Realistic or Modern Hellscape

[Hell0NHighWater]

WELCOME TO HELLSCAPE.

Where you might have a fighting chance.

​

IT'S A WASTELAND.

The time has since passed. The Outbreak: that's over, it's been two years. The world is ravaged, destroyed, aside from the small settlements of people who have managed to make it through.

​

​

AUGUST 13TH, 2015 - SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS - 10:34 PM

Teeth sunk against the flesh of another, blood crusted fingers digging


against your forearm despite how hard you tried to tear


yourself away. The spores littered from your wound after. It


felt like FIRE.




The infection spread throughout the city. It plagued everything. Radios, news stations, cell tower alerts – They were all waiting for Martial Law to help. The epidemic was plastered on every screen in the world. People couldn’t help, but wait. They remained closed indoors. No one dared step apart from their boarded heavens. No one came. No one ever would. There would be no intervention from the government. They allowed the public to remain in the dark, hiding behind closed shelters and what little remained of the Center for Disease Control.The world existed nothing of rotted corpses and the feral beings. The largest cities were blown off the map in an attempt to depopulate the clusters of infected.

JUNE 20TH, 2016 - LOCATION UNKNOWN // HOME BASE - 12:13 PM
​

There were whispers of a save haven. No survivor was sure of where it could exist. Resting in the mountains, there was an abandoned base. Slowly, people made their way towards the light. They rebuilt a small civilization out of rubble. The word floated around the nearby communities. For a while people didn’t believe in it.This base would fall apart just like the rest of them. The people of Hellscape didn’t falter. Each time they were knocked down, they possessed a resilience to restore it all. It has been almost a year since the outbreak. People are settling down, almost believing that they world could be safe.


A group of scientist worked relentlessly, gathering from little supplies they held. Scattered around old military grade laboratories, they worked their hands to the bone until something was salvaged. An antiserum. It was some stray point of miracle. A few weeks later the walls broke through. There was a rush to save their research. Dr. Lauren Krem was pinned down, bitten by one of the infected. With no other choice, she was given the antiserum on a whim. Her fever lightened, the black that tainted her veins lessened, and the spores didn’t seem to spread. It slowed the effects of the infection, but didn’t falter it. Then, it became a catalyst. The Infection sped up. Their futile efforts did not work—and the last thing that the team heard a gunshot.


The walls were scrubbed, the life lost was mourned, and the team worked to examine were they went wrong. It was a minute difference that they had missed, but the antiserum was made stronger, made to cover a wide range of blood types and immunities. It still wasn’t a guarantee, but through rats they discovered that the vaccine could not be administered intravenously. Instead, the shot must be injected directly into the brain.


The antiserum could only be used for the immediately infected. Anything past the first stage is a recipe for limited brain function and extreme scarring. These people, those who survived the antiserum, they are scorned and called SCABS. They are able to walk among the survivors as mostly normal, yet they are outlawed by the normal survivors. Bitterness grew among the small group. They remain close to each other. They understand one thing much better than the rest: if worst comes to worst, nobody will be coming to save them.
​

 

[Hell0NHighWater]

A bitter copper filled his mouth, soaked his nose, and suffocated his sight until the crimson was all he could understand. The pain came with it, a sweltering fire that burned him from the inside out. The feeling festered and bubbled, forcing him to submit to the endless depths of darkness creeping into his vision. Fear grasped him by the throat and choked, administering a panic that he had never known before. The wound on his shoulder gushed with his own blood, a blackening substance tainting his veins as they crawled towards his brain and his heart. His lips parted in a muted scream, body jerking in the most violent of ways, and his eyes rolled into the back of his head. He couldn't control the spasms, he couldn't control the pain or the fear, the only thing that he could do was pray that they would end it.


Just so that he wouldn't have to live in a world where he couldn't remember her.





His lungs heaved for oxygen, forcing his body into the upright position. He was panting, mouth dry, and a cold sweat made streaks down the side of his marred face. Raising a shaking hand, he ran his fingers quickly through his dirty blonde locks. Mildly put at ease by the fact that he wasn't in some cold facility in the middle of no where. Which, technically was far from the truth, but Jay didn't really need his logic pestering him so early in the morning. He brought his other hand up to rub the back of his neck exasperatingly. The dream was still fresh in his mind, the conversation felt as if it had only been said yesterday. And that feeling made him a bit more cautious than usual. A tiny breath passed between his lips as he stood, sleepily stumbling towards the dresser in an attempt to find his clothes. He struggled for a moment, slipping on cargo pants and a black t-shirt that didn't have any holes. Shoes adorned his feet following the addition of socks, he maneuvered towards the door of his room only to pause for a quick second to grab a backpack that hung haphazardly off the knob. Jay suppressed a yawn, emerging out into the elongated hallway. His boots thudded softly on the wooden floor, each step producing just the slightest bit of an echo as the sound bounced from wall to wall after him.


It was early, he realized, the rooms he was passing where dark and the hallway held a dim light that was barely enough for him to see. He could only assume that it was around early morning and quietly cursed himself for waking up to early. He pressed forward, strolling into the community area eight or so doors and a turn from his own room. The piano cast a depressing shadow across the carpeted area under it, solemnly mourning the loss of it's once gorgeous music. Jay hadn't seen anyone even attempt to play the old world relic since his arrival at Home Base almost seven months ago. Even so he supposed that the instrument had long since forgone it's precise tune anyway. Dropping his bag on one of the many couches, he paced towards the kitchen that hung off to the far left of the room. Opening the cabinets, a frown deepened across his face, the barren wood stared back at him save for the three lone cans of dried something that didn't seem all that appealing at the moment. He was going to have to go out for food...among other things. Supplies were running low and the tiny suburbs outside the city where all but picked clean. With a grunt of irritation, he closed the cabinet with a glare. The scars across the right side of his face rippled as his jaw twitched, his lips drawing into a fine line in contemplation. Jay rubbed the back of his neck, watching the marble counter now with absent interest.

