Sixth Iteration Logs

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WHERE: (Where the post takes place)
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sixthiteration

WHO: Take Two I participants
WHERE: Everywhere!
WHEN: February 26-March 4
OPEN TO: ONLY Take Two participants — Reactions to the disappearances should have their own posts.
WARNINGS: Please warn in your subject line as needed
NOTES: Plot Basics | Cheat Sheet & Other Details | Color Combos

Morning, February 26. A message blinks across the devices of many in the village, sender unknown. Meet with a specified someone else, it says, dubious but not overtly sinister. Is this belated Valentine's matchmaking? An Observer attempt at forcing friendships?

Or could this perhaps be something that takes just a wee bit more effort?

thecatinahat

WHO: Cougar Alvarez
WHERE: Forest to the Inn
WHEN: February 9
OPEN TO: OTA
WARNINGS: n/a

On any given normal day, if you wanted to find Cougar, you'd look up.

There he would be, a silent thing perched at a good vantage point, because you can take the gun away from the sniper, but you can't take away some of his habits and the one he holds tight to is the one that allows him to scope an area for threats. Knowing how to field-strip a gun and identify a threat a mile away does nothing when the change starts from within. His device starts beeping, beeping, and then it does all sorts of strange things, a blue screen and then...nothing.

It loads again, almost too slowly, but enough to make him feel wary enough that he needs to drop down from the perch. This isn't a time for being patient, this is a time to go and get answers, whistling as he heads back through town, a bright nod for everyone, but also, a greeting. In the walk back towards the village, Cougar says more words than he likely has in the entire time since he's arrived, stopping to say hello to anyone he comes across on his way back to the house, fiddling with the device even though he knows he should wait for Jake to look at it.

There's no more scouting the area ahead.

Why would he? Attack the problem head on, he can worry about the consequences later. Besides, what's the worst that can happen? He settles in on the steps of the Inn, poking at buttons, seeing if he's triggered some kind of alarm, but mainly, he finds that he drifts into an easy rhythm, texting random strangers once he gets distracted.

pop_of_color

WHO: Rosa Diaz
WHERE: Fountain, Village
WHEN: Late January/Early February
OPEN TO: ~~Fountain Arrival is open to ONE PERSON (will update when taken)~~; the rest is OTA.
WARNINGS: Cursing. Always so much cursing. Also, probably violence of some kind, at some point. ALSO also, spoilers for S05E09 of B99.

ARRIVAL - OPEN TO MARK
The squad had made it back to Manhattan in time for the Captain’s interview for Commissioner. Amy had climbed back up on her high strung ladder and managed to work out a plan that — unsurprisingly — came to fruition down to the literal minute. What a nerd.

The first thing Rosa did when she got back to her apartment was peel away the beige-on-beige-on-beige she’d been forced into thanks to the explosion incident with The Creeper that incinerated all goods within, including clothing. She hopped in the shower, set to scalding hot (as per usual), and washed away the events of the last few days: McGinley's funeral, spending a mind-boggling amount of time fulfilling Jake’s Die Hard fantasies in “Nakatomi Plaza” (including the 600+ photos he made Boyle take), Holt’s continued attempts at sabotage to prevent them from getting back to New York in time for his interview, the Creeper, Scully’s bathroom horrors in the Creeper, learning Holt had compromised himself to get she and Jake out of prison, the Texas Boyles’ weird cow sex farm, the weird (and alarmingly loud) cow sex, the beige, and ... maybe most nerve-wracking, finally telling the Boyle the truth.

About her. About who she loved and who she could love. About the mysterious woman’s voice on the phone she had hoped Boyle wouldn’t hear (damn him and his weird rat senses). About the fact that she’d tried so hard to keep it all covert and unearthed since the 7th grade when she first set eyes on Zack Morris and Lisa Turtle and realized ... holy fucking shit, they’re BOTH hot.

There’s a moment, standing in the shower, where she opens her eyes and manages a small smile - one meant only for herself. Of course Boyle supported her. Of course he still behaved as the same weird little rodent man he’d always been and always would be. It’s one of the things Rosa loves most about him, and even in the face of what was, at least to Rosa, earth-shattering news, all he wanted to know was the woman's name.

She gives that mysterious woman a call before she hops into bed that night, promising to see her the following day after work. She falls asleep, exhausted, but weightless and bolstered by how well it had all gone down. She thinks of her girlfriend’s face as she slips into sleep, happy to know she will be seeing her in person the next evening ..

