Inuyasha Fandom

Welcome aboard. Name: Christopher Denbo Age: 22 Occupation: Cocktail Waiter for the Par-A-Dice Riverboat and Casino Personality: Friendly, upbeat, and kind of a spazz. Appearance: 5'11" 150lbs red hair hazel eyes. He wears sleek black khaki pants with a button up dress shirt and black vest and bow tie.

Welcome to the Saferoom! Here, all things L4D can be discussed. Feel free to post questions about the goings on here, as well as any concerns. Information will also be posted here concerning the Infected, as well as locations we'll be visiting throughout the story. Below is a list of the known Special Infected. [img]http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee260/inufandom/Smokeridle.png[/img] [b]The Smoker[/b] has been heavily mutated by a strain of the Infection and frequently makes high-pitched rasping and coughing noises that can alert Survivors of its presence. Though it resembles most Common Infected, it is taller, more durable, and its skin has become covered in growths that cause little spurts of green smoke and blood to ooze out when shot. It is said that the smoke it expels gives off a putrid smell, but it is otherwise harmless. Usually, the left or right side of its face is bloated and appears to be covered by a large tumor.The Smoker is an Infected with a long, whip-like tongue. The Smoker's tongue can be launched out of its mouth at high speeds, and when it reaches one of the Survivors, it wraps around the target's body and drags him/her back towards the Smoker. If any obstacles block the victim from being dragged to the Smoker, he will choke his target instead. The Smoker claws at an ensnared Survivor when they are dragged all the way back to him, while at the same time the Survivor takes damage from the tongue constricting them if an obstacle obstructs them from being dragged to the Smoker. If a Survivor isn't dragged all the way back to a Smoker due to an obstruction, the Survivor will only suffer potential strangulation from the tongue's squeeze. When killed, a Smoker leaves a haze of dark green smoke, obscuring the vision of the Survivors and causing them to cough if they stand in it. Some have suggested that the mutated "tongue" could actually be intestines. Occasionally, when killing the Smoker, hundreds of feet of "tongue" will spew from its mouth, supporting the intestines theory. A second theory is that the Smoker had cancer (probably tongue or throat) before becoming infected. This is supported by the fact that cancer occurs when a cell or group of cells mutate to the point the hayflick limit breaks, so the cells don't stop reproducing. Since there are cancerous growths all over the Smoker's face and upper torso, this may be true. Smoker mutations in regard to cloud of smoke they emit upon death may occur as a result to someone who is/was a heavy smoker. Higher levels of cancer or tar in the victim's lungs could inhibit complete exhalation and fill the respiratory track with â??smoke.â? Higher concentrations of the â??smokeâ? in the body may facilitate further mutations. [img]http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee260/inufandom/250px-Hunter_1.png[/img] [b]The Hunter[/b] is the least visibly mutated Special Infected and superficially resembles a Common Infected. However, many Hunters seem to be fond of wearing hoodies and various kinds of workout clothing. It has yet to be explained how the Hunter's mutations onset, whether it be genetic, biochemical, or a Hunter-specific strain of the virus, but the mutations seem to be gender-linked as only male Hunters have been observed, similar to how only female Witches have been seen. The Hunter's reaction to the Infection has granted him an increase in lower-body strength. While not creating massive muscle growth like the Tank, this added strength has given the Hunter the ability to repeatedly jump and pounce from long distances and rapidly scale the sides of buildings with ease as well as toughen it's legs in order to withstand the great distances and heights it can achieve. Decreased pain response visible in all sufferers of the Infection also results in the Hunter not suffering from perpetual lactic acid buildup from muscle overexertion or impact damage after experiencing a large fall. At the same time, there seems to be some sort of muscle delay after an initial attack (post-attack recharge) where the Hunter is not able to move as swiftly. One of the most notable physical observations is that the Hunter lacks eyes. Whether this is self-inflicted, a byproduct of the Infection, or both is unknown. What remains of his eyes emit the white reflective glow displayed by Common Infected in the dark; although this effect may be light reflecting off the blood constantly leaking from his eye sockets. The extent of damage to the Hunter's sight suggests his other senses are far more developed than those of typical Infected, allowing him to hunt with far greater efficiency. It is possible that the screeching noises he makes and the growling are his own echolocation method. He might also use scent to tell the Survivors apart from Infected. As with the other Special Infected, he is not distracted by such high frequency noises as Pipe bombs or car alarms going off. Hunters also appear to be the only Infected with a self-defense reflex: when shot at a distance and knowing it cannot pounce, the Hunter will sometimes jump away into safety. Hunter Mutations may occur due to interactions with elevated levels of lactic acid in the muscles and bloodstreamâ??a result of heavy exercise (presumably from a continuous exercise-heavy lifestyle, such as parkour; fleeing from an Infected Horde is rather heavy exercise, but this alone would produce a large number of Hunters). [img]http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee260/inufandom/250px-Jockey.png[/img] [b]The Jockey[/b] is quite unfortunate in