Video/Potentional Action. Abandoned amusement parks are dope.

[shoplifter]

[Some of you might get worried calls from Linda, Laura's tormented case worker.

The general questioning is: "HAVE YOU SEEN LAURA I HAVEN'T FOUND HER IN HOURS I'VE LOOKED EVERYWHERE."

But then, a Laura entry pops up sometime later in the day:

Her, looking curious, with the telltale signs of vegetation outside of city limits behind her.

She points the camera at the setting of the abandoned amusement park, some disappointment soon to be prevalent in her tone; she'd sneaked out and headed off to the Abandoned City or whatever people call it, mostly to get away from society and sort of marinate in her own thoughts. It's one of those months. Or many of those months. As much as she's tried adapting and appreciates her freedom, sometimes you just need to step away from it all and have your own time.

... In places Linda tells you not to ever sneak off to, of course.

Sue her, she never listens to her authority figures. She's not scared of monsters, anyway; she's already killed two getting here. It's why she's got some tar-colored blood on her sleeves and knuckles.]

We should repair this. I don't know what it is, but it looks like -- a fun place. Some of these have... strange wheels... and cars on railroads. ¿Para qué sirve? Do people who move trains practice here?

[She wanders around, her footfalls echoing in the isolated place. There's a rotted up old booth where you 'shoot' guns for prizes, but the signs are pretty overgrown with vines. She picks up a fake rifle and aims it at the blank target board beyond her, smacking on some bubblegum thoughtfully.]

Is it a place for soldiers to practice, too? It is very colorful for a soldier, but we had some color, too. They liked to put cartoons on the walls. Maybe there are cartoons on walls here, too... Maybe there are lights that make it bright. Like Vegas.

[..... Aha.

She points the camera up, up, up, toward the highest point of the ferris wheel.]

I think you see everything if you climb to the top.

[... I'mma climb to the top.]

[Feel free to have any ACTION threads as well; she's just wandering around, really, enjoying the quiet.]

Comments

audio; un: stranger.things

[potentialed]

[ SIGH. CHILD, YOU DRIVE HIM CRAZY. ]

Laura, why aren't you in school?

[ As well as, ya know, the quarantine. ]

audio;

[shoplifter]

This seemed more interesting.

[Obviously.]

Sometimes I don't feel like school.

[potentialed]

[ He rubs his forehead, feeling a headache coming on. ]

And so you decided to sneak out of the Quarantine.

[ After what he's seen her do, he can't exactly say he's worried about her not being able to take care of herself. ]

Do you realize how much you make your case worker worry about you?

[ And Stephen but shhh. We're not talking about that. ]

threadjack bc I can't not

[scoutsniper]

[Jesus. Leave the kid alone.]

Adding goddam 'fun police' to your resume, Dr Wizard Guy?

i love it lmao

[potentialed]

[ Omg get out "better dad". More like "bad behavior enabler". ]

Only if I can add "potty mouth" to yours, Frank.

[ This fuckin guy. ]

oh it's time for [Action]

[scoutsniper]

[Frank is, of course, all about staying outside the Perimeter. One could say he's looking for trouble. He probably is. ]

Need help? [See, Dr Strange? BETTER DAD is here.]

[Action]

[shoplifter]

[Frank, bud, stop looking for trouble. That said, Laura is absolutely ready for trouble herself. She looks over at him, still chewing thoughtfully on her gum.]

I was thinking of climbing the weird wheel.

[Action]

[scoutsniper]

[He likes trouble, what can he say?. ].

You sure that's stable enough to climb?

video; c.danvers.01969

[wiccecraft]

[ Hey teenage girl covered in...blood? Here's a mildly concerned somewhat older teenage boy, with raised eyebrows, but first: ]

I think that might be an amusement part. You know - roller coaster, ferris wheels, cotton candy? That kind of thing.

Takes a lot of people to run.

video;

[shoplifter]

[Pre-teen, technically, but bless you for your concern.]

... Amusement park...

I know cotton candy. What are the other two?

video;

[wiccecraft]

Roller coaster? You sit in a little car on a track and it goes really fast and loops around. It's fun. Sometimes people can't do it because it makes them feel dizzy or sick, but if you can ride it, they're fun.

Ferris wheel is that thing you want to climb. When it is turned on the little cages with chairs inside go around and around slowly so people can see the view.

action;

[verflair]

[ Well, since X’rhun is a part of Search & Rescue, he takes it upon himself to search for her once she pops up on the network. As for the rescuing, well… that will depend on what he finds.

Hello Laura. Hard to miss the flamboyantly-dressed cat man toting a sword heading her way. ]

My dear, how is it you managed to get yourself all the way out here?

action;

[shoplifter]

[She glances back sharply, but seems at ease with the familiarity of his face.]

... I walked.

[And no one is surprised by the dry commentary from her.]

[verflair]

Ah, ask a stupid question, as they say.

[ He lets out an amused snort. ]

I’m not here to bring you back to the city, I just wanted to check on you, but I’m curious. Why is it you’re always running away from poor Miss Linda?

[video] un: goldenqueen

[superstring]

What would be the point in spending the time to repair such a place? It looks like it has outlived it's use.

[video] un: goldenqueen

[shoplifter]

You could outlive your use, too.

It depends on what they want you for.

[Duh.]

[superstring]

Technically I have already been tossed aside. Do you really think you could make that place like new again?

@maverick

[deploy]

Nice Ferris wheel.

[Kid has good taste.]

And you probably would see everything, but I'd light the sucker up first. More fun that way. The best part about going up is coming back down.

[They're about the same age mentally. It's all good.]

[shoplifter]

I would light it up. I just do not know how.

I think there is no... power out here. Electricity.

[Bobby probably could have done it, with his powers. She misses her friends sometimes.]

video; un: sg.rogers

[livingsymbol]

Exploring out on your own?

[Clearly she is, but this is probably better than just saying hello. Right?]

video;

[shoplifter]

[A few determined little nods.

Of course, is the answer; what better thing to do on your own? Seems logical to her.]

action!

[winscenario]

[ With the shuttle it's much easier for Jim to move beyond the Quarantine walls, and the abandoned city is a pretty common destination for him, as he ends up going there almost every day. A few times he spots people there, Perimeter Guard members more often than not, but a kid on their own isn't a sight he's that used to.

So when he sees the short figure approaching a broken down roller coaster, he flies the shuttle closer, landing a few good meters away from the girl. The engines quiet down, and a few seconds after Jim pops out from the side door. ]

Hey! You out here on your own?

action!

[shoplifter]

[She looks at it, sizing it up, ready to draw her claws and --

Oh wait no, it's just the Santa guy. She relaxes a bit.]

Sí.

[............................ Very informative, Laura. But hey, she answered!!]

action/text; un: redwidow

[krasnaya_vdova]

[Ava was, as it happens, not far from the ferris wheel, out exploring the area, trying to see about the viability of getting power routed out here, how much reconstruction needed to happen. And well, Laura's asking just the sort of questions that put a mischievous sort of smile on the redhead's face. But there's also a sort of sadness there, because there are statements there that she recognizes. Flickers things about soldiers and color and cartoons on the walls. It doesn't makes her flinch, but it does sway her toward trying to find her.

But she knows her own dislike of people sneaking up on her, aside from one notable exception, so she sends her a private text.]

I'm not far from the ferris wheel. Do you want to see the lights? I could help.

text;

[shoplifter]

[Laura looks up at the ferris wheel, thoughtful.]

Can you really make it work?