forum Dystopian Fantasy RP aw yeah (Private)

Started May 02, 2018 by @Young-Dusty-the-Monarch-of-Dusteria group

tune

Tanrial stood, watching and listening, “Possibly… we should move.”

"Yeah." Mike hitched up his backpack and turned northward. "We've got a lot of ground to cover before noon. If you don't already have blisters, you will by tonight."

“Whoever gets the most blisters has to cook dinner.” Tanrial said, grinnng.

Bernon laughed despite himself. "Deal."
Mike rolled his eyes slightly, but the corner of his mouth twitched up. "Hopefully we can find some supper, otherwise we'll have to survive on water and the week-old jerky I have in my pack."

“There’s rabbits and deer round here, we’ll find something,” She shrugged a little, “Come on, let’s go.”

They set out through the tall grass, their clothes steaming as the sun began to evaporate the dew around them. Mike was quiet and ignored the others, but Bernon seemed to be in high spirits and walked with a spring in his step, admiring the clouds overhead.
"Feels good to be back on the trail again," he said. "I didn't realize how much I was missing it."

“Yeah, it’s relaxing if you don’t have people trying to kill you…”
(Seeya tomorrow)

Mike snorted. "Don't get too comfortable. There's still plenty of opportunity for danger left in the day. As if the world weren't dangerous enough already with its weather and wild animals, now we have giant monsters, unfriendly magic-users, and desperate humans who are okay with killing you for your meager supplies. Oh, and man-made hazards such as oil spills, minor nuclear fallout, and very unstable buildings. The list goes on."
"Okay, mister sunshine," Bernon retorted. "We get the idea."

“I mean, not everything in this world is terrible. Yes, there’s still some horrible stuff out here but I’ve heard there are some peaceful species of animals not trying to kill us.”

"Yeah," Bernon agreed. "And some people are friendly too. More than you'd think, actually."
Mike made a disbelieving noise, but didn't argue.
"That reminds me," Bernon continued. "If we're going to work together, I have a request. The next time we run into some humans or otherwise, unless they instantly attack, could we try to make friends with them instead of acting hostile? I'm not big on the idea of killing everyone we meet."
Now Mike spoke. "I'm not a serial killer. I wouldn't start a fight for no reason. But I doubt we're gonna have much time for diplomacy around here."
Bernon frowned sternly. "Oh come on. Tanrial, back me up here. We should prioritize peaceful negotiation, right?"

Tanrial frowned a little, “I mean, I guess yeah but… if they show signs of being hostile then we’ll attack.”

Bernon huffed in frustration. "Okay but everyone is going to be hostile at first because they won't know if they can trust us! We have to show we mean no harm, and then, even if they still act aggressive, we should do everything we can to keep a fight from breaking out. People are allies and resources, and it's so easy to forge connections with them if you just try! Why doesn't anybody get that anym–"
Mike cut him off. "I see you feel strongly about this. Maybe that system works out for you because you've got a cute smile and a friendly face. But automatically distrusting everyone has worked for me so far, and I intend to keep doing it for a good while."

“Alright, both of you need to calm down,” Tanrial stood between them both, “Yes, distrusting people had worked for you and being friendly works for you, Bernon so let’s compromise. If they show signs of being hostile we try to talk and if it doesn’t work then we attack. If they show no signs at all then we know what to do.”

A brief silence fell, in which Mike and Bernon refused to look at each other. Then Bernon sighed. "Fine. Good plan, Tanrial. Let's do that."
Mike merely nodded his consent, then strode ahead to find a path down a particularly steep hill.

Tanrial rolled her eyes and set off after Mike, trying to find a path like he was.

The sun was fully up by now and the mist was gone, which marked the beginning of the days warmth. The wind picked up as well, becoming a steady breeze that made the grass rustle all around them. There were very few signs of life in this area, and only the occasional grouse or distant deer broke the monotony. Mike had opted to follow the creek, and now it was a sandy ditch winding through the hills with a few sparse trees hugging its banks.
(gotta go early today, seeya tomorrow)

Tanrial followed Mike, Bernon behind her on the side of the creek. She could faintly see a few deer over the hills but new by the time they were over there, they would be gone.
(Okayyy, seeya tomorrow)

This went one for a couple hours. Very little conversation occurred as they went–mostly they were too busy watching for danger and navigating the uneven ground to try talking to each other.
At one point Bernon called a halt because he'd spotted an edible plant. He dug it up, wrapped it in cloth, and stowed it in his pack for later. They kept moving.
Finally, just as the sun was reaching its peak, Mike stopped and peered into the hazy distance, shading his eyes with his hand. They'd completely left the forest behind, so nothing was blocking their view of the enormous ruins that loomed on the horizon.
Bernon followed Mike's gaze and whistled. "We're not going there, are we?"
Mike shook his head. "No, we're giving it a wide berth. Too many lowlifes in that area. Even at this distance, we're in the danger zone. Let's cut right along the foothills there, and keep our eyes peeled. We want to be well past the city before dark."

“Surely we can’t go take a small look? I can be here and back in under 15 minuets when shifted…” She brought her gaze to the ruins, intrigued by them. The massive stone walls, what looked like half of a small guard tower and other smaller buildings.

Mike gave her a stern look. "This isn't some harmless ruin like they have in stories. It's unstable, easy to get lost in, and probably crawling with bandits. Besides, there's nothing in there worth taking. No food or water, for sure, and any valuable will have been long since looted. Why do you want to go in?"

“I don’t know, I just do. Do I need a reason?” She turned to Mike, “There must be something there.”

He sighed in annoyance and glanced at the faraway structures, calculating. "Fine. Maybe if you see one, you'll realize that there's no point in investigating them all. You have twenty minutes max. Don't get spotted, and if you do, don't try and be friendly. Just do what you have to and get out. Clear?"
"If you're not back soon we'll come find you," Bernon added.

(It’s not even 9 in the morning and I just and ice cream…)
Tanrial rolled her eyes, “Yes Captain.” She placed her bag down and shifted running off at full speed to the ruins. It didn’t take long, and she was there in under five minutes. She shifted back and stopped, listening for any signs of life. When she was sure there were none, she went to examine the tower.

It was a very strange tower, with squared-off sides and countless windows, most of which had been smashed in long ago. The surrounding buildings were equally square, and were all made of the same smooth grey stone. Some were crumbling away or leaning dangerously, and many bore the marks of the fire that had destroyed them generations ago. Grass and small trees were growing all over the ruins, and a flock of sparrows pecked busily at the cracked stone street. There was no sound here, only the wind.