video - desert

[undespairing]

[The person in this picture looks inordinately cheerful considering he's standing in the middle of a desert. His clothes are a little ragged - partly due to a run-in with some of the local desert creatures - and he's got a few scratches here and there, but otherwise he seems fine.

He waves a thin metal pipe in a vague sort of salute.]

Hey, is there anything good to eat in this desert? Aside from the monsters, that is. I don't know about any of you, but those things look a little scary to eat, haha...

Comments

[undespairing]

Well...I'm already stuck out here, so there's not much point in worrying about what'll happen to me.

As for everyone else, I'd like them all to be safe! Not much I can do though, I've never been in a desert before so I'm kind of useless. [and a wry chuckle.]

[errandry]

[ a long silence. ]

Sounds like you're doing pretty okay to me.

[undespairing]

--haha, I guess I am so far, aren't I? I heard someone talking about giant sand monsters earlier though, so I'm holding my judgement until I run into one.

[errandry]

... what, really?





[ ... ]

Yyyyyou might wanna stay away from those.

[undespairing]

I'll try to avoid them! Don't know where I'd find one in the first place though, so it might be kind of difficult.

[laughing!!]

[errandry]

Just keep an eye on the sand.

[undespairing]

Yes, sir! I'll keep both eyes peeled.

[errandry]

[ another almost-laugh. ]

What—am I that bad?

[undespairing]

Bad? No, you're great! Keep going, smile a little more, cheer on the troops, you'll be wonderful.

1/2

[errandry]

[ ... ]

[errandry]

Shit—it's not like this's even real.

[undespairing]

What are you talking about? Of course it's real! You're here, aren't you?

[errandry]

Yeah, but we're not fighting for anything! This is all just—'cause the deities woke up one morning and figured they'd mess with us a little more. It doesn't count.

[undespairing]

That doesn't make it any less real. Back in Rome any horrible things that happened would most likely be blamed on a whim of God, or his punishment or something. It's not much different if you think of it that way. But either way, whether it's a famine or a war or the city turning into sand, you see everybody out there trying their hardest to rescue and defend and survive and all those things. So we should keep on fighting along with them!

[errandry]

... Guess there's not a lot of other choices, huh.

[ deep breath. okay. ]

I got it.

[undespairing]

[no laughing this time! just a smile.]

That's the spirit.