July Arrivals

[sixthiteration]

WHO: Arrivals
WHERE: The fountain park
WHEN: July 1, 12:00 PM
OPEN TO: ALL
WARNINGS: N/A
STATUS: CLOSED

---

In the snug circle of an old park, a fountain sits burbling beneath a broad, midday sky.

Once-neat paving stones have buckled and cracked from the slow nudge of wayward roots. Benches stand covered in lichen and rust. Three paths push into the underbrush like the spokes on a wheel, the encroaching forest creating lush tunnels through the dark.

But the fountain stands singular and pristine, brightly splashing in open rebellion of the deep, muffled sounds of a place long ago gone to seed. A vibration hums through the ground, there and quickly gone, and the water in the fountain trembles, lapping against the high walls of its cool, pale reservoir.

It is the first of July.

It is precisely twelve o'clock in the afternoon.

Comments

[generalginger]

Hux hadn't heard of the plant, or the system of which she referred. Perhaps that should have come as no surprise, considering how many planets existed in the galaxy. One thing was certain: this Earth was not one of importance.

"Is that one of the primitive planets?"

[womanofvalue]

Her lips curve upwards in a wry smile that's biting back mild sarcasm, reminding herself that it's not his fault that he doesn't necessarily know about Earth. "It depends on which part of the planet you land on, I suspect," she says, thinking of some of the dry and dusty prairie states she had seen.

"What do you consider primitive?"

[generalginger]

"A number of factors fall into that classification, including ineffective command of the seas, and lacking in the capacity for extra-planetary travel and communication."

Perhaps it is a bit harsh; some planets don't have water at all, but the ones that do shouldn't have issues travelling across them. Are Earth's ships wooden? Either way, Earth sounds about as impressive as this place.

That is to say, not at all.

[womanofvalue]

"I'm afraid interplanetary travel is still in progress," is Peggy's reply, thinking of the progress they've made in the short time she's been alive. It's not enough, though, to be able to travel to the heavens. She supposes that means that she's a primitive dweller on earth, after all. "I can assure you, the seas are well commanded now."

"Though, perhaps there's still a mine here and there that make it dangerous. I doubt they've had the opportunity to pull them all out of the Atlantic."

[generalginger]

Hux should cut her some slack, really. It's not her fault that she's from a primitive planet, and therefore ignorant on the current state of the galaxy and other important affairs. He can't fault her for not knowing about things, but he can take the time to educate her, he supposes, should it actually be something she's interested in.

Rather than saying any of that, he focuses on the latter part of what she says. "In what kind of warfare does your plan engage?" Wars are messy and bloody, but it just seems impractical to use weapons that can be lost so easily...

[womanofvalue]

"We signed the armistice two years ago," Peggy says, a wistful and sad look in her eyes as she thinks of all the blood and loss that had been spilled in order to achieve a few paltry signatures on a page. "It was our second World War, though, in both the Pacific and the European theatre." Death and maelstroms of human suffering the likes of which she can't even begin to explain. She doesn't like to think about what she'd done in her time in the war, but takes solace that everyone else had experienced something similar. She presses her lips into a thin line and tries to think how to move on.

"We should find shelter," she says, insistent on moving away from the topic.

[generalginger]

Hux has studied a number of wars over the years; it's a necessity for his career, and though he's genuinely curious about the tactics and strategies for this supposed world-war, it's neither the time nor the place. He's tactful enough to get the impression that it's not something Peggy wants to discuss at length right now, anyway.

"Looks like there's something over there." He gestures to some buildings off in the distance. They're not that far away, but the sooner they get there, the better.

[womanofvalue]

She gives a firm nod, old habits taking over as she allows the soldier part of her mind to take over. It's just like being with the Howling Commandos again, she tells herself, following along to an objective that's near. "Are you going to come?" she asks, taking the moment to study him. It could be that he has other plans, but she thinks it's still smarter to stick together for now.