The Silence of the Storm

[shardofwinter]

Rations have been cut. Again. Everyone is on one bowl of watery soup a day. Sometimes with crackers, sometimes not. Most people are too tired and weak to do much more than sit around and talk, and nobody discourages them in the slightest. Work has to be rotated constantly as people weaken quickly, but the fires still need to burn, people still need to guard the cooks and rations, and the sick still need to be tended to. Soon the hardest job is keeping up morale while the big expedition comes back. All the gods and heavens of the multiverse help them if they don’t come back with supplies, and soon.

The boundaries have tightened to an almost suffocatingly small space. It doesn’t take much to imagine where they will be by the end of Winter, which at least makes planning a little easier. People are already relocating to deeper in the Plaza. Unfortunately it means that those who have enough energy to often end up fighting with their neighbours, as the close quarters tests everyone’s patience. There are a few spaces carved out for like minded people to shelter from the dreary situation. Mechanics and those like them have set up a nice little place close to the Crossroads Café, and a break area for those helping the sick is sheltered in a room behind the injured and ill. Zandros moves from groups to individuals, looking for help in creating some form of morale boosting display that will adhere to Isidor's instructions. People are surviving in whatever ways they can, but it's reaching breaking point.

((It's the Final Event Post, everyone! OOC Post is here! This is for those stuck at the hub while the Main Expedition is going on. There will be a second part to this post for the Return of the Expedition. In the meantime, have fun!))

Comments

[staticandstock]

Drulb grins a nasty, toothy grin, and tugs down his sleeve. Long fingers with untrimmed nails wrap around Danny's hand in an shake with a good grip. "Deal."

Whatever Danny offered Drulb, he won't be able to remember them anymore. Memories, but which ones? Hard to say. It's like he never had them.

"Three books, then," Drulb says as he releases Danny's hand and goes back to leaning on the open chest. "You're getting them at a steal, kid."

[prescription_grade]

The clawlike nails almost change his mind. Danny's own fingers are remarkably well-manicured considering the weather around them, nails painted glossy black with silver glitter stripes on the third finger of each hand. When he does shake, though, his grip is strong.

In days to come, Danny will find his phobia of owls is gone. Why he thought they were so creepy, he can't quite recall.

He takes the book he was allowed to preview, then picks two others based on how interesting the titles look and clutches them to his chest. "Bet you say that to everyone," he tells Drulb archly. "What are the chances I'll see you around again?"

[staticandstock]

Of course he says that to most everyone, but it makes him grin to be caught out like that. No harm in making the customer feel special, after all. Every trader needs a little repeat business now and then to keep them ticking over.

"Eeh, business has been alright. I might show up again sometime. Between markets o' course. I'd say you'd like to see them alright. Don't doubt you'll appear in one some day, an' you'll find me then."