biteys: (Default)
NIMBO ([personal profile] biteys) wrote in [community profile] turnout2024-07-06 10:11 am

week 2

WEEK TWO


After allowing the party some time to rest at the stadium, it’s time to get a move on again. As per your mysterious benefactor’s (?) recommendation, the party will be splitting up into two groups, with one group traveling west to a hospital, and the other traveling east to a mall.

if you chose hospital...
To get to the hospital, characters will need to venture into more densely populated areas of Los Angeles – and that means they’ll be coming into contact with a higher amount of zombies. The hordes that roam here descend upon any living creature that makes too much noise, so you might witness an unlucky squirrel or cat get hunted down by these roaming threats. The bad news is that they’ll sprint full speed at you if they happen to catch sight – the good news is that they’re not very coordinated at pack hunting, and you may be able to outsmart them by weaving through the streets.

In a stroke of bad luck, Shoko Ieiri attracts the attention of a horde, forcing the party off considerably off course. Temporarily, hopefully. Detour!

Thankfully, there are several methods of getting to the front door of the location – parkouring atop or traversing inside connected buildings, for example. The zombies aren't the only thing that can kill you, though, if you're not careful; while traveling to the hospital, Auch Aubrey slips and falls to his death off a building. Remember Dr. Bei's warning, about not getting too far away from each other? The party will realize if they get too far away from his body (specifically the bracelet), it'll start feeling like their own bracelet is burning them at the wrist. Better go back — and either lug his body around, or lop off the bracelet somehow....

The area this group will travel through has many tourist attractions – antique stores, the Natural History Museum, old-school theaters, for example. For our sword wielders, there are some dated ones among the antique stores and museums; they're dusty, but they'll get the job done. There are other cool artifacts to "borrow" at these places, too, not to mention some history of what the world was like before all this happened.

And at the theaters? There's candy, DVDs, and cardboard cutouts from a variety of movies that were out when the fall of society came. Maybe there are minions there.

Once at the hospital, the party will find that there are a massive amount of zombies that have been trapped inside. Many are former patients or hospital staff, so several are wielding things like scalpels or crutches, and they are just smart enough to attack with them. To get around the facility to find the medical supplies you need, you’ll need to find a way to either distract the zombies, stealthily make your way around, or, you know, eliminate all of them.

As for scavenging, the hospital is surprisingly well stocked, as the high zombie count has made it hard to raid. Characters will be able to find bandages, medicine, surgical tools, and more, if they look close enough.

Of this group, Satoru Gojo and Mark Grayson are infected.


if you chose mall...
To get to the mall, characters will need to travel underground through the subway tunnels. None of the trains are in operation anymore, so they won’t be at risk of getting flattened – but the aged husks of the vehicles are still down here, rotting away. In some tunnels, it will be impossible to go around them, and you know the saying: sometimes the only way forward is through. Inside the trains, some doors that connect the cars are operational, while others are too rusted to move, forcing characters to climb atop the train to progress to the next car. It'll be a taxing trial, made worse by the fact that in these train cars, there are both regular corpses as well as zombified ones. The unpredictable nature of the functioning or non-functioning doors will making escaping the zombies difficult — characters will need to either stand their ground, or climb up to safety if they find themselves at a dead end.

Exiting the subways leaves one last test for this group: the stairs are collapsed! The light of outside shines through what is essentially a giant hole in the ceiling leading to street level. There's about a one story gap between the end point of the subways and the upper ground of the street, so characters will have to get creative with getting everyone up — using train cables? Throwing each other? Human pyramid?

Once at the mall just outside, the party will find that while there doesn’t seem to be a massive horde, there’s another problem: the first floor of the mall, which is below street level, is completely flooded. They’ll have to swim across the distance to the escalators, find a way to get across using debris, or some secret third thing. There are waterlogged zombies floating about in the water as well, who will swim violently towards you once they hear ripples in the water — they’re not subtle about going after you, and will thrash and splash and immediately let you know where they are. They're like people sized piranhas. Scary!

At one point, Sigewinne is pulled underwater by a zombie, and comes close to drowning.

