The Deadland

[Over the radio] This is Rivalz. Would everyone that is staying with me please return to our apartment? We have some important things to discuss regarding the recent developments.

((OOC: Tag format can either be in brackets or prose, it doesn't particularly matter. But feel free to just tag in as your characters arriving and chitchatting. I have to run and take another exam but I'll be back and I'll tag in his few main points in a couple separate threads for discussion's sake. Then we can have a round of Monopoly like Katy, Ketsu and I wanted |D Okay? Okay!))

There were fewer monsters around at the time Zero and Fletcher had gone out to search for loot. They had plenty of food for now, but they could use clothing, medicine, and the like.

Unfortunately, it didn't stay so calm. As they passed by an abandoned electronics shop, the dead televisions lining the front window suddenly sprung to life, blaring static. Fletcher jumped and let out a small shriek.

And then, the monsters came. Fletcher clung to the bag he was carrying and stepped behind Zero. This wasn't good.

Lelouch had finished bandaging Suzaku's leg, Suzaku was still a little confused by his reaction, after all he had given Lelouch a lot of information, including the fact he was dead. Did part of him remember that? Was that why he was so calm?

Or was it just because this was Lelouch and would not show Suzaku his real emotions. A knock on the door startled him and he reached for the helmet putting it back on and going to unlock the door.

[ Static, then across all channels a voice chimes in. He's very chipper and cheerful! It's probably irritating to some. ]

Hey, Asper! How are you, how's your stay been, hope the food's been good, nice weather we're having. Now that pleasantries are out of the way, let's get to business: everyone's favorite kid has let us know something to pass onto you guys.

Expect a period of time-- an hour at least-- any time during the day for these lil critters to get especially aggressive. There's some weird mumbo jumbo involved apparently, so it said "when something weird happens, that might be the time"! Keep your eyes and ears open.

During the time that weird stuff goes down, you'll find the wildlife drops a little flask when it's destroyed. It's called Energy, and it's just a drink. You'll need this to live on here-- unless you want to be sucked bone dry, anyways! So drink some every day. That's what it told me to tell you all.

That's all!

Open: [As darkness began to fall the sounds of the monsters faded as the moved away from the centre of the city. Suzaku had no idea why and he worried about it. Why would they just retreat? Was it the darkness? That would be strange, Suzaku had read stories where monsters came out at night and retreated in the day but never the other way round.

He made one more loop of the street, he had a shallow scratch on one of his legs, the bottom of his trousers were ripped a little, there was a deeper scratch on his arm but nothing serious. He was wearing the normal clothes that Lelouch had given him, they were blood stained but most of it wasn't his own. He was still wearing the Zero mask. He pulled the radio out of his pocket.]

The monsters are retreating from the central area of the city, what is the situation elsewhere?

A little later, for Lelouch, Fletcher and Patience: Suzaku checked the streets nearby and the whole apartment building for any remaining monsters before heading to the apartment. It seemed the situation was similar over the whole city and the monsters were gone... for now. He reached up to knock on the door realising there was blood on his hand.

Six months of peace, not everything had been perfect but... Suzaku hadn't had to kill since Zero Requiem had been completed. Though he could and should never rid himself of the guilt of all those he had killed before, he hadn't had to kill...

Until today and though they were monsters, monsters that wanted to kill them they still bled and died the same way as humans had. He had lost count of how many he had shot at today... He knocked quietly and rested his head, still wearing the mask, against the door feeling the urge to laugh at the whole situation.

…And to think that just yesterday I had hoped to hear the sounds of animals in the city. Such a desolate place without birdsong, though the howls of animals, while many, haven’t helped. [she tapers off, a little lost in thought before continuing]

For those who haven't met me yet, my name is Ouka. I've been given directions to set up a clinic in Room 112 at the Mercy Street Apartments - [stops abruptly, before sneezing] I’m sorry, for those in need of medical attention. Unfortunately, it’s not in the best of states this morning…all this dust is rather troublesome. But it’s serviceable. Anyone in need of healing is welcome to stop by. I will do my best to treat you.

[the door to room 112 is wide open, with Ouka on her knees on the floor, trying to get at the last piece of dust. feel free to walk by or come in and say hello]

[This is not exactly alien to Patience - waking up in new places certainly is not, and though she loathes it with a passion, having magic worked on her while she was insensate is also not an unfamiliar occurrence. That doesn't mean she's taking it any better, though you wouldn't know it from her demeanor; besides her soft mouth being screwed up into a pout, her temper shows in nothing more than the extreme, clipped precision of her movements as she walks down a street, treading carefully and sticking to the edges of buildings, hearing the noises of chaos dimly from not too far away.

She already tried to pull on the ambient power to aid in scaling a building for hopefully safer high ground; it failed miserably, and now mingled fury, fear and near-painful tension keep her hair prickling on the back of her neck and her vision almost ignored in favour of acute attuning to the currents of the world around her.

