Returning Island: Nuidan

[lifeaftr_mods]

RETURNING ISLAND: NUIDAN

Who: Everyone!
What: Nuidan returns to the archipelago of LifeAftr
When: Backdated to November 20th, and onward
Where: The harvest island of Nuidan
Warnings: Nothing of note; please mark if anything comes up!

Looking for Clear Water
Welcome back to Nuidan, adventurers.

For many of you, however, this might not be such a familiar experience. You might not have been here before. If you haven't, you'll probably be happy to know that the island of Nuidan is largely a peaceful one. New explorers can read up on the resources, dangers, and ephemera of the island here, but the most important part is that it is an island divided into quarters, each representative of a static and unchanging season. The north relates to spring, with rain-swept, windy hills; the east to fall, with orchards heavy with fruit and fallen leaves carpeting the ground; the south to winter, full of snowy plains and fields of ice; and the west to summer, blanketed with warm sand and ripe with the lazy drone of bees. At the island's heart is its temple, where the local avatar of harvest, known most commonly as Harv, can be found.

The last time you met them, they took the form of a hardworking sheepdog, determined to not let a single moment go to waste. Now, however, you'll find them looking and acting a little...different. They're considerably calmer, for one, and also a good deal larger. But their disposition has remained more or less friendly, as can be gleaned from the state of the island around them.

Nuidan's lush woods, blustery tundras, sun-warmed sands, and rolling fields are still the same as they ever were, and it seems as if the whole island has been waiting for a triumphant, colorful return. As all of you managed to rack up an impressive number of crystals - around 135 total - the island can be assumed to be in splendid health. An air of anticipation lies mantled across the entire island, and the orchards, fields, and animals you worked so hard to tend, maintain, and corral the first time you were around are ready for harvesting in whatever way you see fit. No longer are fences unmended and decrepit, or orchards choked with weeds.

You're more than welcome to go combing the island to take in the spoils, as long as you don't mind the presence of the occasional, noisy nirnroot that can be found speckling the topography of Nuidan. That's right - you can find them here, too, those pesky things. But your attention might also be eaten up by the wooden stands and display tables set up around Harv's temple, like those you might see at a farmer's market. Because this is a time of harvest, and also a time to share in that harvest.

And after harvest comes celebration.

Playing It All For Gods Yesterday
The avatar who holds sway over this island has been waiting for many hands to make light work. Pitch in a little here and there, and you'll find that when the crops have been taken in, the food all stored, and the animals bedded down, the quite literal fruits of your labor and efforts will be transformed into a feast that beggars belief.

We do recommend that you exercise some caution, however - some food and drink might make you a tad more open-hearted or open-minded than you expect. All kinds of harmless but entertainingly strange effects might happen to those who are brave enough to sample some of the products on display.

[ ♆ ] Caramel Apples: These treats come in all sorts of varieties - sprinkled with peanuts, candied sprinkles, or drizzled with chocolate. They do have some unusual side effects, however. Anyone who eats one or more of these caramel-coated delights will discover that they now have the ability to levitate about a foot or so off the ground. And, by concentrating hard, you'll find you can also go zooming about at high speeds. Careful not to go colliding into any tables of goodies, or any of your fellow party-goers!

[ ♆ ] Deviled Eggs: Sprinkled with chili powder, sage, and chopped shallots, these appetizers can easily be scarfed down by the pound. It's recommended that you take care with how many you eat, however. These deviled eggs will make you incredibly proud of yourself. Eat one or two, and you'll find that your self-esteem has been massively boosted, and you'll feel like you deserve to celebrate your accomplishments! But consuming too many will almost certainly inflate your ego, and quickly make you more prone to bragging or making up outrageous exaggerations of your accomplishments which, while not fundamentally dangerous, might put you at a higher risk of getting decked in the face.

[ ♆ ] Pepper Poppers: Peppers that have been breaded and stuffed with cheeses and spices can make a delightfully spicy treat, though these come at a small cost. Eating just one of them will make you more predisposed to verbal quirks - making bad puns, indulging in copious alliteration, sesquipedalian loquaciousness, and so on. You can wash out this effect by drinking just about anything...but when you're cracking jokes that good, why would you?

