WEEK 1

[biteys]

WEEK ONE

❝Don’t panic. You’re waking up somewhere unfamiliar, but try to relax. You aren’t dead, and I don’t have any intention to harm you. You’ve just been selected for a very special mission. A delivery, I guess. I’d do it myself but… let’s just say I can’t travel in the state I’m in. Take the blue container I’ve left to where I’ve marked on the maps within eight weeks, and you’ll be able to go home happy. More than, really. Any time or place you want to go… I can send you there. It's kinda my thing. Think of it as your payment. Everything else you need to know, I’ll tell you in time. Know that I’m sorry that I had to resort to this, and I’ll pay for my sins in Hell.❞

!

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

code

Comments

iii!

[empression]

[ Hi, fellow person who found notes--Haru has had no qualms sharing hers (when I make this tl), realizing rather quickly that this isn't something she'd like to keep to herself. Especially when they seem incomplete. But she's choosing to be the one to continue to hold onto them, if nothing else.

That's not terribly important right now; she's approached as she sits and Haru (for all that she looks momentarily surprised at first) offers him a polite smile and the dignified nod of someone who is definitely trying not to think about a sewer adventure. A baseball bat is balanced across her knees. ]

I find it, ah... a little difficult to sleep until I've been able to process all my thoughts. I hope I didn't wake you?

[ Pause on the world talk, she does at least look apologetic-- ]

[rifare]

[ Haru is a much more trusting soul than Leontuzzo, who has already talked multiple people into giving him guns instead of keeping them for themselves.

Though this quiet moment is giving him a chance to sus them out, and decide just how trustworthy he finds his new travel companions. So many of them seem so young to him, and Leon's well aware of the fact that he's still a young, untested man himself. ]

You don't need to worry yourself. I was already awake.

[ He'll shift to make himself more comfortable in his seat as he takes note of her expressive face. ]

I've also needed some time to think about this all before I try to rest.

[empression]

It... certainly is a lot, isn't it?

[ Haru glances down at the baseball bat, tapping a nail lightly against it. Inwardly, she's a bundle of nerves. She still hardly knows anyone here, she's reluctant as to what will happen as a result if she calls on her Persona...

But she's had so much experience being the subject of scrutiny when all she's wanted to do is lay low, so outwardly, she appears to be rather composed. ]

Where I'm from, zombies were... well, fictional. The source of many exciting stories and movies, but not a legitimate threat...

Though I suppose they could have been a very well-kept secret.

[rifare]

Maybe, though given the state of this world, I wonder how easy a secret like that could be kept.

[ Not like there aren't oddities in his world that would devastate the whole world if given half the chance. ... They're not exactly secrets though. ]

What were they like? The fictional zombies from movies.

[empression]

Let's see...

[ Haru hums a little, thoughtfully. ]

They tend to differ. Some were slow and shambling, and some were able to run even faster than humans or jump great distances. But they were all able to infect people by biting them and they didn't possess the intelligence they had when alive.

[rifare]

[ Not possessing intelligence at least gives them some advantage if the zombies here are anything like Haru's fictional zombies. There definitely didn't seem to be much left in Dr. Bei...

She didn't seem particular strong and powerful either as she ambled about in her locked room. ]

Let's hope the ones we come across are more like your first kind then.

[empression]

It would certainly save us a lot of trouble. Though I do have some experience with fighting much faster enemies.

[ Which is not admitting to Persona things, but this is a young man with beautiful fluffy ears, he's probably used to more things than society back home. Then again, maybe she shouldn't assume anything here. ]

[rifare]

[ Unfortunately for Leontuzzo he is very involved in Society. In fact, he is at this very moment attempting to do a lot of remaking of current society, so this little venture onto zombie planet is not well timed for him. ]

I assume that is not your usual weapon of choice.

[empression]

Oh, not at all.

[ She misses her axe. ]

But I think it should do the job well enough. And there may be a chance that we're able to find a wider variety of weapons in the future. [ Or so she can hope. Otherwise, she ends up relying on her Persona and that's going to be a bit... much to explain. ]

[rifare]

[ For some people, maybe. For Leon it would be a small nod and a simple "yeah, of course, an Arts summon. Obviously." There's going to be a culture shock for him the more people he talks to, because some of them did not come from worlds where having powers of this nature is the normal.

As if the lack of furries wasn't already a culture shock enough. ]

We can hope. I won't be able to fire these forever if I don't find more bullets for them.

[ He pushes back his ostentatious, long coat to reveal the two handguns he managed to talk two separate people into letting him take charge of in the house. Then again, Leontuzzo isn't the biggest, physically most imposing man in the world. His aim is good, but he doesn't relish the idea of having to switch to something like a bat himself. ]

[empression]

[ Don't worry, Haru is living proof that you don't have to be big or look imposing to Bring The Pain-- ]

Then perhaps I can assist in looking for ammunition as we go? I'm certain we'll have to go on supply runs every so often, and bats don't require bullets. [ Not in her canon, anyway.

At least one of them looks a little more well-dressed for sitting outside at night, given she has no ridiculously cool long coat, she's just in a pink summer dress. Again, very intimidating. ]

[rifare]

[ He'll be the last to judge based on looks. After partnering with Rhodes Islands, Leontuzzo had seen his fair share of young women who did not look like they could or would harm a fly bringing brutish bruises to their knees in seconds. ]

It would be greatly appreciated. Thank you, Signorina.

[empression]

Oh, you-- [ She blinks, then shakes her head. ]

You can just call me Haru, if you'd like! You needn't be so formal with me.

[ She says. Formally. ]

[rifare]

[ It's his turn to blink owlishly at that one. He didn't think he was being overly formal himself there. ]

Haru it is then. In turn feel free to call me Leon.

