thebreathing | TEST DRIVE MEME #1.

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TEST DRIVE MEME #1.

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WAKING UP

You wake up in a studio in an apartment building that's got windows all boarded up. You remember being sick, you remember dying, and you probably can't believe this is the afterlife. If you head out into the hall you'll see that others are heading out too, looking just as confused as you are. All of you died, most of you of the same thing. If you head down to the front office, you'll meet a native resident who will explain in brief that you're in Aqora, a settlement living among the undead and that people like you show up every so often. You'll be given an informational pamphlet, a shitty cell phone, and a walkie. Then you'll be expected to figure it out. No one has time to hold your hand.

EXPLORING

Miscellaneous things here: shops and restaurants turned into places to live, apartments full of people living day to day, the main focus (the library) being the hub where people come to learn and children go to school. Because school never ends, even in the apocalypse. Feel free to buddy up with other newcomers to figure out what the hell is going on.

OR, say you've been here a while. It's time to figure out how to get more supplies! Let's go on a supply run. You'll just be heading out past the barricades to start, and you'll have to dig through buildings to try and find things. If you're lucky, maybe you'll hit a cache. If you're unlucky, you'll find too many undead to fight. No one goes out alone though, so hopefully your partner can help.

"NETWORK"

Someone has set up a rudimentary network using the nearest cell towers. You can communicate with others in the area but only via voice and text. Anything further out is voice only via walkies. You can have a username or leave it blank.

Have fun, campers.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Daryl accepted the clothes with a simple 'thanks', then headed around back. He paused after a few feet to make sure Jesus was following before he continued on. When he found the bathroom, he checked to see if it was empty, then stepped inside. He was well practiced in getting dressed fast, so that part wasn't much of a problem and didn't take long at all.

He stepped back out, wiping at his face with the old shirt, the rest of the clothes balled up. Boots didn't fit very well so he was in socks at the moment. Daryl didn't go to try and get new ones just yet, though. He wanted to keep speaking to Jesus in relative privacy.

"We can stick around for a few days. Maybe a week. Learn what we can. Decide what to do then."

Paul trail after Daryl easily, walking practically in tandem with him in a way that implies they've worked together a lot longer and a lot more smoothly than they really have. It's a good front to put up, though. United.

He waits for the older man to finish and when he comes out Paul's got his arms crossed over his chest, hat and gloves shoved into a pocket somewhere. He nods about the assertion, though.

"It's our best bet. They seem to be really dedicated to this cover story, it might take us a little while to learn anything worthwhile." He sighs, shaking his head. "Going on some runs could give me the lay of the land. Good graces of the higher ups, too. I know you're good at helping shore up defenses. And runs. And hunting. And everything else. We can worm in close."

"Middle of the city... ain't much to hunt." Which was a damn shame, because if there was it would be easier to set him and Jesus up somewhere outside the walls where they could watch and observe and learn on their own terms.

"Let's take it one at a time. Get me shoes, get a sewing kit, find out where they expect us to sleep." He jerked his head for Jesus to lead the way back. Shoes he could put on anywhere once he had them.

Edited 2017-06-23 02:57 (UTC)

"Mm." Daryl is still good at plenty of things to make them "useful" while they're here. Paul nods though, pausing only long enough to squeeze Daryl's elbow lightly before heading back out.

"Boots don't work," he announces gently when they're in the same room with the good doctor again, "wrong size."

Kei nods, accepting them back. "What size would work? To make this easier on everyone." It's addressed to Daryl, and once he gets an answer he'll disappear again--

"--if possible I'd like to repair my coat," Paul calls after him, just in case. Then he looks to Daryl again and shrugs.

He stayed quiet until the doc returned with a different pair of boots. A full size and a half up from what he'd been given before. Close, just not close enough for comfort.

The clothes he'd been wearing he offered to the doc with a murmured, "Need to be washed." Much as he wanted to burn them, other people could probably use them in a place like this. Wouldn't last long either way.

"Sewing kit of you got one," he added on, unsure if the doc had hear Paul's request to fix his coat. "Where you putting us up for night? Got rooms or we gotta make our own?"

