May Intro: I'll Be Scrolling Through Your Shrine

[lifeaftr_mods]

INTRO LOG: MAY

Who: New arrivals, and you!
What: New souls arrive to the archipelago of LifeAftr
When: May 4th and onward
Where: Ensō
Warnings: Mark as needed!

With potentially odd dreams connecting you to people you've never met, in addition to the dream-lecture only recently received from a horned rabbit, LifeAftr surely doesn't need to try to be disconcerting upon arrival - and yet, it somehow continues to go the extra mile. While new arrivals will find themselves upon the now (mostly) safe shores of Ensō, there is one, small problem with where, precisely, they've happened to appear.

Chamber of Glyphs: It Was Written On Your Wall
Within the temple of the Storyteller, one may find a very special room. Betwixt the reality of waking and dreams, the Chamber of Glyphs appears to hold many unique features that allow it to appear wherever one may seek it, both in waking and sleep.

It is not, however, a good room to arrive within. Those seeking out the newest members of LifeAftr's adventuring party - and those who are simply looking to draw - will be greeted, upon entering the Chamber of Glyphs, with the most alarming sight. The small pile of backpacks, unattended, might be the first thing you notice, as well as the fact that they all seem to be adorned with names of those you might not know. Or the names of those that you do, but haven't seen in some time. Perhaps you met them in a dream...

And those of you who are newly arrived, you'll be able to see them searching. Unable to break the barrier between you with sound, you might feel the urge to wave your hands for attention, attracting searching eyes to the walls. Walls that you are now a part of. Hopefully this reduction to the second dimension is only temporary. Those who took part in April's Test Drive Meme may have the benefit of familiarity, for what is etched onto the walls of the Chamber are never lacking life, regardless of the matter used to draw, paint, or sketch those contents.

With maneuverability somewhat akin to a sidescroller - always left or right, up and down, but never outward - the variety of scenes, animals, places, objects, and more are simply all the more to your advantage. Leap to the vantage point necessary to be noticed, as your fellow adventurers may be able to help you out of this predicament with a simple offer of their hand to tug you off the wall. It's an easy solution to your predicament, at least! All they need to do is take your hand to free you from your two-dimensional containment.

If it proves more difficult...well, at the least they know you're there to point out thanks to a very tired Storyteller, who will be certain to let anyone in the vicinity know that you're in need of help within the Chamber of Glyphs, before one of the many, many monsters that have been scribbled onto stone lay claim to you instead.

What kind of monsters, you ask? All of them, of course.

Ensō: Rain Hell
But maybe you don't wake up written on the walls! Maybe you're just relieved to get unstuck from those walls and need a breath of fresh air. Or maybe you don't have any reason to go poking around in search of new arrivals at all. That does not mean, however, that you won't be encountering a new arrival of your own in the interim.

The sky is clouded over and gray, despite the sun overhead and the generally warm weather. The nights are filmed over with a screen of pale dust. This has little to do with the forecast and more to do with the volcanic eruption that occurred just a few weeks prior, on another island in the archipelago. You don't need to worry about the nature of the ash still drifting on the wind currents - aside from the more standard obstruction of sight and airways, it is, at this point, more or less perfectly ordinary. Though if you've got some fragile lungs, you might want to stay out of it as much as possible.

More important is the creature that the hazy cast of ash and dust has coaxed out of hiding. Perhaps you've heard of it in folklore: resplendent with dark gray, furry wings, and glistening red eyes. Or, perhaps, you're less fortunate, and you've no cultural experience regarding the strange monster known colloquially only as...Mothman. At over seven feet tall and with a wingspan of about fifteen feet, the Mothman makes for far more fearsome a sight than it does a threat. For all intents and purposes, despite the devilish red of its glowing eyes and its large, hairy stature, the Mothman is ultimately quite harmless. It does, however, tend to inspire paranoia in fear in the hearts and minds of those it encounters. And this smokescreen in the air has created the perfect environment for it to hunt.

