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Video | UN: Gaia

[ On a particularly snowy Feburary Day, when drifts are piled high and even Madam Generosity's helpful paths can only do so much, a video appears on the network.

Gaia is sitting in a rocking chair. There are lunar-powered lamps, but the way the shadows flicker, there's probably a comfortable fire lit somewhere offscreen. She has a journal open in her lap and one on a small table beside her. There's a brindle dog snoozing at her feet and every so often, a chicken passes by in the background, clucking gently. ]

So hello. I hope everyone's doing okay getting through the winter. I woke up today and found I was snowed in. Well, mostly I guess. But while I was cleaning up the house, I got to thinking about my first winter here. And I figured I'd try to pass on the things I learned in case it helps someone else, even if just a little.

I'd like to hear any tips or advice other people have as well. Besides letting people hear them, I doubt I know everything there is to know. So... every little bit helps. Also, if there's anyone needing help out there, just... let me know? I really can't stand sitting still right now.

So starting off, if you're looking for a place to live, it's very important to not settle for the first thing that looks sturdy. I made that mistake. And even though I got stubborn and it worked out, it was still very risky. I certainly wouldn't have survived if I didn't have friends. Another thing when it comes to keeping warm and sheltered. Bigger is not better. It takes more to warm a larger space. So if you can, try to find a small space. Look for something better in the spring or summer.

[ Gaia will continue with a few more conventional wisdom tips, adding a few ideal basic (possibly a bit bland) recipes that at least have nutritional value and work off of safe mushroom and cheap (dried) ingredients, which she also posts as text attachment. Most of them are soups. ]

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You're quite right about the shelter. It's worth taking the time to look around, and move around if you must. Definitely make sure to inspect the roof.

[Gaia makes A Face]

Ugh, yes. When I first found a place, that was a problem. Some of the locals were willing to shore up the kitchen and fix the chimney there so I managed with that, but the rest of the house...

[Another wrinkle of her face.]

Well a good fire to purge it would have been preferable to all the gutting. Oh, and waterproof canvas went a long way. Someone was kind enough to give me an old tent made of it. I set that up in the kitchen. It was cramped but made things a lot warmer.

Have you been around a while?

Some months now. It's my first winter in Trench, but my [uhhhhh] partner and I specifically looked for a dwelling we could easily keep heated once the weather began to chill. We'd been to enough places that I could see the appeal of fire, though.

Ha! For a lot of places you mean. Unless you're Coldblood, you'd freeze to death. And the odds that you'll find a place set with lunar orb wiring are going to be slim.

Did you have other means to heat your home though? Personal ability or something anyone might use? I mean especially for those that arrive in the middle of winter you can't have enough options to go with.

I am, actually. I'm looking forward to the warmer seasons very much.

[Until then, layers. And then some.]

I've been experimenting a little with my abilities, but I'm not sure I'd want to rely on them. We've done well enough so far, though. I haven't frozen yet.

It shouldn't be all that long before there's a change. Though I admit it's probably not a good idea to rely on it getting better.

[ Sure, maybe it will get warmer, but. ]

There was one time we had a storm that literally rained boiling water because of an angry Pthumerian.

I can understand not wanting to rely on them. Though it's a good idea to get to understand them, at least.

Also, you keep mentioning 'we'. It's also a good idea to have people you can rely on. I'm glad you have someone like that.

[Maria can take change, it's far better than stagnancy, but she makes a face at the idea of that level of change. Not weather she'd enjoy.]

I'm trying to, but it takes time. Where I come from, I suppose they'd be regarded as gods, but in some ways they're all too human.

[Disturbingly so.]

Oh — thank you. His name is Altaïr — he skulks around in a hood, buries his nose in books half his waking hours?

[This may or may not be a helpful descriptor.]

Hmm, I can't say I've met him offhand. I imagine Nara'a might have. He likes that sort of thing.

[It isn't a helpful descriptor. But that's okay! Gaia smiles a bit. ]

Well, having someone you can trust and... well, talk to here. It can really go a long way toward preventing corruption as well. It'll definitely help during the winter months.

