wipesfaith | 02 [action/voice]

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02 [action/voice]

[For all his trouble, Jean got a horse. Which is great, because he's curious to explore what lies far beyond the village and he ain't walking all that way. (What can he say? Some losers from back home have gotten into him a little bit.) First, though, he needs to find a saddle and bridle - apparently, he should have made out with a few more people if he wanted riding gear too. But his pride is worth more to him than that anyway, so he doesn't mind searching through the Item Shop for what he needs.

By the afternoon, he can be found at the stables on the east side of the village. He has spent the past few days visiting Benoit, letting the horse grow accustomed to him as he cares for him. Now that he has something more sophisticated than a rope lead, he's willing to take the horse out farther than the immediate vicinity of the stables. It was already obvious to him that Benoit lacked training. Before he can think about riding him anywhere, he'll have to muster up some serious patience and start from scratch. After fitting him with the sadle and bridle, so he can start getting used to the way it feels, Jean will lead him out to a decent-sized clearing in the forest to get down to business.

Toward the evening, after returning Benoit to the stables, he makes his way back to Flame Building. Residents may have noticed a recent addition outside the building, in the form of a small pen that now houses a little lamb. He'll stop by to check on it for Marco - make sure it's not dead, not that he'd be terribly broken up if it were, because he's never indulged in lambchops before - before finally heading in.

Later, he'll flip open his journal to voice a message.]

[Voice]

Hey. I guess I'm still pretty new here, so I'm just wondering...what's worth seeing beyond this village? I've seen a map, but a map can only tell you so much. There's an...ocean out there, right? [He gets the feeling that some might find his next question a little stupid, and he swears he's sane; he just comes from an insane world.] Is there seriously salt in it?

It's weird... This whole place could probably fit inside Wall Rose - that's what's left of human territory back home - but it still seems like so much...more.

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Still, that would definitely come in handy... You wouldn't have to send another soldier in as close to the danger to help out another. [Or leave them for dead, as so often the choice chokes down to.] Four or five people is a lot more than the one extra body you might be able to safely carry with the maneuver gear, if worse comes to worse.

[But these are more what-ifs, more impossibilities that can never make the leap to reality, not in that hell of a world.]

[Sometimes it's the what-ifs and impossible thoughts that can keep a person going. It's obvious what Jean is thinking; if they had planes and helicopters, if they had the same technology they had in Ginia's world, they could stop the Titans. They wouldn't have to live in fear anymore.

And it's a fair thought. But planes, helicopters, weapons change a world. Once the Titans are dead, how long before humanity turned on themselves with the same weapons?

Hell, there weren't even Titans in Ginia's world and she knew her world's history. World War I, World War II, all the atrocities that came out of it.]

/It would be. But then suppose a helicopter is taken down and it crashes into a building, killing everyone on board and injuring people inside the building. Cause and effect, Jean. In my world, we have weapons developed for the sole purpose of taking down aircraft. Counters for everything./

[Ginia sighs and looks over at the hanger of helicopters. Common in her world, modern marvels in Jean's world.]

/I'm sorry about the situation in your world. Weak words coming from someone who doesn't have to face it, I know. But suppose you did have all of this technology. Suppose you defeated the Titans once and for all and humanity was allowed to rebuild. How long before someone seizes the weapons and uses it to force themselves into a position of power?/

[He thinks about the king, tucked away behind the walls of the inner district, content to send hundreds, thousands, to their deaths. The leaders of the Wall Cult, trying to gain momentum among the population. The Military Police, built on a lucrative hierarchy, the corruption he had heard rumors of and never cared about until he realized how stupid it all was. The soldiers who demand recognition simply for wearing a crest, without caring about anything beyond themselves, the kind of soldier he used to be.]

...Not very long.

I guess it's naive to think that all of our problems would be solved if we could just kill off all the titans. [A self-deprecating scoff.] But then I get mad when I think about it...because if we're not fighting for freedom, for peace, what the hell is the point of it all? What have my comrades been dying for?

If we somehow manage to win and I'm still alive by some miracle, I'm shoving a blade up the ass of the first guy who fucks everything up by trying to start something.

[Ginia laughs, a low huffing of air through a smile. Yeah, this kid is going to go far. Good on you.]

/When it comes to fighting, there is no single reason that's going to fit. Fight to stay alive, fight because there's someone you want to protect, fight because it's the right thing. If you fight for someone else's cause, it's not going to matter in the end. You fight for yourself./

[Ginia's expression takes on a hard edge as she signs, her words a little faster and more passionate. There's raw emotion around the edges because sometimes fighting for the right cause or the right person is a one-way trip to your own death. But if she fought for her own cause, she could at least die on her terms and that had to count for something.

Right?

She heaves a sigh, rubs her forehead.]

/...If there's anything you want to learn about, let me know. I could probably set up a simulation in here for you./

[No single reason that's going to fit... Yeah, that sounds about right. He fights to live. He fights because he can't be ignorant anymore. Because he feels small and insignificant. Because he doesn't want more friends to die. But above all, he fights because he chose to. He can see the fire behind her words, and he knows that - while she has yet to outright claim any involvement in the military - she too must have had something to fight for in her world.]

If I only fought because somebody else thought I should, I wouldn't make it very far.

[He surveys the helicopters.]

...Could I see what one of these looks like in flight? I know you said you can't operate one, but...a simulation could do that, couldn't it?

[Ginia nods. It was a bit of forward planning on her part along with some creative tinkering. She motions for him to follow, leading him back out and to the tarmac where a helicopter waits. She opens the door and gestures for Jean to get in.]

/We'll only be able to go up, but it'll give you an idea of what it's like being in a helicopter at least./

[...He hadn't expected this to include actually, you know, being inside a helicopter. There is a moment of visible hesitation before he steps up as directed.]

[It's a cozy helicopter designed for a few of two. There are seat belts inside, though not entirely necessary for a simple ride up and down. On the other hand, the large plastic earmuffs hanging over the headrest are required.

Ginia makes sure the door is securely closed before getting in on the other side, her floating translator remaining outside. When Ginia gets in on her side of the helicopter, she slips the ear protection on. The controls have been reduced down to a single joystick for steering and buttons to start the rotors.

Pressing the button for the main rotor, a low thrum sounds as the rotors build up speed. Dust whips up around them as the humming gets louder. She engages the rear rotor for stability, then gently pulls the joystick toward her.

The helicopter rises, tilting slightly from side to side as it stabilizes. Slowly, it continues going up. Ten feet... twenty... thirty... forty... and at fifty feet, Ginia stops, the helicopter keeping a steady hover.]

[He shifts the sheathes of his 3D maneuver gear around to take a seat; buckling up will be difficult, so he settles for holding onto whatever he can. When he sees her slip the earmuffs on, he follows suit.

And then they're lifting up from the ground. He braces himself in his seat while trying to peer down out the window at the same time. Flying through the air isn't anything new to him, and this is much slower than what he's used to, but here he is not in control of the movement. That thought makes him a little uneasy, but he'll trust that she has it under control.]

[A helicopter can go higher, much higher, but with a sky capping the room another twenty feet up, they're at their safe limit. There's not too much space for traveling around in either so the most Ginia can do is a large careful circle.

It's not the most exciting, but it's a taste of possibility.]

[It's exciting enough for him - his eyes are still wide and fixed out the window. He raises his voice to be heard over the racket of the propeller blades (and it helps that he has a naturally loud voice).]

This is incredible...

[Ginia grins at him and gives a thumbs up. Though alas, Ginia estimates they only have a handful of minutes before the scenario resets and she doesn't want to be in the air when it happens.

Carefully, she begins guiding the helicopter back toward the ground. It hovers a bit a few feet above the ground before it lands with a light bump. She shuts everything off, letting the rotors wind down properly before she takes off the ear protection and gets out.

Her translator floats back over and hovers around her head as she turns toward Jean.]

/Sorry I couldn't take it higher or go any faster, but what did you think?/

[He hangs the ear protection over the headrest again and hops out. At her small apology, he just shakes his head.]

Last thing I went for a ride in was a horse-drawn carriage. This thing? [Hooking a thumb back toward the helicopter.] Way more interesting.

/Next time I'll show you motorcycles and cars. Those I can definitely control and go much faster in./

I won't bother asking what any of that is. Guess I'll just have to wait to see.

/We should get out of here. The simulation is going to reset soon and I hate being around when it happens./

[The flicker before the world disappears back into an empty steel room, it's unnerving to her. Nothing is real in here, but it's easy to forget that. Maybe that's why the one hour time limit is in.]

/I should let you get on with your day too./

[He'll start heading for the door, then. He had brought his 3D maneuver gear along with the intention of showing her how it works, but...]

Yeah, I should probably get some food in me. Thanks for showing all this to me, Ginia.

[Ginia follows after, giving her floating translator an affectionate pat before leaving the room. Back into solid reality. She gives a friendly wave before retrieving a notepad and pen from her pocket.]

No problem. Like I said, open offer if there's anything you want to see. Until then, take care.

[...Ah. He'd forgotten that the translating device had only appeared after they stepped into the room. He nods.]

You too. [Heading toward the building's exit, he prepares himself for the cold outside.]

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