Futuristic BioGenesis Safe House: Surviving the Post-Apocalypse.

[SilverCaress]

God it's dark... It's so freaking dark...





Soaked to the bone, Skye couldn't find her way back. She ran her fingers through her hair and stopped, looking around, all the streets looked the same. Littered with litter, rotting flesh and broken glass. Turning to a small shop, she walked inside. It was decent shelter for the night, maybe her fever would be gone by then and she could think straight.


Curling up, she looked up at the ceiling. Gimme a gun, someone..anybody. All she wanted was to end it, but every time she thought that, she was reminded of her family, her sister, and how she was the only one left. She sighed, and let her eyes close over, tears cascading down her cheeks.

 

[Daeya]

She shook her head, refusing too believe what she just heard. "I know, but it just doesn't seem true. A few days ago, he was being his quirky self, and no sign of anything. At least, to my belief. This couldn't have just happened, unless he had a Compromised wound, or drank something bad. It.. it just can't be true."

 

[SliverOfHope]

(I'll try to post when I can but I think that they are going to be a bit less abundant than usual for most of this week >~<)

​

Mel warily followed Chana into the other room, curious as to what all of the ruckus was about. She gave Asher a tiny smile as he was sent to stay inside the room they had just occupied and rounded a corner, only to see Takai pinning up a woman -male?- against the wall. The force being used was obviously quite a lot.


Wincing as the petite female was slammed against the wall with insurmountable anger, a crack ringing throughout the the room, Mel did her best to focus on what the two were saying. From their very heated dialog she assumed that the two knew each other once upon a time and weren't on the best of terms when the virus struck and the world began enduring the present epidemic.


Weren't on the best of term? Well, that's seems to be a pretty big understatement if I say so myself.


"Because Isao... you only listen and speak with your fists..."





The expression on Mel's face was one that mirrored Chana's. She was a perfect mask of bewilderment although she very quickly got over her shock and turned slightly to face the woman beside her, worried as to what type of reaction she'd have. After all, it couldn't possibly have been easy to find out that someone who you had only just realized existed, or so you thought, was also a key piece of your past.


Mel's concern and worry turned up a dial as Chana stepped closer to Takai -Isao- and spoke out, the words sounding uncharacteristically quiet and hesitant. She watched as the man being questioned complete frozen in his actions, his body stiff, before the axe he had been wielding was taken away from the woman caught in his grasp, his body turning to fully face Chana.


The brunette stayed completely silent, not daring to utter even the softest of noises, as she watched the two's interactions with baited breath. His voice, just like Chana's had been previously, was very opposite as to what he original came off as. The tone was pained and desperate, seeming as if he was taking on the tone of his younger self, having to relieve and endure the agonizing memories. As the conversation dragged on, the words slowly began taking on a pleading tint as if he was in denial of what he was being told by Chana, not wanting to believe that she had been the one to destroy the evidence of what he had endured by his own parents for the greater part of his childhood.


The words being passed between both Chana and Takai suddenly come to a stop and, as if it were too hard to even stay standing, Takai was sent down to his knees. Nausea ruthlessly swept across his features like a wave and without a second to spare there was bile at the tips of Chana's shoes, the noise of retching filling the air. A few unforgiving tears leaked passed the asian man's eyes in a silent stream before, without any warning, he was sent backwards onto the floor, body limp.


Mel awkwardly stood there as Chana and Yasuko rushed to Takai's aid, trying to get him to drink some water from a silver thermos in his unconscious state. The two of them had both been apart of his history early on and had been a factor in what he had become to this day; broken and battered but with some hope for improvement. While it was a bit of an unnecessary reaction, the brunette still felt as though she were intruding in on a moment that she wasn't meant to see or be apart of. Or at least not know as much as she did.


Shaking her head in disdain at herself Mel slowly padded over to where the three people were, feeling helpless for that fact that she had absolutely no clue what to do. Any illness, no matter how small or insignificant, could transform into something lethal and deadly when given just enough time.


Bending down until her knees were placed upon the cold floor, she warily looked over at the other females right beside her, absolutely clueless in how to proceed. She thought about it for a moment and thought that she could at least offer up some medicine. After all, Takai was the one who had given it to her in the first place.


