lifeaftr | June Intro: Let's Sea How Far We've Come

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June Intro: Let's Sea How Far We've Come

INTRO LOG: JUNE

Who: Everyone!
What: New souls arrive to the archipelago of LifeAftr as the island of Ziziphus begins to crumble
When: June 4th and onward
Where: Ziziphus and Ensō...and Monsun
Warnings: Mark as needed!

Ziziphus: At The Start Of The End Of The World
Since Bliss's destruction, the extensive root network they've threaded throughout every inch of the island of Ziziphus has begun to crumble. June 4th marks the beginning of the inevitable collapse of the island as it starts to sink into the sea...coincidentally coinciding with the arrival of LifeAftr's newest adventurers. Between the dead trees surrounding Bliss's empty husk, great cracks in the earth start to widen, the dead god's absent root system leaving vast gaps underground which simply cannot support the life above.

It almost sounds like thunder rupturing from the ground itself, wild tremors preceding each vicious boom until gaping chasms lay between venturing parties and the safety of the mana pool - only water waits below, for those unlucky enough to lose their footing.

And if the immense pull of mile wide chunks of landmass sinking beneath the waves isn't enough to suck you down, the heavy rain of debris from Ziziphus's rapidly destabilizing edges will certainly help. Want to avoid a watery grave? What you need to do is simple:

Escape.

Sorry, newbies. If you showed up on Ziziphus, you're in for a very athletic entrance to LifeAftr.

Monsun: Just Like Every Other Morning Before
Adventurers aren't the only creatures on Ziziphus attempting to outrun its collapse. Creatures great and small, from the largest spindlank to the smallest tigerlily will be heading south in an attempt to escape the worst of the quakes. Unlike offshore adventurers, however, these poor creatures don't have a mana pool waiting for them to escape through. Their extinction, it seems, is imminent.

Unless you have something to say about it.

Already exhausted from their attempts to get through to and then actively dispose of their fellow god, the Storyteller will break their traditional manner of communication to announce a potential solution to this problem with a single broadcast to the Stones of Far Speech in a strained, weary tone:

"The mana pools on Monsun are now open. If you are willing, save what you can."

True to their word, characters will discover that the island of Monsun will be accessible once more for a short period of time. From prey to predator, obstruction to catastrophe - multiple species of flora and fauna can still be preserved, should you choose to do so.

Be wary of the psychological effects of both sides of the island. Those who are new to our setting and wish to explore, the island of Monsun has a peculiar side effect to its stark divide: the eastern half is rich in resources, but brings out the very worst of you, while the western half is a tumultuous wasteland that accentuates your best qualities. More information on said island can be found on its entry on the Locations page, or its introductory info post.

Due to these efforts, the Storyteller will not be available for contact from the 4th to the 18th of June. Item Requests will also be unavailable at this time. They will, however, make a rather strained announcement to ensure all are aware that access to both Ziziphus and Monsun will cease on June 10th.

Ensō: I Wonder What It Means If It's Gone
The native fauna of Ziziphus aren't the only ones on the move, it seems. Those who wander the shores of Ensō will be delighted to witness the appearance of creatures akin to both turtles and dugongs drifting through the waters, gravitating around the island's eastern coast, rapidly gaining in numbers over the following days.

Kaleidoshells have been unlocked in the bestiary!

With spring close to ending in the archipelago, these peaceful creatures are looking to make good use of their natural nesting areas; hope you're open to sharing the beach for a little while. While a few braver individuals will make their way to the shores between C4 and D1 to begin digging nests, the vast majority won't be coming to shore quite yet.

They do, however, make a very fine sight around the waters of Ensō, especially in the evening. Luminescent, their rainbow patterns glow underwater, drifting mood lights for the increasingly warmer evening breeze.

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 )

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[MUffet gives a quiet little laugh, knowing they're both the type to give that particular advice to others and then ignore it themselves.]

No, not in any personal sense- I was terribly worried for my friends, of course, but I myself was largely overlooked by the poor mad thing.

[She feels sympathy for Bliss, or at least pity, the same way one does for a rabid dog. Yes, they were a great and frightening danger, but she can't help but feel they did at least as much damage to themself as they did to anyone else.]

And yourself?

I'm glad to hear it.

[So many he knows weren't so lucky. Including one very special friend they have in common.]

Bliss created no dream for me, but that may be because I was too busy trying to pull others free of theirs.

