002 ( video )

[unhidden]

( Hay kids. It's that one loser, looking considerably cleaner, better fed and more relaxed than her first post. Part of it's pretence and part of it is being better fed, but whatever.

Today, Tara's posture is a lazy slouch against the side of her sofa, bottle of beer in hand. )

Okay, so-- possibly a personal question. How many of you dudes are from worlds where everything's kinda gone to Hell? Apocalypse-style, y'know? Like, uh, I dunno. Everyone simultaneously woke up with Donald Trump hair, or meteors hit, or there's an undead shit-storm unfolding outside.

( A casual shrug. Seems like it might be less crazy a thing here than she thought. )

And, part two: what's the best thing about the world ending? 'Cause, I mean, I kinda miss living off ramen and canned stuff being a win instead of a basis for judgment.

( Hmm. Tara takes a swig of her beer. Maybe she is a bit less okay then she seems, but that's basically what her life is all about. )

Gotta find the bright side, right?

Comments

permavideo.

[unhidden]

( Hey! It's Kitty! The way Tara's expression brightens into a cheery grin gives away that maybe she's been drinking a little too much. Just a little. )

You're so lucky. I mean, Trump hair was just awful.

( Tara, please. )

Yeah. But, I mean, you need enough people to survive for that to happen, right? Enough to make a difference.

[rathercommon]

Well, it does take the human race being able to continue on, yeah.

[ Kitty gives a hesitant smile, both in response to the smile and as a hopeful prelude to this next question: ]

There are enough people left for that, right?

[unhidden]

I dunno. There's a lotta dead ones.

( She's absent-mindedly peeling at the label on her beer bottle. )

Friend of mine said he had a cure, but he was lyin'. Just wanted to make sure people'd protect him, no matter what. ( A quiet huff of breath, and she shakes her head. ) Smart.

( Dick move, but smart. And she cares about him anyway, needs to make sure he stays safe, because he's her friend. )

Lot've walkers and a lot of people who do fucked up things to other people. It's kinda messed up.

[rathercommon]

[ A frown - Kitty does not approve of those sorts of lies, smart or not. It seems horribly cruel to her. ]

Well - yeah. When things get frightening and horrid, people get far crueler to each other, I'd think. But...If things are able to become more stable, then perhaps there will be a chance for something better.

[unhidden]

Yeah, Eugene's proposal involved some sci-fi bullshit. Would've taken out all the dead - like hitting restart.

( Oh-- oh. She finished her beer. But it's okay, because she just reaches down past the view of the camera, and when her hand is back in view there's a new beer that she's twisting the top off. )

I dunno, kiddo. They rot and fall apart, eventually, but it's not like we're just waiting out the first wave to die out. Any corpse becomes a walker. Humanity's kinda a risk to itself.

[rathercommon]

[ Kitty hesitates. Because man that sounds horrible. ]

But - if there's some way to...There would be ways to make some stable base of civilization, right? If you built a city that was kept really strong, and everyone knew the procedures for getting rid of bodies...It could work, couldn't it?

[unhidden]

It could work.

( Quiet, gentle. She's not gonna dismantle Kitty's hopes, especially not anywhere Carl could see. )

It'd need to be someplace special, but it could work.

[rathercommon]

[ A nod, encouraged. ]

Right. Because - the, erm, walkers? They're not intelligent, right?

[unhidden]

Nope. They can tell if you're a warm body instead've one of them. They, uh, I dunno - sometimes they notice little shit like a noise or a way to get into somewhere, but it's not like they're a person anymore and thinkin'. They just operate on instinct.

[rathercommon]

Right. So a good, strong city with high walls - that could work to keep them out.

cw: talk of cannibals

[unhidden]

Thing is, if the city already exists, you gotta clear them out. Or if it's already been clear and someone else is already there, then there could be a turf war. People are on edge now. I mean, there is-- no reason to trust strangers.

( They might be waiting to eat you alive. They might cut off your leg and let you watch as they eat it. )

If it doesn't, you gotta build it. Takes time, materials, and maybe skills that the people doing it don't have.

