Pika
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- Joined
- Aug 26, 2019
- Messages
- 1,191
- Points
- 63
- Location
- hell
Character Name
Avery Dekker
I Agree
Yes
Has this character appeared in a previous lore?
No
Age
39
Blood Type
A+
Personality
First and foremost, Avery is kind. Although her top priority is almost always herself and her own safety, she does what she can for others. She’s always been a caretaker. She hates to see those around her suffer, especially when there are ways she can help to prevent that suffering.
She’s dedicated to her community, and fiercely loyal. She hopes to repay the people of Monroe for all they’ve done for her throughout the time she’s lived there.
Family is incredibly important to her. Biological or not. She’d put her life on the line in an instant to protect those she holds dear.
Character Motivations
Avery hopes to survive. 12 years after the end of the world, what else can you do? Each day is a struggle, but she powers through it. She maintains hope that she’ll one day be reunited with her family, despite everything.
Physical Appearance
Avery stands at a height of 5’6’’ with a lean build. Once lanky, constant physically activity from the day-in-day-out struggle to survive has helped her to build a fair bit of muscle mass.
Her hair is naturally brown, but she dyes it blonde whenever she can. She’s been doing so since she was a young teen. Hair dye is harder to come by in the apocalypse, however, so her roots are often overpowering. She has brown eyes.
She has a small scar above her left eye, cutting straight through her eyebrow. There is another scar just below her right shoulder from a run-in with an infected.
Character Image Link
Mechanical Occupation
Park Ranger
In-Character Occupation
Survivor / Hunter / Scavenger
Biography
October 31, 1989. Halloween. In the early hours of the morning, before the birds had even begun to sing, Avery Dekker was born to her parents Jeremiah and Lindsey Dekker.
One word to describe the Dekker’s would be spontaneous. Throughout her childhood, Avery moved around the country countless times. They never stayed in one place for too long. It wasn’t until 1998, after the birth of their third child, Kasey, that they finally settled down in the quaint little town of West Point, Kentucky.
The Dekker siblings were never the most conventional bunch. Ryan, the oldest, who had begun transitioning socially at the age of 8, had a knack for tinkering and the smarts to scrap together just about anything he put his mind toward. The garage was constantly left awry in his wake after one of his many so-called “science experiments.” Kasey, the youngest, adored mystery novels and dreamt of one day becoming a detective. Although she was majorly non-verbal in her youth, her enthusiasm always brought a smile to those around her. And then there was Avery. The middle child. Five years younger than her brother, nine years older than her sister. An awkward medium. And yet, despite the large age gap between the trio, their parents always had time for them.
Avery was what many may call musically inclined. She was drawn to the piano from the moment she first laid eyes on one. Many days were spent poring over sheet music, trying her very hardest to get that one chord right, slamming her fists down against the ivory keys until her knuckles grew red and sore. But she never once gave up. Despite all the stress and frustration that came with it, she adored playing the piano.
Shortly after the family had settled into their new home in West Point, after Avery had finally become accustomed to her daily life and her newfound sense of stability, she met a girl in her fourth-grade class. Melanie Forrest, or Mel for short. Mel was a shy girl. She always seemed to have her head buried in a book, hardly ever speaking during class. She was the kind of person to freeze up when called on by the teacher, to stutter when speaking to the lunch ladies in the cafeteria. Avery was determined to break down her walls and get close to her. She didn’t exactly know why—something just drew her to Mel.
For better or for worse, Avery got her wish. One day at recess, she came across two boys pestering Mel. She was down on her knees, sobbing into her hands. One of the boys held her book, a copy of The Magic Treehouse, by the front cover, waving it around in the air. Multiple pages had been torn out and were littered on the ground. There was absolutely no way Avery was going to let them get away with this.
Filled with a newfound sense of determination, she stomped toward the boys. She snatched the book away, causing the boy to spin around in surprise. Before the other could throw a punch, a teacher intervened. It resulted in all three of them being put in time-out for the remainder of recess, but Avery didn’t regret it for even a second.
