Realistic or Modern THE UNDERGROUND.

[Zoola]

WELCOME TO SALUS.

​

The city of Salus is a sanctuary - a haven to shield you from the hazards of the outside world. The rest of the world is in ruins from the war; nothing exists but a land of desolation, unfit for life. Consider your life in Salus a blessing.

That's what they want you to believe, anyway.

Salus is a city amidst the ruins of war. It is heavily barricaded by walls that surround the perimeter and sentinels guarding every street corner, assuring that no one will come in and that no one will leave. Under the rule of the government and their ruthless sentinels, the residents of Salus are constantly under strict supervision. One small mistake can lead to severe punishment. The majority of the citizens are poverty-stricken, barely able to get by. However, the sentinels and government officials enjoy no shortage of luxuries.

We are the Underground. Since the beginning of Salus, the sentinels have been instilling us with a sense of fear and hopelessness. For years, the fear of the consequences have outweighed the will to fight. They've made us too afraid to think for ourselves, too fearful to question why. But not anymore.

We are the Underground - the face of the rebellion.​

 

[Zoola]

Silas had never been an easy one; anyone who knew him even remotely knew that. When he was younger, his mother would often yell at him, "You're going to drive me to my grave, boy!" He grinned at the memory. Every once in a blue moon, Silas wondered what his parents would think of his current endeavors. He wondered if they'd be proud, or upset, or mortified, or maybe have a completely unforeseeable reaction. If there was one thing he did know for certain, it was that his parents were cowards. In the face of oppression, they turned a blind eye to assure the safety of their own backs. While he certainly did love his late parents, he still harbored a small feeling of contempt for both of them. How could anyone turn away from those so desperately in need? It made his heart rage to know that there was an entire society of people enjoying great wealth and rich luxuries while overlooking the poverty and devastation going on just pass the upper class gates. The thought made his stomach turn.

Which is why he stood that day in the cafe with the black "X" in the window. Change was vital. If the government wouldn't act, then he would. Every day, innocent people were dying at the hands of the government, and hell if he would sit by idly as it happened.

Silas sat in the middle of the empty cafe, poring over a mess of papers, maps, and diagrams. Running his hands through his unkempt hair, he exhaled a frustrated sigh through gritted teeth. Taya slid into the seat next to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Everything alright?"

Silas shook his head. "Just frustrated. Ten years of this, and Dom still didn't leave me much to work with. I feel like we're getting nowhere. I just... I don't know." he shook his head again, his eyes fixated on the mess in front of him. Taya gave a soft sigh and a gentle nod of her head. "Sorry," Silas said as he pulled himself out of his chair with a groan. "I know you don't wanna get involved in all this rebellion stuff." He walked over to the door, flipping the sign from "Open" to "Closed" and shut the blinds - the signal for the rebels that it was safe to enter. "Everyone should be here soon. I told them the meeting would start at 10." His eyes drifted to the clock on the wall - 9:47 PM. Silas had studied the sentinels' patrol path relentless for a week. He found out that between 9:45 to 10:00, there were no sentinels patrolling the already barren street, making it the perfect time for the rebels to enter for their meeting.

"Alright," Taya sighed as she stood up. "I'll be in the back if you need me."

"Thanks, Taya," he called back to her, falling into his chair once again. He took a swig of his now cold coffee, blinking rapidly in an attempt to shake the fatigue in his eyes. He glanced up at the clock once again. Now, to wait.​

 

[PKCV2]

HaHa Amukamara saw the world upside down and he would for a few moments, observing the poorest of the poor walk right across the sky rather than the dilapidated streets that was right under his head, each person seemingly a holy figure that defied the laws of science. Some stared right at him, their inverted gazes filled with silent questions and curiosity, others recognized him and waved, everyone else was used to it and walked right on by.


A lone tree sat on the sides of a broken street filled with civilians going about their business whether it was commuting to work or looking through small stores to spend their currency. The tree itself was a sickly brown, a thin tree as well, it's branches bare of leaves. The most noticeable feature of the tree was the man hanging on it.


HaHa had his legs wrapped tightly around the thin trunk, facing outwards as he hung upside down, suspended only by his powerful legs. A few breaths later the dead branches came rushing to meet him as the world quickly moved upwards, the result of HaHa bringing himself to sit at a ninety degree angle from the trunk, an upside down sit-up, one that strained his legs and abdomens as sweat snaked its way down his body. He held himself there for tree seconds and brought himself back down to his starting position. Carefully unhooking the death grip he had in the trunk, HaHa rolled off the tree and onto the cracked cement, he was done for the day.


Sweat soaked his white t-shirt as he slipped it on and made his was down the street, after all he had an appointment to attend. Walking down the street, HaHa cast glances at the poor conditions of the people of the slums, their tattered clothing, the run down shacks, and of course, the multi-colored suits of the Sentinels. The ones that took the lives of his "parents", the ones that forced him to grow up, the ones he was fighting against. Passing a patrol of Sentinels, he pressed his lips together to hold back a snarky comment when he remembered something...


"Uh sirs!" HaHa retraced his steps to fall into pace beside the patrolling men. "Would you happen to know the time? I gotta know when to get back and uh...make dinner." HaHa forced a small smile that hopefully looked as innocent as ever.


As if they hadn't heard the man they kept their pace, never bothering to turn their heads toward the questioning man, a man that felt a bit frustrated that they just kept walking and was about to turn around when one called out, his voice deep with a hint of a Spanish accent. "9:36."


HaHa turned his back on the men with a grin on his face, the supposed meeting for rebels was to start at around 10. While he didn't particularly like the idea of a rebellion, he despised the Sentinels even more. As long as the rebellion didn't push him much then he could keep the front going, as long as the "leader" kept his mind smart and his plans smarter, then he'd get along just fine.


Bringing himself out of his thoughts, HaHa arrived at the front of the meeting place/cafe, the X on the window a giveaway, the streets were now devoid of Sentinels which meant some time had passed during his travels. Not giving much thought to the closed sign pointing outwards, HaHa pushed the front door open, the door swinging wide to it's limit. HaHa entered with a wide grin aimed at the lone man sitting, his arms spread wide as he swaggered in.


"What's up my man?"

 

[Evergreen98]

A woman with black hair and black eyes was sitting on the rooftop of a house looking an old house. She was thinking about if she should got out tonight. 'Hmm.... I went out all week..... so...' She thought as her laptop in her small black purse that goes around her waist vibrated. She stretched and got down from the rooftop ' time to head to the cafe..' She thought with a sigh. The lady was wearing ragged looking black shorts and a cheep blue and white stripped top. She was also wearing black ankle boots. She started walking to her destination ' i wonder what we will talk about today...' She thought curiously. Even though she isn't a big fan of these meetings and planning she has fun listening to them, and coming with her own plan, scenario and solutions, so if that plan goes wrong.


She hummed a quiet as she walked, her footsteps were soundles, as if no one was walking which made sense since her whole life she has been sneaking around and staying in the shadows and not getting caught. She looked around and noticed a few sentinels. She kept walking not wanting to look suspicious but changed her route. After a few minutes she glanced behind her and saw no sentinels. She mentally sighed in relief 'when things start to pick up... they won't know what hit them' She thought as she mentally smirked and took a left down an alley. She know several routes to her destination that she mapped put in her head. It took her weeks to do to that and it caused her to be late to the meetings. But now she the routes like the back of her hand, she csn finally start coming to the meetings on time.


The cafe was insight, she looked around one more time before going into the cafe. She blinked as she, the Joker and her boss was there. ' I am early....' She thought as she went over and sat down at a chair.


~♤~

 

[Mage]

10 o'clock. 10 o'clock was risky. Usually, she left for the slums with the rest of the crowd, when most of the housekeepers and caretakers left the homes of their employers and head out for their own homes in the slums. The sentinels rarely bothered to check each individual's visa, given the sheer amount of people; it was too much work. But 10 o'clock was an extremely risky time; there were few, if any, people leaving. And in addition to that, it was far past her curfew; sneaking past her parents was an almost riskier feat than sneaking past the sentinels. But that didn't deter her.


Kiri checked her bedside clock. 10:12 P.M. She was already late. Her heart raced, the pounding nearly unbearable as she gently rolled out of bed so as not to make even the slightest sound. Adrenaline causing a chord of panic within her, Kiri checked the door behind her several times before rummaging through her drawer for her visa. Once she found it, she slipped it into the pocket of her tattered grey hoodie and silently crept to the door, her heart relentlessly pounding.


She held her breath as she turned the knob, gently sliding open the door. Before exiting, she peaked her head around the corner to assure herself that there was no one there. Once she had built up the courage, she stepped out, shutting the door behind her. Luckily for her, her parents' bedroom was quite a ways away from the front door; it was likely they wouldn't hear anything. Still, she thought she ought to check, just in case. Walking normally so as not to arouse suspicion, she traveled down to the hall to her parents' room. The door was shut and a light shone through the crack. So far, so good. Turning on her heel, she made a beeline for the front door, her light, quick steps barely audible despite the silence throughout the house.


