July Intro: Dancing in the Dark

[lifeaftr_mods]

INTRO LOG: JULY

Who: New arrivals, and you!
What: New souls arrive to the archipelago of LifeAftr
When: July 4th - July 10th
Where: Primarily Io, as well as Ensō
Warnings: Mark as needed!

Last month, the island of Io saw a massive overhaul, as Eleu reunited with their lost half, Zum, to take their rightful place as the island's Avatar of Fun. Eleu'zum is aware that Io will not be remaining in the archipelago for much longer, and thus have opted to go all out in the celebration of their rejuvenation.

New arrivals may awake at any of the locations listed below.

Waterslides: Don't Let Me Get Down
For this week only, the waterslides threading throughout the bathhouses of Io have been equipped with some special new features, namely the light-up water jets laid out across the outdoor areas, as well as diving boards placed at extreme heights for thrill seekers. Sure, you could just sit around and relax in the heated water, but where's the fun in that? The supplies at the bathhouses have also been outfitted with wide varieties of inflatable tubes and pool toys, pool noodles, beach balls, dive toys, and squirt guns of every shape, size, and color. And yes, we really do mean every possible type you can imagine.

So have a blast, get soaked, shoot off of high-speed waterslides, or try and avoid the chaos to get a little relaxation time - the choice is yours. But enjoy the bathhouses and pools while you have access to them, before Io disappears.

Go-Karts: Don't Lie Me Down
That new go-kart track by the vineyard is in dire need of some test drivers. With corkscrew turns and twisting roads, those tracks look very much like they might be a tad hazardous, especially if your kart goes off-track...but don't fear! No matter how badly you spin out, you'll find that your kart will never leave the road, thus keeping spectators safe from any and all roadside dangers. However, just because they're safe from you doesn't mean that you're safe from them. You've got plenty of items to use against your fellow racers, but you've got nothing to protect yourself against the turrets mounted at the sides of the tracks, placed for the enjoyment of spectators who feel like getting a little more participatory. The roadside turrets are capable of spitting all sorts of additional threats upon racers: banana peels, balls of fire, jets of water, and so on.

However, bear in mind that this feature is a two-way street; climb onto one of those turrets to target racers, and they'll find that they'll have no difficulty targeting you in retaliation.

Whether you're here to watch, here to race, here to make things difficult, or simply here to place bets and keep score, you've still got plenty of drinks to wash away the shame of defeat, or celebrate your first place victory.

Hedge Maze & Butterfly House: Back into the Easy Days
Newly mounted atop the tea gardens is a brand new butterfly house, hosting a spectacular abundance of gloriously colorful specimens. With jewel-bright wings and unusually bold dispositions, one will find that these butterflies are very, very easy to behold up close. They don't seem to mind visitors at all, and will happily flutter down to light on the hands, head, and shoulders of whoever draws near, assuming they don't swat them away. The butterfly house comes equipped with small dishes of sugar water to feed them, if you desire, though you could just as easily simply spend time here to relax and look out across the island. From up here, you have quite the spectacular view. The tea gardens have also gained a rather grandiose hedge maze threaded around the tea trees. The paler pathways are for leisurely, scenic strolls, or playful games of who can reach the finish line first. The darker pathways, on the other hand, are for the more competitive, as well as the more daredevilish; those who take those pathways will quickly find themselves racing to reach the exit before some rather large bees catch up to them.

Despite their potentially fearsome appearance, these creatures are quite harmless, but there's still nothing quite like turning around and seeing that buzzing loudly after you. If they catch you, the bees will promptly burst into a large cloud of multicolored glitter that will coat you from head to toe. And if anyone has any experience with glitter, that can be quite a pain to get rid of. You'll probably be shaking it out of your hair and brushing it from your joints for weeks.

Rollercoaster & Carnival: Overlooking Trouble Gone Bad
The rollercoaster is the newest addition to the Honeycomb, and it's as much a thrill to behold as it is to ride. There are no lines, no tickets, and no entry fees; simply climb aboard! Once the cart is full, or if no further passengers enter, it will take off at breakneck speeds, twisting and loop-de-looping in a breathtaking series of physics-defying turns and arcs.

That's not all, however. The campsites on Io have also opted to make some slight alterations to celebrate the Avatar's return to form. Those large, colorful tents have gone from mere sites of sleeping and relaxation to a full-blown carnival. There are booths where you can play simple ring-toss games and the like, as well as stands for the acquisition of cotton candy, popcorn, and just about any snack you'd find typical of a carnival...as well as a few flavors that might seem a tad bit unconventional. But, hey - as long as it's here, why not sample what's free to eat? Even if you might run into seaweed ice cream, squid-ink sundaes, crab-cake kettle-corn, and many more besides, peppered among your more ordinary flavors. A small collection of rides have also been provided, of course; what carnival would be fit without them? A carousel with cariborn- or beowolf-styled mounts might be a bit strange to behold at first, but it rides just as well as any other. A small ferris wheel allows you to oversee the sights of Io at the peak of its curve, while whirling teacups can make for a delightful if potentially nausea-inducing escapade.

The island of Io will be disappearing from the archipelago as of July 10th, so you'd better enjoy these additions while you can! For once, there will be no strings attached!

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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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( CODED BY BOOTYCALL )

Comments

[hyperlit]

[Their tactics, in these cases, tend to be avoidance and agility, taking advantage of their speed and smaller stature. This isn't going to work; they need this cart.]

[So they do the next best thing, and lean over the side of the cart to start slashing their own tires.]

[Can't steal their kart if it doesn't work son]

[forwearemany]

(That is ...an impressive level of spite and stubbornness.

Legion is diverted from their attempts to slow down the cart and instead swats lightly at the Drifter's arm, in an attempt to prevent this. They're hoping it's possible to get them to drop their sword, but honestly it seems more likely at this point that both karts are going to be ruined and they'll just have to call it a draw.)

[hyperlit]

[The Drifter goes tumbling out of the kart entirely and onto the road. They're lightweight and fast, and not very difficult to throw off balance when hit by something sturdy enough. Legion, with their significant bulk compared to the Drifter's slight figure, is more than enough to bowl them over into the road.]

[They get up quickly all the same.]

[forwearemany]

(Oh no!

They did not, in fact, intend to do that, at least not until they'd brought the cart close to a stop. Immediately, they hit the breaks.

They almost get out to check on them, but then the Drifter gets up. Provided the Drifter does not show any signs of injury, they'll immediately floor it and speed off.)

[hyperlit]

[They're more or less uninjured - not permanently, in any case, which is the important thing. But they're not about to let that stop them, either. Quick as a blink, the Drifter draws their rifle and fires at the stolen kart's tires.]

[They're a very good shot.]

[forwearemany]

(They're glad that the Drifter does not appear to have any significant injuries.)

(The gunshot is right on target: the tire bursts and Legion's stolen kart careens wildly before screeching to a stop.

Now both karts are ruined. After a moment, they get out.)

We believe this qualifies as a draw.

(They chatter.)

It is likely that there are other forms of competition available at the carnival.

[hyperlit]

[The Drifter straightens, coughing very slightly, but they straighten up and lift their chin nonetheless.]

likely
less hazardous

[Drifter, you were the only hazard here. This game wasn't going to be hazardous until you made it so. You made this hazardous.]

[forwearemany]

(Though aware of this, Legion does not mind.

It was only really hazardous for the Drifter, anyway.

They walk over to the Drifter.)

Affirmative. Join us?

(In playing carnival games, they mean.)

[hyperlit]

[Another minute adjustment of their cowl.]

purpose?

[Do they...wish to talk, or settle a score? Or both? Or neither?]

[forwearemany]

We enjoy your presence. You appear to enjoy contests of skill.

(And they would, if possible, like to at least try to continue this alliance.)

If you desire an additional purpose, such contests are also useful as practice. Alternately, we are willing to engage in bets.

(The Normandy crew was fond of gambling, they remember.)

[hyperlit]

[The utilitarian is easiest to respond to. The Drifter considers both pronouncements nonetheless, turning them over in their mind. Legion is correct; they do enjoy contests of skill.]

[Even if this one went off the rails, that doesn't mean others will.]

practice is ideal
for betting purposes

[forwearemany]

(Even if it does, Legion finds the Drifter's ability to derail things so utterly and come up with such non optimal solutions an interesting challenge.)

Yes.

[hyperlit]

agreed

[Carnival games it is.]

[They'll...they can just leave their karts on this track, right? It's probably fine, right? They're all broken, and no one's using them anymore. It'll probably be fine.]

[forwearemany]

(You don't have to worry about that, Drifter.)

Acknowledged. We will "clean up".

(They pick up one of the go karts entirely on their own. They'll just move both of them before they go. Isn't it nice to have such a strong friend?)

[hyperlit]

[Right. Yes. The Drifter looks as though they intend to help, stepping forward...and then stops.]

[It is most efficient to allow Legion to do the heavy lifting. The Drifter, instead, can pick up scattered debris and move it away from the track. There's no set bin for it that they can see, so they'll simply move it off the road. That's fine.]

[forwearemany]

(And Legion is just about to tell the Drifter no, but, thankfully, the Drifter stops on their own.

Legion removes the karts from the track without difficulty. If there's any debris the Drifter hasn't picked up by the time they're done, they'll help with that too.)