>>1123431
Talk to the others about your plans. That's what we planned to do in the morning. You thought they were going to set up traps and they didn't, and you want to know why. Root is still at least acting like he cares, so hopefully we can come to some kind of understanding. Maybe they did set up traps and they were too well-hidden to notice. Maybe they were waiting for you to come back. Or maybe they really did just stop caring.

>>1123440
This. Don't let your temporary anger turn you against your own ethics. You're mad because they're not taking this seriously, not because they're trying to enjoy the trappings of freedom.

>>1123440
Yeah.
This.
Still let them know youre mad though, but acknowledge you cant assume theyll do stuff just cause it was a good idea.

tippler 2026/03/17(Tue)00:32 No. 1123520 ID: f1368b
File 177370757888.png - (17.32KB , 500x500 , p56.png )

>Get to work
If they’re not going to set up the traps, I guess I have to do everything myself. I cram my belly with fresh food and then start digging.

The humid air begins to heat up and I find myself panting from exertion. This is harder than it looks, but I have to do it, I have to!

“Hey Windy, there you are. We were wondering why you were acting so weird when you came home yesterday.”

Grass perches on the edge of the pit as he chews on his breakfast, knocking a clump of dirt back down on top of me. I ball up my fists but pointedly ignore him. Let Grass realize he’s a hypocrite who neglected the mission.

“Windy? Hey Windy, are you mad at me or something?”

>Confront
“Yes! I am! While I was risking my life leading the chameleon to our trap as we agreed, you three were lying in the sun like lazy idiots! I thought you wanted to kill him, but I guess you’re not even taking that seriously! I have to do everything myself, I guess!”

Grass swallows his mouthful of forage. “It was fucking hot and we were tired, dude. We can’t just dig a deep hole and fill it with sharpened sticks and then cover it up in one day. You said you were just going to flaunt yourself around town a little yesterday, none of us were expecting you to find the chameleon that fast.”

I suddenly feel very stupid. I’m still so angry I want to cry, but the righteousness has been taken out of my anger. Grass shakes his head and jumps down into the trench with me.

“Can’t believe you thought we were being lazy when you’re the one who’s been a pet for who knows how long. That snake seriously scrambled your brain, Wind. Honestly, if you want to actually work today I’d be happy to take a stroll around town, sounds way easier.”

Is this guy fucking joking right now? Tired from what? Being a little bitch? And this stupid asshole is still calling you Wind on purpose?

Call him on it. Let him take that fucking walk. Maybe when the chameleon's got a barrel on his skull he'll finally start taking things seriously.

Tell him to forget it, and Ask him to just help you with this. No time for arguments at this time.

Work first, then argue. Build the trap now, then complain about the time it took to make it.

>>1123520
Hey, this asshole is trying for excuses.
It wasnt hot all day. They could have started.
It wasnt as hot at night, they could have worked then after resting all day. He saw it was warm and took an easy out.

Plus, he keeps bringing up the pet thing and sticking to your old name.
I dont know if hes jealous or just threatened by you rudger.

But if he pushes, ask him how many guns hes brought back to the burrow. How long hes spent with dangerous predators trying to find an intact doe for the colony. And how close hes been to having his thumbs and balls cut off because staying close to that danger was the best way to help the burrow

>>1123520
As long as he's working, ignore him and keep at it. Put the energy somewhere useful.

It's Rudger. Respect that.

>>1123520
They can't dig a pit trap in one day. Sure, that makes sense. So what did they do?

>>1123526
Also this. Grass is clearly looking for excuses to pick on you with a thin veneer of concern, and he'll only get worse if you don't confront him.

But whatever you do, don't send him out scouting if he's going to treat it like a leisurely stroll. Don't let your anger push you too far. He's being a bully right now, but he could be killed if he gets spotted by a predator. You might be safe if they see your collar and recognize him as an escaped pet, but if they see Grass they might suspect he's a rebel and shoot him on sight.

Better to stick to the plan. The chameleon has seen you, he knows that you revisit Lucy's home sometimes. That's our best bet for luring him into a trap after we make one.

Also don't forget that you stayed away all day partially because you thought the chameleon guy might have been tracking you. You had to be as sure as you could that the others were safe.

>>1123520
It's either dig in the heat, or dig in the wet. If they need Rudger's help, he can do so. But the hole won't be getting any deeper if they all just laze around.

>>1123520
remember that you care about this idiot. For better or worse, him pissing you off right now is reading as an expression of utterly suicidal foolishness.

tippler 2026/03/19(Thu)01:28 No. 1123582 ID: f1368b
File 177388373581.png - (13.83KB , 500x500 , p57.png )

>What did my brothers actually do?
I want to sock Grass for calling me Windy and always having it out for me ever since I fell behind that night and got lost and met Lucy. I feel like he’s deliberately being an asshole and making excuses, but he, Sky, and Root did dig most of this trench yesterday. Unfortunately, judging by how hot and cranky I am after an hour of digging, I can see how they only got this far.

>Don’t take the bait
“It’s not safe for you to go to town because they’ll just try to shoot you on sight. Forget it, let’s just get this stupid trap finished.” I grumble. “Where’s Sky and Root?”

“Working on new leaf cloaks. Gotta have ‘em ready for the next time it rains.”

We dig in silence until the simmering annoyance gets to me.

“Can you stop being a jerk and call me Rudger instead of Wind?”

“No, that’s your stupid pet name. You said it yourself, you’re done with being a pet.”

I’m going to go crazy and kill him. I used to be really close with Grass, since he was more talkative than the other two when we were stuck in the cage, and now he hates me for having a little bit of empathy for good reptiles like Lucy. I wish I could trust him again.

A. Patrol Lucy’s neighborhood to get away from Grass
B. Stick to working on the trap

>>1123582
A. Get out of there before this gets worse. You'll need to talk this out sooner or later but working in the heat is making it more unpleasant than it needs to be. Go and monitor the situation in town. And if you're spotted near Lucy's house again, you'll seem predictable, and we'll know where they'll go to look for you when we spring the trap.

How close was Fresh Grass to his parents? You said you didn't know your own mother all that well, and that might be why he's so upset. You're using the name Rudger instead of Wind on Fur because you love and trust Lucy, but from his perspective it's like you're forgetting about the woman who cared for you when you were young.

A. Go home and rest on Lucy's bed. Better than the heat out here.

B. Just focus on the work and don’t say anything more to him, even if he tries to strike up a conversation. Leaving will just make him think you’re a hypocrite for complaining about others not working on the trap, just to have you leave and no longer work on the trap.

B) Show the others that you can push through the stress and get things done.

Tell him you're getting first pick of the does. If he objects he'd better put in the extra work to earn it. Same goes for every other rabbit in the pack. They'll get their turn, but the laziest goes last. The laziest gets the nutritious sludge. The laziest is given everything they need to succeed and nothing to make them content.

>>1123582
B.
But ask him if letting him call you a name you dont want is any different? Thats just another person forcing their will on you.
If he dismisses your opinion, cause im sure he will, start calling him grassy. Or grassbag. Or grasshole.

tippler 2026/03/20(Fri)21:31 No. 1123660 ID: f1368b
File 177404227866.png - (12.83KB , 500x500 , p58.png )

>B
I have to prove I’m not going to run away again, even if that means tolerating Grass. I ignore him and focus on deepening the pit so that an adult reptile would actually be stunned by the fall.

>Heat exhaustion avoidance check (75%): Success
I’m determined to keep up with Grass, and he eventually calls for a break first, giving me the decisive mental victory. We sit in the shade of the bushes and slowly eat grass to rehydrate.

“Y’know, I’ve been thinking, how exactly are we supposed to break into Gargill and free some does by killing this chameleon guy?”

My mouth is full and it takes me a while to swallow and process what Grass said. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, we have some rope now, if he falls in the trap we can threaten him with the gun and then tie him up as a hostage. That way we’ll have leverage against Gargill–maybe enough that we can ask for an exchange rather than risk getting trapped in the factory again.”

“I thought you wanted to kill all reptiles. You going soft?” I snort.

“Well, yeah, we’ll still kill ‘em eventually, but if we get a greater numbers advantage before we try we’ll be more successful. It’s smart, c’mon, what d’you think?”

And once you hand him over, what happens to your leverage? How do you keep him in the hole and how do you handle food, bathroom, etc needs? Not killing him is a nice thought but that isn't the situation you find yourselves in.

>>1123660
Grass raises a good point, though his plan has some flaws. It's not exactly clear how murdering the chameleon would fit into our larger plans; we'll remove him as a threat, but we'll put Gargill on high alert as soon as they realize what we did. But taking him as a hostage has problems of its own.

For one, Gargill doesn't value the lives of reptiles, only wealth and power. He showed his priorities when he had two innocent women murdered just for being fertile and arrested Lucy on false charges; he is more than willing to sacrifice a single assassin if it means eliminating us as a threat.

And in order to use the chameleon as a hostage, we'll need to communicate with Gargill ourselves. If his disappearance would draw attention, announcing that we're looking for fertile women would make them pull out all the stops to exterminate us before we multiply. We'd need a lot more protection than one hostage to survive.

Basically, what I'm saying is that we should think bigger. If we're going to take a hostage, we need to make it someone Gargill actually cares about: Gustave Gargill, the son of their leader Gummy Gargill. We know Gummy values his son on some level, and that might give us enough leverage to free a lot of rabbits and save Lucy too. And we'll draw the attention of more than just the company; if we send out a public message to all reptiles, any potential rabbit sympathizers will know that we're as intelligent as they are and that we need help.

the point of the trap was to get him in position to shoot him. How would you capture him? Just cause he's in a little pit doesn't mean 4 small rabbits can overpower him.

It's a good thought, but too ambitious for their current capability.

>>1123677
Yeah, if we're taking a hostage, we need to go for broke. We don't need some grunt or contractor, we need the big man.

We're only trying to kill this guy so we can loot his body for stuff. Hunters have weapons and gear that are stronger than this tiny pistol. Gets even better if he has a key on him, then we can find his place and ransack it for automatic weapons or something.

We're not the good guys. We're fighting because the evil guys prevent anyone in this wretched city from being the good guys.

>>1123691
is not hunting organized so they know exactly what sector they go missing in not doing much more then revealing our location if its not very far away?

tippler 2026/03/23(Mon)01:20 No. 1123859 ID: f1368b
File 177422882663.png - (12.28KB , 500x500 , p59.png )

“You’ve got a point, but the logistics would be too complicated. Even if he’s stuck in the trap, how do we overpower the guy long enough to tie him up?” I ask.

“Easy, we point the gun at him and threaten to shoot unless he cooperates. Then we can take all his loot like we would have done anyway so we’ll get another gun.”

Dammit, that’s a good point. I have to poke a hole in the plan somewhere, because something about it just doesn’t sit right with me.

I’ve never seen or met the Gustave Gargill guy that Lucy told me about, but I know he’s involved in the investigation and with his pedigree he’d be a much more valuable hostage. We could maybe even bargain for Lucy’s release with the extra value. That’s it, let’s target Gustave instead of the chameleon!

It’s Grass’s turn to be skeptical after I explain the relationship between Gustave and the Gargill brand. “Okay, sure, but how do we find this guy? We don’t even know what he looks like or what type of reptile he is and he’s not stalking us like the chameleon.”

>>1123859
The problem with live capture is at at least two of you getting close to him. Two need to handle the gun.
And praying he doesnt grab one as a shield or just outright kill them.
Youve been handled by a few. Grasshole is forgetting exactly how much stronger than you guys.

Tricks will win the day.

If you do insist on tying this shit up, your going to need strong rope and some kind of slipnot you can tell him to put on his hand and foot at the same time so you can hobble him without approaching, then move in safely to apply the real ties.

Ultimately though, Using the gun just because you have it isnt the best idea.
Its best used to defend you guys in a last ditch situation if your den is compromised.
Now, you still need the pit and killzone and a well practiced plan, but just because youre ready to shoot the chameleon, doesnt mean you should unless you have to. Because even if everything goes to grassholes plan, you take him alive and swap him for some intact does, you still need a second temporary den to fall back to because you wont be living here anymore the second you initiate a conflict in or around this area.

Im now wondering how many of your instinctual tricks youve lost in captivity. How many escape passages does your den have?

>>1123859
Snares would help with the tying issue, a little bit.

As for who he is, that's a tough nut to crack. You've probably heard his voice on the phone with Lucy, but you'd need to hear it to recognize him.

>>1123859
What's bothering you about the chameleon guy?
Is it that he didn't follow you into the woods so he might not be chasing you?
Is it that he might notice the pit trap?
Or that it might not incapacitate him?
Or that he'll fight back while you're threatening him?
Or that you'll have to keep him prisoner all the time while you negotiate?
Or that you'll have to draw Gargill's attention to yourself to negotiate?
Or that they consider breeding rabbits such a threat they're likely to sacrifice him just to make sure we're all dead?

Gustave... what did Lucy say about Gustave? Did she mention anything like him popping out of a lake? That, at least, would tell us he's an aquatic reptile. Where else could we get information about him? Eavesdropping on his minions?

tippler 2026/03/26(Thu)22:06 No. 1123964 ID: f1368b
File 177456279233.png - (12.60KB , 500x500 , p60.png )

I’m partially trying to pick a hole in Grass’s idea to give him a hard time, although it also makes me uncomfortable to hold a reptile captive because of the unavoidable physical risk. Well, if we’re going to kidnap someone I guess it would be easier to go after the chameleon than Gustave since I don’t know anything about where to find him, much less lure him toward the trap.

“You’re right, I guess this Gustave idea isn’t feasible. Let’s make sure we can really catch the chameleon: since we’ll be working on the trap for at least another day, I can look for some more rope in town tomorrow.”

Grass relaxes, pleased that I’m agreeing with him, finally. “Yeah, good idea. Can never have enough rope.”

>Does the burrow have multiple exits?
It does, my brothers were sufficiently paranoid when they built it.

We switch between digging and resting until it’s too dark to see. I think we’ve made the trench deep enough, so we can focus on sharpening sticks to plant around the walls next.

Grass nudges my side playfully as we walk to the burrow. “You wanna do it tonight?”

Another time. Wiped after this hole business.

>>1123964
Only if you get to top. You have some frustrations to work out.

That's enough holes for one day.

Go back to Lucy's.

>>1123964
Sure, you might as well. You seem like you've started getting over your frustrations now that we know his side of the story.

I wouldn't give up on catching Gargill just yet. We could still make the plan work if we just get more info. When we capture the chameleon guy, we can interrogate him about his mission and the company's command structure. As long as we're not too specific, we won't clue them in about what we're planning.

tippler 2026/03/28(Sat)19:54 No. 1124010 ID: f1368b
File 177472765650.png - (14.68KB , 500x500 , p61.png )

>Too much hole for one day
“Naw, I’m exhausted from digging, I just want to go to bed.” I mutter.

“Oh okay, we can cuddle then.”

“Sure.” I don’t want Grass to think I’m holding a grudge against him. I’m still frustrated, of course, but I don’t need to keep throwing a fit about it. I need to be mature. I need to get it together.

I find a new leaf cloak waiting for me in the main chamber, and Root and Sky seem glad I’m more talkative tonight. We all settle into our comfortable nest and I feel the others quickly fall asleep while I stare up at the dark earth ceiling. I’m sore and worn-out from a long day’s labor, but for some reason that’s not enough to fall asleep.

>Go back to Lucy’s house
There’s not really much point going there now since it’s dark and the chameleon won’t be there. As the hours drag on I finally fall asleep.

>The next morning…
>Weather check (warm or wet): Warm
I feel groggy and sore when I emerge from the burrow. Another hot, stifling day.

A. Work on the trap with everyone
B. Go into town to look for the chameleon, Gustave, and more rope

A) got to be ready

>>1124010
B. We'll need the rope, and we're the best one to get it. Rather than rope, which would probably be inside a store and more secure, we could consider stealing the leashes from yard rabbits like Minnie.

>>1124010
A: Keep working on the trap. The next time we have a chance at this plan, we want to be ready. We'll miss out on the information you would have found, but you're still tired from last night, and you should be as alert as you can when you risk exploring reptile town.

>>1124010
A, but start a morning coordination routine.
Share your planned actions with the others and them with you.
Not for input, but so you and they are aware of where the others are going to be and what theyre doing.
Its not something that needs much detail nor time, just a touching of bases and keeping you all feeling like part of the same warren.
The rope is the goal.
Anytjing else is a bonys.
Finish early enough and you can return to help.

B: rope time

tippler 2026/03/30(Mon)20:01 No. 1124063 ID: f1368b
File 177490090144.png - (13.58KB , 500x500 , p62.png )

>A, start a morning coordination meeting
I duck back into the warren to round everyone up for a planning session over breakfast. I don’t want to be caught off guard and make a fool of myself again.

Soon we’re all sitting in a patch of shady grass, munching away.

“Thanks for working on the cloaks yesterday, Root and Sky. Grass thinks that it would be better to take the chameleon hostage and I agree, which means we need to learn how to restrain a reptile. Sky, you practice with the rope we already have. I’ll work on finishing the trap with Grass and Root and hopefully we’ll be able to get it mostly done today. Any questions?”

Everyone nods along. Root is the one who speaks up.

“That sounds great, Rudger. Also, we’ve been wondering if you’re doing okay? I know all of this is really stressful and we don’t want you to push yourself too hard.”

I glare at Grass, who shrugs. “You kind of blew up at me yesterday and you look like you haven’t been sleeping great.”

“You can tell us if something’s wrong.” Sky adds.

Freedom isn't free and it's costing you sleep. You're just looking forward to when you can have peace again.

You're worried that your little band of outlaws is becoming too reactionary, too predictable. Like, if Gargill put out a notice claiming that every lizard should exercise three times a day, you morons would stop exercising on principle.

You're fighting because you want the rest of the world to stop breathing down your necks, telling you what to do, who you are, and how you die. But if things go too far, you'll be haunted by your guilt until you die anyway.

You're angry because your brothers seem to not get this. Have any of them thought about the future, beyond their next breeding? About what they want out of life and what parts Gargill will do anything to prevent them from having? And what shouldn't be sacrificed in the name of freedom?

>>1124063
Tell them straight, you're losing sleep because Lucy's in prison for trying to help us get some intact does. She took a serious risk, and it sounds like she even killed a Gargill employee, even AFTER one of us stabbed her. It's time Grass put some respect on Lucy's name, and that includes the one she gave you.

You know trying to rescue her is a stupid idea and would probably just make things worse for everyone involved, which just makes it feel worse. And Grass constantly needling you doesn't help.

tippler 2026/04/01(Wed)19:50 No. 1124166 ID: f1368b
File 177507302761.png - (12.89KB , 500x500 , p63.png )

“I…It’s…I don’t know really, I feel like it’s almost like we’re trapped again, like we’re trying so hard for freedom that there isn’t space for questioning what actually would make us happy.”

“Sounds like you’re pushing yourself too hard. It’s okay to take your time with the trap, heat exhaustion is really dangerous on days like this.” Root says kindly.

“No, it’s not just that. I feel guilty. I feel horribly guilty–Lucy is in prison because she tried to help us. She killed another snake, a Gargill employee, trying to save two women! You saw the house yourself, it was an awful place where they were being kept as toys. I hate that Grass acts like Lucy’s nothing just because she’s a reptile when she’s a person like us. I know I can’t do anything about what happened but the constant needling doesn’t help. He’s still calling me Wind when I told him not to!”

Root draws himself up to his full height and bearing. “Grass, stop trying to make Rudger forget about his experience with this Lucy woman. She treated our brother well, and we should be grateful for that. We were so worried after we lost him, and she helped him recover and stay safe.”

Grass rolls his eyes but doesn’t argue. I feel a little better, but there’s a lingering, yawning chasm of anxiety in my stomach and I’m not even really sure why it’s there. Lucy is trapped. Our plan might not even work and we could be captured or injured in the struggle.

I must look disturbed, because everyone’s faces are full of pity.

Sky nudges my side. “C’mon, we can find some good sticks and sit in the shade and start sharpening. You’ll feel better when you’re distracted by something.”

Is there anything I want to talk about with my brothers while we work?

You're missing your girl, and that's natural. Not only is she of interest to you, she's an asset to you and your brothers. They might not realize how much though. Your conscious really needs some closure here. There has to be a way to help her.

>>1124169
If they've detained her on suspicion of conspiring with rabbits, any direct attempt by rabbits to help her will confirm those charges. She'll be on the run with Rudger for the rest of her life.

Which isn't to say that we can't or shouldn't. But that's a life-altering decision that she should ideally be a part of making, and we have no way to ask her.

>>1124166
Start thinking about the possibility that our plan to break out some intact does fails. Or even if it succeeds.

We can't stay this close to town. Where should we go? Where do they fantasize about going? Do you all even know what things like beaches or mountains are?