<span style="font-style: italic">[[OOC- Iâ€™m going start including observations in each post. Every character will have their own observations, and will be able interact with these to a certain extent. Also note that you donâ€™t always have to follow the observations I lay out for your characters, you can choose to look for your own interest points in your characterâ€™s surroundings, or not look for anything at all. I must warn you though, some actions will have unforeseen consequences, so itâ€™s up to you to think about what works best in each situation.]]</span><br/><br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-style: italic"><span style="text-decoration: underline"><span style="font-size: 150%; line-height: 116%;">Silver - Kenos â€“ Karin</span></span></span></span><br/><br/><div style="margin:20px; margin-top:5px"><div class="quotetitle"><input class="button2 btnlite" onclick="if (this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display != '') { this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = '';      this.innerText = ''; this.value = 'Hide'; } else { this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = 'none'; this.innerText = ''; this.value = 'Show'; }" style="text-align:center;width:100px;margin:0px;padding:0px;" type="button" value="Show"/></div><div class="quotecontent"><div style="display: none;">As I grasped Kenâ€™s shoulderâ€™s with what strength I could muster, I recalled our first meeting. Before, he had been so rigid, focused, with a face of stone. Nowâ€¦ well, he was still rigid and focusedâ€¦ part of his nature, but I could feel the softness underneath: Instead of a stone, he had become more of a hermit crab, emotionally reclusive, but the emotions were there. The unspoken bond we now shared was slowly overpowering his cold, desensitized shell. Even if I didnâ€™t have much time left, I wanted to hang onto that connection until the very endâ€¦ As I hazed in and out of consciousness, my mind began to wander to times Iâ€™d almost long forgottenâ€¦<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic"> Vannielâ€¦ Ueriâ€¦ has our bondâ€¦ been broken? </span><br/><br/>A single stream of regret descended from my cheek, striking Kenosâ€™ neck softly, before my arms went limp and my vision faded to black. My final thoughts echoed into that dark abyss, as my mind slipped into a coma.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic"> Guess Iâ€™m notâ€¦ as strong as youâ€¦ after allâ€¦</span><br/>------------------------------------------------<br/>Toby finished speaking to the crowd and rejoined Karin, pulling her close into a tight hug and running his fingers through her hair. Once they parted, he watched her closely for a moment, wondering how well she was handling the situation. Outside she seemed strong, but her eyes betrayed her confusion. Even though Toby knew he was little better off than she was, he had to try and keep them going, their lives depended on it...  His gazed flicked to the strange white haired young man and the woman he now carried. Appearances aside, they were an odd pair, but that wasn't what bothered him. They obviously had some sort of combat experience, but the man seemed.... off, almost robotic, and <span style="font-style: italic">very</span> vaguely human.<br/> He wasn't sure why, but the woman, Silver, baffled Toby even more. Everything about her seemed so foreign. Her emerald green eyes and her unusual silver hair color, to her almost casual interaction and mannerisms when trying to communicate with Karin., Speaking of communication... why hadn't she said anything? If the danger was so great, wouldn't she feel the need to tell everyone as soon as possible? <br/><br/>Toby shook his head, frowning, <br/><span style="font-style: italic">There must be a reason for it, but now isn't the time to dwell.</span> <br/>He took a secure hold of Karin's hands in his own.<br/>Still... I want to know why they are here, and what they know about that tree... <br/><br/>"Karin... love." He spoke quietly, "I think it would be a safe bet to stick close to that man and woman... he obviously knows her, and seems equipped and ready for just about anything... What do you think?"</div></div></div><br/><br/><span style="font-size: 150%; line-height: 116%;"><span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-style: italic"><span style="text-decoration: underline">Observations</span></span></span></span><br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-style: italic"><span style="text-decoration: underline">Karin</span></span></span><br/><div style="margin:20px; margin-top:5px"><div class="quotetitle"><input class="button2 btnlite" onclick="if (this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display != '') { this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = '';      this.innerText = ''; this.value = 'Hide'; } else { this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = 'none'; this.innerText = ''; this.value = 'Show'; }" style="text-align:center;width:100px;margin:0px;padding:0px;" type="button" value="Show"/></div><div class="quotecontent"><div style="display: none;">1.) As Toby addresses the other survivors, you notice Silver pass out on Kenosâ€™ back, her hands falling to her sides. The wound on her arm seems darker than just moments before, and her lips begin moving without sound. <br/>2.) Something long and metallic, that you didnâ€™t notice before due to the attention to her injury, falls from one of Silverâ€™s limp hands and clatters against the cement. <br/>3.) The world seems to grow even quieter than before, if such a thing is possible, and the air becomes chill as the afternoon begins to wane into the early evening. Suddenly screams erupt across the square, shattering the silence, but these yells do not have the same volume as the previous ones, and are not in unison.