A third of the world is covered by the howling maelstrom that was born a century ago. It is not ordinarily a place you'd find people surviving, but sometimes things appear in it. Strange things - otherworldly things - brought into the mist of a howling storm of cloudy dust and wind that blows in whichever direction it wants.
"Me and the kid are going to fuck off into the night. You are going to be completely quiet about that all night long - you can do it by also fucking off into the night, if you don't want to have to explain to these assholes why this is happening."
Pelape hops neatly out of the wagon and keeps her gun trained on him as she backs away, till she's far enough that she can't see him clearly and presumes the reverse is true.
Then she'll follow Eefa's lead, since Eefa seems to think she knows where they're going.
Eefa is going to lead them along the sort of a road the caravan has been traveling along. She is not sure this is the right way but knows that second-guessing herself won't help.
This is going to be a lot of walking on no sleep and one bowl of suspect stew.
They had a baby in a cage in her own shit. She'll cope.
"D'you know why they wanted you?"
Okay then. Silent hiking. She practices using her power on walking more steadily.
It's a good five hours before a cluster of buildings surrounded by a wall is visible in the distance.
She is less physically tired than she should be after walking that long because she's compensating with the teekay but she's tired as fuck. What can she make out in the moonlight?
It's got stained glass, in some places patched up from damage but it's hard to make out in the dark. It's got a tall spire. It's got armed guards up on the wall and another couple at the door, but they don't seem to be alerted to the approach of Pelape and Eefa; they aim a light at them, then move it forward to light their way to the door.
"You looking for Elysium? You found it," says the guard. "How're you paying for a stay?"
Pelape looks at Eefa. "Did you have a plan for that already?"
"That for the both of you?" the guard asks.
"- this any good to you? Eefa shouldn't have to pay for me." Pelape holds out the rifle ammunition.
He inspects it. "Yeah. Separate rooms?"
Pelape looks at Eefa.
Eefa looks at the guard. Looks at Pelape. Looks at the guard. Decides which one she trusts more.
"No."
The guard opens the door. "Two to a room for three days pending Saffron's eval," he tells the receptionist.
"Two in one for three pending," agrees the yawning receptionist. "Here's the key to number seventeen, that's up on the second floor, third on your left. If you harm anyone in Elysium you will die. Matinees come with the room, evening shows are extra, enjoy your stay."
What a deeply puzzling world this is. Pelape takes the key.
Sounds like they havn't figured Eefa out yet which is good. Maybe she'll be safe here a day or two.
Pelape finds room seventeen and opens it. There's a freshly made bed, a desk at the window with the patchwork curtain pushed aside on the rail so a little starshine can get in, a tile floor, and a sign on the wall about how access to the bathroom down the hall is managed that it's too dark to read.
Pelape does her best to leave road dust and grime from herself and Eefa in the hallway and collapses into the bed. Holds out an arm tiredly to the kid.
"Suit yourself." She drops her arm and falls asleep, pistol still in her pocket.