Realistic or Modern THE WALKING DEAD - Our Broken World [IC - Open]

[Zenterfold]

Ray

When it came to the discussion about the missing supplies, Ray had not wanted to weigh in too heavily, for he had largely left it up to Brooke to decide what to do for that situation. After all, Brooke was typically the one to go out on runs while Ray stayed behind. He had a feeling that was partly why people seemed to gravitate toward himself instead of Brooke, for he was the leader they saw more often. He was definitely more of a people person than Brooke was. When they were first dating, they quickly realized that Ray was the more outgoing of the two of them, as it made Brooke's skin crawl to even step foot into anything like a huge party.

Ray watched as Brooke nodded along with Binna's points about whoever stealing their supplies probably being worse off than they were. Brooke would know better about what was out there, though even Ray couldn't imagine they had somehow missed a large group of people in the last year they had been here.

"Obviously we'll monitor the situation," Ray said. "It's all we can really do for now. Setting up traps might further complicate our situation." There was a sudden flurry of conversation as Billie attempted to make his point for their being a larger group out there after all. It fell by the wayside quickly as others shot it down and was replaced suddenly by an angry bout of leadership talk. Ray locked eyes with Billie momentarily, communicating that they would talk when this was all over.

It was Conrad first who brought up his concerns about the leadership. Brooke and Ray exchanged concerned glances, as this had been something they had discussed earlier in the week. Brooke had been so irate about how he had put himself in danger, especially considering the fact he wasn't as trained as she was at combatting the undead. Ray was at a loss for words at first, though Brooke quickly had something to say.

"Well, perhaps now that we have so many new people, it only makes sense to expand..."

Brooke looked cool, calm, and collected even as Billie stormed out of the meeting. Aside from trying to shoot Ray worried glances, nothing said so far seemed to ruffle Brooke's feathers. Of course, that only lasted until Carmen politely stood up and began to rattle off her many points about how unfit Brooke was as a leader. It felt like something was clutching Ray by the stomach as he heard her and Joe describe Brooke in such unflattering terms. He wanted to lash out in anger or go to Brooke's side, but it might not have reflected well on them to suddenly embrace.

As Ray expected, Brooke's brow had furrowed and she could not hide the frustration that was now plain on her face. "I'm sorry," she said, though it seemed an effort for her to speak at an even tone. "Is this really an appropriate venue to air grievances with me as a person? I'm not hearing exactly what makes me unfit to lead beyond arguments we've had in the past."

"I understand that everyone, from time to time, will feel they are not being heard," Ray said, finding his voice. "But everything Brooke and I do is for the good of us all. Joe, the dispute you had with Brooke was an unfortunate one, and I don't deny that calmer heads could have prevailed, but I don't think you realized that someone like Elyse is not always comfortable saying what's on her

"Why the hell are you just cutting Brooke out?" Danny said, having stood up. "Most of you probably have no idea what it's like out there. Brooke's a runner. She's out there as much as me or Sean or even Derek. Isn't that right, Derek?"

Derek couldn't help but shoot a glance toward his fiancé but eventually he nodded. "Yeah."

Danny shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah. And doesn't that mean something as a leader? I don't really care who doesn't like Brooke as a person, as long as she can get shit done."

Elliot tapped on Danny's shoulder to sign to him. Nodding, Danny translated and said, "Brooke's the one who made all the runners learn ASL for Elliot too. That meant a lot to us."

"Brooke helped me figure out the places where I could get Jemma's medicine," Paul added. His voice was quiet, making him hard to hear for everybody. He didn't want to speak up, though evidently still wanted to support Brooke.

"Again, I'm sorry," Brooke said, looking at Carmen and Joe. Ray watched as she let out a long, deep breath. "But I'd like to keep leading you all. Perhaps we should take a step back and think about this council idea. Conrad is right that it was dangerous for Ray and I to go out together."

"Besides, we already have a system like this anyway," Ray added. "We have a security lead for a reason. Derek's opinion matters, as does Ben's and Elyse's. But yes, with new people, means maybe we need more people standing here with us."

Some of the tension in Ray's shoulders lessened, though he knew emotions would still running high, no matter where the conversation led now. After all the mudslinging, some people would just need some time to cool off. He was grateful for those that chose to spoke up for Brooke. He was not sure what he would have said if the community had turned entirely on Brooke. Ray was not sure he had it in him to be unbiased when it came to the woman he loved. Being leaders of Faith had both brought them closer together and strained their relationship in equal parts. No matter what though, he needed her at his side.

Crono @The Dapper Mog Gears Charles Babel @wowie @R U S T @MapletheLeafEater @Peacemaker .45 @The_OverWatcher Selee-01 @Dr. E Bloodlust @Ghost_Candy Josh Doctor Voidsman Patience FellowKnight

 

[Josh]

Katja

Milling about Ray's office, the stranger lingered around the office like a cat without a care. She was obviously listening but paid the girl no mind. Opening a closet, something caught the woman's eye. Reaching to the tip of the top shelf, she pulled down a leather case. "This it, girl?"

Closing the closet door, she handed the case to Heidi. Shaking her head, Katja then paced around Heidi. She was studying the girl, watching her like a hawk. "Go outside?" Katja inquired. "You act like it's an adventure, like it's a hike in the woods. Silly child, you don't know how bad it really is now, do you? Everybody is afraid of the howlers. Please! I could take groups of them on by myself. People? Those are the real threat. Slavers, rapists, serial killers. The real monsters. That is outside our walls."

Moving toward the door, Katja eyed the blonde girl. "The basements? I saw... what is the name? The loud one who made the walls? He had some meetings over at the apartments there early. I could hear them. The builders brought stuff out. Baseballs, a map I think, and a rather nice couch." She racked her brain. "Maybe another day. But no. You don't go there today." Katja's tone was demanding. "People are already on edge. You go to the apartments and start strolling all seven floors. It will cause talk."

Patience FellowKnight

Meeting

"Billie!" Carmen shouted, watching in horror. The group went dead silent. Derek slumped his shoulder in a sign of guilt. He wasn't trying to mock Billie; he was being genuine. However, something got lost in translation, it seemed.

Sean just looked away, not showing any remorse. Internally, he did feel some. He did try looking for Billie's wife. It was the wrong time for her to go missing. They had a mighty windstorm followed by days of frozen rain. Any trail would have been difficult for anyone to track, even someone as skilled as Sean.

Sean's place in Faith was complex. In some ways, he was integral. He was the primary hunter. Often, Sean would come in after a day outside with a dozen squirrels, a possum, or the like. If he were lucky, he'd bring in a wild hog or turkey that was now roaming about. A few times, he even took down a deer. However, those were getting harder and harder to find. Still, he was the go-to guy, and he had yet to let Faith down.

On the other hand? He didn't have any naturally close relations. There was Derek, but Derek saw Sean more as a friend than Sean did. Others tried to socialize with him but he just couldn't let himself get close to anyone. He never wanted to be this person, but here he was. Life is what you made it, as his dad said. Apparently, he made his life very lonely.

As everyone recovered, Mona pushed back on Carmen's actions. Carmen, for her part, took it in stride. Listening intensely, Carman was not surprised by the backlash, but she wasn't expecting it from Mona..

Taking a deep breath, Carmen seemingly searched for the right words. Looking at Mona, Carmen slumped her shoulders. The rigged mask she normally held tight shattered as she let go. "How dare I? This isn't about me, Mona!" Carmen snapped, uncharacteristically. "This isn't about Ray, or Brooke, or Conrad, or you or anyone! This is about Faith! I'm trying my best here! Is it Brooke's fault, maybe? I do not know. Honestly, whatever is going on with the people who aren't fans of Brooke and Brooke needs to be settled." The sister insisted. "But people have been hurt, trust had been broken. It takes time, and we may not have that. I do admire Brooke. I've prayed and I have fasted, and I asked the Lord's guidance. We need, as a group, to put our egos aside, and think about Faith." Carmen turned towards the group. "My goal is, and always will be, to put Faith first. If that means I might offend people, or I've lost some of my friends' trust, I'm sorry. We make sacrifices for the greater good."

