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Pandora's Blood; The RP Thread
Topic Started: Jun 30 2008, 11:27 PM (750 Views)
Squall250
Administrator
[ *  *  * ]
It had only been a year. The human population had been more than cut in half, worldwide, within the first six months. Now? Only a tenth of what there used to be remained. And the numbers continued to dwindle. Only small groups of people remained, scattered across the earth, struggling to survive. These were the groups that had banded together after it had happened, knowing they would need the strength of numbers to survive. And even they continued to be chipped down little by little.

Only a year since Pandora's Box had been discovered and opened. Its opening freed horrors few could dream of, beasts that had never been seen before then. It was nothing like the legends of the Box spoke of. True, it unleashed evil into the world, but of a kind none could dream. And while the legends spoke of hope, there was none to be found. Most simply waited for death, doing their best to stave it off for as long as possible.

And what of its discoverer? An explorer, tempted by wealth, greed driving him to open the forbidden box. It was his greed that saved him, at least from death. He'd become like the beasts he had freed... Only so much more powerful, more dreadful. None had ever seen him, but he was rumored to have become the tainted head of the monstrosities.

Only one year... Frightening how much could change in a year.




Her violet cloak swirled around her as she walked into the shelter, blue eyes flitting about, taking in the appearance of everyone in the tavern room of the massive building. Her cloak was clasped shut above her breasts, flowing open into a cape as it fell to her ankles, sleeves rolled up to the middle of her lower arms. Beneath that she wore a white t-shirt, cutting off about the level of her belly. Tight, tanned pants covered her legs, a brown leather belt wrapped around her hips with a gold buckle in the front. Another belt about six inches below the other one wrapped around her waist, a pistol holstered at either hip, pouches around her belt holding clips and other tools. Black leather boots reached up to her knees, the toes, tops of her feet and knees protected with steel plates.

Her skin was light, short blonde hair falling over her eyes, reaching to the middle of her neck in the back. She was lightly built, and looked like her body would move however she wanted it to, breasts moderately sized, sensually curved like the rest of her body.

She walked over to the bar slowly, her cloak swaying behind her as she moved, taking a seat and glancing at the bar keeper. "How long since the last sighting here, keeper?"

"About a month." He said quietly, "Everyone's on edge, wondering if they're going to be next. We lost ten in the last attack, and just the other day finished repairing the place. Their patterns suggest a couple weeks before their next strike, but everyone's paranoid. They expect it anytime."

She nodded, letting out a quiet sigh, "Mm. I didn't see any on the road here from Ashmae either. But..." She shook her head slowly, "There wasn't a settlement left standing between here and there."

His eyes widened slightly, "Ashmae's five hundred miles from here. There wasn't a single settlement standing?"

She shook her head, "Nothing but rubble and debris. A few burned corpses. Plenty of unused gas to fuel my bike. But that was all."

He lowered his head slowly, "We're doomed."

She sighed, "I don't know... We're certainly in a bad spot."

"Shrieker!" The cry rang out throughout the shelter. The woman was on her feet in an instant, looking towards the door.

"It'll tear you apart!" The keeper yelled after her as she ran for the door.

She turned, pausing just a moment, "Get everyone to safety!" She called before rushing out of the shelter and into the open.

The creature was a terror to behold. Wings spanning thirty feet, claws large enough to grasp - and crush - a human in. The body was similar to a bird, but it would have to have been the largest bird anyone had ever seen. It had no feathers. Its wings appeared to be made of a glistening black stone, its body of a similar appearance. Its eyes glowed with a ferocious, murderous red glare. It let out an ear-piercing shriek as it dove towards the shelter, causing the woman to cover her ears as she watched it.

"Over here bitch!" She yelled, running away from the shelter. The beast's head turned quickly and it let out another shriek. This time the woman ignored it, turning to face the monster as she backed away slowly, grabbing a gun in each hand. It quickly changed its direction, diving towards her like a falcon, claws extended to grab her and snap her in half upon landing. It missed. She dove out of the way, her reaction speed simply amazing. Landing with a roll she rose quickly to one knee, leveling her guns on the beast as it rolled along the ground with its landing. The force had been enough to send a shake through the land half a mile around.

As the beast rolled she clenched her hands tightly around the grips of her pistols, a faint blue glow shifting from her hands to the guns as she pulled the triggers, firing two rounds into the monster's left wing. They ripped through, leaving holes a foot wide where each bullet had hit. The monster let out a shriek once more, this one of pain, as it rose to its feet and whipped around. Its wings swung out wide, lashing at the woman that had caused it such pain.

She dove onto her back, lying flat on the ground, the wing just missing her as it flow over. She hopped up to her feet, letting another two rounds fly into the other wing, creating another pair of holes. The beast shrieked again, leaping up into the air and crashing to the ground, unable to fly with the pain in its misshapen wings.

