May Intro: We're Going Down, Down

[lifeaftr_mods]

INTRO LOG: MAY

Who: Everyone!
What: New souls arrive to the archipelago of LifeAftr
When: May 4th and onward
Where: Ensō...and above
Warnings: Mark as needed!

Floating Islet: And Sugar, We're Going Down Swinging
While new arrivals may generally be expected at this time of the month, one factor that has continuously failed to maintain consistency is their point of arrival. And indeed, it appears that this month has once again exceeded even the Storyteller's expectations as to where arrivals may take their first steps on this world. Those who were with us in February will most certainly remember the floating islands hovering far, far above the mainland. While they currently remain inaccessible, they are still steadily floating overhead, shifting appearance as if made of the clouds themselves. And so while waking up on top of the world may be a surprise, at the very least new arrivals will have a bird's eye view of Ensō to enjoy for a time...until they take notice of a rather sinking sensation.

In fact, that sensation would be the island itself, starting to sink out of the sky.

So that's nice.

On a crash course for the ground at F6, the Storyteller will eventually slow the island's progress to the ground below, though a rather profound impact is, simply put, inevitable. Characters with the ability of flight will find the island skimming low enough to reach on their own. Others may wish to utilize their resourcefulness to find an alternate means down.

Or, perhaps, you'll simply deal with whatever awaits you at the crash site.

F6 and Beyond: In An Earlier Round
Thankfully, the Storyteller's intervention will ensure that no one still on the not-so-floating island upon impact will escape with minor injuries at worst, the island itself crumbling to pieces and taking down more than a few thick trees. The pieces of the island will very quickly begin to blacken, crumbling underfoot as the floating island turns to dust. Anyone still aboard may wish to make a very quick departure.

The ripples of this impact, however, are far more significant than two pieces of land bumping up against one another.

Previously, visitors to the floating islands may have experienced some...oddities, during their time above the clouds. For the next few days, these oddities will spread across Ensō itself, leading to some rather awkward scenarios:

[ ♆ ] Some may find their weapons are... behaving oddly, though all are still functional. Weapons, in this instance, may also include fisticuffs, if the intent is to use your fists as a weapon.

[ ♆ ] Equally as irritating are those who find themselves coming down with a severe case of NPCitus: periods of time in which they find themselves incapable of saying more than one or two lines of the same, repetitive dialogue.

[ ♆ ] Equal parts nostalgic and irritating for some are the instances of lag (walking forwards, only to find oneself back where they started), Swimmer's Ear (incapable of movement unless swimming through the air), and clipping (suddenly stuck halfway through the nearest rock are all common, regrettable side-effects).

[ ♆ ] Other unfortunate side-effects may also transpire, as varied and wild as one's imagination.

Though many of these may be hindering or even dangerous in the right situations, they are, for the most part, passive. The Storyteller will assure anyone who asks that these oddities will disappear in the next few days.

You are free to create or utilize glitches you are particularly fond of, though keep in mind that any potential content warnings should be mentioned in your toplevel! You may peruse some of the past glitches here, or create your own along those lines! And a special thanks to our local Donn-mun, Jake (venesection), for the first glitch on the list!

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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

Gladiolus Amicitia | Final Fantasy XV

[piercetheheart]

a: Timber~
[With the Storyteller easing things the collision isn't nearly as bad as it could be. Gladio did a pretty decent job of bracing for the impact, skidding down onto ground level, looking frantically around for Noctis again. There's a creaking, splintering sound and he goes on high alert, looking for his King amid the clouds of dust and then- ]

NOOCT!

[A tree begins to fall, a pretty substantial tree and any normal person's response would be to get the hell out of the way. There's only a few seconds and then a resounding clang as the tree collides, not with the ground but with Gladio's shield, braced against his shoulder, stance wide to take the impact.

He glances down at his King for a moment, jerks his head and grunts with the effort of holding the tree.]

Go on, idiot. [And it's not just Noct, he'll make sure anyone in the vicinity is clear before he finally sidesteps, rolls his shield up higher over his shoulder and lets the tree fall beside him.]


b: How could you miss!?

[There's lots to discuss, things they all need to get on the same page for. But the best way to do that is over a meal so, once the chaos has died down a bit Gladio trudges out into the forest, jacket and vest discarded, t-shirt tucked into his belt, basking in the warmth of sunlight after so many years in darkness. And as soon as he comes across anything that looks edible he'll be taking a swing at it, using the momentum of his great sword in a wide arc, bringing it down right on...

a spot about three feet to the left of his intended target.

He has just enough time to look around, confused, catch sight of the animal he swore was right there not a moment prior, before the poor beast grunts and falls over dead with no visible injuries.]

That... can't be safe to eat. [Can it? He's so unsure right now.]

Timber

[want_to_belong]

[Gladio should have been looking up.

After undoubtedly noticing a problem with the floating islands, Prompto had decided to cautiously venture out, only to suddenly find himself midair. He had very little time to react - one moment he was carefully scouting, the next there was nothing under him. Flailing, he searched for anything to grab on to without any time to actually look before he landed on something remotely soft. The only warning was some brief yelping before he hit.

His heart was still pounding from the sudden change even after he came to a stop. He tried to collect himself and figure out where he was, grabbing onto whatever he could to hold himself up.]

[piercetheheart]

[He at least has time to set the tree down before something collides with his chest, the impact startling a grunt out of him. The plan had been to go check on Noctis but now there's a blond half sitting on his forearm, the top section of his shield pressed against Prompto's back which.... really couldn't be comfortable.

His immediate reaction, before he's even realized who it is that's fallen into... onto?! him is to pull them against him, offering support until they can get their feet under them. Okay but that doesn't mean he wants to be choked or, worse, have his hair pulled. Especially now it's all full of twigs and debris.

Only once he's managed to yank his head free of clinging hands does he finally blink up at-

wait-

what!?]

Prompto!? [Sorry bro you are getting unceremoniously dropped into the branches of that tree at his feet now.]

[want_to_belong]

[He had grabbed the first thing he could get ahold of without thought, not realizing he'd wrapped his arms around Gladio's head. And just as he got ahold of himself and realized he wasn't falling anymore, he was falling once again, crashing onto a pile of very uncomfortable branches on the ground with a loud 'oof'. This was not going to be good for his back.

Before he had time to wonder how he'd gotten there, he looked up from the ground and had a more important question.]

Gladio?? What are you doing here?

[piercetheheart]

[Gladio just stares at him for a moment, expression clearly conveying how stupid that question sounds.]

Stopping a tree from landing on Noct and getting a chocobo dropped on my head.

[Then he shakes his head a little and reaches down to offer him a hand up. Onto his feet. Not on him again.]

eat the centipuppy, gladio

[crosslaced]

We've been eating these for a while, it's probably fine.

[ The source of the silky voice reveals itself as a young man, pale and blonde and beautiful in the way one associates with the Nox Fleurets. His clothes fit the bill anyway, a soft grey and gleaming with embroidery. Maybe some third cousin, with Luna’s beauty and Ravus’ blatant lack of intimidation for Lucian Shields.

Now that you stole his kill, he's going to have to look around for another one.]

oh he will. Waste not, want not and all that

[piercetheheart]

[Gladio turns, startled briefly and turning to face the other man with his sword still drawn. Really his greatsword was a massive amount of overkill for these little centipuppies but it was better than using his little hunting knife. He blinks, lowers his sword, blinks again only this time it's less from surprise and more from just how beautiful the man is.]

Whew... [A soft breath because damn and then he looks back at the creature, shrugs.] Yeah? Okay... awesome. Should mean Iggy knows how to cook 'em too.

[And then he's just going to kneel down next to the carcass and pulling the hunting knife out of his boot. Best to get on with the field dressing and shit.]

[crosslaced]

[ He holds steady, unbothered eye contact through both the greatsword-waving and the staring. This is that kind of guy, huh.

He would leave, but Gladio's later actions catch his attention- he can guess what this is. It's a skill he could use experience points in; his solution so far has been dragging the whole thing back and yelling for Ignis to deal with it. And speaking of Ignis.

Laurent steps closer, unarmed except for a few wooden spears, peering curiously over Gladiolus’ work.]

Ignis Scientia? Hm, I'd say he does have experience with these.

[‘Iggy’ is Prompto's nickname for Ignis, and this man does fit their emo band aesthetic.]

cw: dressing kills

[piercetheheart]

Yeah? [Gladio glances up at Laurent, flashes him a smile. Good. Both that Ignis had experience cooking these things and that apparently he knew this guy. Of course Iggy would know the stupidly pretty Altissian looking guy.

Of course.]

You know 'im? [Excellent, he can get an outside opinion on how Iggy's been faring. And maybe teach a few thing if the way the blond's leaning over the kill is any indication.] How's he been doin?

[You're okay having this conversation while he works, right Laurent? Because he's just going to flip that puppy over onto it's back, flicking open his knife and starting his cut under the base of the tail, working his fingers around to completely separate the rectum from the meat around it.

But damn there were so many legs getting in the way, what even is this thing?]

[savedbyasong]

They haven't made us sick yet. [Shion saw that, the world shift, or the man shift, or the centipuppy shift. However it happened it wasn't normal, like so much that had happened today. He is sat on a rock and writing in a journal.

He's assuming the islands crashed first and these weird side effects came second. Since they had been on the islands the last time weird things had happened that the two were connected.

He's making a list of the things he's seen so far, because that way it is research and research means there is probably an answer.]

[piercetheheart]

[Okay good someone else saw that.]

They usually do... that? [He only briefly glances up from the carcass to look at Shion. With a book. Taking notes.

A recipe book?!? Here's hoping.]

[savedbyasong]

No, I've never seen that happen before. Something strange is happening, it's probably to do with those islands falling from the sky. [How had the islands fallen? Why had the islands fallen? What did it mean and how was it all connected?

He blinks at the man] You're new [At least he hadn't been at any Story Tellings Shion had been to and Shion didn't think there was a way to avoid those.] Are you alright?

[piercetheheart]

[Gladio kneels down next to the animal, appraising what the hell it even is, still listening to what Shion says but he doesn't need to be looking at him to follow.]

'm fine. A little weirded out... I mean, falling from the sky's kinda new. But otherwise fine.

[Rolling the puppy over to look at it's abdomen, tapping his knife against the carapace on it's back.]

What is this thing?

a: Timber~

[shatteredlenses]

I'm not sure if a man covered in twigs, leaves, and who likely looks like he tangled with a cactuar should be calling someone else an 'idiot.'

[Ignis may not have been able to see what just transpired, but he has a good idea considering how well he knows the man in question and based on the sounds he heard. It's probably a good thing he decided to find out what was really going on when someone yelled to him that the sky was falling. Noctis may no longer be in the area, but Ignis knows he's here at least. Gladio's yell made that clear enough and if Noctis is here, then Ignis' magical skills will be intact once more.

Just in time by the sound of it.]

Are you hurt?

[piercetheheart]

Cactuar'd mean more blood. [Clearly the point to focus on here.

He flashes Ignis a grin, the soft, cocky little exhale that goes with it telling enough for the expression. Then he's lowering the shield, letting it rest on the ground and lean against his hip to free his hands. He rolls his shoulder, hisses out a breath, and tries stretching his arm out. It's not bad, not really. But it aches, the kind of deep ache that lingers. It's a feeling he's all to familiar with and really is so accustomed to it doesn't even occur to him to say anything about it.]

'm fine. Just a few scratches. [From the branches crashing around him, of course. He reaches up to swipe at a drop of blood seeping from one of the fine little cuts on his cheek, breath catching briefly when the motion strains his shoulder.]

So... your island, huh?

[shatteredlenses]

[Clearly. Or not.]

This is hardly my island. If it were, you can trust me that there would be far fewer instances of land just falling from the sky.

[Content that this is the Gladio he ran into on Mu, Ignis walks closer, one eyebrow raising over the top of his sunglasses as he does. He may be blind, but he's certainly not deaf. An uninjured man doesn't make sounds like that.]

Now, are you going to consider revising your previous statement on the status of your injuries--because, in case you've forgotten, I can still hear you every time you hiss or your breath catches--or am I going to have to run my hands over every inch of your body to check?

[And, oh my, won't that be awkward.]

[piercetheheart]

[Gladio nearly chokes on his next breath.]

Ignis!

[He's so startled by the statement that he shifts without realizing it, shield dropping to the forest floor with a dull thud. Immediately he goes after it and his breath comes out just as strained as he lifts it again.]

Nothing to revise, Ig. Just a little sore, 'm fine. Hardly the worst I've taken.

[It's been years since he's used any magic. Not that the ability wasn't there but the opportunity to replenish things was harder and harder to come by. What they had they would need when Noct returned to go and reclaim Insomnia. He wasn't about to waste it on injuries in the field unless they were lethal. Which meant it wasn't even a consideration to him now, so accustomed to life without it as he was.]

b

[journalname]

They are...safe enough for humans, as long as they are cooked well.

[Asgore winces just a little as the creature drops. He has no issue with hunting for food in theory, but to watch things die in practice...well, let's just say he eats an awful lot of veggies for a monster his size.]

Good afternoon - I do not believe we have met. Were you on the falling islands?

[piercetheheart]

Most things'll be alright if you cook it right. Just... weird seeing it die like that.

[So sorry Asgore. He's not even remotely squeamish about dead things so he's going to go ahead and kneel down beside it, tugging a knife from his boot. Though he does have to do a double take at the man (!?!?) he's talking to because... what the hell?]

Uh... yeah. Name's Gladio. And you're...? [Feel free to take that as an opportunity for name or species, he'll take either one right now.]

[journalname]

[He's gotten much worse reactions than a quick double take, it's fine.]

It is nice to meet you, Gladio! [Can't say he's excited about being here for this thing getting butchered either but uhhhh okay he sorta signed himself up for this huh] My name is Asgore. I am a monster - I suppose we do not exist in your world?

[piercetheheart]

We have daemons which y'know some people would call monsters but...

[He smiles a little, offers him an apologetic shrug.]

They're definitely not as polite or pleasant as you are. [Or cute. Gosh he's a big guy but he's actually kinda adorable.]

[covertizer]

You'd be surprised. When there's not much in the way of food lying around, you get creative.

[ Akira crouches down, and gives the fallen creature a poke with the flat of his dagger. When there's no reaction to it, or any movement, he flips it back and into its holder, satisfied that... whatever just happened there definitely killed the target. ]

I'm more interested in how you managed to not hit it, but kill it anyway. That's a talent.

[piercetheheart]

I- [He frowns and then crouches down on the opposite side of the carcass from Akira.]

I'm kinda wondering about that, too. [But meat is meat so...

He pulls his hunting knife from his boot, flips the animal onto it's back, tugs the skin below the tail taut and then glances up at Akira.]

Uh... might wanna step back, kid.

[covertizer]

[ Huh. ] That wasn't intentional?

[ He glances down at the neatly defeated monster with a slight frown. How did it die then? He'd assumed it was a skill or a spell or something, not an entirely random occurrence. ]

... [ Akira just kinda tilts his head. ] Unless you wanted some help? I'm pretty good with my hands.

[ winkwonk ]

cw: dressing kills

[piercetheheart]

Mmmnope [It'd be cool if it had been intentional though. It's the sort of thing he'd expect from Cor not himself.

He thinks for a moment, looking Akira over, eyeing that dagger. And finally he shrugs.]

You think you can handle it sure. Take hold of those legs up there so it stops rolling. [And once it's stabilized he's going to just shove his knife between the poor thing's tail and it's rectum, cutting all the way around so the whole thing loosens up and will come out with the rest of the digestive tract.]