As for scavenging, once they’ve scaled the escalator, they’ll find the second floor of the mall has definitely had its fair share of visitors, but there are still many useful things to find. There are electronic stores that have batteries and walkie talkies, clothing stores (like Hot Topic) that have some extra clothes lying about, and of course, the food court, where you’ll find canned and preserved foods from a variety of different cuisines.

Of this group, Suzuha Amane is infected.


rendezvous

After several days apart, characters will be able to meet back up at a spacious park in the northern part of the city. There are park ranger staff cabins that can be converted into temporary shelters with effort — and the area has a lightly wooded trail, which will make camping outside slightly more safe than if you were plain out in the open.

It’d be a good time to treat the wounded with the new medical supplies, and chow down on the food that’s been collected. Is there someone among the group who’s medical advice can be trusted? Is there someone who might be good at rationing or cooking the food? Everyone’s role in the party should start to become clearer.

There are probably a lot of things to discuss: what will you do with the infected? What's the deal with the bracelets? Reality of how dangerous this mission is will be setting in far too quickly.

Most annoyingly… after all that, some characters will find that moving north has caused their bracelets to inexplicably magnetize together at times, perhaps in response to everything that's happened. Due to this, you might need to help feed each other, or sleep next to a stranger. Hopefully you don't get stuck to someone you totally hate.


!
week two objectives

➤ scavenge for your assigned items!
➤ protect and fight for each other
➤ treat each others wounds
➤ eat tasty canned food


titlecard: (081)

[personal profile] titlecard 2024-07-09 10:57 am (UTC)(link)
[ He'd splintered off from the group, sequestered himself, but when Hella comes to sit next to him he lets out a low breath of relief. It's a realization that maybe he hadn't wanted to be as alone as he'd thought. That he still needs people, that he... really, really doesn't want to be alone.

And besides, it's Hella. She nudges him and he plays into it, swaying to the side before returning upright with a soft laugh. Nudging her back. ]


Thank you. I'll, um. I'll take good care of it.

[ He could sound a lot more certain than he actually does, but... No, it is scary. And even though he knows — he knows — he'll get over this, that this infection will pass and he'll be fine again sooner rather than later, there is that lingering what if.

So... what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. She drapes it over him, and he secures it over his person, holding onto it for dear life. ]


I'm not dead yet, right? [ But I can die. ] I mean, I've been beaten really badly before. Like... really badly. [ It isn't funny, but there's a little smile on his lips as he says it. Maybe it is kind of funny? Everything he's been through, and he's still here. ] I guess I am stronger because of it. Otherwise why would I still be here? Why else would I have been chosen?

[ He's defended Dr. Bei from the beginning, and even now... They've gotta get the job done. They've gotta. ]

I'll let you know when you can have your motto back... Should only take a couple of days. A week tops.

[ That's how it has to be. It just has to, even as he shivers again. ]
titlecard: (054)

[personal profile] titlecard 2024-07-09 10:57 am (UTC)(link)
[ He nods, a few days. Reaffirming it to himself, for her. They've got nothing to worry about.

He tips his head back a little, just to keep the cloth in place. Lets out a breath. ]


Yeah, it was... pretty bad. There were lots of zombies everywhere. [ Quite a few less now, thanks to him. He frowns. That probably wasn't a good thing, losing control like that. ] But that's why I had to go, you know? Why else would I be here? I've gotta tackle that stuff head on... Keep everyone else safe.

[ Which. He'd tried. He'd really tried. ]
titlecard: (043)

[personal profile] titlecard 2024-07-09 10:57 am (UTC)(link)
[ He's too focused on not looking at her, at not drawing attention to her wound to see that she sees, now. It isn't that he's trying to hide that he got bit, just that—

Maybe he is, actually. Not to hurt anyone else or deceive them; anyone who doesn't already know is probably going to by the end of the night. Just, just for himself.

Though as she speaks up he turns to look at her again. It's still awkward, he doesn't want to draw attention to— He meets Suzuha's eyes, doesn't look anywhere else. Just her eyes, still full of life, still here.

He's silent for a moment, and, ]


Yeah. [ It comes out as a shaky breath at first before he finds his footing again. ] Yeah. You're right.

[ ... Slight smile? Maybe? ]

I think that's the kind of thing I would have said, so. You know. Thank you for... being the one to actually say it.

