application || Luceti November 2012

[z_jay]

Mun

Name: Reina
Livejournal/Dreamwidth Username: celes_grant
E-mail: brbburgers@hotmail[dot]com
AIM/MSN: brbburgers
Current Characters at Luceti: N/A


Character

Name: Eugene B. Woods
Fandom: Zombies, Run!
Gender: Male
Age: 27 (no specific age, however given his previous occupation and temperament, this seems an adequate age)
Time Period: Post final Abel radio broadcast, game still ongoing.
Wing Color: Black with blue tips, similar to a bird found in British Columbia

History: It should be stated first that this history has been collaborated with a fellow fan and ZR! roleplayer (Sue, apping Jack Holden this round), and certain sections may recur in both our applications. Also, as far as in-universe information goes, the Runner's Guide, put out by the creators and available here, is a good primer on the Grey Plague, life in the months following it, and Abel Township.

Not much canonical history is given for Eugene in the story of Zombies, Run! Much of it is given to listeners of the radio show Eugene co-hosts, in small clips and hints, and is still in the process of being revealed. What is known, however, is that Eugene is a native of Canada (the province nonspecific) and was in the UK during the outbreak of the Grey Plague to cover the phenomenon of pop-up restaurants as per his editor's request. . With the entire world “going grey” rather quickly in the span of that week, there were no options to fly back home; even if there had been, home was probably no safer. Eugene recounts how, in an effort to seek refuge, he attempted to drive north to reunite with a friend in Nottingham. After two days he abandoned his car after it had a breakdown and elected to travel on foot through some woods, whereupon he stumbled (literally) over someone who would become a friend (and much more, eventually) - Jack Holden, a young man who only by chance and good luck had avoided being infected along with his fellow ravers at a nearby party. With Jack as his traveling companion, and armed with a steel pipe, some rations of whatever he could carry, he set off northward. Along the way the two joined up with a group of survivalists for some time, though other details between meeting Jack and and Eugene’s arrival at Abel Township are still piecemeal (though there was a story regarding misadventures with marshmallows, and another regarding the dangers of fighting zombies with a garden rake, few specifics are given regarding other traveling companions or how long they accompanied Jack and Eugene). Information about how he arrived at Abel Township proper has yet to be confirmed or implicitly stated. However, once being established at Abel Township, Eugene has become a co-host of the only post-apocalypse radio show. Using this broadcasting medium, Eugene strives to bring not only entertainment, but public service announcements, and even a request of goods and services. Tragically, Eugene has lost one of his legs between the zombie outbreak and his co-hosting Radio Abel, but how that happened or when has not been canonically stated.

The following is all headcanon, but consistent with Eugene’s known canon and attitudes, and serves to flesh him out a little better. The eldest child in his family, he grew up into a working class family but was left wanting for very little. In his free time, he has always been a bit of a nature enthusiast. Eugene enjoyed going on hikes and other outside activities to clear his head, not to mention the surroundings where he grew up are beautiful, making it hard to not be drawn out into the solitude of nature for a while. Still, always the first child with the most expectations he was encouraged from a young age to seek more than merely working class work. Also, he needed to set a good example for his younger siblings and thus, he strove to do his best in school and in extracurricular activities. Not to mention, with his father as a teacher for another local school it would be impossible for him to get away with mediocre grades. There may be some hints he was close to his father, as he is mentioned once in a middle-name guessing game that Jack initiates. Evidently, Eugene bears his father’s name, and the tone with which he admits this might indicate a closeness he doesn’t have the space or context to express in the post grey world. A native of British Columbia he studied in Vancouver for journalism, mainly because of the world-class food reputation the city has but it was also a chance to spread his wings, so to speak. Having acquired a degree he took some time trying to get his foot in the door (horrible pun now) in the journalism industry and was initially unsuccessful. After a year of working odd jobs and sustaining himself he managed to get hired on to the Vancouver Observer. It’s from this job that he was sent to the UK to cover pop-up restaurants.

It is possible that, after their first meeting, Jack and Eugene first remained together simply by virtue of heading in the same direction, both meaning to go as far northward as possible until Jack needed to track west toward his hometown. But in the course of their travels, Eugene and Jack grew closer, until friendship gave way (despite the less than romantic surroundings) to a deeper relationship. Some mishap led to Eugene’s leg being injured too profoundly to possibly treat, and the pair were lucky enough to find refuge at Abel, with its willingness to take on new citizens and its luxuries of both hospital and doctor. Eugene's leg was amputated there, and Jack dedicated himself to working off the resultant debt. Since then, the pair have remained, both ill-equipped to travel and grateful to the place that offered them help when they most needed it.



