caveofsapphires | smaller patch of fading sky [ open ]

smaller patch of fading sky [ open ]

WHO: EVERYONE. All PCs thus far will be in this log, through active tagging or implication.
WHAT: THRILLS. SPILLS. Hiking trip toward the Diamond City.
WHERE: The Overworld.
WHEN: Forward-dated to May 1st (Tuesday) through May 7th (Monday).
WARNINGS: May contain violence or other mentions of physical harm. This is not summer camp.
NOTES: More information can be found on the OOC post here. Please read it!

Gathered in the morning haze, Sleepers were brought to the mouth of the Cave with plenty of supplies and equipment. Compasses that would point them toward the City. Backpacks full of clothes and food, medical kits, tents and even weapons. Stun rifles and knives — to fight off any unwanted company, they said. ("Watch out for their bite," Ryan had commented. "Those fuckers are downright feral.") The straight and narrow path would get them there in six days if they kept a good clip. They were sent off just like that. Refusals to leave were met with a wall of guard force officers blocking the entrance back into the cave city. No way to go but forward, unless someone was particularly stalwart about remaining.

From the exterminator's station near the mouth, leaving the Cave was as simple as a short hike upward into the fresh air of the Overworld. Dust and an uncomfortable sort of heat pervaded the atmosphere, light winds stirring up the sand and teasing the meager bits of vegetation that had grown. No matter what direction you looked... it was all wasteland, cracked ground and desolate emptiness. Jutting up from scarred ground were boulders and small spires made entirely of glass and patches of stone; instead of reflecting the harsh sunlight, they seemed to absorb it and only add to the muted loneliness of the atmosphere. As far as the eye could see, there was no life to be found.

With no other option, the Sleepers eventually made their way onward.

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"Enjoying would imply the situation worked out." Balthazar might have enjoyed it if the hair-brained scheme had actually worked, but as it stood, there was nothing to really enjoy about the situation. There was no bridge and Gabriel might as well be a causality with the state he was in. Not that the blond could blame him, really.

Despite his recent mood as of late, the younger was legitimately concerned about his brother, no matter how annoying he could be. Balthazar wondered if this would be his fate if any of his strength returned. "Will you be alright?"

He dropped the conversation about vessels, simply chalking this up to bad luck. The body was at least fit, despite its age, so Balthazar didn't need to worry about it being completely out of commission after this mess. Although he fully planned to sleep for the next week after all was said and done.

"Storms. Natural disasters, and the like. You know." There was only one Father in the universe who had ego-contests with his own children. At first, a little storm was all it took to wipe out a settlement, but now that humans were so sophisticated, Daddy had to juice up all the disasters. Earthquakes measuring 9 magnitudes, tsunamis bringing whole countries to their knees, tornadoes the size of hurricanes, and hurricanes the size of God Himself. "I was never quite sure where the humans always got these ridiculous stories of their deity being loving and caring. Daddy always did have a very mean streak."

"You can't even begin to fathom the things this place makes me wonder." The statement is light, almost said in humor. Still, there was a truth to the words, even if Balthazar belied none of that. Although he was certain the same could be said of any of these poor bastards traveling with him. "If they wanted us to go back to their little city so badly, why not transport us there safely? Why this whole production?" Considering the landscape alone could kill them off, it seemed like an exercise in futility and mismanaged time.

If that didn't tip off people to the fact that something was terribly off about everything, then there was obviously no hope for them. "A powerful, omniscient overlord sets his experiments free to roam a dangerous land, despite all the time and effort he's put into them. Deja vu." Balthazar chuckles, despite himself.

Shaking his head and lifting his hands in a shrug, Liam replied, "With what transport?" It wasn't that he agreed with the Workers—that was the last thing he wanted to do—but it at least made... a slight portion of sense in Liam's eyes. He sighed dramatically. "Far be it from me to try and make sense of their operations."

After a moment, he turned and looked at Balthazar directly. "Déjà vu? Don't tell me something like this has happened to you before," Liam commented incredulously, Balthazar's true meaning gliding over his head. It wasn't exactly the first comparison Liam himself would have made.

"Ow," Gabriel muttered in response to the Doctor's grip, but he stepped around the old man and nudged him back toward the group. At least that way they knew their backs were covered by the others already in combat and protected by stone on one side. Rather, Gabriel scanned their rear, and sure enough, he caught shadows among and atop the rocks.

"Please," Gabriel said with a snort. "It's just a matter of physics." He'd never really fired guns before, not often, but physics, astrophysics, time, space--they'd been his bitches for the better part of two thousand years. Even without his angelic senses, it wasn't all that difficult to know where to aim. Basic physics was elementary compared to the rest.

