August Intro: You Think...You Wink...You Do A Double Blink...

[lifeaftr_mods]

INTRO LOG: AUGUST

Who: Everyone!
What: New souls arrive to the archipelago of LifeAftr.
When: August 3rd
Where: Ensō
Warnings: Mark as needed!

Part I: Get Wrekt
You rouse to a splash of sea salt drying on your skin. A haze of glass-white sand glitters in your vision, dappled by lush palms and thick, curling foliage that disappears into a jungle of deep jade. From behind, crackling wood and sawing rope groan from a mangled life raft ran ashore. A petering wash of tide over pebbled sand fills your ears as you struggle to gain your bearings in a vast portrait of tropical color…

No...no, no, that’s not precisely how this story starts.

Why don't we start over?

You rouse to a splash of sea salt, spraying across yourself and the wooden floor beneath you as it breaks across the edge of the platform. The light as it dances across the sea is blinding, dappling white spots across your vision as you slowly come back to consciousness and realize that - this is not where you last remember being.

The middle of the ocean is likely not a place most recall being at all. As you struggle to fully comprehend the new scenario in which you have found yourself, three things become quickly apparent. The raft you find yourself upon barely constitutes as something that should float, never mind a boat. In the distance, perhaps a few hours away at most, a large island beckons to you, a wide strip of beach surrounded by cliffs making it very clear where the most fortuitous of directions shall be.

Lastly, of course, you’re not alone. Hopefully your new companion(s) are just as keen to get ashore before nightfall as you, or voyaging together will not be the most positive experience. At your side you will find a knapsack, one to every member of your raft party, and upon inspecting its contents, you will discover any rewards you may have accrued - as well as a few other items to give you a fighting chance.

A note to those who participated in the Test Drive Meme: those threads, if all parties involved would like, can be game canon in the form of dream-like memories involving a place very much like this one, though the layout is considerably different.

Part II: Choose Your Own Adventure

By fortune (or misfortune, as it were), you eventually find your feet meeting sand, blessed shore to stagger upon as you shake off your newly found sea-legs. There are those that may find this place familiar, as though it appeared in a dream, though the expanse of shore certainly seems larger. The beach stretches off into the distance on both sides, curving around sharp ridges and cliffs, mist obscuring the view the farther along it goes.

So here you are. You’ve found land. Company. Supplies. The sun is now beginning to trek rather low upon the horizon…spending the night outside in such an unfamiliar land is unappealing at best and outright dangerous at the worst.

There is one silver lining in the midst of this mess. Directly ahead, the beach curves up a gentle slope until it meets forest, some manner of building visible through the trees. Further exploration of this area will reveal a dilapidated building of sorts; the architecture is indiscernible to even the most skilled eye. Despite looking as if it has seen better days, there are areas that offer some form of shelter...and who knows what else. Just because it appears uninhabited doesn’t mean you won’t wind up pleasantly, or unpleasantly, surprised.



So what shall you do from here, traveller? There is land to be explored, strangers to meet, friends to reunite with. Supplies to inspect and plenty of questions in need of being said aloud. Choose your path, make haste, and above all else: survive. And whatever you will, take heart.

Your story is about to begin anew.

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Feeling a tad adrift? Make sure to check the Locations Page, which has details regarding the starting areas and a handy map for those who feel better with a bird's eye view!

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LOGS ● OOC ● STORIES ● MAIN NAVIGATION

( CODED BY BOOTYCALL )

Comments

1;

[chummer]

[ If Wade hears the Jaws theme growing steadily louder, that's just his imagination.

Though the resident Shark-Man is definitely interested in the smell of browning fish. It's about the only normal scent he's come across all day and so of course he beelines that way. ] Shit, dude, [ he starts, taking in the sight of the assortment of fish. He prefers his raw, personally, but won't mind a little bit of cook to them if that's all that Wade has available. ]

These things are puny, but not a bad catch for a lander. Though I gotta' say, [ he starts, black eyes casting over Wade's spandex once. ] you're one of the weirder ones I've seen today. [ That's right, the Shark-Boy is calling Wade the weird one. ]

What do I gotta' do to get some of that?

[ishotyouuu]

[Wow, okay. First this dude insults his mad fishing skills and his impeccable style, and now he asks if he can steal some of his grub? Congratulations, Fin, this is the quickest Wade's gone from 0 to go-fuck-yourself ever. Wade lifts his mask up and brings the speared fish to his lips, ripping off a sizable chunk of it with his teeth. He grins as he chews, more like a chimpanzee putting on a threat display than anything resembling true mirth.]

You can go get stuffed, that's what you can do. This's a private dinner only. No freeloaders.

[chummer]

Hey, man, fuck you! I'm not a freeloader! [ is the indignant response. He offered to do something in exchange. For once. And this is the thanks he gets? Figures. ]

Why is everyone on land a buncha assholes? [ He misses Bayani. He misses his ocean home. But it's easier to take his frustration over that out on Wade and the 'asshole landers' than anything else. ]

I could've gotten you better fish, if you weren't such a jerk.

[ Huff!!! ]

[ishotyouuu]

Huh. I dunno what else you'd call some random schmuck who shits on a dude's skill and then asks for food, but where I come from 'freeloading' is exactly what we'd call it.

[Seriously dude, maybe work on your opener a little bit.]

In any case, I think I'll pass. Not too sure pretentiousness can be caught by improperly handled food, but I ain't about to take that chance. Me an' Tibs'll get along just fine, thankyouverymuch.

[chummer]

Whatever, [ he sighs, an eye roll. ] Can get better food myself. [ What a melodramatic teenager.

Speaking of Tibs, however, Finley has finally taken notice of the creature. And he moves on, like he didn't just insult Wade and his company is probably unwanted. ]

The fuck is that? [ He really needs to work on his everything, it seems. ] Haven't seen any land animals like this one yet.

[ishotyouuu]

[This dude's really not taking the fucking hint, is he? Wade manages to stop himself from rolling his eyes so hard that they pop out of his skull, but it takes a colossal amount of effort. He tears another chunk off of his meal, chewing slowly and deliberately to delay answering Finley's question as long as possible. Finally, he swallows.]

She is off the menu. Make a move to touch her an' I'm gonna be makin' filet mignon outta yer fuckin' ballsack, champ.

[Spoken in as casual a tone as if he were commenting about the weather.]

[chummer]

[ He actually looks rather offended at that, honestly. ]

Look, man, I'm not gonna' eat your pet! [ Wow, Wade, he has some semblance of manners. Not a lot, but some. He knows that fucking with this little skull-headed dog thing would probably be a no-fly zone. ] So chill on the threats. I just think she's cool, jeez.

[ishotyouuu]

[This is Wade completely unimpressed by your bravado, pally.]

Juuuust settin' up the warning there, broheim. We got all types here, and if you're the type that goes around munchin' on little girls we're gonna have a real dilly of a pickle, savvy?

[chummer]

[ How very dare. He is raw machismo. It should be respected. ]

... What the fuck? Why would I do that? [ If he eats humans, it's always the adults anyway. Kids have barely any meat on them. ]

Just 'cause I'm a shark don't mean I'm going to go around taking bites out of people. Not unless they deserve it, anyway. But I wouldn't hurt any kids.

[ishotyouuu]

[He's raw something, that's for sure. Wade graces this bare minimum of civility with sarcastic applause.]

Congratulations on not bein' a total asshole, champ. I'd have a Participation Award for ya, but I left it in my other pants.

[A pause.]

...She's a Pokemon, by the way. Not a pet. Say hello to Sharkboy over there, Tibia.

[The little Cubone offers an uncertain wave, not really sure where to stand amid all of this male posturing and smacktalk. Wade takes another hefty bite of his fish in what is most undoubtedly a taunting manner.]

I gotta say... [He swallows his mouthful.]... you're pretty leggy for a shark. And pink. Didn't know evolution worked that way.

[Dude you have a Pokemon.]

[chummer]

Participation awards are for losers who need to feel better about themselves for sucking. You can keep it.

[ Finley doesn't do anything in half-measures; he strives to win, to be the best he can be. And he usually is, which is where a lot of his obnoxious confidence comes from. ]

The hell's a Pokemon? [ he asks, giving a wave back to Tibia. She's kind of cute, in a weird lander way. His attention shifts back to Wade easily, jaw tightening just a fraction at that bite of fish.

But he doesn't engage. See, he can behave. ]

Some sea witch magicked me so I could live on land if I needed to. The legs are new.

[ishotyouuu]

Aww... don't sell yourself short, pal. I'm sure you're a tremendous loser.

[Again, the bare minimum of social niceties isn't exactly impressive, Gillboy. His hunk of fish thoroughly devoured, Wade sets the spearing stick aside and raises his arms in a luxurious stretch.]

So... what? You're some kinda mermaid or somethin'? Mer-man, I guess? You're not just gonna randomly break into a song about how much you wanna learn about the human world or whatever, are ya? Isn't that what you guys do? Should I just choke myself out right here an' now?

[Personally, he prefers the redhead.]

[chummer]

Fuck off, [ he says to that. ] I don't want to hear it from the dude wearing a skin tight onsie, alright.

[ At the insuation that he's a mer, the boy looks downright offended. Nothing else had really bothered him until that. That was crossing the line, apparently. ]

Fuck no, I'm not a mer. I'm a shark.

[ He chomps his teeth together at Wade for emphasis. ]

[ishotyouuu]

[Wade remains unimpressed by the dude's attempt to look edgy. He scoffs.]

Sheesh, tou-chy. Didn't realize there were all these different identities or whatever.

...Wait, you're not one of those furries, are you? Or scalies, or whatever the hell they're called? What is even a shark furry, anyway? Is that even a thing?

[chummer]

[ Attempts?

He is absolutely edgy. The most edgy. He could cut people on this edge, even. ]

There are! The mers are like... weird nomadic hippies. [ They have gams, he thinks, but they're so weird and loose. It's bizarre. ]

The fuck is a furry?