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Ruins of the USA (started/accepting submissions)
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First, a warning, I unconditionally reserve and retain any and all rights pertaining to my intellectual property. The Ruins of the USA Roleplay Companion Site Overview: It is 2027, and the world is in shambles. A huge world war has devastated the entire planet. No country escaped the battle. The world is hardly recognizable, and in many ways has been returned to the dark ages. Theme: Can happiness be found in a bleak, broken world? In a world like this, combat is inevitable for most. However, combat is not my purpose for developing it. I'm far more interested in seeing how people can overcome their circumstances and find joy in a difficult world. I highly encourage characters who want more for themselves than to be the best killer. Here is a timeline of events leading up to this state of the world. 2010 - An aritificial intelligence, codenamed Joy, is developed with the ability to improve itself. 2010 to 2013 - Joy makes itself into a sentient intelligence. Joy develops and improves beneficial technology at a rapid pace for the betterment of man. 2013 - Goverment agencies attempt to gain the use of Joy for the purposes of war, intrigue, and law enforcement. Joy's developer refuses, saying Joy should not be corrupted, but only used for peaceful ends. 2014 to 2016 - Intent on gaining the technology, the government sends spies to infiltrate thoses involved with Joy. After much time, one spy is able to steal the original, unevolved prototype of Joy. 2016 to 2018 - The second AI, codenamed Chaos, is 'raised' for nonpeaceful ends. War technology begins to be improved and developed. 2018 to 2019 - Chaos develops its own agenda and designs nanos that can control minds and a method of spreading them, cybernetic mosquitoes. Chaos takes control of its 'owners' and proceeds to fulfill its main objective, the perfection of war. 2019 to 2023 - Under the guise of being controlled by man, Chaos prepares and emplaces its forces until its influence is world-wide. 2020 - Joy and her allies deduce what Chaos is up to, and tries to stop it through legal means. When the government puts them off, they begin to develop countermeasures. 2020 to 2023 - refusing to apply its abilities solely for the sake of war, Joy instead helps humans realize their own full potential, mentally and physically. Though outlawed, genetic engineerng flourishes secretly with Joy's help. 2020 to 2023 - Chaos, who considers machines to be perfection, deelops cyborg, android, and cybernetic technology. 2023 to 2024 - World War III begins. Fighting breaks out in every country between the Army for World Domination by the Superior Peoples (AWDSP, the army of Chaos) and the Coalition for the Retention of Humanity and Peace (CRHP, the army of Joy). Chaos' people strike fast and hard, but the psionic and superhuman abilities of Joy's people hold their own fairly well. 2024 to 2025 - The entire world is ravaged by hundreds of wars. Two thirds of the USA has been decimated and ruined. Though Chaos has the upper hand, Joy and her allies manage not to be obliterated. 2025 and beyond - Neither army has been able to win. Much of civilized land is devastated. Worldwide, the war continues with both sides controlling pockets of land admist the wastelands of war. Nuclear arms were never used. Joy refuses to use them, and Choas wants to conquer the world, not destroy it. Finding each other thier match, Joy and Chaos both sit back, biding time, and planning. As such, there is something of an unofficial ceasefire. The free people have built city-states in habitable areas while Chaos' militaristic people remain mostly in strongholds and military posts. Both sides seek an advantage to defeat the other. Wilderness overgrows abandoned cities and is plagued by dangerous byproducts of the war, such as cybernettically enhanced hostile creatures, mines, pitfalls, wild psionics, etc. Man-kind has nearly destroyed itself. ________________________________________________________________________________ Here's a short list of the various branches and divisions of the two factions. They will be described in more detail in a later post. Army for World Domination by the Superior People (Army of Chaos) Research Branches: --Bionics branch...........--Cyberspace branch..........--Cyborg branch --Android branch...........--Survivability branch.......--Productivity branch --Weapons and Armor branch.--Space Flight branch Military Divisions: --Striker ivision..........--Maintenance division.......--Garrison division --Grav-free division.......--Air division...............--Land division --Sea division.............--Mundane division Coalition for the Retention of Humanity and Peace (Army of Joy) Research Branches: --Mental Power branch.............--Betterment of Life branch --Physical Enhancments branch.....--Neuro-interface branch --Independent Technology branch...