We ran the Los Angeles Journey to the End of the Night

Cheat is a remarkably tough task, for all that it consists of a single word.

One of the hardest things is that we wanted it to be fun, and a lot of forms of cheating just... aren't. They're boring or kind of scummy. We wanted to, like some other completions of Cheat, find some of the neat parts of cheating.

We also wanted to end up having cheated, but in way, also having our acts be a testament to the thing we cheated on. Three of of us on this task had run Journey in Chicago and loved it, and the other four had heard those three natter on about it incessantly. Journeys kick ass, and we knew early on that we wouldn't be able to make it to LA's Journey, which made us sad. Until we started thinking about Cheat... and maybe attending after all.

A pure 'cheat' for JTEOTN:LA, with an actual attempt to 'get away with it', so to speak, would have been created very differently. It would have meant waiting until people posted some pretty complete praxii, ripping the checkpoint list off of those, then writing it up so that during points we might have been seen (initial sign in, checkpoints) we were in big crowds, so we could get by scrutiny of non-JTEOTN:LAers and, if we were lucky, also by the scrutiny of those who ran it (unlikely, but it would have been best path to take). And of course, no one noticing would have been the worst outcome possible - reiterating everyone else's checkpoints? Creating something, since we would use only information culled from other praxii, that added nothing? That didn't seem to be in the spirit of SFØ (at least as a lot of us see it).

We decided to create our own Journey, and put it on top of what we knew of the LA Journey - to cameo some of the people who had RSVP'd (and were really running it) and maybe give a little bit of a shout out to LA (and Trader Joe's, and Thomas Guides) on the way - a kind of mad alternate-universe Journey run, alongside the real thing.

Mr. G had lived in LA for three years, so we gave him the starting point and asked him to come up with a list of checkpoints that he thought would be cool places to run.

We figured the timestamp would be cue enough, but in case we were wrong we also cameo'd some of the more revered retired players between Checkpoints 4 and 5, just to drive the final nail in the coffin (and because we think they're cool, and wanted them back in 'the world', in a way, even if it was just for a moment).¹

Sparrows: The thing I noticed most is that when you're writing a real Journey praxis, most of it is taken up with narrative. Because actual events happened, and those need to be relayed for everyone's comments to make sense. But when you're writing up narrative of events for events that never occurred, you end up with a lot more 'internal observation' in the writeup than 'this happened, then this happened, then this'. To even get started with the writing we had to agree on a kind of consensus reality - a chaser between checkpoints 0 and 1, relatively calm between 4 and 5, etc - for people to build their actions around.

To make it 'realisitc' I also really didn't want to make it all the way through. I was surprised that I made it through that entire run of JTEOTN:CGØ without being chasered, and I never thought in a million years that all of FØEcakes would make it through to the end - I mean, how likely is that? I couldn't bring myself to let myself survive the whole way this time, because I already felt so lucky for surviving the last one.

Also, Jesus is it hard to coordinate seven different people in three different states jumping in and out of a praxis writeup all at the same time. Particularly when one of them is in Michigan with limited internet access.

Meredithian: I would have liked ot contribute more to this - although we were getting a little worried after a while that it was already too long, especially for a fake journey praxis. I had this whole fantastic made up adventure I had planned... but, yes, being in rural Michigan (astute observation, there, Ms. Muffinbot) and having to dictate a lot of my adventure via the crackly phone call or random text message to Sparrows meant it had to be slimmed down. Overall, I think that was the best. I think our Cheat praxis idea would have been really lame if we hadn't tried to make it seem realistic, but it didn't need to be long, or necessarily epic, either.

Ayma Mack: I wanted to contribute something different and since I hadn't run a journey before I realized it would be difficult for me to really describe some things. So... I decided to pretend my camera had been lost and illustrate some of the ideas that everyone else had. Unfortunately, I can't draw, and I had only the touchpad on my laptop as a drawing tool. I tried my best to do simple line drawing justice but the masters just can't be matched.

Mr. G: Even though there wasn't much action in this task, I had a ton of fun with it. I loved JTTEOTN:CGØ, and would have really loved JTTEOTN:LA if it were possible for me to be there. But it wasn't. So, in writing this up, going through the checkpoints in my mind, and making up chaser encounters was fun, and made me miss LA a lot! I hope all the Angelinos had fun at Journey, and I'm curious about what the actual route is.

Gummies:  This was a difficult task for the gummies, because they had a hard time envisioning being out in public with so many strange humans.  They decided they would probably be so overwhelmed at the beginning that they'd have to hide.  They also realized that running several miles was a lot to expect from bears that are only 2 centimeters tall.  So they assumed that by the middle of the course they would be rather tired.  (Evil Sugar thinks the bears might, in fact, have over-estimated their running abilities, and suggests that in a real Journey, the bears would have had to travel in someone's pocket for the entire course.)  One day, the gummies would like to participate in a real JJTEON.  So if you see some little gummies running through the streets at the next one -- PLEASE DO NOT NOM ON THEM.

Also, the gummies would like to apologize here to Ben and to anyone else who were disappointed by the JTTEON:LA task.  They will strive to cheat better in the future.  They will design armbands that fit on gummybears!  They will run faster, chase harder, and take over the world!  Anything that must be done to regain the trust of the SF0 community, the bears will do it!

Rainy: Since I am unlikely to have undertaken Cheat on my own, and would love to be in a city with enough players that we could actually do a Journey to the End of the Night, I was glad to get in on this, and thank yous to Sparrows and everyone else for including me. I've spent a fair amount of time out L.A.-ward in my life, and I'm fond of it. I figured the only thing I really had to offer in addition to the excellent work of everyone else was some comic relief and hallucinogenic meandering...and umbrellas. (Somewhere in my rainy heart of hearts, I think we really did go on an alternate universe JTTEOTN:LA.) Long live the Journey.

The Consensus Reality

This is the skeleton reality we wrote for everyone to hang their stuff off of:

The Chicago course was about 6.5-7.5 miles long, for reference.
---
Mr. G's LA description
---
Starting point: Griffith park. Griffith Park is a big desertous mountain, but we won't start there - we'll start in the little park at the base.

Between here and checkpoint 1 is are very expensive houses. It's also really pretty along this part of Los Feliz. Checkpoint 1 is near the Silverlake Reserviour - a small lake/big pond, also surrounded by very nice houses. The checkpoint is at the northern tip, outside a gated park.

Between Checkpoints 1 and 2, we will go along Hyperion Ave, which is kind of a narrow valley between two big hills, and is lined with businesses like bars, restaurants, Trader Joe's, Whole Foods... once on Sunset, it is busy and commercial, and we will head to the Vista - an old theater turned single screen movie-theater.

We will head up Hollywood Blvd to Western and Hollywood to Checkpoint 3 - which is big intersection. [[[I'm thinking the safe zone is along Western and into the parking lot of this place? - Meredithian]]] The checkpoint will be near a thai restaurant with a giant hotdog on the roof. The hotdog has white cubes on it like diced onions, but they look more like tofu. Hell, lets say the checkpoint people are in the indoor/outdoor seating area of the thai place.

We will head down western to Santa Monica and head east to Hollywood Forever cemetery. The neighborhood seems slightly shady, but it's safe. We can't go in the cemetary, but the checkpoint will be right outside the gates on the lawn. Some old movies stars are buried there, but I couldn't name any.

We'll go west on Santa Monica toward Vine, and north on vine. Here, Santa Monica isn't very pretty - a bunch of run down buildings and crummy businesses, until we get to Vine, and it's better. The 5th checkpoint will be actually on Cahuega and Delongpre, right next to the Amoeba Music Store (kinda big deal record shop over there).

The Google map says we take Sunset, but I say we head up to Hollywood. Starting at Vine, the sidewalks on Hollywood have the golden stars, the 'walk of fame' (it actually starts on vine at sunset, and then bends onto Hollywood). Hollywood is a bunch of souvenir shops, tattoo parlors, and restaurants - it's VERY touristy. There is a 'mall' at Hollywood and highland where we'll pass, as well as the Kodak theater. There will be a lot of tourists walking around, even at this time of night, as well as street performers, celebrity impersonators (think Chubaka and Micheal Jackson) and homeless people. I'm a little reluctant to say Graumann's Theater is the final checkpoint, because there will be a ton of tourists there... [Could the checkpoint be in that mall, maybe somewhere up top where the view is good? The whole mall/theater area could be a safe zone - Meredithian]

I didn't bother putting in the safe zones - just make those up as we go?

Any questions, go ahead and ask. :-) I know these neighborhoods really well. The real path might head downtown and I might be completely off the mark. But I think it is a likely general direction. Total distance: 9.6 miles. Updated Google map is HERE.

