[ OPEN ] hide your love, don't be shy

[godshattering]

Who: Claude and you!
When: all throughout August and September
Where: Cadens (pre-Nocwich), the Horizon (any time), and Libertas (post-Nocwich)
What: Catch all for both months
Warnings: For anything referencing Libertas: death, violence, and war


( Open and closed starters in the comments! Also good with prose or brackets and if you'd like to plot something more specific, you can find me at indech, arboria#1862, or by PM at any time. )

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[assembles]

[ As they make their way across the blessedly steady rooftop, Steve notes that the man they successfully extracted from the house more or less listens to everything they have to say, following along dutifully but quietly. He's probably in a state of shock, especially now that they're up here and there's still enough light to see at least the immediate surroundings. There are a whole lot more bombed-out buildings where this one came from.

No doubt his thoughts are running in a million different directions, thinking of all the people he cares about and whether they were as lucky as him. There's a good chance some of them weren't, but that's not something that they should get into until they're safely back on solid ground. Steve's relieved that the civilian hasn't devolved into throwing panicked questions at them just yet.

Before he knows it, Claude has led them to the place where they'll need to climb down. It doesn't look like much to him, but he's sure that for someone who's just lived through such an ordeal, it's got to be intimidating. Claude goes first, demonstrating the way that it should be done, and that seems to at least give the survivor some reassurance that he isn't going to slip and fall after all this. He looks back to Steve, who gives him an encouraging nod as well. ]

You're doing great. This is just the home stretch, all right?

[ Steve remains up top to oversee as the man carefully climbs down, following Claude's footsteps. It all unfolds without incident, allowing Steve to bring up the rear in climbing through the window.

Once they're all inside, Steve silently meets Claude's gaze and gives him a small approving nod. He's doing a great job with all this, too. ]

[godshattering]

[ Throughout everything, the man never seems to complain about being asked to climb across roofs, down walls, through windows. Claude keeps a careful watch on him, relieved when an expression does show on his face now and then. There's something to it like coming off the battlefield, soldiers bearing the brunt of everything they've seen. For that he's equally careful to keep patient and offer reassurance here and there as they go, getting ever closer to the ground where it'll be on to one of the infirmaries nearby.

Once they make it through the window Claude glances back and happens to catch Steve's eye and catches that nod. There's a smile that flits across his face, there and gone in a minute before he nods back and turns his attention to the survivor once more. ]

Like Steve said - just a bit further and then we'll be off to get you properly checked over.

[ The last past of their trip is through the ceiling where they'd originally climbed up to track down the noise. This part will certainly take a bit more trust than everything else has required, given that they hadn't bothered to create a terribly secure way up. But the secret to this, Claude thinks, is to keep moving and not give any chances for the man to balk. With any luck, anyway.

With that in mind, he lowers himself down through the opening and after a quick second of appraisal, lets go to drop onto the cabinet. Given that it's still at angle Claude slides down it before catching himself with one foot wedged into a shelf before extending a hand out yet again for the man to take. ]

One last jump down, and we'll be able to get out of here. Ready?

[assembles]

[ Maybe it's the knowledge that they're about to hit ground level, or maybe their calm attitudes and reassurances have been working as expected, but the man they saved only hesitates for a moment or two before following after Claude, hopping down and then using gravity to slide along the slant of the cabinet and finally to the floor. He does grip onto Claude's hand at the end, if only to make sure that he doesn't lose his balance and go stumbling into the wall.

Steve's fast on their heels, letting out a sigh of relief now that everyone's made it out with no incidents. He can hear the house groaning under its own weight, though, and wonders how long before other parts of it give out. Better not to stay here and learn the hard way.

As he leads them back to the front of the building, the man finds his voice and speaks up, even if he sounds hoarse from inhaling all kinds of dust and smoke.

"Thank you both. I really didn't know if anyone was going to find me. You're not Cadens military, are you?"

Right, that. The lack of uniforms or official equipment must have been a clear giveaway. Steve looks over his shoulder at him and shakes his head. ]

No, sir, we're not. We're concerned citizens, but the people in charge need all the help they can get.

[ Steve's never been one to sit on his hands, and it doesn't seem that Claude is either. ]

[godshattering]

[ Members of the military - it makes sense that's the assumption. The military's been here for days before they could even arrive, they tend to take care of everything major around everywhere, and who else would be crawling around buildings? Hard to say whether Libertas really knows much about the Summoned aside from the art walk on top of that. Claude's opening his mouth to offer some (likely half-assed) explanation but Steve beats him to it, and what the other offers is far better. When the survivor looks his way on their way out to the street he nods to confirm it. No harm in that. ]

It's true, we're not associated other than living in Cadens ourselves. They asked for help and here we are.