The beast turned slowly, eying the woman with an intense glare, before letting out another shriek.

"Feast on this, bitch." The words were drowned out by the shriek as she let another two bullets fly, these ones straight into the monster's throat. They tore it apart from the inside out, before ripping out through the back of the beast. It let out another shriek, but this one was of death, louder than the rest.

She winced, eyes closing tightly as she holstered her guns and quickly raised her hands to her ears, covering them tightly as she fell to her knees in pain from the monster's cry.

In one last reflexive motion, the beast's wing whipped out, smashing against the woman's side and sending her bouncing along the ground towards the shelter. As the wing hit her she screamed out in pain, dull grunts passing from her throat as she bounced until she finally hit the outer wall of the shelter, a low groan escaping her lips as she fell unconscious to the ground, forty feet away from the beast's corpse...
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Varrana
Newbie
[ * ]
Varrana usually spent most her time in the bar and lounge area of the shelter, serving drinks and keeping the spirits of drifters and civilians up. Yet with the recent terror, she found herself in the shelter's basement crowded among all the habitants and visitors of the shelter.

She sat with her legs crossed in front of her, amongst friends and aquaintences, on one of the large thin blankets covering the dirt floor. Loose black pants covered her long legs and a large silver cloth belt tied around her average sized waist. Her strapless emerald shirt wrapped around her shapely chest and belly, tied up like a corset in the back with black cord. Firey red hair which usually flowed freely down her back was pulled up into a loose bun to be kept out of the way in such close quarters. She fingered the silver ring and clasp on her flat black shoes that covered her feet in front of her, talking amongst the people sitting around her.

Most people didn't wear anything fancy; there wasn't much point to it. Yet Varrana enjoyed the smiles of those who visited the bar and lounge area of the shelter, looking for a little relief. She felt that her attire and cheery attitude kept people from going mad from the attacks.

She stood up from the blanket and filtered through the large crowded basement towards the wall of security monitors. She joined the line of people staring at the outside through the monitors and noticed what many others had -- a girl was lying on the ground, unmoving. Varrana turned to a man next to her and asked what had happened. He said the girl shot at a large bird and it attacked her before it was defeated. He also said that a medic was just sent up to help her, assuming she was still alive
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tormenteddragon
Advanced Member
[ *  *  * ]
He loomed. There was no other word for it, really. Those who had gathered around the woman suddenly found themselves in shadow, turned, and backed away, intimidated and surprised by the man's sheer bulk. Well over six feet tall, shoulders as wide as a truck, arms thick as a python, a chiseled jaw and a head as bald as Buddha's; he looked like he should have screaming profanities in the wrestling ring or thugging it up on the streets.

But instead of a colorful skintight outfit or a load of shiny jewelry, he wore a t-shirt, jeans, and an apron, with a stretcher under one arm and a first aid kit in hand. "Step back," he said, and everybody did so, clearing a space for him to work.

He knelt down beside her, and began to work, examining first, then providing what aid he could on scene. To the onlookers, he did surprisingly little. The application of a few bandages and some medication, subtle pressure applied to her head to stop the bleeding... and that was all. Either he wasn't that skilled or she didn't need much, and from mere appearances, it was the latter.

And then he reached underneath her and picked her up, as carefully as if she were a newborn child, and as easily. And he put her down on the readied stretcher just as carefully, and pushed her away, leaving the small crowd to their gossip.
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Zylo
Newbie
[ * ]
"Alright, children. Now, let's go over what we discussed today. Who can tell me what the different types of triangles used in mathematic equations and what the differences are?" He saw several different hands raise up through the air, some waving more eagerly than others. Even though there were those who still didn't pay much attention to the 'learning' aspect of class, they all enjoyed themselves and were granted some form of good time in this nightmare world. And they were all getting better. Even the slow learners were showing vast improvement.

He picked a hand at random, the face of a cute little girl who had been frowning constantly until about a week ago. Now, she had a bright grin on her face. "Yes, Eliza?"

All the other hands went down with a disappointed 'aww,' as someone else got picked, the eagerness of children in school surprising him. He had never been this enthusiastic of a student. Then again, with the way the population was dwindling down, those who were more learned became fewer and farther between. He was trying to make sure that, if there was to be a future here, that maybe some of these children would be able to grow into intelligent people and help their society grow in whatever way possible.

"The right, equilateral, isosceles, obtuse and acute triangles, Mr. Eiluit." He nodded, motioning for her to continue, curious if she could remember all the differences. But, before he could get any further, there was the sound of sirens alerting everyone. They were back.

