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This is an apocalypse based roleplay, which takes place in amongst the gated community of survivors called "Blessed Angels". Refer to here for a more in-depth explanation of the storyline!
|Camp information|
Camp appearance: |Reference| An abandoned boarding school, the camp is rather spacious and offers a safe haven for the community within. Surrounded by large brick walls, checked and maintained daily, the camp is well-protected and hidden amongst thick forest. The school building itself is somewhat worn-down, but still very much habitable. There is a greenhouse, but there aren't many crops being grown within it, deeming it almost useless. There are a variety of rooms for people to stay in and personalise however they desire, along with various areas for the community to socialise and intermingle freely.
Season: Autumn
Weather: Cold at night and in the morning, but warms up during the day. Light showers, generally clear otherwise.
Camp condition: Good, no threats as of right now.

The morning air was crisp, fresh - wonderful for the lungs, one could assume. The sky was dark, as soft rain fell to the ground and left the world around her damp and somewhat cold. Maddie found herself wrapped up in a black leather coat, the fur-lined hood pulled up to mask her head from the rain. She had a firm disliking of this coat, and all leather in general; the way the fabric pulled against her skin, and moved so stiffly, made the young women's skin crawl. But with winter on the horizon, she had no choice but to get used to it. Sighing, she looked out onto the empty front yard, the benches coated in a fine coat of rain as it continued to pour. It was early, not to mention cold, so Maddie could only assume people had decided to remain in bed or at least inside. But she herself had always had a divine love of the rain, much rathering to remain outside and watch as it fell to the ground. A hunting party needs to be organised and sent out soon She reminded herself, pale blue gaze clouded with thought as she lowered herself down onto the stone stairs that lead up to the entrance of the school building. She would grant everyone a little longer before assigning them their daily jobs, taking note that today was certainly the coldest of Autumn as of yet. It worried her that it was only going to get colder. She found her arms hugging around her small form, for warmth or for comfort she couldn't tell.

She wheeled up to a school yard. She had heard that there was a safe camp in a boarding school and she decided to head there seeing as she was in need of a place to stay. As she wheeled up to the gates she pushed it open and went inside the yard what she saw was... nothing. Nothing... well at least she had space to work... oh wait there seemed to be a young girl who was sitting on the steps. She made her way over to the young woman and stopped in front of her. ``Hello there. Is this the safe camp I've been hearing about?``

Andrés practically lurched from his covers, his breath heavy and forehead beaded with sweat. As the blur from his sleepy eyes faded, and his surroundings became familiar, he sighed. Another night terror. With a grizzly bear sized stretch, and a couple of delicate seconds of eye rubbing, he rotated his body and allowed the bare pads of his feet to make contact with the cold wooden floor beneath him, goose bumps covering the surface of his arms. Summer had passed, fall was ending, winter was here. It was hard to focus on the positive when he knew the dark uncertainty right around the corner could bring more suffering than not only himself but the others could not handle. Healthy wildlife was becoming increasingly difficult to find and he could only eat so many outdated canned goods. Not to mention they didn’t have much of those left either, and cutting their already tiny portions would surely drive someone over the edge. Andrés slipped a sweatshirt over his thin white T-shirt and a checkered wool coat over that. Lazily sliding his feet into the slippers next to his bed, he shuffled into the kitchen, glancing out the window. Rain. Running a hand through his messy hair, he peeked down the hall to find an open door, Madilyn‘s door. Shuffling in that direction, he stopped just before the enterance, “Decent?” He asked, voice deep and raspy from his restless night of sleep. No answer. Clearly she wasn’t around, but it was no surprise, she was always the type to be up and ready before the rest of them. Andrés, in no hurry, walked to the front door, the silhouette of a girl could be seen through the dirty glass. Opening the door and slipping outside, a small wince could be heard escape his lips, as it seemed every ounce of warmth left his body at once. Growing up in Puerto Rico, Andres was a bit of wimp in the cold climates. Lowering his body down on the same step she sat on, leaving a few feet between them, he pulled out an old, stale pack of cigarettes and a lighter. Inhaling and exhaling, he looks over at her, “You’re dying to get the day started, aren’t you?” He offers the cigarette in her direction.

