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

Entry tags:

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

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. )

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ The instant the portals to Libertas open, Claude's there in the first group of Summoned to go. Eventually, he'll volunteer to assist in escorting a supply run when the word gets out about that, but until then? He can be found just about anywhere, but in particular:

1) Assisting with the search and rescue efforts in Libertas. Even when not working on a patrol with one of the hounds assisting with locating survivors, he'll be walking where he can (and where there's slightly less danger if he's on his own) either bringing things requested to other Summoned on their own shifts, serving as a courier of sorts between groups, or just standing and staring at buildings that are in particularly rough shape.

If it's the latter, feel free to interrupt his thoughts. He could probably use it.

2) Working in any of the infirmaries around Libertas. Healing and/or being a healer is only something he's recently started wading into learning more about, so here Claude will be focusing on restocking supplies, tallying inventories of what's on hand versus what's needed, and organizing what he can to better assist those actively providing medical aid. If you're working with patients and need an assistant, just call for him and he'll be there to do whatever you need.

Those Summoned who are only minorly injured from their own missions and just need some basic assistance to get back out with whatever they were working on before are patients he can handle, between cleaning and bandaging wounds to keep them clean and dry or treating with small doses of healing magic. If you need a very quick patching up to get by until you can sit down with a better healer or a doctor, he can help with that.

3) Visiting the orphanages in Libertas or Cadens. With all that's going on - all of it too familiar from the war he'd just lived through, down to children being relocated somewhere else in the midst of it - the orphanages also get special attention from him. Claude can be found there when he isn't in Libertas doing his best to provide what little bit of normalcy he can for them. You might overhear him promise at ones in Cadens that he'll keep visiting even once things settle down. It's a promise he intends to keep.

For now, he can be found reading storybooks to either a child that's climbed onto his lap or a group of them, complete with voices and all kinds of dramatic flair to dress up storytime a bit more when it's his turn on the schedule. If there's a tea party to be had with someone and their beloved stuffed animal, imaginary friend, or etc, he's there as a delighted participant. At some point he also pays for some art supplies for the children to be able to do some small art projects, so. He might also end up covered in paint from helping younger ones and won't be concerned about it as long as the kids are still having a good time.

Regardless of where he is, if you've met Claude before: you'll notice most of his good cheer is considerably dimmed when he's not 'on' for a crowd or someone's benefit, or if he doesn't realize he's not alone. If asked about it, he'll shrug it off or turn the conversation back around on the asker, but - it could be worth trying to ask about. ]

Edited 2022-09-12 22:21 (UTC)

[ There's still lots of work to be done, to the point that it almost feels like it will never end. Steve knows that this sort of rebuilding and recovery doesn't happen overnight, and that Libertas will be feeling the scars of this attack for months and years to come. Right now, all they can really do is focus on damage control.

At least he gets to do that much. So many times they had left a place in disarray following yet another cataclysmic fight and it was onto the next thing, with never enough time to breathe and help with the aftermath. Steve appreciates the opportunity to wade into things and offer aid, to use his abilities for what they've always been meant for.

Even outside of the more official work, he's been moving all throughout the most ruined parts of the city, jumping in wherever he sees he might be of assistance. It's getting late into the day now, not quite sunset but close to it, which means that the heat is coming down — but also that most people are too beat from a day of manual labor to keep going. As he walks the ruined streets it feels almost quiet, until he notes a lone figure near a collapsed building at the end of the street.

Through the haze of kicked-up dirt, he realizes that it's Claude and picks up his pace to meet him. As he approaches, he catches that worn-out look of contemplation on the younger man's face. He clears his throat to grab his attention. ]

Has this one been searched yet?

[ The building isn't standing anymore; it's just a piled of scorched debris, essentially. But that doesn't mean there could be someone trapped in there, holding on by a thread. ]

[ The building - or what was once one - has Claude's full attention once he comes to a halt in front of it. He'd split off from the group he was working with in another former building only a block or two down the street, and is covered in a considerable amount of general grime from being out assisting all day. and has barely noticed the sun starting to set with so much left to do. A never-ending list; there's always somewhere to go and tasks to be completed to do as much as they can. All of it entirely too familiar.

