Voice: Un: Diggs

[justoscar]

[It had been nearly a week, and Oscar was becoming worried.

Lessons he has learned on the other side of the Dream had taught him that sitting in the worry and letting it overcome him did no one any good-- least of all himself. Knowing this, Oscar tentatively turned on the Audio function of his new device and, with an obvious case of awkward nerves, started talking.]

Um... Hi.

I'm Oscar Pine and... I'm sure some of you know me already, but some of you don't and that's okay.

There was just a couple of things I wanted to say.

First: I know that things have been stressful lately and that we all need something to do, so I'm willing to teach people how to garden if they want a hobby that lasts a little longer than baking all the time. I'm a farmhand... And I did the baking thing. Growing and taking care of your own vegetables helps a little more, for a longer time.

And-- you can share your extra zucchini with your friends and loved ones. Isn't that cool?

I managed to bring along some seeds to get started. Just... Contact me if you're interested.

... and thanks, Mako, for the idea.

Second: is anyone else having trouble sleeping since they got here? I know being nervous makes sleeping hard, but this feels different. Anyone have any ideas about why this is happening, or how to help?

Last: ... I don't know about everyone else, but there's still some people I'm looking for that haven't come ashore yet. Can people just...chime in to let everyone know that they're safe? And let us know if there's anyone else you're looking for?

Maybe we can make everything a little easier if we work together. I don't know...

I'm just kinda worried, and some of you all probably are too.

Comments

Video | UN: ClickClickBloom

[onekindsoul]

I haven't had any trouble sleeping but I've been feeling super anxious lately- I can't quite figure out why thou-

[And suddenly her aura activates without any warning and she is suddenly very much on fire. Full on ignited.

It only lasts a few seconds before it quells and she's looking super startled.]

OH RIGHT! That's Why.

Video-- Action

[justoscar]

RUBY!!

[This was heard both within the house and through the device as Oscar threw it onto his bed and all but flew through the hallways. Grabbing a thick blanket on the way, he beelined at Ruby--

And tackled her with the heavy blanket, sending them both onto the floor.]

[voice | un: seeingeyefox]

[auralaura]

Already getting bored, Ossi? Gotta throw yourself into the next thing.

[Fox is proud of him, always trying to community organize and bring people together.]

Voice

[justoscar]

Fox!! You made it!

[After not finding Emerald or even Jaune, Oscar was starting to have doubts about Fox's arrival. Even the rough and tumble man from Vacuo was still just that-- a person. Outside of the dream, in a place where even their Aura felt inconsistent, they were the same as anyone else.

Prone to the same risks and setbacks, too.]

How are you managing? Have you found a place to stay yet?

[He knew he was babbling-- but he had developed a bond with Fox that he hadn't anticipated.

Fox had been one of the only people to divine the situation he was in with minimal discussion and explanation, after all. Fox had never doubted who he was.]

[VIDEO]; UN: [USERNAME NOT SET]

[demonicbeauty]

[Ariadne's face pops into the feed, absolutely delighted.]

You have seeds? I would love to know what kind!

I'm thinking of starting a garden. Flowers and herbs. Everyone needs a nice garden where they can just sit and think, you know?

video

[justoscar]

[Hi, stranger! Oscar flipped on the video to reply and blinked owlishly at her.]

Just some herbs and vegetables. You know, the usual ones: mint, oregano, basil, peppers, zucchini, tomatoes. A few others too, but nothing as big as corn. There's some sunflowers and marigolds in there as well.

Most of my stock was actually lost in a fire during the spring. I salvaged what I could of my little kitchen garden, but the town had become a desert at that point and a lot of what was left had died before I got there.

...Do you have a space for a garden? Mako and I were talking last spring, and we came up with an idea for a garden that everyone can use. Space is just a problem in a city this tightly packed, and a few people mentioned that the quality of our soil might be a problem.

text; username: grollschwert

[hauntedsavior]

Glad the sleep thing isn't just me.
Don't know what's causing it. I haven't burst into flame like Ruby up there.
I'd probably remember that.

Name's Anna, kid.
Don't think we knew each other before this, but, uh.
Hey, wild question. What came before this for you?

text

[justoscar]

The sleep thing is strange. I've never had much trouble falling asleep before unless there was a bigger problem going on.

And, it's interesting that you ask that, Miss Anna. I didn't come here directly from my home. A lot of friends and I were in a town called Deerington before we came here. The town was literally a little girl's dream, but she was in trouble and the dream was falling apart.

We tried to save the girl, but I'm not sure if we made the right choices. We ended up swimming here when the dream finally broke.

But, I don't think the little girl made it.

voice; un: ushiromiya

[entreats]

[ Ange initially wanted to say something about the gardening, but then the last part catches her off guard more than she anticipated. Maybe she's reading a little too much into it, but she thinks Oscar sounds more than just 'kinda' worried. Or maybe it's just since he sounds so nervous during the entire message that's influencing her opinion.

