September Intro: The Fields Are Painted Gold

[lifeaftr_mods]

INTRO LOG: SEPTEMBER

Who: New arrivals, and you!
What: New souls arrive to the archipelago of LifeAftr
When: September 4th and onward
Where: Primarily Ensō, though Umui is also likely
Warnings: Mark as needed!

The Beach: And the Sun is Coming Through
When you arrive on the archipelago of LifeAftr, it is on the shores of Ensō - turquoise waves dragging through the pale sand of the beach. The breeze carries the tang of salt on the tropical sea spray. The sky overhead is a blue to rival the aquamarine surf. All told, the atmosphere is almost...pleasant. Not far from the cream-colored beach, the jungle beckons.

Above the treetops, however, something seems to be drifting overhead.

Bright spots of color drift on the wind like motes of dust. On further inspection, one might be able to discern what, exactly, is the cause of this lazily wafting, brilliantly colored confetti. They are flower petals, being funneled up into the sky. Petals of every color and shape imaginable, thickening the air with golden currents of pollen, being lifted from one specific point. They are streaming freely from the Storyteller's Temple, as it happens, though this may not be clear to the newly arrived. The Temple has at last begun to shed the floral trappings that have ensnared it since the end of last month, and the breeze carries this out across the ocean skyline.

There's no mistaking it: it is very beautiful. Unless you have allergies.

Inland: The Trees Are Filled With Memories
This influx of flowers on the breeze, aside from being a potential source of unpleasant reminders to those who died choking on said flowers last month, have had additional consequences. The creatures rescued from Ziziphus flourish in such pollen-rich environments, which has led to a fresh budding of their young. Baby mosslings crawl like lumps of lichen over the trunks of trees, and the loud peeping of arboreali chicks can be heard in the branches above. Most of these creatures are not tameable, but some, such as flowccus, can be kept as livestock.

Just take care, when venturing into Ensō's verdant jungle. If Ziziphus's prey animals have begun to spring forth, then its predators have begun to reproduce as well. Young spindlanks and rootwyrms are not nearly as vicious as their adult counterparts, but you may have a bit of trouble getting rid of them without killing them - you did, after all, bring them here to preserve them.

Most notable, however, are the fresh litters of tigerlilies that have begun swarming all over Ensō.


Tigerlilies can be tamed and kept as pets, though despite their fearsome appearance, they not terribly vicious. They subsist in much the same way any other plant would; off of water and sunlight, primarily, though they might also graze like an herbivore from time to time.

If you're interested in keeping one for your own, bear LifeAftr's companion limit in mind - two per character, and no more. The process of trying to tame a tigerlily is not always successful, either. We recommend use of a d10, with the following guidelines:

Rolling a 10: Critical success! This tigerlily will follow you to the ends of the earth.
Rolling 6-9: Taming and training this tigerlily will be like educating a stubborn housecat, but will be nonetheless successful.
Rolling 2-5: Failure. You get sprayed with soporific pollen, which will affect you for several hours.
Rolling a 1: Critical failure. Not only do you get sprayed with soporific pollen, but the tigerlily in question decides that you're their new cat toy. Tigerlilies are not carnivorous, but their teeth and fangs are still very sharp, and not highly pleasant to contend with.

Bear in mind that these are only guidelines; you are free to predetermine successes or failures as you'd like, presuming your character can sustain the companion! Our discord channel has a room for dice-rolls, if that's your speed.

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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

[counterblows]

So you weren't dosed up so bad that I'll have to carry you out of here. Good.

[It's possible that no one's told Wash that his bedside manner needs work. Or, in the case that they have, it's even more possible that Wash simply doesn't care.]

So get it together.

[fortunefavored]

You get it together, Samus! Geez! [Newt says, like an adult, wrinkling his nose and moving to push off the tree and walk away...except one step in and he's stumbling over a large fallen branch that he didn't notice because he's so woozy and does a faceplant with the ground, letting out a squawk on the way down]

[counterblows]

[At this point, he doesn't even want to know what a Samus is. He's too busy watching Newt faceplant gracelessly onto the ground, sighing loudly, and crouching to make sure that he's not about to...pass out on the spot, or something.]

To be clear, I was talking to you.

[fortunefavored]

Ow, ow, ow, ow--[that is definitely a whine as Newt rolls onto his back, clutching at the side of his ribcage because tbf he kind of got his ass handed to him by no less than two different kaiju (three-and-then-some if you count the brain) and a black market drug dealer in a handful of hours, and those injuries are still sore. He hisses as he rolls onto his back, the pain enough for him to not fall asleep just yet as he squints at the canopy above him and, as it turns out, Samus.] I think one of m'ribs is cracked.

[counterblows]

[Well, that's just great. All he's got on his person right now are biofoam pens, and those aren't any fun to deal with - more of a stopgap measure until you can get some actual, real medical attention.]

[Another sigh.]

When you fell just now, or did this happen less recently?

