lifeaftr | November Undercurrent: And We Give Thanks

November Undercurrent: And We Give Thanks

NOVEMBER UNDERCURRENT

Who: Everyone!
What: Have you told someone you loved them yet?
When: November 3rd to November 20th
Where: Everywhere!
Warnings: Nothing of note; please mark if anything comes up!

Take Me Back to the Reasons Why
The Water wishes to demonstrate their power to you, as well as just what they mean, when they suggest that they require your cooperation. They are going to bring back the harvest island of Nuidan, a generally fondly remembered island that explorers have encountered in the past. What's more, they're going to require your help to do it.

Starting November 3rd, characters will discover a simple strip of dark leather among their belongings, meant to be worn around the neck or wrist. They can disregard it, of course, but if they attempt to discard or destroy it, it will always find its way back to them, no matter how improbable this might seem. How strange...

Perhaps even stranger is the sudden appearance of a smooth slab of stone, half-submerged in the waters just off of Ensō's coast. It's an altar, and around its edges are a series of deep notches, as though something is meant to be inserted into them. In its center is a pool of water, though it curiously doesn't seem to reflect anything.

The purpose of this will only really become obvious once the month goes on. Characters will find themselves to compelled to be honest with the people around them as to why they care, why they appreciate them as people, or what they like most about them. This compulsion can vary wildly and at the player's discretion, from a gentle mental pressure to an unstoppable force, and anything in between!

The bottom line is that every time one admits to some feeling of gratitude, no matter how small or big, their little plait of leather will receive a crystal from the interaction. All crystals will be roughly the same shape, but they may vary in color, pattern, and texture. Some might be simple sticks of quartz, while others might be comprised of myriad, ever-changing swirls of color. Again, the only limit here is your imagination.

Now the presence of that strange, altar-shaped stone in the water might make a bit more sense. Those notches in its sides are the perfect size and shape to fit a crystal smoothly into any one of them. The more grateful interactions one has with others, the more crystals they will gather, and the more they can fit into the altar. As more crystals are fed to the altar, it will start to glow. The pool of water at the altar's top will start to reflect the likeness island of Nuidan in increasing clarity, as though one is peering at its likeness in a snowglobe. What's more is that the number of crystals in the altar will very obviously affect Nuidan's state: very few crystals will make the island look as though it is mostly wilderness only a handful of structures in dire need of repair, while a great deal of crystals will cause the island to look as though it is thriving, in full bloom, and in more need of harvest than maintenance.

But, ultimately, the state in which Nuidan returns to you is up to you...and how far you're willing to go to express a little gratitude. Don't worry if you don't know anyone, either - this marks a great opportunity to start doing nice things for people, even if you don't know them! You've got most of the month to get to know each other, after all.

Don't think you can get away with heaping compliments on your closest friends and companions, however; variety is the name of the game here. While you can collect all sorts of crystals for personal use from repeat interactions, you can only feed one crystal to the altar per person. That is to say, Character A can be as grateful to Character B as they like, but only one crystal from each character can be delivered to the altar. If they want to procure more for the altar's purposes, Character A will have to have a positive interaction with Character C, and so on.

Take Me Back to That Big Sky

Of course, there's a lot going on in the background as well. You're free to use this log as a catch-all for the duration of November's Undercurrent Event, as well as the other minor events listed on our Monthly Rundown post. You are very, very free to let your dreams about creepers and baby lorbies become reality, and you are always free to create your own individual logs and posts as needed.

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask them over on our Monthly Rundown post!

November Timeline

[ ♆ ] November 3rd: "And We Give Thanks" begins and lasts until November 20th
[ ♆ ] November 4th: "Aw, Man" begins and lasts until November 12th
[ ♆ ] November 11th: "The Lorblings" begins and lasts until November 25th
[ ♆ ] November 20th: Nuidan returns to the archipelago
[ ♆ ] November 21st: "Return to Your Roots" begins and lasts until November 30th

LOGS ● OOC ● STORIES ● MAIN NAVIGATION

( CODED BY BOOTYCALL )

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Zidane notes Keith suddenly becoming more guarded and awkward. It looks like he was definitely under the influence of the islands. And he confirms it so. True, it could have been harmful. Like the confess or die event that Héctor had mentioned. It’s not great for everyone though. Keith clearly looks uncomfortable. And while Zidane is too, he is immediately inclined to try and cheer him up. Force of habit, possibly.]

Hey, it’s okay. I know you did. Besides, [And and awkward grin appears on his face.] uh......you're not the only one who finds....that kind of stuff hard. Eheheheheheheh.

But it looks like it's gone now at least. In the case of us two. [Well, he still feels the urge to tell others about how he feels about them but he'll put that aside to try and be more positive.]

Edited 2019-11-22 22:23 (UTC)

Seems like it releases us once we’re honest. [He frowns for a moment then relaxes as he forces himself not to be overly paranoid. It’s difficult. So difficult but Zidane needs him to the calmer person.