 

[Nai]

Noboru Kiyoshi


翔 淳
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​

翔 淳

Mood


Hungry & Tired

​

Perhaps the long strained nights at the lab did in fact leave him tired and wither, and perhaps the lengthy evenings did leave him to question his sanity on most nights when he felt his ears ringing, —but to say Nobu didn’t savor the solitude of his lab; was an understatement. He’d treasured it early into the progression of his research towards the new fungal infection, and treasured it vehemently soon after most of his team was lost to the calamity that followed suit. He was dedicated to his work, regardless of the strain it left on his body, or the stares he would get when he’d been told one to many times too get some much needed rest.


“But rest is for the weak,” He’d utter jokingly, his face long drained of his youth and eyes darker than the shadows he’s casted over the death-lamented corpses he’s examine.


“Day two of enzyme correlation, has failed.” Nobu muttered into the recorder, before managing to rip off his red-stained gloves littered with blood of his latest patient. A long-awaited sigh shuddering out of him in ripples, as he rubbed irritably at his nose bridge. “It seems the O blood samples doused with the fungi, resulted in a catalyst of denaturation of nutrition. Proving to kill both the fungi and host.” He finished before dropping the recorder onto the operating table, and yanking out the syringe pump from the corpse’s arm. “Much too fast to even bother saving them,” He added.


“Where did I go wrong?” He whispered, his hands running hastily through his dirty dark locks, reminding him that showering was a thing humans did. He sighed once more, obviously too tired to even bother looking over his notes before turning towards his turntable and playing the first vinyl record on the set. Oh, how he hated this thing, but it was the only thing he could find in the storage rooms that held any source of music, before he got tired of listening to the same old music on his phone, considering that’s all it was good for now; Music.


He frowned and listened to the soft hums of the blue’s singer voice linger across the lab, before his body reminded him yet again, that he was in fact human and needed food. Thumbing his keycard in his pocket, he was mindful of the lack of food in the kitchen considering he’s gone down their a couple times already not particularly for the snacks but for the chatter everyone seemed to occasionally bring.


He turned to look at the time, it was early, far too early for anyone to be up. He almost considered skipping breakfast altogether, a habit he’d grown accustomed too, but somewhere far in the distance he could hear his grandmother and maids scolding him for not eating properly. He smiled wistfully, and made his way down the corridor of the medical wing, cringing at the change in light levels. He’d forgotten he’d changed the light settings to a dim at the lab, it proved to be helpful when the long hours of the night left him feeling tired over the harsh brightness. Although, to anyone who visited, He’d receive comments like “You almost seem like a mad doctor in here,”. He’d laugh it off on most occasions, but in others he’d answer meekly, with an odd sense of sadism, “Yeah, I suppose I do.” . He’d never admit it though.


Arriving at the lower levels of the lounge room and kitchen, Nobu stopped. The lighting to the kitchen was brighter than usual, an indicator that someone was currently awake and most than likely rummaging for food. Atleast he wasn’t alone, he’d like to say. Although as he made his way into the kitchen, what he didn’t expect was to see Jay, and much less staring absentmindedly at nothing in particular; He let off a wafting gloom.


Considering his options, Nobu settled for a much more happier approach, plopping down rather gleefully down across the table. Nobu managed a smirk with two hands that manage to elevate his chin, as he rested pleasantly across Jay.


“So, what’s for breakfast?” He practically cooed, before raising a brow. His medial question on why the man was up so early could wait. Just for a little while. He hummed.

 

[Vengeance Spirit]

Information

Outfit

Location: Home -> Lab
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Tags

@Hell0NHighWater


@Nai
​

The sun slowly rose onto its throne in the sky. The rays of yellow raged onward, scaring away the last bits of shadows that lingered from the previous night. Shadows that were well enjoyed by many, but Emilio wasn't one of those people. The mornings were his time to shine. He greeted the sun with the same smile every morning. The sun returned his show of affection by basking Emilio in its rays of rejuvenation. His body uncovered by any sheets was receptive to the heat. The way he liked it. Bare and free. Anything on him would be tossed off in his sleep. This included valuables. When phones were still in service, he cracked his new iphone that be bought the previous week. His father gave him a nice little speaking to about it. Emilio learned a valuable lesson that day, nothing was safe near him in his sleep...not even guys Anyway, enough sleep talk. Now was the time for Emilio to get ready. There was a mission to be done...well, technically there wasn't one posted as yet. But supplies was running low. A run would be called for soon. Emilio was afraid of the future runs. The truth was that each run was going further than the last. Any nearby buildings were raided already. If anything serious happened on a run, the distance back would be a pain.


Emilio sat up and stretched his arms. They had grown a nice amount of muscle throughout the recent days. Who knew the best gym would be the apocalypse. Surely it was a great motivator. He smiled at his progress, even though it was stupid and absolutely narcissistic. Enjoying your own body from time to time was alright...even if it came from beheading the undead. Today was going to be a good day, Emilio could feel it in his gut. The only thing he was worrying about was fall. The blessing of summer could only last so long.


Time for fun! Emilio sprung out of bed excitedly. He had a plan in mind for how today would go. The first step was stopping by his scientist buddy, Noboru. That meant putting on clothing. Nudity was a big no-no in public places. He walked into the bathroom and got himself clothed. Everything went well except for one part...his mound of Hispanic hair. The rebel himself. His curls constantly locked together in his sleep. Frisky little things who couldn't stay apart. This proved difficult to separate in the morning. A normal comb was no match. He needed the wide tooth ones and some gel. He picked up his bottle of gel and scooped a little bit in his hand. (Maybe not exactly a little bit...more like enough to cover his entire head) He scrunched his hair as he pushed his hand through it. Slowly the gel began its course and untangled his curls a bit. Now was time for the real adventure. The great comb vs the curls of Emilio. He took his comb and made backward strokes. Every now and then the curls would try to grab onto the curl, creating a small glimpse of pain for Emilio. He was used to it...pretty hurts. After losing the never ending battle with his curls, he took up his red cap and placed it on his head. He arranged it perfectly to make his hair look neater than it really was. Emilio really needed a hair cut...or an exorcist for his hair.


