[HUB ISLAND | NOVEMBER IC INTRO LOG]

[spellbindmods]

Who: The new coven members and old blood
Where: In and around the hub island, especially the mansion
When: Day 122
Open/Closed: Open to All

IMPORTANT This IC intro log is different in that all characters can tag it! If your character is new, please put [new] or some variant of it in the subject of your top level. New characters can also tag around to old coven members in order to branch out and get as much CR as possible!

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 eventually pass by to give you a rundown. She'll also give you a letter, which may give you more questions than answers since the information is a wee out of date.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 ▢ A few newbies may not be so lucky as to wind up somewhere pleasant -- it's currently flooding and storming...up a storm...on the island, which makes spawning outside very trying. Depending on where your character shows up, there's essentially no shelter around, other than some ratty beach huts. If your character's first instinct is trying to find a place to go while outside, you may be in luck -- that is, if someone else is outside, willing to help your character find shelter. B ▢ For those characters who aren't interested in the shelter of the mansion, they may be stuck in their beach huts. What does this have to do with newbies? It's hard to tell that these beach huts are occupied until actually entering them, which is what your character has decided to do. Oops...hi there, stranger. Mind if I stay for a while? C ▢ Other characters who happen to have the luck of a true asshole won't be able to find shelter with any such luck. They'll be stuck sheieding themselves from rain under a tree, in the forest or tucking themselves in a mountain cave. It's not the worst place to wind up, but it might not be the safest -- what happens if someone doesn't find them? Telepathy might alert someone to their presence, which can help with the rescue process.

For those that are lucky enough to spawn in the mansion -- or those who eventually find their way there, soaking wet -- there's a lot of fun stuff happening here! It's warm, inviting, smells like food...don't feel awkward. You can join the fun too! Brie has set up a few party ideas, even though it's not technically a party, in order to keep things light during the storm (which, coincidentally, she isn't very fond of). There's a lot to do, but also everyone has the ability to just chill and hang out in the warm shelter of the mansion for now. D ▢ First of all, there's a bizarrely set up snack bar in the main foyer. On a lot of boxes, all lined up together, are stacks of crackers, graham crackers, marshmallows and other dried snack foods (use your imagination, honestly). There are also tiny kerosene lamps so characters can heat up food if they wish. Alongside the typical snack foods are also more exotic varieties of snacks that Brie has collected, like dried and salty alien bug pupae and tiny trees in chip bags. There's some odd stuff there, and some of it may upset stomachs. E ▢ The large foyer of the mansion is literally filled with pillows and blankets. Most of them have been stockpiled and pulled from Qri's big caravan, currently located upstairs, and others have been pulled from every chair and bed in the mansion. Intricate tents and pillow domes have been made that snake in and out from one another -- some are more private than others, with other pillow circles built for communal spaces. It's definitely possible to get lost in this winding pillow fort, but it's also possible to have a nice, private moment lost in one of the winding tunnels. F ▢ In one of those foretold communal pillow circles, someone (who? you? me? who knows.) has set up a game of spin the bottle. Who knows how your character got roped into this -- or if they are actually willing participants, but this is happening. It's going to happen. What are you doing, oh my god HOW IS THIS BIZARRE ROM-COM SCENARIO GOING TO END...?? F1; Your character is doing the spinning, and another character is choosing to be the victim on the other end of that bottle! F2; Your character happens to have just had the bottle land on them. Who did it? What mysterious being do they have to smooch now? How do they react? G ▢ Another game is going on in another communal circle -- Truth or Dare! This game is also set up similarly, in that your character is a hapless victim or willing participant, but they definitely have to give someone the opportunity to confess something or dare them to do something ridiculous. Will they show mercy, or go in for the kill? H ▢ Slumber party activities aren't for everyone, and there's still a mansion to explore. From various bedrooms to a game room, there are a variety of rooms to wind up exploring and get lost in. Not exciting enough for you? Your character has magic! Maybe they cause a ruckus upstairs that makes someone investigate the loud noise or chaos. Maybe they walk in on someone else doing something with their own magic. What sort of scenario can you cook up? I ▢ Wildcard! How will your character interact with this new and unusual world?

Comments

[splinten]

I'll allow that you were in there. I have a feeling that you aren't, generally speaking, inclined to terrorize and abuse your friends and presumably threaten to kill them.

No offence, Jade, but 'Just' doesn't normally suit you.

[witchhooded]

No! No, not at all, I would not want to hurt even a fly! It is a lot like, well... being a full bottle turned upside down with the cap off. Even things that you would not normally mean come out and a lot of it happens at once, I guess.

[ huh. maybe this is closer to what he meant about splinters? ]

It almost felt... normal... [ that's kind of what? brainwashing is? if this conversation were reversed, she'd get that, but. ] Anyway, I really didn't mean it. You're not a detriment, I promise. I really like having you around!

[splinten]

That's the point of brainwashing. [Dirk, unfortunately for Jade, can be steady and relentless when it comes to matters like this. It tends to piss his friends off.] It's the same thing that happened to Jane. Your core parameters remained, but the Batterwitch overwrote key aspects of your morality and character and had you operate on those instead. It seemed normal because she had forced a change in what was normal for you.

[witchhooded]

[ honestly? it reminds her of rose. sort of. rose was a little more emotional about it, but. same concept. ]

I... know you are right, but I still feel pretty bad about it! The whole... grimbark thing and then insulting you like that. [ who knows? maybe grimbark was just part of her from the get go? ]

[splinten]

It wasn't an insult. You just prefer to do things on your own, and I need to get a handle on my pushy-ass meddling personality and respect that.

[witchhooded]

[ ...he came to that conclusion pretty fast. ]

You're not that pushy! Well, a little bit pushy. But I'm also kind of useless! So it evens out anyway.

