rekindleme | EVENT: Exploration

EVENT: Exploration

There's a nervous feeling to this morning. More than a few people milling around the giant gates of Districts Five and Three. Among them are officials, giving safety and advisory talks on what to expect outside, and hoping that people will listen: it's not safe outside the walls, there is an energy drain in place that can only be held off by keeping in contact with someone (and that only lasts so long) plus a reminder on where the signal was pinpointed. Somewhere off to the north east of the city...And to be careful out there, above all else.

True to the announcement, the city gates open in the morning hours with plenty of heavy rattling noises to mark the occasion. And with that, all that's left is to step through the gates to the world outside.

Out there it feels like there's a near permanent coating of rust and ash on every surface, determined to work its way onto your mouth and into your lungs. Looming out of the shattered remains of streets and sidewalks are crumbled buildings that look like gaunt old skeletons of the familiar Saeng Seong locals. There's a stillness to the air that can weigh heavy on one's shoulders…And can probably get all the more heavy if you're not keeping up contact. You DID bring a buddy along to help you explore, right?

The company is probably needed, given how empty and desolate the outside feels. Save for the occasional groan of a ruin falling a little more apart...And perhaps a skittering of something close by.

Welcome to the dead zone ringing the city. Best look alive out there.

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[Steve's been traveling with Tony for the longest time, but for right now, he's on his own. Walking further into the ruins by himself isn't really smart of him, but he hopes to find someone else soon to help relieve the touch symptoms. At least the bright red, white, and blue shield on his back is noticeable.

...Hopefully he won't attract monsters though.

He stops walking when Freya jumps down in front of him, instantly recognizing the noble rat lady. Steve hasn't seen her at all, not since he was still small and skinny, so this is a pleasant surprise.]

Miss- I mean, Freya. [He smiles a little; she looks well and ready to fight.] Out exploring these ruins too?

[Though she saw the shield, she didn't quite remember it from when she first saw it on the network, instead thinking the tall man a stranger. One who could take care of himself judging by his physique, but he could be one of those stubborn types...

... which is why it takes her several moments to recognize the man addressing her, standing there with a confused frown mostly concealed under her hat.]

I'm afraid you have me at a disadvantage...

[Wait a minute... She knows that voice, and that face. And that shield? How could she forget that color combination? But what's in front of her doesn't match her memory otherwise at all, and her surprise is clear, though her voice is mostly calm as always.]

Steve?

[Freya's inability to recognize him at first doesn't surprise Steve, so he's not offended or hurt by her reaction at all. Not the first time this happened and hey, he did grow over a foot and gained an extra hundred pounds. Not every day something like that happened.

Besides, she ends up recognizing him anyway.]

Same guy, just had a good experience with the gym lately. [He tries to make things light, but he'll give her the truth about his change if she asks. It's just not something he normally brings up otherwise.] It's good to see you again.

[She absolutely does not believe that he's merely been working out. Not even in her world does such a thing happen.]

How many years did you spend, exactly, in this gym?

[For him to have grown that much, some time must have passed. Then was he sent home, as Loki and Severa had been, and brought back? ... She supposes she's just glad that he remembers her, unlike those two.]

Edited (enter key why) 2014-03-31 21:40 (UTC)

Wasn't so much of a gym, actually not at all. [He sees that Freya wasn't buying the gym excuse, he probably needs to think of something better than that. But he's not really invested to think of a better lie anyway.]

A serum caused this, happened in just a few minutes. Not sure if that's any more believable, but it's the truth. [Some of the most painful minutes of his life, but he went through with it. Steve still can't regret making that decision, no matter how hard things are in his world.] About 70 years passed for me, wasn't awake for most of it though. It's why I didn't age.

Really? You had me convinced. [Unlike Tony's deadpan, Freya's voice holds a bit more enthusiasm with her humor. But she takes some interest in his tale, though she's staying alert to their surroundings. She couldn't imagine any reason for him to make up such a thing and lie, so she would trust that he was being truthful.]

A serum...? Some sort of special potion, then?

[He looks slightly amused by her comment, knowing that she's lightly joking about it. It's not too often he hears Freya's brand of humor, so it's nice.]

Sorta. A permanent potion that changed my bone structure, the very cells in my body. [He still doesn't quite know how Erskine was able to do something like this, no one's been able to fully replicate the serum either in the present time. Dr. Banner's unfortunate circumstances is a result of serum testing too, from what he's heard.]

I was placed in a large machine to... activate the serum, I think. Honestly don't know much about the science behind it. [Volunteering for a secret experimental project that he didn't understand at all sounded like a good idea at the time.]

