citynet | video; un: Hob

[The video shows Hob, sitting at home on a balcony of his apartment. He smiles, but there's a little uncertainty to his attempt at pleasantness. Something is bothering him.]

Hello, all. Uh, I don't mean to alarm everyone, but...

[That's usually how people cause alarm. Good work, Hob.]

I noticed something strange during my recent walks. I have a path I routinely take as I explore the city, walking different areas each day in case there's something out of the ordinary. Well, I typically stop in the same shops for some water or food, or to carry something home. When I went into one of the stores I frequent, I noticed the things I helped myself to previously haven't been replaced. It always was, before.

[It's hard to mask his concern.]

As more people typically arrive about once a month, if resources get scarcer... shouldn't we think of something?

[A quick smile.]

Or maybe it's all a fluke! A temporary disruption in services. That's all.

[That could be it, right? Hob doesn't have to eat to live, but starving is not a lot of fun.]

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[Oh look, it's the kind guy from the party! With some really not kind news! Uh oh!

Normally, she doesn't like using the video feature, but the topic seems too serious to just type up a response to, and she sorta knows this guy at least, right? So after a couple moments of deliberation, she appears in her own video with a little wave, though she's frowning.]

video; un: TeslaCoils
Normally, I'd want to just hope it's a temporary disruption, but with how weird everything has been here, and how it only seems to be getting worse as more people arrive, I think it's probably a good idea to figure out something yeah. But what?

That is definitely not good news. I cannot say if it is just a one off or not, that certainly would be preferred. But even if that is the case, we should prepare for the possibility that it is not. You would think if we were wanted here for a reason they would want to provide for us.

You're right. I noticed they were running behind schedule as well. Which... I doubt was simply an accident.

[ Yeah. He's alarmed. ]

There are no animals here, no farmland. The best I can think of is to set up some sort of rationing system if things carry on that way, but that generally requires more infrastructure to set up.

[Hob won't mind switching off video for anyone who wants to communicate without it, but he thinks it's best to communicate such information with more than just text.

When he gets a reply that includes a familiar face, he does smile a bit again.]

I'm not really sure. I suppose we could plan how we use the food we have, like eat the perishable stuff first.

That's a good point. Unless this is some kind of test. Or part of an experiment somehow.

[He still suspects that theory.]

[Now Hob is certain of it, since Kim noticed it, too. He already thinks Kim is quite an observant man.]

We'd also have to get everyone to agree to it. What if not everyone wants to work together? When food starts getting scarce, people can become ugly.

and so the rules change
Interesting.

Shame we don't have a botanist or farmer to maybe come up with a solution if things go south
well, I assume we don't anyway.

That could very well be, but it does not mean they won’t push the experiment possibly too far. Unfortunately we still do not know truly who we are dealing with. The test could be how long can we go until we starve.

[That would be quite awhile for Loki, but there are a few humans here he’s become partial too and would not wish to see them suffer.]

[ Look, look, she told everyone that something would happen if they over-indulged and now look! If only she were the type to say 'I told you so.'

The voice that response is low, raspy...deliberately wary. ]

I do not think it a fluke.

We ought to keep track of how long it is before supplies in this city are re-summoned. Food and clean water should be of paramount concern.

I did notice it, as well.

More than that ... something has changed in the city itself. Previously, the disturbances to our lives have been rather benign. But now ... the ice cream messing with our emotions heavily, the issue with the items in the bank vault, the events at the mall ...

Something has changed in our stay, somehow.

Well
Community garden anyone?
You definitely raise a pretty good point though.

With so many people here already, perhaps someone does have those skills. And there's a big park. All we'd need are some seeds.

[All valid points. Who's to say things won't get even more worse?]

That's a frightening thought. I don't want to see anyone here suffer.

Yes, we should. From the messages I've received, some others have already taken note of this, as well. I suppose we can drink the tap water, but food is another matter.

Kind of like we're being poked at, isn't it?

It's a good idea, actually. Maybe we should start checking the shops for seeds.

We could also take out the seeds of the vegetables and fruits that have them and germinate them.
But I guess before getting ahead of myself, find a spot to do that.
Hell, I'm not sure if the dirt itself has any life.
Since if the graveyard has proven anything, it's not even full of corpses.

My hope is that we are free of this cage long before this becomes a serious concern, if it does continue. In a city with so little order, I cannot imagine that rationing would be particularly successful.

Is this the only change that you have taken notice of?

Edited (this was audio so idk why I made it look like text, heckin tired) 2023-09-09 04:18 (UTC)

Perhaps. I can't really say I understand the logic in it considering we never asked to be here. But the changes we're currently going through ... could make it difficult in the long-term, especially if more and more people come.

You actually know a lot about this.

[He's surprised.]

Is that something I can help with?

I don't think it would be easy to ration, either.

[ And though Hob hopes they'll be free before things become problematic, they're no closer to finding a way out of the city. ]

There's a new area open, just like in the previous months.

If so, then I assume it to be a trap of some sort. I would not step inside without further investigation.

Did it reset eventually, or did it stay gone?

[ Reno hasn't been here long, but even he can figure there's almost no chance it's a fluke. ]

I'm no gardener but I can plan rations if it comes to it. Hopin' it doesn't.

Someone already suggested taking seeds out the produce in the shops and growing them. Got a whole park that's perfect for planting, and failing that, we could do an indoor garden wherever there's good sunlight.

Dunno if this place has seasons or not, but if it does, we'd be coming up to autumn soon. Might want to work on the indoor garden, in case winter is actually around the corner.

Those are my thoughts, as well. I can't imagine how we could organize a group this big. The last thing we need is fighting among us.

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video; un: Hob

//sorry for not responding on the party thread, I got sick as hell and am recovering still but hi XD

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no worries; welcome back!

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oops haha it's okay

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