ArchivedLogs:Support Staff

Support Staff
Dramatis Personae Flicker, Hive, Isra, Joshua, Lucien, Matt, Rachel, Tag, Tian-shin
In Absentia	2016-03-17 "{I always need you. But so do they.}" (Takes place during Prometheus Raid.)
Location <NYC> Harbor Commons - Courtyard - Lower East Side
This courtyard is the lush central hub of the surrounding Harbor Commons, bound in on three sides by rows of duplexes and triplexes, cutting upward at the sky with the sharp thrift of a minimalist's style, neat lines and bountiful windows, boldened with accents in wood towards the upper stories, stone towards the base, the whole of the compound sealed in by a low stoneworked wall that opens entrance gates to the streets beyond at its two far corners, smaller gates at building back doors. The fourth side of the courtyard is open to the East River, the ground forming a slight decline, controlled on one side by micro-retaining walls to form wide steps where picnic tables sit beneath the nominative shelter of a trio of dogwood trees, accessible by ramp. The other side is allowed to slope at its natural angle, a wide open yard space, until its cut off at the river's edge, where a massive pair of oak trees stand, a staircase leading away up one of their thick trunks. The yard itself is carpeted in an organic flow of emerald grass swirled through with wending channels of smooth-paved cement walkways, flowing naturally away from the building's front entrances, where some are arced by trellis, some flanked by hosta plants, fern and lilies, a few laid in gentle switch-backing ramps for wheelchair access, before forking off at matching angles to sites of small garden installments. Bird feeders and baths suspended from the necks of small lamp posts, a rock-lined koi pond, a sleek gazebo tucked to one side in simplistic varnished wood, its southern side overgrown with a mass of thriving grapevine and a caged-in barbecue pit under its sheltering roof. A play area and proper garden are within sight off another branch, until finally all paths spiral in like wheel spokes to a shared common house at the center of all traffic flow. Outside the walls of the Commons, just by where Workhaus once stood, bright orange traffic cones mark off a segment of the curb, blocking out a very large strip of parking. It has stood empty for a time now -- but abruptly it is filled, the street vacant one moment and an enormous truck materializing there in the next. << Got incoming. >> The echoing ripple of Hive's mind is flat and crisp, projected out to all those waiting to assist with the arriving refugees. Rachel is already opening up the back door; there's about four score people in orange jumpsuits crammed into the trailer along with the boxes of supplies, though many of them seem a little uncertain about whether or not to come back /out/ of the truck now. Rachel, though, is jumping down out of the truck, wings slightly spread for balance, one tiny blue X-jacket-clad body draped mostly inert in her arms. "This way," she calls, "we have a safe place for you to be here for now." Stirring from where she has been waiting atop the Commonhaus roof with a large mug of coffee and her tablet, Isra looks toward the truck. Resplendent in pearlescent violets and blues and sheathed in a simple white linen wrap dress, she also has a leather baby harness strapped to her chest, its passenger invisible beneath a pile of rainbow knit blankets. She hops up onto the guard rails and mantles her wings for balance. Tag had been waiting nearby, idly painting on the concrete, wearing a sky blue t-shirt dotted with puffy white clouds and black cargo pants with yellow lightning bolts running down the sides. Now he jumps up as well, shouldering a bright yellow backpack with a blue star of life on it, and stretches out a hand to Isra. Isra pulls Tag up beside her, curling an arm tight around his waist and then leaping from the roof, her wings snapping wide to catch the wind. She glides down in a graceful arc and flaps just once, to diminish her momentum before touching down on the sidewalk beside the truck. A faint growl rises deep in her chest when she sees the bundle in Rachel's arms. Her expression does not change, but her ears press back and her bright green eyes snap up to Rachel's face, searching for some hint of Shane's condition. Tag wraps his arms around Isra's neck for the duration of the journey and jumps down once they've landed. His eyes also widen at the sight of Shane, but he steels himself and says only, "Welcome to New York, everyone. Please come with us." Lucien has been busy in the kitchen, where quite enormous pots of stew and rice are on the stove. He turns the heat down as low as it goes at the mental broadcast, though, lips compressing as he wanders out onto the grounds, brows drawing together. "... I'll start tea." Rather mild. There's a shimmer of motion, a ghosting flutter as Flicker flits his way down from the Commonhaus to the grounds. His jaw is tight as he looks from Rachel to Shane. Into the truck. His fingers flex, a wordless question surfacing in his mind. "There's food in the kitchens. Taylor can show everyone where guest rooms are for -- resting. Or first aid." He's already moving to relieve Rachel of Shane. Scooping the small shark up. Vanishing off with him. << Been having a little trouble onsite. >> In the heads of the waiting support team, Joshua's voice is -- only a /touch/ tighter than its usual dryness. Faintly edged. Tighter. << Might want to get Eloise here for Shane. I can't stay. >> Matt follows Lucien outside, squeezing his brother's arm tight when they come to a stop. For a moment he is paralyzed, staring at Shane until he vanishes with Flicker. But at Joshua's report he shakes his head hard, sucks in a quick breath. "{I ought to have gone with them,}" he whispers. Tian-shin looks up from her ma-po tofu and dashes outside without shedding her cartoon panda apron. Joining her brother, she starts helping the evacuees down from the truck, though she looks up now, biting her lip. << I'm going back with you. >> Hive is getting down out of the cab of the truck as inmates climb in a steady stream out of the back. << It's been a disaster in there. >> He doesn't say it with any weight of discouragement to Tian-shin's statement. Just -- heavy. Blunt. << Psi-shielding /and/ some kind of power suppression device. >> << Means they had time for serious damage before we could get any footing. >> Joshua is still just level as well. There's a pause -- And then, oddly /less/ edged than before, level and toneless: << Ion's down. >> The truck stays, this time, though /he/ vanishes from the front of it. Lucien's lips have compressed, his shoulders tensing at Matt's words. "{Ought to? Into a slaughter?}" He's watching, too, though, eyes slightly narrowed, as Flicker carts Shane away. At Joshua's last words his breath actually hitches, fingers curling at his sides into fists. His gaze flicks sidelong, eyes stopping on his brother. There is a rapid and distinct tightening in his mind, a swift familiar shuttering as he clamps firmly down on emotional processes. "{They have a ways left to go.}" Matt slowly lets go of Lucien's shoulder and reaches up to touch his cheek instead. He's terrified, racked with guilt, but there's a pall of calculated calm over all that, and a steely determination in his voice. "{Might be a lot less of a slaughter with me than without. But.}" His hand turns his brother's chin so their eyes meet. "{But if you /need me here/. I will stay.}" Tian-shin isn't staying around to wait for an explanation. She sprints back to Funhaus and emerges a minute later with her sword clutched in hand, pulling on her X-jacket. She pulls Tag aside and sweeps him up in a tight hug. "{I'm sorry, I--}" She presses a kiss to her brother's rainbow hair, an uncommon display for her. "{It might make a difference.}" Tag makes a miserable noise, only barely audible. He clutches Tian-shin as tightly as his slender arms can manage, shaking fiercely in her embrace. "{I love you,}" he manages at last, gritting his teeth. "{Bring them home safe.}" Though he isn't actually /letting go/. Joshua is returning, now. Reappearing beside the Commonhaus, eyes focused downward as he lies one /very/ bloody electrokinetic on the ground. << Gonna need a hand, Rach. >> The winged nurse is dragging one of the trauma kits out of the truck, a few beats of her wings carrying her up into the air and across the grounds to alight beside the pair. Joshua's hand is rested on Ion's forehead, though there's still a good deal of blood staining the ground from holes torn into his jacket. "-- You need to -- I can't -- I still need to take the truck back, I --" There's a sick pallor to his expression as he looks up at her. Flicker is reappearing, flitting back down to join the others. At first he's looking towards the rescuees, starting to gesture towards them with a brightly-painted arm -- but stops short with Joshua and Ion's return. His eyes just fix on the bloodied electrokinetic. The guilt that initially flares in his mind is replaced swiftly with a certain determination. << Oh. Hive. >> Just that, but there's a tone in it that is almost apology. Almost. He's already vanishing back up into the house. Pulling on his jacket when he shows up once more. Lucien looks to Joshua when he returns. To Ion. Only for a second, though, before his eyes turn to his brother. "{I always need you.}" He curls his arm around Matt, tips his forehead in to rest against the other man's, only steady blank nothingness felt on /his/ end. His arm squeezes tight, his breathing paused momentarily until he drops his arm, straightens. "{But so do they.}" Matt's eyes follow Lucien's to Joshua and Ion's arrival. He claps a hand over his mouth to stifle the cry that wells up out of him. His fingers curl around the side of his brother's head, nails digging in at the edge of his hairline. For all his fear he feels steady and strong in Lucien's arms. Then, finally, he pulls back. << I'm going, too. >> His power coils out and and bolster's Joshua's, threading into his complex metamutation with ease. But his eyes are locked on Lucien's, still, right up until he turns to go. Softly, "{I love you.}" There's a faint ripple that washes outwards from Hive. Acceptance, certainly, but a heavy tinge of grief in it as well. << -- I know. >> He's not looking, as Flicker gears up to get in the van. Shoulders hunched, tight, steps a little heavier as he heads towards the house. At the boost from Matt's power, Joshua breathes a little easier, sits up a little straighter; the blood doesn't flow quite as fast from Ion's wounds by the time he stands up. Starts back to the truck. << Let's go. >>