Remembering That We're Kids

In KTDA, we constantly remind ourselves & others that we're kids--the adults were killed by the Virus, so only those younger than 17 or 18 remained to rebuild the world. It's easy to focus on survival skills, fighting, tribe wars & all the dramatics. Remember that most of our players are not kids. Many are in their 20s & 30s. So for our game, what's rare are those moments when "kids are just kids." Yep, very rare.

Here is one of my favorite early moments in KTDA. In a lot of ways, it's a really good example of innocence lost & then found, briefly, now & again. 



"Warehouse" - April 2005

*Outside the warehouse, the first signs of morning approach. Geese in the distance are honking as they prepare for their journey south.*

Adear: Hey, Prince, geese! We should go hunting. The lake is on the other side of town, but we can check out own own back woods and see what we can find. It's easier to pop a pigeon in the early morning, so we better go. *picks up her sling and waits for Prince to open the front door*

Prince: *grabs his bullwhip* Arianna, we'll be out back. *heads outside and walks with Adear to the back of the warehouse*

*Adear looks toward the plastic factory and spots a group of pigeons perched on a power line. She pulls her sling back--POP! The birds fly away, but one falls to the ground.*

Adear: I got one! *runs over to the pigeon and snaps the neck to make sure it's dead* Prince, you watch. Those stupid pigeons will come back in a second.

*Sure enough, the pigeons circle overhead then settle back down on the power line. POP! Adear pegs another pigeon. Doing this several times, she collects four pretty quickly.*

Adear: That was easy. *looks at his whip* Are you going to use that to kill a squirrel?

Prince: *laughs* Naw, I'm not hardcore hunting like you. You're amazing with that sling. *grabs one of the dead pigeons* Direct hit! Now--my turn.

*Prince gives himself some distance under the power line. He swings the whip in a circle a few times then snaps at the pigeons as the begin to flap away. Finally he manages to disable two birds. One has a broken wing and the other is slashed across it's belly. Prince chokes the pigeons, one in each hand.

Prince: Hey, Adear, this is too easy! I'm going for a few more.

*Adear looks around as Prince concentrates on the pigeons. She sees a tire swing just at the treeline and heads that way. She sets down the pigeons at the tree base, then jumps on the tire and starts swinging. Adear watches Prince round up four more pigeons. A cool breeze blows, stirring up the crimson fall colors. Adear happily swings away, then lets it slow down and starts to spin in a circle. She starts laughing and jumps off. Grabbing a handful of bright red maple leaves, she puts them in her hair.*

Adear: (Well, my friend, I have to leave. I'll come visit you again soon.) *gives the tire swing a pat then walks back over to Prince* We should be heading back, you think?

Prince: Yeah, before i get too carried away.

*He coils his whip and collects the birds in one hand. Together they walk back to the front door of the warehouse. Prince maneuvers through the slightly open door and sees Arianna sitting down.*

Prince: Arianna! CATCH!!

*A dead pigeon falls unexpectedly in Arianna's lap and she jumps.*

Arianna: Eeeewwwwww! Prince! *picks the dead bird up with her thumb and forefinger, holding it by one leg* Well, it looks like the two of you had fun while you were out. I hope you don't expect me to clean these things. I'll cook them like i would a chicken, but you get to clean them. *hears Adear laughing as she hands the dead bird back to Prince*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"