Fantasy The Mystery of Shadows {Open - Just jump in!}

[idalie]

Henry Francis Foster
"Nice going, vampire. Say it in front of the girl you almost killed in a desperate attempt for survival. I wonder what happened to the pitiful creature she dare believe had some sort of heart. Yet as naive as she is, and prone to mistakes that we berate her for, it could teach us both something about morals and for you - promises." Henry countered in return to the biting comment. Although again, the vampire denied Henry's observation and the masked man was becoming quite annoyed. "You look like you've just come off of heroin. Don't pull that over me, I'm not blind." He waved a hand across his eyes to emphasise the statement. "And it is not bullshit, that's pseudoscience. Your terminology is awful." Foster then lifted his chin marginally. "I was hoping you'd agree. Well, we have our decision.

Even so, he put his hand upon Annabelle's shoulder. Pausing the girl between Zero's discussion. It wasn't hard to miss the melancholy of her features. "Annabelle. I know it's frightening, the worlds being turned upside down for you. But I swear, after we do this, I will explain everything, answer any questions, and even help you in whatever way I can. You're doing a good job holding it all together, little lady."

Nevertheless, with the wolf and Zero, he gave a click of his tongue, moving away from Anna momentarily - and the side of the building they peered from. "I can try, but you're asking for illusions and since the war, sorcerers have only passed down information through spoken word. I believe the best thing I've cast is a butterfly, or three-legged rabbit because the fourth leg is tricky to get right. My family focused primarily on physics and bending rules such as gravity." Henry explained.

Yet, the wolf was unexpected. On a rooftop no less. Henry, standing between the vampire and Annabelle as he momentarily decided whether or not he should just let the bloodsucker battle it out. In the end of the split second choice, he sheathed the baton and flicked out his wrist in a push of air - aimed at the wolf to push the beast off Zero in a slam of wind.​

Kry poppet DevonWrites

 

[Kry]

Zero shrugged as Henry more or less reprimanded him. It didn't bother him, he would say whatever he wanted in front of the girl, she'd be dead before long anyway. Humans were such fragile little things. Another shrug as he was compared to a heroin addict, it mattered not. He would not succumb to the addiction, maybe. It was hard to fight it. It was hard to concentrate on anything else, especially with the girl still so near. The vampire blinked suddenly, the unfamiliar word and insult to his knowledge of terminology catching his attention. "Pseudoscience?" He scowled at the word. "It's all the same to me, who cares?" He waved a hand as if to dismiss the subject.

His brow furrowed, "So you can make us fly then? Or something close - Ooof!" Zero had started to sound almost excited, interested even in flying, but something flying right into him cut him off suddenly. He hit the rooftop with his back, and an unwelcome guest on his chest. The scent and feel of werewolf filled his senses completely, Zero snarled, fangs exposed and shoved the wolf. The werewolf flew off of him far easier than he had expected it to, but the vampire quickly realized Henry's magic had helped.

Once the wolf was off him, Zero was on his feet in a matter of moments, lips drawn back in a snarl. The wolf had caught him completely off guard. His senses seemed more heightened than normal because of that pure blood, but his mind was dulled by it. Even now, it was hard to focus on the fight completely, that blood and thoughts of it were making him sloppy. It was clouding his mind in a way he couldn't stand, yet he wanted more of it. His hungry gaze drifted from the foe before him to the girl. For a few moments it looked like he might lunge at her, but he forced his thoughts to clear and suddenly turned back towards the wolf.

With an angry growl the vampire attacked. His intention was to tear the werewolf's jugular from his throat, Zero darted in low and fast. Hoping to catch the wolf at the right angle to knock it further off balance. "You two should go, I can handle this puppy." The words were tossed over his shoulder at Henry and Annabelle.

 

[DevonWrites]

There was a near-constant growling in Keaton's throat as he faced off against his foe, crouched low on all-fours, eyes glowing a bright crimson in his blind rage. That little leech just insulted him! He was having trouble understanding words in his current state, but he could tell he didn't like what was coming from the blond's mouth.

The wolf didn't bother with dodging, just lunged and bit down on the incoming limb. A feral grin spread across his fave when he felt his fangs tear through flesh and muscle, though he lost his balance and ended up letting go quickly when the force of the vampire's blow struck and sent him halfway across the rooftop.

 

[poppet]

Ann had nodded when it was decided that they were headed deeper into the city. She should likely have been more afraid, she knew, especially at Henry's words. She was keeping it together, but it was likely more because she was stubborn, and she didn't have any ties to this place. Ann couldn't help but to be curious of what she'd learn from Henry. In fact, she was also curious to know if he had a face under that mask. What kinds of creatures lived outside of the dome? The pair talked about her as if she wasn't going to survive long. Maybe they were right, but something in her gut said otherwise.

