lifeaftr | October Intro: I Think We Should Run

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October Intro: I Think We Should Run

INTRO LOG: OCTOBER

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

Nuidan: Checking that the Coast is Clear
This time around, newest arrivals to the archipelago of LifeAftr will open their eyes to the skies overlooking the relatively recent island of Nuidan. Namely, they'll be waking in the northern quadrant of said island, the region perpetually locked in the season of spring. This means rich fields of gold and green and buff-colored grass and skies swollen with unshed rainclouds. The scent of turned soil and petrichor mingles with the faint, earthy scent of manure.

It's not an unpleasant way to wake. There are doubtless worse places to rouse yourself. But the cloud of dust clotting up the horizon soon suggests that there might be a bit more to the circumstances of your arrival than some nice weather.

And, unfortunately, that's exactly the case. There's a herd of something charging directly for you, and nothing short of a natural disaster is going to sway them from their course.

A thick-packed herd of scaly aptonoth have been spooked, startled, or otherwise galvanized into a panicked stampede across the northern reaches of Nuidan.

Quadrupedal, herbivorous, and scaly, aptonoths resemble dinosaurs in appearance more than they do so in their generally placid nature. They are far more akin to cows in temperament, even if their skin is a good deal more leathery. Even the broad spikes at the ends of their tail or the heavy horns atop their heads aren't terribly dangerous unless the entire herd feels threatened. While aptonoths are typically easily tamed, in this case they are far from amenable to conceding to anyone's interference.

It's probably best to try and get out of their way. Fast.

Ensō: 'Cause They're Already Ghosts
Things are quieter on LifeAftr's mainland. They might seem a little...eerily so, in fact. Today officially marks the day that the Storyteller makes their departure, and seeks out new islands for you intrepid explorers to uncover. The difference that their absence creates is small, at first, and most prominently felt on Ensō itself.

The temple is the most obvious thing. It simply looks...defeated and empty, as hollow and unoccupied as it currently is. That aura of proud mystery is absent, though the Chamber of Glyphs at least remains as it was. But anyone who comes looking for the Storyteller themself at this time will find no one waiting for them. No flower-touched animal, no old, dusty tome. You're currently on your own.

Or...maybe not? The Storyteller was courteous enough to issue a warning last month about the nature of the dream-island of Mu. The effects of that island will start to make themselves evident in small, simple ways: namely, in the way you're going to start seeing things.

Nothing serious, of course. Just...flickers of movement in the corners of your vision. Something about your surroundings just being so slightly off. The color of that rock - it's always been that way, hasn't it? Or was it only always that way five minutes ago? While these blips and hitches in reality are decidedly non-specific, they can be unsettling for those who can't adjust for a bit of strangeness.

The source of these odd quirks in the fabric of reality is easily explained by the presence of clockroaches, one of Mu's wily dream-creatures. You'd be hard-pressed to catch a glimpse of any of them directly; they specialize in the ethereal and the ephemeral, and seldom reveal themselves to anyone if they can help it. But you might, if you're very attentive or very lucky, see some indistinct, silver-misted blur disappearing behind the trunk of a tree in a blink-swift ghost of motion.

But they are, in essence, harmless. At least...for the moment.

As of October 4th, the Storyteller will be unavailable for both IC Contact threads and Item Requests. If you need anything vital backdated, just let us know!

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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[If there's one thing he doesn't want to remember...it's the Overgrowth sickness. For a moment that tired look is back. He kills it quickly but it had been there. How does he even explain it?

Keith glances to the side for a moment and gets right to it.]

You heard about Storyteller, right? They have been helping us by pulling islands close to Enso. So far, it seems like this world broke somehow. I've been looking into it. I haven't found anything solid yet.

Strange things happen here, Shiro. Weirder than space. The natural laws we know get bent. ...the disease on Umui was called Overgrowth.

[He has scars on his back from it. He doesn't hide them but he doesn't like saying where they came from.]

