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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[So, he'd been intending to get on one of the shuttles about an hour ago, but some of the people had started screaming about a missing child... so here he was, frantically searching one of the alleyways near the landing pad area and just praying that he's headed in the right direction.

Of course, that's when Nami calls. His voice probably sounds a little too casual for someone on the surface of something that will soon resemble a charcoal briquette, but he's a little busy right at the moment.]

I'm still down here, yeah. I've got that... GPS thingy, I think it's turned on.

Come on, kid, where are you...

[...goddammit, two people. And she's hardly going to yell when he's obviously looking for a child.]

You're running out of time, Ginko. [Stating the obvious, but she's pressing buttons, finding his GPS, and veering the shuttle in that general direction. Her tone strives for casual but it's tense as hell.] You know anything about this kid you're trying to find?

I know how close I'm cutting this, it's not like I want to be here... and I think he's orange.

[That's all the info he feels is relevant. They might have said something about him running off after an escaping pet, but he's not looking for whatever animal the kid lost, just the kid.

He also knows the kid's name, and he's calling it out now, along with some reassurances that he's just here to help and the fact that they really really need to go now.]

...orange.

[Well, at least he'll stand out.]

I'll be there in a second, help you look. [Up to the point continuing to look will just get them both killed, anyway.]

[He really doesn't want to get his captain killed, but then again he doesn't want to die either and he's not willing to give up his search until he has to, so he'll just say,]

Great, see you down here. I'm going to keep looking for now.

[A pragmatic man. Some could stand to learn from you, Ginko.

In the meantime, she comes screaming in a little fast in the shuttle, though she banks and settles into landing without issue. She hopes he's actually found the kid in the ensuing minutes, but when has she ever been that lucky? The hatch is flung open and she jumps down, hair whipping in the wind. That'll be... because of atmospheric disturbance. Everything feels wrong. It's close.]

Any luck?

[Yeah, it's getting really bad and he really wants to go, but... the kid.

He turns toward her, one hand up to shield his face from the wind as best he can. He raises his voice a little so he can be heard above the sound of it.]

No! He might have gone to ground, hidden away somewhere!

[In which case, they'll never find him.]

I want to try one more place, and then if we don't find him...

[He gestures in the direction he wants to go; it's another alleyway, the last one near the landing pad area that he hasn't searched yet.]

[She hates the idea of leaving a kid behind. But if he can't be found in time, he's going to die either way. Something turns over in her chest, nausea rises-- but it's not too late just yet. Nami nods sharply, already heading that way, likely just keeping pace.]

I'll help. [Hell, maybe he'll come out if a girl is involved. Less intimidating. She can hope.]

[Who knows, weirder things have happened.

He nods, saving his breath for calling out the kid's name as he moves quickly down the alleyway. Whatever side she picks, he'll start searching the other side, investigating any possible hiding spots as quickly as he can... until, after a few minutes of increasingly frantic searching, he spots something orange behind a pile of boxes.]

Nami! I think I found--damn!

[Apparently spooked by his sudden shout, the boy takes off running. Ginko makes a wild grab for the kid, but all he manages to do is rip a scrap of fabric off the kid's shirt.]

H-hey! Don't run off, we're trying to help you!

[Nami could try her soothing voice, but honestly she doesn't think there's enough time. Alerted by Ginko's yell and the sudden blur of orange, she turns in time to see the kid trying to veer around her presence and all but tackles him, which doesn't help his panic. Her arms wrap around him in a hug as he starts to struggle, voice by his ear.]

Hey! It's okay, it's okay-- [Sorry, kid, but she's not letting you go, please calm down.]

[The boy struggles briefly in her grip, but he stops quickly enough--whether it's because he's realized they're trying to help, or he's in some kind of shock Ginko really doesn't care. If it means they can get the heck out, he's happy.

He jogs over to the two of them, shooting anxious glances at the sky.]

Look kid, I'm sorry we had to do that, but we have to go. I promise your parents are safe, and we're going to take you to them now, okay?

[He will pick up the boy and carry him if he has to. Hell, at this point he'll pick up Nami too if it means they can get out faster.]

[No fear there. Nami happily surrenders the boy into Ginko's care and sprints back for the shuttle, flinging the hatches open and vaulting into the pilot's seat. By the time Ginko climbs in, the systems are climbing in volume to match the wind-- she's really not wasting any time. She's not sure if they can, and she still has to get Sam after this.]

You all set?

[Ginko will be running right behind her, boy slung over his shoulder (mostly because he's a little too large to carry under an arm). He wastes no time helping the boy strap into the nearest seat, and he throws himself into the next one immediately after.]

Go!

[He manages to fumble the straps into place right as he says it, and then he'll just hang on to the nearest solid object. This is going to be rough.]

[He's not kidding. Nami has to go get Sam, too, which means she's not playing gentle; the moment the kid's buckled in, she starts pulling off the ground, hatches closing. She doesn't take off at speed until he's buckled too, but that might be a little rough.]

Hope no one's airsick, I don't have time to be nice--

[LEAVING THE ATMOSPHERE DOUBLE SPEED. Thank god for pilot augments and extensive training.]

[Ginko will just. Uh. Close his eyes, clench his jaw, and hang on tight. He's never been comfortable with flying, but somehow it's better if he can't see how fast they're actually going--feeling it is bad enough. Anyway, even if he wanted to he can't really do much more but trust in Nami's piloting, and just try not to do anything to embarrass himself.

The boy seems to be doing better than Ginko, his eyes wide and locked on the forward screens, but he's just as quiet as she gets them the hell out.]

[The view as they hit the curve of the atmosphere is pretty impressive by now, and also pretty damn terrifying given how large that oncoming meteor is. Nami tries not to look at it because she's afraid she'll lose her nerve, swinging sharply up from here to the low orbit of the Bloodsport.]

Gonna drop you here. [Shaving time, shaving time-- it's far closer than the station itself. She ducks a small smile at the kid, trying to reassure through the sweat trickling down the side of her face.] This is safe, and I'll be back to take you to the station, okay? I just have to go pick up a friend.

[Ginko might be able to take the other shuttle if ti's back yet, but she suspects the other is also in use.]

[Pick up a--oh no, one of the crew is still down there?? And Nami is going back?? Ginko wastes no time hustling his way off the shuttle, not-so-gently shoving the kid ahead of him. If she's made up her mind to do it, arguing about it will only waste even more time, and probably get her and whoever's still down there all kinds of dead.

His expression is grim though, as he turns back to say what will hopefully not be the last words he ever says to her.]

Try not to die down there.

[Mad respect points, Ginko. Don't worry, she has no intention of dying, and her quick smile reflects that. She is kinda terrified, but to be perfectly honest her fury at Sam frigging Winchester being a martyr again overrides it.]

I'll check back in soon.

[She's taking off. Though she even waves at the kid before she zooms back down for that one last idiot.]

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the veil is thin . . .

C.

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