[ ♆ ] Maple Bars: A doughnut topped off with a silky maple glaze can make for a delightful treat, though most don't tend to cause the people who eat them to exhibit a soft glow. Nonetheless, you'll find that the more of these desserts you eat, the brighter a glow you'll emit. What's more is that this glow can and will change its color depending on your mood. Don't think you can hide how blue you're feeling when the color itself is streaming right from your skin!

[ ♆ ] Butternut Squash Fritters: These fritters are hot, crispy, sprinkled liberally with salt and sage, and also have the fun side effect of making you far more complimentary than you might be otherwise. Did you mean to insult that guy over there? Too bad! Instead, you're telling him how much you love his hat, or how good he is with his words. The good news, nay, the better news, is that this effect is double-edged; after eating just one of these, you also can't insult yourself. You have no choice but to be wholly complimentary of anyone and everyone, your own good self included!

[ ♆ ] Pumpkin Pie: A staple of any kind of harvest-based celebration, of course, and a perfect example of it. Flaky crust, silky custard, topped off with nutmeg and whipped cream...and prone to making almost everything around you seem unbearably funny. Eat one slice of this, and you'll find that you just cannot seem to stop laughing! It might just end up being the best abdominal workout you get in years.

[ ♆ ] Leafy Crown: For those of you who aren't predisposed to eat anything, don't worry. You can still participate in the fun, if you want! Some tables carry crowns of colorful leaves that you can wear to showcase your festive spirit. It will also increase your festive spirit, and make you far more inclined to break into song and/or dance. What's that? You're not particularly talented in either of those areas? That's a shame! Fortunately, or maybe unfortunately, self-consciousness isn't likely to affect you once you've put one of these things on. No matter how poor a singer or dancer you, in actuality, are.

[ ♆ ] Harvest Candle: A table full of all sorts of beautiful candles invites you to light one as the day grows dark and the sun sinks over the horizon. You're certainly welcome to, but be warned: lighting a candle from this table will vastly increase your confidence, to perhaps a dangerous extent. While you'll feel less inclined to any shyness or second-guessing of yourself that might ordinarily plague you, you'll also be less susceptible to any sort of fear or warning signs that maybe you shouldn't be doing things that might be considered, ah...foolish. Like, for example, deciding you're going to trek out into Nuidan's southern region to ride a popo. Things like that.

Other than these, you'll find that almost everything else that can be consumed and otherwise interacted with will have no additional effects. What a relief!

Looking for Clear Water

Of course, there's a lot going on in the background as well. You're free to explore any other minor events listed on our Monthly Rundown post. You are also 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!

LOGS ● OOC ● STORIES ● MAIN NAVIGATION

( CODED BY BOOTYCALL )

Comments

Aziraphale | OTA (feel free to change to brackets)

[salutosinedelectat]

He's still getting used to those mana pools. They've easily won his favor by how much better he feels around them, specially as he's had to adjust to his corporation's new limits as of the last couple of weeks.

He's in awe the moment the steps out, greeted by a slightly different sight than what he's seen in the other islands so far. It's quite wonderful, really - the contrasting areas, the fields, the farms, and the bountiful harvest. Aziraphale isn't exactly someone who's ever done anything akin to farm work before, but there's something in this that is rather inspiring.

There's also a presence he doesn't recognize, as a recent arrival to the islands - while he's come to know who the Storyteller is, this is an entirely different being. It peaks his attention, and draws him almost immediately into the temple. There has to be someone in there, right?



Later on, he's easily spotted going around the stalls. Now that brings joy to his heart: as a food aficionado who's found himself suddenly stripped of access to all his favorite treats and his favorite restaurants for an undetermined amount of time, he's very interested in the displays around the temple.

So he'll be trying a little bit of everything before he's even quite aware of it's effects. He's particular to the deviled eggs and the pumpkin pie, so he may easily be found boasting about his particular set of skills (has he told you about his collection of old tomes and how difficult they are to keep? His collection of books of prophecy and misprinted bibles? Perhaps his magic tricks?) and the strange, strange events that occurred back in his world. Or he may be found having a really bad case of the giggles, no matter what you say; you're funnier than any comedian he's ever had the pleasure of listening to. Please, stop, he can't handle it anymore. No, really, stop.

[OOC: Aziraphale is going to be all over this thing and I'm open to any prompts. If you want anything specific, feel free to tag with whatever, or message me so we can plan it out.]