Mel later approached Avery, thanking her for what she had done. Although not much, that small act seemed to allow Mel to gradually open up. Each morning she would greet Avery as she entered the classroom. She began to sit at the same table as her during lunch, and later right beside her. She would scoot her desk the tiniest bit closer to Avery’s during class so she could easily pass notes to her.
Eventually, the two began to hang out outside of school. They had sleepovers nearly every weekend, staying up far past their bedtimes to chat amongst one another, and would occasionally go over to each others’ houses after school when Avery didn’t have piano lessons. Life was good.
As they got older and entered middle school, however, things changed. Avery began to feel different whenever she was around Mel. It started with occasional glances, gentle brushes of their hands as they walked beside each other, a feeling of anxiety whenever she thought about seeing Mel. Eventually, Avery found herself unable to focus in class. The back of Mel’s head was far more interesting to her than anything she was being taught. She wasn’t sure why she was feeling this way. She had never felt like this before, so what had changed?
On a night not unlike any other night, Avery and Mel had a sleepover. They had created a fort out of pillows and blankets in a corner of Mel’s room and were flipping through magazines absentmindedly. Avery had grown used to the silence. It was comforting just knowing Mel was there. However, she was drawn out of her thoughts when Mel spoke up.
Completely out of the blue, and clearly embarrassed, she asked if Avery had ever kissed anyone. Taken aback, Avery shook her head. Who would she kiss, anyway? Eric Wells from third period? Ew…
“It’s just that, you know… We’re thirteen now. We’re practically adults. Eventually, we’re going to get boyfriends and then get married and have kids, and I feel so unprepared for it all.”
Avery had never put too much thought into her future. She knew she wanted to continue playing the piano. Maybe teach other kids to play, be a music teacher. Possibly get a dog and settle down in a nice apartment. She had never really thought about a man being in the picture. Or anyone else, for that matter.
“Hey, it’s okay to feel unprepared,” she said softly, attempting to quell Mel’s worries. “It’s not like we’re in any rush. We’ll get there eventually.”
“I know, but—…” Mel furrowed her brow and nibbled at her bottom lip. “I don’t know if this is too much to ask, but could I maybe kiss you…? F-For practice, obviously. I think it’ll help both of us.”
If Avery wasn’t surprised before, she definitely was now. She was at a complete loss for words.
Noticing her apprehension, Mel quickly added, “It’s okay if you don’t want to! I just thought I’d ask…”
Avery shook her head aggressively. She swore her cheeks were burning.
“No, no I—I don’t mind.”
Mel scooted a bit closer, close enough that their legs were touching. Avery’s heart was pounding in her chest. Before she knew it, Mel’s lips were on her. It was incredibly brief, and she had pulled away as quickly as she leaned in, but the feeling stuck. It felt so right. More than anything had before. That was when Avery finally knew what it was she had been feeling all that time.
Avery and Mel dated for three years. If not for Mel having to move to Washington due to her father’s job, they most likely would have been together for far longer. But, alas, all good things must come to an end. They bid their woeful goodbyes, and Avery swore to one day fly across the country so they could be together again. Young love…
Ryan had recently graduated from the University of Kentucky with a degree in Biomedical Engineering. He planned on continuing with his schooling to get both his Masters and Ph.D. His parents were incredibly proud of him.
Kasey had just finished first grade. She spent the majority of her days glued to the TV, watching Spongebob for hours on end. She took speech classes in school in an attempt to help develop her communication skills, though, after her Asperger’s diagnosis it became clear that it may all be for naught. She had learned to, instead, communicate via gestures and small sounds. It seemed to be working out well, so far.
Although Avery had lost Mel, she wasn’t alone. She had her band, Angry Maxwell, which she formed in her freshman year with her friends Gaz and Harith. Gaz could best be described as flamboyant. He treated his guitar as if it were his child. He insisted on slicking his hair back, using so much gel that it shined under the fluorescent lighting of the school. Harith was your typical stoner, both literally and by how he presented himself. Avery never did get used to the stench of weed that always seemed to follow him. He was an amazing drummer, however.
