January Intro: It Grips Me

[lifeaftr_mods]

INTRO LOG: JANUARY

Who: New arrivals, and you!
What: New souls arrive to the archipelago of LifeAftr
When: January 5th and onward
Where: All over Ensō
Warnings: Mark as needed!

Shores of Ensō: The Sun's a Harsh Reminder Why
As dawn arrives - and with it, new adventurers to Ensō's shores. It appears the Storyteller is not about to allow a repeat of last month. The ever watchful pages that have guarded the shorelines the month prior now begin to move closer inland, circling the landscape in closing, careful arcs. To the particularly astute, their purpose may quickly become clear. Anything foreign to Ensō's natural ecosystem will be met initially with wary hovering, ruffled pages flocking to nearby trees and wheeling overhead. Now and again, a particularly brave little page will swoop down to tap against the top of an unsuspecting entity.

Foreign entities, in this instance, just so happen to include...well, all of you. These partially sentient notes can be found flitting across the entirety of Ensō and the neighboring housing islets, intent on surveying every little nook and cranny of the tropical landscape. While they may little more than a vague irritant, their attitude towards a person they’re surveying can absolutely get worse, depending on the response they receive. Though responses may vary (and creativity, encouraged), the pages are looking for indications of anything that is not only out of the ordinary, but also that which is acting suspicious. Unfortunately, they're not quite experienced in determining what does and does not count as a genuine threat, and thus they might very well interpret even the smallest signs of surprise, anxiety, and (justified) irritation as signs of hostility.

Unfortunately, their response to this is likely to be just as unpleasant as it is abrupt. Those of you who protest a little too vigorously may find yourselves abruptly doused with a viscous black ink - a marker to return and inspect you again in future. Where more aggressive behavior is…noted, you may very well find yourself swept up in a tornado of angry paperwork, only to be abruptly (and not at all comfortably) deposited at the Storyteller's temple. A very weary Storyteller will do their best to apologize as they slowly smooth out the kinks in this new security system.

But surely you agree, dear adventurer, that this sort of security system is indeed necessary.

Ensō, Inland: Who Knows Where Our Limits Lie
Unsuspecting adventurers aren't the only creatures the pages seem intent on harassing, it seems. Across Ensō, the activity of the native fauna will become much more apparent as creatures are driven from their usual haunts by invading paper. From the smallest of snaplings to herds of cariborn, it will take some time for the wildlife to settle down as many disturbed creatures will find themselves displaced miles away from their natural homes, seemingly at random. Unfortunately, this also includes the creatures most would prefer not to have on the move. For the unappraised, Ensō happens to play host to a particularly horrifying brand of wildlife known only as the fustercluck: a large swath of appropriated limbs with katamari-like qualities, if katamaris were more well known for digesting the majority of their victims and using what little remained (usually the hands and feet) to propel themselves towards their next meal.

Despite Ensō being home to two such creatures, very little has been discovered about them, aside from how unfortunately indestructible they seem to be. Magic, guns, bombs - name your poison, and a fustercluck will most certainly be impervious to it, including poison itself. Should you be unlucky enough to wander into the path of a fustercluck, your best option is to run - or lend the fustercluck a hand.

And another hand. And your entire body, since you offered so nicely.

The fusterclucks have a more directed path than most creatures - they can be found moving up and down the rows of G and H until January 10th, when they appear to settle down...unless they're diverted elsewhere first.

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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

[story_teller]

Oh, you shouldn't-

[Too late. Given an order, the papers immediately flock to Ren, swirling about her in more of those rapid, dizzying patterns. The Storyteller simply sighs, loping over and, with great care, leaping up to her shoulder.

Don't worry, Ren. They won't catch you with their claws.]

These papers will stop anything from entering the island that shouldn't be here- eventually, that is. Currently they're having... some teething problems.

[Just a few.]

[catpiper]

[The papers do their erratic little twirls and she's both terrified of what they heard and happy that they seemed to understand her a little bit. We're getting there.

They're moving too quick to aim right, but she tries to pet one of their little paper wings?? The paper cut will be worth it. They'll know they're all good, good sentient flying papers doing their best on this island. The Storyteller gets a little pat on the head too, if they let her. Nice going.]

You did a good job. They're very 'cool.'

[But they don't even have teeth for this supposed teething problem is the thing.]

We can use chalk and draw pointy teeth on them. Then it won't be a problem anymore.

[story_teller]

[There she is; Ren Adventure Zone, queen of cats, chalk, and sentient paper. The Storyteller huffs, leaning against her cheek. Their antlers might be digging into the side of her head, a little.]

I'm not so sure that would help, in this case. But if you can catch them, you're welcome to- will you stop that?!

[Ren will feel noticeably lighter as a small cloud of papers take flight, both from the top of her head, and the Storyteller's back.

This is going very well.]