<br/>4.) Behind you there is a cough and a shuffle of movement, followed by the voice of a young teenage boy. â€œWh-where am I? Whatâ€™s goingâ€¦â€ The voice quickly grows panicked.</div></div></div><br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-style: italic"><span style="text-decoration: underline">Kenos</span></span></span><br/><div style="margin:20px; margin-top:5px"><div class="quotetitle"><input class="button2 btnlite" onclick="if (this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display != '') { this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = '';      this.innerText = ''; this.value = 'Hide'; } else { this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = 'none'; this.innerText = ''; this.value = 'Show'; }" style="text-align:center;width:100px;margin:0px;padding:0px;" type="button" value="Show"/></div><div class="quotecontent"><div style="display: none;">1.)You notice movement in the distance at the base of the giant silver tree. At a glance you can only make out faint flashes of brown and beige against the gray cement, moving in all directions from the center of the square. The speed of the movement is incredibly fast.<br/>2.)You notice Silver lose her grip around your body, her hands collapsing to her sides, and a cool wet feeling on your neck. Her body becomes harder to support effectively with one arm without her holding onto you.<br/>3.)You hear the human screams erupt across the square, it seems like chaos has erupted once more in the city. Itâ€™s enough to weaken the will of any normal human being.<br/>4.)There is a faint vibrating sound coming from Silverâ€™s wrist. You recognize it as the sound of a fully charged L-Guard humming with energy.</div></div></div><br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-style: italic"><span style="text-decoration: underline">Karin and Kenos </span></span></span><br/><div style="margin:20px; margin-top:5px"><div class="quotetitle"><input class="button2 btnlite" onclick="if (this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display != '') { this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = '';      this.innerText = ''; this.value = 'Hide'; } else { this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = 'none'; this.innerText = ''; this.value = 'Show'; }" style="text-align:center;width:100px;margin:0px;padding:0px;" type="button" value="Show"/></div><div class="quotecontent"><div style="display: none;">1.) Many of the survivors begin to form small groups, and others break off by themselves, after Toby addresses them.<br/>2.) After the screams, many of the civilians grow terrified, and start to run hysterically in the opposite direction.<br/>3. The park you are both in is mostly bare, with a few scattered and toppled trees here and there, but in the distance, on the side furthest away from the square, there is a series of small buildings. There is some twisted and torn metal and wood of a ruined playground set nearby, as well as a restroom.</div></div></div><br/><br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-style: italic"><span style="text-decoration: underline"><span style="font-size: 150%; line-height: 116%;">~???~</span></span></span></span><br/><div style="margin:20px; margin-top:5px"><div class="quotetitle"><input class="button2 btnlite" onclick="if (this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display != '') { this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = '';      this.innerText = ''; this.value = 'Hide'; } else { this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = 'none'; this.innerText = ''; this.value = 'Show'; }" style="text-align:center;width:100px;margin:0px;padding:0px;" type="button" value="Show"/></div><div class="quotecontent"><div style="display: none;">â€œCome, we must keep moving, the seal is going to begin its release at any momentâ€¦â€<br/><br/>I turned slightly, glancing backward at a petite crouched figure that sifted through the rubble of a nursery. <br/><br/>â€œJustâ€¦ a littleâ€¦ MORE!â€ Groaned the voice of a young girl, as the ownerâ€™s slender body rose to her feet victoriously. Above her head she held a strange object that appeared to be a miniature person made of cloth.<br/>While she observed it, the broken plate of stone beneath her bare feet shifted, knocking her off-balance. She cried out in alarm, but, just before she fell, I managed to turn and catch her and lift her briskly to her prior stance.<br/><br/>â€œUeri!â€ I mouthed gruffly, â€œWould you stop playing around? We have more urgent matters to deal with at the moment.â€<br/><br/>A sigh escaped her lips, as she clutched the strange cloth toy to her chest. â€œFine, letâ€™s goâ€¦â€<br/>I observed her expression quietly for a moment, then scoffed, returning my attention to the door that led into the next room. It was locked, and I was unsure how to open it, as it had some sort of unfamiliar mechanism attached to it.<br/><br/>â€œI swearâ€¦ this world and its locks, are there really that many important secrets here?â€<br/><br/>In frustration, I attempted to kick the door open, but it wouldnâ€™t budge. Another sigh erupted behind me.<br/><br/>â€œReallyâ€¦ you are hopeless Aehdaâ€¦â€<br/><br/>Reaching forward past me, she grasped a small lever that jutted from the mechanism, and turned it. After a short click, the door shifted open.<br/><br/>â€œHmph, and you call me uselessâ€¦â€<br/><br/>I moved a hand over my face, my ears burning from embarrassment.<br/><br/>â€œIf youâ€™re this intelligent,â€ I murmured, almost inaudibly, â€œwhy donâ€™t you act more your age?â€<br/><br/>As she passed,  she looked sideways at me, smiling mysteriously.<br/><br/>â€œBecause I know,â€ She stated plainly, â€œyou donâ€™t really care.