[ John “Jack” Peterson ]
17 • Male • Survivor
Location: Abandoned City • Mentions: Echo

Jack had been a bit startled at Echo's sudden laughter at his joke, but he found himself grinning all the same. He wasn't quite sure whether Echo was laughing at him or with him, but honestly? It had been so long since he'd last heard genuine laughter (as in, the laugh of someone not about to beat the crap out of him) that he didn't care. His jokes had a tendency to fall flat (it wasn't his fault no one else had a sense of humor!), so the validation of amusing someone else was exhilarating. ”Don't worry, saving passed out people isn't my forte, either,” Echo agreed, and if Jack had been standing within arm's reach of him he would have high-fived him and said something cheesy like ’twinsies!’ because medical ineptitude was definitely a bonding moment in his eyes.

”If you could dress it, that would be great. All I really had in mind was giving it quick wash and then wrapping it.” Jack shook his head slowly in fake disapproval, stepping closer to Echo to take the first aid kit. When a can of pineapples was also handed over, his eyes widened in surprise. But before he could say something grateful like ’thank you’ (unlikely) or something witty like ’trust me, you'd much rather use water to clean your leg than pineapple juice, because this stuff hurts like a bitch’ (very likely), Echo was talking again. Something about the weather and- oh. He had a bunker to reinforce and a suggestion that Jack go back to ”your shelter.” A shelter that he didn’t actually have. That certainly made things a bit awkward, but Jack refused to let it show.

”Well I mean that’s one way to take a bath,” he quipped with a short laugh, rummaging through the kit in search of the right supplies. ”You should probably sit down for this. Do you have any water in your bag? I could check and see if the store has any left if not, but I doubt it. Apparently, all it takes is a little radiation in lakes for people to lose their damn minds over bottled water. People are wack.” He shook his head in disbelief, unable to comprehend why everyone suddenly went into panic mode every time they encountered an inconvenience. He’d said as much once, very quickly learning that not everyone shared his sentiments when he ended up in a dumpster after the other scavengers stole what little food he’d managed to find (he still wasn’t quite sure what was so wrong with calling the apocalypse an inconvenience, but he knew better than to ask). Speaking of food - Jack had set the can of pineapples down at some point while he talked, not daring to open it and get the acidic juice all over his fingers before putting his hands near Echo’s wound. Somehow, he didn’t think Echo would appreciate the gesture very much.

| Adelaide Victoria Thompson |
18 | Female | Survivor | Location- abandoned city | Mentions: Thane

Addie walked quickly down the street, head down, the cat kneading her shoulders as he purred. With the wind picking up and the skies darkening by the second, she didn't have time to waste. She followed the familiar path, skirting around potholes, keeping on hand on her weapon. Even though the four survivors she had just met seemed friendly, not all of them were. The faux leather of her jacket had stuck to her like a second skin, and the feeling was revolting. She was, however, thankful for the tough band of elastic that pulled her hair back from her face and kept it off her neck. The cat that twisted around her shoulders was little help against the heat.

When she arrived at her little corporate building she wasted no time scrambling up the fire escape, holding tight to the cat despite his best efforts at escape. She couldn't leave him out in the storm. When she reached the top floor, she juggled the cat between her arms as he growled, and pushed open the window. Glancing around one last time, Addie slid into the room she had made hers, pushed the cat back between her arms as he tried to claw his way out, and pulled the window shut behind her. She then let him go, and he leaped away with more annoyance than usual. Settling on top of the desk and sticking up his hind leg, he proceeded to clean himself, shooting her dirty looks every so often. She scoffed at him, and pulled the varsity jacket off.

In the sleeveless shirt she wore beneath the jacket, she felt better. She slid the PVC pipe out of the belt loop in her oversized pants, laying it on the desk with a quiet rattle. She found her fingers trailing over the inscription on the grip, the snakes that twisted around it, the flowers and birds that dotted the faux bronze at random intervals. She truly did get lucky with this sword. She left it on the desk, pulling the honey out from her jacket and struggling with the lid. She put all her force into it, but it still didn't budge. The complaining of her stomach was an impressive motivator, but not quite enough to twist the lid off her prize. Muttering a curse, Addie left the jar beside her sword, turning to the still disgruntled cat on the far corner of the desk.

"Hey, Odds, wanna come with me to lock the door?"

He stared at her with his large yellow eyes, seemingly full of contempt, before he stood up and walked, stiff legged, to Addie's side. She rubbed his cheeks with her fingers, and he began to purr.

"There." She chuckled, working her fingers through the colorful fur. "We're friends again. You're so petty."