that his infection has caused the him to develop a large amount of muscle mass on his upper back and neck, making him hop around in a spider monkey-like motion. His fingers and toes have increased in length, adding to his baboon-like profile. His lips, and the skin surrounding them, have deteriorated away, giving him a more skeletal look at the mouth area. This could possibly be due to him chewing and biting away at his lips because of mania, or possibly even clawing at his mouth due to the same reason. His hands are curved downward like a praying mantis, the arms are sticking out straight, and they have a coat of what appears to be blood. The hands are always twitching and shaking (the right one twitching notably more often than the left), and he doesn't stop laughing until death. He has a gibbering vocalization, and cackles hysterically while riding a Survivor. The Jockey is a Special Infected that has animal-like characteristics. The Jockey can use his ropey frame to jump long distances at a time, and about 15-20 feet when leaping upward. Though it can not jump as far as the Hunter, it does not have the need to crouch to charge up the ability. When the Jockey lands on a Survivor's head, he grabs onto them. He claws at the Survivor with his free hand while leaning in a direction to cause the Survivor to stumble. Again, the clawing does not do as much damage as the Hunter does. Jockey Mutations may have resulted from someone who was confined to a wheel chair. The obvious regenerative properties (mutations and growths) of the Infection could indicate a restoration of spinal cord function, giving the infected person the ability to walk again. This would explain the hunchback appearance and the emotional mania. A separate speculation suggests that the Jockey's mutations may be comparable to the Hunter's, paired with some form of dementia that either was already present or developed as a result of viral brain damage. [img]http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee260/inufandom/250px-Tankidle.png[/img] [b]The Tank[/b] is an exclusively male Special Infected who has experienced the most extensive physical mutations of any other class of Special Infected. The most obvious trait is its extreme hypertrophy, or abnormally increased muscle mass. It can be assumed its bones have become stronger too otherwise the Tank's skeleton would have collapsed under the weight of its own body. Despite its enormous bulk, the Tank is incredibly fast and agile, able to keep up with even a healthy Survivor. This abnormal muscular growth is most obvious in its arms and upper body and less pronounced around the Tank's waist, hips, and legs. Though the Tank's legs are capable of supporting its static weight (such as when the Tank mounts a rock throwing attack), the Tank's disproportionate anatomy forces it to knuckle-walk like a gorilla, resulting in the Tank's wrists becoming swollen. The Tank's body is covered with numerous scars and lesions from previous fights, with an especially large open sore on its left pectoral. The Tank's jaw at first glance seems to be missing, but upon closer inspection it is shown to be enveloped within its thick neck muscles.The Tank has also suffered either heavy brain damage or a rabies-like cerebral infection, resulting in the Tank being in a constant state of unbridled rage, even more so than most other Infected, and its response is to attack any human survivor on sight. Once the Tank has fixed a target, nothing short of death can stop him; bullets and explosives will not make him flinch, fire only slows him down and the sound of pipe bombs and car alarms usually won't distract him once he has started pursuing a target. The Tank will even smash down doors, knock away obstacles, and plow through entire crowds of Infected just to bare down on an unlucky Survivor it has chosen as a target. Tank Mutations are possibly related to body building supplements. Abnormally high levels of Creatine, Human Growth Hormone, and anabolic steroids (possibly produced naturally from some damage by the infection) could interact with the virus to promote tumor-like growth of muscle cells. If left uncontrolled, muscle mass would increase exponentially to the point where complex muscle movements are lost or limited and only basic movements (shuffling, climbing, thrashing, slow throwing, etc.) are possible. [img]http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee260/inufandom/250px-Charger_2.png[/img] [b]The Charger[/b] is another large exclusively male Infected, close to the Tank in height and about half as wide. Unlike the Tank, the Charger's legs are capable of supporting all of its weight, and thus stands mostly upright. His hairless skin is a deep greenish-gray in color, perhaps secreting pus. The Charger's mutations appear similar to the Tank's mutations in terms of increased muscle mass, though more asymmetrical. Most notably, the Charger's right arm and shoulder have grown to a massive size and had increased in thickness, resulting his right hand becoming a swollen lump with stubby fingers. His left arm, inversely, has atrophied to the point of being useless (possibly from his body breaking it down to add bulk to his right arm), hanging limply to the Charger's side and flapping around like a T-Rex arm with every movement. His legs are less visibly affected by mutation, with only his left leg gaining any sort of extra bulk (to the point of ripping whatever pants he is wearing) while the right leg's proportions remain normal. The leg mutations are possibly to balance the Charger, equalizing the weight distribution throughout the body. Due to the Charger's preferred method of attack, it always appears to have sustained multiple injuries, especially on his right armâ??prolonged times of bashing and slamming into walls has made the flesh of the Charger's right arm thick with calluses, scabs, and