District X Logs | Flooding
Nov. 1st, 2023 01:38 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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xp_logs(backdated) Following Sharon's request, Alani makes a plea to Namor. Well, two pleas.
"So you come to me in your hour of need."
Namor stood, dramatically, near the edge of the District X Community Center's roof. His figure was a steady, dark contrast against the falling rain and rolling chaos against the flooding streets below. How long he had been up here was unclear, but he had ditched the hooded costume from the night before.
"Only the best when I need the very best," and despite the words Alani's face was somber, still very much in her own costume though a sweatshirt larger than herself had been thrown on top. A second pair of legs stuck out of the bottom as a child peered up at Namor from the open zipper. "I need to ask some favors. This is Shari, and they haven't seen their dads. They think they're still stuck in their apartment two blocks over." Arms refused to unwrap themselves from Alani's midsection tightened and she winced lightly. "And then there's a vacant lot I need checked. Can you do that for me?"
The creature that turned to face the two was clearly inhuman, but also soaked to the bone. The gills on his neck flexed in the pouring rain, and the wings on his ankles twitched eagerly to be at work. The man's smile, however, was soft and caring as he squatted down to be on the same level as Shari.
"I will find your missing ones, minnow. A crown is the servant of the people." Namor's gaze hardened in resolve as it left the kid to find Alani. "I will require maps and some sort of device that will not be ruined in the rain, as well as your eyes from the ground to guide me. I can carry one or two people without breaking them, but not at speed."
At the words, Shari had offered the man a hesitant smile in return, reptilian eyes flickering around to observe his features in what was obvious interest. After a moment, they finally nodded, finding his statement fair in their mind. Alani, in turn, forced a smile in her relief. “The best, see, love?”
“I can do that, I should be able to do that, or-“ She stopped, before slowly clearing her throat. “How many, uh, cats, do you think you could carry?”
"Cats."
“Cats.” Alani nodded seriously, one hand coming up to smooth the child’s hair out of their face. “After dads. I promised someone important to me that I’d have someone look. I trust you the most.”
Namor did seem to honestly consider the scenario. Carry the one, adjust for weight...
"Your people have a saying about herding cats. This seems very similar, but I am up to any challenge for those in need."
“While you take care of checking the apartment I’ll see if anyone can get their hands on carriers.” There was no hint of doubt that Namor would complete either task to the best of his ability. Then came the concern, brows knitting together. “Do you need any food or water?”
He raised a skeptical eyebrow. "No one more you might need. Tell me the last time you took a break." That was a royal decree, not a question.
"Shari and I had a sit and snack before I came to find you. We could all probably use some fresh drinking water." Alani said after a moment. "You gotta eat too, why don't you join us before you head out?"
This actually earned a smile. Granted, Namor was aiming it mostly at Alani's sweater bundle, but a win was a win. "We will allow this. One must look over the needs of many, but it is easy to forget that also includes one's own well being. Shari, you will tell me about your fathers so that I can find them. Let us go."
"A very important lesson," Alani agreed, eyes having dropped down to the child's, whose eyes remained on Namor.
Shari nodded again, smile half-forming as they agreed to the king. "Let's go."
Later, running into Sam prompts the funny realization in Alani that this flooding and relief work is the most either of them have felt at home in the city.
Following the flood, Alani had stayed mostly at the District X Community Centre, offering support to the families that had fled to the building in the face of the disaster. She'd finally found one of her student's dads and became unclung from the child as they rushed to cling to family instead of her. Heartwarming, heartbreaking, everything in between, and she was only on her third travel mug of watery, burnt coffee of the day. Which led her to delivering water and some food to people who were picking up supplies for those who needed them. A somewhat familiar blonde head was just above the average and on the move caught her eye and an immediate beeline was made. “Water? Are you going back out, need an extra set of hands?”
“Water’s great. Thanks Alani.” Sam said offering a small smile. He’d been out non-stop since he’d woken up trying to keep folks out of the water and making sure kids were making it to their parents. In a weird way this was maybe the most he’d felt at home in District X since he’d moved here. He wasn’t sure he liked that thought though.
“I’m gonna be headed back out once someone gets me a new first aid kit. If you wanna tag along I’m happy to fly with you while I’m looking’ for folks?”
"Perfect, hydration is important." There wasn't even a moment of pause before Alani reached into the pack she'd been carrying to offer him an unopened bottle of water. A granola bar was passed along with it. Her eyes sought out the organizer, motioning her going out which was met with a stony nod. "Okay, I didn't know you could fly, cool. Once we get your first aid kid, I'm down to help." As she spoke, she'd flipped through her own supplies, noting what was low before looking around the room. "Because you've been outside more recently than I have, anything you think we might want to grab more of than the packs come with?"
“First aid kits for sure, folks are bein’…….not too smart bout the flood water……they’re gonna get sick soon.” Sam sighed. “Maybe we oughta get a megaphone to tell ‘em to say outta it.”
There was a long-suffering sigh, before Alani rubbed her hands across her face. When she looked back at Sam, her expression was schooled. "I can pretend to be surprised, if you'd like, but yes, more first aid kids, drinking or boiling water for sure. I wish I had waders," she lamented quietly. "But! Water's no problem to me."
"Yeah, days like this I wish I'd brought my waders up north." He sighs, and then offers her a shit eating grin. "I'll be fine, I'm nigh invulnerable when I'm blastin'."
She stared at him for a moment, before a peal of laughter echoed through the room. A few heads turned, some shaking, though it seemed that once people noticed there was no immediate thing needing attention, other volunteers returned to their work. One such one finally jogged up to Sam, supplies offered easily. Alani had sheepishly waited, face flushed in a tinge of embarrassment, before she cleared her throat and nodded. "I have never heard anything like that, and it got me out of my head, so, never change, Sam Guthrie."
Sam quickly put the supplies in his bag and thanked the volunteer quietly before turning back to Alani. "No, I'm serious, nigh invulnerable. Look it up, it's in the Cumberland County news from seven years ago....though to be fair they didn't report on the mutant blasting bit, just the explosion...."
"This must be how some people feel when I explain I came to New York because we got a mail bomb. I believe you, but it's like... you hear something, and you have to compartmentalize it for later. Cumberland County, I’m gonna look into this, and be horrified, but I’m glad you’re ‘nigh invulnerable’ then.” Her words had turned back to her mostly relaxed demeanor, a slight smile on her face though her brows had drawn together. With her own supplies arriving, she nodded towards the door. “Ready?”
“Oh…. Well I set the explosives so very much my fault.” Sam said, rubbing the back of his neck. Once he was sure Alani had her supplies and was ready to go he nodded at her. “Ready. Call me if you need backup?”
“When clean up is done, I’m getting the deets on that. Later.” Compartmentalization at its finest. Alani nodded again. “Can do. And same to you. Literally, need anything and I’ll make my way over. Be safe out there, Sam.”
"You too." Sam said. As he made his way out of the community center he sighed, turning to some folks playing in the water. He gave one last wave to Alani before wading out into the water, yelling, "Y'all know this water came from the sewers, right?"
"So you come to me in your hour of need."
Namor stood, dramatically, near the edge of the District X Community Center's roof. His figure was a steady, dark contrast against the falling rain and rolling chaos against the flooding streets below. How long he had been up here was unclear, but he had ditched the hooded costume from the night before.
"Only the best when I need the very best," and despite the words Alani's face was somber, still very much in her own costume though a sweatshirt larger than herself had been thrown on top. A second pair of legs stuck out of the bottom as a child peered up at Namor from the open zipper. "I need to ask some favors. This is Shari, and they haven't seen their dads. They think they're still stuck in their apartment two blocks over." Arms refused to unwrap themselves from Alani's midsection tightened and she winced lightly. "And then there's a vacant lot I need checked. Can you do that for me?"
The creature that turned to face the two was clearly inhuman, but also soaked to the bone. The gills on his neck flexed in the pouring rain, and the wings on his ankles twitched eagerly to be at work. The man's smile, however, was soft and caring as he squatted down to be on the same level as Shari.
"I will find your missing ones, minnow. A crown is the servant of the people." Namor's gaze hardened in resolve as it left the kid to find Alani. "I will require maps and some sort of device that will not be ruined in the rain, as well as your eyes from the ground to guide me. I can carry one or two people without breaking them, but not at speed."
At the words, Shari had offered the man a hesitant smile in return, reptilian eyes flickering around to observe his features in what was obvious interest. After a moment, they finally nodded, finding his statement fair in their mind. Alani, in turn, forced a smile in her relief. “The best, see, love?”
“I can do that, I should be able to do that, or-“ She stopped, before slowly clearing her throat. “How many, uh, cats, do you think you could carry?”
"Cats."
“Cats.” Alani nodded seriously, one hand coming up to smooth the child’s hair out of their face. “After dads. I promised someone important to me that I’d have someone look. I trust you the most.”
Namor did seem to honestly consider the scenario. Carry the one, adjust for weight...
"Your people have a saying about herding cats. This seems very similar, but I am up to any challenge for those in need."
“While you take care of checking the apartment I’ll see if anyone can get their hands on carriers.” There was no hint of doubt that Namor would complete either task to the best of his ability. Then came the concern, brows knitting together. “Do you need any food or water?”
He raised a skeptical eyebrow. "No one more you might need. Tell me the last time you took a break." That was a royal decree, not a question.
"Shari and I had a sit and snack before I came to find you. We could all probably use some fresh drinking water." Alani said after a moment. "You gotta eat too, why don't you join us before you head out?"
This actually earned a smile. Granted, Namor was aiming it mostly at Alani's sweater bundle, but a win was a win. "We will allow this. One must look over the needs of many, but it is easy to forget that also includes one's own well being. Shari, you will tell me about your fathers so that I can find them. Let us go."
"A very important lesson," Alani agreed, eyes having dropped down to the child's, whose eyes remained on Namor.
Shari nodded again, smile half-forming as they agreed to the king. "Let's go."
Later, running into Sam prompts the funny realization in Alani that this flooding and relief work is the most either of them have felt at home in the city.
Following the flood, Alani had stayed mostly at the District X Community Centre, offering support to the families that had fled to the building in the face of the disaster. She'd finally found one of her student's dads and became unclung from the child as they rushed to cling to family instead of her. Heartwarming, heartbreaking, everything in between, and she was only on her third travel mug of watery, burnt coffee of the day. Which led her to delivering water and some food to people who were picking up supplies for those who needed them. A somewhat familiar blonde head was just above the average and on the move caught her eye and an immediate beeline was made. “Water? Are you going back out, need an extra set of hands?”
“Water’s great. Thanks Alani.” Sam said offering a small smile. He’d been out non-stop since he’d woken up trying to keep folks out of the water and making sure kids were making it to their parents. In a weird way this was maybe the most he’d felt at home in District X since he’d moved here. He wasn’t sure he liked that thought though.
“I’m gonna be headed back out once someone gets me a new first aid kit. If you wanna tag along I’m happy to fly with you while I’m looking’ for folks?”
"Perfect, hydration is important." There wasn't even a moment of pause before Alani reached into the pack she'd been carrying to offer him an unopened bottle of water. A granola bar was passed along with it. Her eyes sought out the organizer, motioning her going out which was met with a stony nod. "Okay, I didn't know you could fly, cool. Once we get your first aid kid, I'm down to help." As she spoke, she'd flipped through her own supplies, noting what was low before looking around the room. "Because you've been outside more recently than I have, anything you think we might want to grab more of than the packs come with?"
“First aid kits for sure, folks are bein’…….not too smart bout the flood water……they’re gonna get sick soon.” Sam sighed. “Maybe we oughta get a megaphone to tell ‘em to say outta it.”
There was a long-suffering sigh, before Alani rubbed her hands across her face. When she looked back at Sam, her expression was schooled. "I can pretend to be surprised, if you'd like, but yes, more first aid kids, drinking or boiling water for sure. I wish I had waders," she lamented quietly. "But! Water's no problem to me."
"Yeah, days like this I wish I'd brought my waders up north." He sighs, and then offers her a shit eating grin. "I'll be fine, I'm nigh invulnerable when I'm blastin'."
She stared at him for a moment, before a peal of laughter echoed through the room. A few heads turned, some shaking, though it seemed that once people noticed there was no immediate thing needing attention, other volunteers returned to their work. One such one finally jogged up to Sam, supplies offered easily. Alani had sheepishly waited, face flushed in a tinge of embarrassment, before she cleared her throat and nodded. "I have never heard anything like that, and it got me out of my head, so, never change, Sam Guthrie."
Sam quickly put the supplies in his bag and thanked the volunteer quietly before turning back to Alani. "No, I'm serious, nigh invulnerable. Look it up, it's in the Cumberland County news from seven years ago....though to be fair they didn't report on the mutant blasting bit, just the explosion...."
"This must be how some people feel when I explain I came to New York because we got a mail bomb. I believe you, but it's like... you hear something, and you have to compartmentalize it for later. Cumberland County, I’m gonna look into this, and be horrified, but I’m glad you’re ‘nigh invulnerable’ then.” Her words had turned back to her mostly relaxed demeanor, a slight smile on her face though her brows had drawn together. With her own supplies arriving, she nodded towards the door. “Ready?”
“Oh…. Well I set the explosives so very much my fault.” Sam said, rubbing the back of his neck. Once he was sure Alani had her supplies and was ready to go he nodded at her. “Ready. Call me if you need backup?”
“When clean up is done, I’m getting the deets on that. Later.” Compartmentalization at its finest. Alani nodded again. “Can do. And same to you. Literally, need anything and I’ll make my way over. Be safe out there, Sam.”
"You too." Sam said. As he made his way out of the community center he sighed, turning to some folks playing in the water. He gave one last wave to Alani before wading out into the water, yelling, "Y'all know this water came from the sewers, right?"
