[Beginning Thread] An Unusual Welcoming Committee

[2queerzombies]

Characters: Buxell and Zudd, newcomers.
Setting: Various Days; Afternoon; Abandoned Church
Summary: Arrival, friendly zombies, explanations, guidance, bad jokes.
Style: Prose and Action responses welcome.
Notes: OPEN. Arrive alone or in groups, threadjack as wanted, remember to add your character's tags for AC purposes!

Comments

[masterthedark]

A bright light emitted from the young man as his cracked armor returned to it's inactive state on his left arm. His eyes were weary, and to him it felt like he had been hit with a boulder, had the boulder dribbled on him, and then thrown into the nearest ocean. His entire body pounded with pain, and he faintly heard a voice. A faint groan lurched from his lips as he slowly stood up, his hands placed on his knees. As his eyes cleared he looked at what were his welcoming committee and quickly jumped back.

"What are you!?" Terra yelled as he extended his hand, gripping it into an open fist. A few seconds past before he looked to the ground. There was his weapon, but it wouldn't return to him. His heart sank as he looked at the two dead men, and then at his weapon. Today was not going well for him.

[2queerzombies]

"We's not gonna 'urt ya, sir!" Buxell said immediately, dropping back with Zudd as the two surveyed the man curiously with eyes that were startlingly human in faces that resembled melted masks of rotten destruction. There was sympathy in the hazel eyes and friendly wariness in the blue.

"Undead, that's what we is. But we don't eat anyone like th' others do." Buxell's partner explained carefully.

[masterthedark]

"Like the others do?" He repeated, curious. Terra kept his golden eyes on the two men as he reached down with his armored hand, picking up his blade, quickly switching it to his right.

"What do you mean by 'like the others do?' There's more like you?" He paused, trying to regain his breath. It was then that it hit him square in the face. The smell. That putrid, grime-ridden smell. He quickly held his nose, coughing from the sudden realization. His face paled and his body quivered for a moment attempting to prevent his natural reactions to take place. He wanted to vomit, and his last meal was about to upturn, but quickly he swallowed and shot the two a mixture between a glare and a plea.

"Wh-What are you?! How did you gain human forms?" His glare continued. These things definitely weren't normal. Perhaps they weren't evil, but they most certainly made the young man uncomfortable and very, very nauseous.

[2queerzombies]

"Yeh. Th' other zombies. They's is controlled by th' Dromos, no minds oer their own." The hazel-eyed creature explained further, then jumped as Terra began coughing. The zombie partners looked at each other resignedly, honestly they were surprised more people hadn't responded this way to their presences.

"We's undead." Zudd said matter-of-factly. "We's was human, once. Then we died an' the Dromos' curse brought us back. But...we was different then all th' rest. We could still think for ourselves. We's the only ones in th' whole world, we thinks."

[masterthedark]

"Huh. The only ones. You must an amazing strength of heart." He smiled through his wince. The smell still made him feel weak, but he'd be able to manage if these two really weren't going to harm him. He was sure he'd have to get used to the smell eventually. If there were more of them, there was undoubtedly that same stench somewhere, if not everywhere else he would be.

"The Dromos? What are they? Are they connected to the unversed?" The young master asked. It was obvious by their words that this Dromos wasn't good. He looked at the two carefully, "I don't suppose you've seen any monsters around here?" He spoke slowly, catching his breath between syllables.

[2queerzombies]

"My 'eart stopped beatin' years 'o go." Buxell said, not comprehending the statement.

Zudd rolled his eyes, gently patting his partner's shoulder. "'Ee means tha' met'phricly, Bux." To the stranger he cocked his ugly head slightly. "Monsters? 'Sides th' ones that'll eat yer brains? Ain't they enough for ya? Nah...there's nothin' but th' undead an' they's plenty, believe me."

Buxell reached into the bag at his side and tentatively held something out to Terra. "'Ere. This is for ya ta get on the network an' talk to th' others in town. We can show ya th' way whenever yer ready." He looked abashed. "I...knows we ain't th' best o' company - considerin'...the smell, an' all."

[masterthedark]

The young man smiled softly. "Thank you." He took the device and glanced at t once. It was pink. Pink, of all things. His friend may have laughed at that, but she wasn't around. he looked up towards the sky before looking back at the two shades of humanity.

"Thank you, and I'll take your offer. There's no way I'd find my way around here without being in confrontations with these other beings you speak of." The youth glanced the scenery of the lit-up building before making his way out, checking to see if his two hosts were close-by. His grip on his blade tightened. He didn't know what to expect, and he did not like it.

[2queerzombies]

To the doors they went, giant wooden things with banded metal on the top and bottom. The metal was rusty and the wood worn near to indistinct brownness, pitted and falling to pieces. They were stuck open, wedged into place by the angle that the breaking doors made into the ground

[masterthedark]

Terra gazed at the runes on the wall before looking back to the two kind undead men, a gentle smile was on his face as he nodded to both men.

"Thank you. Both of you have been kind to me when you didn't need to." He reached up and scratched the back of his head. "I'm sorry about our introduction. I thought you may have been one of the unversed..." The man spoke, turning his head away before completely turning to the open gates. He took several steps before he looked back at the two.

"I guess you have more of those strange devices? If you ever need anything, make a call. I'll be there as fast as I can." He smiled and waved, walking off into New Ashford.

[2queerzombies]

The two malformed humanoid shapes watched him go, two lonely shapes against the abandoned landscape of a once thriving city.

The smaller of the two creatures, the one with hazel eyes, waved a heartfelt farewell until his arm fell off. The other sighed, picked up the lost limb, and the two undead shambled away to find their supply of superglue.