The cat went to jump onto her shoulders but she held him down, unwilling to risk more claw marks on her already scab covered arms. Instead, she let him walk beside her, as she unlocked the door of the office she fondly called her own, and stepped out into the hallway. It still smelled like an office, musty, with a hint of coffee, and an indescribable scent that was a little too sweet, but it was enough of a home for Addie. The carpeted floor muffled her footsteps as she passed opened and closed doors, many with old nameplates upon them. She often liked to wonder at the lives the people who worked here led, and if they would appreciate the newest inhabitant of their office. She'd tried to keep things clean, a way to burn off nervous energy when she'd rather stay hidden from the eyes of the outside world, but she only had limited resources, and she'd only made much of a dent on the second floor.

She passed the elevators, long dead, and caught a glance of her reflection. Dirty, grimy, and thin. The true epitome of beauty. Addie chuckled, the cat winding around her legs, as she turned into the stairwell and made her way down the dusty, carpeted steps. The stairs opened into a sort of communal room, with a hole ridden couch (no doubt inhabited by something), several chairs, and a black television. Odyssey ventured from her side to sniff around the aforementioned piece of upholstery. She continued on, her destination just a few more feet away. When she turned the blind corner into the lobby, she saw a frighteningly tall man, and her hand instinctively slid to the sword at her hip. Which, of course, wasn't there. But the man turned, and she recognized that face. From the man whose name she'd already forgotten.

She did, however, remember him not being too fond of dying, a mutual feeling. She, therefore, had no massive issues with him weathering out the storm here. She could just lock herself in her office and disappear until he left. That, of course, may have been an option, until Ody, with his gift of impeccable timing, arrived at Addie's side and let loose a very loud, very annoyed meow. Once again, her face adopted the expression of an exhausted mother pressed with another challenge, and she came dangerously close to simply picking up the cat, and throwing him out the door. Instead, she settled with a strained smile, acting as if this had, all along, been her plan.

"Long time no see, eh?"

Elijah Edwards
25 / Male / Survivor
Location: Wastelands / Mentions: Gregory and Thiago

It had been a few days since Elijah had eaten anything. He looked down at his stomach nervously as it grumbled with hunger. He wasn't sure how much longer he could survive like this. The last time he had eaten was about a week ago. He had had to quickly evacuate his house, barely leaving him any time to grab his old, worn backpack. Relief had flooded through him when he had later discovered that a bottle of water and knife rested at the bottom of the bag. He tried to be conservative and drink only a little of the water each day, but he was already running low. He always had Tod on him, so he didn't have to worry about grabbing him during his quick escape.

Elijah nervously rubbed Tod's grimy, black and white fur as he thought back to the night the... incident occurred. He could barely sleep after confronting them... the Plague Doctors. A group of them had raided his former home, forcing Elijah and Tod to make their narrow escape. He shuddered at the thought of their terrifying presence and looked down at Tod, giving him a weak smile. At least he still had his little friend. He wasn't sure what he would do without the rat.

Tod had been Elijah's rat back before the plague. He quite enjoyed his company and would often rant to him since he had no one else to confide in. Tod was quite large for a rat, twenty inches to be exact. After the Plague, Elijah had noticed some pretty significant changes to Tod's appearance. For one, his incisors became much longer and much sharper. His back sprouted spikes made of bone, and quills could be seen among his white fur. Only when he flared up these quills did they become truly noticeable as well as pose a threat. Unfortunately, Tod hadn't taken to the changes very well and died a few days after the Plague had began eating away at his flesh. Elijah had been grief-stricken, but soon discovered that Tod hadn't been the only who had changed. Due to the Plague's effect, Tod's rib cage could be seen along with part of his jaw. One of his eyes had also clouded over, giving off an eerie appearance. It hadn't mattered to Elijah, he was just glad he had his rat back. Alongside physical appearances, Elijah noticed that Tod seemed to understand him to a degree. The man was quite happy by this idea, feeling that the two of them had formed a closer bond.

Elijah was pulled back to reality as his stomach growled again. "Where to now, bud?" Elijah asked Tod with an air of hopelessness. He sighed, looking around the open expanse. They needed to find shelter soon, a storm was quickly approaching. He squinted, and soon realized the two of them were coming upon a treeline. The man's heart began to race, and he began to sprint towards the cover of trees. Once under the canopy, he placed a hand on the rugged bark of a dying oak, taking a moment to catch his breath.

Sweat dripped down Elijah's face and his neat hair began to look a bit soiled as it plastered to his face. Elijah looked off into the distance, shoving his slipping glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Hmm...", Elijah looked about, deciding to head farther into the trees. They swayed about in the escalating winds as he continued, as if his presence frightened them. Elijah chuckled at the the thought.

