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

[ajackandanace]

Agreed

[Jack's gaze flicks warily between the two of them, uncomfortable at the sudden uptick on the weapons-to-non-weapons scale, still unaware that he's been given a hatchett in the knapsack he now rests in front of himself as a half-assed shield.]

Bucking horns is not going to help any of us. What we need is a plan of action.

[He shifts a bit more, trying to balance out the weight of the raft now that everyone has been shuffling around]

My name is Jack, and I'm afraid to tell you that I'm no airline stewardess, however I do have some basic experience with sailing.

[karabor]

[Yrel's aggression lessened. Her grip on her hammer eased but she still appeared battle-ready, as if either of them could lash out at her on this raft. Seawater splashed against her hooves and reminded her of the urgency of their situation. With a quiet breath she speculated on cooperating with the pair. Before she could question either of them further, Jack revealed his knowledge of sailing. Whether his knowledge was comprehensive or deficient, Yrel knew only he could deliver them. Thus, Yrel willingly involved herself.]

I am Exarch Yrel. And if you can sail this, I will help you.

[whiteas]

I don't have horns.

[ It's kind of muttered, a little confused when she says that. What a weird thing to say about a Schnee. Her father basically ensured that no one would ever associate them with being positive about the faunus, whether Weiss's experiences differed or not. Is he being racist toward the blue.. whatever she was? She kind of looks back at him uncertainly for a moment, as if he's definitely said something off, but she doesn't comment on it beyond that. Once she figures out that they have no idea who she is despite the last name, her perspective here is going to change significantly. ]

As she said: if you can get us to shore, Jack, you're more than welcome to take the lead.

[ Following Jack's actions, Weiss moves over to try to help balance out Yrel and her armor's weight as well, looking over at her. ]

I mean this in the least offensive way possible, but what are you? Most faunus only have one animalian feature. [ Look, no one ever said her manners were perfect. ]

[ajackandanace]

[One of Jack's dark brows arches at the girl's response. Did she think that was literal? Perhaps 'bucking horns' was not a saying wherever she comes from, Germany he's guessing based on the name, but that doesn't really matter at the moment]

Alright. First things first we need to get the broadside of this raft facing that way

[He waves an arm off to his right]

So we can get the front, er, lets call that end there the front, in the right heading.

[Always sail into the wind for an upwind destination]

[karabor]

[Yrel motions for Weiss to aid her in turning the raft. Being that they do not have paddles, they must use their arms to move it. The draenei shifts to her other side, careful not to jostle their craft too much, and brusquely thrusts her arm into the water. The water is cool, much like her skin is beneath the wet fabric and armor, but she obviously does not enjoy it. She tries not to think about the creatures below that could take interest in her flesh, and instead distracts herself with Jack's instructions and answering Weiss' question. She gives the other woman a strange look to accompany the woman's strange term.]

I am not a... faunus, you said? I am a draenei. All of us look like this. I'm surprised you don't know; I've met draenei from your world.

[whiteas]

I've never heard of a draenei and I'm very well educated.

[ Weiss watches Yrel motion, coming toward her and taking a look at the front end, but not getting in the water like Yrel does. After a moment, Weiss backs up to the opposite end of the boat, concentrating the end of the boat. She usually moves the whole of things in a short distance, very rapidly. The end of it alone might be a little difficult, but if she focuses on just the far piece of the raft, the rest should create enough drag that it doesn't send them flying into the ocean. ]

Hold onto something.

[ If they both cooperate and get a good grip on the raft, Weiss will gesture with her arms and a pure white light glyph will appear at the end of the raft and jerk it (though much more slowly than normal thanks to the water) in the direction that Jack asked for. If they don't, of course, she'll just stand there tapping her 3 and a half inch heel on the wood. ]

[ajackandanace]

[Jack semi-scuttles in a crablike fashion into a better position and from there grips at what appears to be one of the sturdier boards]

Alright

[His eyes flick between Weiss and Yrel, unsure of what he's supposed to be expecting here, but relieved that at least they all seemed to be cooperating]

You've got some trick up your sleeve, Miss Weiss?

[karabor]

[Yrel looks on in confusion as Weiss uses an unfamiliar magic. Draenei society is dependent upon the Light as much as it is dependent upon the use of arcane power. She should recognize the glyph from the many she has seen, but the glyph is too obscure. Curious as to how Weiss will use it, Yrel wraps her submerged hand around the edge of the raft, holds onto the raft's binding with the other, and braces her legs.]

[whiteas]

[ As soon as the other two are ready, the glyph becomes a rapid series of glyphs side by side, pulling the raft far too fast. It doesn't go overboard, but it certainly would've tossed them if they weren't holding on. Weiss even makes a surprised sound as she nearly stumbles herself, though catches herself before she ends up on her rear. The drag wasn't as much as she'd thought it would be, even if it was present. Essentially, though, it was just a rapid pull of the raft and it was done much more quickly than hand-paddling would've gotten them.

Once it's settled, she looks at Jack with a slight uncertainty. ]

My semblance is glyphs. They can do a number of things, including short-distance pushing and pulling. I can't get us to shore with it but it should be good for keeping direction without paddles. Though admittedly I've never used it on water before so... it might be a little rough if we have to change again.

