Julia
Approaching Wrangelstraße

The Zoo. She had not thought about that one. The damned Zoo.

Knut.

„Let us hope you just misread them.“ She said silently and withdrew from the conversation to look for the shop now. The story of the woman had it‘s difficulties. Timetable and all that. Usually the perspective thing was hard, but she assumed they all had times which they rather would not like to speak of. She kinda wished Justin was here. He was good at figuring stuff out. But it had been her idea to go alone with Yohvan on the mission. She just wanted to have some time alone with, get to know him. Now Ms. Hotpants showed up. Actually she was happy they met new people, but she had the feeling this one would not fit in so easily.

So she left the discussion about the Martian to them and instead wondered why she had the feeling that something was wrong around here.

Tag: @Darth_Elu, @Kurisan, @SirakRomar

 

Wrangelstraße, Pankow, The Edeka

The shop was mostly overgrown, but having actually no windows Justin had been right. The inside was mostly untouched, with the boards filled with food, tools and . . . Batteries, right at the cashier, as he had remembered. But what was a bit moe alarming was the smell of rotten flesh. It could have come from the fridges in the aft-part, but they did not. Two bodies lay in the center corridor. Ripped apart, their bodies showing sign of being feasted upon. Something had killed two surivors, probably male and armed with axes and a machete still lying near the bodies.

Tag: @Kurisan, @RachelTyrell, @Darth_Elu



Outside the Eastern Train Station

When Justin opened his eyes, made opening them by a strange urge to do so, he saw it. He saw him. A figure standing in the third level of the nearby former bureau building, now almost completely overgrown with green tendrils. The man was wearing a hood obfuscating his face and seemed to stare back at him for a long moment, before vanishing from few to the side.

Tag: @Sir_Draco

 

IC: Aya, Wrangelstraße, Pankow, The Edeka

Aya noticed the smell upon entry. She had encountered similar in supermarkets where the meat shelves had gone bad, but this...

While the others grabbed their batteries at the cashier, she examined the shelves. She had not raided this particular shop yet. There were a number of good, simple tools that looked useful.

She reached the centre corridor… saw what was lying there, and gasped. She backed away until she bumped into a stack of pots, which clattered noisily as she knocked them over.

“Julia-san, Yovahn-san!”



TAG: @RachelTyrell @Darth_Elu @SirakRomar

 

Julia
The creepiest Edeka ever

The moment she heard the Japanese woman scream she took the gun from her belt and pulled the last of the batteries into her backpack. Then she made her way around the next line of shelves and saw the dead bodies. She pulled automatically the gun to „armed“ and pulled Aya a bit back.

„We need to get out of here. Looks like an animal. I hoe you have not been right and we got a bear around here.“ She sighed. So what kind of animal could do this? She went through the list of animals she had seen at Tiergarten. She did not buy wolves traveling all the way to Berlin, but they would also not be that effective. This was something else. Something that had hit the two man quickly.

„Let us get our, now.“ She just said and quickly pulled Aya and Yohvan towards the door, aiming at the shop, preparing for anything to show up. Whatever it was, she hoped she could kill it with a pistol. Maybe Karl had been right. Maybe indeed they needed bigger guns. She would feel so much more secure with a G36 right now.

Tag: @Kurisan, @Darth_Elu, @SirakRomar

 

Yovahn Cotler IC:
~Clean Up on Aisle One, Edeka~

His statement of the zoo seemed to resonate a little. Aya seemed to agree with the assessment as it gave credence to her theories, she even added on further for a moment. Even Julia was clearly bothered the instant he mentioned the old world institution of animals. Her face said it all.

She hadn’t even considered the angle.

Honestly, Yovahn didn’t blame her, he was surprised even he thought of it. He was glad he did though, it was always good to figure out all possible dangers. Now and in the future.

“Let us hope you just misread them.”

Julia withdrew at this point to focus on moving forward, which caused him to give a faint, sympathetic smile at her retreating form. But yes, it was best just to continue.

Meanwhile, their new friend answered his previous questions.

“Oh, I don’t hunt. I am growing garden. I found lots of seeds and also already growing potatoes and courgettes and other things I replant. You can cut some roots then replant to make more. You ever see that film the Martian? It is real science. I studied environmental science.”

Yovahn eyed the asian woman, slightly impressed if this was true. Then again, did she have any reason to lie about it at this stage?

“I did see it, though I only partially recall the movie. But environmental science, huh? Color me impressed.”

Could be useful knowledge if it turned out they could trust her. Still, he quieted as they neared the shop and simply motioned for Aya to keep up with them.

They stepped carefully into the shop and took a look around the mostly untouched place. Leave it to Justin to be right as to his theory. Guy had a knack for figuring things out like that. Yovahn hadn’t been around long, but he was starting to figure that part out.

Food. Tools. All kinds of things. But he had said the batteries would be by the cashier.

Wrinkling his nose at the smell that assaulted their noses, he continued to move slowly. Cautiously. Keeping quiet. Something about the shop, despite its nigh-pristine appearance inside, made his hairs stand up. Maybe it was the silence. He couldn’t speak right then if he wanted to. Like there was a block to his voice.

He let his eyes linger about, taking in everything as they moved, letting the ladies get a little ahead of him due to his caution.

Then came the sound of toppling pots and Aya’s shocked, frightened voice.

“Julia-san, Yovahn-san!”

Head snapping around to the direction of her voice, he moved quickly. Adrenaline now coursing through his veins almost instantly. Just this little thing, this reaction from the woman, and now he found himself in fight or flight response mode. What had happened?

Julia arrived a little ahead of him and was already pulling Aya away, gun in hand. She was speaking too.

“We need to get out of here. Looks like —“

What. Happened?

Pivoting on his heel to finally get a good look down the centre corridor, he noticed it. Or them, he should say. A pair of bodies, likely male from what he could gather, and ripped apart savagely. The signs of feasting was very clear.

"— an animal.”

“Dear Lord,” Yovahn murmured quietly. Looks like his voice found itself.

“I hope you have not been right and we got a bear around here. Let us get out, now.”

Julia started pulling him and Aya away and towards the exit. Looked like she managed to snag the batteries already, that was good.

“Wait,” he stated quickly. His voice still a whisper, as if there was something nearby.

The smell was going to make him regret this, he just knew it. The stench was absolutely rancid. But there was something else to what they saw that he couldn’t ignore.

Lifting the top of his shirt up to cover his nose, not like it’d do much, he began to move toward the bodies.

“Keep an eye out,” he whispered back, “We might need those.”

He was gesturing toward the axes and machete. As he neared them, his face scrunched up further as the stench got even stronger due to proximity. Then he reached forward and grasped the machete’s handle with one hand and an axe with the other.

Yovahn made a small sound in his throat, but then stifled it as quickly as he could. There was still old blood over the handles and the sensation was revolting.

But this was post-apocalypse. Everything must be recycled or lost. And with this sight, he was starting to be self conscious of the fact that Julia was the only one with a weapon. Granted, he had the bow now slung over his shoulder, but that was Aya’s. He didn’t have the foggiest idea how to do archery.

He was starting to rethink that. Perhaps ranged weapons training with each of the girls might do him some good.

His eyes were drawn to the dead as he grasped the weapons, hoping to quickly and quietly back away as soon as he had them. But the image of the bodies moving was all too real in his mind. It was like he needed confirmation to make sure zombies stayed fiction.

They were fiction, right?

Tag: Julia & Aya @RachelTyrell @Kurisan @SirakRomar

 

Julia
Edeka, Wrangelstraße

„They did not help them. Let us get out of here, now.“ Julia hissed to her friend and kept on pushing the Asian girl out. Once they all were out, she would block the door with something. Whatever it was, it could hopefully not open doors.

Tag: @Kurisan, @Darth_Elu, @SirakRomar

 

IC: Aya, Wrangelstraße, Pankow, The Edeka

Julia pulled her out and Aya let her, paralyzed by horror.

She muttered, “Kumagoro da, Kumagoro da...”

Once outside, Aya tried to calm down. She searched around but could see no sign of whatever was responsible for... that. She tried listening to the forest, but either it was not whispering anything now, or she could not hear it over the thumping of her heart.

Her head span. In the last hour she had gone from being the last human on Earth, to one of three, then one of five, but nearly half their number were dead, again.

She took a deep breath.

She said, “Julia-san, did you see the blood? It is not so old, I think? This happened not long time ago...”

She turned to Yovahn. “You have safe place with your friends? Please, I can come with you?”

TAG: @RachelTyrell @Darth_Elu @SirakRomar

 

Yovahn Cotler IC:
~Outside Edeka, Wrangelstraße~

Julia was already hissing her disapproval at him the moment he moved for the axe and machete.

“They did not help them. Let us get out of here, now.”

She had a point, but not everyone’s circumstance was the same. He grabbed them, the feelings and sensation of revulsion grabbing hold due to the blood, and scampered quickly back to her and Aya who seemed to be muttered herself in repetition. Yovahn didn’t blame her, not one bit.

“One man’s trash is another man’s treasure, or something like that,” he forced himself to say.

As Aya tried to take a breath and calm her nerves, Julia was already trying to bar the doors despite there be no guarantee whatever attacked the people were was still inside. For all they knew, it was out just as they were.

Still, he set his newly obtained grisly trophies down and helped the former cop. He spied an old dumpster nearby and pushed it, with assistance and difficulty, to come to a rest in front of the doors. Pushed right up against them.

“Julia-san, did you see the blood? It is not so old, I think? This happened not long time ago…”

Yovahn grimaced and whispered quietly his internal worries to the blonde. “Lets hope its not out here already. Whatever it is.”

Aya had then turned to him, still in a panic, which caught his full attention. He turned to her as well.

“You have safe place with your friends? Please, I can come with you?”

His eyes flicked over to his companions, but nodded. “I’d say that’d be the smartest thing for you, right now. Yes, you can come with us. Now just…just take another deep breath, okay?”

He wiped his hands off on his pants the best he could, they’d definitely need a wash later now, and then set a hand on Aya’s shoulder.

“Breathe. That’s it.”

He couldn’t and wouldn’t waste any further time than that, not in this case. But he sincerely hoped it helped. From there, he gave a small smile to the woman and then moved to pick up today’s prizes.

“Ok, Julia. Lets move.”

His nerves were singing even then. Fresh corpses had a way of suddenly changing everything he now learned. Where all had been relatively peaceful and calm despite the Sea of Leaves, now it felt like danger was weighing down on them from nowhere and everywhere all at once.

Yovahn took the lead, keeping Aya between him and Julia, as he made a beeline back for ‘home.’

Tag: Julia, Aya, and hopefully nothing else right now… @RachelTyrell @Kurisan @SirakRomar

 

Wrangelstrasse, Pankow

Surprisingly no Zombies started shambling down the street and no beast jumped at the barricaded door to break out. Outside the sun was shining and the birds were singing and everything would have been perfect, would not the buzzing flies have reminded everyone of what was inside the now closed down supermarket.

There was a scream of an animal somewhere. There were a lot of those nowadays, but suddenly one could not be so sure this was part of some mating ritual. This might very well be something else.

No attack came though. Whatever had killed them an seemed not to be hunting them yet.

Tag: @Kurisan, @Darth_Elu, @RachelTyrell

 

Justin Pfeiffer
The Streets near Ostbahnhof

He had seen him before, but this time he was pretty sure he did not make him up. The man was there, looking at him, while he stared back. Justin did not move, just looked. There music still playing in his ears he slowly removed the plugs and shut down the iPod. Then the man vanished and Justin just took off, running as fast as he could, jumping over any obstacles while holding on to his iPod, so it did not smash accidentally to the ground. For all he knew this might be the last iPod in the world. He threw a stone through the window of the building and quickly crashed all sharp ends of it before jumping in. This took too long, he was well aware of that. Way too long it took. He had to try anyway. Leaping more than running he went up the stairs and barely able to breathe anymore he ripped open the door to the room the man had been in.

„Gotta quit smoking.“ He laughed and looked around. „Oh c‘mon, stop hiding! There are not enough people left in the world to play hide and seek!“ He yelled and laughed. The room looked like it had been left years ago to rot and be overgrown. Funny enough it could not have been more than eight weeks ago this was an office. Justin walked in, holding his side and then he found one thing not overgrown or dirty. A piece of blank white paper lay on a desk. He picked it up and read it. What did it have to do with anything?

It took him an embarrassing minute before he understood the message.

__________

He came running back and quickly made his waydown towards Karl. „Hey Karl, reconsidered. You were right and I was totally wrong. Where can we get those guns?“ He asked and picked as backpack, emptying it and looking at Karl as if he did not understand what the elder man was waiting for.

Tag: @SirakRomar

 

Julia
Wrangelstraße, Pankow

Her first impulse was to go to their base as fast as possible, but she fought it down quickly. Instead she turned to the other two and signaled them to go to their knees and behind cover. She checked the houses, not only the first floor, but also the second and third one. Still holding her gun in both hands she waited for a moment and then realized there was nothing coming.

„You are right, that did not happen too long ago. Maybe tonight even.“ Julia said to Aya. Then she turned to Yo and sighed. „If you are not having any serious hidden talents as an archer, I‘d say give her the bow back.“ Checking the overgrown street again she finally sighed. „So there are three options. Predators are territorial creatures I think. So either these ones have a large territory and simply not nearby or they have moved through this area. Anyway, if this is their territory they have had their lunch and are probably not hunting right now. Which is why we are not attacked. There is a third option and that is they are tracking us. Stalkers. If so we cannot lead them directly back to our camp. I‘d say we got to subway station Warschauer Straße and try to take tunnels to the Eastern train station. We got flashlights and more than enough batteries now.“ Looking at both she waited for any objections. If there were none, she would get up and move as fast as possible to the subway station. Her gun drawn and ready.

Tag: @Kurisan, @Darth_Elu, @SirakRomar

 

Yovahn Cotler IC:
~Wrangelstraße, Pankow~

The sound of animal permeated the air, it nearly made him jump. It sounded way too similar to a scream. Eerie as all hell.

Julia quickly stopped him from having them proceed further, which almost had him snap at her. Not true anger, just nerves. Her relative calm, at least in comparison to himself, had a synergetic effect on him. Calming him as well, to the point he could at least think a bit clearer.

While understandable, he was not thinking straight. Yovahn had allowed himself to be spooked given the situation and after he had told Aya to breathe and remain calm too. Embarrassing. Still, matters of personal shame aside, there was the present at hand.

“You are right, that did not happen too long ago. Maybe tonight even.”

That much he had noticed as well. One of the things that had struck him into the state of panic that he had been in. This was where Julia turned to him.

“If you are not having any serious hidden talents as an archer, I’d say give her the bow back.”

He gave a small humorless laugh. Right. The bow. He had remembered while in Edeka, but had elected to hold onto a bit longer as they were still testing Aya. But, in such a short span, he forgot all about the thing slung over his shoulder.

Yovahn listened as the former cop continued to speak as he set down the axe and machete, then proceeded to hand the bow back to the other woman.

“So there are three options. Predators are territorial creatures I think. So either these ones have a large territory and simply not nearby or they have moved through this area. Anyway, if this is their territory they have had their lunch and are probably not hunting right now. Which is why we are not attacked. There is a third option and that is they are tracking us. Stalkers.”

That was just a lovely idea. Yovahn couldn’t help but involuntarily shiver for a moment. It was subtle. Probably.

“If so we cannot lead them directly back to our camp. I’d say we go to subway station Warschauer Straße and try to take tunnels to the Eastern train station. We got flashlights and more than enough batteries now.”

That…was a good point. If they were being stalked and hunted, it would not do to endanger Justin and Karl, let alone just generally jeopardize their shelter. There was a strong likelihood they were safer than they thought, but that possibility was too much to risk.

Julia was looking at them, clearly asking if there were any objections without words. He just nodded to her, while gripping his two weapons.

“You have the right idea, Julia. I trust you.”

When they were both ready, he moved alongside the ladies, keeping his eyes as open as possible to anything and everything around them.

