Participants:
| Scene Title | The Thickness Of Despair |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | …is deeper than the snow when one man can't take it anymore and some of the residents are witnesses of his attempt to re-unite with his finacee on Valentines Day. |
| Date | February 14, 2011 |
Queens - Somewhere along the dome's barrier.
The desperation in the dome is almost as thick as the black that smudges it or the snow that weighs down on it, with the promise that should this ever lift, will topple down onto the buildings beneath it. Roosevelt is burning, Humanis First has exacted untold death in the hundreds likely and the tunnel to supposed freedom that runs beneath the water and ends up in Queens has only brought with it an influx of fleeing people.
It's seen in the books, Lord of the Flies, Piggy sacrificed. There's studies that show that humanity, when cut off from the rest of humanity, will eventually turn on itself, Darwin's theory of evolution taking rise. The strongest will survive. Curfew no longer reigns, especially not here and law has no real meaning or hold on the populace.
The sun set and what you could see of it through pollution, soot and the snow brings with it a soul sickening sight. There will be pictures of it circling, the sun setting, red as blood, the moon as well. The world through the dome, seen through a different shade than the rest of the world. If they ever get out of this, it is a sight that many will remember.
They'll remember something other things too this night, this place near the dome where a long man is pressed against the dome on the inside, palms mated to a pair on the other side that are more femminine in nature. From afar, they look like they could be talking through a prison glass, the scared looks passed between them. It isn't until people venture past, venture close that they can hear the woman, pleading with the man, asking him to do something. The scared look on his face, the stink of desperation coming off of him leads to many looks from those who mill by and then go away.
On a hunt to find various but much needed supplies in the ever dwindling resources, Devon has made his way close to the barrier. A rifle is still slung across his back and an arm, the shoulder dislocated, still rides in a guarded carry in his coat. The hand of the uninjured arm rests comfortably inside his coat pocket, and in any other time or place the teenager might not appear out of the ordinary. Replace the muzzle of the gun on his back with a guitar and a casual glance could pass him off normal.
But a look at his own face, Devon has seen much in the two weeks since the dome's creation. He's wary of those he passes, and a dispassionate expression etched into his youthful features. He follows the lay of the land, taking the long way around the buildings that have suffered being spliced by the mostly translucent walls until he can move back in. But when the teenager comes upon the man, prone with with could be his wife on the other side, his footsteps slow.
Famlies have been split as well. It's common knowledge. So when Devon sees the pair in as close an embrace as they can manage, his first reaction is to move away. But something about him, something in the man's expression gives the boy pause. He doesn't outright stop, but his approach becomes much more cautious and angled to keep moving ahead yet indirectly.
ORDER: It is now your pose.
Elle Bishop is strutting her stuff today. She has a rifle slung across her back, she's got a new pair of clothes that not only does she look good in, but they're clean, and the most important thing of all: she's clean. Yes, Elle pulled strings with her hydrokinetic traveling companion, who she's pretty much stuck with since he fed her a while back, and with a blanket concealing her from him, she got a shower. She stays with the food and clean water, and Jaiden gains a bodyguard. What could go wrong?
Currently, the redhead with the blonde roots is strutting her way down the street along with Jaiden. She's currently got on a nice clean quarter-sleeve sweater, a pair of slim-fitting jeans, and those furry boots she's grown so fond of this winter season. Blue eyes pause on the boy, Devon, who she thinks she saw coming out of the tunnels, then on that man, standing with palms pressed against the dome.
"I miss Dax." She mumbles this to Jaiden, crossing her arms and idly toying with the rifle strap that lays across her chest.
ORDER: It is now your pose.
To be fair, during the shower Jaiden did not look. His back was to the shower where Elle was while she bathed, the man only turning his head to start the stream up again. Sure, it was cold, but cold is better than none, and when it was all over the water obidiently went back into it's bottles, clean and pure, for use later to drink or cook or bathe again. He follows behind in a pair of jeans and coveralls, backpack on his back, hat on his head, apparently unarmed as far as first glances go. "I know how you feel. I miss Delia. Once we get somewhere safe, I'll let you try and give him a ring or something. Yay for having a cell phone and a solar cell that can charge it."
There's others on the other side, looks to be friends of the woman who's hand is outlined in the blue lumensence that pressure on the barrier results in. Tears track down her face, making blue eyes in the light that the city throws off out here beside the dome barrier, more blue. The man on the inside curls his hand into a fist, thumping it against the invisible force before yelling wordlessly out, startling a few others who are passing by on their way to search for a warm place to stay - it's still cool in the dome, or some shelter.
"Roy, no. Please." The blonde on the other side, lifts her hands as if she could still the fist that bounces off the barrier. "Please, just calm down, you'll get out of this, we'll be walking down the aisle in two weeks, I promise" Not that she can promise something like that. "Just, don't do anything stupid"
Keeping an eye turned toward the couple at the edge of the dome, Devon's steps slow further. His good hand, the uninjured side, comes out of its pocket to hang at his side. More curious, maybe a touch jealous, than outwardly concerned, he can relate to being separated from loved ones to an extent. At least this fellow has a chance at something once the dome is finally lifted.
Elle turns a small smile toward Jaiden. "That'd be sweet of you. I'd appreciate it." She reaches out, putting a hand on the man's arm. "I hope you can get in touch with Delia, soon." She tilts her head toward the Australian. Then, she's turning to peer at the man who yells out, brows raising. She turns to look between the man, and his apparent wife to be.
Elle is feeling nice. And safe, with her ability and that rifle, though she'd hate to do something in front of the guy's fiancee. So she veers slowly toward him, a small, if reassuring smile on her face. "Hey…hey, no matter what, you two can still get married." She reaches out, tapping a hand against the barrier, her hand causing it to shimmer blue. "This thing can't stay up forever, and lots of people are working on finding out who is responsible for it."
