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bakerstreet2014-10-05 02:01 pm
zizz) wrote in bakerstreet2014-10-05 02:01 pm
stay hungry stay free ( do the best you can )
THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE MEME
inspired by the Left 4 Dead games, The Walking Dead, and various other zombie-related media.
It's a scenario that needs little introduction: the dead have risen to feast upon the living.
In the beginning there were evacuations, emergency broadcasts, reassurances from the government and the media.
It was hoped that things would return to normal sooner rather than later. But eventually, all that's left are the shambling hordes.
So take up that baseball bat, or your father's shotgun. Cling tight to your memories of the better times, or your faith, or whatever keeps you going.
The odds aren't stacked in your favor....but maybe you'll survive.
WHAT.
a productive survivor is a happy survivor.
1) Scavenge/Search: The end of civilization as we know it also means the end of all things convenient, up to and including hot water, electricity and McDonald's. Whether it's ammo or edibles, you're looking for any salvageable supplies. This option is also for if you're trying to find a familiar face somewhere among all the destruction and danger.
2) Fight: Not for your right to party, but for survival. Whether against a lone zombie, an entire horde or a fellow human being, there's nothing else to do but try and come out of the encounter alive.
3) Barricade: There's nowhere to run, but you can at least hide out and hunker down for awhile. Hopefully being cooped up won't drive you stir-crazy.
4) Escape: There comes a time when the only thing to do is run. Is there a horde on your tail? A final evacuation helicopter waiting just ahead? Whatever the reason, better hope you don't stumble.
5) Scout: Charging ahead blindly is an easy way to get killed. A little reconnaissance can prove to be the wisest decision.
6) Relax: Seems like an out of place choice, doesn't it? But sometimes, peace is just as important as safety. You've managed to secure a little while to breathe, to forget the horror you've just gone through.
WHERE.
location, location, location.
1) City/Neighborhood: These places used to be bustling with life. Now they're silent, littered with wreckage and likely crawling with foes.
2) Farmstead/Mill/Lighthouse: Isolated, secluded buildings out in the sticks.
3) Sewers/Subway/Rooftops: If you're heading through these areas, you're likely just trying to get to someplace better. Here's hoping nothing gets the jump on you.
4) Hospital/Army Base/Evacuation Center: These places once offered hope and protection. There might still be firepower and supplies stocked somewhere within.
5) Woods/Swamp/Coast/General Outdoors: Nature hasn't gotten any kinder, but it might just provide needed cover or a place to gather food the old-fashioned way.
WHEN.
at what stage of the world's end do you find yourself?
1) Initial Outbreak: This awful reality is new and frightening. There's chaos and panic everywhere you turn.
2) Two Weeks Later: The horror isn't quite so fresh, or maybe you're just starting to get a little numb to it.
3) Two Months Later: Some of the dust has settled on what remains of society. How have you been holding up?
4) ???: Specific time of your choosing.
WHO.
humanity's numbers have thinned dramatically, but you aren't alone.
1) Family: In this world, kin may be all you have left, or those who are as good as.
2) Friends: Better to be in the company of those you know and trust than those you don't, right?
3) Lovers: This isn't exactly the time or place for a honeymoon, but you're lucky enough to have found your spouse/romantic partner/fuckbuddy/whatever.
4) Strangers: You don't know this person and they don't know you. In any other situation, your paths might never have crossed. But here the two of you are anyway, like it or not.
5) Enemies: Perhaps you were at each other's throats long before this world went to hell. Maybe you just ended up that way over time, or due to the stressful circumstances at work.
6) Guardian: It could be that you don't even like this other person, but you feel responsible for them anyway.
EXTRA.
feel free to add these at your own discretion.
A) Power Loss: Immortality? Gone. Magic? Nixed. You're just an ordinary person now, for better or worse.
B) Infection: You've been bitten, or scratched, or maybe you're grappling with a sickness that has the same eventual end. You can resist the symptoms for awhile, but the only "cure" to be found is a bullet to the head.
C) Injury: Unlike the option above, you aren't hurt because of a zombie. How badly have you been knocked around?
