video » "Let's Go Spelunking!" From "Charming Not Sincere" blog of Rebecca Atherton » Entry 0.02

[insincerecharm]

[The video is a little shaky, rocky terrain and a piece of bright yellow metal are all that are visible for a moment. Soft shuffling noises are heard and the camera shakes more before flipping around to focus on Becks, giving a bright smile and an enthusiastic wave at her audience.]

Hey, guys! Becks, here, reporting from Heropa city outskirts. I just really needed something to do on my day off, so I decided to find something interesting. Turns out there was a mountain tour today-- Did you guys know there were mountains out here? This is cool as hell!

I got separated from my group, and ended up coming across this--

[She sweeps the camera out and away again, showing the half-buried metal building she seems to have stumbled upon. They aren't in the best conditions, but still seem really architecturally sound. Her voice can be heard as she moves around one of the tall structures sticking out of the ground.] It looks like it might lead underground...

[The camera turns back to her again, a grin a mile wide across her face, eyes lit up light Christmas lights.]

Anyone wanna go spelunking with me?!

Comments

video;

[redcosmedic]

[ dryly: ] You couldn't even manage to stay with a tour group, but you want to go delving into some unknown, underground structure?

[insincerecharm]

[She laughs at that.] They were boooring and sticking to this lame trail, I needed something more fun, so I went off-course. And it's totally worth it! Look at this! [That's another pan around the buildings sticking up out of the ground again.] But I'm not dumb enough to go underground on my own!

[redcosmedic]

Those do seem intriguing. Nothing like I've seen on Earth, whether this one or the one I'm used to. I wonder if this has to do with everything else that's happening...

[insincerecharm]

I wouldn't be surprised, at the rate the weird has been ramping up around here lately. [A beat.] So, are you coming to help me investigate or what?!

[redcosmedic]

[ a haughty noise ]

Do you think I maintain a pristine finish like this by clunking about inside mystery ruins? Besides, I don't often fit into places built by humans.

[ He hasn't gotten a sense of the scale of the buildings she's shown yet. ]

video;

[slapfight]

[Peridot sees underground structures in an unknown area and immediately becomes fascinated. It's just a part of being a kindergartner. Spaces where gems could have been produced delight her.]

You absolutely have to take me with you.

video;

[insincerecharm]

[She grins at the enthusiasm. It does nothing but fuel her, really.] Totally! Uh-- what city are you in? [That might make the whole thing take a little longer, but hey, waiting is not a sin. Probably.]

[slapfight]

I'm also in Heropa! I'm already on my way.

[...Look, she knows what she's about.] You're going to need my expertise.

[insincerecharm]

[She brightens at the suggestion-- she'll take any expertise she can get!] Perfect! [She'll rattles off precise directions to exactly where she is, and hope she can get a whole little group going soon. If they can all come now, that would be perfect, if not... Becks is not against multiple rounds of cave diving.]

[slapfight]

[And in record time, there's an exhausted tiny green girl(??) stumbling over to her.] Ah-ha! Here we go. Precise coordinates.

[And then because she knows how to be polite and has seen this done, she sticks her hand up and out awkwardly for a handshake.] I'm Peridot.

voice.

[solarcharge]

Sounds like fun.

[ A beat. ]

They don't happen to have cave tours, do they?

voice.

[insincerecharm]

I'm not sure, but I bet we could find out!

[solarcharge]

We could.

I'm Kara, by the way.

[insincerecharm]

Nice to meet you, Kara. I'm Becks.

[solarcharge]

Nice to meet you too.

Give me a moment to change, and I'll be right over.

[ She's going to super-speed over, seeing no reason to hide any of that while she's here. ]

text;

[thecacophony]

Criminals always love squatting in old ruins. Kind of like cockroaches.

text;

[insincerecharm]

A fair point, but does not actually deter me from wanting to go, still. [Becks has entirely too much sense of adventure in her veins for that.]

[thecacophony]

Fuck it, who am I to caution against pressing your luck anyway?

Have fun, stay out late, grab anything valuable that's not tied down.

[insincerecharm]

[She snorts at that last text.]

Thanks for the permission, I guess.

[thecacophony]

You're welcome. Dispensing awful advice is, after all, a free-of-charge service.

Video!

[callmevision]

This sounds like an intriguing idea. I would like to go, yes.

Video

[insincerecharm]

Awesome. [She brightens.] Are you free now?

Re: Video

[callmevision]

I am, yes!

[ Jonas grins in turn as he rises. ]

I can be there shortly, within minutes, truly.

Is there anything I should bring?

Video

[insincerecharm]

Uhh-- maybe some easily packable food, I wasn't planning this at the beginning of my day so I don't have much on me. And whatever else might be relevant to a cave dive? [This is all new to her, she doesn't really know what to plan for or expect. Becks is kind of a Queen of winging it.]

Re: Video

[callmevision]

Sure! I can come there soon then. I will stop by a sporting goods store to get equipment.

Meet you there!

[ And he is already moving, grabbing a hat as he shoots out his door to go to the store. ]