Deer Country Network

[ On a particularly snowy Feburary Day, when drifts are piled high and even Madam Generosity's helpful paths can only do so much, a video appears on the network.

Gaia is sitting in a rocking chair. There are lunar-powered lamps, but the way the shadows flicker, there's probably a comfortable fire lit somewhere offscreen. She has a journal open in her lap and one on a small table beside her. There's a brindle dog snoozing at her feet and every so often, a chicken passes by in the background, clucking gently. ]

So hello. I hope everyone's doing okay getting through the winter. I woke up today and found I was snowed in. Well, mostly I guess. But while I was cleaning up the house, I got to thinking about my first winter here. And I figured I'd try to pass on the things I learned in case it helps someone else, even if just a little.

I'd like to hear any tips or advice other people have as well. Besides letting people hear them, I doubt I know everything there is to know. So... every little bit helps. Also, if there's anyone needing help out there, just... let me know? I really can't stand sitting still right now.

So starting off, if you're looking for a place to live, it's very important to not settle for the first thing that looks sturdy. I made that mistake. And even though I got stubborn and it worked out, it was still very risky. I certainly wouldn't have survived if I didn't have friends. Another thing when it comes to keeping warm and sheltered. Bigger is not better. It takes more to warm a larger space. So if you can, try to find a small space. Look for something better in the spring or summer.

[ Gaia will continue with a few more conventional wisdom tips, adding a few ideal basic (possibly a bit bland) recipes that at least have nutritional value and work off of safe mushroom and cheap (dried) ingredients, which she also posts as text attachment. Most of them are soups. ]

from your perception i would like to know your thoughts on the pthumerians.

i am aware i could inquire the natives, and indeed i shall do just that. however, i would appreciate an unbiased viewpoint and any information you care to add from your own experiences.

i am no stranger to them necessarily but i find myself needing to know more.

i must.

[ Cue Gaia, seated in a comfortable looking room. Her living room which has gotten a enough furnishings to be called that these days. There's a cheery looking fire lit, the soft glow of electric (lunar powered) lights and a brindle furred dog curled up at the foot of her chair. Her omen, a black crowntail betta, swims flamboyantly in and out of the frame though never blocking vision of the girl. A blank page book is open in her lap and she's holding a pen. She looks enthusiastic. ]

So everyone, hello.

I've heard about Christmas and I've heard a few other festival names for this time of year. But we didn't have much like it back home, being that most of the world was swallowed by the Light.

[ But it's fine don't worry about that bit. Gaia continue to speak in an enthusiastic fashion. People that know her might wonder if she'd put a wee too much sugar in her tea. ]

A lot of traditions and so on were lost because of that and really I was never one for reading books even if there was one on the subject. So if we had Christmas or Hanukkah or some other winter season tradition, I wouldn't have a clue.

I've got the idea that people give presents to orphans from Allen's video. And decorate. But how does one decorate? What does one make or give? Though it seems highly questionable, I remember seeing mention of cookies. Do people really bake? What kind of things? If there's cookies, I would need recipes.

[ She takes a deep breath. But it doesn't seem to calm her down. If anything Gaia gets a little more enthusiastic as she continues. The writing utensil in her hand that was poised over an open journal in her lap is waved around. ]

Since I managed to prepare well enough for winter, I have a lot more spare time on my hands than I expected to have. I find myself reluctant to sit around when I can be doing something, but I don't want to look foolish either. So any information you have on these festivities or something like them you celebrate in your world would be appreciated. I'll do my best to bring those ideas to Sanctuary. And probably D's Outpost.

Respond however you like. Video, audio or text. Pictures would be helpful. But any information's fine as long as it's genuine. I'll be very cross if someone tries to pull a prank on me. So I will be checking just so you know.

[ She might be um... very energetic. But in many ways she's still Gaia at her core. ]

[ The image is that of young man with longish white hair that's been pulled back in a low ponytail. Seventeen or eighteen maybe, with a bright red mark on his face that looks somewhere between a scar and a tattoo as much as it stems from a mark that's also halfway between a star or an inverted pentagram. Garishly out of place on an otherwise pale and muted complexion and gentle face. ]

With a lot of the city shut down because of the snow, if there's anyone having trouble finding food or shelter, Sanctuary in Crenshaw will be helping whoever it can. It might not be much, but it can be a meal or warm bed for the night. [ And hope everyone likes fish, because there's a lot of that that's been salted and stockpiled. But also a lot of baked things served with some of the corruption-cleansing jams from earlier in the year.

