Network | Video | Your latest Dogtown PSA

[energyfieldgood]

Who: Rodney McKay
Username: imwithgenius
Warnings: Dogtown related horrors, insects, ants, swarms, bites, burns


Yes, hello, greetings, salutations, and so on.

[Rodney is perched next to a small makeshift camp, nursing a coffee from a metal mug. He looks grumpy but then again, when does he not? New are some very angry red bite marks on his hands and to a lesser degree on his face. There are trees in the background, some sky, it's outside, it's Dogtown.]

To whom it may concern, we're in Dogtown - no, I will not accept commentary, thank you - and we found something. It's, well, terrible as usual. But hey, in case you need some variety for your nightmares, let's check it out, shall we?

[The camera pans to film a reddish-brown wall from far away which seems to shift and flicker almost like static... until Rodney zooms in and reveals it to be made of millions of moving things. Bodies. Tiny bodies crawling and withering.]

They're ants. Lots and lots of ants. And they bite, too, because of course they do.

[A huff, and the image shakes as he turns the camera back around.]

Quick rundown: Attacking the wall does nothing. Don't try to climb it or slash at it or bite it or whatever else you think you could do to make your way past. I'll try and bring some samples back, maybe those critters have a weakness. We'll also follow it some more, see if there's an easier way past it. Maybe a nice, shiny gate of locusts?

If you want to come check it out or help us, I suggest asking your friendly neighborhood medical personnel for some ointments because those bites burn like hellfire.

Comments

[canofmanji]

Ran into a swarm of flying insects before. Didn't end up getting past them, they also had nasty bites, but that wall? [His nose wrinkles. He thinks that's even worse than the wave that came after him and Eda.]

Have you tried fire yet?

[energyfieldgood]

Lovely. Where was that? We came in from the southwest entrance and made our way north.

[He digs out his map to make a note of it, humming.]

And that is a 'not yet' for the fire. We didn't bring the right equipment and just starting one feels like a fast track to getting swarmed. It's on the list, though.

[canofmanji]

Southwest as well, but we went south.

Fire and drowning are the best ways I know how to get rid of ants. Then again, I've never had to deal with a wall of them. [He glances at the bite marks on the other man's hand.] What did you try to do? Punch them?

[energyfieldgood]

No, I did not punch the giant wall made of insects. That would be a very silly thing to do.

[He raises his voice slightly at the last bit, glancing off-camera for a moment.]

I merely assisted after a... failed attempt.

[canofmanji]

[...]

Did someone else try to punch a wall of ants?

[energyfieldgood]

Well, it was more like clawing, but, you know.

[canofmanji]

Looks like it went as well as punching it would have gone. How's the other guy doing?

un: 13371uk@ cw: mild body horror

[cuttypie]

You're still going into Dogtown!?

[You get the most animated, agitated Luka, Rodney. He throws his plastic hands up with a creak.]

I don't believe this. Did you attack the wall? Please tell me you didn't attack the wall!

You better go to the clinic and get those bites checked out.

[energyfieldgood]

Hey, preaching to the choir here. Do I look like I want to be devoured by insane bear monsters or gunned down by whistling zombies? No? But let's face it, there is something going on in there and while I cherish my structural integrity, we need to figure out what it is.

And I have every intention of going to the clinic once we're back. However, we are still relatively in one piece and I, for one, have no intention to keep going back and forth unnecessarily.

[He pauses and pulls a face at his plastic hand creaking.]

You should probably oil that.

[cuttypie]

If you keep going back there at least one of those things is going to happen to you! Is it really worth finding out what it is if you don't make it back!?

[He sighs. His sigh is so loud, Rodney.]

Just make sure that you do. We don't even know what those ant bites will even do.

[...]

Thanks. I hadn't noticed.

[energyfieldgood]

Yes, it is.

[It's surprisingly strong and surprisingly serious, a sudden steely quality to his voice.]

Because if we don't go out here to look for answers, we might not make it back just the same. It's not like we don't get attacked outside of Dogtown. I don't know about you but I'm sick of getting mutated or terrorized or changed or fed upon regardless of if I take action or not.

[hellojon]

[ Hey Rodney, here's your roomie, sighing dramatically. ]

Should I pick up some calamine lotion or anti-itch cream on the way home from work?

[energyfieldgood]

[Oh, hey, sup.]

Yes. Get something for burns, too. Maybe some aloe vera or cooling packs... They actually burn more than itch, at least for now.

[In a moment, he'll remember you say thank you in these situations. Maybe.]

[hellojon]

This might be pointing out the obvious, but perhaps you should see a doctor as well?

[energyfieldgood]

While I am inclined to agree and normally would be on my way hightailing it out of Trauma Central Park to do just that...

[A sigh. He rubs his forehead.]

So far, this has been less incapacitating than our last ventures into this hellhole and we'd like to cover more ground while we're at it. It's a pain to hike all the way out here every other day.

[hellojon]

[ There's a looooong pause before Elias sighs. ]

Do keep me informed if you run into something else that outright hurts you.

[energyfieldgood]

[He'll just return that sigh. Really, it's not that he wants to be out here and get eaten. It's just that he wants the apocalypse even less.]

I will. That is, if I still have a mouth to scream with.

[hellojon]

I'm afraid that if Dogtown steals your mouth, you'll be on your own with regards to that.

Video, un: Pegasus

[ferriswheelsandfootball]

[John is literally right next to Rodney, his own video showing a different angle of the nasty wall. He is also covered in bites.

He looks very unhappy.]

Yeah, what he said.

Trust me.

Don't touch it.