the story must go on ( leia | alvin )

[journaler]

[As dark clouds roll overhead, the excavation team Leia had been tailing through the Epsilla Ruins starts to pack up and leave. It's rather sudden; she can only hear bits and pieces of their conversations as their voices echoes through the corridors, but she can't exactly find it in her to complain, either. No Alvin this time, no Ludger... not even a listing on the job board.

She can do this herself. Just her, and a scoop that has the potential to put her in the spotlight--for once.

How exactly would that work, being that the team told her she should leave, and actually thought she did? Well, she hasn't really thought that far ahead... but she takes pictures anyway, and jots down notes about some of what she sees to determine whether they form a story.

This might give her some ammo to work with when she approaches them again for her interview... on a better day, when their work isn't cut short and everyone's in a better mood. Whether they'll appreciate her nosing around, though, or take it as some sort of blackmail, remains to be seen...

Instead, she pulls out her GHS, leaning against a cavern wall with a sigh as she stops for a break. There on the screen reads a message about incoming severe weather, and suddenly... things kind of make sense. (How long had the alert been there, anyway...?)

That had to be why they left.

Before she can contemplate much further, the GHS actually rings, startling her. It's only then she notices a little envelope symbol at the top of her screen, indicating she's been getting texts as well... but she picks up, because she recognizes the ring tone and who it belongs to.]

Hellooo, this is Leia the sleiya speaking.

[There's a smug grin that comes through clearly in her voice. Yeah, she's definitely taking this seriously.]

Comments

[opportunitycosts]

[Take it more seriously you brat—]

Are you still at the excavation site?

[No fun, snarky return greetings. Instead just have a half-exasperated sigh. Yep. He knows where you are.]

1/2

[journaler]

[Only Alvin. Only Alvin could ruin her mood so quickly. She groans a bit under her breath after the initial surprise, barely noticing the roll of thunder that's been slowly getting louder.

Defensively, with suspicion:]

N- No... [Why. No, forget it; she's not going to bother.] How did you--

[journaler]

[Something about the urgency in his voice, though, shakes her a bit.]

What, did something happen?

[opportunitycosts]

Not yet but you'll be in trouble if you're still there. [Sigh.]

Didn't you hear about the storm coming through?

[He actually started walking toward the site and could see the dark clouds rolling in with flashes in the distance. He's hoping she's at least making her way back so he could meet her halfway.]

[journaler]

Well, yeah, I did! [Like. Thirty seconds ago but he doesn't have to know that.] I was just making my way out.

[Trying to, but he doesn't have to know that either.]

Don't worry, I know my way back to Drellin.

[opportunitycosts]

By "just" making, how far are you—

[He doesn't even have to be there to hear that loud crack of thunder or see the lightning streaking across the sky. Well. Shit.]

Forget it, stay there. You'll just get caught up in it if you tried to leave now.

[Might also be. Hurrying his pace. Which is running dammit, Leia!]

[journaler]

[She tilts her head when she notices his words, his breaths getting shorter. She can't exactly hear his footprints in the dirt (soon to be mud), but it isn't hard to imagine him quickening his pace.]

Says the person who's getting caught up in it as we speak...

[She speaks quietly, almost off-handedly like she isn't even speaking to him. But what can she say? "No, don't come"? That's...

She's... actually glad that he is.]

Alvin, I'll be okay.

[opportunitycosts]

Well I'm already halfway there so I might as well.

Anyway, I'll see you in a few minutes. Just try and find some place dry that won't flood.

[journaler]

[Flood... Okay. She didn't think about that, and that's actually mildly concerning. At least the monsters would be out in fewer numbers, though, if the storm's going to be that bad...]

Oh, alright. I'll wait.

But you better be careful, too. Got it?

[Suddenly she's glad she has a small emergency supply of gels that she got at the last minute before coming out.]

[opportunitycosts]

Don't worry—I'm tougher than I look. [There's some of his usual casual smugness so she might hear the light grin before he hangs up.

And then he's going to book it uses a Holy Bottle. By the time he does reach the ruins, it's starting to come down. Not a torrential pour, but a more than just a light, misty drizzle.

He stops at the entrance, catching his breath as he wipes back some of his now wet hair. Man if his suit gets ruined—]

Leia! You in here?

1/2

[journaler]

["So am I," she wants to argue--though he hangs up before she gets the chance. It's probably a good thing, though. She then gives a sigh, focusing instead on finding some higher ground.

Things worsen pretty quickly, though. When it really, seriously starts to pour, the whole place seems to shake. Parts of the ceiling start to drip, and it feels like it may collapse at any minute, which makes her only a little nervous. She's halfway torn now between looking for a way out and someplace higher... but Alvin's indistinct shouting snaps her out of it.

At least, she thinks it's Alvin. It has to be, right?]

Hey-- [She shouts back. She isn't even sure what he said, but--] I'm here!

