driftfleet | 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!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

_{[Yuri is on edge, the panic is getting to him and the chaos... oh the chaos is almost too much to handle. He's doing his best unloading people from the ship and getting them organized on the space station so that another ship can unload into the place. He is also working on distributing medicine, water, food, and clothes... Hey, surviving on the space station was as important as getting there in the first place.

He cringed when he overheard Vash yelling though. It was all coming to a head. He approached his captain.]}

I think it's better to not yell at them. They don't listen if everyone is yelling... take a break and get some ice. You've got a nasty bruise starting, Vash...

Yeah, well, fighting over resources won't help anyone either. [Vash stares down the looter he was just shooting at as he calmly rests his hand over the pistol weapon he keeps holstered at his side at all times. For all the silliness and the clowning around that Vash normally behaves he can be just at threatening.

There's something about the way Vash stands confident, angry, yet relaxed combined with his cold, humorless eyes that has the looter back down and walk away with their head down ashamed.]

[His eyes track the man until he's a fair distance away and never looses that calculating look in his eyes.

Or, at least not until the man is completely out of ear shot. Then Vash slumps over and lets out a gasp of air as if he had been holding his breath that whole time.]

Phew! That was lucky! I'm glad he decided to walk away. I didn't think he'd buy my bluff! That was scaaaaaaaaaaaa-RY!

[Vash's smile is back on his face once again. At least, it will be for while Yuri is around.]

_{[Cue him staring like a deer in the headlights for a second here. He had never seen this tough Vash. He's... quite frankly he's terrifying. He isn't even looking a Yuri and the skater is frozen in place just by Vash's expression. He's dangerous.

But then that melts away and it's like it never happened. Obviously, this is just Vash putting on his serious business cap and not the real him. He would never really do that. Of course he was bluffing!\}

I think you were the scary one there. That guy couldn't get away fast enough. I think he'd have been running away if he walked any faster... but seriously you have a bruise. Come on, I have some ice to put on it. Take a break, okay?

Edited 2017-09-23 04:32 (UTC)

Hahaha. You think so? I really was that scary? I'm not usually that good of an actor. [Partly because he wasn't acting and can really be that scary if he must.] --Oh? A bruise! [He reaches up and winces as his fingers brushes the purple-grey color.]

Yeah, well-- [He hesitates and looks around. There must be something else he should be doing to help out with the evacuation, but for now things have gone back to normal. At least until the next squabble starts up, but at the moment people are fleeing in peace.

Still, Vash will have trouble stopping to take care of himself without just a bit more prodding from Yuri.]

Yeah, I froze in place and you weren't even looking at me. You're good at that. _{[He smiles as he presents his ice pack.]}

Well, nothing! I've got some water and a few protein bars too. Come on, that's enough. You aren't going to be a help to anybody if you wear yourself out. Sit down, put some ice on that bruise.

How did you even get that anyway? _{[Look at him being kinda tough.]}

[Things were running a bit better now...] Alright, I suppose it couldn't hurt. [Yuri does have a point. Even Vash knows he can't keep going on and on for days without a break here and there.]

Thanks. [He takes the offered ice pack and puts it gently against his cheek.] Well, there was a shuttle with only one seat left and about forty people who wanted it. [He shrugs. He could understand the people's panic and need to get off the planet, but it wasn't like the shuttle wasn't coming back.] I stepped in to try to explain there were more ships coming.

I just chose the wrong time to step in.

I don't think there's a good time to step in right now, Vash... it's just how people are going to be. You did a good thing, though. They'd have trampled each other for that one seat or even compromised the shuttle... it's awful.

_{[He offers Vash the water and protein bar he has.]}

It's hard to think just a little while ago this was a flourishing community.... Victor and I went shopping here. I... we got an ornament handmade here... pretty soon it'll be the only one...

Hey... do you need to sleep?

You think so? [He looks as if that thought hadn't even crossed his mind. Trying to downplay what he had done. Although he knew that is exactly what might have happened if he didn't stop the fight as it began.] I guess I didn't think of that. I just don't really like to see people fighting is all.

[He takes the offered water and protein bar with a small sigh as Yuri tells him about the ornament.] Yeah. It's amazing how things can change so quickly. You better hang onto that ornament and take good care of it. There will be no replacing it now.

[He shakes his head at the idea of taking a longer break to sleep.] No, not right now. I'm fine to keep going.

Oh... well.... _{[Vash hadn't thought of that? Surely he had... he was being nice since Yuri was terrible at this stuff. He had never had to evacuate people before. He's never had to do any of this before. He is reminded of the memory of Vash's that he saw. Those ships going to a planet... had Vash been in this situation beyond that? Why were they coming to that new planet? What happened to their last one...?]}

Yeah... I wish we were able to save those things too... it's scary to think that everything they ever knew, their homes and their possessions... it'll be like they were never here at all. Pretty soon they'll just be memories. _{[Just like all of them, just like right now. Someday he will go home and all of this that they have here... it will just be in his mind if that.]}

Can I help you at all, Vash? You must be exhausted. How long have you gone without a break?

Memories are powerful and important. People are strong. These buildings around us may be gone in a bit, but where there is life there is hope. I have absolutely no doubt when this is all over their home will be even better than before.

[He speaks with full conviction in what he says. He really believes with how so many people are coming together to help each other that the people of this world will be alright in the end.

And then he goes right back to his lies in his next statement.]

And I'm taking a break right now! So pretty much no time at all! I'm still ready to keep going!

the veil is thin . . .

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