Earth Bound

[Braeden Quinn]

Braeden Quinn wasn't the type of girl who allowed others to sway her decisions or stand in the way of what she wanted. So when she heard about the the mission to Earth, she was volunteering for it quickly. She knew there was a risk they could all die, but she also knew that if they lived . . . they'd be on Earth! It was something she had wanted a kid but had known it was impractical. Now it was a reality--which was why when her current boyfriend told her he thought they should stay, she told him goodbye. It had been easy, almost too easy. Following her volunteering, there had been some training, and a months worth of prep--during this time she had even move on with her life. Too easy. It told her a great deal about the relationship. She was suited up in her boots and guard's uniform, even had her father's jacket for luck--a given given to her right before leaving. Upon entering the dropship she moved toward her assigned section, which was on the main floor. Most the others were already seated, or piling in behind her. Her eyes feel on the man who'd be her boss while on Earth, and who had been her friend since school days. Moving toward him him she sat in the seat beside him; not caring if he had promised it to someone, like his second in command or girlfriend or someone. Well, she cared but she rather ask forgiveness then permission. "Don't tell me it's not ironic that you were my Earth Skills tutor and now you're taking me to earth." She teased, looking over at him but not buckling up yet. "Cause from where I am sitting, the humor is there." Bellamy Blake Kane had been her 'tutor' and they'd end up not getting much studying done in favor of other things; and now the skills they didn't study were the ones they needed to keep them alive--thankfully they had at least managed to pass the class.

[Bellamy Blake]

Tag: Braeden Quinn

whatever

THE HELL WE WANT

The day had come. After all the time of preparing, the launch was upon them. Everyone was getting situated, buckling themselves in their seats. The one next to him remained vacant . . . until a certain someone joined him. He gave a slight smile at her words, the irony that she then spoke of not lost on him. "Guess this is the definition of putting our theory to the test." The theory that they should have been learning instead of doing . . . well, what they had been. Not that Bellamy regretted it. She had been his first, and he hers. There was something special about that bond.

One that always kept them connected. With the other people piling on and getting strapped in, Bellamy noticed that no one else was coming. That everyone was accounted for. There was a silence in the dropship. Fear was prevalent though no one wanted to voice it or bring it to surface. Bellamy took a deep breath, swallowing down the fear, knowing that this could be the last time they all spoke. The landing itself was a massive risk. But they had to hope for the best. They had to have faith. "In peace may you leave this shore. In love may you find the next. Safe passage on your travels. Until our final journey to the ground, may we meet again." Words that his grandmother had taught him at a very young age. And ones that he wanted to bring solace to others with now.

[Braeden Quinn]

She laughed at his teasing but then moved to pull the harnest on her, and tighten it--as tight as it would go. Almost t the point she could not feel her toes, but the weight gave her confidance. Being bound into something helped her be able to do this. Everything was quite and she watched the door be sealed, and the sounds began for their disconnect. Her breathing came faster, and her heart was beating so hard she could feel it everywhere and not in her chest. "In peace may you leave this shore." Oh no! He was praying! She knew many took comfort in that, but apart of her thought it was a bad omen. People only prayed when things got bad or they thought they could die. "In love may you find the next. Safe passage on your travels." Safe passages. Yes! Lets pray for that! "Until our final journey to the ground, may we meet again." She looked back at him, and nodded, "May be meet again." She told him, just as the dropship jerked and then floated away from the Ark. Any moment now thrusters would push them toward Earth and gravity would cause it to crash land on Earth--a parachute and thrusters or some shit would slow it down. Her hands gripped the sides of her seat, and she looked around before looking directly ahead.

[Bellamy Blake]

Tag: Braeden Quinn

whatever

THE HELL WE WANT

Bellamy felt his heart beat heavier in his chest. It was drawing so near; the moment that they would send people to Earth after nearly a century. The jerking of the ship indicated the release . . . and that was it. Just like that, they were heading toward Earth. Bellamy thought of his family. Of the Ark. His prayer strong in his heart. Everyone reiterated the words. May we meet again. He damn well hoped so. He didn't want all his father's efforts to be in vain. He didn't want their deaths to be on his conscience.