With earsplitting yowls the cats leapt down from the boulders. The first three he downed by clean shots to their heads and chests, sending them tumbling end over end. There was only one problem. With the gun on his back, just one piece in a greater whole of weight, he hadn't noticed how heavy it was on its own. Holding it aloft toward the far-too-many cats leaping down from above, using a body which was emphatically not in shape? Gabriel noticed it, all right.

His arms shook, his wrist twinged, and his next shot skimmed the fur on one of the cat's backs. He had enough time to curse before it landed and leapt for him in one smooth motion.

"Save some of the bubble-bath for me." The archangel, having rinsed his mouth, was taking stock as best as he could in the sand and in the pitch-dark, the sandstorm completely blocking any light from overhead. It howled outside, loud and obliging them to speak with raised voices.

His body ached. And his chest and side outright hurt with every fast, ragged breath he took. He hadn't even been running that long; dear Dad, humans were so damned weak. Gabriel paused in the process of struggling out of his own jacket, not even bothering to try and rise yet.

"Something like that," he said with a winsome smile she probably couldn't see anyway. "Saw a lot of things from the sky, anyways."

Re-l shot him a look, but he wasn't acting the way he had the first time they met, and so she settled back against the rocks. It was much too dark to write - she could only just make out the man's shape, and so she left her diary alone, folding her arms and staying as still as she could.

Re-l rarely expressed boredom. She prided herself on keeping all her emotions under control. But when her eyes were taken away from her she got antsy, and she found it hard to concentrate. The hissing sand didn't help. It made her feel as though something were coming, endlessly approaching from the depths of the desert.

She mulled over the man's statement. It was purposefully ambiguous, either because he couldn't remember or he didn't want to say. Either way, there were secrets here to be unpicked. And Re-l hated not knowing.

After some of the others, though, she wasn't about to give herself away. Keep her own opinions close, and see what her companion could reveal, that was the way to manage.

"Why were you spending so much time in the sky?"

[OOC: Do you want to do powers? Re-l doesn't have any, but I'm up for it if you are.]

"Figure of speech," Gabriel said dismissively with a wave, throwing a casual glance over toward the man who'd spoken. Gabriel didn't know who he was; just someone who hardly ever said a word. The archangel had him on his list of people to annoy during the course of their travel, if only to see if there was something in there besides an automaton.

He'd already looked away again when he paused and looked back, squinting. Ever since he'd started to see flickers around people, he'd never been quite sure if it was a matter of the heat or ... something else. It was the 'something else' he was trying not to get his hopes up about.

It was hard not to believe in the 'something else' given this guy looked like he was covered in oil, as if he was made of water and the oil was floating on top. Gabriel could really only see the dark, greasy rainbows it made--the sort of effect you should never have been able to see on a person. A chill ran down his spine.

"You need a wash," he said finally, for lack of anything else to say and, for a moment, distracted from the thomping noise. More like the man's soul needed a wash. Because that's what Gabriel had to be seeing, and right now his human body seemed torn between being ecstatic and being extremely creeped out.

The first instinct isn't missed, and Gabriel wore a faintly self-mocking smile as he shook, his grip absurdly tight to see how the man would react. And maybe just because he could. "That the name they gave you or the one you had before?"

It was extremely worrying, especially given what Gabriel had been. Of course, he no longer was, but the fact that they'd managed to somehow take his Grace and make him human, let alone revive him ... Well, there was a reason Gabriel believed God was involved.

The archangel gave the old man an exasperated look, but submitted to the direction, making for one of the spires. There, he spun on his heel, his hands raised in an emphatic gesture of wry frustration. "If I remembered any of it, d'you think I'd forget that the memory isn't real? Nuh-uh. I'd be able to trace it for sure."

He was ... pretty sure.

One breath. Two. Then, at the same sound-level as before: "I will never, ever prank you again if you remove my head for me."

The past week had been one long insight into just why humanity was so damned resilient. They didn't have any choice. They were so soft, so squishy, subject to burns, scrapes, dehydration, heat exhaustion, diseases, breaks, injuries--any number of things Gabriel had always known, objectively, could happen to them.

It just wasn't until they started happening to him that he realised how much they really, truly sucked. Humans were so weak, and yet they kept on.

Angels had never had that problem. They'd never had to struggle. Not like this.

And now he felt guilty for being so doom and gloom. It had been a while since he'd seen Balthazar before this whole escapade, but he remembered it wasn't common for the younger angel to show concern. The archangel took another few measured breaths and then stirred a little, turning his head so the tiny, wry twist to his mouth was visible underneath the line of the cloth still over his eyes. "I'll live. Can't let humanity show me up. Be bad for my reputation."

