[WORLD ONE | OCTOBER INTRO LOG]

[spellbindmods]

Who: The new coven members and old blood
Where: In and around the hub island
When: Day 92
Open/Closed: Open to All

All characters are told briefly what their powers are by Genette -- no extemporaneous details. For instance, if your character has the ability to detect lies, they'll be told as such -- no warning about limitations, repercussions or the like. They'll also be given a variant of this letter so they aren't totally ignorant of the situation -- though of course adapt this letter to the current setting and surroundings of the game.

This setting may be familiar to you -- maybe you caught a glimpse of it when you first visited. Maybe this is your first time experiencing this weird world and the panic is setting in. If you're totally lost, a tall human woman with a long scroll of paper will stop by to give you the run down. She'll also give you a letter, which may give you more questions than answers since the information is a wee out of date. (Maybe someone else can fill in some gaps for you). What is at first painfully obvious is that you're ill-equipped. Any magic or powers you had previously are suddenly replaced with an empty hole in your being. That's not all that's gone, but perhaps that's what's most pressing. Another thing you may notice is that there are others just like you, wandering around and just as confused. If you feel so inclined, you may want to ask around and see if anyone else knows what's up. A ▢ If one of your characters isn't looking to introduce themselves to others, someone's willing to do it for them. Genette is trying to make sure all newbies are accounted for and have a buddy, so she's grabbing them when she finds them and tossing them at the first coven member she sees. "Hi, so-and-so, this is so-and-so! They're new, so show them the ropes -- be friends, okay?" You get the gist. Your character may be paired up with another newbie, a seasoned character or both! Five times, even! Timelines in RPing are weird! B ▢ Let's say that instead of milling about and doing nothing entirely productive, your character has decided to try and venture off to find a way off this huge floating rock. That's nice -- but be warned that the forest is filled with interesting things. For instance, they've happened to find a hollowed out tree that happens to be where a hoard of land crabs are living. They move fast -- run quick! C ▢ Other characters may want to establish shelter before they do anything else -- and that's their right! The problem is that if your character wants to be well-supplied, they're going to have to do things for themselves. There's something of an assembly line set up, but not a lot has been done in way of making things workable. Genette wanted all new coven members to have a little food parcel to take to their hut, but time constraints, you know? If you want any food for now -- or for later -- you may want to cook some of this (poisonous) eel, salt some boar jerky or cut into one of these rabbits. You've also got some berries to eat in the meantime, if you want something simple!

By the time afternoon sets in, everyone should be a little more adjusted -- or, they should at least be a little more aware of the situation. From there, things still need to be done and exploring is always an option! D ▢ For those characters who want to stick around the base camp, there's something worthwhile in discovering the buildings around the area. One such building is the mansion, which contains extra supplies and a renovated kitchen. The kitchen is now functional with electricity and running water, with a few raw ingredients for making whatever your character would like. It's minimal, but also not totally useless. E ▢ If you mill about too long, you'll be put to work. Run into Genette and you'll be sent to pick western part of the island to look for strawberries, wheat and deer (good luck hunting if your character doesn't have the capabilities, but maybe someone else can help?). Run into Genette and she'll offer your character an ax to chop wood with (is this a wise idea? probably not), or a request to go fishing in either a stream or the ocean attached to the island on the eastern side. Or your character can do both if they so choose...? F ▢ With all of these new people milling about, telepathy is on the fritz again. At least, it certainly is for those who are new! Your character may not realize their broadcasting frustrations to the network, or maybe a stupid secret. Their mental filter is certainly broken, but that's at least a great conversation starter. Night finally falls on the exhausting day, and it's time to rest. Thankfully the island is beautiful at night, especially the sky. The night is filled with space worms, relaxing mist and wondrous sights in the stars. G ▢ Adding to the excitement of the beautiful night, Genette has set up something of a...talent show? In an effort to get new coven members acclimated with their magic, she's asked them all to use their magic in some way -- it may take a volunteer, or maybe they can show it off all on their own. In any case, show me what you got. H ▢ Of course, some characters aren't going to be up for this fancy display and will want to go about their own business. There are plenty of places to sit and stew on this island, both private and in plain sight. The stars are spectacularly bright, and the higher up your character gets the less it seems like night time. If they're lucky, they may catch sight of a shooting star, though it's of course much larger than usual. They're directly in space, after all! I ▢ Wildcard! How will your character interact with this new and unusual world?

Comments

[soulcomet]

[Madoka ... has questions about the ears — though, a cute girl with dog ears isn't the most out-of-left-field thing she's seen among members of the coven, so she doesn't appear to have an outward reaction to them.]

[(she thinks the ears are cute, too, but she also thinks it might be rude of her to say that. so she'll keep that thought to herself.)]

No, it's okay, I promise! I have a lot of hair ribbons — for some reason, that's one of the things that they gave me when I first got here. [can't imagine why.]

Plus, I think it'd look nice in your hair.

[witchhooded]

[ honestly the last thing that asking about her ears could be is rude, though jade also hasn't had to explain to twenty people that she's part dog now.

a promise is pretty serious in jade's book. hesitantly, she reaches out to gently pluck one of the ribbons from madoka's grasp, ears flattened once more; this time, it's with shyness. ]

If you are sure! Thank you...

[ jade begins the motion of pulling her hair up, tying the ribbon-- ]

There's a lot of people to keep warm, so I want to make sure I have enough firewood! Too much would be better than too little in this situation.

[ -- and as soon as she lets go, her hair comes tumbling back down. her glasses jostle a little, sliding down the bridge of her nose as a noise escapes her throat. it sounds a little like... ]

...Woof.

[soulcomet]

[THE QUESTIONS ARE MOUNTING. but alas, Madoka is too polite to pry — it took bumping into Alphonse Elric, a literal suit of armor, several times before she finally offered to hear his story, if he ever wanted to tell it.]

[for now, though, she offers Jade a smile. maybe two ribbons would work better? or —]

Would you like for me to try tying it up for you? [she is a bit shy about asking certain questions. but helping with hair she can definitely do.]

[witchhooded]

[ jade's an open book even to strangers; maybe it's spending years alone on an island, or maybe it's being raised by a dog (you know how wacky that can get), but regardless of why, it's plain to see she lights up at madoka's offer. ]

That would help me a lot and I would appreciate it very much! [ without any hesitation, jade dips down to retrieve the ribbon, abandoning the axe in the process. labor can wait a moment, it's all about looking good, too. ]

[soulcomet]

It's no trouble at all! I'm happy to help — also, it might be a bit easier if we both sat down.

[there's probably a clearing nearby, so they can sit down without getting splinters! because it looks like Madoka's dream is about to come true — she's gonna

braid

Jade's

hair.]

Oh! I'm Madoka Kaname, by the way. It's nice to meet you.

[witchhooded]

[ jade just nods in agreement, her smile slipping into something a little more subtle; please braid her hair. she's never had it braided.

when jade makes her way to the clearing with madoka, she does indeed sit down, too. madoa's introduction reminds her that she's lost her manners, probably too overwhelmed by shyness and embarrassment. ]

Oh! Oops, I am sorry, I forgot to introduce myself and I was stealing your hair ribbons, hehehe. My name is Jade Harley! I just got here, this is all pretty new to me but I'm trying my best.

[soulcomet]

I'd say you're doing great! This firewood will be a big help.

[once she's settled down behind Jade, she'll try ... maybe pulling her hair back into a ponytail again, and then braiding? she can be Jade Gainsborough. Aerith Harley.]

I've been here a little while, so ... if you need anything or have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

Did you figure out what your magic is?

