Seasonal Preparations (for alittlehinky)

[brother_alone]

The first overnight frost crept through the Wilds, leaving the plants stiffly dressed in lacy offwhite as light crept hesitantly back in to the deep wooded area Joshua claimed as his own. Winter's not far off, now. Winter's not a time anyone who's been here for very long ought to take for granted. Not since The Storm. It's less of a detriment to Josh, considering what he is now. He was made to hunt through deep snow, to find prey even in the darkest of nights.

He was made to hunt. Unconcerned for the cold. Winter makes him different though. Less aware of his surroundings.

Less aware of his friends.

He's still got those, some-fucking-how. They won't be as well equipped to handle another bad winter as he will if one comes. They've still got time to prepare but a bit of help certainly wouldn't hurt. The half-wendigo spends a good week hunting hard and often. Keeping himself so full he's nearly sick. Hoarding a good stock of meat to keep at his little shack for a few days. It's important to prepare if he's going to visit his Human friends. People who so often flag as Prey to his senses.

The extra hunting isn't just for himself though. He's got enough memory of social niceties to shoot Cricket a text on his PINpoint telling him he's headed to the distiller's place. He didn't mention he'd be hauling a bled out deer over his shoulders though.

It's important to bring gifts to your friends if you're dropping in!

Comments

[alittlehinky]

Last Fall, truth be told, Cricket went a little overboard with preparation. He still has a huge stock of canned and dry goods and other emergency supplies in his cellar, far more than his household could have used over last winter if they had been snowed in. He's only added to it this year, though, because in addition to the chickens, they have three cows to provide for now--none of them old enough to be bred or give milk. They're Scottish Highland cattle, though, which means they'll be extremely cold-hardy, and that's to everyone's advantage.

This year, Cricket's been fighting to keep up with production demands for his product. He's put away some of his own canning, especially eggs, and bought a few others things, but it's always better to have too much than not enough.

When Josh texts him, he response with happy surprise and tells him he'll be in the yard anyway, working at the apple press. It's cider season, and Cricket's excited to use up all the apples he can get. No part of them will be wasted; the pulp will become fruit leather, animal treats, or desserts, and the seeds will be given away as gifts in the spring. He doesn't want a whole damn orchard, himself, but someone else might.

The press itself is a bit of a monstrosity, big and clunky and hand-cranked, but it's probably a decent thing to be working on when a wendigo comes calling. The apple smell should disguise Cricket's human scent nicely. He's attentive, though, even as he works, and when Willie starts to get antsy and nervous, he puts her in her Pokeball and tucks it away, then pauses to sit on a stool nearby, watching the edge of the woods.

"...Geezus," he says when he sees what Josh is hauling, then breaks into a grin. It's not the first time Josh has brought him hides or meat, but somehow seeing him carrying the entire carcass is a little intense. "I'm gonna have to get Loki or Forrest to help me cut that up and smoke it. How've you been, Josh? You want some coffee?"

[brother_alone]

There's always donation bins to pass along the extra food so it won't go to waste, although giving to his friends might have been hard last year. So many were gone after the destruction in their own worlds and here...? Joshua does not live in his shack in winter. He isn't really safe to approach during that time so he leaves and ventures deep into the Wilds to do what a predator does best.

When winter comes Joshua will leave again.

Better to help where he can now. The scent of so many animals isn't much of a distraction when he's fed so well. Neither is Cricket, thankfully. Josh lets the deer down onto the ground between them so Cricket can get a better look at it. Bled out already, with most of the organ meat removed.

"Took it down before I came over and prepped it." And cleaned up after, even. He's washed clean and while his flannel is stained it's not dirty. "I can help prep it. Was jussst easier to bring it over whole." The grin always throws him for a loop. Mug like he's got and these claws on one hand and Still Cricket's always happy to see him. Josh stares awkwardly a moment before he ducks his head.

"I'm....y'know. I'm getting by." As good as Josh ever is then, Cricket has learned. "I'd take a little when you're getting ssssomething for yourself." He looks around the rural home slowly. It's not supposed to be offputting even if he does it like he's looking for prey. "Things're looking real fuckin' busy here. S'good."

[alittlehinky]

Cricket looks the carcass over with interest. "Big one, too! Not sure I've ever seen th' antlers striped quite like that. Might be pretty, carved into something. Either way, we'll eat the meat."

The bones won't go to waste, either. He's not much of a deer hunter, himself, but he knew a lot of them, and he's helped butcher pigs. With a little assistance, he'll manage, and nothing will be discarded unused.

He's not sure what the staring is apropos of, and it is a little unsettling for a second, but the smile doesn't fade. There are a couple things he knows about predators, human and otherwise. One of them is the less you act like prey, the better off you are, and being friendly is about as un-prey-like as you can get. So, it's to his advantage that he still has warm feelings for Josh. That doesn't mean he's oblivious to the danger. He's alert for a shift in body language that suggests trouble. And yet, he offers a handshake.

He nods. "A'ight. My cups gone cold, you can come into the kitchen and I'll get you one, too. Might better leave the deer outside 'till we can cut it up and skin it."

"Business is growin'. I got two employees now, helping with deliveries. It's weird as hell."

[brother_alone]

"Best time of the year to get 'em. Everything's trying to stock up for winter." His old man was a hunting enthusiast back when such things mattered. Venison's almost a comfort for him, even if getting it and consuming it are far different prospects than they once were. It feels good, being able to provide like this for a friend.

Because Cricket is that. Somehow. Despite everything their relationship has remained mostly uncomplicated. Cricket offers his good hand, and Josh is actually able to take it if not gently.

"Sssounds good." He gets no benefit from most drinks but he does miss human food and drink something fierce. A taste now and again is good. Reminds him that he can still like things. That Joshua the man isn't as much of a dream as he sometimes seems.

"S'decent work. I used to do it. Running deliveries I mean. So long as you can keep up it looks like it's been good for you, bro."

[alittlehinky]

Cricket bends slightly to pick up the tub of juice he's been pressing. It's heavy, but his upper-body strength has always been better than that of his legs, and he doesn't look like he's in danger of stumbling with it. "I was thinkin' about that the other day," he tells Josh. "Went up one of the bluffs not too far from here and there must've been dozens of raccoons snapping up fallen nuts."

"I might gather some walnuts and hickory myself, before it gets too cold."

He walks toward the house slowly, glancing toward the chicken coop as Stir Fry squawks and flaps. The chickens don't care for his visitor, evidently, and that's understandable, but it takes a domesticated animal to kick up a fuss instead of stay out of the way like a sensible creature.

"I got some biscuits and jelly, too, if you got a taste for that." He knows Josh is pretty much an obligate carnivore now, but it would be rude not to offer.

He smiles wistfully, thinking to himself that if it were possible he'd love to hire Josh now, but it's far too risky for the both of them. "I remember," he says instead. "And talkin' about eggnog with you. I reckon I won't see you over Christmas but if the weather ain't to rough to walk through I'll leave you some of mine."

[brother_alone]

"Don't think I've ever seen Fresh walnuts before." One of those foods he only recognizes in its dried, roasted, supermarket form. Course, it's possible he's already seen dozens of them out in The Wilds and just never recognized them. Cricket doesn't need help gathering though and Joshua's not too great about finding small things that sit still anymore. Has a hard time focusing.

His gaze snaps to the chicken though is it raises a fuss. There's something akin to a hiss from the half-wendigo....but it comes in starts and stops. Joshua's actually laughing, quietly raspy though it may be. The hen is damned lucky that Cricket is a friend. That, and Loki would probably use some of their weirdass magic if Joshua so much as twitched toward that poor bird.

"Nah, I'm good. Drink's more than enough. Sssssides, I ate real well before I came." It's kind of nice to walk into a home that's furnished. Something more than the mattress on the floor of a shed barely big enough to house a speeder. Brings back memories of a lodge filled with carved cedar furniture. The amenities of a home long, long since abandoned. Even before he lost his humanity.

"I won't be round much when Winter comessss." Joshua confirms. "Safer for fuckin' everyone."