[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

[girasole]

[Sometimes you get a verbal answer. Sometimes, you get a stare, a hard stare. Well, maybe not a hard stare in the sense that he's pissed so much as the hard stare of oh, you gotta be kidding.

And then there's a vague gesture, a sort of, please. By all means. Elaborate. Go on. Rhapsodize.] How so?

[splinten]

[Dirk is as monotonous and inexpressive as always.]

Relative to your timeline, humanity just procrastinated its end.

[So. Pick other people, Caesar.]

[girasole]

I get it. I'll ask someone else.

[Now his entire hand's turning on, but whatever, he's just going to go with it.] I take it you must be-

[...oh right.] Caesar. [...wait, that sounded like he just said, "You must be Caesar."] I'm Caesar. I just realized I don't know your name.

[splinten]

[Wow, someone less socially skilled than him. It's a miracle.]

Dirk Strider. I'm admittedly curious as to how that sentence was going to end.

[He casually adjusts the position of Caesar's hand because. He needs better lighting. Thanks bro.]

[girasole]

[It's terrible how he's going along with it. Adjust the hand, it's not the worst thing he'll be doing this night. Honestly, it's like maybe #7 on the dignity sapping events.]

I was going to say that I'd imagine you must be relieved to be taking a break from wherever it was you came from to end up here. Whatever we might be dealing with - boars, strange women, strange food - surely must be better than whatever it is you had before.

[splinten]

[Dirk's eyes flicker away behind his shades, but in the light it's impossible for anyone to see. His expression doesn't change.]

It's a mixed bag. I could say the same about you, dealing with extra immortal vampires. [And... Nazis? Caesar is a Roman name but non-Italians used it, maybe? He doesn't know if Caesar is a fascist.]

[girasole]

They're of a race that lived long ago. They needed a certain gemstone that my mentor [surrogate mom] possessed to eliminate their weaknesses to sunlight, hamon, and likely anything else.

[Which...he doesn't know about any other weaknesses, but he's not going to 100% rule out them being secretly weak to yew or something stupid like that and just not mentioning it to him for obvious 'he's trying to kill them' reasons.] It's family business. Though you're right - I want to get back. There's something I need to return.

[...yeah, wow, this is suddenly depressing. He's not to the point of angsting off into the darkness, but he's to the point of glancing off into the darkness for a second only to find that there's five boars below them, and that gets him stare because...well.

They probably won't kill them.

But if either of them has to head off to pee for a second or whatever and want privacy that's going to be awkward.

...no, wait! That's a lie!

It's actually seven boars. Whatever. Back to watching Dirk work.]

[splinten]

From the letter, getting back seems like something of a crapshoot.

[His eyes flicker to the boars behind his shades, and his expression doesn't change. He counts them over. Seven boars near their place on the cabin roof.]

It'd be a waste to kill them. I'd prefer to wait for them to leave if we can manage it.

[He says it with equal calm, like it's a given that he would win against seven boars.]

[girasole]

[There is actually a lot wrong with the second half of what Dirk said, a great deal, especially coupled with the earlier comments about his world and universe, and the fact that he was apparently used to working by starlight (which, while bright and functional, is still...it said things), and Caesar’s got a lot of questions.

A lot of them.

But as he glanced at Dirk, Caesar reasoned that his day involved nearly dying of blood loss, ending up on a magical island, eating tainted crab, somehow starting to glow, losing his hamon, not being able to sleep because various body parts (as he worked on digesting the crab) decided to blink on and off like streetlights, and he either has or will have to read furry fanfic to a stoned Okuyasu.

Point being.

He’s not in the mood to pry about pig slaughtering hobbies. He’s too done. He needs a nap and will probably enjoy nicotine withdrawal soon.] I remember. And? Even if the letter says it’s impossible I can’t just not try. I have something I need to return.

[Meanwhile, a nature documentary unfurls beneath them.]

[splinten]

[But was it good furry fanfic because Dirk wants in.

Dirk is almost not paying any attention to the boars, just vaguely observing the wildlife documentary as it stands and deciding to take care of it if it becomes an issue in the future.]

That by nature raises the questions of how you could try.

[He isn't objecting. He can understand that need that goes beyond reason and hope into pure necessity. It's more that he wants to know.]

[girasole]

[It's actually quite terrible and is 400 pages, possibly part one out of a seven book series, and doesn't have any horses. However, there's a lion who poses a lot and a shark.]

Don't be an idiot. If I knew that then I wouldn't be talking to you and letting you use my hand as a lamp, would I? I'd be trying whatever it was I had in mind.