[ She wouldn't verbally admit it. Not exactly. But there's a certain tone that suggests Gaia is herself relieved at having not been alone her first winter here. ]

Well it goes for all year, as well. As far as the Pthumerians go. Well, the way people treat them, they may as well be gods, whatever we call them.

As far as them acting human... I would think that gods man can't relate to at all would be pretty frightening.

I hope so. I don't think I've...experienced...any great amount of corruption to date, but I also wonder if I'd know if I did.

[Probably? It seems like it would be obvious, or should be, considering that "corruption" means something rather different than it does where she came from. But Maria knows just as well that it's important not to be overconfident — she doesn't want to end up losing herself just because she's sure she won't.]

Would it be? There's a big different between mortal and the divine. There should be.

There are places to help with corruption. Um, Cellar Door if you're uh, into that.

[ Gaia is a little embarassed, so it's probably clear what sort of place Cellar Door is even if it's not already known. She continues more briskly. ]

And there's also the Sanctuary. Also just having someone you trust and well, companionship goes a long way.

[ As to the divine, well. Gaia's probably a bit desensitized to the whole theology thing. Still she's going to shrug. ]

I didn't say there isn't a big difference. It's just that... gods would be far more terrifying if there was nothing mortals could relate to at all. Sure you could worship them, but I imagine people would do so more out of that fear than any real hope their prayers will be answered.

I'll keep that in mind.

[Gaia may be in luck. Maria is extremely perceptive and with moments of surprising denseness; she could roll the dice.]

Hmm. People here have some odd ideas about religion and worship and such. I suppose that's only to be expected given our disparate origins.

Honestly, worshiping gods isn't really a thing where I'm from. So I can only go by what I've observed from people here.

[ That sort of context might explain a lot about her relative objectivity about the divine. ]

So if I offended you somehow or seemed to be making light of your faith, I'm sorry about that.

Oh, no. Not at all. I'm very difficult to offend.

[It's somewhat easier for her to offend others, it seems, but Maria isn't terribly bothered by that.]

I'm still adjusting to the different perspectives and experiences Sleepers bring with them. Things I never questioned as being anything but universal suddenly aren't.

That's a relief.

[ Gaia doesn't seem to be offended at all. She nods in acknowledgement. ]

I know the feeling. And that was from even before I came to be here.

[ Cue a bit of an eyeroll, as if paradigm shattering knowledge can be expressed by a teenager's classic 'the things I need to put up with' expression. She continues on with humor. ]

I suppose we've gotten a bit off-topic. At least as far as surviving winter is concerned. Understanding there's more out there than one's experienced before is certainly a good lesson for the entire year.

Quite. And that applies to both philosophical and practical differences from what we've known before.

[Wrangling with others' perceptions of faith and deities is something she can do in her own mind. But she can't do that at all if she doesn't keep herself alive and warm.]

In the meantime I suppose I'll just continue wearing layers.

[Ask Her How Many she has on right now. Wait, no, don't, it's embarrassing.]

[ there is nothing embarrassing about staying warm in a harsh winter, gaia herself had to ruck down in a tent in a kitchen near the hearth with lots of blankets and a dog for warmth that first year because the rest of the place was a frozen deathtrap Gaia 100% agrees that it's best not to embarrass someone by asking what they're doing right now to keep warm . ]

Layers are good. Oh, and if you run into any people with Coldblood, make sure they understand there's been time when protections against the cold and heat have weakened. It could certainly happen again. So having proper supplies for emergencies is a good idea.

[ But she's got to stop herself before she gets going again. ]

It was nice speaking with you. My name actually is Gaia, not just the name I use on the network.

[~~Except for when you walk like a penguin. Not that Maria even knows what a penguin is.]~~

Wonderful. I suppose Trench wouldn't be Trench if it didn't keep us on our toes.

[It's still better than England as far as she's concerned.]

Likewise. I'm Maria...it didn't occur to me to use any other network on this thing.

