lifeaftr | October Intro: Louder than Sirens, Louder than Bells

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October Intro: Louder than Sirens, Louder than Bells

INTRO LOG: OCTOBER

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

The Beach: For All the Rest
The shores of Ensō are far from the tranquil, almost idyllic tropical backdrop that they should be. And so it is that while you fish, or perhaps as you go about your daily business on the islets, the first thing you will note is the persistent sound hammering at the back of your skull.

A drumming.

And it's growing louder.

The source of the drumming will, like it or not, soon become apparent. At the fringes of the trees, wielding slings and hollow, wooden pistols, is a group of large and very displeased simians who have every intent of claiming this spot of beach - yes, traveler, this spot of beach you're standing on right now! - for their own, and by any means necessary.

And they certainly don't look interested in diplomacy.

If you came armed, you might be in luck, because this conflict will require your steady hand in its resolution. If you did not...well, you may be better suited to run, or risk capture at the hands of warriors skilled, cunning, and incredibly vicious. Laugh at their monkey business all you like; they are ingenious fighters and, what's more, they're just as good at killing as they are at capture.

For the uninitiated, this particular brand of chaos doesn't usually sweep across the entire island the way it has. But those who have been here for some time will recognize the monkeys in question, and might even recognize this for what it is: revenge.

Group I: The Squeakquel
Looks like your monkeying around last month has landed you and everyone else in a spot of trouble. The monkeys in question certainly weren't happy to be confronted with others on their lands, nor are they willing to share their territory. While you may have triumphed last time you confronted them, the apes have been planning their revenge in the meantime.

Some of you were unlucky enough to become targets. Overnight, a great deal of them silently invaded the islets. Their blow-dart guns are equipped with a fairly powerful sedative that is more than capable of knocking most living creatures out - and those that were immune were simply snatched up, gagged, and bundled away.

However, it seems that some of their prisoners didn't suit their purposes, for one way or another, and thus weren't retrieved with the intention of long-term capture. Which is why a number of you will awaken in regions of the island that you've already explored.

...the really, really dangerous ones.

Whether it's a Center of Gravity, a parade of centipuppies, a contingent of Lungblossoms, a Fustercluck, or something else entirely, one thing is certain: the monkeys wanted you out of their way.

So get ready to fight for your life.

Group II: Ape Escape
If you're not one of the slightly luckier newcomers that materializes on the shore, then you're one of the unlucky ones that's managed to materialize square in the middle of the jungle. Or rather, in the middle of one of the denser, more populated parts of the jungle. The abodes woven into the canopy are crude, built of mud and sticks, but they're nonetheless sturdy.

And, as an important note - they are also swarming with monkeys. Snarling, baying, armed monkeys. Perhaps they'd be more hostile toward an interloper...if you weren't already in a cage, along with several others.

Fortunately for the newbies, they've all got something the monkeys didn't anticipate, aside from the element of surprise. Most prisoners don't arrive with knapsacks full of newly-acquired gear, and it's a good thing, too - you may very well need it, and the help of the new arrivals, to escape this place. You could always wait for the cavalry to come, but are you really willing to take that risk?

Group III: Pot Luck
As for you, you terribly fortunate third group?

You'll find yourselves suspended in wooden cages as well, though this time, to the hot curtain of whitish steam clouding your vision. It smells an awful lot like smoke down there. An awful lot like something...burning? Unlike your fellows over in the second group, these cages aren't simply a means of containing you, no. These cages are currently hanging over what might be the largest cast iron cauldron you've ever seen. All of this is, of course, for one simple reason:

Some species of monkeys are carnivores.

The acrid scent of smoke is already hot and rancid in your nostrils; the pyre beneath you has been lit, and the hungry flames are beginning to boil the water below quite eagerly. We'd suggest you hurry up in freeing yourself and your fellows - being boiled alive is not a particularly pleasant way to go. At least the monkeys weren't expecting quite so many main courses so soon, which allows you the element of surprise.

As a final note to those who participated in the Test Drive Meme, bear in mind that 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.

All new arrivals will awake with knapsacks with their names stitched to the front. The contents of said knapsacks can be found below!

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!

LOGS ● OOC ● STORIES ● MAIN NAVIGATION

( CODED BY BOOTYCALL )

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[The ape gets a point for enthusiasm, but minus several points for lack of forward planning. Muffet sidesteps the charge and whips around a line of purple magic, catching the ape around the middle. She lashes the line sharply upwards and then lets go, sending it off to join the previous ape in the ocean.]

Considering how... indiscriminate they're being, I can't say I'd recommend their services.

[Her tone is light and casual, but she's staring coldly at the two remaining simians. Anybody want to be nice and reasonable and just put the NEET down right now? It's a big ocean, she can keep tossing things in there if she has to.]

[Ichimatsu watches with a lazy but keen interest as she sends the second ape flying. He's not surprised -- it reminds him of Totoko-chan, really, except that Totoko's rages are often punctuated with a lot of shrill yelling whereas Muffet is clearly a more practical sort of violent. Impressive, either way.]

