Deer Country Network

Need a few volunteers to help a project out
Gonna start blasting a pathway through the woods onto the next city
I have a compass to get us there but could always use others
Need some folks on hand to keep monsters out of the way if the blasts dont do it
Better for us to have something of a proper roadway especially since the lamps went on the fritz
And didnt stake down at first anyway
So lets at least make a path to follow so folks are less likely to get lost
Since that seems to be the thing lately
Roads gonna start out at the outpost first since thats a fair midway point and already accessible
After we get that path to riteior we can carve out the remaining from outpost back to the waystation
If youre in let me know we can meet up and start setting things in motion tomorrow or so


[ooc sign-up here c:]

[sansa is once again on her couch with lady and her large direwolf-and-weirwood leaf tapestry. she wears a charcoal linen dress embroidered with ravens and her feathered collar with direwolf caps from madame generosity, her needle necklace tucked in the elaborate chatelaine hanging from her wide leather belt. lady wears a matching collar and stretches into sansa's lap, huffing reassuringly.]

Hallo, this is Sansa Stark. Many of you know by now Sasuke and Sakura have returned to the sea in the hopes of having children.

[they were very certain they were going back to their world, sansa thinks it's equally likely they'll end up hatching baby cephalopods.]

I promised them the Sanctuary will keep the Wellness Center in Darcmouth open. If anyone else should like to work there, we would be grateful for their assistance. I also intend to provide space for Night Walkers to provide different modes of therapy, such as talking and making art, that anyone of any age might find helpful.

[it's been largely down to word of mouth for local parents and young sleepers to find age-appropriate therapy, and sansa intends to provide a permanent location for night walkers to provide these services.]

We should have the Wellness Center back open within the fortnight. Of course it is difficult to do anything at all in Darcmouth with the lanterns as they are. I imagine it is Riteoir's influence preventing the patrons from repairing them, but if it persists I should be glad to speak to The Tower myself.

[she smiles faintly and sadly.]

Sasuke also wanted everyone to know that his dojo remains open to any that might like to use it.

private to Sanctuary and Painted Turtle Clinic staff

I thought it might be nice if we met to discuss our plans for the Wellness Center in its hot pools. If anyone doesn't have your waterproof robes from the Wakers, I should be glad to find you new ones.

private to Jin Guangyao and Lan Xichen

Greetings, Lords Guangyao and Xichen, it is my honor to offer you the use of Sasuke's dojo for lessons in the cultivation and use of qi. I know that not everyone may achieve mastery by your methods, but there may be techniques that can aid them in learning to use their own magic more effectively. I hope that you and Li meimei are well, and I look forward to discussing this matter at your convenience.

Is the date correct
Because i think i just lost like half a month
In something
What did i miss

Been experiencing a number of break ins and thefts at the roost
Heard similar from some willful machine vendors
Hardware and things
Anyone else notice it

If its someone in a bind to fix something i have no problem helping
You dont have to resort to stealing
Just ask me
When the roost is open
At night please

[that said, he can also be found during the day there...cleaning up stuff that'd been disturbed in his absence and feeling out where he can put locks on things.]

Right, so, I've apparently come in the last few months when the creatures who everyone thinks are in charge are all getting sick and now there are suddenly children and teenagers everywhere.

How worried do I need to be? Is this "a day ending in y" sort of deal or a "make peace with your existence cause it's ending" sort of deal?

Oh, and I guess zombies are a thing here too.

Theres a new heading on my compass
Are others getting this signal too
Even at the Outpost its glowing

Checking out that ways gonna take some setup same as last time
Incense weepers protective gear
The woods are no joke and the corruption is almost nonstop
Dont go out there unprepared and just become a liability someone else has to deal with

Best bet is at least four people in a group if not more for safety and sleep rotations
Someone with fire for sure
Healer helps a lot

Seriously do not forget the mushrooms

Anyone wanting to squad up can meet me at the outpost before daybreak tomorrow
Best to travel in daytime and defend at night
If anyone has a lantern to donate or use please bring it so we can stake out whats out there and save the travel later

Chizuru
K
You dont have to open up the roost if you dont want to while im out
Up to you
I know theres some shedding stuff going on thats causing some chaos

alright my lil raptors!!! its ur fav person in the whole world w/ a few announcements!

and theyre pretty important so u better read up or there will be consequences!

( what's a raptor? don't worry, it's just a chicken from her world. she is basically calling all of you chickens.)

1. theres a girl here named chizuru. her un is lookingforshinsengumi for the record. shes my girl now so dont mess w/ her unless u want to watch ur step from when u wake up till u sleep!! if that doesnt get u, then be careful what u shove in ur mouth. u might burn it off!! 🔥 😊😊😊

2. id talk about the crazy ppl under trench but someone is already screaming about it so i dont have to!!!! good thing too so i can make room for more important matters.

