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

[mrsarcastic003]

Instead of looking concerned, he looks relieved. "Yeah, that would be the one... But I'm taking it you didn't just turn up here from there."

[ichoosefight]

She heaves a sigh of relief heavy enough that it makes her wince. Her injuries are all pretty superficial, but damn if they don't sting when her clothes rub them.

"God, I've been waiting three years to hear that. I told you." Given, it probably wasn't him she had told, but she still feels pretty vindicated.

[mrsarcastic003]

"Three years?" Well, of course that makes sense, given how much older she looks than she did the last time he saw her, but it's still somehow longer than he'd expected. Time travel is so weird. Interdimensional travel? Does it really count as time travel if she lived through those years and he just blinked through them? He grins a little at her. "I feel like I owe you an apology."

[ichoosefight]

"You totally do," she assures him with a grin.

"But not yet. Or a long time ago? Or in another life. I think that's all the bases covered."

[mrsarcastic003]

And that is just as confusing as it should be, considering the circumstances. "Then I apologize for my past, present, future, and alternate reality disbelief."

[ichoosefight]

"Apology accepted," she decides graciously, happy enough to leave it at that and forget about all of the associated timeline and multiverse nonsense.

"I guess we're closer to the same point in our own timelines now? I remember you were ahead of mine, but things were pretty wonky."

[mrsarcastic003]

"Is this where we compare notes again? What's the last thing you remember?" She looks a lot more like the Steph he remembers from home, so he's guessing that at this point they are pretty matched up, as far as their timelines go.

[ichoosefight]

"The last thing," she hums thoughtfully.

"Well, I'm pretty sure I passed out without finishing my homework. But before that... slapping Bruce across the face. Definitely." That wasn't exactly the order of events, but it's been long enough that she's moved from freaking out to damn proud of herself for it and she wants to share.

[mrsarcastic003]

He blinks. Considers it. Grins a little. "Well, that's an impulse I think we can all sympathize with." And if anyone's earned the right to slap him, it's definitely Steph. A dozen times over.

[ichoosefight]

Her grin is unrestrained.

"I'd say high five, but I think I need a few more bandaids between me and my shirt first."

[mrsarcastic003]

"Does that mean it's time to get you to first aid?" he asks with a little smile. He's joking, but not entirely--he does want to make sure she's all right. "I'd hate for you to miss out on an excellent high-fiving opportunity."

[ichoosefight]

The grin turns into a grimace.

"More like second or third aid. I probably should have just used gauze and tape, but I didn't think I'd need so many bandaids." What had started as lightly bleeding cuts not worth the trouble to bandage have turned into half-dried splotches of irritated skin.

[mrsarcastic003]

He eyes her. "So... time to take a break and deal with it?"

[ichoosefight]

"Think anyone will die if we do?" She asks flippantly, but it's a serious question.

[mrsarcastic003]

He grimaces faintly. He's perfectly aware that even though her tone is light, the question itself is not. He looks around, considering the presence of the first responders around them, and other people like them who are not official, but helping out anyway. It's a solid presence.

"I think that the initial crisis has passed enough that you can get some real bandaging done if you're willing to stop long enough for it." Because, of course, that's also an issue, and no shade from him about it. He's the same way.

[ichoosefight]

She takes an extra couple of seconds to decide. None of her injuries are life-threatening, or even very incapacitating. They do sting though, and she'll feel like an idiot if she gets an infection because she was too proud to sit her ass down for a couple of minutes.

She sighs and throws up her hands in surrender. She also winces, because her sleeve had been stuck to one of the cuts on her wrist and the movement pulled it away.

"Better safe than sorry. At least with respect to medical care."