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Post by ◊◊BLOODBEASTER◊◊ on Oct 9, 2016 4:56:29 GMT -8
The 403 posse rolled their bikes up to the stairs and dropped them, jogging up and getting inside as quickly as possible. The building had three stories above the street level, and seemed like at least one or more below. The lobby had an old corpse in it, face down, and a few scattered papers. Certainly, no one using this place for an enclave would have left that here. Seth seemed to be getting his spirit back. Seth- "I have a good feeling!" He smiled, but his eyes were hard to look at. In the relatively brighter light of this building, the whites of his eyes were still glossy red.
Ben's torch had been diminished in strength by use on the ghost of Dan Lewis, but still has a bit of life left in it. Ashley's torch was still strong, Anna's seemed close to burning out. She did have a spare, Seth did not.
They walked a little deeper into the lobby to discuss strategy. Anna- "I prefer working buildings top down. What do you think?"
Seth- "Alright, makes sense, won't get stuff falling from the ceiling this time! Right? Haha......"
Ash gave him a flashlight, and had an extra flare. Ashley- "I agree with her sentiment. We should go." He says, offering to walk in front again as their meat shield. Seth accepted the fresh flare and everyone fell in behind Ashley, looking for the easiest stairs up. Anna- "Here we go!" They dropped a backpack of goodies immediately inside the stairwell and began their ascent - a short three floors in a sunny, wide stairwell. They reached the top floor. The area they were in contained offices close by, and a glance down the hall suggested the news studio and associated rooms took up the rest of the floor. Anna- "Maybe we go through quick for monsters, then come back and take our time going through things. Feels a little tense the other way, I think."
Seth- "Alright. I think my perception ain't the hottest at the moment, so commander Anna, shall you lead?"
Anna- "OK, gents. Try to keep up." Anna walked briskly into the hall, throwing open the first door she came to. She stalked through the room, opening all the hiding places she could think of, with Ashley and Seth helping. Ben kept watch in the hall. One room after another, they walked quickly through the floor...They reached the news studio, left set up, one could imagine, in the middle of a broadcast. Inside, there was no one to be found. But a scent of death and several flies suggested something unpleasant was about. Again, the 403 people opened all the hiding holes. Seth- "Dammit, why can't we ever come into a building to find freshly baked cookies? Guess we're doing the city a favor, but it's about time it gave back. Sheesh." There were two sorry looking old corpses behind the desk where the news had once been filmed. Anna- "They weren't dressed like anchors, so good for celebrities, I guess?"
Seth- "That still sucks about Dan Lewis. Oh well."
Anna- "Well, fuck it! Looks like there's no monsters on this floor! Of course, ghosts are better at hiding, so pairs of two and watch out! I'm gonna go back to the offices. You guys can check out the studio and tech rooms. Hey Seth, you with me?"
Seth- "Let's do this! I wish I could see you ollie off another zombie's face."
Anna- "I don't think it's called an ollie on a bike." Seth and Anna's conversation drifted away, leaving Ben and Ashley to look through the studio of the damned. Well, it was a goddamn sight better than the last studio of the damned they were in, at least.ELSEWHERE... Anna- "You can see OK now, really?"
Seth- "Yeah... just... really hurts like a motherfucker, honestly. I'm gonna feel like shit tomorrow I'm sure."
Anna- "It looks really bad. But if you can see, it can't be too serious."
Seth- "Yeah maybe I'll sit on my ass with cucumber slices on my eyes when we get home."
Anna- "I'm sorry, we don't have cukes yet, last I saw."
Seth- "Damn. Oh man... I started thinking about what other foods we don't have. I ain't even gonna get into it..." They felt peaceful walking through the floor, back to the first office they came to. The room was balmy warm. Nothing seemed scary at all in there.Anna- "It's too orderly in here. Bet we don't find anything."
Seth- "Yeah, kinda weird... Maybe they evacuated before the shit went down."
Anna- "Some people got out, for sure. But that shmuck in the lobby wasn't so lucky, or those two in the studio."
Seth- "Good point." They walked through the small office, feeling very strange in their battle regalia, walking through a classy, orderly environment. There were a few signs here and there that something was wrong. The lack of power, for starters.Seth- "Hey so... I'm really glad we can do stuff together. Not just because you kick all the undead asses."
Anna- "Aw. That's nice..." She seemed to lose her sentence in thought.
Seth- "What do you think about our little homestead? We're getting hella new people lately."
Anna- "Mm, sorry. I don't know why, I keep thinking like I'm Angela Lansbury in Murder She Wrote. Just thinking about all the stuff you can tell by going through a place."
Seth- "Oh yeah, isn't it weird? Feels creepy sometimes, going through people's personal spaces. Found some embarrassing stuff in desk drawers before, I'll tell ya."
Anna- "Oh? Like what?"
Seth- "Sometimes just little stuff like wayyy too many Snickers wrappers. An enema kit. That was weird... Found some good magazines to take home, if you know what I mean, haha... How about you, find anything good?"
Anna- "Um... Similar. Way too many condoms, which of course we took, um, legal stuff like restraining orders, all kind of medicine. A three ring binder of grainy color prints of bestiality shit." They didn't find anything and moved onto the next office, still chatting.Anna- "Wonder if these offices were all for behind the scene types or if any were for anchors?"
Seth- "Yeah, I don't even know if anchors do like... reporter stuff? Do they just read the news, or do they do any of the research? Hmm..."
Anna- "I heard they do reporter stuff. Hard to imagine. Some of those dudes just look dim. Is that mean of me?"
Seth- "Haha, yeah... I like it though." They came into an office with odd decor. One side was all football awards and pictures of teams and such. The other side was a little more mysterious - A photograph of a black velvet curtain, an ebony pedestal holding a silver chalice...Seth- "Ooh... this looks rich."
Anna- "Steve Raible! I didn't know he was a Seahawk. Funny." Seth examined the silver chalice.Seth- "If this was a game, we just found treasure. Not much use for it now, but we should feel proud of ourselves."
Anna- "Haha. Why not? What happens in video games when you get the treasure? You get a little music or something?"
Seth- "YOU FOUND... a silver chalice, 50 GP and..." Seth realized the top of the pedestal was loose.Seth- "OMG this is exciting..." He sat the chalice down on the desk, and tried to remove the top of the pedestal.Anna- "What is it?" The top was actually on a hinge, and opened to reveal a dark velvet compartment, containing a book.Seth- "If this is a magic book, I'm gonna scream and die." He pulled the book out. It was a copy of "Hollywood Babylon."Seth- "Wow what's this?" He opened the book and flipped around. The title page was signed. It was a little tricky to read the text, but possible: "An Adonis knows from whence his power flows. Yours in Darkness, -Kenneth." Seth- "OMG... this is almost as good as a magic book. Or is it a magic book? I guess it'd only be good for summoning Marilyn Monroes or something, but still rich." Anna checked it out. Anna- "Huh. Weird. As. Hell. I wonder what else he's got?" They started going through everything twice, looking for secret compartments and such. Seth found a bad-ass tuxedo suit, about the right height for him, but too loose.Seth- "Oh man, would it be wrong of me to wear this zombie hunting? No no no... I'll pay someone in candy bars to tailor it and I can be dapper as fuck at the next shindig."
Anna- "Ya think the guys will see it as frivolous, even dangerous, to haul that thing home?"
Seth- "...Fuck those guys, I almost got my eyeballs melted. Haha.." He slung the suit over his shoulder and kept looking around. Anna pulled out a box and sat it on the counter.Anna- "This looks important." She sat it down with the other trinkets on the desk. There was a dragon lighter like a crackhead would use, an original Mapplethorpe photo, seven gold dollars, a faberge egg, a copy of "The Satanic Verses," a nude photo of a lady signed "Sharon," and other oddities. She opened the box. Anna- "An envelope marked emergency coke."
Seth- "Holeeeee shit. Steve Raible! Ahahahaha..."
Anna- "Oh please. Lots of people have emergency coke, Seth. He didn't use it regularly, see?"
Seth- "Seriously, the Satanic Verses, nudie pics? I think he wins the prize forever. That enema kit pales in comparison. Damn, what do we do with emergency coke? It's not my thing, but I won't judge."
Anna- "Well, we don't know the vintage on it. Might have that poison stuff in it that can cause, like chemical AIDS. Levamisole. Probably oughtta ... Huh. There's something else."
Seth- "Maybe I should read this Satan book-- hey, whatcha got there?"
Anna- "Um, it's a nice silver necklace. It's got the Satany pentagram thing on it, but it's pretty cool."
Seth- "Oh nice! Do you like it? I got the tux so I'm pretty enough now."
Anna- "I wonder if it has magic powers. Sarah told me Nat was able to make a Ouija board work. Maybe all this goofy stuff works now."
Seth- "Man, yeah! Maybe we should hit up some of the hippie shops, if that's true."
Anna- "Magic is usually so lame, though. All love potions and fertility... Oh man, what if people can use love potions as, like, roofies?"
Seth- "Euuughh... Oh my god, do we have any creepers at 403? I hope not!"
Anna- "Everyone says old man Basil is a creeper, but I dunno. Seems harmless to me. Oh, and Briar is still creeping on me."
Seth- "Just to be safe, let's not bring any love potions home then. Or fertility junk. Yikes, imagine a post-apoc baby? Guess there'll have to be some eventually.. Nevermind, let's talk about this crazy shit some more. Anything else in there?"
Anna- "No, I think we got all the crazy in the building in one spot. One stop shopping!"
Seth- "Sweet, now we just need to find the key to unlock zombie cure, and it was a successful outing!"
Anna- "I bet Ben and the Millionaire got it covered."
Seth- "What, is that guy a secret millionaire? I thought if he was secret anything, he'd be like a secret cop. Or like... prison guard.'"
Anna- "Naw, it's his new name. Thurston Scowl the Third. Prison guard?"
Seth- "Hahaha, I like. Well, maybe that was harsh of me. He's just got some real orderly vibes, you know? He's a cool dude, he's like... a knight in a former life or something.Way better than those evil dickbag cops next door."
Anna- "Man... I hope that those people are OK. The one lady that used to go out there on the balcony... She doesn't anymore. Now it's just this other one. Skinnier. I dunno."
Seth- "Ughhh. I wonder if we're gonna have to bust up that joint eventually."
Anna- "Oh yeah, and ya don't stop!"
Seth- "That's right, 187. What are they gonna do, arrest us? I'd do it anyway." They were a little less thorough in the following rooms, which hadn't given them any kind of "secret compartment" vibe. They were in the last room before getting to the studio area, and the fellas.Anna and Seth came down the hall whistling and calling for the guys. Everyone got back together in the hall, roughly near the middle of that floor. Seth had a suit in a dry cleaning bag over his shoulder, and his backpack seemed a little fuller. Anna- "Hey fellas. Find anything useful? We really didn't."
Ashley- "Nothing of note." He hardly considered various forms of pornography to be something.
Anna- "Really? That note led us astray. Guess there wasn't anything useful here... Well, let's look for archives on another floor. Maybe we can find more betas dated from the right night, or if we find an important person's PC, maybe we can take out the hard drive and study it- What's that look for, Ben? You guys really found something?"
Ashley- "...Well, the first thing we found was important. Everything else was not... Hanson found a jump drive with everything we needed on it. I..it must have slipped my mind, I apologize." He looks embarrassed, that was a crucial bit of information that he lost. He had forgotten they were not there for this important event somehow. He shook his head. He was not feeling quite right today, he was fairly sure. Maybe he needed to sleep more. Seth cocked an eyebrow. Anna- "'Everything we need'? How do we know that?"
Ashley- "The note said so, Sir. The note with the drive." He looks to Hanson for more explanation of anything more technical than "A jump drive with information on that."
Ben- "Yeah, there was a note from Steve Pool. He'd left a little box in the control room, with several thumb drives. Said they contained all the information they had on the current events, and to take one and leave the rest for others who might come looking.
Seth- "Aww! Man, what a cool guy!"
Ben- "...I didn't bother to check it. But I guess we could, just in case there is something wrong with the one particular drive we picked up? After all, it could be a trap, with cursed thumb drives!" Ben is only half joking about this. Because that would probably be a pretty effective way to weed out crafty and curious survivors who hadn't gotten killed at the beginning. Swing high for the heads, then swing low for the ones who dodge. Seth- "Steve Pool! I wonder what we'll find out."
Anna- "This is all being caused by the weather."
Seth- "Ugh, imagine that. Bad enough on land. If they were falling out of the sky? Yuck."
Anna- "It's rainin' zombies. Hallelujah, it's rainin' zombies."
Seth- "Don't co-opt my people's music. Well, I guess the original's kind of gross too, if you think of the aftermath."
Anna- "It was metaphorical, Seth... Oh! Yeah. Do we want to find a way to test the drive here, or just go home and go for it?"
Seth- "No way Steve Pool would give us an infected thumb drive! If I can't trust Steve Pool in this world, I don't know what I could trust." Once the adventurers cross Denny, they hew to John as much as possible (having to muck around a bit at Aurora before the final leg), and return with mad goodies. To the 6th floor / comm center!It was weird getting home that day... Ashley, Ben, Seth, and Anna knew they just might have something really big on their hands. But no one else knew, and it was as if nothing special had happened. It was like having a thousand dollar lottery ticket in your pocket while buying a bagel at the Starbucks.
Seth quietly gathered all the council members that were readily available for a meeting in Marie's office / apartment.
Ben and Ashley could muck about out here for a few minutes if they like, but the meeting will begin shortly in INDIVIDUAL ROOMS - (page 2) 608- Marie, Chantelle & Zoe's room.Seth and the other had gathered Ione, Marie, Stevie, and Thierry, and a meeting began to take form. (Anna and Ben at least are here, and probably Ashley is as well.)
While people were still taking seats, Thierry whispered something to Seth, who nodded. Finally, it was called to order. Seth- "OK, looks like we got everyone but Chantelle and I can tell her later. There's one reason I gathered you all right now, but there's also an important piece of information for you to know. Thierry, maybe, you can break the news about this since you know the details." Seth sat down and Thierry stood up. Thierry- "I'm not sure the best way to say this without causing some furore, so I'll start simply. Dr. Victor is in a coma." Mothafuckas were shocked.Ione seemed petulant, Stevie and Marie seemed taciturn, Seth and Ashley less readable. Thierry nodded and with a wave of the hand returned the floor to Seth. Seth- "OK, now that that's out of the way, something that will hopefully be less dark. We found something exciting on our expedition to the news studios. This," He brandished the USB drive, "left by TV's own Steve Pool." An awkward shift in demeanors spread irregularly through the room. Ione and Stevie smiled at the thought of Steve Pool, while others remained grim about Dr. Victor, or hung in between emotions.Seth- "We don't know what's on it, but I'm guessin' it's good, 'cause there were several left out with a 'take one' note, like it was Halloween candy. Ben here is gonna do the honors, and we can gape over his shoulder."
Marie- "Um, hm, I wonder if we could power a projector, or use a television set."
Stevie- "Yeah, I can hook that up in like five minutes. Excuse me." Stevie bustled off to get that together, leaving people to discuss. Ione- "So wow, Steve Pool? You guys didn't get to see him?"
Seth- "No, I totally wish I could now. A note said something about 'Steve Pool will help you.' I like to think he's some kind of cool rogue zombie slayer or something."
Marie- "This is just silly."
Thierry- "Don't look the gift horse in the mouth."
Ione- "Don't look the gift cutie in the mustache!" Marie finally smiled a bit.Seth was nodding to the conversation, and seemed to be in a somewhat upbeat mood. Perhaps shockingly so, given the grim news of a moment before, though likely he'd already heard that. Maybe it was weirder to be Ione, wheeling from indignance to star-eyed wonder on a dime. Seth- "I have a feeling it will. Let's get this show on the road, shall we?" Seth stood by the door and tapped his foot waiting for Stevie. Thierry set up the laptop and TV, really only lacking for the cables and battery Stevie was going for. Marie- "A search function? Just search for 'mummies'."
Thierry- "Search for 'mummies' or 'mummy', if you will." Fifteen files came back. Combing them quickly, they determined that most of them only referenced Gutless Boy as possibly behind the troubles. Two were different and directly relevant. One was a .pkt file with Gutless Boy's video and a bunch of relevant notes, some about the FBI and some about King 5.
The other was something else entirely. It was in German and included a video file. Thierry started the TV up. Thierry- "Do we want to see our mummy terrorist's video again to refresh our memories, or check out the other information in that packet, or maybe look at the video in this other file?"
Seth- "Eh, I think we all saw enough of that, didn't we? We could always watch it off Stevie's TiVo later. I think we're all gettin' antsy here... At least me, haha..."
Thierry- "Sorry Ashley. If I catch the president's meaning, it's time to play the German video?" Seth nodded.
Ashley- Ashley nodded respectfully, and probably said YES SIR in his head. He certainly straightened a little bit, and waited patiently for the clip to begin. The video got played! Everyone was a bit surprised by the abrupt beginning. This news packet had not been formulated for broadcast or written release. It was the video as received, with no preface from a sensitive eyed reporter.
German mummy- "Ich bin Osiris ... Ich bin das Ende aller Dinge. Da die Menschheit aus dem Gleichgewicht mit der Natur, wird es korrigiert werden." He seemed to have a bit more vim than the American mummy, though his voice was still feeble and eerie. Ash recalled dimly hearing the American mummy's voice on his radio so long ago.He sagged, seeming to need assistance to go on...
German mummy- "Sie können sehen, es geschieht jetzt. Sie können uns danken, wenn Sie alle tot sind." The video ended. Anna- "GAH! Creepy monster ho has my hair!"
Ione- "God, these damn monsters are so disGUSTing! YUCK!"
Seth- "Jesus... It really does look like your hair Anna-- I mean, wow-- I guess this thing is going on all over the world? Mummies in every country? I didn't understand a lick of that, anybody know German or Dutch or whatever that was?"
Stevie- "Don't gotta be a rocket surgeon to catch 'Ich bin Osiris'. Isn't that like the god of Egypt? Does that mean the German one is the boss? That'd about fuckin' figure."
Anna- "Actually Horus-Re was the head honcho of the Egyptian pantheon, so maybe this guy is a lieutenant."
Marie- "It is worldwide. God almighty."
Seth- "Well hell, that's a depressing notion. Guess we had to see that one comin' though. Not like something's so special about the Pac NW right? What do we do with this?"
Thierry- "My German isn't perfect but I could decipher all that with repeated plays. But I'd like to state firmly right now that I cannot believe this is everywhere. Even Al Qaeda doesn't have operatives in every single country in the world. Probably Lichtenstein, but not Zanzibar. You know what I mean?"
Seth- "Good point Thierry. So, any thoughts on how these freaks DID this? I mean, obviously some kind of weird magic, but like... how? How did they organize this? They just look like a bunch of teenagers. What did they have like... a Facebook group or something?!"
Ben- "If only we had some automatic translator... But I guess this guy didn't say anything terribly important either? We should still try to write it down though."
Thierry- "Yes, google translate is sadly out of service. But I think I can handle it." Osiris did sound Egyptian, but Ben didn't know the hierarchy within the ancient Egyptian pantheon. And for all he knew, it was all just part of the mummy joke. Hadn't the first boy implied that 'they' had decided to pretend to be mummies? Or was it the guts that was the pretend part? Still seemed kind of immature for an actual god."And yeah, they probably organised themselves over the internet, and then possibly coordinated some magic ritual or such. Seems plausible enough. Another alternative is still that a group of supernatural entities broke into this world all at the same time, and simply possessed these boys. If that's the case, they could've organised themselves through magic communication." Ione- "I don't know if I understand any of it!"
Marie- "Well, there seems to be an international cabal of these monsters. I don't think we have nearly enough information to start guessing at numbers or their methods. I do feel like this one's deific moniker is probably just a bit of self-aggrandizement."
Seth- "OK, so in our video, there was talk about 'we', how many of these kids are there? Are there more around here? Like a little clique of mummies? I can't imagine just one 14 year old set up everything for our area. What are they doing now? Are they just gonna wait for everyone to die, or are they gonna do something else? I don't want to freak people out, but we gotta consider what their next move is."
Stevie- "Wouldn't it be funny if goin' mummy just fucked them up so bad they couldn't bust a next move?"
Marie- "It's pretty clear we can't count on that."
Ben- "Well, I'm going to have to go with Marie on this one. We just don't know enough to make educated guesses. They could be doing anything from waiting for us to die off like the mortals that we are, or they could be planning a second doomsday that will kill us all unless we find them and stop them tonight." Ben glanced at the laptop and wondered if there might be more clues in some other files.
Something that might allow them to piece at least something together."If they were relying on the internet to organise themselves and coordinate a ritual, then that's not going to work now, is it? Though since they had the mojo to make the dead rise, they might have access to mystical ways of communicating." Thierry- "Maybe this speculation is really counterproductive. It was an interesting look into the larger world, watching that video -"
Ione- "More like horrific!"
Thierry- "-but I think we should just devise a plan to make hard copies of all the data possible and add it to our collected intelligence before discussing it much further. What do you think Seth?"
Seth- "Yeah, that's only one of however many files we're gonna find on this thing. Let's just find out what we can and take it one step at a time."
Stevie- "I don't know... It's just effin' crazy. What if we are gonna get jumped tonight?"
Seth- "Oh, let's not get excited. We just found this drive and we haven't gotten jumped every other night. I mean, if it was a movie we'd get jumped tonight, but if they were gonna do it, why wait until now? Let's not go out there half cocked... so to speak."
Marie- "OK, this looks like secretary work now. That's me. Ben, you start skimming the information from that computer, on the off chance there's any super time sensitive data in it. Remember as much as you can so you can give us the Cliff's Notes later. Thierry, I'll help you write the notice about Dr. Victor, then get you translating der Deutschemummy. Stevie, Seth, Ashley, Anna, Ione please don't start telling people about the incident just yet, but be easy to find this afternoon so you can help us get the word out... We'll try to be done within the hour."
Seth walked into the comm center a bit quickly and slumped down on one of the easy chairs. He fumbled around and pulled a battered old spy novel from a back pocket which he flipped through, seeming to be looking past its pages. Bryce- "Hey boss. Need any assistance from your humble valet, today?" Bryce sat down lightly, quickly, sinking into the nearest chair like it was quicksand.
Seth seemed to mull something over, glancing at him furtively. Bryce could see his eyes looked kind of creepy-- glassy and irritated.
Seth- "Hey... um, how are you feeling today?"
Bryce- "Fine, fine. Hey, did you change your tune about doobies?"
Seth- "Huh? Wh-- oh.. haha no. I got uh, something in my eyes today."
He was acting mad suspicious, fiddling with the pages of his book and looking around like he was waiting for someone.Bryce leaned forward really far. Bryce- "What is it, man? You can tell me. I couldn't narc on el presidente." Seth considered it a moment, and put his book down. He leaned close and spoke softly. Seth- "There's... creepy news. More than one kind. They're gonna put up a notice here in a minute, but, I guess if I should tell anyone early, it should be you..."
Bryce- "Ooh, ooh, let's get into it."
Seth- "Aw man, I hope you don't think it's gonna be something hot... oh well, there was that stuff about Steve Raible, that was maybe... maybe a little hot. Mostly weird. Hey I got a tuxedo today! Damn it, this is serious shit though..."
Bryce- "I'm serious. This is my serious face. And who is Steve Raible?"
Seth- "Oh my god Bryce, he's that moustache guy from KIRO-- oh wait, he shaved it off, didn't he? Anyway, he's like the news anchor for channel 7, and apparently-- Wait wait, let's talk about that later. Shitty news first, right? Right?"
Bryce- "Oh yes. Nothing but the shittiest. Do go on..."
Seth- "Okay, so there are two shitty things for me to tell you. One thing has to do with a particular person here at 403, the other one is more like.. um... scary world stuff. Which one first?"
Bryce- "Aw, crud. It really was shitty stuff. Just say it."
Seth- "Aw boo... Well, I'll tell you the creepier thing first to get it out of the way. We found a bunch of info Steve Pool left behind-- Steve Pool is the awesome weather guy with a moustache that he still has-- anyway, we found another mummy video. It was in German. So, guess there's mummies all over the world..."
Bryce- "NAZI mummies? Color me surprised. Nice about Steve Pool at least."
Seth- "I know right? We found a note that said "Steve Pool will help you', I love thinking he's like a zombie killing vigilante now! Er--"
Seth- "Anyway, just 'cause someone's German doesn't make them-- well I guess if they really are genocidal, maybe that's appropriate. We're still looking through the data, but that was pretty disheartening. The other thing... is about Doctor Victor..."
Bryce- "Jesus, did that meningitis girl turn spooky and eat him?"
Seth- "Aw man, no! That would be awful. Well, it's not great. He, uh, got shot... In the head I guess. He's alive though."
Bryce- "Jesus fucking christ! Where is the poor crazy guy? Someone should be nearby in case he turns into a for real dracula, but damn. That's fucked up!"
Seth- "I know, it's super creepy. He's over at the research center, got into some brawl with the weirdos there, but they took out the bad dude I guess. Hope he's okay."
Bryce- "So he's surrounded by doctors and no kind of trouble? I guess that's good. Man, what the hell?"
Seth- "I know, guess we'll have to just hope for the best... Hey..."
He gently put a hand on Bryce's forearm. Seth- "Man, you take bad news really well. I think everyone in the council was more upset about that other mummy video than you. It's amazing."
Bryce- "Well, y'know, maybe it would be worse if I'd seen it myself... Huh. Something going on over there. Haha, Derek pissed somebody off again."
Seth- "Ugh, that guy..."
Seth got up and went to see what the fuss was about. Derek- "What? Who's a faggot? Like, maybe that art kid, but who cares? As long as he doesn't want special rights or to be out in combat with me, I don't care! Really!"
Lashonda- "Oh, you don't know who's gay around here? Haha. Oh, you are in for some fun, son!"
Luke- "Hey, it's against the code to talk about that stuff in front of straights. Unless Gregory Pecs here is queer like us, then I guess it's cool. Whaddya say, sweetcheeks?"
Seth- "Wh--what's going on?!"
Luke- "Derek was gonna get the dope on who'll put out. Back in my day, that's what bathroom walls were for, but-"
Derek- "The fuck is everybody talking about?!"
Seth- "Let's be calm, right? Lashonda-- what happened?"
Lashonda- "I found out Derek here has a problem with gays."
Derek- "I swear, I don't have a problem with faggots! It's free speech! It's just a word, bitch!"
Lashonda- "Hey, misogyny too while we're at it."
Seth- "Come on Derek. Regardless of how you feel, it's important to treat people with respect. You wouldn't use slurs at work, right?"
Derek- "Yeah, but, fuck, when your work is life and death, you shouldn't have to sweat over every little word, or think like some flamer is on your six! It could cost crucial reaction time!"
Lashonda- "I don't know Derek, you think you owe an apology to anyone?"
Derek- "People gotta get off my tits, dammit! I'm a grown man!"
Seth- "No one's trying to shame you, Derek. It's a tough situation we're all in, thrown together with people we never met before. Realize that we're all in this together, and we should work together! It's important to respect diversity."
Lashonda- "Do you want to respect diversity, Derek?"
Derek- "Hey, I can do and say what I want! I mean, how many pc whiners are gonna take offense at every little thing, man?
Just how many faggots are there in this place?"
(omitted: bisexuals and lesbians) Seth- "It's not "PC" to want to be treated with respect! People here don't call you names."
Lashonda- "...To your face."
Lilla- "Oh no she didn't!" Derek cast about wildly, noticing the looks on people's faces when he wondered how many faggots in the place 'ere were. He realized it was several, at least. Oh my god! Could it be?! Derek- "What if there were faggots with me when I went out yesterday?! That's a disaster for morale! UNIT COHESION! SPECIAL RIGHTS! ARGGGH!"
Seth- "Hey, c'mon! Take it easy man, no one's trying to..." Seth- "For crying out loud. What a mess. Sorry everyone. Ione?"
Ione- "I'll go talk to him!" She ran after him. Seth- "Marie, Derek had a... kinda melt-down. It's bound to come up, we have a diverse group living in a high-stress environment. Let's not be too harsh in judging him, but... Um, he could use some time to cool out I think. It's a good reminder of how important it is to manage our stress. I wish I knew more about that."
Marie- "Oh, that's -"
Emmett- "Sorry to interrupt, but as it happens, I'm a counselor. Maybe I should go talk to the guy... Well, tell me his room number and I'll just be nearby in case I'm needed." Seth told Emmett the room number and he took off. He was a little surprised to hear Marie speak up. Marie- "HELLO, EVERYONE CALM DOWN AND LISTEN UP. Thanks. We have some bad news and there's just no good way to deliver it, but since so many of you happen to be in one place..."
Thierry- "This is a bad idea." Seth nervously collected his thoughts, and got the crowd's attention again. Seth- "We uh, we'd hoped to do this a little differently, but I guess it would be hard to do no matter what. Right off the top here-- one of our own was seriously injured, but is alive."
The crowd broke out in a soft murmur. Seth- "There was an altercation at another enclave. This is no longer a threat, because the dangerous person was dealt with. The unfortunate part is, our man was shot, and is in a coma. As you might have guessed by his absence lately, I'm talking about Dr. Victor."
Seth- "I know we're all worried, but let's take comfort in the fact that he's still alive, and he's in a hospital full of doctors! That's about as good as you can get. We'll let you know anything we find out as we can. Spread the word about this if you want to, but we will be posting about it here in a few minutes." Seth, Marie, and Thierry had spent the better part of an hour trying to calm the situation. They fielded questions, asked about missing parties and assuaded worries. Thierry focused his time on arranging the trip out for anyone who wanted to visit the fallen doctor. After about a half an hour, things began to calm down, though a dozen or so people were still milling about, talking over their concerns.
Bryce collared Seth and took him into a dark alcove near the balcony door. Bryce- "OK, now that things have chilled out slightly, do you have any suggestions for how I'm going to go back to la Casa del Homofobo tonight?"
Seth- "Guh, yeah. Well, not like he knows about-- us, right? You can stay at my place if you don't wanna poke the bear. "
Bryce- "I dunno, couldn't that be worse, like, confirming suspicions running around his knuckle-styled head?"
Seth- "Oh hell, does it really matter? We got gays crawlin' the walls of this place. I was worried about someone havin' a bad reaction, and I think he won the bad reaction prize. If it'd worry you too bad, you could go somewhere else for the night. Sleep on the couches in the comm center?"
Bryce- "You know what? I think I will... This whole life has become a weird camp-out. Might as well grab a surplus sleeping bag, hit a couch here and make it official. Maybe I'll make smores."
Seth- "I just... ugh. I feel like I should've guessed. Did you know?"
Bryce- "Yeah... Man... I don't know if I should get into it..."
Seth and Bryce had continued to talk, but kept getting interrupted. That's how it goes for the president. After they managed to shoo Lilla away, Bryce said Bryce- "We gotta get outta here. I know it's close to the no-fly zone, but maybe your room?"
Seth- "Yeah, let's have a nice discussion about the rules of chess or something. I need a drama detox."
Seth and Bryce got back to the room. It occurred to Seth that they hadn't seen Emmett in the hall, so he must have gone into Derek's apartment. Bryce- "Hurry! Let's get out of this hall!" Luckily no one could lock their doors, since no one had the room keys-- or was it so lucky? Seth slipped in the apartment with Bryce trailing after, Benji yapping just once before he seemingly kept his little doggy mouth shut. Seth closed the door behind them, and stood in front of the door a moment.
Bryce- "Whew."
Bob- "WuOW."
Seth latched the skinny door chain, and shrugged with a tired smile to Bryce.
Seth- "Well... what a day. Wonder what's next?"
Bryce- "Do we even wanna find out? Suicide pact, right now."
Seth- "Oh you're so grim. It'll be fine... Guy like that will get all wound up and spin himself out crying in his pillows or whatever. Emmett said he's a counselor, bet he'll know what to do."
Bryce- "Ugh. Hope so..." Bryce flopped his arms like a bird and twirled in place for a moment before hitting the couch, then sat back up again on the edge of the cushion, arms wrapped around himself in a nervous pose.
Seth sat next to him, and put an arm around him loosely.
Seth- "What do you think? Might be a good time to switch rooms...?"
Bryce- "I shoulda done it a long-ass time ago. Now it'll be too suspicious and I'll have Derek being a creepy weirdo on my shit. Oh, man, I just CAN'T!"
Seth- "*sigh* It's not really any of his business where you sleep at night. I think it's probably a good idea to not go there tonight at least, if you don't want to get creepy weirdo-ed."
Bryce- "Yeah, I think I'll sleep upstairs with plenty of witnesses, but right now, I just ... I'm going crazy!" He grabbed Seth and squeezed tight.Seth- "Aww.. Hey c'mon, it's okay..." He hugged Bryce back, and put his head on Bryce's shoulder. Bryce kissed his temple.Bryce- "I don't know. Should I just become a karimsidol vampire and hunt down all that's left of that shit? Or help Ibi grow more plants and just blaze every day?"
Seth- "Hey hey hey. Someone advised that one time... Well, we all gotta do what we can to make it through, right? I'd rather have you lightin' up every day than something else. Maybe we can hit up a pharmacy?"
Bryce- "Yeah, maybe. Jesus. Dunno." He leaned back on the sofa with Bryce, hoping if they relaxed physically, it might relax weary brains as well.
Seth- "So other than the wicked herb, what do you think could help you right now?"
Bryce- "Mm. Um. This." He rolled over onto Seth and started groping his body and kissing him...
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Post by ◊◊BLOODBEASTER◊◊ on Oct 9, 2016 5:08:33 GMT -8
First, Bryce stole away from Seth's room and headed upstairs. A while later, Seth came out, and stretched his long limbs in the hallway. He felt a rattle rise in his chest, and coughed, surprising himself.
When he came to his senses, he felt a strange sensation at his feet. Looking down, he expected to see a medium sized dog in a woolly cashmere sweater, but instead saw an oversized fluffy cat. Seth- "Aww." He bent down to extend a hand to the leviathan. It bit him! He jerked his hand back. Seth- "Dammit ya little beast. Ouch." He stood up again... Now, where was he going? He felt compelled to look down again. The creature was still there, with eyes like appleseeds staring at him from a half-eaten pulp. Seth- "Well you're just a spooky little ghost, aren't ya?" It turned away and strolled off, fluffy tail flicking back and forth. Seth found himself following it...
A strange, haunting whistle keened through the hall. A ghost light floated from ceiling to floor and vanished. The door to the south stairwell opened, and Mr. Fluffles emerged, followed by a train of animals...Seth followed the fluffy cat. I mean, Benji and Bob were, and they wouldn't trust just any cat, right? It had to be good.Another day, another disaster! The whole floor was full of animals running amok! Chickens! Roosters! Cats! Dogs! They shrieked and barked and scratched up furniture and carpet and chased each other around and knocked down anything that wasn't glued down. Mr Fluffles himself stood atop a cubicle wall as it fell, leaping off at the last second to land in Seth's lap.
Seth sat on the floor and petted the beast absentmindedly. Zoe helped the cats knock things down.A tearstained? Ashley walks in, more steadily than he jogged earlier, a hand extended to help him navigate in the darkness. "...Mr...What's going on?" He asks the animals, before noticing Seth. "Clemens, what is this?" He put on his most serious face, but it did not quite seem convincing right now.
Seth- "...Hmm? Oh... I thought this was a dog, but it's actually a cat! Haha. It's pretty soft, you should pet him." The cat looked at Seth, deeply in the eyes. Then, it stared blankly forward again.
Seth- "We need to go outside... the animals have to go... for walkies." The animals began to gather in the middle of the room. Some bristling at Ashley, beginning to show hostile body language, low grumbles and growls. Zoe stepped forward through the throng.
Zoe- "The animals gotta go.. potty."
Ashley stared at them, and was pretty sure that the animals didn't want to go for a walk, or to go potty. They wanted to eat his face. Ashley- "... Zoe, Seth...go back upstairs. I will take the animals for a walk." He takes a few cautious steps back. None of the animals but Bear had ever shown signs of not being too friendly. Was it the white cat? Seth- "Oh they're OK. We'll ... We'll just take them for a walk."
Zoe- "It's my job!"
"....Cat..." He looks at the White Cat, almost pleadingly. "Cat... we fed you, and invited you in... why are you doing this?" He half-wondered why he was talking to the cat. Or telling it any of this, after all, the cat was a cat. He remembered what his father said about animals: Kindness to them was useless, because they were unable to feel grateful. Animals did not care whether you helped them, whether you cried for them, whether you were willing to die for them. They did not care and did not understand. He frowned at the thought. Maybe it was true. He was unarmed, and did not even have a flashlight. Where were they walking to anyways? Mr. Fluffles- "..." Seth and Mr. Fluffles stood up. The cat walked past Ashley and Seth followed, then Zoe, then mad mad animals. They were headed to the north stairwell.Ashley- "Seth...Zoe... please, go back. It is your job but not today. Today its my job. Are...are you high Clemens, sir?" He asks, as this was weird behavior even if the white cat was some sort of supernatural creature. He began to follow them, whether or not they wanted his fine company. Zoe- "I don't come to your job and tell you how to do your job, mister."
Seth- "...Huh?" They went into the north stairs, heading to the garage and and back door!Ashley continued down with them, wondering what was wrong with Seth, and why he was not so responsive right now. Had the cat really got him? All he could do was follow, he'd rather not fight the animals unless things became deadly, but something told him the cat was no good. This worried him. "...You don't think something is wrong, Zoe?" He tries to convince her. He was no more sober but he had a better idea of what he was trying to say. The animals and attendant humans came up on the back door, which was manned by Daniel and Monty. Monty- "Oh my god..."
Daniel- "Gah! What in hell is going on?!"
Seth- "Huh, what do you mean?"
Mr. Fluffles- "..."
Zoe- "The animals have to go for potties!"
The fluffy cat looked deep into Monty's eyes... Monty- "... I guess when you got to go, you got to go..."
Daniel- "Monty? You're crazy! ... OH MY GOD, COCOA!" Daniel noticed his cat in the throng.Ash would have to trip over a thousand animals to get to the reasonable weapon side of the environment, but a rather clunky possible weapon is the fire extinguisher around a nearby door... Daniel- "NO! Cocoa is an indoor cat! I'm NOT letting him OUT!" Daniel noticed his cat in the throng. Seth- "..."
Mr. Fluffles- "..."
Monty- "Sounds reasonable to me, man."
Monty- "OK." Monty opened the door! The white cat began the exodus! The cat got out, then Seth, then...
Daniel slammed the door shut! Suddenly, all the other animals looked terribly confused, some running off frightened, others just looking dazed. Ashley was free to move again!
Zoe was still trying to get outside, Daniel holding her at bay with a gentle man hand. Zoe- "I have ta go POTTIES! Argg!"
Daniel- "Knock it off kid!" Ashley came out into the alley to see the cat sitting with its back to him, one paw up and waving around. At his command, Seth and a chorus line of zombies danced to haunting phantom music!!! Mr. Fluffles- "..."
Mr. Fluffles- "!!!" Mr. Fluffles burst from the shaving cream like a demon, unnatural light glinting in his eyes like the color of the moon! He bounded toward Ashley, onto Ashley, springing off his face with a force that nearly knocked him unconscious!
As he fell to the ground, he could see the cat bounding away... in the sky? That was weird. At each point in the air that he sprang from, he left little motes of light that quickly faded, and he disappeared into the night sky. Ashley was still on his back.
Seth came to his senses unarmed in a crowd of hostile but slightly dazed zombies.Much later that evening, Seth found himself in the back alley with the fluffy cat. Seth- "Huh.... weird dream."
Mr. Fluffles- "Grrrr..." Seth found himself standing outside, with a large fluffy cat, and some oddly sedate zombies that had somehow gotten inside the barricade. The door was closed. He felt like he was walking through a dream, and the previous events were only half-remembered. He stood, blinking, trying to remember where he'd fallen asleep that night. Seth- "Holy shit, what was I doing just now?!" The zombies moved to surround him. He shoved at a moldy cardigan wearer, that had a face like a rotten walnut. The zombie fell to its back and Seth bounded over its body, his shoe making a sickening squish as it hit the midsection. The zombies seemed annoyed and followed him closer than he'd ever have preferred. Ashley saw sparks as he rolled to his feet, and the outside swayed omniously as he swung the entire fire extinguisher like a weapon at the zombies nearest Seth. "COME GET SOME." Seth- "Damn man, what the hell was I doing?! Did I pass out?" The small crowd of zombies wandered after him. Ashley noticed both barriers seemed intact, and yet, here they were inside of it. Seth attempted to shove another zombie, but got waylaid by a sudden coughing fit."Uh, we had a cat demon hypnotize everyone.... I guess he can do magic. I don't know what he was trying to do with you, but I sprayed him with the fire extinguisher and broke the spell." He trudged forward to help Seth clear zombies. "He must have magicked these things over here." "He's like...a wizard cat!" Ashley speaks with the wisdom of people who have had too much to drink. Seth had to lean against a wall a moment as Ashley fought, coughing rather violently. He regained his composure, and squinted at Ashley's words in confusion.
Seth- "...I don't... wha..."
He seemed to roll the words over in his mind a few seconds before shaking his head wearily and getting back to fighting.
Monty- "Hey, I - What the HELL?" Monty had come out, presumably to get away from the ruckus, only to find a different kind. He charged in with his club and laid down the last of the zombies. Monty- "I was just hoping to get away from the cathouse. What were these zombies doing in here?"
Seth- "Your guess is as good as mine man... I feel like I need a nap. Or that I just had a nap. I dunno... argh..."
"The cat was magical and magicked creatures in here. It made Seth dance like a Thriller music video... and then I sprayed it with a fire extinguisher..." "You guys are looking at me funny...Oh... OH MR. FRISKERS!" He attempts to barrel back inside, that done, to go rescue his cat from the chaos. Seth and Monty let the barrelling happen. Monty made sure the door was shut behind him, and looked at Seth questioningly. Monty- "..."
Seth- "Soo.. that was weird." Seth pseudo-casually side-stepped Monty and went back inside. Monty watched him go, then pulled out a cigarette and whistled. Monty- "Damn weird."
Seth- "Damn...! What the hell..." Seth slipped in the door, staring dumbfounded at the horde of animals.Ashley thought he caught a glimpse of a Frisker under an Audi near Zoe.Some time later... Seth and Bryce had returned to the fifth floor in the wake of the animal-based chaos. Bryce was walking Seth to his room, both wondering aloud what the heck it all meant. Bryce- "Really, you don't remember that at all? Damn damn damn I hope we don't have new monsters messing with us."
Seth- "Yeah, Ashley kept sayin' some old man hallucination kinda stuff. Couldn't wrap my mind around it." They were startled by the door to Bryce's (Derek's) apartment popping open. Given recent events, they expected to see Derek's face, purple and sprouting demon horns. Instead, Ione- "..."
Seth- (softly) "Hey, how's it goin' in there?" She slammed the door without leaving the apartment, and without saying a word. Various bustle and muttering could be heard from within. Bryce- "What the fuck was that?"
Seth- "Jeez. Hope everything's OK..."
Bryce- "..."
Seth- (He shrugged and the two went into his apartment.) Bryce and Seth came into the room, and only had long enough to exhale deeply when a knock sounded at the door. Seth- "Go figure." (He answered the door.)
Emmett- "Hey, I'm sorry. We should maybe talk about the situation in there."
Seth- "Oh, yeah, come on in." He went in. Bryce was standing nearby and cocked all the eyebrows. Seth- "Oh, Emmett, Bryce here is my assistant. Is it OK for him to stick around for this?"
Emmett- "Mm... Maybe not. Confidentiality. I have to be careful choosing my words with even you, given that."
Bryce- "Good, yeah, I'm fine. I'll leave." He did. Seth went to sit on the couch and Emmett followed. Emmett- "I feel like I have failed. That guy is still quite upset."
Seth- "Oh gosh, you shouldn't feel bad. You just got here. I didn't even know you were a counselor. It was real nice of you to volunteer, especially with that nightmare. Well, what should we do then?"
Emmett- "I think it would help the community to have a policy in place, something like a corporate sexual harassment policy, to make it clear that hurtful language won't be tolerated. I don't have the wisdom to say what a punishment should be, but people should know that civility is important...
While you'd think that those kind of rules would breed resentment, studies showed they usually did have a calming effect on workplace hostility."
Seth- "That's a good idea! I should bring that up with the council in the morning. It really should be treated like a workplace, shouldn't it? Well... what about Derek then? Do you think he'll cool off with some time alone? Ione seemed kinda... weird. Hope they're okay."
Emmett- "Ione? Well, it's hard to say at this point. I'd err on the side of leaving him with a sympathetic ear, and I'll keep checking in as I can..."
Seth- "OK, let's do that. Thanks for all your hard work! I'm sure it'll settle down real soon..."
Seth slept fitfully. Nothing emotional troubled his sleep - rather, his breathing seemed to stop. Sleep apnea he'd heard it called. But he'd never had sleep apnea before. Wotta pain.
Benji and Bob leapt about, making noises, batting at his face, running over his body. This went on for hours as he lay feeling too feeble to give up on the notion of rest. Bob- "WOW oo WOW WOW?"
Benji- "AIP yip yip AIP!"
Seth- "Noooo... *groan*"
He finally rolled over, wincing in pain as his back muscles cramped. His lungs ached and his face felt numb and cold. He wrapped the blanket around his shoulders and got up to feed the pets.
He wobbled as he stood, and had to take a still moment to recover. He went about his business. He wondered, as he fed the animals, why he was not hungry himself. Clearly, he did need food.
What was going on today? What time was it? He regretted not installing a wall clock when he'd thought of it before. He usually just got up at the same time, but the light beaming in through the windows seemed to tell him something. He felt a bit queasy, and more than anything wanted to just go back to bed. Really, there wasn't anything going on today, was there? Couldn't he just...?
Benji- "wheeeeen"
Seth- "Aw man Benji, do you need to go for walkies? Damn it... OK, fine little dude." He dropped his blanket with a groan, and put on the oversized pentagram sweatshirt, now his favorite, and his usual hat. He stepped out into the hall in bare feet and roughly hemmed shorts. Seth- "..." Seth came into the Comm Center and cast about for Zoe. She was sitting with Nat discussing the enigma of the nekomata. Zoe- "Do go on, sir."
Seth- "Hey guys, Benji needs... uh... walkies."
Zoe- "Oh my god, Mr. President. You look hordible."
Nat- "I'll t-take him. Um... On the way down, maybe... You want to go see the doctor?"
Seth- "Huh? Oh... Oh Dr. Victor?.. I forgot. I dunno, I don't -- I'm kinda tired." Suddenly, a ghoulish figure appeared, maneuvering for the food! Ione- "..." Zoe and Nat jumped in their seats. As Ione passed, she glowered at Seth, like a democrat might glower at a Donald Rumsfeld. All- "..."
Seth- "Who's... Oh. *cough* Hi Ione."
Ione- "Whatever, President Liar." She totally whiffed the stunned onlookers and got into some food. Zoe- "She's scary!"
Seth- "Liar...? Weird..." After Ione got done creeping people out and scuttling away to Derek's lair, the day went on and Seth started to feel a bit better. Nat assumed dog duties, and stopped by the clinic to explain the nekomata situation to Dr. Bebe. Shit was going on, oh, say, noon.
Seth and Bryce had gone to hang out on the patio...
Then come in from said patio, one at a time, heading to various other locations. The comm center was basically empty.Seth and Bryce lounged on the patio. Bryce- "Yep. There you go."
Seth- "Oh my god, Ione is being so weird. She called me 'president liar.' What the hell does that even mean?"
Bryce- "I dunno man. Why don't you ask her?" It was obvious he wasn't really tracking the meanings of Seth's words. He smelled funky. Seth- "Dude, do YOU wanna try and talk to that wraith? No thanks. Hey, are you even listening? Too much ganj? You got strawberry gumballs behind those shades?"
Bryce- "Dude, dude, you're overthinking this. It's really easy. Just ... take it down a notch."
Seth- "Okay fine, but seriously... what's going on? The 'deal with it' shades, and you... uhm... you're kinda stinky hon."
Bryce- "OK, we coo? OK, we coo...."
Pigeon- "Coo!"
Bryce- "'splain it to me again?"
Seth- "C'mon. What are you doing? What's going on?" Bryce took off the sunglasses. Bryce- "Whoa, man, let me get a grip on that. Gotta break it down into bite-sized... Stuff.... OK."
Bryce- "I'm fine. That stuff though, I mean, that's good stuff. Were you sayin' something earlier?"
Seth- "Yeah, I was just sayin' that Ione is acting like a freak. She looked like bride of Frankenstein and called me "President Liar". What a weirdo. Anyway, whatever."
Bryce- "No, no, let's talk about that. Ione. She's acting weird. Why do you think that is?"
Seth- "Well, probably hanging out with Loony Toons back at your place. That's enough to drive anyone up the wall."
Bryce- "Oh fuck, I forgot about Derek. She's been there since yesterday?!"
Seth- "Yeah I guess so... Oh! That's why you're-- you couldn't take a bath 'cause you couldn't go to your room. Got it. You can use my place, you know..."
Bryce- "I know that's a problem, but more importantly, uh, damn it's hard to focus... More importantly, She was with Derek while he was freakin out and came out of it feeling sympathetic to his freak train. Is that what I'm hearin'?"
Seth- "Yeah. Not to stereotype, but, isn't she a mormon? Probably easier to get on that train if you're already at the station, if you know what I mean."
A wild Basil appeared. Basil- "Gentlemen."
Bryce- "Oh. You."
Seth- "Yo, Baz."
Basil- "Indeed, Baz I am." He made himself comfortable. Seth- "So, weird stuff goin' on around here, huh? Gosh, I can't imagine what's next."
Basil- "Yes, quite... You know, I'm feeling rather good today. Top of my game, as it were. How do you find yourselves?"
Seth- "I felt like I was getting a cold or something this morning, but now I feel fine, so that's nice!"
Basil- "That's nice, nice. And your beautiful young faun?"
Seth- "What, Benji? Haha. Oh, do you mean my assistant here?"
Bryce- "Wut"
Basil- "Why yes, Bryce, the young babe, so soft and gentle."
Seth- "Yup, he's a real cutiepie."
Bryce- "What the fuck makes you think I'm soft? I'm rough as a burlap tyrannosaurus, old man."
Basil- "What's this? Young dear, there's nothing to be ashamed of in gentleness. To be a fair androgyne, beauty in its purest form..."
Seth- "*pokes Bryce on the arm* He IS pretty soft...! Hehehe."
Bryce- "...! ...! The fuck are you talking about? Androg- What the fuck?!"
Basil- "Clearly, I've upset your delicate sensibility, and I apologize."
Seth- "Yeah I dunno, he doesn't look anything like David Bowie."
Bryce- "The fuck, dudes?! I'm all man. What the hell are you talking about?"
Basil- "Of course you are, of course... It's just that there's a certain gentleness about you, your sof-, um, let's say cherubic body, your flowing tresses..."
Seth- "Oh yeah, the hair is impressive. Mine just looks like a Brilo pad under here, Bryce could be in a shampoo commercial."
Bryce- "Oh fuck do I look like a chick?"
Seth- "I think I have seen some convincing evidence that you are not..."
Basil- "Now that's mayb a bit extreme, but from some angles, perhaps, well- I'm sorry. Do calm down, I don't-"
Bryce- "That's IT!! Get the fuck out of here before I throw you off the balcony, you pervy old sack of crap!"
Seth- "Nice talkin' to you, Baz."
Basil- "Gentlemen." A wild Basil disappeared. Bryce- "*siiiiiiiiiigh*"
Seth- "Oh that guy's a real character."
Bryce- "*still exhaling*"
Seth- "Aw, are you okay hon? I'm sorry I teased you. You know I think you're beautiful."
Bryce- "Beautiful? Not handsome? Beautiful?"
Seth- "Oh well geez, yeah... You know what I meant. "
Bryce- "Oh man, please tell me, I don't look like a chick, do I? Do I?!"
Seth- "Dude... you have some pretty good proof about my orientation, don't you? Remember the other night...? Well anyway, *if* you did, it's probably just the hair. I mean, I think you look lovel-- uh, handsome no matter what you do."
Bryce- "FFFFFFFFFF---"
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Post by ◊◊BLOODBEASTER◊◊ on Oct 9, 2016 5:25:00 GMT -8
The next day,
Marie and Stevie were trying to walk Seth through all the intelligence from the news studio, when Kenny ran in. Kenny- "Hey, another lone gunman like Humbert is hitting up the back door. White dude with fluffy hair."
Seth- "Whoa-- I guess I should go down and check it out. Someone let him in yet?"
Kenny- "They let him in-"
Marie- "They'll be taking the north stair up. Kenny, just make sure the guy comes here first. Seth, take it easy."
Stevie- "Who's Humbert?" Kenny paused before running out the door. Kenny- "Weird black guy on a scooter. I partied with him on scavenging run a few weeks ago." He took off. Stevie- "Is that the skinny guy from the enclave across from Pan-Pac...?"
Seth- "Oh, that's Jalil... I never met a Humbert. Damn... this is weird. "
Marie- "Well, I can see we've lost all focus. We can stop for now, but tell me, what do you want the most out of our new data, Seth?"
Seth- "Hmm... Well, as much about monsters as we can get. Different kinds, where they are, any ideas on how we could defeat them... Also, the status of different nearby areas, as far as we know."
Stevie- "Yeah, like we should maybe re-do our big map, to show the new info. Like those, uh, 'solid flyers' in the U district." Kenny popped in, delivering a sexy dude and cute-ass dog. Kenny- "Here you go!"
Sexy guy- " 'Allo. You make flyers?"
Seth- "Oh! Uh, yeah..!"
Stevie- "Damn, that's a cute-ass dog! C'mere, boy!"
Marie- (little whistle at Seth) "Yoohoo, Seth... Sir, this is our president, Seth Clemans. And you are?"
Seth- "Oh yeah, sorry. Haha... Hi."
Sexy guy- "My name is Beau Chardufond, this is Chou." Chou waited hesitantly, looking at Beau, who nodded at the dog. It trotted over to Stevie to get petted. Seth- "You saw our flyer?"
Beau- "No, I just 'ear there is one from za 'otel nearby. I find string here, it's nice. Big building."
Kenny- "There's way bigger just down the street, just-"
Stevie- "Kenny, can you go back to the roof? We need somebody up there."
Kenny- "Pssht." He left. Stevie- "Good boyeee!"
Marie- "The flyer... We've got an update in the works, but it isn't ready yet. Maybe you can transcribe the notes?"
Beau- "Certainly. Do you 'ave information on mummy?"
Seth- "Well, a little bit. We've been trying to find out more, investigating the news studios where the tapes were sent. Not a whole lot yet, but we've found out there are other mummies, not just in Seattle."
