driftfleet | the veil is thin . . .

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the veil is thin . . .

[ On the night of the 16th, the feeling of tension and horrid anticipation comes to a head. Everything stops when the sun goes down-- even the ever-present music in the hoppingest part of the city center. One by one, everyone turns their eyes to the skies. The young and old alike pour out of their houses, some in bare feet, and they point to the velvety blanket of stars.

It takes a second to find it, especially if one is unaccustomed to the starscape. But even a casual observer can see it.

A brightly-shining star, larger than the others, and growing larger.

An announcement cuts across all communication channels that encourages people to evacuate to the space station, but it’s clear that these are just people and they’ll need some help. Supplies, equipment, organization, there’s something for everyone to do.

Civilization is disrupted by a panicked stampede of people vying for limited seats aboard spacefaring craft. Within hours, there will be crushed glass, looting, and chaos.

The clock is ticking. Will you help? Or would you rather watch the dying gasps of a Singing Planet from a safe distance? ]

[OOC: Please see this post for plot details. Phase two has begun! Feel free to use this post as a reaction post, mingle, etc. or make your own!]

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[Adalwolfe may not be able to feel Riona like Justice can but he can very well hear her, and after what sounds like her falling from a window to boot. (Of course he knows what it sounds like, why wouldn't he? He's knocked his fair share of people out of windows and was even defenestrated himself once. Long story. It's in the book.)

He races himself over, back flap on his robe flapping with the speed of his approach and the ground crunching under armored boots when he skids to a halt beside her and the spirit.]

We've got to get her to Anders.

[He looks at Justice a bit warningly but without explanation for it, then turns his attention to Riona proper.]

Are there people still in the house or did you jump for fun?

[Poor humor, but he hopes it'll serve its purpose and keeps her focused on the now instead of on her injuries.]

[Riona nearly jumps out of her skin when Justice appears literally out of thin air. Maker, she knows he's capable of some weird shit, being a spirit and all, but teleporting? Or was she really that unaware? But she could have sworn she didn't see him before...]

Yes, I am injured. I noticed.

[And before she can speak further, she hears someone else approach. Oh hey, it's Wolfe. Holy shit is she glad to see him. And thank you, Wolfe, for not appearing out of nowhere and giving her heart palpitations.]

There are people in there. They refuse to leave. I tried- [She groans as she turns a little bit, her muscles screaming at the movement. Her back did not like her moving that way.] They have a child. Tried getting her out and one of the parents or someone grabbed me. Tussled, and then I got shoved out the window.

[Yeah, Justice is surprised too, Riona. He catches the tail end of Wolfe's warning, but Justice assumes that he simply said or did something wrong and gives it no more thought than that. They have more important things to attend to right now.

Justice sends a glare up at the broken window, but the Warden Commander is his immediate concern. The family should be convinced to evacuate, but Justice doesn't know if he has the necessary convincing skills. Thank goodness Anders' boyfriend has arrived.] The child wishes to evacuate. Perhaps the parents can be convinced to leave for the sake of her well-being. [The child's fear rings like a bell, rising above the suspicion of her parents. Justice ignores it for the moment, closing his eyes and chasing a presence that's far more familiar instead, searching for Anders until he knows exactly where the healer is.

There will be too many wounded for one mage. Anders has mentioned using Justice to strengthen his healing. If now isn't a good time for that, Justice doesn't know what is.] I will go with you to Anders. He may need more power, and I can give it to him.

[Who the hell needs lyrium potions when you're friends with a powerful spirit? It's normal for healers to use spirits to boost their magic anyway--perhaps not usually such powerful spirits ~~or justice spirits that have possessed them before~~ but spirits nonetheless.]

[The moment Riona says there are still people in there, Wolfe is ready to go traipsing in. It's too late to be having arguments over the importance of getting the hell out of here. There's also precious little time to try and explain to Justice that logic does not work on people in these situations and the parents being 'convinced' is going to have little to do with their daughter and a lot to do with Wolfe threatening to bring the house down himself with them all still in it. Not that he would, but sometimes putting on a show as a scary glowing mage with his hands on fire serves a purpose.

What he does have time for, though, is to take a massive pause when Justice says he'll give Anders power. Every sort of alarm goes off in Adalwolfe's head and he shakes his head vehemently.]

No. I mean, yes, but you wait for me. I'll go get people out of the house first but don't you two go off without me.

[He's tense, terse, and for two people who didn't go through everything in Kirkwall with him (yet, in Justice's case), it may be jarring to hear Adalwolfe - a normally very affable and reasonable person - give legitimate commands in a tone that brokers no argument.]