Maddie found herself turning to face the source of a familiar voice, a warm smile gracing her lips as she realised who it was. "Andrés," She greeted, nodding her head politely to him as she watched him sit beside her. She quickly shook her head at his offer, disgust replacing her features, "God, no thanks. There's enough things that increase my chances of dying, I'd like to avoid adding to the list," She remarked, playful sarcasm tinting her tone as she looked back out across the yard. "Winters coming," She spoke, worry wavering in her voice as she did; her worries for the group written plainly across her face as she let out a distressed sigh, "Lord knows how we're going to make it." She found her arms hugging her tighter, ever so slightly, but it was enough to remind her how much she had on her plate. They were low on all supplies, and needed a more effective plan if they were to make it through winter.
Maddie's pale blue gaze quickly caught sight of a woman approaching them, the wheels of her wheelchair scraping damply against the wet stone beneath them. Rising to her feet quickly, Maddie took slight caution - she didn't know this woman, so she had to be wary of her, at least to some extent. "Hello," She greeted, somewhat surprised; Maddie was unaware news of the camp had been spreading, given their hidden location in amongst the forest and not to mention the lack of communication there was brought on by the events of the apocalypse. "Ah, yes, this would be it," She confirmed, doubting there were many other safe camps near by that the woman could have been talking about. "I'm Madilyn Harding, but you're welcome to call me Maddie. I'm one of the people who run this community," She explained, extending a hand out to the woman, hoping to seem as polite as possible. Thin brunette hair remained dry beneath her hood, pale eyes poking out from beneath the leather fabric. Her pale gaze turned back to Andrés, offering him a chance to speak to the woman, given she had little idea how they were to take on another member.

He glanced down at the cigarette between his pointer and middle fingers and grinned, “You know, you’re right. I’ve got to be around. For you.” Taking one last inhale, he put the cigarette out, and met her eyes, “We both know you couldn’t live without seeing this every. damn. day.” He gestures to his own body in a silly way, letting out a chuckle, “No, but in all seriousness, you know I always have your back; I know you always have mine. Your safety...” He clears his throat and restarts, “All of your safety is my priority. Even know I know you’re more than capable.” He winked. Even know she was small, this girl could hold her own. He didn’t worry too much about her when they had to separate.

His eyes lowered to the ground upon hearing those two dreadful words. As much as he wanted to ignore it and move on to a lighter topic, they didn’t have much time and it needed to be discussed. Tension now buzzed around the group on a daily bases because there was no easy resolution. No matter what they decided to on, people were going to die. He ran a hand through his hair, lightly pulling on it, “God Madilyn, I don’t want to be the bad guy here but I think-“ He was cut off by the sound of an approaching stranger. He jumped up at the same time as Maddie and followed closely behind, jaw clenched tight. This was not happening, not now. Maddie was nice, she was welcoming, but Andrés was as cold as the morning air was. In three years he had only allowed himself to fully trust one person and this stranger was no exception. “Who are you and how did you hear about this place? Who brought you?” His body tense, ready to react if anything were to happen and it was topped with a scowl on his face. Whoever left the gate unlocked was going to hear about it, directly from him, and he had some colorful language to attach to the conversation. A careless act like that could’ve gotten them all killed.

``My name's Lydia Ross but Lydia`` She said as she shook the hand of the young woman while giving a friendly smile. He then stopped shaking her hand and turned her attention to the man standing in front of her. She looked at him up and down and then she... laughed. She let out a loud laugh and in between breaths she was saying some things. ``HA HA! YOU... ARE SCARED... OF SOMEBODY... IN A WHEELCHAIR! AH HA HA!`` she laughed until she was out of breath ``Oh my... oh my never ionce in my life has someone been scared of me before I've even done anything``

Andrés face did not soften, in fact her obnoxious laughing only frustrated him further, “I don’t know you. I don’t know if this wheelchair is a prop. I don’t know if the minute we let you come inside your own group will attack us and take over this property. Nobody can be trusted out here. This is not a time for laughing and jokes and you will not belittle me.” He paused, taking a step back, glancing at Madilyn. The same glance he gives her every time he can feel himself being pushed a little too far. Most of the time she kept his anger in check, and in the past it wasn’t often she had to but with the pressures of their current situation his outbursts were much more prevalent.