Beau- "...That is bad news... *sigh* Well, I will find the mummy here, at least."
Marie- "Uh... what? How?"
Stevie- "Yeah... Haha. You're a feisty frenchman."
Beau- "Not sure yet. I am looking for 'zem. Not in university, not Fremont, not Ba'llard, not Queenanne... maybe downtown, but you don't find them."
Seth- "Whoa-- you've looked for the mummies in all those places? You've BEEN to all those places? How?"
Beau- "I walk. Sometimes I swim."
Stevie- "Wow. You've been looking for them this whole time? Haha. Great!"
Marie- "Yeah, I heard the water around here is really bad for your health. But, yes, why do you feel so driven, if we may be so bold?"
Beau- "Mmm.. it's 'ard to explain for me. When it first 'appen, I am in University for facility, geological survey. I see in my 'otel, video of mummy. All the people around, they try to do something at first, but become 'opeless. They do nothing. They die... 'Ze, ehh... ballon? Flying ones? Not like zombie, you can't look at them. People give up, dies around me, die or become ballon. Then they die, falling at once. It begins again. Over and over... I think, maybe the mummy dies, it will stop. Maybe not... but what can I do? I stay alive for now, but everyone dies? I can't wait for it. I don't know... does it make sense?"
Stevie- "Not even a little bit."
Marie- "You lost me in the middle, but I gathered that was something about the unique monsters from the U District. And that you hope killing the mummies will end all of this. That is a sentiment we share - one of our long term goals."
Beau- "Sorry, it is so very strange. I am glad to 'ear about this. No one else wants to! I don't understand. It is just small monster, why not try? Die 'iding or fight and die? Maybe we can win."
Seth- "Yeah! I was sayin' that the other day, it's just teenagers. What if you kill them, and *poof* everything's normal again? I mean, I doubt that, but why not try? At least if they're planning anything else, it would stop it."
Beau- "Yes."
Stevie- "Fuck yeah! You wanna join up? A place to stay until we figure this out?"
Marie- " "
Beau- "It is a good idea. At least until I know where to go, or if we go to fight mummy together. I like it. Merci."
Seth- "Yeah...!"
Marie- "Well, I'm going to work on this more, but you guys should maybe check out the facilities, if you're going to stay. Right Beau?"
Beau- "Yes, I wish I 'ad something to give. I 'ave only myself and Chou."
Seth- "Oh gosh, don't be silly. We humans gotta stick together, right? I'll show you around!"
Beau- "Merci." Seth stood to open the door for Beau. Beau glanced to his dog who trotted over obediently, his fluffy tail trailing behind him. Stevie- "Cute-ass dog."
Marie- "You know those times when you knew something but didn't say it and later on you couldn't claim you knew it was coming without sounding like you're lying?"
Stevie- "Yeah?"
Marie- "I don't do those anymore. I get the feeling that man is going to lead Seth off a cliff." Seth and a handsome man with a cute fluffy skinny dog came out of Marie's room, and into the comm center. Seth- "So this is our community center, this is where everyone eats. We have a real chef and everything!"
Beau- "Hourra, I smell real food. I eat cans of green beans yesterday, cold. Chou will be 'appy."
Chou- "*snuff snuff*"
Seth- "Oh yeah, the food here is great. We have chickens and geese, so eggs too... We can find you a room later, I don't remember if anyone needs a roommate but-- oh look, here's some of our residents." Near the food... Volya- "It's President Liar again. Salutes, everybody, if you wanna be one of cool kids!"
Hector- "Mang, he's looking at us."
Kerry- "What are talking about Volya? It doesn't even make sense!"
Seth- "What are you-- oh man, it's like that thing with Ione, isn't it? Well whatever. Everyone, this is Beau."
Beau- " 'Allo, very pleased. This is Chou."
Chou- *stares at Volya*
Volya- "Don't sic your pit bulls on me because you don't likes the truth."
Kerry- "Shut UP! Beau, I'm very pleased to meet you and sorry about-"
Jaylyn- "Weh!"
Volya- "Yeah, silence dissenters like Putin! Who is KGB? You gonna have Stevie give us dioxins poison? Fuck that shits!
Tyrone- "You're crazy like a big dog, fool."
Col. Teddy- "I see... So it all starts to come unraveled, as predicted!"
Seth- "What are you guys even talking about?"
Col. Teddy- "Oh I think you know what I'm talking about!"
Anna- "I don't so fuckin' enlighten me, ya prick."
Col. Teddy- "Please. I knew it wasn't a good idea to let my son rent an apartment near such riff raff."
Chantelle- "HEY! Knock it off, weirdos! Your bad vibes could flatten a souffle at fifty paces!"
Seth- "Seriously, what is it!? Everyone's getting on my case today, what's the deal? If you have a problem, just say it!"
Beau- "I assume this is unusual."
Seth- "Sorry, I don't know what's gotten into them."
Chou- " *low grumble* "
Anna- "You jackass! You always think you know what's best, but what did that get your family? Cowering starving in a building for how long?!"
Jackson- "Anna, maybe that's too far."
Col. Teddy- "This whole situation is insane! A bunch of yoyos, caging themselves in the heart of a warzone! It'll end in pine boxes, I tell you!"
Volya- "Yeah, pine boxes full of stupids, you knows what I mean?"
Jaylyn- "WEEEEEEEH"
Kerry- "I'm so sorry. Volya, NO ONE knows what you're saying! I have to go."
Basil- "Dreadful."
Seth- "Ugh. If you aren't even gonna voice a REAL complaint, I'm out of here. If you think of something coherent later, why not write it down. Beau, let's get you some food on the patio."
Beau- "Very well..."
Chou- "*watchful look at loud men*"
"Those two half-wits are probably high." Ashley enters, wearing his best werewolf face. "Clemens, Sir, I apologize for their stupidity." Seth- "Thanks Ashley. I hope everything went okay on the trip, let me know later. I'm gonna get some food for this new guy first. This is Beau."
Beau- " 'Allo."
Seth- "Beau just came here, he pulled the string. He's been all over up north, wants to help us with the mummies." Beau finished his toast and nodded. Beau- "I just swim from Ba'llard today. I am interest in the flyers you make, to find others to fight mummy. I know of other areas, monsters, maybe 'elpful to you. You to me, as well, I know nothing of the downtown, the news studio. It is of great interest to me. I am afraid I am no soldier, I am a geologist. Of little use now. I wanted to create map, but it was destroyed. I will do my best to 'elp, whatever the case."
Chantelle- "DON'T make me come over there, you BRATS!" Seth, Beau, and Chou went toward the patio (possibly followed by Ashley). The arguers argued on.Patti kept a low profile in her corner as Seth came onto the patio, followed by Beau and others. Chantelle helped pick out some nice food for the new guy. Seth- "Omigod, I am so sorry Beau. I don't know what's going on."
Beau- "I 'ave seen worse. So much fighting at University... Ba'llard is very unfriendly. I get robbed more than once."
Seth- "Geez, I'm sorry..."
Chantelle- "You're lovely, Beau. I hope the idiots don't ruin your appetite." Beau ate buttered toast with a fancy bean and pepper paste. Chou happily munched on kibble.
Beau- "Merci, young lady. How wonderful, I 'ave not eaten warm food for month or more."
Chantelle- "That is why I do this. You are so sweet, you're like a month of back wages in a smile. "
Bryce- "*glurk* Think I barfed up a little bit. Someone got some water? Thanks."
"We're glad to have someone else join us, Mr. Beau. What is your last name, Sir?" He asks, somehow assured that this man was...important somehow. Beau- "Beau Chardufond. Sir, you are Ashley? Forgive me, are you military or...? I was telling young Alex I was in la Royale, French navy. That was years ago, 'owever."
Beau- "Wow, really? What did you do?"
Beau- "Mmm... this and that... intelligence."
Bryce- "Jesus Christ. James leBond. Figures."
"Thankyou for your help... We could use someone who knows more about this... I think we are barely scratching the surface of what we need to combat them properly." Beau- "It is true. 'Ow many weapons must one carry? Is every city different? My imagination cannot grasp it. To even believe in the ghost, it seems ridiculous. But then.. *sigh*"
"Nice to meet you, Beau. I was, however, referring to the rabble rabble rabble in there. I'd hate to think we were having a mutiny on the day our new guest arrives." She looked the newcomer up and down. She raised one eyebrow. She wasn't sure she trusted him. To Chantelle - "Yeah, I don't step down from a fight either, but Volya is a fucking idiot, pardon my... English. I've always hated those 'If you don't like it then git out' people, but in a life and death situation, quite frankly, if they don't like it then they are actively making the rest of us less safe." Chantelle- "Eesh. I guess I know what you mean."
Seth- "Omigod, those guys have gone bonkers. It must be contagious. I have no idea what they're going on about, but they're all pissed at me for unknown reasons. They won't even tell me! Poor Beau showed up after it started. Ione was already giving me that crap this morning. If you find out what it is, let me know."
Seth- "Well, I should go bust up that scene in there. Thanks for being reasonable, you guys. That is a precious commodity these days." With that, he slipped into the fray in the comm center. Bryce slipped in behind him.Seth caught the tail end of knuckleheads dispersing, yakked a bit with Anna, and so on... The afternoon wound its course, Dinner got made and served. People lingered to try to enjoy the evening. Notable absences, as expected: Derek and Ione. Several people talked about how nice meeting with Emmett was. That's where we find ourselves...
Seth sat on some couches of people talking with Beau. Marie- "They all just randomly die at the same time? That is the weirdest thing I've heard of since... earlier today. What can it mean?"
Beau- "Sorry, it is 'ard to explain because it's so strange. The 'umans look into the face of the ballon, and... they change. Unrecognizable. They are mindless, floating, they become the same.. Then... they just fall to the ground after some time. Dead. I saw it happen 'zree time over. Dead bodies cover the street, no one to remove them."
Seth- "God... How did you get out?"
Beau- "It's not 'ard to avoid them outside, actually. Just run... They don't seem to follow. Inside, is 'arder. They look in windows."
Stevie- "I'm positive we'll see 'em too, since they fuckin' fly. How do people kill them?"
Beau- "I wish I know. 'zey are very strong if they get you. I saw one tear a man's arm. I don't know, maybe fire. I never tried. I didn't know fire for ghost until I do it on accident. Before I just run, Chou wakes me up. He knows."
Sarah- "Aww."
Marie- "Never saw anyone kill one? That seems unlikely. Well, maybe we have a different culture around here."
Beau- "I think so, in University everyone is 'iding in buildings. Never going outside, not for food or anything. Only a few go out, I try to get people to leave, 'zey don't go. I saw people trying to catch a ballon, but can't. It floats away."
Anna- "If they try to come kill ya, ripping arms and whatnot, somebody would have no choice but to kill one in self defense. I guess you didn't see that happen."
Marie- "Giant chunks of metal hauling themselves down the road? All the poltergeist kinda stuff we've seen was inside buildings. That would suck to think they could just stroll down the street like anything else."
Seth- "Yeah that sounds like the chairs we saw in Cornish."
Anna- "That's what I was thinking. Now imagine that flopping down the boulevard."
Seth- "Yikes."
Sarah- "Ugh, the world's so dangerous. Give me that cat, Bryce."
Bryce- "Okay. Is it a security cat?"
Sarah- "Yes he is." Donovan - *Rowr*
Beau- "So we have talked about the downtown, but I am curious... 'As anyone been to the Capitol Hill?"
Sarah- "Sandy told me you guys went up there, right Anna?"
Anna- "Oh, we didn't get very far. But yes. It's a mess up there."
Beau- "I 'ear things, in University. I 'ave choice to go there, or to Wallingford. I 'ear... it is madness."
Anna- "That sounds about right. It's... they barricaded a lot of streets, but not sensibly. It's just everybody staking out turf. They have chained up zombies to scare each other off, using guts and skulls and stuff for displays. I'm not sure, but I think I saw ghosts stuck to the side of buildings, floating in place."
Beau- "It is vile.. I am glad I don't go there."
Stevie- "Yeah, also good you stood on the straightshot to downtown. 'Cuz I heard Queenanne has a lot of assholes too."
Beau- "I figure so much, the worst people are in residential. 'Zhey have nowhere to go, no food. 'Zhey will rob you or kill you by now."
Sarah- "Or worse... they'll eat zombies and turn into ghouls."
Beau- "How strange, I feel I know so much until I come 'ere. There is so far to go."
Bryce- "Yup, straight on to Montezuma and mad mummies, yo."
Beau- "I don't understand..."
Sarah- "You think the mummies are in north Africa Bryce?"
Bryce- "Yes. Yes I do. When are you goin' Beau?"
Beau- "Haha, that will be a long swim. I do go to Egypt and Morocco once. No mummies then."
Stevie- "Well that's a shame, they musta been hiding in a hole, waiting for the sucker punch."
Seth- "Eugh, bet Egypt is crawlin' with mummies now."
Marie- "The mummies we've seen didn't look very Egyptian though."
Seth- "Yeah, I meant... oh nevermind.
Stevie- "So you were in the service?"
Beau- "French navy, La Royale."
Stevie- "What kinda boats didja man?"
Beau- "Well, all sorts. I go on the Charles de Gaulle once, an aircraft carrier. Submarines, some frigates, though I do not pilot those, haha. Mostly small patrol boats, I pilot a helicopter a few times. It has been years though."
Sarah- "Wow, we could totally get a helicopter. Even fuel it up, I bet."
Seth- "That would be intense. Imagine seeing the city like that now... Wonder if they still got one at the news studios. I didn't look.
Sarah- "That's exactly what I was thinkin.' But I don't know that there's much point going out on one now. Wouldn't want to waste it on something unimportant."
Beau- "It may attract bad attention. These days the only things in the sky other than birds are not good."
Sarah- "I hadn't thought of that. "
Anna- "I bet that'd go way faster than a ghost."
Stevie- "Boats are a lot less wasteful than helicopters. You could get pretty far on one, especially if you can sail."
Beau- "I could sail, for sure. I would worry about the sea though, what creatures may be there?"
Bryce- "Zombie lochness monsters motherfucker. *pew pew fingerguns*"
Seth- "..." Seth and Bryce came into their room with Benji, there was a flurry of meows.
Seth- "Alright alright ya beast. I'll feed you."
He set about getting cat kibbles in bowls. Bryce- "Oh my god. It gets crazier by the minute. Do you mind if I light one? I'll go over by the window."
Seth- "Knock yourself out. Not literally..."
Bryce- "Thank you. *sigh* Thank you..."
Seth put down Bob's food and flopped on the couch. Seth- "Man oh man. This morning I was half-dead. Freakin' weird man, what if I'd stayed in bed?"
Bryce- "Uhh you woulda been real hungry, then Marie would come and beat your door down."
Seth- "That's probably accurate. Weird though, I'm like never hungry... What did I eat today? I think I just ate some like, crackers."
Bryce- "Now that's not good. Hey y'know, this stuff'll help with your appetite."
Seth- "Maybe if you make it into some brownies for me. Too stinky."
Bryce- "Really? Oh yeah, we've had this conversation before. It's my short-term memory."
Seth- "Well anyway, damn damn damn. What's next?"
Bryce- "I know, first ya hear about vampires and floaty fuckers, and then you could be like, "I dunno maybe maybe not," but then someone who's seen 'em shows up."
Seth- "Yeah! It's so weird. Too bad about the places up north, guess we'd have to figure as much. It's pretty exciting though, findin' someone else who wants to get the mummies."
Bryce- "Oh man... How the hell are you even gonna do that?"
Seth- "Well, I don't know. We'll have to figure it out."
Bryce- "Get back to me when you do that."
Seth- "Tch, you don't think I can do it?"
Bryce- "No one's gonna find those guys."
Seth- "Why not? They gotta be somewhere, and they're not expecting anyone to come looking."
Bryce- "If I was them, I'd expect someone to come looking."
Seth- "Bet they don't have any clue. Guys like that, super arrogant. That stupid kid, he's never gonna see it comin' and then POW! Well, I think we'd take him prisoner actually, get all the info out and then POW! Or something."
Bryce- "No way, if I was him, I'd expect people to come looking for me and I'd have an army of like... 50 gorilla zombies and a tank made out of boners."
Seth- "What's a boner tank even gonna do? Are you really that high?"
Bryce "What, no! It'd just be really hard. So, y'know, no one would be able to get into my boner tank and I'd be surrounded by gorilla zombies."
Seth- "Man, whatever. We'll show you and we'll totally do it."
Bryce- "Uh huh, yeah. Hey... the hell's up with that new guy?"
Seth- "What about him?"
Bryce- "Whattya mean what about him, what about him? 'He's like motherfuckin' James leBond."
Seth- "Haha, yeah pretty tall story. I dunno though, maybe he can prove it. He got a little pointy-headed about that geology stuff so I don't know why not."
Bryce- "Aw man. D'ya think like... maybe he's just here to show you up?"
Seth- "What? Oh like, am I jealous or something?"
Bryce- "I dunno, maybe you should be jealous."
Seth- "Aw man, that guy seems like a hard-luck story. Not like he's got an enclave or anything. I don't feel like that."
Bryce- "Like he's like... think about it, he's like, ohhh I'm sooo charming and I can fly a helicopter and everybody loves meeee. Look at my cuuuuute dog! Hey Benji..."
Benji- "Yipe!"
Bryce- "You're not cute enough."
Benji- "Weeeeen"
Seth- "Huh! Hahaha oh *you're* the one who's jealous then huh?"
Bryce- "Pfft no! Me? Nah, whatever."
Seth- "Hahah! Aww that's cute!"
Bryce- "What? No, don't lay your hangups on me, man."
Seth- "C'mon, I totally think it's cute. That's why you were being so bitchy. Hehe, you're adorable."
Bryce- "Adorable? Like... precious moments figurine? Or like... the cast of Little Women?"
Seth- "Omigod, that's right... I forgot about this morning. So like, are you gonna start lifting or something? Get a buzzcut?"
Bryce- "I dunno, maybe I will. What do you think of that?"
Seth- "Well, you can do whatever you want, I'm sure you'll be cuuu----some whatever you do..."
Bryce- "Cute, you were gonna say cute. Oh my god, you think I look like a chick!"
Seth- "Oh come on, now you're just insulting my sexuality too. I mean, face it.. you're just a cute kinda guy. Some people are cute and some people are like... rugged, or whatev."
Bryce- "Nah, man... that's not what Basil meant. I seen Basil hittin' on ladies. He's some kind of weird bisexual. He even said I'm an androgyne! He thinks I'm a sexy hermaphrodite! Oh god do I have boobies?"
Seth- "Not really, I mean--"
Bryce- "Whattya mean 'not really?!' "
Seth- "I mean-- argh, of course not! Anyway, I don't think that's what androgyne means. It's like... well you know... I feel like I'm damned no matter what I say here."
Bryce- "Then keep on damning, damn it! I wanna know what you really think? Do I, or do I not have tits?!"
Seth- "I thought pot is supposed to make you mellow! You don't have tits, sheesh. It's like... you're--"
Bryce- "It's the marijuana! It makes you grow tits!"
He stubbed out the joint. "They said that in DARE class and I didn't listen!"
Seth- "I SAID you don't have tits, god! You're just kinda... soft there, you know? That's all I meant. Gahh..."
Bryce- "Oh man, oh noo... I'm doomed. That's even worse. That's horrible. I can't handle it."
Seth- "Take it easy, geez... I mean, what's so bad right now?"
Bryce- "I just--I just don't wanna look like a chick. I wanna be sexy! If that makes me vainglorious like those fitness dorks, then I'll go there! I'll lift those... ball... bearings and... work out my lati...musculuses... if that's what it takes!"
Seth- "Please, just calm down. Why's it so important to look sexy? I think you're sexy right now..."
Bryce- "Maybe I'm only sexy to you right now because you're some kind of weird pervert."
Seth- "Ughh you're impossible."
Bryce- "Am I really impossible, or am I so possible that I just blew your mind?"
Seth- "I think that only makes sense if you're high..."
Bryce- "Shows what you know. Ugh! *sob* I just... I can't argue any more. We have to have it be peaceful around here Seth, can you be peaceful?"
Seth- "Where's the argument? I'm not arguing...!"
Bryce- "I just--I just can't argue with you any more Seth, not tonight. Okay? Is that okay with you?"
Seth- "God, fine! I don't even... Ugh."
Bryce- "C'mere..." He gestured with needy hands. Seth stood up and gave him a faux-begrudging expression before putting his arms around Bryce's shoulders. Bryce nestled into him like some kind of oversized kitten. For some reason, Bob always thought that meant it was time for him to get in the middle. Seth- "So, you can do whatever you want, but I'll always think you're sexy okay?"
Bryce jerked a little as if he felt like that was a cue to argue again, but let it go.Seth- "Hey, what's your favorite candy?"
Bryce- "...I've been leaning toward root beer barrels lately."
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Post by ◊◊BLOODBEASTER◊◊ on Oct 9, 2016 16:40:28 GMT -8
Patti had strolled out earlier and eaten some dinner, sitting aside and listening to the plans and schemes. It was insane, but possibly the best thing to do. She didn't know anymore. And she still didn't completely trust the Frenchman.Patti- "Seth, if I could, I'd like to have a word with you when we're done here." In the dim post-dinner comm center... Many people had already filtered out to go to their respective evening locales. Beau had been assigned to the room with Basil and Monty, and was presumably still resting. Seth was on grill cleaning duty, and took a moment to rest as Patti collared him. Seth- "Hey Patti. Sure, just let me know when you wanna talk. I'm gonna--" He collapsed on a cushy sofa with an "oof"
"--yeah. Haha."
Patti- "So long as we're alone for a moment, now's as good a time as any... I grew up in an Army family. My dad served 34 years, including two wars, and I learned a thing or two from him and from watching him."
"Teddy is what my dad called a 'chickenhawk'. He's more interested in his own self-aggrandizement, to the exclusion of the mission and unit cohesion. He might have some constructive advice for our group, but it isn't likely. You notice he just cried doom and offered no solutions."
Seth- "Oy, yeah... I had a feeling that guy was gonna be trouble. I was hoping he'd chill out since we've been taking care of his daughter-in-law, but no such luck so far."
She looked around, just to double-check that nobody was sitting or standing too near. "If he honestly wanted to help, he'd take you aside, ask to speak with the council, y'know, civil and constructive behavior. Right now, it might seem like a major nuisance but nothing serious, but I'll tell you right now, it's a major problem." Seth- "I have to admit, I was totally taken by surprise by this whole thing. I have a feeling it has something to do with Derek's little freak-out, but I have no idea why. Guess it was bound to happen sooner or later."
"Folks like that, the chickenhawks, they are charismatic. They sow dissension and they tear people down behind their backs." Seth- "Man, I wish I knew what to do about it. I should get some advice from Emmett, maybe. Any ideas yourself?"
"If we're lucky, there'll be a blow-up, maybe a fist fight, and the assholes will run off on their own and die quickly. If we're unlucky, they'll turn their backs on the rest of us at a point of serious peril and somebody or somebodies will die. If we're really unlucky, the bastards move over to the Pan Pac and convince the fucking gun-nut pigs that they need to liberate us from ourselves." Seth- "Geh, I hope not! I'd hate to think about people striking out on their own just because they don't get along with me, but you can only do so much, right? Anyone's free to go at any time, so maybe you'll be right about that."
She sighed. "Sorry, I'm not trying to be a negative Nellie, but I just don't see a scenario in which this works out well for the enclave. Then again, I didn't see a scenario in which we stayed put for several months and were mostly still alive, so..." Seth- "No no, I understand. I think it's an important thing to talk about. I was hoping that thing with Derek would just blow over, but I don't think we'll be so lucky. I think I'll bring all this up with the council, but I bet we're gonna need to draft some new rules.."
"Just, keep your alert up and keep your friends close. I know Ash has a bit of a Lancelot complex, except, y'know, not trying to seduce Bryce away from you or, okay, I never read any of those books, so I'm probably just butchering this analogy. Or simile or whatever... anyway, you can trust him, he'll die for you if it came down to it." Seth- "Hahaha, that *is* an amusing image anyway. But seriously, yeah, he's an impressive dude! He totally is like, from another time of chivalry or something. Pretty damn cool."
"Would it be possible for me to attend the next meeting? I think it would help me wrap my mind around the tactical situation a little better." Seth- "Oh sure! Just drop by tomorrow morning. These days the meetings are pretty dense, we're going through all that material from the news studio still. Just sayin', maybe bring a good book 'cause the minutiae are.... minute. If you can dig it. We'll probably get some more details from Beau, though unfortunately I think it's not a lot of concrete info.
Oh yeah, there was also talk of beginning a map of the area, with all the info we have about what's safe, who lives where, where we haven't been... If you got any ideas for it, definitely bring 'em up at the meeting." Ivan hustled through. Ivan- "Hey, anybody wanna help in the alley? We saw some people from up top that looked like they were running from something. I can't wait!" He ran faster than most people had ever seen him run, and disappeared down the north stairs.
Seth- "Well goddamn if it ain't Grand Central Station around here...!" He trudged at first, but got too curious and quickened his pace after Ivan. Seth- "Well what's the scene down here? I hope it's someone even cooler than Beau like... Steve Pool." Ivan, Ashley, Micah, Seth, and Patti reached the alley, finding Casey and Ibi having some kind of rushed conversation with a rather serious looking group of four people, at the south end of the alley. They must have been guarding the door when the call about the people came in. At any rate, there were nervous looks now, but no running.Seth walked over, looking most to Ibi and Casey and trying to maintain a pleasant expression.Seth- "Hey... what's all this?" The big tall guy looked back down the alley and said tersely, Big tall guy- "Fuck it, can we have this conversation indoors?" The nervous looks continued, and the group began going back the other way. Big tall guy- "Questions?"
Seth- "Yeah, just, real quick but trust me, there's a reason for it-- this is gonna sound stupid-- What's your favorite gum flavor?"
"Don't like gum." "Keylime pie." "Cinnamon." "Blackjack." Eyebrow-having lady- "What was that about?"
Casey- "A test we do to see if you're human. Um, tall guy, you didn't fail, but you didn't pass... Uh, what's your favorite movie?"
Big tall guy- "Um... I'll say Eraserhead because I can't think straight right now." Peering into the distance, Ashley notices something that makes him curious... He hangs back a bit while the others move to the door.Is that Donati? Seth helped herd everyone back inside.
Seth- "Uh, we might be in for trouble. C'mon everyone...!" After everyone got back inside, Seth got Casey and Ibi's attention. Seth- "Get the new guys up to the comm center."
Casey- "Sure thing, Seth! Come on, guys. We're going upstairs."
Nervous guy- "That's g-good to hear." A little later, Casey, Ibi, Woody, Judy, Cathleen, Eli, Patti, and Micah came into the Comm Center... Seth- "Ugh, whew, totally, ugh, winded." Seth took a deep shaky breath and spoke with a little more power this time. Seth- "Hf-- em. Okay! So, yeah you guys can take it easy if you like, as this bloke says.. We got some nice chairs, which I am going to take part of--" He flopped on a chair, wearily smiling. Seth- "What do you feel like?" They were all still standing around, tense, but also surprised by the surroundings. The comm center was, to an outsider, like some kind of pagan carnival tent of delights. Woody- "We're not necessarily going to stay, but... Tell us, what's your community about? How many people are here?"
Seth- "You guys came from PanPac right? Well, I don't know what's going on there, but I think we're pretty different. Gosh, I think we're up something like fifty people, and a bunch of pets. We have a work schedule, but everyone just works to their abilities and talents. We have rooms for everyone, and food everyday, here in the comm center.
Anyone's allowed to come and go as they please, so if you guys wanna go back it's totally cool. We have guard duties in the garage, on the roof and on the first floor, and we haven't had any major disasters since the first day. Like Micah said, I'm the leader but we also have a council so I can't go power mad, haha. Do you have any other questions?"
Eli- "We'll stay."
Woody- "What? Honestly?"
Eli- "I'm your boss and I say we stay."
Woody- "You're the boss of a graphic design company that's as dead as the zombies."
Eli- "It's too dangerous out there! We should stay here. These guys seem alright."
Woody- "Recall you got on with Edgar quite famously."
Eli- "..."
Cathleen- "Woody, I think... At least for tonight, Eli's right."
Woody- "... We'll stay tonight and see how we feel sometime tomorrow."
Seth- "I guess we'll get Marie and get you guys rooms."
Casey- "I'll go get her!" Casey took off. Ibi- "We're just regular people here. No Lord of the Flies shit going on in this building. But the place you're from... There's rumors, y'know? Why did you leave?"
Judy- "Creepers. I mean, just cuz I do something once doesn't mean I'm gonna do it again, and-"
Cathleen- "*glare*"
Judy- "Huh? Anyhow, it was hella lame." Then Ash came in. Seth- "Yeah. I suppose it was bound to happen sooner or later. I can't imagine they'll go for peace talks, but maybe it's worth a shot."
Ibi- "What is being talked about? We want to tell them to back off?"
Seth- "I'd hate to tell other people what to do, but not lettin' people leave just ain't right."
Cathleen- "It's even against the United Nations charter of human rights. But it's weird because we're not exactly prisoners. We weren't directly ordered to stay. I don't think you want to get into it with those guys."
Seth- "Well, in that case, if you're free to go, they shouldn't have a problem."
Woody- "I'm not sure what they'll do now, but I really don't think they'll bother trying to get us back."
Seth- "Yeah, that's a good idea. You know that Jalil guy and his crew are even closer than we are. Maybe they know somethin'. Be good to make sure they're on our side too."
Judy- "Jalil? I just met that guy. He's dreamy!"
Marie- "Wow. Growing by the minute, hm? Let's grab some sleeping bags for temporary and get you downstairs."
Woody- "Thank you, ma'am." The new folks left, with help from Casey and Ibi. Ash had gone to the roof, and at last, no one was left but Seth and Micah.
Micah- "Hmm I don't think Ash likes me very fucking much, which is weird because everyone knows I'm the 403 Mr. Congeniality. Seth, I don't know what Ash has told you but he'd be a great person to talk to about the Pan Pac jerks. I was talking to Patti the other day and she mentioned 'a rapport'." Seth- "Hmm interesting... He always struck me as ex-military guy or something, so it makes sense for him to get along with cops. Yeah, if we go down there I'll definitely invite him.
Seth- "--But I wouldn't get why he wouldn't like you, you're just the sweetest! Maybe it's all the cusses. They don't bother me anyway. "
Micah- “Ha ha thanks, but I may have also jokingly suggested that he gets his rocks off on violence. So there's that too . You must be fucking wasted with all the fucking commotion today, speaking of which I should probably go and see if Alex is okay. I don't think he is handling all the shit that's been tossed up lately, he thinks Ione is possessed or something. Personally I think she's just a bitch.”
Seth- "Gahh... No kidding. It's a shame I have to live next to those weirdos. Yeah, today was too damn crazy. Up and down those stairs a million times... I don't know why those fitness nuts even bother with what you gotta do just to get by around here."
Seth- "Well good luck with Alex, he seems like a sensitive guy but he's no Derek so I'm sure with some support he'll be fine." You were surprised by a Cool Bryce. Bryce- "Fancy meeting you here, Mr. President., Sr. Court Jester."
Seth- "Hey cool guy! You keep living up to your Risky Business styled reputation."
Bryce- "I'll risk your business, fancy man. I'll risk it all night long."
Seth- "...I don't even think I understand that, but it sounds totally unprofessional....
Seth- ...in BED! Hahaha." These sunglasses had a tendency to slip off his face. They did so as he laughed. Bryce- "Hahaha, yeah... mm..."
Micah- "Ah yeah... I'm gonna let you guys fucking have at it. Later, Seth, Corey Hart." Micah left the two alone with their risky business. Bryce- "There goes the Australian ambassador. Will he ever meet a Paul Hogan, to sweep him up in his weather-beated arms, mount up a dire kangaroo, and ride into the Sierra Nevadas? Chances are no. His is to be a life of solitude and pain."
Seth- "That the Crocodile Hunter? He better watch out for sting-rays then, heyoooo.. Hahaha...
Seth- --I really don't know anything about Australia, it's sad."
They retired to Seth's room.
Seth and Bryce retired for the evening, with a wary glance at the door next to them before they went inside and shut the door tight. Seth- "Ewww... I get the willies goin' by that place."
Bryce- "God, I know!"
He flopped on the couch and Benji ran around on top of him happily. Seth- "Well what a bunch of interesting folks today, huh?"
Bryce- "People? You mean the frenchman and his dog?"
Seth- "Oh my god, yeah! You didn't see the new people! Four new people came in just like, 20 minutes ago."
Bryce- "Christ, what were they doing out there at this hour?"
Seth- "Yeah it was like... escapees from PanPac! Two guys and two girls. They wouldn't tell us why they left, but I think it was like... something intense. Sooo weird."
Bryce- "Oh god, I hope not. They just left for a change of scenery. *sigh*"
Seth- "--and then like, those cops, remember hearing about those dick cops next door? Well, two of them were following them over here. Holeeee shit, we might be in for trouble. Damn..."
Seth- "--But the new people seem nice."
Bryce- "Oh you're a real piece of work. 'Hey worry about a thing, and by the way, candy!' Oh, good to hear that the bringers of doom have a pleasant disposition!"
Seth- "Aw c'mon, it's not that big of a deal. We can take 'em if we have to, but they're probably just gonna have a little hissy fit about it and get over it."
Bryce- "Really?"
Seth- "Oh man and the one guy is like... five inches taller than me and totally built. Bet he can beat up on any cop that comes his way. Maybe that's how they got out!"
Bryce- "Oh, I bet he's built like Steve Reeves and has a cute Italian accent, why not." A rapping at the neighbor's door caught their attention. It was followed by tromping and gruff, muffled words. Bryce- "..."
Seth- "Whoa...!" Seth crept over to the door to listen in on the scene.Dr. Bebe's voice- "-just to see if everyone is healthy. Sometimes-"
Ione's voice- "You're just coming here to get more scraps for the gossip mill! You're just one of them and I am not going to dignify you with a further response!"
Tyrannosaurus voice- "The fuck's going ON?"
Seth- "....!" Seth put his ear to the door, getting ready to step outside if things escalated. Bryce tried to bury himself in the couch like a lost coin.Ione's voice- "Nothin's going on, baby! Don't -"
Tyrannosaurus voice- "Dr. Bebe? You think I'm sick?"
Dr. Bebe's voice- "Well, sometimes-"
Tyrannosaurus voice- "I'm a straight as hell, dammit, you're the sickos!"
Dr. Bebe's voice- "I just-" The door slammed. Seth waited just a moment before opening his door and gesturing for Bebe to come in. Bryce panicked at the sound of the door and pulled some Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas styled defensive maneuvers on the couch. Seth closed the door and Bebe spoke quietly. Dr. Bebe- "How much of that did you hear?"
Seth- "All of, I think. It's rough, isn't it?"
Dr. Bebe- "I was surprised. Almost shocked. It's definitely not my domain of expertise."
Seth- "Emmett was giving it a try, and it kinda *is* his area of expertise. *sigh* I wish I knew what to do about it... I like to think I'm a good leader but in a situation like this, I'm lost."
Dr. Bebe- "Aww... Well, I think all leaders have to face challenges from time to time. I think there was a Star Trek episode about that."
Seth- "Ooh does that make me Picard? Cool."
Seth- "Well, thanks for giving it a shot anyway. I think we're gonna have to draft up some new rules at the next council meeting. Gotta allow people freedom, but you know what they say about rights ending at the tip of someone else's nose."
Dr. Bebe- "Certainly... You don't have to hide back there."
Bryce's voice- "Yes I do!"
Dr. Bebe- "I need to get some sleep. I'll see you tomorrow." THE NEXT DAY....Seth slept fitfully amid various creatures. In a distant corner, a Bryce slouched upon a chair, not wanting to awaken the man just yet.He woke up with a cough. Bryce- "You alright man?"
He sat up, and coughed into his shoulder at first, and then into both hands, until he regained his wheezing breath.
Seth- "yeah, maybe..."
Bryce- "Jeez, that's not great. Sorry."
Seth- "I just-- I just gotta cold or somethin-- *wheeze*"
Bryce- "I heard cardio was a good way to keep respiratory ailments away. Never see you exercise anymore... I mean, the chin-up bar on the closet door. Now it's just a 'whack Seth's head sometimes' bar."
Seth- "Oh man.. Last time I tried to do one I just wrenched my shoulder outta place... Sucks. I dunno what's wrong with me..."
Bryce- "Try one for old time's sake? What's the worst that could happen? You already feel cruddy."
Seth- "Damn if you say so, but if my arms fall off, I'm making you sew them back on..."
He got up and walked over to the bar, already looking rather wraith-like. He grabbed the bar, and crossed his feet beneath as he always had, hopped up and.. struggled to get halfway before dropping to his feet again.
Seth- "..."
Bryce- "Oh what a mess. I'm so sorry for you. I wonder if goose soup works like chicken soup? Or maybe one of our birds has had its day..."
Seth- "Aww..." He smiled wearily."I think-- yesterday I felt like this, and I got better. I bet-- I bet it will happen again. Hey d'ya.. wanna get a haircut still? Maybe I should get rid of this haystack an' stop wearin' hats to bed."
Bryce- "Yeah, maybe... Guess we'll see if we can put the spurs to Chantelle after breakfast."
Seth- "Hey hey, c'mere... lemme give you all my death germs. " He was all up on it...
Chantelle set up her hair cutting technologies in Susie and Ione's shop. Susie had generously granted permission in Ione's continued absence. Jackson waved from across the way. Bryce and Seth slumped in chairs. Chantelle- "Both the same day? Is it a gang initiation thing? Matching costumes? Aww."
Bryce- "..."'
Seth- "I just wanna be seen without this hat to cover my shame. Oh the shame. So much shame. --and hair."
Chantelle- "How was the big meeting this morning? Are we going to begin a 20 year police action in the Pan-Pac Hotel?"
Seth- "Damn, that meeting sapped my will to live. But yeah, no. We're just gonna 'have a talk,' which I'm not looking forward to, but, y'know."
Bryce- "Solid. So how do you cut man hairs?"
Chantelle- "Oh men's hair isn't any different. I just do what you want. If you like it long but wanted a differe-"
Bryce- "Who said I like it long? I didn't say that. No way."
Seth- "Ohh I hope you leave some on top at least..."
Bryce- "Yeah, I don't wanna look like some weird skinhead. Let's do this thing!"
Chantelle- "'Kay..."
Seth- "C'mon Bryce, be nice.. whoa that rhymed, haha! Anyway, Chantelle is providing you a service, what are you gonna do for her? Wash out the chicken coop with a toothbrush? " The shades fell. Bryce- "Mm, sorry Chantelle."
Chantelle- "OK, you little buster..."
A little while later.... Chantelle- "What do you think?"
Bryce- "Allllll right."
Seth- "Yay! Oh look, there was a cute boy under that hair this whole time!"
Bryce- "Deal with it."
Chantelle- "You're next, fuzzball!
Seth- "Don't laugh. I think some of the missing pigeons are in there... somewhere..."
A little while later.... Chantelle- "What do you think?"
Seth- "Yeah it looks great! These piercing holes thank you for giving them purpose in life once more. You don't think it's too like.. Bow Wow Wow, do you? Wait, that's kinda the post-ZP trend now, isn't it?"
Bryce- "What does 'bow wow wow' mean? Like Snoop Dogg?"
Seth- "Man, how you gonna have new-wave style without knowing your roots? Well anyway, what do you think?" He dropped the glasses. Bryce- "Sexity. I'd fux with it."
Jackson- "You've got a winner, man! Now come get cool tattoos."
Seth- "OMG if I could get a few days where I don't need to use my arms, I could really use something to cover up this stupid Pacman ghost. I thought it was sooo cute, but now I just can't think a ghost is cute. Unless we run into Casper, and even then I'll probably put that thing outta its misery."
Just then, the sound of skateboards roared from the sidewalk outside. People jumped in their seats. Seth- "What is this shenanigans?! Don't tell me we got skater zombies now... It's like Zombies Ate My Neighbors in a way that I'm not into." He considered running to the garage, but realized how many steps that would take and decided to leisurely stroll over to it. Bryce- "Where are you going?" Everyone got up and began following him out, gathering weapons on the way.Later on...
Seth and the others followed a strange sound to the parking garage...
Seth- "I better not get ollied off of by some rude zombie punks." THE NEXT DAY
Seth, Bryce, Chantelle, and Jackson came jogging out to Westlake Avenue, only to find some drunk punks doing ollies and shit, noisily. Volya- "WOO! I did late 367 shoves it to boneless!"
Hector- "No way, mang, that was a 270 tops, and no boneless in sight!"
Seth- "The hell you guys doing? You want every zombie in the neighborhood to come kick your asses? 'Cause they will!"
Volya- "WhAT? I can't hear you above the sound of AWESOMEs!" Indeed, the skateboards were quite noisy. Luckily, the closest zombies were hopelessly obstructed by wall o' car situations. Seth- "Why don't you guys go do that on roof or something? What if someone wants to go out? They're gonna have a million zombies on their asses. Why are you guys drunk anyway? It's like, noon. Don't you have chores to do?"
Jackson- "Jeez, should I go knock him off that thing?"
Volya- "Did you say chore? This is how I thinks about fucking chore, man!" He did some kind of move that involved an ollie plus flipping the bird, but the bird had a very short flight as he failed to stick it. Seth- "Ugh, please. If you wanna be a dick, why don't you go over to PanPac or something? I hear it's great this time of year."
Chantelle- "Seth, no!... Please?"
Bryce- "Christ, what a jerk."
Volya- "WOOOOoo." Bryce looked around nervously. Seth- "Fine, do whatever you want just don't come to me when y--you--"
He suddenly started coughing rather loudly. He leaned on the wall and turned his head to cough into his shoulder.
Seth- " *COUGH COUGH* "
He seemed to catch his breath again, but leaned against the wall still, looking rather pale.
Seth- " ... " Everyone stopped and looked. Volya and Hector's skateboards rolled away. Volya- "Oh fuck, man, are you turning into President Zombie?"
Hector- "You should get that looked at."
Chantelle- "Volya, Hector, come inside dammit! Come on, Seth, let's go."
Bryce- "...."
Seth- "Man-- ugh... I'm okay. Just... damn it guys. *wheeze.* "
Everyone went back inside. Somewhere down the way, a few of the clamoring zombies fell out of the car snarl, slapping dead meat on the 403 side. They rose and shambled on.An unfortunate Seth randomly happened to walk through with Bryce.
The two saw a strangely electric scene. Colonel Teddy in a haughty air, Kenny in some inscrutable bobble-headed state, Susie upset, and the upseters ascendant on the wings of homophobic seagulls.
Seth- "Christ, that's gotta happen right now?"
Bryce- "eep"
Seth tried to comport himself, and with just slight trepidation, came to see what the fuss was. Lilla- "Um..."
Col. Teddy- "Well if it isn't the damned man of the hour?"
Ione- "Oh, good. We wanted to let you know."
Susie- "Oh, no..."
Seth- "...I don't think anything would surprise me at this point. Do tell." Seth noticed Beau watching intently with a concerned expression. Ione- "We're leaving because this commune doesn't respect freedom of religion and freedom of speech!" Basil and Kerry took out their earplugs, sat down their books, and watched with an utter lack of amusement. Kaito buried himself in his seat, while Sonya leaned forward anxiously. Col. Teddy- "What do you say to THAT, sir?"
Seth- "Well, what can I say? You can go if you want to. Try going next door to PanPac and see if you can find more freedom there. Let us know how it goes."
Bryce- "Seth, no! Derek, dude, you're crazy! Don't do it."
Derek- "Anyone else calls me crazy, I'm gonna beat their ass, just like that."
Kenny- "Derek, have you gone nuts? You can't beat someone's ass, just because they're concerned or whatever."
Derek- "You're in it with them!"
Kenny- "Dude, whatever, I thought you guys were probably right."
Bryce- "No! Kenny?!"
Susie- "Kenny, no..."
Kenny- "Don't tell me what to think. I mean, people can be gay and whatever, but it's against god, and ya can't just tell people not to say that. Freedom of religion, baby."
Volya- "You'll never take away our FREEEEDOMs, man!"
Bryce- "The fuck did you come from?!"
Seth- "Ugh. Everyone we knew before is probably dead, a zombie or a ghost, and this is gonna be the thing we fight about? You want freedom to go out there and get killed, knock yourselves out."
Bryce- "Don't go! It's too dangerous! Remember Eddy Buck and... those other guys?!"
Ione- "WhatEVER!"
Seth- "I just don't understand why this is such a big deal. So some people are gay, big deal. If you wanna flip shit at them, don't be surprised if people don't like you. Simple as that. It's like if you were racist--"
Derek- "Don't give me that shit! Martin Luther King was a priest, dude. You faggots ... ARGH! I was out there in the shit with you, and all that time... UNIT COHESION!"
Seth- "What you think dudes were hot for your jock? Please. You went out there with straight women too--"
Ione- "DON't even THINK you can speak for straight women just because you like weiners! Being gay is a CHOICE."
Kenny- "She's got you there, dude."
Bryce- "You're a fucking idiot Kenny! Jesus christ!"
Ione- "Blasphemer!"
Seth- "Holy shit."
Micah wandered ignorantly into the comm centre and jumped at the yelled word, stubbing his toe on a nearby chair. “Motherfucking Jesus Christ on a stick!“ Ione- "Blasphemers everywhere..."
He did a double take when he finally figured what was probably going on. “Aaah Errrm don't mind me...I'm just grabbing a light refreshment. Hey Ione, Derek, what's your favourite kind of nut? You're looking a little fucking po-.. peaked.” Derek- "Fuck off, criminal reject."
Kerry- "Micah, um, better to stay back..."
(His face is probably more terrifying than this icon actually. He has gone maximum werewolf). The yelling from the other rooms attracted Ashley, who left his meeting to go see what happened. He storms in with balled fists and a look that could temporarily stun a lion, making a significant stomping noise all the way. He wasn't armed but at this point it probably didn't matter. His pose was very stiff. "What's going on in here?" He was far from the tallest man in this room, but he probably had the most aggressive stance right now, bar Derek. He trudged over to Seth's side, and stands with him. Seth- "These guys have gone bonkers."
Volya- "He's bonker, she's bonker, the whole system is all a bonker!"
Basil- "Please shut up, you ignorant prat." Beau finally got up from his seat, gesturing for Chou to stay behind. The dog whimpered a bit, but sat down, watching his master intently. Seth looked ill, he was pale and dark around the eyes. Was this volatile situation too much for his constitution? Beau stood near him, hoping to visually add to the sizable opposition to the instigators. He spoke quietly to the tall man.
Beau- "Seth, do not engage them. I see this before... It does not go well."
Bryce- "What do you mean? It's just more noise!" Seth took a deep breath and spoke with more force than his gentle demeanor typically allowed.
Seth- "If you're going to leave, just do it! Quit wasting our time!"
Beau- "..."
Kenny- "They're right, man, y'all, man, no religious freedom and freedom of speech and stuff. I don't know, man..."
Derek- "Fucking A, man. You wanna get outta here?"
Kenny- "Man, no, but I don't wanna let you go alone... I'm in."
Susie- "Kenny, NO!"
Patti- "Can you people even fucking hear yourselves? You judge everyone and call them the most hateful things you can think up and if anyone calls you on it, you cry about being judged. Fuck you! You talk about freedom of speech and freedom of religion, but expect everyone to change themselves and the way the act and the way they talk to not hurt your feelings. Fuck you!"
Kerry- "Patti... They aren't going to hear that... I dont' know..."
Col. Teddy- "I wish I could! No one respects my rank and experience! Bunch of yo-yos!"
Patti- "And, seriously, Teddy, 'Colonel', if you disrespected the democratically elected chain of command when you were in the service like you do now, if you were in the service, that explains why you didn't stay in long enough to get past colonel. If you had anything constructive to say, you'd fucking say it, but instead you just tear people down and shit on the people that protect you and feed you. Fuck you, you treacherous little sack of shit!"
Col. Teddy- "Treachery, like embracing Communism as soon as the lights go out?! No respect!"
Volya- "Yeah! Really! Leave and no more chicken coops for you! Fucking As, dude, it's right!"
Basil- "Child, are you saying you'll go get eaten by zombies with them? Because that's what I'm hearing..."
Kerry put a sympathetic hand on Alex's shoulder. Elsewhere in the mess, Bryce- "Kenny, this is ridiculous... Just on some random crazy conversation you're going to up and leave?"
Kenny- "Bros before 'mos, dude. Derek needs my help."
Bryce- "Jesus christ, you're a piece of work."
Susie- "You'll get yourself killed, Kenny! Don't."
Kenny- "You wouldn't understand, Sue. It's a guy thing. It's about honor."
Col. Teddy- "Honor! Integrity! Things communist yoyos can't understand."
Lilla- "It's running our of amusement for me, teddy."
Col. Teddy- "Colonel!"
Lilla- "Ione, why? It just seems so wasteful, weird. You have so many gay friends, that mean noth-?"
Ione- "What don't you people get?! Derek just expressed his convictions and everybody shits all over him! It's persecution!"
Lilla- "..."
More of this nonsense, punctuated by Volya buffoonery, until the bags were packed.Derek, Ione, and Kenny headed down to the garage, got Derek's truck gassed, and went to the back barrier to Terry. ((403 building - The streets!)) Along the way, Lilla, Susie, Seth, Bryce, Beau, Chou, Volya, Hector, and any PCs who want to followed them. They ran into Anna and Sarah on the way downstairs, and they ended up going along as well.Derek, Ione, and Kenny were in Derek's truck, waiting for people to get the back barrier to Terry open. In a big crowd around the truck were arrayed Lilla, Susie, Seth, Bryce, Beau, Chou, Volya, Hector, Sarah, Anna, and any PCs who want to followed them. Only time enough left for a few more rounds of argument....Seth watched as Kenny, Derek and Ione packed their bags into the truck. He looked peaked, and leaned against the back of an SUV no one would ever drive again.
Bryce was in a cluster around the driver's side with Susie and Lilla, pouring last minute pleas onto Kenny. Bryce- "This is insane! It just can't end well!"
Susie- "Yeah you remember the shape Sharma was in when he got back! You guys think you could do better than Eddy and those guys? They had guns!"
Kenny- "..."
Derek- "Shut up bitches!"
Beau approached Seth, as they hung back from the drama.
Beau- "Seth... These people 'ave gone mad. I 'ope you do not bother with it."
Seth- "I don't know... It's hard to not feel hurt about it. I thought were like family, all of us."
Beau- "...When I was in University, 'ze people think that 'ze church were holy ground, no monster would tread. They live there, no monsters at first. I was there, not because I believe in a god, but I feel I must be with people.
Over the days, they begin to force others to leave. Weak, or ugly, or the different race. I go, disgusted, when I see this. I see later they are dead. All of 'zem. 'Ze church is full of monster. God does not help them. This is what 'appen.
I do not feel badly, when I see 'zis. Do not feel badly for these ones, the hateful ones. Do you understand me?"
Seth- "Yeah... Yeah, I do."
Kenny- "Fuuck."
He stood still, Ione whined.
Ione- "Let's go!"
Kenny got out of the truck.
Kenny- "I don't wanna talk to anybody. Susie... let's go upstairs."
Susie- "Mm-hm."
Ione- "Huh!"
Derek- "The fuck man! God!"
He went to step out of the truck, and to move around to the driver's side, but was stopped by Hector.
Hector- "I'll drive, man. I mean, fuck it."
Volya- "Yeah! Fucks it. He'll totally drive. I... wait, what?"
Hector- "I don't give a shit about all this homophobia stuff, but I can't be here. I gotta go."
Volya- "Wait, um... I don't, wait. Huh?"
Hector- "You wanna get in the back, mang?"
Volya- "...I... Gots... a... thing to do.... Hector! You should help me with this... thing."
Hector- "I gotta go, mang."
He turned on the engine. Kenny, Susie and Lilla headed for the stairs, leaving Bryce and Volya standing in a mist of confusion near the driver's side.
Seth made his way over to Hector's side of the truck.
Seth- "You sure you wanna go?"
Hector- "Yeah mang. I feel trapped. Gonna drink myself to death if I stay."
Seth nodded to him.
Seth- "Be safe out there. There's some other enclaves around if you need one."
Hector- "Yeah..."
Ione- "Stop talking to President Queer-bo and step on it!"
Seth rolled his eyes and stepped away from the truck, and over to Bryce.
Bryce just stood, agape. Anna picked up a charred femur from the ground and threw it angrily at the truck. It bounced off the cab and into the truckbed.
Sarah- "Oh, you shouldn't touch that stuff with your hands. Where did you even find that?"
Anna- "Guess I'm just a cavewoman. Fuck. GRRRR!!" She stomped angrily in place.The truck rumbled smoothly, a re-awakening creature. It rolled out to the street, Terry avenue. Where would they go?[/color] Beau- "It is madness to use the car. The roads are filled with debris..."
Sarah- "I don't think there's anything about that expedition that isn't madness."
Anna- "*whistle* Hey Ukraine, let's close this gate."
Volya- "...Yeah."
They started closing the barricade.
Seth looked to Bryce. He looked confused, and just trudged over.
Bryce- "I don't know. The hell is going on..."
Seth- "I hope this isn't the start of something worse. I can't handle it. I can't handle this.."
Bryce shook his head, wet-eyed.
Sarah- "Ione! She was stupid, arrogant, but even so, it's just unbelievable."
Beau- "Extraordinary circumstances lead to strange and terrible behavior, sadly. I am always sad to see it."
Sarah- "You're gonna have to tell us everything. We haven't seen anything like this before. Most of our neighbors are pretty cool."
Beau- "I 'ope it is not just luck that it doesn't 'appen before. I like to imagine I only 'ave unluck, and it is not inevitable."
Sarah- "I hope the unluck doesn't rub off on people."
Beau- "I 'ope not as well... Sad to think I bring it with me."
Sarah- "I was kidding, I don't believe in luck."
Beau- "Haha. I didn't before either.
Anna and Volya came back.
Anna- "Well, alright. Time to go put out some fires."
Sarah- "Not literally I hope, though would it even be surprising by this point?"
Anna- "Yeah this day really went into the shitter."
Volya was glum and said nothing.
People began moving back to the stairs. Beau collared Seth before he got to the stairs.
Beau- "May I speak with you in privacy?"
Seth- "Oh, yeah. Sure." After Lilla, Susie, & Kenny went upstairs and Derek, Hector, & Ione drove off, Volya, Sarah, Anna, Micah, and Ashley headed in. Seth, Bryce, and Beau were trailing behind when Beau got Seth's attention. Bryce politely stayed some distance away in the alley, leaning his head on the wall waiting for them.Beau waited a moment for everyone that was leaving to be out of earshot. They walked around a tall van for privacy. Beau spoke quietly. Beau- "If this is start of something terrible, I 'ope you will not go down with 'zis place. So few are willing to look for the mummy, I wouldn't want to lose the only one I find."
