Blackout, blackout!

[kore_npc]

Who: The residents of Cape Kore
Where: The center of town, near the ruined fountain
When: Day 100
What: Stane gathered some supplies for a community fire. Consider this a party-style post reacting to the lack of power and the loss of the communicators.

After the power goes out, Stane spends a few minutes standing stock still in the room, holding his breath and waiting for it to come back, but he doesn't waste too much time lingering in that kind of hopefulness. People are going to need things; they're going to need fire to cook and boil water, and they're going to need to do something about the food that's going to spoil.

It's so important that he helps them. It's so important that he helps them stay alive. Maybe the dream sharing is getting to him, maybe it's made his nightmares... feel real, but...

They're going to survive this. He's determined.

He gathers some wood that can be used for firewood and kindling, and he leaves them in the center of the town; he has no way of announcing that the things are there, really, but he cups his hands around his mouth and shouts a general Go to the fountain! Maybe someone will hear him.

Comments

[tryingitall]

[Balthazar looks sheepish. He doesn't have the excuse of not being able to see in the dark as to why he missed that. Perhaps he's just a bit distracted with worry.

Not so distracted, though, that he misses the pause in Stane's sentence.]

Are you all right? You sound like your train of thought derailed before it reached the station.

[kore_npc]

[ He hasn't yet made a fire out of them, so Balthazar's suggestion holds up! And it conveniently comes on the heels of needing to cover for the hiccup in his thoughts. He starts preparing the fire, pulling materials over and fishing around in his pocket for his pack of matches. ]

Fine. Just... I just haven't been sleeping very well since the dream sharing. That's died down, but it's dredged up some old nightmares.

[tryingitall]

[The angel moves to help set things up, relieved to have something to occupy himself for the moment. If Stane can't find matches, Balthazar can see to it that the fire starts up, but he'll just...give him a moment first.]

Sorry to hear it. That was weird, wasn't it? But I only caught a glimpse of the city everyone else seems to have seen.

[kore_npc]

I couldn't figure that one out, either. Certainly nothing I've seen before. [ That's easier to talk about though and farther from what's bothering him. He produces the matches and tries to light the kindling, but it doesn't take. ]

Should've paid more attention in Boy Scouts.

[tryingitall]

Likewise. Better than most of my own dreams, though. May I? [He takes the matches out of the man's hand gently and pulls one out of the pack, leaning in to light the fire with it.

Except, because he's never used them before, he forgets one's supposed to strike the match on something rough before it lights. Spontaneous flame? Oops.]

[kore_npc]

[ Stane might be a little distracted, but he definitely notices that, and his lips quirk in amusement as he looks up at Balthazar. ]

I see you have a much easier time of starting fires than I do. Do the matches help, or are they for show?

[tryingitall]

[There are a number of people here with unusual abilities. Maybe he shouldn't be surprised Stane isn't surprised. Balthazar shrugs, slightly sheepish.]

Mostly for show. It's easier to keep the burning going with fuel, though. I thought I was being subtle.

[kore_npc]

Well, usually. [ He takes the matches back and runs his finger along the stripe for striking. ]

You strike it first. They don't spontaneously burst into flame for most people.

[tryingitall]

[Balthazar laughs softly.] I'll remember next time. Are you just that used to strange talents from being in this place, or are you from somewhere it's more common?

[Everyone in Kore must have come from somewhere else, right? The angel's seen nothing to tell him otherwise.]

[kore_npc]

I don't know any extraordinary people back home, no. [ His smile doesn't fade completely, but it does dim somewhat as he pockets his matches. Finally he looks up at Balthazar. ]

I've just been here a long time.

[tryingitall]

Longer than any of the rest of us? [His brows knit in a cross between compassion and worry. That sounds ominous.]

I'm sorry.

[kore_npc]

I think. I -- It's hard to be sure. There were dreams... [ He doesn't quite look at the cameras. Instead, he lowers his voice a notch. ]

It might be best if you didn't ask me too many questions. I'm not sure what they... might do. If they'd do it again.

[tryingitall]

...of course. [Balthazar is very still for a moment, disturbed by the reminder of their precarious situation.] Perhaps a time when there wasn't such immediate inconvenience would be better, anyway.

[He gestures ruefully at the dark around them.] I'm relatively safe from animal attack, anyway. Perhaps I ought to gather more firewood.

[But he'll be thinking about this little chat.]

[kore_npc]

[ Stane blinks and nods. Balthazar's probably right. He needs to be careful what he says, but then he also wonders if they don't have a right to know. ]

Right. Good thinking. I'll keep an eye on the fire.

[tryingitall]

[Balthazar's eyebrows quirk subtly; he's trying to read the man's expression. In the end, he decides to take his own advice, though, and save the interrogation for a better time.

With a last nod, he takes a couple steps into the dark, then takes flight. Stane may hear the flutter as he vanishes, but maybe that's no weirder than anything else in Kore these days.]