(january catch-all) 2021 IS OFF TO A WEIRD START

[vestigemods]

JANUARY CATCH-ALL

► AT LEAST YOU FINALLY GET TO REST?

Though the new year starts off uneventful enough, with sunny skies and an inch or two of snow melting away with each new day, that good fortune lasts a whopping two whole days. At 5 AM on the 3rd, those slumbering fall into an even deeper sleep, and those still awake (or already awake, you overachievers) find themselves struck with an abrupt and insurmountable wave of exhaustion. It's all you can really do to lie down deliberately rather than collapse altogether, let alone making it to any sort of bed. And this is how the population of the containment zone remains for fourteen whole days, dead to the world (figuratively, of course) and to anything which may or may not be occurring around them.

Then, sometime throughout the 16th, you wake up - though the ambient ache in your neck, back, and joints may make you wish that you hadn't. It's almost as if you slept wrong, or... y'know, slept on the floor, apparently. (At the very least, those who were outside at maintenance time were moved indoors for the duration of it, though they were moved to the nearest available building so... have fun waking up in someone else's cabin, I guess.)

The first time you notice the date (on your phone, or maybe someone else breaks the news in their own confusion or panic), you probably struggle to believe it. Two weeks that you've been asleep. It doesn't feel like two weeks - you're clean, only mildly hungry or thirsty, with only a faint weakness in your muscles as you stand. It almost feels more likely that the Technicians adjusted the date overnight to alarm you. Perhaps you might even believe it, but for the evidence otherwise. The milk in your fridge has expired. The snow outside your door is fresh and untouched, with no sign of your passage supposedly yesterday. And the animals are gone, as well. Perhaps not a sign of how long you've slept, but certainly a sign that something isn't right.

If you expected an explanation, you aren't going to get one. Unless by 'explanation' you mean 'goddamn blizzard'.

A GODDAMN BLIZZARD

Because that's exactly what sets in on the 20th, a gale-force blizzard with increasingly limited visibility. Here's hoping you were smart enough to set out for home as soon as it began, because you aren't given more than a couple of hours before navigating outdoors is damn near impossible, between the visibility issue and the rapidly-deepening blanket of snow. As the afternoon fades to evening, it only seems to be getting worse. Those cabins with appropriately-slanted roofs find that the snow slides down to pile heavily against the cabin's exterior walls and door. Those cabins with a flat or gently-sloped roofs, on the other hand, are at strong risk of a part of their roof (and thus ceiling) collapsing under the weight of all that snow. As if having a blizzard outside the cabin wasn't bad enough.

And then things get just a little bit worse. Just before sunset, the cabins' electricity starts to flicker - just a little at first, but increasing in intensity until it finally goes out altogether a half hour later. This lasts through the night, and while it may seem promising that electricity within the town itself remains steady, that too goes into a blackout just before dawn.

This blackout lingers through the 21st and into the 22nd, cold seeping in through the windows and cracks as you huddle near the fire or generator-run space heater and hope for the best... But even the best isn't pleasant in the slightest. The lack of internal heat lets the doors and windows freeze shut, and snow piles high enough around the house's exterior that you'd have to climb out an upstairs window in order to exit. Not only is it cold as hell, but everyone's more-or-less trapped in it for now.

But not even the cold and the dark can last forever, and the blizzard lets up to a light dusting of snow mid-day on the 22nd. That evening, the power flickers back on as well, but some cabins/apartments/buildings may find that it's less consistent than others, continuing to flicker dangerously throughout the next day or so. But that doesn't mean the ordeal is over yet. The snow may have slowed to an almost laughable sprinkle and the sun may shine warm and bright in the rapidly-clearing sky, but that still leaves each cabin or building piled up with snow nearly as deep as you are tall (except you, Vivi - it's about twice your height). Might want to start digging yourself out, since it'll take nearly the rest of the month to melt down to reasonable levels if you don't.

► MOD NOTES

• This is the January Catch-All Log, for all log top-levels throughout the month. Large gatherings (parties, meetings, etc) are still encouraged to post their own logs for organizational purposes!
  
• This log also encompasses both Annual Maintenance (Jan 3rd - 16th) + Hey, Who Turned Out The Lights? (Jan 20th - 22nd), discussed at the bottom of the January Bulletin.
  
• Because this is a catch-all for everywhere + all month, try to remember to label your top-levels with identifying information like the IC date and location of each prompt (whether in the subject or in the prompt title within the comment), and be sure to clearly indicate event prompts.
  
• ( ! ) For the sake of organization, a top-level has been provided for all Annual Maintenance shenanigans and exclusively those. Please put any shared dream prompts under the top-level for the sake of organization, while any non-dream prompts should be posted as a regular top-level as normal.
  
• Cell phone signal does work during the blackout, but inconsistently! If you'd like to play with the trapped/isolated feelings, feel free to say they can't get a message out/in (or that it takes a long time to do so) even if others are able to more easily.
  
• Any questions can be directed to this top-level or, for a quicker response, to Trace on discord/plurk.

Comments

[moonape]

I did actually, it's hard to miss!