Kei nods as he takes the offered clothes, not questioning why the change was needed as he sets them aside so that they can be added to the things that need to be washed later. He hands Paul a sewing kit too, apparently having indeed heard him. As for the query: "we have rooms set up for people. Studios, one bedrooms, small places in shops or cafes for people that want to be right in this area. Personally I'd prefer higher ground if I could, but I stay here."

Paul's nodded his thanks for the kit and pocketed it - he can do it later when they're alone. "A studio would work fine," he says without thought, assuming Daryl will agree because they need to be close together.

(He doesn't know how Rick and everyone slept when they first arrived in Alexandria.)

"We have a couple free just a half a block dow--"

"One's fine," Paul says, with finality. Practical. "We're from the same place, it doesn't matter."

"We gotta talk to someone about signin' a lease?" Daryl asked, going right along with Paul's declaration. It was half-joking, but also half-serious. Did the settlement have someone cataloging what spaces were being used and what weren't? He had to assume someone was with the more obvious material goods. But in Alexandria, and what he'd seen of the hilltop, policy was to know who was tucking in where so nothing was wasted.

He fiddled with the knife he still had, wiggling it between fingers and wishing he had a sheath to put it in before finally deciding he might as well give it back to Jesus. He rubbed at his nose as he held it out, looking ready to take off as soon as the answer about the lease was given.

Kei laughs and it's more like a huff of air than anything as he shrugs. "More like just let us know what apartment you settle on so no one else decides to take the same space. People here are from... A lot of different places, so it's best everyone gets their space." He smiles. "The nearest place is out here and to the right, half a block like I said. After that, a couple buildings down. You'll be able to tell which buildings are open."

Right. Paul takes his knife back and slots it back into place easily, nodding. "Thanks for your help. We'll let you know when we settle in." Probably. Maybe.

He glances at Daryl before waving a goodbye to the doctor and escaping out the door.

Daryl nodded to the doc and followed Jesus out, looking around at the buildings. Most of them were tall and dominated the landscape with lots of smaller shops at the base. Or in the lower floors of the buildings that got closer to the Library.

"Ain't got a lot of power. Probably no running water, neither," he said as they walked, following the directions. "Means a good half of these buildings are useless where there ain't no windows or sun lights. Anything they got going on is gonna be in the rooms along the outside walls and the rest is storage or whatever... And be damn hot, too. Sun's gonna make people bake around here."

Mostly idle commentary about obvious stuff, but since Jesus wasn't someone he'd known for going on two years, he didn't know for sure if their thoughts were heading the same direction. Had to talk it out with him in the way he didn't have to with Rick or Sasha, or any of the others.

"Think that Hilton's inside the walls? It looks close enough," Daryl asked, then added, "Bet all the penthouses are taken."

"You'd think California of all places would all be on solar power, but what do I know?" Luckily, it seems like their thought processes are at least similar. "Though with the height of the buildings, it'd be hard to get right unless they rigged up panels across the south sides of the buildings themselves."

Paul sighs, squinting off toward the hotel before nodding. "Dry heat, too. Dehydration. Winters are bound to be mild. No snow to deal with, but no slowdown on the dead either."

A beat. "Taken or trashed early on by people that thought the apocalypse would last a week." He smiles faintly over at Daryl, thoughtful. "Worth a shot."

Daryl shook his head and jerked it toward the apartment building they'd been directed to, "Doc said that was the place to look. If there were space in the fancy hotel, we'd probably been told. Can ask at the door, though. Or with whoever's taking the numbers."

He was glancing at the pamphlet again, "Might have to go to the Library to find the person doing that. Reading this, sounds like most of the activity goes on there. Ain't far either. Just a block in the other direction from where Doc's sending us."

The paper got closed and shoved in a pocket, "Lets see if we can find a room that ain't taken and easy to get in and out of. Then where they've set up the showers and toilets. Figure out how long it'll take to get there and back when nature calls."

Or do the medieval thing and shit in a bucket and dump it out the window later. Woe be it passersby.

"True. Could've assumed people would want real apartments, though. Doesn't matter to me," says he-of-the-trailer-life. "School for the kids' there, right? And they're using it as a makeshift City Hall."

