Zombehs

Aether Eternum

My apologies, @VitaVitaAR, but who exactly did you bump into? No one in particular was tagged so I'm kinda lost.

@Tokki

Pretty sure she meant to leave that up to one of the other players, although according to Weeping it was either Adam or Marcus.

Aether Eternum

Pausing mid-step to listen, Adam was about to nod in understanding, when instead he winced at the sudden shriek. “God damn woman!” he cursed, slowly opening his eyes with a grimace as he felt for Marcus who’d been even closer to the fox girl. A quick scan revealed a lithe figure some distance away; snow white hair, sharp but fair facial features, and, perhaps most telling, a pair of pointed ears. “Great… an elf.” Glad to see that he wasn’t off the mark with the thought that he was officially in fantasy land. Reluctant to simply march away in search of others when there was someone so obviously distraught close by, Adam ran a hand through his hair and turned about to return.

By the time he was next to Marcus, the girl seemed to have regained most of her composure and moved close enough that casual conversation without raising their voice would be possible. “Mah…” It was pretty damn clear the girl had some confidence issues if her posture was any indication, but Adam could hardly find it in himself to blame her. Between the craziness of the situation and her more drastic shift in appearance, it would have been odd to see everyone take it well. Then again he was never too good at reassuring others, so maybe Marcus would be better at helping her out of the slump she was in. Still, it couldn’t hurt to try and be a bit friendlier than usual given the shit all of them had been put through.

“So you can speak without blowing out our eardrums,” he joked with a slight smile, hoping the girl would feel more at ease. With how out of it she seemed, it would probably be safest for him to clarify before she took it personally. “It was just a joke by the way, call me Adam.” Still… he had heard English when her lips certainly hadn’t moved that way didn’t go unnoticed, and with her Eastern Asian appearance it was quite possible that she had spoke some foreign language instead. ‘Translation magic?’ Certainly not unheard of in this type of setting, and definitely a point towards the existence of magic.

Wandering off immediately after that didn’t seem to be the best idea, so with a sigh he took a few deep breaths. It wasn’t exactly often that he used his “drill” voice, gods it’d probably been a few months now; didn’t just lose it without use either though. “Might want to plug your ears a bit for this,” he warned the two before taking another deep breath and barking out, “Rise and shine! Everybody get over here!” Too bad there weren’t any nearby mountains, Adam would have loved to hear if he’d been loud enough to get an echo. Instead though, he focused on scanning the surroundings for any others that hadn’t yet poked their heads above the sea of grass.

@PKMNB0Y@Tokki

Aether Eternum

And let's just roll with that then I guess.

@PKMNB0Y I guess you'll be making a post soon or?

Aether Eternum

Huh, tempted to have Adam have no idea what Rae is saying because Marcus noted it was English Adam spoke.

Hm... Probably will and just have Adam switch to the, hopefully, universal language of the world midway through my post.

Aether Eternum

Well it wasn’t too surprising that the other man seemed to hesitate once Adam was noticed. It wasn’t too easy to tell from the distance, but he figured that he had at least a few inches over the other individual. Thankfully rather than turn away, the other man decided to approach by himself; frankly Adam wasn’t sure what he would have done otherwise. “Can’t say I expected much else,” he muttered more to himself than anything. He might have introduced himself, but a rustling that wasn’t simply just the light breeze made him turn around.

It’d been hard to see with the grasses’ height and his own lack of attention, but there were a few others besides the two of them. ‘The hell?’ Given there was jack shit but grass as far as his eyes could see, it was somewhat of a surprise that an older man had somehow managed to scrounge up the wood to make spears. Beyond that was the corpse next to him and Adam’s eyebrow rose questioningly. Did these things just drop out of the sky conveniently for them?

Naturally his attention shifted towards the latest person to approach and his previous questions were pushed aside as he took in her appearance. “Oh yeah… that’s definitely a fox girl,” he replied as he dug his fingers into his palm and blinked furiously. Pain aside, the girl’s tail continued to sway side to side and hell even her ears twitched occasionally. “Ok, whatever I can roll with this.” Hands thrown up as if giving up on trying to make sense of this world, Adam let them drop almost immediately afterwards with a heavy sigh. Between the three others here, he gave a small wave and briefly introduced himself with, "Name's Adam."

For now he’d make sure there wasn’t anyone else still fast asleep in the sea of grass that surrounded the group of four. Taking note of where Marcus and Rae had run from, he marked those bearings as clear for the moment. Which, really, still left him with most of the circle to search. An annoyed click of the tongue aside, Adam stood to his full height and slowly began to walk forward away from the three, eyes scanning for any breaks amongst the sea of red and white that might have indicated a body.

Aether Eternum

Meh, I'm fine with either or option. One or two additional players shouldn't be a problem.

Aether Eternum

A startled shout snapped Adam awake as he snapped up and immediately took in his surroundings. Any trace of sleepiness was banished by the utterly alien environment around him. Though the other individual didn’t go unnoticed amidst the grassy plains, Adam was content to ignore him for the moment and gather his bearings instead. It was easy enough to remember the events that had happened before he fell asleep last night, and his fingers dug into the soft soil beneath them at the disparity in his current situation and what was remembered.

