raptornest | WILDERNESS SURVIVAL MEME

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WILDERNESS SURVIVAL MEME

So. You’re lost.

Or maybe you know exactly where you are, but, for one reason or another, you can’t get back to civilization. Or maybe you just don’t want to.

The fact is, you are, for all intents and purposes, trapped in the wilderness. If you play your cards right, you might get through this basically unscathed - but one mistake could destroy your chances of survival.

EXTRA OBSTACLES

You know, in case it’s not going to be tough enough for your character already. Feel free to combine them, or forego them entirely!

Injury - Could be anything from a sprained ankle to a concussion. Of course, there’s no reason you can’t make it worse if you want to (as long as you make sure to warn for any particularly bad gore).

2. Illness - You knew you shouldn’t have eaten those berries… or maybe you’re just a little under the weather. Whatever the cause, you don’t feel great.

3. Hunted - Something out there wants you dead. Maybe it’s just a case of natural predation, and you happen to be on the wrong end, or maybe there’s some kind of a most dangerous game situation going on here.

4. Extreme Weather - Whether it’s snow and ice or the burning sun, the weather itself seems to be out to get you. Huddle for warmth, set up a shelter... whatever the situation, do what you’ve got to do and hope it works out.

5. Natural Disaster - Flooding, landslides, earthquakes, fire… though adjacent to the matter of the weather, some dangers deserve their own category.

6. Wildcard - Make up your own obstacle!

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He laughs. A real, earnest laugh, and holds up the aforementioned space blanket. Which looks way more like tinfoil than anything useful.

"Space blanket. They're usually in first aid kits. For emergencies."

Like now.

"--Oh, those things!" Grant brightens up a bit at that. "That's good to hear... can't say I've found anything myself."

But the space blanket is better than nothing. He closes the definitely-blanketless cabinet carefully, as if expecting it to collapse in on itself if he shuts the door too hard. "Hah. If we're really lucky, maybe there'll be some cans of food in here that are still intact."

A foil blanket and, possibly, some old canned beans. Practically a luxury hotel, here.

"We could probably split it, too. If... you wanted."

Except part of him is yelling that no, no he doesn't want that. That part of him would like nothing more than to share a foil blanket with Grant. It's also arguing it would probably be safer in the long run, as a means of sharing body heat.

But it's squashed. In favor of nodding, and resuming the search.

"I think I could get a fire going. See if there's any wood to spare."

"Oh, uh-- I mean, if you want to. But it would... probably be more effective in one piece, right?" That's definitely his primary motivation here. Definitely.

He moves on to another cabinet, glancing only briefly over at Shiro. "Guess we could use what we were sitting on earlier. Not like it really counts as seating anymore."

"Probably. I... didn't want to assume."

Didn't want to assume they'd be okay sharing the blanket. Just because it made his own internal temperature spike a few degrees didn't mean it was a shared feeling. Not even a little.

"Right -- I'll try and get it started. If you find anything... guess we won't have to eat it cold."

And just like that, he's back up on his feet and moving, breaking down pieces of the woodpile. Bundling them into what's left of the fireplace. Glancing... back behind him, in case Grant's watching. In case seeing him jam metal fingers into the fireplace is going to be something of a shock.

"No, it's-- it's fine." Definitely, absolutely fine.

Maybe it's lucky that Grant is so nervous; it means that he's making a point of keeping his gaze locked on anything in the cabin other than Shiro. He frowns and squints into the cabinet, pushing aside a few ancient, empty boxes and a couple fistfuls' worth of dust. Finally, his hand lands on a box that's got a little more weight to it.

"--Hey, I might have something here." He pulls the box out and pulls it open to remove the contents. "Got a couple cans of soup in here, and... um. These cubes?"

He holds up a handful of tiny, foil-wrapped bouillon cubes, as if they're some kind of alien devices.

Once his hand's in the fire, it's easy enough to activate it -- hot enough to kindle the flames in a few moments. And orange light falls over the cabin. "Hm?"

The soup, yes, that's a good find, and his expression brightens there. Pushing himself to his feet to come over and inspect the rest.

"... cubes? Are they... are those even food?"

They're so hopeless.

"I've got no idea." He squints at them, then sniffs them, his face scrunching up. "Yeah, I... don't know. Got quite a smell to 'em, whatever they are."

Maybe it would even be a pleasant smell if it weren't for his dumb werewolf senses, but anyway.

"But at least we've got something - and, hey, I see you got the fire going!"

You know things are bad when you're seriously thinking to yourself: what would the others do? Because half of them would probably taste the cubes. Still...

"What do they smell like?"

He's reaching for one. He's totally going to go for it.

"Oh, yeah." Don't act sheepish, don't act sheepish. "At least we can make the soup."

Grant passes one of the cubes to Shiro. "Like... a lot. Kind of meat-ish, I guess? Didn't smell it for long enough to get more than that."

He nods, setting the remaining cubes down in favor of gathering up the soup cans. "Right. Better than nothing, right? And... better than mysterious cubes."

"Meat... cubes." Well, he's had worse. Might as well taste it and see -- Yes. He's going to lick it. Gingerly. "Ugh -- It's just salt."

Hey, at least he didn't die.

There's a full-bodied shudder as he hunkers down by the fire, scooting over to give Grant some space. "Not fancy cuisine but hey. Better than nothing, like you said."

Grant's nose wrinkles up. "So there are just... cubes of salt in here?" What the hell, honestly.

He gives a quiet laugh and sits down next to Shiro. Just... a little closer than he would normally. Sharing body heat and all that. "Yeah - this isn't too bad, really. We've got fire, soup. A space blanket."

And each other, but he's not voicing that part.

"Maybe they went bad..."

But he's not going to worry about it further. Maybe they can burn them if need be. We'll see. When Grant sits, he looks up with a smile. If he notices the closeness, if it bothers him, he's not going to complain.

Body heat. Right.

"If we weren't stuck here, it'd be a real camping trip."

That gets a quiet laugh, and Grant sets about opening the cans. Thank goodness they're the kind with those pull-tab things. "Just get away from everything for a while, take a break in the woods... in a cabin that's falling apart, of course."

As Grant opens the cans, he moves to take one, to hold it over the fire in metal fingers. It takes him a moment before he adds: "It's okay, it doesn't feel much of anything."

Because one time he pulled this trick and someone panicked.

"Doesn't sound half bad when you say it."

"Okay, that's... that's good to hear." The last thing they need is for Shiro to hurt himself cooking soup.

He snorts softly - then shivers as a draft blows through the cabin. Grant leans over to pull the foil blanket closer to them both. "Hah. Maybe I should've gone into storytelling instead of retail."

Hahaha, Grant, if only you knew.

It only takes a few minutes for the soup to heat up enough to steam in the cold air. Then he's carefully setting it on the floor closest to Grant, taking the other side of the foil blanket without thinking.

"Why not both? Tell stories in the store."

"Oh, I do, sometimes. Some customers appreciate it more than others."

Really, he's gotten pretty good at reading who has time for a story about the historical significance of x ingredient in y potion, and who would rather just take their dried birch leaves and go.

"Oh yeah? How come you're not sharing with me?"

It's mostly teasing. Because half the time he's in the store on actual business and can't really spare the time. But now? Now they're stuck in a cabin in the woods. So why not?

"Hey, you never asked." But now, of course, he's thinking over what he could tell Shiro. "Let's see... any preferences? Types of stories, stuff you're wondering?"

"Weirdest request."

He says it a little too brightly. But, on the other hand, he's not actually as much of an old man as he acts. So why not? Why not go for something lighthearted?

"I mean... if you've had any weird ones."

"Ooh, boy, that's a tough one. Not for lack of examples, either."

Grant thinks over that for a moment, scratching his head. "Let's see... had a guy come in asking if I carried faerie repellent. Like, he seemed to think that was a real, manufactured thing that he could buy - and he got really weird about it when I said I don't mess with fae."

He laughs. He breaks out in a rare, earnest laugh. His shoulders shaking with the sound.

"Faerie repellent? That's... like asking for shark repellent, right?"

Oh god, this is hilarious.

That's not a sound he's used to hearing from Shiro. Grant can't keep from grinning, encouraged.

"Kinda, yeah! I mean, even if you want to keep faeries away, you've got to set up a ward, you can't just... spray repellent from a can. Though they'd probably think the spray can was funny, at least."

"Oh, I know..."

Pidge has probably gone off on that tangent before. It's just so... wild that someone would think a spray can could keep them away. He has to duck his head, he's laughing so helplessly.

"I -- I just -- what made them think that would work?"

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