For their entire high school career, Angry Maxwell had been just the three of them. They were the inseparable trio. The rowdy kids who’d get drunk off their asses in the back of Avery’s pickup truck and go tee-pee a house. Avery was content with the way things were. But then, in the fall of her senior year, a girl showed up outside their practice room after school.
Riley Reynolds. Freshman. A quiet girl lugging a large guitar case on her back, scared of pretty much everything that came her way—not unlike a rabbit. She reminded Avery a lot of Mel. She had seen Riley before, peering in through the small window on the door to watch their practices, but she had never actually spoken to her until that day. It seemed she had finally worked up the courage to approach the trio after all that time.
They all sat down and chatted. Riley spoke of how she had been playing guitar for years and had always wanted to join a band, but had never gotten the chance. Gaz and Harith both urged her to step up onto the makeshift stage and play something for them. Avery knew that they’d never let it go until Riley finally gave in.
Luckily for her, it didn’t take very long. Riley climbed up onto the stage, leaning her guitar case back on Harith’s stool. She adjusted the strap of her guitar and held it carefully, strumming a few chords to ensure that it was properly tuned. Once she felt thoroughly prepared, she took a deep breath and began to play.
She performed her rendition of Comfortably Numb by Pink Floyd, fumbling on a few notes here and there. As soon as she stopped playing, Gaz and Harith cheered. Avery had to admit that she was impressed. Riley’s skills could rival even Gaz. That was the day that Angry Maxwell gained their fourth member.
Avery’s 18th birthday. Halloween night. Angry Maxwell played a gig at their school’s Halloween jamboree. When the teachers weren’t looking, they each took a swig from Gaz’s flask to celebrate Avery’s rise to adulthood. It was an amazing night, one of the best in Avery’s life.
Once it had gotten dark and Gaz and Harith were thoroughly wasted, Avery and Riley managed to sneak back to her pickup. They sat in silence for quite a while, watching the stars and listening to the distant commotion of the jamboree. She still isn’t quite sure if it was the alcohol or her impulses acting against her, but Avery suddenly leaned over and kissed Riley.
They made out for a while, only stopping when they were rudely interrupted by Gaz knocking on the passenger side window. He and Harith snickered, climbing into the truck bed. Riley was silent for the rest of the night.
Avery was Riley’s first girlfriend. That was made blatantly clear without Riley even having to tell her. Although she couldn’t see her eyes due to Riley insisting on wearing sunglasses whenever they weren’t in school, it was clear she had trouble even looking up at Avery. Their first date was at a local record store in town. Avery had always loved it there. She could spend hours perusing the seemingly endless collection of records. It’s the reason she had saved up so much money from her job at Seahorse Coffee to buy her very own turntable. The record store was her happy place.
Riley introduced Avery to a few of her favorite bands. They stood together and listened to numerous tracks for what was probably far longer than allowed. Avery felt bad for hogging the headset. At some point, Riley had slipped her hand into Avery’s. Eventually, they took their leave and Avery drove Riley home. They kissed again before saying their goodbyes.
One thing Avery didn’t do was long distance. So, it was inevitable that when she graduated in the spring she and Riley had to split. It was obvious how much that upset Riley. She was practically glued to Avery. However, Avery wasn’t about to put her life on hold for a girl, no matter how much she cared about her. It wasn’t worth it.
With the end of high school came the end of Angry Maxwell. Avery went to the University of Louisville, pursuing a degree in Music Theory and a minor in Education. Gaz went with her, while Harith left for New York City.
Life was different after high school, that’s for sure. Avery dedicated the majority of her time to her studies. She was determined to do well. She wasn’t about to let her dreams fall apart. It quickly became apparent that Gaz’s attitude had changed toward her, however. Instead of viewing her as his ‘bro’ and treating her no differently than any of his other friends, he began to subtly flirt with Avery. ‘Subtle’ quickly grew to be ‘not so subtle’, and the two eventually hooked up one night after a few too many drinks.
