[Roleplay - Apps Open] The Big Freeze

[Mackie]

British Columbia, Canada, November 13 2026.

…

It started like any other early winter flurry, kicking tufts of snow into sidewalks and roads, urging families to scurry to the grocery store to stock up on milk and eggs. However, as winter deepened it got worse, piling record amounts of snow and ice onto the province.
By May, scientists were befuddled: it was like Mother Nature decided that burning humanity away wouldn't work, and instead tried to freeze the invasive species away like a deep-rooted wart. When the term the Big Freeze is coined and Canada's federal government called an emergency meeting in order to handle it, all hell broke loose.
By July, society had all but collapsed – with production chains drying up, panic buying hit hard and people starved. People died. Cults around both the sun and the snow sprung up and withered away, government powers all but disappeared, and finally, a year and a day after the first snow, a geomagnetic storm killed most electronics – cutting the power grid and stopping traffic where it stood.
You have decided to brave the roads and head north. Braving the roads and the increasingly braver wilderness in an attempt to find food and shelter, you eventually come across the budding community of River Bend. Will you survive the Big Freeze?

…

The Big Freeze is a longform, prose-heavy RP set in a future Canada where endless winter has ravaged the land and brought society to its knees. The town of River Bend, British Columbia is built on the ruins of a previously existing town, and major locations include:

• The Post Office
  
• The Old Bank
  
• The Church
  
• The School
  
• Town Hall
  
• The Barracks
  

Signup Thread | OOC Thread

[Mackie]

A deer this big was food for her whole barrack, maybe even everyone in River Bend. Cathy dragged the carcass into town on a handcart, gun slung over her shoulder. It put her at risk in case a wolf decided to get too friendly with her, but wolves almost never came this close into town except, of course, for that one time. But River Bend was larger now than it was back in those days, when Cathy was just a scared grad student visiting her friend's hometown when the power went out.

Cathy dropped the cart to adjust her beanie -- no, it was a toque here -- and pull her gloves up over her sleeves. She made the mistake of wearing a shirt that was a bit too short on her, and that sliver of skin exposed to the freezing Canadian air felt like a hot knife cutting into her flesh. Soon, at least, she'd be back in the butcher's shed with a wood-burning stove roaring away as she processed her newest kill. Maybe, if she was lucky, she could even scurry some away to dry into jerky for longer hunts deeper into the wilderness. She'd heard tales of bears and moose down river, and if she managed to bag one or two of them, no one would have to worry about food for weeks.

When she got to the shed, Cathy was surprised that the fire was already burning. Someone must be in there. She edged the gun off her shoulder, setting it across the pushcart in case it was a stranger. Instead, she saw a familiar face.

Is it just me, or is it colder than usual? I'll have to ask Old Man Lafevre if he thinks a storm's brewing.

[madface7]

Voxel was heading to the shed as well, donning a light-blue winter coat. He carries a large plant pot with both hands. It seems there's something heavy inside. The pot seems to vibrate every so often.

[Mr. Lee Hammer]

Peter joins the others to the shed, with a blue coat on and carrying his tool box. He never knows when something will need fixing. He always likes to come prepared in that regard.

[Dookie]

Eve and Alex we're walking up the sidewalk when they spot...a fire?
Alex goes along the side of it, occasionally peeking in, to see what's happening inside.

[Mackie]

Her quip ignored, Cathy took her time hanging the deer carcass in order to skin and butcher it, slinging off her backpack in order to extract a curved hunting knife. Carefully, she skinned the animal, leaving the hide intact so she could dry it and tan it into leather. Deer hide was valuable these days, as it was warm and waterproof when treated correctly. Absentmindedly, Cathy thought about what she would turn it into: a jacket? Shoes? Possibly even a new backpack, as hers was prone to getting its contents wet when snow melted off of it.

Cathy stretched, back cracking audibly, and stuck her knife into the hard ground. The fire in the stove was dying down, so she opened it and threw a pair of logs in, watching as they started to become consumed. Returning to her work, she butchered the deer, wrapping the meat in waxed cloth so she could freeze it later.

By the time she was done, she noticed the small shed was packed with people, and her stomach dropped. She couldn't hide her meat stores when people knew it existed.

