1. SPRAWLING WASTELAND He might not stand out much from the crowd here, but Cal is as furtive-looking as they come. With the hood of his poncho pulled low to shield himself from the oily rain, it's a bit easier for Cal to hide his uneasiness with being in this part of the Underground. Necessity might've driven him here, but there were a lot of bad things going on in the dark that he wanted no part of. He hated it enough to wish that the police would finally decide to sweep through and arrest them all, but since when could they be counted on doing anything for the Last Ward?
Cal's carrying a worn-out looking bag on his hip, only partially concealed by his poncho, but it's still proof that he's carrying something valuable. It's only by sheer luck that he feels the sight tug of the blade that cuts the strap free, and in seconds the thief that slipped behind him has grabbed his bag and started to run for it.
"HEY!" Cal wastes little time in turning on his heel and booking it after the thief. "Give that back!" It's not long before the thief makes for a darkened alley that could conceal any number of dangers, but Cal isn't slowing, either undaunted by what's ahead or oblivious to it.
3. AS FEAR'S REPLICATING Cal doesn't come here often, but as things go, he's one of those Parish youths that likes to escape to somewhere a little cleaner on occasion. That, and he's finally got enough extra money to indulge himself in getting a holovid or two of his favorite bands. If he looks a little dirtier and unkempt than most of Arcadia's usual crowd, well, it wasn't like he was planning on going to a party.
He's one of the bystanders nearby when the black banner falls, leaving Cal staring up at the eye symbol painted onto it, for the moment conscious of little else but the sound of his pulse pounding in his ears. The Yakashbah symbol wasn't so uncommon a sight where he lived, but the unique danger of being caught in the Middle Ward during a protest made him freeze up all the same. It's seeing one of the circling police drones that snaps Cal out of it, instinct yelling at him to get out while he still could.
Cal starts pushing through the crowd with quick apologies, "Sorry! Coming through!" There's too many people here to start running, but with his increasing panic, it'd be hard to mistake him for someone that's just in a hurry. He reaches the sidewalk only to be met with the sight of the security forces making a perimeter, forcing Cal to turn around and go in the opposite direction. He's beelining for an alley that promises a quick way out, assuming you're not blocking the way, whether well-meaning or not.
5. WITHIN THE CHAOS This blackout was one of the worst things that's happened since Cal started living in the Last Ward, and considering the usual crime rate, that was saying something. It's hard to navigate in the darkness between the places lucky enough to have a generator, making it a gamble to figure out if the lights shining ahead of you were pedestrians, the police, or a roving gang looking to make a profit off of other people's misery.
Not many people were on the streets if they could help it, but Cal wasn't the type to hide away like that. Instead, he's spending his free time walking between the residential buildings himself, armed with a flashlight and a smaller hand-held light that wasn't as easy to see from a distance. He's familiar enough with the ward now that roaming around in the dark doesn't daunt him, and this way he can help his neighbors get home safely. It doesn't matter if you're a face he recognizes or not; if you got stuck in the Parish, Cal's here to help light the way.
no subject
He might not stand out much from the crowd here, but Cal is as furtive-looking as they come. With the hood of his poncho pulled low to shield himself from the oily rain, it's a bit easier for Cal to hide his uneasiness with being in this part of the Underground. Necessity might've driven him here, but there were a lot of bad things going on in the dark that he wanted no part of. He hated it enough to wish that the police would finally decide to sweep through and arrest them all, but since when could they be counted on doing anything for the Last Ward?
Cal's carrying a worn-out looking bag on his hip, only partially concealed by his poncho, but it's still proof that he's carrying something valuable. It's only by sheer luck that he feels the sight tug of the blade that cuts the strap free, and in seconds the thief that slipped behind him has grabbed his bag and started to run for it.
"HEY!" Cal wastes little time in turning on his heel and booking it after the thief. "Give that back!" It's not long before the thief makes for a darkened alley that could conceal any number of dangers, but Cal isn't slowing, either undaunted by what's ahead or oblivious to it.
3. AS FEAR'S REPLICATING
Cal doesn't come here often, but as things go, he's one of those Parish youths that likes to escape to somewhere a little cleaner on occasion. That, and he's finally got enough extra money to indulge himself in getting a holovid or two of his favorite bands. If he looks a little dirtier and unkempt than most of Arcadia's usual crowd, well, it wasn't like he was planning on going to a party.
He's one of the bystanders nearby when the black banner falls, leaving Cal staring up at the eye symbol painted onto it, for the moment conscious of little else but the sound of his pulse pounding in his ears. The Yakashbah symbol wasn't so uncommon a sight where he lived, but the unique danger of being caught in the Middle Ward during a protest made him freeze up all the same. It's seeing one of the circling police drones that snaps Cal out of it, instinct yelling at him to get out while he still could.
Cal starts pushing through the crowd with quick apologies, "Sorry! Coming through!" There's too many people here to start running, but with his increasing panic, it'd be hard to mistake him for someone that's just in a hurry. He reaches the sidewalk only to be met with the sight of the security forces making a perimeter, forcing Cal to turn around and go in the opposite direction. He's beelining for an alley that promises a quick way out, assuming you're not blocking the way, whether well-meaning or not.
5. WITHIN THE CHAOS
This blackout was one of the worst things that's happened since Cal started living in the Last Ward, and considering the usual crime rate, that was saying something. It's hard to navigate in the darkness between the places lucky enough to have a generator, making it a gamble to figure out if the lights shining ahead of you were pedestrians, the police, or a roving gang looking to make a profit off of other people's misery.
Not many people were on the streets if they could help it, but Cal wasn't the type to hide away like that. Instead, he's spending his free time walking between the residential buildings himself, armed with a flashlight and a smaller hand-held light that wasn't as easy to see from a distance. He's familiar enough with the ward now that roaming around in the dark doesn't daunt him, and this way he can help his neighbors get home safely. It doesn't matter if you're a face he recognizes or not; if you got stuck in the Parish, Cal's here to help light the way.
A. WILDCARD