lifeaftr | January Aftermath: What Would It Take

January Aftermath: What Would It Take

JANUARY AFTERMATH: WHAT WOULD IT TAKE

Who: Everyone!
What: The sun is reborn; time to recover
When: January 28th and beyond
Where: Everywhere! Ensō, Monsun, Chol, and the Islets
Warnings: Please mark any additional warnings as needed!

Quiet Like The Snow

Come the sunrise on the 28th, the sun will launch itself into the air with a victorious shriek, its wings trailing plumes of fire behind it. The phoenix takes flight, reborn from the ashes. Though not all the shadowy beings have gone from the world, the reappearance of the sun is enough to make them slink off into the shadows- a fight for another day...or another evening.

Now, it's time for the hardest part. Now, it’s time to clean up.

Chol

The grounds of Chol have reshaped seemingly overnight- as the morning light filters down across the land, characters will find most of the land has been blackened and charred, with many fires still raging inland. The Jormun will assist anyone who hasn’t yet to the western coast of the island; where not nearly as much of the phoenix’s impact has been felt, and a safe corridor of passage to the mana pool resides.

The shores of Chol are littered with corpses, both shadowy and scaled, along with an even smattering of crumpled paper and splotched inkstains. Despite the triumph of the fight, it did not come without its costs. The Jormun gather their dead and prepare to mourn them quietly. Those who perished in the fight will not see the sunrise from this unique perspective, watching the murk of the night tint to soft, milky yellow and pink, and then to a glorious new day.

Munin will greet the survivors with a mixture of solemnity and relief, thanking them profusely for their help. There is not much more that her people can offer you, at this point - they must grieve their dead, and she must return to the sea to prove that she has cemented her worth as a leader in the eyes of the other Jormun - but that does not mean that your stories will part forever.

Ensō and Monsun

Ensō too, has seen its far share of battle. The full scale of just how much the Storyteller had kept at bay around the temple is revealed through the copious piles of shadowed corpses, several wane Jormun already at work on removing them. They assure anyone who seeks to assist that below the ocean, there is effective manners of disposal; such as large, active volcanoes to demolish the flesh before any untoward magics can give them new life.

Heat will slowly begin to return to the island, with slow coming to a halt and ice beginning to thaw. Whilst rugging up is still a requirement, characters will be capable of making their way back to the mostly unscathed islets to rebuild their own lives, or wherever else they may call home.

A notable change to Ensō, however, is as easy to find as looking up. Literally. Several floating land masses can now be seen high above the island itself- too far for anything distinguishable to be made out and too far for those capable of flight to reach. Those who watch these masses may be interested in how, over the course of a day, these strange masses seem to change shape entirely- almost as if they were simply a very unique cloud coverage that seemed ready to become a permanent fixture overhead.

Much like Ensō, Monsun sees little wear, past the additions of many felled creatures. Again, a party of Jormun are slowly navigating their way about the island-- though if they get to the corpses before Monsun’s native meat eaters do is anyone’s guess. In the stillness of the coming days, the usual monster attacks will seemingly dwindle to nothing-- even a god of Balance seems to understand the need for recuperation.

Additionally....
Though the Storyteller is once again nowhere to be found, exhausted adventurers will find three MREs in their packs, for anyone who could use a day off finding and preparing food. Currently, it's the best they can offer- though the Jormun promise that they will have their own spread to share after finishing collecting their dead.

Event Specifics

[ ♆ ] The 30th will see the return of any who may have died throughout the duration of the event. All revived characters will awaken at the Storyteller’s temple; remember, if your character has died, let us know here!

[ ♆ ] Item trades with the Jormun can be found on the OOC plotting post here! The number of Jormun available will dwindle through the following weeks, leaving entirely on the 10th of February. Even if you were only recently accepted, you are free to participate!

LOGS ● OOC ● STORIES ● MAIN NAVIGATION

( CODED BY BOOTYCALL )

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

All islands - The world tried to burn all the mercy out of me

[He should sleep. He should do a lot of things but Keith is trudging through the carnage and hauling bodies to the shore. This is the part of battles he isn't used to. He can smell the blood and death all around him.

It will probably give him a new reason to fight harder to keep people safe. No one should be reduced to this. He hauls nightmares first, sorting through them but he pauses when he comes across splatters of ink and crumpled paper.]

...what the? [He can vaguely recall Storyteller had caused this but. He draws his Ripper, the sickle Munin gifted him and pulls the paper closer to himself.]

Hey. Hey! Come over here! [He calls out to anyone nearby and gestures to the ink when they approach.] Has this happened before?

Enso - Dancing all alone in the morning light.

[He doesn't remember sitting down on the temple steps. The plan had been to climb the stairs and check on everyone inside. He hadn't gotten far. Keith sits, his sword in his hand and knife in the other, head tipped back and mostly covered by his hood. Until someone approaches.

He jerks up, and almost hits himself in the face with the back of his hand. His hands lower. Friend. Not thing. Keith blinks, his mind slowly winding back up to full comprehension.]

Oh. Guess I crashed. What do you need?

