Bridled Lights from the Dark Sector [IC, invite only, +18]

[DaMadReaper]

"As far as I'm concerned, it may as well be magic. That's coming from someone who spent their life making fake magic."

She reached into her jacket pocket, retrieving a rather unremarkable deck of cards, shuffling them in her hands.

"So, what exactly brought you here? Is there something interesting happening around here?"

 

Edited July 12, 2017 by DaMadReaper

[kyrozon]

"Just a signal. Its suppose to be some safe haven for us here, although so far it just seems to be you, me and whoever flew in first."  Indy replies as she gestures towards the church. "How about you? What brought you here?"

[Denny2669]

The large double door to the church itself was unlocked, which they could be thankful for. Despite the damage it already suffered, this building was built to last. Fitting for it's purpose, both before and after this land turned grey.

The entrance seemed clear, small set of stairs leading to the main hall. The floor was littered with little boxes, almost like some sort of devices, but interacting with the would prove nothing, as they seemed broken. Ones who saw the militarie's forces lately might recognize these as parts of their weapons, a safeguard against infected individuals called govenors, to keep the arms away from disseased hands.

Further in, the hall would show the real state of the building. Broken pillairs, massive holes in the roof, shattered wooden benches where people used to pray, even the altar was broken in half. Only the statues and most of the paintings still kept some shape. 

[404Cygni]

I put my handgun back in its holster,(No! Giving up security. Bad. Must keep eyes open. Vulnerable.) I catch the summit of the gates (Has some spikes, beware), .and casually polevault over it (No hostiles in sight, am on peak.), landing straight on the...Something. (Decent landing. Sounds and reacts like metal, so right ankle still hurts a bit . Might be a disadvantage in combat.) The vaguely metallic color gets me thinking of OTHER debris. The ones that I could see blocking the main gate, from the outside. i...Still have no idea what that was. (Shape wrong for a car. Gunmetal in there. Some kind of armored unit? Crushed so hard. Danger! Danger!)And call for the others. (Priest has scythe. Decent cross-range, but tricky to use and long shaft, so problems fighting inside. Girl can at least hide herself, maybe more. Combat formation needs some thinking.)

"I can provide assistance as well if needed. You need but to ask. However, let us hurry within the church, please."

Edited July 14, 2017 by 404Cygni
Coherence acquired.

[DaMadReaper]

"Well, I was busy taking out some infected goons who were trying to attack me, when I noticed  a humanoid figure with wings dropping into the area. So naturally, my first instinct was to follow it, to see what it really was, and if necessary, end its suffering."

Once Sophia was happy with her shuffling, she finished by running the edges of the deck along her right forearm. If Indy was looking closely enough, she would notice a thin layer of the metallic texture on the edge of the cards.

"I think we should probably check the inside of the building. I'd rather not have any nasty surprises waiting for us just behind the wall..."

[kyrozon]

"No suffering to be ended for me." Indy replies with a faint shrug, looking at the cards and noticing an odd texture on them. Not that she could observe that greatly as Sophia spoke up once more.

"You're right. It is probably saver inside, although we might find somone else in there." She quickly chirps as she turns around, raising her arm to let her bird companion take off. Trace simply flies up and circles above the courtyard for all to see.

[MetroFallout]

Freya mostly kept to herself but moved into the church while keeping some distance between herself and the others since she was unsure if they're friendly or not, milling about as though she was on auto pilot since it would seem like the others were staying away from her. This suited her fine of course, until she knew that they were friendly, she was fine with them keeping their distance.

[Denny2669]

As time went on, a chilling howl has slightly shaken the air from not too far away. Enough indication for anyone still outside to find shelter.

---

Indy, Sophia (east wall) and Amelia (west wall) are in the churchyard.

Rinka was sitting atop the wall dividing the churchyard and graveyard (west wall), offering a rope to the last person in the graveyard, Francois.

Freya has just entered the church.

[Drakeardian]

On 11/07/2017 at 8:56 PM, Cyriann said:

She goes to the rusty gates, noticing the scythe in the priest's hand but she doesn't want to dwell on it. 

