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
mrknifeguy: (027)

[personal profile] mrknifeguy 2024-07-03 03:03 am (UTC)(link)
[ Paaause. ]

Chibi-sensei?

[ whomst the fuck ]
mrknifeguy: (029)

[personal profile] mrknifeguy 2024-07-03 03:03 am (UTC)(link)
Come on, buddy. There's no use in dancing around how grim this whole thing seems. That lady on the recording said she was ready to rot in hell for bringing us here. Sounds like a last resort to me.
hydrotherapy: (Default)

[personal profile] hydrotherapy 2024-07-03 03:04 am (UTC)(link)
[ Deployed....so does that make him some sort of soldier? Or perhaps a police officer of some sort? But he seems too sweet for something like that. She is quick to nod at his puzzled question though, as if that single movement answers everything. ]

Yep! I mostly treat humans these days and have been for a long time, so I spend a lot of time observing how they act in different situations and the kinds of emotions they feel. I like to think I've learned a lot, but there's always more to see out there, wouldn't you agree?
organfarm: (Default)

[personal profile] organfarm 2024-07-03 03:10 am (UTC)(link)
[ The promptness of her response does earn a small start and a blink, but Jion gives a sheepish chuckle afterward. ]

That's true. -- you're right. [ A small nod, as if to affirm it to himself, too. ] That'd be pretty inefficient, wouldn't it? And I guess there's no point in worrying about something like that ... we should all be doing our best, no matter how somebody might have categorized us, huh?
irreversal: 🧃 teen (pic#17252727)

[personal profile] irreversal 2024-07-03 03:12 am (UTC)(link)
I think it'll definitely be less of a problem with calmer people like you around.

[ a decisive nod! ]
rifare: (free hearts are never broken)

[personal profile] rifare 2024-07-03 03:13 am (UTC)(link)
[ It's a fairly quiet sigh coming from him, but given their setting it echoes off the walls regardless. ]

It's not as if we have many other options.
irreversal: (102)

[personal profile] irreversal 2024-07-03 03:14 am (UTC)(link)
Ahaha. I hope "small-to-midsize threats" covers it all. A giant kaiju-sized zombie would be pretty awful.
irreversal: 🧃 teen (23)

[personal profile] irreversal 2024-07-03 03:16 am (UTC)(link)
[ she hooks a thumb over to the direction of Sigewinne! ]

She's Chibi-sensei. She's a medic, too~
empression: (I know Victoria's secret)

[personal profile] empression 2024-07-03 03:17 am (UTC)(link)
[ She's used to adults being useless, it's okay. She's here for you, buddy. ]

Is there anything that could be done for them? Or was it more like... a mercy kill?
empression: (What are those??)

[personal profile] empression 2024-07-03 03:18 am (UTC)(link)
Oh, I wouldn't call her an alien! She was just very tiny and adorable with... not entirely human features!

[ Well, aliens are just "not from Earth", so maybe it does still count. ]
empression: (Can't read my--)

[personal profile] empression 2024-07-03 03:19 am (UTC)(link)
I suppose that's fair, but I imagine they do an impressive amount of work with the smaller ones.

... I, ah. I wouldn't necessarily call them kaiju, but I also fight monsters back home.
empression: (If only you weren't a dickweed)

[personal profile] empression 2024-07-03 03:21 am (UTC)(link)
Oh, my apologies. [ automatically, even though she didn't write this-- ]

Should I summarize it, then?
empression: (Behold my works ye mighty)

[personal profile] empression 2024-07-03 03:22 am (UTC)(link)
That's right! [ As reassuring as she can sound, fists clenched-- ]

I wouldn't worry, I'm certain we're all more than qualified to be here! Surely! And I intend to do my best to ensure we all make it to our destination in one piece!
302: (Default)

[personal profile] 302 2024-07-03 03:27 am (UTC)(link)
[ at that, he nods with a bit more energy - that was exactly the test he'd been thinking of, but he hadn't brought it up in case it was... he doesn't know. Tacky? Rude? It's a relief that Henry the younger brings it up first, because he doesn't know how else he could prove it. ]

Okay.

[ he closes his eyes to try and focus - surely having clear thoughts would make it easier. What should he think about...? He remembers a bright silver sports car he'd seen parked across the street through his apartment window a few weeks ago that he'd wished he could've seen up close... maybe that's not specific enough. As long as he doesn't think about anything embarrassing, it should be fine - a thought which, naturally, makes him think about his cute neighbor, Eileen, and when he reprimands himself to say no, don't think about that, it only causes a quick flash of some other things he doesn't want to think about to come in. Rotten half-mummified body of a man suspended in a plaster wall. Writhing bloody cloth bag stuffed inside a fridge. Fattened corpse lying face-down in stagnant drainage water -- no, just a silver sports car. Focus on that! ]
organfarm: (✚ 007)

[personal profile] organfarm 2024-07-03 03:32 am (UTC)(link)
[ Oh, she sounds so sure of it. And while Jion's hardly a newbie when it comes to rough living, this admittedly isn't the kind of 'rough living' he's used to. Maybe she's more accustomed to these sorts of circumstances?

