ABS FIESTA REDUX

[carolcat]

: I did not know there were this many stars.

She smiles at him. "There isn't as much light pollution out here, so it's easier to see all the... finer details," she explains. "All of the lights on base versus no lights out here."

Cualli stares up at the sky for a few moments, silently marveling at it. "Isn't it beautiful?" Her voice is quiet, as if in reverence.

[Ad Bot]

[Qwepir]

She smiles at him. "There isn't as much light pollution out here, so it's easier to see all the... finer details," she explains. "All of the lights on base versus no lights out here."

Cualli stares up at the sky for a few moments, silently marveling at it. "Isn't it beautiful?" Her voice is quiet, as if in reverence.

Elu nods in agreement, then points to a solitary light on the side of a mountain.
: What is that?

[carolcat]

Cualli looks at it, squinting. "Dunno," she says after a few moments. "Arkhip would probably know, though. We'll ask him when he comes back."

She turns around and looks at the couch. "Do you want to share the hideaway with me or do you want to sleep somewhere else?"

[Tayasaurus]

"Would you ever go back to Malanta?" he asks, moving his gaze from the table to Tippy.

"I don't know. I think if I had the chance to retire anywhere it would be here, but in a very special place I picked out. You'll see it soon enough."

[Mr. Hurricane]

"Where's that?" Jaakko asks ,"Or is it a secret?"

[Qwepir]

Cualli looks at it, squinting. "Dunno," she says after a few moments. "Arkhip would probably know, though. We'll ask him when he comes back."

She turns around and looks at the couch. "Do you want to share the hideaway with me or do you want to sleep somewhere else?"

: It is up to you. I could sleep in one of these chairs if necessary.

Elu walks over to one of the cushioned seats and sits down. Apparently the TV remote was underneath the cushion because it flashes on, startling him.

[carolcat]

"I mean, you slept at the foot of my bed on the carrier, so I'm not bothered by sharing." She again regards the size of the couch. "There'd probably even be room for you to lay down, if you're more comfortable like that."

Cualli gives a little giggle of amusement at Elu getting startled and goes to get the remote out from under the cushion. "You sat on the remote," she tells him, walking over and reaching under the cushion to grab it. "Here." The remote gets set on a nearby table.

"I hope we can find something to keep you warm so we can bring you to the temple," Cualli sighs, sitting in another seat. "I know you've missed being able to go."

[Tayasaurus]

"Where's that?" Jaakko asks ,"Or is it a secret?"

"You'll see when we get there. Its for the very end of the trip." Tippy says smiling

[Mr. Hurricane]

Jaakko returns a faint smile. He remembers asking Tippy what she was going to do after the war, and remembering her rather depressing, rather fatalist response. He feels the tiniest sense of relief that Tippy had perhaps found peace somewhere. Maybe.

"What's the first thing after this then. Yukamo's family?"

[Tayasaurus]

"Yeah, I had contacted them prior so they'll be expecting us. Unless they offer we won't be staying at their place."

[Qwepir]

"I mean, you slept at the foot of my bed on the carrier, so I'm not bothered by sharing." She again regards the size of the couch. "There'd probably even be room for you to lay down, if you're more comfortable like that."

Cualli gives a little giggle of amusement at Elu getting startled and goes to get the remote out from under the cushion. "You sat on the remote," she tells him, walking over and reaching under the cushion to grab it. "Here." The remote gets set on a nearby table.

"I hope we can find something to keep you warm so we can bring you to the temple," Cualli sighs, sitting in another seat. "I know you've missed being able to go."

: Maybe it will be warmer in the morning.

Someone is yelling on the television, and when you glance over to see what it the deal is you are met with an amateur video of well over a dozen bodies hung from a large tree in front of what appears to be some sort of government building. A huge crowd has gathered around the tree and is throwing rocks at the bodies, and the sound of gunfire echoes in the distance. The ticker along the bottom reads "BREAKING: UPRISINGS IN PORLAQ", and the man in front of the camera shouting is giving an impassioned (if poorly constructed) speech full of typical pro-rebellion prattle. To nobody's surprise, things aren't going so well up there.

[carolcat]

"Mm, don't know how much 'warmer' it can get up here."

Cualli frowns at the TV and picks up the remote again. She flips through the channels, looking to see what else is on.

[Qwepir]

"Mm, don't know how much 'warmer' it can get up here."
Cualli frowns at the TV and picks up the remote again. She flips through the channels, looking to see what else is on.

A whole lot of ads. You eventually settle on a channel running a documentary about Kirazan wildlife, and you learn a variety of useless facts about the Mercanan kotvogh lizard. Like how they are one of the only social reptiles on the planet, and that they are the largest and second most commonly kept livestock animal in their home country. Before you can absorb any more riveting information about reptilian cattle, Arkhip comes through the front door.
: So... you still hungry?

[carolcat]

Cualli pulls her attention away from the documentary (a difficult feat). "Huh? Oh, yeah."

She gets up and grabs her hat, gloves, and scarf and pulls them on. "How's your mom?" Cualli asks as she zips up her jacket and crosses to Arkhip. She notices the look on his face and says, in a worried tone, "Is everything alright?"

[Qwepir]

Cualli pulls her attention away from the documentary (a difficult feat). "Huh? Oh, yeah."

She gets up and grabs her hat, gloves, and scarf and pulls them on. "How's your mom?" Cualli asks as she zips up her jacket and crosses to Arkhip. She notices the look on his face and says, in a worried tone, "Is everything alright?"

: They said she went out to work one morning a little over a week ago and they haven't seen her since. So...