AS ALWAYS, if there isn't a prompt that suits your needs, you're free to make up your own scene.
no subject
hol horse looked down the long tunnel, and then slowly brought his shackled foot in front of kakyoin to take the lead. it was a safe assumption from kakyoin's prompt that he'd want him being the first guy to head down into the darkness, walking ahead — probably to keep an eye on him, make sure he wouldn't try something funny or try to slip away. not a great feeling, and hol horse clearly wasn't all that keen about it by the long urrggh he muttered out under his breath. he kinda doubted kakyoin really had his back here either, if worst came to worst; being in front of him just made him feel like a meatshield.
he'd just have to rely on things going as smoothly as possible while they were stuck here as a twofer, and hope that none of his other friends would show up along the way and render him unnecessary. or worse. because odds were they'd just see it as a chance to subdue him, too, if he were caught in this kind of situation.
well... even a stint in the hospital would be better than being a zombie. if it ended at ora ora, he could probably deal with it...
the sound of his footsteps felt too loud in the dark, and every little scuffle reverberated deep into the gaping darkness ahead of them. he kept his gun trained up, cool as could be, though the chill, the fear, and the damp from his pants was making him shake a little more than he'd like. accuracy wasn't really a problem, with his sort of stand, but it wasn't a particularly cool look. ]
... So what're you gonna do next, Kakyoin. [ he peered over his shoulder, the pair of them only dimly illuminated by hierophant green's place around kakyoin's arm. ] You get out of this or we go and find this Stand user and deal with them, or whatever... and then you're just gonna carry on heading to Egypt? The worst case scenario might've already happened up there. I don't wanna be all negative about your odds, but if yer the only one left alive outta all of your friends, then what?
no subject
[ his answer was prompt and sharp, spat out almost before hol horse was done speaking; kakyoin met that backwards glance with a focused stare, not so much angry as it was a little indignant, firm and certain. that dig at him earlier -- 'sheltered little schoolkid,' as if he were some defenseless child -- was certainly annoying, but not worth dignifying with a response. but any implication that his companions were weak was enough to make kakyoin bristle the slightest. the tendril coiled around hol horse's ankle reflexively tightened just enough to send a message before loosening again, ever-present but not actually hindering his movements, and kakyoin looked away from hol horse, looked past him as if he weren't important. ]
Don't underestimate them. I don't know why I've been seperated from them, but there's no way that I'm the only one alive. When -- not if, when -- we've finished dealing with the Stand user responsible for this situation, I'll find the others and we'll resume traveling to Egypt to face DIO. Obviously. So please don't ask such stupid questions.
... and turn left at the next split. After that, straight ahead.
[ several of hierophant's tendrils had come slithering back to him as he spoke, returning from scouting ahead into the maze of tunnels that lay ahead. mentally making a note of which paths seemed to be populated by those not-people and which ones were empty, at least for the moment, kakyoin redirected his stand to explore ahead down the path he'd dictated to hol horse. he'd done well so far in avoiding drawing any attention, but it was definitely taxing to keep himself spread so thin. ]
Do you plan on trying to kill the Joestars again, when we get out? [ hol horse was hardly his ideal conversation partner, but talking helped keep his mind off the faint tension dragging through his body; the unpleasant sensation of slimy, stagnant water engulfing his stand prickled through his nerves, and kakyoin stared at hol horse to distract himself from that faint chill washing over his skin. ] I don't know how much DIO is offering you, but Jotaro and the others won't go down easily, and you won't see a single cent if you fail at your attempts. Trying to kill people for money ... it seems awfully high-risk, even with the promise of a large reward. Surely, you could find better uses for your Stand.
no subject
[ ... but hol horse couldn't really argue with that, even if he would've liked to. like kakyoin, he mused that there was probably little likelihood that the rest of jotaro's team would kick the bucket, mostly because hol horse would never get that damn lucky about anything. even if these zombies could isolate them and pick off, say, joseph, someone like jotaro wasn't gonna go down against a mindless horde. and as long as the joestar bloodline survived, hol horse's job wasn't done.
... kakyoin thought they'd go and defeat the stand user together, huh. hol horse sure as hell didn't sign up for that when he proposed this — he'd been damn clear that his goal was just to get out. but... if he argued now, kakyoin would just suspect him and hold him on a tighter leash, so he'd just have to be patient. kakyoin would lead him to the exit, they could get up into the city, and then he'd just wait for his chance to cut and run. it'd come, sooner or later.
hol horse looked both ways at the turn, paused to listen for anything; that dripping was getting louder, little by little, but there weren't any familiar shuffles or groans to be heard. least that kid hadn't led them wrong yet, but that was about the only thing in this situation that hol horse was fine with. he turned, following kakyoin's guidance.
even the distant sounds overhead had stopped in this place. they were probably too far from manholes and other shallow points for sound to permeate through, and it made the whole place feel more and more like they were heading into a completely empty area. should've made him feel better, but he couldn't shake the feeling that that would probably wind up worse for them. what if they reached some dead end? ]
Better uses? [ hol horse couldn't help but cackle drily. kakyoin wanted to come across as worldly, but little things like that would inevitably give him away, sooner or later. ] You get hit on the head running away from those things? My Stand is a gun. That kinda thing has just one purpose in this world, and there ain't no better use for it than making money.
'Sides, I know you haven't forgotten what DIO's like. [ hol horse waved a hand over his shoulder, keeping his eyes ahead. ] Even if I regret taking it on, double-crossin' a guy like that isn't an option, if I wanna live to see another day. Nope... I'm just gonna carry on doin' exactly what I set out to do, same as you.
no subject
[ kakyoin huffed quietly through his nose, his voice kept at a low mutter, almost to himself. even if they'd formed an uneasy alliance at the moment for the sake of survival, kakyoin still couldn't pretend to understand someone like hol horse. profiting off the deaths and misery of other people was a detestable way to live. to use one's stand -- the very manifestation of one's psyche -- for that purpose seemed even worse. ]
And please don't put me in the same category as you. I never wanted anything to do with someone like DIO. You decided to work for DIO voluntarily, of your own accord. Pretending that you don't have a choice in the matter after you put yourself in that situation is dishonest.
[ he'd kept his voice quiet but stern, refusing to drop his guard even the slightest, but those last few words tapered off strangely; hol horse would have heard kakyoin's footsteps slow down behind him. several of hierophant's tendrils suddenly jerked where they snaked across the floor, a sharp twitch jittering down the full length of those ribbons and into the darkness. ]
-- stop. [ that was about all the warning hol horse got before kakyoin suddenly reached out to grab at the back of his shirt. the moment his fingers latched against a handful of fabric, he yanked back, pulling them both back several paces. before them, hierophant's tendrils rapidly doubled back to return to kakyoin, shifting and shortening rapidly to protectively coil around him. ] A lot of them are gathering up ahead. I'm not sure why, but there's suddenly a lot more of them. They shouldn't have spotted me, but -- I think they'll be heading this way soon. We should go back and head down a different path.
no subject
wuh.
hol horse jerked sharply, first from the sudden tightness of hierophant's grip on him and second from kakyoin's fist in the back of his shirt, wrenching him the wrong way; he hadn't been expecting it, and he barked a short sharp sound of surprise before he could help it, practically jumping out of his skin from the contact. the sound reverberated deeply down the passage, into the darkness.
shit, this idiot kid, why would he go doing something like that in a situation this jumpy?!
as kakyoin spoke to hol horse, he was already starting to turn around to face him, not really doing much to hide the unabashed fear there in the way the corners of his mouth were pulled down, his eyes wide. right. zombie stand swarm ahead. back the way they came, right? he pulled his hat down and ducked past kakyoin, taking the lead with far more willing this time; knowing the zombies were in the other direction obviously gave him the confidence he needed to go ahead. ]
Then... then let's get going, already. We'll get back to that last turnin' point and try the other...
[ a long, low sound cut through the darkness to silence him, and hol horse backed up so sharply that he slammed back into kakyoin again. so much for his brief surge of leadership. ]
... That didn't come from that buncha them behind us. [ hol horse pointed his gun into the darkness, swallowing hard, and he glanced at kakyoin for his reaction. ] You didn't keep your Hierophant spread the way we came, right...?