[ His body relaxes a little, reassured. He lets go of his knees, lets himself stretch out a little again. It'll be okay; they'll be okay.

Although, speaking of... Is it worse to keep so deliberately acting like nothing else is wrong here? Mark doesn't look down at her side again, just tilts his head a little. ]


How about you? Are you doing okay?

[ ... Relatively speaking, but he figures he doesn't need to say that part. ]
venomnom: (043)

[personal profile] venomnom 2024-07-09 12:13 pm (UTC)(link)
[Once Kotoha starts moving, Reiju turns her full attention back to the decayed scene before them. No zombies have risen as of yet, and she aims to keep it that way by measuring each of her steps, muffling her footfalls.

There's a good number of them in the party, though, and only so much room a train car can provide when it's packed with bodies, warm and cold. Reiju and Kotoha's progress is also determined by the pace of those ahead of them, which is soon halted by another door that blocks their path.

Reiju chances a glance behind them while those at the front attend to the door, gleaning the corpses for visible injuries with a discerning eye. With any luck, the door will open quietly. On the flip side . . .
]
empression: (We serve the hottest ones)

[personal profile] empression 2024-07-09 12:22 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Her gaze lowers. ]

He was. To... somewhat extreme levels.
empression: (More like Hurricane Tortilla)

[personal profile] empression 2024-07-09 12:25 pm (UTC)(link)
I do understand that, but I think we all feel that way. We all want to help each other. It was that way on the way to the mall and inside of it too, even though there weren't as many.

[ Thankfully. But the ones there had certainly given it their college best to make things awful for them. ]
empression: (That your actions have consequences)

[personal profile] empression 2024-07-09 12:29 pm (UTC)(link)
Eh? [ Well, it's good to know Ninety-Nine doesn't consider her a burden or anything like that and maybe she should have suspected she'd be talked about, in a group where most of them barely knew each other, but it still catches her off-guard. ]

W-well, I'm glad for that... I didn't know both of you were imprisoned in such a place. [ Yikes. ] I'm relieved you were able to get the both of you to freedom.
empression: (And medicine doesn't fix that)

[personal profile] empression 2024-07-09 12:31 pm (UTC)(link)
Equipped??

[ Both eyebrows shoot straight up, even as she settles beside her. ]

They were wielding weapons? Goodness... the ones we dealt with didn't have those, at least, but a lot of them were mixed among the actual bodies of the deceased, so it was difficult to know when they'd strike.
empression: (She ain't got to love nobody)

LOOKS AT THE TIME STAMPS!!!!!!!!

[personal profile] empression 2024-07-09 12:33 pm (UTC)(link)
I appreciate that.

[ A little tiredly, settling down. ]

We did bring back some cookies from the mall, if you'd like something sugary later. For now... [ She exhales, softly. ] That was certainly a chaotic expedition for all of us, from what I've heard.
irreversal: 🧃 teen (97)

[personal profile] irreversal 2024-07-09 01:36 pm (UTC)(link)
Like... snakes? Or alcohol? Both?

[ Ah. That reminds her... ]

—That's right. Sorry, Reiju-san... Things were pretty hectic at the hospital. I couldn't take a look at all the chemicals they had.
irreversal: 🧃 teen (21)

[personal profile] irreversal 2024-07-09 01:53 pm (UTC)(link)
[ It had been so casual, and even then, Shoko had hoped to be treating wounds less grave than what she has already had to treat. But she's hoped a lot of things that haven't quite come to fruition. Perhaps it was a needed reality check, indeed; things truly are so dire, to the point that Dr. Bei sought the help of otherworldly strangers.

Shoko kneels next to the bed, keeping her gaze fixed on Suzuha's truncated limb, but refraining from touching it for the moment. Instead, she reaches for a pair of nitrile gloves and slips them onto her hands, one after another. ]


I see. Your nervous system is going to take time to adjust, unfortunately.

[ There isn't much she can do to help in that regard with what they have, but she can help alleviate it for a little while. ]

Do you mind if I take a look? Talk me through what happened, if that's okay with you.
kototama: (pic#17279159)

[personal profile] kototama 2024-07-09 01:54 pm (UTC)(link)
[It wouldn't matter if she could or couldn't do it, not when Suzuha looks at her like that, with such naked pleading and hope and lingering despair. The only option is she will, whatever it takes--and really, what's a bloody throat compared to what Suzuha is going through right now anyway?

