If you can't tell we found something.

[The video is recording a majestic view of what approximately 25 feet above Norfinbury looks like, before it dips downward, revealing a giant slope.

...as in a giant slope which makes the previously insurmountable wall suddenly a great deal more surmountable. They crunched their way to the top of a slope. Don't ask how it went.]

Looks like part of the wall caved in. Wish I was here when it happened.

[And the camera turns back to the wall, which is significantly less walled. In front of him is Miranda Jane, who is attempting to knife her way to the top of the wall. The camera is pointed…actually, ever so slightly off to one side. (Look, he might enjoy an ass when he sees it, but his collective s.link with Norfinbury is at maybe a 2. He feels no inclination to share with the class.)

But like he's going to tell her that part.]

Hey. We may need a rope. [Unless they meet success with the ‘use knives as climbing aids and claw their way to the top’ idea, in which case…well, it was nice knowing some of you.] If anyone has seen one, let us know.



[His voice seems to draw Miranda's attention, as she looks back over her shoulder to glare down at the camera.] Are you filming my -? [She evidently decides he is, but trying to climb a wall without biotic powers means she doesn't have a free hand to throw anything at him.] Stop that!

Characters: House, Archer, Lancer, Marcos, and Miranda (HALMM)
Location Y9 - Building 109
Date: Day 037, evening
Summary: House comes back from a long day searching at the vet only to find his base has been captured by n00bs.
Warnings: Will add as necessary, but general House disclaimer for insensitivity.

( Raise the roof... )

Characters: Lancer, Archer, Marcos, and Miranda. Or...LAMM, apparently.
Location T4, 83, nyanhouse
Date: Day 32, late afternoon, I'd write prose about how the sun is setting but it's fucking cloudy out, yo.
Summary: Random schlubs met in a (nyan)house and travel together. (Also, if through some coincidence your character happens to be in 83 at the exact same time then ping us, and welcome to the team, else it's closed.)
Warnings: Probably cat puns.

( 83 )

[Time: ambiguously noonish.]

You know...for such a barren town there's a lot of people around here. [Yes, guess who's at the other convenience store. He has a special relationship with them, apparently. Meanwhile, people intensify behind him culminating in vague background noise.]

Any of you need something?

Characters: A bunch of people.
Location P3, the convenience store
Date: Days 29 and 30.

The default will be midday, ambiguous day (e.g. either 29 or 30.) If you don't specify a specific day/time it'll be basically 'noonish on one of two days.' If you have to have your character present on a specific day or at a specific time, then note that in your subject header and use bold font and stuff like that. If you do not, you will default to noonish, some day.

Because coordinating elaborate timelines would be difficult as hell otherwise.
Summary: There's a bunch of people in the area.
Warnings: This will be stupid.

DAY 29

[Wow, there’s a shit ton of people in the convenience store.]

DAY 30

[Hey, there’s still a shit ton of people in the convenience store.]

Characters: Kunsel and Cloud, then later on Lancer and Zack, too
Location: O3, building 74
Date: Day 28, evening, then Day 29, evening
Summary: Kunsel and Cloud finally run into each other.
Warnings: None.

( Read more... )

Characters: Lancer (croi) and Zack (heroproceeding)
Location: Building 35 in Square E06
Date: Backdated to Day 26, Night because there's nothing like a belated hallucination party!!
Summary: Thundersnow blah blah blah hallucinations suck blah blah blah good chances a fight's gonna break out blah blah blah their lives suck.
Warnings: Fighting, cursing, being jackasses to each other without meaning to be and all that other nonsense. FUN TIMES. FUN. ...TIMES.... sob

( there's something in the wake of knowing that things ain't gonna fly right )

[It's mid-afternoon when it happens. Lancer's voice, dripping with enough sass and sarcasm that it could drown the town, reads:]

"You and your guy BFF talk all the time and you're the first person he turns to when he's got news. But how do you know if your buddy is a platonic pal or a budding boyfriend? Take this quiz to find out if he likes you!"

[And then there's a slightly resigned noise.] This convenience store is less useful than I thought. But, if any of you are having relationship trouble I found something for you.

A: Network (Video); 11am - Open

[A lot has happened over the last few days, and it's no wonder that everyone is feeling ragged and stressed. Al knows that their worries aren't over, there are still monsters around and they've all been injected with god knows what again. He knows that they're trapped, their clues are dwindling, and they seem no closer to answers, but...

But he also knows that focusing on the negatives will just lead everyone into a spiral of panic and fear, they have to keep hope and determination going strongly if they're going to get out of here. So he's going to turn on the video function, possibly for the first time for many people, to make a small how-to video. The tablet is propped up a short distance away in a snow bank so that Al's entire armour frame can be shown.]

