lifeaftr | 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 )

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Soma isn't thrilled about any of this, he was in the middle of fighting for his very soul when he ended up here. Maybe just fighting for his life is a bit of a downgrade, but he knows being around all these people is dangerous for them. Being separated from the castle helps somewhat, the flow of chaos into him lessened, but he can still feel Dracula's soul and the demons he's Dominated churning inside him.

And there's no hiding what he is while he's caught up in a fight: his eyes glow crimson and his fangs are on full display. Anyone he saves is likely to flee from him, right?]

[Ignis doesn't need saving per se, but he won't blame someone who sees the scars on his face or the slow, methodical way he moves through the camp for thinking he does. He looks very much like someone who is in need of help even if he has a pair of daggers in his hands and very quickly and efficiently takes down any monkey that gets too close to him.

He can't see Soma's face, so when he is 'saved' by the young man, he doesn't run. Indeed, he's quite pleased to have another fighter at his back for a short time.]

You have my gratitude. Are you injured?

No, they're not getting anywhere near me. I'm too fast for them.

[Ignis will hear a strange metallic ringing sound accompanied by the heavy swoop of a weapon cutting air. It sounds like it could be a blade as large as those wielded by Gladio, maybe bigger. A monkey screeches, followed by two heavy, wet thumps and the stink of more freshly spilled blood.]

This is one hell of a mess, though. I just got here and it's complete chaos.

[The statement causes a small smile to raise the corner of Ignis' mouth. A fighter with a similar style to his own, then even if the sounds of the weapon's motion reminds him of Gladio's broad sword more than his own daggers. A combination of both perhaps? It's deadly no matter its exact nature anyway.]

You have my sincere apology for the rude welcome. This is certainly not how we've greeted newcomers previously. These creatures simply have no understanding of proper manners. Perhaps, I can make up for their lacking by offering you a meal once this is all done?

Well, I'm definitely not blaming their rudeness on you, if that's what you're worried about.

[There's some wry humor in the boy's tone. Another monkey shrieks, sounding like it jumped toward Ignis, but then it starts making strangled noises as if gasping for breath. There's a savage hiss that doesn't sound like the noises the simians make, followed by something being thrown quite far and smacking into a tree.]

If you need help cooking, I don't mind. It's a hobby of mine. If I'm stuck here for a bit, I'm curious to see what kind of supplies are available.

Another chef? Splendid!

[Ignis pauses to dodge a spear that flies a little too close to him for comfort. The dodge is a near thing as he feels the weapon brush his arm as it goes past. So many noises. He's not gotten enough practice pulling each one apart quickly. Hopefully, it's not going to end up costing him dearly.]

I hope you enjoy fish, coconuts, more fish, some assorted berries. Oh! We did just find a kind of bird that will supply eggs regularly. I'm looking forward to using those soon.

Sounds like the ingredients to make a fish stew or coconut milk curry, maybe. It'd be nice if we could find some mushrooms or vegetables. Even bamboo shoots would work. And I really like eggs, so that's great.

[Are these two really discussing cooking while fighting? Yes, apparently they are.]

At least we have food. Limited options are better than starvation.

[Look, talking about cooking in the middle of a battle has to be healthier than snarking at someone in the middle of battle.]

Goodness! Have I been blessed enough to meet someone who will actually eat their vegetables?

[Ignis laughs.]

Indeed, that's quite true. I haven't been brave enough to try a curry yet, but I have been messing around with a simple macaroon recipe. We've found quite a bit of condensed milk for some reason, and I thought that some sweets might be a nice comfort after all we've been though.

[Ignis's laugh brings the tiniest smile to Soma's lips. Shame the older man can't see it.]

Eats and enjoys them, actually. I'm guessing you have experience with vegetable-haters?

And if we have condensed milk, maybe we could make some kind of fruit pudding. Might as well try different things. If supplies are limited, then people would still appreciate failures if they're not burned beyond recognition or spoiled.

Almost my whole life. I'm in charge of feeding a rather notoriously picky eater. How he even manages to taste the vegetables once I've finished hiding them is beyond me, but he does.

[A grin crosses his face.]

Fortunately since I've been cooking so long, even my failures are usually tasty. They just aren't quite as tasty as they could be.

[A perfectionists definition of 'failure' tends to be pretty off from everyone else's for better or worse.]

October Intro: Louder than Sirens, Louder than Bells

Soma Cruz | OTA | Late arrival spoilers for Aria of Sorrow?

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