console; video

[peacefullywreathed]

[The audio comes on first, accompanied by a quiet curse. Then the video appears on Solomon leaning over his console. He's in his apartment, but he's wrapped in his coat and his breath is misting, and he's very pale, as if he's been in the cold for hours on end without having been properly attired. His eyes don't fix on anything, and the observant will notice old scars around them.]

I know there's a number of mechanically-inclined in the city. Our heating's just broken down.

[He hesitates.]

Earlier this morning, actually.

[It's mid-afternoon.]

I don't care if you're Foreigner or kedan, but I'll give you extra if you come now to fix it, and do so before Raine gets home.

[And don't mention the part where his fingers are dangerously blue. Or so he assumes they are, given that they're numb, hence the trouble finding the 'on' switch. She absolutely won't see this before work ends, right? Right?]

Comments

Video

[sadisticmoose]

[His leg's been getting better... He could probably get somewhere within the hour, and he's managed to scrounge some tools.]

I can come have a look. Is it just mundane heating? Connected to electric and water supplies? Nothin' magic, right?

Video

[peacefullywreathed]

That's right.

[Solomon hesitates.]

I think. It's kedanese-built, but I know it isn't a wood-fire, because I've never actually laid eyes on it before now.

... So to speak. Anyway, it doesn't need constant feeding to work.

[He isn't sure what sort of heating methods the kedan in Earth Sector use, come to think of it. Gas? Probably not. The kedan seem to have skipped over the 'gas mechanics' part of industrialism. It's likely to be something which doesn't consume hard resources, either way. Water heating of some kind? Maybe? He hasn't a clue.]

Video

[sadisticmoose]

Hnn...

[A thoughtful grunt.]

I can at least come have a look. Where are you?

Video

[peacefullywreathed]

Earth Sector.

[Address!]

How long?

[His fingers are still numb, gdi. He can't even read in this state.]

Video

[sadisticmoose]

Twenty minutes.

[A pause.]

Want me to grab some warmer clothes for ya, mate?

video;

[denyamenti]

[ C'mon Sol, that's just sad. ]

You know Shudder has sigils for heating and cooling, don't you?

[ They're straightforward, and among the basic ones Bakura did end up learning. ]

video;

[peacefullywreathed]

[Everyone's entitled to be pathetic now and again, Bakura.]

I'd rather not have potentially lethal weapons in my near vicinity with China Sorrows in the city.

Re: video;

[denyamenti]

China Sorrows IS the lethal weapon in the city, waheh-maw. The sigils aren't the problem.

[peacefullywreathed]

Even more reason not to encourage her by using them.

[Being rendered mute had been amusing only because Skulduggery had gotten accidentally caught in the crossfire.]

Besides, having break-downable utilities is good for the economy.

[Deadpan.]

Video

[purrns]

[Solomon can you just not? Adrien looks considerably worried at the general state of the guy. He likes Solomon and doesn't especially want him to freeze himself to death. He can't help with the heater problem, but he can help in other ways. ]

Would you like me to bring you some blankets and warm clothes? You look like you could use them.

[Spoilers, it's a rhetorical question. He's bringing them regardless. Just try to stop him. ]

Video

[peacefullywreathed]

[You like him? Don't do that, Adrien, that's a bad idea.]

I'll be fine; I have clothes.

[He hesitates.]

Though maybe some blankets. Our spares have gone to service the extra patients the Guild's been getting this month.

Video

[purrns]

[This boy is the king of bad ideas. ]

I can do that. I'll be right over.

[He'll just be gathering ALL THE BLANKETS HE OWNS. It's not a lot, but hey, he;ll donate to the cause of Not Letting Solomon Freeze To Death. ]

Video --> action;

[peacefullywreathed]

[This is highly disconcerting.

[By the time Adrien arrives there might be someone attending to the furnace, and someone might have made a tea delivery, so Solomon is at least looking marginally less cold.

[Marginally. He still isn't shivering, even though by rights he should be. But he opens the door wide saying dryly but with a faint smile:]

I hope you're not expecting those back. Chances are they'll wind up on a bed in the Guild.

