the veil is thin . . .

[thespaceopera]

[ 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!]

Comments

final hour

[aspearing]

[ Alisha's helping out all she can on her end - but, she knows that it's time to get going. If they stay here for any longer - then it'll be bad news for all of them. She calls to Sorey as she helps one more person board the shuttle. She wants to stay to help everyone - as many people as she can, but...

She turns towards Sorey, brows furrowed. ] Sorey! We're running out of time!

[monolike]

[Sorey, out of breath from where he's carrying a grandmother on his back over to the rest of her family, lets her down and looks up at the sky turning tons of horrible and terrifying colors around the bright, burning coal of the meteor.] ...you're right, [he pants, wiping sweat from his face and nodding.] You should get going. I'll catch the next one with the rest of the evacuees.

[aspearing]

[ She approaches Sorey quickly then, wanting to lend a hand as they speak. She knows how stubborn Sorey can be - or rather, she at least has an idea of that. At the same time, it doesn't quite sit well to just leave people here when they have a little more time, too. ] if we double our efforts, we can get more people onboard. But, we have to hurry.

[ She has no intention of letting him die here. ] Please.

[monolike]

[Sorey wouldn't ever refuse her help, though it is getting much more dangerous and he'd likewise be happy to see her get to safety. Still...this is Alisha. She would never just leave people in danger, not while she can still move.]

Of course, [he nods to her, and together they usher people into the shuttle to capacity as the next one descends.] Start on that next one? I'll be right over.

[aspearing]

Understood!

[ She does as Sorey suggests then, helping to guide those who needed the help onto one of the shuttle. However, it isn't long before she realizes that they're running out of time - they'll have to hurry if they want to survive. ]

Sorey! We're out of time!

[monolike]

There's still people who need help, [Sorey shouts back over the roar of the shuttle's engines kicking back on. He can still see groups of people waiting to be picked up by returning shuttles, clustering together.] You go ahead Alisha, I'm gonna get everybody left together!

[aspearing]

I won't leave you behind! [ Alisha answers near instantly, shaking her head. There's no way that she could. What kind of friend would she be if she did that? What kind of knight or princess would she be? ] Let me be the one to help them instead!

[monolike]

[Okay see but this is the difficult part, because anything Sorey could say to get her to stay, she could throw back into his face for being a huge hypocrite. Sorey glowers for a moment before reluctantly climbing up into the shuttle beside her.] No- you're right. There are other people helping them; we need to go.

[.............except he absolutely plans to jump from the shuttle right as it's taking off. At least Alisha will be on her way to safety then, even if she is angry at him for it.]

[aspearing]

Sorey!

[ The instant that Sorey moves to jump is the instant Alisha reaches for him. Didn't he just say that they both needed to go? Though, there's still a chance that Sorey will be too fast for her to reach him... ]

[monolike]

I'm sorry-! [Oh Alisha....please don't hate him for this.

She snags the edge of his Shepherd's glove and he just sheds it, leaves her standing there and clutching it as he just barely makes it out past the doors as they're closing. He just can't leave anyone behind, not even temporarily, not even for her.]

[aspearing]

[ She calls for him again, prepared to jump after him - but she's stopped by others in the shuttle. Though she attempts to go after him again and again, she's stopped.

Please be okay, Sorey.

(but honestly, what the hell). ]