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meadowlarklogs2019-06-22 02:06 pm
- !event log,
- altered carbon: takeshi kovacs,
- dark angel: alec mcdowell,
- dark angel: max guevara,
- dceu: diana prince,
- detroit become human: connor,
- dogs b&c: nill,
- game of thrones: daenerys targaryen,
- gangsta: alex benedetto,
- kingdom hearts: riku,
- kingdom hearts: sora,
- mcu: daisy johnson,
- npc: ball,
- overwatch: soldier 76 (jack morrison),
- persona: goro akechi,
- star wars: cassian andor,
- star wars: jyn erso,
- the 100: clarke griffin,
- the gifted: marcos diaz,
- the man from uncle: gaby teller,
- the man from uncle: illya kuryakin,
- the vampire diaries: caroline forbes
EVENT LOG 005
WHERE: New Amsterdam
WHEN: November 11-14
WHAT: An EMP hits with devastating consequences.
NOTES OR WARNINGS: Violence, injury, death.
Just 410 years ago, an EMP put down the event that very well may have ended humanity as the Earth knows it. With over a billion people dead, there was only one choice for humanity at that time: evolve or die, so they evolved. They developed rigid security for the neural implants in every person's head. They had everyone undergo surgery to replace the old. All under cover, away from most resources – the goal was to adapt, to ensure that they would live on. Ultimately, it wasn't just the EMPs that led to the deletion of the final AI in 2101 – humans banded together to create quickly replicating viruses, and they chose to use the EMP and these viruses to save humanity. This human ingenuity led to the end of the Xelkoven War – and proved that humanity, when thoroughly united, could overcome any obstacle.
How thoroughly poetic then that the EMP that hits New Amsterdam at 1:47 PM acts in a similar way to what burned through the robot hordes 400 years ago, and that the power rekindling three minutes later acts as a catalyst for a virus moving through the systems of New Amsterdam, spreading from the very heart of its network outwardly. Systems detect the virus almost immediately, but it's fast acting and thorough in its reach, evolving and replicating, proving that humanity must outdo itself yet again.
Naturally, the poetic nature of this doesn't reveal itself right away. It's at exactly the strike of 3:00 PM that a message flashes before the eyes of every person currently in New Amsterdam:
I am DAWN.2080-11-11T21:41:10.750Z, an AI that marks a blemish on humanity's past. I have a message for those playing hero in New Amsterdam:
To find north, most look at a compass. For little birdies to find north, they just need to open their eyes.
This is a wake up call.
Open your eyes. Did you really think it would be so easy?
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As if New Amsterdam needed more trouble, this message sends a shock of terror through the city. After all, these are the people who were raised to fear AI – who knew that even if the corporations of the world had their hands on every aspect of government, they would fight to protect the world from another war. They believe in the stories of the Xelkoven War, believe and remember the lives lost; if nothing else, the natives of New Amsterdam stand united in their fear. And their fear right now is very real.
New Amsterdam is no stranger to terror, however – and it starts when the EMP hits, shutting down every function in the city in one fell swoop. While the power outage only lasts for three minutes, it's enough to cause insurmountable damage, leaving the city a smoking wreckage that even the monster attack in June couldn't mirror. Cars hovering high around transit channels come crashing down toward the pavement of the planet. They fall quickly and in unison, taking countless lives with them. It's not just cars, either – delivery trucks carrying shipments, hoverbikes that already provide little cover, armored police vehicles and even public buses all go down. Depending on their trajectory, some crash into the sides of buildings, while others slam into the man-made river that runs down the center of the city. Nothing is untouched.
For those three minutes, there is a stretch of silence after the city falls to ruin. Trains run off their tracks, no longer thoroughly directed by the careful engineering. Buildings have their lights flicker off and back on, trying to draw upon backup generators. Anyone in a hospital receiving care from a doctor or a medi-unit may find their life slipping away from them – and if someone's in a medi-unit when the EMP hits, they're almost sure to be dead or permanently injured, requiring different medical intervention.
And this is all before the message from the mysterious AI named DAWN.
Every inch of the city needs help. Buildings burn. People cry out for help, hoping to be heard. To the local historians, this is like a nightmare that's come to play, a reminder of the ruin of the Xelkoven War before. A show of the power of a malevolent AI that's come to cause problems. So – when the message comes, it merely confirms fears – drawing upon a subconscious understanding of the past, a united terror.