A while ago a really smart friend of mine mentioned snowshoes, but I haven't been able to do anything about it until now. It seems to be getting harder to move around here, and the conditions aren't letting up, so making something as simple as this might help save lives. I thought... I thought I would show you how. I've not made any before, but the principle is easy enough.

[He holds up two logs that he found a while ago, cut and planed down to size over many nights to make two huge paddles with criss-cross holes in.]

If you can find anything around, it should be easy to make snowshoes. You need a large surface area, that's to help distribute your weight and keep you from sinking into the snow, and to try and keep them as flat and thin as possible. If you can't make snowshoes, then maybe something long and thin could help you make skis!

[He ties on his wooden shoes with a necktie and a strip of bandage, before giving the camera a big thumbs up.]

See? Easy!

B: Network (Voice); 9pm - Open

[After the slightly more light-hearted instructional video of earlier, Al takes time after lockdown to address more serious issues.]

I know that a lot of people have been talking about maps recently. I've been making one myself, and I've gathered the maps that other people have made, and put them all in one place. You can see them, uh... here.

[There's a pause, before Al manages to upload the document to the network. He's still not a pro at this technology, but after twenty days, he's a lot better than he was. He knows he promised to tell Stiles about any supplies he found, but he thinks it's important enough that everyone should know.]

The convenience store further to the east is the one that's stocked with food. I've been to both, and that one has had large quantities of supplies both times I've passed through. I propose that we try to build a base in the houses immediately surrounding there. After that, we can take turns carrying supplies to more outlying houses so that, in time, every house will have a cache of supplies... not to mention we'll be able to map out the area and look for more clues at the same time.

Using the different maps that people have made, hopefully you should be able to find the store I'm talking about, but don't push yourselves too hard. It's better to get here in five days safely, than rush and get caught out at night in three... okay?

Characters: Zack (heroproceeding) and Lancer (croi)
Location The school
Date: Day 17, mid morning, with the sun...non-existent because if it was there this would be Sunblind, not Snowblind.
Summary: Exploring school blah blah blah monster blah blah blah screaming blah blah blah attacks but it's not very effective...
Warnings: Bad bodice ripper lines, maybe. Probably cursing.

( Read more... )

[ certainly it's possible -- probable, even -- that klaus has been more miserable a time or two in his long, arduous life; when he was driven suicidal by hallucinations for over fifty-two years, for instance. much like then, he's also filled with rage for his present circumstances.

if he had a lick of his former abilities and power... but even so, he knows there is no target to aim his wrath, no outlet for the gut-eating worry for the daughter he's been torn from again, no recourse besides survival and calculations, not yet.

there is only this: the frustration and debasement of scavenging through ruins, the maddening chill he feels down into his bones, and the erosion of his strength from stress and cold the likes of which he's never known, even as a human.

he's tired; exhausted might be more apt, but he has persevered thus far. he intends to continue. so here he is, seated in some nondescript house. ]

Clearly we're all in need of a better map of this place. We can inquire after food, direction, and anecdotes [ feel free to detect his dark amusement at that ] on this network all we like, but I have my doubts any good will come of such a system without structure.

I propose a collaboration of information. I happen to know a thing or two about cartography. If everyone would be so kind to tell me where you've been and what you've seen, perhaps send over whatever crude drawings you've made, I can ensure you will be grateful.

My name is Klaus. [ though lbr he needs no introduction. ] Any recognition, by the way, isn't incidental; I was here some time ago, before my apparent death. [ such an ominous thing to say when it's preceding a polite: ] Pleasure to meet you all.

[ He'd been pretty quiet the day before. And honestly, he might have stayed that way today as well. Hasn't been in a talking mood and that says a lot for Zack.

But admittedly, this is getting a bit frustrating and his grumping belly isn't exactly helping matters. ] so anyone know how you get into the school? I haven't found a door yet from this side.

I'm on the side by that art studio if that helps any. [ There's nothing else for a while. Anything immediate just... He just doesn't want to talk about it. ]

found a photo too. the other day. don't know how much it'll help but.

[ It takes him a moment to fiddle with his tablet. Eventually-- oh, look. Video from his end although you can only see a gloved hand clutching to the photograph of a young lady in a cap and gown. It's black and white. The voice that follows is definitely that of a young adult. Male. Light if a bit clipped. ]

Got a paintbrush, too, if that's anyone's thing. I was just gonna use it for kindling otherwise. Guess you'd probably need paint, too, but... [ Not matter how sideways the thought, really, he gets wanting a distraction at this point. All too much. ]

My voice is back.

