Video - Open

[kill_switch]

[The feed opens on Furiosa. She's looking like any of the other Flooters who had found themselves caught in the meteor's wake; a little like death warmed over. Her face is paler than usual, except for the dark circles under her eyes. She hasn't taken care to shear her hair recently, and it's something of a greasy fuzz over her scalp. Her eyes have always had that wastelander haunt to them - though perhaps not as deeply as Max's - but there were few moments when she actually looked directly at the camera. She was wrapped up in blankets, cold, and tired, but unable to sleep.]

I'm not one for religions. They all seem pretty useless to me. In my world, you had the here and now and you could come up with any idea on what happened after and it was anyone's guess. No one knew. The -- [What would she even call life at the Citadel?] -- society -- I was a part of, however, believed in Valhalla. They followed a crazy tyrant who claimed he would lead them in the afterlife.

[She shifts to get more comfortable. Even though she was wordier than Max, it's not by much, and this is a lot to talk about all at once. It's a lot of details from her world (though, notable, not exactly her own life. That she still held close to the chest).] My world was poisoned. There were Half-Lifes who never made it through their second decade. They would either get sick, whither away, fall victim to lesions and tumors. Or ... through the Cult of the V8, Immortan Joe [No hiding the vitriol in that name], and Valhalla, they would 'Live, Die, Live again.'

The goal, then, was to die heroic on the Fury Road. For others to bear witness to your triumphant end and what would hopefully be their entrance into Valhalla. It's all lies told to boys so they'd happily follow a maniac to the very brink of hell. [She pauses, looks down at her hand. She had a point, what was her point? Why was she telling everyone this?]

[When she continues, her voice is softer,] This is not Valhalla. Whatever reason the Atroma saw fit to bring us back, it's not about glory, or immortality. It's selfish, flippant, belligerent.

[Not that she's not happy to be back; but she doesn't want it going to her head. This is just as much a warning to herself as it is to others.] It's always an end. Don't forget that.

Comments

[poisontippedcure]

Your home sounds like a lovely place.

[Rose knows it's against her best interest to ignore the video feed (especially when she has nothing positive to add), but she can't stop herself. She's not a 'religious' person by nature, but given her job back home, she can't help but be spiritual.]

And you sound like you have a death wish.

[kill_switch]

I don't, actually, but the 'lovely' world I grew up in tried to kill you in every way.

Don't think I've heard of anyone else having a world more determined to kill its inhabitants.

[poisontippedcure]

You might be surprised. Even the most docile looking worlds have their threats.

[Trust her, she knows.]

[kill_switch]

Is that coming from experience?

[She raises her brows, wondering if there's a story there.]

[poisontippedcure]

In a way, yes. There are many ways to die, even before death takes you. Losing your free will, for example.

[Which, admittedly, is a problem she doesn't need to worry about. But that doesn't stop it from being a threat for everyone else she knows.]

[kill_switch]

[Furiosa gives a wry grunt of a laugh,] Yeah. I'm familiar with that one.

[To a point, but under Joe not a lot of people had a lot of options.]

[poisontippedcure]

Then I'm sure you understand. It doesn't matter how beautiful or forgiving a world is, if you can't live in it as your own person.

[In a way, it applies to her as well; even if she doesn't have to worry about actually being tempered, there's no way for her to escape her responsibilities.]

[...Which still beats being tempered.]

[kill_switch]

Yeah, I guess. [Although her world would never be beautiful, under the rule of Immortan Joe and men like him, but she could see what this woman was trying to say, too.]

How long have you been with the fleet?

[poisontippedcure]

About a month, give or take. It's a lovely place, isn't it?

[kill_switch]

Lovely isn't exactly the word I'd use, but there are good people here.

[And food, and water, and at least some small semblance of free will.]

How are you settling in?

[poisontippedcure]

[She doesn't have to risk her life all the time here. That's pretty cool. She's okay with that.]

About as well as can be expected. I'm not particularly fond of being kidnapped.