Which brings up the question of what power you were given. [...you know, he has to go there.] ...please tell me it wasn't boar charming.

[Look. It's mainly a sarcastic joke, just sarcasm for the sake of sarcasm, commentary on the fact that abilities include 'summon fridge' and 'turn hand into lamp,' but, you know, considering how Dirk's been all "Oh, there's a nature documentary nbd nbd" the thought did occur to him. It's like...70% sarcastic joke, 30% you know, I wouldn't be surprised, my guy.]

[splinten]

Not charming, dude. Seduction.

[HE SAYS IT WITH A STRAIGHT FACE Caesar invited him to make a stupid joke and he has to go there]

[girasole]

[Here's the thing. Dirk's deadpan enough and there's a guy who can summon refrigerator that it's...

...surprisingly plausible.] I'd ask how you'd go about seducing them but there's some things I'd rather not know.

[aka: "I'm really curious, please, continue talking."]

[splinten]

[Caesar no.]

First, I have to concentrate really hard. I have to understand who that boar is and what it stands for. Then, I reach out with my power—

[One of the boars dissolves into nothing. It just stops being a thing. It's gone.]

Whoops.

[girasole]

[...that really was a 'Caesar no' moment, in retrospect.]

... [And this is the point in which he scoots a little ways back. Not...too far, but a brief wary oh shit I hope that's not contagious what did you do scoot that puts a four inch safety distance between them.

Ahem.] How many things have you tried...that on?

[splinten]

You're kinda messin' with my light.

[Come back Caesar. He needs to see.]

Relax, dude. It's destruction magic. I have reason to believe I'll never be able to pull it off on a person.

[girasole]

The last person who said something like that waved his hand and nearly hit the both of us with a refrigerator.

[...but okay, so, he can scoot forward again, reassured that at least it was-...]

You didn't have the crab, did you?

[Just making sure.]

[splinten]

Fair, but no, I didn't have the crab. Luckily.

[Even with the limitations on his powers, he does not want to think about how much damage it could do if it goes out of control.]

[girasole]

...luckily.

[Stare. If you're lying, shades boy, he's going to...be surprised, actually, but also possibly punch you for the good of the rest of the camp so you can be knocked out until it wears off. But then he's going to scoot forward again, and his hand resumes the lamp position- actually, no, he's switching arms again as the last one was getting a bit tired.] But how can you be so certain?

[splinten]

The lack of stomach cramps and nausea is a clue.

[Helpfully, Dirk props that arm up on one of his knees so Caesar can rest it while Dirk disassembles a circuitboard.]

[girasole]

[This is the weirdest night he's had, at least without alcohol, or a wrench, or both, but he's just going to go with it.]

No, I meant about how you seemed so...certain that you'd never be able to use that on a person. Earlier. Surely, if you were half awake you could use your power and...

[...






He kind of regrets saying that.] Now I'm imagining that refrigerator guy I mentioned a few times accidentally killing someone because he was tired and stretched. [Horrible. Moving on.] Regardless, how do you know?

[splinten]

[Dirk assumed but he couldn't help but give that answer. So: the actual question.]

I know because I have to be able to 'fully conceptualize' that which I destroy. And it's almost impossible to ever fully understand another sentient being. No matter how much you know, there's more to it.

That isn't to say I couldn't kill someone with it. But the broader, more absolute sense of destruction isn't an option.

[Idly, he wonders about the one person he stands a chance of destroying. He wonders if it would let him.]

[girasole]

It's true. No matter how well you think you know something - or someone - you never do. And even if you think you know them well enough, they're still capable of proving you otherwise. For better or for worse.

[...and then, with a little bit of a laugh, one of those scoffing noises:] Usually worse. Sometimes you get lucky. I'd say let's talk about something else but I can't think about what.

[splinten]

You mean the nature of the human essence and the complexity of ever truly knowing another isn't what you'd consider smalltalk. Lame, dude.

[He picks up two pieces, considering them a moment before setting one aside.]

The weather is out. Askin' after the well-being of our families would probably check out weird. Presumably there are more topics in the world than that, but I don't know if epistemology and the nature of being is your thing.

[girasole]

Families would be a short conversation. [And there’s so much more wrong with the others. Some were more wrong than others, and all of them were wrong in different ways. Very nuanced. Some were more wrong in the sense of, “My friend, you have some interesting hobbies and a very unusual vocabulary and I think I’d need to find a dictionary once you get started. Even with magical translators there’s limits.” Others were more wrong in the sense of, “I’d probably throw myself to the tender mercy of the boars if I had to talk about the weather.”]

Here’s one. Why us? All of us. I haven’t noticed anything in common with anyone brought here.