Arrival

[gale_force]

(( Nexus, LOL -- this takes place in the same day that Gale tests the Atma supplement, so his sight is still wonky. ))

So this was Roland's world. Fred's world. David's world. The world beyond the Junkyard. It seems . . . dark. There's no wind here. The air is stagnant, but for sluggish drafts that prowl around the angular forms of buildings and

Comments

[victoria_sage]

Victoria shudders upon their arrival. The feel of Old Portland, and more importantly, it's chi, remind her too much of Hub City. She reels from the input, putting a hand to her forehead as her grip slackens. The city feels like it's burning. It's touch makes her skin crawl.

"Nngh."

Then she hears the voice. Needs her, needs her hands needs her to stay.

She shakes her head, acknowledges the city with a slow breath, then answers Gale more properly, "I am...I am fine. We must continue if Cielo is to be located." Her voice is unusually flat.

[gale_force]

He's about to protest that she should return to New York, but decides that it's only wasted breath; she wouldn't agree to it anyway. He decides to just call her bluff. "Please, promise that you will tell me if something is wrong."

He pauses, giving her hand another squeeze.

"If you intend to stay, I will need your help." He hesitates again. "I cannot see as well here."

[teradyne]

Gale and Vic aren't the only ones to become breathless and unnerved when they arrive in the underground city. Argilla's eyes dart around once the PINpoint light clears away as she tries to take in where they are. The first thing she realizes is that the place is -dark.- No traces of sunlight anywhere, and everything looks like there's a layer of grime coating it. In some ways, it's reminiscent of the Junkyard. And everywhere she looks, there's some sort of wall or ceiling made out of stone and dirt.

"How far underground are we?" She wonders out loud as she continues to glance around. She looks back over at Gale and Vic, and see's that they're not reacting well to the new surroundings at all. "Gale, Roland, permission to form an expedition group? I think that Gale and Victoria should stay in the middle while we're moving."

[gale_force]

Gale looks to Argilla and Roland and nods. "Affirmative." The lapse into Junkyard formalities is comforting.

He hopes the side effects of the supplement wear off quickly; having his sight impaired is frustrating, to say the least. Especially when his comrades need him.

"Let us proceed." He takes a few tenative steps in a likely direction, still keeping Vic in tow.

[gale_force]

Heat doesn't get to see any action, unfortunately. The alleys and streets finally lead to the much sought-after gate. It's big, and metal and looks like it could get hit with a semi charging at eighty without showing a dent. Of course, this gate isn't brutalized so much by wayward freight trucks as by demons and the occasional bomb.

A complex, reinforced locking mechanism covers the surface.

Gale takes his cue to stop from the rest of the group. He's been uncharacteristically quiet. Thinking.

So there was a faction that preyed on the Lokapala...but was hostile towards the Society...hmmm...

(( New thread to avoid screen squeeeezy. ))

[sublime_bolt]

*After the group arrives safely at the entrance, Roland walks slowly to the gate. He stops in front of a small, electronic lock that connects itself to the door. Turning to face the group, Roland's eyes seem to rest on Fred. He's surprised the boy hasn't said anything to him yet.*

"I'll get the gate open. I'll fair warn you guys, however, that the guards might be on edge. Try not to overreact until I get them calmed down."

[gale_force]

Gale leans accordingly, and nods, looking at the place where Fred's face should be. "From what I have observed, they have very good reason to be."

... And especially now, if there does prove to be a third party involved in this conflict.

He can hear the door opening, and stands at his full height, trying to make his posture as non-threatening as possible, even if he does feel on his guard.

There's a long, nervous silence from the other side of the gate and then...

"ROLAND! Fred!" Which degenerates into conspiratorial muttering as they catch sight of the Embryon and Victoria. There's the click of guns being readied and trained on targets. These unknowns might be with the Society. Maybe they took Roland and Fred hostage and forced them to open the gate?! Bastards.

[ziohazard]

Just Roland mentiosn Cielo, something akin to a soccer ball rockets past Roland and right at Gale's face. When it hits, there's a stunned sort of silence, and the culprits glance around nervously. The culprits happen to be a group of children and a slightly taller boy with dreadlocked hair...

Just as Cielo looks up, all of the children point to him.

"Cielowastheonethatkickedit!!" One of the smaller children blabs at light speed.

Cielo frowns down at the kid, pouting a bit. "Some brudda you are!" Then, he sees Gale.

"GALE, BRUDDA! An' Vic! An' Roland!" He all but pounces onto his comrades.

"So glad you could make it!" If an emoticon could describe Cielo's face right now, it'd be ":D!!!"

[gale_force]

Gale is a little stunned by the unexpected convergence of his face and something round...and bouncy. He starts, and takes a step back before shaking his head. When he blinks his eyes into focus, the first thing Gale sees after several hours of blindness is Cielo's ":D!!!" and bouncing dreadlocks. Could be worse.

He returns Cielo's hug with a pat on the back. "Cielo -- I am pleased to see you are well."

He rubs the stinging buzz from his forehead and looks around Old Portland now that -- with the divine intervention of sporting equipment -- he can properly see it. Like his other comrades, he can't help but feel like he's returned to the Junkyard. There's that horrible stillness of unseen, lurking danger.

[victoria_sage]

Vic leans over to Gale when he starts glancing around. Her tone is quiet and conspiratorial.

"Your vision has returned, assume? Have things to do, people to see here."

She gives the children (and Cielo) a mildly disapproving sort of look. "...Need to be more careful."