biteys: (Default)
NIMBO ([personal profile] biteys) wrote in [community profile] turnout2024-06-29 09:53 am

WEEK 1

WEEK ONE


!
the beginning of the end

That’s what’s playing on repeat on a tape recorder, when the survivors come to.

Characters will find themselves in a humble, American townhouse, which other than being a bit dusty, is still mostly clean. All characters will be sprawled out on the floor and furniture of the living room, in front of what looks to be a giant portal. Characters will also notice they have a seemingly indestructible silver wristband around their wrists, and they have nothing with them but the clothes on their back.

Take a look around, and you'll realize that everyone in the room is likely a stranger. Aside from the tape playing, there's little explanation or proof that what's being said to you is even true. For all you know, one of the people in the room could be responsible for you being suddenly taken here.

Exploring the house's many rooms will reveal that there are small stockpiles food, water, weapons (a few guns, a few bats, a few knives), and maps, along with a large, strange container of blue liquid. The maps all chart a route from Los Angeles to San Francisco, and sport detailed recommended time stamps on them. Strangely, the recommended path occasionally diverges into two separate routes.

Upon searching the house, Haru Okumura finds a set of notes, while Leontuzzo Bellone finds a separate set. They are free to keep these notes to themselves, or share them with the group.

Nothing has anyone's names on it — not the notes, and certainly not the supplies. Everyone will have to compete for the same things. Or maybe all of you can be civilized about this, before anyone goes hoarding weapons and food? Maybe you can even introduce yourselves, while you're at it. For some strange reason, every window and door in this place is locked (and impossible to break), and will be for at least 72 hours, as if someone wanted you all to be cooped up together for a time before heading out.

Most interestingly, in the deepest basement of the house, there's a room with a large, heavy dresser shoved in front of it… and a low moaning and banging emanating from the other side. The door’s slightly ajar, and a closer look reveals a zombie is the source of the sound. Context clues around the basement, like the PhD in interdimensional travel hung up on the wall (for a Dr. Bei), hint that the woman inside is whoever left you this cryptic message - the woman who brought you here, allegedly. But she's long long gone, only this monster left in her wake. It seems she was smart enough to lock herself away to prevent you from being harmed, at least... and it'll give you a preview of the threat that looms outside.
sewer diving
After 72 hours have passed, one and only one door unlocks – in the very same basement that the zombie of Dr. Bei can be found. It leads down to a dark, dingy tunnel that connects to the sewers. Not only is the smell awful, but (non-infected) rats scurry about, keeping to the shadows – but the smell of any of the food you've taken from the house will attract them. Careful!

The party will need to create some light to navigate their way out and keep the rats at bay, or they’ll be bumping around in the dark for quite a while. Now might be a good time to share if you have some matches, or a special talent for being a lantern. Mercifully, there's only one exit that actually opens down in this labyrinth, as if it's a route the Doctor designed to take all the time.

At one point, Puppy falls into the sewage, and loses something they brought from the house.

oh! that's a baseball

Once characters make it out of the sewers, they’ll be a day’s travel to the first mark on the party’s map: “Dodger’s Stadium.” The road they’ll have to hike to get there is winding, curvy, and uphill, which will give the party a good overview of the now dilapidated Los Angeles, along with the many abandoned buildings and cars that litter the place. The stadium itself looks to have been cleared of threats and fashioned into a safe spot a long time ago, as all entrances but one have been completely welded shut. The high walls keep zombies out, and the winding path up here deters most of them from even approaching.

Inside the stadium, there’s some baseball merch (and equipment) to scavenge, not to mention some really old peanuts! Delicious. Maybe there are even some old fireworks laying around this place. Setting up camp here won’t be very comfortable… but at least it’s very safe. A luxury the party won’t have for much longer, if the map is anything to go by. You'll be heading through the city, next, so rest up while you can.

!
week one objectives

➤ make acquaintances with your fellow travelers
➤ decide what to do with the zombie of dr. bei
➤ arm yourself with what you can find
➤ scavenge some portable food from the house and while traveling
➤ make camp at the stadium
unliminal: teen (56)

[personal profile] unliminal 2024-07-01 07:19 pm (UTC)(link)
[ HE'S RIGHT!!! ]

There's that, too. I dunno about you, but I didn't see an easy on-switch on that portal machine.
mocktails: (but i keep snapping at)

[personal profile] mocktails 2024-07-01 07:21 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Black widows? Gallagher is no entomologist, but those are pretty dangerous, aren't they? The kid's explanation seems to confirm as much, and yet that apparently hadn't stopped him from handling them all the same. ]

Huh. You're more of a risk-taker than I would have guessed.

[ Not that he really knows the kid at all, but he's got a sort of anxious vibe about him, so this is an interesting revelation. ]

In that case, I'm fine with entrusting the container to you for now. [ He gives the kid a firm nod. ] Take good care of it.
mocktails: (all of the sparks)

[personal profile] mocktails 2024-07-01 07:23 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Gallagher glances over at that. His thoughts exactly, though he doesn't say anything, just makes brief eye contact with Henry. Dark thoughts for a kid to be having, and it makes him wonder at what he's seen in his life so far. ]
venomnom: (013)

[personal profile] venomnom 2024-07-01 07:26 pm (UTC)(link)
[Maybe Japan is just that qualified.]

Nice to meet you. I'm Reiju.

[As nice as it can be, anyhow. Her eyes flit to the cigarette.]

Do you smoke often?
empression: (We serve the hottest ones)

[personal profile] empression 2024-07-01 07:26 pm (UTC)(link)
Gojo-kun.

[ CAN WE NOT ]
mocktails: (but i keep snapping at)

[personal profile] mocktails 2024-07-01 07:26 pm (UTC)(link)
You consider that maybe not everyone could just go through with something like that?

[ Gallagher sighs and shakes his head. Sure, the guns and ammo are here, but not everyone's going to have the wherewithal to take their own life, even if they do determine it to be the right move. ]

It's just as possible she hoped we would do the deed for her.

[ He's not going to rise to the bait of a snotty kid going "no, you," though. ]

Still, if most people here think we should let her be on the off chance she can be cured, I'm not gonna force the point.

[ Optimistic kids... he's always gonna end up caving to them. ]
mocktails: (i've earned myself a reputation)

[personal profile] mocktails 2024-07-01 07:30 pm (UTC)(link)
[ That's not the reaction Gallagher was expecting, but he glances over as soon as the guy starts cracking up. ]

I dunno. Wouldn't beaning it with a bat have been the real overkill?

[ He twirls his now trusty bat in the air and lets it rest on his shoulder. The rat lets out a final squeak before it goes still and silent. ]

Besides, we can't let those little pests get into our rations.
normalness: (🌟🕷️ 038)

1/2

[personal profile] normalness 2024-07-01 07:30 pm (UTC)(link)
Yes, sir.

[To his credit, he's only a risk-taker when he thinks it's worth it. or when his hyperfixation kicks in]
normalness: (🌟🕷️ 017)

[personal profile] normalness 2024-07-01 07:30 pm (UTC)(link)
[


also,]


What's your name? I'm Henry.
venomnom: (028)

[personal profile] venomnom 2024-07-01 07:35 pm (UTC)(link)
Yes, I think so.

[She can at least understand the broad strokes of it. It could be a massive boon for them as they go into the unknown.

And she wasn't going to linger on it, but he sounds curious enough that she does expound:
] Haki is a latent power that manifests in different ways. One of them allows the user to hear the "voices" and sense the intentions of others.
mocktails: (all of the sparks)

[personal profile] mocktails 2024-07-01 07:35 pm (UTC)(link)
[ There isn't any obvious sign of what Henry's doing, no clear indication that he's suddenly reading someone's thoughts. He does look like he's concentrating on something, but all things considered, it's pretty subtle.

Also something to keep in mind for the future.

Although, the way his face then changes doesn't really spell out anything good.

The description is chilling, and may or may not remind Gallagher of something. He isn't going to actively call Sunday out in front of everyone, though, not wanting to sow discord amongst the group so early on. ]


That's... even worse than I thought. [ He heaves out a sigh. ] Feels wrong to just leave her like that, but people seem to think it might be possible to cure her. I think it's a long shot, but if everyone wants to hold out hope for it, well...

[ As some people have already pointed out, they'd put themselves at further risk trying to put her down. So there is some logic in leaving her, even though he finds it unsettling to think she might be trapped here like this forever. ]
titlecard: (107)

[personal profile] titlecard 2024-07-01 07:39 pm (UTC)(link)
Hi, Haru.

[ His smile turns a bit warmer. ]

Yeah. Can't do anything about it now but complete the mission, right? [ And it's good! Despite everything, it's good to have a goal to work towards. One that should help people. ] Do you, uh... do you know why you ended up here? Since the recording said we were all selected.
venomnom: (039)

[personal profile] venomnom 2024-07-01 07:39 pm (UTC)(link)
[Talents that serve one purpose, and one only. Her smile widens a little at the dirt. Perhaps that's why she's here.]

There were guns at the house. I handed one off to someone with the skillset for it.
mocktails: (goliath's hands)

[personal profile] mocktails 2024-07-01 07:41 pm (UTC)(link)
Someone's gotta be the pessimistic one around here.

[ The sheer amount of teens who'd been convinced they would 1) find a cure for the zombie plague and 2) be able to get the cure back to Dr. Bei was telling.

This one, though, she'd been a bit more practical in her assessment. The corner of his mouth tilts up at her calling him "old man," and then he reaches up to pull the cigarette from between his lips. ]


I'm holding you to that.

[ And then he hands it over. ]

What's your name? Didn't catch it before.
killboss: (pic#16242314)

[personal profile] killboss 2024-07-01 07:41 pm (UTC)(link)
[ The glossy, slightly-battered mask flickers through solid colors ( white yellow black ), before settling on the image of a white poodle bowing its front half, wiggling its tail. The quintessential body language of a playful, or at least friendly, dog. It's in direct opposition of Puppy's own grabbing hands, which determinedly follow Gallagher's body as the man dodges him.

The soft whir of his cyber-arm's servos sounds a bit strained, as his other arms sweeps out to point toward the horrendous moans beyond the crates, then to Gallagher, and then sharply driving his finger towards the stairs he'd just come down. He repeats it for good measure, loping his looming form in a half-circle — a collie trying to move a stray member of the herd in safer direction.

Following the puppy image, he works with a series of them in brief succession. ]


— 🟢 ⬆️ 🙏🏻
irreversal: 🧃 teen (2svQ5zQ)

[personal profile] irreversal 2024-07-01 07:41 pm (UTC)(link)
Jeez...

[ So abrasive... ]

You don't think you can carry a bag of cookies around with you?
irreversal: 🧃 teen (pic#17252728)

[personal profile] irreversal 2024-07-01 07:43 pm (UTC)(link)
Shoko Ieiri. Nice to meet you, Hoshina-saaan.

[ She gives a lil salute. His fit is kinda giving military guy. ]
mocktails: (i've earned myself a reputation)

[personal profile] mocktails 2024-07-01 07:43 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Trying to learn anything about that creature while it's still alive seems impossible without risking injury, which they can't afford. So she's right about that. But... ]

Even if we did kill her, what could we learn? It's not like we have a laboratory or any tools on-hand.
irreversal: 🧃 teen (82)

[personal profile] irreversal 2024-07-01 07:44 pm (UTC)(link)
Yeah, she's probably got a bunch of assistants working for her, right? This kind of tech couldn't have been all her, I guess. Just hope she didn't take the secret password with her to Hell or wherever she said she was going~

normalness: (🌟🕷️ 019)

[personal profile] normalness 2024-07-01 07:44 pm (UTC)(link)
[He just glances at Gallagher but has nothing to add on the matter if he doesn't, focusing back on the zombie of Dr. Bei instead.

DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT]
irreversal: 🧃 teen (148)

[personal profile] irreversal 2024-07-01 07:45 pm (UTC)(link)
[ just looking at him, and her, and then looking away. good luck, Haru-chan! ]
mocktails: (somebody i can't knock down)

[personal profile] mocktails 2024-07-01 07:46 pm (UTC)(link)
Yeah, no need to call me "sir."

[ Even posing as a bloodhound, it had always felt kind of weird to be addressed like that.

He nods and jabs a thumb against his chest. ]


I'm Gallagher. Now, what do you say we keep looking around?
venomnom: (038)

[personal profile] venomnom 2024-07-01 07:47 pm (UTC)(link)
[They can only hope.

Reiju nods. Then she tucks the knife away and begins to collect the rest closest to her.
]

There are approximately twenty of us. It's not much, but still a large party, all things considered.
mocktails: (that went dark in my gut)

[personal profile] mocktails 2024-07-01 07:47 pm (UTC)(link)
And who was that?

[ It's good to know who's armed, and with what. Gallagher glances up to take a look at the rest of their motley crew, scattered all around the baseball field. ]
irreversal: 🧃 teen (115)

[personal profile] irreversal 2024-07-01 07:49 pm (UTC)(link)
You can learn a lot from just looking at a corpse.

[ ma'am ]