Sure. Sean and Ethan knew each other previously. Both had played football in high school. Sean had seen that ad first. In a local punk scene. I know, he doesn't seem that type, right? But Sean is actually a pretty thoughtful character. He likes reading and going to coffee shops. We're in the back of a zine. He saw the ad.  Whether you're looking for self-exploration, a way to stay fit, or you know the sport like the back of your glove, come try out for the plateaus. Not your ordinary football team. Not your ordinary anything.

That’s such a rich opening. It’s got that perfect blend of grounded reality and surreal pull. The kind of moment that doesn’t feel like fate until you’re already halfway to the stadium.

Let’s set the tone and let it breathe—this is the origin scene, and it’s just weird enough to be real.

Backstory: “Not Your Ordinary Anything”

The day Sean found the ad. The moment he brought Ethan with him. The quiet gravity that pulled them toward the Plateaus.

Sean found the ad in the back of a zine at Spindle, the little punk café that smelled like espresso and burned sage. He didn’t come for the music scene—he came for the quiet. For the way the barista wrote poetry in chalk. For the threadbare couches. For the one bookshelf no one touched but him.

It was tucked inside the last page, near a Xeroxed comic about trauma and trash fires.

The ad read:

“Whether you’re looking for self-exploration, a way to stay fit, or you know the sport like the back of your glove—come try out for the Plateaus.

Not your ordinary football team. Not your ordinary anything.”

There was no logo. Just a phone number. No website. Just a promise.

Sean stared at it for a long time. He’d aged out of high school ball years ago. Didn’t have a D1 body. Hadn’t played since the Corps. But something about it felt… right. Like a signal pulled from static.

Three days later, he texted Ethan.

[SEAN]

Still got your cleats?

[ETHAN]

Who’s asking?

[SEAN]

Weird football team. No name-brand bullshit. Might be something.

[ETHAN]