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zenby
they/them
The last few months had been pretty good to Hero, keeping her more than adequately occupied and consistently turning up new people to talk to. She'd reached first-name basis with a mecha station jackass named Finn, who interested her despite his constant little shit behavior. His girlfriend Raven was even more delightful company, even hotter, and had lots of technical skills to offer Hero. The friends helped her avoid boredom, but not loneliness. She continued to make disregarded eyes at Bellamy Blake like everybody else, but there was nobody really worth her pining.
She'd learned to fix and use a soldering iron she had come across/picked up/stolen from her dad's work site. She began fixing the pieces of her junk stash that could be restored to any kind of usefulness, and sticking the other pieces together to make little trinkets, and sold some of them around. Her parents were pleased that she had something to do, and delighted when she used a few weeks' return to bring home a cake.
It wasn't too shitty an existence to be had, but then her rat-ass neighbor started sniffing around and discovered that Hero was just coming up with all these CD players and necklaces and pocket watches and decided it would be a great idea to get his neighbor locked up for petty theft. Hero was just lucky she was 8 months from floating age. She had access to the only evidence of moral restraint on the entirety of the Ark.
It still sucked. She had roommates, thank God, but they all requested transfers after she tried to be their friends. Why on earth wouldn't you talk to the only person accessible to you? It was ridiculous and she refused to stop trying until she finally landed a roommate that gave her the time of day. They were wonderful friends, but her roommate, ironically named Sky, was 2 months older and had either been floated or released; Hero never found out. So she was back to practical solitude with a roommate who ignored her.
She'd learned to fix and use a soldering iron she had come across/picked up/stolen from her dad's work site. She began fixing the pieces of her junk stash that could be restored to any kind of usefulness, and sticking the other pieces together to make little trinkets, and sold some of them around. Her parents were pleased that she had something to do, and delighted when she used a few weeks' return to bring home a cake.
It wasn't too shitty an existence to be had, but then her rat-ass neighbor started sniffing around and discovered that Hero was just coming up with all these CD players and necklaces and pocket watches and decided it would be a great idea to get his neighbor locked up for petty theft. Hero was just lucky she was 8 months from floating age. She had access to the only evidence of moral restraint on the entirety of the Ark.
It still sucked. She had roommates, thank God, but they all requested transfers after she tried to be their friends. Why on earth wouldn't you talk to the only person accessible to you? It was ridiculous and she refused to stop trying until she finally landed a roommate that gave her the time of day. They were wonderful friends, but her roommate, ironically named Sky, was 2 months older and had either been floated or released; Hero never found out. So she was back to practical solitude with a roommate who ignored her.
Hoax
Out of Practice
What the hell am I doing?
Just a minor snippet of the many thoughts whirling ten thousand miles-per-hour around Laura's head. And rightly so, as she had just
-somehow- managed to steal medicine. Of all things, a successful medicine heist was not what she'd been expecting to pull off that day, though she was greatly relieved that she had. Snuck in during a surprisingly large crowd at the Ark Medical Station, all down with some flu. She snuck in, grabbed whatever she could find, and got out. It was a miracle she hadn't gotten caught, really.
But of course, nothing was that easy. Despite her good intentions, Laura never made it back to her friend Bellamy. She never got his sister the medicine she needed.
And she hates herself for it.
Not them, for getting her into the Skybox, no no. She was angry at herself, for getting caught before being able to get the damn medicine to them.
It was a terrifying moment. Seeing three armed guards walking down the hallway, see you, and then make a beeline straight for you. Part of Laura wanted to run, but the rest knew she had nowhere to go.
Recreational. Using the meds as they weren't intended. Using them for personal euphoria, as it had been described. Laura couldn't meet her father's eyes while she said it, the lie rolling surprisingly easily off her tongue. But she hugged him and said goodbye anyway. It was the last time for a while until she'd get a visit from her father, so whether he was disappointed in her or not didn't matter.
He wasn't, but Laura was too much in shock to notice.
Sky High. That became her new name during her painful time in the Skybox. Her roommate didn't talk much, other than grumble at her whenever she moved, and mutter "Sky High" under her breath as if the "Effects" of the unused drugs were obvious.
Time passed slowly, and endless hours of absolutely jack-squat burrowed it's way into Laura's life story.
~~~
A year passed.
Just a minor snippet of the many thoughts whirling ten thousand miles-per-hour around Laura's head. And rightly so, as she had just
-somehow- managed to steal medicine. Of all things, a successful medicine heist was not what she'd been expecting to pull off that day, though she was greatly relieved that she had. Snuck in during a surprisingly large crowd at the Ark Medical Station, all down with some flu. She snuck in, grabbed whatever she could find, and got out. It was a miracle she hadn't gotten caught, really.
But of course, nothing was that easy. Despite her good intentions, Laura never made it back to her friend Bellamy. She never got his sister the medicine she needed.
And she hates herself for it.
Not them, for getting her into the Skybox, no no. She was angry at herself, for getting caught before being able to get the damn medicine to them.
It was a terrifying moment. Seeing three armed guards walking down the hallway, see you, and then make a beeline straight for you. Part of Laura wanted to run, but the rest knew she had nowhere to go.
Recreational. Using the meds as they weren't intended. Using them for personal euphoria, as it had been described. Laura couldn't meet her father's eyes while she said it, the lie rolling surprisingly easily off her tongue. But she hugged him and said goodbye anyway. It was the last time for a while until she'd get a visit from her father, so whether he was disappointed in her or not didn't matter.
He wasn't, but Laura was too much in shock to notice.
Sky High. That became her new name during her painful time in the Skybox. Her roommate didn't talk much, other than grumble at her whenever she moved, and mutter "Sky High" under her breath as if the "Effects" of the unused drugs were obvious.
Time passed slowly, and endless hours of absolutely jack-squat burrowed it's way into Laura's life story.
~~~
A year passed.
zenby
they/them
Hero had just scratched the 150th mark into the floor, so when a member of the guard burst in and went straight for her, she was enraged rather than scared. At the rate they'd been denying appeals even before she'd landed in the Skybox, it didn't surprise her that she'd be killed without a trial and before her 18th birthday. It made her furious. She charged the guard and slammed her head up against his jaw and slipped out the door past him, running in the first direction that came to her. She hadn't been out of her box in 2 months, the last time she'd switched cells, and the air on her face was glorious. She kept running when shouts erupted behind her, but it was almost no time before her legs gave out and she sprawled on the ground. Her body wasn't prepared for this kind of exertion after minimum activity and nutrition.
She curled in on herself as the guards caught up, and kicked out at them ferociously until she heard, "—not floating you!"
"Well what were you doing, then?" she demanded.
"Tranquilizing you, which I didn't think was necessary until you did that," the guard who'd attacked her snorted. His eyes darted to both sides and back to her. "You're going to the ground, so pipe down if you want a chance at living."
Hero was silent, so shocked that she let one of the guards kneel warily and empty a syringe into her leg.
She woke on the drop ship.
She curled in on herself as the guards caught up, and kicked out at them ferociously until she heard, "—not floating you!"
"Well what were you doing, then?" she demanded.
"Tranquilizing you, which I didn't think was necessary until you did that," the guard who'd attacked her snorted. His eyes darted to both sides and back to her. "You're going to the ground, so pipe down if you want a chance at living."
Hero was silent, so shocked that she let one of the guards kneel warily and empty a syringe into her leg.
She woke on the drop ship.
Hoax
Out of Practice
"What the f-?"
The words were out of her mouth before what Laura was hearing fully processed. It sounded like absolute chaos from outside her door, and a quick glance at her roommate showed she was equally as confused.
The door suddenly opened to armed guards, and immediately her throat went as dry as the deserts she'd read about.
"Prisoner 328 and 329, face the wall." One of them said, and Laura quickly complied. Her roommate did the same, though with enough reluctance to have one of the guards pull out a taser stick.
"W-what's happening? Neither of us are 18 yet." She managed, her voice not cooperating as possible implications of what was happening sunk in. One of the guards moved behind her, and a click of something opening -a briefcase maybe- caught her attention.
"Quiet. Hold out your right arm." He said again, more forcefully. The quiet sound of something electrical turning on distracted Laura's brain long enough for the guard to force something onto her wrist. Tiny needles slid into her skin, the metal bracelet clamping painfully on with a sense of finality. She flinched but said nothing, submitting to rubbing the metal bracelet and trying to ignore the pain. Once her roommate went through the identical process, the two of them were marched out of the room.
The Skybox was in chaos. Her fellow inmates seemed just as incredulous as Laura felt, as it was none of their times. They were all marched off towards somewhere new -though some were carried, as they seemed to have been rowdy enough for tranquilizers- and unfamiliar. People were muttering, swearing, yelling. The guards simply marched us on in silence, with the occasional "Quiet" or "Don't make me tranquillize you".