``Listen, hun. I'm a scientist I don't work for a company I do my own thing and right now I'm trying to get though so would you kindly move?`` She said as she raised her right eyebrow. Under her wheelchair was a small pocket that looked big enough to hold a briefcase and.. it did! It held a carbon fiber locked brief case with the words classified written imprinted on to it. On her wrist was a watch that seemed... unusual. It had a touchpad that looks like if it was pressed something would be activated.

Maddie remained somewhat quiet during the dispute, but subconsciously she moved between Andrés and Lydia; she could see the way Andrés' anger worsened, and the way the Lydia spoke to him was of no help. "Listen, both of you," She allowed her pale gaze to drift between both of them, her anger less aimed towards Andrés as she knew she his cautiousness was perfectly valid, "God knows arguing isn't going to get us anywhere, if anything it's only going to make things worse - especially for you Lydia." She gazed down at the woman, as if to remind her she was the newcomer here; she had no place, nor right, to be making a ruckus if she wanted to stay. "Food is tight enough as is, we certainly don't need new mouths to feed." She hated to be so upfront, but she was a leader - she needed to act like it. There was no time for neglectful chances, offers of sanctuary in return for nothing. The group needed strong people, and she hated to be so discriminatory but she couldn't see the possibility of them being able to provide for a wheelchair user. There were no ramps, first of, and what flat ground there was inside was cracked and misshapen. Hard to walk on, let alone use a wheelchair on. The young lady sighed, her blue eyes drifting off of Lydia and towards the gate. "Andrés, who was on patrol last night?" She inquired, glancing up at him with annoyance written across her face. Whoever allowed that gate to be left open was positively stupid, and she'd let them know of it as soon as she knew who it was. She quickly reminded herself it was a lesser important matter than the one at hand, shaking her head as if to say "Nevermind", before wandering off in the direction of the gate herself. She glanced back toward Andrés, giving him a look as if asking him to keep an eye on Lydia - her distrust of the newcomer only grew as she continued to argue, but she could trust Andrés to watch her. Approaching the gate, she reached out a pale hand to grasp the cold metal as she pulled it shut. The clang of the metal made her flinch, the silence of the forest allowing it to echo ever so slightly. She could only hope it didn't attract any unwanted attention, as she quickly closed the lock and pulled on it a few times to ensure it was truly closed.
Pale gaze lingered out on the forest for a moment, worry dwindling in the blue depths, before she reluctantly turned and walked back over to Andrés and Lydia. "Lydia, I'm going to be honest with you. We really don't have the supplies to be accepting everyone who walks through that gate, you gotta have something to offer in return." It less of a question, more of a statement; if she had nothing of value to bring to the group, there simply wasn't the space to have her. It made Maddie felt somewhat cruel, but she knew it was for the best. Lydia was at the bottom of the pecking order, the group community taking priority over her entirely. She had to act for the benefit of the group, not for the benefit of some stranger who claimed to be a scientist.

Andre remained quiet as Madilyn handled the situation at bay with professionalism and intelligence. Some of him felt guilty for yelling at Lydia but most of him felt guilty for allowing himself to raise his voice. If he attracted any of them with the volume of his voice he could be putting his family in danger. That was the last thing he’d ever wish for. “I’m sorry.” His tone was sincere, but the eyes he met weren’t Lydia’s, “I’ll take a round now to make sure it stays quiet around here and you can count on me to do patrol duty every night for a week.” He cleared his throat, “Can I please speak to you, in private?” He motioned Madilyn to follow him a few yards away from Lydia, but still in a close enough range that he could intervene if necessary. “Thank you.” He whispered, looking into her eyes, “And you handled that amazingly.” He lowered his head, eyes skimming the ground surrounding his feet, “It’s just, I’m worried.”

It’s not often Andrés opens up about his emotions. He’s a very private person and when it comes to feelings, he shuts down. From a young age he wasn’t taught to express how he felt in any circumstance. With his parents almost constantly traveling for business, one of the few lessons he was able to learn was, “Man up and deal with it.” He couldn’t complain too much, though, it had gotten him this far in life.