"Never mind, class is over for today," he said flatly. His words were simple, his tone soft and caring, his appearance calm. He even managed to keep a smile on his face, for the childrens' sakes. They needed him to seem calm to keep them from panicking as well. The fact that his insides raged and he felt sick to his stomach meant nothing. His first and only duty at the moment was to protect who needed protected and, right this moment, that happened to be these children. "We'll go over it tomorrow, now let's move to the basement quickly. Remember how I taught you." Even as he spoke they began to move, motions that were strangely fluid and simple for such extravagant children. He supposed that the simple fact of the matter was that anyone would follow necessary directions when their lives were at stake, so long as they were old enough to understand the gravity of the situation.

Unfortunately, these young children had been forced to become that old mentally by circumstances that they could not control, by these damned beasts. "Single file, children, step quickly now." His accent was different from most of those around here, deep and thick and slurred, not in a drunken state but in the sorts that he just had a natural slur that made him a bit harder to understand when he spoke quickly. Right now he had to make sure to speak slowly. It wasn't the time for 'huh?' questions or repeating himself.

Quickly they moved and the entire time he continued to speak. "Come on quickly now, everything will be fine. Let's all get down to the basement where we can rest." Everything he said was to encourage them and keep them moving, to constantly allow them to hear the calming sound of his voice to keep them from panic and let them know he was there for them.

He moved to walk alongside them after they were all out of the room before stepping up in front to grab the door, letting them head into the basement ahead of him. He made sure that they were all in before following them and closing the door behind them. He took them down and set them all in a circle within each other, got them to start talking amongst themselves and then sat off to the side, in between them and the door to the basement and close enough to them that he could reach them within seconds if need be.

From there, though, he just watched the monitors out of one eye and the children and other people out of his other. He rolled a knife around along his fingertips and turned it over the backs of his hands not with great speed but with able fingers. He knew that if it came down to it, the knife wouldn't do all that much good, but he also knew that if it came down to it, there were four other men in this room who would rise up and fight with him at least and even if it wasn't enough, and it probably wasn't, it was better than nothing and it would give the others some time to flee. If a beast came down, there was already a plan worked out. If it were to make it to the basement, they would surround it and assail it as best they could while the other people could escape and close and bolt the basement door behind them in hopes to lock the beast in.

He hoped that it wouldn't come down to that and even if it did he didn't know if they would succeed. He also had no foolish thoughts about some rustic knife being able to help him fight a terrible beast, but for some reason it helped to calm him. He had seen one of those beasts get shot in the face and come through unharmed by some of the toughest guns around. He knew that he was nothing compared to them.

He also knew that this woman whom he could see on the monitor screens was nothing compared to the beast she fought. He started to rise to his feet, knowing fully well that he could do nothing to defeat such a creature but thinking that perhaps he could give enough time to take her to safety. Always the martyristic fool, he started towards the door, but... stopped in shock as his eyes had never left the screen and he saw those quick motions that killed the beast.

And as he saw those glowing hands. "Robert, keep an eye on the kids." He got a nod from one of the other men around and walked out the door. He knew where he was headed. He walked quickly, his face serious, passing only a few people as he moved quickly towards the infirmary. He didn't walk into any of the rooms, but set himself into the small waiting area and did just that; waited. He would soon see her brought in. Of that he was sure. After that, he really wasn't sure just what he would do but whatever it was he would take it on with a level head and think it through reasonably.

He knew that gossip would spread like wildfire about the woman who managed to kill a beast, but it wasn't the gossip he was interested in. It was the truth that he was curious about. He wanted to know how she did it. If there was a way to fight these things effectively then there was a way to make sure that the people here were protected and safe. And if there was some way to do that then a real defensive system could be set up, some effective firepower could be gathered and they could do what was needed to set a safety net and maybe eliminate some of the constant fear that the people were all forced to live with. There could be something done, anything done, that would help. If that was the case and this was not just some random freak incident, which he doubted very much, then it was his duty to make sure that whatever needed done was done.

This was about ensuring the safety of the people here. That was where his patience came from, why he waited for the medics to bring this woman in, why he would make sure that he had his chance to speak with her.
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Squall250
Administrator
[ *  *  * ]
She made no response as the towering man tended to her injuries. Her breathing was slow, almost non-existent. Certainly slower than it should have been, yet it didn't seem to create any life-threatening situations. As if, regardless of what would be the norm, her breathing in such a situation was exactly as it should be. Her heartbeat as well was slow, but steady. Almost as if she was in some form of hibernation. Her body didn't move at all of its own accord. Her eyelids didn't flutter. Nothing. Only her slow breaths and relaxed heartbeat.

She was essentially dead weight in his arms, not that he'd likely notice with the difference in their size - and mass. The crowd that had gathered around her form remained where it was as she was pushed away on the stretcher, gossiping amongst themselves but soon going back into the shelter, returning to their own individual tasks. Word spread quickly however, and within an hour the entire shelter was talking about her.

