week 6

[biteys]

WEEK 6

!

home, home on the range

Last week’s events have understandably driven the group off the intended course — so this week will be about righting your little forest-beach-detour.

However, it seems the rain that began at the tail end of last week hasn’t quite let up yet. Mercifully(?), the worst of the storm looks to be over, which means the party will only have to be mildly soggy instead of fighting for their lives against daunting sheets of rain.

Perhaps due to a combination of poor weather, overexertion, and lingering germs in any of the places everyone’s been traveling through, Leontuzzo Bellone and Mark Grayson come down with the flu.

Covering a wide area of land between the lighthouse and the next marked place on the map are a series of abandoned farms and vineyards. Fruit trees and grapevines have all been left to grow (and overgrow) naturally, and with the party passing through at the height of summer, there are plenty of fresh peaches and grapes to be plucked from the foliage on the way. The rain has made the ground muddy and sticky, which may lead to some unfortunate falls…but maybe it’s worth it for a tasty treat.

Also in the abandoned farms are, of course, farmhouses and barns. There are stray farm animals here and there who have happened to survive through sheer luck, though there are no human inhabitants. No living ones, anyway: there are only skeletons, telling the tale that people died here long ago, perhaps of natural causes. One can only hope they did not succumb to the virus as so many others have. There are medicine cabinets inside the houses that have standard things like painkillers, cough syrup, and things of that nature, so it might be a good time to stock up.

As characters linger in the farms, they’ll also notice another side effect of their bracelets: throughout the entire week, they’ll be empathically linked to the other survivors, being able to feel their emotions as strongly as they would feel their own.

city escape

Once the group passes through farm country, you’ve finally made it to the outskirts of your destination, San Francisco. The map seems to suggest that you should travel along the east outskirts of the town along the bay, rather than directly through it — similar to how the party had stayed to the edges of Los Angeles.

Hordes here are similar to the ones in LA, though with the added difficulty that San Francisco is very hilly. Groups of zombies will chase the survivors uphill and downhill: they seem to have limitless stamina, so running up the hills and hoping for the best isn’t the best strategy. Conversely, they run full speed down the steep declines of San Francisco roads, which can lead to them completely wiping and possibly knocking you down with them.

Several zombies are also special: of the zombies that attack downhill, a handful have retained enough intelligence to simply stand or sit on abandoned skateboards and bikes, which increases their speed greatly. Of the zombies that prefer to attack uphill, they’ve learned that throwing anything they can find at their prey may slow them down — pieces of glass, bricks, and even shoes might be thrown at the survivors.

Henry Townshend attracts the attention of zombies in these hilly zones, forcing the need for a City Escape™.

fisherman's wharf + pier 39

Towards the end of the week, as characters continue taking the long way around San Francisco, they’ll eventually end up at the northeastern section of the city. More specifically, Pier 39, and the harbors it borders.

Here, after all the rain and gloom, the weather is a bit clearer, allowing characters to look out into the bay and see some marine wildlife that has kept away from the virus; there are hundreds of sea lions and seagulls here, though because they stay down on the rocks below the pier, the sounds of waves crashing drown out their incessant barking.

There are a number of abandoned shops here, and similar to the mall the group traversed weeks ago, many of the stores seem to be looted, but there are still goodies to be found here and there. With the wide variety of goods, from music boxes to candy to jewelry, there’s sure to be something that tugs on the heartstrings you’re all sharing this week.

Take a look around, find a souvenir, and maybe pick what store you’re going to be camping out in for the night?

This week, Ninety-Nine is infected.

code

Comments

[insinnerate]

i. home, home on the range;

Door’s jammed, but I can’t sense anything waiting for us on the other side.

[This is probably the bathroom. Some of the other farmhouses have had medical supplies in theirs and maybe even some clean towels, so getting in here just for the hope of having something to care for their growing sick and wounded population would be a good use of her power.

There’s no telltale shuffling of a zombie lying in wait, but there’s also none of the more subtle signs of a human lurking to ambush them. Ninety-Nine turns to whoever’s scavenging this place alongside her, nods, then rams her shoulder effortlessly into the closed door. It’s an old farmhouse bathroom; the door doesn’t so much unjam open as it splits into splinter panels, letting the explorers in to find…

Two skeletons: one slumped on the toilet and the other half-hanging from the bathtub, just lying in wait to jumpscare unfortunate travelers. To say nothing of the unfortunate skeletons.]

ii. city escape;
(CW some bloody and violent injury descriptions)]

[Do they seem to be getting smarter? The farther along they go in their travels, the more intelligent the zombies act, even if their numbers haven’t been as high as they were earlier in the journey. There are fewer hordes and more dangerous hunting packs. Either way, it just gets worse and worse.

