[VIDEO] post-event

[axemeaquestion]

Hey, so... whoa.

[A bruised and bandaged woman nearly drops her device.]

Shit, sorry. Still getting used to this thing.

[For anyone who met Rochelle before but missed her at the Archives event, she's finally out of her bloodstained clothes. The shirt she's wearing today was crisp white with CRYSTAL BEACH cut out of an iridescent square print in bold letters.

The video straightens out, and Ro attempts to recover gracefully as she sits on the floor and smiles. Her back is against a coffee table littered with history books and moonblessed-aimed welcome pamphlets.]

Name's Rochelle. You can call me Ro. Sorry if I'm still kind of a mess. Better than before, trust me. I worked in TV news before things kinda went to hell back in my... world? World. Shit, that's still weird to say.

I'm kind of coming out of what you'd call a... zombie apocalypse. [AWKWARD GRIN GOES HERE??] And now I'm on a whole other goddamn planet. Still... processing that part. Compared to my life before, though, this is actually... kind of normal. I mean, not REALLY, but seriously. Not looking over your shoulder every damn second of your life makes ANYTHING seem normal. Even getting turned into a mermaid by a hunk of screaming rock.

[That's a weird thing to call Osse, Ro, but okay.]

So I guess my point is... I wanna ask. What does a fresh-out-of-the-apocalypse girl do to adjust to semi-normal life around here? I'm looking into TV network sort of work around here, actually, but otherwise...? I'll give shit a shot.

[Then - she hesitates. The casual attitude disappears, and her smile fades. There's no smooth way of transitioning into this, but...]

And on a more serious note... if anyone here finds three guys going by Coach, Ellis, and Nick... let me know?

I know that's not much to go by, but uh... Coach is a big guy in an FHS school polo. Good guy... NEVER stops talking about food if you give him a chance, though. Ellis is a real yee-haw Georgia type boy. Should have a shirt that says "bullshifter." Don't ask me why. [She laughs weakly at that - then shakes her head.] And Nick... well. You'll know Nick if you meet him. He thought bringing a white suit to a zombie apocalypse was a GOOD idea.

Long story short, they're my friends. We survived a hell of a lot together, and I'm worried about them. I've been looking around everywhere, just in case, but. If you ever meet some guys that vaguely match that description, just... point them my way.

And if it helps... all three of them probably smell like shit.

Comments

Text |

[anotheroldfashioned]

[Don's in the middle of his first sanguis cycle looking sort of like a wookie with some scales but this is up his alley.]

What kind of news did you do? I'm in advertisement.

[Awkward. But you know. It's nice to see someone even remotely close to what he does for a living.]

[video to text]

[axemeaquestion]

[Give her a sec to switch formats. This thing isn't too different from smart phones she knew, but the whole bendy bracelet factor took some getting used to.]

National. I was a producer for a hard news station in Cleveland. Got my break covering evacuations.

[Which kind of turned to shit when a full-fledged apocalypse happened, but that's another story.]

What about you? What kind of advertising do you do?

Re: [video to text]

[anotheroldfashioned]

[Don hopes desperately this furry thing will end soon. The confidence can stay. The rest...]

I worked on kodak, chex, clearasil, coca cola. I also worked at the museum. In between gigs.

You produced national news? You must be good.

[axemeaquestion]

Damn. You’ve been on all the big old stuff huh? That’s pretty cool.

I‘d like to think so.

video | un: demonchef

[satanslash]

[Owch.

That is a whole bucket of Suck for her. Being here without important people, surviving insane situations... he gets it. He's been there. But he also doesn't like talking about it, so he'll just focus on the initial question.]

Uhh... got any food service experience?

[axemeaquestion]

I... worked at a burger place or two before my news career, sure?

That was high school and college, though.

[does she need to prepare for an insult]

[satanslash]

[Why would he insult her over that?]

Might be a long shot, but I just started a teppanyaki grill here and I could still use some workers. I know not everyone likes jumpin' into restaurant work but if you don't find anythin' else it's uh... an option?

[axemeaquestion]

[because the word “food service” gives her flashbacks to being screamed at for minimum wage at mcdonalds]

Uh... well. Appreciate the offer, but me and food service have a pretty ugly history. I’m probably gonna stick to resurrecting my news career. I actually had my dream job for a while, so I’m gonna work my way back to it. Or at least... you know, whatever equivalent aliens got for TV news producers.

Wouldn’t mind trying your grill sometime, though. Don’t think I’ve had teppanyaki before.

voice; un: phoenixevolution

[manufactured]

You're almost refreshingly blunt, you know, with regards to calling things what they are.

Granted, I don't know if my world's relationship with the undead has quite reached a level deserving of being called an apocalypse.