[Okay, admittedly, Riona reels a bit at the thought of Justice lending Anders power, too, but she also knows that this is a drastically different situation than what happened back home. However, this isn't the time or place or anything to have that discussion. She's hurting, and that's her focus right now. If needed, she and Wolfe can have a chat about it later.]

Yes, need Anders and fine, do what you can Wolfe, but we're running out of time. Get the child, but screw the parents if it comes down to it. I'm not going to bleed out waiting for them. And be careful.

[Also, they shoved her out a window so really, they can die in a fire right now for all she cares. That's the pain and adrenaline talking somewhat, but at some point, some people just need to be left to seal their fate.]

[Justice doesn't like the idea of waiting while the Warden Commander bleeds out, but he trusts her judgment and holds his tongue. He respects her too much to question her right now.

He silently offers his shoulder for her to support her weight, his mouth a grim white line of concern. He is ready to leave Anders' boyfriend to handle the mortals. He's more qualified anyway, and Justice wouldn't like to leave the Commander alone right now.

Can he teleport her to Anders? He probably shouldn't try unless there's no chance they'll make it otherwise. He couldn't do that in Kristoff's body, so maybe mortal bodies just can't do that. Now doesn't seem like a good time to experiment.

Their concern about his lending power to Anders goes over his head. He doesn't know Wolfe well enough to recognize when he's acting weird (or weirder than normal), and he assigns any signs of discomfort to simple reluctance to use spirits in magic. As for the Commander, she is currently bleeding to death. He assigns signs of discomfort to that.]

I'll be careful of the window.

[He smirks at Riona in that sort of sympathetic irreverence that comes with being a somewhat unwilling but necessary hero and sprints into the building. Not long after there's shouting, more shouting, and then the tell-tale feeling of magic being called upon and a glow from the now paneless window. Adalwolfe's staff remains on his back, but his hand is just visible with the glow of magic. Casually he holds a lamp in the other hand like one would a hunted rabbit about to be skinned. Clearly he's threatening it. As ludicrous as that is, whatever words pass between him and the family seem to bring them to a decision and a moment later he's set down the lamp and moved out of the window's view, back towards the door. The family follows, albeit with various levels of unease.

When Wolfe emerges with the family behind him there's no sign he'd been about to use magic but a vague scent of ozone about his person. He talks over his shoulder at the soon to be refugees.]

Follow us and we'll take you to the last shuttle. And you'd better keep up because we're not stopping if you can't; my friend needs healing and I'm holding you responsible.

[He gets no response but an afraid and chagrined look from the one who'd tossed Riona from the window. The little child on the other hand seems to be temporarily in awe as she keeps tight hold of her parents hands, feet barely touching the pavement as they go.]

Can you do that glowing thing again?

[The best she can manage is a half-hearted glare for that jab, but says nothing otherwise as Wolfe takes off to save the day. Or at least the child, hopefully. When Justice offers his support, Riona takes it, leaning heavily on him as she tries to ignore the shooting pains in her back. Her arm hurts like a bitch, too, but her back is getting most of her attention at the moment. Broken bones can wait. A bleeding wound that she can't even reach around to suppress, not so much.

She watches what she can of the scene unfold in the second story window. There's some threatening going on, and she wonders for a moment if he's honestly going to use the magic forming in his hand. Whatever is said de-escalates the situation, and she's relieved to be seeing the family, especially the little girl, walking out.

That doesn't stop her from shooting a nasty glare at the one who pushed her out the window.]

Not that I'll be going that fast. Bit hard to walk after being shoved through a window and all.

[Justice is really hoping that Anders' boyfriend doesn't actually use magic. He would have to object to literally attacking the people they're trying to save, and they don't have time for that.

But he doesn't, and Justice would breathe a sigh of relief if he breathed outside of speaking. Justice spares a glare for the person responsible for hurting the Warden Commander, but dealing with that one isn't the priority. Justice starts walking with Riona, keeping his pace as quick as it possibly can be without hurting her.

It occurs to him that he may be able to help her pain. The thought is uncomfortable because typically only demons directly fiddle with mortal minds, but is it really the same when the intention is to help, and it's done with permission? Nathaniel would say it's not the same. Even so, he's not sure how comfortable he'd be messing with the Warden Commander's head.

But she's in pain. He can see it, in how she moves and how she talks and how she looks. He can help her. Is it not just to use what skills he has to help her?

He keeps his voice low when he speaks, since this is directed at her rather than the refugees.] It is not a substitute for healing, but I can ease the pain while we walk if you wish it.

[Riona at least should know him better than to think he would actually harm a soul in there, but sometimes the threat of it has to be used to get people moving. He's just glad he doesn't have to explain himself as neither of them mention it, or he would be if the second Justice opens his mouth doesn't immediately raise his hackles.]

