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
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?
parttimesoldier: (047)

[personal profile] parttimesoldier 2024-07-03 05:19 am (UTC)(link)
Oh, I bet it would be totes awesome to see a big stadium full of people! Wasn’t really anything fun like this left where I’m from.

[To which she glances around momentarily, trying to picture it all in her head. It’s pretty crazy to even think about—that’s a lot of people to put in one place, all happy and having a good time. Man, maybe she should have made a little detour to see a game while she was on her pit-stop on her mission…

Well, it’s kind of a moot point to even think about now. Getting hijacked into this mission has kind of thrown a wrench in all her plans as it is. Which is a different kind of frustrating to think about, so instead she’ll keep her focus on the present moment. Jion gets a thumbs up from her at the questions, and she starts squaring up for an incoming toss.]


Go for it! Let’s give it a shot.
organfarm: (✚ 008)

[personal profile] organfarm 2024-07-04 03:29 am (UTC)(link)
[ That wording gives him pause. 'Left.' Especially since he's already realized that people here can come from world that have already been ruined. How exhausting that must be, to go from one familiar hellscape to a different, equally bad, not unfamiliar hellscape.

But also, that's such a grim line of thought. Best to shelve it for later, huh. ]


Right, okay! [ He's bouncing on his feet for a moment (for no reason???) before cocking his arm back for a throw. ] Here goes!

[ Aaaand here it comes! It's a pretty solid, well-thrown pitch! Except the fact that it goes a bit wide; she's going to have to lunge forward to hit that one, if she wants. ]
parttimesoldier: (aw yeah)

[personal profile] parttimesoldier 2024-07-04 08:31 pm (UTC)(link)
[Look, it’s not a total hellscape if they can have themselves a little fun like this! (Okay, even she doesn’t really believe that, but it’s a good enough sentiment to have in the moment.)

So she’s grinning brightly as he readies his pitch, totally ready herself to give it one hell of a swing. Except that she’s super not expecting it to go so wide, exclaiming a woah! as she lunges after it—because no way is she going to let anything get past her.

It’s by no means a clean it, but she does knock it with the very tip of her bat. The ball goes bouncing back in Jion’s direction as she lets her momentum carry her forward a few more steps so she doesn’t fall over.]


Wow, really keeping me on my toes with that one! [She laughs.] I like it.
organfarm: (✚ 015)

[personal profile] organfarm 2024-07-05 03:35 am (UTC)(link)
Woah, shit! Sorry!

[ At least it's immediately obvious that Jion hadn't meant that as some sort of trick throw. His blurted-out apology is quickly followed by a fumbling attempt to catch the ball bouncing back his way -- except it manages to slip past the edge of his glove, and he needs to go running after it to retrieve it. ]

This is harder than it looks, huh ... [ A sheepish laugh as he comes jogging back. ] It always looked almost effortless on TV, you know?
parttimesoldier: (smiley)

[personal profile] parttimesoldier 2024-07-07 03:35 am (UTC)(link)
Hey, it’s all good.

[And that bright smile of hers only further emphasizes that it’s all in good fun. Not expecting masterful play from either of them when they’re just here to kill some time with something laid-back, right? Suzuha resumes her position while Jion wrangles the errant ball, sweeping the tip of her bat idly along the ground to scribble a few lines in the dirt.]

Bet the pros could really show us a thing or two, huh? [She grins.] Watching them all in action around the whole field must’ve been pretty cool.