Finally leaving the bathroom, he put on a pair of dark red shorts, a blue red ombre shirt, and a pair of red converses. He was ready to leave his home. Except, he had nothing to give Noboru. He forgot to make something! The horror! A morning without cinnamon buns. A fate worse than death...which apparently wasn't too bad according to the scabs. Emilio could either be late or cinnamon bunless. He decided to just bare with it. His face was attractive enough to compensate for the greeting without sweets. Emilio made his way toward the lab. And then ran back in. The sun was too much. Even though he was inside, the annoying glare was smacking him across the face. He donned on a pair of shades and then walked back out again...with a +5 style bonus to his face. The lab wasn't far. Only a floor down. He looked at the time. It was Noboru's time to eat...No it wasn't creepy that Emilio knew Noboru's schedule...Just a good friend.or more A few steps into the cafe he could see Noboru sitting across from the scab...Oh great, now he had to deal with that. Nothing would stop him from enjoying this day. He pulled up a seat from a nearby table and sat beside Noboru. "Morning, crazy scientist. Any new monsters" He smiled teasingly.
​

 

[Catharsis]

Kent Mcfuller

Kent's alarm clock went off at the same time it always did, 7:00 A.M. He woke up, rubbing his eyes and allowing himself to adjust to the light and reality of the bedroom before him. No matter how long he'd been there, the fact that he had not dreamed the whole scenario up always surprised him. He never imagined that his life would be this different than it was a year ago. He made his way around the room, grabbing articles of clothing that he had tossed about throughout the night. It was a habit of his to do this, but he learned to keep on his boxers after a series of embarrassing moments in which Hazel ran to his aid to talk off terrible nightmares that reflected their time before Hellscape.

He pulled on thin joggers and a clean shirt before grabbing his backpack off the bedside table in his room. He could feel energy pulsing through him, and was glad that he made it back into Hellscape last night rather than staying out like he usually did. He planned to use this day to map out new areas that he had found recently, and stay inside the base if possible. Maybe even work on his aim a little if he got everything he needed done, or take a shower if the electricity cut on. He walked through the corridor of bedrooms and stopped in front of the 5th one from his, at the door with a small crack in the upper left corner, Hazel's. He pushed himself in quietly and was met with a cool rush of air. Her room was always a bit colder than his, as he had gotten tired of her begging for the tiny battery packed fan that he had found outside of the base. He could possibly get in trouble for using batteries on such a thing, but he didn't really care. Finders keepers right?

​

Hazel Leath

Hazel had been awake for at least an hour now, staring at the white walls that surrounded her. She had never had trouble falling asleep back before the "unmentionable" happened, but it made sense that she did now. She heard her door creak open, followed by a few footsteps in her direction. She closed her eyes, knowing it would be Kent and that he'd be worried about her if he saw she had woken already. He nudged her shoulder lightly and whispered her name, giving her permission to "wake up" now. She rolled over to face him, brushing her hair out of her face as she did so. She was greeted with Kent's grin, and it woke her up just a little bit more. Kent's face was the same as it always had been, except now it was slimmer, since he had lost a lot of weight since before. That was okay though, he looked more grown up that way. It felt good to know that somethings never change.


"Good morning, Sunshine." he said brightly, crouching down in front of her as she leaned unto her elbow. "Good Morn. Didn't think you got back in last night." she responded. "I didn't think I would either. Turned out I was going in a direct circle all morning, so it wasn't hard to figure out home was nearby." That made sense to her, as Kent always had a way with making small mistakes like that. "Yeah well, I din't think I was gonna get out of the lab last night. We were working on something pretty exciting, they told me to go to bed though, I'm pretty sure some of them may still be in there." she replied back, remembering that she had things to do today.


Kent's smile got a little tighter, as though he had been let down by her announcement. "Guess I'll let you get to it then, see you Haz." he responded, promptly standing and leaving the room. She sighed and stood, pulling some clothes out of her dresser and putting them on before heading out the door a few moments later, heading to work.
​

 

[Aio]

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Mahala Gyeong



Mahala has been up since five, getting an early practice in before jogging around the compound a couple times. She never took her job lightly being a trainer seeing that her training determined if someone would see to the next day. She would run back to her little setup for the training, stretching before she took a sip of water. Her stomach growling in response to not being fed since yesterday's dinner. She wondered if she should rinse off before eating though there were others who smelled much worse than she did and who was she to waste water? Walking out of the room she shut the door behind her and proceeded to the kitchen.


As she walked her mind drifted elsewhere. Going back to distant memories as she tried to recall old faces and names but always seemed to forget. She tried to pull up her father's face though it was blurred slightly, not being able to remember how his eyebrows curved or if his mouth curved up slightly when he was thinking. What color were his eyes? She thought trying to recall. Her's were brown but her fathers were darker...no they were lighter... Mahala did this often not wanting to forget the man that raised her but failing to recall simple details about him.


Opening the door to the kitchen she almost didn't notice the others, too lost in thought to take notice. She finally snapped out of it when she hit the corner of the counter with her hip, sharp pain erupting from her hip through with what she has been through it only seemed like a small pin prick. She looked up from her hip to see the others, laughing to play off that she really hadn't noticed them. "Hello gentlemen." She said as she smiled. She really enjoyed their company, each bringing something special to the table. First thing she did was look at Noburu with a silly grin. "Hey doc. Found the cure to get us out of this hell hole yet?" A common question she asked him as a small joke knowing she wouldn't receive a definite answer. She walked by Emilio and noticed his well-groomed hair and chuckled deciding not to mess it up and instead patting his back. Next was Jay, she paused for a second before deciding what to say. " So...you're looking good today." She could have facepalmed herself right then and there for how stupid she sound though she refrained from doing so and instead checked the cupboards for anything that could come close to a nutritious meal.
​

 

[Vaan]

Delphine Scott

デルフィーン・スコット
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​

拝

Current Concern


Owls don't appreciate her bird-puns.