[The big ape holding him certainly seems to take the nice and reasonable route first: he drops Ichimatsu like a sack of dirt, who falls to the grass in a rumpled heap with a soft oof and decides to continue lying there. The ape, an entire head taller than its compatriots and twice as broad, eyes Muffet as though sizing her up.]

[Evidently he isn't impressed, because he's the one marching forward next, drawing out a Neanderthalic wooden club from.... somewhere... and ook-ing in what is potentially a threatening manner.]

[The final simian gives a similarly affronted shriek and begins to streak forward, intent on getting there first -- except it hardly gets three steps forward before it trips and stumbles. Because there's Ichimatsu, stretched prone across the ground with his arms latched determinedly around its leg. Despite his continued lethargy, he's bristling and sinking his nails into its calves as if he's finally just woken up.]

Don't think I'll let you go two on one, you stupid monkey.

[Aw, that's unexpectedly sweet of him. Muffet is genuinely touched that he put in the effort, given that his previous strategy seemed to be putting in as little effort as possible.]

Now, now, don't get up- I insist.

[She smiles sweetly and with malice aforethought, gesturing casually in the direction of the ape Ichimatsu just tripped. Lines of purple magic spring up, binding it flat on the ground.]

[The one ape who had the sense to trying walking into this armed is, regrettably, going to find that it's less helpful than might be hoped- Muffet loops one line around the club and sticks the other end to the ground. She's honestly kind of curious if the ape will be smart enough to just drop the club, or if it'll try to keep going.]

[Ichimatsu blinks rather slowly as the ape howls in fury, its arms pinned to its sides with magical webbing. It kicks him a bit about the head with the heel of its other foot, but Ichimatsu, used to much worse batterings in his regular scuffles with his brothers, simply shoves its legs away with a grunt and draws himself up. He lumbers after the remaining monkey, sullen and dour-faced -- and not before delivering a swift kick of his own to the bound monkey's ribs on his way over. He never claimed to have a sense of honor.]

[Meanwhile, the giant ape rumbles in deep displeasure at being disarmed. He heaves mightily at his weapon, attempting to dislodge the end from its sticky prison, to no avail. Turning his broad, filthy face towards Muffet, he gives a snarl and a frankly rude gesture with his free hand before latching it around the handle as well and preparing himself to give it another tug.]

[Not exactly smart enough to drop the club, but at least smart enough not to continue towards her unarmed.]

[With the ape distracted, Ichimatsu manages to get a few feet right behind him before he pauses and stares upward at the veritable wall of fur in front of him. He gives a soft tch and glances around the ape to Muffet, miming a quick, over-dramatic shoving motion before crouching behind the monkey on his hands and knees.]

[The bigger they are, the harder they fall, no?]

[Try as he might, the club just isn't coming loose. Not unless Muffet lets that web dissolve- and frankly, that gesture isn't exactly making her inclined to do the ape any favors.]

[She catches sight of Ichimatsu sneaking up behind him and smiles slowly. She gives him a quick wink to show she understands his meaning, and gives the ape a gesture of her own- a teasingly beckoning curl of her fingers, as though asking him to come on over. Combined with the wink, it looks like an obvious taunt to start fighting her, and should distract him long enough for Ichimatsu to act.]

[Ah, she winked at him....]

[Wait, this isn't the time for that. Ichimatsu watches as the monkey practically vibrates, and from Muffet's position, one would be hard pressed to miss the way the ape's already-dark face colors even further with rage. His mouth splits to unleash a mountainous bellow, and he finally relinquishes his weapon, backing up to step around the glob of webbing on the ground --]

[And that's when Ichimatsu's spine bends in a catlike arc, and with nothing else but a loud, spitting hiss, he leaps forward and tackles the ape from behind. His weight is miniscule compared to his opponent's, but it seems to be enough to unbalance the monkey; he still needs his entire armspan to get a successful grip around the ape's neck as they go tumbling forward.]

[Without a follow-up, the great buffoon is likely to recover and peel him off within seconds.]

[Fortunately, Muffet is ready and waiting. She doesn't give their opponent a moment to reorient himself, lashing out and catching the ape around the knees with a line of purple magic that clings and binds his knees firmly together. As soon as the ape hits the ground, she'll call up more lines to tie up the rest of him, too.]

[Even with his face shoved and snarling into the monkey's hideous-smelling neck, Ichimatsu sees a flash of purple, feels the monkey tilt, and realizes it's time to abandon ship. He unlatches his arms and leaps away, shoving the ape as he kicks off, and it's just enough to serve as the last push needed to send him to the ground.]

[Ichimatsu lands on all fours; he's still bristling and growling under his breath as Muffet finishes off with binding him down. Once he's sure the last of their opponents won't get up, he heaves to his feet, shoves his hands into his pockets, and plods forward to look down at the monkey with a scoff.]

[Then he lifts his heel and slams it into the side of that massive, fuzzy head. The monkey grunts and snarls; Ichimatsu simply leans his weight forward with a sneer.]

I didn't really care what was gonna happen at first, but you're making trouble for everyone. Me and Muffet-chan are gonna ask some questions now, so you'd better answer 'em.

