mayfield_logs | because we can't have nice things ever

Entry tags:

because we can't have nice things ever

Who: Caesar and Garviel, then Caesar, Millie, Sealand, and so on.
What: ITP: Caesar can't resist getting in one last 'I told you so' before dying again, Garviel has to keep talking to people just before they get axed, and Mayfield traumatizes even more children; so same old, same old.
Where: 2237 Stevens garage and later outside the Goldberg St. house.
When: Sometime during the 25th, well after Virginia's injuries.
Warnings: Blood and death.

[Caesar would have been more than content to remain home much earlier today, to avoid the phones seething with either anger or repetitive calls for calm and whatever foolishness might come out of it all. At least, he'd been content, before some inexplicable force tore Virginia's arm off and threw her violently through a window. Whatever that had been, it had been enough to waken some cold anger in even someone as prone to being level-headed as he was. If there had ever been someone he could rely on to watch his back, who had been doing that since he got dumped in this little slice of hell, it had been her, and there wasn't any way he could get back at the real culprit of her suffering...

But he did happen to know someone else who could at least share in the blame, even if only a little, and that's what brings Caesar to stop at the driveway of 2237 Stevens Road. The slog through the snow and winter chill has, at least, calmed him down enough that he doesn't go storming up to the house like an idiot, but it's not like he'd thought of any other approach before actually getting here. Without that...

Huh. Now what?]

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[ Garviel is seen backlit in his garage, sitting on a tremendous bench and maintaining his armor, polishing and adjusting a vambrace. He looks up at Caesar with an utter lack of surprise, and just nods. He'll let him have his say, offering nothing in defense, or explanation, at least at first. Somewhat curious to see what people will say, now that they have come for him. ]

[The nod is enough to move him from where he stopped outside. At least he can expect not to be pulverized... maybe. You never know, right? Caesar strolls up to the open garage and steps only just inside, lingering with his back to the cold air outside.

He watches Garviel working on the armor for what must be at least four or five minutes before even saying anything, but when he does...]

So, how many people did you manage to save?

[ He shakes his head. ]

None. It would appear I have doomed you all. [ He notably doesn't include himself. The town's strange malfunctions seem to have entirely left him alone. Perhaps as an ironic joke. ]

I have been watching my friends die for some time now. In that regard, it is not dissimilar to my home.

None. Excellent. I see we really pulled ahead with that amazing display of machismo. [And he's so casual in his sarcasm here, like this is just another normal conversation.] Yeah, I noticed that part. Things happening to people all over again. Like when Virginia was wrecked suddenly, out of nowhere, in the midst of defending what you've done.

But, oh no, I'm sure you're already feeling the weight of everything else that's happened, so don't worry, I would never think to pile that onto you with the rest.

[ Garviel looks at Caesar coldly, his craggy expression like a sheer mountain face. The sort of one that you either smash to pieces on, or die when you fall off. ] You weren't there the last time.

And it was -precisely- the same. The placement, the sensation of power. Oh, and before you think to ask it, it was blocking methods of examination both sorcerous AND technological. I have power output readings and a few things I'd require a techpriest to analyze but I am fairly sure they're all busy dying.

[ There is a momentary flash of pain when he mentions Virginia. They weren't close, but Garviel had always respected her abilities, and he tended to default to being fond of anyone he'd shared a battle with. ]

She understood why.

I was there the last time. [Though not inside, the same as this time. He isn't without the intel from the last incursion, however.] And I don't care if she understood why, like hell she deserved what she got!

[It's with that little outburst that he walks straight up to Garviel, right up into his personal space, and points an accusing finger at him.]

You! You did this! You didn't do it for the town's sake at all! You-- [As if he's unaware what prompted a part of that charge into the dairy. The Mayor and Smith badmouthing the resistance, the loss of this man's... whatever he was. Big angel leader guy.

But now Caesar's making it personal, that thought alone making him withdraw from near Garviel immediately.] ...damn it... this isn't going to change anything. You really couldn't get any readings off of it?

I do not recall seeing you during that undertaking. [ It is said without accusation, almost mildly. However, he looks like a wolf at bay when Caesar walks up to him, pointing the finger. He stands, pointedly not clenching his fists, and sets down his brush very slowly. There is a moment of tension broken as Caesar withdraws, at which point Garviel nods and sits back down ] And no one deserves what is happening now. But remember, none of us would be here if not for the foul masters of this place. There was a chance to at least free the souls of the lost, and I cannot say I would not take the gamble again, given the same circumstances.

As for the machine I had Arf examine it magically, and she could sense herself being damped. Having already suspected a more conventional type of trap, I used my helm, which has various sensors. I have a log of the undertaking, start to finish. We generally keep them for combat intel. But the data beyond rough interpretation will require the services of people who may already be dead.

Or destroy them. Who knows. [Caesar's still wary of the entire 'vat full of souls' theory. He recalls Susan mentioning something that had cast doubt on it, though that was so long ago, he won't bring it up here. That particular arguement wouldn't matter much right now, in any case.] Have you tried tracking Ruri down yet? If anyone has the resources to fiddle with those sensors...

[But they can't know if she's alive still, either. He sighs and finds something, anything, to sit down on, or maybe just slump against.]

What would your rough interpretation from them tell us?

If she's alive, I shall speak to her. [ He shrugs his shoulders. ]

High energy and thermal outputs, that much I could ascertain. Hot to the touch as well, even through my gauntlets. I don't quite know how even a functional machine could produce that much heat without a cooling system nearby.

Maybe it doesn't have a cooling system at all and that's why it started malfunctioning in the first place.

[Caesar hasn't the faintest idea on how machines work, but if people are saying a heated machine needs a cooling system, he can connect the dots there at least.]

How did you get through the barrier to touch it at all?

I know Nina was able to shoot through it...

[And that's that. He'd come here to pick a fight, but that didn't even make it past the initial attempt!]

[Once he realized what was happening, his immediate inclination was to at least get back to somewhere comfortable. He would never make it to the hospital and, let's face it, what could they do?

If it's the injury he's assuming it is...

It must be, he's not been so injured in any other way that would bring the thick taste of blood up in the back of his throat.

That one goal in mind, to actually die inside rather than bleeding out all over a sidewalk for a second time, is all there's time to fixate on. He turns down Goldberg street, by now grasping any support he can as he struggles on his path. Mostly picket fences or street lamps, those more than enough to help him keep his balance at every jarring pang in his chest.]

[ Everything had been strange since the day of Dangerous Cake making. People had been leaving messages at each other, in anger and then a call for calm and peace, but it really made no sense to Millie and she didn't spend too much time to listen to the extent of the messages.

Strange things happened in Mayfield... another strange thing was happening, wasn't it? The conversation she had had with the doctor called Naze had told her had let her know that, but for the most part, Millie had been oblivious to the things that had been happening.

But there was only so much a person could be allowed ignorance in the town of Mayfield.

Millie had a basket with her as she made her way out of Goldberg Street, thinking to pay a certain somebody a visit. Her mind was relatively peaceful, not thinking too much on the strange behaviour of the town. Usually, like Caesar had told her before, it would come to past. She had left Bonaparte at home with some cake, leaving her own her own.

And who should she see? Caesar! She smiled instantly, thinking to call out to him, but she paused when she saw how he moved so.. sluggishly.

That was even more reason to call out though, and she continued walking, though at a normal pace. ]

Caeeesaaar? What are you doing?

[Of all the people to run into...

As irritating as Millie could be, this wasn't something Caesar would ever want to her to witness. Even though he knew she had been a part of a war in the past, somehow he doubts she's ever dealt with the same kind of violence Mayfield intended to inflict upon him in the very near future.

He stops abruptly to grab at a street light, to keep himself from toppling over. Just a moment, a second to recover from a sharp pain, he really needs to move on. Unfortunately, this gives the girl a chance to catch up, though the only greeting she'll get is a very curt one.]

...go back inside, Millie.

[Sealand won't find himself falling to pieces until later in the day, but he's still not feeling that great, as the radiation poisoning creeps back in by inches. Hearing Caesar, he's not sure if he should approach or hide, lest the other boy realize something was wrong, but as he turns the corner he sees it's Caesar who's the one who seems to need looking out for. He runs over.]

Hey! Hey, what's wrong?

[ Caesar being curt wasn't going to make her go inside. No, only now closer to him, seeing the way that he grips at the street light, the look of worry is clear on her face and she places a hand on his shoulder and a hand on his arm. ]

What's wrong? Don't you feel well?

[ The other boy gets a look as he approaches and comes over as well, a familiar face Millie sees, but for now she focuses on Caesar. ]

[And now Sealand, too. There must be some kind of force in this stupid town that draws the people he doesn't want around straight to him at the worst times, how else can this be explained?]

N-nothing. Nothing is wrong. [He brushes Millie's hand off of his shoulder and presses onward towards the house.] Just go home. Both of you.

You don't look okay.

[Sealand moves closer, though not as quickly. Part of him doesn't want to know what's wrong with Caesar, especially with that machine broken.]

[ Don't worry, that part won't be humoured with Millie around who wants to know exactly what's going on with Caesar. Whether he moves her hands away from him, she follows next to him - it's not exactly a hard thing to do in his state. ]

Don't lie, you're not looking good, Caesar! Do you want me to help you home?

It doesn't matter what I look like. I can get back on my—

[Again he has to stop, this time grabbing onto Millie's shoulder to support himself as he doubles over with a wet-sounding cough. He covers his mouth out of habit and it comes away with blood smeared across his palm.

He stares wearily down at it.]

Hey!

[Sealand runs over to grab Caesar, too, not that a twelve-year-old can do much. Still, he looks worried.]

Hey, what happened, did someone attack you or something?

[ When Caesar leans on her, her hands go to his side to support him back automatically, about to say a word of her concern, but when she sees the red, the words are caught in her throat. Her eyes widen, knowing what it likely was, but the sight of it there was unbelievable, unnatural.

It proves hard to take her eyes away from it, but she looks up at Caesar's face. ] C-Caesar? Wh-what-- why are you bl-bleeding? Is it a joke?

[They're right to look worried, because this most certainly isn't a joke. If both of them intend to hold onto him like that, he may as well get them moving, too.]

I wasn't attacked. This is from before. [Sealand might know what that means, though he doubts Millie remembers much from the first Bunker House incident. He wipes the blood off on his shirt.] I want to get back to the house. Can we keep moving?

[Sealand knows what Caesar is referring to, although he doesn't understand how the injuries are coming back now. He kicked France in the shin for that, because Caesar had agreed to be his citizen and France had killed him.

Caesar, as far as Sealand is concerned, is still his citizen. He absolutely has to protect him. Somehow. He shifts to try and support Caesar as well, as much as he can.]

W-we'll get you inside and then we'll fix you and it'll be okay, okay?

Yeah, yeah! Y-you don't have to worry, okay!!

[ Millie didn't know. All she knew was the state that Caesar was in now and his words. This time she listened to them, maybe something that would amaze Caesar under different circumstances. Along with Sealand she would help to get him along to his home. Millie knew where to go and how to get there. ]

No. [He knows this won't be superficial enough to just slap a few bandages on and call it a day and he isn't going to let them believe this is anything other than futile.] Once you get me there, you're going to take Millie home. Immediately.

[With their help, they're making better time. The house isn't too far now.]

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and then the rest of the log happened

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