The woman had been taken to the infirmary inside the shelter, with no curious entourage to crowd her. It was adequate, nothing spectacular but clean and well-taken care of. There were enough medical supplies to handle most situations that might come their way. It was no full-fledged hospital by any means, but it was at least readily enough equipped to pass as an emergency room. It was perhaps the most well-kept part of the shelter. And rightly so, considering the times.

The shelter had no set government, but an elder served as a kind of father-figure to the community. Not passing laws, but handling any disputes that might come up and all-around making sure some kind of order was kept. He'd made certain to post a guard outside of the infirmary to provide the woman with some sort of peace. The man was unarmed, but there was no need for him to be otherwise. His task was to move people along, not put down a mob. And there was no reason anyone would force their way in. There was no overly curious media in these times.

A couple of hours after the beast had gone down, the woman's eyes began to flutter slightly, a deep breath drawn into her chest as she grasped the bedsheet beneath her. It was almost as if she was awakening from the deepest of slumber, or even as if she'd just been brought back to life. She opened her eyes slowly, taking in the white room around her. Several beds, shelves lined with medical supplies, coolers stocked with medicines and as many cases of extra supplies as they'd been able to gather. Her first guess was correct. An infirmary. But that meant... She'd survived, and somebody at least had obviously been around to take care of her.

She sat up slowly, gasping quietly at the pain that shot through her chest and skull but fighting through it to sit back against the wall at the head of the bed. She inspected herself slowly, finding that obviously someone had taken the time to tend her injuries. She was sore, and would be for a while. But while she should have been barely able to move, here she was sitting up. And a quick check would show that the bones that hours before had been broken were now no more than bruised. Badly bruised, but nothing more.

Closing her eyes, she took a slow breath, and then reopened her blue eyes to look around for another human.
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tormenteddragon
Advanced Member
[ *  *  * ]
He sat up as she did, but said nothing, watching her with narrowed eyes. All his experience, as limited as it was, told him she shouldn't be moving yet. Broken ribs and a severe concussion should have immobilized her, if not left her unconscious for much longer than a couple of hours.

He rose from his chair, and walked over to her bed, flashing a brief, small smile to reassure her. His motion had caught her attention, and she appeared to be studying him. "So you've awakened. Surprising. By all rights, you should be dead." He spread his hands, indicating the room. "Welcome to the infirmary. I am what passes for a doctor here. The name's Robert. Do you have one?"

She did not respond immediately, but looked herself over once more. "Yes," she said, "I should be." Another pause, and then... "Terra. My name is Terra."
"Well then, Terra, if you don't mind, I'm going to need to examine you again. Your ribs were cracked, and I'd like to see if they've set properly." He reached out and pulled over a small, compact machine on a rolling table, and aimed what looked like a camera lens at her ribs. One look at the display, and he was frowning. "This is improbable."

"What is?" she asked, and he looked over, eyes narrowed, before turning back to the display and adjusting the settings. "Your ribs are no longer cracked, and the pain you feel is from the bruising. No doubt that's why you could sit up. I'd assumed you merely had a high tolerance for pain." He shut down the machine, and looked at her, brow furrowed in thought. "You are an enigma, Terra. You kill one of the beasts with relative ease, somehow penetrating its armor with mere handguns. You receive minor injuries from a blow that should have splattered you across the ground. And now those injuries appear to be healing, or possibly reversing, at an astounding rate. You are improbable."

He sighed, pushed the machine back into place. "You had a concussion as well, but that has probably healed as well. I have only one question, Terra, and please, answer yes, or no." His eyes caught hers, and held them. "Will you be able to explain, to some degree, the conundrum you present?" She locked her eyes on his as he spoke, a faint sigh escaping her lips as he questioned her. "Yes," she said quietly, "To some degree..."

He nodded. "That is all I need. I will return shortly. If you need anything, push the big red button." The big red button was on the bedside table, which also happened to hold a pitcher of water, a glass, and a book. "I suggest you rest." With that, he turned, and exited the room. He closed the door carefully behind him, and looked around, fully expecting someone to be waiting, full of questions.
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Zylo
Newbie
[ * ]
For hours he waited there, patiently, twiddling his thumbs not out of boredom but out of a need to constantly be fidgeting with something. He seemed to have an inability to do nothing, as if the movement of his hands kept his mind running. And running it was, at about a mile a minute from the distant look in his eyes. Wherever it was running, though, was going far away from him and reality.

Until the movement of the door snapped him back to where he needed to be. The present. And out of that door stepped a doctor that he recognized. ...Well, that wasn't really fair. He recognized everyone here. He doubted there was a person that lived here who he didn't know, at least to some degree.