[ Poor England, getting dissed like that. ]

Apparently it's something people will do. There's many that this sort of communication is common. It's useful right now, certainly. But I still prefer talking to someone in person.

[ Look at that, a teen not glued to her ~~cellphone~~ Omni. ]

I was talking with another person and I'll be doing a lesson on how to preserve foods to be posted. So watch out for that if you need the knowledge. And if you think of anything else, just attach it to the text area where the recipes are. Hopefully we can speak again, Maria.

[England has it coming.]

I know a little about it, but it wouldn't hurt to brush up.

[It had been a necessity in a time of war, but also, it had been someone else's job.]

Certainly. Stay well.

Do.. you need someone to come dig you out?

[ Hey, she knows this guy! ]

Oh, it's you! I hope you're settling in well?

[ Okay so she might not be completely convinced about his ability. It hasn't even been a month for him to recover from that starving state she found him in. ]

If it comes to it, I can teleport. Or climb out a window I suppose. Besides, I'm in Feed and I haven't set up a lamp so it would be almost half a bell from the Waystation even on a good day. Could you even make it in this weather?

[He looks a little better! But.. not much. Maybe he's just one of those people who always look scrawny and pale. ..And a bit worried.]

I'm alright.

[That's settling in, right?? It's a good question though, could he make it? Yoichi tilts his head back a little, studying the ceiling while he thinks. How far is half a bell? Is that a few kilometers?]

The weather's never an issue, but there might be bears or wolves or something. It might take a bit. How far is a bell?

[ Definitely good to see that he's better. It's never fun to be starving in a pit of frozen undead. ]

Oh, sorry! It's not how far, it's how long. Half of an hour. So... thirty minutes? And there's worse than bears or wolves out there. Anyway I suppose you're welcome to come over. It's not as if I can't dig out a path if I put a mind to it. Though is there anything you need? I could come there.

[ She suddenly looks a little overeager of something to do to be helpful to someone.]

[At the least the frozen undead might have gotten a meal had she not interfered, not EVERYONE had to starve..]

What kind of things worse than bears and wolves? ... Though I guess unless they're polar bears it's the wrong time of the year for those.

[Hibernation is a thing. He learned about that through normal curriculum. Maybe this place had polar bears?

Mob was being unusually helpful lately too, what's up with that?]

No, I don't need anything right now, but if you're stuck inside you should get out. Where is your home in Feed? It might take me a bit, but at least the snow isn't an issue. You could put on a light or a candle so you're easier to find?

The monsters here don't just crawl out of sudden sinkholes. You definitely want to be careful. And even if you see something that looks like a wolf, expect it to be something more.

[ She definitely sounds serious about this one. Like she's had some experience running into things that aren't what they seem. ]

I'm not stuck!

[ Technically. ]

But if you want to come over, that's fine. You want to go to the lamp at the Waystation, then follow the road into Feed.

[ A few more straightforward directions follow. ]

It's a house with stone walls up to the roof. I can put a lantern at the door for good measure and I'll have the lights on. But really you don't have to come.

[ There's some distress at the thought of being a burden. Though she also scowls at the emotion. ]

The last ones did.

[Apparently they DO just crawl out of sudden sinkholes, Gaia!! But he's not about to be uncautious in the woods, if he trips over something and breaks a leg he's going to be in real trouble.

But he's going to go visiting, because she is stuck, and that's a terrible thing. He's just going to have to find a shovel and prepare for a long walk.

In the corner of the video, a three headed comparatively tiny hydra bounces in excitement.]

Someone should come, don't you think? I'll bring some shoreline food. It might take me a bit, but probably before dark.

I meant they do other things too.

[ Her reply sounds a bit tart but she doesn't sound too angry, really. ]

Oh? What are you thinking of bringing? Once we get the house dug out, I can make us dinner. Ah, and you're welcome to stay the night. There's a couple spare rooms.

[ She's already mentally planning a full meal as payment, most like. ]

It'll be fine, I'm sure. I'll try not to act too prey-like.

