Fifth floor common room, Saturday afternoon/evening

[kenselvren]

After yesterday's class on propaganda, a light had gone on for Jalian. This was how one person could change more than just their surroundings. She'd largely ignored movies and TV before, but now she was curious.

So, she was sitting in the common room, watching TV. She had a bowl of popcorn and was frowning at the screen trying to pick out which parts were stupid and which might be some form of propaganda.

So far the judgment had mainly come down on "both". For just about everything.



[OOC: Open post!]

Comments

[soniaroadsqueen]

"Well, I guess that makes sense." Ringo smiled sheepishly. "I suppose in some ways, I'm sort of cheating. Like, I'm being a teenager and stuff, but if I really needed to, I could probably reclaim my authority back home pretty easily."

[kenselvren]

"You are also adult?" Jalian asked curiously. Most of the people here didn't seem to be.

[soniaroadsqueen]

"I think that sort of depends on your definition," Ringo said awkwardly. "I had responsibilities before I came here. Important ones. It, um, was really stressful, and not much fun."

"Is that what it means to be an adult?"

[kenselvren]

"Having obligations and freedoms that children do not," Jalian answered. She hesitated. "There is more for ken Selvren, but we do not discuss our trials."

[soniaroadsqueen]

"Then, I guess? I mean, there wasn't any sort of official, um, thing? I just, well, someone had to step up and lead the Sleeping Forest, and I was the most qualified." It was kind of weird to talk about like that.

[kenselvren]

"Sleeping Forest?" Jalian asked. "Is that your tribe?"

[soniaroadsqueen]

Ringo laughed suddenly. "Actually, that's not a bad way to put it. We don't call them that, but I guess that's kind of what they are. Sleeping Forest is, basically, the oldest of the teams."

[kenselvren]

"So you are Chief Huntress, then," Jalian said, grinning. "I'm honored to know you."

[soniaroadsqueen]

A flush and another laugh. "I don't think it's all that big a deal. And I'm kind of retired, or something, anyway?"

[kenselvren]

Jalian joined the laughter. "That you seem young for, to me. But you started very young?"

[soniaroadsqueen]

"When I was eleven or twelve or so?" Ringo shrugged. "I mean, I'd been in Sleeping Forest before that, but I didn't take over until Rika couldn't lead anymore."

[kenselvren]

"That's one of your sisters?" Jalian asked.

[soniaroadsqueen]

"Yeah." Ringo smiled fondly. "The oldest. She was one of the founding members, way back at the beginning of it all." Before the betrayal, and everything falling apart.

[kenselvren]

"What is your tribe like?" Jalian asked.

[soniaroadsqueen]

"Hmm." Ringo hadn't really tried to describe Sleeping Forest to anyone before. "Small. Close." She smiled fondly, thinking about the others, then sighed. "But violent. Our purpose was to keep anyone from gaining access to a specific piece of technology. One we were worried would be misused. So we, um, hurt a lot of people."

She cocked her head thoughtfully. "What about yours? I don't think I've ever heard you talk about what home was like for you."

[kenselvren]

"Small, close, and violent," Jalian answered. She snorted. "Ken Selvren mostly only try to live, but hunting can be dangerous, and there were always other tribes attacking, until only a few years before I left."

[soniaroadsqueen]

"I guess fighting each other is universal, huh?" Ringo said sadly.

[kenselvren]

"When some have something others want," Jalian answered. "There is always fighting."

She wasn't about to deny it; her entire timeline had been a result of nuclear war, after all.

[soniaroadsqueen]

"I think that's why I like being a teenager," Ringo shrugged. "Here, at least, there isn't really that kind of thing, you know? I, um, I prefer not to fight, if I don't have to."

[kenselvren]

Jalian shrugged in turn. "I fight if there's fighting." Sometimes it was easiest.

[soniaroadsqueen]

"It doesn't bother you?" Ringo asked curiously, staring down at her cup of tea. "Hurting people, I mean?"

[kenselvren]

"Should it?" Jalian asked. "If I have to hurt someone I would rather not, I suppose. But I try not to do that."

[soniaroadsqueen]

Ringo reached up and played absently with one of her pigtails. "I don't know if it should, but it does me. Some of the people I, er, hurt," which was a very mild way of putting some of the things she'd done, "I guess, um, I regret it? I mean, it had to be done, but." But.

[kenselvren]

"If it had to be done, than it did," Jalian said. What else did you say about that. "I'm sorry you regret it?"

She was pretty terrible at comforting.

[soniaroadsqueen]

Ringo blinked at Jalian, then snorted softly in amusement. "Maybe I should try to be more like you. Practical."