Blackout, House 11

[tryingitall]

Who: Balthazar, Rat and Open!
What: Lights are out. They should build a pillowfort and tell scary stories, right?
When: Day 101
Where: House 11, with possible visits around town by Balthazar, should anyone want that.


All right, so the blackout is, in itself, not terribly alarming. Inconvenient, yes, but provided the weather stays tolerably warm and nothing horrible comes out of the woods to kill them, it's just annoying.

At least in the short term. In the long term, water will need to be boiled and distilled, food storage will have to be tweaked, etc. Balthazar's hoping it won't come to that. Right now, it seems best to treat this as temporary.

On the second day after the lights go out, he's taken the initiative to snag some supplies from the store and junkpiles around town and created a couple makeshift light sources: three candles and an oil lamp in an empty wine bottle. The dim glow is visible from outside the house, a small circle of golden flames. Combine it with a little of the moonshine he's gotten from Ellen and it's almost festive, in a rustic sort of way.

Comments

[servingmichael]

"Likely not, we're like a clowder of cats really." Raphael thinks Chuck needs more time around humans and less around hunters, personally, but he won't push. Yet.

"You're welcome." The phase gets a twitch of a smile out of him.

[bluesrat]

Rat rubs his chin- he needs a shave, although he's availed himself of the shower gratefully since coming to the house. "Yeah, Balthazar's pretty catlike, now that you mention it." Of course, Raphael is the one creeping around quietly in the dark.

[servingmichael]

Raphael creeps a lot, which...probably isn't a good thing for most. "Yes, he can be. How well do you know him?" And he'll just peek inside Rat's head to see what he does know, in case he decides to lie.

[bluesrat]

"I'm... not sure. Maybe not as well as I feel like I do..." He knows, rationally, what Balthazar is. He has a hard time seeing him as anything but a human with some extra magic powers, though. He tries, but religion is a slightly awkward thing when it's shoved in your face, and it's easier just to think of him as just a guy.

"He saved my life, though, and he's been a good friend since I found myself here."

[servingmichael]

"That tends to be true of all of my siblings." Raphael both cared and didn't - so long as he or his siblings weren't being challenged or taken advantage of, he didn't care what others thought of them.

Unless it was Michael. Then he cared.

"Did he? What trouble did you find yourself in?"

[bluesrat]

"Oh, back when... well, there was a fire, in the woods, and a lot of people were running around trying to help with a plan that went wrong, and he found me and got me out of the fire. Plus he's invited me here, and I'm more grateful for that than I know how to make him understand." He smiles gently. Rat takes any favor as a big one, really.

[servingmichael]

"The fire was rather inconvenient, it's good that were uninjured." He was still hostile over, as it had caught his family up in it, had lead to is brother being injured. "But I'm sure he's more aware than you realize."

Raphael motioned to the taps. "The water here is safe to drink, it might not be so other places. So unless you boil it first, only drink, cook food, or bath here, until the power is back." It's part of why he was here, after all.

[bluesrat]

"It was more the smoke that was the problem, for me..." He drifts over, curious, but of course there's no changes to the taps that he can see. "...Oh. Thank you. I mean that. I guess this place is really falling apart, that we have to worry about it at all."

[servingmichael]

"That tends to be for most people." No changes, just a little angel mojo. "You're welcome. And yes, without power, there's more issues than most here realize."

[bluesrat]

"I guess I'm used to doing without, and scrounging, but for that to work the system has to be working for everyone else..." He's been thinking about this, and while it's nice to finally be on the same level with everyone else again, it's also harder not to have anyone better off to turn to.

[servingmichael]

"No one should be in the position." It's said firmly, almost righteously. Whatever impression Raphael may have left on Rat, this is clear: he means this, utterly and wholly, no one should be without such basics.

[bluesrat]

The eyebrows rise, and Rat almost takes half a step back. For just a brief moment, he really sees that utter implacable conviction that embodies all that angels are made to be, and it scares him just a little. Sure, right now it's in his favor, but Rat is a deep thinker and some part of his brain is already throwing up the idea that this kind of righteous certainty could be dangerous.

"Um... thanks. I mean, I'm glad we've got you looking out for us." He manages a smile anyway, but his mind is spinning quietly.

[servingmichael]

It is dangerous - Raphael would be the last to deny that. Look what Lucifer did with it? Look where Raphael is willing to go with it. But here, in this place, it's turned towards protecting the humans here and his (righteous) indignation turned on those who would arrange such suffering as well as have the arrogance to cage archangels. "You're welcome."

[bluesrat]

"Is... there any way I can return the favor? Sorry I don't have much to offer..." He just hopes he isn't getting himself in trouble with this, but it only seems right, even if he is talking to a terrifying, ancient, absolute being.

[servingmichael]

"Which implies you have something to offer." It's a touch amused. "If I was going to insist upon repayment, I would have said so first. But I admit to being curious what you are willing to offer."

[bluesrat]

Rat rubs the back of his neck, sheepish and slightly uneasy. "Just music, I guess. I used to be a music teacher... I'm not sure anything else I can do would be of much use to you."

[servingmichael]

"Teaching is a noble profession. Especially those who teach children." It's a blessing, though a subtle one. "Which instruments do you play?"

[bluesrat]

"I miss it. The younger ones are the most fun to teach..." He can't help sounding a little wistful.

"My guitar came here with me, but I can muddle along on a lot of instruments. Teaching demands versatility. There don't seem to be many instruments around here, unfortunately."

[servingmichael]

"They are. I taught my younger siblings, when we were all younger." He understands it.

"There are instruments at the church. Not many, but some. If you ever feel the need to practice." He enjoyed music, after all.

[bluesrat]

"I haven't... really been in the church. Really? What instruments do you have? Would you mind if I come by and check them out?" His curiosity is more than piqued.

[servingmichael]

"There's a piano. At least part of a drum set. Some others. You're welcome to come look around." And if there was something special, Raphael could handle it getting it.

[bluesrat]

His eyes widen a little, brighter, and he looks generally as if somebody's just reminded him it's his birthday. "A piano? Really? We should put out a call to see who else knows how to play, we could have a jam session!"

[servingmichael]

"You're free to. I enjoy music." He wouldn't reach out, but he wouldn't object to someone else doing so. Besides, given everything lately, making someone happy was unexpected, but nice.

[bluesrat]

Rat is delighted, so Raphael has definitely had a success, here. "I'm glad the guitar came with me, but I miss playing with a band. I keep hoping I can dig up some other musicians, here. You're sure I wouldn't be in the way?" He'd be tempted to go straight over there right now, if that wouldn't look a little goofy.

[servingmichael]

"I'm sure. Few use the church." He'd keep his opinion of that to himself. Mostly he had the building to himself, and he trusted his ownership, of sorts, to rule if he did want to be alone - or some one else did.