Welcome to Gaia! ::

Shaun watched on through the scope of his rifle what happened to the two boys next. They had dashed down an alley out of sight with the ghoul following after them shortly after. seconds after it had went round the corner, it fell back round it before bubbling and melting. That alone made him want to meet the boys personally. As soon as that had happened, Shaun hoisted the rifle over his shoulder, and worked his way down the slope towards the boys.

About half way there, Shaun heard the meaty thud, dispite the distance, and swiftly aimed his rivle up to the roof of the building. Catching a glimpse of someone/thing move round the side and out of view, he lowered it once more and loaded three rounds into the feed, just to be sure. Spotting the small shapes of people come out of the alley, he recognised the shapes of Gal next to Brand, along with a third figure that he didn't recognise. Just how many others were down there. Crunching and splashing quietly in the metal filled mud of the road, Shaun set off once more in the direction of the rapidly growing group.

The two of them were very different, and yet they seemed to share a few things in common. They were survivalists. They had nothing to lose. They were no longer affiliated with their respective past groups. They were loners.

The dark haired and brown eyed young adult known as Bleda Rizal stood at five feet and six inches, and wore a black leather jacket over his dark colored t-shirt. His durable jeans had dirt stains on them. Wrapped around his head was a red bandana with tails that reached down to his upper back. The belt around his waist was capable of holding several items and, of course, he used his backpack for storage as well. His main weapons were a pair of steel escrima sticks and Molotov cocktails. Additionally, he could fight unarmed and improvise ordinary objects such as trash can lids into weapons.

Bleda was originally part of a small group that attempted to traverse the ruins of the metropolis many months ago. Unfortunately, the people in his group were more dangerous to themselves than the ghouls were to them. There were numerous disagreements, and tempers frequently flared. One day, perhaps due to a volatile mixture of anger, hopelessness, and insanity... one person in the group literally exploded in a fit of rage. He blew himself up, killing all but Bleda who was luckily out of the explosion's range. The whole experience left Bleda feeling bitter and cynical.

Kain, as named by Bleda, weighed slightly over 100 pounds, and was covered in gray fur. His fangs, claws, speed, and heightened senses of sight and smell, made him a formidable foe to any ghoul. Obviously, Kain was a gray wolf. Kain was once the alpha male of his pack, but was forced to leave after coming down with a natural sickness. He recovered after some time, but was left to wander on his own. One day, he wandered into the ruins, and was soon surrounded by hungry ghouls. Luckily, Bleda charged in to save him. They bonded rather quickly, and have faced the dangers of the ruins together ever since. Perhaps Bleda saw a metaphoric part of himself in the wolf while Kain saw a lone wolf in Bleda. Kain had a red scarf tied around his neck courtesy of Bleda, and a small backpack strapped to his back.

Bleda was scavenging through the remains of what was once a gas station. He looked through containers for a precious liquid called gasoline. The gas was needed to make his most fearsome weapons--Molotov cocktails, which were effective at roasting large groups of ghouls. In actuality, any other flammable liquid such as cooking oil would've been just as good, but he found gas to be the most effective substance. He thought he heard faint screams and movement off somewhere in the distance. Kain was pointing his nose in the direction of the all the activity, and exposed his fangs while slightly growling. "Cool it down, Kain," Bleda mumbled as he shook a container listening for a sloshing noise. "They'll probably be dead soon anyway just like many others before them." He started pouring gas into one of his empty containers.

The little party gathering was growing, and Brand didn't know why people just happened to conglomerate with them. Maybe it was sound of Gal screaming from the ghouls earlier. Any sensible person who wanted to hide his own skin would turn tail and run away from the scream though because noise obviously attracted more trouble. Apparently, that might not have been the case here.

Brand looked around searching for something that they could hide in. It was getting dark, and who knew what lurked out there in this environment? Besides, Gal needed rest, and maybe there could be safety in numbers. They needed a place to group and explain themselves. How had he ended up in this situation babysitting girls and his brother?

There. A building that looked newer than the rest and in sturdier condition. Hopefully, the inside was true as well. He moved in carefully, looking for signs of danger. The building was oddly in good shape inside as well. He approached a door labeled stairs and opened it. Nothing. He waved the rest of them in, all the while looking around to make sure nothing was coming. Wherever they ended up staying, they were going to have to barricade the entrances and exits just in case.

((Someone can make up what the building was in the past.))

‘Grimm’ Ghoulish
How may I help you sir~!

Grimm watched from the shadows, stealthily following the group from a distance above them until the entered an old department store, 7 floors high. He actually remembered this store from being human. The top 3 floors were clothes and the floor below food, the others were split into lots of various units for different things.
"Damn... Well, they can't be in there for too long, better keep close anyway. He sprinted from building to building and roof to roof until he reached the sturdy looking building that was chosen for their safe haven. Launching himself from the nearest rooftop edge, Grimm flew into the side of the building. It was a few stories higher than the rest due to decay but the power was out none the less. He drove his claws into the cemented sides on impact and began throwing himself up the building towards the top floor(example of that, watch for the building climb, nothing else really matters). The access door was off its hinges, probably from the time people were trying to evacuate before the bombs dropped, but Grimm chose another entrance. Silently Grimm made his way inside the black of the old department store through a missing corner of the top floor of the otherwise whole building, the darkness was not a problem for his vision though and he could clearly make out the layout. Not much was left in the way of usefull goods, looting had a lot to answer for... Mannequins littered the area amongst the broken and scattered displays but strangely most of them still upright and wearing the same dust coated clothes they had been in for years, Grimm blended in seamlessly. It was like a maze of shelves and stands, movement and visibility would be hard for the humans without a light source.

((Well, Bleda's probably older than 21 but younger than 26 in this case. Probably 24.))

Kain's mouth partially closed upon hearing Bleda's comment. He stared at Bleda for a second, and then went into a sitting position on its hind legs. The gray wolf's tongue slightly hung out of its mouth, and he started panting. Perhaps Kain was feeling a bit anxious. It was almost dark, and the even the two of them would have difficulty handling the ghouls at night.

Bleda managed to fill up a few containers with gasoline, which he then stored in his backpack. Empty glass bottles were also needed for the Molotov cocktails, but they were scattered throughout the ruins and weren't hard to find. He already had some in his backpack. Having found what he needed, he decided it was time to seek shelter for the coming darkness. Kain led the way after a nod of approval from Bleda.

The gray wolf with its red scarf flowing in the wind, sniffed around the ruins for a suitable location with Bleda closely following from behind. It wasn't long before they found a sizable and somewhat well conditioned building, which may have been a shopping center at one point in time. Kain paused for a moment, and let out a low growl. Someone or something passed through here recently, or maybe he, she, or it was still here. They had to be careful. Eventually, they came through one of the entrances.

The interior of the building had seen better days. It was a little dark with the only source of light being the last of the sunlight creeping in through the small cracks and openings from the outside. There were various cans, junk, and other objects scattered throughout the floor. It seemed like a good place to settle down in for the night, except Kain let out a slight growl once again upon sniffing the air. Apparently, they weren't the only ones in the building.

The wolf's nose led them to climb up some nearby stairs. Bleda was in alert mode with his hands ready to grab both his steel escrima sticks secured on either side of his belt should the need arise. There would be no choice but to fight their way out if they encountered ghouls. If they encountered survivors, then perhaps they could coexist--that is if they're not hostile. Coexisting doesn't necessarily mean Bleda will be friendly with them though. The last thing he needed was one person ruining everything like last time.

((The stairs may not necessarily be the same ones that the group used, but they should meet up in the upper level soon if not yet.))

Faraday sat in the doorway, watching the others file past her into the room. The lizard, Drago, was happily slithering around the room, expertly avoiding all the cans and other loose debris. He sniffed here and there a few times, each time flicking his tongue in disgust. Everything was rotted out or housing insects, and Drago quickly returned to Faraday's side, grinning at the younger boy as he went.

The girl absentmindedly rubbed the lizard's back, straightening its feathers. The lizard's brilliant black eyes closed slightly in pleasure and it completely forgot about Gal for the moment.

Turning her head slightly in Brand's direction, Faraday watched as the smaller boy paused after his brother's question and rummage through his bag. Just as he brought out a strange rectangle of light, Drago suddenly tensed up and hissed, facing the opposite side of the building. Faraday frowned and stood, facing the same way.

"There's something else here," she said quietly.

Kain's nose went haywire upon the two of them reaching the upper floor. The furry creature's nose wasn't pointing at one specific point, but was waving it around at the mixture of scant light and thick darkness in front of them. There was definitely more than one thing to worry about. How many? The creature continued waving its nose around, but couldn't choose a particular scent to concentrate on.

It was time to make a decision. Anything that wasn't a ghoul could probably be handled, but ghouls especially in this setting would be a problem. BOOMK!!! What sounded like a loud thud alerted Bleda and Kain. Their eyes darted around looking for the slightest thing that stood out, but they found nothing. Kain's fur stood up as the animal silently clenched its teeth ready to attack.

Bleda patted Kain's head, which was his way of telling the gray wolf to calm down. The young man sighed and then announced loudly, "I am a survivor, and I know I am not alone here. Show yourselves." If the ones that heard him were ghouls, they would probably respond with broken and unworldly words or come charging straight at him and the wolf. At least, the two of them still had a chance to turn around and escape if they had to. It could also be possible the audience consisted of survivors or wild animals... maybe both.

((Added: If anyone is wondering, Bleda is close enough to hear the thud, but far enough not to hear Grimm talk.))

That lizard and the girl were right. Something else was here, and one something stepped out into the open. It was a strange figure, and it seemed to have problems with speech. The words it spoke were somewhat grating and ominous. However, it even gave a name; Grimm.

Now, the question was... who else was in the area? Another voice shouted out firmly, and the alien lady asked loudly back if everyone could gather by Gal's light contraption. He nodded to her. Hopefully, everyone would stay alert. The door Faraday stood by was closed, so it was just a matter of the rest of the floor for now.

Brand kept the mannequin arm in defense just in case. However, it probably wasn't very sturdy since it was so aged and worn. He hoped nothing else was on the floor. They needed to secure the area and barricade.