catch-all open log!

[rebells]

Who: Anyone and everyone!
Where: On the beach, and various other places throughout the hub island
When: Day 80, and the next couple days after
Open/Closed: open log for hub shenanigans!

[This evening, someone has placed an old, rusted-over camp stove on the beach near the coven's row of huts--anyone examining it in detail will see that it's not operational at the moment, but that could potentially be changed, couldn't it? If someone was handy with mechanical things . . . .

Next to it is a crate (which, from the weight of it is empty) and pinned to that crate is a sheet of paper with a map on it, something like a much cruder, black-and-white version of this:



with the following key:

1 - crags. Contain snakes which may be poisonous. Watch out.
2 - ocean, going about one mile out from the coast.
3 - lagoon. Contains thick reeds (could be woven or shaped into tools) and frogs (edibility uncertain).
4 - abandoned campsite.
5 - orchard. Currently, trees are diseased and bare. Plant healer needed.
6 - abandoned house. A family used to live here, from the looks of it. Still contains some useful supplies.

And there should be a 7 north of base camp with the notation "graveyard. Graves unused." but the player forgot and is too lazy to go back and fix it right now. Observant individuals will note that the map looks like a more detailed version of one hanging on the door to a certain coven member's cabin, one that has a note on the bottom: "Have information? Ask for Jay."

Other than that, it's a quiet night on the hub island. We've been here for a couple days; maybe you're getting restless? Want to check out that ocean, or lagoon, or even those crags? Maybe just go door-to-door in the beach huts? Maybe you're sick of shrimp and looking for other things to eat . . . hopefully someone's got a fire going tonight, and thought to kill a boar . . . .

What are you doing tonight?]


((here or here for place descriptions))

Comments

OTA!

[mech_and_mutt]

A - Expedition
[Well, that little holiday by the seaside was... charming in its own way- even if, in hindsight, it was a vacation through a warzone more than anything else- but with all that strife finally hitting its end the coven could return home to their beloved island ...And back to a buncha shacks on a beach at the edge of the world, and Red's half-emptied stores of boar jerky looking even drier and tougher than he'd left them before.

Home, sweet home, and already he was itching to stretch his legs. And even if it was the camp stove that had caught his eye, it was the map of the iland that had him linger-- especially when he saw that number two mark on a familiar stretch of particularly well-defined coastline.]

"Maybe I oughta go back now that I've seen a normal ocean," Red spoke as he tapped the mark on the map. "...or try this whole 'fishing' thing."

B - Exothermic
[Of course, he did have one or two other items on his 'to-do' list when he returned to the coven's island, and one such item was to finally treat himself to a nice, long soak in some water that didn't smell like brine and leave kelp clinging to his leg. Thankfully, he still remembered the island's mansion from last time- including the little bath house right beside it.

Unfortunately, Red had forgotten that all the water was scalding hot. It's not long before he's back to sitting against the wall in a room dense with steam, towel around his waist, (im)patiently waiting for that while 'vitality' magic to hurry up and take the stong out from that red and blistered foot to so he can walk home.

At least it was a little relaxing with all the steam, even if he wished he had actual healing magic or something at times like this. And was loudly grumbling out fragments of that sentiment.]

D - Wildcard
[Always an option!]

A

[drizzle]

[The trip from the world they were once in, for the last few weeks, to the new location -- known affectionately as the Hub to those who have been to it before -- will leave Nike feeling slightly unimpressed. Unlike the Palai's world that had an astonishing and curious beauty, found on its very enviroment, its civilization, and technology, the hub had the bare essentials that reminded her of an abandoned version of her birth country. If she had to be honest, she felt a little let down by the enviroment and her disconnection to her surroundings, all she can hear are the fleeting messages of those using the telepathic network, but not much else.

There were two ways for her senses to synchronize with her surroundings: through exploration or finding a large mass of water.

Fortunately, after going through the first process, Nike was able to find someone familiar in the distance, gazing at something. Needless to say, it was more than enough motivation for her to head on over in that direction.]