After about half an hour of walking, Elijah thought he could hear talking in the distance. I must be mistaken, Elijah thought to himself. Survivors like me? Despite his doubts, a spark of curiosity was lit inside Elijah. It had been so long since he had talked, or even heard, other humans. As he got closer, he could see a surprisingly well preserved house. The talking was coming from behind the house, and was definitely real Elijah determined. He was much too timid to make his presence known to these strangers, and so he kept his distance. He dashed behind a large tree to try and get a good look of these survivors.

As far as he could tell, there were two people on the ground. One of them had interestingly green hair, and the other one rather short. He noticed the short one's injured leg and couldn't help but feel a stab of pity. How did he manage to get around? Elijah continued to watch in disbelief, so happy he had found other survivors but not wanting to reveal himself just yet.

♠|| Echo Wilders||♠
18 |:| Genderfluid: Currently male |:| Survivor
Location- Abandoned City |:| Mentions: Jack

Echo was glad to see Jack smile. The boy had almost looked sick to the stomach with what could have been fear, apprehension, or nervousness when Echo had arrived. He chuckled at his bathing comment, and Kai himself let out a quiet snort. Kai would probably love to see her floundering around like a retarded duck in a flooded bunker. Echo couldn't stop himself from smirking as he remembered the time he threw Kai in a lake as a female because Kai had eaten his (or her) granola bar. Thankfully, he didn't get affected. Echo had no doubt that Kai was still waiting for a chance to get his revenge. ”You should probably sit down for this. Do you have any water in your bag? I could check and see if the store has any left if not, but I doubt it. Apparently, all it takes is a little radiation in lakes for people to lose their damn minds over bottled water. People are wack.” Echo nodded fervently. " I almost got my brains blasted out once because had gotten to close to someone's source of clean water. Jokes on them, I have a well!" He said as he rummaged through his bag and pulled out a bottle. He handed it to the boy before peeking into the first aid kit. "Just a warning, if you use an alcohol wipe with giving me a heads up, you might lose your head. Painful bubbly substances that seems to burn at your flesh and I don't get along well." He says, adding a small smile as to not make the boy worried about any rolling heads. Either way, The sitting position wasn't the best positions to pull out an axe in, anyways. Not that he planned on doing that, though.

Echo looked at the sky, warily trying to guess how long it would be until the storm rolled around. Echo hoped that it would wait another half hour or so. His face screwed up slightly as he imagined himself flapping around through mud and rain, attempting to slough through a muddy patch with a heavy tarp. Not exactly his idea of fun. As he looked around his bag for a snack for Kai, he spotted the boy peeking at the can of pineapples a few times. He gave Kai some questionable looking dog treats, which he happily ate, before pulling out and unwrapping two lollipops."Here." He held out a lollipop to the boy, hoping that he didn't hate anything cherry flavored.

⇺ [ Vincent Peirce ] ⇻
24 |:| Male |:| Survivor
Location - Abandoned City |:| Mentions - Nadia, Jack, Echo

An awkward silence lingered between them as the woman stared up at him curiously, and Vincent found himself thankful when she finally did speak up. Her words seemed genuine enough and he couldn't detect anything malicious in her body language. It was possible she'd simply heard the sound of voices and came to investigate rather than anything sinister. The glow of his eyes faded until they looked no more unusual than anyone else, save for the fact the irises remained a vibrant amber. Sparing one last glance back to check on the man he'd left behind, some of the tension seemed to ease from his frame.

"I live on the other side of the city, but some of the buildings I passed on the way here seemed sturdy enough," he confirmed. Vincent had an for eye architectural details and quite a few of the structures in this city were surprisingly holding up quite well even without regular maintenance. "I'm Vincent, a pleasure to meet you Nadia. I'll be glad to point some of them out for you, but first I'd like to gather some supplies if you don't mind," he added, motioning a hand toward the store across the street where the two teenagers were crouching, which now that he thought about it? A bit concerning.

Once Nadia gave him enough room to move around her he led the way towards Jack and Echo, a somewhat startled glance sent the cat's way as he hissed at him before being shushed by his owner, assuming she would follow. He was surprised to find his bag was still off to the side, mostly untouched save for looking as if someone had tossed it away. He felt vaguely embarrassed as he picked it up and swung it over one shoulder, grateful most of the people who previously occupied the square seemed to have moved on. "Are you alright?" He asked before coming up behind Jack, glancing over his shoulder to see he was tending to a wound on Echo's leg.

[Giving Mori and Moe a chance to post before doing my other two nerds. I'll also officially start the storm event within the next few posts, but I won't tell y'all exactly when. :') Prepare thyselves.]

Kato Arashi
20 | Male | Survivor
Location; Abandoned City | Mentions; Open
---

"Hey, we can talk about this, can't we? I mean... You can't actually want me dead."

