( 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

laughcries tbh

[controlledvariable]

You feel like getting some fresh air, Tim Drake?

[She isn't going to answer that question about her name, not yet, because she knows he needs her actual name.]

<--seriously terrible person.

[notafraidofyou]

Sure, Batgirl. [He vaguely considers a little starry-eyed "gosh a real live vigilante" crap, just to tease her, but he doesn't know her, and he's honestly not in the mood. In what crazy alternate universe is Batgirl not Barbara?] The little guy might like to stretch his wings some.

[Oh, right. There's a little baby robin-looking bird hopping around on top of his backpack. He shifts a little so that she can see it.]

its ok so am I

[controlledvariable]

[At least he recognizes the symbol; that's a lot better than him being from some universe without Bats.

But really, she's distracted by the robin for a second, because it almost hurts a little to think back to when he was Robin and things were simple.]

You sure he won't fly away?

excellent. we'll be great friends.

[notafraidofyou]

[He shrugs.] Your guess is as good as mine. He was hopping around when I woke up, looking at me like I was his mom or something. I hope he's not expecting me to chew up earthworms and spit them into his mouth, because that is absolutely never going to happen.

\o/

[controlledvariable]

I guess we'll find out.

[This is - super weird, but Steph starts walking anyway, heading towards the exit.]

Did you just wake up?

[notafraidofyou]

Yeah, pretty much. [He's had some time to look around, and to hunt down a few supplies for his backpack, but it's not like he's been around for days or anything.] What about you?

[controlledvariable]

About seven hours now, it's been interesting so far.

[This is the most awkward conversation she's ever had.]

[notafraidofyou]

[Tim's sort of feeling the awkwardness himself, though he has no reason why. He's really hoping Batgirl is leading the way toward someplace where they can talk like real people, rather than people who aren't supposed to know anything about each other, because this whole thing is really starting to get under his skin.]

Yeah? Interesting how? Figure out how to find the door home yet?

[controlledvariable]

[That's the plan, as she navigates through the corridors.]

Not yet, but I've got a couple clues to follow that might give us more information.

[notafraidofyou]

[He grins a little at her.] I think that makes you my new best friend.

[controlledvariable]

[Ouch.]

You'll have to get in line, my current best friend might have something to say about it.

[notafraidofyou]

[There's that awkwardness again. He wishes he knew what it was all about.

Oh, well. Forge on.]

Maybe we can share best friend duties. He or she can braid your hair and I can paint your toenails. I'm crap at braiding hair.

[controlledvariable]

[That comment startles a laugh out of her, but she's saved from having to respond bu the appearance of the door.

Bloody warning and all.]

There's a fence around the compound, but we'll still be careful.

[Steph pushed the door open, holding it for Tim.]

[notafraidofyou]

Considering the dire warnings? That's probably a pretty good idea.

[He ducks out ahead of her, into the fresh air.]

[controlledvariable]

There's a good reason for those.

[Steph heads for the side of the building where scaling it will be easiest, then gestures for Tim to lead the way.

There's a challenge in her expression, to let him know he doesnt need to play dumb with her.]

[notafraidofyou]

[He gives her a quick grin that's only a little cocky, then heads straight up without hesitating any longer than it takes to make sure he won't dislodge his little passenger on the way up.

Well, in his world, Tim Drake has a little bit of a checkered past. Not that he really thinks it matters much in this one.]

[controlledvariable]

[Steph follows Tim up with ease, then promptly sits down on the edge of the building with a sigh.

And pulls her cowl off.]

Hey, Tim.

[notafraidofyou]

[...And he still has no idea who she is.]


Hey... not Barbara.

[He sits down opposite her, frowning a little.]

I feel like I'm missing something.

[controlledvariable]

Wh--

[How could he be Robin when Babs was Batgirl?

Steph pinches the bridge of her nose.]

I think this is alternate universe crap. My name's Steph. At home we were--

[ugh]

We're friends.

[notafraidofyou]

[Okay, see, when you say it like that, it's kind of obvious that 'friends' is a bit of an understatement. Or was. Something like that. No wonder things are so awkward.]

Well, then I guess it's nice to meet you. I don't know any Stephs in my universe. Definitely not who are Batgirl.

[Is it rude to ask why she's Batgirl?

Screw it.]

Uh--how are you Batgirl? I mean... Is it like a legacy thing? Like Robin? Or are you the one and only?

[controlledvariable]

Its nice to meet you too, Tim.

[A Tim who doesn't know her, who's very young, and who thinks Babs should be Batgirl.]

She retired, passed it on to her... sort of daughter. Then that girl passed it on to me.

[That isn't entirely correct, but it's the easiest way to explain it all.]

[notafraidofyou]

[Well, that is about as clear as mud. But at least the fact that Barbara isn't dead is coming through loud and clear, and Tim relaxes slightly.]

Oh. Okay. Good. [Aaaaaaand he sounds like an asshole.] I mean, I was worried maybe she died, or something.

[controlledvariable]

No, she's doing something even better now.

[Babs is here; Steph will warn her about this Tim and let her decide how to handle it, because none of it is Steph's place.]

I started off as the Spoiler, then I was Robin for a little while.

[notafraidofyou]

[There is so much there that Tim doesn't even know what to do with. He's still processing 'sort of daughter.' And before he decides to think too much on the how of that, Steph has given him a bunch of new things to think about, which is honestly a relief because the less he thinks on the other thing the better. Not that it's any of his business how she and Bruce and Dick manage their weird relationships, but he's happiest when he's staying out of it.]

That's all pretty new to me. Except for the Robin part... Hopefully obviously. [He motions with his head toward the wall they'd climbed.] Otherwise we probably wouldn't have done that.

[controlledvariable]

Yeah, I figured you were still doing the robin thing.

[If he wants to know more details, she'll give them, but only if he asks.

The last thing she wants to do is overwhelm him with information.]

The bird kinda clued me in, too. Have you named it?