Futuristic The World After

[crescendi]

Max
Max wordlessly accepted Petr’s orders. It felt good to have a goal, even if it was short-term one. She poked at the shelves contents absentmindedly, only giving a faint wrinkle of the nose when they disintegrated under her touch. Looked like humanity’s mad urge to inject foods with preservatives only took them so far.

“I have a theory to where we are,” Max said with a shrug. “With some evidence against it. And can’t talk for you or the others. One— I have a memory of being shot in the head. Two— I woke up in a coffin. Three builds off of one— There was blood between my eyes, but no wound. Four— Everything was completely abandoned. Therefore, I came to conclusion I was dead, and in some kind of afterlife, though I still am not sure what kind. Perhaps it is built of our lost memories?” She chewed on the inside of her mouth. That was a lot more information than she’d thought she’d to dump. “Gaps in this theory: Why only the four of us? Why do we thirst? Why do we hunger?” The four of us actually gave her some ideas, but she put them to the side for now. “That’s my ‘we’re dead’ theory.“ Her mouth stayed open for another second, about to say something like, and probably the only one we have between the four of us, but decided that would be rude. “So, thoughts?”

hostage Felis

 

[Felis]

N O V A​

Nova nodded at intervals through Max's explanation, even as she took to scanning the shelves again at the same time. Not being alone with her own mind indeed helped focus on what was in front of her. From the looks of it, this was the aisle with pet food and accessories, which were neither particularly inviting to eat at this point (especially not with human canned food left) nor likely to help in opening cans. She reversed the cart and began heading back to the last crossing.

"I woke up in a coffin, too," Nova added her own thoughts after Max had finished. "Only I fell off a cliff and drowned before that. But you could say I'm just as 'magically healed' as your head wound, because I'm pretty sure I broke my spine." She sighed as she peeked into the two remaining aisles branching off from this spot they hadn't visited yet, trying to make out what they contained before they entered another useless one. The one straight across seemed to have at least some broomsticks farther in, so maybe there were other sorts of tools that way as well.

"In any case, you've thought this through a lot farther than I have," she continued. "At first, I thought maybe I had actually survived the fall and this was just a set of really weird coincidents. And I mean, I feel fairly alive, you know? With still feeling pain and getting thirsty and so on. But I guess... I'm not." Nova shook her head with another sigh. It was still not easy to admit what she had figured out subconsciously quite a while ago, but for some reason, saying it out loud was better than ruminating on it inside her head.

There was one more point that made her curious, though. "That about our lost memories - it really does feel like this place has something to do with it," Nova thought out loud. She wasn't convinced it was made of the entirety of what they had forgotten, though - the landscape hadn't made the impression of having any nearby cliffs, or being close to the sea. Then again, they didn't know how far this literal ghost town stretched, so who could say for sure.

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I N T E R A C T I O N S: crescendi ​

 

[hostage]

Petr
Petr frowned at Phoebe’s response. “I am sorry,” he began. But his theory was proved correct. They were all dead. “I... fell?” he said, or rather, asked. Something was off, but as usual he couldn’t place it.

Petr returned his hand to his side. The cave in his head was probably just a coincidence. It was part of where they were, he tried to convince himself. “Pardon,” he said quietly, his mood changing yet again.

Petr slipped past Phoebe, his head down, before retrieving the cart from before. “We have foods. Any cans would be good,” he said, turning away to grab a dusty tin of soup. He hefted it, giving Phoebe a wry smile. “We are not about to wait for the others to bring tools, no?” he asked.

Better try now, he thought. He cocked his arm, and threw the can. It hit a wall, then crashed to the floor. Petr followed his throw, then bent down to pick his missile up. The lid was cracked, if only the tiniest bit. With an internal smile, Petr pried it open with his fingernails. He could already hear liquid inside. The smell of tomato soup wafted up, and he breathed it in, his stomach growling with the force of a thousand bears. “Bezvadny!” he exclaimed, holding it up to Phoebe.

