( open ) quarantine safe house

[competing]

CHARACTERS: anyone! everyone???
DATE: from March 4 onward
WARNINGS: violence... gore... c..annibalism?? maybe
SUMMARY: some people decide they're too dangerous on their own and decide to put themselves in Time Out. other people visit them.



THE AFTER SCHOOL SPECIAL

THE DEAL:
1. post a toplevel
2. comment around
3. profit???
4. please include warnings on your subject headings if things get a little cray cray

Comments

[OTA]

[ex_mettacrusher33]

[It's showtime.

Mettaton isn't the world's greatest fighter; Frisk-darling proved that much. Yes, a giant metal robot is intimidating, but there's only so much that will do against virus-spreading aliens or infected civilians/teammates. No, he knows what he's best at: entertainment. He's the Underground's star. He's humanity's star. If that means staying in this school around the clock to keep Audentes from tearing itself apart, so be it.

It's just what he does.

Thus, the school has seen quite a bit of Mettaton around. Especially after some particularly harrowing mall shenanigans, he's come in full force to act as an official, beautiful and charming distraction. a) Singing, of course, is a practiced and true standby (and now he even has an electric piano for the occasion!! ...Unfortunately, it's too small to lay on) for easy comfort. Anything they desire, he can do it: musicals, duets, the guttural, passionate screams of heavy metal... If that's what they want. b) Dancing is also an easy feat, thanks to their jewelry. That one is. More of a learning experience, but someone this naturally talented and special of COURSE can nail any routine. Besides, what's a better way to tire out an infected body than an intense tap lesson?

There's also c) games. He's donated piles of board games and, though he will consistently insist that Dream Phone is the next Clue and is a must-play, he's willing to play or run commentary on any one of them. d) Reading sounds like a stranger request, but that's done with as much gusto as anything else. After all, you couldn't ask for a better member of the team to voice every character with the emotion and depth of a Shakespearean actor.

As for e) guarding... Well. He won't like it, but he'll admit when something is out of his field. He does what he can, which includes some unpleasant shocks to the system of anyone needing some more forceful calm. At least those are usually followed up with a generous amount of hugs.]

[Or you can f) wildcard it up!]

a

[feytality]

[It may be too small to lay on, but Mettaton will have to make do. Especially now that a certain menace has come to join him and is ready to play that piano for him]

[She barely knows Mettaton, but he's been.... interesting.... and he probably wouldn't let her get bitten, so she feels a little nervous about this when hanging out with a giant robot]

Alright! Let's do this! It's time for the most magical duet these guys have ever heard or seen!

[ex_mettacrusher33]

[Oh, Maya. Always so excitable. That's partially why he called her here, honestly. Her enthusiasm is infectious. It might brighten up some days (more than he himself already does, of course).

Mettaton chuckles, shaking his head lightly, as he continues to tinker with his magic.]

Just a moment, starshine. We can't perform without setting the stage! That's the first rule to being an entertainer: presentation.

Now let's see...

[With a handwave, there's a shimmering gray banner floating above them. "Metal and Magic," it reads. An army of tiny boxed clones rain from the sky before settling themselves in a line as a makeshift crowd, all cheering and blowing heart-shaped kisses. A disco ball follows suit, hanging in the air and spinning with white and blue lights.

Now for the piece de resistance. The icing on the gorgeous cake that will be this musical number...

Mettaton plucks the keyboard off of its stand before settling himself on the table he moved specifically for this purpose. If this piano is too small for him to lay on... it will just have to lay on him! He balances it on a slightly raised leg before said leg locks into place, holding the keyboard without fear of any movement dropping it. Beautiful.

His audience of clones clap just for him.]

Now we can begin. You have the sheet music I bought, don't you?

eeeeeeeeeee

[strictdiscipline]

[There's not always enough manpower for double duty shifts, but they've always advocated the buddy system, especially as risk of infection had ticked higher and higher. Easier to call for help or devise a plan with two heads instead, especially if the recent news of Patroclus's death was any indication.

Still....her gaze flits over to Mettaton, alternating between painful shocks and loving hugs without any seeming difficulty.]

You seem to have things under control.

b!!

[digiorno]

[He's heard so much about Mettaton's presence at quarantine through the grapevine.]

[Note: there is no grapevine. He has bona fide informants, who would report to him even facts that would personally compromise them, because he is Giorno Giovanna and this is the kind of loyalty he commands. But he's still heard a lot about Mettaton and his stage presence. His people tell him that kind of thing, because they know what he likes.]

[So: while Giorno would have come to see the infected anyway, he prepares for this visit to be less dour than he'd initially planned, given the givens. And he's not disappointed. When he makes his way around to Mettaton, he's very pleased to see that distraction, the best coping mechanism for a situation one can't change, is well underway here.]

[Too bad about the dancing, although clearly Mettaton is making the best of it. He watches a little for a while, not wanting to interrupt, then goes and visits around for a bit before returning. The dancing appears to be over for the moment, but he's still very curious as he leans on the doorjam, arms folded over his chest.]

Everything really is your forte, isn't it.

A

[iomnic]

[Unfortunately, a distraction really isn't what Zenyatta needs. He needs to focus. To concentrate.

The electric piano isn't helping.]

Must you?

[It comes out ruder than he would like, simply because he's having more difficulty controlling his temper.]

Hanzo Shimada | OTA

[whatshimadayou]

[Consider this an invitation for a wildcard tag, or you can message me at albaaulbath if you'd like a custom thread starter. Open prompts to follow as time progresses.]

week of 3/4

[whatshimadayou]

[Behind the door in one of the many classrooms, Hanzo sits, trying to focus on meditation.

In the past several years, it has been too difficult to clear his mind and find himself at peace. For a time, he rediscovered it slowly within himself again -- but now, as he is, it is almost impossible. Lingering in his mind is that sense of hunger, growing slowly, nagging inside of him. His skin is paler, dark circles under his eyes, all of the clear signs of infection.

It is his fault for not being more cautious. He failed.

Hanzo continues to fail.

His eyes open and he lets out an angry, wordless yell. There is, thankfully, no one to lash out at, but he still snarls, grabbing a desk by the leg and throwing it against the wall.]

Foolish. [The word is spat out, addressing just himself.]

lmk if this works!! I can change it if not

[feytality]

[Here she is, armed to the teeth with samurai movies, (she raided the local video rental store) caramel candies, and a bit of her own homemade caramel, she's here: she's here]

Hey! Partner!

[Her arms are too full of stuff to wave, but she does excitedly make a beeline for him when she sees it] Are you ready for the most kick butt quarantine ever?!

chihiro;

[whatshimadayou]

[Since quarantining himself, Hanzo welcomed every distraction that anyone could bring him, including bringing him food. Never before has he felt such hunger, such need. He tried, for as long as he could, to stave it off with meditation and whatever other tasks and interactions that could take his mind off of it.

But it comes to a head, as all things do. His arm itches, and he feels like he's starving. No amount of treats could convince him it is enough. Hanzo wants to feed, and the dragons ache to devour.

For hours, he's spend snarling, attacking the barrier keeping him inside the room. Eventually, he was driven to look for other options, and has spent the better part of the day digging into the floor.

Until he could break through to the first floor, finally.

Hanzo lands roughly, standing up and peering down the hallway, sniffing the air. He scratches furiously at this left arm as he steps slowly.]

urahara kisuke ⚛ ota

[predomination]

ᴀ. ᴄᴜᴋᴏᴏꜱ ᴄᴀʟʟ, ᴘᴇɴᴅᴜʟᴜᴍ ꜱᴡɪɴɢꜱ. ɪ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ᴋɴᴇᴡ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴛʜɪɴɢ.

[he contacts the relevant parties and then makes his way to the quarantine zone- not to stay, mind you. he isn't so far along that he can abandon his work, but he needs to start making preparations and with this set up, he won't have to worry about causing any harm to the apartment building and its tenants. it's still dangerous, but there's a bit more space to work with between him and the other infected.

he's only into his first week by his calculations. there's no telling how the slow lack of control is going to affect his reiatsu, even within his gigai. it only keeps him hidden. it doesn't necessarily suppress his power.

luckily, he's an expert at seals.

there's a definite stifling increase in pressure from one corner of the school as Urahara experiments with triggering seals in an abandoned classroom. while he's in control, he can break it easily. the problem is making sure it will hold fast when he's not capable of thinking. and the real question is how much reiatsu output will be enough to trigger a more desperate maneuver- he can't be irresponsible about this, despite not wanting to resort to that. this city and this world could suffer heavy losses if he progresses to a stage where he can't be controlled, and he can't trust that anyone would know how to put him down.

as usual, he has to plan for that accordingly.]

ʙ. ꜱᴀꜰᴇ ᴜɴᴛɪʟ ᴍʏ ʟᴜᴄᴋ ʀᴜɴꜱ ᴏᴜᴛ


[once he's satisfied with his seals, he makes a few rounds among the people gathered, offering some reassurances about the cure and the vaccine. it's not a lie or an exaggeration- they are making decent progress, but he and Sonia are both on borrowed time, and the situation is dire, indeed, especially with the looming threat hanging over them.

it's a nightmare to be sure, but he planned for the fact that he might get infected and he planned for the potential that Zymandis may be involved... now it's just a matter of staying sane long enough to make sure he can implement them.]

A

[prodigism]

[ Arima is making his rounds thought the school, making sure that there aren't infected sneaking in from anywhere and that everything is secure for the most part. He'll happen upon the other, pausing in the doorway to said abandon classroom he was currently using for what Arima surmised as magic.

He'll watch silently for a few moments. ]

Is this a type of magic from your world?

B

[scarredhorns]

[Nyuu was still finding it difficult to forgive herself for bringing the virus into their home. She should have insisted through their notes that Lucy wear the flu mask, but she didn't think the other persona would fail to make such a precaution on her own, not when it was such a common thing to do in Japan if one was sick.

She was lying on her mattress, curled up on her side and clutching a pillow to her chest while looking into her ring. It was heartbreaking to see Maple House and all the faces of her beloved friends after being away for so long, but it also brought her a strange sense of comfort. She wanted to keep memories of home vivid in her mind for as long as she was sane.]

peridot → ota

[slapfight]

[Peridot has no reason to really be here- she's not infected, nor will she ever be- and she's terrible at offering emotional support, but after finding out Lance is infected, she's eager to see who else is... and maybe see if there's something she can do.

She didn't come alone. She's cloaked to resemble a human as per usual, and so is what she's holding in her arms. The cloak makes her look like a chubby corgi, but underneath it, it's a... pumpkin. That behaves like a dog.

She isn't quite sure why ALASTAIR saw fit to give her such a gift, but she also feels like this pumpkin belongs to her- and not just because she jumped at her and started behaving as if she knew her when the she arrived. Strange, but not unwelcome.

And humans like dogs, or so her research has told her. And being a pumpkin, she's probably less in danger of becoming a snack than a dog would be.

Now if she could just... figure out where to go instead of standing here looking uncomfortable...]

bugs u here too

[competing]

—Per?

[ the voice comes a few feet behind her, where lance stands at the end of a hallway, looking a lot more rumpled than he normally would allow himself to. it's only been a few days, but the restlessness has begun to get to him, and even though maya had kept true to her word and dropped off all of his remaining skin care supplies, the overall cabin fever and feeling of uselessness has not been very good for the dark circles around his eyes.

or the lack of sleep, really.

he starts to move towards her, lips splitting into a grin. he's got a towel wrapped around his shoulders, but it's not for showering or drying off. since the city shut down the schools, power hasn't been coming in, and so the building is a lot chillier than usual, and there aren't that many blankets yet to go around. so he makes do with a towel. ]

What're you doing here?

Widowmaker | OTA (Middle of the Second Week)

[araigneedusoir]

[It had taken a few days after the incident at the Hospital to feel it and a few more before the realization had actually entirely sunk in. She didn't want to accept it at first, didn't want to believe that she of all people would fall victim -- but here she was ignoring the gnawing hunger picking away at the back of her mind. She knows she has more time then some others might -- Talon had almost guaranteed her the full eight weeks -- but she wanted to have a look at the facilities that had been set up.

She wanted to know if she could lock herself away and be sure the rest of the team would be safe when the time came. Until then she had every intention of continuing to investigate and do whatever else it took to track down the people responsible.

Widowmaker couldn't just sit and wait not with the awareness that sooner or later she'd lose everything that was her a second time. It was a fact she tried not to dwell on as she entered the quarantine zone and made her way deeper into the facility. She passes door after door, walking almost aimlessly until she finally decides on one -- the door slightly ajar -- and slips inside.

It would do she thinks as she walks a circuit around the outside of the desks, thinking back to all the times the rooms were alive with the activity of children and teachers alike. It's here she can be found any time later, having settled atop the teacher's desk. She's silent and still as she stares off at the back of the room at nothing in particular.

While she still has no plans to remain, it's something to get used to all over again.]

(OR Hit me with a wildcard of some kind!)

[perma_banned]

[It wasn't at all strange in Ban's mind to stalk familiar friends while invisible, especially when they were heading out into dangerous pastures. As far as he knew it, the campus wasn't safe--as was most of Woodhurst. Though he could walk around undisturbed thanks to Zero Sign, the same wasn't the case for most of the town's folks and ALASTAIR alike.

He followed Widowmaker awhile, watching her back in silence. He wouldn't have revealed himself for the duration if she stopped and went back somewhere else but stepping into the unlocked classroom prompted another reaction from him.

Ban popped into existence in the front row, sitting at a desk with one hand propped against his chin, looking straight at her. He wore a neutral mask like hers, devoid of judgement to the extent that even he could barely track what he was thinking. She was incredibly tough to read and to the point that, if the idea of her going mad from the situation had come up, he was worried he wouldn't be able to tell until it was too late.]

[dishearten]

( a bit of an odd position for him to walk in on, a woman perched on the top of a desk in a fairly abandoned room. he didn't notice the room wasn't empty until it was too late, and he was already inside of it. Graham is armed with a pair of boxes, big enough that he can't do much more than carry them — inside are supplies, anywhere from toothpaste to blankets to boardgames for the people doing their best to protect the populace by secluding themselves.

he hesitates, considering moving out again without much comment — he's never been exactly the most talkative soul — yet the quiet isolation of the room strikes him, somehow. ) My apologies. I didn't realize someone was in here.

( he's looking for a place to store the supplies he's brought along, and a seemingly empty room had been as good idea as any. )

lance | ota

[competing]

[ new prompts will crop up as the infection progresses! ]

march 4 - march 11 | days 5-12

[competing]

1. party games

[ lance knew, of course, that there would be drawbacks to this. of course there would be. it wasn't a perfect plan, not one by a long shot, but he had thought there would have been at least a little more time before the first major problem began to crop up.

(though, honestly, knowing him? he should have expected it.)

no, it isn't a lack of resources. heck, it isn't even people trying to eat other people! (at least... not yet.) no no, this problem goes deeper. digs deep into the core of you, rooting in the very pits of your soul till it consumes you, till it's all that you can think about...

boredom.

and, when things get bad? ]

Hey.

[ you get desperate. ]

Truth or dare?

2. texts from last night

[ at some obscene time in the day — when it's way too late to still be considered "tonight," but also way too early to be called "tomorrow," you will receive a text. ]

hey

[ the username is one you might recognize, whether intimately, or purely because it's too ridiculous not to have noticed before — xXx_trueblue_xXx — but considering the last he had publicly spoken out, perhaps it isn't too surprising to find him up at such an odd hour.

what might be surprising, instead, is the kind of message he's sending out now. ]

( a ) you think penguins have feelings?
( b ) how come you never hear about mr. buttersworth?
( c ) when phoenixes are reborn, does that mean their kids become their parents?

[ engage at your own risk. ]

3. wildcard

[ during his first two weeks, lance is available all throughout the middle school! whether he's taking advantage of any of the electives rooms (like art, band, home ec), doing random shit at the gym, engaging in any number of other board games or shenanigans as a happy alternative, or wandering around to check up on all the other residents. feel free to say hi! ]

Sai | OTA

[daimeinashi]

i.

[The convenient thing about ink clones is that they are ... well, made of ink. So if they were to be heavily damaged, say, by a hungry infected they'd just collapse in on themselves, and Sai can continue making more clones until he runs out of chakra--which will certainly not be depleted unless several dozens of clones are destroyed one after the other.

He doesn't quite have Naruto's level of chakra, of course, so he can only sustain one or two at once. One stays posted at the door pretty much the entire time, while the other wanders around, herding them away from breakable windows, watching for trouble between the infected members of Audentes. It's not an ideal setup, but they have to make do with what's available.

It also helps that Sai is capable of making certain basic supplies, as well. No foodstuffs, unfortunately, but things like blankets, pillows, even bandages were covered.

If a recruit lingers upon passing by him, he'll ask--]

Do you require anything?

ii.

[Visitors to the quarantine, or observant passerby, on the other hand, may experience something a little different. There's a boy--no more than sixteen years old--tucked away in a corner on the roof of the school building, sitting there with little to no concern about falling. He has a scroll open in front of him, and every so often he draws something, brings his hand up to his chin with two fingers raised, and the drawing materializes right off the page...before he hands it off to another, identical version of himself.

Should anyone either call up to him from the ground or join him on the roof, he offers them a (slightly too-plastic) smile and asks, politely--]

Ah, hello. Are you here to visit somebody, or enter yourself into the quarantine?

i

[winces]

—Oh. [ olivia straightens up, smiling at him guiltily. ]

No no, not really... [ her arms are empty now, but just a few minutes ago they had been laden with a small collection of amenities she'd been able to loot from abandoned stores for the safe house. small things, of course, like canned meats and junk food, as well as flashlights and candles for those darker, chillier nights. she'd just been on her way out, actually, when she could not help but get distracted by sai...

or, rather, sai's clone.

yes, she was definitely about to poke one just now. ]

Sorry... I've just never really seen one before.

ii!

[keeper]

[ It's probably not a good idea to be using any hocus-pocus in public, but they're in a relatively isolated area (no surprise, it's meant to be a quarantine,) and people don't often look up while they walk. Aqua's curious, though, enough that it brings her up to the rooftop to join him. ]

I'm here to visit.

[ She offers a friendly smile. ] ...I'm Aqua, by the way.

[ She peers curiously over his shoulder, at the parchment and dancing ink. She's not seen anything quite like it in her travels. ]

...May I ask how you're doing that? [ (A magician never reveals their secrets, etc., but perhaps he'll at least give her a hint...) ]

closed to dany.

[racking]

[ The barrier gives Shiro some peace of mind, even as he's rapidly losing everything else. The hunger's been growing, and Shiro's taken to pacing the room endlessly trying to distract himself. He's kept the book Keith gave him clutched in hand, but he can't find enough focus to read.

As restless as he is, he dismisses every thought of escape. He doesn't need to start hammering at the barrier. He's terrified of what he's capable of if he gets out of this room. But every once in a while the hunger draws him to the doorway, though it shocks him when he realizes who's standing on the other side of it today. ]

Oh.

[ It's not a promising start to this conversation. Daenerys looks terrible, but likely better than Shiro does. There's no question about whether or not she's infected. He doesn't want to ask. Even if she'd contracted the disease elsewhere, Shiro had put her at risk. The odds of it having been him were too good to try to slip away from. ]

It's usually Keith who stops here.

[conqueress]

[ Loki has borne her elsewhere in an instant when she requires it, but this time he had been reluctant. That had surprised her, and in her affliction the annoyance had turned to wroth. Eventually, he had agreed to bring her to the school, though he is not far removed from her side.

It was food she had wanted to bring, food and spare blankets. It is largely her own decision, being the only one of their three who must needs eat and sleep. Dany had meant to bring relief, and to examine the walls for herself, lest she decide to ensconce herself there.

Curious, that they should find themselves together again. Shiro's paltry greeting falls as flat as the look Dany gives him. She remembers his unnerving approach, the way he had seemed to target her the instant he had come into the morgue, like some wounded boar. He cannot attack her here, though; she has personally witnessed some of Sieglinde's work on the barriers. And she is not alone.

He looks dreadful, the lines in his face turned gaunt and pinched. He might have been handsome, if not for his affliction. She thinks to leave him there, wordless, and return to her apartments with Loki's magic, but some part of her is curious how he fares. ]

"Oh"? [ she repeats. It might have been said playfully, if she were not afflicted. Her smiles come rarely these days. ] You know my name.

[ She had not told him, but Lance had known she'd sickened even before her admission. He must have spoken with Lance. ]