[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

[unholey]

You're assuming a lot about the feelings of someone you've just met.

[HARSH...]

No, there isn't. But that isn't what this is. You want to pass along a message in your words with my name attached. If I'm going to bother with something like that, I'd rather do it in person and pick what I'd like to say myself.

[ex_mettacrusher33]

Oh? Alright, then.

[He swoops his arm, as if sweet, perfect Giorno is standing at his side, and smiles patiently.]

The floor's yours, darling.

[headlining]

Oh, shut up. That's the last time you'll hear it from me.

[This is just embarrassing. He's not even going to meet Mettaton's eyes, he's just going to stare at the ice-covered door and wonder why his powers are just that terrible at doing what he wants them to do.]

...We...really should have done that before, yes. [He sighs. He had to make a fool of himself and there was a solution all along!! Of course!!] Anyways, what's done is done.

[A pause.]

Your singing wasn't half bad, by the way.

[Which in Keatsspeak is the highest compliment he can give, really.]

[ex_mettacrusher33]

[Ha!! Yeah, alright. He'll believe that one next time they're drowning in a flesh-hungry mob. Idiot.

...Oh. That's.

That's a compliment.

The horrible grin fades into something sweeter, something he won't own up to later. He knocks his shoulder into Keats', now fussing with his own hair.]

Of course it isn't "half-bad". It's me. My voice is incredible.

[...]

But thanks.

[wyvil]

[Wylan matches his smile. He's proud of his growing collection of go to explosives and his ability to continually surprise people, even with the chaos erupting around them.]

Are there many people with powers here?

[Grisha are the ones with powers back home, but they certainly aren't the majority of the population, far from it. Wylan can't help but wonder how different a world where powers are common would be, how much more open people could be with their powers. It paints an interesting image, one that Wylan can't help but hope would be better than everyone having to choose between keeping such huge secrets or risk living in fear.]

I... Sort of? I like chemistry...

[He trails off weakly, knowing how suspicious that explanation sounds.]

i.

[wyvil]

[When Wylan spots the man watching the food court as chaos erupts all around them, he freezes in place, watching him with wide eyes. His initial thought is that the man must be hurt, something must be wrong, why else would he just be standing there? Wylan jogs over to him, one hand already reaching into his satchel just in case tripping the infected isn't enough to keep them at bay.]

You should get moving. It's not safe out here.

[headlining]

I'd like to...hear it more, if I could. Couldn't hear it all the way over here all that well, you know.

[Oh, look, books on the bookshelf! How distracting! How suitable for grabbing his attention so he won't have to own up to saying nice things!]

[ex_mettacrusher33]

[He doesn't mean to laugh, but it peals out of his mouth regardless. It isn't mean, just...

Surprised.

...this isn't wise. It's not particularly kind, either. But he likes watching Keats get nervous. He likes watching the blush tint his otherwise aloof face. He likes seeing him avert his eyes beneath those too-reflective lenses, pretending not to be interested. He likes seeing him fidget, like someone too shy to even think of the word "prom," none the less invite someone.

It isn't kind. And it isn't fair. But Mettaton leans into him anyway.]

No one's gonna hurt you, no one's gonna dare
Others can desert you,
Not to worry, whistle, I'll be there
Demons'll charm you with a smile, for a while
But in time...
Nothing can harm you
Not while I'm around...

[aspearation]

[ For a moment, she looks like she's about to respond to that, but then stops and thinks it over some, before cracking a dim smile. ]

You know, I still can't ever tell when you're serious or joking. I'm starting to wonder if it's just... both.

[digiorno]

[His lips twitch a little. He doesn't want to outright smirk, because that would be pretty unsporting and Wylan seems like too easy of a target, but that never stops him entirely. Still--this isn't the time, right?]

[Maybe.]

Don't panic, darling, I'm hardly someone who's interested in calling the authorities. You like chemistry, you know what you're doing, that's good enough for me.

[And as to the other thing . . .]

A fair number, yes. No one's too covert about it. [Except Fugo. And Jesper. It's fine.] But there's also a fair number without, so I worry.

1/2

[feytality]

[Graham's frankly uncalled for prejudice against skates is terrible, but Maya's too distracted by his sudden grabbing and lifting her]

-Eeek!

[She's easily startled, I wasn't kidding.]

i've never played it....

[feytality]

--Hey! I do so have some control... it's just taking some time to get used to, that's all.

[She puffs out her cheeks at his skate discrimination and ugly sneakers but since he's a relatively intimidating tall grown-up, despite a little sass, she won't actually argue. She starts trying to wiggle her skates off obediently]

You don't gotta be jealous, you know. We could have matched and both skated around!

she's the president of Aqua's new fanclub tbh

[feytality]

[Nothing hushes this girl and her outbursts. Okay, that's not true, some things hush her, but even being in the middle of a stereotypical zombie flick where they're trapped in a mall can't truly dampen her enthusiasm.]

Oh!! Like... a martial arts sensei? You gotta teach me how to do that!