[ Which is why she asked them to hold on in the first place. She had no idea how that was going to go. ]

[ajackandanace]

Well that's a far sight better than us just slapping our hands against the water for want of paddles

[Despite the wretchedness of the current state of affairs Jack actually manages to shoot an impish smile in her direction, both impressed and in awe of what was happening. But he is mindful of the precariousness of their position so he soon switches focus back to the status of the raft] `

We need to try and steer this thing so that it takes any swells head-on, not along our sides or we'll be flooded in less time than it takes to finish a knife fight in a phone booth.

[karabor]

[The raft swings around to face the correct direction so quickly, the movement leaves Yrel speechless. Glyphs are constructed from potent energies. For someone Weiss' age, which the draenei estimates to be young in human years, to have acquired such control of what she believes to be arcane magic is astonishing. When Yrel turns her attention from the rickety boards beneath them to the other woman, it is with an openly amazed expression. She gives Jack a similarly admiring look before suggesting something almost absurd.]

If we have a force to propel our raft, perhaps we could use our weight to steer it?

[whiteas]

[ Weiss considers for a moment telling them that she has a limited supply of Dust that can propel the wind whatever direction they want- but after a brief consideration, this raft is probably not going to be able to withstand the force of that. It's not made for gentle breezes, and even with Weiss's substantial understanding and control with Dust, she'd doubt they could make it without capsizing even if it would make it faster. Consideration two would be ice, but she's well-aware that it'd probably be harder for either of them to walk on that without practice than it would be to get the raft to land. ]

I'm good at many things, but weight distribution on rafts isn't a particular skillset I've acquired. Just tell me where you need me since I'm probably going to be better for more.. minute measurements.

[ She's well aware she's short and lithe and that her weight probably is going to be better for precision adjustments rather than Jack or Yrel, who are both much more substantial weights than she is. ]

[ajackandanace]

[Jack hums low in his throat as he considers Yrel's proposal.]

You may just be right. Now let's see here-

[He takes stock of their current heading and their speed. Thanks to Weiss they are now making much better progress than they could have hoped for with any makeshift paddles or just their arms, now the three major concern were: keeping the correct heading, not losing momentum, and for god's sake not to flip the raft of this situation would go from desperate to potentially deadly.]

-Alright. Yrel could you please shift a bit closer to the head of the raft. We need to even out the weight so that the head can take on the force of the waves without being flipped, and Weiss if you would please sit just there

[He gestures to a corner near the back, diagonally opposite where he's ask Yrel to move. Then he shifts himself to sprawl somewhat across the middle, though more of himself centered on the same side as Weiss]

[karabor]

Certainly.

[Yrel relocates to a point nearer to the head as instructed. Her cloven hooves clunk against the wood even with her brief movement. She turns to face the land in the distance, and as she spins, her salt-laden cloak flutters with her. If Weiss and Jack follow the movement of this cloak, they will spy a slender blue tail sticking out of her armor. She is, without a doubt, something from another world.]

[whiteas]

[ Weiss does as she's instructed, going to sit near the back, moving as carefully as possible. She does notice the tail though, and though they've established she's a draenei, Weiss just keeps gathering more and more questions in her head. You don't stay at the top of your class academically without asking questions. ]

So what is a draenei?

[ She's just sitting here waiting for further instruction anyway, she might as well ask. ]

[ajackandanace]

Am I to assume then that, um- forgive me if this is blunt and I assure you I don't mean any offense- but am I to assume that non-human beings such as yourself are commonplace where you are from?

[Jack casts his eyes between them hesitantly]

I'm afraid this is all entirely new to me.

[karabor]

[Yrel turns just enough to look back at them from over her shoulder, her damp hair stuck to her cheeks. Her expression is perplexed. As far as she is aware, humans have always shared their world with non-humans, other draenei included.]

Are neither of you from Azeroth?

[whiteas]

I'm from Atlas-- where is Azeroth and where in Remnant doesn't have non-humans, Jack?

[ What kind of weird place are you from, Jack? She's giving him a curious look. And also cautiously looking into the ocean, as if watching for movement. The things that lurk there aren't ideal to encounter in her world and this raft likely wouldn't provide much of a way for them to move if they're attacked. ]

[ajackandanace]

Well, if I'm honest with you, Miss Weiss, Earth doesn't have non-humans and that's precisely where I am from.

[A beat]

Well, no non-humans in the sense of a person such as yourself, Yrel, I'm sorry to say. We have other creatures of course- birds, critters- but nonesuch that could communicate with humans or bear weapons or do anything of that sort.

One Week Later...

[karabor]

[Yrel pivots in place, her expression bewildered. She looks between Jack and Weiss to make sense of this new information. As far as she knows, only the world of Azeroth has a human population. Could it be that Azeroth is not the only planet with humans?.]

Do you mean... There humans on other worlds?

[whiteas]

At least two other worlds if yours has one. "Earth" is just a word for dirt and soil where I'm from, but it sounds like there are humans on both of yours as well.

[ Even Weiss can admit it's kind of odd that there are humans on multiple planets considering space travel is a death sentence on her planet. ]