Magnitude 9

[bravenewmods]

[It is almost precisely 2AM when the first earthquake hits.

The ground vibrates dully at first, like the rumble of construction machinery or the shaking of a heavy Pokémon coming down the streets. In the throes of sleep, it seems unalarming, if a bit out of the ordinary. Worse than this has occurred in the past.

Then the walls shake. Paintings tilt and sway and objects teeter and fall off the shelves, one after another. The ground shifts underfoot and a cautious step out of bed only succeeds in sending the frightened sleeper reeling to the floor.

High up in the sky, the towers sway. An infinitesimal amount at first, but any amount of swaying is terrifying, unfathomable, an event so utterly wrong it is inconceivable that it could be happening. The tilting progresses, becomes noticeable, measurable, and it can only be hoped that it is a reflection of a panicked imagination rather than reality.

After an eternity, the rumbling dies down...

Just when it seems safe to investigate, about a half hour after the quake began, the Warp Band flares to life. A voice speaks - it can be heard, too, from outdoors, issuing from the emergency broadcast system. It is a woman's voice, speaking briskly, efficiently, holding no trace of fear or panic.]

Effective immediately, the Council has issued a state of emergency for Union. This is not a drill or an exercise. All citizens, please be prepared to follow standard residential tower emergency procedures; all relevant instructions are posted on every floor. For the majority of citizens, this means to stay in place and to take shelter until the quakes are confirmed to be over. Do not attempt to evacuate unless instructed to do so now or unless severe injury has been sustained.

This message is for Towers D and E of Sector 3 and the Cloud Towers in Sector 5. Again, this message is for Towers D and E of Sector 3 and the Cloud Towers of Sector 5. The gas lines have ruptured, and all residents should prepare for immediate evacuation. Swords and Guardsmen assigned to these sectors should proceed immediately to their stations to assist. Further instruction will be given by officers on site. Again, residents of all other towers should stay in place at this time.

Entrance 2 to the Old City has collapsed and Entrances 3 and 5 have been severely damaged. Again, the Industrial District entrance has collapsed and the Habitat and the Southern Wall entrances have been damaged. At this time, a large number of wild Pokémon are seeking entrance into Union from all other entrances. Rangers and remaining Guardsmen, please report to these areas to begin containment measures. Be prepared for potential aggression.

All medical personnel trained in Emergency Medicine, report to the Medical Center if and when possible. All Habitat employees with Level 2 clearance and above, report to the Habitat Tower to initiate emergency stabilization protocols.

All citizens, please stay alert for further information. Major aftershocks are predicted to continue for the next six hours, and damage assessments will be ongoing. Be ready for further quakes and be prepared to contact emergency services if an emergency situation is seen developing.

[She cuts off with alacrity. An uneasy echo hangs in the air after she concludes...]

((This post may be used as a mingle thread to address any of the issues raised within. You may also make your individual posts at this time. Responses may be addressed in regards to the initial emergency situation, or forward dated to address the assessment of damage after the first major quake. The wild Pokémon will not stop coming, and the aftershocks will continue for long after six hours.

Characters may follow instructions but may also feel free to move around at will and help however they can. Actions taken throughout this event will be noted and may affect the status of Union after the end of the event.))

Comments

[stahlflugel]

[Oh thanks Meredith. That's real helpful.

Except it actually kind of is.

Eren peeks into the crate and gives a sigh of relief]

Armin, thank goodness. There you are. Get out of that box, you weirdo. ... Ahh, geez, you and Meredith are hurt!

[tinytactician]

[Armin blinks a couple times, then slowly shuffles out of the box, wincing visibly as several people run by. It's so loud in his head right now.]

Meredith's is worse. [Meredith pipes up ISN'T EITHER WE ARE BOTH WORSE FLY FOR HELP SHINYBIRD. Meredith speaks in all caps when Meredith chooses to speak at all.]

[stahlflugel]

[Eren can tell when Armin is psychically overwhelmed. He places a hand on his silly coconut head] Hey, focus on me, ok? Ignore everything else.

[Savior, Meredith was loud when she wanted to be. He speaks directly to her] Sorry, Mere'. Still can't fly. [Eren takes a potion out of his bag and carefully sprays Meredith's worst wounds] They still don't work on people, sorry. C'mon... Let's get you both to the clinic.

[tinytactician]

[Excuse u this haircut is hella cool. Armin shivers a little, resisting Eren's calming influence for a moment, entirely focused on keeping his mind blank and therefore not painful.

But Meredith pokes him a couple times, so he relaxes, obeying and centering in on the weird mix of well-meaning confidence and perpetual annoyance that is Eren. Nice and familiar. He even manages to speak.]

I'm fine. Other people need help more. Are you all right?

[stahlflugel]

[hella he-man you mean. Eren keeps himself calm for Armin's sake. He needed to be the psychic pillar here]

Other people need help, but other people aren't my best friend. And I'm perfectly fine. Not a scratch on me. See? [Eren shifts into Skarmory form, then crouches down] Get on.

[tinytactician]

[And he tries omg does he try...

You're being a very good psychic pillar, Eren, and as soon as Armin gets into proper headspace, he will be grateful. But for now he will mount his mighty metal chicken steed, cuddling Meredith close and holding on with his knees.]

I want to help.

[stahlflugel]

[Mighty metal chicken steed, indeed. Eren folds his wings over Armin's legs to hold them in place then stands up. Then it's off at a steady jog to the clinic]

You can help when you don't have pieces of glass sticking out of you anymore, got it? You can't help anyone if you're hurt yourself!