She can still feel, at least. Even if she can't use it.

Bringing the radio up to her mouth she keeps her voice low and modulated in case anything dangerous is in close proximity, but clear so as to hopefully minimize the distortion of the device itself.]

Is anyone out there?

[He sounds furious] What is making all that noise!?

[After the supplies were gotten, it was time to get things organized in the apartment. Everyone had their own bedroom, Lelouch placed Suzaku in the one nearest the entrance to the apartment. It was time for this odd trio to get to know their new member a bit better.] Fletcher, put the boxed food away in the kitchen cabinets. I suppose I'll have to make do with nonperishables for now. [Heavy sigh. So inferior.]

[Follows after with another shopping bag, putting things away very meticulously.]

AUDIO

[ the voice that speaks through the radio is soft, polite. a girl's voice, no doubt, hardly bouncy and cheerful but neither is it monotonous. but while there is civility in the tone, beneath it lies a certain degree of distance. wariness. a girl, apprehensive and distrusting. ]

If the payment is not made fully, then the price cannot be granted fully. There's no such thing as a free wish. But I wonder -- if that child would credit what can be partially worked for?

[ if so, then i no longer mind.

she pauses. a hint of -- was it desire? longing? wishful thinking faintly laces the tone before it disappears, replaced by once more that tone of civility and politeness, followed by an awkward laugh. ]

A question of sorts though I have a feeling that I may already know the answer.

The town square is silent.

Cornelia paces, waiting for people to show up. She thumbs the hunting knife she'd picked up from a house near where she had woken up. Should any troublemakers appear, she was prepared-- unless, of course, they appeared with a gun. The city was too big to explore alone; too dangerous to wander the streets aimlessly. So that's why she doesn't have one herself. The only reason she didn't go to pick anyone up so they didn't have to traverse alone was because that would be setting herself up for an ambush. For a similar reason she waits off to the side of the square, concealed behind a food vendor, rather than sitting in the middle.

Trusting these people could be her downfall-- so she won't trust until they've proved themselves. But they're largely children. And she thinks of her late sister because of that. Euphie wouldn't want these people to go around alone in a place where any danger could be lurking. So that's her primary motivation in doing this. It's a mixture of that and the wholehearted desire to go home, to find the answers of this place. Cornelia knows returning home could be impossible with or without help, but she isn't about to give up on that hope. So she seeks help, because her chances are higher that way.

She scans the surrounding areas, alert. If that false Zero were to appear before her, she thinks, child or not-- she would destroy him. Anger swells once again, a sort of madness and hysteria that she finds unbecoming in other people. Cornelia breathes.

[ ooc: Mingling post! Starter in prose, please don't hesitate to switch to action. Cornelia isn't going to be coming out of the shadows until there are a few people there/ someone she knows appears, so please interact among yourselves!

Speaking at the Square
At the Apartments ]

[ during the first few hours of activity in Asper, you might see something a little weird. A movement out of the corner of your eye, in a patch of shadows or on a ledge just above the periphery of your vision.

If you turn to look at it, all you'll see is a flash of white as a small cat-like animal turns and scampers away. Unless your reactions are superhuman or you're a particularly wary person, in which case... who knows? Maybe you'll be able to catch a better look.

Some of you, more anxious about this strange city that the others, or more angry, more vulnerable... You might hear the creature's high, childish voice call your name. ]

[There's a brief hesitation before Yosuke decides to finally press the button. He's been contemplating this for a bit now. And now that everything doesn't feel like it's spinning - that it's all starting to make the slightest bit of sense.]

Hey -- so, uh. Does anyone else think maybe we should get some kind of... roll-call going or something?

[He's not used to being the one to step up. But not hearing from anyone he knows is making him wonder.]

I know there's supposed to be a meeting later, but until then. You know, so we have a better idea of how many people are here and I guess in case we can find anyone we know from our... own homes, or whatever it is. This is still pretty confusing, huh. If we're gonna be stuck here, it's probably better we try to look our for each other a bit, right? Especially with how... crappy things look.

[An awkward, really forced chuckle.] Yeah, so -- my name's Yosuke. Yosuke Hanamura. Aaaaand, I guess we're all gonna be stuck here together for a while.

[There's a bit of static, the feed not being cut yet. There's something else he wants to add, but refrains instead -- so just after, there will be a beep and the feed will cut.]

[ After listening to everyone else speaking with that Lara woman on the radio, and then hearing someone else order everyone to get inside, Fletcher quickly complies. He hurries inside the building nearest to him -- Shallow Apartments on Travel Rd. -- and finds a chair to sit down in.

This is all a little much for him. ]

[There's crackling, a voice at first too muffled to here before clarity strikes it.] ... Hello? Hello.

I know you're new here, you've just arrived. Welcome to Asper City.

[static] I'm Lara. Stay safe.