[fortunefavored]

Nah, dude, it was like....several hours ago? Before here. Or somethin'. Probably when I got chased by the baby kaiju. Or maybe in the shelter when the big kaiju broke through the ceiling. [he sure is probably making a whole lot of sense right now as he struggles to sit back up, wincing and swaying again because oh man he is

really

super tired

gonna just lay back down on the ground now yep]

[counterblows]

What's a -

[...okay, no. He's not doing the Q&A right now. His main focus is now ensuring that Newt doesn't pass out on the spot, so he reaches down to try and...awkwardly get his arm up over Wash's shoulder, if he can?]

All right. Come on. We're gonna get you someone to make sure your ribs aren't broken.

[fortunefavored]

[mmm okay that jostling is not super fun and ow ow ow--Newt yelps a bit when he tries to do that--] Dude, ow, stop stop stop I'm shorter than you, man, that hurts!

[counterblows]

[Wash bites back the urge to simply up and sling the guy over his shoulder, because he's not Maine and he's not thinking of - not thinking of Maine, ever, so instead he snaps:]

Can you walk on your own?

[fortunefavored]

I walked here, didn't I?! [snapped back, but....as soon as Wash lets go, he's going to have to lean on that tree again to stay upright oops because he's still pretty drowsy]

[counterblows]

That was before you got hit in the face with sleeping pollen.

[You can't read the skepticism behind the visor, Newt, but you can probably feel it radiating off of Wash like a smoking gun.]

And you don't look very much like you can.

[fortunefavored]

Fffffffffuck you, Samus. [Newt makes a solid attempt to point a finger at Wash, but ends up just kind of half waving at him uselessly] 've got an apocalypse t'stop, I don't want to--to--[we interrupt this pathetic attempt at a rant for a large yawn]--t'be here.

[counterblows]

[This would be funny, if Wash weren't the person he is. He simply deadeyes Newt flatly, a look utterly wasted by the fact that his expression is still shielded in Duraplex and gold.]

No one wants to be here. There's no way out, though, so you're going to have to get used to it.

[fortunefavored]

'f there's a way in, there's.....[Newt trails off, yawning hugely again, eyelids starting to droop again where he leans against the tree]...there's...

[counterblows]

Okay, we're not doing this right now.

[Time to try again. Deftly, he hooks one hand around Newt's elbow and jerks him upright.]

Come on.

[fortunefavored]

[Newt yelps again as the jerk jostles his side a bit, and he's stumbling, hand shooting out to brace himself on Wash's shoulder] Ow! Shit, fuck, warn a guy!

[counterblows]

Watch out, [says Wash, dry, exceptionally belatedly.] Come on. We're getting you somewhere you can pass out safely.

[fortunefavored]

Look, just--[Newt stumbles again, barely righting himself just in time to keep from tripping over another log]--would you slow down?!

[counterblows]

I am literally moving at walking speed.

[He's failing to adjust to the fact that NEWT IS TRYING NOT TO SUCCUMB TO SLEEPING SPORES.]

[fortunefavored]

Sure, if you're, like, a giant! [his vision swims and Newt shakes his head, trying to clear away the fog in his head. Which, naturally, happens at the wrong moment, causing him to trip over another branch. Fortunately, Wash's grip on him keeps him from doing another faceplant; rather he ends up clutching at him as he stumbles, scrambling to keep on his feet]

[counterblows]

[...right. He is, after all, in full body armor, and can sometimes forget that not everyone else on this island is also in full body armor the way they usually are at home.]

[He makes a conscious attempt to slow down, and then steadies Newt with a gloved hand to his shoulder.]

I'll move slower, then. But if you start passing out, I don't want to have to carry you.

[fortunefavored]

I don't want you t'have to carry me either, Samus, trust me. [that was definitely petulant and sarcastic because, well, apparently that's what one does when you're struggling to stay awake and it feels like the last time you definitely maybe forgot to sleep for three days and Hermann harangued you until you actually fell asleep on the lab couch. Though you definitely did not feel a pang thinking about Hermann nope let's get back to that whole world swimming around you thing. Anyway, the point is, Newt's the one clutching at Wash's arm now as he blessedly slows down, and his eyes squeeze shut for a moment before opening as wide as he can make them, as if hoping that'll stop all the oops-i-haven't-slept-for-72-hours feelings.

Unfortunately, it really doesn't, but it was worth a shot]

[counterblows]

Would you quit calling me that? It's Washington.

[This is probably not going to help with Newt's sense of unreality very much. Wash, unfortunately, does not care very much.]

[fortunefavored]

[Newt can't help but choke on a laugh at that, still stumbling a bit as he goes, but clutching at Wash's arm is helping keep him upright. And somehow, because he is starting to go into that weird I-am-so-sleep-deprived-that-I'm-effectively-high state that he can't help but holler, suddenly and loudly:] Here comes the general!

[because clearly the best time to quote Hamilton is after being effectively gassed by sleep pollen and clutching onto some stranger's arm while being dragged through the forest]

[counterblows]

[OW JESUS CHRIST. Wash barely keeps himself from flinching away at the abrupt escalation in volume, protesting at once:] I'm...I'm not a...

[Good god, he does not have time for this.]

...never mind. Just try and keep it down.