Realistic or Modern Overcast: Alexia Weber

[Lorsh]

OVERCAST
ArcticFox

• Intro
• Inventory
• Maps
• Companions
• Your Character Sheet
• Stats

• 
  
  Spring
  9:30 PM, South of Newley City
  Wayview
  
  You are Alexia Weber, a resident of the suburb of Wayview, just outside Newley City. You are a bartender at Tapsters, a local pub. Due to some civil disturbances and a recent alert for a deadly pathogen, school was cancelled today and people have been ordered to stay home in the city. However, you've still been working tonight. The only other Tapsters staffer present is Sally, the overweight blonde girl who works in the kitchen.
  
  It's Friday night, so there's still a few people around, though fewer than usual due to the recent events. Things are less festive, and the patrons seem to have their eyes glued on the television, which show scenes of looting, disorder, and riot lines of cops in various cities. Congress, New Heights, Codburg, all the big places seemed to be going to hell in a handbasket. The focus of the local news is obviously on Newley, where fires have broken out, and people seem to be more or less in a state of mass hysteria.
  
  "Obviously, things are more serious than we initially thought. We are investigating the pathogen, and we are relatively certain that the recent instances of mass violence may have some correlation to it. Of course, we still have to reiterate that you should be staying indoors if you live in or near the affected cities, as well as washing your hands and donning your face mask if you were provided one. Reservists will be ready to deploy and engage in stability operations within a few hours," an official from homeland security says on the television.
  
  The street is busy outside, though a lot of commuters already returned home earlier today. These cars might just leaving the city, either to head to the backroads or to hit Highway 3, towards Crawburg County.
  
  
  Sally approaches you. "I think we should start shutting down. I can't a hold of Paul," she says, referring to the bar owner. His instructions were to stay open until further notice- but it's now starting to contradict the orders of the people on TV.
  
  
  
  
  
• 
  
  -Tapsters shirt [Worn]
  -Jeans [Worn]
  -Sneakers [Worn]
  -Flip phone [Pocket]
  -Pocket knife [Pocket]
  -Backpack [On-hand]
  -Jacket, deodorant, makeup [Backpack]
  -Spare outfit [Backpack]
  -Flashlight [Backpack]
  --
  -Bicycle [Outside]
  
  
  
• 
  
  
• 
  Ron Weber (Brother, 17)
  -Casual clothes [Worn]
  -Backpack [Worn]
  -Claw hammer [Carried]
  -Spare outfit [Backpack]
  -Multitool [Backpack]
  -Map, compass [Backpack]
  -Flashlight [Backpack]
  -Bug spray [Backpack]
  -Sun screen [Backpack]
  -Flip lighter [Backpack]
  
  Ivy Caines (Ron's girlfriend, 18)
  -Casual clothes [Worn]
  -Socket wrench [Carried]
  -Flip phone [Pocket]
  -Flip lighter [Pocket]
  -Backpack [Worn]
  -16x rations (junk food, snacks) [Backpack]
  
  Nate (Kate's brother, 4)
  -Child's clothes [Worn]
  
  Kate (Nate's sister, 7)
  -Child's clothes [Worn]
  
  † Miles Travers (Roommate, 24)
  -Bloodstained casual clothes [Worn]
  -Flip phone [Pocket]
  
  
• 
  
  
  
  
  
  NAME: Alexia Weber
  GENDER: Female
  AGE: 25
  APPEARANCE (height and physique): petite and athletic, 165cm (5'4), 50kg.
  PERSONALITY: cheerful, energetic, friendly, positive, charming, rarely gets angry, prefers compromises and strays from conflicts.
  HISTORY: Born in a family of four, Alexia had a very carefree childhood. Her parents had her when they were very young, fresh out of college. She was an only child for most of it, with her brother coming into the world 10 years later. She always got along well with her parents, who were kind, yet overly hard-working people, which made them absent from home for long periods of times. She understood it, but her brother always suffered for it. The siblings were often entrusted to her mother's mom, a good, but very proper old lady, until Alexia was big enough to take care of her brother by herself.
  She moved out of the family home after high school, venturing into a big city to finish college. She got into an engineering college, but never finished the degree, instead finding that she had a passion for mixing drinks. She took a course in bartending and found work in the field, never once wanting to do anything else. She lives in the same city, with a roommate, and recently her brother joined them, deciding he wanted to attend highschool in the city in which Alexia lived.
  In her spare time, Alexia loves to run and cycle.
  ETHNICITY: Vichtland
  --
  ZONE TYPE (Urban, suburban, rural): Suburban and urban
  RESIDENCE TYPE (Apartment, hotel, shared rent house, house, etc.): Shared rent house in the outskirts of the city; though she works in the city centre.
  COHABITORS (Roommates, family, etc.): Brother Ron and roommate Miles.
  OCCUPATION: Bartender
  
  
• 
  People Killed
  
  Zombies Killed
  
  

 

[ArcticFox]

"I agree." Alexia said, without thinking too much about it. She had been on edge for the last couple of hours, and couldn't wait to come back home and check in on her brother and friend. The whole situation was like something out of a movie and even if Paul wanted to pretend like nothing is happening, she could not do that. While Alexia was not the type to worry, this was something quite different. Even the army was being deployed.

"Let's close it up." She said, looking around at the few patrons that they had. "I am going to call Ron and see what is going on home." With that, she got the phone out of the pocket to call her brother, or Miles, if Ron didn't answer.

 

[Lorsh]

Sally nods, speaking from her diaphragm as she announces to the bar patrons that it's time go home. With some murmurs, they begin to rise up from the booths and tables. One of the patrons, an older man in suspenders, looks particularly tipsy as he heads out to the parking lot.

You use your flip phone to call your brother. You hear the ringback tone a few times, then he picks up.



"Hey, sis, I'm fine. Are you gonna to be coming home soon?" he asks. You hear a slightly familiar voice in the background, belonging to a female. It's probably Ivy, your younger brother's stoner girlfriend from high school, who is a grade higher than him.

 

[ArcticFox]

"Hey Ron." Alexia responded, absentmindedly tapping her fingers on the counter, "Yes, I'm coming home. Don't leave the house, okay? I'll be back soon." She said, finishing the conversation. Glad that she managed to reach her brother, and eager to see the patrons leave and bar close, Alexia removed her apron, washed her hands in the sink, and looked toward Sally.

"Are you heading home too? I have room on the back of the bicycle, if you don't mind a bumpy ride." She looked through a window, the traffic seemed bad. "Could be faster than waiting for a bus, to be honest."

 

[Lorsh]

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Miles is here, he's got the doors locked and all that. See you when you get back." End call.

Sally shakes her head when you make your offer, but appears to appreciate the thought. "I can walk," she says. "My house isn't far from here. Besides, eh, might not be much space for me," she says, seeming to draw attention to her... portly figure. Still, she smiled thinly. "Thanks anyway though, hon. Be safe out there."

The patrons have cleared out. Sally begins to close the windows and lock the place down. "You can get going. If Paul complains about this whole thing, I'll take the blame," she tells you. She's been working at Tapsters for quite awhile longer, so she she'd be de-facto "in charge" anyway.

 

[ArcticFox]

"Thank you, Sally. Take care, okay?" Alexia said, as she walked out of the bar. She was eager to get home and knew that she wouldn't be fully at peace until she saw her brother and made sure that she was alright. Well, and Miles too, but he was a grown man and could take care of himself. Ron was still a child as far as she was concerned and with their parents far away, she felt fully responsible for his well-being. She should not have gone to work at all today.

She walked out back, to look for her bicycle.

 

[Lorsh]

"I will," Sally replies, bidding you farewell as she finishes stepping outside. She nervously surveys the street before beginning her trek home.

Stepping outside, you see that the sky is starting to turn gray with ambient smoke. There are police sirens sputtering in the distance, and there seems to be an air of dread hanging over the suburb.

Your bicycle is where you left it. It should take around ten or so minutes to head back to your apartment. Near the wall where you left your bike, there is a strange red, wet stain painting the brick. It looks like blood, but nothing else is around.

 

[ArcticFox]

Alexia walked out carefully, not wanting to presume anything. Perhaps someone just spilled ketchup? She really hoped that was the case, but still proceeded to look around for anything or anyone that might have made that stain. Doing that, she moved closer to the bicycle.

 

[Lorsh]

As you survey the area, something definitely seems amiss. There are red flecks trailing off into the nearby alley, leading to a small, fenced off enclosure by the convenience store adjacent to Tapsters. The fence is a dark, flaky gray, and a drizzling red handprint is pasted on it.

 

[ArcticFox]

"Nope, not following that." Alexia said to herself, raising her arms. Then she quickly hopped onto her bicycle, ready to drive away from there. Perhaps she should take the quickest route home.

 

[Lorsh]

As you pedal home, you see a few disturbing signs. Traffic starts to thin once you get deeper into the suburb near your apartment, as the busier road was leading to Highway 3 was located near Tapsters. There is a great amount of broken glass and scattered plastic near one spot on the road, suggesting there was a collision, though the cars are gone. A few houses have cracked windows, and sometimes people show up and put their hands against the glass, pressing their bodies against it and just staring at you dumbly.

Near one of the sidewalks, you see a man in a blue jacket with 'CORONER' inscribed on the back, accompanied by a cop as they approach an idling car that has smashed into a street lamp. Both of the men carry shotguns and wear medical face masks. The coroner turns around, noticing you. "GET THE FUCK INSIDE," he yells.

Conveniently enough, the driveway to your apartment is rather close.

 

[ArcticFox]

"I am trying to!" Alexia yelled out in return. Whatever was happening between the two men and the car, was not something she wanted to be a part of. It seemed that chaos was everywhere and she needed to get to the safety of her home as fast as possible. She took care to pedal extra harder while turning toward the driveway.

 

[Lorsh]

The two men turn back to their business, and you're able to quickly push through the rest of the trip and reach your apartment.

Before you can even put your bike away, Miles opens the door and starts waving his hand to usher you indoors.

 

[ArcticFox]

"Miles, everything okay?" Alexia asked, quickly dismounting and leaving the bicycle on the driveway, it could be moved later. Once behind closed doors, she would look around for sight of Ron.

 

[Lorsh]

"Shit's getting real out there," Miles remarks. He is a tad younger than yourself, and usually wears plain colors with short brown hair and a five o'clock shadow.

Ron perks up from the couch, where he is sitting with Ivy. Ron's on the tall side, with long, somewhat greasy blonde hair and brown eyes. Ivy has remarkably similar hair, though she keeps it under a green beanie.

Ron gives a wave, so does Ivy. Miles shuts the door and peeks out the blinds, probably looking at the uniformed men. "Did you run into trouble?" Miles asks.

 

[ArcticFox]

"I noticed." Alexia said, following Miles's gaze, "I have seen something that suspiciously looked like blood splatters in the middle of the street. Otherwise, I arrived fine." She to Ron and Ivy, "How about you? What is the deal with those men outside, anyway?"

 

[Lorsh]

You notice that everyone has a medical mask similar to the men outside, though Ivy only has hers dangling from her neck.

"It's the, uh, cops, and one of those medical examiner guys," Miles tells you.

"Blood? Someone get a bad nosebleed?" Ivy giggles. Ron does too.

"Anyway," Miles begins, "different cops stopped by earlier, gave us all these masks. I've got a few spare ones," he says, gesturing to a pile on the coffee table. "They also caught those two while they were half-baked, but didn't even care." Ivy and Ron look sheepish.

"They have their hands full, I guess," Ron says. His eyes do look slightly red.

 

[ArcticFox]

"Ron." Alexia frowned, crossing her arms, "This is really not the time to get stoned. Have you heard from mom and dad? Or grandma?" She asked, then reached for her cell phone to call them herself. Starting with mom.

 

[Lorsh]

Ron smiles bashfully. "Heh, sorry sis. I mean-"

"C'mon, sis, don't give him a hard time, just tryin' to take the edge off," Ivy says, jumping to his defense.

