fandomhigh | The Weird, Wonderful, and WTF World

The class was meeting at the portalocity office this week, which meant, of course, a field trip, and, after the usual preamble to get them all gathered and rallied, Summer gestured everyone through their portal to their destination, which was....on a train.

"Welcome to Lake Burlinskoye! Right now, we're in Russia’s Altai region, close to the border with Kazakhstan, and I did a little fudging with the timing so that we could be here during the summer, because in the summer? Lake Burlinskoye is, as you can see, pink. This is actually due to the crabs in the water, and, yes, the train we're on is cutting directly across the lake, and it does this because Lake Burlinskoye is an excellent source of salt This is a salt train. We're literally on a train for salt right now. Like, this lake is so salty that plants can't even grow here. But the crab love it, and so do we, so today we're seeing what a salt train over a pink lake in Russia is all about, because you gotta admit, that's pretty weird, but also kind of wonderful.

"And honestly? The history of salt and how it changed the world is also pretty interesting, like who would have ever really thought that the thing you put on your food and fucks up your blood pressure or whatever could have such a rich and interesting history? So, while we're on this salt train and enjoying the views of the pink lake, I got some guy to tell you all about all about it and all about salt mining, too!"

Look at that! This class actually being educational! And in a way that just allowed Summer to just sort of sit back and relax and enjoy the train ride a little herself, too.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

On a train!

Yelena Belova

Stark

Stewart

Gray

Charlie Gale

Summer just outsourced a guy to tell you all about salt! Aren't you excited?

But, hey, look, you're also on a train on a pink lake! That's pretty cool, too, right?

Beyond the lecture, you're on a train in the middle of a lake in pretty much Siberia, so there's not a whole lot else to do but enjoy the train ride, learn more about salt, maybe take some pictures. But, hey, it's important to be present in the moment, too, sometimes, and just experience shit.

The thing about being raised in. Russian school for spies is that there want really a focus on history, culture or anything that wasn’t about infiltrating or harming others. So to be back in Russia and seeing something that was a landmark about nothing she had ever heard of and was from her home country actually rattled Yelena a bit. As beautiful and strange as the pink lake was, Yelena wished she had known about it somehow. That she could feel some sort of emotional connection to it.

But really all she saw was a pink lake. Which was nice, but somehow now knowing where it was and its significance saddened her somewhat.

She pulled out her phone and sent out a single text: “Did you know there was a pink lake?”

Only to get the same old message back: “Reality out of service.”

So Yelena just went back to staring out the window, her head just empty of thoughts.

Stark was very impressed by the existence of a pink lake. That sort of thing might be expected on other planets but he hadn't considered anything like it on Earth.

He was sitting back and enjoying the train ride and trying to take the occasional photo.

Charlie was happy to kick back and boggle at the pink lake.

Who has decided if she ever owns, like, some fancy estate somewhere, she is absolutely having a pink salt lake on that property.

"I didn't know you had pink lakes here," Stark said. "But of course you found one. I've never seen one before."

"I want one," Summer said, with a wistful sigh and a glance out the window, and then she snorted. "With better landscaping, though. But I actually found out about this one on Tumblr, of all places. It showed up on my dash and I was immediately like, 'oh we're definitely going there.'"

"You haven't found a whole planet of pink yet, have you?"

Stark would totally visit a pink planet, just for fun.

"What would you do with a lake of your own?" Besides landscaping.

"If I found a planet that was entirely pink," said Summer, "they would pretty much have to make me queen, like, yesterday.

"And I don't know," she shrugged, then smirked at him. "Probably just make people uncomfortable by asking them if they want to come and see my big, wet, salty pink lake. Maybe if they're nice, I'd even let them take a dive."

"They would," Stark agreed. "You wouldn't settle for anything less. And we could tell Rygel that you were a queen. I'd love to see his face."

Then he grinned, having taken in the rest of what she said. "Hmmm. I'd be nice. Promise."

The Weird, Wonderful, and WTF World - Friday, First Period [10/11].

Sign In - WWWTF, 10/11.

Re: Sign In - WWWTF, 10/11.

Re: Sign In - WWWTF, 10/11.

Re: Sign In - WWWTF, 10/11.

Re: Sign In - WWWTF, 10/11.

Re: Sign In - WWWTF, 10/11.

Listen to the Lecture - WWWTF, 10/11.

Class Activity: Enjoy the Ride - WWWTF, 10/11.

Re: Class Activity: Enjoy the Ride - WWWTF, 10/11.

Re: Class Activity: Enjoy the Ride - WWWTF, 10/11.

Re: Class Activity: Enjoy the Ride - WWWTF, 10/11.

Talk to the Teacher - WWWTF, 10/11.

Re: Talk to the Teacher - WWWTF, 10/11.

Re: Talk to the Teacher - WWWTF, 10/11.

Re: Talk to the Teacher - WWWTF, 10/11.

Re: Talk to the Teacher - WWWTF, 10/11.

Re: Talk to the Teacher - WWWTF, 10/11.

OOC - WWWTF, 10/11.