Description: There's no easy way to say this... So...Okay. While there is running water, most people are a little phobic of it. There's no way to get water hot, and frankly, all the soap dispensers have been vandalized and hijacked a long time ago.
Yeah, that's right. Everyone stinks, and you need to cope with the unwashed masses surrounding you. Yikes.
Goals:
Step 1: SCAVENGE THE PARTS TO MAKE A MASK.
You need a mask that can cover your nose and mouth to use when the smell really gets bad. Unfortunately, all of the fancy gas and plaguedoctor masks are locked away behind the Arcade's prize counter. You're going to have to get crafy and make one. Good thing there are lots of clothes stores around!
Roll 1d8. If odd, you succeed.
Step 2: SCAVENGE THE PARTS TO BLOCK THE SMELL.
Wearing cloth over your nose and mouth will only help you out so much. It's time to get in touch with your inner tree-hugging hippy and embrace the thought of... potpourri. You're pretty sure you've seen both a florist and a tea shop somewhere in this mall.
Roll 2d8 until they match.
Step 3: PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER.
It's time to assemble your mask.
Roll 1d20 until you get a 10 or lower.
First time doing this quest? Please write a minimum of 100 words for 1 Arcade Token.
Repeating? Minimum word count jumps up to 300 in order to claim your 1 Arcade Token.
Feeling wordy? Go above and beyond the bare minimum for additional tokens! You need to meet this word count while doing the quest, so no going back to pad your quest to claim tokens! These token bonuses do not stack, so you can't write 100 words to claim 1 token, then add 300 words to claim 2 more tokens.
500 words = 2 Arcade Tokens. 600 words = 3 Arcade Tokens. 700 words = 4 Arcade Tokens. 800 words = 5 Arcade Tokens.
Whistle While You Work: Did you know that it's possible to become "nose blind" to something if you smell it for a prolong period of time? When in doubt, grab a buddy and see if they can smell what you smell, or let them question your taste in potpourri. You will have to both roll for your own successes, but you know what they say: whoever smelt it dea- hey! Where are you going?
All's good in the Mall. The Rats are scurrying about, doing their daily duties, making forts only for others to steal materials from, ransacking already ransacked stores for chance everybody missed a Kinder Egg or two. Business as usual.
...*pinches nose* "Awgrwaht vmywbe nfft az ufshulz." Muttered Saul with nose still pinched. Seriously, this...aroma-no, STENCH is overbearing.
Most of the people here, truly like their namesake 'rat' forebodes bathing, even with watersource around due to suspicion that the 'undeath' can transmit via water. He had made a two-step water purifier, using solar power and biofilter but it has yet gotten approval from the faction leader; so the water was only used for his personal needs such as bath and laundry and such.
For trivia, did you know putting a handful of soda (not baking soda thank you!) into a basin of water can create a base solution, that when mixed with natural oils that your body produces, creates a makeshift soap? I bet you don't.
But back to the problem at hand. These Rats, which has abandoned their humility personal hygine, only relying on Febreeze and such for de-odoring their used clothes has made the air inside the mall foul. How bad was it? Imagine a leather jacket soaking wet with sweat after you wore it running from a horde of pitbulls. Left forgotten inside of a locker in the middle of Australian summer. For about a week.
It's that bad. Don't puke yet. Or rather, don't; you'll be wasting precious food. Gulp it back down...good.
Although human body has desensitizing mechanism, in which if they are exposed to a stimulation for a long time, the perception associated with that stimuli will lessen, it only applies if both parties exposed to the same level of stimuli for the same time WITHOUT having a way out. It's the same as when you do number 2, exited the washroom and entered it again. Without flushing.
Seriously, don't puke. This is an analogy.
If given enough time, the dulled senses will again sharpen to the normal values. So yeah, you'll smell that smelly smell that smells smelly...okay you got it already.
So how can he escape this sweatshop hell? Burning incense...even if T&T has some left, there's a risk of it catching the undeath's attention. NOT TO MENTION THE GIMME GIMME SHARE SHARE masses. How about something more distinguished...gas mask?
