(september catch-all) NOW WITH BIGGER, BETTER WAYS TO DIE

[vestigemods]

SEPTEMBER CATCH-ALL

► THIS SHITHOLE JUST GOT BETTER

The morning of the 10th feels just like any other. It arrives without fanfare, no itch at the back of your mind telling you something is different. If you're a homebody, you might very well go about much of your day without growing any the wiser... At least until you go outside.

The island is the first sign that something's amiss. Stepping out your front door and spotting the brand new tree-covered patch of land smack dab in the middle of your lake may not face some of you, but it's certainly not a thing that has happened before. Those who dealt with the hatch and the tunnel beyond in August might notice that the island very distinctly covers where that very hatch used to be, sealing off that tunnel system once and for all.

Those who live along the northern end of the lake will also hear the distinct sound of rushing water, a sharp contrast to the quiet atmosphere of the still lake you fell asleep to. Sure enough, a river now pours into the lake from the north, a whole ass river coming into existence overnight.

But the island and river aren't the only changes - they're just the most obvious. It may be today, tomorrow, or a week from now, but the next time someone makes their way to the north or east barriers in any shape or form, they'll find that the barrier no longer seems to exist. The trees are marked quite clearly, white spray paint on a trunk one per fifteen or so feet but you find that they're able to walk right through the area it's supposed to be. And walk, and walk, and walk. Is this a mishap with the barrier, or was it on purpose? Have the Technicians... set you free?

Maybe it's time to tell the others.

► LET'S SEE WHAT YOU'VE WON!

Those who make their way across the new and improved containment zone can encounter a fairly wide variety of things. Following the main road like a rational human being puts you on the direct route to town. Should you get curious along the way, you might detour off the asphalt to explore a stretch of farmland, with smooth rolling hills that may once have been idyllic before they fell into disrepair. If you're hungry, a grove of apple trees sit alongside the river, their branches heavy with fruits ripe for the picking. Consider sparing some for the horses fenced in the western field - they're too skittish to let you approach, but if you leave the apples inside their fence, they're certain to grab them as soon as you've backed away.

Conversely, heading due east from your cabin like the impulsive goblin you are will likely lead you smack dab into the swamp. It's dismal. It's disgusting. Use the damn road next time, and you won't be slopping your way through nearly knee-deep muck... And that's before you discover the alligators. (Are discovered by the alligators? Who discovers whom is just a matter of perspective, really.)

Whether you take the smart route or the soggy route, you'll (hopefully) end up in much the same place: the town. It's dirty and run-down and the alleys and back roads host a whole species roulette of strays, and you intermittently feel the distinct sensation of being watched or even followed, but it's not all bad. There's Foodland, which compared to the gas station pickings may as well be a five-star buffet. There's also a rec center with a functional bowling alley, if you know how to play - and across the street from that rec center sits an apartment complex, complete with nine mostly-clean apartments with fully-functional electricity and plumbing. I'm not saying the swamp-waders should hijack an apartment shower, buuuut that's definitely not not an option.

Finally, to the north, there's a bit of a mountain that I'm fairly sure that nobody is going to fuck with just yet, unless they happen to be some sort of overachiever who wants nothing more than to get a bird's-eye view of the landscape below. Mind the mountain goats. They like to shove.

► MOD NOTES

• This log is an introduction to the new expanded containment zone, but it also functions as the September catch-all log for all non-event starters.
  
• Refer to the Locations page for actual information on the various new areas and points of interest - the above flavortext is only meant to supplement the Locations page info.
  
• Also check out the September Infopost (most relevantly, the bottom two drop-downs) for more September-specific info to potentially include in your prompts.
  
• Because this is a catch-all for everywhere + all month, try to remember to label your top-levels with the date and location of each prompt (whether in the subject or in the prompt title within the comment)!
  
• Any questions (on the new setting or anything else) can be directed to this top-level or, for a quicker response, to Trace on discord/plurk. Additionally, if you catch any errors (incorrect links, etc) in the Locations post, please let Trace know!
  

Comments

Song Lan | OTA

[snowflicks]

SEPTEMBER 10th - THE BARRIER(?)

[It wasn't like anything was different from any other day since he'd arrived here, but for whatever reason when he headed east from his cabin into the woods, Song Lan walked till he came to the barrier. Or at least to where it should be.