[Of course, that means Ignis didn't just experience being part of one dream, but many.]

I...don't much like being the bad guy. Even when necessary.

[He remembers far too well Dagger's anger, Prompto's pained tone, and most of all, Ardyn's pleas.]

I think that's what I hate the most about what Bliss did. They made me hurt people I care about.

[She bows her head for a moment, solemnly, though she knows he cannot see it.]

It's easy to fight back against an obvious danger, but much harder to struggle against something that makes people feel... happy. Especially when you know how much they deserve that happiness.

[Her expression firms.]

But they deserve it made real, even if reality is imperfect. Not merely some cheap copy. You did the right thing, painful as it was.

I agree and I told them that, but Ardyn...

[Ignis shakes his head, hands curling into fists against his legs for a moment before he forces them flat again.]

...he didn't care if staying meant he was going to die. He didn't care that it was fake. He wanted it so much. It hurt, honestly, that he had more faith in that fake dream than he did that I--or anyone else for that matter--would keep the promises we made to him to make things better.

[His voice softens then, expression becoming uncertain.]

Sometimes I wonder of all we are trying to do for him hurts him more than it helps.

[Muffet closes her eyes for a moment, unsurprised to hear about it but still saddened at the suffering Ardyn must have been going through.]

I can't be certain, but... between what I saw in his memories, that night, and what I've seen of him here? I don't think he ever isn't in pain, whether we interfere or not. If he'll suffer with or without our meddling, we might as well at least try to change things if we can.

[She puts one of her hands gently on one of Ignis', a gesture meant to comfort, and adds:]

Sometimes people don't have enough left for faith, so you've got to have it for them.

[Ignis appreciates the comforting touch. It grounds him and helps keep him from getting to caught up in his own mind. It seems like it's far too easy for him to do that whenever the topic of conversation is Ardyn.]

I'm pretty sure I've told him something like that myself.

[A sad laugh slips from his mouth.]

I just never realized how difficult carrying that weight would be.

It is heavy.

[Her tone is gentle, understanding but not sounding overwhelmed by the difficult nature of the topic.]

But a burden shared is a burden lessened. Ardyn seems to have spent lifetimes carrying this all alone- but between all of us, we may have better luck at bearing up under the weight.

Please know that you are not alone.

Thank you. I do need to be reminded of that from time to time.

[A small smile replaces the sad expression on his face even as he shakes his head.]

We've talked about that, he and I. I'm too much like him in some respects. Far too willing to throw away myself and far too eager to carry the burden alone. Of course, I've got less than 20 years of habit to break and he has somewhere around 2000.

I hear the first step is admitting that you have a problem.

[Her tone is dry, but fond.]

Hopefully you can learn enough about that to set an example for him.

Getting him to pay attention to such an example is the hard part. He's wonderfully pigheaded about that kind of thing. What applies to others doesn't apply to him because he says so.

[It's frustrating, but this isn't the first time Ignis has dealt with a stubborn individual and it won't be the last.]

I feel fortunate that Gladio is here now, even if his presence complicates things. He and I have a tendency to check each others more reckless behaviors...

[Ignis laughs suddenly.]

...and he's big enough to throw me over his shoulder if I persist in being too self-sacrificing.

The man's his own worst enemy in more than one sense of the phrase.

[She laughs along with him, light and cheerful.]

He seems like a great help, then. I don't suppose he'd be able to carry Ardyn, too? Or perhaps you carry your dear stubborn man, and then your strong and sensible friend carries you in turn...

Truer words were never spoken.

[Ignis follows that phrase up with another laugh and a shake of his head.]

I suspect Ardyn is far too tall for me to carry, though, he is quite thin. If properly motivated, I have a feeling Gladio could probably sling one of us over each shoulder and go for a while.

Well, possibly I could weave you some sort of Ardyn-carrying sling. He seems as though he ought to fold up nicely- he rather... gangles, is the only word I can think of, really.

'Gangles?' Is that a technical term?

[He's sorry, but for some reason that word, along with the mental image of folding Ardyn up in a sling like some kind of large daemonic child, is funnier than it should be. Or, perhaps, Ignis is just more tired than he thinks he is.

Tired or not, the word 'weave' catches Ignis' attention once his mirth settles some. It makes him remember all those times people have joked about Muffet being a spider and he can't help but sigh.]

Weaving, just like a spider would, right?

Well, yes. We are rather known for it.

