one bite is all it takes [1x1]

Nyx “Shadowshot” Xavier (Goes by Shadowshot, Shadow, Nyx, or Xavier. Prefers Shadow). 18. Smuggler/ amateur hitman.
> Fighting style - Stealth + range. She’s not bad at hand to hand combat, but prefers to use the element of surprise and range to take out her enemies. Usually attacks from the shadows or with a sniper rifle and throws small rocks and the like to make her victim turn away so she can sneak up and take them out with a knife.
> Weapon? - Sniper rifle, Swiss Army knife, bow.
> Physical Desc - 5’7 female with wavy black hair down to her shoulders and dark green eyes. Her build is made for speed and stamina, even if she’s not the strongest. She is white but has a tan, and has a small spade ♠️ symbol tattoo on the inside of her left wrist.
> Clothing - Black tank top, camouflage pattern cargo pants, a belt that has the holster for her knife along with other pouches for her goodies, black hoodie, black converse, black fingerless gloves, a modified (black) face mask to protect from spores, and a military grade camouflage pattern backpack.
> Personality - She’s an ambivert, which means that she’s either social or antisocial depending on the crowd. Loves to study the virus and often draws pictures of the infected after luring them in and capturing them, but is always careful to not get too close when studying. Also is skilled in healing.
> Traits - Intelligent, sharp shooter, sarcastic, independent, observant : Refuses to accept help sometimes, her life always comes first, and is morally grey.
> History? - During the first breakout, she was on a camping trip with her 16 yo bother. He unfortunately got bitten when they were hiking to the nearest safe center and she watched him twitch and suffer for two hours before finally having the courage to put him out of his misery. After that the army recruited her due to her stealth skills, but she was dishonorably discharged after murdering the general because he smack talked her about her nightmares that she gets from her brother’s death. So naturally she became a sort of bounty hunter and smuggler, working for the richer parts of the safe zone. She was out on a job when she was jumped by two guys, one of which sliced her from her eye down to her throat. She survived, but has a large scar. (TBD how the characters meet :3)
> Misc? - She smells like campfire smoke and fresh rain from all of her time spent hunting in the woods. Has a soft spot for any sort of animal, and enjoys sketching them; infected or not. She prides herself on her artistic skill, and due to all the time spent alone she’s gotten quite good at it. Usually sleeps in trees or somewhere high up because it’s always better to have the high ground on an enemy. Plus she loves the sound of the wind blowing through the trees. While she doesn’t mind people seeing her scar, it worries her that someone might perceive her as weak for getting hurt that bad. The reason she’s called “Shadowshot” or “Shadow” is because of her sharp aim when sniping from darkness, which earned her that name when she was in the military. For some reason she loves to read horror novels even though her life is a horror novel. Oh, and one final cute fact. This girl *loves* goldfish crackers more than anything in the world. Like, she could live off the damn things and be happy. However it’s sad because the crackers are no longer made due to, you know, the apocalypse but she’s learned to make them from scratch using traded cheese and other ingredients. Always, I mean always, has a bag on hand. Is also weirdly good at whistling and singing, although usually prefers to whistle.

LMK if I need to edit/change anything ^3^ but if not I’m all set!! Tag so u see this, dou

Sounds great!! We could have them meet in the woods if that’s Alr? Oh, and I have an idea for the main storyline. Okay, what if like one of the Fireflies or some rich person needs them to transport a cure or something like that to a place super far away? The characters would be forced to travel together bc of the reward for following instructions, but ofc there’s peril and other issues along the way. Sound good?

U good XD I have da thread bookmarked <3 I might start the interaction if that’s alr

(here’s the Shadow starter pack lol :3)

“Yeah, that makes sense.” Shadow sliced through a particularly thick branch with her pocket knife before continuing to follow the man. “Can’t imagine myself making something like that. Not the best with anything heavy,” she said with a low chuckle. “Although judging from the metal fists that’s not an issue for you.” Her eyes once again looked at the giant metal gloves and metal leg. “It’s very good craftsmanship, if you don’t mind me saying.” She didn’t particularly know why she was being so chatty with this guy, he probably just wanted her to leave him alone. Ah you dirty bastard, Shadow. The solitude finally getting to you? Or do you just enjoy annoying innocent people trying to get home after a long day? Probably just the second.

Sunlight broke through the clouds and a beam landed on the man’s face, allowing Shadow to get a good look at his mask. The human skull weirdly didn’t disturb her in the slightest. After the first breakout, she had learned not to judge what people used as armor or weapons. Whatever held any sort of use should be utilized. And hey, if a human skull didn’t scare your enemies on some sort of subconscious level, then what would? Her eyes lit up at the sight of the axe. She was never that good with them, but if she bet on anything she would guess that he would be efficient with one. “You any good with that,” she asked with a gesture to it. As she spoke suddenly she froze. The forest had that odd feeling about it, the one where the birds stop chirping and nothing dares make a sound. Other survivors or infected? Guess we’ll just have to find out.

She easily climbed to the top of the tree, surveying the immediate vicinity to see if there was anything there. Sure enough there was a group of about three freshly infected stumbling through the brush about five hundred yards away. They still had their faces, suggesting they’d only turned a couple of hours ago. Judging from their stature Shadow guessed they couldn’t have been much older than herself. Many teens snuck out of the safe zones without proper knowledge of how to fight off Infected, and got bitten. Most likely they were just playing around in the creek nearby when they got ambushed. Silently she climbed down the tree and motioned for the man to look where she pointed. The Infected hadn’t seen them yet, but it’s still better to have the element of surprise. “Guess we’ll see just how good you are with that axe.” She hopped off the branch of the tree she was on and did a barrel roll, coming up on one knee with an arrow notched. Easily she took out one, but the other two had the mind to duck behind a tree before she had time to get another arrow. As she went after one, she saw the second attempt to attack the tall guy from behind. Hopefully he’s half as strong as he looks…

(Okay random but I think I have an idea for the name of our rp >:3 so we could either call it "One Bite is All it Takes" *play on One Kiss is all it takes* or we could call it "An Infected Society" I'm good with whichever so u choose)

(oh no you totally fine <3 I’m glad he’s coming back!! Congratulations!)

“The name’s Shadow, pleased to meet you Lithium.” She couldn’t stop a small smile from forming on her lips as he accepted her offer. “Nah,” she said with a shrug. “You don’t have to go in. I just gotta pick up a package and then we can go.” Her hands fiddled with the tactical belt at her waist for a moment before forcing herself to stop. Looking fidgety and annoying would not be a good way to reassure a new companion. She rocked on her heels for a few moments before speaking again. “If you like, I can go grab it and meet you back here or someplace in the woods? That way only one of us has to travel for a bit.” A slight breeze rippled through the clearing and Shadow couldn’t help but take in a deep breath of the fresh air, the wonderful smell of ‘woods air filling her lungs. If the client really needed them to go far away, then this might be the last breath of fresh air she’d get for a little while. Usually if clients needed something taken super far away then that meant traveling through the large abandoned city on the East side, and then cutting through the mountain ranges to get to the next safe zone. But who knows. Maybe he needed it taken just across town and Shadow would’ve wasted Lithium’s time.

Guess we’ll just have to see. I’d prefer not wasting his time though. She glanced around again, just rechecking for infected or other people wandering through the woods. All it really took was one bite, and some Infected were particularly good at sneaking. Just like herself. Shadow shivered slightly at the thought of being snuck up on and bitten by an Infected. If that happened… well let’s just say her rifle would have one less round. But she pushed those intrusive thoughts away. The last thing she needed at the moment were thoughts of suicide and getting infected, especially if she wanted to secure the deal with the client.

