From: sindacollo	Date: 10/08/2007 16:36:08

*is at the corner café getting his own damned coffee because Mardil brings him decaf every time and what kind of an idiot does he think he is?!*

*hears a series of unearthly sounds that leave his ears ringing—sounds he associates with words like "armageddon"* *snaps his head up just in time to see his home collapsing to rubble*

*...*

	From: gorthol	Date: 10/08/2007 16:41:08

*appears somewhere inside the city to appraise this half of his handiwork, despite nursing an increasingly excruciating headache*

*listens to the screams and alarms and widespread panic and observes the stampedes and general pandemonium with mild satisfaction*

	From: sindacollo	Date: 10/08/2007 16:46:49

*dimly senses his brain warming up, in slow motion, to some sort of working order*

*is stricken by several irrational thoughts...or really just the one, over and over again*

Lúthien. Lúthien.

*and one perfectly rational thought*

Melian.

*drops his coffee in the street and starts running toward the palace*

	From: belthronding	Date: 10/08/2007 16:48:26

*sprints from the barracks towards the Palace with a number of her best men, talking rapidly on a walkie-talkie*

Evacuate the hospital, straight away. Everyone has to go deeper. Open up Old Delving, we need them down there.

	From: haladwen	Date: 10/08/2007 16:52:28

*radios you* *in clipped tones* I'm getting reports of cave-ins. Running standard evac procedures. Eight buildings have been confirmed gone damaged so far. And what the fuck is going on??

	From: belthronding	Date: 10/08/2007 16:56:12

*lets out a string of progressively more colourful profanities* Eight buildings? Get the engineers down to the lower levels straight away. We need to know that it's safe to evacuate people vertically. If not, it's going to have to be an up-and-out. I'm with the bomb squad, we're just arriving at the Palace.

*stops dead when she sees the wreckage* *softly* Oh, Eru help us.

	From: haladwen	Date: 10/08/2007 17:03:55

On it, Captain. *remembering the most reliable of the tips at the last second* All the intel says this is Noldorin, but the jail's reporting business as usual. So far. Haleth out.

*barks orders at some of the men*

*stops trying to run in four different directions and forces herself to choose just the one*

*goes by the hospital on her way and quickly scans the scene to make sure the evacuations are going as ordered*

	From: mablung	Date: 10/08/2007 17:14:07

*has been relegated to a wheelchair as all the gurneys and stretchers have gone to patients worse off than he is* *is thus in quite a lot of pain but trying not to show it*

*sounding somewhat less panicky than they all feel (he hopes)* Here's the thing, toots. I'm a Captain of Doriath, see? So if we're in a bloody war here, I'm bloody well going to fight. ... So what if I can't walk?? That's the brilliance of it, don't you see? They'll never see it coming!

*catches a glimpse of you* Haleth. Haleth! *waves frantically* Tell them I'm ready for duty.

	From: haladwen	Date: 10/08/2007 17:23:15

*stops short when she hears her name* *trots over to you*

*knowing full well what kind of shape you're in* Get outta that stupid chair and help me run evac procedures, then. The boys need help on Level Three. Go on. When I say "run", I mean you've gotta run.

	From: mablung	Date: 10/08/2007 17:25:26

*falls silent immediately*

*braces his weight on his arms to try to lift himself out of the wheelchair*

*shakes violently as it becomes clear(er) his legs have no interest in supporting him* *starting to fall* Oh shit.

	From: haladwen	Date: 10/08/2007 17:27:36

*rushes forward to catch you and gets you back into the chair with an orderly's help*

*pats your cheek* I'm sorry, mate. Just let us take care of it this time, eh? You'll owe us so. many. beers for sitting on your arse all this time. *tries to smile*

	From: mablung	Date: 10/08/2007 17:42:27

*a little dejectedly* Yeah.

*hears your radio squawking and pales* *without a hint of his usual humor* Code fifteen-sixty? Did I hear that right? Did somebody just call a fifteen-sixty?

	From: haladwen	Date: 10/08/2007 17:46:57

*mutters something back to the radio and waits for an answer*

*grimly* Yeah. The king's all right, though. He wasn't on the scene but he sure as shit is now. No word yet on the queen.

*listens for another minute, away from the patients, before returning to you* Here's something for you. See if you can get ahold of Túrin? Find out just what the Mandos we're looking at here. *apologetically* Can't stay and chat, mate.