And then the drop-ship came into view. A ripple of shock went through the steady stream of teenagers, all both terrified and curious.
Before long, all 100 of them were strapped in and told sweet f*ck-all. Not a single explanation, not even so much as a goodbye.
And then they were launched. Into space. In a drop ship.
Clearly not being group-floated.
"Does anyone know what the hell just happened?" Laura finally questioned, after about a minute of shocked silence. People who'd be tranquillized seemed to be waking up, and now seemed like as good a time as any to start talking.
The words were out of her mouth before what Laura was hearing fully processed. It sounded like absolute chaos from outside her door, and a quick glance at her roommate showed she was equally as confused.
The door suddenly opened to armed guards, and immediately her throat went as dry as the deserts she'd read about.
"Prisoner 328 and 329, face the wall." One of them said, and Laura quickly complied. Her roommate did the same, though with enough reluctance to have one of the guards pull out a taser stick.
"W-what's happening? Neither of us are 18 yet." She managed, her voice not cooperating as possible implications of what was happening sunk in. One of the guards moved behind her, and a click of something opening -a briefcase maybe- caught her attention.
"Quiet. Hold out your right arm." He said again, more forcefully. The quiet sound of something electrical turning on distracted Laura's brain long enough for the guard to force something onto her wrist. Tiny needles slid into her skin, the metal bracelet clamping painfully on with a sense of finality. She flinched but said nothing, submitting to rubbing the metal bracelet and trying to ignore the pain. Once her roommate went through the identical process, the two of them were marched out of the room.
The Skybox was in chaos. Her fellow inmates seemed just as incredulous as Laura felt, as it was none of their times. They were all marched off towards somewhere new -though some were carried, as they seemed to have been rowdy enough for tranquilizers- and unfamiliar. People were muttering, swearing, yelling. The guards simply marched us on in silence, with the occasional "Quiet" or "Don't make me tranquillize you".
And then the drop-ship came into view. A ripple of shock went through the steady stream of teenagers, all both terrified and curious.
Before long, all 100 of them were strapped in and told sweet f*ck-all. Not a single explanation, not even so much as a goodbye.
And then they were launched. Into space. In a drop ship.
Clearly not being group-floated.
"Does anyone know what the hell just happened?" Laura finally questioned, after about a minute of shocked silence. People who'd be tranquillized seemed to be waking up, and now seemed like as good a time as any to start talking.
zenby
they/them
The activity woke Hero, though she could tell her body wasn't quite through with the tranquilizer. She was strapped into a vibrating seat; the whole place was shaking and a roar swallowed a patter of panicked noises. Pictures of a roller coaster from a book she'd read once came to mind as the dropship was launched into space, and she discovered that every time she had imagined hurtling through space was grievously wrong. She had imagined flying; this was falling.
She was pretty sure what had happened, but it seemed so unlikely that she was disoriented anyway. If her gut could be trusted, she and the rest of the Skybox had just been ejected from the Ark on a dropship that seemed equipped to actually reach the ground. Her mind sought a more probable solution and found none.
Somebody finally broke the silence and Hero was relieved. "I think we're going to the ground," she said when nobody else answered.
"No shit," echoed disdainfully.
She rolled her eyes. "I mean, with the intention of surviving. I don't think this is an elaborate premature execution."
"Why?" somebody asked.
"Fuck if I know," Hero sighed. She discovered that she had been forcibly gifted with a metal wristband that seemed anchored to her skin. Trying to twist it was painful. "What are these bracelets for, anyone?"
She was pretty sure what had happened, but it seemed so unlikely that she was disoriented anyway. If her gut could be trusted, she and the rest of the Skybox had just been ejected from the Ark on a dropship that seemed equipped to actually reach the ground. Her mind sought a more probable solution and found none.
Somebody finally broke the silence and Hero was relieved. "I think we're going to the ground," she said when nobody else answered.
"No shit," echoed disdainfully.
She rolled her eyes. "I mean, with the intention of surviving. I don't think this is an elaborate premature execution."
"Why?" somebody asked.
"Fuck if I know," Hero sighed. She discovered that she had been forcibly gifted with a metal wristband that seemed anchored to her skin. Trying to twist it was painful. "What are these bracelets for, anyone?"
