WE Strange Weather (Briel/Scylla) [FIN]

[Cornetified]

Briel could not fathom what was going on. The whole world was shaking, the ground was cracking, buildings were coming down... Home alone at the moment of the initial strike, he had run outside to get out from under the creaking roof before it could crush him.

Now, he was walking through town to see if there was anyone needing assistance as well as attempt to find his family. Hopefully, they were okay. The big shake had passed, but he was still feeling regular tremors and shifts under his feet. Where he walked, others were patching walls and adding support braces and generally preparing for any further shakes. The sky was clear, and the weather was warm... Was this some dark humor of the gods?

Painted Moose

 

[Painted Moose]

Cornetified

At first the quiet tremors had been mildly concerning at best, an afterthought at worst. It wasn't the first time the dishes in her father's home had rattled and likely wouldn't be the last. Scylla had simply braced herself, holding an arm out to prevent the porcelain from hitting the ground, and when it passed she went on about her day. Erven's neighborhood was often plagued with inventors, eager to test their devices at all hours of the night, and it wasn't that uncommon for the entire neighborhood to feel it's effects. The Aberswith clan had been eager to brush it aside; a calamity of the day, nothing more than a footnote, and hardly anything to fuss over.

Then Belrea itself was shaken and Scylla was forced to take notice.

A massive earthquake rocked her homeland to it's core, and ripped through the landscape. She could only imagine it's effects on the neighboring cities, but Valmon....

Valmon was a mess.

Her sisters led the way out of the little area and into some of the bigger streets. Their father had been called away to help maintain order and see to the safety of the citizens, but he'd made it clear that his daughter's were to stay together. And so, they had. To be fair, even as independent as they were, none of the Aberswith girls were particularly inclined to go off on their own at the moment. Scylla wouldn't abandon them, not now, and when she side stepped a fallen lantern post she could see the shapes of others doing the same. A father holding his sobbing child, a couple looking at the remains of their home...

They'd been lucky, but with every tremor that ran through her Scylla knew their luck could run out.

"Hey, you! Are you okay?" Lavinia's voice broke through Scylla's wandering eye, and her attention turned towards a lone figure. She realized instantly who the boy was, and while on a normal day she may have tried to dodge contact with him she was concerned. He was alone; was he supposed to be alone or did he have missing family.

"Briel?"  

[Cornetified]

Seeing the extent of the damage was finally something that Briel couldn't laugh or joke about. Maybe later, but right now... all it did was make him a little ill. If he knew how his family was doing... His gaze slid over automatically to see who was yelling at whom, and was surprised to see a small group of ladies. Among those ladies...

Straightening up, he gave the group a small wave. "Me? Yeah. I'm fine." he replied, looking down at himself briefly. "Just.. a little dusty." Okay. A small joke would be alright. He spared a slightly warmer smile for Scylla. She remembered his name... "I just came to see if Miss Abs here was okay. I assume you are all 'Miss Abs's?" Okay, just a little lightness. Being too serious would make him feel worse, for sure. "Figured I should help out since I didn't get hurt or anything. Do.. you gals need anything?" he asked with a slightly distracted tone, eyes still shifting to find what he was searching for.

Painted Moose

 

[Painted Moose]

Cornetified

"Oh I like that; Miss Abs." Lavinia made a breathless sort of laugh, and passed a light hearted look to her youngest sister. Scylla's face wasn't nearly so easy; it looked more pained than anything, maybe even a little embarrassed. "It's good of you to notice, Briel; I think it's nice that at least a few people can tell we're sisters."

It was definitely a sight when the Aberswith girls went out together. Their mixed heritage made for four very unique girls, with no more than two sharing any one trait at a given time. Physically their faces and body structures were very similar, but everything else...well, it was a gamble.

"How come she knows your name? Is he your friend, Scyl-?"

The youngest of the four cut off her elder sister, Deryn's, needling question with a more blunt one herself. She'd seen the way he was looking around, and now Scylla was concerned. "Are you looking for anyone?" He'd made it seem like he was coming to her aid, and that might have worked, if they had been on friendly enough terms for him to know the location of her father's home. However, Briel couldn't know that; unless he was a stalker. That issue aside, he had to be here for a reason.  

[Cornetified]

Briel found his smile warming the slightest bit. "It's more how you walk together. It's a sibling thing." Would he walk again with his sib... no, don't think like that. They were fine, surely.

The question wasn't that much of a surprise, but Briel still found his cheeks warming with concern. "I... Yeah. Three of them. I was the only one home when the main shake came through. My dad went to do some shopping for clothes with my brother and sister. ..I hate shopping." A hint of regret laced his voice, wishing he had gone with them. If only his sister was a little less insufferable. He shook his head and gave another brave smile with a dismissive wave of his hand. "They're a tough bunch. I'm sure they're fine. I just.. gotta find them. You know?"

Well, it couldn't hurt to ask... "I don't suppose any of you have seen them? We all look pretty similar except for the eyes. Theirs are all just green. Guys are both a little taller, and sister's same height as me."

