un: strange / video

[rehandle]

( Forward-dated to the 7th / during the Clawing. )



[ The image opens to a view of Alem from above and at great distance. It's an awkward angle, somewhere to the side of the great stone Citadel where a couple of the smaller merchant entrances open into the Crossing. The view dips and sways, wind howling across the network as the pendant that captures it sits against its wearer's chest, floating high in chill air.

Only this for a few seconds - and then the slow zoom of an approach until Alem is much larger and the small figures of people and their wares can be seen disappearing in through one of the more secluded merchant's gates, more figures closing them up behind. Another eerie stretch of nothing but the buffeting of wind and an unaware fortress, then hands raise into the forefront of the image. Precise white scars trail the backs of all the fingers and that's the last detail there is before everything happens too fast for detail.

Those hands move through two swift patterns and a pair of vibrant orange mandala burst into life. They crash together, spark, and huge angry bolts of raw magic leap from them, hot and bright as fire and travelling in violent arcs toward an unwitting target.

They strike the gate. An explosion.

From this distance, the sounds of screams and cries for action are difficult to separate from the screeching of the wind. The broadcast cuts dead. ]



( ooc: somebody got Clawed!! He's attacked one of the rear merchant's entrances of the Crossing, so there's no pressure for anyone who is frequenting the Crossing in general to have been caught up in the blast, but if you'd like for your characters to have been there to witness first hand when the spell struck/to have been hurt in the blast that is also A-OK! No obligation to tag into this post, but if you do have your character hurt please let me know here so I can keep track.

The majority of Stephen's replies will most likely come a few hours after the attack once he's fully released from the Claw, but if anybody would specifically like to reach him while he's still Clawed, hit me up oocly (the comment linked above works, or plurk/disco!) and we can do the thing. Otherwise, feel free to also use this post as a place for characters to talk amongst themselves! )

Comments

( video | un: barnes )

[traumatology]

Strange, what the hell?

( he ain't anywhere near the commotion but he can't not say something even if it's pretty much futile.

it's not like this is gonna stop because he said something. )

un: absterge | voice

[downswing]

( In the wretchedness of it, the raw, limb-tearing violence, he cannot tell, for a moment — cannot understand — ...that the attack was unwarranted. That one of their own acted without cause, concern or provocation. )

Pull back.

voice | un: slothbaby - I am so sorry..........

[cosplayqueen]

[Kamala's voice sparks to life. She's clearly panicking. This is bad. This is really, really, really bad.] Okay am I totally crazy or is that Doctor Strange's signature move?! Is he here?! Is he here and totally evil or here or like possessed?! Should I can be finding Avengers?! DO WE EVEN HAVE MORE THAN ONE HERE?! OH MY GOD!!! AM I GOING TO HAVE TO TRY FIGHTING HIM?? I CAN'T LET THEM GO ALONE!

[She's trying and failing to take some calming breaths here.] We are so screwed! How are we going to fight Doctor Strange?! Do we have magic guys?! Like really good ones?! I don't want to scare anyone, but seriously we do not want to mess with him! Ant-Man made him sound super OP!

[Don't mind her. She's just literally screaming over here until someone talks her down.]

action

[vdovy]

[ This is very, very stupid. The last thing that Yelena should be doing, really. The normal reaction to seeing some kind of super-powered magician blowing things up is to run in the opposite direction, yet here she is, diving into the chaos.

The man (Doctor Strange, she learned per Kamala's open network freakout, because of course that's what he's called) is still in the sky when she reaches ground zero. She probably looks no bigger than an ant to him. Easily squashed. Killing is easy when you're not in control. Waking up after the fact and facing what you did is much harder.

She waves her arms to catch his attention and projects her voice into the sky. ]

Hey, down here! I just want to talk.

[ A beat. ]

Seriously. I know that's what everyone says to get your guard down but I really do just want to talk.

video | un: off scarlet

[westviews]

[Well, if that's not some role reversal. She takes no joy in what she's seeing.]

This isn't you.

[It's obvious when someone is not themselves. They both know it, that creeping sensation at the back of the neck, though he's very obvious in this show of destruction.]