From Russia, With Love(Esme)

September 12, 2025

PlotLog

Date: 2025-09-11 19:56

(From Russia, With Love(Esme):Esme)

[Thu Sep 11 2025]

In a clearing in the Bryansk Forest Nature Reserve/span>/spanThe Bryansk Forest Nature Reserve lies along the quiet borderlands
of western Russia, a vast stretch of ancient woodland where towering
oaks, birches, and pines weave together into a dense, living labyrinth.
Fading sunlight filters through the canopy in broken shards, illuminating
patches of wildflowers and the dark, still pools scattered throughout
the reserve. The deeper one ventures, the older and wilder the forest
becomes, until the trees themselves seem to lean inward as though
guarding forgotten secrets.

It is morning/span>/span64F(17C) degrees, and there are a few wispy white clouds in the sky. The mist is heaviest At Birch and Hart/span>/spanMatthew has his hands ins his pockets, shaking his head side to side at Gabriel, “Naw, I can maybe get us past a few locked doors, though,” he offers up to the group.

Jakem hmms as he looks about “This is a lot less… populated that the last run. Huh. I suppose we’re hoofin’ it then?”

The group comes out in the middle of a small clearing with a not-so-well-trod path made out. A mirror has purposely lugged all the way out here and set up to be able to access the area and leave it. The forest is quiet aside the occasional hum of wildlife. “Yeah, we’re hoofin’ it.” Esme agrees, motioning toward the path. “Bunker’s not too far up ahead.”

Gabriel moves right along with the group, not seeming to mind the prospect of hoofing it too much aside from one complaint, “Why do I always get dragged along on the shit that’s happening during the day?”

Matthew surveys the forestwhen they pop through that mirror, subtly looking over the forestry setting and then his own semi camouflaged attire of black and green. “You said intel expects it to be empty?” he wonders, taking to the path as the group continues underway.

Jakem chuckles to Gabriel “Night times for the after parties, my friend.”

Jakem shoves his hands in his pockets, whistling… Not a tune, but rather something extremely similar to a bird song. The song comes from all over the path though, not a single location.

“Is it day time when it’s three in the morning?” Matthew wonders sincerely of Gabriel, squinting in his study of the man, “I never really know what the rules is for Vamps.” The noise Jakem produces isn’t registered as belonging to the man and he turns his attention to the tree-line like he expects an army of people to step out. To his credit he makes no reaction beyond resting his hand into his pocket as he casually comments, “Think there may be a group watchin’ us.”

“At least there’s a lot of cover.” Esme snickers to Gabriel as they walk along, getting some of her gear ready just in case. “Empty of like, regular Russian soldiers at least.” She nods to Matthew. There’s a bit of a smile at Jakem’s bird song, “That’s pretty nifty.” She murmurs. It doesn’t take too much walking before they come upon it. A large concrete slab with a raised, dome-like door in the center. Not too different from how a submarine door might look. “Alright…this is as far as I’ve been.” She keeps them at the edge of the other clearing. “What makes you think that?” She asks Matthew, voice low but genuinely curious.

Jakem snickers at Esme “Cause people are always watchin’ him. It’s his job.”

“Long as the sun is out it sucks ass.” Gabriel informs Matthew, trying to stay under the shade of the trees while he strolls along, hands in his pockets and humming to Jakem’s bird song.

“You hear that–” he nods towards the treeline, “the whistling, coming from all over the place, that ain’t a bird.” It’s also not a group but Matthew still hasn’t clocked all that whistling came from Jakem.

The bird song mysteriously disappears everytime Jakem makes a quip. Strange.

Gabriel is idly looking toward the treeline where Matthew points out, not quite catching on to the misunderstanding yet but also not noticing anything to be concerned about.

chuckles, “I think we’ll be alright.” Esme assures Matthew with a bit of a grin. “If there are other people here, we’ll handle ’em. Now let’s get this door open and head down.” She motions for the group, moving them closer to the door, “I think you’re the strongest one, Gabe. If you wanna grab it.” She levels her bow carefully, just in case.

((There will be a small combat skirmish when we get down there so anyone who would have pre-prepped having a weapon out or armor on, go ahead and don it! I’ll take us down in a couple minutes.))

