lifeaftr | May Intro: We're Going Down, Down

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May Intro: We're Going Down, Down

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!

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.

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

a. new arrival(s)

[Living alone as he has been, things don't immediately strike Asgore as amiss when he wakes up. His belongings are still here, the Boss Monster-sized bedroll that the Storyteller was kind enough to provide, and the island around him looks no different. Obviously he didn't vanish a month or two ago and just reappear here or anything like that!

That dream, though. That was...

There is no sense in dwelling on it. He packs up what he needs and goes out as usual.

Given how things work around here, he's not even that shocked when "as usual" turns out to mean "there are islands with people on them dropping from the sky". Better go check on that whole deal!]

Golly, are you alright? That was quite the fall!

b. ~~shaun~~

[After that, Asgore tries to go back to minding his own business, when - ]

ASRIEL!

[He startles rather badly, looking wildly around. Where did that come from? It sounded like his own voice shouting, but he didn't. What purpose could it possibly serve, to call that name here and now?]

ASRIEL?

[The second time it happens, he doesn't jump so much as he flinches, before hurriedly getting to his feet and setting off in a random direction. Whatever that is, he would very much like to get away from it. Unfortunately, the calls seem to follow him as he walks, his shoulders hunched as if weathering blows.]

He's--he's not here...

[Hey, Asgore, did you want another seemingly disembodied voice to follow you around? Though at least Chip is tall enough that he'll see their feet sticking out of his. Uh. Stomach...]

[Pro-tip, not having the controls when no-clip is on is not suggested.]

Yes, I -

[Asgore looks down as he speaks with some vague intent of looking at the child apologetically, and instead jerks backwards with a sharp intake of breath because what fresh hell is this]

[Asgore had disappeared almost as soon as he'd arrived. It happened- had happened too many times on both this world and the last for Chara to meet his passage with more than a quiet sense of emptiness, another piece of their life where too many things went unsaid- unheard.

If he'd returned prior to today, they hadn't known it. Too busy ignoring the rest of the world in favor of ghosting about the elve's camp; like if they tried hard enough, they could belong there.
They didn't.
But it's impossible to ignore the roaring of his name, increasingly loud and panicked. Chara's heart leaps into their throat, feet moving before they even think of doing so. Asgore is here and- Asriel? Is here? Again. Asriel is here and in trouble.

Every yell of his name sounds more urgent, more scared- and Chara moves faster, breaking into a run as they race blindly forwards, palming a knife and expecting the worst. As they burst into the clearing, eyes falling on Asgore for but a moment, they look wildly past his hunched for for the danger, for him.

He's not there.]

What-- where. Where is he?

Oh - [Oh no, oh no, this is another very good reason he wanted to take all of this away from everyone else. As little as he knows about Chara's general movements, though, he very well could have just brought it closer.] - no, that is not -

[ASRIEL?, it goes again from somewhere, even as Asgore's still speaking, trying to find the words to let down his other child. He flinches, closing his eyes for a moment.]

I do not know where that is coming from, or why. I - cannot apologize enough.

[Ah-

A flinch, as his voice rings out around them. They can't quite place the direction of it, now; close, but not quite. From the South, or the North... or overhead. It's very clearly not coming from Asgore himself, expression both sorrowful and apologetic.

Ah.]

I... see. [Are they disappointed? Angry? Chara doesn't quite know.] It is

Not- your fault. [For once. Even they can't ignore common sense when it's staring them right in the face.] You are- you remember this world, yes?

[For once, indeed. Asgore still looks faintly apologetic, claws clasped near his middle like he's not quite sure what to do with them, but he won't press the point.]

I - why, yes. [He frowns faintly.] Is there a reason I should not?

It is not unusual for people to disappear and return with no memory of this place. [Or elsewhere, at that.] I did not want to presume you were- the same.

[Which isn't quite as helpful as it could be, really. They still have no idea what to do with him, memories or not. His voice rings about them once more, the only thing sparing them from uncomfortable silence.

They wouldn't go so far as to call it a MERCY.]

.....have I disappeared?

[what the HECKITY]

I have not - I do not recall having been anywhere else. How long has it been?

[WOW Asgore not in front of the human?? Toriel's gonna arrive just to give you the Neutral Face of Displeasure my dude so help you.]

You have. [A frown.] It has been at least a month- possibly longer. You don't recall being elsewhere?

[frankly, my dear, he doesn't give a dang]

I do not...

[Asgore looks troubled, pressing a hand to his temple for a moment before passing it over his pockets, as if to make sure everything he had on him the day before is still there. It's no different, of course - he'd have noticed when he woke up, if he had missing items or a mysterious headache.

Missing memories aren't new for him. But there was no reason for Alex or the Risen to take anything from him again, if he'd gone back to them.]

Do things like this happen often?

People disappearing? Yes. Though I haven't... I do not know of anyone who has come back. [He seems troubled, by this. Which is entirely appropriate, given that they feel much the same. He was- gone, for some time.

Who else may simply be lost temporarily?]

You truly remember nothing of your absence?

No. I feel as if I have just been asleep for the night. But - [He hesitates for a second, not sure if this is worth sharing with them, but it's very relevant.] - I have had memories locked away before, and it felt much the same then. Perhaps something will return with time.

[He does remember having had a dream. But it seemed just that - a dream. And he's more hesitant to describe that to Chara, considering its content. They don't want to hear about things like that.]

[...Things change, sometimes. People go through things when you're not around. They have new experiences; they win things. They lose things. They change, too.

He's had memories locked away before. The admission comes with an uncomfortable pit in their stomach, one that's accompanied by an equally uncomfortable thought- that's probably their fault, isn't it? There's a flood of questions they want to ask; when? How long?

If it was mostly memories of them.]

...I'll attempt to ask around; perhaps there are others who have had similar experiences.

...thank you. I shall as well.

[Chara knows more people around these islands, of course; he's sure they'd have better luck. But he's surprised that they've volunteered to do so at all. Certainly he's not just going to...what? Stand around and let them do all the work?]

Have you been...well?

[Have they? The honest answer is no, of course. No, they have not been okay for a good while- in fact, it's difficult to imagine how things could be worse. They could, no doubt, but Chara- can't imagine it. Doesn't want to.]

I am making do, as everyone has been.

When you were here prior, did you- have you acquired a shelter?

[That's...well. He isn't sure what he expected.]

I have, yes. It is not much worse for the wear. I am lucky that no one else seems to have moved in.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

May Intro: We're Going Down, Down

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not weird

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[muffled heavy rain in the distance]

welp

I know we said we'd do nicer things but you put this up so it's not my fault???

it's true

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