ATZ Campaign, Day 60: A Way Out

"...so Happosai gets to drink the magical water, the wedding is postponed until the engagements can be sorted out, and the series ends with Ranma and Akane going back to school together."

Chaz finished her story with a contented smile.  Robb stared at her with puzzlement.  "Wait, you mean he never gets married?"

"Nope," said the young woman sitting across from Robb in his small cottage.  "But you know Akane is the best match for him."

"I can't believe I listened to that whole story and he never gets married," said Robb wearily.  Chaz had turned out to be a welcome companion after his girlfriend had died several weeks ago.  She was clearly glad for someone to talk to, and had been regaling him constantly with discussion about movies, comic books, and a host of other topics.  Robb gazed distractly towards the drawn curtains, where vague shadows moved slowly.

"Are you thinking about going out?" Chaz asked.

"I'm thinking about a lot of things.  First, I'm thinking about the helicopter that flew overhead the day we met, and where it might be going.  There's really no way to tell how far off it could be, however.  I'm also thinking about that car we found, and how we might gas it up in case we need to get out of here in a hurry.  The zombies haven't been too bad, but it could get worse.  Third, I'm still wondering about the other people out there.  I've met a few others, but they didn't seem interested in sticking together.  Maybe now they feel differently."

"If they are still alive," Chaz pointed out in a matter-of-fact way.

Robb grimaced slightly.  Erin had left under bad circumstances, but for good reason.  He hoped she had somehow managed to find her family, even if that seemed highly unlikely.  "Well, the only real problem I can address is the gasoline situation.  There's a filling station not too far from here, and I think we can scrounge a few containers.  We'll get some gas, get to the car, and then drive it back here.  Hopefully the noise won't be too big a problem."

Chaz thought for a moment.  "Some food wouldn't hurt either."

After a very long hiatus, the All Things Zombie adventure of Robb & Co. continues!  To kick things off, I thought I'd try my hand at creating my own scenario, in this case a two-part story.

In part one, the heroes must make their way to a gas station in the middle of the table.  One hero must spend two activations pumping gas (while the other does whatever is necessary), and then make it off the table.  Because they are hauling a heavy load by hand, they can not Fast Move after getting the gasoline.  The table is ER 2 (suburbs), and the PEF's and starting zombies are handled normally.

In the beginning, there are three PEF's: Red (REP 4, zone 4), White (REP 3, Zone 4), Blue (REP 5, Zone 3).  Starting zombies for Robb are 1, Chaz 6 (bummer).  They are placed using my d12 home rule (where I roll a d12 rather than 2d6 for more variation).

Turn 1: Robb 4, Zombies 2

Robb and Chaz began to make their way towards the local gasoline station.  They had not gotten far before they noticed they were attracting a lot of attention.  Several zombies began closing in from different directions.
"So much for this going quietly," Robb sighed.  He drew his Colt .45 ACP and fired off two shots in the direction of a pair of zombies.  One shot went wide, while the other plowed through the skull.  Chaz fired her assault rifle, and the shot caught the zombie in the thigh.  It stumbled to the ground.
"Head shots, de-.." said Robb reflexively, but then caught himself.

Robb continues his steady average of 50% when it comes to killing zombies with two shots, one hit, and one Obviously Dead.  Chaz fired once (I'm antsy about running out of ammo and the noise) but only got a Knocked Down result after hitting it.  No zombies were summoned by the shots.

Turn 2: Robb 5, Zombies 1

"Damn, there's too many of them!" said Chaz as the zombies closed in.  "Get behind me!" shouted Robb as he moved between the young woman and the two zombies that had managed to get close enough to start clawing at him.  He swung up the black-bladed machete he called Belle, but he was clearly out of practice.  He connected with one and it staggered back, but his strike hadn't done any damage to the creature's brain.  The other one began grabbing at his right arm, trying to manage a bite.
As Robb wrestled the zombie off him and to the ground, the other zombie was getting back up.  Chaz quickly ran over and battered it back to the ground with the butt of her rifle.

