Posts by agara

Levi watched out of the corner of his eye for a moment as Wes stripped off a few of his layers. He considered doing the same, but he wasn't wearing many layers to begin with; a simple T-shirt and jeans were all he opted to wear that day. He stored his heavier clothes in his bag, but at the moment he wasn't keen on reaching for them. It was much too hot for that. Although, he did appreciate the extra protection that more layers offered. Sometimes, depending on what one was wearing and how decayed the ghouls were, it could protect someone from a bite. He'd seen it happen before, but only once in winter.

Wesley's words came once more, and he listened with interest as he spoke. Again he considered his words, but the answer didn't come slowly like it had often done thus far. "Maybe. I don't know how aiming downwards with a pistol would go, though. We'll see what happens, I guess." Perhaps it would be easier than he thought, but he wasn't too confident that his shots would make their mark were he to shoot down at them.

"The fire escape is probably gonna be our best option, honestly," he spoke after a few seconds of silence. Going up the stairs was basically impossible at this point with the ghouls in their way. He didn't even stop to consider whether or not they should leave their stuff there because he completely agreed with Wesley. Taking it would only slow them down. He was confident that no one would stumble upon their things here, either. "Agreed," he returned simply.

Levi turned to gaze through the dust-covered windows. The sky was beginning to turn orange, signaling the coming sunset. They would need to be careful now, and they would also need to be swift. The darkness could greatly hinder their ability to detect threats, so they would need to hurry up and get this done.

After a few more minutes of rest, Levi rose from his seat and began towards the door. "We need to go or else the sun is going to set. There's no telling what can happen at night, either."

The silence hovering over the town drew an intense aura of unease out of the duo. His hazel eyes darted between the dark alleyways between the cramped buildings, searching for any sign of movement or sound. Like Wesley, his hand, tightly wrapped around his own gun, hung loosely at his side. He remained attentive, though, ready to fire at whatever may cross their path.

The only sound he could hear was the sound of their boots clicking on the asphalt underneath their feet. It reminded him of the old westerns or apocalypse movies his dad used to be so obsessed with. If they were in a movie, the silence would be off-putting to viewers and it would build suspense for whatever was about to come. Levi prayed that this wouldn't be the case in their situation.

The building was once more coming into view now. Then Wesley's voice cut through the silence like a hot knife through butter. He nodded in response, also scanning the area for somewhere to keep lookout. He looked down an alleyway and noticed that there was a ladder leaning against the side of a nearby building. It appeared to be a small, old grocery store, strategically located on an intersection where it would attract a lot of business back before the apocalypse. It was much shorter than the apartment building, but it would still serve nicely as a place to keep lookout. Plus, it was basically directly across the street from the apartment building. He wouldn't have a view of Wesley's room, though.

"I'm gonna head to the top of that building. I'll yell or something if I see anything." With that, he left Wesley to head on top of the building. Despite the years, the ladder hadn't been weathered too horribly, and it held nicely as he climbed onto the roof. Once he was on top, he peered down the streets before looking down at Wesley and giving a thumbs up.

// So how would you want all of this to play out? Like how Levi gets hurt and everything

The blond watched with great concern as Wesley ascended the fire escape. Unlike the ladder he had used to get on top of the old grocery store, the fire escape seemed to have been worn quite a bit by time. It made him quite nervous, truly, because with the state that it appeared to be in, it almost seemed like it was on the verge of collapse. All he could do was pray that that wasn't the case. His nerves were even more heightened when Wesley entered the building after completing his ascent.

While Wesley was inside, Levi found a moment to scan the area once more. Nothing much had taken place. The ghouls were still seemingly and mysteriously absent from the town. Nothing seemed to move except for the dust in the breeze. It put him on edge and made him wonder as to what happened to the undead that had been there only minutes before. He had a nasty feeling in his stomach and it made him anxious for what was to come.

He didn't have time to dwell on that, though, because Wesley quickly emerged from the apartment clutching his supply bag. A grin worked its way onto his face and he flashed another thumbs-up at the man. With that he headed towards the edge of the building and began his descent down the ladder.

Once on the ground, he began his short walk out of the alleyway when out of nowhere he heard the familiar sound of a ghoul behind him. The hair on the back of his neck rose and he whipped around to face it. The thing was only a few feet away, and yet somehow Levi had missed it whenever he came down the ladder. It was quickly approaching, and in the heat of the moment Levi had little time to react. He shot at its head but missed by a long shot and ended up shooting a case of propane tanks.

