Heat Wave

[out_of_order]

WHO: Cal Kestis and you
WHERE: Temba & Sh'Ka
WHAT: Just keeping at it
WHEN: Post-Storm
WARNINGS: N/A


I. Finder's Keepers (Temba)
There are worse things than reliving memories. Cal had already been subjected to such, haunted by his past, hiding from it. But he's grown a lot since then. He's learned to accept things, to own up to the decisions he'd made and to learn from them as he kept going.

It's why he feels that the past storm hasn't been outright terrible, but he knows that others might not feel the same way. But it still hasn't gotten them any closer to figuring things out, and all that he thinks he's gained is a good soaking aside from a trip down memory lane.

The shift back to such awful heat surely isn't any better. At his feet, BD-1 borbles his concerns as they pick their way out of a collapsed building. Rain had weakened the foundation but also revealed some places to pick through, and despite the heat, Cal considered his efforts well-rewarded.

"Heh. Yeah, got it buddy," the Jedi replies as he unhooks the water bottle from his belt to take a long drink. There's way too little shade along the roads but it's the only way to get back to the workshop. "We can stop at the diner and I'll see about grabbing something to eat."

He can't help but smile crookedly as he spies someone else out and about in the sun, and he raises a hand to wave. "Guess we're not the only crazy ones."


II. Second Thoughts (Sh'Ka)
"Maybe we should just migrate for the summer," Cal suggests as he looks out from the shadows of the entryway he stands at. It's quite the contrast feeling the coolness of the air at his back, protected from layers of the stone edifice behind him, and the warmth that sat like an invisible wall in front of him, warmth he can feel on his face, stretching greedy fingers towards him.

BD-1 hoots pensively in consideration before turning a question towards his Jedi friend.

"Yeah, ready to go when you are. I know, I know- that'd make this so much easier but this way's kind of fun too, right?" He grins, stooping down to hold an arm out as his droid titters and hops up to clamber behind him again.

The paths between some of the places around the city here are at least plenty shaded by the plentiful and sometimes towering trees. Honestly, there are a lot of things that make Sh'Ka more preferable to Cal than Temba. But then there's plenty of reasons that it might not be the most ideal place either...

Coming across the Jedi, one might find his behavior a little odd then as his steps have slowed to a crawl, his attention drawn upwards towards the thick foliage above. He turns his head as he senses that they've got company, looking towards whoever's happened in this direction, and he raises his hands in quiet warning before gesturing up with a nod of his head.

Almost camouflaged against the deep greens, the large Deleons however are quite noticeable once one knows what to look for, and for the fact that there are perhaps an unsettling amount of them. A few stare back down with unsettling intensity.

Comments

2;

[sinistral]

Cal isn't the only one known to frequent Sh'Ka. In the winter it can be difficult with snow-packed streets and little in the way of amenities for visitors. But in the summer the stone buildings sometimes offer relief, holding cool in their interiors to combat the heatwave outside. In the absence of actual air conditioning, it's not a bad choice.

Plus, Sh'Ka is usually sparsely inhabited. Sometimes a person just needed his space.

The sun is just starting to really bake down on the landscape, making the shade of the trees attractive indeed. The Soldier — because weather is no excuse — had been out for a run when his path took him near a familiar figure. It's only when he gets close that he notices Cal's positioning and the caution in his gestures. The Soldier comes to a stop, looking up to the tree branches even as he shifts into a fighting stance. They're not alone, and the pack of creatures in the tree look as if they're considering a Jedi-and-assassin brunch.

[out_of_order]

Briefly an almost amused look touches Cal's face as the very person they'd been looking for happens to find them first. Typical. Of course, the current situation necessitates more attention, so the Jedi is quick to return it towards the creatures above.

He can sense it, the hunger and the tension, the underlying warning of having wandered into unwelcome territory. He takes a slow step back, not really wanting to fight the bunch of lizard-like creatures but between their unusual numbers and there being only two of them, he doesn't much like the odds.

[sinistral]

Funny how they seem to come together at the most weirdly convenient times, right? Almost like they were being controlled...

Regardless, Cal's caution finds its echo in the Soldier's own stance. They've wandered into the creatures' territory given the number of the herd, the things might feel a certain level of confidence in taking on two warriors. Or perhaps it's purely territorial, protection of young or something of the sort. Whatever the case the Soldier doesn't know that they'll escape without a fight, and he's already moving to ease a knife from the holster at his hip.

[out_of_order]

The muns were the Atroma all along...

Cal can understand being overprotective, and if he concentrates he can sense some smaller amongst those gathered up in the trees. But more mouths to feed means more necessity for food, and that's where the Jedi will have to draw the line.

"Easy...." he says lowly although it's unclear whether he's addressing the Soldier, the Deleons, or perhaps even both. Taming creatures through the Force isn't particularly his forte but doing anything to influence this may is simply out of the question.

A couple of the larger creatures begins to slowly slink along the branches, tongues flicking as they taste the air...or are they communicating? Cal has no idea, but it's just then that another thing tingles at his danger sense, and abruptly he turns, just as BD-1 squeals in warning as another of the creatures makes a leap from where it had circled behind them. Awkwardly it hovers there in the air, as though caught by an invisible hand, Cal's own hand extended towards it to hold it in place as it hisses its frustration, clawing at the air.

Hopefully the Soldier's still focused on the main body as the pair that had been moving into position take the opportunity to drop.

1.

[thelastechidna]

Knuckles isn't thrilled with the heat wave either. He's used to some heat back home, but not this much.

Seeing them come out of a collapsed building, he goes over. Might as well make sure they're okay.

"What were you doing in there?" he wonders. Did the building fall on you? is his silent question. Knuckles isn't very good with people.

[out_of_order]

Closer inspection would show there to be a distinct lack of dust or anything that would suggest that Cal and his droid had been caught in the actual collapse. Certainly no one would grin about it.

"Just having a look," Cal laughs. "That's not suspicious or something, is it?" Because that's a funny way to greet people, although the Jedi's amused.

[thelastechidna]

Knuckles does notice these things as he comes closer, but he doesn't relax much.

"No, but it's dangerous," he says. "What if the building had come down on you while you were in there?"

[out_of_order]

"Hardly the first broken building I've checked out," Cal assures, glancing over his shoulder. "We made sure nothing was still sinking before we went in." And he's confident that if anything did feel amiss, the Force wouldn't let him down.

[thelastechidna]

"... So why did you want to go in?" is Knuckles' next question. Were they just looking for a thrill, like Sonic?

[out_of_order]

The Jedi shrugs. "Just wanted to make sure no one was using it recently. And how badly it might need to be tagged as a hazard. Half of this city is in like state or worse."

[thelastechidna]

Well, that was a logical reason. Knuckles sighs. "Yeah, it really is. Does anything that gets repaired ever stay that way? Or do other disasters happen that mess it up again?"

[out_of_order]

Those are excellent questions. Cal shakes his head.

"That's a toss-up between the two, really. Not that we have enough people or resources to fix everything around here. Only a few places have been fixed up for communal spaces, other places taken care of by whoever figures they can make use of it." It's his turn to sigh. "The volcano didn't do us any favors though, that's for sure."

[thelastechidna]

Knuckles scowls at the mention of it. He had come in right as the thing had been erupting. And Sonic had been there....

"Are we supposed to fix everything?" he wonders. "I mean, will the Agrii not send us home if we don't? Or do we just need to figure out why they can't live here anymore?"

If only it was as simple as repairing the buildings.

[out_of_order]

Cal steps away from the building, looking for some better shade than one beneath something so potentially precarious.

"There's no simple answer to that," he decides to go with. Because there isn't. Everything's connected in some way, and solving one problem can't be done without dealing with others.

[thelastechidna]

Knuckles moves farther away from it too.

"Yeah, that's what I'm afraid of," he says. And if they have to fix all these buildings, he already knocked down a few walls in rage and frustration.

"And nobody still has any idea how to do it." He folds his arms. It seems so hopeless.

[sinistral]

The big reveal!

Avoiding a fight is the best case scenario but it looks increasingly unlikely. The things might just be hungry enough that they're counting on numbers. And they're fast too, though Cal has the first well in (invisible) hand. Two and Three though—

The Soldier moves barely a breath before the things drop from the trees, determined to stand at Cal's back. A smartly wielded knife should make them think twice, as well as the threat inherent in the strength in his left arm.

"Got any good ideas?" Both capable fighters, and both the kind of people who recognize that fighting isn't the only choice. Still it looks like they might have to get a little physical to get out of this mess.

[out_of_order]

"Make them think twice about having us as a meal?" Cal suggests. "I'm not sure how many of them might be keen on trying, but hopefully if we convince them we're more trouble than it's worth, they'll change their minds... Duck for a second?"

Given the Soldier obliges him and heeds the warning, Cal flings the hovering Deleon at the other two.

[out_of_order]

"Well, if it were a quick fix then none of us would still be here, nor more continuing to show up." Cal looks around as he walks, starting towards a more sturdier edifice.

"I think a lot of us have taken to working on the things we know we can address, like restructuring and repair."

[thelastechidna]

"Yeah, you got that right."

Knuckles walks with him. "And then after all that work is done, something comes along like that volcano and wrecks a lot of it."

[out_of_order]

Cal has to glance back, smiling wryly. It wasn't untrue...

"Not as frequently as you might think. That volcano was pretty out there. And any place so far as I know is prone to any sort of wear and tear, be it from battles or environmental issues."

[thelastechidna]

Well, that's true enough. Knuckles has dealt with various disasters back home on Angel Island.

"You're saying it doesn't happen more than would be usual on our worlds?" he wonders in some surprise.

[out_of_order]

The Jedi considers that as he ducks into the doorway of the next building. He frowns a bit, the temperature not all that different but it beats standing in the sun.

"Well...the volcano was pretty unusual. I'm no expert but I'm pretty sure they don't pop up so fast as that one did. But...so far as I can recall, that's the most extreme shift in terrain that there's been in the few years I've been here."

[thelastechidna]

"Hmm." Knuckles considers this. "Yeah, that isn't normal volcano behavior. I have them back home in the Lava Reef area of my island.

"You've been here that long? Were you one of the first ones?"

[out_of_order]

"No, haven't been here that long, but...maybe close enough," Cal muses.

"Truthfully a lot of my time here earlier is a little fuzzy. I've been back and forth and it's kind of...strange, being here a few years, then coming back again the same age as when I first arrived..."

[thelastechidna]

"You left and went home? What was that like?" Knuckles still wonders about Sonic. "The age mess sounds bizarre."