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?"