The only way I could possibly imagine to steel man this position
You need more imaginary imaginative tulpas, my friend. Actually, everyone simply needs more tulpas in general.
Here's another possibility: Small, unopened, cardboard ammo box gets lost, wedged under a fence or by some trash can. Box deteriorates over time, eventually spills out the contents. Regressed man finds shiny trinkets on the ground and likens them to crystals, only to find they are not magic items from his beloved fiction.
Dirt. Rain is dirty, mud is dirty, if something was on the ground long enough for cardboard to decay, it's gonna be exposed to the elements. And segments of those bullets like the striking part which are indented would be awful to clean, just to shine up for a virtue-signal post.
Old brass and copper turn into a dull brown and eventually green given enough time and exposure to the elements. Think old pennies or the Statue of Liberty.
You need more
imaginaryimaginative tulpas, my friend. Actually, everyone simply needs more tulpas in general.Here's another possibility: Small, unopened, cardboard ammo box gets lost, wedged under a fence or by some trash can. Box deteriorates over time, eventually spills out the contents. Regressed man finds shiny trinkets on the ground and likens them to crystals, only to find they are not magic items from his beloved fiction.
They wouldn't be near so shiny in that case.
[Please note, I am totally ignorant of firearms] Rust?
That's brass and copper you're looking at, so more like tarnish and dirt.
Dirt. Rain is dirty, mud is dirty, if something was on the ground long enough for cardboard to decay, it's gonna be exposed to the elements. And segments of those bullets like the striking part which are indented would be awful to clean, just to shine up for a virtue-signal post.
Old brass and copper turn into a dull brown and eventually green given enough time and exposure to the elements. Think old pennies or the Statue of Liberty.
There's even a term for it: patina.