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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.
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.
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.
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
➤ protect and fight for each other
➤ treat each others wounds
➤ eat tasty canned food
no subject
Ah... My heart? Hmm...
[ She hums thoughtfully, trailing off into a contemplative silence. How is she doing, emotionally? It would be so easy to brush it off and simply say she's fine, as she so often does - or would, but the truth of the matter is that not many people even think to ask her how she's doing. Usually the other way around, as the healer. ]
...I'm pissed at myself, honestly. I don't think anyone blames me for what happened with our group, but since I was the one who messed up early on... It's hard not to think that. [ she takes another long drag. ] I don't want to sit around and feel sorry for myself anymore, though. That's too childish~
no subject
That's... pretty normal, she thinks. A totally normal, totally reasonable reaction. She's only gathered a few bits and pieces of what happened in the other group, but obviously, it was Bad.
And now here Shoko is, wanting to be a doctor, with a friend missing an arm now, and a tired, beaten down group.]
...
[Childish? Yeah, she thinks it probably is. Nothing wrong with being childish, she thinks, though.
So she reaches out for Shoko's hand, if she allows it, flipping her hand over so she can rest her fingers in her palm.
She can't speak, so she traces out the characters instead, slowly but surely:
itaino itaino tondeke. pain, pain, go away.
And then she swipes her hand away from Shoko's palm, gently tossing the pain away.
Maybe it's childish, but--it's a lot, so isn't it okay to be childish? At the very least, Kotoha will be childish with her.]
no subject
She wishes she had the answers to all of the questions running through her mind. Could things have gone any differently? Can she use her technique to save Mark, somehow? Would it be possible to regenerate Gojo's arm, even given the limitations on both of their abilities? But the answers, just as with the question she asks herself about whether it's okay to be feeling this way - escape her like the ashen smoke that rises from her mouth.
Pain, pain, go away. ]
...Come again another day. Haha.
[ She leans back, tipping her head onto the bench's backrest. She hardly even notices that their bracelets clink together, magnetized. ]
no subject
Clink!
Kotoha blinks, head tilting at the light sound, and then experimentally lifts her arm a little bit. She does have not-quite-human strength, so sorry that your arm is also being lifted too, Shoko.]
...!
[She'd complain here, quite loudly and verbally, if she could. Instead, she just mostly looks bemused. Ruining the moment, bracelets!]
no subject
It would be so damn hypocritical of her, to pretend that everything was alright, and let those feelings fester— like Geto had.
That damn idiot isn't even here, but even before she and Gojo were here, his absence was sorely felt. Right now, though, all she really feels is her injured arm being yanked a bit. ]
Ahaha. Hey, hey. Don't get too hasty, now. You're stronger than you look, Koto-chan.
[ ... ]
Guess we're stuck here for a bit. Ah, well. You don't mind if I keep smoking, do you?
no subject
She quickly flaps a hand in a "no problem" gesture--smoke away, Shoko--and then... briefly considers leaning against Shoko.
She's used to human touch, fond of the warmth of close and easy camaraderie, but... her arm's injured, right? So after that lingering pause, Kotoha leans back against the bench instead with a faint sigh.
... And scoots until their legs are pressed together lightly instead.]
no subject
So much so that when the other girl scoots closer and presses their legs together, Shoko can read her intent, and shrugs her shoulder lightly. ]
You wanna rest your head on my shoulder? It should be fine, as long as I don't move my arm too much. Unless you're planning on headbutting my arm?
[ Teasingly. ]
no subject
... 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.]
no subject
This is quieter than that, at least, without their incessant bickering and without the noise of the city around them.
...
...Yeah. It's nice. Enough that maybe she can be forgiven for what she feels like is whining, on her part. ]
We were really unlucky this time around. I know these things can happen, I know that better than anyone. I just... Gojo and Mark? They're some of our strongest. Haah...
[ Another long drag. ]
This sucks.
no subject
(Mark too? She didn't realize...
...)
Kotoha nods, cheek moving against the fabric on Shoko's shoulder. It sucks really badly. Maybe they'll be able to get through all of this before it becomes a huge problem, but... what if they're in it for the long haul? How many zombie attacks, how much limb loss can they persevere through...?
... "We're lucky you're here," Kotoha thinks, but can't figure out how to gesture. Instead, she heaves a great big sigh, flopping down from Shoko's shoulder with exaggerated exasperated movements to instead flop into her lap, laying down on the bench--if she allows it, of course.]
no subject
Kotoha soon breaks her out of that particular train of thought, however, when she takes Shoko by surprise. She allows it, of course; she's not really one to push away contact like this, it's just... not part of her day-to-day, anymore. When was the last time she was able to just sit with someone like this...?
She doesn't quite read the message behind it. Maybe Kotoha will just have to say it out loud, when she can. ]
Ahaha. Yeah. I feel that. Y'know, it's weird not being able to talk to you normally. Promise we'll chat some more when your voice gets better?
no subject
For now, Kotoha just shoots her a thumbs up, settling in comfortably just like this. They'll talk again soon. Her throat will heal up, and she'll be able to chat again, and then...
Well. Maybe then Kotoha can do something for Shoko, since Shoko's always doing things for everyone else.]
no subject
Regardless, she stares down at Kotoha as she lays there for a moment, before reaching with her free hand to poke her forehead. ]
You should have told me to look out for lozenges or throat spray. Dummy.
no subject
Eheh.
She forgot.]
no subject
...You have to take care of yourself, Koto-chan.
[ ...
She tips her head back again, to look up and breathe out another stream of smoke. ]
I'd hate to lose another kouhai.
no subject
Kotoha hums lightly at that, a hoarse and barely vocal noise, and then reaches for Shoko's hand again so she can carefully trace out the kanji.
先輩 -- senpai.]
no subject
That's right. So don't go worrying your senpai.
[ She'll have to face that same, sinking hollowness she did with Haibara soon enough, she thinks, especially with Mark's continued infection looming over them all. But at least for now... her cheery, sweet kouhai here are still (mostly) in one piece. ]
no subject
So this is nice--it's nice to have a senpai doting over her as a kouhai, and Kotoha's self-satisfied smile makes it pretty clear that she's pleased as punch. Like the cat that got the cream over here.
Weheheh... more doting please!!]
no subject
Though, then again, it's hard to stay in a bad mood with a cute kouhai grinning up at her like that. She pokes at the apple of one of Kotoha's cheeks. ]
Guess I can kinda relate to Utahime-senpai now~ [ poke poke. ] You don't know her, Koto-chan, but she's a senpai from our sister school.
no subject
Please tell her more! Storytime, storytime!]