enodia_ic | Echoes of the Wild: Day 1 & Day 2

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Echoes of the Wild: Day 1 & Day 2

FROGWATCH 2023

AKA A Plague of Frogs

FrogWatch Program Information FrogWatch USA™ is a citizen science program of the Akron Zoo that invites individuals and families to learn about the wetlands in their communities and help conserve amphibians by reporting data on the calls of local frogs and toads.

FrogWatch USA comprises a national network of skilled coordinators and volunteers that form a community with the common goal of providing large scale, long-term data on frogs and toads in the United States to help answer questions like:

- How diverse is the local population of frogs and toads?
- Where are there rare or invasive species?
- Are there long term shifts in species diversity, range, and seasonal timing?

Volunteers are trained to collect information about the calls from frogs and toads during the monitoring season of February through August.

Data is being collected in and around many wetlands across the United States. New volunteers can find a chapter near them.

Aesthetics

Timeline Some things are better done a little later than never. Which is Evan Finch’s mindset concerning FrogWatch 2023. After setting out to discuss the Frog Census in Enodia’s protective dome, she’s spread the word for the frogs to send a representative to meet with her to relay their numbers.

Unfortunately…things get a little confused in this weird game of telephone. Somehow, the frogs have decided that they all need to present themselves to Evan for counting. That’s where things get a bit out of hand.

Roughly 3am-4am - Frog emergence

At about 3am, the usual croak of frogs becomes noticeably louder. This noise usually fades by late September, but it’s intensified and it sounds close. In the fall, amphibians begin to look for places to hibernate. Taking a few hops away from their lakes and ponds makes sense. But…this?

Anyone out and about, especially Security, will notice movement on the grounds. Slowly, but surely, amphibians of all kinds have begun to assemble near the station. What’s a few toads, right? What’s more confusing is the idea that even when approached, the little buggers don’t seem interested in moving. Rather, it seems like they’re forming lines and waiting for something.

8:00 AM

The croaking is almost unbearably loud. At some points, it sounds as if it’s synchronized. Hundreds of frogs and toads making their calls at the exact same time. For some, this is enough to encourage them to wander outside to shoo the frogs back toward their homes. This has no effect. Any amphibians picked up and relocated just turn right back around and return. Inquisitive amphibians are happy, however, to borrow feet, jackets, shoulders, etc, as a means to carry themselves into the station!

Those who sleep past the sunrise might find their windows a little darker than usual. Frogs are exceptionally good climbers. In fact, they’re such great climbers that the buildings look like they’ve been polka-dotted with them. Others find newts in water sources–public restrooms, water fountains, or fish tanks. More concerning than amphibian home invaders is the growing volume of croaking–it’s now coming from inside the house.

Those leaving their apartments will find…frogs in the hallway. Frogs in the lobby. Frogs on the door. Frogs on the windows. Frogs on the sidewalk. Frogs–Frogs Everywhere! No matter what’s said to them, they don’t seem to feel like silencing themselves.

10:00 AM

It’s clear that the frogs, toads, etc, have overrun the residential building, but it’s more than that. The dome itself is peppered with pockets of them. While the dome largely protects those that live and work within it, it also keeps what seems like the entire state of Vermont’s frog population from invading it. Just consider today Cloudy with a Chance of Frogs.

The dome doesn’t keep the sound of the amphibians from getting through, however. Thousands of croaking frogs and toads are singing for attention now.

12:00 PM

Strangely, a large, teal amphibian with purple spots finds its way up from the bottom of the lake. It swims to the surface and then hops onto the shore into the grass. It’s covered in what seems like moss before the moss starts moving. The frog-shaped creature releases an abnormally loud croak.

All at once, the dome goes silent. Eerily silent. All amphibians turn slowly to face the direction of the creature from the lake. It releases a noise that sounds like a cross between a belch and a scream.

One by one, the amphibians seem to count off, croaking just once until all have been accounted for. The creature makes a disgusted sound and croak-screams again. The mass of amphibians begin their march to its side. It opens its mouth and shoots its tongue out to touch the first frog. The frog shivers and shakes, levitates for exactly two seconds, and splits into three identical versions of itself. This continues until all of the amphibians make their way to greet this strange creature.

After deciding this is still not enough, the Liminal frog puffs its body up to twice its own size. It is now closer to the size of one of the geese by the lake. From its back, frogs pour from its skin, much like the Suriname Toad. As they hit the ground, they grow in size to the width of small dinner plates. They, too, descend upon the station, some carrying other, smaller, toads on their backs.

The reprieve from the croaking is short-lived. The noise is now ten times louder than it was before. (How is that even possible?)

These amphibians also seem to have no concept of personal space. They hop onto people, take rides on shoes, coats, and hair–whatever gets them where they want to go! Likewise, the dome is no longer peppered with frogs, toads, etc, but mostly covered with them.

10:00 PM

By now it has been realized that counting the amphibians seems to return them to their homes. While the idea was a more exact count of the different species of Frogs and Toads, once the amphibian has been addressed with a number, it goes on its merry little way back to the lake.

Any creature split in three will rejoin their former halves once each ‘piece’ has been counted. (Which is a little questionable–do they count as one or three?)

Salamanders and newts also expect to be counted, but wait for what seems to be a more accurate number. They aren’t satisfied to be any old number–they want someone with a running total to count them before they slither on home.

As they hop on home, the noise seems to die down a little. The frogs still clinging to the protective Dome over Enodia Station are eventually dispersed by the Liminal frog who croak-screams three times until they’re physically bounced off of the dome and safely to the ground.

3:00 AM

By 3:00AM, all of the amphibians have gone home, counted or not. The only croaking is the normally occurring kind from the lake. Well–all except one lonely frog staked out by the picnic table.

Things to Note 🐸 The amphibians are relentless and they will do whatever it takes to get inside the Station to seek out people to help them with their mission. Some of these frogs, toads, salamanders, and newts do not have a mission. Some of them are simply along for the ride. They saw a line, hopped in, and they’re following the leader!

🐸 It appears that these loud creatures are looking for a select group of people. If you agreed to help with FrogWatch, that’s probably you! Please expect to be followed by these lil buddies. Not only was your name conveyed to hundreds of enthusiastic frogs, Evan showed pictures of those willing to help to the main frog who has also relayed your likeness to his brethren. Expect a Frog Following.

🐸 Businesses, public spaces, etc, are unlikely to avoid the onslaught of frogs. They’re essentially a plague. There are too many of them to not somehow make it inside. Maybe that frog really wanted a PSL! Maybe that toad needs someone to spot him in the Rec Center! Whatever the reason, they’re everywhere.

🐸 On the grounds, there is an increased presence of prey animals. The FrogWatch makes it very easy to find a quick snack and amphibians are abundant. Expect to see playful foxes, swooping birds, and sneaky snakes. Really, anything that wants to take a nibble out of a few frogs can probably be spotted on the prowl.

🐸 While frogs and co are many, and honestly taking on a plague-like presence, their multitude is thanks to Acadia Birtwistle. She had taken it upon herself this Spring to collect pockets of poorly laid frog spawn and moved them to the lake, ponds, much better water sources, rather than patches of grass that were laid bare to the elements. (Frogs do not seem to care at a certain point.) The number of tadpoles that made it to actual frogs is much higher this year than the year prior.

Volunteer Spots VOLUNTEER 1 gets an unfortunate surprise when they wake up to find their bed covered in frogs. They must’ve left their window open the night prior!

Mew n’ Brews will never be the same without Rory. Which is especially evident when MC FLORES goes to take a sip of their ICED MOCHA and finds a toad chilling in its own ice bath. Their drink is comped, duh, but will MC FLORES ever be able to trust a drink again?

It’s an unfortunate day to be a person with a distinct distaste of frogs and/or frog-like things. While navigating their way through the station, SHANNON WAN is clearly being stalked by a large number of amphibians. Everywhere they turn? MORE AMPHIBIANS. Finally, they end up finding what appears to be a safe space only to watch those creepy little arms reach under the door crack. Like, what!

When it’s time to say goodbye, VOLUNTEER 4 is pretty devastated to see their new best frog friend heading toward home. VOLUNTEER 4 attempts to convince their friend to stay! [Roll a d20 and let us know if Froggie Friend’s resisting the call of the wild or hopping on home.]

OOC Information I think it’s obvious that FrogWatch 2023 did not go as intended.

Unfortunately, that means that any supplies Evan planned to have waiting for your characters are not there. Likewise, Evan Finch is not there either. In fact, Evan is effectively missing until October 2nd, 2023. No need to worry–she’ll turn up…somewhere.

THE PETTING ZOO

A shapeshifter has a very bad day

Aesthetics

Timeline

THE GROUNDS - 4:00 AM

It’s been maybe an hour since the frogs have hopped along home when Security gets a call. It doesn’t make sense, but most things at Enodia Station don’t make sense. SAL ROCA goes to check things out for themselves. Apparently, while taking their trash out at 4am, a resident reports seeing a bear climbing into the dumpsters. (Why does someone feel the need to take their garbage out this early in the morning? Who knows.)

Upon approach, SAL ROCA confirms, much to their surprise, that there is a large black bear stuck in a dumpster. They call for reinforcements. How did a bear make it into the Dome? However, by the time the cavalry arrives, the only thing hiding in that dumpster is a raccoon.

It chatters at them, friendly enough, and climbs out of the dumpster before landing on the ground and holding out a hand for a snack. When no one has anything to offer, it hisses and takes off back toward the woods–though SHANNON WAN could swear they saw it shrink rather than disappearing into the treeline.

SAL ROCA stays in the area to keep an eye out–just in case–long after the other Security members have returned to the building. It takes only ten minutes for the bear to reappear on the outskirts and lope toward the lake.

CUSTODIAL is in for a surprise when they find all of their outside trash cans knocked over and the trash spread everywhere. Were those permanent trash bins? Clearly not anymore–they’ve been uprooted from the ground and flung from their usual positions. It’s a raccoon’s paradise, which is what any passerby notices upon inspection. There are raccoons everywhere and they don’t seem perturbed by interruption.