Personality:
Dry-witted and sarcastic in his humor, Eugene would consider himself a fortunate man in unfortunate circumstances. Granted, he’s survived the zombie outbreak in a foreign country and is among friends, but it hasn’t been without sacrifice both personal and physical. Given that this is also not an unusual happenstance among survivors of the outbreak, he’s reserved and understanding to the plights of others. That isn’t to say he’s the paragon of understanding virtue, as one of his methods of coping with the new life that he’s been thrust into is to tease and joke around with his radio counterpart. Eugene is also a fan of mocking, such as when he uses humor as a means to point out the ridiculousness of conspiracy theories, often going so far as to agree enthusiastically. This sometimes causes others to take offense, or potentially doubt that he’s not serious. But with all games and jokes aside, when things come right down to it, Eugene is the sort of fellow who can get things done. A man who tends to work on several projects at once, he’s keen on the idea of fostering hope, communication, and a certain connection between disparate survivors of the apocalypse looking for a little of something good left in the world. Often looking after Jack in some fashion or other, he tries to keep others in check without stepping too far out of bounds.

Aside from the lack of a leg, Eugene is about as common as any zombie outbreak survivor: separated from friends and family, trying to make the best of it and carry on without too much interruption in their daily lives. It is hinted he’s fond of good cooking and doing some cooking of his own, even going to far as to gather information together to form a cookbook - one with a survivalist slant to it, for being more practical given the daily zombie threat that they live under.
In terms of likes, there are many things that Eugene likes, mostly simpler things. The world is both larger and smaller than it used to be, reduced mostly to transport by foot and communication via radio, and with their little settlement at Abel growing to a population of nearly 300. Small pleasures mean more, in a world where even scale has changed. But among his likes, perhaps the thing that (or who) he likes the most would be his co-host, Jack Holden. Having met under odd circumstances and having nearly brained Jack when he first met him, Eugene has grown more than fond of his companion. They’d lasted through from a few days after the outbreak until now, through thick and thin. It wouldn’t be far from accurate to say Eugene and Jack are two peas in a pod, and Eugene wouldn’t be quite the same without Jack at his side. It is canonically stated they’re in a relationship, and this has shown itself through the radio show, both in how they interact with one another and how they present their subject material.

With that in mind, Eugene is far more conservative than Jack, tending to keep Jack in check with politeness and reminding him of some standards of civility. And despite his sarcasm, he is prone to bouts of being overly polite. Case in point, there’s an attempt he makes to apologize for flashing the quad unintentionally while trying to fix his pants on a crutch (easier said than done, surely). That, and his amicable downplay of the strange obsession that Runner 5 (the player/protagonist character) has with collecting sports bras (really, how many can be just lying around after an epidemic of zombies?). Additionally, Eugene has a stern side to him that is not often broadcast and likely is something that he shares with people who have a closer relationship with him. An unfortunate case of food poisoning had landed him in Abel’s hospital unexpectedly and left Jack to run the show solo. Upon his return he’d found Jack in a state that was less than desirable for broadcast and insisted that he go to bed, succeeding in convincing (or forcing) him after a prolonged argument. Even under protest, it seems that Jack tends to defer to Eugene’s superior understanding of what is healthy and sensible.



Strengths:

Having survived of the zombie apocalypse with his humor intact, Eugene has a very strong mental capacity to adapt to stressful, changing situations which require quick-witted thinking and also a little luck. Emotionally he’s been forced to deal with the loss of a limb but doesn’t let that get him down. Often he jokes about it, even having some light-hearted conversation about his experiences after losing his leg (flashing the quad by mistake from clothing malfunction, how he deals with itches he can’t itch). In fact, being separated from the home and family and land he’s known most of his life, while a daunting prospect for many, seems less overwhelming to him than it might be for others. Given his prior occupation as a journalist, he is also an adequate writer, able to quickly identify information and relay it in clear, concise language. It is also hinted at that he’s fairly good at cooking, and with his writing a cookbook, what remains to be seen is the extent of that talent (or ironic lack thereof). Also, based off his experience in dealing and surviving a zombie outbreak, it would stand to reason that he has fairly adequate survival skills and instincts, perhaps a little more attuned than your average.

Weaknesses:

Without the use of one leg, Eugene is unfortunately relegated to using crutches or some alternative ambulatory form of movement from walking. Provided he has training and builds up endurance toward a prosthetic this is subject to change. However his initial arrival at Luceti would provide some interesting challenges and opportunities the likes of which he was not exposed to at Abel Township.
Additionally, Eugene does have a tendency to take things too seriously, leading to defensive remarks and a predisposition to some paranoia.
There are situations where Eugene has demonstrated being “emotionally tone-deaf”, thinking his responses are fair, but inherently a little skewed.
Sometimes his dark humor goes a little far, making things less funny and more awkward.

