[EVENT POST] I FEEL STUPID, AND CONTAGIOUS.

[dishearten]

CHARACTERS: Open to all!
DATE: 3/11-3/12, ICly
WARNINGS: Zombie attacks? Violence? Shopping???
SUMMARY: Lockdown at the mall! Grab your CDs and your soft pretzel, it's about to get bad.

LET'S GO TO THE MALL LOCKDOWN Business has been rough for Woodhurst Shopping Center ever since riots and unrest about the Bristol Virus have shunned most to their homes. Perhaps ill-advisedly, in attempts to draw a few more customers back into the polished halls of the grandest shopping experience Woodhurst has to offer, a weekend of big sales, great bargains, and fun family activities was widely advertised in the Woodhurst Watch. There was even a scheduled public concert, performed by the University Choir. The turnout was smaller than hoped, yet the air was quite optimistic. Shoppers enjoyed the day of activities and fun, and the sense of security was bolstered by the increased security detail. There was even some members of the press on hand to document this return to normality in a troubled time. Everything was going well, until a scene broke out in the food court. Security tried to quietly remove members of the choir that suddenly seemed to snap, plowing into one of the food stands and starting to feed on raw meat. However, a good handful of them escaped instant confinement, and while many of the visitors fled the mall as soon as they could, soon Police Detail arrived and put the entire building on lockdown. Nobody in and nobody out until the situation was resolved. 18:00 TO 23:00 HOURS Anyone unlucky enough to be trapped in the mall is left to their own devices, with very little knowledge to go on. This includes many civilians, as well as a small number of Audentes agents. This also includes a small number of infected, more than just the university choir. There's a voice over the loudspeaker imploring people to hide in stores, barricade doors, and stay put until help arrives. The majority of the infected seem to linger in the Food Court especially. Bad news for anyone trapped and starting to get hungry as the hours pass by, without any obvious assistance from the outside. The members of ALASTAIR have a choice, help protect or just do their best to avoid the infected themselves. Characters can get into the Security Office for a camera feed on what is happening in the mall, and potentially use it as a base of operations to work from. 00:00 TO 02:00 HOURS It becomes apparent that the number of infected in the mall are somehow increasing, despite the lockdown. It means that those that have squirreled away into stores and outlets are growing less and less safe as infected numbers multiply and they begin attacking barricades. To make matters worse, anyone that hasn't found cover will find the infected extremely reactive, and willing to give chase around the mall. The security feed indicates the infected seem to be coming in from the Parking Garage. Investigation will reveal a sewer outlet on the bottom floor. Characters will have to decide whether they should utilize the tunnel as a means of escape, or if sealing it off would ultimately leave the remaining hours of lockdown a little less violent. 04:00 TO 09:00 HOURS It's been an agonizing 12 hours, and with surprisingly little aide from the outside. With time to make preparations and put plans in place, now it's time to end this lockdown once and for all. Audentes is tasked with neutralizing the remaining infected as well as escorting any remaining civilians to safety, by any means they decide on. It is up to Audentes to decide how the end of this event plays out, be it removing or otherwise drawing away the lingering infected, or putting them down once and for all. There are plenty of civilians that have been bitten and attacked, leaving the question in the air as to whether they are infected as well. What should be done with those that could be bringing the virus back to their families? The team is going to have to decide on the answer to that.

Comments

00:00 TO 02:00 HOURS

[ofobedience]

Possibly.

[Although he doesn't think so-- it seems to be a slow burning thing, creeping up on those caught by the infection slowly, corroding their sense of self over time. Not something he likes to think about, all things considered. And as such its in him still-- the desire to simply put them down, quick shots to the head and it'd all be over, bang-bang. Lights out.

His tone, it borders on disinterested, and his eyes behind the orange lenses are focused on the milling infected rather than the man making the suggestion. Slowly, he raises both pistols. Takes aim.]

It'd be simpler, more elegant, to kill them. Who'd need distractions then? Hahah.

[scrap_metal]

[ Simpler. Yes. Efficient? Maybe. Elegant? Who cares. ]

Don't be stupid. The cure is under works. [ And there is a big possibility that it won't work retroactively. That those fallen into this state can never go back. Then, and only then, killing them will be a form of mercy. ] Until it's complete, it's not our call to make.

[ He reaches for one of the pistol to lower the aim. ]

Aim to disable if you must, [ Infected that can't run, is a much less effective infected. Probably? ] but what I need, is someone to lead those civilians to safety.

text; un: sai

[daimeinashi]

i can get you into the security room

[ofobedience]

[He glances sly-eyed at the other man then, exhales a low and put-upon sigh. They all seem to be the same, these people, judgement clouded by morals he can't pretend to understand, but at least it's becoming predictable, now. Expected.

As such, he doesn't jerk back as the pressure on the gun skews his aim. Doesn't react with visible volatility. Instead--]

Come on, now. Do I look like anyone's saviour to you? I'll deal with the infected, you can play babysitter. I'll even take non-lethal shots, just for you.

[Do you trust him to do that, though...]

a.

[slapfight]

[Peridot emerges from The Deb the teen clothing boutique she'd slipped off to for a second, wearing clothing rack rods on her back like they're supposed to be katanas. she looks absolutely annoyed by this turn of events and watches Mettaton electrocute that poor hapless infected person with a look of impassiveness over the top of the sunglasses she just stole.]

Well, Mettaton... This turned out to be a shocking development.

[why did people teach her about puns?]

C!

[skelepun]

[The aftermath was as unpleasant as it was grimy. Blood smeared over walls in abstract streaks, painting a particularly ugly picture. His friends, his brother, he was still seeking them out with a bone deep exhaustion that felt even more pronounced than usual.

That exhaustion extends further than just the physical. Magically, Sans' felt wrung out and brittle. He applied it as judiciously as he could, but certain expenditures were unavoidable. Teleporting was unavoidable, unless he wanted his brother tasked with a funeral not even five days into finding him again.

So Sans walks, scanning the faces in huddled crowds, looking for a familiar face.

The one he does find surprises him.]

... MTT? [He asks, squinting, not entirely believing the scene. Some people you just didn't expect to see comforting a crying child. Still, the confusion passes quickly. Desperate times and all.] Uh, hey.

[He rounds the bench, taking a step closer towards the huddled pair. His expression may have been fixed, as it always was, but there was a softness to his eye sockets. Befitting exhaustion and concern, though the ratio between them wasn't clear.]

You two alright?

Maya Fey | ota!

[feytality]

Lockdown;

[The scene: Food Court. The star of the show: Maya Fey. The object of her affection: This delicious looking burger, bought from the little mall outlet of McBurgerPrince. It's just as people are starting to scrap and fight for raw meat, while just figures they really want some steak and shrugs it off.]

[Suddenly: a loud, horrified scream pierces the air. Anyone nearby -- or rushing to the scene -- will see something truly haunting as it enfolds.]

[Maya Fey, being swarmed by infected fighting for her burger, and her epic struggle for said burger. She fights with all of her strength, but the burger's lost to her -- slipping out of her hands and falling, past the infected's reaching fingers, in dramatic slow-mo, to the ground]

[and then came that horrifying scream as Maya falls to her knees and considers eating that burger off of the ground]

My super deluxe Big Macopper with all the works!

[But it looks like the infected are beating her to it. It looks like they're also considering the Maya burger in front of them. Maybe.... she should consider... running??]

18:00 to 23:00 Hours;

[Cue the mission impossible music as Maya, near one of the the mall guidemaps, turns to whoever's with her and nods seriously.]

Okay, here's the plan. [She puts her finger on the Security Office marker on the map, only inches away from the "You are Here" X]

I ride on your shoulders! You run up to the office! You throw me through the glass! I activate all the emergency sprinklers and turn on some mall Christmas music! [These are not things in the security office, mAYA?] You put on your 90s earmuffs! All the zombies will be so horrified by the repetitive music they'll be subdued! Bam! And then I'll pose for the camera, having saved the day, and watch cartoons in the security station!

[Why have you been listening to her this long??? She looks at you expectantly]

00:00 to 02:00 Hours;

[Yeah, so finding a barricade is a no-go. However: Maya's got other plans. Despite her antics and general sillyness, she does care about helping out these civilians, and has been working on her own plan to save them from this cliche movie scenario. And the mall has the perfect equipment for her to pull it off]

[Out steps Maya Fey, nigh unrecognizable (except for the topknot, naturally) in her armour. And by armour I mean: she's wearing rollerskates, strapped a bunch of pillows and blankets around herself, has two super nintendos as shoulderguards, is armed with a bunch of CDs, nokia phones, slap bracelets, pogs, floppy disks, and just imaging everything terrible about the 90s and image Maya's wearing it all.]

[She heroically skates at a bunch of zombies attacking a civilian and........ yeah, it goes about as well as to be expected]

Why did I think this was a good idea!! Aaaaah! [Yeah, she's getting her ass kicked. Little help?] Stop using your teeth!

