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

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?

[shoplifter]

[Ah, the usual question.

Laura puts her hands in her pockets, cocking her head to the side.]

... If I tell her where I go, she'd follow me.

I do better on my own.

[There's a plethora of other reasons, but she's not so sure she can say without feeling too human.]

[verflair]

Yes, I imagine she would. That is her job, after all.

[ X'rhun feels bad for the poor woman, truth be told. He's seen her around their floor in shared housing often enough, and she always looks about a hairsbreadth away from snapping. ]

You told me once about the bad people who are after you, would that be part of why you prefer to be alone?

[shoplifter]

[Poor Linda. And what's worse, Laura thinks, is that she really does care.

Dangerous grounds, caring.

At the question, she nods.]

People who help die.

[verflair]

[ Ah, well, that’s the crux of the matter, isn’t it? He knows very little of Laura, but what he does know is enough to break anyone’s heart. She knows not namedays or holidays, but she knows "bad people", and she knows death. ]

Did something happen on your own world? Did the bad people kill someone?

[shoplifter]

[She nods grimly, looking away.]

... Family and new friends.

They just wanted to help, but they were in the way.

[verflair]

Oh, Laura.

[ It comes out in something of a sigh, a sound rife with sympathy. She turned down his offer for help, once, and now he understands why. ]

And so, by pushing them away, you believe you’re keeping them out of danger.

I very much doubt I have the words that will change your mind, things like that cut deep and are slow to heal, but surely your family and your friends would not want you to live in constant fear and loneliness. That’s no life at all.

[shoplifter]

[She glances at him, no doubt considering his words.

It's true, fear and loneliness isn't the way to go, but...]

Is it not... better to have less of a life if others get to keep theirs?

[She's free. That's something, even with the bad.]

[verflair]

Unfortunately, it’s usually not so simple. Once someone has decided they care, there’s nothing can be done to change their mind. Linda frets so because she cares, the people on the network answer your questions and scold you for wandering out of the Quarantine because they care. I am here because I care.

Danger may come for you through that portal, I cannot tell you that it won’t for certain, but there are many of us here who have fantastical abilities, many more who would stand between a young girl and someone who would do her harm whether we knew her or not. You are not damning us simply by knowing us. In the end, it is our choice care, our choice to step in.

Try as you might to pull away, you cannot remove that choice. And I do not think you wish to completely isolate yourself, either, or else you would not reach out in the first place.

[shoplifter]

[Laura does listen carefully.

It makes sense, it does. Because people are stubborn and difficult, just like she can be. But the thought of leaving people to their potentially bad choices isn't particularly pleasant... not when she feels there's some sort of terrible inevitability, that someone else would die by association.]

... It's my choice to be -- isolated.

[But... ugh.]

I'll think about it.

[verflair]

I know. But you must understand how it looks from the outside, to those who don't understand what it is you've been through. You appear rash and reckless and stubborn for no reason, and people worry all the more.

[ It's a double-edged sword, pushing oneself away without saying why. ]

If I may offer you one more thing for consideration: right now you are here, and the bad people are not. This gives you an advantage. You can plan, instead of running for your life in the hopes that they do not catch you. Find safe places for your friends to hide, if they need to, find others who can fight and make sure they are prepared, and mayhap things will work out differently this time.

[shoplifter]

I don't care how I look. If they want to know, they should ask.

[She's just honest, really. She's been honest about what happened to her, too.

It was normal, for a long time.]

... But I will try. To let people... in.