3. THE CLINK N CLANK IS NOW OPEN!!! 💣💥💣💥💣💥💣💥💣💥💣💥💣💥💣💥

and whats the clink n clank? GLAD U ASKED EVERYONE!!

the clink n clank is the newest and the bestest shop here in trench. run by yours truly. i will make shit, repair shit, and im selling shit.

meaning weapons.

ill also break in any lock places u want me to do. i can repair other stuff too and make keys! im not free every day tho. a girls got a life u know. SO IF URE INTERESTED!!! just contact my other un CLINX!!!

guesssss thats it! dont get swallowed up down w/ the crazies!

[a photo of the outside of a tavern is attached to the following message:]

This is manabu
I am keeping the roost open nightly this month in case people need a safehouse from all the zealot activity
So if you wind up lost in cellar door you can come here
Lights will be on and incense will be burning
Be smart and try to avoid traveling at night if you can help it
Carry weepers with you
If you need extras i have some to give

Also if anyone has seen any shipwrecks out at the beach let me know
They were there last year with extra provisions
But if theyre not here this time we may be looking at a very lean winter
Stock up

I have a request.

Well, a lot of requests. Tiny requests, for lots of people. Not necessarily just tiny people, though — tiny, tall, whatever. That is to say...any people can help. If you're a people? And you're a help? I would greatly appreciate that.

[From off screen, a voice that sounds like Tuck can be heard stage-whispering: "Tell them WHY..." ]

—Oh, right.

[Vyng clears his throat and puts on a pair of tiny-rimmed glasses to make himself at least a little dignified, and he continues.]



. . . You see, Sleepers. There is an artifact of...uh, great personal importance to myself. A relic, if you will, that bears the name of my Druidic family.

But a local has taken stewardship over this relic o' mine. They have offered to relinquish this relic into my custody — but! For a price. Namely, this list of assorted items that I'm attaching at the end of my message.

[With a quiet "this one, right here", he literally places a piece of paper over the camera. "Too close?" Vyng pulls the paper back. He holds it there for awhile. If anybody looks, they can make out the following list:]

( DONATIONS NEEDED, PLEASE & THANK YOU )

[From behind the paper, Vyng asks:]

How long do I have to keep holding this?

[. . . ]

Is this good? I think it's good.

[Eventually, though, a digital copy is included at the tail of this message, with a tiny handwritten note at the bottom:]

⅁N⅄Λ - oxox ¡¡ǝɔuɐʌpɐ uı ⅄⊥
ＴＹ 𝒾𝓃 𝒶𝒹𝓋𝒶𝓃𝒸𝑒 ♥
x0xo - 𝓥𝔂𝓷𝓰

It's been a year
A full solar cycle...and the blood river is back
That means other things may come back too
The moving buildings the zealots
I dont know how many of us are still here that remember...but i think its important to share what we learned so everyone else can be safe

So much here tries to hurt you with your past even if you dont really need any help getting beat down by it
There may be ghosts or creatures that try to drag you down with them
But you can shake free of them if you have the help
So always ask for help OK?

We go forward whether we want to or not after all

[ he really hates doing this . . . but alucard knows he needs to commit to it. the feed turns on with him looking . . . not quite sheepish, but a tinge of irritation layered with contriteness. ]

Last month, I had the unfortunate issue of losing control of my vampiric nature and lashed out onto a number of people here. I hope you would be willing to accept my apology and if not, direct me in ways where I can make amends. I . . . do not usually need or require blood as sustenance so it took me by surprise.

My apologies. If it helps, it seems I've lost my sense of taste. Perhaps that is penance in a way.

(the video begins of a zoom up of a pair of eyes. an animal to be exact. they blink curiously before it gets pulled back -- revealing it's a spider monkey holding the omni. he holds it up above him and even turns it upside-down and other various angles. hopefully the lovely people aren't easily to become motion sickness upon viewing this but if they do, their own fault really.)

Got it workin'?

(there's a voice coming from off camera; familiar to some or not. but the monkey looks off to the direction of the voice before turning the omni over so whoever is watching can now see jinx sitting in a chair -- slouching with her arm hanging over the top railing. there's a grin that slowly grows on her face, however, it's not... exactly a friendly kind. impish? troubling? dangerous? you'd be the judge. nevertheless, jinx hunches over now with both her arms drape over her knees -- looking directly at the omni.)

So! — Greetings people of.... whatever this place is. Kiiiinda forgot the name but not really important. I've been hearin' a lotta here and there that I've been here before. Don't really remember it, though. (a brief pause as she thinks.) Except the last time. I remember the last time but not the other times.

Buuuuuuuuut ♪! Since I've been here a whoooole BUNCH of times that means I gotta have some friends here, right?