[And he's tossing some more cashews into his maw when Rhys explains the reason for asking. Oh. Well. That's not good. Are the Technicians just banking on people who don't understand what that stuff is killing themselves with it... or those who do doing something nefarious?

Both. Probably both.]

We certainly don't want any more of those going missing, or ending up in the wrong hands. I think you've got the right idea. It'll be a bit of a snug fit through some of the doors, but a tight squeeze is worth one less hazard out in the open.

[Excuse him, little nut break. He's been working hard today okay. He deserves these nuts.]

I'm assuming you'd like to handle this as soon as possible, hm?

[theprezident]

Yeah, that would be good. But you can rest up and eat first, and stuff! What's another few hours?

[ Probably enough for someone to take another if they really wanted to, but whatever. Winston has already done a lot of work today. ]

[moonape]

[Well we can't have that!]

Rhys, if you think this is serious then we should head out now.

[Winston pushes up so he's no longer sitting.]

There's still quite a lot of snow out there, getting around could be difficult for you. I could do it myself if you trust me, but I understand if you'd like to see it for yourself.

[theprezident]

[ Well, okay. You're the boss, giant gorilla. ]

I'd like to come with. I'll be fine. Maybe. We'll find out.

[moonape]

[Radio active waste, Rhys! This is SERIOUS.]

I suppose if the snow is too much you could always ride on my back.

[He is not above giving piggy back rides for the good of the people!]

[theprezident]

[ !! ]

You'd be okay with that?

[ That'd definitely be a new experience. ]

[moonape]

I'd rather you hitch a ride then try to muscle through the snow on your own. It would be an unnecessary struggle.

[Winston hums then, considering something.]

I should go grab my jump pack... you could more easily sit and gold onto that.

[theprezident]

Jump pack? Is it like a booster or something?

Gold onto that... hands in face. Typos why.

[moonape]

Indeed it is. I use it to be more mobile in combat situations.

[And drop down on bad guys and electrocute them if they're not already squashed.]

Hahaha I gotchu

[theprezident]

That's awesome.

I'll prep some coffee and get dressed while you get it. Uh, do you drink coffee?

[ Can gorillas drink coffee? Can Winston? ]

[moonape]

[He's definitely had sips of coffee in his time, but if he's gonna stick to bad diets he'll just keep eating too much peanut butter.]

Oh, no thank you, but I appreciate the thought. I'll have a quick snack at my cabin before coming back.

Mm, meet back here in thirty?

[Aka a quick snack being a banana and peanut butter of course!]

[theprezident]

Oh, sure! Sounds good.

[ That way he can prepare more than just coffee in case they end up being out for a while. Who knows if Foodland is even accessible right now. ]

See you in a bit.

[ He gives a salute. ]

[moonape]

[Winston salutes back, smiling as he heads out, carefully squeezing back through the doorway.

Thirty minutes later he's back, on the dot, knocking on the door. This time he's definitely not getting inside. Not with his whole get up on now.]

Ready for lift off when you are, Rhys!

[theprezident]

[ Rhys is all bundled up and ready. He has a small bag packed with one thermos of hot chocolate and one with coffee, just in case they're out for very long and he gets cold. Since he was expecting Winston, he's not far from the door either, so he comes out more or less immediately. ]

Ready!

[ Don't mind him immediately walking around Winston to get a closer look at said get up. ]

[moonape]

[Rhys has the right idea. Bundled up for the snow, which there is far too much of, he wouldn't want the human to get too chilly out here! He's mostly still so Rhys can get an ample look at his jump pack, glancing back at him as he does.]

Here, I'll give you a little demonstration of what you have to expect. It's your call if you wanna jump along after that.

[He's still welcome to have a ride on his back, but if the jumping looks like too much, they won't do that. Clearing his throat and pushing his glasses up, he'll take a few steps away from the cabin and activates his jump pack, which gives him a nice big boost, right up into the air! Leaping in a hefty arc with the help of it, he'll land solidly quite a bit away. The snow does little to help cushion his landing, but that's fine, he's used to it.

Turning around he'll wave to Rhys back near the cabin.]

[theprezident]

[ Even if Winston had explained what the jump pack did - and it's kind of in the name - actually seeing it is another matter. Rhys's eyes widen as he watches the ape soar up, lips falling open as he lands.

Now, space travel definitely comes with way more g-force than that does, but space travel also usually includes being strapped in somewhere. This? Nope. ]

That looks really cool and all, but I'd probably get sick.

[moonape]

[That is 100% fair, Rhys. Winston would rather not get puked on.]

We'll pass on jumping for now then. Piggy back ride is still on the table though.

[And he'll jump on back over, landing near Rhys with a poof of snow.]

Just climb on up behind my head and you can brace yourself back on the jump pack.

[Winston leans down so Rhys can do just that, making it easier for him to get himself up.]

[theprezident]

Cool.

[ Seriously. So cool. ]

Thanks.

[ He's as careful as he can be to not pull too much on Winston's fur or step anywhere that might hurt as he slowly climbs up and gets himself settled. It takes some wriggling to get comfortable, but he manages. ]