lifeaftr | May Adventure: I Want to Go Where Everyone Goes

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May Adventure: I Want to Go Where Everyone Goes

NEW ISLAND: IO

Who: Everyone!
What: Io appears!
When: May 10th and onward
Where: Io
Warnings: The possibility of drug use and alcohol may come up. Otherwise, tag as you go!

Things Are Shaping Up to Be Pretty Odd
As of May 10th, the mana pools on Ensō and its islets will now allow for travel to Io. Though you could always opt for sailing, if you wanted. As we mentioned on the island's introductory post, no exploration is necessary! The island is small enough and easily traversed, and with a minimum of dangers, you have plenty of time to visit each of Io's six draws.

The temple is the easiest place to get in touch with the local avatar, though you can contact them just as easily by striking up a conversation with just about any honeybee you see in the vicinity. The lazy drone of them can be heard all over the island, though they're quite complacent, and not at all prone to disturbing adventurers. The temple itself is twined with grapevines and smothered with inlays of rubies, proud and sparkling. Inside, it smells of honey and wine, and seems to exhibit a naturally contented glow. Just outside, numerous fruit trees sprout all about the temple's courtyard, to be sampled at your leisure.

The bathhouses are located just south of the temple, and are prime locations for some rest and relaxation. Bathe, swim, take a spa day! There are innumerable rooms to do exactly that, and more space than be reasonably filled by some sixty-or-seventy people.

Or maybe you're interested in getting absolutely sloshed instead. The vineyard is perfect for that, located to Io's northeast on one of its long, tapering peninsulas. Rows upon rows of grapevines lead up to the crown jewel of the region: a proud winery with enough goods to satisfy even the most parched.

For those less keen on mind-altering substances, the tea gardens are a far safer bet. They practically emanate tranquility, with their soft paper lanterns, thickets of tea trees, and a tea room with a seemingly endless supply of every supplement to your drink that you could ask for. And if none of the teabags or tea leaves in there suit your preference, you're free to wander about the gardens yourself and sample whatever you like.

The Honeycomb at the island's heart is much more akin to a play structure or jungle gym than anything else, but its interlocking passageways and erratic, hexagonal architecture aren't for nothing. It's an ideal spot for play or exercise, if you're into that kind of thing - or for getting positively sick on honey sticks.

The campsites ensure that you don't truly have to depart from Io, if you don't want to. Tents full of chairs and cushions and blankets make it a wonderful place to spend the night if you're so inclined, and the lockers full of food and drink are assurances that you won't go hungry. And with all these massive bonfires and firework cannons, why would you ever want to leave?

Welcome to the island of Io! Please, enjoy your stay and make full use of this island's many faculties! For further information in regards to the island, or plotting, the following links may prove handy:

[ ♆ ] OOC info and introductory post
[ ♆ ] Io on the Locations page

LOGS ● OOC ● STORIES ● MAIN NAVIGATION

( CODED BY BOOTYCALL )

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Temple

[It's not a surprise that Shepard comes here first, exploring the temple and admiring its artistry. While she has been partially slacking in the deity department, now that she's more out and about she's exploring and taking in everything this place has to offer. All in all, it helps that the atmosphere on this island is so... calm. She wants to keep her guard up, but despite herself she finds herself relaxing.

And when she sees the variety of fruit available here, she's happily stuffing her face. She'll go in and talk with the god here, absolutely, but maybe she should just... enjoy some good food first... just in case, you know?]

Bathhouses

Shepard has never been shy of being exposed around other people. The military training made sure of that. So when she sees these luxury bathhouses, there is nothing stopping her from diving in. As the tension in her muscles eases she leans back against the walls of the bath. Letting out a satisfied sigh, she speaks to whoever else may be in the room with her with her eyes closed.

"I think this island may be my favorite island yet."

Honeycomb

[Have you ever wanted to see Commander Shepard do 200 pull ups, barely breaking a sweat? Of course you do!

Here Shepard can be found performing some drills and exercises to keep her mind and body sharp. Just because this island is relatively calm doesn't mean that there won't be dangers in the future and she will be ready for them. If you want to help her out by spotting her as she lifts some heavy honeycomb or sit on her back while she does one-armed push ups, she'll welcome it!

Or if you just want to watch a buff lady work out, you're welcome to that too.]

