Subject Zero

Deadland Wasteland: //START Recruitment.exe [OPEN - APPLY]

Hey, guys. I apologise for not posting. I've been far busier than I expected to be and I don't really see things changing anytime soon so, as much as I was really looking forward to taking part in this, I think it's best if I just drop out now so I don't hold you all up.

Deadland Wasteland: //START Recruitment.exe [OPEN - APPLY]

@Jollan Well Danny's only been at Refuge a few months at most but chances are they would at least know of each other.

Deadland Wasteland: //START Recruitment.exe [OPEN - APPLY]

@Jollan Our characters basically have the same profession.

Deadland Wasteland: //START Recruitment.exe [OPEN - APPLY]

@Andreyich

I'll likely be posting this weekend (sunday), or in a few days as time allows.

@Aeonumbra

Deadland Wasteland: //START Recruitment.exe [OPEN - APPLY]

The sound of laughter drifted up from the street below, making him feel very alone. Not because of the lack of people, there were plenty of them around. Hell, there were more people around than Danny could handle most days. He felt alone because the laughter reminded him of his old life. It reminded him of happier days. Days spent with his family. It reminded him of Kathryn flirting with the neighbor's son while he worked on his car. It reminded him of his mother, laughing at some truly god awful joke that his stepdad had made. He could never tell if his mom actually thought those jokes were funny or if she was just being polite but he remembered the smile she always had. Such a warm and genuine smile. Things may not have been perfect back then but he was happy. They were all happy. But now they were all gone. Joe was dead and his mom and Kathryn...Well, he had no idea where they were. He had looked for them. He still looked for them whenever he got the chance...But they were gone.

Danny sat up on the bed and stayed there for a second, listening to the sound of laughter before another sound overshadowed it. Yelling from down the hallway. Danny knew exactly who was responsible. A couple he shared the house with. They weren't bad people but they bickered and fought all the time. The only thing Danny liked less than the sound of their arguments was the sound of their headboard banging on the wall during their make up sex. He rolled his eyes as their voices drew nearer and pushed himself up off the bed to slam the door shut so they wouldn't come in. The last thing he wanted was to get involved in their squabble. Courtney liked to move when she got angry so their arguments would take them all over the house. Much to Danny's annoyance.

He wandered over towards the window, across the room that had obviously housed someone younger than himself before the world had gone to hell. From the window he could see two women for the briefest of moments before they passed from his line of sight. They were gone quickly but Danny noted the smiles on their faces as they talked to each other. It was nice to see people smiling these days and heartwarming to know that they could find some kind of happiness. It made him smile too. Right up until he heard something hit a wall. He had a feeling Courtney had thrown something at Mark. Woman had a serious temper.

He closed his eyes and tilted his head towards the ceiling, sighing heavily. He had to get away from these two.

He thought about heading to the back of the house to his workshop but remembered that he was running low on supplies so their was little point. Besides, as long as he was still technically on the same property as them, their was a chance that Courtney and Mark would come wandering in to pester him and if that happened, it increased the chances that he would gently stab one or both of them. So it would have to be option B.

After putting on some clothes and grabbing his gear, he started out of the room, only to be suddenly trapped in the hallway as Mark and Courtney emerged from their room, still arguing about nothing he cared about and seemingly completely unaware of his presence. Danny clenched both his fists up and held them at head height as he closed his eyes and felt his entire body shaking. He fought the urge to punch something and instead thrust his arms between both of his housemates and shoved them aside. As he passed them by, they both shot him a look but were too used to his dismissive and sometimes plain rude ways to be really bothered by it and just returned to their argument.

Leaving idiot one and idiot two behind him, Danny made his way through the kitchen where he encountered Forrest, the fourth member of their dysfunctional little tribe. The entirely more bearable Forrest was was sitting at the kitchen island with a book, an apple and what resembled a half eaten piece of toast. Forrest was an amiable sort. Very likeable but with no real force of will. People tended to walk all over him and Danny was really no different. As he passed, Danny reached over and snatched both the apple and the toast that Forrest was about to take another bite from and headed towards the door.

"Oh come on man!" Forrest protested. "That's just--"

Danny only turned and offered a shrug with the toast in his mouth and an expression that only slightly indicated that he was sorry for his blatant thievery. He was gone before Forrest could offer another complaint. Not that he would bother.

---

By the time Danny reached the growing crowd that was surrounding the scav convoy, Forrest's toast was gone and the apple was halfway to the same fate. He paused for a moment, watching the people around and crunching the fruit between his teeth and wondering how many others were coming. Truthfully, Danny would prefer to scavenge on his own but the people in charge of Refuge liked to be a lot more organized about it all. Danny wasn't sure how to feel about such a large group. These days, he didn't do well around small groups of people, never mind large groups. He'd have to grin and bear it though. Or bear it at least.

