Hello, again…we are ten weeks into The Body Shop, which means we’re creeping up on the halfway point of the story. Our friends are still on the road heading south, and I think the open space is doing them some good, at least in terms of not having to save their asses in dense areas like city blocks (though that could always be an issue later). Adding the option of melee weapons also helps a bunch because everyone is rationing their ammo except for Tarah. But as we’ve seen a couple of times in the story, even being well-equipped, it’s not always the right thing to jump into every battle they come across, or as Winston Churchill stated, “throw stones at every dog who barks.” In this new environment, new ethical considerations start forming around the severity of risk. After all, it’s not like assisting a stranded motorist with a flat tire, but trying to pry that motorist out from the clutches of a group of a dozen or more raging revs is a different set of circumstances altogether.
The group also gains another traveler and with that, the group’s dynamic changes a bit, as new energy tends to do. Except rather than it being a tank or martial arts expert, it’s a character that teeters on the edge of dependency, though like everyone else, this person contains a different set of skills that serve as advantages under different circumstances and I hope I’m able to convey how they all get to shine a bit, even if it’s not at the same time. But I wouldn’t want that anyway. I like Christmas lights that blink.
Anyway, I’m rambling nonsensically so I’ll ride off here. I hope everyone is enjoying the story and if you happen to, spread the word of these words because we can’t find our tribe if we’re not carrying a torch. Be safe, everyone!