[Leon is stuck in a building; his eyes failed him so leaving the house is no option, his skin barely offers him any informations of his surroundings but, well, at least he can partially rely on his hearing and the smells that surround him. Everything started rather slowly, with the man being unable to feel cold or pain, then it got suddenly worse after visiting the last building he found. Now he can barely tell if the food he carries with him is edible or not because, well, nothing seems to have a taste.]

I don't know how you are all feeling- [checking the network is almost impossible, the only way he still manages to use his tablet is thanks to the vocal support if offers.] but if you're no logr feelng cold please do not attempt to undress yourself or abandon your clothes. I did it and when I checked after a while I was clearly showing small signs of frostbite on my fingers. Lovesya seemed to share this... starting condition with me, I don't know if his worsened or not, but it doesn't seem our bodies are adapting, it's more like we're losing the perception of what's around us. This is, at least, my personal experience.

If it's the village affecting us you may want to avoid the buildings in the north-weastern part of Norfinbury. I am currently dealing with... issues, they are worsening with time and if you're sharing a similar condition- find a shelter, hide, try to have other people around him if they're not affected by this. Stay warm, try to memorize where your belongings are and try to feed yourself even if you're not hungry, even moving by memory if necessary. [He's not sure if the condition will get even worse but, hey, Leon is tryning to help]

One last thing: if you can no longer see... well enough. [Or if you went blind like him] your tablet comes with verbal controls, turning the function on may save you lots of troubles. [An his voice is getting hgher: he can't hear himself well enough so, of course, he's instinctively shouting]
Don't do anything stupid. [It's his way to tell you to be safe, after all after the meeting he barely heard about anyone. And if you're really careful you can actually hear how nervous he is: Leon is used to keep control on the things around him, to be in charge, now he's feeling completely hopeless, at least he's got a chance to help someone? He's not even too sure, perhaps he just needed, for once, to talk, even if he tried to keep it as impersonal as possible.]

Evening

[It's getting late. The evening is winding down with maybe two hours left at most before lockdown. Quark's video turns on--but it's not facing him. It's swinging lightly as he walks through the snow, as if having done so was a mis-click. There's a building visible in the distance, easy enough to get to--but Quark isn't heading toward it. He's not heading away from it, either. Just pacing, like he's lost in multiple senses of the word.

Something becomes quickly clear: Quark is alone. At some point during this strange sickness that's been inflicting everyone in Norfinbury, Quark wandered off, away from his equally-incapacitated traveling party. The tablet falls from his hands and lands on the snow beneath him, showing an odd angle of Quark standing there, looking dazed. He clutches his head.]

I see it. I can see it. I have to die. No...I'm supposed to die. It's the only way I'll be free. The only way...for any of us...

[His breathing is labored, his voice edged with steadily rising panic. Quark falls to his knees, trying to support himself on his backpack. In a second of clarity, he seems to realize that he's dropped his tablet and gropes around until his hand touches it and he brings it toward his knees. Even then, his eyes are unseeing as he stares down at the screen.]

It would be so easy. I just have to stay here, outside, and it'll all be over. [A flash of recognition passes through his face. His eyes go wild.] Wait...what am I saying? Where am I?

Post-Lockdown

[Miraculously, despite his apparent desire to lay down in the snow until lockdown and let himself freeze, Quark manages to make it into a safe building in time. Perhaps someone talked sense into him, or he snapped out of it long enough to realize where he is and the things he's saying and seeing aren't him and he runs the rest of the way inside before he can let himself think anything else. But that's not to say he looks like he's doing any better. In fact, Quark looks more panicked than ever.]

I should have done it. I should have died. Everyone's going to die anyway when the bomb goes off. There's no point in waiting!

[He puts the tablet down at his feet, reaches for his backpack, and produces a steak knife. His eyes stare at it with an obvious sense of purpose, and he slowly turns it around toward his chest, but doesn't make a move to actually plunge it inside. Under the panic, there's reluctance and confusion. His words start to repeat the things he was saying earlier, outside, like he's a broken record playing on a loop.]