Then the vampire was attacked. They'd seen it coming, but the wolf man was so fast! For some reason, it made her upset that the vampire was getting attacked. She probably wasn't the best judge of character, but there was more to him than Henry gave him credit for. Besides, she'd really wanted to be the one to punch him first. She glanced at Henry as the pair fought. "What do we do?" she asked in much less of a desperate tone and more of a determined one.

 

[idalie]

Henry Francis Foster
"Well, I tried my best." He said lamely, watching the fighting continue, arms crossed over his chest. However, from Annabelle's expression, Foster sighed. "You want us to actually do something, don't you?" Silence passed, as Henry dragged it out a moment longer for some sort of payback in entertainment. "Right, if we knock the werewolf out, he should turn back to human form. It's basic lycanthropy." So, pulling on the baton he hefted it in his hand to test the weight a second. Then, turning to Ann, he hauled the hefty, whaler's blade from his belt and pushed it into her hands. "Protection. And I mean from our friend, the bloodsucker. You saw him. Just don't go for the heart and you should scare him off with a few swings if he comes near."

Henry continued to shift closer, not particularly fond of the idea of getting between the two foes, yet determined to stop the nonsense which was rampant. Although another lucky hit from Zero caused the masked man, to corner the wolf, raising the heavy baton only to bring it down upon the canines head. Three times for good measure (Or to some over the top). It never helped one's image when you had to beat an animal. Nevertheless, he hoped it enough to render the beast unconscious, and for some semblance of a human state to return. Anything at that rate would've been gold. "I came here for stolen goods - and look what I'm doing instead of anarchism." He muttered. ​

Kry poppet DevonWrites

 

[Kry]

He had launched his attack, but the werewolf was quick, a grimace and small noise of pain left the vampire when those wolf fangs tore into the flesh of his arm. Piercing flesh and muscle. That alone didn't feel good, but then the searing pain, almost like liquid fire raced up his arm. The werewolf curse, invading his body. It wouldn't kill him, it wouldn't change him, but it did hurt. Like a poison entering his system. Zero grunted, at least his own attack had connected and sent the werewolf flying halfway across the roof top.

The smile on the vampire's lips was vicious as he approached, quick as he could, Zero raced to where the werewolf was and delivered a hard kick to it's ribs before it could rise. He vaguely heard Annabelle saying something to Henry, they should have been leaving. Didn't they know they were in danger? He glanced over his shoulder, just in time to see Henry approach with his baton. He snarled lightly, and then fell onto the werewolf. He wasn't sure what Henry had in mind, but pinning the werewolf seemed as good an idea as any. His movements were starting to slow, the bite was already healing, but that poison werewolf saliva had not yet been neutralized by his body.

It was making him sluggish. It was making him crave that woman's blood more. Even so, he started in for the killing blow when Henry's baton came down on the wolf's head, startling the vampire. Zero jerked back but remained on the wolf and watched with satisfaction as that baton came down a few more times.

His head shot up, staring right at Annabelle. Her blood, it would stop it almost immediately, stop that werewolf poison. End the burning pain. No other blood would taste as sweet, no other blood would stop it as quick. It practically called to him, a siren song only he could hear as it flowed through her veins.

Not even caring if the wolf was out or not, Zero jumped to his feet, fangs bared, he went for the human girl.

 

[poppet]

Deep blue eyes blinked owlishly down at the blade Henry bestowed upon her. While she'd never had to defend herself with a weapon before, she was totally confident she could take someone with it. Of course, it was easy to think big. She probably wasn't even holding it properly. Henry was scooting away, and Ann was ready, as like... backup, or something. She was frowning in determination, ready for anything.

Wincing as Henry brought his baton down on the werewolf, she did find instant relief. So the threat was neutralized. Alright! She dropped her arms to her sides, still holding onto her weapon. It wasn't until he was almost upon her that Annabelle even realized the vampire had struck. She barely had time to squeak when he sunk his fangs into her skin again.

Now, maybe Ann was just good at keeping calm in hairy situations, but she didn't panic immediately. She'd been bitten before so she wasn't shocked, but, she'd been bitten by him again, and knew that might pose a problem. "It's okay," she said calmly, "You can stop." She was trying to give him the peptalk, keeping level headed and trying not to lose her mind. Who did he think he was anyway? What right did he have to just keep helping himself now. She wasn't a damned buffet.

But he didn't stop. Her heart rate picked up again. Henry had already made it clear that Ann couldn't afford to lose anymore blood. If Zero didn't stop now, it was possible that she'd actually die. Ann wasn't exactly tickled by that thought. "Stop," she said again, hoping he might before she had to resort to force. She didn't want to hurt anyone, not really. But she wasn't going to let him kill her and he wasn't stopping.

With weak hands, Ann brought the blade up between them, wherever she could. Not the heart, she hoped, and gave it all the strength she could manage.

 

[Kry]

His fangs found her, and her blood filled his mouth. It was better than he had remembered, almost instantly that burning was gone. The bite the werewolf had given him healed over completely far too fast. He had only taken a little, savoring that euphoria that came with her blood. Savoring that pureness. If the pollution had touched it, begun to change it, Zero couldn't tell yet. It was still the best he'd ever had. It was the only kind of blood he needed. Only a few seconds had passed, and then there was a sharp, biting, inexplicable pain in his chest.

The unexpectedness of it caused him to release her, stumbling back wild eyed and confused for the moment. His hands going up to touch where she had stabbed him. She had missed the heart, but only barely. Just barely. That surprise gave way to anger, and he snarled at her. Zero gripped the knife and ripped it from his chest, the wound healed far to quickly. That blood. It really was the best, but for now he had the hunger, the need under control. Even the anger seemed to be fading, gripping that knife tightly he turned towards the werewolf. There was a more imminent threat to deal with.

Zero's intentions were clear, he intended to slit the throat of the wolf with the weapon he had just acquired.

 

[idalie]

Henry Francis Foster
When he had turned from the unconscious wolf, whom he hoped would begin transitioning back to its original human state, Henry was taken aback by Zero for the second time as the vampire made an attempt at Annabelle. Nevertheless, the girl was handy with a knife he was pleased to discover. Running the vampire right through, only a shame it missed the heart. Foster on the other hand, was not about to let the werewolf die nor have the bloodsuckers actions go unpunished. So, as Zero approached, Henry intercepted. Smacking the vampire on the upside of his head with the metal baton. "Do not-" Again he hit, this time on the other side. "-Try to eat-" He brought it down upon the leeches forehead. "-Annabelle." And for good measure, he thrust the top of the baton into the vampire's nose. Like some aggressive form of parenting.

"I actually need the Lycan. He has more information than all of us combined on the situation." Henry grabbed the wolfs arms, dragging the sleeping man to a position on his back.Only to give the thing a hard slap. But between it, he aimed an appraising look toward Anna. Something which dissolved into worry. "You should be more careful, we can't let you decline into a class three haemorrhage. I'm a universal donor, you'll be glad to know, but that doesn't help in the middle of a warzone. Not to mention, I'd be worried about any mutations. We're subtly very different did you know. Like Darwin's finches." Henry's intellectual ramblings were a mystery to some. As if formal education existed out in the wastes. Accompanied by medical knowledge he seemed somewhat versed in. And a face nobody saw.

After taking his time ignoring Zero, he gave a glare. "I think I trust the dog more than I do you. Nay, this mutt is surely more beneficial to our services if we can get a deal out of him. I've always liked werewolves more." He leant over the slumbering werewolf and gave him a good shaking. "HEY, snap out of it. What else do you need? Someone to shout 'Good boy'?"​

Kry poppet DevonWrites

 

[Kry]

Zero's expression was rather grim, but grim determination. The werewolf was simply too dangerous to leave alive, and so it must be put down, but suddenly Henry was in front of him. That baton smacked Zero in the head, and the vampire flinched. Even to a vampire, getting hit with metal in the head still hurt, quite a bit actually. It whacked him a few more times, and each time seemed to be meant to drive home the point Henry was trying to make with his words. Then that baton smacked him in the nose, and Zero went stumbling backwards. A hand going to his nose. It only bled a little, thankfully, but it had really hurt!

The vampire's expression did clear though, and as he glanced at Annabelle, he nearly looked ashamed. The expression didn't last long, and that knife was tossed at her feet. His attention returning to the werewolf and Henry. That masked man rambled about the most nonsensical things, that was for sure. "Darwin? A friend of yours?" Zero's brow had furrowed slightly, then he shrugged, deciding he didn't really care if Henry had friends or not. "Werewolves are useless." He spoke the words as he cautiously approached Henry and the wolf. "He probably doesn't know anything, too caught up in the chase to even register what's going on." He stopped when he was a short distance away, just out of reach of that baton.

He rubbed his head for a moment, then his nose, and then the side of his neck. Grimacing slightly, honestly he'd take being beaten with Henry's baton over the way his sire treated him. Compared to that, being smacked with a metal rod a few times a day wasn't all that bad, honestly. "We shouldn't stay here long. It'll be easier for things to find us, scent us out if we stay in one place too long." What he really meant was it would be easier for his sire to find him. He glanced out over the city, eyes narrowed a bit, as if looking for any sign of something approaching. The vampire seemed almost nervous.