[But now's not the time. Heavier bookshelves as a blockade, boring books.... there are plenty of reasons to flee to this relic of a store, and Maya sobers a little to nod to her as Aqua prepares to do her thing]

Okay! Be careful, and kick zombutt!

[In the meantime, Maya holds down the fort by wiggling her hands around through the bars in the hopes that this will somehow get it open. Good thing security in the 90s isn't all that tight]

Oooh, open, you dumb thing!

[feytality]

Who needs physics! It's dumb and I hate studying!

[someone's still bitter about high school....]

[And possibly Grievously Offended by Giorno's sad lack of faith in her. She puffs out her cheeks at him, it's very intimidating (no)]

The sprinklers and Christmas music ideas are pretty solid, you gotta admit...

[feytality]

'Cause we're in it, and so are a lot of people? And stuff. I mean, there's a burger joint in here! I haven't even got to try their super deluxe Big Macopper with all the works on it!

[What a legit reason]

[feytality]

[She's small, cute, yappy, eats a lot, likes to go for walkies, and sheds, doesn't that count for something?]

[But it's true. This infected guy has impeccable taste, as sempai and kouhai start making their valiant escape]

Don't underestimate me! I can totally--

[To her credit, she does manage to move quickly despite the ridiculous amount of nonsense on her person. On the other hand, she also trips and falls on her face.]

[Sempai.. has failed...]

...Ow....

[feytality]

[It's true.... Fugo can't be trusted with a fair maiden's heart and stomach (the same thing, in this case), even if he can apparently be trusted with reducing clutter on the zombie warpath.]

But what if he bleeds out? Or--- you're not supposed to lie down when you have a concussion, right?

[Logically, she knows Fugo's right, if they brought him along he'd be nothing but a liability to them, but even if he technically just tried to eat her, Maya can't help feeling concerned for this complete (and cannibalistic) stranger because she's Maya and she's a dumbass]

[It does occur to her that the other infected might want a piece of this guy, too]

C-Can we hide him, really quickly? Or.... I don't know.

[ex_adept136]

[Haise spares the ties a speculative glance. It probably would be unwieldy, with only one hand.

He wonders, briefly, if anyone has explained that his limb might be restored by someone with advanced enough healing skills, if he wished. But then, perhaps this man is like Miles and would prefer not to.

In the next moment, he follows his companion's survey of their surroundings]

I've gotten a few along the way, so I think I can manage... I'll just have to pick up more afterward.

[keystaff]

[They seem more reassured with Aqua assisting at least, more readily following and trusting her as they head out. Sakura follows too, slightly behind Aqua and in front of the civilians before she pauses, glancing back to the mall in following Aqua's gaze. She purses her lips and grips her staff, considering.]

They probably want to get home now. You think they will be okay to get back themselves if I came with you? I mean, I can stay if I have to.

[thinhammer]

[ Naruto has lifted the box to his nose and is sniffing at it to assess it's contents. He looks up to answer but doesn't move the box, so his voice is kind of muffled. ]

Uhh, kinda. How'd ya know that?

[ He scowls, endlessly suspicious of this magical bandit. Was Ban watching him earlier or did he just.. guess, somehow? Maybe that's another power he had along with his stealy magic and his bag magic. Naruto is equally impressed, jealous and frustrated by it; by this, by Ban and the uncertainty of it all. ]

He got stuck out there when everythin' got serious. I kept him around just in case.

[thinhammer]

[ Even though Naruto has no idea what the surveillance setup looks like or how he might appear on the screen, the mere idea that someone can see him from a distance is an exhilarating one, and it has him laughing like someone's told him a hilarious joke, right there in the middle of the hallway. Is Graham sure he's ready to deal with this kid....... ]

aah cool!!! :D okay no problem
i'll stay put!!

[ Like he has anywhere else to go, really. He's protective of the small group of people he's kept safe all by himself - he's just one kid and a few brother-clones after all, it's quite an achievement - and wouldn't let them out of his sight for just anything, so to wait for the Network Man's arrival he trots back to the storefront to... look busy, probably. ]

Re: i.

[mistruths]

[ Loki glances over, mildly surprised that anyone had even bothered to approach. ]

No. [ He says it slowly, one eyebrow arching. ] I suppose it isn't. But there is also nowhere to go that would be, ah... Safe.

[mistruths]

[ It's met with one of Loki's own. ]

A reasonably pleasant time. Exciting, at the very least.

[unholey]

[The very tips of his ears go red, in a very damning sort of way because it sure implies that whatever Fugo would want to say is very personal.]

Do you look like Giorno Giovanna? No.

[unholey]

[Dismissively:] Scalp wounds always look a lot worse than they usually are.

[They bleed a lot, but skulls are tough! Still. Fugo sighs and then turns, planting his hands on his hips, eyeballing their surroundings.]

Look, there's a sunglasses stand over there. If we drag him over, we can dump him over the counter. He'll at least be out of their line of sight. But if we can't move him, we're leaving him.