A block's not bad. It's so strange to be enclosed but not know the surrounding area like the back of his hand, to not have wilderness to comb through. "It's been a long time since I've spent any time in a city. It feels claustrophobic now." Real, real cramped.

"Yeah," he agrees, "we'll have to spend tomorrow figuring the less pressing matters out. As for our place... High up as we can get, agreed?"

"Every time I've been in a city since thing thing went down, we've lost someone," Daryl answered, pessimistic at best. He didn't like the locale either. "Yeah. Lets see if one of the ones on the top floor near that fire escape is open."

The building really wasn't far at all and easy to scout. The sort of debris he'd expect to see in the city was gone from the area simply due to the number of people who called the few blocks to either side home. It still had a 'lived in' look, and a couple buses hadn't been moved to ensure there were fall-back points in case of the walls going down, but it wasn't covered in trash and such.

"Easiest access is the fire escape there. Lets go as high as we can and work our way down. Assume anything that don't look like it's been lived in the last couple months is free to take." Lived in to Daryl meant a lack of dust and the windows being open to keep the room cool. If it was stuffy and dusty, it was probably okay to claim. Even if there was furniture and clothing still in it. Jesus seemed to be on his wavelength enough already he'd didn't bother pointing that out. If they were lucky, they'd find something near the roof for easy escapes.

"They don't seem like they lose many. I don't know how. The cities are so dangerous." Paul shakes his head, looking over at Daryl calculatingly. He's glad they're on the same page about it and manages a tiny smile, one of those private little things like only he knows what he's pleased about. It's nice to see that things are pretty clean and there are of course the people wandering around - clearly from all walks of life, all ages. No kids though, which makes Paul's stomach turn a little because it makes him think of the kids back in Alexandria and how they're the only ones he remembers in so long.

"Fire escape's perfect," he agrees, and once they reach it he motions silently for Daryl to give him a quick boost up in thee space that's safest so he can drag the ladder down because he's just a little too short to do it and needs the leverage. It comes down with a clang so hard that it cracks the concrete it lands on (typical of these types of ladders) and he sighs, dropping down. "Walkers can't climb ladders." That said, he cracks his knuckles and moves to hoist himself up the ladder and onto the fire escape proper. "These damn things are always the first to go."

This one seems like it'll hold all right though, and he waits for Daryl before starting the rest of the way up, boots making tiny vibrating ringing sounds with each step.

Daryl boosts him up without questioning it and then eases himself onto the ladder before following at a more steady pace.

"Should put a rope ladder in," he commented, squinting up at the top. It was a good 9 stories or more. Not as high as even half the buildings around the, but high enough it'd give a decent view of the settlement and let them get their bearings.

"Just in case goes. Reinforce it, too. Surprised it weren't left down already for ease of access. Guess some people forget the dead's too stupid to climb." It was said with a snort of dry humor. Considering they were supposed to be dead now and all. Would make more sense that the were if he felt more dead. But here he was, still breathing. Still having a pulse. Same as Jesus.

"Could probably do some decent water collection up this high. It's close enough to the ocean it ain't gonna be a dry heat, right?" Having never been any closer to the ocean than Alexandria, Daryl didn't really know if that was possible. But water that close and all, had to be humid on the regular. Didn't it?

"If we could use metal cable from an elevator shaft and some plating for rungs, you think it'd work out? I can't believe everyone inside this building is using the stairs in there to get up." It's paired with a shake of his head - and a lopsided smile at the little joke. "Maybe some are, you never know. I saw some at the beginning that looked almost smart."

Almost.

"I wish I knew more about the weather here. I know there are deserts not far east," with a jerk of his head, "but this close to the water, I don't know. I never went far from D.C. so my experience is limited."

The roof looms quickly enough and Paul hops up onto it, letting out a low whistle. Things are a little decrepit up here but it's from disuse, not from anything being gross. A good sign, maybe. "Could be on to something up here."

Daryl joined him a moment later and scanned the terrace. It was in pretty decent condition all things considered. Lots of the water proof sort of patio furniture no one would have reason to move still scattered around. Some of it had blown about in the wind, but it wasn't nothing a half hour of work wouldn't fix. If they cared to do it at all. Planters along the outer line meant they could get their own bit of farming done if they could find seeds or plants to move. And that meant self-sufficiency if things went to shit down below.

