lifeaftr | January Intro: I Know the Winter's Getting Colder

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January Intro: I Know the Winter's Getting Colder

INTRO LOG: JANUARY

Who: Everyone!
What: New souls arrive to the archipelago of LifeAftr
When: January 5th and onward
Where: Chol and surrounding waters
Warnings: Mark as needed!

The Overview: New Lands
New arrivals will not be waking in the typical hub of activity; instead, they will find themselves coming to on the small island of Chol. While the island's fringes are little more than an unforgiving spread of craggy, canyon-like rock and coastal cliffs, the island dips down to form a fertile divot of edenic woodland in its center. The people living there will even be helpful and polite to you, should you inquire after them.

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!

Icebreaker: This is the Winter of Our Youth
Unless you're someone with a fondness for the cold, you'll undoubtedly be waking with more than a slight chill in your bones. The appearance of the island of Chol has signaled a coming event of great import in LifeAftr, and unfortunately, the signs of that event's approach have already been set in motion. The temperature has begun to drop as the sun's rays begin to die, faster and faster, leading to an impressive cold snap in the ocean waters - particularly those surrounding Chol.

It is for that reason that you won't be waking on Chol, per se. Instead, you'll be waking on a thick crust of ice that's mantled itself over the ocean waters, freezing solid enough to bear your weight...for the most part.

The ice won't hold forever; it isn't meant to. If you happen to be particularly vivacious in your waking, or especially active in general, thick cracks will start to spiderweb out from underneath those impacts with low, warning chunks and wrenches of fracturing ice. Better hurry to land soon, unless you care to take a little dip into those freezing cold ocean waters.

Mainland: When We Pick Over the Past
Should you make it to the land of Chol, braving the iced-over waters surrounding its craggy shores, you'll encounter something at least as startling - the people who have elected to set up a rudimentary encampment upon its lands. While a bit on the scalier side, the Jormun are nonetheless allied to you land-dwellers, and will welcome you to the island.

Most will be preoccupied with preparations for an approaching siege, but many will comment idly that the cold is a sign of the coming battle. Some may point you to their leader, known to most as Munin, but others will venture hospitality based on the actions of those land-dwellers that came before you, who were successful in allying themselves to this sea-dwelling people.

Those who might have braved the cold a little too fiercely will quickly be offered some rather rough blankets - perhaps more on par with burlap sacks in terms of texture - as well as a hot brew that the Jormun call brrkshavak. Heated to a boil just prior to being served, the drink will be more than adequate in warming your weary bones, though it bodes mentioning that it is both scalding hot and made with a fleshy kind of undersea herb that is akin to crushed chili pepper in taste.

It'll warm you up, all right.

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.

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

Through misfortune.

[ He answers honestly, directly. Indeed, that's the pattern of how he conducts himself. ] It is the name given to those of my household that acts as the representative in battle.

[All right, then. Mark "sarcasm" down for another thing that won't fly with him. A literalist. He can deal with that. He'll slip up, he knows, but he can deal with it for the time being. He'll do his best.]

Like...a gladiator, or something? [Someone who can fight, either way. That definitely attracts his interest.]

In part.

[ Hm. He thinks of how normally he would not speak on the matters involving his household, involving the Zodiac War, but he also thinks in not saying anything that dishonors those that have died. He could let all secrets die with him, but then their lives are also secret in this new world. Perhaps, that is for "the best," but it is not "right." Indeed, nothing they do will grant them rewards or praise; they are nothing but slayers of men. But they should not be forgotten. They fought and fought for a single wish and their own reasons to live, didn't they? ]

All of the Zodiac households, of which there are twelve, have a representative. We are tasked then to fight in battles to gain experience in mind, body, and technique. We are given twelve years to prepare and then we fight to kill one another.

[So. He's from a world that's big on zodiacs - big on the dozen, on top of it. Every place has its own gimmick. And he's pretty sure he knows the answer to the question on his mind, but he needs to ask it, or it'll keep nagging at him, he knows.]

