08 | It must be getting early; Clocks are running late

[sinistral]

WHO: the Soldier (sinistral) and you
WHERE: various Temba locations
WHAT: while everyone hunkered down in the warrens, the Soldier was sent elsewhere; now it's time to come back
WHEN: a few days after the general population emerges from the underground
WARNINGS: none; will update if that changes

---

TEMBA
→ Excavation: for Billy Kaplan;

The first thing the Soldier did on waking in Temba, sore and tired and with the familiarly, infuriatingly vague idea that he'd been elsewhere, was to check to make sure he was intact, or near enough to it. But the first thing after that was to make his way through ruined streets to the building Billy and his brother claimed as their home. The sight that met his eyes made something twist and drop out of the bottom of his stomach, a sensation he immediately tried to ignore. It, and the implied emotion, were unneeded.

"Billy?" he called out, circling toward the wall that seemed most intact. The ceiling was a complete loss, but he couldn't tell from this angle how much damage the structure had absorbed, and how much it had caved. He couldn't tell either if Billy or his brother was around; he resolved to find out. "Tommy?"

→ Exploration: open to all;

The Soldier hadn't been one to rely heavily on the amenities of the community. He generally preferred to forage, and to repurpose things he found in so doing. Years of living on the run with few resources prepared him pretty well for losing the bulk of his supplies when the volcanic activity apparently swept through the towns. But years of living on the run also had him hiding small caches of supplies here and there in ruined buildings. If he was lucky maybe one or two of his stashes hadn't been completely destroyed.

(He never had that kind of good luck but it was a nice thought.)

The weather seemed like it would hold at least, making it a decent day for exploring the rubble of ruined buildings. Maybe he'd luck into finding something useful. Or maybe he'd just end up doing the heavy lifting for someone who needed it. At the very least the sounds from the building in front of him didn't seem like the predatory animals he'd seen on Temba's outskirts. Still, a hand strayed close to the knife at his hip, just in case.

→ Examination: network text to Cal Kestis;

I could use a mechanic. If you've the time.

→ Explanation: network text open to all;

Anyone know if this was a planned redecorating, or is apocalypse chic just in now and I missed the memo?

→ Wildcard;

Open to other ideas. Please reach out to me at sometimesamuse or via PM for plotting needs. As always while I write starters in prose I'm happy to match brackets if that's your preference.

Comments

[sinistral]

I still won't be singing their praises any time soon. Volcanoes don't just appear overnight.

[butterfly_kiss]

Perhaps, and perhaps not. Living on islands created by vulcanism we did learn a little in school. There are types that form rapidly I think. I just can't remember what they're called. But of course speed on a geologic scale is relative I suppose.

[sinistral]

A month seems pretty damn fast to me. Especially since people could've been on the ships. Or safely away from here.

[butterfly_kiss]

Well the mountain itself seemed to have been rising for months before that. Just not as fast I think. So who knows.

There are a lot of things that could have been different. I'm learning while I'm here that the best thing I can do is just go with the flow. Which, for the record, I hate just as much as not being able to get a good curry here.

[sinistral]

Still seems really unusual. But I'm no expert.

You must not be here long. Trust me, there's worse things to hate than not having curry.

[butterfly_kiss]

Neither am I, so I guess we can surmise what is and isn't usual to our hearts' content. Not that mine is content.

Oh, I have not been here excessively long, but since last winter. So long enough to be annoyed with this place.