Elyse sat near Ben and was looking at Mona intently. Both she and Ben had good relationships with Brooke but were clearly buying what Carmen was selling in this moment. "Mona, dear. Sister Carmen meant no harm, I feel. "

Ben nodded. "I agree."

Raising his hand, Alastair stood up. A child-like nervous energy projected off of him. "Um, hey. If I could interject. Don't know of this is the right time, but first off, I want to thank everyone for being so welcoming, all things considered." The bearded man had a smirk on his face and he was twiddling his fingers unconsciously. "You guys have been around for a while. The fact the you're all willing to share your feelings, and even go at each other without throwing a punch? That should give you guys some faith." A thought dawned. "Pun not intended."

Crono Zenterfold Charles Babel @Ghost_Candy Selee-01 Doctor Voidsman @Peacemaker .45 FellowKnight Gears Patience @The Dapper Mog @Dr. E Bloodlust

 

[Crono]

Parking Lot Meeting

Conrad

Conrad stayed silent and continued to stand in the crowd as Joe voiced his concerns. It was a risk, popping open this can of worms. People could find the courage to speak out, but they could also get volatile or personal. Both he and Carmen hoped to avoid that, or at the very least contain it should things get too messy. But if it should happen it could ruin any chances of change.

Though once Carmen took the stand and voiced the community's options Conrad's jaw set in annoyance as he watched the woman, though the man tried his best not to let it show. As far as he was aware, there'd be no mention of him for a position. Not to mention, he was literally the one to bring this leadership mix-up. Which could easily cast him in a bad light to some people. Thus he didn't appreciate the public ambush of sorts. The tension quickly faded however, and the man relaxed once again. His eyes catching Binna's as she spoke on being open to taking the role.

"Yeah, alright." He said with a soft sigh, turning his gaze to look at the others in the crowd. "If people want me at the table, I'll do it." Not that he had much of a choice at this point. Before he could really give it much thought, Billie joined the conversation. Conrad felt for the man, he did. He recalled the early days of the search for Junette. Runners and Security working overtime to comb the area while also keeping the community safe, the weather hadn't helped in the least. Following Billie speaking was Sean's reaction, one that was harsh, and clearly needed in his own mind. Conrad would disagree however, though he didn't voice it for the moment because it would only add heat to this already lit fire. The meeting needed to maintain some order or it'd be dispersed, and he didn't want to call Sean out in public even if the other man had no issues doing it to Billie.

His head turned as Alastair spoke, a touching thought all things considered. Following that Conrad opted to speak up again, "I don't think anyone came here with the plan of hurting anybody else. Everybody's just trying to do what they think is best for the people here." For the most part that was something he believed, but not completely. People could be selfish, no doubt.
Josh Charles Babel Gears Doctor Voidsman Zenterfold @AnyoneElseThatJoins​

coded by reveriee.

 

[Patience]

Cinder stepped out into the hallway to face 'the kidnapper.' Her blue eyes immediately captivated Cinder's thoughts, they seemed filled with a sort of mischievous desperation. If that girl were a protagonist in a book, she thought - she'd be the one that always gets in trouble but somehow gets away with it. Her mind wandered to the land of 'what if', they had gone to the same school together - would they have been friends? What's the story behind the baby? Teen pregnancy perhaps? That would be dramatic! Straight out of the last novel she read before the epidemic. She snapped back into reality upon hearing the girl mention "Ray." The man from the office.... That... Is currently under siege.... Cinder shrugged as she walked over towards the girl. "Seems like you're pretty successful at this kidnapping thing, I probably shouldn't resist." She said pointing comically at the baby. The girls words certainly appealed to her, she definitely didn't want to be stuck back in that office and if she was honest with herself - the bathroom was just an excuse to escape the 'old person smell' of the room she just left. Besides, how much trouble could a girl roughly her age with a baby get into? She reassured herself. Not a moment later the older woman emerged from the office to admonish the girl with the baby about adventures and people talking and danger, or something. She wasn't able to listen once she saw the woman's unusual manner of speaking and the way she moved her body and hands. It was almost as if, paranoia had a human form. Another curious character she thought, although definitely intimidated by the older woman. She reminded her of the rougher side of town back home in Chicago... Barrel fires under the bridge, shopping cart houses and plastic bags for socks type.

---

FellowKnight Josh​

 

[Zenterfold]

The End of the Meeting > The Next Morning

Considering how heated the meeting had gotten, Ray and Brooke had mutually both been relieved to have the meeting over and done with. There was a following light conversation about holding a vote for who would be chosen for this new council, with the results following a week later. Though there were some furtive glances here and there, no one seemed to want to complain any longer. A lot of people had been on Carmen's side, though few of them had anything to say about the points made in favor of Brooke.

While Elyse, Ben, and Dean still had full authority with their respective areas of work, it was only Derek who was elevated to a member of the council. Four more would be chosen by the people via anonymous voting. There had been some grumbling about how the votes would be counted, though they died down when Father Craig and Sister Carmen offered to do it.

Richard, Birdie, and Cynthia were given rooms that night, though they were makeshift rooms with just sleeping bags. Ray assured them they would be moved into a better setting very soon once the apartments were clear. The day had taken a lot out of Ray so he had little warmth to offer the newcomers beyond just assurances. He practically fell into bed not long after, not even realizing anyone had been in his office at all.

Early the next morning, Brooke arranged for the area of the parking lot where the meeting had been held to be converted into a makeshift town center. Teenagers Maia and Nash were assigned to hand out slips of paper so that the citizens could nominate whoever they liked. Sarah had contributed by setting up a notice board for people to post notices, though she filled it immediately with some sketches she had made. Having not been able to bring up Mona's festival idea fully at the meeting, Brooke posted about it on the board instead with the claim that the newer members of Faith would be volunteering their time to honor their new home.

Jemma was quick to rally her troops at the cafeteria during breakfast, though she pointedly chose not to include Tucker. She wasn't going to be able to sneak Maia and Nash out of their responsibilities, but thankfully they had already talked about staying behind anyway the previous day. "We're leaving in like thirty minutes," Jemma said in-between scarfing down the remains of her pancakes. "Meet me at the usual spot. My dad's totally occupied today with the apartment stuff and I think there's some kind of mission planned? Either way, we should have a couple hours."

Ray had wanted to talk to Billie immediately after the meeting was over, though Brooke had convinced him to wait at least until the next day, just to give him time to cool off. He had proceeded to worry about it all night, so Brooke had told him that she would talk to Billie instead the next day. Ray had argued with her for a bit about it but relented eventually. So, when he had gone off to attend that morning's service, Brooke found herself at Billie's front door. The meeting yesterday had rattled her in many ways, though now she knew she needed to take a more hands-on approach with the people of Faith. They needed to know that she was a person too.

Crono @The Dapper Mog Gears Charles Babel @wowie @R U S T @MapletheLeafEater @Peacemaker .45 @The_OverWatcher Selee-01 @Dr. E Bloodlust @Ghost_Candy Josh Doctor Voidsman Patience FellowKnight

 

[Josh]

Six Months Into the Outbreak - An Apartment Complex in Mississippi

Doctor Roberts slept in an ocean of sheets and blankets on a mild winter's day. She had arrived at this apartment complex about four months ago. She had just escaped being chased by a bunch of college kids who had been attacking anyone, hunting them like prey. They had been terrorizing the area. After a long struggle, Binna had to kill all three of them, which shattered her. She knew it had to be done, but she had taken an oath to do no harm.

After surviving the encounter, she had been wandering the woods at her lowest. She had lost all hope. A small group of empties trailed her for hours. The doctor was drained. Hungry, tired, and at her wit's end, she knew she would die soon. Then, she saw a gun flash.

Holding a rifle and standing before her was a large man. He was seven feet tall, thick in the middle, with massive arms and legs the size of tree trunks. He was cleanly shaven-- a baby-faced giant. His name was Greg Harris.

Greg took her in, literally carrying her back to safety. Since the outbreak two months ago, Greg had built a giant wall, protecting his mother and the chickens he found. Cindy had cancer, so Greg was taking care of her. While wary of people, Binna was still a doctor, so she felt a need to take care of the woman. That and the fact that Greg and Cindy's pure kindness disarmed her fears. So, with that, she agreed to stay until Cindy passed.

However, she had a new reason to stay even after that. She and Greg had built a connection. Was it because they were the only two people here besides Cindy? Maybe. But they had so much in common. He was a giant teddy bear, the most honest person she'd ever met. He was just so good. After everything she saw out there, being around a good guy was, well, good.

Laying in Greg's bed, she rolled beside Greg, who was wide awake. His eyes locked on to her. A child-like smile made his face shine like the sun.

"Mornin' Doc."

Cuddling up, Binna gave her lover a playful push, burying her head into his shoulder. "Greg, you don't have to call me doctor. I'm already in your bed. I think we're past the formal phase in our relationship."

"Hey! I'm goin' steady with a doctor. Like, I literally brought a doctor home to mom. You know how many guys like me get with girls like you?" Greg's hand brushed the Binna's hair out of her face. "With the world goin' to hell and everythin', I hit the lottery."

"Going steady? What is this? The fifties?" Binna's tone was playful. "You going to take me to the malt shop to share a sundae? Then we can turn on the radio and dance to the golden oldies all night long."

"Come on! Look at me. Does it look like I'm a guy who shares ice cream?" Greg laughed. "But for you? I can make an exception." Greg stared into his love's eyes. "I love you, Binna. You are the best thing that happened to me."

Binna's cheeks turned rose-colored. "I love you too, Greg. Always."

"As you should." Greg kissed her.

Getting out of bed, the doctor wrapped a robe around her lithe body. "As I should?" Binna giggled. "I show you a little time of day and it's already going to your head. Come on. We got to get dressed and check on your mom."

The Present

After the meeting, Binna had walked outside the camp for a while. Standing in the shadows of the apartments, she gazed at the buildings. It brought old memories back to her. For some reason, she just started crying.

In her former community, she was the leader, the one that called the shots. She wasn't the best, in her opinion. She didn't always have the best judgment. She wanted to make everyone happy—a fool's errand. A lot of guilt she never processed was pouring out. And Greg? God, she missed him. She still thought of him every day. If she weren't sick the day Greg died, she would have gone on that run when they were on the road. Maybe if she had been there...

No. She knew she couldn't play Monday morning quarterback. Not now.

Drying her tears, she went back inside Faith.

"There you are, babe!"

Binna tensed up as she heard Dean's voice. The last person she was in the mood to see. Her eyes still held hints of formerly being a shade of puffy red. She didn't speak, but she forced a smile on her face.

Dean paused, walking towards his love. A look of concern crossed his face and he wrapped his arms around her.

"It's okay. Let it out."

The doctor was shocked by Dean's attentiveness. He rarely was this aware of her emotions. She crumbled in his arms, sobbing like a child. Her tears flowed into his shoulder.

Rocking the doctor back in forth, Dean looked down. Dean's typically rough voice became soft and soothing. "Hey, hey, it's okay," he whispered. "It's just you and me."

Binna clung to Dean for a minute or two before tentatively letting go. "Thank you, Dean. I just, I thought I was done crying, but I guess I'm a liar."

"Nah, you're human," Dean reassured her. "Might have something to make you feel better."

"You do?"

"Yeah, it's on the top floor in the first apartment building."

"Dean, we're not supposed to pick rooms or go inside yet..."

"Bi," Dean spoke softly; his body language was relaxed. "I cleared this with Ray." Dean took her hand as they went inside.

Going up flights of stairs, Binna slowly loosened up. Just that morning, Dean had been complaining about skipping the community meeting. She had figured he would be in a much more foul mood at the moment. "Should you be going up all these stairs?" she asked him. "Your back..."

Dean shook his head and they rounded the second floor. "Started feeling better. In fact..." Dean motioned for the woman to jump on his back. Hesitantly, Binna climbed up on to Dean's back. Piggybacking her, they raced up to the next floor, though Dean could not keep it up for much longer. He le let her down and Binna stumbled on her feet. Dean pulled her close and she laughed. "I imagine that was not recommended, in your opinion as a doctor," he said.

On the seventh floor, there weren't many apartments, but they had the most oversized rooms. At the door to 702, Dean looked down into Binna's eyes.

"Okay, look. I know I'm hard to deal with. I know you've been avoiding me a little bit."

"Dean."

"Listen. I get it. When I look in your eyes, you're not where I am at with you." His hand wrapped around Binna's. "I'm not an easy guy to like, so I bet I'm pretty hard to love." Binna winced. "But I've been working on this for a few weeks off and on. Think of it as a promise to you."

Opening the door, Binna gasped. The apartment was stunning. Fresh baby blue paint on the living room walls glimmered, as did the oak wood floor. Stepping in, Binna saw a clean countertop with a new-looking refrigerator. The living room had a large television, with a stunning couch and coffee table. Nearby one of the rooms was an office and library. Rows of medical books and novels littered the room, with a redwood desk tying the room together.

Pausing the tour, Binna was still shocked. "H-How? When? You did this all by yourself?"

"Well, you see, about a month ago, I've been working on this. First, I was going to paint. Then, Rico joined me up here, and well? It became a project. Sometimes I can't sleep, and Rico only sleeps, what? Two hours a night. So we took our time. Then when we got to the library? That was Elliot."

"Elliot? Wait, you got Elliot to help you?"

"Yeah." Dean paused and slowly gave Binna a sly smirk. He started to sign as he spoke. "I told him that I wanted to show you that I'm not a total ass and that I care. He's a good guy. He found medical books and novels. He also picked out a lot of the furniture. He knows what you like. He's a sweet kid." Last Binna remembered, Dean's signing had been mediocre at best, but now it was surprisingly good.

What then caught Binna's eye was a map on the wall. Drawn to it like a moth to a flame, Binna walked up to it in awe. Again she started to cry, but this time, tears ofjoy. Pointing at the map, she turned to the builder.

"Is that a map of South Korea?"

Joining her, Dean joined her near the map. "Tucker found it. It really ties the room together. I know you never got to go there. You told me it was rough for you as a kid. I know Seattle has, well, had a large Asian community. You must have felt trapped, right? You are not Asian enough for the Asian kids, but that still doesn't make you white. But still, here you are. You succeeded."

Some of what Dean was saying were just statements she had made to him before, but still it struck her that he remembered such details. Binna didn't say a word, but she nodded.

Letting go, Dean paced, stopping on a dime. "I was a failure, Bi. I had an opportunity to go to Penn State. I wanted to be an architect. To make something out of myself. But no, I stayed here. Took care of my family. When you talk about your family, I'm jealous. You all loved each other, for the most part. My family hated me, yet I took care of them. Then, when the shit went down, I ran into Ray and Brooke. I wanted to start this community immediately. I poured blood and sweat into those walls, into this place. Those walls are the one good thing I ever did. It's my masterpiece, my legacy. And everybody hates me." Dean looked down. "I did it to myself. Self-fulfilling prophecy."

Dean turned his head back. "I know you don't love me yet, but I love you. That's why I've been more nuts than normal. You mean everything to me. "

Binna felt touched; she never saw this side of him before. Maybe she was a fool, but this was all she wanted from Dean. She still wasn't sure if she loved him, but this was big for him. Putting her hands on his shoulder, Binna stood on her toes and kissed Dean. "You're a good guy Dean. Thank you. This is so sweet."

Alastair

As Binna and Dean embraced, outside the building in the radio station, Alastair sat at that moment, listening to static waves. Knocking on the door, Joe walked in. "Sweet set up," he said, though clearly he was distracted. "Hey, uh, you have a minute?"

Taking off his headphones, the redhead smiled with pride. "Thanks, and sure."

Shutting the door, Joe leaned against it. He didn't make eye contact, almost seeming apprehensive. "So, I might be out of line, but you've been good to my boy Ace, so I shoot straight; You and Doctor Bi? I saw you hold her hand. At the meeting."

"Won't, woah, woah!" Alastair's face was in total shock, like he was sucker punched. "We weren't holding hands."

"I ain't the only one who saw it. Derek saw it, and he told me Danny saw it. Also, Sarah saw it. Look, maybe it was a mistake. You don't seem like that kind of guy. I am not saying shit to Dean. I'm just giving you a heads-up. People talk."

