April Undercurrent: Breaking Barriers

[lifeaftr_mods]

APRIL UNDERCURRENT

Who: Everyone!
What: Normal boundaries are made malleable, for a time
When: April 3rd to April 19th
Where: Everywhere!
Warnings: Please mark anything as it comes up!

Keep Me In Your Clouded Mind

As days pass, and the Water begins to exert their pull, your surroundings will begin to grow hazy, almost dreamlike. Though some might find this sensation to be unpleasant, the feeling will soon pass, and the world will seemingly right itself. Perhaps a fit of vertigo, and nothing more...?

But come the morning of April 3rd, the island's skies and seas will paint themselves anew in faded guises - every colour it's possible for a sky and sea to be, from sunrise to sunset - bleeding into each other like ink in water, until the horizon vanishes. And from that vanishing point, where sky and sea meet, you will begin to see...rafts. Rafts bearing familiar paper lanterns - some crumpled, some stained from their crash into the water, but recognizable all the same.

Remember those lanterns that you made last month? It turns out that they've actually served as beacons. And, as those rafts drift closer, you might find that the lights you set free, forged in your grief and longing, have managed to guide the subjects of that longing to you...at least for a time. Of course, it's not all people you know. Those on the rafts are just as likely to be strangers, people who have simply drifted in on the tides of dream. Or they may be both familiar and not - the people you knew, who have changed in your absence or theirs.

They might even be you, though not as the island has made you. Perhaps they're the person you once were, or the person you will be. Who knows what the tides may bring?

To distinguish such temporary visitors from those making a more permanent stay, those brought in by these strange waters often look faded or filled with an ethereal light. They may also have a strange translucency to them, though this will not affect their ability for physical contact, interaction, or their solidity.

This month, no special tasks are required of you other than to interact with these new visitors, whether they bring you joy, grief, or the mutual, fleeting bond of a first meeting. The more you accept them as part of your lives - temporary as they are - the more power you produce.

Their stay might be short, but their impact is no lesser, and recognition of that is necessary to pave the way for Elytlan's arrival.

---

♆ FOURTH WALL EVENT ♆

We'd like to welcome anyone and everyone to LifeAftr's Fourth Wall Event! We'd like to start things off with a few points of clarification, if necessary:

[ ♆ ] This is an IC event. All characters will remember the fourth wall event and any characters that pass through it.

[ ♆ ] You are free to enable and post with absolutely anyone! For this event only, all rules regarding doubles and duplicates are to be considered null and void. Doubles, CRAUs, player-made AUs, original characters, whoever you like who can be brought to interact with the islands is free to do so! Characters who might be re-visiting from their past experiences in LifeAftr can recall as much or as little of their time in game as you like.

[ ♆ ] Please be aware that visiting characters will likely notice that their powers have been slightly or greatly dampened. While they will probably still be capable of smaller or more ordinary things, any game-breaking or world-ending powers will have no effect on these shores. You are free to nerf them even more if you want, though! We certainly won't stop you.

[ ♆ ] Only members of LifeAftr will have posting access, but all characters and players outside of the game are welcome to comment anywhere in this log, unless a player wishes to opt out of the event entirely.

[ ♆ ] This does include posting to the network, over at lifenet! Newly arriving characters will have access to the Stones of Farspeech that enable long-distance communication, but they will not be able to make their own posts - only comment to the posts of others.

[ ♆ ] We ask that any visitors be mindful of our game rules. Most characters will likely be arriving on the island of Ensō or the islets just off of its coast - feel free to read up on those pages for more information, and don't be afraid to ask questions!

[ ♆ ] This event will only last up until April 19th. At that point, all characters who have been brought to the Fourth Wall event and are not currently in game will fade away. Due to the ethereal quality to them while on the islands, the temporary nature of their stay will likely be apparent. That being said, this log will remain open once the event itself is complete - backtagging is both welcome and encouraged.

[ ♆ ] As the game will be entering endgame shortly after this event, we will not be opening Applications after the event unless you are a returning player who would like to be present for endgame.

[ ♆ ] If anyone has any questions about this event, please ask them HERE!

Color in My Sheltered Mind

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 April's Undercurrent Event, as well as any of the other minor events listed on our Monthly Rundown post. And, of course, 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 the Questions header on our Monthly Rundown post!

April Timeline

[ ♆ ] April 1st: "Make Libations" begins and lasts until April 10th
[ ♆ ] April 3rd: "Breaking Barriers" begins and lasts until April 19th
[ ♆ ] April 12th: "Isn't It Dreamy?" begins and lasts until April 21st
[ ♆ ] April 20th: Elytlan arrives at the archipelago
[ ♆ ] April 22nd: "Got Your Goat" begins and lasts until March 31st

LOGS ● OOC ● STORIES ● MAIN NAVIGATION

( CODED BY BOOTYCALL )

Comments

[chachkeen]

[Okay, look, she started off being confused and ready clear up this huge error. She really was, it's just-

It really does sound like a Crystal Gem-esque group, even if the human(??) claims otherwise. She wasn't around for the initial formation or even fought in the few and far between battles that happened after getting her life back, but the stories have always enthralled her. This 'record keeper' clearly needs some kind of assistance and this place seems safe enough.]

Oh, no, I'm actually from Homeworld and live on a planet called Earth now. It looks quite a bit like this actually. So while I may not be a local, I can guide you around. This geographic layout is something I'm familiar with.

[findfamiliar]

[Half-elf, but there's human in there!! Her ears are just a wee bit pointy at the tips. Unlike this...erm. Well, to be frank, Fluer isn't sure what sort of creature she is - the assumption was perhaps a fae, or even maybe some kind of genasi...perhaps earth? It's unclear, and until she finds a chance to ask, Fluer will have to simply guess.]

Home...world? [Is...that that on a different plane? Probably, though it's not one Fluer knows of. Maybe a sort of regional term? At least she knows of Earth, so with a wave of her hand she bows a bit and heaves a sigh of relief.] Th-Thank you...any company would be much appreciated, truly. I have my skills, ah...b-b-but I'm no explorer.

Oh! Gracious, where are my manners? My name is Fluer - Fluer Dubois.

[chachkeen]

[There's a sudden, inexplicable urge deep in her gem that arises when the woman introduces herself. A desire to offer her service, her support, to find someone to serve now that her Diamond's gone and-

She pushes it aside, because that's not her life now. This isn't a gem and even if it was-

That's not how it is anymore and she doesn't want to go back to that time.

There's a cheerful inflection to her voice and that seemingly permanent smile doesn't wane in the slightest as she greets the woman. A wave of the hand, maybe? Humans like that. She's clearly not used to the gesture, but she's learning. Gems were planet conquerors at one point-exploration is in her metaphorical blood. Sort of.]

It's nice to meet you, Fluer Dubois. My name is-it's Volleyball. That's a nickname, but one I enjoy, so feel free to refer to me that way.

[She scans the horizon, the forest, the sandy beach and-]

I suppose we should get started. Which way should we go?

[findfamiliar]

[The name gets a momentary lift of a brow, but Fluer says little to the peculiar nickname and simply nods again in acknowledgement. She...may shorten that further still - it's quite a mouthful - but perhaps...later. They have just met, after all. Such formalities aren't the norm with new acquaintances, despite how pleasant and helpful this one may be.]

Fluer is fine, really...I-I'm not much a fan of titles... Oh, but--yes! Let's see, I'm not at all familiar with the topography here, but perhaps a scour down the beach would be best? I'd....I'd like to avoid going too far into the jungle for the moment, though I may have a way to get, ah...a literal bird-eye-view of where we may be.

[She pats her bag with a soft chuckle, and something withing it moves and shifts, and there's a...scoff? Yes, a scoff is heard from within.]

[chachkeen]

I don't want to be a bother, but I feel as though I should let you know your bag just made a noise.

[It also moved and she's like, okay, that's whatever. It's clearly not dangerous. Or maybe it is. She doesn't know how Fluer hasn't noticed the movement yet.]

[findfamiliar]

Oh... [With a soft and gentle giggle, Fluer sets that large bag down, and begins opening up the top flap to pull out what has been moving and making noise inside. It's an animal - a cat, in fact - and she holds it under the arms so its legs and tail dangle just a few inches from the ground. The cat is black as charcoal, with piecing, yellow-orange eyes that stare Volleyball down intensely.] This is Licorice! They're my...ah...mm--pet.

[the slow hum of a growl escalates suddenly, those eye-slit becoming tiny pricks of black among the pale iris as the cat seems to puff up and tail bristles. Oh. Oh, no. They have been dropped in water, stuffed amongst the now partially broken vials and pointy quills, hot and dank as hell, threatened with a form change, and now insulted? Absolutely not. Enough is enough. She cat wriggles and squirms, hissing loudly.]

I beg your pardon?! I am no mere PET! [Fluer jumps, trying to cram the cat back into the bag, but it jumps free from her grasp, perching on a rock a few feet away, as Fluer tries to wrangle it back into her bag, it darts away swiftly, all while crying out in a very debonair and loud voice - full of charm but with an edge of irritation.] I, my dear, am a powerful spiritual guardian! A being born of the wildest and weirdest arcane arts! And a trusted companion, and familiar, of the Wytch's Coven for more years than you have been alive. And it will suit you well to remember it! I serve you, my lady, but I am not subservient to you in any regard!! Mrumpf!