[The possibility that Ignis doesn't actually realize she's not human occurs to Muffet again, with slightly more urgency, and she pauses as she realizes this conversation might be about to get much more awkward.]

[She really had meant to bring it up at some point, they've just all been so busy...]

[Ignis is silent for several moments as he tries to process this. When others mentioned it before, it was easy to brush it off as a joke. After all, he's blind and has no way of knowing any different. Muffet, he knows, wouldn't lie about such a thing.

He raises his head, tilting it slightly as if he is studying her even though he can't see her.]

You really are a spider?

Ah. [That's one creeping suspicion confirmed, at least.] Not in the biological sense, strictly speaking- my people are more magical by nature than humans, so we come in many forms. But in terms of appearance, I do resemble a humanoid arachnid quite strongly, yes.

[She's not allowing herself to facepalm, in the interest of holding on to some remaining dignity, but the urge is there.]

I do apologize for not bringing it up earlier. It didn't occur to me until quite some time after we met that you might not be aware of my species, and by that point it seemed terribly awkward to ask if you'd noticed.

[Muffet doesn't need to facepalm, because Ignis is quite willing to do it himself. Or, at least, something close to it. He takes off his sunglasses so he can run a hand over his face and then through his hair, before replacing them and letting out a small, self-conscious chuckle.]

I really thought everyone who mentioned it was just in on a joke I didn't know about. I must have sounded like such a fool.

[He sighs, letting himself feel embarrassed just long enough for Muffet to make her apology, an apology that makes him shake his head.]

You have nothing to be sorry for. It doesn't matter what form you take. You have a kind and loving heart. That's the important thing, and honestly, what you just said makes so much sense with what you told me about how your magic works. I should have realized before I had this mental image set in my brain that is nothing like what you actually look like.

Oh dear.

[The mental image of him missing the point is rather funny, but she still feels guilty for not clearing it all up sooner.]

That's very kind of you, dearie. I'm glad to hear that this doesn't change our friendship. As for having an accurate mental image... Well, if you don't mind, there's one way I can think of...

[She gently takes one of his hands and guides it towards her face, her grip light enough that he can easily pull away if he doesn't like the idea.]

Are you cer-

[Ignis always asks before he touches someone's face. It may not seems like a big deal to them, but he feels it impolite just to assume it's okay. This time, though, he only gets the question half out before Muffet is drawing his hand forward and giving him all the answer he needs.

His touch is light and a little tentative as if he is worried he might hurt her somehow. After all, it doesn't take very long to realize while her face is human-like, it is also not and it would pain him to accidentally stick a finger in one of her eyes or something like that.

Once he is finally done, he drops his hands to his lap, chuckling softly.]

That's a lot of eyes. I can't help but wonder what it's like seeing through them.

[Indeed, Muffet's face appears to be fairly close to human. The overall impression is that of a rather delicately pretty young woman, save that she has five eyes.]

[She laughs lightly, amused but not mocking.]

To be entirely honest, I've always wondered how humans managed with only two. Then again, I've never had the chance to compare the sensations.

Our minds take the images from each eye and combine them to make a complete picture. I can only imagine your mind does something similar, though the picture it creates much be so much more complete.

[Sharper, cleaner. Ignis can think of so many ways the image would be better than the one created by someone with just two eyes, but that is assuming her eyes work anything like a human's do. For all he knows, they may not.]

Damage to even one eye can be devastating. I've heard soldiers who have lost some of their sight in battle mention they would prefer to be completely blind as opposed to having to deal with the confused signals their brains create with only partial vision.

I think it would be similar, though I can only guess. In the end, I suppose that's always the case- we can never know exactly what being another person is like, only try to understand based on our own experiences.

And learn from what others tell us, by listening to them.

Or we just wait until some random god or island effect decides to put us in each other's bodies.

[He means it as a joke, but about halfway through saying it gets this odd feeling that maybe some things he shouldn't joke about lest they actually happen.]

...

I probably shouldn't have said that out loud. If that happens sometime soon, I take full responsibility for it.

[Muffet opens her mouth to speak, pauses, and then closes it again for a moment.]

...I was about to say 'don't worry, that's hardly the worst thing that's happened to us here', but then I had the sudden horrible suspicion that I would be somehow dooming us all.

Perhaps we should talk about something else.

June Intro: Let's Sea How Far We've Come

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We can probably wrap this soon unless you want to do more with it.

I was thinking the same thing. /thumbs up