...wouldn't happen to know anyone named Ozuma, would you?

No.

[ He does not recognize the name, anyway. Not in relation to the twelve Zodiac households. But, there has to be a reason for the question. Positive or negative, he cannot tell. ]

Why are you curious about my connection to that person?

Because he's the only other person I've met who had horns.

[He opens a hand briefly in the direction of the, uh...protrusions. Kinda makes him wonder what came first - the horns, or the title. Did he grow them? Are they prosthetic? Are they a result of being chosen, or did he volunteer, or...]

[He's not Jay. He doesn't ask questions in a frantic, frustrated spill. He keeps his mouth shut.]

I mean, he was kind of a...god, I guess. Allegedly.

I see. I can understand why there would be thought there would be some sort of connection between the two of us.

[ "Was" a god. That would mean that the Storyteller was able to bring in someone with exceptional power to this place, too. Desperation? Boredom? Either way, it would seem like they're all together now. The reason as to why he is present has already been decided -- everyone else probably came up with their own. With that "why," a person can come up with the reason to live rather than survive. With that in mind -- ]

You do not believe his claim?

When I showed up, he was down for the count. Didn't do a whole lotta godly things, while I was around.

[Then again, he wasn't around for very much. There were a lot of reasons for that, but most pressing were the reasons that took him out of play for what was supposed to be for good. Was supposed to be, but - isn't.]

I've kinda been around the block, I guess. Been to..."worlds" other than my own.

What do you consider godly?

[ A question that comes to mind now that he thinks about it. ]

Is that so? You are fortunate that you have been able to gain experiences beyond your own world. [ A beat. ] And what you have come up from your experience is -- what? What would you say that you've come back with from what you have encountered from other worlds?

Man, I grew up in Alabama. If I tried to answer that question, we'd be here all day.

[That reference will probably make absolutely no sense out of context, but it feels good to say it aloud. He has a special kind of disdain for his home state.]

[What has he come back with, from what he's encountered from other worlds?]

[He thinks about that for a moment, then he shrugs.]

Death, mostly.

[ Quietly: ]

That is all?

[ He shakes his head. ] If that is your first answer, that is what it is. Perhaps, this world will allow you to come to a different conclusion.

[Is that all?]

[No. But he is a liar; he lies by omission and he leaves things out. It's what he does. It's his nature, and more importantly, it's a promise.]

Yeah. I'm learning a lot about other people's deaths too. [Not that he didn't know that before, but he's learning even more about it now. Which is just, you know, fantastic.]

There is no value in death.

[ A calm statement. ] Becoming fixated on it is only going to kill you faster, not slower. Especially since you lack the presence of a fighter. [ But he does not understand how noncombatants feel. Is there an appeal to knowing death? He doesn't see it. Not at all. ]

Kinda the point of getting fixated on death. [He lacks the presence of a fighter, sure. But he's done a pretty great job of staying alive. Every time he's come close to the edge, or crossed that asymptote entirely, it's been under his own power, and by his own choice.]

[After all, he's spending most of his time chain-smoking out here. Like someone with some kind of death wish.]

Well, maybe I've got enough weapons to count as one.

You don't.

[ He shakes his head. ] And you should give it up. If all you have become is fixated on death, that all you do is search out more information on it in other worlds... what exactly are you living for? What exactly are you surviving for? I wonder those things, but ultimately...

[ Another shake of his head. ] I apologize. Such questions are meant for fighters. Please ignore them. [ And he takes another sip of his cider instead of saying more. ]

[Between the spear, the slingshot, the knives, the innumerable flammable items, and the fact that he lives with two kids who are pretty damn good with knives themselves? Yeah, he thinks he's set, thanks.]

Keeping other people safe.

[It's a simple answer, to a simple question. He doesn't live for his own sake - he never really has. His life has never truly been his. He was stupid enough to pretend otherwise for a time, and he knows how that works out.]

What is that? "I'll lay my life down on the line for these people?"

[ He cocks his head to the side. ]

You should give that up. That isn't a righteousness that can exist inside of anyone. It's why you're only able to look at death and nothing else. It is why you lack the presence of someone who is a fighter, as well. [ Ox lets out a small sigh. ]

You've been more than one world... and you haven't realized to cherish yourself more? Well, this is the world to do so.

No, [he says shortly.] It's not.

[Maybe the guy has his heart in the right place. But he's got no clue into the context of Tim's life, and he sure as hell isn't interested in allowing him that window. Not that he allows most people that window, if he can help it.]

You don't know me, pal, and you don't know why I do any of what I do. You got that?

Tim, sir.

[ His tone remains calm. ]

There is nothing to know about someone who made himself empty for the sake of others. [ Yet another sigh. Even Monkey who fought for peace, who was able to save countless lives -- he shakes his head yet again. ]

There is nothing right about it. And it is why you take offense and bring in death and weapons, because there is no righteous.

And there's nothing right about acting like you know a guy when you've really only just met him. Maybe I'm a liar. Maybe I'm not giving you the full story. Maybe I'm dangling a carrot and stick in front of your nose.

[Is he? Not particularly. But those are all traits within his wheelhouse, he knows. He is a liar. He's been lying to some people here ever since he arrived. Most people here, in fact.]

But, hey. What do I know, right?

I do not claim to know you. I claim there is nothing to know about a person who chases death.

[ He shrugs and takes another drink. ] But that may not be the truth for always. I am stating what I believe. For someone who chases death, who lacks the scent of bloodlust yet carries weapons, that is someone who needs to cherish their own lives more.

I do not know you but you have given me nothing to desire to know you. Because you have made yourself empty to me and there is no righteousness in seeking to fill an empty void with someone else's story, like mine.

And that’s a pretty broad statement to make about a whole mess of people you really don’t know anything about. [So the guy thinks poorly of him within about five minutes of meeting him. Fine. Wouldn’t be the first and won’t be the last. Tim lends himself to that. It’s easy.]

You don’t wanna know me? That’s fine. But I might’ve been someone who’d take offense to hearing judgmental bullshit coming from a guy who hasn’t even been here twenty-four hours.

[That’s advice. Take it.]

[ Ox merely hums in turn. It is merely that he pities him, and feels sorry for how his life must have come to decide to live in such a manner to even joke about an empty existence such as living to protect others. Especially from someone who has had the chance to visit multiple worlds.

To joke or lie about living such emptiness is worth some sympathy in his mind and so he says what comes to mind in turn. ]

I do not have to be in a place for a long time to say what is on my mind when someone says something to me. [ He breathes out another sigh, enjoying the warmth of the cider. ] You might have been but in the end, it doesn't matter. If you are angry at how a stranger views your life, you aren't happy with it, either.

More like I’m giving a stranger a bit of friendly advice about thinking on applying a filter.

[Does it matter, in the long run, if one guy finds him pitiable? Not really. The most important takeaway here is that the guy is a self-proclaimed warrior. If he can hold his own ina fight, Tim doesn’t much care what snap calls he’s making.]

[Much.]

Not everyone can take it the way I can.

If it were friendly, you would be smiling. You are just annoyed.

[ Another small shake of his head. ]

Calm down. There is nothing to be upset about because I disagree with what you have told me about yourself. [ A hum. Which is to say if someone were proud of how they lived their life, it wouldn't matter what Ox thought. There would be no pain in it, and no hurt. Which is also why Tim has his sympathy.

If someone adamantly wishes to live an empty life that they cannot be proud of it, that is unfortunate. Once more, he doesn't know what lead to such a decision but it doesn't appear to be the right one for Tim. Thinking again on it might be wise but it seems his advice is being met with offense. Ah well. ]

January Intro: I Know the Winter's Getting Colder

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