TERRACE Draft - Day 1

[lucetimods]

Who: All Draftees
What: Arrival at TERRACE
When: The first day, from 8AM to the wee hours of the night
Where: TERRACE!
Summary: Information post here
Rating: Varies on thread, please mark explicit material.

This post covers the first day, before the attack. Remember, characters here are not expecting an attack and are under the impression they will be going to Region 1 to fight. During this day, draftees will be restricted to T6 and T7 and not permitted access to other areas.

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

Comments

[herotypical]

"A favour. For someone. Someone I wouldn't call a friend, so you'd think I wouldn't be doing favours for him. But that favour involves keeping an eye on a kid. So who am I to draw lines in the sand and get picky about who I do or don't help, y'know?"

A half-shrug. She spoke lightly, but the whole affair meant rather a lot to her.

[rather_be_surfing]

"That's worth it, yeah. How old is the kid?"

[herotypical]

"She's the very incredibly tender age of nine, actually..."

[rather_be_surfing]

"Jesus fucking christ...."

Derek presses his lips together in a thin line. Wrong. So very wrong, and there was no way to stop it from happening.

"Well, keep yourself and her safe, then. If you want, I'll check in very so often."

[herotypical]

"...I want it. Even if I probably don't need it. But it'll be a comfort."

[rather_be_surfing]

"I can do that, no problem."

He'll give her a smile.

"Other than watching the kiddo, settling in all right?"

[herotypical]

"Sure, in as much as I'm trying hard not to get too settled. It's not like we're sticking around here for long, right? I don't fancy getting too comfy."

[rather_be_surfing]

He laughs; in context for him, 'settled' means 'ready for the battle'. But it's still easy for him to forget until he gets answers like this that most people think of 'home', or at least a permanent place to stay, when they think 'settled'.

Which is not something that he links together easily in his mind these days.

"Yeah, I guess that would be true. But you're prepped, anyway?

[herotypical]

"I assure you that I have bloody death hidden away on my very person, Derek. Just waiting for an excuse to bear arms."

[rather_be_surfing]

"Right." Derek smiles slightly and shakes his head.

"Hopefully, you won't need it too often."

[herotypical]

"Mm," she hummed her agreement. "At least -- not in front of the girl."

[rather_be_surfing]

"Yeah."

He'll reach up to gently clasp her shoulder.

"Stay safe, all right?"

Slayer or not, Derek still preferred her, all of his friends, out of danger.

[herotypical]

She threads her fingers through his -- holding his hand in place. For a great many other people, she might have simply brushed away such a kind touch. Not Derek, though. No matter what he did or didn't remember.

"I know you already know that's like asking a fish not to swim. Or a penguin not to walk funny."

[rather_be_surfing]

He smiles a little, squeezing her fingers gently, "And you know I'll ask anyway. We are who we are."

He'll give her a gentle kiss on the forehead; it comes easy, despite the confusion of not knowing exactly who she is to him.

[herotypical]

...It was the easiest thing in the world to accept such a sweet gesture. Her eyes flutter shut for a moment -- revelling in memories and in desperate, white-edged affection.

"And beware any and all who try to change us, am I right?"

[rather_be_surfing]

He chuckles a little.

"Something like that."

He glances back behind her.

"Probably need to get back to her, I imagine. I'll be back later."

[herotypical]

"...Is that a promise, Derek Bliss?"

Gently -- reluctantly -- she let go of his hand.

[rather_be_surfing]

"As much of a promise as the battlefield will let me make, yeah."

He'll give her shoulder one more gentle squeeze before letting go.