staysilent | June 2021 - A New Arrival?

June 2021 - A New Arrival?

A New Arrival?

For the last two months, arrivals in the settlement have all been the same. First an Otherworlder is picked up by the Finnish government, then they are quarantined and questioned, and finally they are brought to the island. There has been no variance to the pattern, and the familiarity of it gives life in the settlement a kind of rhythm to live by.

Or at least, it did. Up until today.

Because at some point in the early afternoon, the air around the settlement shifts. For a few seconds, anyone outside will feel the hairs stand up on their skin, not unlike a static charge. Then there is a, audible snap, the feeling abruptly disappears, and all returns back to normal.

Except for one important detail: there is now another person in the settlement, standing on the sandy, treeless banks of Snake Island.

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[ This was a mistake already, but it's a smile that's plastered on Kano's face all the same as he blatantly looks the other person up and down and up and down again. ]

Hi!

[ Just in case ]

Did you do that zappy thing?

[There's a pause. The man answers slow.]

...Zappy... thing?

[His head tilts.]

What is the... zappy thing... and... where is this?

Zappy... thing... Like, you know...

[ ...it doesn't look like he does, though, so Kano supplies some visual help, both hands up in the air before flinging them down to his feet with a ]

Ka- POW! BOOM! KKkkkkkkkkkkkkkrrr—-

[ It's supposed to sound like a lightning strike, as emulated by somebody who's never heard one in real life before. ]

Anyways, you're in Finland.

[Impressive not-lightning. But--]

F-Finland?

[He glances around.]

But that's- [He coughs.] I wasn't... in Finland...

[Oh god. Did he forget again? Did he lose himself? No. No. There's no way he could have gotten to a whole continent even if that did happen.]

[ Kano laughs and throws his arms out wide. ]

Finland!

[ Welcome to Finland!! Welcome to this island of wide open space, lots of dirt and grass, and water on all sides. If Kano could zap, he'd zap his way out immediately. ]

Did you mean to zap yourself a little to the left? 'cause, like, you'd better get going. Staying here is no good!

I didn't mean... to zap anywhere...

[A lot of water and a lot of space. It's not promising but it's not damning either. And there's a person.]

You're not armed... are you alone? Are there... dead here?

[ What the fuck sort of questions are those, what the fuck-- ]

Not armed! Nope! Not at all.

[ Hands go in his hoodie pockets, not that he has anything very useful inside. ]

There's some living people here, and plenty of dead guys too! Like, soooo many dead guys. Whew. I don't wanna be one of those dead guys either, so, like, maybe you can show me you're also not armed?

[ Please, he's done enough fearing for his life growing up, he doesn't need this here, now, right in front of him. ]

[Living people. Actually living people. He's found a settlement? Or rather, it's found him.]

Living... and dead... together?

[Presumably not, but just to be sure.

As for being armed, he hums and reaches back. There's a quiver, a set of arrows, and a bow. He pats it and drops his hand back down.]

Armed for hunting... Not for people.

[Sorry kid, but also, maybe that's less to worry about now...?]

Mm... Sorta?

[ If together counts as dead people in a graveyard and living people walking on top of the graves. It's not like even the living people are all together in one spot, though, so he would lean towards yes.

He's sure going to shift a little when his attention is brought to the bow and arrows though. ]

Also not for sheep. Y'know, the fluffy white things? Those are off limits. Everything else is fair game, especially if they're like twenty feet tall and go grrraaauauughhh and try to eat people.

I know sheep. Not for them... okay. [Everything else, he can-]

...Wait.

Twenty feet and... eating people? And... what do you mean by... sort of?

Yeah.

[ Twenty feet and eating people. He'll know it when he sees it. ]

Sorta's like... sorta? Like... [ how to explain sorta ] You sleeping on the ground and me sleeping on the ground twenty feet away and we're sorta sleeping together?

[ like that ]

[He holds up his hands, pointing his index fingers up on each.]

Wait.

[Let him get this straight. Let him use... the word.]

Zombie... dead? With living...? And... [this is so stupid.] really tall zombies?

[He hates this. He hates himself.]

[ Zombies... are dead... yes. Would it kill this man to ask his question in complete sentences? ]

Are you asking about some real specific very tall zombie I should be worried about? That might've maybe zapped here with you?? Or is this all hypothetical still?

[Yes. It would.

He makes a noise, like a puff air though it's hard to tell with the gaiter.]

I am trying... to ask... if there are undead... living... with living people... and also... if the tall monsters... are also... undead.

[ Oh, hm. Considering what he is... ]

I dunno! Can you tell undead from living by sight? Unless you mean if there's people walkin' around with eyeballs hanging out of their sockets and their brains spilling out of their skull and skin all green and wrinkly, then nope! No undead here.

[He wants to complain. He wants to say, for one, that's gross, for two, that's not fair.

But.]

That... clears things. Thank you.

And... the monster? What is that?

[ It's fair when the only zombies you know are from scary movies you watch mostly with your hands over your eyes, okok ]

No clue! Haven't seen one yet, and don't plan on it! If you see anything over ten feet tall, just shoot it on sight and we'll take a closer look at it later.

[Again, he wants to protest. Just shoot on sight is probably what people would do to him. But, over ten feet and actively eating people is pretty damning. Hopefully arrows work.

He nods his head.]

Okay... will do.

Are there... a lot of living people... here?

Mmm... Sorta!

[ That seems like his go-to answer for the day, and there's the offer to show the man where the settlement is, but if he turns out to be bad news and Kano's the one who led him there? Ehh...

There's always the voice in the back of his mind telling him not to judge people by first appearances like what was always done to him, but a little stalling never hurt anybody. ]

Are you, like, super hungry or tired or something? Zapping must've taken a lot out of you! I'm sure some of this grass is edible... I pulled some out once and this guy said it's okay to eat as long as you don't eat too much, and then it'll kill you.

[He stares at the boy for a very, very long moment. Then, flatly;]

I'm not eating grass.

[He's eaten some terrible things, yes, but that's not happening. Besides, he'd have to take his gaiter off.]

I am fine... I don't need anything.

It's edible grass...

[ Sort of. If Kano manages to pick the right ones, which is still a hit-or-miss even after so long foraging on the island. ]

Water, then? There's, like... water, everywhere, if you're thirsty. It's an island. Can you swim?

[He shakes his head.]

I'm not thirsty.

[Can he swim? He's actually not sure.]

Don't want to swim. Gets everything... soggy. [He gestures to his clothing.]

[ Kano looks down at his clothes, and then up at his face— what little he can see of it, at least. ]

...Okay, so, like, do you want the good news first or the bad news?

[He groans unhappily.]

... Do I have to swim? ...is that... the bad news?

I mean... It's not like you have to, if you're okay staying here forever until you're able to zap away.

[ But barring that? yeah ]

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