Realistic or Modern Versipolis: Roleplay Thread

[JokerValentine]

Versipolis

​

OOC:
CS:
Lore:
IC:you're here, you fool.

Welcome to the apocalypse...

They called it Firewatch, holding vigil over their compatriots. Having it been their shift for the night, Julia and Zach now were tasked with guarding their fellow compatriots. A few decent men and women of many different backgrounds, having suffered so many terrible fates and losses. Oh, and there was that horse Tiramisu as well. Firewatch’s goal was to protect them from what lied right outside the door, whether it be beast or human. It only seemed like yesterday that they didn’t need to fear their fellow man… or what used to be considered their fellow man. They once had normal jobs, normal lives. They wrote for the paper, they played hockey, worked in a biology lab, or clocked into their job. Now, they played their roles as anonymous survivors. Though, survivors was just a colloquial term for “citizen” in Versipolis.

The group of twelve had settled down for the night in what once was prime ranching real estate, now nothing more than an overgrown pile of shit. The grass was tall, reaching the waist of most who passed through it. In the midst of the growth stood a barn, its red façade now teeming with untamed ivy. Wooden planks and paint had fallen off of the old structure, exposing the light of the moon through some of the cracks. They and what remained of the fences provided firewood for the group to huddle around, as nobody seemed to mind the worms and maggots as they did visualizing their corpses looking as such. Not the Ritz Carlton, but for them, it was perfect to survive the night.

The barn’s infrastructure was mostly intact, the ceiling was in one piece even though some of the beams and planks were almost cracked in half being so worn from weather. The doors were sturdy, the iron locks and hinges of the large doors were rusted and creaked loudly as the survivors entered. It smelled a bit, but not as terrible as it would have been if it was in use and several years earlier.

The aperture to the beast-filled world was occupied by the duo, the siblings that had survived it all. It was a miracle to have even made it this far, nonetheless find each other in the chaos. Here they were, years into the apocalypse, relegated to the same Firewatch duty they had always done. Zach stood just inside of the rotten door, his arms crossed as he exhaled into the Autumn air emphatically, placing his rifle at his side as he gazed out into the darkness. Soon it’d be morning; he could only guess as much, as the sky seemed too dark for it to be midnight. It was always darkest before the dawn, and twelve years of experience could tell you that. "Who’s got the next shift?" Zach asked, still looking out into the distance.

Julia would be sporting a jacket that was a bit too big for her, what with the apocalypse and all being picky about clothing sizes and looks wasn’t really on the list of priorities. Her brother would ask her a question and it was almost as if she snapped out of a dream, "Hm?...Oh, I guess we could assign Mara or Shady." she would say with a small shrug. Everyone had gotten along pretty well, though Zach didn’t seem too fond of her boyfriend Caleb...but he pulled his weight and watched their back so it was no doubt the age-old brother-boyfriend squabble. Caleb didn’t seem to mind. Julia would raise her pistol and check the chamber of the gun as well as the magazine. She knew how much was in it, but it was a habit. Their father always said to check how many bullets you have before and after you shoot and if you’re good enough, keep track of how many you fire off. Considering her lack of ammunition, Julia didn’t want to use the gun unless it was necessary. "Think I should get better weapons?" she said with a soft sigh.

“Aye," he said, "it’s an older model by this point. You’ve had that for a while now, right? It’s gotta be… like ancient." By these standards it surely was. There wasn’t anybody making weaponry anymore anyways. "I’m thinking for you… maybe a rocket launcher. Or maybe one of those sabers. Uh… what are they called again? The ones the ninjas use?" He had a smile on his face, one that he was habitual to wear around his younger sister. He turned around to face the interior of the barn, looking at the various huddled sleeping shapes. "Whose turn is it anyways? Audrey hasn’t done it in a while," he said.

Julia would laugh as Zach suggested her using a rocket launcher. "You can’t be serious, Zach! First off, where the hell are we going to get an RPG and second, wouldn’t that make too much noise?" she would chuckle, he was so silly sometimes. "Think it’s a katana though." she would smile softly.

“Katana, Katrina, California, whatever," Zach said, "If it kills the dogs dead, it’s fine by me." Up until this point, they knew how to kill these beasts. They were animals at heart, and whether it took their weapons or a the traps they had set up, their group had at least somewhat of a chance. And with morning coming, even more so. Now they could see them coming from a distance. After all, a hulking giant, or even a group of them, were easy to spot. "I’m thinki-" the conversation was interrupted by a loud crackle from above. And then, just like that, it started to rain out of nowhere.

 

[StoneWolf18]

Audrey

Tysh

The Squeaking.

The fucking… squeaking.

Audrey's sleep that night had been minimal, and the only reason being the sounds of a nearby mouse that was scavenging in the decayed hay piled nearby. While the sound itself was annoying to someone with heightened sense, the lack of fresh meat they had found recently was… concerning. The last time was a week or so ago when a frail doe had limped up to their camp, clearly suffering from some sort of bullet wound sustained. There hadn’t been much for a group of their size, but it sure was reinvigorating. And seeing as they hadn’t taken to cannibalism (and she… still fought with morals against the idea, even though at times it was rather difficult) she was having some second thoughts about… Certain things. Namely tiramisu, the horse that one of the group members owned.

She wasn't going to eat the bloody horse.

Or, at least she hoped she wouldn’t.

This mouse on the other hand… Audrey would slowly sit up, glancing around to make sure the others were either asleep (or at the very least, not paying much attention to her) before trying to stand as silently as possible and move carefully towards the rodent. It wasn’t hard to locate with the sound it was making nor its scent being easily distinguishable from the discarded hay is scavenged in. Yet just as she was about to reach down and pluck it from the floor, the sudden crack of thunder and pounding of rain made her jump, the mouse being startled enough to rush off out of the barn through a crack in the wall.

Not all that happy about this, the woman would sigh before walking towards her spot near the dying fire. Taking a seat once more, she ignored the dripping of water from the dilapidated roof and onto the back of her slightly worn padded jacket to the siblings that were currently on firewatch. She managed to hear what Zack said about the dogs and his general thoughts about them, and while she understood where he were coming from… it also worried her somewhat. She was sure none of them were aware that there was a possibility of some taking a human form (although she wasn’t aware how common this was… as far as she knew, it was extremely rare.) Killing dogmen who were possibly sentient behind a bloodlust felt wrong to her, similarly to how a human with a mental disorder might not be able to control their actions. They were sick, diseased. Herself was the same… but also not for whatever genetic lottery reason, which brought her to her next concern of the group finding out.

This caused difficulties, most manageable aside from one. Shfiting, or that’s what she labeled the transition from human to beast, anyway. Even though she had most of it managed, she still found it hard to control when they managed enter combat, which is a reason why she was mostly unarmed and prefered to watch from afar. Even then, when not doing so from long periods of time.. It was hard to resist what she assumed was an instinctual urge to do so, especially when not having properly fed for awhile. Thankfully, with her time spend with them, she had only required to actually leave for a few hours a handfull of times, returning before anyone would wake, or if someone did notice her leave, come up with a brief explanation. She doubted it would soon become more obvious that she was lying as her absences were noticed, but that time hadn’t yet come, so it was pushed to the back of her mind.

Her time spent as a dog (or possibly, to be more correct, a wolf of some sort) was strange but not wholly unpleasant, which she took as a side effect from the infection. It was nothing anyone could or would ever hope to experience, and while Audrey wished she could spend more time in such a state, she knew it wasn’t practical nor safe. For right now, at least, though she wasn’t sure that would ever change.

To quell her current longing, the woman dug around her backpack which laid nearby, tugging out one of the few strips of jerky she had collected from when they were scavenging. It wasn’t ideal in the slightest, but it was enough to keep her thoughts from drifting into dangerous territory as they had a few times when she first joined up with them. It tasted like she was eating a brick of salt, no flavor remaining, but the action of having to actually chew through its leather-like toughness gave her something to do which was enough. If anyone questioned this, she mostly replied with having a fast metabolism. Which, once again thanks to the infection, she did, but as long as they assumed it was a mundane hunger that drove her to do this, it was good enough for her.