It’s not that Avery didn’t like Gaz—she did—but viewing him as her boyfriend never felt… Right. To her, he was always going to be Gaz, her good buddy from the band. Not Gaz, her boyfriend. She liked men, just not this man. But, she knew that he really liked her and she didn’t have the heart to say no to him. She knew it was a bad idea. She knew she’d end up hurting him and regretting it.
She never could have anticipated just how messy their breakup would be.
In their sophomore year, Gaz and Avery were living together in a small apartment. One night, after drinking for a couple of hours, Avery left slip that she didn’t have feelings for Gaz, that she never had. In a fit of rage, Gaz demanded to know if there was another guy. He seemed to be convinced that she was cheating on him. Avery continuously told him that wasn’t the case, but Gaz wasn’t having any of it.
He ended up forcing himself on Avery. She was out the next day—she could care less about the lease. She wanted to get as far away from Gaz as humanly possible. The solution was to finish up her degree at home via online courses while picking back up her job at Seahorse Coffee and looking after Kasey. It was as good a solution as any. But, deep down, she knew it’d come back to bite her. It was her fault, after all.
After graduating from college, Avery moved up to New York. She acquired her Masters in Education as well as a teaching certification and began to teach music courses at various schools in the city. It seemed like she finally had some stability in her life. She was doing what she loved, and that was all that mattered.
Over the years, she had reconnected with Mel. The two friended each other on Facebook and would occasionally chat and video call. Avery even flew out to Washington to visit her. It was there that she met Mel’s wife and adopted son. She had finally made good on her promise, all those years later.
2015. No one could have anticipated the world to fall then. Sure, there was mass hysteria about the world ending back in 2012, but everyone knew that was bunk. This came suddenly. One day, life was normal. The next, people were being brutally murdered in the streets, and countries all across the world were declaring states of emergency and martial law.
Being in New York City, the biggest city in America, Avery saw the brunt of the downfall. She taught children how to read sheet music and play the triangle. She was never prepared for something like this. She quickly accepted the severity of the situation and packed what she could into her Camry before getting the hell out of dodge.
Before cell reception went dark worldwide, Avery attempted to keep in contact with Ryan. He was working closely with the CDC, researching Oculurubrus in-depth, searching for a cure. The last she heard from him, he had yet to make any breakthroughs and things were beginning to look bleak.
She wanted more than anything else to go home. To see how her family was doing. She worried about them dearly, especially Kasey. However, the drive to Kentucky from New York was far too long, and she knew she wouldn’t have enough gas to make the drive. Not to mention, nearly every major highway was completely backed up. Everyone seemed to have the same idea. Her best course of action was to hunker down somewhere safe and wait it out. And so, that’s what she did.
Weeks passed. Then months. Then years. As difficult as it was to accept, Avery knew things weren’t going to get any better. Not now. The majority of the world’s population had been completely wiped out by the disease. She had retreated to the countryside of Upstate New York. Not many people had lived there before the fall, and so very little infected were present. There was the occasional horde that passed by, but nothing Avery couldn’t just wait out.
Over the years, she learned to live off the land. She pored over any and all books she could find detailing the area’s wildlife and general botany. She taught herself how to hunt, how to use a bow, which plants were and were not safe to eat. She did what she had to do to survive. And, eventually, it got easier. It became second nature. Habitual.
She eventually came across the community of Monroe. A small community that had staked a claim in the once-neutral Barrens. She had always strayed away from big communities. She preferred to fend for herself—she found it to be safer—however, with Monroe came a sense of normalcy. The people welcomed her with open arms, and she found her place there. She had finally found a home.
Would you like your character to start with any items?
Longbow, hunting knife
Is your character a member of a group?
Yes
Is your character a member of one of the world factions?
Monroe
Please detail your position within the faction, as well as your reason for being in The Barrens.
Avery helps to provide food for the community of Monroe. She frequently embarks on hunting trips, bringing back fresh meat and berries. She’ll also scavenge the surrounding area, bringing back anything she finds that could be useful for the community.
Aside from that, she helps out around town with other things that may need doing. She's not a great shot with a gun or good at building anything, but she does what she can.
Having left the ruins of New York City for the solace of Upstate New York, Avery has been in the area for years and has been vaguely aware of the tense relationship between the surrounding factions for some time.