Adding an additional vote on wanting to go fishing!

[She'll even raise her hand for emphasis over the idea before usin the very same hand to give him a friendly wave.]

Hey! It's been a while, huh? It's great to see that you made it back, Red.

[mech_and_mutt]

[That's right-- there were a few new arrivals coming in at Aimintas who weren't on the island before, weren't there? He'd all but forgotten to keep an eye out for them once they'd made it back to the hub-- and here was one he'd have kicked himself if he'd forgotten. There's a friendly wave right back the moment he catches a glimpse of her.]

Trust me, that world was nice to visit but I think I've had my fill. Right back at'cha, Nike-- hope you haven't had any run-ins with the wildlife yet. And hopefully there were a few of the nice shacks still left...

[Meanwhile, on the subject of fishing...]

Great! It'll be my first time using a spear. Or... rod. Or whatever you use. Kinda used to bigger tools but it can't be that hard to nail 'em, right?

[drizzle]

No kidding. I was getting a little claustrophobic by the end of our adventures with the Palai. It's good to be on the move again. [Not that she's been on the world-hopping move before, but...] Um, the wild life? I did hear something about there being animals to hunt, but other than that. What should I be watching out for?

[As for the shack, it was the very first thing she asked about, wanting to know if there was a specific place for her to go to put down her things and that topic of conversation came up. Fortunately, she found one that hasn't been used and was in decent shape, all it needs is some cleaning which she promised herself to take care of later.

Right now, she was far too curious about her new away from home since it was her first time on it.]

Do you even have any of those materials on hand? Personally, using a net was the way to go in my world, but having some string and bait does wonders too if all else fails. [With a bit of a smile.] Fishing isn't hard to do if you know the rules about it. And fortunately for you, I come from an island nation with its main food source being from the ocean, lakes, or streams. I haven't seen any yet. Do you know where you can find any of those spots around here?

[mech_and_mutt]

Yeah. Head too far into the woods and you'll start running into boars. They ain't exactly friendly, and worse still they never know when to quit. I had to spend a few hours fighting 'em off when I first arrived. [The very idea that he hadn't quite figured out how to control his never-get-tired-or-worn-out power and it was spilling out into the boars he was fighting was something he'd refuse to comment on, thank you very much.]

I may not have much for nets but you've come to the right person to learn good fishing spots! I happen to know a lovely little stretch of ocean right along the coastline that hasn't, uh. Fallen off? [He wasn't quite sure how it stayed connected to the island and he wasn't about to try and take a swim either. Still, he dragged his finger up from mark Two to mark Three.]

Looks like there's a lagoon not too far off, too, and it's got some reeds to make tools out of. I've got my stun sword but I don't know if that's much good for fishin'.

[drizzle]

Wild boars? [Nike couldn't help wonder over his surprise concerning this creatures in question as they always been the very stubborn and proactive types in the forests back in her own world. There may be some memories of being trapped in a tree for hours by them. She couldn't help wonder if they were different to the ones she knows.] How do they look like? Are they bigger than the normal types?

Fallen off? Are you saying the oceans are the floating types like back at the Palai's world or...? I feel like I'm missing a detail here. [All responded in good nature as she was curious to learn of the good fishing spots he knows about. It was a good thing she knew someone with experience in being at the hub.] You could use it to stun the fish, I think, but I need to see the reaction it'll have on the water first. The last thing we need is to get stun in the process, right?

[mech_and_mutt]

Uh... big flat nose, curved tusks, low center of gravity. Grouchy disposition. Dunno if they're any bigger than 'normal', this island's the first I've seen of 'em and I've had enough of 'em to last a lifetime. [That goes double for the meat. Good Dog, especially the meat.]

But the ocean's kinda like what ya said. I've never really seen anything like it, myself; it's like it just stuck out from the side of the island and refused to... y'know, let go. I've got no clue what's actually keepin' it up. As for sword-fishin', I've never really tried it in water either. You know how electricity gets when-- oh, wait, maybe you don't.