Or at least the more steady.] A lot of things seem a little less harmful. Since the dragon we haven’t seen too many hazards.

[Keith grimaces as he thinks of the green creatures.] Most of the time.

[He adds and smiles just a little.] You find talking about...feeling stuff hard too? I didn’t realize it.

[Similarly, Zidane feels he needs to be the strong one in order to help Keith feel better. It’s more difficult, given how stressful the day has been but showing it won’t help the guy. He tries not to wince when Keith references the creepers though.] Well, none of the islands are gonna be completely safe but I’ll take that over the dragon.

[AWKWARD WHAT IS AWKWARD ABOUT TALKING ABOUT YOUR FEELINGS EXCEPT EVERYTHING? However, maybe it’s a combination of having revealed a lot to other people as well as Keith and knowing he needs to open up more that makes him less hesitant to say anything. Besides, he kind of said it earlier to cheer Keith up. So maybe it could help the guy a bit. Zidane scratches his head, giving an embarrassed grin.] …….Sorta……Never have been, really. My friends have chewed me out for it. Said I needed to be more honest about certain stuff.

[Keith crosses his arms over his chest and visibly thinks that over. It reminds him of the overgrowth disease and a shadow passes briefly over his face. He shoves those thoughts down as he straightens up a little says,]

I've never been good at either. [To get someone to feel a little better he has a give a little and Zidane is worth that.] People used to really try hard to get me to talk. I just couldn't. Wouldn't.

[For so many reasons he, the wayward foster kid had just not talked. What had there been to say? His father went into that burning building to save lives and he knew the risks. Keith had known those risks too. His father never lied to him about that.] Listen, as we just said, we're not the best at this stuff.

But. Be however honest you want to be with me. I won't judge you or demand it. Just do what's comfortable for you.

[In a way, the way Keith acted, it didn’t surprise Zidane that the older man found it difficult to talk about his feelings.

But maybe in a way, the two of them were similar. Sure, Zidane was a pretty social and lively individual who liked spending time with people and could easily give his opinion and perspective on things. Keith didn’t seem like a huge people person. Not to the extent Zidane was, anyway. However, when it came to really personal feelings? That was a different story.]

Wouldn’t, huh? ….Can’t say I was any better on that front either.

[Most of the time, he either deliberately avoided answering such questions with stupid jokes or by changing the subject. In his view, nobody would understand. Besides, who would want to hear the problems of Zidane the lost orphan from gods knew where? It was better for people to see him as Zidane the courageous and upbeat thief who hardly had a care in the world and would help his friends in need. That was what Zidane thought long ago anyway. His friends convinced him otherwise.

And those friends whom he feels the most comfortable talking to aren’t here. He hasn’t seen them for months. And who knows how long it will be until he sees them again? How long he will be in this world, alongside many others like him, trying to survive against whatever is thrown at them. And he’s made friends here too. Chances are, Zidane won’t see those friends again once he returns to Gaia. They aren’t home. They aren’t who he belongs with. But they are still friends that he has until he returns to Gaia.]

Anyway, I guess uh…..I could take you up on that. But also…likewise. I’m not gonna make you say anything either. That should be your choice. But I am around if you also need someone to talk to. [And there’s a grin as he says that.

Speaking of feelings, that gives him an idea.] Hey, you said you needed help with fishing and hunting, right? I just had a thought - if we're lucky, there might be no one else about. [And while that won’t mean they completely avoid people to be honest to, it might mean they can both catch a break from it. Even if it’s for a short time.]

Edited 2019-12-02 21:38 (UTC)

Yeah? What’s the idea? [For a small moment he thinks of Lance. Lance who hadn’t told him much about what he was feeling with words. It was all in his actions and how much he tried to cover up the words. They had started out on a bad foot because he had better grades and the eye of Shiro.

Flowers had brought them understanding. If Lance came back and didn’t remember.. he sighs but puts those thoughts away with a visible nod.]

But uh, glad we understand each other and get it. And if you just don’t feel up to talking and got energy to burn, we can keep honing each other’s knife skills. Or I can teach you some hand to hand tricks that go really well with it.

You might already know them. If you do, we can get sneakier and better at them. [He grins and his teeth are sharp like a predatory cat’s. Bit by bit his inhumanity bleeds through like ink on the top of water.] We’ll have fun either way.

[Come to think of it, Keith was right. They did understand each other in that sense. No, they didn’t know each other’s backgrounds and Zidane had no idea if Keith was naturally like that or there was something else that had happened in his life to make him more reluctant to talk about personal things. It didn’t matter though. The fact was, they both knew that expressing their problems could be awkward at times.

Zidane noticed the slight change in Keith's appearance. However, he also caught the grin on Keith's face as the older man suggested what the two of them could do. Maybe the guy was less serious than Zidane thought? Which was far from a bad thing.

