epidemiology | EVENT ★ I PREDICT A RIOT

EVENT ★ I PREDICT A RIOT

I WANNA START A FIGHT

RIOTS

In the time between the quarantine and now, the virus has spread unnaturally rapidly, with the amount of the population infected estimated to be around 1.5% or approximately 3,750 people. Understandably, the panic has increased considerably. People who were taking the virus seriously before have begun to work themselves up into a frenzy, and even those who were calm are beginning to get anxious.

An infected teacher went on a violent rampage at the local elementary school yesterday, leading the school board to close all Woodhurst schools for the rest of the week while the entire staff is studied for symptoms. There’s no test for the Bristol virus, however, so it’s impossible to tell for sure. This, of course, worries the parents. The unrest starts with a protest at the school, calling for schools to be closed indefinitely until the quarantine is over for the safety of the children, but it doesn’t stop there.

Unrest turns to rioting before long; the majority of the riot is focused at city hall, where citizens are demanding answers, but there’s also mayhem at stores as the people of Woodhurst loot them, stocking up for what some assume is an impending apocalypse. Those who don’t believe this have locked themselves up in their homes not for protection from the infected but the rioters. Suffice it to say, most of the citizens out on the streets are of the slightly unstable variety, although some just found themselves caught up in the riots and became worked up by the crowd.

Local police forces -- including ALASTAIR agents posing as police officers -- have been dispatched to deal with the rioters at city hall. Rioters who attempt to leave the city are taken care of by officers sent by the federal government to enforce the quarantine.

CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE

It might be a good idea to see what supplies can be found at the supermarkets, although you run the risk of getting attacked by a violent looter. The police won’t necessarily turn away anyone trying to keep order at city hall, but any supernatural powers will only incite the already violent crowd, so it’s recommended characters keep from utilizing their powers if they want to stay in one piece. Then, of course, there’s always the option to protect innocents who happen to be stuck out on the streets in the middle of the riots.

While the entirety of the police force is focused at the quarantine borders and outside city hall, now is possibly one of the only chances to get full access to buildings in the city. There are still some workers who haven’t been sent home and some of the buildings are locked up, but there are few police officers that can be spared to go check out a simple break-in.

Now is the time to search the city, if you're feeling brave. If you’re really ballsy, you can even try to slip in through the back door of city hall and go through their records. The only important building in town that’s not able to be searched is the hospital, which is incredibly busy due to the high number of people injured in the riots and traffic accidents.

Of course, just because rioters aren’t around doesn’t mean you’ll be left alone. There’s always a chance you’ll find yourself alone in a building with someone very hungry. Willing to take the chance?

Submit all CYOA choices to this thread.

OOC NOTES

The Bounty Board is now open! If you are looking for ways to get involved in this mission's optional objective, this is a good place to start. We’d also like to remind everyone that ALASTAIR does not invent cover stories for characters -- that’s all them! The only jobs they’ll help with getting are in the police force and government; everything else is up to characters to interview for.

Questions about Woodhurst can be submitted to this thread. Questions about the game in general should be directed to the FAQ. You may submit mission ideas or player plots at any time.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Right.

[Haise agrees with a short nod, quinque at the ready beside him. It's lucky for them that their rather exotic weaponry is so easily concealed, collapsible as it is by nature. It's lucky Shizuo's stopsign weapon is the same, though their other pseudo family-member isn't present for this investigation.

Others doubtless have to adapt, unless they're gunmen like Giovanni or Riza]

I guess this might explain why monitoring the streets didn't yield anything.

[Before the riots, that is]

[ Arima has his own suitcase, albeit it's a bit...makeshift for now. Perhaps he'll see about getting a standard one for the future. Thankfully owl is able to collapse regardless of its size. Though the suitcase looks bulky and stuffed to the brim. The chaos ensured that no one would ask about it at least. ]

I believe you're right. But it didn't seem like the infected had much in terms of mental capacity to form such thoughts as to flee into the sewers.

[ Unless other people from the city have taken refuge there, he's not entirely sure? ] Unless people have been fleeing into the sewers to escape the riots.

That's a possibility too, but... I think up to a certain point, those infected do have some presence of mind.

[He thinks of the janitor who'd refused to hurt children back at Woodhurst Elementary, clawing at the walls rather than going after the kids. It's not entirely mindless, but it might've been easier for the victims of this disease if they were.

Peering into the dark, he frowns. They're just as likely to find scared civilians as infected ones, what with the chaos above. The dull echoes of it still reach them where they are now]

Presence of mind... [ That's a difference of opinion that goes beyond the infected here. If you were to ask Arima if a starving ghoul had any state of mind he'd say no to that as well. They turned into nothing more then primal beasts out on a hunt, these infected were no different. ]

Perhaps you're right.

[ He doesn't quite believe it...but he won't argue the matter with the other. ]

If we find any civilians our priority will switch to protecting and getting them to safety.

[Once they're ravenous, Haise wouldn't argue that point. He'd once warned Laedo that he could cease to be himself if ever he were to starve, back when he'd asked the dragon to kill him if ever he became a danger.

A request he might've foregone if he'd known Arima would arrive shortly thereafter, but as it stands, it seems their associate was transferred anyhow. As for the here and now, he has no idea he hasn't properly communicated.

Until people lose themselves entirely, they might think to cloister themselves off from others...before they can no longer consider that option]

Right.

[They continue along through the sewers, only the splatter of their footfalls and dripping old pipes producing any sound around them for a time]

[ The sounds of rushing water and dripping old pipes makes it harder for him to focus nowadays. Back when he hadn't lost his eyesight completely he could overlook it. But his other senses were compensating for his lack of vision and it was getting harder to deal with places that had interference.

Arima was very good at drowning out unneeded sound, but having it all around him and as a constant, made it harder to do so.

So it's no surprise that he doesn't hear the gurgling and lurching up ahead. He wasn't prepared for it either since the infected will attack him on his right side to boot. There's a scream as the infected drives forward with a broken bottle echo through the sewer. Arima's caught unawares lands him a deep gash in his side, though he makes no sound, as he feels the jagged edges cut into his flesh.

There's a flicker of surprise on his face however brief it is as he forcefully kicked the infected man backwards, holding his side as he does so. His cover about his illness might just have been blown, whelp. He might activate owl a split second later, but he surprisingly falls to one knee in the process. He's never really experienced true pain before, nor has he ever been this injured before, and his body seems to be in shock from it as well. ]

[It's shocking to see Arima not only taken by surprise, but injured. Haise doesn't think he's ever seen the man so much as scratches, and for an instant, he can't believe what's transpired. But that instant passes as he moves between the infected attacker and his superior, leveling his quinque. The reach far outstrips a bottle]

Don't think you'll manage that twice.

[His voice drops low in warning, eyes narrowed as he sizes up the best way to apprehend someone whose thought process may not exist at all. The infected man doesn't seem to be deterred, attempting to duck the weapon and rush in close with another inhuman cry.

The answer is simple enough. Haise steps aside and clouts the man hard in the back of the head with the hilt of his weapon, and the man staggers. His eyes roll back and he drops to the ground with a thud, leaving Haise to turn his attention back to Arima]

Sorry, I should've reacted sooner-

[Normally, his superior could've easily handled that...]

[ Meanwhile Arima will stagger to his feet, blood dripping from his wound all over the floor beneath him. Aside from looking pale he doesn't seem to really care about the fact that he was just stabbed. Outwardly of course, inwardly it's a whole different story. He knew his illness had taken its toll on his eye but were his reflexes beginning to deteriorate as well? He couldn't be too sure and the thought is lost as Haise speaks to him. ]

It's fine...

[ It's totally not fine. He could've destroyed that man in an instant but here he is the one bearing the brunt of the injury in that exchange. He might let out a deep breath as he tries to move over towards the wall, the blood is probably going to draw more attention to their location. ]

The sound might've caught the attention of more infected. [ Another sharp intake of breath. So this is what it felt like to be heavily injured? He could almost laugh at his mistake. Of all the things to land a hit on him. He really was losing his touch. ]

[The scent of human blood is always disturbing for Haise. His instincts are naturally drawn to it, while the rest of him is equally repulsed by the notion of it. He can't remember a time when Arima was so much as scratched, and that only makes this all the more disturbing to him, frowning as he places a hand on his superior's arm]

If I notice the scent...they might as well.

[Although they clearly both know what he is, Haise still ends up looking down rather than making eye-contact. He regrets it soon enough, seeing Arima's blood mixing with the water underfoot, clouding it over. It serves as a reminder that something like this doesn't happen to the White Reaper]

You didn't see him coming, did you?

[The words are quiet, reluctant to leave his lips]

[ The reluctance is mutual at this point, but Arima knows lying isn't going to do him any good at this point. It's beyond the point of that now and he has no choice but to really say what's going on with him. ]

I'm sure you've noticed. Between cooking and now this.

[ His right eye is completely lost to him now, the ravages of poor genes due to being a half human have all but decimated his health. Even if he had wanted to continue fighting back home he knows his time was short. Perhaps here it won't hurt too much, but he's not sure how death really works in a place like this. ]

Something seemed...off. [Haise parses through words carefully, unwilling to say anything that takes away from his superior, a man he both fears and respects. It feels wrong to think of him as reduced or lesser in some way, even as he looks on the evidence that the man isn't well] When we trained, you gauged my actions by sound, didn't you?

[He asks only as the thought occurs to him. If it's been some time now, Arima has been compensating for a blind spot, even when facing enemies that entire squads couldn't collectively tackle. It's a thought that inspires some level of awe, and equal measures of concern.

If it were new, Arima surely couldn't have handled himself as well as he does.

His lips pressed into a thin line, he nudges his superior's hand away from his wound with his own, concentrating his energies to close the wound. By now, something like this is well within his means, thanks to whatever it is that ALASTAIR has changed in him]

It may not be my place to ask, but why didn't you get help?

[There are healers here. Surely it wasn't pride...]

For the most part, yes. [ Arima can tell Haise is trying not to take away from him. Even if he knows those words that are unspoken are true. A man once feared as a god reduced to something like this would make anyone speculate his true skill. Regardless of that though, Arima doesn't care too much how he's viewed anymore.

He'll twitch slightly at the nudge looking down and watching that strange magic take affect. The burning hot and deep throbbing pain slowly dampens and fizzes out as the healing spreads deeper into his cut and torn muscles. It's strange to watch his skin mend and fix itself like a ghouls own cuts and injuries do. So this is what it felt like then is what he thinks before Haise asks that question. ]

It wasn't an issue that I couldn't deal with myself. [ He also didn't want to explain what exactly the cause of his deteriorating health was. But he leaves that reason unspoken, though Haise could probably infer it. ]

[Haise can't be pleased that he's right, not when he knows what it must mean for Arima. Something about his eyesight is bad enough — has been bad enough — that he's relied on hearing for some time. To be as capable as he was back home despite that demonstrates a high degree of adaptation, so he may have been accustomed to the state that he was in.

But it seems that like Giovanni, Arima might be experiencing a steady sort of deterioration. The differences beyond that one notion may be vast, but it would explain why Arima kept it to himself and simply adjusted along with it. If it's a reality that he was accustomed to and couldn't do anything about, this is how he'd handle it, isn't it?]

People here can help you though.

[Maybe Haise can, even though he doesn't know if it's a disease or something else that has left Arima in this condition. By now, maybe he's capable of repairing that level of damage. At the least, by the time the gash in Arima's side is mended, he feels as though it demanded far less of his energy than similar instances once had]

Help, huh? [ He looks down and away at the rushing water, only able to see a little of it from his left side at this angle. ]

I doubt your magic can stop this from happening. [ It's something he knew was going to happen. All the sunlit children had this steady degradation of health and nothing back home could stop it. Maybe he was just too skeptical of this magic business, but Haise's powers would literally have to change his genes, and he's pretty sure that's impossible. ]

But I am not opposed to trying.

[Maybe he can't stop it, if it's a disease or illness. But Haise thinks he could do something about the effects, whatever they are. His healing power might not be on par with more experienced recruits like Olivia, and he's sought her guidance due to that, but he does think that he can help.

If nothing else, he certainly is determined, where his father-figure is concerned]

In that case, I'll try.

[Not that he wouldn't have made an attempt even if he didn't get express agreement, because it's obviously dangerous for Arima to be in this condition on a mission like this. If something's gotten bad enough that an infected can get the drop on the White Reaper, there's a serious problem.

So once the wound on Arima's side has been mended, he raises his hand to hover by the man's face, and he concentrates]

[ It's a genetic disease that he's not sure if any magic currently available would be able to heal. Maybe once they were back in Oska he could ask if there was anyway to do so. ]

Don't push yourself too much. [ Though he might shift slightly in place as he looks at Haise while he has his hands raised to the blackened part of his vision. Arima is only able to see half of what Haise's doing currently, and then he feels the sudden flicker and snap of pain that he's known for his entire life bloom back to life. Almost like a wildfire his nerves are reformed and reattached and this is far more painful a healing spell then his other wound. His eye has been dead for at least three or four months since he came here, so having it regenerated will take some getting used to.

He'll slowly start to see shapes, colors, and light again. It's all so vivid and painful to look at with his right eye that he has to keep it shut once Haise has finished his work. ]

[Haise has never seen his superior wince before. It's a strange thing to behold, but he doesn't remark on or call attention to it. Instead he focuses on his work, only pausing after some minutes have passed because this sort of damage isn't something he can clearly see, and it's hard to gauge the results]

...Is it working?

[He hopes it is, but with Arima's eye closed, he can't really watch for changes]

[ It's probably because it's such a human like behavior. Not seeing Arima do many things human like must be strange once seen. Even he finds it strange that he winced, but even the reaper isn't immune to pain, or how his body reacts to it. He'll open his eye again looking back at Haise with some deep thought written in his otherwise unreadable expression. ]

It seems to have worked. [ He might look away for a brief second before focusing his attention back on the other. ]

Thank you, Haise. [ The words might be strange to behold but they're rather genuine when he speaks them. ]

[Haise's hand hovers there for a few moments longer before he finally lets it drop, peering up at his superior to assess what he can of his handiwork. It's difficult for him to see much of a difference, though he might say that Arima's gaze seems a little more focused for the effort. The change is so minute he can only surmise it to be speculative on his part.

Still, he's relieved to hear that it did help after all]

I'm glad. [A statement of obvious fact, and a furtive smile. Being thanked by someone he looks up to like this is no small matter. Well, that and one other thing] It's nice being able to help people this way.

[Honestly, he'd been eager for it since the day Sieglinde first told him it was possible]

[ Arima smiles a little back at Haise when he does. It's a bit hard not to when he's actually face to face with the other. ]

Yes. I think this is a good power for you to have. [ It is something he knows Haise is wont to do. Helping people even at the sake of his own health, sometimes it was worrying, but he knew the other was strong enough to take care of himself. At least this magic wasn't detrimental to one's health. ]

Should we continue then?

[Smiles and approval from his father-figure... Today is a good day in the life of one Haise Sasaki. And despite his efforts, it probably shows in the way he stands up just a little straighter, like his confidence has gotten some considerable boost from this simple feedback.

It's brief, that reaction, before he bends his focus toward the matter at hand]

Ah, yes. We shouldn't waste time.

[He agrees with a short nod, and without asking, he takes point. Arima needs to adapt to the change in his eyesight, after all]

[ It's a bit disorienting, he's not gonna lie, and he's still trying to get used to the sudden depth perception again. But at least he can do so knowing Haise has his back even if some part of him feels a bit guilty having put the work entirely on the other. After all this was a joint effort, but he knows Haise would never fault him for it.

Through all his thinking he remains ever silent as they continue through the sewers carefully listening for any sounds of infected coming their way. ]

[The sounds of approaching steps sloshing through the tunnel has Haise tensing, listening closely for which branch of the tunnel they're coming from. It doesn't take him long to pinpoint the source, and then he edges forward, quinque poised to defend if need be.

Knowing the state some of the infected have already reached, he won't be surprised if he ends up needing to guard against them]

[ Arima hears it too and this time he has the eyesight back to follow the rippling of water coming from the left tunnel just a little ways down from them. Arima's quinque is still at his side, but its size within the tunnels itself makes it a bit harder to use and maneuver. Haise going on the defensive is a good tactic and Arima will keep a bit behind him to make sure they weren't getting flanked. ]

[Three infected round the corner, and marks on their arms and bloody stains on their clothing suggest perhaps they'd attacked one another before catching wind of other potential prey. Haise frowns, setting his jaw as he advances forward, and the infected townspeople throw themselves against his raised quinque with abandon.

His arms twitch under the collective weight and he slips back several inches, but he holds to it even as grasping hands swipe at him]

Edited 2017-03-05 08:18 (UTC)

EVENT ★ I PREDICT A RIOT

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