I think they've been followin' us.
no subject
no surprise that when hol horse suddenly backed up like that, kakyoin promptly whammed right into him, smashing his face into the back brim of hol horse's stupid hat and knocking it askew. reflexively, hierophant's tendrils bristled all around them, the one tied around hol horse's ankle crawling up just a little higher to right below his knee. ]
-- watch it --
[ despite his calm demeanor, kakyoin was clearly also on edge, and his voice escaped in a sharp hiss as he backed off away from hol horse. hierophant also reluctantly backed down, returning to its place at hol horse's ankle as kakyoin glanced before them, then back. though his expression hadn't changed much, he'd broken out into a bit of a cold sweat, and he looked the tiniest bit paler in the dim lighting, his jaw clenched and shoulders squared. ]
There are limits to how far I can spread Hierophant, and I thought it would be safest not to leave a trail that they could follow ...
[ so that was a no.
the concrete walls surrounding them magnified each distant groan and shuffle, the sounds bouncing wildly and reverbating from all directions in a truly unsettling way. rapidly withdrawing most of hierophant's scouting tendrils, leaving only a few out to keep an eye out for how quickly danger was approaching, kakyoin turned to hol horse. ]
You said you could distract them with Emperor's bullets. Shoot the way we came from, the numbers feel lesser in that direction. Lead them back exacly the way we came, and if they follow your bullet, we can find an alternate route away from them. I'll watch our backs.
[ hierophant had reformed into its humanoid shape, hovering behind his shoulder with arms braced and ready to attack, only its legs trailing off into the darkness. for all of his obvious animosity towards hol horse, kakyoin at least seemed focused only on surviving at the moment, even if that required teamwork. ]
no subject
so he raised his gun as he was told, positioning it pointing straight into the darkness, and he fired. the shot pounded through his eardrums, and the bullet disappeared out like a flare into the dark; through it, he could feel the shape of the surging mass of bodies on the wind as the bullet whizzed over and around them, taking the sharp corner beyond and veering off into the darkness, back the way they'd come. hol horse held his breath, too nervous to unclench his hands from the gun, not even to wipe the cold sweat trickling down his temple from under his hat. ]
... Feel 'em movin'. [ it was almost painful for him to unfurl his fingers. he still didn't call off emperor even then, squeezing it for reassurance as his hand came to rest back at his thigh. ] Looks like they're gonna check it out. That'll open up a path back to that fork in the road we came to before, we can —
[ a long, low, persistent groan emerged from behind them, and hol horse turned, his eyes widening at the sight over kakyoin's shoulder. ] Kakyoin...!?
[ of course. the bullet distracted the one group, but the sound caught the attention of the other, and now they were shuffling closer and closer in the dark, glistening empty sockets and blanched faces emerging from the shadows, their bowed legs dragging their sagging, bloated bodies towards them both. hol horse turned and shot into the darkness that way too, but the bullet went ignored; course it would, 'cause their quarry was already in sight. stupid to think that just that little spark of life would put them off the trail now.
there were so many of them. but if they ran right now, they'd just come on the other group headed the other way, and catch their attention again. if they fought too loud, it'd surely attract them back more than a bullet, too.
aah. if they died here, they wouldn't even be found again. ]
... Kakyoin, can you deal with 'em quietly? My gun's gonna be a problem here, it's the sound that made 'em come over...!
no subject
even if emperor was a stand, it was still a functional firearm -- the sound of the shot firing reverbated through the concrete tunnels, echoing all around them, and that sudden blast of noise was almost enough to stun kakyoin for a moment. he'd flinched sharply from the noise, resisting the urge to cover his ears far too late; it was a few tense moments before his hearing returned, and even then it was horribly muffled. kakyoin barely managed to make out what hol horse was saying, and he shook his head stiffly to try and ease the ringing from his head. ]
-- once we get back to that fork, go straight --
[ at least this time, hol horse had had the foresight to call his name before firing off that second shot. kakyoin immediately shielded his ears as the shot went off, and even before the bullet whizzed past the incoming horde, he knew that that tactic wouldn't work in such close quarters. he'd have to take action himself.
