sixthiterationlogs | [MINGLE] PLOT: Down the Tubes: Alarm

WHERE: The bunker & elsewhere
WHEN: 1 September 2018
OPEN TO: ALL - MINGLE
WARNINGS: Please warn on threads
NOTES: Plot Details | Bunker Details | Bunker Map & Key
Threads may take place ANYTIME during the plot, including before, during and after the tubes have been opened, just please do not godmod tube arrivals without explicit permission. Related threads not in the bunker are welcomed, as are general bunker exploration/reaction threads that have nothing to do with the arrivals. Please reference the bunker key doc for what is and isn't available to explore at present.

Deep under the mountain, tucked away in the newly-discovered bunker complex, there is a room where everyone begins. It is filled with equipment — Computer consoles, monitors — but the point of it all resides within ten vertical stasis tubes lined neatly along a far wall.

One of them has been cracked and lies dormant, dry. In six of the remaining are bodies, unconscious and floating in their familiar vari-colored scrubs, vital signs ticking calmly off on their respective readouts.

In the corner, near the cracked tube, the ceiling has shattered and tumbled inward, across the floor and over the largest console in the room — The one flashing 24 HOURS UNTIL STASIS FAILURE.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Emotion swells up hard and fast in Karen's chest at the sound of Kamala's voice, the sheer sweet earnestness of the sound like a bell, reverberating into the cracks of her already perilous composure. Karen pulls in a sharp breath and huffs it out again as she opens her eyes, not much more steady for the effort, and lifts a hand to pat gently against Kamala's shoulder.

"You're such a good person, Kamala," she says, her smile fleeting, fragile. Fingers briefly squeeze before she slides them away, back to the vial in her lap. "I'm so— So glad he has you, you know? I don't know if I said that before or not, but I'm just so glad."

The compliment takes her by surprise. Her eyes are wide and vulnerable as she regards Karen. She wonders not for the first time if she's the last to know about this weird clone possibility or that they're the obviously experiments if nothing else or one of the few who does. Either way, she tries to be strong because that's what becoming Ms. Marvel and surviving Reims taught her to do when things get scary.

"I honestly don't remember." Kamala confesses gently as she takes in that vial in Karen's lap. God that is so unsettling that she almost loses focus. She brings it back if only because this is who she is when things get tough. She is Ms. Marvel: the person who truly believes the words written in a holy book that states saving one life is the same is saving all of humankind. "I know this looks really bad, but none of us are alone here. We have each other. That's why we'll win whatever sick game some creep is playing with us. We're stronger together. That's what having Frank in my life taught me."

Winning is entirely relative, Karen thinks, but it doesn't really matter; there's wisdom in what Kamala's saying.

"You're right," Karen allows with a slow nod. "I'm not—" She swallows hard, her throat still tight with emotion. "I'm not going to pull away again. I promise. I'm just sad. And confused." To put it lightly.

She holds up the vial, fingers pressed firm over the glass. "This is a friend of mine. Back home, he died. And I don't know if this is all that's left of him. I don't know if it means I'm going to see him again..." She ducks her head, rubbing the heel of her free hand against her eyebrow. "It's just a lot. But I know you're here, and I know Frank's here, and Claire, and everyone."

She isn't going to say it will be okay, but she honestly doesn't know if that's true. But she's not going to stop moving forward.

She listens patiently. That explains so much. Seeing fluids from a dead person you cared for must be really freaky. How did they even get that?? It's just weird. She shakes her head at part of Karen's answer. "You already had what was left of him before you found that. That's just blood." It has no value honestly once someone is dead. What matters are the memories. Clearly Karen has those or else she wouldn't be so hurt right now. "I wish I could tell you he won't come back; that they'll leave him in peace. I promise I'll be here for you if it happens even if you need to cry the whole time. Just don't judge if I start crying. I'm kind of a baby like that." She smiles at her own joke.

That prompts a damp laugh, and Karen nods, pressing fingertips to the corners of her eyes, sweeping away tears before they can fall. "Sometimes it's good to cry," she allows, her mouth hitching into a faint smile. "Especially if you can do it with someone else. I'm pretty sure I'll be crying if he shows up, so we should just make a crying appointment now." She huffs out another soft laugh. "He'll be so confused."

Kamala's side broadens at that small smile Karen offers. That's progress. She knows it won't be that easy. She found her dead friend's blood. It is so ridiculously creepy. At least she can try to be comforting. She feels she owes Karen that much as a fellow person as well as someone who stood up for Frank even when Kamala wouldn't looked on him nearly as kindly.

"He should be flattered! Two pretty girls crying around him? Obviously he's a lucky guy even if we look totally gross while doing it."

"He's blind, so he won't know there's snot coming out of my nose as long as you don't tell him," Karen replies with another breathy laugh, and resists wiping at her nose at the thought; currently, she is thankfully snot-free.

"Maybe we should make a pact along with the appointment. We will only describe each other in the most flattering way possible."

Kamala laughs at that. That certainly makes things easier for them. "Got it. I'll mention your hair is still the color of sunshine since wow it's totally a Disney princess look even a blind guy can appreciate." She always envied that until she finally grew up and started loving who she was. Speaking of, she knows she still has a job to do so with some reluctance she considers going back to it.

"I've got a ton more notes to jot down about this place, but are you going to be okay? For real? Because I don't want to leave you in a bad place. You're Frank's bff who is also my bff so we're kind of, sort of bffs so I'm going to look out for you if I can, okay?" Clearly. Kamala is trying her hardest here to be adult-like as she sees it aka looking out for someone who is clearly hurting right now.

"Yeah— yeah," Karen is quick to reply with a rapid nod. "I'm fine, I promise. I'll be okay, sometimes you've just got to get it out." And if that's a severe reduction of the situation, it doesn't really matter; it's not wrong. One thing's for certain: Kamala's made her feel better, and given her the impetus to push herself back to her feet, more than steady enough to walk herself right out of here.

"I'm going to go back up, I think. It's gotta be better than wallowing in here. But thank you, Kamala. Really."

Kamala nods. Half of her crying boils down to just getting it out. She always bounces back. Maybe that's her real superpower outside of all the cool morphing stuff and tough skin this place gave her. "Any time. Seriously." She means it because of course she does. Kamala doesn't have an insincere bone in her body. She also doesn't hesitate to take off to the next adventure. A lady who hangs out with Frank can see herself out of spooky lab/bunker places without any problem. It's practically Tuesday for them.

[MINGLE] PLOT: Down the Tubes: Alarm

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject