Yo.

Quentin: I like cat meat. And dog meat.

Byron: Attaboy son!

Welcome to Zombies and Yu!

We’re going to jump right back into where we were last week, when Rylo was sort of denied when he asked Harlan if he could help hunt, and then went to bed early. Well, he had to pee, so he crept out of the house super quietly and went round back to squirt the dirt.

Dirt sufficiently squirted, he heads back through the long grass. As he nears the front of the house he registers some sort of heated argument going on in the firelight. He crouches down low and tries to pick up what’s being said.

Renna: He doesn’t know us well enough yet, it would be a disaster.

Harlan: Come on, the poor guy’s so bored. If it goes well it goes well, and if it doesn’t it doesn’t.

Renna: And if he starts a fight about it?

Harlan: There’s enough of us, we could take him.

Renna: How long do you think that guy’s survived on his own? He’s tough enough to take two of you, easy. Don’t even put yourselves at risk.

Danek: I’m with Harlan, I think Rylo would be fine with it.

Elijah: Well you all know what I think we should do.

Harlan: And we would, Elijah, if we had to. But right now there’s no reason, he’s useful. Let’s let him pull his weight around here.

Danek: I do think he needs more time with us first.

Harlan: Fine. We give it another week, and then we resume the discussion. Agreed?

The conversation comes to an end and they all head in to bed. Rylo stays put in his hiding place for another hour or so trying to piece together what he just heard.

The next morning is moving day. Harlan’s group never stays in one place for more than a week, so today they pack up and head out.

And they won’t. Stop. Making. Stupid. Faces.

WHY.

They spend the day walking up and down and up and down the rolling hills of the countryside. Occasionally they’ll run into a patch of wild strawberries or blueberries, and the group will collectively stop drop and snack.

Quentin: Can we stay in this thing tonight?

Harlan: Sorry, it’s unroutable. So no.

Quentin: How about down here?

They follow Quentin over to where there is an old shed with half it’s roof blown off perched on the hillside.

Harlan: Quentin, you’re gonna get yourself killed. It could be full of zombies. Or asshole humans. We’ll check it out.

Harlan: Rylo, cover me. We’ll head around either side and meet up at the entrance to this thing, okay?

Rylo pulls out his knife and wades through the dry grass. He knows something could jump out of the shed and kill him, but hey, it would sure be interesting.

The front of the shed is just an open wall, and Rylo creeps up towards the entrance. Harlan’s crossbow peeks around the corner, followed by Harlan himself.

Harlan locks eyes with Rylo and then mouths silently “One… Two…”

“THREE!”

On Harlan’s word they charge into the shed with their weapons raised.

But it’s empty.

They drop their weapons to their sides, and Harlan is the first to start up with a relieved snicker. Rylo laughs too, and then they’re both laughing in earnest.

Harlan: We sure scared nobody.

He heads back around to the other side and yells to the group.

Harlan: All clear, move on in!

Within minutes there’s a fire started and everyone is settling in.

Rylo: Hmmm… I just don’t see how this could be useful.

Quentin: It’s not. I’m playing.

Rylo: What is a ‘play’?

Quentin: Playing. You know, having fun. Kids do it?

Rylo: Never heard of it.

Quentin: Come on! You can build the armory. Or a drawbridge, that’ll keep the zombies out.

Quentin: Okay, back up, here come the zombies! Gaaaaaghhhh, bleeeeghhhh!!

Quentin: Ahhhhh!!! The glaring architectural flaws in your drawbridge have caused a complete breakdown of castle security! The zombies have taken the armory! They’ve got the machine guns!! Ahhh nooo save my baybeeeeee!

Rylo: lolwut.

Quentin: THAT’S playing.

Quentin: Pathetic amateur.

Rylo: I’m not sure I underst-

Quentin: LOOK!!!

Quentin’s hyperactive spiel is hard to follow, but Rylo is able to ascertain his meaning by a rustle in the bushes in the general area where Quentin is pointing.

Quentin dives in after the raccoon, yelling to Harlan and Byron and Renna and Danek and Elijah and Bea to go catch dinner.

Always glad for a convenient meal, they grab their weapons and make a mad dash into the bushes.

Rylo has the right idea, here.

Rylo: Mmmmm dinner.

And like, cutest dinner ever, omg.

The raccoon darts in and out of the bushes, and sometimes they have to split up to corner it. Even when they think they have it, it seems to just barely slip away from them.

Finally they chase the raccoon out of the bushes and onto a road. The raccoon runs straight downhill, giving them a clear shot.

Harlan starts readying a bolt in his crossbow, but Rylo is faster. He extends his arm back, and then his knife is flipping through the air and embedding itself square into its target’s neck. Go Rylo go!

Hey, what do you say to an interlude?

We need to check on the rest of the Yu family, and the only way I can do that right now is to awkwardly force it into the middle.

Sushi grew up! He/she is soooo fuzzy.

And kind of grumpy looking. And no, I don’t know this dog’s gender.

Also, look who I found wandering around by herself. Dressed like a crazy.

I switched her into something a bit less psychotic, and was thrilled to see that she is indeed still pregnant.

Rylo’s getting a cousin soon, guys! Not that he’ll ever know, but whatevs.

Anyway, look who brought home din-din!

These guys did! These guys did!

The raccoon is skinned and gutted, and all the delicious rodent meat is thrown into the stew. Rylo notices that Harlan makes extra sure to let everyone know who it was that finally got the raccoon.

Harlan: Rylo’s the one that finally got the raccoon.

Danek: Cool beans.

Also, can I just say what a bitch it is to try to put a raccoon in the story? You can’t make them active. I had to add it to my household, and then reset it so it was at the lot with the shed, and then drain its motives with Master Controller so it would go the fuck to sleep, and then moveobjects it into place. THEN I had to wait til its stupid dumb dream bubbles went away. It was a process, okay?

As usual Rylo doesn’t say anything to brag about himself, but he hopes the others will start to consider letting him tag along on hunting days now.

Everyone does seem to be a bit more friendly with him tonight. They ask him stuff about catching the raccoon, and at one point Byron actually asks Rylo to pass him the pot of stew. Like, what. Actual interaction happening, guys.

Quentin: Tomorrow night I want zombie meat stew.

Bea: No honey, that’s-

Quentin: Zombie meat stew!!

Despite the shed only having three walls and half a roof, it ends up being pretty cozy.

Again, cute sleepover pic. They’re packed in there like sardines.

And ermahgerd guess what.

Guys. Dorah had her BABY!

This is Carys Yu, and she is excitable and charismatic and I am so thrilled about her existence. Holy mother of shit we have spare relatives now!

I’ll end it on this note, cause it’s great and I’m psyched. See ya next time!