Romeros

Romeros, sometimes called permazonks, are infected who are permanently stuck in a RAASC (Rumase-Associated Altered State of Consciousness). Their level of functioning varies hugely, as they tend to act in routines resembling what they did prior to becoming infected and their intellectual capacities seem to fluctuate over time. In Licentia, most Romeros are monitored by caretakers, however a minority seem content to just sort of wander around communities of RAIs/Zeds and eat whatever they are offered.

Basic Information

Anatomy

While Romeros can look exactly like non-infected, the distant look in their eyes and difficulty swallowing away their drool often gives them away. A Romero without a caretaker is also usually disheveled and has mediocre hygiene -- most of them have some desire to stay clean and will use toilets or corners to relieve themselves, brush away hair that falls over their eyes, and wash away dirt from their hands, but they don't really understand showers. About half of Romeros change clothes autonomously, usually when going to bed or waking up, but this does not mean the clothes that they put on are clean, nor does it imply they know how to do laundry.

Genetics and Reproduction

Romeros are thought to suffer from the same issues with fertility that other RAIs/Zeds do, but as they are not fully sentient it is clearly immoral to test that hypothesis. Most show absolutely no interest in sexual relations anyway.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Most Romeros are capable of eating if food is nearby, although the level of intelligence they use when obtaining said food varies. They have been known to act with mob mentality, attacking and eating people for sustenance. However this doesn't seem to be their first choice of a meal; they will ignore other people for quite a while before getting hungry enough to eat them. Whether this is because they still retain some level of morality or recognize that canned meat puts up less of a fight than still-living people is unknown.

Biological Cycle

During the winter, it has been noted that Romeros tend to be less active. This appears to be driven by temperature as the effect is less obvious in Southern California as opposed to Romeros found in Boston.

Genetic Ancestor(s)