TERRACE Draft - Remaining Days

[lucetimods]

Who: All Draftees
What: All hell breaks loose
When: From the 27th to the 1st.
Where: TERRACE!
Summary: Information post here
Rating: Varies on thread, please mark explicit material.

This post covers the second to sixth day! Be sure to check the info post on the timeline to know what's up. At 2AM on the 27th, the attack will break out while most people are sleeping. Be sure to use the above info post for any plotting needs you might have. Enjoy!

Some random NPC quotes about the island itself.

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

Comments

[chikaidestroyer]

We just need a distraction. Or a reason for them to open the door. Broken ventilation bringing in smoke could do the trick. The noise would alert them that it is not a simple ploy.

[With one last look at the vent, Albert nods at Sheena and crouches.]

[corrinesbell]

[It's not worth it to ask if he's sure he can hold her. The whole thing isn't ideal at all, but she steps up onto his shoulders anyway, hands against the wall for balance until he figures out if he can stand up this way or not.]

So you want me to fake the smoke? Or really figure out how to break this thing?

[chikaidestroyer]

[He's very slow as he stands up, holding Sheena's ankles with his hands and bracing his elbows against the wall for balance. It was awkward and he would not be able to hold her for long so high off his center of gravity, but these circumstances called for whatever he could manage.]

If there is something you can break in there, do it. Otherwise whatever can be faked as a malfunction will have to work.

[Their actions are drawing the attention of the others in the room. It doesn't take long before Albert has to field a few wary and alarmed questions shot his way. What were they doing? How could they put them in danger like this?]

[corrinesbell]

Well if it's got slits instead of cross-bars I can probably-

[The questions. Sheena grits her teeth against a sharp answer. If there were better choices they would've taken them, couldn't they see that? One hand clings to the vent grate - which is cross-bars, damn it - and the other makes a tiny light. She squints into the spaces between the metal slats, looking for mechanical stuff.]

Looks pretty empty to me. Dusty, too. Does that mean it gets used or it doesn't?

[chikaidestroyer]

[Albert does not answer right away, focusing instead on getting some of the more alarmed civilians away from him; he is eventually assisted by some of the wary, but still obviously hopeful, people. He sighs, concentrating on keeping his shoulders tense as he speaks up to Sheena.]

It doesn't. Not yet. How big is the vent? [Could she fit into it? Could a child? Could she open the grate and shove something inside?]

[corrinesbell]

[Well she's glad she took her gloves off now. Her fingers feel along what she assumes to be the edge of the vent cover; the wall gets a grin when she finds not only the width of the grate but a set of (presumably rusty, from the feel) screws at the corners.]

I don't think it's wide enough, maybe a foot and a half if we're really lucky. And...I'm just barely touching the top. Definitely not as tall as it is wide.

But I think I could get it off.

[chikaidestroyer]

We would still need noise to draw someone here long enough to unlock and open the doors. [He grimaces as his cursed arm aches, with a good portion of the pain emanating from the part of his shoulder where Sheena was standing.]

If one of your seals can do that, take off the vent and set up your seal.

[He'll just concentrate down here and try not to waver too much on his feet.]

[corrinesbell]

It's not gonna be that easy. I can't really see what I'm doing and- sorry! [Because her foot slipped, just for a second, and in the next few seconds she makes the decision to jump down. Albert needs a break anyway, and they can be quieter face-to-face.]

And I can't reach the top of the grate really well. Unless you're carrying some kinda screwdriver they didn't take away when they put you in here.

[chikaidestroyer]

[Albert leans a bit more heavily against the wall once Sheena is safely on the ground again, taking slow, deep breaths as if that would do something for the pain. No dizziness yet. That was a relief, at least.]

...No screwdriver, unfortunately.

[The pain served as a reminder of something else though, and Albert stared hard at his left hand.]

I ... suppose brute force is an option as well. Not the most elegant option, obviously.

[He glances at the civilians in the room.] The children would have to be corralled in the back, away from the doors.

[corrinesbell]

Geez, did I hurt you? [Especially if, in his weird martyrdom-for-the-good-of-ironic-sighs way, he was hurt in his own earlier scuffle and conveniently forgot to mention it.] Don't tell me I'm too heavy for you, this really isn't the time.

I can do it. I just need some good luck and something sharp made of metal. Unless you think you're gonna force the door or something. [With your scrawny man around the house arms. It's implied.]

[chikaidestroyer]

Something sharp... I would offer my earrings or wing ornament, but those are somewhat on the dull side. [There's a wry note to his voice as he ignores Sheena's question.]

I could try to force open the door. What a magic trick that would be. [He glances at Sheena, stepping away and heading back towards the locked double doors.]

