week 4

[biteys]

WEEK FOUR

road trip!

As the doctor mentioned, the next leg of your trip is quite long, so walking isn't advised; hopefully, you've all secured alternative methods of travel between the abandoned cars and the wild pack of horses you found last week.

These cars are long abandoned, and most of them still have things like CDs and magazines in the gloveboxes and trunks - so at least you’ll have some entertainment for the trip! Conveniently, music you can find comes from the year 2024 and earlier, because in the Turnout universe, CDs were still widely a thing in modern times because I said so.

Be aware that there are not enough cars and horsies for everyone to go solo; you’ll need to group up and decide who’s driving! And, more notably...

Your drive won't be entirely peaceful! There are bound to be some zombies littering the street, which characters will need to clear in order to keep going. Whether that's through running them over, sniping them with your newfound long-range gun skills, or doing it the old fashioned way by hopping out of the car and beating them to a pulp, they've gotta move! Be careful not to let the horseys get bit.

respite

Whether or not you were suspicious of whatever the “SAFE” marked on the map was supposed to mean, when you come to the coordinates that are marked, you’ll be in front of a door that opens down into the earth — it's a bunker. The entrance is slightly hidden by foliage, seemingly intentionally so.

Inside, it’s obvious this place is not like the places you’ve been traveling to thus far. It’s clean, well stocked, and nicely furnished. Judging by the pictures on the wall, it’s a safe house that’s been used many times by Dr. Bei and her five associates. So, it was built by a bunch of super nerds surviving the apocalypse, meaning that it's pretty well fortified and self sufficient. It seems like the Doctor must have been here at least a few weeks ago, judging by the dust levels and quality of the food.

That means there’s clean running (and hot!) water, as well as a freezer that’s stocked up with some raw meat, vegetables, and a rare ice cream treat. Also in the kitchen are some seasonings and other staples: flour, rice, etc. There are cooking utensils too, of course! Characters well versed in cooking may just be able to throw together a nice feast for everyone.

There’s also, you know. Alcohol. Not a ton of mixers, though!

It seems like the nerds had simple things for means of entertainment: there are some party and card games hidden away in drawers — think pictionary, uno and twister, or other such party games. Of course, only your imagination is holding you back: while you have a safe place to rest, it might be easier to let loose and have fun.

The six rooms in the bunker all have one bed and a connected bathroom - each one is identical but decorated with sparse things, like stray trinkets or a picture frame. Only Dr. Bei's really has anything different about it, because in it, there's still a working computer.

Characters will be able to open basic programs like wordpad, MS paint, or iTunes for music purposes. Like everyone who had iTunes, she has U2 songs on there. There's still no internet, but there are some saved messages from her and another colleague using an alternative connection method.

While exploring, characters can discover a chat log between ♛, which appears to be Dr. Bei's display name, and ♝, another user.

Aside from the beds in the six rooms, there are also sofas and armchairs to rest on.

oops all memshare

While within the safe house, your bracelets will start acting strange. It might have to do with being underground, or perhaps just the highly advanced technology at work down here, but at inopportune times, you’ll find your mind linking with other party members’, especially when initiating physical contact.

When connected to another survivor, you may exchange memories, which may come with 1) the physical sensations you felt at the time, 2) the emotions you felt at the time, or 3) the thoughts you had at that time. Players can be creative with this mechanic and have the memshares be like watching a movie, or physically acted out — whichever is your preference. There’s no prerequisite on the type of memory that might accidentally spill over, and characters may share multiple memories with one person.

According to the map's schedule, you have some time to rest your weary feet from the long ride… you’re not scheduled to leave for two or three days. It seems the Doctor might want you to fill up and face the second half of the trip with your most well rested selves. So, why not relax while you can? What’s the worst that could happen???

code

Comments

[bicth]

I. kitchen

[ Did you come to the kitchen to get something, only to have the realization that someone has been standing there forever, taking up space?? Well, that's because Hella has been squinting hard as fuck at the back of a microwave dinner for like, ten minutes, refusing to ask for help from anyone. There are also a lot of other random things she pulled out of the freezer while she was at it, like frozen hamburger patties and popsicles, as if she was just haphazardly picking out whatever looked good, but her focus right now is fully on her frozen block of lasagna. Or, rather, struggling and failing to read what the package of lasagna says. ]

Heat until... heated.... thorough?

[ But then, she can feel your gaze near the kitchen, and she suddenly hugs the (very cold) package to her chest, face turning beet red with embarrassment. ]

What are you looking at!? I'm just — ! Trying to eat like anyone else!

