lucetilogs | Zompania Draft - Draftees only, days 1-3.5

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Zompania Draft - Draftees only, days 1-3.5

Who: All Draftees
What: This is your death. Followed by your time-traveling life and desperate bomb hunting.
When: From May 22 to May 20 to early May 23 (days 1-4)
Where: Zompania
Summary: Information post here
Rating: Varies on thread, please mark explicit material.

This post is for the draftee-only portion of the Zompania draft--the day 3 death, time travel to day 1, and then the events until the arrival of the reinforcements. Be sure to use the above info post for any plotting needs you might have. Enjoy!

Please note that there is a specific top-level comment thread for:

The day 3 arrival of the draftees and the 6 hours that follow until the bomb is dropped
Death--This thread can be treated as REFERENCE ONLY. Responding to it isn't necessary.
Threads prior to departing for Zompania--post resurrection freak outs, arguments over how to proceed, etc.

All other threading, from day 1 until the reinforcements arrive, should be conducted as normal.

Be sure to tag this post appropriately: [canon] character name

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Day 1
[For the first half of the day, Rudy is just trying to keep up as best as he can as they move beyond enemy lines. Still, even with ARMs, he's very cautious about not using up too much ammo. He won't be able to do much with his ARM in a fight if he doesn't have any ammunition for it. And in situations where stealth is required? He'll be resorting to unarmed combat, if not avoiding it entirely if possible. Guns would cause too much noise, after all, and any more unwanted attention is likely the last thing they need right now.

Although it still doesn't sit well with him even after all this time, he'll kill if it's absolutely necessary. But despite all that's happened, he still wasn't about to go overboard with any of the cultists. He's sure his grandfather wouldn't think too highly of him if he did. And no matter what, he isn't and doesn't want to see himself as a mere killing machine.

When night falls, all that he can hear is the screams from inside the city. He'll try his best to focus on the task at hand, but it's clear enough he's visibly unsettled by them. It didn't help that it brought back some unpleasant memories; ones he didn't particularly like to recall.]

Day 2
[It's a lot worse once they make it inside the city walls. Masses of bodies lined up everywhere, and even more disturbingly enough, in an sickeningly orderly manner. What's worse is that there were children among the dead as well - a sight that leaves him reeling. It's not the first time he's seen something like this, but it doesn't change the fact it was downright disturbing. But this - this was worse than Adlehyde.

However difficult, he'll try his best to shake those thoughts out of his head. They can't afford to be dwelling, especially with a bomb hanging over their heads. If it's not dealt with, there'd be even more casualties on their hands.]

Day 3
[This time, he's not holding back. Rudy's pulling all the stops into finding that bomb, and when it's discovered? He'll be aiding the infiltration team, and putting up a fierce fight too. All that ammunition he's been hanging onto? It's all going into making sure nothing (and no one) interferes with its disarming.]

You'd better not be thinking of going into that city.

[Anyone would be unsettled by that sort of thing, but she was hedging her bets anyway.]

Don't think I won't drag you back if you do!

Jane...

[He shakes his head. No matter how much he tried to block it out, those awful screams were loud and clear through the night. Rudy couldn't just ignore it.]

Someone's got to stop this. I can't sit and do nothing.

At least wait until morning first! [On instinct she grabbed his upper arm. With that sort of talk, she couldn't be sure that he wouldn't just go and disappear into the darkness.]

If you go out there now, you'll--! [a pause.] You might not make it back.

["If there's a morning."

Rudy honestly wasn't sure he'd be able to sleep without those screams haunting him. That, and knowing that bomb was still hanging over their heads. But he stops, feeling Jane's grip on his upper sleeve.]

I know... it's just-- [He tenses as he recalls something, his gaze falling downwards as his voice murmurs.] It's just like back then.

[She bit her lip. There were a lot of "back thens" that she didn't want to think about either, and she was sure the same was true for Rudy. Still, she didn't show any signs of letting go.]

If you keep thinking about back then, you're not going to be able to do anything about what's going on right now!