It's incomparable.

So Kotoha nods firmly, eyes meeting Suzuha's, expression grimly confident.

Of course, she wouldn't be able to without Sigewinne's carefully listed out ingredients and portions--but Kotoha carefully repeats them, power crackling around each and every word, tacking on a hasty "in a syringe" in a weak croak at the end.

It appears--thank goodness--a precious dosage of anesthetic that Kotoha hands over to Sigewinne as carefully as she can with hands that tremble.

"That's it. I'm toast," she'd say, if she could, but she can't, and that's fine--she'll recover, and they've got far, far more important things to worry about right now.]
irreversal: 🧃 teen (4)

[personal profile] irreversal 2024-07-09 01:58 pm (UTC)(link)
Geh... That sounds horrible.

[ She's picturing zombies just rising up from a pile of corpses, which... Yuck. Everything sucks. ]

But, yeah - a looot of them were carrying around crutches or IV poles and that kind of thing. [ She gestures at her injured arm. ] This one was from a zombie with a scalpel! The zombies here are no joke, huh?

[ A beat, as the end of her cigarette flares up with a deep inhale, and then a few more as Shoko closes her eyes, lets that awful burning sensation wash over her, and then exhales up and away from where Haru sits beside her. ]

I heard things went to shit with your group, too, so I'll ask. How are you holding up, Haru-chan?
kototama: (pic#17279156)

[personal profile] kototama 2024-07-09 02:02 pm (UTC)(link)
[Kotoha grins a little at the teasing, shaking her head a bit. She drops her head to (ever-so-gently) tap it against Shoko's shoulder as a headbutt, and then shuffles enough that she can rest her cheek on Shoko's shoulder without putting any strain on their attached bracelets or her injury.

... It's comfy. Like this, she finds that the steady ache of missing Ao and Hime and Touka and Akina is muted.

... Shoko's going through much more than just missing some friends from home, she knows, which is why Kotoha's glad that speaking hurts right now. It means, selfishly, she can soak this up silently for the moment and hope that maybe, it's a bit of a help for Shoko, too.]
empression: (Lipstick? In my Valentino white bag?)

[personal profile] empression 2024-07-09 02:03 pm (UTC)(link)
[ it's Haru's turn to set the axe down and unzip the bag she's been using to stock things in, first to pull out one of the carefully folded Hot Topic hoodies to place down for Suzuha's head and then to slip out a smaller bottle of water to pass to Kotoha. Haru's throat most certainly is not a wreck right now nor is she suffering from a zombie bite. The worst that's happening is a lump in her throat as she curls her fingers around the handle of the axe again.

She doesn't say anything this time, just looks at both Sigewinne and Suzuha. She'll take her cues from the both of them, once they're as ready as they can be. ]
kototama: (pic#17277107)

[personal profile] kototama 2024-07-09 02:07 pm (UTC)(link)
[She seems unaffected by his grimace, by his faux-pouting, by his everything. This man just lost a limb, and when he was so certain he was going to be able to protect all of them.

That... must hurt far deeper than the wound itself, which is already gnarly as can be.

He starts to eat and she shakes her head, making an X with her arms, before she drags a finger across her throat.

"No can do," she means, aiming for light-hearted. He doesn't have to worry about her negging on him--because right now, she can't.]
kototama: (pic#17279151)

[personal profile] kototama 2024-07-09 02:09 pm (UTC)(link)
[help, she remembers that.]

... Whoops! You got me.

But it would've been pretty unwieldy for me to try to handle myself, even though it wasn't that heavy, so--you were still a big help.
kototama: (pic#17266415)

[personal profile] kototama 2024-07-09 02:13 pm (UTC)(link)
[yeah rip to the doctor. Kotoha can't say she doesn't deserve it.]

Aaah, well...

[Kotoha just flaps a hand at that, weakly. Comparatively, she had it pretty easy. Just make the things, so other people can suffer through having to use them. Just make the axe so Haru can bring it down on Suzuha's throat.

Just make the rope that everyone can use to get into the dangerous situation.

Is it going to be like this the whole way through? Kotoha just making things to make it easier for everyone to do awful things?

