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

Entry tags:

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

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.

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Good to hear from you.

[He'd been a little concerned although he hadn't been entirely sure that the man had just stole off down one of the many halls of the Warrens and avoided contact.]

Time's all I've got, some days. What's the trouble?

[Finding a secluded bit of cave is entirely in character let's be real.]

That makes it valuable then, doesn't it? Got some arm trouble. Can't see exactly what but it doesn't move right.

Arm troubles are never good. I'll be happy to take it a look at it. Where are you at?

Could be worse in this place. I was out scavenging between the power station and that weird amphitheater. I can come to you.

Too true. But that works. I'm where the museum is.

Not far at all. I'll head in that direction.

See you soon.

[As much as the place lost most sense of its previous endeavor to become a Jedi temple, Cal still found himself drawn back to it now and then. He'd been glad that it had been spared any more damage, and while he waited for the Soldier, he stepped over to sit at the steps leading up to the old museum.

BD-1 as usual is not far from him, inspecting stones and watching curiously as ash followed him in his wake whenever he picked up the pace.]

[It didn't take long at all for the Soldier to make his way over to the maybe-museum, maybe-Jedi-temple. He'd never really visited when the place had been more in use, though he'd been aware of it. Perhaps he should have — if nothing else, to train against fighters as physically capable as he.

Still, he pushed those thoughts from his mind now; time couldn't be reversed and actions taken back. Dwelling on it served no purpose, and he had a current purpose to occupy him.

He stopped near BD-1 first, offering the droid a piece of glassed stone he'd picked up on the way over. Whether from the volcano directly or a melting of material already in Temba, the Soldier couldn't tell. But it had an interesting shape and a strangely smooth feel, so he'd pocketed it.]

Hey. [He looked up at Cal with an expression that was almost a smile.] Appreciate this.

no idea but this shit is stupid apocalypse chic went out in the 2020s i think and it should've stayed that way did wherever you're staying get hit hard? i might not be able to rebuild but i can find some way to help probably maybe my expertise thing here is engineering which goes with my specialty or whatever

If it could've Billy would've just repaired the place for them with a spell as soon as they'd come back to find it like this, but his magical energy is pretty low after a month of trying to make sure people had what they needed in the Warrens. And if he was being honest with himself, his emotional state wasn't helping things. He was trying to keep himself busy by sifting through the damage when he heard that familiar voice, and Billy forgot his pains to conserve his magic in an instant.

"Soldier?!" he called back, and teleported to him rather than waste seconds finding his way back out, all but tackling the man in a grateful hug. There were tears and a beaming grin tucked into Soldier's shoulder, relieved beyond belief. "I thought-" Well...he didn't want to get into what he thought.

[The little droid hooted a cheery greeting in recognition of the other, antenna at either side of his head perking at the offering as he bounced closer. Leaning back to counterbalance himself, he carefully plucked the smooth piece from the Soldier's hand between the clamps making up a foot.

Cal gives the man a wave as he looks up from where he sits, a corner of his lips quirking in a faint smile. Text was one thing, but it was always good to have visual confirmation, and words didn't let on one's status. The Soldier looked well, possible arm trouble aside.]

Always glad to lend a hand. So, what've we got?

One of those sounds was definitely a voice. Mumbled, and a little bit irritated, weaving through the clattering of rocks as they were shifted and cascaded in small piles. DATA was being no help at all as Tony dug through the remains of a collapsed room, meandering around on his spindly legs and continuing to insist that the Soldier had definitely put something here by projecting the same video clip of him slipping through the door in the darkness, grainy and less and less convincing, all the more difficult to discern as the image was broken across rubble. The Iron Man really would have made this a lot easier. "If you've learned to lie, listen, I'd be really impressed, honestly, we'll have to talk about that, but after that, I'm leaving you in this room until your systems fail, you can sit right there in that corner," Tony was complaining. DATA wasn't even listening, and could not have cared even if he did hear, "And at Billy's expense, this isn't just me, your choices affect other people." The little robot was already wandering away, certain in his recording, and especially so when he was standing against the wall and looking up at the face of the same man in the video, his camera aperture twisting with a whir to commit the face to memory once again. See, he definitely came here. Here he was again.

[Maybe the little droid would find something interesting in the analysis of the trinket. Or maybe not. Either way it was now in more analytically capable hands — or foot clamps, in this case.

He returned the smile with a quirk of his own lips, coming to stand close and yes, giving Cal a once-over too. It hadn't been so long since he'd been injured, after all.]

You don't have to say yes. It's catching funny, back of the bicep near the joint. I can't get at it to see if there's damage.

[And there are very few people who he would ask for help.]

No idea if this was planned? Or no, this definitely wasn't planned.?

I don't require building assistance.

