[IC Thread] The World of Ash

[Emeraldmay]

In the mean time, waitin' on Packgoater and Emeraldmay.

 

((How are you waiting on me? I posted the last post (excluding yours) relevant to the storyline. Do I need to have more action or something? Need more content? Kinda confused. ))

[Arctic]

((How are you waiting on me? I posted the last post (excluding yours) relevant to the storyline. Do I need to have more action or something? Need more content? Kinda confused. ))

(( Meant Natasha. I'm sorry, I have a dreadful habit of mixing you two up, and I don't know why. Not to mention it's late. Argh. Sorry! ))

[Limitless]

(( Alright, thanks for the new information. I'll see what I can do about new creatures, if anyone has suggestions, please lemme know.

 

Also, it seems Natasha has been missing from other RPs lately, came across such a message while poking around the Other RP section... Dunno what that means for us, just thought you should know. ))

Edited December 22, 2012 by Limitless

[Emeraldmay]

(( Meant Natasha. I'm sorry, I have a dreadful habit of mixing you two up, and I don't know why. Not to mention it's late. Argh. Sorry! ))

((Oooh awesome She went missing around thanksgiving - maybe it's the same arond christmas?))

[Rakashua]

((Natasha's been keeping up with this one no problem, she just has to wait on pack))

 

 

 

Matthias smiled, "perhaps that is why I prefer his company to others, albeit he's not much for conversation. But he's warm and he's reliable." Matthias gave a half amused shrug, "now if I could find another person with at least those two qualities I might rethink my anti-social ways."

 

Matthias glanced at a nearby window, it was hard to imagine, no, impossible to imagine the world not being a hard place to live. What would he do? If hunting was suddenly easy, if there wasn't a bitter cold all year round. Still, people would still need food, the skills of hunting would be in high demand because everyone would be expanding to cover the world as they apparently had at one point.

 

"Aside from an act of God, I can't imagine things returning in an instant to what they supposedly were before. But if it did, well I'm sure I would still find work, if not I could at least have no trouble finding a nice place for that cabin. And somethings wouldn't have changed, I'd still be searching for someone to share it with, though I'm sure it would be easier since the threat of death would be less imminent."

 

Matthias returned his gaze to the table, no longer staring out the opaque, ice-coated window. "Being prepared..." he thought for a long minute, "I'll be heading into the city with the group going to check out the man's story. Dangerous to be sure, even with several people. Do we go over the wall? Through it? Under it? How bad is the radiation? Where are the scavengers, where are the raiders? What mutated creatures will need killing? What amazing treasures might exist at our destination?" Matthias smiled, "there are a lot of things to think about. You wouldn't be interested in joining me would you?"

 

Matthias indicated Rip, "I can carry your stuff to make the going easier on you, not because I don't think you can handle it, but because you hurt yourself and should be taking it easier so you heal more quickly. Anyways, Rip and I will be staying further back from the group, he'll know before I do if we're being followed or hunted."

 

Matthias held up a hand to keep her from answering just yet, "normally I would prefer to be alone, but there's going to be a large group going either way, there's no point in trying to be stealthy, therefore your weapon, if it works, would be quite useful to have about, and of course you as well because we're going after scrap and such, which is your area of expertise, getting us there alive is mine. And I doubt it would be just you and I, my brother as well, perhaps the bard there, and the man my brother was talking to, maybe others. They may join us further out or stick with the main group, but they are the ones I would be watching out for, and you of course, if you're interested. I only ask because I figured you would be intrigued by the chance at salvage and scrap, and I'm interested in getting into the city. I've often considered staying in the city for a time, a new hunting ground with new challenges, higher risk, higher payback, and this group gives me the perfect way in."

 

Matthias waited for her response. He didn't just ask because he thought she might be interested in the salvage, that didn't interest him at all. Instead he wanted her with him so that he could ask her about all the things that went through his head when observing others, especially groups like the one that would be heading out. Questions about human nature, simple observations, he wanted to know if she thought along the same lines as he did, or if not, how she thought differently. Much of that he had learned about her just from sitting here and speaking with her, but only so much could be thought of when sitting in an inn. The mind was much more engaged in the topics of interest when actually out in the elements where there was danger and the mind had to be quick to survive. It was then that true conversation, however short, could occur, at least the kind he was interested in having. Besides, the fleeting idea that she might want to stay in the city longer and hunt for scrap had crossed his mind, if so then their immediate goals were similar and he would offer to take care of the need for nourishment and shelter for the two of them, and safety to some extent. Maybe she was interested in getting to know him better, maybe she didn't scare easily. This thought of course was at the very back of his mind where he constantly considered such things, but such thoughts rarely impacted his actual decisions. Dreams were too fleeting to impair reality when survival was such a critical issue.

Edited December 26, 2012 by Rakashua

[Emeraldmay]

(( Should we send him a reminder or something (not sure what common courtesy is) then? And Quhanta hasn't posted in a while either - is she still here? ))

 

It was the word treasures that caught Indigo's attention. Treasures. Treasures mean technology, cogs, working, wire and nails, ancient equipment she could only dream of. For a second her mind became lost in internal visions of what could be lying in the city which she had never ventured near before. Why would she - the risks were so high, and who would be able to find a treasure in such dangerous ruins, let alone return alive with it. Companions...that was an idea she had never considered before. Support, different strengths...all oculd be benefits for her. If she could put up with her company. Assessing her mental situation, Indigo fought to convince herself that she could cope - of course she could cope - with people. Besides, she thought somewhat sarcastically, who would fight her for her share? Those with a working knowledge of gadgetry tended to stay close to where thee were needed, and would anyone contest her right over some scraps of copper wire that others might see as worthless?

 

Wow. That was quite a speech - Indigo was almost impressed. Her motives, obvious as they had seemed, he had summed up accuratly, yet although she knew her gun was useful, she was slightly concerned about what use she would have in the party. Doubtful that she was of a mugging, she wondered if he expected her to be able to restart anything important - or was it just safety in numbers? Either way, the opportunity was rare, yet how could she refuse?

 

"I'd like too." The joy Indigo had felt at being asked quickly evaporated as her head spun with logistics and supplies. Would she need more blankets? How much extra exertion would it take - and as a result how much food? While she calculated internally, her mouth opened and words issued forth. "Thanks."

 

Turning her head towards where he had indicated, she looked at the crowd of people. They would be a large group, true, but each of them seemed slightly different, an untold story in a way. More than just the average crowd for sure, as each had something you couldn't quite place about them. Could choose worse people to travel with. Probably could choose better too. A team of mute people would be much preferred.

 

"So..." She broke off slightly, considering the risk of her next statement. "Do I get an introduction?" She figured it was best to get to know future companions before you found yourself in a near death situation with them.

[Arctic]

(( I'll send him a message. ))

 

As time passed, Jovah became increasingly aware of the conversations being carried on around him. The newspaper he held gently with gloved hands didn't provide enough of a distraction to keep his mind preoccupied in the world of the past. Time and time again newly forged words from the mouth of man overtook written echos of the past - the same echos that he had read over and over again over the course of a couple years. There were other papers, of course, but he had found none so pristine or so recent as this one. The white-clad scavenger let out a soft sigh and did his best to drown out the utterings of man, focusing back on the text.

 

WASHINGTON, D.C - NOVEMBER 28, 2123

THE PENTAGON HAS now officially endorsed the defense appropriation bill proposed and written by Senator Richard Hill (R-Ohio). A conference was...

 

The text was incomprehensibly faded for a few lines.

 

...lines are suffering for it." A spokesperson said. As recently as April of this year, there have been reports of major losses on the Serbian frontline due to lack of proper medication, manpower and foodstuff. The appropriations bill would halve funding for the next 8 years for the USSA, particularly the development and applications divisions. Minor cuts across the board would affect areas such as education, government farming subsidies and the Clean Energy Conversion Project that was placed in to effect in Winter of 2112.

 

Opposition has declared that such cuts would do more harm than good, but Hill and supporting constituents have insisted that the cuts are balanced and necessary to support the war effort. In addition, Hill has expressed his desire to see a draft voted on and placed in to effect by Congress, citing the need for more soldiers and all-time recruitment lows. The Pentagon refused to comment on this. Recently...

 

Jovah stopped reading, habitually folding up the newspaper as someone sat beside him. He had no idea why, but one of the few things in the world that he truly hated was to have someone read something or watch him from over his shoulder. Rarely was it harmful, but it made him feel vulnerable, and he hated it. He took a sip of his coffee before hearing the newcomer clear her throat. Still holding the mug, he looked over to her curiously, giving an absent smile, then took another sip.

 

A moment passed, and then he swiveled on the bar stool very slightly, looking to her. Another moment passed in which he didn't speak, but soon enough he gave yet another absent smile.

 

“Hello, there,” he said simply and softly, his expression an unreadable wall in contrast to the friendly, borderline sweet voice he used. Oddly, he said nothing further, his smile turning in to a frown and his brow furrowing. The wildman had just mentioned organizing to go in to the city. He leaned to the side, looking past the redheaded woman sitting beside him, his eyes staring intently at the wolfman.

 

___________________________________________________

 

Outside, a thick, cold fog hung over the landscape, seeming to drag itself in a slow crawl over the snowy earth, limiting sight beyond more than a hundred meters or so. Wind blew in gentle, frigid breezes, carrying air from the North. Men and women of Winterbury remained hard at work shoveling snow off in to the gutters, slowly freeing the town of its freezing tomb.

Edited December 22, 2012 by Arctic

[Rakashua]

Matthias nodded, glad that she had accepted. Honestly as soon as he had started babbling his thoughts he was sure she would decide against it, but he didn't know another way of talking to someone besides simply saying what he was thinking.

 

"Alright, I'll introduce you. Rip, knife." Matthias held out his hand and Rip, seeing his opportunity to leave, grabbed the knife stuck in the wood and yanked it out, dropping it into Matthias' hand. Matthias took the blade and slid it into his other wrist-guard. He then took a few moments to pick his other knives from the table and slide them back into their hidden homes within his clothing and belt. Matthias then unhooked Rip's leash and slid that into his belt as well.

 

"Come on," He nodded to Indigo, offering her his hand but then thought better of it and turned the move into helping him balance as he spun and walked toward his brother's table.

 

"Rune," Matthias nudged his brother in the shoulder, "this is Indigo, she's interested in coming with us." The most simple level of information, nothing more, not what she wanted, what her strengths or weaknesses were, just who she was and why she was being introduced, anything more Indigo could choose to reveal herself, he would not tread accidentally on her privacy.

 

"Indigo, this is my kid brother, Rune, a doctor of sorts. And this is Jasmine, an incredible musician and storyteller." Matthias smiled to her with a nod, "and this is a man my brother has been treating, Jed."

 

Matthias stood there awkwardly, not exactly sure what was supposed to happen next, usually people said hi and pretended to be happy and started to talk about something unimportant, it never made much sense to him. He glanced down, glad to find Rip at his side, sitting, staring up at him. The wolf was getting antsy, ready to move again. The break had been nice, nice to warm up completely for a day or so, rest, but it would be time to go very soon. There would be a lot of hunting to do, no more hunting just to feed himself, but others as well, that meant less taking from stealth and more going for entire groups of animals at once. Still, that was the advantage of a bow, you could shoot several times before the animals caught on, if you were good, very good. Yes, they would leave soon, with or without the group.

 

 

[Limitless]

Red smiled back at the man, but her ears were pricked. The man with the wolf wanted to go to that cursed city? In spite of herself, she swiveled a bit, looking over her shoulder to where they sat, and her eyes roved the walls of the Throne nervously before she cleared her throat again, attention on the man in front of her.

 

"Well," she began, voice even. "That definitely puts a damper on the conversation I was hoping for." Red gave a short laugh, then sighed. "Truth be told, and I apologize if this is too forward, but I came over to ask about your newspaper. " Her expression was coy, but not flirtatious as she eyed the paper with an odd expression, something like a longing.

 

She exhaled once more, seeming to expel the last of her anxiety with the breath, and nodded, holding out her hand.

 

"My name is Red. I suppose one could say that I have certain fondness for the past, but if you do not wish to share, it is your decision."

 

She nodded to the bartender as he walked by, waving to indicate that she didn't want anything at that point. He nodded and kept moving, and she looked back to this new, already interesting person.

[Bates]

((I live right beside Pack, and she's been in the hospital. She's been able to get a few posts out for another RP, but it's been tough because she's also been bogged down with schoolwork. She hadn't posted here because she only had a phone and her kindle to post with. Anyway, I think she's out of the hospital now so she should be able to reply sometime. She told me to tell you guys to let you know. ))

[Arctic]

((I live right beside Pack, and she's been in the hospital. She's been able to get a few posts out for another RP, but it's been tough because she's also been bogged down with schoolwork. She hadn't posted here because she only had a phone and her kindle to post with. Anyway, I think she's out of the hospital now so she should be able to reply sometime. She told me to tell you guys to let you know. ))

(( Oh, my. I'm sorry to hear that. Thank you for telling us - in that case, it's no problem. Tell her to reply at her own leisure. ))

[Packgoater]

((Thank you guys so much for your patience. I am extremely sorry, guys.))