Tag: Julia & Aya @RachelTyrell @Kurisan @SirakRomar

 

Aya
Wrangelstraße, Pankow

Aya gratefully received her bow again. It was far from as effective as a gun, and her old kyudo club had been more about meditation and patience. It was true she could hit a target well over a pretty long distance, especially with this modern bow, but that was only if she could take her time, stand still, and reach complete calmness. Aya was certainly no Yabusame warrior.

The idea they were being tracked resonated. Aya had felt like something was watching, for some time, well before today's meeting. This was the first time she had been confronted with such visceral evidence that something really was out there.

She was frightened, and more than glad to stick with the other two...

TAG: @RachelTyrell @Darth_Elu @SirakRomar

 

The streets of Pankow and the subway tunnels


They made it quickly out of the street and crossed over back to Warschauer. The subway was on the end of that block and it was long and tense march through the grass that had now overgrown the concrete, which ad split at many points.

No dangerous predators showed themselves. They could not even hear a thing. What they might recognize was the absence of birds here. Otherwise everything was the normal overgrown green end of the world Berlin they had come to know. Silent and peaceful in an every way.

They made it to the subway and had to cut themselves into the station. The glass ceiling had been pressed in by the weight of vegetation and shards lay around everywhere, looking as if they had been there for a hundred years. Brown and milky the glass seemed unnaturally aged, as so many things had.

When they finally turned their flashlights on and entered the subway tunnel it was surprisingly free of vegetation.



They began their passage through the dark echoing tunnels towards the Eastern train station, which was both a train station and a subway station. Most of Berlin‘s train stations had access to the subways.

They were a few hundred meters in when they heard a loud and angry hiss and Julia‘s flashlight caught sight of something for a second. It looked like a rat, but a large one, the largest she had ever seen. Easily the size of a cat or small dog with unnatural large teeth. The thing hissed once more and then quickly vanished into some opening at the side.



Tag: @Darth_Elu, @RachelTyrell, @Kurisan



Eastern Train Station, Berlin East

Karl was a little surprise by the sudden enthusiasm for guns Justin showed. „Everything okay, young man? That was quite a sudden change of heart you had there.“ He laughed. With quite some pain he got from his knees to his feet. „It is getting dark today. Julia is not back yet. So I‘d say let us do it tomorrow. Right after breakfast.“

He smiled. „You look like you have seen a ghost.“

Tag: @Sir_Draco

 

Yovahn Cotler IC:
~Subway Tunnels, Berlin~

Having made it quickly out of their previous area and back over to Warschauer, Yovahn took note that no evil predators had jumped out and attempted to savage them yet. Nor was there any sign of something stalking them.

They’d be able to spot it, if it was, right? He tried not to dwell on that question overlong.

Going over the overgrown grass and taking note of their surroundings, Yovahn was able to relax and calm down a little further. The silence was calming to him. Still a bit eerie, yes, but calming. A few birds would have been nice, but otherwise, he didn’t mind this. If something were to come after them, they’d easily be able to hear an approach of some kind, he figured.

His face scrunched up briefly. But then, that was a thought. Where were the birds anyway?

Yovahn didn’t think about it too much however and just continued to travel with his companions.

Eventually they had made it to the subway at last. The glass had been pushed in and shattered, just like everything else had been by the quiet overgrowth of plants. For some reason the idea that some ‘gifted’ type person could have been behind this struck him again. It had been Julia who had suggested it, not long ago in fact, and it came back to him.

There was no way that was true. I mean, the whole idea of anyone gifted in such a manner was only something you found in fiction. Comics especially. Shaking his head, Yovahn pushed the whole thing from his mind, like so much else.

Heading inside, making sure the girls did so first as it felt safer than the outside currently, he took special note of their new surroundings. He would have flicked on his own flashlight, but his hands were full and he had left his backpack back at their camp.

Idiot, he mentally reprimanded himself.

For some reason the abandoned underground tunnel made him whisper without meaning to: “I’m surprised there’s no green in here yet.”

Yovahn honestly wasn’t sure what to make of their trek through the dark passage. And when the hiss came, he froze and watched as Julia swung her light to find the source. He was even less sure what to make of this.