[witchhooded]

[ aerith harley is pretty much her destiny, really. the og flower girl's hiding in here somewhere. ]

I think I will be okay! You do not need to worry about little old me, I have Jake as well as Dirk to help me out if I need it!! [ she's sincerely just trying to show madoka doesn't need to worry, and her statement is punctuated with a wave of her hand. ]

My magic? That's... oh! Yes, I have, would you like to see it?

[soulcomet]

[oh hey she knows both those names.]

Oh! Does that mean you, ah ... all played Sburb together? [there's a bit of a sheepish note in that question.]

That's how you refer to it, right? Sorry, they've both tried to explain it to me before, but it still sounds really confusing.

[Madoka ties the second ribbon into the tightest bow she can at the bottom of the braid, and pulls her hands back, both admiring her handiwork and desperately hoping it doesn't come undone. Jade wears this hairstyle so well.]

And, I'd love to see your magic!

[witchhooded]

[ jade's hair won't escape, the wild quality in it temporarily washed away by the holiness of madoka's touch. haha, just jokin', the braid sticks because a braid is probably the only way to tame her lion's mane. or wolf's mane, as it were.

when madoka finishes, jade twirls on the spot, trying see the length of her new hairdo. she only ever seems to catch the tail end of it, and she keeps twirling there. it's not unlike a dog chasing it's tail, truthfully. ]

You're so great at this, Madoka! Wow! [ she must be... very adept at handling hair, then? madoka is really a girly girl, jade thinks. how cute! ]

Hmm. Do you like to look at the stars?

[ she'll get to sburb in a moment, but she feels like a thank you in order, first. ]

[soulcomet]

[oh no this turned out far cuter than she could have ever hoped for. she watches Jade, an amused sort of smile on her face — and she can't help but feel equally thrilled that the braid seems to be holding.]

[it's ... it's cute and functional!]

I do! Does your magic have something to do with the stars?

[witchhooded]

No! It does not!

[ which is about all the warning madoka will receive before a vine sprouts from the ground. it stops as soon as it gets about waist length, and jade pouts with her cheeks inflated and, leaning over a tiny bit, she folds her arms. ]

Okaaaaaaay... One more time. [ second times a charm, because this time the vine snakes around from behind, wrapping around a tree before slithering its was over to madoka. it is far, far larger than the near bean sprout that had grown from the dirt, initially, able to carry weight and adjust. it's a little awkward, but jade's goal is to get madoka onto a curve of the vine, a little dip in the foliage made to be like a seat for her. ]

[soulcomet]

[wow — WOW, okay, Madoka has seen a lot of extremely neat magic since arriving here, but this? and especially magic that involves plants (gardening is one of her favorite hobbies, after all)?]

[she was already well on her way there, truthfully, but now, Jade has shot up to near the top of Madoka's list of coolest people in the coven.]

[she has to hop a bit to reach at first, but she settles down easily on the vine — the look of sheer amazement on her face at this moment absolutely cannot be understated.]

This is — this is amazing!

[witchhooded]

[ jade giggles, hands behind her back as madoka climbs in. there are seatbelts for this roller coaster, just a few leaves that are hopefully stronger than they look. balancing back and forth, from the tips of her toes, to the hells of her feet, jade continues in a sing song tone. ]

This is only step one! Here is step two.

[ this time, madoka receives a warning as the vine grows taller, aiming towards the sky. as she rises in the vine-y seat, she's pushed closer to the stars (metaphorically, of course, because scientifically...). ]

Thank you for doing my hair like this!

[soulcomet]

[now Jade is officially the coolest person Madoka knows. sorry, Dirk, you have been DETHRONED.]

It was no trouble at all! [she shouts as she is carried up higher and higher. honestly, Madoka is used to, and tends to enjoy heights (there's a certain tower in Mitakihara City that she frequents), so this was truly the best thank-you gift Jade could have given her.]

[and, after a few minutes of admiring the view in silence:] Are you gonna come up here, too?

[witchhooded]

[ this is what jade does. she comes to your house, she steals your position as The Cool One. ]

Oh! Um. [ jade can't lie. she hesitates for a moment. part of it is the idea of like, spending time with someone? and the other half of it is that madoka catches her off guard. she glances back to the firewood, and decides a five minute break is okay. after all, it's not like she had plenty of opportunities to hang out since getting here.

so moments later, the sound of something stretched tight grows louder as jade ascends. she's close enough to madoka that she can see her expressions, but not so close that she thinks it'd make the situation awkward. ] Yes, I guess! Hehe, it's been a little while since I just looked at the stars.

[soulcomet]

[Madoka braided her hair; that right there is the ultimate Rite of Friendship Passage — in her eyes, they're already pretty much besties.]

I know what you mean. There's so much to do during the day here that I'm usually too tired to stay up very late.

[she tilts her head back.]

This is nice, though ... I guess sometimes you just get so busy, you forget how pretty it all really is.

[witchhooded]

[ jade considers telling madoka that it's less a matter of time - she had plenty of that on the ship, but not much in the way of stars. shooting though dimensions to the next session certainly had a je ne sais quoi (as davesprite might say) about it, and jade doesn't get that same feeling here. no, she feels so much smaller than she had on the golden yard.

she leans back on her palms; as well as she can, at least, seated in a vine. ]

I used to be able to see them whenever I wanted... But for a little while now, I guess I have not felt like myself.

[ big, empty, grand. like space. jade looks to her legs, then her arms. it used to be so easy, letting herself emanate space. ] I have not had a lot to do for a while, though! It is exciting to think about it, heh.

[soulcomet]

[she'd like to ask Jade to elaborate on that, but ... frankly, she's always thought that nearly every aspect of Sburb has sounded awful, no matter how nonchalant whoever was describing it sounded. how do you play a game with such drastic consequences, when it offers such little direction?]

[but that doesn't seem like something Madoka should be asking a girl she just met maybe half an hour ago.]

I'm really glad you came here, then. It can be a bit strange sometimes, but there's always something we can do to help each other out.

[though, this little island's definition of strange is probably nothing compared to Jade's.]

Plus, we had the chance to meet — so, I'm glad for that, too.

[witchhooded]

[ jade laughs a little, like she's still listening. she doesn't answer at first, only letting go of the vine she's seated on to look down at her bare hands. she's still got bec's ears, but not his power, and it feels like something is missing when she sees there isn't a faint green glow around her.

she smiles, bittersweet, and then pulls her knees to her chest. ]

Heh! I guess... strange is pretty much all I know these days! To be honest, I am... not so sure I know what normal is, anyway? [ it's phrased in a way like she's asking madoka just that; what is it that makes something "normal"? the girl who tried to wash a bathroom with toilet water wants to know. ]

[soulcomet]

[in Jade's defense, not even Marry Poppins could have saved the Strider apartment — and that would also mean having to subject Mary Poppins to the Strider apartment.]

[but, if she had been asked that question a year ago, Madoka probably would have pointed to the lives she and her friends were leading: the usual routine school, family, friends ... and how she figured she'd just go through life without really having anything of offer to value to the world. that's more or less what normal meant to her, then.]

[of course, she doesn't remember it right now, but "normal" for her now means not really existing at all — at least, not in the sense that she'd be able to have this discussion in the first place.]

You know ... Normal to me is a lot different than what it was a while ago. Now, I think that as long as you're happy, normal can be anything you want.

[witchhooded]

[ jade hums and listens. she thinks madoka's not wrong, necessarily, but she imagines how awkward it'll be if, when, dave shows up. john shows up. rose shows up. jane shows up. "normal" is tossed out the window for her, she thinks. ]

That's a great way to look at it, I think... In the end it's probably only you who can define something like "normal" for yourself.

[soulcomet]

Exactly! And, that's what makes meeting new people so much fun, right? We probably have entirely different ideas of normal, but ... I think we'll still be really good friends.

[witchhooded]

Heh. Well, if I have a friend like you, Madoka, I think I will go very far in this place! Thank you again for braiding my hair.