ya gotta wanna be a battering ram

[headandhand]

WHO: The entire dang city.
WHAT: Dualis Days, a week-long summer celebration.
WHERE: Central Square Park and the rest of the city.
WHEN: June 17-23.
WARNINGS: Terrorist violence, likely some blood and injuries. Please warn in individual threads!

June 17; Central Square Park.

Every year for as far back as anyone can remember, the start of summer is heralded by the week-long festival known as Dualis Days. This celebration officially kicks off at midday in the middle of Central Square Park with a commencement speech by the current mayor. This year marks Marcelina Dubanowski's third term as mayor of Dualis; she is an average-sized, middle-aged human-presenting woman with blonde hair styled in a short bob and a plastic, toothy smile that never seems to turn entirely off.

"Welcome, one and all!" she begins, with the practiced cadence of someone who is quite comfortable with public speaking. She invites all citizens, new and old, to spend the next week indulging in festivities in all districts of the city and getting to know their neighbors a little better. This is a joyous time of celebration, and the crowd responds with enthusiastic applause as the mayor finishes her speech and introduces this year's parade marshall, Peshtigo Tengfei.

Tengfei blows a whistle six times to signal the start of the parade - and this is where the celebration goes sideways.

A loud explosion tears through the air, and it's followed by panicked screams and the sharp screech of microphone feedback. A bomb has gone off at the platform where the mayor was standing, collapsing the wood and tearing it to splinters and dust. Chaos erupts in the gathered crowd, and as the people shift in all directions to get clear of any possible additional bombs, a loud siren cuts through the cacophony, calling attention to the sudden crackle of video feed present on all television screens throughout the city, including those set up in the park to broadcast the mayor's speech for those standing far from the stage. The picture is plain, a black background and bold white block letters filling the screen:

WAKE UP
WAKE UP
DON'T BELIEVE THE LIES

The final image is an anatomical graphic of a human heart, displayed for about three seconds, and then the feed goes black again.

Confused murmurs sweep through the crowd as citizens resume tending to the injured and evacuating the area until official first responders arrive.

June 17-23; aftermath around the city.

Dualis Days continues as scheduled, though Mayor Dubanowski is unable to enjoy the festival, as she is spending the week in the hospital recovering from her injuries. A team of Iterations guard her door - no visitors allowed - but the news media frequently report updates on her condition. Nothing to worry about, folks! Return to your celebrations, and don't mind the increased visible presence of the Hand as Iterations are stationed every few blocks throughout the city. It's only for your protection, after all.

Comments

Cw: explosions and injuries, all the associated trauma

[demiurgency]

June 17: party's over

[Some things are instinct, pure and simple. That's really all there is to it. One minute he's standing in the crowd watching the speech, one arm around Nida's waist, and the next--

The next there's a flash of light, a sound that isn't a sound, and maybe he'd fallen at the shock wave and maybe he hadn't but either way he's running towards the fires, yelling at Nida to get people clear before they're separated and Billy's on his own.

Approaching the wreckage of what used to be a platform, he sees prone figures everywhere. Many are bleeding. Some are probably... he's not going to think about that yet. Too much to do. The other end of the platform is about to give way on top of several prone figures and he's already lifting his hands, glowing blue to match his eyes, and he gives a quick prayer of thanks that this at least is working as he uses his magic to hold the platform steady long enough to slap a glowing hand against one support pillar, then the next, twisted metal straightening and supporting once more as he murmurs words too quiet to catch under his breath.

His eyes are still glowing blue as he turns, looking for the next thing he can do, the next way to help, which is when he spots the sound system about to fall on top of another group, both injured and first responders, and starts to run, holding a hand towards the rigging in an effort to keep it from falling as it strains against his magic.]

Watch out--!!

June 17: aftermath

[He's tired, and sore, and his shirt is covered in blood he's not even sure is his. Some of it is, he's pretty sure; he'd gotten an elbow to the face earlier that had left his nose bleeding, though unbroken. That's got almost nothing to do with the bone-deep exhaustion that comes from using far too much of his magic after far too long a time without being able to use it at all, though. In fact, it's that exhaustion that's left him swaying on his feet, before he finally sinks down on a clear spot of pavement next to another person clearly involved in the day's events.

Running a hand through hair already streaked with ash and God knows what else, Billy offers a faint, wan smile as he lifts his bottle of water towards them, before taking a long drink.]

Guess the honeymoon's already over, huh?

June 19-23: let's try this again

[Billy takes a day to recover before heading back out into the festivities, still going on despite the explosions of the first day of the festival. Once that day's over, though, he's back out in the mix, and he definitely doesn't miss the increased police presence, those faceless robots on nearly every street corner still somehow watching everyone.