(she bites her bottom lip to hold back a giggle as the video suddenly wavers around. but quickly it straightens up and focus with a closer look of jinx (it seems she's the one holding it now) in a bird's eye view. her spider monkey climbs on her body then curling himself along her shoulder and neck while also looking up at the feed along with her.)

So if ya know me, contact me. OH! And you got like, thirty minutes to convince me why my former self even bothered wasting my breath on you. Don't keep me waitin' too long 'cuz I get bored easily.

(a beat.)

ACTUALLY, NEVERMIND!!! — Decided to change it to twenty minutes. (her spider monkey seems to be screeching in laughter at jinx's sudden time change but resumes on nuzzling it's head against her cheek.)

OH OH! One more big thing. There's someone here by the name of Vi. If you know her, contact me too. So we can aaaaalll be friends and get along. No shame in that, right?

(she says this but there's something about that smile that really makes it... off putting. regardless though, jinx hums quietly as she cocks her head to the side.)

Tick-tock, tick-tock.

Everyone.. good day.

[ Chizuru's voice is gentle, like the last times she spoke over these devices. But unlike those times, this time she isn't actually visible, speaking over an audio-only feed. ]

So.. it seems that there are at least a few people dealing with losing senses, right? I heard some people talking about it.. And it seems that I'm one of the affected people as well. [ There's a vague hint of worry in her tone that the girl can't quite suppress. Losing a sense had been terrifying when it happened, but it's at least a faint relief it's not just something that's happening to her. ] I haven't been able to see anything for a few days now..

Which is why I wanted to ask.. is there anyone who has found a good way to deal with it yet? Or maybe someone who's used to not seeing anything.. I've had some help from my Omen, but it's been really tough to try to do the things I always do like this.

[ This is the closest Chizuru would ever come to admitting she needs help. Clearly the only way she can do it is by toning it down and only ask for advice rather than direct help. Because god forbid she's a burden on anyone. ]

Or does anyone know how long this will last? This entire month, or.. maybe longer than that? I guess no one can know for sure, but maybe someone has a good guess. I know there are a lot of smart people here..

[ Her voice trails off. The girl clearly sounds troubled at this point, but maybe that's why she just quickly wraps it up with: ]

Thanks to everyone who listened to these questions.

Hey, everyone. This is Manabu Yuuki.

I'm looking for some help out here in Cellar Door. You know the Roost? The tavern Diluc had up and running, right? Well...I'm kind of doing the up-and-running bits, but...this really isn't...my thing. That is, I'm not that great at it, but I don't want this place to go under just because Diluc's gone away. It's a decent place, you know?

So-- So I'm kind of looking for some extra help. Barkeep-type help. Mixing and pouring drinks, mostly. That's the part I'm not great at. Cleaning and handiwork, sure, but... [hh.] I have a lot to take on, between this and outpost duty.

If this is the kind of thing up your alley, then...do let me know. I'll be grateful for the help.

Thanks.

[Kazuma is obviously in the Archives. The looming shelves, claustrophobic framing, and dim lighting is more than enough to give that away. There are open tomes around him, but he isn't reading any of them; instead, he's considering the camera with a quizzical look, chin in his hand as he leans on the table he's at.]

Before the patrons of this place decide to plague us with more of the same, I have a mundane question for all of you.

We have many places we can choose to make our homes here. I am currently in Crenshaw, previously in Willful Machine...I moved with someone I know well. The point being, there are reasons we choose these places, correct?

What drew you to yours? What merits does it have to have others consider it? Is it because of people you know, or something else?

[He sighs and drums his fingers on the tabletop.] I just never really gave my own lodging much thought...I am wondering if most of us settle where it is convenient, or if we find other reasons to gravitate to where we end up.

Woah, hey. Hi. What's up, Sleepers?

[The feed shakes as Vyng walks through the inner compound of Trenchwood Farm. Behind him is a surprisingly cheery farmhouse. At the same time, a sharp clap of thunder pierces the sky some distance away.]


Looks like we've got some real nasty weather. On the plus side, if you catch the rainwater at just the right time? It's, like...the perfect temperature for boiling a pot of—





["YOU!" Tuck — a 7-foot-fall mountain of a man can be seen furiously pointing at a rooster in the background. "This is your fault!"]





Ahahah. One se—

[The feed goes dark. About 5 minutes later, Vyng's face fills the screen again. He takes a hefty CHOMP out of a raw zucchini.]




....Anyways. Me and these lovely ladies here— [The camera pans over a flock of chickens scratching around in the grass for treats, some of whom are wearing crocheted hats] —decided today's a great day for a sleepover. We've got snacks, we've got these beautiful fairy lights strung up around the compound. Oh, and, almost forgot—

[Endless sky fills the screen, along with walls of clouds surrounding the compound. But, like the eye of a hurricane, the air directly overhead is calm and clear.]

Storm shelters? Psh. Never heard of 'em. Over at Trenchwood Farm, storms shelter you. So, come on over. Hunker down. Bunk up with a feathered friend, and ride out the storm with us.

[The camera shifts back to Vyng's face, eyebrows raised.]

Or don't. I'm not your mom, do whatever you want.

[His expression grows more somber.]

On the other hand, I could use some aid in keepin' this storm off our collective butts over here. So if you can help out with spirit stuff? Weather stuff? Whatever stuff, honestly. That'd be amazing. All the farm animals would love you.

We'll make a fun time out of it. You know what they say: When life gives you a downpour, pour down some drinks and pass 'em around.

[He stares at the camera.]




But, no, seriously. Please help.



((OOC: Mariana is angry, and a brutal storm is raging on July 5th. Feel free to post to Vyng's log-starter here. Or make your own farm starter under the general storm thread. For further plotting, hit me up at jackets or Jansen#8997))

[He's so alone... he needs to know that he's not on his own. But if he shows his face or admits it's him, people will pity him.]

[Thankfully, he's found the anonymous feature on the network.]

How many people have died before here?

And was it traumatic?

How do you deal with that, knowing you've died? How do you deal with the guilt and the nightmares? With the people you left behind?

I can't be alone in this.

Manabu Yuuki here.
You might've heard it already from some of the others, but we've got a new lantern out there. out past the borders of the city I mean
I'll attach some photos so you can visualize, but it's important to know that it's not even close to safe as it is right now...even incense only slightly staggers beasts out there, and they're relentless even in daylight
What I'm saying is: don't go out there alone, and don't go out there expecting anything but danger
There's still a long way to go, and more people can go out there and strike out further, lay out some more points...but it won't be easy

In the meanwhile I have some houses to check for missing people...though i might need some help afterward if it turns out some of those people DID go back there to keep going forward
Thanks again to everyone who went out there...we only got that far because of how strong everyone was

Hi, everyone! In case we haven't met, this is Manabu Yuuki. [brief, little wave.]

I've been doing a lot of research about the world outside of this city, and me and a few others went out to check out the perimeter...you know, past the Waystation and that nasty salt lake. There's a west-facing road out there that just...gets swallowed up by the forest.

But it is a road.

[...]

I want to go out there. See if there's not another town somewhere. This isn't the nightmare, after all...we're on a whole planet. And we can't be the only ones.

I'm not going out there alone, though: It's crawling with monsters, day and night. So I need backup. A lot of backup. Basically... I need some combat-veteran explorers willing to go out there and see if we can't find where that road leads...or used to lead.

We'll need a lantern, too. And lots of incense. That way, if it's too crazy, we can at least put a new waypoint down for future efforts, you know?

So... So that's it. If you're interested, let me know. I can send you the details if you're serious about it, and we can set out later in the week. Before any...monthly weirdness can kick up, hopefully.


[ooc sign-ups/questions here]

Hey everyone. Mako here.

[ The voice clips in just before the actual video appears for reasons that become clear in a moment: Mako steps back from where he's clearly set the Omni on a table to record what looks like a garage sale right outside the Raccoon Room.

A long table absolutely covered in little bits and baubles glints in the sun. In the center of everything sits Fritter the raccoon, Wu's omen, looking contrite and also sort of like she would like to leave. Her little ears are back and her tiny arms are crossed.

Scowling, Mako steps back to stand in front of the table, crossing his arms to match Fritter. ]

Some of you might have noticed some stuff going missing in the last couple months.

[ A pause. Mako glances back at Fritter, who huffs at him and holds up a winking blue heart-shaped gem on a sparkling chain. That... sure looks important. ]

Can't promise that what you lost is here, but there's a good chance it is. We'll be out here all day.

I'm sorry! [ Wu's voice pipes up from behind the camera ] It's my fault, really.

[ He turns the Omni around at a very selfie angle, pouting at the camera ]

I'm sorry that Fritter stole your stuff, it wasn't her fault! It was mine. Corruption just got me! I'm sorry, I'm sorry that I was mean to so many of you. Shiro, I'm sorry for making fun of your hair; Jessica, I'm sorry for throwing you out of the Raccoon Room. Manabu, I'm really sorry that I made you get a tattoo. [ Big grimace there ] I mean, I still think it looks great on you—

[ Mako clears his throat and Wu wrinkles his nose ] but that's not the point! I'm sorry for all of it. I'm better now! No more corruption here, no sir.

[ A beat. Mako narrows his eyes even more.]

Uh, please come get your stuff!

(( ooc: absolutely feel free to assume your character's random trinkets and stuff is here even if it wasn't called out in the post! Fritter is a monster. Also feel free to respond in action if anyone wants to wander by and/or come get their stolen stuff! ))