She gives a push to the gates asserting that they are heavy and that moving them would be most likely extremely loud, which they would want to avoid. 

"Anyone having trouble with climbing?" She says as she swiftly climbs up the wall, not needing a grip for her hands she almost seems to walk on it. " 'Cause if so, I have a rope in my arm." She extends the gladius blade and the cable linked to it and herself while sitting on the wall legs crossed. 

"I'm a little unsteady yes." said Francois as the priest climbed the rope to get to the other side, his scythe disapppearing for a moment as he did so.

Once he managed to get up onto the wall, he dropped down onto the churchyard with a thud and an "Oomph." and slowly stood up straight, re summoning his Scythe and began to proceed to the church.

Edited July 22, 2017 by Drakeardian

[Cyriann]

While the man climbed she felt in the rope that it was eager to somehow "bury itself through him, she had repressed it. 

Yet as they get to the ground she almost falls, on all four she immediately waves to dismiss any help intention.

"Don't worry, my mind wasn't focused. " She says as she gets up and dusts her outfit, the way she does so though can seem weird, as she seems more to be rubbing it than actually dusting it while her outfit itself seems to slightly shimmer as she takes care of it.

[404Cygni]

I let myself fall from the infected corpse and take my pistol out again.(Magazine checked, seventeen bullets. All standard 9mm rounds. Explosive rounds reserve in right pocket if needed.)

After a short hesitation, I nod at Rinka's comment ans head towards the church myself, eyes and ears wide open for the potentialités hostile I heard earlier. I feel myself gripping the gun's handle son hard, my fingers are probably turning white.

[MetroFallout]

"Damn... the Church looks empty..." said Freya in English to herself, upon first entering the Church building, holding her shield a little more loosely in her hands and letting her arms fall to her side as she took a look around where she stood. "Hello? Anyone here?"

Her tail flicked from side to side slowly like a cat's would while she slowly looked around in the gloom.

[404Cygni]

Sound coming from the church. I whisper to the rest of the group.

"Stay behind me."

Then I go in. Now isn't the time to hesitate. My weapon in hand, I pass the door just to hear someone speak up. Well, at least that means someone and not something. Doesn't mean we're safe yet, through. Could be anything, a looter, a criminal, someone turned mad...I see what is (Sound gives position.Position matches. Humanoid.) my speaker's silhouette. (Right foot in front, knees slightly bended. Ready to fire. Aiming at side, going non-fatal until convinced otherwise.) I speak up myself.

"As a matter of fact, there is. Friend or foe?"

 

[MetroFallout]

"That depends on you." said Freya, frowning, turning to face the voice, her body tensing up slightly and her tail coiling back up behind her back to hide itself. "Are you infected?"

Even in the gloom and with her hiding her tail, it would be clear to whoever asked the question of Freya being friend or foe  that she was, indeed infected.

[404Cygni]

I have my answer. She seems about stable, as far as I can guess. Judging by the flicking tail that she tries her best to hide, she was infected too. I met three people like me, in a few hours. It would seem thinking infectés weren't nearly as rare as I thought'. Meaning this call I heard went from "statistic anomaly, probably a trap" to "possibly genuine". Good news. In a pinch, I decided to play it straightforward. It didn't seem fair that I could know about her, but not obversely.

" I am. My mind is fully working, nonetheless. I do not wish for strife, but will not hesitate if I have to."

Edited July 24, 2017 by 404Cygni

[MetroFallout]

"That makes two of us. The name's Madsen, Freya Madsen." she said, lowering her shield and stepping in the direction of the voice. "What's yours?"

[404Cygni]

My weapon went back into its holster, hands casually into my duster, and I bow lightly out of courtesy.

"Amelia Duval, though this country has dubbed me angel of flames. I have some allies, though they'll introduce themselves as soon as they catch up."

Edited July 25, 2017 by 404Cygni

[DaMadReaper]

Just as Sophia was preparing to move towards the church, she noticed a rather odd sight. Two figures, one much taller than the other, positioned at the far wall of the churchyard. Without a moment's hesitation, she cupped her hands around her mouth, shouting at the figures.

"Hey, you! You guys alright over there?"

