(video) two.

[traitre]

I suppose it's too much to ask that whatever's dropping all this incredible technology on our heads continues to do so. [ a dismissive little wave. ] Hordes of hostile spirits aside, of course. Not a situation any of us should hope to repeat, but it certainly is hard to argue with the payoff...

[ "payoff" indeed. qilby's hat takes up most of the screen, but under a horn a bit of burnished metal or mechanical something-or-other may be visible. apparently he's put his little botany project on the backburner since some new toys fell out of the sky.

and although he'd normally be all for showing off what it is he's tinkering with, he's got a more pressing matter at hand. ]

It's rather short-sighted, in retrospect-- but until now, I hadn't truly considered the scope of the universe outside the turtle's shell. Docking on the mainland is one thing, but the stars are quite another. [ he shakes his head almost mournfully. ] But Tu Vishan sustains us yet, and it seems to be quite impossible to travel very far beyond his presence.

Several months have passed, and I still know so little-- have seen so little of this world. The idea that I may never know more than what I'm told is... Disheartening. [ an embarrassed little laugh; as if even he realizes it's a silly thing to be hung up on. but still. ] Surely I can't be the only one that feels that way.

Comments

Video:

[solo_patria]

You are certainly not the only one to feel disheartened at the prospect. I have been here but a short while myself, and the idea I will never know more is...I abhore it.

Surely there are ways to gather SOME information. [He would not be surprised if some of his friends have tried it so far.]

Perhaps I should speak to those from my home who I know I can trust about the possibility of learning more. Co...[Then he's breaking off because he is not naming anyone's names here.] Certain of my friends may know or have tried to learn more.

Video:

[traitre]

Oh, I'm sure there are ways. The satellite, for example-- [ he jerks his head upwards, as if it's still orbiting above as they speak. ] Nothing says we can't launch a similar probe to collect the information we clearly can't see for ourselves.

[ a wry smile. ] Without all the... Complications, of course. You and your friends would agree, I'm sure.

Video:

[solo_patria]

Oh? There are other foreigners with the capacity to do such?

[Enjolras is more than a bit surprised at that idea. Mostly because everything he has heard about the satelite and what's come of it, had made the entire thing seem something too scientific. Not that it is not something to pay attention to, of course but...not something he might understand the specifics of.]

That does surprise me, the idea we would be able.

Video:

[traitre]

Is it so surprising? Nothing's impossible.

[ "for me," is the natural follow-up to that statement, but he does intend for the sentiment to come off as inspirational rather than conceited. it's just-- the fact of the matter is that his people had mastered space travel when most species were dragging themselves out of the primordial soup. ]

That being said, I may be overestimating our current capabilities a tad. [ he gestures appropriately, with two nearly-pinched fingers. ] But if we weren't all so preoccupied with... Other matters, I might further pursue the project.

[ the war looming on the horizon, he means. it's on everybody's lips today, it seems. ]

Video:

[solo_patria]

Is it not here? Where I am from, not all possibilities exist, so this is ...new for me. Technologically speaking at least.

I AM told that there are many people here from worlds more developed. And I would not have said that living on the back of a turtle was possible before. But even so, the idea of more than one person with such skills is astounding to me.


[Enjolras IS trying to make an effort to believe in the new things he has been exposed to so far, but wrapping his mind around something that he sees in action, such as the console he is sitting at versus what is being proposed here, in the way of satellites? Yeah, It's a bit further of a stretch.]

Those...other matters...yes. I see why they have taken priority.

Video:

[traitre]

In my many years, I've been surprised by far too much to believe anything is still impossible.

[ that being said, the surprises come less and less frequently each century. it gets to the point where one must make their own surprises.

but if he tries really hard, he can almost imagine how strange it must be for someone in a young world. ] Turtles and satellites are strange, then-- but war does not sound like such a novelty to you. What sort of world is the one you live in?

Video:

[solo_patria]

Have you then? Such things have always remained...let us say, mundane for the most part, though I suppose in many years, a great number of things have changed. The balloon now allows flight, the press a second means of speech. I do see how that may be possible.

War is, and has ever been the condition of man where there is want, or pain or thirst toward some thing. The trouble lies when wars are waged by leaders who do not consider the people, or when those leaders impose conditions so beyond the fundamental rights of man that they are forced to go to war to maintain them.

[And it IS the gaze of a soldier and not the schoolboy, young as Enjolras appears, staring back through the screen. He may have passed through fire only twice, and been killed at his second attempt but he understands war enough to speak of it, though god help him, he wishes he did not.]

