snowblindrpg | [network] @magenta2; day 308

Y'all ever hunt?

[The audio is undercut with the sound of wind and snow crunching underfoot, though Magenta's voice is at its typical terrible volume.]

I mean, it's not like I have. Not animals, anyhow--big game huntin' is its own real thing, and I never really got into it. A culture. It's stupid. Hunters turned killers fancy themselves experts, but they spend so much time out in the goddamn woods that it doesn't fuckin' matter. There's no real human element to it. People aren't deer, and you can't work 'em the same way you can work a deer through a couple acres of forest. Hunters are awful at it, but they think they're the greatest. Can't fuckin' stand it.

[He pauses for a moment, before evidently remembering that he actually meant to say something.]

--Oh! My point is, though: I'm lookin' for anomalies, and I thought it might be an idea to map where they get seen. Or...someone else can map it. I don't know how to work all of this technology as well as any of y'all, but I could at least know where to expect. Patterns.

It's somethin' real smart hunters use: they block out big sections of...y'know, wherever they are, the fuckin' forest or whatever, and they mark each place they first see a deer, or a turkey, or what-the-fuck ever. And I get that the anomalies are...random, and all, but maybe there's some rhyme or reason to it! At least somethin' I can look over. Deer collect 'round streams, maybe these weird fucks collect 'round certain houses. I'm tryin' to snag one, but I've had no luck. Last one I saw was back...mm, you know, back when everyone got poisoned.

So I reckon my real question is: what's the last anomaly you've seen, and where? Or if there's somethin' similar to my idea--I sure as hell haven't heard of any. Stay safe 'n warm, unless you're House.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I feel like it's really important to point out that one of the key points of hunting is putting together a setup where you can get your prey, but your prey can't get you.

Considering the anomalies kill on touch, this is super important. I haven't run into one yet, though, so I don't know how much advice I can offer other than that.

See, I don't think we have much of a choice in decidin' where and when they can't get to us. There's--there's this house, I was there a little while ago, where the front door is totally open but the bedroom door shuts? So I figured I could run it around the house a bit before gettin' it in there, but I doubt I'd be lucky enough to find a 'nomaly right in that spot.

[And then, awkwardly:]

How've you been?

Yeah. Basically, you're doing something with no good answer. If you could make a barrier or a screen or something, maybe...

[He goes quiet for a second. He feels for you, man, he really does. All the experiments in this town are insane and idiotic, but what else are they going to do, to figure things out?]

I'm doing okay. Getting over getting stabbed, but it was actually not the worst result I could have gotten, so I'm tentatively calling it a success.

Plus, it was a great way to meet new people. You know. Ancient pagan rites are a great way to mingle.

Nothin' can touch 'em but the rubble, anyways. I've been talkin' about buildin' a gun, but that's...mm, it'd take time, if it worked at all. I don't think it worked when--

[There's a short, noncomittal noise following a long pause.]

You know. We all got old here, and I don't think I ever got a workin' gun, but who the fuck knows? Anyways, sorry to hear 'bout the stab. Who were you with that the bondin' was for?

[That whole thing had been strange. But...oddly, not unpleasant. The memories that linger in Rhys's mind, of being old, of being hurt and jaded, are nonetheless strangely comfortable when it comes to Magenta, and he has to pause for a second.]

I think we managed a sling with a bra elastic one night, but it wouldn't even break the skin.

...we were really drunk.

[He laughs quietly.]

More people than was probably safe to have in one place, but it was good after being alone for so long.

...that's likely one way to get your anomaly, except the chances of someone getting killed go way up.

Seems like we were drunk a lot. Were? Are? Will be, I guess. Somethin' to look forward to. You're not half bad.

[And he's just going to breeze right by acknowledging anything more than that.]

That's what I've heard, yeah. I reckon someone's gonna have to die--and I s'pose it ought to be me, but I'm not keen on dyin' again. Hopefully I won't. I probably will. It happens. Fuckin' hate it, though.

[Hey, what happens in weird frozen-hell timewarp stays in weird frozen-hell timewarp. Rhys isn't mentioning it, either. No stress.]

When I stop giving a shit, that's when the really good liquor happens, apparently.

[Also, that's when he starts learning to camp out at the liquor stores and stock points for the good stuff. Or possibly just to start threatening to knife people for the whiskey. Either is possible.]

Ideally, we can stop anyone from dying, but...at least if you're gonna do something insane, taking accountability for it, you know?

[He respects Magenta for that. Quite a bit, actually.]

If you're hunting something, though, best plan is to be out of reach. Up on a roof, in a window, something like that. High ground. I hear they chase pretty aggressively, so you might be able to lead it somewhere. The trick would be being able to reach it to get a sample. Maybe if you could set up a trap, like a grate or something out of rubble?

Sure seems that way. Seems like nobody gives much of a shit, anyways. I'd say you're hardly one of a kind, just a lot more of a drunk.

[He pauses for a moment, before continuing in an uncharacteristically thoughtful tone.]

See, I was thinkin' that you could maybe make a--a pathway, out of the rubble. Straight from the outside door to the inside door--like the firehouse closet where it was--and that way, you can lead it straight in without it just slidin' straight through the walls, or whatever, as they like doin'. A grate is a good idea, though. I'll have to try'n remember that one, as best as I can.

Eh. A drunk isn't the worst thing I've been, at least.

[Not by a long shot.]

That sounds like a good plan, honestly. As much control over the territory as you can get, as long as the place doesn't fucking reset it on you.

Did not know they went through walls. That's horribly unwelcome to hear. But yeah. In that case, the barriers are definitely a good plan.

Wonder how strong they actually are. The ones I saw on tape looked pretty ragged, falling-apart. So are they human-strong, or worse...

They're...mm, I don't know. They're not strong. I don't think they are. But I think--I think they can make you think they're strong, by bein' big or scary or anythin' else. Just bein' around 'em makes you wanna lay down 'n die, too. I don't know if they're strong, I guess, 'cause they don't ever let you find out. You'd be better off askin' someone else. Goddamn, man, do you actually think I know what the fuck I'm doin'?

[Whoa. Whoa whoa whoa. Rhys's voice softens when he speaks again.]

Hey. Easy.

It's good you aren't doing this until you got it figured out, right? And no one's asking you to jump in half-assed. It might give us some information, but it's not the biggest thing on the board right now.

If you aren't feeling up to doing it, wait till you got a better plan. I don't think any of us are going anywhere, and there's other shit that needs solving, too.

I can't solve anythin' else! I can't do a single goddamn thing besides this! And--time is runnin' out, and we're all gettin' worse. I don't have time to sit around feelin' sorry for myself. I don't wanna die, and I don't wanna be here forever. This is the one thing I think I can do, alright?

I know the feeling.

[Rhys is just quiet for a minute, wondering if he should even try to say anything more. It feels like he's already done a great job of ballsing this up.

When he continues, he's subdued.]

Just, keep making plans, huh? Don't go off just because you're pissed. This place already gets to us bad enough, you know?

I want someone around to drink with, when I finally get my hands on some booze.

[network] @magenta2; day 308 - audio [open]

@hexappeal, voice

voice;

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