The school, the school, the school is on fire...

[liquidsky]

Who: Anyone who wants in on it!
What: The school is on fire.
When: Days 420 around sundown and after.
Where: The school in Odin's district.
Rating: We'll see!

The sun is slowly going down and Barty Crouch jr is in Odin's district, as he's been every day for a good while though, since he first realized how easily Will Graham fell into habits. The difference is that today he isn't headed to the cafe they always meet at right away. Instead he stands leaning against a wall, ever now and then glancing at the school and waiting for a sign. He has placed the mirror - a present from Albus Dumbledore himself - in just the right position fixed it to the corner of a building and waited for the sun to hit the reflective surface at the right angle.

Dumbledore had talked of smoke and mirrors and now Barty had found the right tinder. He waits until he can see smoke, faintly but there. It would be another hour, he suspects, maybe even more before the fire spreads far enough to be noticed. But it would burn, of that he had no doubt.

It is starting to get dark when he takes the mirror back, making sure to remain unseen, and he heads down the road to meet Will. He doesn't know if anyone is still in the building he just set on fire, he doesn't much care either way. The flames would rise high and Severus Snape would feel the heat.

[OOC Notes: I purposefully set this up like an event log, so just like for them, feel free to make a header comment detailing what your character is doing at any given time. If you want to do any more last minute plotting, head on over to the plotting post! Also, here is the IC post with some of what led up to this if you want to read up and/or still tag in! I backtag forever. Slowly.

If your character has been near/around/in the school before the fire started and would thus be a suspect and/or suspect other people he or she has seen, you can play that part out here too!

Times: Before the fire, during the fire, right after the fire. ...duh.
Places: The parts of the schools that will be affected are: The library, the auditorium and several classrooms as well as Evy's office.
Obviously you can also have your character be outside the school or in the hallways or any unaffected part if they want to use the chaos to, I don't know, mess up Snape's office a little.

I just ask that no one saw Barty do what he did, so we can have more fun with various suspicions cast about.]

Comments

[proudofwhatiam]

[fire; closed]

By the time she notices the smoke, it's too late.

She stays late that day to mark the work Mr. Booth isn't equipped to take on--Egyptian history and language assignments--and very quickly finds herself lost to it. The thought that something smells burnt is one easily dismissed as yet another issue with the staff lounge's 'microwave'. Any shouts are easily muffled by her closed door, under which tendrils of smoke are curling.

But the scent of smoke doesn't go away, and by the time it's strong enough (and strange enough, almost like melting Bakelite) to concern her, she's beginning to feel queasy. The room is quickly growing hot, and now, now, it's obvious enough that there's a fire in the building. She stands quickly, trying to gather up her students' work with unusually clumsy hands, and stumbles toward the door. On the way, she trips, spilling her armful of papers, and of course she must bring them with her, she must pick them up. Her thoughts grow less steady as the smoke increases, and quickly enough, she's kneeling on the floor, trying desperately to tamp down the dizziness overcoming her.

It's all over in a matter of minutes, with little licks of fire only starting to enter the room as she loses consciousness. They're the last thing she sees as she gasps for a breath that doesn't burn down her throat or taste of ash: slender flames flickering through the thickening smoke, like imps from a fairy story, devouring the wood of her office door.

[after; open]

Evy wakes with bleary eyes in the company of the faceless women, and all her efforts to demand an explanation are for naught. Her voice is a painful, wordless croak. (Is an explanation really necessary, though? She knows what happened. She knows what transpired after she fell unconscious.)

They turn her out quickly enough, and then her only thought is of the school. She couldn't have been the only one inside it--and suppose nobody knows what's going on? Someone must be there, someone must stop the fire. The fact that it's been an hour since she was inside the building doesn't occur to her; all she knows is that she must get back to the school.

Running is too exhausting, so she staggers down the street as quickly as she can manage. It's a sorry sight: a clearly distressed woman with clothing blackened in patches, soot everywhere, and curly hair that's disheveled and singed.

When she reaches the school, she stops short, covering her mouth with her hands at the sight. Seeing it from the outside makes it all the more horrifying, and for a moment, she's frozen in place, all thoughts of doing something about it having fled her mind.

((OOC: Smoke + the fumes burning plastic gives off = delicious and deadly. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Brackets and prose are both fine.))

immediately after the fire | outside

[ex_outofcontrol435]

[He's stayed in Baldr district, in Gefion Park, ever since discovering Snape at the Mushroom House. It was a sort of patrol, making sure no one else came to harm the house, but also a simple result of the rage still boiling viciously inside him. He didn't kill Snape, but with so much anger left behind, he's pretty certain he could kill the next person he sees for so much as glancing at him the wrong way. He hasn't felt this unhinged in a long while.