[There's a lot of things they both didn't want to recall. His eyes shut tight, his fist tightening as his posture grows more rigid.]

But what can we do? If we wait, more people will die!

[There's a sharp, shaky exhale as his hands start to tremble. His tone was clearly frustrated.] It's just-- you hear them, don't you? I can't stand not being able to do anything about this. I don't want to see more people dying because I couldn't...

[He trails off, falling silent as he lifts a hand over his face. Deeply, he inhales.]

[Her arm slowly fell as she clenched her hands, holding them firmly at her sides.]

Of course I can. Everyone can! You're not the only one who doesn't want to see more people die, but even from here you can see how well guarded that place is! If we rush in there, we might lose so many people that we won't be able to save anyone at all!

[Jane turned away from him. This was war, wasn't it? Some casualties would be inevitable... They could be minimized, yes, but the world wasn't kind enough to let all of this pass without any bloodshed. For a time, she had almost forgotten about that.]

[And his gaze falls to the ground. She's right - he knows that. But those screams were still clawing at him - that horrible feeling of being gazed at still stood in the back of his mind.]

I know... [Another inhale. His tone turns softer, shakier.] I know that. It's just-- this is our second chance - our only chance. Isn't it? And that bomb... it's still out there. We both know that.

[Again, he voice falls quiet, faintly audible, glancing away as his hand dropping to his side.]

... I have to do something. I don't want to see you...

[She let out a short sigh. While she had remembered things because of the draft, at the same time there were other things that she wasn't so sure about anymore. This wasn't the time for thoughts like that, though. Even if she didn't feel confident, there were things that needed to be done. She wasn't about to let her own misgivings get in the way of that.]

Yeah. And since it's our last chance, we've got to go all-out. No holding back!

[A good leader had to be able to boost morale. She knew she wasn't a leader here in any sense of the word, but there was no harm in borrowing those principles, even if they rang hollow for her.]

I'm not going to die again. I'd rather kill myself than let that happen.

[At least it would be by her own hand.]

[He would've nodded along to that, if not for that last part she added. And just as easily, his face is eerily still at that thought, with his mouth slightly open. There's dead silence as that sickly feeling starts boiling and his heart's pace picks up.

Suddenly and abruptly, he'll reach for her shoulder, both her shoulders, gripping them tightly.]

Kill yourself? You're saying you'd rather die that way? [That alarmed look isn't for nothing. He's dead serious, and looking at her straight in the eye.] How-- Just how can you say something like that?!

Edited 2014-06-10 02:11 (UTC)

[Jane flinched at the sudden contact and pressed her lips into a line.] If-- If my only choice is being killed by them or killing myself, then yeah! I'm not going to give them the satisfaction of killing me twice if it comes to that! [Ah, pride. It was her worst fault by far.

Suddenly, her shoulders slumped and she looked away, hiding her eyes from him.] There was nothing I could have done to stop it before without knowing what I know now...

[She thought she was invincible before. Maybe not consciously, but still. Being reminded of her own mortality hadn't helped.]

[His emotions are still, somber, with eyes unfocused and feeling his whole being inwardly weighted down as he recalls what happened.]

I won't let that happen. [This time, his tone is softer, instead gently squeezing her shoulders.] It'll be okay. We'll make it work out this time. ... So, please. Don't talk like that.

[She didn't raise her head. Now he was the one trying to help. How had things turned around so quickly? Had her words really made her sound so weak?]

You first. Don't talk about it as if stopping the bomb would just be saving me. You'd be saving yourself too. [If it was in terms of saving everyone at once, then...]

[It's funny how that worked. How stubborn both of them were about many things, and how willing they were to take on so many burdens by themselves.]

Heh. You know... [He closes his eyes, lowering his voice, and still holding her as he leans slightly forward.] There are things - those important to us whom we value and care about. And we're willing to sacrifice that much because we love them.

[It's a quiet, reflective tone as if he's recalling something. Gently, he squeezes her shoulders once more.]

... I know it's a risk. But I'm fighting for those I personally value the most. And I won't let them die this time.