"Thanks, Joe," Alastair said, though his voice had gone a bit quiet. It dawned on him that he had been a bit careless. "Thanks for looking out for me. Really." Joe got a bad rap, from what Alastair understood. Yeah, the guy could be loud, but he was a softy.

Joe tipped his baseball cap. He reached for the door but stopped. "Between us guys, you dig her, right?"

Alastair's nervousness peered outwards as he searched for the right words. "She has a boyfriend, and her brother is my best friend. Plus, I wouldn't want to ruin our friendship."

"Yeah. You're right." Joe smirked. "You don't wanna shit where you eat. But don't sell yourself short. Dean's my best friend and everything, but even he knows she can do better." Joe opened the doors, heavy footprints following after. "Night, 'stair."

Alastair waved goodbye. He was smiling as Joe left, though that smile melted as soon as Joe was gone. He watched the man from the window before putting his headphones back on. His mind moved a mile a minute as the white noise and static surrounded him.

 

[Selee-01]

Jemma was quick to rally her troops at the cafeteria during breakfast, though she pointedly chose not to include Tucker. She wasn't going to be able to sneak Maia and Nash out of their responsibilities, but thankfully they had already talked about staying behind anyway the previous day. "We're leaving in like thirty minutes," Jemma said in-between scarfing down the remains of her pancakes. "Meet me at the usual spot. My dad's totally occupied today with the apartment stuff and I think there's some kind of mission planned? Either way, we should have a couple hours."

Andrew nodded along, between heaping bites of pancakes and eggs. For such a scrawny guy, he really could pound down food when needed.

“Sounds good,” he said. “Anywhere specific we’re planning on going?"

He yawned, his jawbones popping unpleasantly as he did so. Andrew hadn’t slept easy- strange dreams and old nightmares boiling through his nocturnal world like freight trains put a damper on true rest. He was nursing a faint headache that five glasses of water hadn’t seemed to correct.

 

[Josh]

Alastair, Winnie, and Binna - Faith from 4 to 8 AM

Having fallen asleep to the sound of static, Alastair woke up hours later. A tad groggy, he yawned. He was slightly annoyed neither Wally nor Sarah woke him.

Haphazardly, the man did what he had done every morning since he got to Faith: checking radio signals. Moving his fingers up and down the dials, everything was normal until it wasn't.

"Mayday, I repeat, Mayday. We've been trapped at the Pyle Family warehouse in the hills outside Fort Wayne. The building has half collapsed! A giant sinkhole has made escape impossible. We have food and water but not much. We have injured. If you hear this, please!"

Alastair wasted no time upon hearing this and popped out of his seat. He ran out, bolting his way to Doctor Binna's door.

Arriving at her door, Alistair gasped for air. Taking a moment to calm down, he knocked on the door.

After a few seconds, the door opened. It was a shirtless Dean. Smirking at the redhead, Dean looked at him. "Yeah?"

Dean had more muscles on his chest than Alastair had on his entire body, the redhead thought. No wonder Bi was with him. "I need to talk to Doctor Binna."

"Is it an emergency?"

"Dean!" Binna called. "Who is it?"

Dean walked away from Alastair, though he could hear the conversation that followed between Dean and Binna.

"It's your stalker."

"Don't call him that! He's just a friend. We had a great night. Don't ruin it.'

"You're right. My bad."

"Anyway, what did he want?"

"I don't know. He never told me."

Coming out, Binna was in a nightgown, looking like she had just woken up. "What's wrong?"

A deep breath exhaled from Alastair as he closed Binna's door. He didn't want Dean to hear this. "Long story short? I got a hit on the radio. A group of people is trapped in a collapsed warehouse—a giant sinkhole.

"Jesus."

"Yeah, they have a few injuries, apparently. We must check it out, even if it could be an old signal. "

Binna paused. Looking away. "Alastair, I don't get upset, but I can't go with you."

Alastair stood there slackjawed. "Wait, what?'

Binna turned away even more. "Julianna is sick, so we are short-handed. Plus, I need to talk to Richard." She paused. "Like you said, it could be an old signal. "

Alastair understood, but he felt weirdly hurt. He was also pretty annoyed. He thought she was done with Dean. "I understand."

As she closed the door, Alastair heard Binna and Dean giggle. "It's high school all over again," he whispered under his breath.

It was then that Winnie Sizemore walked out of the women's bathroom. "Morning, Alastair. Don't mind me, morning sickness." She uttered a breathy laugh.

The ginger was lost in thought. "... You're from the area, right?"

"I mean, sort of."

"You know where the Pyle Family Warehouse is?"

Winnie's face turned white. "Yeah. Umm, I hid out there with my old horse, Shadow, for a while. Why?"

Alastair took a moment to explain the situation. Winnie understood quickly. "I can go with you. I can get there in no time. It's, like, an hour and a half drive at worst. If we go now, we can get there before eight."

"What about Joe? "

Winnie gave Alastair a serious look.

"Okay. You don't have to give me that death stare."

The two grabbed some supplies. Alastair left a note for Sarah, while Winnie grabbed a rifle. It was a military-style sniper rifle. The group found it at the army camp. Winnie knew how to shoot, so she felt safe with it. Taking a revolver, she tucked it into her pants. Getting Alastair a shotgun, she also took some rope.

The two took one of the parked cars nearby and started the long drive. Winnie and Alastair had never talked much before, but they quickly realized how much they had in common.

"So, Joe?"

Driving, Winnie chuckled. "Yes?"

"He's a good guy. I wish more people saw that."

Turning down a road, she nodded. "So do I. He's been through a lot."

"Yeah. Tell me about it."

Pulling over, Winnie parked the car in the woods. "It's a quarter mile. We should walk."

Walking through the woods, the duo silently stepped softly with Winnie leading. After a few minutes, they got to the area. They stood on the hill's edge, with the valley below them. Right in the middle of the plain stood a shattered warehouse. According to Winnie, the warehouse had been abandoned for years, and definitely looked it. It was rundown, with weeds and dead grass surrounding it from all sides. The only thing new about it was that it had caved in at the center.

"No biters," Winnie said. "You stay here."

Alastair shook his head and moved to follow. "Wait!"

Winnie was too fast for the redhead. She dashed down the hill, lightning quick. Scouting around the building, she thought she heard a noise.

"Bonjour!" she called, her voice almost singing. It was joyful and hopeful. Winnie was trying to channel her mother. That woman had always been cheerful. "My group got your call. Is anyone there?"

Alastair caught up to her after a moment, though he hung back a slight distance, just in case. He waited to see if any walkers heard Winnie's call.

FROSTBITE4395 Tarot of Death sazzabratz Doctor Voidsman

Sean - Outside the city, around 4 AM

Sean hadn't been able to sleep, rumbling his bed all night. Old nightmares surrounded him. Eventually, Sean jumped out of bed like he was running for the devil. There was only one thing he could do to clear his head: hunt.

Driving to the countryside in the dark, night hunts were always a risk, now more than ever. When he pulled over, there were five biters. Taking three out with his bow one by one, he grimaced at the last two. Sean pulled out a hatchet, a gift his dad gave him, and sheared the top of the first biter's head. To the second, he was more intense, hitting it repeatedly, his rage released.

At peace, Sean started the hunt. Checking the traps he put out the day before, he found three squirrels. Not too bad. As he snuck around, he saw a rabbit. Taking a deep breath, he fired but missed. The rabbit took off. He tried to track the rabbit for a couple minutes after that but couldn't find it. A noise caught his ear, a gobble. Seeing a hefty turkey, about twenty pounds, give or take, Sean took another deep breath and aimed, firing at it. Hitting his target, Sean nodded to himself.

Starting a walkabout a moment later, Sean froze on a dime. The was a deer. A large buck stood about ten feet away from his truck. "Holy fuck. No way." The weight of the world from on Sean's shoulder. He had to kill it in one shot. It wasn't sunrise yet, so he couldn't afford to track a bleeding animal in the dark with biters around. Pulling an arrow out, Sean aimed for the heart.

It landed in the middle, going in and out clean-through. The buck panicked, turning around and running. Right into Sean's vehicle, it bounced off it and onto the ground, stunned. Sean took another shot as it flopped on the road, again hitting his mark.

