( OPEN ) GAME START.

[monstermasher]

▶ 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!

Comments

[alonetogether]

[She doesn't care she doesn't care she doesn't caaaaare.

Ellie tries very very hard not to sound curious, to sound completely uninterested.]

You actually get paid to do the whole costume thing?

[controlledvariable]

[Nailed it.]

God, I wish. Unless you count getting paid in hospital visits.

[HAaha.

ha.]

But nah, it's a figure of speech, this stuff just isn't what I usually deal with. I don't even have an arch nemesis.

[Yes she does it's her dad.]

[alonetogether]

Arch nemesis. [ She says the words like she's testing them out, then she gives a little laugh. ] Man. You're making me miss my comic books.

[ Which of course makes her think of Joel and the way he always finds them for her. She sucks on her bleeding cut gingerly, worry clouding her focus again. ]

We should check the houses. For like, newspapers or diaries or something.

[controlledvariable]

Aw, come on, you like comics and you didn't eve say anything about my suit.

[Steph is going to pout, but it's fake and teasing, just trying to help put Ellie at ease.]

And yeah, I've been doing that, can't say I've found much so far.

[alonetogether]

It's okay. [ Her tone is lofty.

It is totally awesome. ] ...What's in the belt? Bombs and stuff?

[ She eyeballs the houses around them. ] No newspapers or anything, huh.

[controlledvariable]

[Steph makes a face like I know you're playing, girl.]

I guess you could call 'em bombs. Some are actually explosive, but some freeze, others are electrified. The goop ones are pretty fun, especially watching someone try to get the stuff of them.

[Is she showing off now?

A little.]

Some newspapers, but it seems like everything happened pretty quick. I've been thinking about taking some computers apart and hauling the hard drives back to the compound to see if there's anything interesting on 'em.

[alonetogether]

That is so cool.

[ So much for being casual. Steph she wants to see you use every single one of those things okay? Okay? Okay. Good. ]

Creepy. Where I'm from people at least like, had some warning. It didn't do any good, but nobody woke up with the world suddenly over.

[controlledvariable]

[Ha!]

Hang around and maybe you'll get to see it in action.

[The important part, for Steph is hang around, because she doesn't like the idea of Ellie running off on her own.]

We kinda just woke up with the world suddenly over.

[She makes a face.]

I found some bodies that weren't, you know. But they didn't tell me anything.

[alonetogether]

Oh yeah.

[ She rubs her arms, not that she's cold. Even the long-sleeved shirt she was wearing under her winter layers is almost too warm for this weather. ]

How old? Could you tell?

[controlledvariable]

Less than a week.

[Which could mean anything, but the suicide, if nothing else, suggests that the world only went to shit a little while ago.]

I'd check the zombies if I could, but for all I know the don't decay the way normal bodies do.

[alonetogether]

That's so fucking weird.

[ Also completely gross. She walks up to the nearest house's front door and tries the knob. Locked. ]

Well, someone's home, or they thought they'd be coming back.

[ Home in what sense? WHO KNOWS. Ellie pulls her switchblade from her back pocket, wriggling it in between door and jamb until she can shove the bolt back.

Clickity click, motherfucker.] Gotcha.

[controlledvariable]

Tell me about it.

[She's the one thinking about poking around zombies; a dissection really could tell them a lot, but her forensic knowledge would be too limited.

She raises an eyebrow at Ellie's comment about someone being home, adjusting her grip on her staff just incase there's anything inside, then watches Ellie break the lock.]

Not bad, and a lot quicker than picking the lock.

[Which is what Steph's been doing.]

[alonetogether]

Yeah, well. I was never much good at picking locks.

[ No patience. That's what Winston told her.

Ellie eases the door open, listening hard. There's the creak of hinges. The particular heavy silence of a settling house. Nothing even smells. Under her breath, she whispers: ] What the hell happened to these people?

[ The house looks so new. She's never been inside one that hasn't gone through twenty years of decay.