It doesn't want your flesh, or your bones, or anything so base. It only wants your mind, in a sense; your fear and whatever primal terror it may ignite by preying on your paranoia. It will stalk you, rustling the leaves behind you, snapping twigs to your left, allowing you a glimpse of bright crimson eyes before dispersing into the surrounding, ashy murk. The good news is that once it has you scared, it has no intention of sticking around - and its wings makes it incredibly fast, when it wants to be. Anyone who attempts to attack it directly will discover just how speedy it can be, assuming that the air from its wingbeats don't end up pinning you flat to the ground from the sheer force.

The Mothman can be killed, most likely...but there are a lot of you, and only one cryptid for an entire island. It's not likely to want to stay in one place if it feels it's outnumbered, or that it's about to be attacked by someone who isn't so easily stricken by the fear and suspicion it endeavors to ignite. Those who wish to escape it can at least take heart in the fact that the Mothman abhors open spaces, largely preferring the sanctuary of woodland and greenery; all one has to do is reach Ensō's shores to be largely safe from its influence.

Though you could try killing it too, of course. If you wanted.

---

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!

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LOGS ● OOC ● STORIES ● MAIN NAVIGATION

( CODED BY BOOTYCALL )

Comments

[assoverelbow]

My thanks.

[Thank you, small child, for showing him the way.]

I'll make sure to do that. It's probably much easier to see things in the light of day.

[Not that darkness is really an issue when you light up like a lamp...]

[yallstupid]

[And as the duo make their way past the bridge and up to the small home Lillie and Guzma share together, the flames from the wood stove out back have become just a dull glow, but are still hot and smoky... Seems Guzma's finished dinner just a short while ago given the scent of something having been cooked recently still lingers in the air. It's a pleasant, charred scent...with various spices that Guzma's no doubt borrowed from Muffet or got from Ren('s terrible caretakers).

The inside is only dimly lit, probably by the indoor firepit, and a small plume of smoke come up from the top of the small abode. It's cozy enough, but it is indeed...small. The space is truly it for two people to live comfortably. Perhaps another child could make it work, but another adult? Mm...it's going to be cramped. Guzma's not outside, and the movement of the light inside signals he's indoors, probably prepping dishware and the like to eat.]

[flower_of_innocence]

[Lillie can see how normal and calm things are right now and instantly knows there's really no right way to approach this. He's probably a little peeved that she's so late, to begin with, but what will he do when she's late because she's escorting a complete stranger - made primarily of metal and glowing like a lantern - to their front door?

It's not the only reason she's late, she did get lost and then chased by the mothman.

Regardless, she steels herself and cracks open the door, calling out:]

Guzma? Sorry I'm so late coming home...I got lost when it got dark. [And then she opens the door the rest of the way, because there's no good way to introduce a ninja, so might as well let him do it himself.] A kind newcomer helped me find my way back.

[assoverelbow]

[Genji doesn't bother trying to hide his presence - he knows he cuts a rather striking figure, what with all the glowing, but there's no point in pretending he's not here.

He raises a hand in greeting.]

Yo.

[He lowers his hand, nodding towards Lillie.]

I am Genji.

[And he...doesn't really know what else to say. He's done his part in helping Lillie get home, and...she did offer to let him stay the night. He hovers there, unsure of what to do.]

[yallstupid]

[Lillie doesn't have to look far for Guzma, it's a small house. He's basically right there when she opens the door, finishing of his own plate, which is balanced on one bent knee - seems he's pretty used to eating on the floor...or just in a "unnatural" sort of environment. Corralling everyone into one place...haha. That's not what Team Skull is like. People eat one their own schedules, and if anyone cooks, they do it on their own time with their own money and skills, or their own desires. He only started cooking because there was no other option. If he didn't, he'd either have to rely on someone else, or starve.

But that's not the main point here.]

Lil, I don't really care i y'all stay out 'til the sun comes up, I 'aint no one's parent, but give me a call, yeah? Just so I know I don't gotta come rescue you from noth-- [The "yo" stops his words dead, and the already mildly frustrated scowl darkens into a truly irritated grimaces. Who...is this? Why are they here? He eyes flit from Genji slowly, painfully, tortuously slowly...to Lillie.

And linger there.

Explain.]

[flower_of_innocence]

[HECK.]

Th-this is Genji! He's one of the new arrivals.

[She doubts this will calm him very much and rushes into the next sentence without really giving herself time to shape it into something...palatable.]

There was something in the trees and it was chasing me, I think, but I was very scared and got myself lost while running from it - he calmed me down enough so that I could find the mana pool and made sure I got there safely.

A-And I...um. Offered to let him stay the night. As thanks.

[yallstupid]

[Guzma is decidedly quiet all through Lillie's explanation, and he doesn't budge an inch, staring at her intensely and only once glancing back to Genji. It's pretty easy to see why he has the boss of Team Skull back in the day, even when he's not mad, he has a...presence about him. One that demands attention and respect. The buffoons were the grunts, definitely, but the true power, the true terror, was in the Team's leaders. Guzma is a scary guy, he knows it, and he half uses that to his advantage.

But. When Lillie finishes, he lets the quiet linger for a moment before he closes his eyes and just sighs. It's a long, heavy sound, and he still looks deeply irritated. He glances at Genji first, and while his tone is flat, there is some sincerity in there.]

Thanks for looking after my girl, bro, 'preciate it. I been working on toughening 'er up, but she's still a creampuff under it all. [His gaze turns to Lillie now, and his lips curl downwards. He's not...pleased. Very obviously not pleased, and is making a point to show it, but he's allowing this. Today.] Y'all can stay the night, but we don't got the accommodations to keep no one for more'n they're welcome.

[assoverelbow]

I could not leave her out there alone. [The cyborg tilts his head in acknowledgement. Guzma is an intimidating man, but Genji is not afraid of him. He has met plenty of imposing, intense men in his life - his father, Reyes, even Reinhardt has his moments. There used to be a time when he would want to ruffle his feathers, to get under his skin, but...that time has long since passed.] Though I do not believe there was any real danger, there is safety in numbers.

[He bows his head - a show of respect. Genji does not fear Guzma, no, but he knows better than to disrespect a man in his own home. Especially one who is doing him a kindness, against his will or no.]

I will not overstay my welcome.

[flower_of_innocence]

Thank you, both of you. I know this was unexpected for everyone. [A small, nervous laugh.] It's good to have new friends, though...right?

[Yes, it is. And Genji carries a sword, so he must be the kind of friend who can fight when monsters show up on the island's shores. Monsters less objectively harmless than the Mothman. So he's an extra important friend to have, because Guzma only has his fists and his pokemon, and Lillie has absolutely nothing to defend herself with, and gosh would you look at the time, she should go to bed.]

I'll stay up a little longer to eat and get Genji some pillows or a blanket, at least. I-I'll share mine, of course! You don't have to worry about anything else, Guzma!

[yallstupid]

[The level of respect is...nice, if a bit odd. If only because it doesn't come from a place of fear so much as it does common courtesy, which is utterly foreign to the ex-boss. He raises a brow at just how polite Genji is being, and the look o his face spells confusion and bafflement. Yikes, bro, did you come out of an oil painting, or something? Mother of Mew...]

Yeah...whatever. I expect you out by the time I wake up tomorrow, which...luck for you, s'usually pretty late into the morning i'n I'm not woken up. [Was that a hint? It certainly was. Wake him, and he will personally kick your ass out himself, literally, perhaps.] There's spare blankets... Drifter made us a bunch of 'em a while back, so that's no issue, and I snagged a beach carpet and some pillows from when the, uh....Gyrados people was around. In my room.

[He points Lillie to his room, and doesn't lift a finger to help her, because...well, she made this mess, so she has to take care of it. He's no one's host, and had she alerted him about it, instead of showing up with some rand-o off the streets, he may have been a bit more prepared or this shit.]

[assoverelbow]

Well, fortunately I wake up rather early.

[He tends to wake up at dawn, after all. Makes meditating in the morning extra pleasant, when there's a sunrise to be seen.

He's also a complete morning person. It's disgusting.

However...]

Do not worry about blankets. They should be unnecessary.

[It's not like he can really feel cold. It's a sense that's been dulled, and if he can handle the Nepalese mountain tops he can handle an island.]