Panic [IC]

[Lord Snow]

The OOC



A Normal Day

The day is July 20th, 2016, in the small town of Hamilton. It's a quiet, peaceful town, with a community college at the center, a few notable landmarks, and stores for grocery shopping as well as for anything else you might need. This day would be dark and rainy, as it had been for the past week, despite the fact that weathermen reported there would be record high summer heat. On the news lately, there have been stories about a mysterious flu going around affecting only a few people. The symptoms are sweating, vomiting, a high fever, as well as the inability to walk normally, as if losing control of one's own limbs.

It's disregarded as just a regular flu, but people are advised to try and avoid contact with someone who is infected. They are currently being treated at the hospital.

At the same time, in other parts of town, a few random violent attacks had taken place. The attackers were apprehended and locked away, believed to be under the influence of drugs. Again, this was disregarded as something normal. Hamilton may be a quiet, peaceful town, but it was not without its faults.

7:00am - Day 0

Julian woke up in his living room that morning. He couldn't remember falling asleep, but here he was, his TV still on from the night before. He groaned and fumbled around for the remote to turn it off.

He was not a morning person in the slightest, but having to wake up at 7am was his own fault. After all, he was the one who'd wanted to pursue further education. Julian dreaded the thought of school today. He had to walk there and with all the rain, he was starting to feel sick. His apartment was only a couple of blocks from the college he attended, but he didn't have a rain jacket to wear. He knew he should invest in one, but he didn't want to waste his money if it wasn't going to last.

He stretched and yawned and went through his morning routine. After getting dressed, he slipped on his shoes and went into his bedroom. Hidden under a rug was a loose plank of wood, which he lifted carefully and pulled out a couple of small baggies from a tin. This is where Julian kept his "stash." Given to him by a young man living two doors away, these various drugs were how Julian made his living. Of course, Julian still had a part time job as a waiter in a local restaurant, but this was his main source of income.

Today, like most Mondays, he had a few deliveries.

He took off and headed to school at a brisk pace. His building was home to a few other college students, but he tended to not interact with a lot of people. Julian went through his school day quietly as usual, answering questions when he was asked and generally not speaking until spoken to. Although not a social creature, Julian was still friendly to anyone who spoke to him.

​

 

[Starrnico]

Mary Jane, also known as simply MJ had to walk to class, covered with her old umbrella. She flicked her gaze up at the sidewalk then back down to the books she held, being as careful as she could so she wouldn't drop them. She lived almost four blocks from the campus and hadn't been able to use her bike like she normally would have done. The front tire was flat and would need to be patched or replaced when she had time, though her workload was pretty heavy this semester. Today she had her hair braided back out of her way and as tamed as it got in this rainy weather. Tendrils still escaped whenever she forgot and tried to run her fingers through it, but it did stay for the most part and so long as it did, she didn't really care.

MJ was not very social herself, but she did have friends that she hung out with and would talk to more than anyone else in the building. She spent the day like the monday before, studying and taking notes and trying to get by though when she had a moment, she would think about the trip her family had planned for school break. This year was to be a camping trip to Yellowstone and she was excited about it.

 

[Shambles]

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Her coffee smelled amazing this morning. The mug was held tightly between twin hands, the steam rising to tickle the nose of their owner. Lana smiled as the warmth traveled through her, kicking out the chill that always came when it began to rain. Carefully, she brought the hot coffee to her lips and gave it a try. Immediately she puckered and bit back a gag. It was, without a doubt, the worse coffee she had ever tasted. Hotels never provided their temporary tenants with a good home brew, so she should have been used to that by now. Her occupation always gave way to a large amount of travel and with each trip she was inevitably disappointed by the coffee.

Unfortunately, it was a necessary evil as today Lana was scheduled to interview the president of the local community college. Drugs and violence had started to dominate the small town of Hamilton and it was her job to learn more about it and see how it affected the younger individuals in the area. She closed her eyes and took a large swig from the mug before gasping. Her throat burned, it at least it overpowered the terrible taste.

She gathered her items: a notepad, several pins, and a few other miscellaneous things, and placed them neatly inside her bag before sliding it onto her shoulder. "Today is going to be a great day," she told herself with a smile as she headed out the door with her bag and umbrella. Lana didn't believe that of course, but false optimism was better than nothing.​

 

[Jhuton]

Jackson woke up to his darkened room. It was still raining today, and his mood was starting to turn for the worse. He'd been home with his mother for the short holiday and would have to leave for school again in the morning. He'd always hated going back to school and leaving his mother alone in the old house, but he knew he didn't have a choice if he was going to succeed and take care of her. He looked toward the small window. Outside was as dark and gloomy as ever.