Danny pushed his way through the people gathered around the convoy until he reached an enforcer who quickly had Danny's authorisation thrust in his face. Danny didn't even pause long enough for him to really see it but he was well enough known around Refuge as a scavenger these days that he was just allowed through anyway.

Danny didn't go far though. He stopped beside Alex and turned back to look at the crowd again. He offered no kind of greeting to his friend. Instead just taking another bite of Forrest's apple.

Deadland Wasteland: //START Recruitment.exe [OPEN - APPLY]

I'm gonna try to get a post up either later tonight or tomorrow. If there's room, Danny will be joining the scavengers.

Deadland Wasteland: //START Recruitment.exe [OPEN - APPLY]

Basic Information

Name:

Daniel Pope

Age:

24

Nationality:

American

Ethnicity:

Caucasian

Sex:

Male

Height:

5' 10''

Weight:

140 lbs

Eye Color:

Light Brown

Hair Color:

Dark Brown

Physical Disabilities:

• Mute [NOTE: I'm not sure if this should be classed as a physical disability but it's a disability nonetheless so I'm putting it here.]

>/list>
Appearance:

Danny stand a little under six ft tall with dark, often quite messy hair and light brown eyes. He is a very physically active individual so he keeps in good shape but isn't overly muscular. He is a handsome young man who prefers to stay clean shaven when possible.

Biography

Danny was always something of a problem child. He had anger issues even from an early age, throwing himself into a temper tantrum at the drop of a hat. While he was a nice guy in most other regards, the anger always stayed with him as he grew older. In school, he was suspended multiple times for getting into fights with other students. It was a trait he had seemingly inherited from his father. A thug and a bully of a man, Victor Pope saw his sons anger as just having spirit and often applauded him when he got into fights as a young boy. His mother on the other hand hated it. She didn't want Danny to grow up to be like the man she had grown so scared of over the years. She didn't want him to be like his father. So it was for Danny's sake that she finally plucked up the courage to divorce him.

Danny didn't see much of his old man after that. He seemed to have very little interest in the boy when he was around and even less interest when he wasn't. While not having such a bad influence anymore did help, Danny still lost his temper very easily. It wasn't until his mom remarried a man named Joseph Minoru that Danny's mental state began to change. Joe was a very soft spoken and calm man. It was soothing just to be around him. He taught Danny how to control his temper and for the first time ever, Danny actually felt at peace.

Joe was more of a father to Danny than Victor ever was and as Danny grew older, the Pope-Minoru household became a much happier place. Joe passed on his craft as a bladesmith to both his daughter and his stepson and while Kathryn, Danny's stepsister, was never really very interested in the art of making weapons, Danny proved surprisingly talented at it and strongly considered making it his profession when he was older.

Kathryn, like Joe, had an equally positive influence on Danny's life. Danny and Kat were around the same age and enjoyed a lot of the same hobbies. They became the best of friends and although they bickered a lot, they were practically inseparable. Kat also helped Danny come to terms with his sexuality. Something he was never comfortable discussing with anyone else.

Danny was finally growing into a happy and well adjusted young man.

But like everyone else, Danny's happiness was shattered when the world ended.

The night the ghouls came, Danny lost his entire family. When Kathryn was surrounded, Joe came to her rescue, fending off as many of the attackers as he could until one landed a bite. Joseph Minoru died that night...but he died a hero. Danny was devastated but fought off the rest of the attackers to get his family out. He bundled them into the back of a neighbors truck who had offered to help get them all to safety. Unfortunately, before Danny could get in himself, he was attacked by another ghoul. He managed to fight it off but was quickly being surrounded by more. Unable to wait for Danny, the neighbor elected to leave without him but with Samantha and Kat in the back. Danny doesn't hold any resentment for this act. He is actually glad he decided to go because if he didn't chances are they would all be dead now.

Danny narrowly managed to avoid death that night but now found himself alone. He hasn't seen his family since.

A little over a week after the attack, Danny had banded together with a small group of local survivors. One of whom he had a particular dislike for. Robert. Mostly because he reminded him of his own father in his bully attitude towards his own wife. When the group was attacked again, they lost one of their own and Danny saw that Robert had an opportunity to save him but did nothing. The rest of the group managed to escape and find shelter but the ghouls were still hunting them. It was at this moment, the worst possible moment, that Danny snapped and his anger returned. He began yelling at Robert for his actions. Or lack of action. The others pleaded for him to stay quiet but he was so consumed by his own anger that he didn't even hear them. He didn't even hear the ghouls until it was too late and they broke through the door. The group tried to fend them all off but only Danny managed to survive. He somehow managed to kill every ghoul but he didn't escape unscathed. The next morning, Danny was found by a man named Alex TreVayne, still in the same room, surrounded by dead ghouls and dead friends. Huddled in a corner, utterly terrified and lost in thought.