II. underage drinking 😏 (unless)

Heh, and we don't even have to pay.... serves that stupid asshole right.

[ She humphs as she picks the cap off a bottle of beer, looking very pleased with herself to crack open a cold one . ]

Aren't you having any?

[ They say drinking can make you forget, right...? She doesn't want to think about the tonal dissonance of some of the things going on in this "safehouse," Kotoha's deterioration chief among them. ]

III. memory grab bag

( these prompts are if you'd rather just hop right into memshare! otherwise, you can just tell me you'd like memshare in another thread and i can hit you up with one of these or a unique one there. just lmk!! )

a. the experiments at parma (cw: torture)

[ In this memory, a younger Hella is strapped down to a what looks to be a hospital bed in a dark laboratory — all the scientists standing around the table are in white coats and dark masks. They talk amongst each other as if she isn't there, giving out orders to ensure the experiment is timed, and to record the rate and speed of recovery.

From there, the process starts. There's a strange metal instrument, almost like a brand, that's glowing red from heat — and it's quickly pressed into the bare skin of her inner wrist, audibly searing the flesh there. At first, Hella only breathes out a wheeze, but as the brand is kept there and burns her to the bone, she starts to yell through clenched teeth, squeezing her eyes tight. No tear ever sheds from her eyes, but her face is pale and drenched in sweat from the pain, as if there were many of these similar "experiments" prior to the memory's beginning.

The scientists continue to chat as they burn her over and over again, sometimes in the sme place, and sometimes on other parts of her body. Yet not a single mark lasts for long, otherworldly regeneration reversing the damage of each burn in record time. The burnt sinew and skin visibly knits back together as if urged along by a supernatural force.

Judging by the litany of tools for various types of harm near the scientists' trays — pliers, needles, blades, hammers... there's no end to this in near sight. ]

b. execution (cw: blood)

[ The first noticeable thing when you link minds with Hella is the smell of gasoline. The next noticeable scent after that? Blood.

The source of it is Hella: she's laying on the pavement next to an overturned car, a knife deep in her gut, and blood smeared all over her face and dress. It's obvious she's been beaten quite badly, bones surely shattered and several chunks of flesh torn open. Standing over her is a maniacal Ninety-Nine, who's crimson eyes show no signs of rationality.

The authorities try to intervene to no avail; bullets are useless on Ninety-Nine, and each time Hella clings to her to hold her back, she's eventually beaten down again, dangerously close to slipping out of consciousness.

But she never stops telling everyone else to go away — that I can handle this. I can make Ninety-Nine control herself... she's determined to bring her back from the brink, even if she has to get beaten to hell and back to do it.

The memory ends abruptly and brutally when Ninety-Nine swings a metal rod at her, knocking her out cold. ]

c. first meeting

[ i'll show mercy to myself and just link this one, it's ninety-nine and hella's first meeting ]

IV. wildcard

( anything else goes here.... i'll be tagging around too so just hit me up if you want smth diff and we miss each other! )

II

[parttimesoldier]

Normally I’d say drinking while in the middle of a mission sounds like a disaster waiting to happen, but…

[But really, this whole time have they had anything but? They’ve been through the wringer, are still dealing with ticking time-bombs (she’s trying very hard not to think for long about Kotoha and subsequently Mark, who might not have gotten as bad as her so quickly, but still hasn’t gotten any better), and they still have weeks to go. This is probably the most secure reprieve they’re going to have during this whole thing.

So she sighs, leaning forward to hold an expectant hand out as she nods toward the collection of bottles gathered at the other end of the table.]

I guess it can’t make things any worse. Pass one over.

[bicth]

Don't go getting all rulesy on me now. Aren't you supposed to be a badass fugitive rebel?

[ Rulesy is definitely not a word... but it is in her mind palace. Without missing a beat, she passes a beer Suzuha's way, all while taking a big swig of her own. In Syndicate, sometimes you need to drink just to stay warm — but it's not a pastime Hella really participated in much, especially after living with the ever hot running Ninety-Nine. ]

It seems pretty safe down here, anyway. If anything had ever gotten in, there'd be signs.

[parttimesoldier]

…Yeah, good point. Just a little hard to relax after everything we’ve dealt with so far.

[Ever since they started this journey, Suzuha couldn’t help but default to her “be prepared for anything” mindset. When things got bad, it only seemed to prove that letting their guard down was only going to make everything worse. This place, though? Quiet, pristine, stocked up with amenities they’re starting to miss after nearly a month on the road. Might be their last chance to catch a real breather for the rest of the journey, for all they know. So as she accepts the beer from Hella, she’ll raise it in a little salute.]

Guess that’s why we’ve got these, right?

[bicth]

[ Hella beams. ]

Sure. Should help everyone loosen up. Just wish Kotoha could do it with us...

[ Which she says without really thinking, looking down to her bottle afterwards and fidgeting with the rim of the glass. No one's talking about it — in fact, they're all avoiding it. She'd prefer it if they all were upfront about their intentions, because she certainly hasn't given up on Kotoha, and would push back against those that have. Quietly, she wonders what Suzuha thinks about it, but figures she should bring it up in a more tactful way. ]

...But, maybe later. Right now, I kinda wanna see what kind of drunk you are. [ She takes another hearty swig, flopping down on the nearest sofa. Teasingly: ] Probably a super emotional one.

I with memshareee

[venomnom]

[Is Hella . . . illiterate?

Reiju smiles easily in return. Well, it sounds like she was making out the words just fine. There's nothing to be said on that front.]

Nothing. I was just curious about what you're having. Have you tried anything yet?

[bicth]

[ There are worse people it could have been.... though she is embarrassed still to look stupid in front of someone as cool and collected as Reiju. The other woman is strong and has such an easy aura; she reminds Hella of the confident, capable badass women of Syndicate, and as a result, she looks up to her a bit instinctually. Perhaps unknowingly. ]

No... I dunno how to use this stuff.

[ She is banned from the prison's kitchen for good reasons.... but anyway. ]

And the font on a lot of this is too small to read, so what gives?

[ yeah, it's the font's fault, not hers..... ]

[venomnom]

[Yes, clearly the font is at fault. Either way, Reiju has no leg on which to stand as she ambles toward Hella, glancing around at the various appliances that line the kitchen.]

I don't, either.

[So there's no need to feel embarrassed. Reiju knows that she is just as, if not more than, ignorant as Hella before her.

Her gaze falls on the package in Hella's arms.]

Should we look at it together?

[bicth]

...Yeah, let's try to figure it out.

[ Her brows raise a bit in relief as Reiju smoothly comes aboard the help-heat-up-lasagna mission, arms relaxing and holding out the package for Reiju to inspect if she wants. ]

We have microwaves at the Bureau... but these buttons are all weird and different. [ A bit quieter, like a confession: ] I'm not sure what to press.

[ some of them have words, like "defrost" or "baked potato," and the package has multiple times written on it. How is she supposed to figure out what to do first?! Maybe with their teamwork, it'll be possible... ]

II but gimme the mems too....

[302]

[ he mostly came over because he saw her trying to get the cap off the bottle - being an average dude who was at least briefly in college, he naturally has a bottle opener attached to his keys, which he offers to her from a pocket. It's one of those souvenir ones they sell in kitschy shops in tourist towns: cheap metal, with an engraved picture of a lake and the words SILENT HILL bordering the bottom. ]

Here. [ a beat. ] I'll... have one too, sure.

[ why the hell not?? he also doesn't question Hella's age - mostly because he doesn't care. One: he's not a narc, and two: they're in the zombie apocalypse right now, and someone is dying, and they're all trying hard not to think about it. ]

[bicth]

Oh, yay! Wow, Henry is so resourceful and useful to have around... I always knew it~

[ Don't look at the way she was just calling you a scaredy cat last week, Henry. There's a lilt to the way she says it, like she's intentionally buttering him up and shameless about doing it, offering him a bottle with a waggle. ]

Wanna have a competition? We could make a bet.

I KNOW THIS IS LATE NOW feel free 2 drop

[302]

[ he just shakes his head. he knows he's definitely not either of those things........ ]

Uh, a competition? Like a drinking game?

[ his attitude is the exact opposite of hers, hesitant and uncertain. ]

But all I've got to bet is chocolate milk...

[bicth]

You could bet me some money for when we're out of here...

[ She is sing songing, trying to cajole him into agreeing. He seems like the meek and shy type, maybe he just needs a little more pushing and a little more liquid courage to do what she wants him to... ]

You can't be totally broke, right?

ii of course... with a side of mem a in a bit hehe

[irreversal]

[ Smoking remains Shoko's unhealthy coping mechanism of choice given the state of affairs, Kotoha's deterioration chief among them indeed, but she's at least conscientious enough not to smoke up the place while they're in a nice, underground bunker, no matter how tempting it's becoming. Probably the nicest place they'll end up over the course of these weeks.

Besides... alcohol is a close second, and this likely won't come as a surprise, especially given her past conversations with Hella.

All to say, Shoko's ahead of the game, already nursing a cold one, herself. ]

Ahaha. I'm way ahead of you, Hamu-chaaan.