That need, that craving for Annabelle's blood was still there, but it seemed more manageable now. Perhaps drinking more of it had tempered that need some. Or maybe her blood wasn't as strong as it had been, though it had still tasted glorious. Zero was frowning deeply, still watching the burning cityscape. Perhaps he could talk to Henry about it later, he didn't particularly like that man, but he seemed to know an awful lot about things.

 

[DevonWrites]

Keaton's ears twitched as his hearing returned to him. He vaguely heard voices but was distracted from the actual words when he registered an intense pain in his head. Grimacing, he muttered something along the lines of "What did I do last night?"

 

[poppet]

He had released her, thank goodness, but he was wild eyed and snarled at her. Was he honestly going to attack again? Something swirled deep inside Annabelle. But as soon as she felt it, it was gone again, as Zero pulled the knife from his body and turned away from her. Ann sank to her knees with a heavy sigh of relief.

She looked up to see Henry slapping Zero with the baton and couldn't help but nod satisfyingly. Yeah, hit him again, she thought. Soon enough the knife was tossed towards her by the vampire himself, leaving her blinking owlishly at it once more. Everything seemed calm now, and she picked it up, making her way rather dizzily over to the trio.

Looking down at the wolf man she realized he didn't seem nearly as dangerous when he looked like a person. That was a relief. She clutched the handle of the knife with both hands a little tighter anyway. By now, the front of Annabelle's white shirt was stained with her own blood and her hair was likely a disheveled mess. She knelt, too, as the wolf man awoke, placing the knife beside her as she peeled the hair band from her wrist to put her chestnut colored hair in a ponytail.

Just then, a loud cracking sound, like a roar of thunder from broken speakers, boomed through the air around them. It was the dome's automated and scheduled rain system. Instantly water began to pour from the "sky". The places where the dome had fallen were the only places that water didn't fall from. She glanced around the rooftop only spotting a single door leading down into the inside of the unknown building.

 

[idalie]

Henry Francis Foster
"Darwin was one of the most brilliant minds of the post-war world! He deduced the theory of evolution - of course, you wouldn't know that you neanderthal." Henry sharply replied. "I'm flattered you think I attract company on the other hand," The masked man added dryly, in a self-deprecating sort of manner that had a decent sense of humour and wit behind it. However, Foster jumped as the speakers threw electric sound. He'd only managed to work cassette players - hardy things that lasted longer than CD's he'd discovered. But this, was a whole new level. As the rain came falling down, Henry slowly took off his glove and held it out under the falling water. Silenced. As if witnessing something biblical. That odd, solitary figure turning his palm for it to slide off his fingertips - roughened and scarred from the wastes and runes. "It's pure." Henry eventually said, and there was something bitter in the words.

Alas, he pulled on the glove once more and ignored it ever happened. Rain streaking across his masks glass eyes, as he lifted the werewolf up managing to get the man over his shoulders. Aided by their broad shape. Henry glanced between either member of their small group. "We take him with us, and if he's not useful, we use the damn thing as a distraction," Foster grunted.

"The rain should wash away most our tracks, scent'll be harder to pin too. Thank that God of science and timing." Lowly glancing at Jennifer, he nodded. "We'll find something for your neck. I'll see if I have something spare." Following her gaze, Henry adjusted the werewolf again and began walking towards the door. "I suggest, we get moving. The rain can provide cover. None of these blasted things are fond of it. It makes a decent natural sound. Stick to the backstreets and we'll be fine." Pulling down on the handle, he found it locked, and with a few strikes of his baton dislodged and broke the cheap lock. Wrenching it open to face the dark stairwell. Fumbling for a moment in his bag, he retrieved an unlikely lantern - one that still used lighter fluid. A relic from way past the war. Using a broken lighter, the spark it emitted lit up the glass-encased torch - one arm steadying the body on his shoulder as he began downward.

Faster they did it, the faster he'd be home and dry. Away from this nightmare which contained relics of heaven. A heaven selfishly hoarded to those who could afford it.​

Kry poppet DevonWrites

 

[Kry]

The vampire gave a slight shrug, Henry certainly would attract an odd sort of company. He couldn't help but think his sire might actually enjoy talking with the masked man, at least somewhat. His master liked knowledge, and Henry definitely had some. Zero might've had a remark to respond with, but there was a strange crackling sound that startled him, then rain began to fall. He hissed defensively at the offending water, and even jumped back, his hands coming up to protect his face.

Nothing happened, there was no acidic burn, no pain. It was just wet, and somehow refreshing. He lowered his hands, looking uncertainly at Henry, then up to the sky when the masked man made his remark. The vampire felt he could somewhat understand the bitterness in Henry's tone, and he growled with a bit of anger. A few menacing steps were taken towards Annabelle, his eyes on her now. "Your kind deserve this destruction!" Somehow he felt like he could understand his master a little better, the anger his sire and most other creatures held for the dome. The people inside were truly selfish, not caring for the fate those stuck outside, as long as they could be safe and have every good and clean thing under their dome. Then again, the monsters outside of the dome were mostly evil.

For a few moments, the vampire felt very conflicted, and it took him a few seconds to realize Henry had already grabbed the wolf and was wrenching open a door. He looked up at the sky again, tilting his head back and rather enjoying the rain on his face. It was actually kind of nice. Slowly he started to follow the others through the door.

 

[poppet]

Ann watched as both Henry and the vampire reacted to the rain. Had they never seen rain before? She glanced towards a hole in the dome ceiling. No, she supposed if they had, it wouldn't be nearly as clean. She nodded at Henry's mention of finding something for her wounds. She wasn't used to being so messy and would rather have liked to at least clean the blood off of herself. She watched Henry hoist the wolf man. Luckily he was so docile at the moment. Of course, who wouldn't be a little out of it after being whacked on the head that way?

Annabelle moved to follow Henry just as she saw the vampire move towards her. She turned, gripping that knife, as he yelled at her. Instantly she began to frown deeply. Her kind? Humans? Ann hadn't done anything wrong, in fact, she'd only tried to help the vampire. But, even though she'd begun to go on the defense automatically, she knew there was so much that she didn't know about or understand. She couldn't even begin to imagine the kind of lives these beings had lived. Maybe he was right.

She turned away from him. If he came or went, it was what it was. She didn't think he was so bad as he made himself out to be, but she was also aware that she couldn't trust him either. And he'd made it clear he had no intention of keeping his end of the bargain and that he hated her. While it did hurt her on a personal level, she didn't think she had the right to feel upset. Only glancing back over her shoulder once, Ann followed the bobbing light of the lantern into the door and down the stairs.

Following Henry, Ann only spoke when she'd seen enough signs to realize which building they'd come upon. "It's the Weber warehouse," she said. "They're the biggest retailer and grocer. There should be food here, at the very least," she added. Depending on which warehouse this was - because she was no expert on where they were all located, it could also have retail items. It would certainly also have offices, a kitchen, lockers and machinery that all warehouses had.

 

[idalie]

Henry Francis Foster
Moving further into the building from the stairwells, it opened initially into the office area above storage. However the pristine environment was something Henry had only seen in pictures, books, instruction manuals - and to some extent, it was walking right into another dimension. Turning slightly, Foster seemed more rigid than usual in his movements. He wasn't used to the situation; spending his whole life examining the dome from afar, taking notes and sketches of things from the outside which could help his own designs, but those wishes to be inside had happened. Glimpsing into the time capsule that had hardly changed post-war. There were even computers dotted about. Hesitantly, he put his hand on top of the screen of one, and then over the keyboard like a blind man sussing out what it was. Of course, he'd read about them too. And knew basic programming - for no other reason than he had gotten bored.

The hate swelled but was kept under-wraps. Annabelle wasn't the one to bear the brunt of his anger, it was those who believed it acceptable to dispose of the magic users. Of course, some slipped through the gaps. Yet they would never reveal themselves, till after a century or so the magic bloodlines thinned. Leaving one gifted witch, wizard, or sorcerer every few generations. He'd seen it among some wastelander communities of humans. The leftover generations of the Earths working classes. Those who had hidden in subway tunnels, public bunkers, evac camps. Luckier than most. Those who never made it, you'd find in the ruins of homes - where families of skeletons bundled in torn, time-decayed sheets, shedding tears burned into their bones as they died in the atomic flames. Foster had always felt guilty taking things from such places. But, survivors do as they must.

Dumping the werewolf on the carpeted floor, Henry placed his lantern on a desk and headed toward what appeared to be a communal kitchen. In the dull light, there was a few clatters and scuffs, but it soon fell silent as water began running. And then a sharp intake of breath. "Running water - of course, the stupid idiots wouldn't ruin the water plants. My god - it's warm." Of course, he couldn't help a peek in the cupboards either and the breathless excitement only was enhanced. Not only did he return with a first aid kit, but a fruit bowl. Shoving it in Zero's face. "These people have organics! It's so different from portraits. Books. I never thought I'd see the day. This is how agriculture is on the non-contaminated soil. Apples, bananas, this - thing -" He scrutinised the peach. But the look in his eyes was not dissimilar from a child's on Christmas. "They also had this odd thing called an espresso machine. And almond milk. Which is an odd name for an animal. I'm not sure if I've heard of it before." Foster scowled in confusion.​

Kry poppet DevonWrites

 

[DevonWrites]

Keaton grunted softly as he was dropped to the floor, hitting his head yet again. "Will you please stop that?" It was little more than a mumbled protest, but at least he was finally coming back to himself.

Looking up, at the mention of some kind of food, the wolf caught sight of the leech, though all he did was glare at him before turning his attention back to the... Strange-looking thing that smelled human-ish? "What's this about food?"

 

[Kry]

Hesitantly Zero followed them down the stairs, reluctant to leave the pure rain. Somehow it had felt very refreshing, he didn't quite understand the feeling, but he did appreciate the importance of clean, pure water. Being a vampire he had no need to consume anything other than blood, but he felt like he could understand how important the clean water would be. All of nature outside of the dome would be better if the rain there was pure. When they entered the office like room, Zero's eyes widened.

Everything was so clean, it all looked so crisp and sharp somehow. Unblemished. He didn't know what a computer was or how it worked, nor did he really care at the moment. He only cared that everything sparkled like it was brand new. The vampire was getting angry again, it boiled just under the surface. Sure he had no need of many of the things here, but others out in the wastes could've used it. People like Henry. Zero spared the werewolf only a passing glance, and had moved to follow Henry, but rather slowly. All of this, and this was only one of the rooms in one of the many buildings inside of the dome, hidden away by those selfish people inside the dome.

That anger began to bubble out, and he turned towards Annabelle, the only dome dweller nearby, the only one he could take his anger out on. Lips curled back into a snarl, but before he could say anything a bowl of fruit was shoved in his face. Zero blinked, hands reaching out almost automatically to take the thing that had been rudely shoved in front of him. Henry seemed overly excited, as the man ought to be, and somehow that excitement distracted Zero from his anger. "What? Fruit? But fruit doesn't look like this, or smell......fresh?" He stared down at the fruit, and reached to pick up the peach rather gingerly. Running his finger over it. "It has fur! Are you sure this isn't an animal?" His expression had turned to one of incredulity.

If he were human perhaps he would have been just as excited as Henry, or more so, but Zero couldn't really eat any of this. However, he was amazed at how pure it all looked. One hand held the bowl of fruit, and the other held the peach out delicately towards Henry. "Milk comes from three headed cows, everyone knows that. Do you think an almond has four heads?" Zero's own head had tilted to the side curiously. "And what exactly does an expresso machine express?" The vampire seemed rather confused.

 

[poppet]

They came to a resting place where the wolf man was promptly released onto his head. Henry left and returned with fruit and a first aid kit, which she moved to take. Annabelle set the kit on a table and popped it open, only stopping to look up while Henry and the vampire marveled at the fruit. She may have even laughed, under different circumstances. "Espresso is like coffee," she said. Did they have that on the outside? Ann didn't know. She didn't know anything about the outside besides what she was taught in school. Dangerous mutant creatures live out there and no one left, and no one came in.

She gathered up some things from the table and kit and walked to sit beside the wolf. "Almond milk is made from almonds. They're seeds. They come from trees," she said to Henry and Zero. "Here," Annabelle held out an apple to the wolf man. "How's your head?" she asked. She had come to sit beside him with ointment and bandages. While she waited to see if needed any, she took a wet towelette to her chest and neck where the vampire had bitten her twice, wincing lightly as she brushed over the punctures.

 

[idalie]

Henry Francis Foster
"... Since when have humans been able to call the pulp of seeds, milk? Do they not understand the dictionary definition of 'milk'. It's white fluid rich in fat and protein, secreted by female mammals for the nourishment of their young." However, taking one of the bananas, Henry examined the fruit, glancing towards Zero. "If it was an animal, I'd be surprised to find it in a fruit bowl, vampire. It doesn't exactly bring the thought of living creatures to the forefront of the mind, does it?"

Alas, Henry finally pushed up his mask. Not enough to reveal the entirety of his features, but enough to display a strong, albeit bearded jaw. Groomed short to avoid any problems with his gasmasks' seal. An ideal of a wasteland survivor to sport, as well as Henry calculating health benefits (which of course he would. He was Henry.) Nevertheless, at that, he took a bite out of the side of the banana. Through skin and all. Silence followed. "This is, disgusting." He declared. "Gets better toward the centre, but why on Earth anybody would choose to eat this is beyond me. It's a bittersweet lie."

