Deer Country Network

...no no, it's alphabetical, sillies! We don't want the cherries next to the gooseberries when there are blackberries and blueberries and elderberries to think of first!

[Good morning, Trench. What you are witnessing right now is a giant hawk alongside several songbirds, chipmunks, squirrels, and all sorts of other forest animals all along the shelves with jars and jars and JARS of fruits, vegetables, and various other items, putting things in alphabetical order while there are meats drying and curing above in bunches hanging from bars just above the shelves alongside plants like sage, willow bark, lavender, and more. Snow is putting up another row of meat to dry out on the bars.

Her Omen, a giant stag, stomps a hoof and Snow turns to look at him.]

Oh! Yes, thank you Faramund!

Why hello everyone!

[There's some chittering from behind Snow White, two raccoons holding up a bowl of washed strawberries.]

Oh, yes, I'll get to the strawberries in just a moment, thank you dears, why don't you start on the cucumbers? We're saving the fish for pickling last.

[She turns to look back to the stag.]

Where was I? [One of the songbirds tweets behind her.] Oh yes, thank you.

I was speaking to my friends, and they said it would be best to prepare for winter!

[Snow, for her part, is quite in her element, being from the 1500s and Germany, winters could be particularly harsh and it wasn't all that strange to dry and cure and jar and pickle things to survive the winter.]

Well, when we went foraging, my friends and I gathered such a large amount that I have plenty to spare!

So, would anyone like some preserves? I have all sorts of fruit and vegetables, and the meat isn't done drying and curing but there should be plenty of that to share as well! And there will be pickled fish and crab. We're going to go mushroom and truffle hunting once we have this all done!

[Snow giggles when there are cheers of excitement around her by the animals.]

Well of course we'll get enough for everyone!

In any case, please don't hesitate to ask if there is something you would like!

[Fern is a bit nervous doing a video for the network. He usually prefers text, but he's trying to be a little more upfront about his plantness, and it's pretty relevant to what he wants to talk about. So here he goes!]

Hey, I'm Fern, if we haven't already met, and uh, as you can see I'm made of grass. I wanted to thank everyone for the help with the dirt last month, between that and the composting we've started and Varian improving his alchemical plant solution I should be okay.

[So that's taken care of! He grows a little more nervous before continuing, though, because this next part isn't easy for him to talk about.]

I wanted to talk about something else, too. I got tree senses now too, and I wanted to let people know, 'cause I kinda... picked up on what Cynthia's flowers were putting out. Not just that chill feeling, they, um...

[Geez, where does he even start with this? He runs an anxious hand through his hair.]

I grocked how they were feeling when they died. It was painful which, duh, they died. But they also felt really... sweet? Bittersweet's the word? Like they were okay with it. Fulfilled.

[He has to bite back a shiver as he remembers the punch in the face that was their feelings as the mass die-off happened.]

Anyways, that's a thing now. This works with other plants too, and mushrooms. Those new mushrooms that started showing up? They all feel pretty freaked out. It's - um, it's not great. It works on normal mushrooms too, so if you got some of those or plants or whatever and you wanna know what's going on with them, I can try to understand 'em for you. [He can't guarantee anything good, but it is what it is and the least he can do is try to help people with it.] I can grow stuff, too, like coffee or tea or whatevs. The growing part's easy.

[With that said, he straightens up a little.]

Also, for all you people I'm helping with fighting, we're gonna keep going with our lessons! This place is dangerous, so no slacking off. If anyone else wants to learn how to fight or defend yourself I can show you some stuff, I'm good with a whole bunch of weapons and my fists! [He raises a fist and determinedly punches the air.] I'm even thinking about building a whole new gauntlet here for you guys to test your skills! It'll be sick.

[Death trap obstacle courses are totally normal things to want to build! At any rate, he's said what he wanted to say, and switches off the feed.]