It should make things feel safer, shouldn't it? And yet. He's read this book before.

Fortunately, the coffeeshop he's ended up working for has a stall at the festival, which gives him a place to be, a reason for his eyes to sweep the crowd, watching their reactions, looking for any sign of the mysterious attackers from the first day. There have to be at least rumors. There always are.

None of that shows in the warm brown eyes he turns to the next passerby, though, offering a charming smile as he holds out a tiny cup filled with something a violent shade of green topped with a little puff of white.]

Try our new minty mocha supreme?

Re: Cw: explosions and injuries, all the associated trauma

[skyward_eyes]

[Warm brown eyes met by equally warm ones. Nida knows better than to smolder at his boyfriend when he’s working. Doesn’t eye him over in his clothes or apron, doesn’t judge how wrong it is for a hot drink to be that shade of green, doesn’t do much more than smile. Because seeing Billy is always a pleasure and a relief, especially after the day before. Especially after a lot of things. Which, of course, he kept his boyfriend appraised of in pre-bed texts because like hell he was giving up that habit here.]

Now correct me if I’m wrong, young barista, but mocha is a coffee-drink with some sort of chocolate, right? And you guys put mint in it? How is that a thing? Are their tiny free samples? Mint and chocolate and coffee isn’t something I’m familiar with. Like elephant ears. What even are they and can I find elephants so I can have more of those? They are sweet. A plant or something like that?

[demiurgency]

[Just because Nida is being good and not eyeing him doesn't mean Billy's not gonna turn up the charm an extra 30%, anyway. Sue him, it's good to see Nida smiling, especially with all the horror of the day before. There's clearly stuff going on here they don't know or understand yet, but as long as he's got the people that matter to him close by, they can figure it out.]

There are in fact tiny free samples, and they're delicious. Wanna try?

[He hands Nida one of the little cups, and if his hand lingers just a little longer than is entirely appropriate on Nida's, who's gonna blame him, honestly. He laughs a little at the elephant ears thing, shaking his head.]

Elephant ears are a pastry, no elephants in them. They look like elephant ears, that's why they're called that. I think I told you about elephants a while ago. One of our early phone talks, remember?

[The affection in his voice is impossible to miss.]

[skyward_eyes]

[Hey, Nida is doing his best to even be conscious, given he was up all night with other issues. But with Billy, he is happy to fake it. And the caffeine sample will help. He makes sure to brush his fingers against his boyfriend’s as he takes the cup. Seems they both wanted that bit of contact. His eyes even flash briefly to Billy’s lips before taking the cup and throwing it back.]

Seifer buried his in strawberries. So I had to ditch him. Didn’t feel like allergic reactions. But yeah, it’s coming back to me now. But yeah, get me one of those, full size. I didn’t end up sleeping last night. Should have just come back to your room if I wanted to avoid my brothers.

[Yes, just judge him now.]

[demiurgency]

Ergh, yeah. [Billy wrinkles his nose a little at the mention of the berries. They're delicious, but when the guy you've been kissing is allergic, sacrifices must be made.] But I mean, hey, at least we're some place with actual medical technology, in case you have a close encounter of the berry kind?

[The smile on his face fades just a little at the plural, the mention of Nida's lack of sleep. Yeah, he's glad Jason is here. He's glad Jason isn't dead, and he's here, and Seifer and Nida are getting another chance, but--it's still sobering. If this place can bring the dead back to life...]

You know you're always welcome with me. Any time. Just do me a favor and come in through the door like a human for the time being, until my roommate gets to know you.

[skyward_eyes]

I will have to see what this place as for emergency situations. And maybe a daily pill for dogs. Think I can get allergy medication?

[For half a second he seems confused and his eyes cast around as if to look for such a beast. But no, nothing. Something about that is off, and he mostly just pushes it aside without thinking too hard.]

That detective Karen lady says they can bring people back from death here. Makes you wonder what all of the explosion was about in that case. Also? Terrifying. Of course, all of it is still less stressful than spending a night in a clinic and then an all night restaurant with your boss.

[Oh yes, he could really use coffee. A lot of it.]

Squall is here.

aftermath

[mrsarcastic003]

[Tim isn't exactly in amazing shape himself. He hadn't entirely made it through the explosion unscathed--flying shrapnel and debris had seen to that--but he's in enough of one piece that he hadn't hesitated before running in to help. He's been helping with crowd control and first aid, and he would have been happy to continue, except that another volunteer had put a bottle of water into his hands and pointed to a space clear of debris, telling him to take a break.

Oh, right. He came to this party with a lump on his head already.

He raises his own water bottle, returning Billy's salute.]

Well, we couldn't really expect it to last, could we?

[demiurgency]

Definitely not. I mean, it was nice to have a few days before everything went end-up, but still. This is...