Hoax
Out of Practice
(Sorry it's a bit long ^^)
Laura frowned at the banter bouncing around the ship, but looked down at her own wrist. Why did it have so many needles inside? Why were they know solidly inside of her wrist? The thought was displeasing, but she couldn't exactly take it off and get rid of it.
"Maybe a tracking device? Or at least something similar. Something to keep us connected to the Ark, s'my best guess." She finally added to the conversation, tapping the metal. "It makes it pretty clear they expect us to live. Or at least think there's a good enough chance."
"But we might all die anyway, right?" Someone else said tentatively, and everyone glanced warily at each other.
"Look, we-" Laura started, but the drop ship's lights flickered, and they bumped through some turbulence. Someone screamed, people started muttering again.
"We don't know that." She continued, her natural positivity clicking into autopilot. "If the Ark think's there's a chance, there's a chance. Life may suck serious balls up there, but they wouldn't have prepped us this much if the chances were too slim."
A sudden "bzzt" sound made her flinch, and following everyone's eyes she noticed a screen had buzzed to life on one of the walls. The Chancellor, Thelonious Jaha himself, looked seriously at everyone.
"Prisoners of the Ark, here me now." He said, a few people scoffing and yelling profanities at him.
"You've been given a second chance. And as your Chancellor, it is my hope that you see this not just as a chance for you, but as a chance for all of us. Indeed, for mankind itself." He smiled, an out of place look amongst the furious teens he spoke to.
"We have no idea what is waiting for you down there. If the odds of survival were better, we would have sent others. Frankly, we're sending you because your crimes have made you… Expendable."
~~~
The lecture continued, describing their soon to be drop-site, and some place called Mount Weather and how well stocked it was supposed to be. As the Chancellor went on, the drop ship rattled violently, getting more and more shaky. Some commotion had built up on the second level, but the drop ship was too loud for Laura to hear anything.
The screen suddenly cut out. The good ol' Chancellor disappeared, replaced by screaming. What must have been some kind of landing procedure started, and a crash echoed from the ceiling above.
Then everything stopped. The lights stayed off, but the drop ship was silent. No rattling, no screaming.
They had made it to the ground.
Laura frowned at the banter bouncing around the ship, but looked down at her own wrist. Why did it have so many needles inside? Why were they know solidly inside of her wrist? The thought was displeasing, but she couldn't exactly take it off and get rid of it.
"Maybe a tracking device? Or at least something similar. Something to keep us connected to the Ark, s'my best guess." She finally added to the conversation, tapping the metal. "It makes it pretty clear they expect us to live. Or at least think there's a good enough chance."
"But we might all die anyway, right?" Someone else said tentatively, and everyone glanced warily at each other.
"Look, we-" Laura started, but the drop ship's lights flickered, and they bumped through some turbulence. Someone screamed, people started muttering again.
"We don't know that." She continued, her natural positivity clicking into autopilot. "If the Ark think's there's a chance, there's a chance. Life may suck serious balls up there, but they wouldn't have prepped us this much if the chances were too slim."
A sudden "bzzt" sound made her flinch, and following everyone's eyes she noticed a screen had buzzed to life on one of the walls. The Chancellor, Thelonious Jaha himself, looked seriously at everyone.
"Prisoners of the Ark, here me now." He said, a few people scoffing and yelling profanities at him.
"You've been given a second chance. And as your Chancellor, it is my hope that you see this not just as a chance for you, but as a chance for all of us. Indeed, for mankind itself." He smiled, an out of place look amongst the furious teens he spoke to.
"We have no idea what is waiting for you down there. If the odds of survival were better, we would have sent others. Frankly, we're sending you because your crimes have made you… Expendable."
~~~
The lecture continued, describing their soon to be drop-site, and some place called Mount Weather and how well stocked it was supposed to be. As the Chancellor went on, the drop ship rattled violently, getting more and more shaky. Some commotion had built up on the second level, but the drop ship was too loud for Laura to hear anything.
The screen suddenly cut out. The good ol' Chancellor disappeared, replaced by screaming. What must have been some kind of landing procedure started, and a crash echoed from the ceiling above.
Then everything stopped. The lights stayed off, but the drop ship was silent. No rattling, no screaming.
