lifeaftr | 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 )

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[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.]

[She takes it all in rather quickly, nodding to herself as she mentally takes notes.]

Mmm, that's what I thought. You throw a lot of your strength into that first punch, but that leaves the follow up punches weaker.

[She stands back in her own fighting stance, fists raised.]

Let me show you what I mean. Are you ready?

[There's a brief frown - praise sure does come and go - but he nods with a low grunt. This is training after all, and he's more than aware than he needs work. Still, Guzma's never been great at accepting criticism, thought he's uh...way better now than he used to be. Especially when he's asking for it specifically, instead of suddenly.]

Mm, yeah.

[Is all he says before he squats down into a slightly defensive stance - poised and guarded. It's obvious he's had some training, but this is...sloppy, disorganized. Whatever training he had in the past, almost the whole of it has been forgotten, and rearranged with whatever fighting style Guzma has learned over time for himself. He's on the defensive, sure, but there are still glaring openings a skilled fighter could take on him, even now.]

May Adventure: I Want to Go Where Everyone Goes

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SURPRISE, YOU ACTIVATED MY TRAP CARD: PUNCHING TECHNIQUES

GASP, FOILED AGAIN

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