Something broke in Danny's mind that night. He realises his outburst attracted the ghouls. He realises his anger got his friends killed. He hasn't spoken a word since. He now associates the sound of his own voice with danger. His silence is not a result of anything physical. Even if he wants to speak, he can't force his mouth to form the words. Alex has stayed with Danny since, despite Danny's frequent attempts to go off on his own. The two have bonded and Danny has gradually been letting his guard down around Alex and Alex even convinced Danny to join him at the survivor camp Refuge.

While Danny prefers to keep to himself, he genuinely does want the best for the community and often volunteers to go out and scavenge for supplies. He also puts his skills as a bladesmith and a cook to use within the community which has earned him the respect of most, though some still mistake his silence for rudeness.

Danny still wants to find his family but he doesn't know where to look. So, for the time being, he stays at Refuge with the hope that his mom and sister will find their way to him.

Extended Information

Residence:

Danny has elected to take up residence as far away from the wall as he possibly can so as not to attract the attention of ghouls with the loud clattering of metal weapons being created. His current residence isn't the best setup for his craft but he makes do with quite some success in the large basement of a two story home on the far side of Refuge

Profession:

Bladesmith, cook, and scavenger

Aligned Faction:

Refuge Survivors

Relatives:

• Samantha Pope-Minoru - Danny's mom. The last time Danny saw his mother, she and his stepsister were fleeing their home in a neighbors truck. He likes to think they're still alive but he has no idea where they are.
• Kathryn Minoru - Danny's stepsister and best friend. Like Joe, currently missing.

Personnel Data

Weapons:

• Two Wakizashi blades - Danny's stepfather was a talented bladesmith and passed along the talent to both Danny and his stepsister. While these blades are simple in comparison to those created by real masters, they have served Danny well and he has become quite adept in their use.
• Knuckle Dusters - A favorite weapon of Danny's for fighting normal humans, should the need arise.
• Pistol - While Danny prefers to not use firearms if possible, he understands the need to carry one for those situations where stealth won't cut it.

Equipment

• Backpack - Danny spends a lot of time scavenging in nearby areas so he carries a backpack with him whenever he heads outside Refuge. This pack has many different compartments for storage and even a way to hold his swords.
• Dirt bike - Danny's favored method of transport when travelling further afield is his trusty dirt bike which he spends a lot of his free time maintaining.

Miscellaneous

• Photo - Danny keeps this on his person at all times as a memento of his family, his mother especially who died a few months ago.
• Journal - Sometimes even a mute wants to express their feelings. Though Danny may not be able to do this audibly, he will occasionally be seen scribbling in this messy looking book stuffed with all kinds of pages that is usually always kept on his person.

Trade Skills:

• Bladesmith
  Danny learned this skill from his stepdad and now puts it to good use withing Refuge by providing what weapons he can to the locals. Though he can't find truly good material for his weapons, he will use whatever scrap metal he can find and hands these weapons out to whoever needs them the most.
• Cook
  Born of a true love of food and encouraged by his mother, Danny is a more than capable cook and loves make whatever food he can. Again, though Refuge may not have the greatest supplies, Danny always tries to turn his food into something people will enjoy eating.

Talents & Hobbies:

• Fighter
  Danny is an alarmingly talented fighter. There's nothing professional or flashy about his fighting but he is brutally efficient and strikes with a ruthlessness that has shocked many. Barehanded, he can drop an opponent twice his size fight off several opponents. Add a weapon though and his attacks become several times more efficient.
• Yoga
  In sharp contrast to his fighting ability, Danny is fond of employing yoga as a way to relax and keep healthy. He can often be found around refuge practicing yoga. Though he has never exactly encouraged it, he doesn't exactly discourage others when they choose to join him either.

Limitations:

• Silent
  Danny just doesn't speak. When it comes to communicating with others, he is at an extreme disadvantage.
• Anger Issues
  While he does his best to keep a lid on it these days, he still has occasional bouts of anger. Though he is more likely to silently take it out on an inanimate object than a person.

Deadland Wasteland: //START Recruitment.exe [OPEN - APPLY]

@Aeonumbra I think I'll claim this place.

Deadland Wasteland: Calling All Survivors (Looking for a few more.)

I may be interested in this if I can get my brain to function long enough to make a character. And if you'll have me, of course.

No Turning Back - Into the Abyss

Reliability - Part 2

_{With @Peaceless and @Fuzzybootz}

Though Clara may have let people think she was a cheery airhead, she was actually quite clever. Maybe not as smart as some but at least smart enough to know that security was here for a reason. She was hardly about to send them away. Especially after that meltdown comment. “You and I can step into a private room but your guards will wait outside the door.”

Before Chizuru had a chance to object, Clara had already turned her back and was moving away, motioning with her hand over her shoulder for the others to follow. She was doing her best to channel Amara right now. She appeared calm on the outside but on the inside, she was stressed and more than a little worried. Just like everyone else right now. The cyborg glanced at her escorts, as if looking for council in their featureless faces. “Well, she’s the boss.” she eventually shrugged, then followed. The droids fell into step, and the security guards dispersed after making sure there wasn’t any other trouble.

The medic led Chizuru and security through the extensive medbay, checking several rooms along the way, only to find them occupied. She eventually found a small room that wasn't currently being used and stepped inside, holding the door open for Chizuru. “Frankly I’m surprised there’s a free room.” she said, looking behind her to see if the droids follow before taking a seat in the room. They stopped outside of the room, like two bodyguards of a VIP patient, only facing towards the room and not away from it.

But once the door closed behind Clara, the cyborg sprung to her feet. “Listen - This may seem like a burden to you, but this evaluation is of the utmost importance to the security and safety of the Vitae,” she exclaimed, her already noticeable NC accent becoming even heavier. “And seeing as most of the participants in the Planetfall are here, time is of the essence. Now - do you have any experience in pathology or engineering?”

Clara recoiled slightly when Chizuru approached. She would likely have moved a lot further if it weren't for the fact that her back was now pressed against the door. Always eager to take people at face value though, Clara quickly relaxed as Chizuru spoke. the cyborg's words seeming genuine. Amara had lectured her before about this approach to people but Clara thought it better to give people the benefit of the doubt....At least until they gave her a reason not to.

“You'd be surprised.” she offered by way of a reply to Chizuru's question after scrunching her face up in thought. She smiled again and patted Chizuru on the shoulders as she tried to squeeze past, her smile faltering slightly as her hands touched the cold metal of the cyborgs arms. “But...just to be on the safe side...maybe I should get some help here.” she said with her back to the other woman as she pulled a small device from her belt and started pressing the screen. Chizuru's claim that her medical was of the utmost importance to the safety of everyone aboard the ark had only increased Clara's belief that she was woefully under skilled for such a task, so she planned to call in backup. She had seem Mackenzie Newton around the medbay only moments ago and who better to help with a cyborg than the head of the robotics department? Clara quickly tapped out a message to Kenzie, quickly but briefly explaining the situation, and hit send. Just to be on the safe side, she also sent a message to Amara. None of the doctors were free but Amara was just as good as a doctor so maybe she could help. She waited for a brief moment until she received a response to both

“Right...” she began as she turned back around to Chizuru. “Don't worry, we'll get you fully checked out. I'm sure you'll be fine...Oh!” she blurted out, visibly jumping at her own sudden realization. “I'm Clara by the way.” She thrust her hand out towards Chizuru and offered her a genuinely friendly smile, as though the person standing in front of her wasn't a heavily modified cyborg death machine. It/she looked at her own hand for a moment, an assortment of claws made for ripping through heavy armor, and sighed.

“Yeah, I guess this is impolite, isn’t it?” Chizuru took a few steps back, then stopped. With a low hiss, various small bits of her armor began to twist, until eventually the larger armor plates moved out of the way. Out of the large and intimidating exosuit came a young woman, far eastern in appearance. She was toned but thin, and it took Clara a moment to realize the bluish plastic, matte metal and gray sickly-looking skin was not another suit. Her body was patched with a variety of materials, some quite obviously replacing internal organs and muscles, and others including deeply-embedded hardware ports probably designed to interface between body and suit.

Clara tried her best not to look surprised but failed miserably and her eyes widened as Chizuru stepped from her exoskeleton. She looked less robotic now but still not quite human. Still, it would make Clara’s job a lot easier.

“Yama-uchi Chizuru.” The slightly metallic modulation was still present in the woman’s voice, as well as her red and black eyes. She shook Clara’s hand with one covered by intricate copper figures and cold to the touch. “You are nice. I will make an extra effort to save you.”

Clara raised an eyebrow at Chizuru’s statement, simultaneously confused and flattered. “Um...Thanks?” she replied, half posing it as a question.