Which, anyone who already volunteers there... you can bet you were already cheerfully accosted and asked to help, soup kitchen style. ♥ It's a team effort. ✧ Either that or clearing snow; it's a big place... albeit warm itself this month, and shining like a jewel from the lunar lighting and heating within. The renovated Moon Presence monastery seems to be taking the blindingly bright bone moon and reflecting it back in a gentler manner for anyone inside. ]

There isn't a cost. Just try to help out however you can when you're able.

[ He pauses, about to leave it at that but hesitating. Expression still neutrally polite and composed, but... flickering for a moment. ]

...if anyone would like to help closer to when Christmas would normally be, it'd be nice to do something special for the orphanage as well. Maybe donate some presents for them. 

[ That's it. He'll just quietly leave it at that. ] 

[OOC: This is this month's network post for stuff relating to the Outpost Haven location/player plot]

[The video is once again made from the Staging Point in Crenshaw for Outpost operations. This time it's focused on drawings of the current state of the location; there's a blood ward at the outer wall line and a barrier ward around the bunk house and garden. The outer wall is complete except for the gate and the bunkhouse is complete and has places for a couple dozen people to sleep if they don't mind how close everything is.

There are dotted lines detailing the next phase of construction.]

We're working on making an outpost about thirty miles west of Trench. The outer wall is mostly complete and there's a place to sleep but not much else just yet.

I'm providing food and lodging either in town or out there to anyone who helps with the outpost project whether that's construction, fighting beasts, or providing other skills or materials. Any earth or stone related abilities will be very useful and I'll offer trade items for anyone willing to help with that.

In addition to the materials we're gathering so far there's a useful substance made from Vileblood, Darkblood, and Coldblood that can fuse stone together when applied to the surface of a stone wall or used as mortar so we'll be trading for blood as well.

Anyone interested can contact me here or come to the house decorated with banners in Crenshaw near the Watch Tower.

[Ariadne hasn't been able to show her face on the network--or in person, really--since her meltdown in July. But she's starting to come back, as it were. Only on voice because she can't quite bring herself to share all of her feelings.

Feelings that are very strong right now.]

I don't believe in revenge. It's a messy business that doesn't ultimately fix anything. You can't always undo a wrong.

You can, however, be better.

I say this for two reasons now. The first is that I urge all of you not to take revenge against the user who goes by the name "NoMercy" on the Omni network. I don't know who they are and I don't know how they've suffered. But hurting them isn't going to un-murder Ezra or Oscar or any of the others.

The second reason why I'm talking about revenge is that...I need to know what happened to Dean Winchester. I need to know who burned down his house, who killed him. And...I want to reassure you--anyone who's listening--that if you know something or if you were, in some way, responsible...I'm not going to hurt you.

I...I don't believe in revenge.

And that's...that's all, I guess.

[A two-part video is uploaded to the network.

Part one opens on Varre's house in Lumenwood, now covered up to the eaves in roses with the front door blocked by an especially large, almost human-like bush. The stalks seem unusually mobile even before the camera zooms in on an upstairs window, where a collection of vines are holding a backpack in mid-air and...apparently...stuffing things into it?

A borderline-panicked, disturbed young man can be overheard muttering 'what the fuck?' over and over, just outside camera range. 

The camera holds more or less steady while the vines load clothing and several personal items into the backpack, including but not limited to a folding fan and one of Remina's memory boxes, before wrapping the entire backpack in a couple blankets and ungently throwing it at the camera holder's feet. He jumps. Really violently. It's scary, okay??

VO: Okay! Okay, thank you! That was very helpful. I'll be leaving now, thanks -- thanks again!

End part one.

Part two opens on Shen Yuan's pale, thoroughly-freaked out face.]

So, I...I hope this uploads okay. That was Varre's -- the creepy surgeon with the mask, always dresses in white? Some of you know him, I think -- that was Varre's house, which is apparently now being completely taken over by his fucked-up blood roses.