[Well. Billy was a child in New York City in 2001. He remembers what this sort of thing looks like. What can happen. What has happened. It's not easy, even if you're used to running headfirst into danger, used to disaster and destruction.]

...Well, it might be business as usual, but still, I'm trying this whole optimism thing.

It's nice to at last have some familiar faces along, though.

[A gentle kind of feeling out of the territory. Is this the same Tim he'd known back in the Village? He's pretty sure it is, he sounds like he recognizes Billy, but you never know with these multidimensional things.]

[mrsarcastic003]

[Tim grins wryly at the idea that stuff like this is business as usual because... it is. Big celebration disrupted by chaos? Explosions rocking the crowd? Shadowy conspiracy terrorizing the people? Must be Wednesday.]

I hear optimism is a good policy in situations like this.

[He nods a little at the remark about familiar faces. Tim went pretty much directly from the Village to here, and had basically only had a chance to change his clothes before being thrust into the action again. He recognizes Billy.]

Nice to see you again, too. What are the odds, huh?

[demiurgency]

[Right? Seriously, what's with these universes they keep ending up in? Where's the tropical island but with cute boys and frosty alcoholic drinks universe? It's just unfair.

The fact that Tim recognizes him is a visible relief, though, and his smile warms a little more as he shrugs, rubbing at the back of his neck.]

Honestly? Pretty good, at least in my experience. These things tend to happen to groups. Especially if all those people have been through something similar before. Maybe it's something like quantum entanglement? Physics wasn't my best subject, but someone should really ask Reed Richards that one.

I'm just glad you remember. It gets pretty awkward when someone you know's got no idea who you are. Like hugging a stranger in public, only when they turn around you realize you don't actually know them and it's just really awkward for everyone, you know?

[mrsarcastic003]

[A tropical vacation instead of yet another interdimensional kidnapping sounds pretty good right now actually. When's the last time he had a genuine vacation? It's been a while.]

I can't say I've ever hugged a stranger in public, but I think I get where you're coming from. Extremely awkward. At least one of us would be blushing.

I hadn't really considered the quantum entanglement angle. I'm not exactly a quantum physicist (at all), but that makes a certain amount of sense from a layman's perspective.

mmm coffee

[expeditiousness]

[minty mocha supreme sounds divine, especially after almost a year of roughing it in that weird-ass shitty village, but free minty mocha supreme? that’s even better. the tiny cup disappears from billy’s hand with a blur of movement and a gust of air, and a second later, tommy’s standing next to the coffee stall, crushing his fingers around the cup and breathing out a pleased ahh.]

Now that’s the stuff. Hey, you got any more of that? Maybe at a “favorite older brother” discount?

[tommy grins and waggles his eyebrows behind a pair of ridiculously orange-lensed sunglasses.]

nectar of gods

[demiurgency]

[Honestly the sudden disappearance of the cup in his hand is not at all surprising. It was really only a matter of time before Tommy came in search of sugar and caffeine. The only part that's surprising is that it took him this long.

In a show of incredible maturity, Billy wrinkles his nose and makes a face at Tommy, holding the tray at his side.]

Like you need the caffeine, especially now that you've got your powers back. Also, there's literally a ten-minute window where you get to use that older brother line, and it's not until tomorrow night, so shush.

[expeditiousness]

[hey, give him a break - this is a big city and there’s a lot to see! tommy slides the sunglasses down the bridge of his nose and quirks an eyebrow at billy.]

Ten minutes is always ten minutes, little brother. [he grins.] How long are you stuck here for?

[demiurgency]

[There is at that. Seriously, this place is huge, somehow sprawling and all on top of itself at the same time. Honestly, Billy really digs it. Definitely a Fifth-Element, Bladerunner kind of vibe. And also has he mentioned the lack of farm life?]

Yeah, yeah. It barely counts.

Probably not too much longer. I'm about due for a break. Want to kill five minutes with me, or you want to go do another ten laps of the city?

[expeditiousness]

[look, you can have tommy's claim to being the older brother when you catch him and pry it out of his hands.]

Who says I can't do both? [he grins.] Nah, I'm kidding. I doubt anything's changed in the city in the last ten minutes. I can hang for a bit.

[that was really why he came to visit, but don't expect him to admit it.]

aftermath

[silentnarration]

[Squall is taking a break from walking now that he's far enough from ground zero to escape any attention from the EMTs. He's scrapped up from being so close to the blast and there's some blood on the lower left side of his shirt peeking underneath his leather jacket, hiding the the slice of broken wood embedded in him that he's not letting anyone related to the city look at just yet.

He's leaning against a bright neon signboard advertising some elaborately ridiculous sex machine, or it could just be a creepy massage chair. He's not turning to look.]