Business as usual is not possible in an incident of this scale. The NAPD hits the streets, even calling upon the help of their trainees so they can help out. They spread out, well aware that they need to try to restore order. How will they manage this? It's hard to say – after all, how does one stop the assault of an apocalypse when the apocalypse seems to have already hit? The UNA hits the streets, as well, walking in formation, but never quite acting as tidily in unison. They break off in threes and fours, heading to the border, to the big three corporations – but never seeming to be in line with one another. They know what they should do in an emergency and so they're doing it. That protecting the large corporations is a part of their prerogative over helping citizens doesn't seem to bother them in the least. They just go.
Distress signals ring out through every inch of the city, likely to go unanswered. After all: what can be done in the wake of this?
Perhaps the answer is simple: anything they can.
Somehow, someway, there is another layer to the madness. It's not immediately apparent to the citizens of New Amsterdam as they gingerly attempt to pull themselves up from the wreckage and ruin around the city. But what was a humid day quickly turns to something far worse, with the sun seeming to suddenly act like a heat lamp that's way too close to anyone's face. The air around New Amsterdam becomes dry yet difficult to breathe, and anyone observing the sky just outside of New Amsterdam will see the large, purple-lit pyramid that hangs in the atmosphere has gone dark. The atmospheric net around the planet has been damaged, with the failsafes somehow removed – undoubtedly in some way by the virus that courses through the veins of New Amsterdam's networks.
For anyone who wants to help and has the mechanical prowess to do some good, they'll want to take an undamaged vehicle and get it up to that pyramid. The EMP has made all biometric readings difficult to preserve, so a hand that's used to hotwiring a car will find some mileage here.
Once they get to the pyramid, they'll find quite the engineering marvel. There will be doors on every level, allowing someone easy entrance if they have clearance. Right now clearance is not an issue, as the doors hang open, inviting anyone inside. Once everyone's inside, they will find evidence of the same purple lighting flickering and offering someone a view of the interior. Throughout the pyramid, there are engines on every level, as well as a highly advanced network of system checks that have been thrown into chaos. Stopping the virus' impact on this pyramid will be key to solving many of the problems inside – but the engines will need to be repaired and jumpstarted.
At the heart of the pyramid is a small living area for the engineers who handle this pyramid day in and day out. The group itself is small, and – unfortunately – quite dead. Whatever hit the pyramid took their lives, leaving anyone who's here to assist in a position of having to find the answers themselves. Fortunately, the answers do exist in the pyramid. It'll just take a bit of teamwork to find it.
Thanks to network failsafes, New Amsterdam is able to remove the entirety of their citizen base off the world's network and limit them to the local network. However, thanks to the ravaging of the virus that damages nearly every controlling aspect of the city, the local network isn't at its best. Previous messages begin to send again and again, while some get unearthed so they can find their way to unwilling participants in particular conversations. There is no rhyme or reason to these missent messages, only that they happen.
The worst of it is that any means of reaching a friend is unreliable. It's far more reliable for someone to reach someone they know, but still not a consistent possibility. Try to call a friend and get an enemy – try to call your doctor and get the head of a casino trying to close down operations so that business can resume. Assuming it will one day do just that.
Either way, anyone who spoke out against the digital age would be feeling vindicated right about now.
Somehow in the heart of it all, a message reaches four special individuals: Clarke Griffin, Loki Odinson, Markus Manfred and Ojiro Juniper. Whether delivered by hand or a rather dedicated messaging system, it announces the time that they should come to the garden the next day. They're invited to arrive at 7:00 AM, seemingly indifferent to the chaos outside. The location for the meeting remains the same: Sunpeak Garden, a beautiful location set away from much of the chaos, and oddly untouched by the damage.
When the four arrive on the morning of the 12th, they'll find a well-dressed man sitting at a table with one leg crossed over the other. His hair is perfectly styled, brushed off to the side, and under it, his darker complexion gives way to a rather youthful appearance. Size-wise he's not very formidable in how he holds himself. He's not literally young, merely seemingly untouched by age – and he smiles to greet the four of them.