[Because he's coming over!! And bringing a shovel, if he can find one. There's a moment's hesitation, glancing off to the side where presumably he has .. SOMETHING set aside.]

Ah. Big clams. Some scallops. A half a crab. Some nice edible seaweed, it dried surprisingly well. Mushrooms..

[It's ninety percent scavenged, and may have been dead when he found it so whether or not she wants to risk it when he finally arrives will likely depend entirely on Gaia's stomach fortitude.]

I appreciate the offer! We'll have to see what time it is when I get there and when we're done. I'm going to head out though, the sooner I get going the sooner I'm likely to actually arrive!

[ Gaia knows not what she's invited to her home. There will probably be some regrets. ]

Wait, half a crab? Maybe not that one unless you've already cooked it and stored it properly.

[ She's... dimly aware that most seafood, especially shellfish, should be consumed 'fresh'. Half a crab sounds dubious. She pulls up another journal and flips through the pages. Her following words suggests this is her recipe book. ]

But if you bring all that, I've got enough around here that we could make a chowder of some kind. Oh! [ She looks up. ] Well I'll be watching out for you.

... Well, I can bring it, and if you don't think it's okay then probably my Omen can eat it.

[A snake head briefly pops into view, albeit a furred one. And then a second right alongside it. The Omen, presumably. It disappears from sight again quickly.]

I'll be on my way soon, but give me a bit of time.

[And the video shuts off; presumably he's on his way.]

Don't go out into the woods unless you have to. I've noticed the number of monsters and wicked spirits that are out there tends to go up in the winter.

[ Gaia grimaces. ]

Oh yes, I'd almost forgotten to mention that. The woods can be tempting because sometimes the snow doesn't pile up so much and you can forage. Or even hunt. But like I was telling another person, besides what you said, there's always a chance that an animal can be more than it looks.

And it changes sometimes, just what appears. Is there anything you'd noticed in particular this year? Probably be a good idea to note a few things of what to look out for. Not everyone can avoid the woods.

When I was out there, it felt like someone was watching me. I didn't get a good glimpse of them but when I did see them for a moment or two, they looked humanoid but with everything on their face--eyes and mouth mainly--was turned vertical rather than looking horizontal.

Ugh. That's just.... Well, I think I've seen that too, honestly.

[ Gaia doesn't look at all well over the memory. To be fair, it isn't a pleasant thing to have seen. ]

Even in summer the woods are dangerous. Stick to the roads if you can't travel by lamp. You should only go in if you absolutely must or are confident in your ability to defend yourself. Particularly in winter.

[This seems to be addressed to whomever might be listening rather than Darth Maul. She's perfectly aware he can take care of himself. ]

Have you seen anything in the city proper that people might need to be aware of? I live in Feed. Here, it's dangerous in other ways. Monsters attracted to the livestock mostly.

[ This is probably part of the reason why there's a chicken clucking around indoors. ]

Edited 2023-02-22 00:12 (UTC)

[Maul took out a nail file and began the usual task he had of keeping his claws in good condition as he thought about the question.]

Nightmare Steeds. They can be extremely mean creatures when they want to be and like very few people. Between the horn and the hooves, they're dangerous beasts no matter which way you approach them.

Yes, I've had my experience with one. You definitely need to regard them with respect.

[ Gaia's experience has also been largely policed by the steed's master. It did give the advantage of a relatively safe learning environments on how to act around the nightmare steeds. ]

...If not outright caution. Thank you, Darth Maul. I'm sure others will benefit from the notes you've left here.

Indeed. They like people who show no fear.

[Which is why Snow had the best relationship with the beasts of anyone in the city. Maul's jaw had dropped open the first time he saw her in action with one of them.

He acknowledged the thank-you with a nod of the head.]

I am attempting to get along with others better now. This is a way to do so.

That's certainly not a bad thing. [ Cue some mild Gaia approval. Well, she never had any particularly bad impression of Darth Maul but then her encounters had mostly been fleeting. ]

Alright feel free to speak up again or add to the attached text section if there's anything else you can think of.