Avery Dekker
I Agree
Yes
Has this character appeared in a previous lore?
No
Age
39
Blood Type
A+
Personality
First and foremost, Avery is kind. Although her top priority is almost always herself and her own safety, she does what she can for others. She’s always been a caretaker. She hates to see those around her suffer, especially when there are ways she can help to prevent that suffering.
She’s dedicated to her community, and fiercely loyal. She hopes to repay the people of Monroe for all they’ve done for her throughout the time she’s lived there.
Family is incredibly important to her. Biological or not. She’d put her life on the line in an instant to protect those she holds dear.
Character Motivations
Avery hopes to survive. 12 years after the end of the world, what else can you do? Each day is a struggle, but she powers through it. She maintains hope that she’ll one day be reunited with her family, despite everything.
Physical Appearance
Avery stands at a height of 5’6’’ with a lean build. Once lanky, constant physically activity from the day-in-day-out struggle to survive has helped her to build a fair bit of muscle mass.
Her hair is naturally brown, but she dyes it blonde whenever she can. She’s been doing so since she was a young teen. Hair dye is harder to come by in the apocalypse, however, so her roots are often overpowering. She has brown eyes.
She has a small scar above her left eye, cutting straight through her eyebrow. There is another scar just below her right shoulder from a run-in with an infected.
Character Image Link
Mechanical Occupation
Park Ranger
In-Character Occupation
Survivor / Hunter / Scavenger
Biography
October 31, 1989. Halloween. In the early hours of the morning, before the birds had even begun to sing, Avery Dekker was born to her parents Jeremiah and Lindsey Dekker.
One word to describe the Dekker’s would be spontaneous. Throughout her childhood, Avery moved around the country countless times. They never stayed in one place for too long. It wasn’t until 1998, after the birth of their third child, Kasey, that they finally settled down in the quaint little town of West Point, Kentucky.
The Dekker siblings were never the most conventional bunch. Ryan, the oldest, who had begun transitioning socially at the age of 8, had a knack for tinkering and the smarts to scrap together just about anything he put his mind toward. The garage was constantly left awry in his wake after one of his many so-called “science experiments.” Kasey, the youngest, adored mystery novels and dreamt of one day becoming a detective. Although she was majorly non-verbal in her youth, her enthusiasm always brought a smile to those around her. And then there was Avery. The middle child. Five years younger than her brother, nine years older than her sister. An awkward medium. And yet, despite the large age gap between the trio, their parents always had time for them.
Avery was what many may call musically inclined. She was drawn to the piano from the moment she first laid eyes on one. Many days were spent poring over sheet music, trying her very hardest to get that one chord right, slamming her fists down against the ivory keys until her knuckles grew red and sore. But she never once gave up. Despite all the stress and frustration that came with it, she adored playing the piano.
Shortly after the family had settled into their new home in West Point, after Avery had finally become accustomed to her daily life and her newfound sense of stability, she met a girl in her fourth-grade class. Melanie Forrest, or Mel for short. Mel was a shy girl. She always seemed to have her head buried in a book, hardly ever speaking during class. She was the kind of person to freeze up when called on by the teacher, to stutter when speaking to the lunch ladies in the cafeteria. Avery was determined to break down her walls and get close to her. She didn’t exactly know why—something just drew her to Mel.
For better or for worse, Avery got her wish. One day at recess, she came across two boys pestering Mel. She was down on her knees, sobbing into her hands. One of the boys held her book, a copy of The Magic Treehouse, by the front cover, waving it around in the air. Multiple pages had been torn out and were littered on the ground. There was absolutely no way Avery was going to let them get away with this.
Filled with a newfound sense of determination, she stomped toward the boys. She snatched the book away, causing the boy to spin around in surprise. Before the other could throw a punch, a teacher intervened. It resulted in all three of them being put in time-out for the remainder of recess, but Avery didn’t regret it for even a second.
