[Open log]

[halfcow]

Characters: Ryoki + everyone
Location: Around Death City
Rating: R
Time: 15th/16th night. It starts at 22pm, ends around 3am.
Description: Ryoki goes mad.

For details please check here (ooc information post).
If you would like to join, just comment to the ooc information post to let me know what your plans are, and join the log.

Comments

[exploding_kunai]

It was normal for Ran Fan to panic whenever Ling went missing, but seeing the commotion as she checked the town tonight increased her worry tenfold. And so she had run into the burning building when she reached it. She wasn't quite sure why she had headed into such a place, but somehow she had a feeling...

Pulling the collar of her uniform above her nose, she began running up the stairs, passing a small group of people that were either evacuating oddly late or had received some assistance. She wasn't even sure which floor she ended up on, but she burst into the hallway just in time to see the prince beginning to collapse. The flames were so bad here she knew the structure would give way at any second. So, still not wasting any time, she raced forward, dodging spots of fire and holding her breath as well as she could.

She reached him right as the beam began to fall. With no other choice, she crouched low in her run and reached forward to get a hold of his sides, immediately pulling him onto her shoulder as she straightened. She could feel the lick of the flames as the beam landed not more than a foot behind them.

Ran Fan never stopped running, however. She dashed to the other end of the hall and into that stairwell. She began descending as quickly as she could, jumping down several steps at a time when she was able. She finally paused for a moment once she reached the ground floor, trying to quickly reassess the situation.

so Shiru said I should pop in...

[sostaygold]

He needed to comb the area for more scattered victims, of course, because it seemed like that strange boy had left nothing but destruction in his wake; but Allen found himself more worried, for now, about the apartments. Not because they contained his belongings, since all he had he'd owned for less than a week, anyway -- but because city fires were disastrous and despite how different this place was, things seemed to burn just as easily.

Accordingly, he'd made that his first priority, making his way there as quickly as humanly possible. It became a little more difficult the closer he went because there seemed to be some crowds milling in soot-stained, weary confusion, but there was a relief in that, too.

Maybe he had worried needlessly, after all.

Nevertheless, he decided to make sure, weaving his way quickly and unobtrusively to the entrance.

It didn't take him long after that to spot the two figures at the end of the hall, a familiar sort of silhouette; perhaps that had been what he'd looked like not so long ago in the street. He approached them with a concerned look at the slumped form leaning against the young woman with the sharp eyes.

Another attack? Another attacker?

"Pardon me, milady... What happened?"

[forhispeople]

\o/ Ran Fan can also jump in whenever

[sostaygold]

"There are two children unaccounted for?" Allen nearly bolted for the stairs right then -- because he hadn't seen children among those outside, which meant they could be anywhere.

Knowing young children, knowing what they were like when frightened and knowing how many strange corners there were in a building like this -- moreover, knowing the state of the adults outside and that they wouldn't have had the attention to spare for ensuring the young ones' safety, not really...

There was no time to waste. But he did need to know one thing, his grip on the pipe at his side tightening as he asked, urgently, "I'm sorry, sir, before I go... Did you see anyone physically attacking or otherwise harming the ones living in this building?"

The man in question looked more bedraggled than truly injured, but Allen would be no help to those he needed to find if he wasn't prepared for an ambush.

[OOC: Almost forgot, but there is no minding here! :p I am down with that arrangement.]

[forhispeople]

[sostaygold]

"Understood." But when Ling made to rouse himself, Allen started forward almost automatically, one cloth-wrapped hand coming up to either support or stop him -- whichever might end up being needed.

"But they may not be on the stairs. I will go into the upper levels and find them." Not 'search for them'; find them. "You are in no condition to exert yourself, sir, and--"

There followed a moment of silence as Allen stopped himself cold. A moment's thought passed before he set his jaw and nodded, firmly.

"And if they may be outside, then milady can help you search the crowds. Please leave this to me."

He didn't wait for an answer before he turned and took off running. No more time to reason with the stranger, who seemed the stubborn sort; he tugged another ragged strip of sweater over his nose and mouth, narrowed his eyes against the smoke, and forged ahead without looking back.

[forhispeople]

[sostaygold]

The mention of Kanji's name gave him pause -- this must be Ling, and he was probably responsible for the sooty but safe crowds outside -- but Allen had done what he could, and if the other man decided to throw himself forward anyway there was nothing more for it without losing more time. He could only hope that the young woman was able to succeed where he could not.

The smoke wasn't too bad here in the lower floors, but there also didn't seem to be a living soul left -- only the low roar of the fire above and the strained sound of his own breathing, the pounding of his heart.

He stopped a moment, trying to quiet himself. He needed to be able to hear the slightest sound, not huffing and puffing louder than the fire.

[forhispeople]

[sostaygold]

He'd half expected the voice at his back, but it still made Allen jump a little and whirl around, fist clenching around the pipe at his side and half-bringing it up in a defensive reflex. Even if Ling had said there were no other attackers, his nerves were still worn raw by the earlier fight, and the injured, and everything else.

It was definitely proving to be a pretty jumpy night for him.

Once the initial reaction passed, though, there was just confusion. "But you are not responsible for me -- you did not send me, I just--"

It was perhaps luck that distracted them from that argument right then; Allen froze again at the noise and after a moment, simply shook his head, tapped Ling on the shoulder and took off for the next floor. Still no time to argue -- he was going to be the one feeling responsible now if Ling didn't come out all right, but he didn't exactly have the authority to command an older stranger any more than he'd already tried.

[forhispeople]

[sostaygold]

He blew out a mildly irritated breath at the man's attempts at persuasion -- did they really have the time for lighthearted jabs and ideal-mongering just now? Admittedly he was pretty on edge, but still.

A moment later, Allen stopped his steps again with a small sigh; there was a certain logic to Ling's latter statements, but at the same time... "You say you saw them before, yes? Would they not be more trusting of you, since you are not a complete stranger?"

He kept his voice hushed, hoping not to startle the children into putting themselves in danger somehow, if they were here. The flames hadn't quite gotten here, but the smoke made moving around hazardous. "The floor is small enough that we can easily keep in sight -- let us each check one side. I still think it's best not to startle them with the both of us at once."

[forhispeople]

[exploding_kunai]

Ran Fan had tried to judge the best path out of the building and had already started running again when she felt him moving. She slowed a few moments later when she was fairly certain they were in an area that would remain safe for a while longer.

"M-Master?" She didn't fully turn her head to look at him due to...the way she had been forced to carry him, but she tilted her head toward him, waiting for any more movements or for him to say something.

[forhispeople]

[exploding_kunai]

She frowned in concern at his cough, attempting to wrack her brain for something she could do about that on top of everything else. Reluctantly, she came to a full stop and knelt down so his feet were in contact with the floor. Ran Fan tried to be careful when she released him so she didn't do any further harm.

"Sir."

She stayed in this almost bow, looking at him in concern. Was he really well enough to move on his own...?