Uh... well, my sword kinda makes really little lightning bolts, if that helps you imagine it.

[drizzle]

They sound a lot like the ones I've seen back in my world. I thought they may be bigger. But even then, the ones back in my world are difficult to deal with. We always had to use the do-- [Nike will stop talking as she realized she was gonna talk about the wolves and wild dogs that would help them corner the wild animals before attempting to hunt them for their meat, hooves, and tusks.] Anyway, there's a specific way we used to hunt them back home with. The key is to use team work.

[An ocean that won't release its grip on land was an interesting mental image. If she hadn't gone to the Palai's world, then she wouldn't really believe him. It was difficult to imagine the ocean being anything but the ocean. With a small smile, she can't help look excited at the thought of it all the same.] All the more reason to go over there, I wanna see an actual stubborn ocean that has the ability to break the rules of reality to make it happen.

[As for his comment, Nike will point out.]

Whenever it comes to the science of water and the atmosphere, I know all about it. In fact, my country is pretty advance when it comes to knowledge about it. [To the point they have microphones, spot lights, and karaoke to name a few of their meta inventions that caught by surprise those from the Sun Kingdom as they didn't recognize it.] So don't worry about not understanding that stuff or not. I'm actually really well-verse in it. A rain summoner has to be, after all!

[mech_and_mutt]

Makes sense, but I'll pass on learnin' how to hunt 'em. I've already eaten so much boar I'm startin' to grow tusks-- and they're twice as stubborn as all the water stickin' out from the island.

[Though it was actually a little surprising to hear she was an expert in weather-- the way Nike had talked about her world before, it seemed a bit old-fashioned to be able to... well, study it. Well! He could probably talk about it plainly then.]

Oh! Well, then, it's an electric stun sword. Gives a big jolt to whatever you stick it wi--

Wait. Did you say 'rain summoner?' are you some kinda wizard too? --before you came here, I mean.

B

[spaceforged]

Need a hand? [The voice is accompanied by square yellow eyes in the swirling steam. A black robotic lion the size of a horse comes closer, crouching down to peer closely at the damaged foot.

Shiro had taken to changing off and on during his explorations. It would build up endurance and make the change familiar. Or at least close to it.]

If you lean on me I can help you get out of here. It's the best I can do.

[mech_and_mutt]

[okay.

he had several questions. let's start with the big one here-- the one that's left his eyes wide, awestruck, and leaning in with a relief so intent it could have passed for enthrallment.]

You're-- you've got a mecha. You've got a mecha?

[spaceforged]

Technically, I am one. [Shiro shifts just enough to let him lean as much of his weight as he wants to against his metal side. He's noticed the relief and makes no comment on it. A pilot needs their moment and he isn't going to interrupt it.]

It seems like the Qri merged us or, thought I'd do best like this. I couldn't tell you. Ready to move?

[mech_and_mutt]

[Slowly, wordlessly, Red rises to his feet, his injured foot touching back down with a shaky wince of discomfort, though even that does nothing to abate the wide-eyed look he's giving Shiro.]

...Am I gonna be piloting you??

[spaceforged]

[He stares openly surprised but unable to show it thanks to his form. After a moment he reasons this is a pilot that was separated from their mech. Even if he trips when he runs sometimes he still has the Black Lion in some form.

He crouches low to let a hand be put on his back.]

No. I'm a pilot myself. My name is Shiro. But I think I can carry you if you climb up on my back.

[mech_and_mutt]

...oh.

[Well... maybe he's kinda short and just. Really squeezed inside there. Or maybe it had something to do with that whole 'merged' thing he was talking about before.

Let's just... go with the hand-on-back idea for now. Riding might get awkward.]

Sorry. Kinda been missin' mine lately. You new here?

[spaceforged]

Yes, I'm new. Anyway, it's alright. I'd be missing the Black Lion if I didn't turn into it.

[He rises up just enough that the hand can remain on his back as he slowly walks forward. Riding would have been awkward and probably slower. This is better.]

How long have you been with the Coven?

[mech_and_mutt]

Coupla months so far. Think I might'a been one of the first arrivals. I'd say it's great to be back at the island, but... well, look around.

[Broken-down buildings, boars, and now burns. Joy. Thankfully he doesn't seem too bothered by his burned foot in his current state.]

Sounds like you won the magic lottery, though. Doesn't get much cooler than turning into a mech.

A

[lefthandfree]

By now he’s getting used to the idea that “normal” here isn’t really like “normal” back on Earth. Maybe it’s safe to say he’s even a bit presumptuous—prejudiced, if one really wants to dissect the issue—given that the person he’s overheard remarking about fishing appears to be something like a humanized dog (which is surprising enough, really). The fact that he manages not to balk is feat enough, so really, he should get some credit for not having responded with more conscious thought behind his words. Really, talking animals aren’t a thing where he’s from (at least not that he's aware of yet), so his response is definitely a step up from what could have been.

Which is all to say that when he interjects, “You haven’t gone fishing before?” toward the bipedal hound, he’s just trying to be friendly and understand how something that looks like an animal from back home that probably would have gone chasing fish in a river at some point in his or her life has never been fishing before.

[mech_and_mutt]

That's fine, Bucky- you don't make things awkward by balking and Red won't make things awkward by barking. Besides, of all the questions he'd been asked about his looks and his world, that wasn't even close to the rudest he'd received. In fact, he was more or less used to having to give his explanation by now. "Yeah. My--"

wait a doggone second here

"...Is that a metal arm?"

[lefthandfree]

He has a moment of deja vu, despite the speaker being nothing like the kid that Tony had dragged to Germany from Queens, and raises his brows in mild amusement at the sudden derailment.

“Yeah,” he laughs bemusedly. “Just so happens it is, pal.” He senses interest in the shock and holds his left hand out, palm up, to give the guy a better look at the whole thing as he gives a brief once-over of it himself.

As adjusted as he is to the metal limb replacing his original, organic arm, he's never had to think about how others will take to it. Normally, he would prefer to mask the presence of it entirely, but that “normally” still applies to the “normal” on Earth. Here is a different story, where he isn’t on Interpol’s most wanted and no one knows him as the Winter Soldier, so even as different as it all is, the reaction is far from unappreciated.

“You like it?” He looks back toward (apparently) his new friend and offers a grin.

[mech_and_mutt]

"Well, yeah! Didn't know you could make 'em look so... smooth at that size, let alone fix 'em to your shoulder." There was nothing wrong with gawking so long as it was admiration and not quiet, confused judgement, right?

"You make that yourself?"

[lefthandfree]

There’s definitely nothing wrong with that in Bucky’s book, at least. He stifles a noise of amusement before answering, “No, afraid not. Was kinda foisted on me, actually. But it’s a beaut, that much I can agree. Nothing short of a work of art.”

...ignoring the unseen trainwreck tangled around his organs and bones to make sure it didn’t break his spine every time he moved it, anyway. But that’s another story.

[mech_and_mutt]

Thankfully Red's not so oblivious that he can't read between the lines and recognize that that might actually be a... replacement more than a cool accessory.

Not that it really changed things.

"I'll say. Not the worst thing to be forced onto you, either. Any weapons in that thing?"

[lefthandfree]

That earns a laugh.

“Pal,” he breathes out through his chuckle. “It is the weapon.” Sure, nothing fancy like an extra loaded set of heat seeking missiles like Tony’s got in his fancy suit, but Bucky’s never needed that when there were so many viable weapons around anyway. And, at worst, the arm still packed a significant wallop.

Since the guy’s clearly enamored, Bucky decides to show it off a little more, flexing the joints and letting the plates reset themselves rhythmically as they always do.

[mech_and_mutt]

Well, that may not have had the rugged charm of bars-and-pistons but damn if Bucky didn't make it look cool regardless. It was taking a conscious effort not to gush. He'd restrain himself just a little bit.

"S'pretty cool. Glad you got to keep it when ya got here."

"New guy, right? That thing work with your new magic, too?"