008 | Video | Day 107

[tryingitall]

[Balthazar appears on the screen with lines of static rippling across his upper chest. He looks in good enough health and spirits, at least, but serious.] Hello, Kore. I'll be quick to the point since the communicators are squirrelly these days.

One: I assume we're all avoiding the ocean inasmuch as possible. Are people still fishing, and if so, where? If not, how is that affecting food stores? Anyone in need?

[The image distorts and gets swallowed up in white noise for a moment, a few words cut off.] ---ouple pounds of purslane and dandelion greens and picked another crop of radishes; I'm happy to make trades. I've also caught something that looks like a rabbit with tusks. It's up for grabs, because the hell if I'm going to skin and gut it myself.

Two: Given the way conditions are deteriorating, I'm wondering if we ought to initiate some sort of buddy system. Pairs, trios, small groups to look out for one another?

Comments

[servingmichael]

[ It's why he's staying away - and invisible. ]

I am. Perhaps confusing some of the gulls, but that cannot be helped.

It's not as well as it was, and taking the largest fish isn't a good idea, so the juveniles I always put back, along with a majority of the largest.

[tryingitall]

Yes...the sustainability of our food-gathering operations is important. Do you think we're depleting the areas we have access to, or is it the sea monster's snacking that's causing the fish to be harder to get?

[servingmichael]

I would assume slight overfishing from the previous occupants plus the our own fishermen and the sea monster. Most people take the largest fish they can catch, which trains the fish to grow slower and smaller.

[ Humans mess up nature. Lucifer did have a point about that. ]

[tryingitall]

Hm. I haven't been fishing, and the only hunting I've done is this thing that was eating my squash plants...but it might be good to advise the people who are catching food. Until we have a viable escape plan, we may as well act as if we're settled here.

[servingmichael]

Yes, it likely would be. The question is, would they listen to us?

[ ...Humans have a track record he doesn't trust. ]

[tryingitall]

...Some of them might. [He fails to sound confident in his assessment, but he's still willing to try.]

[servingmichael]

And most won't, unless we want to hammer home how we know.

[ Which, if his tone was anything to go by, he wasn't interested in doing. ]

[tryingitall]

I think the various shape-shifters will understand. The others...well, we can try to reason with Dean, I suppose, but you're right.

[Sounds like a lot of trouble for potentially no results.]

[servingmichael]

They likely would yes. With or without instruction.

[ And that would be his point. ]

We'll just have to watch them.

[tryingitall]

Fair enough. I plan to stick with gardening, anyway. [There's something about killing and gutting animals that doesn't sit well with him, although he understands the necessity perfectly well.]

[servingmichael]

I think that's a good plan.

[ Raphael understood. Balthazar hadn't seen it, back when dreams where shared, but he'd once been horrified at predation. And while he'd grown used to it, he still disliked it. ]