Apocalyptics

The scratch of her pen across the page as she charted everything over the last few hours had almost a musical tone. It contrasted harshly with the anxiety she was really feeling after the chaos of the last few hours an everyone taking refuge. Though her brother's presence was helping greatly. At least she knew he was okay.

"Of course, I am very good at my job," she smirked up at him with a tilt of her head. It was certainly a revelation that he had a family, or at least a child, he hadn't shared with them but she was so happy about it. If anyone had lost enough in life, it was Javi. "You know, you could have told us. I don't think any of us would have judged you at all. Or at least, not too harshly."

When she spoke again Javier's eyebrows pulled together, confusion written into his expression. He tried to make sense of the words, but came up short. "Told you...what, exactly?" He'd done plenty he was certain his family would judge him harshly for, the list surely needed to be narrowed down before he started admitting to anything.

practiced hands fly over an array of knobs and dials and sliders with very little in the way of hesitation, encouraged by the lights illuminating the soundboard the moment he powered on the system. sure, this isn't exactly like the set up they've got back at wder, but topher recognizes quite a bit of the equipment, even if it's not quite as advanced as what the graves have sprung for. that doesn't matter. if it works, it works. by the sound of their squeal, kodi's just as excited as he is about all of this. they could actually communicate, reach out to people and let them know their loved ones were safe. that, topher thinks, is more important than anything he and lucky have ever talked about on their radio show.

❝ i mean, there is a very slim chance we might not have to go up onto the roof, ❞ topher says, pausing in his fiddling to look up at kodi. ❝ but with the way the snow's been and how strong those winds are, there's also like, a very real possibility that whatever antenna they've got up on the roof to transmit a signal is either buried, busted, or otherwise broken entirely. and then we're down here talking into a void, y'know. ❞ topher hesitates when kodi seems to talk themself into volunteering, already considering the countless consequences should something go wrong. ❝ or, i mean, we could get someone else to go up there. someone above our paygrade who can actually afford the medical care if the ladder is icy or there's a live wire or something, y'know? two outta three of the graves brothers are here, and i know he ain't radio, but i know richie's itching to get involved. it would just, uh... well, it would be really cool if it wasn't you, i think. ❞

A cheeky little smile curved onto their lips. "Are you worried about me, Haas? You don't want me going out there because I might get a booboo?" More than that, probably, if they were unlucky enough. One slip of a boot off the rail of a latter and they'd find themselves crumpled up at the bottom. But on the plus side, there would be a nice cushion of fluffy white snow gathered at the bottom to break their fall. It would probably be fine. But it still made them smile that Topher was concerned. He was a good friend.

the idea, at least, is something better than fretting over the here and now, and while she isn't sure if they're actually interested in the idea, or if they were perhaps being encouraging because they're a nice person, at the very least daria thinks it might be a fun idea to try out. she offers a small shrug of her shoulders, eventually. "some people would, probably, but i do have a surprising amount of people who hate listen to me."

"Even if we don't get something out there now, we can at least think about what might make a good new show." After all, what else was there to do but while away the hours in this little community center? Kodi would most certainly go stir crazy if they just sat around doing nothing. They had to put the pent up energy to good use. Maybe there were other uses...but...whatever. "Think about it. Maybe we can get people to come around. Or at least get them even more invested in hate listening."

"i kind of hated not all being together last week." even though he was safe on the compound with deja and heard from everyone else, it didn't stop him from worrying the entire time that something was going to happen to them. he'd lost enough people in devil's elbow, he really wasn't sure he could handle another one. there was the other side of him that was itching to get out in the storm and study it, but that would mean bringing his team out with him and that was a risk he wasn't willing to take.

emil finished his last set of sit-ups and leaned up on an elbow to look at them while he caught his breath. "i was thinking, maybe i should move back to burnington." it was much closer to the governance sector when he had to work for them and all of his people. "since i'm always crashing at your place anyways, do you think maybe you guys have room for one more?"