( She tries to attempt a smile, but it's weak. )

ew

[rathercommon]

[ Her nod is firm. It's solemn, to be sure - but there's not an element of doubt in her face. ]

Yeah. It'd be really tough. But it's doable, yeah?

delicious

[unhidden]

Yeah, kiddo. It's doable.

( A pipe dream, but doable. )

Don't worry. We'll be badasses and save the world.

[rathercommon]

[ A quick nod. Firmly: ]

Another good solution, of course, would simply be bringing them all here. Your friends and the people you know, if not all the survivors. Obviously, it seems a bit unkind to just abandon an entire world, but if it's got to be done, you oughtn't be unsentimental. But there have got to be ways to build up the infrastructure as well, if you do want to stay there. Maybe even with support from here. Have you looked at all into recruiting people who would help you?

[unhidden]

( whoa

whoa now


kitty whoa. )

I can't-- I can't plan to keep staying here without the others, and there isn't a way to control who comes here.

( She is a little thrown. And, admittedly, a little drunk. ) Are you a tiny, tiny politician?

[rathercommon]

Eurgh, no.

[ She wrinkles her nose. ]

Don't insult me. Politics is about chattering on and on and on in circles and getting nothing done. I like solutions.

Anyway. Right now there's no way to control who comes here. So the first step would be to figure out some way. Lots of people would be keen on that, of course; I know because I've already spoken about it with a number of people. So we bring everyone here. Then, from here, we figure out some way to...cure it if we can, to go in and clean your world out if we can't. All of the others can stay here while your planet's rehabilitated, and then you can return home after.

[unhidden]

( She's gotten a little smile out of Tara, both from the disgust and nose wrinkling and the caring. Kitty's a friend, she knows that, but she actually gives a crap. If they'd met at home, she knows without a doubt they'd have each other's backs. Not for the first time, she wishes the others were here, that they could meet this cool kid. )

I thought you were the President?

( Tara shakes her head, a little disbelieving. )

Okay. If you think that'd work, then sure. Maybe we can find a way to make it happen.

[rathercommon]

[ Oh - a quick laugh. Warmly: ]

Oh, yeah. Sorry. I forgot about my presidential duties.

[ But she seems cheered and energized by that easy agreement. She leans forward a bit. ]

I do think it will. Honestly. I've been working on a way to get us home, and to control who's brought here, for a while now, and even though I've not made a lot of headway I still think it's possible. And once we do, there'll be so many places we can help.

[unhidden]

It's okay, I won't tell anyone. Just make me secretary general.

( She doesn't know what secretary general does, but it sounds good.

Honestly, Tara doesn't know if it's realistic. Part of her feels like it could be a pipe dream, the way that Washington was. The thing is, though, that Kitty doesn't have anything to gain by lying, not the way Eugene did. She isn't after protection or anything else from Tara - hell, she was the one looking after Tara when she first arrived. Even if it doesn't work and even if that is going to hurt like Hell, they still need to try. They need to have something they're fighting for. )

Just tell me what you need you need done.

( In the end, Tara is a follower, not a leader. When she has a goal, though, she'll do whatever she can. For a moment she looks down, before glancing back at Kitty with a warmer smile. )

Thank you.

[rathercommon]

[ And Kitty smiles back at her, broadly and sweetly, and shakes her head. ]

You haven't got any reason to thank me. You're welcome, obviously - but really, you haven't. My first priority, beyond all others, is helping my country and my people. My own world. But my friends' worlds - I'd say those deserve protection too. And the worlds of everyone here. We've got such boundless resources, such amazing technology - I think if we put our minds to it, we can make a real difference.

[unhidden]

I've got plenty of reasons to.

( But, since Kitty is being difficult: )

If nothing else, you're honest. Gotta appreciate that.

[rathercommon]

I'm honest when it matters. With the people it matters for.

[unhidden]

I can't give you gross hugs when you say nice shit over the network.

( this is very inconvenient )

[rathercommon]

What makes the hugs gross? Maybe I don't want them.

[unhidden]

Emotions.

( blergh )