He frowned when he remembered today was grocery day. He had to go out and get some stuff for his mom and himself before he left in the morning. He threw his legs over the side of the bed and tried to rub the sleep out of his eyes. He wasn't particularly keen on going outside today. The rain always made everything so cold and mucky. He'd probably get wet trying to carry everything and an umbrella back to the house. With his luck he'd catch a cold. He sighed and jumped to his feet. It wasn't long before he'd washed his face, brushed his teeth and put on a simple pair of jeans and a black hoodie.

He made his way downstairs as noiselessly as possible. He wanted to be in and out before his mother woke up, so he could surprise her with breakfast in bed on his last day here. Besides, it was better to get this done while everyone was still sleeping. The little town had sank even further since Jackson went off to university. It seemed like everyone was either on drugs or completely depressed. He didn't want to run into anyone and have to start some awkward conversation.

He stuffed a small wad of money crudely into his pocket, took the umbrella that was leaning against the rusted iron coat rack and made his way out into the rain, shutting the door behind him.

 

[The Dapper Mog]

A screeching and repulsive sound entered her ears, prompting Aoko to open her eyes slowly. A groan escaped her lips as she glanced over to her alarm clock, slamming her hand down on the off button. The woman slowly sat upright, looking out the large windows of her loft. For a moment, she'd almost forgotten where she was. In fairness, this place had only been her home for about a month. Hamilton, her new home. For now, at least.

Aoko threw her legs over the side of her bed, making her way to the large window to look out over the city. In regards to size, Hamilton wasn't large, yet, it was by no means a small city either. Her apartment building was a good sixty stories tall, after all, and she was located on the 40th floor. This gave her a great view of the city, just as it was beginning to come to life. It was beautiful, in a way. Then again, she sometimes misses the grand size and sounds of New York. But, here she was. It could always be worse.

Aoko began her exercises, a lengthy set of various yoga poses, Tai Chi forms, and a brief meditation. She decided to pass on the cardio this morning, figuring she could just hit the gym this evening to make up for it. The thought of her making silly excuses brought about an unexpected chuckle as she glanced at herself in the mirror again. Her body was still in great condition. Aoko's eyes scanned her own curves, and a slight frown crossed her lips before she shook the thoughts away, and went on to finish her morning preparations.

The woman made her way to her closet, selecting a decently professional looking blouse and skirt, laying them out on the bed as she moved to the restroom. As she showered and completed her morning routine, Aoko allowed her mind to wander, as she typically did in the morning. Since arriving here, she really hadn't made any friends. Sure, a few friendly students and a couple of cups of coffee with faculty members were always nice. Yet, she couldn't feel any real connections to any of them yet.

It didn't help that she was holding out hope for another job. The University and the occasional lecture provided her plenty of money to live comfortably, but, it just wasn't feeding her sense of curiosity and wonder. Worse, it wasn't giving her even the slightest sense of accomplishment. How was she supposed to bring about any positive change in the world in this situation? It just wasn't possible. Aoko dressed quickly, applying her makeup and her small Orb earnings in her mirror. She had never particularly felt attractive, nor did she feel the need to care more about her appearance, since before she spent most of her time in a lab. In truth, she missed that.

In no time at all, she'd gotten her coffee, eaten her healthful breakfast, and made her way to her desk to get her keys. The opened letter to the CDC along with the rejection letter for a position within the institution was staring at her. She'd have to send that tomorrow morning, just didn't have time today. The thought of the rejection was on the verge of getting her down, so, she decided to just go ahead and go now. With that, Aoko headed out the door, to make her way to the University for today's lecture on neurological function.​

 

[hero.ic]

Nicolette started her morning like the average nine year old child. Wake up, brush her teeth, watch cartoons until mother made breakfast. Her mother always woke up bright and early to make enough breakfast to feed the whole family. Having three older siblings, her father, her aunt and uncle, and her older cousin living with her was a lot of mouths to feed. There was another of her cousins living with them but she had fallen sick and is now at the hospital. Her family has hope that she will recover but the numbers increase in the hospital every day and she shows no signs of recovery. Whatever this virus was, she had it.

"Mama, Tengo que ir al campamento de hoy?*" Nicolette asked her mother as she ran to her mother's side. Being as small as she was, the adolescent barely reached the woman's hip.

Her mother laughed as she finished making pancakes and waffles. "Of course mi pequeña princesa.** Mateo will take all of you. Wake him up will you?" With that she was off to wake up the sleeping bear from his cave.

Knock knock. "Mateo wake up!" She said as she opened the door and immediately jumped on the bed. "Get up mama made breakfast." The little brunette sat on top of her cousin as she tried to stir him from his sleep. He was quite the heavy sleeper but this little girl was far too persistent for him to stay that way.
*Translation: Do I have to go to school today?​
**Translation: my little princess​​

"Nico.. Let me sleep.." He groaned but that only earned him being jumped on more. What a way to be woken up on a Monday morning. His baby cousin jumping on his stomach forcing him to get up on his day off. The team decided to have a personal day since today was especially dreary, and with things getting how they are with this illness running around the coach didn't want to risk anyone getting sick.

"Fine fine." Mateo sat himself up, letting Nicolette sit in his lap until he picked her up and walked out of his room. She was practically his baby sister instead of his cousin. Out of all her siblings she was his favorite, mostly because she was the least irritating. Before long the others began to emerge from their rooms, the girls, one age fourteen and the other a year younger, screaming over who gets the bathroom first and the only other boy besides himself, at the tender age of eleven, heading straight for the kitchen like he hasn't seen food in days. As usual, Mateo wanted nothing to do with it.

Typically, Mateo ate his breakfast topped with fruit and a glass of orange juice. It was part of his 'healthy living' diet being that he had to be in good shape to stay on the team. "You're driving the little ones to day camp today." His aunt spoke softly as she started to clean up the kitchen. Mateo only nodded, grabbing his keys off the counter. His car was nothing special but it got the job done without any problems. "Everyone get in the car in five minutes or someone is walking." He said with a smile as all four of the children scampered off to gather their belongings and run to get the seat they want.

Their house wasn't far from the camp, only a few minutes by car. They lived in the more suburban area of Hamilton. A midsized house in a small neighborhood inside of a quiet little town. A great place for a large family to raise their young. "I'll be back later." Mateo gave a fleeting wave before leaving to drive all the children to where they need to go.​

 

[Hexatech]

Jesus relaxed on his couch as he finished his morning run and cardio mostly trying to keep in shape for his National Guard drills though recently they'd been getting through their local emergency drills in case a natural disaster or something of similar caliber were to happen. He supposed the Flu had something to do with it then again anything made the news nowadays so it didn't worry him to much. He checked his phone before dismissing the idea of working today recalling it was his day off though he still had errands to do as well as go into town to pick up a rifle he purchased prior and was waiting on due to back ground checks.

He huffed and got off the couch heading to the shower and cleaning up to start his day making his to do list in his head which was to go to the Market first to restock on groceries, then to the post office to send his family a letter he'd forgotten to send them last weekend. and finally to the gun shop to sign off on his new weapon and purchase some extra accessories before heading home. Of course living near the edge of town didn't exactly help but it was his day off and today he didn't need to spend all day running back and forth to fix broken air conditioners. He grabbed his key's and headed out making sure to lock up his house before he left.

As he got into his old Blazer he felt like he was forgetting something before he shrugged his shoulders and buckled up starting his car and heading into town to get what he needed. He flicked on the radio and listened to the news his slight prepper mentality making him remember to get some canned food from the supermarket when he got into town. He decided it'd be easier to pick up the gun first rather than leave it for later so he switched his destination.

 

[Lord Snow]

9:00am - Day 0

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All throughout the last class, Julian had felt his phone vibrating non-stop. Thankfully, the sound was off otherwise he'd have problems with his professor. When he finally got the chance, Julian unlocked his cellphone and took a look. Several missed calls and even more frantic texts from a girl named Paige. When he'd first met Paige, she was at a party and was a very pleasant girl. At that point, the worst she'd done was smoke weed. That was, until Julian's neighbor got her into something else. He favored the name 'moon dew' for it. Really, it was just a crushed up mixture of other drugs. People still liked it.

One such person was Paige. While she'd always been nice, the texts and voice-mails she'd left him were demanding and rude. "Meet me right now!" Seemed to be her new catchphrase.

Sighing, Julian obliged. There was a secluded spot near the back of the college, it was shaded and hidden away from the view of the street. There was no way someone could sneak up. This was Julian's favorite spot for when he needed a break, but also for when he made a delivery. He'd already anticipated seeing Paige today, just not so early.

As he made his way out of the school, Julian tried to draw little attention to himself, keeping quiet with his head down. Outside, it was starting to rain, so he lifted the hood of his sweater and kept going. When he reached the meeting spot, Paige was already there. This was not shocking. What was shocking was her appearance.

Her skin was red and peeling, as if she'd gotten a terrible sunburn all over her body. Her usually friendly, bright green eyes were dull and full of hostility. She was shaking and twitching and for a moment, Julian held back a few feet away, not sure if he actually wanted to approach her.

"You.. Haven't caught that flu, have you?" Julian asked her. ​

 

[Starrnico]

MJ spent the day like normal. A quiet day that didn't seem any different from other mondays. By the time last class came around, she was ready to head home and ger her homework done so she could go and do the shopping she needed in town, including a new tire for her bike.