When Emil turned over in their peripheral vision to face them, their head flopped to the side to look over at him before they shifted their position to prop on an elbow as well. "Um, yeah. You totally should move back to Burnington," they agreed with an encouraging bob of their head, a smirk pulling at the corners of their lips. "Do you think you really have to ask? You've basically already got your own room and everything. I, for one, would love the extra company."

"Ah.. Good to hear he's okay, Sofia's here as well then?" He subconsciously looked around looking for more familiar faces that would bring some further comfort in such an uncomfortable place. He sighed also pursing his lips at the snowstorm outside, "yeah, shitty situation, at least they won't toss us out, I hope." He folded his arms leaning onto a wall, percolating some kind of game plan, "anyone give you any trouble yet here?"

"Yeah, the kid'll be alright, I think. Sera was looking in on him last I checked. Sofia was waiting, hoping we might be able to get out of here if things were taking care of quick enough which is why I was - well..." Yeah, it was already clear enough to the both of them that no one was going anywhere any time soon. His fingers pulled through the strands of his hair, shaking the last few flakes of snow free.

"Naw, though I haven't seen much of anyone yet, really. Most are probably too busy with the whole emergency situation to be too concerned with someone like me lurking about." Though rumors spread like wildfire - would anyone recognize him as the one who had marched into their fearless leader's office and left him behind bloodied and broken? Maybe. Maybe not. He wasn't overly worried about it. He could handle his own against any scientists that wanted to bend his ear over it.

❝ well yeah i've been out there, man. how else would i have gotten here? ❞ it's a genuine question―there's no malice or edge, just bona fide curiosity. he's not sure he can imagine finding his way to the compound without having to face the snow to do it. he takes a step back when javier disentangles himself from the embrace, but lorenzo is still beaming. any familiar face in a prison like this one is something he's beyond relieved to see. ❝ soon as the snow first started falling, i took my bike out 'cause i heard about the storm that was coming and i know there's only like a fifty percent chance my trailer's gonna survive all that fucking snow. rather come back to find it crushed than be there when it happens, you know? ❞

not that he hopes it happens. it's not like he's got somewhere else to go. but the roof's been threatening to cave in on the left side for the past couple of months, and he's been fighting time and gravity all the while.

"So of all places you wanted to wait it out you came here," Javier muses out loud as Lorenzo concludes his story, an eyebrow quirking upwards. In most situations Javier himself wouldn't have thought he'd end up trapped in Afterglow headquarters, but it was even stranger that so many of the rest of them had somehow end up there too. Perhaps it wasn't that uncommon for people to blow in and out through this place on a regular day - maybe they normally didn't linger. Normally didn't get stuck.

His head shook a bit, as if to clear the thoughts. It was probably all just coincidence. "Oh yeah - I mean, I'm sure he'll be alright. Found himself on the wrong side of some Afterglow soldiers and they gave him a little something to take the edge off. Or maybe add an edge. Who knows. He'll be alright, just needs to sleep it off."

❝ if i thought for even a fuckin' second that there was a snowball's chance in hell this shit would resolve itself, i can promise you i wouldn't be balls-deep in this fuckin' snowdrift right now. ❞ to be entirely fair, it's not kodi that judah is pissed at. he's not even sure it's any one person in particular ( even if he's pretty sure the little asshole who rallied the radio crew without ever having touched one himself is a real good person to go pointing fingers at ) but the situation. the circumstance. he'd really like to know what the fuck is going on with big fish right now, and he can't tell if the reason he's not getting shit back from him is because cell towers are down or because there's something wrong. it feels like something's wrong. call it twin intuition or whatever, but judah can't stop thinking about it.

"Who said you weren't allowed to complain?" Kodi answered, eyebrows lifting and gaze turning back and forth as if looking for someone to blame. "I just don't plan to hang around and listen to it. Seems like you're good playing hero all on your own without any help." Their hands pull back from the snow they'd been digging out to help assist, tucking beneath their armpits in an attempt to warm them back up as they study the man. What made him all high and mighty? Thinking he knew how to deal with an unforeseen emergency better than the rest of them?