Samples

First Person:

Alright listeners and... watchers, I guess. I’m Eugene Woods and I’m here to give you... a genuine lesson in how to prepare traditional Canadian poutine. A little history behind it, well...

[He glances up in thought, quirking his lips to one side before remembering suddenly.]

It’s sort of a recently invented dish back from the 1950’s, well before I was born, but a testament to how delicious it is. First, you gather your ingredients. A can of gravy, some potatoes that you cut into the fries, and cheese curd.

[Grinning a little while he works, he uncaps the can of gravy and puts it aside.]

I know it sounds crazy, but it’s a really good dish to make. And easy, too! Relatively cheap and I can assure you wholeheartedly that it’ll be popular with the kids. No green necessary, nothing to it!

I can’t believe this stuff is just fully stocked like this. Like they were kind of expecting us to want to make this? Anyway, wherever it came from, so long as it’s not poisoned I’m fine with it. Besides...

[There were some things better off not transmitted but sometimes he couldn’t help the goofy, lopsided smile he got whenever he thought of who he was making this for.]

How long has it been since I was able to cook for anyone?

[After a second he clears his throat to get back on track, holding up the gravy to show it was opened and ready to be warmed.]

Now, back to the cooking. You’ll want to start with warming up the gravy. You’ll have plenty of time to cut your fries in the meanwhile and-- oh! Don’t forget to warm up your frying oil. Haha, you’ll want to do that first, actually, so you can get it all warmed while cutting and opening your other supplies.

[He turns his attention to the journal screen, a little dubious if he should have it this close to the cooking but... it would repair itself, rumor had it.]

You’ll want to put your fries into the oil until they’re nicely browned. It won’t take very long at all, so don’t be surprised, but when they’re browned, take them out and set them on a plate for draining. Paper towels do the trick nicely.

[Cue the next few moments of him maneuvering the journal to display when he’s doing. After the appropriate amount of time he takes the fries out and sets them on the plate, as he said.]

See? Now, make sure you get all your fries browned quickly because you’ll want to serve this hot. So make sure you’ve got your gravy and cheese curd ready-- here, let me demonstrate...

[For the sake of example he takes the fries he’s finished and shows the audience how to do it just right, sprinkling the cheese curd over top as a finishing touch.]

And-- there you have it. Simple, cheap, filling, and definitely nice to have after a long day. There are some variations, this isn’t the only way to prepare it, but this is my particular favorite. Some people add different kinds of meat, some produce-- even throwing in some barbecue sauce instead of gravy. Well, I’ve given you the foundation, it’s up to the rest of you to experiment on your own and let me know how it all turns out! Thanks for watching!

[He smiles and turns briefly at the sound of a voice nearby, quickly bidding the audience another fond farewell before closing the journal and transmission completely.]


Third Person:

Initially he wasn’t certain this was quite... reality at all. There really wasn’t a plausible explanation for him to be outside on his back, or even in a forest. Something happened to the township and he wasn’t remembering it just yet. Slowly he dared to open his eyes, unaccustomed to the sounds of nature, though it wasn’t entirely a foreign concept for him. Just... not what he imagined he’d be encountering any time soon.

But when he opened his eyes, there really was sunlight, and he felt it dappled on his face and upper body in haphazard designs, all warming up pleasantly. The trees were green, the smell was... earthy and not--

Sitting up with a start he looked around almost in a wild panic. that is before patting himself down out of a certain confusion as to why he was half-dressed out in the middle of … wherever this was. Habitually, his eyes glanced down to his leg, finding it still missing which-- if this were really a dream-- was odd. But if that was missing then something else just as important was and he twisted to get a good look around.

“...Jack?”

As though remembering something abruptly he turned and looked at the piles of leaves and underbrush nearby, hoping and straining to see a familiar figure nearby that... would be alive and not otherwise and definitely not option three when it came to being in a world where zombies really were a reality.

No response. It was both frustrating and alarming because honestly, hobbling around as loud as he was going to be from scooting himself to a tree was not only undignified but really conspicuous. And the last thing he wanted was to draw attention to himself if zoms were lurking somewhere in the underbrush. Normally they kept to packs, right? He wasn’t sure if they had the capacity to smell still but if their brains were still intact he imagined they could track him that way, too... It hadn’t been so long from when he was on the lookout for them that he’d forgotten but accessing the memories was jerky and jarring, so to speak.

That, and... weaponless. These loose pants weren’t really doing anything for him except for covering him up and even then-- it was incredibly exposing being out in the open without something to defend yourself with. Everyone knew that the first few rules of survival meant you had a way to defend yourself against the unseen, but definitely lurking, threats nearby.