Gradually Gabriel's breathing calmed, except where it hitched with his hisses when he peeled his jacket away from the scratches on his arm, an ill-gotten gain from one of the cats the other day. A quick feel of the bandage proved the edges were frayed, loosened, and Gabriel swallowed a groan. Just what he needed; potential sand in his wound and having to change a bandage in this. He wasn't even sure he'd be able to find his flashlight, let alone use medical gear.

"Less crowded," he said promptly without looking up. "You know how it is; you go somewhere, it's nice and open, and then boom! Everyone's followed you."

[ooc: Sure! I was thinking he might see occasional flickers of her soul--not enough to be sure that's what he's seeing--but what I'd really like is an opportunity for him to create something out of thin air.]

"It has," he agreed, and pulled out his water. Another thing he wasn't used to was being thirsty, really thirsty. He drank and tapped a tattoo on the side of the container. "People need the sky, and the open, I think."

He wasn't happy, not exactly, but more content, yes. The lingering guilt had faded somewhat, and all that remained was the beginnings of an ache in his legs from the journey. The false security of being out in the open was enough to keep uncertainty off his mind, at least for the moment.

Muscle memory, even if he's not sure that the form he's in is really his own body, is harder to sublimate than what he says.

"I wouldn't know what you're talking about," he replies coolly as he ignores Gabriel's grip. Yes, it's uncomfortable, but he's endured far worse than a man who needs to prove his worth through a petty show of dominance.

"Mm." He'd thought so. Glancing up at Balthazar, he bit the inside of his cheek in a brief fit of nerves. Instinct told him that he shouldn't engage in this conversation. It was dangerous. Anyone could be watching and listening.

Although they weren't. They hadn't been for years, thanks to Adam, and aside from that he was even less significant now than he once had been, not to mention somewhere else. Even if someone was watching him, what could they do? He was already human. Still, it was so deeply ingrained that every moment of questioning came with a queasy thrill of anticipated punishment.

The other point, of course, was that questioning and disrespect were two entirely different beasts, and the way Balthazar was speaking was practically disdainful. After a moment, Aziraphale looked at the opening of the crevice again and thought carefully before he spoke.

"A coping mechanism," he said, "perhaps. It's easier to understand a God who is kind, or for that matter cruel, than one who is . . . ineffable. Incomprehensible." He ducked his head and added, "In any case, I wouldn't know much about the bird's eye view. I never spent much time in Heaven."

Giving the man a calm smile, the Doctor shook his head gently. "It's possible. If the memory fits so well, how would you know which one had been added?" He could be understanding when the situation required it, and, well, Gabriel's frustration was certainly understandable. The Doctor would be equally frustrated to discover memories that shouldn't be there! "Either they've removed the memory of the ordeal or you've somehow blocked it off due to trauma," he commented. Both were viable.

"Is there anything... any other memories you think are out of place?" Probably a long shot, since the memories would have to come up for him to recognize them for what they were.

"That would require moving and not getting mowed down in the process. We'd probably need a distraction, and I don't think you'll find any willing volunteers." There were other considerations. If they even could make a rockfall with what they have. Making sure they didn't inadvertently block off their own path to the city. There had to be something better. And there weren't even any good places to make a strategic retreat to. He channeled his frustration into a few more controlled shots. They couldn't keep this up. Even if they managed to hit every beast, they wouldn't be down for long.

"If we overload the power pack these guns must run on, we might be able to get a decent explosion out of it. Cause your landslide. Or scare them off, take one or two out." Or it could just spark and fizzle a bit, but Malcolm was an expert at making things go boom.

"Absolutely. Being cooped up underground... that's no way to live." Liam brought his hands together, left thumb absently trailing over his inner wrist where the inexplicable tattoo was placed. He was severely tempted to just find a spot in the shade and sleep for a few hours, but knew he had to keep awake until the rest of the group was ready to stop for the night. His sleep schedule had only begun resembling normal back in the Cave, and now all this exertion was putting him off his game again. "Not that living out here is all that preferable, either, but you get what I mean."

That...was unexpected. (Why should anything about this place surprise him anymore? But at least the cat creatures seemed like they belonged in the scarred environ.) Malcolm had no biting comeback for the man who had so gracefully leapt away, had in fact little time to even assess the slightly larger than person-sized robot (was there a person in there?), given he had to roll out of the way of that unfriendly blade, more than a bit awkward with the pack on his back. Upon recovery, he got off a few quick shots aimed at centre mass before trying to move away again. Damnable stun guns, why couldn't they have been given anything stronger?