Ron waves his hand dismissively. "It's cool. So... I like, called them earlier, they're okay," Ron says in regard to your parents. However, if you were to attempt to ring them yourself, it would only go to voicemail. You're unable to successfully call your grandmother as well.

"I think the phone... connection or whatever might be messed up," Miles offers.

You hear a few loud blasts from the street, probably from the shotguns. Miles shuffles away from the windows. "This is sketchy. I don't know what to do at this point, really."

 

[ArcticFox]

Alexia put the phone back in the pocket when the blasts sounded. She looked at Miles nervously, she was hoping he would have an idea, because she surely didn't know what to do. If the military rolled in it meant that the situation was out of control already, and if they couldn't contain it what would happen to citizens? Will the plague spread, will they caught it too? She remembered the first reports of the infected people becoming increasingly violent, and wondered what would happen if they all stayed in that home and one of them started showing symptoms. At that point Alexia just wanted to grab Ron and run.

"It's not safe to go out and it's not safe to say here." She said, frowning, "Let's pack up a few backpacks just n case we need to move out quickly. Ron, Miles, get on with it." She said, trying to bring some organisation to their little group, "Ivy, go to the kitchen and pack everything in a can or a bag." Then she was ready to move toward her room to pack the essentials.

 

[Lorsh]

"Yeah, we can dip out in my car if we need to," Miles offers. "Could just go out into the country for a bit, maybe stop by my one buddy's acreage."

After you delegate the tasks, the two stoners and your roommate hop to it. Miles packs a bunch spares clothes, granola bars, and water bottles. Ron takes more of a camper's mindset (he was a boy scout), and grabs bug spray, sunscreen, some flashlights, and a map and compass. He makes a mess throughout the house as he looks for it all, though.

Ivy gets a clean garbage bag and fills it with chips, jerky, packaged snack cakes, pretzels, more granola bars, and a bunch of instant noodle packets. A lot of stuff to satiate some munchies, for sure.

[COMPANIONS' INVENTORIES UPDATED]

You have time to pack whatever you think you might need for yourself. Meanwhile, your companions put their 'bug out bags' in the living room. Miles peeks out the window after lifting the blinds ever so slightky. "Lot of weird people around out there," he remarks, before closing them.

 

[ArcticFox]

"Perhaps you are right." Alexia said to Miles, "Maybe we should wait it out somewhere far from here."

When the others took to work, she packed a set of clothes, some leggings, underwear and a t-shirt, a pocket knife, her makeup essentials and a small flashlight, just in case. She relied on others to pack the food. When she was done she returned to Miles to peek outside and see what was he talking about.

 

[Lorsh]

You grab your backpack and put in your spare clothing, as well as a battery-powered flashlight and 3-inch pocket knife.

You walk over to Miles to see what is going on. After peeking through the blinds, you can see that it's already getting dark out. Still, through the glow of the street lamps, you notice there are at least 3-5 people staggering around. They don't distinguish between the road and the sidewalk, and their gaits are either sluggish and shambling, or erratic and twitchy. Some of them look wounded, though they make no efforts to nurse these injuries- it's like they don't even notice. One woman is bleeding profusely from her stomach, but doesn't care. They're very, very pale as well.

"That's screwed up," Ron utters, bug-eyed. He had stopped what he was doing to peek out too.

 

[ArcticFox]

"That's not normal." Alexia said, shaking her head. She looked at Miles, then at Ron and Ivy. "Are they infected? What if there are more? Maybe we should leave."

 

[Lorsh]

"I was thinking we'd leave just as a last resort sorta thing. There's looters and stuff around," Ron points out. "According to the news, at least... our apartment might get ransacked by those pricks. Besides... it's late, and it's really sketchy out. I don't really want to leave if those guys are actually wandering around out there, infected and stuff." The hair on the back of his neck is probably stood up.

"I mean, like... what about your friend's place in the country?" Ron asks, seeming to take your side. "It's probably better out there, we'd be able to wait it out away from the city."

"We should just chill out," Ivy suggests. "They're out there, we're like, in here. They don't notice us. Let's just hang out... or, I mean, hide."