They had made it to the ground.
zenby
they/them
A tracking device seemed likely. It did reassure Hero. Somewhat. The fact remained that she knew nothing about radiation or its effect on the body, short- or long-term. How would they even know if the ground was slowly killing them? And what else was down there? Wild animals? Other people? Poisonous plants the children of space didn't know to avoid? The odds were dizzyingly against them.
"Expendable," snarled Hero. "We're not fucking criminals, we're the victims here." She was briefly rewarded with noises of agreement, but others shushed them. The Chancellor was the Chancellor, after all, and he seemed to have more of a plan than they did. Hero could not forget, however, that that plan was for the benefit of the people on the Ark, not the delinquents on the ground. There were so many other reasons they could have been sent down here than to survive and build a thriving society. A bunch of pubescent outlaws was hardly the best choice for reestablishing human civilization.
There were two impacts, one when the parachutes deployed, and another when they hit the ground at a jaw-rattling speed. Clearly most of the people had thought the first one was the ground, and were starting to unharness them when they smashed into the surface. Hero saw Finn careen across the dropship and fervently hoped he was not dead.
But it looked like they had other issues; the wiring in the ship was sparking and the radio was not even buzzing with static. The ship was dark and quiet in ways Hero was pretty sure were not the plan.
And then to top it all off, Bellamy Blake decided to take charge. Bellamy Blake, who had to be at least 18—what was he doing here? And what the hell did he think entitled him to the authority he had plucked out of thin air?
"Expendable," snarled Hero. "We're not fucking criminals, we're the victims here." She was briefly rewarded with noises of agreement, but others shushed them. The Chancellor was the Chancellor, after all, and he seemed to have more of a plan than they did. Hero could not forget, however, that that plan was for the benefit of the people on the Ark, not the delinquents on the ground. There were so many other reasons they could have been sent down here than to survive and build a thriving society. A bunch of pubescent outlaws was hardly the best choice for reestablishing human civilization.
There were two impacts, one when the parachutes deployed, and another when they hit the ground at a jaw-rattling speed. Clearly most of the people had thought the first one was the ground, and were starting to unharness them when they smashed into the surface. Hero saw Finn careen across the dropship and fervently hoped he was not dead.
But it looked like they had other issues; the wiring in the ship was sparking and the radio was not even buzzing with static. The ship was dark and quiet in ways Hero was pretty sure were not the plan.
And then to top it all off, Bellamy Blake decided to take charge. Bellamy Blake, who had to be at least 18—what was he doing here? And what the hell did he think entitled him to the authority he had plucked out of thin air?
Hoax
Out of Practice
Laura quickly unbuckled herself, trying not to get crushed by the steady stream of people cramming themselves down onto her level. Someone started barking orders, a painfully familiar feeling to being on the Ark. The voice was almost recognizable, but she was too far in the back to be able to see much.
A short argument later, a loud whoosh sound made a strong current of air rush through the drop ship, and Laura instinctively held her breath for a moment. Not out of fear of the air, but of anticipation. Someone had opened the door, and nobody had died or started screaming yet. Maybe, just maybe, earth wouldn't kill them. Maybe, the radiation had dissipated faster than expected. Maybe earth was actually livable.
Sunlight- real sunlight shone into the drop ship, onto pale skin and eyes not used to the brightness, blinking rapidly in an attempt see. Once her eyes had adjusted, Laura held back a legitimate gasp at the shocking amount of green in her vision. Trees, plants, breathable air that wasn't stale from years of recycling. Though she didn't want to get too excited, as there was still a chance of imminent death, a unusual feeling of pure excitement had started to build. Something she hadn't felt for far too long.
Then a female voice, way in the front, yelled "We're back, bitches!", and suddenly everyone was running. Tripping over each other in order to get outside as fast as possible.
God. Outside. Just the word sparked new energy in unused muscles, and soon she was outside as well. People fanned out everywhere, collapsed into the foliage, hugged each other and laughed. Laura actually fell over into a pile of ferns and simply breathed, listening to the cheers of 100 ecstatic ex-criminals.
A short argument later, a loud whoosh sound made a strong current of air rush through the drop ship, and Laura instinctively held her breath for a moment. Not out of fear of the air, but of anticipation. Someone had opened the door, and nobody had died or started screaming yet. Maybe, just maybe, earth wouldn't kill them. Maybe, the radiation had dissipated faster than expected. Maybe earth was actually livable.