Wildcard - You came in like a wave when I was feeling alright

[Got an idea or two? Hit this journal's inbox, hit me on discord, or prod my

skyheron.]

Edited 2018-01-29 06:00 (UTC)

[Well, at least he's not the only one who's startled. Him jumping makes her jump too, though between that and the voice, she has pretty firm confirmation that it's him (which she'd guessed), and he's okay (which she'd been worrying about). Not hurt or anything, just sleeping.

Relief floods her and she really... just wants to hug him, or something? She has to fight back the urge a bit, and instead fists her hands in her coat, as she kneels in front of him.]

I had a question, sort of, but... if you need to sleep you should actually go sleep.

[You know like... in a bed or something.]

I will later. Have to do the rounds first. [Keith sheathed the glass-like knife on his right and his blade with the glowing sigil into the sheathe on his back. No need to keep them drawn if the threats have passed.]

So. What did you want to ask? [He pulls his hood back and takes his hand through his hair to keep it out of his face. Sleep is being chased out by his iron will. He’ll sleep later.]

[Her mouth twists a little skeptically. She isn't entirely sure that she can really believe that, but she doesn't feel like she knows him well enough yet to argue. Nor can she really fairly criticize, herself.]

I wanted to know if there were any of the first aid kits left. There's... someone who might be coming soon, who could use one.

[The ground is such an easier thing to look at right now. She knows she's getting her hopes up, about something that she doesn't know for sure will happen, but...]

Yeah sure. They’re free for anyone to use. I left them here at the temple so they could be grabbed whenever. [Keith watches her with his eyebrows furrowed. She’s acting odd. He shifts, putting his legs under him.]

Is everything okay? You’re acting funny.

H-huh? No, I'm-

[She jerks her head up, ready to assure him that she's fine, but then the sunlight hits her full in the face and she flinches back, squinting her eyes shut and raising a hand to shield her vision. Ugh. Well, that kind of severely undermined her words, but she does her best to salvage it anyway.]

... I'll be fine. Just... really tired, after all that. And a bit worried, I guess.

[That's the broad strokes of it, at least.]

[Keith stands up and comes down the steps blocking out the sunlight. His face is hard to read but his voice is matter of fact.]

Tell me what happened and what's wrong. I'll take you inside and see if we have any kind of cloak you can wear for a while.

[His own dark hood still over his head gives him the appearance of a slightly older person.]

[She can't help it, Xion's shoulders go rigid and she turns slightly pink; for a moment it feels it like it's Reno being stern with her, not Keith (which stings a bit too, of course, its own way). The mention of his cloak makes her duck her head further, face red with shame and embarrassment.]

Don't worry about that part.

[She reaches a hand back, flicking up the hood on her Organization coat. She so rarely used it anymore, she forgot it existed most of the time. Hell, she didn't even really like the coat these days anyway, and it wasn't like she had the corridors to give her the mitigating benefit.]

Should've thought of that in the first place. Sorry.

[Though that. Still leaves what's wrong. And she doesn't think she has the energy or willpower to be stubborn about it right now. Ugh. This wasn't supposed to be about her.]

I got... eaten. By one of the monsters. I-I don't know it's name but it looked like a huge black bug. Someone got me out but... I'm a lot more sensitive to everything. Stuff like light, sound. It's better than it was, though.

[She sighs.]

And I think my brother might be coming here soon.

Edited (note to self: maybe don't write tags while half-ready to sleep) 2018-02-03 18:39 (UTC)

[He stares at her as the story comes out bit by bit. Keith raises an eyebrow when she apologizes for some reason. He hadn't been mean. Had he? His other eyebrow joins the first.]

You...got eaten by a black bug? [She doesn't look digested or chewed on. He takes another step down the stairs, stopping just in front of her. He lowers his voice a little just in case his voice is aggravating her hearing.]

Have you sought out any of the healers? They might be able to help you more than a first aid kit could.

[Keith glances around hoping to catch sight of one but none of them are around. He knows of one he could send her to. But he doesn't know where she is.]

...how fast has it been wearing off?

It's a lot better than it was.

[Back when Asgore had first gotten her out, every nerve had felt raw, every sound all hitting her at once like a cacophony, and she'd practically had to keep her eyes closed all the time. To say nothing about the smells of everything. She hadn't eaten as much since either.]

I don't feel really back to normal yet, but... I'm not sure if it's something that can really be healed. I can do a little healing myself and it hasn't done much.

[Asgore had helped some once he'd gotten her to safety, too. Asch had said Ignis' situation would just take time to remedy, so... maybe that was the same here.]

Besides, I didn't really think the kit would help. I just... think it would help him, if he does end up coming here.

Okay. Go ahead and take a kit.

[If only time will help than there’s nothing they can do about that problem. If he hears anything he’ll let her know. He steps out of her way to let her pass.]

How do you know your brother might be coming soon? I thought we didn’t get any signals about who might be arriving or not. Storyteller doesn’t.

[But even as he says it he can remember faint fragmented dream-like memories. He has met some people before he saw them again. And even remembered...just faintly possibly someone he knows.]

[And there you have it right there, in fact.]

Do... you remember spending a little time on Mu, before waking up here? Or else... going back there, but not during the storytelling. And seeing people there who end up turning up a few weeks later?

[She certainly hopes this is all making sense to him, at least.]

Because... Not too long ago I had a dream like that, and my brother was there.

[A part of her wants to tell herself that it's just a dream, to not get her hopes up. Because light only knew how much she missed her family. But... well, she doesn't really have much in the way of normal dreams anymore. At least not that stayed dreams.]

...Is that what that place is called? [Storytelling takes place in dreams he knows that. The dreamscape of those places feels very like the fragmented memories. That he hadn’t put together. Keith turns and heads up the stairs urging her to follow him with a beackoning hand.]

Let’s grab the kit. Maybe he will show up. I don’t know. ...I saw someone I know but I don’t remember who or what we did. Sounds different for you.

[He enters the temple and strides over to the kits he had arranged in easy view. There’s a lot left.]

I don't know. I don't remember it well... just that I saw him there, and... things here and there that we said. I was at that same place before I woke up here the first time, though.

[She follows, and admittedly it does get a little easier once she's back in the shade. Admittedly, she's a bit surprised at the pile.]

I thought more people would have taken one. [Given that she contributed to the favor pool that got them...] I guess it's a good thing they can't go bad or anything.

They were just in case. If people need them they're here. [He kneels down and grabs one, turning to hold it out to her.]

Anyway, that's about how I remember Mu. I saw someone I know but I can't remember the details other than I probably tripped them.

[Probably Lance. Yet he isn't here. He never realized how much he'd miss everyone when he can't even call them to have a chat about little details of the war or something else.]

If your brother is coming...glad you're not going to be alone.

[ This is weird. This is, like, depressing. But, still, Munin and her people asked for help, and this is part of it. Besides, they can't just leave the bodies lying around.]

Hm?

[ He looks over towards Keith, setting down one of the monster bodies a little too rough - dropping it, really - and walking over. ]

What is it?

[Keith leans a little bit out of the way to give him a better view of the splattered ink on the ground.]

Have any of the night creatures you killed bled ink and paper? [He'd seen it before in flashes as he'd ran through battlefields but who had caused it? His brows furrow and he shakes his head.]

Just wondering if anything has happened like this before. It didn't on Monsun, but the night creatures could be a different story.

[Wait. Keith's eyes fix on the crumpled paper under his sickle.]

...

[He collects paper and tucks into his pack.] Maybe we'll run into it again later.

Not, ah, not that I noticed? It was kinda dark.

[ Also, Magnus kind of runs into things, most times. It was dark and people needed help, and there were big fucked up monsters to fight.

He thinks, though, and he vaguely recalls seeing some stuff on the ground - both during the week before, and some after the sun rose again. ]

I've seen some of that paper around. It's...weird, right?

What do you think it is?

I don’t know. Maybe someone around here knows what this means. [Paper and ink. Maybe he should ask Storyteller. He slips his sickle into the straps on his hip and straightens up.]

If we saw it off and on someone is doing it. Might have been the Jormun but I don’t think so. I was using their weapons the whole time and nothing like that happened from Riptide.

[He pats the sickle made of coral and various bits of the sea.] Has to be one of us from other worlds.

[He offers his free hand. He has remembered his manners.] i’m Keith by the way.

Riptide...fuck, that's a cool name. [ Magnus mumbles under his breath, momentarily distracted from the more serious conversation.

But, handshakes! Yes! How formal! He takes his hand and offers him a hearty but polite handshake, raising his brows when Keith says his name. ]

You're Keith! I'm Magnus. We talked on the rock?

We did! Nice to meet you in person. [He gives an honest grin. This guy is pretty interesting.]

I did end up getting enough favors to get light and first aid for a lot of us. [He twists at the waist and taps the top of the lantern on his hip. The liquid without sloshes with his movement.]

There's a lot of first aid kits left. Some of the lanterns. Glad you made it through that long week okay.

Edited 2018-02-23 18:54 (UTC)

Cool. [ He nods, answer simple but he is genuinely glad people are okay. He's not super used to the concept of needing first aid kids, though, if one knew about his experience and his party's designed healer, one would say that Magnus' instincts are kind of wrong.

Anyway. ]

That was kind of a pain in he ass, right? Took way too long. [ Even Magnus got tired at some point! ]

Guessing the rebirth process just takes a while. Makes sense it is a giant phoenix...but yeah that was a while.

[It was an eternity in a fight. A week-long siege was not something he had fully understood until they were in the middle of it.]

Here's hoping we don't have to deal with any more sieges. Can't say if that will happen or not. The islands we see seem pretty varied. Monsun was completely different from Chol.

I mean, not right now, anyway. Maybe we can prepare better if it happens again.

[ People did a lot of preparing, but there were still a lot of casualties. Even being who and how he is, Magnus knows that every great battle, there needs to be time to heal and rebuild. And it was specially clear in this place. ]

Yeah, that crazy island stuff. That one's pretty fuckin' weird.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

January Aftermath: What Would It Take

Keith | OTA

Enso

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

All islands

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject