[001 | VIDEO]

[alittlesweptup]

[The video clicks on and the view sways sickeningly for a moment. The small light on the camera does very little to penetrate the darkness of the catacombs under the city. Once it focuses on the man holding the tablet, the light only succeeds in making him look oddly pale and drawn.]

I need medical attention. Sooner rather than later would be nice--

[So maybe it's not just the camera making him look like shit. Charlie shifts, which cues a snarled string of expletives and a jostled camera.]

--or just a hand out of these bloody catacombs. I think my leg's busted.

Comments

video;

[hymnals]

[YIKES. Not looking good, bro.]

I can help you.

[but ... he's not sure where the catacombs are...]

Do you know your position relative to the Hold?

video;

[alittlesweptup]

[He closes his eyes and grinds his teeth absently while he works out the directions in his head. It's not exactly the simplest thing in the universe, now is it?]

You've got to go through the sewer. There's an entrance just north of the Hold. Runoff canal, y'cant miss it. There's an entrance about twenty or thirty meters in. Then you've got--

[He pauses, momentarily out of breath. God dammit. Alright, deep breath Cutter.]

--Then you've got something like five right turns, maybe six? It's a good walk. And there's shit down here so I wouldn't come unarmed.

[hymnals]

[He murmurs, half to himself.]

I walk in the Light, and therefore fear no darkness.

[A bit more clearly:] I will come for you as quickly as I can.

[He follows the directions that Charlie specified. It definitely takes him a little time--about twenty minutes, say. But it's obvious when he's nearby, because there's a pool of radiance at his feet as he walks.]

[alittlesweptup]

[Lovely. Sounds like a bloody religious nut. But beggars can't be choosers and given his current position in a dark tunnel with little more than a torch and the light from his tablet keeping the whole dislike of small dark places thing at bay -- well, he's not exactly fit to say anything about it, now is he?]

Thanks, mate.

[So he waits as patiently as he can, swinging the torch beam from one end of the tunnel to the other in an attempt to keep the things crawling about the catacombs at bay while trying to ignore the pain radiating up from his leg. Pounding headache, the taste of chalk in the back of his mouth-- It takes him longer than it ought to register the light approaching from the end of the tunnel. But oh, once he does... so that whole 'walking in light' thing was apparently literal.

Charlie raises a hand in a pained, silent 'hullo.' There's blood soaking into his pant leg.]

[hymnals]

[Adra's eyes flick from Charlie's face to his leg, then back up to meet his eyes again. The man is not in a good situation--but he's not an irreparable situation, either.

The creep and whisper of unkind things in the tunnels has not escaped Adrasteius, which is why he mutters something inaudible as he kneels beside the injured man. A dome-shaped shield rises over the two of them, shimmering brightly with golden light. It should last long enough for him to work.

His voice is mild as he lets a hand hover over the wound; he can feel the damage, if not see it. His palm starts to glow.]

Let's have a look at that leg.

voice;

[motherofnemesis]

[ hey no she liked this dude why does everyone always get hurt? ]

Where in the catacombs are you?

voice;

[alittlesweptup]

In a cold, dark, wet part.

[His leg might be busted, but apparently his sense of humor isn't - hell, it's probably in better shape than it was during their last meeting.]

voice;

[motherofnemesis]

Sucks to be you. Anything slightly more specific, or am I going to have to search the whole place?

[alittlesweptup]

[He wheezes out a very small, very pained laugh. That vague note of hysteria in it? Totally not there at all, thanks much.]

If you drop in from the sewer entrance just north of the Hold - it's in some old runoff canal - you ought to find me so long as you keep to the right wall. I'm not entirely certain how far in I am.

[motherofnemesis]

[ No it's definitely there, she's heard that sort of noise too many times to not recognize it. ]

On my way. Shouldn't take me long.

[video]

[assworthsaving]

[Though the face may be new (if one actually kept track of transports), he's been trapped here for over a month. Just for some reason he woke up with a few fuzzy details. But that's nothing he's too overly concerned about.

This is the first message he comes across today. The kid is lanky and scruffy looking in appearance, his hair a bit long, a shirt that has seen better days now full of a few small holes and stained with dirt. Piercing, pale-green eyes stand out from his disheveled appearance and a familiar ring hangs around his neck.

Unfortunately he doesn't seem to have any manners.]

A busted leg? Should someone your age really be doing something as strenuous as navigating catacombs?

Re: [video]

[alittlesweptup]

[He's momentarily taken aback. God, is he ever sick to death of teenagers.]

What'd you say to me, you little shit?