​

The parliament.


(A group of birds.)





There is something explicitly intricate about Owls, and their tendency to establish a pecking order even whilst in the bindings of captivity. This chain of command, remarkably enough, consists of only the Owls themselves and is lead by a single sovereign, the Great Horned Owl. And while home base’s tailored conditioning program sought to teach ‘pacifism with substance’, or rather the ideal that conflict should only derive from food, it was evident that: if the Great Horned Owl would not bow, than no other bird would follow command.

The Great Horned Owl, satirically nicknamed ‘Ryze’(Noboru's name can be translated to rise, and Ryze is a mis-spelling of that) after Noboru, greeted the neurosurgeon’s presence during an accompanied run (a month prior to today) for supplies. Unfortunately, because of it’s rough capture from the escorting runner, it bares a deep-seated hatred for its designated handler, Delphine, and refuses to comply with anyone other than Noboru himself. Under normal circumstances, this wouldn’t be an issue but unfortunately in addition to Delphine and Noboru’s mutual dislike for eachother, it is known that most animals are just unsettled by Noboru and Delphine refuses to allow cross-interference in the pair’s lab occupations.


Yet, even with her patience dwindling thin, Delphine continues to endeavor, “Have you not given me enough trouble? Must you continue to..” she gritted, “—struggle!” she added irritability, forcing a mounted shackle onto the base of the bird’s furry foot, and being answered with a single non-compliant hoot of defiance. Following its restraint, she commenced with protocol testing and hit record on the phone she’d notably stolen from Noboru, “Conditioning session seventeen, this is Delphine Scott, proceeding with pilot study of Ryze’s hearing,”


With delicacy, she eases the dial forward on the low-to-high frequency emission device, belittling eyes watching as Ryze squirmed and pried at his shackle in painstaking discomfort, “Subject appears to still be discomforted by a frequency of 555 IC or higher, and could be effectively be zoned in flight emission with the usage of perimeter-towers.”


Still forcing the dial forward, she adds in a whisper, “Approaching 600 IC,” watching attentively as the Owl presses himself down against the operation table, "600 IC appears to result in immobilization." she adds with a cheeky smile.





If only controlling people was this easy.

 

[Anthony Davis]

The scarred man lay quietly and motionless atop the mattress he called his bed, he hadn't gotten so much as a simple wink of sleep since collapsing into the bed last night, and so he had contented himself with staring at the hardly clear ceiling, his impaired vision still presenting itself as a nuisance, a debatable price to pay for life occasionally. When Nick found sleep avoiding him there was little else to do, he couldn't go hunting as the night would bring near blindness to his new eyes, and the same darkness applied to much of Hellscape during the later hours, and so there he lay. Suddenly the sound of footfalls captured the attention of the scarred man, who abruptly got upright, swinging his legs to the side of the bed and planting his naked feet upon the ground. Silently Nick listened to the footfalls that had to signify the night was finally over, at least he hoped so. Deciding it was finally time to rise he urged his body to rise and don some clothing. First was a pair of jeans, stained with multiple colors ranging from brown to a dark red. Afterwards came black tactical boots that were usually worn by the likes of hunters and law enforcement. Looping a belt around his waist, Mai retrieved the loaded handgun from underneath his pillow and tucked it in his waistband at the back of his pants. The next step in his morning ritual was scanning the durability of his bandages. Since the operation that preserved his life, a chunk of flesh has been missing from his left forearm, and to help ease it's rather unnerving appearance Mai has had it almost constantly binded with white bandages. Satisfied the bandages would last for the day he stepped towards the hallway that would lead him to wherever the footsteps went, but immediately his boot softly impacted a bag, a distinctive clicking sound emanating from within the bag as it slightly shifted. Of course Nick had missed it with his altered vision. The bag at his feet was long and narrow, it's olive color scheme complimenting the building nicely, and inside was something brought along from his past. That fateful day in which Nick decided to leave his home, his AR-15, which he used to hunt game, was stuffed inside the olive bag, slung over Nick's shoulder, and served as his primary defender as he traveled the chaotic lands of America. Of course within Hellscape, nothing bad was getting inside which eliminated the need for his old rifle, so for now he left it beside his bed and headed to the hallways, not bothering to slip a shirt over his scarred torso.


Walking down the hallway, Nick still took care traversing the hall as the low level of light still left his vision in not the best of positions, and combined with his lack of sleep the man was wary of the possibility of toppling over because of his shuffling feet. A brief thought crossed his mind. Suddenly he hoped nobody attacked him. His defiled body combined with the dim lighting and shuffling gait probably have him the appearance of an infected. He wanted to chuckle a bit at the idea, but a darker train of thought made itself known, and his lips settled into a thin line. He was still a Scab. And being a Scab wasn't the best way to stay in the good graces of the community of Hellscape, in fact it was probably the best way to get yourself shot and whether it was out of paranoia or just plain surprise, Nick seriously thought there would be little repercussion. Despite all of his feelings, he still went out to hunt, scrounging and returning with as much edible food he could carry back, and no matter how small the pile of loot he'd bring back seemed, he always donated it to Hellscape, just so he could stay. He believed he had to earn his residency and even if he wasn't the most well-liked man here, he long accepted the idea, a Scab just had to.