Zidane smirked as his tail swished from side to side and he got one of his daggers out, throwing it in the air and catching it.] Heheheheheh. You know you're talking to someone from Tantalus, the greatest band of thieves on all of Gaia, right?

But....hmmm....I guess there might be some techniques from your world that even I haven't learned. Heck, we could do that now if you want. My idea was gonna be that I helped you with the fishing and hunting so we took a break from bumping into more people to confess personal stuff. But that idea's good too. Either way, we get away from everyone for a bit.

Food first. Then I can show you Galra techniques. They adapted them for space and well, fighting anything they could. [Galra are violent but there is purpose to their violence. He nods once, taps the blade strapped to his back and turns to head for the shore.]

Sea traps first. Once we know how much we’re bringing up tonight we can supplement it with hunting. And we can avoid people. [Except Shiro. He will never avoid him and, he wouldn’t mind reminding Shiro how much he appreciates him.]

Galra techniques? Adapted for space? [You can adapt knife skills for space? Okay, Zidane's not sure how that works but then he hasn't been to outer space. Going to Terra doesn't count because of Terra's weird circumstances and neither does Enso because who knows how they got there? Still, the idea of these knife skills sounds quite cool so...]

Alright, count me in! We'll deal with the food and then you can learn the skills of a master thief! And I can pick up a few things from these Galra skills. Whatever that'll involve.

You got it! [The skills of a thief would be really good to know. He has some special ops training and his mother hammered in more of that. But anything he can learn would benefit his missions. Keith gives a thumbs up and walks off, trusting Zidane to follow.]

And yeah, space makes combat fluid. You have to account for the level of gravity and a lot of other things. Even if your opponent can even be hurt by blades.

That's one of the reasons I always keep rope on me. Sometimes in deep space that was the only reason I stayed alive.

[And Zidane quickly gets his backpack and leaps out of the small window after him. He’ll deal with packing later.]

Space makes combat fluid. Hmm…never thought about it that way but I'll take your word for it. I mean I’ve been to another world before. Before Enso, that is, but it wasn’t by travelling through space. Does that thing happen a lot where you're from, Keith? [And travelling to and finding out about other worlds sounds interesting, he admits to himself, wanting to go home and thinking Terra was a miserable place aside.]

Sure, all the time. Most of the known universe has had space travel for thousands of years. My planet was behind on their space program but, soon enough they'll catch up.

[Once they make it back to Earth. Keith breathes in, following the scent of salt and the sounds of the waves to bring them closer to the shore.]

How did you get to this other world you went to?

Gotta admit, that would be kinda cool. If you could go to other worlds but come back home any time you like and you weren’t trapped. [Unlike their situation in Enso. But that’s a depressing line of thought so he’ll leave it for now.

The smell of the ocean. They are getting closer now. Zidane keeps an eye out for any fish traps the moment he can see the sea.]

Well....[Now that he brought the world traveling part, he might as well explain.] there was a portal. It connected Gaia to Terra. We unlocked it and then jumped in. We don’t have the technology to travel to other worlds though. The closest we have to that is airships and a lot of 'em can't fly without Mist around, let alone go into space.

Could the portal be used more than once? [Keith asks as he comes to a stop by a partly concealed rope looped around and around a series of rocks at the shoreline. He kneels down and thrusts his hands into the water. The rope goes taunt as he moves back, pulling the concealed trap up. He shifts to one side, leaving enough room for Zidane to grab onto the rope himself.]

Looks like the trap is full this time. [He leans back, bracing himself as he adds.] I'll have fish for Denny's this month. Shiro and I can't eat all of this on our own.

Well uh.....I guess.....I never really thought about it. [After all, Kuja needed some way to travel between both worlds. And Zidane himself was taken to Gaia somehow. Whether Kuja brought him through the portals or on the Invincible or another method, he doesn't remember. Or feel the need to either.] I mean we only used it once but I’m sure it was used before. We went there to find out stuff about a guy we were pursuing. [And when he got to Terra, he found out way more than he had anticipated but that part might be another story for another time.

Zidane grabs his part of the rope and also leans back.] Heh. That’s a ton you’ve got there. Some of it could definitely go to the Denny. That or give some of it to the other inhabitants.

So….on the count to three?

Yeah, everyone can add a little fish to their diet for a bit. [Keith says and then he nods once. He braces himself with his hands on the rope and back straight.]

On three. One...two...three! [On three he pulls on the rope, hauling it in hand over hand. The water ripples and shifts as the carefully constructed trap made of netting and wood. He had taken such care to make it.

The edge of the cage is visible above the water and the light catches on green fish scales. He nods to himself.] I don’t want to pull it ashore. I just want to see what’s there then we can put it back. They’ll stay alive long enough for me to prepare to smoke them.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

November Undercurrent: And We Give Thanks

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject