caveofsapphires | smaller patch of fading sky [ open ]

WHO: EVERYONE. All PCs thus far will be in this log, through active tagging or implication.
WHAT: THRILLS. SPILLS. Hiking trip toward the Diamond City.
WHERE: The Overworld.
WHEN: Forward-dated to May 1st (Tuesday) through May 7th (Monday).
WARNINGS: May contain violence or other mentions of physical harm. This is not summer camp.
NOTES: More information can be found on the OOC post here. Please read it!

Gathered in the morning haze, Sleepers were brought to the mouth of the Cave with plenty of supplies and equipment. Compasses that would point them toward the City. Backpacks full of clothes and food, medical kits, tents and even weapons. Stun rifles and knives — to fight off any unwanted company, they said. ("Watch out for their bite," Ryan had commented. "Those fuckers are downright feral.") The straight and narrow path would get them there in six days if they kept a good clip. They were sent off just like that. Refusals to leave were met with a wall of guard force officers blocking the entrance back into the cave city. No way to go but forward, unless someone was particularly stalwart about remaining.

From the exterminator's station near the mouth, leaving the Cave was as simple as a short hike upward into the fresh air of the Overworld. Dust and an uncomfortable sort of heat pervaded the atmosphere, light winds stirring up the sand and teasing the meager bits of vegetation that had grown. No matter what direction you looked... it was all wasteland, cracked ground and desolate emptiness. Jutting up from scarred ground were boulders and small spires made entirely of glass and patches of stone; instead of reflecting the harsh sunlight, they seemed to absorb it and only add to the muted loneliness of the atmosphere. As far as the eye could see, there was no life to be found.

With no other option, the Sleepers eventually made their way onward.

The stark, somewhat eerie structure standing incongruously against the otherwise empty landscape had caught his eye immediately, and sure it would mean heading a little further out of their way than his exhausted body would have appreciated, but the chance to sleep somewhere at least approaching civilised and sheltered after days of nothing more than the basic supplies they'd been allocated held a particularly strong allure for him. Besides, today was the 4th May, his birthday, and the hours' trek to the mansion would certainly seem like a worthy gift if he was able to get a decent night's sleep in relative comfort.

He'd made his way there along with the others who had chosen to do so, dropping his pack and rubbing his aching shoulders as soon as he was inside. The place was still derelict and may well have seen better days, but right now it seemed like luxury compared with the conditions they had endured since the outset.

"Ah, time to take a look around," the words were quiet and spoken mostly to himself, yet they were still audible to anyone standing in the general vicinity.

Sand and dust covered nearly every surface inside the entrance hall of the mansion. It was hard to tell the immediate state of anything under the grime, but it was easy to see the two wide staircases leading upward: the left only sporting a few holes here and there, while the right was almost entirely caved in. Traces of luxury were easy to notice if one looked, nearly eradicated through time and exposure to the elements.

The second floor itself did not appear to be an immediate danger. Nor did either of the rooms to Izaya's sides, the left one appearing to be a dining room of some sort with its long wooden table and several chairs all in various states of uprightness, while the right room was marred in dark and inviting colors smudged by time itself. This one appeared to be less stable than the others judging by the sheer amount of debris having fallen in from the floor above, but doable if one was careful with their steps.

It was in a state of disrepair, sure, but right now it still felt like luxury in comparison with the conditions they had been forced to endure over the previous few days. There were plenty of times in the past - at least, the past that Izaya could recall - where his slender, agile build had come in useful to him, and he didn't doubt that now would be another of those times. He could step lightly where it was needed, his slight weight proving less of a liability than a heavier frame would have been, and if that failed he was just arrogant enough to feel certain he could rely on his skill with parkour to extricate him from any unwanted situation the derelict mansion might present.

He only took a cursory look at the rooms closest to him; what he wanted was a bedroom, or perhaps a library that might contain the remnants of useful information, though right now he was tired enough that his usual pursuits would likely have to take a back seat. Leaving his pack where he'd dropped it, he headed for the staircase in the least disrepair in an effort to locate the kind of room he desired.

Up the stairs were several rooms off to both sides. However, the hallway to the right caved in only two doors in, ceiling open to the warm sky outside. The visible doors were surprisingly in tact, one splintered and cracked under the weight, while the other only seeming to have jammed with the tilt of its frame. It didn't appear as though the floor itself had fallen under the pressure, but who knew what adding to it might do?

To the left seemed much safer, four doorways all readily apparent. One of the doors was in shreds. One had fallen into the hallway and snapped in half at some point, the upper half propped against the wall while the lower rotted on the floor. Another in the far back hung halfway off its hinges, while the furthest out seemed to be in the best of repair. Peering in through the visible doorways would confirm that these were indeed the bedrooms.

A risk Izaya was unwilling to take, regardless of how light on his feet he might be, particularly when to the left of him the hallway appeared much more stable. He proceeded along it cautiously, though without much concern; despite the new and confusing environment he still possessed the same self-confidence he'd always known. Or at least, always remembered knowing.

His lips curved into a smile on discovering that the rooms he'd located were, indeed, bedrooms, and he proceeded onwards towards the final doorway, the one that seemed to have sustained the least amount of damage; he saw no reason why he shouldn't claim the best that was available to him after days of poor rest and discomfort. Still, he opened the door with a degree of caution, glancing inside before deciding whether or not to enter.

Inside the final room was what appeared to be a simple design hidden underneath the ravages of time. There were two twin beds shoved against the far wall (a small dresser at their feet), one in each corner, along with a desk for a computer. Its screen had long-since crumbled thanks to the room's broken window along the right wall allowing the elements inside. All in all, it seemed to have been a shared room for people who had not cared to spend much time inside it. While there were no springs poking up out of the mattresses for the beds, there would be no accounting for comfort until Izaya gave it a try.

smaller patch of fading sky [ open ]

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