Walking up to it with his knife out, the hunter gazed into the buck's black eyes. They looked like mini black holes. He could see the confusion in it. It was trying to cry for help but was too weak. Standing next to the dying creature, Sean pet and comforted it. "Hey. It's okay. It's all right. I'm sorry I'm making you suffer like this. I wish it were a better shot. I should have done better, but you caught me off guard. Thank you for this. For your sacrifice." Sean stuck his knife in the bucks' head, the light flicking out its eyes like rolling blackout before nothingness.

Putting the deer in his vehicle, Sean was thankful he had a tarp so that none of the blood leaked anywhere. On the long way home, he thought about what he had said to the deer. His twin always mocked him for that. For thanking his food. Some people said twins are alike. Luckily, some people were wrong.

When he was pulling into Faith, he saw another pair of headlights and recognized the vehicle. He saw Derek and Joe on the scene, guns out, probably unaware of who was approaching. They were covering a night shift for James who had caught some sickness and likely had not heard about the trade that morning.

"He's cool. It's Stockton."

Alan Stockton - Faith Gates, before dawn

Slowly getting out of the large, zoo-branded Jeep he drove, Stockton casually raised his arms as Joe came out and frisked him. Joe shoved Stockton into the Jeep. Seeing Sean, Stockton tried to nod, his head still being forced against the window against the window. "Morning, Sean."

"Morning." Getting out of his car, Sean waved off Joe as Derek looked into the trailer. "He's the zoo guy, Joe," Sean said.

"Yeah, that's me," Stockton declared. Of the people of Faith, Stockton had the most interaction with Sean. He considered Sean a friend. The two of them sometimes hunted together. When some woman (Stockton didn't remember what Sean said her name was) went missing, Stockton even helped Sean out, as much as Stockton didn't want to. She had been a new mother, however. Stockton's hand had been forced.

"Holy fucking shit," Derek spoke. "Is that steak? Like cow?"

Brushing himself off, Stockton wandered over. "Yeah, just a few pounds," the zookeeper said casually like it wasn't a big deal. "Also, some butcher's chickens, a little bit of goat. We got milk and cheese; both in cow and goat variety. "

Sean shot Stockton an annoyed glance. "Gonna show me up on the day I caught a giant-ass buck and a turkey?"

Stockton shrugged. "Congrats?"

Hearing the noise, Jasper, Paul, and Wally gathered around.

In the back of trailer, Joe's voice rang. "These are some big fucking eggs."

"They're ostrich eggs. Best eggs you'll ever eat, I swear to Christ. You won't be able to go back to chicken eggs." As Stockton spoke, he moved to help Sean with the deer. "Shit! You weren't kidding! What a monster!"


Stockton, as much as he didn't trust people, had to admit this was nice. Socializing. Talking. He missed it. He need this. The Dingos and Sand Cats were cool, but they never talked back.

Sean nodded. "Thanks."

"Anyway." Stockton pulled out a list from his jacket pocket. "I need to talk to Brooke, like, now. You guys can start unloading. There are some fruits, veggies, and seeds pack there too. Grapes, lettuce, mushrooms."

As Jasper walked by the jeep, a cat's paw bounce against the inside of Jeep's window, causing Jasper to jump. "What the fuck?"

Stockton laughed hysterically. "I'm sorry, man! That's Monica. She's a pregnant Sand Cat."

"A sandwich?" Jasper retorted.

"A Sand Cat. When shit went down, the zoos were the first to close."

"Yeah, I remember that, Jemma was going to go there with some of her friends," Paul explained, tapping on the window.

"All the zoos knew shit was going to get rough. So we traded animals, you know? All the monkeys went to Indianapolis because of the orangutan preserve. We sent others away too. The lions, zebras, seals, a few others... Fuck? I forget where they all went. Anyway, not the point, but you get it. We got all the Sand Cats in return. I don't know why, maybe because they're small. So we got like, ten. Now we have like sixteen. Monica here is going to push up the number count. She gonna pop soon, I couldn't leave her. So she took a ride with me."

Stockton looked around. "So what are you guys waiting for? Unload the trailer."

He helped Sean with the deer until Derek moved to take over. Stockton watched as the others got to work unloading his goods. Aside from Sean, he couldn't say he knew them all too well. He'd talked to Derek a few times. He and Brooke had tried to get Stockton to join their community, but Stockton had wanted no part of it. He didn't even want to set foot in the place. None of the people of the Faith knew much about him beyond some knowing he was their mysterious source of premium meat and eggs.

 

[Gears]

Eddie woke up in his room, having finished moving all of his stuff from the Jeep there after the meeting. On the wall was the map he had been working on. On it was marked where hordes where at, where he had looted, and where raiders set up camp. He had finished marking faith and the mansion as a suspected stronghold before turning to a second board, hidden behind the first.

While the other board had been orderly this was chaotic, full of random information he had put there. In the center was a photograph of him and three other people. Each of them had a profile in the corner and labeled as deceased. In another corner, two more dossiers hung. These were labels as alive, along with several presvious locations that Eddie had found as a result of both seeing them and hearing rumors about them.

Eddie had a target on the wall, with their faces glued on, throwing knives stuck between their eyes. He sighed after adding any information he had learned the past few weeks and opened his gun safe to clean his rifle.

An hour later Eddie sat in the cafeteria alone, eating pancakes and bacon, he read a book while we worked on the mechanics of his vehicle, hoping to learn how to drive the stupid thing. He currently wore the light clothing he wore whenever he wasn’t scavenging, a jacket and jeans along with a bandana in case he ran into infected and had to fight close quarters.

After he finished eating Eddie headed to the city center where the meeting was held and sat there reading.

 

[Tarot of Death]

Urig "The Swede" Humme

Urig stood to the edge of the sinkhole, the echoed voices farther off coming through to him and his band of randoms. He found this place a while ago, only hoping to stay temporarily, wanting to not sit too long in one spot, knowing it would only lead to more walkers down the line. The voice came through again, saying they heard our call for help from the radio. His other members that occupied the warehouse all seemed similarly surprised by the voices, some more on the ready to leave and be rescued by the unknown voice. Urig wasn't so sure of their heroes. They could be lying, could be the wrong people to hear our call, could just be a bunch of useless rescuers. He didn't know and wouldn't want to risk finding out, but injured and desperation of their supply situation pushed him to make a jump on the decision, like it or not.

"We are here. Other side of the sinkhole. We have a few injured. Can't get across!"
Urig's voice carried through his helmet and the warehouse, his accent very noticeable in his speech. He was tired but still awake, nights spent up making sure he and his associates didn't turn into raider food or walker bait.

Interactions: Josh FROSTBITE4395 sazzabratz Doctor Voidsman​

 

[Patience]

Light poured into the dusty room, waking Birdie from a rough nights sleep on the floor. She rolled over onto her side and raised up slowly. Her hip ached, her shoulder ached, her back ached.. When she thought about it, she got a chuckle thinking it'd be faster to think of what didn't ache. Knees. Her knees felt fine today. She stretched forwards, grabbing her toes. After 10 pained breathes, she let go and slowly got to her feet. She couldn't remember the last time she slept on the floor and she was sure she had never slept in a sleeping bag. She felt young, proud of herself and her body for camping out like a teenager and still being able to stand the next morning. As she opened the door into the hallway, she wondered if they had put Richard in the same building. Yesterday was gone in a flash. A lot of things happened very quickly. Leaving the farm, car breaking down, almost getting trapped, getting saved, meeting up with a ghost from her past and for the life of her, she couldn't recall most of the day before. Too much change too quickly. She never thought she'd feel this way, but she kind of missed that wretched bunker. She turned back, knelt down and put a hand on Cinder's shoulder, shaking her a few times. "I'm gonna go kick a tire.... Sleep in as long as ya' want." Cinder grumbled and rolled over, pulling the blanket up over her head. Birdie walked into the hallway and spied the bathroom at the end.

As soon as the door clicked closed behind Birdie, Cinder's eyes popped open. She'd been lying there, feigning sleep for who knows how long thinking about the other day. Before she even had a chance to catch the name of the girl in the hall, Birdie had heard the handle jiggle - popped open the door and pulled her back inside for a boring conversation about her father's business in Chicago. Richard and Gus seemed like nice fellows, but she'd really missed hanging out with people her own age. She had 2 whole years of solitude with her grandma, she needed some space. She got up and brushed off her clothes. Her white sweater and tan corduroys were in pretty good condition, considering it was her favorite out of only 2 other outfits she had before the epidemic. She peaked out into the hallway and with no sign of Birdie, she left the building. She was absolutely clueless on where to go. She thought about food, but she didn't have any money and even though that man Ray had implied they wouldn't need any, she didn't want to face the embarrassment if she had misunderstood. After walking around a bit and taking in the quiet world, she came across a clearing and saw a guy reading a book. He kind of smelled like breakfast. Maybe she could probe him for some information. She walked over and sat down a seat away from him. "What are you reading?" She asked, feeling as if she'd completely forgotten all of her social skills. Gears

 

[Gears]

Eddie jumped at the response, still getting used to people. He turned to the lady and said “Guide to driving stick, kind of suck at driving shit so I decided learning the mechanics could help.” Eddie stopped himself before standing up and lowering his bandana “Names Eddie, I came here a few weeks ago.” Eddie looked at the woman, thinking there was something familiar “Have we met? I swear I have seen your face.”
Patience

 

[Doctor Voidsman]

-Far from faith an old man was firing his Kar98 at the undead that approached him. when he ran out of bullets for it he returned to using his Krig 6- "BACK YOU HUSKS! I'LL KILL YOU ALL~" -he continued firing at them and backing away as the Undead proceeded to move towards him-

 

[Josh]

Derek - Around faith.



At this point of the day, The head of security was hitting the way. Derek, Joe, and the others were surprised at how much food Stockton gave them. The last few time, it was minimal Egg, some pork, and vegetables. But this? They had Milk, Cheese, and cow. Derek took a keen look at the meats; these were butcher cuts. He took his time.

As Derek walked around, that was the thing that worried him; time. More importantly, Stockton's time. The guy says he cares for the zoo, yet, he had to be stretched thin. Yet, he was casual. Too casual.



Derek didn't believe another group was around, but he wasn't sure he liked having Stockton around. From what he gathered, the guy wanted to be left alone. God bless. However, Derek wanted to go to the zoo and look around. Check out his story. He was in the council now. Maybe he would talk to Ray and Brooke.



Standing outside the movie theater, he saw Carmen and Chef Sibel talking, walking right by. After what Carmen tried to pull off, Derek expected people to be furious with Carmen, blindsiding them as she did. But no. After the meeting, all she had to shake the right hands, show a little remorse, and the people ate it up. It was astonishing. He always knew Carmen was a good actress, but Christ. She could have won an Oscar with that performance.

That said, Derek didn't know her plan, but she did get part of it. Well, with a catch. Derek was now a councilman. To say Carmen was displeased would be selling it sort. He could tell, just by reading her body language, she wanted Derek to reject the offer. Eventually, she will ask, and they'll cross that bridge when it comes.

Seeing Sam, Derek waved him over. The man was finally coming out of his shell, well, sort of.

"Morning, Sam." Derek waved, looking both ways. "Missed a fucking show this morning. A guy from the Zoo showed up. We gave fucking steaks and eggs. and whole chickens, man!" Derek was a carnivore in his heart. He would always go out of his way to try new kinds of meats before the World went to pieces. In the middle east, he found out he loved eating goats.

Taking a deep breath, Derek sighed. "How are you doing? How's the knee?" Derek asked. "I caught you limping earlier."

Charles Babel

Carmen and Sibel, around Faith.

Strolling around, Faith, Sister Carmen, and Chef Sibil giggled like schoolgirls. Sibel's fire-red hair flew in the light wind, Parralling Carmen's blue scarf as they walked arm in arm. The two, along with Winnie, were incredibly close. All three of them bounded over being fluent in French, so often they would have entire hour-long conversations in that tongue. Carmen had a particularly unique bond with both. With Winnie, it was like being sisters. The two could tell each other anything. With Sibil? Well, the two often gossiped, talking about the other members of a faith. Sibil brought out Carmen's inner mean girl.


Sitting on a bench, they took in the scene.

"So, Carmen, with all the new food that came in, I can get a little creative for your Derek's wedding. Have anything in mind?"

Carmen shook her head. "I just trust your judgment, Sissy," Carmen insists, leaning deep on the bench.

Pausing for a moment, the chef gives her dear friend a look. "What's on your mind, darling?" Sibil asks, her faint English accent flaring. "You got everything you wanted yesterday, and no one is the wiser.

Closing her eyes, the air left Carmen's lungs. "I think whoever is stealing from us, Faith."

The chef audible gasped, putting her hand over her mouth, taking a minute to let it sink in. She looked at the Sister. "How do you know this? I mean, I don't doubt you. You're the all-seeing eye in this place, " Sibil spoke, still at a loss for words.

Carmen didn't answer at first. " Just trust me. I've been watching the supplies, and someone has been stealing nonfood and medical supplies."

Two ladies seemed shell-shocked. After a few minutes, Sibil sadly smiled. "Well, you have truly and utterly ruined my day, Carmen."

Perking up, Carmen shoved Sibil lovingly. "You asked! You want me to lie to you?" the sister exclaimed

Sibil paused. "I mean, you lie to everyone else."

"Ha ha." the sister rolled her eyes. Truthfully, Carmen had never considered that before. Keeping information for from people, not telling them the truth right away. In her mind, she had no choice. The people can't handle the truth. "I don't lie. I just....."

"Manifature consent?"

It's not that the sister didn't trust the people; it's just she couldn't afford to trust them, people. Well, not yet. People say they want freedom, and they want to be told the truth. Truth? Carmen knew the truth, and she learned from being in the foster care system. The only thing people really want is to be safe and to have a home. Somewhere to lay their head at night without worrying about the world's troubles. They want stability. They'll sacrifice anything for that fact alone—even the need for the truth. At the end of the day, despite their complaints, people want to be ignorant of the truth. "That's a little too Machiavellian for my liking, but sure."

Standing up, Sibil looked at her watch. It was a shining Rolex, given to her by her late husband many years ago. "Look at the time! I got to get back to the kitchen. Have a bunch of organizing and prepping. Well, talk later, love?"

Nodding, Carmen smirked, "Oh, no doubt. Take care, Sissy."

Watching Sibil leave, out of the blue, Father Craig took a seat. Carmen was shocked. He-"

"No. You're going to listen. Shaking his head, Craig was apparently in no mood. "I don't have much time, and your actions yesterday? They've troubled me."

Folding his hands into each other like a child saying grace, Craig's eyes locked on Carmen. "I prayed a lot last night after Danny was done yelling at me," The Father informed. "I've been thinking, what are your goals here, Carmen? I saw what you did last night. You pitched that triad idea to sell the council idea. Suggest a major change to secure a smaller change. Rather clever." A faint forced smile graced Craig's face. "And the Brooke thing? We both know she can be a little hard head. So what do you do? But the fear of God into her. Now, look at her. Talking with people, trying to build relationships. Out to prove she isn't some cold-hearted witch who doesn't like the sweet pregnant lady. Again, very clever."

Carmen, stone-faced, listened. "And?"

Craig's eyes narrowed, and the softness of his voice hardened. "Don't be daft!"Craig snapped. His face flashed anger. "I know you have some sort of scheme. You always do. I just can't figure out the bloody endgame."

"There is no endgame, Craig."

"Bull." Craig snapped.

Carmen paused, and a wave of melodically shook her core. "I'm assuming Danny yelled at you.

"Answer my question, Carmen."

A thousand thoughts raced in Carmen's mind, how her face stood blank. "The endgame is simple; there is no endgame," Carmen confesses. "I am trying to keep Faith afloat. That's my game."

Craig sneered. He sure wasn't happy; however, he didn't have the time. Turning his head, he muttered as he walked away. "Peace be with you, Carmen."

"And also with you." Carmen nodded, sitting on the bench, caught in a little breeze

@ anyone

Winnie and Alistair: Pyle Family Warehouse.

As Alistair stood diligently nearby, shotgun in hand, Winnie leaned against the old warehouse walls. Whoever was speaking had a thick accent and sounded slightly muffled. She couldn't pinpoint precisely where she was from, but it was noticeable. "You folks are trapped in there? You don't say? " A hint of playful sarcasm. "Ya'll lucky I knew where this place was! I'm Winnie, Mr. Accent. I'm here with my friend Alistair.

"Hello." Alistair's voice shook with awkwardness.

Pacing around the building, Winnie was looking for a way inside. She could always climb up, but then towards the middle? It seemed loose, and she didn't want to make things worse.

Calling back to the man behind the wall, Winnie's voice still seemed optimistic. "Cards on the table; you guys are in deep shit. However, I want to help. " Winnie paused. "I don't know if we can trust you, but your not so ungrateful you'd shoot us dead if we got ya out, I hope." Winnie chose her words Puroposly. While she was trying to read them, her positive attitude radiated. Trying to boost the trapped group's hopes.

Tarot of Death sazzabratz AlmighTy FROSTBITE4395

Stockton - Around the city


 Riding back from Faith, Stockton fiddled with the Jeep's CD player. Monica, the pregnant Sand Cat, slept comfortably as Stockton enjoyed the music.

Honestly, he didn't get much out of the trade with Faith, well, not compared to what they got. They got a bunch of food and seed packets while he got some guns and meds. While he wanted more, he wasn't going to waste food. And to be clear, that's the only reason he helped them.

"Imari loved the Cure, Monica. Did I ever tell you that? They were her favorite band."

The wild cat yawned.

"This is her CD, in case you didn't know. It's the debut album."

A tail swayed.

"Yeah," Stockton said somberly, his tired eyes looming at the building he was passing.

Suddenly, gunshots rang. Breaking hard, Monica hissed as Stockton ducked down. Getting his barring, He poked his head up, catching the scene.

A man stupidly shouted and fired his gun into a group of eaters. They weren't a lot. However, the man was backing himself into corn.

Stockton looked at Monica. The cat seemed annoyed. If a cat could talk, she'd be yelling at him not to go.

Yet, as music played, It reminded him of Imari. Before the fall, she was a humanitarian, an advocate for human rights. That woman dedicated herself to helping people. She was probably dead now. And even if she wasn't? She was likely in Peru still. If she were here, there was no doubt she'd be the first to help. "Fuck."

Reaching towards his back seat, he pulled out a simple Bolt action rifle. Parking, Stockton rushed out of the Jeep. Stockton aimed and fired. One of the eaters went down.

Stockton ran the bolt hard backward than forward.

Another shot as he marched forward.

Again, a click of the bolt rang.

Another shot as a third went down. As only two remained, Stockton pulled out his hunting knife. Grabbing the eater by the neck, he stabbed the eater in the eye. The last one, Stockton, held its hair and slammed it into a nearby wall repeatedly. Bone fragments flew as the skull partly disintegrated.

Taking a breath, Stockton looked at the man. Turning his back to him, he spoke. "You okay?'

Before the man could answer, Stockton turned back his elbow, crossing the man's face and knocking his ass to the ground. Pulling out his rifle, Stockon looked down the barrel of his rifle. 'You move, I shoot.' He warned.

Backing up, the gun didn't aim away from the man. "You could have drawn a bigger crowd, Fucker! I should fucking end you!"

Looking around, Stockton sighed. "Leave all your gun here. Do you have a knife? You can take that. If not? Tough titmouse. Your gun privileges have been revoked. They're mine now. Get it? Got it. Good. Next? Next, you are going to go north for about thirty minutes, give or take. There is a group called Faith. You tell them Stockton Sent you." The lanky man explained.

"Now go. This is your only wanting."

Doctor Voidsman

 

[Doctor Voidsman]

 Riding back from Faith, Stockton fiddled with the Jeep's CD player. Monica, the pregnant Sand Cat, slept comfortably as Stockton enjoyed the music.

Honestly, he didn't get much out of the trade with Faith, well, not compared to what they got. They got a bunch of food and seed packets while he got some guns and meds. While he wanted more, he wasn't going to waste food. And to be clear, that's the only reason he helped them.

"Imari loved the Cure, Monica. Did I ever tell you that? They were her favorite band."

The wild cat yawned.

"This is her CD, in case you didn't know. It's the debut album."

A tail swayed.

"Yeah," Stockton said somberly, his tired eyes looming at the building he was passing.

Suddenly, gunshots rang. Breaking hard, Monica hissed as Stockton ducked down. Getting his barring, He poked his head up, catching the scene.

A man stupidly shouted and fired his gun into a group of eaters. They weren't a lot. However, the man was backing himself into corn.

Stockton looked at Monica. The cat seemed annoyed. If a cat could talk, she'd be yelling at him not to go.

Yet, as music played, It reminded him of Imari. Before the fall, she was a humanitarian, an advocate for your right. That woman dedicated herself to helping people. She was probably dead now. And even if she wasn't? She was likely in Peru still. If she were her, there would be no doubt shed be the first to help. "Fuck."

Reaching towards his back seat, he pulled out a simple Bolt action rifle. Parking, Stockton rushed out of the Jeep. Stockton aimed and fired. One went down.

Stockton ran the bolt hard backward than forward.

Another shot as he marched forward.

Again, a click of the bolt rang.

Another shot as a third went down. As only two remained, Stockton pulled out his hunting knife. Grabbing the eater by the neck, he stabbed the eater in the eye. The last one, Stockton, held its hair and slammed it into a nearby wall repeatedly. Bone fragments flew as the skull partly disintegrated.

Taking a breath, Stockton looked at the man. Turning his back to him, he spoke. "You okay?'

Before the man could answer, Stockton turned back his elbow, crossing the man's face and knocking his ass to the ground. Pulling out his rifle, Stockon looked down the barrel of his rifle. 'You move, I shoot.' He warned.

Backing up, the gun didn't aim at off the man. "You could have drawn a bigger crowd, Fucker! I should fucking end you!"

Looking around, Stockton sighed. "Leave all your gun here. Do you have a knife? You can take that. If not? Tough titmouse. Your gun privileges have been revoked. They're mine now. Get it? Got it. Good. Next? Next, you are going to go north for about thirty minutes, give or take. There is a group called Faith. You tell them Stockton Sent you." Then the lanky man explained

"Now go. This is your only wanting."

-the man seemed old he was holding his side after being elbowed to the floor and only heard the part of heading north for a few mineuts. to the old man, now known as carl because of a tag on his uniform, was surprised by the help at first but after being knocked on the ground he would've just taken the crowd himself. he stood up dusting himself off and curses softly to the man. he eventually stands up and began walking north towards faith-

 

[Crono]

Bench

Conrad

Conrad had been out and about since he'd woken up. Since he was one of the candidates he felt the need to be. He wasn't out campaigning or anything of the sort, he'd simply wanted to be outside to be approached if anyone had wanted to. To be seen, let people know he'd meant what he'd said the day before. And for anyone who put the trust in him enough to vote, he felt he owed it to them to put forth the effort. He'd just dropped by the parking lot and seen it's small transformation, when he spotted Carmen and Father Craig seated on a bench. He hadn't spoken with her since she'd ambushed him yesterday, not wanting to let his emotions get the better of him if he could help it. So he'd avoided her after the meeting, though he'd guessed she had enough on her plate not to even notice.

Father Craig looked none to happy either as the man left. With a deep exhale Conrad made his way over, "May I?" He'd asked before sitting, and once she'd given him permission he'd sat down next to her. "That didn't look like a fun conversation." He told her, looking out at the scenery before them. "Be careful how you treat the people who are on your side Sister." He said softly, and he had been. Conrad had done what she'd asked, helped try and pitch the idea. And he'd been blindsided for it. "Backing someone who trusts you into a corner is an easy way to lose that trust." He turned his head to glance at the woman next to him.
Josh
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coded by reveriee.

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[Charles Babel]

Sam hadn't felt as sore has he had in a long time and had been sitting in his room trying to get some rest. The bottle of painkillers he had been dragging along was finally stretched too thin and he had to use them more and more sparingly, but soon even that bottle was going to dry up and he wasn't quite sure what he'd do after that.