 

Jed took the chair and sat down in it, his form hunching to the point where it was reasonably difficult to see his face, leaving him to be a bundled mass of furs. This was done in the same way that a child curls themselves into their blankets and covers their heads while hiding from the darkness as if it were an invincible shield able to block out anything unpleasant. In this sense, Jed was hoping that if perhaps he curled up for just a little while that perhaps all of these problems would just end up disappearing and going away, that perhaps when he unraveled himself he would find that he was just back in his house with his daughter, arm undamaged, everything just as it should have been. And yet he knew that as soon as he lifted his head it would not be those familiar surroundings meeting his eyes but the far more strange territory of the interior of the inn. His previous reality had all but been completely obliterated from existence, shattered by his need to traverse all the way out here and now he found himself stranded, tantalizingly only a few days away but somehow worlds apart. The possibility of finding his home was next to none and he needed to move on. If only if it were so easy to forget, to ignore his daughter and all the responsibilities he had. Crouching and sitting like this would do him no favors and would solve nothing, so with that thought in mind, Jed forced his head up in order to lock eyes with Rune. There were two ways he could go with this and he was conflicted about which was the better approach, for it wasn't very clear to him. He could lie, say that it was a dog or something such as that, but he wasn't sure he was a good liar and didn't know if Rune was good at telling if someone was spouting false information about. Of course, if he told the truth and said that he had a daughter, then if they wandered upon his house he'd go and collect her and then Rune and the others would kill her and maybe even kill Jed himself. If he was completely truthful and told them everything, then would they hurt her? Would they prevent him from trying to find her? He did not know any of them well, and he did not look forward to going through with any of the options that he had given himself, but he knew he'd have to choose one.

 

"I- I left someone," Jed mumbled quietly, his eyes dropping away from the cleric and towards the table. He pressed his hands tightly against his temples, his jaw clenching tightly as he squeezed his eyes shut. All of this was making him think, and he didn't like some of his thoughts, not the ones that betrayed him and his daughter. There was part of him that was trying to convince himself that she didn't need him, that she hadn't in a long time because she no longer was his daughter, no longer was the little girl that he loved and cared about. And this small little sliver of doubt had become a splinter that was slowly cracking him apart. Did she need him? Did she, more importantly, love him? And to this question he asked himself when she last sat in his lap without trying to writhe out of his arms, when the the last time was that he could hold her without fearing for his own personal safety. The answer was that neither of those things had happened in a very long time. His father had once told him that if you let something go and it came back to you, then it was truly yours. Jed knew, deep in his gut, that if he let his daughter go, she would not be coming back, not now, not ever. And so what if he left instead of her, he found freedom instead of her? For he was the human and she was the monster, right? And yet the vast majority still viewed her as his daughter, for he had heard some of the lurkers mumble, had seen them wield weapons and with this thought in mind he wondered if they kept some of who they used to be, if she could still look out of her eyes and see him as her father. How could he take the chance? How could he leave her when he believed that perhaps deep down inside of her she loved him? He had told her that he'd be coming back and that it would be okay. He had promised his return and the thought of her sitting until her demise just waiting for him tore him apart inside.

 

"My daughter. She was bitten by a lurker. I take care of her and protect her because people try to hurt her. A- And I can't let them do that. So I kill them and then feed them to her," Jed said bluntly, turning his head slowly up to Rune, his eyes narrowing, looking for a trace of uncertainty in his eyes, looking to see anything that could suggest that he was not an ally to be trusted. He had said the last part in order to make something very clear; if they wandered upon his house, the first man to lay a hand on her would be a dead man, and Jed would make sure of that. He suddenly realized that they had been joined by a few other people, namely a tall man with strikingly white hair even though he was a rather young man. Accompanying this man was a simply massive beast that Jed instinctively was wary of, especially seeing as how quickly and diligently it responded to its master's commands. If he got on the wrong side of that man, things could get very bad very quick. But seeing as the wolf-man and the cleric were brothers, Jed was convinced that things probably would be okay. After all, how did one survive without killing a man every once and awhile? There was no other way, not for Jed. It just so happened that he actually did something with the remains other than just let them be put to waste. He let something he cared about very much to survive through this.

 

"I have a horse," he added, mostly just to try and backtrack and pretend he hadn't said anything he'd said before, instead trying to impose a more casual attitude now that the rather enormous cat of his was out of the bag. This was Jed's way of attempting small talk, and when he did this it was very much apparent that he was completely and utterly uncomfortable, uncertain, and wary. Jed had plenty to be nervous about, and he felt his hands gravitating towards the hilt of one of his daggers almost as if to just make sure that it was really there and that everything was completely in order. Jed recalled the cleric's reaction to him doing this before, so he attempted to move his hand away and decided to settle on knotting them together and he seemed to show sudden and deep interest in this, though in his mind he was thinking, Great job, Jed. Now we're really ****ed. Way to go.

[Emeraldmay]

She could talking to people. Talking to people was fine, everyone did it. Hi, how was your day, mine was good, what do you do for a living, that's great....she could do that. Had learnt how to do that. But ever footstep trickled with worry and concern. Fingering the strap of her bag, she checked that the buckle was secure, and a quick glance back at the table proved she had left nothing behind.

 

The group was closer now, and each footstep drew her closer and closer. Unsure of where to look, Indigo fastened her eyes on the ground, mentally scouring the dust from the floor's surface. Examining their shoeware, Indigo pictured their faces in her mind, too afraid too look to look at them directly. Leather boots were built for stealth, so probably a fellow scavenger, not a fighter. Large grimy boots, well they didn't fit, so couldn't be for speed, more whatever the person could grab quickly. Black boots looked light, for travelling. Eye contact was always hard, so Indigo had learnt to work out basic identity from shoe wear.

 

"Hi." Indigo muttered, giving out the syllable in the friendliest tone she could manage. The she stopped, as her mind froze in horror and comprehension as what the sickly looking man had said. Their names had flown past her in the daze of worry she had been feeling, but she was sure the term lurker had been used. And daughter. And kill. Pulling the furs tighter around her as if they were some protective armour, Indigo moved her hand to her gun. She doubted she could flee close range, and the destruction of an inn was surely worth her life? Her weapon was not selective, and would often misfire, although thankfully it hadn't exploded yet. Yet.

 

Indigo had heard of lurkers - everyone had, but she'd never been unfortunate enough to meet one. Stories of them were whispered around the town in hushed tones, as if the name was taboo, and scuffed tracks in the snow would lead to her turning a full 180 degrees and returning from whence she had came. Would San Francisco hold lurkers? Probably. But she could flee - hopefully. She'd have to take more care with locating exits certainly, but otherwise - she could do it. She thought. Confidence, that was what she needed.

 

But lurkers - were they human? Indigo doubted it, yet she could see the man wanted to cling on to his dream. While she was unwilling to speak out against such a practice, she felt slightly confused as to how he could have such a strong relationship with another human, yet alone someone who he would be forced to spend so much time with. Did lurkers speak? Either way, she just looked downwards and tried to keep any frame of horror off her features.

[LadyNatasha]

Rune blinked, unsure, as Jed seemed to recoil into himself. Rune wasn't sure what to say or do, so he was glad when his brother presented him with a distraction. At the sound of his name, Rune turned a wary glance towards his older brother.

 

"This is Indigo, she's interested in coming with us."