On the zombie's activation, two make it into close combat (the heroes have moved towards them, trying to tackle them piecemeal.  I had deliberately moved Robb, who was REP 5 and had a decent hand weapon (albeit in his off hand), into close combat over Chaz, who was REP 4 and had only the improvised weapon of the assault rifle.  In close combat with the first zombie, Robb had only two successes to the zombie's one, and didn't roll well enough on the result to get anything but a KD.  Worse, the second zombie managed to tie Robb at 2 apiece, and he was locked in combat.
On the heroes' activation, Robb was locked in combat and got 4 successes to 3, knocking that one down.  I moved Chaz into melee with the zombie that had been knocked down (hoping the one die advantage would help) but only she only got a 2:1 and another KD result. I should have popped the weasel this turn, but I thought Chaz might have a chance.  Close combat was not going as well as I had hoped.

Turn 3: Robb 1, Zombies 6
Turn 4: Robb 1, Zombies 5

"Enough of this!" said Robb angrily as he fired a quick shot into the head of the zombie on the ground.  Chaz followed suit with the second zombie.  "We need to keep moving before we are completely surrounded," she said.
"Then let's warm up the band," said Robb, walking briskly towards the gas station, firing as he went.  One of his shots caught a zombie in the shoulder and it tumbled down.  Chaz's aim was better, catching another in the head.

The two heroes were moved closer to the zombies up the road, again trying to catch them in small groups rather than all at once.  Robb fired twice, hit once, but got a KD.  Chaz fired once and got the OD instead with the Easy to Kill rule. Unfortunately, all three shots ended up summoning zombies to the area.

Turn 5: Robb 2, Zombies 3

Robb took a deep breath and began to focus on what he was doing.  He fired two shots at two zombies closing in on his side and both their heads splintered with the impact of the bullets.  Behind him, Chaz was having less luck.  Her shot at an approaching zombie had missed, and now the zombie had drawn up to her.  It's mouth opened with a horrible moan, but then caught the stock end of her rifle.  It tumbled backwards onto the ground, but the blow hadn't much strength behind it.

Robb's two shots were good, but Chaz's miss summoned yet another zombie.  The neighborhood was a lot more crowded than Robb had hoped!  The sole zombie in range fought with Chaz, but lost 2:3 to the costumed heroine.  It only suffered a KD, though.

Turn 6: Robb 3, Zombies 4

Robb pivoted in place and fired two more shots.  Two more zombies went down and were still.  I could do this all day, Robb thought with a grim smile.  Chaz fired her rifle from the hip, putting down the zombie she had shrugged off.
"I knew there was a reason I picked you to be my sidekick," Chaz said with a grin.

Chaz again popped the weasel, and thankfully no zombies were summoned by any of the shots.

Turn 7: Robb 5, Zombies 3

"Kid, I'm pretty sure the middle-aged guy with the big gun is the mentor figure!" said Robb as he continued firing at the approaching zombies.  Two were hit, but only one went down.  "Not the chippie in the spandex!"
Chaz flipped the switch on her assault rifle.  "I'll show you whose got the bigger gun, Inspector Gadget!"
She fired off a burst of shots at a nearby zombie, and it flew apart.

Three more zombies were summoned by the shots.  At the rate is was going, the heroes were failing to kill more than they brought to the fight.

Turn 8: Robb 4, Zombies 6

"Okay, 'Penny' let's get what we are here for," said Robb as they ducked into the gas station's main building.  Inside, two former customers and a woman in a polo shirt with the station's logo wandered inside, their dead eyes turning towards them as the small bell on the door jingled.
"I need twenty dollars on pump number three," said Robb as he fired at the two closest customers.  Both their heads snapped backwards, but the slide on the gun stayed in the back position.  "Guess you're done for now," Robb said to the empty pistol.
The decaying attendant lurched with unexpected speed towards Chaz.  She brought up the rifle across her chest to try to push back the zombie, but the dead woman kept coming at her.

Rolling 6d6, I got three zombies for the interior of the building.  Robb rolled a 5, added his REP of 5 for his reaction result of 10.  Chaz rolled a 1 for a total of 5, and the zombies rolled a 6, which was added to three (the number of them in the building) for a total of 9.  So the order is Robb, zombies, then Chaz.
Robb fired and hit twice, but rolled two ones on the "Easy to Kill" rule, meaning he was out of ammo and needed to reload.  The lone remaining zombie attacked Chaz and the two tied at 2 each.  The zombies continued to do well in hand-to-hand combat this game, and they were locked in combat.