Last class finished and she grabbed her bag, stuffing her books inside and waving to her friends as she headed home again at a jog. The little work she had left to do would be quick and she was thinking of putting it off to have more time to get the tire and groceries she wanted to get today. Normally she would have done her shopping over the weekend, but she had gone to sit with a sick friend instead, thankfully they had a normal cold instead of this odd flu that was going around. Having made the decision, she only stopped at the house long enough to drop off her books and grab her bike, heading to town while walking her bike with her grocery carrier attached to the back.

(Incase anyone was curious, this is what I mean

Spoiler

bike with grocery carrier

)

 

[Hexatech]

Jesus pulled into a parking lot to the side of the gun shop and looked to the sign that read 'Hamilton Gun and Surplus'. Of course he often frequented the place not as a prepper but someone who had a distinct interest in Militaria though suffice to say it didn't exactly help his wallet to much when he kept buying gas masks and such just because he wanted them. He approached the counter and greeted the owner whom he came to know as Mark. While Mark seemed like one of those old man conspiracy nuts, and which he was, He was a nice person to shoot the breeze with sometimes. Jesus came to know him quite well due to the fact he bought quite a few guns from him as well as had some family guns transferred to him through Mark.

The old man looked a little surprised but smiled seeing the young man in the shop so early. "A little early today ain't it Jesus?" Jesus chuckled and pulled out his wallet showing his ID and drivers license "Just wanted it out of the way first." Jesus said as the old man pulled out a few forms for Jesus to sign. "This is a pretty new model. First one I see that uses that 308. So you been hearing about that sickness?" Mark asked. "Hell Mark Who hasn't. Poor folks getting sick across town and the nation. Sorta like that Zika." Jesus said dismissing the flu could be something serious. "Well you be careful kid. I don't like how this thing is all hush hush. I heard that those attacks on the other side of town were committed by folks with the flu." Jesus chuckled "Mark you hear a lot of things."

Mark smirked and took the forms and brought back a box letting the man see the rifle "That I do. So anything else with this beauty today?" He asked. Jesus nodded in response "Yeah. You still got those bulk 308. boxes still? I'll take 2 of those and if you have them and 2 magazines for this beauty." The old man nodded and headed to the back for a moment and returned with the two extra magazines for the weapon. "Alright then. It'll be around 300 dollars. You seemed to have made a little cash nest for this thing." Jesus smiled slightly "Hey you just gotta be prepared. Plus it doesn't hurt to have some cash to burn." Jesus added as he handed the shop owner the cash. "You have a nice week Mark." "Alright you too kid. Try not to work to damn hard for Uncle Sam. Eh?" Mark joked chuckling a little at his joke. Jesus rolled his eyes and sighed walked to his car locking up the gun in a case he kept in the car for things like this.

Jesus hummed as he was just about to go to the market having put the letter to his family in the mail box when his phone rang. Of course it was the college janitor, who'd taken the day off as well though Jesus had helped him out with minor and big repairs before, it was a minor text just requesting to see if he had turned off the sprinkler valve for the day given the rain was here. Jesus responded promising to check it out and he put his phone in his pocket putting on his beanie and taking off his hood before starting his car and heading to the college. He knew it was a little illegal and against the rules to go near the school with a weapon in his car but he'd park far enough away and would just run to the back of the college quickly to see if the janitor left the valve on or not. Jesus started his car and turned on the wipers hoping it wouldn't storm as he still needed to go grocery shopping after this temporary errand.

 

[Jhuton]

It had been a short walk from Jackson's apartment to the supermarket and he didn't try to speed up even though it was raining. He always liked being out in the pouring rain, ever since he'd been a kid. He just loved the sound of it and how calm it made him feel. He listened to the rhythmic beating of raindrops on the top of his umbrella as he strolled along the sidewalk. He hoped it didn't start raining even harder by the time he'd finished with his shopping; he had enough stress as it is having to walk home with grocery bags, he didn't want to have to wade through flooded streets too.

He strolled into the supermarket parking lot soon enough and walked up to the large glass double door entrance. The doors slid open as the sensors noted his approach and he stepped out of the cold, rainy day and into the even colder air conditioned store. The entire interior was lit up in stark white florescent light, with calming piano music from the ceiling speakers filling the many aisles. Jackson closed his umbrella and put it in the umbrella bin supervised by a security guard who seemed to have been working that dead end job in a broken down town all his life. He gave the man a curtly nod before heading off to get a basket and start his shopping.

He filled the basket with everything he needed in little more than 20 minutes and went up to join the line at the first cashier. Jackson was starting to drift back into his thoughts when something pulled him back down to reality.

A cough.

The cashier kept coughing every few seconds. A wet, throat scraping cough that seemed to double her over every few minutes. Jackson came out of that line and joined another one. He hadn't seen it before for himself, but he didn't need to to know the cashier had caught the flu that was going around. She shouldn't have come in or been allowed to work if she was that sick and Jackson wasn't taking any chances.

This was truly a crappy town.