riverviewlogs | everything's on fire

Entry tags:

everything's on fire

who: Everyone!
what: The residential building is on fire
when: ~2am, August 23rd
where: The Residential building
warnings: Fire, destruction of property, injury, general warnings for crisis situations

It's a reasonably quiet night, pleasantly dry with a slight breeze. Almost nice, for those that enjoy the hours after midnight long before dawn starts to creep on the horizon. Right until it isn't, when the air changes, and there's the scent of heat that promises smoke. In most places it starts with a flash of blue light that arcs from floor to floor as energy pulses through the building, and there's a crack of sound that follows. The power dies for a moment, and if you're one of the unlucky ones, the light that follows is a literal spark in the dark, burning to life in bright orange-red, yielding heat and smoke and trouble. The energy surge doesn't just hit the lights, but sparked flames that burst to life, and they catch quickly, spreading.

The worst of it starts on the ninth floor, where the smoke and the beginning of heat starts moments before the surge. The fire spreads faster there, people starting to startle awake and realize what's happening as the flames crackle. Eventually there's an announcement on the Network, both alerting people to what's happening and trying to organize both those that are willing to help and those that need it.

Some areas are untouched, while others are ravaged badly, reduced to ashes and crumbling ceilings, so watch your step. There's chaos, but through it there's people doing what they can to help each other, and the official fire services show up to help control the blaze. After that, it's just a matter of repairing the damage that's been done, rebuilding and putting things back together, seeing what's been lost and what was saved.

Even later, people start putting the pieces together, and there's the official investigation into what might have caused a fire like that in the first place.

[ooc: As promised, the residential building is on fire! OOC plotting post is here if anyone wants to work out some last minute plans before diving in. Plotting post also includes the relevant details. Elsewise, just top level and mingle. Try not to get burned too badly. :) Good luck!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Shiro had been worried about Keith initially not having seen him immediately, but finally at some point during the ordeal, he'd spotted the lights on Keith's armor, knowing that he was there and in his armor, which would keep him safe but he had lost track of where he was in all the confusion.

Now that there was nothing else for them to do, Shiro had taken off his helmet, armor covered a faint gray tinge because of the ash, looking for Keith.

Finally he spotted the light of Keith's armor between the people in the crowd.

"Keith!"

He had to fight his way through the crowd a bit, but finally made it over. "Are you alright?"

Keith heard his name, knowing the voice to be the exact person he'd been trying to find in the crowd. One would think their armor would be easy to spot among other people, but... not as much as he originally thought. Either way, they'd found each other now, and he turned towards the voice, looking relieved to see Shiro coming his way.

"Shiro..." He let out a breath and took a few steps towards him, still limping a bit. "I'm okay... just a bit banged up. You?"

"A bit? You're limping." He took Keith's arm when he walked closer to him to brace him. He looked really beat up. Apparently he'd had it easy compared to Keith.

"I'm fine. A little dirty, but other than that."

But he was relieved. The other paladin was alive and while beaten up, nothing that wouldn't heal. He couldn't help himself and pulled Keith into a quick hug. He had been worried okay. Let him have that.

After a moment, he stepped back.

"We are looking for a new place to live."

Keith looked a bit sheepish. Yeah... he was limping. Oops? He was glad Shiro was okay, though, and let himself get pulled into the hug, putting his arms up and around his friend in return. That had been too close, and kind of scary. But, he was glad they'd gotten the same idea and made it out.

He looked up at Shiro as the Black Paladin stepped back. He managed a small chuckle.

"Yeah. Sounds like a good idea."

It had been something on the table before, but now, he could definitely agree with the renewed urgency. Extra privacy was one thing, but avoiding getting stuck in a massive fire again was a little more important.

Shiro had been probably more afraid for Keith at that point, not really worrying about himself. Considering he had been the crazy person who had gone back into the burning building to save people, but from the looks of it, Keith had done the same thing.

Considering how precarious their living was in a building fifteen stories tall and packed to the brim with people? Yeah, Shiro didn't trust it. This could easily happen again and he didn't want to risk it.

"Alright. Start thinking if there is anything we should have in a place. It may take a few days to scope something out. Do you need to sit?"

Completely different tangent, but Keith was limping.

"Yeah... it probably will. I'm not sure what we've got around the city, or if we'd need to go clear one of the overgrown areas," he said. "Though, I'm not sure... I mean, how much space would we really need unless the others show up." After all, if Allura had been there, then that could mean the others could show up, too, right?

He furrowed his brow a little and then nodded.

"I probably should," he said. "The EMTs over there didn't think it was broken, but they did say to be careful." Which he promptly disregarded in favor of trying to spot Shiro and anyone else he knew that might have been in the building.

"That is true we'll need more space if the others show up, but we won't need that much space until then. We could look at an apartment since it really is just us. We can worry about more people showing up if it happens."

No point in paying for extra space what they don't need.

"And walking around through a crowded area is being careful?" Yes, he knew Keith all too well and was not surprised that Keith had completely disregarded it to try and find him. "Let's find somewhere you can sit."

Keith nodded. That sounded like a good idea.

And, yeah... he looked a little guilty...

"I wasn't pushing it..." Mostly. "I just wanted to make sure people got out okay." But, he wasn't adverse to the idea of sitting down for a bit now. There were still some others he wanted to find, but he could definitely feel that he needed the break.

"I know you did. You need to take care of yourself too."

He offered Keith his arm, letting the teen lean against him if he needed a little extra support with his leg hurting so much.

"There was a place just over there with some places to sit. We'll go there."

"Yeah, I know..." He'd just gotten done telling the same thing to Lola. Hello, pot, meet kettle. Keith was stubborn, though, and didn't actually lean on Shiro at this point. He wasn't ready for that. He was a little slower than usual, though, with walking because of the limp. That said, though, it had been a lot worse earlier...

How appropriate then that Shiro is telling Keith the same thing he told Lola. He would forever tell this to Keith if he kept pushing himself. He walked along beside Keith, keeping stride with him so he didn't get ahead of him in case Keith need to lean on him.

"A short break to give it a chance to rest then we'll see if we can find others."

Keith gave Shiro a somewhat sheepish look, but nodded.

"Okay," he said. He knew he needed it, so there wasn't any point in arguing. And things were starting to settle down a bit out here, so it wasn't like he wouldn't be able to find people. He'd already found most everyone anyway, already. Just a few more...

Too bad Shiro didn't know all of Keith's friends. He could keep an eye out for them to make sure they were okay as well.

He carefully guided Keith over to where they had set up places for people to rest since this could be a while.

"How did you get hurt?" Shiro asked, waiting for Keith to sit.

And sit he did, placing his helmet to the side for now. Keith winced a little, pulling his left leg up so he rub at the ankle a bit. He'd gotten his armor and everything back on, and Altean armor was able to adapt to the size of the person wearing it, but Shiro might notice it looked like Keith's ankle was taped up underneath.

"I was going through the eighth floor and the ceiling came down in one spot," he said. "I got stuck under one of the beams." He looked a little sheepish. "Hana spotted me, though. She was able to use her mech to get the beam up high enough so I could get out."

He did indeed look when Keith sat down and pulled his leg up. He could see the faint outline of bandages through the suit they wore as it stretch a bit to accommodate the extra padding. Given everything else that could have happened tonight, nursing an injured ankle was nothing. A few days (if they could get Keith to rest) and he'd be back to himself.

"I'm glad you're okay and that she was able to find you. We had been looking for anyone trapped on the upper levels."

How ironic that it was Keith had gotten trapped. Also Shiro with Hana? Could Keith have ever guessed that would happen?

It helped, oddly enough, that spending time with Lola had apparently healed most of it, though the full connection there wasn't yet made that it was her and not just some fluke thing. As it was, his armor had been somewhat fixed up, too. He'd looked quite a bit worse, and the limp had been a lot more pronounced earlier. Now it was just stiff and sore.

"The upper levels..." Keith looked back up at the building. "We got everyone out, right?" He sounded concerned, but wasn't making any moves to indicate he might consider going back in. He knew he was done for the night.

"I searched all of the floors from 9 up. Anyone I saw up there, Hana and I helped them get out. So I would say that between all of us, we got everyone out."

Shiro had been more concerned with the high floors rather than the lower ones. Smoke rises and those would be the hardest for people to reach in a rescue attempt. It had been a gamble, but he'd figured there would be more people helping lower floors than higher.

Also with a limp, Shiro was not going to let Keith attempt going back in there again.

Keith had just been grabbing people and getting them out as he came across them, so he hadn't really done any sort of coordinated effort in regards to where he was looking. Either way, he had done his share of getting people out, at least.

He nodded.

"Yeah, it seems like it," he said, looking around now at the crowd in the street. There were others coming from around the other sides of the building, too, so it would be okay.

"I think I found most everyone I was looking for, too." If everyone was pretty much out, then they'd be okay. He was that worried at the moment now, just looking at the size of the crowd and figuring it all out.

"We're going to need to find a place to stay tonight," he said. "Lola mentioned that she was calling around to hotels and whatnot on her own already. I'm not sure what she got lined up to start with, but she also said someone from the city was likely on it, too."

"Good. I'm glad that you did. I think I did too." There were a lot of people so making sure you had found friends after something like this was important. He understood why Keith was doing it, but still his injured ankle wasn't helping.

"I'm sure they are. If there is space, we can move to one of the hotels for the rest of the night. Get cleaned up."

Since they were both covered in soot and ash from the fire.

Keith nodded.

"Yeah... that sounds like a good idea." He was looking forward to just chilling out for a bit, to be honest. He glanced over the crowd. "Though, I'm not sure who to even ask... or if we should wait for someone to come to us."

"At this point, if there is space, I'll just worry about it myself."

Not like he didn't have money from his job with the Perimeter Guard. He can worry about if there was compensation later. He'd much prefer having the room get cleaned up and so Keith could get off his feet and rest his ankle.

Keith considered that for a moment.

"I can help with the cost if it's expensive," he offered. He was working here, too, after all.

He smiled. Somehow it was easy to forget that Keith was working here too. Yes, he knew he was, but he had been a cadet the Garrison last Shiro knew on Earth, which more or less a student position rather than a real working position.

"Thanks. Sounds good."

The thought for others might have been let's split it, but it was Shiro's idea to not wait around. There were a lot of people and some of them worse off than they were so it was better to let them deal with those that needed it.

Keith nodded. He stretched his leg out a bit, flexing his ankle to work out some of the stiffness he was feeling. It was a little sore and could definitely do with a rest, but he was doing okay for now.

"Alright."

He didn't mind helping at all. He could now, seeing as how he was making enough money. For them moving out, he'd help with that, too, definitely. He had no issues with contributing.

Shiro managed to fish out his phone from where he'd stashed it in the armor. So much here seemed to depend on that phone so he'd made sure to have it. Otherwise he probably would have left it to burn in the fire. With his phone out, he began to check the information for places they could stay. It took a few tries but he managed to reach a hotel that had a room available. Keith would be able to hear that he made the reservation for two nights rather than one.

"So we have a place to stay for a few nights. That'll give somewhere to sleep the rest of the night, and another day to figure out what the plan is after this."

Aftermath

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