august mingle;

[thecommissary]

This is the general mingle log for August. Feel free to post open top levels for: new arrivals, job duties, general hanging out in common spaces, bonding with your block, and anything else you can think of. There will not be a catch all for the event, so you can put event starters here or in their own separate log!

Comments

David Rook

[violenti]

o1.

The surroundings are a forest, with tall old pine trees dotted just sparsely enough around that ferns and small shrubs can also thrive. It seems like one should be able to see beyond the trees, but a thick fog prevents that. Faintly, water can be heard lapping at a shore. It doesn't seem like there's much to explore, outside. Of note, however, is a thick metal plate set into a rocky outcropping, fitted with a heavy steel door, currently wide open and inviting- as inviting as a set of dark steps into an even darker hole gets, anyway.

Inside, the door slings itself shut, the loud sound echoing down a narrow hallway lined with tools, industrial shelves and small construction materials- primarily metal pipes- as though this bunker is still a work in progress, or perhaps being upgraded. Several doors split off from the main hallway, leading to various rooms. The whole place is about as inviting as one might expect of a nuclear bunker. Fluorescent lights overhead fail to completely illuminate the place, leaving dark corners and deep shadows.

At the end of the hallway, an older male's voice can be heard frantically demanding for someone to answer him, and swearing intermittently. Rounding the corner, one might see an older, bald man with glasses and a camo jacket with his back to the door. Alternatively, the voice may fade away just before getting there, leaving a CB radio crackling fruitlessly in the far corner.

Alternatively, one may wake up on the cold cement floor, wrists zip-tied together around the leg of a spartan metal bedframe.

Either way, Rook isn't far, sitting in one of the rooms with his knees drawn to his chest and back firmly planted against the cinderblock wall. He looks disheveled and haggard, like he hasn't slept in days, and he'll give anyone who approaches a wordless, exhausted stare.

{ More info & pictures from Rook's dominion can be found here, along with a spoiler option! }

o2.

Rook takes his job seriously. It gives him something to do, for one, and two, it gives him a vague sense of normalcy. It reminds him of cleaning at home, in what feels like another lifetime, of cleaning while in the academy. It's not the most pleasant work, but he doesn't mind it.

So whether it's emptying trash, mopping floors, or cleaning toilets, Rook can be found hard at work.

o3.

[ Wildcard option! If you'd like to plot something, feel free to hit me up at ricorori or on Discord at Hoju#9452.

1

[killersong]

"Hello?" Dinah shouts out as she cautiously steps into the bunker and starts to feel her way down the steps. Damn She realises too late that she should probably have blocked the doors open, just in case. It seems like a nightmarish thing to happen, but hell, everything else in her life is going wrong, so why not?

She keeps going, stepping as lightly as she can as she heads further into the bunker.
"Hey -" she calls out again, hurrying to where the voice sounds from. "Fuck -" she breaks into a run as the stairs end ad the voice grows louder, more urgent.
It takes her a minute to locate the room and she barges in, subtlety forgotten. Not that it matters, because the room's empty. "What the fuck?" She groans. This better not be a fucking trap. She runs her hands through her hair and heads back into the corridor. But someone must be transmitting, right? So Dinah checks the rooms, stopping when she eventually comes across Rook.

"Hey man, are you alright?" He doesn't look alright.

[violenti]

It takes Rook a few moments to really respond in any way other than to watch the girl as she first runs past, calling out, then backtracks and finds him. He doesn't recognize her. It could be a hallucination, brought on by the Bliss still in his system, but- maybe not? He hopes not.

"Uh, yeah."

Not really. He slowly uncurls himself from his position, and slides off the countertop from where he'd been sitting. "How'd you... get in here?" He thought the hatch was firmly locked closed. He sure hadn't been able to get out.

[killersong]

"There was a door. A hatch?.." She gestures uselessly at the corridor behind her, realising too late that the man probably didn't mean how did she get into the bunker, but possibly how did she get - well, wherever they are.

"What's happened to you?" Dinah asks bluntly, changing the subject from the question she doesn't really know how to answer.
"You look like hell's wheels have run you over."

[violenti]

Hell's wheels, huh? Rook runs a hand over his face slowly as though that might do... something, he's not honestly sure. "Uh- a lot." Like a lot a lot. "Hell's wheels is probably the closest to what happened without getting too into it."