[lasergrenades]

[That's not good. Very much not good.]

Oh my god, you need tea and blankets yesterday.

[Which is why the kettle is on the stove, and she's grabbing a jacket.]

[peacefullywreathed]

Tea would be fantastic.

[Guess who isn't sure he can get the full kettle to the stove without dropping it. At least the stove is working.]

video -> action?

[lasergrenades]

Done. I can be over there in like five minutes - ten tops. Don't turn into an ice cube in the meantime.

[She's already looking for the largest thermos she can find, as well as a second one just for hot water. It looks pretty chilly at his place so she grabs an extra layer for herself. As soon as the water is hot and the tea is steeped she's bolting from the house - not quite running but definitely walking at a fast clip.

Pepper knows the way to Raine and Sol's apartment well enough that she arrives fairly quickly. She knocks, tea held in one arm, and then cracks the door open a few inches.]

It's Pepper. Still alive in there?

video -> action?

[peacefullywreathed]

Already have done.

[When he opens the door for Pepper he doesn't look much better than on the console, except that he's wearing a smile which is half amused, half grim. He steps aside with a slight bow to let her in.]

Never say that to a necromancer, Ms Potts. Come in. I've got the kettle by the sink, but filling it and moving it back to the stove seems a bit beyond me right now.

[He's wearing gloves now, but judging by the way he holds the door-knob, his hands are still numb.]

Video

[bostonhowler]

Do you still require some help? I can cook, soup would warm you up.

Video

[peacefullywreathed]

[Alright, so Pepper and Adrien Solomon can justify to himself as being well-meaning teenagers. But Brigid he still doesn't know very well, so this comes as a surprise which is quite obviously reflected on his face.]

No, I'll be fine. I've some left over myself, and should be able to reheat it myself.

[Now that his fingers aren't so numb. Next, rather awkwardly because he isn't used to people just offering their help to him:]

Thank you.

Video

[bostonhowler]

You're welcome. The offer remains open.

Video

[peacefullywreathed]

[He hums for a moment.]

Then I might accept--but not for me. My fiance has a tendency to overwork herself, and so do her people. If you can make a delivery of soup to the Healers' Guild, I'm certain they can find a use for it.

action; at the end of the day;

[ruinsprofessor]

[Raine had been terribly busy most of the day. And then, of course, before leaving the Guild she'd done a quick scan of the network to see if anything merited her attention, and, well.]

[As gratifying as it is to see that any number of people responded to him, Raine isn't particularly happy that it happened in the first place.]

[She does stop for hot food on the way home, however.]

I'm home.

[Food gets left on the table, staff by the door, and Raine goes to find Solomon. She finds him in his office, taps at the doorjamb as a cursory sort of greeting before crossing directly to him.]

How long was the heat out?

[peacefullywreathed]

Mmm.

[It's practically inaudible from the door, but at least it's a response? Solomon's engrossed; sorry, Raine. When she finds him it's with his violin on his desk, his fingers moving slowly across it and his expression profoundly unhappy. At least the apartment is warm enough now that he's dressed down, as usual.]

About six hours, I think.

[He sighs.]

Too long for my violin, I'm afraid. Too many temperature changes too quickly.

[ruinsprofessor]

[Raine sighs in turn as she slips up beside him. He's shed his jacket, but that's no guarantee of him actually being warmer. And she wants to get a look at him, herself, since the video wasn't clear.]

[The violin, though-- it's a blow she wishes he could have been spared.]

Let me see.

[Unsurprisingly, this is for him, not the violin. Gently, Raine lifts his hands from it, bending her head over them. In this weather, with the heat out that long, and with Solomon obviously not taking as much care as he should, she will be unsurprised by anything up to frostbite.]

Solomon.

[peacefullywreathed]

[He gives her one hand, anyway, though the other is still looking at his violin. He isn't going to be satisfied until he's gone over the whole of it at least once more. But at that ...]

What?

[Solomon turned his head from his violin at last to blink in Raine's direction with absent confusion.]

It can't be that bad, surely.