↳ residential area。

@▹ lee hoseok。 A small chuckle left Minho’s lips at the macabre joke but it was true. It would be quite some stunt to pull still he was sure that Wonho could easily just take care of him and then get rid of him. He wouldn’t even have to hide him nowadays, after all they were no real law, no real government, no rules. Just survival of the fittest or smartest. “I get that. I am alone too,” he then said and looked at the other, tilting his head a bit. He had left his old group behind as well, simply because he had been worried he might hurt them. “Are you worried you might hurt someone else?” But not having a partner meant being lost when it came to an attack and one needed help. That could mean death.

“It depends,” Minho admitted and shrugged. “Some are better, some worse. I just figured out I’m pretty good with finding things. I mean, I found you.” It was a joke but also not entirely wrong. He had found Wonho after all, despite the other hiding in this place. “Some try to help others too, its not all bad. We have a radio, a few of us,” he said before he lifted his shortly. “If you want one, let me know. You could at least listen in on us.” This way the other might not be as lonely as he seemed right now.

Carefully Minho took the cup and held it carefully, still too hot to take a sip but it felt nice to the fingers. It had gotten cold outside after all. He his lips and smelled the water, enjoying the tea like this already. “Well, I know how to find things.” He looked at the taller and shrugged. “Maybe you don’t. But keep them as a thank you for the tea and not killing me,” he then said and frowned. Wonho was right, he needed to go soon or he would not make it him by nightfall. “Maybe I’ll just sleep in one of the apartments.” He shrugged slightly. It wouldn’t be the first time after all. “There is no one waiting for me anyways. Aside from the cats.” There was a font smile on his lips. He had fed a lot of stray cats before all of this had happened and somehow they still came to him and whenever he had some left he offered it to the cats. Beautiful soft creatures. It was better than being alone.

@▹ jeon heejin。 A rope. Just perfect. It wasn’t as if Lalisa had come unprepared after all. With a nod of her head does she release the backpack she wields, ping it forth to reveal a rope coiled up inside. “It’s a bit tattered but it’ll work.” Removing the contents of her bag does the woman stand to her feet, grasping the knotted rope in her hand. Listening intently to Heejin’s words do her eyes scan the living space for what might be available to use as a securing point—a belay. There’s no way they’re getting down the hole without an anchor point that will secure placement of the rope itself.

“That’s what I fear as well. Even down there,” kniitted eyebrows are evident of the tension she feels, the notions of the infected eliciting past her lips, “there might be others. I doubt it’s safe down there.” On the far side of the wall lays a fireplace, the hearth destroyed and crumbled to bits. But the mantel and the attaching wall might prove enough as an attachment point for the belay. It’s about the only thing in the house still in one piece and such might be the only assistance in retrieving Heejin’s bag. With haste does she begin wrapping the rope around the fireplace’s overmantel, securing a tight knot.

“Now we have a way down. The question is, do you want to go down there with me?” With an attachment point set does the damsel release the rope into the forbidden vortex swarming with darkness, throwing her backpack over her shoulders.

@▹ lee hoseok。 Running from rooftop to rooftop from each house added a new hobby to the man's list of skills. It was an activity that his mother had instructed him on years ago. Every two jumps made him exhausted so easily that he was in dire need to pause and catch his breath every once in a while before resuming his task. He never despised running especially from each roof he's been to. The skills that he garnered from the past years made him rusty now. He disliked the occupation of an assassin. He never wanted to be a hunter as well. His passion was music, to reach out to many hearts, not this.

How he wished everything would go back to normal as it should. He can't just simply attain something such as this so easily. It will take weeks, months, or even years to make this whole reality that they live in to be normal again. The only wish he could make was his and his sisters' safety. Nothing else in the world can make him dread more if his family were in danger. She was the only person that he is aware that she was alive and breathing.

Taking the ladder down he dropped on the concrete floor with a loud thud making his face frown in disappointment. One of the things he hated the most ever since this pandemic had broken down was noise. Too much noise can cause a problem. A large problem to himself.

Attention.

The least he wanted as someone reborn as a hunter now was attention. Cheers from fans coming to his concert last 2 years ago scattered from the pieces of memories he had kept from the back of his head. He once gained attention now he planned to decrease it.

A new day means a new hunt. He is scheduled to find resources that he and his sister would be able to find until the end of the day. What had to happen in their house though? Are a couple of his mother's pistols remain inside the basement of their house? Not one clue did he even had an idea about his mother surpassed the security from the airline's. Weapons are not allowed to be brought when you travel to a different country. How was his mom this vigilant in visiting two of her children in South Korea?