"None of us wanted this. Obviously cutting the power wasn't the plan. It wasn't just something to do for fun either. We were just fuckin' trying to do something to help everyone communicate. Sorry you don't see the worth in that. You don't have any loved ones you'd want to get word out to?" They shake their head, eyes rolling. "Listen, I know you think I'm just some brain dead radio head or something - same could be said about you grease monkeys too, you know, if we're gunna get all stereotypical - but I can help. If you don't want that, then there is no reason for me to stand out here freezing my ass off, too, and I'll just go fuck myself, I guess."

"They are pretty shit at a lot of things if you really break it down but most people don't because of the intimidation factor." It seemed obvious really. The bigger something was, especially a corporation like Afterglow, the more chinks there were in the armor. They couldn't repair them all and most they weren't even aware of. They, like most living organisms, counted on their size to keep them safe. Nothing was perfect but if you make people think you can crush them like a bug, they tend to stay in their lane. All Lou did was take advantage of the gaps in their security and, luckily for them, only when someone specifically asked her about it.

"Laundry," Lou shrugged but then started sizing them up slowly, "I probably have some lying around somewhere but they are probably too big for you. Should get fresh ones anyway. You know what," her feet dropped to the floor with a soft thud as she stood. "I'm just gonna have to show you. You ready?"

Intimidation? No, that wasn't the thing. Kodi wasn't afraid of them by any means. But they also didn't think they were stupid enough to walk in through the front doors with a sign on their forehead that said 'look at me, I don't belong here!'

"Show me?" Kodi repeats, breaking out of their thoughts to refocus on Lou. "Show me...what? How to...steal people's laundry? I'm all about getting information and whatever, but I don't know about this methodology. I like having reasonable deniability on my side."

The city is slowly rebuilding what it has lost, but it doesn't help much when there's still so much left to fix. It's disheartening to see the community so tense and on edge, but not even Ellis can justify not feeling that way these days. Snow still sits high in uneven drifts where plows had either missed entire stretches of road or given up halfway through, the main streets carved open, enough for traffic and emergency crews. The farther Ellis wandered from the center of Burnington, the more it looked like the storm had simply swallowed whole sections of the city, waiting to spit them back out. People still can't reach their homes and the government has left them to fend for themselves. There's nothing more to be done for the Ink Well as he awaits the government's help to rebuild, and everytime he steps inside, all he can see is damage and loss. So naturally, he puts himself to work.

He'd grabbed a shovel and just started walking. By now he's lost track of whose driveway he's clearing and the path behind him makes it clear where he's been for the last few hours. His skin is slick with cold sweat, skin flushed and nose pink. His breath fogs in front of him, coat hung open despite the cold, long since worked up enough heat to make the winter feel distant. A knit cap sits crooked on his head, curls escaping beneath it, and every so often he pauses only long enough to flex his aching fingers around the shovel handle before returning to work. The snow is still somewhat hardened by ice, the muscles in his arms and torso burning with the force used to dig, but he welcomes it by now. The shovel bites into packed snow with a dull scrape, again, again, again, and eventually he's so consumed by the repetitive motions of the work that he doesn't quite hear or see the person coming up near him. When he finally does, he forces a smile and stands up straight to face the new companion, "One hell of a mess," he greets, as if that explains why he's been out here for the last three hours nonstop, exhaustion creeping in the lines of his face. "But I'm almost done here. Need a hand with somethin'?"

Her mother was fine ('of course I'm fuckin' fine, you think I can't take care o' myself or somethin'?'), though Tessa was still questioning how it was even possible she'd survived when there was nothing in the home but emptied liquor bottles and junk wrappers. But how dare she worry, right?

She'd been walking aimlessly through the streets of Burnington, having stolen away for a (long) cigarette break when she spotted Ellis hauling snow. It seemed like he'd been at it for hours now, which was a little concerning. Still, she didn't say anything until he finally straightened up and noticed her. "You fixing to take yourself out, one shovelful of snow at a time? I'd appreciate a heads up if that's the case."

❝ that's―well, i'll admit, that's a fair question, ❞ beau concedes, ducking his head a bit sheepishly as the tips of his ears flush with color. he does feel a bit silly asking for a doctor in an emergency situation like this when no one's actually hurt, but when it comes to his sister, beau would rather be proactive. he didn't interrupt her tending to anyone, after all. he would never. but if she had a moment, he thinks it'd give him a lot of peace of mind just to know a doctor's given her a once over. ❝ i reckon i'm mostly just worried. i'm sure you're right, doc, she ain't actin' like she's hurtin' too bad or nothin'―not that i think she'd tell me if she was―but there ain't no harm in checkin'. ❞

"It doesn't hurt to be worried and get it checked out - well, usually it doesn't hurt. As long as you don't worry too much, because stress could be bad on your heart and health..." She pauses, realizing that was not what any of them should be concerned about right now. "Uh - but yeah, you're definitely right. Can't hurt to check."

"Oh, so she was that spinal replacement patient. You uh - you don't hear about that everyday, you know. But also, it's so cool that Afterglow has the technology these days to do that. Rebuild a human spine? I mean, years back that would have been nothing more than a dream. They used to fuse vertebra together to try and help in these sorts of circumstances but that would severely limit the flexibility of the spine which hinders mobility quite a bit - but better than no mobility, I guess." She's rambling, but she doesn't really recognize it until she pauses for a breath. He probably doesn't care. "Anyway. The technology behind what they were able to do is amazing. Still allowing for the flexibility a spine requires while repairing the damage at the same time. I'm sure the recovery has been...tough, but she'll appreciate it in the long run. You'll see."

of course he wanted to see tessa as soon as they were safe to roam the streets of burnington free again. but of course both of them first had to work and when a day finally did open up for them to meet up, it was clear that their hangout would need to be multi-purposeful. also known as: xander has a metric fuck ton of laundry to do and needs a body double.

his favorite being tessa ambrose, his first and forever partner in crime.

or laundry, as it is. plus they can do it together at the laundromat and in between loads they could get comfy with some snacks and catch up about everything they missed just like they've always done. "so wait, there for real was an actual haunted bear or whatever they call it, on the compound?" xander had briefly heard someone on wder talk about it but hasn't actually followed any in depth story about it. "did you go out and like, blow it up or what?"

"I never saw the thing - and I looked. Granted, it was a fuckin' blizzard and I couldn't see shit. It could've been standing right there outside the window flipping me off and I wouldn't've known any different." She clicks her tongue, arms folding across her chest as she leans back against a stack of washers. "Sounds like they don't know who took it down. Maybe we should come forward and claim the prize. How would they know any different? Knowing Afterglow though it would probably just be a pat on the back and a 'good on you kid'. Probably ain't worth it."

"i am," tully lifts her head up and reluctantly shimmies off part of the extra blankets she was cocooning herself in. "fully aware of how lame i am. devan has been reminding me since they could talk." it was a downfall she would chalk up to being raised by the east atlantic army, she often followed rules even when she broke others and tended to be happy just staying in her room with her books and intranet ( though she didn't trust it, always feeling like she was being watched on there ).

"i guess," tully groans as she feels the weight of tessa falling near her. tully began to wiggle herself out, warming her limbs to will them to move again. "if you're going to put it like that i have no choice but to go." she pushes her friend to the side so she can sit up properly and shimmy out of the blankets. "plus all of that food? sounds so good. like, really freaking good. if i promise to go with can we make all of them?" truthfully the way to tully's heart and motivation could often be linked to food of some sort. especially ones that made her feel warm inside.

"We can make anything your little heart desires. Whatever we can get our hands on." At least odds were in their favor that the facility wouldn't be shutting down. Wasn't there like, life saving shit in the hospital? They'd probably have to keep things up and running unless, well, like...fuck if she knew, would people die or something?

Maybe that would happen either way.