Winery: Daytime (cw for alcohol use and general drunkeness!)

It's been awhile since Shepard has had a good drink and the supple deliciousness of the wine provided here is a siren call she cannot refuse. So anyone coming by can easily find her sampling many bottles of wine of various colors.

In fact, you may come upon her slightly buzzed, holding two bottles of white wine in her hands and looking at them in confusion.

"How... do you know which... is better...?"

Shepard's not cut out for the wine-tasting life.

Winery: Nighttime (cw for alcohol, drunkenness, and probable discussion of PTSD symptoms and mild alcohol abuse)

[Perhaps drinking all day long was not the wisest of choices on her part. During the night she can be found if you look hard enough tucked away into some lonely corner in the winery, clutching a bottle of red wine with a distant expression on her face. She won't actively engage anyone who comes near her. It's a bit of a departure from her usual demeanor, but she refuses to make eye contact and instead opts to take another sip from the bottle she holds. She won't push you away, necessarily, but she's not the most welcoming figure here. Ignore the other empty bottles of wine around her, she's fine.]

Campsites

After everything she's been up to on this island, the idea of making her way all the way back home to her sad little shack is not appealing. Especially since these blankets and cushions are a lot more comfortable than the pile of leaves that she's been sleeping on for... god, how long now??? She doesn't want to think about it.

She'll make a comfortable nest, surrounded by pillows and blankets and make sure she has a perfect view of the stars. If there is anyone nearby, she'll chuckle quietly to herself and speak.

"Feels almost like a sleep over, huh? Never had those as a kid."

[This is by far Guzma's favorite island. He enjoyed Nuidan for the work and resources it provided, but this? This is literally vacation island right here. He's needed the R&R super bad, and he looks clean, loose, and actually like he's slept, and well to boot, in the past day or two. He and Lillie have mainly gone back to Enso to change their clothes and actually pack some proper essentials - or deposit what they've taken from the island to their home.

Fruits, teas for Lillie, cups for said teas, jars of honey, some pillows and blankets, and...a lot of alcohol for ya boy here. Listen, not all of it will be drunk!! There's some good types of booze that he can cook with - wine, sherries, and even beer. But all the booze and sweet fruits he's been eating builds, and he's looking to rejuvenate himself with a bit of fitness... It's a damn shame there isn't anywhere he can dance here. I mean, he could dance anywhere, but a hard, flat, open surface would be best for some real choreography. Ah well, he'll chat up the bee friends and see what they can do.

Seeing Shep, he waits his turn, squatting down close by to observe absently. Guzma's been interested in actually learning to properly fight - real, actual martial arts. He's learned...some stuff from when he was a lot younger, from Hala, but that was what? fifteen years ago? Other than fistfights and brawls, he hasn't kept up with his regime. It's about time he got back into it, probably, he's got the muscle for it, just lacks the focus.]

Hey. [...Shit, what was her name again?] You. [CLOSE ENOUGH.]

[Shepard continues her one-armed pushups, barely breaking a sweat. She's in her third set, enjoying the clarity of her mind over the simple repetitions. Up and down. Up and down. She'd noticed Guzma earlier but waited for him to say something. It's been awhile. But it's nice to see him. She grins when he speaks, not turning her head.]

Hello to you too, Guzma.

[She can't tell if he's being his usual brash self or if he legitimately forgot her name, but it doesn't matter in the end.]

How are you?

[He has absolutely forgotten her name and it shows, especially when she remembers his and seems to call him out on it. He looks a bit flustered, scowling with a sheepish expression as he scratches the back of his neck nervously. Wow, just because he has a crappy memory, lady, c'mon...]

As well as this place can offer. But-- [He looks around and breathes in deeply. The air of this island is crisp, fresh, peaceful. It seems to have an aura of tranquility that seeps into everything. But he's not here - right here - for tranquility. He wants a bit of personal training.] ...there's only so much relaxing before y'all need to get back into it, yeah? Keep your hands busy.

Y'all seem to be doing a bit of both though. You been trained like that? [He points at her absently, though his eyes seem to differ with his lax body language. He's taking it all it - her form, her rigidness, the distribution of weight...everything. He's been keenly observing and trying to learn. Even now.]

[The sheepish look on his face garners a fond chuckle from the soldier.]

