eighth lesson | How To Survive A Nuclear Explosion

[shotasensei]

[ACTION; 1446 Mitchell Road]

[Oh, god.

Negi was asleep when it happened, and had woken up to the smoking ruins of his room. His homework had been incinerated, his staff and ring were missing (again) and he couldn't cast magic. As if the dronings of some of his class wasn't enough, now he had to deal with this

Comments

Action ☆ Around Town

[badend_replay]

Are you seeking a particular corpse?

[ Rika, queen of eloquent phrasing, started following him around after she saw him bring out the first body. His behavior is a bit worrisome to her. ]

[shotasensei]

[Negi pauses for a moment, then turns around, trying to smile to reassure her. It takes a lot of effort, though, and it quickly slides off his face.]

...not really. It's just that some of these were my students, and as their teacher, the least I can do is pay my respects.

Action 1446 Mitchell Road

[atent_dead]

[Granny is maintaining her composure. There's a reason she's the one they call when people are dying]

Negi, ye hurt?

[shotasensei]

[He's shaking. Just a little bit--he's seen his village turned to stone before--but seeing the people you cared for being turned to stone and knowing that there's probably a way to cure them is vastly different from seeing them dead and knowing there's nothing you can do about it.

At the very least, though, he can try to be strong. Awfully hard to do right now, but he's trying.]

No, I'm...I'm fine. Thank you.

[atent_dead]

Good.

We should make sure the others made it. Do right by the ones that didn't much as we can.

[shotasensei]

Yes.

[He looks up from the corpse, and it's obvious that he's holding back tears. It's time to be strong, now.]

I'll go get supplies. Will you be okay, Esme-san?

Action; town

[gonnamarrydaddy]

[Yuna wanders up slowly to stand beside Negi while he's holding a minute of silence for drone!Chisame. Just keeping quiet for the moment.]

[shotasensei]

[It starts when he shakes, just a little bit. Then it turns into violent trembling, until finally he just can't hold it in and reaches for the nearest person, in this case, Yuna.

It's a moment of weakness, he knows. But seeing this, and knowing he couldn't do anything to stop it, has taken its toll on him. He failed in protecting them, when he vowed to do so, and now he needs someone to hold on to, a shoulder to cry on.

Kid's shaking and sobbing, now.]

I...I couldn't protect them...

[gonnamarrydaddy]

[Yuna crouches down a little to hug Negi back, squeezing tight and rubbing his back gently while he cries it all out. If there's one thing she's oddly pretty good at, it's repressing bad feelings like this, so currently she's actually providing a pretty good bastion of calm against Negi's outpouring of emotion.]

Sshhh... it's okay. This wasn't your fault, Sensei.

[shotasensei]

[He stays like this for a moment, just sobbing in her arms, then breaks away, his hand moving to wipe the tears away from his face. It's time to be strong, now, time to be brave in the face of danger.]

Thank you, Yuna-san. Are you okay?

[answerer_sword]

Are you sure you should be running around like this?

[Bazett had gone looking for her allies; she has now found a child. A little boy who looks a little too brave and determined given that he had no adult companions.]

If you wish, I could escort you to your destination. It is not safe for children to be travelling alone in an environment like this.

[Apocalyptic events had a tendency to drive formerly unrelated people into cooperating in hopes of ensuring survival. The best of worst of human nature would be clearly shown in these situations.

[Perhaps living in Mayfield made her soft, but she felt an urge to protect the child or at least get him to an adult who could.]

[shotasensei]

[Negi stops, then turns to give her a reassuring smile. Unfortunately, it falls straight off his face.]

No, I'm fine. Thank you, but please, don't worry about me.

[answerer_sword]

You don't look like it.

[The boy is obviously pushing himself beyond his limits, emotionally if not physically.]

I have no specific destination of my own. I'll escort you to where you need to be.

[Even if this child is a mage or has some other power, his youth means that he is inexperienced. She would help watch his back, if nothing else.]

[shotasensei]

[...she has no idea. But nevertheless, this is something he feels he has to do by himself. He can't involve a stranger in this, they might be harmed.]

Thank you for the concern, but I'll be fine.