The Deadland

Lightning was indeed up and about early, as promised, leaving Day to her vaguely incomprehensible water project and Fang to sleep. Both had made off-hand promises to drop by, whether to learn, help out, or in both of their cases, needle Light incessantly, but that didn't mean they needed to be there at some goddess-forsaken time in the morning.

She did, because she needed to hunt down a few feasible weapon types first. The conversations over the radio had driven it home that as far as weapon stocks went, they were in serious trouble. So she had made a few rounds, moving through the city with antigrav-enhanced speed, and had returned to the courtyard with a variety of poles, sticks, knives and sporting equipment. These she stashed in the corner. She'd eaten during the search, so with nothing else to do, she picked a 'weapon' at random and started to try out a standard GC warm-up. The others would arrive soon, if anyone did actually arrive.

When that failed - the pole she'd chosen was too long and heavy for some of the higher flips - she switched to one she'd seen Kain use. Maybe it'd be easier to pretend the thing was a spear.

[ it's nighttime, so maybe everyone's near their radios. Either way, Lightning is finally not occupied killing things or catching up with old friends, so she has time to talk. ]

It's Lightning here. Some of you wanted to learn how to fight close-up, and with this many monsters and ammo running low, we can't afford to be sloppy. I'm no teacher, but I can show you a few tricks that'll make your lives easier and a bit longer. If you're interested, I'll be in the Mercy Street courtyard tomorrow morning. Show up or not, I don't care, but I'll help anyone who does. There aren't many decent weapons lying around, so just bring whatever you can find.

[ The second she saw the TV turn on, she knew it was time. It was obvious to her: something odd like that... must be what that Oliver guy was talking about. Even so, that hour seemed to pass too quickly. Cornelia had been out with her hunting knife going after the smaller, injured and secluded monsters. They were still a struggle to bring down, but she managed to kill three of them and so she was able to collect three bottles of energy.

After a brief rest, she flicks on the radio. ]

Mercy Apartments: we're all well aware everyone needs at least one bottle a day. We have just over 15 people. In addition to this, we need food. Water. We're doing well with that, at the very least.

But Energy is a much more pressing issue. Anyone with Energy, hand it over to me. I'll distribute it among us and make sure it isn't wasted. It's best to regulate something like this. [ What she doesn't say is that preference will be given to those who aren't dead weight. ]

We need more guards for the doors. Let me know if you'd like to take a few shifts.

And unless you've proven you can handle yourself, don't think you're going out to forage alone. Go in pairs. The last thing we need is for any weapons and ammo to be lost along with an arrogant imbecile.

Cornelia li Britannia, out.

[ Beeeeeeeeeeeeeep. If you need her, you can find her pouring over legal documents in the Superintendent's office. ]

[Mami spent the entire time the monsters were on the prowl boarded up in the apartment she's been staying in. It's cowardly, pathetic, and she wholeheartedly agrees on that. But she isn't stupid; she still can't summon a gun that works, and without any other form of defense, she'd be easy pickings for those monsters in no time.

But now that things have calmed down, she's going to try to fix that little problem.]

Is there anyone here capable of teaching others how to fight? With melee weapons, specifically. I'm unable to use my regular means of defending myself, so I need a backup plan.

[RADIO]

The monsters are attacking. If you can't fight [WHAT IS THAT RATTLING SOUND], stay safe inside. If you can, we should fight them off and gather the Energy.

[ACTION]
[Minato is near the entrance of Mercy Street Apartment, a metal bat in hand and a 'gun' in his other hand. When one of the monsters come in to attack, he points the gun at his head and fire.]

Orpheus!

[Instead of certain death, a blue aura surrounds him and a strange, mechanical man appears to attack the monster.]

That morning, Lightning and Golbez were standing guard outside the front doors to the Mercy Street Apartments, making sure nothing dangerous tried to get in. No monsters would be getting past them.

Visitors might also have a hard time of it. But as long as you don't mean any harm, you'll be let through. Probably.

The world lurched forward and hit Fang right in the face. Well, that's what it felt like anyway. She wasn't sure if the white room she'd just been in had been a dream or something else, but one thing was for sure. She had what felt like a killer hangover. Her head was swimming, and her limbs ached, and she found it hard to rouse herself from the cold, broken tarmac. Hand reached, searching for lance and found nothing but the radio she'd been given in that strange hazy vision.