"I still have a bottle of ibuprofen that we could give him. It should help with the fever and perhaps even stop it from getting any worse. Although, I'd have to go back and get it from the room we just left."

 

[Saturnity]

Isao (Takai)/Yasuko (Yamato)


A hand shot up and gripped Chana's wrist as she poured the water down the man's throat. Takai's eyes fluttered as he struggled to stay awake, his pupils wavering form dilation to constriction. He pulled her arm close, gulping down the water furiously, the thermos pressed against his lips until they turned white. Yasuko dug through one of the bags slung over her shoulder, retrieving a small package of multi-grain crackers. Crushing the packet in her fingers, she opened it and pulled out small pieces of broken wafer, then placed them between Takai's lips.


"The water will help soften it, so eat." she whispered softly, "Idiot... making me feed you like this."


Concern was evident in her eyes as she stared down at the scarred man. When Mel walked over offering to help, Yasuko was hesitant at first to accept, but saw the earnest generosity and worry in the girl's eyes.


"Thank you," she spoke warmly, "I'm sorry he's being such a pain."


She watched as Chana continued to pour water into Takai's mouth, and then turned to address Yasuko.


"He and I may have had our differences. This morning, I was in your place...slammed against a wall, him holding a blade to me. But I think I may have ruined his life once upon a time. And, he seemed different after what happened this morning. So, of course I'll help you,"


After speaking, the woman extended her arm in a form of cooperation. The gesture set Yasuko's mind at ease, so she met the hand offered to her with her own.


"He's hardheaded... and he is too stubborn to accept help freely," She stated, her gaze flicking back to Takai, who seemed to be relaxing, "but he has kindness inside of him."


Yasuko once more delved into the contents of the bag and pulled out a clean white cloth and bottle of purified water. She opened the bottle to soak the fabric, folded the damp fabric, then placed it over Takai's forehead.


"You may or may not have payed attention, but Isao cares about the people around him." She recited in a hushed tone, "He is angry and violent, but there is that innate human side to him that cares. He's always been like this... even with the members of our gang. If they got into senseless trouble, he would find a way to bail them out. He would berate them and ridicule them for being so reckless, but only because he cared."


Tears once more wetting her cheeks, and hand held against the scar on her neck, Yasuko's head lowered until it was inches from the man's own scarred chest. She recalled the time Takai had attacked her, leaving her with her neck slashed open and bleeding onto the pavement.


"Isao acts before he thinks..." her voice shook with the pain of that memory, "But he always acts on his heart... that's why I want to help him. I want him to know he doesn't have to be alone and that his actions mean something... it's why I followed him. He's the only family I have, and I don't want him to die on this sh**ty planet thinking that there is nothing left for him."

 

[Mack Daddy]

"The virus takes months on end to develop symptoms, and replicate. How long have you known him? It could have infected him before we discovered water as a main vector. He is having a mental breakdown either way, ad it is the truth you need to face it."


Colton was surprised at how attached someone, who was trying to go into surgery, could actually be with all the patients that die. Those doctors had to detach themselves from the patients or else live with extraordinary guilt for the rest of their lives. That was at least what he heard from all the Trauma Docs he had talked to. Orthopedic surgeons probably don't have as much risk. Still it was startling to him. I should probably just let her do what she wants, if she refuses to change.

 

[Ashmorne]

Images flashed through Chana's mind as she gazed down at Takai's hand gripped tightly around her wrist, desperate for water. She bit her lip and then looked back up at Yasuko, who was telling her about Takai's heart.


Her mind wandered back to the hysterical moment out on the porch when she just discovered Asher missing...when she had wanted to go out into the city after him. Takai had grabbed her roughly, shaking her while yelling in her face.


Now she realized. It wasn't because he thought her an imbecile. It was his own way of protecting those he cared about.


Huh. He cared about me.


Chana blinked, her head feeling weighted. All these years, she had no one but Asher. And all of a sudden, this safe house was here. Survivors that gave a damn about existing.


