text - UN: IceCream (CW mention of drowning risks)

[threelayers]

[Well, this one didn't put up public service messages often, did she? But, if there was a remote chance your spouse might show up one day in the heart of winter, well... you'd probably do it too.]

Right, so, if we're all done having oodles of fun running for our lives from crazy nutjobs in this maze of a town, I've got something we should all be thinking about. (Also, thank you Trench. I knew you'd deliver. I was almost bored there for a moment. Now this place feels like a nightmare.)

I saw something on my window while I was recovering from my last maze run. Frost. You know, that pretty white stuff that forms on your windowsills and makes you people all silly with this holiday spirit or whatever? Nice stuff. Gorgeous. So idyllic. Yeah, where there's frost, there's ice. And ice likes to form on top of water. If you haven't figured out where I'm going with this?

I'm taking bets on whether or not you think the coastline's gonna freeze for the next two months. Your first bet doesn't count. Everyone's a winner. Your prize? Grab a pickaxe.

That's right, dumb dumbs. Squids seem to show up at the same time we showed up in the dream. Very end of the month and first week of the month, and if that coast freezes, they're going to pound right into a sheet of ice. Get blankets, start fires, grab a pickaxe. Also, maybe flares or burning arrows wouldn't be a bad idea. Folks can come to you if you find a squid and need help. I have five I got lucky enough to have in my backpack and I intend to use them. Unless you want next month's new arrivals to drown in the water and/or freeze to death. And if you do? I recommend not replying to this. I'm not in the best of moods.

And if one of you hero types feels like actually organizing this thing, go for it. You know where I'll be.

Comments

[threelayers]

It varies. there's solos, and there's whole crews.
Remnant seems to be a popular shitty little world to flee for horror town Trench.
There were more here during the nightmare, though.

I don't mind. There's better ones at explaining, but I got the gist.
So, this town you're standing on is like the Phoenix that rose out of the ashes of a world ruined.
There was a child god who had the power to shape reality with her realities, and no control.
they tried to freak out and get rid of her, then they put her in a coma, and let's just shay she lost it.
Far as I know she was basically dying when she made a nightmare world out of her last power.
We were trapped in it, and so was what was left of her world.
It recovered and gave birth to a new reality.

The blood-drenched horror town of Trench, with its other little godlings.
A few of us survived those nightmares, crossed the ocean and ended up here.
I probably got a few details wrong, but the big picture's not my strong point.
I'm more of a 'stab the problem until it's not a problem' type.

[spoilers]

Oh, I understand. I was always a 'shoot first, never ask questions' type, myself, before I got married.

I can't say I've ever heard of Remnant. But maybe I should count myself lucky.

Trench certainly isn't what most would choose, but I think I'd prefer this to being trapped in a dying child's nightmare. In fact, having been kept in what passed for a dying girl's dreams long enough I lost track, I can say it with certainty. And she was well-loved and mostly happy.

It's a shame natural instinct is often to destroy what causes fear.

[threelayers]

I married my backup in town.
Let's just say that she didn't stop my bad habits so much as help me pick targets.
And you should definitely count your blessings on missing Remnant and the Grimm.

Like most nightmares, it sort of morphed and shifted.
So it was a new hell every single month, hard to figure out the pattern.
Here, at least the awful is understandable sort of, and we can plan.

And I suppose it is. I'm a bad one to discuss ethics with.
I've never been good at that part.

[spoilers]

Now that sounds like a partner.
Not that I didn't love mine.

Maybe we should put that in the welcome brochure.
Never-ending hell. Easy to plan for.

Reality is usually preferable to the dream. Even a good one.
And yes, I am the sort of person who would reject my ideal dream life.
Too dull.
Life is messy.

No one would have accused me of being especially ethical either.
Maybe things change.

[threelayers]

Reality is arguably much better just because it's real.
Even if it's a never-ending battle, that's an improvement over some options.
So I'll take it.

Hey, bonus!
Too much in the way of ethics always bogs you down.
But you probably can guess that.

[spoilers]

It's certainly an improvement on being stuck in a computer.

Absolutely agreed.
Unfortunately, my husband rather doesn't.
It puts a damper on things.

[threelayers]

Congratulations!
You've found a fresh version of hell I never want to experience.
Around here, that's an accomplishment!

I'm almost curious how long you were stuck there.

Eh. When your spouse is the better half in those things?
I just kind of think they serve as the conscience you need at times.
It's easy to be TOO pragmatic too.

[spoilers]

Long enough.
It wasn't something I asked for, but I understood why it was done.

You aren't wrong.
And the Doctor is one hell of a conscience.

[threelayers]

The Doctor?
Now that's a name I've heard around from time to time.
Though I never met the guy, he's hard to miss.

Definitely the goody goody type from the little I saw.