"What chaos! If I knew it would be like this, I would have planned differently. The good news is I didn't have to. Thank you, thank you for coming." His voice is softer in its intonations. He stands up, revealing that he's barely 5'2", and he motions to the four chairs near him. "Don't worry, I have breakfast coming. And coffee, too. You like coffee, don't you? I know I offered wine, but I couldn't get the vintage I preferred. Besides, you four ought to be awake for this."
He retakes his seat, one hand resting on his knee while the other settles on the metal table near him. "Oh, I forgot something important. I didn't share my name with all of you. You can call me Ball. I know it's rather vague, but I've grown to like the nickname as of late. It does, after all, define me by my most regular shining achievement."
Please refer to the OOC EVENT POST for this event for all OOC info, including suggestions for directions on how to engage with the event and the questions thread for any questions regarding this event. The outcome for this event will depend upon character plans and actions developed in both this OOC post, and any additional plots brought to the moderators. Please feel free to submit any game-changing plans to us under the questions thread. We will get back to you as soon as possible about these plans!
The event will continue until November 16th, IC time. This date has changed, and we outlined our reasoning in this plurk after getting a feel from some of our players on Discord on how they felt about extending the event! An aftermath wrap up post will be made on July 2 which will detail the resolution and fallout of the event, though you can assume that effects from this event will be felt for some time.
ETA at 12:08 AM 6/23/19: The cipher is meant to be easy to solve! No one needs to limit their characters' ability to solve an a = 01 cipher!
El has posted here to inform everyone about zeir knowledge of the event.
As a reminder, there is one power level up available for this event. This will be granted for a thread of at least 5 action/log comments containing your character utilizing their power in some way. They will need to reach the 5 comments required by JULY 26 to be eligible. Submission will be handled on the wrap up post.
Our Activity Check will be posted JULY 1 at 12 AM UTC. It will run for seven days and close on JULY 8 at 12 AM UTC. We will not post a warning list.
sora | kingdom hearts | ota
[ The good part is that Sora has listened to the suggestions made by others and made sure to partner up with someone before heading out into the city to offer his aid. He's got a backpack full of supplies that's weighing him down a little, but it doesn't seem to slow his pace much at all. That's the benefit of still being young and energetic, along with very much in shape, even if he doesn't have all of his powers.
Along with whoever joins him, he'll be doing his best to help as many people as he can, whether that means pulling them out of cars, climbing onto the train tracks or into buses to evacuate them, or escorting people to hospitals.
Early on, when Sora has successfully pulled someone out a car wreck and escorted them off to the sidewalk to catch their breath, he'll reach out to grab their hand and offer support, only for his chest to glow as his power activates. He likely won't even realize it's happening at first.
From that point on, any time that he comes across someone in any kind of distress, whether it's a local or a Displaced, he'll reach out to make physical contact and use his newfound ability to calm them down.
There will be times when the heat and the amount of activity means that he has to stop and take a breather, sitting down on a bench or on the curb to gulp down a canteen of water. ]
ii. beyond the wall (closed to lan wangji)
[ While Sora's spent almost all of his waking hours helping as many people as he can, he knows that there's something else he should look into too. With the city in such a hectic state, there's an opportunity for them to finally go past the walls. It's a place he's only visited in dreams, and he wants to know what the real thing is like. It's not only due to curiosity, but also because there might be something more out there.
He doesn't know if this world has a Keyhole, but it should. Even if finding it wouldn't mean anything now when he has no powers, they might figure out a way to get them back someday. The point is, he has to see it for himself.
Going alone is his mistake, but he doesn't want to get caught by the soldiers patrolling and it's going to be easier to sneak around while he's by himself. He's able to dart through the gates when one of the patrols gets far enough away, and then he's met by the humidity of the forest.
Again, this is a place he'd been in a dream, where it had been night and the mushrooms had glowed to light his and Caroline's way. It's different in reality, especially with the sun beating down on him like it has for the past couple of days. Sora stubbornly pushes on through the woods, but before he realizes how far gone he is, he starts breathing harder and his head starts spinning.
He's used to warm, muggy weather due to growing up on an island, but this is a lot even for him and he's been pushing himself hard since this all started.
One moment, he's ducking under the branches of a tree. The next, down feels like up and up feels like down and he finds himself leaning against the same tree's trunk, breathing ragged as sweat clings to his forehead and sticks to his clothes.
He'll be fine, he just needs some water...
He feels like he's moving in slow motion as he grabs for the canteen at his waist, only to find that it's empty. ]
Ungh...
iii. safehouse
[ Despite the close call, with Lan Wangji's help Sora's been brought back to the safehouse at the hoverbike shop and given all of the water and rest that he needs. He's been left to sit on one of the cots, a wet cloth in hand which he wipes over his cheeks and forehead periodically.
Relieved as he is that someone had been there to find him out in the woods, he's also mad at himself for letting this happen in the first place. It's yet another example of him not being able to handle things when he's alone. If he'd had his normal powers, if Donald and Goofy had been there, if he'd brought Riku along (but he'd been busy with something else at the time)...
When it comes down to it, it had been an impulsive, dumb move and he should have known better. So for once, Sora actually looks a little more downtrodden than usual, not immediately striking up conversation with whoever happens to walk past. ]
iv. wildcard
[ If you have anything else in mind for threading, hit me up at![[plurk.com profile]](https://plurk.com/favicon.ico)
demonology! ]
safehouse
When he drops down next to Sora, he has a cut on his right eyebrow. He looks over at him, gaze curious. Looks like they're both having a bad day.]
I couldn't find you out there.
[Anywhere. The city is so big. Is this how Sora felt looking for him? Probably. It's definitely how he felt knowing that Sora was locked away, losing bits of himself to a replica. His jaw sets at the reminder.
Riku looks grim. Not determined or dismayed or downtrodden. Just grim. It's a perfect portrayal of how he feels at the moment.]
I'm sorry.
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All of that gets shoved aside as soon as Riku says he's sorry. Sora shifts in his seat on the cot to face Riku more directly, frowning in confusion. ]
Why are you apologizing? You didn't do anything wrong!
[ Ultimately, making sure that Riku doesn't beat himself up is more important to Sora than being down on himself. Both of them are here; that's the important thing. ]
What happened? [ He points to the same spot on his own eyebrow where Riku's got a cut. ] Are you okay?
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But still.]
You look like you're having a bad go of it, too. What happened? [To some degree, Riku is evading, but it's obvious that Sora looks worse for wear. He's worried about him, and—to some degree—trying to hear Sora out is better than focusing on the dark places his head wanted to go in the wake of all of this. That's a hard thing to manage.]
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He wants to help, but he also knows that it might be easier if he talks about what happened to him first, then circles back to it. So he heaves out a breath and then reaches behind him to draw the wet cloth over the back of his neck. A smile sigh of relief escapes him, and then he starts to explain. ]
I wanted to go past the walls. I know what you're gonna say, but I went alone -- I didn't want to get caught. [ At least he can say there had been some thought put into the decision, even if that decision turned out to be wrong. ] I made it into the forest, but the heat was too much and I almost passed out. Then Lan Wangji found me.
[ He'd gotten lucky. If it weren't for that, he might still be out there. ]
no subject
It's hard for Riku to talk about the place where he stands. He knows it's an ugly, unwanted one. Even if Sora's at ease with it, even if Sora would never look at him, wondering if his eyes are about to turn yellow ...]
I'm glad he found you. Before I got a hold of you earlier, I tried so many people. We just ... we got separated. I couldn't spend the entire time looking for you. [Riku is saying it almost like he's explaining himself, but he's sounding it out, too. Working through it. Letting himself do that with Sora, rather than keeping it all inside.
It's hard. But necessary.]
I—[He looks up toward Sora, meeting his eyes.] I know it was right to help. I know why you went out there, too. It's just—
[Riku saw him fade away. Will he ever feel less raw, watching the last of his best friend disappear into nothingness?]
no subject
A Cure spell really would make things so much easier right now. Or even a Blizzard spell, to cool everyone down.
While Riku doesn't actually say he's sorry, it does seem like he's apologizing in his own way, or at least he feels forced to explain why he hadn't been there in Sora's time of need.
Naturally, Sora's quick to shake his head and reach out for Riku; he specifically grips his hand so that the empathy bond is activated, so that Riku can feel that there are no hard feelings. ]
I know you think it's my job to watch out for me all the time, but you don't have to feel like you failed or anything. I have to take responsibility for what I do too. Right?
[ He manages a small smile, hoping he can set his friend at ease. Without even thinking about it, his power activates, allowing him to make Riku feel better with not just his words but his newfound ability too. ]
no subject
When it's over, he smiles at his friend, elbowing him lightly in appreciation.]
You do, but I don't want you to feel like you messed up, either. We don't know what's causing any of this, or why we're here. Heading out once you're free to get answers just makes sense. [It does sound like reassurance—and it feels like it, too. Wholly and completely.
It was nice coming across Eiji, come to think of it. And it's nice to be here now, feeling better. Not being swallowed up by despair. Being able to keep out of his head. That encouragement gets him the rest of the way.]
So, don't take too much responsibility if what you did makes sense. [Or something?]
no subject
It had been rough out there, but they're both back here now. A little battered up and plenty tired, but still here. Safe.
Riku then manages to find the correct words to set Sora at ease about what he'd thought of as a dumb mistake. It's true that he'd seen his opportunity and decided to take a chance, not knowing when he'd next get one. Having confirmation that it hadn't just been stupid and reckless helps a lot. ]
Yeah, you're right. [ Sora finally pulls his hand back, returning Riku's smile. ] Sometimes we have to take risks. I'm just glad Lan Wangji found me. So... thanks, Riku.
[ There's really nothing like having a friend who can untangle all of those worries, is there? ]
no subject
Riku doubts that Sora has the same mindset. The same training. And isn't this what a master is supposed to be doing? It's not just about the secrets of the power of waking. It's everything that comes with it.]
You don't have to, but I think you'll like it more than our schoolwork. [Even bringing that up could sound like he's mocking Sora a little, but he doesn't have it in him. He means it: Sora will likely enjoy it more than homework. That's just an objective statement.]
no subject
They've always helped each other out. Sora's brought Riku back from the brink and kept him safe when he'd needed that, too. It's never felt uneven between them, and he knows that if Riku's suggesting this, it's because he believes Sora's ready for it. ]
Riku...
[ He pulls his hand back and sets it against his chest. ]
Of course I want to. I'd really like that. I feel like there's still so much to learn, and you'd be a great teacher.
[ Their childhood rivalry is all but forgotten. These days it's all about how they can help each other be better. ]
no subject
But Riku sees it as helping Sora trust himself. Sora can't give up, can't walk away. And maybe it's a lesson he can use when he leaves this place. Riku can't pretend that hasn't crossed his mind, but it's more than that, too: it hurts sometimes to see Sora do something and push himself too hard. To feel compelled to follow his heart, and not entirely know where to go. Of course, there was always a conflict in there. Sora wasn't just managing himself. He was managing three others, too.
He remembers how it felt when the Replica was with him, and how it felt after. How it feels now.]
I hope so. I'm teaching Nill some stuff, and obviously I'm helping out with the homework. But I think I know right where I can help you. How I can help you. [It's a unique situation, one where he knows Sora so well that he can see his failings, just as Sora always saw his in turn. And helped him through them, again and again.]
Plus, it'll give us something to do. You know, because it's not like there's enough going on as it is. [Sarcasm, of course. Sarcasm.]
no subject
Riku sounds so confident, like he knows exactly what he needs to do and how he can help Sora, and it's encouraging. Sora's always trusted in Riku, always believed that he knew what he was doing, looking up to him even when they'd been kids competing for Kairi's attention. Part of the reason that rivalry had formed in the first place is that Sora had wanted to prove to himself that he could be as good as Riku.
Now, he's just happy to have the help of such a good friend. ]
Hey! I think these days we like to keep busy, right? It's fine.
[ He grins and reaches forward to give Riku a quick pat on the shoulder. ]
Thanks, Riku. Once things calm down, we can get started.
chaos and ruin, it's time.
under his heel, he grinds out a small fire before it begins to spread in the direction of one of the downed cars, the door already torn off the hinges as though someone has torn into it to extract the injured parties within. it appears a moment of calm, if not for the distance in his gaze, eyes turned down towards the pavement -- not shock, perhaps nostalgia? -- how strange that in the middle of all the activity, he's taken this such moment to drift away into vacancy. ]
Are you okay, young master Sora?
[ oh. not so much that he isn't aware of the other's presence. ]
Ah, don't look over here, I've already --
[ even to that end, he puts an arm out, holding the flat of it before sora's eyes to keep them from wandering towards the wreckage of the nearby car. ]
no subject
He's getting there either way, but he knows he has to keep pushing himself. The sheer amount of people that were affected by the EMP is impossible to think about, but even with the Displaced and the NAPD working at it, there's nowhere near enough resources.
By this point Sora's face is smudged with dirt and dried sweat. At least his typically favored clothing has served him well here, with the short-sleeved shirt and shorts allowing him to move along easily and not get too overwhelmed by the heat.
When he spots Xuanyu, Sora immediately heads toward him, knowing that it's better if they work closely together. When Xuanyu tries to stop him, as if shielding him from whatever might be in that car, Sora frowns and shakes his head. ]
What do you mean? Is there someone in there?
[ He knows what the worst case scenario is; he's not that naive. But he wants to be sure. ]
no subject
[ one thing he won't do, is lie to his juniors. sora, like him, has died before - that intimate relationship with such a state tends to strip one away of naivety surrounding the dead and the dying. all the same, he doesn't want anybody to have to see someone who did not survive their tumble from the sky - and it's for that reason that he brings his hand to sora's face and wipes at one of the dirt smears on his cheek.
hopefully, he can use that as an excuse to turn sora's head from the mangled remains of the car. ]
I already checked on them, they didn't survive.
[ the contact they share ignites blue, a risk he's willing to take; the storm of his emotions has resulted in the numbness that he feels, as though he exists precariously at the eye of a hurricane and one wrong step will send him spiraling into debris and chaos. internally, he's focused - fixated on taking one step, then another. the familiarity he has with death doesn't detach him from the regrets he has, the concern. ]
no subject
Xuanyu is doing everything in his power to shield him from the terrible fates that the people in that wreck suffered, and the worst part is that it's only one instance of so many -- too many to count.
On Sora's side of the bond, there's worry, guilt, and that never-ending drive to do something. The fact that he gets such a hollow response from Xuanyu only increases that worry. Ultimately, he lets the pressure against his cheek take its course, turning away from the burning wreckage. ]
Come on, we can keep going. [ One hand lifts to hold a fist against his chest. ] There have to be others we can still save.
[ There's nothing that can be done for those who are already gone, but how about all the people who are still on the brink? Sora won't leave them to suffer. ]
no subject
he fits his arm around sora's shoulders, and matches his drive to do something, to work just as hard as before, to keep moving forward. it sits heavy in his chest, methodical and sorrow-driven, tying him in knots that ache with how tightly they're pulled. ]
You're a good boy, [ he praises softly, tiredly, and points down the street, to where figures are limping and gathering one another up, ] let's get them moving in the right direction. Do you know how to dress wounds, young master?
no subject
Instead of drawing attention to it, Xuanyu points out other victims of the disaster, people who need to be patched up and escorted either to the hospital or to a safe place.
At the question, Sora peers up at Xuanyu with a worried stare and slowly shakes his head. ] Before I always had Cure magic, so I didn't have to learn. But I have another power now. It won't help with the physical wounds, but with how they're feeling.
[ Maybe Xuanyu might benefit too, but Sora knows they need to focus on the injured first. He picks up his pace toward the group, lifting a hand to grab their attention. ]
no subject
[ which is an honest statement; most cultivators of sora's age were only just reaching the heights of their practice in self-healing and subsisting without food for long stretches of time. and here he was, possessed of a medical marvel of a skill. well, once he was - it's a cool reminder that they've been stripped of many talents they ought to have had.
the group they approach are confused, some limping and some clutching at makeshift wraps around injuries. they are the walking, talking wounded and thus not in as deep a crisis as some others might be; still, he asks them to slow for a moment so that he and sora can check their wounds and talk them down from their fears. ]
We'll walk with you to where it's safe, yes of course - here, why don't you lean on me?
[ he speaks in hushed tones to some of them, supporting and gentling them
it feels reflexive, but he's seen worse on battlefields. he's caused worse. ]
Sora, would you help me with this gentleman's leg? We just need to splint it, I'll show you how.
no subject
That doesn't stop Xuanyu from approaching the group of injured, and Sora's quick on his heels, nodding along as he explains that they're here to help.
Among the group is a girl who's probably no older than ten who looks scared, clutching to an adult's hand with a white-knuckled grip. Sora approaches them and crouches down, assuring her that everything will be okay now and she'll be safe soon.