I can do that with magic, thank you. Much safer.

[Not that his healing magic is anywhere near Anders' caliber, but he knows enough to slow the bleeding. He's just far too used to having Anders around to have thought of it earlier and he kicks himself mentally now. Even so, he casts the rudimentary healing magic impatiently, the blue glow knitting the wound so it doesn't gush freely. It's still an obvious wound, still needs real attention, but hopefully it'll get them to safety without much further ado or any interference from Justice.]

Come on, we don't have a lot of time.

[Not towards a person, no, but it would have been hella impressive if he'd like, blown the roof off or something.

Before Riona can even answer, Wolfe does so for her and casts some healing magic. There's a frown as she glances over at him. Even as she starts walking - well, limping - along so they can get moving, she's still mulling over what just happened there.

She has a strong suspicion she knows what that was really about, but this is so not the time to bring that up. Justice has no idea about his future, and honestly, she's not even sure she should be the one having that conversation with Wolfe and peeling back his feelings on the matter. Nonetheless, she's not going to let it totally slide, either.]

Thank you, Wolfe, but I can also decide what I'd like to have done with my own body. [Yeah, she's a bit peeved she had that decided for her.] You're both trying to help me, and I appreciate it.

Safer?

[Justice's voice is low because they don't have time and he has zero intention of arguing, but the word is out before he can stop it because the bristling is immediate. What does he mean, safer? A spirit's power is no more inherently unsafe than a mage's, and the implication that he would willfully put Riona in danger offends him deeply.

Up until now, Justice's awkward interactions with Anders' boyfriend could easily be chalked up to Justice being awkward and the man being a bit weird, but this is the first time that Justice has an inkling that this man may actually dislike him. Normally he's not one to really care about being liked or disliked, but to have his very safety for Riona questioned by someone so important to her and Anders feels like poison, like it could stain him if he's not careful.

A spirit of valor or courage might rise to this implied challenge, but it's not in Justice's nature to put personal offense over the safety of others. He shuts his mouth and focuses on supporting the Warden Commander. Whatever this was, whether distrust or simple insensitivity, it doesn't need to be dealt with now.

Riona knows that his offer stands if she so desires it, and he is doing what he can to get her to Anders. That's all that matters right now.

(Doesn't stop him from being offended, though.)]

[He doesn't elaborate on what makes it safer, instead busy being cowed by Riona.]

Sorry, you're right.

[Not that he regrets it. Whatever Justice was going to do he's far more comfortable having waylaid the spirit. Which he does understand is likely going too far. Justice wouldn't intentionally hurt Riona, he knows that. Nor would he intentionally hurt Anders. It's the intentionally clause that gets under Adalwolfe's skin. Justice was warped and changed and that's really the only way Wolfe ever knew him and so he immediately believes the worst of his control, whatever his intentions.]

Anders'll right it anyway. He should be with the shuttles. It's not a long way.

[Which is good because the monstrous comet taking up a large view of the sky is terrifying enough without worrying that they're not going to make it to the shuttles.]

[No, this isn't the time for an argument. Luckily her temper's better than what it used to be, for the mots part. It's hard to ignore how slighted Justice feels, and not sticking up for him, but that can come later. Instead, she smiles at Justice.]

We best just get to Anders as soon as possible. If the healing takes awhile, I'll take you up on your offer.

[If they don't get to the shuttles soon, none of this is gonna matter. Riona doesn't feel like getting obliterated today, thanks.]

You're definitely sure he hasn't left for the station? He was heading there to help with healing, last I heard.

[Riona, as usual, makes him feel a bit better. It doesn't ease the offense entirely, but he cares more about her opinion than that of a man he barely knows and who barely knows him. She knows that Justice would never hurt her. She trusts him with his power, even if it's strange to her.

Which is good, because his power is just going to keep being strange.] I know where he is. [He knows it just like he knew where Riona was when she got hurt. Anders is familiar and important to him, a presence that he can find just as easily as he can find his own hand.] He is healing refugees in the station.

[And there are a lot of refugees, which is why Justice believes that Anders can use the help a spirit can provide.]

Once we are there, I can lead us to him.

[In this, Wolfe doesn't have an issue. A spirit as a tracking hound is just helpful and doesn't get his hackles up too badly, though he does balk for a moment mentally that Justice just somehow knows where Anders is until he remembers that Cole could do the same thing and has to remind himself yet again that Justice isn't "connected" to Anders in any special way just yet.]

Good, that saves us some time.

[He looks over his shoulder to make sure the family is keeping up - they are, though one of the parents has had to pick up the child to keep pace - then turns the corner to the landing pads.]

