October 2023 Test Drive Meme

[singmod]

OCTOBER 2023 TDM

PROMPT ONE — ARRIVAL: METHUSELAH'S FEAST: A new group of arrivals find themselves lost in the frozen wilds and vulnerable to the dangers of nature. With luck, they make it to the town of Milton, and to a friendly face offering food, warmth and shelter — not to mention the fact they are not the first to come here.

PROMPT TWO — GUILTY PARTY: Interlopers are kidnapped and held captive by a being and forced to confess their wrong doings, or face fatal consequences.

PROMPT THREE — OFF THE BEATEN TRACK: Interlopers get more than they bargained for when a mysterious albeit friendly dog comes across them and persuades them to follow them into the wilds.

ARRIVAL: METHUSELAH'S FEAST

WHEN: Mid-October.
WHERE: Milton, Milton Outskirts.
CONTENT WARNINGS: potential animal attacks, potential injuries, potential cold injuries/hyperthermia risk.

'You are the Interloper. You are not part of nature’s design.'

It’s the last thing you hear. A dark, deep voice. Impossibly ancient. You feel afraid. Maybe you’re dreaming, maybe you’re wide awake. You saw the lights, and then your world went dark. But you hear it in the blackness, you won’t forget those words.

You awaken. You are not where you were before. It’s different for everyone, there doesn’t seem to be much of a pattern in where you find yourself. You may open your eyes to find yourself in a cold, dim and dank cabin. The air is stale, dust hangs in the rays of weak sunlight that shine through the tiny windows. Someone lived here once, but they aren’t to be found. You look around, it seems like no one has been here in several weeks, maybe longer. The fire is stone cold, the dishes in the sink are mouldy — it's possible the place has been ransacked, as if they've gone through the drawers and cupboards looking for something. It is quiet. The wood creaks around you. Or perhaps you may awaken to find yourself shivering in the yawning maw of a cave, the freezing stone below you. Or maybe you’re unfortunate enough to sit up to find yourself lying in the snow, in the middle of the wilderness. Snow lies thick around you. It’s freezing out. You haven’t felt a cold like this before in your entire life. Cruel and biting. You have no idea where you are, and what’s worse — you are completely alone.

You may feel different, too. Any powers or magics you may have feel... absent. Disconnected. Things that may not have affected you previously now do. Something in you has changed.

You know you can’t stay where you are. You’ll need to move, try to work out where you are and how you came to be here. So you walk, head out into the unknown, in hope of finding a trail or a road. You’ll find one soon enough. It’s here you may find someone else in the same boat as yourself, equally freezing and confused. You’ll both need to keep going. It won’t be easy. You hear howls of wolves around you, and the terrain is difficult: slips and falls are likely. You’re completely vulnerable out here in the open.

Or it’s possible you may come across someone else here. Someone who looks far better prepared to deal with the freezing cold and frozen landscape, out hunting or gathering. They’ll likely offer help and get you into town. However, for the unlucky ones who don’t come across anyone, you’ll carry on until you see it: the lazy trail of smoke rising in the air. Fire. Not just one, but several. Civilization...?

Follow it, and soon enough the way you’ve taken will certainly become a path or road. Unfolding before you in the mountainous forests, you’ll see the most welcome of sights: a small mining town tucked up in the valley. Battered, rusted road signs will direct to “MILTON, POP. 947”. You’re almost there, you keep going, and it looks like other people have had the same idea as you. In fact, you’ll hear the muffled sounds of life. People! In the town!

As you head into the outskirts and then further into town, you’ll find it’s a little easier to walk but the cold has gripped you hard. You’ll find the buildings, both shops and homes, some are dark and lifeless, some of them are boarded up, some of them are occupied. People are going about their business, or stood watching from their tiny porches of their small, timber homes. For a town this big, there doesn’t seem to be many people. Several dozen at most, but no more.

Towards the center of town, you’ll find the building from which the biggest of the smoke trail rises: a school-house of sorts, or some kind of community hall. Perhaps both. You’ll find more and more people all drawn to this place, each and every one of them in the same position as yourself (and your companion, if you’ve found one). Some are in worse states than others: some are bloodied, nursing bite wounds or cuts; others might have some other kind of injury sustained in the journey here from falls. Others may look as if they could faint from the cold at any second.