Though, he had to admit that he knew Robert to a lesser degree. A name to a face, a few irrelevant details, if he recalled correctly that about summed it all up. Then again, it didn't take much more than that with most people anyways. Everyone here trusted everyone here because there was nothing else to do but trust everyone here. At least, that was the way it seemed to him at times.

None of that was really relevant, though. What was relevant was the fact that this was the first time he had seen the doctor leave, which likely meant that she was awake. That, or he had just given up for the time being, if not permanently. But, there was something that told him it was the first.

So, he stood slowly and stretched as the doctor exited the room before walking forward. He didn't assail the doctor with question upon question. He merely had one question to ask. "Can I speak with her, Robert? I have to." His desire to find a real way to protect this place was no great secret. The fact that he chose not to live in fear but to live for a way to defeat that fear was quite obvious on his face and the words of him trying to put together a real guard had passed quickly.

He wondered if Robert was one of those men who thought it best to find a way to defend themselves or one of those men who was too obsessed with living in fear to open his eyes.

And atop that idle wonder, he already had so many questions for the woman.
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tormenteddragon
Advanced Member
[ *  *  * ]
"Chaim." He looked around once more, but found no one else waiting. "If you wish to see her, you may. She has recovered astoundingly quickly, for the beating she took. Still, you should not upset her. I don't think any of us would want her to relapse."

He turned to the guard, and instructed him to let no one else in for the time being, save for those bearing food. The guard nodded his understanding, and Robert opened the door, beckoning to Chaim. "Terra, this is Chaim. He would like to speak with you."

With them introduced, he stepped back and turned to the intercom, where he quietly asked the kitchens to deliver a meal for three to the infirmary. Another message informed those who needed to know that the girl was alive and well, but would be staying in the infirmary for the time being. And with those tasks taken care of, he sat down in one of the chairs, and settled in to watch, and to listen.
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Zylo
Newbie
[ * ]
Chaim nodded to all he was told, particularly pleased that he could speak with her and somewhat surprised at the quickness with which she healed. "Of course, I'll not do anything to upset her." With that, he followed the doctor into the room, getting his first good look at this mystery woman that Robert identified as Terra. He took note of the name, convinced that he would need to know it in the future.

He grabbed a chair and pulled it up alongside the bed, not crowding her but wanting to be close enough to hear whatever she might say. One eye kept a look towards Robert, just so he could know what was going on, but the other turned towards her. "Hello, Terra, a pleasure to meet you." His tone, although deep and gruff, had a sense of civility to it that was rather ill-fitting for his demeanor. "I watched a good deal of your fight with the Shrieker, enough to notice that those bullets were not normal and enough to see that... something... was there, at the gun." Cut and dry, right to the point. He didn't waste any time with a real opportunity to protect these people.

"I know it might be a bit much at the moment, so if it needs to wait I understand, but protecting these people is my first priority and what you did not only fended off that creature, but killed it. That knowledge could help to set up an organized force, to give people hope and defence and, who knows, it might even be enough to take an offensive stance against these creatures."

He stopped and waited, as though to let it all sink in, and then smiled lightly. "I understand you are still hurt, but I also understand that you are healing extremely quickly. Anything you could do to help us without straining yourself would be greatly appreciated and I'd be forever in your debt if I could help to save these people from those atrocities."

He stopped at that and just waited, his hands folded calmly in his lap, sitting up straight and seeming to be the perfect picture of calm control. He wondered what she would say, what would come of it, hoping as always for the best and hoping that this time he would not fall just short of those hopes.
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Varrana
Newbie
[ * ]
Soon after the threat had been vanquished and the medic had gone up to aid the girl, everyone in the basement returned to their respective areas of the shelter. Varrana walked up the stairs amidst the crowd. As like everyone else, she didn't climb the stairs with leaps and bounds -- there was no hurry.

She sauntered into the bar and lounge with a cute grin upon her face as she prepared herself for her customers. Reaching up, she pulled the barrette from her hair, letting her fiery crimson hair flow freely again. Her dancing emerald eyes scanned the area and she walked behind the bar to prepare a few drinks. The bartender then asked her if she would make a delivery to the infirmary for him. She nodded in agreement and retrieved the food cart from the kitchen, waving to him as she headed for her destination.

She knew she was delivering to the girl who killed the beast and was more than happy to make this delivery. Like everyone else, she too was curious about this girl. It wasn't every day that someone killed one of those things, there must be something special about her.

The cart rolled up to the infirmary door and Varrana informed the guard of her purpose and entered. She smiled and politely introduced herself and presented the food with a slight wave of her hand.
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Squall250
Administrator
[ *  *  * ]
A man of middle age sat silently in his seat, back turned towards the desk, fingers entwined in his lap. "So she survived." He said quietly to himself, "If I am not mistaken, there is no record of a Pandora Demon being destroyed, correct?"

