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.

---

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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Just Drifting In, Part IV: A New Text

[aurabble]

[Jaune gets ready to shout Weiss's name a fourth time when her yell stuns him into silence. He has to make sure it's her, but no one else would be that irritated with him. He's never been this happy to hear Weiss mad at him. Dropping his knapsack, he goes running in the direction of her voice.]

WEIIIISS!!!

Just Drifting In, Part V: The Emoticons Strike Back

[whiteas]

[ Despite herself, she's running toward the voice. She'd seen Ruby earlier (and then lost Ruby earlier.. Ruby was very good at getting separated from the group, whether it's because Zwei has to pee or she sees a Penny) and now Jaune.. were they all there? What kind of strange place was this that it was bringing them together?

Once she gets in viewable distance she slows down, looking surprised. Then she remembers the last time she and Jaune spoke, her throat tightening up. As much as she would like to say getting free from her father had made things better, that didn't mean it made everything better. Weiss herself hadn't even really had a way to process anything that had happened besides sitting alone in her room and her little Boarbatusk episode. Her steps stopped a fair distance from Jaune as she tried to collect herself, taking a deep breath and forcing it down. ]

You look like a wet rat, so don't even think about hugging me.

[ She knows exactly what Ruby went for first and while she didn't particularly mind, Ruby wasn't soaked to the bone. ]

Just Drifting In, Part V: Return of the Snapchat

[aurabble]

[Weiss is the first familiar person he's heard was there, and one he wondered the most about how she was after the fall of Beacon. He already had some idea of how Yang was thanks to seeing Ruby, and he never really talked to Blake. Despite all they had gone through, most of it his own fault thanks to his exceptional listening skills, Weiss was someone he had learned to respect, and trust. When she had just disappeared, picked up by her father, he wanted to know if she was...

She was probably safer, but he wanted to know how she was. He wasn't handling everything in the healthiest manner, but he had some sort of outlet. Ren and Nora especially were there to support him, and trying to help Ruby as she encouraged them to keep going made its own difference. He imagined it was probably harder to do that when there were parents around, if Weiss's father was anything like his own parents.

He stared at the friend he hadn't seen in months, arms outstretched--

And came to a running stop, freezing in front of her. There was a flash of disappointment in his eyes, but he buried it down. If Weiss didn't want to hug, he wasn't about to try and force it.]

You look beautiful. [He blurted out without thinking, grimacing and shaking his head as he started to correct himself.] That wasn't a... I'm not trying to use pick-up lines on you, I just meant that it's good to see you.

[He wasn't sure if he would again.]

Just Drifting In, Part VII: The Facetime Awakens

[whiteas]

[ Weiss would probably not stop him from hugging her once he dried off. She would complain relentlessly about it, of course, but she had just managed to dry off properly. She wasn't about to have a person who was wearing the ocean like Georgio Armano put it out for Atlas Fashion Week get it all over her. ]

I look like I woke up on a raft with a bunch of strangers and haven't seen a hairbrush since.

[ She's already giving him a dull look, but she appreciates the backtracking. He knows better than to hit on her, especially given the circumstances. She may be a little more forgiving because she hasn't seen many people from home in some time, either. ]

I'm glad you're okay. Ruby told me you were together- she's here too, but she's the only other person I've seen from Remnant. [ That's going to open up a can of worms, she knows. ]

Just Drifting In, Part VIII: Wrongnumber One

[aurabble]

[From his seaweed-covered point of view, Weiss looks pristine as ever. He's pretty sure he feels something crawling in his hoodie, so he briefly moves it, spilling a cup of water and one small flopping fish along with it.

Wait, what?]

You got a raft? [He just stares at her incredulously.]

[He goes quiet, absorbing this news, face falling and eyes going cold and glassed over.] So you haven't...

[Even daring to hope that she would be here was a stupid mistake. He should know better. His voice is softer, more vulnerable now, before hardening again.] We should be looking for the others. If we're all here, there's a good chance Ren and Nora are around somewhere too. Maybe even Blake and Yang, seeing as we were on entirely different continents. Come on. [He nods ahead of them, certain Weiss will want to go along and find their friends.]

IM OUT OF STAR WARS MOVIES BC I DONT REMEMBER WHAT THE NEW ONE THAT ISNT OUT YET IS CALLED

[whiteas]

I was on my way to Mistral. So not entirely different continents-- Jaune don't lose that fish!