 

[Hell0NHighWater]

The cabinet shut with a muffled thud, hearing the other person approach before he saw who it was. Noboru sat at one of the many chairs surrounding the kitchen table seeming a bit too chipper this early in the morning. Filmy blue eyes stared at the other man for a moment, his brain scrambling to decipher what words had been spoken to him that he was expected to respond to. His arms rested on the counter once more this time his body hovered over the small island that faced the area Noboru occupied. "Nothing, regrettably. That is unless you fancy a nice refreshing can of-" He twisted, plucking the nearest can off the shelf and holding it up for his friend's inspection. "Armadillo Meat.....?" Jay's expression contorted into one of pure confusion turning the yellow can over and over again to make sure that he was in fact reading the label right. Convinced that he was, the blonde shook his head with a sigh quietly wondering who in the hell had scavenged that piece of crap.


Jay was about to make some backhanded remark about the lessons of scavenging but his words fell flat. The entrance of yet another person caused him to shut up. He watched the figure carefully, irritated beyond reason that it wasn't until the person had sat next to Noboru that he could make out the details of the other male. Emilio ignored his existence, like a lot of the others, and just avoided him in general. Jay twirled the aluminum can on the counter, grimacing at the painful teasing that reached his ears. Perhaps this was a good time for him to relocate? Jay didn't feel welcome in groups larger than two anymore and he was more than positive that soon the whole base would be up and about. His lips tugged into a deeper frown, part of him lost in the memory of what it had been like once not to be so different than anyone else. Something bumped into the counter beside him, a feminine voice ringing out greetings a heart beat or two later. This new entity coupled with his diminishing sight caused Jay to jump, fumbling with the can that he had so absently been swirling around on the counter. The Armadillo Meat clattered to the floor with a sharp thud, effectively leaving a giant dent in the side. "Fuck." He cursed, lifting his now attentive gaze to the woman who stood close enough for him to see. Her onyx hair hung freely around her face and her russet orbs finally seemed to turn to look at him after greeting the other two in the room.


Jay felt his cheeks get hot, reaching down to scoop up the can and placing it on the counter with a bit more force than necessary. Rubbing the back of his neck, the Scab looked away from her in an attempt to compose himself. "Yeah.....thanks...you too." Jay winced, shaking his head at his own pathetic response. The ground might as well just swallow him whole and be done with it. His eyes tracked her behind him, opening the cabinets just like he had done a few minutes before. "We're out of food. Well...at least the stuff you'd actually want to eat." He gestured absently to the disfigured can next to him. "I was uh.....I was going to go out for some...now...probably...most likely..." Jay rambled, once again rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. He took a deep breath, letting the air mingle with his revived lungs and flowing back out in one fluid exhale. Standing up straight, he arched an eyebrow at the rest of his company gesturing with his thumb to the empty cabnets.


"Anyone want to go with?" He asked with fake enthusiasm half expecting no one to answer him.

 

[Nai]

Noboru Kiyoshi


翔 淳
​

​

翔 淳

Mood


Hungry & Tired

​

“Armadillo meat…” Nobu repeated almost slowly before letting out a snort and rolling his eyes, “I think I’ll pass this time around. I’m not that-,” His stomach growled irritably, and he paused before pouting humorously and admitting defeat, “O’kay, o’kay,” he said with his hands raised, “I may just take you up on that offer considering, I may, or may not have eaten since last century.” He exaggerated with a yawn that left him flaunting his hand haphazardly towards Jay, “And before you say anything about my sleeping habits, they’re totally fine!” He finished, and watched as Jay’s face flashed discontentment upon a new arrival.


Not turning to receive the early bird, but hearing them upon greeting. Nobu was quick deduct the latter before he even had time to turn towards Emilio, who settled rather enthusiastically next to him and greeted him with a teasing smile, “Morning, crazy scientist. Any new monsters?"


Nobu laughed humbly, a finger rubbing absentmindedly at his cheekbone before turning towards Jay and giving him a knowing look. He’d known about Emilio’s disinterests in Jay for a while now. Jay was a scab and Emilio saw them as some sort of contemptible disease that was never fully cured.


Nobu, on the other hand, was accepting of Jay’s condition and didn’t see him for the infection he gained, but for the person he was. The man was an admirable adversary in the fight against death, and he’d proven to be more that just a reliable teammate. He was Nobu’s best friend, and in Nobu’s eyes, he was a man worth respect in any grade.


Perhaps he’d taken their previous ethical conversation to heart, Nobu thought indicatively, before addressing Emilio with the same smile he’d always given the latter.


“No, not yet,” He sighed dolefully, and rested his hand numbly at his chin with a propped head up. It seemed no matter where he settled, he’d always have to play peacemaker when it came to these two, “Perhaps one of these days, my research will pull through. So far I haven’t made an definitive progress regarding my enzyme studies, but by the looks of it, I shouldn’t be too far behind.” He lied, hoping it’d spark some luck somewhere.


They all paused after they heard Mahala walk in, and in the moment of Jay playing absentmindedly with the canned food, Nobu caught Mahala walk into the edge of the table, before subtle brushing it off with a laugh and a simple greeting. Which left Nobu feeling whimsical and prodding after her comment, “Hm, No,” He snickered, “but I could take a look at that hip of yours,” He chuckled and didn’t catch her expression before eyeing Jay, and watching his poor excuse of his friend fumble with the can of meat that managed to slip from his grip upon spotting Mahala. He’d known of Jay’s crush for a while, but from the looks of it, it wasn’t unentirely one-sided. Considering the conversations they always manage to have are as dense as density.


Nobu found himself mused with one of the fruits from the centerpiece, he’s attempts at eyeing the group remaining subtle. He always was a quiet person at heart, it was only a shame that he’d fallen so low in his thoughts as of recent.


Nobu found himself thumbing the punctured wound on his left arm. A reminder of his countless donations for the sake of his research. It was his way of studying the effects of the fungal infection close range before watching it die off not too soon after. The fungi proved to need a suitable host, and not a measly blood sample that held little to no nutritions. It was common biology, but he found himself wishing it wasn’t.


He wanted to study the human composition again, watch as the fungi would take root and spore throughout the host like a parasite. But he couldn’t deny the savage aftertaste it left in his mouth, as he stared at the only people he’d been oh-so-comfortably living with. His research was proving to be fruitless as his time progress, and he noted the dead unresponsive corpses he’d constantly examine were producing unsatisfactory results as time furthered.


He felt agitated and capricious in his state of restlessness, with his arbitrary desires of wanting another corpse, preferably a live one, just serving as an element for what he really was set out on doing.


A cure … but also—


Nobu took a moment to stare at Mahala’s bruised hip. In most cases, anyone with an injury would have to report to the lab. It was a safety precaution instated for the safety of the Home Base, but everyone was too scared to actually go in for check-ups considering they’ve heard the stories. Even here, Nobu wouldn’t deny any of it, they should be afraid. He wasn’t just a normal doctor, he was a monster beneath a white lab coat and smiles, he’d all too familiarized himself with.


He frowned, he couldn’t be considered human at this point. He’d seen and done things he’d never consider doing in his life. He just wanted to study neurology, not deal with the catalyst of human reanimation. But here he was, craving for the inconceivable. He wanted to use live, —healthy humans as a catalyst for the fungal exploitation experiment. If he could witness the spread of the disease once more, watch the symptoms progress at a timely rate, and monitor the brain activity before they manage to lose their state of mind. He’d be able to work with fungi as a form as enhancement.


—A super soldier enhancement.


Perhaps he was capricious, and perhaps he wasn’t going to be able to find himself in a suitable state of mind anymore, but he couldn’t help but lift his head towards Jay and smile, “I don’t mind, I could use the fresh air, and perhaps use this an excuse for my research material.” He hummed, before letting his eyes trail down Jay’s body. Perhaps Jay wouldn’t mind to the idea of donating his spare time in the lab.


He paused for a moment. He caught himself staring, and found himself excusing himself from the room before muttering something about going back to the lab to pick up some things he might need for the trip. He was feeling sick already, perhaps the fresh air would do him some good. He whispered to himself before running a tired hand through dirty dark locks. And a shower, a shower would be great.


He sighed.


It wouldn’t be long before he’d take the initiative of experimenting on Scabs. Atleast not until his research proves fruitful.

 

[Vengeance Spirit]

Information

Outfit

Location: Corridor
​

Tags

@Nai
​

He stared at the chunks of armadillo meat and wondered where the hell they got it. Emilio had yet to even see an armadillo in his life time. What store carries chunks of irrelevant meat. Yeah...he could imagine. The armadillo meat being right beside chunks of porcupine and skunks. No wonder it was still in stock. Obviously nobody wanted to eat armadillo. This meat will probably outlive the entire apocalypse. A pat on the back from Mahala withdrew him from his thoughts. He made his typical smile in return to Mahala's pat. He scrunched his nose and eyes slightly and exposed his slightly-crooked white teeth. He had dimples but they were hard to see unless you were close enough to kiss him...He hoped Noboru had noticed the dimples...or would...eventually. Emilio watched Mahala make the scab uncomfortable. It was interesting. Had she returned his feelings of affection or was it a simple cat and mouse game? Was she the large cat scaring the little mouse back into his hidey hole. He wondered. Mahala was a different type of person, she was hard to fully understand.


Emilio let out a large yawn and stretched out his legs. He was growing bored of this place. He needed a relaxing visit to the outside...where the screams of the undead soothe the average apocalypse survivor's soul. His personality was only satisfied when busy. Sitting down and thinking made him focus on past events. Events that he'd rather forget. He needed to focus on the present. His focus shifted to Noboru...Yeah...He's definitely a present. Emilio moved in his seat and listened. He heard the scab say something about a run...He wanted to go on a run. He turned to Noboru, only to notice that Noboru had left. The crowd seemed to be too busy in their own discussions to notice. Emilio stood up and decided to go hunt after his little mad scientist...oh where oh where did hit little nerd go...to go hunt enzymes aho!.


A few turns towards the lab and Noboru was in view. Emilio ran ahead to catch up with him. When he finally did he turned to him and said "Hey! Frankenstein, you forgot your Igor! How else are we supposed to resurrect the dead". He smiled and scrunched his face. Well at least two parts about the Frankenstein story was eerily close to reality, the scabs and...the sparks of lightning that flew between the two. He kept his pace with Noboru "So...He's scheduling a run. We should go...You probably need more material. Science buildings aren't really torn up too much by travelers. You can find shit all over the place. Ya know. Important shit." He put an emphasis on "He" to make it clear he was referring to Jay. "I mean...It's alright if you don't want to go...I'll just miss you." He said in a low tnoe to try and guilt Noboru into coming.
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[Aio]

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Mahala Gyeong





Mahala flinched at the sound of the can falling on the floor, her eyes going over to the culprit. Going over and picking it up off the floor and setting on the table as she looked at the others. When Noboru answered her she chuckled a bit before grabbing a chair and sitting down. She was still slightly sweaty from her run, turning her chair around so that she could lean forward and propped her arm up so she could rest her head. She chuckled at Emilio's ridiculous smile before her eyes went down to her hip. "Relax doc. I promise I'll get it checked by the end of the day. Promise I won't turn...but if I do I give my body to research." She joked, chuckling slightly before she sighed.


She stared down the can of armadillo meat, if they didn't make a run fast they wouldn't have to worry about just her turning. She fanned herself lightly her head turning to Jay when he sparked her interest. "Mind having another runner tow along? Promise I won't complain." She leaned forward in her chair as she waited for her answer. She was just itching to get out of the walls and have some kind of adventure even if it be for only a few hours. She tapped her foot patiently as she watched Jay.


