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

[justoscar]

Hey, we don't have to do it if you have any worries. It's just an offer.

There might be someone else around who is smarter than I am and can help you with just the seeds alone.

But, with October happening next month, it might be a good idea to be as ready for trouble as possible. We don't know what will happen here, but October was BAD in the last place I was in.

[foolintherain]

That's very considerate of you, regardless.

[ The last place?? Hmmm. ]

That place wasn't Deerington, Maine, by any chance?

What happened in October, if you don't mind recalling that bad time?

[justoscar]

Yeah. It was Deerington.

I was only in town for about a year and saw one October. But, that's enough.

To keep it simple: the sun set and didn't rise again for an entire month, the moon had become a pair of eyes that watched your every move, the water ran red and thick like blood, and there was no safe way to travel town because monsters were everywhere.

It also drove people mad... and I had a contact from home lose her mind and end up killing most of the rest of us from home. Only two of us were spared, but it was not a easy thing to deal with.

October here might not be the same, but I'm not taking any chances.

[foolintherain]

[ Cas reads over that description with mounting horror for every new twist. ]

that's awful. i'm sorry you experienced it.

[ Someone killing all of their friends in their madness... There isn't much worse than that. And even with the return to dreaming, the emotional consequences remain. And there's no reassurance that they'll be revived in this place like they were there, either. ]

What sort of preparations are you making?

[justoscar]

[The truth was far more gristly than what he had let on, for the afflicted person not only slew her twin brother and his romantic partner, but her mentor, and her only daughter. No one who was unconnected needed to know the truth of how deeply Raven Branwen had fallen that dark October afternoon.

He barely knew her. It was the only way he knew how to show her any respect in this world.]

It was October.

That's just how it went in Deerington. It wasn't the first time friends were forced to kill friends, and it wasn't the last either.

I'm doing the only things I know how to prepare. I'm making sure the people I call my family are safe, and I'm making sure we have enough food if there's no way to get safely get supplies again.

Without more time or knowledge to work with, that's all any of us can do.

[foolintherain]

[ Cas's time in Deerington was limited. His own experiences weren't great, but there was, all things considered, not much death involved. The stories he'd heard from others were awful, but nothing on par with what Oscar is telling him. It's... sobering, certainly.

Of course, this place doesn't seem anything like Deerington so far, but it would be remiss of him not to consider things might change, and change quickly, next month or some other time. Food and supplies can only do so much against whatever it was that was going on in Deerington. Gods, Pthumerians, pulling the strings. Speaking of‐ ]

that's a lot to worry about
but theres no point in worrying about others if you don't worry about yourself first.

i have something you can try
to help you sleep
...if you're interested.

[justoscar]

[Oscar paused.

That reminder alone was something he had been telling others since they all arrived, but something he knew he needed to work on as well. To see it in writing from a stranger, much like how Mako had chided him months ago on their first meeting, was sobering. ]

You said your name was Cas, didn't you.

I needed that reminder.

I'll take you up on your offer. What do you have in mind?

cw: drug reference

[foolintherain]

i hope it helps

and what i have in mind is a spiritual journey through the mind in the form of a mentally and physically relaxing guided meditation

or i can offer you a joint, if you'd rather go the more medicinal route

[justoscar]

Sir. I'm Fifteen.

This is the first time a stranger offered me drugs. I thought that was a lie adults told to keep kids in line.

[foolintherain]

so that's a no to the pot
alrighty
it would be pretty irresponsible to fall asleep in front of a stranger also, i'm sure those same adults would tell you

but uh while we're here
please don't ever call me sir again
i hated that

[justoscar]

I don't want any.

But, my mentor probably does. You'll need to talk to him, though. We live in the big green mansion in Gaze that's covered in flowers right now.

Meditating and sleeping are different. One would have you helping, the other would be just weird.

And what do you want to be called? If not Sir, then no Mister. You don't seem like you'd want to me called Ma'am.

Captain? Cousin? Count?