Ivan Patterson x 27 x trans man x grave robbers x scout a fool thinks he can run from battle to escape death, but no one can run away from it, cause old age spares no one
Ophelia couldn’t get Aela out of her head, maybe it was just the phantom feeling of hot water pelting against her back or the foreign feeling of clean clothes. She’d like to say it was the need to help the Collective, but selfishness was creeping up in her. Fingers played with themselves as she thought it over.Her head jolted at the sound of footsteps coming up behind her. “Hey…Would you go? Just leave everyone and go to Aela?”
Ivan was lying on the ground, completely oblivious or perhaps used to the tiny rocks underneath him stinging him in the back. His blue eyes were closed as he was slowly drifting asleep while listening to the world around him. While he was halfway between being awake and asleep it was as if everything was just as it had been, as if nothing had changed at all. He didn’t have to worry about Aela or the creepers or anything really. Once Ophelia spoke out Ivan startled awake, turning towards her. “ I’m not sure? I will do whatever I have to do to survive but how can I be sure if this is going to help me or lead me right into some unknown danger? “
“ you’re such a cynic. ” it was entirely possible the man was right, and elle would have to reckon with that fact at some point or another, but at the moment she was wedged firmly between denial and flight, and was having the time of her life there. they hadn’t been the only group to have people go missing, and that was a terrible sign, in a way, but it also felt sort of equalizing, and––
god. she was going crazy, wasn’t she? “ i think humans are sort of still alright. in times of hardship, i mean. occasionally. not… not most of us. but enough of us. ” the words felt a bit hollow even as she said them. “ or maybe you’re right and we’re fucked. i don’t know why i’m suddenly against cynicism. stupid of me, really. ” she tried, not for the first time, to scrub a bit of dirt off the top of her rifle. “ most of the sociology books i’ve ever read support your thesis. but not all. sometimes in times of strife, if humans are united against… well, against death, i suppose, they band together. it isn’t unheard of. ” but she couldn’t remember where she’d read it, now. or heard it? maybe it had been on some radio show; she’d listened to those plenty, back in the day.
The cynical and mistrusting side of Ivan had been rooted in his mind long before the creepers began to tear the world apart. He had always found it too unreliable to put his trust in people who could potentially stab him in the back. He had never been the person to rely on others or put their needs before his. It might be a selfish way of living but at least he was still here breathing and alive. But the thing is even if he might sound more than a little hesitant to trust Aela and what they may bring, he would still much rather go to them than be by himself again. Sure he knew he could survive out there alone, he had done it before but he wasn’t sure if he could survive the loneliness, not when he had gotten so used to always being surrounded by people.
“ I’m sorry for being a downer. I know I shouldn’t look the gift horse in the mouth, but it just seems too good to be true. If this is nothing but a trap I don’t want my people, or anyone else to walk blindingly into it just because they might or might not get supplies. ” Ivan ran his finger down the blade of his knife as if to see if it was sharp enough as he thought for a moment. “ It may be cynical but I know that even the best people can do horrible things in desperation. So I really don't want to know what will happen when more people will disappear. ”
He could only have himself to blame to be stuck in this disastrous situation. He could have been safe and sound somewhere far away from this place by himself. Only if he hadn’t made the unfortunate misjudgement of joining the Grave Robbers. Of course, he was grateful for each person in the group for everything they’ve done for him in the past, but right this second his gratitude wasn’t a particularly high priority for him. Ivan had already conjectured the many possibilities of how this could play out and most of them would end the same, in C H A O S.
The clouds began to thicken, threatening to make it rain when Ivan finally allowed himself to drop down on the ground a couple of feet away from the rest of his group. Absentmindedly pulling out his old knife, sharpening it with swift movements. He only faltered for a split of a second when he heard someone approaching him before he continuing. “ This place isn’t going to be safe for much longer. Soon enough everyone is going to start tearing each other apart, am I right? “
The arrival of the new groups, the outsiders, and the familiar faces of her old faction had made Camille feel as if she might scream at the slightest prompting. She’d tucked a knife in her boot and another in her belt, for although there had been no cause for violence as of yet, the presence of the Crowned faction was as undeniable as it was oppressive. Even without the close proximity of Joseph Killian, the sheer number of strangers who had flooded into the land surrounding their designated meeting spot was far too much – a loner drowning, suffocating in a sea of people.
She had stationed herself at the edge of camp, chopping wood for the fire that they’d surely all convene around as soon as the sun dipped below the horizon. Her brow was damp with sweat, her hair sticking to her brow; it was all she could do to keep her attention upon the wood, rather than careening through camp with an axe in hand, bent upon planting herself at Mags’s side so that she might not be bothered.
An axe-wielding maniac; it seemed as if the apocalypse had made Camille more herself.
But she was forced to stop mid-swing, shoulder wrenching and gut twisting at the sound of a familiar voice, a voice which she thought she might never hear again. She wheeled about, eyes searching for but a moment – for as she turned, there he stood. Her arms fell to her side, axe a resounding THUNK at her side. And then she dropped it, taking a cautious step forward, for she wondered for a moment if he might be a dream.
“You’re alive –” she said, voice a bark. This was not a question; here he stood, in flesh and blood. She took another step forth. And then another, and another. “How?”
The world around Ivan seemed to slow down as Camille stood there before him, alive and breathing. The laughter and the chatter of the different groups of survivors quieted down into a soft humming background noise, his only focus was on her. How could this be possible?
The last time he had seen her he was sure she had died, he was sure he had been destined to be by himself, again. He could still remember the deafening gurgling sound of the creepers that surrounded him and the panic that clouded his mind. He wasn’t panicking over the possibility of being ripped to death by those monsters, no instead it was because of death and being left alone.
For hours he hid away in the darkness, once in a while feeling arms reach out for him, grabbing his legs or pulling on his clothes. The panic he had felt after being separated from Camille had soon enough faded away and sheer determination had replaced it. He knew had to survive, even if he would do it alone. For some miraculous reason, he had been able to walk away from that nightmare, exhausted but alive. Afterwards when he was far away from the herd he allowed himself to grieve her.
A wave of shame washed over him because the truth is that since she’s here, alive he must have left her there by herself to die. He should have gone to look for her, he should have helped her. “ You/ know me, I’m too stubborn to die. “ He swallowed down dryly before continuing. “ I was sure you were dead. I should have- I’m sorry. ”
Ivan could feel the unease in the air. The tension and the suspicion were clear on each unfamiliar face his eyes roamed to. He knew his own had to mirror the same hesitant expression. He let out a soft sigh and took a step back, away from the people and away from the tension and uncertainty that followed them. A part of him truly wanted to run in the other direction, be by himself again. He had done it before and he knew he would be able to survive on his own. “ Fuck this.. “ his voice was rough and quiet as he turned around, making his way as far away from them as he possibly could.
Strangers walked past him, some looking him in the eyes with mistrust written all over their faces, but he couldn’t care less about them. That is until he saw her... It took him a moment to process what he had seen because he wasn’t sure if he was truly seeing her or if he was seeing a ghost from his past. He froze in his steps and turned around to get a better look at her.
HE’LL BE DAMNED IF THEY STARVE, these two mouths that are now his to feed. of course, he knows that they did just fine without him ( it aches to think how wonderfully they have turned out, and he cannot tell if it is from pride or a certain melancholy longing ), but they are his and he is theirs. two years is nothing to the eighteen that his daughter has lived, and so he feels as if he has far too much time to make up, as if it was somehow his fault that he has been separate from her – and from his love – for so very long. as he patrols, he thinks; the game has changed, and if their leader is not quick enough to take up the newcomers’ offers of food and shelter, then wesley will more than gladly march to their gates and demand entry for he and his family himself. he feels no particular allegiance to their faction – only to two of the women who populate it.
he pauses, turns to look into the woods at the place into which the pair of civilians disappeared. what would happen if he simply followed them? an audibly harried sigh escapes him, and he runs a rough hand through his tousled ginger curls. it would be too dangerous to take matters into his own hands, he figures – and yet danger might be the only option.
Ivan had never been the type of person who was able to stay still in one place for too long. Usually, he would always be on the move knowing that the minute he would stop he would be in danger. That’s how he had lived most of his life, sneaking around and running away from everything and everyone. The only thing on his mind would be to S U R V I V E. That was before the monsters began to roam the earth and before he joined the Grave Robbers. Once the apocalypse began he would travel all day and hide restlessly during nights, of course, it had been lonely but he was still here alive and breathing an that’s all that mattered. Once he shockingly joined the group he would constantly go out to look for something they would need, just so he would be able to keep moving. Because even if there was safety in numbers he knew that staying still would eventually be the end of him.
Today was different, he hadn’t felt so stuck even since before the end of the world. He had been pacing around, waiting for something to happen, because he simply knew that this peace wouldn’t last forever and soon enough all hell would break loose like it always did.
“ Oh deary, deary ” Finally, something to take his mind off everything. “ There are so many worries underneath those ginger curls. What’s going on, big guy? ”
FIVE YEARS , THEY’VE BEEN FIGHTING . five years , they’ve been just barely scraping by . can someone blame her for grasping at any chance of salvation ? can she blame them for the same ? as it turns out , yes— quite easily . not looking for a fight , but like hell will she back down from one . they need that food . adrian has long since stopped crying at his hunger , far too used to the feeling to care . somehow , that hurts worse . once upon a time , she’d promised herself that her baby would never long for anything , not like she had . now look where they are . it makes her feel sick . it makes her feel sad .
❛ look— i get that you need food too , but some of us have kids to feed . shouldn’t they get priority ? ❜
“ Is it really my problem that you have a kid? “ Couple of years ago he would have without a doubt shared his food with her and the child, but that time was long gone. He knew that if he wanted to survive he would have to think about no one else's needs except for his own. He had done much worse to make sure he would live for this long than refuse to let her get food before him. “ Just calm down, you’ll get your food. ”
“i think it’s a load of shit,” harley spoke around one of her last cigarettes that now dangled from her lips. she’d contemplated over the reasons why they would want to take in so many people. there was no way there would be enough food or resources to feed them all. there had to be a fucking catch somewhere. “option one: they’ve turned cannibal and we’re about to be kept in cages to await our slaughter. option two: it’s a trap and they’re waiting to take everything we own. option three: they’re just that kind.” at the latter option, she rolled her eyes while voicing it. “why? don’t tell me you believe what they’re selling.”
“ If you honestly think I believe this fairy tale they’re trying to tell us then you obviously don’t know me well enough Harley. ” Ivan tilted his head back, allowing it to rest on the surface behind him as he closed his eyes for just a second, listening to the hushed voices around them, whispering about the same thing they were talking about. A part of him wanted to believe this, he wanted so desperately to believe there was a safe place for them. But the truth is he had learned a long time ago that people would never be this kind for no reason at all. The truth is no matter how good people are, they’ll betray you the second they need something desperately enough “ I bet they’ve all turned into cannibals and they are right this second preparing a grand feast for their people while we walk right into the trap. ”
Hi everyone! I’m so excited to be here. I’ve been looking for a good zombie roleplay for what seems like a forever and finally, I found it!! I’m Daniel (he/him) by the way. I’m 23 and I’m in the GMT and I can’t wait to start roleplaying with you and plotting with everyone! So if you’d like to plot just hmu or like this post!
( richard harmon, transman, he/him, 27 ) · for a member of grave robbers, i’d call you lucky for making it this far. rumor around camp has it that ivan patterson is a taurus and used to live in chicago, illionis. i think i heard someone say that they’re very adaptable, confident, and focused but who wouldn’t be in the middle of the apocalypse, y’know, especially cause they’re a scout. anyway, they remind me of that song — when we’re high by LP. god i miss spotify. ( a fool thinks he can run from battle to escape death, but no one can run away from it, cause old age spares no one. don’t cry or do whatever makes you comfortable. i love places that make you and your problem seem small and unimportant ).
BEFORE THE END OF THE WORLD
x. Ivan Patterson was born into an incredibly large and wealthy family. He was the middle child of eight children. His parents weren’t perfect, but no parent is but they truly tried their best. His parents used to work quite a lot to keep up with their lifestyle but they still tried to be there for their kids whenever they were home.
x. The thing is the more kids there are in the home the easier it is for one of them to completely disappear. While Ivan was a child he was quiet, but maybe too quiet. His parents didn’t quite notice him. Not that he blamed them. His older sister surely needed more attention than he did with all the trouble she got herself in and then, of course, his youngest sister was just a baby so she must have needed a lot of attention. So instead of being bothered with the lack of affection and attention he simply he took care of himself.
x. He took care of himself since he was just a little child. He would wake himself up and make sure he was dressed and presentable before he would walk himself to school. Sure, some people would find it difficult but it didn’t bother him. He loved his family and even if he had to step up and act more mature than other kids his age it didn’t matter to him.
x. All his life he felt like he was nothing like the people around him. He felt as if he was from another planet. He had different interest than all of his siblings, while they would be out making friends he would have rather spent his time by himself reading fantasy books that allowed him to escape to another world.
x. It wasn’t until much later when he realized how truly different he was from his family. Because until the age of fifteen he had always felt like something was wrong with him but he had never been able to understand what it was. But when he did his whole world turned upside down but in the best way. He finally realized that even if he had been born as a girl that wasn’t right for him.
x. He wanted to tell his parents right away because he knew they would love him no matter what and that’s exactly what happened. His parents accepted him and helped him become the man he truly was.
x. But the thing is no one’s perfect and Ivan is far from being perfect. Once he was finally able to look like the person he truly was he found the confidence he had always been lacking.
x. Instead of being the quiet kid he had always been, he surrounded himself with people and he became arrogant and annoyed at the lack of attention he got at home. He would constantly start picking fights with his siblings and with his parents until one even they all gave up and it ended with him leaving at seventeen. Sure after he left he knew he had been an asshole but he also realized he had just been a kid and it made him bitter and angry that his parents allowed him to leave.
x. Ever since that moment, he was by himself, travelling as far away from his family as he could get and making sure he had somewhere to sleep and eat. Years later he was still by himself even if he had made friends on the way, he was still stuck in a survival mode, ready to move to the next town if he would have to.
x. It wasn’t until at the end of the world when he realized what an idiot he was and how much he truly wanted to get home.
AFTER THE END OF THE WORLD
x. When he first saw them he was walking down a deserted street. At first, he wouldn’t believe it but it didn’t take long until he realized that something wasn’t right with the person who was getting closer and closer to him, but instead of waiting around to figure out what was going on with him he simply ran away.
x. That’s how his new life began. He was on the run constantly, still hoping he would one day be able to reconnect with his family even if he knew how foolish it was. Then one day he ran into the Grave Robbers. From that moment on he stopped running and they became his new family.
CONNECTIONS
x. People from the past
x. Someone he ran into while he was on the run before he joined the Grave Robbers. They could have either been friends or annoyed at each other but known that they needed each other to survive. The two of them could have joined the group together or not.
x. Friends!!!!!
x. Of course he need friends but he also needs enemies, someone that he´s constantly bickering with!