Finishing up the piece of dried meat and feeling a bit less on-edge, she reclined once more. Dawn was going to be here in a few hours, and she needed to shake the exhaustion she was feeling as soon as possible.

Coded by || StoneWolf18

 

[Zer0]

- Mara Malvern -
" Barn "​

"It's mine." said a sleepy voice from one of the stalls. There was a soft rustling of straw, as a tall, bald, figure rose from behind a hay stack. A lady with brows seemingly perpetually knitted in a calm, no-nonsense look, strode into the moonlight. She had steady green eyes that stood out from the black smear of motor oil that covered half of her face. Her shaven hair was dirty with ash, but it seemed to have been purposely blackened that way, like war paint.

She yawned, covering her mouth for a moment with a mechanical arm. "What time is it Zach, Julia?" she unstrapped a wooden bow and quiver hanging from a saddle on a wooden railing nearby, then shouldered them. Grabbing something from her bag, she strode over to where they were guarding and set up a little metal cup underneath where the rain was starting to leak through the roof barn.

Another rustling came from behind the stall. "Auntie Mara?" whispered a little girl's voice.

"Yes, Coraline?" said the lady.

"Oh, nothing, just wondering where you went."

"It's my turn to take watch, sweetie, don't worry, I won't go anywhere. I'll be right here by the door."

"Okay." another rustling, followed by a soft whinny and snort. Then something heavy got on its four legs and cantered out of the stall to snuggle next to Audrey. It smelled of horse.

JokerValentine Malice Queen StoneWolf18

 

[Human__Ramen]

Blake Patterson
​

Blake didn't really managed to sleep tonight. He was feeling restless, which was an odd sensation to him, and the fact that the loose hay kept poking at his back didn't help ease him into sleep in the slightest. He wished his watch still worked, because he wondered what time it was. 2 AM, maybe? He couldn't be sure.

The man was secluded in one of the corners of the barn with a lit cigarette eloquently resting between his lips. He was lucky enough to find a pack of the stuff during their most recent scavenging. The small ember brightened only a portion of Blake's face. While he wasn't one to smoke, he didn't really have anything else to do. He took in a puff of smoke and let it out through his nostrils, observing the few figures moving in the darkness, barely minimized by the moonlight infiltrating through the few cracks in the ceiling.

A loud crackle caught Blake's attention, followed by the low thuds of raindrops. Rain, huh? Blake stared at the ceiling for a few seconds before walking forth, disconnecting his back from the wooden wall. He stepped slowly towards the dying campfire so as to not wake the others up. He took one final puff of his cigarette before throwing it in the small pile of charred wood. He looked at both Zach and Julia before going back to watching the dissipating flames.

 

[spectro]

Eloisa lay on her back, her scratchy, thread bare blankets pulled all over her ears and tucked under at her feet. She often lay awake at night, listening. Especially so since she had escaped the clutches of Brutus. Being out in the free world again was terrifying, and still just as scary now as it had been the first day. It had never crossed Loisa's mind just how bad the world might be. After she caught her first glimpse of a dog, as Zach and many others referred the beasts of the land, a little part of her had almost wanted to be back in that Warehouse. At least there she was protected. At least there, there was routine and continuity. Out in the big wide world, you never knew what was going to happen, or if you'd get your next meal, or even if the person sleeping next to you was a hidden beast.

The straw that Loisa was sleeping on was uncomfortable and harsh on her skin; she recalled the mattress she had had all those years back in Canada. Before she went to college, before the outbreak, before Brutus. If she allowed herself, she could imagine it perfectly. She remembered the layout of her room, the taste of her mother's morning pancakes, the way her father laughed at his Sunday paper. It all seemed so far away, and it was. It was like the last twelve years had been a nightmare, which had never ended, and so slowly became a reality. Loisa had been with this group for very long, and she didn't expect to stay with them. The truth was, her basement was running out of food, and honestly, she had gotten a little lonely. At some point, she'd make her move. Take a couple bags of supplies and run back to her little hole like the coward she was. Loisa closed her eyes tight.

Swallowing a mouthful of air, she listened to the sound of breathing beside her, the rustle of people moving, the hushed voices of those on guard; the siblings Julia and Zach. If she was honest, the pair terrified her. They seemed like semi-honorable people, and Loisa was far from honorable. She was worried they'd be able to sniff her out or that they'd realise she was a sick coward. She tensed at the thought.

Loisa felt herself drift to sleep, slowly and then jumping awake every so often. It had been like that for years. Her senses were so heightened that nightmares had just become part of her evening routine. Sometimes she'd get a good few hours of shut eye, but she'd always be guaranteed a delightful awakening by her natural nightmare alarm clock. Mostly, she dreamed about her parents, about them being murdered or taken by criminals and dogmen. Each night is different, but it always ends the same. It always ends with her running away and abandoning them.

And on that thought, Loisa drifted off, deeper and deeper into sleep...

 

[CrimsonEclipse]

Cain


Cain woke up to the sound of the booming thunder outside their current shelter. The self proclaimed king of the world shot up from the pile of pelt he calls his bed, his breathing heavy and his body sweaty. Cain whipped his head from left to right, his eyes dilating as he looked for the source of that threatening sound. It took him a few moments to realize that, rather than from a gun, the source of the sound had instead came from the rain outside. “Fucking thunder.” He growled underneath his breath, his eyes filling with annoyance and anger at what just happened. ​

Deny it as he might, Cain is quite afraid, though he’d insist he was just wary, of the sound of a gun, and thunder, and basically any loud and sudden noise. It was an instinct ingrained deep inside him, anything loud and unfamiliar is almost always bad. Still, this does not excuse the pitiful display he just went through, which is all the more reason for Cain to be angry and upset. Thankfully only a few humans have been awake to see his pitiful display, and they looked like they didn’t particularly care.

“Arrogant little fucks, just you wait.” Cain obviously thought otherwise as he threateningly muttered beneath his breath, the words only audible to himself. It’s bad enough he has to pretend to be one of these miserably weak human in order to escape this wretched place, they just had to witness that. His annoyance only grew as he saw the two most annoying creatures in this group, the horse and the other shifters.

Cain’s blood always boils whenever he sees these wretched creatures. That horse is so smug, thinking it’s safe just because it’s with the humans. ‘Just you try wandering off, and I swear I’ll be having you for lunch with my pack.’ He thought as he glared at the arrogant horse. But the creature that really threatens ti send him over the edge is the one beside the horse.

Just when he thought that he was wonderful and unique, that he was the only one of his kind, and rightfully so, he found out that there’s not only one, but two more just like him! While Cain would only brush it off as him being annoyed, it cannot be denied that he feels mightily threatened by the presence of the other shifters. He’d either have to bring them under his heel, or he’d have to eliminate the problem before it can even begin to threaten him.

Not now though, otherwise all his plans would be for naught. For now, he’d have to play the survivor, to be their comrade, their ally against the dogs. At the thought of the dogs, Cain longingly stared outside. Somewhere out there is his kind, and soon, soon he’d be able to reunite with them. Then, he’d no longer have to put on this disgusting and demeaning disguise.

(Not much dialogue, but here’s my post)

 

[Cheshire Grin]

• The Dogen Hater
• The Doggirl

• 
  
  
  

  

  
  

  

  
  Mood:
  Tired and somewhat angry
  
  Location:
  The Barn
  
  Mentions:
  Julia( Malice Queen ), Zach( JokerValentine ), Mara( Zer0 ), Blake( Human__Ramen ), Cain( CrimsonEclipse ), and Loisa( spectro )
  
  Interactions:
  Open
  

  
  
  

  
  

  
  How long had it been since he had slept. The relationship between the older gentleman and sleep was very strained, he almost always suffered nightmares. He often tried to force himself to sleep, that never worked out to well. His sister, Susan, stayed close to him, making sure to wake him up if it looked like he was suffering too much. She couldn't blame him, they had lost so much since the outbreak.
  