scars. The right half of his face is also visibly damaged, his cranium possessing a massive dent, and half his face torn off, revealing his skull and jawbone. His nose is completely removed, and his dangling left arm shows signs of necrosis. Most likely a result of his constant charging, the Charger also lacks teeth.The Charger is a Special Infected that knocks down any Survivors in its way. The Charger's main purpose is to separate a group of Survivors who are tightly joined by grabbing one and crashing into the rest of the group, sending them flying through the air. Surprisingly faster than one would expect of its encumbersome mass, this increase in speed leads to a slow stop and impossible in turning left and right. Charger Mutations are similar to the Tank and could mean that the Charger is a hybrid version of the Tank. Some steroids are used as an anti-inflammatory remedy for a rash or growth on one side of the body. An abnormal interaction with a localized and smaller concentration of steroids could have created the Charger. It might also be a reaction similar to gigantism (where excessive amounts of growth hormone is released, resulting in thickened bones and asymmetrical body structures), given that the Charger's facial features and overall body shape is similar to that of someone with gigantism. [img]http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee260/inufandom/250px-Boomeridle_1.png[/img] [b]The Boomer[/b] is an extremely bloated Special Infected. The Boomer usually has clothing stained with sweat and puke and stretched to the breaking point around the Boomer's enormous gut.The Boomer has undergone extreme external and internal mutations by some adverse reaction to the Infection. The most notable observation of the Boomer is its extremely bloated belly, most likely caused by its stomach (and possibly most, if not all of its gastrointestinal system) being hijacked by the infection to overproduce bile in massive quantities. The sheer tension on its skin and organs has resulted in a breakdown of the epidermal and dermal layers, causing the skin to become thin and fragile. In some places the skin has even ruptured, exposing some of the bile-filled internal organs. This enormous buildup of internal pressure makes the Boomer quite vulnerable to any outside agitation, as even the slightest gunshot wound or melee shove will result in the Boomer to violently explode, sending blood and bile everywhere - hence its name. Other physical mutations observed include massive boil-like growths that appeared upon its skin and face. Whether this is due to overproduction of bile is unknown. Similar to the other Special Infected, it is not distracted by high frequency noises. When idle, the Boomer makes loud burping and gurgling noises which change to loud groans when it sees a Survivor. Its mutation has caused it to produce vast quantities of bile which it attempts to vomit on the Survivors temporarily blinding them and summoning a small Horde. Though fragile and slow, the Boomers can be dangerous to a Survivor team whose health or combat abilities are compromised.The Boomer's bile has a unique chemical binding effect with infected and/or non-infected flesh which produces an extracellular stimulus. This chemical stimulus induces a pheromone-like attraction from nearby common infected which causes them to swarm and attack the bile-saturated source. The exact nature as to why this induces a negative response is unknown but the response is non-discriminatory between infected and non-infected flesh (i.e. using a Boomer bile vial on the Tank triggers the same violent response against the Tank). It should be noted that typically common infected have been known to exhibit an extremely basic form of logic (hence their ability to recognize non-infected). The bile-flesh response seems to trump this logic, which could mean that the stimulus is extremely intoxicating for the common infected. Boomer Mutations probably relate to abnormally-high levels of fatty tissue or cholesterol in the bloodstream, which would also explain the large amounts of bile they produce. Bile is created to aid in the breakdown of lipids (fat). The human body's natural bile production would have been assimilated as part of the Infection's mutation. This would explain why, when Boomers burst, their torsos appear to be largely hollow. The space previously occupied by fatty tissue had been broken down and converted into a single, enormous sac for containing and producing bile. [img]http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee260/inufandom/250px-Spitter_2.png[/img] [b]The Spitter[/b] itself's lower jaw, cheeks, nose and lips seem to have become noticeably eroded, suggesting she may not be entirely resistant to the acid she is continuously coughing up. The Spitter is also one of the few exclusively female Special Infected. It appears that all around her mouth, the skin has disappeared, as well as the jaw become unhinged, the flesh separating nearly to her ears. Also, just above her breast and on the top of her stomach are two red sores, most likely eroded spots from where the acid drips down from her mouth. Her proportions are awkward and stretched, including the sagging breasts, elongated neck and bloated stomach, which are most likely used to accommodate and produce the fluids. Her elongated neck may also give her the advantage of being able to spit acid at long distances. Her baggy skin and stumbling gait could be caused by the virus or even the acid itself eating away at her connective tissues. The big toe on her right foot has shifted to the side of the foot like the thumb of a hand. While running, a trail of acid can be seen dripping from the Spitter's mouth. This can be used to track the Spitter, although it disappears shortly after she walks away from it.The Spitter's mutations enable her to spit out a ball of mutated