NivieApple
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[NivieApple]

PHOEBE
The blonde girl gave a solemn smile at Petr's response, though his ambiguous 'I fell' thing puzzled her. Then his expression shifted a little and Phoebe's eyebrows drew together in confusion. She watched curiously as he slid past her and picked up a can from the cart he must have collected earlier when she had unceremoniously approached him for the first time. Heh, good times... He starts talking again and Phoebe's lips quirk into a doubtful smirk.
"What are you..." she began, but before she could properly form the question, he answers it by hurling the can at a nearby wall. Phoebe jumped in shock but followed him to where his can had wound up. It had opened, just enough for him to pry it open the rest of the way. She couldn't help the laugh that escaped her lips as he did and he raised it up for her to see. The girl shook her head in disbelief, a wide grin on her face. "Brilliant," she muttered, "Tiny bit crazy, but hey when you're hungry you do what ya gotta do."


NivieApple​

 

[crescendi]

Max
Max ran her fingers through strands of her hair and gnawed on her bottom lip as she listened to Nova, nodding along. Seemed like they all had similar experiences. What she said made sense, to Max's ears anyway. She shook her head and turned her attention toward inspected the shelves, running her fingers over the layers of dust. "And this store, it looks as if it's been abandoned for years," she said aloud, but mostly to herself. "How did it get into this state? If we're alive, that is." Against, the feeling of missing something. Her face twisted into a scowl. She did not like not knowing, she found. Perhaps this was actually damnation, and it was mental torture rather than physical. Max glanced at Nova, and decided to keep that thought to herself. There were mops and soaps (the latter probably being long-expired), but she didn't see much in the way of practicality. The soaps were probably long-expired, and the mops--well, were mops. Though it seemed her glasses didn't aid her eyes as best they could. Her prescription was probably outdated, and there was no way to get that fixed now. Way to go, alive-her!

Felis

 

[Felis]

N O V A​

Cleaning equipment and cosmetics, Nova sighed inwardly as the contents of the shelves became clearer. What they needed was an aisle with kitchen utensils. She moved onward towards the next crossing as she replied to Max, "Yeah, it's weird. It looks abandoned, but aside from the dust and the food, everything seems to be in perfect condition. Nothing's overgrown or caved in or anything." Nova stopped and experimentally grabbed the nearest broom, weighing it in her hand. The plastic of the handle seemed a bit brittle, perhaps, but it was still functional, just like the shopping carts. "And the thing about the food is, wouldn't you expect it to..." she searched for words, "I don't know, spoil rather than disintegrate like that? Those jellies earlier just turned to dust somehow."

After putting the broom back - there was no need to take it with them right now, and Nova had the feeling they would just trip over it in the scarce light if she left it on the ground - she was just about to round the next corner when something caught her eye. On the shelves opposite from where she had taken the broom had been a section for manicure products. Preoccupied with looking for an actual can opener, she had passed them over, but now she doubled back to them.

Sure enough, there was an array of nail files, both ceramic and metal ones, and manicure scissors mixed in with the various care products and polishes. Nova picked a few of the ones looking slightly more durable then the rest and held them up for Max. "Better than nothing, I'd say," she commented on her find. "Maybe we can punch holes into the-" She broke off at another, somewhat familiar-sounding bang. Someone throwing stuff around was becoming a trend of the day, Nova noted, raising an eyebrow.

"And maybe we should just go back and see what that was, anyway" she half asked, half sighed as she placed her assortment of 'tools' into their cart. Nova wasn't sure what had prompted this last noise, but if someone else had showed up in the supermarket and had received the same greeting as her and Max, it might be best to tip the balance towards the people more in favor of verbal communication. She wasn't looking forward to it, though.

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I N T E R A C T I O N S: crescendi ​

 

[hostage]

Petr
Hunger was all that Petr could think about. The soup had awoken a beast inside of him, nevermind that it could be stale. He smiled when Phoebe answered him, the pride of his plan emanating from his smile. “Is this what you call a ‘toast’?”

Petr sniffed the can, then shrugged and brought it to his lips. It, amazingly, did not dissolve on impact, and he swallowed mouthful after mouthful hungrily. It seemed like it was his first meal since, well, ever. Petr barely winced at the taste, which was not too bad. A bit stale and flavorless, but who could complain? He eventually pulled back, leaving almost half of the can unfinished.

