Dead in the Water

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Martin Cater

KCC

Jul 21, 2024 2:44 am
Martin Cater
Martin seems to sense the rebuff, and pivots to something else resembling leadership in the moment. Emma, Vinh and the kid being left behind left him running things. And suppose something bad was waiting upriver for the scouting party…

"We’ll hold down the fort. Spike those floaters, and get ourselves packed away for moving on!" he says, with a creased smile at those being left behind.
OOC:
Taking this as a opportunity to form the PC ‘party’. If someone thinks Tracy might try to tag along, we could work with that! He seems to type to try and get himself into trouble to justify being given a gun…
OOC:
Next post will come in a few hours, getting us on the road!
Jul 21, 2024 5:31 am
OOC:
All good with Tracy reminding behind and causing trouble, or coming along and causing trouble. ;)

KCC

Jul 21, 2024 10:05 am
You take a little time to gear up for the unknown. In the time since the world went to shit, runs had gone from hours to sometimes days, and it was harder and harder to know what you’d meet on the road.

Travel light and hope for the best, or expect to bunk down somewhere for a few days, as a herd passes through the area?

You can’t help but notice the other four, as they go about trying to spear the floaters while you pack rations and check weapons. The work of one person is performed by three, with one barely-interested onlooker.
https://i.imgur.com/Q9Nvg5P.jpegOne of you offers to make the climb up the old billboard near where you’d stashed the vehicles. That had been Martin’s idea, separating the camp and the getaways, in case one or the other was found by chance. Would-be raiders might be satisfied with their find, giving your group a chance to make for the other!

As your lookout climbs the sign, binoculars hanging around their neck, and the others busy themselves with pulling the vehicles from their hiding place, you can’t help but notice that the dull white of the morning has begun to turn a more threatening grey.

Ting… Ting… Ting… the metal ladder rings out as they make their way up. Gathering themselves at the top, their chest heaving from the climb, the encroaching storm is much more obvious!
OOC:
Three below, and one above! Let’s get a Scout roll from one person to see what you see! The rest will be below, preparing the run.

How do you feel about leaving the others? What do you anticipate on the road ahead?
Jul 21, 2024 6:06 pm
OOC:
Owen is on car duty, leading the others to its hiding spot. He will lend his binoculars to whoever is climbing the billboard
Owen is relieved to find the pizza delivery car he had hidden is still in its place, despite his hiding technique being grossly ineffective. The red paint is visible through the branches he arranged over the car. Anyone could spot that.

Oh well, they didn't, he thinks glancing at his companions to see if anyone remarks on his awkward attempt at concealing the vehicle.

He then starts removing branches and foliage from the car, and produces the car keys from his pocket. He unlocks the doors.

As he works, his mind goes to Vinh and the others, back at the boats. It's the first time in a while their group splits up. Will they be OK? They should be safer than us, on the water, right? Here on dry land, it's not floaters we'll meet. Walkers. Runners. God knows what else...

He shivers at the thought of being so exposed, so easy to reach. The prospect of their little road trip suddenly feels less appealing.
Jul 21, 2024 7:42 pm
Once away from their sanctuary, such as it was, Richard almost regretted his decision to leave. But they needed food. Needed to see what else was out there, or surely, they'd perish. And they had the doc, so that was reassuring. As Richard's mind switched to the image of the grotesque floaters, he grew anxious. Thier increase in numbers was a sure sign of something changing. What though, was anyone's guess.

Nearing the pizza delivery car, Richard frowns at Owen. It was a piss poor attempt at hiding the vehicle, so he tries to counsel him as he would his own son.

"Now Owen. Does that look hidden to you? We have to take more care of these types of things. It could be the difference between life and death. Know what I mean?"

As to the others they left behind, well, one couldn't let attachments of any kind get in the way of staying alive. He'd decided that when they first took up together on the pontoon. Part of his morning routine was a sort of yoga and planning session. One of his mantras was I must not get attached...

KCC

Jul 22, 2024 12:33 am
The car did certainly draw the eye. You remember first seeing it on the road; the shock of red standing out against all the grey. The driver door was open, and two molded pies sat in the passenger’s seat. And the menu leaflets all over the floor…

How many times had you poured over that crumbled up bit of paper by now? Something between remembering and imagining the taste of a hot, delicious pizza, as you sat with rumbling stomachs in your creaky pontoon…

Your mind wanders to attachment, and then to the storm; as fat, heavy drops of rain start to patter down around you. If the rain came hard, which it looked like it might, would the river swell again? Would the pontoon hold its place? Would the others be washed down river?
Jul 22, 2024 6:59 am
It takes Billie-Faye some time to say her goodbyes to Tracy. Truth is the little prick frustrates the hell out of her and she'd rather not be saddled with him, but she intends to keep her word and keep him safe best she can. Hopefully the boy won't cause trouble while she's gone... but deep down she knows he will. It's who he is. Takes after this father.

Like the others, she feels it the moment she's on dry ground. The vulnerability. The darkness of the trees and bushes. The shadows. All the places these dead fuckers can emerge from. A shiver twinges the woman's spine briefly as they approach the hiding spot.

She leaves Owen's admonishing to Richard as they approach the badly-concealed car, focusing instead of finding her motorbike. Wheeling it out from behind some dense brambles, she glances up at the sign, shielding her eyes from the sun. "You goin' up this time, or am I?" she says to Shayna.
OOC:
Billie is Wits 2, Scout 1. We must have better than that...
Last edited July 23, 2024 4:18 am
Jul 22, 2024 8:41 am
Richard says:
"Now Owen. Does that look hidden to you? We have to take more care of these types of things. It could be the difference between life and death. Know what I mean?"
he winces. It didn't go unnoticed. "Well, it wasn't like that when I finished hiding it! A lot of branches have fallen since. Wind and stuff..." he says sulkily, just to try saving face.

