[open!]

[falsesmile]

Who: Ves (falsesmile) and general!
When: Day 6, afternoon
Where: The Ruined Hull
What: General exploration post!

[ The Ruined Hull has been unlocked! The go-team has been in the area for a while, the stay-team members who are so inclined have probably meandered over here somehow by now -- time to go exploring, but keep an eye on those suit power levels ♥ ]

Comments

[adamance]

Self-serving. I won't fault you for it. [Then again, she guessed that about him already.]

When the Queen appeared, she did it rather swiftly. There's likely nothing to worry about. [With her dead, why hold back the barrage of what's waiting? The trilobites seemed ... simple in their assaults.]

[dateme]

So if something else was down there it would have come after us already is what you're saying. [ That's both comforting and not at the same time, honestly. ]

[adamance]

Yes. Most creatures are rather primitive. She fought bravely, but what protected her most was how she was made. Her body was filled with toxins. [Truthfully ... it's a good thing that someone like him hadn't come along. He is very far from the definition of a "warrior."]

But if you're worried, we can head in together. I should be able to survey ahead well enough for both of us.

[dateme]

[ Oh boy, does she have no idea. The hardest physical labour Inui's ever performed is in gym class and on sport day. He's never had to be in a proper life-or-death situation before Kharas, and now that he's face at least one? He's about done with them, thanks. He's more than happy to return to a life of normalcy. ]

...What, you wouldn't mind? [ The offer surprises him. Not many people voluntarily try to spend time around him. ]

[adamance]

I would mind, but it's better than leaving you unaccounted for. You may not have an obvious use to us yet, but I see no reason to leave you to die. [It's callous, and it's the same amount of callousness that others will receive from her. But truthfully, that's how she sees others.

No part of Lexa is willing to openly admit that she might just be being ... nice.

What a thought.]

[dateme]

[ Nice, and to someone like him no less. The world really has come to an end. ]

Aww, you're so sweet. [ He's teasing. ] I can carry stuff, but that's honestly about it. Unless you want to talk Japanese history, haha.

[adamance]

Tell me more about the second World War you mentioned. [The words come easily, delivered like a command. That said, it's not a harsh command ... it's like someone who has experience ruling not knowing how to hit the off switch.

She is very bad at hitting the off switch. After checking her battery reading, she begins to slowly descend into the hull, stopping quickly enough to ensure that he can clamber in safely himself.]

[dateme]

[ It's definitely a lot more abrupt and to the point than Inui is used to and he gives her a bit of a stare for it, but Lexa is already moving ahead and he doesn't really have time to stand around looking weirded out.

He'll just fall into step behind her and begin describing the major points of WWII: The Axis powers, Allies, etc etc etc TOO MUCH TO TYPE OUT ]

[adamance]

[Blah blah blah she absorbs it and looks to him before they get in too deep.]

And this war happened some time ago on your Earth?

[dateme]

Yeah, about seventy years ago now or something. It was a really big deal though, and we still have memorial services and stuff in the summer. [ Since that's when Japan remembers the bombings; November 11th is Pocky Day. ]

[adamance]

Did it inspire fewer wars among your people? [It's a question that likely doesn't have an optimistic answer. But Lexa had been hoping to bring an end to the constant warring among her own. War itself is a subject that captures her attention whether she likes it or not (but that's because she's been warring since birth; she knows so little else).]

[dateme]

Well...in the main countries that fought, sure. But There's lots of them in the world you know? And not everyone gets along. [ Because there's a lot of crap going on in North Africa and East-Asia at the moment that's less than ideal to the notion of peace. ]

Fights are gonna happen.

[adamance]

My people have been at war for as long as we've been separated into clans, desperate to survive and create our own identities. [It's information she doesn't share lightly, but she doubts it's something that can be used against her.]

People do fight. Even with the casualties, sometimes it's all they know.

[dateme]

Yeah... That sounds kinda sucky though, sorry. How come you guys are all in clans and stuff? You don't use cities or police anymore? [ Lexa sounds like she's describing Yakuza or something when she gets into clans. That, or really old families too-worried about the main family versus the branch families. ]

[adamance]

Everything was destroyed. Humanity had no choice but to remake itself. That's how we chose to handle it. [They hit a hallway in the hull, and Lexa glances toward where to lead him. So far, so good—in terms of danger. She glances toward the power reading. Less good. That will be a problem.]

I brought the clans together, but people still struggle under unity. Old biases die hard.

[dateme]

[ His suit's fallen ten percent in five minutes which is less than ideal, yeah. But Inui's paying less attention to that and more to Lexa herself. ]

So you were some kinda ambassador or something?

[adamance]

Their commander. I led all of the twelve—and later thirteen—clans. I was in charge of all of the warriors, and I set the laws that would be followed. [Oral laws more than anything else, but just the same. Her ambassadors could challenge her, but she had the final word. Always.]

[dateme]

So you're like Ghengas Khan or something? [ She...probably won't know who that is, but that;'s not that point. It sounds badass. ]

[adamance]

[Accurate. On both accounts, really. All accounts?]

I don't recognize the name. [She offers him a glance as she leads on—the type that says, "please explain." Time to explain history again! (Sorry, Inui, she actually loves knowledge ...)]

[dateme]

[ IT'S ALRIGHT. He actually kinda likes...explaining stuff like this? He enjoys talking, but it's also fun to feel like for once he isn't totally out of his element and useless here. It's also a good way to pass the time as they work further into the hull, although he has to stop and hold out a pearl to her at a certain point. ]

--anyway, that's Ghengas Khan, and he was kinda awful. Here. [ he hands her a pearl ] We should probably top up, I'm at 13%.

[adamance]

I am considerably less awful, [she says, fingers wrapping around the pearl to go through the process of crushing it and powering her suit back up in the process.] My people are not fond of conquering or taking over what isn't ours. I unify for what can be a better future.

[Lexa wholeheartedly thinks it's a skill that will have some value here.]

[dateme]

So as long as it looks like you can call dibs, you do. Gotcha. [ That's what he's getting from that explanation anyway. ]

Wanna poke around in here for a bit? Since we already popped one of the pearls each. Save us some extra time to get back, just in case.

[adamance]

[That isn't how she'd put it, but she can tell already that Inui just ... is strange in how he phrases things. What if he could learn to be serious and spout off history lessons? It would be less disconcerting, at least.]

Yes. That would be ideal. [She motions toward a room where there are a lot of ... bins. They're metal, for the most part, but she saw it earlier.]

That may be a prime place to find things to carry, if the items themselves aren't too heavy.

[dateme]

Think we'll find anything that's actually useful? [ he asks, already heading over to start mucking around with things inside of it.

Will Inui ever learn to be a better person...? The answer is probably no. ]

[adamance]

[No, but if she can coax him into doing things—does it matter? Give and take, all in order to "survive."

She watches as he begins to rifle through things.]

How do you find something useful? [Lexa may just be dragging answers out of him to see how he views things. It's a way to pass the time, and she does enjoy needling people. (Too?)]