  After losing their oldest brother and his family, things had only gotten worse. Now, they only had each other, they had to stay strong. Devin had taken it the hardest since one particular day became a painful reminder of his failure to save his older brother and family. His niece's birthday. If he had gone, would things had changed, would she still be around? So many questions and so little is known about the situation as a whole. A small part of him hoped that his niece, Gypsy Rose was still alive and well, while a larger part new that she most likely wasn't. This had haunted him for many years, he had never gotten the chance to say goodbye.
  
  The patters of rain woke him up, he took a deep breath as he sat up. Nothing. It was quiet with small scatters of chatting here and there. The older gentleman known as Devin Beau turned his head towards the large doorway of the barn. It was raining, storming to be exact. A heavy sigh left him, running a hand through his matted hair. What time was it? How long has it been? Devin sighed to himself as he slowly started to stand, he needed to stretch his legs. He couldn't sleep, not with these nightmares. His hand rubbed the back of his neck, sighing heavily before walking towards the entrance.
  
  He noticed a few of the survivors around him, some were still sleeping well others were awake. It was interesting to see, everyone around and alive. A quiet chuckle left his lips as he walked past the burning campfire where Blake stood. He nodded towards him, just a simple greeting. He had looked towards the others survivors, some seem to be sleeping while others were just looking around, staring at everyone. He just guessed they were tired like he was or surprised there were still normal people around. Damn those dogs, they ruined everything.
  
  Devin finally made it to the entrance, from there, he seen the leaders of the small band of survivors, Julia and Zach. There also appeared to be another person with them, another woman. Marta? Mila? Mia? Mara, that was her name. God, Devin was never good at remembering names. She was the one with a horse, a lovely looking animal, and a small niece. He shook his head quickly. He didn't want to have his mind filled with sadness, no more memories of her...not today.
  
  Devin kept quiet, he didn't want to interrupt their three talking, he just wanted to walk around. It would be rude to do so. He cracked his neck before looking out of the broken windows, watching the rainfall. He started wondering, if Gypsy Rose was alive, was she safe? Did she have a shelter over her head? Was she with family, friends? Or strangers? Or was she alone, cold, and scared? He his dropped slightly. He soon walked towards the window and looked out to see the falling rain and the loud thunder rolling in.
  

  
  

  
  Code by apolla ; edited by Cheshire Grin
  
  
• 
  
  
  

  

  
  

  

  
  Mood:
  Indifferent, somewhat tired, observant
  
  Location:
  Unknown, wandering
  
  Mentions:
  None
  
  Interactions:
  Open
  

  
  
  

  
  

  The smell of rain had warned the early traveler to take shelter quickly, thankfully the being followed its nose to a small bush of trees to hide under, while the rain did drip through the leaves, it was still a shelter. The rain rolled off the jet black medium length fur and landed on the ground. Large claws dug into the slightly muddy patch, a loud huff soon left its muzzle before he shook the water off. Many wouldn't dare try to mess with something like this, monster out of nightmares. They were given many names, but they had been dubbed, comically, dog. The large creature looked around with its bright yellow hues, she scanned the horizon, trying to catch a glimpse of something familiar. That would prove to be difficult.
  
  The being known as a dogman, or in this case, doggirl, crouched low its furless face turn left and right. She female slowly stood on her hind legs as she started walking again. Walking through the rain and thunder. She turned her head towards the sky and listened, jumping slightly once she heard the thunder roll in. It brought back a memory...at least, it looked like one. The thunder sounded like the exploding tubes she seen throughout her years. She remembered people she had never seen fully and flashes of beings like her. A faint huff left her lips, getting slightly annoyed with this. She continued walking through the pouring rain, her arms swinging lazily at her sides and her clawed feet clicked slightly on the cracked empty roads.
  
  The large female continued on her way, breathing heavily as the rain started weighing down on her. Her think fur was starting to get heavier and heavier. A snarl left her muzzle as she looked towards the sky once more, wondering if she would have gotten a better warning for rain. The irritated female soon turned her head towards a sigh, seeing it had words on it. It read...something. She tilted her head slightly, focusing on the words closely. Most dogmen would never sit there and actually look at a sigh, most times they would ignore it and find a human to eat. However, she was different. She had noticed how most words were easy to understand, as well as human speech. It was truly interesting, to say the least. But, it still had its flaws.
  
  Humans often tried attacking her when she was reading and tried to kill her more times she could count. Thankfully, fleshies we're always easier to kill when you got rid of the exploding tubes. It was too early for humans to be attacking her, so that was a plus. The words a bit complicated to understand, but was able to read the word farm and judging from the picture of the barn, it looked like a good shelter, maybe even animals. The doggirl crouched on all fours before walking along the path, not sure if she was going in the right direction, but she was going somewhere. Somewhere out of the rain, and away from humans for now. Maybe she might be able to figure out more of these memories. Who knows, she had to figure it out somehow.
  

  
  Code by apolla ; edits by Cheshire Grin
  
  

 

[Raku]

God damnit he thought as a sudden crack of thunder erupted from the sky. Such a peaceful night, ruined. It was atypical for a storm to form so abruptly, but it did. His usual impassive expression shifted to a frown as it began to rain. The sound of the raindrops tapping against the roofing of the barn they would spend the night in was enough to drive some people crazy. It would just make Cade irritated. He looked over to the brother-sister duo that had led the group in a way. The brother, Zach, wasn't a very bright one. Cade had overheard part of the conversation between the two about weaponry, and he had suggested a rocket launcher. His sister, Julia, had scolded him enough about it, so Cade suppressed his urge to call out the man's idiocy. Instead, he just shook his head with a minor scoff. He had to respect the man however. He stood like a sentinel in the doorway, on watch for the wolves, as Cade called them. It fit Zach though. He was quite a large man, but most men seemed large in comparison to Cade. He was short after all.

Something he had also caught out of the siblings conversation was the mention of the next shift. Zach had asked about the next person to stand guard. He was about to drop from his perch above the others, but he saw Mara move to take position at the door. She seemed to be an apt person. The black residue on her face with the shaved head made her look like someone straight out of dystopian film. Well, the group was practically living a dystopian film at the moment, so it fit. Cade couldn't say he looked much different. His garb was something he threw together back in Charleston so many years ago. His outfit made him look like some post-apocalyptic wanderer, but that's what they all were. He rested back in his spot on the upper level of the barn, trying his hardest to drift into sleep.

It wasn't going to work. The drops of rain pelting the roof were just too bothersome to let him sleep. He sat back up with an irritated expression on his face. Cade could tally one more restless night. He stood up on the elevated platform and looked down to everyone. Well, seeing as not many others were sleeping either, he might as well talk to someone. He took notice to Blake standing next to the fire. The fire was being assaulted by raindrops, causing it to hiss out like some kind of animal in pain. The man was smoking a cigarette, which was unusual. Cade thought that Blake wasn't a smoker. Must be he was wrong. Oh well, nothing to discriminate him over. The apocalypse was stressful, surely he'd what something to relax his nerves and slowly kill his lungs. Cade dropped down from his place above and landed a few meters away from the fire. He normally stuck the landing smoothly, but this time he stumbled a bit because his legs were tired. He recovered quickly before walking towards Blake and the dying fire. "Beautiful weather, isn't it?" he asked with a clear sarcastic tone. Cade didn't like the rain one bit.

Human__Ramen ​

 

[McMajestic]

Rome was perhaps one of the most successful empires in the ancient mediterranean. For five hundred years they thrived even more so than Greece, or Persia ever could. But they inevitably fell. Tyson's middle name was Rome. For a long time he only thought of those five hundred years of empire and conquer as the reason for this title. Now, as he leaned against a wooden pole, trapped in his own fear of death, he couldn't help but think of Rome as an inevitable failure. All civilizations were. This group was. He knew it. They knew it. They were Rome. And no matter how long it seemed like they were surviving, everything would eventually crumble. He knew this, and yet he still twisted the handle of his knife around his fingers, playing with it like some toy.