There was no honeymoon.

[He's eyeing Billy, trying to gauge if he's injured while he tries to appear disinterested.]

Can you stand?

[demiurgency]

Sorry, just a figure of speech. Yeah, I'm--

[Billy looks up and over a little harder at Squall as he answers, and the words pause as he takes in just what he's seeing. Blood on his shirt, the way he's leaning back against that machine and clearly favoring his left side--Billy's on his feet before he can even finish thinking the thought, concern written in the frown on his face.]

I should be asking you that, it looks like. Want me to take a look at that? I'm not a doctor or anything, but I've had some basic training.

[In a place with a lot less technology than this one. At least he'll know what to do if it's not too deep, or in a place where it's gonna cause internal injuries to take out...]

[silentnarration]

[Squall reels back a little when Billy suddenly rises. Oh, lovely, another heroic stranger. He folds his arms near his stomach defensively, frowning.]

Don't bother. I'm fine. [He just needs to get back to the dorms, regroup and come up with a better plan than subject himself to even more of the whims of the city. Even if the plan ends up being subjecting himself to the city health system.]

[demiurgency]

[A stranger? Yeah, sort of. Except...well, okay, yeah they'd still been strangers, even back in the village; he'd made friends with Rinoa, but Squall had vanished before he'd had a chance to get to know the guy. Even so...well, Rinoa might be back home now, but that didn't mean he could just pretend that Squall wasn't hurt and that he didn't know exactly who he was.

Billy at least has the grace to stop moving, lifting his hands into the air, the expression on his face a little hesitant, more than a little concerned, and even more rueful.]

Yeah. People bleed all the time. It's nothing to worry about, I'm sure. But if I don't at least offer to take a look, your friends are gonna kick my ass.

[Not to mention his girlfriend, even if she is in another dimension.]

I know who you are. Not in a creepy way, I swear--I'm friends with Seifer and Nida. My name's Billy?

[Maybe he's run into one of the others by now? Maybe they've mentioned him. Maybe not. But hell, it's worth a shot.]

[silentnarration]

[He can't help but stare at Billy, only with mild suspicion though. He's only run into Seifer so far but has gleaned enough info to not find it too bizarre that someone would know Seifer and apparently by extension Squall. That said, Nida is here too??]

... I don't know you. [It's almost dismissive. Almost.] I got hurt in the blast. I'll take care of it. Seifer and Nida don't have to know.

[There. Billy has an out now.]

You should worry about yourself. [Because he so isn't the one who dropped to the ground just a moment ago.]

more coffee, why not

[scathefires]

[minty mocha supreme sounds like death in a cup to jason, and he's had enough deaths lately to last him for a while. he recognizes billy, but doesn't have any way to know if he's the same billy he met in the village, the kind kid who saw the worst day of his life and offered him the emotional support he so badly needed.

jason meets billy's smile with a slight one of his own, rubs a hand over the back of his neck. one way or another, he'll find out momentarily if billy remembers him, and whether things are gonna be awkward.]

I was actually looking for something a little stronger and less on the sugar coma side. Got anything like that you'd recommend?

[demiurgency]

[It's easy to default to the Retail Stare, in situations like this. You're looking at so many people, the faces just kind of blur together, indistinguishable from one another--until you see one you definitely, definitely do recognize, because it's not supposed to be here.

Yeah, Nida had told him. Texted him late last night to let him know that Jason was alive, and here, and that he remembered them. But hearing and seeing and knowing are all very different things.

Maybe that's why he's moving before he knows what he's doing, even, tray rattling as it gets dropped on the counter and his arms wrapping around Jason in a hug. It's brief, at least, as he realizes what he's doing, but still enough to reassure himself of the solid warmth of the figure in front of him, as he backs off a second or two later with a slightly embarrassed grin.]

Think I can manage something a little stronger for you. What're friends for?

[scathefires]

[same billy. it's a relief, really, and even though he's still a little surprised by the hug, he doesn't fight it, because it's more than welcome. jason even manages to hug billy back for a second before he breaks away.].

What I've been hearing that friends are for is telling you that you're an asshole when you do a dumb thing, [he says, smiling sheepishly.] It's kinda nice to hear a different take.

[demiurgency]

I mean, they're pretty good for that, too, and believe me, it's a super useful ability, but sometimes you need hugs, too, and I figured you had enough of the other thing, really. Especially considering last night. Not that I know everything, just Nida mentioned a police station, so--

[He's babbling. He knows he's babbling. It's a terrible habit, one you pick up when everyone around you also tends to be one with the witty banter, but he's also aware it's a bit Much. Stopping, he pauses for a second, looking Jason over, then offers a small smile.]

I'm glad you're here. And in one piece. How are you feeling? Aside from the obvious, I guess.