This will be a topic he'll question in another day. He just hopes a couple of them were still there and loaded. Are they?

@▸ lee minho。 Yup. Just him. Just Hoseok and himself. It was probably for the best anyways. In these types of situations it was best to stay solo. Best not to have any connections. That's how people got hurt. Hoseok had seen enough suffering for a life time. A soft chuckle left the elder's lips. "I could. Maybe. But I really doubt it. It takes a lot to pull apart human flesh and break apart bone without a tool." Hoseok could feel his body tense up slightly as he kept his eyes on the water. Of course it wasn't going to make it boil faster and he knew that. But it was better than staring at the kid. "No. I'm fine. It's better this way. I wouldn't have to worry about anyone else but myself. Plus I wouldn't accidentally hurt anyone else too."

A scuff escaped Hoseok. "That's what they all say. But if that IS true, then that's very noble of you. Are they in really bad shape?" Hoseok should have asked. But maybe, just maybe he was just a little bit curious. But of course he wasn't going to admit it. Were there actually good people left? People who wanted to help? Hoseok had doubted it for the longest time. Watching bandits hurt innocent healthy people. Watch infected eat children and the elderly. , there were even people who hunted people's abandoned domestic pets. At least the ones that didn't get turned.

Hoseok's eyes widened at the comment, slowly turning to look at Lino. He frowned at the two full bottles of water. Hoe did he know? "W-Where did you get those?...Look, I don't need them. I'll survive." Taking other's supplies just meant more trouble for Hoseok. Who knows what the kid wanted in return. Hell, Hoseok didn't know know him. "If there's so many of them around, shouldn't you start to head out soon too?" Once the sound of boiling water was heard, Hoseok blew the store fire out, fetching two mugs, a tea bag, and instant coffee. Oh how Hoseok missed real coffee. But this still did it's job. Hoseok was gonna have a long night ahead of him. After fixing their drinks, Hoseok handed the tea to Lino before taking his bean water. Leaning against a nearby counter, Hoseok took a slow and cautious sip.

@▹ lee hoseok。 “Yeah, put you out of your misery but it seems there is no misery here, just you.” Minho shook his head as he looked around. This place looked worn out but at least comfortable, homely. Minho had an apartment himself, somewhere he was high enough where no infected got into, but it was a lot smaller and already run down a lot. Most places he had been to looked like that. “No funny business planned. I think you could tear me into two with just your little finger, so no thanks, I’d like to live a little longer.” He still had things to do, people to help, so he could not risk getting torn apart by a man who looked like he could probably choke him with just two fingers. Thanks but no thanks, not even in his most horrifying nightmares. “Isn’t it lonely being here without company?” he asked quietly. He knew about being lonely but it was safer.

“I’m not… ransacking. I checked for supplies. I’m getting stuff for a few friends who are low on supplies.” Not that they had asked him for it but it was just something Minho did. Making sure the people were okay, the people would survive. “I just… I like tea. I haven’t had anything warm in a while.” And tea was one of the few things he could have without it tasting like utter .

Wonho. So they were both going on nicknames instead of their real names but who could he blame? He literally did the same and he was not here to judge anyone. He was honestly glad he was still alive. “You seem like you need some supplies too,” he said as he took out two big water bottles and put them in the kitchen. “I have enough supplies, let me know what you need and I’ll get it for you,” he then added, surprised that the other seemed to really make him tea. “I can’t promise I’ll get all, but I’m good with finding things.” Or people, for that matter. Even if those people clearly had not wanted to be found. “I saw a bunch of infected around here, you should really be careful.” Because otherwise he might get into trouble, strong and careful or not. Minho was always a little too worried, yes, but he had his reasons.

@▸ lee minho。 "Exactly." At least the kid knew he wasn't one to be messed with. The male in front of him must be in his early twentys. Definitely younger than Hoseok. Lino. Was that actually his name, or an alias? Hoseok wasn't going to pester the kid about it. He wasn't going to stick around long enough for Hoseok to bother knowing more. As much as Hoseok wanted to trust the kid, he knew he shouldn't. It would just bite him in the , wouldn't it? "No, I'm still living. Put me out of my misery?" Hoseok scuffed at that. Maybe if they were at the beginning of this whole disaster Hoseok might have considered it. But he wasn't going to quit. That wasn't who he was. But the kid was right. Letting out a soft sigh, Hoseok tucked his gun into the waist band of his black cargos, still within reach if the elder needed to draw it out. "No funny business. I won't hesitate to shoot."

