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

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 )

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Listen man if he's gotta give a MILLION pep-talks to get that self-confidence up then YOU BETTER BELIEVE HE'S GUNNA DO IT. But for now he's satisfied with that he has, nodding firmly with clenched fists.

He smiles hearing that affectionate insult - it reminds him of bashful Donald, who would call his brothers-in-arms rascals and fools with every beat of love in his heart.]

So until you find them, or they find you... Let's not give up hope, okay? We just got here, after all. The possibilities are endless, so I'm gunna stick with findin' all the good ones. And if you ever need a reminder about any of this, you come find me, okay? Cause right now, we're all neighbors on this big funny island.

And if you can't find me...

[A dramatic point at Golisopod.]

You make sure he keeps his head up, okay? We're not gunna find any clues about this place if he's always lookin' down!

[Golisopod jerks when he's suddenly addressed, antennae twitching to and fro. He blinks slowly, then rumbles before letting out a loud bellow to the sky. Bro, was there any chance he'd let his best friend and trainer wallow in his self-doubt and misery? Absolutely not. Golisopod has been with Guzma for over a decade now, he knows the man more than anyone ever could hope to. They are, truly, family.

Guzma, however, just snorts loudly before he explodes with laughter, smacking his hands on his knees to keep himself upright. Holy smokes, what a determined little Raticate - never thought a dark type would be so full of hope and...and is that justice he hears? Lordy, but that is rich. Someone actually trying to resuscitate his hopes and dreams? That alone is downright hysterical, and Guzma can't stop laughing about it, but it's not obnoxious in the way that most trial-going kids are gung ho about their journeys.

This, with every bit of honesty he can give, was a nice change. Guzma will never change (or so he believes), but it's cute people are trying to bring up up when he's so far down already.]

Hoo...haven't laughed like that in years, bro. But if I'm feeling down, I know who to go to to give me one heck of a chuckle, that's for sure. [Hey, it's something? He reaches out absently to ruffle a hand between Mickey's ears, then pulls back suddenly. Oops, right, he's not a pokemon.]

[In another situation, that guttural bellow would have scared the pants off Mickey, but right now, he knows it's a rallying cry! YAY BROS!

... Although he doesn't know what he said that's so funny. Mickey blinks, not sure if this is a good reaction or a bad one. Well... he supposes it's better than Guzma wallowing in self-pity, so, maybe good???

And when the little ruffle comes, it is sort of surprising, but this time it's Mickey who laughs, as he's reminded of his 'big' brothers, Goofy and Donald, who do that to him all the time.]

Ha-ha! Well, I'm not too hard to spot! I might be small, but I'm kinda hard to ignore, ain't I?

[Well, that didn't become as awkward as it could have been, and Guzma instead shoves his hands into his pockets instead. He's really going to have to work hard to see these weird creatures as anything but fantasized version of pokemon he knows. It's definitely not going to happen overnight, but maybe he'll actually treat a few of them less like they're animals and more like, uh...sentient, talking animals.]

Funny, that...'cuz what I done mistook you for is all 'round the islands where I'm from. But even if I don't spot you, m'pretty sure me and Golisopod stick out a heck of a lot more'n you do.

[Well, Guzma has a good point. Micky cups his chin in thought.]

Gee, I hope no one reacts as badly as I did when I first saw your friend there. Maybe I ought to go tell folks that he's around so they don't make my mistake. He deserves as warm a welcome as anyone else!

[That actually catches Guzma a little off-guard, it's the second time someone he barely knows has looked out for the well-being of his pokemon. He's stunned for a little while, quiet as his expression turns into something indescribable.]

...That ain't necessary, but I'm not about to stop you. They're safe so long as they with me, I can keep 'em out of harm's way real easy. [He just needs to recall them to their balls. Though, frankly, he'd appreciate it if people didn't just pull out swords and guns at his pokemon right off the bat, yes.]

Leave it to me, I'll get the word out!

[he salutes, and then turns on his heel - apparently he plans to 'warn' everyone as soon as possible.]

[And...there he go.

Guzma's not about to stop him right away, it'd be nice to have people warned about his pokemon and not to attack or injure (or worse, but he's not going to dwell on that thought) them upon sight. In all honestly, the more frightening-looking of his pokemon were perhaps the most friendly or the most timid. Scizor get hung up on battles, yeah, but only in the heat of the moment. Truly, Masquerain was the sassiest of the group, truly a hot-head like him and a ding-dang troublemaker.

He sighs, then waves off the little guy. Hopefully he doesn't get into any trouble or anything. Even if he's not a pokemon or anything, Guzma kinda likes the guy - overly cheerful, which is plainly obnoxious as all get out, but it's still...okay. Tolerable. Plus, he is doing him a real solid.

Hopefully nothing attacks or tries to eat him. Maybe Guzma should go tell everyone about the big rat coming to tell them about the big bugs. My, what a conversation that's going to be...sigh.]

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

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