[ She holds her can up towards Hella, beckoning her over so they can do a little toast. ]

[bicth]

"Way ahead?" God, you sound like an alcoholic.

[ Hella makes a pfft noise, smirking after clinking her can against Shoko's. It's all in jest; she really doesn't care how Shoko decides to cope. If anything, her getting more drunk than Hella would be a prime opportunity for her to "borrow" some things from her pockets or play a few pranks.

Or, well. She'll gauge how appropriate that is when she gets a better feel for Shoko's mood. ]

You're not already buzzed, are you?

[irreversal]

Of course not! Who do you think I am?

[ Maybe, like, a little bit, but unfortunately she's done this enough that she won't be buzzed from half a can of beer.

Regardless, when Hella joins her in earnest, drawing their hands close— ]

Cheers!

[ —Shoko suddenly finds herself the audience to... she's not quite sure, what. But it's as if a memory floods her mind, and though she's looking dead ahead at Hella, she's also somewhere else entirely. Like a flashback, only... this isn't her memory.

It's Hella's. A younger Hella, strapped to a table while scientists examine... no, not examine. They're torturing her, and there's no sugarcoating it. Though Shoko's only just denied being buzzed, perhaps the pale, vaguely revolted look on her face might be testament to the opposite, even if it's not the alcohol that's making her feel sick. ]

[bicth]

[ Having briefly connected with Leontuzzo before, she knows that it's only a matter of time before someone sees a snippet of the hell she endured at Parma. It's the smell that makes her flinch when they're both dragged into it — sterile fluid and her own charred flesh. Most of the experiments meld together in her mind, so she barely remembers this day or any of the ones similar to it. Instead, she remembers eras of time when they did a lot of burning, or a lot of cutting, or a lot of shocking.

But the other thing that crosses her mind is relief: this is what she considers tame, for the things she went through there. At least Shoko didn't see her cut apart, limbs twisted, organs tampered with.... she didn't have to see a manic Ninety-Nine beat her within an inch of her life, day in and day out. All the same, she's not surprised to see that disgusted look on her face. ]

—Haha, you look like you're gonna hurl. [ She says, bluntly, the lab still fading around them. Like back then, Hella eyes never tear up, and she does whatever she can to temper any sign of pain at recalling the memory. No, instead, she smiles, eyes wild but cold. There's something hardened and battered underneath her teasing tone, a wall she built long ago to protect herself from Parma's harm, making her joking feel less in good humor than usual. ] Feeling all worried and scared for me?

[ This is what Hella always does — the minute she thinks someone might pity her situation, she acts as tough and as far above it as she can. Admitting that all of that had irreversibly scarred her would be like admitting Parma's power over her, and that goes against something deep and primal in her. She doesn't want Shoko to see her as a poor girl who needs to be comforted — to see her as weak. It's better to feel nothing towards this memory at all, and to just act as her usual self. ]

iiic

[rifare]

[ At this exact moment Leon is probably not Hella's favorite person in the world, and he can't say he's overwhelmed to be forced in such close proximity with her either after everything that happened.

The problem is that while this is a good size bunker, a good number of them have still made it through this mess to this point, and completely avoiding each other is impossible.

That the wristbands happen to act up in a way that gives Leon a sneak peek into Hella's memories as he's passing by her isn't his fault, and certainly isn't intentional. He goes stock-still for a moment, his tail ramrod straight behind him as his ears press back, and he blinks rapidly as he tries to shake off the sensation.

It's the first memory he's accidentally found himself stumbling across, and it takes him a moment to realize something strange happened to connect them for a moment.

Though it doesn't take long after that for him to jerk his head around to face her, brows furrowed as he searches her face to see if she realizes what just happened. ]

[bicth]

[ It's the first time her wristband has acted up in this way, too — sending both her and him to that pitch-black, dingy cell, where it always reeked of blood and steel. No matter how terrible being stuck in the laboratory was, Hella never let her disdain bleed over to the other experiments; no, in this memory, it's clear she treated Ninety-Nine with kindness and warmth from the moment they crossed paths.

Once they're brought out of it, post Hella encouraging Ninety-Nine to be free, to see the outside world with her, she wrinkles her nose when he turns to look at her, feeling defensive and protective already. ]

What?

[ She huffs, looking tense and like she's ready to lash out biting again at one wrong move. Given the wide berth he's been giving them both, she naturally assumes that he falls into the same category that most people in their world do: people who think Sinners are unpredictable, dangerous mutants. ]

Scared of being down here with a couple of monsters?