(Just fyi imma have to write a pretty long response for her convo with the client so it might take me a bit)

She rolled her eyes. “I just needed one, and I’m done drawing it anyway. It’s just difficult finding a specimen in the last stage of the infection because a full transformation happens in the following hours of the stage.” A blush rose into Shadow’s cheeks. He didn’t give a sh*t about her drawings, so there was no point in trying to explain it to him. After a few moments she coughed awkwardly before nodding at him. “Sounds good. I’ll… I’ll meet you there then.” She still wasn’t super sure about trusting this guy. After all, it would be so easy to wait out at the clearing and jump her once she got there. She had a scar to remind her of that. But for now it seemed like there was no way to tell, so she’d just have to place a little bit of trust in him. And he has to trust me a bit too. It goes both ways.

Shadow gave a small bow to him before backing up and scaling a tree, heading in the direction of the Safe Zone. After a few minutes of travel she got to her usual entrance to the zone, underneath a barb wire fence. Easily she slid under it and glanced around at the empty alley. In a way it was more terrifying to be where all the other people were than with Infected. Carefully she pulled her hood and mask up further over her face, keeping her head low as she walked. In her pocket she was gripping her knife tightly. Just gotta get to the guys house… that’s all I have to do. Keep your head low and keep moving. Do not make eye contact. Stay as far away from everyone as possible. Do not engage. Do not look at what anyone is doing; it’s not your business. Just keep moving. She repeated those instructions over and over in her mind, following them rigidly. There was only one hitch along the way, a drunk guy stumbling up and trying to put his hands on her. Shadow had none of it and now there was a new body in an alleyway. Not my problem, she thought with a chuckle. He chose the wrong person to try to grope. Ugh. Humans are scarier than any sort of virus.

After twenty minutes of walking she finally found the address. The client was standing outside, looking nervous and fidgeting with the hem of his shirt. Shadow paused. He looked insane, with frizzy red hair and goggle like glasses. Mad-scientist lookin ass. “Uhm sir,” she said hesitantly, “I’m the person your servant sent out looking for. Do you have the package?” He looked her up and down, and scowled at her appearance. “When Johnathon said he found a competent smuggler, I suppose I guessed you would look a bit more professional. But I guess that you’ll have to do.” Shadow glared at him but bit her lip. His reward was worth the insults. At least, she hoped it’d be.

“C’mon then, girl. I have the package right inside.” She paused as he shuffled into the weirdly clean looking house, shifting on her feet before finally following him. The interior of the house was clean and light flowed in from large windows, filling the rooms with golden light. Shadow was painfully aware of how dirty her clothes were, and halfheartedly brushed off her pants as she waited for him to come out of the adjoining room. It was strange when he came back, with his disheveled appearance looking out of place against the white tiles and golden light. In his hands was a small grubby package wrapped in brown paper and tied with string. “Come here, smuggler. I will show you what I need to be transported.” She followed him to a table in the center of the room where he unwrapped the paper and brought out an even smaller box, white in appearance and smelling of disinfectant. “I’ve been looking for this for twenty years,” he said with a sort of insane grin. “And now I’ve finally found it. A cure to the virus.”

Shadow’s eyebrows raised. A cure? Really? “Okay? It’s really none of my concern. I just need to know where to take it.” He huffed angrily at her before handing her the small box. “I need it taken to the research center on the north side, across the mountain range and through the abandoned city. From there there’s a pretty clear place of where to take it, it’s a giant glass dome. Meet my friend Dr. Lucid who works there and give him the cure. Tell him it’s from his old pal Braxis.” Shadow’s eyes widened. “The north side? That’s nearly a six month trek, even if the weather is good. And there’s the Bludgeon Gang that lives in the city. And you want me to do all that for a measly machete? There better be another reward or no deal.” He rolled his eyes as he shoved the box into her hands. “Yes, I told you about a second reward. I will pay for horses and any supplies you need. But my second reward is a silencer for your rifle. It’s been modified to fit your specific brand, and will make all shots silent. And if you like I have a blow torch and some metal for metal working.” A silencer! That would be the best reward ever along with a machete. And the metal and blowtorch could be given to Lithium! “Fine. I’ll do it.”