Always a contingency one needed to plan for.

Most of the place was flat past the little fence the building had set up to mark the patio's boundaries. On the opposite side of the building was the rooftop access. How people probably got up there back Before. Daryl kicked his way past a couple stray chairs and headed for it, eyes out for any trouble. When he got there, he tried the handle and found it unlocked.

He looked over at Jesus and jerked his head at the door. Indicating he'd open it and let Jesus through first with his knife. Sure sure, the place was supposed to be walker-free, but he wasn't taking chances this high up when people hadn't been using the facilities in who knew how long.

Paul sets a couple of the chairs back upright on the way to the door that Daryl is making a beeline for. Even as he's walking it seems like he has the same idea because he has a knife in hand before he even reaches the door. He nods, glancing to Daryl once and licking his lips - he passes Daryl his other knife before heading inside as soon as the opening's large enough to pass through, using the dim light to his advantage to keep quiet and move fast.

He trails down two floors quick before trilling a sharp bird call up toward Daryl again to indicate the all-clear. It's messier in here with scattered rubbish and graffiti and Paul rolls his eyes slightly. It's not bad, though. Some signs of the dead but they're all old, indications of an eradication rather than infestation. He's heading back up the stairs to meet Daryl partway, movement easy and a little more calm now that it's clear there are no walkers in their direct vicinity.

He leans on the railing, looking over the edge of it to gauge how far the drop is. "We should rig something up here too for emergencies. At least have an option for the people that can't get to the escapes."

Even with the reassurance of no dead around, he still has his knife out.

While Jesus went down the stairs, Daryl checked the doors on the upper landing. There were two elevator cars and a door with a number on it. He kept an ear out for his partner to call the all clear or call for back up. When Jesus does whistle, he heads over to the stairwell and waits. Then walks with him back to the elevators and the door. Waves at the first two.

"Could use the service ladders in there if we needed to. Just have to push the elevator doors open. Most have service ladders, right?" He asked because he was assuming they did, but he didn't really know. It would make sense for them to. How else would you get up and down when the elevator was stuck?

Then he nodded at the door, "Think that's an apartment. It's numbered like one, but it's the only one up here."

"True," Paul agrees, about the service ladders. There's got to be ladders in there. "All you need is a crowbar and leverage for that. Simple work." It's funny - these are all things that people would never say was just easy as anything a couple years ago, but most everyone could now and people like them always could.

At the assessment of the door Paul cocks an eyebrow and moves toward it, nodding. "If it's empty I think we should keep it in mind." Then he crouches in front of the door and studies the knob and lock, humming thoughtfully and then moving to pick the lock as easy as you please. It's not hard - Paul's good at things like that. "Think anyone else is willing to go up this many flights every day? Place your bets now."

"Nah," Daryl shook his head. "Betting they ain't using nothing past the 3rd floor in most of these buildings. But especially for the bedding. Probably picked most of the places clean of cloths and food, though. Not sure how far up they cared to go with that here. But might still be some stuff worth keeping."

Especially since it was still locked. Actually, there might be more than a few apartments in the building worth checking out if they were still locked. Meant they might find dead people inside - actual dead and walkers - but also otherwise untouched supplies. Clothes and bedding. Furniture. Toiletries.

When the lock clicked open, Daryl took the handle and turned it quietly, knife raised. He pushed the door open as he went silent and stepped inside. It was brightly lit from the late afternoon sun. Half the windows faced west and covered it all with a golden glow. It was hot and stuffy. Definitely not in use. Kitchen was right up front and based on the plates in the drying rack, probably hadn't been ransacked yet. Didn't look like the owner left in a panic either. Which meant dead right at the start.

Daryl gave a whistle and waited for any noises, groaning or shuffling, to answer back.

"No good lines of sight that low in places like this," Paul surmises, frowning a little as he waits for Daryl to step inside before he trails after, knife at the ready. Hot and stuffy and dusty enough to make Paul sneeze once, making a face. That aside though it's fine - when Daryl whistles Paul doesn't hear anything but he moves to take stock of the rooms nonetheless, picking through the rest of the space. He's privately glad for the mostly-open floor plan because it means less work for them.

