Dec 24 10:46:52 106 PA - Dreadful Morning
From Chronicles
Logfile from Rifts.
The current game time is: Sat Dec 24 10:46:52 106 PA. Location: Cali's apartment
In the early hours of Saturday morning, the lights of the livingroom are on, and Caliopa is there, pacing up and down, wearing a hole in the floor. She has dressed, hurriedly, and there is the remains of an unenthused breakfast left in the kitchen, just enough that people might not nag her. The pauses coincide with glances at Sage's bedroom door, and finally, she stops pacing and knocks. Loudly.
It takes a moment for the loud knocking to draw a results. "Yes?" Sage's voice calls out and movement begins to sound behind the door. She'll be at the door to open it a little to peek out to see if its anything serious soon enough. The look on Caliopa's face states loudly it is serious, her face pale and heavy eyed. "You know anythin' over towns that come 'n' go, that ain't in our dimension?" Her voice is strained, her words hurried, an undercurrent of panic beneath them. A brief glance behind her friend seems to suggest the place hasn't caught fire or hired goons have broken in, before Sage's gaze returns with a hint of concern and a little confusion. "You mean like that time the fog was here?" She asks, frowning faintly as she isn't quite sure what's driving this panic. She steps out of her room in her half-dressed state to be able to more easily interact with her friend.
Caliopa stares at Sage, before she shakes her head. "I don't think so... I mean, Ali told me he is stuck there, and he can't get out, and there is someone in charge and they sent his horse with this note to make me go there, 'n' he told me that it is a trap but I still got to go, but I got to take folks with me and..." And then Caliopa does the logical thing when faced with vanishing villages, missing boyfriends and plots; She bursts into tears.
If Cali weren't in such a state, Sage might remind the other woman that she... chooses not to be a mind reader around her. "Oh..." she responses as realization comes and she moves closer to Cali to wrap her arms around in the other woman in hopes of comforting the other woman and moves her hands slowly along Cali's back. "I didn't know." She murmurs softly, "I can sense other dimensions at times... but I think someone like Leonard or Vargus would be a bit more adept at that. Even saw Leonard open a portal once to get us back to our Earth when we went after that weapon to drive off the undead." She comments, before she pauses. "What do you need me to do?" She asks softly.
Caliopa's tears are the rain burst type, a rapid flow followed by a clearing of the skies, and she uses her hands to brush them off her cheeks impatiently. "Need to get Leonard, and you, and maybe someone that ain't afraid of fightin', and go out there. I ain't got a clue over gettin' back out. But we got to get Ali, I ain't leavin' him nowhere."
Sage's hold on the other woman loosens when the burst of tears comes to a stop, but doesn't remove her hands from the other woman's sides for the time being. "That might not be a problem... I'm not sure if I'd be able to keep Tirzah from going if she knew I was... and I know of a few others that might hop at the chance for some action too..." She comments, "Did they want you specifically?" She asks, getting back to the demands being placed in this situation.
Caliopa doesn't protest the hold on her, shivering slightly as she shakes her head slowly. "I'm not sure if they want me but I can't leave him there..." She reaches into her pocket, pulling out a scrumpled, much read note and straightening it. "It doesn't say me... it just says to come and help him." The doubt in her voice is obvious, her brown eyes anxious.
A faint nod greets the owman's comment about not wanting to leave Ali in peril, before Sage looks towards the note that gets pulled out. She reaches out with the intent to move the side of the paper to be able to glance at the contents. Whether she's successful or not, she glances back to Cali a moment later. "We'll need to be composed if we go..."
The implication goes over Caliopa's head, the woman's tearstreaked cheeks making it obvious that composure is unlikely. She lets Sage take the paper, releasing it easily, her hands twisting in front of her instead. "I best get my stuff, get ready. We got to get others, then ride out like it ain't no trap..."
With the piece of paper in hand, Sage will release the other woman from her light hold to look over the note. "We aren't in a time or place where we can ride out like we don't expect trouble." She comments, "And, are you sure you can handle going?" She asks, before looking up from the paper.
It obviously hadn't occurred to Caliopa not to go and she stares blankly at Sage, her forehead wrinkling into a frown. "Handle... I ain't ... I mean, I ain't even considered not goin'. Ali..." His name is a helpless word that trails off as Caliopa stares at the other woman, her face stricken.
Sage's gaze considers the other woman as she responds with a carefully neutral face to avoid trying to seem judgemental. She nods faintly as the woman speaks the man's name. "Yes, the man you love is in trouble... but, if this is a trap, we're going to need everyone on the same page. And, if one of us..." Her gaze turning sympathetic, "loses her head because she's too emotional, it might make it harder for us to get in and back." She pauses, "It isn't an easy choice either way... but if you can trust and believe, that might be stronger than going."