Painted Moose

 

[Painted Moose]

Cornetified

Deryn sucked in a harsh breath, ending in an almost hiss that Scylla felt herself agreeing with. All three? Missing?

"We'll help you. Our father is part of the Defense Sector, and we've been through enough drills to know how to search."

"Sorry, I don't really remember seeing anyone like that, but there are shelters set up around the city; maybe they're in one of them?" Deryn offered, and Scylla had to nod. Her sisters started talking to themselves, offering up places they could have been evacuated to, or even hide outs they may have gone to get away from the falling buildings. It was as good a place as any to start, though now a thought kept creeping in her head. One that made her own face crinkle with worry.

"...We have to look for mother." They didn't live with the woman year round, and it was hard to tell where she would have been during all of this. "I'm...sure your dad and siblings are fine. If they're anything like you they probably found some others to hide with so lets go find them, alright?"  

[Cornetified]

It had been a long shot, but Briel still had to work to keep the disappointment off of his face. The girls were showing enough concern for him as it was. "I appreciate the help," he replied with a small nod. The more eyes looking for his family, the better. "You're right. Lots of places they could be tucked away in, safe and sound." Hopefully.

Mother? His expression froze for the briefest moment. He hadn't given his own mother a single thought. Was she okay? Was she even still on Belrea, for that matter? If she had been through the quake, was she thinking about them at all..? Scylla's gentle encouragement pulled him back to the present, and he smiled in reply. "We'll go find all of 'em, yours and mine," he assured, stepping closer to the group. This had taken a surprising turn, and he was glad for it.

Feeling a tremor under his feet, he held his breath until it passed a few seconds later. This was just nerve-wracking. "Is it just the four of you then? Anyone else to look for with your mom?"

Painted Moose

 

[Painted Moose]

Cornetified

Her eldest sister started walking first, briefly looking over her shoulder to make sure the rest were following. As far as Scylla knew she was going to the closest shelter, which would be close enough to the shopping district to make it a viable spot for his family to be. Certainly not where their mother would have hidden, though; she should have been much, much further in.

But...she was smart, and resourceful so Scylla hoped that would be enough to get her through. "Just our father, but he was with us when it happened. The only thing that could hurt him now would be if rubble fell on top of him trying to rescue ot-"

Lavinia passed her a stern scowl when her other sisters sucked in their breaths. "He's fine, Scylla." The two passed a heated, quiet moment between the two before Lavinia turned her attention back to the street. A tremor shook them, causing Scylla to stumble a little, but at least this was...manageable. Not great, not at all, but at least this they could get through.

She didn't think she'd ever get the image of cobble stones being pushed up from the ground out of her head anytime soon. Delicately she stepped over and around them, trying her best not to get caught up on the jagged stone. "You said you were home when it happened; is it okay? No damage?"  

[Cornetified]

Though it was the truth, even Briel winced a little at the hard fact. Anyone not hurt by the initial blow could still be caught in the aftershocks. Even them. As much as he was searching for his family, he had to remain aware of his own condition. What would they say if he got hurt while looking for them? He was responsible for himself, and now also to keep an eye on the ladies accompanying him.

Scylla? He tucked the name away for later use, but left the topic alone for the moment. The house. "Eh, the roof of the main room caved in, but the rest of it seems fine. I haven't looked it over too close yet. Came straight out here once the shaking stopped. Dad's been looking at getting us a new place anyway, so maybe this'll be what pushes him to make the final move." A place a little more.. shake resistant.

He cocked his head with a little smirk. "Do you and your sisters often go around rescuing guys walking around on their own?"

Painted Moose

 

[Painted Moose]

Cornetified

"Our papa's house was hit pretty bad, so it just made more sense for us to come out and help than stick around. He said it was smarter for us too, anyway; just enough more fell down. How do you think mama's house is holding up, Scylla? Think it's still standing?"

"Her home is a lot newer so yeah, I'd say it's fine." Scylla reached out to take Deryn's hand, using her sister's assistance to hop over a fallen bit of building without twisting her ankle. Her father may have had the more publicly noticeable job, but their mother, the very one who worked behind the scenes, made the most money. His house was older, in a rickety neighborhood where as she lived in a complex built to withstand natural disasters.

"If you don't mind living with others you could probably find a spot in her building. She's got pull so even if there is a rush of applications after all this your family could have a spot."

It was a short walk to the first shelter, and already Scylla could see a flood of people surrounding the entrance. While not a 'formal' shelter, it was good enough; a music hall, devoid of windows and other breakable things, with a sturdy enough foundation and large enough hall to safely house the citizens through the tremors. Water and snacks were being passed around the group, with a few chairs being brought out into the sunlight for people to sit.

"What are their names? We'll need more than 'green eyes' to find them."  

[Cornetified]

Their parents weren't living together? Briel tucked that away for later as well. While he doubted it was like his situation, he was still curious. Even he could restrain himself a little bit. "At least you'll have her to stay with for a little then? Until your dad's house is fixed?"

