(Untitled)

[floozyfacade]

This is it. Today is the day.

Somewhere out in that jungle are dinosaurs and I? Am about to go see them. Which means that my life is approximately five hundred percent cooler than it was yesterday and that much likelier to turn into a bad sci fi movie. Either way, it's incontrovertibly awesome.First, though, Olive has to finish her preparations in

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[pointzerothree]

"Hey, what's all this?" Eduardo asks, walking into the kitchen and instinctively all but gravitating towards where Olive stands, a backpack and several other things in front of her. From the looks of it, she seems to be planning something, going somewhere, but he can't begin to think of what or where it might be when everything is so close. Eyebrows raised, he leans against the table with one hand, head tilting to the side as he looks at her, curious. "You taking a trip or something?"

[floozyfacade]

"Yeah," Olive says, before she can think better of it. He would have found her note on the door before anyone else, probably, and her mouth runs ahead of her brain most of the time anyway. "Jessica and I are going for a, a hike to see the dinosaurs." She bites her lip, grin widening, and bounces on her heel all at once, excitement bubbling over. "We'll be back before it gets late." Why he needs to know that, she doesn't know, except that it seems like a good idea to let him know not to worry. It's not like she's going alone and the pair of them are more careful than her enthusiasm might suggest.

[pointzerothree]

"You're -" Eduardo starts, but the words don't quite compute, his own lopsided smile fading as hers widens. He hears her, of course, the message and her enthusiasm both clear as day, but he can't quite process the idea, and not just because she seemed so freaked by the mention of dinosaurs the night she arrived. (Anything, he imagines, would have been unsettling under those circumstances.) Eyes narrowing, he glances briefly at the backpack before up at her again, visibly concerned. "You're going to see the dinosaurs? Really? Are you sure that's safe?"

[floozyfacade]

"Provided the fence doesn't go down," Olive says. She's considered the possibility, of course, and in a dense jungle, she's fairly certain she can outrun something the size of a minivan if absolutely necessary. She just doubts that, given the fence's track record to this point, it's going to be an actual concern, but making light of his worry isn't going to make him worry less. It's not as if it isn't a bit dangerous, if they handle it poorly, but she doesn't intend to. "Yeah, I think so. It's not like we're gonna treat it like a petting zoo, Eduardo. I just... want to see them existing. I have a lot of questions."

[pointzerothree]

"What happened to not wanting to be a t-rex's next meal?" Eduardo asks, not realizing until he's already spoken that he probably shouldn't remember what she said the night she showed up here in such specific detail. It's too late to take it back, though, so he shrugs, gesturing with his free hand as he tries to figure out what to say next, to make it as casual as possible. He'd been the one that night trying to assure her that it was okay, that they were safe, but he hadn't expected she would want to go out there; by her own logic, it's worrying. "Electric fences can go down, you know, like - are you sure this is a good idea?"

[floozyfacade]

Olive glances away, shoulders shifting as she struggles between the truth and the answer she actually wants to give. "No," she says, "okay? Look, I know it's dangerous and I'll be careful, I won't get close and, and okay, no, I don't want to be the next meal, I don't wanna be anything's meal ever, but God, Eduardo, it's... I don't want to miss this opportunity." It's easy to be enthusiastic with Jessica, who doesn't question her logic, who understands it, but she can't pretend he's entirely wrong when he's using her own words against her. Everything was frightening when she arrived, though, and if the idea of being that close to something that powerful is still a little unnerving, she's still not the kind to shy away from a chance like this.

[pointzerothree]

Eduardo probably shouldn't feel guilty when he knows full well that he's only speaking in common sense, but he does anyway, enough that he closes his eyes and lowers his head for a moment. Just seconds ago, she'd been so cheerful, so enthusiastic about the prospect, and it kind of stings, seeing how quickly that changes at his words. He's right, though, he knows he is. They're fucking dinosaurs and they're dangerous, fence or no fence, and he can't stand the idea of something happening to her out there, especially now that he knows about this venture of hers. If she went and didn't come back and he hadn't tried to speak sense, he doesn't know how he'd begin to live with himself. "And I don't want to ruin your fun," he says, apologetic, half-pleading, though there's a little voice in the back of his head that sounds suspiciously like Mark that says that's exactly what he's doing. "I just want to make sure you stay safe, and know what you're getting into. Does anyone else even know you're going?"

[floozyfacade]

Olive purses her lips, shrugging, as if she doesn't know the answer when she clearly does. "I put up a note," she says, defensive, mostly because she knows it isn't enough. She just didn't want to go through exactly this if she could help it, and maybe that's childish, even selfish, but it's still a chance she feels is worthwhile. "I think Jesica might've told her cousin Peter? She wanted to get us a camera, so..." She doesn't want to have to feel guilty about this, but she's been irresponsible and she knows it. Getting called out on it is one thing, but couched in these terms, in the idea of him worrying about her, it's as upsetting as it is frustrating and all she can do is cling stubbornly to what she's already committed to. "We'll be fine."

