(open) crash into me

[whatsupcroc]

Date & Time: Mid-afternoon Sunday, May 5th
Location: The Hold and Housing Complex
Characters: All who wish to be in the vicinity!
Summary: The Initiative asked for the Housing Complex to be evacuated starting early morning on 5/5, in preparation for the expected landing of the spaceship stolen from the United Earth. The landing goes horribly wrong when an undiscovered bomb detonates onboard the ship, causing partial engine failure. The ship proceeds to be crash landed into the Housing Complex; no lives, however, are lost.

Warnings: Spaceship crash landings it's all horrible!
Notes: Respond in action tags or prose, as you please!

The ship breaks cloud-cover as a spot of light in the dreary skies, leaving behind the beauty of sunlight above the broken cloud layer as it continues to descend. With the Initiative having instigated an evacuation of the area ahead of time, just in case, those watching in the light drizzle may find it an interesting sight to behold.

Doubtlessly, the United Earth, from its great distance, may have also found it interesting.

The first sign of something going wrong is an explosion visible from the ground. People who hear it might startle; the ship itself goes from a smooth, controlled flight path to one wobbly and filled with dark, flaming smoke. The whine of its remaining engine is slower to reach the ground, though the ship itself seems to pick up a spiraling speed, still controlled to those familiar with watching things that fly come crashing down to the ground.

The Initiative members on the ground are calling for people to get back and take cover. Inside the main Hold, one man at the transport pads hears his radio blast to life and swallows past his own fear, glancing at the active pad waiting to pull in another unlucky soul.

When the ship hits the Housing Complex, it demolishes the upper levels, though the force with which it hits doesn't seem to be the same as what it should be. Combined telekinetic buffering and excellent piloting from a former Guardian of the Universe Galaxy keeps damage to a catastrophic minimum.

Welcome to the fallout. What will you do from here?

Comments

[flecks]

[ There's a hand coming out of the crowd to grab Elliot by the arm tightly and indeed, stop him.

Connected to that hand happens to be Leo. Leo who is very much looking worse for wear, with his tattered clothing having more obvious (bloodied) tears, but his concern isn't on how he might appear. It's solely on why Elliot is moving towards danger. It's a silent question that's asked in the urgent, imploring look he gives his friend. ]

Elliot?

[nobleminded]

[Elliot turns as he feels the oddly familiar grasp. He seriously snaps his head toward him.]

Leo? Release me! I have to-! What the hell happened to you?!

[flecks]

[ 'Nothing' is on the tip of his tongue, but it's rather obvious that it hadn't been nothing. So he quickly settles on: ]

I'm fine. [ It's the truth at least. More importantly . . . ] What are you doing?

[nobleminded]

[Color him skeptical, but as long as Leo is truly fine at the moment, he has other things he should focus on.]

I'm going to my room! I need be to certain everyone made it out of there!

[He tries to tug his arm out of Leo's grip.]

[flecks]

[ He's about to protest because of course everyone evacuated, certainly Elliot's roommates would be sensible enough to get out of there (especially Asch), but then he quickly realizes. ]

You left the cat?

[ His tone is incredulous and it's quickly followed by an exasperated sigh. There's no way Elliot would just leave it to the Initiative members to get her out so there's no choice. Rather than letting go, Leo tightens his grip as he pulls Elliot behind him. One glance to the building is enough to tell him there's no easy way they can get through the rubble blocking the entrance. Digging through all that would take too long.

Good thing then that Leo now has something to easily fix that. ]

Jabberwock! [ With just the call of its name, it shimmers into existence and knows what to do: blast a way through. With that done, Leo casually shifts his grip to Elliot's wrist as he starts walking forward, an odd reversal from how Elliot would usually drag him away from danger, Jabberwock skittering on ahead in front of them. ]

[nobleminded]

WELL WHY WOULD I BRING HER...?! [Wait, not the most important question here.] HOW DID YOU KNOW ABOUT THAT, ANYWAY?!

[Elliot can only stare at the Chain in surprise. So that was the thing Leo had contracted with? After his experiences with Humpty Dumpty, he really was not glad to get this undeniable confirmation that he had turned to the very source of the problem.

Due to pondering this, he doesn't realize Leo is leading him forward until a few seconds after it begins. Then again, they were getting inside, so fighting him was pretty stupid if he wanted to be certain Arietta was safe. Still, he's not sure if this contract is legal or illegal, and Leo's just using it for something like this?]

Be careful with that chain!

[flecks]

Because it's an evacuation and Asch told me.

[ Leo keeps his voice calm, the hint of irritation that he actually feels can barely be heard. He doesn't stop to consider how Elliot might feel about Jabberwock or even that it's his first time seeing the monstrous black-feathered Chain. Jabberwock just feels so natural to Leo now. It's always there in the back of his mind, a presence he doesn't mind for once, ready at his beck and call.

Which is why Leo glances over his shoulder, raising an almost amused eyebrow at the remark. ]

Don't worry, Jabberwock will do as I say.

[ Although obviously he doesn't actually have to speak to make his intentions clear to his Chain, its already creating a nice, clear path for them without Leo having said a word to it. ]

[nobleminded]

[Oh crap.] What exactly did he tell you?! And I meant that I was on my way back from the library when it struck!

[Elliot just continues scowling. Yes, it was good that Leo had control over that thing (unlike himself), but regardless of that, there were still other concerns that came with chains.] I meant don't overuse its powers, especially right now! [Since you're with Mr. Rely-On-Your-Own-Strength here.]

[flecks]

I see. And Asch told me enough.

[ 'Enough' isn't a lie, although not the most informing answer either. But he doesn't exactly feel like divulging their entire conversation, which included Leo asking about Elliot's sleeping habits. That would just be awkward, so 'enough' is where he intends to keep it at. It's not like every conversation he has with people is any of Elliot's business, master or not.

The remark about overusing powers gets something of a snort. As if. ]

It's fine, it's not dangerous to me. [ Okay, so technically it does strain his body, but at worst it will just make him pass out. His Incuse bears no hands and it never will. ]

[nobleminded]

["Too much" was probably more like it. When did he talk to Asch, anyway? Following this chain up to the room was more important now, though. He'd just yell at Asch later.

He almost felt like he was doing Arietta a disservice by having someone else use their chain to clear a path. Really, he should be doing this himself. But at this point, any way was better than none at all. Also Leo's comments are annoying him enough that he's not as focused on his noble pride.]

And what about all the other people here?! You said that mess when you first got here was because you couldn't control that!

[flecks]

[ Okay, fair enough. That question makes him falter a little. ]

That's— I let go. [ Of control. He hadn't really been in the best state of mind when he'd arrived, suffice to say. It might have been something of an overreaction if one were to put it mildly, but he'd panicked.

Jabberwock in the meantime reaches the entrance, the door now left unobstructed, and it stops there, turning it's big head around to look at its master and his companion. ]

It won't happen again. [ Leo stops by Jabberwock's side and, to make a point, he reaches up with the hand that's holding Elliot's wrist so he can put Elliot's hand on Jabberwock's cheek before he finally lets go of his wrist. ] See? It's fine.

[ All Jabberwock does is tilt its head curiously and, subsequently, into the touch. Totally harmless!! ]

[nobleminded]

You're right that won't happen again!

[Elliot's not even sure what to think when he touches Jabberwock. Was this supposed to ease his mind? True, it wasn't ripping off his arm or anything, but it was still a Chain. Now more than ever, Elliot was really not a huge fan of contracts. That thing wasn't Humpty Dumpty, but it didn't make it any less dangerous.]

I doubt it's truly "fine", but we don't have time to discuss this right now. [Translation: I totally want to bring this up later.

Elliot shakes his head and begins making toward the entrance. He was still used to the idea of Leo just following him. Jabberwock on the other hand...well, he had no control over it anyway.]

[flecks]

[ Leo offers no arguments, even if he doesn't feel like discussing it later. Or ever, really.

By all rights, he should probably hate Chains too, but Jabberwock has been a strange sort of comfort to him. A safety of sorts in a world where safeties were scarce. Nothing was going to change that.

He follows after Elliot just as automatically with Jabberwock in tow. He stops right before they enter though, turning back to his Chain instead. Both the door and the hallways are too narrow to comfortably navigate around in for Jabberwock and with the danger of the building's structure possibly collapsing further, it's not a risk Leo's willing to take. Jabberwock will still be there if its needed. He dismisses Jabberwock to going back to a reassuring weight in his mind, but not before he rests his head against Jabberwock's in a silent grateful gesture. Only after that does he turn back to Elliot to go inside. ]

Be careful.

[nobleminded]

[Elliot had been a bit too busy working his way in to watch that little bonding (?) moment, though he wasn't sorry to see that the chain was no longer in his vision. He knew all to well that it was still there, but at least its powers couldn't do as much to Leo right now.]

The stairs are probably the best way to go right now. We need to make it to the sixth floor and then back down.

[flecks]

Back down won't be a problem.

[ Jabberwock can easily fly them down, getting back won't present any difficulties in his mind. It's getting all the way up that concerns Leo more. The first floor looks relatively unscathed, but there's no doubt that the higher up they go, the more unstable their surroundings will be.

Still, he'll follow Elliot without question. Besides, now that he's inside . . . ]

Ah, maybe I can save same of the books too . . .

[nobleminded]

This place will be in worse shape by then!

[Yeah, he hasn't really considering catching a ride with a Chain.]

WHAT?! The books aren't living...!

[Wait, this is Leo he's talking to. He's still not completely positive Leo didn't agree to be his servant just for the library.]

We'll get Arietta first and see how well this place is standing, okay?!

[flecks]

We can leave through the window and fly down.

[ Jabberwock's wings aren't just for show after all and Leo has no qualms using his Chain that way. What else does he have it for? It can be plenty useful outside of battle too.

The remark about books might have not been entirely serious and so Elliot indulging comes as a pleasant surprise that gets a good-natured laugh out of him. Naturally, if possible, he would like to save at least the library's books. ]

Okay, okay. Did Asch name her? [ Because Arietta doesn't strike him as a name Elliot would have thought of. ]

[nobleminded]

Fly- Wait, you want to keep using that thing?!

[Riiiight, Leo, whatever helps you sleep at night. Or not sleep. He's pretty sure you'll save as many as you can if you get the opportunity.]

That's right! So if it's anybody's fault she hasn't gone back to where she came from, it's his!

[Because you totally don't know Elliot likes cats already, shut up.]

[flecks]

It'll be fine.

[ . . . Yeah okay, he would.

And really, that earns the most unimpressed, disbelieving look he can manage in the current situation. ]

Somehow I doubt that.

[nobleminded]

IT'S TRUE!

[No it's not. At least they're at the sixth floor now so Elliot can focus on throwing open the door?]

We'll have to search this whole unit for her!