IC Inbox - Cerealia

[colonially]

You've reached the mailbox of Quatre Raberba Winner. I'm sorry I'm unable to answer right now, but please leave me a message, and I'll get back to you as soon as I can!




⌨ text ⌨
✆ voice ✆
ⓥ video ⓥ

Comments

text; mid-event

[poised]

this is Natalia

residential district, gym, school, parts of entertainment district compromised due to falling machinery(?) other areas flooded. please direct injured, misplaced, tired, and frantic people to upper levels of the hospital for shelter. communication limited to text and voice, healing does not work on those with intense lethargy.

personal request: take care of maintaining the perimeter around the hospital and standing sentry if you can with Malia

warm regards. stay safe. thank you.

text

[colonially]

Understood. Does the hospital have generators?

I'll mind the perimeter either way.

Please stay safe yourself.

text

[poised]

[WHEN SHE GETS A SECOND TO BREATHE--

her typing is much better]

It does but most of the electricity is still out. I know nothing about technology but if you can fiddle with it, feel free.

Regardless, thank you. I will be visiting the hospital on occasion.

text

[colonially]

I'll see what I can do with it. I'm not sure I entirely understand the technology here, but the basics should be similar. Hopefully.

Then I'll be sure to keep an eye out for you. If you need anything, please call. I'll help if I can.

action; ic: 3/19

[masakados]

[Naoki's taken to wandering about-- hardly a surprise, considering how his lifestyle tends to be generally. He doesn't feel the same unease that many people have been feeling, that he's been able to sense since they all ended up here. He's used to being thrown into unpleasant situations.

So when he comes stumbling out of the foliage into a clearing, spying a sad little campfire, he blinks in surprise and looks around.]

[colonially]

[The owner of said sad little campfire is a somewhat soggy blond picking through what rather damp firewood that he's managed to collect.

So he's not used to jungles. He's trying. And managing, but fire at least is confounding him. He looks up at the sound of approach, standing up straight and bringing his armful of twigs and branches over. The familiar face earns a smile.] Naoki!

[Well hello welcome to his campsite.

It's a bit pathetic.]

[masakados]

[Naoki's eyebrows raise up further.]

Quatre. This your place? [Temporary place. Jungle place. He wanders toward the campfire and looks down at it, one of his hands swaying at his sides before he cups his fingers slightly.]

Looks like your fire needs a little boost.

[Fire flickers to life around his fingers.]

[colonially]

That's right... home sweet home. Please come in. I'd offer you a cup of tea, but...

[At least he can joke about it, right? He pauses though when suddenly Naoki is all FWOOSH FIRE ON HIS FINGERS.

That.

That looks useful. His eyes light up.] Actually, it could use a big boost. I'ev been having some trouble, to say the least. I'd really appreciate the help.

[masakados]

[A grin and Naoki points those fingers to the sad little fire-- he fires off a few fireballs and at once it springs up, crackling much more cheerfully than before.]

Here you go. Happy to help.

[He really is--he likes being useful.]

[colonially]

[Naoki you are the best sort of person all the time. Quatre can't help but look relieved, inching himself towards the fire. It's not even that it's cold. It's just that it's so damp, he can't even handle it.

Where is his desert??]

Thank you, Naoki. You're kind of a life saver, really.

[masakados]

I thiiink that might be an exaggeration, but you're welcome.

[He tips his head curiously at Quatre as he himself steps closer to the fire. It's not so much that he's cold or anything either-- his body takes care of keeping him well-regulated.]

You been doing okay? You're not camping with anybody?

[colonially]

You don't know how much I hate being soggy.

[Quatre informs him as he glances at the fire gratefully. DRY THINGS OUT FIRE.

The blond shakes his head at the question.] I've run into a few friends, but everyone seems to be looking for people, so I guess I'm doing the same. It's no good if anyone is out lost here on their own, right?

[A pause.] What about you? Venturing out?

[Really this may be the most relaxed conversation he's had with Naoki. No search and rescue, no running weird monster-ridden video games. It's calm enough that the blond can actually pay attention.]

[masakados]

Yeah. I've already found the people I was worried about, so now I'm looking around a bit...

[Naoki trails off, and then he moves to ease himself into a seat. He can take the time to relax. He'll look at Quatre as though waiting for him to take a seat too.]

Thought I might be able to find some food, too.

[colonially]

[He'll sit. He will. After he turns a couple slow circles by the fire. Like a gundam rotisserie. This is normal shush.

He does drop to a seat though, glancing around.] Food seems like it would be useful. I'm not really brave enough to chance the vegetation myself.

[He does not want to end up eating poisonous or hallucinogenic who knows what.]

[masakados]

[Naoki watches him, struggling not to show his amusement... and failing. He laughs, draping his arms over his knees.]

There's always the wildlife to hunt?

[--like that's better.]

[colonially]

I think the wildlife sees that arrangement in the opposite order.

[A smile though, amicable enough. Naoki is good company, Quatre thinks.]

You're probably better equipped for that than I am. [He could probably manage to craft some crude spear and hope for the best, but...]

[masakados]

Hmm...

[Naoki gives him a thoughtful look.] I dunno, you sure you don't have some secret skill? All of the people I know with blond hair tend to be pretty tough.

[But his voice is light, his grin easy.]

[colonially]

Oh? Is there a pattern?

[He ducks his head.] Most of my skills are better suited to the battlefield. Or the boardroom.

I know I can handle myself out here, but I wish I could help everyone else more. [A hand lifts to his chest, fingers catching in the material of his shirt, unconsciously.] So many people are upset and frustrated. Or scared. I can't blame them. [He knows. He can feel the echoes of it.] So much of this is beyond our control right now.

[masakados]

[Naoki's gaze drifts to the fire at those words, his expression sobering slightly. He feels it too. He can feel all too well all of the bad emotions of the people around, even more so.

It's part of being a demon, after all... Not for the first time, he wonders if he's benefiting from their suffering. What with how energy for demons comes from negative emotions...]

...Yeah. It's like back in the colony. We're always being yanked one way or the other, right?

[colonially]

We are. CERES tries to pass themselves off as some benevolent caretaker, but mm... I've seen that before too many times. And whoever is responsible for us being here, who are they really trying to help?

[A pause though, at the rather sudden ache of something like... guilt -- not his own. His gaze swings from the fire to Naoki, curiously.] In this case, I don't think there's anything any of us could have done to prevent winding up here.

[masakados]

[Naoki blinks himself, glancing back at Quatre, puzzled at the curious look he's being given. Did he say something?]

...Yeah, not with those-- guys doing whatever they want. We barely got a chance to process it.

[colonially]

[The blond notices that look before ducking his head sheepishly, apologetic.] Sorry. It's just...

[He trails off with another apologetic smile.] I suppose even knowing that doesn't make it any less difficult.

[masakados]

Forewarning might be worse. Like-- waiting and knowing something's gonna happen and you don't have any chance of changing it.

[Naoki pauses, looking into the fire.]

I don't believe in that, though. Even if it's pointless, I wanna fight. You never know what'll happen.

[colonially]

Given the choice, I'd want to know too. I'd want to fight it if I could, for everyone's sake. People deserve to be able to live their lives in peace. And even if there doesn't seem to be a chance to change it, mm. I'd rather try anyway.

[The blond watches Naoki now, curiously.] You sound like you've faced that decision before, you know.

[masakados]

Ah, well, I have.

[Naoki chuckles quietly-- it's not a sad sound, but Quatre will probably be able to pick up on the powerful twinge of something like sadness and regret in him.]

Everything in my world was like that. Because of what I am, I was expected to do this, or do that... but I didn't agree with it. So I didn't pay attention to what they told me and I barreled forward anyway. Everything I want to do I've been told is impossible but I can't give up.