stomach acid which, upon hitting the ground, spreads out into a large pool. Through mutation of the Infection, the Spitter has developed the ability to project an extremely corrosive ball of acid from her mouth in a mortar-like fashion. This projectile will collide with a ceiling or wall and drop down to the nearest solid walkable surface, and upon contact will spread into a large puddle of acid that increases in damage over time. It's possible, from the way the acid is spat, that the Spitter encases it in a thin sort of membrane or bolus (likely in her body or throat/mouth) which is either dissolved by the acid or breaks on impact. It is evident that the infection has caused the spitter to suffer from mega esophagus, or her stomach has eroded all organs found in her neck. This could be the cause of her hacking and gurgling, as acid could be in her lungs. From how heavily the Spitter secretes the acid, it seems that she cannot stop producing at will, and must excrete it from her body in such fashion (as salivating it) to prevent herself filling up and rupturing with acid, similar to the Boomer. Spitter Mutations may have resulted in infecting a human subject with a helicobacter pylori infection (bacterial ulcer). Cells previously infected by the bacterial agent may have been consumed by the virus and caused it to mutate. Another take suggests that the mutations might be similar to the Boomer, except the hormone gastrin (responsible for making stomach acid) is hijacked, resulting in Spitters being able to create large amounts of acid. The Spitter's sagging skin and awkward walk may be caused by the acid leaking into other bodily cavities and breaking down tissues. It can also be noted that the Spitter's skin glows a luminous green when alive, yet when killed, her skin becomes a normal pink color. This could be due to all the acid being spontaneously released from her body upon death. [img]http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee260/inufandom/250px-Witch_2.png[/img] [b]The Witch[/b] is the second Special Infected type that is exclusively female. She has a typical physique of an extremely thin young woman with pale skin, sunken glowing red eyes, and a bloody mouth full of sharp teeth.She is strangely always clad in the remains of a tattered tank top or t-shirt and a pair of panties, and she does not wear any shoes. Her choice of attire when compared to other Infected could indicate a raised body temperature such as a fever, which could also explain the sluggishness, constant signs of distress, irritability, and sensitivity to light and sound. Her most distinctive features are the twelve-inch-long, bloodstained claws her fingers have grown into. Her knees and feet are often stained with dirt and blood. It is also unknown whether or not the Witch is extremely thin because of the Infection (weight loss due to starvation) or if this was her body shape before the infection took place. Despite her petite figure, the Witch has incredible strength and stamina, enabling her to incapacitate or instantly kill Survivors in one hit, although the Witch is the only Infected to display an initially passive response to the presence of Survivors. She is highly sensitive to light and the close presence of uninfected humans. Shining a flashlight on a Witch or approaching too closely will "startle" her and trigger an attack. Hitting her with a bullet has the same result. She is totally unresponsive to Infected and the passage of nearby bullets. When alert to the presence of an uninfected human or flashlight, she will look in the human's direction and make a low warning growl: this signals an incipient attack. If the human backs off, switches the light off or moves quickly out of her presence, she will fairly soon settle back into a passive state. But if the threat persists, she will launch an attack directed at the human who "startled" her at great speed, singling out the person who provoked the attack. She is able to incapacitate her victim instantly whereupon she frenziedly slashes that person with her clawed hands, only stopping if either she or the victim die. If an attack is successful and she is still alive, she will run off sobbing out of sight. She will display the same behavior if her attack is frustrated (e.g. the victim is able to outrun her), again she will give up and run away. Killing a Witch is not always required, since survivors can often sneak around her or wait until she wanders away from their intended path. However if she is immobile because it is dark and it is not possible to go around her, the only option is to work out a plan to kill her. Witch Mutations seem related to an abnormal mental state which could indicate a predisposed mental disorder, like Autism, ADHD, Serotonin imbalance in the brain, etc. Neurotransmitter imbalances are theorized to be a cause of Clinical Depression. She is known to cry when not aware of the Survivors, although the reasoning behind it is unknown. It's likely she is incredibly depressed - a symptom that could accompany her loss of sanity or that the virus has not taken full control and she knows she is a monster and is depressed due to this fact, and when a survivor is to close or turns a flashlight on etc. the effects of the virus infecting her brain start to take over and cause her to rage out of control however briefly. [b]Children Infected[/b] while rare, are not unknown. Many parks and schools play host to these poor infected tykes and tots. Fortunately, many children simply died of the disease as it was too strong for them. Unfortunately, not all children infected by the Green Flu virus would be so blessed. Children Infected react much the same as Common Infected, but are much quicker than their adult counterparts. Several Special Infected traits have been known to manifest within the Children Infected, such as the Jockey, the Hunter, and the Witch.