Mel later approached Avery, thanking her for what she had done. Although not much, that small act seemed to allow Mel to gradually open up. Each morning she would greet Avery as she entered the classroom. She began to sit at the same table as her during lunch, and later right beside her. She would scoot her desk the tiniest bit closer to Avery’s during class so she could easily pass notes to her.
Eventually, the two began to hang out outside of school. They had sleepovers nearly every weekend, staying up far past their bedtimes to chat amongst one another, and would occasionally go over to each others’ houses after school when Avery didn’t have piano lessons. Life was good.
As they got older and entered middle school, however, things changed. Avery began to feel different whenever she was around Mel. It started with occasional glances, gentle brushes of their hands as they walked beside each other, a feeling of anxiety whenever she thought about seeing Mel. Eventually, Avery found herself unable to focus in class. The back of Mel’s head was far more interesting to her than anything she was being taught. She wasn’t sure why she was feeling this way. She had never felt like this before, so what had changed?
On a night not unlike any other night, Avery and Mel had a sleepover. They had created a fort out of pillows and blankets in a corner of Mel’s room and were flipping through magazines absentmindedly. Avery had grown used to the silence. It was comforting just knowing Mel was there. However, she was drawn out of her thoughts when Mel spoke up.
Completely out of the blue, and clearly embarrassed, she asked if Avery had ever kissed anyone. Taken aback, Avery shook her head. Who would she kiss, anyway? Eric Wells from third period? Ew…
“It’s just that, you know… We’re thirteen now. We’re practically adults. Eventually, we’re going to get boyfriends and then get married and have kids, and I feel so unprepared for it all.”
Avery had never put too much thought into her future. She knew she wanted to continue playing the piano. Maybe teach other kids to play, be a music teacher. Possibly get a dog and settle down in a nice apartment. She had never really thought about a man being in the picture. Or anyone else, for that matter.
“Hey, it’s okay to feel unprepared,” she said softly, attempting to quell Mel’s worries. “It’s not like we’re in any rush. We’ll get there eventually.”
“I know, but—…” Mel furrowed her brow and nibbled at her bottom lip. “I don’t know if this is too much to ask, but could I maybe kiss you…? F-For practice, obviously. I think it’ll help both of us.”
If Avery wasn’t surprised before, she definitely was now. She was at a complete loss for words.
Noticing her apprehension, Mel quickly added, “It’s okay if you don’t want to! I just thought I’d ask…”
Avery shook her head aggressively. She swore her cheeks were burning.
“No, no I—I don’t mind.”
Mel scooted a bit closer, close enough that their legs were touching. Avery’s heart was pounding in her chest. Before she knew it, Mel’s lips were on her. It was incredibly brief, and she had pulled away as quickly as she leaned in, but the feeling stuck. It felt so right. More than anything had before. That was when Avery finally knew what it was she had been feeling all that time.
Avery and Mel dated for three years. If not for Mel having to move to Washington due to her father’s job, they most likely would have been together for far longer. But, alas, all good things must come to an end. They bid their woeful goodbyes, and Avery swore to one day fly across the country so they could be together again. Young love…
Ryan had recently graduated from the University of Kentucky with a degree in Biomedical Engineering. He planned on continuing with his schooling to get both his Masters and Ph.D. His parents were incredibly proud of him.
Kasey had just finished first grade. She spent the majority of her days glued to the TV, watching Spongebob for hours on end. She took speech classes in school in an attempt to help develop her communication skills, though, after her Asperger’s diagnosis it became clear that it may all be for naught. She had learned to, instead, communicate via gestures and small sounds. It seemed to be working out well, so far.
Although Avery had lost Mel, she wasn’t alone. She had her band, Angry Maxwell, which she formed in her freshman year with her friends Gaz and Harith. Gaz could best be described as flamboyant. He treated his guitar as if it were his child. He insisted on slicking his hair back, using so much gel that it shined under the fluorescent lighting of the school. Harith was your typical stoner, both literally and by how he presented himself. Avery never did get used to the stench of weed that always seemed to follow him. He was an amazing drummer, however.
