Ken Li (strongbreaker) wrote in alleyrpg, @ 2010-07-20 13:14:00 |
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Entry tags: | 2030: 07, character: ken li, place: other |
RP: Ken
Date: 20 July
Characters: Ken Li (and anyone else in the area if they want to join in)
Location: King's Cross
Private/Public: Public
Rating: PG for language
Summary: A simple spell goes horribly wrong
Ken had intended to spend his evening sorting out his curse-breaking gear in anticipation of the all clear from his physical. It had been in storage for a year and therefore in dire need of checking (in case replacement was necessary) and airing. Already he'd found a prolific growth of mould on and in his hiking boots when his computer pinged to announce that one of his friends had updated. Putting down the mouldy boot, Ken ambled over - mentally noting he needed to disable the alert before it annoyed him - and saw Corrie's post. He considered for a moment, looking back at his boots and the dark closet full of gear, and then accepted the invitation. Not because he didn't think he'd survive his trip to Belize, but more because going out with friends was a lot more fun than de-moulding gear.
Still he wanted to at least get things out of the closet, which was why he told Corrie he'd take half an hour. Get it all out, cast a few spells to start the de-moulding process while he was away and then come back to it later. Perfect plan.
Shrugging on his jacket and then pulling out his wand, he went over to the closet, holding up his wand and mentally casting the Lumos spell so he could see.
Except it wasn't lumos.
Instead of a soft illuminating glow, his wand suddenly turned into a flame thrower, sending a plume of fire rocketing upwards and hitting the ceiling of closet - and catching the clothing hanging in it - before Ken could even move.
"Fuck!" he leapt back, his face feeling hot and almost singed from the heat. "Finite! Finite! Fucking bloody bollocks just Finite already!" he was yelling the spell to end the flames not just with his voice but his mind as well, but it took the last incantation before the wand stopped shooting out flames and by then Ken had more to worry about than what his wand was doing.
The closet had turned into a fireplace and flames were licking the edges, creeping along the floor, picking up the books, maps and other papers Ken had spread out.
"A-Aguamenti!" Ken attempted to halt the flames with water, but only bubbles came out. "No, no... no... this is not good..." He didn't have a fire extinguisher, who needed that when there was magic that would, under normal circumstances, put out a fire without any problems. "AGUAMENTI!"
Finally the water came out, but it was like a trickle compared to the fire and the smoke was stinging his eyes, causing him to cough. Ken could tell that the fire had taken hold and his attempts weren't going to stop it. Even the aged sprinkler system in his flat, which just then spluttered to life, wasn't going to help. Swearing, Ken soaked the carpet ahead of the fire before, trying to contain it at least. The fire alarm went off and he could hear the system echoing through the building, warning other occupants.
His throat was starting to burn, he soaked a scarf and wrapped it around his face to prevent more smoke inhalation. The sprinkler and the water from his wand was having some effect in preventing the fire from coming further into the bedsit, but it wasn't stopping the flames that were inside the closet - they were spreading along the wall, feeding on the old wallpaper and the maps Ken had stuck up.
Struggling to keep calm and stay focused despite the smoke and heat, Ken threw out more spells, more powerful than Aguamenti in a last ditch attempt to contain the fire. Unfortunately whatever was causing magic to go wrong decided to play one last trick and actually accelerated the fire to the point where all Ken could do was bolt for the balcony (his front door was impossible to reach). He stood there, looking down, seeing the people milling about below, several of whom he recognised as neighbours. Had they all gotten out? He hoped so, he didn't want to be responsible for deaths.
No one seemed to have spotted him so Ken hoped like hell that would continue and also hoped he wouldn't splinch before apparating to a dark spot below. He popped into existence safely and unnoticed, and then, pulling down the wet scarf to gulp in the air, looked up at his flat - which now seemed to be completely alight.
"Fucking hell..." he breathed and then coughed, continuing to look up at the building. It was then he noticed the twitching curtains of the flat a couple of doors down from his. Ken stiffened, remembering then that the occupant of the flat was a reclusive old geezer who (apparently) horded all sorts of junk. He'd overheard the other neighbours complain about him before and doubted they would have made sure he got out, so it was possible he was still up there. The more he stared, the surer Ken was that the old man was inside.
"Fuck and bollocks..." he sighed and, with a mental apology for breaking the statute of secrecy, he apparated into the flat - knowing the layout would be just the same as his.
He was right, the old recluse was still there and choking on smoke, which was pouring in even if the flames hadn't yet reached. He almost choked when Ken popped into existence in front of him and then wheezed, hands waving in a frantic manner. "Wh-who... ha-how?"
"Don't ask," Ken took off his scarf and wrapped it around the man's face. Almost immediately he was coughing as the thick smoke invaded his exposed nose and throat. He grabbed the old man, lifting him up so he could hold him firmly, the effort causing him to inhale more smoke. Despite his burning eyes and raw throat, as well as the nasty headache that had formed, Ken managed to successfully side-apparate the old Muggle recluse, arriving in the same dark spot where he'd arrived before. As he set the man down, checking he was still breathing (he was), Ken heard the sound of sirens. Fire Services were on their way.
"I'll get help..." he wheezed, wishing for nothing more than a cold glass of water. That seemed more important than the fact that his home had just been gutted and he'd lost everything except for the clothes on his back and what was in his jacket pockets.
"Ha... ha..." the old man was also wheezing, but more from the shock of being apparated than the smoke now. Ken took no notice, hoping that whoever he got to help the bloke just thought he was hallucinating if he talked about what had happened. Spotting a middle-aged woman, he caught her attention. "Hey, there's an old chap over there... he's suffering from.. I mean, I think he'd suffering from smoke inhalation."
"Eh?" she looked at Ken and blinked, concern creasing her features. "You don't look very good yourself, son."
"I'm fine, really," Ken pointed the recluse out to her and when she finally turned to look at the man, he quickly apparated some distance away and sat down against a wall, wheezing more. He knew he had to get to St Mungo's and be treated for smoke inhalation, but he was so tired and he hurt inside and out. Plus his mind was going crazy, questioning what had happened to make such a simple spell as lumos go so horribly wrong.
Finally, with the sounds of the firemen battling the fire and the onlooking crowd in the background, Ken lurched to his feet and started walking away, reaching in his pocket for his phone. Corrie would be wondering why he wasn't showing for dinner.