Though her eyes went to Noboru when he upped and left, covering her mouth to hide her chuckle. Then it was Emilio's turn to leave, running off after Noboru like some love sick puppy. She smiled softly but then she realized she was alone with Jay. Great... She let out an audible sigh before she perked up. "So...What you say? Can I go out with you?" She asked eagerly.
​

 

[Hell0NHighWater]

His clouded eyes watched the three with a mild amount of interest. Jay had expected Noboru to agree to the venture, so he wasn't as surprised when the man had voiced his consent. Unfortunately, where Noboru was there was usually Emilio trailing not too far behind. At least that's how it had seemed to the Scab as of late. Perhaps he was just imagining it though. Mentally shrugging, he watched the two leave until their silhouettes blended into the blurry background.


Slowly, his head turned towards the woman sitting at the kitchen table. Realizing that after a few seconds of silence on his part that there was no one else in the room and she was, in fact, speaking to him. Jay blew out a huff of air pushing himself away from the counter to move over towards the table. He stood on the other side of the cherry wood surface, gazing at her blankly with a thoughtful expression. "I don't mind...We can leave as soon as everyone gets to the basement. I think it's better if we drive the jeep in." He replied absently, averting his gaze now as the blood rushed to his cheeks. His face contorted into a scowl and he turned stuffing his hands into the pockets of his cargo pants. Jay stopped his passage out of the room abruptly, turning his head to look at Mahala out of the corner of his eye.


"You can go out with me any time, Darling."


Jay's smooth demeanor only seemed to last him a couple of seconds before he all but sprinted out of the kitchen area. He meandered down the elongated dimly lit hallways, forcing himself to pay careful attention to where it was he was actually going. This time of the day always seemed to be the trickiest to get around Home Base since the lights wouldn't come on until around nine at night. Least to say that the lighting conditions did not improve upon his handicap. The shuffling of other feet startled him out of unwanted thoughts, glancing up just enough to notice Nick heading down the same expanse of walkway.


"Nick. There's a small group heading out. You in?" He questioned the taller scab, walking a bit faster in an attempt to match the man's pace. Jay hadn't known Nick long, they hadn't really had that many heart to heart conversations, but it seemed like they were bound to the same cruel fate by reason or chance it hardly mattered now. His lips pursed into a flat line, seeing the doorway that hid the stairs leading to his destination. Jay paused, gesturing towards the entrance to the ground level "If you decide to come, we'll be meeting in the basement." Jay mused simply, heading off towards his destination now that he felt the conversation had concluded itself. There was something nagging him in the back of his mind, something that felt like this run wouldn't be as cut and dry as it always was. A bit of fear curled down his spine at the thought, though he brushed it off attributing the irritating feeling to just plain paranoia. He kept these thoughts at bay as he moved as quickly as he could down the stairs, reaching the lower level in what he considered to be record time. Jay marched into the training sector, swiping a few handguns off the racks, inspecting him before placing them in their designated holsters. He loaded a couple extra rounds of ammo into one of the many pockets of his pants, maybe the phantom feeling was getting to him more than he was giving it credit.

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[Aio]

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Mahala Gyeong


Mahala smiled when Jay agreed to let her join them. "Great, I'll meet you all down there." She said as she stood up and was then reminded that she had a rather nasty run in with the corner of the table and then she reminded herself that if she didn't get it checked out before going out of Hellscape then it take forever for her to get back in. When she started to follow Jay out she froze at his comment holding back a chuckle as her cheeks flared red. Though before she could say anything Jay was gone. Not that she was phased by this, seeing Jay never stayed too long when it was just him and her.


She shrugged this off and decided to go to the medic to get her bruise cleared before heading out. Heading down she got a workout in, never one to miss an opportunity. Arriving at the Medic station she knocked on the door before making her presence known. "Hello my little nerds. Can someone please clear this bruise so I can go on the next run and make sure none of you starve?" She asked as she looked at them. Crossing her arms as she waited for their response.


Mahala was about time management, and seeing no one move only made her annoyed. She had all the time in the world to wait but it didn't feel that way. Ever since hell broke loose she wasn't a fan of time seeing it as something precious and fleeting. She played with the edges of her hair as she waited, humming a tune of an old ad from year ago. She sighed leaning against the wall. She only really trusted Noboru to look her over but at the time it was taking everyone she was up for anyone who was willing.
​

 

[Nai]

Noboru Kiyoshi


翔 淳
​

翔 淳

Mood


Malicious
​

Noboru is quiet on his way back up to the lab, thumbing his keycard carelessly inside the hem of his pocket. He’s distracted by his medial thoughts, and it’s only when he catches voice of Emilio racing behind him, that he turns around with a smile and a growling stomach. Oh yeah, food. He waves at the latter regardless of his stomaching protests, and laughs wholeheartedly at the boy’s remarks.


“Igor, huh?” He raises a questionable brow, eyeing the boy with a lingering interest. He’d known of the boy’s fascination for him for a while now. Catching sight of the boy’s not-so-subtle glances and passes as if they were playing a sport. He’d laugh at the arbitrary means, if they weren’t dealing with the dead so often, but he decided to savor in the idea that someone at least took interest in him, let alone cared.


"So… He's scheduling a run.” He heard Emilio start as they continued their way back towards the lab. “We should go… You probably need more material. Science buildings aren't really torn up too much by travelers. You can find shit all over the place. Ya know. Important shit."


Nobu hummed in response, and swiped his keycard allowing Emilio to proceed first before following in suit.


"I mean… It's alright if you don't want to go… I'll just miss you."


Noboru paused for a moment, his eyes wandering over towards his medical table where his last failed attempt remained covered beneath a splattered mishap of red. The room itself honed a rather eerily vibe beneath its still-dimmed lights, and with a heavy smell of antiseptic and preservatives lingering fouly across the room, it only now dawned on Nobu, that they were alone. Alone in a room that was made specifically in his favor: no cameras, no witnesses, no intruders.


