Catastrophe on Campus

[hfm_npcs]

[Monday morning, a crowd of young adults and presumably teachers are gathered around the college campus, spilling out into the street. Some of them have signs. Most of them seem to just be shouting and sounding generally upset. The signs and words consist of outrage against the schools’ inadequate supplies.]

[The crowd grows thicker as the day goes on, though various teenagers and children leave the school early to wait outside for their harried-looking parents to pick them up.]

[Police come to monitor the events. Some of the teachers and other important-looking figures start heading towards the front to address the buzzing crowd.]

[Later in the afternoon, the frustration seems to only be mounting further until a scream breaks out in the middle of the mass of people. Then another, and another, all from very different parts of the crowd. Was it induced by frustration? Is there something else going on? Either way, the panic is mounting, people are scattering, screams of anger and fear are rising--the crowd and whatever may be in there will be making this situation dangerous.]

Comments

[unrecovered]

[Wash has been keeping an eye on the crowd ever since he saw it start to develop during his morning jog. He's seen anger in crowd form; it doesn't take much for it to change focus and take it out on something (or someone) that has nothing to do with the issue at hand, and the last thing he wants is for this crowd to turn on any of the involuntary transplants in the city. He's been keeping to the outskirts and keeping it casual - the weather's getting colder, so the hoodie he's wearing doesn't stand out too much.]

[Of course, this means he's nearby when the screaming starts. Part of him wants to leave and let these assholes deal with their own damn problems, but...well, some of the screams sound very young. He can't walk away from that. He takes a breath and surges into the crowd, dodging and weaving between people, heading towards one of the sources of screaming.]

[hfm_npcs]

[Moving through the crowd may be easier than Wash expects as people automatically move to avoid him, although a few will shoot him hostile looks when he goes past.]

[The nearest scream cuts off very quickly, but after moving in that direction it won't take long to spot a likely source.]

[There's a tall girl moving with a visible limp, even as she's being supported by two shorter boys. Her left pant leg is ripped up and there are wet-looking, dark stains visible in the denim.]

[The trio is young, probably in either their late teens or very early twenties, and they will spot Wash around the same time he spots them. And after a split-second the shortest of the boys will let go of the girl and deliberately move between Wash and the others.]

[unrecovered]

[On one hand, there's answers here. On the other hand, there's also a whole lot of hostility, and Wash doesn't need to make that worse. He skids to a stop and puts his hands up in a placating gesture.]

Let me guess: Nox. What direction?

[hfm_npcs]

[The injured girl is staring at the ground with gritted teeth, and the boy supporting her is watching Wash intently.]

[The short boy crosses his arms and openly glares at Wash before speaking.]

What's it to you?

[unrecovered]

[This is an active combat zone and there are still people screaming he doesn't have time for this-]

[So maybe he's a little snappish. Maybe.]

I'm trying to save your lives. Either point me in the right direction or get the hell out of here.

[hfm_npcs]

[The short boy stiffens and takes a stomp towards Wash.]

Just where does a Magical Freak like you-

[He lifts his hand, barely, but at that point the taller boy grabs the back of his shirt and yanks. Since he's still trying to support the injured girl all three of them sway precariously for a second before catching their balance. The taller boy addresses the shorter one:]

Come on Hadyn, let's just go, okay?

[The boy, apparently named Hadyn, pauses, apparently to think.]

[unrecovered]

[Well someone's priorities are backwards.]

[There's a moment where Wash tenses, ready to keep them from collapsing - but they'd see it as a hostile move, and things are bad enough as it is. They manage to right themselves anyway - better than the alternative.]

[Well, Haydn's a ticking time bomb, the girl's still bleeding, and this conversation is going nowhere fast. Wash yanks the hoodie off over his head and tosses it at Haydn.]

Once you're clear, wrap her leg with that and get her to the hospital. Don't let her bleed out.

[He turns and heads into the crowd. He'll stop if anyone has anything useful to say, but for now he's trying to follow another scream to its source.]

[hfm_npcs]

[Hayden catches the hoodie and tosses it to his companion, all the better to watch Wash head through the crowd.]

I wasn't finished with-

[Suddenly, he cuts himself off. If Wash looks back at them, he'll see Hayden and his friends staring down at the floor in agitated wide-eyed terror, the girl holding the shirt to her leg and attempting to hobble backwards and the taller boy mouthing the words "aw, god..."]

[unrecovered]

[It's not the threat that catches his attention so much as the way it abruptly stops. Wash takes a moment to close his eyes and thoroughly curse his luck, then turns back around to see them looking at the ground. He follows their gaze. What now?]