[Open] If You've Seen One Apocalypse...

[ziedrich_bearer]

WHO: Gladiolus Amicitia, Open
WHERE: Mines, Southern Temba
WHAT: Life at the Mines Defenses, Being A Hero
WHEN: Throughout October
WARNINGS: N/A

I. The Grand Lucian Tradition of Walls | Mines

In a way Gladio had a lot of reasons to distrust the instinct to 'head underground' when things got rough. Simple truth of the matter was that hadn't worked out much for people trying to avoid daemons back home. But this place isn't Eos, and the new invasion of these movie and video game creatures wasn't the same as daemons. They were, though, annoying. And not driven back by light Gladio expected.

Took him time to figure out the place would be safe, but Gladio hadn't hesitated once he figured it out. He'd gone deep enough to get his weapons out, rigged up a rope to strap his shield across his back when he wasn't using it, and then set back out into the city. From there it was a matter of killing Zombies while grabbing materials. Big crates he could slowly push, large chunks of rubble he could put on his shield and haul behind him, one or two of the emergency supply crates that he knew the location of. From there, well, it was a simpler matter.

Which led to a moment like this. Gladio sitting on the top of the barricade he had put time into making in the mines with the help of anyone he could get a hold of. A book recovered from his room rests open in his hands, his massive sword balanced easily across his lap. The position both lets him look back down into the secured area on one side of the barricade, and the potential hostile direction up tunnel.

A perfect point to be sitting watch for motion while keeping himself distracted while he rested up. Because it was better not to go journeying out for supplies or to rescue people if he wasn't rested up.

"Afternoon. I think. Not sure down here," he says as he catches sight of someone moving around. "Enjoying your zombie free time?"

II. Let Me Be Your Armor | Southern Temba

No shelter is enough to hold Gladio in place for long. It wasn't in the apocalypse back home, of course it wouldn't be here. Rested up, loaded with water bottles, and weapons in hand, Gladio headed right back out to the surface of Temba. Which was why he was out here now, his massive sword easily cleaving a head from a nearing Prompto-like Zombie.

Why was he taking out this particular cluster of them? Well, he'd thought he'd seen something that looked like smoother motion out this way. Shouting to try and confirm whether someone was around seemed foolish, so of course he didn't do that. But slowly cutting his way there? Definitely something Gladio was willing to do.

All he could do was hope that if someone really was out there that he was nearing, they could hold on long enough for him to find them.

Comments

I

[faceguy]

It catches Leo up short to be noticed, but then, he wasn't really trying that hard to sneak up on the barricade. He'd just... rather not deal with too many people, when he's making clandestine trips out of the mines and all.

He straightens up and walks closer, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Closer to evening," he says. He hops up to the top of the wall, only really needing to grab one handhold and swing himself up. "When you live underground long enough you get used to it."

Though they did get some sunlight in their old lair... Less so in the new one. Living on this planet is the most vitamin D Leo's ever gotten.

[ziedrich_bearer]

Was it? Gladio looks intrigued by that conclusion from Leo. Not that he can argue against it or for it either way.

"I spent years above ground in constant darkness, still never got great at judging what time it was. You've got a skill."

[faceguy]

Leo hums at that. "Maybe it's just my turtle instincts telling me to go to bed, then."

Not that he ever listens.

Gladio's explanation is interesting, though. How does someone spend years above ground in darkness?

"Did you live in the arctic or something?"

[ziedrich_bearer]

Turtles have that instinct? Gladio is intrigued by that, not that he can argue it's wrong or not. Leo would know better than he would.

"No. My world as we all knew it, it ended. Apocalypses do shit like that."

[faceguy]

"Oh," says Leo awkwardly. "Uh... Sorry?"

Yeah, he has no idea how to respond to that one.

[ziedrich_bearer]

"It's fine. I've had a long time to come to terms with it," Gladio promises. "So relax. Don't be that nervous around me?"

[faceguy]

"Tch, who's nervous," Leo says, only a little defensively. "I just wasn't sure what to say. They don't make Hallmark cards for that, you know."

[ziedrich_bearer]

"They should. Could if we still had companies that made cards back home," Gladio notes, his eyes dancing with amusement.

[faceguy]

Leo laughs at that. "Oh yeah. 'Happy Apoca-versary!' 'The world's dying, but my love for you is going strong!' Stuff like that. Make tons of money."

[ziedrich_bearer]

"We also didn't have much money," Gladio admits with a laugh. "But yeah, something like that."

Though his sister had started a 'business' in fashion during the Long Night.

[faceguy]

“Well, maybe money doesn’t matter so much when the world’s ending.” That sounds nice, actually. Leo’s never cared much about money. “So you can just give the cards away.”

[ziedrich_bearer]

"Sadly, no. Paper was limited and vital."