[ Though for those who've heard Tim's voice before, it sounds much more hoarse than usual. Still, any voice is better than no voice! ]

I'm gonna - [cough cough] - I'm going to upload a video in a second. Some stuff I found yesterday. Kids shouldn't watch it. People who're already - you know, already freaked out by everything shouldn't watch either. It's not... I mean, it's. It isn't anything good, is what I'm saying. So.

[ He could try and filter the video away from those parties, but the thought doesn't sit well with him. The last time he tried to hide secret video footage from someone it kind of backfired spectactularly and people got killed and Tim got sent here by Tall McDarkandfaceless and everything was awful. He'd rather not repeat that, thanks. ]

( video section under the cut! cw: DEAD THINGS, some grossness )

[text - day 010, early evening]

[Posted first is a picture that Clayton's taken of the roof of house 60--more specifically, of a nearby crested window. The top of it is covered in snow, of course, but it isn't fresh, meaning that the uncountable number of tiny prints within it are well-preserved. Each is perfectly circular and roughly the circumference of a pen.]

Staying at a nice house next to the southern wall with fresh water tonight, and I found this hatch that has a view of the roof. These footprints(?) were on top of the window next to it.

Does anybody know what would make these? Some kind of animal?


[video - day 011, morning]

[When Clayton wakes up the next morning, he's feeling very different. This has nothing to do with the excitement from last night; it has everything to do with suddenly remembering four days' worth of information all in one go. It's like a brilliant epiphany, or like opening a musty album and finding an old, forgotten photograph--or something in-between. Clayton can't quite put his finger on it. But suddenly all those old posts have a real, tangible context for him to work with, all these meetings and relationships people keep mentioning connect. He remembers dying.]

[Holy shit, he actually died.]

[This is all a bit too much to take in at once. Clayton needs time to parse it. Or at the very least, somewhere to start. The whole "dying" thing demands his attention, but he doesn't feel prepared to tackle that right now. Still, he ends up watching his video from when it happened...several times. Settling in on specific conversations, laughing at depressing jokes, spending some silent minutes sifting through usernames and tracing them back to the obituaries.]

[By the time he actually thinks of something to say on the network, Clayton's eyes are puffy with tears. But for all the sadness he's just waded through, he's grinning, ear-to-ear, the epitome of happiness. There is nothing forced about this.]

Hey, uh...goodness.

[He has to stop, sniffle and quickly duck away to wipe his hand across his nose.]

...I'mma mess. Sorry 'bout that. I just, ah...heh. [Clayton chuckles and looks away in a desperate bid not to cry.] ...I remember! All four days. Still missin' the day after, 'fore I woke up by the west wall, but I was probl'y knocked out. Makes sense. If this's like the other symptoms folks're showin' after wakin' up, then good news is, it might not be permanent. So there's that.

[This infodump makes for a convenient lead-up to the sappy bullshit. Clayton looks away again, bites his lip, and prepares to switch tracks.]

That ain't...quite what I wanted to talk about, though. [He turns back and his smile wavers.] I was watchin' my, uh...my video I made. It'd odd, you know? Lookin' at it the day I woke up, it didn't really hit me 'bout just what y'all were doin'. Must've been 'least half'a us brought here--some ain't even with us anymore--come show up ta humor a dyin' man so he don't have'ta go alone--hot damn--

[Clayton's hand snaps up to cover the lower half of his face. He sits there, taking deep breaths, anxiously shifting position on his knuckles and furiously telling himself not to sob for a tense minute. Eventually he recovers enough to continue.]

...It don't hit quite so hard when you don't remember bein' there, see? [another nervous chuckle] Point is...we only known each other fer 'bout two weeks now, and whoever brought us here's tryin' their darnedest to keep us alone, but...ain't never felt more blessed to be workin' with a buncha folks I ain't never met in my whole life. [loud sniff, he's not even bothering to try and hide it anymore] With this bunch, we ain't gonna be stuck here forever. I know we ain't. All y'all stuck with me an' I'll stick with y'all, ain't no question. 'Bout the best way I can think to thank ya, 'sides from just sayin' it, so...

[This has suddenly gotten very awkward.]

...Thanks.

[Yup, he's done. Clayton flashes one last smile and the video ends.]

[ Nope. Nope nope nope nope. Tim is done. Being swooped away to snow hell? Not okay. Dying while in snow hell? Really not okay. Waking up in a body bag on a shelf after that?

'Okay' is now so far away that it is a mere pinprick in the distance. There is no okay to be found anywhere in his vicinity. Tim would spend some time fondly trying to remember the long-forgotten concept of okayness if he were at all capable of doing anything but freaking the fuck out.