A nod from the other man in the room. "Yes sir. Not that we would know if it had happened near another shelter, but no drifter has brought word of the defeat of one of the fiends."

The chair turned slowly, the grey eyes of the man within falling upon the other man in the room. His hair was greying, and the term elder seemed to fit him more than anyone else in the shelter. He rested his hands on the arms of his chair, glancing over a few notes on the desk. "And from what Robert says, she's alive and well. It seems impossible..." He seemed to stop a moment to consider, then looked up at his aide, "Marik, log this incident. Make copies on every computer or bulletin you can find. If the Haven does not survive, I want to be certain the event is not lost to history. Perhaps it will spell hope for another generation..."

"It will be done before sundown tomorrow, sir." With that the aide left the room, leaving the elder alone to his ponderings.




As Robert left the room, Terra let out a slow breath, leaning back against the wall and resting her hands beside her on the bed. In silence she considered her conversation with him. She hadn't lied, she could explain to some extent what was going on. But she had the feeling people would be left dissatisfied. She didn't know all that much herself. She certainly couldn't think of any reason she had healed as quickly as she had. Robert wasn't wrong - she should have been dead. Simply that she had breath right now was highly unlikely. And yet here she was, sitting up, and she was positive she'd have no trouble standing either. As much as she didn't want to move right now.

She remained silently locked within her own mind, trying to find answers to the new puzzles she'd found. Not even had she found answers to the questions she already had, before even more presented themselves to her.

Hearing the door open she snapped out of her reverie, eyes falling first on Robert, and then the man he introduced as Chaim. Realizing this was likely the one who would have the questions for her, she focused her attention fully on him, listening in silence to the inquiry that he presented to her. She considered silently for a few moments, breaking her focus on Chaim for a moment to glance at Robert, before looking at the inquirer once more.

"First mistake, never make any assumptions." She said quietly. Almost as if she was chastising, but in the same breath, the words of a teacher, "Follow that rule and it may well save your life if you ever try to face one of these things." She took a moment to look around, then frowned slightly. "If I knew where my equipment was I would show you." Sighing, she glanced back at Chaim. "The bullets were normal. Typical, lead, forty-five caliber rounds. The guns are normal too, but that's where you're getting warmer." Before she could continue the door opened once more. She looked over the girl who brought in the food, giving her a faint smile in return and nodding. "Thank you, I didn't get the chance to eat before I dealt with that thing. I am pretty hungry."

She reached out, snagging an apple from the tray and taking a big bite. She chewed it up quickly, swallowing before she continued, "Anyways, where was I..." She thought a moment, then snapped her fingers. "That's right." She set the apple down beside her on the bed a moment and glanced back at Chaim, clearly not minding the other girl's presence in the room. "What you saw were totally normal bullets. What pierced the Shrieker's flesh however, were not bullets at all."

Picking up the apple, she took another bite, taking the time to get it down before glancing at Robert, "Could you get my equipment Robert? I feel a lot more comfortable with it at ready." She looked at Chaim once more, "What pierced the Shrieker's hide was..." She bit her lip, "And this is where you're going to get disappointed." She paused for a moment, then let out a sigh. "I have no idea."

She glanced away a moment, "I knew what I was doing, I knew I could do it. I'd done it before. I just don't know what it is." She took another bite of her apple, this time chewing slower before glancing back at Chaim once more, "All I know is it's something within me. I haven't figured out what it is yet, and I haven't figured out the extent of what I can do with it. Basically, I channeled whatever it is into my gun. Like I said, I'm not sure what I can do with it, but I do know that I can wrap it around a bullet. The bullet gives it the force it needs to penetrate a Pandora Demon's flesh, without me having to get too close." She took another bite, this time falling silent a few moments. "I'm afraid beyond that, I really don't know anymore than you do. And as far as questions go, ask whatever you like. I'm feeling better by the minute. Especially with some food in me. I'd love to solve these riddles as much as anyone else. Perhaps more."

She finished her apple and set the core down on an empty corner of the tray, glancing away slowly, "It all started with the Box." She laughed, a kind of melancholy laugh, "And we thought we had problems before." She looked up slowly, first at Robert, then Chaim, then the girl, Varrana, before looking towards the wall. "Whatever is going on with me now, it all started when that Box was opened."
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Zylo
Newbie
[ * ]
He just listened to her at first, taking in what she said. Even the chastising. Even though he wasn't really used to being the one who was on the receiving end of a reprimand, he took it as it was given, merely nodding for a moment in agreement. He understood what she meant but he really wasn't as interested in that as he was in her explanation.