The door opens, and you’re greeted by the gnarled, wizened face of an elderly man, dressed in thick furs. He has a kind face. He smiles warmly, and with pity, ushering you in with haste.

“Ah, more of you have come.” he nods, just as he suspected you might. “I am Methuselah. I welcome you Newcomer, although I’m sorry for how you’ve come to find yourself here. You are not the only one, the lights are changing things. Come. Mother Nature has not been kind to you, but there are plenty here to help.”

The room is dim, lit only by natural daylight through the windows. A roaring fire sits at one end of the huge hall. It crackles, bright and cheerful... and warm. Even as big as this place is, the room is pleasantly warm. You’ll also find basic cots set up down one side of the hall, and while it seems there's a few people already living here, there's enough space for those in need of them. There's places to rest for a moment and get your bearings, or just trying to recover from the cold. Down the other side are tables and chairs, and long tables laden with food, drinks and bottled water similar to one might find at a soup kitchen. Once again, Methuselah offers a feast, aided by some of the other Interlopers.

There are canisters with hot herbal teas and coffee, along with soup and stew and trays of charred deer and rabbit meats, plus some grilled fish, instant mashed potatoes, and tinned vegetables. It’s very basic, but it’s hot and filling. A feast. The old man has been busy. And Methuselah will continue to busy himself, still; there is plenty to do. He will fetch blankets, tend to wounds, serve food and drinks. He does not have much time to talk. More and more people seem to be coming in from the cold. He will not stop to sit and rest until everyone is seen to, taking up a place by the fire to gaze silently into its flames. He is troubled, thoughtful. The arrival of so many is not something that sits well with him. The others from town will eventually trail in too, to eat and warm themselves, and search amongst the new faces.

He will encourage newcomers to get warm and eat, and when they are ready to — they can explore the town and find one of the many empty homes to call their own. He will not speak much, but perhaps you might be able to get some answers from those fellow arrivals who’ve been in this place for some time now.

GUILTY PARTY

WHEN: Over the next month.
WHERE: Paradise Farm Outbuildings.
CONTENT WARNINGS: forced imprisonment; forced honesty; supernatural beings; confessional themes; threat of death; possible character death; possible death by throat injury.

You don’t remember how you came to be here. The air is cold and damp, the rot of wood is strong, and… blood. Why does it smell of so much blood? You can’t seem to see all that much in the gloom, but you think you’re in some kind of outbuilding of sorts. You find yourself chained to a chair, the metal is heavy and cold against you and no matter whatever you seem to do, you can’t seem to free yourself from them. No struggling can ease their hold, and there’s no lock to unpick or break. They weigh you down in your seat, you can't even seem to tip yourself over.

But you’re not the only one here. Across from you in the dark is someone else. One of your fellow Interlopers is trapped here with you, too. They too don’t remember anything either, they’re equally as confused and uncertain as you. Perhaps frightened. Not only this, they’re also sat chained up just as tightly. You have a little time to talk before you realise the two of you aren’t alone.

There's a glooming green light, the feeling of a presence. A huge figure steps into view, cloaked in black. It’s hard to tell whether it’s a man or a woman, and it’s difficult to make out much detail of them. Their face is obscured by a stone mask in the shape of a monstrous, horned and fanged Jackal. Green light glows from behind it, foreboding in the dark. It will not answer you if you try to speak with it.

“WICKEDNESS LIES WITHIN YOU.” The voice is a fierce chorus of whispers, but yet so loud. It sends a shiver down your spine. “I HAVE SEEN IT.”

... You can’t help but know it to be true. Something inside you knows what they speak of is true. Any misdeed or wrongdoing done by your hand, any cruel word you spoke, any life you took or heart you broke. You feel exposed, seen. The figure knows what you have done.

“CONFESS.” the figure demands. “UNBURDEN YOUR HEART AND BE FREE. BE SILENT AND CARRY IT TO THE GRAVE.”

The figure holds an item in its hand, something that glints in the light that glows from its mask. Now you realise why there’s so much blood in the air: it’s a sickle, dripping with blood. You are not the first to be brought here. You will not be the last.