With Odin district right next door, it only takes a little while for him to smell the smoke. After a frantic check of the house, he realizes it's coming from the opposite direction, and follows the smell cautiously; it'd be easier with his heat sense, but after crossing the district border, the illumination of the evening sky is more than enough to point him the right way.

Although he's never been to the school, he's seen it, and he knows who runs it. He's a block or two away when he spies the smouldering mess, and his anger is immediately replaced with smug satisfaction, followed by a cold clamp of dread around his heart as the pieces leading to this event line up in his head.]

Oh fuck. Oh, fuck.

[He starts to back away, and if no one notices him in time, he'll turn to run in the opposite direction. He absolutely cannot be seen here. Of course, anyone just making it to the fire will find running in the opposite direction even more suspicious, won't they?]

[artifacetious]

[ Claudia is leaving her workshop when she smells smoke -- different smoke, that is, her workshop being in a forge. It's not coal, it's not wood, it's acrid and suffocating like when a building goes up in flames. She looks up in search of dark clouds rising from the city, but it's either too dark or too windy for them to be visible; she follows the scent instead.

As she's missed most of the fire (it's hard to realize something is burning when you're in a place where other things are burning on purpose) this proves more difficult than one would think, especially since the wind is blowing away from her, but she's closer than she realizes. In fact, Claudia is just about to give up in frustration and check the network instead when she spots a fast-moving figure... a familiar one.

With a very incriminating name.

But he wouldn't... right?

She glances back towards the scent and makes a choice: even if she found it it's not like she'd be any use as a firefighter anyway. Calling to him seems like a bad plan, so she follows her instincts and gives chase. Just in case, her Tesla winds up in her hand. ]

[ex_outofcontrol435]

[He makes it to Thor district before dodging into an alleyway and collapsing against the cool brick wall, pulling in long breaths both to catch his wind and to steady himself.

Alright. There's no reason anyone should think it was him. He pulled off an arson once, but the bar was owned by a faceless native and empty at the time, so no one really cared - this is going to be way bigger and probably spark off a witch hunt of epic proportions, but there's no reason to suspect him. He hasn't had a sign of anyone stalking his physical or network movements for months now. It's not reasonable to think someone could know everything that's happened with Snape. Only Snape himself will know, and he looked like a screaming lunatic in Barty's tirade against him, so who'll believe him?

Eventually, his breaths slow and even out, but he remains crumpled against the wall with his back turned to the mouth of the alley. As long as no one saw him there...]

[artifacetious]

[ Yeah, about that.

Someone is approaching, the pace quick but slowing down as they get closer, like the person is either cautious or searching or both. Can they hear him breathing? Then a slim shadow appears at the mouth of the alley. ]

Pyro..?

[ Whooooooops. ]

[ex_outofcontrol435]

[He straightens up and whirls around, expression hard and defensive - probably not helping his case - as he spots her.]

Are you following me?

[artifacetious]

Uh... yeah. [ She gives him a 'duh' look, and keeps her Tesla at her side, nonthreatening. ] I saw someone running away and followed them, that's what you do.

[ex_outofcontrol435]

[Nonthreatening and non-accusing. Still, he knows damn well why he was followed.]

I didn't do it. I was nowhere near it. I just followed the smell of smoke from the park and got the fuck out when I saw what was going on. Wouldn't you?!

during... ish.

[ffuckoff]

Fiona is by the front door when it becomes clear that the school's caught fire. She could easily leave, but like hell that's going to happen. She toes off her shoes-- maybe she should just stop wearing heels to work-- and tries to pin her hair back, close to her head. After getting a bit of cloth out-- it's a dishrag-- to press to her mouth, she walks down the hallway in the direction of yelling and screaming. She's looking for people to drag out.

[ooc If you want your character to be saved, Fiona's up for the task. Alternatively, if you want to be looking too and combine forces, or whatever else you can think of, please be my guest! I'm up for everything short of Fiona's death.]

[artifacetious]

No, actually, I'd call for help. But my name isn't Pyro.

[ She's not going to try and put herself in his place, but she's also not going to put her weapon away just yet because he's angry and she's made really bad judgment calls about people before. ]

[ex_outofcontrol435]

It was nearly out when I saw it. Pretty sure the call for help already happened.

[Yes, he's a selfish dickhead, rub it in some more. Like he needs the reminder again after what they did last time they met.]

Yeah, that's right. My name's Pyro, and not a single fucking dumbass in this city can get it through their heads that it means pyrokinetic. I don't just - [Okay, best to be totally honest here in case it comes out later.] - alright, I set one fire, when I first got here. Burned down an empty bar. Would a pyromaniac go that long without another one?