[catpiper]

[Antlers or not, she won't snub an opportunity to be with their local god. The affection is welcome and when they're up in the air again, Ren looks absolutely determined to use these papers to their full non-security potential. Hold on tight, Storyteller. She's not even trying to get down.

No, first she tries quickly clamp down on some between her hands while they're hovering. Please, just let her get one. She's got some teeth to draw and regardless of how that turns out, she loudly exclaims-]

To camp, to camp! Fly us that way!

[It's not gonna work, but Ren Adventurezone is gonna give it a shot anyway.]

I'll give you all pointy teeth and paint you pretty colors. But we have to go there.

[story_teller]

Oh my dear, you really shouldn't-

[Not because it won't work.



But because it's absolutely going to? With a flurry of motion, the papers collect beneath her rump, smoothly picking Ren off the ground- Storyteller and all. They hover a few feet above the ground for a moment--

And then fly right out the door! TO ADVENTURE!!!]

Hm. [The Storyteller, in the meantime, is not impressed.]

[catpiper]

[This was the best idea???? The greatest??? She's freaking ecstatic and keeps a hand on the Storyteller's head so they don't blast off into the sky.

It's like Halley's Comet, if Halley retired and hired a bunch of goobers to become a new comet. Either way, it's a world wonder. Amazing. Look up at the sky kids-it's a bird, it's a paper plane(s), it's all terrible honestly.]

Good small, good sharp, good flap, good frog, good star, good storylistener, good pizza-

[It might take awhile to name every piece flying around, but she's gonna try and by golly they're gonna hear what good papers they are. Sorry, ST. Should've run while you had the chance. Now they're floating in the air with an excitable demon.]

[story_teller]

[This is all well and good for her- very Ghibli of them, but the Storyteller is less frazzled by the height and speed than by the Great Many Things they still need to do, things they are rapidly being carried away from. Look up in the sky! Is it a bird? Is it Halley's Comet?

No. It's a delighted gremlin making friends with a flock of sentient paper, with one disgruntled lump of a rabbit pulled along for the ride. Amazing. Beautiful.]

I really have quite a large amount to do. [They stress, kneading Ren's shoulder for attention.] And much more besides that.

[catpiper]

[They already have a busy god who needs to do things and that fluffy pooch is still on Nuidan. Outsource the work to them, they'd figure it out real quick. It's fine. And while Ren doesn't express that exactly, the smile on her face sure says Shh, it's fine, but she knows how this goes, so-]

When we get to camp, I have something very important for you to do to. Can we do that first?

[And then she will Free Them from this hell of her own making.]

[story_teller]

[Harv's duties are radically different to their own? Do you really think Harv would let anyone dump their responsibilities onto them, even if they were? Smile all you want Ren but that dog is a harsh taskmaster.

Her words pull a heavy sigh from them, grumbling softly as they settle down properly, curling around her bare neck and shoulders. It's cold up here- you'll catch a cold.]

Very well.

[Lead on Flap, lead on Pizza. There's a great many things to do, and very little time.]

[catpiper]

[And they'll have control of their limited free time soon, maybe, once they finally make it to camp and she shakes herself free of the papers-

Trying to snag one in her hand again and getting splattered with ink after it slips through her fingers. How's she supposed to pet you all?? Honestly?? Be good, be good.

But the Storyteller is being good on her shoulders, so she presses a hand to try and keep them there as she ambles to Taako's hammock. He's not around and what he doesn't see won't hurt him.]

It's on that thing. You have to sit there and you'll see the 'task.'

[story_teller]

[The Storyteller gives the paper a flat look that has the entire flock retreating to a safe distance- otherwise, Ren doesn't particularly seem to mind, so? No harm done?

She needn't worry about them so, but the hand of support is appreciated as they eye off the hammock skeptically. If she says so, then they'll take the leap, literally; clearing the gap between shoulder and hammock with ease.]

Where should I be looking?

[Because, okay, they're on the hammock, but it is happily continuing their momentum whether they like it or not, rocking the rabbit back and forth as they stare up at Ren quizzically. Where, Ren? Where's the task?]

[catpiper]

[They haven't caught on and that's incredible. She needs to keep the charade up and now that the papers are doing their own thing, it gives her time to Collect.

She hurries back to the tent, pauses at her cats so she can reach down to pat their lil meowing faces, gets back on track, stops because Lobstar's raising its pincers, ignores that, scrambles to get The Task, and hobbles back towards the hammock with a piece of fabric in her hands.

And then she just throws it over them. Nighty night, peanut.]

You have to rest-that's the task. I'll watch the papers and the temple. I can keep those things safe while you sleep. And-

[Except she can't do any of those things, but bye felicia-she draws some charcoal teeth on one of the tree trunks the hammock's tied to and hobbles back towards the papers.]

This thing will keep you safe. That's how it works.

[DUECES]