Hoseok kept his dark eyes on the younger male as he observed him. He was much smaller than Hoseok. Then again Hoseok was a giant man. He had muscles upon muscles. He could probably even bench press Lino if he really wanted to. "Tea? You're ransacking people's apartments for tea?" Well they were vacant apartment rooms now but still.

Now this kid was asking a little too many questions for Hoseok's liking. The least people knew about him the better right? Every man of their own. That's what Hoseok had learned for now. Skipping the question about living alone on purpose, Hoseok decided to just go to the next question. "Wonho. The name is Wonho. This isn't my place, so that's not my last name." Of course Lino didn't have to know that was a lie. Or that Wonho's name wasn't actually Wonho. Hoseok headed for the kitchen, making sure to keep himself on high alert just in case. Turning the gas on for the stove, Hoseok lit a match, lighting the stove top. He pulled out a bottle of water, pouring it into a pot before placing said pot over the fire to boil. Hoseok made a note to pick up more supplies later. He was running low on water...and matches for that matter.

@▹ lee hoseok。 “Curiosity killed the cat,” Minho said, hands up and eyes on the man right in front of him. Damn, he had thought whoever was in here was locked and couldn’t get out or needed some help or was, well, so badly infected there was no coming back. But clearly he had been wrong. “I’m Lino. I thought you’d already be long gone, infection-wise.” He rolled his eyes. “Thought it would be nice putting you out of your misery but I guess you don’t need that.” He slowly got a little closer so the door could close behind them. “Don’t want to get any attention drawn to us. If you already threaten me from the front, I don’t need that from behind.”

Looking around for a short moment he shook his head slightly. No, there was no use trying to attack the other, not from so far away and Minho preferred not to use the gun he had on him. It was loud and he wanted to be quiet if it was possible. Aside from that he wanted to keep the living. Keep them alive.

“I’m not hear to take anything from you. Unless you have tea or so, it’s ing cold outside.” He grimaced, hands still up. “I’m not an enemy. I promise.” He his lips, just hoping the other would believe him. Minho was saying the truth but he had met many people who would not easily trust him. “Do you live here alone?” that must be lonely. He knew. He was wandering around all alone because he did not want to be danger to anyone. He was trying to help. Great how it had gotten him in this situation. “What’s your name? The name sign on the door said Lee.”

@▸ lee minho。 As much as Hoseok had found himself a safe haven, he knew he was never truly safe. At least not yet. Then again, who was ever really truly safe in the apocalypses? Hoseok had set up traps, some deadly for the stupid zombies. But some sound traps as well for the more smarter zombies and people. That was how Hoseok knew someone was in the vicinity. Who? He had no idea. But he would be damned if he was facing them alone.

Now Hoseok didn't have a lot of weaponry. But the weapons he did have, were stuff he had found when he was looking for supplies. He had kept his pistol on him, deeming his shotgun overkill. Plus he had less shells and they were quite rare to come across. Unless he made them himself, but he didn't have the equipment or tools for that per say.

Once Hoseok heard the jingling of his door, it was his cue to get into position. Aiming the pistol at the door, Hoseok narrowed his eyes as he waited, patiently. It seemed like it took forever by the time the door finally unlocked, slowly swinging open. Hoseok's eyes widened once he knew it was a kid. He relaxed slightly, keeping the gun on the younger male. "Keep your hands up. Who are you? You know what they say to curious cats don't you?" Now that was probably the dumbest thing to say. Hoseok had no idea if the kid was armed and that's what he chooses to say? He just hoped that's not his famous last words.

But seriously, who was this kid? And what was he doing out here? Alone? This was no place for kids. Not at all.

@▸ lalisa manoban。 The other woman had asked if Heejin would let her in and for a split second, she hesitates but scoots a bit to the side, the doorway now clear – she freezes and struggled to speak but Heejin tried her best to usher Lalisa in, after all, she really is in dire need of help, almost desperate even. “Yes, yes — c-come in, I guess.” It was but a hilarious train of thought at first, but then she realized this is the first time she actually said those words to HER guest...even if this is not her home, Heejin could consider the other individual a visitor, to say the least.

She explained her situation yet again, and how she could not find a way to descend to the hole. She leaves out the detail of her being terrified to do so, even if she was able to figure out something. Heejin had seen a lot of unsettling things, especially from when the outbreak started but that was the thing about those situations – she had seen them, but the pit was shrouded in darkness, Heejin cannot see, and that scares her...a whole lot.
Heejin watches as Lalisa treads the interior cautiously. She follows her, quietly – observes her. The usual feeling of having someone nearby was present: distrust, not for the other but towards the self. It is at times like this that she contemplates whether her actions do not instill fear towards her company – projection, that was the proper word for it but Heejin is unaware that was what she had been doing all this time.

