Fantasy The Liberated

[housekat]

"I do get headaches related to my powers, yes. But those much much worse then the one I have now." The headache wasn't particularly demanding, just annoying. "I'm prone to random aches." Her words slur a bit. She lets out a tired laugh and pulls some aspirin out of her pocket. Her hand is shaking as she tosses one in her mouth and swallows it. Okay, so maybe it wasn't quite as simple as 'random aches', but that's a problem for another day. "Oh! While I'm remembering, this house is large. You can pick a room here until everyone arrives. Unless you want to go find an empty house around the neighborhood. Though..." Her voice trails off before picking up again. "There's still... people lying around the house." Nobody was there to pick up the corpses after people were dropping like flies. Rinon hadn't traveled far outside of the house so she could only imagine what it was like. It was starting toward the warmer months in California, so the the dead bodies would have to be taken care of before then to prevent disease and smells. She shivers as she remembers having to take her rotting family outside of the house to bury them. She could remember the way their glazed eyes stared up at her, the way the flies and bugs had gotten inside, the liquid pooling into their backs, the smell oh god the smell...


She shakes her head, stimulating her headache, but discarding the memories.


@Alexander9223

 

[Caffeine Freak]

"How do you know I won't just shoot you right now and loot you?"

"Just a hunch." Rick replied with a shrug of the shoulderplates. "But really, would that be any way to thank your knight in shining armor?"


He paused for a moment.


"No pun intended."


In truth, dying nowadays was more of a mild inconvenience to Rick. His existence was spent on the brink of exhaustion, quite literally carrying the weight of his sins. Gambling with his life became the norm, after all, he wasn't too sour to the concept of losing.


"As soon as you make up your mind," Rising from the chair, he reached for the door. "Now would probably be a good time to set off."

 

[Alexander9223]

He would be seemingly be more worried about her constant minor headaches, but he couldn't be concerned about that right now he realized he had work to do. He wanted to ask the girl if she was alright, which reminded him he didn't know her name. "I'm Alexander by the way." After a few minutes he went outside to gather his things and put them in a room inside of the house before he found a shovel and went back outside to find an open area and began to dig 6 foot deep holes into the ground, before he stopped and went around the neighborhood to count each body before he went back with an exact number beginning to dig graves again for every single person. He would begin to build coffins for each person the next day but today he would finish graves for all the bodies.


@verifiedkat

 

[razzledazzle66]

Misty sighed and took another swing of water. She swung her rifle onto her back and walked out with the man. She looked around to see all the sick and injured people and wonder how she had not ended up like that yet. 'Must be my visions?' She thought as they walked out the door. She looked to the man as he walked. 'Does he just walk around in that all the time?' She thought as she stepped in front of him to stop him. "I never got your name. Thank you for saving me. I am Misty May, but you can call me M&M." She giggled at the nickname she had always gone by. She use to always get made fun of for being called the name of a candy, but after everyone started dying and she never heard it, she decided it wasn't a bad thing. It meant that people thought about her. She looked to the man blushing a bit. "Or just Misty." She said looking down slightly embarrassed. @Caffeine Freak

 

[Caffeine Freak]

"M&M, huh?" Rick chuckled, a noise that sounded more like a lion being tickled than an outburst Of amusement. "Name's Maverick Jaivier, or just 'Rick', if ya prefer." He noticed the girl staring at his armor, but didn't comment on it. After a few moments of walking in silence, he stopped. "Hold up." He muttered, staring ahead. Figures began emerging from the alley, peppering the path ahead. "I don't like the look of those guys." He breathed.


Pivoting, he turned around - only to face the pathway they had just come blocked by another gang of figures.


"You said you knew you could fight.. didn't ya?" Rick breathed nervously. "Maybe they're in a negotiable mood?" he added hopefully.


@Dkingow

 

[razzledazzle66]

Misty chuckled. "Yeah they want me and will kill you. That sounds negotiable right?" She mumbled as she pulled her EBR around. "What do you want?" She yelled not in the mood to be nice. She remembered her vision from the day ago. It was this same area, and there was another girl by the ally. She remembered the time of day and compared it to now. "They killed her." She said softly realizing that it was later then her vision. "They killed a young girl." She said a bit louder waiting for an answer. @Caffeine Freak

 

[Ch3rryBlossom28]

A small smile formed on Izzy's lips. "Born and raised in Arizona. My parents are from Russia. I'm the first generation born in the states." As they walked she glanced up at the man beside her. He was much taller than her and built like he could handle himself. She quickly moved her eyes away from him to their surroundings. So far there wasn't much commotion. This man was the only person who she had seen for miles...well person who was alive. "How about you, where are you from? Oh and my name is Isabelle but you can call me Izzy." Since they were going to the same place she mine as well tell him her name.


@Redrobinwing

 

[Caffeine Freak]

Misty chuckled. "Yeah they want me and will kill you. That sounds negotiable right?" She mumbled as she pulled her EBR around. "What do you want?" She yelled not in the mood to be nice. She remembered her vision from the day ago. It was this same area, and there was another girl by the ally. She remembered the time of day and compared it to now. "They killed her." She said softly realizing that it was later then her vision. "They killed a young girl." She said a bit louder waiting for an answer.

One of the figures stepped forward. A pale, skinny man with tattered clothes and sharp features spoke up. "Neither of you are from around here. But we've seen your kind before. Stumbling through the desert, muttering about some spell that's going to save you. Hell, a little girl came wandering around past these parts just before you, said she found a way to bring her parents back. She got the same treatment that we give all the lunatics here." The man gestured with his pistol to the side of his skull.


Rick bristled, unslinging his MG-3. He turned his head slightly towards Misty. "How'd you.. know that?"


The figures began producing assorted weaponry. Who they were was now apparent. Junkies, street rats, refugees and punks. "How typical can it get?" Rick muttered, before speaking up. "Yeah, I'm looking for the spell or whatever you're talking about, but this girl doesn't know anything about it. Let her go first."


The pale man smiled. "As if we'd let rats slip the net. You're both going to spill what you know"


Did he just call us the rats? Rick contemplated, turning back to Misty. "Don't suppose you're the planning type?"

 

[razzledazzle66]

Misty's world seemed to stop. She seemed to just freeze for a few seconds, but to her it was the next 10 minutes played out 20 different ways. She watched all the combinations and figured out a plan of attack. "Take the two on the right first then throw your knife towards the guy on the far left about 5 feet further too the left. Then turn around and shoot the guy in the middle in the head. I will take the leader and clean up." She whispered as her eyes glassed over. She was blind now and all she could see was darkness, but as long as he moved like she saw, she knew exactly where to go. She dropped to the ground and yelled "NOW!" as she aimed at the leaders legs shooting them both in the knees before shooting his weapon out of his hand. She then turned around and took out the guys to the left of the man in the middle leaving him and the right to Maverick, if he did what she said.

 

[Redrobinwing]

Nate offered a kind smile as the woman spoke. She seemed rather polite, which was a nice change of pace from the usual dangerous encounters he had with people. Sure, the situation was still dangerous, in fact he still wasn't positive this was all a trap, but right now the conversation was nice to have. Red seemed to enjoy another friendly human too, considering he had started panting and wagging his tail again. Isabelle introduced herself and broke Nathan from his thoughts. "Born in L.A., raised in L.A." He responded with a slight sigh. The sight of his home being abandoned and broken made Nate frown a little, but he pushed it aside when he realized that he'd forgotten to introduce himself. "Nathan, or, Nate. It's nice to meet you Isabelle."





@Ch3rryBlossom28

 

[Eric Hayes]

The building was a tall lean skyscraper covered in balconies, a nice change of pace from the little boxes that filled the San Diego suburbs. It had been an old hotel run by a natural gas company in a former life, which was certainly helpful to the early settlers who powered the hotel with the natural gas underneath. Supposedly the place was the home of a “Grand functioning society” with “an old world styled economy,” but Stephen knew that was in this places past. The reek gave that away. The radio promised a fully stocked bar, with a plantation on the roof and a large generator that kept the place lit up 24/7/.


"Wonder if it was ever that way Suzanne." Stephen parked the car outside. Blame the apocalypse for a lot, but parking was easy now.


The windows on the top few floor were smashed out and Stephen had to walk past a corpse to get into the building. Just more proof. Wielding a heavy wrench, he cautiously passed the dilapidated lobby of the Electra, unfortunately Stephen had to use his flashlight, meaning the power was working. As he reached for the stairs he noticed a large mass of flesh on the middle landing. Jesus. The place reeked and he had found out why, three bloated corpses. They had the black bulges pertruding from their armpits and their mouths were dry as stone. The bug got ‘em. It was the most likely situation, most of the survivors still aren't immune and those who are probably would want to get out of dodge.

 

[housekat]

Rinon beamed. "My name is Rinon. It's nice to meet you in person." She smiles. He disappeared into a room to put down his stuff but then walked outside with a determined look. What is he doing? she thinks, then she notices the shovel. "Wait! I'll help!" Skittering outside, she looks at the graves he was digging. "There's no need to do it on your own!" An exasperated look crosses her features. Her red hair trailing behind her, she walks into the house.


When she comes back outside, she's wearing tennis shoes, old pants, a worn t-shirt, and has a shovel in hand. She digs the spade into the tough ground of the lawn and starts digging a grave, a determined fire lit in her eyes.


@Alexander9223

 

[Ch3rryBlossom28]

"Nate huh." He was definitely going to be useful if he was from here. It meant he knew his way around this place. The walk there was pretty disappointing. Because LA used to be such a heavily populated area she was expecting more people to survive but the streets were eriely quiet. So when Izzy heard movement other than their own, her first instinct was to use her fire but just as fast as that thought came it went away. Nate was here and she wasn't about to give away her ace in the whole. Instead she decided to pull out and arrow and loaded her bow. Hearing the steps again she swiveled around and aimed her bow at the bushes between two of the houses and fired. She heard a grunt but no body fall. "I was wondering if we were going to meet someone. In one of the cities in Arizona they had men who like to sit out in the suburbs and try and take small groups out." Being in calli she was expecting to see more people like them. Izzy cautiously started walking towards where she shot and heard the grunt. She knew the person as still alive, after all she didn't have that good of aim. Walking up behind the bush she found no body, but she did spot some drops of blood on the ground signaling that she hit someone. Turning back round Izzy went to go back to Nate."We should be careful moving out from.." She heard the click of a gun behind her. "Drop the bow." A man with a deep voice said. Izzy inwardly cursed and dropped her bow. Of course the day she meets someone sane is the day she gets caught off guard by a savage.


(I'm assuming since it's LA that there are more than usual survivors compared to smaller towns)

 

[Caffeine Freak]

Maverick hoped his trust was well placed. His machine gun crackled, spitting volleys of hot lead at the two thugs Misty told him to take down. As he did so, a guy on the left began running for cover. Rick slipped his bowie knife from its sheath and hurled it at the runner, leading it by what he deemed to be five feet. Sure enough, the knife struck home in his chest - the thug collapsed and rolled across the street. Switching round, he dropped his machine gun and produced his handgun. Through the bullet sparks ricocheting off his helmet, Rick managed to squeeze the trigger while keeping the sights zeroed on his final target. With one last crack, the bullet zipped through the armed street rat's skull, who dropped to the ground, with a satisfying splat.


Panting, Rick lowered his gun. "I'll be damned," He said quietly, taking in his surroundings. In ten seconds flat, the scene turned from surrounded by gangsters to rows of corpses laid out on the debris and the remainder running for their lives. "y'are the planning type!" He exclaimed triumphantly, reaching down for his MG and slinging it back over his shoulder. "That'll teach 'em no good punks to mess with-" His celebration was cut off as he turned back to Misty, who's eyes - somewhat ironically - had turned misty. "You alright?" He called worryingly, jogging over. Before he could reach her, he was cut off.


"E-East" A voice croaked from behind a ruined sofa sprawled in the street. Rick ambled over, and the pale, scrawny guy came into view - both his kneecaps blown out and leaking blood. "East" He croaked again. "That's what the- the little girl told us." Moaning, he rolled over and clutched his knee, but continued, "Travel East and.. a-and.. and..." and he passed out. "Hey! Wake up! And- what?" Rick crouched down and started shaking him, to no avail. With a sigh, he rolled him aside and stood up, returning to Misty. "What happened? Did one of them get ya in the eye?"


@Dkingow

 

[Alexander9223]

He paused to look at her as she dug with a spade, he began to laugh at her. She was trying to dig a grave with a spade and it was adorable in an odd way considering how weak she seemed compared to himself at least, the first time he had actually laughed in a few years even before the plague. "You're ridiculous trying to dig a grave with a shovel like that, you should just rest and let me do it." He said trying to persuade her so she didn't harm herself or physically exert herself.


@verifiedkat

 

[razzledazzle66]

@Dkingow[/URL]

Misty looked away as she walked over to where she heard the guy. She looked him dead in the eyes, even though she couldn't see them. "I already know that." She said putting her pistol to his head. "But so did that little girl who you killed. So I am going to kill you just like you did. And if you think I don't know then you are mistaken." She said taking a knife and putting it next to his throat. He started to protest as she slide the blade slowly accorss his next making a shallow cut.


After 30 minutes of torturing the guy she finally killed them. She cleaned her blade off and put it back in its sheath. She then got up and spat on the body of the man. She looked back to Rick and smiled softly. "I am sorry if that bothered you, but he got what he deserved. I do not believe that the girl was his only victim." She said expecting to get a bad reaction. She looked towards the east and started walking. "Back to the path I was set on. Thank you for your help Rick. If we meet again then we can talk." She said as she tripped over a long stick she hadn't seen, in her vision or before going blind.

 

[housekat]

"I could say the same." She glanced at him with a pout on her face. "I didn't invite people here for them to do all the labor for me. I will help. If anything, you should be resting. You traveled from another country." Her spade continued to attempt to break the surface of the lawn. This put her obstinacy to good use. Before the plague, it was used to gain more materialistic things, like clothes or money, from her father. She was scarily stubborn when she wanted something.


@Alexander9223

 

[Redrobinwing]

Nathan paled slightly at the sight of another scavenger. Things didn't get any better when he aimed his gun towards Isabelle. His first instinct was to quickly grab his pistol and shoot, but their attacker looked very ready to shoot Isabelle if he had to. Nate simply relaxed his body and raised his hands to try and calm the man down. "Let's not go through all of this, there's really no need." He started to slowly step towards his new companion and her assailant, making sure to take slow and calm steps. "What do you need, maybe we can trade, or give you directions. No need to hurt anyone." He forced a smile and ignored Red's growling, hoping that the other man did as well. The sudden thought of one of them dying just a couple of blocks from the house frightened Nate slightly, but he did his best not to show it on his face and continued to smile. He glanced towards Isabelle quickly, checking to see her expression.


@Ch3rryBlossom28

 

[Alexander9223]

He would smile and continue to dig making quick work digging a hole. "Alright, will do this together than, it'll get done faster anyway." He would carefully watch her as he dug and was waiting for her to begin to get tired before he would suggest anything. He admired how determined the girl was, it had probably been a while since she talked with anyone but she's very determined and high spirited it brought a softer sort of smile to his face.


@verifiedkat

 

[housekat]

"Sounds good." She says with a hint of pride. She continues digging until the hole looks as deep and wide as the other holes, which is some time later. Her spine straightens and her whole body feels like it was steamrolled. Manual labor is not something that she was used to. There was little chance she was getting much work done with her back in this condition, so she acquiesces to her pain.


"I'm going to go get something!" She gives a thumbs up to him and rushes inside.


Lying on the floor of her room, she rests her aching muscles. I've never done this much work in my life. Her life was very pampered before the plague. Hell, she wouldn't have had to get a job. Her parents would have passed on enough money that she could live a lavish lifestyle. Now, she is willing to work like any other person. I have to get over the pain. She grabs a heat pad and applies it to her back before going back outside to work.


"What else is there to do?" She gives a radiant smile that reflects her want to change.


@Alexander9223

 

[Alexander9223]

He would smile and stretch out after he finished digging a grave. "Well, we should probably take a long break for both our sake's it'll tire us out quickly if we don't." He wasn't really that tired but he was worried that she would exhaust her self or get heat stroke if she continued at this rate, none the less he probably looked tired to her, he wasn't used to the hot California heat, he was from a far colder regions, so the heat had made him sweat. He had taken off the blue jacket he'd normally wear before starting but even with his black T-shirt he couldn't bear the heat, so he would now take that off before grabbing a bottle of water off the ground and chugging it. "Tomorrow I'm going to find some tools and spare wood so I can build coffins." He would say with a sigh as he looked up at the sky now reminded of the reason he was out there in the first place digging. He had forgotten because of the girls high spirited attitude and her bright way of looking at things.


@verifiedkat

 

[Caffeine Freak]

(Curse my broken alert box)


Maverick watched silently as Misty turned the quivering man into a splatter of torn flesh and congealed blood. Then slowly, she stood up and turned toward him.

"I am sorry if that bothered you, but he got what he deserved. I do not believe that the girl was his only victim." She said expecting to get a bad reaction. She looked towards the east and started walking. "Back to the path I was set on. Thank you for your help Rick. If we meet again then we can talk." She said as she tripped over a long stick she hadn't seen, in her vision or before going blind.

Rick grabbed her wrist violently as she fell, hauling her upward - but didn't let go. "One more thing." He snarled, his sudden dark tone juxtapositional with his usual casual slurs. "What you did there wasn't an act of justice, it was an act of savagery - something I'd expect a rabid mutt to do to its prey.


I turned a blind eye, because that piece of shit had it coming, but should I ever witness you torturing another individual - human scum or not - you'll wish that you had dried out there in the dirt." He abruptly let go, and his voice changed instantly. "Okie dokie then, maybe I'll see ya on the road again some time, stay safe out there!" He chirped, as if absolutely nothing had just happened, before turning around and heading off through the ruined streets, stepping over a stiff corpse as if it were a stray rock and setting off into the dusking sun.

 

[razzledazzle66]

Misty called out. "Wait." She said not moving an inch. "I know what it looks like. But if you had seen what he did to the little girl... He killed her because of the power she got. He would have done the same to me..." She said tears coming to her hazy eyes. She dropped to her knees. "She ran from him. She was his slave, at least that's what I could tell from the vision. He was looking for a new one. If I would have been here even a few hours earlier I would have saved her. I failed." She started to outright cry. "I was given a gift, and I can't even use it to help people. I'm a coward. I saw a chance to redeem myself and I took it." She said putting her hands to her eyes. "I should be dead. I should have died just after the plague. I have only survived by being a coward." She cried out as she stood back up. "But I am hoping to go to a place to change that." She held out her hand towards where he was walking. "Will you come with me?" She asked tears still falling. @Caffeine Freak

 

[Caffeine Freak]

Maverick stopped. "If you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive you." He uttered, before turning around.


"Sorry." He announced after a moment, glancing around at the laid out bodies. "I guess I'm not really in any position to be preaching about forgiveness." Trudging over to misty, he awkwardly embraced her with a bulky arm. "My existence is torture, kid. I wouldn't wish this life on anyone. What I do wish more than anyone is that I dropped dead in that outbreak, but if we're still breathing - that's because someone up there in the sky is rootin' for us. I don't think it was any coincidence that we happened by eachother. Destiny's got their money on us winning." He pulled back, wiping his tear stained arm on his nylon trousers.


I am hoping to go to a place to change that.





The words bored into Rick's skull, wasn't he looking for... the same thing?


"Anyway, " He began. "I've been rambling on for too long. Let's get going."


@Dkingow

 

[razzledazzle66]

Misty smiled before blushing. "Umm... Which way am I pointing?" She asked a bit confused. "I am blind right now and because of that outburst I have lost my sense of direction." She blushed again looking down. "The last time this happened was when I first found out about my powers." She said softly. "I usually don't move after using it so I don't walk into a situation I cannot defend myself." She looked in the direction she thought was Rick and smiled softly. "We need to head east. I do not know for how much longer, I just know that it is that way." She said as she let go of him. "Would you lead me and protect me?" She asked blushing again. @Caffeine Freak