Roleplay

[img]https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/562032270148370447/714553365010317663/image.png[/img] [font=century][size=4][i] For weeks now, the city has been experiencing frequent blackouts, the electricity turning off for increasingly long periods of time. During the day, the blackouts are less of a problem. But at night, they cover break-ins, thefts, and disappearances. Many believe the electrical outages are simply the cause of an increase in city crime rates. Other believe there is something more sinister, lurking out there in the darkness... The radio crackles to life. [b]”-say the current outages are expected to last for the next 24 hours or until the city can resolve the issue.” The reporter’s voice is weary and weak; they’ve been keeping the people informed nonstop during the current crisis, with little hope of the situation getting better. Their dejection is apparent from their tone of voice. “Neighboring cities and towns are reporting similar electrical issues, but no conclusions have been made about the cause of these district-wide blackouts. Citizens are encouraged to stay inside during the night, and to keep their house locked and secured. Crime has increased during the outages, with night seeing the most reported break-ins.” “Local authorities advise citizens to use candles, flashlights, and battery-operated lanterns for light during the later hours. As always, stay home, stay inside, and stay safe.” As the music begins to play, signaling the end of the broadcast, the reporter whispers a final warning, barely audible to those not paying close attention. “And whatever you do, don’t let the darkness overtake you.”[/b] The radio slows and crackles once more, until it goes silent, the batteries dead. Outside, the sun begins to set. Another lightless night is beginning. [/i][/size][/font] Ok so reviving an old idea of mine involving shadow people! I’m going to be keeping this one on the FR forums just for the sake of simplicity :> This is a modern RP. Electrical outages have thrown the city into complete darkness, encouraging crime and forcing people to stay indoors at night to be safe. Disappearances are rampant, though some people believe that humans aren’t responsible for the kidnappings. There are rumors that the darkness itself is attacking the people... [center][b]Rules![/b][/center] [LIST] [*]It should go without saying, be respectful! This includes discriminatory behavior [*]Nothing outside of FR guidelines; mild violence is ok, fade to black, and make sure to censor any swearing. [*]There will be a posting order, so be sure to stick to it! [*]Make sure to ok any character relationships with the other person beforehand. [*]Try to keep responses reasonably long and grammatically correct; give the rest of us some substance to respond to! [/LIST] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/rp/2864512]Here’s the OOC chat thread![/url]

@SnickerSnack @friolero @dragonstarbark // Be sure to subscribe here as well as in the OOC chat!

It had been two weeks since the people of Nixton last had electricity. Many major shops had closed their doors, for fear of theft without the luxury of security cameras and systems to prevent them. Smaller businesses thrived, but would close up before the sun set, well aware of the criminals that ran rampant in the dark. Citizens suffered the summer heat without fans or air conditioning to cool them off, and had to close their windows despite the cool wind that blew once night fell.

The longer that the blackout lasted, the more the stories grew. People emerged from the long nights with tales of shadows shifting and morphing into living beings to attack family and friends. Many feared that these creatures were demons, come to drag away the damned. Others saw them as monsters born from darkness, with no other purpose than to kill. Still others believed they were simply people, that the dark and the fear were clouding the judgment of those who had survived the attacks. No one could come to a truthful conclusion.

But one thing was certain. In the dark, the disappearances continued.

Raymond looked out over the city as the sun finally peeked out over the horizon. Another restless night, he thought bitterly. And still, no sign of his roommates and good friends. He flipped the switch on the lantern he kept by his bedside and the light flickered off, leaving the warm glow of dawn to illuminate the apartment.

With the other nine tenants and the landlord having disappeared in the dead of night, Raymond was the only one left in his apartment building. At least, the only official tenant left. He knew that people who had been displaced often took shelter in the empty rooms. And he didn’t mind, so long as they stayed out of his place. He’d already searched the other apartments as well as the other facilities and taken whatever keys he could find; he didn’t want anyone locking him out of the other rooms, nor did he want them to have access to his place.

Dragging himself out of bed, Raymond dressed quickly and got ready to go outside again. While he didn’t care about being presentable at this point, he was sure the corner store down the street would happily refuse him if he showed up in only his shorts. And he really needed food and batteries.

If they had any left, that is.

Locking the door behind him, Ray raced down the steps two at a time until he emerged back into the light of day. Already, the streets were coming to life around him, people emerging from their homes to bask in the relief of sunlight and go about their daily tasks. No one spoke of the night before. No one spoke about the people they no longer could see among the crowds. No one spoke about the city’s dwindling population.

