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

[manasponge]

'sit time already?

[ Marcille sat up, rubbing at her eyes in muzzy fashion as she slowly took in her new surroundings. ]

...Huh? The ocean? What the heck?

[ She sure as hell didn't remember getting on a boat, let alone some rickety-ass raft in the middle of nowhere. She picked up her knapsack. ]

And what's this?

[ She thrust in her hand and produced a coconut. ]

Oh, that's real rich!

[ Fuck this coconut. This coconut was everything wrong with the world. Only prudence stayed her from drop-kicking it into the calm horizon. ]

[unpurify]

[Two different reactions from two unique people. They were clearly not Elsen, but a man in a priest's garb and a young woman who seems to take issue with whatever she had drawn out of the sack.

And that was another thing to take note of. The knapsacks had each of their names on them as well. The Batter draws his closer with a calmness that is probably unsuited to this situation and opens it. A cloth, a packet of objects that could be editable, a jug filled with something he did not know of and a strange object. He'd figure that out later. There were more important things on hand.]

Where is this.

[Amazing how the Batter can make that not sound like a question, although he expects he won't receive a proper answer.]

[lionson]

If I had to guess, I'd say 'the middle of the ocean.'

[Oh good, he hasn't lost his sense of humor at least.

Shiro goes digging through his bag next, taking an inventory of everything he has. All of it seems useful (especially that first aid kit, he has a feeling he will be making good use of that), but one thing seems a little...

Well.

The look on his face says it all.]

Someone's messin' with us.

[manasponge]

Ummm...

[ Hmm, yes. That sickle. Hmm. Hmm.

Since the Batter was taking stuff out willy-nilly, though, Marcille's eyes would quickly come to rest on one of the items. ]

Hey, is that thing a drill? Can I borrow it for a second?

[ what was she going to drill, and was it skulls ]

[unpurify]

[The weapon(?) that the other man pulls out of his bag is curious and the Batter double-checks his own. In the bottom of the bag is....

Well. If only the Batter had the sense of humor to appreciate the irony. As it stands he does not, so back into the bag it goes. But to address the priest's comment first...]

I do not know what the 'ocean' is.

[The only thing that the Batter could compare it too is the meat fountains of Alma and even then, this place clearly dwarfs it in size. He has seen the color blue however, but it was darker. Not clear and bright like this.

But now was not the time to ponder it. The girl speaks up regarding the object he doesn't know of - a 'drill' apparently - and he holds it out to her.]

Do not break the vessel.

[Because guess who can't swim?]

[lionson]

[The Batter might not have a sense of humor, but Shiro certainly does, and he absolutely does snicker when he sees the rubber duck. How fitting.]

I think she's smart enough to know not to drill through the boat.

[At least, he hopes so. Please don't do something they'll regret, Marcille.]

And all of this- [He gestures to all the water.] -is an ocean.

[He pauses as he looks out in one of the directions though, squinting a bit.]

...except that bit over there. We should go that way, I think.

[manasponge]

And if I was going to break the boat, there are faster ways than using a drill!

[ These ways included fire. At any rate, Marcille began to drill away at the hard shell of the coconut. It was a bit of an awkward start, since she wasn't used to the tool, but she offered the tool back to the Batter without too much trouble in the process. That done, she tipped the coconut back and took a sip. When she finished, she was licking her lips in clear enjoyment. ]

Mmm, it really is good! Would you like any?

[ This was directed at either of them, though she supposed it was the Batter she had to thank here. ]

[unpurify]

[This whole expanse is an 'ocean', seemly endless if not for the strip of land on the horizon. It is impressive in a way and the Batter observes the water gently lapping against the vessel. He actually doesn't know what the liquid is. The closets thing he can think of is Plastic but there were many differences between the two as well.]

I see.

[He turns his attention to Marcille, taking the drill back when she hands it over and drops it back into the bag. It can puncture small holes into things, which is useful and he notes it down mentally. And the item she used the drill on apparently has a drinkable liquid inside. But since he doesn't know what it is, he'll pass. The Batter shakes his head.]

No. [And to Shiro:] I have not steered this type of vessel before. How does it work?

[lionson]

I'll pass. We probably want to save any drinkable liquids we have for right now anyway, there's no telling how long it'll take to get to land.

[And, well. He'd rather the kids drink it than himself, if it came down to it.

Meanwhile, he is rolling up the sleeves on both his cassock and the shirt underneath, leaving his arms bare up to the elbows.]

Normally we'd use oars or a motor, but since we have neither, we're gonna have to strong-arm it. I take it neither of you have done anything like this before? You'll wanna roll up your sleeves too.

[He's never had to go this far without oars, it's only ever been to cross a river at most. But he at least knows what to do, so maybe they'll make it. Maybe.]

[manasponge]

[ Marcille grimaced. The thought of trying to row to the island by hand wasn't particularly appealing.

She looked at her staff. ]

Hey, let me ask you something. Assuming this water was ground and not... well, water, do you think you could walk that distance?

[unpurify]

[It is an interesting proposal. The Batter places all of his items into the sack, followed by his baseball bat before mulling over the distance between where they currently were and where the island was.

He has walked distances like this before and if the girl had the power to make this ocean like the ground, he would not be against it. However...]

I can. But I cannot swim.

[The Batter wouldn't be against running if her spell had a timer, but he'd be in a lot of trouble if it wore off before they reached the land.]

[lionson]

Sure, that's no problem for me. Though we might want to take the boat with us.

[Calling it a 'boat' is being generous tbh.]

[manasponge]

That's fine! You won't need to. I'm going to cast Waterwalk on each of us, and then you'll be able to walk on the surface of the water. It should last a while, but if you start to sink a little, tell me and I'll recast the spell.

[ As it turned out, the spell involved a few words and touching each of them with her staff. ]

Remember, if you trip and fall under the water, the spell will still propel you to the surface. So don't panic and just... climb back up.

[ Well, they'd see if it happened to them. ]

[unpurify]

[It's probably a good thing the Batter doesn't panic. Or do much of anything else, emotional wise. Marcille casts her spell and he doesn't feel any different but he'll have to trust it works.

He doesn't stand up quite yet though.]

I will go first. Balance the vessel when I stand.

[Because things would likely get complicated if it capsized.]

[lionson]

Gotcha.

[He'll hold it steady. Because if Batter wants to be the one to test this magic, then Shiro isn't going to argue.]

[manasponge]

[ Marcille was muttering under her breath, something about maybe casting Waterwalk on this rickety-ass vessel.

Either way, she'd be next after the Batter, stepping easily onto the waves like someone wading through a shallow sea foam. ]

[unpurify]

[The sensation is a curious one and something he has never experienced before. Riding a Pedalo through rivers of plastic and meat was normal for him, this was not. The Batter does not bend over to touch the water, however. He had no idea what it would do if he did or if the action would disrupt the spell.

So the purifier will wait for everyone to be out and ready. They still need to decide what to do with the raft, after all.]

[lionson]

[Well, The Batter and Marcille aren't sinking, so.

Shiro gets out of the boat last, only stopping to turn around and grab the raft itself. It's not too large, so he can probably carry it himself, or at least drag it along in the water next to them.]

Well then! Let's be on our way.

[manasponge]

[ Marcille started walking, staff at her side and coconut stowed carefully in her pack. It might come in handy later. ]

That doesn't look like the island I was on, that's for sure.

[unpurify]

[The Batter is silent as he walks. Oddly enough he doesn't make much noise despite the 'ground' they currently were walking on.

But Marcille has a good point.]

This is not the place I was in earlier either.