He nodded with a smile as he handed her a few pieces of paper. “These are vouchers for a supplier of horses and ammo on the other side of town. Use these to get whatever you need, and I’ll have Johnathon pick up the remaining vouchers. Good luck, girl.” She couldn’t help a large grin spread on her face as he brought her the silencer and box with the machete. Her hands were trembling with excitement as she lifted the lid of the box to reveal a shiny new blade. She tied the sheath to her belt before putting the silencer of her rifle. God. I cannot wait to try this baby out. He passed her the blowtorch and sheets of metal, which she shoved into her backpack. But as she was heading for the door she paused, remembering something. “Do you have any blade sharpeners,” she asked as she turned around. “Yes,” he replied with a small chuckle. Carefully he made his way around and sifting through a drawer before returning with a sharpener. Shadow dipped her head appreciation. She had remembered how Lithium’s axe had been looking a little bit dull, and thought he might enjoy being able to sharpen it. “Well then, I’ll be heading off. I will return once the package has been delivered.” He nodded seriously at her. “You must get it there. The doctors there can duplicate it and we can stop this damned disease.”

It didn’t take long to get back to where Lithium was, where she hesitantly made her way into the clearing. He wasn’t in her immediate sight and she paused in the shadows. “I’m back,” she called quietly, glancing around to see if she could find him.

( after 80 years I’m done with my response 🫠 pls enjoy )

“Sure.” Shadow leaned against a tree nearby the fire as she opened her backpack to show him the goodies she had gotten. “Look,” she said happily. “I got you a new blow torch and some metal. Oh, and we can use this to sharpen our blades.” She handed him the blowtorch and metal as she looked at his face for some sort of reaction. Eventually though she looked away to check to see what a cracking of a stick meant, although it turned out to just’ve been a rabbit sprinting through the underbrush from an owl and she soon relaxed. Now for telling him about the journey… but she wanted to give him the choice. “So I got the package, and to be honest it was not what I was expecting. He thinks he’s found a cure.” She took out the small white box from her belt pocket and held it up, letting him see it before returning it to its place. “And so, he said that we need to take it to the medical center on the north side. Which if you didn’t know is a six month trek if the weather is okay.”

Shadow eased herself so she was sitting down, staring into the fire before looking at him. “You don’t have to go with me,” she said with a small smile. “I understand if you don’t want to. You didn’t sign up for being stuck with me for months on end! You can keep the blowtorch and metal regardless though, and use the blade sharpener all you like before I go.” But then her face brightened a bit as she said, “but if you want to stay and go with me, we’ll set out for a supplier on the outskirts of the safe zone who can sell us horses and other supplies for the journey. But just so you know, this is not an easy trek. We’ll have to be going through lots of dangerous situations, and it’s a likely possibility that one of us will die. I’m willing to take the risk though, to stop this damned disease.” She took out a water bottle from her backpack and removed her mask for the first time in front of him, the large scar visible as she sipped the lukewarm water. “I just don’t want to pressure you into anything,” she said. “Just make the decision that feels right for you. I can make the journey on my own though, if you’re scared I’ll get hurt without you there.”

She sat in silence as she stared at the moon high above, casting an unearthly glow onto the small camp. What a strange pair we’d make, she thought with a snort. One tall, mysterious and badass looking guy and a geeky girl who’s good at being sneaky. Ah well. If he says no then I can do just fine on my own, but it might be nice to have company for once. You haven’t had someone since Elliot… no. Don’t mention him. Not what I need right now. She quickly looked away from Lithium as the thought of Elliot entered her mind. Tears sprang into her eyes, but she refused to let herself cry merely at the image of him in her mind. It had just been a bit since she’d thought of him, that’s all. She was stronger than that. He wouldn’t have wanted her to cry over him, and if he was there he would’ve said, ‘Knight, stay strong. Stop crying over me! You’re such a wimp.’ It would all have been said in an affectionate tone of course, and he’d have gently shoved her or something. Oh Ellie… But then she merely sighed and the wave of emotion faded away.

(u wanna rename the rp at some point?)