He turns on the video function of his tablet, shakily recording the shelf he was recently lying on, and anyone watching might make out a few hoarse breathy noises. There's a dramatic lurch in the feed as Tim almost drops the tablet, and the video cuts out.

It's followed up soon afterwards with a text message. ]

well ok then. I'm alive but I can't talk
so that's new
there've been guys who came back from the dead blind/deaf too, right? so maybe whatever brought us here is taking parts of us. the snow preserves us after we die so the parts they/it wants stay fresh
I mean there's no wound or w/e but. I'm also not dead, so.
it could have taken my vocal cords and also one of my kidneys or something and nobody would know.
this is so messed up
if they'd just tell us what they want I'd donate my entire god damn FACE if they'd just stop it
and I'm pretty sure I can see the west snow wall from here. which is nuts because I know for a fact that I was DAYS away from it on foot when I died
so
how are they moving the bodies

[ It's more evidence that it's the tall thing that's doing all this, as far as he's concerned. Not that he's going to offer that as a possibility. ]


filtered to @MarbleHornets;
obvs I can't call like I said I would
you doing ok or

A: Network (Voice); 8am - Open

I've been doing some thinking.

[Al jumps right into it, as all forms of 'hello it's me' he rehearsed in his head, seemed stupid and awkward. He sounds content, though determined.]

My previous advice to travel westwards and southwards may not be the best now. I've been as far west and south as I can, and I've found almost nothing in the way of food or water supplies to sustain just me, let alone more of us. We need to find a place where we can scavenge, or even hunt, and that isn't to the southwest. If anyone has found any clues to where we could find anything to help us survive, please share it with us.

I know a few of you already know this, but Stephanie started a map that we're trying to put together collaboratively. It's not an exact map, that's impossible without the dimensions of this place or a frame of reference, but it's possible for us to start filling in routes based on where we have travelled in relation to the snow wall. You can find it here. The more people that can help with this, the better for all of us.

[He pauses, before exhaling audibly.]

Finally... there have been more deaths reported, and I know at least one more of them never talked to anyone here on the network. Please, if you're out there listening, don't make that mistake. We're a team here, you have to talk to us and trust us. We need to start thinking of each other as friends, not just as strangers stuck here, and that means learning about one another. So... won't you all talk to me? Tell me where you come from, and who's waiting for you to come home?

B: Closed to Clarke (Action; Day 008)

[Aside from a brief meeting with a woman early in his travels, Al has seen nobody else in person here. So it surprises him deeply when, as he is tramping through the snow, he catches sight of something out of the ordinary amongst the sea of white.

A splash of colour.

A person!

It only takes a heartbeat for Al to start running towards her, arms waving wildly to try and get her attention.]

Here! Over here!

C: Closed to Tadashi (Action; Day 009)

[After meeting with Clarke the previous day, the two of them had struck out together under the assumption that it was better to stick together. Perhaps in the enthusiasm of seeing someone else, or perhaps just out of necessity, it was close to the warning period when they eventually came upon shelter that day.

After a quick look inside, Al has slipped out again to inspect the perimeter before lockdown. Imagine his surprise when he sees a familiar figure walking towards him. He may only have seen Tadashi over the video of the tablet, but he recognises him at once. The same probably can't be said in reverse, as Al always uses the voice function. So Tadashi may not be too happy about being charged down by a seven foot suit of armour with large spikes.]

D: Closed to house 60, square J11 (Action, Day 009

[Quite a few people are surprisingly converging on the same house this evening, all looking for shelter against the night cold. This section is an open one for all people in house 60 to interact with one another, not just Al.]

Characters: Helen Magnus, Jay Merrick, Tim Wright, Lancer
Location Sports Shed (Lot 29)
Date: Day 006, Night
Summary: Four (mostly) strangers get locked in a storage shed. Discomfort is expected.
Warnings: TBD (will update as necessary)

"I hope no one minds sharing for the night."

( Read more... )

There's a horrific metallic screech, with a video displaying only the floor of the elementary school for a few moments. Then, it rises, showing a much more intact school than the current travelers would be used to.. Two unknown people are speaking, both women.

"Are you seeing that?"

"No I--wait, yes. What are those?"

"Get it on video, quick."

The display jerks down another hallway. None of the lights are on; the only point of light is the distant illumination of the other end of the hallway, where the lights still work. Shadows seem to shift and twitch--no, shadows are shifting and twitching. Darker than the gloomy surroundings, humanoid shadows can be seen. They're twitching and wandering aimlessly in the middle of the hallway.

Once the camera really focuses on them, though, their heads all turn at once to face it. And, with torn apart voices, they begin to scream.

The video ends.