Not to mention the fact that it would leave the Ark in chaos, not knowing what to do as the entire station died. No. This had to work. They had to make it. They had to live. Bellamy took calming breaths, hardly heard due to the loud sounds of the drop ship. He slightly turned his head -- as much as he could with the restraints to keep them secure -- to see Braeden looking straight ahead. Fear was a demon, that was what his mother said. But right now, every single person in this dropshop was completely entitled to be afraid. He couldn't help alleviate everyone's fear, but he could at least try with Braeden. "What did you end up getting in Earth Skills anyway?" He teased, slightly raising his voice to be heard, but even though, it was only audible to her.

[Braeden Quinn]

He asked her a question and Braeden turned her head to look at him. She was trying to appear brave but she wasn't sure how well that come coming off. If she moved her hands they'd be shaking. "That year? I barley passed. Too distracted." She teased him, trying to sound more confident then she felt. "Mother was so angry, but I passed it the other years. Never the best student, but never the worst." Which was true, she was more a girl of action then one of study. Which was how she ended up being the head of the guard on the ground. The first head of the first guard on the ground in 100 years. If she lived to do it then history would know her name. The dropship started moving faster and she sucked in a breath. Forcing her eyes to stay looking at him she tried to keep distracting herself. "Didn't I hear you had a girlfriend or something like it? Did you leave with her a promise or broken heart?" She had left her boyfriend with a broken heart--maybe. She wasn't sure how he felt but the fact that her choice was so easy told her that her heart wasn't involved.

[Bellamy Blake]

Tag: Braeden Quinn

whatever

THE HELL WE WANT

He couldn't help but give a slight smile at her admittance of barley passing, that she had been too distracted. He knew that feeling. Hell, they were both distractions for each other for a little while. As long as she passed though, which she seemed to do with ease. "I know the feeling. You were one hell of a distraction, Quinn," he told her teasingly, vocalizing his thought about the subject. She then asked him about a girlfriend. That term was not one Bellamy used. He had never been in a committed relationship with anyone. But Roma was probably as close as he had gotten. That, had not been a fun conversation. But one that was extremely revealing.

The two of them had never had a conversation about their relationship. Bellamy was clear on his committment -- or lack there of. But with her question, he decided to go with honesty on the matter. Even if it was just to provide further distraction. "I've never had a girlfriend," he joked, though not entirely with jest. "But let's just say, neither," he answered directly. He doubted she had a broken heart. Bellamy didn't think he held that much power over anyone. "Turns out she wasn't my type," he continued to say. "I like my women 18 or over." He knew it was a tease at his own expense . . . but why lie about this? He had been pissed to find out about it but hey, they had bigger things to concern themselves with.

[Braeden Quinn]

"I know the feeling. You were one hell of a distraction, Quinn," She smiled at him then, even though the fear. Yeah, they had distracted the hell out of each other. He went on to say that he had done neither, with his girlfriend. "I've never had a girlfriend," Oh well, ouch. She knew they had never said the words but she had thought of him that way sometimes. Still, titles didn't matter so much. She knew what they had and she loved every moment of it. They were a team. End of story. "I like my women 18 or over." Braeden stared at him a moment, the joke making her forget she was heading to Earth as she realized what he meant. Whomever his girl was, wasn't 18 but he had not known? Was that what he was saying?! OH MY GOSH IT WAS! Braeden started laughing a soft chuckle before it burst out a bit louder. "Bellamy Kane and his under aged women." And she had been one of them once upon a dream. The dropship jerked again, and started falling faster, and that was the only thing that made her laughing stop, though she still looked a mix of amused and scared.

[Bellamy Blake]

Tag: Braeden Quinn

whatever

THE HELL WE WANT

She responded with laughter. He hadn't been sure how she was going to react, but the way she did caused him to playfully roll his eyes, especially following her comment regarding his under aged women. "Yeah, no," he teased in returrn. He noticed her laughter became a bit disjointed when the dropship was getting closer to the pull of gravity from Earth. That, would be the most dangerous part -- especially if the parachutes failed. It was the only thing that would soften their landing.

Otherwise, the dropship would just explode on Earth. But that was not something he wanted to bring either of their attentions to. "Let's not make that a thing," he told her teasingly . . . though he meant it. The last thing he needed was a tagline highlighting his actions with an under age woman. Especially as he was going to be Chancellor on the ground until his father joined them. At least if nothing else she got some amusement and temporary distraction out of that. "What about you? Didn't you have a guy?" He hadn't been sure what happened and hoped the question would serve to distract her and not cause her potential pain over parting from him. Whether it was because the relationship ended or because she was going to Earth.