The sweet voice was drowned out by harsh, guttural laughter; so vigorous that it shook the owner's entire body. It died down soon enough, allowing those deep green eyes to narrow in hostility once again. "Cut the shit, kid. There's a good sum of money out for you - and they don't give a single damn whether I bring you dead or alive." A smirk played upon their grotesque face, twisting his already disgusting features into something quite revolting. "For such a pretty little thing, you sure do cause a lot of trouble."

"I could say the same about you." Kato's finger moved rapidly, twirling a piece of white hair around and around from its position beneath his hood. He tugged lightly on the lock, watching his purser's expression change into one of confusion. A smirk twisted those lips before they were parting, letting loose another string of words. "Except - wait, no I couldn't. You look like something straight out of the Seraph's ass." The man's face lit with fury and embarrassment as Kato burst out laughing, humored by his own joke. "Give them a little kiss for me when you see them again, yeah? I miss that old bastard."

"Why you little - Get over here!" A flash of something sharp and metallic in the man's hand, and he was lunging towards Kato, who let out a startled squeak and jumped back. Kato dodged each attempt to grab him easy, stepping this way and hopping that, all while studying him with the widest, innocent eyes. There was no mistaking the mischevious glint in those blue orbs, though. Kato found this hilarious.

"Hey, buddy," The knife was swung at him, narrowly missing cutting his nose clean off. The next attempt hit thin air, for Kato was neatly ducking, having learned from his last attack. A teasing grin quirked his lips, and he spun, dodging another clumsy lash and successfully bringing him face-to-face with his attacker. Shocked, the man stopped; allowing Kato to grab a firm hold of the collar of his shirt and yank him close. Now only inches apart, he smiled brilliantly at him, locking his blue gaze with the infuriated, yet petrified one of his opponents. "You missed me." Those eyes flickered white for a split second. Immediately, the man was screaming; his jaw cracking violently as it stretched to emit the piercing wail of pain. Kato didn't seem too phased, though. He merely let go and stepped back, watching gleefully as the man collapsed to the ground, his choked cries muffled as he writhed pathetically on the ground. "Aw, now you're just trying to make me feel better. I'm sure it doesn't hurt that bad. Are you really so desperate to woo me? Sorry, dude, but I'm only into guys who don't make a habit of stalking me." He let his gaze drift around his empty surroundings. He wouldn't be surprised if the man's wails alerted any other survivors of their presence. Not that he particularly cared. He could take care of any threat. Besides, his companion would prevent anyone from sneaking up on him. The hawk was perched high above them, its beady red eyes scanning the horizon for even the slightest of movements. It would let out a piercing shriek of its own the moment anyone came into the vicinity.

This place was strangely... quiet. Other than his tracker's current cries, which were slowly quieting down. He wasn't sure how he felt about this. Usually, there were creatures everywhere; whether they be the monstrous mutts, plague doctors, or skiptracers like this one. Every now and then, he'd catch glimpse of another survivor. But now... Now, there was no one. It was a bit difficult not to take this as a poor omen.

[ Thane Percer ]
27 |:| Male |:| Survivor
Location – Abandoned City |:| Mentions – Adelaide

Although the lobby wasn't exceptionally big, Thane still decided to look around for a bit, repeatedly checking parts of the walls and ceiling for major cracks or any other visible weaknesses. Call him paranoid, but while the building had appeared fine from the outside you could never know how stable the structure really was. Well, it looked fine. That failed to make Thane feel any less uncomfortable at the aspect of staying in here over night, but it was a start nonetheless.

A very loud and very surprising meow startled him out of his inspections. No one should have flinched at the call of the feline as hard as Thane did. Any harder and he would have literally jumped a foot into the air. He spun around hurriedly, his heart still hammering wildly in his chest as his eyes zeroed in on the cat responsible for this shock. Since the apocalypse had left Thane with his new-found ability, he wasn't used to anyone sneaking up on him anymore and he fully blamed the stupid, faded carpet beneath his feet for stifling the vibrations that usually would have alerted him of the cat's presence. His right hand was clenched into a tight fist at his side, evidence of how close he had been to use his ability against the creature, who was now blinking up at him with unimpressed yellow eyes. Letting out a breath to calm his nerves, Thane finally managed to tear his eyes away from the cat and-

"Long time no see, eh?"