The interruption as the door opened gave him a chance to look her over, to study her features without being too obvious about it. He studied her as though he was in a lab and she was his project, the same way that he studied anything he could find himself lost in, anything he could wonder about. He had a bad habit of doing so and had the feeling that this would turn out to be one such case.

Her words intrigued him. If they were not bullets, then what were they? He had very sharp eyes and he had seen... something... come out of that gun. His eyes glanced momentarily towards the woman who had brought the food and he wasn't surprised at who it was. He looked towards Robert afterwards to see if he would give the womman her weapon. His curiosity was driving him on right now, so much more than his common sense was. Give an injured woman who they don't know and could be mentally unstable a gun? That definitely sounded like a good idea when he could learn something from it.

As she began to speak, once again, her words took his attention and he devoured everything that she said with a sort of lots look in his eyes, looking in her general direction but seeming to look past her as his thoughts raced faster and faster. The fact that she didn't know what exactly it was that she had done was disappointing, but it did mean that he might be able to help her figure it out. She was here and she had this ability and it needed to be understood so that he might find a way to harness it to protect these people.

The glaze over his eyes seemed to fade as he looked out of his train of thought at her face. "It is a bit of an odd question, I suppose, but how would you mind being a lab rat?" He knew it was rather blunt, but he was straightforward and didn't really think it would be right to sugar coat things for her. "I'd like to work with you to help you figure out what this is. In doing so, of course, it'll seem like you're just an experiment. I'm not going to lie about that, or the fact that you are, but that isn't all you are. If we can figure out this ability, find a way to contain some of it or spread it throughout other people, we could stand a fighting chance. If we continue to just sit here and do nothing, we'll all eventually die out. We'll all die anyways, but if we can die fighting for something that can help our people live without fear I'd do it in a heartbeat. Spread out enough, we could actually organize a military force that could wipe out these Demons, if only we had the ability to do so. And you do have that ability. I merely wish to understand that ability."

He nodded as though agreeing with something that was running through his head and rolled his shoulders, seemingly unaware of the other people for the moment. "Of course, it's a random, sudden thing to say, so if you need some time to think about it I can understand and if you say no I can understand. Obviously, I hope you'll say yes but I won't pressure you into anything. In the meanwhile, I reckon you're a guest in our midst, so if you need anyone to show you around feel free to ask." He just sat there for the moment, though, cause he knew there was more to be said than just that. Just because he had said his part for the moment didn't mean he couldn't learn something by being willing to listen.
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Squall250
Administrator
[ *  *  * ]
Terra smiled faintly as Robert stepped away for a moment, retrieving her equipment and then returning to give it to her. She smiled faintly, thanking him before looking at Chaim as he began to respond to her.

For civility's sake, she kept quiet as he gave her his inquiry, but her answer was already waiting to come out. She let him finish, and then slid from the bed slowly. Her movement caused her to grunt slightly, her body still stiff and sore, but the simple fact that she actually stood up was incredible at this point. There was no way she should be able to do so right now. She took her equipment and walked behind a curtain in the room to change.

"I'm sorry, Chaim." She said, with a hint less sorrow than her words suggested, accompanied by the rustle of shifting garments. "But I've been there, done that, wrote the book and have no intentions of doing it again."

After a few moments, she stepped back out from behind the curtain, cloak clasped about her chest, guns holstered at her side, and a few other toys she had on her hidden beneath her garments. Aside from her, only Robert would know she carried several knives on her, as well as a prototype blade from before the Box was opened.

She looked at Chaim once more, "Shortly after the Demons came, I was the lone survivor in a city that was totally destroyed. Why, I do not know. I should have been killed as well. I certainly didn't know how to defend myself against these things at that point. But somehow I managed to escape death. I was found by a survivor caravan. Their vehicles were some of the most advanced before the Box was opened."

She walked over to the bed, sitting down on the side, "They constructed an advanced shelter, one of the first and one of the best. For a month they held me there, performing tests and experiments to see if I was a monster, or just special, or what." She took a slow breath, "Finally they were destroyed by an attack. A single Demon wiped out the entire place." She shivered, "I fought it off when it came to me. That was when I learned that I really was different."

She looked away slowly, "I never did kill it. It fled, and I took a bike that had managed to survive the attack. As well as a few weapons." Looking back at Chaim once more, she shook her head. "So no. I can understand your desire to help these people, but I am not going to go through anything like that again."

It was at that moment that sirens went off, and a voice came over the loudspeakers. "Warning, seismic activity detected. All citizens, please exit the shelter in an orderly fashion. Repeat, seismic activity detected. Please exit the shelter in an orderly fashion."

