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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[The creature Yasha sees is definitely not hiding itself, and even in the darkness, she'll see it perfectly. Ammy is, after all, rather brilliant. Her fur glows white, like it were a light all its own - pale and soft - and her dark eyes blink back at the woman curiously. Oh...she didn't expect anyone else to really be in the temple, or at least this deep in, and her head tilts to one side curiously.

Another newcomer, no doubt, and her knife is easily spotted. Ammy gives it a careful glance before laying down passively, though she's still just out of arm's reach of the large woman. She doesn't seem to make any threatening moves or gestures, just rests there and keeps her eyes on the woman before slowly blinking at her after a few minutes in still silence.]

(No, this is very clearly a dog. A wolf? It's a larger animal, coat shining brilliantly in the dim light of the temple. Yasha pauses, waiting expectantly, but it does not attack. It does not even growl... and so she stows her knife away again, back into her bag.

It response, the wolf lies down.

Yasha glances about herself, and over her shoulder, as if searching for an owner. Surely it has an owner? It seems tame. When nobody makes themselves apparent, she crouches, and extends a hand fearlessly to the animal.)

Hello...

[If Ammy had an owner, there's nothing on her to indicate as such - no tag, no collar...nothing. In fact, she's a bit musty smelling and probably in need of some brushing, there are certainly small sticks and grains of sand in her fur, especially around her stomach and legs. Keeping her ears up and out, Ammy's eyes slowly squint shut and her left ear folds back against her head... A good sign, if one knows the body cues of a canine; she's curious, and relaxed about this newcomer, especially when the knife disappears.

Blinking her eyes open again, Ammy moves forward toward Yasha's palm, her nose immediately pressing into her palm as if searching for something - probably a treat. I mean, she wouldn't take it, but...if she's really offering... >__>

Pulling back after giving the woman's palm a swift lick, the wolf sniffs and licks over her nose and tilts her head to one side. Are you going to stay here in the dark? The Storyteller isn't here for answers, and there have been strange things happening with the island that they warned about while they'd be gone...it's probably best not to keep in the dark too long. It tends to press in very bad ways sometimes.]

Wrouf. [She responds, a low boof, and turns her head up as something seems to flicker outside of her peripheral. Mm...that's been happening too much lately. It's unsettling.]

(Yasha is not familiar for signs of a happy dog, but nonetheless she keeps her hand held out almost patiently, as if being very still will convince the wolf that it is okay to approach. She's aware that her size and brusqueness make for an intimidating first experience, after all.

The wolf presses her nose against her hand and Yasha's shoulders hunch in surprise at the feel of her wet nose. It's obvious what she's looking for. Yasha blinks for a moment, then takes her hand back and stands, patting herself down, picking her pack up from the ground. There's a package of salted jerky in here. She tears it open with her teeth, then sniffs a piece.

Smells pretty good. Crouching again, she offers it to the wolf.

Something out of the corner of Yasha's eye flickers, streaking left, and she startles, and drops the food on the ground.)

[Oh, Amaterasu has seen much larger than you, Yasha - though nothing large that would be entirely humanoid. The only thing she can think back on would be the Stone Golems and perhaps the Yellow Imps, and...mm, the former is a bad memory. Those things were terrible to encounter and worse still to battle. Best left in a bottomless pit, really.

But no, this woman seems quite softer around the edges than her grim looks would describe. Ammy sits the moment she sees the woman going for her bag, knowing that she was going to get some of her given food. Her tail begins to slap the stone of the temple floor a bit faster, and her over zealousness gets the better of her patience and manners. Ammy's invading Yasha's space and moving closer to nab the offered piece of jerky. Mmm...that's good stuff, if a bit tough to chew. It takes her gnashing on the slab a bit to properly mash it enough between her teeth to swallow, but...oh gods. That's it, right there. ♥

She snuffles against the ground, licking up flecks of jerky and bits of salt before the movement catches her attention as well and Ammy growls into the darkness, her ears shifting against her skull. Those...things. Insects? They looked like insects, but felt like wisps of dark power - a strong, negative aura. Tiny, but...ever present. The shadows seem to shift, and Ammy could have sworn she saw a pair of red eyes blink back at her for just a moment, and her lips pull back over her teeth. Not at Yasha, never at Yasha, but beyond her.

