravans.

It was a harsh life even harsher than life had been on the island prison, but it was familiar, it was the Earth and here one could make their own decisions.

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[OOC: Feel free to start your own threads, open or locked, and write them about what Continent based activity you would like for them to be about! ]

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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Maria didn't know the boy who'd taken the option to stay and ferry those to safety that they could, but she already thought better of him for doing so. Her own decision had been half inspired by incredulity at the proposed method of escape (really, the moon?) and half by outrage. This was a war, and people died in wars—she'd killed a fair few herself—but treating them as so much cannon fodder was appalling.

It seemed that not all of them who'd chosen the less cowardly path were accustomed to roughing it, though. She could see that much on his face.

"Your feet will callus over when the blisters burst," she said, taking a guess as to what had caused the unhappy expression on his face. "It doesn't help you now, but you'll soon adjust."

"Gross." He responded, and cast a glance down at his feet.The only callouses he'd ever had in his life had come from playing guitar, and once from helping with some rebuilding in the city after the bombs had been dropped there. He'd spent a fair amount of his lifetime trying to avoid manual labor. This was a new, weird experience for him when he stopped trying to wrap his mind around how awful everything was.

But he appreciated the woman's attempt to make him feel better about something small like his feet. It was a welcome distraction. So, he cast around for a topic to discuss with her along their way. Only one thing sprang to mind. "Thanks. So...you related to these guys?"

"Me? No, I've no family here," she said. "Less literally, still no. But we've a few things in common, such as not wanting to abandon people to die, and not trusting those who want to take us to the moon."

Really, the very idea was absurd.

"I've walked plenty of rough territory with others in my time," she added. "Even the most untouched lily-white skin grew accustomed eventually."

Okay, that's actually kind of insulting. But he gets the feeling it's not with any harsh intent behind it, so he lets it go. She's not wrong anyway, even if she could've left the last part off for the sake of his pride. Luckily, he's never had much in the way of pride to injure. Nor in the way of genuine hardship until recently.

He's more curious about her, honestly. Besides, this conversation is a very welcome distraction. "So you do things like this a lot?"

Edited 2013-09-27 03:18 (UTC)

"Escape from a mass bombing or trudge through enemy territory?" She raised an eyebrow, then gave him a small smile. "I don't make a habit of either, but I suppose they're not so unfamiliar. Before I was brought here, I was a soldier."

Or she had been. That life had become out of reach even before her kidnapping through space and time. "And you?"

"No family. And I'm not a soldier."

Duh he isn't, he knows she can tell. She's already said as much anyway, but he might as well just put it to bed completely. He's just some scared kid along for a crazy ride he didn't want or ask for. A lot of them are.

Maria just nodded, not feeling the need to point out that she knew and embarrass the poor boy further. Besides, it wasn't completely true.

"You are now, in a sense," she said. "We all are."

"Like hell I am." It's a quiet argument, but firm in its resolve. He means what he says. He might be here, and there's not much he can do about that. But they can't make him fight. They can't make him kill. He won't do it.

She smiles sadly. Maybe they're not on the front lines of any battle, but they'll have to fight to survive here. It's just the way things are.

"What were you before, then?" she asked.

"At home? Still pretty useless." There's no bitter tone, no sarcasm, no regret in that. He stares it as if it's simply an indisputable fact, and one that's removed from him instead of being about him. And then he owns the statement with a casual shrug. "I was a student, but...I didn't always go to class. My friends used to drag me out to have fun with them. I guess I was pretty good at that. "

Following orders, that is. But he's not sure he wants to consider the implications of that in this context. Things are a little too real for that right now.

Maria shook her head. "They really don't know what they're doing, do they," she said with a sigh. "They need warriors and they bring students and children. It's a wonder they've survived as long as they have."

She hoped it wouldn't be just as wondrous for them to survive without the Initiative's aid.

"I wish I could say things will be easier now that we've broken with them," she said. "But I prefer not to lie."

"I wasn't a student on purpose." He grumbles, reminding himself not to be insulted again. She's right, anyway. He's the last guy you pick for your team when you're going to war, and he knows it. "They probably should've found a way to stop sucking little kids here. That's gotta really suck."

And no, he doesn't consider himself a child. He's in-between, isn't it obvious? Nearly an adult, but not quite. Seems like he'll be learning in a hurry, though. Nothing will be easier where they're going. That part he ignores, necause it just puts that bitter taste back in his mouth again. It's exhausting to be furious all the time, so he's not going to do it. He'll just cope. They'll all have to find a way to cope.

"War always does, for children." Her expression turned sad for a moment as she looked at the ground. "But they're no more able to escape it than we are."

She let the silence settle between them for a few moments, looking ahead of and around them just in case anything wild or with sinister intentions got through their perimeter. "Are you the only one here taken from your home?" she asked eventually.

"Guess so."

He's never sure if he's allowed to be sad about that or not, so he does his best to make it come off as indifferent.

"I'm sorry." Or maybe she should be glad that fewer people had been kidnapped.

"You'll see those you know again," she said, trying to sound reassuring. "Until then...we'll just keep surviving."

"Yeah, maybe." Stanley isn't as confident about it. Last he saw of his friends, they were in a stolen car sinking to the bottom of a river. But there's no reason to be a dick and actually say it. So he shrugs, and moves on.

"Somebody should survive this bullshit."

"Yes," she said, a little quieter now. "Someone should."

[OPEN]

escaping/walking to find a place to make camp/idk they're on the move

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