Seth- "..."
Beau- "Old man tells me the people here want to save the world. There is more knowledge 'ere than I find in all of the rest of the city. You 'ave more than I find rest of the city. I 'ope you will not waste it."
Seth- "..."
Beau- "I will probably leave soon. Please consider doing so yourself.
Seth- "......"
He looked sadly at Beau, who gave him an intense gaze, nodded politely, and moved along toward the stairs, whistling for Chou.
Seth seemed a bit out of it as he found Bryce again. Bryce looked at him, a little sad, a little suspicious, then glumly looked forward. He held Seth's hand as they went to the stairwell. Seth's hand was very cold.
(Moving to stairwell north thread...) Seth and Bryce entered the stairwell well behind the others. The early afternoon sun streamed in through the windows and cast the stairwell with a bluish light. Seth had a somewhat dazed expression. As they trudged up the stairs, he breathed more heavily than seemed normal.
Bryce- "Hey, we can take as long as we need to get up there, y'know."
Seth- "Yeah..."
He dropped Bryce's hand and took a moment to stand, dropping his head back to get more air. He gave Bryce a strange look.
Bryce- "Hey... Hey."
Seth's eyes rolled back a bit, as he tried to lean on the wall, and missed. He slumped against the wall, and began to fall backwards as if he was going to tumble down the stairs.
Bryce spun around to intercept him, and tried to hold onto his back. He began to fall with Seth's dead weight pushing against him. He lost his footing, and fell backwards on the stairs.
He broke Seth's fall and they only slid back two steps. Seth was completely unconscious and limp, lying on top of the smaller man. Bryce's lungs were empty of air, his eyes wheeled in their sockets. Finally, breath came back to him and he called for help.
Bryce- "HELP!! HELP!" Chou was the first to arrive, bounding down the stairs with his long legs. He stopped short of Bryce, and barked once. Chou- "ARF!"
Bryce- "Quick Lassie, get Dr. Bebe! *wheeze*"
Chou- "*whine*"
There were heavy footsteps descending the stairs, and then a Beau appeared. Beau- "Oh no, what 'appens?!" He quickly knelt to check Seth for a pulse.
Bryce- "He *wheeze* collapsed! Gotta-- doctor.. first floor."
Beau- "He is alive... I will move 'eem very carefully."
Beau knelt on the stairs, and indeed, carefully pulled Seth off of Bryce, cradling his upper body to keep his head from lolling, in case of spinal injury. Bryce tried to move a little bit, but grunted in pain.
Bryce- "OH that hurts!"
Beau- "Where do you 'urt? Perhaps you break a bone." He gestured vaguely at his midriff, then managed to successfully sit up on his butt. Beau- "The first floor? I will take the Seth. Please do not move, if you will 'urt yourself." Beau lifted Seth somewhat easily, like he was an unwieldy sleeping bag, and moved cautiously down the stairs. Chou stayed behind with Bryce, looking him with big brown doggy eyes. Bryce- "*wheeze* You're all right, Lassie. " He clumsily followed, holding his torso in pain.Moving to Zaitun -- Bebe's clinic Later on...
In the clinic, Kaya and Wil chatted softly while Bebe and Columbo discussed some procedures. The light was bright from a mixture of lamps arranged with mirrors and crystals for enhancement, including a large chandelier procured from the nearby antique store. It was incongruously fancy with the formerly spare, stainless steel kitchen that was now the clinic. They heard some heavy, slow footsteps from the hall.Out of sight- " 'Allo? Doctor?" Bebe stood, opened the door and saw the approaching people in the dim light of the hall. Bebe- "Come along. Nurse Columbo, do help." Beau was carrying the unconscious president, and Bryce hobbled behind him. Columbo- "What the sheet man, did we get attacked?"
Beau- "No, it is accident."
Bebe- "This way." She helped Beau put Seth onto a bed.
His eyes fluttered open and closed a couple times. He was semi-conscious but dazed. Bebe looked to Bryce.
Bebe- "Nurse Columbo, check on that man."
Columbo came over to Bryce. Columbo- "What happened, dude?"
Bryce- "*wheeze*"
Beau- "Seth passes out on the stairs, onto young man."
Bebe- "Passes out? We'll need to know more." Columbo set to checking Seth's vitals as Beau explained. Beau- "Young man tells me, 'ee just falls into the apples. Er-- goes unconscious."
Bryce- "He's been sick. *wheeze* He-- was having trouble, and just passed out on the stairs. I tried to catch him, he fell on me on the stairs."
Beau- "I think young man 'as the broken rib."
Bebe- "Nurse Columbo, confirm the broken rib."
Columbo- "Okay. Hey kid, how does this feel?"
Bryce- "AHHH! OW!"
Columbo- "Confirmed!"
Bebe gently coaxed Seth to consciousness, helping him to sit up.
Bebe- "Hey Mr. President. You okay there? How you feeling?"
Seth- "...what...? I'm tired."
He looked totally white and had a sheen of sweat over his face. Bebe- "Well, you're obviously sick, Seth. But I can't let you sleep yet. In fact, if you don't stay awake, I'm going to have to put a needle in your arm. Do you want that Seth, do you want a cruel needle piercing your tender flesh?"
Seth- "No..."
Bebe- "What happened to you just now? Why are you in my office?"
He shook his head. Bebe- "Alright. I am told that you passed out on the stairs. Do you think that going up the stairs was too much exertion for you?"
Seth- "...Really? I don't... I do that all the time."
She put a stethoscope on his chest. His heart rate seemed normal, if a bit slow, and his breathing was horrible. It was rattling and labored. Beau- "Is it perhaps emotional stress? Eet was an upsetting scene downstairs."
Bebe- "Oh no. We can definitely say that Seth is suffering from a respiratory ailment. A fairly severe one. In fact, I would recommend that everyone that doesn't feel like getting sick, leaves." Beau nodded and gave Seth a sympathetic look as he left. Seth- "..."
Bebe- "What did you do to yourself?
Bryce- "He got sick. It happens. Ow."
Bebe- "Don't move so much, broken rib boy. We'll get back to you in a moment."
Seth- "What happened? Bryce, what-- *deep breath* happened to you?"
Bryce- "I... tried to catch you."
Seth- "No...!"
Bebe- "Enough of this, you! Neither of you talk, unless you're spoken to. Seth, have you ever used oxygen before?" Seth shook his head. She gave him some instructions, and put the mask over his face. He blinked slowly as he breathed, his chest rising and falling beneath his oversized sweater. Bebe- "Columbo, don't let this guy fall asleep. We're gonna try to figure out how to set a broken rib."
Bryce- "...!"
Bebe- "Don't worry, it's pretty basic stuff. I think." The clinic was hoppin' today! A little while later, Daniel brought his friends down.
Daniel- "What happened to the president?"
Dr. Bebe- "Don't worry everybody. He'll be fine. Can you all follow me into the lounge through that door? Please." She nodded to Columbo and poured out of the seat, shifting weight into tall high heels, and click-clacking out of the room. Bryce and the others looked at the new people as genially as they could but said nothing. Daniel & friends followed Bebe.
Seth- "Yeah don't -- *breathe* worry..."
Most of them were looking at the president as they passed out of the room. Cathleen seemed somehow distracted. A while later...
There were six people in the clinic. Wil and Kaya quietly played cards on the other side of a divider. Columbo did little chores for Bebe. Bebe sat next to Seth, with Bryce just a few feet away. Bebe took the oxygen mask off. Bebe- "Hey there Seth. You feel a little better with that oxygen in you?"
Seth- "Yeah. It's easier than *wheeze* real breathing."
Bebe- "It is real breathing. Just a little extra juice added. Consider yourself lucky you didn't need an iron lung. 'Cause those things just don't work now."
Seth- "Geez..."
Bebe- "So, it's hard to tell at this point whether you've got a virus or bacteria. So I'll have to do some more observations and we'll test you out with a combination of medications soon. But if we treat the symptoms your body should be able to recover."
Seth- "Man."
Bebe- "I say should recover, but maybe it won't. Look at you, Seth. How long have you been coughing."
Seth- "A few days I think... usually just in the-- morning."
Bebe- "Okay for that, how long have you been... less physically adroit than usual? Weaker, less energetic."
Seth- "Aw man... kinda long time. Few weeks."
Bebe- "Mm-hmm. Before the trouble started, how often did you get sick?"
Seth- "Once in a while, maybe.. couple times a year if something was going around."
Bebe- "Did it ever get this bad?"
Seth- "No way. I got-- *wheeze* swine flu, not this bad."
Bebe- "Mmm... You're built rather slim. I think it's safe to say it would be healthy for you to be at a lower weight than an average person. But not this much lower."
Seth- "Ugh... I eat all the time."
Bebe- "Oh do you now? What have you eaten in the last 24 hours?"
Seth- "Uhh.. We had dinner last night, and I drank a vitamin water. Bryce had some candy and I ate some root beer barrels and two granola bars. It's like.. twice what Bryce eats I think."
Columbo- " Yeah, 'cause he don't do sheet."
Bryce- "*wheeze* I resemble that remark..."
Bebe- "Different people have different metabolisms, it's pretty obvious just to look at you that you're the kind of person who needs to eat more than average, or more calorie dense food. Because right now, you're pretty malnourished, and that's a problem."
Seth- "Geez but... it's not like I can get pizza anymore..."
Bebe- "We've got to do something about it Seth. Now, the BMI chart is highly flawed, but you are obviously dangerously thin. Consider these facts, Kaya over there is at a healthier weight than you are, and her prognosis is pretty good. Conversely, people as underweight as yourself are more susceptible to disease and death from nearly any source than persons as overweight as myself. Do you like being fragile? There's a certain romance in it, I know."
Seth- "No..."
Bryce- "Haha. You dumbass."
Bebe nodded her head.
Bebe- "You're a dumbass, Seth."
Seth- "Geez, you're supposed to be nice to sick guys. Anyway, what am I supposed to do? I can't like, eat us out of house and home..."
Bebe- "No, no you can do that. We'll start you off with easily consumed foods. Eggs, candy bars, pop. We'll work you up to things that are a little more challenging than bread and as much meat as we can feed you when it's available.
Seth- "Oh god I'm being challenged by bread. That's sad."
Bebe- "Yes indeed. The other thing you'll need is a lot of rest, and that needle I threatened you with earlier, I'm sorry I'm going to stick you with that. Fortunately for you I've gotten a little better with that this last month."
Seth- "Ugh."
Bryce- "So uh.. when's he gonna be able to uh, work up those bitchin' abs and junk?"
Bebe- "It's extremely early to consider that. At this point, the only exercise Seth should be getting is walking around oh, five to ten minutes every few hours or so."
Seth- "Oh man, but I gotta climb those stupid stairs twenty million times..."
Bebe- "Not now you don't. I won't those calories to go straight to your thighs."
Seth- "But how will I do anything?"
Bebe- "Did you have a vice president?"
Somebody had a visitor! Alex opened the clinic door halfway and peered through. He carried a partially open backpack in one arm. Hm. No Columbo visible. Good. Quietly, Alex sneaked inside Dr. Bebe's clinic. "Seeeeth? Doctor?" He found El Presidente's bed but didn't approach too closely. The man looked so fragile. Alex's backpack made a high-pitched, indignant sound. Columbo- "What the sheet?! Ah, it's you. The Lord of the Dance." Wil waved from the other corner of the room, Kaya just out of sight behind a divider. Dr. Bebe wasn't around. Seth's eyes popped open at Columbo's exclamation, then went back to heavy-lidded mode. He looked at Alex. Seth- "...."
Seth- "Hey-- Alex. Haha... I'm embarrassed. I just--- I got a little sick."
He sat up, and smiled wearily. Alex noticed there was an oxygen mask sitting on his lap for easy access."Lord of the ... aw! Did you hear that, Seth? I've decided to really focus on my dancing. Nineteen is pretty much middle-aged, when it comes to athletic careers, but improvement is worth a shot."
Seth- "Haha, don't I-- know it."
He crouched near the bed. "Don't be embarrassed. Swear to Whatever that I've done worse things than get ..." He glanced at the mask. "Pneumonia? Well, these are for you. Uh huh. Colors help recovery." He took out several origami flowers and arranged them in an empty soda bottle. Seth- "Oh that's really sweet. Th-thank you."
"They don't have pollen. Because they are paper. Do you need anything else? I'll kill a goose, if that's what it takes to fight this virus! It'll be all right." Seth- "Haha, unless you can-- make me a pizza. Thank you though."
For a moment, Alex seemed sad, but that passed quickly. "So, since you and Bryce are tight, I brought him down to say hello." An unamused Snowball peeked from the backpack. " " "HAHA. Doesn't he look like Bryce? It's the eyes. I really shouldn't bring animals in a clinic, though, huh? Uhahaha! Seriously, though, it's uncanny." Seth- "Hahaha! *wheeze* I think-- I-- I've seen that face. You're funny. "
Bebe came in from the restaurant area. Dr. Bebe- "Nurse Columbo! I told you no cats in here!"
Columbo- "Don't have a cow, baby, he just-"
Dr. Bebe- "Don't anglicize my name! Get off your duff and clean the examination room!"
Columbo- "*grumble grumble*" As Columbo left, she lightened her demeanor Dr. Bebe- "Sorry, Alex. That's very sweet, but Seth and Kaya have compromised immune systems right now, and cats have very creepy germs, the sweet little guys. Do you mind removing him from here?"
"Yes, Doctor. Sorry! Cats are germy, huh? Is that why their scratches hurt like the dickens?" He put Snowball into the open backpack again. "I'll let you rest, Presidente. Dunno how serious you were about the pizza, but it's happening. BYE, WIL!"
Off Alex went!MUCH LATER...
As Beau and Del brought the bloodied people into the clinic, it was very dim - only tap lights and a small brazier going. Seth stayed totally unconscious. Wil began to stir abruptly, and staggered to his feet at the intrusion. Wil- "What's going on?"
Wil- "Wil."
Del- "We just rescued these guys off the street. Do you know anything about, uh, first aid?"
Wil- "Hardly."
Man- "Sorry, I ... I do..."
Beau- "I only a bit as well. Sir--"
He gestured to the man to help the woman on to a bed, and cast about the environment for medical supplies. As he found them, he sat them on a table next to the tall man, for him to use.
He tutted at Chou, and pointed out the door. The dog trotted away into the hall, dutifully.
The new man stood weirdly teetering for a moment. He abruptly seemed disoriented, his eyes wet in the gloom.
Joe- "We should be running. It isn't safe. We should go..."
Del- "Looks like it's on you, Beau! DUDE! Wake up!" Seth woke up. Beau- "Sir, you are safe. Please--" He started unwrapping gauze, and gestured to Del."Take her coat off, please." Seth sat up wearily, blinking. Seth- "What.... what's going-- on?" The new man continued wobbling, and Del gripped him tightly. Man- "It isn't safe.. Don't... her coat is holding her blood in..."
Del- "Knock it off, dude!" Wil stepped up and reached for the lady's coat. He started to open it but slowly, worried by the confused man's statements. Indeed, flowing blood was visible as soon as he opened the jacket - but he felt like he had to keep on.
He lifted her head and shoulders with one arm, losing his limb into an inky mess of bloodied hair, then retrieving it as soon as he got the coat off one sleeve and out from under her back.
It seemed like a successful maneuver until the last sleeve was removed - and blood gobbed out of a very deep bite wound on that arm (her left). Wil- "God damn it!" Beau snapped on a pair of rubber gloves, grabbed a bit of rubber tubing and quickly tied it on the woman's upper arm to stop the blood flow to the wounded arm. Beau- "Please, the gauze..." Wil grabbed the unwrapped gauze and handed it off, and Beau held it against the woman's wound firmly.
Seth- "Oh no..." Seth got out of the bed, and stood to the side, watching with bleary eyes. Man- "...isn't-"
Del- "Oh no you don't! Sit down!" Del forced the guy to take a seat, as gently as he could. The man went silent for the moment. Some blood dribbled off of his hand onto the floor.
Bebe finally came bustling in with Casey at her side. Dr. Bebe- "Oh, what I wouldn't do for an ER doc right now."
Kaya- "What's going on?"
Beau made way for the doctor, but kept the pressure on the woman's arm. Beau- "I am sorry, I am no doctor. I 'ave applied tourniquet to the arm. How can I 'elp you?
Dr. Bebe- "Normally we avoid tourniquets these days, but for this owwie I'll make an exception. Check on victim 2 and if he's got anything less bad than this, no tourniquet, yes pressure.
Seth, get back in bed and stay.
Wil, sanitize yourself and stay with Kaya.
Del, you and Casey clean yourselves up and get out of here. If there's something dangerous out there tonight, we'll need guards at posts again.
I have Columbo coming down right now. Thanks, Beau..."
Man- "...not safe..." They sorted the mess out. Thierry came down with Columbo and Briar, then sent her packing. The Universe didn't come crashing down. Seth couldn't get back to sleep. Beau and Thierry stood nearby him, talking quietly, while Bebe and Columbo operated on the woman. The man had been sedated and breathed unevenly on a stretcher nearby.Thierry- "What happened to these people? Can you enlighten us at all, Beau?"
Beau- "Oh... May I in French? It takes so long for me..."
Thierry- "Oui. Allez-y..."
Beau- "Je suis sur le toit avec les étudiants, Chou voit quelque chose ... Deux personnes. Ils ont l'air blessé, donc je descendre les escaliers. Del et je vais dehors, et les trouver sur Aurora. La femme saigne abondamment, l'homme est confus. Nous les amenons dans, à la clinique... Je voudrais savoir plus..."
Seth- "That sounds interesting."
Thierry- "It's not very informative. Avez-vous vois quelque chose de les suivre?"
Beau- Honnêtement, je ne comprends pas ce qu'ils fuient. Il y avait très peu de zombies. L'homme est trop confus pour expliquer. Il avait très peur de quelque chose. Il dit seulement: - "It's not safe... we should go." --and so on. Oh, il dit aussi qu'il sait premiers soins. Peut-être que militaire? La femme semble avoir une morsure sur le bras d'elle. Probablement juste de zombie ..."
Thierry- "Oui. Merci, merci... Seth, they were only being chased by a few zombies, but were in this condition, coming over the Aurora cars. Nothing else in sight. The unconscious fellow claimed to know first aid, Beau thinks he might be military. Neither offered an explanation, but the man - rather disoriented - kept saying it isn't safe here. That's all."
Seth- "Hmm-- I guess if they came from that way, that rules out PanPac escapees, that was-- my theory. I can't imagine it was just zombies, after all this time. Some other kind of monster? I guess once he can talk, we'll have to get his story."
Seth sat up in the bed for a moment, and massaged his throat.
Beau- "*shakes head sadly* There can always be something. Not just zombie, maybe not even a monster. People can be as dangerous, or more." From nearby, Bebe chimed in. The dead quiet of the post-electric world let her hear even their soft conversation. Dr. Bebe- "Everything that wasn't directly caused by undead appears environmental - falling through glass, that sort of thing. Unless humans are now attacking with fingernails and teeth."
Thierry- "Thank you, doctor. That was disgusting."
Beau- "We still do not know why they flee. Perhaps it is just bad situation. There are many cruel people in 'zis world. Perhaps the injury is after they flee, I don't know..."
Seth- "--So maybe something like the PanPac escapees, but worse? *sigh* I could buy it, I guess. That is both awful, and a little less scary than the idea of new monsters."
Bebe- "No reason to suspect new monsters, but no reason to suspect humans either. Votre vision de l'humanité est sombre, mon ami."
Columbo- "Tous peuvent cesser de parler français s'il vous plaît. Jesus sheet."
A while later, Columbo had stayed behind to watch the patients, Thierry had stayed in case anyone turned into a zombie, Wil and Kaya had fallen asleep, and Dr. Melange had finally gone upstairs again to get more sleep.
Thierry and Columbo sat across the room from Seth and Beau, occasionally talking quietly. Chou napped obediently in the hallway. Beau- "Seth, do you feel these people, their fear, perhaps it has something to do with mummy?"
Seth- "Oh? I hadn't thought of it. What, like... Something the mummies did? I can't imagine they're just strolling around out there."
Beau- "Why not? If you are mummy, what would you do?"
Seth- "Hm. Well, I'd probably throw a stupid mummy party for jerks, and then... hang out with creepy blood guys, go eat a bunch of candy, do all that childish 'parents aren't home stuff'... Yeah I guess maybe I would strut around like I owned the place. But still... What are the odds?"
Beau- "There are not that many people living. We do not know how many mummy there are... It is possible, yes?"
Seth- "I guess so... Wow, you're really that committed to hunting down the mummies? What if you get one and like, kill it or whatever. Then what?"
Beau- "I suppose I'd look for another..."
Seth- "That doesn't sound like much of a life though... What if it didn't even help?"
Beau- "*Sigh* and Dr. Bebe says I am bleak. It would be good revenge at least. I don't know anyone, what does it matter what I do? If I don't stop here, no one would care if I live."
Seth- "Aw man. Don't make me get mushy on you, dude."
Beau- "I don't know what 'zat means, but no need. I do not mean to be dramatic, it is just true. If I feel it is not fulfilling, I will do next thing. Right?"
Seth- "But-- what if you get killed?"
Beau- "I don't get killed yet, right? Eet is morbid, but anyone can die at anytime. I may as well do something to 'elp, yes?"
Seth- "You're leaving, aren't you?"
Beau- "I am sorry. I am no 'elp here, I do better to gather intelligence."
Seth- "..."
Beau- "Haha, I am not so cool to be sad about." He leaned in close to whisper."I would ask you to go with me, before you are sick. Maybe I come back and you come along. I don't ask anyone else 'zis."
At that moment, Thierry was distracted by Columbo complaining about Dr. Bebe. Seth- "...!"
Beau- "--So I will be back by time you are well, I'm sure."
Seth- "...I hope so."
Beau- "Don't 'ope, it's true."
Seth- "Okay. Goodbye then..."
Beau- "Goodbye for now. Mr. Thierry and Mr. Columbo, thank you as well."
Thierry- "Thank you. On behalf of our unconscious new friends."
Columbo- "It's been real, francês." He nodded once more to Seth, and walked out into the hall, to Chou's delight, and moved to the stairs.Thierry let Columbo catch a nap and others had fallen asleep again, leaving him alone in a room with other people, rubbing his face and straining to stay awake. Man- "oh!"
Thierry- "Calm down. Hello. My name is Thierry. You are in a safe place, my friend."
Man- "Um, am I? Ugh." Seth was sleeping lightly and woke to see the tall man sitting up in his bed. Seth- "Oh wow, he's--up?"
Thierry- "So he is."
Man- "..." The man looked confused still, but this time at least he seemed to be tracking on his environment. Seth- "Hey... You're at the 403 building. I'm Seth. What's your name?"
Man- "Um, I'm Joe. I don't know what the 403 building is. Should I?"
Thierry- "I suppose not."
Seth- "Do you remember how you got here?"
Joe- "Oh god, where's-? Is that Becky?" He squinted in the warm dim light at his fallen comrade. Seth- "That's your friend? She's under care of the doctor, she was seriously injured but she's getting medical attention."
Seth- "Yeah, she's doing a lot better but she was hurt very badly. Can you tell us anything, Joe?" He looked at Thierry. Joe- "I was going to say you need to have a weapon ready, but I can see you've done this before." Thierry's exotic weapon leaned against Becky's bed. Joe- "We came from Queen Anne. Our building was attacked."
Thierry- "By humans, or something else?" He finally rested again. Joe- "Monsters. Early on in this... There were these crazy people, going around doing mass killings. I think, some of those people are back. They look like zombies, but they are still smart. I don't know how it began because I was in bed. But the building was full of zombies, and that one... laughing like a fucking psycho."
Seth- "Ohh.. yeah we've seen those. Ugh, they're back then... One must have gotten inside your place, that's terrible. I'm so sorry."
Joe- "Zombies... So pathetic, but when it's a crowd like that... when you're trying to save people... There's just no way to get out in one piece..." Suddenly, Joe remembered something.Joe- "Oh god, who were those men? The ones who came to us..?"
Thierry- "Beau and Del."
Joe- "I have to thank them. And apologize. I half remember... so useless..."
Seth- "Aw, they're probably sleeping now. You need to get some rest anyway. Thierry, can you pass the message on for him?"
Thierry- "I certainly can. Rest easy, Joe."
Joe- "I don't know if I can. They're still out there..."
Seth- "We've got a lot of guards at the entrances, and on the roof. Maybe just in case we can double our guards on duty, what do you think, Thierry?"
Thierry- "Certainly. Joe, is there any background you can give us - a context to the attack, anything - that could tell us whether it was random, or something we should expect?"
Joe- "Nn.. I don't know."
Seth- "Sorry for all the questions, we just want to know what to do. Is there -- *wheeze* anything we can do to make you more comfortable?
Joe- "Haha. Why is the TB patient acting like the doctor?"
Thierry- "Good question. That's our president, and in his convalescence, I should be the one offering official cordiality."
Seth- "Haha, yeah... I should have said that. Thierry is the official-- head honcho for the moment. I-- abdicate the throne to thee, Mr. Harrison."
Thierry- "That's M. Harrison to you, sir..." Bryce and Seth made out for just a little bit before respective injuries and illnesses settled them down. Bryce put on his sunglasses. Bryce- "Man. What's next for our sorry asses?"
Seth- "Mmm... I guess we should--" They heard footsteps and wheeled around to see Woody. The man nodded at them and went into Emmett's office. Bryce- "Hell, maybe I should git and send you back to the sickhouse."
Seth- "Yeah. Well, thanks, I really needed that." Bryce went away, and Seth went back to the clinic. Much later, Seth came back with Emmett. Emmett- "Hey, so I talked with the victims more and have a rough idea of what happened there. Very rough, and it might get more general when I try to keep a scrap of client confidentiality intact. What do you need to know?"
Seth- "Well, we need to know whether the people at PanPac are being enslaved or otherwise endangered. Secondarily, whether they're plotting some big evil scheme or whatever, which I doubt anyway."
Emmett- "Yeah, no evil scheme from management. I don't know about the cops, but no evidence of that. They aren't being enslaved, but it's not a healthy environment. Many people are dissatisfied but feel like they can't leave. Now that some people have, others may as well, which may destabilize the situation further. But it's hard to say since they can only tell me about the status quo before they left."
Seth- "Not healthy... so should we be trying to free everyone? Or do think it's safe to wait for them to leave themselves?"
Emmett- "It's hard to say... There needs to be someone who can check the authority of those cops, and it doesn't seem like Edgar Pan is going to be the one. It certainly doesn't seem like they're going to be amenable to outside influence."
Seth- "Hmm.. I guess we'll have to run it over with the council again. *sigh* Do you have any suggestions for how to deal with these cops? They seem totally unreasonable."
Emmett- "Nothing's coming to me right now, but I'll put some thought into it. One initial thought is that the need to not feel backed into a corner. They need to feel like they can be forgiven."
Seth- "Hmm interesting. I'll tell Thierry to bring it up with the council. I guess we'll have to plan from here, but I'm just glad nothing violent happened."
Emmett- "Me too. Get well soon, Seth."
Seth- "Thanks, I'm working on it."
A Seth rolled up on these dudes, alone. He looked in a decent spirit, but was just slightly shambolic on his feet. Seth- "Oh, hey Alex. You guys having a good chat?" He hopped up on his bed, but didn't lie down just yet."YES. Well, at least one of us is. So, Brian made you a card." Alex scooted his chair closer and offered the card to Seth. "He really, REALLY wants you to visit El Corazon sometime - you guys bonded, huh? They're gonna throw a sleepover soon, and me and Micah got invited. Parties are fun, but I'm conflicted about the magic thing now. Did you know that Kyle and his congregation have figured out magic? Well, some. No healing spells yet, but divination and ghost repellant wards are a-go. Maybe even demon summoning. And dance can totally be used in Satanic rituals! Which reminds me: the council should discuss black magic. It's dangerous. We might be battling wizards soon. I'm reading Harry Potter, as preparation, but my mom lied. This book doesn't have any Satans in it yet. And I'm a quarter way through." He paused to take a decent breath. Seth- "Wha-- who's Brian again? Oh... right. Dang Alex! Take it easy... what's all this about black magic? Uh, are you sure they weren't just teasing you? I'm not sure Harry Potter is the key to being a real wizard, but it sounds like it would be entertaining for you at least. "
"Entertaining? More like confusing. Nobody's learning math at Hogwarts. Do wizards just ... not need calculus? Lucky sons of guns." He considered Seth's concerns. "Maybe I'm too trusting. But the El Corazon guys used an Ouija setup during their magic ceremony. And that's exactly what Nat and me did when we summoned a ghost. It's too much of a coincidence! At the very least, we should scope out one of their parties. OH. Make me a secret agent for 403, please. Also Micah. Make him one, too." Seth- "Well I don't think that's a bad idea. Those kids seemed friendly enough, maybe we can set up an envoy to check it out after this PanPac stuff blows over. You really think using magic could work now? I mean, the Ouija board I get, 'cause there's ghosts all around us... but other kinds of magic too?"
Joe- "Seems like a bad idea, doesn't it? I mean, that's what the mummies are supposed to have done, wasn't it?"
"Could be. But maybe there's a yin to the yang? Positive magic that the mummies haven't used because they're evil jerks? We should look for that. I say we, but I really mean you, because I'm ... not so smart." Seth- "Aw, don't be so hard on yourself Alex. Well how about this, I leave you in charge of finding out about magic for 403. You can talk to Kyle, and look for any books you can find. Just be careful about practicing it, okay? Probably should have some witnesses just in case."
"Seth. You're wonderful. Take care." Seth- "Thanks Alex, you too."
A man on a mission, he charged from the clinic ... and returned moments later. "It was nice to meet you, Joe! If your friend wakes, please give her my good wishes." Then, Alex left for realsies. Joe- "Yeah, man, ... OK. *wheeze*" After Alex left, he turned to Seth.Joe- "That guy is bonkers, dude."
Seth- "Aw, I think he's too sweet. So earnest! I think I was already a hard-case at that age. He's a bit wacky though, yes. Maybe it's the ZP."
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Post by ◊◊BLOODBEASTER◊◊ on Oct 9, 2016 17:17:38 GMT -8
A little while later, a stately Thierry appeared. By now, Kaya was back on the far side of the fence, napping, Wil had gone upstairs, and Bebe was examining unconscious Becky. Thierry- "Seth, the Pan-Pac mission is done. Would you like to hear the details?"
Seth- "Sure thing. I'm guessing by the fact that it's finished and I didn't hear the air raid sirens, it went "a'ight" ?
Thierry- "Ehh... They got Edgar Panned. Davin was bragging that he got farther than me - an ambiguous agreement to engage in unscheduled peace talks some time within a few weeks maybe. Sarah managed to get the missing nudist to show up, so she is not apparently harmed or dead. Her name is Jamie. That's as good as it gets. Patti and Tyrone don't seem to have been spotted. They were hiding in a building across the plaza. And a possible future boon is that Edgar Pan seemed to have a fondness for Jalil Kebede."
Joe- "What a mouthful."
Dr. Bebe- "Just as long as you don't start any wars on us, I think we can manage. I don't want to get a crash course in triage."
Thierry- "I'll do my best."
Seth- "Aw man... well I guess it could've been worse. We can't say we didn't try."
Thierry- "I wish we were able to do better. Davin's read is that the cops seem unhinged, Edgar is useless, and they weren't able to find out anything about the well-being of people there - except that Jamie seemed alright."
Seth- "Guess we'll have to get those new kids to fess up. They don't *look* traumatized too badly, but you never know. Maybe see if Emmett has any advice?"
Emmett- "Speak of the devil! Hi guys. Dr., is Seth OK to come for a little walk?"
Dr. Bebe- "I think so."
Emmett- "Come with me?"
Seth got out of bed like a sleepy teenager, rubbed the crust out of his eyes and tried to put on his president face. Seth- "Aw yea. It's time to walk." Seth came back and stayed put. He received a few visitors, but as he was still probably contagious, Dr. Bebe tried to keep it to a minimum.
Columbo came to relieve Bebe for long enough to rest up - the intent was that she would stay the night. Columbo opened up Candide again.
Becky woke up a little - just as before, confused tired & unlikely to stay awake. Becky- "...m Ab-dhur, m gonna die, mm beneat bious lize, unn..."
Joe- "Becky?"
Seth- "Oh talking in her sleep again. I wonder what she's dreaming about? Something about 'abracadabra, the boys of ape' I guess. Poor thing." She collapsed again, with a weird little smile, that subsequently faded. Columbo- "What the shitting fuck, man? This crazy bitch better not die on me, or I'll catch hell for sure. The sheet is with her creepy smile?"
Joe- "She's just a smiler."
Columbo- "Joy."
Several hours later, a refreshed Dr. Bebe sent Columbo packing. By now Wil was back and Kaya was awake, chatting softly with him. Joe was asleep. Seth had just woken up from a short nap.
He noticed a stirring. Becky seemed agitated again. Dr. Bebe checked her out. Dr. Bebe- "Seth, how often has she been like this? Any signs of consciousness?"
Seth- "Oh yeah, she wakes up sometimes... last night once I think, couple three times today. Mumbling about weird stuff, dreaming I guess. It doesn't make any sense. Sometimes she smiles... Kinda spooky."
Dr. Bebe- "Smiles are never spooky, Seth." Becky smiled. Dr. Bebe- "Ugh. Nevermind." Becky woke up and sat up. Dr. Bebe jumped back. Becky- "Ab-Dhur, the Voice of Hate!" Joe woke up, looking around in a daze. Kaya and Wil stared. Seth- "Wha--what?"
Bebe- "..."
Joe- "What's going on Becky? Why do you keep saying that?"
Becky- "We're all going to die."
Dr. Bebe- "Oh, knock it off. And stop moving your arm or I'll immobilize it. It's a total mess."
Seth- "Yeah it's okay Becky, you're not going to die! You're safe here."
Then it started to rain blood indoors.
Becky- "OK, I didn't expect that. " After the initial shock, the first word said was Dr. Bebe- "Ectoplasm! This stuff is harmless but it's coming from something harmful!" She pulled the lab coat over her head, and moved toward Becky. Joe- "Do you hear that? Something under the drops... Outside!" It sounded like patio furniture moving around, and a rise and fall of some other chaotic noise. Seth- "Shit! What is this!?" He jumped up to grab a mop from the corner as many of the candles and torches were snuffed out by the ectoplasm, enough to put out fires apparently. The solar powered nightlights were now putting out gleaming red light as they were covered with blood. Seth- "Someone, get a lighter! Cover it with something, we need light!" Dr. Bebe suddenly realized Seth was going to be trying to hero it up tonight. She had a steadying arm on Becky and turned to him. Dr. Bebe- "Seth! Take frequent rests tonight. Pace yourself." More noise from outside and it got abruptly louder coming from the restaurant space. Seth- "Yes'm." He held the mop tightly, and opened the door to the restaurant, sliding out into the darkness in his socked feet. Behind him he heard people scrambling to organize. In front of him he could hardly see at all. Where was that light?
Moonlight coming from outside, obscured by the silhouettes of so goddamn many zombies crowding through the fully opened Westlake side door to the restaurant.
Another light. A ghostly orb? It seemed to be leading the zombies.
Towards him. Seth slid back into the clinic as quickly as he could and slammed the door behind his back. It flopped uselessly - one of those kitchen doors designed to let waiters push it in and out with their available appendages. Seth- "Fire! Need fire! Ghost, zombies!" Wil was covering Kaya and himself with a plastic sheet, Dr. Bebe herself and Becky with a regular sheet, and Joe had thrown his cruddy fatigue jacket over his head. He held a hooded lamp, now slightly brightening the crazy blood-slicked room. Joe- "We gotta fall back! Where?"
Seth- "The hall is it! Gotta get upstairs!"
The pathetic floppy doors whipped open and snapped back and forth madly, as a man-sized abomination crawled through it along the ceiling like a cockroach, laughing demonically all the way. It stopped to look at the people in the clinic, twisting its neck horribly. Ab-dhur the Voice of Hate- "Someone was saying my name, HAhahahahaHAHAHAHA!!! BECKY, you thought you could run awayeeeee?"
Becky- "meh, I dunno."
Ab-dhur the Voice of Hate- "FUCKING BORING ATHEISTS!"
Seth- "JESUS SHITCAKES, KILL IT!" Seth tried to spear the freaky blood woman with the pointy end of the mop. She dropped from the ceiling landing on her feet, grabbing the thrust mop with one hand. She jerked it and shoved the mop end into Seth's chest so hard he flew off his feet, lost breath and consciousness completely, bounced off the back wall and crumpled to the floor.
The other people in attendance were a highly mixed bag of emotions. The weirdest one couldn't contain her excitement. Dr. Bebe- "Wow! A real possessed subject! "
Ab-dhur the Voice of Hate- "I'M NOT YOUR FUCKING SUBJECT, BEBE! RwAHAHAHAHHAha!" As she roared, a telekinetic wave knocked Joe, Bebe, and Becky against the back wall, then subsided. Blood still rained, accumulating in horrible puddles, flowing like hot wax off the tables. Ab-dhur the Voice of Hate- "I have to go let some friends in, but for now... You think you're safe in your ignorance of damnation?! There is a believer among you! There is one who will SHOW YOU HELL!" Zombies began to stagger through the floppy door. Ab-dhur fell up into the ceiling like a pile of anti-gravity vomit and scuttled away, leaving them with the following words of wisdom.REE HEE HEE HEE HEE!!! Seth came to with three zombies standing over him, reaching hungrily, the mop tangled up in his left arm. Zombies- "GRRR!"
Seth- " ! "
Seth gasped, trying to get his air back, and flailed around with the mop handle, as the undead corpses reached for him with their tattered fingers. The shaggy haired hipster with its head barely still attached to its neck grabbed his leg and started pulling him along on the slick bloody floor, the others swiped at him clumsily with sharp fingernails. Joe- "HELL NO!" Seth felt his body jerk as the shaggy zombie was pulled off of him. He was free of its grip, but down and flailing, as the other two closed in. A weird ghost light hovered in the bloody rain, and more zombies pushed in through the door in a mob.
Joe stomped neck zombie's brainz out with his sock-clad foot - a disgusting feat leading to disgusting feet.
Across the room, a weird throaty chuckle caught some attention. Wil- "Kaya? No..."
Kaya?- "huhuhuhu ha ha ha REE HEE HEE!!!"
Seth- " *GASP!* " Seth rolled to the side, and pulled himself up, leaning on the mop like a cane.More zombies tried to push in the flimsy door, sometimes smacking back other ones who slipped around in the blood like an old slapstick movie.
Kaya levitated out of the bed, ichor pouring from her eyes and mouth. Kaya (?) - "SUFFER IN HELL, SINNERS! MOHAMMED IS SHIT! MOHAMMED BURNS IN HELL! REE HEE HEE HEE!"
Dr. Bebe- "Kaya was a moslem!?"
Wil- "I thought she was over that! Baby, no! AUGGGH!"
Kaya?- "LITTLE KAYA BURRRNS! DO NOT DOUBT THE POWER OF HELL!" Kaya grabbed Wil by the collar and threw him ten feet through the bloody air. He hit a wall and collapsed. Then she turned to Dr. Bebe and Becky. Becky- "What? You want some?"
Kaya?- "GrrrUUAAAAAGGGGHHH!!!" She flew at Becky. Joe took note, hesitating just long enough to get into more zombie trouble. He turned back to flailing on the zombies. The blood-soaked socks had surprisingly decent traction in here. He was much faster than the zombies, tossing them end over end, punching and kicking them away from Seth. Joe- "WE HAVE TO GET OUT! HOW?!"
Seth- "Uh, uh!!"
He cast around the room, and saw the door to the walk-in freezer which had mostly been filled with stored medications and supplies."In there! G-get everyone in there!" Zombies clawed at him wildly, and there wasn't quite enough room to jab them back effectively. He grimaced as they tore through his thin, blood soaked t-shirt.Seth stabbed at zombies to knock them away from the fallen Wil, while Dr. Bebe made a run for the freezer. Seth- "Get back you Glen Beck lookin' motherfucker!" He caught the zombie in the throat with the end of the mop handle, and it tore through the soft tissues. He used the leverage to toss the zombie to the side, and scrambled to grab Wil by the collar. Dr. Bebe- "Whoa!" Dr. Bebe slipped in the blood and went down!
Meanwhile, Kaya twirled her limbs unnaturally like a double-jointed rock'em sock'em robot, laughing and battering at Becky! Becky twisted a leg around Kaya's with a snapping motion, slapped her head, spun her around, and joint-locked the shit out of her. Both of Kaya's arms were twisted with each other, and locked with one hand from Becky's good arm. Becky was able to free her legs and maintain the lock.
Zombies began slipping and sliding around Dr. Bebe, Becky, and Kaya. The doctor grabbed one by the back of the legs and climbed up it to right herself. Dr. Bebe- "Thank you, sir. You are a gentleman and a scholar."
Kaya?- "GET YOUR SHIT oFF ME, KAFIR WHORE!"
Becky- "Naw." Joe was a human tornado. He flipped a table up and threw it into the zombies coming in, then spun around and started pulling the off Dr. Bebe and company, one after another in rapid succession. Joe- "Dr. BEBE, THE DOOR!" Freed of zombies, Dr. Bebe started to open the door to the walk-in freezer. Wil started to come around, Seth and some zombies the guests at a weird drug party in his ailing brain.
The ghost light bobbled in the room impatiently. Was it waiting for the zombies? Watching the humans?Seth dragged Wil by the collar into the freezer, and Dr. Bebe helped him from the other side. Becky kept Kaya in the complicated lock. Corpse- "NRRRRRRRGLGL!" A zombie tried to shriek and shot a spray of black coagulated blood and shattered tooth chunks into Seth's face when he turned around. Seth- "Fuckin' gross! UGH FUCK OFF!"
He jousted the thing through its busted mouth, and it crashed into a gurney, sending it flying. Wil- "Seth. Seth, KAYA!" Wil finally came around. Dr. Bebe- "Wil! Your Kaya is possessed. Stay back." Dr. Bebe lit a lamp. The blood wasn't raining in there, mercifully. Kaya?- "KAYa KAYa FUCK YOU, YOU BRAINLESS PILE OF SHIT! AAAAhHAHHAHAHAHhahAHA!"
Becky- "Witty."
Wil- "Kaya, no!!!
Dr. Bebe- "We don't have time for this! Quiet, Wil!" Seth was fighting zombies off near the door to the freezer. Joe managed to get close enough to talk.
The crowd in the room was getting thick enough that some weren't even taking note of the fight, preferring to follow the ghost light. It began to move again. Joe- "Seth... This box'll hide our sick, but it's a trap, too. We won't be able to come out until it's safe. What do we do?"
Seth- "I don't want to sound like some ridiculous idiot from an action movie, but I think we're gonna have to fight our way out. Who knows what's going on in the rest of the building. We gotta get upstairs and get help!
Joe- "...We'll be back!" He bumped the door closed with his arm and kicked the nearest two zombies, then grabbed the nearest gurney to put against the door. More zombies were getting in grits.Seth used his bony shoulder to shove the bearded hipster back. Corpse- "Glllllggggg."
Seth- "Damn it, can't stop to kill these freaks. We gotta get to the stairwell!" A tall, very thin zombie in expensive clothes lurched in front of Joe. It was obvious it had been quite successful in human eating endeavors, as its face was matted with gore, and a scrap of a finger was caught in the folds of its dress. Corpse- "KUUUUUURRrrrrrRRrr!" A zombie impaled with sharp pieces of glass and wood jumped surprisingly fast in front of Seth, who had to hold the mop handle in front of him to keep the creature back. Corpse- "Kkkk! NaaannaaannnannnnbuuuuUUuu!!"
Seth- "Fuuuck off!" Seth exerted all his skinny strength to shove the zombie back with the mop handle, and tumbled out into the area in front of the stairwell. Joe- "I know... I ... Aikido, haha." Joe let himself fall behind a moment, slip and slide zombies finally getting a grip on his legs, the rain of blood began to die away, a weird calm amid the thrashing movement as that noise faded. Moans began to rise. Joe considered escaping death the other day... Thought he was done for then and here he was again. A zombie clutched his hand in its cannibal efforts, and it felt like a desperate hypothermic swimmer clinging to him, pulling him into drowning and peace.Joe- "Becky taught me a little, she's a black belt I guess." He flexed his muscles, rooted his chi, and effortlessly stepped out of the mob like it was a mud puddle. He wended his way through the sloppy crowd, following Seth into the hall. Inside the meat locker, Dr. Bebe had taped over Kaya's mouth, leaving a few airholes, but muffling the madness. She looked at Wil then they looked at Becky. Dr. Bebe- "How long can you do that?"
Becky- "Until I run out of blood."
Dr. Bebe- "I'll get some tape." Seth and Joe came to the base of the stairs, and saw that freaky glowy orb. Seth- "What the shit is that thing?"
Joe- "We get out of this pile *uff* maybe we can touch it and see what *nf* happens." They were in a tight spot - a crush of zombies - and this idea was looking like suicide. Knots of groping arms lashed at them, bodies tumbling over bodies. At the very least, the confusion they caused the creatures was slowing their advance.
The orb slowed as well, patiently waiting for them. Seth- "I don't think we should touch that thing, other ghost shit kills by touch..... Maybe to the other stairs?"
Joe- "No way that's gonna be any less dangerous." He used his tall guy reach to knock some heads around, then heaved into a big one knocking it down on a bunch of others. Joe- "Let's just get on top!"
As the crowd of zombies rounded the stairs near the second floor, some began to spill out the door onto that floor. Seth wondered for just a moment if the chickens would be OK.Seth pushed ahead through the zombies, trying to keep his feet on the stairs. The stairwell was fetid with the rank smell of rotting flesh. He had to breath through his mouth to keep his stomach from turning, his breath still haggard and wheezing. In the darkness, with the feeling of the crowd around him, he could almost imagine he was at a very violent concert. He slipped back once, and hands actually pushed him forward again like a helpful stranger, until the fingers ripped at his shirt and clawed his flesh. The cold bodies around him made horrifying, wet noises from their ruined mouths, and he could feel spattering liquid and sweat dripping down his skin. Joe was further ahead, and he strained his muscles to keep going through the throng. A cold hand grabbed his skinny arm to try to pull him back, and he felt a shocking pain on his bicep. He tore it away, realizing in the dim, bluish ghost light, it was a slavering zombie mouth which had injured him.
The ghost light waited ahead, almost like it was trying to be helpful by lighting the scene.Joe's main reason for coming on this insane journey was to protect Seth, and he realized he was too wrapped up in the fight and lost sight of the man. He had the misfortune on turning around to see the zombie mouth coming away from Seth's arm - gory. Joe- "SETH!!! NO!" He kicked more zombies, bowling a mess down the stairs and doubled back. He let himself stumble a bit and righted at the last moment, swiping the zombies away from Seth's right side. He circled between Seth and the zombies on the left, confusing their slimy grips, but catching lots of scratches. The hospital gown was loose enough to confuse them, and they ripped it more than him.
He heaved Seth up into a temporary clearing, staggering forward behind him, zombies nearly falling down all over him as he went low.As Seth was finally shoved forward by human arms, he saw something that looked like an oil slick the size of a car sliding up the stairwell wall and disappearing, followed by three smaller ones, as quick as cockroaches. Seth- "Oh my fucking-- ghosts??! Jesus fucking shit...!!"
Seth used the mop handle sideways to push through the zombies like the world's skinniest linebacker, almost hitting Joe as he ran over the writhing zombie bodies."Ff-g-- *wheeze*"
A zombie with a barely visible nametag still hanging from her shirt caught Seth's shirt with her clammy white fingers, and attempted to yank him back. He took a moment to joust her hard in the neck with the bloody mop handle, the mop attachment now long snapped off.
Seth- "Fuck off! I'm tired of seeing you!" It tumbled backwards, knocking back a few dimly lit bodies. Joe- "We need to get ahead *mmf* How high are we now? Don't wanna *ugh* be coming in just to watch 'em get eaten by our *ugh* new friends!" They were very close to breaking free... Seth- "I-I *wheeze* think... fourth. G-good to get out, there are people h--..." Seth noticed zombies exiting the stairwell doors, pushing them open and clambering over each other to get to the halls."D-damn it... no...!" Joe- "Come on, let's just get to the top floor, rally, work our way down!" The ghost orb was out of sight, the hall lights at night were very dim, and some unnatural darkness kept pulsing in the air, threatening to overpower the lights but never quite getting there... The lights seemed a bit brighter ahead, and blue. They ran and ran, didn't even know what floor they were on, and then... Joe- "It's so dark here I can hardly see." Seth thought Joe must be going blind. It was so bright, this blue light seeming to radiate from the world itself, like he was lost in a SyFy channel movie about ghost werewolf commandos...Seth realized he had run up more flights of stairs than there should have been in the building, and Joe was nowhere to be seen.
The world was dim, but not in the usual way of the post-electric world. Every surface was filled with a dark, but shockingly vivid blue. Vague sounds of people or zombies ascending were just a disembodied background noise here, no hint they had ever belonged to a real physical source. Seth- "..."
He stopped, mid-stair. He glanced around, listening to the sound of his ragged, wheezing breath. He was breathing, right? That was proof he was still alive, wasn't it? He leaned against a wall, taking deep, sucking breaths. What the hell was this? The atmosphere was stagnant, arid and dusty like an ill-kept office space. After he caught his breath for a few seconds, the creeping horror washed over him. More stairs... He looked down the stairwell where he'd come from. The sounds were rapidly disappearing, as though they'd just been in his imagination the entire time. Was he passed out? Did none of this really happen? He still felt the blood trickling down his forehead, and the throbbing burn of his scratches and wounds. That seemed real enough. He looked up the stairwell, trying to find the source of the vibrant blue light. Familiar man- "Hello. You look like you have a problem." A guy stepped around the stairwell from above. Seth- "H-Who are.. you..." Seth felt wary, but the man didn't seem to have anything strange about him, not at first glance anyway. The blue light was glowing all around, like it was a very sedate night club. Familiar man- "Who we are is an elemental question of philosophy, but in order to make progress, we must continue to more advance propositions even when simpler ones have not been settled to everyone's satisfaction.
But I do favor cutting to the essence of an issue. What is your problem?"
Familiar man- "Who we are is an elemental question of philosophy, but in order to make progress, we must continue to more advance propositions even when simpler ones have not been settled to everyone's satisfaction.
But I do favor cutting to the essence of an issue. What is your problem?"
Seth- "The... zombies! They got in, it's... where am I? Are you a ghost?" He started feeling extremely weak, like blood was rushing to his head. He leaned on the railing, wondering how it could be real. Extra stairs with extra railing? As the man stepped closer, very quietly, Seth's head began to feel much worse. Familiar man- "Zombies, haha. Again, we can't make progress with the simplest questions. Am I a ghost? Aren't we all ghosts?"
Seth- "Wh--what are you talking about?! You're--*wheeze* you are a ghost..." As Seth shakily backed down the stairs, he felt a burning in his nose, and warm wetness trickle down to his lip and off his chin, the sharp metallic taste of blood running down his throat. He didn't have a lighter, or a torch... "This light, you're making this light..."
Seth- "Wh--what are you talking about?! You're--*wheeze* you are a ghost..." As Seth shakily backed down the stairs, he felt a burning in his nose, and warm wetness trickle down to his lip and off his chin, the sharp metallic taste of blood running down his throat. He didn't have a lighter, or a torch... "This light, you're making this light..."
Ghost of familiar man- "A ghost doesn't make the light. Some light is still around as we approach six. How I love this weak and blue light of the day's death. The wine next to me looks like blood." Was he saying it was late in the day still? The light looked like a movie portrayal of that. What wine? Seth's head felt like a bowling ball that was about to roll off his shoulders and bounce down
The stairs. The man kept coming closer, and he was going to have to break into a run to get away from this... whatever it was.Seth ran down the stairs in a panic, sometimes sliding down a few stairs in his blood soaked socks. He crashed into the railing a few times, and threw himself against the walls in his hurry to escape. The blue continued, and he felt like he'd gone down several flights.
The ghost's voice was rather distant, though he was speaking as if he hadn't moved at all, which made it hard to hear. Ghost of a familiar man- "Your problem is of life. You strive to live as the bourgeois but your proletarian efforts only achieve the status of the zombie. Take this wine..."
As he got further from the ghost, his pounding headache subsided a bit, but he got an increasingly eerie feeling. Though he was running hard, and already had reduced lung capacity, he felt like he had no air, no need to breathe... He slowed his roll, and noticed for the first time there were doors all along this surreal stairwell, but they were on the wrong wall. He shook his head to himself, trying to understand the answer to the puzzle. Seth- "Who are you?!"
Suddenly the ghost's voice was close, and his head burst into pain again. He felt the blood drip off his lower lip. The ghost had stepped out of one of the doors. Ghost of a familiar man- "This wine was pressed with the hands of the worker. It's a bitter harvest on the last light of a cold spring day. Today I had Eritrean cuisine at Mama San's. It tasted bland but the atmosphere filled my mouth with a spirit of enjoyment."
Seth puzzled at the man's words, finding them familiar, but his head throbbed at the slightest cognition. He ran for one of the mystery doors, and started to open it. It opened on to a balcony overlooking what looked like Lake Washington. There was a little black girl standing there, with her back turned. He considered diving into the placid scene, but there was something terrifying about it. Like some kind of idyllic vision of heaven, a picture hanging on the wall of a retirement home to make death seem less unpleasant. He slammed the door, the blood still coursing down his face. What could he do!? He started to feel incredibly woozy, going down the stairs now was mostly sliding. He fell to his knees and slid down a flight and flopped on his side, scrambling to get up again.
The ghost floated down out of nowhere extremely fast, landing on a stair Seth was about to pass through. He ran into the ghost!
He felt as though he had just walked through liquid that was suspended in midair. As he passed, he felt like he had hands around the back of his throat. The pain was incredible. He felt black stars forming on the corners of his vision. Ghost of a familiar man- "You have a problem."
Seth ran through the specter's nonsensical words, trying to puzzle it out. The ghost was utterly weightless, holding on to him as Seth tried to slid and tumble his way down the endless stairs. He tried to grab the weightless hands around his neck. He was shocked to feel cold, oily fingers that just fell away like paper with his touch. He felt a fire where they had touched, like a chemical burn. He spun around, holding on to the railing desperately to keep from falling.
Seth- "You-- I remember-- Y-*wheeze* You're a writer! M-M something. Charles!"
Charles (?) "Yes?"
Seth- "Why are you doing this?!"
Charles (?) "Because you have a problem."