A groan past over her lips, and she tried pushing herself up into a sitting position, but ended up hunched over, trying to make sense of everything. The last thing she remembered was--... Ragnarok. Her focus--their focus.

Reality suddenly hit Fang and she fought through the stiffness of her joints so she could look around, the worry of losing her lance put on the back burner.

"Vanille?!" she demanded, her words echoing in the empty streets. She called again, and got no response. What had that child said? Something about saving a world? And a wish? Fang hadn't really been paying much mind. You'd think she'd be used to waking up in strange places by now.

A glance was cast down at the radio, and Fang picked it up, and fiddled with some of the knobs, only getting white noise. The idea of calling out for help was too much for her and after looking at it for a moment, Fang tucked the device into her sari, and managed to get onto her feet, wincing a little at the stiffness of her joints.

"Lady luck ain't on my side today," she said to no one, cracking her back a little. Some shadows moved further down the street and caught her eye. She had to get moving. She had to find Vanille, or Light, or Snow, or someone who knew what was going on. As much as her head told her the child had said the truth, Fang was trying to remain in denial. The last time she'd been in crystal it had been hundreds of years. How did she know this wasn't what Cocoon had become? How did she not know all of what she had fought so hard to save, was now dust in the wind. And to be asked of that again, when the memories were so raw, was a bit too much for her. So she would ignore it. She would ignore everything.

"Well, no sense in sitting here lookin' pretty."

…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]

The creatures at first are quiet as they come into the city. But as more and more of them flood the streets the louder and louder they get. And Homura is sleeping-- the door locked and barred, the windows closed-- inside the back room of a store across from the hospital. She quickly notices two things as she wakes up: the sound of the monsters and the fact that her surroundings have changed. Her first thought is that she walked to another store in her sleep, and her second thought is what on earth is that noise?

Homura approaches the window and peers outside. The moment she does that a lot of them seem to see the motion behind the curtains and so they start to approach. She's instantly awake and transformed; they come closer and closer and then one is trying to smash through the window. Homura backs up and pushes aside the dresser she'd put in front of the door. She moves away with the door shutting behind her just as there is the sound of shattering glass.

And out the front she goes. She has no rifle, the kind of gun she feels most comfortable with-- she's a small girl and the recoil is easier to handle-- but she has a handgun. A handgun and a limited amount of ammunition. Rushing through the changed store she presses her back against the wall and readies her weapon, firing carefully as the monster breaks down the store's door.

[ ooc: starter in prose, feel free to switch to action! ]

[ You know what they need more of? Guns. Well, everything is what they need more of, but Lightning is feeling a little antsy without some kind of weapon weighing down her holster. The moment they all split up to search the areas around Mercy, she heads to the bizarrely familiar police station. She's been through enough cycles that she can rely on the push-tug of lost memories, so when she slips inside and goes immediately for the weapons lockers further inside the building, she doesn't question how she can guess where they are. It's just convenient. ]

[ She leaves the station door open, because if she's the only one who thought of this, they're in a worse situation that they think. Cornelia may want to monopolise supplies, but that's a little short-sighted. If something happens to them, what'll the next lot do for weapons? Anyway, once she's found a burst rifle, she's satisfied. It even fits her holster, almost. Add a baton and she's set. ]

[ And then she hears movement nearby. ]

... Hey. Someone there?

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 ]

[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 waiting a moment to make sure no one else is going to chime in and interrupt her, Cornelia takes a step forward and holds down the button of her small radio. ]

That's enough fooling around.

[ It seems as though most of them have only just arrived. But listening in on the radio has told her enough: she's stuck here with a bunch of lost children. There are a few adults, and not everyone has spoken up obviously... but an organizer. They need someone to efficiently manage them and direct their efforts towards returning home. ]

My name is Cornelia li Britannia of the Holy Britannian Empire; Chief General of the Imperial Army and Viceroy of Area Eleven. If you would like to survive with ease in this barren place and efficiently find a way home, you'll follow my orders and my command. If you would like to forage like a rat in the filth, go straight ahead.

We're meeting in town square. If you don't know where that is, there should be a map inside a building near your current location. It's along main street; connects with Beck, Baker, Indigo, Parkview and Hawk.

The majority of you are children, so I'll say this much: being brave and alone in a place where virtually any threat could exist is stupidity. Remember it.

[ Beeeep goes the radio before static. ]

[[ ooc; I'll be putting up a log for the town square meeting tomorrow morning, assuming characters are interested. ]]

[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.