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

[yallstupid]

[The laugh is a little surprising, and the smile just as much so, but the shock doesn't last long before Guzma is charmed by the child's pleasant air and crouches down beside them, looking over the little bushel of blooms carefully, tilting his head to one side.]

Stubborn...heh. Kinda like you, huh? [He chuckles, then moves toward the river and pulls out a water holster - made by the resident Keebler twins - and fills it up with fresh, cold water. Absently, he muses over the thought of there being any fish in this river...heaven knows he'll need to stock up on supplies himself.]

Y'know, there was a story 'bout something like that back when I was growing up. There's s'posed to be a pokemon what makes flowers grow - 'nuff to cover a wicked as place like this, even.

[achievementhunter]

[Kind of like them. They don't answer outright, but the bright, almost proud smile speaks volumes anyway- it's pleasing, to be likened to the plants. Something bright and cheerful, that leaves an impression on the mind.]

See, that's the exact kind of Pokemon I'd like to meet. I found a pokemon egg once, but... I gave it away. [A slight pause, before they move on. Better to not think about it- why they did.

How it had felt, to feel like they couldn't take care of it.]

There's a story in my world, too- but it's not quite as happy.

[yallstupid]

Well, y'all is close 'nuff, yeah. The flower I called your sibling is one that pokemon's known for - Gracidea. Those sorts'a flowers bloom all over its body...but good stories don't gotta be happy, y'know. I'd like to hear it.

[In fact, he'd love to share a few of the old myths and tales he knows with this child, or wish up a book full of them for the two siblings, one day. Somehow, he really thinks they'd like them. Some are, after all, exciting, frightful, and somber. Pokemon history isn't as pleasant as some people might think, nor are the creatures themselves just soft, cute, obedient creatures. They are wild and dangerous until caught and tamed, or bred.]

Dang, you found an egg? That's a rare treat, but raising a 'mon from an egg's tough work - they're real dependent on ya for everything until they get big 'nuff to hold their own better. Y'know what sorta pokemon it was? Or, uh....what happened? [If the egg hatched and is doing alright now, wih its new owner.]

[achievementhunter]

[He'd like to hear it, huh? They wouldn't... well. Perhaps they would consider telling him, another time, but it wouldn't be with the thoughtful, almost sad expression that crosses their face.]

I gave it to someone who could take care of it. But one of the people who knew more about them said it was a Riolu. [Where it is now... is another question entirely, one they don't really want to think about. It didn't arrive with him, and it's not here now.]

But if you wanted a story, I guess...

It starts a very long time ago, at the end of a great war between humans and monster. The entire kingdom of monsters were sealed underground by a magical barrier. Trapped in a cavern under a mountain far too small for so many creatures, they had to do the best they could. They recreated their kingdom, at the very center of which was the royal family- their king, queen...and eventually, a little prince.

Whilst nothing could exit the barrier, things could come in. Wildlife could be caught underground none the wiser, and sometimes, things fell through- waste, from a human town close by. One day, as the little prince was playing in the garden, he heard someone calling for help. Following the voice, he came upon something interesting.

A human child, who had fallen a great distance through a hole in the mountain.

[yallstupid]

[A Riolu? Guzma's brows both shoot up, like he's mildly shocked for a moment - Riolu are pretty rare in Alola, only a small handful of Lucario and their packs roamed about on Poni Island, in a spot that was restricted to only highly experienced trainers. They were difficult to get, so having a one hatch from an egg is a rare treat. He recalls, faintly, their sibling had a Drifloon...so this one had a Riolu...hm.

Guzma says nothing, however, once the child begins to tell their tale. He crouches down by the bank with them, resting his arms on his bent knees as he listens, watching the water trickle downstream. A war? Humans and...monsters? Didn't Muffet says that's what she was? He hums, thoughtfully - another piece of this puzzle, maybe - and nods, urging them to go on, and to affirm he is listening. Only when the mention of someone calling for help, a human child, does Guzma finally look at his companion, clearly unnerved.]

They fell? [A great distance. They fell from a great distance... He feels his stomach lurch, remembering when he first found Luna here, in this world. Trying to climb down a steep cliff face.] What the--jeez, was the kid okay?

[achievementhunter]

[A short laugh.]

They were gravely injured. Without the prince's help, they surely would have perished. He took them home and his parents cared for the child as if they were one of their own. The child became a member of the royal family overnight, and they and the prince became like siblings.

And for a while, everyone was happy.

Until one day, the human became very ill. The monsters, incapable of dealing with human sickness, could only watch as the child began to waste away, quietly requesting only one thing.

To see the golden flowers from their village, one more time.

[yallstupid]

[Ahah...so the story did indeed have a very bittersweet ending. Guzma listens on, actually letting himself sit instead of simply squatting next to the youngster. He straighten one leg, letting his heel swivel a bit as he exhales, taking it all in. Monsters, huh? This doesn't seem like just a story, if he had to chance a guess...and that worries him. It worries him a lot.

Guzma glances at the flowers the child is planting, and then looks up at the sky, the sun. He doesn't know what to say, or to ask. Everyone was happy for a while - that's good, isn't it? That's good...at least they were happy.]

Did they get to see 'em again?

[achievementhunter]

No, they didn't.

[Their smile is gone.]

The human died that very night. And their brother, wracked with grief, did something foolish- escaping through the Barrier, he brought their body to the village of the humans, if only to place their body in the flowers they so loved.

The humans attacked this apparent child killer with everything they had. After carrying his sibling's body home, he also succumbed to death. Their bodes had been coated with the seeds of the flower that human loved so much; eventually, golden flowers covered the floor of the throne room.

A reminder of everything that had been lost to the humans.

[yallstupid]

[That's... Well, they did say the story had a sad ending. Guzma is quiet, a little empty. He looks at the child beside him for a moment, but can't find the words he wants to say - or maybe it's just not his place to question them. He waits, a moment longer, if the story has more to it, then exhales slowly as the silence fills the space between himself and the young child.

It's heavy on his chest, and yet--]

...I hope these flowers grow to cover this desert.

[He means that sincerely.]

[achievementhunter]

[It's only sad because it's not the full story. They wonder how he would react- how anyone would react, knowing the truth of it. Knowing that the entire scenario was caused by a fistful of flowers and a child far too ambitious for their own good.

It's odd. They've never felt guilty for that before, and yet... acknowledging that it was their fault, coupled with the oddly sincere sentiments from Guzma, has their vision blurring for a moment, until they wipe their eyes with an odd, husky laugh.]

So do I.