A million things happened in an instant then. A sizable explosion was set off, and large portions of the buildings on both sides fell. Levi moved as fast as he could to escape the impact, but his efforts proved to be mostly fruitless. The rubble collapsed on top of him and he was buried under it.

Everything hurt. He was alive, but everything hurt. There was dust in his eyes, and it hurt to open them. Not like it mattered, though, because under the rubble he was submerged in darkness. He could feel the scratches and bruises on his body already forming, but that wasn't what was really the matter. No, something in his leg was very, very off. He'd broken bones before, but this was somehow worse. It felt like his right leg was being crushed under the weight of the rubble. Maybe it was just broken, though, and the concrete on top of it just added to the pain. He didn't know. All he knew is that he wanted to get out.

// I hope this is alright! It's late and I really just wanted to get something up. Also, I'll be in Tennessee starting Monday through Thursday. During that time I'll try to respond if I can, but I don't know if I'll have much time to myself. Plus I'll be restricted to mobile, though that's not usually an issue.

Haha yeah, I kinda agree with Viserion? I'm used to playing men so that's not an issue but I'm not sure how I would feel playing one of our boys. If there are some others on board then maybe, though. It would be a new experience, to be sure.

The ringing in his ears was unlike anything he'd experienced before. It muffled and drowned out most of the sounds around him. Without his sight and hearing and with intense pain searing through his body, he felt helpless and crippled. And no matter how much he wanted to move, he couldn't. Not while he was buried under the concrete remains of the buildings. But at least he was still alive, although his chances of survival were rapidly decreasing.

Somehow, he picked up on the hurried footsteps moving his way. Much clearer than the footsteps came Wesley's voice, seemingly frantic in tone. The words were muffled, but he could hear them well enough. It was reassuring to know that the man was going to try to free him from the rubble, but Levi would be as good as bait. There was no way he was going to be able to move without Wesley basically carrying him. He would rather be left to the ghouls than inhibit Wesley's own chances of survival. Even if that meant he would turn into a ghoul himself. How ironic that he would become the thing he hated most, the things that had taken the lives of his entire family and now possibly his own.

He soon felt a warm hand grasp his own and a voice cut through his thoughts was once more. Wesley's, again. Could he hear him? Was he hurt? Levi weakly squeezed the other man's hand in response. "Help. Please," he managed to sputter out breathlessly. The concrete slabs compressed his lungs and he was beginning to find it hard to even breathe. "My leg," he managed once more after a moment, although he was unsure if his words were even audible.

// Actually I'm kinda dreading the trip, haha

"Fuck," Levi spoke through gritted teeth as the concrete slab worked its way further onto his leg. He was under the impression that the pain could not get any worse, but it somehow did. It took more willpower than he thought he had to not scream out in pain. His face scrunched up in pain and tears welled up in his eyes which he finally decided to open. He hoped that the other man didn't notice that, but at the moment the blond was concerned with much more important things.

All he could do was watch helplessly as Wesley attempted to search for a solution to the problem. He was tempted to tell the man to leave him there and survive without him, but before he could even suggest the idea Wesley had already come up with a new plan. This time around he was going to pull Levi out from under the rubble. He had his doubts as to whether that would work, but it was all they had.

The blond gave a small nod in response to the man asking him whether he was ready or not. With Wesley's arms already hooked around his, he really didn't have much of a choice in the matter. All he could do was brace for the oncoming pain.

Levi knew it was going to hurt, but he had no idea how excruciating it would be. All attempts to keep from crying out failed and a pained howl escaped from his mouth as Wesley pulled him from the debris. But at least he was now finally free from the rock. Their troubles weren't over yet, though.

He struggled to sit up enough to see the effects that the explosion had on his body. His exposed skin — all of which was on his arms, face, and neck — was dotted with scrapes and bruises. He was thankful that that was all that came of that, but then his eyes landed upon his legs. His left leg was fine, thankfully, but his right leg could not possibly be worse. The angle it was bent at made his stomach do somersaults. He knew before Wesley even pulled him out that it wasn't going to be pretty, but he didn't know that it would be that bad.

He couldn't bear to look at it anymore. The blond's head returned to the ground and his attention shifted to focus on Wesley who was now hovering over him. His hazel eyes bore directly into the other man's, and if one looked hard enough it would be possible to see the pain and desperation that Levi felt in that moment. "Yeah, I can still talk," he uttered meekly. But after a moment he shook his head. "No. You need to go. I'd only slow you down," he admitted quietly. "Leave me here. Please."

