( 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

[blackagar]

[ There it is again, something about being eaten. She seems sure that's going to be the result. His lips purse, but he otherwise ignores her input. The zombie, unfortunately, is beginning to look like it wants to prove her right. It nears him, stumbling step after stumbling step, gaining speed, and it's begun to click its teeth in a disconcerting way.

...No. This isn't something that can be spoken with. It's worse than an animal, mindless. The hand that he'd used a moment ago to stop her now changes to a beckon, a quick go ahead of permission. Whatever she was planning to do to 'knock its head off', he won't stop her. ]

[controlledvariable]

You're really not being much help here, Mr. Silent.

[That's his new name now, as Steph sighs and starts running towards the zombie. She tucks her bo staff away, and instead kicks the zombie's kneecap, sending it to the ground, then just smashes it's skull with her heel.]

Fucking. Zombies.

[blackagar]

[ If he minds the new name, he certainly doesn't look ready to say anything about it. He watches her work steadily, approving. She's efficient. It reminds him of humans he's known before.

He crouches next to the zombie once it's unquestionably dead, watching it closely, picking out the signs of battle and distress on the body. He even reaches out a gloved hand to pick up the wrist, turning it for a better look at the bloody, rotted remains of what looks like a human bite mark on its forearm. Only then does he look up again at Steph, a question in his eyes. Does she know anything about this? ]

[controlledvariable]

[Steph doesn't want anything to do with the damn thing, but she crouches down anyway and draws a small knife and forensic bag out of one of the pouches on her belt.

She's just gonna take some zombie brains back for analyzing.

As for Mr. Silent's questioning look:]

I'm guessing you don't watch zombie movies? [It's a rhetorical question, she doesn't wait for an answer.] They're undead, corpses that move without any... soul or whatever left inside 'em. I don't know how it happened, but we're gonna figure it out.

[blackagar]

[ He watches the knife curiously, until he realizes the intent. Ew. His lips twist slightly, but he can guess the intention behind it, and it's a necessary acquisition. His eyes are back on hers again for the explanation, short as it is, and... that does sound slightly familiar. Zombies. There's a more pressing curiosity now, though.

He sets that wrist down again, surprisingly gentle, and drops his hand to the dirt below the body. In a few quick moves, he writes: ] We?

[controlledvariable]

[Ew is right, but it is necessary, so she's just going to take some brain and tuck it in her belt. The knife goes away, too, once it's clean.]

There's a lot of us who woke up at the compound. A few are friends of mine.

[Well. There's Jason. And Babs.]

I figure between us all we can work it out.

[blackagar]

[ Had she come in a group? Black Bolt had woken alone, but it's encouraging to learn there are people here that had already known each other. He might find one of the Royal Family here, even. He nods with the information, and drops his eyes to the body again. He regards it for a while before rising slowly back to his feet. It should be buried, he thinks. He glances around them, searching for anything that might be suitable for digging. Even a stick would do. Desperate times. ]

[controlledvariable]

[Steph stands as well, watching him curiously as he looks around, before it clicks what he might be doing.]

There's gonna be a lot of these, we can't bury all of them.

[It sucks, but they can't waste time or energy on burying bodies.]

[blackagar]

[ The news is startling as it is disheartening. There are more? He does stop his visual search of the surrounding area, though, and his chest rises and falls in a silent sigh. Still, he has to do something. He looks to Steph again and makes a small gesture, a short of shooing. A request that she step back, given as politely as he can. ]

[controlledvariable]

[She gives him a confused look, but follows the gesture and takes a few steps backwards.]

What are you doing?

[blackagar]

[ He watches, measures her steps back, and while it's probably enough, he doesn't want to take any chances. Without answering he gestures again, requesting a little more space. ]

[controlledvariable]

Is this gonna get weird?

[But she's walking back anyway, side-eying him a little as she does.]

[blackagar]

[ For the first time, he nearly smiles. It's just a little twitch of the lips, which would be unremarkable and easily missed if his generally impassive face had any other movement to it.

He turns back to the body again once she's safely away, studies it for a few long seconds, and parts his lips. ]

Rest.

[ It's just a whisper, nearly inaudible, but the reaction is instant. The body pulverises in the resulting wave of energy, and half the ground it had rested on with it. It's left a mess, an already decomposing body dropped from 30 floors up, but it's... improved. He thinks. It will break down more quickly this way, and it's not just leaving an intact dead body where it fell. ]

[controlledvariable]

[Muttered:]

It got weird.

[She doesn't even want to know what is happening in her life right now. Zombies and weird superheroes who talk and blow up bodies????]

Thanks for not saying hi earlier, I guess.

[blackagar]

[ It got a little weird, sorry Steph. He turns toward her again, only nodding briefly to acknowledge the thanks. It's a facetious thanks, he gets that. He's glancing around again, this time to get his bearings. When he thinks he has the direction of the compound worked out, he points toward it and gives her another of those questioning looks. Will she be heading back? And more importantly, would she like company getting there — he'll work out how to add that part when he comes to it, though. ]

[controlledvariable]

I wasn't planning to head back until I've at least found a pharmacy. We're gonna need supplies.

[There's a lot of people that were waking up in the compound.]

[blackagar]

[ A pharmacy. That, he can help with. His point shifts, toward the North instead, even as he starts in the indicated direction. The invitation is implied in the gesturing nod of his head. ]

[controlledvariable]

[Well, sure, okay.

Steph hesitates for a second, before jogging to catch up.]

So... does the explode-y thing happen whenever you talk?

[blackagar]

[ He doesn't glance over at her for her question, but keeps his eyes ahead as they move, and nods. Sure does, every single time. Go ahead and ask how much that can suck, the answer is a lot. ]

[controlledvariable]

Man, that must be shit.

[She feels like Babs would wish Steph had something like that, so that she couldn't chatter all the time.]

How do you normally talk to people? 'Cause I know a little sign language if that helps.

[blackagar]

[ Oh. That does help, actually. He glances over, the better to verify: ]

ASL?

[ There are like a thousand human sign languages, and he's only learned a few of them, but he's pretty sure her accent is American. Just makin sure here, ok. ]

[controlledvariable]

Yeah. You might have to go slow on some things, 'cause I've only needed it like once before, but we try to at least know the basics.

[There's that "we" again.]

[blackagar]

[ The 'we' is definitely noted. But he nods, and watches her sidelong as he signs, looking for any incomprehension. ]

My wife. She understands and interprets my meanings.

[controlledvariable]

[It's a little hard to watch their surroundings and focus on understanding the signing, but she tries, following the movements and taking a moment to put it all together.

Okay.]

I'm guessing she's not here?

[blackagar]

[ He shakes his head at that, the disappointment hidden too well to show. Being apart from his wife, while sometimes necessary, is never enjoyed. ]

Not that I've seen. Queen M-E-D-U-S-A. Red, moving hair. [ He sort of doubts she'll know the sign for 'prehensile', and spares her that one. ] If you see her here.