jumpscares | ( OPEN ) GAME START.

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( OPEN ) GAME START.

▶ WHO: Everyone.
▶ DATE: July 9th, 2015 (Day 1)
▶ WARNINGS: Blood, violence, general zombie horror.
▶ SUMMARY: You've met with a bad... however that line goes. Welcome to Earth.

GOOD MORNING!

Please try and ignore whatever it is that you just heard. It should only last for up to a minute... maybe.

It... it is morning, right?

There are no windows.

There's a light, but it's barely considered one. The compound runs on a solar generator, but that doesn't mean it has a lot of power. The light seems to be hanging from the ceiling, swinging precariously. That's when you might actually start to wake up, sit up, find the things that are familiar to you... and then some of the things that aren't. It'd be wise to explore the small room you're in before leaving through the steel door, but there's nobody around to tell you that.

Outside is a tightly knit compound, just as dark and metallic as the room. The hallway you're in houses dozens more doors identical to yours, and if you're unlucky there may be more people poking their heads out through them, just like you. There's a dull glowing sign that reads MEDICAL BAY but not all of you remember being hurt. Some of you may be just fine, apart from the memory of the sound you heard when waking up.

The Medical Bay is stocked with enough medicine to last a couple of months. There's almost everything that can be found in a hospital. Somebody was thinking ahead.

Outside of the Medical Bay are more doors, some are even locked—many aren't. There are living quarters, a food storage, a kitchen, some laboratories; even a room full of computers and nothing else, all with a screen asking for a password. There's only two doors out of the compound, a vehicle bay with what appear to be a few military jeeps and trucks, and the front doors. It's on the inside of the front doors that something is painted in bright red, flecked with what smell like blood:

DO NOT GO OUTSIDE WITHOUT A GUN AND WATER.
GUNSHOTS ATTRACT THEM.
HOLLOWS IS 1.3 MILES NORTH OF HERE.
GOOD LUCK.

And on the outside of the doors, if you choose to open them:

THE WORLD ENDED JULY 3RD, 2015.

Now... how long ago was that? And where is this place? Luckily for you, Hollows is a small town that can be raided. It hasn't been too long since the apocalypse—surely you'll be able to find something there. Batteries, food, weapons, maybe some people—and what you're guaranteed to find. Them, whatever that means.

Outside of the compound there's a fence with a single gate. Nothing can get past this unless you let them in for tea, so be careful. There's a shooting range and a large shed full of weapons and ammo, enough to last two months if you're careful. Guns, knives, anything that would be used by the military and police is hidden away in the shed. There are even a few hunting bows with arrows.

If you climb up the ladder to the top of the wall, there's enough room to walk along the top. There's definitely something moving in the distance, something you should definitely be worrying about. Maybe it's time to get a good look with a sniper rifle...?

Oh.

It's gone.

Maybe it was just a trick of the light. Regardless, it's impossible for everyone to stay in the compound forever. There are nefarious things at work! The choices are to go to Hollows, stick around, or go somewhere else. Really, the world is almost a blank slate. Maybe more of a used slate, but still yours to explore.

When the night comes, you should be hiding. The screamers, the ragers, whatever the hell they are, are running full tilt through the streets and across the landscape, running through anything in their way, ripping apart anything alive. If you don't make any noise, they won't notice you. Especially since they're stuck listening to each other. But if you get noticed by one, it won't be long until a horde forms... you might be able to outrun one for awhile, but they don't seem to let up on their breakneck pace. Maybe someone should have told you how to kill them.

OOC NOTES.

There will be zombies in Hollows. Whether you meet them on the way there is up to you. Apart from the undead and the animals (maybe somebody should let those poor creatures out of their houses) the town is completely deserted. In fact, the closest thing you can find to a human are the bodies of those who died without being bitten, and there's even few of those. You can find anything you'd find in a normal town here, and are free to loot and raid the houses and stores—the cops won't be coming, after all. The power is OFF apart from what you can find that is solar powered or still has a charge. If you're lucky and find another town while exploring the first few weeks, you might find an area that still has power—thank hydroelectricity.

Just keep in mind travel time... and travel expenses.

You have creative freedom over everything else. The world is open. The only stationary places are landmarks and cities—if you want to go to Texas and talk to the poor astronauts stranded up in space, it's there. (Might be a long trip, though...)

If your character can figure it out by geography before getting to Hollows, the compound is located a few hours from the west coast, in California.

The way to kill a zombie is blunt force to the head. The head doesn't need to be removed, but significant damage needs to be done to it. This does not include the throat—it needs to be a headshot.

There's also a glaring hint. The computers in the compound, asking for a password. It is impossible to hack at this time. There will be more on this later!