Speak, unburden yourself, and if the figure is satisfied — you will, in fact, go free. Refuse, or not take the demand seriously, and the figure will deem you unworthy. They will move within the blink of an eye, striking you with the sickle in the neck — let it be a mercy that they kill you quickly.

OFF THE BEATEN TRACK

WHEN: Over the next month.
WHERE: Milton / Milton Outskirts.
CONTENT WARNINGS: supernatural creature; trickster creature; themes of peril; possible character injury; possible dead body discoveries; potential cold injuries/hyperthermia risk; possible character death.

The weather will continue to prove difficult for all who try to navigate this world, but with the current footfall in and around Milton, it’s at least helped to keep paths and roads somewhat clear despite the snow’s best efforts to cover up these walkways. Still, it’s a pain to get around, especially on particularly snowy days. Unfortunately, it’s sometimes necessary to go out on such days — survival doesn’t stop for the weather to pass.

And so journeys must be made, hunting must be done, forageables must be collected. You try to keep to the paths and trails, where the terrain yields before you for an easier journey.

… Until you hear barking through the trees, the sound of paws through the snow. Given the recent wolf activity of the last month, it’s understandable to be on edge. However, it isn’t a wolf that comes into view: it’s a large dog, bigger than any dog you’ve seen before. Coated in thick and shaggy black fur, this animal doesn’t seem to be like the wolves that have been found so far in this world. While the wildlife has certainly been altered, this dog remains very much like anyone would expect a dog to act in terms of behaviour. It’s playful with some, certainly friendly, constantly trying to play chase with you as it loops around in circles with a wagging tail.

However, there’s an insistence with this dog. It wants you to follow it. It will bark incessantly, trying to pull you from the path to go after it into the woods. It wants to show you something, take you somewhere. It will even try to gently pull at a coat-sleeve or trouser-leg to coax your forwards before heading off, keeping just in sight for you to go after it.

You’ll find it increasingly difficult to keep up, even if you pick up the pace as you head further into the woods. There’s less snow here, but the forest floor is filled with holes and tree roots that will trip you up. Falls are likely. But even worse is when before you know it, the ground simply gives way beneath you, sending you tumbling into a small valley or getting you stuck deep into soft, muddy earth. With it, perhaps, twisted ankles or worse. Or perhaps simply battered and bruised and unable to climb out of trench of earth. Maybe you come face to face with the body of some other poor Interloper who'd met their own end in similar manner — trapped and injured in the ditch.

Or worse still, the dog might just have you stumbling over a cliff face and tumbling into the Basin. Whatever fate befalls you, it’s as if the dog simply led you into it. And said dog, however, will be nowhere to be seen. It will have left you stuck, hurt, lost in the woods.

You’re sure you can hear some dark chuckling on the wind. Maybe it’s just the trees.

FAQs

ARRIVAL: METHUSELAH'S FEAST

1. Arrival threads can be treated as game canon.

2. Items characters have brought from home can be found either strewn around them when they awaken, or in the community hall — as if someone left them out for them to collect. Methuselah will not know how they got there, and will be quite bemused by the happenings.

3. Reminder that all characters are now depowered upon arrival. They can choose not to notice it at first, or can immediately sense something is different about them.

4. If asked any personal questions, Methuselah will smile and say "Oh, you don't want to know about an old man like me. But I have lived all over in these parts for all my life." He will be more concerned with trying to help Newcomers, and is genuinely concerned for them and their well-being. Other Interlopers will say much of the same — there's little to know about him.

5. More information about Milton can be found here.

GUILTY PARTY

1. Characters will find that once they have confessed, they will pass out. When they awaken, they will find themselves lying or sitting on the floor — the being, chairs and chains have gone. They are free to leave.

2. Attempts to search the outbuildings at later dates will prove fruitless. There is no sign of the being, nor the chairs or chains that held characters, but there will be blood on the floor that can be found.

3. One character can confess, or both. Player choice! As long as someone's doing some confessing.

OFF THE BEATEN TRACK

1. Gyests, sometimes called Ghests or Bargyests are evil creatures from Northumberland, UK folklore. They seek to lure travelers away from a known and safe road to their miry and marshy demise, or perhaps lead them to walk in the darkness of a Cheviot night over the edge of a precipice. Often taking the shape of horses, donkeys or large dogs, Gyests could also shape-shift to appear as men, or even stacks of hay. But always their intention was to trick humans, for their own amusement, and lure them to their doom.

2. Attempts to lure or trap the Gyest will not work.

TALES FROM THE NORTHERN TERRITORIES NEWSLETTER

Comments

Ruby Rose | RWBY

[guidemyway]

Arrival

[For having spent the last few months of her life in a tundra, Ruby had never felt so unprepared for the cold. Something had been off since she had woken up here, her aura wouldn't activate regardless of how hard she had tried. It didn't only protect her from damage in battle, but helped fend off the extreme heat and cold.

So like any teenager, she was handling this like a champ.

She sees the trail of smoke from outside of town, and can be found running down the path toward Milton with her cloak and arms wrapped tightly around her. Teeth chattering loudly.]

Cold, cold, cold! Why is it so freakin' cold!

[And in her rush she misses a patch of ice and slips, falling flat on her butt. Don't mind her as she flops over on the ground to look up at the sky.]

This sucks.

Guilty Party

[There's an air of calm beyond her years when Ruby wakes up to find herself chained to the chair. She flexes lightly to test the bonds and she's not really a fan of the results. She shifts her head around and catches sight of the other captive in the room. She makes a little jingle of the chains on her wrists to try and get their attention.]

Hey. Hey. You okay over there?

Off The Beaten Track

Oh? Who's a good boy!? It's you! Yes, you are! Yes, you are!

[Ruby had grown up with a dog and various other critters running around her home, this one seemed friendly enough and she was more than happy to indulge it in pets, and a little chase for fun.

But when it bolted off in a more leading way, a pit of worry started to form in her gut and she quickly moved to follow along behind it. She was athletic and fast and keeping up through the messy path hadn't been hard off the start. But without her abilities she finds herself getting tired a touch faster than she's used to. Eventually she does slip up and catch her foot on an exposed root and before she knows it she's tumbling and rolling into a trench she hadn't been expecting.

There's a groan and she slowly tries to pull herself up to her feet but there's a stinging pain in her ankle that gets her to give up on that fairly quick. Great. Just great.]

Wild Card

[Feel free to choose your own adventure or hit me up at jjabarrett on plurk for further plotting!]

Arrival

[catsgothistongue]

Preaching to the choir there.

[A shadow casted over the girl as another teenager casually looked down at her. He had been exploring the outside area and searching for fellow newcomers, see if they need any help. And right now, he just caught the moment Ruby slipped on the ice. And if you think he's not going to bring it up...]

It'd be a lot less colder if you got out of the snow and quit making snow angels.

[... You're giving him way too much credit. He does have some courtesy to offer a hand to help her up.]

[guidemyway]

...Yeah, I figured.

[She was thankfully pretty used to ending up in sucky situations and having to deal with them. On the bright side this one at least on the surface seemed less bad in her opinion? That was at least something.

She looks up at the boy standing above her and out of a little bit of petulant annoyance she does proceed to make a snow angel before she huffs.]

I guess. But it is fun though.

[And she lightens up a touch before she takes the hand and pulls herself.]

You don't happen to know where here is, do you?

[catsgothistongue]

[Likewise, Ranma's whole life could be described as "ending up in sucky situations and having to deal with them" as well. Tangled thread of chaos and misfortune. This whole place feels like just another one of those sucky situations.

The martial artist would smirk a bit when she made a spiteful snow angel, chuckling a bit to himself before pulling her to her feet.]

Nope. All I know is mostly everyone here's been randomly dropped out in the snow, some of our usual abilities are a bit screwy or something about us changed, and not a single clue what the hell's going on here. Or who's responsible for all this.

[Apart from the strange voice he heard earlier.

Ranma smiled and pointed over his shoulder with a thumb.]

There's a small town up ahead where a lot of us gathered. It's got a community hall that's toasty inside with some food. I can show you the way if you want.

arrival

[finefurryfella]

[ A gruff voice nearby, forever the voice of pesimism: ]

It ain't gonna get any better, so get used to it.