[agathokakological]

Crowley had never been so excited to see food. He enjoyed it well enough, if food was gormet or specifically good, but unless that was the case he wasn't one to submit to the three-meals-a-day routine. Something about this changed upon his arrival in this realm. He'd found his stomach growling on more than one occasion, and quite obviously, there weren't a ton of fine dining establishments available.

Someone on the island once told Crowley not to trust anything. This was hard advice to keep when he was starving and there was a perfectly edible pile of pepper poppers before him.

He eats one impulsively, and after swallowing it down grabs two more from the table and takes a seat next to Aziraphale.

"Do you think we could get the deities to serve us champagne?"

[uptightness]

All she had asked was for him to move a little so that she could get by, which doesn't explain his giggling in the least. It's not like she had made a joke, and she certainly hoped that she didn't come across as a joke. She might not be in her armour, but friendly, warm, and approachable are not words that one would use on the daily to describe her.

She hasn't had any food yet, which would explain some things, had she known. Or not, perhaps. This place tends to bring a headache on a daily, although not one that she can't bear. Not like you can go raid a cabinet or buy your items at a corner store. "... okay. Are you alright?"

Izuku "Deku" Midoriya | OTA

[heroondecku]

A) A harvest to celebrate
[While this might be a celebration of Nuidan's return, the whole place is brand new to Izuku. In more ways than one - he's a city kid who only really knows 'urban sprawl' and 'untamed wilderness.' This is the sort of place that passes by train and bus windows to him, not something you actually go out and experience. It's unexpectedly mood-boosting, with how strange-yet-familiar it all feels, and it doesn't take long for him to want to go out and explore all the fields and pastures and climates.

When he starts realizing what kind of things need to be done, and how much of it there is...well, he can't not help someone whenever he gets a chance to. So if you're pitching in with any of the harvesting or animal care, try to not be surprised to suddenly have a chipper voice interrupting your thoughts.]

Ah, hi, is there anything I can help with?

[He's smiling brighter than he has been for a while and is already somewhat sweaty or dirty from pitching in elsewhere. Maybe a chance to have such a clear, positive result from helping others is what he's needed the whole time.]

B) Home's sweets, home
[Caramel apples aren't candy apples, but the idea is similar enough that the treat-laden table gets his attention. Izuku would never call himself a particular fan - they're tasty, sure, but so is a lot of festival food - but...it's hard to look at them the same way after seeing Eri's smile over the one he made. He ends up walking away with a plain caramel apple of his own, and the taste is just familiar enough to have him wondering how hard it would be to make them himself.

What he wasn't expecting was to find himself a few minutes later feeling the equally familiar sensation of slowly floating upwards. It might not be weightlessness exactly, but he's gotten pretty used to what it feels like when his feet suddenly leave the ground and that's enough to startle him; the fact that his panic is enough to drop him back to the ground doesn't exactly help matters. He stands there scanning the crowd and the area around in confusion, not realizing that he's kind of getting in the way now.

Even though he's fairly certain he's still the only one from home here, he half expects to hear Uraraka laughing at him.]

Wildcard!
[Come at me with whatever, or feel free to hit me up at AngelLeriel to plot something out!]

a

[bitch4bitch]

[Erika is no expert on caring for livestock, but she's tried to help out where she can - including getting, for example, a wayward cariborn that slipped through a gate back into the pasture. Seems like it'd be a lot harder for someone who actually knows what they're doing to get that weird blue milk if the animal is running loose around the island.

Unfortunately, the animal itself is not really cooperating.

She peers around the weirdly-colored deer, then nods decisively.] Uh-- y'know what, yeah, actually. D'you know how to get a dumbass deer to listen to you?

a.

[uptightness]

[She's stayed away from the animals, mostly, as her family had never really been the pet type. The only reason the tigerlily is there with them is because she had been CT's, and after she had left, the animal had remained with Wash. It is why she does harvesting instead, as at least that seems more straight-forward, if not as back-breaking.

Her gaze flickers over to the person speaking, straightening to her almost six foot height. Once, she might have told someone to get lost and leave her be, but she has been working on her people skills, a little, anyway. Carolina still gets frustrated and annoyed, with living with and working with the Reds and the Blues has helped. What they can get themselves up to is... Well, words can't describe.]