The markings on the trees and such still remained, marking where it had been, but when the silent daozhang moved to place his palm against the barrier he knew to be there... there was nothing. Taking his hand back, puzzled, he'll take a few cautious steps forward, but still nothing. Picking up a small rock he'll give it a hearty throw, watching it sail through trees and he loses sight of it-- but he doesn't see the barrier come up at all.

Something clearly has changed.]


SEPTEMBER 11th-21st - A ROAMING WE WILL GO

[Anyone else also checking out their new expanded cage may bump into the tall and quiet daozhang:

He'll be easily spotted traveling the hard pavement road that goes on for a while. Just a lonely figure walking with two swords strapped to his back. Nothing strange here.

Following the road he'll find the farm just before the bridge that goes over the river. Inspecting it he'll find everything abandoned just like their cabins and the gas station had been. Abandoned until they were all brought here. Is that what this was too? All of this had once been other people like them that managed to make something out of this? Who can say really. Song Lan does find the horses that managed to survive some how, but they won't let him get close at all. Over the coming days he will come back periodically to toss them apples to eat, hoping they may start to trust him at some point.

Past the bridge Song Lan finds the town. A town that reminds him far too much of another place... a place that was desolate and nothing but a home for ghosts and those left behind by time. A place where he had lost everything he'd hoped to regain. So many buildings falling apart or worn, obviously abandoned. A lot of it so unfamiliar looking, but it felt the same as Yi City. He'll be wandering through the streets feeling like there are eyes on him, but many may run into him either in a big building called Foodland, walking the many isles and collecting food or in the library across the street a few buildings up. There's not much to find in there alas, all the books seem ruined, but it's still impressive the size of the place and how much knowledge seemed to have once been kept here.

Maybe if one is lucky they'll catch him walking into the barrier in the middle of the town and being knocked back from it. It's a good thing he wasn't running or coming at it more forcefully.]


WILDCARD

[Just poke me through PM or Discord if you have any specific ideas!]

the barrier;

[deferences]

[wandering the woods alone isn't usually something sizhui does; either wei wuxian, wen ning or lan jingyi are by his side whenever he goes out, but today, he's unexpectedly distracted. it was just supposed to be a quick sprint into the treeline for wildflowers and back, the lan disciple sees movement though, spares an apprehensive glance around before deciding it'll be fine and disappearing between the trees.

won't he be in for a surprise once he realizes this is someone he recognizes?

there's truly not much stealth in his movements, which sizhui does consider, he just figures there isn't a reason for sneaking around when they're all allowed to roam freely here in horrortown. as he draws closer, however, it dawns on him: he knows exactly who this is.] Daozhang? [comes softly while he pushes through the brush, dusting some debris off his sleeves first then the front of his robes.] When did you—? I mean... how long have you been out here?

a roaming

[viscountbuttercup]

[ listen, jaskier isn't going to say something silly like how he spots song lan's two swords in the distance on the road and maybe picks up the pace a little bit because that would be ridiculous. geralt and song lan look nothing alike, and there are simply too many individuals running around with swords these days for jaskier to let himself make any rash or instinctive reactions to the sight of them...

but look. swords - two of them even! - are usually a halfway decent indicator of capable hands, something jaskier is imminently fond of as a general rule, and while he is undeniably thrilled that their creepy little world has grown just a little bit bigger and eager to set his eyes upon this new expanse, he also wouldn't say no to a little bit of backup as well.

with the increased pace jaskier manages to get close enough to realize he doesn't recognize this fellow even out of the handful of new faces he's had the chance to meet thus far, so he continues to hang back just a bit for awhile, just to get a sort of feel for the man.

and then he witnesses song lan walk straight into a barrier and a single note of delighted laughter escapes from his mouth before he has the chance to muffle it with a hand. jaskier gives himself a good 15 seconds to get himself under control again before rushing forward to close the remaining distance between them, ever inch of him the sweet cooing performer now. ]

Oh your poor nose, are you alright? There's nothing bleeding, is there?

quintalian. ota.

[kinkprofessor]

september 10th.