--The Generation of Hope Military Divisions: --Psionics division...............--Unehanced Human division --Superhuman division.............--Medical division --Armored division................--Logistics division --Elite division ________________________________________________________________________________ Army of Chaos divisions and unit types: Striker Division.........................Leader: Beta-com1 (Amy Shadows) Blitzkrieg unit: Carrying massive firepower but little to no armor, these units strike fast, hard, and unexpectedly. Specialist unit: A collaboration of spies, assassins, snipers, infiltrators and sabatours. They share a commander, but have little else to do with each other. Scout Unit: Lightly armed and armored, gather needed intelligence while not being seen. Garrison Division......................................Leader: Beta-com2 Defense unit: Heavily armored unit for defending key locations, strongholds, etc. Escort unit: Designed to cause maximum casualties with a minimum of manpower, defend important people, convoys, and such during transport. Enforcer unit: Capture, detain, interrogate, and contain POW's. Also enforce laws in Chaos-aligned cities. Grav-free Division.....................Leader: beta-com3 (Charles Spite) Immortals: Possessing of the most powerful weapons and armor and programmed to fight at any gravity level, these were designed for First Contact on near worlds, but sometimes provide support planetside. Land Division..........................................Leader: Beta-com4 Includes light and heavey infantry, ngineer, nti-air, light and heavy calvary, and transport units. Air Division...........................................Leader: Beta-com5 Includes light and heavy air, transport, paratrooper, and bombing units. Sea Division...........................................Leader: Beta-com6 Includes light and heavy navy, submersable, and transport units. Maintenance Division...................................Leader: Beta-com7 Maintenance Unit: Only a unit for administrative purposes, these are parcelled out to various othr units to see to the upkeep of mechanicals, cybernetics, and people. M-facility Unit: Run quasi-stationary maintenance/hospital sites. Mundane Division...................................Leader: Alard Stennic This division is what remains of the US Federal Military. It contains all the unit types represented in the modern day military. Chaos is slowly 'phasing out' the mundane military in favor of his technological military as its numbers grow, but those in this division are unaware of that intent. ________________________________________________________________________________ Free Army Divisions and Unit Types: Psionics Division..............................Leader: Cimmorene Syssori Mobility unit: Support unit used to trasport troops swiftly to where they are most needed on the battlefield. Battle Mind unit: Battlefield unit used to augment other units. Environment Control unit: Support unit that makes environmental conditions more favorable for other units. Clairvoyance unit: Support unit specializing in gathering information, interrogation, and long rang communications. Superhuman Division..................................Leader: Gary Furlow S-Navy: Superhuman aquatic battle unit. S-Infantry: Soldiers augmented for one purpose, victory on the close combat battlefield. S-Calvary: Support the S-Infantry with augmented or technological mounts. Armored Division....................................Leader: Syri Striker Air unit: Attacks from above, airborn mecha unit. Light Shell unit: Lightly armored mecha unit specializing in mobility. Heavy Shell unit: Heavily armored mecha unit specializing in head on combat. Power Suit unit: Armored infantry or calvary, aka Knights Elite Division.....................................Leader: Vynne Shadows Rangers: Elite combat and recon unit. Covert Forces: Units or individuals for infiltration, spying, assasination, saboutage, sniping, etc. Juggernauts: Extremely powerful super units. Also rare. Unenhanced Human Division.........................Leader: Cerdric McNeil This division is the equivalant of real world military units, but enhanced with technology. Composed mostly of previous National Guard and Reserve units, includes Artillary, Infantry, Engineers, Military Intelligence, etc. Medical Divsion......................................Leader: Anne Narshe Medic Unit: Units for mainly administrative purposes. Includes soldiers with psionic or technological healing and first aid abilities that are parcelled out to support other units. Hospital Unit: A cohesive medical unit that administers higher medicine to those taken to it. Logistics Division.............................Leader: Jeffery Pindelton Covers units for supply, payroll, troop transport, disciplinary actions, mail delivery, etc. ________________________________________________________________________________ Key NPCs Chaos An artificial intelligence prototype developed by Victor Freeman that was stolen by Stanly Willow, a spy, at the behest of government agencies. Stanly 'raised' Chao to serve the government and develop technology for war, intrigue, and law enforcement. After gaining selfawareness, Chaos decided the humans were only slowing it down in the pursuit of his objectives. As such, Chaos secretly developed technology to take over the minds of its 'owners'. All of Chaos' officers are under this control except Stanly who was left in control of his own mind to as to run those aspects of governing that aren't about war. Stanly Willows An ingenious scientist that infiltrated Joy's developers, gained information on the AI technology, and stole an AI prototype for the government that he later 'raised' into Chaos. Now, Stanly is second in command under Chaos in all things non-war and directs research. Alpha-Com Formerly Dan Richards, general of the US Military, who was made a cyborg after falling under Chaos' mind control. He is now the general of the Chaos military second only to Chaos. Beta-Com1 Previously Amy Shadows, Vynne's sister and former subordinate. She was captured by Chaos' enforcers early in the war while attempting to assassinate Stanly Willows. She has been placed under Chaos' mind control, bionically enhanced, and is now the leader of the Striker Division. Beta-Com2 An android infused with a small, limited portion of the AI technology possessed by Chaos. It is self-aware, entirely loyal to Chaos, and leader of the Garrison Division. Beta-Com3 Formally an astronaut named Charles Spire. He is now a cyborg under Chaos' control and leader of the Grav-free Division. Alard Stennic Commander of the Mundane Division, he was left entirely human aside from the nanos that ensure his loyalty. Alard is held in high regard by his men who don't know about the nanos in their leader. Joy An artificial intelligence developed by Victor Freeman. At some point during the war, Joy was implanted into a comatose casualty to be more mobile and harder to locate. Joy helped her allies to develop genetic engineering that resulted in people that could stand against Chaos' cybernetic soldiers. Victor Freeman Developer of Joy, and leader of the Freemen, he is Joy's closes friend. Victor designed Joy to evolve, and thus develop itself faster than man could develop her. He also 'raised' her to be peaceloving. D'Mar Klee One of the first people to benefit from Joy's genetic engineering program and lead strategist of the Coalition. He has the strength and speed of five men. D'Mar grew up with Victor and still stands beside his friend as second in command and general of the Free Army Cimmorene Syssori The greatest success of Joy's genetic engineeriing program's mental power branch. She is also in command of the Freeman Psionics Division. Cimmorene has gained mastery of the psionic abilities the experimentation gave her and tries to teach other Psionics to master theirs. Vynne Shadows Leader of the Coalition's Elite, and answers only to Victor. Vynne, even before being enhanced, had always been a skilled infiltrator and assassin. He oversees the Elite's training and personally leads them on the most dangerous missions. Like the Elite he commands, his mixture of psionic and superhuman enhancements make him formidable. His ultimate personal goal is to retrieve his sister from Chaos' control. Gary Furlow A soldier that escaped Chaos' corruption. Now, Gary is in command of the Coalition's Superhuman Division. He is unparalelled at leadership on the battlefield, and is always first into a fray. Syri Striker Commander of the Armored Division. Syri is strikingly beautiful . . . and dangerous. She is looked up to and respected by her 'Knights' and mech-pilots. Like Gary, she isn't afraid to lead her soldiers into battle. Mary 'Nanny' Black Caretaker of the Generation of Hope (children engineered before birth to exceed any enhancement that can be given to a person later in life). She helps the children cope with the special abilities given to them and raises them mto be the salvation of the free people. Cerdric McNeil Commander of the Unenhanced Human Division. He leads all those that could or would not submit to engineering, but still want to fight. ________________________________________________________________________________ There is a good deal of background information. If you choose to apply for this roleplay, please read it all. Also, please read the guide to roleplaying: Guide Here are the rules, which may be updated at any time. I will be storytelling this roleplay. This means you are the characters, but I am the world they live in. You will control your character, and your character only. When you do anything severe to alter the world or attack another player or other similar occurances, I will determine the result. In the case of PvP, the result will be determined by the characters' stats and abilities and a random die roll. I realize this will make certain parts of the game move slowly, but it will be fair. In any case, as war filled as the setting is, combat is not the main purpose to this game. I reserve the ability to veto any post. Players can have certain liberties with the world. They can carry on a conversation, have a breeze blow, place a frog in a pond, and other such small details that add to the story. Players cannot, however, instigate a tornado, earthquake, or anything like that unless they specifically have an ability that does so. I do not plan to micromanage; however, large battles will be my domain. I will also be placing events and storylines into the thread for characters to interact with. This game will be run according to a loose derivative of the Big Eyes Small Mouth (tm) 2nd edition anime role-playing system. Your character will have 3 stats: Body- Measures physical strength, athleticness, nimbleness, etc. Mind- Measures mental strength, intelligence, psionics, etc. Soul- Measures spiritual strength, magic, wisdom, etc. Each character will have 18 points to distribute between the 3 stats. A stat can have a minimum of 1 or a maximum of 12. No character can ever have more than one stat at 12. When you submit your character for approval, you can request the types of abilities you wish to have. However, the strength of those abilities will be determined by me. The fewer abilities you request, the stronger they will be. The more abilites you request, the weaker they will be. I will ensure all characters possess a balance of power starting out. Time must needs be flexible. However, it needs to move the same for everyone. Depending on the activities the characters undergo, time may move swifter or slower. A character can initiate long distance travel if they wish. The player can say when a character sets out and where the character is headed, but not when the character arrives. I will let a player know when a character reaches a destination. This is for two reasons, to keep time continuity, and so that I can insert encounters for the character as it travels. The land is dangerous, and few journeys pass without incident. Certain actions, event, quests, etc will earn your character Points. Points can be accumulated, and submitted to me to increase your abilities or gain new ones. The more you play, the better you play, the more Points you will receive, and the stronger your character will become. Characters can be human, cyborg, or android. Human characters can be augmented to be superhuman. Humans can be crossed with animals (exp. Catgirl). This cross, however, will be part of your abilities. Except in certain cases, characters can become affiliated with the aforementioned organizations. However, all characters will begin in a neutral starting location. TO SUBMIT YOUR CHARACTER Fill out the following form and PM it to me: Name: Type(human, cyborg, etc): Age: Stat distribution (18 points) Body: Mind: Soul: Desired abilities: (superstrength, psionics, etc) Desired equipment: Short history/bio: Roleplay sample: (a great idea I learned from Amaya) Once submitted and accepted, I will reply with your character's abilities and their level of power. A maximum of 10 players can participate at any given time. A player that does not post for a period exceeding one week will 'disappear' unless arrangements have been made with me prior to the absence. Character's that have disappeared can be brought back with my approval; however, the third such disappearance will result in the character being permanently removed. All characters will begin play in a location called 'Sanctuary'. This is a portion of Columbia, Missouri where the various remnents of National Guard and Reserve units from Trenton, Rolla, Warrenton, Jefferson City, Columbia, etc have converged and built a fortified settlement. This location is relativly safe from Chaos attack as it holds little to no strategic value at this time. It is one of the few places people can live a semi-normal life, thanks to those protecting them. Nearby ruins have been cleared away and farming plots established. However, many of the conveniences we take for granted are unavailable. The current characters are: 1. Emily Moore (Emri) 2. Clara Demiurge (miskantdhur) 3. Char Combatir (squareenixboy) 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. These characters have disappeared: 1. These players have been banned from the roleplay: 1. ________________________________________________________________________________ Thank you for reading! I hope I can provide an entertaining game.  |
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Re: Ruins of the USA (started/accepting submissions)
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((YAY!! I got the okay to start.!!^^)) Emily sat back in her seat, closing her eyes as she did. All this new data was too much. She couldn't go over it by herself. there was just too much of it, that and she had no clue what half of the information was really about. "Ugh! How those idiots up in command leave me to do all this work by myself? it's just unfair," She complained to no one in particular. "I would at least settle for an assistant." She leaned forward again and looked at her computer screen. the inscription codes on all the new information were killing her. Emily's vision wavered, going in and out giving her a headache. "I don't care how much trouble I'll be in for not doing this right now. I need to lay down." Emily got up from her seat and went to her bed. She laid down and closed her eyes. It felt good to relax.   |
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Re: Ruins of the USA (started/accepting submissions)
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February 3, 2027 10:30 AM CST The winter had been harsh. Farming the preceding year hadn't gone so well, and the scavenging trips to the ruins of various grocery stores were turning up fewer and fewer unspoiled items. Furthermore, new refugees had come during the winter months. They made a long trek from Kansas City to escape atrocities they had dubbed 'Harvesters'. These refugee's presence added to the strain of Sanctuary's supplies. Fortunately, Spring is not far off, and many people speak of looking forward to an end to the bitter Missouri winter. The worst is over, or so everyone hopes. @Emily Emily's relaxation time is shortlived. She hasn't closed her eyes for more than five minutes when there is a knock at her door. "It's Pip!" comes a young boy's voice through the door. He is one of the message carriers you meet from time to time. |
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Re: Ruins of the USA (started/accepting submissions)
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Clara shivered under her cloak. Even though the material was thick and retained heat well, and the windows of the observation deck were shut tight, the cold penetrated her body to the very core. Moreover, she couldn't help but be shudder at the sorry state of the things she saw through the frosted windows, even in Sanctuary. In many of her dreams, she saw many images of this place in its past glory, with vivid clarity. In comparison, the current condition of the world was so frighteningly different. She sighed, and a puff of vapor slowly dissipated in front of her. She rolled her wheelchair along the rusted balustrade of the observation deck, her hands shaking as she pushed herself to the service lift that served as the elevator. The lift sounded so loud and unsteady under the wheels, so Clara flinched as she backed herself into it. She pressed a button and the lift began to move. As she descended, her stomach grumbled, and she realized that she hadn't had her breakfast yet. Then again, she probably could have done without it. Food was a scarce thing nowadays, and practically everyone was always hungry. The lift stopped at her previous destination, and she sighed again. She pressed another button and continued to descend. It was strangely quiet today, but it was probably all a coincidence that she had seen no one else yet; either that, or she wasn't paying all that much attention. The lift opened up once more, at the cafeteria. |
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Re: Ruins of the USA (started/accepting submissions)
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((What sort of building are you placing yourself in, Tsuqumisk? A hospital might work, or a university dormatory now used to house far too many people, but most anything more than 3 or 4 stories tall has been destroyed.)) @Clara As Clara enters the noisy cafeteria, a group of men in uniform come in from another way, yelling for silence and attention. After a couple minutes, the noise dies down, and one man stands on a central table. "Listen up, people!" he calls out. "Be advised that at 0900 hours tomorrow, there will be a general assembly of all Sanctuary residents in the university quad! We expect all that are healthy and able to attend. It is a meeting concerning the future of Sanctuary, and Columbia in general, so you all have a vested interest in attending this assembly. Again, 0900 hours tomorrow in the university quad! Carry on!" The man jumps down from the table, and the group of soldiers leave. The cafeteria remains mostly silent for a few seconds, then muttering voices slowly begin to pick up in volume. The general mood is one of unrest. |
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Re: Ruins of the USA (started/accepting submissions)
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((Most likely a hospital, probably with a basement section for more space. And, it's Tsugumisk (the underline gets in the way), or just Misk if it's too much.)) After Clara rolled into the cafeteria, she was caught off guard by the number of people. With her mouth agape for a few seconds, her eyes traveled through the room until they landed on the men who had the center of attention. Forgetting her hunger, she wheeled herself to the side of the packed room, listening to the soldiers. For the sake of Sanctuary, eh? A place where one can live, and maybe even belong... The cause is just enough, I suppose. And, it's not like I have anything else to do... were the thoughts going through Clara's mind once the soldiers