Matthew glances towards someone, a belated response to the quip, “Oh, I wouldn’t put it past Petal-Niety-seven. She’s been a long time fan and has showed up in weirder places.” He’s sincere enough but flashes a grin, “but y’know, probably not. Just sayin…” But he’s at ease with the group, he

Jakem pulls out his pistol, checking the clip idly as he whistles. Whether he’s concerned for what’s out in the woods isn’t clear, it looks like routine maintenance. “So now Ruskis, Reds, or Romakovs? What are we expectin’ far as resistance goes? Sounds like it should be abandoned, or at worst, a tourist trap.”

Matthew glances towards Jakem, a belated response to the quip, “Oh, I wouldn’t put it past Petal-Niety-seven. She’s been a long time fan and has showed up in weirder places.” He’s sincere enough but flashes a grin, “but y’know, probably not. Just sayin…” But he’s at ease with the group, a self-proclaimed lover not a fighter and if the fighters aren’t stressing, why should he? He files in behind the rest as someone takes point on the door.

Matthew pulls that pistol out of his pocket along with a knife.

Jakem smirks “Petal? Say, why’s your cousin or whatever keep changing her user name? I can never keep ’em straight. I’m miss the black petal one.”

Gabriel steps up to the door and fidgets around for a good handhold to get the thing ripped open, “Let’s see what I can do here.. Everyone be ready.”

Matthew frowns at Jakem, “YOu know, that’s a good question, it’s terrible for her brand recognition.”

Matthew pats his chest, thudding on what is surely some armor.

Jakem nods to Matthew “Plus now that she’s changed it, someone can snag it from her unless she’s got someone holding it for her.”

Matthew snickers when Jakem points that out before brushing it off with a hand, “Well, I guess she’ll just have to deal with the consequences if it ever happens,” he decides, not sounding overly concerned for his cousin’s revolving door of names. “I can’t even keep up, literally yesterday I Was asking who the fuck she was in the family group chat and she was teasing me for not putting two and two together.”

Once the door is opened, Esme takes point on leading the group down into the bunker. Her nose wrinkles up at the unpleasant general scent of mildew and stale air. She looks like she’s going to say something but she doesn’t get a chance as some shambling shuffling things emerge from a western door.

Jakem smirks to Matthew as he chatters “Good point, someone could skip the user names, just go for the color coordination, and claim to be the new her. Hate to see that happen.” he says with enough sincerity to almost filla thimble. “Oh, called it, commie zommmies.”

Gabriel says “Hello, undead brethren. Be better.“

Esme says “Fuckin zombies?!“

Gabriel says “Someone cover Jakem. I can’t.“

Matthew just keeps on carrying on the conversation, even if he should be careful considering he’s got a gun out and they’re about to enter this restricted bunker. It’s the smell that actually registers to him that there’s a job to be done, and he’s immediately pulling a face, checking with the group. He almost doesn’t see the Zombies until they’re on the group. For a good while he just stands there, frozen in surprise before it occurs to him that he should probably shoot his gun.

Matthew says “I’m not… really…“

Jakem lunges repeatedly at the zombies, taking a few minor nicks, and then a more severe gash. For the most part the zombies appear to be stumbling into random objects, with the occassional zombie momentarily distracted by a gnattering bit of debris from the ceiling after the structure damage from the forced entry.

The zombies are few, but resilient, stumbling scratching, trying to bite if they can. Esme tries to alternate between slashing and shooting but she’s starting to look a little banged up. “Anyone doing bad?” She calls, finding a moment of reprieve to try and slap a field bandage on an arm gash. “I got a couple more of these. I remembered them!”

Jakem says, calling over, “Oh, I think I’m gonna turn into a zombie shortly. That’s how this works. Do the bandages help with that?“

Gabriel calls out amidst the fighting, “Nah, bandages don’t do much for me. I’m doing fine as long as I can keep on them.”

Matthew looks himself over, “I just started taking the beating, I can probably… take about six more hits before it look sbad for me,” he murmurs, “unless they get a few lucky hits.”

“I’ve got you covered Gabe.” Esme nods about the bandages, moving to try and help Jakem out. “I think we can take ’em!”

Jakem says, with a nod, “Yeah, just sayin’, probably gonna be a zombie at the end of this.“

Jakem looks to Matthew “You think there’s marketing potential in that?”

especially thinks this because there’s only one zombie left now! Convenient.