At the answer to his call the Soldier felt some of the tension in his spine unwrap itself, a moment before he was wrapped up in Billy's hug. He wrapped his own left arm around Billy's waist, right hand cupping the back of Billy's head while he allowed Billy to cling to him. He could feel the slight wetness of tears and could only wonder at what Billy had gone through while he'd been absent.

"I'm here," he murmured eventually. "I came back."

"You came back," Billy echoed, feeling the release of so much of that worry and mourning fall away, leaving a disbelieving smile as he finally lifted his head to take in that face he'd been so afraid he wouldn't see again. He sniffed and gave a bashful laugh. "Sorry- I feel like I'm always crying on you lately-"

[Even if it wasn't anything significant, BD-1 still liked having little things to add to the small set of shelves on the wall of the workshop's backroom. He'd set the rock down to scan as was his habit.]

But I won't say no.

[Having gotten to know the man little by little, that he was being asked this much is no small thing. Cal was glad to know that they've established this sort of trust. Some gave it easier than others, and the Jedi could only imagine what the man had been through. He looked at the arm before holding a hand out as he shifted closer.]

All right, let's see what the trouble might be.

On approach the voice became clearer in pitch and cadence, those two characteristics combining to define the building's occupant before the Soldier entered to see for himself. Good thing too, as he hadn't fully expected the robot; the knife was already in his hand again before recognition caught up.

"What people?" he asked, stowing the weapon once more. Probably not the best greeting to open conversation, but better than the Soldier usually managed.

"I shouldn't have left you." Not that he'd had a choice; nothing about his disappearance was voluntary. But the Soldier didn't like that he'd caused Billy such stress. "But I'm here now."

When Billy raised his head the Soldier brushed his hair back before letting his hand fall away. "You don't have to apologize. It looks like you've been through a lot."

"You're alive, that's all I care about," he assured, knowing Soldier wouldn't have left him on purpose, especially not in the face of a disaster like that.

"Eh, you know, nothing big, just a volcano," Billy muttered, trying for a casual quip, brows creasing when he can't quite manage the humor. He rocks up to press a grateful kiss to Soldier's cheek, followed with a pass of his fingers over that jaw. "Are you okay?"

This was the last place anyone should have been, which was lucky because that meant no one could have possibly heard Tony's embarrassing yelp, or seen the way he almost pitched over into the pile of rubble that he had been trying to sort through. He was already far from presentable, unshaved and dark-eyed, and dirt to the tattered roll of his sleeves, so it was a small fortune that he caught himself and wasn't also scraped and bruised as he rounded on the intruding voice with a very intent look that communicated no one had heard that noise. His hand was already on his chest, and he was complaining, "You can't sneak up on me like that, I have heart problems, that's--," before it occurred to him that they must have already had this conversation because that was the Soldier.

Well, problem solved. That was kind of like finding something that belonged to the Soldier. It only occurred to Tony that he should probably stop just staring in confusion only when DATA raised a polished leg to point toward the man illustratively, and Tony had to snap, "Yeah, I got it, he's here."

"A volcano?" He'd definitely missed that, though it did give explanation to those mountains that had sprung up so relatively quickly. And it explained the destruction. "I should be asking if you're safe. And your brother."

In what was becoming typical fashion for them, they hadn't talked about the Calibrations and the kiss they'd shared in that dream. But the Soldier allowed the affection now, no flinching or pulling away from Billy's touch. "I'm functional. Concerned for you."

"CPR exists," the Soldier replied, because he had heard it before; he didn't consider it his fault that Tony was so jumpy. On the plus side he wasn't going to go around telling anyone that Tony had almost faceplanted into a pile of rock; that secret would stay inside these walls.

"I'm here." Though he'd almost teased that maybe he was just a figment of Tony's imagination. That was mean though; the man seemed high strung enough already. "You found me. Lucky you."

[Maybe three rock could give them information about the volcano. Or maybe scanning would discover nothing new and it would become just another bauble.]

But you could.

[The Soldier wasn't entitled to the assistance; asking didn't lead to automatic acceptance. But having made it to this point was huge in trust. He shed his jacket after a moment; the shirt underneath had more sleeve removed than the outer garment, exposing metal up the shoulder and partway down the chest and back. It felt deeply exposing to show that much, to know how eyes could extrapolate from the visible bits to complete the picture.

He tried to push it from his mind as he deliberately moved the arm to demonstrate the sliding of the plates. Action rippled along the limb and up the bicep to the offending plate, where it stuck with the grinding sensation of metal on metal. There was visible damage, an impact like that of a high powered projectile.]

There was a nod, though Billy mostly skipped over himself to tell him- "Tommy's moved into the Diner for now. He's not...doing great. But he'll be okay." And maybe those words answered well enough for him too, though not where he was staying.

The affection wasn't necessarily even romantic just now, though definitely it was loving, and it helped Billy accept that Soldier was real, and here, and that he hadn't been forced to leave him behind or failed him. "I'm...functional," Billy echoed with a pained smile.

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

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