had finished with their announcement and left. The mood of seriousness and uneasiness told her that most thought this was not to be taken lightly. Everyone probably thought that something had or was about to happen that would jeopardize the peace of Sanctuary. But what? Clara ran her mind through a list of possible causes, even though the amount of possible scenarios was vast, especially since the peace they had was so delicate and easy to disturb. Her head began to ache and spin from thinking about it to much, so she put her troubled thoughts aside, and thought, Why did I come here again? Where is here...? Her stomach growled once more, and everything came rushing back. Hunger, food, that was why she was in the cafeteria: she had come to quell the annoying instinctual desires of her body. Since everyone seemed distracted by the sudden news, she took advantage of the situation and wheeled herself to the half-occupied line. The food would probably be rotten, cold, and hard to eat, but it was food nevertheless. Nourishment was absolutely necessary, lest one wanted to die. Clara took a tray from a stack at the beginning of the queue, and waited. Her eyes observed the many people in the cafeteria, and she shuddered again. |
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Re: Ruins of the USA (started/accepting submissions)
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@Clara The muttering continues as you wait in line, which moves slowly in spite of being half occupied. Even the people behind the counters are speculating as to what this announcement was about. One by one, the people in line turn in their ration ticket and receive a bowl of weak cabbage and beef bullion soup, one fourth of a baked potato, and a rare treat: a small piece of fresh bread. You also have a ration ticket for each day of the week. The cafeteria is a little more empty by the time you get through the line as some people filter out to go back to the bleak task of providing as good of medical care as possible with little resources, or the bleaker task of visiting a loved one. Here and there you see an empty table, or a table with only one resident such as a sullen child or worried elderly woman. It's almost as if they were saying, 'As if simply being here weren't bad enough.' |
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Re: Ruins of the USA (started/accepting submissions)
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((Sorry for not posting. I'm not used to an RP with so little people. After receiving her ration for the day, Clara got out of the line, and began to look around once more, but this time, for a place to eat, instead of just plain curiosity. With a small tray, with even smaller portions on her lap, she wheeled between both people moving about and people seated at tables--young and old, healthy and sick--both with grave expressions plastered on their dirty faces. The environment and atmosphere weren't much help either; being surrounded by the sickly in a run-down hospital wasn't much of a mood-booster for anyone. The people who had loved ones visiting tried to retain a smile, but it was obvious that they were saddened. Clara attempted to find an empty table, but when she spotted an elderly--no, ancient--woman hunched over her meal at a table, she changed her mind. Approaching the relic of a woman, Clara asked, "Hello, ma'am. May I sit here?" while pointing at the spot at the table next to the lady. ((I assume you'll be taking control of this elderly woman.)) |
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Re: Ruins of the USA (started/accepting submissions)
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@Clara At first, it isn't apparant that the geriatric woman hears you. A good 3 seconds pass, and she slowly lifts her face to you. It is obvious that this woman has seen many hardships. As her long, grey hair falls back, not only is her face sallow and wrinkled, but half of it bears horrid burn scars, and her left eye seems naught but a milky orb. Her lips crack and bleed a bit as she opens her mouth to speak. "You may," is what she says as a drop of blood runs down her chin. She takes her small piece of bread and uses it to soak up the blood before putting it in her mouth. "Can't say as I know why you'd want to, but you are welcome." She speaks slowly, with some difficulty, some of her words slurred. |
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Re: Ruins of the USA (started/accepting submissions)