Finally, if your character is exploring outside of the compound (or extensively inside of it) there's a comment here for linking me the thread. You can also PM me! I'll be ducking in with what your character may or may not have found, via a response to the actual RP thread.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS please direct them here!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

WAKING UP.

[ a bloodcurdling get out is one hell of an alternative wake-up call to what quinn considers singing. he's up, he's at 'em, and he's stuck in some new goddamn hole that's — what his money's on as — undoubtedly waller's doing. the woman has a fetish; there's no two-ways about it. she likes watching them suffer. put 'em in the maze and watch the little rats scurry.

first thing he notices is the lack of a fail-safe. there's no familiar weight of exploding turtlenecks or anklets laced with nitric acid. it's a test. has to be. so, he'll play. without orders, without any sign of what to do next, he goes with gut instinct. floyd's turning the place over, the scope that serves as vision in his right eye is honed in on the metrics, pulling in what information he can. life forms outside of the room, their thermal marks visible in varying distances. they left him armed, practically strapped in and ready for a fight. ammo across his chest, glocks in their holsters, bulletproof vest, and a few other toys strapped to his legs and ankles — what the hell is she up to?

it isn't until he's combing through the lockers that he finds it. one of the pictures of his daughter, zoe, he keeps folded up and tucked in his vest. it's a sick fucking gesture, but it motivates him, gets him ready for whatever the hell else she's got planned for him. ( under the bed's a small purple something he figures for an egg. he doesn't question it; what's the point now? it goes into one of the leg pockets of his pants. )

he adjusts his scope with gloved fingers, allowing it to focus as he braces himself for what's coming next. he turns the knob, almost offended in all its ease. he points the gun forward, slowly making his way from the room with caution. one step closer to getting out of here.

one step closer to being thrown back in the hole until the next time waller feels like playing god. ]

CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE.

[ gunshots attract them. he tries not to take that personally.

find him doing the following: ]

↪ floyd's stopped pointing fingers at waller by the time he reaches the medical bay. whatever this is, whoever's behind this, it's bigger than ARGUS. maybe even bigger than waller. he raises a brow at the set-up the compound's got and it's almost cute. the clamor of what feels like a goddamn circus causes him to disappear and continue a more extensive search for answers.

↪ the living quarters don't hold much. other than a headache and more bodies panicking, following suit in confusion. no familiar faces, and a part of him is almost glad for it.

↪ he takes the time to investigate the weapons shed, coming in for sloppy seconds at this point. without much room for anything other than the sniper rifle that he throws over his shoulder, he tucks some spare ammunition and a pistol ( yes, another one ) into wherever he can.

↪ which brings our devilishly handsome anti-hero to the rooftops to do what he does best — see from a distance and finally get a good goddamn vantage point on the situation.

Edited 2015-07-12 23:50 (UTC)

[ What he can see, that most people have not yet, is a black speck running across the horizon. After a moment, it seems to strike something on the ground and ends up eating the dirt in a hard hit. Without much change in pace, however, it gets up and continues on at a breakneck pace away from the compound and soon out of sight. ]

[Steph has been out and back again once by now, setting supplies up in areas before she finds her way up to the rooftop of the compound for some fresh air and perspective. She's been around the walls, but she wants to see what the whole place looks like, and just wishes that she could get higher.

It doesn't surprise her to see someone else up there, but she still approaches carefully, "See anything interesting?"

[ there's a quick glance over his shoulder; it's all he needs. ] You mean other than the kid in a cape takin' up residence on my roof? [ floyd sniffs, staring back into scope of the rifle. the technology in his own enhances his field of vision, and as he speaks, he returns to scanning the border of the compound, slowly working his way to the details of what lies beyond. ] Not a goddamn thing.

[ he pauses, acknowledging the small cluster of heat signatures headed toward the gate, but the tension eases in his shoulders when he realizes it was the same group he'd seen exit an hour previous. ] Well—? [ he slides a pair of abandoned binoculars her way — just one of several more consolation prizes the old crew left behind. ] You're gonna linger, might as well make yourself useful.

I'm nearly twenty.

[Said with all the bluster of a teenager who is horribly offended by their age being pointed out.

But she's only messing around, because she takes the binoculars as soon as they're offered.]

You been out there?

Mazel tov, sweetheart. [ he listens as she speaks, but he keeps his focus fixated on the distance — it's quiet out there, and with all the scare tactics scrawled around the joint, something tells him this is only the beginning. anybody not keeping on their toes is fucked ten ways to sunday; he'll be sure to wave to 'em on his way out. ]

Saw all I needed to see up close. [ distance is where he gets his detail. his expression stays, but there's amusement in his tone. ] 'sides, all the real fun's up here.

Thanks.

