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

[ He turns the watch over a couple of times, trying to check for any visible changes. But there was a sound, so he’s capable of doing something.

His thoughts are Interrupted by Crowley’s stomach. Which is not something he ever considered might happen.]

Er.

[ A pause. ]

I believe you may be feeling hungry.

Is that what this dull ache is?

[He rubs at his stomach awkwardly, then bends to snatch his bag off of the floor.]

All I have to eat is this candy...

[While he digs for it, he looks at the watch in Aziraphale's hand, which doesn't seem to be much changed, but surely someone around this place could tinker with it.]

Ah-- [He fishes out a pack of petal pops, showing them to Aziraphale.] Want one?

[ He's giving the watch a bit of a stare in confused disappointment. It's not quite a confirmation of his worst fears vis-a-vis their powers at this time and in this place, but it's not quite the normal way of things, either. Something has clearly changed quite drastically, for the both of them. Well--as far as the miracles anyway. One more thing on top of everything else.

But he's brought back to focus when Crowley offers him the petal pop.]

Oh, hum. Sure. Thank you.

[ It's not quite food but he figures they'll have to go looking for that.

He hands Crowley back his watch.]

I really don't know what to make of it. No one should have enough power to... Change things like this.

[Crowley's already had his share of existential crises in reference to his own powers. He isn't exactly over it, but he is tired.

He takes his watch back and pockets it for now (He'll put it back on when his hands aren't full), then rips the pack of candy open and grabs two. One pop is tossed to the angel and the other he sticks in his own mouth.]

Doesn't matter if they should, does it? They did.

[ He catches the pop clumsily. It'll have to do for now, but he figures there might be something in that mess hall they've seen in...well, not town, but in that little gathering of rustic buildings. ]

Well, it's still entirely unnatural. [ Even from a supernatural/ethereal/celestial standpoint. ] You'd think we would have heard about some other-- whatever this place happens to be. And gods?

[ The existencial crisis is gonna drag on for a good long while. They just do, as far as Aziraphale's concerned, and he's usually very good at denial. ]

[It doesn't really matter to Crowley that they'd never heard of such things. He had in film, at least. It was enough to understand the concept.

He tucked the remaining lollipops into his bag and plucked the one from his lips, pointing it to Aziraphale.]

Better get used to it, angel. We're here until we find a way out.

[ It's less about understanding it, and more about accepting it. The information given had been fairly cut and dry - something brought people here, not the rabbit god creature, but something, and there was not much to do about that, as far as anyone knew.

He's having a hard time grasping the concept. ]

Hm. [ He frowns a bit in thought, then eyes the pop. Might as well try it, he supposes.

...it's not so bad. ]

I rather not have to get used to it. Much rather focus on getting back home.

Then let's not dwell.

[Crowley sticks the lollipop back in his mouth and slings his knapsack over his shoulders.]

Let's find something to eat and keep looking for a means to get home.

[ Easier said than done. The angel sighs, balancing himself against the wall as he stands, and getting his own knapsack.

He looks at Crowley, then taking his own pop out of his mouth and giving it a look. ]

Where did you find these, anyway?

[Crowley shrugs, circling the room a bit, then motions to his knapsack.]

They were in this bag when we got here.

[ He gives Crowley a bit of a brow raise, quite immediately questioning the safety of the candy, mostly due to his suspicion of most things in this place. But he waves it off easily enough. Perhaps it's how hungry he is, or how innocuous it looks.

Letting his knapsack hang off his arm, Aziraphale takes a moment to adjust his clothes. Forced island "vacation" and sleeping on the floor are no excuse to have himself look entirely disheveled.]

Well, I do hope there's nothing wrong with them. [ He adjusts his bow tie. ] Shall we go, then?

Yea, let's be off.

[Crowley has sacrificed his 'trust nothing' attitude by eating the candy, but he can't really help himself, he's starving. That reminds him of something else, however.]

Oh, right-- Uh, lad back on the main island said we should pick code words. Something to identify ourselves with... that only we know.

[Crowley somehow manages to say this nonchalantly as he watches the angel clean himself off and straighten up.]

Apparently there's a chance something will impersonate us, down the line.

[ And then, Aziraphale stops, staring a bit. ]

Impersonate us? How so?

[Crowley's all shoulders.]

Dunno, magical nonsense I s'pose.

[He spins about and starts roaming the room nonchalantly.]

I'll piiiiiick... hm... Eden.

[ Aziraphale has a lot of questions. Too many questions. He's had nothing but questions ever since they've gotten here and he's getting the feeling most of them will never get an answer.]

'Eden'? A bit on the nose, isn't it?

Half of the people here aren't even from Earth, you tell me.

[He spins back so that he's facing Aziraphale.]

You've got something better?

[ He purses his lips, giving it some thought.]

How about... [ Wait. He's got it. Yes.

Lord, he's starving and it's very distracting.]

...Ritz?

[ Now that's just a shameful attempt. He's supposed to be the wordsmith here.

But he also may just be thinking about food. ]

[How very like him. Crowley's lips curl in a slightly amused way.]

Sure, whatever you want.

[He spins on his heels again and steps carefully toward the door.]

Shall we, then?

[ It'll do.

It's poetic, he supposes. A beginning and an...no, not an end. End of an act, maybe. ]

Ah, yes.

[ He pulls the knapsack over his shoulder and follows the demon. ]

I suppose we should head to the Denny first?

[Crowley nods, leaving their hut and waiting just outside for the angel to follow.]

Sure, start the day off with a drink?

[ The angel keeps pace. There’s still something rather strange to just walk out into a jungle. He’s lived in cities for so long...]

Well, I was thinking they might have food there. Bit early for a drink.

[ Does that matter? Who knows. He’s trying to keep a modicum of decency, as if that matters.]

Though I suspect it can’t exactly be...above average quality.

Oh right, food. Keep forgetting that's what normal humans do.

[He joins Aziraphale in their journey to Denny.]

We'll suffer through it together.

[ Normal humans...but they're not quite that, are they? Of course not.

Still, he purses his lips in an expression of vague acceptance. ]

I suppose better that way than alone. [ The mortal-like bodily needs? Or this entire thing? Possibly the latter. He may not say it, but there's an underlying understanding that they're stuck together, no matter what happens. Including being tossed into a whole new dimension, it seems.]

[Crowley crunches off the last of his lolly and chews mindlessly on the stick. Nowhere good to dispose of it anyway without littering, and as far as he knows the forest will throw litter back at him if he drops it.]

I would agree with that.

[Crowley doesn't even want to think about how he'd be fairing if he was sent here alone. Best to push it to the back of his mind and lock all of those feelings tightly away. Too vulnerable for his liking.]

[ And rather unnerving to boot. They’re both quite good at not talking about what needs or should be talked about, so the task should prove rather easy.

It doesn’t take long before they’re back in Enso and settling down at Denny with whatever they could scavenge, which isn’t much at all, but it will have to do.

Aziraphale sighs as he sets his bag down and settles onto a seat, trying not to focus too much on how much he misses the nice cafés in London.]

Well, it’s...something,

I do wonder what they do around here all day. When not dealing with the local fauna, I suppose.

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

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject