Open | November

[wwrench]

WHO: wwrench + OPEN TO ANYONE
WHEN: November
WHERE: Solvunn + Horizon + Nocwich
WHAT: Fortifying for winter and doing some shady (?) shit, setting up his Horizon and offering some ASL lessons, and general exploration
WARNINGS: TBD - will be marked and added as they appear

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COMMUNICATION FAQ
If you'd like to plot a closed starter with Wrench, catch me at stickyholograms

Comments

preparations

[nomnoms]

Blood in containers?

Although Nanaue spends most of his time in the Primary Settlement, there are days when he wanders to the south while hunting, trailing long distances on the trail of wild boars. Some of the hunters have even suggested to him (gently) that he widen his range, in the hope that his appetites don't conflict with the settlement's own needs.

Maybe Wrench is only just returning from a task when he notices a familiar silhouette standing close to a container. Nanaue is chomping down on the hind leg of some beast, tearing the remaining flesh from bone and peering into the container. He stops eating for a moment to turn to the approaching figure, waving with the same hand holding the half-eaten leg.

[wwrench]

For better or worse (though mostly the latter), Wrench has had a fair few more run-ins with various creatures since his initial meeting with Nanaue when he first arrived. "Creature" may be an unfairly broad descriptor for a category that spans from talking raccoons and women with fish scales to Darkhounds and skeletal beasts. He's trying to draw more specific categorizations in his mind, and the last month spent with the Dracone has gone a long way toward helping, but there's no pretending this all isn't still a little strange for the man.

That much is evidenced in the way he recoils when his approach back to his makeshift home base puts him face-to-face with the enormous man-shark. There's a split second where Wrench worries about what Nanaue has found. Not because he thinks the other might raid his supply of offal and ichor, but because he's somehow worried that whatever he just finished processing might've been a... friend... of Nanaue's.

Except clearly not, if his casual snack is any evidence. Wrench raises a hand in return, and approaches a little more slowly.

Hi. You can read?

[nomnoms]

Even if a creature was once a 'friend', as soon as it stops breathing it is difficult for Nanaue to distinguish the body from 'food'. Only a month or two ago was he partially stopped from feeding on the corpses of villagers left behind by the flower-head monster. Nero had tried to explain to him that some friends would be upset to find the bodies eaten, and would rather bury them.

To him, this seems like a waste of nom noms, but he conceded to Nero's argument.

As the text flashes across the nearest surface - the ground, he carefully reads it to himself before looking up at Wrench again.

ME GOOD READ
THIS YOU DRINK?

He points with the leg at the blood container.

[wwrench]

Wrench breathes a sigh of relief. He tries not to always pay attention to the texts that appear in his periphery, but it's hard to ignore the easiest way they all have of communicating when the messages refuse to fade if not acknowledged. He'd thought he'd seen a message from Nanaue pop up from time to time, and while he doubts the shark might count it among his most favored means of making himself understood, it's a good thing to have.

A good reader indeed. Wrench gives the tall shark a thumbs-up, wondering if it's a gesture he's familiar with. The gesture at the container draws his attention to what he's been working on.

Me drink? No. Gods like blood, right?

Wrench regrets the question almost as soon as he's asked it. He doesn't know what Nanaue might know or be able to share about the Gods, but he's shown more of his hand than he might have liked to.

[nomnoms]

He must be familiar, because Nanaue offers back his own thumbs up in response rather quickly and with enthusiasm on his face.

This will be a slow conversation, though. When the new message appears, he puzzles over it. His reading and spelling has improved greatly in the months since he first began to learn, but he still has his limitations. Unfortunately, none of his child helpers are here to assist him today.

No ?
GIVE ME?
SHARE?
I SHARE

He steps forward to try to hand Wrench the rest of his snack.

[wwrench]

Their conversation seems to be going particularly well, given its myriad of complications. But that doesn't stop Wrench from taking a step backwards at the same time Nanaue takes one forward. He raises his hands in a gesture of placation, like one might do to a cornered animal. Unfortunately, it might make Wrench look more invested in the offered trade.

No.

He drops his hands and shakes his head, then realizes he ought to clarify.

Thank you. I'm full.
You can take the blood. Yes, share.

It's totally fine. Not like he had plans for black pudding. Truthfully, Wrench is still wary of all of this God business anyway.

[nomnoms]

Nanaue doesn't question why this person has chosen this method of text conversation rather than verbal. Maybe he thinks it's more fun? Either way, the reason doesn't matter much to him, and he's happy to continue practicing writing.

OK
THANK YOU

Rather than taking the blood (however Wrench might've expected him to), Nanaue dunks his snack into the muck, swirling it around a few times before chomping down again.

TASTEE

Although, this doesn't seem right. Nanaue used to be happy to just take things that were offered without thinking twice. Sharing did not come naturally to him, but he has found he enjoys it. So, he is quietly disappointed that Wrench does not want some of his snack, too. What can he give Wrench...

With his free hand, he digs around in a pouch at the waist of his leather kilt. From within, he produces a large tooth in his palm. One of his own teeth.

WANT?

When he noticed friends kept picking them up as they naturally fall out, he started collecting them too.

[wwrench]

There's something so absurd... so totally unexpected about Nanaue using the blood as a sauce or a gravy. Wrench can't help but laugh. The amused breath bursts out of him totally unexpectedly and without restraint, and rattles his chest with such a sharp guffaw that he looks almost embarrassed. He bites it back quickly, like he'd rather not have made a sound at all. But with it, all of his wariness seems to drop. When Nanaue goes searching for something, Wrench steps a little closer to watch him hunt around in that pouch.

He's definitely not expecting that reveal. Wrench has seen shark teeth before, if the idle trinkets in rest stop stores count. They're always amid the fake crystals and bits of taffy, encouraging children to fill their pockets with stolen tchotchkes when their parents' backs are turned. The real thing is a lot bigger than he's expecting. Wrench takes it and studies it. He doesn't know what he can use it for, but he can't pretend it's not pretty cool.

Thank you.
Your name's Nanaue?

Somebody must've read the latest pamphlet.

[nomnoms]

Nanaue seems pleased that the tooth is accepted. The serrated edges are still sharp, like a miniature saw.

The nice part about conversing this way is that Nanaue does not have to stop eating. He gives his snack another dip and tears into it again, most of the flesh has been consumed at this point and he begins gnawing on the bone - it cracks easily under the pressure of his jaws. Some shards fall to the ground, some he swallows.

ME NANAUE
YOU NAME?