[OPENING] island hub - day 1

[spellbindmods]

Who: All Characters
Where: Main Hub
When: Day 1
Open/Closed: Open to All

TDM threads can be considered canon if you so choose, they contain the power that you apped with and both parties confer that the thread is canon.

For characters that were on the TDM and who were not accepted/didn't app, these characters will be considered dropped characters that were magicked away.

Night has fallen upon everyone. It's thus far been an eventful day -- you've met some new people, discovered some new aspects of yourself that weren't there before you appeared here (however that might have happened). The original inhabitants of the island have been working hard to prepare a few things. One activity might have been one you were a part of, but there's still time to get your hands dirty. A ▢ Brie has rolled out a large copper pot and created a pit on the beach. It's unrealistic to think everyone can subsist on the few foods she's collected from other words and boar jerky alone. She's got a few boar carcasses sitting on the beach that need attending to as well. Your characters can help feed themselves and others, and here's what needs to be done: Fire needs to be started for cooking the meat AND a large bonfire for light and warmth. The large copper bowl needs to be filled with water. Crabs need to be bravely collected from the bath house for boiling. The boar needs to be either cut up for kebabs or stuck through. Does your character know anything about spit-roasting? Any other helpful magical skills are welcome to help make food. Post feasting, there are dozens of crabs and a pile of roasted boar meet that are up for eating. Even if you didn't offer to help in making any of the food, they're open to eat it -- even if the true helpers may give you dirty looks. The boar is fine, if not a little bland and chewy, but it's probably better than the jerky. The crab is delicious, if not a little tasteless...there problem with the crab isn't exactly the taste, though. B ▢ The crab isn't a species that's immediately edible for most species, though your character will grow to get used to it eventually. For now, the meat isn't settling well within your character's system. Your character will experience sweats, a high fever, blurred vision, potential vomiting, hives...it's very obvious their body is rejecting the unfamiliar meat. This may also cause a bit of an issue with your character's powers. They're still getting physically and mentally acclimated to these new changes, so expect their telepathy and magic to go a little haywire.

It's almost completely dark outside when the next event of the evening happens. You're living your life when you see it out of the corner of your eye -- it's absolutely hard to miss. What you see is a large lit caravan, larger than even an army tank. It's bright white and shining, covered with golden, ornate details that emanate an even more dazzling sparkle. The entire thing is aglow, and it's quickly coming towards the large bonfire that's been made. It's not rolling across the sand, but instead it's floating, and so is a matching trunk that's sailing along next to a figure beside the caravan. C ▢ A tall, slender woman has also come along with the large caravan, quickly opening the trunk that eventually lands on the sand with a large thud. She's handing out sacks, very similar to the ones previously in the large lobster cage. These contain a parka, a type of candy of your choice, a bottle of water, a large shard from a broken mirror and a letter rolled up and bound with a roll of twine. There are two other thread options associated with this prompt: Genette's top level and her telepathy training post. Around the same time as Genette is handing out this new little goody bag, you suddenly receive a telepathic message. It might seem a little strange at first -- but on that note, what about tonight isn't strange? D ▢ The telepathic message your character will receive is a simple one: Hello. It shows up in text form across your character's line of vision and it doesn't go away until they respond back, though the message that's sent out won't go to the original telepath. Instead it will ping pong to a random person in the group. You've made a new friend! After you've met Genette, she's also got a few more supplies that she pulls out a small door in the base of the caravan. She's insistent that you only get two items, since there aren't exactly a lot of them to go around! E ▢ The last of the starter supplies are being handed out, and these are items that are more cumbersome or rare -- they may not be immediately useful for your character, but maybe you can make use of them somehow, whether eventually in another world or with your power. An electronic/technology: these can be as obvious as an MP3 player, as useless as a garage door motor or as scandalous as a Hitachi Magic Wand. If it can be powered by electricity or batteries, there's a tub of them. They're also partially charged if they don't need constant electricity to work. A fashion accessory: there are a lot of these, surprisingly. Flower crowns, belts, bras, shoes, earrings, other types of jewelry. Your character can look cute while suffering from crab vomiting. Books and stationary: maps of various worlds, books written in a myriad of languages (maybe even one you recognize!), writing paper, ink pens, gel pens, stickers. Any kind of stationary can be found here. Other household items: this can include cleaning supplies, furniture, and other miscellaneous goods. These won't be personal affects from your character's home, but they may be useful! Feel free to come up with unusual or alien items -- these have come from all over the universe, remember!