Gabriel says “I can turn anyone into the far more fun kind of undead if they wish.“

Esme says “Let’s try and not let anyone leave a zombie or a new bite“

Esme says “biter event“

Jakem says “Hey Anna, if I get turned into a zombie, is that gonna change your status at all?“

Matthew glances towards Jakem, “For sure, we can totally run some horror shorts, get a whole channel,” he reasons over his way. meanwhile the fighting continues. He manages to avoid a bite, likely due to the indestructible nature of his clothing. Its own kind of armor, in a way.

Jakem says “I don’t tell you what you can and can’t get bitten by.“

Matthew brains one Zombie and then makes for another, charging it with knife in hand.

Jakem cannot shut up for even a moment, fighting back the zombies, on the verge of being overwhelmed, and just still talking. He’d probably be still talking if he was turend into a zombied.

Gabriel dusts himself off, bloodless wounds already stitching themselves closed, “Well, that was fun.”

The fight goes on a short while longer and ultimately ends with a pile of corpses of, well, corpses. “Fuckin’ hell.” She groans as a few of her own nicks and scratches start healing up. “Okay. If any of us turn into zombies, you’re stuck down here forever.” She insists. “So no one turn into a zombie.” She frowns, nudging at one of the corpses before -finally- taking a look around the bunker itself.

Gabriel considers that for a second and says, “Pretty sure I’m immune to zombification so I’ll lock everyone down here if necessary.”

Jakem glances about “I suppose I could run my empire from here, soon as I get an empire at least. What’s the wifi like?”

Jakem says “Everyone’s always so critical of my unlife decisions.“

Matthew look relatively alarmed at the prospect of becoming reanimated and insists, “If I die, bury and pay the charon price, pleas!” A beat and then, “I’m too young to die!”

“I mean, the comms work so, could probably make it happen.” Esme figures to Jakem, “Not sure I’d want to do much down here though unless you can get rid of the smell.” She shudders. “Deal.” She tells Gabriel about people being locked up. “Alright…let’s poke around a little, see what we can see…watch out for more zombies…” She looks straight ahead with some uncertainty. “I think I hear more footsteps or something so just. Cautious.”

Jakem tilts his head as he looks to Matthew “Oh yeah? Picked out a death date then have yah? What’re you going with? You think you could make it to a decent palindrome?”

Jakem hmmm’s “2112 is the next one by my reckoning. That’s a ways off.”

when the mention of more footsteps comes Gabriel decides heavier armaments are in order and collects something from his bag.

Matthew considers and tilts his head, “Well, I’mma be immortal,” he insists, “so not really planning to, period.” But there are footsteps amidst the gut wrenching stench that the Montrose is safeguarding against by pulling his shirt up.

((As an aside, the nature of this plot is such that I messed up a storyidea submission but didn’t want it to go to waste. So while you can’t look for relics since it’s not offworld/delve – it is a fun opportunity for IC reasoning for any favor-related things you might be saving up for/thinking about buying and all that.))

levels her bow cautiously leading the group forward.

Jakem follows after Esme, seeming to rely mostly on those around him to keep watch for danger as he seems blithely unaware of his surroundings for the most part, except for the periodic admiration of a knick knack here or there.

Matthew’s nose flares, poking out above the collar of his shirt to take in something that, despite whatever other terrible stenches cling to these walls, shines out above the rest. He’s so preoccupied he all but misses the most obvious thing in this room: very obviously magical circle that’s glowing purple.

Jakem looks about the walls at the various posters “Well some of these are pretty vintage.” he comments as he reaches up to gingerly take one “Not seeing anything specifically magical though.” he says, giving the posters a closer look over.

The nexus room, such as it is, is devoid of zombies! But it’s not devoid of strangeness. Esme stares at the thing on the wall for a long moment. “…Either something’s going to come out of that or we have to go into that.” She starts to pull out a set of blueprints. “Eva found something about a strange security system and duct work. I’m willing to bet that’s related somehow…”

Esme says “But maybe we save that for last or something…see what’s in these other rooms first.“

Jakem turns and looks at the circle “Oh, I found something magical.” he announces to the group of people looking at the obviously magical thing.

Matthew frowns thoughtful at the poster that Jakem snags and he steps over to that wall, considering if there is anything he’d like; there’s not. By the time Jakem’s pointing out the obvious, he’s staring at it, head half-cocked and aside with an obvious ‘huh’ expression. “Dunno ’bout going into it, think exploring the rest–” he nods off to one side, “saw a door that-a-way, and across.”

Jakem nods “Sounds good to me, I gotta meet up with some folks later, but I think I still got some time to scavenge for memorabilia.” He concurs with Matthew, heading in the indicated direction, but not really because he’s really following Esme.

Jakem sniffs at the paper, and shakes his head with a wrinkle of his nose “Nah, not for me.” he says scenting the iron.

leads the trio into what looks like it used to be an archive room, or technically still is – considering there’s still stuff here! Including a couple zombies which are likely dispatched quickly now that the group is more prepared. “More for me then.” Esme muses to Jakem post-zombie-dispatching as she plucks up a few. “This stuff’s pretty neat. It’s like…” She looks to the walls. “They were tryna do some occult shit that maybe didn’t pan out?” She looks back to some papers. “…I wish I could read Cyrillic.”

Matthew nods, “Something’ about it all is fills me up in side,” he notes to Jakem, “but I wouldn’t wanna try and live here or nothin’, no sir. Smells baaaad.” He pulls out his phone, “I guess you could take a photo, right?”

“Take a photo?” Esme looks up and over to Matthew to see if he’s talking to her or Jakem.

Jakem nods to Matthew “Oh there yah go, let’s see here…”

blinks at the doll and then snickers.

Matthew points towards the circle, “That what you’re tryna read, right?” he wonders of Esme, nodding agreement with Jakem.

Jakem says to the doll “A’right, you heard the man, get those papers and roll ’em out so we can take pictures.”

The doll does not move. “Huh, did I not program this one?”

Jakem uses a 02gin66ger-08hai72red cloth doll/span: 66Hester [B]Counter[Beats A, C, K, H, M/span>Jakem pulls out a ginger haired rag doll next, which quietly sulks until he’s not paying attention at which time it bites his thumb. “Ow, shit.”

Jakem uses a 02gin66ger-08hai72red cloth doll/span: 66Hester [A]Frolic[Beats C, E, H, J, O/span>Jakem turns to Matthew before stowing the doll back in his duffel bag “My minions are not going to unravel them for us.”

“Oh!” Esme nods. “Well and these.” She wiggles some papers she was holding. “Good idea. Let’s see if it’ll work.” She takes her own phone out to fiddle and get a picture of some things as well. “I’ll be quick. I can work the actual translations later and we can check out the other room.”

Matthew shrugs his shoulders, “Well, I had thought it was the circle but she can just take the papers, figure it out from there, but maybe it’s in google translate….?” He nods agreement with Esme, “But seriously, there needs to be an app or something like that for this level of stuff.”

Gabriel glances at the various papers after recovering from a bout of listless meandering and looking around the various rooms, “Everything is on the internet. I’m sure you can find a translation for that, or find someone back in town to look it over.”

Jakem nods to Matthew “Yeah, but we gotta go in the circle. Otherwise people will make fun of us.” People being Jakem. Jakem will make fun of us for not stepping in the goo.

snaps pictures of the wall and the papers. “There probably is. Maybe? If I figure out anything interesting I’ll pass it on.” She nods to Matthew. “If I -had- to guess…well. I think maybe one of their experiments or something went awry? It looked like things got cleared out in a hurry from that front room.” She murmurs. She snaps a couple final pictures and restows her phone. “Absolutely we’re going into the portal thing. But first, let’s look at the other room.”

Jakem walks directly up to the shelves and begins to rifle through them “Oh, hip flask. Can’t be cool when I’m old without a hip flask to pour into stuff.” he comments as he reaches for it.

Esme leads the group into the room across the way where things seem -much- more magical. “Oh, this is more my speed for sure.” She decides, especially as it’s zombie-free. She moves a bit closer to the shelves and cases to get a closer look. While there are plenty of things obviously gone – packed up, previously looted, whatever the case may be, there’s still several interesting things for the taking.

((All of these but the map are cursed with a nifty little effect when you hold them! So if you hold them, be sure you remove them first before stowing/dropping them))

Gabriel digs around on the shelves and through the cases before spotting a fragment of glass in a lead case, “This is.. concerning. I’ve got to know.”

Jakem looks off into the middle distance as he holds the hip flask “Oh, huh. There musta been some risdue on the flask.”

Gabriel freezes for a moment when he touches the shard, having to force himself to put it away in his pocket which brings about some relief, “Oh… oh that’s diabolical.”

Jakem glances more closely at the flask “Oh, yeah this is certainly enchanted.”

looks toward Jakem and Gabriel with lifted brows. “What happened?” She asks, picking up a locket to carefully examine it.

Esme gently opens the locket with the practiced hand of an antiques dealer who deals with these things. She blinks for a moment at the contents, lightly furrowing her brow before she closes it and shakes her head. “Yeah. There’s definitely something fucky.” She decides as she puts the necklace in her bag and wanders to retrieve the map.

Jakem looks over to Esme “Hmmm, oh just some hallucination. Probably a memory from the poor schmuck that had the flask last. I wonder if I can stick it in a doll.”

“Oh this is pretty cool.” Esme unfurls the map so everyone can see it for a moment or two before she carefully rolls it back up for later examination. “Alright. Let’s check this portal out and then as long as it doesn’t suck us into an alternative dimension I think we’ll be okay.”

Jakem nods to Esme, letting out a soft whistle “This is kinda creepy. I’m a bit jealous. What with halloween coming, maybe we could do guided tours of this place.”

Jakem salutes Esme with a crooked grin. “The drunk ruski doll. Maybe. Or maybe PTSD doll. Fun fer the whole family.”

((One more fight awaits us in the final room! However, I think instead of the original coded fight intended I think I’d rather just do a little bit of a montage style thing for it. Set the scene and then everyone can do a couple pose rounds with some glossy combat/reaction stuff before I tie it up))

Matthew trails after Esme, scanning the room with appraising eyes before pulling out his phone. “I’m just gonna record a little video here,” he announces, already flipping the camera on himself. He shifts his voice into a half-serious, half-parody documentary tone as he pans the lense across the rusted walls. “Day seventy-two in the abandoned Russian bunker. Nobdody’s been here in decades, except maybe Putin’s barber after a bad fade.” He swings the phone toward a cabinet, yanking it open with mock reverence. “Yo, check this out, chat!” he plucks out a cracked monocle, holding it up to his eye like he’s struck gold. “This probably belonged to Stalin or somethin. Imagine the history this glass has seen! THe propacanda, the bald spots.” He grins wide, snapping a few dramatic angles beflre clicking the camera off. Phone sliding back into his pocket he look to Esme with a cocky little smirk. “Perfect, that’ll clip fifty different ways, easy. Might even make more money than my OF collabs.”

Jakem whistles appreciatively and claps “I’d watch that.” he says aside to Gabriel as he observes the display. “I mean what’s he gonna find next? And why’re there all these dead zombies layin’ around? He didn’t even mention them. Is it like some kinda super buried lead? I gotta know.”

“I think Ruski.” Esme opines as she leads the group back to the nexus room with a dubious look at the portal. She flashes a bit of a grin, “You’ll have to let me know how the monocle works out. And-oh I can maybe fix that crack for you if you want, later on.” She offers. “But it sorta adds a charm.” She nods toward Jakem, “Halloween Tour could be fun? I doubt anyone’s gonna be comin’ round here so feel free t’ do whatever ya want.” She figures, probably extending it to the group itself.

“Alright.” She draws in a breath. “Let’s see what’s on the other side of this thing.” moving closer to the portal wall and then stepping through it.

Gabriel sniffs the air a few times, commenting dryly, “Even the blood in this place smells off and rancid.” then he shrugs and tells Jakem, “I don’t know. The kids these days live on those phones and computers, I still haven’t wrapped my head around who this ‘chat’ is.”

There is probably not a kitchenette in this room.

Jakem nods to Gabriel “Oh, it’s different folks everytime, that’s why he can’t use names. But since they’re all there, and they’re all chat, it feels like he’s talking to ’em personally. It’s how yah build them parasocial relationships. Which is why that Petal chick is stalking him to places like the backwoods of Russia.”