Reassuring smile aside, it might be disheartening to speak to a little redhead with blonde roots who also happens to have a large rifle attached to her back.
[OOC] Elle says, "*large rifle strapped to her back"
The more than six foot tall australian too might be a little imposing, but the fact that he doesn't apparently have a gun and is offering a bottle of water to the distraught man probably will have something to do with calming him down, hopefully. "Hey there, Mate. Let's take a breath and have a drink, yeah? Getting worked up won't do anyone any good, what with this barrier here?" He taps it for emphasis.
"By the time they figure it out, it'll be too late. We'll all be fucking dead" It comes ripping from 'Roy's' mouth towards Jaiden and Elle when they try to soothe him, calm the agitated man. in the blink of an eye there's just his fiancee on the other side of the barrier and Roy is a foot back and behind Jaiden and Elle, a soft displacement of air to mark his movement and a glare to the teenager that is Devon. Guns by now have become a common sight, not an intimidation factor when being carried by a petite woman. They're not an intimidation factor at all for a man who's cracking.
"Red moon. Red fucking moon, I won't get to marry her because we're all going to die and I can't take it anymore" He's gripping his hands into fist, suddenly looking very intent. "Roy!" Now his fiancee is banging her fist on the barrier, suddenly really scared. "Roy no, don't do it, you'll be fine baby" One of their friends is taking out a camera, snapping off pictures. another trying to pull her away from the barrier.
"Shit, calm down," Devon speaks up. His walking has stopped, eyes darting toward Elle and Jaiden briefly enough to mark their presence. He recognizes the Australian right off, the red-head is a little more vague in memory. Returning his attention to Roy, the teenager offers a small one-shouldered shrug. "Moon's red because of all the grime that's building up from all the fires. Dome'll come down soon, we're all working together to survive and get it down, alright? Drink some water, we can find someone for you to talk to."
"We're not going to die, okay? We're gonna be just fine— just fine, alright?" Elle frowns over at 'Roy', halfway gaping at the man. Is he a teleporter, or a speedster? She doesn't reach for her weapon, despite the fact that he's acting kind of scary. "We just have to be patient, and try to get along as well as we can, until this damn thing is down. Okay, Roy?"
"Oi, mate….come on now, it's rough for all of us in here. People are working on getting us out of here right now. We just have to sit tight and make sure we're okay when the dome does come down." Jaiden offers the water again, giving a glance to the woman outside. "So, miss….how's the wedding plans? Do you have a lot of guests coming?" Get his mind off of it…off of being in here.
He doesn't want water, and although Jaiden is trying to talk to his finacee, the friends are pulling her back, knowing what's happening, what's about to happen. The barrier is a funny thing. Cut off landlines, cut off gas lines. It lets air in, but not air out. a one way permeable barrier.
Roy takes a deep breath and he disappears, poofs away in a blink of teleportation. Who knows how many more have tried. If anyone's succeeded.
And reappears in front of the barrier again.
As macerated human, a pile of literal hamburger.
The finance screams on the barrier side, knee's giving way as she tries to move forward, the others all gasping in horror, hands to mouth and eyes wide. The same for the few in the dome who stopped to watch the screaming, anything in here that's not firing of guns could be construed as entertainment, and one of them turns to throw up at the sight of the steaming pile of shredded human flesh.
He won't be needing that water now. Or to talk.
With a flinch, Devon temporarily averts his eyes, head tipping downward as a pained expression crosses his features. "Damn it," he breathes, voice cracking and choking on the two words before he gives a small shake to his head. "Fuck." Gripping for the cold detachment, the dispassionate expression he'd approached the poor fellow with, Devon lifts his head again, eyes going to the lump that had once been Roy. He can't help the inkling of sorrow for showing through, his brows knitting together.
Elle blinks a few times, watching everything go down as if in slow motion for a moment. She watches as he disappears…then reappears as a pile of flesh, steaming in the cool air within the bubble. Slowly, her mouth draws open, eyes widening as she examines the result of Teleporter meets Barrier. Mister Roy is most certainly dead, now.
She can't help but wretch, gagging briefly, before she suddenly turns and buries her face up against Jaiden's chest. Sure, they were just talking about how much they miss their significant others, but…she can't look at that right now.
The closest thing Jaiden had witnessed was a land mine in Somalia. One moment the man was there, and the next there was a crater and something resembling the man who was once Roy. He feels the bile rise in his throat, turning away, hiding his eyes for a moment to try and get a handle on his emotions. He's seen so much, but the picture taking on the outside….the screams of the man's wife….horrible. Horrible. His arms close around Elle's shoulders tightly, holding her against him, his eyes clamping tightly shut.
He straightens after a moment and, after skirting around the area, finds a bit of canvas from a ruined car's trunk that is used to cover the remains of Roy. It's the best he can do for the man right now, Jaiden even murmuring a soft prayer for the lost. He's not a religious man, but seeing something like this? It can't help but make you think that yuou need someone higher to lean on.
us out"
The wife to be crawls forward, escaping out of the safety of her friends arms, getting upright then stumbling as she flops against the spot on the barrier where red smears still slide downward, the vague shape of a man to indicate that the teleporter tried. She paws at the wall, screaming his name and one would think that she would come away with red on her hand but she doesn't. Just tears streaming down her face.
It will be hours before people will end up coming, find a container for the used-to-be-human, put him some place where he can be buried or saved to give to the woman who would have taken his name so that she and his family can bury him.
The red moon hangs up above, silent, uncaring of the trials placed upon the people trapped beneath the dome. Blood on the moon they call it, red as what remains of Roy.
One more victim of the dome.