Then, she froze. An open door caught her eye. It was the guest bedroom - she didn't recall having anyone over. With caution, she gently peered into the room. It was her father. He was an outright mess. His coat was thrown on the ground, his hair an unkempt mess, his tie undone. He held his head in his hands. The sight made her heart drop. It seemed for every step forward, her family took fifty steps back. It was devastating. It was the reason she had snuck out into the slums in the first place. Kiri tore her eyes away, creeping past the open door and to the front door. Tossing another worried glance behind her for a final time, she gently pushed open the door, cringing as it creaked. She waited; nothing. Like a bolt, she shot out into the night, the cold air brushing past her face. She was free. Now just to get past the sentinels.

 

[AllThisBadBlood]

“So I suppose you’re going now” a voice said with a tone of disappointment to it. Mikael raised an eyebrow as he looked towards her. Their relationship was odd at most. He had paid her for information – something he would be able to use for one of his columns or something and in the end they ended up becoming friends. And what was most surprising to him was that he didn’t really mind if she was the most cut throat person he’d met. “Yeah” he murmured his breath with a slight cold chill and a shiver. Lyric rolled her eyes. It was at times like these when she could see vulnerability. They all had it, all the rebels, though many of them put on this persona of being able and mentally stable. She knew better though. She smiled to herself as she looked down on the ground with a slight chuckle. It was at least nice to know that she wasn’t the only one. After her family refused to speak to her she wasn’t really sure who exactly to find comfort in or how to.

“Want me to drop you off?” she said with a cheeky smile with her hands tucked away in her jacket. The one thing she didn’t want to see that was. To her they were stained with red, something she couldn’t bear to think of. How it wouldn’t wash off.

“Sure” Mikael murmured as they walked down the path together. He looked towards Lyric slightly lost in thought. He wasn’t a very trusting person, he was an introvert to say the least, but he still somehow managed to find a friend in her and all the other people he’d met. Maybe it was through his writing or maybe it was through the way he spoke but there must have been something at work to get him to become close to someone. He remembered his childhood and how his father would constantly remind him not to talk to anyone; they’ll stab you in the back. And that thought stayed with him throughout most of his life whether he was being paranoid or not.

He tugged on his jacket slightly, suddenly feeling a chill. Cold nostalgia seemed to chill him right down to his bones and it sounded shivers to him too. He furrowed his eyebrows before he looked up and realized he reached the café.

Lyric grinned as she opened the door before announcing “Mikael is here!” with a wink. Mikael shook his head as he chuckled before heading inside. Lyric waved bye to him before skipping off to wherever an informant usually goes to. That much, he didn’t really want to know about her. Her line of work wasn’t the most ethical way of earning money. He waved Bye before taking a seat.​

 

[EXOTICISME]

Sitting on the chair while slightly bent his body to the table, with half drinked coffee in the cup next to him. Elliot staring emptily inside the cup like his mind has been taken out from his body, lately it's been a harsh day for him and there's a lot of thing stuck in his mind. He snapped back to reality when the waiter calling him, "sir? are you alright?" asked the waiter who standing beside him. He look up giving a bright face to tell him he was ok, "yeah i'm good, i've just thinking too much this lately", the waiter nod and continue his duty. He grab the cup and take a sip of his coffee, he did not finish it because he doesn't really like cold coffee, well this is because his own fault. He put the cup back to the table and grab some money from his pocket, some coins that worth as much as a cup coffee. He stood up and take his bag with him before leaving the coffee shop, as he open the door the bell ring, such a refreshing sound.


After he come out from the shop he stand on the street for a while, he can see a few people walking while the other sitting in the corner of the street seems like waiting for someone to give them money, it make him sad but there's nothing much he can do, he also need money to live and currently struggling to find a place to work. He look at his watch it's nearly the time where he need to treat someone, he began walking down the street with his bag over his shoulder. The man he currently take care is an old man his acquaintance that has lost all his family, well they're not dead yet but they do something worst, in order to get to higher class they leave this man alone in the lower class with no one to take care of him, with old body like that he can't find work anywhere or even a single coin to buy a drink. Elliot pity on this guy and decide to help him by giving treatment with his disease and bringing some food everyday.