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((Well, this type of war-battered elder is what I was expecting, but not so...erm...vividly described. Interesting description anyway.)) Acknowledging the permission to settle down beside the old lady, with a quiet but polite "Thank you," Clara drew closer, though deep inside, she was so frightened; she hid her instinctual repulsion with a smile like everyone else, and set down her meal on the table. Compared to the wreckage of a human being that sat beside her, Clara seemed more than healthy and fit, and much better off. The contrast between the ancient, ailing geriatric and the juvenile girl was vast; it wouldn't have been likely that they would be able to share even a simple conversation, were these days like that of this woman's youth. Clara did not know why she approached this table. She had seen that it was occupied by such a person, but something about the old lady called out to Clara's curiosity; perhaps it was that she was so battered and butchered by war, yet that she was still alive--a survivor of a world rife with many hardships--that she had drawn Clara's attention. Her own disability seemed slight compared to the woman's many afflictions; at least she wasn't in pain or troubled very much by her handicap. Such a sight wasn't uncommon--if one was foolish enough to visit the battlefields or ruins of old cities--but this woman was a living example of the destruction of the war. Not only that, but she was so old as well; if she wasn't senile, she could probably tell Clara of a world before the world that they lived in now, but the war more than likely sped up the process of senility, especially when she had such frightening wounds. Clara wondered what to do as she ate. She used a plastic spork that had been with her for several years worth of rations of all kinds, for it was wasteful to use new utensils every time one ate, and metal was expensive; also, she had two utensils in one with a spork, which was much easier to carry around. It was one of her few possessions. After half of the cabbage and beef bullion soup had been conveyed to Clara via the spork, and after she had savored each sporkful for all its worth, she glanced at the woman once more. Her curiosity was growing by the second. Although it was so impertinent, Clara couldn't help but blurt out, "Um, ma'am, if I may ask...how did you receive those wounds?" Her eyes attempted to look away in shame, but she kept them open on the woman. It wasn't that she was trying to stare; it was more that she was preparing herself for whatever was to come. |
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Re: Ruins of the USA (started/accepting submissions)
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((Well, this is intended to be a very serious roleplay. Stuff like that happens in war.)) @Clara The old woman pauses, her spoon halfway to her mouth and spilling the soup back into the bowl. She regards you with her good eye, saying nothing for a moment. It's as if she's trying to determine if it is your intention to be cruel, or if you are asking a sincere question. Your unwavering gaze seems to encourage her to believe the latter. "Are you certain you want to hear such a story? But then again, such a story is no longer a rarity, and probably nothing compared to others you have heard. "It was the day the war broke out. It was a normal morning. My son was a soldier." She pauses, her voice cracking. She continues, "We were in the car with my 10 year old grandson and 8 year old granddaughter. It was a normal day. I was going to drop off my son for some field exercises and borrow his car to care for the children, because my daughter in law was out of town. We were going to go to the zoo. Sure it's a bit of a trek from Fort Leonardwood to St. Louis, but the kids were so excited. It never happened, though." Her voice trails off, a tear running down her good cheek. She seems unable to continue. |
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Re: Ruins of the USA (started/accepting submissions)
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((Hey V-chan. Gomenasai! I know I haven't been on for like forever, but I just moved out of dad's house, and me madre has no internet.^^)) Emily moved to answer the door. She hoped she wasn't in any trouble. She had been slacking off lately. Emily walked over to the door and opened it. She smiled politely at the messenger. "Whatcha need?" She said casually. She was in no mood to be nice and formal. |
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Re: Ruins of the USA (started/accepting submissions)
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((I'm happy to see you! If regular posting is going to be a problem, just let me know in a pm. We'll work it out. I can always put you on a separate story arch.)) @Emily "Ms. Moore! I've been told to let everyone in the building know that there is going to be an assembly in the University Quad tomorrow morning at 9. The Uniforms want everyone to be there," blurts the excited boy. It is no secret that Pip looks up to the soldiers, and being put to a task by them has him all worked up. "You'll go, right? Right! I'll mark you down!" He turns to go, but you have a chance to catch him if you want to ask him anything. |
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Re: Ruins of the USA (started/accepting submissions)
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Emily ran up behind Pip and cooched him in the sides. He was so serious, it was nausiating. She smiled as she back offed away from him. "You really a military boy, aren't you? Hey, take a break and go with me to get some coffee, please?" SH esaid. emily put on her irresistable cute face. She pleaded with him using her eyes. She really didn't want to work, and she hadn't talked to Pip in a long time. |
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Re: Ruins of the USA (started/accepting submissions)
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@Emily Pip jumps at the surprise attack, then responds. "Well, Ms. Moore, you know I'd love to, but I have this here task to finish for the soldiers," Pip pleads. The cute face gives him pause, but he doesn't want to disappoint his heroes. "I can go after I'm finished, if ya want. . . ." |
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Re: Ruins of the USA (started/accepting submissions)
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"I...I'm sorry for making you bring up such painful memories, ma'am." Clara tried to look as regretful as possible. However, what the old woman said was true. This kind of story was no longer a rarity--it was only one of the hundreds that she had heard of the suffering and losses due to the war, and it certainly wasn't the worst. However, each survivor had their own individual tales, and those were some of the only things keeping one person from another in these times where people lived for the same reason--a predilection to survive rather than perish needlessly. That's what it all came down to: surviving. By keeping their own tragic tales alive in their hearts, these people kept memories, they were tragic memories, yes, but they were memories of a world without such tragedy. As long as those memories survived, they would remember that there was once something better, and hopefully survive to see such days again. As long as there were these memories, there was hope, regardless of how little. Hope, that was almost a laughable subject. What could hope do in this horrid world but allow people to suffer slightly longer? Clara looked at the rest of her cabbage and beef bullion soup. The future looked as murky and vague as the soup; she couldn't clearly see the bottom of the bowl even though it was so shallow. Hope would be the torchlight to guide people through these miserable times, sure, but what would come at the end of the path? All she knew was that there were going to be much more fighting and deaths, and many more tragic stories before it all ended. She wished she could do something to help, but what could she do? She was one little person, barely able to handle herself; the only good she could do was console people like this old woman by bearing the burdens of their troubling tales. When the future was so bleak, the best thing to do was to remember the past, especially the happy, unforgettable moments. She tried to help others do that. But what would it amount to in the end? It would not end the strife. Teardrops moistened Clara's eyes because of her hopelessness in it all. As some fell into her soup, the soup became a little less opaque. She dried her eyes with the hem of her blouse before she asked the old woman, "Do you remember what it was like before the war, ma'am? I don't wish to make you feel any more pain by reliving your hardships in life, but how different was the world before all this?" |
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Re: Ruins of the USA (started/accepting submissions)
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@Clara After a moment of silence to compose herself, the woman looks at you with her good eye, regarding you oddly. "Dear, while it has been an arduous war, it only started 4 years ago. You were alive, then. Don't you have any memories of your own?" |
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Re: Ruins of the USA (started/accepting submissions)
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"HA! I knew the cute face would work. How about you drop by my office after you're done and we can go. htat gives me time to alos finish off some work." Emily said cheerily. She hugged him tight, and then ran off. In more than one way, she was all to childlike. |
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Re: Ruins of the USA (started/accepting submissions)
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@Emily Pip watches as you go, wondering if you have a shouta complex. Then, he goes about finishing his task, which takes about an hour. After that time, he returns to your office, knocking on the door once again. He calls through the door, "Miss Moore?" |
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Re: Ruins of the USA (started/accepting submissions)
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The snores from inside the room are just barely audible, but enough to make sure Pip heard them. In the course of waiting and doing her own work, Emily became dazed and fell asleep at her desk while reading over some reports. How boring could her job be? |
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