Something here is making the wolf really uncomfortable. Perhaps it's time to get out of the dark, mm?]

(She can feel it too, the general air of unease. The wolf is bristling at something unseen to her. Is it true that animals have a sixth sense for things unseen? Yasha remembers hearing something like that once, that animals always know when something bad is about to happen. She dusts off her hands, pops a stick of jerky into her mouth and then places the rest back into her bag.)

... We should go.

(She feels a little ridiculous speaking aloud to the wolf, but Caleb talks to Frumpkin out loud all the time doesn't he? So it's okay.

She takes a step, and then realises that she actually has no idea of where she is supposed to be going. A little flicker of movement registers at her left again, so she turns very resolutely in the other direction, and starts walking purposefully. Just to put some distance between them and whatever is lurking in the shadows.)

[In all honesty, talking to a creature isn't at all bizarre. Besides, the wolf is a lot smarter than her looks let on. By which we mean Ammy passes by Yasha and moves to her side, looking up at the woman before taking a few steps forward. She's not difficult to follow, even in the darkness - that fur is like a glowing, white beacon of light. However, after a few minutes, Ammy might...forget she's actually supposed to slow down and let someone actually follow after her at a decent pace. Better keep your wits about you, so as not to lose your new, furry friend.

Once outside, the wolf blinks at the sunlight and stretches, still feeling that strange, unnerving aura persist everywhere, in fleeting spats here and there. Flashes of movement, shifts of space, eyes and shadows seemingly watching and moving... It's wrong. Something is wrong with the whole island itself, it feels like. The Storyteller did warn of this, that their absence would bring about strange happenings, but...mm.

Did it have to be now, when the newcomers arrive? It's going to be difficult to get this one the answers she needs. Especially when Ammy really, really hates talking.]

(Yeah, she's noticed it too. It's a little overwhelming; Yasha has an innate feeling that this isn't something she can stride away from. Feels like it will follow her, flickering ominously at the edges of her vision until it drives her crazy. Will it do anything other than flicker, and hint at something unseen? She frowns.

The wolf looks like it's having a similar problem. It looks uncertain. Yasha thinks she is probably personifying it a little too much but it's hard not to in the wake of being here alone and without a clue as to what is going on. All she has is the wolf. She lets her hand drop gently down, to lightly brush its head with her fingertips. Even though she is confused, the wolf's presence is actually quite reassuring.)

Do... you know which way to go? (Maybe it lives nearby.)

[The finger's through her fur prompt an immediate response from the wolf - she perks her ears up and leans closer, almost greedy for more. Her tail swishes, but she doesn't linger for too long, she does indeed know the way to go, and barks in response to Yasha's question. It's not that far to the mana pool on the opposite side of the temple, pathed by numerous flowers - Narcissus, as she was told they're called - and stands by the edge.

What she does next is...well, it may or may not be the strangest thing Yasha has seen. Carefully, the wolf lucks a flower with her teeth, and drops it oh-so-gently into the still pool. Immediately, the waters begin to swirl and spiral, like a whirlpool of flowing blue-green, spray hissing at the edges. The wolf looks back over her shoulder at the woman and nods her head to the water. After you...

If you're not afraid to go in, that is.]

(It's... it's up there.

Yasha, who had been content to stand and give the wolf a nice scratch behind the ears for a while, lets her shoulders drop as it barks and moves swiftly away. It seems to know where it's going. At least one of them does. She follows it in silence, out to what appears to be a small pool opposite the temple. Several little yellow-white flowers dot the lip of the pool.

Seeing the wolf pluck one makes Yasha want to pick one too. She could put it into her book. The wolf is gesturing at her again though; Yasha startles when the water leaps and swirls before her. She leans close, made curious by the colours. It looks like magic, like a portal...