The ancient people that lived on that island were all there because they had it. They built robotic caretakers to help them...but there wasn't a cure. We stumbled across their notes and we didn't find any bones at first. Just...wide open fields, empty buildings, and robots covered in plant growth.

[He usually runs right at the point. He's stalling and he knows it. Knowing that he frowns.]

The disease caused flowers to grow inside the victim and feed off of anything they're hiding. They have to confess their secrets to another person, and be honest with themselves to survive it. You were around before we found the mass grave. You vanished before we all got infected.

Edited 2018-10-04 22:46 (UTC)

[ He listens to Keith. Almost immediately, a sick feeling nestles its way inside him, and Shiro's breath catches audibly. From what Keith's telling him, a lot of people died. Obviously--no cure, no hope for survival. A chill runs through him, and the hand covering Keith's tightens.

He wants to know if Keith survived. If the others did, too. But... ]

... If it's too painful-- [ he says, and he's glad that his voice, somehow, remains steady, ] --you don't have to keep going.

[ Shiro might want to know everything Keith can tell him about the disease, but... he knows what it's like, to have to talk about difficult things. ]

[His hand tightens on Shiro's arm and he forces himself to relax it. They both don't like this.]

It needs to be said. People can die here but we don't stay dead. I've been here for half a year. A lot of people couldn't follow through on the cure and died. They came back.

I was on the first sick... [It says how much he was hiding and he doesn't want that to be what Shiro thinks of. He raises his head so he can stare directly into his eyes.]

I vanished when I got really bad. It felt like no time had passed between then and now but days passed here. More time than that back in our own reality. It's happened to others before. They go back to their reality and come back changed. Anyway, I arrived in time to...

[He falters and shuts his eyes. It still hurts.] Be there when Lance died. Pidge had hidden away I think she was dead by the time I returned.

[Unbidden Shiro leaning over him with his eyes lit with violet light set against the pale glow of the planet below flashes across his mind's eye. He shoves it down. Different situation. He continues, voice lowering until only the two of them could hear him.] When you die here and come back there's a price. Lance was mute for a while. Pidge had to only say the truth. ...and Storyteller reflects our state, those of us who appear here.

They were sick too. Any time something happens of major import to all of us, they reflect it. ...when you appeared again we were from the same point in time. Now...

[He studies his face again.] Do you have your bayard?

[ He almost feels like he can't breathe. Keith had been sick, and-- and Lance, too. And Pidge. God, Pidge. Shiro's hand trembles on Keith's shoulder, and his face is tight with grief and regret. Had he been here, could he have done something?

... But what? Forced them to confess what they had, hidden deep down? No. That's the last thing he could ever do to any of them. But hearing that Keith had been really sick, that-- it breaks his heart. And it's all he can do to not pull Keith close, feel him warm and steady and alive in his arms.

He's so close to doing that, though. He breathes in. Releases. Even if they can come back, seeing any of his team, his friends, dead... that absolutely destroys him inside. So when Keith asks that question, he has to take a moment to collect himself, to remind himself that Keith is alright. And Pidge must be, too.

Breathe in, out. He pulls his bayard out. ]

I'd just taken it before arriving here. [ His eyes linger on the scar on Keith's cheek, the broadness of his shoulders. ] I'm guessing that was some time ago for you.

It was but not as long as you're figuring. I got trapped in the Temporal Abyss while on a mission. It was two years for me...weeks for the rest of the universe.

[His voice is faintly shaky. It had taken a lot to admit to the images that haunt his nightmares. He'd held onto Lance as he died. It had happened so fast one moment he was there. The next there was an emptiness where the loudest person he knows had been.

Keith breathes in and visibly struggles to keep his composure. He opts for being a little less matter of fact, eyes never leaving Shiro's.] You and Pidge are within the same timeframe. She's from before that mission.

The last thing I remember from home is...talking to you. [It's not a lie. He won't lie to him. But he doesn't have it in him to tell Shiro what's ahead.]

Anyway, bayards don't quite work right here. They revert in mid-combat. Hunk had a set amount of ammo each day. Our armor is on the fritz too. Paladin armor can't form a shield. Limited jetpack use.

Blade gear is about the same, but the mask still works.

Two years.

[ He breathes out the words. From the way he's dressed, how comfortable he seems in the Blade gear... Shiro can guess it wasn't a paladin mission. ]

So we have to be careful with our bayards. [ That's... troubling. Shiro frowns.

... More importantly... it kills him inside to hear Keith's voice shake like that. To see him struggling in this way. So. Shiro pulls him close, arms around Keith in a hug. It's the least he can do for him, right now. It's the first thing he thinks of, anyway. And maybe it's a little bit for him, too. He can afford to be selfish, sometimes, can't he?

Shiro takes a breath and lets it out, ruffling Keith's hair the tiniest bit. ]

... I'm here for you, Keith.

[He'd been afraid to reach out. What if it had been a dream and he woke up in the mostly empty cottage. That's how it feels without the sounds of the others when he wakes up in the morning. He got comfortable and maybe that was a mistake.

The reaction is automatic. Keith wraps his arms around Shiro, returning the hug and leaning into him. He needs it. They probably both need it and he's always willing to give to Shiro. He always will.

And this is the least he can do for now.] ...we're here for each other, Shiro. This place can be pretty crazy but we'll make it through.

[ It's warm and familiar, holding Keith. Shiro relaxes for the first time, completely, since arriving here. This is something he's missed, even back home. Just... being himself, with Keith.

He doesn't let go, just holds him a little closer. ]

I'll always be here for you, Keith. [ His voice is soft. ] And we've always made it through. Even when thins looked bad, we always managed. I don't plan on changing that here.

[He shuts his eyes as all the tension drains out of him. Some of it he hadn't even realized was there.] And I'll always be here for you too.

[He doesn't want to let go. So, he doesn't. He should explain more though and with his mind, as settled as it has been in some time, he continues.]

We should head to where Pidge and I are staying. You can ask any other questions on the way. I don't know everything but I can point you to people with more information than me when we hit a snag.

[ That's much better. Honestly, Shiro doesn't want to let go, either. He could spend all day like this, but there are other things to attend to.

Besides... they have plenty of time. So, Shiro pulls away, but he keeps a hand against Keith's back. ]

Ann showed me where you two live, actually. I just hadn't found you there just yet, so I decided to walk around a little. [ He chuckles softly. ] But I wouldn't mind going back. Maybe Pidge'll be there, too.

She might. We've both been trying to keep busy. [He steps back but his hand remains on Shiro's arm. He doesn't want to lose all contact now that he's found him again.]

You might have just missed me. I was back there long enough to switch gear then head back out to hunt. [He should check on the cow again. He's been making sure Kaltenecker stays well fed and is alright. Lance might come back like he did before.

He pauses and whistles three short notes. A shape high over their heads circles once and passes over them.]

Ann tell you about Ember, too?

Keeping busy here--what have you been doing?

[ Shiro turns his attention upward, watching the shape circle and pass. ]

She didn't. Did you pick up a bird?

Harv cut us a deal, we help them out and they'll help upgrade our dwellings and supplies. It hasn't been so bad doing farming and tasks.

Anyway, yeah. Ember is a phoenix. [He says as he thrusts his arm up for the shape that dives straight down at him. As Ember gets in visible range fire trails from him and sparks flicker out behind him. He comes out of his dive and the flames snuff out.

The red and orange feathered bird of prey lands on his arm with a few soft notes of a greeting song.]

I found him as a hatchling. He was pretty helpless and randomly caught on fire. So I coaxed him to come with me. [He strokes Ember's feathers and scratches under his chin.]

I guard him at night, we work together during the day.

I'll have to lend a hand, then, too.

[ After all, it's not fair to reap the rewards of others' hard work without putting in his own effort. Besides, it's something to keep him busy, too.

Anyway-- yeah, Shiro is pretty amazed. A real phoenix. He wonders just what other creatures are here, waiting to be discovered when Keith says, uh.

He says that. ]

... He randomly caught on fire?

[ Oh my god. ]

It wasn't that hard to avoid! He would start smoking and I knew to get clear. [He pauses, aware that's not reassuring in the slightest. After all what if he hadn't noticed or it happened in combat. He can hear the thoughts running and holds up his free hand.]

He got better at it pretty quickly. It wasn't a danger for long, Shiro.

[That does bring him to the fun topic of all the creatures in this strange place.]

He's not that dangerous compared to some of the creatures and phenomena we've seen here. It hasn't all been bad but...Nuidan is the safest of the islands we've been to. So far. [Even with the stampede, it's by far the safest.]

And I'm still waiting for it to turn dangerous.

[ Well, that's... yeah, that's not reassuring at all. Shiro, understandably, looks concerned, but Keith is alright. He's fine, and so is Ember, so... It's fine.

What isn't fine is what Keith says next. ]

I'm glad you at least managed it, Keith. [ Still concerned!! But Keith is resilient, and Shiro takes comfort in that. ]

... if a stampede of wild animals counts as safe, I'm a little worried about the other islands.

[ Other than Umui, which... hes been told about, and which he won't forget. Ever. ]

What should I look out for the most?

[He chews on that for a moment. Shiro needs to know the biggest dangers here. He runs a mental checklist through his head and resumes walking, heading for the temple.]

...There's several but the hardest to deal with are these balls of organic matter that roll up anything. Even living creatures. They absorb them into themselves. I have no idea how to handle them other than retreat.

...and I was warned about small black holes. [He turns slightly to keep eye contact.] I've seen the one on this island. I'm not sure why it isn't sucking anything in. But it hangs there.

[Keith shakes his head, unsettled all over again by the thought of a black hole out there.] There was one on Zizyphus too. It sucked in anything living that got near but...nothing beyond a certain range.

Edited 2018-10-09 05:26 (UTC)

[ The fact that Keith has to think about what's the worst is... worrisome. Still, Shiro follows him, waiting for him to explain. ]

They-- roll up anything. [ That's definitely concerning, and Shiro's brows furrow. ] Is there any way to tell they're approaching?

[ ... ah. As for the black holes. ]

A black hole--here, not in space. [ He sounds only vaguely skeptical. Keith wouldn't lie to him, it's just... Hm. ] Is the one on this island inactive?

"I don't know. A lot of things seem to bend the laws we know around here. The sun itself is Ember's mother. When I first got here it came down to renew itself on the island that rose up for that purpose. It...everything froze over and went dark for a week.

Things from the depths of sea surfaced to try and destroy it. It was a siege and it was everywhere. We worked with merpeople called the Jormun to hold the tide of dark creatures back. I didn't believe it was really real at first until... [He stares up at the sky with a haunted light in his eyes.] Felt like a nightmare until the phoenix burst up out of the center of Chol.

It's only been weirder since then. But we make it through. [He shakes his head and sends Ember up with a soft murmur, 'Go scout, Ember.' The bird takes off into the sky over their heads.] I have no idea how to tell when those balls of matter are approaching.

You usually see them coming. They've gotten big.

The sun is a phoenix?

[ Wow. Well, at least he knows that--which begs the thought of the sun renewing itself again, at some point. How long is a phoenix's lifespan? He has no idea, but at least he'll be prepared if it happens.

Shiro watches Ember go. ]

Sounds like you've had a lot of adventures. [ He squeezes Keith's shoulder. ] I'm proud of you for making it through, Keith.

[ But from his tone, he doesn't sound surprised at all. And he's smiling as he says it; of course Keith would soldier on. ]

I had some help with that. I wouldn't have made it if not for everyone here. I guess that goes for all of us. [He smiles back at him as they get closer to the temple and to their destination, the mana pool. Keith puts on a burst of speed and Ember sails high overhead, winging for home.

He's not sure if Shiro knows how the mana pools work. Had he woken up on Enso? He pauses at the entrance.]

Hey. Has anyone explained how mana pools work to you?

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October Intro: I Think We Should Run

cw: mentions of body horror

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