Only ..

Instead of the caresses and kisses and quiet murmurs she's expecting, she’s instead gasping for air, clawing at the nothingness around her — wait, no. It isn’t nothingness. There’s resistance and fluid. Fluid? Water, she realizes. It’s water. Shit, is she having one of those weird “I have to pee” dreams? Is she drowning in some symbol of her full bladder? 'Wake up, wake up, wake up, you asshole! You cannot wet the god damn bed!'

Why do her lungs feel like they’re going to explode out of her chest? Why can she feel the searing blades of cold all over her body? Why can’t she breathe?

She clamors and fights (because fuck if she isn’t a fighter) until she’s finally sucking in a gasp of cold, arctic air that stings all of her insides and makes her feel dizzy.

“FU- MOTH- SH- GO- HE-!” she tries to shout all of her pent up profanities and, finally, a call for help, but she can’t seem to keep her head up above the water long enough to get a word out. She digs at the side of the fountain (?) she seems to be in and manages to grip onto the sides. ‘C’mon, Diaz; what the fuck is wrong with you? You know how to swim. You know how to climb. Don’t be a fucking wimp!’ For all of her .. "encouraging" self-talk, it does little to combat the absolute panicked adrenaline in her body. “MOTHERFUCKING HELP!” she finally shouts, finally stabilizing herself on the fountain wall.

AROUND THE VILLAGE
Needless to say, it takes approximately -0.1 seconds for Rosa’s survival instincts to take over. First thing that she wants to do is scout as much of the village as she can, to get a general layout of the land. It feels a fuck ton like some weird cult commune, those kinds that one reads about that are stumbled upon in the Canadian wilderness, or like there are going to be mutant, eyeless creatures who come out of the woods at night to feast on young children or cats or people or whatever.

Actually, she isn’t entirely convinced that won't happen, so after she spends a few hours scouting and gathering intel, she sets her sights on finding shelter. She enters a few cabins in her haste only to realize they’re already occupied. Whoops! Sorry about the unintentional B&E.

She’s also probably looking a bit like a wild woman, crouching in the brush, attempting to sharpen sticks and rocks with other rocks in an effort to make some kind of weapon, just in case she needs it. Whoever’s brought her here has taken her arsenal of firearms, blades, and torture devices, so she’s got to improvise somehow.

When the sun begins to set (and Rosa fears the mutants might start emerging), she heads to the Inn and sits, glaring into the fire. And make no mistake: it’s a glare. Like, if she could set the fire on fire with her eyes, she’d do it. And she’d burn the whole place to the ground, probably while laughing. If you want to take your chances on offering your help, feel free — but maybe keep your distance. She’s looking a little like a rabid animal.

sixthiteration

WHERE: Inari Shrine and elsewhere
WHEN: 25 January 2019 through ?
OPEN TO: All opted in characters
WARNINGS: Please warn in the subject line of your comment as needed, and remember to move anything turning adult to a new post.
IMPORTANT NOTES: Final reminders and informational links are here. Please label all top-levels clearly so that there is no confusion who they are open to and what they are for, and DON'T FORGET TO ADD YOUR TAG!
Have fun and ask questions here!

thecatinahat

WHO: Cougar Alvarez
WHERE: The Inn
WHEN: January 6
OPEN TO: ALL - Mingle
WARNINGS: Nudity

It had taken a few hours for Cougar to build a fire warm enough to get the main area of the inn to a decent temperature. There wouldn't be any point to playing a game if you were too scared to take off any clothes that you didn't feel comfortable betting or risking anything. He'd dug out the playing cards from the pile of communal things, he'd written a sign that said 'no powers' because it's not fair if someone's suddenly lucky, and then he'd gone strategic.

Sure, he cheats (often), but when it comes to a game like this, the best way to do that is to layer up. It's why he makes sure that once the tables are ready and the cards are out, he puts on as many layers as possible and his hat, settling in the corner where he can see the door, plenty of chairs ready for people to join.

Hopefully, some people will walk out winners, with all the clothes on their backs.

