April Intro: The Flower Ripens in its Place

[lifeaftr_mods]

INTRO LOG: APRIL

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

A9: Sow the Seed
Unbeknownst to new arrivals, the archipelago of LifeAftr has recently seen the appearance of a new island, as chosen via voting - and they have been unceremoniously placed there instead of upon Ensō, where most newcomers would typically appear. It's probably for the best that the island of Ziziphus is so outwardly peaceful. There are worse places to find yourself, all things considered. The mana pool glimmers with a greenish light, the stone ring containing that peculiar fluid set firmly into the earth. The surrounding land fits neatly into that general aesthetic: rippling fields stirred by the occasional crisp breeze alternate between amber-golden and rich, verdant green in coloration, and irregular patches of color signify the presence of a great deal of flowers of all sorts.

It's a peaceful scene.

We're sure you're all about to make it go horribly wrong.

B9: Reap the Harvest
For the unluckier, or the more adventurous, something far less tranquil awaits. Perhaps you woke up on this particular map square instead, or you saw fit to journey a little farther, just to see what might happen. In any case, you'll quickly discover that this may not have been the best idea, when an ordinary grassy mound abruptly detaches itself from the ground, hauls itself upright on bristling legs, and starts scuttling near.

SPINDLANKS have now been unlocked in the bestiary.
What might initially appear to be a leafy hillock will very quickly prove to be something far more...mobile, if you get close enough. That clump of grass and red ferns will abruptly hoist itself up on six vine-like tendrils, crawling for its prey like a very large, mossy spider. While it's fully capable of swiping at its foes with its massive, leafy arms, the spindlank's favored method of dispatching its prey is simply to scuttle forth until it's positioned directly above you and drop down. If its weight does not crush you and choking on the clods of earth doesn't smother you, don't worry; the spindlank intends to eat you alive with a set of fleshy jaws set deep in its center, buried somewhere in its underbelly.

For despite their appearance, spindlanks are very much carnivorous. Their size can vary from anywhere between six and ten feet tall when their appendages unfurl entirely. They are, in essence, very large plants, and thus can be easily dealt with, if you can burn them.

Just try not to get overwhelmed.

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

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

[lightlessfuture]

( They peer inside, searching for any cracks or obvious signs of damage. No, that doesn't seem to be the case.

Though language is a dicey proposition given the vast gulf of their respective experiences between them, they look up at Shiro after their inspection and shrug. That, at least, is a universal symbol.

They pat at it again, questioningly, and then tap their own face. They seem to be attempting to ask about the helmet's purpose. A mask, to define the purpose of its wearer? A shell, to protect him? Or something else entirely? ]

[propugnator]

( there's a soft laugh when knight looks up at him and shrugs. yea, he wouldn't expect for them to really get it either or at least not from a glance.

he points to a small area on the inside that is just a little raised up then taps a finger against it.)

This part is broken. Supposed to let talk to people from far away.

( from knight's mannerisms, shiro really feels like they understand him, but he still tries not to say anything too complicated. the curious part, however, is when knight reaches up towards their own face. shiro isn't immediately sure what's being asked of him, but he thinks he can hazard a guess.

he points then at his own face. )

Protection.

( afterwards, he makes a gesture towards knight's face. then sweeps upwards in a curved motion to mimic how one would remove a helmet. )

Yours too?

( is it a helmet, that is. )

[lightlessfuture]

( This person is talking to them differently from the others; they recognise it. Simple words, simple language, for someone who's used to communicating with people who may not understand them.

It's considerate. That's nice of them.

They nod at the word 'protection' (they nod along to Shiro's words in general, to show that they are listening, that they understand). But when he makes a gesture, asking about whether their own face is the same, they shake their head.

Comically, they push at the bottom, gently tug at their own horns. Then they tap on it, producing a hollow sort of sound.

No, it's not quite a helmet. It can't be removed by them, only broken. But neither is it quite a face, not in the way other people have faces.

They ponder communication for a moment. Though it would be fine to scratch words in the dirt, as they've always done, they won't be able to speak in the language they've learned bits and pieces of if they don't practice it more.

They hold their hands up high, stretching tiny fingers so that Shiro can see the gestures they make. Then slowly, with painstaking precision, they begin to sign. )

HELLO - NICE - TO - MEET - YOU

( That done, they look expectantly for a response. Does this person understand what they're saying? They seem to know so much already, after all. )

[propugnator]

( ah.

somehow, that's not quite what shiro was expecting. he watches knight attentively, trying to read every movement they make as if there's something being said with them.

it comes as a relief when knight begins to speak with their hands instead, slow and precise. this is something that shiro knows and understands much easier than imposing human body language on someone who is certainly not human. )

NICE - TO - MEET - YOU - TOO.

MY - NAME - IS - S*H*I*R*O.

( sign language was an important part of his lessons when he was at the garrison. )

[lightlessfuture]

( They perk up a bit when Shiro begins to talk back to them in the same language. They repeat the letters for his name, slowly. )

YOUR - NAME - IS - SHIRO. ( They nod. Then, they begin to sign again: )

MY-NAME-IS- ( and then they drop their hands, shaking their head. They repeat this again, for clarity.

Apparently they are trying to convey they have no name at all, or perhaps weren't given one at birth. Something like that. Or they have no name for themselves, perhaps. It's hard to tell, considering Shiro is lacking in context. )

MY - NAME - ANYTHING. CAN - GIVE.

( For someone like Shiro, who has taken structured lessons, the Knight's signing will appear awkward and slow. Still legible, but it appears to be relatively new to them. )

[propugnator]

( while knight's gestures are unsure and a little clumsy, there is a certain charm to them. certainly better than some of his classmates back in the day, performing the gestures purely out of obligation.

there's a flash of surprise when knight confesses that they don't have a name. is it really okay to just give them a name? there's a pause as he considers it before ultimately deciding that it's ultimately their decision if they want to use it. )

How about Rei?

( he asks gently, voicing the question along with gesturing. he takes special care to spell out "R E I" for them. a simple name would be best, wouldn't it? )

[lightlessfuture]

[ The Knight spells out the name several times, to make sure they have it right, and then nod approvingly. ]

SOUND - NICE.

[ A pause, then: ]

YOUR - NAME - SOUND - NICE - ALSO.

[ They're a honest type, in their own way, and free with compliments now that they can communicate in a way more people can understand. And they're a little excited to have someone else to talk in hands with. ]

MISSING - PEOPLE ?

[ They take a small pause before asking this question. The helmet lets this person talk to people far away, so clearly he must have people to contact, right? Friends, maybe, or fellow travelers. ]