lights out!

[velveteened]

Date & Time: 4/20, all day
Location: the apartments!
Characters: everyone, tag yourselves in!
Summary: as detailed here, the power will be out from early morning to midnight this night.
Warnings: PROBABLY NOT? will update if need be.

[ catch-all log for blackout shenanigans! ]

Comments

[debtor]

[Allen blinks, turning his head towards her voice.

Major technical difficulties? No back-up generator?? THIS SOUNDS BAD.]

Can the elevator be fixed?

[whatsupcroc]

When we get power back, sure! In the meantime, we're stuck.

( She sighs. This is not the first time this has happened to Collette. )

You're not claustrophobic, are you?

[debtor]

No... [he trails off, squinting at the doors, then up at the ceiling. He's not afraid of them, but he doesn't particularly enjoy being stuck in cramped spaces.

At least she seems fairly relaxed about it.]

Do you know if getting the power back will take long?

[whatsupcroc]

Not a clue! Usually it's not down for long, but in theory, it could be for hours. I wonder if they'll send a rescue team... probably not.

( She sighs. )

Do our tablets work still?

[debtor]

Hours? [He can't mask the slight whine in his voice. He's got things to do! Lunches to eat!! He doesn't have time for this, and he's sure she doesn't, either.

There must be another way out, if it comes to that.]

—Um, I'm not certain. [Good question—

wait. He looks down at himself, patting his empty jacket.

Drat.] I... hadn't brought mine. Have you got yours?

[whatsupcroc]

( Collette twists around to shuffle through the contents of her satchel. She ends up pulling out a book, two pens, nine marks, and a candle. )

Um... no. Man, I knew I'd forgotten something!

( There went the easy answer. She snorts... then starts laughing. )

Help, we're caught in an elevator and we don't have our tablets to call for help? Hahaha, when does this happen in real life? This is silly!

[debtor]

[He opens his mouth, running a hand through his hair, about to say something,

but then she starts laughing, and he pauses. It is silly. He usually brings his tablet with him, too! Of all the times... This is just his luck, isn't it (a shame she had to get caught up in it.)

He doesn't quite join in, but there's a smile on his voice now.]

Perhaps we could shout? Somebody in the halls might hear us!

[whatsupcroc]

( She giggles as she considers his suggestion. )

What if they think we're ghosts? The spirits who haunt the elevator shaft!

( Now how likely that is registers pretty low on the scale, but the idea is amusing enough. )

I wonder if this elevator has a service door... did you know half of them don't? You see all these escape routes in movies that don't exist at all in real life. It's a total gyp!

[debtor]

Escape routes in 'movies'...?

[HE'S HEARD THAT WORD BEFORE a while ago, and he still has no idea what it means.]

[whatsupcroc]

You know, like with James Bond!

( Failing to understand the emphasis on the word movies. )

Where the action heroes all crawl out through the ceiling and climb up the cables to get out before something bad happens?

[debtor]

What? [Staring up at the ceiling again!]

Pardon— who is James Bond?

[whatsupcroc]

A spy! One of the best there is! At least I think that's what he's supposed to be. Don't tell me you don't know about Indiana Jones either!

[debtor]

He's a spy who crawls out of elevators?

[UM.] Indiana Jones?

[whatsupcroc]

( Collette laughs again, shaking her head. )

No, not just that! He jumps out of helicopters, escapes explosions, infiltrates like casinos or something, gets all the pretty ladies... you know, spy stuff!

( ................... only in modern America )

Man, that's just -- oh, wait a minute. Wait! Are you from Earth?

[debtor]

I haven't heard of... spies like that.

[Quickly:] But I am from Earth!

I'm from before movies, I think.

[whatsupcroc]

Hey, being from Earth is a good start! What year were you last in, do you even know? Movies are... well, these are all characters from movies. If you were born before films came out, of course you'd have no idea what I'm talking about!

Though you can trust me, both of these guys are very cool people, and they'd probably have a solution for us.

( She considers for a moment. )

So... are you a really patient person?

[debtor]

It was 1898. [(or thereabouts, CANON IS VAGUE)]

[He'll just take her word for it, re: Mr. James Bond and Indiana Jones.]

I'd like to think I am. [Maybe not really patient, but!] Why do you ask?

[whatsupcroc]

'Cause we can try to wait this out if you are, or we can formulate a daring, practical, and probably somewhat intelligent escape if you're not!

( Said so matter of fact and unconcerned. As if there were only two options in the world, and those were the two! )

1898... that was after the industrial revolution?

[debtor]

I think so.

[About the industrial revolution; it's not a phrase he hears often. He sounds distracted though, as he considers her first point.]

[. . .] You said there might be a service door in the ceiling?

[whatsupcroc]

There may! Or else in the side of the wall. Probably not the floor, that'd be an amazing safety hazard. Do you think you can even get past the lights to feel around on the ceiling?

( She might, as a cockroach, be able to figure it out. )

I might be able to, if you don't mind some light telepathy while I'm trying.

[debtor]

. . .Eh? [You've lost him again.]

What are you going to do?

[whatsupcroc]

Turn into a cockroach and walk across the ceiling looking for a lock.

[debtor]

Eh!? A-are you serious??

[whatsupcroc]

Yep! Really serious. You're not afraid of bugs or anything, are you?

( She pitches her tone as curious -- and concerned. No need to get squashed in the darkness because she hit a bug phobia! )

[debtor]

No- um, no, it's fine! [IS IT?? He's never met anyone who could turn into a bug, it's a bit of a shock.

But

it's true that an insect would probably be better at. crawling along the ceiling than him.]

If you'd like to...!