May Adventure: I Want to Go Where Everyone Goes

[lifeaftr_mods]

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?

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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

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LOGS ● OOC ● STORIES ● MAIN NAVIGATION

( CODED BY BOOTYCALL )

Comments

[counterblows]

Sounds like you do a little of what the Storyteller does. Only you actually do something about what people tell you.

[And the Storyteller, to Wash's knowledge, doesn't do anything but listen and keep track of how many stories you've told.]

[the_archivist]

Maybe a little. Not-

It's complicated.

[He cant track down every statement giver and help them. He can piece together what he needs to know to stop another ritual though. Hopefully.

...or to complete the Beholding's.]

Mainly we just look into them, verify what we can. Often it's too late to save anyone.

[And sometimes they get taken right out from under his nose in his office because he hadn't noticed the door that didn't exist.]

[counterblows]

[It sounds a little like the kind of process you'd anticipate from a cop, but - yeah, he's not going to go there again. It sounds more prone to doing something of use than anything the Storyteller does, so that's already a point in Jon's favor.]

"We." You got other people who work with you?

[the_archivist]

Yes. I mean, in the Archives specifically, there's my- [Friends] Assistants. Melanie and Basira and Mart- Um, Melanie and Basira. And Daisy is there too most of the time. Basira is off a lot recently investigating.

[And Melanie is only just starting to talk to him after he removed the Slaughter's bullet, and Daisy is shattered, and Martin is- And of course the Avatar of the Twisting Deceit which is still hanging out in the basement with them.]

And upstairs there's librarians and people from artefact storage and my- my new boss. Supposedly.

[counterblows]

Supposedly. You don't know your boss?

[Would be great if that were less common than it apparently is, but one-way blinding seems to be the go-to if someone wants to protect their identity.]

[the_archivist]

I know who he is. I've never met him. I'm- I'm not sure anyone working there has except-

[Except Martin. And that fills him with dread. But what can he expect from an Avatar of the Lonely?]

It's complicated.

[counterblows]

["It's complicated" is code for "I don't want to explain this." Or maybe, alternatively, "I don't know how to explain this." Wash frowns, but doesn't push. He's trotted out that phrase enough times himself to know better.]

...I'll take your word for that.

[the_archivist]

[Complicated, potentially deadly. And he doesn't really know enough about Peter Lukas to say for sure what's going on. He should probably remedy that.]

I'm still trying to work out if he's worse or better than my previous boss.

[counterblows]

Was your previous boss..."complicated" too?

[Because!!! boy!!!!!!! Wash's sure was and he sure is not about to get into that, preferably ever again!!!!!!]

[the_archivist]

Very complicated.

...he's currently in prison for double murder. He let the police think it was me who did it for... a while.

[Not to mention the manipulation, and invasion of Melanie's mind and Martin's mind.

And Jon misses him. Sort of. He was a known quantity, and they served the same master and-

He wishes he hated him. It would be a clean emotion.]

[counterblows]

Sounds like a...very charming man.

[Heavy on the sarcasm, as per usual.]

I'd say it's hard to be worse than that, but I know from experience that's not true.

[the_archivist]

He- he has his ways.

[There had been times, even when they'd been planning to remove him from power, when Jon had realised how very easy it would be to get dragged under by Elias. To let his words and the promise of knowledge and that undeniable draw towards their Master guide him. He is still amazed that he resisted.]

Yes. Yes, so do I.

[counterblows]

No chain of command around here. One of this place's few perks.

[At least unless that C.O.C. manifests in the form of your dead ex-boss, who doesn't have any of his bureaucratic clout but does still have a temper and a weapon and all of his unresolved baggage.]

[the_archivist]

Yes. I suppose it is. No-one to answer to.

[No Watcher's Crown to find. Probably. And from what he's gathered, no looming time limit before the next ritual.]

I think the baths make a quite nice perk at least.

[counterblows]

Better enjoy them while they're here. I don't expect them to last for longer than a couple months, maybe.

[Most islands don't last much longer than that, in his experience.]

[the_archivist]

It's more of a vacation than I've had in a long time. I'll enjoy it while I can.

[counterblows]

As much as day to day survival can be called vacation, sure.

[This low-tech bullshit isn't what Wash would call ideal, okay.]

[the_archivist]

[He considers that for a moment. Day-to-day survival versus the Archives and all that entails. And he cannot completely divorce himself from the Eye, but this is about as close as he can get, he thinks.]

It's less stressful so far. And nothing has yet tried to kill or kidnap me so I'm going to take it as a good sign.

[counterblows]

Yet.

[Thanks for that ominous aside, Wash. Though those sorts of things tend to be his specialty. Who else is gonna be a cryptic motherfucker, if not Agent Washington?]

[the_archivist]

The 'yet' is just background noise of my life these days.

[counterblows]

I'm just saying, people have apparently been kidnapped before. Right out of their homes and everything.

[That's if you don't already consider this place scooping you out of your home dimension to be kidnapping in the first place.]

[the_archivist]

I will... Brace myself for kidnapping number... Four then. Or Five? No, I think it's four.

[counterblows]

Oh, good, so you're used to it. At least this time we have the - [He gestures vaguely in the direction of where the clothes lockers would be.]

Rocks. Like radios, but worse.

[the_archivist]

I am unfortunately familiar with it, yes.

[As long as no-one is planning to skin him this time.]

Oh. The stones. Yes. That does help I suppose.

[counterblows]

[yep these stones aren't going to malfunction at alllllllll]

Didn't always have those, but you'd have to ask someone else about that. I showed up with mine.