sheep_game | zzzzzzzznk

[ sighing, ignoring the sense of dread ]

I still want to test touching the beast, but if we have to stay connected... it makes more sense to just keep walking like this and see what we find, than to coordinate flying.

What do you guys think?

We could both carry her. She doesn't exactly seem heavy.

...though we haven't coordinated a plan to act in an emergency, I can probably make it back on my own with this thing [ jingles shepherd staff ] if you keep holding on to her.

Carry--ugh. Fine.

[ like some cats, Maomao hates to be picked up, but she will tolerate it if it's necessary ]

I still want to see if I can find any wolfsbane. So I want to keep going.

... Okay, I'm picking you up now, it beats scrambling for it in a rush.

[ he'll let her shift the basket, then scoop her up in a bridal carry, letting Zenith keep hold of her wherever. ]

Point us where to go, I'll stay on the ground until you see something.

[ He holds her wrist since that's the easiest. And he shines the sunflower around them still. ]

This is going to make future trips a lot more annoying...

[ this is deeply humiliating for her. even if they get through this completely unscathed it is already a trauma game.

but she sighs deeply and points with her free hand, slightly to the left of where they were originally facing. ]

There's a clear path there. Don't go too fast.

[If they do get separated Zenith can find his way back with Shepherd sense, yes! Blood Fiend would be fucked tho.

ANYWAY!! With a combination of their guide and the sunflower, they will see. . .a lot of dead life. Wilted flowers, greyed out grasslands, barren trees. Sometimes they may spot a normal animal scavenging for what little scraps of shrubbery they can find, other times they'll find carcasses of animals. Many old and decaying, mostly skeletons, some. . .fresh. Very fresh. They wouldn't want to come across what made that.

Like that one shadow beast in the distance viciously tearing apart a bear carcass! Wow! Hope you don't do anything to attract its attention!]

[ he's going at a normal human pace tyvm.

stops when he hears the shadow beast. ]

Feel anything weird, Apothecary? Any sense that you could possess it from all the way over here?

[ to Zenith ]

I'm gonna hold onto you too when we try teleportation. In case it works but only on her.

Fine, whatever. [ You can hold his elbow or something. ] I really doubt this is going to work, so you'd better be prepared to fight while holding on to me.

[ she's not listening to their sniping she is staring straight at that beast that is EATING A BEAR

WHAT IF IT HAS A GALLSTONE SHE COULD HARVEST?????????????????????

but after a few seconds, she points in the direction of the beast and says, very quietly, ]

I think it's pretty hungry.

[ gives blood fiend a look like "did you not warn her" ]

[ just answers him vocally ]

I thought that was a given.

[ is he talking about the fighting or the hungry beast? who knows!

anyway he's not moving yet, trying again with the question to Maomao. ]

Pssst. Can you sense anything weird from it? That isn't hunger?

It is EATING A BEAR.

[EATING A HECKING BEAR AND GIVING OFF HATE AND MALICE AND FUCK YOU VIBES

Also the shadows coming off its body twist and distort--a claw here, another head there, before stabilizing into the wolf like form. It's almost as if it's not just a beast...but made up of, several. Hm.

Anyway there it goes, eating the bears entrails. It's fine.]

.........................

[ HM!!!!!! ]

When you said there were beasts, I thought you meant they'd be individuals, not composite beings.

[ she isn't whispering, but her voice is now a deadpan monotone. and after a long beat, she adds helpfully, ]

It hates us and would probably want to eat us. Like it's eating that bear.

Well, that's new.

[ in matching monotone, to Zenith. ]

Thoughts?

...I've seen one of them merge with the birds, back when the fence was broken. But I don't think that's quite the same.

[ ... ]

We should kill it.

[ oh my god

he's an idiot ]

You know that's just as dangerous as touching it and leaving, right? If we outright attack it first, it's just going to scream and call for its brethren.

And you think touching it won't make it do that?

[ we're going to die because they're so busy arguing about HOW we're going to die that it's just going to happen. ]

Your call, Apothecary. If we kill it we can probably stay at a distance, at least. I oneshot the last one I fought.

[ Zenith don't you dare make this a competition ]

[ you can't just brag about how you oneshot these stupid things and not expect him to bristle like he wants to prove that obviously he can do that too-

-but... he just huffs and looks away. Fine. The poison catgirl can choose. See if he cares. ]

The smartest thing to do about any wild beast is to not engage with it.

[ OH GOD THEY'RE BOTH IDIOTS

AND SHE IS TOO BECAUSE SHE AGREED TO THIS ]

But if the point is to make contact with it... then it's probably smartest to kill it first.

[ this she says in a DEEPLY resigned tone. They Are Going To Die. ]

[ SHE'S NOT WRONG. BUT YES, THEY DID BOTH AGREE TO THIS IN ADVANCE, SO THAT POINT IS MOOT. ]

Hold on, I'm moving you onto my back.

[ bridal carrying someone while fighting is suboptimal!! he'll let her shift the basket again, then lift her over his head and onto his back. she'll be covering his own sunflower now but that's fine, they have Zenith's. ]

Ready when you guys are.

Re: day 25 morning / closed to zenith/maomao

Re: day 25 morning / closed to zenith/maomao

Re: day 25 morning / closed to zenith/maomao

Re: day 25 morning / closed to zenith/maomao

Re: day 25 morning / closed to zenith/maomao

Re: day 25 morning / closed to zenith/maomao

Re: day 25 morning / closed to zenith/maomao

Re: day 25 morning / closed to zenith/maomao

Re: day 25 morning / closed to zenith/maomao

Re: day 25 morning / closed to zenith/maomao

Re: day 25 morning / closed to zenith/maomao

Re: day 25 morning / closed to zenith/maomao

Re: day 25 morning / closed to zenith/maomao

Re: day 25 morning / closed to zenith/maomao

Re: day 25 morning / closed to zenith/maomao

Re: day 25 morning / closed to zenith/maomao

Re: day 25 morning / closed to zenith/maomao

Re: day 25 morning / closed to zenith/maomao

Re: day 25 morning / closed to zenith/maomao

Re: day 25 morning / closed to zenith/maomao

Re: day 25 morning / closed to zenith/maomao

Re: day 25 morning / closed to zenith/maomao

Re: day 25 morning / closed to zenith/maomao

Re: day 25 morning / closed to zenith/maomao

Re: day 25 morning / closed to zenith/maomao