If you want to pick from the lower branches?

[motherfucking_ghost]

Okay, so, here's a question. [Church says this aloud to anyone who happens to be...around, as he looks at the arrangement of Things He Can't Eat.] If this place has everything you need, like. It's got food everywhere. I think it's got livestock? Which is wild. If it's one big giant farm where you can live in any part of it depending on your temperature or weather tolerance.

Why the fuck don't we just live here? Like...we're here, this place seems to have everything people need, why would we ever go back to craphole island?

[He thinks this is an incredibly fair question and is earnest in asking it. He's pretty sure he even saw a big dog running around? Like god altar-ward? And dogs are way better than rabbits sorry to say.

At some point during this suspicious but bountiful festival (look, he's never been here before, and also yes, he probably helped haul stuff around in him big robo arms for something To Do), he's also going to dick around with the non-edibles. He's not really a flower crown kinda guy normally, but hey, get into the spirit of the season, mazel tov. Is there music? God, hopefully there's music somewhere, else singing and dancing to nothing is gonna get real awkward in a second.

Anyway, dancing, that's not really a thing Church has ever rrrrrreally done so much, but apparently that's not gonna stop him. He's going to try! No, he is not going to do the robot. Yes, he's gonna look a little silly in clunky armor stimp-stomping around. At some point, he just starts spinning.]

Hey, hey, look at me, I'm a dreidel! [church no it's too early for that, oh shit he might even get candles involved like a dumbass

And don't get him started on singing. He'll do it. He won't sound great but at least he won't make you want to murder yourself, generally speaking.]

Let's get some Queen up in here! C'mon, let's all do Bohemian Rhapsody! Dibs on not doing the high note!

first part

[a_shadow]

[ Tex shakes her head in amusement at Church's question. She knows he knows the answer—that it's going to disappear after a month or so, like these islands always do—but she doesn't actually say as much. ]

Hey, if you want to be the one to work out whether it still exists after it disappears, be my guest.

[counterblows]

Jesus! [Wash is a little preoccupied with casing the place, which means that he's not really expecting to be waylaid by a spinning Church.]

What the hell, Church?

[uptightness]

[Where there's smoke, there's fire...

Thankfully Donut isn't here and nothing is actually on fire, but there is a mild commotion, and is Carolina really surprised to see Church? Not really. It's like the Reds and the Blues had all been drawn together in their stupidity.

His antics? She might be staring at him as if he had two heads, not even certain if she wanted to comment on his whole dreidel thing, because does it really need a comment, especially when she can't even threaten to shoot him- or would that work still, just the threat of it?]

I- I don't even know if I want to know what the hell is going on with you.

[thermalwind]

[Church has a point and Keith stops in mid-step to let himself chew on it. No one has ever stayed on an island once it was time for it to go. They don’t know where they go. He crosses his arms over his chest as he says,]

Well, up until recently they would vanish and no one knew where they were going. We just didn’t stick around for that. But how Nuidan showed up makes me wonder if it will go away this time.

[Storyteller hadn’t pulled it closer. That is really important. He tops his head slightly to one side, adding.] Maybe of it stays those who want to could come live here. You can ask Harv. See what the island’s god says.

[lesbeau]

[Watching a guy in a truly massive suit of armor try to do pirouettes is instantly funny, if only because Beau knows precisely how hard it is to move that hunk of metal with coordination and she can now not be blamed for any kind of messy shit during that bodyswap. Since she's long back to her human duds, Beau has a drink in hand and a loud laugh on her lips.]

So are you still mad at me for having a hard time doing backflips in this thing? Because it's hard as hell, and I hope you get that now!

[littlemhigan]

[ Castor’s thumb is about as green as a lump of coal, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t hard at work, lugging around bushels of recently harvested food, carefully labeling and pocketing seeds as she goes. The labour seems to have chased away some of her recent melancholy and even the presence of nirnroot can’t seem to dispel the contentment that’s come over her.

By the time evening rolls around and her work for the day is done, she seems just as content to enjoy the spoils of that labour, releasing her hair from it’s usual updo in favour of a single plait down her back, wrapped and tied to keep a leaf crown on her head and cramming just about anything sweet she can find into her mouth. ]

Here, try this! ‘S good!