[Her tone is so very dry, even as she brings the binoculars up to her eyes so she can look through them.]

What, you don't like getting your hands dirty?

[She has zombie brain in her utility belt, okay, she's allowed to make fun of the sniper.]

Well, see, 'fore I was carted off to the future and thrown smack dab in the middle of a B-Rated horror flick, I was actually gettin' me a manicure done, so —

[ there's a scream. he swings the barrel of his gun in the direction of the noise. a teenage girl runs from something lumbering behind her. the arms of the body swing slowly from side-to-side, and floyd pulls the trigger. with a bullet through the skull, the idiot falls to the ground.

he turns his head to look at the masked girl, shooting her a one-eyed look. ]

What can I say? I'm useless without my spa day.

Edited 2015-07-13 07:01 (UTC)

[As soon as Steph hears that scream, the smartass act disappears in a second, replaced by a worried stillness as she glances at Floyd, waiting for him to shoot the zombie.

From the way she's holding herself, it almost looks like she's considering running off to solve the problem herself.]

Is she okay?

[Her binoculars aren't as good as whatever scope he's got, judging by how easily he made the shot.]

[ lazily, floyd turns his attention back to the scope, his own zooming in for a better look at the girl. ] No blood. Out of breath. A little shaken.

[ there's a misplaced grin on his face when he glances at her. ] Jesus, they woulda loved you back home. [ as he returns to his self-appointed task, he mutters: ] Another goddamn mask for the funny pages.

That was a good shot.

[Steph lets out the breath she'd been holding and relaxes a little, though she only casts a brief glance at Floyd before turning her attention back to the expanses of land and the girl. She wants to make sure she gets somewhere safe.

Idly:]

There isn't much funny about Gotham. And my name's Batgirl.

Always is, sweetheart. [ there's a thank you in there somewhere. ] I don't miss.

[ he snorts, almost genuinely taken aback now — ] Good ol' Gotham City. [ it's not his favorite place, in case she couldn't tell. ] There's a name I haven't heard in a while.

[ with a frown, he tips his chin. ] You goin' down there?

[She's going to address the whole Gotham thing in a second, because its kind of important, but first:]

It looks like she's heading back, she should get here before I'd get to her. If it looks bad, there's someone I can call.

[@Superman: help]

Did you know Gotham city doesn't exist in a whole bunch of worlds?

[Her point being that they might come from somewhere similar.]

[ he nearly remarks on the girl's speed before his train of thought's interrupted with more talk about gotham. floyd quirks a brow, leaning his head back slightly to stare at this batgirl ( which, by the way, is still better than the arrow ) again. ]

Well, lucky me, [ he doesn't sound lucky at all. ] I'm well friggin' acquainted.

Most people who don't like her tend to not have treated her right.

[It's "get weird about Gotham City" time with Stephanie Brown.]

[ her—? he scoffs lightly, more riddled with amusement than anything else. ] Yeah, well. Let's just say we had one hell of a break up.

[ as floyd turns back to the scope, his expression changes. there's a soft mechanical noise as he adjusts his right eye's substitute, getting a closer look at something far beyond the basic field of vision. ]

Are you seein' that?

[ it might have been a change of subject if he wasn't so fixated. to the untrained eye, it's nothing more than a bug in the distance, but he watches as it travels quickly and winds up regretting it, falling into the ground. whatever it is — it's no insect, and it sure as hell ain't human.

as fast as it was, it recomposes itself and disappears from sight once more. he doesn't move — waiting to see if it returns. ]

I don't know about you, kid, but I'm startin' to wish I was back in Gotham.

[Steph adjusts the focus on the binoculars without question, looking in the same direction but all she can make out is a tiny dot.]

Your sight's better than mine, what was it?

[The mechanical sound is filed away for later, but cyborg parts aren't all that surprising.]

[ Something prickles at the back of her neck. Natasha blinks and looks behind her. Inside his sights, said devilishly handsome anti-hero might find her looking straight into his direction over her shoulder before vanishing back into the vehicle bay.

Some moments later and she's on the rooftop too. There's a rifle slung over one shoulder, two holsters at her thighs, and a medical bag hanging off the other shoulder.

Natasha quirks a brow, her mouth cutting to the left.

What, I don't get a hello? [ As if they're old friends, rather than him being some guy with a sniper rifle and one hell of an eyepatch. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

( OPEN ) GAME START.

floyd lawton | arrow | ota

:-)

yoooooo

YOOOOOO.

apparently i couldnt decide if i was using prose or brackets???

por que no los dos

im gonna switch it up just to keep you on your toes

i welcome the challenge tbh

just u wait

braces for impact

it'll be when u least expect it

my kinda party

fingerguns

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