[axemeaquestion]

Thanks, I think. "Zombies" is kind of an exaggeration, if I'm being real. Ours weren't slow or undead like the movies. Just sick. And mutated a whole damn lot.

Called 'em zombies all the same, though.

[... wait.]

Hang on. You got zombies too?

[She's still wrapping her head around the idea of multiple universes, but. She's trying.]

[manufactured]

We do. I wouldn't say ours are the slow, shambling kind, either, but that depends on several factors. Who they are, what they're infected with. It all makes a difference. But sometimes there really isn't a better blanket term for it.

It's not often that I meet others that are so candid about it. Not the best thing to have in common, I'll admit, but if it's something that's already happened and there's not much to be done about it...well, it's the sort of adversity that makes for interesting allies, at least.

[axemeaquestion]

Damn. That's weird to think about. I'm still wrapping my head around the idea of "worlds," but the fact that more than one can have zombies is... extra surreal, I guess.

It's not great, yeah, but... honestly? It actually helps to know I'm not too alone in that.

audio | un: kingjj

[kingfuckboy]

There's a lot of interesting work here, but you might have to settle for a second pick if you're desperate for money. Or...just earn Chroma in the meantime.

Uh, other than that there's a lot of things to see. Places to shop, cool sci-fi-y stuff. You know? What did you like to do before the zombie apocalypse?

[axemeaquestion]

I'm... still getting used to the Chroma thing. [meaning ??? she doesn't know how to approach that at all] And, oh, definitely. I don't expect to get back to my old job right away. Still, I'm kind of hoping Earth-related experience counts as SOME kind of resume for the aliens.

The sci-fi stuff sort of appeals. Other than work, though... hm. I liked shopping, movies, music and going to shows... oh, and reading. Guess that kind of comes with the journalism territory, but hey.

Things that explode are pretty cool too, but. I found that out after the apocalypse started.

[kingfuckboy]

I don't know if it does or not. [ he has no practical work experience like that as he's...been an athlete his whole life ] I haven't really done much in the way of actual work. Just odd jobs here and there. Chroma's pretty easy to earn. Just get hugs or hold hands with anyone who wants to. I mean, that's not too bad.

What sort of movies do you like then?

And -- explode?!

[axemeaquestion]

So you're cruising on the Chroma thing, huh?

[If it helps - she's teasing.]

Yup. [To "exploding" things, she means. He's already asking her two questions at once, she's gotta pick something.] I like all kinds of movie, honestly... oh, but I really like thrillers. And corny old flicks from the 80s.

[kayssistant]

It's nice to meet you, Ro! [She pauses. What do you say to a woman who seems to have walked straight out of a horror movie?] I'm Kay Faraday!

I think you'll like this place, it's zombie-free!

[axemeaquestion]

Under normal circumstances, I'd call that suspiciously specific denial... but I also literally just told you about the zombies.

[She grins, in case it's not obvious she's teasing.]

Hey, Kay. Good to meet you. Anyone ever told you that's a hell of an alliterative name?

[kayssistant]

Heh, it is, isn't it? I think it's pretty...o-Kay. [Sorry Ro. You'll never hear the end of this.]

voice | un: simonprime

[theseuschip]

Hey, Ro. It's Simon.

I'll keep an eye out for your friends. Sorry about your Earth... guess we're in the same boat.

[axemeaquestion]

Hey, Simon. [There's a smile in a voice.] Appreciate it, on all sides.

Still pretty surreal to think about "worlds," like some kind of sci-fi interdimensional shit... even though I guess I'm living in it now. Much LESS the fact that some of 'em got apocalypses too. In a weird way, though, it makes me feel a little less alone. That a bad thing?

[Probably.]

Y'know, I was just wondering about you. You ever get that helmet off?

[theseuschip]

Uh, yeah. All good on the helmet front.

[ GOD. you're welcome, future simon, for this gift he's giving you ]

I feel the same way. Think we've earned feeling a little less alone. [ a beat, then: ] You know, a friend of mine said we're from "different timelines". Makes it a little easier to swallow somehow.

[ probably because you're a dweebus who sells comic books, simon ]

voice » un: mcarter

[mucked]

Television news truly took off, didn't it?

[ which is just about the most unhelpful comment a person might make, certainly, but it's also a safe one. calm and casual. mostly, peggy finds herself made a little curious by the woman's (truly wonderful) attitude.

she wants to know more—but she'll take her time in learning. ]

[axemeaquestion]

I... yeah? It's 2009.

[ro

it's not even 2009 anymore

also don't be rude AHEM--]

I mean, uh... yeah! For sure. It's come a ways since fifty years ago.

[mucked]

[ —actually, 2009 seems rather early when compared to so many others she’s met. perhaps she ought to check… ]

And you’re talking about 2009 on Earth, are you? It’s worth asking in these parts. You never know when or where someone might be from.