Then again, that isn't the fun part, is it?

killorder

WHO: Jake Jensen
WHERE: Around the village, further out from the village, in house 8 and the Inn
WHEN: First part of January
OPEN TO: Anyone
WARNINGS: None really applicable

( Love by the spring is grown )

sixthiteration

WHERE: Simulation, door between the SV inn and police station
WHEN: Sunset Dec 31 through sunrise Jan 1
OPEN TO: ALL - MINGLE
WARNINGS: Please warn in your subject line as needed and move all adult content to a new post
NOTES: GENERAL PARTY DETAILS: Here & Here | PLANNING POST: Here | NEWBIES: You may arrive at the party, details here.

As the sun dips toward the horizon, another day in the village put to bed, those walking past the tiny piece of woodland between the South Village inn and police station next door may notice something out of place: A door, golden and shimmering, seeming to hover in space and go nowhere. Indeed, a quick step to its other side reveals nothing at all but more forest. Dare to grasp the knob and swing it open, however—

A party, wild and opulent and grand, set in the front halls and gardens of a sprawling Victorian mansion, all cream and black and glittering gold. Tables groaning with festive food and drink, a lively band, and enthusiastic occupants seemingly unaware of the strangeness through which our intrepid villagers have arrived.

Step through, and you shall be transformed: Vigorously healthy, impeccably coiffed, a glittering star in your own right. To exit the way you came will see all of this gone again, and do take care: While news travels fast in the village, if you don't indulge soon, you may miss this extravagant respite — The music, the frivolity, the fireworks at midnight... Or all of it altogether, for it will fade away with the dawn.

championofsnark

WHO: Marian Hawke
WHERE: Multiple places!
WHEN: Anywhere between December 10-19thish
OPEN TO: Filters to Iron Bull, Frank Castle, Finnick Odair, Elektra Natchios, and then OTA!
WARNINGS: Swearing. Updated: Sex in the Connor thread.

( POST FOR BULL, FINNICK, FRANK, ELEKTRA ) OPEN TO ALL

Hawke is someone easy to spot and meet around the village. She has lunch at the inn every day and will chatter at anyone there. She as usual can be found at the fountain here and there in case someone shows up, but she is now working on her sewing instead of creating arrows. She sometimes has some mischief and bathes nude in the hot springs. It gets cold out there! She's shameless. Finally she just generally scouts around the perimeter of the village, especially at night, with her knives and bow. She is very friendly. Just say hi. Or run while you can.

cryptoherpetology

WHO: Alex Price, Karen Page, Kat, YOU (OTA)
WHERE: Inn Records, Kat's House, Schoolhouse, Somewhere Outdoors
WHEN: Dec 1-15th
OPEN TO: Karen, Kat, OTA
WARNINGS: Mention of Dead Animals (Mice)

Lions, Tigers and Bears Sound Quaint (For Karen Page)

Alex has been spending more and more time in the inn since discovering the records, especially since Tony's mining expedition and the snake hunt. Mostly, he's been adding to what notes he can- especially for the ones he's been studying up close- mostly the fever snakes, since he's been handling those so much lately, but there have been pages on the snake bats and peacock cats added as well, since he's had so much experience with them up-close of late.

It's the ice mice that have him here today, with some anatomical sketches (including some that are clearly drawn from references of dissections) and as many of the field notes he's taken that he thinks will be useful. He isn't expecting to find someone else when he comes in, but smiles pleasantly when he spots a familiar face.

"I was starting to think this place was being haunted by the ghost of a librarian," he remarks to the woman he'd met in the corn. "It's Karen, right?"

King of (Birdlike) Cats for Kat

The peacock cats tracks aren't exactly like a domestic cat's, but they're similar enough that Alex can, after a couple of hours in the woods, he's able to locate a clowder (or would it be a flock?) of them. Most of the adults want nothing to do with him, and the juveniles are jumpy- except one, which has him confused at first, until he notices the way it's favoring three out of four legs.

When he arrives at Kat's door, the peakitten's left forpaw has been bandaged. Having just come from the wild, it's a good deal less plump than the litter he'd been fostering. Despite the frostbite, which he thinks might be the result of a failed attempt at preying on an ice mouse, and maybe some slight malnutrition, there are no other problems he can identify with the cat.

Boudica had just about thrown a fit with an unfamiliar cat in the house for as long as it had taken to bandage the poor thing up (he'd sacrificed one of his pillowcases for the cloth), so it'd been clear he couldn't keep it. Kat was the first person to come to mind- her notes on the animals here were enough to convince him that she wouldn't have any issue taking care of it, and she'd mentioned being interested in one.