[It was a sweet thought, and a familiar one too. She did manage to glance up at him, but that mode of action was quickly abandoned in favour of resting her hand over her heart. Alright, breathe...]

Huh, now where have I heard something like that before...? It's almost like I told you something really similar a long time ago.

[Honestly, she was surprised that he remembered all that well enough to draw from it. Instead of showing it though, she would just start poking him instead.]

You did. [There's a gentle, yet sad smile as she pokes him. He never forgot.]

... We've been here two years, and this world... it's changed us in many ways, both good and bad. We've seen a lot of awful things along the way. But I haven't forgotten myself.

[Part of him hadn't realized how close they were at first, feeling his breathing tensing up as he looks down at her. But right now, it didn't matter.]

I haven't forgotten what you've told me. ... It's not that I'm rushing in because I want to sacrifice myself recklessly. I still want to help any way I can. That's just how I am - I can't stand to see people suffering. But most of all, I want to protect the people I've come to treasure here.

[There's brief silence as he takes one hand off her shoulder. There's an uncertain look as his hand stops, feeling more tension building up in his chest. But eventually, he moves for her hand, closing it over with his own.]

The people I treasure the most... I don't want to lose them.

It's hard to tell that you're not trying to sacrifice yourself sometimes.

[His reasoning was easier to understand after being stuck in the enclosure for so long. There were more than enough times where she hadn't liked the actions that were coupled with those reasons, but he just wouldn't be Rudy anymore if that changed. Whether she liked those actions was a more complicated story.]

You're... [She bit her lip and paused, staring at the hand covering hers. Suddenly, she shifted and squeezed it tightly.] I don't-- You're not allowed to die either, okay? I'm not going back alone. All three of us are going to make it back.

[It wasn't quite as grand a speech as his, but for her it was hard enough to get those words out in the first place.]

If you want to help, then do it. But if you do, you have to promise that you won't die, no matter what. Got it?

I won't die. I promise.

[Likewise, he'll squeeze hers in return, his thumb gently brushing over the back of it. As prone to self-sacrifice he was, he couldn't afford to die here for many reasons.]

We'll all make it. You, Jack, me... [He slowly nods.] I-- we're not going to let them kill us like this a second time. No matter what. ... I won't let them.

[His efforts to comfort her were...distracting, but she just shook her head in an attempt to dispel those thoughts. This wasn't the time to think about things like that! Focus!]

If you break your promise I'll be really mad.

[Although with some other emotions. She didn't seem ready to let go of his hand, either.] ...I'm not going to let them either. I'm not going to let them win without a fight!

I know. [There's a soft, sad smile.] Just promise me you won't die either.

[Then, there's silence. Nothing but the sound of screams and fighting, and yet still he glances down at their intertwined hands. Nevermind the fact how close they were right now.]

Y-You know, um... [He opens his mouth, as if beginning to say something. But he abruptly stops himself, glancing away.]

I made you promise, so I have to promise the same thing too, don't I?

[It only took a moment of silence for her to slowly separate her hand from his and reach out to cover both of his ears. That was the best she could do right then.

Although...]

What was that?

[Inwardly, he feels a sudden jolt at the sudden warmth covering over his ears, his lips parting without even realizing. The only thing he's hearing is his own heartbeat, his cheeks slightly flushing as his breathing's pace picking up. The only thing he's focused on is her eyes, scrambling to find the words he's wanting to say.]

I... [Of all the times to be finding himself inarticulate.] There's something that I, um...

[Her hands withdrew in surprise for a moment, even though it was only a little bit. Was putting her hands over his ears really so startling? ...Well, whatever. Even with that reaction, it was more important to keep those sounds out for the time being.

The only downside was that she could feel her own face turning red at such an intense stare.]

What? Don't keep trailing off like that.

[The warmth was nice - it felt nice, and suddenly it made drowning out those screams all the more easier. Or all the more harder, considering they've been replaced with a flood of his own scattered thoughts. Okay, Rudy, breathe...]

W-Well. There's something I want to...

["Tell you."]

... talk to you about. When we get back.

Zompania Draft - Draftees only, days 1-3.5

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