She was not aware that she had been holding her breath continuously, that when queried about the contents of her backpack, her voice came out shaky, “J-just things. Basic ones but yeah, things I need to get through all…” She was unsure why she motioned her hand oddly, but it was out of her uneasiness – she was feeling fidgety. “...these.” For the next question she simply shook her head then nodded in response to the second half of it.

Heejin shifted her gaze from the pondering woman in front of her to the farthest point her line of sight could reach, then started speaking again, “Do you have a rope with you? I was actually thinking that uh, there might be like those portable ladders from the other houses? But…” She turns back to Lalisa, blinking a few times before continuing. “...there might be you know, /other beings/ around.”

( open; random starter )

"What else was I supposed to do?" One foot in front of the other.
"She would have killed me if I didn't... if I hadn't..." His new shoes, lifted from a cadaver, crunched over the gravel of the road.
"It was too late to save her." His hands had been mostly wiped clean but a thin layer of blood had dried where he had failed to rinse.
"I had no choice." His breaths were shaky between the muttered words of delirium.
"Where is it?" His entire body felt weak, like he may just drop at any given moment. He couldn't stop walking-- not until he found the place.
"Damn it. Did I pass it?" He didn't pause in his stumbling steps, but kept moving forward. He was searching blindly for the home whence he grew up, hoping -praying- that it was unoccupied.
"Home sweet home-" he wheezed. The familiar oil stains on a long, crooked driveway loomed just before him and his pace increased as he felt vertigo creeping in.
"Just need to get upstairs." He didn't even realize that the door was hanging halfway off its hinges when he pressed through it. He gripped the railing with one weak hand and trudged up the stairs toward his room- or at least, the room that belonged to him until he was 18 years old.

"Made it... good night, mom-" He barely managed to line up with the bed before collapsing hard onto the twin-sized mattress. If he'd been even remotely aware of his surroundings, he would have noticed he had company before ever closing his eyes.

@▹ lee hoseok。 Discovering new places was nice but impossible to Lee Minho has he had already checked out most of the city. At least the exterior of the city as Minho had stayed away from apartments and houses, never dared to enter them. But recently all the places he had usually found supplies had ended up empty and he was now trying to find more as he had heard that some of the people were running out of supplies.

Entering one of the bigger apartment complexes Minho had already discovered a few open doors he had found some food in and some water as well – even a few snacks. He was surprised how he still found some things in such places but whatever worked well, right?

The entire floor had been easy to scavenge, not much was still inside the apartments but at least a little bit, though there was one door that was locked. And curiosity got the better of Minho, grabbing one of the tools he had with him to open doors – after all most supply places were not easy entered as well, before he started to work on the lock and, surprisingly, after just a few tries the door sprung open. But for Minho’s surprise it was not vacant like all the other apartments before.

It was clean, taken care of and Minho stared right into the face of a stranger who was everything but not happy about seeing him. Or was he just interpreting it wrong?

@▹ jeon heejin。 It’s not as if Lalisa is completely new to Heejin’s voice, for she has heard it a many times via her radio. But still, there’s warmth to her honeyed tone, despite the latter’s stuttering. This is when the damsel realizes that perhaps she’s yearned for this aspect of communication all along, this fragment of a social life. How long has it been since she had been kept holed up, away from the scattered remnants of humanity?

It rushes forth all at once, deluges her in that moment—the remembrance of how Lalisa had once been a very social woman, one willing to lead others. A life once filled with meaning and aspirations has now been replaced by, what? That of adversities and tribulations? She doesn’t know what meaning there is to going on anymore.

But still, here she is—Lalisa Manoban in the flesh, alive, well, and breathing. Not to mention that she has reached out to someone in need of assistance. This is almost like an instinct of hers. For if she cannot help herself, the best she can do is be of assistance to others.

“Heejin, hi.” A smile befalls rosy brims as that door separating the pair swings open. She’s surprised the door is still intact, having seen that many of the other residences in the area have been destroyed, left to dissipate to dust and nothingness. But she’s even more astounded at the endless string of words befalling from the woman before her. It’s quite amusing, though not in a mocking manner. In fact, she sympathizes with Heejin, as she feels the exact same.

“Don’t fret about it. I’m simply glad you accepted my offer.” She gives a curt nod of her head, eyes scanning the younger’s frame. “You will let me in, right? I do have a flashlight to aid you.” That same smile upon her visage remains, the elder lifting her arm to reveal the torchlight in her hand. In her opinion, it makes for the perfect tool amidst this catastrophe; it makes for a hefty weapon while providing use in times devoid of light. It’s somewhat of an upgraded baseball bat.