With that on his mind Sam had went out for a little stroll when Derek called out to him. "Heh, it's alright, don't worry about it. Besides ah don't think you'd be callin' out to me just for a check up. What's on your mind, son?"

Josh

 

[Patience]

Cinder inspected the now unmasked face of the guy beside her. She thought back to her school, to see if she could find him in her memory there. She tapped her chin while she thought. "Familiar..." She muttered. "Were you ever near Lake Forest up in Illinois? I went to the boarding school there... I mean... We lived in Chicago, so maybe we ran into each other..." She studied his pale eyes, sharp jawline and messy hair. He had a very serious face, like he'd seen a lot. She was sure her mind wouldn't have dismissed him so easily if they had met before, but... The years leading up to the incident were really a fog for her... "Anyways... I can drive..." She said, honestly unsure if she could remember how. The last time she put her foot on a pedal was before the epidemic and before her accident... It was probably like riding a bike though. "I could teach you... If..." She paused, leaning in a little closer to take an audible sniff of the air around him. "You can lead me to where you found waffles... Or pancakes?" She takes a second sniff. "Bacon...?" A small smirk escaped her blank face at the funny deal she had proposed. She took notice of some adults arguing in the distance. "Lets... Steer clear of those guys though..." She nodded in the direction of the people coming and going by the bench across the way.

Eddie Gears

---

Birdie emerged from the bathroom feeling like a new person, her strawish hair fluffed and smelling fresh, her teeth brushed and her face a bright new shade of shiny leather. With the thought of letting Cinder sleep in, she walked out of the building in search of any of the people she met yesterday. She wasn't getting any younger and the floor wouldn't be acceptable to her twice in a row. She was a bit lost, unable to remember the buildings and streets from the other day. It was a lot to take in after all. She heard people talking from around the corner, a woman walked off in one direction and a few moments later a man in the other. Too slow to catch the first person, she approached the young man who seemed to be in deep thought. Almost directly stepping in front of his path, but not wanting to be rude, she asked quickly. "Excuse me young man, I'm a bit new here. Can you direct me to where a gal might rustle up some grub? And which building Ray's office is in?"

Pastor Craig Josh

---

 

[Gears]

Eddie Gears
Eddie’s mind raced as he went through various possibilities that could stem from this interaction; Eddie had instantly realized that Cynthia Fairchild was the woman standing in front of him, he had not interacted a lot with the Senior, mostly having to concentrate on his studies and his “Profession.”

He knew that a lot of the school knew about his dealings, but they dared not say anything; knowing his father was a high ranking police official, and his grandparents being Alumni of Lake Forest; and the fact that the many junkies would make any snitches a living hell.

He knew that few judge others on what they did after the outbreak, but his drug dealing before the outbreak had given him little advantage afterwards.

Sure he could make some medicine with ease and make narcotics for some crackheads; some survivors refueled to allow him into their camps or worse. One time after finding out his line of work, a family of survivors hunted him in retaliation of their teenage daughter having overdosed; despite them having come from another state.

Eddie thought quickly, knowing he had already revealed his name around town, he still hadn’t revealed his surname. He tried to sound calm and not panicked and said “My names Eddie, Eddie Barnes. My dad was a janitor at the boarding school down there, and sure I can eat.”
Patience

 

[AlmighTy]

Kailyn and Zaylin Cole

Kailyn stood in silence he was so angry with his sister once again her running off got them in a predicament he didn’t want to be in. Zaylin grabbed her brother’s arm “I’m sorry,” she said looking at him with her big brown eyes. But Kailyn didn’t give in his sister was becoming a liability at every turn she was running off exploring with no concern for their lives. Kailyn removed her arm “We are locked in a shed because you can’t stand still, you can’t just accept the situation were in now were going to die in a shed Zaylin.” Kailyn knew he would do everything in his power to prevent that, but Zaylin had to learn that running off and doing whatever she wanted wasn’t acceptable she needed to grow up. Zaylin began to cry “I just…” before she could finish her sentence, they heard a voice say “You folks are trapped in there? You don't say? " Kailyn gasped “Yes, please help.” Kailyn frowned he appreciated the help but his sister needed to be taught a lesson.

 

[Josh]

Sister Carmen

Nodding At Conard, Carmen sat stone-faced as the man preached at her. Did she deserve it? Yeah, one could say that. Carmen couldn't be bothered to care, it seemed. The regular, quiet, and reserved Sister was gone. The mask Carmen wore was off. Her Spanish Harlem accent is ready to be out in full force. Letting the moment longer, she shook her head. "Sometimes backing someone who trusts you in a corner is the only way to make a move."

Carmen's tone was blunt. "Craig will get over. You'll get over it." Carmen side-eyes him. "You think I lied to the group when I apologized for hurting people who trusted me? For blind-siding them? No. "


"Faith is all that matters in the end, you know? " Carmen shot her leg out, stretching them. A soft smile graced her face. Carmen relaxed. "Brooke's a pendejo, Craig is naive, Dean is a troglodyte, and here I am, herding cats." Carmen chuckled, popping up to her feet. "Come on. I want to show you something. "

Taking a long walk, the two ended up in the backside of the church—two storm doors in front of them. Bending over and opening them, Carmen leads Conrad down the stairs. The two would enter a large, oval-shaped room. A hot water heater on the right side and old boxes to the left. They were greeted by two children laughing on the left side of the area.

Ace and Caili played, both of them shooting a "Box monster" with slingshots. Suddenly stopping, Ace Greeted them. "Uh, Hi, Sister Carmen. Mr. Conrad. Cali and I -."

"No need to explain, niño. If you'd excuse Mr. Conrad and me." Carmen smirked as she motioned the man to follow her.

Making it out of the oval room, they entered a hallway—four doors lay in front of them in the hallway. Walking through the third door, it seemed different. The doorknob was newer than the others. Carmen pulled out a key. Turning it, She glanced at Conrad. "You're the first person I'm bringing in here. Not even Derek knows about this."

Inside there was a whirlwind of sights. Two giant cork boards and numerous papers adorned on it was the first thing Conard would notice. The room was medium-sized. A desk and couch chair, it seemed, lived in. Books lined the shelves Names like The Prince, The Art of War, and Leviathan was noticeable. The oddest thing in the room was a stuffed toy sheep. Its face seemed old, but the body was immaculate. Finally, binders lined the tables. It was called the ten-year plan.

"This is my office."

Crono

Derek

Shrugging his shoulders, Derek stretched. "No, but I also know you've gar more surgeries on that knee than you can count." A smirk."No, I'm just doing my rounds. You missed the scene this morning. There is this guy. Name is Stockton. Anyway, He lives in the zoo, Brought in a bunch of fresh meat. Chicken, steaks, eggs of all kinds. Like, not just chickens, but a few ostrich eggs too. Still, I'm a little unnerved. I mean, I heard about the guy before all this. Still. The fact he's doing all that worm by himself? I don't. It seems fishy." Derek shook his head.

Taking a deep, long breath, he smirked. "what do you think, boss? Am I too paranoid?
Charles Babel

Father Craig

Still slightly steaming from his conversation with Carmen, Craig was still aware enough to stop on a done as Birdie asked for help. She was one of the new people. Craig didn't know much, but Derek informed him of the basic.

Derek was a local, along with Jasper, Dean, and a few others. Derek had told the Father about Dr. Hatch's and Birdie's... complicated history, along with a few other details about the woman. Surprisingly, if what Derek told Him was true, and Craig had no reason to doubt the soldier, Craig was not one to judge. Everyone is flawed and comes short of the glory of god.


Craig was late for service, but he had time to help her. "You must be Ms. Birdie," Craig smirked. "I am Father Craig. Of course, I'll help you."


As the two strolled, Craid gently hooked arms with her as they walked. A calming allure emerged.

"We should be in a minute, Ms. Birdie. You're In luck. A man living in the zoo apparently came to our fair gates. Brought all sorts of meats and Eggs. Lucky us."

As the two got closer, a sigh left Craig's lips. "Your a local, or so I've been told, and you stayed in a fallout shelter for more than a year." a pause. "Has anyone told you about the full-scope infection? How much do you know about the virus?"

Patience


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