MISSION: RELEASE THEM BACK INTO THE WILD

[initiates]

Date & Time: April 27th - May 1st
Location: Wollongong, Australia, 2464.
Characters: All voluntary transports + maybe a few drafted ones.
Summary: Make those stay-at-homes leave their nerdcaves! My god, do they even know what sunshine looks like???
Warnings: none planned, will be updated accordingly!

The city is old, dark, and very, very quiet. A good deal of the buildings are crumbling and old, but the ones that are actually inhabited glow like candles in the dusk the Transporter has dropped you into. All of these buildings are infested by wiring pouring in from every angle, ensuring that each inhabitant in his or her little block of a room has every modern convenience available in 2464.

There is no one on the streets, no public transportation, and even cars look scarce. But that doesn't mean there's no movement. Maintenance drones, controlled remotely, run deliveries or work repairs. Armed law enforcement drones patrol on rounds through the city, although their mechanized attention is mostly turned outward. Still, they might come to investigate a ruckus within the city limits. And if the persons causing the ruckus don't respond to peaceful attempts to get them to cease, the drones might attempt to subdue them with paralyzing technology and haul them in for a night in the city jail — another dark, unused place.

If you get hungry, there are entire warehouses dedicated to the production of foods. It can't be that hard to sneak in and collect a meal, right? Or you can hack into the system and order whatever you want, if you're good with that kind of thing. Or you can just scavenge—or fast for four days, maybe—if thieving and hacking aren't your style.

And somewhere around here, in those glowing, secluded towers, behind the legions of automated drones, live the reclusive citizens of Wollongong. The methods are up to you, as long as you can get them to come out and breathe the fresh air somehow.

[[ ooc; Mission details are here! This will run from 27th of April to May 1st, with those on the mission returning to Exsilium at the same time that the new arrivals show up. It's an optional mission, but if you'd like your character to go along that would ICly sit it out, feel free to say that the Initiative drafted them for this one.

There aren't any teams or structured threads to this one, so go wild! ]]

Comments

[concealingeyes]

[Muttered:] I wasn't looking for a cute animal....

[But otherwise she doesn't protest much, not even at Kano doing something silly like adding another.]

...Mm, I read stories once that a lot of constellations are made-up like that, too. Like putting someone up in the sky so they won't be lonely. So, since you added that detail, you have to make up a story about the bunnies now. It's a really old tradition.

[duplicitoussight]

That's a lot of trouble. But... since it's tradition, I guess I have no choice.

[Truth be told, he actually likes the opportunity to blabber on and on. So after a moment of thought, he dives right into the story.]

See, that bunny over there-- [He points to the one that Kido had traced] --used to live all by herself in a pretty meadow. She did whatever bunnies did, hopping around, eating carrots... and for the most part, she was a happy bunny! But she was just a little lonely, since she had no one to share these things with.

Ah, but one day, the bunny saw another bunny-- [Now he points at his] --and this bunny was a strange one since he was missing a tail! The tailless bunny ran straight into his burrow when he saw the other, because the last living thing was a cook, who chopped his tail off for stew. No matter what the first bunny did, the tailless one wouldn't come out.

[He takes on a squeaky voice.] 'It's too scary! I don't want to leave!'

So... guess what the girl bunny did.

[concealingeyes]

[As he speaks, Kido turns her head to watch him instead of the sky.

'Poor bunny' she thinks.]

What'd she do?

[duplicitoussight]

[He closes his eyes, folding his hands behind his head.] She stayed with him. She was a determined bunny! She'd tell him about how nice the trees were or how lovely the birds sounded. She'd leave him gifts. And she'd nag him to come out when night fell, but he always shouted 'No!' back.

So this went on for years and years and years... ah, a lot of people would've given up, but the girl bunny was lonely and she was sure that the tailless one was too. 'All he needs is a friend,' she thought.

In the end, she convinced him to come out. But the tailless bunny had been hiding in the dark for too long, so when he stepped into the day... he went blind!

Heh, but even though that happened, the girl bunny stayed with him. So now they're stuck together even in the stars, with the girl bunny leading the blind bunny along.

[concealingeyes]

That story was kind of morbid.

[Then again, most stories about constellations sound strange. By now she's rolled over entirely to face him.]

...Is he happy he came out? Even though he went blind?

[duplicitoussight]

[He turns his head toward her way and smiles.] What do you think?

[concealingeyes]

[She shifts to pillow her head on her arm.] Well... he must have been lonely. He was probably scared that even if he came out, she would leave eventually... but she stuck by him for years. She wouldn't hurt him. He doesn't get to enjoy a lot of things but he was missing out on them anyway living in the dark like that. So maybe he appreciates what he has now with her.

[duplicitoussight]

So... even though he can't see the world she wanted him to, you think he's found happiness with her? Ah, but what if the girl bunny had left him alone? He wouldn't have gone blind that way, right?

[concealingeyes]

Yeah, but... living alone in the dark is really sad. It's sad that he didn't get to see all the things she wanted to share with him but that's fine, right? I bet she tries to find new things for him to enjoy, too. They probably find a lot of new things together.