“That’s our family in there, Maddie.” He gestured toward the house, “If we don’t do something, we are going to lose them. They will starve to death. I can’t ask them to travel, now either. It’s cold, it’s wet, soon to be icy, and they are barely getting enough food to have the energy to do chores around here, let alone hike through this terrain.” His gaze met hers once more, “I have to take care of my family before I take care of anyone else. They are barely holding it together in there as it is.” Andrés sighed and shifted his weight back, “I think I should go, hike out of the area and spend a few days gathering everything I can possibly find. Their hungry, and frankly, so am I.” He eyed her, hoping to find some sort of positive reaction, or any reaction at all. When he didn’t get anything immediately, he continued to plead the case, “And you, Madilyn, you are the most important person in my life. I won’t sit back and watch you suffer.” Without anything else to say, he pulled away from the pressing topic, tucking an unruly strand of hair behind her ear. “Before I let you speak, I want you to know I respect whatever decision you make regarding Lydia. You are a kickass leader.” He smiles a bit, attempting to lighten the mood, even if it was just for a few seconds.

Maddie listened attentively, her expression remaining relaxed aside from a few smiles where it was appropriate. However, her mood quickly dampened as Andrés brought up the pressing matter of food, and how low it was in supply. A guilty expression quickly took over her pale features, as she clenched her fists anxiously. She wanted to pretend that everything would be fine - that everyone would hang on long enough for spring to return, and with it all the mammals they could hunt for food. But Maddie knew how unlikely such a scenario was, impossible even. As Andrés pitched his plan to her, she couldn't help but disagree at first. Not that she expressed it, opting to keep her face neutral whilst he spoke to avoid putting him off. But she couldn't bring herself to allow Andrés to leave, knowing full well the odds of him not returning were the highest they'd seen yet. She let out a small laugh at his final comment, before returning to thoughtful silence as she pondered the pros and cons of him leaving. There was no doubt about it, something needed to be done. But sending Andrés to scout out the surrounding areas all on his own was impractical at best, and Maddie knew it. She weighed up her options, considered the benefits and the drawbacks. Her pale gaze drifted over to Lydia as she pondered, watching her intently for just a moment before turning her attention back to Andrés. "I can see the appeal to going, not to mention the possible benefits. But you will not go alone," She paused, taking a moment to finalise her choice in the matter before sighing and speaking once more, "I will go with you." Her role as leader demanded she do the best by the group, why would she allow Andrés to carry that burden of responsibility as if it was his? She smiled at him, giving him no chance to argue with her as she turned back in the direction of the school building. "Come, we will have to plan our journey and gather the supplies. It's best we leave as soon as possible, no?" She halted just in front of Lydia, pale gaze looking down on her with frightening intensity. "Lydia, I will grant you the opportunity to stay, for now at least. I will finalise my decision once me and Andrés have returned in a couple of days," She concluded, quickly realising she would need some sort of ramp to get up the stone set of steps. Looking around, Maddie's pale gaze settled upon what looked to be a piece of a wooden fence, broken down and laying against the floor of the courtyard. Walking toward it quickly, the young women wasted no time in dragging it over and laying it about the steps. Testing her weight on it, she concluded it seemed safe enough, nodding her head toward Lydia before making her own way inside. "The office?" She inquired to Andrés, already walking off in the direction of the room which originally must have been the headmaster's office. It offered some still working pens and paper, perfect for her and Andrés to plan their journey affectively and in greater detail.

Argon entered the clearing, with a backpack over his back, and covered in clothing to survive the cold. He had been travelling for days, foraging wherever he could, but had quickly found this area quite dry. While he was unable to re-stock his quite moderate food supplies, he foraged enough that he didn't have to take from them. Though, he was still quite tired. He hadn't allowed himself a lot of rest after going through the previous town, he had to keep moving. He had to survive. Now here he was, in this clearing where there seemed to be a walled off building in perfect time for the winter to arrive.