[artifacetious]

Hey. Quit lumping me in with everyone else, I thought we got past that.

[ They've gotten past a few things-- no, not the time. She glares, but decides to just take the chance at being wrong and holster her Tesla, holding her hands up in a gesture of peace. He says he didn't do it. She believes him. ]

You saw it? What burned?

[ex_outofcontrol435]

You're the one who followed me. What was I supposed to think?

[He stands down as well when the weapon's put away, though, his shoulders slumping.]

The school. [There is something wary in his expression at that, but it goes unexplained for now.] Part of it, anyway. I don't even have anything to do with the school - if it was the second coming of Xavier's, maybe we could talk, but this one doesn't mean shit to me.

[artifacetious]

"Gee, maybe running from the scene is gonna get me followed"? I've been wrong too many times to just let it go.

[ Sighing, she steps into the alley to continue the conversation, so as not to draw more attention. ] Snape's school? [ It's hard to tell in this light, but Claudia pales -- she knows several people who might have been inside. ]

[ex_outofcontrol435]

[He glowers, but not directly at her. It's a fair point.]

Being there would've been worse. If I could teleport, I would've.

[And here his voice tightens, because without being able to make out the concern on her face, that kind of specifying makes him even more defensive.]

Anyone else running a school around here? Yeah, Snape's. The asshole who went nuclear on the network awhile back. I'm willing to bet he pissed off enough people with that to make any police lineup a city block long.

[artifacetious]

[ It's about to become clearer in a moment, as she turns on her bracelet and starts scrolling through the list for a certain name. ]

Evy has class tonight. I'm sure, I wanted to take it but Snape told me I was too old to enroll.

[ She's going to wind up leaving a message...... Cuz yup. Yup. ]

[ex_outofcontrol435]

Classes run this late?

[Oh. Holy shit. The stakes just went up by about a billion.]

I need to get out. Way further than here. Maybe Utgard, if there's still an inn with vacancy.

[artifacetious]

Whoa whoa-- I've been here, okay? Seriously. Don't leave, it looks so much worse, and whoever actually did it will pin it on you.

[ex_outofcontrol435]

You don't get it.

[Alright, if she's made the choice of trusting him, then she'll get the full story. See how she feels then.]

I threatened to kill Snape today, alright? And he knew I was good for it, I'd bet. He's been cutting up Euri's house even though I was really fucking clear how I felt about it, and I caught him at it today.

while you were out.... voice!

[artifacetious]

[ Upon reviving, whenever she notices it, Evy's bracelet is flashing with a message. Claudia's just found out what building it was that burned, and knows Evy had class earlier... She sounds just this side of frantic. ]

Evy, are you alright? I just heard, you weren't still there, right? Call me back...

[artifacetious]

[ Okay. Deeeeeep breaths. ] I get it, it looks really extremely mondo bad. But you didn't do this. What if running means they get away with it? And do it again?

[ex_outofcontrol435]

[He does take a deep breath, albeit a very shaky one, when she still believes him. Okay. One person in his court.]

If anyone died in there -

[His face twists, and he has to start again.]

Too many people saw what I'm capable of when it comes to fire. Not what I can do, what I will do. There's no way anyone else is gonna believe me like you are.

[artifacetious]

If anyone died, it's even more important to stick around and say you didn't kill them when the fingers start pointing.

[ She will seriously knock him out if he tries to leave. Unacceptable. ] Look, I've seen your posts. You have actual friends here, they'll believe you. Better than me, they'll just know without having to ask because they'll trust their own judgment that they know you. And we've got telepaths-- I know, don't even, but it's a thing. Do. Not. Run.

Maybe it was just an accident in chem lab, I'll cross all my fingers.

[ex_outofcontrol435]

[It's hard to believe what she's saying at first, but even without Euri, Bobby, or the Brotherhood, a few people do eventually spring to mind who would probably defend him to their graves. What a bizarre, fucked up life he's made for himself here.]

So what do I do now? Go home the long way? It'll get me seen in as many districts as possible around the time of the fire and keep me away from the scene of the - whatever happened.

Damnit, why didn't Baldr hand out teleportation.

[He's talking about staying, though. This is an improvement.]

[artifacetious]

[ The slow agreement is something Claudia can almost watch happen, which would be much more satisfying if she wasn't too busy being relieved by it and also freaked out over why Evy hadn't called her back yet. She rolls her shoulders and pushes her hair out of her face, aiming for composure before they leave the alley. ]

Your power's still better than mine. [ she shrugs ] I'll walk you.