Emily "Emms" Riley

[Gnaws]

Emily "Emms" Riley

Archetype: The Reformed   Key Att/Skill: Agility/Mobility   Drive: This is my chance; stop running   PC Anchor: James Havel   Issues: Ashamed of my past   NPC Anchor: Kat Taylor   Strength Agility Wits Empathy 2 5 3 3 Close Combat 1 Mobility 3 Scout 1 Medicine 0 Endure 1 Ranged Combat 2 Survival 1 Manipulation 2 Force 0 Stealth 1 Tech 0 Leadership 0 TALENTS HEALTH   3. Unharmed GathererYou get +2 to Stealth when you are on your own. *Prerequisite*: You brought back food that kept others alive. 2. Bruised [ ]   1. Battered [ ]   0. Broken [ ]   Critical Injuries             Stress Experience Encumbrance       Weapons Bonus Damage Rounds Range Revolver +2 2   Short                               Armour Protection Penalty             "Everyone has a side of them they ain't proud of, you just get to choose which side the steering wheel's on." Emms has a body that's lean and mean; maybe even leaner and meaner since shit went south. She's small enough to look like she'd break easy, but hard enough to keep her on her feet. Her tattoos are her focal point and give her that 'previous gang member' vibe, but in reality they hide a girl who just didn't know where she belonged. GEAR ITEM QUALITY SLOTS AMOUNT BONUS Big revolver   1     Lockpick   -   Stealth +2                                                                                                     Stored Items Location                     OTHER ITEMS Big tarp and rope           Vehicle Maneuverability Damage Hull Armour Motorbike

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From the Diary of Emily Riley, page 1

Well, here we are. Been awhile since I put pen to paper. Someone here said it might help to write out my thoughts, do some journaling. Said I looked haunted. No shit, lady, we're all haunted.

 

Actually things aren't too bad. Seems kinda crazy, right? World's gone to hell but it's still a hell I'd take over the old one. No more politicians for one lol. Am I allowed to write that? Fuck it, I'm doing it.

 

Alright, Emms, get to the point. You're deflecting. Buying time. Running. Big surprise there - I've spent my whole life running. There, I said it. Too bad Dad's not here to see it, he'd have a heart attack. I told you Emily, he'd say. Told you you needed to go to school and get a good job. Settle down. You keep going down this road you're going to get yourself killed. Well maybe, but school don't mean much now, does it? Big brains might actually be more attractive to the walkers, maybe I lucked out. lol

 

I'm going to burn this after I'm done writing it, so I might as well come clean. Purify my soul, or whatever people do. Maybe life would have been better if I'd kept through school. Maybe a lot of things. But I took the easy way out. I ran. I'm fast, so it was easy. Things got bad between Mom and Dad, I ran. Grades in school weren't good enough, I ran. Couldn't get a job, I stole. It's just a different type of running. People ask what my tattoos are for. Sometimes. Everyone's got a story for them, right? Punchline is mine just cover up the bits of me I didn't want the world to see. To make me feel like someone else.

 

I told you, I been running a long time.

 

The effort just seemed to be too much, you know? The acceptance of failure was better than the hurt of it. Ran away to Denver. Dropped out of school. Started hanging out with "like-minded individuals". Except they weren't like-minded. Not in the end. I tried to fit in. I did the drugs, drank the booze, slept around. I got the bike, stole, got in fights. I was a real badass, hey?

 

Real piece of shit. I knew it then, just didn't want to face the truth. Didn't want all the running to seem like it had been for nothing. We said we were friends but we were just a group of broken people using each other. Look where it had gotten me. I'd lost my way. I was a good girl. Once. Had the whole world ahead of me. Thought I still did but waking up drunk with a black eye on the floor of a bar called The End of the Line can put things into perspective.

 

So can the apocalypse. Things look a whole lot different on this side.

 

And what did I do when it all started? You guessed it. Smart girl. I ran. We were all sitting around having a good time when a fucking walker - we didn't know what they was then- burst into the room. Started tearing up Dale right in front of us all. Some of them tried to help him. I bolted out that door like an olympic gold medalist. Kept running. Kept hiding. Things got bad. Then I found this place.

 

It's not home, but it's getting there. No one knew me. Didn't know where I'd come from, who I'd been. Fresh slate. Some of them are scared, sure. It's the tattoos. Draw a picture on a piece of paper, you're an artist. Put it on your skin and you're a threat. This is one of the only places that's safe now, though, so I've done what I can to show that's not who I am. I'm helping people. And you know what? I'm good at it. People trust me. People talk to me. Here, I'm a little bit successful, which is a little bit better than I was before. You were right, Dad, I wasn't applying myself. Well I'm trying to make up for that now. Hope you're proud. Hope you're okay.

 

You know what's pissing me off, though? This actually helped. Fucking journaling. Guess I won't burn this, just keep it close. Read it when things seem tough. You're doing alright, Emms. You're not running anymore.