Despite his focus he picks up on footsteps that don't belong to someone on a path to only pass through and calculates the amount of urgency in them, finds there's importance in that measured stride and readies to slip his mask back into place to offer whatever's needed as they clear their throat. Claude turns and when it's Steve who greets him - he finds he feels less compelled to pretend things are fine. ]

No. [ His voice is scratchy from all the dust he's breathed in over the day, and Claude clears it to get by without having to take a drink from the waterskin he's pretty sure needs to be refilled soon anyway, and shakes his head. ] Or if it has been, no one's marked it off as done. I was getting ready to check it but decided it wouldn't be the smartest idea to go in by myself.

[ Absently he rubs the back of one hand across his cheek to scratch an itch, but the action mostly adds another streak of dirt than achieving anything else. Not that it matters since something will fix that but a bath only when it's finally time to call it a day, and as he glances first at the building and then at Steve he thinks he has, perhaps, found someone who isn't willing to call it one just yet. ]

You in the middle of anything right now?

[ All of them are covered in a thin coating of ash by this point. It's sunk into their clothes, smeared itself onto their faces, and there's no getting it off. There's no telling when the next bath will come, but that's extremely low on Steve's list of priorities. He's been caked in grime like this plenty of times before, and he knows Claude has been too.

As soon as he hears the hoarse quality in Claude's voice, Steve hands over his own waterskin. It's half full and he gets the feeling Claude needs it more than he does. For all that Steve looks like he's rolled around in dirt, his posture doesn't betray any exhaustion and his voice is clear as always. He can physically take this kind of thing for a lot longer than the average person, and that's just one of the reasons why he's still out here. ]

It wouldn't have been. [ Steve knows that Claude is a skilled fighter, but as far as he knows, he's still human. He shouldn't be taking on something like this solo. At the question, he's quick to shake his head. ] I've been scouting for spots that have been missed. You ready for this? If you have a mask, you should put it on.

[ Most of the fires have been contained by now, but the air is still filled with ash. The last thing they need is everyone out here ending up with lung problems because they didn't protect themselves. ]

[ When Steve holds out the waterskin he sees it from the corner of his vision first and turns to first look at it then the other man. There's something in both the gesture and the words following that gives Claude the impression there's no room for argument - a tone he's used several times over himself, from convincing lords his plans weren't mere folly to rallying friends and leading troops. So despite the initial hesitation of a couple seconds, he takes it with no comment besides a half-smile. More similarities from war, he supposes.

The first mouthful of water is used more to rinse dust and worse out of his mouth with a careful swish, and the second is one which finally clears his throat for time being. ]

Never let it be said that for all I like risks that I also take the particularly dumb ones. [ Easier to joke in the face of what things are, to poke fun at his own habits even if Steve doesn't necessarily know those as he hands the waterskin back to its owner. ] I've got the mask at the ready, though. I can't even begin to tell you how helpful these would've been back in Fodlan.

[ For situations like this is the part he lets go unsaid since Claude has the feeling Steve will hear it anyway. The mask clipped to his hip is set on his face obediently and, well. He probably should've kept it on after leaving his last search site since it's much easier to breathe now. With a nod to Steve, Claude steps forward to place a hand tentatively on the scorched frame of the doorway. ]

While standing here I was trying to decide if using some wind to clear some of the ash away would make it easier to search, or worse. What do you think?