The offer for a booster to a decent living space was quite a shock, rendering Briel quiet for a moment. "Thank you," he finally said, shaking off the surprise to give Scylla a smile. "Seems I made a decent impression on you, Miss Aberswith?" he mused with only a hint of sarcasm in his smirk. Names! "My dad's Balok, my brother's Treylat, and my sister's Coralee." Giving Scylla a side look, he couldn't help his gaze lingering playfully on her considering their parting words from their first meeting. "The last name's Couslynd."

"Briel!" A high voice shrieked. A girl resembling Briel stormed over to the group, apparently oblivious to the ladies he was with. Aside for a little dirt on her dress, the girl was seemingly spotless. "What took you so long?! We have to find Treylat and Papa! I met with my friends since you know that papa has no taste in women's styles. Then the quake hit and I don't know where they went! And just look at my dress!" Coralee went from angry to sobbing in seconds flat.

Briel sighed heavily and patted his sister's curls. "So dad and Trey aren't here," he murmured, looking over at his search companions. "Cora, you should stay here while we keep looking."

"I'm not going back out there until papa comes to get me!" his sister huffed instantly. "It's too dangerous for a lady! ..Who are all of you?"

Briel groaned. "That's what I said... Never mind. I'll send dad for you when I find him." he turned and motioned for the Aberswiths to follow him before his sister could get her claws in them.

Painted Moose

 

[Painted Moose]

Cornetified

"That'll be fun." Scylla snorted. She could just see it now; at first her parents would be fine with it, her mother might even 'fawn' over them for a little while, but as soon as her father tried encroaching on her space he'd find himself sleeping at his sister's house.

"She'll be so mad," Lavinia smirked. "He always comes home dirty, and she'll flip the first time he puts his coat on her chairs."

Scylla paused just long enough to look at Briel and give him a rather scathing, 'eat s**t and die' look. "I'm sorry, but what gave you that idea? I assure you, sir, that just because I'm trying to be a decent person in the wake of a disaster that I do not, in the slightest, give a damn where you settle after this. I'm only trying to give you an opportunity to settle."

"I swear, she's always like this; seriously, Scylla, you could try to be a little nicer." Lavininia chastised before taking stock of the names given. "Okay, so I'm going to go see if someone's in charge around here and tell them their names. Maybe someone has a le-."

Lavinia had barely walked away before a shrieking voice caused her to pause and look back. Scylla instinctively stood a little straighter when the girl came 'storming' over, instantly put on guard by the aggressive stance. Instead of going to look for names, Lavinia moved closer to Cora and offered a friendly hand. "We're the Aberswiths, dear. My name's Lavinia, and these are my sisters; why don't you stay with us while Briel looks for your father and brother? We can mend your dress and get it looking as good as new."

Of course she meant Scylla could; Lavinia had no talent at sewing, but Briel's sister didn't know that. She honestly didn't want to spend any time around that whining brat of a girl so as soon as an opportunity struck she took it.

"I think I should go with him. It may be dangerous for a lady, but it's worse for anyone to go on their own. " The look she gave him was near desperate; 'you can't leave me here!'  

[Cornetified]

The sharp reply made Briel snort with laughter. "That actually stings a little, Miss Abs," he said, patting his chest soothingly.

He was relieved to see the girls were willing to stay with his sister. While he knew she wouldn't go anywhere if left alone, perhaps this force of a family could reign her in and get her to lighten up a bit. Maybe she would be a little calmer when he got back, even. "I appreciate it, ladies," he said earnestly.

Once she heard the offer, Cora delicately took the offered hand and gave the sweetest smile. "I'm sorry I'm such a mess. We have all had quite a fright, you know. That sure is kind of you to offer. It would be awful of me to turn down such a generous gesture."

Briel wrinkled his nose. Why their mother hadn't taken Cora with her... He looked over at Scylla, more than ready to tease about leaving her with Cora. However, that was a fate he would wish on few, and Scylla was just being a spunky little firecracker. ..and how could he say no to that desperate look? "I would feel better with the company," he insisted, already hurrying for the door.

He took a deep breath once free of the shelter, and the sight of the wreckage renewed his will. There was still more family to find. ..At least he wouldn't be alone on his search.

Painted Moose

 

[Painted Moose]

Cornetified

Deryn led the way back to the shelter and nodded her head sympathetically to Cora's plight. "It's been absolutely dreadful, but you'll be alright now. We'll make sure you're taken care of so you won't have to worry about a thing."

Lavinia passed Scylla a look, almost as if she knew why her sister was bailing out, before following the other girls. It was easy enough for them to blend into the crowd now; the mass amount of Geian and Lightning bodies made it easier for a few hybrids to mix.

She hustled out after him, kicking up her feet as she went. Being stuck with Briel for the rest of the day was looking far more preferable than being near his sister, and honestly, getting away from the crowds sounded good too. Even with the rumbling tremors she could still see a bit of positivity in this.