Of Ice Mice and Men OTA

The mice in the schoolhouse are getting bold, if you ask Alex. Not quite as bold as he's used to mice being, given the... unique nature of the Aeslin mice that lived with his family. Thinking of their songs, their little shouts of "HAIL!" and the countless hours of theosophical debate almost makes him feel bad about the small knife he sends flinging through the air at the one he sees skittering across the plank wood floors, skewering it in place.

They're keeping his knife-throwing skills sharp, at least. Pun not intended.

Where There's Smoke... OTA

Like most people in the village, Alex is the type of person who runs towards screaming, so when he hears a surprised shout and the FWOOMF sound of something spontaneously combusting, he does just that. The fire isn't terribly large- enough that between the stomping of heavy hiking boots and armfuls of snow, he's able to smother the flame before it does too much damage.

"Are you alright?" he asks, checking his boots for signs of the treads melting, and finding them mostly intact. "No burns or anything?" It was hard to tell if the shout had been in pain, panic or both.

bludhavenknight

WHO: Dick Grayson
WHERE: Fountain, then other various spots around the village.
WHEN: First few days of his arrival.
OPEN TO: Everyone!
WARNINGS: Little bit of language, nothing too bad.

( Holy arrival Batman, it's like Mr. Freeze got his hands on this place! )

killorder

WHO: Jake Jensen
WHERE: Around the South villge
WHEN: Just before everyone takes ill
OPEN TO: All
WARNINGS: None noted yet.

( Shadow Dust )

championofsnark

WHO: Marian Hawke and Co.
WHERE: Dojo training, on way to hunt, hunting, post-hunt, meal!
WHEN: November 10-12, the 12th is a meal!
OPEN TO: Everyone!
WARNINGS: Probably language and some expected violence against animals

( I'll hunt you down, I feel no shame )

sixthiteration

WHERE: Corn field next to the inn
WHEN: 31 October, all day and night
OPEN TO: ALL - MINGLE
WARNINGS: Please warn as appropriate in your subject lines
NOTES: Please make sure you have read and understand the event details! If you have questions, drop them here. RECOMMENDED BUT NOT REQUIRED: Put your SCRUBS COLOR in your OTA subject line for folks doing bingo. Time your OTA for the harvest feast, the masquerade, or both. Costume matches and details for folks who did not get matched are here.

This morning, our intrepid villagers awoke to a surprise of the nicer kind: A bundle of clothing left at the foot of their bed, tied with a bow. There is also a note: Put on your new outfit and join the festivities in the corn field next to the inn.

You may be thinking, what corn field next to the inn? The one that sprung up fully-mature overnight, of course.

In the middle of the field, villagers will find an autumn feast: Tables piled with harvest time food and drink, warm and rustic decorations, the day's sunshine fending off any chill in the air.

Tuck in and enjoy, villagers, but take note: Things often look different in the dark, and you might be one of them.

nonstopnarcissist

WHO: Tony Stark & Bruce Banner
WHERE: Town Hall
WHEN: October 15th
OPEN TO: Everyone
WARNINGS: SCIENCE!!! Relevant OOC post is here! Topics for discussion/projects here. Go forth and make connections

( I just might have a problem that you'll understand )

thecatinahat

WHO: Cougar Alvarez
WHERE: Village / Inn
WHEN: October 15
OPEN TO: OTA!
WARNINGS: N/A

coming back from the wilds

A man had come up and out of the fountain, soaked and in the middle of the night. He'd taken his time to go through his pack, look at his clothes, and then made the natural assumption -- he'd been drugged, kidnapped, and sent into the wilderness somewhere in dark scrubs that look like they belong in a medical lab, not in the field. So instead of lingering, Cougar does the only natural thing.

He heads out to map out the immediate area, finds high ground in the trees and he starts to explore. Cougar spends days out there, finding animals, plants, and determining that he's not anywhere near Miami or the East Coast, the two most recent places he could have been grabbed. He doesn't have his gun or his hat, so someone got their hands on him, but he's alive and in good shape.

It has to be Max, it can't be anyone else.