[Shen Yuan shudders.]

In the interest of disclosure, I had a qi deviation on the 5th, just before that big thunderstorm? And we ended up in a dispute.

I. I think I might've killed him.

[Several seconds of silence accompanied by visible emotional processing. This is not a man either used to or proud of his sudden descent into murder.]

I'm fine now [he says, like a liar] but I had to come back to get my stuff, and...you saw. They wouldn't let me into the house. I got them to do all of that by giving them some of my blood, but I'm not up for a second experiment. I don't think anyone should go near the place for a while. 

I just wanted to give everyone a heads up.

[End video.]

[ Even if there's a massive storm, it'll eventually pass. Somewhere in a lull of events, Gaia opens a video on the network. She's seated in a chair. There's a wide view of her surroundings which show another chair, a small table, a lunar powered floor lamp and a rug but... not much else. ]

Hello everyone. Well, my house is nearly renovated.

[ She looks over her shoulder. It's probably easy to see the room is pretty bare besides the small setting. ]

But as you can see, I don't have much in the way of actual furniture. While I can keep my eyes out and look for items at the shops, I also wanted to see if there was anyone who had spares they might be willing to part with or even skills to craft items. I'd like to focus on practical things. You know, tables, chairs, beds, tables and lights at first. But of course I'd also be interested in some luxury items.

[ There's a brief perk of enthusiasm. ]

I did have the house wired for lunar power so I'd be particularly interested in items which might help with the summer heat. Or something practical like a powered icebox or a fireless oven. Please let me know if you can help or know of someone that might. Feel free to contact me later as well.

[ there's a new arrival to trench. when he speaks, there's a hint of fang peeking out from his mouth. other than that, he seems rather ordinary, save for the pale golden eyes and his clothing — though it'd fit right into trench's stylistic choices. ]

I wish to know . . . what kind of life have you chosen to build here? And why? What do you seek out of it?

[He's barely been here but for a few days, but already everything is overwhelming. He's trying to keep it together, but apparently there are other forces at work.]

[His Omni turns on and there's a fuzzy paw covering the display for a moment. It moves away and reveals Nara'a sitting in a small wooden shack, a needle and thread in hand. He's found some rags somewhere and has clearly ripped them apart to form more serviceable pieces of cloth. He's sewing a little bit, silent for a while, before he looks up at what his Omen is doing.]

Hey, stop playing with that.

[He sets his work down and picks up the Omni, looking into it.]

... Sorry about that. I'm... I was just trying to repurpose a few things that I found.

[He's quiet for a few moments before going on.]

I'm new, so I didn't want to bother anyone, and I thought maybe I could trade these for something else. Does anyone know of a place where I could do that?

I'm not the best at weaving, but I'm a fair hand. They should be serviceable, at least. A few might have patches, though.

[Hm. He nods and fumbles with the Omni for a few moments before the broadcast shuts off.]

[CW: None for first memory]

( A choice and new beginnings )

[CW: Mentions of war, war trauma, fire, parental figure death, grief]



( Another choice and an end )

[The Omni's screen jumps to Ezra, here in Trench. Ezra sucks in a shuddering breath, on the edge of tears.]

The name he chose was Kanan Jarrus. He was a Jedi Knight. He gave me a family again. We had four years together. It- [It wasn't enough, he wants to say. But that's not quite right. Kanan had given him everything.]

I wish we'd had more time. [He cuts the feed.]

( A fond reunion not even remembered. )

[bc of the sheer length of the memories, I'm putting them in the comments to spare the community all that scrolling.

please take note of the following content warnings for Resident Evil ZOMBIES. Lots of it. I'm serious there's a lot of zombie horror. Graphic violence and gore, gun violence, shooting, murder, violence against zombified animals, animal death, minors in peril, child death, dismemberment of zombies, cannibalism, infection, medical experimentation, human experimentation, government corruption, police corruption, virus outbreaks, terrorism, biological terrorism, gory and horrific transformations into cannibalistic monsters, body horror, general horror in spades. the memories include some blurry consent lines (Leon is kissed by someone who is lying to him about her actual job) and PTSD and some alcohol abuse.

I'll edit with headings once all the open comments have been posted!