For their entire high school career, Angry Maxwell had been just the three of them. They were the inseparable trio. The rowdy kids who’d get drunk off their asses in the back of Avery’s pickup truck and go tee-pee a house. Avery was content with the way things were. But then, in the fall of her senior year, a girl showed up outside their practice room after school.
Riley Reynolds. Freshman. A quiet girl lugging a large guitar case on her back, scared of pretty much everything that came her way—not unlike a rabbit. She reminded Avery a lot of Mel. She had seen Riley before, peering in through the small window on the door to watch their practices, but she had never actually spoken to her until that day. It seemed she had finally worked up the courage to approach the trio after all that time.
They all sat down and chatted. Riley spoke of how she had been playing guitar for years and had always wanted to join a band, but had never gotten the chance. Gaz and Harith both urged her to step up onto the makeshift stage and play something for them. Avery knew that they’d never let it go until Riley finally gave in.
Luckily for her, it didn’t take very long. Riley climbed up onto the stage, leaning her guitar case back on Harith’s stool. She adjusted the strap of her guitar and held it carefully, strumming a few chords to ensure that it was properly tuned. Once she felt thoroughly prepared, she took a deep breath and began to play.
She performed her rendition of Comfortably Numb by Pink Floyd, fumbling on a few notes here and there. As soon as she stopped playing, Gaz and Harith cheered. Avery had to admit that she was impressed. Riley’s skills could rival even Gaz. That was the day that Angry Maxwell gained their fourth member.
Avery’s 18th birthday. Halloween night. Angry Maxwell played a gig at their school’s Halloween jamboree. When the teachers weren’t looking, they each took a swig from Gaz’s flask to celebrate Avery’s rise to adulthood. It was an amazing night, one of the best in Avery’s life.
Once it had gotten dark and Gaz and Harith were thoroughly wasted, Avery and Riley managed to sneak back to her pickup. They sat in silence for quite a while, watching the stars and listening to the distant commotion of the jamboree. She still isn’t quite sure if it was the alcohol or her impulses acting against her, but Avery suddenly leaned over and kissed Riley.
They made out for a while, only stopping when they were rudely interrupted by Gaz knocking on the passenger side window. He and Harith snickered, climbing into the truck bed. Riley was silent for the rest of the night.
Avery was Riley’s first girlfriend. That was made blatantly clear without Riley even having to tell her. Although she couldn’t see her eyes due to Riley insisting on wearing sunglasses whenever they weren’t in school, it was clear she had trouble even looking up at Avery. Their first date was at a local record store in town. Avery had always loved it there. She could spend hours perusing the seemingly endless collection of records. It’s the reason she had saved up so much money from her job at Seahorse Coffee to buy her very own turntable. The record store was her happy place.
Riley introduced Avery to a few of her favorite bands. They stood together and listened to numerous tracks for what was probably far longer than allowed. Avery felt bad for hogging the headset. At some point, Riley had slipped her hand into Avery’s. Eventually, they took their leave and Avery drove Riley home. They kissed again before saying their goodbyes.
One thing Avery didn’t do was long distance. So, it was inevitable that when she graduated in the spring she and Riley had to split. It was obvious how much that upset Riley. She was practically glued to Avery. However, Avery wasn’t about to put her life on hold for a girl, no matter how much she cared about her. It wasn’t worth it.
With the end of high school came the end of Angry Maxwell. Avery went to the University of Louisville, pursuing a degree in Music Theory and a minor in Education. Gaz went with her, while Harith left for New York City.
Life was different after high school, that’s for sure. Avery dedicated the majority of her time to her studies. She was determined to do well. She wasn’t about to let her dreams fall apart. It quickly became apparent that Gaz’s attitude had changed toward her, however. Instead of viewing her as his ‘bro’ and treating her no differently than any of his other friends, he began to subtly flirt with Avery. ‘Subtle’ quickly grew to be ‘not so subtle’, and the two eventually hooked up one night after a few too many drinks.
It’s not that Avery didn’t like Gaz—she did—but viewing him as her boyfriend never felt… Right. To her, he was always going to be Gaz, her good buddy from the band. Not Gaz, her boyfriend. She liked men, just not this man. But, she knew that he really liked her and she didn’t have the heart to say no to him. She knew it was a bad idea. She knew she’d end up hurting him and regretting it.
She never could have anticipated just how messy their breakup would be.
In their sophomore year, Gaz and Avery were living together in a small apartment. One night, after drinking for a couple of hours, Avery left slip that she didn’t have feelings for Gaz, that she never had. In a fit of rage, Gaz demanded to know if there was another guy. He seemed to be convinced that she was cheating on him. Avery continuously told him that wasn’t the case, but Gaz wasn’t having any of it.
He ended up forcing himself on Avery. She was out the next day—she could care less about the lease. She wanted to get as far away from Gaz as humanly possible. The solution was to finish up her degree at home via online courses while picking back up her job at Seahorse Coffee and looking after Kasey. It was as good a solution as any. But, deep down, she knew it’d come back to bite her. It was her fault, after all.
After graduating from college, Avery moved up to New York. She acquired her Masters in Education as well as a teaching certification and began to teach music courses at various schools in the city. It seemed like she finally had some stability in her life. She was doing what she loved, and that was all that mattered.
Over the years, she had reconnected with Mel. The two friended each other on Facebook and would occasionally chat and video call. Avery even flew out to Washington to visit her. It was there that she met Mel’s wife and adopted son. She had finally made good on her promise, all those years later.
2015. No one could have anticipated the world to fall then. Sure, there was mass hysteria about the world ending back in 2012, but everyone knew that was bunk. This came suddenly. One day, life was normal. The next, people were being brutally murdered in the streets, and countries all across the world were declaring states of emergency and martial law.
Being in New York City, the biggest city in America, Avery saw the brunt of the downfall. She taught children how to read sheet music and play the triangle. She was never prepared for something like this. She quickly accepted the severity of the situation and packed what she could into her Camry before getting the hell out of dodge.
Before cell reception went dark worldwide, Avery attempted to keep in contact with Ryan. He was working closely with the CDC, researching Oculurubrus in-depth, searching for a cure. The last she heard from him, he had yet to make any breakthroughs and things were beginning to look bleak.
She wanted more than anything else to go home. To see how her family was doing. She worried about them dearly, especially Kasey. However, the drive to Kentucky from New York was far too long, and she knew she wouldn’t have enough gas to make the drive. Not to mention, nearly every major highway was completely backed up. Everyone seemed to have the same idea. Her best course of action was to hunker down somewhere safe and wait it out. And so, that’s what she did.
Weeks passed. Then months. Then years. As difficult as it was to accept, Avery knew things weren’t going to get any better. Not now. The majority of the world’s population had been completely wiped out by the disease. She had retreated to the countryside of Upstate New York. Not many people had lived there before the fall, and so very little infected were present. There was the occasional horde that passed by, but nothing Avery couldn’t just wait out.
Over the years, she learned to live off the land. She pored over any and all books she could find detailing the area’s wildlife and general botany. She taught herself how to hunt, how to use a bow, which plants were and were not safe to eat. She did what she had to do to survive. And, eventually, it got easier. It became second nature. Habitual.
She eventually came across the community of Monroe. A small community that had staked a claim in the once-neutral Barrens. She had always strayed away from big communities. She preferred to fend for herself—she found it to be safer—however, with Monroe came a sense of normalcy. The people welcomed her with open arms, and she found her place there. She had finally found a home.
Would you like your character to start with any items?
Longbow, hunting knife
Is your character a member of a group?
Yes
Is your character a member of one of the world factions?
Monroe
Please detail your position within the faction, as well as your reason for being in The Barrens.
Avery helps to provide food for the community of Monroe. She frequently embarks on hunting trips, bringing back fresh meat and berries. She’ll also scavenge the surrounding area, bringing back anything she finds that could be useful for the community.
Aside from that, she helps out around town with other things that may need doing. She's not a great shot with a gun or good at building anything, but she does what she can.
Having left the ruins of New York City for the solace of Upstate New York, Avery has been in the area for years and has been vaguely aware of the tense relationship between the surrounding factions for some time.