â€<br/><br/>I frowned, but let the issue go as we moved into the next room. I scanned the left end of the room, where rested a collapsed wall and several pieces of badly damaged furniture. Without warning, Ueri came to a dead stop, nearly causing me to collide with her. She was staring ahead, not even paying attention.<br/><br/>â€œSeriously! Watch what youâ€¦â€ I paused, my gaze following hers and resting upon the distraction which preoccupied herâ€¦ <br/><br/>Near the right end of the room, sitting tensely in a chair, was a man clothed in a strange uniform, an odd white stick protruding from his mouth. The stick emitted a gray smoke that gave off a foul odor, but it did not concern me. Also in the room, though seemingly unconscious, or dead, was another man. His body was resting atop a table, and was missing an arm. <br/><br/>There was no doubt the smoking man had already seen them, so discretion was obviously out the window. I knew immediately we were about to have a big issue on our hands.<br/>â€œFantasticâ€¦â€ I growled under my breath.</div></div></div><br/><br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-style: italic"><span style="text-decoration: underline"><span style="font-size: 150%; line-height: 116%;">Observations</span></span></span></span><br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-style: italic"><span style="text-decoration: underline">Erik</span></span></span><br/><div style="margin:20px; margin-top:5px"><div class="quotetitle"><input class="button2 btnlite" onclick="if (this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display != '') { this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = '';      this.innerText = ''; this.value = 'Hide'; } else { this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = 'none'; this.innerText = ''; this.value = 'Show'; }" style="text-align:center;width:100px;margin:0px;padding:0px;" type="button" value="Show"/></div><div class="quotecontent"><div style="display: none;">1)	The room you enter is rather large, formerly a kitchen/dining room, though the kitchen area was mostly destroyed, save for a few intact appliances. The undamaged features are a refrigerator and a stove, along with a few remaining cabinets <br/>2)	The dining area features the table, atop which Aaron now rests, around six chairs total, an armoire and a china cabinet. There is a door centered at the far wall, and another at the wall to your left.<br/>3)	From outside you hear a series of terrified screams erupt from nearby buildings, they do not sound the same as the earlier screams, and seem to be coming from real people.<br/>4)	You also hear voices coming from the room past the opposite wall. Soon, the door swings open, and probably the strangest pair of people you have ever seen waltz into the room. One is a well-built man, roughly six feet tall, dressed in a business suit. The suit is worn improperly however, as the front buttons and cuffs are not secured, and the collar is raised. The man has bizarre black markings all over his face, and his black hair is pulled straight back over his head and is tied into a hairknot. His eyes are a lime green in color, and his skin has an unusual golden tint to it. The other person is a little girl, appearing to be as young as 12 years old, wearing a plain white dress and no shoes. She has an oddly ornate necklace around her neck that is rather large for her. Her face bears markings not unlike the manâ€™s, but the markings seem more refined and elegant, while the manâ€™s are sharp and intimidating. Her shoulder length hair is a deep and rich grey in color, and frames her young face wildly. Her baby blue eyes, despite her cheerful demeanor, seem mysterious and empty, and appear to look through right you.</div></div></div><br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-style: italic"><span style="text-decoration: underline">Andrea</span></span></span><br/><div style="margin:20px; margin-top:5px"><div class="quotetitle"><input class="button2 btnlite" onclick="if (this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display != '') { this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = '';      this.innerText = ''; this.value = 'Hide'; } else { this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = 'none'; this.innerText = ''; this.value = 'Show'; }" style="text-align:center;width:100px;margin:0px;padding:0px;" type="button" value="Show"/></div><div class="quotecontent"><div style="display: none;">1)	As you peruse the alleyway, you hear several screams nearby, which are quickly cut off. Around the corner there is a slight commotion, but it isnâ€™t the sound of collapsing building, but instead are subtle thudding and tearing noises. There also seems to be a strange wheezing sound, as a person might have if they are asthmatic and just ran a long distance.<br/>2)	Against the wall of the building Erik entered is a set of metal pipes and rods, probably used for construction purposes. They seem undamaged or rusted.<br/>3)	 There are several dumpsters to your right next to the wall of another building, one of which is empty. Another one seems to belong to a restaurant, and contains a large amount of wasted food and other consumables.<br/>4)	To the left, there is a ladder that leads up to the upper floors of the building Erik is in.<br/>5)	The rain begins to pour down even heavier, and you begin to see flashes of lightning illuminate the sky. The charcoal color of the rain stains your bloodied clothing gray<br/>6)	The woman named Sam walks past you. Her shoulders are slumped, and she seems to have lost any sense of her surroundings as she bumps into one of the dumpsters. She approaches the alleyway where the noises can be heard from. â€œJakeâ€¦? Jake is that you?â€ She calls out desperately, seemingly unaware that you are even there.</div></div></div>