He gets close enough- moving stiffly, as though in pain or as though he'd not walked for a while- to offer his hand in greeting. No one wanted to be trapped in a bunker, but Rook at least wants the other person trapped here to know he's not a threat. "David Rook."

[killersong]

"Dinah Lance." She grasps his hand and squeezes his palm just briefly before breaking contact again. Dinah's not going to push Rook to share; she wouldn't appreciate it in his position. Perhaps he'll open up later. Perhaps not. Maybe she doesn't care too much what he's been through anyway. It's his own shit to deal with.

"Can you walk? I know the way back?"

She offers her hand back to Rook in case he needs to lean on her. "Come on. We can get out of here."

[violenti]

Dinah. He definitely doesn't know her, but she seems a friendly face, and he appreciates that.

"Yeah." He can walk, and he's stubborn enough to do it alone, even if help is maybe not the worst idea. Getting out though... he gives her a dubious look, but moves to follow anyway. She had gotten in here, after all.

"I don't know if we can," is the only protest he offers, peering out of the doorway and towards the exit.

[killersong]

"I think it's this way."
Dinah steps out confidently into the corridor, leading the way back to the hatch. Except, it's shut.

She knew it. She knew she should have blocked it open. "Shit," she mutters to herself before she turns to face Rook.

"So what now? Are there any other ways out?"

[violenti]

Yeah... he was afraid of that. Rook shrugs apathetically, and offers a smile that's some mix of apologetic and disheartened. "No. This is a prepper's bunker. Having two ways to block off would be too much of a risk, I guess."

He shrugs. "There's food and stuff. I keep finding my way back here, which means I get out somehow, but I don't remember how I get in or out. I'm just... here, or I'm not. ... That sounds crazy. Sorry."

one spoiler option please!

[souille]

[ Abigail wakes slowly, blinking groggily as she comes round and squinting in the low light of the bunker. There's an unfamiliar figure in front of her, sitting, watching as she comes round. It doesn't take her long to realise that her hands are bound, and as soon as she's able to move she tries in vain to wriggle out of her restraints, but to no avail. ]

Wh-- where am I?

[violenti]

[ The man in front of Abigail looks like he's taken something of a beating. There's another man, older, on the floor nearby, and it's fairly clear that he's dead. Neither of them are Rook. Despite whatever he's been through, the man sitting before Abigail looks pleased. He speaks softly, gently, barely above a whisper, but there's something unnerving about his mannerisms. He gives no notice to her question. ]

It means the Collapse has come. It means the world as we know it... is over. I waited so long— I waited so long for the Prophecy that God whispered to me to be fulfilled. [ He extends his hands towards Abigail. Overhead, rumbling can be heard. Dust filters down from the ceiling, and the fluorescent light swings and flickers. ]

I prepared my family for this moment. [ He sets his hands down, and his tone darkens, though remains quiet. ] And you took them from me. [ The man's teeth grit as though with a barely suppressed rage. ] I should kill you for what you've done.

[ Rook sits on the bed Abigail is cuffed to, knees drawn up and expression just visible from where she's sitting. He watches, though seems to stare somewhere just past them, as though not really seeing. ]

[souille]

[ It says something about how unnerving the man sat before her is that it takes Abigail a good few minutes to register that there's a dead body on the floor at all. She tries her best not to look at it, certain that she'll end up the same way all too soon, and she digs her nails into her palms to try and ground herself, keep herself from panicking. ]

Please, I-- I don't know what you're talking about. You have to let me go.

[ She sees Rook and relief washes over her face. ]

David? Please, you have to help me.

[violenti]

[ Rook only looks at her miserably, as the man continues to speak. The lights flicker again, but the man in the chair seems not to notice as he leers at Abigail. ]

But you're all I have left now. You're my family. And when the world is ready, we will step into the light.

I am your Father, and you are my child. And together we will march through Eden's Gate.

[ The man finally glances up as the entire bunker trembles. Rook flinches at the distant sound of explosion, curling tighter into himself. The man sits back with a small, self-satisfied smirk that's somehow predatory, still staring at Abigail. There's a long silence- Rook remains sitting on the bed. He finally offers, quietly: ] He'll go away soon.

