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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
bicth: (pic#17160492)

[personal profile] bicth 2024-06-30 05:55 pm (UTC)(link)
[ She makes a prolonged hmmm noise, eyes following him as he drags a finger across the table — and yup, the dust does seem to imply no one's lived here frequently in a little while. That's not entirely strange, especially in the world she comes from, but it does make her wonder why there isn't like... an obvious person around who brought them here. ]

You don't think they just ditched us here, do you? Teleported us to some house in the middle of fucking nowhere?
mediator: (pic#17268333)

[personal profile] mediator 2024-06-30 07:37 pm (UTC)(link)
They might have. Either that or we're trapped and they're watching us from afar.

[ this feels like the sort of thing alice would do with a ploy, like that awful mirror he's wandered into once or twice by accident. he sighs soft. ]

I'm going to be late for work. This is bad.

[ they're going to dock his pay for not giving any warning, or fire him at worst. ]
bicth: (pic#17160422)

[personal profile] bicth 2024-07-01 05:07 pm (UTC)(link)
That's what you're worried about?

[ She huffs, incredulous. Her head swivels around, looking at all the other people who are still passed out on the ground — as well as the signs that some people have already gotten up. ]

Shouldn't you be a little more freaked out about being kidnapped? Who the hell cares that much about their job!
mediator: (pic#17273148)

[personal profile] mediator 2024-07-02 12:21 am (UTC)(link)
Being kidnapped is inconvenient, but we don't seem to be in any immediate danger. But if we don't find our way back home soon... I have rent to pay and my landlords are vicious. I'm already working maximum hours at my other jobs too.

[ the capitalist grind is real and painful. ]
bicth: (pic#17160405)

[personal profile] bicth 2024-07-02 07:54 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Gosh, he sounds like her boss — always working overtime and stressing out. He has GOT to learn how to steal from people, in her humble opinion. She does roll her eyes a little, because his complaints don't fall on her ears as urgent, as she has never had to pay rent a day in her life, on the account of literally living in the gutter. ]

We're not in immediate danger 'cuz we're in this house, [ She points out a window. ] But it looks fucked up out there. Since this portal doesn't work, our way back has to be outside somewhere...

[ Which means they're wading into danger no matter what. She frowns. ]

Has this happened to you before or something? Most people like you would be crying at this point.

[ In her imagination, a civilian worried about rent who'd never been in a potentially life threatening situation was bound to react badly to all this, but for some reason, he doesn't. ]
mediator: (pic#17265656)

[personal profile] mediator 2024-07-02 09:12 pm (UTC)(link)
Yeah, but look - there's more than just the two of us. There's strength in numbers. As long as we stick together in a group and utilize our skillsets, I'm sure we can make it back home in one piece.

[ :)!!!! ]

And I haven't, but once I was shrunken down and trapped inside a glass bottle. This feels a little bit like that to me.
bicth: (pic#17160404)

[personal profile] bicth 2024-07-04 01:54 am (UTC)(link)
Oooooookay, so you're the optimistic guy....

[ She sing songs, brows drawing up in disbelief. He's sounding more and more like the Chief, and while a few years ago, she would've pinned such an attitude as being a sign someone was hopelessly naïve, now she knows there are plenty of capable people who are just as willing to believe in others. ]

How'd you get out of the bottle?
mediator: (pic#17265654)

[personal profile] mediator 2024-07-04 01:57 am (UTC)(link)
Thank you?

[ he doesn't know if that's meant to be an observation or a joke. but it's ok either way. ]

The witch who trapped me let me out. I think she just wanted to demonstrate that she could shrink me into the bottle and put me on her shelf if she wished it. Or if I ever got on her bad side again.
bicth: (pic#17160430)

[personal profile] bicth 2024-07-04 06:37 pm (UTC)(link)
Hold on, a witch?

[ Never mind that the events he describes sound like a normal day at work at the Bureau, dealing with Mania incidents that cause people to shrink or for their dreams to come to life or whatever else. Her head tilts. ]

Like with a broomstick and a hat?

[ clearly this is the most important thing to establish first ]
mediator: (pic#17265654)

[personal profile] mediator 2024-07-06 01:19 am (UTC)(link)
No? Why would they have that?

[ that sounds pretty silly to him... though come to think of it, alice is halfway there with the outfit she wears when she's conducting her nightly outings. she doesn't have a broom though and he suspects she has no idea how to clean in general. ]
bicth: (pic#17160404)

[personal profile] bicth 2024-07-08 03:49 am (UTC)(link)
...'Cuz that's what witches carry around with them, don't they?

[ In video games and stuff, obviously? And sort of in real life, if she thinks of a certain Sinner she knows who likens herself to a dark magician. ]

You know, cackling and flying and going hee hee hee hee.

[ is this helpful ]
mediator: (pic#17268334)

[personal profile] mediator 2024-07-08 01:34 pm (UTC)(link)
...

Why would they do any of that?

[ soujuurou didn't understand anything. ]