Players to mention/cameo: LA folks, Loki, Waldo Cheerio, Tac Haberdash, the Walrus

As you enter your info, please start with "Name:" and then your text (we're going to color code the text later - this it can be done easily.)

______________________________________________________
Prologue

[[[We all fly or drive to LA. We meet up at Checkpoint 0 and decide to run together. Throughout the run we avoid chasers, are chased by chasers (and if you want), captured by chasers. We can be split up for a while, too.]]]

______________________________________________________
From Start to Checkpoint 1

[[[We aren't ready for Loki, a staff chaser that bursts out of hiding and scatters us - feel free to split off indv narratives here if you want. If anyone wants to be turned into a chaser early on, here's the place.]]]

[[[Some running, some running]]]

[[[other stuff...]]]

[[[the gummies plan to start with the group, then split off early and get lost. While lost, they will stumble upon checkpoint 3 (without having hit any of the earlier checkpoints)]]]

[[[Meredithian: I want to get separated right away, with my instinctual "leave the group when in danger!" mentality I found myself having during Journey: CGØ, but this time I want someone with me. Mr G?]]]
______________________________________________________
From Checkpoint 1 to Checkpoint 2

[[[[We find each other on the way between checkpoint 1 and 2, unless one or two of you wants to remain separated - feel free to write in you being reunited somewhere later on, or you can stay separated]]]

[[[I would like to split from Mr. G and stay separated! and maybe get lost by taking the wrong bus somewhere crazy. La Brea tar pits? Hollywood Resevoir? That I would get lost is totally believable]]]


______________________________________________________
From Checkpoint 2 to Checkpoint 3

[[[Relatively calm, a few false scares. If anyone wants to cameo other players who have RSVP'D to journey, this might be a good place to do it.]]]

[[[the gummies propose that checkpoint 3 have people there GIVING OUT CUPCAKES. The gummies will lick the frosting off the tops of their cupcakes, leaving the cake behind. This makes the gummies rather sluggish, and they will wait at checkpoint 3 for the rest of the group to catch up.]]]

______________________________________________________
From Checkpoint 3 to Checkpoint 4

[[[Some kind of stealthy sneak around a back of chasers who don't notice us - alternatively, they are about to notice us but one or two of us heroically draw their attention by bursting into flight and getting chased, allowing the rest of us to get by]]]

[[[Gummies: Meredithian, will you take one green gummy with you? And the green gummy is turned into a chaser?]]]

[[[Meredithian: I will totally take a green gummie with me. This is the place in which I would like to a) get lost b) try to take a bus to catch up c) take a wrong bus and end up somewhere weird. I'll reunite with you guys hopefully before Sparrows is chasered and before the craziness at the very end. Although it might be more believable for me to reunite with you *after* Sparrows is chasered because I can't see myself with the group when that happens and not doing anything about it, if I could help it. I'll leave it up to you guys what happens to me when I'm with the green gummy.]]]

______________________________________________________
From Checkpoint 4 to Checkpoint 5

[[[Relatively calm, but word filtering in from other runners we encounter that all the chasers are massing between five and six]]]

[[[Gummies: The remaining gummies of the green team are VERY TIRED. Would someone be willing to carry them? They like to travel in people's pockets.]]]

[[[Also somewhere in here I REALLY want to have one or more of us see some old nonactive players running by in chaser gear - piratey monkey, yellowbear, etc. People who were neat but not on the site anymore. I can write it so I get separated from us and see it, or I can have all of us see it - whatever folks prefer. cameron p00n, piratey monkey, gadget]]]]

______________________________________________________
From Checkpoint 5 to Checkpoint 6

[[[someone else can describe the grand finale as we approach the final checkpoint]]]

[[[Could the checkpoint be in that mall, maybe somewhere up top where the view is good? The whole mall/theater area could be a safe zone - Meredithian*]]]

[[[Huge pack of chasers and chaos! Feel free to continue the chaos into the final run for Checkpoint 6, so it's excitiing. If you want to be permanently separated here, go for it]]]

[[[Gummies: By the end there is only one non-chaser gummy left on the green team. After a dramatic gummy-on-gummy chase, the last gummy manages to make it to the final safe zone. Also please pretty please will someone pick up a handful of chaser gummies and chuck them at a runner?]]]

---

1. If there is an alternate universe JTEOTN:LA, then dammit, it's an alternate universe in which Piratey Monkey is still playing.