[ The first thing he notices is the quiet. He'd gotten used to the birdsong and scuttling of an animal here or there along his journeys out into the woods. Today, however, it's near-silent save for the hum of an insect or two. It seems the plants are doing better than they had been, at least. That's good.

He ventures towards the lake since that's a central sort of area. The man crouches down at the lakeshore and adjusts his glasses to make sure he isn't seeing things. ] An island, hm. I wonder who'll be the first to try and make a swim for it?

[ He's not saying it might be him, but- It might be him. He appears to be seriously considering it as he stares across the water's surface in contemplation. He's so focused, he might not even hear someone approaching. ]

september 11th & on

i.
[ Once he realizes the barrier has been extended, he takes the smart path first: the road. It winds down towards a likely once quaint farmland. A shame, whatever happened here. Of course, nature still grows despite the presence of anyone to tend for it. While he enjoys technology more, he can respect plants and their perseverance.

Without warning, four of his eight tentacles appear. Two of them slide out from beneath his sleeves and the other two roll up over his shoulders and out of the collar on his shirt. They have an impressive reach, honestly, extending upwards to grab at the apples hanging above. ]

Would you like one? [ he asks, whoever happens to also be investigating this newfound place. ]

ii.
[ On another day, he's at the swamp. The man has rolled up his pant legs and is wading knee-deep without much concern. He has a look of determination on his face. Look, this is the perfect breeding ground for bacteria and he wants it.

Someone might want to warn him that the alligators who have noticed his presence want to get at him just as much. ]

iii.
[ The town doesn't interest him much, but the mountain is enticing. Did someone say sparkling overachiever? Because here he is.

It isn't for lack of effort that he doesn't get far but instead stubborn mountain goats. Just when he thinks he's getting a foothold, there's a sudden shove and he's careening down a steep slope with a yelp that might draw attention.

Considering the amount of still bloody scratches and scrapes, not to mention bruises, he's been at this for a bit. But he doesn't seem deterred. Instead, he gazes up at the mountainside and smiles before beginning to hike up again.

Maybe someone should... stop him... before he breaks something....... ]

wildcard.

(( ooc: heyo! if you'd like to plan something else out or want a specific scenario, feel free to DM me on Disco @ Rose#7613 or PM this journal! ))

and on; i

[deferences]

[any ordinary day, sizhui would've accepted the apple without hesitation, delighted with the idea of something to snack on after having explored for so long.

today, meanwhile, is the exact opposite of normal, taking into consideration he's never seen anyone with tentacles in his life. monsters are different, to be fair, and this man(?) doesn't look quite as fearsome as some creatures he's fought. he stares at the apple, darts his attention to the appendage holding it then tilts upward enough to meet the man's gaze, brow momentarily furrowed with confusion.

why does it feel like he knows this person?] Yes, [sizhui agrees without thinking, doing his absolute best to not stare longer while he takes the offered fruit.] Thank you! It must be convenient, not having to climb the tree.

iii

[battlepriest]

[ You know what, yeah, stopping this guy actually sounds like a pretty great idea, he's looking fairly banged up. Ashraf had been watching for a bit from the higher branches of a nearby tree, but now he hops quietly down and into the path of the next trek up the mountain. ]

Are you going for a record? [ He asks it with a little smile, though, so it'll stand in better for a proper hello. ]

and on; ii

[viscountbuttercup]

[ a swamp is not jaskier's first venue of choice, nor is it his second, or even tentative third. jaskier has, over the years, become quite adept at preserving his clothes relatively well despite the hard wear of the road, but even he has his limits and swamps have a very real habit of pushing every single one of them.

on the other hand, swamps are also an invaluable source of stories... or at the very least geralt, in a pinch. there's no geralt here today, sadly, but there is another familiar face, and jaskier delicately picks his way closer with all the determined grace of one well practiced with navigating this sort of place with minimal mess. ]

My darling professor, far be it for me to suggest that I know better than you in what I can only assume is your field of study [ because if not study, then kink, and one not even jaskier thinks he'd be able to talk himself around to. ] but do you have any idea how long you have to scrub to get the swamp off your poor skin after?

[ oh, were you hoping for a lookout? yeah, jaskier doesn't really do that. ]

suppose i'll take the 10th since nobody else has!!