[ No need to get into it, he thinks, since that might bring on more questions. Or perhaps the man doesn't care more than a passing curiosity now that they're out of the building - also reasonable, given the magnitude of everything else going on around them and there being more realities to set in yet. If he's not looked outside, the streets are likely to be shocking.

All the more reason Claude turns to the man as they walk, intent on being as much of a distraction as he can while they pass other buildings in every bit as awful shape as the one they'd just left and even if the topic is still the state of things as they are. ]

It's not far to the nearest infirmary. Along with helping out all around the city, I've been taking a few shifts here and there at this one in particular. If you're not averse to a familiar face stopping by, I'll check in on you now and then.

[assembles]

[ While there might not be any harm in explaining that they're Summoned and that could even do some good for their public image overall, Steve doesn't know if it's a good idea to get into all of that right now. It would only invite a more in-depth discussion that none of them really have time for at the moment. If Claude's going to visit this guy in the infirmary, it might come up in conversation then, but they'll keep it simple for now.

At that offer, the man seems taken aback. He stares at Claude for a few seconds, as if he can't understand all of this kindness.

"Well, it would be foolish of me to turn you down, wouldn't it? So you both just do this out of the kindness of your hearts?"

Apparently that's out of the ordinary. Steve knows that most people won't put themselves into this kind of danger if they're not getting anything out of it. Realizing they can't ignore the sorry state of their surroundings for long, he nods to the closest burned-up building. ]

When we heard what was going on out here, it wouldn't have felt right to just sit around in Cadens doing nothing.

[ They turn a corner, then (or what's left of it), and if Steve remembers correctly, the infirmary Claude was talking about is just down the road. ]

[godshattering]

[ Hm. As much as he'd like to be surprised that the survivor seems so surprised by any offer of kindness, that they're here in the first place of their own desire to help, everything in between - it fits in with what he's noticed here and there about the Free Cities. Not that Fodlan has much room to talk in that regard; all of the cities if not the territories themselves have the same issues, and it's unfortunately familiar. Can't do anything about home, but at least here Claude can offer another oversized smile to make it show around the mask again (hopefully) and yet another nod to follow up Steve's comment he couldn't have phrased better himself. ]

That's right. No sense in not coming to help out where we can if we're able to do so. From what I hear, most of us are planning to stick around as long as we're needed here so we'll be a regular enough sight.

[ The man seems to consider this as they make it to the infirmary, possibly in an attempt to figure out just who the two of them are even off this vague information, but there'll be more time for that later. Now that they're inside and out of the worst of the dust, Claude tugs his mask back down to hang around his neck as they approach the makeshift registration desk.

There's a bit of paperwork to go with this, he's learned, to help make sure they both know who's here and which citizens have been accounted for. As the man takes a seat in the chair waiting for him, Claude notes he's started to look more like the reality of everything is sinking in. That's enough for him to decide his next move and it's no longer going back out to resuming searching. Not just yet as he turns to Steve next to speak in a lower tone to keep the words from carrying. ]

I'll stay here with him to get settled, but if you have somewhere you need to be then you don't need to stay unless you'd like to. [ A pause, and then - ] And... thanks, Steve. For all of this.

[ Which doesn't really begin to cover it, but. That's the best he has for now. ]

[assembles]

[ When they enter the infirmary it's a relief to see that they have some sort of organizational system for keeping track of survivors, as well as those who are still unaccounted for. Steve doesn't know how well the system will work with numbers of dead this high. It's probably going to be a few weeks until they really have a sense for it.

He glances over at the man where he's taken a seat, and it's clear from his face that it's hitting him all at once. A bone-deep exhaustion seems to deepen the lines in his face, but there's adrenaline that has his eyes darting around, still bright.

When Claude steps over to quietly let him know that he's going to stay here with him, Steve is quick to agree with a nod. ] I think that's for the best. And you don't need to thank me. Like we told him, we're all out here just trying to do what he can.

[ Which means that he's probably better served searching more half-collapsed buildings for other people like this guy they've just brought to safety. Steve gives Claude a quick clap on the shoulder. ] I'll see you around. Don't push yourself past the point of exhaustion, all right? You won't do anyone any good that way.

[ With those parting words, he gives the survivor a quick acknowledgment and then heads out to see if there's anything else he can do before the city is completely shrouded in darkness. ]