a storm approaches.above ground.It is early when you wake up to a message on your watches. Those underground will not receive this message, due to the complications with service. It is a simple line of text, with no further explanation given. You’re not sure how it even came through, or how they found a way to connect to the watches. Either way, a message comes across the screen.
All newcomers to Struxta are instructed to remain in their rooms until further notice.
It’s the middle of the day, on the 17th day in Struxta, that the notification rings out. Not through your bracelets, which might be your first assumption, but through what had previously been an unused announcement system. It doesn’t take much though to realize the announcement is for you - why would thousands of minds all connected to a singular consciousness need any kind of mass announcement system? No, they are talking to you. Whoever they are.
The announcement echoes through every building, street, hallway, and room in what feels to be the entire city - perhaps the entire world, and everyone above ground can hear it. It’s inescapable, really, the mechanical voice that calmly but firmly surrounds you.
All newcomers to Struxta are instructed to remain in their rooms until further notice.
Please return to your room if you haven’t already.
For those of you who are in your room, if you choose to venture out the Hostel itself will seem eerily normal. It is not until you get to the door that you see the figure - an imposing, large, mechanical figure armed with two devices. It takes up nearly the entire door, only moving aside if there is another Circle member being brought inside. Then it will return to its post. You will notice that if you approach the figure, it will not acknowledge you except to repeat the announcement.
Please return to your room.
They are impossible to sneak past, but more creative means could provide you with a way to get through. However, if they do catch up to anyone attempting to leave the premise, all they will need to do is touch a Circle member, and an electric shock strong enough to make any and everyone pass out will be administered.
If you do manage to make it past the Enforcers, the streets will feel oddly calm - like nothing has happened at all, despite the echo of the announcement around you. Do not waste time here, once you are free - the Enforcers will be chasing down any members who have gotten free, as made obvious if you choose to stay in any kind of public (and most private) spaces for more than an hour or so.
Where will you go? below ground.Whether it is a tip from another Circle member, or by coincidence alone, you might be able to find yourself underground. There seems to be more openings, now - all centered around the area of the Races. Doors and passageways with BG’s beckoning members in, taking them down below where even the sound of the announcement can’t be heard.
They will offer safety for anyone who was not originally part of the Tunnel Exploration, while also explaining what their fellow Circle members are preparing for. About the Storm, about their history - any of the previous questions asked here will be explained to anyone who makes the trek underground. It will take a day to get all the things in order to transport everyone to The Storm, and this will be a chance for all Circle members to regroup once they make it inside the tunnels.
They press you not to wander too far, and to instead simply wait with them in the industrial tunnels below the city, a never-ending interlocking maze of wires, pipes, and metal. It’s dark, dusty, and definitely not comfortable. But one thing it is, they explain in their glitchy half-sentences and partial thoughts, safe.
The Mass Consciousness has apparently deemed you a threat, and are systematically working on a solution to the problem. There’s no telling what they might do. wildcard.This is your world to explore. Something has tipped the Mass Consciousness off to a possible issue, a possible threat. What you do with this new status is up to you. Outside of the Hostel, the natives will completely ignore your existence, like you have been entirely erased from their reality. The only ones who seem to notice you are the Enforcers, and the BGs.
For those who have decided to investigate, and hopefully put an end to, The Storm, the log will be posted tomorrow (July 28th 11:59 PM EST). ICly and OOCly you will have one more day to prepare. Please be on the lookout for that log, as the description will include what you will find and what you can assume! We will also continue to take questions over at the OOC Post through the course of the event. |
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acatalepsy_logs2018-07-27 11:58 pm
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that is the only reason (or well, the main one) that when hughes appears in her room, she does not actually pull the trigger - rather, just has the pistol pointed directly between hughes' eyes, her own gaze tight. and it's also why, once she has a second to process the appearance of general maes hughes in her room, she lowers the gun and immediately flips the safety back on. ]
Sorry, sir. Habit. [ hopefully he doesn't notice the way her hands are shaking slightly. hopefully. ]
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Again.
Yeah, he was going to have to tread lightly with teleporting around Hawkeye that was for certain. He lowers his hands in a slow, purposeful manner when the gun is no longer staring him in the face.]
Given the circumstances I'll try not to take that personally.
[Unfortunately, he DOES notice the shaking. However, priority dictates that he not comment on it. It just gets filed along with everything else.]
Roy spoke to you already, right? I can get you out of here, but you're definitely going to have to trust me. I can only teleport you if we're touching.
[He holds out one of his hands as if that wasn't obvious. But given how he'd just been greeted, he wants to make sure he's laying as much out for Hawkeye as possible.]
Do you need to get anything or are you ready to go?
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[ she checks back around the room one last time - just to make sure she isn't forgetting anything - before she turns fully to hughes. she's visibly tense, her hands tight at her sides in an attempt to hide that from him still. she feels raw and vulnerable and angry with herself for feeling that way. ]
He briefed me, yes. And I've got everything I need.