On the third day of lurking in the wilderness, he brings back the rabbits in snare traps that he'd been setting, whistling as he walks back into town like he's always belonged there, his mind set on one thing. He's going to figure out how Max got his hands on him, and then he's going to find the way out and escape. Until then, he needs to stay alive and figure out who else has been put here with him, who else might be a victim of Max's schemes.

reclamation

Once he's settled with the animals skinned and prepared and delivered at the inn, Cougar turns his attention to the pile of things in the corner. There are weapons and supplies, clothes that he hauls out to look for something to wear and to hunt with. He wants his hat back, the familiar brim and the security of having something to hide his face, but it's not here. Grimacing, he pushes through the things and starts to pick out one by one what he actually wants to take.

He takes a spear here, a bow there, a few arrows. It's not the same as a gun, but it'll give him a chance to hunt and prepare himself. He finds a few knives too, which makes him grin as he tucks them into his back pocket, still sat crouched over the items like a magpie tending to its hoard.

He only stops when he hears the creak of a floorboard and rises to his feet, not wanting to seem like a scavenger, which is why he tries to subtly nudge most of the items aside with his foot. When he turns, he hasn't got a hat to hide behind, but he does have the ability to put on a guileless look on his face, see who's come to challenge him for the items in the closet.

Better yet, maybe Cougar can take advantage of this. "Hat," is what he says. "Have you seen a hat, here?"

comfortablyerect

WHO: Tim Gutterson
WHERE: House 52, then the village
WHEN: July 1st
OPEN TO: OTA
WARNINGS: Minor ax injury, Tim's Existence probably, possibly nsfw content?

House 52

When it comes to staying occupied, Tim's gotten pretty damn good at it. There's no fugitives to chase here, no shoot-outs or stake-outs or tailing bad guys, and no bars to unwind and relax in afterwards. He's had to reach back to his childhood to remember ways to stay busy, back when his mother shooed him outside and told him not to come back until the sun was setting, just so he'd stay out from under her feet.

Fishing has been put on hold recently due to the decreased water levels, but there's other things he can do. Forging among the trees, collecting berries and edible plant life to drop off at the kitchen. Sometimes, he helps tend to the crops, remembering his mother's instructions from when he helped her with their small vegetable garden as a kid. Occasionally, he goes down to the police station to where they house the animals, checking to make sure they've been fed and watered, trying to introduce Kid to the other goats so that, one day, she might actually stay there.

Today, he's taken to chopping firewood. They use less of it with the heat of the summer, only needing it to feed the furnace for the few times they need hot water. But it's better to cut it and stock up now than wait until it's cold and frigid and everyone wants to stay wrapped up inside. Kid has taken to sprawling out under the shade of a tree, and Tim's thinking about how a break might be in order once he finishes this log.

That's when the ground begins to shake.

He fumbles the downswing, missing the log entirely, clumsily stepping out of the way of its path. Not quite far enough though, because the blade grazes his leg anyway, and Tim lets out a sharp fuck as the pain blooms through him. The violent shaking continues, Kid hopping up with a sharp bleat, running and stumbling to reach him. It's an earthquake, he realizes, maybe a little belatedly, and so he hunkers down on the ground, finding the open area around him a safer option than near any trees or inside. Kid tumbles into his side, and he immediately gathers her up beneath his body to wait out the worst of it.

Around the Village

The injury isn't too bad. At the very least, it's not in need of stitches. So instead of tending to it immediately, he finds a dish cloth and ties it around the gash. It'll do, for now. He has other things to attend to.

The rest of the day is spent around the village, and what he's really doing is looking. Looking for Kira, but also checking up on other people in the meantime, popping his head into buildings and gatherings to ask if everyone's alright. This isn't the first earthquake the village has had, he learns, and he supposes it's nice to know that the place is fucking prone to them. At least it's not sand storms. Fuck sandstorms.

Eventually, he ends up checking Kira's house, but doesn't find him there. Past that, he has no clue. He checks the Inn and the Town Hall, near the river, on the outskirts of the woods. Only once he's exhausting his options does he go into the woods, taking the risk of the trees shifting around him and losing him inside. At this rate, not even the sudden rain is slowing him down.

It's an odd feeling, caring enough about someone to hunt them down after a natural disaster, but not feeling attached enough to really know where to look or who to ask. He's definitely not very fond of it.

[ Feel free to hang out with Tim before the quake or find him afterwards, searching the village and chatting people up in his efforts to hunt down Kira! ]

teen_angst_bullshit

WHO: Veronica Sawyer
WHERE: The River & Various
WHEN: June 23-25
OPEN TO: ALL, Kira & Nerys
WARNINGS: n/a

[OTA]

Dear Diary,

It's really fucking hot.