As the night winds down, it's recommended by Brie that you should probably go to be in your hut -- or at the very least get somewhere inside. There are a lot of people around the camp, however, so it's no surprise that there are a few people waiting around to get their fill of food and supplies before heading to bed. The noise of the new members and the light of the fire have attracted a very large pack of boars, who you'll later find make routine trips to the beach every night. Boar mating season has made the wild hogs rather testy, and the smell of food -- even if it's their own boar brethren -- have made them even more volatile. F ▢ If your character isn't quick to get inside tonight, they're likely to get a boar charging at them. The chances are doubled if they happen to be holding onto a food item. Female boars can leave a few bruises and trample you, but beware the males -- they've got tusks. However, it's not like staying up at night doesn't have its advantages. Once midnight hits, another species of animal makes its regular rounds across the base camp. In the sky, characters can see an Aurora Borealis-like sight. Instead of being dancing green and blue lights, however, the reality is that they are a massive species of space worm, and hundreds are wiggling past on their way to travel back home. They're shimmering and in every color imaginable, lighting up the sky with their magnificent hues. G ▢ The space worms operate outside the natural barrier of the hub, but they still are in close enough proximity to shed a film as they travel. If you're still awake, boars or no, you'll be in the middle of a shower. The film sheds from the worms and enters the atmosphere, creating multi-colored, sweet-smelling mists of worm water vapor. Worm water vapor is kind of weird, but it's also pretty cool. It's also calming, and that's a bonus. Inhale too much and you might become a little too calm.

Comments

[mapsio]

[Sorry Minato, just one more night. Please be patient.

It wsa a safe answer, but she does feel bad! She'll apologize at least one more time.]

I was on my way to my hut, but I wasn't quite fast enough before the angry boar saw me. So, I'll be on my way when I'm sure that the boar is gone.

[p_mortem]

[ A boar... Minato will be effectively stuck indoors as well until the boar goes away, so after a pause, he swings his legs over the edge of the bed and walks to the door. There are no windows inside, nor a peephole to see out of, so he opens the door— quickly closes it before a tusk can impale his stomach. ]

...It's still there. Are you carrying food?

[ Or what did you do to anger it, he can't imagine. ]

[mapsio]

I was carrying food before I ran in here. I believe I dropped it along the way.

[She was sorely mistaken that her newly discovered barrier power would hold up to a hungry boar.]

Do you think it will go away if we just ignore it?

[p_mortem]

[ That's too bad, he was hoping they could camp out and eat whatever it is, and the boar might leave once it stops smelling food. ]

Maybe. It might get bored and wander off. [ That's how it works with Shadows, him camping out on the stairs or some higher area until they go away. ] Or I could divert its attention, and you can run.

[mapsio]

[The boar was probably just after Haru at this point, she made the mistakes of running from it.]

I would rather not put you in danger if we can help it.

[p_mortem]

I don't mind.

[ Minato steps away from the door, hands in his pockets— in one pocket is a mess of beads he hasn't sorted out yet but could use as distraction; in the other pocket, is a single bead he holds in the palm of his hand, turning to Haru so she can see him transform it back into a sword. He's not unprepared. ]

It's your choice. We could wait forever.

[ It could take forever. The boar could leave and come back to ambush her. At least fighting tackles the problem head-on. ]

[mapsio]

[At least Minato means business, right? So she nods.]

Teamwork then. I'll try to protect you if the boar charges? I won't go back on my original statement, I don't want you getting hurt.

[LOOKS LIKE THEY'RE DOING THIS.]

[p_mortem]

[ THEY SURE ARE DOING THIS

Minato gives a short nod at the promise, not thinking to ask just how, exactly, Haru plans to be able to protect him from the boar in case something happens. He opens the door just a crack again, this time slipping his sword through and slicing upwards through the air for the boar to back off— it does, and Minato takes the chance to fling the door open the rest of the way, rushing past the boar to lead it away from the huts. ]

[mapsio]

[Instead of running for her own hut, she follows Minato out. At least she doesn't come unarmed this time? She has a rather large stick and is standing close enough to ward the boar off if it got any closer to the huts again.]

I'll help.

[Even if she has the equivalent of a joke weapon.]

[p_mortem]

[ He might not want it, but if she's insisting, Minato does not turn down the help.

He nods sharply to Haru, flinging his left arm out to point at the ground at her feet— "stay there"— while he positions himself on right: two people makes a perfect opportunity for a pincer attack, Minato flanking one side of the boar and Haru on the other.

The boar's aggression is tempered by temporary confusion, looking from one of them to the other and back, unable to decide on who to charge at first. ]

[mapsio]

[She stays still, keeping a defensive stance. Haru could be the blunt force in this attack if she hits hard enough. Maybe push the boar into Minato's sword.

She takes a breath, calming herself. Then she's looking at Minato.

She's waiting for his signal.]

[p_mortem]

[ The signal is the sword in the air, held up to catch and flash moonlight into the boar's eyes. It lets out a grunt, reeling, shaking spots out of its vision— only temporary blindness, already fading— ]

Now! Knock it down!

[mapsio]

[She jumps into action, bringing the stick back and them ramming it forward into the boar as fast and hard as she can manage.

The boar staggers over, and she's looking to Minato.]

It's down now, get it!

[p_mortem]

[ Without hesitation, Minato reverses his grip on his sword, brings it up over his head, and drives the blade through the back of the boar's neck. Death comes too quick for the boar to give one final cry; the only sound that lingers after is Minato's breaths, and the blood that gurgles from the wound to cover his hands, thick and sticky and hot. It's not like a Shadow that disappears when it's defeated, and Minato's left staring down at the body for a moment, then up at Haru. ]

...The fires are still going. Might as well cook it so it doesn't go to waste.

[mapsio]

Let's drag it back then.

[Killing a live animal was more gruesome than killing a shadow, at least that is what she thinks. She's taking a few moments to compose herself and then looking between the boar carcass and Minato.]

Thank you for the help.

[p_mortem]

Sure.

[ Now she can sleep safely at night knowing she helped end a life. If Minato's bothered by it, it doesn't show on his face, impassive as he takes hold of one of the boar's legs to help drag it back. ]

...Heavy. Could your power help with this?

[mapsio]

[As if she hasn't before?! Only in the metaverse though. She is going to try not to be too bothered about this.]

I haven't tried dragging anything with it, I could try?

[She's going to put a barrier around the carcass, slowly walking and dragging the barrier along with her.]

I don't think I would have ever imagined myself doing this.

[p_mortem]

[ A barrier... Minato reaches out to touch it, just to see. That solves the problem of friction to make it easier, at least. ]

Yeah. A lot of this is new to me too. Might as well get used to it.

[mapsio]

Does that mean you're having an easier time adjusting to all of this?

[The barrier was sturdy as long as no one was slamming into it forcefully.]

[p_mortem]

I guess.

[ He's probably having an easier time than most, and he knows it, but what other option is there besides getting used to their situation and putting their efforts into going forward? ]

What about you? What are people having trouble with...?

[mapsio]

I've accepted the situation, but I know that there are pressing things to be completed back home. I'm sure I'm not the only one thinking that.

[So they had to go home, and to go home they had to help whoever needed to be helped here. It was simple, right?]

[p_mortem]

[ That's it. What Minato has waiting for him at home is the end of the world and his team fighting against it, so the dichotomy is there— he needs to go home so he can finish what he started, but at the same time, the longer he stays here, the longer he can delay that end. ]

Things back home will still be there when you get back. I think... the problems here are also our problems. We're here, so we deal with the problems here first.

[mapsio]

[It's funny, they were facing such similar situations. Finishing what they all started. It was a difficult spot to be in.]

I understand that. I feel that if someone needs our help then there is no reason not to give them help. They brought us all here for that reason. I wouldn't want to abandon someone in need.

[p_mortem]

...Yeah. I feel that way too.

[ Open in how he helps others. Though he understands the flip side, of being asked for help without giving the other party an option. There has to be some resentment. ]

[mapsio]

Where did you come from before? If you don't mind me asking.

[She had a moment of resentment, that was until she discovered that a few of her friends were stuck here with her. That made things almost infinitely easier.]