[corrinesbell]

I think "wing ornament" is still one of the stupidest things I've heard about.

[He really thinks he can break the doors open. Doesn't he.]

H-Hey, hang on! We've gotta have a plan, we can't just open them and rush the place. Most of us'll just get caught again.

[chikaidestroyer]

[He sighs a little when he hears Sheena behind him, pausing to look at her with a faint frown.]

Yes, that's true. [He shakes his head, as if giving himself a mental shake as well.] My apologies. I was feeling a bit ... rash.

[Despite that, he continues towards the doors once he has made his apology.]

[corrinesbell]

[They are attracting the attention of their wary cellmates again. Sheena frowns and catches up to Albert, intending to stop him from doing anything else rash if he tries.]

Listen. They left us without a guard here. Why would they do something like that? Just assume we're not a threat?

[chikaidestroyer]

[He shakes his head at the question, standing close to the doors but not reaching for them. Sheena's question gives him some focus.]

I mentioned isolating those who actually appear like they may cause damage. Another hypothesis is that they do not have enough guards for the number of people they are holding here. That is bolstered by how infrequently there is any sign of conversation or movement.

[corrinesbell]

[Yeah, and she decided not to tell him where to shove it for implying she didn't look dangerous. That's over with and she can argue about it later.]

Then I wonder how big this place really is. If they've got some kind of...center of command in here or something. You know, for all the prisoners. [Maybe they can let everyone out. That's what she means.

But better start with themselves first.]

If we're really quick and lucky about it I think I can follow the hallways and stuff back to the outside. I tried to remember the turns.

[chikaidestroyer]

This is a fairly small detention center in comparison to what it could potentially be on a place like TERRACE. I know there are bigger ones, but there is no central system; otherwise it would be simpler to take back control. [He had seen the maps, heard the rumors about the activity of the cultists.

He's quiet for a moment as he thinks of Sheena's offer.]

How long do you think it would take to make it to the exit?

[corrinesbell]

Well it only took them a few minutes to drag us back here once they got started. But by myself, taking my time and not getting caught? [She looks at the door because it's a neutral surface to think on.] At least twenty. Probably more. There'd be rooms to avoid and guards to deal with.

[chikaidestroyer]

Too long if there is to be any hope of evacuating everyone. [He frowns carefully.] If we can bypass the door without noticeable damage to it, can you run recon and return?

If there are others who can be freed close by, the potential of multiple breakouts would further scatter their focus.

[corrinesbell]

That's like asking me if I can make tea.

[It's probably a bit too dark to see her expression for what it is: excitement. Outside of the possibility of all of them dying horrible and irreversible deaths...well, that was life before Luceti anyway, at least for her. And at almost every turn the risk had been useful.]

But it almost makes me wish I could fit in the air vent. Yeah, I can do it. You're in charge of keeping everybody else quiet.

[chikaidestroyer]

That is a much simpler task for me than what you have to do. [He nods, looking at Sheena in the semidarkness; even if he can't see her expression, her words and inflection are enough to detect her thoughts of the idea.]

Then all we need to do now is take care of the doors.

[...The primary issue with everything. He again steps close to the doors, inspecting the handles.]

[corrinesbell]

Even if I could get to it, I don't have anything to pick the lock with. [She doesn't fancy snapping her wrist in order to reach the tumblers, either.] It'll have to be something else. Any great ideas?

[chikaidestroyer]

Great ideas? No. [Albert takes one of the handles in his left hand, testing how little give the locking mechanism allows when he tries to turn the handle.

...What if he were to ... try forcing it? He takes a slow breath and concentrates on his cursed arm.

Ambushed in a frustratingly simple way. Helpless. Locked away for hours. Injured. Torn away from what he should be doing during all of this. Irritated. The despair and lack of motivation to do anything.

His arm burns, and he presses hard on the handle. There's an audible snap within the door.]

[corrinesbell]

[He broke it.

Sheena covers her mouth to keep the surprise from coming out loud enough to alert any nearby suspicious ears. Her words escape a moment later in a high-pitched mockery of a whisper.]

Albert what the hell was that what did you do?

[chikaidestroyer]

[Slow breath. Slow, slow exhale. His arm is so tense that it hurts to form a fist -- not that it didn't already hurt. In the semidarkness, Albert can swear he sees something move around his arm, and he shudders as he tries to calm himself.]

...M-- magic trick. [Albert manages to joke and step away from the door carefully, glancing behind at the other prisoners. There was murmuring, but nothing too alarming from them.] Check the door.

[He very lightly places his right hand over his left sleeve, as if that would do anything about the burning pain.]