The sensations were real enough and Adam knew for a fact that he must have been drugged for someone to have ferried him away from home without him awakening. With numerous thoughts on his mind, Adam naturally made to stand as he found it more relaxing on his feet rather than seated. Despite no problems with the body, a frown nonetheless formed as he noticed that he was a bit taller than he was supposed to be…

It was the first real time he’d taken a look at himself since he awoke, and he didn’t quite manage to suppress his surprise. “Holy shit…” The old clothing style was noted, but more concerning were the red tattoos that swirled over his skin. Tracing them with a finger, their texture was somewhat rough, and he quickly discovered that they spread up and beyond his arms. His fingers fumbled with the clasps on the leather jerkin before it was discarded onto the grass behind him and quickly followed by the baggy cotton shirt. As expected, the red tattoos sprawled over his chest and, though he couldn’t see, Adam could feel some on his back as well. His hands shot up to his face afterwards and a small sigh of relief was had as he didn’t feel anything too exotic.

With the changes his body had apparently gone through, he figured a bit of stretches would help focus his thoughts while discovering any other differences. Flexibility came first, and as he put his new body through several movements of yoga Adam wondered exactly how he’d ended up here. That train of thought quickly came to a halt at the realization that he didn’t really care about the how or why. As far as he could tell, this was either his new reality or the most realistic dream he’d ever experienced, there wasn’t any real way for him to tell the difference. So naturally his mind switched to the what. What was and what should he do now in this bizarre and inexplicable situation?

As he switched to testing the body’s limits, dropping to the ground and going at it with push-ups, he figured the best idea would be to try and find civilization. If the clothes he’d awoken with were any indication then the time period wasn’t exactly modern, and his thoughts couldn’t help but wander to some more fantastical ideas. Heroes summoned to another world and all that jazz. With a grimace, he pushed those thoughts aside and put his clothes back on as he finished determining just what his new body was capable of; which was apparently much the same as his “old”. Figuring now would be as good as a time as ever, he called out to the other individual a couple hundred meters away. “Hey, you know anything about this?”

Aether Eternum

Yeah, would second that question.

Aether Eternum

Adam Taylor

Name: Adam Taylor
Age (Prior): 21
Appearance (Former): Wild. With messy black hair, an expressive face, and impressive stature, that was often a word people would use to describe Adam. He was a fair bit taller than average at 6’3 and had a well conditioned build, although he generally hides it under long sleeves and baggy clothes; no need to make other people feel inadequate after all.
Appearance (Current): Tall… Seems like he gained a few inches upon being dropped into this world along with a few other changes. His eyes are a slightly lighter shade of brown now, and red tribal markings decorate most of his skin. His build is a bit thinner, though that might just because of the change in height, but still muscular.
Race: Human? Maybe?

Personality: Driven, but not outgoing. He’s got willpower and drive, no doubt, but they aren’t his default state of mind. On the contrary, unless the right stimulus is present, Adam isn’t too energetic and easily bored. He’s also not too open to others in the day to day goings of his life, so he feels distant to most people.

Controlled thrill seeker. He jumps at the vibrant opportunities in life, and tries his best to see them through, even if they end up being unpleasant. He was never someone just to abandon something that’s hard. Unafraid to test his limits, he enjoys pushing himself and going all out.

Selfish, but compromising. It might seem odd to people who know his past, but Adam is frankly not someone who goes out of his way to help strangers. If he knows someone well they can rely on him, but they’re the exceptions to the norm. He’ll try to benefit himself, but won’t go far as to hurt others in the process. He isn’t a saint, nor is he a demon; just someone trying to make things work for himself.

Skills: Surprisingly, Adam was a fairly good housekeeper. With his parents out of the house almost all day, all week to make ends meet, as the eldest he had to pick up the slack. It’s been a good five or so years since he’s done a lot of that stuff though, so he’s a bit out of practice.

A combination of how to brawl and run away when the odds were against him. A couple of empty hand control courses taught him finer points on the subject in the recent years. Meanwhile, the urban sprawl he called home made for a damn good place to run. He took and still takes good advantage of it now that he’s moved back. Hopping fences, jumping roofs, sliding down poles, the whole works. Even now, whenever he has time and nothing to do, Adam doesn’t mind heading out and just going at it.

Taking care of things at the house and looking after himself on the street taught Adam to constantly be vigilant. Whether it was a prank of his younger siblings, or some people looking to pay him back, they helped him learn quick. Enlisting has only helped to hone this skill of his.

Former infantry. Not quite marksman, but definitely handy with a variety of small arms. Has a bit of knowledge/skill when it comes to first aid, navigation, tactics, and leadership. Well-conditioned, both physically and mentally.
History: Born to a working class family, Adam was the eldest child of three. His parents were recent immigrants to the States, and both of them took up jobs to support the family's new life. Beyond the occasional conversation in Vietnamese or the rare meals his mother would be home to cook, there wasn't much to remind Adam that his parents came from a different country. Perhaps they wanted him to grow up an American and embrace its culture?

