bravenewworld | A Close Call?

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A Close Call?

It comes suddenly and without warning. The ground beneath the land shakes with great force and fury, the great towers of Union shifting dangerously due to the magnitude. Somehow, miraculously, nobody is injured, but great structural damage is sustained on many of the connecting bridges that keep the city together.

On the streets, people are fearful. What if another quake comes? What if they aren't as lucky that time? Teams of Engineers are all over the city, checking on the damage and making what repairs they can. Electricity has been knocked out in many areas and crews are still struggling to recover it, although the Signal Tower remains with power and broadcasts over radio and television are sent to reassure the populace.

Thankfully, no aftershocks come. Messages are already coming in from other ally cities, Caldera and Citadel are mostly fine, Refuge, while fine, has devolved into panicked prayer to appease whoever they offended to send such a large quake. As surveyors go out to examine the damage, they will find that new underground routes have been opened all over. Unfortunately, those who went to investigate have not returned, sending a second wave of panic through many of the cities. The Union Council is working with the governments of the other cities to plan a proper response, and they hope to announce within the next few days as the city recovers. For now, however, the new paths are strictly off-limits to all citizens, and have been placed under heavy guard by the Swords of the Savior, the Steel Battalion, and some Valkyrie volunteers.

((Feel free to use this post as an IC mingle to react to the earthquakes!))

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Eon eee! [ What she did? Oh. Right. Yeah, you sure showed it! That was a really ferocious hiss. Gold bets that towel will behave itself from now on.

He keeps his nose up here at his own level this time, but peers down at her. Do you want to come with him? He is checking up on people to see if they need help. You're so tough, you'd be able to help all kinds of people! ] Jolteon jolte!

[ The bat is welcome to come too, but for now he's mostly focused on tiny kouhai. ]

[kitty does her best to nonchalantly lick a paw, but then gives up and bounces excitedly in place and meeps up at Gold. Yeah!! Let's do it!!

Yup, the bat is just going to follow along like a silent shadow, perching on stuff whenever she can. From her observations, this could be a bad combination.]

[ Off they go! This next room is empty, as is the room after that, but Gold thinks he hears movement from within two doors down. He raises a paw to scratch at the door, then smiles at kitty. You knock too! This is polite. ] Jolt jolt!

[ If they don't get a reply, they might have to go in anyway, though. Under these circumstances, silence might mean someone is injured. ]

[kitty hesitates for a moment, since scratching at things always seem to be accompanied by a "NO." But if the big yellow one gets to do it...

She scratches at it tentatively, stops, looks around, and then scratches at it again.

...this is fun.]

[ Hey, the kitten's good at this! Gold listens at the door since his companion seems to have "knocking" down pat. Was that - Yes! There is somebody inside here!

Placing a paw on the door, he pushes, with a warning "jol" to kitty that the door will be moving. Hello? Anybody in here?? ] Jol....?

[ A muffled sound comes from the room, but it's hard to tell what language. Not human, though. At least Gold doesn't think so. ]

[kitty's back on all four paws, and then walks confidently through the gap. Imitating Gold, she mews too. Who's there?]

Bag bag!

[ No one, it looks like. There's a desk with a very tall hutch, some papers - research into the ruins, et al - some books scattered around the floor, and an upside-down trash can. That appears to be it.

And then a face peeks out over the edge of the hutch. Baby had been trying to fly and then everything moved! She'd almost fallen! So now when she looks down, she gets dizzy and scared. ] G-gon.

[ Gold stares up so far he can feel his neck cricking. That's....going to be tricky. ] Ee.

[whoa!! How'd you get up there?? Kitty's eyes go wide as she approaches the hutch and yup. That's the kitten, working hard on climbing up to the very top.

Meanwhile, Nocturne lands silently on top of the shelf. Is this the cool place to be now?]

[ Everyone is climbing up but Gold!! This seems like a bad idea, though, so he walks around below the hutch barking at all of the children. Um! The point is to get Bagon down, isn't it? It's sweet if you don't want her to be all alone up there, but how about you all be not-alone with him down here....

Oh, he knows. Why don't you all jump and land on him? He will try super duper hard not to shock anybody. Or he can fetch a pillow. Just, please come down! If things shake again, then you won't be able to control your fall!! ] Jolt jolt jolt jolt!

[ Bagon just backs further away from the edge and quivers. Little bat. Little bat, hug herrr!!! She takes a tentative step towards Nocturne. ] Baaaaaaaag!

[kitty either can't hear Gold or she's getting good at selective hearing.

Nocturne's eyes get wide, and then...she's flipping over the edge, little feet holding onto the edge as she hangs upside down.

Kitty meeps at Nocturne as she passes by, gets an ear twitch in response, and then laboriously pulls herself up to the very top. Yeah! She did it!]

Gon!! [ THE BAT FELL. Reminded of the dangers lurking at the edge of the hutch, Bagon scrambles back against the wall. She doesn't want to fall too!!

There is a ball of dragon waiting for you atop this hutch, kitty. Though in her scrambling, she rocked the hutch a little. Sorry.

Gold stares up at everyone, looks at his own paws, has the sense to try not to climb up there to fetch them, and instead heads off in search of pillows. Really, he wants to climb up there with everyone else. But he thinks that might have a Bad Ending. Trainer will be so proud of him for his foresight. ]

[kitty wobbles a little at that, but then pads on over to the dragon ball and starts patting at Bagon with a paw. Her motivation might align more closely with curiosity, rather than empathy.

...pat, pat, pat.

Nocturne just watches, apparently content with being unhelpful.]

Jolt. [ Gold drags in a sofa pillow. Then a sofa cushion. Then somebody's blanket. Then a throw pillow. Back and forth he goes, in search of soft things. He's getting quite the pile.

Finally he drags in his entire bed, leaving a trail of socks he hadn't known were stuck to it in his wake (and having to tug to get it through the door). There! If he can just lift this up and get it atop everything else - he will have a nice soft place for them to jump!! ] Ennnnn eeeee.

[ Baby misses this whole procession, though. She's slowly unrolling to look at....well, the other baby. What is touching her? ] Bagon?

[kitty squeaks in response! Her patting did something, so she's going to do it some more and more enthusiastically this time.

And then there's a Priii! and wiggling coming from that pile of soft things. That might have been some other baby's blanket...]

[ The more kitty pats, the more the ball unrolls and turns into a tiny Pokémon. Clearly you, kitty, have Magic Pats. ] Bag bag!

[ Bagon decides to try and pat this other person right back!

Gold, on the other hand, has jumped about half a foot in the air and is now unpiling all of his carefully-piled soft things. He's coming, eggbaby! He's coming! He's so sorry!! ] Jolt! Jolt jolteon! EEeeeeeeeeeeeeee...

[ Where are you??? Are you okay!? ]

[whoa, it's another Pokemon! And it's a paw! Kitty will bop that paw with her own.

Meanwhile, the wiggling in the pile gets more frantic.] Toge toge....

[...even Nocturne swoops into view, carrying off a pillow and dropping it to the side. Did you find her, Gold??]

Gon! [ Her paw was bopped!! Fully out of her ball by now, Bagon stretches both arms out to the kitty. It's so fuzzy. She wants to hug it - badly enough to forget her fear momentarily, it seems.

Gold's fears, however, are only growing. Baby has to be here. Somewhere. Where is baby??? ] Jolt???

[ He looks over at his bed and his ears go down. Surely he couldn't. Not. On top of the egg.... ]

[unaware of the intention to hug, kitty just steps closer to sniff at Bagon. Also those arms are kinda super short.]

............priiiiii! [yup, the baby is crying now. Nocturne freezes up in fear, tumbling out of the air (and onto another pillow).

Somewhere in Union, Michiru's looking up with concern.]

[ These are incredibly short arms. They are so short that even while being sniffed, Bagon still can't reach. She keeps trying, though. ] Baaaag...

Jolteon! [ Here he comes, baby! He'll save you! Gold grabs the bed and yanks it away with a mighty tug, sending it flying across the room. Did that uncover eggbaby!?! ]

[kitty squeaks at Bagon and then butts her forehead against the other baby, rubbing a bit.]

...iiiiiii......

[here's baby! She's still crying, but unhurt!

Nocturne is busy using her claws to help fold down her ears.]

Bagon!! [ Goodness!! Baby falls down and sits there, being rubbed. She can sort of reach some of the fur from here, so she pets it. Soft kitty. Friendly kitty. Kitty all up in her face.

Gold is relieved to see no harm has apparently befallen Togepi. Taking a deep breath and doing his absolute best not to spark, he leans down to try and lick some of those tears off the crying baby's cheeks. It's okay. He's here. And he's so, so glad the scary tremor thing didn't hurt you. ] Jol. Jol.

[ How does everyone else quiet this baby? He just doesn't know! ]

[kitty starts purring a bit. Don't be surprised if she starts seeking you out for playtime.]

Pri... [the crying starts lowering in intensity, though baby still seems to be teary-eyed.

At the reduction of noise, Nocturne inches a bit closer, as if afraid that a single careless movement could set off the baby again.]

[ Whoa, now the fuzzy thing is making noises. Bagon pets both sides and discovers they are equally soft. This is amazing. She bounces up and down in place, feeling like there was something she'd been nervous about but can't quite recall. Oh well! This is fun! ] Bag bag bag!

[ Gold kisses a few more tears away, then nuzzles baby. He'll even lie down so his face is on the Togepi's level. Does it hurt? How can he help? Do you like nose boops? ] Ee.

[kitty is apparently in a cuddly mood and moves closer, practically sitting on Bagon. This is how cuddles work, right?

Eggbaby goes a bit cross-eyed at the nose boop (despite her own lack of nose)...and then giggles, arms wiggling a bit.

Nocturne hops a little closer, looking between eggbaby and Gold. Her estimation of Gold may have risen.]

[ Bagon does not know, but she likes soft, warm things, and this purring bundle fits both criteria. She can't move, though. And that's a bit alarming. Especially when her head falls back and she realizes that this shelf they're on abruptly ends and there's nothing but air after it. She lifts her head again to protest to kitty, lest her new friend be unaware of this situation. ] Bag bag! Baaag!!

[ Gold's estimation of himself cannot believe that worked, but he's relieved. Baby gets another boop, and then he nods to the pillows. Do you want to play a game? They are going to put all the pillows in a pile for their friends! ] Jolt jolt. Jolteon eon jolte.

[ And he demonstrates, in case those terms were too abstract. Nocturne, you should help too! He smiles. ]

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