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

[edwinjarvis]

[He gives a nod, clapping his hands together.]

Now that I can certainly handle. Patience and carefully verbalized sympathy is a virtue in these situations. Tense as they may be. [He looks fond, though.] It's hard to turn off the military mode, I am well aware. I suppose I was just never built for the stature in the first place.

[He had been an aide. There's a reason he picked that role -- because a lot of other areas in the military were not his cuppa. He wanted to help and make a difference, but also appease his family, after all.]

[uprightness]

We're lucky to have you.

[ steve nods, looks around them at the swarms of people running to safety, carrying bags of valuable things on their shoulders and hurrying their children as they go. ]

Some situations call for more than just soldiers.

[edwinjarvis]

[He chuckles, humored.]

Mr. Rogers, you know -- I was a soldier.

A general's aide, in fact. I was just not a very good one.

[Did he ever learn about that... ugly part of his life? Well. He supposes if anyone would understand, perhaps it would be Steve. Ever since the calibrations, he's felt... less ashamed of himself. Not of the deed, of course, but of what others would think. How he'd almost failed Ana in the process. Other things. But never of the rather illegal act.]

[uprightness]

I didn't know.

[ and if they're lucky, maybe they'll be able to have this conversation at length when all of this is said and done. in the meantime, he dares ask - ]

Where did you serve?

[ he doesn't address jarvis' judgment of himself. steve wouldn't say he's such a good soldier himself. he finally turned into one when he disobeyed orders, after all. ]

[edwinjarvis]

British Armed Forces. Lieutenant Edwin Jarvis, ADC. It sounds rather strange to my ears, even still.

[He turns, looking out over the resting and moving bodies about them.]

I was not placed in any particular army group, however; I went to the United States with my wife nearly before the war, with much thanks to Mr. Stark, so you and I wouldn't have crossed paths. [He's grateful to have not seen what so many soldiers had to endure, and it has always been a source of guilt despite that. After all, he should have been there to help defend his country; if he hadn't gotten caught... Well, he supposes there's no use dwelling for long.]

[uprightness]

It would have been an honor if we did.

[ funny, that he never knew jarvis served but then, why wouldn't he? nearly everyone steve used to know did. it's just so odd to imagine the man in uniform. ]

Seems like we have the chance now.

[ in the middle of this fresh chaos. ]

[edwinjarvis]

[An honor to Jarvis, perhaps. He feels terribly self-conscious at the thought of being offered something such as this -- because as good as his intentions were, he is still a 'traitor' by brand, someone nobody would want serving beside them in a time of war. It's why he never really brought up his ranking or his time served to most people; he might as well be a ghost wiped from those days, just as he is a ghost to his family.

But he would never want to be disagreeable with the captain, unless for good reason.]

It's quite the honor indeed.

[He offers a smile, eager to keep the optimism strong.]

Shall we get to it?