Moving his attention momentarily to Annabelle and the wolf, who appeared to be gaining consciousness by the second, Henry threw his banana back into the bowl. "I'm an uncertified doctor if you need one. I've got it up here enough to get it right." He tapped the side of his temple, tugging the facial covering of his back down, being properly able to see and address the situation better than before. "And I'm sure the wolf is fine, a small amount of concussion never hurt anybody."​

Kry poppet DevonWrites

 

[Kry]

Zero blinked for a moment, feeling foolish, and he squinted at the peach. "Well...I don't know...Things are weird here." The fuzz on the peach felt nice to his touch though, and he rubbed his finger over it gently while he watched Henry. The vampire grimaced himself when the masked man bit into the banana, it didn't look like a pleasant experience at all. When the banana was tossed back in the bowl, Zero scowled at it, as if angry it had disgusted Henry. Gently the peach was placed back inside the bowl, and Zero lifted the banana out and stared at it.

There was something odd about it. He set the bowl down, and held the banana with both hands, turning it this way and that as he looked at it. "Henry?...it looks like it's supposed to open or come apart." He could see it rather clearly since Henry had taken a bite out of it, but Zero seemed rather confused by this and a little uncertain. He was staring intently at the banana, but moved towards the masked man, Annabelle and the werewolf. Far to distracted by this discovery to pay attention to the wolf or the human girl, when he was close to Henry he held the banana up. "Look. I think it works like this." He started to pull at a piece of the skin, it peeled down rather neatly.

Zero's eyes widened, he hadn't been completely sure it would work. He poked the inside bit, it was squishy and then everything made sense. "I understand how it works now! I know the secret of this fruit!" He waved the banana at Henry's face, the loose peel flopping about wildly. "The inside part is squishy and delicate, but the outside is firm and tough. It protects the inside. Like a..like a shell! See?" He had thrust the banana nearly into the goggles of Henry's mask. The vampire was clearly excited.

 

[DevonWrites]

Keaton's first action was to take the smooth round-ish object in his clawed hand and sniff at it. Turning it over, he decided to try licking the thing. It turned out to be even smoother than he'd first thought.

Tilting his head to look at the female, he spent a moment wondering if he was okay. The werewolf had apparently been knocked into an overly considering mindset. This was rather unusual for the rambunctious wolf. He was also giving serious thought to biting the thing and seeing what it tasted like. This was not unusual beyond the amount of time he spent thinking on it before acting.

His reaction was immediate. Eyes boggling comically, he turned with a full mouth to the female human and said something along the lines of, "Wha' iff dish? Ish amashi'!"

((Translation: "What is this? It's amazing!"))

 

[poppet]

Deep blue eyes had been watching the three as she cleaned up. Henry had begun to push his mask up, leaving her lingering in his direction. Until he bit into that banana. Ann had opened her mouth to stop him, but it was too late. She grimaced. Soon the vampire was taking the banana, using the power of logic to figure it out. Annabelle sighed, just as the wolf bit into the apple. It was like being in a room with a bunch of toddlers.

She rubbed apple bits from her cheek with the back of her hand. "It's an apple," she said. "It's a fruit that grows from a tree. That," she said pointing to the banana, "is a banana. It also grows from a tree. You peel the outside off, just like....," what was the vampire's name anyway? She paused, blue eyes watching him questioningly. But quickly she frowned, looking away. He wasn't going to tell her probably. She was still butt-hurt at the way he reacted towards her. He obviously hated her, and that was fine.

Ann got up to throw away the bloodied rags. "I'm going to look around," she said, intending on finding water and seeing if the warehouse also held retail items like clothing. Her college uniform certainly wasn't doomsday attire, besides that the vampire had ruined them. She sighed again, pausing just down the long corridor she had exited the room into. It was the first time she'd been alone in any type of silence since the explosions and chaos had begun.

She almost didn't like it. Her heart rate picked up lightly at any little sound in the warehouse, but she moved forward. The beings from outside out for human blood weren't going to be wandering around a warehouse. She had time now to wonder about things, consider possibilities, and mostly just be confused about everything. How had people like Henry been living outside of the dome? They were never taught that real people were out there. It made her frown. It made her angry, and sad.

Ann continued into the large open storeroom until stopping at the edge of the towered boxes and crates. She couldn't see down the rows even a little bit. She needed a flashlight, but she was feeling so incredibly worn out. Turning to put her back to the boxes, she slid down to sit. She was just going to rest here for a moment before continuing her search, putting distance between herself and the other three. Maybe she wouldn't even go back. Maybe she was better off looking for other human survivors, finding one of those underground bunkers...