While members of the party are fleeing through the hilly region, Ninety-Nine brings up the rear, trying her best knock off any wheeling zombies so the momentum sends them flying and disintegrating. She’s pelted with bricks and glass bottles that bounce off with what looks like minimal marring.

Just because there are no massive hordes doesn’t mean there aren’t packs, however, and a crowd of fast-moving monsters bodies her face-first into the nearest sport utility vehicle. The metal screams and dents from the impact, and for a moment, Ninety-Nine disappears beyond the onslaught. In the melee, it’s impossible for some not to get behind even the wide arc of her swing and bite down—trapezius, flank, thigh. Each bite is like an injection of the worst chemicals, burning and howling terror under her skin. In the moment, she doesn't think or feel, doesn't consider the repercussions, just knows that she has to get away. It feels like forever, but she emerges a few moments later, half-Manic and howling as she rips through the crush of bodies with several vicious, precise head clobbers.

The temperature of her blood is apparently high enough to staunch some of the worst acid erosion by simply searing where the flesh has been torn. Some of the blood coming from her wounds is more like tar, sludgy and oozing with a mind of its own. As she staggers past the last hill of the marathon escape run to rejoin the full party, she’ll try to conceal any bite wounds, cramming herself into her bloody, Haru-carrying hoodie that barely fits over her broad shoulders and mutated arms. There are still things she needs to do. There are people who are already don’t trust her to maintain control. She’ll handle it herself.

… But anyone who resumes traveling too closely to her will feel something in the cacophony of boiling emotions that wasn’t nearly as evident earlier in the week: the tiny, throbbing heartbeat of a terrified animal.]

iii. pier 39;

[In the dead of night, Ninety-Nine wonders how much time she has left. Slipping a stuffed animal into Hella’s makeshift sleeping palette so she has something to hold, she moves like a hovering predator away from their camp. She tries to be shadowy and silent, but someone who’s awake keeping watch might still notice her slip out of the abandoned storefront and make her way down towards the water. If anyone follows at a distance, she doesn’t make any move to stop them.

At first, Ninety-Nine goes far. She doesn’t reach the limit of the bracelets, but she moves like she might, barely hesitating. At some point, she stops at the harbor where the waves are at their loudest, standing in the slight waterside breeze and closing her eyes.]

Who’s there? [She asks without turning, her senses pushed to their limits as they strain against the darkness. There’s fog, but who could say if it’s coming off the water or off her?]

iv. wildcard;

[You know the drill! Ninety-Nine does not want others to know about her infection right away, but it isn't impossible to either see her get attacked and just Know or corner her for a health checkup or whatever. I'm also happy to cook up other scenarios for empathy feedback! Her emotions will be very hefty and all over the place.]

ii-ish

[bicth]

[ It's been a difficult few days; members of their party had to be left behind or worse back at the farms, and traveling through the city has been anything but pleasant, given the hordes they have to keep fighting through on this exhausting up and down terrain. The party gets split up in several places because of it, only able to regroup when things have calmed down considerably, en route to the shopping district they're venturing towards.

Hella had been preoccupied with helping others, the evidence of which is clear to see all over her: gore smeared across her face and light hair from her violent fighting style, clothes stained with more muck than had been there the last time they'd seen each other, which was maybe only 30 minutes ago. Still, 30 minutes is a long time in the apocalypse. The relief in her eyes is palpable when Ninety-Nine cathes up in her bloody Haru-carrying hoodie, and though she's exhausted, she bounds over on shaky legs, her well-used pipe in tow. As ever, the affection between them isn't always soft and gentle: Hella sort of just collides into her side when she gets close enough, free hand grabbing the fabric of her sleeve.]

There you are! [ She's okay, Ninety-Nine's okay, she can breathe a bit easier now. Or would be able to, if it weren't for the sharper sense of fear she senses from her, so foreign and strange. Of course she knows that Ninety-Nine feels fear like anyone else, but it's strange being able to feel it so literally like this. ] — What's the matter?