Taking a few steps forward his eyes began to adjust to the sunlight. "People!" he thought to himself with a bang. While they didn't seem immediately hostile it didn't exactly mean they weren't either, so he figured suspicion was required. Waiting for a small amount of time Argon saw two of the residents leave after having a conversation with another in a wheelchair.
"How should I play this?" He wondered to himself, scared that any wrong decision could leave him dead or without shelter.
"Polite would be good, but they could see my weapon and believe I am hostile."
He had to do something, and that was to trust his instincts. Taking a deep breath, Argon began to slowly walk up to the gates and wait, making sure that he would not scare anyone with an unexpected appearance.

Andrés let out a sharp sigh, closed his eyes, and propped his head to side, as if to say ‘that’s not what I want but I know you won’t back down’. His look didn’t phase her as she walked away to find a piece of ply wood for a ramp. “How did I know you were going to decide to come?” Raising his voice so she could hear with her back turned. He smirked and ran a hand through his hair to push the stray hairs from his face, knowing her final word was well, final. Andrés knew his place in this world and his place was under Madilyn’s, which didn’t bother him one bit. Without a pecking order, their group wouldn’t be were they were now. Still alive and healthy three years after the outbreak.

Three years ago, when Andrés met Madilyn, he was more arrogant than ever. Not just from his luxurious and privileged lifestyle, but the fact that he made it out of the city on his own. He had to fight tooth and nail for every step out of there, giving him a false sense of immorality. At the time he was careless, rude, egotistical, and most of all, lacked the knowledge he’d need to survive for more than a week in the wilderness. Not long after his escape, he encountered the girl that would save his life, but at the time he didn’t want to accept it. A small structured girl with a feisty attitude would not be any more of a help to him than just remaining on his own. God, was he wrong. To this day he doesn’t know what made her stick with him but he was grateful.

Now, the past was in the past. Having Madilyn take over the leadership role was the best thing that could’ve happened. Andrés was not level-headed the way she was, and her ability to show compassion to an entire group of people that relied on her for every little thing, he knew he couldn’t do that. Not to mention, a lesson he learned very quickly, she was great at arguing. If placed in that position with Madilyn, you will lose. He challenged the theory multiple times at first, trust him ~ he tried, but that’s all a part of what it took to turn him into the person he was today.

After a brief moment of nostalgia, he followed the girl into the large, quite dusty office. He watched her sit down, but he just leaned against the desk. “We will have to appoint someone to lead the group while we’re gone. Someone who won’t go on a power trip and make everyone miserable.” His eyes watched her hand write something on a piece of paper before diverting to meet hers. “If anything happens to us, this person will be the one who takes over.” He paused, letting it sink in. While he didn’t want to think about either one of the dying, it was very real possibility outside those gates. “I think Walter would do well playing the part for a short time, he just get overwhelmed a little too easy. What about Rachel?” He questioned. Scratching the side of his head, he stood from his position on the desk and began to pace.

“How long do you anticipate us-“ he stopped mid sentence, catching a glance of a body outside the gate. “It’s one of them. I’ll go take care of it before it attracts any more.” Pulling a rather large pocket knife from his pocket, “Hold that thought, Maddie.” Smile a small smile, he left the office, feeling responsible for the noise that allowed this one to discover them. They discovered long ago that one of these bastards would eventually always bring more. The gate was strong but nothing could hold off the caliber of strength a hoard of them brought.

“Madilyn!” He called after her, recognizing the figure as an alive human just after stepping beyond the door frame. He made a B-Line to the gate, “Drop your bag!” He ordered in a firm voice, “Kick it away from you.” He stopped nearly ten feet from the gate, muttering what the hell is happening? He glanced over his shoulder for Madilyn, “Who are you? Why are you here?” Andrés immediately picked up on his submissive behavior, but refused to let his guard down before getting more information out of him.

