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

[ohnehalfte]

Pasty nerd in kaiju undies, tyvm. Fortunately, he doesn't seem to pick up on any of Taako's melodrama, and instead jerks his head up to look at him, letting his foot fall back down in the sand. He huffs a bit, once he registers what was actually said to him, the corner of his mouth quirking slightly as he pushes his glasses up on his face. "Definitely one of those days, dude, but uh..." Here, both his eyebrows go up. "Did you just say you had a fridge dropped on you?"

[ohshitsweetflips]

What, does he custom order them? You know what, props actually. "Yeah I'm over it. That was in the past." Taako waves this away, it had just been a way to establish a common enemy, that enemy being absolutely uncalled for uses of gravity. He surveys the nerd's spread of mysterious but obviously nerdy belongings and knapsack haul with a lazy look, belied by pricked ears. "What'd you get in your stocking, my dude? Any good loot?"

[ohnehalfte]

Newt's head tilts a bit, eyeing the guy eyeing his stuff. His ears kinda prick at that question, though. "I got some stuff in that new knapsack that Fuckface McGee left us, but I also had some stuff on me from the previous places." He's immensely curious, though, sitting up to eye Taako, a slight grin edging onto his face. "What did you get?"

[ohshitsweetflips]

Hey, no shit, this nerd's alright. "Sugar, a blanket, some stuff," he actually sets the pack down and digs out the wood drill, "Whatever this is." Previous places, huh? He's got some stuff from some a them too, but that's not what this dude asked. "So who, in this case, is Fuckface McGee?" He asks this like it's the linchpin of solving this mystery, like maybe this guy somehow bypassed that question while he was busy stripping on the beach. Truth is, he is really hoping to find out if there's like, a specific entity at work here. And then maybe Magic Missile them into the hereafter.

[ohnehalfte]

There's definitely some interest in Newt's face when Taako pulls out the wood drill, but at that question, he can't help but bark out a laugh, high and cracking. "Whatever dick and-or dicks-" emphasis on the 's' "-that dragged us to this place. I dunno who they are, but they've gotta be a piece of shit."

[ohshitsweetflips]

So, been around the block a few, but nothing specific to offer about this situation. Ah well, it had been worth a shot. "Agreed on that, my dude."

Taako can pick up on the interest garnered by this rusted drill thing, that he has exactly zero use for off the top of his head, and he lets it swing balanced on his crooked finger. "So, how 'bout it, you got anything you wanna trade for this?" Make him an offer he can't refuse.

[ohnehalfte]

"Hmmm..." Newt hums, watching as the drill swings from this guy's finger. He's not really willing to trade any of his tech or food that came in his original backpack but...maybe he can pawn off something in that knapsack. "Any possible particular interest in a hammer?" He doesn't think so, but he's got one from Haven in his toolbox already, so he doesn't need the second that came with the knapsack. And anyway, if he doesn't want the hammer, Newt's got one more possible thing he could trade.

[ohshitsweetflips]

Taako considers the hammer with an exaggerated head-tilt. It's better than a drill thing, but also pretty much the easiest tool to replicate without actually having it, y'kno? It's basically a rock on a stick. Food would have been a better offer. "I dunno, not really feelin it. What else you got, homie?" Lack of real interest in hammers aside, bartering is pretty sweet.

[ohnehalfte]

There's a moment where Newt again considers his haul. As far as he can see, he's got one other thing to offer, because he's not about to part with any of his food. It'd be hard to know by looking at him because he's gotten back up to a normal weight, but past starvation and malnourishment has ensured that that's what he holds on to most tightly out of everything, even the electronics. He frowns a bit, more out of thought than anything, before extending his next offer.

"I can give you about a third of my bar of soap. But other than that, that's all I'm willing to part with."

[ohshitsweetflips]

Taako looks much more intrigued by this offer. Not that he's completely averse to being garbage, but there's a difference between leaning into it on occasion and having the lifestyle completely forced onto you by circumstance. "Tell you what. Gonna make you an offer you can't refuse." He grins, showy and conspiratorial, before digging into the knapsack once more and retrieving the bottle of water purifying tablets.

"Meet me half way, make it fifty-fifty, and I'll throw in some a these bad boys." He shakes the bottle enticingly.

[ohnehalfte]

Wow, yep, that bottle of tablets sure got Newt's attention fast. His eyes are narrowing, leaning in a bit to eye the bottle, and holds out his hand for it. "Can I see?" He glances back up at Taako. "I won't take any, I swear."

[ohshitsweetflips]

Yeah, he had a feeling that might tip the scales a bit. He's got plenty of them for now, and there's gotta be water somewhere, just waiting to be boiled. Inconvenient, maybe, but not the end of the world. He should know.

Taako hunkers down, elbow on one knee, and passes Newt the bottle affably enough. He wants to make sure this next bit is personal, so it's good to be on his level. "Yeah you won't, because I will definitely Magic Missile you into a smoking crater if you do." He says this without any detectable reduction in friendliness. "How 'bout it?"

[ohnehalfte]

Newt accepts the bottle then, turning it over in his hands--but at Taako's comment about the whole Magic Missile thing, he laughs. "Dude, are you serious? Are you sure you want to use a spell slot on that?" ...wait. He frowns. "Or...wait. Magic Missile is a cantrip, isn't it?" He can't remember. He was more into playing rogues and rangers, himself.

[ohshitsweetflips]

Taako narrows his eyes. Not the easiest nerd to intimidate, then. And kinda unknowledgeable about magic. Oh well. He settles onto the sand more comfortably, and does a breezy shrug. "Nah dude, level 1, but you gotta do what you gotta do, right?"

[ohnehalfte]

Okay, wait, hold up. Newt stares at Taako for a hot second, blinking, before--"Wait. Are you serious? Can you actually cast Magic Missile?" Because he was making a joke, but this guy totally is totally talking about it like it's a real thing.

[ohshitsweetflips]

You take that back right this second, Taako never talks about anything like it's a real thing and does not intend to start. What, precisely, is this guy's beef? He's not completely foreign to the idea of magic, just maybe not real brushed up on the specifics. "Now, far be it from me to tell you how to be impressed by me, but that's not really that big a deal. What's your damage?"

[ohnehalfte]

"Dude. Magic doesn't exist in my world." Newt's grinning widely, now. "Not real magic, anyway. Only slight-of-hand stuff."

[ohshitsweetflips]

No wonder he's being such an enthusiastic dork about it then, dang. Still weirdly knowledgeable for not having any real experience, but whatever, that's the nerd way. Taako wrinkles his nose in what he believes to be sympathy. "Ugh. Let me tell you, I have been to some shitty worlds, but that one sounds like garbage." He seems to reconsider, and offers a half sincere, "No offense."

[ohnehalfte]

Newt chokes on a laugh that comes out more like a cackle. "It's not so bad! I mean, there's giant alien creatures that came from another world via the ocean to try and wipe out humanity, and they're pretty cool and interesting! So there's that. Also, non-magical technology, so it's not like we're living in the Dark Ages or something. We Muggles have progressed, I promise." It does not occur to Newt that Taako might have zero idea of what a Muggle is.

[ohshitsweetflips]

Okay,those are for sure some priorities on display, he digs the big apocalypse ocean monsters, alright. That was probably a lot of work for someone, somewhere, and Taako does not envy them. "Sure, gotta keep your chin up, life gives you alien monsters, make monsterade. So what'll it be, we got a deal, or what?" Ya boy is serious about his soap and he doesn't see a Fantasy Lush on the horizon. Starting out the gate with a handicap is not a good look and he wants every advantage. "Taako's got places to be."

[ohnehalfte]

Newt blinks--and yep, attention returns to the tablets in his hand, and he offers the bottle back with a quick of his mouth. "I might be tempted to hand over half of my soap, depending on how many tablets you're willing to part with."

[ohshitsweetflips]

What a surprisingly hard-bargaining nerd. "Talk me up from seven with your hammer, and remember you're getting a drill, too. I could always use the metal to make something else. If I get bored." What the hell, right? Dude doesn't need two hammers. "I'm just lookin out for you, here. Don't want you carrying too much." Taako grins like a friendly shark. On the surface at least, this is actually a pretty good deal; blame the stress of his landing, and ingratiating survival instincts kicking in.

[ohnehalfte]

Taako grins, and Newt barks out a laugh. "Gee, dude, thanks so much. What would I do without you?" That's definitely a joke, without any malice. He's enjoying this back and forth. "Make it fourteen tablets--enough for two weeks--and I'll throw in the hammer. I know you magic-users need shit to make your spells and rituals work sometimes."

[ohshitsweetflips]

You know, he kinda wants to come back with ten, to see how far he can push this game, and it is a very fun game, Newt's not wrong about that. But he's really not even that attached to the tablets, except as currency, and as such they are functioning as intended as far as he's concerned. Taako is feeling generous, he can make this work, this dude's breezy demeanor in the face of a cosmic fuckup despite his native nerd handicap is winning him redeemable points in the Taako general store (cool name tbd). This dude has seen some shit, it seems like; let him have two weeks of potable water, damn. Even if this beach campout horseshit still isn't Taako's responsibility, for the record. "Alright, we got a deal. What's your name, dude? I want you to go down in the books as the first guy to ever hustle Taako."

[ohnehalfte]

"Newt." And said person-who-is-not-an-actual-amphibian is going to hold out his hand, still grinning, pleased with the deal struck. "Newt Geiszler."