——

The wooden floorboards of the front mudroom creak beneath Lalisa’s heel, as if each step threatens to give way to her form. The house is in no preferable state of maintenance, but it is better than other locations. Still, shattered picture frames and wooden planks of the like are littered amidst the ground bestrewn with debris. The visitor can only wonder if such a place has running water. Furthermore, she questions how Heejin has managed throughout the night without a source of luminescence.

There, at the center of the living room, lays a gaping hole in the ground. Splintered wood litters the seams and Lalisa cautiously makes her way over, switching her flashlight on. “What was in your bag again, might I ask?” It’s dingy, dark, and the light of her tool fails to meet a surface beneath the floorboards. Odd. Upon rumination does the female speculate that such may be a bunker or basement of some sort. “You weren’t able to find a staircase or some basement hatch, correct? Getting down by rope is my only idea, though I’m not sure how deep the area goes.”

Not to mention the infected. Who knows if those infected are lingering beneath the surface? It’s a topic the woman only omits.

@▹ felix lee。 "Oh!" Yiren blinks in surprise at the mention of the radio channel, and immediately, she feels another wave of relief wash over her. "Oh, yes. I'm still a student journalist though, but I guess I'll never become a reporter," she says with a dry laughter. Talking about dead dreams used to seem very... "emo" in her eyes, now she thinks it's just part of the new reality she has been thrown into. She lets out another chuckle in hopes to clear the awkwardness that came with her dry laughter, and she runs a hand through her hair (she lost her hairtie sometime before arriving here). She notes in the back of her mind that her hair has gotten longer — and quite frankly, she thinks it's becoming inconvenient.

"You're from, uh," Yiren pauses, taking a moment to remember the facts she's learned from the radio channel (she took down notes, yes, but it's not like she can pull out her small journal in front of Felix without coming off as weird), "—oh, Australia, right?" She continues, placing the side of her fist on top of her palm as she tilts her head a little to the side. She hopes she's right. She hasn't exactly looked at her notes about the people she's met over the radio recently, since she didn't exactly think she'd meet one of them so soon and so unexpectedly.

"Well... I'm trying to look for them, but I haven't heard them talk over the radio so..." 'quite frankly, I'm losing hope,' she continues in her mind, biting her lower lip as she inhales ddeeply. Instead, she focuses on Felix's next words, a smile frighteningly easy to form on her tiers as she pushes her negative thoughts out of her mind. "I guess that means we'll both get lost then," she says, the cheerfulness not really fitting what getting lost means — it's dangerous to go without a place in mind in these times, but she has never been one to be a pessimist for too long.

@▸ flora dai。 solitude is a concept lalisa has very well become familiarized with ever since the start of this damned year. after losing her family, even friends, the woman has learned to despise the world and place distrust in others. the heart that had once been endearing and sought to help out others had become bitter, hardened by the cruelty of the world. she empathizes with others still, but she always wonders what keeps her going. is it the concept of family, forever shattered in her own heart? survival? she can no longer put a label to her conceptualizations.

but a single sight to behold is quick to turn the damsel on her own words.

it had been quiet that morning, rather chilly as the late autumn breeze had her darkened tresses dancing in the air. many of the residential houses lining the streets are indistinguishable now, paint crackling from the side panels. many have front doors hanging off the hinges and porches with missing wood planks, others flayed and just about to disintegrate. but other residences are in a condition more favorable for living in, to which why lalisa is roaming about in search of a new hideout.

but something catches her eye—a woman. and not just a regular woman at that. a woman with two children, either one at her side. almost immediately, there’s a strike of pain in lalisa’s chest, as if she’s been physically hurt. repressed memories of holding her younger siblings in her arms have her breathless for a moment, and all becomes numb, though it should be her very reason for fighting.

so she grasps her emotions and takes a deep breath, approaching the trio with leniency.

“excuse me. i couldn’t help but notice you since you have children with you. are any of you hurt?”

@▸ lalisa manoban。 Luck leaves a scintilla – such is fleeting. If you are too slow, you lose sight of it – that is when misfortune lures you. Heejin was lured in, now she finds herself struggling to see through the hole on the floorboard. The void reveals no clue of what could be there—except for Heejin’s belongings that she dropped. It was rather comical, how it played out.

The female had just awoken from her sleep (or nap, she could not sleep immediately after arriving from her days long trip), groggily she dragged her feet across the wooden floor – poorly maintained, indicating that the residence has been abandoned for at least a couple of months. The weight of her bag was on the heavier spectrum that when she dropped it while calibrating the radio, it broke the boards beneath.

