Time to Get to Work?

[itsananimalthing]

[Riddick happens to be pretty damn good at psychic network projections. So when he sends this out, when the screaming starts, there's sound to go with it. No visual, because he's not that mean, but he'll offer it if anybody wants it. So his thought-voice, which sounds a whole lot like his speaking voice except maybe slightly less gravelly, is punctuated by screams, groans, and the occasional screech of brakes and crash of metal.]

So I guess this is what we're here for. There's some crazy cannibal people out here in the streets tryin' to eat other people. Or somethin'. I got head-pictures, if anybody wants 'em. I guess if you wanna fight, feel free to get out here and fight.

If you don't, better stay inside and lock the doors. This don't look like it's gonna be a lot of fun for folks who ain't interested in a little head-bashing.

[His last word is accompanied by the sound of something both wet and crunchy. Maybe it's actually a head-bashing. Who knows?]

Comments

[amadine]

Assuming they aren't the product of something we brought along with us.

[Because crazy cannibal people? Sounds pretty fucking familiar.]

[willyousee]

From what I can see in the chaos, they do not appear to be like the Stricken. They're not aiming for any particular target, or exhibiting many group tactics. These aren't warriors. Nor do there seem to be Sirens or anything equivalent. There's only fear and aggression being directed at them. Nothing calming.

[ Someone's tense but calm, watching from his hotel window. ]

[itsananimalthing]

Yeah, princess is right, they ain't like those merfolk. They're all shambly and stupid. And easier to take down.

[senseandcecilbility]

They seem a tad...deceased. Has anyone with scientific inclinations caught them alive?

[Or, if that fails, there is always exorcism.]

[capital_asset]

I'm not sure Songs would work on them in any case - I don't think they have any mind left to influence.

[turbedon]

Seriously, has no one watched a zombie movie? They're not cannibals- well, in a way I guess they are-

[Insert a slew of language that the Batman would tan his hide for as he has to scramble up a building to avoid getting grabbed by the infected.]

This must be that virus that was all over the news since we arrived. We've got to get the uninfected to safety, otherwise we're going to have a lot more corpses and zombies on our hands. Which... really would not be astrous.

[itsananimalthing]

Yeah, that'd be me. Never seen a zombie movie. How about this is the part where you tell me what a zombie is, and how best to take one down?

[Be glad he didn't ask you what a movie is, buddy. Riddick has at least figured out that slang, by now, after a few days in modern Texas.]

[turbedon]

Usually undead, reanimated through a virus that's transmitted through bites- basically they look like walking, angry corpses most of the time. Sometimes missing body parts, open wounds, pus oozing, all that nice gory stuff.

Best bet to take them out is via headshot though I guess decapitation or explosions could also work. Burning the bodies for extra measure might be recommended.

[He's definitely feeling a bit off about the thought but he's in his Robin mode which means he's got to keep his big boy pants on.]

[itsananimalthing]

Decapitation, I can do. Maybe I can work settin' 'em on fire, too.

[Better start looking for some oil or something, maybe, since he does happen to have a lighter on him. Useful idea.]

Maybe I oughta look into gettin' a gun. You think it's worth it?

[His tone is more jocular, conversational, than the conversation probably warrants.]

[willyousee]

Show me. Please. But only if you can stay safe and do so at the same time.

[itsananimalthing]

Ain't hard. Just be warned I don't see like most people. Might take a minute to get used to.

[He finishes the corpse he was working on with another wet slicing sound, then steps back and opens up the visual feed. It's full of violet halos, particularly around the edges of people but also outlining buildings and stationary objects, but the streetlights and car headlights are actually painfully bright. Riddick looks around pointedly to give Alcuin a view of the zombies on the move, but avoids looking directly at the lights. It's actually automatic, for him, that avoidance, rather than done consciously.]

You seen anythin' like this before?

[willyousee]

[A thread of alarmed tension runs through Alcuin’s mental voice, but he’s keeping steady enough.]

Interesting. No, I haven’t, unfortunately. Has anyone tried talking or asking them to stop instead of attacking them?

[turbedon]

Uh, yeah, everybody just stop and talk to the walking dead casually slaughtering anyone that get's in their way!

Seriously, zombie movies. Next time we have access to a TV and Netflix, I'm sitting you all down for some education.

Or actually, Alcuin, you could google them up, if you remember how to use the internet like I showed you. Some of the results are pretty gory though, just to warn- [Flare of OHGODWHAT panic and silence because someone's busy scaling up a wall again.]

[itsananimalthing]

Yeah, there's not much talkin' goin' on around here, princess. They're the ones doing the attacking, for the most part. I hardly hafta go after them at all. They're on me almost before I got the chance.

[Speaking of. The visual feed keeps going, unfortunately for Alcuin, as another one rushes at Riddick, and he neatly slices its head off with his pair of curved knives, turning in one smooth motion to gut another one coming from behind. Sorry, Alcuin.]

[wholeheaded]

Gracious Glinda, all of you be careful.

[ yeah, like that neededto be said. there's a little pause as he tries to get the potential head-bashing noise out of his mind as quickly as possible. ]

I'm at the hotel, they've got us on lockdown here.

[itsananimalthing]

Worried about little old me? I'm touched. Who has you on lockdown?

[wholeheaded]

Lots of guys black uniforms, shields, helmets, carrying big guns and looking ready to use 'em. The police, I think, APD? And some others from... F-E-D-something.

[itsananimalthing]

What're they sayin'? They threatening everybody, or actin' like they own the place and should be obeyed, or what? How organized are they?

[He's trying to get a picture of whether they're government, private, or terrorist troops, essentially. Whether or not he needs to actually worry about the people back at the hotel or not. Not that he would worry a lot, but it'd be something to consider, if it wasn't safe to go back "home".]

[capital_asset]

Should we consider taking cover elsewhere?

[Although Raidou would really like the chance to get his sword back sooner or later - preferably sooner. More importantly, he doesn't want to abandon their comrades in the hotel.]

[wholeheaded]

...we can consider it but I don't know. We'd have to come up with an elsewhere to go and with how dangerous it is out there I'm not sure-- this is difficult.

[capital_asset]

To say nothing of getting you all out of the hotel.

[capital_asset]

Fire seems to work very well.

[There is a pause, followed by something that may or may not be identifiable as a powerful fire spell finding its mark, along with a simultaneous crunch.]

Revival does not.

[Another pause.]

Has anyone outside seen any troops like those in the hotel yet?

[senseandcecilbility]

Fire, you say...

[He can do fire. Lots of it. Regent of the Sun and all that.]

It is rather unfortunate, but I haven't had the chance to meet any officers, in the hotel or otherwise.

[capital_asset]

It's a tactic we've had to use on hostile zombies back home; I wasn't sure whether it would be effective here as well, but it seems to be.

[There is the crack of a gun as Raidou shoots a zombie that was getting a little too close to Gdon, followed by another pause as he briefly takes cover in an alleyway to collect his thoughts.]

...I know restoring order is important in a crisis, but I'm not so sure about these officers.

[senseandcecilbility]

...Zombies.

[The word is unfamiliar, but he believes he can get the general idea.]

You mentioned revival. Are they deceased? [Though he guesses they would be if they are being set aflame.] As for the officers, certainly they cannot be all ineffective...[an uncertain pause]...can they?