Seth clawed at his head in frustration. It was like talking with a parrot. He started banging on the wall opposite to the scary doors, running down the stairs as he did, screaming for help with his hoarse, ragged voice. Soon he couldn't speak, the blood running down his throat choked him and took what little voice was left. He became silent, and focused on running away from the specter.
He felt like his breath was utterly weightless. It felt like there was nothing coming in and out of his lungs, and yet he had the ability to continue going. Like breathing air that he didn't need. His head cleared, and then erupted in pain as the murmuring madness of the ghost came within inches of his ear.
The light seemed to be getting dimmer, he must have run down 17 stories, when he came to a landing that had no door for the first time.
He almost ran into the wall, and put out a hand to push himself away from it, and spinning around in the darkness he could see there were no stairs going down any longer. He stood on a flat landing at the bottom of the stairs, with a door in front of him. Next to that, a fire extinguisher. Beyond that door, was darkness, visible through the small window.Seth ran for the door, the world seemed vivid orange to his eyes after that oppressive blue. He opened the door and ran into the darkness. (Seth moves to PARKING GARAGE.)LATER Seth scrambled through the door, and bumped into a zombie. He no longer had a weapon, the mop handle long lost in that horrible blue world. He ran past it, his eyes seeing only the vaguest hint of the dark world around him. He heard screeching of tires, the roar of an engine, thumps, groans, and he couldn't see a damn thing.God, a fucking haunted car?! I hope it has headlights... He moved forward carefully, holding his hands out, trying to feel for anything in front of him. He found himself bouncing off of confused zombies like a pinball machine. Thankfully it seemed they couldn't see well in the darkness either. His eyes adjusted, and he noticed three light sources, as he spun his head around wildly. One was a weirdly flickering light coming from the level above, barely illuminating a ramp going up. One was an extremely dim nightlight on a pillar, and one was the faintly glowing form of the ghost, Charles. Seth- "No no no, don't follow me here...!" The ghost laughed coldly. Charles (?) - "You prefer the night to day?" The ghost was far enough that the pain was weak. It was halfway across the garage. Seth- "I don't prefer anything... just stay away!" Seth ran for that dim light above, to the ramp, desperately hoping to not get hit by evil cars. The light abruptly and massively increased, it was the headlights of an SUV ripping down the ramp.The SUV almost ran Seth the hell over. He slammed into the inside wall, escaping it, and saw Daniel Milani's face like a phantom in the passenger side, and wasn't sure he was seen by that phantom. He heard the SUV crushing zombies below.Seth flattened against the wall as the car passed. Daniel?! It took a moment to piece it together. Someone must have gotten the car for zombie smashing. He didn't have much time to think though, as the ghost lurked just on the periphery of his vision. He ran up the ramp, listening for the car to gauge its distance.The garage equipment included road flares, no question. He remembered Peg grabbing some when they went to Cornish. Charles- "It's a beautiful spring evening. The wine looks like blood and the world is ending." Seth took a few deep breaths. Oh boy, death coming for you from several angles. What's a boy to do? He ran his ass off, going straight for the equipment stocks, shoving zombies out of the way like a football player, diving over the tarp-covered boxes, tossing them open or aside, looking for salvation. He threw boxes he didn't want at the encroaching monsters.
The flares."Haunters" were indeed made of flammable ectoplasm, like all the rest. Seth's forward momentum carried him through the fireball and into a roll on the concrete. Instantly something eased in his brain, like a shot of morphine when you need it. He came up staggering, with his eyes low - scanning for the dark ghosts - and considered the lay of the land.
He needed to get upstairs. Both stairwells were surely full of zombies. He'd seen one of the possessed running around. If it turned anyone else, got up there... It could be making a wall out of the limbs of all his friends. Not very presidential to be fucking around in the basement. He heard the SUV's tires squealing on the level below.Seth got out into the back alley with minimal difficulty. The monsters seemed rather confused by his movements, and were slow to react.Seth hurtled out into the back alley, slamming the door behind him. The cold air hit him like he'd opened the freezer door on a hot summer's day. He hadn't realized how soaked with blood and sweat he was, in the thin, torn t-shirt, shorts and wet socked feet. The alley was completely empty, save for a couple beer bottles and stubbed-out cigarettes here and there. The zombies had been confused by the dark night, perhaps, and the front door was tempting enough to ignore this area.
He looked around, trying to figure out a way to go higher. No time for the door, the building was fucked already. But upstairs... what was going on?! He could hear gun shots, screaming... what a nightmare...
He suddenly caught sight of a rope. A rope!? He ran to it without thinking. He got to it, as it dangled next to a drain pipe. He looked up, and remembered.
"PULL THE STRING"
Could he really do this? Would it support his weight?
He yanked on the rope to test its strength. The bells rang, the sound dampened by the mayhem. Strong enough, maybe. He had to try...
Good thing I'm this skinny, I guess.
He jumped up on the railing next to the stairs, and used the rope to pull himself up, trying to rappel against the building, using windowsills as foot holds to put less stress on the rope.Seth looked down behind him at the ghosts below.
Don't you fucking do it....
He'd left the burning flare below to attempt to light his way up, so he definitely didn't need ghosts up in his shit. There were two flares in his pockets, but he needed all the hands he could to do this crazy shit. He remembered going 'bouldering' a year or two ago, back when he was going out with some white-boy fitness dork. What was it they said? He tried to secure his feet, and plan his route ahead, but there was only so much time, only so much strength, and only so long the rope would hold, perhaps. He tried to just forge ahead, even as his arms shook, and the wound on one of them pumped out blood to a shocking degree. His nosebleed had stopped, but blood still clogged up his sinuses, and his lungs burned and rattled.
Pace yourself, my ass... Seth collapsed on the wet roof floor for a moment, not even caring that it soaked through his sweaty, gory clothes even more. The sounds coming from below were of a total chaos. Screaming, guns firing, doors slamming and running. A four-foot metal pole leaned against the wall nearby, memorable as Tyrone's favored weapon. He let out a small grunt of despair, before thinking that he should worry about individuals later. He grabbed the pole and headed downstairs.Seth entered the stairwell, which was perhaps a little sparser with zombies beneath the 6th floor, but up here there was a large, dense group. They saw him and excitedly clambered over each other up the stairs to get him.
Seth used the metal pole to drive them back, actually taking the time now to try to kill them. He knocked them back, one after the other. If one fell with its head nearby, he used the pole like a stake to crack through their skull. He last zombie caught him familiar, even in the dim light.
Oh god... Hector... No...
He felt intense despair, as the zombie climbed toward him, over the bodies of the fallen, just like all the rest of them did. Poor Hector, he'd been scratched all over, bites out of his face and neck. Seth squinted his eyes closed as he did it, but he'd have to see the aftermath anyway. He leaned against the wall a moment to collect himself, and try to let his emotions subside. He could hear the yelling from further down the stairs, and recognized some of the voices. No time to feel like this, no time to feel anything. He hopped over the bodies, nearly slipping down the stairs in the blood. He walked over an arm which cracked in a sickening way. He came to the 6th floor door, which had a few bodies in front of it. He pushed it, but it seemed stuck. He banged on it, and tried to call out-- but found he had no voice. The weak remains of his lung power didn't allow him to let out more than a croak. The door must have been barred... He went further down, avoiding walking on the bodies to keep from disgusting himself further, and came to the 5th floor-- which mysteriously was hanging open. As he got closer, he saw why-- there was a pile of zombie corpses, as high as his head. Bits of bone jutting out here and there, a few ruined faces, and a disgusting, eye-watering smell. There were important people on this floor though, he'd have to dig through...
It can't ever be easy, can it? Seth finally pushed enough of the corpses out of the way he was able to belly slide over the top of them, which was possibly the most disgusting thing he'd done all day. His shirt rode up at one point and he felt the slimy, dead skin on his own, and he felt vomit rise in his throat. Thankfully the slipperiness of the wet blood and rotten skin allowed him to slide through somewhat easily, and he tumbled out the other side. There was more light here, so the dark ghosts inside were quite apparent.
Oh just fuck off already... I'm tired of this shit.
He pulled a flare out of his back pocket, casually leaning the pole against the wall. He found the slower he moved, the slower the ghosts tended to come upon you. He struck the flare, and the ghosts hesitated. Did they really fear 'death' at all?
He kept his head low, but he could feel the eyes staring at him, hoping even now they could catch his gaze and fill him with their crushing despair. The hopelessness of death.
Staring at their feet, he lit them ablaze, chunks of burning ash fell like autumn leaves. Then, the hall was empty save for a few bodies lying face down. He almost wanted to stop, and flip them over to make sure they didn't have faces he recognized. He picked up the pole, and continued down the hall, leaving the sparking flare in the middle of the floor.
He came to his own room, he hoped his pets were okay. He was about to go in, when he heard the voices from the room next door. He knocked on the last door in the hall, feeling like his legs were about to give out.Bryce, Jackson and Susie were all in Derek's old bedroom, keeping an eye on the trussed up Kenny. To make sure he could breathe, they kept only part of his head covered, so they had to put up with emotional abuse while they were at it. There was a light sound outside of some movement in the hall. Suddenly, it sounded like there was a knock at the door.
Zadokhis- "HAHAHAHA! It's my friend, Hikal again! Here to swallow your souuuullllss! "
Jackson- "Oh brother."
Susie- "Do you think it could be....?"
Zadokhis- "YES! It totally is! HAHAHAHA! Your days are numbered!" *knock knock* Bryce- "I'll get it. Whatever."
Jackson- "Yeah it's not like they're vampires that need to be let in..."
Bryce couldn't help but think about his terrible vision of Seth's undead form coming to the door. He thought any given annoyance of the night was too much to bear, and he'd get whatever that thing was to stop knocking. He went to the door, slowing as he approached it, and looked through the peephole. He saw part of a shoulder, wearing a dark shirt. Whoever it was was leaning off to the side.
Hm. Zombies don't knock on doors. Ghosts... probably don't either, though I'm sure they could if they wanted to. Fuck it.
He opened the door.
He saw an extremely bloody person that took a moment to recognize.
Seth- "..."
Seth leaned against a pole, like he could hardly stand up on his own anymore. He tilted his head back and closed his eyes in a look of relief, wobbling a bit on his makeshift crutch.
Bryce- "...Seth... I... don't... know... Oh no..."
The bloody man put a hand on the door frame, leaving dark smears. He opened his mouth to speak, and only let out a little choke, some blood trickling off his lip in a string.
Bryce- "Noo.. no no...."
Seth reached out his hand tentatively, feeling guilty for a moment to get the relatively clean Bryce all filthy with gore. He put a still warm, but very grimy hand on Bryce's arm.
Bryce started at the touch, still not sure that it wouldn't be followed by an attempt at cannibalism.
Seth- "Hm--"
Seth tried to make a friendly noise with his lack of voice, and smiled with his lips closed. He dropped the pole with a clatter on the ground, and put his other filthy hand on Bryce's face. He smelled like an old penny.
"Uh... you're alive... c-come inside."
He looked in the hall behind Seth, and helped the man inside, closing the door behind them. Bryce helped Seth into the apartment, calling out as they went. Bryce- "HELP! HEeelp!" Jackson ran as far as the bedroom door, looking out at the mess that was once Seth. He looked back to Susie and said something, then came out and assumed the Seth supporting duties. Jackson- "Unbelievable. Bryce, put that mat on the table, then help me get Seth on it. I'll need more light too..." Everyone capable did their best to straighten things out.Jackson took over holding the skinny, bloody man, and did his best to lower him onto the table gently. Seth started to look like he was going to pass out.
Jackson- "Stay awake. It's important."
Seth- "..." Seth moved his head in a loose interpretation of a nod. Bryce- "Awake! Awake! C'mon... I... you don't wanna make my most depressing dreams come true, ya friggin' guy." Seth got a kind of bemused look on his face, and rolled his bloodshot eyes around in an attempt to stay awake. Jackson- "Hey... good effort. So uh, you can't talk?" Seth shook his head.
Jackson- "Zombie got your tongue?"
Bryce- "That's just disgusting man!" Seth let out a little choking laugh-esque noise.
Bryce- "Oh very fucking funny." Jackson kept wiping Seth off with a rag, gently exposing his skin, cutting away his clothes, what little were left. He revealed all the injuries on the front part of his body. Innumerable scratches covered his torso, neck and arms, some deeper, some shallow. Greenish bruises were already forming all over. Probably the worst injuries were a deep bite on his right bicep that was still bleeding moderately, some inscrutable finger-shaped burns on his neck and some large cuts on his lower legs. The source of bleeding from his face was unclear, but even after he was cleaned, blood kept trickling out of both nose and mouth.
Jackson asked Bryce to hand him the cleaning equipment and described to him what he'd need to make a compress and got to work again. Bryce looked at Seth with despair and was once again convinced that his vision was an accurate prediction of the future.
We'll go through all this effort and it'll be for nothing. I'll have to see Seth's zombie. Seth suddenly got a shocked look on his face, and tried to sit up. Jackson- "No you don't!"
He held him down firmly. Seth had a desperate look on his face, and gestured, pointing up.
Jackson- "Well there's not much we can do about that right now."
Voice from the bedroom- "Nooothinggg! You can do nothing! HAHAHAHA! You'll all die!!"
Seth raised his eyebrows and stared in the direction of the voice. He managed to croak out a syllable.
Seth- "d-Dhur..!"
Jackson- "Don't know what you're talking about. That is our new friend Zadokhis who is possessing Kenny. Hopefully not on a permanent basis."
He heard Susie saying something frantic and sad. He laid back and had a despairing look. Jackson- "Hey. The people that can do something right now are doing their best. That's all anybody can do. So let yourself get rescued Mr. President, if ya don't mind. It's gonna be easier for everybody concerned. Oh, you might be interested-- Some of your nutty councilors climbed out the window a little while ago."
Seth gave him an amazed and questioning look.
"Yeah, Anna... Stevie.. Ben. I looked out the window a little while ago right after they did it and they were doing alright. There's not many zombies outside. Like some kind of freaks pushed them all in." Seth sighed and rolled his eyes up into his head and nodded. He pointed at himself, and then drew a line from the ground and up. Jackson- "Yeah, you were in the clinic before. Getting up must have been crazy."
Bryce- "Why couldn't you have just found a place to hide?! It's not like other people aren't gonna try to stop this. You're not the only person in the world."
Seth shook his head and gave Bryce a meaningful look.
Seth- "..." Jackson finished wrapping Seth up. Jackson- "Now see if you can sit still for five minutes, OK? Preferably more?" He went into the other room to relieve Susie from psychic torments. Bryce worked his hands in little knots. Bryce- "Seriously, you know what kind of people you work with. You know any number of those maniacs would try to singlehandedly save the building, and be better off trying than you when you're sick, so what the HELL kind of stupid do you have to be to run up into this?" Seth shook his head, and offered a limp, now much cleaner hand to Bryce, who accepted it. He cleared his throat a couple times, and was able to croak out a couple words now and then. Seth- "I-- didn't... help-- a-nyone..."
Bryce- "So what? So WHAT?"
Seth- "Down--stairs. We don't-- know. Want-ed to warn.... ghost got-- *coff* I don't--....sorry."
Bryce- "Ghosts, zombies, and demon dead got in? Yeah, it's not like we weren't going to notice. Sheesh..." Bryce's eyes drifted off to the side. Maybe there was something he didn't want to say, or didn't want to think about.
Seth tangled up his fingers in Bryce's, and gave him a loving look, at least as much as he was able to with all the scratches on his face. Seth- "I'm so...glad-- you-'re okay." Bryce resisted the urge to pull his hand away.Bryce- "I won't be okay until your dumb ass gets through the night without turning into a fucking zombie. Jerk."
Seth- "Haha... I-ll try."
Seth and Bryce jumped at the sound of the shotgun upstairs. Seth- "Shit...!"
Bryce- "Is it worse because it was only one shot? Fuck..." Then they heard a chorus of screams rise and fall, in the apartment across the hall...Jackson came into the room. Jackson- "What's going on? You guys...? Excuse me." He walked over to the door and made a noise of surprise as it opened. He came back into the living room with more people. Davin- "Oh my god, Seth, what the hell?"
Seth- "Y-yeah I know. The screaming? What's-- going on?"
Davin- "Bunch of ghosts came out of the ceiling. Instead of killing us, they turned into explosive jello and gave a few people a midnight sunburn. Everyone's fine, for the moment, but we never saw anything like it. You guys see anything unusual?"
Bryce- "Didn't see a thing."
Davin- "Well, commander in chief. This floor is as secure as it can get, ghosts are doing random nonsense, and I don't know what's next. Any command decisions for us?"
Seth- "I wish I knew what was going on upstairs, *wheeze* the door is blocked. Black Jello? I wonder if the gunshot.. let's-- someone check the stairwell-- we need to find out if the others are safe."
Davin- "As I'm sure you know from personal experience, going up and down stairs has not gone well for people tonight... But fuck it, we can take a peek. If I see any zombies in there or ghosts in the hall though, I'm gonna turn right around and get back in Basil and Monty's room."
Susie- "Um... guys?"
Davin- "What?"
Susie- "I think Kenny is back to normal."
Bryce- "Really?"
Seth- "Whoa..."
Bryce and Susie ran off to the bedroom. Jackson almost started after them, but elected to stay with Seth as Davin & Sandy headed out of the apartment. As they walked away, Seth noticed why Sandy wasn't wearing a shirt - her back all cut up and bruised. Sandy- "We'll let you know what we see."
Seth- "Damn Sandy. I guess I'll see you in the clinic later... eh, or wherever folks like us will go..."
Jackson and Seth were alone for the moment. Jackson- "If Kenny is back to normal, I say keep him tied up for a while just in case. How about you?"
Seth- "Yeah... I don't know what happens when someone 'gets better' from that. The last time I saw-- uh, yeah. This is different." He went back to tidying up his work, on Seth and the bloody wrecked up environment in general.
The shirtless Seth attempted to sneak over to see what was going on with Kenny and the others.
In the room, he saw Kenny wrapped like a burrito, with Bryce and Susie giving him a combination of kind expressions and guarded judgmental ones. He was exasperated and exhausted, and no one noticed Seth at the door.What just happened? It all... stopped? Did someone kill a mummy or something? Was this a mummy doing this the whole time?! Seth had a weird daydream of Beau throwing the Gutless Boy off a roof like some kind of dramatic end to an action movie, and then everything was alllllright.Yeah right. Jackson- "Who gave you permission to hobble around? Get back here."
Everyone in the room overheard Jackson and looked up at Seth. Bryce almost seemed relieved to see Seth up and about, but just barely. Seth- "It's just... a flesh wound. Har har..."
Seth hobbled back with Jackson willingly. Ugh.. leg muscles... cramping. Did he feel this bad before? Surely resting made him feel worse. Yup, that's why.Nat and Sarah were drawn into the hall by the ruckus of the siege beginning, and quickly ended up sequestered next door. The room didn't become consistently occupied until Dr. Bebe chose it for her triage clinic.
Bryce shuffled Seth in. The place was in disarray, as Dr. Bebe barked orders for rearrangements of furniture and needed equipment and so on. Basil, Ivan, Richie, Kaito, and Tyrone were all completely flattened - unable or unwilling to move due to broken bones or worse. Seth still managed to look ill enough for the doctor to check on him - at least briefly. She flitted in with a stethoscope and slapped it on his bare ribs. Dr. Bebe- "Did you pace yourself?"
Seth- "The pace-iest possible without getting eaten I guess... "
Dr. Bebe- "Bzzt. Wrong answer. The only reason I can tell you're alive is because of an awful noise in there that zombies don't make. Don't move a muscle, and," she had someone bring him a glass of water "Drink this. It's got some goodies in it. I'll be back when I can. Do NOT move."
Bebe moved on. People were beginning to take notice of Seth, with a mix of intense looks. Morbidly, or maybe just because of the awkwardness, he had to stifle laughter. That would probably not feel good anyway. He tried to look as lively as was possible. He drank the nasty medicine water.
Seth- "I wonder if it's gonna come spurting out of all the holes like in the cartoons. Haha..."
Bryce- "You're the literal worst."
Joe attack!
Joe- "SETH! Seth, I c-can't believe it! Ugh. God damn..."
Seth sat up straight and looked at Joe with wide eyes.
Seth- "Oh god, Joe...! Are you okay? What the hell... I can't--"
He was interrupted by a small coughing fit. Bryce- "Um, it's you again. You should give the man some room. He's a mess, as you can tell."
Joe- "No, I... I just wanted one thing. Just wanted to make sure someone didn't die... I tried to p-protect you but I... We went in and I lost you."
Seth- "I know-- it wasn't-- it was a fucking ghost.. I dunno how but I went somewhere else. Like a diferent-- a different stairwell. I sound like I've lost my mind. Anyway, thank you-- I woulda been dead before--that without you."
Joe- "Ghost? Oh. Oh, yeah. Patti said that was what it probably was. Wave to Patti." The men smiled feebly at her and went back to talking.Joe- "A 'haunter' ... I guess I'll learn more about that later. But... How does it take someone from ... just right there?"
Bryce- "Why do birds suddenly appear any time he is near? Motherfuckers don't know." Seth- "Micah-- at the school, it happened to him I guess. Those things are-- freaky. I dunno where it took me, but it was-- freaky as shit.. Sorry to disappear. Thing--..thing made me run down like 14 flights of stairs and c-climb up a rope to the roof. Fuck-- that guy. "
Joe- "Haha, you didn't pace yourself..."
Seth- "Yeah yeah, tell it to the marines, ya bastid. "
He gave Joe a weak but jaunty finger gun. Seth- "Imma give you a hug when I'm less than half bruises. Let's-- kick mummy asses later." Bryce stewed on that business for a bit. More annoyances came and went. Doctors Green and Feingold arrived to much acclaim. Bryce was shooed away.
Occasionally, he caught glimpses of a strange fellow in the crowd - a man now wrapped in weird rumors and legends.
Luke muttered to himself as Columbo finished re-wrapping his eye.
A surprise Marie sat next to Seth on his bed.Marie- "Hello, Mr. President." Seth- "Marie..! How about this weather, huh."
Marie- "This is serious. I just wanted to let you know the facts, because there is some misinformation going around... THen again, you look like you might be ceding power to your vice president soon, so maybe I'll just talk to him..." Seth- "Okay, okay. Hit me. Not literally, please."
Marie- "Luke did this. He performed some kind of weird ritual that cost him an eye, but turned off the Zompocalypse in the building. By the way, just here, and we don't know for how long. That's why we've got ghost-proofing candles in every room, and guys sweeping the building stabbing all the inert zombies in the heads. That last part was Stevie's idea." Seth- "Jesus, that's the true part? Do I-- I don't want to know the how, do I. Got it. So what's-- what's the plan to prepare for a... possible future attack?"
Marie- "Luke's only got so many eyeballs. We just do what we'd do anyway - keep our guard patrols in groups, keep up the wariness, make sure everybody recognizes everybody... Lots of little things. But if we can get Luke to teach someone more coherent how to do that... That would really be something, wouldn't it?"
Seth- "No joke, but maybe without the eye part. Do you... I wonder if that's possible... "
As the siege ended and everyone came into communication, all the people in the building were moved into the rooms at the extremities of the 6th floor, including this one, for the duration of the night.
As the triage clinic, the following people were on staff, including some loaners from the UWMRC.
The following people were in fair condition, but made to sleep in here in case of bad developments.
The following people were in serious condition. Most had stable vitals, but severe injuries were considered to be a high risk for things getting worse.
Ivan was in critical condition from severe blood loss and numerous serious injuries.
The next morning, tarps and dry sheets had been placed over slightly soggy furniture, to facilitate a breakfast in the comm center. It was not freshly cooked today - just rationed out basics. Stevie, Marie, and Thierry moved through the comm center talking to everyone, trying to understand their concerns and reassure them as necessary.
People who had been on mandatory rest or in "fair condition" the night before made appearances as they felt able, but anybody worse off than that stayed in bed, as of the beginning of this new day... Marie- "Excuse me everybody, thank you. Excuse me, thank you. Yes. Seth will be coming in to make a speech, but he is a little ill, so you'll need to be quiet to hear him. Thank you." Thierry and Davin came in with Seth in a wheelchair, hoisted the chair onto the stage, and helped set him up. People hushed in anticipation.Seth tried to stand, but Thierry put a firm hand on his shoulder and shook his head. Seth laughed weakly and stayed in the chair. Seth- "Well that's embarrassing. Okay-- Sorry for my voice, I'll try to keep this short for all of us.
I'm really proud of all the courage, compassion and fortitude everyone showed last night. We are still piecing together exactly what happened, but we know these things...
There was a large group of monsters-- ghosts, zombies, demons... They almost certainly came from Queenanne, where they wiped out another settlement. The barriers were compromised, and a distraction kept our guards from noticing the oncoming monsters. They were possibly being silenced supernaturally. The breach was at the front door, which was opened by force and the barricades removed. This wasn't anything anyone could have foreseen, it was some sort of concerted effort on the monsters parts, and used some kind of magic to do so.
Monsters came from two directions, from the roof, and mostly from the stairs, as you all know. Many people were injured, and sadly some people didn't make it. Colonel Teddy and Eli Tangeman were killed by monsters. We are going to give them a proper burial, and have some kind of service. We all send our greatest sympathies to those that were close to them.
More people could have been killed, but something abruptly put an end to the attack. An... experimental use of magic seems to have worked, but we're not sure about the details. We are certainly going to look more into this.
Now the nitty-gritty...
The monsters have really done a number on this place. We have a nearby building that we will prepare for people to sleep in. Some might say, why don't we all just move over there and leave this place behind? After discussing with the council, I will say this... If you want to stay in the new building, that's fine. I even think it's a good idea for some people to stay there in case of future emergencies. However, this is our building. We all worked to make this place as comfortable and safe as we could, why should we let monsters take it from us? We've all survived here working together. I think it will be the ultimate insult to our enemies for us to rebuild. Thierry, want to describe some of the details?"
Thierry- "There is a lot of work to do, obviously we need to get all the bodies out of here. Stevie is leading this effort. We are going to move them all outside, and burn them. The carpets will all need to be torn out and..." Thierry described some of the minutiae while Seth drank water, and recovered some energy. Thierry ceded the floor to him to finish his speech. Seth- "We did it. We had tragic losses, we were hurt badly and our building was damaged. Yet, we were not overrun. A nearby enclave was not so lucky. We lived. We are still here in this building, and we destroyed many of the monsters. Your courage saved lives. Know that I and many others, are going to work our asses off to get this place in order, make it safer, and get everyone back on their feet.
We don't know why this attack happened. There was a notion that someone sent these monsters specifically to destroy settlements. We don't know who, but it seems likely it was either a mummy, or someone in direct contact with the mummies. We've done so much, and we're gonna have to do so much more. I know we can do it, and once Dr. Bebe takes off the shackles, I'm gonna join you. Everyone, let's say "Fuck you mummies-- this is our building!"
Thank you." Thierry and Davin helped the wheelchair down from the stage, and Marie took over wheeling duties. They began to head out of the Comm Center, though slowly, being intercepted by well wishers and the like. Marie- "Thank you, um, watch out for the wheels, OK..." Thierry started talking to people who seemed physically capable of helping with the corpse removal effort. Davin as well. Davin- "Whaddya say, kid?"
Ibi- "I'd rather not, but I will. Let's get this done quickly!"
Davin- "My thoughts exactly." Ben figured that his sprained ankle would make him even worse at dragging corpses than he was at making them. But he still offered to help with anything that a temporarily one-legged man could do. Ben- "Fuck the mummies. This is our house."
Seth- "Yeah! We're gonna do this. Hate to have to learn everything the hard way, but I think we solved some mysteries last night. More on that later. Rock on, man. *fist bump* "
Ashley clapped for Seth's speech, and came up to congratulate him afterwards. "I'll stand by whatever you decide, Clemens." He offers, though it hurt to bend over, even a little bit. Seth- "Thanks man. Thierry says you were amazing out there last night, and it doesn't surprise me. Let's heal really hard so we can kick their asses sooner. "
"It is our house." He agrees to someone somewhere behind him, before attempting to help move all of the bodies. Marie- "Dr. Melange says nothing extra for you. We ought to get going."
Seth- "Okay, okay. Well, this scene is a bit awkward anyway. I keep running through that speech in my head because I'm sure I screwed up some grammar somewhere. Let's blow this popsicle stand."
Casey&Briar- "Omigod u guys Seth omigod I was like and then you were like omigod srsly!"
Seth- "Oh that's great guys I-- *coff* Oh.. my throat. G-gotta go, thx..."
Seth totally escaped, Marie as his motor.When Marie returned Seth from his speech in the Comm Center, Dr. Bebe and Columbo weren't around. DrGreen had his arms folded and was resting his eyes. Dr. Feingold was pacing a circuit of the room checking vitals and attending odd chores.
Ivan was still the worst off, supposedly asleep but looking coma-ish to the untrained eye. Kaito, Tyrone, Richie, and Basil were still all bed-bound, and Seth felt like joining them in repose. Sharma, Luke, Woody, Joe, and Becky were all resting but wakeful.Seth felt amped up after giving the speech and the exuberance of the crowd. It felt weird to go back to sickly town, and to know that he belonged there. He groaned more audibly than he intended. He looked over to Marie, as she wheeled him in.
Seth- "You know I want to be out there doing.. anything. This is kind of hellish."
Marie- "That's a funny turn of phrase. Get out of this thing and into your bed." She moved him near the bed and waited to see if he needed help.
He got in the bed willingly, and laid back with a wincing expression, but cooled it as he settled. He gave Marie a knowing look. Seth- "Yup. This sucks. *sigh* Well, I shouldn't hold you up. Thanks for the wheels."
Marie- "Not a problem. Just glad I din't have to carry you up to the stage like those other fellas. Now get well soon, or else." Time time time, see what's become of me...
Seth tried to collate his thoughts. They were a bit of a mess. What was his agenda? Seth- "...."
It was irritating to have to be laid up like this. He didn't really feel THAT bad... well, sort of. Anyway, it wasn't like his brain was messed up or anything. Well, the others were taking over the bossing people around part, so what was there for him to do? There was so much work to do around the building, but that was all planned and set up. Maybe he could do something with his fellow patients. The doctors were here, but it wasn't exactly their job to socialize with the patients. Maybe some of the people here would like to visit with someone.
Yeah, that's it! And since only Dr. Bebe was likely to order him back into bed and she wasn't around...
He sized up the potential victims of his campaign of cheer. Kaito, Tyrone, Richie, and Basil were all awake or close to it, laying in beds. Sharma, Luke, Woody, Joe, and Becky were also resting but seemed more wakeful. Joe and Becky talked quietly.
He looked around the room, and noticed some Tarot cards on a coffee table.
Seth- "Hey uh, Dr. Green was it? Could you hand me those cards, please?"
Dr. Green- He woke up a little bit, and took note of Seth. "Well. Your wish is my command, Mr. President." As he handed Seth the cards, it occurred to him that Green was essentially the president of the UWMRC at the moment.He took the cards out of the deck, and started shuffling them around. Seth- "Thanks, man. Wow, I never thought about how things must be going over at your place. Is it all okay over there these days?"
Dr. Green- "As fine as it can be. We have 99 problems, but a building full of rotting zombies ain't one."
Seth- "Haha, 'spose so. Well I should let you chill, this place is about as peaceful as there is in a half a mile radius I think."
Dr. Green- "True enough. " He glanced around at his fellow patients. Seth- "Anyone want to play cards? These ones work like a regular deck, just look more like a Bergman film." A few people perked up, but only Joe and Becky seemed receptive. Becky- "That sounds intriguing."
Seth- "Cool, OK who's got the most juice to shamble to the other part of the room?"
Surprisingly, Becky did the most heavy lifting in setting up the game, bringing a table over to by Seth's bed, and pulling up two chairs for Joe and herself.
Seth sat up cross-legged and put the deck on the table. Seth- "I took out all the juicy cards, devils and skull guys and all, unless anyone can figure out how to use those in a poker game. " Joe looked at the cards in confusion. Becky- "OK, so who's the Jack - knights or pages? I think we have to lose four more cards still. Also I don't know how to play poker."
Joe- "I think I remember. I first moved to Seattle on the ass end of that speakeasy fad."
Seth- "Ass-end of... Ohhh. Got it. I think pages are suckier than knights because they don't have horses. So they're Jacks. I think."
Joe- "No, no, pages sounds like those kids that get molested by corrupt congressmen, like Uncle Sam's version of altar boys. I think Jacks are supposed to be cool. They get, like, axes and stuff..." Seth opened a bag of Fritos, and sat them on the table.Seth- "Becky, that's great you're doing so much better. You were a real hardass last night, I can't believe you back-talked to that monster. Not to bring up creepy stuff, but damn."
Becky- "I don't even remember. Well, maybe we can talk about it another time. I guess you were there last night, with all the blood... Your name is Seth, right?"
Seth- "Yeah, that's me, but I was less bandage-y before. Joe said you were an Aikido expert? I don't know my martial arts, what's that one like?"
Becky- "Oh, it's kinda embarrassing. It's just one of the things my parents made me do. The only one I stuck with for long. I'm kinda done with it. Practicing I mean."
Joe- "She's crazy good. Aikido is like ... uh, it's what Steven Segal does. Are you old enough to remember that guy?"
Seth- "Oh yeah, the ponytail guy, right? Wow, that's cool. You guys both have useful fighting training. I don't, maybe that's why I have so many bandages right now, haha."
Joe- "You did as good as me. You just got beat up because of the lung thing."
He put some chips in the hem of his shirt to eat as they muddled their way through the game.Seth- "Oh yeah, Stevie totally has that Segal guy's movies on VHS. He was gonna throw 'em out, but I don't think he did. He's gotta like, alphabetize them first or something. We can watch movies here, probably after some of this work gets done."
Joe- "That's... so amazing. You guys have everything. Watching a movie now would be, like, some kind of crazy magic spell."
Becky- "I didn't really like movies. Well, I liked, um, Eraserhead, The Seventh Seal, stuff like that. But something tells me you're gonna be playing ponytail movies at the next party."
Seth- "Oh wow, yeah the highbrow stuff. Mm, I don't know what I like the best. Actually probably not the ponytail ones, the whole 'broke mah fuckin' arm' thing isn't so entertaining at this point... Maybe superhero movies. Iron Man is pretty good, too bad the third one's never gonna come out." Joe started laughing.Joe- "I just remembered, I used to be super annoyed that I was never going to get to see The Avengers movie. Seems pretty silly now."
Seth- "Nah, I feel ya bro. Hey maybe someday if we don't have anything better to do, we should go raid Pacific Place and see if they ever got a reel of that. Probably just get twenty copies of Dark Shadows. "
The three had a pretty good time. A few oddballs came and went from the room. Playing poker with a tarot deck didn't end up summoning demons or anything. Seth felt a wave of fatigue at noon and people decided to nap. Buttermilk yellow light washed into the room and put everyone to sleep.
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Post by ◊◊BLOODBEASTER◊◊ on Oct 9, 2016 20:31:04 GMT -8
Seth- "Aw yeah, we're in the place to be...!"
Bryce- "And what a place it is..."
Bryce had the tone of a man who could be dead in ten minutes but didn't care.
The two men lurked on the edge of the party, trying to look cool.
Seth- "I guess we can dance this time, since we already got the bashing out of the way." Bryce tugged the broad collar of the tank top as if it was too tight.Bryce- "Eughhh...."
Seth- "Hey think of this, dancing! With me! What more could a guy want?
Bryce- "You are the president. I could be the First Hustler. But seriously, are you ready to memorize all these faces?"
Seth- "I'm halfway there, or maybe more than half! I think I've talked to everyone here at least once. How about you?"
Bryce- "Not at all. It's like some kind of freaky party game that you have to play or der Kommissar will shoot you."
Seth- "Hey you can just tag along with me and watch from the dark spooky shadows, taking your little notes."
Bryce- "Yeeeeah but, how will people get to know me if I stay in the shadows? It's like, if someone doesn't recognize me, does that mean they're allowed to shoot me? After all, I could be a demon."
Seth- "Okay, have it your way, let's go talk to EVERYBODY! You make all the introductions. Muahahaha!"
Bryce- "God save me."
Seth- "Where is your god now, Bryce? There is no hope, there is only pleasant conversation!" Stevie- "SETH! And presidential assistant Bryce! Pourquois le sunglasses, monsieurs?" Stevie was rolling deep. Seth- " 'Cause we're two cool guys! Actually, I'll probably wanna take these off when we get inside there. I almost fell down the stairs again."
Stevie- "We can't have none of that! How long would you be laid up for this time?"
Seth- "Probably a hundred million years."
Marie- "Yeah, safety first. When you fall on the stairs, you could break your neck and die."
Zoe- "Gross!"
The cool dudes strutted all up on that party. Seth tucked his sunglasses into his shirt pocket. Bryce kept them on even in the dark room only lit by twinkle lights.
Seth- "You gonna be able to memorize all those faces with your blinders on?
Bryce- "Yeah, yeah... I'll just peak around the corners... honest."
Zoe- "I wants stunglasses!"
Marie- "I guess it's time to begin with our evening's duties. Bryce, have you met Zoe before? Zoe, this is Bryce."
Bryce- "Charmed."
Zoe- "Tch! DUH. I know him. We aren't only coworkers or nothin'."
Bryce- "I... hadn't thought of that. I guess we do have a rather similar job description."
Zoe- "I know. That's why I said it."
Seth- "Hey Stevie, you probably know most of these people too. Anyone you're hot to talk to?"
Stevie- "Oh nothin' thrilling. But, probably good to get a little face time with some of those Twinkie guys and such."
Marie- "Those Twinkie people seem rather private. I hope you can find them."
Seth- "Yeah I totally thought there was more of them early on... maybe it just seemed like it."
"..."
Bryce- "So, kid, you come here often?"
Zoe- "Tch, DUH! I only eat breakfast, lunch and dinner in here."
Bryce- "Ah, my bad."
"CLEMENS!" He seems overwhelmed with joy at seeing him, and he seems to unwind a little bit at seeing Seth in such great condition and so soon. He had seen him before, but nothing quite so regal as it was today. Clemens. Clemens looked marvelous. He was like a sun god. "...Seth, sir, how are you doing? You look well." He noticed Patti lurking in the background, and wondered if she was going to perform after all. Seth- "Hey Ashley! Thanks a lot, I'm doing well. Who knew getting out of chores could be so good for a person's constitution? "
Bryce- "I knew that."
Seth- "It's been really amazing to see everyone recovering. Even Ivan is out here, I'm really glad."
Bryce- "Yeah, that guy's shakin' a leg."
Seth- "So Ashley, having any fun so far? Besides our little 'getting to know y'all' mission, it's also a good chance to unwind."
Bryce- "Damn, and I had these flashcards for the big 'know everyone in the two buildings or get shot' test. Guess I gotta unwind too."
"I am hardly someone for parties, I suppose it is good to meet everyone again. I have not seen most of them since the incident, but I am glad you are looking so much better." He looks at Bryce as if he has just now started noticing that he likes to hang around with Seth. "Mr. Bryce, you are not a vice president, I hardly talk to you, what are your interests?" He assumes the two are probably close friends, seeing as they're always together. Seth- "Thanks!"
Bryce- "I am a meat popsicle. I am made of cool meats." That guy is weird.
Seth elbowed him lightly in the ribs. His sunglasses fell off.
Seth- "Bryce likes reading, right?"
Bryce- "Reading is fundamental, yo!"
Ashley looks at Bryce and seems confused, as if he doesn't know what his deal might be. He stares for quite a long time, and then nods. "You do." He wasn't sure what else to say to that. He spared a glance towards Thierry, but didn't notice anything particularly homosexual about his solo dance movies. "...I am glad you feel better Clemens, I was worried about you." He seems to mean in general, and probably both before and after the siege. Seth- "I really appreciate it, Ashley. This whole thing has been very enlightening to me. I knew people here were competent, but it's one of those stupid things where you forget it in the heat of the moment. I won't forget it now, especially after all that ass-kicking you and the other guys have been doing. Rock on, man. "
Bryce- "If you mean the food thing, don't worry about that. We're feeding Seth like he was gonna be foie gras."
Seth- "...That's grotesque."
Seth- "Oh my god, this song is so funny. Doesn't it make you think of like, junior high dances?"
Bryce- "Yeah... kinda... Well, I guess it's time to join the dancing fools. I wonder what track will come on next?" These guys danced. For inspiration.Bryce- "Weird being on a dance floor where it's still possible to have a conversation..."
Seth- "I know! It's convenient though, isn't it?"
Bryce- "Or is it too much? I hope nobody tries the intro thing out here. That'd just be weird."
Seth - "Hey, this is kinda weird, isn't it? I mean, there's gays here and all, but no one is really a couple but us..."
Bryce- "Yeah... What do you think of that? Breeders are pairing off left and right."
Seth- "Mn, yeah I never really did anything very serious, for long anyway. I guess it's weird times, I mean, we even live together now. What do you think? You are really chill about a lot of things, actually, whatever your rep is." He smiled in a way he wasn't used to and laughed, which came out as wheezy, quiet barks.Bryce- "What rep? Do fellas got beef? Haha... Yeah, it's the weirdest, but I like it." He settled down and got a little closer. Seth- "I for one, got zero beefs. "
He really felt like tickling Bryce to see him laugh again, but he knew that only resulted in rageful Bryce, which was also very cute. Why shouldn't he do it again? Oh well. He settled for giving him cheeky and tender looks as they danced to the cheesy music.Apparently the iPod was on random, cuz this shit came on next:This music, oy!Seth and Bryce had just begun to dance to the less abysmal song, when Seth turned his head at someone running by in true Middle School dance styled upset, and out to the patio. Seth- "Aw! Poor Casey. I should go see what's up, huh?"
Bryce- "Will this count as getting to know him?"
Seth- "Oh this might be super awkward, I know you hate that. I'll be right back. Thierry looks like he could use a dance partner...!"
Bryce- "Hm... I guess it takes three to tango." Seth crept up to the patio door, and opened it slowly. He had a slight paranoia about startling people when they were near the railing, but was relieved for just a second to see Casey sitting on the ground. Then, he was worried again.
Seth- "Hey... are you alright?"
Casey- "Being gay in the zompocalypse sucks!" Seth made an "Awww" face and came to sit at one of the tables.
Seth- "Yeah. I think so too, but for a different reason, I bet." Casey didn't get up. Casey- "What could possib- I mean, I know- I don't..." Seth waved his hand gently. Seth- "You don't gotta say everything at once." He pulled out a lighter and started lighting the small citronella candles, as the dusky sky was darkening behind them.Casey- "What did you mean by that?"
Seth- "Sounded like you had a lot of words, but not enough mouth."
He smiled slightly at the sound of his own dorky, folksy saying, but kept his eye on the burning candle, and its lemonade scented smoke ribbon. Casey rubbed his head.Casey- "I meant, what did you mean that you thought it was sucky too?"
Seth- "Oh.. hah. That whole thing with Derek & Ione was super uncomfortable and not great for the self-esteem. Hadn't gotten torn into that since I was back home. Never know when people are gonna be that way, now that we're all stuck together.
Now, I was just assuming that wasn't your reason, am I wrong?"
Casey- "Oh my god, I forgot all about that! I'm sorry... Uh... No, I was just... Not enough guys. Or it feels like it."
Seth- "Well, surprisingly we got a fair amount, but yeah, it's still not many. Damn breeders get their pick! Hella lame." He was still looking pretty miserable.Casey- "You don't have to try to make me feel better. Maybe you can't."
Seth- "Okay, maybe I can distract you with a magic trick!" He did that stupid fingers over the candle thing. Casey- "Ouch."
Seth- "Hey, do you think you'd ever go outside with us?" Distractions worked. Too confused to be sad. Casey- "Wh-why do you bring that up?"
Seth- "It's always the same old faces out there, so boring. Davin never appreciates my jokes. Plus, I think you're cool and it would be fun to spend some time with you. It's not all back-breaking labor and unremitting horror out there, sometimes we do bike tricks too."
Casey- "Jeez, I don't think so. I could go just to get somewhere if I had no choice, but it's too scary. You guys are crazy. We all appreciate it, but you're crazy."
Seth- "Ah it's not so bad! Well, I hope you'll consider it someday. I feel bad 'cause I get to go out and ride my bike and fool around, mayyybe fight a few zombies, meanwhile everyone else is washing dishes until the end of time."
Casey- "Oh my god, you're just... I don't even know... Hmph." He stood up and shook himself out a bit. Casey- "I won't go outside for fun. It's just too crazy. Maybe sometime I'll go somewhere if we have to, and it'll be safe when we get there. Maybe."
Seth- "Ohhhkay, I guess that's as good as I'm getting."
Seth- "Hey wanna dance before it turns to like, the Dawson's Creek theme song?"
Casey- "I said stop trying to make me feel better, you jerk! Get out of my patio!"
Seth- "Okay okay, but-- let me tell you this, Casey. I don't want to wait, for our lives to be over. I want to know right now, something something."
Seth was forcible ejected from patio, fortunately on the Comm Center side. Bryce- "This cowboy music is too weird. I think they call it alt-country in the heroin community."
Seth- "I sounds kinda new-wave like... Euro stuff? I dunno. Hey yeah, you like heavy metal huh?"
Bryce- "Not for dancin', but yeah. Hey, is this country enough for this track?" His boots scooted in a perfunctory fashion, lo as he did cradle an invisible belt buckle. Seth- "Oh god you're going to give me flashbacks!"
Bryce- "I didn't mean to achy-break your homesick heart."
On the dance floor, Bryce- "Whose iPod will we be subjected to next? Are you afraid yet?"
Seth- "It's uh, uh... gothic. Or something. Oh lord. I can't believe I'm yearning for shitty gay bar music right about now." Del- "You guys gonna dance with anyone else tonight? Dances are for adventure."
Bryce- "If I want adventure, I'll dust off a game boy."
Seth- "I'm up for anything now that the music got 50% more homo, but in a Euro way so I'm not sure if it counts. Let's go!"
Bryce- "Oh hyellz naw!" Seth and Del danced to the spastic French techno. Del- "It's a coup. I'm gonna take you down!"
Seth- "Hahaha sacre bleu!"
Del- "So president, I'm supposed to get to know you. Whaddya think?"
Seth- "Yeah! I guess I got laid up pretty quick after you guys got here. So you do anything interesting before the soup went down? Or for that matter, after?"
Del- "Nope, and nope. Well, unless you count Pony, but after every Friday for two months, you can kinda lose your perspective on 'interesting'. What did you do for a living?"
Seth- "Ohh good ol' Pony. Yup. As for me, yeah nothing much interesting either. Used to do baseball but sucked too bad to get to the minors, sigh. So the Hostess folks seem pretty tight, how are you liking things here?"
Del- "Better all the time. Aside from that one thing. Better all the time..." Meanwhile... a wild Thierry appeared! Thierry- "Young man, let's live it up."
Bryce- "Eep!" Thierry made the man dance. The situation was totally out of control. Where did the sunglasses go? AiEE!!!Bryce- "Erm, this is part of the 'gettin' to know you' thing, right?"
Thierry- "Getting to know how you dance, anyway. "
He boogied up on the dancefloor, all up in Bryce's business.Thierry and Seth got their boogie on. it was a strange moment. If anyone was clued into the personalities and relationships of the enclave, they might think these two were the natural power couple. They were the top gay bachelors, no question.
But perhaps they were a little too hot to be together. Like if they got together, they'd cause some kind of explosion. Lives are on the line, people! They talked. Thierry- "The doctor said your bites were shallow, your bones unbroken. Good job there..."
Seth- "No joke! I'm not sure it counts as a good job on my part though."
Thierry- "We both tried our hand at heroics that night, and as it turns out, wasted our effort. Not dying in a futile endeavor.. If it isn't success, at least it's not failure."
Seth- "I suppose that's true. Guess you always gotta try your best, or you'll regret it. Or, you'll get eaten. Haha. "
Hallelujah it's raining someone new to dance with. Instant celebrities! Thierry- "Perhaps we should render an official greeting?"
Seth- "For real."
Seth and Thierry came over to say hello. Seth- "Hey Jalil, I don't think I met the rest of you. Welcome to our building!"
Jalil- "Yeah, Seth. This is Skanner, Ermias, Zala, Kanika, and Mamo."
All- "Hi! Hey. 'Sup? Hi. Hey."
Thierry- "So you few are the public face of your enclave. Are the rest of your people shy?"
Jalil- "Some are scared, some are old folks - not fast to run. It's a shame they miss out on diplomacy, though. This is the fun part."
Seth- "And fun it is! I think everyone's excited to have new people to dance with. We've got a poker game going, and some food in the kitchen."
Kanika- "Wow. This is kickin'. Nice to meet ya Seth, but I got to get in this cut..." The greeting was a success! Fools be partying! Smashing!
Ermias, and Mamo followed Seth and Thierry back to the dance floor. Skanner joined the people watching the card game. Zala and Kanika went for the booze.
The following things changed on the dance floor:The wall:
After chit-chatting with some newcomers for a bit, Seth made his way back to Bryce. Seth- "Hey boo, didja have fun?"
Bryce- "I guess... Coulda been wor-" Suddenly, Chantelle killed the music. Chantelle- "Alright everyone, give it up for our very own Patti Greene! She's got some hot jams for everyone on the mandolin!"
Seth- "Whoa, exotic."
Bryce- "That I did not expect." Patti picked up the small case and looked around nervously. She made a little terrified child face for a second then collected herself.
She moved to the chair that had been set up for Kaito. She considered the small amplifier for a second. She set the case down and produced a shiny new mandolin from within.
She pulled the cable from the amp and connected it to the instrument. She sat down and tested the strings once. She tightened one of them just a hair and then settled into a more comfortable position.
She pushed the amp a bit away from her, to minimize feedback. She forced a smile.Patti- "Hey, guys. Um, yeah. Sorry, I haven't done this since, like, '81 or something."
"I'll try to keep it light and hopefully folks can enjoy themselves. If not, feel free to send me hatemail tomorrow and I will never darken the stage again. Thanks." She tapped her foot against an imaginary drum pedal to set a tempo, then went straight into her first song.[Try to imagine all songs played on a mandolin, with reasonably nice female vocals. Any particularly skillful guitar riffs are simplified fairly extensively, but still fully recognizable] Seth- "Hey so, did you do the rounds yet? Are you ready to play 'Guess Who' 403 edition?"
Bryce- "If we gotta we gotta..."
Seth- "C'mon, it's fun to meet your neighbors! You should know everyone here at least a little, right?"
Bryce- "Yeah, can't wait." Jalil and Sarah came over. Jalil- "Wow, that's really something. What is that, Greek folk music?"
Seth- "I dunno, it's kind of fun, huh? How are you guys? Have you met Bryce?"
Jalil- "No I haven't. Hey, I heard your enclave is very gay-friendly. Is this your guy?"
Bryce- "...!"
Sarah- "Bryce is shy."
Seth- "Haha yeah. Bryce, this is Jalil-- he's the leader of the 2201 Building. You've met Sarah, of course.... Right?"
Bryce- "Eesh. Ugh. Um."
Sarah- "It's OK, Bryce. Take your time."
Jalil- "Yeah, I just thought we could maybe talk for a little bit about what's going on with Pan-Pac..."
Bryce- "Yes, let's!"
Seth- "Sure! You guys got the front seats. What's going on over there lately?"
Bryce- "*whew*"
Jalil- "Well you already know they got a visit from monsters the same night you did. Not the whole zombie mess, but something they felt the need to spend a lot of shells on."
Sarah- "Yeah, we sent some guys over to see if they were alright, and they were total dicks."
Jalil- "Us too."
Seth- "It's amazing you guys didn't get hit. So those guys got monster bombed, they been uptight since then?"
Jalil- "Yeah. That's them in a nutshell. One diff, though. I got them to agree to meet with you and me tomorrow."
Bryce- "That's crazy talk, ma-" They were interrupted for clapping and a song change. Prepare urself for the awesome might of Mandolin Violent Femmes...Sarah- "Wow. Seth, are you up for that?"
Seth- "Damn... Yeah I guess it's about time I met those weirdos. Sure, I'll do it."
Sarah- "Bryce, do you think that's a bad idea?"
Bryce- "Hm. Nn. No, sure, why not? Go have a friendly chat with The Shandy Cobane Irregulars."
Jalil- "Believe me, I only want to do it to get it over with."
Seth- "Yeah, I wonder... I dunno man, I wonder what we'll even be able to do? Maybe we can hope they lost a few cops along the way, haha."
Sarah- "Oh Seth, that was in bad taste. They're jerks, but they're human beings."
Jalil- "Oh yes. Very bad taste...."
Jalil and Sarah took off, leaving Seth with only Bryce for the moment. Is that a small enough group for Alex?Alex swooped in before the pair could escape!"Seth! Gadfly! ROCKIN PARTY. Hey, is now a good time to chat?" Bryce- "Splendid!"
Alex- "Hahaha! You're so proper, Bryce. SO, sorry to bring business into leisure, but I JUST had two brainstorms, and if I don't raise the issues NOW, they'll skip out of my head by tomorrow. SO. FIRST. I was thinking: Nat's candles and Luke's book saved our butts. Our priority numero uno gotta be identifying more magic items. But where are they kept? Dunno! Then I remembered something! You ever visit the Art Museum? They have ancient collections from Egypt, the Americas ... other places. I wasn't paying much attention when me and Emiliano visited, but I DO recall lots of old Egyptian amulets with eyeballs and bird heads. Plus, wouldn't it be nice to pick up some Ming Dynasty ceramics? Like a blue and white vase to match the new curtains in my place ..."
Seth- "Dang that's a lot to take in, Alex!"
Bryce- "No foolin'!"
Alex- "You know, I spent a half hour hemming them yesterday, making things nice, but did Micah even notice? No. No, he didn't. Um, well, what was the point of all this? OH. Yeah, unfortunately, the museum is way far from here. It's a mission impossible. But it's also something to consider. What do you think?"
Seth- "Let me see if I got all that... You wanna go to the art museum? That's an interesting idea, but yeah, it's a bit far. Might be worth a bike ride though, if we were willing to risk downtown. I wonder if the churches around here would have anything... if they aren't already swarming with monsters, haha!"
Bryce- "Yeah. Yeah... why does stuff have to keep getting weirder all the time?"
Alex- "Um. Sort of. That was just ... it was just a brainstorm, so you know I'm taking my duty as paranormal investigator seriously. Actually, what I REALLY wanted to discuss is less fun. I have to get back to my dorm somehow. Not right away, but soon. Man, I just can't live without knowing whether Emil escaped. It's too much. So is the council planning to visit Capitol Hill?"
Seth- "Aww, that's your friend, right? Well, I've heard some strange things about that area, but I suppose we'll need to explore everywhere eventually. Maybe you could help organize a crew to go up there! There's that big cathedral there too, there might have some interesting things in it."