[He doesn't actually know if Muffet has anything to ask at all -- but he's already getting into his interrogation schtick.]

[She didn't actually have any questions in mind, but since he's demanding answers anyway, she's not going to pass up the opportunity to get any useful information. Muffet puts a calming hand on Ichimatsu's shoulder and smiles at the ape sweetly, if not without a bit of malice.]

[Good cop, NEET cop is a go.]

I suppose I should start with the obvious one- do you understand me? You certainly seem to be able to communicate in gestures, but do you know what I mean when I speak?

[Muffet actually touches him -- him -- and that alone nearly sends Ichimatsu jumping out of his skin. He masks his reactionary jolt by pitching forward and grinding his heel a little harder into the ape's temple, growling just as loudly as the ape's answering rumble.]

[Their captive shifts against his binds futilely. The heated glare he sends up towards Muffet does seem to be indicative of an understanding of his situation, but whether he can understand human language or not... remains to be seen.]

[Ichimatsu decides to press on with his role, anyway.]

No one's asking you to talk. We already know you're too big of a dumbass. Just nod or shake your head, Monkey.

[Monkey continues glaring.]

[Muffet casually waves a hand at Ichimatsu, indicating he should ease up a bit. She's willing to beat the crap out of someone, but there's a difference between a fight- whether physical or mental combat- and just feeling sadistic.]

Now, now, no need to get carried away.

[She smiles brightly.]

Besides, I'm guessing you do understand us- at least, as much as you want to. How much effort you feel like putting into that... well, I suppose it's debatable. But I've just got the one question, really:

Did you take your captives back to your old camp?

Keh. You're being too easy on him, Muffet-chan.

[But, obligingly, Ichimatsu eases his weight back so that he's not rubbing half of Monkey's face into the dirt. This ape can play dumb all he wants... Ichimatsu is fairly certain everyone comes here with some sort of translator built in. There's no way everyone he's spoken to here has such perfect Japanese, and there's no other explanation for how he understood that Tibia kid's sign language, either.]

[Sure enough, the ape lifts his gaze enough to narrow his eyes at Muffet. He ooks unpleasantly and hocks a lob of phlegm onto the ground. For what these apes lack in spoken language, they certainly seem to be able to convey with rude gestures.]

Oh, I don't know... after all, he's already told us everything I really wanted to know.

[Muffet steps back from where she'd been standing, looking pleased with herself.]

This whole conversation, he hasn't been able to resist a chance to harass us. If I'd been wrong, he would have laughed or tried to taunt us. But he's angry, which means I guessed correctly.

[The ape stiffens at that observation. He weakly bucks against his bindings once more, gaze sharpening tenfold, but Ichimatsu's chuckle only ensures that he turns it onto the human instead of Muffet.]

Nice... but I'm not done yet.

[Ichimatsu, unbothered by the pure, murderous aura projecting his way, shifts his foot away from the ape's temple to stand with his spine slouched back.]

Your friends took off with my trashy brothers, Monkey. I don't wanna have to work too hard to find them. You know where they went off to?

[The ape's only response is to send a violent puff of air through his nose. Either he doesn't know, or he isn't inclined to share that information. The smile droops from Ichimatsu's face, and his back slumps forward again. He seems to have lost interest in the interrogation now.]

All right, Muffet-chan. What do you wanna do with him?

Well... to start with, I suspect we shouldn't discuss any plans in front of him.

[Muffet gestures sharply, and a string around the simian's neck constricts, cutting off the creature's airflow. She watches carefully for a moment and then lets it dissipate once he passes out, leaving him unconscious but otherwise unharmed.]

[She turns to Ichimatsu, tone calm and thoughtful.]

I can't be certain, but I suspect that they were taking your brothers off to the same place as their other captives- which means they're all likely in the campground where we met the apes. I do remember the way, if you feel like coming along.

[Oh, what the hell.]

[The moment he sees that magical wire tighten around the ape's neck, Ichimatsu sharply averts his gaze, his face reddening. Shit, give a guy a warning, Muffet... though it's not her fault he's a creep. The best he can do is try and block the choking sounds out; this is serious situation and all.]

[He knows she's turned to him to speak, but it isn't until he's got the temperature of his face under control that he does the same. Yeah, bringing up his gross brothers is a good way to get his mind off of things like that. Hands jamming back into his pockets yet again, Ichimatsu sighs.]

Yeah, sure. I don't think anyone's gonna go after those guys if I don't.

[Not strictly true, but he's got a negative bias to uphold.]

[Dude, c'mon, she's just using magic to choke a guy out so he can't interfere with their battle plans. Don't make it weird.]

[Thankfully, the ape passes out relatively quickly, and the string dissipates as soon as he does.]

Personally, I plan to rescue as many of our people as I can. After all, the more we can do to even the numbers, the better chance we have.

[She looks out over the beach, nodding thoughtfully, and points towards the forest.]

If we can head in around there, we should be able to angle our way towards it, then it's just a matter of walking...

[And dealing with whatever they happen to run into along the way.]

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October Intro: Louder than Sirens, Louder than Bells

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Sure, just... magically choke someone out. That's normal.

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Probably wrapping soon?