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

b

[unliminal]

[ At some point during the sewer trip hike while Sunday is covering his face with his wings, Gojo decides to make him the target of his antics, all but certain he has this guy figured out form his demeanor alone.

Which means he's going to float up in front of him, upside down in the air but still face-to- face, as Gojo grins and reaches out to try and poke a finger at the diminutive wings. ]

Ohhhh, I was wondering what these were for. Seemed kinda useless. Unless you can separate your head from your body and fly awaaaay!

[ He's the bored kid on a long road trip with nothing to do. ]

b for BULLYING

[sisterlessbehavior]

[He flaps his head wings, desperate to get away from the touch. These are sensitive and should not be touched. He huffs, wrinkling his nose for all sorts of reasons now. Both at the unprompted and unwanted contact and no longer having a barrier between him and the foul stench of the sewers.]

All things have purpose. And my wings are no exception. [He wraps his coat tighter around his person to hide the ones wrapped around his waist so that they are spared prodding and poking.] Our head wings are not made for flight.

I am a Halovian... our Halos are made to dazzle. And our wings paint a divine disposition. They are captivating features that help spread the cause of what we may preach.

If you have any more question about my curious features you may do so without touching me.

this one's for aventurine

[unliminal]

Soooo, you're an angel, huh? You're not about to hand me a holy book, are you? I don't think those agree with me.

[ He may not be like Suguru, literally ingesting curses as a part of exorcism, but Gojo still touches plenty himself. He doesn't try to touch Sunday again at least, though he does continue to hover as they move along the corridor. ]

Your head can't detach from your body and fly away, can it? Right?

[ Yes, this is apparently the most important thing he could have answered right now. ]

the twink had it coming

[sisterlessbehavior]

I am a Halovian. [He repeats tersely and with a slight huff. He doesn't need to be antagonized over nothing. But his wings are often the cause of jokes and name calling. Chicken wing, birdie, Mr Wings... the list goes on and on. Why would here be any different? People, no matter where they're from, tend to be the same.] Nothing more or less.

[As for the inane question... He's not sure if answering will make this situation better or worse for himself. But this seems like the kind of person that will keep bothering him until he relents.]

My head remains firmly attached. These wings are not strong enough for any sort of flight.

[There. Question answered. He wraps his coat firmer around himself and keeps his head down as he continues onward through the sewers, flattening his wings as best he can so they're out of sight and less likely to be touched again or even be noticed.]

[unliminal]

[ Question answered, which isn't terribly satisfying from Gojo's point of view. They don't even do anything special? Aside from cover his nose when it's stinky? Disappointing. ]

Ahh, I get it. If you could fly, you'd have to be pretty stupid to choose to walk through the muck instead. Sure must be unpleasant, wading through that, huh.

[ He's helping. Boosting morale. Or something like that. ]

[sisterlessbehavior]

[He stares ahead, brow furrowed despite his attempt at a neutral expression.]

No. I cannot fly in any manner. [The words feel terribly bitter on his tongue.] And there are worse things than walking through a little muck. People are suffering and this is nothing.

Pilgrimages are rarely easy and they are never without trials.

[unliminal]

[ Sorry about your bird trauma, Sunday... ]

You make it sound like we're gonna arrived at the Promised Land at the end, rather than just delivery a lava lamp.

[sisterlessbehavior]

[You can fit so much trauma in this bird boy.]

Well, it is a promised land of sorts. Not the one you might picture, of course. Nor will it be the sweetest of dreams but it will be a reprieve. Something of finality. And perhaps for some, upon our return, a second chance.

[unliminal]

Aren't you making a lot of assumptions there?

[ They don't have any idea what to expect to find at the end of their road, after all, and while Gojo might trust in his own abilities to get home again, what happens between now and then is still up in the air. ]

The people we're supposed to deliver the lava lamp to could already be dead, you know~!

[sisterlessbehavior]

I suppose that's true. But I'd like to believe in the best case scenario. That there will be people when we get there. That a cure can be found. And that we can get home. If we don't believe in that then what's the point of doing anything we're doing?

If we assume that this mission is already a failure then why are we bothering?

We have to have faith.

[unliminal]

[ Faith. Gojo's nose wrinkles up in distaste, at the entire notion of "faith", that belief alone is enough to get something done. It's a poisonous idea. Hope is one thing, but faith implies something that shouldn't be possible. ]

Heh. Sounding pretty delusional there, bird boy. Take your "faith" in our mission and shove it —

[ a VERY deliberate pause ]

— into your belief in your own resourcefulness. That's how we see this through.

[sisterlessbehavior]

[The insult is more annoying than anything else said. People, no matter where you go or where they're from, settle for the same insults time and time again.]

It takes a truly miserable soul to turn their nose up at someone else's faith. You are free to think what you like of me and my beliefs but there is no need to remark on it.

Faith is all some people have. It's all they have left. We may run into many who only have that. And it is remarkable what that sort of belief can do. And at the end of the day I still want to believe in miracles.

[He has to because Faith is all he has left at this point too.]

[unliminal]

[ Tch. Then as far as Gojo is concerned, they don't have anything left to discuss. ]

Suit yourself! We'll see how far faith gets you in the one thing standing between you and our goal is a horde of relentless zombies.

[ All they have is their own strength and tenacity, and his own is the only one that Gojo can trust fully. ]