Until the thunder roared.

"Fuck," Tyson hissed as all at once his body jumped from the sudden noise and the blade slipped over his finger. Nothing more than a small cut, but it was obnoxious all the same. His knife clattered to the floor but he wasted no time picking it back up, swiping the already-clean blade against his army pants and wiping his hand on his tee shirt. He knew he should have been asleep, should have never heard the thunder in the first place, but he had woken up thirty minutes ago from his beauty nap thanks to nervous habit and couldn't find it in him to fall back asleep. And unlike some of the others who at least attempted to look like they were resting, Tyson simply sat up and played with his knife and listened to his radio on low.

It was all static with a few foreign words jumbled in, but he liked it. It was comforting to hear voices. To know their goal was one with real people at the end of it. Even if it was just a word. Even if he didn't know what the hell they were saying.

He moved to turn it off as the group began to stir, and shoved it back in his backpack before pulling out his water bottle. He took a sip, and stood, leaning back against the pole as he looked over these people. Tyson hadn't bothered to get too close to them. Not after watching other group members live and die. They were Rome. All of them.

Not to say he wasn't going to enjoy his time with them, though, just not near as much as he could have if it was a normal situation.

Tyson looked up at the ceiling of the rotting barn, hearing the small pop in his neck as he did so, before leaning down to swing his pack over his shoulder and walk past the entrance over to Zach and Julia. "I can take the next shift, too, Zach Attack." Tyson snickered at his own joke, but made sure to keep a safe distance from one of the people he had known the longest through this mess, instead moving to stand on the other side of Julia. These two made everything just a little more comfortable if nothing else. And Tyson liked to think his elementary nicknames lightened the mood even if it was just for a slim second. "Besides Ju-Ju looks like she could use a nap." Again, they were elementary, but they helped solidify the two constants if nothing else.

He chuckled again, as if his own lame nicknames were the only thing that could make him happy anymore, and looked away from his friends and back out at the horizon. The sun would be up soon if the rain didn't snuff it out, and it would be time to move all over again. To head off towards their new life in their own version of Rome. He only hoped they got there before it crumbled.

Interactions
JokerValentine
Malice Queen ​

 

[Human__Ramen]

Blake Patterson
​

Blake was surprised when someone approached him and began to speak. He sluggishly turned his head to look at the much shorter male before turning back to the hissing campfire.
"It's okay." Blake simply stated, poking at one of the wooden boards with his foot. He had his hands in the pockets of his coat, keeping them from getting wet by the rain. Speaking of which, he didn't mind that the raindrops were falling directly on top of him. As a matter of fact, he kinda liked it. It felt like it was a massage of sorts. The Texan threw his head over his shoulder, looking at the other survivors that were asleep. Blake then looked around the barn before continuing the conversation.
"Do you think we should just hold out here instead of reaching the border?" He asked, still not looking at Cade. "I mean, this is a farm, so the soil should be fertile. We could start a plantation, get some fruits and vegetables growing... Hell, if we're lucky enough, maybe even stumble upon some livestock."
Raku

 

[FireFlare]

• Foster
• Damien

• 
  
  Foster Dickens​
  
  Foster had been drifting between dreams and consciousness for a while now, and the crack of thunder that resounded through the barn easily roused him. Like most in their group, Foster wasn't a heavy sleeper. With any plan of returning to sleep out of the question, Foster sat up, his grip on his tomahawk tightening. He cleaned off the blade and then fastened it to his side. He always slept with the weapon in hand. He supposed that it was one of the reasons he slept better than most. It made him feel physically safer, but more importantly, it kept the fears the weapon signified close and manageable.
  
  With his weapon taken care of, Foster turned his gaze to the other people in the barn. A good number of them were already awake by this point, some attempting to return to sleep while others had come to the same conclusion he had. He stood and watch a few drops of water splash onto the ground near him. He glanced up, a few small cracks in the roof making themselves know from the rain. Foster quite liked this barn. Sure it had a few leaks, but the space was open, the building itself was intact, and it reminded him of a time when life had been peaceful. He couldn't, however, say the same for the weather. Before all of this craziness, he'd enjoyed the rain. Now it was just a hassle.
  
  He began to rummage through his backpack, pulling out the deck of cards and shuffling them in his hands. Mara and Tyson were already up for the next shift, which meant Foster didn't really have much to do. So he might as well work on a completely useless skill. Who knows, if the group really did make it out, he might be able to use it as a party trick. But as it was now, fancy shuffling wouldn't do any good.
  
  He played with the cards for a bit jumbled thoughts shifting through his mind. He attempted to run through the previous day, but his still sleep-addled mind wasn't having it. He sighed and gave up, moving towards the group at the door. "Morning." He mumbled. It was still dark out, the rain hiding away the moon and whatever light it may have produced, but he felt rested enough to have at least gotten a few hours of sleep. That justified the greeting in his mind.
  
• 
  
  Damien Shaw​
  
  Damien frowned as much as his body would allow him when he saw the dark clouds congregated in the distance. Rain was never pleasant. It muddled scents together and that concoction was just plain foul. Add that to that fact that the faint scent he'd been following for the last couple weeks would be lost, and Damien's mood had just plummeted. He growled but continued in that direction. There wasn't anything he could do.
  
  He moved, his claws scraping up dirt and his paws living large indents in the ground. He sniffed the air once more, the odor just familiar enough to evoke anger. He would find them, the owners of that scent, no matter how long it took. Damien walked until he reached the edge of the clouds, droplets falling onto his snout. He took another sniff of the air and snarled. It was gone already.
  
  Damien stalked through the rain, his fur dripping and small puddles forming whenever he stopped to regain his bearings. He couldn't smell the scent he was after anymore, but there was still a much stronger scent nearby. It was dulled by the rain, but it was recent and it didn't seem like there were more than 3 or 4 humans in whatever group it was. So he set his sights on them.
  
  He was angry, and he wanted to vent. They just happened to be the unlucky group. He followed the odor, stalking through the darkness. It wasn't long until he came across a section of tall grass, a few crops scattered throughout. Damien huffed, he might have been annoyed at how easy this was if he wasn't so aggravated at the moment. He walked for a few minutes more until he could faintly hear the slow, rhythmic footsteps that signified pacing. A man by the weight of them.
  
  Damien moved closer, the rain and grass hiding him as he peered through the grass to his target. there were three of them, as it turned out. A small group huddled in what looked to be a shed. He could see a man passing back and forth through the opening the ajar door created, and he could see two figures on the ground, sleeping.
  
  He huffed, and it was just loud enough for the man to hear. The man whipped his head in Damien's direction, so the wolf crouched further. The man held his gun at the ready, his breath coming out just a bit faster. Damien was angry, and restless, and annoyed at himself for the simple mistake, but he waited. Each passing second irritated him, but he'd learned his lesson already. Charging someone, or something, with a clear advantage hadn't worked out before, and it likely wouldn't work out now. So, he waited, and waited, and waited until the man dropped his gun and finally continued his pacing.
  
  That was all it took. Damien burst from his cover, lunging at the man as soon as he came into view.
  
  It was over before he knew it. Damien slashed his claws through the man's chest and tore at his neck with his teeth. The scuffle was enough to wake the other two, a man and a woman, but there wasn't enough time for them to really fight back. He went for the man first, jaws locking around his neck and Damien snapping his head back and forth, breaking the man's neck.
  
  The girl had a knife out at this point, and Damien might have applauded her effort had he been in a better mood, however futile it was. As it stood now, Damien rushed her, mauling the woman with his claws. The fight ended with three dead bodies and a knife in Damien's shoulder. He snarled, using his teeth to pull the blade from his body and dropping it to the ground. The wound was small, and Damien licked at it until the bleeding stopped and the adrenaline dissipated. Then, he walked to the middle of the small shed, concentrated, and then he felt the shift take him.
  