Alex- "Uh huh. Best friend. You know, I was shopping for his birthday present at Westlake when the apocalypse started. What if I'd stayed on campus? Something was bothering him. I should have stayed. Mmm. But then I never woulda met Micah."
Alex- "Sorry, that's a bummer. HEY! Have I told you that you look really super lately, MVP? Whatever Dr. Bebe did worked. Oh, uh, you're hot stuff, too, Bryce. Yeah."
Seth- "Aww, that's really nice, Alex."
Bryce- "Peace out, guy."
Alex- "Pax vobiscum." Alex bounded away!These guys observed the growing mayhem.Bryce- "Some people are trying too hard. But it's fun to watch."
Seth- "Rockers gotta rock out, I guess. It's a bit weird for me."
Bryce- "To each his own. I always felt like you should rock out with your face buried in a pillow and your parents wondering why they let you buy that sound system."
Seth- "Hey so, maybe we should avoid this dangerous, pokey crowd and go meet some more people. Or, I should say, you should go meet some more people. What do you think?"
Bryce- "Oh boy. Let's."
Seth- "You've done really well tonight, I'm really-- oh hey look! There's Joe and Becky. Hey guys!"
Joe- "Hey there!"
Seth- "How's it going? Becky, you met Bryce around the clinic before, right?"
Becky- "Mm, yes. Briefly. Hello again."
Bryce- "Yes indeedy!"
Seth- "How about this music, huh? Really somethin' else."
Becky- "Seems to veer between VH1 and clown punk."
Seth- "Hey, I'm gonna go grab a drink. Bryce, I'll get you something. Chat up these folks. They're the cool kids, don't forget."
Bryce- "Er. Yes. Very." He totally left Bryce in the lurch. Bryce- "Sooo... Trivia? We're supposed to be able to demon test each other, huh?"
Joe- "Yeah. I was an army ranger for two minutes and Becky is a black belt in aikido."
Bryce- "I miss ice cream a lot."
Becky- "Aw. Sorry."
Bryce- "..."
Joe- "I'm gay and Becky's straight."
Becky- "And we both fell in love with you, Bryce. You have to choose which one you'll take and which one will fall on their own dagger."
Bryce- "Not funny."
Becky- "So I am told."
Joe- "Becky isn't funny. Sorry about that, Bryce."
Bryce- "..."
Seth returned with the drinks. Seth- "Hey guys, oh are they finished rocking out yet? Look at that, so rowdy. So Bryce, here you go-- oh let's see, yours is the one on the right. This one's mine, heh heh."
Becky- "No roofies for the president, thanks."
Joe- "Becky!"
Becky- "Just that once. Couldn't resist."
Bryce- "These guys are a laff riot."
Seth- "Yeah? That's great! Becky's into some cool stuff, real arty. What sort of movies do you like, Joe? I know we're both cryin' about the Avengers."
Joe- "You know it!... Pretty much like that. Hey. Seth, I've been meaning to ask you something, and sorry if I change the subject a bit too far..."
Seth- "Nah, shoot. I'm just fillin' the air."
Joe- "OK, OK. Here goes. You got pretty roughed up there in the siege. How well do you remember that?"
Seth- "Well, pretty well. I didn't pass out or anything."
Joe- "Yeah, that was rough duty. I mean, the next day... You looked like, just, somethin' else..."
Seth- "Haha, oh, I looked like the bad guy at the end of the cartoon right? I think I haven't had that many bandages on me since I tried to put the cat in the kiddie pool when I was 6. Haha..."
Bryce- "What are you getting at, man?"
Joe- "Hey, it's easy, I'm cool. I just wanted to know this: Do you think you respect your life a little more now? Feel less likely to take crazy risks and all that?"
Seth- "Hmm... Will it sound weird if I say 'Not really?'"
Bryce- "Ugh."
Joe- "Really?"
Seth- "It was more about realizing that other people can rise to the occasion, I don't need to do everything. I should trust other people to be brave and competent. But... I know if I didn't try my hardest, and people died or were seriously injured, I'd regret it forever."
Joe- "Mm. I was afraid of that. You just have your head in the clouds and your body dancing on the edge of a cliff."
Seth- "Haha, I don't know if I'd-- well maybe a little. It just feels like you gotta do everything you can, y'know?"
Becky- "What's the point, Joe?"
Joe- "I guess what I'm saying is I'm not gonna be able to let you out of my sight, am I?"
Bryce- "Whut."
Joe- "I'm not gonna let you get yourself eaten by creeps, Mr. President."
Seth- "Omigod, are you gonna be my bodyguard? I can't sing like Whitney..."
Bryce- "Oh no you don't! You're not gonna get your greasy Costner all over my dude, army."
Becky- "*heeheehee*"
Joe- "It ain't like that. I'm just gonna keep an eye on a fool. Is that OK?"
Seth- "So you wanna follow me to the ends of the earth like a cool monk warrior, and I'm the impetuous rogue. So keep an eye on me... even if I wanna jump off a bridge? Or will you just keep an eye from the railing?"
Joe- "I guess it'll depend on how annoying you've been that day."
Becky- "Let's press our luck."
Seth- "Ohhhhh snap. "
Seth stalked the floor dragging Bryce, looking for awkward situations to thrust him into.
Bryce- "People are totally into these mandolin jams."
Seth- "Yeah.... Patti has weird taste. Reminds me of stuff my older cousin from Pennsylvania was into. He's like 35, tech support for a wireless router company. Isn't she in her fifties?"
Bryce- "You know you aren't supposed to talk about a lady's age, man. Anyway, no one wants to talk with us. Might as well go call it a night."
Seth- "Aw ya cute little introvert, that's our task tonight though! Gotta chat everyone up. Gotta know everyone here. Like for instance, what's her name?"
Seth gestured at a young lady skulking around the dancefloor, trying to find someone willing to dance to the bizarre mandolin jam.
Judy- "Come onnnnn, I'll be your best friend!"
Cathleen- "God, no, duh, ugh..."
Esi- "Hello, pretty lady. I believe you accepted an invitation to dance from me earlier tonight...?"
Cathleen- "Oh, uh, that I did..."
Judy- "Really?! Who's your best friend, Cee? It's Judy, that's who."
Cathleen- "What the heck is with people tonight?! Esi, you will get your contractually mandated groove on, OK?"
Esi- "Yay?" Your Judy was surprised by two homosexuals. Loses initiative.
Seth- "Hi! It was Judy, right? We haven't talked much yet. Have you met Bryce?"
Judy- "Yeah, he's great. Me and Bruce go way back."
Seth- "You must really love dancing, huh? You were really cutting a rug earlier. This stuff is probably kind of hard to dance to though, isn't it?"
Judy- "I wouldn't know, because no one wants to dance!"
Bryce- "Um, Seth would totally dance with you."
Seth- "Haha, I might have to take a rain check on that. So Judy, have you been getting to know everyone tonight?"
Judy- "What are you, my mom?"
Bryce- "He's the president."
Judy- "Whut"
Bryce- "The party, we're supposed to..."
Judy- "Sheesh. So that's for real, huh?"
Seth- "Well maybe this is a good start, Bryce, why don't you ask Judy a question?"
Bryce- "... What happened to your eyebrows?"
Judy- "What happened to your fat caboose, white boy?"
Bryce- "My what?"
Judy- "You heard me, bubbles."
Seth- "Eheh.. um, anyway, I don't think you two will be forgetting each other any time soon...!"
The next Patti song was also a bit on the light-hearted side. Davin nodded, feeling like he was having a self-important cultural experience. Sandy pretended to like it. The art kids seemed to like it a lot. Ibi laughed out loud a few times. Seth found someone else to talk to. Seth- "Hey Anna! How's it going?"
Anna- "Let's ask Basil. BASIL, HOW'S IT GOING?"
Basil- "SMASHING!"
Anna- "THANK YOU! How about you guys?"
Seth- "Good, good, just doing the rounds for the whole 'meet everyone' thing. You and Bryce haven't talked much, have you?"
Anna- "That's true. Bryce, how's it goin'?"
Bryce- "Smashing, I guess."
Seth- "Yeah... So, are you having any luck, Anna? Kinda hard to keep everyone straight, isn't it? So to speak... Heh."
Anna- "That's funny to imagine. Everyone going gay at random. I know some ladies that would appreciate that. "
Bryce- "Hilarious."
Anna- "You're punchy tonight."
Bryce- "Did you just say I'm paunchy?"
Seth- "What does 'paunchy' mean?"
Bryce- "What does it mean, Anna?"
Anna- "PUNCHY. As in PUNCH. As in 'If Anna punched Bryce, he'd fall down and cry.' Clear enough, you drama queen?"
Bryce- "I'm having a bad night."
Seth- "Eheheh yeeeeah... Enjoy the rest of the party, Anna!"
Seth whisked Bryce away and on to the next annoyance.Somehow, Micah and Nora extricated themselves from the Emmett, only to be set upon by... Seth- "Hey hey, guys!"
Nora- "Well. The president!"
Seth- "Have you two met Bryce? He's a swell guy and everything."
Nora- "Er, not as such. Hello then."
Bryce- "Hello. You are...?"
Nora- "Nora. Pleased to meet you, Bryce."
Bryce- "Thanks."
Seth- "Nora's one of our talented artists. Micah here is one of our talented chefs. Have you two met before?"
Micah- "Uh yeah, unless you have a fuckin' twin stashed somewhere... How's the party been goin' guys? Learnt anythin' you'd rather not know?"
Bryce- "Not so much learned, as reaffirmed. I don't like parties."
Seth- "Oh it's been going fine, Bryce is just... well, yeah. How about yourselves?"
Nora- "I think that's fair, I never really thought of it before but I'm not too great with parties myself. So tense. All these people... You don't know what they could be thinking about you... Do they hate you? Do they think you're ugly? Is everyone talking about you behind your back? You just don't know..."
Bryce- "........"
Seth- "Oh no way, this is more like a family party by now, don't you think?"
Micah- "Errgh um family parties? My family parties consisted of my uncle passed out in a pool of his own piss and vomit with stale fairy bread for tea So... This nothin fuckin' like it. Talk to Emmett yet? He's a bucket of laughs, apparently into CBT... Whatever that is..."
Nora- "Family parties, yeah? Even worse than strangers! It's all 'so have you finished at university yet? Oh what were you studying? What do you think you're going to do with that? I don't expect you're going to make any money at that at all. Did you get married? Did you have kids? When you going to give us some grandchildren?' "
Seth- "I think that stuff's all out the window here. Everyone's totally lovey-dovey far as I can see!"
Bryce- "How can you say that? All the conversations we've had tonight..."
Seth- "Huh? Oh you know, it's all in fun, I'm sure."
Nora- "Yeah that's like family parties. They'll mercilessly rip on you and then say 'oh I was just kidding, can't take a joke kid?' "
Bryce- "Mmm-hmm. You know it sister."
Bryce- "--Not sister in the family sense since I'm not ripping on you and... et cetera et cetera."
Nora- "Uh huh."
Micah- "Yeah, cause you never fuckin snark on people Bryce, right mate?"
Bryce- "I never..."
Bryce- "But I'm sorry if I did. Helluvanight, amirite?"
"Do you really think this trivia shit will work? I swear half these fuckin' people are possessed already. I am not convinced by that fuckin' Becky chick at all!"
"Aw she's a total sweetheart if you get to know her."
Becky- "Greetings, earthlings."
Bryce- "EEP"
Micah- "H-hey Becky, what brings you to this neck of the w-woods? Errr We were just talkin about pickin' fuckin' elderberries, you know how it i-is.." Elderberries? Oh fuck he had to pick a better go to response. Could she tell? Had she heard? Was she reading his mind at this very second? Becky is super fuckin nice... completely normal... Oh fuck. Becky- "Someone said my name. I went to a high school dance once, and this scene is rather familiar."
Bryce- "Noo... It ain't like that, boo."
Seth- "We were talking about the whole 'trivia' thing. Doesn't it feel like you have to take notes? Haha..."
Micah- "So ah what were your family parties typically like Becky? You had a family, right? Not some fuckin scientist you called dad?"
Hehehe...Smooth. Fuck! Becky- "I don't remember. Wait a moment while I access my hard drive."
Nora- "..."
Seth- "Hahaha, you're funny Becky." Patti helped Jackson get the drum kit settled quickly and he hopped out of the way so she could go into her next song. No one in the entire joint recognized it. Joe wondered if it might be a Rufus Wainwright track, but didn't say anything. After a while people realized the lyrics were nonsense and either ignored it or enjoyed it, depending on their attitude toward such things. Micah wasn't so sure she was joking. It was another roundabout answer, making him paranoid. He guessed she hadn't hurt anyone or projectile vomited but still. Right, time for a fucking straight answer from the girl. Micah was on the case!Micah- "Nah but seriously Becky, we don't know much about you is fuckin all. So ah..er.. yeah.. Tell us about yourself, what's your favourite fuckin' food? And err did you have any brothers or sisters? (Or clones...) I'll start...I like Steak Carpaccio with a side of mash with truffle oil myself. I had a little brother, Dave. Two years younger, worked in a fish an' chip shop. Wanted to be an engineer. Your turn." Horatio eat your heart out, dammit he needed some sunglasses to take off. Err who was he kidding? Becky- "Yeah... the demon test. This is super boring. No offense to your brother."
Nora- "Humor us?"
Bryce- "Hm... Favorite food and siblings. Ice cream and no."
Becky- "Short answers work? Black olives and an older sister. She isn't in town."
Nora- "Where is she?"
Becky- "Chicago or a zombie stomach in Chicago. Whatever."
Nora- "..."
Seth- "Oh me now? God... I don't even know how I could pick a favorite food. I think about it all the time though. Oh man.. ummm... peanut butter cups. Just for the moment though. Or maybe, mm... oh I don't even know, it's too hard! Well, the second part-- I have three older brothers and a sister."
Bryce- "Aw yeah. Then Nora?
Nora- "Erm, let's see... Chicken curry, older brother and sister."
Alex blushed. Seth asked him that question once. And his answer was a royal screw-up. No way anybody remembered, though. The incident happened months ago. He just had to play it cool. "Um. Favorite food? Plain McDonalds hamburger, with a chocolate Wendy's frostie. Haha. Not shirako. That was a joke. Do you remem ..." Seth- Bryce- "Heh." "Fish jizz. Kinky." God damn it! Don't remind them, you ass. Change the subject! "Uh, obviously, I've had caviar, which is basically the female version of shirako ... well, it's fish eggs. Did you know that? I thought caviar was salty tapioca pudding as a kid. HAHA! BECKY, why don't you like high school?" Becky- "Don't care enough to say, but aren't the saddest fucks in the world people who thought that was the high point of their lives?"
Nora- "Spot on. Haha."
"OOF. Hear that? It's my heart breaking. Call me sad if you like, but I just don't see my life getting better than high school, considering that it's now a scene outta some gore-spattered apocalyptic horror movie. *SIGH* Right now. Right now, if this never happened, where would you all be? A better place, right? Eh? Right?" Becky- "Fair enough." He put a hand on Micah's shoulder. "Bet you'd be sailing the saphire blue Pacific, your hipster male neck scarf blowing in the wind! Cooking lobster for Mr. Basil Pringle and his retiree homeboys!" Seth- "Well if this music was more danceable, I would ask either one of you 'blokes' to hit up the dance floor with me. Is that Australian lingo? I don't remember. Well anyway--
Seth- "Oh yeah! Frosties! So I had this idea, if we could get like, a wild cow or maybe a goat, and like, drag it over to the building and maybe make a pen in the alley for it with some grass or whatever, we could totally have milkshakes! --and butter and milk and maybe even cheese!"
Nora- "So visionary!"
"Chocolate milk, chocolate milk, chocolate milk. I want it so bad, man, you have no idea!" Alex was majorly enthused and hopped a couple times in a jittery, expectant way. "How can we find a cow in the first place, though? Oh, okay, I got a wild idea. They like salt. So. Let's pile LOTS outside the building. And then, when the cow smells it and wanders up to lick the bait, we lasso her. Yeeeah." Seth- "Oh my god, so yeah! I have a whole plan. So like, you don't even have to go that far north to find farms. There'd totally be cows and goats and stuff wandering around eating all the grass! We just like, lead one over to a pickup and take it home!"
"You know, it's possible to dance to ANY music. I say we go for it, MVP. Do you swing? HEY! Take BOTH of us blokes on. Dance triangle. It's possible. Right, Micah? Or not. Talking's fine. Jesus Christ. I am excited about that chocolate milk." Seth- "You know I would. Hey we should start a dance club or something! We need more extracurriculars around here."
Bryce- "Uh-huh."
Nora- "Fantastic."
Micah- "Yeah, I think that's a little like your feeding horses carrots theory. We'd have to be pretty fuckin lucky to find a cow wandering in downtown Seattle but you never know. Hey, on the fuckin bright side all going well, we will have soy milk in a month or so. Won't that be great, Alex? Soy chocolate milkshakes? Soy cheese, soy tofu steaks? We could make you a soy burger just like at maccas!" Seth- "Hey you never know... I was wondering what happened to the zoo animals. I bet some of them can jump pretty high. Monkeys and birds and stuff. Tigers and lions... wouldn't be surprised if at least some of them are wandering around Wallingford."
Bryce- "Wonder what happens to a tiger that eats nothin' but zombie?"
Becky- "I read the pamphlet. Ti-ghoul?"
Seth- "That sounds like something I would have drawn when I was 7."
Nora- "Or a good band name, yeah?"
Becky- "If I was a tiger out here, I'd hunt for the living."
Seth- "Oh yeah, I don't think there'd really be a tiger ghoul, or we'd be getting munched on by ghoul geese and ghoul crows, hahaha. No, they'd just be munchin' on regular people."
Bryce- "Yucky."
Becky- "No, a tiger in Wallingford couldn't find cows or goats - at least not enough to last more than a day or so. But how do they find prey? They follow the smell of feces and such. That's why little cats bury their scat in fear. And with plumbing out, they'd find the living humans by that scent. Wait outside their houses. They kill by biting the skull, so conveniently their human prey wouldn't even turn into a zombie in the process."
Nora- "So YEAH, tiger-proofing. Think we're up to scratch on that?"
Seth- "Haha I don't think we have to worry about tigers breaking in, it's more like they're waiting in alleyways when we're outside. But that's pretty unlikely."
Bryce- "Yup, that's right. Death waits for us around every corner. We may as well chop ourselves up into kibble and get it over with."
Seth- "Oh don't be silly. A tiger can only eat so many people in a day, right?"
Becky- "I read in a nature book once that they kill hundreds of animals a year. They must have a pretty big appetite. 'Cause all those animals are bigger than humans."
Seth- "Oh well, they'd probably eat zombies at least part of the time. I don't think they're too fussy about expired food, haha."
Nora- "Sure, I guess we're all safe then. What were we even thinking? Ha-ha!"
Woody and Lilla bumped into each other, and Lilla practically shoved the big man on stage when he tried to defer. Woody assumed the mic awkwardly, and got ready to Tyler it up. Seth and Bryce moved along... They had a few pleasant, uneventful conversations with Kerry & Sharma, Wil & Kaya, Sandy & Davin, and Marie and company. Seth- "Soo, how are you feeling sweetie? You've been doing, ehm, really good..."
Bryce- "Yeah, it got a bit better. Still not my scene. No way."
Seth- "Oh well, it's good to do though. Don't you think you're getting better at it?"
Bryce- "No. I think... stepping down was a mistake."
Seth- "Hm? Oh-- The karimsidol...? Why do you think that? I thought..."
Bryce- "How much of it do you think is out there? I'd probably be fine forever. It would be inconvenient sometimes, but this... This is all fucked up."
Seth- Really? I mean... I thought you were doing so much better since you started reducing it. I feel like when I first met you, you were like.. blank. Like, inexpressive. Now...
Bryce- "What?! I mean... Whatever. It sucks is all.
Seth- "I know, hon. I think you can do this though. If you can get through a party like this, you can do anything!"
Bryce- "Good grief, these-"
Casey- "Hi Seth!"
Seth- "Hey Casey! You look like you're feeling better."
Casey- "Yeah! It's been a pretty good night and I wanted to thank you for helping me out!"
Seth- "Aw, you're sweet. It's nothing, I'm just glad to see you smiling again."
Casey- "Can't keep a good man down, yo! So you can stop trying, sourpuss."
Bryce- "Oh?"
Seth- "Haha... uhm, Bryce has a tough time with parties, I'm sure he didn't...."
Casey- "Oh no! There's a party going on?!"
Bryce- "The fuck's your problem?"
Casey- "..."
Seth- "Bryce, don't... C'mon. Let's uh, let's not do this guys..."
Bryce- "Yeaahh... We'll just, like, get along and shit."
Casey- "True enough, it's all about peace. Seth, it's great. You're great, and I care about you a lot, and I just had to say that."
Seth- "Thanks Casey, likewise. Enjoy the rest of the party."
Casey- " " He left.
Seth- "Weellll that coulda gone better. Oh well."
Bryce- "I'm fuckin' out of here man! I'm done!"
Seth- "You know I gotta stay for the whole thing..."
Bryce- "Do you? It's not like there's a closing ceremony or changing of the guard. Shit."
Seth- "Well yeah, but... I just feel like I always have to cut out early at these things. It'd be nice to get to talk to everyone."
Bryce- "Fine, man. I'll see you later."
Seth- "Hey, hey...! Don't be like that. It's just a party, it's no big deal."
Bryce- "You're right. Yeah, I gotta go." Bryce turned and walked away very quickly. Seth- "Oh Bryce..." He went to follow but had to stop short as someone staggered into his path.
Volya- "It's coming man! It's coming..."
Seth- "Wh-what?"
Volya- "It's coming! It's got... claw and beaks! Just like last times!"
Seth- "Wh-- dude. What are you talking about?"
Volya- "You don't remembers? It's like last party man. It knows.
Seth- "What knows? Oh my god, why am I discussing this..." Seth pushed past Volya to follow where Bryce had gone. Along the way, various other persons and beasts managed to obstruct or delay him. Volya- "Hm. Maybe he's rights. Maybe is nothing to worry of..." Bryce came into the apartment quickly, shut the door, spun around, leaned on the wall and whimpered. Bryce- "..."
He opened his eyes and appraised the company. Finding it wanting, he went to his room. Bryce- "No one understands me!" He flopped face first onto the bed, hoping to suffocate and die. His mind didn't want to shut up.Bryce mentals- Everyone hates you, that Casey, Judy, everyone, everybody hates you, thinks you're a fat stupid drama queen, everyone hates you. Damn it, fuckin' damn it, damn! Stupid air. Fuckin' suffocate already.
No, shut-up, fuck that, fuck those jerks, man, fuck you, fuck them, fuck everything. No, just die Bryce it's too much you can't go to breakfast tomorrow everyone will point and laugh shut up shut up everyone hates you...
He felt a thump of weight on his back, and pokey dog toenails pressing into his flesh. Bryce- "I hate you!"
Benji- "Aip!" Seth finally extricated himself from the party, and wondered if he should jog his way back to the room. He figured it might be good to let him cool off for a couple minutes anyway. He couldn't help but be worried though. He creaked the door open slowly. Inside it was dark, in the living room.
He felt nervous as he flicked the gas lighter in his pocket, and lit a fat peach-scented candle sitting on the kitchen counter. The room flickered with orange-y light, and didn't seem to reveal anyone inside it. Seth went down the hall with the lighter, to the bedroom. A dull gray light emanated from inside-- the tap lights over the bed. He peered around the corner into the room. Seth- "Bryce...? Are you okay?"
Bryce- "Ugh." Seth came to sit on the edge of the bed. He put the lighter back in his pocket, coloring the world gray again. Benji leapt all over, and Seth picked the dog up on to his lap in an effort to calm him. Seth- "Hey. Sorry, that took a while to get out of there."
Bryce- "No problem, man. Just ... Gettin' ready for bed... Yep."
Seth- "Hmm... I don't believe you somehow. I know it was a hard night, but did something in particular upset you?"
Bryce- Yes. "No. I just had as much of that as I can handle. *snf*" Seth put the happy dog on the floor, and laid down on the bed next to Bryce, his skinny body easily fitting on the narrow edge. Seth- "I'm sorry hon. Do you want to talk about it?" He put his arm around Bryce, eliciting only a momentary twitch. Bryce- "*snf* No." He let himself be cradled completely, and cried quietly.
Seth held him close and put his chin on Bryce's shoulder. He thought about mumbling some vague encouragement, but figured silence might be the best thing in this moment.
Benji sat on the floor nearby, staring obediently at Seth who shook his head at the eager doggy.
A few minutes later, Bryce- "Seth?"
Seth- "Yes?"
Bryce- "Am I ... fat?"
Seth- "...Aww... What Judy was saying? I think she was just being snarky 'cause the thing about her eyebrows, y'know?"
Bryce- "It seemed like the kinda thing she must have done on purpose! I didn't know she'd be offended!"
Seth- "Oh I know, it's pretty mysterious, isn't it? Like, selective alopecia? Some kind of chemical accident? Radiation poisoning?"
Bryce- "Mm-hm... ... ... ... ..." Seth rolled over on his side to prop his head up, leaning on his elbow. He put his other hand on Bryce's chest and rubbed it gently.
Seth- "Hey we should talk shit about people, that's always fun, right?"
Bryce- "Mm... I don't know... You... Do you think I'm fat?" Seth hesitated for just a moment, his eyes flicked to the side in thought.
Seth- "I think you're beautiful." Bryce suddenly sat up on his elbows and looked sharply at him. Bob hopped away. Bryce- "Oh ... my... GOD. A classic dodge. Holy shit. I'm totally fat!"
Seth- "N-no! Geez, you just.. you know what a minefield that kind of question is, it's hard to answer it the right way. You look fine! You don't look that much different than when I met you..."
Bryce- "'That much different'? The hell does that mean?! It's only been a few months! I'm getting fat? WHAT THE HELL?"
Seth- "N-no! Geez! Calm down, I meant the hair cut!"
Bryce- "That dodge doesn't even make sense. We weren't even talking about hair. No way. You totally think I'm getting fat!" Seth sat up, and put his head in his hands for a moment in exasperation.
Seth- "Bryce. You know I like how you look. I don't have any complaints, none. What can I do to convince you?"
Bryce- "Tell me. How would you describe my weight?"
Seth- "I wouldn't say you were fat, no." Bryce stared at him like the world's angriest cherub, soft cheeks puffed up in a rage. He trembled, then collapsed in defeat. Bryce- "Fuck it. Man... Just, fuck it." Seth stood up to rub the back of his neck with both hands, and screw his face up pointed toward the wall.
Seth- "I feel like you're just looking for ways to get mad at me. What am I supposed to say? I feel like anything I say is going to get you angrier." Bryce did his best to screw down his facial expression, and whistled to get Seth to look at him. Bryce- "Really, I'm done now. We should just try to get some sleep, OK?" Seth looked at him warily.
Seth- "Honestly? I really don't want you to be upset. You had a very hard time tonight, and I don't want to be a contributor."
Bryce- "... Honestly. Can we change the subject?" Seth seemed to accept it, and came to sit on the edge of the bed. He took a moment as he spoke to kick his shoes off.
Seth- "Okay, seriously, we should talk shit about people. It's fun. Who you wanna start with?"
Bryce- "I dunno..."
Seth- "Oh oh, how about... Anna! She was totally getting tanked, I never saw her like that since the company pa-- uh whatever. Or Patti, that music was bonkers dude! What do you think?"
Bryce- "*siiiigh* ... It was pretty weird."
Seth- "C'mon, do you think any super scandals are gonna happen tonight?"
Bryce- "Uhh... Maybe. Remember when Alex came over and they almost got in a fight I guess."
Seth- "Oh yeah! That's totally gonna be some drama at the breakfast table tomorrow."
Bryce- "Who's to say they aren't gonna seal the deal tonight? You know how drunk weirdos get, if they wanna fight they'll just keep coming back to it until they get it out of their system."
Seth- "Who do you think will win in that one?"
Bryce- "I didn't catch who he was feeling mad about, but he'd probably feel bad about any fight he'd get in. He's a maniac."
Seth- "OOooooh that's gonna be juicy!" Seth chatted with Bryce for a few minutes, before Bryce finally gave up under the stress of the evening and fell asleep. Seth stayed with him a little while longer, before getting up, slipping his shoes on and going back to the party.The night crashed along like an overlong hair metal song. Lilla sang this:
...then had to surrender the mic to stay a bout of nausea. Kaito called out for someone to sing some Van Halen tracks. Volya managed to argue his way onto the stage. After all, the Van Halen was his spirit animal.... Seth came out into the Comm Center again. Who was left to talk to? How would he wrap up his evening up here? Probably best to just try and forget about the fragile guy downstairs and put on a good show of cheer. It was a funny scene.
Volya was fucking up the lyrics to "Panama" so badly the guys stopped playing and Kaito prodded him off the stage with a sneakered foot. Volya- "Why this betrayal?! I knows it! I can rocks so hard! You don't knows! You don't .. Not done..."
Kaito- "Nn. You're done."
Stevie- "I GOT this motherfucker!" Stevie climbed onto the stage and accepted the mic from Kaito. Stevie- "Jump back, what's that sound? Here she comes, full blast 'n' top down! Hot shoe, burnin' down the avenue, Model citizen, zero discipline..."
Seth- "Woo! Go Stevie!" Seth moved a little closer to the stage, wondering if he should get on the stage eventually. Maybe a duet with someone?
Jalil's crew and others were bopping around the floor. Rowdy dancing! Karaoke! What was the world coming to? Some people crashed into Seth.
Mamo- "Sorry 'bout that!"
Judy- "More dancing! Woo!"
Seth- "Well now, this party's getting lively. I'm into it." He went to get a drink, feeling like he didn't need to be a good influence on Bryce, he actually got some booze. He stepped left and right to avoid revelers. They cheered at him.
As he went into the kitchen, he had to dodge a pigeon flying out of it. Eve crashed into him, trying to chase it. Eve- "No! Come back! It'sh for yourr own goood!"
Seth- "...Interesting...! What have I been missing at all these parties?" Eve ran off and Seth once more made it out to the floor. The card sharps were still carding. Sharma, Zoe, Marie, Kerry, and Jaylyn had disappeared, maybe a few other peeps. Everyone else was rocking out.
He crunched up a few mysterious Chantelle creations, and had to go back for another beer. Seth- "Hey Anna! Didn't know your man could rock."
Anna- "Is that what they call it? Makes me feel like a robbed cradle." She,weirdly, was bouncing on her feet to the music she was deriding. Seth- "Heh heh you don-- OK, not gonna bust your balls on that one. Got any goals for your revelry tonight?"
Anna- "Not much. Get more wasted, try not to get too mad, whatever. Right now, I'm obliged to look like I enjoy this. Being supportive, y' know?"
Seth- "Yeah it's really sweet. You guys are so cute together."
Anna- "Don't remind me." Seth wandered around chatting with various people, getting more drinks and watching the amusing Karaoke, considering whether he should get up there himself. Someone hobbled nearby him on her way to the couches, and he accidentally bumped into Briar. Briar- "Ow!"
Seth- "Oh my gosh, I'm sorry! Are you okay?"
Briar- "Oh! Seth! Hehe... I hurt my ankle. Kept dancing like a fool."
Seth- "Aww that sucks. Need some help? I can carry you to the couches. "
Briar- "Aww! No thanks, but, uh, keep me company?"
She hobbled to the couch. Seth sat next to her. Briar- "The new building... It's kinda weird being there. It seems as safe as anything, but... I don't know..."
Seth- "Oh really? It's hard to imagine since all the cool kids are over there now."
Briar- "Aw, you're just so nice! I think it'll be cooler there in a while. But I'm thinking more about... I guess it feels like if we had a problem again, we don't have... leadership? We don't feel tight over there yet... It's hard to explain."
Seth- "Hmm, maybe you guys could use a council like we have over here."
Briar- "Maybe! Maybe it doesn't have to be that much. More like, emergency guys. Safety captains? Anyway, listen to me, I'm totally boring! It's rock night now, huh?"
Seth- "Yeah it's really fun, isn't it? I wish I knew more about music, this stuff reminds me of VH1 classic which is pretty fun. One of my brothers loved that stuff."
Briar- "Oh, you don't have to know anything abou- Hey, it's Casey!"
Seth- "Oh heyyy Casey..."
Casey- "Rock 'n' Rolllll!"
Briar- "I know!"
Seth- "Haha looks like you're having fun..." Seth looked like he was about to stand up. Casey- "Going to dance? Let's!"
Seth- "Oh uh, I did say we should do that huh..."
He glanced nervously at Briar. Casey- "Is there a problem?"
Seth- "Oh, no of... course not. Heh, yeah let's dance, man."
Casey & Briar- "YAAAAY!" Briar rested her precious tootsies and Casey dragged Seth to the dance floor. There was much rambunction. Casey- "Wooo!" Seth downed the rest of his red cup mystery brew and found the empty cup swept away in a strange current of rowdiness. Seth- "Heh, this is intense. Too bad Bryce isn't here, he loves rock... or metal, or something. I forget."
Casey- "Oh yeah. Did he have to go to bed?"
Seth- "Yeah... He always has hard times with social stuff. Oh well."
Casey- "Oh well, too bad. But we're here and we're queer, so we should get into it!"
Seth- "Haha, sounds like a plan..." Kaito's wankery finally gave way to the end of the song, which involved waking Stevie up to sing again. Kaito- "Nn. We do this."
Stevie- "Oh, yeah. PANAMA! Panama-oh-OW-oh-OH-oh! ..." Then it ended. Glorious. Kaito- "Mm. You know, Hot for Teacher?"
Stevie- "If Jackson can play the drums on that track, I'll give him all my food for a month."
Jackson- "I'm vegan, man." They rocked that jam. After a totally intense instrumental lead-in, Stevie started doing the weird talking part. Stevie- "Oh, wow, man, I said ... Wait a second, man, what do you think the teacher's gonna look like this year? Oh WHOA oh OOH!"
Casey- "Wow! That rocks!"
Seth- "OW! Yeah Stevie!" The gay gentlemen danced crazily, as seemed to be the order of the day. The dancing finally slowed somewhat, as Kaito's masturbatory guitar riffs dragged on for a few minutes. Casey- "Sooo... How do you feel now?"
Seth- "Good! This is fun, though I'll probably be sore tomorrow, haha. How about you? I'm so glad you're feeling better."
Casey- "Yeah... Topsy-turvy night! Well, I ain't about to come back down. Wanna dance your ass off tonight?"
Seth- "Sure, sounds like a good idea!" They danced like they meant business. It was for realz. Eventually, Kaito was done fooling around. As the song ended, he borrowed the mic. Kaito- "OK. Does anyone in the house know how to sing, mm, We will rock you, and We Are the Champions?" Stevie acquiesced. Casey- "OMFG, we should totally do that one! It needs backup vocals and I know it!"
Seth- "OMG this is gonna be so embarrassing... let's do it!"
Sarah- "Oh my god, Seth volunteered. KAITO, PICK SETH!"
Kaito- "Nn. Seth, come up here. Mm. OK, you too." Casey and Seth got on stage and stood near the mic. Kaito mumbled. Kaito- "Who is Freddy?"
Seth- "Casey!"
Casey- "What? Huh. OK, man! Hit it!"
Kaito- "Nn. Jackson?"
Jackson- "Boom boom clap." They started to make rocking noises. Casey- "Buddy you're a boy make a big noise Playin' in the street gonna be a big man some day You got mud on yo' face You big disgrace Kickin' your can all over the place Singin'
Both (plus the crowd)- 'We will we will rock you We will we will rock you" They rocked it pretty hard, and this song was well-known and tight enough as it was that Kaito couldn't squeak in a four minute guitar solo. He went straight into... Casey- "I've paid my dues Time after time. I've done my sentence But committed no crime. And bad mistakes ‒ I've made a few. I've had my share of sand kicked in my face But I've come through-ooooo!!!"
Both- "And I need just go on and on, and on, and on!"
Casey- "We are the champions, my friends, And we'll keep on fighting 'til the end!"
All (plus crowd)- "We are the champions! We are the champions! No time for losers, 'Cause we are the champions....!
Casey- "...Of the world." This kind of foolery seems like it can go on forever, and then doesn't... Nonetheless, Kaito felt it necessary to squeak in another track. The crowd went bazonkers! Everyone sang and no one did not.Seth and Casey descended from the stage on shoulders, as rock gods should, and disappeared into a cloud of back slaps and high fives. Kaito- "Uhh... Sorry, I needed my Freddy for, mm, Princes of the Universe?" Casey stayed scarce. Who wanted to be associated with that nerdry? Casey- "Hahaha! Oh I can't believe I did that!
Seth- "Haha, no way, you were amazing!"
Casey- "You really think so?"
Seth- "Yeah! That was really fun, I didn't know you could rock either. What an enlightening night it's been. Want to go get a drink? It's on me. Well, it's on the enclave. You know. "
Casey- "Hell yeah!" They went for drinks and came out into the Comm Center, momentarily taking up residence in Couchland. Casey- "Oh man oh man. I think I'm gonna die from the excitement."
Seth- "Yeah, this has been great tonight. Hey we never really got to chat much. How old are you, Casey?"
Casey- "Just old enough to squeak in a few legal drinking years until it didn't matter. Twenty-three. You're a little older than me, huh?"
Seth- "Oh yeah, just a little. I'm 25. That's funny, I thought you were like Bryce's age. You do seem more mature though, so that makes sense."
Casey- "Jeez, I'd hope so! But it is kinda funny. We don't look that much different in age - him, you, me - but we can just sorta tell, amirite?"
Seth- "Yeah, he's got a lot of growing up to do... well anyway, what do you think you're gonna do now in the post-apocalypse and all that? I know you don't wanna go trash monsters with me outside, so what's next for you?"
Casey- "Mm, I still feel a bit bad about that, but you can't blame me! Some people just don't have to guts to see cannibalistic cadavers every day. Anyhow, I think I'm starting to be OK with the idea that there's inside people and outside people, and I'm inside. At least, until we get less monsters in a few years."
Seth- "Aww, yeah I didn't mean it like that. I just meant in general, in life y'know... Me askin' you about going outside earlier, that was just kind of selfish on my part 'cause... you know, haha...."
Seth finished up his red cup, and glanced back toward the kitchen thoughtfully, even though he already seemed moderately drunk. Suddenly, he had a full cup again, and didn't remember why. But Casey seemed to be settling into the chair as if he had just been on his feet a moment ago. Weird. Casey- "So you were saying something about, mm, selfish reasons?"
Seth- "Oh... oh yeah, anyway... Yeah I meant, it would be nice to have someone out there to joke around with and talk to. You're such a pleasant guy, really fun to be around..." Casey twirled one of his hairs absent-mindedly and posed on his seat like a cat. Casey- "Ohhh? What's pleasant and fun about me? I mean, I could maybe see that, compared to that guy, but I'm nothin' special..." *eyelash eyelash*
Seth- "Oh you know... Haha... um, well it'd be nice to have more hot guys out there too, y'know. Heh... Thierry's nice to look at, but Davin's just too squinty. Hahahaha..."
Seth laughed partially out of nervousness, but was drunk enough to not be sure if what he was saying was maybe funny. He felt a little tired and leaned back in the seat with his eyes half-lidded, watching Monty rock out Freddy Mercury style, which somehow didn't seem a strange combination at all. Casey- "Ohhh? What's hot about little ol' me?"
Seth- "Hmm well dark hair and eyes, pale skin... cool tattoos, it's a good combo. I won't go into more or I will embarrass myself, hehe..."
Casey- "Aww, rats. Well, I think it's a shame, you acting like you have to be stuck with a ... a crushing bore! Ya know?"
Seth- "Aw he's not... well I wouldn't say he was boring at least. He's just... well I'm sure neither of us want to talk about that, right? It's just been fun to get out here and have a good time with everyone, with you. Don't you think?"
Casey- "I guess... Yeah. It's been too fun. Tomorrow is going to seem totally pathetic by comparison."
Seth- "Oh yeah, for real. God, we need to have more parties." In a goth's brain somewhere, a song played.
On some stools at the edge of the room, some birds rested up for more dancing. Were they doves? No. They were harpies! Lilla- "Oooooh, what a night!"
Ladies- "*tee hee hee*"
Lilla- "Hm. What's all this, then?"
Judy- "I don't know... Should we tell you...?"
Lilla- "Yes."
Judy- "OK. Hey, ya notice who the President is hanging out with?" Casey and Seth didn't take notice of the beastly peepers. Casey- "Mm... I feel alright!"
Seth- "Yeah! This is fun. Man, I wish I had a VCR like Stevie, he can actually watch movies on that old beast. I'd totally go watch a movie with you."
Casey- "You're the president! You can claim his VCR by executive order, for national security."
Seth- "Haha, oh I would never. Besides, he's only got titty lady movies and Segal flicks. Not that there's anything wrong with that..."
Casey- *snort!* Hahahaha! I dunno... I don't think I like Segal like... ever. And then he was in that reality show! Disgustin'. "
Seth- "Hahah.. Stevie showed me some of those old movies, it's pretty funny. It's hard to find tapes these days. Maybe I should get a manservant to pedal electricity to power a dvd player."
Casey- "Yeah! Well... I dunno, why does it have to be a man? You know, Anna's pretty good with a bicycle. Just sayin'."
Seth- "If I'm going to be a corrupt dictator, I have to be watching shirtless dudes labor for my pleasure. You know how it goes. Fan me with big palm leaves or whatever, figure out how to import some grapes to feed me... Ah yeah. "
Casey- "I dunno but the fanning or extra buff laborers, but I'll be your grape boy."
Seth- "For real? Oh that's so cool! I already had someone offer to be my bodyguard tonight, I'm getting a real entourage."
Casey- "Oh? Who did that?"
Seth- "Joe, the new guy. Bryce got all snippy about it but he assured us that it was gonna be totes platonic."
Casey- "It better be. You can't trust those military types."
Seth- "Hahaha, speaking from personal experience?"
Casey- "Huh? No no... you know, he'll just be all 'ooh baby' and the next thing you know, coup. It'll be Il Generalisimo Joe."
Seth- "I know this is a pretty posh appointment and all, ruling over a small patch of Westlake."
Casey- "I know! They won't be able to resist. Give them an inch, and they'll think they're a ruler."
Seth- "Haha, oh snap. That's totally a grandpa joke but it's still cute. So, grape boys won't coup it up, then?"
Casey- "No, of course not. We're strictly fruit distribution."
Seth- "Well then, what do you get out of it?"
Casey- "A sense of security, being next to the big man..."
Seth- "Well that seems fair. Grape boy it is. Congratulations."
Casey- "Hmmm okay... maybe one last dance?"
Seth- "OK why not. I don't know if I have any motor skills left though, so I'm sorry if I step on your everything."
Casey- "Don't worry. I'm grape-proof."
Seth- "Wut... hahaha." The gents danced a bit, to the grandest extended version of Princes of the Universe, like, ever. Casey let himself feel like Belle in Beauty and the Beast, which meant his moves were kinda lazy.
They slid across the floor all cool-like. The joint was electric mayhem. Casey held onto Seth as if that was the right way to do. Nobody said nothin' they could hear. It was a good moment.
(Never described outfits so BAM.)
Seth's newly re-styled hair had gotten a bit damp and limp, but it still looked pretty cool. He'd bleached out his many times over blood soaked Adidas, and they'd ended up a strange pale pink with gray stripes. On his lower half he wore his usual uniform of short pants (black cut-off girl's jeans), and tall socks (since it was a special occasion he'd gotten some sparkly thigh-highs which only went to his knees, and were now run with large holes.) On top he wore a loose black and white horizontal striped tank top with some long sparkly beaded necklaces that would have made little noises when he moved, if it wasn't ungodly loud in there.
Casey wore a Safety neon-yellow shirt that had been hand-sewn to be form fitting, with a purple corduroy vest with a silk back. Below he had tomato red skinny jeans that were cut short enough to show black and gold socks, and red leather dress shoes.
The colorful twirling fools slowed as the music seemed like it couldn't possibly be vamped up any longer, and stopped while Jackson turned the last bit into a juvenile drum solo.
Casey saw in Seth's eyes that he was ready to call it a night, but he wasn't about to let the man escape until his own magical night had a suitable ending. Casey- "Hey..."'
Seth- "What d'you think? Pretty fun huh... whoa everything's still spinning, but in a good way.... for now."'
Casey- "...That's nice... You have fun tonight, Seth?" He sounded a little like a drunk Kyle MacLachlan.
Seth- "Yeah 'course! It was a lot of fun, I'm real glad I came back out here."
Casey- "Umm..." He listed forward slightly.
Seth- "Whoa, you okay champ?"
Seth put an arm around Casey's waist, in a clumsy attempt to stop him from falling over, so he thought.*SMOOCH*
Dude got kissed. Casey made like this was the for-serious climax of a romantic comedy. One big, passionate kiss.
But it was oh-so-shrewdly timed. Before the slower guy's reflexes kicked in and he had a moment to resist, Casey broke away and leaned back, leaving no possibility of a physical rebuke. Casey- "Tee hee. "
Seth- "Uh-- d....wait. Uh...Wut."
Casey- "Hold that thought. I've got to go! See you tomorrow!" The guy skipped away like a child, leaving Seth in a swirl of alcoholic vapors. Seth- "...I just got played... like a record... baby, right round round round... why didn't someone play that tonight? Wait, no, nevermind. I don't-- I'm going to bed. Why am I talking out loud?"
He managed to shuffle off to Buffalo without knocking too many people over. The night wound down, people drank, smoked weed, disappeared,and so on.
And who knows what else happened? It's all grist for the rumor mill on the morrow...Seth crept back to the apartment, trying to close the door quietly, but rowdy animals made that process futile. He flicked on a pocket flashlight and made his way to the bathroom for a quick wash.
Bryce heard that and stayed in bed, huddled up, wondering if he should pretend he hadn't been woken up.
Seth pulled his shirt off and splashed his face with water, and wiping down his torso with a cold, wet rag. Drink water... you're supposed to drink water, right? Oh well, I'll probably be a li'l hung over tomorrow no matter what. He remembered the embarrassing thing, but couldn't think of any way to talk about that wouldn't flip Bryce's shit out, so he figured he'd keep quiet about it.
He padded quietly over the carpet to the bedroom, Benji nearly arfing in excitement, Seth tried to shush him. He got to the bed, and sat on the edge, looking at Bryce in the dim glow of the nightlight. Bryce rolled over.
Bryce- "Hey. How was the wild rumpus?"
Seth- "Heh, it was pretty wild." He smelled boozy, and looked damp from his washing and from residual dance-related sweat."I wished you were there, we did classic rock karaoke, it was crazy."
Bryce- "Yeah... I could hear some of that. No thanks." Seth made a little movement of his head, which Bryce couldn't quite make out in the dark. Was it annoyance?
Seth- "Well it's okay, yeah I guess you probably wouldn't have liked it." Bryce put his face down. Seth wouldn't have heard him if the world hadn't gone so quiet. PillowBryce- "Mm-hmm."
Seth- "Well anyway it was pretty fun. I did 'We are the Champions' and-- well not just me, anyway.. yeah! It was cool." He went to pull back the cover and realized Bryce was swaddled in all of them. He yanked a pillow out from under Bryce's bum and rolled it around his elbow to make a facsimile of normal pillow-ness.
Bryce- "Mm-hmm" Oh yeah, have all the fun with the fun guys, funster. Grrr... I can't stand it.
Seth- "Heyy we should make use of at least one of us having reduced inhibitions, huh?" He rubbed Bryce's blanketed shoulder. Bryce rolled over to get away from him.
Bryce- "What! Really? This is ridiculous. I just... Augh! You come in here talkin' that trash and then you're trying to get some sugar? I don't think so."
Seth- "What? What trash...? Oh man I wished I got to see Lilla doing Welcome to the Jungle, that shit sounded hilar!" He was at least halfway super drunk still.
Bryce- "See! Tch, whatever. Man, whatever." He sat up, with his back against the headboard. Seth- "Oh you're still in a bad mood huh."
Bryce- "You're darn tootin'." He sighed and looked off in space. Seth- "Man, I know you don't like going to social stuff, but you don't even like hearing about me being social?"
Bryce- "I-- I don't know. Do you gotta tell me about it?"
Seth- "*sigh*...No. I guess not." Bryce slumped, and cast about with his eyes.
Bryce- "Listen. You... come in here and you wake me up, and you come with all that stuff. I say the least you owe me is an appropriate amount of sexy. Ain't gonna get to sleep without it."
Seth brightened up.
Seth- "See! Haha, like 30 seconds ago you told me 'I don't think so', now you're all about it. You can't resist my charms, heh heh heh."
Bryce- "Well. If that's what'll make you happy, keep on believin' it, buster."
Seth- "Yup, that makes me happy." He used Bryce's blanket-y armor against him by yanking the corner of it to pull him closer. It was super effective!
Bryce- "Ohh man..! Freaky alcohol breath! It's like movie popcorn. Smells terrible unless you have it too."
Seth- "Ohhh yeah, I know what we need to do!" He leaned over and dug around in the nightstand and tossed a mini bottle of whiskey on to the bed and a giant Cadbury chocolate bar that was only a little chewed on."My stash! Let us partake." Bryce narrowed his eyes. He took the chocolate into his mouth and nibbled like a pensive bunny.
Seth- "You better whiskey it up too, choco-boy." He had found a bag of jelly beans which had been raided by Bryce leaving only the licorice ones.
Bryce- "Yeah. I was gettin' to it." He drank the booze in a mighty swig.
Seth- "You can eat all that chocolate, I didn't like it. Too milky. *chew chew*"
Bryce- "Hmm. Oh.. kay."
Seth- "Hey do you like the Krackle bars? I ate all the dark chocolates, you can have these ones if you want." He threw some mini chocolate bars on the bed. How much candy did that skinny guy eat? Bryce didn't remember any of these being in the stash.
Bryce- "Well... I'm glad to see you're following doctor's orders. Maybe you should eat something other than candy sometimes."
Seth- "Oh I ate stuff... I ate... whatever that Chantelle thing was. It was salty and like... I think it had Snickers on it."
Bryce- "...Okay." He finished the booze."Hmmm.... I'm not feelin' this booze as much as I want to be. Don't fail me, booze." Yay verily he drank the booze, and ate the candy. He stroked his face, and looked at Seth suspiciously.
Bryce- "So, whatchu wanna do, man?"
Seth- "Lessee, I wanna [REDACTED], [REDACTED] your [REDACTED], maybe you [REDACTED] my [REDACTED], and then we [REDACTED] for a few. Sound good?"
Bryce pulled in his lips and seemed to consider it fiercely.
Bryce- "I will accept this proposal. But just this once!"
Seth- "Oh? What happens next time? I need to bribe you with more chocolate first?"
Bryce- "Yeeah, we'll cross that bridge when we hump to it."
Seth- "Hey o!.. *groan*"
[REDACTED] Seth awoke to see the pets engaging in some sort of 'bunction. Pets- "Grr.. Rup! Hessssh! *spitspit* Aip!"
If Bryce was up and in the apartment, they'd be bugging him for food, probably...Seth sat up with a moderate headache, and was in no mood for naughty pets. Seth- "Noooooo. Why do you hate me." They noticed he was available and gave him the business, big time. Bob- "riYAAAOOOwll, riYAAAOOOwll"
Benji- "AipAipAip! Whuf!" Benji ran all over the bed and Bob started scratching at Seth's shoulders. Seth- "Oh my god, you guys are the literal worst. They made a list of everyone, all the pets. Guess who was at the very bottom of the ranking? Benji, and Bob, tied for worst place." He groaned and rolled out of the bed, feeling even worse now that gravity was working against him. He had weird dreams all night, and was totally exhausted still. It was sure fun to party while you're doing it, but was it worth the price? Eh... mostly.As Seth went to feed the beasts, he noticed Bryce sitting on the couch quietly. The guy just gave him a nod, perhaps using some ninja stillness technique to avoid the carnivoran wrath. Bryce- "..."
Seth- "Ugh! These animals. Ugh, everything!"
Seth managed to lose the animals with the food, and returned to the living room. Bryce- "Hey."
Seth- "Sorry if I'm super cranky, but I'm probably gonna be super cranky today. So, were you gonna say something?"
Bryce- "Not really... I love you."
Seth- "Aww I love you t--"
Seth- "--Wait, are you just trying to protect yourself from my righteous fury?"
Bryce- "Why would you be furious with me? I wanted to remind you that I don't mean nothin' by not going to breakfast with you. It's just, especially after a party, people are gonna act weird... I'll get something later."
Seth- "Aw man. Alright, fine." He slipped into a pile of clothes he'd laid over the counter a couple days before. Seth- "See ya."
Then he strutted up out that piece. Bryce- "*siiiiiiigh*"
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Post by ◊◊BLOODBEASTER◊◊ on Oct 10, 2016 13:08:59 GMT -8
Seth trudged into the comm center alone, sporting stylishly ragged post-apoc wears. Seth- "It's too bright in here... Never thought I'd say that since we stopped having electricity."
Chantelle- "Hey, boss. Did ya see the memo? Looks like it's all business today for you."
Seth- "It would be, wouldn't it... Thanks Chan." After Seth got his food, Jalil stepped into stride with him. Jalil- "Mr. President."
Seth- "Oh! Hey Jalil, wild party huh?"
Jalil- "Dude, it was bomb. Hella bomb."
Seth- "Haha, I'm guessin' since you're still here! Hey speakin' of that, maybe you can come to the meeting in a bit. Not that I wanna inflict that on anyone, but might be useful."
Jalil- "Oh, yeah. I figured that was about today. I sent Mamo back to let my people know I'm cool and what I'm up to. I was gonna hit you up about it, but it can wait, what, twenty minutes?"
Seth- "Oh sure, you can bring your food to the meeting too, lord knows you'll have time to finish it there. Well, when we got shit to do sometimes I can get them to hurry it a bit. You guys got a council over there?"
Jalil- "Not really. When something big is going on, we just put out word and anyone who's interested can be in the room. It's frustrating because old folks talk slow, but it helps everyone feel better - like they had a say. Most people don't even bother to show up these days.... How does your thing work over here?"
Seth- "Yeah it pretends to be more organized than that, but it's not far off. Started pretty small with my 'cabinet' or whatever, keep getting more people there as things go. I guess it's good, get different expertise, but yeah... slow talkers. That's funny, we're both in the same job as Edgar Pan. That's messed up, hahaha."
Jalil- "Real recognize real. Hahaaha! Hooo... Yeah."
Jalil and Seth strolled up in that joint - two kings. Aww yeah, boyeee. Jalil- "Good morning, good morning."
Marie- "Hm. So... Is this everybody?"
Zoe- "Check, check, check, uh-huh, check..."
Marie- "OK Zoe, time for confidential information."
Zoe- "Ugh." Zoe went to her room. Marie- "Anything you want to say before we get started, Seth?"
Seth flicked his cool guy sunglasses off. Thierry and Stevie came in and seated themselves as he spoke. Seth- "This is Jalil, leader of the 2201 Westlake building, if you haven't already met him. He'll be a part of our meeting since he's going on the big job today."
Stevie- "Jalil! Woo!" Everyone was present, and Marie called the meeting to order. Marie- "OK, we're all paying attention now? Good. I think Jalil should start."
Jalil- "Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. I-" There was a quick knock at the door followed by Joe poking his head in. Joe- "Hey, anyone in here military? No? I am and I'm in." Marie waved her hands in exasperation. Marie- "Seth?"
Seth- "Whattaya know Joe?"
Joe- "Heard you're going to a dangerous enclave today. Thought you could use more protection. More than that I can't say until I hear more about it."
Marie- "Sit down and be quiet. Jalil?" He went back to business. Jalil- "We didn't do so bad last time we talked to Pan, your guys and me. We were able to talk to them a bit more, and set up this meeting today. So they know it's going to be me and representatives from here, and I said I'd try to get Seth to come. The cops seem sheisty, but otherwise, this is it. It's the best shot we've had at getting those dudes to fly right. Anything you'd like to ask me, or just say about how we should go about this today?" Seth spoke. Seth- "Now I haven't been there before, but I've gotten filled in pretty well. I'm good with making nice with folks, but this is a weird situation. So we're just gonna roll in and meet with these weirdos? Last time we had a lot of backup fire power, but didn't seem like we needed it. Just luck?"
Jalil- "I don't know know what to expect. See, those cops are on edge, and they were acting a little too friendly last time. Or maybe I was imagining that because I was on edge too. But I don't see what they stand to gain by keeping us all hostile. After the attack there, they really need to get cool with everyone or they're gonna fall apart. That's my impression."
Joe- "Yeah, but maybe they feel backed into a corner - like everyone is out to get them. Maybe that makes them think defensively in ways that are ultimately suicidal. Do you think that's possible?"
Jalil- "Tsh... Maybe? I feel like if we go in there ready to bust, it's gonna be a problem."
Seth- "Yeah, we should definitely have chill-- the chillest people we can over there." Ben didn't consider himself particularly 'chill', but... Ben- "I could go. I'm pretty sure no one would be scared of me."
Stevie- "Yeah, Ben's easy-goin'. I'm into it."
Davin- "OK, sure. But if we're looking for chill, why are we bringing Ashley again? No offense."
Seth- "Oh Ashley's plenty chill, right big guy? Yeah Ben! That's a great idea, we need your sweet strategies."
"I don't love them, but I won't pick fights with any of them. I can't see any good coming out of it. You're already all aware the cops are dirtbags, I don't know a thing about their leader besides there's something odd about him." He sighs, and puts his hands in his pockets.
He liked Davin ok but the man had a point he supposed. Thierry- "As Jalil said, last time was more productive even than we'd assumed. We'll give them the familiar faces plus Seth and Ben..." The conversation went on for a little ways, Joe being especially keen to discuss security issues with Patti and others. It seemed like the idea was to play it the same as before... Joe- "So I'll be eyes in the sky like Tyrone was last time, Patti will cover the plaza, and you'll give us a fifteen minute head start?"
Jalil- "Sounds cool, I s'pose."
Joe- "I think we could use three more snipers, honestly, but I'll do what I'm told."
Marie- "Ugh."
Seth- "Man, even if you snipe, what good's that gonna-- Oh nevermind. Anyone else?"
Ashley shakes his head, he was under the assumption he'd come unarmed as before. If things hadn't come to violence now, would they ever? He wasn't sure, maybe they were going to become worse. He didn't trust them, but he trusted the judgement of his leaders. Ashley simply crossed his arms and cleared his throat.
Jalil- "OK. You guys want that head start, get to it. I'm looking forward to getting over there." Joe and Patti left in a hurry. Marie- "So... I'll cut you guys loose so you can get ready, or at least waste fifteen minutes in the place of your choosing. Good luck."
Jalil- "Thanks a lot, Marie. I feel good about today. Really."
Seth- "Let's do this. Oh yeah. So cool." Seth & Company strolled out to the Community Center again like BAs, headed to the gun cabinet. After the debrief in Marie's office, Seth extricated himself from the hangers on and one-more-questioners, and headed out onto the balcony. He was glad Casey's home was in the other building, because he didn't feel like running into him again at the moment. Seth- "*siiiiiiiiiiiiiigh*" His head still hurt, he figured later he'd go to Doctor Bebe and make sure he wasn't gonna get the brain vapors or whatever. He knew there was a big fat drama llama waiting for him though, and that would just be an additional headache. Headaches upon headaches. Layered veils of headaches. Maybe he could just crash on the comm center couch? Ugh. No.... Seth, Jalil, Davin, Ashley, and Ben entered the Comm Center and headed to the equipment cabinets. The men pondered bringing guns. Last time, they brought weapons, and left them in a planter nearby so they could approach unarmed, and grab weapons while retreating, if necessary. Joe thought they should bring handguns. Davin decided to go for it. Jalil just pulled up his jacket to show he had one of his own. Seth considered it. Davin- "So we leave our weapons close by and pick 'em up on the way out again, right?"
Seth- "Man, doesn't it seem like a bit of a waste of time? What's gonna happen that's gonna let us go outside, pick up our guns, and blast on fools?"
Jalil- "I see your point, but haven't you ever seen 'A Better Tomorrow'? It's early John Woo and it's pretty convincing."
Seth- "Oh well, I guess if we don't use them while we're there, we can just shoot some pigeons."
Jalil- "See, John Woo wouldn't be into that, because the pigeons in his movies symbolize God's grace."
Davin- "Jesus H Christ."
Jalil- "Or Allah if you prefer. ;D " The men made their guns less visible and stood around for a bit. Very few people were left in the Comm Center, as there was still a lot of work to do in the neighborhood. Seth- "That's cool man, we'll all be unarmed eventually. Damn, too bad none of us are kung-fu masters or somethin'! Unless... are any of you holding something back from us...?"
Davin- "Nope."
Jalil- "A week of Tae Kwon Do. So same as nothin'."
Seth- "Well damn, unless any of us finds our secret inner powers, we'll have to just take these guys on their word that they aren't gonna start shit. We've got the power of our words and minds though, and that's gotta count for something, right?" The men made their guns less visible and stood around for a bit, except Ben, who had a few more preparations to make. They agreed to meet in the alley in twelve minutes or so.
Bryce came through, and wandered over. Bryce- "Jalil was it? I'm Seth's assistant. What's going on today?"
Jalil- "We're just going to pay Edgar Pan a friendly visit."
Bryce- "Hm. Think I heard something about that. Eh... Good luck?"
Seth- "Hey it's that guy. We're headin' out in the name of righteousness and whatnot."
Bryce- "I gathered that." Suddenly, the place got 50% more whitened teethier. Casey- "HellO!"
Seth- "Uh, hey man. We're about to head out..."
Bryce- "For Righteousness."
Casey- "No problem. I just wanted to thank you for the dance last night. It was really magical."
Seth- "Oh yeah, s-sure. Hey well, see ya around man."
Casey- "Seriously. I will never forget it. Not to sound like a creeper, just... you rocked my world. I'll see ya when you get back. "
Bryce- "..." Bryce walked away quickly without saying a word. Casey- "Take care!" Casey jogged away.
Seth took his sunglasses off like the opposite of dealing with it or Horatio making a pun. Seth- "It had to be when I was hung over, wouldn't it?"
Jalil- "It was a crazy night..." They went to about their business. ((Convene on horrorboys.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=403pt3&action=display&thread=338 ))Seth, Jalil & Davin met outside, ready to go. Seth checked the safety on his new gun.
Seth- "You fellas know how to use these?"
Davin- "Yeah, someone wanna give me a quick rundown?" The ignorant were re-educated, the guys made their guns less visible, and got to walking. The BA crew had worked hard to clear the neighborhood of zombies again, and walking a few blocks was once more a peaceful affair. Seth, Jalil, Ashley, Davin, & Ben walked to the Pan-Pac Hotel, eyes open for potential spies or problems. Nothing was apparent. Davin- "This feels dangerous."
Jalil- "Good feeling. About this. I got it."
Seth- "So hey, Davin, Jalil. You've been here before. Obviously there's tweaked out super cops or whatever, but what about Edgar? What's he like?"
Davin- "Ha! You'll find out in two minutes."
Jalil- "Oh, he's harmless." They came up behind Pan-Pac, casually setting their guns down, and walked around onto the plaza - confident Patti and Joe had positioned themselves by now. Seth and company walked to the hotel lobby. As usual, they were greeted by tense men with gun holsters unsnapped. Officer Thomas- "Alright, let's see anything you got. No weapons."
Seth flipped the sunglasses up on his forehead, and held his hands up casually. Seth- "Yes sir, check us out." Officer Buday checked them out. They could see the other cops were already in the lobby, as well as a few people in security guard uniforms. Buday- "They're clean."
Jalil- "We did come in peace, yo."
Ashley nods, and follows the others, flanking Seth closely. He watched the others with casual interest, but had no interest in either speaking of going far. He flicked his jacket and allowed them to check him. He had nothing of interest besides being unusually fit for a man of his age and not-occupation. They were walked into the lobby, and Officer Graham began with the annoying. Graham- "Alright, you wanna talk to Edgar, you gotta go upstairs. I'll lead the way."
Seth- "Well now, we'd love to but... we're unarmed, shouldn't our escorts be as well? Sign of good faith and all that. Maybe Mr. Pan himself could be our guide?"
Donati- "You want to go up or not?"
Davin- "Come on, fellas. Put yourself in our shoes for a second. Just leave the guns down here with your door guys, at least." Tension was thick like chewy steak.Ashley stared at the jerks expectantly, but didn't say a thing. It was a strangely judgmental look all considering, and rather calm. At least for Ashley. He stayed close to Seth. Seth- "Yeah I mean, it's just a li'l spooky for us, you know? We could meet the big guy out here, if it's too much trouble."
Donati- "... ... loading please wait ... ... Fine. We'll leave the guns. You guys, let's get it all over here on the counter. Then you follow Graham up." Notably, he didn't say anything about batons and stun-guns. The cops began to lay down their guns, looking very reluctant. Davin seemed reluctant to push his luck about requesting they leave the rest of the weapons and Seth and Jalil seemed blithely brave. Does Ben or Ashley say anything about that?Cops went tense again. Donati- "... ..." Seth scratched his head casually. Seth- "I dunno, yeah it might be a bit much... Not like we're going anywhere once we're up there, huh?"
Shrugged, and followed Seth's suit. He supposed it did not matter too much. Too much, for now. He spared the cops a disapproving look, but nothing else. They relented! They offloaded tasers and batons onto the table with the guns. Seth- "Great. Lead the way, fellas." This was it! They were headed out of Patti's POV, and hopefully going to end up on a side of the building where Joe could still see them. To the nervous among them, it felt like walking into a maximum security prison...Graham led them through the stairwell. Graham- "Alright, so these are the only stairs you're gonna be allowed to use here, and only with us in company. If we see someone, don't talk to them. Keep your head straight and we'll get in to see Edgar quick enough."
Seth- "Sure... Just Edgar then? I heard he has some second in command types."
Graham- "Huh. Like Joss? Yeah, she'll probably be there."
Thomas- "Why you askin' so many questions? Who the fuck are you anyhow?"
Seth- "Oh don't mind me, just curious. I'm the leader at 403, Seth. Me and Jalil and Edgar, it's kind of a UN meeting! " They came to a room on the eighth floor. Graham knocked first, then entered. Everyone filed in. Glorious sunshine spilled in and they knew Joe's sniper position would be useless. Edgar was sitting on the edge of the bed, with Joss draped around him. They smelled a wee bit janky. Otherwise, the room seemed as close to an earthly paradise as the 403 people had seen in a long time. The sheets! So clean! Edgar- "J-Jalil? Oh, it's good to see you again, man."
Jalil- "Right back, man. This is Seth - president of the 403."
Seth- "Delighted. Excellent digs you got here."
Edgar- "I know, I ... This is good, yeah, to meet because we needed to... But it's too intense..." Everybody got into the room, all four cops came in as well, and they shut the door behind them. They took strategic positions in the room and let the 403 crew get close to Edgar. Joss massaged Edgar, trying to sooth him. She spoke to a cop. Joss- "Get the ganj from the nightstand. The rollies."
Buday- "OK. Here." She started passing out marijuana cigarettes to the visitors. Davin- "No offense, but this is... Let's just say I'm not into it."
Edgar- "I won't talk to anyone that isn't on my level man. It's just too intense." Did Davin's eyeballs bulge angrily? It was hard to tell. Joss glowered at the guys that refused, but didn't say anything. Apparently, though, Seth & Jalil were feeling more diplomatic. Jalil- "It's cool,man." He lit his and offered his lighter to Seth. Seth- "The peace pipe huh? Eh-- Okay, why not. Fancy stuff huh?" He lit up. Seth- "So are we gonna get some Cheetos?"
Seth- "I'm just playin'. But for real. If you got something other than Snickers, that'd be great."
Edgar- "OK, it's just, I can't think is all... Give me a... moment." This guy was clearly a maintenance smoker, minimum. He hotboxed a joint, and did that weird thing where you intentionally cough to make it have a stronger effect, like Method Man. The cops looked on creepily. Joss said something quietly to Buday and he left the room. Davin- "That guy better not be going for the guns, bec-"
Joss- "Sh-Sh-Sh-Sh-Shhh, Edgar needs peace. Everyone just be quiet for a minute." It was a long-ass, weird minute. Seth, Edgar, Joss, and Jalil were smoking dope in front of a bunch of angry-looking cops. Finally... Edgar- "OK, I feel better. But let's start with something nice to talk about. Nothing too heavy, OK?"
Seth- "Sure how about... what are the folks like around here? Seems like you're a tight bunch."
Edgar- "Oh, they're a bunch of sweethearts. We're all doing our best to keep it together. How about you?"
Davin- "Our guys are-"
Joss- "Tsst! He said he'd only talk to someone on his level."
Davin- "Jesus H. Chris-"
Joss- "No negativity! Edgar needs peace!" Davin shut up, turning to face away and avoid making things worse with his expression. As he did, the cops jumped a little and reflexively reached for their belts. He made a peaceful palms-down gesture and tried to center himself.
Edgar- "mm... What about you guys? ..."
Seth- "...You know, we got all kinds of people but we get along real well. Had a fun party last night with some of Jalil's crew. Pretty cool... Oh yeah we got a weed farm on the roof, hear it's pretty good, gotta grow a lot while it's still summer. Where you get this stuff?" Seth tried to stay real casual and relaxed, despite the menace of the angry cops. He had some practice dealing with coked out coworkers pre-ZP. Edgar- "Family secret, haha. How are you, Jalil?"
Jalil- "I'm startin' to feel this stuff. Nice, Edgar."
Edgar- "Thank you. Hey, you guys should relax more. It's a big bed." Edgar and Joss gestured for the other presidents to sit on the bed with them, and as Jalil settled down, Joss started to massage him. Davin & the rest looked on in intense discomfort, or looked away. Seth had a momentary look of it himself, but tossed up a front of cool detachment quickly.Were...were they going to have an ORGY right there in front of them? He looked as if he was going to leap to the President's defense right then and there, but it was only the shadow of a moment's thoughts. His muscles jolted and suddenly he was glad he made the goons leave their shit where it was. What if the pot had something ELSE in it? Something more mind altering? What evil sex-motives did this Edgar have?!
He tried to look away and not say anything. It was odd and uncomfortable. And..and... OH GOD SETH HE HAD TO SAVE HIM...not yet. Just wait. Maybe they would still talk about important things. He looked around to see if there was anywhere they might be able to escape to in an emergency. He turned bright red in the meanwhile, and waited. He was very glad he wasn't "talking" now. Seth- "Yeah that's funny, I always wondered about the 'Pan', like Edgar Pan and PanPac. Family business right? Hahaha..."
Edgar- "Pan-Pa... Oh! Haha, no. It's the same prefix as pansexual."
Seth- "Nice!" Joss looked at Davin, Ashley, and Ben. Joss- "You guys ready to relax yet?"
Davin- "I'm not smoking that stuff."
Joss- "That's fine. I think we can help you relax some other way." The door opened. Three scantily clad ladies came in - one of them familiar. Ladies- "*sexy sexy sexy*"
Davin- "... ... ..."
Seth- "...So do we not get Cheetos then?"
Edgar- "No, of course we can have Cheetos! Haha. I just thought, you know, it would be more chill in here if everybody's relaxed, ya know?"
Davin- "There isn't a thing in this room right now that is helping me feel relaxed."
Joss- "I told you, Edgar isn't talking to you. Edgar needs peace."
Donati- "..." The ladies had come in with a sort of excited, but generally hopeful energy about them, but the scene made them get a nervous, and that made Edgar sad, and the cops were looking about two breaths away from rioting. Jalil- "Edgar, it's cool man, hey... How you doin' there, fella?"
Edgar- "It wasn't supposed... I can't ... O why?"
Seth- "Hey no, it's all good man. It's just.. there's only three you know? Don't want anyone to be left out, right?" The cops were standing uncomfortably close to the people they were watching, the ladies were shying away into the bathroom hallway, and stuff seemed ready to explode. But the calming words seemed to center the unstable president a little, and it didn't explode immediately. Edgar- "R-really? Uh... Oh, ha, I'm s-sorry." *shaky exhale* "OK, yeah, let me count... Glasses guy, blazer guy, squinty guy, Jalil, Seth... One short! I'm sorry."
Jalil- "It is fine, brother. We are fine."
Seth- "Yeah, it's all good man. Hey so, favorite cookie? Remember animal cookies? Mother's brand? The little pink and white ones with sprinkles... I wish they still had those."
Edgar- "*snf* Yeah... Those were great. Hey ladies."
Ladies- "Yes, Edgar?"
Edgar- "Why don't you-?" Suddenly, there was a knock at the door, and a child's voice sounded in complaint.Voice Outside- "Hey! Edgar! I know you're in there! EDGAR!"
Edgar- "Oh no!" The bottom dropped out of his voice. The cops stood stock still, ready to start beating on any and all visitors. Joss stood up angrily and walked halfway to the door. Joss- "Fuck off, stupid! We're doing diplomacy in here and you're RUINING it!"
Child Voice- "Fuck you, Jocelyn, this is serious fucking business!"
Edgar- "Oh no, oh god no, I can't, no, no..."
"We're doing diplomacy in here and you are ruining it?" What was this? Amateur hour? Had Ben given them too much credit, and they were just pretending to know what they were doing? And Seth and Jalil pretended right back, and together they were building a house of cards that was about to come crumbling down? Ben wished he could do something, but he had no idea what was going on with the kid outside the door. He gave it his best "never mind us" shrug. Ben- "Kids, right?" Officer Thomas glared at Ben like he'd gone crazy, and needed a good beating. Thomas- "Cram it, four eyes." In one part of the room, Donati was in Ashley's space. In another, Graham was on Davin. Thomas was on Ben, and Buday was in a ready stance near the bed where Edgar, Jalil, and Seth sat.When the women entered, Ashley looked like he immediately wanted to get away, in any way possible. At that point in time, that meant spidering backwards across the wall but SO BE IT. He wondered again, erratically, if Seth needed rescuing. No...no, he was calm. Things were ca...WHAT WAS GOING ON?
The child's voice and growing tension snapped him back to attention. Why was a child ordering around the head of the enclave? Edgar seemed frightened, almost, it was strange how much meeker he sounded. Was that really a child, or some kind of monster? He held his tongue for the moment, it was too tense. Something was going to happen. He shot Davin a look, but did not say anything.
Who were they talking to?Davin may not have noticed Ashley's look because of his squinty eyeballs. He tried to say something to Seth. Davin- "Seth, I'm not allo-"
Graham- "Shut up, squinty!"
Davin- "Stop this." Davin was clearly hoping Seth could pull some master diplomacy moves and get control of the situation. It seemed like getting Edgar to think straight long enough to set the cops in order was the only way... But how? Seth- "Hey Edgar, it's pretty tense in here with that kid outside. Maybe your fellas could see what the issue is? We should stay chill, get to know each other and stuff." So calm. Well, outside anyway. He was tensing his legs in preparation to jump up if he needed to. Edgar- "No, no, the dark queen is here... I can't maintain, bro, oh no oh no..."
Child Voice- "EDGAR! You need to let me IN!"
Joss- "DAMN IT, LILITH! FUCK OFF!" Officer Buday was looking back and forth between the Seth and Jalil, not liking being outnumbered one bit. His nose flared rapidly and he looked fudging bonkers. Buday- "Don't move a fuckin' muscle, ya faggot-ass pricks!"
Jalil- "OK, I-"
Buday- "NO, man, NO!
Jamie- "Edgar, come to me. Please..."
Edgar- "I ... can't ..."
Seth- "Dark queen? Aw come on, it's just a little kid--"
Buday- "AAUGH!" Buday threw a shockingly fast roundhouse punch at Seth's head, and the room burst into violence.
Seth only had time to hunch his shoulder and start to stand. He took the hit to the collarbone, flying into Jalil, who likewise fell into Edgar. Luckily he didn't feel anything break, but bounced rather dramatically against the bed, nearly flat on his back.
Thomas seized Ben by the shoulders and slammed him into the wall face first. Fortunately, Ben was thick-chested in a way that kept his face from hitting full-force. As he bounced off the wall, he felt like he might lose balance, and knew the brute was going to keep attacking.
Graham clotheslined Davin, knocking him back, but the man was prepared and didn't fall. They were quickly punching at each other in an informal and ugly boxing match.
Ashley knew Donati was going to attack and jumped forward just in time to avoid an axe kick that would have fucked up his right calf. He had almost no time to think. He'd sparred with this guy before and never won, but real life was different from the ring. But could that be even worse for him?
Jalil wriggled back on the bed, and quickly began looking for the stray doobies that now threatened to start a huge fire. Edgar sort of fell off the end of the bed and was set upon by his sirens. The ladies covered him in TLC.
Buday leapt onto Seth, straddling his waist and started raining punches on his head. The first two connected hard, but he managed to get his hands up after that.
Seth- "F--what the fuck dude!!!!"
Buday- "Augh!!"
Ashley, who cannot win a fair fight against Donati worth crud, decides to be a huge cheater, and bullrushes the man to try to shove him into Buday and send them both falling head over heels. He was never a man to run from a fight and this was no different, and besides that, Seth was in danger! He had to save him! Ashley's face bordered on crazed as he tried to throw Donati off balance and shove him Buday-ward mightily. It was a kind of strength the man probably did not even think he had in him despite everything, or maybe the strength of desperation. If he was particularly lucky he might send Donati out a window. The room was too big and spread out - Donati & Ashley started their scuffle almost ten feet from Buday, and the windows were far away & probably too sturdy with modern safety measures to send a guy through.
However, jumping away from Bernie's kick gave Ashley the momentum to fake like he was running away, causing the cop to give chase - and get them closer to Buday. Then it would just be a matter of using the man's momentum to cause the intended effect.
Ashley got close enough to make it work and jumped to the side, grabbing for the fool to do his maneuver. Donati reacted quick, stopping himself with startling force, and came back at Ashley with an elbow attack.
Ashley was hit in the face hard enough to stagger further away, but fortunately the impromptu attack didn't connect the hardest part of the cop's elbow to his victim's face. Ash was still up, ready to act, and unfazed. But now he was squared off, face to face with Donati - and with the beast cop precisely between him and helping Seth.
Donati was on a roll, grinning like he'd been waiting for this the whole time, and threw brutal punches at him.
Ashley fights dirty and tries to kick him in the pelvis to throw him off balance and farther backwards. Ashley's real goal is not to do Kirkian combat with his "rival" but to save Seth from battery. A fist fight won't do because Donati is younger, unless he's very accurate. Donati seems to be faster so that isn't an option. He gives himself one, good, strong kick, straight out like he learned from his Boxing Savate class some odd years ago. He did like his martial arts and maybe this called for something brutal. As it happened, when Thomas bounced Ben off the wall, he'd let go of him, expecting to be able to kick him when he fell on the floor. He didn't fall that far, and tried for the nut punch!
Ben was off balance and the blow fell on the cop's less sensitive gut. He stepped back in surprise and drew a leg back to kick at Ben like he was a soccer ball.
The guy attacking Seth was tiny and light. Seth caught his feet against the mattress, and lurched up, pushing his elbows against dude's chest. He fell off, his ass bouncing on the mattress, and tumbled end over end on the floor.
Maybe Buday was a trained gymnast because he came back up in an instant. Buday- "AAUGH!"
Child Voice in hall ("Lilith")- "Do it Shea!"
Joss- "What are you doing? No! NO!" There was a sound of movement and struggle at the door, amid all the other riot in the place. If Donati had been a little closer, that would have worked better. It connected and forced him to hop back for a moment, but then the brute brought his knee up under Ashley's calf, overextending his leg and throwing him off balance.
Ashley almost fell over backward, and was wobbling on his feet, with the pain of a strain on some groin muscle or other. He was amazed Bernie didn't follow through with another attack. Donati- "Try again, little man. I'll wait."
Jamie- "Edgar, Edgar, it's all over, it's OK..."
Edgar- "why why why" Things didn't look too good for Davin. Graham clearly had more experience fighting, and our man was flagging under more brutal boxing. Ashley could just run away from Donati long enough to fuck up Davin's fight. Might make things more interesting...
Elsewhere, Seth- "The fuck's wrong with you!?"
Buday- "FUCk you, PRICK!" Seth grabbed a pillow with one hand as he tried to block the flurry of blows with the other. When Buday pulled back for a big hit, Seth shoved the huge fluffy pillow in his face.
The little man refused to lose a moment's dignity on fluff, and scuttled back like a crab that knows Jeet Kune Do.
Seth took the opportunity to roll off the bed, ducking down to the side. As expected, the man came after him with fast karate kicks.
Seth hopped over flailing limbs and feet from nearby fights, and got to the nightstand next to the bed, and shoved it at the approaching Buday. He grabbed the falling lamp by the no longer useful cord, and pulled it back into his hands.
Buday caught the nightstand with a kick, and reached down to pick it up...
On the other side of the room, a slim young man charged in from the hall, forcing Joss aside while she flailed. Joss- "NOOOO!"
Shea- "Get out of here, Jocelyn!" A tiny person walked with swift short steps into the room, forcing her way into the knot of ladies around Edgar. "You have to stop this Edgar! COME ON!" Her voice was squeaky like a child's...Since Seth is now doing ok, he's off to go kick Davin's assailant in the head, if he can. He'd prefer not to engage Donati in hand to hand combat if he can get away with it, since that's both pointless and he will probably lose unless he can get injure him severely enough. 17. He pauses to watch the small person storm into the room. That...wasn't a demon.. What. Who would name their child after a demonness? He was momentarily distracted and perhaps also painful in places he'd prefer not to think too much about. Ben did pretty well, but the other man was stronger, and his own kick was slow enough that it was caught! Thomas threw Ben back on the floor! He crashed into the ladies and Edgar Pan. Edgar crumpled into a tinier ball, being verbally cajoled by a tiny woman and consoled by normal sized ones. A sweet-looking Asian lady looked down at Ben, his head in her lap. Ciera- "Hello." Buday picked up the nightstand, but it was heavier than he thought, and for a change the guy was moving slow enough Seth might be able to bust a move edgewise.
He pushed himself against the wall, and used a long leg to kick the nightstand back onto the approaching little dude. As he kept his grip on it, the thing flew up, exposing his body to attack.
Seth threw himself back once more and kicked dude in the chest, hard. He lost the grip on the nightstand, and flew back, hitting the ground. The nightstand came down on Seth's leg, tapping it before he managed to pull back. It hit the floor with a thump.
Seth held the lamp over his head, waiting for the little guy to come at him bro. The fallen man jerked himself up to a sitting position, then clambered to his feet as he caught his breath. Seth took the moment to bash the guy over the head with the porcelain lamp with an overhead swing. The lamp shattered loudly, sending shards everywhere, and stabbing metal center into scalp flesh. Buday hit the ground again, and immediately was trying to get up again, this time, flailing, with blood coming off his head and an obvious loss of coordination.
Buday- "AUGHHHH"
Seth- "The fuck dude! Are you coked out?"
Buday- "AUGHHHH" Jalil couldn't see much smoke, though he couldn't find the damn fire either. There were more pressing matters, apparently, and he gave up. Then he noticed Shea and Lilith and did a quick double take. Jalil- "Sweet." Buday staggered at Seth, not paying attention to the mess on the floor between them. He stumbled against the nightstand. He was wide open for Seth's long arms... Seth- "Guess what happens to people who punch heads?" Seth did a big ol' grand roundhouse punch to homie's dome piece. He flew through the air comically, crashing into Donati's back. That distracted the big man long enough to make up for Ashley's distraction at Lilith's appearance, and Ashley dove into Davin's fight. Seth- "THEIR HEADS GET PUNCHED THAT'S WHAT! DICK!" Ashley busted a fantastic looking jump kick. It caught Graham in the neck and threw him to the floor. Davin wobbled on his feet and spit up some blood.
Donati turned his attention on Seth and Jalil - who was just standing up. The cop stepped over his fallen comrade moved toward the two men fearlessly. Donati- "Time for some assassinations..." After Ashley flattened Graham, he heard Donati's gloating and went bazonkers. As he maneuvered to do his big move and barked his 1980s styled curses, Graham desperately lurched back to his own feet, in a fury of his own. Davin was distracted by Ashley and didn't notice.Seth's eyes darted back and forth as the confusing action unfolded. Donati heard Ashley's bellow, and turned enough to see the attack coming. He avoided the punch, but was still bowled half over, the older man's attack landing like a big football tackle. Seth and Jalil both moved to help.Jalil was confused when Seth bounced away on the bed, but kept coming. As Ashley pulled Donati's upper body one direction, Jalil's tackle sent his lower body the other way, and the brutal cop flipped in the air. This quarterback was sacked. The three men landed in a grappling situation, with Ashley and Jalil having the upper hand.Meanwhile, Ben started bicycle kicking to keep Thomas at bay. The cop stomped at his legs and that didn't feel great. Ciera stood up and tried to cover Ben. Ciera- "No!!"
Thomas- "Fuck you!" He totally punched her lights out! What a creep! By now, Edgar was crying, and Lilith knew he was going to be useless. Lilith- "Shea!"
Shea- "I'm on it!"
Joss- "Edgar!!! Nooo!!!"
Edgar- "*bluh-a-bluh, blubblub*"
As Thomas got closer to being able to kick at Ben's head, Shea approached - giving the cop something else to think about...
Suddenly from the side...
Seth- "Hey big guy, a sphincter says what!"
Thomas "Huh." Seth jumped hard off the bed, and went flying, landing on the big cop and knocking him down to his knees. Seth- "You're supposed to say 'what'. You ruined it."
He flopped out of the way before the big dude could land a blow on him.Ashley begins to rain blows on Donati as often and as hard as possible, hoping they could, at the very least, knock him out. He didn't have time to handle Thomas with Seth, but he had the sense the other two could handle it themselves. What was wrong with these guys? What was going on? Ben hadn't meant for the woman to intervene physically, but yikes! Weren't all these people on the same side? Ben- "Yooouuu bastard!" Thanks to Seth's intervention Ben managed to get up on his feet. Now it was time to see how the other guy liked getting kicked when he was down!Officer Thomas rolled up onto his feet and staggered away from the three men now menacing him. Ben didn't manage to attack him right away, but at least he got to his feet without injuring his ankle or legs any further, and formed a tough guy brigade with Seth and Shea. Dudes- "menace menace menace" Graham tried to attack Davin, but was somewhat swooning, and all his feeble efforts achieved was to let Davin know he was there. He caught blows to the motherflippin' nose, staggering back to where Thomas was backing away from Seth & company. The two cops backed into the corner, arms out and ready to defend themselves. Cops- "Back off!"
Davin- "Should we?" As Ashley beat on Donati, the cop tried to pull himself free and fight back. Each time, he was swatted down with fists of fury. In one big surge he managed to get his whole torso off the ground, only to get the most brutal punch yet, straight in his grill. Jalil started waving his hands near Ashley, not wanting to risk the consequences of touching him, and said Jalil- "Cool it man! Cool it!" The cops seemed thoroughly routed! Seth- "Okay, rest of y'all are on pig pen duty. I'll talk to the man." Seth approached the sobbing Edgar tentatively. Seth- "Hey man, take it easy. Let's rap."
Edgar- "Bluh bluh sob bluh!"
Lilith- "I d--"
Joss- "NOOO FUCK YOU PEOPLE! Y-YOU DON'T KNOW! YOU JUST DON'T KNOW! We HAD this!!"
Seth- "Uh, right. So now...?"
Shea gently shoved Jocylyn the rest of the way out of the room. Edgar- "Bluh uh bluh!"
Lilith- So you guys are from the other enclaves huh?"
Seth- "Yeah, Jalil there is 2201 Westlake, the rest of us are from 403. So you seem like you're actually reasonable, Lilith was it?"
Lilith- "Yeah, I just want everyone to be okay and get along. These cops are out of control. So thanks for helping with that."
Seth- "Uh, no prob I guess, but what do we do now? Edgar is...well you know."
Angela- "What does this mean? This is kind of a coup? Lilith do you think we're gonna let you run the place?"
Lilith- "You could do worse."
Angela "I'm the hotel manager, okay... if anything, I should be the leader."
Seth- "Erm, maybe you could use a democratic election, but in the meanwhile..."
Lilith "Yeah Angela, what should we do with Edgar, your highness?"
Angela- "..."
Jamie- "I'll take care of him. Oh Edgar..."
Edgar- "Bloo ah bloooo!"
Jocyln- "NO NO FUCK YOU GUYS!!!"
Seth- "Okay then, well what to do with the four little pigs?"
Ciera- "Throw 'em out the fucking window! "
Davin- "What do you think guys, sounds like one possibility."
Graham- "You fuckin biiiitch! After all we did for you! See... women are always like that! We go out and slay the bears and hunt the mammoth and you're all back in the cave bitchin'! "
Lilith- "We obviously aren't gonna kill you assholes, so stop tempting us to do exactly that!"
Thomas- "Shut up midget!"
Lilith- "Oh yes, that rattles me to my core. I never noticed I was a midget before, how shocking."
Angela- "Maybe we should kill them, I dunno..." Jalil and Ashley disentangled themselves from the unconscious jerks on the other side of the bed, and stood to join the discourse. Seth- "Well what do the rest of you think?" Ben was totally fine with the idea of having these guys killed. Ben- "I don't know: Didn't they just try to kill us? Start a war? If they're the toughest guys in this place, then who's going to keep them in check if they're left alive? Lifetime imprisonment? That seems like a waste of food." The most useless fighter in the 403 diplomatic mission was apparently the most vicious when it came to dishing out punishment. Which made sense, because it was people like him who had the most to fear when violent people were left unchecked.
But Ben wasn't entirely convinced that killing the cops was the best alternative. He mainly wanted to put them on the defensive. Make them argue for their lives. Did they have any redeeming qualities? Had they fended off anything truly dangerous two weeks ago, or had they just emptied a magazine at the sight of a dark ghost?
He didn't know enough about the situation to know the best course of action. And that's probably why Seth asked about opinions as well. It seemed obvious that they should find out what had been going on in the hotel. Ben- "But yeah: 'Tie them up for now' seem like a good idea."
Seth- "Good thinking, Ben. So what will we--"
Lilith- "Oh I know where the rope is. Be right back..." The tiny woman scampered away before anyone could process it.
Seth- "Yeeeah. Anyway I don't think anyone here would really want to be the one who has to kill--"
Cops- "No! Shit! It ain't fair! JUSTICE! BlarGGH!" Shea went with Lilith to protect her from Joss, leaving Angela holding the door shut against Edgar's angry lieutenant. Seth- "Yeah, it's about time we had the whole story. Edgar..."
Edgar- *Boo hoo*
Seth- "EDGAR! I'm sick of your goddamn blubbering! I got punched in the head and I'm really cranky, you hear me! What happened here? What the hell is going on?!"
Seth- "Okay! Okay. Calm, yes. Everyone's calm. I just-- he's supposed to be the leader. Why? Why is he the leader if he's just gonna break down in tears at the slightest provocation? This doesn't make sense to me. We need to know what's going on here." Angela and Ciera exchanged serious looks.Joss in the Hall- "ArgA Warga! BLARGG!" (paraphrased)
Edgar- "Bluh uh bluh!"
Jamie- "*siiigh*"
Angela- "Be discreet."
Ciera- "It was, like, the end of the world, and Edgar had this idea... to get away from the taboos and troubles of the way things were, y'know? We were trying to be liberated. Some people didn't go for it, and we didn't bother them, but I can see how that would look suspicious to you guys from the outside. We didn't want to think about anything hard, so we let the cops handle all the survival stuff that involved going outside. I guess that was a problem. But they did try to protect us when it mattered. Something bad happened... We lost a few people. But they got rid of the monsters."
Thomas- "Yeah! See?! Motherfuckers!"
Davin- "Don't make us gag you."
Seth- "Okay, so this is the problem. Y'all can do what you like, as long as it isn't harming anyone else. But it is, right now. People here aren't free to go or do what they want, and these jerks are messing with the rest of us that haven't got anything to do with it. Step one, I'd say, is Edgar can stay but he can not be the 'leader.' It's just silly."
Jamie- "I think we can live with that. Can't we baby?"
Edgar- "Bluh uh bluh!"
Jalil- "Two, we're taking all of your enclave's guns. Trust us, you can fight monsters without them. We'll get you more clubs and spears if you need 'em."
Seth- "Good thinking Jalil. Three-- anyone who wants to leave, can. We'd be happy to take anyone in to 403 if they'd prefer that, but otherwise, everyone's free to come and go as they please." That seems to have hurt his feelings, because Edgar suddenly started crying a little more loudly. Why would anyone want to leave sweet lovable Edgar?
The cops looked defeated, just boiling away in their corner. Seth- "Sounds like everything's under control for the moment. Let's stay here and make sure this goes smoothly..." The PanPac resistence members began their work along with the others, finding the gun caches and spreading the word. Edgar sobbed uselessly, while various people came by to comfort and pat him. Even after everything, people still had sympathy for that guy?
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Post by ◊◊BLOODBEASTER◊◊ on Oct 10, 2016 21:29:04 GMT -8
LATER...
Seth went into his apartment, initially discovering no Bryce. When the Aip and Miao began, and creatures scurried to him out of the bedroom, he knew where the man would be. He went in, causing the beasts to reverse and return from whence they came.
Bryce was laying face down, breathing evenly. The room smelled lightly of the janky stuff. Seth- "I got punched at least twice in the head by a psycho cop. Is that proper penance?" He sat on the edge of the bed, and took his shoes off. He wondered to himself, the janky stuff. Is it really in here, or is it me? His high was long gone, but hanging out in a weed den had ways of lingering on your clothing. Bryce rolled over and looked at him with blank buggle eyes. Bryce- "Do you have something to repent? We should go do something. Get out of here."
Seth- "Wow, really? I don't think I've ever heard you say that. Yeah, like ever. Sure... maybe we can go sit on the patio?"
Bryce- "Farther away. Maybe the roof of Guitar Center. It has a view of the water."
Seth- "Jesus Christ, that's for real. You'd really go outside? Well, hell, fine with me."
Bryce- "Don't be silly. It's still in the secure area. I mean, basically. You're just outside the barricade for a few seconds to get to that door."
Seth- "Well yeah but you're usually such a w-- Uh, anyway. Let's get over there, boo." They left the cranky animals. Bob- "I say! This is most irregular!"
*** Seth and Bryce went to the garage in Guitar Center's building, just going straight up the ramp to the rooftop parking, and strolled to the view-ish end of it. The Mercer Wall-o-Cars glinted dully in the hot spring air.
Someone had left a variety of instruments on the roof, and other odds and ends. This was a realm of bird droppings and wind-blown dust.
The early summer sun baked the concrete like a toasty oven top, and the bright sun glittered on Lake Union, now completely free of unmoored boats. Seth popped open an umbrella and handed it to Bryce.
Seth- "I know you don't like the sun."
Bryce- "Thanks, man." He kicked over a few instruments to find a bare, bird shit-less patch of concrete, and plopped down on it, direct sun and all. Bryce reclined nearby, leaning on a drum with a muted *PLOM*. Bryce- "So... Casey. The fuck's up with that show?"
Seth- "Ugh, yeah. That guy's the worst. I was too drunk last night to notice he was hitting on me hardcore until it was too late. *Sigh*"
Bryce- "Too late how? Did you slip and land on his dick?"
Seth- "Oh my gawd, don't play me like that. We were just dancing and then he laid one on me before I could think, and then he scampered away. Closed mouth, man."
Bryce- "*siiiiiiigh* What a dude. OK, that, but then why was he acting like that today? It had to be to annoy me, right?"
Seth- "Yeah, prob'ly." It took Bryce a moment, but homie smelled mad weedy. A different jank then the homebrew variety. Bryce- "OK... I know you're dying to tell me, and I'm at least a little curious. ElectricLadyLand. How was it?"
Seth- "OMG it was nuts, man. So first, I had to talk the cops into leaving all their weaponry downstairs, super tense. So we go upstairs, and Edgar won't talk to you unless you got a joint in your mouth. So me and Jalil light up, with all these angry cops watching us."
Bryce- "Smokin' weed in front of the five-o? What's the world coming to?"
"So Edgar's super touchy, and I gotta play it so cool. Anyway, then they're all like 'let's get you guys relaxed', and they bring in three titty ladies! Like, in their bras and stuff! Everyone almost flips out, but I play it off like 'oh there's not enough titty ladies for everyone man.""
Bryce- "I don't go for titties, but it would feel nice to get the offer."
"So that calms stuff down for the moment, but then we hear what sounds like a little kid screaming about like 'fuck you Edgar' and stuff. I'm trying to be like 'hey calm down it's just a kid,' when this tiny cop man tries to knock my shit out!"
Bryce- "I guess police brutality will stop being a problem the day the last cop gets eaten by a zombie." "I dodge enough to not get hit in the face, but he knocks me flat on my back and the rooms just goes CRAZY! So little weirdo is practically dick riding, like, literally, and is punching my head a whole bunch until I get my hands up. Cops are wailing on everyone around me, Edgar's just weeping like a baby."
Bryce- "He was so confident before, his wiener flapping in the cool spring air..."
"I kick dude off, and throw a pillow in his stupid face. I throw a nightstand at him, he tries to pick it up and gives me the chance to kick him in the brisket. Then I throw a lamp in his face but he still gets up! He's like fuckin' Michael Myers or whatever! So I get the chance and I knock his ass out with a round house!"
Bryce- "You should've said what you were doing like in a fighting game. 'CopBashingRoundhouse!'"
"So the other guys need help, and I straight bounce off the bed '3 little monkeys' style and knock fat cop over so everyone else can beat on him. So eventually we get the cops beat down hard enough, then remember that little kid voice? Turns out it's this cute little goth midget lady, who bawls Edgar out. We get stuff sorted out, midget lady is super helpful. We take their guns and make them stand in the corner or whatever. Total. Insanity."
Bryce- "Aww. President goth midget lady. I'm sorry, that's a cooler president than you, president 'skinny ex-athlete I guess'. You'll have to go back to school."
Seth- "So yeah, that was fun. Hope I didn't get a concussion, haha."
Bryce- "Or a dick concussion. On your dick. Because of the dickride."
Seth- "Ewww for real. That guy was all homophobic too. ' Shut up faggot asses' and stuff. Yuck. So yeah! Good times. What do you think, too exciting here lately?"
Bryce- "Fuckin' for real. I feel Edgar's pain."
Seth- "Haha, that guy must have a lot of pain by how much he's blubbering. Hey so, how come you wanted to come up here?"
Bryce- "Just to get away from the crowd. See the sights." He turned in place and looked out over the water. Bryce- "What's next? Shit is so weird these days."
Seth- "Well, we got PanPac in check for the moment, those guys going to ECK... I think it's time to be proactive, myself. Keep trying to research about the mummies."
Bryce- "Maybe you're right. I didn't want this to be all Heroes Of The Water Margins, but I guess we don't have a choice."
Seth- "Hm? Well what do you think, if you were the big boss, what would you do?"
Bryce- "Abdicate and let someone else take the blame. But if I was someone willing to take the responsibility, I guess I'd spend all the effort on killing all the monsters and getting humans together again."
Seth- "Yeah! That sounds about right. See my thinking is, we get the mummies, maybe that'll kill all the monsters too. That's how it'd work in a video game at least." Bryce picked up an electric guitar and started fiddling with it. Bryce- "Ibi's medicine must be working, because I'm chill enough to talk about this abstractly today. Normally, I'd just be too jacked up about the risks and stuff. So OK, abstractly, why would you think it's like a video game? If you just put all your effort into the zombie genocide, the mummies have nothing left to attack people with, and the world would be a safer place in which to hunt for them."
Seth- "Man, you think they can't come up with something new? They'd just be bringin' ghosts back from the dead or whatever. Ghosts freak my shit out way more than zombies. I got closest to being killed by a ghost." Bryce dropped the guitar and pulled up his knees.Bryce- "OK. Now I'm losing it. I shoulda brought a joint."
Seth- "Sorry! Geez, sorry. Well anyway, it's kinda like retribution, you know? Those guys fucked up the program, we should get our revenge, don't you think?"
Bryce- "That's much less important than staying alive, you've got to admit."
Seth- "*Sighh* yeah. I guess so." He fiddled with his shoes, and looked out at the water for a bit.Seth- "I hope Beau's okay. I wonder if he found a mummy..."
Bryce- "How could he? I'm sure he's fine because he knows how to run away and stuff."
Seth- "You don't think he could find a mummy?"
Bryce- "A needle in a corpse-stack." They got antsy and tired of the heat, and strolled down to the Guitar Center. They walked around the dim world of disused noisemakers with hands in pockets. Bryce- "Yep. I wonder if having a different kind of guitar makes it easier to play that crazy metal stuff."
Seth- "Don't you gotta have one of those ones that's shaped like a sideways 'Y'? Maybe that helps metal sounds come out."
Bryce- "Good grief. We don't know shit about music, do we?"
Seth- "Haha that's not our job though. We'll just get Patti to yodel while she plays Hakuna Matata on the HurdyGurdy. "
Bryce- "What is a hurdygurdy, man?! Do you even know?"
Seth- "That's what you play songs of love on, DUH."
Bryce- "Ah yes. A Butthole Surfers reference."
Seth- "It's a Donovan reference! Geez, and you call yourself a pothead."
Bryce- "The Sunshine Superman guy? It was a cover song? I don't buy it." He sat down at a drum kit, realized there were no sticks handy, and *tss tss tss* on the cymbals with a pedal. Bryce- "Hey, uh... Hey... uh... What do you think, man? Whatcha gonna do?"
Seth- "I don't know if I'm high enough any more to rock out. It'd probably just be like the musical part of a Scooby Doo."
Bryce- "No way man, there's no monsters around, haha. Anyhow... I just meant what are you gonna do about Casey."
Seth- "Uhhh... throw pillows at him if he gets too close?"
Bryce- "Sir, that will be insufficient, in my estimation. Unless you follow that move the same way you did this morning with the cops."
Seth- "*sigh* Yeah I guess I'll have to have a talk with him or whatever. I do wish you guys could get along though."
Bryce- "Why would I want to get along with him?! He's a total dick."
Seth- "Well, other than that silliness last night, I usually get along with him pretty well. Maybe when I set him straight you guys can get along better."
Bryce- "Of course you get along with him. He only wants to jump on your business and ride it into the sunset."
Seth- "Aw geez... Well we should talk about something else, huh? Aren't you proud of me for smoking the herb like a big boy?"
Bryce- "Gimme a moment..." Bryce stood up from the drums, strolled over to the acoustic guitars, and then turned back to Seth. Bryce- "Now that is interesting. What was that scene like? A peace pipe, or what?"
Seth- "That's what I said! Well, it was just joints. When we got in the fight they went all over and Jalil was crawlin' around trying to get them again, so they musta been good, hahaha. It's weird doing that kinda thing with a bunch of strangers. Reminds me of work parties in the-- eh... yeah." Bryce suddenly stopped fidgeting with the instruments and looked at Seth in the dim light. Bryce- "Why did you stop? What's... Is there's something I don't know?"
Seth- "Noooooooo....?"
Bryce- "In the.... In the back of the titty bar? In the party bus? In the clown sex club? Stop me when I guess it."
Seth- "No, just... in the studio. You know....."
Bryce- "Then why'd ya stop? Cockroach got your tongue?"
Seth- "It's just... I don't know. I don't wanna talk about it."
Bryce- "Yeah, sorry about that. Shoot. Are we allowed to have fun?" He handed Seth a guitar. Bryce- "Play this thing like you know how."
Seth- "It's gonna be real embarrassing... okay!" The guys wasted a bit more time in foolery, then returned to the 403.Seth and Bryce had spent some time during the day engaged in various forms of keeping a low profile, but dinner was dinner. They mounted the stairs and strolled into the Community Center. Bryce- "Smells like... Ginger goose with soba noodles and dumplings. Ehh... Why not?"
Seth- "Man, who'd have thought this would be the food of the apocalypse? I guess we're eating high on the hog now. Except no hog. High on the goose. That sounds like something else. Well you catch my drift."
Bryce- "Yeah, I-"
Bryce- "..." Not far away, the glorious chestnut-capped whistling casey basked in glorious splendour. Let's see if our naturalists can approach the magnificent creature. Seth- "Hm, guess I should go talk to him."
Bryce- "I'll grab us some food and take it back to Waziristan..."
Bryce- "See ya, man!"
Seth- "Psst, hey... I'll take care of things, don't worry about it."
Our intrepid naturalist crept toward the rare bird, hoping to get the creature's attention without scaring it off. Staff Sergeant "Metaphor Mixer" Bryce requisitioned some rations and deployed to Camp Gadfly. Casey- "Umm... Hey..."
Seth- "Hey Casey."
Casey was notably standing around by himself, probably waiting for his partner in crime. This was, of course, no good. Seth- "Did you eat already? Maybe we should go somewhere and talk..."
Casey- "I guess..." Those dudes went to the south side of The Roof...Casey and Seth came out onto the roof, from the south stairs. The guard was nowhere to be seen - probably on the north side.
Seth- "Hey, why so glum? Remember, you said you'd come see me when I came back."
Casey- "Yeah, ... I guess I did."
Seth- "Aw geez, what's wrong? There's nothing to be sad about!"
Casey- "*snf* Yeah... I'm just... Well, I felt really good last night. I guess I'm having an emotional hangover. What's up?"
Seth- "Aw! Yeah, it was a pretty crazy night. Well, I'd like to just chat with you normal too, but I also wanted to ask you something... so I might as well get it out of the way now." Seth plopped down on the hot, pebbly surface of the roof. He sat cris-cross style, and rubbed his face against his knees, squeezing up in a little ball for a moment. Seth- "Damn, my head hurts. I wonder if you can get bruises on your head? How would you even know?"
Casey- "Want me to massage your temples?"
Seth- "This little cop massaged my temples earlier, a few times... with his fists. Haha... Ugh." He lifted his head up to look at Casey again. Seth- "So um, anyway... I'd really like if you and Bryce could get along better. Do you think that's possible?"
Casey- "Why would I want to get along with him?! He's a total dick."
Seth- "......... well at least you have consensus...."
Seth had to work some kind of weird magic to get the Casey to chill again, but he was a kind of weird magician. Casey- "Just... Man... Ugh."
Seth- "I know you guys have like, a personality mismatch, but it would really make me happy...."
Casey- "Why do you hang out with that guy? He's so evil! I can just tell."
Seth- "Aw man. He's not evil... He's just kinda dark, you know? Well anyway, that's neither here nor there..."
Casey- "Why isn't it important? He just isn't right for you."
Seth- "Casey, please... I don't want to get into this. I like you a lot, and I'd like to be able to hang out with you without everyone being upset."
Casey- "I'm sorry. Ugh. I'm so stupid..."
Seth- "Hey, no, you're not stupid..."
He stood and went to touch Casey on the arm friendfully. Casey turned away dramatically. Casey- "*sob* I am stupid! I let myself be all stupid emo about something that just can't be. I hate it!"
Seth- "Hey now, it's not a big deal...." He wasn't even certain what they were talking about anymore, these drama conversations always made him feel out of his depth. Casey- "Get a hold of yourself, man!" He shook his head to clear the tears, and steeled himself. Then he turned back to Seth. Casey- "We can't hang out. Not now. I have to be alone."
Seth- "Okay man. Whatever you want." He turned to strut back to the stairwell.After Seth left the roof, Casey staggered behind the shack and slumped there. Casey- "I SUUUUUUCK! Arggh!" And so it went...Seth stepped inside, carrying a plate of half-warm food. Seth- "Heyyy... well that was about as terrible as it could have been."
Bryce- "That's a shame. Well, I already got food for both of us, so now we have bonus. Score."
Seth- "Eh, you can eat it. I'm not hungry..."
He flopped on the couch, rubbing his head owwies. Seth- "I just don't know what to do... I feel like I'm not doing the right thing. Ughhh..."
Bryce- "There, there. I'm sure when Casey is all grown up he'll find a beautiful president of his very own, to hug and squeeze and call George."
Seth- "Ugh. You are the worst. Those two are also the worst. Everyone who lives here other than me is horrible and should be ashamed of themselves."
Bryce- "Oh, very droll. Veeery droll."
Seth- "Well annnnnyway Fred, are you gonna uphold your end of the bargain and be nice to that poor guy?"
Bryce- "When did I agree to that? Anyhow, did he even agree to it?
Seth- "Omigod can't anything be nice for like... five minutes?! Ughhhhhh." He slumped in his chair, nearly sliding into the crack in the sofa completely. He pointed at the now quarter-warm plate of food. Seth- "Why don't you go eat that food for me. I think I'm not eating, forever, until I die.... forever. *sigh*"
Bryce- "NO! No. You're eating, doctor's mothafuckin' orders, dude..."
Bryce- "...Anyhow, maybe things can be nice, but you gotta do it honestly. Ya can't trick me and Casey into a cease-fire."
Seth- "Heh, um, why not? "
Bryce- "Don't make me bust ya domepiece." Some fool straight knocked on their door, homie. Bryce- "Whaaaaat now?"
Seth- "It's always something..." Seth got it. It was Thierry. Thierry- "A problem. Do you have a moment?"
Seth- "Of course, what's up?"
Thierry- "Let's walk and talk?"
Seth- "Sure... Hey Bryce, stay frosty."
Bryce- "Motherfucker, I piss slurpee." They went out into the hall and were quickly in the south stair.Seth and Thierry quickly ascended the stairs. Thierry- "New survivors in, and they had a short, interesting tale about the people who saved them."