... She chucks a few empty bags aside with a sigh.]


... It's fine, it's fine! I'm lucky I was there to help out, even though I'm toast now.

Please protect me if we find any zombies, Hella~
kototama: (pic#17279164)

[personal profile] kototama 2024-07-09 02:14 pm (UTC)(link)
[Val out here reading my mind, that's exactly where I was going with this.

Kotoha smiles a little in response. Even out here, with all of them suffering, even in a different world, there are still stars.

She lifts a hand, tracing out patterns in the sky in agreement, before she turns to look over at Sigewinne, questioningly. Any constellations she recognizes?]
empression: (Merry Chrysler)

[personal profile] empression 2024-07-09 02:15 pm (UTC)(link)
I'm happy to help... I'm just very impressed by your strength! [ like damn, girl? ]
empression: (Apologists sure are sad)

[personal profile] empression 2024-07-09 02:35 pm (UTC)(link)
[ What a great question; Haru's gaze flickers, lowers down to her hands in her lap. The hands that, not that long ago, had tightened around a handle and--

She has no cigarette nor does she want one, but her exhale is similar to Shoko's. ]


At the moment, I'm still... processing, I suppose. So much happened at once. I think I must have gone a bit numb at the time to get through it.
normalness: (🌟🕷️ 027)

slams in here

[personal profile] normalness 2024-07-09 02:49 pm (UTC)(link)
[They're faster than he expected, so many out of nowhere; they had all been warned about the horde, of course, but when it happens—

It's a different kind of adrenaline that shoots through him, harsh and like lightning strikes through his veins, and tension mingled with fear and the deep instinctual desire to survive. None of that matters, though. His powers might toss aside a few undead bodies, but there are too many, and a couple grab at him with surprising strength. They yank him to the side, and he sees gnashing, rotted teeth in his vision—

And then there's Mark. Suddenly, he's there, and Henry's being lifted, and he can't know that's happening until they're practically wheeling away from the "danger". He opens his eyes, though, and sees... red.]


M-mark?!

[Is that- a bite? No. It can't be. He doesn't-]
normalness: (🌟🕷️ 020)

c

[personal profile] normalness 2024-07-09 02:58 pm (UTC)(link)
[Henry's not doing great.

But at least he's not getting faceplanted into the ground when their bracelets magnetize together, only throwing his arm out as Kotoha is pulled in.]


K-kotoha...

[The middle finger is valid, okay. He shuffles over from his sit—he had already been crouched down, tired, shifting through what supplies they've managed to gather—and puts his hands on her shoulders if she allows it, easing her back up.]

You okay?
irreversal: 🧃 teen (0gHLpFt)

[personal profile] irreversal 2024-07-09 03:01 pm (UTC)(link)
[ He has seen it all before; she may not have been sent to very many missions alongside he and Geto, but more often than not, they would return to find Shoko buried in her research or, worse, up to her elbows in work in the morgue. But the role of looking after her didn't really fall to anyone in particular, least of all Gojo. Yaga-sensei would swing by to remind her to take a break now and then, and so would their underclassmen, but...

It's why when Gojo makes his appearance, she's not quite sure what he's going to want from her. Naturally, her first thought is that he needs help with his amputation wound, or maybe he's bored or pissed and needs to vent, or maybe it's all of those things - but nagging her about resting isn't one of those things. Since when was he a nagger?

Groaning, Shoko wiggles out of the blanket he's dropped onto her, though notably, she does keep it draped over her shoulders. ]


So what? I'm not a vampire. Sunlight's not going to hurt me, idiot. You should be resting, though, Gojoooo~

[ He's the one with a grievous injury. ]
normalness: (🌟🕷️ 036)

b

[personal profile] normalness 2024-07-09 03:03 pm (UTC)(link)
[That dropped can of food clatters and rolls right towards Henry, where it bumps against his shoe. The young man immediately bends down and picks it up out of polite habit alone, though he seems to realize that whether or not he should... help with opening it is debatable.

He looks worn, though. Tired, a little guilty about how everything went down, to really exert enough energy to know what to do in this particular social situation. Instead, he just opts for straightforwardness—]


I can help if you want. But if you don't want it, I understand that, too, so... [Just tell him what to do.]

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