  His body shrunk, his claws retracted, and soon he was standing naked in the structure. He shuffled around, pulling on the pants of the second man and scowling when he realized he'd shredded both of the men's shirts. He huffed, searching through their bags. He was lucky enough to find a jacket. It would have to do, so he pulled the fabric on and zipped it.
  
  He finished browsing through the group's supplies, restarting the fire situated in a corner of the shed and threw whatever he didn't want into the flames, whether it was flammable or not. He'd kept a backpack for food and water, the guns, and the knife that had been used to stab him.
  
  Satisfied with what he'd gained, Damien settled down to wait for morning. Anyone who saw him traveling alone would be suspicious. Doing so at night was even worse.
  

 

[JokerValentine]

Interactions: Mara ( Zer0 ), Tyson ( McMajestic ), Julia ( Malice Queen ), Cain ( CrimsonEclipse )
Mentions: Tiramisu ( Zer0 ), Audrey ( StoneWolf18 ), Caleb ( Malice Queen )
Stepping accidentally on: Someone who was not previously mentioned.

Rain was always a welcome sight, for those that were safe. It made the scent of dogs disappear their growls and snarls inaudible, their shapes invisible. They were at danger, if the rain got any worse. The rain now stranded down in thicker strands, the light of the fire being the only way to see out into the growing void. Well that, and the occasional flash of lightning. The beasts weren't hard to miss, but the siblings were certainly inept to spot a threat. It was a good thing that their shift was over, as now they could relax for a few hours. Then, perhaps when the storm had passed, they could proceed aimlessly throughout the ruined hellscape of a nation, searching endlessly for solace. Though, on the off chance they had some hope for salvation, a cure perhaps, they stayed alive.

It made Zach quite happy to see others volunteer to take shift. They were people he had come to respect highly within the group. Mara, a fighter, a warrior. She had been in the group for some time, years perhaps. He didn't quite remember, and time was irrelevant to such a simple fool anyways. He really thought about the one thing she had that made all the difference: her prosthetic arm. He found it so cool, so... awesome. His words, not mine, as surely an academic would have something much more interesting to say about it. She was sort of a cyborg, and to make her cooler, she had her own horse. Even if it did smell, make a lot of noise, and occasionally steal food from peoples' bags while they slept, it was important to join the little things in life. Metaphorically speaking, of course, as the horse was large.

And then there was Tyson, perhaps the first to join the group that was still alive, They had been close, saving one another's lives in turn many times over, though it was hardly a balanced affair. Tyson was weird, from his looks, to how he acted under pressure, but even his ovaloid ears and palish face, as if he was part elf or something. Zach wouldn't know anyways, and he kept those remarks to himself. Again, enjoy the little things and jests, as those are what keep people looking forward to staying alive.

"Thanks, guys," Zach said sincerely, heading away, "it'll be light soon, maybe. I don't know. Julia's the smart one, she could probably tell you." He didn't care either, since all he was looking forward to was laying down to sleep. Though, with the thunder, nobody seemed to be getting restful. There was lots of commotion about, with everyone nearly stirring. Near the reclusive spaces, a large, brown shape huddled near a female, probably Audrey. She had a liking to the horse, as everyone seemed to. Even the smaller kid under Mara's watch was close to the horse as well. Yet, Audrey snuggled with the horse in a close way, much so like Julia and Caleb routinely would. Just stick to the story. That sounds weird. Oh, sorry.

Anyways, Zach was headed back to his sleeping area on top of the loft, back where his old blanket and hockey helmet, his two most prized possessions, awaited him. Though, in his insistence to get there, he inadvertently stumbled on a shape, a human one. He couldn't quite tell who it was, as his eyes were unadjusted to the lighting conditions, even with the fire. All his did was inadvertently mutter a sorry under his breath as he returned to his nest, laying down as soon as he could. Though, he found it rather difficult to rest. The rain was simply too loud, and slowly seeping through the ceiling.

 

[Malice Queen]

Lighting would brighten the sky for an instant then Thunder would roll across the open field the barn laid in. Everyone was startled by it, even Julia though her reaction was minimal compared to everyone else’s. Her eyes would instinctively move to Caleb who was sleeping soundly in one of the many stalls in the barn. ‘Always could sleep through anything..’ she would think to herself – a smile gracing her lips followed by a blush as she realized she was staring.

Julia clears her throat and turns her attention to the two people that had made their way to the lookout station – the large barn doors. It was Mara and Tyson; good, she was starting to get sleepy. She didn’t focus on the time or how long she had stood watch with Zach, all that mattered was the present; that was sleeping for her and watch for someone else.

The rain poured over the barn, droplets sliding through the cracks in the ceiling and landing on the fire below as well as the dirt floor. This made the young woman curl her lip in disgust, no one liked sleeping on a dirt floor – even if it was covered with straws of hay; now it was slowly turning into a mud floor in several spots.

Tyson’s nicknames always made her smile and laugh, she couldn’t get over ‘Zach Attack’ and ‘Ju-Ju’ reminded her of those jelly creatures from The Legend of Zelda game – Chu? She heard Zach calling her the ‘smart one’ she hated when he did that, it made it seem like he was some Neanderthal and she was some prodigy; that wasn’t the case.

Once Julia stepped away from the door, leaving Mara and Tyson to their watch she would rub her eyes; they suddenly became heavy once she was relieved from duty. She would pass by Zach after he had bumped into someone – his barely audible apology irked her, but she was far too tired to scold him for his behavior.

She entered the area where Caleb was sleeping, her body slowly crumbling into a fetal position – to which Caleb would stir to wrap his arms around lovingly. “Missed you”, he would murmur, eyes still closed but his lips were curled into a smile. Julia’s mouth would open in disbelief and she would sit up and give him a soft smack. ”How long have you been up, really?” she would keep her voice low as to not draw too much attention to their conversation. Caleb would sit up and give her an amused smile along with a shrug. ”Dunno, just glad you can finally get some rest.”

With that, Caleb would proceed to stretch and make his way out of their stall and into the main area of the barn. His eyes would pass over each moving body in the barn.

 

[StoneWolf18]

Audrey

Tysh

Audrey had almost slipped into a restful sleep once more when a specific scent began to near her, Tiramisu not hesitating in cuddling up to the woman. At first, she froze. Animal companionship was pleasant, she would’ve even welcomed it if not for one obvious flaw of hers.

At first, the woman tried to ignore it, lying on the horse’s flank and enjoying the warmth they provided. Yet slowly her thoughts became muddled. The rhythmic pattern of its breathing, how hypnotic the beast’s heart pulsed, ringing in her ears. Its warm flesh causing her own to tingle with the thought of tearing into it and finally getting a good meal. Sometime during this she had even sat up, looking directly at the steed’s exposed throat, however once she finally came to her senses, the shifter was somewhat disturbed. There was no way she could do something like that… with everyone else watching, of course.

Needing to remove herself from the situation before she did end up trying to eat the being, Audrey suddenly stood, moving to the door of the barn and mumbling something about having to use the restroom. Not caring if they believed her or not, she began to move through the rain, it quickly beginning to soak her rather thoroughly. She simply needed to get out of the confinement of the group for a moment, run, hunt, hell do something other than waste away as she had been for the last few days, as it was driving herself insane.

The urge to shift was immense, and the rain provided the perfect cover. Right as she was about to give in, something stopped her. The woman was now a little ways away from the barn, clearly not within sight of the rest of the others, but that wasn’t it. Through the rain she swore something smelt off, through the thunder she thought she could’ve heard something. Something familiar. As Audrey's lips twisted into a small frown of concentration, she listened much harder, straining her humanoid ears as much as they could allow. There. The thudding gait, the pawsteps, a dog? Alone? It wasn’t uncommon, but rare unless it was a scout for a pack. Taking a deep breath, she tried to investigate further, but the scent of mud and decaying wood was clogging her nose and throat. Growing slightly annoyed, she resorted to sight, looking around to see if she could find the source.