It was the girl from before. The girl with the sword. Or the girl who used to have a sword, seeing as a quick glance downwards revealed it's current absence. Her lips were curled upwards into a smile, although it failed to reach her eyes. Despite that, Thane still appreciated the effort. Lot's of survivors out there wouldn't be smiling right now. He swiftly attempted to relax his stance, hoping she hadn't noticed how flustered he had been, and put on an (hopefully) easy grin. ”Yeah, it's a small world, isn't it?” Having said that, he crossed the room in a few strides, stopping several feet in front of the girl. Close enough to not have to talk across the entire lobby but far enough to avoid getting too close for comfort. The entire time, his attention didn't stray from her and her body language for even a single second. “So, I'm assuming this is your place?”, Thane asked, vaguely gesturing at the walls surrounding both of them, before he continued, “Listen, I don't mean to intrude and I'm definitely not trying to step on anyone's toes, but do you think that maybe – just maybe – this place could be big enough for the two-” When his gaze dropped to two the feline by her feet he hesitated for a moment, until he looked up again and corrected himself. “...The three of us? Just until the storm has passed. I'll be out of your hair as soon as it's over, promise.”

Frankly, Thane didn't have a clear plan as to what he would do if she send him away. The storm could probably start up any second now and acidic rain really didn't sound like a good time to him. So, after being quiet for only a few seconds, he added with a smile, “I'll even promise not to rob you in your sleep. How does that sound?”

NPC ENCOUNTER
For: Atlas

Just as you start to feel at ease despite the stench of death still permeating the house, you abruptly hear another voice speak behind you. "Oy, you ever heard of knocking?" You turn to spot a man sitting at the kitchen table, leaning into the back of the chair while his legs rest across the seat on the opposite side. You are quite sure he was not there when you came in. Despite the accusation, he doesn’t appear especially perturbed, popping what appears to be a grape into his mouth. You can't quite tell how old he is, but guess he’s probably in his 20’s. His appearance is...a bit unusual, to say the least.

Shaggy black hair reaches just past his ears and his eyes are an odd mix, green at the top and yellow at the bottom, the colors swirlings together around his pupils. He appears to be of East Asian descent, his skin lightly tanned. He’s wearing eyeliner, and his fingernails are painted black, which may surprise you. As far as cosmetics go, they aren’t exactly easily accessible anymore. His clothes make you think he must have looted a Hot Topic at some point, as he’s dressed almost entirely in black. His pants are baggy and covered in chains, his shirt similarly styled, a dark trench coat worn overtop, knee-high boots with various buckles completing the look.

As you start to look concerned, he speaks again. "Oh, it’s not me you should be scared of mate. It’s the quiet ones that’ll get you. The ones you least expect." He whispers, pointing towards the room where you found the corpses. As you look back at him, you notice the bowl of grapes he was previously holding have disappeared, and he now has an apple in hand, taking a bite out of it and chewing meaningfully as he stares back at you, as if waiting for you to say something.

━━━━━━━━━▼━━━━━━━━━

NPC ENCOUNTER
For: Kato

For what feels like an eternity, nothing breaks the silence surrounding you, all that remains being the sound of your own breath and the rustling of the wind when suddenly you hear a very distinct noise, clapping, followed by the shriek of your hawk companion. Turning to look behind you, you’ve come to realize you were never alone. Someone has been watching you this whole time. Another man is sitting perched atop the roof of a nearby, one-story shop, his legs dangling over the ledge. Once your eyes meet the clapping ceases and he proceeds to jump down with ease, landing only a few paces away from you. "That sure was something. Poor bastard didn’t stand a chance."

You observe as he approaches that the stranger is unnervingly relaxed even after witnessing you obliterate your foe, seemingly unworried you might do the same to him. He looks to be roughly your age, maybe a bit younger. His youth, however, does not diminish the threat he poses. You guess he’s at least six feet tall and he's strikingly fit, something you aren’t used to seeing among other survivors who more often than not are malnourished. His hair is inky black and styled in an undercut while his skin is a cool-toned brown, darker tattoos that resemble rattlesnake scales, specifically an Eastern Diamondback to be exact, cover his throat and frame his face, stretching out across his cheekbones. Both arms have full sleeve tattoos as well, the left made up of intricate symbols you can’t quite decipher and the right a tangle of skulls, rattlesnakes and blood red roses.

Between the tattoos and the fact he seems decently well-kept, you may conclude he must be a member of one of the local gangs that dominate the city. The Diamondbacks, if the tattoos are any clue. If you continue to keep the man’s gaze, you may also notice his pupils are oddly slitted. "From the sound of it, you’re in a bit of trouble. Maybe I can help?" He offers, and while his tone is nothing beyond friendly, people rarely offer to do anything for you for free.