Matthew winks at Jakem, “Exactly, my friend, exactly.” The phone remains tucked away, likely the only one he’s going to make tonight. After the Montrose falls quiet, his gun in hand, keeping close to Gabriel, “I’mma try and play the you’re my cousin’s knight card and keep me safe in her stead,” grinning.

Jakem whistles as he moves towards the kitchenette “Would you look at this thing, this is even nicer than the bartop for the Den. Not by much, mind yah, but I didn’t think to plate anything in gold.”

“Huh.. interesting.” Gabriel comments to Jakem after the explanation, then he turns to Matthew and reassures, “I’ll keep you safe, don’t worry. Not interested in having anyone die during this. Otherwise I know I’ll be charged with hauling the body back.”

The portal leads the group into a strange room bathed in purple. It’s a little disorienting even, trying to get a bead on what is actually happening. “Oh, but there’s that hand I was tellin’ you about.” Esme murmurs to Jakem as she clocks the thing in the center of the circle.

A voice with a thick Russian accent comes from a darker corner of the room. “Trespassers are not welcome here.” A bolt of necromantic energy flying toward the group but narrowly missing them. Intentional. A group of zombies is shambling closer from that direction as well.

“Why is it never fuckin’ nice mages?” Esme complains. “Let’s try and just grab the hand and get out!”

Jakem sends out a quick text as the bolt of necromantic energy flies past him “Huh, oh yeah the hand. Well if this works like I think it does, those gems need to be disrupted, so…” he pulls out his pistol and takes about 4 shots at one of them.

Gabriel lets out a deep sigh and instead of going for the gems or the hand just fires off some shots at the voice in the corner with his pistol.

Matthew raises his pistol and attempts to make a shot, taking careful aim at the gems.

Gabriel fires off a few shots at that darkened corner, keeping the group relatively tight and hoping he struck home with at least one.

tries to fend off some of the zombies as they get closer while trying to help dismantle the circle. Gabriel can hear a the groan of bullets hitting flesh – or is it bone? A few more bolts of magic appear from the corner, aimed more for the people who are trying to disrupt the gems.

As gems get hit, they fall over fairly easily, darkened. The energy lines disappear. There’s about three gems left but Jakem thinks with these ones down it might be enough to grab for the hand while the commotion of fighting is going on.

Matthew’s aim may not be the greatest and he doesn’t hit his actual goal of the gems but he does manage to wing a couple of the zombies.

Matthew looks like he always meant to do that, aim leveling for the zombies ambling their way from here on out. Hopefully no friendly fire with aim like that.

Jakem steps forward, trusting either to his own assessment or the same luck that’s carried him this far to move to retrieve the hand. “Okay, I’m gonna grab it, then we can vamoose.”

Jakem makes a play for the hand!

Gabriel frowns as the bullets strike home and just get answered by more bolts of magic. Instead of changing strategies he changes guns and goes for the shotgun, repeating the process and trying to provide cover for Jakem.

Arrows and shotgun shells mingle in the air with the sound of magic and groaning zombies. Things are getting dicey but like any good action movie the heroes manage to clinch the win at the last minute! Jakem grabs the dessicated hand and as soon as it’s off the pedestal the zombies stop where they are, falling to the ground like marionette puppets whose strings have just been cut. The Necromancer in the corner is still mostly obscured but there’s no more magic flinging so it’s hard to say if they’re dead or simply momentarily indisposed.

“Fuck yeah! Let’s get the fuck outta here!” Esme hollars in agreement with Jakem about a retreat. The purple portal is starting to close too, with the hand no longer powering things, but they have enough time to flee back into the bunker proper and get out of there.

Jakem nods “Make sure you wait until the last moment to jump through.” he calls. Of course he’s mostly talking to himself because he’s going to be the last one there what with his detour for the hand, booking it in a weaving pattern meant to avoid any stray necromantic energy that might still be emerging. “Fillllmmmmmm meeeeeeee…” he calls through the portal to anyone that beat him to the other side as he leaps dramatically.

The portal closes up as the last person stumbles through the portal. Esme did not, in fact, have her phone out for filming Jakem but maybe someone else did! She takes a moment to catch her breath, glancing over her shoulder, around the space, and then back to the guys. “Fuckin’ hell. This place is -definitely- haunted.” She decides. “Let’s get outta here before another portal or some shit decides to open up.”