▽ 004 - video transmission

[double_edged]

[Call it guilt, call it a bunch of different factors, the Lombax holds a small kitten in one arm, sitting by a bed occupied by one(1) Jade Curtiss. The small creature mews incessantly, digging its tiny claws into the General's arm, trying to crawl up further. They were safe on the island above, for the time being. But... they shouldn't have to be up here at all.

Especially with the Colonel like this.

And yet the situation wasn't yet resolved.

So he grabs the SFC with his free hand, ears bent back and a snarl from a fanged mouth, the General far from pleased with how things were progressing.]

Let it be known that a good man's efforts fell for naught in this blasted city. If the rest of you have any other bright ideas, I'd sure love to hear them.

Comments

Action

[bootsweremadeforcasting]

[It's a long while before Jade is slowly waking up. He squeezes his eyes shut a moment before they open and he's looking around. A few rapid blinks and Jade is moving an arm to try to rub at his eyes, the effort somewhat slow and rather sluggish.

There's a breath and Jade shifts a bit uncomfortably.]

Alister... Where are my shoes...?

Action

[double_edged]

[Zukunft finally manages to wriggle itself out of the Lombax's arm and leaps on the Colonel's legs, grabbing at the strange moving lumps under the sheets. As for Alister himself, he's only slightly relieved at his friend awakening, leaning back to give a small smile.]

Necessary, I'm afraid. Though they might be a little wet from the flooding, if you're content to wait.

[bootsweremadeforcasting]

[Jade nodded, understanding the necessity. His feet wiggled a bit, but then remained as they were. He looked tired, still.]

I'll survive. What has all happened?

[double_edged]

...Vatheon has currently become inhabitable, I'm afraid. The others are working to correct the situation.

[bootsweremadeforcasting]

Fantastic.

[There's a tired, annoyed tone to his voice as he settled back into the blankets.]

[double_edged]

...

There's a part of me who feels apt to punch you right now. I told you it was a needless waste of energy! What were you thinking?

[bootsweremadeforcasting]

There's a part of me that feels the need to get up.

[And Jade's tiredly attempting to do so.]

I was thinking that I needed to finish what I started. If I had a bit of trouble, well, it'd get solved and it did, didn't it?

[His voice is cold and sharp, though a bit faded with fatigue.]

[Video]

[linefacingforever]

[...not a few days in to this place, and already he was seeing people injured. Yu could guess that would happen, given the state of things, but still...]

What happened?

[Video]

[double_edged]

Vatheon, the Coral, the 'Bubble'; it's flooded now, despite our efforts to keep the city stable. This man here-- [The Lombax nods his head over to the figure on the bed.] --expended any energy he'd had left creating drainage holes throughout the city.

So we're stuck up here, for the time being.

[Video]

[linefacingforever]

[Yu gave a nod of acknowledgement; he'd heard about it, but hadn't had the chance to go down to help yet.]

Will he be all right?

[Video]

[double_edged]

[Alister still didn't know the workings of Jade's homeworld too much, and didn't have a full understanding of what that kind of exertion could lead to.]

For the moment, it appears to be a cut-and-dry case of exhaustion. But I'll monitor his vital signs and report of any deterioration.

[Video]

[linefacingforever]

[Yu gave a nod; he guessed it was bad from what Naoto told him. Actually seeing how it affected the people working to save it just brought it home.]

I'm new here, but I want to help. What can I do?

[Video]

[double_edged]

I have this problem under control - what matters now is fixing the city itself, so we're not all marooned here for the rest of our feeble collective existance.

What can you do?

[Video]

[linefacingforever]

I...

[He paused, debating how much he wanted to reveal about himself over the network. He... probably didn't want to say much, that was an easy conclusion to come to.]

I'm just a teenager. I could try and help with looking after people who are injured?

( video )

[enfire]

This place doesn't owe us anything. Like they care about what happens, whether you were being a "good man" or not.

( and he's eyeing that cat a little, while we're at it... )

( video )

[double_edged]

No, it doesn't. As much as we don't owe it anything, but I would prefer not to be stranded on some island in the middle of nowhere, as opposed to a habitable city.

There's how many of us here, and not a one with the solution?!

( video )

[enfire]

( well, heat would argue they're both bad, but if your comrades in danger, he can understand that anger... )

Yeah? Well if you've got one yourself, I'm listening.

( video )

[double_edged]

...

Not at the moment. But give me some time and I will have something.

Re: ( video )

[enfire]

Yeah, good luck with that. ( yep, he's going to be flippant about it apparently )

[introverting]

[ He's honestly got nothing. He's thought fixing this bubble seemed like an almost impossible task, though some things seem to at least be slowing the water build up in the city. All the same, fixing a broken bubble... What could fix a broken bubble... ]

Duct tape?

[ He's just being a wise ass now. ]

[double_edged]

[Ohhhh, Cloud, don't get him on a bad mood. You don't want to see Azimuth in a bad mood.]

I don't have time for quips, Cloud. I need to see results!

[introverting]

[ Whoops. He shrugs a little and almost looks apologetic - almost. ]

My skills don't lie in the building of bubbles.

[double_edged]

[He tries to calm down a little himself, but it's hard.]

Look-- what can you do? How else can you help?

[introverting]

[ He stops to think. His skills at fighting and such probably won't do much. ]

If I had materia, I could do more. But...

Carrying things. Delivering. Fighting. That's about what I'm good at.

[double_edged]

Wait-- what is... 'materia'?