Alex Matson | Female | 24 | Survivor
Location: Abandoned City | Mentions: Kato, Gang member NPC

Sam had been acting as her scout, walking about 10 feet ahead of Alex, stopping every now and then to listen or smell something before continuing on. He'd been tasked with finding other humans, as Alex was sick of being on her own. Still, she was well aware of the danger of being on her own with the hoodlums around, especially in the city. She much preferred being in the Wastelands, as funny as it was. She'd been surviving in the woods since she was a toddler, and even the twisted landscape was more familiar and easy to navigate than a broken city with crazy people and worse politics. The only reason she was even here was because there was a storm rolling in, and her normal sleeping arrangements wouldn't be enough to weather it.

Voices caught her companion's attention, and he flattened himself to the ground, the indication that Alex should join him. She caught up quickly, and crept towards an open window to peer in, Sam right next to her, examining the inside of the building. Some kid cornered by a gang member it seemed, trying to rope him into some sort of deal. "Come on, nothing here for us." She whispered, gesturing for Sam to go ahead. As she turned to go, he caught the sleeve of her jacket in his teeth, making a weird grumbling hiss noise and nosing the windowsill.

"You can't be serious." Sam just snorted and pressed back to the ground before creeping towards the door and then inside. "You're serious." Alex pulled her bow from its place strapped to her backpack and checked the string to ensure it was properly on the limbs. She gingerly took an arrow from her quiver and nocked it to the string before following Sam inside, staying low and in the shadows. She would just wait and watch for now, killing a gang member wasn't exactly on her bucket list, since she figured the whole gaggle of them would be after her if they figured out the source of the arrow. Who knew, maybe this kid would have the smarts to avoid the hoodlum mafia and get out of there, especially with a storm rolling in.

Kato Arashi
20 | Male | Survivor
Location; Abandoned City | Mentions; NPC, Alex

Finally, the man's cries were ceasing. The moment that head fell limp against the ground, a sharp, though expected, pain was striking through Kato's body. It impacted hard, slamming into the man so brutally that he actually reeled back, gasping to regain the air that had been knocked out of him. His legs nicked beneath him, sending him crashing to the ground. Luckily, he was able to catch himself by throwing his hands out, allowing them to absorb most of the fall. Agony seized its hold over his thin frame, leaving him riddled with painful, uncontrollable spasms. He managed to push himself back, allowing him to sit on the ground rather than be crouched so unstably above it. Knowing what would come next, Kato was yanking off those gloves. Both were instinctively tossed away; an action that he cursed afterwards. He'd have to recover those later on if he'd want to continue his journey. Kato's hands were far too delicate to be left exposed to the elements.

For, as any nearby would be able to see, they appeared to be made of ice.

Down to the wrists of each was frozen solid. It was an opaque substance, although one could see faint outlines of bone within them. The frost was slowly moving now, trickling further down the expanse of his hands so that it may begin to etch away at his arms. The spreading burned like hell itself, and it was all Kato could do to keep from crying out. He'd never get used to it. Each time, it only got worse. Kato was reckless, and didn't particulary care about how his abilities were affecting his body. But he couldn't say that using his powers were worth the after affect. If only he could remember how much agony it left him in, perhaps he wouldn't be so willing to use them so frequently. But the sensation left no lasting trauma within his mind, and thus, he was forced to relive it again and again.

A vicious cold shot up his arms, leaving them wracked with painful tremors. Blood began to surface as small, red beads; pushed out through the pores of his skin by the freezing of his veins. His breathing wasn't much more than quick, shallow gasps. The sound of clapping hit his ears, forcing his head to instinctively snap that way. Yuki's piercing shriek hit next, and, against his own will, his hands were flying up, slipping beneath his hood so they could clamp harshly over his ears. Blue eyes darted to the side, bring their gaze away from Yuki, and locking with that of the other man. It seemed he wasn't alone. What a terrible time to be found.

He didn't do so much as flinch as the man landed before him. Kato merely let his hands drop into his lap, fixating the stranger with a narrowed gaze. He didn't seem all too sure about the teenager; unsure of if he was a proper threat or not. The first set words were expectedly ignored, and although the distance was lessening between them, Kato remained stationary on the ground. Obviously, if it came down to it, fleeing was the last thing on his mind. He'd use his abilities to protect himself, though it would surely kill him to do so again so soon.

He knew who this man was (to an extent, of course.). He knew what this man was. Just a slave of one of the many gangs. The name refused to register in his exhausted mind, but he had a feeling he'd remember soon enough. The next inquiry had him almost rolling his eyes. Although he was painridden, Kato was stable enough to more or less converse with the teenager. "No thanks, love. I try not to make a habit of taking advantage of others kindness." He kept his tone pleasant, not wanting to give this stranger any true reason to be hostile. Those hands continuously flexed in his lap, seeming unable to sit still. His words were kind enough, but there was no mistaking how they'd been pushed out between quite harshly clenched teeth. His torture was obvious. "Oh, actually, you know what? Mind disposing of that for me? Take him to your boss, and say you knocked the bastard down. Bonus points." An almost mocking grin was flashed after this, though it was concealed by his mask. The crinkling of his eyes made his amused expression obvious, though.