All of the fancy, already completed-kind of masks has been long looted by the first wave of looters. The remaining ones are sealed inside the Arcade's prize counter.
Hrmm. He remembered he had made something like this before...was it like...hard cloth for the outline, linen cloth and cotton for filter's base, half of a plastic ball for the base, charcoal, coffee filter....
"*Grin* Yes, that'll do." He smiled thinly, making a mental list what to get. First...GAP? No, it has been exhausted. H&M would do fine, since there's still unpicked child-sized clothes that's perfect for the filter base.
Packing up his shelter into a simple cube and loading it into the trolley, he hummed his favorite tune while strolling inside the darkening halls of the mall.
OOC
Character's name: Saul Goodman Character's faction: Mall Character's journal link: Journal Character's survival stats: OK BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF MY CHARACTER S'all good, man!
Okay, so he has collected two pieces of clothing that can be used to make the base of the mask.
He still need a plastic ball from the ballpit at the Playground to make the skeleton support frame, charcoal from...maybe T&T? Or maybe there's some in Teavana?
Speaking of Teavana, it will never hurt to pick some packaged tea leaves- even if he won't make tea, the leaves itself can be used to staunch bleeding if the need ever arises. Never hurts to prepare. He also needs to visit the Glitter Boutique for string needed to sew the parts, Spencers for the questionable tap water filter he can disassemble to get the frame, and...
Oh boy. This'll take a looong trip.
OOC
Character's name: Saul Goodman Character's faction: Mall Character's journal link: Journal Character's survival stats: OK BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF MY CHARACTER S'all good, man!
Plastic ball from Ballpit, get! Now he's down to 5 materials.
Speaking of which, this ballpit...usually it was used to have a gladiator-styled match to settle dispute between the Rats. It's a rather refreshing spectacle to behold, grown up persons banging each other with foam sticks...
Realizing what that would mean, he threw the ball in his hand back to the pit. EW. No way he's using the balls from that place. Let's rethink-what can be used for frame instead?
He did saw some safety googles with detachable mouthpiece earlier on Handyman...great. Where's that darned magnet again, he rummages into his toolpack.
OOC
Character's name: Saul Goodman Character's faction: Mall Character's journal link: Journal Character's survival stats: OK BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF MY CHARACTER S'all good, man!
Handyman. Store full of tools and hardware needed to make a man-toy. With a magnet dangling in front of his shoes, the caltrop-filled terrain can be navigated rather easily-not to mention, the nails can be used later to fortify the barricade! Saul done his best not to focus on the boot-shaped bloodstains on the floor, probably left by looters who didn't watch their step-or plan it carefully.
Looking to the woodworking aisle, he finds the safetyware rack has almost been looted clean save for the items lined at the far back. Lucky for him there's still few left...albeit not in the best condition. Picking the best out of the remaining one, he gotten himself a plain masker with built-in filter.
BUT THIS WON'T DO! The DIY-freak blood in him raged. NEXT STOP!
OOC
Character's name: Saul Goodman Character's faction: Mall Character's journal link: Journal Character's survival stats: OK BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF MY CHARACTER S'all good, man!
Frame, get. Padding, get. Next material will be...activated charcoal. Since the restaurants inside the mall still have gas in reserve, he can get this one easily. Taking a whole, past-prime coconut from T&T, Saul threw that ball-like fruit that's already dry and yellowing into an oven and set the temperature to max. From his experience, it would take about two hours to make charcoal this way, give or take half hour depending on the size and dryness.
So where should he go meanwhile?
(NOTE: GOOD KIDS SHOULD NEVER LEAVE ANYTHING WITH FIRE UNATTENDED. EVER.)
OOC
Character's name: Saul Goodman Character's faction: Mall Character's journal link: Journal Character's survival stats: OK BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF MY CHARACTER S'all good, man!
Next item on the list are...some water filter from Walmart. Seriously, he didn't need the filter part since water and air have different viscosity-should he used it as is there'll not be a risk, but rather guarantee that he'll be suffocated to death. His trolley (which by the way, comes from this very store) in hand, he walked to the "Home Goods" aisle. Whew, the knives are all gone. So are the frying pans and woks.