She then lifted her hands, waving them in the air as if to catch their attention.

[MetroFallout]

"Angel of flames huh? No one's called me anything though if I'm honest, that might be because I rarely let people know that I exist." chuckled Freya, extending a hand out to shake Amelia's. "Nice to meet you. You run the place?"

[kyrozon]

Indy looked over to the direction Sophia shouted in. She hadn't noticed the two figures before, but the scythe one of them carried stood out. Gave the person a grim reaper vibe. She just gave a small wave along with Sophia. "That signal drew a larger crowd than I expected." She comments.

[Drakeardian]

Francois looked to the others that had arrived with a raised eyebrow then he spoke "Are you all here because of the signal?" he asked. "Are you all among the chosen?" he then made his way towards the church Enterence, motioning for others to follow "Come, let us get inside to battle the cold." 

It was quite curious how most of these chosen infected were women the priest thought, perhaps the Technocyte had a thing for the fairer sex?

Edited July 30, 2017 by Drakeardian

[Cyriann]

She had followed on them taking notes on each person's reactions, to her anything could be of use, why though she didn't know. 

"A group of sane infecteds, at least that weird message wasn't lying on that. Ho, and if you haven't recognized me yet, the name is Rinka." She says those words with a small snark since to her, who would be ignoring who she is, a renown dancer with a unique style.

Though,  it is worth noting that as known as she is among musicians and people that look around the web, other people, those she would not usually meet, most of the times would not recognize her as her work is yet to be more mainstream as it is for now. 

Edited July 27, 2017 by Cyriann

[404Cygni]

I take Freya's hand and shake it vigorously.

"That is a policy that wporks. I do make myself a bit too visible, these days. As for running the place, I'm afraid I do not. I came here answering this call, but so have all of us, apparently. And no trace of the caller...As intriguing as it is worrying."

[Denny2669]

--- Church interior ---

Spoiler

Red - Freya
Blue - Amelia
Grey - Indy
Yellow - Francois
Light blue - Rinka
Crimson - Sophia

--

On Wednesday, July 12, 2017 at 1:52 PM, Denny2669 said:

The large double door to the church itself was unlocked, which they could be thankful for. Despite the damage it already suffered, this building was built to last. Fitting for it's purpose, both before and after this land turned grey.

The entrance seemed clear. The wooden double door opened way to two sets of stairs leading to the main hall. The floor was littered with little boxes, almost like some sort of devices, but interacting with the would prove nothing, as they seemed broken. Ones who saw the militarie's forces lately might recognize these as parts of their weapons, a safeguard against infected individuals called govenors, to keep the arms away from disseased hands.

Further in, the hall would show the real state of the building. Broken pillairs, massive holes in the high up roof, shattered wooden benches where people used to pray, even the altar was broken in half. Only the statues and most of the colorful windows still kept some shape. 

The smooth tiles of the ground were covered in dust and filth where they aren't shattered. Though in the dust were footprints of warrying sizes. More indication of someone having been here was a bench covered by a torn blanket and bloody rags, a pile of scavenged old clothes, and a massive pile of ash. The rest seemed empty, as if there used to be something there, but now isn't. Whether it was scavanged and dragged away, or shattered with it's pieces all over the room, it created enough space to be filled by all the silence. Piles of rubble were present, though they seemed unnatural, like obstructions put in one spot to make way.

The only space they could not see was the backspace used by priests and younglings to prepare for ceremonies, it's entrance likely at the hallway's end, behind the altar and covered by a large curtain. A rope hang from the slopes of one of the windows, tied tight enough to support one's weight.

For whatever reason, there was no trace of the caller, nor the device they were called with.

[Drakeardian]

Walking into the enterance of the church, Francois kneeled down to examine the footsteps in the dust before moving on as well as the goveners at the foot of the stairs before going up them, as he arrived at the main hall, he knelt down at once more at the first line of benches as he entered and made the sign of the cross and muttered something in his native language.

He then stood up, looking back to his fellow survivors before looking to the two already inside "Are you two here because of the signal? Are you also among the chosen here?" he asked curiously with his hand still close to his staff.

Edited July 30, 2017 by Drakeardian