[Mr. Lee Hammer]

Peter happens to notice the young woman with the butchered up deer. He manages to approach her. He feels a bit ill-at-ease, but at the same time, tries to remain hopeful that she was a friendly face. Because in his current state, he definitely needs to see a friendly face.

Are you trying to find ways to stay warm and get fed? he asks her as he eyes the remains of the deer.

It's important to be resourceful, especially in these crazy times. Where I come from, someone who's good with any kind of tools will definitely be well-fed.

[artsyGeek]

A young woman walks to the shed. Tidying up her cape, she looked at the others there. 

She observes the shed to see who else were there. A woman with a butchered deer, a man with a toolbox, a man with a pot, two little kids. Seems like a normal, random crowd.

"It's nice to meet you all." she said. "I hope we're all doing somewhat well in a situation like this."

[Mackie]

Cathy stood, zipping her backpack now that it was full of meat. She squared her shoulders and sighed, looking the older man in the eyes. "How long's it been, now?" she asked. "A year? A year and a half? River Bend was a nice little secret until people started coming up north. At first, it was nice seeing a friendly face or two, after we lost power. Now it's getting harder to feed everyone. The woods are over-hunted."

It was true -- lately, as the population of River Bend grew, it had been harder and harder to find deer. They might have to switch over to dog meat soon, if things were going to keep how they were. Make sure the deer pop stays stable. Keep the kids safe. Cathy glanced over at the little ones standing near the entrance to the shed, and her heart dropped. They looked half-starved at best, ragged. Feral. Did they belong to anyone in River Bend? Most likely. No one that young would be able to survive this far north without a parent around to keep them safe and fed.

"You two should come in," Cathy said, calling out to the two kids. "It's nice and warm in here, and I think I have a few cans of pop in my bag."

[Mr. Lee Hammer]

It certainly does feel like forever, doesn't it? And if you must know, I actually live down in Detroit; I had to come up here to help out with the construction of a new apartment building. But this damn snowstorm hit and I've been trapped here since. And I haven't heard from my family in months.

Peter feels bad about the dwindling resources in River Bend. Other people are starving and he feels burdened taking away from them, especially since he doesn't live up here. But what he really wants is to see his family again, assuming they're still alive in this snowy hell. He watches as the woman invites the two kids inside the shed.

Two kids, all alone out there? What happened to their parents?

[Dookie]

Alex and Eve exchange a short conversation.

“Dang it, Eve. They found us.”

“We're out in the open, of course people are gonna find us!”

“Shut up. Anyway....Hi!” He says in a louder voice. “I'm Alex, and this is my sister, Eve. We thank you for sharing your supplies and shelter. Who are you?”

They both go inside. Wow...inside looks comforting. There are multiple people there, and lots of supplies. The last time they had seen that much food was when they raided a frozen department store 3 months ago. That's where they found their backpacks that they were carrying now.

[Mackie]

"You can call me Cathy. Are you hungry?"

These kids looked young. Her brother was about their age when she went off to college -- she hadn't seen him at all since. She wondered for just a moment what he was like now. He'd be eighteen at this point, maybe older. She opened her pack and dug through it, mindful to not jostle the meat too much, before she found two cans of pop and two energy bars at the bottom of the bag. She offered the sugary snacks to the two kids by holding them out in her hands, already aware of how hyper they'd be in a few hours if they accepted the food.

Now that she knew they existed, Cathy would have to find someone willing to take them. Kids this young couldn't be running around by themselves even in an apocalypse. They wouldn't last much longer out there, especially since they're this far north. There weren't very many other settlements, and many were only accessible by plane back when planes worked. She wondered if Old Lady Gibson would take them in -- since her George died she's needed someone to take care of. She'd let the kids sleep in her barrack tonight and then talk to Gibson in the morning.

[madface7]

"Meat could use some food, if you don't mind."

A small worm pops out of the plant pot, and it squeaks out a small "Yeow."

[Mr. Lee Hammer]

A very interesting pet you have here. I hope it's friendly.

[madface7]

"He is. Mostly," Voxel says with a shrug.

[Dookie]

The two children take the snacks gleefully.

"T-T-thanks."

The group in the shed looked nice. It was a while since they'd seen other people. There were men and women of different shapes and sizes.

They quietly sat down, and they made sure to save some parts of their snacks for later.