Sunlight- real sunlight shone into the drop ship, onto pale skin and eyes not used to the brightness, blinking rapidly in an attempt see. Once her eyes had adjusted, Laura held back a legitimate gasp at the shocking amount of green in her vision. Trees, plants, breathable air that wasn't stale from years of recycling. Though she didn't want to get too excited, as there was still a chance of imminent death, a unusual feeling of pure excitement had started to build. Something she hadn't felt for far too long.
Then a female voice, way in the front, yelled "We're back, bitches!", and suddenly everyone was running. Tripping over each other in order to get outside as fast as possible.
God. Outside. Just the word sparked new energy in unused muscles, and soon she was outside as well. People fanned out everywhere, collapsed into the foliage, hugged each other and laughed. Laura actually fell over into a pile of ferns and simply breathed, listening to the cheers of 100 ecstatic ex-criminals.
zenby
they/them
Bellamy was not the only Blake; go figure. Now that she thought about it, Hero was pretty sure she'd heard something about a girl who hadn't officially existed for 16 years, but she never really bought it. She watched the siblings hug like their lives depended on it and wondered what it would be like to have a brother. She supposed that more than just the Blakes might know what that felt like in the next few years, now that they were free of the fucked up life-support system that was the Ark.
Hero fought the panic climbing up her throat when she realized Blake was just going to go for it. No precautions, no checking outside to see if there were giant mutant predators circling the dropship, nothing. Then again, what else was there to do? They either died from radiation or they didn't; there wasn't much they could do if the very air was that dangerous.
Sealed door opened and possibly poisonous but fresh air flooded the dropship. The air in the Ark didn't smell like anything but people and metal. There were so many smells to be had, and Hero recognized none of them. And then the sunlight hit her skin, the first unfiltered UV rays she'd ever experienced. It was so warm. The chill in the air and the warmth of the sun offset each other and it was perfect. Hero's fear dissipated and she was left with nothing but wonder. People flooded out of the dropship to the kiss the ground, roll in the dirt, cry, laugh. She couldn't blame them.
She realized now that the difference between life on the ground and the Ark was the difference between being free on the Ark and in the Skybox. She had never dreamed of being this free. Her mind could barely wrap around it. She could run as far as her legs could carry her in any direction, climb the trees, pick flowers. There was simply nothing on the Ark that even began to compare.
Hero fought the panic climbing up her throat when she realized Blake was just going to go for it. No precautions, no checking outside to see if there were giant mutant predators circling the dropship, nothing. Then again, what else was there to do? They either died from radiation or they didn't; there wasn't much they could do if the very air was that dangerous.
Sealed door opened and possibly poisonous but fresh air flooded the dropship. The air in the Ark didn't smell like anything but people and metal. There were so many smells to be had, and Hero recognized none of them. And then the sunlight hit her skin, the first unfiltered UV rays she'd ever experienced. It was so warm. The chill in the air and the warmth of the sun offset each other and it was perfect. Hero's fear dissipated and she was left with nothing but wonder. People flooded out of the dropship to the kiss the ground, roll in the dirt, cry, laugh. She couldn't blame them.
She realized now that the difference between life on the ground and the Ark was the difference between being free on the Ark and in the Skybox. She had never dreamed of being this free. Her mind could barely wrap around it. She could run as far as her legs could carry her in any direction, climb the trees, pick flowers. There was simply nothing on the Ark that even began to compare.
Hoax
Out of Practice
"Laura?"
She was pulled from her thoughts by none other than Bellamy f-cking Blake. A sight that made the already happy moment beyond words.
"You're still alive?" She said as he offered a hand to help her stand. "I thought for sure you'd gotten floated after-" A look of horror descended on her features, uncomfortable memories from a year ago returning.
"Oh god, is Octavia…?"
He chuckled and shook his head. "She gave the sickness a hell of a hard time. Made it through after just another week... And lived long enough to get caught and sent to the Skybox, just like you."
"Thank god…" Laura breathed out a sigh of relief. "I didn't know if you guys had died or gotten caught or… Anything, really."
Bellamy nodded seriously, then looked over at the people starting to double back to the drop ship after their initial experience on the ground.
"We'll have to catch up later. I'd better corral 'em into setting up a camp or we'll be sleeping completely defenceless tonight."
"Go, be the leader. We'd all die without you, o' glorious one." Laura teased. Bellamy flexed his arms mockingly as he walked away, earning him an on-target pinecone to the head.
(Hope it was okay I kinda took control of Bellamy for a bit. I'll try to get Laura into an interaction with Hero in my next post, if I can ^^)
She was pulled from her thoughts by none other than Bellamy f-cking Blake. A sight that made the already happy moment beyond words.
"You're still alive?" She said as he offered a hand to help her stand. "I thought for sure you'd gotten floated after-" A look of horror descended on her features, uncomfortable memories from a year ago returning.
"Oh god, is Octavia…?"
He chuckled and shook his head. "She gave the sickness a hell of a hard time. Made it through after just another week... And lived long enough to get caught and sent to the Skybox, just like you."
"Thank god…" Laura breathed out a sigh of relief. "I didn't know if you guys had died or gotten caught or… Anything, really."
Bellamy nodded seriously, then looked over at the people starting to double back to the drop ship after their initial experience on the ground.
"We'll have to catch up later. I'd better corral 'em into setting up a camp or we'll be sleeping completely defenceless tonight."
"Go, be the leader. We'd all die without you, o' glorious one." Laura teased. Bellamy flexed his arms mockingly as he walked away, earning him an on-target pinecone to the head.
(Hope it was okay I kinda took control of Bellamy for a bit. I'll try to get Laura into an interaction with Hero in my next post, if I can ^^)
zenby
they/them
(You're all good, he's fair game and part of your history.)
Hero circled the dropship, searching rather blindly for tracks or anything that might indicate immediate danger. She didn't really expect anyone else to be smart about any of this, so she might as well take the albeit ignorant precautions that did occur to her. There were insects, but nothing else in sight, nor any signs of else. Not that that meant much; the landing would have scared off all intelligent wildlife for a good long while. But knowing they hadn't landed in a hot spot of like wolf prints or something made Hero feel a little better.
Bellamy Blake caught Hero's attention again by interacting with a girl even prettier than he was. Hero wanted to know why he was here, how he was here. Besides the detached curiosity that had always trailed Bellamy, he was clearly one of the few poised to snatch up as much power as would be given to him freely, and then some. She noticed a few others, looking around, a blonde girl with an active bitchface and maybe Chancellor Jr., just because of who his father was. She suspected he would take some serious shit for being who he was, though, so she didn't worry too much about him. There was another cluster of boys that looked sullen and power-hungry, and when she saw Bellamy say something to them that gave them ratty little grins, she added them to her watch list.
But now that the important people had been paid the proper attention—the girl. Hero made her way over unhurriedly and leaned against a tree. "Hey," she said, trying to tone down the bitchface, "I feel like I saw you around when I was at large. I'm Hero." She offered her hand. She desperately wanted to gossip about Bellamy, but this girl was interesting and damn-ass attractive in her own right. She also looked in shape, like she'd been spending her time in the Skybox a little more wisely than Hero. It wasn't hard to do; all Hero had done was talk her roommates to a probably literal death and come up with new combinations of swear words. It was an enthralling existence.
Hero circled the dropship, searching rather blindly for tracks or anything that might indicate immediate danger. She didn't really expect anyone else to be smart about any of this, so she might as well take the albeit ignorant precautions that did occur to her. There were insects, but nothing else in sight, nor any signs of else. Not that that meant much; the landing would have scared off all intelligent wildlife for a good long while. But knowing they hadn't landed in a hot spot of like wolf prints or something made Hero feel a little better.
Bellamy Blake caught Hero's attention again by interacting with a girl even prettier than he was. Hero wanted to know why he was here, how he was here. Besides the detached curiosity that had always trailed Bellamy, he was clearly one of the few poised to snatch up as much power as would be given to him freely, and then some. She noticed a few others, looking around, a blonde girl with an active bitchface and maybe Chancellor Jr., just because of who his father was. She suspected he would take some serious shit for being who he was, though, so she didn't worry too much about him. There was another cluster of boys that looked sullen and power-hungry, and when she saw Bellamy say something to them that gave them ratty little grins, she added them to her watch list.
But now that the important people had been paid the proper attention—the girl. Hero made her way over unhurriedly and leaned against a tree. "Hey," she said, trying to tone down the bitchface, "I feel like I saw you around when I was at large. I'm Hero." She offered her hand. She desperately wanted to gossip about Bellamy, but this girl was interesting and damn-ass attractive in her own right. She also looked in shape, like she'd been spending her time in the Skybox a little more wisely than Hero. It wasn't hard to do; all Hero had done was talk her roommates to a probably literal death and come up with new combinations of swear words. It was an enthralling existence.