[ She gets right to the point, looking up at her face for signs to clue her in. Hella trusts what she might be able to read in Ninety-Nine's face, posture, and words more than what she can sense because of the bracelets alone; whatever science is at work might be neat, but it can't outperform years of knowing how to gauge the slightest difference in emotions from her stoic companion. ]

iii

[venomnom]

[Reiju is keeping watch, as she often does once they settle down for the night due in part to her robust body and stamina. Although she requires rest like anyone else, she reasons that she can take hers a little later. Her genetics come in handy at times like these.

Keeping watch is the first excuse. If she's honest with herself, she likes to keep a lingering eye on Ninety-Nine—not because of a lack of trust, but the small presence of it. Naturally, her gaze lands on Ninety-Nine's retreating form in the darkness, and soon her feet follow.

The waves are a comforting familiarity and strangeness at once. Once she's called out, Reiju dares a step in Ninety-Nine's direction with a habitual smile.]

It's me. [She stops a few yards away. For Ninety-Nine to come this far, getting too close might be counterproductive.] You're rather far out from camp.

iv. i'm here for a health checkup

[hydrotherapy]

[ Can't believe Sigewinne is never going to look at beaches the same way after nearly getting her leg snapped off by a trap.

It's been difficult getting around with just one usable leg, and she's been relying more and more on whipping up a bubble for herself so she can drift around where she needs to go—which, in turn, has made her more and more tired. But everyone's in varying states of distress and disrepair after so many weeks spent on the road; the least she can do is not burden them more.

Even if running at high speed away from zombies means having to rely on someone to carry her out.

Her emotions are starting to fray at the edges by the time she bubbles over to Ninety-Nine a day after the attack, her usual smile absent from her face. ]

Ninety-Nine? How are you holding up?

[302]

1. pige

[ "mildly soggy" describes Henry's general aura most days, anyway; the continuing poor weather and the muddy paths are unpleasant, but nothing he isn't used to soldiering through. He'd certainly rather be outside than trapped indoors again. The farm is refreshingly quiet compared to the other locales they've been through - he never thought he'd be glad to see skeletons - and, for once, he feels like he isn't about to die every time he passes a doorway.

His only concern lies in one of the abandoned pens. Most of its walls have long since fallen into disrepair, but the trough is still collecting water, and that seems to be reason enough for a single surviving pig (or at least the only one around now) to visit from time to time. Henry's standing safely(?) behind one of the remaining fences, watching it somewhat uneasily. ]

... Do you think pigs can get affected?

[ zombie pigs sound like a real threat to him... ]

2. danger is lurking around every turn

[ going up and down all these hills is exhausting. Maybe the exertion caught up to him, and that's how he accidentally managed to set off a very loud, very annoying car alarm. Or maybe he just has awful luck. Ask him later - for now, he's just darting out from between a truck and the vehicle in question, looking almost comically alarmed and guilty. ]

Sorry. Um - sorry - let's get out of here -

[ he starts running even as he hurriedly mumbles his panicked apology, but not quite fast enough: zombie skater gangs are already careening down the pavement towards the source of the sound, and one of them slams straight into him, sending Henry flying an impressively far distance down the street with a pained cry. ]

2

[venomnom]

[The car alarm is so loud that his voice is almost drowned out by it. Reiju's sensitive ears pick up on his apology, but there's no time to acknowledge his blunder. She turns away with a slight furrow in her brow to start running, then finds herself staggering and craning her neck to follow the trajectory of Henry's incredible flight down the street.

Well, at least he's not likely to be caught anytime soon. Reiju breaks into a sprint, swerving as needed to dodge the zombies skating toward her. A couple shoot past her, the chipped nails of one grazing her arm, and she sucks in a breath to shout at Henry down the road:]

They're coming!

2

[normalness]

[Exhausting is right. Maybe Henry Junior (tm) has earned a bit more stamina than the baseline thanks to weeks of trying to survive and constantly venturing forward on their journey, but the bar was low. He adjusts his backpack, bent over and hands on his knees, catching his breath from one particularly steep hill climb, when-

The car alarm goes off.

And up the opposite hill, like a scene from a comedy-drama, a horde of zombie skater gangs begin careening down the pavement, straight towards them. He watches as Henry Senior (tm) goes flying into the street, and shouts out after him-]

Henry!