And not far in the distance, there it was. The vague silhouette of a dogman slowly approaching.

Cheshire Grin

Coded by || StoneWolf18

 

[Zer0]

- Mara Malvern -
" Barn "​

'We need a watch.' thought Mara, as the two siblings headed off for bed. At first light, she was going to check around the vicinity of the barn for some loot. There may be somethings here worth trading for when they come across a fellow survivor or a camp.

"Hey, Foster." Mara nodded at the man after his greeting. "What do you think of this rain? Think we might end up having frogs for breakfast again?" she took a sip from her tin cup that had been catching the rain trickling from the hole on the roof, and settled herself where Zach previously stood guard. She made a face. "Tastes like paint and bird poop. There must be a nest up there --- Audrey?"

When she quickly went pass the door, mumbling something about a rest room, Mara raised an eyebrow, calling after her. "In this weather?!" she glanced at Foster and Tyson. Surely there's a stall in here she could do that. "You want me to come with you?" she said, concerned, but she was already off. Nobody should go out in the dark alone. "I'll go with her." she told the guys.

Quickly jumping over the stall where Coraline was sleeping and grabbing her shield, hatchet, and shotgun, Mara ran out into the pouring rain, only to find that she had lost sight of Audrey. Where'd she go? She looked around. The outside was an odd choice of place to take a leak, the autumn rain was cold.

Spoiler: Spot Audrey

Rolling the dice for Mara's perception.
1 = absolutely not see anything and accidentally wanders close to the werewolf.
2-3 = does not spot anything.
4-5 = spots Audrey
6 = spots Audrey and the werewolf

There she is. A little ways away from the barn. Suddenly Audrey stopped; Mara froze in her tracks, alarm bells ringing in her head, shotgun at the ready. Her friend was looking at something in the distant dark that Mara couldn't see. Her next reaction any second now was going to tell her what that is.


StoneWolf18 FireFlare McMajestic

 

[CrimsonEclipse]

Cain
​

Cain raised his eyebrow when he saw the other shifter stand up and leave the barn. 'What could that little mongrel be up to? Hunting?' He thought to himself. He couldn't blame the girl if that's the case, heck, even Cain himself is itching to go out and stretch his claws and bloody his fangs. Well, looks like the shifter won't be able to do that seeing as that girl with the metal arm seemed to have seen Aubrey and followed her.

Cain's musings were rudely interrupted when one of the inferior humans suddenly stepped on Cain's torso. Cain growled in response as he glared at the stupid fuck who stepped on him. It's that Zach, the one who likes to think that he's the leader of this little pack. Cain's been annoyed at that inferior being from the start, acting like he owns the place.

Normally, should anyone else try to usurp Cain's leadership, they'd end up losing their lives. Sadly, due to the charade he's forced to keep, he had no choice but to follow this inferior creature's orders. Cain is undoubtedly certain that this man did it on purpose, trying to assert his leadership over Cain. Well, if this bug thinks Cain will take it lying down, he's got another thing coming.

"Hey asshole!" Cain shouted at Zach as he rose from his bedding. "Mind if you use that little brain of yours and watch your fucking step. Or what, did you fucking do it on purpose? Huh?! You got a problem little man?!" Growled Cain as he aggressively approached Zach. "Apologize you little fuck." He said, determined to at the very least protect his pride. He may not be able to challenge this fuck's leadership, but he doesn't have to treat him with respect either.

Interacting:
JokerValentine

Mentioned:
StoneWolf18 Zer0

 

[ONI]

Shady 'Shannon' O'Kane

Shannon had been enjoying a decent rest. The man, even amidst heavy rain and screeching winds, had always been one to find time to sleep. The way he rested alone attested to it, simply covered by that thick blanket poncho with knees tucked high and rifle held tight against his chest, gripped by the stock protectively as he laid with it's barrel balanced between his feet. However that good sleep of his wasn't always long lasting and to answer his awakening, calloused fingers adjusted themselves around the shape of a sidearm just as his eyes came to open.

As tired eyes visually secured his immediate front, the hand which held his firearm subtly inclined to follow the figure. Woken so abruptly that in that short time, he had barely risen the weapon before placing the finger that had laid nervously along the trigger guard had already found itself around the trigger and had begun to squeeze before even assessed the situation. His second hand came to support the other in holding his firearm, the muzzle sweeped the room until his eyes and ears settled on the general direction that the shouting came from. He levelled the weapon on a figure, he couldn't make it out however he could hear that it wasn't a beast. 'Breath, fucking, breath.' the former airman told himself internally, sure enough he felt the air fill his lungs once again and the trigger, that he'd almost pulled to discharging distance, returned to its former position.

Eventually Shannon came to sit up with his back pressed against a load of old, withered hay. While it wasn't exactly the best smelling, it was considerably more comfortable than sitting against planks that had long since succumbed to the elements. With a rather audibly cough and spit, he rubbed his eyes, one after the other with his free hand as he continued to clutch the pistol in the other. "That was a fuckin' good dream, mate." escaped him, the evident displeasure in his voice was almost covered up by the light hearted comment.

After using the weapons decocker, Shannon tilted his upper body to the left and slid the pistol back into its holster, in the same moment he turned his head to Cain and, with a hand furiously rubbing his temples, leaned forwards "Why don't you just fuckin' grow up, mate." the way his free hand moved in sync with his words was slightly comical "We've got shit tryin'a kill us and we've got you fucking... whinging. Fuck me.". O'Kane sat back having said his piece, in all honesty, he wasn't angry that the guy was shouting, he just pissed off because he was genuinely having a good dream, something he didn't get many of these days.

Scoffing to himself, the man pushed away from the wall and came to stand. Briefly he checked over his equipment, tugged the pistol out, conducted a brass check before placing it back and doing the same action on his rifle. He grabbed his rucksack shrugged it on one shoulder "Anyways. I'm off." he said, rummaging in a pocket for a moment before flicking a spent casing in the their general direction "Please, finger's off the triggers lads." he curved a finger in front of his face and made the action of a trigger pull a few times before taking his leave, presumably off to assist in site security​

[Interaction: CrimsonEclipse ]

 

[Raku]

Cade rose an eyebrow at Blake's response. There was no hit of sarcasm that he could hear, so Blake must have been giving his true opinion. Personally, Cade didn't mind the rain. It was when he was trying to sleep that it bothered him. Meanwhile, Blake was having no problem with it, even while the raindrops fell directly on him. As Blake's attention shifted to the others for a moment, Cade looked up through the gaps in the ceiling. He wanted to get an estimate on the time based on how illuminated it was. It of course was hard to tell exactly with the clouds of the storm. He shook his head in annoyance once more. That was another thing he disliked about rain in the nighttime.

When Cade looked down after his momentary peer upwards, he saw that Blake's attention was still elsewhere, but still speaking with him. What he said next only brought more confusion to Cade. Blake had suggested that they stay at the farm. Now if it were zombies or a complete societal collapse it wouldn't be a bad idea, but it was neither. They were dealing with fast, aggressive, and seemingly unstoppable plague of practical lycanthropy. Staying in one place was akin to suicide. Why would he ever think that to keep stationary would have any benefit? Sure, the land may be fertile, but they'd have to scavenge and search for crops to grow. Livestock was basically out of the picture. A group of humans' scent was already enough, let alone a whole bunch of animals. They would be dead in no time.