Clearly, he wasn't taking this situation very seriously. At least he was smart enough to keep his gaze on his opponent. Only once did they dart away; the orbs traveling over to Alex's chosen hiding place. His brow furrowed in confusion, and he studied the spot for a second longer than a coincidence before he was turning back to look at the man. He wasn't certain about her whereabouts either.

Alex Matson | Female | 24 | Survivor
Location: Abandoned City | Mentions: Kato, Gang member NPC

As the man;'s eyes trained on her hiding spot, Alex froze, remaining as much out of sight as she could manage. With a few moments of closer inspection, the gang member looked pretty young, more than she'd originally taken him for due to all the tattoos. They were just talking for now, so it seemed. She scanned the room, her eyes falling on familiar silvery ones on the other side of the room.

How the hell had Sam gotten all the way over there without them noticing...? Alex rolled her eyes, but shook her head subtly at her companion. "Not yet" the gestured command had the creature lying low and staying out of sight, prepared to leap in at her word. She'd heard of the gang's strategies, and scanned the rafters for any other shadowy figures waiting to leap down on the unsuspecting 'prey.' That man was vulnerable even with one, as it seemed like using his abilities caused some pain, but if there were more of the hoodlums around, Alex needed to know where they were.

NPC ENCOUNTER
For: Kato, Alex

The painful reaction that follows the use of your ability wasn't all too much of a surprise to the stranger, though the severity of the agony coursing through your body brings forth a brief flash of concern. He retrieves the gloves you hastily discarded, holding them out for you as his eyes seem to trace over the details of your frozen hands. He doesn't say anything, his dark brown gaze lifting to observe Yuki for a moment as you further compose yourself. "Neat bird. I had a canary once. Didn't make it through the plague. Rest in peace, Cornflake," he murmurs, taking a moment of silence in the dearly departed bird's memory before listening as you begin speaking.

An eyebrow is raised at the term 'love' being used, but he otherwise doesn't acknowledge it, glancing between you and the body. "Nah, man. That's your mess. Besides, I don't make a habit out of taking credit for someone else's work," he adds with a wink as if shooting your previous statement back at you. "There's a storm coming you know. You should start looking for shelter. I know a place-" he pauses, seeming to notice your attention has momentarily been diverted. He follows your gaze and, apparently, can see something you don't. He turns and looks off in another direction for a moment, and an amused snort escapes him. "Looks like we've got company. You know them?"

He doesn't wait for an answer, standing up straight. "You can come out now. I know you're there." He calls over his shoulder to the girl you spotted hiding moments before, his gaze seeming to stay on whatever else had caught his attention now.

| Adelaide Victoria Thompson |
18 | Female | Survivor | Location- abandoned city | Mentions: Thane

Addie flinched when the man flinched, but not as violently as he did. It was performed, involuntarily, as more a reaction to the sudden movement. Her eyes flickered across him, searching for weapons, but all they found was his clenched fist. Slightly unsettling, but the heavy objects on the desk of what was once the secretary, now to the left of the familiar man, could provide Addie with enough of a weapon should she need one. Then, he met her eyes, and she saw him relax. Perhaps it was because he remembered her, or maybe because he was trying not to provoke her. Who could say? The grin he adopted seemed about as relaxed as hers, but she noticed, and respected it, as an attempt to put her at ease.

However, when he crossed the room in just a few massive strides she found herself backing up, just a little, uncomfortable with the amount of distance he was closing. But when he stopped, she did, and she adopted her go-to, squared shoulders, crossed arms stance. Though she doubted it was especially intimidating to this man who stood maybe a foot taller than she did. Of course, then, maybe her stance made her appear tough, though the sword at her hip was often a very important tool for looking tough. She should have brought it. But now, as the man began to speak, Addie forced herself to listen carefully for any signs of malice, of which she had no idea how they actually sounded.

But this suspicion was erased as the man began to speak, gesturing to the building that surrounded them. Her instinct was to reply with sarcasm, something along the lines of 'no, I'm just coming to lock this random door from the inside.' Instead, she nodded, humming a little, before he continued on.

At his proposition, or beginning of such, she tugged corner of her mouth in a barely discernible way, like a thread of doubt was gently pulling at her lip. But when he mentioned the cat at her feet, she warmed up a little, despite herself. Humor was hard to find these days. Besides, once again, she thought back to the time he mentioned he wasn't keen on dying. But, as the wind began to whistle outside, she felt the weak walls she had built around herself crumble. She was never very good at saying no. She couldn't kick him out. Especially not with the storm building around them. God only knows what might fall out of that monotone grey sky. Instead, she simply gestured around herself, adopting a famous line from the language she had struggled so hard to understand:

"Mi casa es su casa."