Growing up Adam spent a good portion of his time taking care of his siblings when their parents were at work. While they managed to hire a nanny while the two were still toddlers, the job of looking over them was foisted onto his shoulders after they began to attend kindergartner. Never really minded it because family’s important and what not, though he did get into his own fair share of troubles.

Between the fact that his family wasn't the best financially and his foreign appearance, there was enough for bullies around him to pick on. He dealt with those bullies the first time around with a few scraps that drew the lines. When he began to disappear after class to pick up his younger siblings rather than doing any "boy" activities, it wasn't exactly a surprise to him that some people got the "smart" idea. Course he was even less inclined to put up with shit that might have involved his younger siblings, and he made that readily apparent. Sometimes they deserved the smack on the head he gave them, but damn would he let someone hurt them. In the end while most of his schoolmates avoided him, Adam was at least able to attend school without too many problems.

Plans for after high school got derailed when his mother died though, and Adam decided to enlist instead of continue onto higher education to help out with monetary issues. Just barely old enough and with the minimum amount of education required, Adam nonetheless didn't have any trouble in making the cut. He was by no means a genius in school, so it wasn't like college had been a for sure path anyways; not to mention, the family's finance would have been strained to send him alone.

His father and younger siblings didn't really like his decision, but at least the one that mattered accepted it. With his best wishes Adam left to walk a far away path from the ones he loved for quite some time. Basic training was so-so, harsh as expected but nothing that was unbearable. Following that, he was assigned to a base on the other side of the country from his family. Surprisingly, with all that had happened, Adam never received an order to deploy and spent the entirety of his contract serving within the country.

Five years later and with his original contract at an end, Adam declined an extension and released. While he didn’t mind a career in the military, it had also never been his intention to stay with it until retirement. He was taking the year off, time for himself and the family, but shit happens. Just generally doesn’t involve being pulled into another world.

Other: Well, the changes to his appearance aren’t only superficial, but Adam’s got no idea and it’ll be a while before the effects actually manifest themselves. When they do it’ll be quite noticeable though, given the markings will begin to glow.

From Goblins to Gods

Though he had already turned his gaze outward to the forest that laid beyond the cave, neither did Garou neglect to heed the Matorn’s words. The shadows flickered about as a breeze rustled the branches above, mesmerizing him for a moment as he watched their “dance”. A bit harsh that he’d have to immediately fend for himself, but some ingrained memory hinted this would be for the better if he survived. Goblins had a hierarchy after all, and those that relied on others would ultimately be lower. With a nod as the Matron finally dismissed them, Garou stepped out of the cave and onto soil. Though still hard so close to the cave’s entrance the sensation was different and he enjoyed it as he walked away from the opening, the texture growing softer with distance and mixing with grass.

He blinked in surprise as one of the other goblins quickly disappeared amongst the thick trees that surrounded him. Though his body responded as he liked, Garou was doubtful he’d be able to move with the swiftness that particular brother had. Not to mention the pangs of hunger he felt as he rubbed at his stomach… If the Matron was to be believed then food had been growing scarce since he’d been born and the older generation had left, so it made sense he supposed. It wouldn’t be impossible he supposed, but hunting after he’d foraged some things to eat would probably be the better course of action; after all the rabbits had to eat something.

As the Matron had indicated, it wasn’t too hard to stumble across one of the four legged horned creatures. He hadn’t even been paying attention when a rustling to his left announced the creature’s presence as it bolted away from Garou. Despite the initial urge to chase, a glance at the Horned Rabbit’s nimble movements and he felt the urge fade away much like when he’d seen his brother charge ahead. Thankfully the creature didn’t run out of view completely and came to a halt further away from Garou, raising up on its hind legs to glance in his direction. Unsure of what to do, given the creature’s horn did look quite dangerous, he simply watched as it dropped back on all four legs and began to eat the grass around it. Crouching, he ripped up some of the grass and chewed on it, disgust quite evident on his face as he spit it out soon after. Even continuously chewing on it made no difference, and the gooey mass was basically impossible to swallow without gagging.

Distracted as he was, by the time Garou looked back up the Rabbit had bounded off somewhere else. Frustrated and surprised by the disappearance of his eventual prey, he fell back against the tree trunk as a pang of hunger shot through him once more. The soft rustle of branches and leaves above his head caused Garou to look upwards; just in time for an object to bounce off his forehead. It wasn't particularly painful and he managed to swipe the spherical object before it hit the ground.

Gnarled and rather tough, Garou brought the orb closer to examine and upon doing so managed to catch its scent. Whatever it was, it certainly smelled better than the bitter grass had, but as it was it seemed to tough for him to eat. Upon further examination, which involved a bit of shaking, Garou discovered that there seemed to be something inside the hard shell. Simply trying to pry it apart with his hands yielded no results, and it wasn't until he smashed it against the ground that the shell gave way. Unfortunately, the nuts within were also crushed as a result and he was forced to fish through shell and dirt for tiny pieces. Food though! Something that was actually palatable, and with that knowledge, came motivation. A sharp kick against the tree trunk had Garou hopping away in pain, but as he cradled his foot he also saw dozens of tree nuts hit the grass around him. Now he just had to figure a way to control the force at which he opened them...