video, un: littlealbatross

[soulmakingsound]

[What the viewer sees first is hair. Long black hair obscuring the lens of the camera while River fiddles with it. The camera and the girl are both on the floor, and she leans back eventually, sitting against the foot of her bed while she talks.

She never looks directly at the camera.]

There are too many choices.

People talk about getting to go home. Going back to rebuild. I hear them in the halls, in their rooms. Making plans.

But what of the rest of us? The homeless. The lost. The ones who came after the dragon, who never settled.

I opened my eyes and there was snow. I walked where they told me to, stayed where they told me to, and that was easy. And now they give us choices.

Which train to take?

Which life to choose?

Comments

voice, un: beatrix

[fiendennor]

Well... as hard as it is to say, I imagine that's entirely up to you. There will be space and homes for you in the two cities, I hope.

What would you like to do, given the choice?

[soulmakingsound]

[She tears up a little at the question and wipes hard at her eyes.] I want Simon to be here. And then I would go where he went, and we'd be a family again.

[fiendennor]

[Oh. This girl is clearly upset. When Diana speaks again, her tone is gentle and trying to be supportive.] It's difficult, missing people you're close to because they're asleep. I know. But we can't control who wakes up when, I'm afraid. Is he a... [Father? Lover? Brother?] ...he must be someone very close to you, I imagine.

video; un: mollymauk

[mollymocked]

Personally, I'm all for setting up camp in the woods and only going into town when it's necessary, but I think I'm going to need to earn some coin first, and earn it quickly. Staying too long in a single place is a bad idea, and they're not giving me many choices here.

[soulmakingsound]

[Pardon her staring. She's never seen anyone purple.] Did you stay out in the snow too long? You look at risk for hypothermia.

You talk like someone from home. He was not a smart man, but you may make a good point. Too many variables, too much is unknown.

[mollymocked]

No, that's my natural coloring, but points for creativity. I haven't heard that one. [He is not even remotely displeased. In fact, he kinda thinks it's cute.]

Funny you should say that, because no one would ever accuse me of being a smart man, but I know what I'm talking about. Enough time on the road will tell you it's very easy for some folks to wear out their welcome in a place.

video | un: Nobody

[icingonthecake]

I think maybe you're lookin' at it the wrong way. All of us are lost, in a manner of speaking--this ain't home for any of us here--but those of us who were here before Ysverai happened, we've lost everything again. Nothing will ever be the same again.

Sometimes getting to the party late just means you miss all the drama that happened before you got there and get to enjoy things for what they are, no matter how much of a mess the house is now. So choose whichever train you think sounds like more fun, says I.

[soulmakingsound]

Nothing is ever the same again, that's how time works. Everything keeps moving forward.

I would rather a not-same known than a new unknown. But it isn't a competition.

[icingonthecake]

[A far more thoughtful response than he'd been expecting!]

I guess you've got a point, there. I was just tryin' to help, but everybody reacts to things differently. So for me, I guess, it's easier to look at something that's been completely wrecked when I didn't know what it looked like before.

video: un:compaioning

[companioning]

[Truly, Inara's heart breaks for River. She knows that this is hard for everyone, but she thinks it might just be a little harder for River.

She manages a soft smile when she replies. Maybe it was a bad idea to leave River on her own for even a little while.]

Are you all right, mèimei? Do you need me to come back?

[soulmakingsound]

No. [But it sounds unsure. More like a maybe.]

Where are we going to go? I'm without a compass.

[companioning]

[Inara lets out a slow breath.]

I.... I'm not entirely sure. I'm still trying to find out everything I can about what's available to us.

[And even though there are times when River comes off as very unhinged, Inara knows how brilliant she truly is.]

Do you have any suggestions?

text; un: spanglethesestars

[ukase]

Sorry to type it, but life is all about choices. Pick the best option for you and run with it. Or don't and wait for someone to continually tell you what to do, how to feel, where to end up.

[soulmakingsound]

Why are you spangling stars? They are, by definition, already spangled. Further spangling seems unnecessary.

I don't know the best option yet. Further information is required before a decision can be reached.

[ukase]

A joke you clearly don't understand, so I won't bother to take the time to explain it to you.

Do you always sound vaguely like a robot, or are you doing those new-fangled role-playing things I hear kids do?

voice, un: trafalgar

[kikoku]

[He had to actually sit for a while and work out what it was exactly that annoyed him so much about this video. He may have watched it over a couple times. You'd think that would result in some sort of understanding tone, but no.]

As one of the "rest of us," [A phrase he utters with a weird sort of sarcasm.] I'd say you're lucky you have any choices at all. What is it you're trying to do here? Making the people who're just recovering from disaster feel sorry for you? Asking for someone to choose for you?
[There's a deep, irritated bitterness in all of these words, but they abate slightly for this last thought;]

Complaining about something difficult doesn't make it any easier to do. Or any less necessary.

[soulmakingsound]

Thinking into the void. The void seems very vocal and opinionated today.

They don't need to feel sorry for me. I already feel for them. [She presses her fingers to the centre of her chest, chewing the inside of her cheek. Remembering the onslaught of emotions when she first woke up.]

I'm information gathering.

[kikoku]

Information gathering.
[He sounds skeptical]
What information are you gathering exactly? And for what purpose?

[It all sounds like a lot of nonsense to him, but he's also not much of a feelings person.]

video; un: clarke

[romancekiller]

You're having trouble deciding where to go? It's different for everyone but in the end that's up to you, where you want to go.

[soulmakingsound]

Where were you, before the dragon came? Or are you fresh as well.

[romancekiller]

I have been here since before that and I was staying in Olympia.

voice, un: endsoftheearth

[earthy]

I recommend Olympia. At least to start out with. It's a little easier living there than Wyver. And you can always move later, if Olympia doesn't feel right.

[soulmakingsound]

Easier is a very subjective term. Do you mean there are better resources, or is it something else that sways your opinion towards Olympia.

video; un: scarletwitch

[seeingscarlet]

It depends on what kind of place you want to live. And you can always move later if you don't like it.

[soulmakingsound]

The decision feels more permanent than I'm used to. Thus the distress.

Living on something moving skews one's perception of home.