Carrying on, he looked at the blood-smeared glassware. Maybe someone cut themself when mobbing the place? It doesn't look that they're dead or something, since the amount is too little.
An aisle later and he took what he need; an attach-to-tap type water filters. He choose a small, compact type made from plastic with transparent body so he can align the contents better. Looking at the price tag made him laugh inwardly-seriously, who wanna pay this much for a water filter?
OOC
Character's name: Saul Goodman Character's faction: Mall Character's journal link: Journal Character's survival stats: OK BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF MY CHARACTER S'all good, man!
Frame, get. Padding, get. Filter casing, get. Activated Charcoal, pending. That leaves only few things on his list.
...After walking to the Glitter Boutique, Saul can almost feel his spirit deflating like a popped balloon. Looking at the doorstep leading to that shop alone diminished his willpower to half. Yes, earlier he did walked in this place to get some strings and wrapping ribbons for the barricade, but entering TWICE a day? You'd be either some lunatic or...teenage girl to do that.
Screw that. He still need that sewing kit and silicone sealant.
After making sure he was properly dressed AKA putting a twice-size larger t-shirt taken from somewhere over his clothes, Saul SLOWLY and CAREFULLY tread upon the glitter-hell. With each step he took, clouds of very-harmful-to-your-lungs glitter arose from the floor, causing the whole air around him to be filled with otherworldly colors.
Note to self. Glitter can actually make good dust-explosion type bombs. Only need some fine flour. he inwardly thought.
OOC
Character's name: Saul Goodman Character's faction: Mall Character's journal link: Journal Character's survival stats: OK BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF MY CHARACTER S'all good, man!
Emerging from the glitter-hell with a tired face was Saul. In his hands are unexploded glitter packs, some sewing supplies, a self-curing silicone sealant and other things that's too numerous to name each. Almost done. No, it's not the gas mask who's almost done, it's HIM. He's been holding down his breath in there because the whole shop smells like vanilla. Did someone knocked off a vanilla essence or what.
OOC
Character's name: Saul Goodman Character's faction: Mall Character's journal link: Journal Character's survival stats: OK BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF MY CHARACTER S'all good, man!
First of all, Saul headed back to the restaurant where he left the coconut baking. Oh, it's finished; taking out the charcoal which has been perfectly baked to crisp, he took that out, carefully splitting the fibery husk and the center seed.
OOC
Character's name: Saul Goodman Character's faction: Mall Character's journal link: Journal Character's survival stats: OK BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF MY CHARACTER S'all good, man!
After that, taking some mortar and pestle from the kitchen appliances (this restaurant wasn't 3-stars for no reason!) he ground the fibery mass into fine powder. Putting the resulting powder into a sealed jar made of metal, and the coffee straining at another, he tossed it back into the oven for 10 minutes at max heat; that'll make a good scent. Meanwhile, he prepped the face mask by opening holes on the sides, pulling apart the water filter and glued the opening at the holes with the silicone sealant.
While waiting for that to cure, Saul cut apart the dress into few small pieces and sewn two layers of it together in fish-bone patterns; this will accommodate the re-baked ground coffee. After the baking's done and the metal jar cooled considerably, he started fitting the dust-like activated charcoal and some cotton plucked from the Toys' R Us dolls into the water filter, retaining the outermost particle filter to prevent spilling the fine powder.
Final touches includes filling the re-baked coffee powder into the small pouches, sealing it into another layer of fine cloth and testing the newly-finished gas mask.
Saul repacked all extra materials into his toolbox and mixed some glitter powder with the remaining charcoal; when thrown, this creates a particle bomb...which he still need to ignite. But how?
That's for later. He finished tidying up things and ventured to the center of the mall, where the Rats usually gathered to embrace the rise of the stars. After a few while breathing without even smelling anything but coffee, he smiled inwardly. The anti-odor gasmask has been completed!
OOC
Character's name: Saul Goodman Character's faction: Mall Character's journal link: Journal Character's survival stats: OK BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF MY CHARACTER S'all good, man!