[mannerless]

( ah, he recognizes this man - the one with the tentacles! he's not completely certain until he hears the voice, but that just settles it. and so he strolls up beside the man now, idly twirling his black flute between his fingers down near his side. )

I suppose I could do it. ( it has a very put-upon 'if i must' sort of tone, as if it's a matter of some sort of duty, but in truth he wouldn't actually mind all that much. he grew up in lotus pier, after all. he may as well be a fish, for swimming purposes, or perhaps a particularly attractive frog.

he glances down at where the man crouches, raising a brow a bit. ) Unless you'd like to do the honors?

Naminé | OTA

[lethechained]

A. || THE ROAD NEAR THE FARMHOUSE | SEPTEMBER 10TH

[ The young lady trailing along the road looks… preoccupied. More importantly, she’s headed the wrong way - or she is if she happens to be on a trip to explore the new territory, that is. Whatever lies farther down the path, either she’s already seen it and decided it wasn’t for her or she’s given up on the trek itself; but to look at her, it seems like it might be the former. She’s frowning to herself when she’s spotted, although if she realizes that there’s someone headed the other direction toward town, she’s quick to glance up, features quickly growing hesitant as though she’s debating something with herself. Pardon her stare, please, she’ll figure her own thoughts out eventually. ]


B. || FOODLAND | ON OR AFTER SEPTEMBER 11TH

[ It’s a shame to have walked all this way for such a small bag of supplies, but Naminé knows full well she would be hard-pressed to travel the whole distance back with much more. Truthfully, she’s grateful to have even that to bring back; the gas station seems to have less and less, these days. If that weren’t the case, perhaps she would have let her misgivings about the feeling of being watched dissuade her from taking anything at all. (It almost did, but this felt like it would become an eventual necessity. Better not to waste the trip again.)

She’s got both arms wrapped around the paper container, and as she steps out of the building she seems eager to be on her way. But about the time she crosses the parking lot and reaches the road, she seems to think again, spending nearly a minute lingering on the curb with her eyes on the remainder of the town. Today she’s dressed in a wide-necked sweatshirt and simple jean shorts, and thus makes a slightly less waif-life picture than she normally would, but there’s certainly something a little bit lost about her all the same.

Presently she comes to some decision and heads down the street into the city. ]


C. || LIBRARY | ON OR AFTER SEPTEMBER 11TH

[ Although no one is immediately visible from the door of the library, their presence is implied by the bag of fresh foodstuffs sitting benignly on one of the tables. (There’s a rectangular package shoved carefully in the center of said foodstuffs. It takes up way more of the space in the receptacle than it has any business doing considering it’s probably less useful than the actual sustenance, but apparently someone thought it was important enough to bring along.) It’s very quiet in the building, although if one listens, one can hear someone moving amongst the shelves. Occasionally they retrieve a book only to meet with apparent disappointment, judging by the quiet sigh and the sound of the reading material being put back in place.

At least they’re not leaving a mess. All the aisles are probably slightly more tidy than they were to begin with, even if the books are totally illegible. ]


D. || BOWLING ALLEY | ON OR AFTER SEPTEMBER 11TH

[ The small blonde teenager wandering the alley seems somewhere between confused and curious. She has the good sense to stay out of the lanes, at least, since their purpose seems relatively obvious, but the girl herself seems considerably less sure about what she ought to be doing. Eventually she seems to piece together how one is expected to proceed in such a scenario, but her attempt to pick up one of the bowling balls is… unsuccessful. Primarily because she’s unaware of the variance in weights and winds up trying to lift one of the heavier ones, which wouldn’t have been a problem except for the fact that she’s unprepared enough for it to pinch a finger between it and the rack, and the resulting flinch, well—

That THUNK of the ball hitting the ground right next to her foot is probably pretty startling for anyone who happens to be around, Naminé herself included. ]


E. || STOREFRONTS // STATUE GARDEN | ON OR AFTER SEPTEMBER 11TH, AROUND SUNSET

[ Maybe there’s a certain aesthetic in the abandoned storefronts and their variety of colors and contents, especially with the backdrop of the sun’s fading light. Naminé would probably appreciate it more if this weren’t the first shopping district she’d been allowed to walk down in relative freedom, but perhaps the novelty improves the experience for her all the same. One wouldn’t know it, however, because the lone figure making a slow circuit of the street has a forlorn air about her, her features almost longing as she peers into the windows from a distance. (Although she finally seems to come close to the outside the clock shop of all things, and spends a little while there peering in at the contents, fingertips pressed lightly against the glass.)

She is not, however, as invested in the statue garden. The amount of time she spends standing at the outskirt of it is probably similar, but in the end it seems she can’t convince herself to venture inside. When she turns to depart, she looks rather bemused. ]


F. || WILDCARD

[ She’ll be doing plenty of exploring, so if you want to arrange something else, this is the prompt to use. ]

bowling!

[battlepriest]

[ Unaware that he's got company, Ashraf has been poking curiously through the confections behind the counter. He's not sure what to make of most of what he finds -- but there are admittedly some pretty tasty snacks here, whatever they are. He's reaching for one further back on the shelf when the heavy ball makes its attack.

He jerks back at the thud, hitting his head on the counter he'd been reaching under, and yelps. He's in sight a moment later behind the counter, eyes a little wide and head idly rubbing the back of his head. ]

Everything okay over there?

[ Because, apparently, he's got company! Noisy company. Better noticed late than never. ]

C!

[toosmall]

[Having just arrived only a little while ago, Vivi is doing plenty of exploring too. Hopefully he'll find his friends... they have to be here some where!

The library is big and impressive even if it's in terrible disarray. It feels more like home than much else of this strange run down town. The doors creaks loudly when he comes in, looking around up at everything.

Head up in the clouds, er figuratively, Vivi is quick to trip over something, falling over with a shocked exclamation.]

Ow... I really should be more careful.

[The little black mage picks himself up, brushing his pants off and fixing his hat.]

statue garden

[viscountbuttercup]

[ jaskier might have made his name and living off of adventure and conflict more than anything else, but there was still something of the quiet poet to him when the right kind of mood struck and the charming maze of untamed green and odd statues in varying states of destruction was probably the nicest place to sit and think for a bit in those moments.

sometimes he writes little half formed lines of... something while he's there, but for the most part his lute stays in its bag and his leatherbound journal remains closed and he just sits in silence. dare he say it, the entire experience could almost be described as peaceful.

he's just finished with one of these little field trips today, and steps out to find namine hovering uncertainly near the entrance. jaskier stops short just at the entrance of the garden and gives her an open, mildly curious look. ]

Hello there, were you wanting to go in? I apologize if I was overstaying my welcome, but I honestly do think the place is large enough to successfully accommodate multiple people with very little crowding, or indeed, even accidental sightings.

storefronts!

[skittering]

( lalli, for his part, is scouting rather than scavenging. these shops aren't all that unlike those he scavenged on the outskirts of cities in the silent world - small, clearly meant for selling things but also not lacking a personal touch left by each shop's owner. it's with a sense of deja vu that he makes his mental list of which shop sits where and what lies inside, for those he's able to enter at all. in each shop, he touches very little. leaves it as he found it. he doesn't even turn the light on. perhaps this is why he isn't spotted by the familiar face peering in through the window, his figure shadowed against a shelf of papers in more different kinds and colors than lalli can really see use for.

and then the face disappears, and she moves on down the sidewalk.

he turns back to the shelf now with every intention of continuing his assessment and moving on - but just down the row a bit lies a notebook, plain white with 'sketch' written in stupid curvy light-blue letters across the top. his feet carry him over, snatching the notebook and eyeing it warily for a moment. then his eyes lift, casting around for the deciding element... aha. up beside the counter where you'd pay, there's a basket stacked with boxes of pencils.

in the span of a moment, he's snatched a box of those too and skittered off for the door.

she's two stores down by now, but he makes his way over regardless and wordlessly offers out both the sketchbook and the pencils. the book's curvy writing may be stupid and the pencils may be the wrong kind (he honestly doesn't even know if there is a right kind), but he doesn't think she has anything to draw in right now, so. here it is. )

E

[legbreakings]

[ These stores here are quite different from what Jiang Cheng is used to, and it is safe to say he is thoroughly underwhelmed by the change. It's kind of insulting, really, that even the simplest things would be made needlessly complicated by everything being difficult in this place.

So he is looking rather sour as he does his exploration, thoroughly unappreciative of the aesthetic as well.

It is when Namine stands by the clock shop that he catches sight of her and walks towards - to him, she looks like someone who might be better at navigating this place than him. ]

Excuse me [ he calls, his voice loud in the silence of the abandoned town. ] Have you come across a fabrics store?

( d )

[soups]

❰ since coming upon lan sizhui at the bowling alley, and figuring out their own version of the sport that's set up here, jiang yanli has come to the alley any time the pressure of her returned memories and obligation to family has felt to be too much. it's a silly game, but it's one that she enjoys. the push of the ball, the hope that she gets all the pins to fall down...it all helps to take her mind off things.

on occasion she finds a new face also interested in the game -- as is the case today. she'd gone into another room to change into the shoes she'd found to be easier to use behind the counter, and returns to the loud noise of a dropped bowling ball. it's definitely something she's done more than once. ❱

They're certainly very heavy. ❰ jiang yanli, frail herself, steps over to pick up a ball that's slightly smaller in size, though still requiring both of her hands to manage it. ❱ They have others that may be more accomodating.

Jiang Cheng | The Untamed

[legbreakings]

placeholder for CR meme linking

Geralt of Rivia // OTA

[coolmotivestillevil]

A. Making new friends - the farm - September 11th - 20th

[ Several times during about a week, Geralt will walk over to the farm, gather some apples together, and get as close to the horses as he can without scaring them. Then, he crouches down, and drops the apples onto the ground.

You might spot him right then, watching the horses patiently, with a gentle and warm expression on his face, waiting to see if they will dare come closer. On the 20th, you might even get to see the horses tentatively take a few steps towards him, even if they don't dare go all the way. Don't spook them, please.

If you don't spot him then, he will eventually slowly stand up and move back a significant distance from the apples. Then, he sits down on his heels, puts his hands on his thighs, and closes his eyes.

Whichever state you find him in, if you're curious and decide to approach, even if he doesn't see you, he will speak. Almost a whisper, but firm. ]

Quiet. Don't move.

[ Do not disturb. ]

B.Wildcard

[ He can also be found wandering the forest to help with scouting out the new containment zone! Feel free to bump into him. Or hit me up for plotting. ]

[seaboard]

[ She freezes still when he does approach. Her own arms filled with apples. Her goal very simple since she saw him collecting them to feed the horses and thought she might help. ]

Forgive me, I only gathered a few more apples for you, to help with their taming.

a

[viscountbuttercup]

[ it's hardly a surprise to find geralt at the farm, if you know just a little bit about him beyond his gruff exterior. not that geralt himself was in any real hurry to give people that sort of opening, but jaskier knew.

jaskier knew all too well where to find geralt today.

even before geralt warns him off, jaskier actually hangs back a bit, putting more distance between himself and geralt with the horses than he typically would geralt with a monster (but then, he's hardly going to write a song about geralt's love of horses, is he? there were something even his melodious voice couldn't sell to the rabble, after all).

quiet though? quiet might be asking a bit much of jaskier, in the end. ] Are you going to teach these ones to hate me as well?

[legbreakings]

[ Jiang Cheng joins him in eyeing the horses, a frown on his face. He is crouching down next to Geralt, his sheathed sword on his lap.

It's his first time checking out the farm since farming the land holds little interest to him, this trip being one he has mostly undertaken to fill that empty spot on his mental map.

He waits to catch Geralt's eyes so he can jerk his head, gesturing for him to walk with him a little farther away from the horses where they can talk without spooking them.]

A. Horsies! (Somewhat belated~)

[singularwidower]

[Aroundabout the 18th of the month, Daemon's own personal visit-the-horses schedule aligns with another's, and he lingers past the fence with his hands in the pockets of his slacks as he watches the man he's sure he's seen from afar before try and bribe the horses into complacency. Much like like Daemon has been doing since he discovered the things.

After the man backs off and settles onto his knees, only then does Daemon approach. Cautiously and quietly, more for the horses (and so he doesn't ruin the denizens of this places' collective hard work) than because he is feeling particularly wary, he circles around and comes up from the side. He stops a good few feet away when spoken to.]

It seems we had the same idea.

[He sounds amused, though he's speaking similarly softly.]

lan sizhui ♪ ota

[deferences]

farmland;


[always rational, lan sizhui has chosen to follow the main road into town after gathering some necessities. on the way there, however, he can't help making the slight detour to explore a nearby apple grove that catches his eye. once he's gathered a sufficient amount for himself, one might find him with his robes hooked up, a makeshift ‘basket’ full of ripe, red apples he's handing out to people passing on the road.]

Here, take some of these. [doesn't matter which way they're going, the boy will hand them an apple or two. (maybe three if they are amiable enough!)]

Wherever you're going, it's best to be prepared for anything!


[feeling satisfied enough with the friendly distribution though, he can be found afterward near the horses— or rather, as close as he can get without them prancing away. it happens a few times before sizhui realizes they're somewhat wilder than most equines he's handled and given the chance to get his hands on them, he wouldn't quite know what to do from there.

so, rather than end up chasing them off entirely, he takes some apples he gathers for himself throughout the days, dumps them just inside the fence and flees a reasonable distance in the opposite direction, only turns back around once he's certain it's far enough. there the lan disciple waits, watching them eat, murmuring underneath his breath about worth the risk? and perhaps leaving them alone would be better, actually! all while being well-aware the horses are warily watching him every time.]



town;


[farmland distractions finally aside (and with new bags full of fresh produce taken home), making it down the remaining stretch of road to get into town proves easier than he'd thought. assuming there'd be more trouble along the way is maybe where he had went wrong, but he'd rather overestimate what might come instead of underestimate and be ill-prepared.

the rec center is where he initially ends up, pushing bowling balls up and down the lanes, unsure as to what the point is, though he doesn't seem the least bit unenthusiastic.

whatever these (heavy!) spheres are, they sure do make a satisfying crack when they hit the pins he sets up over and over again. while he's not doing it right, what he doesn't know won't hurt him any, and it isn't like he's causing trouble.


compared to the gas station, the foodland grocery store really is like nothing he's ever experienced before. most of what sizhui takes can easily be stored without melting or it can be stacked just right, nothing will be crushed during the trip back home. many canned and boxed goods, other fruits and vegetables, snacks, candy, the essentials. there's one thing, however, he cannot leave without which he immediately sets about looking for with ellie's words in mind: big, white jug. plastic container. could even be in a glass bottle.

of course, he finds every single one of those and that's what brings him to his current predicament: deciding what milk they will need for mac n' cheese. neither ‘chocolate’ or ‘strawberry’ sound right, leaving him with all these non-fat, skim, one percent, two percent, vitamin d, and et cetera choices! what's the difference? taste, color, texture? will it make the macaroni awful if he chooses the wrong kind?

apologies to whoever happens along that might end up having a boy dressed completely in white running toward them, requesting earnestly,] Please, can you help me with something? [if it's someone he knows (gosh, maybe even if it isn't), sizhui will grab an arm or shoulder, attempt tugging them back toward the aisle where he's having his milk dilemma.


exploration, food runs and all else aside, there are multiple times where sizhui can be found, lunchmeat in hand, feeding the strays he finds. offering them attention, lingering to let them slink close enough to lay across his lap or roll over for a quick belly-rub before darting off again.

his plan, at some point, is catching one of them to bring home as soon as he's gotten the okay from his housemates.]

horses

[lookslikeacinnamonroll]

[ If the horses were skittish around Lan Sizhui, then they're just outright running away from Wen Ning. The minute his black clad figure appears over the horizon, they abandon their curious inspection of the pile of dumped apples and canter off in the opposite direction. Wen Ning deflates, a little discouraged, but not surprised. Animals just don't seem to trust him anymore.

He sees Sizhui watching a short distance be away and decides to head over towards him. ]

Sorry I scared them off...

gilia | ota

[seaboard]

i. farmland
She can't believe it when Wei Ying told her - no one had planned anything for winter? This close to when the season turned?

And then there is expansive farmlands?

She thinks she just about passes out in the sheer worry of it. Not for herself alone, but for all of them. She barely knew how bad it could become, what winter was like here? It might be like her own Isle, wet and miserable, but not truly freezing.

But it could be much worse. A bad winter could kill a dozen in a night, even more, when the starvation set in. The numbers fill her mind as they had every day since she took her brother's position.

So with trepidation, but fear for them all is such a greater force, she sets out. With this 'pen' and 'notebook', she had been able to procure and went about the first and most monumental task, she begins to write down the numbers of everything she can see.

It is easy to spot her, her long gowns tossed in the breeze, head bent down as she writes it seems furious and endless amounts of notes, the state of the fences, the barns, what can be seen of the animals.

"We shall need the goats before winter comes, and the barn to be well-stocked for their keeping, and the horses. What if they have no tack? They cannot pull a plough if there is no tack, can they?" Her worries are bundled up and tossed on the breeze.

Why couldn't they be given this far earlier, than this few weeks they might have to prepare?

ii. foodland
Then there is the town, which - she understands the shape of it, the size of it. St. Loe's town was perhaps a little bit bigger, a little more tightly packed, for the people that came in and out, but it was plain this town had no concerns of defence to spread out and have not even a sensible fence to repel even wandering dogs.

She didn't feel safe it in, not even a little. But she went where she heard others speak of. This place where there was just food stockpiled. A whole winter stocks worth. Just sitting there? She could scarcely believe it. But if it was true, they were going to need to pickle it and store it to stop it all going off.

Oh, this was a task for weeks and days, she didn't know how she was going to manage it.

Which leads to her standing there, in the middle of an isle of cabbages, face in her hands. Sobbing her eyes out in sheer stress over the fact this task would be so huge by herself.

[battlepriest]

Ashraf has really only just begun to look around this place; it's new and fairly bewildering, and empty so far as he's seen, but he supposes he's encountered stranger things. His supposition starts to waver a little by the time he finds Foodland with its shelves and shelves of strange wares, and when he realizes there seems to be an aisle specifically for weeping women, the supposition is pretty much done for.

He hovers at the mouth of the aisle, a dark man in beautifully ornate robes, and looks a little uncertain. This feels probably like a moment that was meant for solitude.

Regardless, he tries, "Are you alright?"

wei wuxian, in town!

[mannerless]

THE WAREHOUSES

( on this particular trip to town, wei wuxian isn't looking for anything in particular. he came for foodland initially, but upon noticing the conspicuous absence of barking and howling, he decided it might be as good a time as any to get a (careful, subtly vigilant) feel for the place. it's much different from any village or city back home, in a way that is quite a bit more vividly apparent here than anywhere else in this so-called 'containment zone'. with much of what he finds, he can't quite tell if things are supposed to be this way or if they're Wrong in the way this place is wont to be.

his wandering has brought him now to a series of large imposing buildings, adjacent in shape and size but terribly unappealing. though they each may rival a small palace (or at least a large gentry house) in size, they're certainly not meant for living in. so what are they for?

pushing a sliding door loudly aside, he steps inside in search of some sort of clue... but it's empty. just a cavernous building, vacant but for the occasional support beam rising up from the floor, and much too dim and chilly for his liking. )

Well, this is fantastically pointless, ( he muses aloud, already turning to head for the door again - but his voice echoes strangely against the walls and the ceiling, stopping him short with puzzled knit to his brow. but confusion quickly blooms into innovative intrigue, and he draws his black flute from his belt with a thoughtless twirl between his fingers, turning to take a couple of steps back toward the center of the space.

anyone even remotely adjacent to the warehouses this afternoon will hear the melody of a flute, echoing almost hauntingly from an open warehouse door with help from the building's internal acoustics. (feel free to come tell him to shut the fuck up.) )

YOUR CHOICE OF BUILDING, just after the warehouses

( the flute-playing was, as it turns out, a mistake. attracted by what they could only assume was some senseless form of howling, three feral dogs awaited him as he emerged from the warehouse door, heads low with wary intrigue.

long story short, a short couple of minutes later finds wei wuxian flinging himself into whatever building you happen to be in, shoving the door shut behind him (if at all possible) and then leaning his full weight against it with a haunted sort of look in his eye. he doesn't quite notice that anyone else is here just yet. at this point, the entirety of his attention seems to be on catching his racing breath and keeping firmly out the dirty but otherwise innocuous-looking dogs now barking in confusion just outside. )