[Most science goes over her head; she's an intelligent warrior, but magic is where most advancements are made in her world. Whatever cells are, they sound important, at least. And bones changing sounds painful.

But after a few seconds, she shakes her head with a smile and gives him a pat on the shoulder.]

It is good to see you well, Steve. I daresay you look much healthier than last I saw you, as well, even aside from your physique.

[He's glad that he can probably keep up with Freya now. Of course he would have still tried when he was a little guy, but having this body does give him a boost. Steve can't lie about something like that to himself.]

Thank you, I feel a lot healthier too. Hardly get sick nowadays, hope to keep it that way too. [Even if he has to eat a lot more to keep up with this body.] Guess all this happened to me at the right time.

I suppose so. We will have to catch up sometime soon. [She's certain Steve has many stories to tell, even if he was asleep for most of the 70 years that passed. Not to mention what got him into the situation to take such a potion in the first place. But for now...]

Shall we head towards the source of the signal, or would you prefer to search for things?

Back in the city, maybe sit down in a coffee shop? No monsters as uninvited guests either. [Now wasn't the best time for small talk probably, if you could call describing being in a war small talk. But they had a mission now, something to focus. They could always catch up later.]

Planning on heading towards the source, explored enough with my teammate already. [With Stark getting as much technology as possible... hopefully he could get something out of it.] Hopefully find something at the center of all this.

We'll have plenty of time then.

[Freya nods; she's done a bit of exploring on her own, so she's satisfied with heading towards their main goal in this expedition.]

At the very least, we may find some clues. I've been hoping for an opportunity like this for some time...

[Her caution has held her back until now; she doesn't like to venture out into the unknown where anything could happen without any information.

She gestures ahead of them before she begins to walk, deciding that she'll travel alongside Steve in order to better keep up the contact they both need, as much as her usual rooftop vantage point is helpful.]

Chance to explore the outside area of Saeng Seong. Gotta admit though, wasn't expecting the ruins of a city to be here. [He wasn't quite sure what he was expecting, maybe an old dirt path that led to some place? And what was beyond these ruins? Steve wished he had more time to explore these parts.

Regardless, Steve followed Freya, making sure that he stayed close by. It was a somewhat comfortable feeling for him, despite the circumstances, he always admired her when he first got here. And now, he could really hold his own.]

Edited 2014-04-02 21:21 (UTC)

It does seem strange that there is so sudden a change outside the walls. I would expect the uninhabited ruins due to the monsters, but...

[She reaches out to put a hand on Steve's shoulder, feeling uneasy about going very long without contact now. She has her spear at the ready in the other hand.]

The feeling in the air is more unpleasant than I imagined. [Even worse than the Mist. As they move forward, she wonders if the natives might have a name for this phenomenon...]

[He places a hand on top of hers for a moment, smiling a little. Steve knows the gesture is just for physical contact, but it still feels reassuring in a way.]

Probably the reason why they locked and closed the gates. Didn't want anyone to wander out here. [He looks around, noting just how different this place is compared to the areas in Saeng Seong.] Wonder how it got this way, if there's an explanation they're gonna tell us.

[The dragon knight returns the smile with a small one of her own. She is truly glad to see him again and doing so well, and she couldn't ask to meet a better comrade or friend in these ruins.]

They may not know themselves. [If the information is hidden from all of them, it's reasonable to think that it might not even be available.] I have heard others speak of records that are locked away and more than a hundred years old... but I am uncertain if that is true.

We'll keep an eye out for that. We're already investigating the area, something's bound to turn up. [Lost technology, relics... there's a lot to dig through. There's probably something at the signal itself too.]

I think that is all of our hopes. Even if they had not asked for anything and merely opened the gates, I know that most of us would have still ventured outside to try to learn more.

[Whether stuck inside the city walls for a while or just arrived, the others would be out here searching just as they were. They had all clearly jumped at the opportunity, given how many had been at the gates in the morning when they opened.]

Many of us are the exploring type. Or at least not one to sit back and wait for things to be solved on their own.

[He's already bumped into quite a few people here, all with the same goal to explore and pick up the remains. It's all admirable, in a way.]

Perhaps that is the reason we were brought here in the first place.

[They needed a problem solved and they got a bunch of problem solvers. It certainly made a lot of sense. And though she wished to return home to fulfill her duty to her lost country, she would be glad to help Saeng Seong if she could.]

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EVENT: Exploration

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aww steve [liecat]

:3

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jump to final stretch? :O