Turn 9: Robb 6, Zombies 6
Turn 10: Robb 2, Zombies 6

Robb pulled the zombie away from Chaz.  The two of them grappled each other, trying to get the upper hand.  Chaz charged into the zombie, knocking it to the ground.

Robb entered melee to assist Chaz, but only managed a 3:3 tie himself.  Chaz squeaked out a 4:3 win, but only got the KD result. It is hard to kill zombies in melee combat.

Turn 11: Robb 3, Zombies 6

Chaz reared back, leveled her rifle, and fired a quick shot into the zombie's head.  "Did you actually make a pop culture reference a minute ago?" she gasped at Robb.

A zombie was summoned, naturally.

Turn 12: Robb 2, Zombies 5

"I didn't grow up under a rock, you know.  I watched the cartoon, you know.  Not that Matthew Broderick crap." said Robb.  Chaz grabbed a gas can.  "I'll fuel up, you hold them off," she said as she headed back out.
Robb reloaded his pistol and followed her outside.

This turned counted as one of the two for the purposes of pumping gas, since Chaz didn't do anything while Robb reloaded.

Turn 13: Robb 1, Zombies 6

"Fresh bullets.  Get your fresh bullets here!" said Robb as he stepped outside and fired a shot into the head of a nearby zombie.  Chaz moved to the pump and began filling the red plastic container.

I noticed that the zombies had actually failed to activate for five straight turns.  That more than makes up for the dodgy luck in close combat.  By the way, no zombies were summoned with the single shot.

Turn 14: Robb 5, Zombies 3
Turn 15: Robb 4, Zombies 4
Turn 16: Robb 4, Zombies 5

"I got the gas.  Let's get out of here," said Chaz as the zombies on the street drew closer.  Robb charged towards one of them, swinging the machete.  He landed a hit that would have killed a living man, but only stunned the ghoul.  Chaz swung the rifle around at the second and crushed the side of its head.

I was getting a little worried about the number of zombies that were closing in from the south, so I decided to risk melee combat again.  Robb won 4:3 for a KD result.  Chaz got an impressive 5:2 win and on Obviously Dead result.

Turn 17: Robb 1, Zombies 3

Robb and Chaz ducked into the space between two houses across the street from the gas station.  There was a faint noise, and Robb turned quickly to face a man wielding a samurai sword.  Robb quickly took in the man's clean and intelligent appearance and stepped back.  "We're alive," he said calmly.
"I can tell," said the man, who was bald and wearing a gray hoodie.  "You're making more noise than a demolition derby."
Robb winced slightly at the word "derby" but pressed on.  "I'm Robb, and this is Chaz.  We're trying to make our way to a car.  You're welcome to come with us, if you want."
The man looked at the two of them and frowned.  "No thanks.  The two of you are way to careless.  You'll attract every zombie in the city with the racket you're making.  I'm better off on my own."
Robb started to try to argue with the man, but Chaz tugged at his coat.  "They are still right behind us.  If he doesn't want to come with us, that's his problem.  Let's go."
Robb relented and followed her towards the red VW beetle.

The remaining zombies were too far away to catch Robb and Chaz before they moved off the table, but there were two PEF's that had made their way to the far edge, and were now in sight.  The first one just passed 1d6 and raised the ER of the session, but that allowed the second to become an encounter.  I lucked out and rolled a single Survivor and brought out Peter, whom I had just painted.  A random die roll on the Survivor chart showed him to be REP 5, which wasn't a good thing because it would make it harder for him to be recruited.
And sure enough, Robb failed to beat Peter by 1 success, meaning they would just exchange pleasantries and move on.  Given Peter's preference for quiet weapons and the number of zombies I had summoned with gunfire, I figured Peter wouldn't care for Robb's loud tactics.  Hopefully he would change his mind later.  But Robb's success with recruiting other people hadn't been that great throughout the campaign.

I didn't need to roll to see if Chaz stuck around, since I had the guarantee from the game last March.  Rolling for REP increases, Robb failed to increase his REP, but Chaz rolled a 5, raising her to Robb's equal. Perhaps our Star might end up eventually a sidekick after all!

Well, Robb and Chaz made it through the first half of the two-part scenario.  Now to see if they can make it to the car, and if all of their trouble will be worth it in the end.

Comments always welcome, and it is good to be back!

McTavish, Survivor(?)