"Umm, no" he said with a clear tone of disapproval. "First of all, the only thing we have on those beasts is intelligence. They're faster, stronger, and will fuck us up if we stay in one place. Secondly, we have a hard enough time keeping ourselves alive. Livestock will only add to that problem. More scents for the wolves to pick up and an extra responsibility for us to take on" he continued. When he stopped talking, Cade couldn't help but shake his head again. Hopefully Blake's ideas weren't always terrible ones. "Not to be rude, but no, it'd be idiotic to stay here. Our best bet of survival is finding this fabled Northern Passage and getting the hell out of the U.S" Cade finished. He appeared to be done as his arms folded across his chest as he looked at Blake.
​

Human__Ramen

 

[Cheshire Grin]

• The Dogmen Hater
• The Doggirl

• 
  
  
  

  

  
  

  

  
  Mood:
  Slightly annoyed, protective
  Location:
  Barn
  Mentions:
  Shannon( ONI )
  Interactions:
  Zach( JokerValentine ) and Cain( CrimsonEclipse )
  
  The rain and the thunder was peaceful to Devin, he never understood why. A faint smile spread across his lips, it had been a long time he felt this kind of peace. He felt his mind drift from all the pain. He imagined life before the outbreak, before the death, before everything. He imagined what it would have been like if everything had remained the same. Would his brother and wife still be alive? Would the kids have grown up together and gone to college? Would they have done what they always wanted to do? So many questions whirled around his skull, but there were very few answers. The bliss didn't long, a small commotion started near the sleeping area, causing him to come back into reality. back to the world he and his sister were forced to live it. His eyes narrowed slightly as he turned his attention to what was going on. He turned on his heel and walked over towards the source; Zach and Cain
  
  Cain started swearing about, Devin glared towards Cain, sighing faintly as he wanted for Shannon to voice his opinion on this. He did sound irritated, then again, he was forced awake, anyone would be pissed about that. Once he had left, Devin voiced his opinion, something that he wasn't afraid of doing. "There is no need to be cussing so much, it was most likely an accident. Besides, there are is a child present, so watch your mouth." Devin spat. He knew Zach would most likely be able to defend himself, but there was no reason for him to be yelling profanity.
  
  
  
• 
  
  
  

  

  
  

  

  Mood:
  Curious and intrigued
  Location:
  Getting close to the Barn
  Mentions:
  The humans
  Andrey( StoneWolf18 ) and Cain( CrimsonEclipse )
  Interactions:
  Open
  
  The rain poured, pounding on the ground as Gypsy Rose made her way through the storm. How long has it been since she last seen the sign? She wasn't too sure anymore. She just wanted to find someone to eat and some place to rest. Her jet black fur was matted from the rain and it had even gotten heavier. A low growl escaped her lips as she continued making her way towards the degraded barn ahead. She stopped for a moment, looking up towards the building, her head tilted slightly as she stared at it. 'Has that...always looked...like that?' She thought to herself with a bit of curiosity, do all barns look like this? Where were the humans and why didn't they fix it? It looked like a place of rest, so why did it look as if it was going to fall apart. Gypsy Rose huffed loudly, walking closer and closer to the rotting structure before stopping once more. But she didn't stop because of the rain, or the small animals that ran by, but because of the scent of humans in the area. Her shimmering yellow hues stared intensely towards the barn, she soon leaned forward, her snout sniffing against the now muddy path. The rain had washed away most of it, but there was a scent there. Humans...and a horse and...dogmen? Gypsy Rose lifted her head quickly, growling quietly as she started to quicken her pace.
  
  There was something weird going on, from what she noticed about dogmen and humans, or at least from brief glimpses of...whatever the hell she was suffering from. dogmen attacked humans and humans shot at them, there should be a lot of loud noises. Sure, the fighting could have ended already and there were still some people around and the surviving dogmen would have ran away, but that wasn't possible. The air didn't smell like blood, there was only the smell of humans and dogmen. Her large paws dug into the mud, leaking behind the pawprints of a dogman. The scent was getting stronger and stronger. Curiosity, confusion, and intrigue had filled the semi-sentient mind of Gypsy Rose. She didn't understand why she wanted to find survivors, she didn't know why it was so important to see if any humans were still alive. She had noticed she had been attacking the humans less and less and had a need to protect them. It was a very loose word to use, but it was the best word to use for now. Gypsy Rose had sped walk on all fours, wondering if she was going to come across her fellow dogmen or a human. It was somewhat answered when she got the scent of someone.
  
  The doggirl slowed her walk, sniffing the air then the ground. Her ears twitching slightly as she smelt a dogman, but when she lifted her head, it wasn't a dogman. Off in the distance, it was a human. A female. She was too far away for her to see distinctive features, but it was a human. Gypsy Rose slowly stood up to her towering height of 7 feet and started lumbering closer and closer to the barn, she wasn't moving as fast as she was before, the rain had tired her out.
  
  
  

 

[JokerValentine]

Interacting with: Cain ( CrimsonEclipse ), Shady ( ONI ), Devin ( Cheshire Grin )

The thunder proved too much to sleep on, and that wasn’t in reference to the storm outside. As Zach had laid his head to rest for a brief moment, there was a sudden rumble from beneath. From the gruff tone of voice, the growling gravely tone, Cain, one to always be aggressive, was now calling him out. It was so surprising to Zach, the tough choice of words, the shouting. Surely he did not like getting woken up from a nap, not one bit.

Zach swung up, looking down at the angry survivor below him. Everything he heard, it seemed absolutely ridiculous. He called him little man, when he weighed far less and was shorter. He asked him to apologize, when he already had. Hell, even shouting when he was so close, waking everyone up, it was far more than enough. Even then, the world had fallen apart, but remaining together was the only hope they had. At least Shady understood that, as he attempted to pacify the situation. “I didn’t mean to,” Zach said, “so could you not lose your mind over it? Are you honestly bitching because I stepped on you. I said I was sorry, for fuck's sake.”

What the hell was his problem anyways? Even if Zach and Julia were the “leaders” of this group, they relied on trying to cooperate. And surely Cain was doing anything but that. Alas, they had authority as leaders. Even if this conversation was ridiculous, this would not be the end of it. Everyone heard it, and right now, Cain was acting… strange. The aggression, the growling, it only meant one thing: he was cranky. “Cain, go back to sleep, or you’re gonna attract those dogs on us with your shouting,” Zach said, “We got bigger problems than you not getting an extra moment of your dream goddess, or whatever the hell. I don't know if you have been around the past few years or so.”

He had a tongue, that Zach fellow, but so did Cain. But even then, the group was quickly becoming alerted to his ranting. Shady and Devin were rather quick to intervene on the matter, each voicing displeasure to the antics. They too took exception to Cain's outbursts, which were now awakening everyone in the barn, if the thunder hadn't so already. It was quite funny to see how they hung on the previous culture of humanity, even in small handfuls. Devin, protective of swear words for a little child. As if seeing someone die at the hands of a towering bloody beast was acceptable, but "fuck" was too much for her to handle. Nonetheless, he'd be sure to thank them later. But for now, Zach decided that he had said enough, and if Cain wanted to continue this quibble the ladder was open; though, the same couldn't be said about Zach's hands. But for now, he was going to try to get some rest, as those hours were something precious.

 

[spectro]

Loisa Rosales
"And remember this? Remember when you went to Olivia's pool party?" Maria Rosales smiled down at her pancakes, her husband Jon grinning at his wife fondly. "You were such a cute kid, whatever happened to you?" Maria looked up, her eyes wide now and bulging and lost and scared and aching. "You left us. T-t-t-to rot. To die. We're dying, Lou. Maggots and worms and death and we're dying. Because of you, Loisa. You. You-" Maria's staring eyes began to sink and her skin flopped down lazily as it turned grey. Jon's face melted onto his breakfast plate and then Loisa felt a tap on her shoulder-

"UAGH!" The sound of thunder cracked Loisa out of her sleep and her nightmare was broken. Her breath was quick as she began to realise that she wasn't in Canada anymore, she was in the barn. She looked around at the people she had been traveling with. Foster was a few feet beside her, looking hopefully at the group of people at the large entrance to the barn. It seemed that Tyson and Mara were taking over watch. Cain was letting his words roll out again, shouting, and another guy of the group, she knew as Shannon, was shutting him down. She laughed under her breath at his remarks and suddenly stopped herself. She didn't want to get too attached to these people. She'd be on her own again, soon enough.