[Shit, shit. They can't afford another casualty after everything, so what does he do? Run towards him in hopes of offering him aid.]

🐷

[hydrotherapy]

[ Because she can't keep herself in a bubble all the time, Sigewinne has opted to float herself onto one of the flat sections of the fence, carefully lowering herself into a sit to let her one normal leg and one bandaged up leg dangle freely.

Even if there's only a single pig left in the pen, digging its snout into the dirt as it slowly ambles around. ]

Their biology is different from humans, but I wouldn't say it's impossible. Especially if there's ends up being some kind of mutation in the disease.

[ Did Henry want to be reassured or....? ]

[bicth]

I. home, home on the range

[ Hella's no doctor.... nor can she even read what most of these medication boxes and bottles say. That doesn't stop her from going through the different farm houses like a tornado, hoarding all that she can fit into her pockets. Food, she's confident she can forage on the way. Medicine, though? This is a rare and valuable find, and is way more worth clearing up space in her pockets for.

There's important reasons behind it, too. ]

Maybe some of this can mitigate the symptoms... that could be how these people died all normally!

[ Gesture to a random skeleton nearby said medicine cabinet, which looks cozily posted up in a chair — all while she looks at you expectantly. This makes sense, right?! Tell her that makes sense, because she's trying to be hopeful about their rapidly declining groupmates. ]

II. city escape, cw: injury

Watch out!

[ That's the only thing you'll hear before you're getting shoved hard into the cover found behind an abandoned car, by something small and surprisingly strong. The source of the shove is Hella, who happened to spot that the zombies farther down on the hill have gotten into their baseball era just before the first bricks and bottles started flying.

While she'd hoped to get behind the car with you, too, the bottle that had been thrown collides right with the side of her face, shattering on impact with a loud crash. Shards are left embedded in her skin in several places in its wake — above her eye, her lip, through her cheek. Blood runs hot down her face, but she seems focused on pushily shoving you farther behind the car. ]

Fuck, can you move any slower!?

III. pier 39

[ Hella disappears into the labyrinth of shops as soon as they arrive, desperate to find a place to sequester herself off to. She needs to keep foraging, yes, but also... she doesn't want to be seen by others while she's feeling upset. Some members of their party might have seen some of the intense experiments she went through a few years ago, but she hasn't uttered a word of how deeply it all affected her ability to show vulnerability.

Back then, seeing men and women in coats get excited when she'd cry or scream, she'd vowed she'd never show that she's hurting again. Or, at least, she'd try not to.

But, she's reaching her limit of what she can hold back in front of the others. She wanders far into the wharf to the Build-a-Bear, very unusual behavior for Hella who seems to know inherently what are the best things to spend time on collecting for survival. Stuffed animals certainly isn't among them. Still, she can be seen sifting through the abandoned barrels of bears, dogs, cats, and bunnies. A brown kitten, a beaver, a black dog are among the ones she pulls out, tucking them under her arm — each one, in her own mind, is reminiscent of someone the party has lost. When disturb, she uncharacteristically jolts in what first feels like fear, which slowly melts back down into sorrow. Despite the empathic connection between the two of you, she still tries to be mischievous, even if her grin is forced and half-baked. ]

What'cha looking for? Something to cuddle with?

III

[venomnom]

[Hella does this often, doesn't she? Disappearing on her own for one reason or another. Although Reiju notes her absence, she makes no move to track her down in favor of foraging. As risky as it is to go off alone, Hella isn't stupid and can take care of herself.

Eventually, their paths collide. Reiju has no idea what it means to build a bear, but steps inside the store for the sake of being thorough. There, she comes upon Hella with a collection of stuffed animals in her possession.

The familiar dread is met with an unassuming wave of solicitude and the grin, a small smile. Reiju glances at the stuffed animals tucked under Hella's arm, then at the nearest barrel.]

Nothing in particular. Since I'm here, though . . . what do you suggest?

iii

[empression]

I think it certainly couldn't hurt. [ Haru, who is not moving anywhere near speedily, but is moving, speaks sincerely. The nostalgia emanating from her bracelet speaks to that. But also there's concern.