[souille]

[ Abigail shakes her head, unable to break Joseph's stare, as she hisses a whisper to Rook. ]

He's going to kill us.

[violenti]

[ Rook shakes his head, but doesn't otherwise answer. The man in the chair doesn't seem to notice either of them talking. He just leers at Abigail in silence for a few long moments. And then, true to what Rook had said, he merely gets up, and walks away.

David waits a few moments, then slides off the bed, still looking towards the hallway. He plucks the knife off a tiny table with a radio, and kneels in front of Abigail. ] Hang on, I'll cut these off. [ Carefully, he severs the zip tie, then folds the knife and puts it in his back pocket. He's in his deputy uniform (granted, the 'uniform' for Hope county is just an olive green officer's top and denim jeans), which is strange, but he doesn't question it at this point. ]

Sorry, [ he intones miserably. ]

[souille]

[ Abigail leaps to her feet as soon as she's able, rubbing at her wrists and glancing around nervously in case the man returns. ]

Where are we? What's going on?

[violenti]

He's gone, don't worry. He won't show up again til tomorrow.

[ Rook seems particularly interested in the concrete floor, as he sinks back down onto the edge of the bed. ] A prepper's bunker in Hope County, Montana.

[ Finally, he does look back up. ] You alright?

1

[fistpound]

Fantastic, a forest, Ardbert thinks with no small amount of chagrin. Like he hasn't seen so many of this before in his lifetime.

Unlike the forest he tends to find encompassing his dreams, ancient ruins and all, this seems more... modern? From the door he finds-- still looks old, like he's just stumbled on a World War-style bunker, but it's certainly more modern than the giant great woods with trees that can blot out the sky.

But it's something, and should be better than wandering about aimlessly.

Though Ardbert shouldn't have assumed he was alone, because he is clearly not. And he raises his hands immediately, because he would rather not get beaten up right now.

"Let's not get to the stabbing should you be offended that I'm here, if you don't mind."

[violenti]

David has heard Dutch's echoing footsteps so many times that he doesn't really think about it when he hears a set of footsteps again. Getting up and chasing the old man usually just ended up in not being able to find him, somehow. He's decided to stop questioning it.

But this time, he not only sees someone, it's a face he doesn't recognize. Rook regards the stranger with weary curiosity, but there's no animosity. He's obviously not a cultist. He sits up a little.

"No- it's fine... but, how did you get in here?"

[fistpound]

"Followed the forest trail, obviously." Ardbert's voice is heavy with sarcasm, then he shakes his head. Now he's just going to give a proper answer. "It's not every day you see a door in the middle of nowhere."

And of course he had to check the inside.

"It's better'n wandering outside without even the slightest bit of idea where to go."

[violenti]

Rook supposes he deserves that, but to him - "I thought the door was locked. I haven't been able to get out at all."

Curious now, he shifts to the end of the surface he's sitting on and stands. "We're on an island, anyway. There's one road off, though."

[fistpound]

"What now? A bloody island?" Ardbert has to look behind him, in the general direction of the door, as if that would give him all the answers to the questions he has in his brain.

But that's not how the world works, even in a dream.

"I s'pose it doesn't matter now that I just left the door open, does it?"

[violenti]

"Yeah. In Montana, if you want to consider the scale of 'middle of nowhere' that we're in."

He considers the stranger's words as he comes closer. "That... makes sense," he concedes. If he'd left the door open, it should be open still, right?

If it's a dream- which, he assumes it is, given that there's no logical reason for several things, not least of all that he's back in Hope County, that doesn't explain why he doesn't recognize the newcomer. Rook thinks he remembers something about not being able to dream of faces you've never seen before. Maybe that wasn't true, though.

[fistpound]

"Right." Ardbert crosses his arms over his chest, shifting his weight to one leg as he thinks.

"In other words, we're stuck unless either of us have some rafting skills. Or..."

Someone wakes up. But who is the dreamer here?

[violenti]

"And the tools to do so," he points out. "Dutch has a weird garage sort of thing in here, but I don't think he has the tools for that, honestly."

Seeming to lose interest in the door as soon as he'd gained it, he turns around and wanders a few steps back into the room he'd been curled up in. "There's food and such here, so, it's not the worst."