[ Who knows what she just stuffed into your hand. ]

[atailoftwoworlds]

[Zidane's had caramel applies before back on Gaia. However, Castor offered one to him and there's no way he's going to refuse! So he takes it, grinning.] Well, I'm not gonna say no to a pre - [He was about to say 'pretty lady' and then remembered that saying that to Castor didn't end well. Let's stay away from that one] a preeeeetty nice person.

[Did he dodge that one? DID HE?]

[thermalwind]

[He blinks down at the maple covered donut and shrugs, taking a bite of it. He knows it just makes him glow. Once he has a couple of bites a soft glow suffuses his being. Keith flips his own braid over his shoulder.]

How much have you had since the stalls went up? [Keith reaches for another donut as he sucks the maple glaze off his fingers.] Just curious.

harv | temple | ota

[thankgods]

[Of course, if you're interested in speaking to the avatar of the place, you certainly can. Mostly, you can find them at their temple at the island's heart. They also seem a good deal more languid than they were on previous visits, with a much more wolfish shape to boot.]

[You can spot them lounging at the temple's front, watching the festivities with a distinctively drowsy look to them. But if you feel up to striking up a conversation, you certainly can. They won't bite.]

[salutosinedelectat]

[ It didn't take long for Aziraphale to step towards the temple. There had been a failed attempt at contacting one Storyteller, mostly due to the fact that the angel didn't know how to properly get in touch with them and hadn't tried again yet.

But there's a similar feeling around here, and he's willing to try again, with whichever entity resides here.

While he hadn't been told of any necessary rituals or steps to contact these deities, he still assumed there had to be something. Force of habit, you see. So when his puzzled thoughts of how he may go about this are interrupted by the pinpointing of the presence to one wolf shaped creature that's lounging at the front of the temple, the angel is...almost startled, really.

He stares. Stares, and eventually takes uncertain steps towards them. When he's close enough, he clears his throat. ]

Hum. 'Ello.

[ He purses his lips, then folds his arms behind his back. ]

Terribly sorry to bother you. Are you, per chance, the...residing deity of this temple? [ He already knows the answer, but chalk it up to manners.]

[deathfindsaway]

[He would be remiss after spending so long away from Nudian if he didn't go say hi to the dog he hooked up with a phone. Not that it's been a particularly great call system, Harv was the first diety to give him any real answers, and he's heard the gods' name on more tongues since then to give him question. But first, he approaches as a friend, a smile on his face and a bit of a wave.]

It's wonderful to see you again, Harv. How has it been?

Legion | OTA

[forwearemany]

(They can't eat, but that doesn't stop them from enjoying the festivities.

Like now. Apparently they got curious or something and decided to try one of those crowns.

Ever wanted to see a robot doing the robot? Because that's how Legion has decided to express their newfound desire to sing and dance.

Look at them. They're even beat-boxing. It's adorable.)

[tenthstreetbred]

[You know, there's many things about these islands that actually makes living here worthwhile. If you can ignore all the terror, mystery, and the constant losing of friends to whatever worlds are out there, you can find stuff that will make you smile.

Like this. Shepard watches for a few minutes, tapping her head along to the beat that Legion is creating.]

I didn't realize Geth had a "fresh beats" programming in them. Is this new or has this just been something I have missed?

[uptightness]

[She doesn't mean to stare, at least not openly, but, well, she is. There is a moment that Carolina does wonder if they are malfunctioning, and if she needs to do something, whether whack over the head, pull a wire, or just give a shove, but no... No, it that... dancing?

... sadly, they might have better dance moves than Carolina.]

Keith | Ota (will match your format)

[thermalwind]

A. Bringing in the harvest

As one approaches a fence for a corral in the fall section of the island, a bunch of animals is streaming steadily into the pen in front of them. A massive shaggy blue wolf with glowing markings guides them inside. Overseeing the process is a tall man with a scar on one side of his face. He steps forward and guides any animal that doesn't obey the beast with his own hands.

Keith puts his hands into his pockets and leans against the open gate of the corral with the air of a person set on their task. "Of all the islands this is the one we needed back most." He looks up at whoever is nearby and jerks his thumb. "Hey, come over here. It will go a lot faster with your help."

