caveofsapphires | smaller patch of fading sky [ open ]

WHO: EVERYONE. All PCs thus far will be in this log, through active tagging or implication.
WHAT: THRILLS. SPILLS. Hiking trip toward the Diamond City.
WHERE: The Overworld.
WHEN: Forward-dated to May 1st (Tuesday) through May 7th (Monday).
WARNINGS: May contain violence or other mentions of physical harm. This is not summer camp.
NOTES: More information can be found on the OOC post here. Please read it!

Gathered in the morning haze, Sleepers were brought to the mouth of the Cave with plenty of supplies and equipment. Compasses that would point them toward the City. Backpacks full of clothes and food, medical kits, tents and even weapons. Stun rifles and knives — to fight off any unwanted company, they said. ("Watch out for their bite," Ryan had commented. "Those fuckers are downright feral.") The straight and narrow path would get them there in six days if they kept a good clip. They were sent off just like that. Refusals to leave were met with a wall of guard force officers blocking the entrance back into the cave city. No way to go but forward, unless someone was particularly stalwart about remaining.

From the exterminator's station near the mouth, leaving the Cave was as simple as a short hike upward into the fresh air of the Overworld. Dust and an uncomfortable sort of heat pervaded the atmosphere, light winds stirring up the sand and teasing the meager bits of vegetation that had grown. No matter what direction you looked... it was all wasteland, cracked ground and desolate emptiness. Jutting up from scarred ground were boulders and small spires made entirely of glass and patches of stone; instead of reflecting the harsh sunlight, they seemed to absorb it and only add to the muted loneliness of the atmosphere. As far as the eye could see, there was no life to be found.

With no other option, the Sleepers eventually made their way onward.

"Aye." Liam laughed, glancing upward with something of a rueful look. "Could use s'more colour or clouds, but it's a sight for sore eyes. Those crystal lights were driving me bonkers."

The change in colour was still bothering him, but there was nothing to be done about that now. Better to keep his mind on the current and not borrow more trouble than he already was.

"At least it makes sense, more or less, in a . . . big, empty, dangerous sort of way." Aziraphale looked up, squinting, at the sun, and beamed. "And there'll be stars tonight, I should think."

"That, Aziraphale," said Liam, pointing toward the man with a keen eye and twisted lips, "is an excellent point. I'm looking forward to that. It's been far too long already."

"It has," he agreed, and pulled out his water. Another thing he wasn't used to was being thirsty, really thirsty. He drank and tapped a tattoo on the side of the container. "People need the sky, and the open, I think."

He wasn't happy, not exactly, but more content, yes. The lingering guilt had faded somewhat, and all that remained was the beginnings of an ache in his legs from the journey. The false security of being out in the open was enough to keep uncertainty off his mind, at least for the moment.

"Absolutely. Being cooped up underground... that's no way to live." Liam brought his hands together, left thumb absently trailing over his inner wrist where the inexplicable tattoo was placed. He was severely tempted to just find a spot in the shade and sleep for a few hours, but knew he had to keep awake until the rest of the group was ready to stop for the night. His sleep schedule had only begun resembling normal back in the Cave, and now all this exertion was putting him off his game again. "Not that living out here is all that preferable, either, but you get what I mean."

"Well - hopefully when we get to our destination it will be some combination of outside and in," Aziraphale said ruefully. He tapped the water bottle and tilted it back and forth, feeling the contents slosh around inside. "With beds and real food and a view of the sky. I don't know how they'd expect us to continue living ordinary lives otherwise."

"Got two out of three already," Liam said with a shrug. "Sort of. One and a half? Food isn't too bad. Just... boring." His lips quirked and there was some humour in his gaze. "Could really go for adding a nice bed to the whole equation, though. Sleep — now that's something I'm not so averse to, even if it is a waste of time."

Aziraphale laughed under his breath. "I'm sure we'll all be exhausted soon enough and then it won't be a waste at all," he said. "And we'll dream of feather beds and ridiculous pillows and - well, a breeze, or a fan, or something, that would be nice too."

Sighing, he grabbed his wrist behind his back with the other hand. "Of course, that's all days away still, but I can't help torturing myself."

Liam simply gave a toothy (and obviously false) grin to accompany his next words. "S' like waving the carrot in front of the horse. We may never get to it, but damn if we aren't going to go after it anyway because we really want that carrot."

He raised his eyebrows. "Perhaps that will allow us to get there faster?" he said, trying to keep a straight face. "We could run the whole way, you know. After the carrot."

Waving vaguely out into the wilderness, Liam responded, "Feel free to give that a shot. Let us know how that one works out, why don't you? It'll be like a baton race. Only without the baton."

"That sounds like tremendous fun. I'll meet you there."

Peering up ahead, Aziraphale saw that everyone was beginning to gather their things together to begin the journey again. With a weary sigh, he said, "I suppose we're off, then." Shouldering his pack, he gave Liam a quick smile. "Godspeed is appropriate, I think."

Edited 2012-05-21 02:54 (UTC)

Liam followed Aziraphale's suit, shifting the knapsack back up before moving to rejoin the herd. He tilted his head toward the other man in curiosity. "Appropriate?" he prodded.

Making a face, he shrugged. "Well. We might need it."

smaller patch of fading sky [ open ]

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sorry dj, i'm having some struggles with remembering threads on this log apparently

Hey, it's fine. These are old threads, anyway. ♥

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