[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

[keystaff]

[It's more for the others that Sakura finally ventured out to find some food, than sating her own hunger. Still, she tenses, glancing and turning her head towards Emma's voice when she hears her name. It must be one of the other recruits, right? Shre recognizes the voice and immediately clicks.]

Emma?

[It's probably not so surprising that she's not the only one out looking for food. But it's true, she is closer to the area the infected have kind of taken over as their own. More out in the open in comparison to Emma.]

I was looking for food....

[She whispers back in explanation, thinking of the other younger children also stuck here.]

[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.]

[keystaff]

[Sakura flails a little in being told off, but does as she's told, rushing over to Emma while holding to her necklace around her neck that also serves as her staff once activated.

She hides next to Emma, peeking out over to the food court with her lips pursed.]

I know. But some of the younger kids were getting hungry, so....

[So she wanted to help somehow.]

[sheriffing]

So that's still not listening to him, Sakura.

[It's quick and a little irritable, with an underlying I was worried that goes unspoken. She can't help but panic to see a kid put herself in harm's way, even if the girl is trying to help. Somehow she always finds Sakura when they're getting themselves in trouble, but there's so much uncertainty in this lockdown that it's hard for her to justify the risk.]

I was going to bring back some food. Where are most of the younger kids?

[ She's dealt with a lot of the wounded, bringing them first aid kits and medical supplies, but (thankfully) most of them were older.]

[keystaff]

Ah, I guess not...I didn't mean to be in trouble or anything.

[She's just trying to help as best she can given the circumstances. Figuring with Shield at least, she could have some protection while trying to find food. But still, she turns a little at the question, pointing.]

Back there, in that video game shop. It was the closest one I tried to get them into.

[There's some adults too, of course. But mostly children and teenagers.]

[sheriffing]

As long as it's secure.

[ It's close, but not close enough to present an immediate threat. As the infected get more desperate, they might have to consider vacating some of the stores on this floor. It'll happen, Emma realizes, once they start searching other places for food.]

If you're going to go for food, go with me. Deal?

[keystaff]

If you were going to look anyway. I'm sure if we look together, we'll be more likely to find something. In the other stores, even if it might just be snacks.

[Obviously the food court is the most obvious to look but. With the infected swarming there that isn't the best option right now or likely since they got at it.]

So I'll come with you.

[sheriffing]

We can carry more together.

[ She's looking every bit as exhausted as she feels, dark circles under her eyes and a few bruises from having to pull civilians away from the infected, but food is a necessity here and she's been hungry since before the lockdown. Getting it to others means there's a chance she'll get something to eat, too.]

Our best bet is stores with snacks up at the front.

[Video stores? Literally any sort of candy shop. Maybe the sporting goods store on the next level, there are options.]

[keystaff]

Like a video store, that sort of thing? You think they have a smaller supermarket or something to check too?

[She'd been to the mall before, but these were huge, and she hasn't explored it all yet to know what of all of the stores are quite yet. But for all she knows, there might be something like it, or some sort of food or snack specialty store around.]