Because she doesn't like the idea of any of them going off alone, after everything. Their numbers are dwindling far more than she would have liked (she would have liked if they hadn't lost anyone). ]

Would you recommend any of these, Hella-chan?

ii

[irreversal]

[ Shoko is the recipient of this incessant shoving, but in her defense, she's not dallying because the sight of Hella with broken glass embedded all over the side of her face is particularly gnarly or anything, but because she's rummaging through her backpack— ]

Hey, hey, stop pushing me! Damn!

[ —before she pulls out one of the molotov cocktails they'd put together a few weeks ago. Yes, she's been keeping it in her inventory... ]

Think this'll slow them down some?

i.

[mediator]

...It couldn't hurt to try.

[ He doesn't sound especially sure, freshly bitten as of less than a week ago, but he gets it. Nothing could hurt. ]

Maybe we can ask Ieiri and Sigewinne to take a closer look at anything we collect.

[rifare]

I. home, home on the range [cw: suicidal thoughts]

[ This entire journey Leontuzzo has managed to do a pretty admirable job of keeping his arms and legs out of the jaws of the zombies that have been ambling after them. The only person that's managed to sink teeth into him is, as far as he's aware, completely uninfected herself.

Though he's beginning to wonder now as the dull body aches of illness begin to come on. What starts with a certain degree of muscle fatigue and a sore throat becomes a full blown fever by the end of their first day on the farmlands, and given the stress he's been putting his body through for weeks now it's a high one at that.

Day two of his condition, and Leon has been trying to keep things to himself as he puzzles it out for himself, though he's probably not as subtle as he wants to be. His face is flushed, his breathing is heavier than usual, and there's a certain unsteadiness to the way he walks when he leaves to isolate himself in the orchards.

While he's not about to do anything rash, there is a grim comfort and terrifying realization in knowing that he's got a couple of guns, and the minute he determines he is starting to become a threat to his traveling companions he can quickly put an end to that. It'll be slightly mortifying to realize after he starts to feel better in another 24 to 48 hours that there's no actual reason for him to be out here psyching himself up to go through with it if the need arises.

Though he'll have to make sure he gets the bedrest he needs to actually recover in that short a time span, because right now as he tries to at least be useful by picking peaches in what he assumes may very well be his final moments, the slippery landscape and mud do him a great unkindness; Leontuzzo's already unsteady foot goes skidding to the side, and he takes a nasty tumble into the mud and all the way down a fairly sizeable hill.

Goodbye to all those peaches he picked, they're probably not worth trying to salvage at this point. ]


II. gotta go fast

[ A couple days, several fever reducers, and a heap of private mortification later, and Leontuzzo is more or less back on his feet. There's a linger cough from the respiratory illness he's recovering from, but he's not feeling nearly as dizzy as he was just a couple of days prior.

Now he's got a different issue to handle as huffs and puff his way up a hill that a recently (and admittedly still kind of) sick person probably shouldn't be scrambling up at the speed that he's trying to as he avoids a growing congregation of zombies that are gaining on him. ]

Porca miseria...

[ He should probably be saving his breath for hoofing it rather than cursing his luck right now. ]

i.

[killboss]

[ maybe they're not worth it, but puppy is there to pick them up anyways.

scooping bruised and muddy peaches up along the intense slope of the hill, one after another until he's got a number of them cradled in one strong arm and he's mounted the crest to rejoin leontuzzo. defiant of what's worth it, and what's not. they're dwindling and ailing, and no matter who goes down and how much it hurts, he's determined to see things through. that makes the peaches necessary, for caloric intake and maybe,

a burst of sweetness for the downtrodden. ]

— █ HURT?

[ He reaches down with his other hand, to try and get it under the poor guy's arm. Get him up and steadied. ]

i

[empression]

[ She's recovering? She's recovering! She certainly isn't coming down with any sickness or infection, though she's far from her usual energy level and she moves with great care.

... Mainly. Up until she sees Leon have a Great Fall. Or maybe this is more reminiscent of Jack and Jill?? Regardless, Haru does her best to hurry over while not skidding while also trying not to aggravate still-healing wounds. ]

Leon!!

[ ARE YOU ALIVE ]

i

[hydrotherapy]

[ Since everyone else has those poor peaches covered, we're flashforwarding to his bedrest era. His bedrest era in (throws dart) the abandoned farmhouse nearby, in the single bedroom that definitely hasn't been dusted or cleaned in years. Hopefully Leon doesn't have any dust allergies, though at least he doesn't have to sleep on a mattress made of straw.