// Thanks, I'll try my best c:

That’s completely fine! I’m approaching finals season as well, but I’m sure it’s not as bad for me since I’m still in high school. I’m also in Tennessee at the moment, so I completely understand being short on time. Your finals are much more important than a roleplay; focus on your exams rather than this.

"No, you have to leave me," Levi protested in response to Wesley. Despite his own desire to stay alive, Levi knew that if he went with Wesley that he would only decrease the other man's chances of survival. He couldn't do that to someone who had worked just as hard as he did to remain alive for the past four years. It was his own fault that this happened, not Wes's.

Even still, he wanted to live. He had suffered through so much to get to this point only to have everything ruined in a few seconds. And all because of a fucking ghoul and Levi's ability to aim, or lack thereof. Perhaps he was being a bit hard on himself, but to get by in this world you have to do that. You have to force yourself to improve in order to increase your odds of survival. If you don't, you die. That was the harsh reality of this cruel and unforgiving world.

Levi was going to protest further, but Wesley had already made up his mind and was lifting the blond to his, well, foot. He winced as his broken leg shifted downwards, holding back another cry of pain. He involuntarily leaned on Wesley, being careful not to put all of his weight on the other man. He had a slim figure, but he knew that between his height and muscle mass that he wasn't the lightest person.

"Alright," he responded. There was really nothing he could do to keep Wesley from bringing him along. "Let's walk, then."

Unbeknownst to them both, a group of five was making their way towards the site of the explosion. The group, quite hostile and reckless in nature, knew that there would be people there — people they could exploit and steal from. Their de facto leader's maniacal, murderous grin was a testament to their terrible nature. They moved like a pack of hyenas searching for their prey as they swiftly moved towards the site of the explosion.

// I'm finally back! I like that idea. We can just play them all at our leisure, honestly.

// That's okay!! Your health is way more important than any roleplay. I need to apologize for my delay, actually, because through no fault of your own you just so happened to respond on the same day that my family went to Tennessee on vacation. I'm back now, though, so we can get this thing rolling.

Being offered a scholarship to any university came as a both a dream and a surprise to Isaac. His grades were good, all high scores, but compared to other good students at his high school they were nothing remarkable. No, his talent lied in the arts, specifically in music. He was beyond overjoyed and quickly accepted the offer. However, he quickly came to regret it when the rooming schedules came out.

Seeing his name next to Cedric's brought back memories that he had long pushed down. He remembered all the times that they had played together as kids when neither of them had a care in the world. Being neighbors certainly helped in their endeavor to be near one another. As they grew up the two only became closer to the point where Isaac could say with certainty that Cedric was his best friend.

He also reminisced upon their fleeting romance. Isaac had known that he liked boys for a while, but he was never able to act upon his feelings for other men. His family, who consisted solely of devoutly religious people, would have undoubtedly rejected him. His friends would have done the same as well. He was sure of that.

The memories he had of that autumn day were vivid. He recalled them well, almost as if they had happened only a few moments earlier. He had only looked on as the bullies assaulted Cedric and continued to torment him until he moved away. He realized then that he couldn't be associated with Cedric, lest he wanted rumors about his own sexuality to begin. And if they somehow got to one of his siblings or his parents, he knew that his life would be ruined. He feared that if they knew they might kick him out or send him to conversion camp or something.

But the feelings he had for Cedric were true. The love he felt for Cedric was very real, and even though their relationship ended badly he never regretted any second that he spent with the other boy. The guilt and regret that weighed on Isaac's conscience was crippling in a sense, and for a long while he spent every moment of every day beating himself up over his actions or lack thereof. But there was no apologizing or making up for his actions. He knew that nothing he could do would make up for straight up ignoring Cedric.

Isaac ended up being somewhat relieved when Cedric moved away. But all that did was make him feel worse about it. He knew that he shouldn't have been relieved in the slightest and that made him feel even guiltier about the whole situation than he already did.

It took him several years to push those feelings down to the point where he could finally say that he was over the whole thing. Seeing his name next to Cedric's brought all those feelings back to the surface, though, and he almost punched a hole in the wall of his bedroom back at his family's house.

It was with great reluctance that he moved into the dorm room that he was meant to share with Cedric. He was almost completely settled in when he heard footsteps in the hallway that stopped right outside his room. Fearing the worst, he made towards the door and turned the doorknob. It opened with a hint of resistance, whose source was revealed to be Cedric.

Fuck, he thought momentarily. Isaac heard the other male's greeting, but it took a moment to register as a hello in his mind. "H-hey," he responded after a moment, uncharacteristically fumbling over his words. After a few more seconds, he stepped to the side. "Uh, welcome, I guess."

The first two steps went about as smoothly as one would expect — that is to say, not at all. His awkward hopping on one foot was certainly made easier with Wesley's help, but it wasn't fun in the slightest. He was focused on getting back to the bar at the moment, and he was already beginning to formulate ideas on how to set and splint his leg. Although the pain didn't help in coming up with those ideas and they were so far based mostly on past experience and education rather than actual creation of ideas. It would be easier to think once they were able to sit down and be safe from the ghouls.

But at the moment it seemed that they didn't need to be concerned with ghouls for a hostile-looking group had just rounded the corner. Like Wesley, his attention first landed on the giant whose pistols were leveled at their faces. Levi was tall, standing at six feet, but this guy was fucking massive. Were it not for his leg he might not have been so intimidated, but knowing that he had no way to escape them made him anxious. He would just have to hope that they would be able to talk themselves out of this particular situation.

He remained silent as Wesley spoke to the group before them. His eyes lingered on the giant for a moment before they drifted to the other members of the group, examining their faces. If any of them had any feelings about the situation, they certainly weren't showing them. Levi's grip tightened around his own firearm, which had miraculously not been thrown from his grasp in the explosion. Unlike Wesley, he chose to keep it drawn just in case a shootout erupted between the duo and the group of five. The blond had an inkling that neither he nor Wesley would survive if it came to that, though.

Hazel eyes turned on the man with the bandana as he emerged from the group. His devilish grin was certainly unnerving, but Levi wasn't going to let that show. The machete intimidated him more than the giant did, especially because of how clean the steel was. An odd detail to notice, but it being so stainless meant that the man likely cleaned it meticulously, which meant that he had good reason to clean it. He shuddered thinking about what the man has probably done to countless people with that machete.

As such, its point coming to a rest on the knee of his broken leg was more than unwelcome. "I don't believe that that's any of your business," Levi half-growled. Perhaps his judgement was clouded by the pain, but he seemed to not even think about the consequences of his words. Whether or not his speech would piss the man off remained to be seen, though.

Levi took a deep breath as the cold steel of the machete came to a rest only a few inches from his face. His heart was beating a mile a minute now, but thankfully the man with the bandana didn't know that. He tried his best to show as little emotion as he could, although anyone with a keen enough eye would be able to see the anxiousness resting on his brow.

He felt marginally more at ease when the knife was lowered to his collarbone, but the taps on his collar from the metal were certainly unwanted. He chose to remain silent instead of responding to the man's threatening remarks. Even more unwanted was the hulking giant's presence behind them. It seemed that his name was Beanie. The blond wondered for a few seconds how he may have come to be known as such, but he pushed the thought to the back of his mind with relative ease. He was more concerned with the place that the giant had taken behind them. Levi couldn't say that he was a big fan of the uncertainty that came with the man standing at their posterior.

Levi could only look on as the rest of the group pressed further around the duo like a pack of predators cornering their helpless prey. In a fashion similar to the man flanking Wesley, the man on Levi's side also maneuvered out of his view. That left the woman to bring up the head of the group. She wielded a heavy-looking rifle. Levi was pretty sure that one shot from that thing would be more than enough to put a sizable hole in his gut. He was quickly getting the impression that these people were organized beyond their understanding and that this was likely not their first time ambushing other survivors. The thought made him sick to his stomach; he couldn't grasp why some people had to inflict more pain upon others, especially in a world where pain came quickly and without warning.

His eyes dared to drift away from the man with the red bandana for a second. He noted the positions of the people located at his sides and memorized them to the best of his ability. Their guns were much less remarkable than the rifle, but still just as deadly. He had a feeling, though, that committing their places to memory wouldn't be necessary. He couldn't foresee many potential paths in their future besides being killed or being taken hostage. The idea that they would be left completely alone didn't seem probable anymore.

The blond's head swiveled back around to face their leader as soon as he spoke again. He considered his words a bit more carefully this time around. Being a smartass wouldn't get them anywhere. Plus, the man did make valid points. With his leg all fucked up, neither of them were in a position to outright refuse information. "Levi," he returned simply. He considered telling the man his middle name, Cassius, instead, but realized quickly that doing so really didn't serve much of a purpose.

The man's comment about Wesley made him feel a bit uneasy. He cast a sideways glance at the man supporting his weight, wondering whether or not Wesley would actually do such a thing. After all, the two had only met a few hours ago. But considering what he had done so far cast doubt upon the man's darker comment. His gaze returned to Red after a few seconds had passed and he spoke again. "Can't say I'd blame him if he did," he spoke flatly.