[ That the mask doesn't muffle words too badly through whatever way it's been built so the question can be heard clearly is helpful. And if Steve has questions about that clearing part - considering Claude didn't exactly complain - he summons forth an intentionally weaker than usual wind spell with fingertips of one hand glowing, then aims it at their feet for the small gust to shift the dust there back a couple feet in a low-powered demonstration. ]

[ While Steve may not know all of Claude's bad habits, he can't say he's all that surprised to hear that he's a risk-taker. It's something about his general demeanor that gives it away, but it isn't like Steve can judge that much, given some of the reckless decisions he's made in the past. ]

Here's to being responsible, then. [ Steve takes the waterskin back and indulges in a large gulp before twisting the cap back into place and returning it to his holster. The following remark of Claude's about the masks earns a wry sort of laugh from him. So they didn't even have gas masks? It makes sense, given how medieval everything had seemed even among the mystical creatures. ] All the more reason to protect your lungs now. [ As they've probably been damaged in the past, without Claude even knowing it.

Now it's time to get to work, though, and Steve's ready to march in until Claude brings up a possible tool for assisting their search. The demonstration helps, and while Steve hadn't realized that Claude could use magic until this moment, it does make sense. Even if Claude had primarily used his bow during that dream, plenty of people have picked up magic lessons here.

With how that small amount of dust disperses into the air, though, Steve can't say that he considers it the best idea here. He makes a contemplative noise in the back of his throat. ]

I think that might just make the air quality around here even worse. Let's go without for now, but if we find somewhere that needs a lot of clearing out, we can give it a shot.

[ With that, he does finally step forward into the blackened skeleton of the building, on the lookout for any places where someone could conceivably be buried under debris. ]

[ The guidance to protect his lungs feels... ominous, in a way Claude's not sure means if Steve has personal experience with that or (or perhaps and) knows something he doesn't. The latter's likely, given what he's figured out about modern technology compared to what he's familiar with. But that's a thought to set aside when there's more time to figure out if he actually wants to know what it is.

Wind moving the dust does, predictably, turn out to not be the best plan when it causes more of the problem he was hoping to prevent. He waves a hand in front of his face like that'll clear the smaller cloud away - it doesn't. ]

You have a point there. There's another much stronger spell I can use to clear an area. Or I'm pretty sure it can given that it used to work that way when practicing, including the times I accidentally cleared a table of what I was supposed to be targeting.

[ Maybe not reassuring, though Claude's also fairly certain that won't be the case here. It'd taken him a while after arriving to test the spells he knows, and - possibly because of the Singularity - they came easier and with more control than they ever had in Fodlan, and that's continued to develop over time. For now, searching by hand and eye will do.

Nothing to do now but head into the rubble again as he's been doing all day, taking careful steps to both not disturb too much and to not walk on anything someone might be trapped under. With the task at hand he also stays mostly silent other than the occasional callout to anyone possibly trapped while surveying what were once different rooms of either a house or a storefront. After they clear one, Claude pauses at what sounds like knocking and turns in place to narrow down where it might be coming from. That's also after a glance skywards to confirm the beams above don't seem to be about to crash down on them imminently. ]

Do you hear that?

[ Even with Claude's explanation of what he'd been able to do with this "much stronger spell," Steve is having a hard time picturing it. Is it just a much larger gust of air, strong enough to knock things clear off of a table? Steve gets the feeling that his super strength alone will be able to do the job in most cases, but he isn't going to shove aside the potential helpfulness of magic either. ]

Well, we don't really want you to do anything by accident either. [ If they really need it and Claude determines that he can control the spell well enough that it won't risk making things worse, then they can consider it. For now, though, Steve would rather stick with what he knows.

From there, the search beings, with them splitting off to search separate rooms while also remaining within earshot of each other in case either one of them finds something. Steve sometimes lifts up pieces of rubble that are in the way or look large enough to be hiding someone underneath. However, it's after he returns to meet Claude in what used to be a hallway that the knocking sound starts.

