[Day 6 - Late Morning] Taking A Hike

[Soleene Stryss]

"That sounds like a good place to start." She gave a few nods and looked around, gesturing with her hand. "But really, with all of these driving rock facings and jagged things jutting out of the ground to make things look different in small ways, it's all scenic here no matter what way you look at it."

[Qar Offee]

"Not wrong." He nodded as they picked up pace, much more gradually this time, though steadily. "Though I wouldn't mind some visual oomph to print into memory if we're onto it anyway. Living for the moments and all that."

[Soleene Stryss]

"Oh, yeah, I agree on that." She chuckled. "Admittedly, these rocks are starting to look the same no matter how different they actually are. It would be better to get the whole story of this place."

After a pause, she added, "Maybe not the whole story. Don't want to end up tempting someone into becoming a meal."

[Qar Offee]

"You know of some big predators around here?" He asked casually, reaching the stable compromise between speed and sightseeing, and keeping it as they rode uphill.

[Soleene Stryss]

She shook her head as she held on. "No, I didn't do my research! Former city girl, you know. I was thinking if I stuck to the trail, nothing too crazy would happen...outside of a driver that might mistake me as part of the road. The last time I was out here, I was with my brothers and sisters. Wouldn't be surprised if they had a giant bird creature around here. The terrain seems ripe for one of those things. Aren't you supposed to be the wildlife expert?"

[Qar Offee]

"Nope! I certainly don't know this planet. All the reason to explore it! And the whole point of doing what we're doing." He chuckled. "And why would I need to be worried? I have you here. If anything jumps out at us, you'll just smash its jugular."

[Soleene Stryss]

Soleene let out a hearty laugh. "That's a funny thought! The thing about that is that it would be hard to hit it in the jugular with have very little idea of where that might be located. Different biology and all that. I don't think anyone gets anywhere without some trial and error, so I would be up for the practice if the opportunity presents itself."

[Qar Offee]

"An original way to practise xenobiology!" He got his face straight."To watch you doing that, it could be quite breathtaking."

[Soleene Stryss]

"No pressure or anything, huh?" She said with a chuckle. "I'll try not to look like an idiot while I'm trying to dance with a cat-thing or a dragon-beast. You probably deserve that much for the price of hauling me around. This makes me kind of wish I invested in a part of blasti'cuffs or something."

[Qar Offee]

"You have the capacity of looking like an idiot? I honestly wouldn't have guessed. You don't give that off." He chuckled. "On the contrary, I think the battle would be songworthy. Except I'm not used to singing. But I could play an epic tune with the engine."

[Soleene Stryss]

"I don't." She said confidently, as a matter of fact, gladly leaning on that if he was going to believe so. "I'm just making sure that you don't mistake improvising as a mistake that's all. I guess I can't expect a band like Zuru and the Jam-droids to play for me but I'll be more than happy to take a roar of the engine. It's all about the intent, right?"

[Qar Offee]

"That's what they say." He laughed as the ascent continued. Right now the path led through a rather ungorgeous gorge so Qar sped up a bit to get out of it as soon as possible, not sure what could roll down on them or shoot at them from up there. "So that's your favourite band?" He tried to keep the conversation light-hearted despite his danger-sense being on.

[Soleene Stryss]

"That's a fishy spot," she murmured in passing regarding the area that they found themselves in. "I don't think any of that gonk business goes this far out of town, does it? I haven't kept too many tabs on it."

"They're okay...Honestly, a bit outside of my decade but people seem to still like them, even if none of the same droids are there anymore. They played at a gig I was at forever ago. I would say I'm probably more of The Painmakers fan typically or even Avera Rox when I feel like it."

[Qar Offee]

"Think wildlife if anything. But then, there was also the crater." Still, the dilemma was resolving itself once they were getting closer toward the egress onto what looked like a highland plateau.

"Myself, I am mostly a fan of glitz. Astrogenesis, King Cobalt.. Maroon Flaunt for, well, some flaunt. Prog, higher harmonies are generally good for my riding mindset."

[Soleene Stryss]

"Uhm, yeah. That crater thing..." She said before clearing her throat a little. "I wouldn't worry too much about it. Just a bunch of folks there doing their own thing and armed to the teeth. Trust me, it's probably more trouble than its worth to be wrapped up with them, just letting you know."

"Glitz, huh...I'm probably not too familiar with that. What's so distinct about that genre again?" She asked curiously.

[Qar Offee]

"I've found no reason to distrust you, Soleene." He chuckled as they finally got out of the gorge, into a wider open space; he moderated the pace as it was one with rims beyond which descents might not have been any paths onward but perpendicular cliffs, and only getting closer to them would tell. So he took a swing toward the arch more or less parallel to the edges, so that they could look beyond them, and find their panorama. The air was better too, for breathing at least, though the wind felt more whiplash-like, and the whole area would soon heat up like a pan because of the merciless thermal dicta of the star above them. "An unapologetic definition of glitz would be that it's prog jizz. More elaborate, more multi instrumental, often has a story to tell."

[Soleene Stryss]

Soleene momentarily put up her hand once they found themselves on higher ground and the sun shone more readily before holding back onto Qar as they continued their ride. "Well, look at that, we're getting somewhere now!"

She nodded slowly. "...But yeah, jizz, I know. And I think I'm getting the idea of what you're talking about with glitz. You know, not the sort of thing I imagine any racer or you to listen to. A lot of stimulation on the ride, isn't it?"

[Qar Offee]

"And some things to think about and live through." He chuckled. "Does it make me a weird racer that I want things to be meaningful, and go an extra mile to make them so?"

At that point he brought their pace to one for sightseeing as a vista finally opened before them between two outcroppings. It was opening toward the west, so the sharp slope below them was covered in shadow, just like a good portion of the foothills. Beyond the fault line between shadow and light, however, the rocky valley beyond was brightly illuminated, flaring up colours of intermingled layers of what looked like calcium carbonate, quartz, sandstone, red clay and probably mafic; veins of lush dark green - not because of vegetation, it definitely looked like some unidentified mineral - was giving it a some gossamer lightness, as if a thin net was constraining the force of nature from an even wilder orogeny that the current rainbow pattern.

[Soleene Stryss]

"No...I guess I haven't really really asked a racer about their music tastes. I just assumed that it was on the side of Core World Beats or something. That must get tiresome for anyone after a while." She nodded.

Soleene let out an impressed whistle at the sight and nodded. "Okay, I probably spoke too soon. This is really someplace now. No way you found this place by accident! It's like a natural mural, or something."

[Qar Offee]

He remained silent for a few heartbeats, contemplating the view, even bringing the bike to a stop eventually where the panorama seemed the fullest and the most impressive, to admire it with no other sound than the howling wind. "...There's the cheesy interpretation as well that we bring each other explorer's luck."

He paused. "Where do you come from, Soleene? Or is this question even meaningful? I've been hopping planets for more than a decade to the point of thinking of myself as a man from nowhere in particular, but when I'm seeing something like this I can't help thinking about Mirial. It's a harsh, arid world, not entirely dissimilar to what's here. And its memorable landmarks aren't unlike this one either."