The disease. Green flu, or as commonly called 'the Infection.' It spread like wildfire, and with no cure let alone one possibly being created to stop it. It was just too fast. It was the fictional zombie apocalypse in the cheesy horror flick made real. But rather than being undead, they are living humans who have been Infected by the Green Flu virus, causing massively increased aggression and loss of many higher brain functions such as speech and self-preservation. Ground Zero for the infectious and virulent virus was in Pennsylvania, but there is little hope of recovering any data pertaining to the matter from the hospital that treated Patient Zero. Supposedly, depending on who's speaking, the green flu epidemic was airborne, while others claimed it spread through being bitten or scratched by the infected. A few even claim the disease was found in livestock. Few humans were immune to the green flu; still carrying the virus but showing no symptoms. Normally, once a person became infected, the person would display rabies-like symptoms while rapidly losing higher brain functions and becoming increasingly hostile, attacking those still uninfected with the disease. This led people to think that green flu was a sister strain of the rabies disease. But whether it was or wasn't still remains unknown and highly speculated. The time it takes for an individual person to turn into one of the infected seems to vary from person to person, ranging from four days to a matter of seconds. But the disease itself also causes rapid mutations in some host bodies, while leaving others as merely rabid humans. Thankfully, these special infected as they are called are rare, though more common than one would like to believe. The CEDA (Civil Emergency and Defense Agency) have been involved in responding to the the Green Flu epidemic. They created advertisements alerting the public about the disease, tried to evacuate citizens from highly infected areas, and even researched the disease. Once they realized how powerful and virulent the Infection was, CEDA agents isolated themselves from the public in hazmat suits and decided to provide the public with face masks while trying to evacuate the public. Large-scale evacuations were called and required CEDA to bring in several Disease Emergency Assessment Dispatch trailers to help process people faster. They created advertisements alerting the public about the disease, tried to evacuate citizens from highly infected areas, and even researched the disease though to no avail. CEDA was largely responsible for informing the public about the situation of the Infection, the spread of the virus, areas under quarantine, and ways of prevention of disease. The agency mainly used radio and television as the main media outlet to inform the public. They mainly used emergency frequencies to update information to the public and the status of the evacuation centers in the areas. When approached by news crews and agencies, one of the CEDA teams in the South Atlantic Region were assigned to do a report and provide a statement and update on information. However, CEDA never told people how bad the Infection was spreading and how bad the situation was due to the mass panic and chaos it might provoke; therefore, this report never aired or occurred. Throughout various areas of the country, advertisements from CEDA were set up advising citizens to wear face masks, wash their hands, and seal their windows and other openings with plastic sheeting and duct tape to prevent the spread of the Infection. At one point, CEDA began to inform the public on how to build saferooms and where to seek shelter as well as "Safety Checklists," which instruct residents to barricade themselves in their basements and wait for help to arrive. CEDA also uses Solar Portable Message Signs to help with the evacuation. In addition to placing evacuation notices on buildings, these trailers can be seen near highways and roadways informing any survivors to head to the location displayed on the digital sign. When the Infection was spreading out of control and the public started to find out the truth behind the Infection and how bad the situation was getting, everyone started to panic and began rioting, causing chaos. CEDA hired a private security firm to help with local law enforcement and the agency to help maintain control. The security officers wore protective gear such as helmets, bulletproof padding, and used nightsticks instead of firearms (due to CEDA Management Policies) to help maintain control of the public. They helped keep crowds organized and under control at evacuation centers while stopping rioters from causing chaos until the Infection hit. With the officers dealing with the public, it was difficult for them to tell who was infected and who wasn't; therefore, it was easy for the security officers to succumb to the Infection. Eventually, all of the evacuation centers were overrun with the infected.CEDA effectively disappeared, becoming either infected themselves or abandoning the public. Most presume only the higher-ups did the latter, leaving all the rest of the organization to the former. In the case of Common and Uncommon Infected, as they have come to be called, observed aggressiveness manifests itself primarily in the form of frenzied physical blows and kicks. Bite attacks are of a secondary nature and may even be incidentally delivered. The Infected primarily attacks uninfected humans who have attracted attention through noise, movement and displaying bright lights. It is unknown whether other sensory stimuli such as smell or color variation trigger attack responses. Common Infected are also frequently observed displaying mutual aggressiveness towards one another. However, these attacks are not shown when the Infected finds an uninfected human, they focusing on the uninfected to kill their target. The Infection might also have changed their physiology. Some infected suffer instant fatal tissue damage, and dismemberment from moderate blunt force, yet they can still jump down from heights of approximately 20 feet with perfect physical coordination and without harm. They have no fine motor control and their gross motor control functions are heavily degraded, thus rendering them incapable of picking up objects and operating simple mechanisms such as door handles, though this is contributed mostly to the loss of higher brain functions. When passive and unstimulated, Common Infected lean against a support (such as a wall), sit, lie recumbent or stagger aimlessly in short uncoordinated steps. Many will vomit profusely or display visual signs of being unwell (e.g. slumped over cradling the head). Uncommon and Common Infected tend to be less inert in their passive state since they are invariably observed to be in a standing posture. When active and stimulated,both Common and Uncommon Infected undergo a rapid transformation during which their speed of movement is rapid, their gait is highly coordinated and focal direction unerring. Uncommon Infected display the same behavioral qualities with the exception that they appear to be more sensitive to external stimuli and are thus more easily aroused and provoked. While they seem capable of ignoring pain, they can still be killed easily, with Uncommon Infected only marginally more difficult to kill, due to gear such as hazmat suits or riot gear. Even clowns wearing squeaky shoes are a part of this classification, as the squeaking of the shoes will attract more of the Infected. All Infected are capable of climbing ladders and scaling objects, as well as breaking down weak walls and doors, though fortified doors they have no ability to bring down. However, while individually they are easy to kill, in massive groups they can easily overwhelm a small group of survivors. These massively numbered groups of infected are referred to as hordes. Usually, a horde is attracted by the sounding of loud and/or high pitched noises or bright lights. The Infected appear to lack a sense of self preservation, as they will actively charge into flames, explosions, jump off from high buildings, and charge against the superior forces of those uninfected and their weapons.They are often seen engaging in bizarre activities (e.g. vomiting, attacking inanimate objects, fighting each other, showing that the sickness may still be affecting them even in this state, even perhaps killing them rather than keeping them as Infected when unaware of the uninfected, but begin to rush at the uninfected the very moment they see them. Very rarely, an Infected can be seen facing a wall and making mumbling noises, as if talking to itself. Many believe the virus has affected the brain to the point of when only the most basic of instincts are still retained.The Infected are not known to feed or drink, however, they can still survive, and it is possible that the Infection has removed the mental ability to perform these necessary life functions. This may indicate that the Infected may eventually die of starvation or dehydration, and possibly even exposure to the elements as the Infected do not seem to seek shelter in conditions that non-Infected would. Also evident possibly from the loss of higher brain function is an ability to completely ignore pain and damage (including dismemberment) when in the known presence of the uninfected. If shot from a distance, they have been noted to hold their wounds and cry out, obviously affected in some way, though whether perhaps it is just out of surprise or actual pain is unknown. If nothing else, they seem to have some grasp of their current situation, or at least how they feel; generally, idle Infected act physically ill, holding their heads and vomiting as they shuffle around slowly. Occasionally, if you watch one long enough, one of the Infected who is holding their head may begin to writhe in pain, or they may simply lie down and sometimes die without being shot or punched, suggesting that the virus is deadlier than it seems. It is also possible that after Infection, they have a limited life span, just like how people infected with rabies have a limited lifespan if left untreated. It could also be through brain hemorrhaging, as Infected appear to bleed out the ears and eyes. This would also explain why they hold their heads in pain some of the time. The Special Infected are hosts of the Green Flu virus that have been heavily mutated by the Infection, giving them "special abilities." In rare cases, individuals show extensive physical and mental changes after infection. In such situations, these Special Infected are physically stronger than Common Infected and have experienced some sort of side-effect or mutation that results in a unique ability. The symptomatic mutations are very distinct per Special Infected type, indicating a person-to-person variation in reaction to infection. There are an infinite number of speculations that can be made about the exact cause of mutations for the Special Infected. Each generally has a unique ability that one person cannot face alone, making them the true teamwork testers. They are not attracted by car alarms or loud noise and have a higher degree of intelligence than Common Infected, being able to run away if required and setting up ambushes. They are also more aggressive than the Common Infected, as they will actively attack Survivors rather than passively sitting in a stupor until disturbed. Currently, three weeks have passed since Patient Zero. The entire east coast has been overrun, as has the midwest and the southern states. The last chance of escaping the disease and all of its victims is to head west, where it is rumored that the area of the country west of the Rockies is bereft of the menace that has claimed the rest of the country. Welcome to the nightmare of the zombie apocolypse. Unfortunately for you, this is one nightmare you can't wake up from. Alrighty, peeps, here's the lowdown. Currently, we are located in Peoria, Illinois in various areas of the city. The Green Flu virus has suddenly manifested itself and is rapidly spreading throughout the city. CEDA has completely disappeared, and time is ticking. More and more people are succumbing to the disease, leaving only you and the other Survivors to make your way across the ravaged city to escape the chaos. We'll be meeting along the way, so feel free to start wherever you wish. Because of the comeplete break-down of communications to all areas east and south of the city, the Infection has taken Peoria by complete surprise. Evacuation centers are still in their infancy, and are quickly being overrun. The following is the sign-up: Name: Age: Occupation: Personality: Appearence: And so there we have it folks. The sign-up for this little beauty I've cooked up. Be creative when making your character. The more diverse our participants the better this will be. I will open a Backstage thread with all of the information about the various types of Infected. Should you decide to talk about your background, feel free to do so. Did you flee the west coast or are you a native to Peoria? (and before you ask, Yes. I am actually from Peoria originally)

"Right-o, Captain." She stood from her chair and tucked her blade back into her boot. "I only need a few hours. Would you like me to look over some of our recent job offers as well? Perhaps we can earn some easy cash to fix this sad little boat while we're at it." "Fine. Cross reference the charts. Land us any gigs that look like easy money. I expect all that to be done by dinner time in a few hours. And one more thing?" Morph smiled. "You're cooking dinner tonight. I'm feeling like Mexican." "Of course. But I cooked last night, too. Any special reason?" "I've decided you're the ship's cook now. Think of it as a compliment. Everyone loves your cooking. And you love to cook." Morph smiled. "Now get your ass in gear and do what I pay to keep you around for." "Roger that, Captain." Thally smirked. "How do burritos and dessert grilled cheese sound? I can get it started by eight o'clock or so." "Wonderful. I will see you then." Thally walked out of the galley, and into the corridors of the ship at large. She had a lot of work to do, as well as some shopping. "I do so hope that HOPE is just jumping at shadows. Otherwise things might end badly." She wondered out loud with a slight smirk on her face. Looking down at her hand, she flexed and clenched it tightly. "I think a new body is in order... It seems like combat is about to get real heavy real quick..." She walked the distance to her quarters, and the door hissed open. Her jellyfish greeted her, doing their thing in the tank. "My pretties need fed, don't they?" She commented. Traversing her room, she smiled as she pulled a long black box from the refridgerated shelving under the tank. She plucked several dead rats from the box, and plopped them into the tank. The jellyfish converged on them, rather like a swarm of pirahna. It was like a feeding frenzy as the jellyfish attached themselves to them and began disolving the tissues in order to digest them. "Yes, my lovlies, eat and be merry." Thally watched the jellyfish feed for a few minutes before she sat at the terminal in her room. The monitor flared to life, displaying several e-mail windows and charts. "Time for work..." she muttered.

Thally sighed and made her way back to the galley, a sawed-off shotgun holstered at her hip and a monofilament blade tucked into her right boot. She arrived before anyone else, and sat opposite Morph. "Captain, I have a question." "Yes, Thal?" "Was the bomb needed? I mean, he probably would have left without even a whiff of this ship's identity." Thally cocked her head and plucked a regular seven inch serated blade from her left boot and began using it to clean from underneath her fingernails. "Not only was he a complete newbie at his job but also an idiot." "Blunt as usual... and not wrong, either. The bomb got him out of here, didn't it? I'm sure we all wanted that." "Yes, you're right." Thally shrugged. "I suppose I should be grateful he's gone. At least I didn't have to shoot him." Morph's eyebrow raised. "How uncharacteristically kind you're being. Why for?" The captain eyeballed the knife in Thally's hands, watching her closely. "Innocence. Or perhaps ignorance. They really are one and the same in this particular case." Thally responded in a rather nonchalant manner and shrugged her right shoulder. "I much prefer not to harm innocent people. Our dear Officer Akiko seems to fit in with that rather appropriate concept." Morph snorted. "As much as I'm inclined to agree with you, if he had discovered anything he would have had to die." "Of course, Captain." Thally smiled and held her knife up in the light. It gleamed bright and sharp in her hands. "I am simply expressing my relief in not having to kill. He really was kind of cute, and for all we know he might have been just an honest guy pulling a nine to five just like the rest of the general population." Morph rolled her eyes as Val entered the room. "So, he was 'kind of cute' was he? What am I, chopped liver?" he quipped as he sat down. "Last time I checked, yes." Thally retorted jokingly with a smile on her face.

Daisuke locked the door to his apartment, intending on going to the park as he'd suggested to himself earlier. Under his right arm he had several drawing journals, as well as his own project he'd done. Many people were looking forward to his published work, and almost all of them had seen him at work at the park. More than a few were rather wealthy business men, and sincerely enjoyed his works. And some of those were even willing to pay to help him get it published if he needed it. He was doing well enough, so he just politely thanked them and told them it wasn't necessary. He smiled as he felt the light breeze of the day as he exited the apartment building into the city street. The many bustling commuters were moving about, intent on enjoying their journey through the day same as he. The park was near the center of town, so he had to ride the bus to get closer to town. He had a personal garage in town for his car, there really wasn't any point in driving all the way out into the country with it, when getting into town was just a couple minutes away. The all time gas hike was a real pain in the arse, so he prefered to conserve his gas as he saw fit. And the garage was just down the street from the train terminal. A smile spread across his lips as he thought of getting behind the wheel of his pretty red early 80's Porsche 930. He'd gotten it dirt cheap because it had been impounded and gone up for sale from the police impound. He heard the familiar clacking of the train and smiled. Riding on a train was common, but always interesting for the purposes of people watching Foreigners in particular.

Was it Ronin Warriors?

Thally, signing in! Thally tapped her well manicured nails on her cabin's desk, and snorted at the figures and navigation charts before her on the monitor. None of it looked even remotely profitable, nor even worth the risks they would have to take if they were to take on the cargo for several jobs that had been offered to them. It was one thing to be confident in her and her crewmates abilities, it was quite another to be stupidly suicidal. Looking away from the monitor, her eyes trailed along the walls of her cabin. It was any arms dealer's or weapon enthusiast's wet dream. Guns, knives, swords, plasma weapons, maces, staves... almost any kind of weapon that existed was there, mounted on her walls. On the wall behind her was a mounted aquarium, filled with jellyfish. They undulated and pulsed, shimmering in the water under the light atop it. They were always fun to watch for a little while, especially when she fed them. Thally sighed. She wasn't getting anywhere with her tasks, and she'd been working steadily for a couple hours sifting through the various data she'd been given by the captain. She needed a break, and what better way to take a break than to go to the mess hall and make herself something to eat? Stretching, she moved over to one of her walls and smiled. "I think I'll take you, you, and you." she said and plucked three various guns from her wall, and then opened a drawer and pulled out a gun cleaning kit. She exited her room and made her way to the kitchen. It was her turn to make dinner that night, so she rummaged through the pantry dry goods, and then the refridgerated compartment. Pork chops, stuffing, and apple pie made from scratch sounded like a good idea to her, and it wouldn't take all that long to prepare and cook either. And she'd be able to maintain her weapons while she had spare moments. She pulled a bottle of spiced rum from a cabinet and popped the top off and took a deep drink, then sat the bottle down on the table. She got to work, pulling a taiwanese machette from her belt and began slicing up the pork with the precision of a surgeon. Within minutes, she had enough pork slices to feed almost thirty people. But, she simply just went about arranging the pieces of meat on several trays to put into the preheating oven. With the way the crew and captain ate, there would hardly be any left overs she'd need to worry about. After placing the meat in the oven, she set a timer and sat down to go to work on cleaning her guns. From outside the kitchen and down the hall, she could hear heavy footsteps trodding down it. The foot steps stopped just outside the kitchen, and Thally's eyebrow raised a hair. Instantly, she grasped one of her larger guns and kicked off the floor. she pivoted backwards on the chair's hind legs, and using the bolted down table as leverage to keep from hitting the floor. She leveled her gun, never looking behind her. "Would you mind at least looking at me when you have that thing aimed at me? It really is kind of unnerving that you're not and have such perfect aim." Thally sat her chair back down, smiling slightly. Val came to her side, and looked on at the table loaded with disassembled guns. "Interesting little party you have going on here. Like a tea party. A tea party where you'll die of lead poisoning." He looked on, and picked up an ancient pistol that still gleamed despite its age. "You always did like your weapons." He sat the gun back on the table, and looked at her. "Of course. But as everyone knows, the small firearms-" Thally picked the gun back up and placed it to the far left, smiling slightly, "- go on the far left of the place setting." Val's brow furrowed, and he just shook his head. Thally went back to cleaning the gun in her hands. "Dinner will be ready in an hour. Would you mind letting everyone know?"

Daisuke opened his eyes, if only to stare up at the ceiling. Sunlight filtered in through the blinds covering the windows of his bedroom, and he groaned, not wanting to get up. Rolling over, he glanced over to his alarm clock, and grimanced seeing the time. It was still early, and far earlier than he needed to get up. His mind wandered, thinking of the strange dream he'd had. IT had been so strange, and felt so real. Something about it just felt off, somehow, like there was more than he was seeing to the picture. Shrugging, he sat up and threw off the fluffy black and grey comforter and put his feet down onto the cold hardwood floor of his bedroom. Stretching out, he stood, and threw off his underwear. They sailed across the room to land in his dirty clothes hamper, and he walked into the bathroom and twisted the knobs of the shower until he got the water just right for himself. The almost scalding hot water washed down his body, sending him away to cloud nine. Leaning into the water, it splashed onto his face and dropped down to the tiled floor of the shower. A short while later and dressed for the day, Daisuke turned on the television in his living room. He had a nice apartment, and one that was considered higher end than most others, not to mention larger than most as well. While the morning news played out on the screen, Daisuke moved about his kitchen, getting a bowl, some milk, and a box of cereal from their respective places. As he raised his spoon of Frosted Mini-Wheats to his mouth, the news started playing a segment about some ship that had run aground and caught fire, killing over a thousand people. "Now that's a shame. All those poor people..." he muttered aloud. Sighing, Daisuke pressed a button on his remote and cartoons replaced the news. "Now that's more like it." He sat down on his overstuffed couch and happily watched the images on the boob tube, his mind shoving the dream and the news far away from his conciousness. The day was young, and he didn't have anything to do in particular other than draw a few panels for his manga. Looking up suddenly, a thought blossomed in his mind. "Hey... it's a nice enough day. Why don't I go to the park later?" he wondered out loud.

What all is the technology like? Laser guns or simple guns like the ones of today? Also, is there the capability to have a bio-android as a character? Those are my questions, and other than those concerns I'd love to play.

Name: Kitsurugi Daisuke Age:26 Sex: Male Arcana: Fortune Appearance: Daisuke stands in at 6'1" and 160lbs soaking wet. He is also disturbingly feminine in his facial structure. His body is rather sleekly muscled, and adequately disguises his athletic tendancies but also serves to confuse people as to his gender even further. He usually wears his outrageously dyed hair down, so it often reaches the back of his knees. Currently, he has chosen his hair to be bright blue. Personality: He's considered by many to be flighty, even vain. However, he has a smile that puts most people at ease, and he easily befriends most people with his special brand of in-your-face charm. He's the wild child, and very much the go-getter when he has his eyes set on a prize. Bio: Luck has always been on his side, and he knows it. Despite having been raised in an orphanage, he's made a good life for himself, through various means that just seem to present themselves to him. Currently, he's working on publishing his own manga.

Chibi, the exact same thing is happening to me. Now, I'm terrified to go in my bedroom for fear it has escaped into it... and I die if stung...

So.... I'm confused. why is mitch a bad thing? he's kinda cute ^^

It's stuff like this that makes me weep for humanity. The whole thing is a load of crap. He should be arrested, end of story.