[MINGLE] Great Shakes

[sixthiteration]

WHO: EVERYBODY
WHERE: EVERYWHERE
WHEN: 13 July (afternoon, main quake) - 14 July (morning, last aftershocks)
OPEN TO: ALL - MINGLE
WARNINGS: Potential injuries, PTSD, and anxiety

---

The sun is still high when the earth begins its initial, almost benign sway, but seasoned villagers know well enough that what follows will be far from gentle. Vibrations ramp up swiftly, exponentially, until within the space of a few seconds, the whole world is shaking — Dishes pinging down from shelves, young trees sifting free of the earth, shingles dislodging and tumbling like rain.

After 20 seconds, the worst is done, and after 30 the shaking has ebbed completely. Some will have escaped relatively unscathed, but others will not have been so lucky...

...and the aftershocks are still to come.

Comments

[ex_enlisted288]

[ Terrible is a good word for it. In his heart of hearts, Steve feels selfish and small, as useless a first responder as he was in his youth, when it was all his ma, or Bucky and his family, could do to keep him alive and breathing. It's a painful, vicious emotion, selfishness. He clings to it, though, uses it to push through the haze of being normal, to compartmentalize any flashbacks trying to work up through his grey matter. ]

We should.

[ It's the only thing that feels solid right now, his voice threaded with a familiar determination. Special or not, sick or not, they're up and moving. Others might not be so lucky. And, like the destruction is only dawning now, Steve's spine straightens up. And a hand reaches out to grasp Bucky's shoulder and squeeze. Probably it's for someone's benefit. ]

You with me? We'll work out from here. This level, then upstairs, then outside.

[freightcars]

[ That clasp to the shoulder earns Steve a weary sort of smile, a distant thing with fatigue caused by the environment rather than the man himself. He appreciates the gesture, and can only nod back at the orders. ]

Right behind you.

[ He agrees, and the pair of them fall into step. Move from hall to hall with coordinated efficiency, pulling rubble away from blocked doors, helping up the injured and field dressing anything that stands out. There isn't much, the people here are surprisingly capable, but it feels good to do a sweep. Feels normal, feels like the kind of thing they would have done out in the real world.

They move with synchronization, like two halves of a whole, a well-oiled machine. For a minute, it's nice. For a minute, it's easy. ]

[ex_enlisted288]

[ Maybe it's the shared fatigue, or maybe he's just not thinking straight after surviving an earthquake, but Steve almost opens his mouth to argue. To offer to watch Bucky's back, instead of letting his friend shoulder the burden of watching his.

But this isn't the time. So he nods and moves, taking a few steps to peer over another overturned table. And step aside for other inn patrons to pass, then resuming the search.

Eventually, hours later, Steve drops to the ground behind the inn. His shoulders are starting to ache, and there are cuts and bruises over a good percentage of his frame from clearing debris. He's grateful there weren't more injuries or destruction. It could have been a lot worse. And not moving feels great. He may sprawl here for the next year. And there's a nice patch of ground next to him for Bucky. ]

I'm about ready to eat a wild hog. You?

[freightcars]

[ That patch of ground is convenient, Bucky's flopping onto it a second later with a graceful sort of slump, the kind that has his ass bouncing on the grace until he settles, elbows over knees. He's got dust and debris sticking to sweat on his forehead - and isn't that a novelty that got old fast. Sweating again over practically nothing. It comes second only to muscle soreness, which is a bitch and a half.

He huffs at the question, running the heel of his palm over his face, scratching at dirt but really mostly just spreading it around. ]

Wouldn't mind cooking it first.

[ He says, but he more or less agrees. They may not have the metabolisms they used to, but it still takes a hell of a lot of calories for a normal human at this height and muscle percentage. ]

[ex_enlisted288]

Okay. I'll let you cook it. Catch it first too.

[ Yeah, the novelty of sore muscles is a reminder he could have done without. Not that Steve's ever been afraid of hard work, it's just that before the serum, pushing his body always felt like a bomb waiting to go off.

You never knew when it would, only that the aftermath would be messy and painful for everyone involved. At least in this place, he has hearing in both ears and no asthma. ]

Want some water?

[ Steve huffs a breath and then sits up, one arm braced against the ground. ]