Seth- "Oh? What's that?"
Thierry- "Patti and Ashley are on some kind of mission, and they thought it so important that they didn't bother to call it off after saving these people from a badly haunted building."
Seth- "Geez! Cop punching for breakfast, night time demon fighting for dinner? Ugh! Any clue why they're doing this?"
Thierry- "Perhaps." They entered the 6th floor hall, then the Comm Center.A little while later, Seth and Thierry re-entered the Comm Center, to find Dr. Bebe, Marie, and some strangers. There was still about a dozen people finishing dinner. Thierry- "The El Corazon run - Alex's team - haven't returned yet. Three of them were possession risks. Perhaps that concern motivated, ah, well these are the survivors. Good people, this is our president - Seth Clemans."
Breanne- "Hello, thanks for having us!"
Seth- "No problem, welcome! Sorry it had to have such a scary beginning, but we're glad to meet you all."
Marie- "Patti and Ashley did go to investigate at El Corazon, on foot, equipped with cudgels, guns, flares, and so on. We're putting it together now."
Thierry- "This doesn't seem like a recipe for effective diplomacy, somehow."
Seth- "Yeah, ehh... It's kinda like sending pitchfork villagers to the junior high dance. Maybe I should go make sure it's not a total disaster?"
Marie- "Twice in one day? I'd advise against it." The magic words summoned a fiery joe. Joe- "Seth in danger time? I'm in."
Breanne- "Where did you come from?"
Joe- "California, ma'am."
Seth- "Well, maybe we should get going before those two burn the world down. Hate to cut and run, but I'll love to talk to you new folks later on."
Breanne- "Thank you, Seth!"
Ozzie- "Good luck." Joe got an SMG from the cabinet and Thierry groaned. Seth and Joe left in a hurry. Breanne turned to Marie. Breanne- "That thing I wanted to know earlier, can we get to that? I'm going meshugah over here."
Marie- "Of course! I'm sorry."
Ozzie- "Do you know who Bryce Woolbright is?"
Five minutes after Breanne and the rest got inside, Seth and Joe came out on bicycles. Joe- "You really ought to have more faith the diplomatic skills of your people, Mr. President."
Seth- "Who knows if they'll get jumped by crazy cops, or worse yet, run out of bullets. Plus, it's a party. I'm always down. Like a circus clown, even. Yea-yea." Joe and Seth dismounted their bikes by El Corazon. The place looked peaceful. They could hear a sound of music on the night, and a few random zombies flailed in the car maze. Joe readied his submachinegun. Joe- "Do we go in the front?"
Seth- "Well yeah, but geez, put that thing away! Unless they're using evil mind-control music or something, I don't hear a war going on." Joe nodded and let the sling on the SMG hang low, letting his jacket fall to partially conceal it. Just then, Patti and Ashley ran up."Of course they did. I think they came for this though." He looks at it quietly and seems to be thinking, before staring back at Seth almost expectantly. "I suppose you had a similar idea? It would have been nice to hear from them before they went." He remarks thoughtfully. Was it a just a party then? He supposed they were all fairly young as young people go. Seth- "Dang Ashley, it's been a rough day for you! You work too hard."
Seth- "Well, hopefully it's just a party like it sounds like. I haven't seem 'em yet, they probably got wrapped up in having a good time. Last time they came out here on their own too, I think they were just comin' to flirt with cute teenagers, we don't have a lot of people their age. Anyway, I wouldn't mind going in to meet their leader. Shall we go inside?"
Joe- "Let's."
"Of course Sir. I would not hold that against them." His manner of speaking had changed, and he seemed more at ease now that Seth was here. "...I'd just like to check on them and make sure they are alright, since our mission has been completed otherwise. I may not be Alex's caretaker but I do watch out for him, and the others." He says simply. Seth & company knocked at the door. A man with elaborate hair answered the door. Ashley and Patti couldn't see his face through Seth, but recognized the hair. Tarina- "Hello, neighbors. There's a bit of a party going on, so I might have to turn you away. What brings you here tonight?"
Seth- "I'm Seth, the leader at 403, nice to meetcha. Parties aren't bad, we just had one ourselves! We wanted to check on our fellas, make sure they don't miss their bedtimes."
Tarina- "I don't even know what to think about that, but yeah, we already got an infestation of 403ers, so what's a few more? Entrez vous."
Joe- "Nice welcome. Thanks." As the group came into the lobby, Tarina recognized Patti and Ashley, and his mood improved. Tarina- "Yeah... I don't know. After getting saved by you guys I didn't expect y'all to go in league with the devil so quick."
Joe- "Huh?" They were startled by the sound of a thump and giggle from behind a counter toward the back of the room. Tarina rolled his eyes.A sudden change crawled over his face, and he bared his teeth, if not subtly. "...The...DEVIL?" He asks, between his teeth quietly. "...What do you mean, explain yourself." He sounds more confused and concerned than hostile, but his blood was up. "..Is that what our enclave is doing here?!" Seth played it cool, but was fairly confused underneath. Seth- "Ohh... They being naughty? I'm sure they're just fooling around, right? Those crazy kids. What have they gotten up to?"
Tarina- "Ugh. Sorry, man, it's no big deal I guess. Just creeps me out. Some of the people in our enclave call themselves 'satanists', but they're really just hedonists. Anyhow, your guys are partying with them."
Joe- "Hmm..." Joe approached the back counter, then rapped on it. After some rustling and shuffling, two people poked their heads up. Jarvis- "Uh, hey bro. Ya need something?"
Joe- "I'll get back to you on that." They disappeared below the counter like a naughty puppet show."..What...I...I have to speak to Alex... Satanists... But...why? Who would want to worship something as awful as demons?" He seems horrified and confused, and then turns white. "...Is...that really who they want to stay with?" He asks no one in particular, before looking more on the upset side again. Seth- "One of those kids tried to explain it to me, I think it's like they don't actually worship demons or anything. It think it's a way to spook out their parents, while yeah, basically being hedonists. 'Self-determination' or something. I'm sure no one would worship actual demons after all that bloody havok they've reeked. Maybe it's like the baby version of Edgar's joint.... so to speak."
Tarina- "Well, hell, you can go see for yourself. Party's straight that way."
Joe- "Seems like the party is everywhere, haha."
Ashley jogs off in a small panic, he clearly doesn't want their enclave to do with any more rebellious youth OR demons. It's also very possible he's concerned about Alex. Tarina- "Anyway, I guess you guys don't care about... Uh..." The music stopped and cranky noises could be heard through the hall. Joe- "A failure of diplomacy?"
Seth- "Um, yeah, about that...!"
Seth ran after Ashley, to the concert hall.Kat looked deeply perplexed. If Kyle was capable of looking pissed, he totally would be. Seth and company came running in. Seth- "Uh-- I'm not entirely certain what's going on here still, but let's all take it a step back, huh?"
All- "..."
Kyle- "Yeah, walk it back a step all the way to 403, dudes. This party is officially crashed." 403ers emerged. Kenny- "Fuckin' A, dude. I mean, I ain't down with Satan, but this is too much."
Brian- "No! I mean, uh, you said it was too dangerous after dark, right Kenny? Snake, you should totally stay the night!"
Cathleen- "I don't know, we got a lot of guys, maybe it's worth the risk to bail."
Seth- "Kyle, we didn't mean to crash the party. People were just worried since it was getting dark. There's obviously some kind of confusion on our parts, we didn't realize it was going to be a slu-- overnight party. Going outside in the dark is really dangerous given three of our group has been possessed. Why don't we just take it easy and figure out what we're doing before we go making rash decisions?"
Ashley suddenly became aware of the rest of the world, and then looked at Seth quietly. His face changed entirely, and he looked, for all the world, like a large and guilty dog caught after raiding the trashcan. He held onto Alex like the boy was made of gold, however. If he had a tail, it would be between his legs. He had clearly done bad here. Done very bad. But..but Alex...what if...But not what if. Clemens was there, staring at him. He had done a very bad thing. "...Sorry...Clemens...Sir...I...I can make sure we get back safely. We've done night missions before...I have flares enough... " Seth- "It's okay Ashley, we'll figure this out. It's obviously not actively dangerous here, or even dangerous at all for as much as we know. Let's hear what they have to say." The crowd looked fairly pissed. Kat shook her head at Alex and left. Kyle- "I don't like making command decisions but I'm gonna. This scene is out of control. Brian, show these guys to the offices next door. You can stay there or go, but get out of El Corazon, NOW."
Seth- "Alright, that's fine, we'll go to the office. If you see your leader, have him come by and talk to us. C'mon everyone..." He gestured for Brian to lead the way.A few minutes later, Seth and the others came into the lobby. He continued the conversation with Brian. Seth- "Brian was it? Sorry I-- Snake?-- oh yeah, Stevie called me that, didn't he? Anyway, we're all-- well I am at least, unimaginably confused right now. I'm getting a headache and I don't think it's just because that cop punching me this morning. What's going on?"
Brian- "Oh? Yes, I'm Brian. Sorry I understand if you don't remember me. Sta - uh, leaders must meet a lot more people than the rest of us, always have people in your face. I reallyreallyreally don't want to come off as overbearing, goodness no, Oh - My - God, who would punch you? I hope that guy got a red-ass beatdown... Uh... Nothin' much, tee hee..." Cathleen got a weird sense. Yes. Judy's perfume. They'd need her. Where did she get off to? Cathleen- "Uh... We're missing someone..."
Joe- "Oh yeah, I almost forgot!" He jogged over the the counter at the back of the room and hopped on top of it. People started shouting and scrambling around back there in the dark. Joe- "Rise and shine, sleepyheads!"
Judy- "That's some shit right there!"
"They were trying to cast evil Satan magic using Alex as a virgin sacrifice. He sounded like they pressured him into doing it." He himself seems confused and unsure, but continues to support Alex gently. Seth- "Oh.."
"...It wasn't my business to interrupt, but he did seem very drunk. I...I was...I don't trust magic, especially not from those types. I don't like it here, Sir." He says with genuine earnesty. Seth- "Well it's pretty tense for sure, I do think it's important to maintain good relations with the other enclaves though, maybe we can straighten this out with their leader."
"Are you alright, Clemens?" He squints at Seth quietly, seeming much subdued. It seemed that Ashley did have a "quiet" mode to his voice. Seth- "Aw I'm fine, you're the one who looks like you need a good vacation. "
"...I hope someone feeds Frisk Frisk." He remarks to himself, stupidly. He looks at Alex sadly. "...Dinos....I don't think that's possible, even with evil demon magic, Alex..." He remarks quietly. He was glad that woman wasn't going to talk to anyone anymore, least of all Alex. "...I'm sorry." He remarks to no one in particular. Brian led Seth, Joe, Patti, Ashley, Alex, Micah, Cathleen, Judy, Richie, and Kenny into the vacant office space. A few people split off on the second floor lobby, as Brian pointed out possible areas to sleep, but most stayed near Seth and Brian for the moment. Seth sat on the edge of a desk to collect his thoughts. Seth- "*sigh* Okay. Now that we're somewhere a little more peaceful... Obviously that was really intense. For our guys, I know it's easy to lose track of time, no big deal. Obviously no one needs to concern themselves with how you guys have fun."
Judy- "Then why'd ya stop me?"
"Some of us were only concerned that you might try to come back in the night, which is dangerous, or something bad had happened. I'm not even certain, did something bad happen?"
Kenny- "..."
Richie- "Not really, sir. It was pretty cool."
"I guess we pissed off those guys pretty good, but I have faith we can get things copacetic again. Hopefully the leader comes around and we can sort it out. Does anyone have anything they wanna say right now?"
Brian- "Woo! Great speech, Snake. You're awesome!"
"...I'm sorry for ruining your relations with them." He remarks to Seth, and seems mildly sorry he ruined their fun as well, however, he didn't seem to be sorry to anger them and ruin their ceremony. Seth- "Oh well, I guess we're just the fussy chaperons. No biggie. Well what's next? Guess we should stay the night? I don't think people back home will be too worried, they know it's a party, and after last night, we all know how parties go!"
Kenny- "If we know for sure that someone here isn't a possession risk, we should send a couple people like that back to let 'em know. Ya know?"
Seth- "Well, if someone really wants to, but even then I'm not sure it's safe enough to risk. Let's see, out of us I guess it would be either me, Joe, Patti, Ashley, Micah, Cathleen or Richie..."
Micah- “Sorry Seth, we all messed around a bit I guess but no one was fucking hurt. Jordan wants to be fucking liked by everyone, so he'll come around. No worries. Although we did fuck his health magic up shit creek. " Micah remembered he and Cathleen were possession-less but going outside at night didn't sound fucking safe. He kept quiet on that front.Why did Micah think that nobody was hurt? What about Alex's feelings? They felt just awful!
He pouted with exceptional intensity."Hey, you can send me back, Seth. Anything is better than this." Richie- "No, brother, don't."
Seth- "So I keep hearing all this stuff about magic. Is that some kind of metaphor, or can you guys really do magic like that? Brian, is that true?"
Brian- "Yeah, it's cool. I mean, some people are kinda uptight about it even with us, but it's been nothing but good so far. It can only do what you want it to do or nothing, so it's not really dangerous. Whatever."
Seth- "Geez, Ashley, I think you should only go if someone can roll ya in a wheelbarrow, you look like you need a good nap. You sure you want to go out there? Alex, don't be silly. What do you think, Joe? Cathleen? Micah?"
Cathleen- "Did I say anything? Nope. Not me... I'm cool. Really."
Joe- "I dunno, maybe me and Patti. Yeah, Ashley, you're kinda messed up man, maybe you should catch some Zs." Patti nodded in agreement.In a central area of the 2nd floor, just a few people milled about, cutting in and out of conversations. Seth and Brian were mostly talking alone. Brian- "Jordan's definitely coming over tonight. I wouldn't worry about it."
Seth- "Mm, I guess so. This day has been really weird. I feel bad about wrecking up the joint. So, what was the magic going to do exactly?"
Brian- "Don't feel bad. I was disappointed you hadn't come with those guys this morning, and here you are! Plus, like, we are sooo easy going. It won't be a problem." He didn't answer the question exactly, but his stomach did, making a sad hungry noise. He looked embarrassed. Seth- "That's right, you guys said before, it was hard to find food around here... Hey you should have this, doc's always on my case to eat more but I'll gag if I have to eat another one of these." He pulled an only half-melted Snickers bar out of his shirt pocket and handed it to Brian. Brian- "No thanks. It'll just feel a bit worse at this point."
Seth- "Hm? Oh yeah, like that whole thing where it'll just irritate your stomach. That sucks... Hey we should bring some food over here next time. Or you could come over and have a meal with us."
Brian- "I guess..." It was a sad weird moment. The kid went from doing his peppy hero worship thing to some kind of heartbroken state in a moment and didn't seem to be bouncing back quick.
The door downstairs opened and feet slowly climbed the stairs. A short person came into the room on beat-up sneakers. Danielle- "Heya. The president figures it's time to meet the president. Come with?"
Seth- "Sure thing."
He turned around to pat Brian on the back of the arm friendfully. Seth- "Hey kid, I'll be back and maybe we can talk about something fun.
Brian- "That would be swell." He followed Danielle downstairs. Danielle- "So, there's a lot of rules for meeting with the president. You have to tie your shoelaces together, and never bring your head above the level of his nipples. Also take off your shirt."
Seth- "Wh--"
Seth- "Now this is how people end up thinking you guys are trying to do some kind of sex ritual. I guess they just don't know how to take a joke, amirite? Ha-ha!"
Danielle- "... When we get there, he'll have his shirt on, but you can guess where his nipples are if you think about a cool Greek statue, because he's built like Adonis."
Seth- "Umm okay, you know I'm gonna be disappointed if he isn't!"
Danielle- "Teehee... We'll see!" They got to an office on the first floor. A big halogen flashlight pointed at the ceiling colored the room a dull grey-green, from its perch on the desk. Jordan was sitting in an office chair and gestured for Seth and Danielle to do the same. Jordan- "Welcome to the jungle, as they say."
Seth- "Hi, Jordan was it? I'm Seth, pleased. Sorry we broke up the party, it was entirely unintentional."
Jordan- "I'm Jordan, very pleased to meet you Seth, and I do believe you. You know, when 403 is mentioned around here, it's a lot of 'president Snake', so your proper name may take some getting used to, haha."
Seth- "Haha yeah, that's pretty funny. Brian must have passed that one along. "
Seth- "So I think I got things straight, but I don't really know much about magic. It sounded like it was in effort to help the people here, but is there some other way we could help you as well? I know we have a lot where we're from, so we should share with our neighbors. What do you think?" He grew pensive for a moment and leaned back. He spoke quietly, but it was a quiet world, and easy to hear him. Jordan- "I don't know. It's good to be independent, but we're in a bad way. Real bad. The doctor is on my case about it all the time... The health spell would have worked. Alex had something special to give, and was into it... I guess it's hard to shake off your hang-ups though."
Seth- "Oh for sure, I'm never one to advocate for prudishness.. um, but yeah, people have their boundaries. Well I'd really like to work something out. I'd need to check in with my council for any major decisions, but I'm certain we'd be amenable to providing whatever aide you could use. Is it just the food situation, or something else?"
Danielle- "Whatcha gettin' at, mister?"
Jordan- "Easy now, Dani! Haha. Really, we're getting a little tense, but it's about the food, I'm sure of it. We used to get along so well!"
Seth- "Oh gosh, I didn't mean to imply anything about that. I just wondered about the facilities. Do you think this place is adequate for your needs?"
Jordan- "I admit, probably not. Moving is an intimidating prospect, though. And it would be harder to feel safe in a new place, these days... I don't know."
Seth- "Hm, well... I shouldn't get ahead of myself, but I'm sure we can work something out..."
Jordan- "I feel like I'm imposing, but it's a desperate situation. Get ahead of yourself!"
Seth- "Oh it's no imposition at all, we're all in this together, right? Well, like I said, I'd have to check with my council before it could be official but... We have a second, mostly empty building near ours. We have part of our group over there but there's plenty of room, I'm sure everyone here could fit comfortably."
Both- "HmMMmm...."
Jordan- "Would we be abdicating our self-rule then? What sort of rules would we live under?"
Seth- "Well, especially since you're in the other building, self-rule should be no problem. The only rules we've enforced are for everyone to treat each other with respect, and that anyone is free to leave at any time for any reason. That rule can be depressing at times, but I think freedom is important. We could get into the nitty-gritty later, but what do you think? Are there different rules here?"
Jordan- "Respect all faiths and creeds, that sort of thing. Sir, you are a man after my own heart. I suppose our previous professions were not so very different."
((Does this guy know something?! 'President Snake'... ))
Seth- "Um, perhaps so! Haha..."
A strange deal was drawn in the dark of the night.
Seth returned upstairs after it was all said and done, and people were getting ready for bed. Brian was waiting for Seth when he returned. Brian- "Still want to talk?"
Seth- "Sure, why not? What's new?"
Brian- "Oh boy oh boy! I get to hang out with the famous Snake from 403!" He led Seth to a room somewhat far from the others. Seth- "Haha, famous? Well, maybe the 403 but I don't know about me."
Brian- "Yeah, you! Your guys killed like a million zombies and stuff, everybody knows about it!"
Seth- "Well, we do what we can! It's nice to know we're appreciated. It's so interesting to see how different people live around here. We were just at this totally crazy place this morning. I couldn't believe it... It was like some kind of hedonist's shangri-la. But it sucked too... the guy who runs that place is a total nutter."
Brian- "Wow, huh, tell me all about it!" Seth recounted the colorful tale of weed smoking, cop punching and jumping on beds. Seth- "Yeah and that one guy was a total homophobe! It felt really good to smash that lamp over his head. I'm totally against violence among humans, we're all in it together and whatnot, but still! That super pissed me off, and I don't get pissed off easily."
Brian- "...So... Cool! How could you ever doubt you'd be a superstar?"
Seth- "Haha, well... you flatter me, but it was the other guys too. That Ashley up there did all that, and then ran out and somehow got his face half burned off fighting monsters, and then wanted to come here too! I just get to be the pretty face getting the accolades. B ut thank you, nonetheless."
Brian- "Don't be coy! You were the one that got hit first, and you totally kicked that guy's ass. That's just awesome... I'm gonna have to try not to fall in love here."
Seth- "Haha, oh stop! Well when I first got here I thought this place might be like that PanPac, minus the cops. That doesn't sound that bad actually... Anyhow I hear you're a real hero yourself. The knight of El Corazon!"
Brian- "You stop! Seriously though, it's pretty fun. Most of the monsters we fight are total pushovers so I look like He-man in comparison, and everybody loves me."
Seth- "Now see, I wasn't a power hitter in the day, I made my hay with bunting and stealing. That doesn't get you far with zombies. I do alright for myself, though. I do better with ghosts, which is nice because most people aren't into that."
Brian- "Yeah, for sure, for sure... ... ... Hey Seth...?"
Seth- "Mm-hmm?"
Brian- "You wanna (redacted) for a bit? It'll help you go to sleep..."
Seth- "Um..?!"
Seth- "Oh yeah, um... that's kinda what you guys do around here, huh. Uh, no thanks..."
Brian- "Eh... Why not?"
Seth- "Well I'm no prude, but that's a little awkward isn't it? We kinda just met... Plus, I'm with somebody... It's very nice of you to offer though."
Brian- "Oh... huh.... Well, I'll have to change your mind about that. You ask your guy what he'd think of opening up the relationship, and tell him what I look like, and that I'm down for whatever. I'm not saying that to be slutty. I'm just in it to win it. Does that make sense?"
Seth- "Hm, yeah... I'll get on that."
Brian- "Anyway, I'm just surprised you, of all people, would have a problem with that."
Seth- "Hm? Why would you say that?"
Brian- "No reason! None. Haha, I mean,"
Brian- "Just because you could have any guy you want is all, so why settle?"
Seth- "Huh, oh good, I was hoping I didn't look like a total slut or something!"
Brian- "Haha, no... never..." The roundup was finished, these guys joining the others in the lobby, then walking out to the parking lot. There was a very gentle rain, and the air was cool and humid. Jordan, Jarvis, Kat, and Danielle stood outside, smiling. Jordan- "We just came to say aloha, folks. There was good and bad, but it seems like it all worked out in the end, am I right? Haha."
Seth- "Agreed, I'm really looking forward to our new arrangement!"
Cathleen- "Arrangement...?"
Jordan- "Likewise... Well, you're a fierce looking team. I'm sure you'll get home safely. We'll see you again soon, OK?"
Judy- "Hell, why not?" The conquering heroes returned from El Corazon! Rain pattered on the skylights and Chantelle and Floretta lit some braziers for light and warmth. Joe- "Back in one piece! Only left a few eyebrows on the trip. Hello y'all!"
Becky- "Stop pretending to be an extrovert, Joe. It's unbecoming." Seth saw Bryce in cool-guy mode. Trouble must be afoot...
He made his way over to check in. Seth- "Heyy what's shakin'? Didja miss me?"
Bryce- "It's my roommate, Mr. President. Seth, this is my mother, Breanne."
Breanne- "We've met, don't ya know?"
Ibi- "She's great, Seth. Marie said she's going to be the new apartment manager."
Seth- "Oh-- you're Bryce's mom?! I had no idea! Wow, how exciting!"
Breanne- "Guilty as charged! That's my bubbeleh, behind the t-shades. I know he's hard to recognize."
Bryce- "Man... man..."
Briar- "She totally figured out I was an artist. She's like Sherlock Holmes."
...And so on, with the hideous embarrassment of Bryce the Younger. Thierry came over and said something quietly to Seth which made the eyes bulge, and then they left. Bryce decided to use presidential assistant duties as an out and ran after them.Another day... Seth, Thierry, Stevie, and Marie assembled for a quick meeting. Bryce tagged along.
Stevie- "So... What was this one about?"
Thierry- "There's a lot going on and we just need to figure out if... There's anything important slipping our notice."
Seth- "Ohh yeah, I got an item for the agenda..."
Marie- "Go on."
Seth- "So I had an interesting talk with the leader of El Corazon..." Seth told them the situation at E.C and proposed the merge. Thierry- "OK, there's an important detail in there I'm not sure I understood precisely. There was a magic spell... He was trying to use our people for a magic spell and ... what happened? What was he trying to achieve?"
Seth- "Y'know I couldn't really follow the whole thing, and I wonder if it wasn't just an excuse for people to get their sexin' on. Supposedly it was to improve the health of the people there, but I honestly think a few packages of Oreos would do a lot more. Nothing at all happened while we were there, so makes me wonder if it wasn't--"
" "MAGIC." Y'know?"
Stevie- "Oh, yeah, you know. Sex magic, like tantra yoga and the left hand path and shit. Good times."
Marie- "OK, that. Do you think this might cause, well, sectarian strife? Remember Ione and Derek weren't the only people expressing reservations about the treatment of religion here - and I understand it's unreasonable and annoying, but it's worth considering."
Seth- "Yeah I figured they can 'do as they wilt' and stuff, as long as it doesn't involve unwilling participants this time. There is the question of self-governance too, which they were interested in. What do you think is a way we can try to accommodate this while living together as a community?"
Stevie- "Why worry? People are chill enough. If it looks like there'll be a blowup, we'll see it coming enough to do something about it. No big."
Thierry- "We didn't see the last one coming, did we?"
Marie- "I don't know. Part of me wants to say, just split them between the buildings and let them run 320, but that's arbitrarily putting a bunch of our people under the rule of Mr. Sex Wizard."
Seth- "Hm, maybe they can just have their own floor or two? There's a lot of space left in there."
Marie- "What if there's a territorial dispute, or they want to institute rules that make it difficult for people to move around in the building?"
Seth- "Maybe we can require that they have representatives on our council?"
Thierry- "Rather, we can invite them to send a representative, and they would be very unlikely to decline. Try to foster an open environment from the start.... Still, the potential religious blowback. Any notions? Perhaps it's time for us to establish an actual rule regarding that issue."
Seth- "Well religious freedom is religious freedom. The only reason we had an issue before was because they wanted to have the freedom to berate other people, with religion as the justification. Maybe the 'mind yer own business' rule?"
Marie- "Maybe. Other than that, it sounds as if everyone here is in favor of growing the population of our enclave and helping people, pretty much unreservedly?"
Stevie- "Right on."
Marie- "Then onto other issues. There are a lot of monsters very near to these buildings. It's getting creepy. We need to clear out Amazon, and find out why a random building very near to us decided to host a ghost convention..."
Bryce- "Aw, can't we talk about the sex wizards some more?" After the meeting was over, Bryce spoke quietly with Seth. Bryce- "I suppose you'll want to go talk to Beau now."
Seth- "Yeah, I guess so... I'm worried though, word was he was acting kind of weird. I don't want to upset him."
Bryce- "Hey, I can go, uh, smile friendfully at him with you."
Seth- "Nah, if anyone should do it.. I should. Hell, I don't even know if he's eaten yet. Maybe I'll take some food to him at least..."
Bryce- "So, you carry the food and I carry the beverage. What do you think?"
Seth- "Huh... you actually want to go do something social? Didja miss the guy that much?"
Bryce- "Of course not, well, ... I do hope the dude is OK, but I want to help you, too."
Seth- "Aww, okay! Wow, I'm really impressed Bryce, I know this kind of thing is hard for you. That's really great."
Bryce- "Alright, let's get this over with before I change my mind..." Beau stumbled to the door, nearly forgetting to pull on his boxers. He opened the door a crack. Beau- "Mm-- hello..." Seth and Bryce stood in the hall, Seth carried a paper bag of food, like a take-home lunch from grade school. Seth- "Hey, wow... I'm glad you're back. We brought you some breakfast..."
Beau-a "Ah, hm.. thank you." His voice was a bit hoarse, and Chou whined behind him. Bryce whined behind Seth. Bryce- "Let us in?"
Beau- "..."
Seth- "Uhh you don't have to..."
Beau- "Mm I... I need to rest."
Seth- "Want us to bring you anything else?"
Beau- "No." He moved to shut the door. Bryce- "We are obviously gonna need to know what happened with that guy. I think... I'm pretty sure he'll only tell you alone, and not now." They neared the south stairs. Seth- "Yeah... *sigh* damn... see that's what I was worried about." Then the hall was empty again.The next day, Bryce and Seth entered the stairwell talking. Bryce- "I don't know, man... Jeez, we got junk of our own to talk about..."
Seth- "Hm? Oh, like about your mom? Damn, I still can't believe that. You're a lucky dude! I bet there's lots of people who wish they could run into someone they care about." Bryce paused at their floor, then kept going. Bryce- "She might be back in our room by now."
Seth- "Oh? You don't-- Ah. Maybe we should go talk somewhere?"
Bryce- "Yeah." They went onto the roof.The next day, Bryce and Seth came out of the stairwell talking. Susie was on guard duty, and noting the gentlemen, moved to the other side of the roof to give them some privacy. Bryce- "OK... Are we flippin' alone yet?"
Seth- "Looks like it... so is there something you want to tell me?" Bryce walked swiftly to the back corner of the roof and some chairs there, and let himself fall into them. Bryce- "Remember what I told you about my parents?"
Seth- "Ummm... your mom was the manager here and... oh, is it the whole gay thing?"
Bryce- "Yes. What would you do, roomie?"
Seth- "Gehh, I dunno man. So she never met anyone you were dating?"
Bryce- "Of course she did. Man... It's posto endo the worldo, and closets are for middle class yacht pilots that don't exist anymore. But when I tell her... ffffff...."
Seth- "Well, I'll be here to support you. I had to do the same thing, not that it turned out great. If you tell her and she can't handle it, I guess she'll just have to deal, huh?"
Bryce- "Fudge this fudging shit though! I just can't stand it! Everyone loves the fudging story already, and I get to fudge up the fudging ending again!"
Seth- "Since when did you care what people think? Heh sorry, sorry... But seriously, what is she gonna do? Is she gonna flip out?"
Bryce- "Whatever she does, it will be embarrassing and horrible."
Seth- "Aw.. Hey, if you want... I could talk to her for you."
Bryce- "What?!"
Seth- "I dunno, it's not a big deal for me. I could just be like, oh by the way... What do you think?"
Bryce- "Hebbazawhuh-whuh?"
Bryce- "I say but huh whuh"
Bryce- "....Saaaaay...."
Bryce- "...That's almost crazy enough to work!"
Seth- "Okay, I got it! What if I'm like..."
Seth- "--Oh Hey Breanne, yeah, how's it going? Oh that's nice. Did you know I'm a super-gay gay guy? It's pretty cool yeah, so me and Bryce are a thing... just FYI."
Bryce- "It could use some polish, but maybe..."
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Post by ◊◊BLOODBEASTER◊◊ on Oct 11, 2016 17:16:24 GMT -8
Establish scene. People were basically moved over, but had not unpacked. Seth and his assistant du jour Wil had met up with Jordan and his assistant, and were tarrying briefly in the 320 lobby to discuss the moment. Subsequentement, Eldreds entered. Wil- "It's good to almost be done, huh?"
Seth- "Yup, moving is never fun."
Jordan- "I know it!"
Danielle- "Hey, it's Edda and Ricky."
Edda- "Hello all."
Ricky- "..."
Jordan- "Hey, Seth, maybe this is a good opportunity for you to meet one of the leaders of our community, Edda Eldred."
Seth- "Hi Edda, nice to meet you. I really hope you'll all like it here. "
Edda- "Yeah about that... We need to talk before we get unpacked."
Seth- "Sure, what's on your mind?"
Edda- "Well, it's really more about Jordan, but you're welcome."
Jordan- "What's on your mind, Edda?"
Edda- "Well... Some of us are tired of your leadership, and want to do things differently."
Jordan- "Aww, I'm sorry! What's the problem? I'm sure we could reach a --"
Edda- "There you go again with the human resources jibber jabber. Do you even know how to be real?"
Jordan- "Hm. Point taken, but that's not what this is about, I imagine..?"
Edda- "Ya right. It's all that satanism shit. Magic sex rituals and what-have-you."
Seth- "Oh yes, the rituals. I think Jordan is aware now that people shouldn't be made part of something they didn't agree to..... right?"
Jordan- "That, of course! I nev--"
Edda- "It ain't enough, Jordan. Ya shouldn't have been in a position to make that 'mistake' because you should never have been a leader. Maybe that shit flies at corporate, but not with real people."
Danielle- "*byutch*"
Wil- "Whoa, hey, no! Don't make this be like that, young lady!"
Seth- "Well.. 'self-governance' and all, maybe it'd be good to put democracy into action?"
Jordan- "Of course, now that we've come to a home with a management infrastructure in place, I can abdicate without too much mayhem until you can choose a new leader. And Danielle, knock it off."
Danielle- "Okey dokey!"
Edda- "Really? Really? You'll step down, just like that?"
Jordan- "Scout's honor. I only accepted leadership to help my people, and if they're better off with me in a different capacity, --"
Edda- "We ain't your 'people.' You ain't family, man. I don't want nothing to do with you. No you, no magic, no satan."
Danielle- "..."
Wil- "Not again!"
Seth- "Oh man, not again indeed. Now here's a question, if there is no leader for this enclave, does the authority default to me as the de facto leader of the rest of this building? Well, I don't know, but if one were striving for fairness, if there's no Satanism allowed, there can't be any other religion either..."
Edda- "What in the name of... Have you lost your ever-lovin' mind?!"
Wil- "That does seem kinda extreme!"
Jordan- "Of course no one is going to do that. Nobody here wants to denigrate anyone's deeply held convictions."
Seth- "Well, I'm not saying it either. That's just the natural conclusion, you know? Ya can't just ban one religion, if things are supposed to be equal and fair. Anyway, I certainly think we should be especially careful with magic until we know what it does. If that stuff works now, if it's not done right it could be a big problem."
Edda- "But satanism ain't a god-damn religion! Do you really buy that? It's just some juvenile hippy crap about rejectin' Jesus, and ya learned it from a god-damn teenager too!"
Ricky- "Oh man..."
Seth- "But shouldn't people be allowed their juvenile hippy crap? It's the post-apocalypse after all."
Jordan- "I'm not the most devout satanist, mind you, but we really should avoid referring to religions as juvenile, or minimizing their status or importance in the lives of adherents."
Danielle- "heeheehee"
Edda- "That's it! We're moving out! I got friends at Tower 801. I'm getting all the interested Christians, and getting out of here."
Seth- "Well rule one is that everyone is free to go, so okay. But I just wonder, why does it seem like some Christians always gotta be so concerned with that *other* people do that's got nothin' to do with them?"
Ricky- "Whut, wha... We gotta move all that stuff again? Damn."
Edda- "Salvation is everybody's business. It don't do no good to have people actin' like Sodom and Gomorrah when you're this damn close to Judgement."
Wil- "Ma'am that's just... That's crazy talk! I mean, believe what you want, but acting like it's the end times is going to get people killed! Please, don't go!"
Jordan- "Please don't say religious beliefs are crazy, sir."
Edda- "I don't need you to defend me, creep!"
Seth- "Alright, come on. Edda, of course you can go wherever you like, and you can ask if anyone else wants to go too. We can help you get there to whatever extent we can, because we want everyone to be safe regardless if they are staying us or not. I hear Tower 801 is great, so I'm sure you'll all be fine there. I'll just ask that you don't misrepresent our view here-- everyone's free here to be Satanists, or to be Christians, or to be Atheists or anything else."
Seth- "Damn it. Sorry Jordan. I probably should brush up on my diplomacy, last time it got me punched in the head."
Jordan- "Well, they'll be going to a safe place. I just can't help but feel like a kid that had to move, and we couldn't keep the dog, so the parents said they took it to a farm upstate, and so on..."
Danielle- "Haha. Looks like that's exactly where she's going."
Wil- "Aw, man, this sucks! What do we do?"
Seth- "Well, you might need to start training some minions, Micah...." Seth walked into the strange mess of cubicles the kids were trying to deconstruct. Seth- "Hey guys, need some help?"
Kyle- "Man I don't know."
Brian- "Oh my god, a personal visit! You're so sweet!"
Kat- "I knew this was a good idea."
Bobby- "Uh... Yeah, actually. This cubicle wall has a snap-together assembly and it's gotta be lifted from both sides at the same time."
Seth- "Sure, I got out of the last big construction project 'cuz I was laid up, this'll be my penance." He gave a hand to the kids as they rearranged and moved the cubicles. After a few difficult ones, they started to figure out the secrets of how the things were best disassembled, and it got easier. They were glad power wasn't an issue, because they accidentally expose wires a few times.
Brian and Seth were moving a conference table into a good spot where the dancer intended to use it as a bed. When finished, Brian threw his sleeping bag over the top, and gently rolled into place on it. He gestured for Seth to take a seat in an office chair nearby. Brian- "So, I imagine you're actually needed elsewhere about now..."
Seth- "Eh, probably. I really don't want to do more diplomacy though, it's for the boids. Are you sure this is going to be comfortable enough to sleep on?"
Brian- "Of course not, silly. I'll replace it soon. I just hope you're not going to get into trouble. Apparently, that can happen to presidents. Poor Jordan!"
Seth- "Man, no joke. Sometimes I just don't wanna deal with that kinda thing. Luckily I got a council to watch my back. I won't get in trouble anyway, I'm fostering good will and whatnot. Right?"
Brian- "The goodest." A little while later, he was moving more walls around for Kat and Kyle. They needed a little more help than he expected. Kyle didn't look that much smaller than Seth, but the most strenuous activity he'd ever done before the apocalypse was doing a shoegaze dance. Kyle- "Why *grnt* is this stuff made out of sheet metal?"
Kat- "So it'll make better barricade material downstairs! Oh yes."
Seth- "Yup these needed to be sturdy to better trap the salary men within..."
After they'd finished some hard work, Seth grabbed a plastic bag he'd brought in, and plopped straight onto the floor. He pulled out a few room temperature cans of Pepsi and passed them around to the kids. Seth- "Damn, when are we gonna train zombies to do this stuff for us already?"
Kat- "Hopefully never. That sounds disgusting."
Kyle- "Yeah... Hm... Is it weird I can't wait for winter to get here already?"
Seth- "Yeah I'm tired of being too damned hot all the time. We can just wear cool fur coats or something, big bonfires on the roof... Nice."
Kat- "Disgusting one moment and romantic the next - treacherous like the serpent." Kat heard someone calling for her. More El Corazon Kids had apparently come into the closer area of cubicles and started to help Brian and Bobby there. She excused herself, leaving Seth and Kyle alone. Kyle- "I'm not movin'... Hey."
Seth- "Oh yeah, I wanted to apologize about how stuff went down at the party. I didn't want things to go that way, but I'm glad you guys are the ones stayin' here. "
Kyle- "As opposed to the jesus people? That's nice to hear. I was gonna ask what you thought of all that shit."
Seth- "Well, obviously religious freedom is important and such, but it really annoys me when people get too concerned with other people's business. What do they care what other people believe? Then the magic thing... I don't know a thing about it, but nothing dangerous had happened with it, right? They're just tweakin' about 'evil' or what?"
Kyle- "Hell yes they were tweaking. Adult babies. I want to respect other religions, not out of genuine respect for the ideas, but out of respect for good people I've known that think it's a good thing. But damn Christianity is for babies. That's what I really wanna say."
Seth- "Heh, I'll make no official comment on that as president, but duly noted, my good man."
Seth- "Oh by the way, I'd love to learn more about magic sometime. I don't think I got the MP to do it myself, but I'd like to at least be able to talk about it without sounding like a jackass."
Kyle- "I met a stupid kid from 801 who'd tell you to take ether for that... Anyway, it's pretty easy when you get past the mumbo jumbo. The hard part is making stuff actually work without really knowing how it works in the first place. There's trial and error, chance, and I don't know what else."
Seth- "Huh. I see. So, mostly the magic that's been working is kinda indirect, right? Protection circles and stuff? Did they really work?"
Kyle- "Yeah. That's one thing. Sometimes it'll work and you won't know. It'll just happen. Other times, especially lately for me, I feel it when it works. Like a metallic taste in my brain. Hard to describe."
Seth- "Whoa, that's intense. Anna was tellin' me about this magic pentagram necklace she got, she was wearing it when this demon threw everyone around, and she was the only one left standing. We thought maybe it was just 'cause it was a pentagram, but the ones we made didn't do anything. It must be a real magic item! I wonder how we could make ones that worked?"
Kyle- "Here's how: Take a magic system you know. Try to follow all the principles of it, while doing the different thing you're trying to achieve. Like, I take for the necklace, I try to advise a jeweller on how to make something that fits all my ritual knowledge. I supervise while they craft it, chant and try different stuff out. Then, if I didn't get the cool feeling, we test it out to see if it works.
That's how I'd try to do it, anyhow."
Seth- "Huh. Hey Kyle, would you like to be on our council? We could really use someone who knows about this kind of thing."
Kyle- "Richie was telling me you have a guy. Gnat? Something like that? Anyway, maybe you'd like Jordan better. That guy's more corporate and I swear, he figured out how to do some magic better than me."
Seth- "Jordan'll probably be on it anyway, that Nat guy is hard to get more than five words out of, and our best magician is an incomprehensible old man. I like that you cut the bullshit out, and make it easy to understand even for dummies like me. Also, it'd be nice to have a kid on the council to represent y'all. But, if you don't want to, that's okay."
Kyle- "Yeah, I probably won't do that. But I'll help with magic stuff. If we put everything you guys know with everything we know and figure out how to do a bunch of different stuff... We could be, like, bad-ass black knights. Make the monsters just wanna run away and quit."
Seth- "Oh man that'd be awesome! If a bunch of internet dweebs can figure this out, I bet we can. Monsters better watch out."
Kyle- "Is this my home now, man?"
Seth- "Yeah, as long as you want it to be your home."
Kyle- "Cool. So, this being my home, I'd like to say something about this whole subject, y'know, kicking ass on shitty monsters and stuff."
Seth- "Go for it, man."
Kyle- "Hail Satan."
Seth- "Word." Seth returned from working at the 320 building to find Bryce hiding under his blankets. He poked his head out. Bryce- "Welcome home, Herr President."
Seth- "Ugh wotta day. We lost a bunch of Christians again, apparently they don't like Satanists. Who knew?"
Bryce- "Oh, I heard about that. Tyrone was bitching about it in the Comm Center. He was pissed all the new black folks bailed. Felt a little like going to Tower 801 just to see more beautiful skin or something like that."
Seth- "Yeah we could use more diversity here, but whatcha gonna do... " He flopped on the couch. Bryce followed, trailing blanket. Bob & Benji slept a little way off in a sunbeam. Seth- "Everything's just too crazy man, all this stuff lately... What's that you always say, 'I can't handle it?' That, pretty much."
Bryce- "Yeah. I think I'm startin' to be able to think straight now that the excitement about my mom is settled some. And it looks like... Nothing is constant but change, and I need to figure out a way to change with it."
Seth- "Wow, that's really self-aware boo. Good job."
Bryce- "... Like that. That's where I'd normally ask a paranoid question. Anyway, --" There was a knock at the door. Bryce shrugged and went to answer it. Beau stood there all pensive-like. Bryce- "Here to take me away from all this? I'd be delighted."
Beau- "Hm? Oh, sorry, can I talk to Sethe?" Seth came up behind Bryce. Seth- "Oh! Looks like you're feeling better."
Beau- "Yes, thank you. I'm sorry to be rude earlier, to both of you."
Bryce- "Sure, you kids go on without me. I'll survive... somehow..." Bryce retreated to the room, picking up his headphones on the way. Seth- "So uh, what's up man? You don't have to explain yourself if you don't want to."
Beau- "..."
Beau silently moved to sit on the couch, and leaned on his knees in contemplation. Seth followed, trying to not let his concern show.
Beau- "I don't know if I should say."
Seth- "You can tell me anything, I swear I've heard and seen enough that nothing will bother me any more."
Beau- "It's not just 'zat... It's...
Beau- "I 'ave too much pride. It is shameful."
Seth- "What is it? Is it something I can--we can help with?"
Beau- "I--I found 'zeh mummy."
Seth- "...what?"
Beau- "The one in the video. I find it the first day I go..."
Seth- "What happened? Obviously you're here to tell the tale..!"
Beau- "I... I try to fight but I'm no good. Sethe... I can't fight anything. Really. 'Zat's one reason I go. I am terrible. Useless. Coward."
Seth- "Jesus Christ Beau, you tried to fight a damn mummy? That's about the last fucking thing I'd call cowardly."
Beau- "I try to burn it, doesn't work. I don't know if I do it right. I 'ave to run away... I don't see it again in weeks, just trying to go back, to get 'elp. No one believes. No one wants to help..."
Seth- "Where was it?"
Beau- "Columbia Tower."
Seth- "Jes-Damn! Wow. God, we've got to go there."
Beau- "No...! How-- I don't know..."
Seth- "This is big news, we've got to tell the council. I won't tell them anything bad about you, I promise."
Beau- "Sethe..." He caught Seth's hand and gave him a meaningful look. Beau- "Thank you. No one believes it, no one cares. Thank you."
Seth- "Yeah, um... no problem..." Seth led the way, almost too fast, up to the comm center to gather the council.
Seth and Thierry dragged the rest of the council into the office for an emergency meeting. Attending were Seth, Thierry, Marie, Stevie, Patti, and Ben. Thierry- "Something has been brought to Seth's attention that he believes may require immediate action. What's going on, Seth?" Thierry sat and Seth stood up. Seth- "Okay, Beau just told me that he saw a mummy THE mummy, the Gutless Boy, the one in the video-- at Columbia Tower."
Thierry- "Well. That is something."
Marie- "Why isn't he telling us directly? What happened?"
Seth- "Why isn't he telling us personally? Well, there's the language barrier and I think he's embarrassed that he couldn't take out the mummy single-handedly and unarmed, because he's just that kind of guy.."
Seth- "So story goes-- right after he leaves, he goes straight to Columbia Tower because of a hunch or whatever. Sure enough, there's a flippin' mummy right there, just chilling out with some demons. He tries to burn them all because he's freakin' bonkers, and it doesn't work. He has to run away, and then doesn't see the mummy again after that.
Obviously we can get more specific information from him, but assuming this is true for the moment, what would we do? It's been weeks since it was seen, could it still be there? Could we find clues? Should we go there?"
Thierry- "If destroying the mummies is your ultimate goal, certainly. Beau was able to go in and come out unscathed, suggesting a very small group would be better than a large one. The initial goal should be scouting."
Stevie- "Too conservative. Bring the A-Team. Go in blastin'."
Marie- "I would strongly prefer that you do not go, Seth. We should hear from everyone. Patti, Ben?"
Stevie- "Don't worry about blowing the tower. It's basically impossible for us. We could, but it would take research and resources we don't have yet, and no way a mummy lets himself get crushed while we do days of labor setting it up. And maybe they moved on, but it didn't sound like Beau gave them anything ta worry about, so maybe not. We should roll up in there before nightfall today, and bust up tha joint."
Marie- "Why the sense of urgency, of it's been weeks since it was seen there?"
Thierry- "Mm. Backing up a moment, Patti, you weren't on the council before and I don't remember the extent to which we've addressed this in meetings before, but the attack on us was almost certainly not influenced by Beau's actions. The undead laying siege were coordinating their activities, but only going from one enclave to another in some genocidal effort. Becky recognized one of our foes as a possessed corpse that had besieged her own enclave before Beau even left.
Nonetheless, the idea that Beau was allowed to escape as live bait doesn't seem impossible. What we really don't know yet is just how much control these mummies have over the chaos they've unleashed. They can no longer coordinate with each other using telephones or the internet, and many roads are shut down, making even foot messengers problematic.
The roving genocidal group that attacked us was definitely organized, possibly by a mummy, but I suspect they had no ongoing communication with them... That, to me, makes it seem more likely that Beau was released as live bait. Not to summon our enclave specifically, because they would have no way of knowing he came from us. But rather, just to lure out brave humans to destroy - because he'd have a limited ability to come to us individually."
Marie- "Ben, Stevie, you talked about sending large amounts of people, and with this risk of a trap, I don't think we should do it. If we send people--"
Stevie- "We're sending people."
Marie- "--It should be a small group of people, and shouldn't include any of our most important members. I think for morale reasons, Seth should definitely not be risked. In fact, I don't think we should send more than three well-armed people. I see the potential benefit of killing the mummies is great, but the risks are terrible."
Seth- "I HAVE to go! This is totally my dream. Maybe you can just make a Seth replacement out of straw if you need to. I think it's not as dangerous as all that, Beau got out of there armed with a cute dog and a can of beans or something. See, we go there in the day, the demons can just be outrun, they got no powers. I don't think the mummies will be expecting us after all these weeks, if they are still there. We're not that important. Plus, there's no proof mummies can even do anything cool on the spot. They weren't expecting someone to just roll up on 'em like that, he didn't cast any fireballs or anything. I think we can do this! We can be cautious and check the building out before we tear up in there. I at LEAST have to be in the vicinity!"
"Hopefully I'm not too 'important' to go, because I want to see what's going on over there." "I'd be inclined to agree with Seth not coming, but I doubt we can stop him." She looked to Seth."I think you underestimate the impact it would have on this group if you didn't come back. If you insist on coming, I would hope you'd be willing to hold back and watch from a neighboring building or something." Marie- "That wasn't meant to be an assessment of the worth of anyone's life. I don't want anyone hurt. But if Seth dies or disappears, it will make everyone feel worse because he is the figurehead of our place. I don't like this."
Thierry- "I tend to agree. Who would rather Seth didn't go? A vote?"
Marie- "Seth stays home."
Stevie- "Seth's comin'. Ain't gonna leave the original BA that helped put this joint together."
Seth- "I already said what I think."
Thierry- "As that seconds Seth's vote, we'll see if Ben ties it or swings it in Seth's favor. What do you think, Ben?" In one universe, Ben said that he didn't think Seth should go on this mission. Seth- "Sooo that's a tie then. I can either go bribe Zoe with a candy bar to vote, or just save everyone some time and give an executive order. I go! Woop woop!" In another universe, Ben said Ben- "Oh, I definitely think that Seth should be allowed to go if he wants to. It might be irresponsible, but you get the good with the bad with everyone."
Thierry- "Well, that seals it. Seth shall sojourn to the mysterious black towers of peril."
Seth- "Aw yeah, time to go bust some mummy heads!"
It was settled! Moving on... Thierry- "Well it's 2:10 now. Sun starts setting around 9:00. Plenty of time to get involved in that mess. And to conserve that time as much as possible, let's make this planning quick. How would you prefer to do this, Seth?"
Seth- "Well, guess we better gather the dream team! Whadya think Stevie?"
Stevie- "Ben, Ashley, Patti... Oh, Beau because he's been... Tyrone if he ain't too drunk yet..."
Seth- "Yeahh, let's see... So for somethin' like this, you gotta have someone to cover all your bases. You gotta have the heavy hitter, the samurai, that's you Stevie. I'm like the snot-nosed blonde kid who's sorta-passable with the sword but you gotta have around because he's the main character or whatever. Then, you gotta have the gunner, Patti of course. Then the tank, that's Ashley. Ben is our super-genius, so that just leaves the wizard..."
Stevie- "Since when is that a thing? Luke?"
Seth- "Man, that guy gets confused and scared if you give him orange juice to take his pills with. No see, I'm thinking we gotta get a wizard when we're dealing with wizards, ya'no? I think we should take that blonde Satanist kid. He seems real sharp and he knows about magic.
Stevie- "Why not? Sounds like a wreckin' crew. Hey, that kid is handy with a hockey stick probly, huh?"
Thierry- "I see Marie's opinions aren't getting much support--"
Marie- "Big surprise."
Thierry- "--so let's get into a bit more tactical planning..."
They decided to have two teams - one to go inside, scout ahead, & one to come in afterward or bring back the bad news if party one came out in pieces. Scout team: Patti, Ashley, Kyle (if he decides to go). Back team: Seth, Ben, Beau, Stevie.
((and so on...)) Ashley had brought Swat gear to wear, with the knowledge that they were going somewhere so dangerous. He would have told Patti to be careful, but not argued with her logic in coming. However, he had told Seth that he should have stayed in case this mission of only a handful of people went sour. Seth was important and there were other people who could have taken his place. They lacked enough levelheaded men and women in the enclave. He did, of course, protest to the presence of Kyle and his probably evildarkdevilmagic, and gave him sour looks whenever he was anywhere approaching close by, and voiced his objections to his presence to Sir Seth, but overall didn't seem overly fussy about it. What was another soul who offered to come die for them in the end? The sooner that this was over, the better. Ashley carried a rifle, handgun, and his crowbar with him, just in case of anything particularly exciting that day, though he only kept the crowbar close at hand, and seemed particularly gung ho about being in the front and beating away any zombies that dared approach them. Kyle groused about gettin' attitude from the dude, but Seth talked him into staying. Beau said the paramilitary street to street stuff was probably unnecessary, because he didn't run into real trouble until he was right there. Joe said whatever, dude. He continued to move all commando with the other armored gun guys.Seth talked excitedly about the possibility of getting the mummies. Stevie said "Fuckin' A" a lot, and Kyle's voice didn't carry well in the open air, but he spoke with them as well.
After walking up Westlake, they suddenly reached a site of disturbing memories for Patti and Ben.
Westlake mall towered above. As they approached, they could see the barricade of clothing racks and debris they had hastily tossed together was still in place, skeletonized corpses and knockoff designer clothing and tchotchkes tangled up in them. The monorail tracks soared above. The trees were wild and full of house sparrows, and tall grass grew out of every crack it could find.
There were a few dozen zombies in the neighborhood, but they were easily outpaced due to cars blocking the way.
They passed Westlake Mall, wove through cars piled on Pine and Pike, and kept on 5th. As they went, this unusually bad-ass crew put down any zombies that neared with ease. Ben hadn't been out this far before, and considered it surprisingly easy to move through the city like this. Not that he was the sort to let that make him any less careful. The smell of death was bad, so people used their favored counter-measures (mentholatum under the nose, kerchiefs, etc.). As many zombies as they still faced, they could see that hundreds had been killed by other people before them, and left in the streets to rot. Some were skeletons, some more recent.
As they went, some were surprised to see other people out in the streets, scavenging or wandering. They'd move with purpose from place to place, wave at other humans genially, and the few with guns would save their bullets, using clubs or spears for all zombies that came too close.
They passed by the mother of all Seattle libraries - architecture by Rem Koolhas! What now, dog? It had a few broken windows, dead or semi-dead zombies all about it, and was generally encrusted with dust, pollen, and bird crap. The crows in this area became a little more aggressive, especially when they mistook a human for a zombie. Joe almost got mad enough to shoot one. Kyle- "I bet there's some good magic books hiding in there."