“Here. Eat,” he instructed Phoebe. He gave her the can before going through the pair’s findings. A couple cans of corn, beans, olives, and other vegetables. Pineapple, his favorite fruit, was abundant, and he made it a priority. A little bubble of happiness got stuck in his chest, and Petr let out a strangled half-laugh. "We will not die again,” he stated, a little dryly. It was quite weird to laugh in this situation, but his ecstasy could not wait.

NivieApple ​

 

[NivieApple]

PHOEBE
Phoebe laughed as he mentioned a toast, and then watched curiously as Petr drank in the can of soup, half surprised when he didn't spit it back out. Once he held it out to her she shrugged and took it gratefully, before taking a small sip, to test it out, then drinking it down bit by bit. She was happy to note that it wasn't quite as bad as she had expected, though she had a feeling tomato soup had never been a favorite of hers, and she set the empty can down when she was done. Upon hearing Petr laugh she looked up at him with a curious expression and grinned a little as he spoke.
"That'd be nice," she said with a sigh at his mention of not dieing again. She gazed at all the food and the corner of her lips rose again. "Do you think the others are nearby? They're definitely gonna want some of this."


NivieApple​

 

[hostage]

Petr
Petr nodded, then grabbed another can. This one, peas. “Try it?” he asked, making a throwing motion before tossing the can lightly to her. He hefted a can of peaches, then slammed the top into the corner of the shelf, bending it out of shape. He did it once more, and the lid cracked.

Petr put the can into the smaller section of the cart, reserving it for the other two who were somewhere in the supermarket. He then waited for Phoebe to open her can.

“Eat peas,” he said, then pushed the cart out of the aisle. He followed it, and drew in a deep breath to summon Max and Nova. “We have food! Come!”

NivieApple Felis crescendi
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[NivieApple]

PHOEBE
Even though she knew it was coming, Phoebe almost didn't catch the can Petr tossed in her direction. Apparently, Im no good at catching she thought to herself as she got a better grip on the can and slamming it on the corner of a nearby shelf. She did it, once, twice, and then finally got it open on the third try. Sure it was a bit dinged up, but at least it was food. The blonde girl placed the open can in the cart beside the one with peaches and followed Petr as he moved with the cart and called out for the other two girls. For some reason, the way he called them reminded her of the way someone would call for a pet and she snickered a little, not making fun of him, just laughing at the image that came with that thought. She hoped the others wouldn't make the same connection, or find it rude in some way, as she was sure he hadn't meant like that at all.


NivieApple​

 

[crescendi]

Max
Max turned over Felis's observations in her head. All good points. This entire situation made her uneasy, though that would be an extremely redundant statement. She picked up a nail clipper, turning it over in her hands, and opened her mouth to reply when the bang resounded, making her jolt with surprise. "Again?" she said aloud, wearing an odd mix of frustration and surprise. Her mind jumped not to the best-case scenarios. Mostly, it involved shelves collapsing and sections of the ceiling collapsing.

She nodded her agreement to Nova's plan, and dropped the clippers in, as little as it was. Better to check, just in case--she didn't want anyone to be hurt, after all. She started off at a brisk pace, rather than an outright run, to where she thought the source was.

Felis

 

[Felis]

N O V A​

Nova hurried after Max, pushing the cart along - she wasn't going to leave it somewhere in the dark when one half of her navigation was by ear and gauging where the light was brightest and the other was by arbitrarily picking paths. Something about seeing the seemingly same rows of shelves was always a tad disorienting about supermarkets, and it didn't help that there was apparently no electricity.

Somewhere at what Nova estimated to be about halfway back to where they had started, she heard Petr call out. Food! That was good news for a change, and Nova felt her tension melt away, giving room to both relief and and the realization her stomach was emptier than she had thought. With a smile to Max, she hastened her pace as much as she could, until after one final turn, she spotted the Petr and Phoebe farther down the aisle.

"They're not really can openers, but maybe we can use them for something," Nova explained the assortment of manicure she and Max had procured as she drew closer. "Though it seems you got them open anyway," she added with a slightly defeated shrug as she noticed the two open cans. Those were probably what had caused the earlier bang, too.