*dashes off hurriedly*

	From: haldar	Date: 10/08/2007 17:53:47

*jogs towards the hospital, figuring that it's the best first place to look for you, given that his cellphone's not working*

	From: haladwen	Date: 10/08/2007 17:58:22

*gets word from the boys at Precinct 12 that you're looking for her*

*spins on her heel and goes back in the hopes of intercepting you* *has that familiar worry you'll jump into something you're not prepared for before she remembers that dolt is her this time around*

*calling* Haldar? HALDAR?

	From: haldar	Date: 10/08/2007 18:01:03

*hears your voice and walks quickly towards you* *doesn't say a word before enveloping you in a bone-crushing hug* Eru, you're alright. *pulls back and returns to normal*

The building next door to mine was destroyed. We were all evacuated. Is there anything I can do?

	From: haladwen	Date: 10/08/2007 18:10:14

*clings!!*

*with a slight shake in her voice that she'd firmly prevented from creeping in until now* I'm fine...I'm fine.

*firmly* You should get outta town. Get out and don't go anywhere under Noldorin rule 'cause things are gonna get real bad real fast.

	From: haldar	Date: 10/08/2007 18:12:41

*equally firmly* I'm not leaving unless you're coming with me and I'm gonna guess that you're not coming with me. What's Plan B?

	From: haladwen	Date: 10/08/2007 18:16:54

ERUDAMMIT, HALDAR, YOU—argh. *sighs and tries to think quickly although it's not exactly her forte* You can talk to the engineers. Thingol must have ordered all the borders closed by now. Find out how safe it is to evacuate everyone vertically because Eru knows the guys and I aren't gonna understand a bloody word they say.

	From: haldar	Date: 10/08/2007 18:20:15

*nods quickly* That I can do. *flashes you a grin* I can be your nerd-interpreter while you do all the tough-guy stuff.

*grips your shoulder* Take care of yourself, yeah. *nods towards the hospital* I've no intention of having to visit you there.

	From: haladwen	Date: 10/08/2007 18:25:26

*matches your grin with a toothy one of her own* You just do your shit and make me proud, m'kay, baby brother? I'ma go singlehandedly rescue Menegroth now. Love you.

*turns to go again* *(run-in-one-direction, focus, focus)*

	From: sindacollo	Date: 10/08/2007 16:55:28

*reaches the palace and is promptly restrained by several somewhat relieved-looking marchwardens*

*struggling* I've got to get in there! My wife may be in there, for fuck's sake! I AM YOUR SOVEREIGN AND I ORDER YOU TO LET ME IN!

	From: belthronding	Date: 10/08/2007 17:08:52

Sir, we have everything under control. The boys are going to go straight in and get everybody out if anyone survived. Just, try to stay calm, Sir.

	From: sindacollo	Date: 10/08/2007 17:19:30

*his brain having screamed into overdrive* Find my daughter and her whatever and get them to my bunker. Has anyone claimed responsibility for this yet? Hasn't anyone found those damned children? *can't even spare a fraction of a second to thank Eru they hadn't been returned to him by now* Where is Túrin? Has anyone spoken to him yet? *starts struggling again* MELLY, ARE YOU HERE?! *barely above a whisper* Melly. Oh Eru, Melian.

	From: belthronding	Date: 10/08/2007 17:57:43

*talks into her walkie-talkie again* Elvis is moving out, repeat, moving out. *takes your arm* We need to get you to your bunker right now and we need to get you on the line to Fingon. The word is that this is the work of one of the Noldorin factions but we don't know which one. *brooks no opposition* We will bring your wife, your daughter, your son-in-law and your grand-niece and -nephew to you as soon as we find them but we need to get you into shelter straightaway.

	From: sindacollo	Date: 10/08/2007 18:06:21

*isn't walked along with you so much as dragged* *only vaguely hears what you're telling him*

*desperately tries calling out to Melian with his mind* My queen. Song of my heart.

*automatically looks up at the giant television in Royal Square with its continuous news ticker as they pass*

*sucks in his breath and forces his captors to a halt when he sees the images on the screen*

My planes. Those are My. Planes.

	From: belthronding	Date: 10/08/2007 18:39:40

*glances up only briefly* Yes, Sir, your planes. Please, if we can keep moving? Didn't you order them out, Sir?

	From: sindacollo	Date: 10/08/2007 18:45:10

Didn't you order them out, Sir?

