Sometimes I think about it, and wish that circumstance didn't have to be used as a weapon.
[ Maybe it sounds harsh, but that's what it feels like. A tool used to evoke fear. A warning sent by way of injury and not by death. Banagher considers neither of these things kind, or merciful. ]
FROM: links.banagher@cdc.org
Thanks. I wouldn't mind hearing more about it.
[ Which is true on both counts — as a way to keep himself level after the day that's just passed, and because of genuine curiosity. Some people do better alone with their thoughts, but he's never really been one of them.
That's why he makes his way through camp after some time has passed between now and his last message. Though he has a destination in mind, the southern perimeter, he's not in any hurry. His pace stays even as he moves through the rover formations and out into the forest. Luna is by his side, happy to be out and about after three days, for her part. She wants to hunt, but he keeps her close for now. No use in unsettling the woods at this time of night.
Reaching some of the deeper tree cover, he slows his deliberate steps, taking a look around. ]
[Harsh, but true. It all depended on who was holding the cards, and the CDC made it clear how far they were willing to push as long as they were in control.
Ginko leaves it at that though, soon heading out into the calm of the nearby woods with Adashino in tow. It was a familiar practice, one that always helped keep him grounded. It could be so easy to get wrapped up in the negative thoughts and feelings when circumstances turned dire, but being surrounded by the vibrant life of the forest helped remind him of the bigger picture. There was always more to life, if one took the time to look.
Eventually he settles down against the trunk of a tree with leaves glowing softly in the evening darkness. The furball wastes no time in climbing up the branches overhead, ever curious.
Reaching out to the light vein was a simple task, even when one wasn't directly within its path. It was a beacon that called out to him when diving into the darkness that presented itself when he closed his inner eye, pulsating with a soft warmth that drew him in with ease. The well from which all life stemmed, reassuring in its simple purity. He'd spent countless hours at its side in the past, but it was a practice he never grew tired of.
A stirring in the woods eventually draws his attention, but it isn't until Adashino begins buzzing excitedly overhead that he lets himself focus once more on his surroundings. The dark cover of night never being much of a hindrance to Ginko, it's easy for him to pick out movement in the near distance. Two bodies, human and bahari, leading him to the assumption that it was his teammate.]
Over here. [Called out somewhat casually, waving an arm to further draw attention.]
[ The forest is as silent as it is teeming. When Banagher thinks of quiet, he often thinks of the lack of human life. How his own footsteps are loud through the fallen leaves, but still small in comparison to the immensity of the woods rising up around them and into the sky. Banagher can't help but look up sometimes when he's not in danger of tripping over gnarled roots, which he can only guess are old. Older than him, even when the Neraki seem too young for their natural wisdom. It reminds him of their presence whispering like shadows on the edges of his consciousness. Their resonance is one that is constant and deep, like that of the planet itself.
Banagher wonders if humans ever seemed that way, once upon a time. History always did seem like a fairytale, no matter how twisted up in itself it became. He thinks about Gliese briefly.
Ginko's greeting breaks him from his reverie and he looks down again. Following the source of the sound, he finds the tree the mushishi sits under. Its leaves are bright, illuminating the furball skittering around above. Luna pops up on the tips of her toes, feelers flaring. Rooming with one of the creatures has taught her that they're not food sources, luckily. With a precision whip of her tail, the bahari tracker tucks her ears back and clears the jump some ten feet in the air to join the furball in the tree. Her claws are nearly silent against the bark. Banagher stops, smiling a bit. ]
Being out here never feels the same way twice.
[ It feels like there's a pulse beneath his feet. ]
[Ginko watches with amusement as Luna makes her leap into the tree, though Adashino isn't feeling much the same way. The sudden presence joining it among the branches has the little creature skittering higher into the tree in its surprise. It peers down at the bahari for a moment before being certain that she was one of those big fun playmates from around camp. A low, cheery buzz resounds as its tiny paws bring it in closer.
Banagher's words voice a sentiment Ginko was all too familiar with. While the paths they tread may be familiar, there was always more to their surroundings than simply the sights. The feelings one carried with them were a large factor, painting a different picture of the same setting with ease. And today, there were certainly heavy feelings all around. Not unfamiliar to the crew, but it had been a while since they had last been saddled with such an experience.
But perhaps the most important aspect of that sensation was the presence of life, always moving, flowing, continuing on its perpetual journey forward. Inspiring and humbling all at once, a ever-present reminder that time and circumstance would always change. One simply had to go along with it.
Ginko musters up a smile, leans back against the tree once more.]
There's always something new to discover. It's the nature of life. A good thing to be perceptive to.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
The day's almost over. Are you okay?
no subject
Better than most.
[Not that it needs to be said.]
FROM: ginko@cdc.org
But I'll be better now that I have a chance to unwind, I admit.
no subject
There's brave people on both sides of this.
FROM: links.banagher@cdc.org
Are you going to see the light vein?
no subject
Bravery in the face of cruelty... A hard thing to hold on to at times.
[Because that's what it had been. Cruelty beyond describing, and Ginko's heart sinks at the mere thought of it.]
FROM: ginko@cdc.org
I am, in fact. Visiting it is the best way to clear my head, after a trial like this.
FROM: ginko@cdc.org
You're welcome to join me, if you'd like. I'm sure it could do you some good as well.
no subject
Some things shouldn't be forgotten. They're just the hardest to keep reminding yourself of.
[ When so much could go so wrong so suddenly. They've all been left adrift. ]
FROM: links.banagher@cdc.org
Are you sure I wouldn't be bothering you?
no subject
Circumstance has certainly seen fit to put that to the test for many of us.
FROM: ginko@cdc.org
It wouldn't be a bother at all.
FROM: ginko@cdc.org
No need to go out of your way, though. But I'll be at the southern outskirts of camp, if you think you'd like to come.
no subject
Sometimes I think about it, and wish that circumstance didn't have to be used as a weapon.
[ Maybe it sounds harsh, but that's what it feels like. A tool used to evoke fear. A warning sent by way of injury and not by death. Banagher considers neither of these things kind, or merciful. ]
FROM: links.banagher@cdc.org
Thanks. I wouldn't mind hearing more about it.
[ Which is true on both counts — as a way to keep himself level after the day that's just passed, and because of genuine curiosity. Some people do better alone with their thoughts, but he's never really been one of them.
That's why he makes his way through camp after some time has passed between now and his last message. Though he has a destination in mind, the southern perimeter, he's not in any hurry. His pace stays even as he moves through the rover formations and out into the forest. Luna is by his side, happy to be out and about after three days, for her part. She wants to hunt, but he keeps her close for now. No use in unsettling the woods at this time of night.
Reaching some of the deeper tree cover, he slows his deliberate steps, taking a look around. ]
no subject
Ginko leaves it at that though, soon heading out into the calm of the nearby woods with Adashino in tow. It was a familiar practice, one that always helped keep him grounded. It could be so easy to get wrapped up in the negative thoughts and feelings when circumstances turned dire, but being surrounded by the vibrant life of the forest helped remind him of the bigger picture. There was always more to life, if one took the time to look.
Eventually he settles down against the trunk of a tree with leaves glowing softly in the evening darkness. The furball wastes no time in climbing up the branches overhead, ever curious.
Reaching out to the light vein was a simple task, even when one wasn't directly within its path. It was a beacon that called out to him when diving into the darkness that presented itself when he closed his inner eye, pulsating with a soft warmth that drew him in with ease. The well from which all life stemmed, reassuring in its simple purity. He'd spent countless hours at its side in the past, but it was a practice he never grew tired of.
A stirring in the woods eventually draws his attention, but it isn't until Adashino begins buzzing excitedly overhead that he lets himself focus once more on his surroundings. The dark cover of night never being much of a hindrance to Ginko, it's easy for him to pick out movement in the near distance. Two bodies, human and bahari, leading him to the assumption that it was his teammate.]
Over here. [Called out somewhat casually, waving an arm to further draw attention.]
no subject
Banagher wonders if humans ever seemed that way, once upon a time. History always did seem like a fairytale, no matter how twisted up in itself it became. He thinks about Gliese briefly.
Ginko's greeting breaks him from his reverie and he looks down again. Following the source of the sound, he finds the tree the mushishi sits under. Its leaves are bright, illuminating the furball skittering around above. Luna pops up on the tips of her toes, feelers flaring. Rooming with one of the creatures has taught her that they're not food sources, luckily. With a precision whip of her tail, the bahari tracker tucks her ears back and clears the jump some ten feet in the air to join the furball in the tree. Her claws are nearly silent against the bark. Banagher stops, smiling a bit. ]
Being out here never feels the same way twice.
[ It feels like there's a pulse beneath his feet. ]
no subject
Banagher's words voice a sentiment Ginko was all too familiar with. While the paths they tread may be familiar, there was always more to their surroundings than simply the sights. The feelings one carried with them were a large factor, painting a different picture of the same setting with ease. And today, there were certainly heavy feelings all around. Not unfamiliar to the crew, but it had been a while since they had last been saddled with such an experience.
But perhaps the most important aspect of that sensation was the presence of life, always moving, flowing, continuing on its perpetual journey forward. Inspiring and humbling all at once, a ever-present reminder that time and circumstance would always change. One simply had to go along with it.
Ginko musters up a smile, leans back against the tree once more.]
There's always something new to discover. It's the nature of life. A good thing to be perceptive to.