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I N T E R A C T I O N S: crescendi , hostage , NivieApple ​

 

[hostage]

Petr
Petr smiled as Nova came around the corner. His stomach less empty, his mood was beginning to brighten. He motioned to the cans. “It seems I have a problem with throwing items,” he joked as he held the can of peas out to Nova. Max was behind her, and to her he offered the peaches.

Petr surveyed the various objects the other group had found, nodding appreciatively. “We will not die here,” he added, almost defiantly. He picked up a couple of cans, filled with beans and... was that rice? Petr immediately began to salivate. His hunger returned, and he glanced at Nova’s cart. “Phoebe, try to open this more gently?” he asked.

After handing off the can, he took a step out to peer to the front. The light had gotten quite a bit fainter, and Petr got a chill down his spine. Who knew what would happen at night?

“It is going dark out,” he stated, moving back to the group. His senses were alerted as the broken glass tinkled, moved by a slight gust of wind that was accompanied by a chill. Petr would never admit it, but he was scared. His ecstasy before was wearing off, suddenly replaced by dread. Something about nighttime in this place threw him off. “We should go,” he suggested.

Felis NivieApple crescendi ​

 

[NivieApple]

PHOEBE
Phoebe pursed her lips as Petr mentioned opening the can gentler, a little embarrassed. She glanced at the tools the other girls had gathered and grabbed a tough looking pair of toe-nail clippers from the manicure supplies. With a little bit of difficulty, she managed to get the clippers in position and with the right force, made a small hole at the edge of the lip. Then she jammed a metal nail file into it and pried the lid off. As soon as she did, though, she didn't have time to feel proud of her small accomplishment, before a small chill ran down her spine and Petr spoke up.
"Where should we go? Is there someplace place with lights that we've seen?" Phoebe asked, concern lacing her words. She didn't know what to think. Yes, it was getting dark, she could see that as she stood up with the can and looked past the shelves to the front, but would it be safer to leave? Or would going outside only leave them more defenseless? Was there even something to defend themselves against?


hostage Felis crescendi​

 

[Felis]

N O V A​

Nova accepted the can from Petr and cracked a smile at this comment about throwing stuff. Indeed. She turned the conserve over in her hand and squinted at the label, which stated these were peas. That wasn't too bad, actually - one sort of vegetable that actually made you feel like you had eaten something of sustenance, and they were advertised to be low-salt, so the liquid that came with the peas might actually do something for her dry throat.

She mimicked Phoebe's use of the manicure tools to force the lid open and took a careful first sip, then tilted the can further and was rewarded with a whole mouthful of peas. Nova was still chewing when Petr and Phoebe started discussing where to go for the night, so her only response at the time was a questioning furrowing of her brows.

Once she had swallowed, she said, "I mean, I don't know, but a place with beds or something sounds better for sleeping than a supermarket whether there are lights or not." She wasn't quite sure, but didn't Petr seem a bit tense? Maybe he knew something about this place that the rest of them didn't. "Or what's the criterion for whether we stay or leave?" Nova added.

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I N T E R A C T I O N S: hostage , NivieApple ​

 

[crescendi]

Max
Max relaxed at the innocuous explanation--only soup cans, though, that was an unorthodox way of opening them. Still, her mouth watered at them, and a newfound hunger sprung to life in her stomach as her mouth watered. She took the can of peaches, more than happy, and wrenched it open, via clippers, revealing the preserved fruit. She started eat, pacing herself with considerable effort, using the clippers as makeshift utensils. They were sweet and soft.

Her joy evaporated, however, when the others mentioned nighttime. It would likely get cold, and though she felt as if shoe would have no problem sleeping on hard surfaces, she had no desire to stay overnight in a strange place, with people who were, lets face it, barely more than strangers. Max's smile faded and she folded her arms across her stomach, the can resting on her hip. "I don't recall any place with night, and electricity seems to be knocked out," she said, slowly. "There might be a backup generator somewhere. I could try to fix it if it's broken." Who knew if there would be a regular 24-hour day/night cycle, or what season they were in, or if a storm would, well, storm? And as far as the generator went, she herself thought it was unlikely, even as the words left her mouth.

hostage NivieApple

 

[hostage]

Petr

Like a dog raising its hackles, Petr felt a tingle go down his back. Something was off in the atmosphere, almost as if something big was going to happen. He glanced at the others, wondering if they felt it as well. Petr didn’t know if he was just scared of night and the unknown in this place, but he wasn’t about to stick around to see.