He follows Claude's gaze up, frowning when he realizes that is in fact where the sound seems to be coming from. Parts of the second floor of this building haven't completely collapsed. ]

I do. We're going to need to find a way up. [ They had passed a stairwell, but that had been completely blocked off by debris. He could try to clear it out, but it might be faster to try and find another way. There have to be plenty of holes in the ceiling. ]

[ The mention of finding a way up is all Claude needs to resume scanning their surroundings. Dragging over something to use as a way to reach the ceiling - mostly for his own benefit - crosses his mind, but it's also immediately removed since if someone is waiting on their help above, that'd take too much time. Even the few seconds could make a difference.

He steps forward, head tilted slightly in an attempt to follow the sound to pinpoint a more exact location for it. With the buildings around them still making the occasional settling noises as parts shift in a slow collapse, it takes some focus to tune those out for what's here (sort of) in front of them. It grows louder and louder as Claude advances into the building where rooms they couldn't see right away seem to be still standing, based on the ceiling being intact. Mostly. ]

Here.

[ Said with a point first to where there's a sizable hole allowing access to the floor above, and then to a cabinet half standing, half tipped against the wall as a convenient 'ramp' to climb. One nudge with his boot proves it's wedged where it is quite solidly, so after a couple seconds of quick calculation more for the ceiling part of this climb Claude wastes no time in vaulting it.

Dexterity comes in handy for that leap towards the ceiling, and so does the exposed supports to grab onto as both a handhold and - after a couple of attempts - to pull himself up to the next floor. Once on what seems like safe enough ground in yet another hallway with rooms abound, Claude pauses when the knocking starts up again. And louder this time; it's too rhythmic to be a random noise, and not rhythmic enough to be attributed to the tools used elsewhere. All the more reason he leans over to peer at Steve if he's still below. ]

There's almost certainly someone up here. I can't tell where they are, but they have to be close.

[ It doesn't take them too long to find a hole in the ceiling that will be able to grant them a way up. Steve is all too ready to give Claude a boost, but that doesn't end up being necessary. Claude's a trained fighter, skilled with a bow and used to riding on the back of a winged creature, and it seems he's agile on top of that.

Steve follows after without much delay, running and then leaping up at the leaned-over cabinet to brace off of it and propel himself up and through the hole. He clears it with that single jump, not needing to grab the edge of the ruined floor to pull himself up, and lands with an unnatural gracefulness.

The knocking is easier to hear from here, and Steve can definitely tell that it's a person making that noise — with increasing urgency, as they can probably hear that there are people in the house now moving around. Steve nods to Claude, then takes a moment to close his eyes and really listen.

Even past the knocking, he can hear panicked breathing, and can tell the general direction it's coming from. His eyes snap open and he starts down the hall. ] Stay behind me. [ He's careful with his steps, only putting a portion of his weight on any floorboards that look like they might be weakened to test their sturdiness before moving on.

He makes a right, then a left, and then suddenly comes upon a whole portion of the floor that's collapsed. A good fifteen feet past that the gaps ends, and beyond that is the door where the banging seems to be coming from.

Steve pauses, then glances back toward Claude. ] I should be able to clear this, but the hard landing from my jump might make the rest of the floor give out. [ He could jump back up if that happened, potentially, but he doesn't know how much of a chain reaction it would cause — and how that might affect the person trapped behind the door. ] Do you think your magic could maybe lighten up my landing?

[ At Steve's nod he waits and watches curiously as the other man seems to do something that almost looks like a short version of the meditation he's familiar with before the Horizon was involved. When Steve opens his eyes and moves Claude doesn't question it, just follows with as much caution as he can muster for when it feels like there's no time to lose.

The gap taunting them where the floor once isn't a surprise, but what is is the question that follows. Claude eyes Steve first and then studies what they (Steve) need to clear, absently forming half-finished sigils with the fingers of one hand as he thinks. Somewhere, somehow: Lysithea can surely sense that he's about to try something with magic he hasn't before and is rolling her eyes in exasperation with theorems ready to prove how it can be done, if he would've only listened in class. But he shoves that memory away. It's no help here. ]

It's possible. [ Claude says it slowly, still evaluating what all that might entail in the small amount of seconds they can spare. With someone needing their help, there's no time to explain the ways he's familiar with using the spell he has in mind or that there's a good chance the Singularity - in whatever it does - will aid it to be what they need regardless, so he shakes his head. ] Better yet, it's worth a shot. If I aim it towards your feet timed for when you make it to the other side, the gust should push you farther in to where the floor's less damage.

[ Or - it'll push Steve into the wall waiting at the other end, depending on how the force catches the other man. Maybe he doesn't have to explain that part given all the other risk involved, and to make sure it's aimed exactly where it needs to go Claude steps forward with one cautious step after another to as far out as the floor on this side seems like it'll support him. He holds his hands out before him, both now aglow with the spell waiting to be called and looks to Steve with a nod of his own. ]

Ready when you are.

[ There isn't much time to discuss, and whether or not Claude is speaking with true confidence or a bravado borne of necessity, Steve isn't going to question it. This wouldn't be the first time that he's relied on a teammate's magic, as Wanda has propelled him around with the sheer force of her hex energy a number of times in the past.

If the worst happens and he falls through the floor anyway, it probably won't be the end of the world. He'll find a way back up. All the same, as Steve backs up to give himself room for a running start, he does brace himself for that unfortunate scenario — which would mean a hard and potentially painful landing.

He watches as Claude's hands begin to take on a translucent green glow, an indication that he's readying the spell. It's so different from what Wanda and Strange do, but Steve's starting to realize that magic can take all sorts of forms.

What matters is how they use it here and now.

He meets Claude's gaze with an unwavering look of his own and then takes off at breakneck speed toward the gap, leaping from the floor at the last second to launch himself across. A split second later, as he nears the other side, he feels a lightness to his steps where he should be landing, as if he's stepped on air. The force of the spell pushes him forward, and suddenly it's like when he was new to the serum and could barely control how fast he was — meaning he does slam into the shut door.

He hears a startled yelp from the other side as he recovers from a brief moment of being dazed from the impact. He looks back to Claude across the way and sends him a quick salute before returning his attention to the door and whoever's trapped behind it. ]

We're gonna get you out of there, just hold on! [ He has to force the door open, and then he's met with — as expected — a pile of debris blocking him from the rest of the room and the person stuck inside. ]

[ It works - this is what sticks in Claude's mind the most even if he also follows it with a wince as Steve hits a rather solid remaining part of the structure on when he lands. Later, all that effort of getting across on Steve's part being so effortless will register with him, probably raise some questions but for now: hot damn, his spell didn't fail.

This is, however, only celebrated behind that mask of concentration as he gets up and dusts his trousers off with focus immediately back on their goal of helping whoever is trapped. As Steve calls out a reassurance, Claude's looking around to see if he can get across. He has faith in his agility, but that is a sizable gap.

Steve forcing the door open redoubles his efforts, because now it also occurs to Claude that if the other's able to get through the debris, and whether it's one person or several trapped behind it, they're going to need to find a way to bring them out of the building. ]

I'm going to look for a way back around to there, [ he calls over to Steve and without waiting to see if the other man heard him, it's off to his search.

The other end of the hallway from where they'd hopped up from the floor below doesn't seem promising at first. There's more collapsed beams, walls, rubble he has to climb past or over. Claude's progress is slow, much slower than he'd hoped it'd be, thanks to making sure whatever he steps on is solid or if it'll give away beneath his weight as he goes. Eventually he makes it to a turn in the hallway, but it's a dead end based on more walls having fallen.

But it's not without hope - there's another hole in a ceiling and this time, Claude has a wall to use for hand and footholds up to it. The climb's quick and leads to the roof rather than another floor and Claude moves across it, eyes on the shingles beneath his feet to approximate retracing his steps to where Steve's working. The path leads him to a ruined ceiling and he crouches down to peer through it. If his guess is as lucky as he wants it to be, maybe it's the same room as before. But he'll settle for it being close enough to there, too. ]

[ Steve registers what Claude says, nodding but not reacting much more than that as he focuses on how to best unearth all of the debris that's trapping the survivor inside the room. He orders him first to back up as far as he can into the room, as he's going to need to push some of the debris further into the room to dislodge it. Trying to drag any of the large pieces through a doorway isn't bound to work until he makes some more space.