Escape. My soul needs to escape.

[For those who are still awake and lucid halfway or so through day 69 might hear the voice of one of Norfinbury's kids come crackling across the network. Their voice is shaking, breathing heavily like they've just surfaced for air after nearly drowning, or fled from something chasing them, or gone through some kind of horrifying shock. Or maybe some mixture of all three.

The way they start talking, though... is not the same as a public address. Almost like they're talking at someone in particular.]

Um... are you there? You... you never pick up. I know you said... to not come back when I left, but... before that you said to call if I needed you and...

[Their breathing has graduated from shaking to little hiccups now.]

Toriel... [A soft sob escapes them] Mom, I- I'm sorry you were right I shouldn't have left I'm sorry I don't want to d- [They catch themselves just in time. Even if she isn't picking up, they still can't say it aloud, not yet.] Please pick up... Please...

[And after a few moments silence the tablet drops to their lap and they do start crying proper fingers fumbling before they hang up.]

I - Day 68, Evening | Video

[The video opens up with a certain redhead walking away from the device, stopping only when he's pretty sure his entire body is in clear view. He's knee-deep in show with a freezing wind blowing at his hair, yet there's an unmistakable smile on his face.]

Hello, lovelies~ The Great Zelos here, asking for a liiittle help with something! It's easy, really, all you gotta do is watch and tell me what you think!

So, since actions speak louder than words, let's get to the point, yeah?

[And with that, he tugs at his belt, as if about to start undressing--]

II - Day 68, Evening (like, two seconds later) | Video

[-- and he does, as you'll notice if you didn't jump in to interrupt before he got that far (no one would blame you)! It's just the outermost layer though, no worries. He's still got proper pants and a shirt, at least, even if his jacket is gone and his arms and shoulders bare.]

You'd think I was cold by now, huh? Well, I'm not sure if it's because I'm just so damn hot - [he doesn't even flinch at the joke, and that alone probably says a lot about him.] - but I don't really feel anything.

[A dramatic way to convey a simple thing? Suuuure, but at least he's got proof to show, now! That, and he always did have a flair for the dramatic. And, yeah, he is pretty freaked out by the whole thing - especially considering how close it is to Angel Toxicosis, which apparently didn't end all that well for Colette - even if he's approaching it with humour, as usual.]

Now, maybe it's just me, but I doubt the Admin's givin' us any cool new powers to combat the cold, so... [His brows furrow the slightest bit.] Any idea what's up? Anyone got anything weird going on? I was feeling super sick earlier today, if that sounds familiar to any of ya.

[And, of course, he forgets to put that jacket back on.]

III - Day 69 - Morning | Audio

[Which leads to him popping up on the network again the following day, sounding miserable.]

... Kids? Don't go out in a top when it's snowing. Not even for an experiment for the common good. [A loud sneeze, which would probably send a shiver of pain over his frozen arms - if he could actually feel them. Sure, he's laughing about it now because it's pretty much all he can do, but if he ever gets his senses back, he'll probably cry. If not from the injury itself, then at least from Sheena scolding him for being so reckless.]

Ah, if only I wasn't such a good Samaritan... [There's a round of sighs and grumbles of self-pity before his voice can be heard again, this time a bit less dramatically pathetic. Serious, even.]

Also-

[He stops mid-sentence, hesitating. Should... should he tell people about his worsened hearing and the strange, eerie sounds he keeps hearing whenever he spends a second in silence? Should he not? He's all for sharing information - hence why he did his little experiment earlier in the day, even at the risk of freezing - but...]

... If you use audio, could ya speak loud? I think the sickness has blocked my ears~

[A hopeful laugh.

Maybe keeping himself busy with talking to people helps with the sounds haunting him. If not, well, crap.]

Characters: Everyone who attends the town hall meeting on Day 67 at Building 28, as well as people who phone in. This is a lot of people.
Location Building 28
Date: Day 67, all day for mingle, around midday for meeting
Summary: Snowbos meet up to talk snowplans.
Warnings: Snowplans may result in swearing. House and Jack are present, with all that implies.

