20.5

[bravenewmods]

[The quakes continue.

It has been over 24 hours since the first major earthquake shook Union and the aftershocks have yet to relent. Though the majority are of a much lower magnitude than the original quake, the occasional rumble shakes the city with almost as much intensity. It is approximately one hour after one such occurrence that the Warp Band and the emergency broadcasts flicker to life once more of their own accord. The efficient voice sounds forth - there is a bit of strain noticeable this time...]

This is the Union emergency broadcast system with an ongoing assessment of the present situation. All citizens, please stop your activities and make note of the instructions given within.

Due to the unusually prolonged nature of the earthquakes, it has been determined that the current situation is unaccountable for by normal tectonic motion. While experts suggest that the most likely source is wild Pokémon activity, new developments have led the Council to suspect otherwise. A report from a group of Rangers searching for an iron mine describes the Eastern Mountains as the epicenter of the original earthquake; additionally, an unusual radio signal has been detected from this area. No radio towers have been constructed in this region.

In the face of the ongoing seismic activity and the immediate dangers presented to Union, the Council has determined that it is of the utmost priority for the quakes to stop. At this time, all able-bodied individuals willing and capable of mounting an expedition are asked to travel immediately to the Eastern Mountains to investigate. If the radio signal is determined to be related to the earthquakes, the Council requests that it be blocked by any means.

All supplies for these expeditions will be provided by the Outpost, free of charge.

For those unable or unwilling to leave Union at this time, a significant amount of work remains to be done. The following are updates concerning the present status of Union:

Currently, the foundations of Sector 3 have been damaged to a sufficient extent such that the towers may become structurally unsound. All residents in the Sector 3 towers should therefore prepare for evacuation. All residents are expected to vacate their homes within the space of 2 hours, following which Swords and Guardsmen will be making rounds. Temporary shelters are being constructed in the Entertainment District.

Thanks to the efforts of all involved, the wild Pokémon situation has been improving, though vigilance and caution must still be exercised around the Old City entrances. While accommodations cannot be made for all individuals, calm Pokémon may be taken to the Habitat Tower for temporary housing. The majority of Pokémon now appear to be coming from Entrance 6 and Entrance 8 into the Old City.

While the eastern mountains are considered higher priority, the Council also asks that those who wish to stay in Union investigate the Old City for a possible cause as to the fear of these Pokémon. While the continued quakes make investigation dangerous, the interval between quakes has never been shorter than three hours, making travel possible within this time.

All citizens should continue to be ready for further quakes. Please remain alert for further updates as they come.

[The voice cuts off once more.]

((This post may be used as a mingle thread to address any of the issues raised within. You may also make individual posts at this time. Responses may be addressed in regards to the announcement, or forward dated to describe preparing for an expedition. The locations described within are named for the purposes of RP; they may be used as places your character is familiar with or towers your characters live in.

Expedition groups should be no more than four in size. If you would like us to randomize you a group, please respond to the OoC post here. The linked post may also be used for planning groups.

The IC post for expedition groups, either to the iron mines or down to the Old City, is here. The linked post may also be used for groups simply reacting to the situation in Union.))

Comments

Outpost

[springcleaning]

[As a Ranger, it's already Levi's job to find out what's going on outside the walls of Union, so when the express orders for everyone to go to the Eastern Mountains comes on over the Warp Band he's a little troubled. Why would they send everyone to the mountains? Most civilians weren't trained for anything... He hoped most would stay behind for city repair. Even the Old City would be safer for them than outside the city.]

[Still, an order is an order. Levi is currently watching members of the Guard and young members of the Rangers handing out supplies to the civvies, over seeing the whole thing from a perch above the outpost tent. A pink Murkrow is pretty outstanding, though, especially when there's a Venipede on the wooden post with him (how'd it get up there?) He's watching, so if anyone does anything stupid or needs some help, he'll come down to assist. (Or beat you up.)]

[stahlflugel]

[Oops that sure is a tall skarmory. However, it seems like he's with the guard, judging by the bastiodon patch on its modified backpack. His back feathers are fluffed up and there's an Eevee in there. Something is also moving in the backpack. There's another member of the guard with him, as well as what seems to be a civvie]

Alright, we made it to the outpost! We should stock up on supplies. [he tilts his head so he can look up and spots a... bright pink murkrow. That sure is a thing. But he has a warp band, so...]

Excuse me! Where are the equipment tents?

[springcleaning]

[He cocks his head down at Eren before opening his beak like he's sighing, if birds could sigh, before shuffling on the post and letting out a squawk.]

[Down past the hospital tent. What're your orders?]

[He looks bored and irritated, no one said he liked dealing with stupid young Guard members...]

[stahlflugel]

[Oh. Wow. It's a guy.

How unfortunate for him.


Ugh. Was he talking in Pokémon language just to be obtuse? Eren just keeps speaking in human]

Thank you. Um... we're under orders to explore the Eastern Mountains to try and figure out the source of these weird quakes. We're thinking of exploring through the iron cavern.

[tinytactician]

[EVERYTHING IS SO GREAT AND IT'S GREAT TO BE HERE AND ARMIN IS DOING GREAT. IT'S GREAT.

Realtalk though, he's doing better than he was earlier, especially because he has an all-healed Meredith in his arms and a Gertrude-the-Steelix looming behind himself, Eren and Jean. He's doing a great job at not letting any of his frazzled emotions bleed out, keeping them neatly tucked away behind a veneer of calm.

Truthfully he's caught between exhilaration at being outside the city again without having to deceive his grandfather and crushing guilt that the reason his grandfather didn't protest was because he's in the hospital right now and is only lucid enough to mumble "Don't break anything" in response to Armin's request. The doctors assured Armin he would be fine and probably conscious and irritated by the time they return. If they return.

Right now, though, he's going to hover behind Eren and try not to direct too much "the fuck r u doing talking to the pink birdy?" at him.]

[sturzflug]

[ Yeah bro, uh. Way to weirdly talk to the bird, Eren. Is it some weird shifter thing? ]

...I think it's a weird shifter thing.

[ Jean whispers to Armin, totally playing it cool like he isn't mad jealous that Eren can turn into a cool green metal bird and apparently someone else is a pink murkrow??? Weird as hell, man. But then, rocking the buttwings and ear-feathers and flanked by his buds, Apollo and Klefki, Jean doesn't exactly look too intimidating. Why the hell does everyone else have such cool Pokemon... ]

[stahlflugel]

[Honestly, Eren feels much more comfortable with Gertrude there. She knew the caverns, she could help them find what they were looking for. Eren looks back at his friends, frowning]

Well, Pinky up there says the supply tent is down past the hospital tent. We should go stock up. We'll need potions, water purifier, emergency rations, first aid kits, a few lanterns...

["cool" pokémon, Jean? Eren IS a cool pokemon, but the two he has with him are totally lame. The only other cool pokemon here is Gertrude. Definitely not Heikrow up there.]

whats post order

[springcleaning]

A weird shifter thing?

[Yeah he was just being ornery, and also it's easier to talk Pokemon when you are a Pokemon. He wonders if it's harder for people who aren't Flying types. At least birds have tongues. He flutters down off the post, his Venipede jumping after him. Bug lands on his back, but Levi's transformed then enough to catch him, standing at his full... five foot three... staring up at them with a glare.]

You better not be talking to your betters like that, boys.

[At least it's obvious that he's a Ranger now, in full uniform and what not. But he's still short and holding a pink bug under his arm.]

eren --> armin --> jean --> levi from here on out?? gomen

[stahlflugel]

[Eren glares at Jean and Armin] It's not weird! I talk to other pokémon all the time!

[He has it a bit easier himself. He only has a true beak on the top.

Oh!! Eren recognizes this guy! ... Kind of]

You're... Levi! I didn't know you were a Shifter! [he turns to his friends again] He's shorter in person, though... This guy's a really famous ranger!

[famous for his bad attitude, mostly, but also for being really strong]

LOL POST ORDER WHAT IS THAT THING

[tinytactician]

[Everyone is a bird and everything is confusing what the fuq is happening here. Armin sort of blinks down -- down! Someone shorter than him the Savior loves him -- at Levi for a moment, trying mostly to figure out if he's really as grouchy as he looks.

...from what emotions he can glean, that is 100% genuine grump. Cue him nudging Eren's leg with his foot, because omg, manners.] It's an honor to meet you, Sir.

[See, at least one of these hooligans has proper respect for authority. Even the Steelix who is literally a zillion times taller than Levi omg, ducks her head in friendly acknowledgment.]

IT DOESN'T HELP THAT NOTIFS ARE BORKED A+ DW

[sturzflug]

Ah, uh---

[ Well, that's not quite what Jean would have pictured him to look like... Why the hell would anyone turn into a pink murkrow though, that's so weird... ]

S-sorry, sir! I just meant that you were both speaking in Pokemon, so it looked pretty funny to us-- a big Skarmory talking to a little Murkrow.