Though he better still be in bed by the time Sigewinne comes in to check up on him, a tray with applesauce (peachsauce, actually) and a mug of probably 2 year old tea but it's fine. Both she and the tray are in little individual bubbles floating towards him, though she descends once she's close enough to the bed. ]

Are you feeling any better?

[ He better not try and lie to her.... ]

[mediator]

home on the range

[ it's been a week since he was bitten. a bear attacked haru and, while everyone scrambled to fight or protect her, its cub was also on the prowl. soujuurou thought he could fend it off on his own and he did, striking to kill it with a well timed jab to its heart. however, he never properly trained how to fight without losing a piece of himself. in this case it was literal: the cub, in its dying ember, weakly gnawed into his shoulder blade when he connected the hit. even after some provided treatment, and a lot of pain even in the aftermath, there was no two-ways about it - he was infected.

except, he doesn't seem like it. as he tends to a couple of goats, befriending them with his even temper despite the mother's instinct to protect her buckling, there is a calm wave that can be felt emanating out from his bracelet.

the kid is trying to catch him off guard, waiting until he doesn't notice it has skirted around him, and raises up on its back legs to try and give him a headbutt... that never comes. seems the kid has only learned how to stand up but not how to jut out. so it stands raised up for several seconds before having to come back down to all fours. ]

I get it, I get it. You want to play. [ He sets his hand down between the child's tiny cone horns and scritches it. ] But if you're going to butt me, you should actually do it.

[ his voice is warm and content, a far cry from a dead man walking. ]

city escape - bike

[ finally, a mode of transportation he actually knows how to use! he's fast on his feet but a bike means he can help someone else. soujuurou easily dispatches a zombie on a bike, no longer fearing the risk that comes with getting into a fight with one, and prepares to sit at the front.

there's a small bit of backside though that someone else can get on and he smiles with sharp confidence to the nearest person. ]

Hop on! I'll get us out.

finality

[ when the group has gathered around for the night, soujuurou has an announcement to make: ]

Hi, Soujuurou here. [ a beat, as he awkwardly touches his bite wound without realizing it before the sting of contact hits- ] Well, there's really no easy way to put this, so I'll just be brief: I'm going to ask you all to leave me behind. I'm infected now and it's not a good idea for me to continue the journey.

You should lock me up in one of the buildings so I can't escape once I lose my senses, the same way as Dr. Bei did. Ieiri will administer a sedative I found that should put me to sleep for at least half a day or more... it's likely I'll turn in that period.

All I ask is that you finish what we started and come back to cure me if you succeed. [ He lets out a tense breath. ] Also I need my hand removed so you can take the bracelet.

That's all. Thank you.

[ And he sits back down like he's in school and just given a small presentation to the class. ]

[ ooc as mentioned in the discord channel, this is sono-g's last week in game proper because of his infection! i've been traveling for the past couple weeks and plan to get back to older tags (some are really old aaaa) but if you want to drop anything don't worry about it. if you want one last thread with normie here or on your starter just let me know and thank you all for tagging with my boy. ]

finality

[empression]

[ Haru, sitting there, remembering regaining consciousness and hearing it from Suzuha that Soujuurou had been bitten in all of the chaos that had arisen from the bear attack...

... Cannot even pretend to be fine with this, for as calm as he evinces now. ]

We... we have to be closer, don't we? We could obtain the cure in time, and you could continue to travel with us and not have to lose your hand--!

[ And, you know. His humanity. Hadn't Mark made it this far?

(She can't think about Kotoha right now. She can't.) ]

bike.

[hydrotherapy]

[ First the Zombiecrusher 500 and now the Zombiespeedster 1000. Truly everyone is getting more and more creative with their modes of transportation.

Given that Sigewinne's already sedate speed has been dialed down all the way to a 1 with her injured leg, the offer of a bike ride is greatly appreciated. It's a shame that she can't fend for herself during crucial moments like these, but accepting help from Soujuurou now means she can return the favor later. ]

Are you sure you don't mind?