Caliopa stares at Sage for a long moment in silence, before she bites her lip, ducking her head. For a moment, her face is hidden from view and then she nods slowly. She turns away, her arms going around herself, a self-comforting gesture that reveals more than it hides. "You ain't w..wrong. I ain't good with fightin' best of times, 'n' it ain't like I can keep a steady head on my shoulders these days." Her voice is tight, her shoulders hunching a little.
Letting the other woman face her decision, Sage's eyes and expression contain concern and sympathy. When the woman finally responds, she walks up behind her friend to wrap her hands around the other woman's waist. "You're brave and strong... do everything that you can to help us get ready... I want you to feel a part of this as much as any of us... I think Alistair will be happy to see you when he's safe."
Caliopa stiffens at the embrace and then relaxes, leaning back against Sage. Her own arms relax a little as she slides a hand down, a natural gesture as she rests one over her stomach. "I guess. Ain't unlikely to distract Ali if I'm there 'n' it gets messy." A wistful note in her voice underlies the words and she sighs, shaking the mood off. "So we need to know over the place, 'n' I can do that. Ali can talk to me, is gonna talk to me in the dream tonight, so I reckon sleepin' is the thin' I need to be doin', and we need to know who to take. Leonard I reckon, 'n' it ain't like Tirzah'd let you go without her."
If the other woman were to fight the embrace, Sage would have let her go. Yet, it seems to be a comfort as the other woman relaxes in her arms. "I was wondering how Ali told you it was a trap." She murmurs softly, "Anything you could find out would be a help." She adds softly before pursing her lips as she ocnsiders the possibilities. "Well, there's Erica who's new in town and has worked as a bounty hunter... there's Rebecca and her power armor, but that might not be too subtle... and Maxy likely less so." She hms softly, "Flare might be able to help... all sorts of people, really. Maybe Alistair can give us hints about what would help most."
Caliopa nods slowly at the list, her forehead creasing into a frown. "He said there were 'round a hundred folks there he could get to help but they punish them if he tries to do anythin', so we got to look like it ain't a trap." She moves away then, needing to pace, her hand moving to her hair to push strands from her face. "Erica might work, but power armor ain't useful if they twig. I can ask Ali stuff when I'm dreamin' but I don't know what to ask him to help."
"You do realize that wearing armor and carrying weapons are part of any essential travel equipment, right?" Sage muses briefly, "So, best that could be done is not looking like we're itching for a fight." She'll let Cali go when the other woman seems to need space. She purses her lips as she considers the information provided. "Well... ask him what he's seen for defenses... whether they have weaponry or rely on magic or special powers." She offers, "If he knows anywhere that could hide a person or two if we can sneak someone in." She hms softly, "Failing those, just ask him if to consider the situation like he was the one that was doing the rescuing and what he'd want to know."
Caliopa's pacing takes her past her tools and she touches them lightly, a reassuring stabling gesture as she thinks too hard about it. "Right." She is making a list in her head, her eyes narrowed. "I'll ask him. He said it is real easy to get in, but you ain't able to walk out." She lifts her hands, rubbing her forehead with her fingers before she turns to give Sage a forced smile. "I guess I need to find a way to get to sleep. Reckon you can find them that will go?"
After having offered solutions, Sage begins to desire to have some normalcy to her own morning as she moves to the kitchen to see about getting something to drink to start with. She takes a breath and lets it out, "I can probably brew something to help if you need it." She comments, before nodding. "I reckon so." She replies, taking a drink from the glass she just filled with juice. "Just 2 to 4 others?" She asks simply.
Caliopa follows slowly, her arms returning to her waist, "Somethin' to help would be a real piece of use to me." Her voice is tight, her lips pressing in against each other. "Reckon any more'd look real suspicious." She leans against the doorway, a frown on her lips before she reaches out, taking one of the crackers on the side and nibbling it slowly, unenthusiastically.
"Alright." Sage replies, beginning to wonder how she suddenly found herself in a charge of forming a rescue team. She may have to see if she can get a moment to peer into the future before its time. "Let me try to have some semblence of a normal morning and we'll get cracking on making a sedative for you and a forming our little rescue team." She says before becoming busy with tasks of getting ready in the morning. Speaking of which, "Excuse me..." She murmurs before scampering for the bathroom. It appears the call of nature will no longer be ignored.
Caliopa takes the crackers and a glass of milk back to the couch with her, settling with a cushion hugged in her lap. Whilst Sage uses the bathroom, she nibbles at the cracker, using it to settle her stomach. Later, she takes the tea Sage made and aims to sleep...
