EVENTS:

Peggy: "It was okay. You, didn't change who I am. Just, brought my body closer to what it was supposed to be all along."

She yawns, then slowly drifts off to sleep on his shoulder.


Rosa leaves Curie, unsure if the braingirl was sufficiently mollified. She sits by Eigla and watches her practice, growing sleepy despite frequent bangs and pops from the miniature fission explosions that Rosa II causes as it slashes through the air. Eventually, darkness takes her, and even Eigla ceases being conscious, not ceasing her training even as she sleepwalks.


________________


Morning arrives. Or, at least it feels like it has arrived, despite the lack of light. You are awoken by the tasty smell of a broth, and realise Emilia is cooking breakfast on a small gas burner.

Emilia: "Good morning! I, made food. There's enough for everyone."

Peggy grimaces as she disentangles herself from klimt.

Peggy: "Ugh. Not... feeling too hungry right now. You go eat, I'll get the truck ready."

EVENTS:


Everyone has a surprisingly nice, if frugal, breakfast. There wasn't much in terms of spices in the supplies Eigla procured, but the meat is nice enough to make up for it.

Rosa checks the map. There's a few dozen miles until the end of the tunnel, then a few more until a bridge, and then they'll have left the Wastes. After that, it should be smooth sailing until the Rig.
Hm. There's a small village by the road, a little ways after the tunnel ends, and some ruins are marked on the map a few miles out. Wonder what those were.

After you're all done eating and the dishes are washed, the group sets off again. Peggy's stomach grumbles in protest, but she doesn't make any mention of being hungry.


A few hours later, you finally leave the tunnel. They daylight is absolutely dazzling, and it takes several minutes for your eyes to adapt. Finally, you look around, and see- White?

The landscape is covered in a thick layer of snow, and a few flakes still fall here and there. Were it not for the dead trees and ruins poking through the frost, you could almost forget you were in a dead wasteland. The truck plows through with difficulty, pushing aside vast amounts of ash-filled snow.

EVENTS:

Peggy shrugs, shifting to a lower gear.

Peggy: "Not too great. For now it's okay, but if a storm comes we'll be screwed. This snow is far too thick and heavy."


A little while later, you see the contours of the village, up on a hill by the road. Peggy parks the car, and everyone piles out.

Rosa enjoys herself thoroughly. The pleasant coolness, the feeling of the fluffy snow melting against her tail... How long had it been, since she last felt it?

The others are a bit less ecstatic. Snow or not, it's still laced with ash, covering their boots with grey grime and making their noses itch. Hopefully there'll be some place where they can warm themselves up.

EVENTS:

While Rosa and Eigla push forwards together, Klimt considers weaponry options. Peggy picked up a hunting rifle from the truck's stash, but the rest of his harem is indeed woefully underarmed. He'll have to find something one-handed for Curie, as well as some way for Emilia to attack without driving the party insane.



The village draws near. Though the snow makes it a bit hard to see, there's a large old church, its decrepit bell tower topped by a jumble of rusting radio antennas. Small stone houses, a few sheds and a large number of improvised tents make up the rest of the buildings, many with smoke coming from crooked chimneys.

Emilia: "...This place is so noisy. Why do they keep ringing the bells?"

There is no sound to be heard other than the howling winds.