He’s before Emilio in a matter of seconds, a hand raised high enough to feign a caress before he’s staring expectantly down at the boy before him. His thoughts are racing, and he almost finds himself shaking with anticipation of his mischievous acts, but he stops. He’s struggling with his morals as a person. He reminds himself that he’s still human, somewhere, beneath the white lab coat and the degree he far-long accepted. He is, in fact, human. But the unsettling thought still remains, how easy would it be to infect him.


This is one of the few people who genuinely cares, he argues.


Yet, what kind of person loves so much? He finds himself retreating and holding his own hand as if it was wounded. He scoffs, How could someone, in this world, love? He reasons, but he’s witnessed it with his parents just before his mother’s death. He’s witnessed it with crushes, one-sided love affairs, flings,... but this was different.


This love, of a eighteen year old boy, was being portrayed to him of all people.


In all his years of studies, he’d never understood the concept of love without questioning it. This boy was far too young, ten years too young, and Noboru was corrupted from the inside out. There’s no future in a life —In a world, that was already lost. He was kidding himself if he’d accept this child before him.


Yet,—


“You know,” He starts, his voice fiddling just above a whisper, and adjusting the reigns of his lab coat, before pronouncing himself in a way that would come off as unsettling, “I think you can help me with something.” He finishes with a hum and a smile that deters the previous atmosphere. He's quiet as he awaits Emilio's response, adjusting a stray hair off Emilio’s head, and watching the way the boy’s reaction shifts between them.


—How would he ever know? Noboru purred, counting the boy's freckles like constellations to the sky. Emilio wouldn’t deny him, the boy cared far too much to even consider the idea. He’s—





"Hello my little nerds. Can someone please clear this bruise so I can go on the next run and make sure none of you starve?" Mahala barged in. Intruders, …right. How she manages to ever get into the lab facility is beyond him.


He takes a moment to part from Emilio, before giving him a look and retreating to take a look at Mahala’s hip, where he greets her with a smile and a pat to sit on the medical table. He chuckles at her uneasiness, “Patience is a virtue, Mahala.” He hums.


A virtue, he no longer has.

 

[Vengeance Spirit]

Information

Outfit

Location: The Lab
​

Tags

@Nai
​

Noboru's hand was raised...What was he thinking? Emilio wanted to know, but the little Frankenstein was confusing. Emilio didn't want to push him to do something he was uncomfortable with. Instead of rushing things, he brushed his cheek against Noboru's soft hand and smiled. A genuine smile that went from one cheek to the next, showing off his large dimples. For whatever reason, Emilio felt safe in this room...despite it having dangerous experiments. There was something about knowing it was Noboru's personal space that gave him this feeling. To think the little scientist spent a majority of his days here. Running around excitedly to conduct the work he loved. Noboru is one adorable crazy scientist, Emilio couldn't deny it.


Noboru is much older than Emilio. It is clear. They are at different stages in life...and yet. There's something about the apocalypse that changes the age barrier. The truth is everyone's close to death at any given moment. Regrets about decisions made are toxic...Not that Emilio would regret anything Noboru decided to do to him. He was scared that Noboru would tear himself apart. He needed a boost of confidence. A nice little elixir with his so called enzymes to give him the confidence.


Emilio was paying close attention to Noboru. He had ignored the atmosphere. He took a strong glimpse around the lab. He rarely came directly into Noboru's personal space...It was nice. Organized and confusing at the same time. Emilio never had a real chance with science. He was great at other subjects, but science was perplexing. He passed all of his science classes with a below average grade...well at least he passed. Maybe Noboru could tutor him in some anatomy courses. Real life examples did work best.


In the real world, their two stories would have never collided. Emilio was working towards the olympics. His long term goal in life was to become a professional in track and field. Meanwhile, he was sure Noboru's goal was something long and hard to pronounce. It's sad to think that both of their goals will never be met. Their lines to the future were curved due to this mess. Emilio lost his childhood...to be frank. Eighteen is still young. He would be a college student trying to figure out his future. And here he was instead, thinking about day to day life instead of the long term picture. There were no dreams in a world carved out of nightmares...every step and turn led to tragedy...Tragedy that could only be healed by a loved one. Noboru made Emilio feel healed...As if he had found a diamond in a cave of infinite coal.


"You know."


Emilio knew where this was heading. He let out his large dimply smile and took a step forward. Closing the gap between them.


"I think you can help me with something."


Still smiling he states "I can help you with many things. Frankenstein". He puckered his lips and moved closer. His heart beating. Emilio had many firsts, but never the big first. Nor did he ever date a man this progressed. But the threat of constant danger forced him to mature...He was ready. However, this all ended when he heard a footstep. His reactions keen from the time spent surviving. He took a jump back from Noboru and faced the door to see Mahala. Keeping quick on his feet, he let out a cheeky smile and said "Frankestein's right here. I'm his Igor today."
​

 

[Aio]

Mahala Symphony Gyeong

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Mahala smiled at the sight of both Noboru and Emilio. Walking over to them, looking between them. She had noticed how close they were in proximity to eachother and could help but wonder why that was. Perhaps Noboru was looking over a concern Emilio have, she shrugged the thought off but not before having her fun of course. "Sorry am I interupting a lovers quarrel?" She joked.

“Patience is a virtue, Mahala.” Causing Mahala to roll her eyes as she turned to look at Noboru. "I don't have time for your psychological nonsense. You gonna clear me or not?" She knew she didn't just break every rule in Hellscape just to have Noboru turn her down. She knew she could get in some serious trouble for breaking into a place like this but all the others doctors within Hellscape didn't know half of what they were talking about.

Malaha chuckled at Emilio with his whole Igor and Frankenstein shpiel. She knew the two were close, though she didn't know how close they really were. "So you're Santa's little helper now Emilio? You didn't strike me as the type to stay in this stuffy place." She spoke as she hopped on the medical table and pulled up her shirt, just far enough for him to get a clear view of her bruise. "So what you say doc? Is this the starting signs of some mutant zombie virus?"





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