Madilyn nodded as Andrés spoke, scribbling down their plans as the two of them delegated them. "Walter's certainly not good under pressure," She agreed, pondering on the topic of whether Rachel could hold up any better; "She's level headed, good at controlling a situation - but she can be bossy when she wants to be. Not sure if the group would take to it well," She noted all of this down, the ballpoint pen scribbling against the somewhat rough paper's surface. "Stop pacing, Andrés, you're making me nervous," She joked, smiling to herself as she continued with her list of possible candidates. But her pale gaze lifted back up toward Andrés as he suddenly paused, tension thickening the air. "What's-" She too was quickly cut off, realising what Andrés was talking about. She gave Andrés a nod, watching as he walked out before her, her hunting boots pounding against the floor as she wandered over to a shelf inside the office. Hidden in amongst the books lay a hunting knife, rather long with a serrated blade it could certainly do some damage. Upon hearing her name being called, worry tightened her chest as she debated what could possibly demand her attention so urgently. If it were just one of the creatures, surely Andrés could handle it?
Practically racing out of the office, the small woman quickly made her way toward the courtyard, wasting no time as she pushed open the large doors that made up the entrance. "Is everything...." She trailed off, catching sight of the issue at hand; another stranger stood behind the gated doors, submissive but no lesser a threat. Joining Andrés' side, she held her hunting knife tightly as she scanned over the stranger. She had to ensure he had no weapons on him, at least not any that were concealed. "I reiterate what he said; Who are you and what is your business here?" She spoke calmly, not wanting to prompt any unwanted aggression from the stranger. "Luck seems to be against us," She whispered to Andrés, a small laugh escaping her at the unbelievable day they were having. They hadn't had a new member for months, and now there were 2 in one day. With such little food, it would seem luck picked it's best moments.
She took a few steps out toward him, lowering her knife slightly as she quickly took note of his passive form - not to mention there was a gate between them, though she knew to account for if the stranger had a concealed gun. She remained at a safe distance, but close enough to inspect him closer.
"What are you intentions?" She repeated, this time a little more firmly as she reminded herself there wasn't enough food to allow for being nice. She had to put the already extensive amount of group members there were before this stranger, but she still had some hope for him being able to provide for the group in return for their safety. They needed more strong, able-bodied members for hunting and protection. She glanced back at Andrés, observing his facial expression, taking note of how cautious he was being. She had to hand it to him, he kept his guard up at all times. She needed him to balance out her much more conversational approach to things, likely the reason she cared so much for him. That and the fact the two of them had accomplished so much over the years. They'd changed, albeit for the better, and without the other it's not likely they would have managed to survive so long. She was intently grateful for him, and she hoped he knew it. "What's your take, what should we do?" She inquired quietly to him, trusting his intuition as a fair judgement for what they do next.

Waiting at the gate patiently, Argon began to take small mental notes of the location he was standing in. Nervous that he could be seen as a threat, and even fearful that he could be shot immediately. The answer was soon given to him as his vision directed to a man running over with a woman trailing behind.

"Survivors" he thought, watching as they acted defensive just at the very sight of him, letting them take control of the situation.

Slowly, Argon nodded and dropped his bag to the ground slowly. There were a few clangs of metal inside the bag, as there were a series of cans of food, a basic survival kit, and a water bottle. Still watching the two people infront of him closely, while making sure the wheelchaired survivor wasn't going to make a move, Argon proceeded to drop the axe he had at his side (not wielded), and drop the unstrung bow from his shoulder. He had no arrows left, so there was no quiver to hit the ground either. In proceeding with their demands and defensive nature, Argon decided to place his hands in the air and trust that he wouldn't die, after not being shot at this point.
"My name is Argon," in response to the questions, "I am looking for shelter to ride out the winter, rather than freeze. I mean no harm, nor do I want any. I do not require any food as I have enough to ration for myself, so not to be a strain on your resources there. I just ask to be behind your walls and have somewhere I can huddle up." He stated this as calmly as possible, in order not to be a threat. He could see that they were stressed and nervous as well, and while they did not seem offensive, he wasn't going to allow his supplies be stolen if he was turned away.

Liliath sighed like usual well walking in the halls . She lost her mother 3 years ago , and also her baby brother. The memory’s made her sad , so usually she tried to think about fun things. She didn’t know anybody really here , since she sit in her room most of the times drawing things . Or simply sleeping and reading. She walked outside to the school yard , she smiled it rained , not most people liked the rain but she did . It helped her relax , she simply sit on the ground well the rain dropped on her skin