Or they can stay where they are. It doesn't matter to him. He turns from them to kneel down and usher another critter into the pen. "Not that way, this way. It's time to go inside, okay?"

Fruits of our labors

Keith stares into the sky and sighs heavily. "I told you not to." He fiddles with the maple glazed donut and then looks back up. "I don't know when it will wear off but try not to touch anything else?" There's a helpful sounding whistle from his shoulder where a reddish-orange bird of prey is perched. He strokes the bird's beak with a soft. "You're not helping. You snatched that butternut squash thing out of my hands and I still don't know what it did to you."

Ember, the affected phoenix spreads out a wing over the back of Keith's black hoodie as if patting his back and preens his hair. "...yeah I won't touch that stuff." Keith mutters to himself and glances up at the blue wolf hovering in the air and looking put out. "Think you can come back down or do you need some help?"

A whine. He pinches the bridge of his nose and stuffs the donut into his face. Unknown to him, he begins to glow as he reaches up to pull at the beast in the air. "You get any bigger and I'll be able to ride you into battle."

Wildcard.

Got an idea? Hit me.

fruits of our labors

[galrarm]

As for Shiro, he's got a few deviled eggs on his plate. Really, he's pretty endeared by the phoenix, and gives its back a little stroke. And then to the poor wolf, who's levitating and looking absolutely miserable.

"Can't really blame them," he says, quirking a grin. "All this food looks pretty--"

And then Keith eats the maple bar. Shiro blinks, and for a moment, he's stunned enough that he doesn't say anything. Glowing? Huh. It looks harmless enough, but you never know in this place.

"... Uh, Keith? You're glowing."

a.

[uptightness]

Animals. Animals are like children. They are a foreign entity to her. It's not that she's not nurturing...ish... but her patience tends to only go so far, even now. Surprisingly, it is better than it once was, but it's still not saintly by any stretch of the imagination.

And it's not fear, exactly, that the creatures can smell, but uncertainty. She's fine to wave her hands and even jump in front of one, because that seems safer than trying to lead them or anything else. She's dubious to begin with, wondering if she should go back and harvest, as at least that is straight-forward.

"You certain about that?" Because Carolina isn't that things will go faster... Then again, she has had a lot of experience herding Reds and Blues to various places, and they are all still more or less alive, so that counts for something, right?

Héctor | OTA

[vagabone]

born crazy

[He wanders from table to table, enjoying the smell of the foods, if nothing else. Solid as he seems, most things just fall right through him and make a mess... but the crowns are festive! Anything colorful is irresistible, he must try one on.

The urge that comes with it creeps up on him too slowly for him to notice. It starts with humming and a bit of swaying to music that only exists inside his empty skull. No guitars here. He drums his fingers on the table idly, not completely aware there's a nice beat to what he's doing...

And then, with no more warning than that, he's climbing onto the table, not considering his own filthy bare feet. Because he has an absolutely brilliant idea, it's going to be so much fun! Never will he be one to shy away from silly antics!

He spins round once, heedless of all the food on the table. (Someone ought to stop him before he starts knocking plates off accidentally.)]

Oooowheheheahoy~!

[Let the tap dancing begin.]

remember me always

[A more analytical person might have figured out it's the crown. He hasn't. He's just going with the flow, doing what seems right. So he hasn't removed the leafy crown, but he has left the celebration. He's found a secluded spot where he might have a few minutes of privacy...

Unfortunately, he's very easy to sneak up on. He kneels in the dirt, looking up at the stars, and begins to sing again. Quietly. Tenderly. For someone very, very special, whether she can hear or not.]

Remember me...

[inquiryguqin]

[Lan Wangji is among the others who partake in the feast quietly. It was then this skeleton gentleman decides to dance on the table without any regard to table manners.

At one point, he may have knocked off Lan Wangji's plate, sending it flying while doing his tap dancing number.]

...Hm.

[He decided to say nothing. He merely observes. Hector stirred a curiosity because he has never seen the likes of him before, having dealt with the hordes of undead back home, however, Lan Wangji makes it his business to slays them and make the undead rest in peace.

Much later when the feast is over, after Hector wandered off, and Lan Wangji encounters him again. He listens to his song quietly until he reached the end.

Hector has an audience.]

Hello. I seen you at the banquet. Your song. Can you sing again...?