The girl brought her knees to her chest and laid her head on them, hugging her legs. She didn't know what to do. And as lonely as she felt, she realized, she'd never felt any different. What was her "family" doing right now?

 

[idalie]

Henry Francis Foster
The masked man turned on his heel as soon as the vampire discovered the 'secret of fruit'. "My god man, you're a bonafide genius!" He returned the enthusiasm, although he snatched it back and in turn examined it with scientific intensity. "Of course! It's a thicker skin to help protect against disease and pests for the survival of the species in different climates." He held it aloft like some ceremonial sacrifice. "This is the epitome of agriculture if done correctly in pre-war Earth conditions. What we have in post-war conditions rivals the same as that of fruits before we domesticated them." He then glanced to Zero. "Of course, I don't mean domesticate like a cat or dog." Clearing his throat, he brought it back down and stared at the fruit. "Want to try some? I don't know much about the vampire dietary habits nor digestive system I'm afraid. Well apart from needing blood, of course. But that's plain common knowledge, passed down through folklore for centuries and the corresponding generations."

Glancing at the disappearing figure of Annabelle, Henry gave a short shout of "Call if you need any help!" Before returning to his infatuation with the fruit bowl. And then the werewolf who helped himself to an apple. "Ahh, now that makes sense." He fell into a crouch, suddenly grabbing the werewolf's face as he ate. Quite literally manhandling him as he peered into his eyes, and pulled up his lip to look at the regressed teeth. "Fascinating. I wonder if you share all aspects of a canines appetite. After all, they act more omnivorous around humans and eat grass to help their digestion. Did you know?" Foster, at last, released Keaton and stood up.

To those who recognised it, Henry shared aspects with high-functioning autism. Although it was hardly severe as his only symptoms were occasional emotional disengagement and photographic memory. The reason behind his recall to odd bits and pieces of information in great tides of rambles. Nevertheless, Henry was already halfway across the room, pulling it apart for such things - finding a newspaper he skimmed through, before throwing it awry and instead cracking open computers to examine the motherboards. It was an overload to Henry, who was passionate about knowing things he didn't understand. Learning was his priority, and quite funnily enough (one might not expect it from his personality) but he kept diaries, long parchments which detailed the history of the wastes and what he'd learnt. Blueprints for things he'd built to pass down to the next generation - anything of use that could possibly help rebuild society in the way it should be.

His own family had suffered the wastes, generations of Fosters. A name which once meant those who lived next to the forest. Shame the greenery was all hollowed out husks of radioactivity. He was a walking result of a tragedy, but one would never think it. Every wastelander had a Shakespeare worthy play behind them. From the mutants to the vampires, and the sorcerers who wept upon the broken land. Although Gaia had abandoned them in their pleas to restore it through magic.

But, Henry was the son of an atomic apocalypse. And he bore his own imperfections, such as the tremble in his right hand which appeared after exhaustion, anger or fear. The mutation of his irises, and constant head-splitting migraines that caused involuntary nose bleeds and sickness. Not forgetting the burns from his exposure as a child. Alas, he often said it was what being another chain in evolution required. He wasn't some undead species, nor lycanthropic, and he wasn't a dome-dweller. At least he survived birth, unlike many - most children stillborn or worse - without eyes, ears, lungs - radiation took its toll on reproduction.​

Kry poppet DevonWrites

 

[Knightling]

(The Creature, which has no specific name, is one of the more Archaic monsters that lived outside the dome. Whether it descended from humans, or other types of animals, is altogether unknown, as it bears many characteristics. Standing at only five feet tall, it was never at the top of the foot chain, and learned to be a scavenger early on, now being approximately only a couple years old. Due to his chaotic environment outside, he grew up feasting on a variety of foods, from plants to meat, or whatever smells good)

The cocoon hung from a dead tree, swinging violently from the recent events of the dome invasion. With everything else going into the city, the cocoon was left hanging there just outside the dome. It moved slightly, the creature inside awakening and growing restless. It bulged, stretched, then an Arm broke through. The hole stretched wider, until he was able to free himself completely, then he landed on the ground clumsily. Wings flailed out on the dirt like a grounded kite, he stood up and sniffed the air, trying to find out what the commotion was all about. Turning his head, he watched as a large snake-like animal slithered towards the dome, and entered through a widen crack. Driven by curiosity, he followed, clambering on legs and arms until he approached the hole, then crawled inside quietly. Seeing the havoc of the city, he scaled up the wall of the inside of the dome, watching curiously and taking it all in. More! He had to see more! With that in mind, he unfurled his large leathery wings, then leapt into the sky. Flapping quickly, he rose up, towards the top, then swooped down a few times to get a closer view.