For quite a couple of minutes, she attempted to grab ahold of something amidst the blankness – and blankness was all there is. Heejin figured out that it was a rather deep hole, probably leading to a basement. She was trying to find the staircase towards it across the house but was unable to find any – she figured out perhaps it was the trapdoor itself that crumbled and the ladder might have been broken too through the process. Although much of those are speculations for there was no way she could even see through the dark – it was quite gloomy too (well, it has been gloomy for months but Heejin meant the weather).

The young lady was not so sure why she reported the incident to the public channel. After getting a response though, from a fellow survivor named Lalisa, she panicked. That was the first time they have talked, but the other female was quick to offer help. Heejin found it hard to say no – probably out of her desperation as well, given that it took her so long to actually gather necessities she should have.

When both the source of her uneasiness and relief came through as a voice behind the front door, Heejin was faced with a dilemma. Should she not respond? Should she open the door and let the stranger in? Before she could even decide, however, her hand was already turning the doorknob.

Then there she was, facing a completely unfamiliar face – seconds later she was already running , words strung too closely together. “Hey, I’m Heejin. Nice to meet you, Lalisa. Sorry for the inconvenience. You must have gone out of your way—s–sorry but I don’t mean to assume. I was just really nervous about you coming—not that I don’t trust you! But, uhm – it has been, uh…” A pause, to catch a breath. “...months? Weeks? Since I have seen a uhm, actual person? A person, yes.”

Curses flood her brain followed by apologies as she realized that Lalisa might speak soon but she could not focus. Asking for help might be another misfortune that lured her.

“.”

Heejin did not mean to say that out loud.

( & — oh god it came out longer than how i wanted it to be jsdfhkdkfh )

@▸ wang yiren。 She's distracted, Felix thinks, but maybe that's just him. After all, a stranger appearing out of seemingly nowhere tends to make you paranoid, especially now. Maybe he's just overthinking things, but just in case, Felix makes sure to hold eye contact with her, searching her eyes for any sign of... well, he doesn't know. Something suspicious or alarming, he supposes.

Her hand is soft in his, and maybe he lets the touch linger for a moment longer than she does — he does miss physical affection, if he's being honest. But that's an oddly placed thought to have, and he mentally shakes it away, especially seeing how quick she is to let go of him. "Yiren..." he murmurs, the name sounding familiar. "By any chance, are you the one that's been on the public channel lately? From China, right? You're a reporter or something." The memory isn't too vague just yet — after all, Felix had cherished those moments he'd spoken to strangers over the radio; it was far too lonely not to. "I'm sorry to hear about your friend, though. Are you trying to look for them?"

"I'm gonna be honest with you," Felix chuckles, scratching his cheek almost sheepishly. "I don't know, either. I'm not from around here — well, my parents are, but I haven't been to Korea enough to remember all the districts and stuff." He stretches, a lopsided grin playing at his lips. "I've just been wandering around. Guess I'm just headed in any general direction."

@▹ felix lee。 Harmless, Yiren repeats in her mind. She doesn't trust that word even the slightest bit — even the most innocent looking of all faces, in this day and age, can prove to be just as dangerous as a criminal on the loose once the infection has taken over the mind. She should know, for the temptations continue to linger at the back of her mind, waiting to be unleashed; waiting for the moment she finally gives in to what her body desires. But Wang Yiren is nothing but a stubborn woman whose will has proven to be much stronger than even her parents' power. She /will/ have this under her control.

Even if the smell of a human is far too close for her liking. She isn't hungry right now, no, but what man doesn't get even the slightest bit tempted when food stands right in front of them?

She pauses in her thoughts in horror, and realizes she's zoning out of the conversation. She blinks, barely hears what the other man is saying until she notices the hand being held out toward her and the introduction that she almost misses if not for the outstretched hand. With a slight pause, a hint of hesitance (because if she takes this hand, where will it take her? Companionship is something she has avoided in the past few months of her life, knowing that she'll endanger her companions one way or another certainly doesn't help with feeling safe), she raises her free hand and takes the stranger's hand — now named Felix in her mind, and she shakes the hand lightly. "Yiren. Wang Yiren, and well... I've been alone since near the beginning of the outbreak. Got separated with my friend, and... now I don't know where they are."

She lets go of his hand quickly, a contrast to her hesitance when she takes it. She hasn't seen another non-Infected (or at least, a person who doesn't try to bite her at first sight) in a long, /long/ while, and as much as she's relieved that there are others, she's also worried.

Not for her safety, but /his/.

She purses her lips. "Where are you headed now? I don't really have a place in mind. I'm... well, not that familiar with the districts of Korea just yet."

@▸ wang yiren。 It's good to see that there are some reasonable people still wandering the streets, and Felix finds himself relaxing ever so slightly, despite the voice in his head that tells him otherwise. It's not good to let his guard down so soon, but around a somewhat friendly, reasonable looking face, he can't help it. Felix thinks he misses people too much to be as cautious as he should. He'll still keep an eye open, of course, just to be safe, but for now... maybe speaking to someone after what feels like a forever of being by himself would help him stop feeling so restless.

"I get what you mean by trust issues," he laughs, and truly, he does. Maybe a little too well. "Trust me, I do. But yeah, I'm harmless." Well, mostly. But he doesn't think he needs to show the harmful side of him right now — as long as she doesn't put that bat to use, that is. Sweeping his gaze over the surrounding area, a frown makes its way upon his face once he notices how... empty it is. Disappointing, he thinks. The least he could have gotten out of his late night wandering is a few supplies.

"That so? Dang, what a waste. And here I thought I'd be able to do something productive tonight." Scratching his cheek, Felix walks over to the stranger, ensuring he's not too close as he holds his hand out. "I'm Felix, by the way. And to answer your question, I'm alone. Have been for a while now."

@▹ jeon heejin。 her expedition is one of solitude, brisk air against her face and in her tresses. it’s something lalisa has become accustomed to ever since the start of this entire atrocity. being a lone wolf hadn’t been as bad as she had expected, but of course she would do anything to have the past back. her yearning for comfort may very well be the reason why she strives to push herself, always encourages herself to reach out to those around her and help them. she does it for the family she has been stripped of.

the residential street lined with gloomy houses is eerily quiet. morning dew coats the lawns of fresh viridescence, and lalisa can only wonder how long such a sight will last before withering into oblivion. her doe eyes scan the street for one house in particular, the one in which heejin has been residing in. the deafening silence continues to irk the woman, for the absence of life could mean either safety or a loss of life. such worrying thoughts is why the damsel hurries to heejin’s current hideout.

“hello?” her knuckles rap at the wooden door with mild force. “it’s me, lalisa.”

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@▹ felix lee。 Yiren doesn't let her guard down even as the stranger grins — she's met far too many people whose looks can deceive even the most cautious ones (not that many, given the state of the country at this moment, but twice is already too many for her and it's already exceeded that), and she isn't about to take her chances. But knowing that the gun isn't loaded /does/ serve to calm her down the slightest bit, and her hold on the bat relaxes. There's tension she hasn't realized in her shoulders that she releases, and so she heaves a soft sigh.

"I'm sorry too," she says, waving her free hand lightly. Her stern expression gives way into an apologetic smile, eyes much softer than they have been mere seconds ago. "It's just—It's hard to differentiate people nowadays and it's... well, causing me severe trust issues," she continues with a slightly awkward chuckle following after her words. A thumb softly rubs against the handle of the bat, as she tries to move it a little out of sight — she knows now that she may come off as threatening, even if she looks petite.

"I assume you came here for supplies?" She gestures to the general area with a hand. "I'd have to say there aren't much here. I reckon others have already gone ahead and looted the place." Her eyes haven't left the stranger even once as she speaks. "Did you come here with others? Or are you alone?"

@▸ wang yiren。 She's got a point, Felix thinks to himself, and he has to curse silently — this outbreak has done nothing to improve his already questionable social skills.

Still, he should be cautious, shouldn't he? His gut is telling him to be on guard, to be wary of this girl lurking about in the shadows at ungodly hours, but Felix has never been the type to suspect someone without reason. Despite the twisting feeling in his gut, he raises his hands as if in defeat, attempting to ease the nerves that creep up his spine. It's just a habit, he thinks, for his brain to go into attack mode — but this girl's given him no reason to do that. She looks harmless, in fact, as long as he ignores the spiked bat she's gripping so tightly.

"A man that's been attacked one times too many," he responds smoothly, a sheepish grin playing at his lips as he tucks the pistol back into his holster. "It's not loaded, by the way. You weren't in any real danger." In fact, Felix himself is likely the one that's in danger here — he's sure getting shot wouldn't hurt as nearly as much as getting attacked with a spiked bat. The mere image of it makes him wince, but he swallows it down with what he hopes is a casual smile thrown the stranger's way. It's good to see a living face, even if there's a deadly weapon next to said face. "Sorry, it's a habit of mine. I really do come in peace."

@▹ felix lee。 [ smh u___u ]

Yiren's eyes only narrow at the gun aimed at her, and she can't help the way her eyebrow rises at the stranger's words. "In peace? When you have a gun pointed at me?" she says, and she tightens her hold over her bat — though she knows, against a bullet speeding through the air much faster than she can even see, her chosen weapon isn't much of a defense against it. But well, she can still at least try, right? It's a shame her genetic mutation doesn't come with more heightened senses — but she pushes that thought away as soon as it came to her.

The face the stranger possesses is one that Yiren feels vaguely familiar. And by vaguely, she means the type of face she sees every once in a while, though it might be because she's seen it in an article... or something. She meets—or well, she /used to/ meet a lot of people due to the nature of her chosen course, and as such, perhaps, she may have /really/ seen his face before. And even his voice sounds familiar to her now, if she strains her ears enough to try and recognize it (but even so, it might be that her mind is simply trying to play tricks on her — she hasn't seen or heard another person who isn't... well, who hasn't succumbed to the genetic mutation just yet; and reality and imagination have become much harder to separate nowadays).

But that doesn't really matter now, when said stranger has a gun pointed at her face. He doesn't look that much older than her, honestly, and so she has to question where he even got that gun or if he even knows how to fire one. She, however, bites those questions down for now, because whether or not the stranger knows how to use a gun, she's still the one standing at the end of its barrel, the one who'll get shot whether by accident or intention. "Put the gun down, and maybe I'll actually believe you did come here in peace. What man points a gun at someone and claim they don't mean any harm?"

@▸ wang yiren。 ( ur request was respectfully denied. this is what u get for making it long )

It's odd to be wandering about at such ungodly hours, but Felix has never been the type of person to sit still. Especially now that everything's gone to , there's a creeping sense of fear that crawls up his spine every time he stays in one place too long. Even before the outbreak had hit, he'd always needed to move, to run, to do something — and it seems, that no matter how dangerous it may seem, he still has that urge to move, to run.

That's one thing he misses. Running, feeling the wind fly across his face. The running he does now is such a stark contrast from the track, and he misses it. He misses the people, the noise, the sun on his cheeks, the cheers in the crowd, the feeling of approaching that white finish line —

But things are different now, aren't they? Even as Felix scrounges through these abandoned houses for some sort of supply, he tries to squash down that nostalgia. Nothing good comes from it now — all he needs to focus on searching for these damn supplies, and finding some canned goods that aren't just ing beans again —

"Who's there?"

Felix is quick to snap to attention (holy , how had he not noticed that someone else was there), whipping his trusty pistol from its holster as he aims it in the direction of the stranger — a girl, with a nasty looking bat that's sure to gouge one of his eyes out if it hits him in the face. , he hadn't thought anyone would be up at this hour.

"Easy," he begins, although his gun is still up (not loaded, but she doesn't need to know that), and his senses are on high alert. "I come in peace— was just doing a supply run."

@▹ felix lee。 [ hello haha please do not < 3 mirror i'm begging ]

Once again, Wang Yiren finds herself awake at ungodly hours of the night — much like many other nights the past few months of her life.

Insomnia becomes an even worse case when the nightmares she has aren't even the ones she'd have before this year came in. She has always believed the dreams are the whispers of the subconscious, hence the nightmares are always tied with her fears — sometimes these nightmares don't really feel like nightmares once she's in it. Sometimes it feels /right/, which is more terrifying than it sounds like, because these dreams make it feel as if the foreign things she's started to feel are natural, part of who she is, part of /what/ she is; these dreams make her feel as if it's normal.

And she hates it with all her heart because it makes her feel less human and more of a monster.

So instead of sleeping and risking her sanity through more nightmares, she forces herself awake (which proves to be an easier feat than recovering from said terror within sleep, if she were to be perfectly honest). Staying inside the house she's chosen for the night (completely empty, save for a few canned food and supplies, which is fine by her; she'll take it) feels more and more suffocating the longer she stays inside, so she decides to stay at the top of the house, sitting on its roof as she eyes the quiet world around her.

There's no one around, but she doesn't trust the peace to stay for long so she has her bat with her, whose upper portion she's decorated with nails (a trick she learned from a movie, but it's been effective so why not?), and a knife (given to her as a gift by her father back when she still lived with them — she has never thought it'd actually come in handy other than for ripping open packages) she hides by her boot.

And she's right, the peace doesn't stop for long. Another human scent enters her vicinity (and no, she hates the way she has this heightened sense), followed by faint footsteps, and she's immediately on alert, holding onto her bat securely as she poses in defense, standing from her seat. "Who's there?"