"No." He offers Kyle, and continues walking out towards the zombies, to get better clearance on the path ahead. He pays very minimal attention to the other humans, so long as they aren't threatening anyone present, and keeps an eye out for the tower before them. Kyle- "*jerk*"
Seth- "Whoa magic books... you know on the top floor they got that big reference section they never let you into unless you get a permission slip from your mom and ten priests or something. I wonder what's in there... Oh that'd be so dope! The art museum's down here too! We should get looting sometime..."
Ashley makes a growling noise, but doesn't say anything else. His face becomes a little grumpier at the mention of both looting and looking for anything possibly evil and magical. Kyle- "I bet some of the native stuff at SAM has cool powers, if used by the right kinda person. That ain't me though. Secret books, on the other hand... "
They didn't really slow down, aside from waiting for the commandos to "clear" each block they came to, and were soon past the library.
They came upon the towers, and all eyes but the commandos went to Beau. What now, man?
Beau- "Well... I enter on the side with 'zeh plants, mummy is below on ground level. We definitely don't go in the stairs, there are many ghosts or something else..."
They decided to get out of sight of the zombies before proceeding, and Beau led them around to a small courtyard on the far side of the building. As promised, it had overgrown small trees keeping zombies from paying attention to it.
Once in the courtyard, the strategy became clear. The rear team would wait in the courtyard while the forward guys went in. Stevie had brought two radios, which would hopefully not be too fuzzed out by intervening structure.
If Beau was right, using the darkened interior stairwells was suicide, but these lower levels were united by defunct escalators with a modicum of daylight, and might be where all the action is anyways.
The problem now was a minor quibble. The forward team was to consist of Joe, Ashley, Patti, and Kyle, but Kyle wasn't into that. Kyle- "Seth, I like you man, but this is a lot to ask. And I don't mean about the ghosts. I mean about the cocks."
Seth- "C-- wha--- Wait, did someone tell you something?!"
Kyle- "Well, all but. Dude over there would just as soon see me dead, and fuck him anyhow."
Seth- "Oh-- yes. Yes... that's what I was talking about."
Seth- "Sorry Kyle. I think he'll get over his prejudice eventually, but I don't think he's gonna do anything to screw you up other than be kinda bitchy. "
Kyle- "Did you know that it is literally, I shit you not, against my religion to tolerate people being rude to me?"
Seth- "Oh my god, really? Damn... Uh, well maybe we can switch you to be on our team?"
Kyle- "I dunno... By the letter of the Eleventh Satanic Rule of the Earth, I shoulda destroyed him about ten feet out the door of the 403 building. But everything's situational. What was I supposed to be doing here, if not going in? What's the plan?"
Seth- "Well thanks for putting up with it, I appreciate it a lot. There's a Pepsi back home with your name on it. So plan is, scope the place out and make sure we're not gonna get attacked by fifty blood guys with pick-axes, if so-- kill them, otherwise than the rest of us waltz in there and we look for clues about mummies and stuff."
Kyle- "I guess the gunlords don't need me for that. You wanna send someone else in my place, just so shit can be even steven?"
Seth- "Hm, those two and Joe are our main gun lords. I guess I'm not supposed to go in, and they were being paranoid about Beau so.. that leaves you, Stevie and Ben. Ben & Stevie were supposedly too slow, but I could see if Stevie wants to go in, he's got long legs and is feisty."
Kyle- "Eh... Your call. I guess it doesn't have to be even either... Man, dudes are looking impatient..."
Joe, Patti and Ash stood near the building, looking in with Beau. Beau was pointing out where he had gone down and encountered the mummy. The entrance to that escalator was visible through the lightly tinted glass. Joe- "This whole scene is sheisty as hell." He glanced back at Kyle and Seth talking, with Ben and Steve nearby. "What's the holdup? We should just get in there and get it done."
Seth- "Hey so since the ammo trio have the most powerful weapons, having melee guys go in too seems like a bit of a waste of time. Joe, Patti & Ashley, wanna go in and blast the place up if necessary, then call the rest of us in? Extra melee guys could be close by for backup." Kyle turned from Seth and dropped his axe from his shoulder to the concrete, letting the handle rest on his leg. He spoke in a quiet, somewhat nasal monotone, like a non-aggravating Ben Stein. Kyle- "You're probably right. But then... There's all these monsters over here, that's kind of a deterrent. And there's different magic traditions. Maybe someone was only looking for Wicca and looked right past the Hermetic stuff. What do you think, man?"
Stevie kept the radio in his ear, but walked over to Seth. Stevie- "Hey, pal. Whaddya think? We about to bust this shit open? Or is this gonna be a waste of time?" He was interrupted by a radio communication.Joe' Voice- "Scout to Rear, do you copy?"
Stevie- "Yeah, copy. Whaddya need?"
Joe's Voice- "We're in. Can't secure the place, but can proceed with caution. Going to look around more. Over."
Stevie- "Uh, yeah. Thanks for the report. Over?"
Joe's Voice- "We might lose you with interference. I'll try again when we get deeper. Over."
Stevie- "Copy, over."
Joe's Voice- "Over and out.
Stevie- "Ennyhoo..."
Seth- "Man! Does this mean we gotta wait around more? I wanna get in there damnit!"
Beau- "I don't think they find much, but I am worried. It's dangerous inside..."
Stevie- "No way. I know it's FUBAR, but those guys all have a lot of experience running like hell. No sweat."
Seth- "Yeah, you got out okay Beau, and those guys got the big guns!"
Beau- "...Yes."
Stevie- "OK, you're skeptical, I get it. Anyhow, how bad do you wanna go in there, Seth? Startin' ta feel a bit itchy myself."
Seth- "Oh for real! So I'm thinking, the mummy's probably not there yes. But, there *was* a mummy there, so we could find mad clues and that's exciting. We might be able to find out where it went, where others of them are, what their next sheisty plan is.. Good stuff."
Beau- "If we find something, what will we do next? If we know where the mummy goes, do we go there?"
Stevie- "You know it, navy!"
Stevie- "Jesus! They found something." They heard three very fast shotgun blasts from somewhere in the building (down?)
Seth- "Damn! So how long do we have to wait before we go? What if they need their bacon saved? What if it's the damn mummy and I don't get to get a shot in?!"
Beau- "No it's probably just talking zombie. To use guns inside seems like bad idea, doesn't it?"
Kyle- "You're right, dude. Ghosts can probably hear and this building has to have a thousand of 'em, right? How about we stay outside and hope for the best?"
Seth- "But-but the mummy!"
Beau- "I don't think-- well if they are shooting, it's not a good idea."
Seth- "Stevie, the radio!"
Stevie- "You got it..." He picked up the radio.Stevie- "Rear to Scout, do you copy? Rear to Scout!" A few seconds later, they had heard no reply and no further shots. Seth- "Dudes, we have to go in there. They could be in trouble and we have no way of knowing!"
Beau- "I don't know, it seems a bad idea. Maybe if you have to, we should stay some people out here. I don't think they let me go inside..."
Stevie- "Bullshit, we should go, now!"
Kyle- "Who's gonna live to tell them we're all dead?" They heard more gunshots.
Seth- "OK, Ben, you stay with Beau and the rest of us go in. Sound good?"
Ben- "If you insist. But... going in now totally defeats the purpose of staying behind in the first place." Ben didn't see the point in trying to rescue the scouts. If they'd encountered something that they couldn't handle, he didn't think the rest of the group would have a better chance. They were probably fine though. It wasn't unexpected that people with guns would find something to shoot at in there."They haven't even emptied one of their guns yet, so they're probably fine."
Seth- "True, but you never know, and also there could be good reasons to go in there now that have yet to be determined. Soooo let's go, gents!"
The ne'er do wells took off to do no well inside. Stevie handed off the radio to Ben, and he and Beau were left standing in the overgrown garden.
Beau- "Yes, it's a bad idea but I 'ope they are okay." Beau glanced around nervously, keeping an eye on the zombies that passed, moving toward the sound of gunfire.Upstairs, fools got into it. Seth, Stevie, and Kyle came hustling in the door. Stevie passed a torch to Kyle and lit one for himself. All around, shadows moved like lazy sharks. They could see the ghosts were indeed drawn to the gunfire. Kyle- "Damn, I knew this was a bad idea."
Stevie- "We'll just find them and leave, right? There's more exits on lower floors so we don't even have to come up this way again."
Seth- "Damnit, I hope this mission isn't a bust-- well let's find them as long as they're not still all 'pew pew pew' down there." The joint was freaky as fuck. They could only imagine the ghosts were much less active when the gun-havers came in, or they would have been much less bold in going as far as they had. Where Cornish had been very narrow corridors of hell, this place was a wide-open aquarium full of ghosts. Over a dozen were in sight at any one moment, and most headed down. Kyle- "You die instantly when they touch you, right? That could be worse."
Stevie- "Knock that shit off kid- FLARE UP!" Kyle's reaction time wasn't great, but he managed to make a fireball of the ghost that loomed at him. He stumbled a bit on the escalator. The guys kept going until they reached the next platform.
Sounds of ruckus and accumulating ghosts suggested it was the place to be. The swarmed ghosts were thick enough to not be able to count - the cloud from day one, wrote small.
Seth- "SHEE-IT this is unholy! Those guys just haddta use the shotguns?! I hope they have ten mummy heads on skewers after all this."
Stevie- "Over there!" The place the clouds pooled the thickest gave them what they needed to know. That was where the fighters were. Kyle dropped his axe, ran a few feet, and sidearm tossed the flare into a group of them.
Fire tore through the darkness, igniting one tormented soul after another. At first, this was extremely alarming, but the way ghosts burned didn't produce concussive force or heat intense enough to light the mostly stone and steel interiors on fire. It did, however, cover the area of that restaurant in a very unhelpful black smoke.
They could see glimpses of pink road flares inside. Kyle- "Damn."
Seth- "I wish we had a dog whistle for humans. I'm gonna be super unhappy if we get blasted up going down here."
Stevie- "We'll wave our torches around. That's obvious enough."
Kyle- "Whoa! Damn." Something hella freaky rolled at him from a darkened corner, sending him scrambling for his axe! It was an agglomeration of human arms, stuck together at the point of severance, dense enough to look like a sea urchin with hands or bony mangled flesh at the end of each spike. He ducked as a ghost tumbled by overhead. Stevie was oblivious, trying to deal with more ghosts from above. Seth- "What the shit is that?!" Seth lit up the ghost overhead without taking his eyes off the abomination. It wasn't a ghost... What was it then?! He helped Kyle back, and held his spear toward the thing. What was it even doing? Could it see? What could it do? What the HELL man?!
Kyle picked up the axe as the thing got closer. Now only Stevie and Seth had lit flares, they were diminished by the use on ghosts, and the light from outside was feeble. Still, he could make out the thing.
It seemed blind, rolling on momentum alone. As they had scrambled out of its path, it went by them, slapping palms on the floor, groping, insensate, manic. It bounced off the plexiglass at the lip of the mezzanine and started to roll toward them again.
Seth poked at it with the spear, trying to keep it away from everyone more out of revulsion than fear.
Seth- "Guhhh it's like some Human Centipede shit! This is TOTALLY a mummy thing!"
Kyle- "Watch out, man!" It was totally grabbing at Seth's spear! It became very difficult to hold onto. The thing was mindless, but had senses enough to climb up this spear toward its owner! Kyle held his axe at the furthest extension that he could still reasonably grip, and started swinging on it. The blows were nasty, but damage to a few arms seemed to do nothing to the rest!
Seth kicked at it uselessly and then tried the flare on it. The kicks almost got his leg grabbed! But the flare finally had a more dramatic effect. The burned hands recoiled in pain. They seemed to feel that pain, but it didn't cause much damage. Still, he was able to use the opening to prod the thing away and get his spear back.
It rolled back a short way, then it stopped and rolled back toward the men.
Seth- "Man, what the fuck does that thing even want? Maybe we should just roll it down the stairs or something." Stevie had tricked a few ghosts into forming a daisy chain and lit them up, burning his flare out completely, and causing a large serpentine shape of fire. Meanwhile, Seth and Kyle engaged the weird thing. Kyle- "Alley oop?" It was grappling their weapons on each side, but that meant it had functionally put itself at their mercy. Kyle seemed to be suggesting they heave it over the railing. Seth gave it a good heave, working with Kyle to fling it over. It almost took Kyle's axe with it, but he managed to pull it free at the last moment.
Seth- "There ya go you sad bastid. I hate to think where those arms' owners are..."
Kyle- "Oh man. There were so many ghosts coming from above that they'd have no choice but to exit the building at one of these lower floors. The guys looked to Stevie, who had lit another flare and was waving it and
yelling for the others. Stevie- "ASHLEY! PATTI! JOE!"
This sorta freaky stuff started happening in the restaurant just as the fighters started to leave... Joe- "FUCK..."
Stevie's Voice- "ASHLEY! PATTI! JOE!" The fighters came out onto the plaza, still cloaked in smoke. Then they saw the light of Stevie's flare, then Seth's. Stevie, Seth, and Kyle had come in. Stevie- "-LOT more ghosts coming down! Gotta use a side door!" There was door on this level, leading out to an unknown courtyard or street. It seemed like the place to go.
The world was looking like an aquarium, where hundreds of scary big fish swim in circles... Except these were dark ghosts. Definitely a good time to go.The dim sunlight was coming from the southwest corner of the expansive room. The room was full of ghosts. Stevie- "Radio!"
Joe- "Scout to Rear, we're coming out the southwest side! Ready to move!" Fireballs went up at random around the survivors, as they waved their torches defensively. They neared the exit. Seth- "..." Yeah, it must be a different exit, or he wouldn't have specified. Ben was on the south side of the building, but maybe closer to the east corner. That meant when facing the street, he should expect to see them coming from the right - if they came for him.Joe's Voice- "Seth, Kyle, Stevie, copy?" Ben replied on the radio.Ben's Voice- "*tsst* Rear here. The others went in af*tsst* you. Did you meet u*tsst*?"
Joe- "Seth, Kyle, Stevie, copy?" It was weird, this room full of things that could cause death with a touch, and they were doing alright for themselves. The ghosts moved like something between Butoh dancers and lazy goldfish, so that was helpful. The light drew nearer and nearer...
Stevie caught a face full of ghost.
Stevie- "..." He almost staggered right into it, staring straight into its eyes.Just like that, they started to run by on the sidewalk next to Ben's plaza. They waved at him as they went by, and he joined the escape. Zombies struggled to pursue them from every direction, slowed by cars, obstacles, and the steepness of the hill.
Joe- "Where is Beau?!" Ben explained as he ran along: Ben- "Beau went after a monster-man! He was wearing a huge backpack, so I thought it a good idea to follow him. But I had to stay with the radio."
Seth- "Wh-really?! What direction?" Well, Ben only saw that he went left, so if he stayed on that route... Just as he was starting to look that way to answer the question, a few people noticed at once - uphill, east a few blocks, someone too deft to be a zombie threw a white animal onto a car and then followed it over the top, then semi-disappeared back into the maze of abandoned vehicles. Joe- "That jackass!" He took off as fast as he could, running up the hill. Fortunately for anyone who wanted to do so, the hill became slightly less steep past this intersection - though still a bit brutal. Stevie- "I can't keep up with that."
Kyle- "Yeah, think I'm gonna give this fun run a pass. Too happy to be alive right this minute."
Seth- "Dammit!" Seth handed his flare off to Kyle and ran after Joe.Stevie made no moves to join those runners. He yelled Stevie- "Eh, we're just going to go home now, Seth, OK?"
Seth- "See you there!"
Kyle- "Now this is a little weird, but whatever."
Ben thought the thing was only speed-walking, but had a good lead, would probably never tire, and so would be impossible for him or Stevie to catch up to. It also had headed up hill, and judging by the direction Beau was moving, was turning the opposite direction from the 403 - where Stevie had said they were going.
Nonetheless, due to it only speedwalking, fitness maniac Patti might be able to marathon up on it eventually.
Meanwhile,
Joe had some SWAT gear on, but was a little too large to fit into the armor comfortably & went vestless. That plus only having one gun, a light baton, and fewer flares made his gear lighter than Ashley's. With his long tall-guy stride, he was covering the distance pretty quickly.
Seth was even lighter, having hardly any equipment, and was more of a runner to begin with. He caught up to Joe and slowed to keep pace with him and talk.
Ashley had body armor, a handgun, a rifle, ammo for both, a crowbar, a bunch of flares, and a magical from-ass-pulled-sword-that-wasn't-there-at-the-start-of-the-mission, so was much slower at running up hill than the other guys. Nonetheless, fitness and persistence, he'd get there eventually. Seth- "Dude, what are we gonna do? We gotta follow this thing, right?"
Joe- "Yeah, I can't believe we didn't think about gunfire drawing monsters in that building - we shouldn't have *huff* This thing's our only lead now..." They ran over debris, past zombies, jumping over cars and the like. They considered calling out to Beau, but didn't want to potentially draw the monster's attention.
Ashley saw the guys run around the corner at 6th. He kept slogging.
Joe and Seth could see a fork in the road ahead. One way was the continuation of 6th Avenue, the other I-5 South. Cars were piled and crushed around the entrance, making foot traffic the only way to go - and limiting the speed of it.
Then they saw the creature. It was moving very swiftly, walking up onto a car at the on-ramp, over the top of it, wobbling slightly as it dented the roof, but remarkably stable. It never slowed, kept going.
Beau seemed to be pacing himself and much more capable than the guys trying to catch up. He tossed Chou onto a car and followed the thing's path directly. It really did seem oblivious to the pursuit. The thing and its pursuer were on the highway... Seth- "Man, I wonder how far we should follow this thing. What if it's going to like, Oregon?"
Joe- "*huff* *wheeze* Don't say that, man!" As they began to run on car roofs, they noticed something very uncanny. The thing was trailing massive amounts of blood, making the passage slippery. Where was it getting all that juice from?
Ashley was persistently running after Beau who was running after the deadite. He was at least intelligent enough not to yell after them, but decided that a bit of jogging was safe enough along the way. Still, it was getting hot in his armor and his bag was heavy, though the cargo was too precious to drop. He continued onwards, putting the sword back within the bag.
As he rounded the corner to 6th Ave and got a short distance before he saw Seth and Joe. His fellow tall guys were easy enough to make out in the tangle of abandoned cars. He followed them, tiring himself out some in trying to close the distance, but tenacious as ever. They went onto the highway.
It was weird thinking about the highway. It was always symbolic of leaving town - something people had mostly given up on the idea of achieving.
As he got onto the highway, he could see that the travel was happening entirely on the roofs of cars now. Well... He could probably catch up in a little while...
Seth and Joe could see Beau & Chou much more clearly now, and he seemed oblivious to them. Of course, running on the roofs of cars was incredibly noisy, and he was focused on his target.
Up ahead, they could see it. The thing was mostly black or blackish red, and seemed to be flowing with an inexhaustible supply of blood, from every orifice. It was absurd and horrible.*** Seth used the spear as a sort of walking stick, trying to stay balanced on the cars. Taking a mis-step was a sure way to a twisted ankle. Some of the cars were wrecked and jagged, and everything was rusted and awful. Probably get tetanus while you were at it.
He got a look at parts of the city he'd never been to. Trapped zombies looked feebly on as they were pinned immobile between wrecked cars. Overpasses were lush with growing vines that trailed down like a forest canopy. Random buildings were charred, a couple were completely demolished. How? Why?
The Sound was visible on occasion, glimpsed between buildings. It was, of course, boat-less and empty.
The footfalls on car roofs was noisy indeed, and lazy zombies gathered on the sides of the road to watch. One fell off an overpass in a rather grisly display.
Ashley paced himself for a stretch before picking up speed again. He was glad the thing was only moving at a swift walking pace or this would be impossible. Up ahead, he saw Seth & Joe catch up to Beau.
As Seth and Joe neared, Beau suddenly noticed the noise they were making and turned to see them, startled. Beau- "Ah--! What do you do?!" He nearly lost his footing for a moment, but regained his balance and kept following the monster, letting the men talk to the back of his head. Joe- "*huff* We were about to ask you the *huff* same, dammit."
Beau- "I must follow the blood guy. 'Zeh only thing I'm good at doing. "
Seth- "Whoa, it is a blood guy, isn't it? Well, I mean, we wanna follow it too, but how far should we go? What if it doesn't stop until after dark?"
Beau- "I won't stop, I 'ave a torch, I must find where it goes." Joe had an expression that said "loading, please wait." He panted and clambered on the blood-slicked cars.
Joe- "...OK, Seth, I think this mission is too dangerous to risk many people on. You should go back. I'll stay with Beau."
Seth- "Man, really? We brought the whole SWAT team just to go to the tower, you guys don't even know where you're going yet! What if you need more backup?"
Joe- "I went into the tower first to keep you safe. That turned out stupid, but it's a lesson learned. I'm saying *huff* I'm more interested in the safety of you guys than you are, so trust me *huff* to keep Beau out of trouble, OK?"
Seth- "Tch, I guess. If you guys don't come back I'm gonna be pissed so you better do it."
Beau- "I'll find it, don't worry."
Seth gave them a lone fingergun, and stopped on a car, letting them pass in front of him, and away.
As Joe, Beau, and Chou (Jobocho?) quickly receded in the distance, Seth turned to see Ashley fast approaching. In the background, near the peak of the Columbia Center, he saw a few dark floating shapes that were clearly not birds.
Seth hailed Ashley, and started walking back his way. Seth- "They're gonna go after it and report back I guess. Damn. It. I feel like I'm always out of the action."
Ashley stopped, and then turned, reluctantly. "Why are we letting him go on alone? It doesn't seem right to turn back now." He looks less than pleased at having to stop now. "I'll keep them covered. It's my job, Clemens, sir." It was hard to tell if he was just serious or in the heat of battle. Or both. He looked overheated in all of his armor and the dufflebag probably wasn't helping much, but he certainly had the will to continue. "Only two against a beast... I have to go." He looks ready to start off after them. Seth- "Yeah they said it wasn't worth risking more people. I'd rather go, but the council would shit a brick I guess. You can go if you really want to, but I don't know how far it's gonna be... You sure, man?"
Ashley gave one more stare in their direction and then replied, huffing. "I'll go back with you." He seemed unhappy with the decision but Seth was too important to go, and certainly too important to return alone. He put his sword away and brought out his crowbar to get some blunt force trauma going for the zombies on the way back. "...We should hurry before it becomes too dark." He stared back at Colombia tower with certain tangible disappointment. Kyle and Ben discussed the creepiness a bit, with occasional input from Stevie. They returned to the 403 building about 4:30 PM.
Seth and Ashley had farther to go and were home about 5:30 PM.
Joe and Beau did not return, as expected, given that they seemed to be heading out of Seattle entirely...Seth strolled up into the Wild Wild West. What fuckin' bummer. He almost felt like grabbing a bike and going out to that place to look around himself after it cooled down. Beau went in by himself and saw a damn mummy! What else was there? But what if he did find a mummy, what then? No way would they let him go on some kind of cool quest. UGH!
He fixed himself some lunch and tried to stop worry and obsessing about the whole thing. Seth- "*sigh.*"
Thierry- "Monsieur President. Welcome home."
Seth- "Oh hey Thierry, thanks."
Thierry- "C'e n'est rien. So... You can leave out the details if you just give me the story, if you'd prefer..."
Seth- "Guh, it was kind of a flub. Note to selves-- don't shoot guns in giant towers of thousands of ghosts. Good news though-- Beau and Joe found some kind of weird creature that they're following, might lead to some clues. I wanted to go with but, y'know."
Thierry- "I know... ...So Joe and Beau are following something, to a place unknown. What if it sees them? What happens if they reach the destination? And what direction was it going?"
Seth- "Well, it was going south on the highway. Pretty sure it knew we were following it, and either didn't care, or was too stupid to care. I can't imagine where it's going, nothing much south of here other than what, Boeing field, Tukwilla... I don't think it's gonna get on an airplane..."
Thierry- "Well then, this seems like the best team you could have had on the job. Beau is a survival expert and Joe has a stronger self-preservation instinct - and both have military training."
Seth- "Yeah, that's a good point. I trust in them, Beau's gotten out of weirdly dangerous situations on his own, and if it needs to be shot, Joe seems good at doing that. I guess in a way you guys were right about me not going, but not because it was dangerous. It was just kinda a waste of time. It's a damn bummer, you know? I wanna see what's going on."
Thierry- "I know that you do... Well, shall I go interrogate Monsieur Cassius?"
Seth- "Heh, I dunno if those guys have recovered their hearing yet. That guy's hellbent on burning out all his senses one at a time. I wonder how long it takes eyebrows to grow back..."
Seth returned to his apartment, finding it empty but for pets. Pets- "..."
Seth- "..." Seth flopped on the sofa, staring off into the expanse of the nearly empty room. Wasn't many possessions to fill a place up, these days. Then he heard someone working the door. Bryce came in, and looked startled a moment, then closed the door behind himself. Bryce- "...er... So. Big day, huh?"
Seth- "Yeah I guess. Big for other people, anyway."
Bryce- "Really? Disappointed then...?"
Seth- "Yeah. Joe and Beau ran off after some kind of cool monster that'll probably lead to the secrets of the universe, and the gun bunnies lit up the building while the rest of us stood around like schmucks. I got to poke some kind of horrible abomination with a stick at least. It was like a wagon wheel of severed arms, pretty yucky. Anyway, not nearly as thrilling as I'd hoped, especially after that scene with the council. Sigh forever."
Bryce- "Christ, that's a half dozen crazy-ass things I've never heard of! What the hell happened?" He forced himself to walk to a seat and sat in it rigidly, staring at Seth. Seth- "Which part?"
Bryce- "Ya may as well start at the beginning!"
Seth started with Beau's admission, on to the terse council meeting, and moved through to the bizarre scenario at the building followed by Joe/Beau's monster chase. Bryce- "Christ. A blood monster with a Jansport backpack. What the fuck was that about? Damn."
Seth- "I know! UGH I wish I could be there!"
Bryce- "Are you trying to get my goat?"
Seth- "What? No... It's just-- if I'm gonna haul my ass out there after getting shit about it, I wanna be part of the action! You know? If there's mysteries to solve, I wanna be part of that Scooby gang already."
Bryce- "Ya don't think maybe the shit-givers had a point?"
Seth- "I dunno man. Ugh it just... it really puts me out to not be a part of things."
Bryce- "I'm tempted to keep on ya, but we've talked this into the ground. I guess I know what you mean."
Seth- "What if they do find the mummy HQ or whatever? Betcha I won't be allowed to even consider going. Ughhh...."
Bryce- "You can understand if I'm not too upset about that."
Seth- "Yeaah I guess I should stop bitching about that. Sometimes I just think this president stuff is for the birds. So maybe let's talk about cool mysteries instead. Freaky abominations! Mystery blood guys! It's pretty thrilling."
Bryce- "Yeah, I guess it is..."
Seth- "I dunno man, what do you wanna talk about?"
Bryce- "No, don't be silly. Talk about blood guys. What was that like again?"
Seth- "Well, I couldn't get a good look since I was just runnin' behind it over the car tops, but it was just dumpin' blood. Like, how does it have that much blood inside it? Don't you think it would run out? And what's in the bag?! Man. So exciting.
I really hope those guys are okay, and they come back to enlighten us on this mystery. Man, Beau is such a cool guy. He just went running after that thing all by himself with just the little dog. I don't think he even uses any kind of weapon. I don't know how he does it!"
Bryce- "I'm not sure why he does it. It's like he doesn't know what he wants, but he wants it real bad."
Seth- "It makes sense to me, y'see... if this was a movie or a video game, we'd just have to go find the mummies. That'd be the whole point of the thing!"
Bryce- "OK, OK, that I get. I just mean his hesitance to take out zombies. It's totally inconsistent with wanting to take out the mummies, ya know?"
Seth- "Hm, well-- fighting zombies is kind of a W.O.T you know? Just slow ya down and stuff."
Bryce- "I guess, but I ain't here to talk about Jean-Pierre Gandhi. Blood guys. What's the deal, really? How are they different from demon dead?" And so on! ...In one corner, Seth and Bryce ate quietly. Bryce- "..."
Seth- "..." Then Marie came into the room, trailing Edda & Ricky Eldred, and Tarina Marshall! Marie- "OK, we're almost there. Breanne?"
Breanne- "Yes?"
Marie- "These nice people would like a room in the 403 building. Can you help move them in?"
Breanne- "I'd be delighted! How's it going, everybody?"
Edda- "You really wanna know? Then we've got a story for you."
Ricky- "Aw, man..." They left to find a room and such. Breanne's first work after resuming her apartment manager job in the Z-P! Seth- "Whoa. Guess they didn't find the Christ-y Shangri-La they were looking for..."
Bryce- "Whatchu talkin' 'bout- Oh... Those were the peeps Tyrone was lamenting the loss of. Well, celebration, right?"
Seth- "Yeah, that's true. I don't think they seem like the type to be total shits about it. You know how some people are though."
Bryce- "Why do you think they're back, exactly? And I suppose it's telling they're looking for a room in this building..."
Seth- "Well... seems pretty obvious to me. They're the only ones back out of that group. Probably had a disagreement, or got kicked out."
Bryce- "And why would that happen? Think Tower 801 is infested with superfreaks?"
Seth- "Seems to be a thing to do these days."
Another time... 'Twas a knock at the door. Pets- "Hiss!" and "Arf!" They were answered by a bark from the hall. Bryce- "If it's my mom, ..." Seth answered it. Seth- "Word up."
Stevie- "Our boys are back!"
Seth- "Oh good! I'm guessing by the smile on your face that it's good then! Where are they?" He stepped aside and the dudes came into the room. Bryce sat up straight. Beau- "..."
Joe- "..." The door closed. Discussion was had. And plans formed!
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Post by ◊◊BLOODBEASTER◊◊ on Oct 11, 2016 20:09:01 GMT -8
Ashley was starting to feel human again, when there was a knock at the door. Who was it? Seth- "Ashley, hey. There's a big mission right now and we could use you, but we gotta talk first. Can I come in?"
Ashley looks paler than usual, but better than the morning before, and he seems happy to see Seth in spite of his previous outbursts. "...Please, come in. I am happy to help..I haven't... well, I have felt better this evening." He offers Seth, suddenly stumbling over his words. He appreciated the personal visit. He was uncharacteristically wearing a t-shirt and slacks, and socks inside rather than insisting on shoes as he often did. "...What has happened?" He asks, honestly enough. "Did they catch the blood creature?" Seth- "Well, I'm glad you're feeling better, because the evening ain't here yet, and we might be spending it all the way down in Tukwila... The blood guy was shot by some concerned citizens before it got where it was going, but it used to be a security guard at Southcenter Mall, so that's where we're going." He came inside and sat/leaned on the back of the couch. He looked at Ashley earnestly. Seth- "I'd like you to come, but Kyle's going too, and I really need you two to get along better. Do you think you can do that?"
Ashley- "He tried to help in a date rape, and wants to use demon magic. I don't see a lot to like in him, but I will avoid conflict with him if it will make you happy, Clemens, sir."
He seemed to feel very, very uncomfortable speaking of this, and puts his hands in his pockets instead. He admittedly didn't even like saying the word 'rape' when it had to do with men, it just felt odd, but it came out none the less.
"...Why /is/ he going?" He asks, the question seems less spiteful and more earnest on his part, though thinking about Kyle made his bile rise a little. Mr. Friskers seemed to enjoy having guests in the room, Ashley was such a grump it was rare to have visitors, but he made a best effort to cover Seth's legs in cat hair and make friendly bruuu-ing noises, staring at him with blank yellow eyes. "...Bruu?" Seth acknowledged the cat with a little look. If it hopped up within reach, he'd pet him. Seth- "I don't think he was behind that situation at El Corazon any more than anybody. And nobody didn't do anything they didn't want to, as far as I'd heard. Anyhow, he's been really helpful to us. He's kinda like Nat, but able to fight and stuff. Are you really going to be able to do this?"
Ashley- "Alex was pretty drunk, and he thanked me afterwards." He says simply, and then sighs.
Ashley- "...Clemens, Sir, I respect you greatly. This is important, so I will help you in this, but if this and future battles against the wicked forces are going to rely on magic, then I will help you this once before going on my way.
I see things are changing. I cannot live by compromising my morals, any more than I can leave people helpless. I won't run from this fight, but if I have to, I'll fight the Mummy myself. I'm not afraid of that. You can trust me to obey and help you today, and any day I serve you." He kneels in front of Seth, and inclines his head down in service. "I know you are making the best choice for the people here. You lead well." He looks pale, but smiles slightly as he looks up at him. It seems to mean a lot to him, at least, to acknowledge this.
Seth- "I appreciate your loyalty Ashley. We're not going to do anything if we aren't sure about its effects and safety... Anyway, I guess we should get going." He headed to the door and glanced back before leaving. Seth- "Pack light, keep your guns packed away deep. We don't want to draw a lot of monsters this time. Meet us at the bike pile in the alley."
Ashley- "I won't burden myself down, and I'll meet you soon. I will be on my best behavior, Clemens." He gets up, slowly, and then looks for the rest of his things so that he can go on the mission.The brave heroes gathered at the bike pile behind 403 for the mummy hunt! The food sickness sufferers had packed bread to fill their stomachs as the hollowness gradually turned to hunger. People had water, food, and weapons.
The first to arrive were Beau and Chou, followed by Seth, Thierry, Stevie, and Marie.
Thierry and Marie were just there to see the others off.
Stevie- "More of this kinda stuff... Excitin'."
Thierry- "That it is."
Beau- "..."
Marie- "Seth. This is too much. Going to Tukwila?"
Seth- "Well, um, yeah. This is for real, I need to know what's going on out there."
Marie- "We can't have our president in constant danger like this. With all the weird enclaves out there, we need stability."
Seth- "Aw man, it's just... I never get to do this kind of thing!"
Marie- "How can you be excited for this--?"
Thierry- "Marie."
Marie- "--OK. We need to resolve this, though. We can't have our president be a giant mortal question mark, like Schrodinger's cat."
Seth- "We have to find out everything we can. Who knows what thing these monsters are planning next? We have to be proactive. It's not like we're going off to cruise the world or something. Beau and Joe got down there and back on foot. It's not a big deal..."
Stevie- "Yeah, what the hell are you gettin' at?"
Marie- "I don't know, Stevie... Seth, you have to admit, it's dangerous. You don't have to go personally. Do you not trust other people to succeed?"
Seth- "Ugh well, yeah of course I do. These guys will go discover the secrets of the universe and do the final battle with the mummies while I sit at home. I mean, I'm not dumb, I won't get into trouble..." Joe and Kyle showed up.
Joe- "'Sup?"
Beau- "'Allo."
Kyle- "Hey."
Marie- "Right. We'll talk about it if you get back."
Stevie- "That's cold as hell, Marie. Take it back."
Marie- "Fine, when."
Seth- "*sigh*" Marie went back inside. Thierry made a soulful expression at el presidente and followed. Joe- "Just waiting on Ben, then? Cool. Hey, how is everybody? Ready for this?" Finally Ben arrived, with a utility belt full of flares and duct tape and a knife for making a flare-stick if needed. Plus bread and water and some candy he'd been saving. He looked at everyone waiting for him. Ben- "OK, I'm here. Is this everyone?" Ben went to grab his preferred bicycle.
Stevie- "Now it is! We're ready to rock."
Becky- "Hey."
Stevie- "Bah! Where did you come from?"
Becky- "I'd say 'hell' just to be sassy, but you'd probably start chopping me up. That's what the pamphlet says, right?"
Joe- "If you're going to come, can you not make ghoulish jokes please?"
Becky- "Fair enough. But what should I say if I'm tempted?"
Stevie- "Just make a joke like the Cryptkeeper! That guy always had me in.. STITCHES. Ha-ha!"
Joe- "Now that is exactly what I was asking her not to do."
Kyle- "Lighten up, stretch."
Seth- "Wow, Becky? You're going to go? Well, I know you're healed up now but... you're into this kind of thing?"
Becky- "I don't even know what you guys are doing, but I'm into it, sure." She joined the people getting on bicycles.
Seth- "Well I know you have the dope Aikido styles. Maybe you can get a mummy in a headlock!"
Becky- "I don't want to have to fight all the women just because. Have the blonde guy do it."
Kyle- "wut"
Mummy? Mommy? Ben decided to get in on the jokes.
Ben- "That mummy is a total MILK. Mummy I'd Like to Kill." Not Kiss. Because that would be awful. Stevie- "I get it, haha. Nasty."
Kyle- "Like 'Mommy, Can I Go Out and Kill Tonight?' by the Misfits, yeah?"
Becky- "...and I'm lost..."
Patti- "More like 'From Hell They Came'."
Kyle- "Post-Glenn? Oh hell no..." The people took off! In a sensible world, the fastest way to I-5 would have been Mercer. But construction and traffic jams left that even harder to pass than the next one south...
They headed up Denny as if they were going back to El Corazon, then turned on Yale, following the street signs to I-5 south. They had to keep the bikes single file to get around the wall o' cars, but somehow managed to get onto the highway without needing to stop to haul all of the bikes over an obstruction. Of course, they put down or dodged several zombies along the way.
Then they were on the highway! It was unbelievable and strange, the feeling that they were going to leave Seattle, after all this time. Cars almost completely blocked the road, causing some awkward scrapes as they pushed between the outermost wreck and the barricade. In many spots, trees and vines grew out over the road as well, forcing them to push through.
Three red-tailed hawks had found a broken windshield and were eating something from inside the car. They glared at the humans, and when Joe got close, one shrieked at him, with a sound straight out of the movies.
Where you are: goo.gl/maps/5IeXF The obstacles worked in Ben's favour, as anything that slowed down the others made it easier for him to keep up. He thought about asking some questions, but he didn't think he could keep up a conversation anyway. And trying to talk to someone on a bicycle in front or behind never really worked, did it? Ben- "*huff huff*"
Becky- "Pretty birds. That has to be good luck, Joe."
Joe- "They were eating a dead person, Becky."
Kyle- "That's a popular thing to do these days." The highway journey continued. They went beneath overpasses, through barbed thickets of sweet smelling blackberries. Ben tried to remember if he was allergic to bees or not, as huge fluffy bumblebees wove through the vines clumsily. Trapped zombies waved from cars, looking as if they thought the passers by would come to help them. They went through a dark tunnel, though the bright daylight at either end made danger easy enough to avoid. They walked further, and came to a deeper, darker tunnel.
Still, they kept on. For some reason they found themselves being extra quiet in the tunnel, then speaking up again as they reached the other side. The first thing they saw as they emerged was one of the hawks from before, flying low overhead, being harassed by a dozen crows. The noise was impressive. Stevie- "It's Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom in this joint."
Seth- "I wonder if we could train one of those to fight for us..."
Beau- "Le fauconnier? I think there are too many zombie, not enough falcons. If we talk to the birds, why not the pigeons for delivering messages?"
Seth- "Yeeesss... I like the way you think."
Ashley watches the hawks and tries to keep from frowning or scowling at anyone or anything. He seems particularly...genuinely more chipper as he attacks the zombies though.
Otherwise he on high alert and sticks close to the others to avoid holding them back. Ashley- "It's quieter than I thought out here." He remarks calmly.
Joe- "Yeah, I guess it could be worse." goo.gl/maps/dvvIx
After a little while, they were nearing familiar territory. They passed the Columbia Tower and were able to see ahead the stretch where tall buildings subsided and urban sprawl began. Ben, Ashley, and Patti were at least familiar enough with the Puget Sound area to know this sight meant they were heading south out of Seattle for sure, though for several more miles it would still be considered Seattle. The first city they'd encounter after that: Tukwila...
Now the only hawks they could see were circling very high above. Pigeons, crows, house sparrows, and seagulls scavenged the cars, competing with rats and raccoons from below. The rats were sometimes uncomfortably close, but the raccoons stayed well back from the fighters.
They found the blood trail, old footprints from the blood guy's pursuers smeared into it irregularly. Ashley- "What was that thing, after all?" He asked, looking at the bloody tracks. It was convincingly concerning that it was able to move so far with so much blood. They had several liters, but it was still impressive. He leaned close to examine the tracks, and then continued onwards to avoid being left behind. He was mostly quiet and alert now, though he had never been much of a conversationalist. He stuck nearest to Patti and Seth whenever possible.
Joe- "Just some kinda kooky blood guy, I guess. One in the dome seemed to work. Still don't get what the blood was about. It must've had an unlimited supply to spray everywhere, but why would it need that, aside from just being disgusting?" The stuff didn't smell like much, and did look like blood, so it was hard to say anything about it with a passing examination.
During this brief pause, Ben finally got to ask the question that had been gnawing at his brains ever since he'd heard about the blood guy getting shot: Ben- "So what was in the backpack?" "What's in the box? What's in the box?!"
Beau- "I do not want to think about this..."
Joe- "Dead things. Nothing significant, man." They kept on, and when they were past downtown altogether, Joe started talking loudly enough for everyone to hear.
Joe- "OK, listen up guys. It's about time I explained a few things about what's going on and what happened. Can y'all hear me?"
Becky- "A-hyup, cowpoke."
Joe- "Yeah, anyhow... We went to Columbia Tower the other day and there were these creepy things made out of arms. Those couldn't have happened accidentally, like a zombie or ghost. Someone stuck those arms together, and it was probably a mummy."
"On the way out, Beau and I ended up pursuing a strange undead guy with an unlimited supply of blood, ignoring us and walking like a sprinkler down the highway here. A few things suggest it was some kind of messenger for the mummies. One, it ignored us and marched tirelessly after an unseen goal. Two, it had a symbol on its head, painted in blood. Looked like an Egyptian thing, so probably our Gutless Boy."
Kyle- "That I didn't know about. What did the symbol look like?"
Joe- "Sorry, didn't hear you?" Kyle was pretty quiet. He tried to speak up. Kyle- "What did the symbol look like?"
Joe- "Kind of a dog head."
Kyle- "Anubis, a god of mummification and shit."
Joe- "OK. Anyhow, we got a little ways into Tukwila and some well-meaning jerks shot the messenger. We examined the body and found out it was made from a security guard at Southcenter Mall. The thing was headed in that direction, which means it's possible there's a mummy there. Right now."
"The men who killed the blood guy told us we have something bad to worry about down here aside from mummies. Vampires have recently come to Tukwila from down south. They couldn't tell us much about them, except that where they go, it turns into all out war - Humans hunt vampires in the day, and are hunted by vampires at night.
"They weren't even consistent about telling us whether wooden stakes or head shots were any good, but they were pretty sure the things can pass for human at a glance, fly, and have heightened strength. They recommended staying extremely well-hidden at night. So that's what we'll have to do after we take care of our business with the mummy."
Stevie- "Hot damn! Hey, back this up a minute. Kyle, you said something about Anubis. We know a German mummy goes by Osiris. Ya think Gutless Boy maybe goes by the name Anubis?"
Kyle- "Shit, maybe. We don't know yet, but if yeah, maybe it says something about the numbers of the mummies. I don't think there's much more than a few dozen Egyptian gods." Ben thought for a moment about what he'd just been told. Ben- "Body parts then? Why would the mummy need someone to deliver body parts to anywhere? You'd think they'd have plenty wherever they are." Because of killing the locals, not because of deliveries. Perhaps the body parts had just been the blood guy's personal belongings, and not something he'd been sent to get? Or had there been something special about those body parts, connected to the Columbia Tower and/or the mummy? Ben decided to keep it in mind for the future, but it didn't seem likely that he'd ever find the answer.
Kyle- "Probably something special about them, like they were prepared with magic, or belonged to someone rare... Or maybe they have some use for bodies we'd rather not think about, and it's like... vintage or something, and you gotta be a nasty body part connoisseur to tell the good stuff."
Becky- "Waiter, I'll have the severed things nast-ay, vintage three weeks ago." Ashley vaguely remembered the names of Egyptian Gods, but little else. He didn't know much about them, but didn't both have to do with Death? Weren't there Sun Gods and other things those people believed in? He wondered if it was reality or if they had somehow made it so for their benefit. There couldn't be real Egyptian Gods hanging around somewhere were they?
Ashley kept his thoughts to himself for the time being, he didn't remember enough about his Egyptian lore, or the situation to contribute much. He didn't know what anyone would contribute by making a sprinklerpath of blood and carrying body parts, unless they were someone special in there. It didn't seem to be so. Ashley "Someone for a special spell maybe, if that's what they do." He offers grimly.
Joe- "I hope they don't have anything else special in mind, spell- wise, because they've kicked our asses enough already."
Ben- "Well, since we're apparently heading into vampire territory to stay the night, I can only assume that we'll also be just in time to stop the mummy's magic."
Stevie- "Hell yeah. Like a bad-ass movie." Ben wasn't particularly pleased about the sudden news of vampires. Why had that been kept a secret? Had it been to prevent Marie from making even more of a fuss about President Seth? Or had Joe just figured that since they had to go anyway, it wouldn't have done any good to warn anyone ahead of time? And Ben guessed that it really wouldn't have done any good, because they didn't know squat about fighting vampires, so they wouldn't have known how to prepare anyway. Seth- "Back up, I can hardly follow this all... Vampires? Really? That might have been good to know 'cause we could've brought some garlic bread or something."
Joe- "I'm sorry. We knew we were going, so it didn't feel necessary to explain everything until we were on the way and had time to kill anyhow... And those guys weren't very fucking informative."
Seth- "Well shit, what kills vampires? Silver bullets? Guess we should've been melting down all those candlesticks."
Ashley- "I brought guns but limited ammunition, and we all have something sharp. Besides that, I am not sure how they will be killed. I assume it will not be as easy as stakes, though pinning them might slow them down for a time." He offers with a sigh.
The fighters rounded the westward bend of the highway. Tukwila was in sight, but the mall was still a good hike away. The bicycles made the trip a lot easier than it had been for Joe and Beau on the way out. They saw smoke coming off the highway in the distance. Some cars were on fire. Becky pointed out some less obvious smoke rising from down in the valley - random fires at different locations around Tukwila. Beau- "I remember this from before... We did not see these fires, but the men on the highway. They say a vampire may sleep in a car."
Joe- "Yeah, I bet that's vampires burning." The houses were too far away to see anything about. The closest houses showed no sign of residence, but given they'd have to be fully camouflaged from vampires at night, there'd be no reason to flaunt yourself in the day either. ((I totes wanna move on, but occupado. Back in a while.)) Kyle- "Huh. Weird place to hide. Guess if the day is on your ass and you were running around up to the last minute, you'd hide just anywhere."
Becky- "I guess they really are just straight-up destroyed by light. Punk bitches..." The guys looked down on Tukwila and could tell the city still had a lot of zombies. The closer they got to the mall, the more obvious it was. Getting in would require some kind of strategy, to avoid drawing thousands of zombies down on one's head. The road signs indicated the best exit for Southcenter Mall was coming up very soon. Joe- "Hell of a mob down there. I wonder how we should get into the mall? Fast and furious, banking on their short memories to let us get in without getting trapped, or through some kind of stealth?"
Stevie- "All that open parking lot between us and the mall, I don't see how we could possibly sneak in. Any ideas, guys?"
Seth- "Why don't we just do real good zombie impressions? Like that part in Shaun of the Dead. Isn't that even in our flyer? Has anyone ever tried it?"
Seth- "Why don't we just do real good zombie impressions? Like that part in Shaun of the Dead. Isn't that even in our flyer? Has anyone ever tried it?"
Patti- "To hear Dr. Bebe tell it, you'd have to be some Super-Method, Ultra-Badass Heath Ledger motherfucker to pull that off. But I don't know if anyone's ever tried it. Maybe we could practice it a bit up here on the highway where we can control how many shamblers we have coming at us. Just a thought. Feels pretty silly, but if it works we can laugh about it later."
"Next best thought is the sewer. Pardon the pun, but that sounds like a pretty shitty option. And I'm pretty sure we'd just get lost down there."
Kyle- "Plus if vampires don't actually need to sleep or lose powers in the day, but just have to avoid burning, it could be hella dangerous down there. Let's get all Marlon Brando in this piece." ((The best way to experiment would be to find some zombies you could surprise, walk by them, and see how it went. You can leave your bikes on the guard rail and shamble down the highway a bit, and when you've gone past a few cars with zombies that didn't see your approach, you can see how they rated your performance.
Roll d20, no penalties or bonuses. If you had to act like pleasant human beings or charm someone, some peeps would have modifiers. This is more physical, and y'all have seen thousands of zombies by now. So get into it!
In other things, Brett should post his "People Pot Pies" poem in the writing section.)) Patti- "I coulda been somethin'." Patti propped her bike up against a stopped vehicle and cocked her head to the side in her best zombie Brando impression and shambled down the highway. She figured if anyone went in front of her, she might end up laughing and blowing her cover.((I'll post results when all have checked in.))
Peeps tried to get their zombie on...
Kyle- "..."
Becky- "...*keeheehee*..."
Joe- "*derrrp*"
Stevie- "*buhhh*"
Kyle stumbled over himself and tried to recover by making it look like a zombie mistake, but moved too quickly and had a zombie swiping at him. Becky got the giggles and gave them to Joe. Fools be crazy from the heat.While people were getting ready, Ben voiced his opinion. Ben- "Not that I want to pee on the Thespian parade, but why don't we just have one or two quick guys lure the zombies away somewhere? The rest of us could just hide somewhere else while the zombies walk by. And then there wouldn't be a horde of zombies greeting us when we have to retreat after having made a lot of noise that attracted all the ghosts inside, and all the zombies outside." Though he had been curious regarding how well he'd be able to fool a horde of zombies into thinking he was one of them. So he too got in on the zombie walk, holding his bokken by the 'blade' to prevent it from dragging along the ground. Because while that would be pretty cool, it would probably make every zombie take an extra look at him just because of the noise. And that he could do without. Ashley- "Grraarr?" He stumbled around wondering why the hell they were trying something from a movie. The afternoon sun the world hot and still. It boiled particles loose from the wall of cars, putting an artificial smell in the air, underlying the errant strains of choking petrol burn and death. Shining iridescent flies buzzed in the air. To one side, wild trees mostly concealed the tall hill from view. To the other, Tukwila lay low and grey - so paved over and developed that no trees could hide the damage of humanity lingering there. The effort of the journey had people a little loopy, as perhaps did the crazy feeling of being somewhere other than Seattle after all this time.
Patti went first, shambling past a line of cars. Seth hopped the guard rail and hid nearby, watching the cars for reaction. A zombie looked at her, waved its arm briefly, then went back to staring at the distant smoke rising. He considered what that might mean, and crept along, looking at the zombies in other cars.
He looked back in annoyance at the kids screwing it up. Joe, of all people? Whatever.
Next Stevie came around the pile of goofballs and shambled by. Ben chatted with Joe and company for a moment before giving it a go himself, then Ashley. Beau just held Chou out of the way. Seth kept making his observations. Above, Steller's Jays flew through the canopy like oversized shuriken tossed by a blue-themed ninja clan. They were uncharacteristically quiet.
Patti and the others formed up and strolled back past the zombies in people mode, and the things grasped uselessly at the air, not knowing how to operate their seatbelts, or otherwise trapped. Seth hopped back onto the highway, and everyone got back together. Seth- "Yeah, I don't know. I don't think you have to be Brando, but it's slow. We'll try the fast guy distraction, using the bikes." At the offramp, they had a big hassle. Aggressive drivers had clogged the shoulders to where they had to pull the bikes over the tops of cars. The sides of the offramp were covered in extremely tall grass and blackberry bushes infiltrated the cars for a way. Shy wrens made weird buzzing calls and white-crowned sparrows sang noisily from short trees.
On Southcenter Parkway, they finally had sidewalk again. Tall grass and overgrown trees couldn't do much to obscure the super-wide multi-lane roads. They bicycled a car-clogged grey river. Partway down, they saw a terrible thing.
A black bear paused from its zombie-eating to glare at them as they passed. The victim wiggled pathetically in the driver's seat of a humvee. The beast had pulled off an arm with a good chunk of the chest and began to eat right there on the hood.
Becky- "*sigh* I guess it'll have to be me. Looks like that zombie just couldn't bear the Tukwila traffic."
Patti- "I think you've got the right of it, Seth. If we try to shamble all the way to the mall building, we won't get there until it's basically already dark."
She thought for a moment.
"Do we think we have time to check out the mall before calling it a night? Because maybe we should just find a place to crash now and check it out in the morning. If the mummy's holed up in the mall, that's the last place we want to be when night falls." Ben knew why waiting wasn't an option. Ben- "The mummy could also get moving at any time. That's why we're rushing in here like this. I wonder if he's aware that his blood guy got shot down? And if he is, is he making another? Or did he already cut his losses and got moving? Or was it just something he did because he could, and it's really not that important?
We don't know, but if the mummy is still waiting for the blood guy to return, he might not wait that much longer." Was the mummy even at the mall in the first place? Maybe that's just where he went to shop for dead bodies? Ben hoped not, because searching the entire town would not work. Patti- "Hmm, good points, Ben. I guess we need to see what's going on tonight, in case they decide to move along over night or in the morning. Still, losing messengers can't be an uncommon occurrence for them, so it seems unlikely that there would be a big deal made about this one disappearing." He seemed relatively undisturbed by the nature scene, but not keen to stick around either. He looked down at his watch. Seth- "Good thinking everybody, hm... About six hours til the sun sets completely. The bikes really helped getting out here quick. Uh, could you...?" Stevie and Joe went ahead onto the overpass that led to the mall, and destroyed some zombies while the others plotted. Stevie cut the tops of heads off with his katana, and Joe kicked them over the edge to Interstate 405 below. Seth looked up at the mall, now visible in front of them as they rolled their bikes onto the overpass behind the fighting guys. He seemed annoyed. Seth- "On second thought, let's do the zombie walk." The mall parking lot was full of zombies. The things were slow enough and crowd dynamics were such that it seemed luring them away would require buzzing them repeatedly, corralling, and other difficulties. The zombie walk - if it succeeded - would be quicker. Seth- "I watched you guys do it, and I think it's easier than Dr. Bebe said. Just avoid eye contact and move slow, like when you don't want to get noticed or beat up by humans. We leave the bikes on the bridge here.
We have two radios, so we'll do two teams. If it gets messed up, try to stay with your team, and either fall back, or run and hide in the mall - whichever makes sense depending on how far you got.
When we get inside, go to the first shady-looking spot on the left, and hide there until we can all group up. If one group is in and the other is out, we'll use the radios to plan the next move.
I'll take Stevie, Kyle, Ben, and Beau on my team, the rest of you guys on team two. Don't touch a gun until you're inside, and even then think twice about it. Let's not use flares until we're well inside as well. Remember we can impale ghosts too, if we have long enough weapons.
This is it, dudes. Patti, you have the radio. Anything anyone wants to say before we get funky?" ((Wording subject to change as Kelly becomes available. He's working on comics again. Anyhow, Seth is his character and I'm putting words in his mouth just to move things along, for the moment. But the substance will be the same, so go ahead and respond to it.))(Sounds fine to me! Thx bro ---Kelly)
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