Expedition Log 5

[lara_the_explorer]

Who: Lara Croft and You
What: Lara returns from the Dead Zone
When: Now.
Where: Castle grounds, Town, or the woods
Rating: PG



Lara returns to Paradisa's safe territory, looking pretty filthy from her outdoor adventuring. But hardly any major injuries, fortunately. When she reached a fork in the road within the woods, she stopped and tried to decide. Should she go straight back to the castle, or just go to town a bit and probably get a drink? Either way, she's gonna be seeing residents from the castle again. Oh well, her alone time was fun while it lasted.

Comments

[fanstheflame]

Gale was returning from his morning check of his traps and snares, when he heard someone coming down the path. It was still habit for him to try and avoid being seen with fresh game - even without Peacekeepers, there were still other creatures in the woods that he'd rather not run into with a dead squirrel or rabbit on hand. As such, he stayed out of sight until he was sure the coast was safe. At the sight of a young woman, likely another resident, he made his way back out, as though he, too, were just arriving.

"Hi."

[lara_the_explorer]

"Hello there" Lara glanced at the stranger, giving a greeting nod in return. "I hope I didn't scare your other game away" she added, looking around the forest. It seems the guy was hunting some small critters.

[fanstheflame]

"It's not a big deal," he shrugged. "If you did, they'll be back. And I come out here about every day, so ... there's always something."

[lara_the_explorer]

"Okay" Lara nods. She noticed the sky is getting darker, though. Whether by rain or the sun that's beginning to set. "Shit, I should try and go back to the castle before it gets dark. There aren't any wolves around here, right?"

[fanstheflame]

"There's one, but ... I haven't seen him around in a long while." He never really did figure out what the deal was with that wolf, but honestly, the less he sees of those tracks, the better.

"Mind if I walk back with you?"

[lara_the_explorer]

"One is better than a pack of them. I have to deal with a lot of wolves near the edge of the Dead Zone. And a couple of bears" Who are all unfortunate enough to die by Lara's hand.

"Sure. You would know the way better than I do"

[fanstheflame]

"Bears?" He frowned, but was still more than happy to lead the way. "The only bears I know of are actually someone's pets. She has them in a pen, on the edge of the woods."

[lara_the_explorer]

"A pet? I've heard of bears being kept for domestic use, but I didn't expect someone to have one in here... But there were wild ones near the hills just south of here. I followed a stream, so it was only a matter of time for me to see a bear fishing"

[fanstheflame]

"Yeah, she ... I think she actually wished for them. I have no idea why, I don't actually know her. I just know a few people who do." Gale shook his head, bemused.

"Have you been on any of the bigger trips out to the Dead Zone yet, the expeditions?"

[threeweeksago]

To be honest, Ellie felt more comfortable outside than inside. Call it a side-effect of months of being on the road and sleeping under the stars when there were no decent shelters available, or a discomfort born of too many potential safehouses ruined by a pack of Infected locked in the basement or something. Whichever it was, it didn't really matter - Ellie just liked being outside.

So she had been exploring the grounds when she noticed Lara walking past, and taking in her appearance, Ellie couldn't stop herself from snorting in laughter.

"Damn what happened to you? You swan dive into a mud puddle or something?"

[lara_the_explorer]

Lara raised an eyebrow at the strange kid, who seems to have a the sass of a thousand suns. She glanced down at herself to check, and she does look like she rolled around mud with all the dried earth on her jacket.

She replied dryly, almost with a chuckle; "No. But that sounds fun"

[threeweeksago]

Oh, just wait, Lara. Ellie's only just warming up her sass right now.

"Totally," she says, laughing again. "So what's the real story? Y'know, if you don't mind me asking."

[lara_the_explorer]

Lara chuckled as Ellie laughed, then she responds "I went to check the Dead Zone. The edge of it anyway"

[threeweeksago]

"The Dead Zone?" Ellie looks a big surprised at the name, one eyebrow raised. "Wow, that doesn't sound ominous at all. What the hell is the Dead Zone?"

[lara_the_explorer]

"It's... not as bad as it seems" Lara felt uncomfortable about the kid's reaction. She's too young to hear about the monsters the other residents talked about that stays in the Dead Zone. She doesn't want to scare her about that.

"It's just a place where electronics stop working" And magic, but she's got mixed feelings about that topic right now.

[threeweeksago]

Ellie's a smart kid. Most of the adults around her - back home, at least - might not have thought so, but she's perceptive in a way that would probably surprise some people. So all she does is huff and cross her arms, glaring straight at Lara.

"Okay, there's no way something called the Dead Zone is that harmless. If you're hiding something, I can take it. Seriously, I've seen some pretty fucked up shit."

[lara_the_explorer]

"Okay" Lara sighs. Yeah, she seem to have underestimated this kid, she didn't expect this reaction.

"I only heard stories from the other residents..." Lara shakes her head "About monsters lurking in there. I haven't seen any myself. I didn't stay too long or stray too far"

[the_effect_she_has]

Gale wasn't the only one who had to check her hunting ground - but since she and Gale shared it wasn't as vital as all that. On her way back to her cabin, she saw a familiar face and paused, trying on an awkward but quiet smile.

She remembered her fellow 'classmate', and since she either got on quickly with someone or not at all ... Lara stuck in her memory. A good person, someone you could count to have your back.

So she waited, to see if the girl wanted to ... keep having her back. Or at least say hello. She was so bad at making friends.

[lara_the_explorer]

Lara immediately took notice of someone, but she covered her eyes from the sunlight to get a better picture. It was Katniss, a person who she immediately took a liking to. Lara nodded and waved with a smile on her face.

"Katniss! It's good to see you again!"

[the_effect_she_has]

Oh good, the other girl was happy to see her. Some of the tension left Katniss's shoulders, and she headed towards her with another wave. She did slow, when she saw the other girl was caked in filth.

"What the hell happened to you?"

[lara_the_explorer]

Lara chuckled, almost embarrassed by how she looks.

"I went on a trip to the edge of the Dead Zone to see it for myself. Had to fight off some wolves... and bears."

[the_effect_she_has]

She nodded her head slowly, knowing she could respect that. That she had done it herself.

"It's good hunting, and good climbing." She nodded off to the path. "If you want to wash up, my cabin's not far from here."

[lara_the_explorer]

Lara did have to hunt for her own food while she was gone. Bear meat still tastes weird.

"You have a cabin? I thought we all live in the castle."

[the_effect_she_has]

She shook her head, grey eyes serious. "No. A lot of people do live in the castle - but some of us live in the town, or in homes outside of it. I live in a cabin that my ... friend Joanna built, some time ago."

[lara_the_explorer]

"I see. It's good to have a back-up place outside of the castle" Lara nods. As curious as she was about this Joanna, she thought of not asking the question and just go with Katniss to the cabin for now. She does need to freshen up...