She isn't afraid to go in, but she still hesitates.)

You'd better come too, (she says quietly to the wolf, and then takes a step briskly through the water, and into the unknown.)

[Honestly, taking one of the Narcissus flowers probably wouldn't be a problem at all, they're abundant by the pools and probably grow more in minutes due the the magic that permeates the island by the Storyteller's influence. Heck, she herself could grow them as well, if there was ever a so-called drought of magical energy to feed them. A small flower patch shouldn't use too much of her ink, but that's neither here nor there right now.

The wolf's lips curl into a sly smile, her tail swishing side to side slowly. Heh, nervous? It's fine, unless you're like her and don't particularly like getting wet... But this is truly the best and only way to travel long distances on the islands, and it's so similar to the Mermaid Pools for Amaterasu that she's even gotten used to diving into the waters. With a nod that yes, she'll follow, the wolf waits for the large woman to go in before plunging into the depths herself.

It's like it is every time - a swirl of blue-green and millions of bubbles spinning in a sort of vacuum for several moments...like being pulled through a drain, or a washing machine if Ammy knew what that was. Air is still present, as it always is, and it's more disorienting than dangerous. Cresting the surface, she climbs out of the water and shakes herself off, looking around for Yasha as the many homes dot the area around the islets where they are now.]

(Yasha is also unfamiliar with washing machines, so the best comparison that she can make to the experience is that it's like being spun around very very hard by two large hands, but also underwater? It's not exactly pleasant. She pulls herself out of the water on the other side with a gasp and a shiver, her stomach lurching. Kinda feels like she's going to be sick. She remains bent double for a moment, but eventually the feeling passes, and she straightens up.

Some how, they are somewhere entirely new. Yasha turns slowly in place to take it all in: on another islet, it seems, surrounded by distant housing. It seems like a facsimile of a town. At least she'll be able to find somebody to talk to her here, tell her what's going on.

Oh, the wolf is here too, shaking herself off by the pond. Yasha comes back over to her, hefting her bag up on her shoulder.)

Do you live here?

[It certainly isn't pleasant, but the experience gets easier with time. ...Not better, just easier to hold in one's lunch. Ammy backs up a few paces, in case the woman really i going to be sick, but wouldn't blame her if she did. The first few times are always the worst, and she was no better with the Mermaid pools back home in Nippon. Of course, for Ammy, the worst part about them both is the getting wet part, but we digress.

When it looks like Yasha isn't going to vomit, the wolf wags her tail and looks way up at the woman when she comes over, meeting her half way. The question is one she's asked often, and it's never one she knows how to properly answer. This isn't her home, not really, and she doesn't exactly have a house that she lives in day in and day out - she's wild, and she wanders - but... With a low sound in her throat, the wolf slowly shifts her head from side to side in a mock sort of nod.

Kind of. It's her home away from home, kind of. She gestures to many of the houses with a nod of her head, and doesn't seem to really move to follow. She's pretty sure the woman will be fine on her own, now. People tending to their gardens or just doing their own daily work should be more than able to answer her questions or point her to a house that's not in use. Heck, they may even allow the woman to stay with them, if she so chooses.

But Ammy will be there, finding some warm spot to curl up in and take a nap...dry her fur. If and when Yasha wants to come back and say hello, she'll be by the pool, snoozing.]

(Did the wolf just... nod?

Yasha only stares in response, a little perturbed, a little curious. This is the most human display of communication it has exhibited thus far, and it reminds her of the way Frumpkin apes communication. Perhaps the wolf is somebody's familiar?

Unfortunately, Yasha isn't sure of how to figure out if she's right about that or not. Maybe if she encounters the wolf's owner, she can ask. She's gesturing to the houses now, glancing expectantly at her, and then back out toward the houses. Yasha can put two and two together. Time for her to go and find somebody to actually talk to.)

Thank you, (she says haltingly, then touches her fingertips to the wolf's head again. Her fur is very soft. She hopes she'll see her again some time.)

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October Intro: I Think We Should Run

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