COMMERCIAL CENTER - 6:15 AM

Over in the Commercial Center, Kevin is lonely no longer. He appears to resume his daily trouble making and is flanked by a pigeon friend. Together, they swoop at the unsuspecting people below. Kevin aims and hits his target, the most unfortunate [VOLUNTEER 2]. It’s that time of the week again and [SECURITY V3] is rounding on the Commercial Center to politely ask Kevin to skedaddle. They do not notice Kevin’s buddy, who is now roosting in the rafters.

Buns of Steel customers are in for a shock when a raccoon waddles in with a handful of (presumably stolen) change to pay for a loaf of bread. It waits patiently for assistance until SHANNON WAN gets a little too close for comfort. The raccoon hisses and scatters out of the shop into the Commercial Center and back out of the front doors.

THE GROUNDS - 7:00 AM

Out and about for an early stroll? For anyone crossing between the Commercial Center and Residential Building, it’s possible they might witness a raccoon curl up on itself and twist into a fox.

Halloween is at the end of October. No one needs any tricks around here! Spectators debate whether this is a Liminal creature, a poorly timed joke, or a shapeshifter. Brad’s a werewolf, not a fox, duh.

Streaking across the grounds, the fox is a blur of motion. It stops only to sniff cautiously at [VOLUNTEER 5]. There’s something about this fox that feels different and they’re just about to connect when SAL ROCA appears on the horizon. With an agitated yowl, the fox abandons its new friend and bounds in the opposite direction.

RESEARCH BUILDING - 7:20 AM

Getting into Research is a cinch. The fox-turned-frog hitches a ride on a Researcher carrying a bag of some kind. Once inside, the frog takes its time hopping around, taking a self-guided tour. It rids the corners of the room of some ugly, but innocent, spiders.

After yesterday’s Frog Problem, this one is easy to ignore. It’s stealthily sneaking its way, desk to desk, table to table, until it finds its way into the area with the Imitator Owl. From a safe distance, the frog watches the owl with intense focus. After a few minutes, the frog climbs onto a cabinet and twists into a Great Horned Owl. Footing is tough and the owl falls off of the top of the cabinet onto [RESEARCH V6]’s area.

The surprise of the fall is nothing next to the shrieking that follows as Elvira and the Owl get a good look at one another. Someone calls for SECURITY’s help and rightfully so. They manage to corner the owl, but it evades them as it twists, disappears, and turns into a bat–which zooms out of the room with a well-timed open door–right past SECURITY.

Aren’t bats nocturnal?

THE GROUNDS - 8:00 AM

Back outside, the bat initially finds a tree and twists into a new shape–a squirrel. It curls up among the branches of a tree and falls asleep.

Some time later, it awakens to the feeling of sharp talons. The hawk holding it is in for a shock as the squirrel admonishes it before twisting into a different shape–another hawk, the two of them clasped together by their feet. The birds tumble through the air until they manage to separate with a loud amount of screeching. The squirrel-turned-hawk continues to yell as if warning all of the birds in the area to stay clear. Instead, when it lands again in its tree, it is greeted by a flock of finches, sparrows, and bluebirds who eagerly nestle close in welcome and as look out as the hawk naps in the tree.

THE GROUNDS - 10:00 AM

Poor ZEKE ZELIZER is caught by surprise as a Koala falls out of the tree behind them and lands at his feet. He yells, the koala yells. He's mostly safe with the exception of a gnarly scratch to his NECK in the bear’s haste to get away. Again, SECURITY is alerted.

What is going on?

MEDICAL BUILDING - 10:15 AM

When ZEKE ZELIZER arrives to get their scratch checked out, they have unknowingly brought their assailant by way of frog. The amphibian climbs the walls as it did in the Research Building. It goes unnoticed until it finds JACK JUNG.

Twisting into a new shape, the frog-turned-lemur perches near Dr. Jung with grave interest. If he gets close, it chatters in annoyance. He manages to distract it long enough for SECURITY to arrive again. The lemur spends its time mocking DR. JUNG’s movements by mimicking him. When SECURITY arrives, the lemur uses DR. JUNG as a springboard–it jumps, twists into a blackbird, and hightails it through the waiting room toward an open door.

This time, SECURITY is faster–the door swings shut just before the bird can make it through. Screaming in disapproval, the bird continues to fly in circles above everyone until someone accidentally opens the door from the other side. Now in a much smaller form, a hummingbird, It flies through the open door out onto the grounds.

Clearly, it’s evident that they’re dealing with a shapeshifter–does JACK JUNG share what he knows?

THE GROUNDS - 10:45 AM

Outside once more, the hummingbird flits from place to place looking for somewhere safe to land. It eventually finds a perch and relaxes, clinging to the branch upside down in an attempt to find some rest.

This is short lived. The hummingbird begins the process of shapeshifting again and releases the branch, twisting mid-air into something much larger.

DR. AUGUSTIN CHEVALIER-DESJARDINS is terribly surprised to see a nearly identical version of his beloved Choupinette appear beside him. He might have thought she’d escaped from his apartment if she weren’t already with him! The imposter has no collar or identification that he can see. He attempts to keep the dog with him–and it delightedly does so, following him with eager willingness–so that he can find its owner. (He’d also like to know if this dog came from the same breeder in Quebec!)

After a few minutes, he realizes the dog has lagged behind and when he turns, the dog has disappeared.

It hasn’t, of course, but has rather twisted into a chipmunk. Noticing a familiar face across the way, the chipmunk scrambles to pick up its pace to catch up with LINUS LOWE.

TRAINING BUILDING - 11:25 AM

Mistaking the chipmunk for his buddy, Scrap, LINUS lets the creature follow him into the TRAINING BUILDING. He begins his usual regimen while the chipmunk looks on. At some point, LINUS looks up and notices the chipmunk is gone.

From the shadows prowls a lioness who rumbles deep in its throat. LINUS might have been more scared if there weren’t some familiar feeling about it. It continues toward him, slow and methodical, until it pounces on him, throwing its long arms on his shoulders as if to hug him.

Grateful he was right about the lioness, the pair of friends goof around on the training floor for a while until the door opens. Caught by EXPLORERS this time, someone puts in a call to SECURITY. There’s no attempt to stay with Linus, the giant cat twists into a turkey and flies, clumsily, out of the front door.

THE GROUNDS - 12:15 PM

Wandering the grounds as a turkey seems to be a little fun. A well-timed and menacing turkey yell can scatter humans. The lone turkey appears to be enjoying itself quite a lot until its calls have brought the attention of the other turkeys on property.

It’s one turkey against a gaggle of them.

Onlookers will notice that they look like they’re having a very lively, threatening conversation–as is the way of the turkey. There’s quite a bit of back and forth, the lone turkey makes a noise. The leader of the gaggle makes a noise. (Then the gaggle backs him up with loud accompanying agreement.)

Finally, the lone turkey and the gaggle appear to make amends? The lone turkey makes a noise and all of the turkeys agree. This goes on for some time as the lone turkey appears to join the gaggle.

When was the last time anyone saw a group of turkeys so close to the station? A group of onlookers has gathered and might have stayed if it weren’t for the gaggle noticing them. They are promptly chased by the gaggle who sound almost as if they’re screaming an organized battle cry. Have the turkeys been radicalized?

After chasing as many humans, animals, and poorly placed rocks as possible, the lone turkey makes its way out of the gaggle to find a place to get something to eat.

COMMERCIAL CENTER - 12:25 PM

Slipping into the COMMERCIAL CENTER, the turkey’s goal appears to be food as it wanders into BUNS OF STEEL again. Unfortunately, it is shooed. Outraged, the turkey makes quite a lot of noise and before it can charge someone, it twists into … an ostrich.

MUCH LARGER and feeling A LOT MORE RAGE, the ostrich begins hissing. It sweeps its long neck around and knocks down a display before leaving the bakery.

Hangry and frustrated, the hissing ostrich looks for places with food and people with an eagerness to steal the food, charge the people, and leave destruction in its wake.

Stopping dead in front of WHIT WOOLWINE’S stationery shop, the ostrich locks eyes with him. Neither moves as they stare each other down. There is some mutual agreement? Maybe the ostrich recognizes his panic to keep his shop safe? Who knows.

Agitated at this denial, it flares its wings wide as it snatches a postcard from a nearby stand and bolts down the hallway.

SECURITY is back and ready to assist, but an ostrich is not what they’re expecting to confront today. It hisses loudly at them, clacks its beak in threat, and then takes off. There’s something of a goose chase (ha!) around the center until SECURITY loses the large bird altogether.

Unnoticed, a gray tabby cat pops in through the door as a customer walks out of Mews n’ Brews. It is greeted by the other cats with no discord or chaos. They sniff each other, one by one, until it’s agreed that the newcomer is a friend and can stay.

Things are fine until [VOLUNTEER 8] sits down at a table with [ITEM OF CHOICE]. The moment they look away, the tabby cat shoves its face into it and takes several large bites, growling ferociously when the food is pulled away from them.

When an employee attempts to correct the tabby cat, it arches its back and hisses, swatting at the contents of the table before jumping to the floor. The next time the door opens, the cat twists into a llama and rushes the exit.

It may or may not have trampled a few toes. Intentionally or otherwise.

Seeing SECURITY down the way, it takes advantage of an open door at Equinox and gallops inside. As though they’re unfazed, the employees of the restaurant simply guide the animal out toward the terrace and outside. (How often are they dealing with wildlife that they know how to get a llama out of their restaurant?)

THE GROUNDS - 1:20 PM

The llama hits the sunlight and almost immediately twists into a new shape. Everyone loves a dog. Look at Air Bud! They gave him pudding cup after pudding cup!

Ravenous, the dog hunts down friendly faces, hitting up RORY FAIRFAX first as it flops down at his feet with a whine and rolls over, offering its belly for scratches. From there, it’s every possible trick it knows for any kind of snack or reward.

After RORY, the dog finds other people for help in the lunch department. Dogs, if they look sad enough, can often earn the last bite of a sandwich. It’s quite some time of this–begging for food–until the dog is satisfied enough to find somewhere to take a nap.

Unfortunately, its awakening is rude as a group of gardeners yell in surprise as a friendly alligator lifts its head in greeting. The dog must have shape shifted in its sleep.

RECREATION CENTER - 3PM

As SECURITY goes to check out the slumbering dinosaur claims, the reptile slithers its way into the Recreation Center. It wanders around, leaving muddy footprints, until it twists into a new shape. Hopping into the gym, the Kangaroo begins to snatch everyone’s water bottles, phones, etc. Each item goes directly into its pouch. Anyone who resists is threatened with a chest bump.

It takes the back way out of the gym when someone brings up SECURITY. Throughout the RECREATION CENTER, the Kangaroo hops around looking for trouble, but mostly something to do or someone to hang out with. It corners RUFUS KEARNEY for a good ten minutes making soft clicking noises and encouraging squeaks until it gives up and hops away.

THE GROUNDS 3:35 PM

Annoyed, the kangaroo promptly drops everything it’s stolen directly outside of the RECREATION BUILDING’s door as it twists from kangaroo shape into an elk. Remarkably, this one has antlers despite being female. The elk takes off running but trots around inconveniently placed obstacles while yelling. (How dare someone plant that bush there! How dare that tree be in her path!)

There is no echoing battle cry from another elk. Instead, it’s simply a distressed, antlered elk running around, shrieking, and charging in the direction of anyone trying to interfere.

The Pied Crow lands on its antlers and goes for a ride with the local murder following behind as they canter across the grounds toward the woods. As the Pied Crow releases its perch, the elk twists into a crow and the murder makes a delightful noise: lots of cawing, clicking, and what sounds like laughter. (As only a crow can manage.)

Crows do what crows do: which is apparently landing in a nearby tree and heckling whomever sits close to it. After chasing people away enough times, they hop place to place, only showing interest if someone happens to have food or shiny things for them to take. Today, the crows show astonishing confidence–they will take things right out of human hands and allow strokes to the top of their heads.

To CRYSTA WALDINGER, they gift RAINE RILEY’s wallet, which they conveniently ‘found’ … somewhere. Crows are thieves now? Wow!

Security doesn’t disrupt them this time, rather, it’s the new crow. With a caw of surprise, it twists into a pig. The crows erupt in laughter and take off, swooping low at passersby.

Unimpressed, the pig stamps its hooves before leaving in a rush, hightailing it toward the RESIDENTIAL BUILDING. At the last moment, the pig swerves when it sees SECURITY coming its direction. Pigs are quite quick–which is what SECURITY learns as they attempt a half circle to lock it into place. It dodges them at the last second by the hair of its curly tail, which tugs right out of SECURITY’S hands.

RESIDENTIAL BUILDING - 5:30 PM

Mollified, the pig trots back toward RESIDENTIAL and waits for its opportunity to make its way through the doors. In the meantime, it helps itself to any discarded trash, food, etc, hanging around. Ants or no.

No one seems to be willing to admit the pig, but that’s no problem! It twists into a new shape, a shrew, and makes its way onto the elevator, where it remains–tucked in the corner–until it notices someone new and follows them out of the doors and into the main hall.

It’s a shitty time to make DR. JAMIE KNOWLES’S acquaintance. Almost immediately, the shrew twists shape and is replaced by an annoyed and defensive platypus. A platypus?! Surprised, he quickly takes action.

Once the shock wears off, the platypus is replaced by an eager raccoon like the one spotted in Buns of Steel earlier in the morning. The platypus-turned-raccoon makes a break for it and shimmies down the hallway, knocking on door after door with outstretched hands.

Eventually, someone admits the greedy raccoon. It steals a handful of cereal, which it devours on their balcony, before disappearing altogether. The raccoon winds its way to the ground level (after stealing a dog toy from someone else’s balcony) and takes off back through the grounds for a hasty escape.

THE GROUNDS - 6:30 PM

In the lake, an otter swims circles around lily pads. It carries a small family of frogs on its belly as it floats through the water. When approached, the otter offers [VOLUNTEER 11] its favorite rock–the one it would use to break shells if there were any shells to break!

After climbing to the grass sometime later, it finds a new shape, shifting into a gangly legged giraffe. Able to see for quite some distance, it makes the trek from the water back toward the Residential Building as it looks around. Once closer to the station, the giraffe peers into open windows with interest.

This shape doesn’t last long as it twists again into a moose. Every noise seems to agitate it. It charges in all directions, though it never aims to hurt anyone. If anything, it seems frightened.

ADMINISTRATION BUILDING 8:00 PM

The moose ends up at the doors of the Administration Building. Too tall to fit, it tries ducking its head, bending down, and possible movement to fit inside. When it cannot, it bellows angrily. It begins a journey around the building, looking for another way inside. By the time it reaches the front again, the moose is replaced by a porcupine.

Getting inside now is easy. It waddles inside with ease. Unfortunately, ADMIN is on it. In their haste to help, ZEKE ZELIZER is quilled. Was it intentional? No. Does it require Medical? Yes. :(

The porcupine manages to make it to Security’s floor. It twists shape again before the elevator doors open and a wolf peers out. It stalks quietly down the hall as if looking for someone. When it doesn’t find them, it heads back to the elevator.

Out of the elevator doors bounds a golden retriever. SAL ROCA doesn’t even have to try this time–the dog bounds right up to him and shoves its nose against his hands.

And…nothing happens.

For several hours, nothing happens! The dog stays a dog. There are no further random calls from different parts of the station.

How strange!!!

Things to Note 🐿️ The entire time that Evan is locked in animal form, the wild animals on property are way more interactive. They’re coming closer to humans, getting into trouble, etc. Not in a bad way, but just more mischievous. The birds don't flock with their own kind--it's a lot of abnormal behaviour. Feel free to extend this to pets if you'd like!

🐿️ After Friday's frog plague, there are noticeably less insects. Like, WAY less. Enjoy that!

🐿️ The albino deer is spotted with his herd around the time the elk is screaming. He is not approachable, but he's there! He exists! Maybe someone can collect his antlers when he eventually sheds them.

🐿️ Evan's shapeshifting ability is out of control--it's the first time she's fully shifted and it's just kind of taken over. Mentally, she's more animal than Evan. Some of those interactions are absolutely more animal-driven than human. Likewise, she will not answer to her own name.

OOC Information Please take as many volunteer spots as you want. I know y'all are super polite and don't want to take spots from other people, but you are welcome to them. Please also assume that any interaction is open to you!

Do you want to be lovingly pounced by a lion? It's yours! Do you want to be bitten by a snake? Can do!

I wanted to write a general timeline so I had in my head what happened with Evan, but I also didn't know how to write it in a way that wasn't super restrictive. So I did my best to weave narrative with opportunity. Everything here is a free-for-all with the exception of Sal Roca! He has that super fun ability to power negate--which is what happens at the end. Poor Evan is locked in dog shape for who knows how long.

That said, if you don't know how to interact, that's okay. I had fun writing it, so feel free to just lock your characters in their rooms and let them watch Netflix instead.

CODE BY

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

After the previous day's headache-inducing frog chorus, Raine had been intending to spend the majority of the weekend inside decompressing. Unfortunately, he's out of food, and he has to go to the Commissary if he wants to eat lunch. He manages to pick the worst possible time to do this, though, and just as he's picking up a stack of cans of tuna, he sees an angry ostrich go by the store's doors.

In his many years at Enodia, Raine has learned not to question or engage with these things, and he just crouches down in the canned goods aisle as he waits for the ruckus outside to die out. After a second, he heaves a long sigh as he considers the deep ridiculousness of the situation and also his life.

Vidalia rolls through the front doors of the Commissary, plunger held high in defense against the giant bird currently rampaging through the Commercial Center. They roll to a stop in the middle of an empty checkout lane and look around for other survivors. The ridiculousness inherent in the situation only makes them stronger.

"Hey!!" they stage-whisper at the sight of Raine and scramble in his direction. "Is it safe in here??"

Edited 2023-10-02 04:20 (UTC)

Okay. There's a porcupine, and Zeke has no fucking idea how he's supposed to deal with that, but... well, it's just an animal, right? He's lived with animals, he's interacted with animals. Mostly cats and dogs, sure, but some of that's gotta translate. He gets down low and inches closer, reaching one hand out toward the porcupine.

"Hey there, buddy," he says softly, because that's definitely gonna help. "I'm not gonna hurt you, just gonna take you back where you belong." Which is probably not Vermont, but one problem at a time.

The porcupine has no interest in this strange animal trying to call to her. She stomps her back feet and shuffles her quills together to threaten action if this man doesn't leave her alone. When he doesn't heed her tiny toe taps or the threatening clicking of her teeth, she shakes her whole body, puffing up her quills almost like a peacock's tail.

Come closer, bone man. She dares you.

Okay, Zeke thought it would be funny to wear these stupid pince-nez glasses today, but now it's making it real fucking hard to read animal body language. Not that he's a real expert in the body language game anyway.

"Shh, shh, it's fine," he coos, the entire porcupine looking like a single mohawk in his current view of things. Unwisely, he scooches even closer to the unfamiliar animal. Surely this is all about attitude.

Despite the defensive posturing, the clacking of her quills, her teeth clattering in warning--despite the odor the fills the room as she stomps her feet--this man still tries. And he's lucky he's wearing his glasses because as he inches forward, the porcupine swings her tail and clocks him in the face.

The impact of her tail is rough--her tail swing is powerful. It, unfortunately, leaves his face full of porcupine quills. She doesn't waddle away until she makes sure he's learned his lesson.

Edited 2023-10-02 00:31 (UTC)

"FUCK FUCK JESUS FUCK." Zeke falls back, grabbing at his face and kicking himself away from the porcupine. He grabs one of the quills and yanks at it, only exacerbating the whole fucking issue, which makes him want to pull even harder in frustration. "Who the fuck OWNS this thing??"

INTERACTIONS: Zeke Gets Quilled

hulled - 2023-10-02 01:03 (UTC) - Expand

Rory's life seems to have become a never-ending study session and he knows he can't blame anyone except himself. The frogs (and toads, newts, salamanders–) have finally vacated, though, so at least he can eat lunch and read Medical's onboarding manual outside, in the sun and the fresh air and the quiet.

Except for the little pitter-patter he hears over his shoulder that usually denotes a ballsy squirrel or chipmunk.

With a mouth full of PB&J because those manners don't extend to wildlife: "No."

The harsh no forces the dog to pause. The scent of peanut butter wafts through the air and the dog can't help the whine that follows, high and piercing. Small and cold, the Italian Greyhound's frame shivers against the cooling Vermont air of Enodia Station's grounds. She needs a thicker coat to stay out much longer.

Maybe she should follow. Maybe this giant Giver of Peanut Butter will succumb to her pleas for food if she gives him her paw. Her nails clack against the sidewalk as she trots in front of him, still quivering from time to time, and stops in his path, lifting one delicate paw to offer for the hope of a bite of his sandwich.

If Rory were a dog (or an Evan, being a dog), his ears would twitch at that whine — but as it is with his boring person-hearers all he does is furrow his brow and wonder about when squirrels started making such canid noises.

Curiosity gets the better of him and he turns, just his head, to find not some mutant squirrel but a... tiny...
tiny... shivering...
tiny... shivering... bug-eyed...
tiny... shivering... bug-eyed... baby... what.

"Whose–" His head swivels again, this time looking for someone who looks like they'd own this toy made real. Absentmindedly, he offers his hand like he's going to shake the paw hello. He knows every dog on the station, if by sight if not by friendship bonded in treats and pats, and he doesn't know this one. "Whose are you?"

Edited 2023-10-04 01:51 (UTC)

She cannot answer this question for him. She is a wild dog, belonging to no one. In the midst of another whine, she yawns, stretching forward in a mock bow in front of him. She lays down, taking her snout in her paws, and covers her face, giving her maw a thorough rub before she flips onto her back. She offers him a playful wiggle, belly up, and then flips over to army crawl to his shoes—-which receive a hearty inspection.

No collar and all the tricks. Rory can't stop his lips from pursing into a smile as he watches her flip about. Careful to keep his feet steady, he reaches into the side pocket of his pack for the ever-present baggie of treats he knows is shoved down there somewhere.

He's trying very hard not to wonder if Cody would get along with a tiny thing of a pal but the battle's lost before it even began. Like, look, she's cold! Obviously she needs help! Obviously! ~~And probably shelter. And food. And a bed. And a home. And sisters. And–~~

Rory shakes the fantasies out of his head and breaks a pitty-sized snack into a more iggy-manageable one. "Those're nice tricks," he says, holding it down for ~~HIS NEW CHILD~~ the... the random dog.

INTERACTIONS: Rory Befriends a Cermet

hulled - 2023-10-04 18:44 (UTC) - Expand

"What brings you to medical, Mr. Lowe?" "I got mauled by the training lion," is, fortunately, an interaction Linus will not need to have today. He's thrilled to goof around with his buddy in lioness when she appears. He's not a scolding person, but when some of his fellow Explorers, followed by Security, startle her off, he comes close.

He spends the rest of the day trying to figure out what's going on, but the rest of his animal interactions today lack that familiar spark. (Plus, he's got to address the outside trash cans so rudely disrupted by the raccoons.)

The bear is hungry. That's all it thinks about as it studies the dumpsters with loud sniffs and huffing breaths. People throw away all sorts of good things without even thinking about it. A day past expiration. Meat that smells a little funny. The bear knows that there's plenty here for a proper meal. She just wishes she isn't alone. She has sniffed far and wide, to the ends of this strange place with its edges that keep her in. There's no one else like her here.

Once she manages to climb up the first dumpster to open the second, she hears shuffling footsteps. Someone screams--she screams, a loud, scared bellow. The person scrambles and she does, too, losing her footing as she stumbles into the other dumpster and the lid shuts on top of her. She can probably get out. She could probably reach up and push the lid open. But she doesn't.

She sniffs around in the dumpster looking for what smells like food. The next time she hears footsteps, she hesitates. Her gigantic paws are digging through bags, shredding them with a swipe of those massive nails. When the lid of the dumpster opens, she stares back, feeling guilty, at the face looking at her.

Edited 2023-10-03 01:36 (UTC)

Sal is a morning person, but these crack of dawn shifts are tough even for him. His body functions the same regardless of how much sleep he's gotten, but his head feels groggy enough that it takes a minute to realize what he's looking at.

A bear in the dumpster, said the report. Fuckin' bullshit, he's said to dispatch, and went out himself to prove just how bullshit it is. There's no goddamn way a bear's getting into the Dome. "Uh, hey," Sal says to what is definitely the eyes and snout of a huge ass black bear. Still holding up the lid, he reaches for his radio with his other hand.

There's something familiar about this man. His voice causes a tingling at the base of her skull, but she can't place why. Instead, she huffs her disapproval at being interrupted, letting a growl of warning rumble in her throat as she stretches a paw toward the edge of the dumpster to pull herself to a stand.

They're face-to-face now, with the bear sniffing the air in his direction. The moment he speaks into that box in his hand, she hollers, expecting him to take a step or two backward.

On the list of Enodia residents with a sense of self-preservation, Sal ranks somewhere near the bottom. (Although, among the Explorers, he likes to think he's closer to the middle.) He doesn't let go of the lid when the bear growls, or stands, or waves a wickedly clawed paw near his face. But the last bit— "Shit. Okay!" Sal backs the fuck up, letting the dumpster lid drop.

He pushes the button on his radio. "Uh, affirmative on it being a fuckin' bear. Just like... a regular-ass bear though. No extra eyes or glowing tentacles or mind control." He pauses. "I think." As the voice on the other end of the line tells him to wait for reinforcements, Sal eyes the dumpster for signs of psychic tentacles.

The dog stares at the elevator buttons with great interest before jumping up to hit them with her paws. On each floor, the door swings open, but she doesn’t leave. She sniffs the air and retreats back into the doors. When she finally hits the ground floor, her tail begins a slow wag back and forth, side to side. Her nails click against the floor as the dog ambles its way from the elevator toward the lobby.

His scent amplifies as she trots in his direction, her nose pressed to the ground. She’s so happy to see that she’s right as Sal’s face comes into view. Her tail wags so hard it swings her bottom half with it. The dog feints left and then right, her paws a scramble against the floor as she invites him to play.

Instead of waiting for him, she approaches with her wiggly, waggly body, reaching up to press her cold nose against his hand in greeting.

Somewhere between reports of a lone moose and a vicious porcupine, Sal wonders if this might be his mysteriously absent, animal-shapeshifting best friend. Okay, a bit slow of him, but in his defense, Evan's powers have never manifested like this before. Wolf in Security, the latest call says, and he's headed up there himself when a dog bounds out of nowhere.

"Hey," he says, laughing. His powers always have an unpredictable effect on Liminals, but he's interacted with enough shapeshifters to guess that, if she isn't instantly turning back, then his touch stops her ability to shift in either direction. As tempting as it is to try carrying a full-grown golden retriever like a child, all she'd need to do is fight him and shift into a squirrel to escape again. Plan B, then.

Sal hold his hand out. "Okay, hold on." He envisions the invisible negation field around his fingers, and pushes it outwards to encompass himself and the dog. Maybe this is doing fuck-all, but he almost feels it this time. His powers, expanding like a bubble. "Evan?" he calls to the dog, wondering if she recognizes her name.

The dog does recognize the name and offers him a confused whine as her tail slows its wagging. Is this fun? The dog decides not and leans against his legs for attention, walking in a tight circle as she journeys around him.

And then, because she's apparently poorly mannered, she jumps up, craning her head to sniff toward his face, her petite paws hitting his chest. A second later, she's on the ground again, hopping a few feet away, lowering her chest to the floor, her legs splayed out in front of her, her tail high. She feints left, then right, as if encouraging him to play with her. She is, after all, a dog.

In terms of weirdness, this is not the worst the station's ever been. A legion of amphibians and, now, sightings of a random assortment of animals are largely on the more benign scale of things, and so Rufus barely blinks when he's tasked to check out the rec centre, where a large -- and, admittedly, likely dangerous -- reptile was last spotted.

Luckily, it's left a trail. Not of prey (thank Christ!), but of mud, a slather of wet dirt across floor that leads to the gym. With a swipe of his card, Rufus lets himself in, and follows the marks until they eventually fade, the animal presumably having rubbed off all the mud on its scales to leave him with very little in the way of a path. Just his luck that he spies Caine legging it, an odd sight considering Caine spends his time between PTing working on his bodybuilding, and this kind of cardio is not, as they would say, it.

"It's there," the personal trainer blurts, "and it punched me!" and with growing bewilderment, Rufus orders the slab of muscle off to Medical before he heads for the locker room.

The locker room is full of smells, some foreign, some familiar. The kangaroo takes unhurried steps inside as it goes from bench to bench, shower to shower, locker to locker--all while nudging anything of interest into its pouch. The human who has just run out of the room had the nerve to snatch a water bottle from her paws.

He's lucky she only punched him. Her legs are much stronger.

A new smell enters the locker room and she turns to investigate. Her head tilts back as she sniffs, rocking forward onto her toes before hopping closer. This human is familiar. She doesn't know him, but he's familiar. She leans forward and takes another hop. Then another. Until he's close enough to touch.

The animal's sudden presence doesn't surprise Rufus as such, but the fact that it's a marsupial instead of an enormous reptile that scared a few people on its way into the gym does, and a part of his brain mulls over whether the cleaning crew will find scales that the reptile-that-was has shed even as he drawing sharply into a stop, unwilling to barge straight into the animal. He's got no proof that this is the same creature, only that there's no one else here, his Liminal-bestowed powers coming up empty on repeated scans of the space.

"Now I don't want a kickboxing match," he begins, very calmly, as if this is the most logical thing in the world to say to a kangaroo.

In reply, she offers a few soft clicks, affirmation that she has no intention of doing so. In so much as a kangaroo can confirm, after all.

Rather, she crouches closer and sniffs again, her muzzle reaching for his shirt. Her nostrils flare with each searching breath. Again, she clicks before she thumps her feet, almost as a rabbit might.

Re: INTERACTIONS: Ru meets a roo

kobalt - 2023-10-04 20:07 (UTC) - Expand

INTERACTIONS: Ru meets a roo

hulled - 2023-10-04 20:12 (UTC) - Expand

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