[Or: encounter her earlier, where she's loading up on these incredibly stupid 90s references, where she'll either wink or at shh you if there's an infected nearby. Or even tug you into one of her hiding spots if she thinks you're in danger]

OK Fine A Serious Prompt;

[It's ass o'clock in the morning, and Audentes is tasks with neutralizing the infected or trying to incapacitate them but keep them alive. Three guesses to which side Maya is on, and the first two don't count]

Come on! We have to come up with some brilliant plan that saves regular people and infected people! We're not just gonna kill 'em off or leave 'em to die! They're people, too!

[What a shocker.]

Wildcard;

[Want something else? Have your own prompt? HIT ME]

[ex_mettacrusher33]

[The infected man crumples to his knees before Mettaton scoops him back up and hefts him over his shoulder, where he twitches, stunned. He won't stay this way for long. They need to find a way to keep him from hurting others (or others from hurting him)...

But first.]

Doesn't it just rock you to your core?

[He holds out a hand. High-five.

...oh! Now that he's actually turned to her, it's obvious Peridot has done a bit of... "shopping," as it were. Mettaton appraises her, from the glasses over her eyes to the metal rods on her back.]

1) Do you think you could bend one of those rods around this gentlemen?

2) Did you get me a pair of sunglasses?

Sasuke Uchiha - ota, In lockdown

[beginanew]

18:00 TO 23:00 HOURS

[He had been enjoying the small break they've gotten from all the crazy, and of course, he should have seen the mess coming, considering his luck with stuff like this.

So he is in the food court, incapacitating as many people as possible, moving the unconscious bodies away from walking paths.

Really hard task to do with one arm.

So he looks around after he's moved three different people and finds someone who looks like they might be part of the missions.]

You, help me out.

00:00 TO 02:00 HOURS

[He had managed to get away from the food court, but now there's infected all over the place. He can swear there's more people than those originally attending the mall. He's doing his best to protect a small group of people hiding inside a store, but it's getting tiring.

If someone comes to tell him about the entrance point, he will say to absolutely close off the parking garage, there's no point on trying to escape when there's more infected outside.]

04:00 TO 09:00 HOURS

[Sasuke has been incapacitating as many infected as possible, leaving small groups of people barricaded inside stores. He's tired, and he can't move all the infected to the same place, so he decides asking for help again is the best way to go.

As he makes his way around the ridiculously big mall, avoiding as many infected as possible, he's looking for someone who is fighting, whether they're part of the mission or not, and calling their attention.]

There are groups of non infected all over the place, we have to help them out.

[ex_mettacrusher33]

[The girl seems to register the presence of someone else before Mettaton does. She shrieks and wails and thumps at his arms with tiny, balled up fists. He startles out of his half-awake singing and stretches out his hand, ready to shock the intruder away-

...Ah. It's Sans.

He huffs and drops his arm back down around the girl. He was so close to having her stop crying...]

Shh shh shh, it's alright, darling. It's okay. This one's a friend, see?

[Really, look at him. Sans is practically her same height. She could take him.

...she's back to hiding her face into his shirt and wetting the fabric with her tears. He runs the fingers of his free hand through her curls, watching her but very clearly speaking to Sans.]

Lost her mother. You haven't seen anyone looking for a little girl, have you? Short, black hair? Just turned seven?

[dishearten]

how exactly?

( ONLY WITH THIS TEAM DOES HE FEEL THE NEED TO ASK, because breaking the door down is not what he has in mind. )

[dishearten]

And are they here with you? ( he's met Julius once, maybe twice, he can't remember exactly. a man of some sense, which makes him wonder at the man letting a girl as small as Sakura go anywhere alone, especially when Woodhurst was in the state it was in. he didn't see Julius, and he was fairly sure he knew who Reika was, and he didn't see her, either. if they were in the mall, they weren't present now. )

It doesn't matter, ( he mutters finally, because it doesn't matter why, when the end result was she was here, and no talking about motivations was bound to change that. ) You're not hurt?

obviously the community reference

[dishearten]

( he just barely sees Maya suited up before she's immediately swarmed, and it does not seem that her armor does her very much good. to be fair, it's hard to really expect anything to protect against a crowd. sooner or later, protection would fail; which was why he as focused on being faster, not on being well defended.

the fact he has a tranquilizer gun doesn't hurt, either. and at least the leather jacket he basically always has on anyway resists the claws and attempted chomps of the first infected he peels back, after notching a pacifying shot in the ones he could hit. the secret behind his accuracy is that he doesn't take shots he can't make.

still, with two twitching from a sedative and a third yanked free, Maya is at least clear to stand up again... though he doesn't know how to manage that, when she's got rollerblades on. ) Here, I'll help you. ( he offers both hands to try and drag her back to her feet... probably awkwardly. )

Waylon Park | Cue Outlast Sequence

[mutemail]

18:00 TO 23:00 HOURS - Lockdown, Pathetic Can't Fight
[ Waylon has been one of those people, the ones holed up, not heading out. It had something to do with the infected, but it was mostly about how heart-rendingly familiar Woodhurst of 1993 is. In 1993 he'd been in college, in the junior class at Berkley. He was already living with his future wife. In love with her, planning to propose. He hasn't seen her in such a long time, even before slipping through time and space and landing himself in an Audentes uniform. Being in a world where Lisa has every right to be... has been hard. Nostalgic and bitter, reliving the days before he sent that email to Miles Upshur and fucked everything up so heinously.

He'd spent the first few weeks hidden away in an apartment he now shared with Upshur, bent over an old computer made new, almost soothed by its unintuitive, inconsistent workings. He could put his energy there, spend his time looking for unsecured academic servers to drag resources down off of, making maps and graphs that were of no real use to anyone, but kept his mind busy.

The stir crazy had been a slow build, and he'd done something reckless he's glad to not have died from. He's not looking to repeat the experience as he wanders the mall. Not looking to buy anything either but he drinks a coffee, walks sedately, watches others enjoying themselves. He might even tip a weary smile at a passerby.

So of course it's going to be a disaster, he can't even muster a note of surprise.

He's not a fighter, he doesn't want anything to do with the infected, but we know how that goes... When face to face with a slavering victim he bolts with a curse, trying to make a run for it but not stumble on anyone else either.

Good luck, bruh. ]

00:00 TO 02:00 HOURS - Vents
[ The duct work of the mall is particularly sturdy. Makes it hard to get in to, but Waylon can't say he's terribly put off by that. He bangs his through the grating with an adrenaline fueled force, and shimmies up. It's not the first time. It would feel more cliche if the ducts weren't connected everywhere, if it didn't give him every opportunity to see down below at intervals over fans and grates, if he didn't know that the ducts would lead outside eventually. It's claustrophobic, the ducts are purposefully close to discourage what he's doing but... It doesn't matter so much when you're trying not to be killed and eaten.

This is also not the first time. ]

A.
un | w.park not having a good time. anybody have situation update.

B.
[ The maze of ducts is endless and it is impossible to orient... He peers down, out, looking for any signs of where he is, and always on the lookout for anyone in need of some help. Not that he's the most qualified to provide. ]

04:00 TO 09:00 HOURS - Freedom!
[ It feels like it takes forever, but he finally kicks his way outside, tumbling gracelessly out onto the back parking lot. He groans, picking him up slowly. He should probably find some other Audentes...]

B

[fintastic]

[ Armed with a makeshift trident, Feferi goes her own way in the mall, hoping to sneak between the stores and see if anyone needs help. She can't really heal anyone without giving herself away, but... well, in a pinch, she's damn well going to do it. Until then, she can at least try to administer first aid. She is still a fully-qualified Witch of Life, whether she uses her abilities or not.

Instead of finding any infected to ward off, though, she finds Mettaton instead, and the surprising number of diaries. ]

Oh. [ She has no idea what he's talking about; her mind has gone other places. ] Bookkind? I've never seen that before, can you really use all of those at once? Wouldn't one really big one be better?

B

[fintastic]

[ Somewhere outside the Radio Shack, there's a shrill shout, something akin to a frightened battlecry, as contradictory as it may be. Feferi is being pursued by one infected, and approached on from the other by two more. She's forced to leap atop a mall directory where she can get some high ground, and bat at them with the remains of a potted plant that she tried to weaponize. Unfortunately, it's not exactly her favored weapon type, but she wields it with all the fury of a Tyrian troll scorned. ]

Get! Away! I will stomp on your face, do you hear me!

[ They don't seem to be able to get up there with her, so she's sort of safe for the moment, but she can't just stay up there forever. She could call for help for any other recruits inside the mall, but she can't concentrate long enough to activate her magitek. She just has to hope her shouting will do. ]

[sheriffing]

Second floor, northwest corner, near the video store.

[ and as much as she wants to see that he's safe, she can't help but wonder - ]

Where are you now?

[ she got pulled away from the food court when all hell broke loose. if this isn't an easy trip for him, she'd rather make it herself. ]

[skelepun]

[The reaction is a surprise, and Sans backs up a half step in apology. For a moment, he wonders if his cloak went down without him realizing. Though when the infected attacking them were human, maybe his present appearance was scarier than a skeletal one.]

I haven't talked to anyone long enough to ask. [He explains, sincerely apologetic as he takes stock of Mettaton. The exhaustion he was exuding fit the context of the scene, but knowing what his human cloak was hiding re-framed it for Sans. With him staying at the school these days, Mettaton's daily routine was a mystery to him. Charging schedule included.

But if Sans had to put money on it, he'd say it'd been way too long.

He pitches his voice lower, as nonthreatening as he could.]

Hey, sorry, kiddo. Didn't mean to scare you. You like jokes? [To Mettaton:] ... She like jokes?

feferi peixes | ota - lockdown

[fintastic]

[ 18:00 TO 23:00 HOURS ]

[ Feferi might be young, but she's no stranger to being stuck in a place where a lot of things want to hurt and/or kill you. Other than the fact that she can't just swim away, she's not that far out of her element. While she tries to gather her bearings, she finds herself a curtain rod in the home goods section of one of the anchor stores, a department store with a name she's never heard of, then takes cover in a circular clothing rack lined with long, flowing dresses. She just needs a moment to get herself straightened out, and figure out a plan of attack, maybe see who else is stuck here...

She stops when she hears someone approach. She can't tell from her hide out whether they're infected or not, so all she can do is wait for them to get closer, then lash out with the curtain rod, aiming to trip whoever or whatever is unfortunate enough to be in the way.

If they go down, she'll bust out of the clothing rack, in attack mode and ready to fight, baring her teeth as though her cloaking device doesn't make her look human, and raising the curtain rod to whack them again if they try to get up-- provided, of course, they look like they might cause her harm.

But if she's not successful... well, if at first you don't succeed, try try again. She can make an escape out the back, but now that she's gone and hit something, well. She'd better follow through with it. ]

[ 00:00 TO 02:00 HOURS ]

[ Some time and more than a few shenanigans later, Feferi is armed with a makeshift trident, and even as the infected attacks ramp up, she's still darting around the mall as quick as her feet will carry her. She's starting to lag a bit; despite being noctural, she's been forced into a diurnal sleep schedule in order to make it to school on time, and it has her all thrown off now. But she keeps going. She has to.

Looking for a hiding spot, she finds someone else's, stumbling in on them, and immediately holding up her hands. ]

It's okay, I'm not sick! I just need a minute. Can I join you? If you're hurt, I can... help.

[ She's not sure if they're Audentes or not, but that doesn't change her offer, just how she goes about it. ]

[ Wildcard ]

[ You know the drill! Hit me up on culling for any plotting. ]

[sheriffing]

Get over here, it isn't safe.

[ because it's true that Emma's spot is the safer one, and if need be she can shield Sakura from harm by sticking close. nevermind that Emma herself looks like she's suffering from all of this, pale, and tired, and starving herself. she wanted that pretzel hours ago, but she won't even pretend success here means anything for her. whatever she can find will go straight back to the civilians who need it.]

Graham told you to stay where you were.

[ just don't ask why Emma isn't following orders. the truth is he wouldn't expect her to in the first place.]

Lights Out

[aspearation]

[ This isn't what Undyne expected when she came to work, but here she is, trapped in the mall. At least she's got Dogberry by her side, and as she comes to a juncture, she sees him stop and his ears perk up. The man who comes around the corner is fully armed and Undyne has to fight the urge to draw a spear in her own defense. She doesn't know who he even is yet, and she's trying her best to keep her cover.

She's given it away a few times, at least, but not in front of anyone who can't be said to be suffering from trauma anyway. Unfortunate, but for everyone's good. ]

Yeah. I'm fine. Where you headed? You shouldn't travel alone.

[dishearten]

trying to get into the security office, still. there's a locked door on the third floor, haven't found my way in yet.

( they're not too far from each other, though a floor in between them. )

the one that says it's for undyne!!

[aspearation]

[ Dogberry, despite all his excitement to see Sans initially, is in full watchdog mode, standing at Undyne's side, eyes and ears alert for any signs of movement, any untoward sounds. Undyne, for her part, isn't really looking at Sans when he poses the question, and it takes a moment for her to acknowledge him. He's lucky she likes him so much, or maybe it's just because the situation is a little dire even for her; either way, she doesn't shout like she might on another occasion.

No, it's worse. Instead, she's stern and even and focused. ]

What, and leave all these people here? I don't think so. [ She seems to catch herself, then adds, ] But if you want to get out of here...

[ Well. She can't really finish that sentence properly. She'll be disappointed, on the one hand; but she'll understand, on the other. ]

[sheriffing]

I'm guessing it's not the kind of lock we can pick?

[ because the sporting goods store might have enough to work with to do that, too.]

un: swan

[sheriffing]

depends on where you are. what's your current location?

[ some areas have been secured for civilians, which is a better time than Emma's been having.]