Yeah. I get that.

[She really does. Having nothing major to do has been horrible for her mental health here but that's not the discussion they are having.]

I was. I went through a couple of years of military training back home, plus a year of special ops skills.

[She knows this song and dance. Look cool, calm, reserved- can't let the other person know you might want something.]

[Guzma nods. He's no mind reader, but there's something said in the look on her face, and the actions she's taking to "relax" - idle hands and all that. He gets it. Guzma himself gets a bit squirrely if he's sitting around doing nothing for longer than a few hours. He has to move, has to do something. Train his Pokemon, lift weights, work on the house, fish...something. Especially here, where the droll of technology isn't as prevalent to make people lazy, he's done a lot of work.]

Yeah, you definitely came of as a cop. [A weird cop, but a cop. She just...had the air. He's not going to describe it, but as a thug himself, he can easily spot a cop. They just hold themselves a certain way that's so, so noticeable.] I know a few things...but none'a what y'all prob'ly got taught. I can hit things, and stay on my feet if I take a beating...but that's pretty much it.

[A cop, huh? It's honestly accurate and it gets a good laugh out of her.]

Good to know I still have that energy.

[Even with all her moping and whatnot, it's good to know she still has something to her.]

Not many people had the kind of training I got. I was a part of an elite squad, Alliance's best and brightest, yadda yadda yadda.

[She smiles and stops her push ups, standing up entirely to look him in the eyes.]

The most important bit? Is what you just said. Take a hit, don't fall, come back swinging. Once you got that down, it's all according to the technique you need from then on.

[She was always good in a street scrap, and she just got better the more she learned with the Alliance and the N7 program.]

You interested in learning some?

[Oh, thank Arceus...she actually seems to be a decent balance between competent and Nanu levels of down to earth. It makes actually communicating all the easier when there's no pretentious, holier than thou attitude going on. Guzma is 300% done with that horseshit, boy oh boy.]

Heh, well, I can say now that I definitely come back swinging alright. [Depending on his mood, he'll come back swinging and won't stop. Not even when the other person is already down.] But like I said...I can dish it out like it ain't nothing, but I lack, uh...finesse, I guess. Precision...training...discipline-- [He snorts with a dry chuckle. Yeah, that's a thing he's definitely lacking.] That stuff.

I y'all can willing to teach me the ropes, I'd 'preciate it. I can't rely on my Pokemon forever. Not here.

[She gets it. She was a thug once upon a time after all.]

Absolutely. With the way these islands are, it's only a matter of time before we get hit with more shit that's going to hurt.

[She stretches out her shoulders, rolling them back a bit and then nods.]

All right. Show me how you punch.

[Back to basics. See where she's gotta build from with him.]

True dat, yo.

[Doing much the same, Guzma squares up, pushing back his (long dead) wristwatch and the bracelets on his arms. He cracks his knuckles, and takes a pretty aggressive stance.]

I ain't gonna aim for your face, can y'all catch it? [He's uh...he's not sure there are sandbags or anything here, and while Guzma's not stupid enough to expect Sheppard not to be able to take a hit, he's not going to purposely aim or her face or vitals. He's strong, and can throw a mean punch. If she can't catch or deflect it, it will absolutely hurt or swell, and he's not here to break her face, just get some pointers.]

[She already likes what she sees here, how he takes on a strong stance and is already up for a scrap. When he asks his question she just nods in response, her eyes trained on the man like he's a coil ready to spring.

When he launches his punch Shepard is ready, catching it in her hand. For as strong and sturdy she is, having parts of her that are literally robotic, the connection of his fist to her palm does smart a bit, and her shoes dig a bit deeper into the soil as she is pushed back a fraction of an inch. She pulls her hand back, shaking it a little bit.]

Nice! Well done.

[She grins, extremely pleased with the weight thrown behind Guzma's punch.]

Your form is pretty spot on at first glance. Throw another punch, I want to see how your form holds during a blitz of punches.

[She holds up her forearms in a protective stance.]

How about three punches here? While you're punching though, I want you to focus less on the beginning of the punch and more towards the end- the delivery of the punch rather than the initial movement.

[She bends her knees slightly, her eyes still trained on Guzma. She's ready for what he's throwing.]

[Ah, so precision over brute force, huh? Not a bad lesson to teach, and Guzma grins both at the praise and the rising adrenaline that's fueling his action. He's never been complimented on how he can punch before, so it's new and exciting, and pumps him up even more. Thankfully, not enough to break his focus, and he exhales before rearing back and aiming his first punch at her forearms. It lands easily, followed by the second - slightly of given the slight directional curve he gives this one, and the final loses a bit of momentum and doesn't quite hit the mark exactly.

He's good with strength, endurance, and is pretty quick, but he certainly needs precision training and to work on his stance. Had Shep been paying attention to his form, Guzma let himself pretty open to a counterattack had she been so inclined to take it. And while Guzma's balance is impeccable (all those squats really worked his leg muscles), he's not focused enough to watch more than one point, and defend others. She could have easily downed him with a low sweep of her leg behind his knees.

It's clear he's good at hitting things, and taking a hit, but he's no martial artist.]

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[Kravitz has found his way to the winery a few times, once he's sure this is a place where he can get safely tipsy and not have to try and escape some kind of trap with a buzz he can't shake. What he doesn't expect is to see someone he hasn't spied in a while, looking confused between bottles- which is kind of the expected behavior when you're standing in a place designed to mess with your mind in an enjoyable way. He leans over her shoulder to peer at the labels, pursing his lips as he thinks.]

Well, by age, the one on your right is far older. But it also depends on if you prefer reds or whites to determine if you'd enjoy the taste.

[Shepard hasn't heard that voice in awhile and she looks a bit surprised as he leans over her shoulder. God. He's so handsome. Why must he be so handsome and so gay? Tragic.]

So wines are sorted by colors. Huh. I thought I was just dumb.

[She looks at the wine critically again.]

...why do older wines supposedly taste better? Don't they become vinegar after awhile?

[Sorry Shepard, he's spoken for by one (1) elf twink, there are bisexual elves on this island but it's not him. Since this island isn't sending him through the winger though, he has taken the time to dress in one of his nicer button downs and slacks, a white clean tucked piece with little skull designs in a pattern across the entire thing. It's probably sharper than he needs to be for like, day drinking. It's fine. He's fancy. That makes it better than just day drinking.

That observation makes him reach forward and slide one out of her hands though, then moving for the other.]

If you're having a hard time seeing colors, perhaps it's time to stop, then.

[Trust him, he's very well versed in ways to die and is in no way prepared to handle a corpse right now.]

And vinegar and wine are prepared differently, I believe. Storage makes a difference as well. It's why wine is kept in cellars.

[He has no fucking idea if that's right, but he's trying to sound authoritative and smart when he really just. Likes Wine. Whoops.]

Edited (oops) 2019-05-29 04:35 (UTC)

[She doesn't fight him as he takes the bottle away but the second one she moves out of his reach, giving him a pout.]

No, I can see color just fine, I just have never really had wine before. So I wasn't sure if the color coding was intention... intentional.

[A small slip up, but she's really only tipsy. This girl has had Ryncol, she can handle this.]

Hm. Well, I don't know shit about fancy alcohol, so I'll take your word for it.

[She looks at him then.]

Was there a dress code I missed? You look good.

[Look, he's making sure. If he's forcibly not on duty he isn't gonna sit here and worry about deaths! At the very least, people complimenting him (however innocuous) always takes him by surprise, so he doesn't protest at any slurring of her words. Instead, he just raises his eyebrows, a little surprised perk of his ears.]

Oh, uhm-- thank you. This isn't much, really, I just-- it's not required.

[That explained basically nothing, and his face is saying he knows that, and tries again.]

What I mean is, I don't often have an opportunity to dress how I'd like in our normal environment. Since it seems we're not under siege right now, I... decided to wear something familiar.

[The ears thing? Cute as hell. So fucking cute. Shepard almost says so but then remembers, hey, you're tipsy, don't make this weird.]

Not much? Damn, remind me to check you out if we ever have a fancy ball here.

[She's sure he'd be serving... looks? Is that what the kids say these days?]

So you used to wear tuxes? I guess that helped the whole reaper aesthetic, huh?

[She tries to keep the sense of disdain for the word "reaper" out of her voice. Different kind, Shepard.]

Edited (i am so tired i completely forgot html) 2019-07-26 20:42 (UTC)

[It's those elf bits! They gotta wiggle! At least he just chuckles at her... flattery? Is that it? He also has no idea about these "looks" the kids speak of.]