There were a lot of problems in trying to make sure civilation survived."

[faceguy]

Leo’s face falls. “So much for that idea, then.”

Why even suggest it if he’s not going to play along? Man, adults are lame…

I

[tempredmental]

"You've been busy..." He nodded to the barricade.

Keith had been busy, too. He'd been patrolling outside, looking for stragglers who might need help getting to shelter. Unfortunately, when he ran into some issues, his bayard stopped working, and the Agrii still hadn't seen fit to give him his Marmora blade. But, he was making do as best he could. Some of the construction tools he'd been using to rebuilding the house he and Lance had claimed as home were pretty handy as weapons.

[ziedrich_bearer]

Of course he's been busy. Gladio offers a nod as if to say 'do you expect anything less'? Come on, Keith, you should know your copilot is just like this.

"Got a decade of experience in securing places like this. Putting it to use for people's safety."

[tempredmental]

Keith climbed up. Honestly, he hadn't been surprised at all that it was Gladio doing it. He nodded, settling in where he could keep look out the same way Gladio was and then they could watch each other's backs if needed.

"Definitely a good idea," Keith said softly. He took a deep breath, letting out a small sigh. It was quieter here than back in town for obvious reasons. He needed a small break before going back to look for any more stragglers. Some people had hunkered down in town, and others were also still back there fighting off the zombies and other things. The storms made it impossible for him and Kosmo to teleport people to safety right now, but that didn't mean they couldn't get in there to help defend someone and escort them across the distance.

[ziedrich_bearer]

"I try to be full of them. Not always going to succeed, but I'm trying," Gladio says with a shrug. "Figure this is going to be a bit shorter of a defending a location than it was back home. So it's almost like a vacation. Just annoyed this happened just as the school was supposed to get started, and we haven't pinned down the trouble makers."

Who could have impunity to move now.

[tempredmental]

Keith pursed his lips slightly in frustration at the mention of the "trouble makers". Right. They still didn't know who was doing stuff. Or, at least, Keith didn't, and this would be the perfect cover to do more damage and potentially get away with it.

"Yeah... Something like this happens, and we still have to watch out for people doing stuff from within our own." Meaning, anyone not currently a zombie.

[ziedrich_bearer]

"Exactly," Gladio sighs. "Hell, no way to be sure that the person isn't having the time of their lives here. Disguise yourself as a zombie, attack another person..."

Gladio looks angry at the very idea of it.

"All these years and we never had this sort of mess before."

Okay, maybe he didn't know the Beck thing.

[tempredmental]

"Oh... um..." Keith took a deep, weary breath. "Yeah. We did. About two years ago. Big community meeting as they tried to determine what to do with the guy. I mean, we definitely figured out it was him and all that," he said. "So, not exactly what we're going through now with whoever's doing it this time." He frowned, lowering his head to absently pick at something he was sitting on for the sake of keeping his hands busy.

"So, yeah... this isn't the first time."

[ziedrich_bearer]

"Fuck, that's messed up. In a community our size you'd think we'd come together more."

In fact, Gladio looks angry to consider that this might be the situation he's dealing with here. But hey, what can you do? Sometimes you have to take it in stride.

[tempredmental]

"You'd also think it would be easier to find the person responsible," Keith grumbled in response. He didn't remember all the details surrounding Quentin Beck, but he did remember the giant community meeting as people tried to figure out what to do about what had happened.

"This guy, though, the last one... he had tried to kill Tony," he said. "I don't remember all of it offhand. I tried to keep some notes on it, but those are back at the house right now." With the rest of his notes about this place and anything he could still remember from Drift Fleet, since he didn't have those notes anymore, either. They were likely back in the other universe on the real Huntress, with a second Fleet-shared copy hidden away on the Iskaulit. Lance liked to tease Keith that he'd kept his own copy of everything. But, after everything they'd been through, all those years there and then here... notes helped.

[ziedrich_bearer]

"Perhaps. But it was easier because we're so separated these days."

And he'd literally gotten caught with his metaphorical hand in the cookie jar by Felwinter. Whoever was doing this was using some more creative approaches to hiding what they were doing. Plus, of course, the victims hadn't seen their face.

"And that's probably part of the difference. Tony's got some sort of demi-god watching out for him specifically."

[tempredmental]

"Do you think we should try to get people to move back to being closer together?"

Sure, some of the places were pretty spread out. And it could be hard to get the loners to integrate. Keith would know. He was one.

"A demi-god?"

[ziedrich_bearer]

"I would find it easier to watch out for people, but agency in a situation like this matters too."

And it makes him so tired to know that agency was putting them all at risk. But you had to balance people's needs the best way you could.

"Jon? The guy has some weird powers. Seems Astral level to me."