[ Roy's shoes crunch in the snow as he moves to stand over her, facial hair covering most of his face. The last time he grew out his beard this much, he was depressed over his retirement from playing football. This time he's depressed about being stuck in Milton but figured the extra hair would at least keep his face warm. He holds down his hand to help pull her up. ]

Come on, walk it off. [ At least nobody saw the fall but him. ]

HE'S HERE HE'S THERE HE'S EVERY FUCKING WHERE

[guidemyway]

[Wow. If that voice and tone didn't remind her of her uncle, she didn't know what would. She gave a little grunt.]

Well it's not going to get better with that attitude.

[But she couldn't deny that he may have had a point too, she was going to have to adapt.

...And he was a nice enough to offer a hand to help out. So he couldn't be that bad of a guy. She reaches up and takes the hand to pull herself up.]

That is just going to make my butt hurt even more- You know that, right?

[Look. She's complaining a little, but she is walking. She's just being a bit of a pest.]

Is it really that bad around here?

[Now it was time to start figuring things out.]

his reputation precedes him haha

[finefurryfella]

[ He does not want another niece, thank you very much. Don't get any ideas, Ruby. ]

Don't expect me to carry you. [ He's probably given Phoebe... one? Yes, one piggyback in her life. Piggybacks are for fun uncles. ] You'll probably break my back. [ And he's already got a fucked knee. Is he implying she looks heavy? Yes. Does he give a shit? Fuck no.

He walks along with her because clearly she needs supervision after that fall. ] How's almost eaten by wolves sound to you?

[ That's a thing that happened to Roy. He's still pissed about it. ]

As he deserves.

[guidemyway]

[She doesn't quite have any ideas. ...Yet.

Don't mind her as she throws her hands up into the air in playful frustration.]

Then what's even the point!?

[She wasn't actually expecting him to carry her around but she felt she had earned a little bit of childish frustration. But when he mentions the wolves that gets her attention, and she looks a little bit more serious from there.]

That depends are we talking normal wolves or giant black wolves with glowing red eyes spikes popping out of them? Because I have to avoid getting eaten by one of those on the regular.

[Her tone is fairly casual. Is she joking? Is she being serious.]

Either way- Pretty fun, but like not great at the same time. You know?

[finefurryfella]

[ If he did give her a piggyback, then he'd have to treat her like a child from that point, and Roy has a sneaking suspicion she wouldn't like that. ]

Spikes? Coming out of their eyes? [ Somehow even after the weird stuff he's seen in this town, he won't believe the wolves she's referring to are real until he sees them with his own eyes. Until then, Roy will assume she has an overactive imagination. ] You've been reading too many comics, kid.

[ He's leading the way with a direction in mind, a stiffness to the way he walks that has nothing to do with the cold. He walks like a robot trying to pass off as a human. ]

It's this way to the community hall if you want to warm up and get something to eat or drink. The old man might be there. [ He pauses. ] Not my dad, I mean a literal old man from around here who's cryptic as fuck. He's no fucking help whatsoever, before you get your hopes up.

[ Has any adult sworn in front of her this much? ]

[guidemyway]

[She probably wouldn't. As much as she had a tendency to act like a kid.

Still- She is a little surprised at the reaction.]

Look- I do read a lot of comics, but these things are totally real. Haven't you heard of Grimm before? You know, giant monsters infesting the whole world? Ring any bells?

[Because everyone should know about them right.

She notices the walk but doesn't say anything right away. Instead she just makes an effort to keep at his pace.]

Great. I've got an old man like that back home too. Kind of annoying, huh?

[He wasn't really an old man anymore either. But- If he didn't believe her about Grimm, she didn't think that would sail either.]

I'll gladly take some food though. Figure things out from there.

[Not on screen. But her recovering alcoholic uncle probably did.]

[finefurryfella]

[ His eyebrows scrunch up at her. Giant monsters infesting the world does sound familiar... the last time he was on a bad trip from drugs. A long time ago, of course. He's too old for that kind of recreation now. The wildest thing he last did was eat too much ice cream and poop his pants on the bus. ]

Does it look like I know what the fuck you're talking about?