His hands tightened instinctively on the two weapons in each hands, bringing them up in a ready stance without even thinking about it. Thankfully it only hissed once more than ran off into some opening in the wall.

“That thing was as big a terrier!” he whispered quickly, “Things are mutating down here too now?”

Thinking a moment as he gazed at where the rodent disappeared, a grim expression came over him.

“We need to tell Justin and Karl about this. And I hope one of you have another flashlight, because we might need to keep an eye on our backs while in here.”

Yovahn turned to look at Aya. “Keep close, alright? …And, um, have that bow ready. Just incase.”

Tag: Aya & Julia @Kurisan @RachelTyrell @SirakRomar

 

Aya
Subway tunnels, Berlin

Aya followed the others into the subway tunnel. She was not sure why they were expecting to see green vegetation in darkness, but then, the laws of nature all seemed to have been violated recently. With the overgrowth everywhere, Aya would have expected roots pushing downwards, questing for water. It was strangely untouched. And the birds had gone from outside.

It felt as if the forest was holding its breath and recoiling from this place, watching, waiting for something.

Kumagoro da... said the voice in her mind. She silenced it. The rational Aya was in charge now, and it's going to stay that way.

She yelped as she saw the rat. It hissed and bared alarming teeth at them before scurrying away.

Aya had not seen many rats in her life, and none as big as that. They could get big in certain ecosystems, she knew, but there was certainly something wrong with that one. Kumagoro da... She shook her head.

“Keep close, alright?" said Yovahn.

Aya flashed a grateful smile at him. He had showed her kindness when she had been frightened at the shop, and in other ways he did not realise. It kept her centred.

"…And, um, have that bow ready. Just incase,” he continued.

She nodded understanding and reached for her quiver. She nocked an unblunted arrow. Usually, she used them just for target practice, but after seeing that rat... and the bodies... she felt that a blunted stinger would not protect her now.

She worked up the nerve to ask Julia a question. "How far is it to the Eastern train station?"

TAG: @RachelTyrell @Darth_Elu @SirakRomar

 

Justin Pfeiffer
The Headquarters

He looked at Karl and then realized there were indeed some practical considerations he had not thought of. He decided he had panicked and he did not wanted Karl to think he had panicked. „Sure, tomorrow was what I wanted to suggest.“ He nodded and then turned and walked away again.

He checked the doors. How many did they actually have? What entrances could be blocked? Regrettably he realized they had not really chosen their headquarters under the aspect it had to be defended. The world had seemed terribly empty. So he needed to think of a better place to hide for them. With most building crumbling under the pressure of roots ripping apart their sustenance there were not exactly many places he could go to. He imagined there was somewhere an underground facility managing the infrastructure of the subway and it probably had lots of doors, security etc.´, but the problem was, that without google he did not know where to find it. Maybe checking the bunker museums was worth their time. There was one near Checkpoint Charlie in Friedrichstraße. They had been build in WW2 to resist massive attacks through bombs, so why would they crumble like normal buildings when plants attack?

Justin sat outside the subway tube and lighted a cigarette.

Tag: @SirakRomar

 

Julia
Tunnel

„We are about halfway through, I‘d say.“ He answered and could still not believe what she had just said. How could a rat mutate so fast? It probably could not. Yes, she understood how these things worked nowadays. Time was out of order and all that. Nut mutation? That took decades, centuries. Maybe even longer.

„No idea what it was, but it ran away from us, so let‘s not panic. Let us get a little faster anyway. We need to seal the tunnels, or these things might come out of it one day and eat our food.“ Despite that the thought of a rat crawling over her was not exactly comforting.

With quick steps she continued her path towards their HQ.

Tag: @Darth_Elu, @Kurisan, @SirakRomar

 

Eastern Train Station

The S31 had been a direct link between Warschauerstraße and the Eastern Train Station. The three survivors made it through the tunnel without further events, except the occasional sound of small feet tapping through the dark. Whenever the light of their flashlight turned to them, they saw nothing though.

Finally they made it to the next station and found a thoughtful Justin Pfeiffer sitting on the edge of it, his legs dangling where originally trains were passing through. Karl was a little farther down the station, making signs and the three had wet feet by now, as there was water here, up to their ankles. That seemed also to be what Karl was marking.

„Hello there, I see you got a new arrival.“ The older man said and turned to the three, eyeing Aya. They were five now, which was a lot more than the original two their little group had started with.

Tag: @Sir_Draco, @Kurisan, @Darth_Elu, @RachelTyrell

 

Justin Pfeiffer
The subway station

He was still meditating about the number 160 and what he seen earlier today. Who was this invisible benefactor warning him about potential danger? Why did he do it?

Then he heard steps and jumped up. Someone was approaching from the tunnel. Suddenly he indeed wished he had a gun. It was their group. Julia came out first, then came Yo and finally . . . another woman. An Asian woman with a bow and hot pants.She was quite a beauty. So far the apocalypse seemed to have only left good looking people alive . . . And Karl.

„You took the scenic route?“ He laughed at them with more than a bit than relief.

Tag: @RachelTyrell, @Darth_Elu, @Kurisan, @SirakRomar

 

Julia
Home, finally aka Eastern Train Station

The rest of their walk was without events, also she felt pursued by the mutant rat or whatever they had seen down there. Finally they made it back to the light, or at least the candlelit area of the subway tunnel they called their home. Justin was there, asking if they took the scenic route and looked at Aya.

„Aya, this is the worlds last smartbutt Justin Pfeiffer. Justin, Aya. We met her near Wrangelstraße. We found bodies there, too. Fresh bodies. We decided to take no risk and take the tunnels back. Also we might consider sealing them, as we have seen the most spooky rat ever in there.“ He walked over to the young man and climbed from the rails to the station. She gave him a grin and a short hug. „Good to see you. Karl, did he behave?“

Tag: @Sir_Draco, @Darth_Elu, @Kurisan, @SirakRomar

 

Aya
Eastern Train Station

Aya grinned to see even more survivors. She was elated when Julia shared what seemed to be a joke with her. Though she did not quite understand the term smartbutt, she felt the initial aggressive hostility from Julia had evaporated, and she perhaps stood a chance of being included.

She bowed deeply to Justin and Karl. "Namiki Aya desu! Yoroshiku onegaishimasu!"

Then she stood up straight and did it the Western way. "I'm Aya. I'm pleased to meet you!"

Julia reported on the bodies, and the rat. The mood became more sombre. At least it felt safer amongst others, Aya tried to remain positive. She surveyed the candlelit station and noticed the water on the ground.

"Do you live here, underground? Where does this water come from?"

TAG: @RachelTyrell @Sir_Draco @Darth_Elu

 

Yovahn Cotler IC:
~Headquarters, Eastern Train Station~

They continued to progress through the subway tunnel, with Aya eventually asking how far they had left. Yovahn himself would have guessed they were most of the way there by now. Probably just a little further.

Julia guessed halfway. Hard to say for sure who was right, but it was easy to know that it didn’t really matter. Because of this, he didn’t say anything. Just focused on the sights and sounds around them as much as possible.

The blonde also mentioned about looking into sealing some of the tunnels to be wary of the rat-things.

“Agreed, though hopefully we don’t go have to go as far as whole tunnels. Might need to keep an eye out for smaller holes and block those off. Less work and keeps our own passages open.”

He wasn’t really sure on that either, but it was a suggestion anyway. After that he heard their footsteps, those creepy creatures, but they never saw them again. Hopefully they wouldn’t ever become an actual problem. More afraid of you than you were of them type of deal.

Yovahn was glad when they finally reached home sweet home. Such as it was these days. Justin was sitting on the edge with his legs dangling over the track and mind lost in the clouds far above the ceiling, which seemed to be a position that just fit him. Like that snapshot could define him in some subtle way he couldn’t quite put his finger on.

He also noted the water they sloshed through a little as they appeared. When had that started? It wasn’t this high before if he could remember right. That caused a small crease in his brow, but more on that later.

“Hello there, I see you got a new arrival.” There was Karl. Almost missed seeing him farther down, making signs it looked like.

Justin finally took notice himself and jumped up. That movement seemed flightier than usual for him, but then again, he had to remind himself. He’d only known him for a short while.

“You took the scenic route?”

Oh boy. If he only knew.

“Aya, this is the world’s last smartbuwt Justin Pfeiffer. Justin, Aya. We met her near Wrangelstraße. We found bodies there, too. Fresh bodies. We decided to take no risk and take the tunnels back. Also we might consider sealing them, as we have seen the most spooky rat ever in there.”

“It’s true,” he added, “The thing was as big as a terrier. Creepy, creepy. Also, got some new tools despite the visuals I had to endure to get them.”

He held up the axe and machete.

“Good to see you. Karl, did he behave?”

There was a small sign that they had still known each other a little longer than he had with them. Perhaps not by a lot, but it was there. A more natural easy teasing they had going. Wasn’t so much the words, but the way it was delivered. The fluidity and natural air between the little exchange. One day he’d be there with them. One day.

He wasn’t sure why that felt so important.

“Namiki Aya desk! Yoroshiku onegaishimasu!” There was that Japanese again. Went over his head completely.

“I’m Aya. I’m pleased to meet you! Do you live here, underground? Where does this water come from?”

While he went to set his new prizes down nearby, he almost chuckled. Something he was starting to learn about the Japanese girl. She liked to ask questions. Not a bad thing though. Had to ask if you wanted to learn.

He’d let them handle this, so they could get to know each other a bit. In the mean time, he moved off to his little living space, where his sleeping bag had been rolled out. Began to go through his things after washing his hands off a second time, just incase. Just a little inventory and a mental reminder not to forget his pack when on a journey. Short trips may not always be just that anymore.

As he did so, the man still kept his ear trained on the others’ conversations incase anything important was said or he needed to add his voice into the mix.

Tag: Everyone @Kurisan @RachelTyrell @Sir_Draco @SirakRomar

 

Justin Pfeiffer
The Station in Berlin Eastern Train Station

(ooc: I am writing this in the actual train station, pretty cool)

„Cool.“ He smiled at the new tools. „They will be useful.“ He said and especially looked at the axe. Justin smiled at Julia for her attempt to tease him and then at the newcomer. He did recognize this little moment on Yohvan‘s face. The sting of not being part of this „thing“, but Justin did not truly buy that. He did not truly, really think that it was Justin who Yohvan wanted to be close to. They were two men and one woman. Or they had been until a young Japanese in hotpants showed up.

Jumping down on the train rails he walked over to her and offered his hand. „Justin, hey. The water? Well, pumps don‘t work, sewer system is not working and that means it is filling up and water rises. We are lucky we are above sea level, 34 meters approximately, but Berlin is in a ... what is the English word for Senke?“ He looked at Julia and Karl. „Sink? Low level terrain? Valley? Anyway, The whole city is gonna drown. A few years from now the only place to live will be two or three levels above ground. Which is why your question is a good one. Yes, we considered this a perfect place to stay, heavily secured by meters of concrete to seal it of negative effects natures sudden aggression might have. Turns out it seems to be a temporary fix. Anyway, welcome. Wanna have some wine? Last time we found a stray dog we opened a bottle.“ He smiled after Yohvan and then turned his head back to Aya. She liked questions, well he liked answers.

Tag: @SirakRomar, @Kurisan, @Darth_Elu, @RachelTyrell

 

Aya
Berlin Eastern Train Station

Aya nodded at the explanation of the water. Of course, Berlin was struggling with the rising water table even before the… the thing had happened. That was why Duncan had brought her here! The environment action protest was timed to disrupt an international forum on that.

Justin offered her red wine. Aya hesitated, but only for a moment. Like most Japanese, she had no tolerance for alcohol and Duncan had used that fact to embarrass her many times.

But she had drunk only filtered water and nettle tea for what seemed like an eternity. And while these cool people were very understated, to Aya the greatest event in her life had just occurred – she had met fellow survivors!

Forget the bodies, the rats, the rising water for a moment. This had to be celebrated.

She smiled at him. “I would love a drink!”


TAG: @RachelTyrell @Sir_Draco @Darth_Elu @SirakRomar