[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

[p_mortem]

[ Minato stands still, quiet, never knowing what to do when somebody cries or is about to, except to wait it out and have an apology at the ready in case it's his fault. The smile is more assuring than anything, that Madoka will be alright without any input from him, but... Minato might not be homesick, but he can relate to forcing himself to appear strong, to appear okay even if he hurts inside, as not to worry others. He can see it.

He can't promise anything like "We'll return home," as Genette's letter had told them not to get their hopes up about that. But there are other ways to keep 'home' alive. ]

You must love home a lot. What do you miss most?

[soulcomet]

Mmm ... I'm not sure I could pick. My family, and my friends, and everyone at school ... They're all very precious to me.

[she thought for a split second that talking about the people who aren't here would make her feel worse, but Madoka instead settles into something much calmer — if anything, she only sounds a bit wistful now.]

I wonder if people back at our homes know we're gone yet.

[p_mortem]

[ Minato has no family to speak of, but the mention of friends and classmates softens his gaze. "Missing" isn't quite the word he would use to describe it... it's more like he still thinks of them, and he's sure they think of him, and he can accept being apart from them. So, ]

Probably. Disappearing... you leave behind a hole in people's lives. They'll notice. And maybe believe in us that we're trying to get back.

[soulcomet]

[if Madoka remembered what she truly was, that might have stung briefly. there are only two people in the universe who remember her — or who are supposed to remember her, rather. reality's been a bit warped for her.]

[but then, being caught between existence and nothingness for all eternity was the path she had chosen for herself. and if Madoka did remember, after all, she would also remember that she has no reason to despair. so it goes.]

Do you think someone might have magic that would let us reach them? If only for a minute, or maybe just to send a letter or something.

[p_mortem]

It's possible.

[ The chance is so, so low, that it might as well be impossible and getting their hopes up would be foolish; but it's still possible. There are many sorts of magic in this world, and people can talk just by thinking— if they think hard enough, believe hard enough, maybe their thoughts would reach people back home. Who knows. ]

...If someone could, that'd be Qri, right? The one who brought us here to help. Then she might help us.

[soulcomet]

[Madoka pretty much runs entirely on hope. telepathy is a thing at home, but wherever they are, it's far out of range for her friends to hear her ... but if she ever thought it could work, that her thoughts could ever reach home, she'd be trying it every single day — or she'd just write letters in one of the notebooks she grabbed, and keep them safe to give to her friends when she sees them again.]

[it's that same hope that nearly instantly cheers her in response to Minato's suggestion.]

That's true. We'll just have to work really hard for her sake, then, right?

Oh — I'm Madoka, by the way.

[p_mortem]

That's right.

[ A smile. Optimism that alights in Madoka's words. They're not things that Minato shows very easily, so hearing the agreement from her gladdens him. ]

My name's Minato. We'll work together. Make everything right again.

[soulcomet]

[honestly, this is probably the best she's felt since she was first drawn here. she may be far from home, but she's lucky to have met such nice people here.]

Have you had a chance to use your magic yet? What's yours like?

[p_mortem]

[ Showing is easier than telling, so Minato bends down to pick a rock up from the ground without breaking his stride. He tosses it in the air and catches it in his hand— once, twice, and on the third arc up, the rock becomes a small yellow bead that shines like a little sun itself as it catches the light. ]

Like that.

[ Party tricks, mostly. ]

[soulcomet]

Ah! It's so pretty!

[that probably wasn't helpful, if Minato's concerned at all about his magic if he were to ever find himself in a dangerous situations. but, nevertheless, Madoka's delighted by it.]

[p_mortem]

[ He'll find a use for it eventually, but for now, he silently holds the glass bead out for Madoka to take if she so chooses to. Her ribbons are probably too wide to thread through the bead's hole, but it's pretty? If she thinks it's pretty, then it isn't useless. ]

[soulcomet]

Really? Thank you!

[she takes the bead, admiring it as she turns it gently over in her hands. Madoka will treasure it forever, and find a safe spot in her hut to display it.]

You could make so many pretty things with this ... I bet you could trade them for supplies here, if you wanted. [there's obviously a market for jewelry, considering what's there on display next to them.]

[p_mortem]

I guess.

[ Maybe there is use for his powers, but at the same time, trading them sounds like exploitation, so he isn't sure. ]

But it's just colored glass... It wouldn't work as currency because the supply is infinite. There's no value.

[soulcomet]

That's true.

[Madoka is quiet for a moment, thinking.]

I think it's a really nice power, though. [there's an unwavering sincerity in that thought.] It can make people happy ... and I think, here, doing our best to be positive is going to be important.

[considering how she was on the verge of tears earlier, she thinks to herself, she might have to work doubly hard on that.]

[p_mortem]

[ It's a strange thought, of his powers being nice because they have the potential to make people happy, whereas before it's the ability to keep people safe that made him feel useful. If he can't stand and fight, what good is he? Maybe here's an answer. ]

Mm. That's true. What new ability have you gotten?

[soulcomet]

[Madoka would definitely be able to relate to that. not being able to help others is a fear of hers.]

It looks like I can heal people. I'm having trouble getting it to work right now, though.

[p_mortem]

[ Oh- Healing is infinitely useful no matter where, when, or why they are ]

What're you having trouble with?

[soulcomet]

Well ... honestly, it feels like I just run out of magic, or something.

[Madoka puffs a little sigh.]

Maybe I'm just tired.

[p_mortem]

Hm... When I feel like I run out of magic, I go to bed, and try again the next day. If you're tired, you should sleep.

[soulcomet]

You're right ... It has been a really long day. We could probably all use a good night's sleep.