The cursory search reveals nothing and Paul moves to open the windows to try and get some air. "Must not have been home," he murmurs, thoughtful. Then it's time to look through for supplies and he heads to the pantry first, wondering what shelf-stable goods there would be - and smiles lopsidedly, crouching a moment before tossing a bottle of water underhand behind him toward Daryl, expecting him to catch it. "Two full cases down here. All of the bottles are still sealed."

They're gonna taste like plastic, but hey - good water is hard to come by.

Daryl caught the bottle and inspected the 'Rasberry!' label with a frown, "It's flavored."

Despite this, he cracked the lid open and took a sip. It did taste like plastic under the sweetener, but the flavoring kept it from being overpowering. He considered it for a couple more moments, then took a longer gulp before closing it back up and sticking it under his waist band. Didn't have a proper bag to store it in just yet. Closet might.

He headed away from the kitchen and around the corner into the sleeping area. The bed was a queen and made up. Closet was a small walk-in and there were shoes and clothes and purses. He grabbed the largest satchel-like one he could find with a shoulder strap long enough to let it hang at his hip and slipped it on as he put the water bottle inside. Then headed back to the living area and kitchen, opening the windows Jesus had yet to get to on his way.

"Doc said we needed to tell someone which apartment we picked. Let's do that, let 'em know we're here. See if they'll let us have a couple of flashlights, then go down one floor and hit up as many apartments as we can 'fore it gets dark. Maybe we'll luck out again like we did with this one."

More bottled water (or liquor), maybe some dry goods. Maybe some clothes. The community obviously cleared out the dead, but getting around to clearing out every last inch of the apartments had obviously taken a backseat to putting up the walls and growing food. With good reason. But that just meant he and Jesus had a potential gold mine waiting for them. In this building and others.

The people running the place would probably appreciate whatever they decided to bring down in offerings or barter, too.

"Yeah, this one's peach." Paul opens it and takes a drink anyway - it's got that thick, gluggy aftertaste of warm sweetened drinks but it's not bad. He pokes around the pantry some more while Daryl goes through the rest of the apartment - some canned goods, a lot of things that he's afraid to ask what they used to be because they're liquefied (but thankfully sealed so there's no smell), and some alcohol tucked away in the corner. He's not much of a drinker and he doesn't know if Daryl is so he just leaves it be for now, coming back out and shutting the door with a few more bottles in his arms to hand off for Daryl to put in the satchel he's got now.

He nods, humming his agreement, looking through a few more cabinets and some drawers. "Might earn a couple lanterns if we bring enough down on this trip, you think?" Better than flashlights by a mile. "There's a lot here. Could sort through some real quick. I'm not sure what they have a surplus of, but I know water is going to be worth a lot."

He takes another drink from the bottle before something catches his eye and he pauses, lowering it and rubbing his thumb over the rough numbering on the plastic. "Best by on this is 2024."

There's no way anything from before their apocalypse would have been "best by" that long. That's almost fifteen years.

Daryl was considering the barter offer and decided to push one case off to the side - the one they hadn't opened, "This one stays here. It's ours."

The other one, that had already been opened and two bottles stolen from, Daryl grabbed another one from and put it to the side as well. Sure a 12pack missing three meant supply only got nine, but it was flavored water. Which had to go for a little more in the long run than regular water. Variety and special treats and all that.

He tapped the remains of the case, "Just this. Two lanterns if we can get it, one lantern and a half dozen candles if we can't. And a match book or lighter."

At that point he realized Jesus had said something weird. Frowning, he looked over, "You sure it don't read twenty fourtee-" No. No, it did not.

"No one makes bottled water with a sell by that long." He checked the other case, same date. Daryl rubbed at his lower lip, "Best you'll find is one or two years. Unflavored."

Plain water could last indefinitely if stored properly, but he never expected any water to be stored properly anymore. His thumb slipped from his chin into his mouth, thoughtful, "Don't bring it up. We'll hit the library after we trade this to 'em. Check the news archives."

TEST DRIVE MEME #1.

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