[splinten]

[What is it with this family and underselling themselves?]

You're fairly far from useless. Aside from your skills in botany, it's also pretty clear that you're a talented roboticist and a great marskwoman. That's after knowing you for only a month.

[witchhooded]

[ the only one who doesn't do it is john, probably? ]

I appreciate that, Dirk. I... think it's okay for you to acknowledge you are just caring, as well, though!

[ just... saying ]

[splinten]

You're confusing 'caring' with 'overbearing.' It's ok, they rhyme.

What did you bring in, anyway? [is it a pumpkin?]

[witchhooded]

Mmm, I don't mean any offense when I say this, but I think this is something you are going to have to accept about yourself. That is to say, you are a lot harder on yourself than others! [ pot meet kettle ] I think... it's okay to accept other people's compliments and maybe consider their own point of view? I think that maybe we just had a moment of--

[ jade apparently isn't going to answer dirk's question, so whatever in her shirt takes the chance to poke it's head out.

head?

huh.

it's a rabbit. a very wet, very large rabbit. ]

... clashing...

[splinten]

[............]

You need to get that lil dude dried off. Let me grab some towels.

[Those were some very nice if hypocritical words bUT THERE IS A RABBIT IN NEED and Dirk is now getting up so he can find some things to help dry off Jade's new friend.]

[witchhooded]

[ there's just something about homestucks and rabbits. ]

...Okay! Thank you. I, um, it was alone and I didn't want to leave it... [ so, you know. there was a rescue mission in the end. ]

[splinten]

Yeah, of course.

[She doesn't have to explain? Of course she rescued a rabbit in need. Dirk is coming back with a bunch of towels and just kind of dropping them on the floor. And then he looks at Jade.]

All the animals I dealt with lived in the water, except the seagulls, which makes this along the lines of uncharted territory for me.

[does jade know what to do. because dirk will improvise but he has no idea]

[witchhooded]

Thanks!

[ jade motions, holding it up so dirk can collect the rabbit to dry him off. ] They are a little hardier than they look, but the main concern is food. I think some of the insects will be okay for now, and there are dried veggie snacks! To be honest, I just want to make sure no one steps on it or eats it, hehe.

[splinten]

[Okay well he is taking the little dude into his arms and wrapping him up in the towel. And trying not to terrify the poor thing as he gently pats him dry.]

Is it true rabbits can die from their hearts exploding in fear.

[


LOOK HE DOESN'T WANT TO SCARE A RABBIT TO DEATH that would be a thing he'd end up doing he just knows it]

[witchhooded]

[ uh

jade's not going to lie, so, wincing a little here: ] Yes. Just be very gentle! And not at all predator-y. It was probably going to do worse outside in the extreme weather, so I think you're okay.

[splinten]

Jade I'm going to fucking murder this rabbit.

[He has stopped patting it and now is holding it in his arms, in the towels. He is paralysed.]

You should take it. You're less of a predator.

[a pause]

Fuck, dogs hunt rabbits.

[WHY]

[witchhooded]

[ HOW DO YOU THINK SHE CAUGHT A RABBIT IN A STORM ]

You're fine!! I promise! You're like, the least predator-y person I know here. [ ....aside from jake, but. ]

I'll take it, it's fine, don't worry so much. [ how...is this person bro. what ]

[splinten]

Jake is the least predator-y person either of us knows.

[For one thing.

For the other:]

Ok, I have an idea. I'll hold it and get rid of the water with my magic. You can build a den for it out of pillows with places to hide. We can use the blankets to make sure it can't escape the den and get itself lost or eaten somewhere. Then we release the lil guy into the den, and no one makes the rabbit's heart blow up.

[witchhooded]

[ jade wants to point out that a pushy asshole would probably be more inclined to let her deal with this lil fella on her own, but. ]

Okay! Watch the little guy closely while I am gone. I'll be back before you know it!

[ and jade leaves dirk alone.

with the rabbit.

...she's snickering a little to herself as she runs over to a pile of towels in another corner. ]

[splinten]

[He screams on the inside.

But also, he tries to make himself focus. Destroying water is easy; it is something he has way too much understanding of. So he needs to start destroying the water on the bunny's fur.]

[witchhooded]

[ dirk's a capable and cool guy so of course that little sucker's gonna be drier than the sahara when he's done. when jade comes back, it's with pillows, blankets, towels and a veritable goldmine of freeze dried vegetables.

notably, the rabbit is not dead. hey, not bad! ]

Now, I have never made a nest before, but something with a roof might be nice and calming, right?

[splinten]

Yeah, so the lil guy can have protection from birds and other taller predators. Some nooks might be a good idea so he has different places to hide.

[He's really invested in this apparently. The important thing is she got the veggies because he has no idea how to handle feeding a rabbit. He's still stuck in 'hold it and try to be as still as it is being']

[witchhooded]

[ okay. okay. she can do this. dirk's got the handling down, and for the most part it's either...terrified or surprisingly fine with people. huh. makes you wonder how many people pet rabbits and put them back around here. ]

And the food scattered around! It'll be... quite messy in the morning but it's better than leaving him out there.

[ hm. she pauses, laying out towels. ] do you... want a towel for him? [ they could swaddle it!

no fuck jade that's a terrible idea the boy clearly can't handle an animal why would you invoke the image of a newborn. dirk would die? what if she kills dirk. would jake be upset? JAKE WOULD BE SO UPSET? wait, jake would be upset if he didn't know there was a rabbit. they gotta tell jake at some point.

jade has 10 thoughts at once. ]

[splinten]

[Luckily for Jade's risk of murdering Dirk, he misinterprets this.]

Nah, I got him pretty dry now.

[No towel needed!

The fool.]