[ TOO HONEST, JEAN. TOO HONEST. ]

[makeitquick]

[ Being a "new" Ranger recruit (with only about a week and half's worth of patrols and one proper mission under her belt who was recruited by some mysterious upper officer a while back, it's not like it's her first time at the Outpost. And it's probably not her first time seeing said pink Murkrow or at least knowing it by implication.

But it will be her first time talking to the thing. A Phantump floats beside her and she waves up at him to get his attention ]

Hey boss, do you know if they're assigning teams, or s'this a free for all?

[springcleaning]

[Levi looks down at her, looking mildly annoyed as ever. If she's heard of him, she probably knows how ornery he can be. He's a hardass, and a little bit mean. Still, he won't pretend to ignore her while he's on duty.]

[It's always a little odd speaking human in a Pokemon's body, but...]

Didn't you get your orders? Every Ranger should find three guard members or three civilians to take to the mountains.

Y'got anyone in mind?

[makeitquick]

Wait, there's no designated all ranger squads?

[ Because that just... sounds dumb... ]

[springcleaning]

It's fucking stupid, yeah.

[Pokemon swearing is probably way more odd than anything else about him. So he jumps down off his perch, fluttering down and shifting back to his human form. Bug jumps down after him, landing on Levi's shoulder to chill out. It's hard being a bug type when your friend is a bird.]

The civilians are all over the place, we're supposed to round them up or something. The orders are from the top, not from me.

[makeitquick]

[ Wow. You know that is an impressive bug. And she ends up looking at it with some amount of respect for that coordination before she just looks back to Levi's face. ... He's shorter than she expected up close like this. ]

Well if it's civilians, I don't got anyone in mind yet. [ But then she's not officially in the Rangers yet. Just about to complete her training circuit, but. Chances are she'll be with some proper officer anyway so she doesn't need to think that hard yet ] Wonder what the top's thinking though. Makes sense to have a Ranger if you are sending everyone...

[ But why send everyone ]

[springcleaning]

[Why is everyone calling him short today? He hates it. It's like he can hear them judging him in their heads. He's not even a Psychic type.]

I don't know. I'm thinking of just going anyway, they don't need me here.

[makeitquick]

Well I'm not gonna be sticking here. Who wouldn't wanna go?

[liveforher]

[And here comes another ranger, a senior one. She just got back from being recalled from a mission to return to Union, and she's checking by the outpost. As usual, she's in her human form and has the traces of a smile on her face when she sees that pink Murkrow on a wooden post]

Why Levi, you look as though you've swallowed your Bug.

[springcleaning]

[He's right here, stupid.]

[What are jokes? And what is Levi not being able to converse normally? Maybe he likes squawking. At least he only does it to people he knows understand him... mostly.]

[Any more news from the mountains? I'm stuck here, I'd rather be out with the exploration teams. They should leave this shit to the Guard.]

[liveforher]

[And luckily, she'll keep smiling and be completely unfazed by the crassness.]

Ah, of course. Nice to see Bug and you are the same as always.

[Still humorless as ever. But no matter. If he wants to talk in Pokemon, she'll switch over to that so he can keep squawking]

[Not really, falling rocks and disturbed Pokemon. They called me back before I could investigate more. I fret the boss's heads might have been shaken up by these earthquakes too.]

[Because seriously, having civilians check the mines? Calling rangers to do guard duties? This was bullcraaaap]

[springcleaning]

[That's what I'm thinkin' too. Why send the civvies out to get hurt, huh? Specially the poorer folks. I don't get it.]

[Maybe that's why he's angry? He's a bit against the higher classes, after all.]

[liveforher]

[She can't really blame him. It all seemed fishy to her as well, and the higher classes weren't exactly the most generous of folks.]

[ I can think of a number of possible reasons, but none of them paint a very flattering image of the Council.]

[In fact most tend were horribly cynical, though that just tended to be where her mindset landed with things]

[ How are the civilians that volunteered? Do you think they have any chance in there? ]

[springcleaning]

[Normally? Yeah, it'd be fine. Lots of kids go there to pick up Pokemon. I don't know what's going on with the earthquakes though, who knows if it could cave in or something?]

[liveforher]

[She gives a thoughtful nod as she assesses the air and earth around the place with her absol senses.]

[Hmmmm it's a possibility, but I can't tell how likely of one. The situation's too unnatural.]

[She gives a light little shrug]

[ Let's hope we're lucky and no one angers an Onix. ]