<div style="margin-left: 20px"><span style="font-size: 12px">Climbing into the escape pod presented two options: get to Earth or die trying. With the help of Abby Griffin, Raven had managed to build a miracle. It certainly wasn't sleek, cutting-edge technology, but it would hopefully be enough to get her from the Ark to the ground. It was a mammoth task, one that even she was unsure she could complete, but the makeshift ship was operational and Raven was on her way to Earth. Finn was there, and Raven didn't know whether he was dead or alive. This dinky escape pod would give her the chance to find out. Launching herself out into the dark clutches of space in a rag-tag machine wasn't necessarily a safe decision, but being faced with the potential of being floated and never gaining closure on what happened to her lover was motivation enough to take the risk. Pushing the throttle forward and praying to whatever God that the ship wouldn't burst into flames right then and there, Raven propelled herself towards the blue planet. Some of the components shorted and sparked threateningly, causing her to shriek. Earth seemed to grow in size as the pod flew closer, the blue expanse of ocean soon becoming all she could see.  Before Raven could brace herself for entering the atmosphere, she was thrust forward, her head slamming roughly against the window. Black dots began to swim through her vision before it all went dark. </span>​</div><br/><div style="margin-left: 20px"><span style="font-size: 12px">Raven shot up suddenly, almost as if she'd jerked awake from a nightmare. She yanked off her helmet, panting quietly as she attempted to orient herself with her surroundings. It hadn't been a nightmare, because she was still sitting in the pod, which was damaged to all hell on the inside. The radio was missing, but Raven was more focused on the sticky trail of dried blood down the side of her face than the condition of the ship. She brought a shaky hand up to her head, pressing on the tender wound and wincing as she examined the fresh blood on her fingers. How long had she been hurt? God, how long had she been sitting here? Was she dead?<br/>
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The sound of the door opening drew Raven's attention to a blonde girl, who was staring at her as if she'd seen a ghost. They both took on a defensive stance, clearly surprised to have encountered each other. Raven relaxed when she realized that the girl must have been a part of the hundred. Apparently, Raven was not dead and the pod had made it to earth. That was an accomplishment for the books.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#b22222"> "Hi."</span> Raven greeted briefly, taking a moment to pause, <span class="fixed-color" style="color:#b22222">"I made it?"</span>  The strange girl smiled slightly and nodded in response.<br/>
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Raven shed the spacesuit and exited the pod cautiously, still in a state of moderate shock. Leaves crunched beneath her boots as she took her first tentative steps on land. She'd actually made it, and Earth was just as incredible as she'd imagined. Lush, green plants were growing everywhere, there were huge mountains, towering trees, and rain! These were phenomena that she'd only heard of in books, and now she was actually seeing it herself for the first time. Raven's thoughts were interrupted yet again at the sound of a familiar voice calling to her, which drew her gaze towards a rather disheveled looking young man jogging towards her. It took her a moment before she registered the identity of the person approaching, and as soon as she did, her heart leapt in her chest. It wasn't just any boy, it was her reason for risking her life to come here. <br/>
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<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#b22222">"Finn!"</span> Adrenaline coursed through her, allowing Raven to momentarily forget about the pain in her head. She bounded forward and threw her arms around Finn, squeezing him as tight as she could muster. For a minute, it felt like he was going to disappear if she let him go. <span class="fixed-color" style="color:#b22222">"I knew you couldn't be dead."</span> She whispered, a gleeful grin stretching across her face. Raven wasted no time in pressing her lips to Finn's in a rough kiss, channeling her excitement and relief into the gesture. When she finally pulled back, she cupped his face in her hands, holding him there. His skin was warm, his eyes were bright, and he was <i>alive</i>. In that moment, nothing else mattered-- well, aside from that nasty head wound, which was making her a little woozy. Raven slumped against him for support, letting out a breathless chuckle.<br/>
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<span style="font-size: 10px">wc: 751</span>​</div>