Understatement of the year, Veronica thinks as she stares down at the line, sweat tickling down the back of her scalp to gather at her hairline.

Thinking about going bald, she adds in a looping scrawl. Could start a new village fashion.

The sad truth is that she probably could. With the sun giving them the finger day in and day out, it's surprising people aren't lined up at Kira's door begging him to shear them like the sheep. It might even look cute, now that she considers it—

That's it. She's got to get some kind of relief or she really will hunt down the kitchen shears and do something she'll regret later.

Even at half capacity, the river's still the best option available. Well, unless you want to swim in the fountain, and Veronica's just not that comfortable with the idea of accidentally dog-paddling into somebody fresh arrived to what's beginning to actually feel like hell.

Towel in hand, she abandons the steamy shade of the house and trudges to the river, where she strips all the way to her panties and bra before wading in. No jumping from the dock today, unless you want to break something.

( For Kira & Nerys )

thecatinahat

WHO: Cougar Alvarez
WHERE: Alvarez-Jensen-Sawyer Residence
WHEN: June 21st
OPEN TO: Jake Jensen
WARNINGS: Haircuts and Complaining
STATUS: Open

The last time Cougar had been on a mission this far north during the summer, he hadn't slept for a full week straight between the sunlight and the mission. It had left him a little splintered of reality then. Here, he isn't sleeping as much as he'd like, between the heat and the light, and it's taken him back to old habits. He sits in shady spots in high trees to keep an eye on people, his observation skills as critical as ever. Maybe more, because he's not sleeping, and when he is, the nightmares are worse than ever. So instead, he stays awake and he makes notes about people and he watches, always watches.

It's how he notices that Jake is starting to get irritated with the heat and his hair. It's little signs at first, but then, Cougar's unwavering eye notices enough little additions that he knows just what he needs to do. He fetches his scissors and a bowl of the coolest water he can find, putting everything together and then sitting in the corner of their bedroom with his hat pulled low over his head, sweating through his tank top and self-made shorts (his scrubs, cut, which means he will not have them for the winter).

Unmoving, he sits there and waits, his own hair tied in a bun behind his head. After what happened the last time to make him cut his own hair, he's not trying that again. No, this is about making Jake stop with his fidgeting and complaining and sweating, at least, for a few seconds. It will be a few seconds worth it.

notsocommon

WHO: Helen Magnus
WHERE: woods, river, butcher's shop
WHEN: 10 June - 12 June
OPEN TO: All
WARNINGS: TBA
STATUS: Open

i. ❝ the year's at the spring ❞

Helen found that paper was a precious and limited commodity around the village and the bits and scraps she had leftover from her gifts over the winter were rapidly dwindling. She had written on every inch of paper as best she could, cramped writing fitting every square of space, and she was reminded for not the first time of Carentan and how things had to be made to last and last again well beyond their original expiration date. In this, she felt her age for one of the first times in her long life. She felt as her friend Tolkien had once described thin, like butter scraped over too much bread and facing her mortality head on wasn't a position she thought she'd ever find herself in.

She didn't particularly face it head on now if she could help it. This morning she'd found herself in the woods hunting for herbs but, honestly, they were few and far between. The sun was up nearly all the time now and while it flirted with the horizon, it never sank beneath it at night. The best they got was a few hours of near-twilight but no true night fell over the land and hadn't for the past several days. To add insult to injury, it was stifling hot and miserably dry. The grasses had either been eaten down to the earth by the grazing animals or withered and dried up.

Her basket woefully empty aside from some indigo for dyeing, she made her way back to the village, brow furrowed a bit with worry. She made a note in her already-cramped notebook: Sun - constant. Arid. Vegetation scorched.

ii. ❝ the hillside's dew-pearled ❞

Later in the day (for a given definition of day, anyway), Helen made her way down to the river to make observations there. It was dangerously low, the banks exposed to a worrisome degree. Much of their food came from the river by way of fish and if they didn't have that resource and the plants were scorching under the bright sun, what were they going to eat? Rations would need to be put into place regardless but this was escalating to a degree that had Helen wondering if they ought not call a meeting to discuss it. It was something she would certainly be discussing with Mark and Ravi when she got home to see if they ought to bring it to the village at large; her roommates were always a good sounding board for such things.