 

Indigo. Rune immediately nodded a greeting, staring at her face with no obvious curiosity but almost a glaring look. His look softened when he realized she wasn't even meeting his eyes. Glancing at Matthias, he wondered how his brother had even managed to get her to join them. She seems like a loner, uncomfortable and perhaps unhappy around people. But then again, that's Matthias; he must have known exactly how she felt. Perhaps that's why he was interested in getting her to join us.

 

Ignoring Matthias' derogatory term 'kid', Rune managed to smile at Indigo. "Hello," he replied to her short greeting. He then turned to Jed and opened his mouth to speak, but Jed locked eyes with him and Rune shut his mouth, waiting patiently for some response to his earlier question.

 

"I left someone." Rune frowned and concern returned to his features. Someone. So it was a person. Jed had lied, he didn't live alone. But why? And why would he leave? Then. Then Jed started talking. And he didn't stop. He hadn't gotten past the second sentence when Rune felt sick to his stomach. Lurkers. His... his daughter. A child, lurkers, feed...

 

"I take care of her and protect her because people try to hurt her. A- And I can't let them do that. So I kill them and then feed them to her."

 

Rune went quite pale and didn't notice his hands shaking. He, unlike most, knew firsthand what lurkers were. His family too had been affected, although by then Matthias had been gone. Lurkers were mindless. They were a diseased host, shells with habits and instincts acquired from their victims. No matter how much they once loved their family, no matter how desperately they had tried to remain human, they were all the same in the end; animals with human skins and skills. There was nothing inside of them, no soul left to save. Rune knew what a lurker was, he knew very well. And Jed's daughter, too...

 

Rune's look of horror faded to one of sadness, with hints of anger, but not aimed at Jed. He didn't look away from Jed, instead trying to read the man's face. He was afraid if he looked away, he might see someone he didn't want to see. There was a moment of silence.

 

"I have a horse."

 

Another moment.

"Oh," Rune finally said, although the word seemed to come from far away.

 

Rune shook his head just a little, blinking. He wasn't sure how to respond. The image of a laughing little girl wouldn't leave his head, and it made him want to spin around and stick a bolt up Matthias' throat. But he was quite used to thinking these thoughts without physically reacting... but wait, this wasn't about Matthias or the girl who was long buried in the frozen ground. This was about Jed, and it was quite real.

 

"I'm sorry that happened to your daughter," Rune said slowly. Everyone around him was rather faded, except the man before him. "I had a sister once..." his voice faded out and he frowned rather crookedly. "Uhm, well anyway, if we come across your home in our travels, we--we'll let you off there and be on our way. You... can take portions of the food we hunt back with you, too. Until then... let's not be collecting human bodies. Hopefully we won't have to do a lot of killing, or any at all." His voice had returned to normal at this point, as had his expression and general stance. He shrugged at Jed, although he was watching the man carefully now. "So long as your daughter does not come out of the house and attack us, and so long as you're willing to destroy other lurkers if the need arises, I guarantee we won't harm your child. I understand she must be important to you."

 

He nodded inwardly, deciding that was the best way he could handle that. After all, no matter how horrific a situation that was, the chance of them coming across Jed's place was very slim and even then they probably wouldn't ever have to go in or even near the house. Yet Rune wasn't fool enough not to realize that Jed seemed rather unstable, as though always ready to kill anyone at the wrong flick of a wrist. On the other hand, Jed didn't seem like he'd kill with no reason--without command or taunt. Rune's own history encouraged him to treat Jed as normally as possible, no matter what others thought of him.

 

"Well. So long as your horse has good feet, we could definitely use a pack animal." Rune glanced around at the group. He was smiling, but his eyes held the same darkness they usually held, making his smile almost cruel. "Jed, this is my adopted brother Matthias and his trained wolf Rip. Not sure if you met them earlier, my brother's apparently quite talkative." There was no sarcasm (but rather slight amusement) in the comment, and Rune didn't stop to see Matthias' expression. "Indigo! Pleased to meet you. We head out in about an hour. I have a basic map. Matthias, perhaps you'd like to estimate the trail of the giant unidentified flash of light we saw last night? Here," he shoved the map at Matthias.

 

"I left most of my things upstairs. I'll be back in a minute."

 

As he went towards the stairs, Rune glanced curiously at the redhead who had come in earlier. Interesting, he hadn't ever seen a person with truly red hair. She looked like she could take care of herself, too. If he caught her eye, he nodded to her before heading up the stairs and into his room. Once there, he quickly began organizing and preparing to leave. The Throne was no longer a comfortable place to him.

[Arctic]

“My newspaper?” Jovah inquired. His kind eyes didn't leave the redheaded woman, though his hands sort of shifted around the folded newsprint resting in his lap, straightening out the somewhat creased corners. He remained silent for a moment, then licked his lips slowly and thoughtfully, sitting up a little straighter.

 

“I suppose we both have a fondness for the past, then. You'll be hard pressed to find a complete article in the paper, though, with the fading and tearing of the years, but, eh. It's easy enough to piece things together one you've read it through a few times.” He paused, giving a slight smirk.

 

“And a fitting name you have, miss,” Jovah remarked politely. He gingerly folded the newspaper over itself and set it flat on the counter in front of her.

 

“In any case, I can't sell it. To uncover the past is not a goal of any trader, the slaver or raider I know. I suppose even to me, a patron of history, the rediscovery of what once is only a secondary goal. I've already read the paper through to the point where I can recite by heart nearly every date, every name and every event it reports upon.” He took a moment to crack each knuckle individually on his left hand, wincing a bit. He let out a sigh, then offered a soft, tired smile to Red.

 

“With this in mind, it's of no more value to me. I've picked out all of its secrets.” He paused yet again, once more licking his lips in thought. It seemed habitual of him to review everything he planned to say. He tapped the newspaper twice with two fingers in a gesture of indication. “So, if you'd like it, it's yours.”

 

It was about this time that the word 'lurker' met Jovah's ears. His friendly smile turned to a frown and he leaned to the left once more, looking to the group on the other side of the redhead, trying to decipher what was going on.

[Limitless]

Red smiled in regards to his remark on her name, eyeing the newspaper. She didn't answer for a moment, looking over him, then exhaled.

 

"Quite honestly, I would rather not take it from you. I would just like to look over it now if you're staying long enough for me to do that, but if not, I'd love to have it." She smiled, reaching almost warily for the newspaper in case he changed his mind.

 

She paused, also picking up bits of the conversation behind her, and picked up the newspaper, setting it in her own lap so someone didn't walk off with it before turning to look.

 

She was silent for a moment before giving a small laugh.

 

"What an interesting conversation. First I hear that they're planning to enter the cursed city, then one man has an... interestingly dangerous companion." She looked around at the other people in the room, curious as to whether any of them had heard, and doubted it by the way the people who were there didn't seem to react much.

 

"It almost..." she began, eyes clouded. "It almost makes me want to go over and ask more. Hmm." She put a finger to her lips, where just a trace of a smile resided. She sat there a moment more, watching as one of the men left, the one with dark hair, and nodded back when he nodded to her.

 

With that done, she picked up the paper again, exhaling happily as she looked over it.

Edited December 25, 2012 by Limitless

[ValidEmotions]

Jasmine looked over when she heard Matthias speak, realizing he was introducing a woman to the three of them. Taking a moment to register, she recognized her as the woman he had been talking to at the table. Indigo was a name she normally didn’t hear but the fact wasn’t a surprise; parents always wanted nice and unique names for their children. At least, that was what her mother had told her once. “Indigo, it’s nice to meet you.”

 

She had not missed Matthias’s diction when he introduced her to the other woman and neither had she missed his smile. In turn, she briefly smiled back before refocusing on Indigo. Her mother had always favored the blue shades and it was mildly interesting to the bard that she should meet someone with a name pertaining to a shade of blue. The woman seemed uncomfortable in her approach, her eyes focused on the ground or their shoes. The bard wondered what would make the woman so nervous.

 

A moment later, Jasmine caught up on what Jed and Rune were saying. Lurkers…? Now she understood why the man was such a solitary figure. He seemed very dedicated to protecting his daughter, infected or not. Personally, she had never encountered a lurker before, not up close. She believed she had seen one or two at a distance but never stuck around to confirm that it was a lurker. Her mind was still turning around Jed’s words and Rune’s response when the latter went to retrieve his items.

 

Refocusing and hearing the cleric’s temporary dismissal, Jasmine sat up a bit straighter. “I do like your name, Indigo. My mother had favored shades of blue.” She didn’t know how to start a decent conversation with the woman, she seemed so nervous. The bard wasn’t very good with conversation in general but faired well enough if the other was moderately talkative and any gaps of silence were minimal.

 

Briefly, she excused herself to grab her things. As she stepped away and towards her temporary room, Jasmine wondered (and slightly fretted about) if Indigo or Jed – maybe both – would see her dismissal as a chance to distance herself from them. It might be closer to what Jed would think since he had shared about his daughter, a matter that most others would not respond well to. Sure, it unnerved and concerned her but she wouldn’t let that show; maybe she’d show the concern but not the nervousness. Still, she saw a glimpse of the man’s old affection towards his daughter before she had been infected. It held, even after she was changed, as odd as it seemed.

 

Reaching her room, she unlocked the door and stepped inside. Matthias had already packed his gear and taken it so Jasmine did not have to worry about leaving it behind in the room. If he hadn’t taken it though, she might have brought it too him if she wasn’t so hesitant about touching another person’s belongings. Some were specific about how their items were packed and who touched them. It was a trust matter and she didn’t want to irritate someone due to a misinterpretation of intentions. Grabbing her bag once she made certain that her possessions were in order, the bard headed back to the lobby and returned the key to the innkeeper. “Thank you. Have a good day, sir.”

[Emeraldmay]

((Managed to miss your post Narvix - sorry! Editing a response in ))

 

 

The cleric man was talking to the larger man now, giving his sympathy. Should she give her sympathy? While part of her wanted to feel sorry for him, she couldn't help feeling sorry for those he had fed to her - and besides, any comfort would just see added now. Could she keep the horror out of her voice? Although Indigo loosened the grip on her weapon, she kept her hand close to it...just in case. She doubted she would make good fodder anyway, but he had that air of desperation around him, and how could she trust anyone? Yet she was travelling to a monster-invested city with a random troupe of people she'd never met before. It was a day for new things.

 

She'd heard many, many tales about lurkers, from people who claimed to be attacked by them, have beaten them, and people who dressed up as them just to mug people that little bit easier. That was why she carried all her stuff lightly, and with her at all times. Easier to flee, and minimizes losses. Yet she'd have to stock up for this trip - hunting took time and besides, with her unreliable weapon it could easily risk an explosion. Gunpowder! That was what she needed! The events of the past hour had completely distracted her from her purpose.

 

Matthias' brother...Indigo made a mental note to at least attempt to remember names - he was promising not to kill the lurker. She wondered what she would do in that situation, and made a mental note that if they did reach his house, to wait outside. No way was she exposing herself to one of those...things. The rare times she did listen to other's opinions included many stories about lurkers, and as much as Indigo htaed being biasted by others opinions and viewpoints, when something is repeated so much you almost have to accept it as fact.

 

Adopted brother? Well that explained the difference in appearance. And personality, she could see Matthias avoid conversation, yet Rune was it?? Seemed to be comfortable with it, and talking about emotions. Emotions was not one of her strong points, she could do basic conversation "Hi, How are you, good, bad weaher huh, what have you got to trade, see ya." She'd done it time and time again, and she'd been haggling for a while now.

 

Rune...she was sure that was his name...was talking to her now. Suddenly reacting, she found herself looking t his face, before turning her head downwards to the safe He was pleased to meet her? She doubted it. But co-operation was vital. "Nice to meet you too." An hour? The wave of panic was quickly overwhelmed with logical and methodological thinking, as she worked out how much supplies she would need.

 

Rune was leaving now, to get something maybe? She hadn't been following the conversation, lost in a reverie about lurkers and their dangers. The bard girl was talking to her - complimenting her now. Indigo was not used to complements, so she was instantly curious as to what this person would want from her. Probably just trying to get along - theere was a long, long journey ahead, and with disagreeable companions would make it worse. Was she disagreable? She couldn't be the perfect travelling partner, but she couldn't be that bad...could she?

 

"Thanks. Colours bring life to this world of ours, and I must confess blue is one of my favorites too." Supplies - she had to sort the supplies. It was time to leave.

 

Although part of her wanted to ask permission to leave, Indigo felt ruffled that the idea would even come into her head. "I'll meet you in an hour then." Giving a rigid, shallow bow, she turned around, and strode out of the inn. From there, she walked further up the main street until she reached the hydroponics farm. The snow was being cleared now, as hard working citizens shovelled it out of their driveway, and it couldn't have been more than a few minutes before she reached the entrance. After she stated her business, Indigo was admitted into the warm hum of machinery and crops. Turning towards the machinery section, she approached the same person she'd talked to almost fortnightly for the last six years. Walking over, she emptied the contents of her small pouch out on the desk. The scraps of wire and loose metal tumbled down, combined with the tattered cog.

 

"How much?"

 

The women opposite her picked up the cogs, running her hands over them briefly as she examined every piece laid down. Bringing out a jar of coins, the person carefully counted out a small pile of bronze coins, pushing them over to the other side of the table. Indigo paused, examining them.

 

"That's worth at least a silver."

 

"20 bronze, take it or leave it."

 

"50 bronze."

 

"25 bronze" Indigo sighed slightly at that, as she knew a loss would be made.

 

"35 bronze. Or I go else where." The money was counted out, and Indigo left the farm with a jingling pouch, and walked off, towards a trader who she knew she could reliably trade for food with.

Edited December 26, 2012 by Emeraldmay

[Packgoater]

They were uncomfortable. Why wouldn't they be? Jed had uttered a word that made people squirm when uttered and this particular group proved to be no different. He had thought that, because he'd only previously met a few very closed groups of humans that did not have many in them, coming to this city would be a wildcard and not just because of the environment, but because of the people themselves. And yet, as he was learning, they were all predictable and similar. It made sense for them to be uncomfortable because the word lurker brought up vicious pictures in their minds, and rightly so. They winced at what he said because lurkers were beasts of destruction, nothing more. They didn't see what he saw, didn't know his daughter, hadn't looked into her eyes which were the same eyes as she'd had before, only different somehow. To them, she was just a story, she was just something they were told about, not something that they could experience themselves. Similar to how someone who'd been told they were diagnosed with a benign cancer would only hear the word cancer, they had heard his daughter was bitten by a lurker and all they heard was lurker. And that word, that word lurker was such an ugly word that Jed could not bear to call her as such, for she wasn't ugly. He could never see her as ugly; she was his daughter, his darling daughter that would smile a he lit a fire and cry when he brought in the animals he'd kill even though she'd end up eating it anyway. She used to, he had to remind himself. She hadn't done any of those things in a long time. All she'd done was devour the carcasses he'd brought her and thrash against the chains that bound her to his house. And even though she was not the same as she was before, he still could not help but love her, for it was a truly unconditional love that he held for her, unconditional enough that he didn't care if she was a lurker or not.

 

When Rune spoke, Jed was admittedly surprised that there was not words of poison coming out of his mouth. Instead, the man appeared to be trying to make some sort of compromise in order to play it safe between all members of the party. Perhaps, if he had been a man that was more snoopy and more concerned about other people's affairs he may have picked up on the fact that he'd mentioned his sister, perhaps even been intrigued by it, but he was neither a snoopy man nor was he interested in the cleric's affairs. One could have called him self-centered, for he did not seem to hold much regard for the other people around him, and instead only paid attention to his problems. After all, what would worrying about other people get him besides harsh wrinkles atop his forehead? Everyone had problems now, not just him, but if he wasted his time getting caught up in it, those problems could very quickly become his own and he had enough problems on his hands that he still had yet to find solutions for. And yet, he couldn't help but feel some guilt at not caring, at least while he sat by Rune and heard some small amount of concern, some small amount of concern directed towards Jed. In these times, that kind of concern was a huge kindness. Concern meant someone cared about what happened to you.

 

"Bolen's a good horse. He can carry what we need him to," he responded quietly, nodding his head slowly. "I cannot recall if I've introduced myself to Matthias before, but I've seen him. It is hard to not remember a man with a wolf at his side," Jed added, pressing his lips together as he struggled to remember if he'd actually met the man before. His mind tended to discard information that was unnecessary for his survival, such as the details of meeting a man who was the cleric's brother. However it would become essential information now, for he'd be spending some time with these people now. He wasn't quite sure if he was comforted or horrified to find himself in a group of people again, but he was sure that they were good people, for Rune had seemed to decide that they were good enough to travel with, and if there was one thing that Jed was sure about the cleric, it was that he was a good man above everything else and certainly a far better man than Jed himself was. He helped to heal a strange man who had no clue where to go, whereas if they traded spots, Jed was pretty sure he wouldn't have given Rune any attention whatsoever. So these people couldn't be that bad, which led him to wonder why he was brought along at all, for he was certainly not a good person, and he wasn't going to delude himself into believing that, even if he deluded himself into believing that perhaps his daughter still was a human and loved him deep down inside. Somehow he subconsciously drew the line at his own actions, though, for there was no point in pretending he was a good man. He just was a man who did what he needed to do in order to keep himself and his daughter alive, but that didn't give him an excuse for what he did and he knew that and accepted it. Why, though, did these people accept him as well? Why did they allow him into their ranks if they were good and he was bad? Perhaps it was because they were not as good as they first seemed. Perhaps they too had their own deep dark secret.

 

Jed watched Rune get up and he inwardly stiffened. The man, he was also uncomfortable with it all. He'd pretended that it was fine, but it wasn't. It was reasonably clear this must be the case, after all the conversation had been filled with deep silences and awkward pauses. It made sense that he'd want to take a break and gather some relief from the group and so he didn't hold it against the cleric. He merely felt somewhat... dejected. Perhaps even hurt. He had thought that maybe, just perhaps, someone got what he was saying or at least would pretend to, but he wasn't even given that satisfaction. Could it be mere coincidence that Rune left just after talking to him about his daughter? Not likely, but it was to be expected. The man wasn't a robot, he was human, and humans were predictable. This was proven yet again as Jasmine, the bard who had promised to show him her sound stick, stood up and left for her room again. He had made them both want to leave, hadn't he? And he wasn't sure if he was supposed to take offense to this or whether he was supposed to be disturbed by it and heed this warning. If they were so disgusted by the mere mention of who his daughter was and what he did, did that make it all wrong? Did that mean that she was not human at all and that she should be abandoned? And it was now that he felt alone and confused, for he didn't know how to determine what was to be done or what advice should be taken or ignored. If there was one thing that Jed hated, it was to be confused.

[Rakashua]

Matthias stood in silence, after the man had mentioned the lurker incident, and the fact that his daughter was a lurker... at least in Matthias' reckoning, there had been reason to suddenly transport this man from the realm of "I really don't care" to a much different slot in Matthias' memory under the heading of "interesting." There weren't many things that fell under that category, then again there weren't all that many things that Matthias found out of the ordinary. If there were then they would have ceased to be out of the ordinary and therefore ceased being interesting altogether.

 

"Lurker," Matthias rolled the word around in his mouth. Even at saying it Rip grew noticeably tense. He knew what the word meant, at least on the level that any pet ever understood human speech. He knew it meant that they were be doing a lot of running, or fighting, or hiding, or all three. Matthias had trained Rip very carefully to signal him if there were lurkers nearby, they smelled different from humans. Now Rip could effectively alert him whenever one was scented. But the training had come at a price. To train him on a lurker he had to encounter one, and where there was one there were usually many. It had been near the subway system that ran in and out of the city. Matthias knew the closer he got to the city the higher the chance of lurkers, but he wasn't just waiting to be ambushed by them. He had carefully watched the area for a week until he'd picked up on where they were hiding. After that it was just a game of cat and mouse for a few days while he allowed himself and Rip to get close enough to smell them, but far enough that they could outrun them without having to fight.

 

Matthias found a knife in his hand, he hadn't realized he'd allowed it to slip out of his brace. He idly spun it in his hand, one time they had been too close. Three of the lurkers had ambushed them just before the treeline, popping up out of the snow. Rip had warned him in time to get a head start, but the snow was deep, running in it was nearly impossible. His bow was inaccessible in his pack, but it was the only ranged weapon he had, he couldn't risk throwing the knives and losing them. He'd been forced to sick Rip on the three of them to give himself time to pull out the bow and knock an arrow. In the end Rip was cut but seemingly not bit or badly wounded and the lurkers were dead to Matthias' careful arrows. It had been the scariest moment in his life that he could remember, watching Rip, wondering if he would suddenly change into a mindless monster. But no, it that he hadn't contracted the disease from the encounter, small miracle. Both he and Matthias had been left with a distinct distaste for lurkers and Rip had been keen on detecting them ever since. Matthias wasn't sure if this was because of the training, or because Rip was actually afraid of them. He acted skitish whenever they were about, it wasn't exactly a signal that there were lurkers nearby, but then again... very little that Matthias had ever encountered had caused Rip to seem afraid.

 

Rip's fur was bristling, expecting a fight. Matthias realized it was a combination of the word he had spoken and the fact that he had a knife out that had qued Rip up for a fight. Not wanting the wolf to suddenly be set off by anything, he quickly slid the knife back into hiding and put a hand on Rips head, pushing it down firmly until the Wolf lowered it to the floor. Still looking on edge but his fur relaxed save for the fur of his mane (the fur around the back of his neck).

 

Matthias waited for a moment as others got up and left, leaving him with Jed, somewhat alone. Matthias moved his pack to the side of the chair his brother had occupied, just now noticing the map his brother had placed in his off-hand. Matthias sat down, prompting Rip to scoot next to the chair and his pack and sit attentively, still expecting something to happen.

 

"Your business is none of my concern," Matthias spread out the map on the table and began to examine it. "I have only one rule for other males who travel with me. The first time Rip or I get it into our heads that you might threaten us, I let you know and give you a chance to explain. If I don't like the answer you leave and never come back. If you refuse, or if it happens again, I'll kill you and feed your corpse to the wolf." Matthias looked up from the map and stared hard at Jed, then slowly extended his hand, "but you strike me as a man of strong conviction. Welcome to the party."

Edited December 26, 2012 by Rakashua

[Arctic]

Indigo (Emeraldmay) - Hydroponics Farm, Winterbury:

The bunker of Winterbury was a guarded place. Wooden palisades stood in defense of the deep, cavernous recess in the cliff face where the entrance was situated. A single gate located at the end of Winterbury's main street was the only portal in to the cave. The gate was open, but a team of three watchmen stood ready in defense. Each one was armed with a rifle, and each rifle was of a different (but similar) construction. They were all held together by tape and metal bracing, clearly manufactured after the war, but despite their ugly appearance they seemed to be well crafted. Even someone unfamiliar with firearms could have deduced that the weapons were automatic in nature, as opposed to the usual bolt-action or break-loading "dirty" guns that so many people used. Food, after all, was a commodity, and no amount of money or resources wasted on its defense could be considered an investment in vain.

 

Indigo was allowed in after a brief checkup by the lead guard, a tall man with a shaved head and no form of head covering aside from a scarf wrapped around his mouth. The bunker did in fact have a trading post, but it was only accessible to residents of the town or relatives thereof. The door to the bunker swung inward. It was a steel construction of approximately eight inches thick, reinforced with several steel rods. It closed every night and opened every morning, and for this reason it was well oiled and well tended to. The antechamber immediately within contained a long deactivated decontamination system followed by a second (also open) blast door. Beyond that was a short hallway.

 

The hallway went forward for about thirty feet before it branched off to two sides, with a door straight ahead. The door was locked, and there was no sign as to its purpose. The left turn was blocked almost immediately by some smooth-faced riot barricades that had been scavenged and set up by the town guard. Behind them, two bored looking armed gunmen sat, prepared to deal with any trouble makers. The right turn wasn't blocked, and several doors existed on either side of the hall. At the end, an open door led in to a small room where a trading desk had been set up, a cage erected around it with only a small window available for transactions. The business of this trading post in particular was simple. Machine parts for food or coin, but coin payout was far less than food payout. Still, in the event that the town trading post didn't like the wires or scrap people brought in, this was the place to trade it; due to the plethora of machinery in and around the bunker, replacement parts were always needed.

 

The trade was made quickly before Indigo was turned away and directed back outside the bunker.

 

________________________________________________

 

Main Group - The Throne, Winterbury:

“Think nothing of it,” Jovah replied dismissively to the redhead, his eyes still focused elsewhere. The conversation of the group became increasingly less understandable as more people filtered in to the Throne, thus leading to more noise, more festivities, more drinking. It was expected, however; rowdy townsmen were expected to start drinking after a snow-in, particularly after being hard at work in cleaning everything up. Not only that, the tone of the group's voices had become hushed and almost secretive, which made the white-clad scavenger struggle to make out what they were saying.

 

A moment passed before his eyes meandered back to focus on the woman sitting next to him, though a concerned frown remained on his face. “It's a rare article, not one of the abundance of papers manufactured in the week or two before the bombs hit,” he said, “and if it stays with me I'll most likely end up using it as tinder. Keep it. You'll be doing me the favor of disabling my ability of destroying an artifact.” It was true, after all. Newspapers were common -- well, it would be more accurate to say that the December 15th edition of the San Francisco Chronicle was common. Anything else was less common, in increasing orders of magnitude the further back in time you went. Newspaper made convenient tinder, so it was rare to find any man in the wild without even a little bit on him.

 

He paused, meeting the eyes of the woman. With a grave curiosity, he hushed his voice a little bit, leaning on the counter and rapping his fingers over the polished wood surface. “I'm at a loss as to why a group would do something like that, particularly a group so ill prepared as they are. You wouldn't happen to know, would you?” Of course you heard about outings in to the city. You heard about some Blood Pack raider group looking to reclaim the so-and-so district and take a portion of the walls for themselves. You heard about some bright eyed youth descending in to the Metro system from one of the few lawless, bandit-controlled stations in Redwood City and never being seen again. You heard about seasoned veterans entering and coming back disappointed. Jovah had experienced the disappointment himself - the outer reaches of the city were simple unnavigable, and he hadn't yet become desperate enough to attempt passage through the maze of tunnels underneath the metropolis. That was what struck him as odd. Well-equipped raiders, prepared youths, seasoned veterans, desperate scavengers. These people fit none of the bill. They were a ragtag group, a curious group. Why was the city suddenly of interest to them, particularly the wildman? Did he not prefer to live amongst the trees and snow?

Edited December 26, 2012 by Arctic

[Limitless]

Red had begun to disregard the conversation after the business with the lurker had started to get quieter. She scowled slightly when the noisier crowds entered and went back to reading, chuckling as she read over the proposed cuts that would affect education and government farming subsidies. She shook her head, tutting softly, then looked back up at the man.

 

"I would be honored to safeguard this, thank you. Also, I don't believe you said your name. It is, I believe still customary to return hearing another's name with one's own..." Her eyes were unreadable, a thin smile touching her lips.

 

After presumably receiving his name, Red plucked at a stray piece of hair and tucked it behind her ear.

 

"I've got no idea why such a colorful little bunch would take on something like that. The city is bad news, and they'd be lucky to just get there alive, not to mention finding their way in." After a pause she continued, "Perhaps it has to do with that odd flash of light that occurred this past night. It seemed to be heading towards that cursed place, but I wouldn't think that alone would be enough to draw such people..."

 

She gave a small laugh. "Who knows, though. Maybe they're just all eager to meet the proverbial maker. It is intriguing, though... If they get out alive, maybe they'll all be stronger for it."

 

After this she fell quiet, watching the people in the Throne.

[Arctic]

The man's brow furrowed thoughtfully. He dragged his tongue over the inside of his cheek, as if trying to recall something. His expression suddenly softened and he smiled politely to Red. “Jovah Euton,” he replied. “And truly, think nothing of it. It's a piece of history, to be sure, but in the end it's still just a piece of newspaper. It has no value but to a connoisseur,” Jovah paused, realizing the rarity of the word he had just uttered. “Collector,” he corrected himself. He had no idea where he had picked the word up, but nine times out of ten people had no idea what it meant. It was a word that stemmed from some European dialect he couldn't care to remember the name of. The only nations he carried awareness of from that region were Germany and Russia and a handful of others that he would only recognize if their names were uttered. He could, however, name all fifty-five states and the capitals of each from before the war. He didn't particularly like his lack of worldly knowledge, and time and time again promised to himself he would include a school in his scavenging route and pluck a textbook from it, but he never did. This was just another time where he reminded himself to do so at some point.

 

At the mention of the flash of light, Jovah quirked a brow. His eyes showed intrigue and he righted his position on top of the bar stool. “A flash of light? You mean the lightning from the storm?” He asked doubtfully, seeming to be fully aware that she meant something entirely different. Clearly, the white-clad scavenger hadn't been present to hear the man's speech from earlier.

 

(( Short conversational post. Apologies. ))

[Limitless]

(( Phoo, tis fine. ))

 

Red nodded almost approvingly at his word choice. Here was someone worth talking to, she thought to herself.

 

"Indeed, and I am such a person," she replied, tucking away the paper. "Nice choice of words. I don't often hear people who speak in such a way. A pleasure to make your acquaintance, sir."

 

She paused, seeming to gather her own thoughts, then nodded.

 

"Yes, from the lightning storm last night. There was something in it, a ball of fire... There was a man speaking about it earlier this morning, so I've heard, and I saw it myself..." she trailed off, eyebrows drawing together as she recalled the sight. "It was unlike anything seen before. A huge explosion rocked the night and this great ball of something burning shot off towards the cursed city. I hope it burns to the ground."

 

Her eyes were unreadable, but when she looked away slightly, it was easy to tell there was anger and pain behind her ill wishes towards the city.

[Arctic]

(( This post includes an event that effects everyone in the Throne. I'll need everyone to respond before we can move on. ))

 

Jovah gave the redhead a somewhat puzzled look, though his expression now radiated an air of intense interest over all else. He adjusted the rifle slung over his shoulder and laid his right arm flat over the countertop, left hand resting on his knee. It was a moment before he spoke. “A ball of fire,” he mused to himself. “Perhaps a meteorite, then, or a satellite. Satellites fall occasionally...” He trailed off, raising his right hand up and stroking his beard thoughtfully. His voice quieted down further. “A satellite... if that's what it was, it could be carrying something valuable,” he mumbled inwardly, speaking more to himself than anything. “Data, perhaps.”

 

It was at this moment that the heavy, wooden double doors at the front of the Throne swung open in tandem with one another.

 

Bang, bang, bang. Three loud knocks echoed as something hit against the wood, clearly intended to catch the attention of everyone inside the building. Jovah craned his head around to look at the entrance, along with countless others in the inn's lobby. Three men stood in the doorway, all of them dressed in black and white and recognizable as members of the guard.

 

The first man stood just shy of six feet, and he was immediately recognizable as a higher officer. His feet were clad in black, buckle-down military boots and tucked in to those were the leggings of a thick, white-colored pair of camouflage trousers. A white cloak shrouded his left arm and the left half of his body, whilst his right arm kept the cloth from falling over and hiding him completely. On his right hip was a holster with a revolver pushed down in to it. Next to that was a filterless (presumably, they were kept elsewhere on his person) gas mask that hung by a brass hook on to his belt. The distinct outline of an armored vest could be seen underneath his black and white tunic, which displayed the words 'WINTERBURY' across the chest in dark blue print, though half the word was shrouded by the cloak mentioned above. A balaclava had been pulled down and allowed to rest like a collar around his neck, exposing his pale face entirely except for some ski goggles. He, like many other guardsmen, was completely bald, though his jaw was host to thick, gray stubble. An array of wrinkles and scars gave some indication that he was in his late forties or early fifties and, despite this, he was in excellent shape.

 

The other two guardsmen standing behind him were dressed in similar attire, though one of them carried a rifle instead of a handgun, and neither carried a gas mask on their belt nor a white cloak wrapped around them. The lesser armed of the two lacked an armored vest and had blood, long dried, staining the lower regions of his left pant leg (which was left untucked). The rifleman's face was covered by a balaclava, showing only his brown eyes.

 

The bald man stepped forward, calling out loudly, "Alright, listen up, I'm going to need everyone to move outside. Throne's closed, effective immediately, it'll be back open within a few hours. Employees, stay where you are. Residents, collect your personal items and head out. You've got five minutes, chop chop," he rested one hand on his revolver and leaned next to the door, while the rifleman headed behind the counter unceremoniously and disappeared in to the back. The other guardsman walked to the stairwell and checked the upstairs lobby before descending and giving a quick look to both of the two hallways where the bedrooms were.

 

It was anyone's guess as to why they were there. Lockdowns of such a sort were rare, usually only occurring in the event of raider intrusions, illegal dealings or, God forbid, murder. The guardsmen certainly seemed to be searching for something. One the guard with the bloodied pants leg had finished checking around, he disappeared behind the counter and in to the back as well, leaving only the bald officer in the front room. By this time, a handful of people had sauntered off to the back to collect their gear and head out, not wanting it to be confiscated as "evidence", while the majority were begrudgingly wrapping up what they were doing and heading for the exit. The temperature of the room dropped significantly each time the door opened, the frosty air brought in by the blizzard invading the previously warm space.

 

Jovah gave a look to Red, then glanced over at the group he had been paying attention to previously. His eyes had a questioning quality to them, and he was at a loss as to what the search could be for as much as anyone else was. Luckily, he seemed to have already checked out, as he stood and headed for the doorway without any fuss, leaving the newspaper in Red's hands.

Edited December 29, 2012 by Arctic