RESIDENT EVIL 2 MEMORIES
- First zombies / meeting Claire
- Marvin Branagh
- The Kiss
- Leaving Raccoon

RESIDENT EVIL 4 MEMORIES
- Saving Ashley
- Reunions
- A moment's relaxation

RESIDENT EVIL 6 MEMORIES
- Shooting the president / meeting Helena
- Reunions, again
- Reunions, again, not feat. Ada]

CW: Suicide, murder, gore, body horror, parasites

[The video starts with D sliding his sword into the stomach of a man with skin as perfectly pale as D's, but with red eyes and lips and a pair of obvious fangs.

The vampire sinks to his knees as D releases his grip on the sword, and a young woman rushes to the vampire's side.

"Please, try not to shake me so much." The vampire says, pain obvious in his voice and a wry smile on his face.

"You did well to dodge that strike," D says as he closes the short distance between them.

"Why did you miss?" The vampire asks.

But there's no response from D as he bends over to cut a long lock of hair from the young woman and then to pull his sword from the vampire's stomach and sheath it. "So long as I have some of her hair, the sheriff's office will be able to confirm her identity. Baron Mayerling and his human love are dead. Never show yourselves before mankind again."

D has a few more words for the other young woman in the room, a lady with dark hair and eyes and dressed for a fight. "There's the ten million right there. Easy money."

A silver arrow shoots down to pierce the vampire's heart, and D immediately retaliates by hurling a nearly foot-long sliver of needle at the attacker on the ceiling. The new foe defies gravity, standing upside down and dodging. The attacking figure is clearly not alive, half his face is missing all its flesh and a massive hole in his stomach shows bits of bone and remnants of internal organs.

The battle is brief before the undead attacker is on the floor, and something tries to crawl out of the corpse only for D to grab it in his left hand. His left hand, which is audibly chewing and eating whatever the grotesque worm-like thing is as it gives out a brief scream over the sound of flesh and bone being chewed up.

D turns back towards the two women, where the young woman in love with a vampire lay still beside her lover. She had taken his hand and pierced her own chest with one of his claws, but there's an amazingly serene and almost happy look on her lifeless face.

"Love's so great... so why does it have to go so wrong?" The young woman kneeling over the girl to check her pulse asked. "She said thank you."

D takes the lock of hair out of his pocket, and lays it on the lifeless young woman's shoulder. As the pair of hunters leave, D gives a very generous amount of gold to a shabbily dressed drifter in exchange for the man burying the pair. The sounds of the derelict spaceport cut off abruptly, but the image is slower to fade.]

You too?

[The video fades to D, wearing the cloak he was given when he arrived and looking up from a less than neat patch job in his dark, worn coat. The building he's in is run down, the only thing other than D in the room is a small pile of cloth and a saddle with saddlebags. He's already reaching for the omni sitting beside him when the next video starts.]

[The second video starts with D and a young woman with dark hair and dark eyes standing in the snow, next to a small shack, a very sturdy bench, and a wooden wagon pulled by mutant six-legged equines. The pair of them both look like they're in their late teens.

The serious expression falters, and the young woman suddenly blushes. "I hid behind you, remember?" Her voice is almost as heated as her face as become. "The first time I saw you I was really scared, but as soon as I heard what you said I shook it right off. 'While it's impossible to halt the progress of time, you would do well to show some respect for that's been lost' - when you said that, you seemed so sad.

D looks away from her, down the snow covered road, and his voice is emotionless when he speaks. "You've got good ears and an excellent memory. The sun will be down in a little while, so we'd best be on our way. It's about time for the fiend to make another move on the woman from this morning."

The young woman speaks up again as they return to the wagon, her tone suggestive as she elbows D in the side playfully. "Hey, could you get your work done in the next five days and leave the village with me? I've got an awful bright future ahead of me."

D still doesn't look at her, and answers only with a maybe as they climb into the wagon. The young woman watches him from the passenger seat with a mischievous grin on her face. "You really don't want to lose that scowl, do you, you big worrywart? I'm going to make a prediction for you."

"A prediction?" D asks, a slight glint in his eyes even though he still doesn't look at her.

"That's right. See, mine are almost always right on the money. Let's see... okay, I got it." She says as she looks at him as if hypnotized. "You'll definitely be wearing a smile when you leave this place." Both the sound and sight fade at once this time.]