Well, it is the given uniform of my Lady. I didn't select it so much as she has a level of decorum I'm expected to uphold. You know, dressing for a funeral.

[So casual. Just, y'know, little death things.]

Though, to be fair, I'm not certain it helped more than set the tone in the first place. I don't know where the human custom of wearing black to memorials. Perhaps it was her calling card, as a form of worship for safe passage to the afterlife.

[His brain kind of catches up here and realizes she probably doesn't care. Kravitz shakes his head, gives a little waive of his wrist.]

Well uhm, regardless, it isn't at all possible here where I can actually feel heat, so that's right out for the time being.

[GOTTA WIGGLE!!!]

Dressing for a funeral, huh? That makes sense... I guess.

[She usually wears her Alliance blues to those sort of things. She's thankful for that honestly. Makes dressing herself easier.]

So what does she all encompass? Is she the de facto goddess of death? Or is there more nuance to it than that?

[She's genuinely curious. And luckily hasn't made an ass out of herself yet being tipsy and all.]

Did you not always feel heat?

[She, unthinkingly, reaches out and feels the skin on his hand. Smooth and warm. Very alive. She cocks her head to the side inquisitively.]

Well, death and the natural order. Her job is preserving the souls after death in their proper realm, and ensuring the dead stay properly dead, so--

[And then she touches him and it sounds a little bit like his mouth was a tunnel and his words were a six car pile-up. It summarily dissolves into something incomprehensible and he puts it back together in record time, but there's a solid second there of sounding like he was a vid shut off mid-scene.]

Er, well, here I find myself more mortal than I do in my typical service. I have an exemption from my Lady as an undead to serve Her will, so this is the first time I've been uh, 'physically' alive in a long while.

[At least he can just ramble about safe things and not like, leap off a cliff the second he has to remember his own physicality around Pretty People. Just let him fucking. Die. Okay.]

[He honestly sounds like his brain shortcircuited for a moment and she raises an eyebrow and smirks. God, if this man wasn't as gay as the day is long, she'd be on him like white on rice.]

Huh. Interesting. Is there a real risk of the dead coming back to life where you're from?

[Seeing as she's the only person she knows of who has died and then lived again and she was a rare science experiment, it's a strange thought to think of people coming back from the dead as a real threat to the natural order of things.]

[Attractive people scare him, okay. Even if he's not attracted, there's just. There's power there, okay, he can't handle it. Thankfully she's picked the one topic he does know how to have a discussion about, and scoffs at the line in a way that sounds like he's about to dish so hard he ruins someone's entire career.]

Oh, you have no idea. People mess with it constantly, as if anyone's ever gotten away with it in centuries. You would think someone would heed the warnings of my station.

[ITS NOT THE NATURAL ORDER, ITS RUDE TO HIM SPECIFICALLY]

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It would be a lie to say Lup hadn't considered taking a running leap at the nearest fancy ass pool and just absolutely water-blasting the shit out of everyone in the area. But that kinda seems like a lot of effort for a very chill sort of afternoon? Also she'd have to put down her bottle of champagne, so like, no thanks.

Instead she slips into the water next to Shepard, wearing the shiniest bikini she could dig up, long hair tied up in a high ponytail and heart-shaped sunglasses on her face. It's a whole look and she better appreciate. Lup watches Shepard relaxing with a lazy smirk.

"I'd say we've got to stop meeting like this, but I'm pretty into it."

[Shepard opens her eyes relatively quickly, turning her head to her new companion.]

Lup!

[She's surprised. It's been a long while since they have spoken, mostly her fault since she's been hiding away in her shack most of the time. And then died. And then hid some more. But uh. Anyway. She's happy to see her, all the same.]

It's been awhile. I'm glad to see you in one piece.

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May Adventure: I Want to Go Where Everyone Goes

Commander Shepard | OTA | Will match format!

Honeycomb

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SURPRISE, YOU ACTIVATED MY TRAP CARD: PUNCHING TECHNIQUES

GASP, FOILED AGAIN

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heyoooo, daytime wine adventures!

DAY! TIME! WINE!

FIRE ELMO.GIF

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bathhouses OF COURSE

BUT OF COURSE