She watched Tully for a moment longer before glancing away, looking towards the door like maybe she could see through the walls and out into the storm itself. "Do you think people are like...okay? I mean, we got everyone in to safety here, but..." Who else was trapped out there? Her cousins? Her...mother? "Did you see Devan, in all this? Like, they're around here somewhere... right? Should we collect them on this food mission, too? Or at least make sure they're still...ya know...breathing, or whatever."

weirdly enough, situations like the one they were in didn't make yannick panic. maybe not so weird. most of his days were spent in and out of the emergency department and intensive care units, assisting in cases wherever he could be of service. needless to say he was used to working both under pressure and in harsh conditions alike. the only thing that made this one different is the fact that ari was with him and there were several others he felt an urge to look out for among the crowd in the bunker. responsible for even, though, his daughter would always be his number one in any scenario. when it came to her he didn't see anyone else or any other problem as a priority.

"they said the storm could last anywhere from one to ten days. even if it stops snowing, if the sun doesn't come out and the wind keeps blowing we'll still be stuck." yanni hoped it would only be for a night or two at most but they both needed to be prepared for the worst of the scenarios. "afterglow owns everything down here, except the people. i say that we can and since i have more clearance than most down here—" besides felix estrada and maybe a few of the other executives, at least. "i say in this case it's better to apologize than ask for permission." he knows she'll understand that, it's a phrase he's had to say one too many times before when he's had to bend rules to do the right thing.

"Right. Apologize instead of ask permission..." She repeats, pondering that statement. There wasn't really anyone to ask permission of, anyway. Who were they suppose to ask, the rodents that had probably taken up residence since all the people had left (or maybe cohabited with)?

She looks down at her damp clothing, then nods her head a bit. That was probably for the best, changing into something dry, even if it wasn't hers. "You should, too. We don't want to deal with hypothermia, either." She pauses, pursing her lips. "How do you think they kept warm down here? Is there furnace or something? It probably wouldn't be wise to light a fire in here without proper ventilation."

Sera really could have kicked herself. He was right, this was probably why they didn't include her in these conversations. He also was likely the only brother that would flat tell her that instead of patting her on the head and sending her on her way. "I know, I know," she brushed away his comment but the weight of it settled on her shoulders as she visibly slumped on the bar stool. There was something to be said for the differences she had from her siblings. They all had their own strengths that they each had played too and this was simply not hers. But it was also these times that her father's voice rang so clearly in her ears about how weakness can get you killed. Survival was the ultimate goal. Was this what was going to ultimately be her undoing?

But Javier didn't know the 'opponent.' Not like the rest of the Muñoz siblings did. Not beyond what he'd been told. But the way they'd crushed Benny's spirit was more than enough to make Javier want to do something about it. There wasn't much he figured he was good for, but he certainly knew how to throw a punch.

He didn't know what she thought was going to happen, that Benny was going to get snatched off the streets or something in broad daylight so that Afterglow could have their 'science experiment' back. But, as far as Javier knew, they wanted Benny for his skill. Not to be a lab rat. "I don't know what you want me to say. I'm not the brains behind any operation."

well, before everything.

she glances down at the hair pin between her fingers and then holds it up sheepishly, twisting it back and forth between thumb and index before offering a shrug of her shoulders. "this always works when i accidentally lock myself out of my place, i guess my door is a hell of a lot shittier than this one." but she steps aside, lets him access the door behind her. if any of her siblings could break and enter, she'd definitely put money on it being javi.

"You often lock yourself out of your place?" Javier questions, skeptical by the way she speaks in plurals - and also the fact that her place seems so easily broken in to. Granted, this world they lived in was cruel; Javier doubted anyone with an intention of breaking in was going to be doing so by picking the lock.

He takes the hairpin from her lifted hand as he approaches the door, turning it over between his fingers. It takes a little work as he kneels before the door, fiddling with the tumblers in the lock to get them into proper alignment. "So you don't have your phone, I guess you haven't heard from anyone?" All things considered she seemed rather unconcerned about the situation. Granted, worrying wouldn't get them anywhere, either. "Santi, Benny, and Connie are all at that bunker those people just crawled out of. Or...were, anyway..."