Ellie walks over to a wall covered in paintings and photographs, studying them and wondering how many of the people in them are still alive. They're so beautifully crisp. Everything in here is so fresh. She touches one of the frames reverently. ]

So this is what the world looked like, huh.

[controlledvariable]

The world ended.

[Steph's voice is quiet and a little reverent, for the people who didn't survive whatever happened here.

Her priority might be finding out what happened in order to get home, but she also wants to know for the sake of... knowing, for having answers to whatever befell this world.

She's a little more somber as she watches Ellie, closing the door quietly behind them and glancing around the house.]

How long had it been for you, since the... Infected?

[alonetogether]

Yeah, but. Where'd they go? If they were all inf- zombies, wouldn't there be more of them?

[ And if there are more, where are they hiding? She shivers and turns away from the photos. ]

Man. It's so clean.

[ Ellie registers what Steph says a moment later. ] Huh? Oh. Before I was born.

[ She shrugs. ]

[controlledvariable]

Maybe everyone ran?

[She isn't sure if she necessarily buys her own suggestion, but at the moment she's just tossing ideas around for the sake of it.

Hopefully they can find more answers soon.]

That's a long time.

[There's a hint of sympathy in her tone, but she doesn't dwell on it, since she's kind of been wanting for them to get inside somewhere.]

You want me to clean up those cuts for you?

[She couldn't exactly do it while outside.]

[alonetogether]

A whole population doesn't just disappear. It definitely doesn't just escape.

[ The words are bleak, her tone forcefully distant. She's trying not to remember the boy's diary from Bill's town, those buses and the infected all around them - a town that tried to run.

She shakes her head to clear it before she can go too far down that road. ] What? Oh, I guess. I mean, it's always been the way it is, you know?

[ Except it hasn't for some people. Like Marlene. Like Joel. Henry. Tess. Like old Winston.

Deep breath and back to the present. What the hell, Ellie. ] Huh?

[controlledvariable]

[There are a lot of things that Steph considers saying, but she decides it might be best to leave it for now, because it's clear that Ellie really has been through a lot.

Steph doesn't want to push too much, not when they just met.]

On your face. I've got a first aid kit on me, so I can fix 'em up for you.

[alonetogether]

Oh. Sure. [She touches her nose to make sure it's not bleeding or anything. That's the last thing she needs, is to start pouring blood from all her face-holes.] It's not that bad.

[controlledvariable]

Still better off getting it clean.

[She does't say "so it won't get infected" because she has a feeling that might be a bit of a bad word to use. Instead, Steph just gestures at one of the couches.]

Take a seat and I'll play doctor.

[alonetogether]

[ Eyebrows up. ] I'm sure you're not bad looking or anything, but that might be too much for a first date.

[ Still, she plumps herself down on the couch, patting the cushions to try and get dust or mold to rise out of them. She bounces a little, enjoying the un-smelling squish of clean couch, before she remembers that dignity exists. ]

[controlledvariable]

[Steph laughs, shaking her head.]

You're a little young for me, don't worry.

[But she crouches down in front of Ellie anyway, peeling off her gloves and starting to pull a few things from her utility belt. The first is an antiseptic wipe, so-]

Fair warning, this is gonna sting a little.

[alonetogether]

[ DEEP BREATH. ]

Hit me.

[controlledvariable]

That's the spirit.

[Steph likes Ellie already.

But despite Ellie's readiness, Steph is still as gentle as possible, cleaning the cuts slowly and carefully, pulling back occasionally to make sure Ellie's doing okay with the sting of antiseptic.]

It looks like you're not gonna need anything more than butterfly stitches, which is definitely a plus in these circumstances.

[alonetogether]

No kidding. [ It was hard enough finding the stuff to stitch Joel up. Her face is burning, but it's no worse than when it was addressed repeatedly to the cell door. ] I get the feeling medical supplies are gonna be one of those things everybody wants and no one's got.