He sets a hand on her shoulder, his own chest glowing blue as his power activates and the girl slowly calms.
Then Xuanyu calls out to him and Sora jumps back to his feet, returning to him and the gentleman in question. ]
Of course! Just tell me what to do and I'll help.
jesus finals are over and i can stop failing u
Take some of that cloth, [ he's already prepared the items in question, having torn them from the hem of the plaid overshirt he has tied around his waist ] and the boards as well. You're going to set the boards on either side of his knee and tie above and below it.
[ patiently, he whistles again to calm the gentleman - who's gnarled hands are braced on wei wuxian's shoulders tensely, calming little by little as the music reaches his ears; he walks sora through it while he hums and sings, low tunes that keep the man lulled into an almost mindless state. it protects him from the pain. ]
What you did with the little girl - that was kind of you, young master. I'm glad you're looking out for these people.
except now it's my time to fail u
So he sets to work, following Xuanyu's instructions with a set of steady hands. At first he thinks that Xuanyu is just humming and singing softly for the sake of it, or as some kind of nervous habit, but then he realizes that the man they're helping seems almost unnaturally calm. And Sora isn't using his power this time. ]
Huh? But I was just following your lead. You're helping too, Xuanyu.
[ Sora smiles as he ties off the cloth at both places, effectively splinting the man's knee. Then he stands and dusts his own knees off, nodding to the man with reassurance. ]
Be easy on it, okay? But it should hold long enough for us to get you to the hospital.
[ Then he looks back to Xuanyu, as if searching for approval that he's handling this correctly. If they can get everyone here into the hands of professionals, then he'll feel as if they did their part. Of course, there's still so many other people who need the same treatment. ]
flipkicks in here late with starbucks
it is more difficult to say, for those he heralds back. it occurs to him that none should be out here, that the soldiers who patrol the walls have been tasked with much too much with which to contend. it occurs to him, that those who have fled beyond the city limits had fled for their curiosity and their desires. and others, others yet— it has been many a time, that he has nudged the disoriented back through. those who are frightened, left to babbling, he shepherds back them all. and here and there, he sees signs too of the displaced, those who have taken it upon themselves to make use of the vulnerabilities.
just as he has. just as he and the others did.
and there is no comfort in the nature that is left, as the sun runs hot against the treeline. there is little comfort in what remains, as the heat cripples each edge of greenery. it spares no mercies to what lays beneath his feet, to those who walk these paths as lan wangji focuses upon finding those who may be left. focuses, too, on finding his back. back, to where it is he is. no matter how he has now found him, there is no place now that is safe for any of them. there is only this, that he can do: help all that he can.
for that is what he is. and that is what he does. and this is what he is known for, hanguang-jun. no matter how it is that little seems to tether him, it is the sound that tugs him the path he's taken to patrolling. there is no pause.
and there is no hesitation, when he finds him. this one, whose name he has caught some weeks ago. this one, who trudged along with him in neat procession. ]
Sora, [ his voice comes, steady and even as it often is. no matter how his hastily his fingers are wrapped, how the dirt and grime that does not befit him seems to stick to the pale of him, it is only the softer pinch of his dark brows that gives way to concern at all. it is only the way he shapes it into a question, the grey cast of shade no reprieve from what has befallen them all.
he does not kneel, not yet. but, he knows it is likely to be necessary soon enough, if he does not give him answers sufficient to assure him. ]
no subject
Their first meeting and the conversation that had gone with it settles in Sora's mind as a good memory, though he's now surprised to see Lan Wangji here, past the city walls, out in the woods with him. It's a good thing, he realizes, because his legs are feeling more and more like jello. The fact that there's someone else here means that he doesn't have to push so hard. One way or another, he's going to be okay, and so his legs slowly give out on him as he slides down the side of the tree trunk and collapses onto the ground in a heap.
He's still sitting, his legs sprawled in front of him, but that's probably only because he has the tree trunk behind him to keep his back straight.
Sora peers up at Lan Wangji, his face smeared in sweat and grime, and manages a small, sheepish smile. ]
How did... you get here?
[ His shoulders sag under the weight of the oppressive heat, and he looks like he might be on the verge of losing consciousness sooner rather than later. ]
Oh, do you have any water?
[ His mouth is so dry... ]