[journaler]

[Evidently she'd been closer to the entrance than she thought. She starts to dash towards the direction of the voice, making a turn or two here and there as necessary. It's a bit concerning when she doesn't see him right away; she starts to have doubts.

But she breaks into a run when she does.

She frowns, stopping just short of him and takes cautious steps closer.]

Good grief, just look at you... [She reaches up to push some of his hair aside and out of his face.] You really wanted to be stuck with me, huh?

[opportunitycosts]

[He's a little surprised by the gesture, but he only cringes when he hears that thunder outside. It sounded as if a bolt of lightning actually hit something close and given how this place is..... He wouldn't be that surprised, honestly.]

Better here than trying to find shelter out on the road. Besides, I thought you might be hiding in some corner, shaking and crying.

[Teasing smirk. Leave it to him to try and lighten the mood by being a bully.]

[journaler]

...As if.

[He can consider the mood lightened, though it's hard to dampen Leia's spirits in the first place. Her hand falls from his face to his shoulder and gently (teasingly--) she shoves, feeling just how soaked he is.]

You know I'm tough when it counts.

[She visibly winces too, though, at the thunder, and also when the wind starts to blow so strongly that she can feel the rain from where she is. She can feel it at her feet, and when she glances outside through the entrance, there's a layer of watery mist. Droplets start to settle on her face. Her clothes already feel dampened.

...She leads him a bit deeper in.]

Were you really worried?

[opportunitycosts]

Me? Worried? Nah.

[Haha—no he had been, but of course he doesn't say it.]

Jude on the other hand had been wondering where you were. Since you weren't answering your GHS, I had to track you down by asking your editor. [And he follows her in, ducking when he has to.] I had gotten to Drellin around the time that excavation team came back.

[journaler]

[...Sure, pin it all on Jude, but she knows the truth. He's a bad liar, as always. (No, he's actually still good at it, but shhh.)]

When they left, I figured that was my chance! They weren't too happy about the weather, so it wasn't really a good day for me to ask for an interview... I guess.

[...]

We'd better text him before he starts worrying about you next.

[opportunitycosts]

And it didn't occur to you that you should have listened to them about the weather? [Small flick to the side of her head.]

You'll have to do it. Mine's actually low right now so I'd rather conserve it until we get back into town.

[journaler]

[She's already pulling out her GHS, though glances sharply at him when she feels cold and wet flicked in her general direction--or directly, in this case (it had been quick, hard to tell).]

A little rain wasn't going to stop me. I didn't think it'd be like this.

[Eesh...

She hashes out a quick "we're not dead (yet)" text and sighs when she puts the device back in her pocket.]

Maybe we shouldn't go too far in, though. I mean, it probably won't last long, right?

[opportunitycosts]

It's hard to say. Weather has been unpredictable since the schism disappeared, and Drellin has always been known for its thunderstorms. Add on that we're out here in the middle of an old lake bed...

[He's going to take off his jacket now, shaking it a bit before slinging it over his shoulder.]

There's got to be some place the team had made for shelter. Weren't you here once before?

[journaler]

Well, sure. Plus I followed them for a while, but they didn't really stay all that long.

[Maybe they didn't think they needed shelter, since this part of the ruins is already underground, but... it's seriously intense out there.

She watches Alvin toss his jacket over his shoulder absentmindedly.]

I'm pretty sure they at least set up some kind of base though. Let's find that.

[opportunitycosts]

If I were to set up a base... [Pulling out the old Exodus tactics. He glances around and notices some of the path is more cleared out in a certain direction.]

Let's try heading down here. Looks like they've at least gone through it, and hopefully it leads to a large cave or alcove.

[journaler]

[Leia glances down the indicated path, which she supposes feels slightly more familiar than any of the others. It's really hard to tell, especially given the condition everything is in...

In fact, it would have been hard enough, even if everything was in perfectly good shape.

But she nods.]

Yeah... maybe some place dry to build a fire. I don't know about you, but I can practically feel the temperature sinking.

[opportunitycosts]

No, I'm definitely feeling it. [He has to try and not shiver from the cold breeze that snaps through. A nice fire really would be good right about now.]

Do you know if there are any monsters around here?

[Even as he asks that, he already moves so that he's in front, taking the lead.]

[journaler]

[Well, she's glad she isn't the only one, at least. A shiver dances right down her spine and Leia doesn't even try to hide it; but at least the question distracts her.]

Mm. N- Nothing I couldn't handle, but I wonder if there'll be more of them now.

They've gotta be looking for shelter just like we are.

[And luckily they're probably more concerned about that, than them... for now.]

[opportunitycosts]

Nothing you couldn't handle? [Siiigh.] One girl against a bunch of monsters trapped in some caves and ruins. I'd at least have some sense of danger, will you?

[There's a slight glance back at her and both his look and his tone is very dry. He knows she can handle herself in a fight, but even that kind of scenario would be much for him.]