She thought about Mel, the younger girl that she was already very fond of...someone she was quickly beginning to view as one of her own, part of her inner circle. Maybe even a sister...in such a short amount of time.


She looked at Isao, his face not hardened by the frown that usually graced it...she thought about sitting by him in silence right after being held against a wall at knifepoint. There was understanding there. Her past was just a blurred reflection of his.


Please don't hate me, Isao.


Yasuko was basically resting on Takai's chest at this point, tears wetting the girl's face. Despite her toughened exterior...Chana knew that one could only stay hardened for so long.


Did you ever get the chance to really be a child, Yasuko? Me neither.


Chana reached out, hoping she wasn't overstepping boundaries. She settled her hand on Yasuko's shoulder, smiling weakly.


"I...I have a brother, too. He's all I have in this world. Well, that's what I thought before. This place, this building...we were trying to make it into a safe house. A place for life to begin again in this messed up new world. Takai...Isao...well, I know that he's a good man, deep down." She paused, glancing at his face and using her free hand to move some of his matted hair. "He was fighting it. Fighting the goodness inside him. But, who could blame him? Anyway. I view him as one of our own now. All of these random survivors. People I didn't know before two days ago. We all have the same common goal. To live again. To take back what the virus has stolen from us. To be safe. And that makes us all a team. We aren't leaving Isao behind."


She stopped for a moment, taking a breath and looking at Yasuko's hunched form. Chana thought of all the people she met these past few days. Isao, Mel, Jaden, Colton...even Cally. And all of the others.


This world was no place to be alone. Not for anyone. Everything Chana was saying...she herself wouldn't have believed it a few days ago. But now...things were different. And she felt different. People don't change in three days, but she could feel an irritating tendril of hope wrap precariously around her thoughts. Before she even realized what she was saying, words were pouring from her lips.


"Yasuko, stay here with Isao, with us. Stay in this place with all of us. You're skilled, I can see that. And of course, you don't have to listen to me. But...but why be alone if you don't have to be?" Chana felt a bitter smile quirk up on her lips at her words to the former gangster. "I never thought I'd say that to anyone. But the offer still stands."


Chana had no idea how the woman would respond. She had spoken from her heart, uncharacteristically quickly and without thinking. She hoped slightly worriedly that Yasuko wouldn't be irritated or condescending at her words. But for some reason...she just didn't strike Chana as the type to act in haste. Not now, at least.


She dropped her arm and covered one of Isao's hands with her own without thinking. She would let go the second he showed signs of waking, she knew. He would never know know that her hand was wrapped around his, clinging on to the last bit of her prior life...the bit that had caused her to see her stepfather as he really was, leave home, and become a new person. She held his hand sadly, hoping that the boy who unknowingly changed her life all those years ago wouldn't hate her once he woke up.

 

[SilverCaress]

Skye began to shiver violently, eyes slowly closing. "P..Please.." She mumbled, but she was gone. Her breathing stopped, it was too much for her. As she passed away, Skye's body crumpled over, and she lay on the shop floor, blood dripping from her mouth.


-


Natalie ran, she ran as fast as she could. It wasn't as if she was running from someone, or something, she just liked running. Although, she did not like running when it came to those infected with the virus. As she stood by the beach, she bent over, panting, and took out her water bottle, sipping it. "Ah.." She sighed, stretching. "Please lemme find somewhere decent tonight, pleaaaase." So as she began to walk, she gripped the straps of her backpack. It was night, yes, but Nat didn't mind the night. Of course, it made her vurlnerable, but the stars were still slightly visable. Walking down the street, she glanced into the shops. She noticed a girl, probably dead on the floor, it made her shiver, and she began to walk a little faster.

 

[Dice]

Verdun was walking through the city streets, his face finally getting cooler from the night. He shifted his bag the fire axe strapped to the side hitting his side a little. He was walking where...he didn't know, walking to somewhere nice to sleep possible. He looked around the street "Empty..why are you always empty..you know one day i'd like to see someone who doesn't want to kill me!" He said making a small circle where he was standing. He stood there for a moment hearing his voice echo in the empty streets, he sighed and screamed again "Come on anyone! Even one of em walking corpses would be nice to see!" He'd been walking like this for 5 days the last time he saw something else living move. He only had enough food for maybe another 2 days of walking, on the plus side if someone came out and try to kill him he'd have a reason to take there supplies. He trudged on the wet mud on his boots drying on like clay, the gas mask sticking to his face, and the eerie silence of the street is all the things he could notice for now.

 

[SilverCaress]

Natalie stopped, she could see someone ahead. It was a man, suited up, fire axe against his side. Slowly, she pulled out her gun, he could become a threat, so she prepared herself.

 

[Dice]

Verdun had his head down his eyes buried into the mud on his boots he was thinking of how he'd get the mud off. After walking a bit more forward about a block more until he noticed another figure. He stood there frozen like a deer in headlights, he looked at the person then back at his shoes then looked around the streets. He stood still and said "So...seems the echo does really work eh?" He wasn't expecting a response so he went on to say "Look i'm no threat...that could change if you decide to come at me or not....your choice." His hands were unmoving and his face under the mask if it could be seen only showed signs of trust.

 

[SilverCaress]

Hearing him speak, and hearing the unusual German accent threw her off a bit. Her gun shook, but she tried to keep her cool. "How do I know you're not a threat? Drop your weapon." She jerked her pistol slightly, signalling him to drop his fire axe.

 

[Dice]

Verdun hearing the person speak figured it was a woman the voice and the figure suggested it, but still he couldn't see the person in the full light. When he told him to drop the fire axe he looked at her then back at his weapon. He put his hand to it and unstrapped the fire axe and put threw it in front of him. After that figuring the worst he got on his knees and put his hands behind his head. Little none to the person that Verdun was sure was holding him up, he had a butcher's knife stored deep in the many layers of isolation in his jacket from the front being newspapers all the the way in to his sweater it was tucked in. He knew if he was searched he'd still have it, but this didn't concern him he was most worried about his manifesto in his bag. He shouted across "Take what you want...just don't touch the cigar box in my bag!" he shook his bag a little hearing the clink of the cigar box with the book in it.

 

[SilverCaress]

Walking towards him, she held the gun steady. Glancing at his weapon, she stood behind him. "So..you're safe?" Natalie poked the back of his head with the pistol, "This has happened to me before, and I have a scar to prove it." Natalie felt a trickle down her back where the scar was. She remembered it like it was yesterday, the dragging of the knife, blood, heat, pain.

 

[Dice]

When the woman walked up and poke him on the head with her pistol Verdun was thinking he could over power her, thinking if he pulled out the knife he could gut her, but he sat not moving no going into his jacket. When the woman asked if he was safe he replied with "I'm a man being possible being mugged of all my belongs....do you think i'm safe?" He sat waiting for the response she'd give but said quickly after "I don't think your gunna do anything if you were a real loner, or raider, or whatever you'd do something by now." He became quiet again hoping that maybe he was right.

 

[SilverCaress]

"I'm not gonna mug you, I'm just checking.." She held the gun with one hand, and opened his bag. "I don't wanna hurt you man, I don't." Natalies voice shook slightly, she felt her confidence shaking, what was happening? Yes, she felt bad, of course she did, but why was she so emotional?...She was so hungry, she felt her stomach growl and her ribs had become more noticable. Frail, but still had her strength, Natalie knew that's the effect that hunger had on people.

 

[Dice]

Verdun was expecting a hit on the head or the last click he'd hear in his life...that also be the last sound he'd hear, but he heard the woman voice shack slightly. Verdun became more eased, but he soon tensed up when the woman went through his bag. His voice croaked a little but was able to say "Look...if you want food i'll share what i have, but don't touch the cigar box." He justified this more with "I swear to you there's nothing bad in the box...just valuables to me, and i know i have food for the both of us in my bag." He only caught his tongue at the end realizing that if he gave this woman his food he'd only have enough for one more day, but it was risk worth taking maybe they'd get along and rebuild utopia? He quickly chuckled to himself knowing that the must that'd come of this was that they'd stick together for maybe a day and hopefully not kill each other in the end.

 

[SilverCaress]

She zipped his bag back up, "..You..You don't have to give me any food." Stepping back, she put away her gun, "I won't touch your stuff, it's cool." Biting her lip, she swallowed hard and rubbed her head. "I'm sorry...You gotta..You know what it's like.. Every person you meet is a threat, y'know?"

 

[Dice]

Verdun turned his head and looked at the women, again thankfully that he was right. He got his axe and stood up he strapped it back onto his pack and looked at her. He said with a bit more hope in his voice "So where you heading? Everyone has there little dreams of where to next, you got one of those?" He was expecting her to say a military base or some sort of bunker letting people in, but he said after "Or maybe your simple like me, just looking for a nice place to lay low, if you are you know of any buildings that won't fall on me when i sleep?" He looked around the street inspecting the buildings.

 

[SilverCaress]

"I'm not sure.." She looked up at him, he was taller than she was. "I just need somewhere to sleep too, not that I get much sleep." Chuckling weakly, she looked round. Natalie couldn't remember the last time she had a good sleep, even when she did sleep it was full of nightmares and terrors, sometimes even panic attacks in her sleep. It was funny though, how a girl like her who, when awake, would fight to death and still say she was fine, had terrors at night, whimpered in her sleep, like a little girl.

 

[Dice]

Hearing that they were both trying to do the same he smiled under his gas mask, he said still looking at the surrounding buildings "We'll these buildings aren't so sturdy, or we'll made for sleeping in, you got a map?" He asked this hope in his voice, he wanted to get a hold of one since he'd seen some fireworks in the distance. He said looking at her "Could try to see what's around from there, trace back steps know what's good what's not." He said this again with hope in his voice, maybe the woman would cooperate and they could get along for now.

 

[SilverCaress]

She wished she had a map, but she was just as lost as him. "No, I don't have a map" Looking at him, Natalie wished she could see behind the mask. "That sounds good, I'm exhausted.." Nat smiled softly at him, she was tired, hungry, and this man was her last hope. He mentioned he had food, and he was offering to help, she hoped to God that it wasn't a dream.

 

[Dice]

Verdun after hearing what she had to say came down to two decisions, ever backtrack the way she was going or turn to the way of the fire works. He looked around again telling himself that the buildings weren't made to sleep in or very defensive. So he looked back at the women and said "Look...we could probably go about another 20 blocks before it get's dark and i think there should be a decent building in that time." He paused then went on "Now i saw fireworks a couple nights ago...i think we should head in that direction, setup camp before we get there, and hope for the best." He looked in the direction of the fire works "I'm gunna head into that direction anyway, you can come along if you want." He looked back at her waiting for an answer.

 

[SilverCaress]

"Fireworks?" Her eyes widened, she had never actually seen fireworks before. The only logical thing to do would be to follow him, so she nodded, "Alright, sure. I'll come with you. Either that or I end up dead and alone soon." Smiling, she zipped away her gun in her backpack and gripped the straps, waiting for him to move. Natalie hoped that she wouldn't come to regret this decision, but he seemed trustable, and interesting. His unique German accent had her hanging on every word, probably because her mother had told her she had German relatives. Accents had always captivated her, German..Russian..Scottish..English. It was probably because they were in America, and it was hard to find people with accents.

 

[Dice]

He chuckled when she seemed surprised about the fireworks, and started moving in there direction. As they walked Verdun had to keep shifting his bag for the fireaxe dragged the weight to the left to much. As they was walking Verdun was trying to figure out the women behind him, her attitude and such. He couldn't figure out much until he realized he didn't know her name so as they were coming to an intersection he asked her "So..how long you been out here..since it all went to hell?" He stood still after he asked the question looking at all the directions at the intersection.

 

[SilverCaress]

As she followed close to him, she looked at him, "Hm? Oh... Well, I've been on the streets for a while now, went from camp to camp..y'know? Now I guess I'm just stuck wandering." That was partly the truth, but she was also running from a camp which was trying to kill her. Natalie felt used, she didn't know her talent would keep her hostage, but she remembered how important food was. "Natalie, Nat." She jogged forward, walking next to him, smiling. "My name's Nat."