Another Copplestone Casting Future Wars figure, this one a middle-aged, portly fellow with a Luger pistol.  I have thought if using him as a survivor, but I also considered using him as the boss of some organized crime gang that has been managing to do well for themselves in the zombie apocalypse. 

Speaking of which, I think it is time for Robb's misadventures in a world gone to Hell to continue sometime soon, don't you think?

Book Review: Fighting to Survive by Rhiannon Frater

So as I was hanging around Thanksgiving break with a broken ankle and thinking about the upcoming ATZ demo game (see previous post) so I thought I would get in the mood by reading a zombie novel, in this case Fighting to Survive by Rhiannon Frater.  It's the second in her "As the World Dies" trilogy, the first being The First Days.

In broad terms, the book is about a community of survivors of the zombie apocalypse who are living in a fortified construction site.  They decide to expand into a nearby luxury hotel in order to create more space and nicer accommodations.  In the meantime, a roving band of gangers becomes more and more of a threat to them.

The book's two protagonists are Katie and Jenni.  Both lost their families in the first days of the zombie attack, and both are developing new relationships in the survivor community.  For Katie this means overcoming her grief of losing her wife and realizing that she is falling in love with Travis, a leader of the group.  For Jenni this means dealing with the trauma of her previously abusive spouse and the death of her children.  Jenni isn't the most stable of individuals, and her sanity gets more precarious as the book goes on.

I have said in other reviews that for me the mark of a good zombie story--book, movie, or other--is how it handles the people element, not the zombie gore.  What this book does right is explore how a small, isolated community like this one has to cope with the challenges in a post-zombie world.  Some members of the community struggle with the collapse of class distinctions.  The question of how to address crime within the group is gone into detail.  There is also the issue of the role of vigilantism and the post-zombie social contract.  It's not dissimilar from what is going on right now in The Walking Dead with Carol being expelled from the TV series' community, and it what makes the book particularly interesting.

That's not to say the book doesn't have its grisly moments, but they are not gratuitous in nature.  In terms of pathos, the book is actually pretty light in tone, which could either be a plus or a minus, depending on the tastes of the reader.  There's distinctly a romantic overtone to the book as well, which wasn't a negative per se for me but might not be everyone's cup of tea.

A good read for hanging out by the pool in a leg cast.

Pics from the convention game

Saturday evening my church hosted a board game night, complete with a Munchkin tournament.  I ran a demo game of All Things Zombie with six players taking on the roles of six survivors while I ran the zombies.  I made a point of using some of the survivor miniatures that never made it into my campaign.  The scenario was a simple one: the six survivors had to make it from one end of the table to the other, stopping off at building to attempt to acquire at least one resource before exiting the table.
I ended up running the scenario twice that evening, both times each group made it off without difficulty, although there were plenty of tight spots including one pair of survivors jumping from one office building roof to another to flee a horde of zombies!
Pics below, and as always click to see a larger version.

Amber

Like I said in my previous post, I'm on a roll right now.  This is another Hasslefree miniature, a nice young lady armed with pistol, a pistol-grip shotgun (I'm assuming--it is in a sheath on her back), a knife, and a hockey stick.  She's ready for anything!  I let my daughter name her, and she called this miniature "Amber."

Zombie Survivor Peter

Has it really been since March since I updated this blog?  Well, if you have been following my other blog, you'll know I'm laid up with an ankle injury.  That means more painting time.  In addition, I'm planning on running an ATZ display game at a local gaming convention, so I need to get my roster built up!

This is "Zombie Hunter Kev" from Hasslefree, but I'm naming him "Peter" after a friend who wanted be in my ATZ campaign.  Of course, that means I need to start up my ATZ campaign again...

ATZ Campaign, Day 44: Requiem, part 2

So it's been a while since the last installment, the first part of Robb's first day alone in the zombie apocalypse.  For those who have forgotten, Robb's girlfriend Irene was killed by zombies while their friend Erin left the group to search for her family.  Wandering the streets alone, Robb has run into more than his share of trouble and was nearly killed.

At this point, the encounter is at ER 4, but a special event roll has meant that Robb will not summon zombies as a result of gunfire, noise, etc.  I have decided that zombies can still be found in buildings, however.  But that is still a pretty sweet deal, and I want to capitalize on it.

Turn 22: Robb 1, Zombies 5

Leaving the store behind, Robb began to make his way towards a row of houses.  While he had managed to find some food, nearly at the cost of his life, Robb thought he could still make time to check a few other places.

Turn 23: Robb 3, Zombies 3

Robb continued to walk along.  Unbeknownst to him, in his struggle against the zombies the handful of spare clips had fallen out of his pocket.  He was carrying only the ammo in his pistol.

Doubles and less than the ER of the encounter meant a special event (again).  I rolled a total of 10, meaning that when Robb's primary weapon (his BA Pistol) runs out of ammo it stays that way for the end of the encounter.  Bummer.

Turn 24: Robb 6, Zombies 2
Turn 25: Robb 5, Zombies 4

Robb carefully walked over to one of the houses and tested the door carefully.  It was unlocked.  He swung it open slowly and peered inside.

As a reminder, Robb is REP 4, but activates on a 5 because of his Initiative attribute.

Turn 26: Robb 5, Zombies 5

Inside the house, Robb could see a person moving around the living room, a young woman with bright red hair.  The woman spun suddenly, pointed an assault rifle at Robb.  She let out a scream.
"Wait, wait!  I'm not a zombie!  I'm alive!" Robb said, holding up his hands.
The woman looked incredulously at the layer of blood and gore on the front of Robb's shirt and coat.  "Are you sure?"
Robb looked down at his attire and sighed.  "Yeah, this..." he gestured at his chest "none of this is me."
He looked at the woman.  She was wearing a two-tone gray bodysuit with a leather jacket.  "What are you wearing?"
The woman looked indignant.  "This is my Motoko Kusanagi costume.  From Ghost in the Shell?  I'm...I mean I was into Japanese cosplay.  You got a problem with that?"
Robb shrugged.  "It's the zombie apocalypse, sweetheart.  Wear whatever you want."  He looked around.  "I'm sorry, is this your house?"
The woman shook her head.  "No, I left my place a while back when it was overrun.  I was just looking around for supplies.  What about you?"
Robb's face went slack.  "I was just going for a walk.  My name's Robb, by the way."
The woman smiled.  "I'm Chaz.  You by yourself or with other people?"
Robb frowned.  "No," he said.  "There's no one with me."
"Maybe you'd have more luck if you didn't look like one of them."
Robb grimaced slightly.  "I just need to get home and get cleaned up.  You're welcome to come back with me.  I've got some food and stuff.  Beats wandering around by yourself."
Chaz shrugged.  "Good point.  Besides, if you really can handle yourself, I could use a sidekick."
Robb cocked an eyebrow.  "'Sidekick?' Whatever.  Hey, where'd you get the assault rifle?"
"Found it," said Chaz as she began to root around the house.

Rolling 6d6 to see if there were any zombies within the building, I was surprised to have none appear.  That meant we moved onto a "Defining Moment," which is resolved like a PEF.  With the ER now 4, I rolled a 2d6 on the PEF table, meaning Contact!  The roll on the "Days 30+" table showed a Survivor, and the "How Many" table came up with one.
Determining her stats, I found she was a REP 4 Survivor.  I had "loaded up" several Survivor characters based on friends of mine.  The person who is the real life Chaz had picked out the miniature by Hasslefree Miniatures based on Motoko Kusanagi, a miniature armed with an assault rifle.  Since the real life Chaz is into cosplay, it only made sense that her alter ego would be as well!  On the "Meet and Greet" Robb scored more successes, and Chaz would join the group.

Chaz is REP 4, People 3 and Savvy 2 with the Brawler attribute.  She's armed with an assault rifle.

Rifling through the house, Robb managed to locate some camping equipment including a sterno stove.  Chaz found some dried goods in the larder.  "Good deal," said Chaz cheerily.
"Maybe things are looking up," said Robb with a faint grin.  "Want to look around at the other places?"

Rolling against the ER 4, Robb found a luxury item with 2d6, Chaz food with 1d6.

Turn 27: Robb 4, Zombies 6
Turn 28: Robb 4, Zombies 3

Robb and Chaz stepped out of the house and moved on down the street.  Robb paused at a red Volkswagon Beetle and peered inside.  He tried the door, found it unlocked, and looked in.
"What are you doing?" asked Chaz.
"I have an idea," said Robb.  He togged the button that released the trunk, went around, and rummaged in the back.  He came out wielding a large tire iron.
"You don't look like you have a melee weapon, and sometimes I don't think we'll want the noise of a machine gun," he said, tossing her the tool.

I'd misread in earlier sessions that you don't have to check for vehicles like you do for buildings when it comes to zombies (thus explaining the weird "four zombies in the cab of a semi" moment a while back that nearly killed Irene and did kill Monty).  But you can check for stuff, and I had Robb look, passing 2d6, and finding a luxury item, in this case a hand weapon for Chaz.

Turn 29: Robb 1, Zombies 1

Suddenly both of them stopped.  Overhead, they could hear the sound of a helicopter.  The black vehicle passed by, heading west.  "Do you think we should try to flag it down or something?" asked Chaz.
"I don't know how we would," said Robb.  "Odd that it is heading west.  The big city is east of us.  I wonder where it is going."

Random event.  It would affect zombies, if there were any.

Turn 30: Robb 6, Zombies 2
Turn 31: Robb 1, Zombies 2

Robb and Chaz entered the next house.  Inside, the decor featured kitschy country nostalgia that once might have been called "Americana."  A zombie was staggering about in the living room, while a second moved in the kitchen, visible through an opening to the living room where meals could once have been passed.  Both of them seemed to not notice Robb or Chaz, and Robb drew his pistol and shot the one in the living room through the head.  He turned and shot the second, but the bullet went lower than intended and the zombie staggered back against the island countertop.  Chaz fired a round from her rifle, and the zombie's brain scattered across the kitchen cupboards.
"Anyone else?" Robb asked.
"Not that I can see," said Chaz.  The two began to look around.  Robb found more foodstuffs that still looked edible in the kitchen.  Chaz grabbed a set of keys from a hook.  "These have a VW symbol on them.  Think they go to the car outside?"
"Worth checking out," Robb said.

Rolling to see what was inside the building, I got a total of two zombies.  I rolled a one of the zombie surprise roll for a total of three.  Since Robb and Chaz both had higher REP's, they would go first automatically, but a die roll gave Robb a total of 10 and Chaz a total of 5.  Robb shot twice and hit twice, but only killed the first zombie and knocked down the second.  Chaz "popped the weasel" with her activation, ending combat.
Robb got 1d6 for searching (meaning food) and Chaz 2d6.  I was interested in adding a vehicle to the team, so I went with keys for the car outside.  It didn't hurt that its noise wouldn't summon zombies.

Turn 34: Robb 3, Zombies 5

Robb and Chaz returned to the VW Bug.  Chaz got in and tried the ignition.  The lights came on, but the engine failed to start.  "It's out of gas," she said.  "Someone must have drained it or something."
"But it works, or it might," said Robb.  "Hang onto the keys.  If we find some gas of our own, we might come back."

Still on foot, but feeling distinctly better, Robb led Chaz back towards his house.
"So, do you like anime?" asked Chaz brightly as they walked.

After Day 30, the chance of a car having fuel is only a 1-3 on a 1d6.  A roll of four meant no luck.  It was worth the risk, and I could justify coming back later.
With no real areas of interest left, and wishing to wrap things up, I called the session to a close.

Well, it feels a little bit like the campaign is back on its feet again.  I was pretty disheartened about everything when Robb lost his entire team, including his original partner.  Writing a character's story when they are alone isn't quite as interesting for me, and it seemed likely that Robb would die anyways without support.  So I took a break for a while and focused on other projects.

Eventually I decided to take another shot at it and got lucky running into another character.  Finding Survivors or even Gangers isn't that easy in ATZ:FFO, especially in low-ER environments.  This reflects the lesser population density and it generally less threatening for other reasons, but if you need to replenish a team, its a long slog of a process.

But, at least Robb has another person with him, and she's not a bad teammate in terms of abilities and equipment.  The real life Chaz is a fun person to hang out with as well, making it easy to write her character in-story.  Here's a close-up of the newest member of Team Robb.

There's more than one additional Survivor (and quite a few Gangers) on the painting table, so hopefully they will be making an appearance soon!


Final note: Rolling to see if a REP increased occurred, I rolled a 5 for Robb, meaning he would finally increase, but only a 2 for Chaz.  In the "Keeping It Together" post-game roll, Robb got a whalloping four successes to Chaz's one, meaning not only would she stick around, but she wouldn't need to check the next session.