Edited May 13 by Gnaws (see edit history)

[Essence]

It's always a funny thing with some people, how certain events can catalyze a person to 'wake up' and become 'alive' again after they've been slowly dying through months or years of self-destructive actions or behaviors - and there's nothing like the rising of dead people to eat on the living to make you think back on who you are, what kind of person you were, and what you need to become. What you wrote for your backstory is amazing, and is one of the things I really appreciate about this app and how you introduce her complexity overall!

Emms is a runner and a user, both physically and emotionally given her background, but it sounds like she's come to terms with that and might actually start appreciating that being those things is sometimes good and useful, on both accounts now more than ever it seems. The easiest way I can see with her contributing is through being a trusted scavenger and runner for a group, but what other ways does Emily help out and contribute? Does she have any other thoughts on her 'finally being useful to people' instead of 'being used or using others'? Feels good, but is it also uncomfortable or strange for her? Is the fear of 'being useless and a failure again' prevalent in her mind constantly?

Her family and her past, at least seeming from what you wrote and her Issue, is a huge contention point with her. It goes without saying that there's a lot of regret regarding her relationship with her mother and father, so is there anything from that time or words in particular that stick out to her now that she's reflecting? Or, I guess to be more concise, how is her mother and father still influencing her now? If she were to ever find or meet them again, could she look them in the eye?

Regarding her gang, what were the group dynamics and relationships she had with people? Did she do questionable or unethical things to other members of her gang to earn her quick fix of escapism, if so - do any stand out in her mind? Does she regret them, or is she content with having done it considering the fact that they 'used' her in similar ways? Aside from the bikes and the awesome tattoo's naturally, were there any other positive things that the gang taught or provided her that she remembers fondly?

Mechanically everything else looks good! I'd be alright if you wanted to sacrifice the drugs for the motorbike, say you stole one from your gang or something when you tucked tail. Regarding the Talent, it works but if you have other ideas or thoughts on alternatives let me know!

[Gnaws]

Thanks for the feedback; great questions! I'll dig in a bit more, without overdoing it, because I really do like some backstory to come out during inter-party conversations and, if my app makes it through, I already have the intention of posting further diary entries as Emms reflects on the events of the campaign as it progresses.

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The Haven

I agree that the way Emms is most likely to fit into a group is as a scavenger and runner. I also see her being willing to help out however she can in the general day-to-day life tasks in a community. It's a little ironic because she feels like she's escaped this group dynamic of using and being used, but it isn't unlike the current situation. She helps out and is rewarded with the safety of a community with more defence and comfort. They're rewarded with another set of helping hands and someone willing to risk venturing out to gather. People are still using each other, just in more amiable ways. Whether or not loyalty, friendship, and true connections start to form... only time will tell! I do think being helpful and present in this community does feel uncomfortable and strange for her, but it's pushing her towards who she thinks she should be. The fears of being useless and a failure again are definitely still there, at least from time to time. Even though Emms writes in her diary that she isn't running anymore, I don't think that she's not a flight risk. Obviously she's not going to peace out and screw over the party in the campaign, but I do think there is room to explore that conflict and how she responds to events and danger during the game.

And that's the thing, right? As the authour, Emms is an unreliable narrator. She speaks of leaving her gang as a positive and makes it sound like everyone was just benefitting from each other without any true connection, but is that true or is she trying to convince herself that running and leaving them to die wasn't as terrible a thing as it might actually have been? She spent a couple years with these people, so I think the latter, and you're right to ask about that.

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The Gang

The gang dynamics would definitely see a central leader, the inner circle, and then everyone else, which is where Emms would be. She entered the gang through a romantic relationship with its leader. It was short-lived; Emms was just the arm candy at the time. When she was dumped for the next girl in line, she stuck around because of the safety that the gang offered. That was more when she had to start earning her keep and when she began to get involved with petty crimes and other unsavory acts. She was a bottom rung; sent out to take care of business that higher ranking members of the gang wouldn't stoop to do themselves lest they get caught or incriminated. She stole, she sabotaged rival gangs, she carried out some beatings on gang members who stepped out of line. There were some real connections in there, sure, but this is where Emms' current feelings on having left the gang stem from. She wasn't a good person for a good bit there. She regrets it, but she also acknowledges that it kept her fed, sheltered, and safe during a time in her life when she would have otherwise been homeless.

And it wasn't all bad. Like you mentioned, she learned things from the gang. She learned how to fight (if you can call it that), she learned how to shoot a gun, how to ride and perform basic maintenance on a bike, how to interact with other people, particularly those that come across as intimidating. A lot of those skills are going to be coming in handy now!

In the end, though, she ran. She assumes everyone else in the room with her when she did died, though really she only saw one person get bitten and another get attacked when they tried to help. I'm sure she'll definitely never encounter someone from the gang again in the future, though 😅

A bad memory

My fist connects with her jaw and she staggers backwards. Her legs give out and she crumples to the ground. My hand stings. It's covered in blood. Her face is worse though. Someone- I don't know who- hands me a pipe. I don't really register it, but then I'm pushed forward. I raise the pipe; she looks up. Her eyes tell me everything. She's me. Me three years ago. Alone. Scared. Nothing to her name. She messed up and now she risks losing everything. All that separates her life from mine is a metal pipe and a hard bitch. The pipe clatters to the ground. "She gets the message," I say, turning and walking away. Oh babe, I'll pay for that later.

A good memory

Martin's hand guides my own. "Now," he begins. "Like I taught you. Deep breathe and-" The gunshot rings out and a hole punches through the target, straight through the bullseye. We both start laughing, I'm jumping up and down, I throw my arms around the big man and give him a hug. "Well Miles, you're a real patch now." Martin's the only one who calls me Miles and he's talking about the gang patch. Sewn onto your jacket once you become a full member. "I'll tell Daniel you're ready." I smile and tell him that I'll see Daniel before he does; I was invited over to his place for dinner to celebrate. Martin's smile dies and he tells me, "I'll talk to Daniel about that too. You find somewhere else to celebrate tonight." At first I just feel hurt and confused, then I get the implication. I nod. Martin's always looked out for me more than everyone else, but I didn't know how deep that streak went. I do now.

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Her Family

This one's easier and shorter to cover. Emms never lived up to her parents' expectations of her and when things between her parents got bad and they divorced, some of that anger was directed towards Emms and she ran away and ended up in Denver. Their judgements followed her and haunted her, though. Her fear of failure; that's where it all stemmed from. When it turned out that Emms couldn't handle the real world on her own- couldn't finish her education, couldn't find a job, ended up in the gang- it was her parents' voices that she heard and that pushed her further down that path. Part of Emms' "awakening" with the onset of the dead rising is because she no longer knows if her parents are alive and that helps lay those voices that doubt her to rest, at least partially. If she ran into them again, would she be able to look them in the eye? I honestly don't know, but she's trying to change herself into someone who doesn't live under their shadow anymore, for sure.

Specific words that haunt her, spoken by her father after Emms received a single failing grade on a highschool report card: "If this is your best, Emily, then you might as well not try at all."

[Gnaws]

Opinions of the Group

James Havel (Anchor): Emily finds it almost blasphemous that she'd get along with a politician, but here we are. James has shown an interest in her and who she is now, beyond anyone else, and it has led Emily to develop some loyalty to him. As someone who isn't completely sure of who they are or where they fit in, Emily has latched onto James because he brings some small semblance of order to this chaotic world the group all find themselves in. So far, Emily does what James says. She has her own morals, though, so this loyalty has its limits.

Fleur LeBlanc: Emily maintains a cordial relationship with Fleur. Fleur keeps things running and is capable of keeping Emily's motorbike running beyond Emily's own skills; Emily does her thing and scavenges for parts that Fleur needs. Ultimately, though, Emily sees who she could have been in Fleur, if she had made better choices in life. She is envious and jealous of Fleur and this may lead to her being standoffish as she tries not to let the other woman hold influence over her for being smarter, better, and more important than her.

Deano Alexander: Deano represents the law to Emily. Despite him being a paramedic, not a cop, him having worked in emergency services- and his history in the military that she has heard rumours of around the haven- make her feel like he'll see her as a blight because of her history and rough appearance. Whether that's true or not, she feels small next to Deano and does her best to avoid him as much as possible. With Emily's focus on turning her life around, people like Deano's opinions of her are critical to her.

Hyori Lee: Hyori's field of expertise is so far beyond Emily's that she doesn't even try to understand it. Like Fleur, Emily sees a bit of what her life could have been like in Hyori, but Hyori's personality has made her a bit easier for Emily to bond with. Emily knows little of Korean culture, and it's obvious that there is more to the surgeon than meets the eye, and this mystery/intrigue captures Emily's interest. As a doctor, Hyori is extremely valuable to the group and Emily will do what she needs to to make sure that she survives. Emily hasn't mentioned it, but she owes Hyori a great debt for operating on and saving a close friend a year ago.

Shepherd Sierra: Emily may not understand or agree with Shepherd's philosophies and beliefs about the world, but she finds him relatively easy to get along with as they both lived on the outside of "normal society" with their own groups of cast-outs. If Emily wants someone to be direct and honest with her about something, Shepherd is the one she'd go to.

[Gnaws]

NPC Anchor: Kat Taylor

Emms ran into Kat shortly after shit hit the fan, simply by coincidence. Emms had climbed a fire escape and broken into an apartment to lay low for a night and it just happened to be Kat's student apartment. She had barricaded the door properly, but hadn't thought about the fire escape. Silly girl. Since then, the two have been inseparable and traveled together with Emms taking care of the practical parts of survival that the younger girl lacks.

Emms was always a single child, but she sees something of her younger self in Kat and strives to see a better future for the girl than she led, even given the circumstances. The two have become found sisters to one another and Emily would give her life to protect Kat.

[Gnaws]

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