[ You know, like where the recipes are posted. ]

I will do so.

[Maul was one of the Sleepers who had been there the longest, so he figured he might as well have used his knowledge for good rather than evil at this point in his life.]

This is a good idea, Gaia. I'm also definitely going to be making a few of those soups.

[ She takes a moment to consider what she can add to the tips and then: ] Learn how to can and get into gardening. Both are super beneficial in this crazy place. I'd even suggest building up a personal greenhouse to have fresh fruits, vegetables, and medicinal herbs in the winter. It doesn't need to be super big but it could get you out of a rough patch.

[ There's definitely a pleased look when Sharon compliments her. But she tries her best to remain dignified. ]

Thank you. Of course those soups are something you can add spices and other ingredients to if you want. But they're also good for making sure you've got the meals you need to keep going when you don't have a lot.

I wasn't able to get a greenhouse going this year. There was too much going on. But I did learn how to can, smoke and dry ingredients. And gardening. Even if you start out small!

[ Gaia ponders, then brightens. ]

If you have time, maybe we should make one of these videos on how to do the basics. Such as canning, or how to make starting plants for the garden? Even without a greenhouse it's possible to do that indoors to prepare for the spring, right?

They may be basic but that's a good thing. It gives people a lot of wiggle room.

I had the same issue, though I got mine started. It's kinda just out there in my backyard, half-finished. [ Trench can be a real bitch when it comes to finishing certain things. The loss of her mother put a real damper on her desire to do anything for a few months. ]

I think that's a great idea. I can make the time for something like that, especially if you're willing to teach me how to smoke things. Afraid I haven't gotten that quite figured out yet.

I'd probably never hear the end of it from D if I made some sort of vulnerable glass opening in the house itself.

[ She seems to be mumbling to herself, as if she had been thinking of ways to make a greenhouse she wouldn't need to travel out into the cold to access. ]

I suppose I detached structure would be the way to go. Oh! And yes, though I'm not sure if it's the most efficient way or even the best, it does the job at least. It takes a while, so it's generally best to make sure you have a lot of meat to do at once. Or fish.

[ Which is also meat, Gaia. ]

Well hm. Another issue with smoking meat is that it can attract things. But maybe if we do something small.

[ The chicken takes this opportunity to cluck on by in the background. Thankfully Gaia does NOT look in its direction. ]

Either way we'll make something work for an example!

I think the look he'd give would be worse. [ She can see it now. Almost expressionless but there's just something in those eyes of his and you can tell, or think you can, that he's judging you just a little bit. ]

I can handle anything it might attract but if we do it in a district like Crenshaw, we shouldn't run into too many problems. We'd be more likely to draw in a few curious kids than other things. Or maybe at the Outpost? And, afterward, we could add it to the stock there.

Oh so you know him then.

[ It's clear Gaia has to agree on that count. ]

Hm, let's do it at the Outpost. It might be a little more risky when it comes to drawing things in, but at least we're not causing problems for Crenshaw.

I can handle the wood. I've got some left over. And I know where I can get some winter vegetables to show how canning works. Though we could also can some of the meat, too.

[ She is obviously thinking of options, before she hastily amends. ]

I mean instead of smoking all of it.

Very. He's one of my mentors. [ And he's important to her. She looks to him like he's family even if she's afraid to ever admit as much to him. ]

Outpost it is. We'll have to make sure it's on one of the days where we have more guards on duty, just in case.

I'll bring some fresh chicken and the canning goods. I got plenty of mason jars.

Alright. I'll message D that we're going to use the Outpost. I imagine he'd want to know as well.

[ Gaia bends to write some notes in her open notebook. ]

Right, I'll get a list together and send it back to you. Also! If you find others who want to contribute to this project, either as guards or participants, let me know.

All right, I'll ask around. I've got an idea of people who might be interested in helping us out.

Great! I'll talk to you again soon then!

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Video | UN: Gaia

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