[ her eyes longer on where he holds out his hand to her, still unsure of what this will be like, how it will feel, but above it all she does trust him. trusts him, and roy's plan, and that there's nothing - despite her second of hesitation - to worry about.
and once that second passes, she takes the offered hand. ]
I'm ready when you are, General.
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[Maes tries not to look too relieved, though it probably shows in his eyes. He's glad that there isn't more of an argument, that Hawkeye really does trust that he (and Roy) know what they're doing. For the most part anyway. He does nod though and accepts her hand. He'd already staked out a spot with some preliminary teleporting earlier and so it's not hard at all to picture that location in his head and POP.
He knows he doesn't have to close his eyes, but he finds it helps, so when he opens them again they are now standing in on a rooftop a couple of miles from the hostel. It was a building he had passed a few times on his way to the library and didn't seem to get as much use as some of the others. He thought, as a sniper, Riza might appreciate the vantage point. If it proved unsafe he could get them moving again soon, but at least this would buy some breathing room.]
Not too bad I hope. Roy only told me to get you out of the hostel, I wasn't sure where you might want to go after that.
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so instead riza simply takes his hand and nods.
the sensation is nothing she's ever felt before. a sudden feeling of something to the point riza can't keep her own eyes open, and then it's over. before she could even get a handle on what is happening, there is another feeling under her feet. another kind of ground. when she opens her eyes again, it's to a rooftop, and immediately her knees bend to catch her - like she'd been falling, when she definitely was not. but once that feeling of being somewhere that, in that time, should have been impossible, riza takes stock of where they are. of the location, the view. hughes had picked it out for a sniper's eyes, she could tell, and riza is immediately grateful. ]
This will work perfectly. Thank you, sir. [ and then riza is stepping away from the spot they landed on to start moving around, checking the different vantage points, the different views, before turning back to him. ] Are you going back inside?
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Yes. I have to get Alphonse next or at least see if he needs help. Then it's a matter of taking care of Roy.
[And whether that means helping him get others out or getting Roy himself out is up in the air at this point. But if Riza can't be by his side right now, then he'll take that spot. He holds up his wrist, tapping the watch they'd been given upon arriving at the temple.]
If you need to change locations quickly for some reason, let me know. I don't know if those Enforcers are eventually going to be moving out past the hostel or not.
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Alphonse first. The General wanted gather as many others still inside as possible.
[ and when he motions for the watch, riza nods. ] If I see any more movement from here, I'll relay the info. Are you going to be bringing them all here, or dropping them off at other locations?
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It would probably make more sense to get them to different places. It'll be harder for them to get to us in that case and they won't be able to predict our movements.
[Pause.]
Unless you want me to bring someone here. Someone in particular?
[Nope, that's not a hint at all.]
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except, you know, there's that question - a question that riza doesn't even hesitate over. ]
There are a lot of children in the Circle, who shouldn't have to deal with this level of trauma. I would start with the younger members and work up. Alphonse will want to help, but... [ those elric boys are just out to age her any time they every get into a situation....... sigh.
she has absolutely no idea who you were trying to reference there, hughes, but it was a good attempt. ]
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You know the Elric boys always got involved in things whether you wanted them to or not. We can either give Alphonse an assignment so we at least know where he is or we can risk him making that kind of decision on his own and THEN who knows what could happen.
[He doesn't want to put Alphonse in danger, and knows the young man can still push himself too much. However, he also knows Alphonse is a LOT more cautious than Edward. If they give Alphonse a task to focus on then it's likely he'll complete it and stay where they need him to. Also it looks like he is going to have to be more straight forward on this question.]
Where should I take Roy once we're ready for that?
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[ he can be involved. just. not in the line of fire. she has spent too long around too many reckless individuals she knows how to divert attention.
but then there's....that. and riza pauses for a second before turning back to look at hughes. why did she feel there was more to that question than the question itself? ]
Wherever he thinks he'd be most useful. He's not easily persuaded when he has a plan.
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[And feeling like he's contributing. It's a good plan and not at all devious, right? At least Alphonse is easier to please than his brother would be with a job like that.]
That'd help me with teleporting anyway. If I don't know the place it helps if I have an individual to focus on.
[When she turns back to him, Maes makes sure to give her a mostly innocent smile.]
True enough. I'll let you know what he ends up deciding then.
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but you know - there's that smile and riza narrows her eyes just a fraction, uncertain. ]
That would be appreciated, sir. And I'll find you both down in the tunnels after.
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I'll get back to him then, now that we have a plan. Anything else we should discuss before getting back to the job at hand?
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Not that I'm aware of. Be safe in there, General Hughes. [ and she will salute, because you know. old habits die hard and all. ]
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