the few of hierophant's tendrils that had remained trailing against the floor beneath the inches of murky water suddenly ripped upwards like a net, entwining around ankles and feet on its way up. the movement rippled through the crowd and each zombie that was knocked off its feet bumped into another, sending the crowd into a disarray.
it wasn't enough, but it was a start.
kakyoin gritted his teeth as he backed off a pace, probably stepping on hol horse's toes and not able to care about it much at the moment. as much as hierophant hated to fight in wide open spaces, it wasn't often that he was forced to defend himself in such cramped quarters against a horde, either. jotaro's star platinum would have made quick work of a crowd like this, given there was nowhere for them to run or hide, but his own stand wasn't capable of such brute force methods.
hierophant's tendrils withdrew for a moment, tensing like springs before lashing out sharply like a tripwire -- aimed specifically at ankle-level. the faint crackle and snap of bone was audible with each blow hierophant landed, rotting flesh barely absorbing any impact from those blows, and kakyoin methodically felled the frontmost creatures of the group. the acculumated bodies would make for rough footing and slow down the rest. the only question was whether he'd be able to keep up this defense until the coast was clear for them to make a run for it. ]
no subject
hol horse stood dedicatedly at kakyoin's back, watching the approaching horde over his shoulder, and helpfully did a whole lot of nothing. though, in his defense, he'd never promised he had much use beyond firing decoys, and he'd delivered on that already! as far as he was concerned, his role there was done; wasn't like he could just go firing off any more shots without doing more harm than good, in this kind of situation. these things were damn aurally sensitive for a buncha stiffs, and this enclosed space wasn't doing either of their stands any favours.
but kakyoin had the right idea, at least; hol horse watched him, glancing between the stoic, determined look on kakyoin's face and hierophant's swift, brutal takedown of the nearest enemies. kinda made a guy jealous, seeing how versatile those humanoid stands got to be... he had a bad personality, but teaming up with kakyoin wasn't proving so bad for him, after all.
he withdrew emperor. no point amplifying their presence for any others that might've been idling around. ]
That's it — that'll slow 'em down! [ hol took a step back away from them, and got a slight grip on kakyoin's shoulder to tug him along too; as planned, the creatures clumsily tripped over each other to follow them, fumbling their way over the pile of corpses that hierophant's tendrils had brought down. the felled ones squirmed, trying to drag themselves forward with frustrated gurgles, even as their comrades slowly trampled their miserable bodies.
they weren't coming in a rush, not with the way kakyoin controlled their pace, but hol horse still didn't like the idea of letting them get too close. not even to his prize meatshield. ] Once another wave comes over, do it again, an' we'll keep on backin' up like this 'til the coast's clear on the other side.
Just be careful with your Stand! They're technically a Stand too, so if they got enough brains to figure it out, they'll be able to damage it! You get bit, and we're both screwed!
no subject
the wet, crunching sensation of dead, pliant flesh buckling against hierophant's tendrils transmitted perfectly back to him, and kakyoin couldn't help the faint shudder that ran down his spine. it was deeply unsettling and just repulsive enough, the feel of cold, wet skin and rotting joints crunching apart with each falling zombie. the next sharp snap of hierophant's limb sent a zombie toppling over backwards, knocking into the others behind it and causing a minor domino effect of stumbling. good thing these creatures were practically mindless; holding off an intelligent horde of this size would have been exponentially more difficult. ]
-- you don't have to tell me what I already know --
[ his snippy response was consistent with the frigid way he'd been treating hol horse so far, but its acrid, distasteful quality had grown a little lesser. after all, he didn't have that much attention to spare on sounding firm about hol horse when maintaining a solid distance between them and the incoming crowd took up so much of his focus.
the tug at his shoulder dragged his focus from the crowd and kakyoin tensely allowed himself to be led back away from them, still keeping his focus on them to make sure none of them could get any closer. ]
Is your bullet still out there? How much longer under we can backtrack?
[ one particular specimen charged forward enthusiastically, stepping over its comrades in its hurry, and kakyoin dealt it a swift punch to the face with hierophant's tendrils, sending it sprawling back. he took the chance to turn and stumble after hol horse, that one tendril still holding firmly onto his ankle. ]
I can't keep this up forever.
no subject