( video & action; un: kirk ) forward dated to April 1st

[winscenario]

[ The camera catches a glimpse of Jim's face in his Perimeter Guard uniform, but only for the flicker of a second before there's a bump of some sort and the device is knocked down. Jim's surprised expression is the last thing to show before the only view for a few seconds is the ceiling. His voice can be heard from off camera. ]

John! Bad boy, bad.

[ There's a snout next, sniffing at the screen, then a tongue... then finally Jim reaches his phone and picks it up from the ground. He's grinning a little and shaking his head as he props it up on the table again and pulls away, dragging his new friend along with him so he's kept away from his device. ]

Sorry. That was... anyway. Captain James Kirk here, and this is John, the latest member of the aerial unit. [ He just wandered in one day and now Jim's keeping him, shut up. ] So— due to the latest rains and the most recent flooding near the river, a lot of people have found themselves temporarily displaced. I'm one of those people, but luckily me and my buddy here have a place to crash at the Perimeter Guard. We have plenty of beds and mattresses available here, for what it's worth, so anyone who finds themselves momentarily homeless, you'll be more than welcome here.

There should be other places we could use to offer people some shelter. The community centers come to mind, for instance. Gathering a few supplies would help though, so anyone willing to help and donate a few things, that would be great.

Additionally, I'll be making rounds on the shuttle, so anyone who needs a hand or absolutely must get somewhere out of bounds due to the flood, let me know.

And that's it! [ He smiles a little, nodding. ] Remember to keep safe. And if you don't need to be anywhere near it, stay away from the river. At least until the rain lets up and we manage to figure out where all this water's coming from.


(( ooc: this post is open to action for the following options: around the perimeter guard barracks, getting some rest, working, or helping other misplaced people out; near the river, aiding anyone in trouble and/or possibly fighting any of the monsters; a little all over the place on his shuttle, ready to jump in and get anyone out of a tough spot. ))

Comments

[winscenario]

Yeah, I hope it won't. I don't think the Quarantine could withstand a flood much greater than this.

[ It's a fairly small place, after all, and the terrain of the city itself is pretty flat. The river water would find few obstacles if it were to raise even higher. ]

I guess in a situation like that, we could always redirect the river so it went around the Quarantine. There are people with powers and superhuman abilities here, so we could probably make it happen if need be. [ He'd just like to avoid it, if at all possible. ]

[scholiast]

That's very powerful magic you're asking for.

(But, Lucretia supposes they have gods residing casually here, so. Moot point. She grins sheepishly.) But you're right: we have people more than capable of such things. But hopefully that remains a plan B.

[winscenario]

I'm well aware, but it wouldn't be impossible.

[ He figures as much anyway, and after having seen some pretty amazing stuff here, he has a feeling he's not wrong. ]

But yeah, it'd definitely be just a plan B, in case things go wrong. Still holding out hope we'll figure out what's wrong with the river and manage to fix it before the flood causes too much damage.

[scholiast]

It feels like the moment we finish recuperating from the last disaster, something entirely new shows up.

(She sounds a little off-put.) I know a lot of people who have been brought here are skilled in fighting and magical ability, but the local residents must find it all a bit much.

[winscenario]

Well, there have been fairly quiet times around here. Considering our predicament, I'm surprised we don't run into even more problems.

[ There are no other cities here, no other countries, no other planets to help them. It's just the population in the Quarantine keeping this place running, and sometimes it amazes him that it's still running so smoothly, and peacefully. This might be the worst disaster he's encountered yet, and it might not even be because of poor maintenance, but caused by an external factor, entirely out of their control. ]

Maybe not, if they're used to it. If anything they're probably grateful so many of us can handle these situations so well.

[scholiast]

It seems a shame to have to get used to disruption.

(She's not sure she'd agree with the times being 'fairly quiet'; there always seems to be something going on, whether it's giant crocodiles crawling out of the bloated rivers, or flowers that make you accidentally tell everybody the truth. It's a real sliding scale of interruptive bullshit.)

Though, there is that. I'm glad we can be here to help; not that I think we have to earn our keep, but it seems only right.

[winscenario]

[ Maybe he's just used to that sort of life, to something always happening in the background. Even during the more monotonous stretches of their voyages on board the Enterprise, there was still always something to be on top of, to keep an eye on. It's just the sort of life he knows, and here it's about the same— just on a smaller scale. ]

So am I. Just wouldn't feel right being here and not helping out when we can. Regardless of having been brought here knowingly or by accident.

[scholiast]

(Lucretia nods emphatically, glad he's in agreement. Honestly, if he hadn't been she would have judged him for it. It costs nothing to help where you can, after all.)

Which do you think it was? Knowingly or by accident, I mean.

[winscenario]

Depends on the person, I'd say? Some of us agreed and wanted to come here, while with others it was just an accident. I've been here a year so far, I really don't think they brought anyone here against their wills on purpose.

[ He used to be a little more skeptical when he first arrived, but that was a long time ago. ]

[scholiast]

I think my coming here was an accident.

(Not that she regrets it or anything like that; just that she had been in the middle of a mission, and then suddenly found herself displaced and unable to remember exactly where she'd been before.)

And you? Did you agree to come here?

[winscenario]

[ Jim looks at her at the question, shaking his head. ]

No. Bones didn't either, but... we didn't mind staying anyway.

[ The fact that they got to be here together largely affected that decision, of course. Now, Jim has other reasons to be unsure about going back. ]

[scholiast]

I... didn't mind staying at first, (she admits, glancing away.) It felt normal. At the time I was used to travelling; the Quarantine was just another place.

Now I don't know how I feel about it. (She has a feeling he may understand this. He knows Beverly. He has somebody of his own.)

[winscenario]

Yeah, I'm used to traveling, myself. Not as used to staying in one place, though. In the past eight years or so, I haven't stayed anywhere for as long as I have here.

[ But yes, he gets it. All too well. He knows he still has a life to go back to, a job to see through, people depending on him... in a way, wanting to stay makes him feel like he's just being selfish. ]

[scholiast]

In a few months, it will be the longest I've spent in one place.

(It's odd to her, too. Feels like she should be moving on soon.) I think... after I've spent a year here, I wonder if I'll become very jumpy to leave.

[winscenario]

This has definitely been the longest I've spent in one place since leaving the Academy, for what it's worth. So I know how you feel.

[ It's kinda weird to think about, sometimes. That he's been here for a whole year now. And yet he doesn't feel fidgety, or like he's in a rush to go back. He's happy here, actually. ]

Guess you'll only know when you get there. From personal experience, I can only say it depends a lot on the people you have here with you, and how important they are.

[scholiast]

(She nods, unable to help smiling at the thought. Obviously he knows about Beverly, so she doesn't feel as embarrassed as she usually would about appearing so smitten.)

Yes, (she says simply,) that is very true.

When the time comes for you to leave, do you think that you will?

[winscenario]

[ Jim lets out a little sigh, looking down thoughtfully. ]

I don't know. [ He shrugs. It was different, when he was with Bones. They came from the same world, so they wouldn't be separated if they went back. But now... he knows if he left, he'd never see Victor again.

It's his heart speaking, rather than his mind. Rationally he knows he should go, he has to. He's just not sure if he wants to. ]

Guess I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

[scholiast]

(Lucretia nods mutely. She's been having the same quandary, but hasn't really gone about voicing it out loud just yet. Rather, she's been stewing in it ever since Beverly asked her to move in.)

I suppose so.

(She may sound a little disappointed, like she was hoping for Jim to possibly have an answer to what she had asked him.)

[winscenario]

[ Even if he had an answer, it would be his answer— it might not be hers. People want different things, value different things. There's no wrong answer, that much he's sure of. The problem is that there's no right choice, either. If he stays, he'll be abandoning his crew. If he leaves, he'll be abandoning Victor. And he frankly can't say which is worse. ]

Come on. We've done as much as we could around here. Let's head back to the guard and clean up a little, see what else we can help with.

[scholiast]

(Deep down, Lucretia knows that all too well. She's never been content to let other people make decisions for her or solve all of her problems; it's just that this one is strange to her, so much so that she doesn't know what to think about it any more. She has a tendency to overthink, to nitpick at everything. She sighs when Jim suggests heading back to the guard, shoulders dropping.

Sometimes it's enough just to have a clear directive.)

That's a good idea. After you.