Thankfully, the survivor isn't badly injured. His voice sounds hoarse and strained from smoke inhalation and yelling for help, but he's able to move, at least.

Once the all clear is given, Steve forces all of his weight and strength against the pile of debris, forcing enough of it out of place that tiny gaps open up, allowing him to peer through and see the man on the other side. He continues to offer reassuring words and then starts to pick up smaller pieces of rubble that he can get his grip around now, tossing them into the gap behind him (after making certain no one happens to be down there).

Slowly but surely, he's making an opening in the doorway. Now it's just a matter of keeping this up until there's enough space for the man to come through.

It's around this time that both Steve and the survivor hear movement on the rooftop above their heads.

"Oh no, what now," grumbles the man as he sends a wary glance up to the hole overhead. ]

Don't worry. I think that's a friend of mine.

[ It's most likely Claude, anyway. Who else would be on the roof? ]

[ One quick peer into the room below confirms it's exactly where he wants to be, though that's confirmed more by hearing Steve's voice than by the man staring up at him like he's the strangest sight of the day. And, well - Claude just might be. ]

Good news, if we can get back up to the roof there's a much easier way back around than all of us having to clear where the floor's collapsed out there.

[ This is announced while he surveys the ground below, notes a few pieces of furniture they can repurpose as a makeshift ladder to the roof again, and then there's nothing to do but lower himself by gripping a roof beam and dropping to the floor below him with slightly less grace than he would've hoped. No matter; he's still counting it a success. While Steve works on clearing the doorway, Claude turns to the man who is, understandably, looking at him skeptically. ]

He's much better at moving heavy things than I am. [ Said with a nod back over his shoulder in Steve's direction and with a smile exaggerated so it'll hopefully show despite his mask, which makes the man relax ever so slightly. That's a good start. ] My name's Claude, it's nice to meet you. Would you mind if I checked you over a bit before we get you out of here?

[ There's a begrudging sort of acceptance and Claude hands over his waterskin to the survivor before going through a list of basic battlefield assessment now bolstered by what Nadine's taught him. The man is in good shape all things considered, though there's a particularly nasty looking scrape along one of his forearms Claude would feel much better about healing slightly before they go on the move. ]

I'd like to help with this if I can. Is it alright if I use some healing magic on you? You'll still need to get checked out in one of the infirmaries but this should take any pain away. [ He glances up to be met with a frown, and, well. He gets that. Probably falls under the kind of magic the Free Cities questions, if Claude had to guess. ] You don't have to if it makes you uncomfortable, promise. If you'd like to see what it'll do before deciding, I can use it on Steve first. Well, assuming Steve's also okay with it. If not, I have some supplies with me I can use to clean that wound which should also make it feel much better.

[ Extricating the survivor through the roof will likely be the better option here, as Claude's already determined. Leading the injured, likely shaken man through a house that's on the verge of collapse isn't ideal, so Steve's glad to learn that they have another way.

First thing's first, though. He lets out a little scoff to himself at Claude's comment about him, but it's not like he's wrong. Steve is more than capable of clearing away the blockage himself, and continues to work on pulling pieces free and then tossing them below.

As Claude offers healing to the man, it's really no surprise that there's some hesitation at first. The people of the Free Cities are particular with the type of magic that they approve of, for whatever reason. Steve knows that it all goes back to their centuries-long conflict with Thorne, but in a situation like this, it feels ridiculous to balk at it. ]

Sure, you can use it on me. [ He's already handed himself over to Claude's magic once and it hadn't been a disaster. Granted, there isn't much to heal on him, but if it sets the civilian at ease, then sure.