Such necessary evils are a part and parcel of this world until all nations are united and the need for them is past. Has it not always been so?

Video

[superoverachiever]

It would be pretty fun to go out exploring, huh?

But who knows what it's like out there? We might not even be able to survive.

Video

[traitre]

[ he laughs pleasantly. "fun" is certainly one way of putting it. ] That's one good reason to go exploring, yes-- to say nothing of the knowledge that could be gleaned from doing so. It's not every millenium that one gets the chance to see an entirely foreign world.

[ a little smile. ] For most people, anyway.

Video

[superoverachiever]

Hey, 'knowledge' and 'fun' are pretty much the same thing. [Or at least they can be sometimes!] And yeah, it's rare. Unless you're the Fantastic Four.

Video

[traitre]

[ and aaaall it takes is that sentence. GURL, you alright!

he tilts his head, manner changing instantly from simply polite to genuinely affable. ]

My, that's not something I often hear from people your age. [ and, after a pause-- ] And who would they be?

Video

[superoverachiever]

Oh, I know. I'm constantly surrounded by people my own age. [She hasn't had to bully anyone into studying here yet, at least. Probably because there's no school.] And they're explorers from my world. They're really smart.

Video

[traitre]

[ which is a tragedy. what do people even do when they're not learning?! ]

You make it sound like such a burden. [ the chiding's fun, good-natured. not a little ironic. ] You won't always get to say you're able to spend time in the company of your peers.

[ just look at him: eons-old and looking darn well near it. there's no one quite like him on the turtle -- except, perhaps, for the turtle itself. ] "Really smart explorers," then? I'd give much to meet them, if that's the case.

[urbanmagic]

That just sounds depressing, and understandably so. I'd like to see what's exactly beyond this turtle and why we're just stuck here.

[traitre]

[ a startled look, or as startled as he's capable of appearing, anyway. ]

Oh, dear-- I certainly didn't mean it to come off that way! Hopeful, perhaps. Wistful, at the least. But depressing...

[ he shakes his head. ] I believe that as long as Tu Vishan remains threatened by... Whatever foe we've been brought here to combat, we won't be venturing very far from it. Not that any of us needed much more motivation than that to fight off this attacker.

[urbanmagic]

Ohm don't worry! I don't mean you, I mean the idea of not being able to explore. I've got itchy legs, so I enjoy traveling, but I guess this place itself should be an adventure for me for a while.

It would be nice to see what kind of world we're in though, not just here.

[traitre]

[ if her legs are itchy, he's not sure there's a word in any language capable of describing how his feel.

he smiles a knowing smile at the bit about "adventure." he's found himself wishing the same thing, all the time. ] And I share the sentiment.

Of all the dozens of worlds I've explored, this is certainly one of the stranger ones-- to say nothing of the circumstances of our arrivals here. Normally I get to decide when and where I'm going...

[urbanmagic]

Are you some sort of world-hopper? Space-traveler? [Hey, anything supernatural? That'll get her attention.]

[traitre]

Was. Once, a very long time ago. My kind's abilities lend themselves well to travel.

It's no way to live, not with an entire kingdom under your wing. [ a little sigh. ] But a thirst for exploration is never fully quenched, I'm afraid.

video;

[wintershepherd]

You're not. Even if we could be certain we were being told the truth, it's still too limiting.

[ Someone's been chafing more than usual lately under the inability to fly fast and far with the turtle's barrier stopping him only a mile out. ]

video;

[traitre]

I suppose it's more noticeable for those of us used to a greater degree of freedom than others.

[ flight... space travel... practically the same situation, him and jack. ]

Re: video;

[wintershepherd]

Guess we need to find hobbies a little closer to home, huh?

video;

[traitre]

It's like suggesting that someone quench their thirst by giving them a tableful of bread.

[ he smiles somewhat wearily. ] Which, I've found, is quite plentiful here. I have no end of hobbies to distract myself...

[ he trails off with a bit of a curious look. has jack had similar success? ]

Re: video;

[wintershepherd]

[ Jack laughs a little at the analogy, though he shrugs a little in response to the inviting look. It's harder to take on any outdoor activities when you're worried about the temperature. ]

That's good that you've found some. It's not lawn bowling, is it?

video;

[traitre]

Am I that old already? [ with some mock-offense! ] Please, I'm barely ten thousand.