[ Hm, her size is a little awkward for sitting so.....give her a second to float herself upwards before she's coming to a standing stop at the back of the bike seat, her feet tiptoeing carefully on the surface while her hands grab onto his shoulders. It's a bit of a forward lean, but steady enough. ]

How's this?

finality 😭

[irreversal]

[ All I ask, he says, and yet what a tall ask he has for them all, after everything. After all these weeks of fighting tooth and nail just to survive, all that they have already had to do and sacrifice just to get to this point... here Soujuurou is, asking them to make yet another.

By all indications, he should be able to continue the journey. There isn't such a need to make such a grand scheme, when he's still able-bodied and here to help, and yet... and yet... They can't be sure that his would be a slow turn, like Mark's. Kotoha's...

No, his proposal had been sound from the moment he'd approached her, asked her to be the one to sedate him. And no matter what her feelings are on the matter, she has to agree, has to simply be fine with it, just like she had to be fine with amputating Gojo's arm and had to be fine with not being able to help Mark or Kotoha. It's the life that she's chosen for herself, the role she must fulfill, just like at home. She can't be like the others, she can't be emotional like the others, because—

Because, if she starts getting emotional about something like this, something that's meant to be her duty... then it would truly ruin her. ]

Soujuurou. [ not Shizuki. ] You're really set on this, aren't you...?

[titlecard]

i. bed rest

[ After a week of fighting, and killing, and starving, and just wanting to be alone, and not wanting to be alone, and considering his ongoing fever, and this new one on top of it (that almost feels kind of good in a way, because at least it's normal), and his impending mortality,

the first thing Mark does when they find a farmhouse is collapse on a couch, and then he's out, exhausted. When was the last time he got decent rest? Doesn't matter, that time is right now.

At least until he hears someone else entering the room, and he groans as he rolls over on his side. Curls in on himself a little before blinking his sleep-addled eyes open, looking up at you like a teenager who just woke up from a nap because, well... he's a teenager who just woke up from a nap. ]

Mmph... What's up? What's going on?


ii. peaches

[ Okay! He feels a little better now! At least better enough to be awake, and maybe even kind of chipper. Pleasantly refreshed, despite the stray cough or sniffle or lingering brain fog. And he's keeping his hands clean, which is important, because there are fresh peaches out here.

Not that he can eat them at this point. Not that he even wants to. But the others would probably enjoy them, and flying is as natural to Mark as walking, so he can bypass all the mud and mess to fill up a basket he's found.

Wave down at anyone he sees approaching with one hand as he picks a fresh peach with the other. ]

Hey! Want one?


iii. wildcard

[ or whatever! just keep in mind that Mark is dying somewhere home on the range, it's premeditated on his part, and he'll likely be keeping quiet about that particular plan. but who knows~ ]

suzuha —

[titlecard]

[ ... Last week was bad.

Well, most of the weeks have been bad, actually, but last week was a particularly strenuous sort of bad. The simultaneous best and worst parts were when he could feel his grip on his mind slipping — worst because he knew what was coming; best because feeling it meant he was still him.

But it's just going to keep getting worse, isn't it. And with that acceptance comes a calm washing over him, numbing and cool and peaceful all at once.

So, Mark goes to find Suzuha. And when he does — a soft knock on the wall outside the room she's in to signal his presence, looking in through the open door — he smiles at her, soft and at ease. ]

Hey. [ Cough. Damn flu, but that's a good sign, too. Proves he's still vulnerable. ] Wanna go for a walk?

[parttimesoldier]

I. FARM LIFE

a. [Suzuha’s decided that she’s a big fan of the farms. Wide open spaces, good vibes, an (apparent) lack of zombies… Can’t really go wrong with that. The rain has let up enough that there’s just calm gray clouds overhead, which says to her that it’s the perfect chance to get some good ol’ outdoors time in. It doubles as an opportunity to scout, maybe keep an eye out for any trouble that might head their way, but don’t worry about it!

Out along the outskirts of one of the vineyards, Suzuha gets it in her head to gather some grapes. She’ll toss a little wicker basket your way before grabbing one for herself. Heads up!]

We should stock up before we leave, yeah?

b. [Alternatively, if you want some real sad vibes you can find her after Mark asks her to put him down near the end of their tour of farm country. She’d love to put on a brave face after the fact, but the bracelets’ fun little new function make it undeniably apparent that she is Not Okay. Maybe she’s perched on a low wooden fence keeping lookout in one of the fields or tucked away in one of the farmhouses, trying to keep busy sorting through supplies—either way she’s trying not to attract the attention of anyone else if she can help it. Too bad she doesn’t get a say in it.]