By this point, Steve's cleared the debris away to the point that he can actually step through and into the room. He doesn't approach immediately, not wanting to spook the man even further, although at this point the guy's looking between him and Claude, assessing.

"You've gone to all this effort to come to my rescue," he says after a long pause. "Would be a bit silly of me to turn down your help now." So with that, the survivor nods to Claude and holds his arm out. ]

[ Steve's confirmation that he is, yet again, willing to be a test for what Fodlan magic he knows gets a nod from Claude. From there, it's but a second's delay before Recover is sent Steve's direction. If the other man has any general aches, pains, bruises, cuts and scrapes, or simply the muscle strains that come along with all of this, they'll either disappear or be greatly muted. Something he couldn't have managed in Fodlan, given he wasn't much of a magic user, but. It's fortunate that it works here.

After that display and with Steve still standing, the survivor does seem more convinced. To the point of holding out his arm in the acceptance Claude had hoped for, so he's quick to give the man another smile. ]

That's the spirit. Give me just a moment, alright?

[ One more appraisal of the man's arm now that he's been granted permission, and then it's time to send Recover over it in hopes to patch up as much of that wound as he possibly can. It seems fate's on Claude's side once more as the wound closes beyond being only just scabbed over with the skin looking less inflamed and some of the bruising gone. The result's not perfect - a medic or healer will most definitely need to finish a proper treatment - but Claude's pleased enough with it. The man seems suitably impressed (if not still slightly unnerved) so that'll do.

Afterwards comes another familiar feeling: weariness like he's run too far, too fast, too long; the mild cost of casting taxing spells in quick succession. Nothing he can't shake off, but best to not over-exert himself with any more magic for now. With everyone in good shape, Claude looks back up at their planned exit through the ceiling. ]

I'm thinking if we move those, [ said now to Steve with a point to some smaller storage chests and then a solid-looking desk, ] onto the desk, we can create something close to stairs to get out of here. What do you think?

[ That burst of magic that envelops him and gives him a little boost is nicer than Steve had really expected. He usually isn't the one who needs to be healed like this, given how quickly his wounds knit up on their own, but it does take away some minor aches that he had from their journey through the collapsing house as well as giving him an injection of fresh energy.

He spreads his arms to show the civilian that he's just fine, and also gives him an encouraging nod.

After that, it's all Claude, who takes to healing the survivor's wound with care. Even if the man would have managed even without the spell's effects, it's nice to see his arm looking a whole lot less red and angry.

Yet Steve doesn't miss the toll this takes on Claude. He's lost a shade or two in his complexion and also has some perspiration beading at his hairline and forehead. Well, the sooner they can all get out of here, the better.

At Claude's suggestion for how to do that, Steve takes note of the crates and the desk, as furniture which hasn't been completely destroyed and they could therefore use. He could just as easily pick them both up one by one and hop up through the hole in the roof, but he doesn't know how comfortable Claude or the civilian will be with that. So... ]

Sure, we can give it a try.

[ The sun's almost completely set outside. They need to make the most of the daylight they have left, and so he quickly gets to work with stacking the crates from the floor up to the desk, building a makeshift staircase of sorts.

He turns back to Claude and the survivor then, nodding to Claude specifically. ] You give it a shot first. Everything should hold steady. I'll wait right here just in case you lose your balance.

[ Steve once again makes much quicker work of arranging what's needed for their exit than he could've managed, and he sends a glance the survivor's way as if to say, see? Purely for entertainment's sake since Claude imagines they could all use something more light-hearted now, but. It doesn't seem to earn him more than a look back. Fair enough.

Their way out's assembled, and all that's left is to test it. Even before Steve speaks up Claude's in the middle of taking a step forward to volunteer himself on that first climb both to test it out and demonstrate, and he nods while hopping up onto the desk as the first metaphorical hurdle there. ]

You've got it. We'll be out of here in no time at all at this rate.