[ THAT IS FOOD AND/OR BAIT DEPENDING ON ITS SIZE, JAUNE, DON'T BE SO SLOPPY! Weiss is hurrying over toward it and trying very carefully to pick it up by the tail despite its flopping. She's kind of wincing at it as she holds it as far away from her face as possible. ]

THE LAST SELFIE?

[aurabble]

You think this was a Mistral thing? What fish--

[Jaune snorts when he sees Weiss trying to hold the fish and walks back over, pulling the knife from his knapsack. His hand is outstretched.]

Let me see it.

THE PHONE WARS (and phone wars, which is different than THE phone wars)

[whiteas]

[ She doesn't, but she's more distracted by the fish right now. Does this count as her first fish caught? Even if she caught it after Jaune dropped it.

Weiss brings it over to Jaune, still holding it away from her. ]

Here.

YES PERFECT. And I guess we could move on to all of the novelizations

[aurabble]

[He's pretty sure it counts because he was just going to ignore it. He takes the fish from her and, without any warning, spikes the knife into its skull to quickly kill it. Removing the knife, he's already cutting it to bleed it out while he talks casually.]

Would you happen to have any of that Ice dust on you?

aint nobody got time for that

[whiteas]

[ Stabbing definitely doesn't bother her, and honestly a dead fish is a lot more appealing to her than a live one. ]

I do but since we're not even in Remnant anymore, I'm not going to waste it on a fish.

[aurabble]

It might go bad if we don't eat it soon. It's kind of hot here.

[He kind of holds it away so the blood won't get on him.] What makes you think we're not in Remnant?

[whiteas]

Isn't there something else we can preserve it with?

[ She is super protective of her Dust at this point. ]

Essentially everyone I've spoken to has no idea what Remnant is, or they're flat-out a species I've never even heard of.

[aurabble]

I don't know. Maybe salt?

[He shrugs.]

So instead of deciding that they're lying, or we're sharing the same dream, you've decided we're on another world.

[whiteas]

[ she squints at the ocean. How do you get the salt out ]

I had a dream, this feels different. Also I don't think Yrel is of our world.

[aurabble]

[he looks over her shoulder, trying to see what she's staring at.] What are you doing?

Yeah, it does, but another world? It's kind of a lot to accept. I met a girl who looks kind of like a spider. She was nice. Who's Yrel?

[whiteas]

I mean it has to be called salt water for a reason, right? Is there a way to separate the salt and the water?

Muffet? I thought so as well. Yrel is a draenei- you'll recognize her immediately. Blue, hooves, tail, glowing eyes... [ But intelligent and not a monster. ]

[aurabble]

What? [his voice rises in pitch.] I mean, yeah, but I found some salt in the knapsack that was with me. I don't want to use it all on the fish. We need it for flavor too.

I hope she's okay. Or as okay as she can be. [he perks in interest.] Hey Weiss, have you ever wanted glowing eyes?

[whiteas]

How much did you find? What else did you have?

[ Weiss is Nora right now. She has the hammer. She wants to know what Jaune has. ]

I like my eyes as they are.

[aurabble]

It was a canister. Probably about the same amount of tablesalt, give or take. I also got a knife, a tarp and some soap.

I do too-- I want glowing eyes. Then I could see at night better.

[whiteas]

I have a hammer, flint and tinder, some weird beads, and a shaving razor which you cannot borrow. [ it is going to be her lifeline to keeping those legs fabulous. ] Also a small amount of Dust and my suitcase- I can't find the rest of my things. [ And what she's wearing, obviously, so she doesn't include that in the list. ]

I don't think they need to glow to see well at night or else we would've figured out Blake was a faunus much sooner.

[aurabble]

Ah-- [he frowns in disappointment, rubbing his jaw which is currently smooth. not that he can feel it with his gloves on.] Do you have the weird beads with you?

Yeah but if they glow I imagine they're like your own personal flashlight. Which would be inconvenient during the day.

[whiteas]

[ She nods and swings the backpack that looks oversized on her over her shoulder, setting it on the sand before pulling out a jar of the firestarter beads. ] They're these. Do you know what they are?

Highly inconvenient, I agree.

[aurabble]

[He scrutinizes the beads with clear interest before shaking his head.] Don't know. Let's try eating them.

[whiteas]

Why would you eat a bead!?

[ What kind of logic is that, Jaune! ]

[aurabble]

Obviously to see if it's magic! I thought you read!

[Just one bead Weiss not the whole jar!]