Road Trip Minus Road?

[sword_redemption]

Who: Drift, Barricade, Vandal, Wing and First Aid (anyone else want in on this poke me via PM?)
What: Exploring
When: Day or so after the dance (so there may be hangovers to start?)
Where: Wildernessy waste places.
Warnings: added as needed

((OOC: I'm going to create three placeholder sub-comments below--first night's camp, random encounters, and the ruined village. Feel free to start your own threads under each or add your own categories, and tag around--I think that'd be easier than doing a long rotation.))

Drift certainly hasn't felt like he's been doing his part. It felt good to fight again, good to do something to help defend. But the battle was over and he was feeling that old emptiness gnawing at him--in a world at peace, what good was a warrior?

A warrior could still explore. A warrior could protect himself, move without fear. And, maybe, notice things that could be useful.

He rolls the tension out of his shoulders as the little party all shows up. "Ready?"

Comments

[sword_redemption]

Drift winks. "Oh, are you afraid of the big scary outdoors, Wing? I'll be your teddy bear." He knows it's not true: he knows Wing has gone off without him. But he's making light of it because, well, you know. Tough guy exterior.

"Dawn it is." He gives a nod. He'd been ready to pull watch all night himself.

[winged_knight]

He laughs, loud enough that he has to cup a hand over his mouth. It just seems smart, out here in the wilderness, to be discreet.

Not that he's really succeeding. There's still a laugh or two that sneaks out from behind his hand before responding, "So maybe I am? You should have seen the thing that jump me in the lake! I think it's definitely in my--our--best interests for you to stay with me tonight."

Wing can play the damsel to Drift's tough guy anyday.

He nods his assent. "Maybe one of the others can take the middle watch." So you know, that cuddle time can actually happen. Because laying out here under the stars, so far from Prima's light, with Drift? Sounds sublime to this damsel.

[sword_redemption]

"Thing that jumped you in the lake." Sadly, all he's thinking is tentacles, right now, and that doesn't quite help your cause.

"Don't worry, Wing. I'll protect you." It's a joke: how many times had Wing thrown him across the training room in Crystal City? Yeah, Wing didn't need his protection.

[winged_knight]

Sadly it'd be true. "Thing had more tentacles than legs. And. I'm not really sure where its face was?" He puts on an expression that implies having a face wasn't really required to be ugly. "Very unmannerly it was, too."

It's nice though, to be able to let one's guard down. Especially when you have complete trust in the mech that's got your back. "Will you?" he grins, sounding both pleased and hopeful, "You know how good I am at getting into trouble."

[sword_redemption]

All right. Not helping Drift's concentration. "Y-you don't say."

Drift snorts. "Amateur." Deadlock had gotten into trouble so deep someoen like Wing wouldn't even be able to see the bottom of it. "Better put me to the test, now."

[winged_knight]

"Oh yes. I barely escaped." He can't help himself now, especially with that catch in Drift's voice. "You saw all the abrasions the thing left behind. In fact I seemed to recall you buffing them out for me."

Which was true: the rough surface of the thing's appendages had left scrapes and gouged paint on almost every limb. The ones around his thigh were, well, particularly interesting to remove.

"Hey now, I was handicapped for a long while," he defends, playfully. Dai Atlas was a decent babysitter, caretaker, authoritarian for the most part. "Is that your way of saying you want to make some trouble right now?"

[sword_redemption]

"Yeah. Well. I. Uh. I should ask more questions." Because now was not the time to be thinking these thoughts, when they're out in public and he can't act on them.

He snorts. "You? Handicapped? Thought they'd just give you a bit of a challenge. You don't seem like a mech cowed by a challenge."

[winged_knight]

The anticipation tends be worth it in the end, at least it's worked well for them in the past. "Oh, maybe you should. You know I'd hold nothing back." Even the sordid details, the twitch in mouth seems to say.

Not that there are really that many, but it does give one...ideas.

Well okay Drift wins this round, it's a compliment and Wing's not going to turn it away. "Weeeell, yes. I managed a little, even so. I guess I have some catching to do then."

[sword_redemption]

"Yeah, that's...uh, never been an issue for you." A bit the opposite, really.

He looks out over the night, always darker here than any place he's ever been, even the gutters, even with the distant light of the Lambda glimmering overhead.

"Don't rush too eagerly to break the rules here, though." There were some laws that shouldn't be stretched too far, here.

"You set for the night?"

[winged_knight]

He can't help it anymore and the laugh bubbles up from his vocalizer. "No I suppose not," he confesses, "But you know I like sharing with you." In well, multiple ways.

"Not too eager, no..." But there's something in the way Drift says it that makes Wing tilt his helm in question.

"I'm good. Until you're ready to join me, of course." Like now maybe, his optics plead a little bit. "And Vandal too maybe?"

[sword_redemption]

"Uh, right." Drift steps back, remembering a little too vividly the last time Wing wanted to tell him something and hold nothing back.

Uh.

Maybe there were things he didn't want to know.

"All right. I'll just, you know, do another sweep. Make sure things are set."

[winged_knight]

"Whatever you need." Wing smiles; it's just nice to get out and do things with Drift, but he doesn't want to totally monopolize the swordmech's attention. Because he knows he could if he's not mindful of it.

Though, something does occur to him.

"Drift. Do you know how far we are from Haven?"