[Charlie Cutter: just absolutely stellar with kids.

Look, he's not really in the mood for this kind of shit much less in the position to be terribly observant, so if he's a little snippy with the baby bastard instead of recognizing the kid for who he is-- well, it can probably be forgiven.]

[video]

[assworthsaving]

[It hardly fazes the kid who simply smiles, never flinching. After all, he's been called far worse.]

Hard of hearing, too? Man, that's gotta suck.

permavid; b/c I'm lazy

[alittlesweptup]

[Really, universe? Break his bloody leg in a cold, dark, wet tunnel that might collapse at any moment for him to suffocate to death in and now it's throwing a mouthy brat at him to boot. Charlie's thumb hovers over the button to end the video call, but not before he gives the miniature asshole a piece of his--

His mouth is open to say something scathing when he notices the ring around the kid's neck. Charlie brings the tablet closer to get a better look. It probably doesn't do much for the view on the other side.]

Is that-- Where'd you get the ring, kid? You lift that off someone, did you?

[assworthsaving]

[Sure doesn't do much for the view. The kid makes a face and holds the tablet a bit away from him. It's not so much the picture as it is the scrutiny that he finds unsettling. But he soon recovers, looking down at the ring in question and smiling proudly.]

No, I didn't lift it. It's a family heirloom. But that's really none of your business. Shouldn't you be more worried about what's in those catacombs?

video;

[notstubborn]

[ She's not judging not at all, she's concerned very concerned. ]

Charlie, what are you doing in the catacombs?

video;

[alittlesweptup]

[That flicker of his expression? The slight compression of his mouth and the way he pales at the sound of her voice? Yeah, that's embarrassment and guilt if it's ever been. Elena Fisher has had enough to worry about in the past month without adding him to the list.]

Right now? Sitting in a puddle.

permavideo;

[notstubborn]

[ She takes her eyes off you people for five minutes and you get yourself lost in the bloody catacombs and break you legs and sit in puddles and god knows only what else! ]

Sitting in a puddle. [ Hand meet face. ]

[alittlesweptup]

Well before you lose too much faith in me, that's not what I came down aiming to do. If that means anything.

[Oh, he can feel the judgment from here.]

[notstubborn]

I want to ask but I'm not sure I'm going to like the answer. [ Seeing as he went down there A L O N E like a complete irresponsible adult. ]

Tell me you've at least got someone to down there come and help you.

[ Don't make her come down there and drag your sorry ass out of there Charlie, because she will and it won't be fun. ]

video

[totallytrustworthy]

[Welp. This makes things a bit interesting. Remember that whole guilt wall thing that made Chloe-Charlie relations impossibly difficult? Someone isn't really keeping to that deal at the moment.

Actually, someone's not keeping to her thirties anymore, either.

So, stranger, have a Chloe-- a much younger Chloe from a good number of years before you two even know about each other's existence-- peering at the camera with a half concerned expression. Half because seriously, for all she knows you could be crying over a twisted ankle. 'Busted' is a pretty broad term.]

Jesus. You look sick as a dog. What's the matter, sweetheart? Fall and sprain your ankle?

permavideo;

[alittlesweptup]

[The name that pings up attached to the response gives him pause. For a moment Charlie's thumb hovers over the video call, not sure if he should open it. If he should answer. If it wouldn't just be better to let it ring, so to speak.

He tabs open the call, pale for any number of reasons.

She looks-- like herself, sure. That's Chloe all right, but not like he's ever known her. There's a sudden sinking feeling like a rock going to the bottom of his stomach. It takes him a second to respond, juggling the tablet awkwardly.]

Not a sprained ankle, no.

[totallytrustworthy]

[Right, that stare is giving her the creeps. Still, a guy in pain is a guy in pain; maybe he's just seriously out of it or in shock. Really weird, intense staring sort of shock.] You planning on elaborating at some point in the near future?

Or did you hit your head on the way down, too?

[alittlesweptup]

[Well he's not ruling it out. Not with her looking like that and-- he scowls, a muscle in his jaw working. The pain radiating up from his leg is giving him a tension headache, but sure. Maybe he hit his head on the way down too. With his luck the way it's been, a concussion sounds just about right.]

It's broken, all right? I think-- [No, he knows.] I took a bad fall.

[totallytrustworthy]

[That explains the pissy attitude. Or part of it, anyway.]

Where are you, then? I'll send some help your way-- [Which, of course, is what she'd do if not for unfamiliar territory and...] what's the emergency code around here? 999? 995? 102, 140...?