Bumping this.

Once again it felt like a million things happened in an instant. He felt Wes's grasp around his torso tighten, and he looked at the man once again. The gesture was reassuring on some level. Red then put away his machete, making Levi think for a moment that he was going to ease up on the duo. Wesley gave his name to the man, which wasn't really a big deal, but then he spoke again. And of course, Red was on a hair trigger; his machete seemed to fly into his grasp and suddenly Wesley was being whacked over the head with it.

And soon enough Wesley's grip was loosening and he was falling backwards. "Wes-" he started, reaching out to hopefully stop the man from falling. His words as well as his desperate attempt to stop Wesley from falling were swiftly ended by Beanie snatching him away. The violent action forced the air from his chest, cutting off his words, and it also caused the hand clasping his pistol to slacken. That too was ripped from his grasp and it was swiftly pressed against his temple.

The massive arm now wrapped around his chest compressed his lungs and restricted his breathing. With the cool metal barrel of his own gun pressed against his head, his heart somehow began to beat faster than before. "I can't-" he breathed out, tapping helplessly against the giant's arm. He had a feeling that the man didn't care whether or not he could breathe, though, and his grip didn't loosen in the slightest.

The brace finally slackened when Red told them to go. With Beanie's arm now secured around his waist, he now found it considerably easier to breathe. He found himself trying to catch his breath as the man lazily hauled him to wherever they were going. Levi wasn't a big fan of being without his gun, but at least now it wasn't against his temple.

As they walked, he looked back at Wesley, whose own gun was now being taken by a Japanese man who appeared to be irritated with the situation. His gaze lingered long enough to see him begrudgingly begin to trudge forward before returning to looking forward.

They in silence for what ended up being only a few minutes before Red ducked inside a building. The rest of the group followed suit at a casual pace. The door opened up to what appeared to be the remains of a high-end restaurant. Lights flickering overhead were accompanied by the low rumbling of generators from somewhere in the expansive building. How this group somehow had fuel to spare to run generators was beyond him.

"Beanie, Rei — put them in the supply closet," Red commanded. Beanie simply nodded his head and made towards the back of the building. The Japanese man, now identified as Rei, issued another shove to Wesley's shoulder. "Follow him," he ordered.

Beanie opened the door to the supply closet and moved to the corner where he simply dropped Levi with seemingly little care for the man's well-being. "Ah, fuck," whispered the blond. He bit his lower lip harshly in order to hold back another cry of pain. He doubted their captors would appreciate his hollering and he wasn't much interested in being punished for it.

A moment later, Wesley was shoved into the closet with Levi. The door slammed behind him and a few seconds later the slight clicking of a lock could be heard on the other side of the door. They were locked in now and there seemed to be little chance of escape.

With some effort, Levi managed to sit himself up and lean back against the wall. With his left hand he punched the linoleum floor. "Fuck!" he shouted. "This is all my fucking fault, isn't it? Maybe if I wasn't so absolutely fucking stupid, we wouldn't be in this goddamn mess," he spoke, staring at his mangled leg. He cursed himself for his inability to hit shoot a zombie a few feet from his face. "Goddamn it. I'm sorry I got you all tangled up in this. It's all my fault," he said, looking up at the fluorescent lights that buzzed quietly above their heads. After a moment he sighed, now calmer than he was before. His gaze moved to face Wesley. "What do we do now?" he inquired, a bit quieter than he was before.

//Actually I couldn’t tell! I hope that this is a good enough continuation

Levi opened his mouth to protest the man's claim that it wasn't his fault, but he swiftly realized that arguing wouldn't do any good. Plus, Wesley seemed to be in pain as well. The blond's brows drooped in sympathy for the man. While he couldn't exactly tell whether or not the man was having a concussion, he knew from experience how bad it could be. Back in high school he played lacrosse, and an unfortunate whack to his head resulted in a concussion that limited him for a while. It was awful, and as such Levi hoped that that wouldn't be the case for Wesley.

A bit later, Wesley said that they were going to get out. Levi didn't really see how, though, considering they had no supplies nor any guns. They were completely and entirely trapped by their captors, and Levi didn't really see much of a chance to escape from them. Despite his pessimistic attitude toward their potential escape, he chose not to protest. If Wesley was hopeful that they had a chance of getting away from this group then he would just have to be hopeful as well.

It was then that the man was asking how he was doing and what he could do to help. "Still hurts like a bitch. But your head doesn't seem to be doing well either," he responded after a few seconds. He was reluctant to ask anything of the man considering that he was also in pain, but if they were to have any chance of escape then they would have to find a way to get Levi back on his feet.