[Braeden Quinn]

"Let's not make that a thing," Braeden was laughing at his expense and she didn't care. It was almost too easy to imagine his surprise at finding out! She wished she could have seen it! Poor Bellamy! "What about you? Didn't you have a guy?" He asked and her smile didn't fade, "I wanted adventure and he wanted safety, and my father's approval." She shrugged, "I don't think we were both there for the same reasons." She wasn't regretful. It had been fun, but it hadn't been serious for her. If he got his heart broken, then at least he didn't have to see her again for a while---or ever. It was about this time that the dropship hit the atmosphere, and it began free falling! The internal gravity felt them from feeling everything, but she felt butterflies in her belly and the wings were like little razors. She tightened her grip on her seat and looked back ahead. "You're friends with that engineer right?" She asked, knowing that any mis-step between a the shoot getting packed wrong, to a calculation error would cause them to crash and die. "He good at his job?"

[Bellamy Blake]

Tag: Braeden Quinn

whatever

THE HELL WE WANT

Bellamy was forcing himself to focus on Braeden's words, the attempt at a distraction not only for her benefit, but his as well. Anything to keep the focus from what was actually happening: going to Earth -- hopefully not crashing on Earth. Any one of these moments could be the final ones of their life. They could be plummeting to their deaths. They could explode mid air. Anything was possible. Any damn thing.

"Well you don't get more adventurous than this," he told her teasingly. Earth was the ultimate adventure. This life, would be the greatest one any of them would embark on. And hopefully, one that would allow them to settle and live a proper life . . . rather than struggle to survive. She then asked about the engineer, questioning as to whether he was good at his job. "I trust him with my life." Bellamy paused for a moment, slightly turning his head to look at her as a light smile danced on his lips. "Literally." Technically, they all were by being in the drop ship. Bellamy's head turned forward once again when they were getting closer, the pull stronger, and everything was shaking. He could hear gasps and sounds of nervousness and fear from the group, and Bellamy clenched his jaw to fight any noises back. This was it. If they could get through this, they could land easily enough.

[Braeden Quinn]

"Well you don't get more adventurous than this," He told her, and Braeden lifted her lips in a half smile, but it didn't last. He wasn't wrong! Still, right now she was only trying to live through the next few moments, and she would see it as an adventure there. On the ground--THE GROUND! Dirt. Sunshine. Grass. Trees. Unlimited everything. And she was on the first mission to it. Not only on it, but was helping lead it! The leader of the first guard on the earth! That was her adventure! That was what made this risk worth it. "I trust him with my life." Bellamy told her, and she tired to take comfort in that. Her feet pressed into the ground as if that would slow them down. When did the shoot kick out? Should it have done it by now? Or was it going closer to the ground? How close was too close? "Literally." Braeden turned her head to shot a half nervous and half glare gesture toward him before looking ahead. He could be funny on the ground. Right now she just wanted to get to it.

[Bellamy Blake]

Tag: Braeden Quinn

whatever

THE HELL WE WANT

The pull was getting stronger, the shakiness, everything. They would either land with ease or they would crash to the ground. Bellamy quietly took a few deep calming breaths. This was not within their control. What would happen, would happen. All they could do was wait with bated breath. This was not in their control. The phrase kept repeating over and over in his mind. Perhaps that was what terrified him so much; the fact that he had no control over this. That he couldn't physically protect anyone right now. They were all either going to die or live. Damn he hoped for the latter.

He didn't want this to weigh on his father. He wanted this to be a chance for everyone on the Ark; a way to survive beyond what life they had sustained in space. It was time to make a come back to Earth, and Bellamy wanted to be among these people who ensured that. He closed his eyes for a moment, everything getting more intense. Until it froze. Everything just stopped, abruptly. Bellamy opened his eyes, looking around and taking in the confused gazes of the others. The fear was quickly replaced with intrigue. Bellamy hastily removed his belt and rose to his feet, hearing a voice protest against opening the door. "If the airs toxic, we're all dead anyway," Bellamy pointed out logically as he made his way to the front of the group. They would not survive in the dropship, so it was either suffocate, or open that latch and find out just what awaited them on Earth.