Hoax
Out of Practice
(Yo! So sorry for the lateness, but here we go! ^^)
Laura brushed herself off after Bellamy left, as her excursion into the ferns had sufficiently covered her in loose coating of dirt. She didn't mind, really. Dirt wasn't exactly something they had in space, much less enough to get yourself covered in it. Besides, it smelled fresh, which Laura appreciated greatly.
An approaching "Hey" made her look up just in time to see someone lean against a tree nearby. "I feel like I saw you around when I was at large. I'm Hero." The girl said, introducing herself.
"Uh, hey." Laura responded, shaking the offered hand with a casual smile. "I recognize you, yeah. Can't say I've actually met you before though." She said, brushing the final bits of fern off her legs and standing up straight. A quick up and down of the girl provided no information that wasn't already obvious, so she settled for simply being friendly.
"Oh, and I'm Laura." She added, almost forgetting to give her own name. The initial excitement of actually being on the ground was starting to settle into a full-body buzz, and a subtle need to do something active was starting to grow. Hopefully once everything calmed down there would be jobs to be done, and Laura could get rid of the excess energy.
Laura brushed herself off after Bellamy left, as her excursion into the ferns had sufficiently covered her in loose coating of dirt. She didn't mind, really. Dirt wasn't exactly something they had in space, much less enough to get yourself covered in it. Besides, it smelled fresh, which Laura appreciated greatly.
An approaching "Hey" made her look up just in time to see someone lean against a tree nearby. "I feel like I saw you around when I was at large. I'm Hero." The girl said, introducing herself.
"Uh, hey." Laura responded, shaking the offered hand with a casual smile. "I recognize you, yeah. Can't say I've actually met you before though." She said, brushing the final bits of fern off her legs and standing up straight. A quick up and down of the girl provided no information that wasn't already obvious, so she settled for simply being friendly.
"Oh, and I'm Laura." She added, almost forgetting to give her own name. The initial excitement of actually being on the ground was starting to settle into a full-body buzz, and a subtle need to do something active was starting to grow. Hopefully once everything calmed down there would be jobs to be done, and Laura could get rid of the excess energy.
zenby
they/them
(You're all good! I hope you're feeling better!)
Hero grinned at Laura's dusting. "Had your romp already, huh? I'm a little too nervous to frolic yet." She turned to give the drop site another, equally useless once-over. "I don't know any of these people." It occurred to her that she might find Sky around, but she hadn't seen her, and Hero supposed she had decided at some point that the girl had probably been floated. It made her sad to think of the girl dead and sadder to think that she'd already mourned her without meaning to, since there seemed to be barely any unspent grief.
Hero nodded thoughtfully at the name. Not one she'd heard around enough to remember. ("Sky-High" she would have recognized, which was probably why Laura hadn't volunteered it.) She realized it didn't matter what they'd all been locked up for, since they were all "pardoned" or "exiled" and since every one of them was a "criminal." She probably shouldn't ask that question, certainly not as a gauge of character.
Laura was fidgety, and since no order was emerging from the chaos around them, Hero suggested, "We should probably go find water to camp near." She frowned. "On the other hand, anything could happen any fucking second." She shot a curious look at Laura. "Do you happen to trust Bellamy Blake?" Hero wasn't sure whether a yes or a no would be more reassuring.
Hero grinned at Laura's dusting. "Had your romp already, huh? I'm a little too nervous to frolic yet." She turned to give the drop site another, equally useless once-over. "I don't know any of these people." It occurred to her that she might find Sky around, but she hadn't seen her, and Hero supposed she had decided at some point that the girl had probably been floated. It made her sad to think of the girl dead and sadder to think that she'd already mourned her without meaning to, since there seemed to be barely any unspent grief.
Hero nodded thoughtfully at the name. Not one she'd heard around enough to remember. ("Sky-High" she would have recognized, which was probably why Laura hadn't volunteered it.) She realized it didn't matter what they'd all been locked up for, since they were all "pardoned" or "exiled" and since every one of them was a "criminal." She probably shouldn't ask that question, certainly not as a gauge of character.
Laura was fidgety, and since no order was emerging from the chaos around them, Hero suggested, "We should probably go find water to camp near." She frowned. "On the other hand, anything could happen any fucking second." She shot a curious look at Laura. "Do you happen to trust Bellamy Blake?" Hero wasn't sure whether a yes or a no would be more reassuring.
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