[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

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[potentite]

[Jake was just wandering past but he notices her posture. On one hand, he's shy himself, so he knows it's possible she doesn't want to be bothered but...]

Miss? Are you well?

[soulcomet]

[Madoka immediately brings her hands to her face to try to scrub away any pesky tears that may have escaped — it's a solid effort, because when she finally does draw her hands away, the tears are gone. her smile is a smidge wobbly, though. can't win them all.]

Yeah, I just. Was thinking about home, that's all.

[deep breath.]

Thank you. What about you? Are you doing all right so far?

[potentite]

[Oh, she must be homesick. He understands at least a bit.]

Oh, um, I'm... tired, I guess. [He isn't sure if he should lie or not but 'tired' is honest enough without bogging her down too much, he thinks.] Just a rather long day. I'm sure many of our comrades feel the same twinges of longing for home and all.

[soulcomet]

[maybe surprisingly, that's all it takes to get a genuine smile out of Madoka. it's never taken much to get her back on the path to hope, after all.]

You're right. And at least we can all be homesick together.

[she turns a bit to set her ribbons and the notebooks back down on the display, then faces Jake again, trying to determine if maybe he's sick or injured and could use some help.]

I'm Madoka.

[potentite]

[It makes him smile a little, too, seeing her perk up, if only a small amount.]

I'm Jake. 'Madoka' is pretty, though. That's, um, Japanese, right? [It's dark out, so he doesn't want to assume.] And those ribbons you were looking at were cute.

[soulcomet]

Thank you ... And, it is! I'm from a place Mitakihara Town.

Where are you from?

[potentite]

[Where is he from? Good question.] Um, it... doesn't really have a name? It's a pretty small island out in the, um, Pacific Ocean somewhere. It's far away from anywhere else though!

[soulcomet]

The Pacific Ocean? Mmm ... [Madoka only knows about Hawaii. and that's an island that both has a name and isn't as small as she's picturing Jake's home.]

[so, aside from what she remembers about Hawaii, she's got nothing.]

It sounds like it'd be very beautiful there. What's it like?

[potentite]

Umm, well, it was gorgeous, yeah. The jungle was awfully dense... but I loved seeing the sunlight filtering down through the leaves. And taking walks by the lagoon was nice, too, when the monsters weren't out? Oh, oh and the sweet bull fairies. I loved them. They were the best part, next to the ruins at least. It felt like living in a real adventure movie.

[soulcomet]

[that ... kinda sounds a bit more like Wonderland than it does Hawaii. but, Madoka would be lying if she said she weren't used to strange scenery or creatures herself.]

So ... you had to fight monsters?

[potentite]

Oh, yes, often. [He runs a hand through his hair, somewhat embarrassed.] When I was a wee young thing, I was... really scared of them. So I just avoided going out at all except when I had to. But plucked up some gumption as I got older and learned how to fight them. By now it's pretty much second nature. I still don't like them though.

[soulcomet]

I'm really sorry you had to go through that. I wish that people didn't have to fight so much.

[potentite]

Oh, no, it's okay, I just.... [But he's not sure exactly how to finish that, so he shifts it a bit.] Do people fight where you're from?

[soulcomet]

Yes. But it's ... not everybody fights the monsters, or can even see them, really!

There's usually a small group in every city or town who keeps everyone safe.

[potentite]

Oh, goodness. What a heavy burden. [That must be a rough life.] Still, that's so very brave of you and the others.

[soulcomet]

[whoops Jake now you've got her blushing. brave is a word she'd use to describe all of her other friends, but not so much herself.]

Ah — it's not so bad where I'm from. There's a group of us, and we have some really powerful magical girls on our side!

[Mami-san had been handling Nightmares all by herself at one point, after all.]

It's really nice to be able to work together with friends, though. I hope ... we can be friends and work together here, too, Jake-san.

[potentite]

[Oh, it surprises him but it really shouldn't.]

Of course. Um, I mean, I'm a little handy at bandying with monsters myself, so... I'd be happy to partner up with you anytime.

[soulcomet]

That sounds great. And, if you ever need me for anything at all, I promise I'll do my best to help.

[potentite]

Oh! Um, right, actually... since the powers we have here are um, what we'll be working with most, what are yours?

[soulcomet]

— Ah, that's right! I can heal. Just ... I haven't figured out how to heal reliably yet.

What is your power like?

[potentite]

Oh, healing would be masterly in such a situation. Mine is, um, a bit more abstract? It's increasing the probability of an outcome.

[soulcomet]

You mean ... if someone was fighting a monster, you could use your magic to make it more likely that they'd win?

[potentite]

I think so! I don't know the limitations of it yet but... I think as long as it's possible, I could give it a helping hand.

[soulcomet]

Really? That's ... that's amazing!

[that's not an exaggeration on her end, that's legitimately one of the most impressive powers Madoka's heard of so far.]

[potentite]

[Oh. He flusters, rubbing the back of his neck.] I— Thank you. I just hope to do it justice.