Loisa hated thunder, it was loud and unexpected, and reminded her of being a kid and her mother telling her that it was just God flushing his toilet, and Loisa didn't dare think of Maria. She hugged herself tight and rubbed her hands up and down her bare arms to generate some heat. She hadn't realised how cold it had been. Her coat had been missing for weeks, and she didn't dare ask to borrow one, so she picked up her scratchy blanket, and walked closer to the door, just to the side of the group on watch.

She sat herself down on the floor on a dry bit of mud and huddled herself into her blanket. Every time a loud crack came from the sky, she shivered a little more. She had long since forgotten the luxury of a comfy bed or a pair of headphones to block out the
noise. And so now, she just had to endure it. Flinching less and less as the storm passed. This was life, now.

mentioned : FireFlare McMajestic Zer0 CrimsonEclipse ONI

 

[McMajestic]

Tyson watched as Audrey announced she was heading off alone into the rain just to find a bathroom, and scrunched up his nose slightly at the idea of it. He was just about to tell her she was going to get soaked when the darkness overwhelmed her silhouette. Mara left after her, which only made Tyson sigh in annoyance, rolling his eyes as his watch buddy abandoned ship because of her own damned curiosity or something like that. "Yeah, sure, run off! It's not like you're on watch or anything! It's not like an entire group is depending on you or anything!" He called after her, deciding not to abandon his post unlike some people. He'd stopped trying to get attached to these people a long time ago, mostly for reasons like these. One would make a stupid decision to separate from the pack and get killed, one would follow after and get torn to shreds. They'd find the bodies after the screams echoed around the area. He'd seen it happen too many times. "Sure, go off, get yourselves killed, who cares about safety in an apocalyptic war-zone?" He snorted to himself, looking out over the dreary horizon.

He could hardly see anything through the rain and so for his own safety he pulled out his pistol, checked to make sure it was loaded, and aimed it out towards the darkness. It comforted him only for a moment before his arm got tired and he put it back, kicking up dirt as he took a step away from his post to glance inside the barn. Zach had stepped on Cain and Tyson was almost positive everyone in a ten mile radius could hear Cain's irritation with him. Again, who cares about death and destruction when fighting over petty accidents was a possibility? Zach seemed to point that out thankfully, but Tyson doubted that it would get through to Cain.

He ignored that incident for now, knowing if it came down to any type of fight Zach would always win. "Well since everyone's up, anyone care to fill in Mara's spot since she decided to run off on me?" he asked, though instead of waiting for a response he looked back out over the horizon. Somewhere, far out West, his family sat or stood or laid together or maybe apart. He wondered if they thought about him, if they cared about him, if they were even alive to do all those human things. Tyson leaned himself up against a post as he thought, watching for danger, licking his lips so if it came time to yell he could, swallowing hard so his throat wasn't too dry. Too many times on their journey he'd froze up when movement mattered most, and he couldn't do that anymore. He had to be ready. For anything.

Interacts with: Zer0
Talks to: Everyone in the barn​

 

[StoneWolf18]

Audrey

Tysh

The woman was still paralyzed, watching the dogman in the distance slowly move towards the barn. They appeared to be taking their time, moving rather slowly. Were they tired or wounded? Audrey wasn’t sure, but carefully she began to move in their direction as well. Whether it was curiosity, instinct, or something else that drove her to do this, she wasn’t sure, yet she did so anyway.

Even though the driving rain, the scent of the dogman, or rather woman grew stronger. Yet even then something was tainting it, making it a bit different than what she would’ve expected. It reminded her of Cain, the other shifter with them. He was clearly on the verge of losing his hostility consumed mind, and it made her wonder if this would happen to her eventually or if it simply depended upon the person. Regardless of this, however, it made one thing stick out in her mind.

The possibility of this dog being a shifter.

It caused her to quicken her pace, oblivious if she were being watched or not. The urge to shift was once again growing unbearable, but she forced it down. She wanted to see their reaction to her without a lupine form.

Cheshire Grin

Coded by || StoneWolf18

 

[FireFlare]

Foster Dickens​

Foster nodded his acknowledgment to Mara's greeting, but he barely had the time to get anything more than a couple words out before Audrey was out the door. He stuttered his words, shocked. Whatever reason she had, it didn't justify just walking out. That was nothing short of reckless. He was tempted to go after her and would have if Mara hadn't followed. Though Tyson didn't seem to be happy with either of the women as he shouted after Mara.

The ex-soldier had a different perspective, one Foster trusted. If he was angry about the watch, he likely had every right to be so. However, wasn't two better than one? Sure, the whole group would have been better, there was no doubt about that, but at least they weren't out there alone, right?

He didn't have the time to ask as his thoughts were interrupted by Cain shouting, his anger quite obviously directed at Zach. Everyone was on edge, whether they showed it or not, but Cain's reaction was unwarranted. Nobody in the group had to like anybody else, but they were working together. They needed to at least be civil. Fights were what got people killed. Foster's mind went back to his father's death and he shuddered. Their group couldn't devolve to that.

However, Shady and Devin were quick to jump in, Zach following up with his own defense. That comforted him a bit, and he shook himself from his thoughts. The members of this group had already lost people; they wouldn't deteriorate so quickly.

Now, as one of the two still by the door, Foster volunteered when he heard Tyson. "I'll take her spot." He moved his gun to a more accessible position. He checked the magazine and safety before shifting to a better position. He stood in silence for a few moments before his questions popped back into his head. "Are you mad Mara left the watch, or are you mad she followed Audrey out?" He asked. Foster didn't have any problem voicing his questions, certainly not to someone who had more experience. Besides, best to get them out of the way now instead of during an attack later.

Interacting: McMajestic ​

 

[CrimsonEclipse]

Cain
​

Cain gritted his teeth as he tried to suppress a growl, a decidedly inhuman one. How dare these inferior beings gang up on him?! Him, the ultimate being, being forced into submission by these pathetic creatures? Impossible! Yet here he was, being scolded by more than one of them. It angered him so much that he worried he may shift here, yet he forced himself to calm down. While mauling each and everyone of them would relieve him for the moment, it would destroy his plans in the long term. Without these people, without the map, Cain knew that he would not be able to escape this infernal prison. And so he left out a breath and sat back on his pelt without uttering even a word to Zach other than an intense glare.

"Fuck you all. Just you wait, just you wait." He muttered underneath his breath, clenching his axe so hard his knuckles turned white. Though he stayed his hand today, he'll make sure he gets his revenge on these people. Already he could see himself tearing through them with his claws, their faces filled with despair and fear as he mauled them. A grin almost spread on his face, which seems slightly creepy and out of place on his face.

Just when Cain was daydreaming of devouring them, a strange scent entered his nose. It was familiar, yet a bit strange. Cain can confirm that it's a dogman, yet it's still smells wrong. Cain rose from his pile of pelt, axe in hand, and slowly went outside the barn. Cain saw two people outside. One was Mara, the horse owning, metal armed survivor and the other was Aubrey, the shifter dogman like himself. That's when something clicked and his eyes widened. "Mother fucker." He muttered to himself. Shit! The reason it smelled familiar was because he's been exposed to it recently. It smelled the same as Aubrey! Damn! One more of them just so happens to arrive here! Cain's already bad mood sunk even further when he was reminded that he was not unique. Still, this is a pressing matter. If the humans were to know of this, then they would be aware of the existence of his kind. This may endanger his plans, so there can only be one way to solve this.

"Hey!" Cain called out to the others. "I think one of them dogs are out there!" Cain shouted, hefting his axe as he faced the general direction of the scent. Whoever that was out there, Cain needs to kill that before his plans are destroyed. At the very least Cain needs to either get the group away from it or force it to flee. Cain knew he'd need to find a reason to explain how he knew a dogman was outside, but he could always think about it later. Right now his priority was to kill that thing.

Mentioned: FireFlare McMajestic Zer0 ONI Cheshire Grin Raku StoneWolf18 JokerValentine Malice Queen Human__Ramen spectro