[tinytactician]

[Heigh-ho Eren, awaaaay~ Armin frowns a little, projecting annoyed little indignant feelings -- which is good, because that means he's calm enough to use his powers effectively.]

I can take it out myself, there's only a couple.

[stahlflugel]

[that's reassuring in its own way, and it definitely helps Eren to feel better about Armin's mental state. However, the Skarmory train only goes one way, and that's to the clinic]

Uh huh. But you still need to get it disinfected and bandaged. Sorry, Armin, you aren't worming your way out of this one. [Eren pauses, letting a fleeing group of Magnemite pass]

[tinytactician]

[:| Quit harshing his buzz, Skarmory train. Armin is in a delicate place and he's not above assaulting Eren's head -- gently, but firmly -- with persuasiveness.]

I can do that myself. I want to help, Eren. [Pause to watch the Magnemite go by. Huh, so they do travel in groups.]

[stahlflugel]

[Eren's not dumb, Armin. He knows what you're doing, and he's got way too much special defense willpower to just let that slide. He turns his head to nip at his arm. Just a pinch]

Cut that out! I know what you're tryin' to do. It won't work.

[tinytactician]

[Now Eren's getting a huge amount of pouty feelings aimed at him. But then:] I'll let them bandage me up and then we'll go, right?

[stahlflugel]

[Eren rolls his eyes and keeps walking, talons hitting the ground with a metallic "tap tap tap" ]

Fine. But only for an hour or two, and you have to stay with me. Then, if you go out after that, bring that Steelix you made friends with.

[tinytactician]

[Satisfied, Armin sits up straighter, letting a much-more-lively Meredith crawl up to sit on Eren's head. Onward, metal turkey.]

This...is really bad. We've never had earthquakes this bad.

[In the same breath:] Gertrude's a couple streets over. [Cue sound of garbage cans being knocked over and a flock of Hoppip's fleeing in terror.]

[stahlflugel]

[Eren doesn't seem to mind Meredith on his head. She barely weighs anything and the spike on his cranium makes for a nice handle]

This is sure the worst earthquake I can remember... [and as if on cue, the earth rumbles beneath Eren's talons, and he stops so he can maintain balance] Woah... And they're not over, either! Or are those uh.... what're they called, Armin? After-something?

Gertrude? That's what you call her? What's she doing over there...

[tinytactician]

[Meredith wobbles a little, wrapping both teensy arms around the spike and holding on for dear life. Armin does a bit of wobbling himself, barely refraining from grabbing onto Eren's neck.]

Aftershocks. That's what they feel like, yes -- smaller reverberations in the earth. They could last for hours. Just be careful, okay?

[Have a matter-of-fact shrug.] She likes to be called Gertrude. And she's finding a safe place to nap. The Habitats were too shaky.

[stahlflugel]

Aftershocks. Right. [it seems to pass soon enough and Eren keeps walking] Well, I hope they go away sooner than that! But I'm always careful. [liar]

... Right. She picked that name... [he's not sure if that makes it better or worse] Man, I bet. The higher up you are, the worse the shaking is... But I think the steel and rock habitats are pretty low to the ground.

[tinytactician]

They come after the major quake and they're shocking. [Armin is most helpful BFF and he wants to expand Eren's vocabulary~] Be even more careful than you normally are. [aren't.]

I suppose there's also the chance that the upper floors would collapse...Gertrude's made of hard enough stone that she should be okay, but better safe than sorry. [Have some fretting and Armin wiggling around to try and catch a glimpse of the Habitat building.] I hope they're evacuating the Pokemon there...

[stahlflugel]

Oh! That makes sense. [Aftershocks... yeah!] Fine, fine. [despite sounding dismissive, he is choosing where to put his feet more carefully]

[Eren frowns, tilting his head to look at the tower] The habitat tower is probably the strongest building in the city. It has to be, right? Full of pokémon... I'm sure they don't always get along. [a bit of a scoff] I think they have an engineer in there checking the stability, but I'm sure it's fine.

[tinytactician]

[There may be a quiz later. A spelling bee for Skarmory-Eren's only.

Armin shudders a little, pointedly looking away from the tower.] I don't want to think about it. If I think of all the things that could go wrong we'll be here all day.

[stahlflugel]

[nope nope nope HE'S BAD AT SPELLING, ARMIN]

Alright, well, think about something nice instead. Like flowers. Or seeing the ocean. That always works, right? Hehehe.

[tinytactician]

[Can he even spell "Skarmory", is the question? Armin shouldn't ask that rly, not when he's still getting notes from Eren addressed to "Meradish and Arhminne".]

Mmm. I wonder, do the Rangers ever go that far? To see Wailords and Gyrados and things? [Now he's like a little happy radiator of bliss, good job Eren.]

[stahlflugel]

[SURE HE CAN. "Skarmorree". He did it. Yay. And hey, he can spell "Armin"! Just not "Meredith". Admit it, that's a HARD name!]

[heheh. Works every time.] I don't know! When I join the Rangers, I'll let you know.

[tinytactician]

[You don't have to know how to spell on the battlefield, right? Plus Pokemon don't care if you misspell their names.

Armin frowns, leaning over to rest his chin on Eren's head, not even trying to hide the pang of woefulness.] You still want to join the Rangers? The Guard isn't...isn't satisfying to you?

[stahlflugel]

Of course I do! [Eren is as adamant as ever] I mean, sure, being in the Guard is fulfilling but... I'll never get to see the world if I stay around Union.