.. still, Ange's voice is a little soft when she speaks up. ]

Are you alright, Oscar?

Voice- > Private

[justoscar]

[All it took was a question to break through his composure. Oscar quickly switched the feed to Private so they could talk.]

I'm worried about Emerald, Yang, and Jaune. Others too, like Gerry. I haven't seen them here yet at all.

[Although he suspected that he wouldn't see Gerry, the knowledge of his absence in any world stung keenly.]

Bad things were waiting for us in Remnant. We don't know if any of us will really be safe, or even if all of us are alive.

Video UN: glyphywitchy

[imaglyphwitch]

Hey Oscar! Luz here!

Um, actually yeah, if you have the availability? I'd like to learn to garden, specifically flowers. I want to have something small. Where would we be doing it?

Actually haven't slept barely any in the last two days. Just been cleaning around the house. That definitely has not been a normal thing.

What are you worried about specifically?

[justoscar]

Hi, Luz!

We can do some gardening where ever you want. I don't have a full location set up yet, but I've a few spare pots and some soil that I kept in the garage. We can try growing some marigolds, if you want. They're bright, and fairly easy to start with.

My sleep is really weird lately. I've only been able to catch naps in the afternoon since we got here, and the naps aren't very restful. Maybe it's just because I'm worried about some friends who didn't show up yet? What's waiting for us back in Remnant isn't good-- but this doesn't feel like the sleeplessness is because of worry.

I don't know what to make of it.

text; un: 42069

[foolintherain]

Hi oscar. we haven't met; at least not that i remember. i'm Cas.

i have some strange seeds i brought on the long trip with me. would you mind taking a look at them? with your farming experience, it sounds like you might have a better time identifying them than i have.

text;

[justoscar]

[That sure was a username... ]

Hi, Cas.

I'm a farmhand, not a botanist. If it's not a normal grain crop, I won't be able to help with an ID.

But, we can see if we can make it grow into something we CAN identify. How does that sound?

text, un: Hino

[incandescentfaith]

Gardening already, Oscar?

text

[justoscar]

I only stopped because the end of the world destroyed what I had.

Now that the dream is over and we don't need to worry about the world falling apart again for a while, why not start again?

It's good hearing from you, Rei. I got worried when I didn't find you on the beach.

Video; UN: Cuddlebunny

[lightthedarkness]

You're having trouble sleeping too? [Varian was outright unable to, Usagi was having some struggles herself, but nothing compared to Varian.]

It's September here...

[Is October going to be like what it was in Deerington? Was this... was this a prelude to that? Would insomnia wrack them all again? But no, Usagi wanted to believe this place was different...

Still, wanting to believe it and being prepared...]

I know my friend Makoto would probably love a vegetable garden in our backyard. Maybe we should get her a greenhouse though, Fern said the soil was really bad here.

Video

[justoscar]

Yeah. I have trouble getting to sleep-- and, when I do, it's not very restful. Maybe I just have a lot on my mind, but it's weird.

[He was never one who was prone to insomnia, but with missing friends and his guilt over the fate of Julia Sodder he had a lot to contend with. This, with the shift in his powers, made it tricky to actually turn his mind off.]

Yeah, I heard the same from Fern. I'm actually planning to look into alternate ways of gardening. I was in a tundra before I arrived in Deerington, and the science magazines there mentioned something about growing plants with just water, nutrients, and lights.

No dirt.

I'm not sure how easy that is... but we're right next to the ocean, and distilling drinkable water from the ocean isn't too hard in theory. We just need to find the right way to do this, without harming or upsetting anyone.

video; un:spcschnee

[winter_bestowed]

It might not be a bad idea to make a census as everyone becomes settled. And thinking about establishing gardens is a good start as well.

I'm sure that part of it is people adjusting to this place, but it might be something to keep an eye on. When is the last time you slept?

Video

[justoscar]

It's not a bad idea, but if this city moves people the way Deerington did? It's not going to be very easy to do. Someone might yell about people trying to become too organized again, and that wasn't easy to watch the first time.

[As much as he respected and worried over Ironwood, even after everything that had happened in Remnant, Oscar had his limits. Engaging in politics was one of them.]

Gardening is something small and simple that we all could find helpful. It will give people something easy and fun to do if they're upset or stressed out, and it could help us avoid the food supply problems we had in the last few months if enough people get involved.

But... I'm going to start small and coordinate with other people, because I'm not sleeping well. The most I've been getting since we washed on shore is a nap for a few hours in the afternooon. But... it's like I'm not dreaming? Or, maybe I'm just so tired I'm not remembering my dreams?

It's hard to say.

voice; un:rosestorm

[thunderingcourage]

If you need any help with gardening or baking I'd be glad to help too. I'm actually thinking of opening my own shop locally.

I haven't really had much trouble sleeping, but a friend of mine has.

[justoscar]

Opening a shop sounds like a great idea. I don't have the patience for that kinda thing... And I'm trying to do something that's better than cooking for everyone.