[rifare]

[ A short glimpse into a world he wasn't really meant to see certainly explained a lot, though perhaps only so much about the past of these two women. It still said a lot about their history, and the reaction Hella had when both of them confronted Ninety-Nine when she lost control.

It doesn't change his mind about what he did, and it doesn't make him feel sorry for it.

But it does make him realize a little why things shook out the way they did, and there's a grim sort of confidence that a similar situation would lead to similar results, and with Mark's condition deteriorating...

Any future person foolish enough to shoot at their group is probably beyond his ability to help.

As for her biting remark, his expression falls back into something neutral now that she's confirmed that yes, she is aware of what he just saw. ]

Not particularly.

[ He looks down at his arm, the one with the broken wrist and scabbed over bite mark. ]

Your bite isn't nearly so bad compared to what's up there.

[bicth]

[ That makes her blink — the lack of bite, the neutrality of his tone, aren't things she's expecting. Hella escalates things, she picks and prods and provokes until the other party lashes out, it's just what she does, even in relationships that are supposed to be friendly.

She smirks, and her next words are haughty. ]

Oh. Well, you're not so strong compared to them, either.

[ It's undoubtedly an insult, despite the fact that he seemed to have no problems holding her down. She is, how you say, somewhat like a yappy dog that barks at foes much bigger than her, a learned behavior from surviving in Syndicate. ]

You're more like any old guard or lab staff that doesn't give a single fuck and thinks they know everything. They tend to be pretty basic.

[ Even though she's making an effort to be cutting and snotty, there's a tension in her voice, a tightness in her jaw. Maybe... she'd been hurt, too, to be held down so stubbornly by him when he'd gone out of his way to save her before. Is she that untrustworthy? It made her feel — like he sees her as dangerous, someone who can't be relied on to do the right thing. Over the course of her time on this "project," she'd started thinking everyone here was different than them. ]

kitchen but memshare me too

[hydrotherapy]

[ Wow, she's just looking at the back of your cute head, Hella??

Like just about everyone else, Sigewinne's in the kitchen in search of dinner—or more accurately, in search of proper ingredients so she can make a nice healthy dinner for everyone. (Bad idea.)

Hopefully the microwave lasagna meal will provide sufficient distraction. ]

Oh, did you find something tasty to eat, Hella?

[ Good news: she can read the back of the package. Bad news: she's too short to reach the microwave. ]

i open my paws for a sigewinne memory also

[bicth]

[ Oh... it's just Sigewinne, which is a relief. She doesn't seem the type at all to poke fun at her lackluster education.... ]

Well.. I found this ready made type thing.

[ Calming down a bit, she turns the box towards Sigewinne, leaning down so she can see it. She's seen these at the MBCC... but she doesn't eat them or make them, so she hasn't the slightest on what to do with it. ]

I don't know anything about cooking, so I figured this would be fastest.

okok double memshare it is

[hydrotherapy]

[ With the pwoer of teamwork, they WILL reheat this box of lasagna.

Sigewinne scrunches up her face, peering closer so she can do her civic duty in deciphering the mystery language on the back of the box. ]

That's a great idea! Finding something ready-made means you can save your energy for more important things.

[ Although cooking is important too....but anyway. ]

Hmm....it says to "remove the frozen package from the box and tear off the plastic covering by two inches. Microwave on high for five minutes and let cool. Carefully remove from microwave, then carefully peel back the rest of the plastic covering. Caution, food and bowl may be hot."

[ This last part she says with emphasis, because it's bolded and all. ]

"Let sit for two minutes. Dive in and enjoy delicious!" [ damn who wrote these instructions anyway ]

SALUTES

[bicth]

[ Wow, Sigewinne read that all so easily... she's jealous 😔 Especially at how cutely she tops off the instructions, but then again, most everything Sigewinne does is cute on account of her short stature and adorable face. Hella sighs. ]

Well, that doesn't sound so hard... it's just five minutes, and then it's basically done.

[ waiting 2 minutes to cool sounds like it's for bozos.... but, at least her expression has already brightened up significantly. Hella tears at the plastic covering messily once she slides the dinner out of the box, probably slightly more than is necessary, before loudly putting the frozen block in the microwave with a thunk. ]

We can probably share some, if you want —

[ Which is what she's offering before they get pulled into a memory of Hella's (through 16:53), where she seems to be handcuffed in an interrogation room of sorts. In the memory, she explains the origins of her powers, the experiments at Parma, and defends a certain "monster" who, according to evidence, played a major role in her torture. For those who have been around them both, noticeably, she speaks of the "monster" with the same defensive and protective quality which she speaks about Ninety-Nine ... ]