Just another day in Nixton.

Sabbinth watched the sun come up from her spot in an abandoned building. She can't help but smile a little, relieved that the night had passed. Despite the relief from seeing the sun come up, her smile quickly faded whenever she caught a glimpse of herself in a piece of broken glass on the ground, the dark circles under her eyes crying for attention.

How many nights has it been since she had slept last? The lack of sleep was starting to get to her, but she knew better than to doze off. Not with those things out there, that would be a death sentence. As she shifts to get up onto her feet, she winces, looking down at the blood-soaked rag wrapped around her calf. It was a brutal reminder that things were very much different than before.

Stumbling outside, she heads for whatever store might be open. She needed something, anything really to patch up her leg before it got infected. Maybe Sabbinth could even find some caffeine *****. God knows she needed it. Luckily, there seemed to be a corner store that was open for business and not too terribly busy. She trudged her way over, shoving the door open with a sigh when the cool air hits her face.

Drake looked at the rising sun. He was still having nightmares, ones of his sister. He made up his mind. He would find out what was going on. But first, some food, he was out. There was a corner shop close by. He might be able to make something to eat.

Brick woke as the morning sun washed over his face. He blinked and sat up, rubbing at his eyes with a yawn, and glanced hopefully at the Castillo family's tent. It stood, cold and empty, as it had for three days now. Deep, bitter sadness rose in his chest. Brick bit his lip and stood to get ready, folding his blanket with more force than necessary. The radio he slippped into his backpack, to be hidden away during the day.

After that...Brick eyed the other inhabitants of the underpass. Most of them had been urging the Castillos to turn him in to police custody ever since he first started dropping by. He knew his situation, and he understood their good intentions; he was one young boy, alone, out on the streets with no adult to keep him out of trouble.

Still, he refused to let a cop get so much as a glimpse of him. Just the thought sent a hot spike of adrenaline to his calves. After three days, he had to acknowledge that the Castillos weren't coming back -- and that everyone else was getting increasingly antsy about his presence. It was time to move on.

Brick managed to pack everything valuable from the tent into his backpack without having an ugly sobbing meltdown about it, which he would feel proud of, if the gaping hole in his heart would let him feel anything other than tired and angry and sad. Then he hid his backpack in one of several mentally marked spots and began to aimlessly wander the streets of Nixton.

He didn't think about Mamá Silvia's half-finished crochet blanket, left in the tent to make space for necessities in the backpack, or Papá Raúl's handwritten manuscript, or Antonio's small but well-loved toy soldier collection. He didn't think about any of the other half-dozen little things they had managed to preserve from their old lives in that single tiny tent, sure to be picked clean without him standing guard any longer.

Left foot, right foot, left foot, right foot...walking, not thinking, just walking...

An older woman hurrying out of an open corner shop broke him from his hazy state of not thinking. He looked at it, a little taken aback - the city had been without power for weeks now, and even those shops still open generally didn't have a backup generator with enough juice to last that long. It was still strange to see open shops with no lights, no fans, no familiar low electric hum.

Sticking a hand down his coat pockets revealed one crumpled dollar bill, one shiny dime, and two rusty pennies. Barely enough for a water bottle, let alone a meal. Ugh. He hated the prickly nervousness of stealing.

Lips thin, Brick opened the door.

It was a short walk to the corner store. Along the way, he passed by friendly, familiar faces, each of which flashed a smile as he passed to hide their own fears and pains. Raymond couldn’t help but empathize with them; they’d all lost someone over the past few weeks. He felt his stomach drop at the reminder of his lost friends and nearly tripped over the curb, not paying attention to where he was going.

Once he was there, he pushed open the door and methodically moved to the small aisle that would have batteries. He paid no heed to the shop owner and failed to notice the two other shoppers, focused only on getting in and out.

He picked up a small shopping basket as he passed the stack, absentmindedly tossing the last pack of double-a’s into it before moving on to the food. In the back of the store, the freezers had been emptied of all frozen food items and replaced with water and canned goods. He grabbed a few cans of soup (he hated to make a fire in his apartment, but he had to cook somehow) and a jug of water. That should be enough for now, at least. He had enough to get through another week, if he kept his spending like this.

He turned to return to the counter, and for the first time he saw the other customers. There was a woman, probably about his age, with a large gash across her leg. The other one was a young boy, not even a teenager yet, who looked like he hadn’t had a comfortable place to stay in weeks. Hesitating, he moved into one of the aisles and pretended to be looking at the chips and other junk foods, the whole while keeping an eye on the two strangers.

Looking carefully at the picked-over medical supplies, Sabbith feels a grimace seep onto her face. It didn't look good. Most of the good bandages were gone along with any of the over the counter antibiotics that she could have used. She sighs, grabbing the last bottle of rubbing alcohol and bandages. These would just have to do.

Sabbith turns away from the medical supplies, moving over to where the food was stored. She peers at all of the cans trying to decide which one would give her the most energy before finally deciding on some soup. Not the best but it would work in a pinch. She rips open the drawstring bag she was carrying and drops quite a few cans in before winching it shut tight, slinging it back over her back as she turns around only to catch sight of the guy lingering in an aisle across from her.

She can't help but notice the way his eyes bounce from the products in front of him back to the small boy who wandered around the store. Part of her wanted to go over and confront him, but she knew better. If the kid got his stuff stolen then that was on him. Times were changing and the sooner the kid learned to protect his stuff, the better.

Instead, she makes her way over to where she hopes and prays the energy drinks are, looking around for anything to keep her going at least long enough to find a safe spot to finally sleep.

Drake found the place... Fuller then expected. He looked at the canned food, beans wouldn't work, chilli... That could work for now. Now then... Was there anything else he needed?

A couple other people were in the corner store doing their own shopping when he entered. He loitered in the candy aisle while waiting for a woman with a gash on her calf and dark rings under her eyes to move away from the canned goods. She ended up scooping a few cans of soup into a drawstring bag and quickly cinching it closed, at which Brick smothered a small grin.

A man about her age was perusing the chip aisle. Another man, green-eyed and younger than the first, entered the corner store. He was bee-lining for the canned goods section before the bell at the door even had time to finish tinkling.

Brick stifled a sigh and resigned himself to waiting a while longer. He shot a cursory glance at the ceiling and corners in the meantime, looking for surveillance cameras, but there weren't any plainly visible except for one behind the counter. Instinct told him a small shop like this one probably couldn't afford much security. The person at the counter probably wouldn't be a problem. It seemed they were in the habit of only look up when someone was ready to pay.

When the green-eyed guy wandered off, chili acquired, Brick made his move. Masking his intentions came with the ease of practice. He started up the canned goods aisle with his back to the counter and scanned the cans as he approached, looking for one in particular. The meat and pasta in Beefaroni came pre-cooked, which meant he could eat it without needing a microwave, and the miniature kind was small enough to eat without utensils; they even came with pull-tabs for easy opening.

Brick let a hand trail over the shelves, allowing his fingers brush different items. They curled easily over the can he needed and slid it into the large pocket of his oversized brown jacket as he continued smoothly on his way. Leaving that hand where it was in his pocket, he raised the other, dragging his fingertips over various products.

If he was lucky the sales associate would've been staring at their phone still; if not, at least he just looked like a bored kid messing around. Now all he needed to do was pay for a water and get out of here. Finding a new place to stay probably wouldn't be hard - abandoned buildings were a recent staple of Nixton.

Raymond watched as the woman and a younger man each took their turns at the back, picking off the canned food (no doubt, if Ray came back tomorrow, all of it would be gone). Then it was the little boy’s turn. He saw him pick up a can of food, but then... it was gone. A thief, then, but so young... Ray checked how much money he had again. This might put him off of shopping for a bit, but he crumpled a ten dollar bill in his hand and moved out of the aisle.

As he passed the boy, he made sure to bump into him and mutter a small, insincere apology, dropping the money as he did so. Hopefully, the kid would use it to pay for whatever he was planning to steal. Still, if not, it’s not like there was any security to catch him; the electrical outages made sure of that.

Unfortunately, his little detour led him into the aisle with the other two customers. Kids were one thing, but adults? Absolutely not. He would try to sneak his way past them, but he didn’t want to get pickpocketed, either. As easily as Ray had snuck money to the kid, someone could sneak his money out of his pocket. No thanks.

There were quite a few soft drinks in this aisle. Energy drinks, sodas... Sure, none of it was cold, but that didn’t stop people from buying them. Ray picked up a liter of Sprite absentmindedly, planning to leave it on another shelf before he checked our; he just didn’t want to seem like he was lingering around.