We'll have to use the shuttle one of you came down in; I was dropped off.

We can use mine. It's over there, the one jutting out a bit between that red one and the one with the large scrape along the side.

[It's a little ways down the landing pad, but not terribly far.]

Any further inkling on Anders, Justice?

There are many people to heal. He will overextend himself if he is not careful, but not before we arrive. [Justice's frown is slightly more confused than his usual frown. This is weird. Since when is Anders the type to push himself to the brink for strangers?

But it's been ten years for him. Anders told him that people change when he brought up his dramatic personality shift. But Riona hasn't changed that much in the same amount of time.

Once again, Justice gets a nagging sense that something weird happened with Anders, but he pushes it down. Now's not the time to focus on that. The point is that Riona needs to get from here to the station without dying, and Justice will be available to lend his power to Anders once they're there.

Once they're at the ship, Justice continues offering support to Riona as they climb on board. Almost there, almost there.]

[Seeing as helping a fully-grown injured adult is a two person job, Wolfe does help to get Riona situated and comfortable on the shuttle. Hopefully also horizontal, though if she refuses that he still insists on the seat with the most cushion left in its upholstery. He takes great care not to brush Justice though. Not through any bombastic and obvious action, Wolfe just always seems to be across from the spirit instead of beside him until the point when Riona is settled and he slides into the pilot's seat. He's not the best pilot, not with his augment in communications, but he does know enough to get them in the air and the autopilot tends to do the rest.]

Everyone strapped in tight?

[She's as horizontal as she can be with a large piece of glass in her back. It's awkward, but for now she's on her side, leaning on the good arm while trying to keep the broken one still. This is not going to be a fun ride.]

More or less.

[Justice is too distracted by Riona to notice that Anders' boyfriend seems to be avoiding even touching him. He is continuously aware of the weird tension coming off of him, though, and it's frustrating but not important at the moment.

Justice straps in next to Riona's head, ready to steady her if the turbulence threatens to throw her off her seat or possibly re-injure her. He is also ready to help ease the pain if it becomes too much.

He takes a moment to glance at the family to make sure they're strapped in (if grudgingly) before nodding to Anders' boyfriend.]

Let us leave this planet.

[Wolfe wishes they could have just pulled the glass shard out of Riona's back safely, but it would very likely have made the wound worse and his healing magic is not so good as to stop major hemorrhaging. Maybe he should talk to Anders about about strengthening that school of magic once they're out of this mess. Maybe even spirit healing, if Anders really thought he was able.

Or maybe not. He's already had about enough of spirits for now.]

Hold on to your butts!

[And away they go, a bit jerky but as smoothly as he can manage. Once they're in the air, he tilts the shuttle up, trying to find a good angle at which to break the atmosphere. In doing so, there's a clean view out the side of the approaching comet, looming large from the aft, large enough to blot out the entire viewport.]

Andraste's pointed crown...

[Riona grimaces as they take off, trying to keep herself as still as she can. The turbulence of he take off makes it difficult, and her injured arms shifts, making her bite back a shout. What she wouldn't give for some elfroot right now.]

That's, ah. That's not something you see every day.

[It's hard to see it, from her angle, but she can make out the top of it.]

[Watching Riona wincing and paling at the slightest movement of her arm makes Justice feel utterly useless. He can't steady her broken arm without possibly hurting it more. He can't pull out the glass from her back. He can't do anything.

He almost offers to ease the pain again despite Anders' boyfriend's clear distaste and despite the fact Riona probably still knows that the offer is open, but then he sees the meteor.

He's frozen, trying to comprehend what he's seeing, so magnificent and destructive and utterly indifferent. He can't speak, all his breath stolen by the sight.

It's beautiful.

And then something happens--the meteor gets too close, they get too close, something that Justice doesn't understand immediately, and it's like a wave slams into the ship. The hit almost throws Justice from his seat even with straps, slamming the straps into his chest with bruising force.]

[A thousand alarms and flashing lights start blaring across the console and Adalwolfe tries desperately to quell them once he gets his bearings again. The sudden advent of concussive force sent his face into the console and he's bleeding from a small cut above his eyebrow. Nothing major, but bleeding from the head always looks far worse than it is.

After a moment he starts swearing and fighting to untangle himself from the seatbelt, fighting against gravity the whole way as the shuttle starts to lurch gut-wrenchingly to one side.]

The stabilizers are out, they have to be reset manually or we're going to get sucked right back into the atmosphere.

[Adalwolfe doesn't have time to wonder how he knows that at all, instead concentrating on making it to a panel near the back of the shuttle in order to reset the stabilizers as the ship keeps keening further and further to the side.]

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