[She frowns.] And... she probably feels really bad about what happened. She would know that he wouldn't have gone blind if it wasn't for her. But he would have been alone forever, too. He has someone to care about him now. I guess happiness is just complicated.

[duplicitoussight]

Heh... happiness isn't free. That's the moral of the story. Staying alone and safe or staying with someone even though it hurts you... ah, what a tough choice!

[A pause.] I wonder if the tailless bunny would think living alone was sad if he hadn't met the other. But on the other hand... the memories he got by being with the girl bunny were probably better than the ones he had when he was hiding.

[concealingeyes]

Even if she had given up after a while, it would have been too late. The more time passed, I bet he would've wondered sometimes about her. He was already lonely from the start even if he was hurt.

Well... everyone hurts each other sometimes. That can't be helped. They'll probably have fights and she'll probably feel a little guilty always. He'll probably sometimes think he should've stayed in the dark. But you can't smile the same or feel as happy alone. Those memories mean more than any of the pain.

You said she was happy but lonely. I bet her smiles are a lot brighter now with him. I bet he didn't smile alone in the dark. That's how it is.

[duplicitoussight]

So... in the end, this story's a happy one, even if one of the bunnies came out the worse for it. Happiness doesn't seem to be fair, either.

[He doesn't let himself dwell on his thoughts. If he does, he might say something he doesn't mean to say. If he blabbers, it creates a mental noise for him.] For a simple pair of bunnies, they're really complicated. It might've been better if I told a story about two bunnies being cute and in love!

[concealingeyes]

[She ignores his dumb joke.] It isn't fair, but... if they focused on that, then the girl bunny would just feel bad all the time and the boy bunny would feel bitter. If they weren't together, they'd be lonely again. Isn't that worse? It's worse to be alone.

[duplicitoussight]

It's for the best that they're together then. [How ironic.] Is that how Kido defines happiness--being with someone else?

[concealingeyes]

Huh? That's a weird thing to ask...

[She hasn't thought about it much but the answer is obvious.]

...Yeah. [Happiness is being together with your family and friends. With Kano and Seto and Mary and...]

What about you? What's happiness to you?

[duplicitoussight]

[He smiles at her.] My happiness is the same as Kido's, of course!

[concealingeyes]

[Kido stays quiet as she looks at him. Everything on her mind could be put together in a single question.]

Are you happy? Don't answer with any loopholes, either!

[duplicitoussight]

[The answer comes quick as a flash, without him thinking:]

What sort of question is that? Have I been acting unhappy?

[concealingeyes]

Oi! Answering with questions isn't an answer!

[She waves her hand in a vague manner. Just answer so she doesn't have to punch you.] You can give a complicated answer if it's easier.

[duplicitoussight]

I don't have a complicated answer to give. [He has an answer, but it's not one he wants to share. So he'll share a different answer, the one she probably wants to hear.] Of course I'm happy.

[concealingeyes]

[As if reading his mind.] Idiot. Just because I want you to be happy doesn't mean you have to say you are.

[duplicitoussight]

I'm happy because I'm with Kido right now. [He's going to chatter on like she said nothing.] And I'm happy because we're finally somewhere that isn't raining!

[concealingeyes]

[She sighs. If that's how he's going to be, then even if she pushes it, it probably won't do any good. Thinking back on the bunny story, would the girl bunny have kept pushing?

Maybe all she can do is be honest and hope for the best.]

...Happiness is complicated. I want to be home with all of us together. Wishing for that makes me sad. I miss Seto and Mary. [Saying this out loud actually hurts more than she expected but she can't end it there.] ...But I'm not alone. Ah, if I was alone, I probably...wouldn't be able to stand this place at all. Everyone just appears and disappears... but you won't. [She doesn't know that but she says it as thought it's a fact.] You've never disappeared on me.

[Even that's not entirely true. But in the big picture, Kano is Kano. He's here.]

...So I'm happy.

[duplicitoussight]

[He knows he's making her worry like this, by lying and covering up how he's really been feeling. And with each push she gives him, he feels conflicted--he wants her to keep digging as much as he wants her to stay away. Is he afraid of going blind, without the cover of his lies?]

Ah, we both know I'm not easy to get rid of.

[He can be honest. Just this once. I'm not happy. But when he opens his mouth, the mask of the lie is still there.]

As long as Kido's with me... even if Seto and Mary aren't here... I think I can be happy as well. It wouldn't be very hard.

[concealingeyes]

You're saying it like maybe in the future you can be happy, just not right now.

[Like always, she can't hide that it makes her sad or worry more. Kano 'deceives' but that's just a different way of hiding. His way works a lot better than hers. But it's probably lonelier in the end.]

If you think I can help, then... I'll keep doing my best for you. [Now would be a good time to say something, with all that's been on her mind, but she can't muster it, either. It wouldn't be enough to make him smile anyway.]

No, even if you didn't think I could help you, I'd just keep nagging you anyway.