[D is less than pleased, and having a staring contest with his omen, which means he's staring directly forward with a disapproving look in his cold eyes as the video cuts back to the present. A small voice that's neither D nor the omen speaks up. "Heh, looks like your omen doesn't have as much self control as you do."]

Enough.

[The word is said by both D and his omen, who have the same low, smooth voice right before the video cuts off.]

((ooc: and so D becomes disappointed in his omen due to it failing to avoid becoming part of the memshare plot))

[Cue a video image of a teenage girl about sixteen years old. She's been around Trench for a few months and some might have seen her in passing. Today she's indoors near what looks like a kitchen hearth. Occasionally dog with brindle fur and pushing the upper range of mid-size wanders in and out of frame during the video, looking for pets. Which are given. Indoors as she currently is, she's wearing a touch of classy clothes she's managed to get together and has definitely polished her look for this video; hair falling about her shoulders, cosmetics applied, the like.]

Hello, everyone. My name is Gaia. I thought I'd make this video call, both to get to know some people and find out a few things, especially now with spring well on the way. If anyone's willing to help answer the questions or just get to know one another, please feel free to respond.

[Gaia reaches for the omni and adjusts it to pan over the hearth area. One might notice there is a lot of cooking ware, utensils and the like arranged neatly, but somewhat cluttered around the cooking hearth. While some things look like they're in use, others are borderline decorative... although still something that can be used.]

One of the first things that come to mind is that I've collected an awful lot of items I'm just not going to use. This is just an example of what I mean.

[Gaia recenters the omni on herself.]

Besides the market and barter with Trench residents, does anyone get together for some type of... I don't know what you'd call it. But where folk can bring their extra items and exchange them for something a person might actually need. Instead of messing with blood or gems or stones for currency, just focusing on exchanging the items.

[Yes, she's describing a swap meet. The teen then reaches off to the side and brings up a bag of seeds.]

I live in Feed, but I'm not really knowledgeable about raising animals. SO I thought I might try to grow some crops. I got these from one of the locals and I have a basic idea about how to plant them but I honestly think these are a little beyond me. They're oats and I was told they're great for storing long term, it's just all this stuff about planting times and harvest yields feels a little bit over my head. If there's someone who's good at explaining this in... well, simpler terms, I'd appreciate that.

Oh! I have some crops already. It's just the way oats were described was a bit overwhelming. So if it turns out they're just not for me this year, I'll be fine.


[After this, Gaia sets all things aside.]

I realize I haven't really been socializing. So I'd like to get to know people. I also wouldn't mind learning skills with being self-sufficient. A friend had been teaching me a lot but I haven't seen him in a while. [A pause, faltering over the dismay before schooling herself.] I also feel it's probably a good idea to find people to practice combat with. I know magic and some combat skills, but I'd sometimes prefer to improve them when I'm not fighting for my life.

So if anyone has information about the above or anything to suggest, feel free to reach out. I'll be here for a while.

—dealt with these things, I had a tank and someone throwing Lickers at one to distract it. And we barely made it out of that one.

[The video feed opens on what looks like the flat roof of a building, chimneys visible in the background, with Leon leaning against the wall of a penthouse, his arms crossed. He looks like someone who just barely managed to get away from a fight he did not win, with one hand discreetly holding his side so it’s not obvious that it hurts. The other hand has a flask of alcohol, currently capped. Wesker has his back to the device, busy reloading a handgun magazine while, given his posture, watching something below them.]

Too bad we haven’t any Lickers to throw at it now, at least as a diversion, though now that I’ve said it, some might come skittering through the portal.

God, don’t even mention those. [Leon’s head falls back against the wall with a sigh.] I can’t let this thing stay in Trench for too long. The zombies are bad enough, but a Tyrant, even just one—you know better than I do, how bad that’s going to be. Especially if I have to bring more people in and risk their lives, too.

[Wesker slots the magazine into the Samurai Edge before re-holstering it and proceeding to reload a second magazine.]

There are any number of Hunters and other talented folk who could overwhelm it, if they throw enough firepower of all varieties at it, at once. [He turns his head to look in Leon’s general direction.] We didn’t exactly rate Tyrants to contend with magic fire or something just as beyond our frame of reference. [He says this with a wry amusement borne of an expert intrigued by the challenge offered from a design flaw.]