II. CITY ESCAPE

[It’s hard to argue that there’s anything good about encountering zombies, but at the very least it provides the sort of distraction that requires every ounce of her attention. Can’t be sad if you’re too busy trying to survive!! Especially when you want to make sure everyone else can survive too.

Things took a turn for the chaotic once that car alarm got set off, and after a riveting (and kind of exhausting) series of chases, it almost seems like the coast is clear. The bad? You’ve gotten a little split off from the main group. The good? The remaining zombies blocking your path to rendezvous with the rest of the group haven’t quite realized where you are. Suzuha grabs you by the sleeve to tug you back behind an overturned bus, giving an emphatic nod to where a zombie comically rolls by on a skateboard, moaning softly.

Stealth or full-on attack? The world is their oyster.]

III. WINDOW SHOPPING

[By now, her earlier sorrows have been replaced with a sort of numb determination. Things continue to be various shades of bad the more their numbers dwindle, but they’re making progress despite it all. Almost to the end. She just has to keep pushing.

The sun is just starting to dip toward the horizon and the group seems to have settled on an abandoned storefront to set up camp in for the night. Suzuha’s feeling too antsy to linger in one place though, opting to take a walk along the pier instead of preparing to settle in for the night. She peers into most of the looted stores as she passes, scouting for danger mostly, but she can’t deny that she’s curious about what’s inside. One in particular snares her attention a little more thoroughly, and she stares up at the front signage with a mix of confusion and intrigue.]

A magic shop…?

IV. WILDCARD
[u know the drill]

ib because I love Pain

[empression]

[ It's in one of the barns that Haru finds her, without meaning to. There's not much she can do when it comes to picking fruit, not with the strain of reaching with still-healing injuries. But at the very least, she can help with organizing things, though she comes to a pause when she comes across Suzuha.

Or that... sheer wall of sadness, rather. ]

Suzuha-chan?

[ ARE THE PAINKILLERS THAT DEPRESSING TO SORT?? ]

LATE WEEK 6

[biteys]

MESSAGE 003

In the evening of the day the characters reach the wharf, they'll get another special message from the doctor... though this time, she sounds to be doing far, far worse than she had in her other recordings.

"Up ahead.... the bridge... all of you won't make it across. Don't know how many are left... but too many people on the bridge will draw a horde. Piece of shit is collapsing, too..."

There's some wet sounding coughs in the recording, before she continues.

"The infected, the injured... leave some behind. It'll buy you time to get across..."

....Well! It seems the doctor saved just enough breath to issue one last choice for the party. From the sounds of it, crossing the Golden Gate Bridge is a huge risk, treacherous from both the structure of the bridge and the congregation of zombies on the southern side. Leaving some people behind as breadcrumbs might better the chance of everyone's survival...

Then again, the doctor's cold, analytical way of looking at things has been a point of conflict throughout the whole trip. Perhaps you ought to prove her wrong, and stick together.

DISCUSSION

[bicth]

I've had enough of this motherfucking little piece of fuck!!

[ In a tantrum, she whacks her bracelet hard against the nearest hard surface a few times, wishing more than anything that she could smash the damn thing. For everyone in the vicinity at the wharf, Hella makes her opinion about the doctor's proposal known. ]

She can't treat us like pieces of trash to throw away! I'm not leaving anyone behind. Try it and I'll drag your sorry ass across myself!

CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE

[biteys]

This week, characters will need to choose if they're going to split up the party for the home stretch across the Golden Gate Bridge, or if they'd rather stick it all out together!

I'll give you a vague sneak peek into what will happen depending on the choices, because I want everyone to get to play the arc they want, whether that's sacrificing people heroically or overcoming the challenge with the power of love and friendship!

If the group sticks together, the infection roll this Saturday will be higher, but if the party splits up, the characters that stay behind will definitely die at the cost of lowering the infection possibility for the rest.

I would suggest this be an IC discussion, but it's also possible for characters to stay behind at the last second without telling anyone! They'll just need to like... get their bracelet off somehow. It's fine!

STAYING BEHIND

[biteys]

Comment here if your character is going to stay behind, but be sure to discuss this OOCly with other players. If no one comments, I will assume the group decided to stick together, and the roll will be heightened accordingly.