The bright sun glinted against something bronze and shiny against the dried mud of the riverbed and she picked it up, uncertain of what it could possibly be. It appeared to be some sort of arrowhead but she knew the people here who fletched and made arrows typically used flint for them, not bronze. This was something that didn't seem to fit with the activities that the residents normally engaged in and she slid the arrowhead in her pocket, intending to ask about it once she'd gotten back to the village. Perhaps the others might have a better idea as to what it could possibly be.

iii. ❝ all's right with the world ❞

In spite of the strange happenings of late, some things never changed and one of those things was the need for soap. A village like theirs with about five dozen people, give or take, went through a good bit of soap both for personal bathing and for laundry. It took a lot of Helen's time each week to make soap, cut it, leave it to dry and to distribute that which was ready to be used. Each batch of soap had to be cured for at least three weeks to a month before it could be used but given the bright, beating sun of the past month or so she'd had luck with curing soap for much less time.

"The only good thing to come out of this bloody heat is that I can turn over the soap much faster," Helen muttered, stepping outside the butcher's to get away from the hot lye and fat mixture bubbling over the fire and get some sort of relief. It wasn't coming to her here, given it was nearly as hot outdoors as it was inside, but at least she could fan herself and get a chance to get a few deep breaths without inhaling the scent of soap-in-process.

She slid off her t-shirt, standing in just her bra for the moment, and used the soft cotton to mop off her brow.

iron_beneath_beauty

WHO: Lyanna Stark
WHERE: Around the village, the Woods
WHEN: Early June
OPEN TO: OTA, Jon Snow
WARNINGS: None
STATUS: Open

Village

After a week's recuperation, Lyanna was back on her feet, energized and ready to explore. Her arrival had been during a hail storm, forcing her inside, along with the need to recover. Now that the weather had cleared and she could stand upright again, she wanted to see everything. There were a number of buildings that had been converted for different uses, like the police station. They received a passing glance. Instead, she headed towars the destroyed bungalows

There would be a number of things to take and claim, it just meant having to find her way inside. Carefully stepping over some of the debris, she peered into the broken windows. There was someone else passing by, someone that was out enjoying the day as well.

"Has anyone tried to go into these houses before?" She looked back. "What happened to them? They look like they collapsed."

The Woods

There were at least weapons available for use, including a bow. Gathering a handful of arrows, Lyanna headed into the woods. There was apparently good game, given what Jon brought back to the bungalow every day. It wouldn't be the same without a horse and hounds, but she would make do.

There were a few climbable trees, a place where she could sit and wait for the game to come out into the open. She hoisted herself up and perched herself on a large branch. Apparently others passed by often, as she would hear the brush being disturbed. Just as she took aim, she'd have to lower her bow at the sight of another person.

"You're scaring the rabbits."

The Woods - Closed to Jon

It was a strange thing to sit on a secret of this magnitude. Ned had told her the truth about Jon when she first arrived, but health and surroundings took her attention. There was so much else to process before she digested that her newly born son had grown into a man. She had lost so much time, surrendering him into the care of the man she trusted more than anyone. It didn't change the longing she had in her heart to know him better, to talk with him and learn about the man he had become.

But how to even approach it. Each time she tried to tell him she knew, she found the words wouldn't come. So instead, she fell back and retreated from the topic. She would ask other questions, but none of what she really wanted to know.

Having enough, she followed him out to the woods, making mention before that she wanted to hunt with him. She wasn't ever good with delicacy. So instead of easing into the topic, she simply blurted out, "I know you're my son."

Sixth Iteration

Logs

Entries tagged with losers: cougar alvarez

Credits & Style Info

Take Two, Part I

talk a big game

[another night when everything i know was just a lie]

[MINGLE] One-Man Show

Full (Monty) House

And yet no greater, but more eminent

[MINGLE] Auld Lang Sim

you know the rules and so do I

Simple Hearts Will Be Prized Again

OTA Come One, Come All

A little too late, a little too much, a little bit left

MINGLE: Hunting

[MINGLE] Saints & Sinners Masquerade

[ MINGLE ] STARK EXPO SOUTH VILLAGE

second verse, different from the first

005 ★ if i could look hard enough into the setting sun

Gonna burn those blue suede shoes; [OTA & 2 Closed Starters]

(no subject)

004 ❝ God's in his Heaven ❞

"Under the Dappled Sunlight"