Caprica had never been anywhere this arid — this dead. Not even Caprica City after the attacks looked like this. The air was thick with dust, and she had to keep herself from coughing on nearly each breath she took. Something about it made her believe it didn't always look this way, that once there was beauty and life here, animals and growing things.

She still wasn't comfortable with this — with any of it, the thought of being told that her entire life was a dream, the reality that she had very little choice but to cooperate for the time being. Being human... she hadn't even begun to process that yet. As much as she'd always wanted to understand what being human was like, she'd never wanted to give up what she was for it.

Wandering a little away from the main group, she noticed the man examining the outcroppings of glass. Drawing in a breath (and suppressing another fit of coughing as a result), she addressed him as she drew closer.

"What do you think caused it?"

Edited 2012-05-04 18:13 (UTC)

Many thoughts ran through the Doctor's head - whether he should have taken a gun, if he'd have even been of use if he had, the fact that they were stun and wondering how long the cats would stay down, and, of course, the safety of the group. While Gabriel took up defence, the Doctor scanned the others, assessing the situation. Even with only stun, the cats would surely get frightened off if their companions kept falling, wouldn't they?

His gaze fell back to Gabriel in time to spot the leaping beast, but not soon enough to do more than attempt to tug the man back, and the Doctor wasn't exactly strong.

"Ineffable. Well, that's a laugh." To say that Balthazar was upset by his Father's disappearance was an understatement. They had once had a good family, the whole of Heaven, and they had all been content to serve and never ask a single question. The angels loved each other as fiercely as they had loved their Dad and even Balthazar had bern more prone to his loving, older brother role. Then the whole thing with the humans started and it had all gone to shit. True, it was Lucifer who divided Heaven in the first place, and Balthazar held hin accountable for it, but all the blame could be traced back to their Father. After all, if He was truly omnipotent, onniscient, and overall, the Being they had belived he was, then he would have never brought the humans about in the first place. He would have never made off into the night like a bandit, leaving Heaven without guidance and letting his brothers tear at each other's throats.

But, anyway... "I'm not quite sure how your offices were run over there, but perhaps it was for the best you didn't have to deal with the political side of it all." Lord knows Balthazar had his fill of it.

And on the fourth day, Elena was just about ready to curl up somewhere and cry. Sure, she'd been on the cheerleading squad, but that kind of fitness was nothing in comparison to this arduous journey. Maybe she should have waited for the next trip, but this was too much progress to pass up.

It did soothe her doubts just the slightest bit when, on the second day, she broke into a jog and ended up a good ten meters ahead of where she was supposed to be. It came and went, but still, there was so much relief that she hadn't been putting her faith on the wrong reality. Because if her supernatural speed was coming back, that had to mean something, right?

She looked around the small group of people who had come along, her tired brain picking out the few that she recognized. Elena only just barely registered Gabriel's comment, and sat down heavily next to him. "I know we're all dying here-" She pause to take a deep breath, "-but I don't see your dad here."

Re-l listened to the sounds her companion was making and sighed, fumbling for a torch in her pack. She flicked it on and shone the narrow beam directly at the man, watching him in its light.

"Are you hurt?" she said, looking curiously at him. It wasn't going to be very useful if he died.

She had a couple of scrapes herself, but she wasn't overly worried about them. Still, it didn't hurt to be careful. She took her flask from her hip and tipped water into her palm, washing her arm with it. As she worked, she thought about his statement. Odder and odder, and he was definitely hiding something.

"You know," she said, "if the City are watching us, this sandstorm has probably ruined their equipment. And even if it hasn't, the noise and darkness will seriously interfere with transmissions. This is the most private you're ever going to get."

[OOC: That sounds excellent. Although Re-l may not agree with me when it happens. XD]

His assessment irritated Re-l's sense of her own skill, but he was right. Like it or not, she was not used to taking care of anyone but herself, and she usually fought with guns that killed. This was not the time to let pride get in the way of survival.

She shot repeatedly, and was comforted only by the knowledge that each shot hit its target. She could still be proud of her aim, at least.

"That plan sounds like it could work," she said, and she glanced at the man beside her again. He didn't look any more impressive than the last time she had looked, but she knew better than anyone that appearances could deceive. "Do you want to have a closer look at your gun? I can cover your shots."

She wouldn't manage it for very long, but she could probably give him five minutes.

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smaller patch of fading sky [ open ]

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i'd like a minor injury and/or opportunity for some telekinesis, if you're amenable?

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I'm up for whatever!

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