"Main thing is, it's still here."
OOC:
Wits 3, Scout 2 here
Jul 22, 2024 2:36 pm
Typical kid response.

Richard watches Billie-Faye extract the motorbike. "She gonna start, Billie-Faye?" He sure as hell hoped so.

"Looks like rain, God dammit," he says scanning the sky. "We better hurry. Maybe find a spot to shelter from the rain until it passes." Nervously looking around his fingers drum on his waist. He wants to draw his pistol but doesn't want the weapon to get wet.
OOC:
Richard has Wits 5, Scout 1.
Jul 22, 2024 3:36 pm
OOC:
I think Richard is our billboard lookout, I can see on Qralloq's sheet that Shayna has 3 Wits, 0 Scout
Jul 22, 2024 11:17 pm
Saying good bye to Martin was awkward. He was soft on her and she didn't want to lead him on, but ended up just patting his arm. Couldn't even give him a hug, 'though that's what she meant to do. Truth was he meant a lot to her, but she couldn't really let herself ... Bah, maudlin thoughts.

Shayna looks up at the sign and back at Billie-Faye, and just shakes her head. "No sense sending me up there when Richard or Owen are 'round. They got good eyes."
Jul 23, 2024 4:37 am
Grunting softly as she muscles the beat-up, vintage bike out in to the open, Bille-Faye throws Kant a smile and a shrug. "Dunno, Richie baby, but I'm gonna find out!"

Adjusting her backpack, securing her axe, the dirty blonde throws a leg over the bike and winks at Shanya. "Right after you scamper up there and have a look around, make sure the coast is clear..."
OOC:
I too vote for Richard to go up! Also, I'm picturing the bike kind of...
[ +- ] Yeah Baby!
Jul 23, 2024 1:13 pm
"I don't know about scamper, Billie-Faye, but I will climb up. The exercise will be good for me."

Richard's lithe and limber body would make quick work of the climb. Eyeing the task before him he hesitates and looked back at Billie-Faye.

"Did you just call me Richie baby? Well that's a first. The Richie and the baby." Turning back to the rusty metal framework, he allows a smile, and then begins to climb, testing the "rungs" for stability with each step.

Rolls

Scout - (5d6)

(26132) = 14

KCC

Jul 24, 2024 3:15 am
Richard climbs skyward, and with each rung upwards, the sky comes all the stronger down to meet him. The billboard starts to sing a tinny, discordant melody, as the rain drums down all the harder.

Below, the others bunch up under the thinning canopy, and watch the scientist make his climb. Finally, they watch as he drags himself up over the lip and onto the platform above.

Vertigo threatens, as Richard is buffeted by the gathering winds way up high. He hurriedly places the binoculars up to his eyes, before the storm made the downward climb too treacherous.
[ +- ] Eye Spy
Jul 24, 2024 3:36 am
"What do ya see, Richard?" Billie calls to the man, tilting her head back to look up at him. "Coast clear? Can I fire up my baby?"
Jul 24, 2024 1:11 pm
"Shit. Coast is definitely not clear."

Richard tries not to look directly down. It wasn't every day that he climbed up a billboard. He thinks he can see dust or something off in the distance with his naked eyes. Keeping a firm hold on a metal cross member he raises the binoculars with his other hand and takes a look, almost falling back at the magnified image moving quickly toward him. A sense of vertigo threatens to overtake him but he grits his teeth and soldiers on, and the feeling soon passes.

"We have company approaching quickly. Two people on bicycles," he shouts, squinting and adjusting the binocs he continues. "They are being chased! Chased by ... oh hell. They are being chased by some kind of modified jeep with a battering ram and, oh fuck. A machine gun turret. Fuck, fuck, I gotta get down."

Letting the binoculars fall back onto his chest he begins his hurried descent.
Last edited July 25, 2024 12:18 am
Jul 24, 2024 11:19 pm
The dire news send his heart racing. He senses the danger as a living, palpable thing.

"Who is it? Raiders? We can't be found here! What do we do, they'll see the vehicles."

He regrets having uncovered the car before the lookout could scan around. This is bad. Ten minutes on dry land, and already in deep shit...
Jul 25, 2024 2:07 am
Shayna pats her pockets. "I ain't got a rocket launcher, what are we gonna do about a machine gun?"

She thinks about how they might rescue the bicycle people. "Should we attempt to save them? Who's the good guys, Richard?"
Jul 25, 2024 3:09 am
"Could be bad guys chasing bad guys. I don't have the answers to anybody's questions. I think we should run away from all of them. No need for heroics. The people on the bikes could be worse than the guys doing the chasing for all we know."

Richard looks for places to hide while catching his breath.

"We have to move quickly!"

KCC

Jul 25, 2024 5:42 am
Richard scurries down the steps, hoping that the chase and the worsening weather conditions keep the attention off of him as he shimmies down.

Suddenly the flash of red sets your heart pumping hard. You hadn’t moved out on to the road yet. Maybe they’d zip right by? Maybe you had time to put things back as they were?

With any hope, neither party would be too keen on stopping to scavenge some abandoned, busted up, old car on the side of the road anyhow…

A moment or two of scurrying about, and you think you hear the sound of a car misfiring in the middle distance.

They would be, and hopefully pass, here any minute now!
OOC:
Let’s have someone roll stealth, if you intend to hide! One person can roll, and each other character can contribute +1 dice to the pool if they describe how they help hide!

If you plan to try intervene, well that’s just dandy too!
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