one man's shack

Taking the ingredients eagerly, she beams at her benefactor, already getting to work.

He ravaged the pies in front of her, much to her delight. Delilah always enjoyed seeing her food eaten so eagerly, it made her feel useful. In instances like this, however, it made her feel talented, like maybe her chattering wasn’t her only skill. Smiling as he paused to look at her, she waved him off casually.

“Oh don’t you worry ‘about me, love! I have one for m’self! You eat up, y’need it after all tha’ work! You’re a growin’ boy, hah! You need tha’ protein! Are they alrigh’? How do they taste? Can’t evah say I’ve eaten an actual person before so uh… this should be interestin’. Can’t be too bad, though, can i’? Probably just tastes like meat. Probably no’ much difference between i’ and animals, eh?”

Sitting down to her own meal, Delilah very timidly lifted some of the filling onto her fork, sniffing the morsel before poking it inquisitively with her tongue. It didn’t taste awful? It just… tasted like pie filling. Her morals were drowned out swiftly by her belly rumbles, suddenly digging into the meal hungrily. It was pretty tasty, all things considered!

Leaning back for a moment, content with the fruits of his labour and resting a comforting hand over his belly, Gustav watched his wife investigate her meal and smiled once she got over her moral trappings to finally eat it. Perhaps most would feel some form of guilt over convincing her to try human flesh, but maybe due to his beastly nature, he felt no such thing. Times were tough, and they were doing what they must to survive, that was all. One less person in the world would hardly make a difference, he figured.

“...Not new,” he said truthfully. “Not trapped, like them. Just hunting.”

Gustav glanced over to a nearby pack of beasts, several cowering, the rest hunched over and looking weary-- all he felt was pity toward them, and if hunting them would bring them relief from the Nightmare he would do so, but they seemed cursed to return to this place time and time again, as were the blood-drunk hunters.

So where did this fellow fit into the Nightmare, anyway? He looked like he could use some action, from the way he was prowling around. The large hunter wouldn’t mind some company, truth be told, but he was unlikely to ask for it straight up.

“Hope y’don’t mind me changin’, hah… Been in these clothes for near weeks, ya know. All sweaty an’ gross. No’ to mention the bloodstains, ugh. Don’t think they’ll ever come out, to be honest! Oh well… I can probably make somethin’ new to wear! We’ll see… anyway, for now, let’s get this food ready. Oh, almost forgo’! I’m Delilah! Delilah Gardner! I uh… well, I was jus’ wonderin’ if ya wouldn’ mind me stayin’ here a night or two? Just until I ge’ back on my feet. Things ain’t been great an’ t’have somewhere to live even for a few days would be amazin’!”

He let her continue on talking, as she did, getting nice and toasty by the fire while observing her efforts at transforming one of his piles into something more...domestic. That was a talent, in his opinion, one he sorely lacked-- he was simply the pile-maker. At least she had come to the conclusion she could stay with him for awhile and saved him the effort of articulating it. That was appreciated, one of several weights off his broad shoulders.

While she spoke of making new clothing to wear, it occurred to Gustav he had a couple of old outfits she might be able to re-purpose-- they were in good condition but no longer fit due to a slower metabolism, and he was simply keeping them for...well, who knows what. Apparently this. She busied herself with the nest bed, and he stalked off to a different corner of the shack, digging through another one of his characteristic piles and pulling out one set of long black Church robes, then a basic linen tunic, likely dress-sized on her. He approached, seeming a little bashful, and handed her the clothing, hoping she would find some use in them.

“September 30th and the whole weekend is a community event! All Hunters, new and old alike make a new character and play the game, taking our sweet time enjoying the flourishing Co Op and invasions!”