[ Once they make it to the hall, he opens the door for her and waves her inside. Then he wanders over to blankets, picks one up for her and then throws it in her face. See, he's nice, but he's also mean about it. It can be very confusing for anyone in his social circle. They don't know whether they're a friend or a foe. In Jamie Tartt's case, he's both. ]

Grub's over there. [ He points towards the food, grabs himself a mug of coffee, then sits. She's welcome to join him. Or not. He doesn't care either way. ]

arrival

[rootlessly]

[There is some gentle laughter nearby from a young-looking blond man as she trips and falls, but it sounds sympathetic, at least. He has done quite a bit of his own slipping and sliding on the trek here, after all. Turns out snow and sand are very different to try to walk in. Vash approaches closer, then, reaching out a hand to help her up.]

It really is unreasonably cold, isn't it. Are you alright?

off the beaten track THE GIRL!!!!

[burying]

[ It's the red and black hair that catches his eyes through the woods as he busies himself with collecting firewood. If it heart would beat, it would have frozen in that moment. Someone small, a girl, and the black and red hair that looks so similar to his sister's. Surely she's not here too? It makes him ache and flood with relief all at once.

He's awkward as he shambles through, his walk not quite right, trying not to trip up himself on the unsteady path. ]

Jem—? Jem—! [ He calls after her, his eyes wide and hopeful. But as he draws close, it's not a familiar face that greets him. It's... not Jem. Another girl, even younger than Jem, he thinks.

Kieren curses to himself, a little awkward as he draws close and slows down to a stop. ]

Hey, it's alright— [ His hands raise in a defensive gesture, he means no harm. ] you okay? What happened?

THE BOY!

[guidemyway]

[To say Ruby hadn't suffered a fall like this in quite some time wouldn't be accurate. She took falls, bumps, bruises, and hits like a champ. But in a lot of cases she didn't have to deal with the lingering throbbing pain. She normally had her aura to dull the pain and make it heal faster. ...But she couldn't feel it at all. It wasn't running on empty, it just wasn't there.

And that worried her.

Fortunately she hears the voice calling out and while she doesn't recognize the name. Something about it reminds her of when her older sister would call out her name. A similar sort of worry seemed to fill the under current.]

Uh- No. Close though- I'm a Ruby not a gem.

[It said a lot that she could keep her sense of humor despite this.

She looks up to him as he approaches and she raises one of her hands up while the other continues to nurse her leg.]

I've been better... A little hurt, more than a little embarrassed.

I was chasing after this dog- lost track of him and wound up down here. Feeling like it wasn't exactly an accident.

[burying]

No, sorry. I meant— I thought you were someone else. Jem— Jemima. You've got hair like hers. [ Is it really necessary to explain? Probably not, but he stumbles over it all anyway. The humour is completely lost on him, too anxious to really appreciate it all that much. ]

... Dog? [ There's a beat before he realises. ] We've been hearing a dog for weeks, no one's been able to find it. You actually saw it—?

[ Still, a damaged ego isn't so bad. But he looks at her with worry, hovering a little too much before he looks around. He... isn't good at this. ]

Do you think you can stand?

[guidemyway]

[Don't mind her as she blinks awkwardly hearing that.]

Oh. OH. Oooooooh. That makes more sense.

[Then there's a brief pause before she says.]

Kind of a weird coincidence we have the same hair though, right?

[Two gems with red in their hair? The situation is not lost on her.

Except now she focuses on the actual important questions.]

Yeah- Actually came right up to me. Seemed friendly enough, maybe a little too playful, never thought I'd say that.

[She takes a moment to shift and put some of her weight on her leg, and she immediately feels a sting. She winces and looks over to him.]

Not on my own, I think. At least not on that.

I can probably get around on my own if you find me a big enough stick.

[burying]

I guess it's more of a popular hair-dye choice than people think. [ Well, Jem's is dyed anyways. He's going to be in a shock when he realises her hair's... actually like that. Amy would be absolutely loving that.

Still, a Jem and a Ruby. It's not lost on him either. ]

.... Weird. Pretty sure we all thought we were making it up in our heads. And it just... came up to you? What did it want? What did it look like? [ But he nods at the mention of finding her a stick, looking around in a slight fluster. ]

Stick. Right. Yeah, let me just— hang on a sec.

[ He's going to go stumbling off in search of one. The quicker she gets off the ground, the better. He might not feel it, but he knows fine well it's too cold. He does manage to find one, holding it up for her to see from the short distance. ]

This—?!

[guidemyway]

Hair-dye?

[Ruby blinks awkwardly as someone who hasn't dyed her hair once in her entire life. But she thinks about it briefly and does give a little nod.]

Yeah- I mean. Red's the coolest colour around, right?

[Just let him live with the illusion as long as they can.]

It was big- Bigger than any dog I've owned. Which isn't saying much because my dog back at home is a corgi. It seemed super friendly and playful, but it wouldn't really let me get close to it. And I mean- I'm pretty quick if I do say so myself.

But then it sort of ran off and I swear I could have heard it like snorting and laughing when I fell. If I didn't know any better I'd say I was set up.

[And she takes a breath while Kieren goes off to find the stick. She leans up against a tree to support herself on that and her good leg for the moment, but she brighten up when he returns.]

Yeah- That'll do for now!

[burying]

Yeah, like— [ He motions to his own head, to the sections of hair that would fall about certain parts of her face — where the red is. ] those bits you have here? That's... it's not hair dye?

[ Wait, what? ]

Okay, that's... weird. Dogs don't laugh. [ He does pause from his searching to look around them. ] You're sure there's no one else here, right?

[ A weird dog in the woods is one thing. Some creep hanging around? It's enough to make the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, and he's quietly on guard. The better they get out of here and back to Milton, the better.

Stick found, he returns to her and holds it steady for her to get a hold of — stepping back slightly to give her room. ]

Okay, right— you good? Can you manage?

off the beaten track

[alef]

[ Rei finds herself in these woods fairly frequently. She can't say she likes the place, but it's not disagreeable. And every so often, an strange person will show up. Despite the strangeness, Rei has found it's easier to get along with people out here. She hasn't really given much thought as to why.

She's carving a little shape in the snow - a long, blank face wearing a triangular mask - when the girl and the dog run by. Rei watches the girl fall into the pit. She does not move to help until she hears a groan, at which point, Rei goes to peer blankly over the side of the trench.

Rei says nothing for several moments. Instead, she assesses whether the loud girl needs any help. ]

Is he a good boy?

[guidemyway]

[Ruby didn't know exactly what she was expecting. But a girl a few years younger than she was wasn't on that list. She feels the sting in her ankle as she shifts on the ground. She probably isn't going anywhere on her own.

There's a moment where she looks at the blank expression and- there is something vaguely familiar about it that she couldn't quite put her finger on. Did it remind her of Penny? ...Or maybe Weiss when she was feeling particularly distant.

She shakes the thought from her head and instead gives a laugh followed by a groan.]

Let's just say I don't think he's getting a treat after this.

[alef]

[ This situation has gone from strange to downright incomprehensible. Weeks ago, that might mean that Rei would decide this conversation isn't for her, and then turn around and leave.

Rei remembers the taste of bread dipped in soup. She begins slowly and methodically climbing down the wall of the pit, and then stands in front of the strange girl. ]

So he's not a good boy. [ And then, because Rei is on a roll with her reasoning skills: ] You're hurt.

[guidemyway]

[Honestly. Ruby would get that. Some of her friends do that to her.

She watches the other girl climb down and for the most part doesn't say anything. She's still making heads or tails of the situation she's wound up in.]

No. Definitely not. I would say he's moving into bad dog territory. He just needs a denim jacket and some sunglasses now.

[Yeah. She's still cracking jokes here. It's how she copes.]

...And yeah- Usually would be doing better about it. Guess age is catching up with me.

[alef]

[ It's only now that Rei has started to pick up on the fact that the other girl might not be completely serious. Rei doesn't know much about dogs, but she's fairly confident they don't wear glasses.

It doesn't feel like the other girl is making fun of Rei, though. Not that Rei would know what that feels like. But this girl isn't quite as annoying as Unit-02's pilot is, so that's nice.

Rei sticks out her hand, assuming the other girl will take it, and that she can then help her up. ]

There are supplies in town.

[ Bandages, and the like. Rei has a roll back in her cabin. This girl will probably need some. ]

[guidemyway]

[Rei clearly needs to hang out with more cartoon dogs. Not that Ruby had personally met any like that, but she had watched plenty of cartoons.

Ruby eyes the hand briefly and then takes it. With some effort she plants her good foot and pulls herself up to her feet. She keeps the other lifted off the ground because she isn't confident it'll support her weight right about now.]

Sounds great.

...Just how far away is town anyways?