middleofsomewhere | Day Twelve, Conclusion

All battles come to an end. Professor Chill and his henchpeople is defeated, the ice giant slain by the brave heroes of purple team. The townspeople led out of the tunnels and due to some extraordinary pun-hacking skills by Kaito the weather machine is de-powered.

Being a magical snowstorm the shutting down of the weather machine causes it to vanish, snow begins to melt and then evaporates into the air before it can become a larger problem in terms of a flood. The temperatures rise, going from dangerously cold to a warm spring day, warm enough that the voidtreckers will soon be too warm all bundled up as they are. The clouds disappear, the sun shines. Within a short period of time the streets are dry, the mountainsides are green and the trees are bright with flowers.

The streets are still a mess, property is damaged and the clean up operation is going to be intense but it doesn't look like there is any lasting ecological damage at least.

The ice labyrinth vanishes and those inside it will find themselves suddenly standing in the field below. For red team, the journey to the top of the mountain took four days in the blizzard but with the weather clear and going downhill they will reach the valley by the end of day eleven.

The army has arrived and mostly taken over gathering the injured and dealing with the more serious damage but there is plenty to do for those who still wish to help. Houses need put back to rights, streets and paths need sweeping of debris.

Help out, find your friends, swap stories. Celebrate a job well done.

Towards mid afternoon of day twelve a beeping from their SCA's should draw everyone's attention. The map leads them to a place just out of sight from the town and there is the Voidtrecker Express. It is time to leave.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Ah- nothing of note." And as opposed to the last time she was hurt she's actually telling the truth. Barely even any bruises.

Here's Nerdanel doting on her, though. "So... it's fine."

Nerdanel nods approvingly, putting a blanket around Ple Two's shoulders and a warm drink in her hands.

"Good! I do worry, especially considering the weather."

Ple Two stiffens for a very brief moment - it's getting a little easier to accept kindness like this, and it helps that Nerdanel is very good at offering it, but it doesn't come automatically either.

"...I appreciate it." Honestly, working up a sweat and then stopping does make the cold even worse, so she might need this.

"It's my pleasure." Nerdanel beams as Ple Two relaxes to accept it.

"You are human, yes? I understand you can get sick easier than we - with the recent infection, I'd rather you stayed warm."

At least it's quite cozy like this. "I... would almost argue that, but yes, biologically. I did avoid falling ill, through luck and carefulness."

"That was fortunate." She agrees. "So many fell ill! And why would you argue that?"

"It's..." she frowns, and ponders what to say, how much to say. "I wasn't born to be a person. Just to fight." Ple Two huffs, shifts the blanket a little. "And I know you'll tell me how I can change that here or... some such other thing. That's why I'm accepting... all of this at all."

Nerdanel frowns, and reaches to gently clean a bruise on Ple Two's cheek.

"No one is born just to do anything." She says firmly. "You are a person with wishes of your own. That is your right."

"See? Predictable." But at least there's fondness in her voice. "I... think that I wanted that from the start, even if I didn't know it. Keeping it in mind is hard regardless."

Nerdanel smiles at her fondly. "That you wanted it is proof enough of it's truth. No construct with no will of it's own would even know that it wanted more."

"Even knowing that... if that man showed up here somehow..." Well, someone would sniff out what was happening and lock him in a suitcase, probably; in fact, realizing that gives her pause.

Nerdanel's eyes harden.

"If someone who could bring younglings into the world to be used as a weapon came here, he might find himself rather... discomfited."

She would punch him in the balls.

"...there are people here who would fight him..." her voice is quiet.

She would, however, laugh at Glemy Toto getting punched in the balls.

"There are." She says firmly.

"Be whoever you want to be, Ple Two."

But if she goes home alone... without support...

There's still someone there, too, who just didn't have the time to get through...

"I'll... figure that out."

"No need to rush that." Nerdanel smiles at her fondly. "You are still young! There's time to work out what you enjoy, and what you want to be. To try different things out. You may decide that you were always a warrior! And that is fine - but even warriors have days off."

"Hmph. Seeing some of the people around here is... a good example of that." Although she's going to keep her mostly-reasonable sleep schedule, compared to some of them.

"For now I'll fight... with and for the others."

Nerdanel cups her cheek fondly, a brief caress.

"That is the spirit." She approves.

"T-too much..." she says quickly - she doesn't pull away, just stiffens a little.

Nerdanel smiles apologetically at that and drops her hand.

"Ah! Sorry, dear."

"...thank you." It's not... bad. It's not bad. But her brain is still telling her to stop that. "...if you ask first... I might allow it... later."

"Alright." Nerdanel smiles. "Do you want a hug, do you think, or will that be too much?"

"I'm... not feeling it right now. Thank you for asking." Maybe when she's not kind of emotionally amped up already...

"Alright." She agrees and smiles at her. "Do you need anything at the moment? I assume we will be returning to our usual travelling, soon."

So far, only Madoka's managed to hug her - and Madoka needed it too. "I don't think I need anything else for now, no." Just a warm drink and some clarification of boundaries.

(no subject)

marriedanidiot - 2020-01-31 04:04 (UTC) - Expand

pleple - 2020-01-31 04:07 (UTC) - Expand

marriedanidiot - 2020-01-31 04:38 (UTC) - Expand