ataraxion | text. (un: benjamin)

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text. (un: benjamin)

Riddles and surveys seem to be the popular thing lately. I guess the cabin fever had to set in eventually. Or do we call it tent fever here?

I guess I'll contribute with a joke. How many bullets does it take to stop an animal that's fast, aggressive, and already bleeding?

Two. One to bring it down and another for the twitching. It's a horrible punchline, but there's too many kiddies listening for one of my better jokes. Ma

Take a little extra caution outside the camp. These things usually run away.

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The stories you could tell.

To the south of the camp. I'll wait here.

( benevenuta doesn't bother sending another message - he'll wait, he says, so she gathers a few things and makes her way. 'the man with the gross bird monster thing' shouldn't be too hard to find.

she is hard to miss, too, diminutive in what in another world were trendy and expensive gym clothes - leggings, a sports bra, the richness of the purple faded and dirty from their present surroundings - with a leather backpack slung loose over one shoulder, blonde hair pulled high out of her way. there is a purposefulness to the way that she moves, like everywhere she goes, she means to. )

Dr Brandt,

( by way of introduction. )

Svenja.

[He does wait, eyes watching the trees, the dense foliage around him. Eventually he takes a seat, back against a tree and finger on the trigger.

Jack stands again when he hears her approach - at least he's counting on it being her. But also to get a better look at the doctor as she comes into view. He recognizes the look of those clothes. His closets used to be filled with the best.

These days...not so much.]

Jack Benjamin. It's a pleasure, though I'm not so sure he would agree.

[Jack nods at the creature's corpse between them.]

He has had better day, I am sure.

( the terseness of her messages is probably accounted for in the fairly heavy accent with which she speaks english; searching for words, not quite intuitive. she's deliberate about it and not particularly self-conscious, all the same - manages a brief smile for what's not much better a witticism than his opening post.

a sigh, like she's steeling herself, and then she crouches down for a better look. )

I don't know what I expect to find,

( in admission. she isn't a vet. )

Here.

[He pulls something from his pocket: a pair of white dress gloves from his uniform, though like everything else they're less pristine than they once were. He doesn't think he really needs to tell her not to touch it unless she's wearing gloves, if she planned on touching it at all. But maybe she didn't have any.

Jack gives their surroundings one last thorough look before crouching down beside her.]

Have you seen any other animals like this?

( her plan had involved poking it with a crossbow bolt - and still might, but there's no small amount of gratitude when she glances up to accept the gloves, her surprised smile fleeting but genuine. preferable to risking it.

(if he weren't present - she is her own best guinea pig, and what kills her never keeps her down for long. but he is, and she isn't quite ready to be that honest with these people.)

slipping the gloves on, )

Not like this. How did it behave?

Like something rabid.

[Jack watches her with interest. His stomach isn't weak in the slightest, so the grotesque state of its body doesn't bother him.]

It came at me like it was prepared to kill, with no provocation.

( she handles it carefully - his gloves are better than no protection, but it's not quite the same as a surgical pair, and she is conscious of her pretense. svenja brandt would be concerned for her own health.

benevenuta doesn't want to get poisoned, but a few hours discomfort won't kill her. )

Have you seen before, this animal? The kind? It's behaviour?

Glimpses. I always considered them quite shy.

[He tilts his head a little.]

An isolated incident, maybe?

I think not.

( only because they'd never be so lucky; her tone is resignation more than certainty. after a few moments, studying it-- )

There is a tent for science, yes? I think to them, this.

Somehow I thought you might say that.

[Jack sighs before standing straight, taking a look around them.]

Do you have something to put it in? Or maybe a rope to drag it with?

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