[pointzerothree]

"You don't know that." Eduardo feels guilty for saying it as soon as the words have left his mouth, but he can't help it, the instinct to protect her that was forged the night she arrived here kicking in stronger than ever. He trusts her, he does, and having been together when they thought they were going to die, he has trouble imagining her as being especially reckless, but it's dinosaurs. It just doesn't sit right with him, the idea of her running off to see deadly creatures that are supposed to be extinct. This place is fucking unpredictable; there's no telling what could happen to her out there. "Look, I'm sorry if it seems like I'm trying to -" To end the party at eleven, some part of his brain supplies, and the fact of the matter is, he doesn't think that has to be a bad thing. "To get in the way of you guys or anything, but Jesus, Olive, if anything happened to you..." He doesn't know what he'd do, but that much is clearly implied.

[floozyfacade]

Olive looks up, meeting his gaze and swallowing hard as she leans toward him. "Eduardo, nothing is going to happen to me," she says, less because of her need to defend her decision than because she wants him to believe that. Gratifying though it is to feel he worries about her, she doesn't want him to have to. Even so, she can't just stay in her hut and twiddle her thumbs just so he'll feel she's safe. "I'm not just running off on a whim. I thought about this, I found someone to go with me who knows the way, I brought snacks, I brought water. I know where the call boxes are, my shoes are sturdy, and - and I really want this, okay? I know you're just looking out for me, but come on, this is... this is exciting. And if I miss the chance to see it just once, I'll be kicking myself for it the rest of my life." She hesitates, shaking her head. "What do you want me to do

[pointzerothree]

It's familiar except that it isn't, old arguments on the tip of Eduardo's tongue as he opens his mouth silently, not even sure how to put them into words. She's thought about it, she has someone to go with (albeit someone he likes, if it's the Jessica he knows), he's finding out about it after the decision has been made and the metaphorical house rented; he can't stop her and he knows it, but he can't stop himself from wanting to be the voice of reason, either. It goes too much against everything he is not to say anything, to let it go so easily, even if he knows he'll wind up coming around. History repeats itself; it's a trite old saying, but it's true, and this isn't the first time he's seen it as of late. He almost isn't thinking about the dinosaurs at all when he finally does answer, almost resignedly

[floozyfacade]

"You worry too much," Olive says, but it comes out soft, fond. It saddens her, actually, in ways she can't yet put words to - something to do with being so close to something without having it or else about how he really does worry too much for someone so young, two separate things entirely. She hates being a part of that. Head dipping slightly toward his hand, she watches him in turn. "I'll be careful. I was already going to be, Eduardo, I mean, Jesus, just..." For him, she almost says, for him she'll be more careful (god, he'd come looking for her. She believes him and oh, the things that does to her heart

[pointzerothree]

It's his instinct, of course, to deny the offer. It's no more advisable with him accompanying them than it would be if he stayed here; he'd be useless against dinosaurs, after all, not any good if things went wrong and not even remotely knowledgeable on the subject. (If he'd gone out to Palo Alto, he would still have become irrelevant, able to do nothing more than watch as Mark got swept up in a lifestyle he didn't approve of. If anything, it all might have come to a head sooner, tensions sure to have run high, if the impression of Sean running things he got when he visited was at all accurate.) There's no help he'll provide, nothing that will be accomplished by his presence except that he'll have something closer resembling peace of mind. The worst that could happen here, after all, is too bad to even outright address

[floozyfacade]

"Will," Olive says. She doesn't know yet what she thinks, if it's a good idea or not, but she trusts her impulse here (this one, at least). She smiles a little, glancing into her bag again. "I'm supposed to meet her in the rec room to leave soon. You sure you wanna do this?" And in spite of not being sure, she knows she wants him to say yes. Whatever's out there, he won't have to worry so much and she'll get to show it to him, even though she's no more certain what awaits them than he is. She has only Jessica's word to go on and scattered bits of hearsay by which to judge, which is, to some degree, the problem - it's only just enough to make her want more.

[pointzerothree]

To Eduardo's credit, there's only a trace of uncertainty as he draws in a breath and nods again, the gesture just a little more confident this time. This still strikes him as nothing but a bad idea, but now that he's been invited, he can't very well let her go alone; reason, though not instinct, makes that clear enough. Familiar though this is, that can't be what dictates what he does here. It isn't some bullshit thing about trying to make up for the past or to avoid what happened before; it's just what makes sense this time. It's an afternoon, not a summer, and with better company. "Yeah," he says, not as certain as he wishes he were, but close enough. "I'm sure. She won't mind?"

[floozyfacade]

Olive bounces on her toes, reaching out to hold onto his arm for a moment as she lights up again. It isn't that easy, she knows he's not convinced she's right, but he will be. She'll see to that. By dint of her sheer enthusiasm and her getting out of this in one piece, she'll prove herself in the right. "Yes," she says warmly, biting her lip. "I mean, no, no, she won't. I, I don't think she will anyway, I don't know, I guess we'll find out. But I don't see why she would and this is going to be amazing, you'll see." His being there will just have to mean her being more careful even than she intended to be, that's all.