December Intro: Don't Come Home for Christmas

[lifeaftr_mods]

INTRO LOG: DECEMBER

Who: Everyone!
What: New souls arrive to the archipelago of LifeAftr
When: December 3rd and onward
Where: Monsun
Warnings: Mark as needed!

The Overview: Uncharted Waters
Stay alert, new adventurers; instead of the white-sand beaches of Enso, you will instead be coming to on one of two sides of the relatively uncharted lands of Monsun. Most of the information regarding this peculiar land can be found in the informational post linked, but as a quick-and-dirty rundown: Monsun's western side is a hot wasteland of a desert prone of disasters and mishaps, but will affect your character's emotional and psychological state in a positive sense, while its eastern side is a verdant forest filled with endless resources...as well as a tendency to bring out the absolute worst of your character.

To start with, all new arrivals will be showing up in one of two squares that characters uncovered last month! We are leaving it up to player discretion as to which side of the island your character arrives on, but bear in mind the psychological repercussions!

All new arrivals will additionally awake with knapsacks, their names stitched to the front. The contents of said knapsacks can all be found in your acceptance notices!

Monsun, C4: These Are Your Good Years
You wake to the hot sun steaming overhead, rapidly drying your clothes and belongings, waterlogged from washing upon this desolate shore. The heatwaves shimmer at your vision, distorting your view of the horizon. But if you really squint, it looks like there might be something dark green fringing that pipecleaner skyline, like a lush woodland awaits you on the other side of this desert nightmare. A mirage, maybe?

Whatever it is, you don't get very long to contemplate it. Beneath your feet, the ground has begun to shake as a many-headed horror erupts from the earth. Great streams of pale sand slough from its dry, scaly hide as multiple horned heads unfurl in a hissing inflorescence. The creature's eyes are all pale as grubs; it is quite blind. But that does not mean it cannot smell you. Boasting both a thick hide and a chitinous coat of sandy-colored scales that blends them perfectly with their surroundings, Sand Hydras sleep several feet under the sand until they sense the vibrations of potential prey aboveground. While they are significantly smaller than their mythological counterparts - they can only span eight to twelve feet in length - Sand Hydras are cunning creatures nonetheless with a number of heads that can vary from one to as high as ten. Their weakness, on the other hand, is simple: water burns them like acid. It seems they may flourish only in any moisture-poor environment.

Assuming your character lasts that long, remember: as physically destructive as Monsun's west may be, your character's most admirable traits will be amplified to their fullest potential by the twenty-four hour mark.

Monsun, D3: Before You Bury Yourself Alive
Those waking on the eastern side of the island, on the other hand, will face a far more pleasing tableau. The temperature is perfect, the sun shines modestly through the canopy of deciduous greenery above your head, and the air is thick and sweet with the smell of fresh fruit.

That's right - within minutes of their arrival, your character will discover several plants laden with fresh wild blackberries. Should that temptation arrest their attention, should they be vulnerable to the foibles of greed or hoarding or paranoia, your character may very well wish to keep this treat to themself. Or...perhaps not. Perhaps they'd much rather search out a fight, or try to steal someone else's supplies, or embark on a poorly-advised mission to swim out into Monsun's surrounding waters.

For that is, after all, the catch: as physically soothing as Monsun's east may be, your character's most hateful traits will be amplified to their fullest potential by the twenty-four hour mark.

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As a final note to those who participated in the Test Drive Meme, bear in mind that 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.

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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

[shineinside]

[Yeah, no. She's not buying that. Yuka closes her eyes and expands her healing circle - that part of her powers still seems to be working. It should at least push back some of the heat and fatigue.

With that taken care of, she gathers herself a bit.]

Have you talked to any of the people who were already here? I know about a camp we can go to where we should be safe.

[daydreamy]

Uhh, a few people? There was a guy with some water and then there was a spider lady and—did you know this place had spider ladies? Spider ladies who talk.

[ Kyouko is Shook, evidently.

But though she feels she should protest – Yuka must already be tired and Kyouko doesn’t want her to waste her energy – she can’t deny that she feels better and stronger with Reflector Shine’s magic washing over her. It’s enough for Kyouko to straighten up a bit and stop flopping all over Yuka like a liquid cat. Well, not quite so much anyway. ]

A camp, though… so we can get some food and take a nap? I’m starving, I’d eat basically anything right now.

[shineinside]

Yeah, I met her... she was nice...

[With all the tension flowing out of her now that she's found Kyouko, it doesn't take any magic powers to tell how utterly drained Yuka is. After that last bout of healing, she looks like she needs a nap even more than Kyouko does. She's been wandering the desert all day looking for her partner.]

The camp probably has food... it was, uh... this way, I think...?

[daydreamy]

Are you gonna be okay? I can tell you're totally beat, you know.

[ tact: not located. ]

I could probably transform too, you know! And if you're getting worn out, just point me in the right direction and I bet I could piggyback you there.

[shineinside]

[ It's so HOT and her legs kind of feel like jelly, but she already had her share of getting carried for today, and knows Kyouko's stamina isn't the best, so she shakes her head. ]

Be careful with those... my powers have stopped working a couple times already. At least I can stay transformed...

I should be okay long enough to get to the camp. I don't want you to tire yourself out helping me...

[daydreamy]

What, like you just did?

[ She says it cheerily enough that it doesn’t sound scolding but just you watch her raise those eyebrows at you, Yuka Ichijou. Don’t think she can’t tell you’re worn out. ]

Seriously, if you’re tired, I wanna help! It’s not fair for me to make you drag me all the way there if you’re worn out.

[shineinside]

[ Urk.

She wants to say that Kyouko's already done so much for her before, and that she should be the one sacrificing things for Kyouko now, but she already knows that she wouldn't accept that logic. Besides, if she wants to make up for all the things she did, shouldn't she at least start by listening to what her savior is saying? ]

...If I end up needing your help, I won't protest, I promise. But for now, you should save your energy, okay? I can keep going for a while.

[daydreamy]

Fiiiiine, okay, okay. But if you gotta take a break, even just for a second, tell me okay? It'll be fine!

[ She pumps her fist, to underline it, even though she still looks sort of like she's going to fall on her face right there in the sand. ]

We just gotta stick together and we'll be fine!