[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

[keeper]

[ She smiles knowingly and nods without a word, holding a finger up to her lips. (A secret.)

She'll wait a moment for the restorative to fully take effect (she'll down an ether herself in the meantime), before she straightens herself and offers Sakura a hand up. Her expression becomes solemn once more. ]

I'm sorry to ask this of you, but we're not safe just yet. If you're able to protect the uninfected, I can see to the rest.

[ Even if the girl is shifted to the backline, the danger and risk is still very present. But Aqua needs to know she can focus on subduing the sick without needing to divert her attention to the other civilians at the same time. (Seeing as they're both trying to avoid bloodshed, it's imperative they're both fully alert...) ]

[keystaff]

[It's easy to figure from that confirmation that it's something special from home. Something Aqua uses to give herself a boost but likely isn't available here since there's no magic or the like.

It's not difficult either, to see that Aqua wants to protect her in offering to deal with the infected if and where necessary. But Sakura still sees the logic, with one focusing on a specific group, it's less likely that those not infected would end up hurt with someone keeping concentrated on them specifically in all this.]

Alright. I'll take care of them.

[She shifts closer to the group of civilians, shielding them with her Shield card easily enough Even if they might not be able to even see it, given it's mostly transparent and only shows some sign when hit.]

[keeper]

Thank you. [ ... ] Shall we?

[ Standing tall, she only turns once to nod over her shoulder before entrusting the rest to her new partner. The fresh wave of infected are still a good distance away, but she's not going to risk them coming any closer to Sakura or the other civilians.

She charges forward to meet them instead, practically throwing herself into the throng with little more than her fists, and a black flip phone. (The latter of which she holds like a taser, to trick the security cameras when she sends sparks of Thunder blazing from her fingertips.)

A few jolts knock out two of her assailants, though there's still plenty attempting to run straight past her to the larger cluster of prey waiting behind. She interrupts as many of them as she can with her sleeping spells, though it's more than difficult; she has to make everything look at least partially convincing.

A stray breaks off from the group with a loud snarl and barrels straight towards Sakura... ]

[keystaff]

Y-yes!

[Sakura holds back, ushering the civilians back behind her, trying to keep them out of this and herd them a little closer towards the exit. As close as is safe just yet while Aqua tries to hold off the infected, anyway.

It was probably a little hopeful to think one could manage this alone. So, Sakura hopes Shield holds, but tells the civilians to turn away, as she activates Windy in an attempt to at least restrain the stray that approaches, figuring that could at least help Aqua to put that one to sleep once she deals with the ones currently more in her face.]

Aqua!

[keeper]

[ She doubles back quickly, catching the stray infected with her arm and using her weight and momentum to bring him to the floor. An invisible burst of magic sends the man into a limp slumber, and she's straight to her feet again, weaving between the rest of the group.

A hand claws at her shoulder and she grips it in response, pulling it off her and using it as a conduit for another spell before she lets the woman crumple to the ground. A few more whirling passes and the rest of their assailants join in an unconscious sprawl across the corridor.

It's only when she's finished that she turns back to address Sakura. ] Good work. Let's escort the rest outside.

[ (She notices the civilians huddled together in panicked fear, contented to look away from the battle that had just ensued rather than actively watch. And it's better that way, really; no one to catch them using their magic.) ]

[keystaff]

Ah, right!

[Sakura gives a nod, relieved when Aqua manages to deal with the one she'd tried to restrain. She wasn't sure how to manage herself in making it look believable that she could pull this off without making her magic so obvious.

So she smiles in that relief and gratitude before turning to gesture for the civilians to follow. Some might still seem unsure of why such a young girl seems to be taking charge like this but at this point, they just want to get out.]

[keeper]

We'll go together.

[ Hopefully with a slightly older (and taller) figure with Sakura, they'll be more inclined to follow...

...Once their group of uninfected have been safely ushered outside, she turns back to the mall, expression still grim with determination. ]

I'll need to go back in to help the others. [ There are still a few recruits inside as well as trapped locals, she's sure, and she'll need to lend them what strength she can. ]

...Will you be all right out here?

[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.

[keeper]

[ She's impressed by her courage, and it softens her expression noticeably. (Though she's worried for Sakura's physical well-being, it isn't her place to determine the other girl's limits; she trusts her experience as a fellow recruit.)

...It's almost a strange thing in retrospect, in consideration of the times she's asked Ventus to go home on his own. But this is no longer home for her, and neither is it a task for just one person. (As Yensid had once advised her, her friends don't necessarily need her protection, but her faith...) ]

...Of course. I'd be grateful for your help.

[ (After designating a leader among the civilians to lead the rest of the pack to their respective homes, the two finally continue back where they'd started to finish the evacuation.) ]

[keystaff]

Great! Okay then.

[Sakura seems relieved, once they assign a leader of sorts to ensure the others get back home safely. That none of them would be alone on that trip back from the mall while she and Aqua would help deal with the rest.

Once she's watched them head off, she turns back to Aqua with a nod of agreement. This isn't home, no. But there were still others here who needed them. She can help so many more people with ALASTAIR. So Sakura wants to do her part too.]

Alright then. Shall we?