You know the saying, right? If you teach someone to fish, you'll feed them for as long as they live.

It sounds like a lot of us are having sleep troubles right now. I'm not sure how everything connects yet, but it probably has something to do with everyone's blood changing colors. I don't know what to think of it.

voice | un: P.G.

[possessum]

( Peter's memories are still... strange. Is he empty—? Or too full, too full of too much. Too much Other. There's the Other of this place (something that he... accepts, quietly, unceremoniously), but there's the Other of something else, too, and it's... a lot. Some days he still doesn't know his own name.

Today he remembers his name, but he can't be certain he remembers who the boy is on the other end of the audio feed. Oscar Pine... Oscar Pine... Does he know the name? He isn't sure, but he thinks he remembers the voice. Just-barely, like the ghost of a memory, something he might have imagined. ....But no matter if he has, the boy sounds... tense, maybe. Awkward. Nervous. There's something in it that draws Peter in, despite his own nerves. )

Hello, Oscar. I'm— My name's Peter.

( He softens his voice, though it's already a quiet thing. There are other things to address here, but in the immediate moment there's one thought. )

How long's it been since you slept?

[justoscar]

Hi, Peter. It's been a long time.

[Half a year-- maybe even more. It was hard to tell with the amount of crises they had survived in such a short time. But, even with his memories still a jumbled mess at times that resembled a deck of cards dashed on the floor, he did recall their meeting by the lake.

So, so much had happened since then.]

I've been catching naps in the afternoon, but that's about it. The naps aren't exactly restful, either. It's less like sleeping and more like waking up from being unconscious, really.

text - UN: IceCream

[threelayers]

I suggest you make a day where everyone leaves a cucumber on someone's porch.
Just do it randomly, don't tell them who did it and see how badly it screws with them
Especially if they have a cat.

[One day, her omen was going to kill her in her sleep.]

So. I've had a lot more nervous energy lately yeah.
Been having trouble sleeping and I could swear those birds are watching me.
But I've just been assuming one of them is Qrow.

text

[justoscar]

Why cucumbers, when zucchini grows bigger, more prolifically, and holds up better in the weather?

Also, why are we doing this to be mean? What do cats have anything to do with this?

[Clearly, someone has never taunted the barn cats.]

It looks like everyone is having trouble sleeping, but why do you think Uncle Qrow is one of the birds hanging around? He has better things to do than to hang out with a bunch of stranger birds.

Video; UN: Willow

[frogfear]

That's a good idea to get everyone to check in - it should give us a better sense of who's here and who's not. There's a few people I haven't seen yet too that I'm starting to wonder about. Hopefully they all join us eventually? Maybe they're just - I dunno - running a little late?

I'm still totally fine with the not sleeping right now. [This is a lie. She's exhausted, and it shows in the dark circles under her eyes and the way her shoulders slump.] I don't really know what's behind it, though, sorry.

As for gardening... Let me know if you want an extra set of hands - I'll help as much as I can.

[justoscar]

We can just... not sleep together. Maybe take turns putting Ruby out until she gets the fire thing under control? I dunno what else to say...

[He sighed. As much as he tried to put on a smile, the lack of sleep was getting to him. Quickly too. He was always keen to keep to his habits, even after leaving his family farm. There was a certain comfort in consistency.]

An extra set of hands is always welcome. Right now I'm just starting with lessons, partly to see what's going on with the soil. I don't have much planned for what happens after that. But, we can work together on that, too.

While we're not sleeping. In the dark, I guess.

video; un:mako

[arclightning]

[ Mako is very, very glad to see Oscar here safe and whole, even through the awful haze of this placeless anxiety.

His smile is tight, but it's there. ]

Hey, you're the one doing everything. I just pointed out the obvious.

[ Just, you know, making that clear before he shifts to the more serious topic. ]

Doesn't seem like anybody's sleeping great. I'm not, Wu's not, and it can't be our blood, because it isn't the same. Could be like October. Something in the air.

[justoscar]

Ruby's not. Willow's not.

[Oscar shook his head-- the list, and the overlapping factors, were too tangled for him to figure out.]

Maybe it really is something in the air. That's even more reason for people to learn to garden, if they want. So we can have something to take care of and be proud of... and keep us on a schedule, since no one is really sleeping.

video | un: vyng

[spiritwalks]

[He's late seeing this because of The Shit-Vase Problem. But better late than never, right?]

You're having problems sleeping? What's going on, friend?

video

[justoscar]

[Oscar switched his side to video as well and cast Vyng a tired, grateful smile. Vyng had been one of the people he was looking for, before the shit vase incident. Although he barely knew the man, anyone that Qrow felt comfortable being around was worth learning about.

The fact that Vyng already called him 'friend' left him giddier than expected. Anyone who could talk to animals was super cool.]

I'm sleeping at weird times, and when I do it's not very... refreshing. Normally I remember my dreams pretty well, but I'm having a hard time with that since we got here.

... It's probably just being in a new place, honestly. Sleep just never gave me trouble before