[ Added more for their new friend's benefit than Steve's since Claude's guessing his teammate here knows that as well as anyone. With light steps so as to not knock any of the crates over and to prove their sturdiness, Claude walks up until the ceiling is in reach. For someone used to climbing, it's not much of a hop up to grasp where he needs to go next nor is it particularly difficult to pull himself up and out onto the roof.

It does give him a chance to pat around the roof tiles in his immediate reach to make sure they're all secure and unlikely to cause anyone to slide or loose their grip. They seem to be in good shape, and he has high hopes getting out will prove much easier than getting in to where the man was trapped. All that's left to do now is lean over to look down to where the other two are hopefully still waiting as he kneels back down, ready to grab the hand of anyone who needs added assistance on the brief climb out. ]

It shouldn't take us too long to get back across the roof. There's just a bit of climbing down involved on the other side, but nothing quite like this.

[ It's no surprise that Claude is eager to demonstrate the climb up the makeshift stairs, and Steve simply stands back with his arms crossed and watches, searching for any signs of unsteadiness in how the different crates are stacked on each other. Claude's nimble enough that he makes the whole thing look easy, but this is probably as safe as it's going to get.

They can assist the civilian with getting out easily enough now, though. Steve's glad to hear that this little climb will be the worst of it, based on what Claude's already scouted out. ]

Good to know. [ He nods to the survivor. ] You next, come on. [ He helps him up onto the desk and then hovers nearby as the man does the rest of the climb on his own, just in case he loses his balance and goes tumbling down again.

Claude's ready with a hand stretched down to oversee the last part of the process, and soon enough they've got the man up on the roof. Steve is fairly sure there's no one else trapped in this house, having kept an ear open this entire time on the off chance, so he can leave without any second thoughts.

While he doesn't really need the stairs, he climbs them anyway and then pulls himself up onto the shingles of the rooftop. That last sliver of sun glares almost defiantly at the horizon line. ]

Everyone good? Let's get you down to ground level. [ Steve looks from the man they rescued to Claude. ] Lead the way.

[ It may just be one person, but it still feels good to have done something. It still opens up a little more of the tightness in his chest. ]

[ As the man reaches up for him when he's in range, Claude grips his hand and leans back to balance them both as slight leverage to get him up and out of the damaged house. With a gesture for the man to wait and not get any ideas about racing off across the tiles unsupervised, he waits for Steve to successfully get out himself before standing up. There's another sigh of relief under his breath and well-disguised within moving since why linger where none of them want to be?

With that he leads the way back, deliberately taking slow steps to remind the survivor to be careful even if all of them are eager to keep going. Claude hadn't come across any loose tiles, planks, or otherwise, but with his luck now would be the time they decide to surface. And the last thing they need is undoing the good work they've done so far, and he's determined to get this man to safety.

One person. One person less in the rubble, one person hopefully able to reunite with their loved ones. It helps. It has to. ]

Alright, this will likely be the trickiest part, [ he announces when they arrive to where he'd climbed up. The sunset is casting shadows which weren't there before and the angle of looking down from the roof to the ground can be disorienting. having flown at high heights for years now means it doesn't phase him, but Claude glances up to see the survivor looking on a few shades past incredulous. ] I promise it looks more intimidating than it is. And we're not going to let you fall, got it?

[ Claude first takes a seat on the roof's edge to show it's sturdy and waves for the man to do the same. He's less concerned about Steve in this, if only because it's quite clear Steve's more than capable of many things as he's learned, so after talking through the steps of what they're going to do there's nothing left but demonstrating the way down. There's a terrace below with the window to crawl through on their slightly meandering way back in, so he lowers himself down to where there's beams to grip as another makeshift ladder to show they're also secure enough to support someone. One last jump and he's on firm(ish) ground again looking up at the two men above. ]

See, nothing to it. From here there's only one more level and we'll be back on the ground to get you to where you need to go.

[ 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. ]

[ 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?

[ 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. ]

[ 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.

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

libertas + a cadens option, post nocwich — open

1

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)