That was followed by a smile, genuine now, that turned almost instantly into a grimace as the cat landed squarely on her shoulders, meowing again and holding eye contact with the man as he kneaded Addie's shoulders. She plucked him off, leaving small pinpricks of blood from where his claws had punctured the skin, and unceremoniously dropped him. She then covered the distance remaining between her and this man, and stuck out a calloused, grimy hand.

"Addie." The cat had begun to wind his way through the man's legs, purring obnoxiously. "And that's Oddy. He's not usually this bad, I haven't fed him yet. Do you need anything to eat?"

Of course, all she had was the sealed jar of honey, a bottle of wine, and a questionable bag of chips, but she was willing to share.

Kato Arashi
20 | Male | Survivor
Location; Abandoned City | Mentions; NPC, Alex

The gloves were hesitantly taken. Kato took great effort in making sure those frozen fingers did not brush against the stranger's hands, less he accidentally harm this seemingly kind man. He wore the coverings not only to protect himself, but those around him. His previous actions had shone that he was still able to use his power through them, but that was of his own will, and by his own control. Without his gloves, his abilities were completely unpredictable. Any touch from his hands could mean the end for one if he hadn't been expecting it and already bracing himself for the contact.

He listened to the man speak of his own bird who'd he called... Cornflake. A peculiar name, but he wasn't going to judge. "Uh... Yeah." He muttered, casting another glance at his nearby hawk and mentally cursing the bird for being so slow. This whole interaction could've been avoided if she'd just done her damn job. "That's Yuki. She's... not exactly mine." This wasn't something he particulary fancied getting into, however. Even if questioned about it, he probably wouldn't offer up much more detail on the matter.

He couldn't help but smirk at the teen's words, though the expression was fading the moment he was looking back at the body. Not his smartest idea, if he was being honest. Killing the guy, that was. But this particular skiptracer had been on his ass longer than he could remember, and quite frankly, it'd been beginning to piss him off. The mention of the storm had him looking back at the guy again. "Oh, is there?" He hadn't noticed. A quick glance at the sky revealed this was so. Seemed like it'd be a bad one, too. The offer of shelter had him tensing, but before he could reject it, the man was questioning him about company. Slowly, he turned his attention back to the spot, where someone was being called out.

Hm. So his suspicions had been right. Someone had been watching them.

Just as a precaution, he was adjusting himself. Swiping the bits of blonde hair that'd begun to fall into his face back underneath his hood, and pulling at his mask, bringing it up as high as it could go. It settled quite nicely underneath his eyes. He didn't put his gloves back on just yet, for his hands were still riddled with spasms and a painful burning sensation, and he knew the tight leather would only make it worse. His gaze was no longer focused on the man, but rather, on where he suspected their new companion would emerge from. He himself didn't offer any vocal welcoming, although his eyes did seem a bit friendlier than one might assume.

⇼||Nadia Timéo||⇼
21||Female (Trans)||Survivor||Location: Abandoned City-Old Elementary School||Mentions:Vincent, Jack, Echo

Nadia watched him pick up his bag, that someone appeared to have thrown to the side. She followed him across the street to a male and someone, whos gender she couldn't quite tell. She looked at their leg and winced. “Oh lord. What happened there?” She asked them. “Nadia. By the way.”

She pulled her bag closer to her and watched Vincent lean over the male's shoulder and examine what he was doing. She looked down the street and twisted a strand of hair between her fingers. Vincent seemed quite nervous about everything she decided. She turned to examine the males face. He had kind eyes and he looked like he would style his hair like one of those stereotypical nerds. No offense to him in anyway.

She turned her eyes to the others and examined them two. She really couldn't tell the gender of the one. The other looked male. The olive female yawned and let her cat run down her arm and into her hands. She held him close to her chest and ran her fingers absentmindedly down its back.

She scouted the nearby buildings for a place to stay. Most were too short or closed off. She could easily get into the ones closed off but none looked very good. She changed her gaze to the sky as the storm loomed every closer. She kicked a random brock gently. Or tried to. Her foot went completely through it. She lurched forward in surprise. She looked at her hands, they were shaking and see through.

She realized she had let her emotions overcome her. Whenever she surveyed something that used to be so beautiful and alive her emotions overpowered her. She looked looked at the other three survivors. Her cat dropped to the ground below her. She winced and tried to take deep breaths. "Sh*t. I'm sorry guys, powers, you know?" she said.