( One does not simply walk out of Snowhell )

[There's a pause as the post starts, the sound of Clayton clearing his throat so he sounds less hoarse and generally horrible. He is marginally successful. There's really no avoiding it unless he goes straight to text, and that feels far too impersonal for the situation at hand.]

Hey there! [He'd be waving if he could. Hello Norfinbury! Nothing to worry about here!] Good Lord, it's been a while...ah, sorry fer that! We were all awful anxious 'bout trackin' down Angel 'n Rhys, so I ain't been keepin' up much with the network while I was searchin'.

[Oh, and then also because he ended up trapped in a basement with them for a couple of days. Details, minor details. No one needs to know about this.]

Found 'em, though! They're both safe 'n stable. Takin' 'em up to the house with the hot water 'tween the school 'n the funeral home--think it's jus' south a where Jane's havin' that meetin'? [A beat, like he's quietly waiting for others in the house to confirm or deny this.] --Gonna watch 'em fer a few days, make sure they get some rest. It's been...stressful. But they'll be alright.

[And that's as much as Clayton's going to speak on the matter unless he's pressed for it. Nothing about how hurt Rhys is, nothing about how they've also got Jack with them, nothing about needing to be rescued. It's a nice, vague sweep under the rug, and Clayton prefers it that way.]

Now, ah...I've managed t' do a bit a skimmin'. Looks like y'all 've been busy! Got some new folks in, I think? 'Bout time fer another round I suppose. If we ain't met yet--hey! Doctor Clayton Epps. Y'all need anything checked out, jus' wait 'round by the lil' house with the shower an' comforter out by the west wall, make yerself comfy an' I'll catch up sooner 'r later. I've left some rations in the house over 'case anybody needs 'em. Anybody's in the area an' lookin' fer somethin' t' do, I'm hopin' t' get another mattress 'r two in there? Set up somethin' more permanent. Any places nearby that could spare 'em, I'd appreciate havin' 'em over. Jus' don't go hurtin' yerself tryin' to drag somethin' from 'cross town 'r nothin'.

'Bout t' do a lot a walkin' t'day--won't get back t' this 'til t'night, I'm thinkin', but I could do with some readin' 'long the way. So! What've I missed?

*DELETED_001
OK GUYS. It's been like a million years and we're still going around the same places. I mean come on. COME ON. GUYS. You're killing me. But the snow's killing me FASTER so we need to hurry up.

*DELETED_002
chill
heh

*DELETED_001
OH. MY GOD. GUYS. PLEASE.

*DELETED_003
What do you want from us? We don't have a lot of options.

*DELETED_001
There are locked doors, right? We open them.

*DELETED_002
k
lemme get my magic lockpicks
oh wait

*DELETED_001
Hasn't anyone found something in one of the buildings with a big huge "open me please" locked door? I'm not talking trap doors here I'm talking "I'm a door that should probably lead to a wall of snow but I'm locked anyway" doors. Come on. ANYTHING?


-----

*DELETED_004
Hey, guess what everyone? I acquired rope!

*DELETED_005
cool! maybe we can climb out of here.

*DELETED_004
Yes! I would so love to see what is outside of this place. Proper civilization, I should hope.

*DELETED_005
i'd be happy with pants tbh.

*DELETED_002
i didnt kno u could anchor ropes 2 hopes & dreams
have fun tho

-----
*DELETED_006
Do you think it would be difficult to cook a proper pie on one of the fires here? If I could find ingredients, of course. I admit to being unused to cooking without the use of magic.

*DELETED_001
YOU'RE GONNA SHARE, RIGHT?

*DELETED_002
she just SAID she doesnt have any stuff
but i guess probs not that hard?
or maybe itll all burn
idk

*DELETED_007
I would help, I would! Cooking is a lot of fun!

*DELETED_006
Of course I would share! And of course you could help, my child. We simply need to keep an eye out for ingredients.