Looking around the room, he spotted a stack of three worn-looking chairs in the corner and a pile of spare tablecloths on one of the shelves. An idea came to Levi suddenly. With those supplies and a bit of manual labor from Wesley, they could set and splint his leg. Without painkillers, though, setting Levi's leg was going to be an absolute bitch.

After another once-over of the room, he finally looked back at Wesley. "I'm gonna need you to set and splint my leg," he stated in a serious tone. "The legs of those chairs," he began, nodding at the stack of chairs, "and those tablecloths over there" — he nodded to those too — "can be used to make a splint. You can probably break one of those chairs with a good stomp or something; we just need two of the legs" He looked to Wesley, who was probably feeling a bit nervous now about having to set his leg, then spoke again: "Don't worry, I can tell you how to set it. And then after that's all done we can rest for a bit. Do some thinking."

// Feel free to powerplay Levi in your next post if you need to. I don't actually know how to set a broken leg so you can just be like "Levi instructed Wesley and they got it done quickly" or something like that

Levi was really wishing that they had painkillers. Setting bones was never a pleasant experience, but normally he was drugged up before everything happened. Grunts of pain escaped his lips more often than he'd like to admit, and for a few moments he almost shouted. But he didn't if only to avoid pissing off Red or anyone else in their group of captors. If only they had chosen a hospital or a doctor's office, it might have gone a bit better.

After what felt like hours, Wesley finished making the splint. Honestly, Levi was quite impressed. The whole "operation" went much better than the blond had expected it to. It felt much, much better now, and the pain was slowly beginning to ebb into a dull throbbing. And despite their lack of materials, the handiwork wasn't bad either. Wesley had done a pretty good job. He admired it for a bit longer before looking back up at the other man. "Thank you. It feels a lot better now," he responded truthfully. He offered a pained but genuine smile.

The blond began to look around once more as Wesley stood back up and began to search the shelves. "From here, no. I don't see anything. But you're right; there has to be something we can use." He visually examined the shelves in hopes of finding something, but he could only see boxes, paint cans, and plastic wrap. Why in Hell did a restaurant need so many goddamn paint cans, anyway? Levi mumbled a curse under his breath as his gaze drifted back to Wesley.

Watching Wesley made Levi grow increasingly concerned as the man's anger continued to flare up. He opened his mouth to try to calm him down when he threw down a mason jar in anger. Levi jumped a bit as the glass shattered into a million pieces on the floor. A few of the larger shards came dangerously close to hand. In response he shuffled away a bit. He wasn't exactly interested in injuring himself further, especially on a piece of glass.

"It's okay, really," he responded, not looking up at Wesley. He was too busy scanning the floor for any stray shards of glass that he could potentially and accidentally slice his hand open with. "You know what, sit down. I'll look around a bit," he spoke. With great effort, he managed to stand himself up. He grabbed onto the shelves for support as he hobbled past them on one leg. He looked through each box that he came upon before stumbling upon one filled with a few extra pieces of cutlery. Among them was a steak knife. It was clear that the knife had never been used, as evidenced by its sharp edge.

He pulled it from the box and turned to Wesley. "Would you consider this helpful?" he inquired, offering a bit of a grin as he spoke.

// I was actually kind of thinking the same to an extent. Red could tell them about how they're going to go out in search of supplies the next day and use Wesley as a scout while holding Levi captive under threat of death so Wesley has an incentive to come back. They're like "cool" and then Red leaves. Levi gives Wesley the knife and they formulate a plan and have a heart-to-heart or something for a bit and then they fall asleep. The next day they leave and they send Wesley ahead to scout. Wesley takes a while and Red comes after him. Wesley stabs Red to death with the knife and then steals the machete and a gun (maybe Red has a gun for emergencies and just uses the machete because he likes to "savor the kill" or something idk) and then Wesley comes back, stealthily lures a few of them away and takes them out one by one and then saves Levi. Idk, just a thought. If you want to rp Red in your next post then be my guest

Cassandra pulled into the parking lot at the high school with ease. Finding a parking spot was a bit of a challenge, mostly because it seemed like almost all of the spaces were taken. After a few moments of searching, she finally found a spot and pulled into it with ease.

She thumbed through her phone for a few minutes before she finally decided that it was time to leave. The girl turned to her left and grabbed her mask for the dance. It was mostly black with gilded edges and a red plume for a pop of color. Its appearance was extravagant and it complemented her dress quite nicely. She brought it to her face and tied the ribbon in the back before grabbing her clutch bag and exiting her car.

The brunette swiftly made her way inside where she began to look for the boy who had asked her to go to the dance with him. Not as many people approached her as normal, probably because of her mask. Cassandra found herself feeling a bit grateful for that because normally she was basically stampeded by her "friends". A few people who seemed to have not been fooled by the mask did talk with her for a few moments, but they were fleeting interactions and Cassandra was thankful that they ended quickly.

After a few moments of searching she found Rodney standing with a group of his friends. Like a few of the people that had talked to her previously, the masks did not impede her ability to recognize faces. Putting on another fake smile, she approached him from behind before tapping lightly on the shoulder of the taller male. "Hey. Sorry if I kept you waiting."

// Sorry if this wasn't exactly the direction you wanted to go in. I wasn't really sure if there was anything specific you wanted me to write so I just whipped something up haha

Levi felt his heart drop into the pit of his stomach and the air catch in his throat as the door unlocked and swung open. Were it not for Wesley's nearly inhuman speed in covering him up, there was a good chance that Red would have seen the knife grasped loosely in his hands. With Red staring directly at them, there was little he could do to hide the knife except for slowly and discreetly slide it onto the shelf behind him. Maybe if Red noticed he could just play it off as if they had never even noticed the knife.

As he listened to Red speak several questions were raised in his mind, as well as a bit of irritation. The blond found himself being a bit angered at Red's snide comments about them being "cute", but he was more interested in how Levi would be able to go on an "adventure" with Levi being incapacitated with his broken leg and all. With that in mind, he was a bit grateful that Wesley ended up asking a question in his stead, albeit not the one he was thinking of.

It seemed that they, or maybe just Wesley, was going to be trying to get some supplies. And why? Oh, because they would hurt Levi even further if he didn't cooperate. He felt his neck burn red at the comment about them being boyfriends, but he quickly tried to push that thought to the back of his mind.

He was finally able to breathe again after Red left. The first intake of air was a little shaky, but as the footsteps faded he found it easier to breathe. "Fuck," he breathed out in a sort of response. He retrieved the knife from its place on the shelf and handed it to Wesley. "Keep it. You're gonna be able to use it a lot more easily than I will." With that he limped back over to where he had been sitting before while using the shelves to support his weight.

The blond slumped back down to the floor and sat there in thought for a moment before a revelation came to him. "I have an idea," he stated. Without waiting for Wesley to come to him, he began to speak again. "What if, tomorrow, when we're on our 'adventure' you take too long to find the supplies, and when Red comes after you, you kill him with that knife? Maybe there will be a gun on him that you can use to take out everyone else. If there isn't, well, I hope you're proficient with a machete," he explained. A few seconds later he added, "All of this is based on assumption, though. We'll just have to hope that everything goes according to plan. And I hope you don't have any reservations against killing people."

// Sounds good to me!

Muse A is an international popstar. They are charismatic and outgoing and, at times, flirtatious. They have amounted a massive and dedicated fanbase from all over the world and they are bombarded with those fans everywhere they go. Even still, they love their fans, even if their fame doesn't give them much of a chance to communicate with them. Muse A is constantly being invited to various events around the world, whether that be awards shows, performances, or music festivals. However, with all the focus on them, they find it hard to have a personal life. Every move Muse A makes is under the watchful public eye and they are subject to their mercy.

Muse B is another singer, albeit much less extroverted than Muse A. They are quieter and more soft-spoken, but all of that changes when they get on stage. Muse B's stage presence is unparalleled and they command the audience's attention at every performance. However, they have a much smaller fanbase. Muse B's fans are loyal, though, and tend to support Muse B in everything they do. Although, Muse B idolizes Muse A and strives to be like them one day. Eventually, after Muse B gains enough fans, Muse B begins to be invited to similar ceremonies and performances like Muse A is. And that's where their worlds collide and their lives are changed forever.

At one particular awards show, Muse B is invited to give a performance. Instead of opting for a high-energy pop song, Muse B chooses a laid-back and melodic ballad. The performance is angelic, and in that moment Muse A becomes enamored with Muse B.

After the ceremony and during the after-party, Muse A chooses to talk to Muse B. The two hit it off and quickly become close to one another. After Muse A asks Muse B, they decide to go out in public. But when they are spotted together, everything falls apart. Rumors begin that the two are dating, and while they are true in secret, their companies vehemently deny the rumors and fight to keep the two from going public. Muse A, while in love with Muse B, also wants to keep things a secret because now that they've finally got a semblance of a personal life they want to keep it that way. As the rumors continue to unfold, their fanbases become split between people that support their relationship and fans that don't. Drama and angst erupts between them as the Muses get into fights about whether or not they go public. All the while they continue to mature as individuals and explore what it's like to be in a relationship while being the center of attention.

If you made it through all that, good job! You're now at the not-fun part. I'm not a real stickler for rules, so I'll try to keep it short and simple.

— Please be active! I'd prefer at least one post per day but it's fine if that's too much. Just let me know if you're going to be inactive!

— Out of personal preference, I'd prefer no emo/goth/really out-there faceclaims. Beyond that I'm good with just about anything!

— Age preference would be from around 19-24/25.

— This can either be bxb or bxg. I don't really mind!

First and foremost, though, this will be an rp about romance. There will be other stuff mixed in but that will likely be the main focus. If you're interested, just post a short form like what I've done for my character and I'll get this thing started!

Looks good! I forgot to mention that both of our characters need stage names, but that's kind of a minor thing. I changed my character's faceclaim as well. I'll get started on the first post now!

The red carpet. By now he'd set foot on one so many times that it felt like routine; the awards shows and performances and such were so commonplace now that basically become a part of the man's normal life. The ecstatic cries of the fans barred from entering the red carpet. The flashing lights from the paparazzi's cameras. The interviews. Unfamiliar people constantly calling out his name. At one time all of those things intimidated him, but that feeling has long subsided. The anxiety he felt at his first ceremony like this has long since been replaced by an easy confidence.

August remembered his first time at one of these events. It had been a more well-known event, as as such many people other than himself had been invited to attend. Back then, as a lesser-known artist, he hadn't been expecting much; he'd nominated for an award for best up-and-coming artist, but he certainly didn't anticipate that he would actually win it. After receiving the trophy, a split-second decision was made by the producers to invite him to give a performance of what was then his most popular song.

It was nerve-wracking. Getting up on stage once more to give a performance that had only just been planned a few moments prior was no easy feat whatsoever, but he did it. It was a melodic ballad about a love lost by circumstance that explored both the depths of his range as well as his upper octaves. The performance was, in one word, amazing. The after party, for him, consisted mostly of being attacked with questions and compliments of genuine intent. He ended up making several friends that night, many of whom would end up assisting him in his rise to the fame and success attributed to his name now. Videos of his performance even trended on Twitter that night, skyrocketing his renown to new heights. That night ended up becoming what he believes to be one of the defining moments of his career.

Tonight, though, he wasn't asked to sing a song. August was being nominated for album of the year for his album Raindrops Fell, and while everyone seemed to be predicting another win for him, something about not being asked to perform put him on edge. Despite that, he couldn't find himself to be all that concerned. A number of trophies of all shapes and sizes already decorated his New York penthouse, but winning had never been everything to the man.

Although, he had to admit that hearing the nominations for the other awards always piqued his interest in one way or another. A girl named Kit T was being nominated to receive the best new artist award. August had heard of her in passing, but never really went out of his way to listen to her music. Perhaps today that would change, considering she was set to deliver a performance tonight.

Something about having an awards show in the middle of New York City always came as a joy to August. It meant that he didn't have to reserve a hotel room or pack a suitcase or worry about arranging a flight on his private jet. It also meant that he would be able to return to his own home and sleep in his own bed at the end of the night.

It was now an hour before the ceremony was due to begin, and he was stepping out of a limousine in a sharply-pressed suit. Dressing up in formal wear always made August feel more confident than usual, although he could never really explain why. Immediately after exiting the car, lights from camera flashes illuminated his face. He offered a smile and wave to the horde of cameramen before actually stepping onto the red carpet and joining the other celebrities.

For a while he drifted from place to place in search of different people to converse with. A very popular man and somewhat of a social butterfly, he never stopped for too long to chat. Instead he walked with seemingly no trajectory, talking to whoever happened to cross his path. In doing so he caught up with a few friends he'd made since his rise to stardom, but as more people joined the conversations he stealthily slipped away from them.

This wandering eventually landed him squarely in front of a much blonde-haired girl who also happened to be much shorter than him. Truly, August had almost run directly into the girl because he wasn't exactly paying attention, but stopped himself at the last moment after coming to his senses. A slight chuckle escaped his mouth as he tried to play it off, saying, "Sorry about th-" His words were cut off when he finally got a direct look at the girl's face. It was Kit T, in the flesh. "Hey, aren't you Kit T? I've heard a lot about you." He offered a smile and his hand out for her to shake in greeting.

// Here it is, clocking in at just over 800 words. I hope this is good enough for you to play off of!