Zompania Draft - Draftees only, days 1-3.5

[lucetimods]

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

Comments

[frost_jewel]

I don't know.

[It is the only answer she has, for everything. When Caius looks at her he'll see how pale she is, how shaky the hand that reaches for his.]

I don't know.

[accepted]

Damn it!!

[It's all he can say in response as he looks away from her, momentarily blinded by his own anger to notice the hand going for his. He looks torn between jumping up so he can run off as fast as he can and ripping his own hair out in frustration.

It's then he feels her hand on his and again he turns back, looking at Mia and finally noticing the state she's in. He said he would be there if things got too much... He needs to be there for her now, despite himself.

He roughly takes Mia's hand and holds it tight, his other hand flying to her shoulder to hold her close. He's still furious and trying to get a grip on himself, his chest rising and falling quickly with each breath he takes.]

[frost_jewel]

[She has something of a grip on herself now, however tenuous, and so she pulls Caius closer to comfort him, instead.]

It's over. [That's how she got back, short repeated sentences and someone to tie her to herself.] We get another chance.

[Because she does know what it was, in words. But what it was, no, she doesn't want to face it and prefers not knowing. For now.]

[accepted]

[Slowly he starts to calm down. His eyes seem to be fixed in a permanent glare as he grips Mia perhaps a little harder then he should.]

... Another chance. [That's good, they have a chance to change what happened last time. No one will have to go through that hell again. He should focus on that, on being able to make a difference this time round.] Yeah. We can do something so this won't happen again.

[frost_jewel]

You have to relax first. [Says the pot to the kettle. She has schooled her voice into calm, though.] We can't get anything done this way.

[accepted]

I'll be fine in a second. [No he won't. He's going to be saving some of his anger so he can take it out on the cultists he comes across later.] Tell me when you're good to go.

[frost_jewel]

[Mia makes a sound, not really a laugh but the seed of one.]

I'm here for you. I couldn't...have found you if I wasn't doing better.

[accepted]

Still, you need some time as well. [...] Thanks, Mia.

[It always goes like this. She's always there for him when he needs it on a draft. He might want to be the one there for Mia now, but it was her who found him and was there for him first despite her condition.

There's a pause after he thanks her where his grip lets up slightly, followed by him taking a deep breath. He's still seething, but at least he has himself under better control now than he would have if left to his own devices.]

[frost_jewel]

[She's not letting go so easily. Caius is right, she needs time, too, and as before, having someone solid and real and important to hold onto helps a lot.]

[accepted]

[He'll stay put until Mia is ready to go.

It really does help having someone here with him, it's like how he had Arria to talk to him when he lost his father. It's comforting having someone to hold onto right now, someone he knows is there after feeling as though he lost everything in his life in a drowning sea of fire.]

[frost_jewel]

[When Mia does let go, she stays close, keeping her hands on Caius's shoulders.]

Can you get up?

[accepted]

Yeah, I can manage that.

[And he does just that, standing up off the ground and letting Mia's hand slip from his shoulders. He's soon grabbing her hands in his own though as he gets to his feet, crouching forward so not to pull Mia up until she's ready.]

What about you, think you can stand now?

[He'll still stay there with Mia until she feels okay, but his eagerness to get going and start doing something is easy to see in how he's up right after she asked.]

[frost_jewel]

[Caius has a much faster rebound than she ever remembers.

Mia stands almost with him, though, nodding.]

I'm all right for now.

[accepted]

[Just wait until all this is over, he'll come seek her out to talk all about this and what's to come. Right now though they need to do something.

Once Mia is up his hands remain holding hers for a moment, then they go to Mia's shoulders where he grips tightly. Mia might notice his eyes flickering off to the sides as he wants to run off and get stuck in as soon as he can. But he holds himself in place.]

If you don't feel so good or if something goes wrong... Call for me, okay? Just do something to grab my attention.

[That 'for now' doesn't sit well with him, but neither does everything else he's feeling right now. He wants to stick with Mia but also tear of in a moments notice. He wants to keep her safe, and his other friends, and do his part, and...]

[frost_jewel]

Thank you, Caius. I'll remember that.

[It's clear he doesn't want to stay in one spot, so Mia is the first to let go.]

Be careful.

[accepted]

I will.

[Or he'll try his best to be at least. He gives Mia's shoulders one last squeeze before he lets go after her, drawing in a deep breath and letting it all out before he turns away from her and starts heading off. Oh, one last thing-]

You be careful too!