Terra froze for a moment, before looking around the room slowly. "That's no earthquake." She said quietly. There was no motion, no rumbling. And for some reason, she could sense it coming. It burst through the wall of the infirmary, diamond-shaped head lunging straight at Terra. She threw herself forward, rolling over the bed and landing with one foot on the floor, the other leg's knee resting on the bed to balance herself.

As the dust cleared, a giant snake-like beast rested coiled up in one end of the room, on the other side of the bed Terra had been in just moments before. Its body was black, and uncoiled it had to have been at least fifty feet long, five feet wide at its largest point. A large, shimmering gem rested between its eyes, which themselves were an eerie, blood red.

"It's you..." She whispered, each hand resting on a gun at her side.

"Well well..." The beast said in a quiet hiss, "Who do we have here..." Its eyes flickered over the four in the room slowly, long forked tongue flicking out once, twice, a third time. "Three carriers in one room... And..." It looked at Terra, "A descendent..." This was said with somewhat of an exaggurated hiss. It seemed to study her closer, before hissing loudly, "You... I know you."

Terra nodded, placing both feet firmly on the ground, "And I you. Do you still carry that scar, Demon?" She asked, hands still ready on her pistols.

"I do. I understand you destroyed the flyer that lies dead." It hissed once more, "I am not so foolish as to face a descendent alone, not this time."

"Then you will leave this place."

It laughed, a kind of broken hiss. "I need not face you to crush this frail shelter. Or those within it." For a few moments, it remained still, as if waiting to see what reactions it would bring from those others in the room.
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tormenteddragon
Advanced Member
[ *  *  * ]
He was not a threat. He was insignificant to this thing, a mere toy to be played with for a moment's amusement, if that. At least, so it seemed, as the monster was entirely unconcerned that he had been slowly moving towards the door since the moment of its arrival.

Its words were puzzling, in what it called them: carriers and a descendant? Carriers of what? Was there a plague to accompany the monsters that had yet to manifest itself? Or was it referring to something else? And just what was she a descendant OF? And not only that, she was A descendant, and not THE descendant. Were there others like her, then, who possessed the power required to fight these monsters?

But these were questions for another time. To answer them would require survival, and survival required a hasty retreat. As the monster made its threat, Robert made his move, scooping up the serving girl - Varrana, if he remembered correctly - tossing her over his shoulder, and beating it out the door. He did not look back, and slowed down only long enough to pound this corridor's panic button before continuing on his way to the nearest exit. He knew better than to wait around.
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Zylo
Newbie
[ * ]
Chaim's eyes flashed, but other than that he did nothing. He merely sat there as she gave her answer. The words generated interest within him. He had a desire to take apart and piece together everything in an attempt to understand it. She was no exception, nor was her life. She had an ability, but had no intention of sharing with him. He was not brazen enough to claim to understand what she had went through, but under the circumstances he was no stranger to tragedy. No one was.

However, he had claimed to accept whatever answer she gave him and he was a man of his word. He opened his mouth and, before he could get anything out, the sirens went off. But, he didn't move. He merely sat there. The only change he made was bothering to close his mouth. But, that was a bit of a moot idea when a Demon burst through the wall.

It was a strange reaction that he had to such an event. The security of this place was compromised by a Demon who knew this girl rather specifically. Everything he knew had the potential to be destroyed, everyone killed. ...All the children could die. It wasn't the idea that he could lose everything, but that everyone else could lose everything. Even if, at the moment, everything they had was not that much. It was something, a hope at a start, a place that they believed they could be safe in. They were wrong about it all, though, as this moment proved. He just wasn't sure he wanted them to know that yet.

He just sat there, watching Robert take Varanna and run. He surely couldn't blame the man. In fact, if he had any semblance of a brain, he would be running as well. However, he didn't think that he had time to grab Terra before running. Thus, he couldn't very well run. For one thing, he was a firm believer in leaving no one behind but himself. And for another, it wouldn't do very well to let his new interest be destroyed. Just because she would not let him use her as an experiment, she was still extremely interesting and there was still this power about her that he had yet to understand. So he could not help but be extremely interested in her.

That only made the idea of leaving her behind more and more unacceptable.

So the dagger rolled over his fingers more and he stood up, walking up by her with that calm gaze that had to be a facade. For if it was not, he was surely insane. The dagger stopped spinning, his fingers wrapping tight around the handle as he held the knife downward. It wasn't really that he thought it would do any good but he prepared himself nonetheless.

"So," he said to her, a nonchalant smirk across his face. Some people, in times of crisis, just seemed to lose all sense of self and went crazy. Maybe his form of psychosis was placidity when it was most inappropriate. Or maybe he was calm because he knew that panicking would change nothing. "Since I'm standing here, is this the part where we fight and lose, run like Hell, or is there some other option that I'm not aware of?"

Maybe devastation just created a lack of fear. Or a lack of common sense.
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