You didn’t rate them to contend with anti-tank guns either, if I recall. [Deadpan, and just a little bit bitter, like he heard that amusement and doesn’t entirely like it. Leon lets out a breath.] Don’t suppose you’ve got a rocket launcher around here somewhere?

Chalk that failing up to rushed production. [Wesker notes this with a hint of annoyance.]  With the assortment of weapons needed on a daily basis to contend with Beasts, I’d be curious to know if someone has a cannon, which would be the nearest pre-Industrial equivalent. [He suddenly goes still, then slowly turns his head to peer over his shoulder at something behind him.] Cypher… you aren’t transmitting this conversation, are you?

Just tryin’ to ‘elp. Boss. [A small chastened voice speaks.]

What, your weasel? [Leon shifts his weight, then exhales, looking a little like someone caught doing something they know damn well they shouldn’t have.] Shit. Looks like he did—

[He cuts himself off with a pained hiss, but straightens up anyway. All right. Fine.]

Well, if he’s recording anyway we might as well make it a PSA.

At least to inform folk of the presence of the intruder, or to recruit reinforcements.

[A pained look crosses over Leon’s face, at the latter suggestion.] I’d rather avoid that last part. It—didn’t turn out well for me, before. [But he sighs, because Wesker, god help them all, has a point. To the weasel recording them, he gives a tired wave with the hand holding the flask.] So. I’m going to guess you all heard that, so I’ll just get to my point: there’s a very dangerous BOW—bio-organic weapon—on the loose. It’s called a Tyrant, and it’s a very tall, very bald monster in a trenchcoat. And if you happen to get anywhere close to it, it can and will kill you.

[Wesker turns fully towards the Omen, pocketing the spare magazine.]

And before any of you decide to go haring off to play the conquering hero and single-handedly defeat this biological colossus, be warned: it was designed to be an army in one unit. If you attack it, do so in numbers. Those of you with long-range magical skills are best suited to wearing it down, making it possible for those with ranged weapons - high powered firearms, flaming bows and arrows, even hurling boulders at it - to stand a chance at damaging it. Do not attempt to engage it with swords or fists or anything else that will bring you into close contact. It can and will cave in your skull with one blow. [A small but weighted pause.] I know this well because I helped to create the prototype of this entity. [There’s a hint of pride, but also a hint of ‘oh crap, I brought this thing into this’ world.]

He’s not wrong. I’ve fought Tyrants before, and each time I just barely made it out alive. And I always had help in finishing it off—chances are you won’t. If you see it coming near you and you’re alone and unprepared for it, you need to run and hide. [Unlike Wesker, Leon doesn’t sound proud, just very grave and serious.] About the only good news I have is that it’ll move on if you’re hidden well. As for taking it down for good, I’m. Still working on that.

[He knows it’ll take a team to do it, but—the last time he led a team they all died and turned in the morgue. If he has to watch more people die on his watch because of his mistakes…]

Correction: We’re still working on that. [And for once, Wesker sounds serious.]

Right. We’re. [Exhales.] Be careful out there, in the meantime. Don’t try and be a hero, you’ll only get yourself killed.

[ ooc: for this player plot! blue is Leon, red is Wesker. ]

[There was some adjusting before the young and very pale girl sat back, looking past as if something was holding whatever was recording-]

Just keep it steady, Dinah!

[-letting out a breath then, sitting on a spread blanket and a basket just in view beside her covered with a cloth.

That was definitely a few gravestones in the background. All the same, Alice kept her tone surprisingly bright, even calm.]

Hello, I'm Alice. I know some of you are still popping in and out of the catacombs- or perhaps you're waiting for someone else to come up? Well, I live nearby and figured some of you might like some food after what bits of horror can be going on down there.

Food can be very comforting after all, right?

[A tap of a finger against the basket's side.]

I've a few hand pies of various flavors, along with more savory empanadas that someone kindly taught me about, and how to make. Hopefully I am very easy to spot if you are already out here! If not, I can try to come to you.

[She might look familiar to those who have met her darker haired twin also named Alice.]

Ah- I've also some tea on hand, if any desire a cup.