*simply* If I did, I've gone completely mad. Which I'm thinking isn't entirely out of the question at the moment.

*ominously* Close the borders.

	From: belthronding	Date: 10/08/2007 18:46:36

You want us to-- *closes her mouth*

*speaks into her walkie-talkie* This is Alpha-1 broadcasting to all channels. We have a Code eighteen-twenty. Repeat: Eighteen-twenty.

	From: mablung	Date: 10/08/2007 18:30:52

*finds a phone to call you even as he's being moved to a safer location*

*has trouble even punching in the right number as his thoughts seem strangely blocked? suspended? in thinking of you*

*couldn't adequately explain the odd mix of apprehension, bleakness, and good old-fashioned anger he feels at this very moment*

*gets to the last number with considerable effort and hits "send" with even more trepidation*

	From: gorthol	Date: 10/08/2007 18:42:51

*looks at the caller ID as he strolls through wreckage as casually as if he's out for a jaunt on a sunny summer day*

*hadn't planned on having much more to do with you, but thinks this could potentially be amusing*

*if not for this splitting headache*

*answers cheerfully* Hello?

	From: mablung	Date: 10/08/2007 19:02:11

*feels an inexplicable wave of dizziness and nausea hit him when he hears your tone*

*recovers, still trying to sound hopeful* Túrin? What's going on?

	From: gorthol	Date: 10/08/2007 19:05:09

*idly kicks at some rubble*

*in that same gratingly bright voice, although with less conviction* Oh, same old, same old. You know how it is. *stops walking to rub his temples* Catch the match last night?

	From: mablung	Date: 10/08/2007 19:09:39

*feels his stomach somersault unpleasantly again*

*something dawning on him* You tried to kill me. It was you.

	From: gorthol	Date: 10/08/2007 19:12:44

*snorts* "Tried"? Oh, no, not really. "Failed to"...we-ell, that may be slightly more accurate. *sounding interested* Were you hoping I'd stop by to...to finish...to...

*trails off when he can no longer remember what he meant to say*

	From: mablung	Date: 10/08/2007 19:30:19

*with a good helping of forced jocularity and much, much less certainty* I was trying to reach my mate, Túrin. Túrin. Is he in, by any chance? Because my other best mate is getting these weird pregnancy cravings and it'd be nice if the my eruchild's dad wasn't a complete shit and could mix up some herring and marshmallow for Beleg. For starters.

	From: gorthol	Date: 10/08/2007 19:35:31

Túrin

Beleg

Túrin

*cringes at each name as though it physically pains him* *shakes his head rapidly but can't dispel the noise that's expanded to a fever pitch*

*drops the phone with a clatter and sinks to his hands and knees in the dust* Get. Out.

out Out OUT out— *tries to clear his head again and nearly disincorporates with the effort*

	From: mablung	Date: 10/08/2007 19:38:26

*takes the phone away from his ear to look at it strangely*

*listens to the faint sounds on the other end, not knowing what to make of any of it* Are you there? ...Who are you?

	From: gorthol	Date: 10/08/2007 19:48:47

*falls flat on his back, panting hard, like he's been running*

*feels around on the ground for his phone and brings it up to his ear*

*in a rush, before he can stop himself* I love her tell Fingon he never it was all us Irmo listens it wasn't the Last Battle there's never a Last Battle I love her you them lover brother mothers sisters father teacher the others may have to kill me I can do it I think but not here not in this air on this ground in this space I know all he is he is me but I am not him only here I am here in this air on this ground in this space I forgot to not-remember and so it goes.

	From: mablung	Date: 10/08/2007 19:53:53

*steels himself for more of the sickness your voice conjures in him and blinks when it doesn't come, his thoughts unmolested, free, cool*

Túrin?! Mate? You have to go slower. I don't understand.

	From: gorthol	Date: 10/08/2007 20:01:43

*can't think of any other way to explain* Ulmo listens Irmo listens music and dreams. Dreams.

*expends the rest of his strength pouring what incoherent fragments he can keep hold of into your mind*

*focuses on staying (Túrin) in control of himself while he cushions the blow, underlining his visions with a single line of clear, sweet melody*

*feels his corporeal form thin and fade until he blinks out of sight, spent*

	From: mablung	Date: 10/08/2007 20:04:25

*slips into calm unconsciousness, overpowered by your thoughts despite your best efforts*

*senses nothing of his doctors' panicky attempts to revive him*