Food for thought as he nods and walks backwards to put a little distance between them. He's tossing the ball in his hand as he does so, testing its weight and familiarizing himself with its shape; it's been a few years since he's last played catch, he's pretty sure. ]


Well, just the one time. I'm not really a huge sports person, either. [ Because surely that's why she's never seen a game played? She's just not that into sports? ] But it was really interesting seeing the stadium, you know? All packed and full of people ... so it does feel pretty weird being in one this empty.

[ Pause. ]

-- you think this is far enough? Should I throw?
302: (this is not much scarier than)

[personal profile] 302 2024-07-03 03:38 am (UTC)(link)
[ phew. He wasn't looking forward to driving (are they driving? god, he hopes they're driving) with a dangerous ghost tied down in the back seat, or something along those lines. The rest of what Sigewinne says isn't exactly relieving, but it's better than what he'd been imagining.

Is it really a mercy to leave her here? He supposes there's not really anything they could do for her anymore either way. Henry remains unconvinced there's a way to save her, but he's also unconvinced they could kill her, based on his personal experiences. There's some sense in leaving her alone. Still, he can't help but feel nervous that there's something important in that room they'd be turning their backs on.

However, he also feels that Sigewinne is probably not the person to discuss this with. He'd heard rumblings from others that she's some kind of alien, but he can't help but see her as a kid even so - not someone to debate mortality with. Henry shrugs weakly. ]


... If you say so. Just... don't expect too much.
insinnerate: (1)

[personal profile] insinnerate 2024-07-03 03:44 am (UTC)(link)
[Ninety-Nine glances back at him, then toward the zombie toiling in her prison. There's so much urban legend and misinformation about how Mania is spread and what Sinners are, and in her limited time free, she's only heard a handful of information that can clarify the truth about infection. She doesn't care where it really comes from. They just need to point her at what to kill. His logic is enough to restrain her initial impulses, though. She can be reasoned with.]

If someone goes, it should already be someone corrupted. Someone who can resist it or can't be touched. [Only one of those categories applies to her. She lacks the defensive immunity of someone like the Chief, but the amount of corruption running through her blood might be enough to stave off whatever makes these monsters monsters.]
302: (What unverified bullshit?)

[personal profile] 302 2024-07-03 03:45 am (UTC)(link)
Well... I tried to avoid them, if I could...

[ he holds his hands out, somewhere between a shrug and a muted plea. He'd tried - he really had, at least when they were still alive. ]

But... they'll follow you everywhere. Sometimes, I didn't have a choice. [ a beat. ] I found these sort of stakes... If I was fast enough, I could use them to pin them to the floor. Then they can't chase you.

[ another pause. ]

We have some broken pipes here... we could try that.
302: (they should make a movie)

[personal profile] 302 2024-07-03 03:48 am (UTC)(link)
[ he deflates a little bit. ]

Maybe...

[ there's little hope to be found in his reply. Of course, Henry can hardly prove him wrong - maybe this time, everything will be different. But he can't help but feel like they missed their chance. In the real world, surely, she's already gone - this is just an echo of her. ]
praze: (pic#17266381)

[personal profile] praze 2024-07-03 03:49 am (UTC)(link)
Obviously!

[ it was not obvious. ]

I'm a sorcerer not a beast tamer.
rifare: (all the risk)

[personal profile] rifare 2024-07-03 03:50 am (UTC)(link)
[ Hell of a comment, kid. One of Leon's ears dips to the side as he looks uncertain about that particular assessment. There's still no disagreement from him though. Not really... Not technically. ]

Easy may not exactly be the word I would use, but she certainly won't be answering any questions if she is dead.
302: (oh wait i love this game)

[personal profile] 302 2024-07-03 03:52 am (UTC)(link)
[ a lot of them... how horrible. It's fairly clear that it can't be exactly the same as what he went through if it's on a larger scale... right? He hopes not. Regardless, his expression turns somewhat sympathetic. ]

Yeah. I thought I was the only one.

[ it's not exactly comforting to know others have suffered the way he did, but misery loves company, as they say, even if it comes in the form of an intimidating teenage girl. ]

The ones I saw - they can't come back, either. I think you're right.
praze: (pic#17266385)

[personal profile] praze 2024-07-03 03:52 am (UTC)(link)
[ he huffs because being scruffed like a kitten is far from how a noble like him should conduct himself, but also it's just in line with how his life tends to go. ]

It would be easier if we had mounts.
302: (why theres giant faces in the game??)

[personal profile] 302 2024-07-03 03:54 am (UTC)(link)
[ ough. he wilts under the obvious judgement somewhat. he wasn't popular in high school, and this feels like high school all over again. ]

N-not sentimental... Maybe spiritual...

[ it's not any crazier than the idea of it being a cure, in his mind, but he's not putting forward the most confident argument. ]
302: (they should make a movie)

[personal profile] 302 2024-07-03 03:58 am (UTC)(link)
[ if she had a heart-shaped medical kit on her, he'd be even MORE convinced this was an elaborate game of pretend. Henry follows after dutifully, keeping an eye on their surroundings just in case anything spooky threatens to jump out. ]

Yeah... I mean, she sounded pretty desperate.

[ he just hopes they'll actually be able to leave this building. ]