[ Most people who know him well enough do use the nickname. ]

[empression]

[ Something brightens in her expression, like she's both surprised and thrilled. Maybe nicknames mean something to her, which is not necessarily the case for anyone else, but this is someone who only managed to make a friend her age almost a year ago... for the very first time. It's these little things that make her feel a little less Removed from everything.

Granted, the situation has changed vastly from what she's accustomed to, but she's learned to adjust fairly quickly to the unusual happening. ]

Leon-k...

[ ... She trails off, because she has no idea how old he is, actually? He doesn't seem much older than her, but if he is, calling him "kun" might be considered insulting. But then is "san" too formal after what they'd just talked about? Oh, dear. ]

... Leon. I'll remember that.

[ She'll compromise. With herself. ]

[rifare]

[ Either form of address would have been fine with him, given the nuance would have been entirely lost on him anyway. Besides, despite the fact that he's a little older than she is, he's not overly fussed about the formality of age based address.

He's a bit baby-faced thanks to anime styling despite having been a working adult for awhile anyway.

He has no idea what she was starting to say, but gives her a calm, encouraging smile at her catch and redirection. ]

I'm sure you will. I imagine all of us will become well acquainted with each other over the next several weeks.

[empression]

[ Bless calm individuals; Haru sighs after a few seconds, shoulders lowering. ]

Yes, I think it's that kind of situation that requires us to be able to understand each other enough to work well together. I at least have experience with that much, though the situation is... [ The slightest quirk of her lips ] ... vastly different.

[rifare]

[ He hums thoughtfully at that, nodding slowly as someone who hasn't exactly shown a whole lot of trust to people so far. Hell, he's still here trying to sus people out before he really decides to rely on them. ]

I have had similar experiences before, but even in those I have at least had one or two familiar faces at my side.

[empression]

So you're the only one from your world here?

[ Haru frowns, a little sympathetically. ]

There are other people from Japan--ah, my country. But none of them were people I'd encountered before this. And with the notes I found, the considerations and groupings, I'm... still not entirely sure why I would have been the one selected and not any of the others I've worked with.

[ She'd been one of the last Phantom Thieves to join and, while she's confident in her abilities as a Persona user, there are definitely other people she thinks would have fit a role better. But, realizing this sounds a bit self-deprecating, she quickly adds: ]

I intend to do what I can, though. I don't consider myself powerless or subservient.

[rifare]

[ There's something a little sad, a little pained, abut the tiny hint of a smile that pulls at the corner of his mouth this time. He figured it must be obvious he was alone here, given the physical markers that set him aside from most of their crew.

The smile drops away as she continues though, and he nods in understanding at what she's saying. He can think of a number of people that feel more qualified than him to be here. Though given the parameters of their choice... maybe he wasn't such a bad selection.

Speaking of. ]

Do you still have them with you? Those notes?

[empression]

[ She's perceptive, at least; a smile that might be, but there's something bittersweet about it, and it's not too hard to figure out what might be painful about acknowledging it. After finally having friends, Haru had never really wanted to experience what it felt like to be alone again, and in a sense, it's a reality he's living right now.

She can't presume anything about him; she still hardly knows anything about him, but she thinks maybe it would be fine to check in with him more often. Just for company's sake.

But he speaks and Haru nods in response, reaching into a pocket neatly hidden in the folds of her dress to offer him the equally neatly folded notes she's been carrying around. Usually asking "do you still have them" is lingo for "can I see them", as far as she's concerned. ]

I thought since I was the one who found them originally, I should hold onto them. And it took me a bit to realize that the symbols beneath each group were chess pieces.

[rifare]

[ It's a level of concern for him that Leontuzzo is not expecting of any of the people here. They have their own goals, and their own worlds they need to return to. He understands that painfully well.

She's already proving to be a help though, so he doesn't think twice before reaching into his own jacket pocket, and fishing out a matching set of notes.

Congratulations, Haru, you're only the second person he's even shown these to. ]

Mm... It makes me wonder if that's supposed to signify something. For the sake of some people, I certainly hope not.

[ He hands over the first page of the small stack he found, the one with the resiliency candidates listed, and the pawn image sitting heavy and damning on the bottom of the page. ]

[empression]

[ Bonding!!

Haru blinks, once--then again, reaching out to take the page. Resiliency... and that's a pawn, isn't it?

So he'd had the other set of notes. He'd kept it more to himself, from some of the discussions she'd had with the others, but she can't blame him for that. Being cautious with them had been something she'd considered briefly, as well. ]

The groups aren't very evenly divided either... the combat group was rather large, compared to medical. This one would be somewhere in between.

[ And it's true, now that she can see there's more groups, like she'd suspected... ]

Are you familiar with chess, Leon?

[rifare]

[ The notes he found will start to circulate a little at a time he's sure, but he had wanted to play this whole thing cautiously at first, and test the waters. Even now as he talks to people in this stadium, he can't actually be sure he can read their intention. Some people are incredible actors, after all, but it begins to feel less and less like there is a good reason to keep this information to himself.

Even if some of what is stated in the notes seems less that ideal. His eyes linger on the unambiguous comment about using lethal force on certain members of their team. ]

I am, though I don't pretend to be particularly good at it.

[ As he waits for her follow up question or comment, he hands her the other two notes as well. No point in guarding this information, even if there's the slightest bit of reluctance on his part to do so. ]

[empression]

My father insisted I learn. [ With a bit of a pained smile, as she accepts the other other notes from him to read through them and commit them to memory. ]

I was wondering if the balance of these groups might also have to do with the starting number of pieces, but there are more Knights than Pawns in these groupings, so that wouldn't be accurate. But I do suspect the symbols do... determine their worth, at least by the doctor's standards.

Personally, I'm reluctant to agree with that. [ And she'll hand the notes back to him after perusing them properly. ]