“O-okay, we go to my house,“ he said, then stopped. It wasn’t really his house. Sure it was his childhood home, the one that held so many memories, but he didn’t live there anymore, and he also didn’t have those memories apparently. He pushed his thinking away and brought himself back to the present. “We go now,“ he said.

Petr pushed the cart through the doors, which he had unlocked from the inside. The cans rattled around anxiously as he tapped his fingers on the handle nervously. At least he knew the way back. As he approached the medium sized house, he sped up. A couple metres of fast walking and they pulled up to the door. Petr pushed it a little, and with a small creak it slammed open. The house was gloomy, and Petr had to squint to see much of anything. The familiarity of the layout came to him almost immediately, and his hand subconciously searched for the light switch, finding it and flicking it up. Nothing happened.

Petr shrugged at his small failure. “Make yours at home,“ he said, waving to the others. “Is that right?“ he whispered to Phoebe, questioning the correctness of his statement. He smiled a little, then pushed his food-laden cart into the kitchen. He began to organize the cans. Soups, vegetables, fruit, and grains. He had to swipe off the dust from the counter to set up his many rows, but when he finished, the cans looked quite perfect. He returned to the living room to check on what Max and Nova had found.
NivieApple Felis crescendi
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[NivieApple]

PHOEBE
Phoebe had followed close behind Petr as he'd led them to what he had called 'his house', speeding up a little when he did. When he had tried out the light switch to no success the corner of her lips tugged down in disappointment. Then he spoke up and she smiled a little amused at his attempt at the common phrase.
"Close enough, " she responded with a small shrug as she admired the home, following him into the kitchen, "'Make yourself' is what you were probably going for" She ran a hand lazily across the dusty counter as he left the room and she hopped up to sit on it, thankful for a place to rest for a moment and gather her thoughts; she hadn't exactly taken a break since the moment she woke up in that coffin.


hostage Felis crescendi​

 

[Felis]

N O V A​

"It does sound worth trying," Nova replied to Max's offer. If there was truly a backup generator, there was a chance it might be salvageable, even if it had been out of commission for who knew how long; and the idea of having some source of light during the night was... brightening, so to say. But... "Do you think there's still enough light left for you to work with, though?" she cautioned. By now, Nova at the least couldn't make out more than the rough shape of anything she looked at unless she stared holes into it.

By then, Petr had made the decision for them again. His house, huh? Was that the place where he had woken up or had he actually lived here? While Nova felt like the city was slightly familiar, she had no recollection whatsoever whether this was her home town or some other place she knew. Or had once known, to be precise.

She only nodded and followed him and the others, open can of peas in one hand, a bunch of manicure tools that had been left in her cart in the other hand. They didn't need the second cart for these small items, really.

Petr's house wasn't too far away, and though Nova couldn't say much about its appearance as it was growing darker by the minute, stepping inside a building whose door wasn't smashed in was a little calming, and Nova breathed out deeply once they all were inside. Some of Petr's tension had rubbed off on her, seemingly.

"Thanks," Nova replied to Petr's invitation, then placed most of the scissors and nail files onto what appeared to be a cupboard near the entrance. She kept one file in case she needed to rub down a sharp edge on the can, sliding it into a back pocket of her jeans. Cautiously, she made her way to the dark shadow of a sofa where she sat down to eat some more of the peas. Miraculously, she hadn't even stubbed her toe on the way there.

After a little while, a thought crossed her mind. "Say, Petr?" Nova called out, then stood up and took a few steps towards the kitchen. "Do you know if there are candles in the house somewhere? Because we should probably go look for them before it gets to dark to see anything."

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I N T E R A C T I O N S: crescendi , hostage ​