[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

[songbird_slayer]

[F]

[Typical. Giant boars always became an issue if you let yourself stay idle. Fortunately, she'd managed to find her way here with her handy-dandy bow. Perched in one of the trees and her feathered cap tipped low, her eyes remained peeled for any sign of the troublesome porkers.

The white wings opened on the bow, a mechanism triggered by a pull upon the string as another arrow was notched and drawn back. With the click of her tongue, a boar fell with a rod of wood between the eyes. Its legs kicked as its brain fought to process the damage it'd taken.

With that, she turned her gaze. Who was that, now, staying outside the safety of the huts...?]

You ought know better than to be up past your bedtime, dear...


[G]

[But even boars grew boared. Or perhaps it had something to do with the odd colors sailing through the skies, and the odd rain that came with it. It was a sight to see, and even in her dedication to see that the people sleep tonight and ask more questions tomorrow, she was feeling decidedly lazy.

When a bard got lazy, however, that did nothing to stop the music.

Finding a nice comfy spot near the fires and wiggling a little to get comfy among the cushions, Madhuri drew her flute. It was a comfort to still have that and her guitar on her; what would she be if she didn't have her instruments?

So sinking back, lifting the mouthpiece into position, she began to play. It was no tune in particular that could be recognizable, only simple song that played into this and that: The fire before her, or even the dark that lay beyond the huts; maybe something akin to the colorful worms sailing their way through the stars now. Whatever the case, it beat complete silence, or the shuffling and grunting of disturbed boars.]

F

[liveinskin]

[F.F. wasn't planning to engage any of those boars herself. Without her usual powers, she realizes getting into unnecessary fights is not going to be helpful. Yet that doesn't stop her from watching at a distance to those who are taking on the animals. The sudden arrow hitting a nearby boar gets a small gasp out of her, but then the person who caused the damage appears in sight.

Actually, it just so happens F.F. is standing behind the tree right next to the one Madhuri is in. And she realizes this as well when she turns around and sees the shooter in the tree.]

I don't really have a bedtime. [the only time she slept was when her body needed the rest. and often it was only five to six hours.] That was some nice shooting!

[songbird_slayer]

Fair enough. I can imagine it might be a rough night for all of us, sleeping under foreign stars.

[But with a smile, she nodded. Her ring-covered fingers reached for another arrow.]

Thank you. Though, I do miss my magic... I feel as if I've only begun my journey again, fresh from the forests of my birth.

I feel I could be far more use to everyone if I could only sing the way I'm meant to.

[liveinskin]

[That sounds cool as heck. Guess when it comes to different worlds, it isn't hard to believe that there could be places where magic is just normal.]

You can still sing to people if you have a voice. So what if it isn't magical?

[songbird_slayer]

[Another boar came crashing through the underbrush. Arrow notched, arrow let fly. It was almost an afterthought that sent the creature ass over tea kettle into a heap in the dirt.]

I could, certainly! But there is a certain satisfaction for us Qalli in that we can strike with their voices alone.

I suppose my arrows will have to do.

[liveinskin]

Oof!

[She flinches when the arrow flies, self-preservation causing her to jump away. Poor boar. F.F. almost feels bad for it.]

Aha, yeah, it sounds like a cool ability. You just sing a song and your enemies get taken down! As long as you're not a terrible singer. Not that I think you are.

[songbird_slayer]

As a dear friend put it: "Maddy, when in the seven hells could you scream lasers at someone!?"

Ahaha, I like to think they're at least pretty-sounding lasers. But that's subjective, isn't it? Some like a soprano and some like a contralto.

[Hmm, that seemed to be the last of them for now. The wings on her bow snapped up into place and the feathers raining from them ceased.]

I'm sorry, I've been tremendously rude: I am Madhuri, a Gridanian bard.

[liveinskin]

Screaming lasers sounds kickass. [Now she's jealous, what a cool power.] I'm Foo Fighters... prison inmate! You can call me F.F. for short though.

[songbird_slayer]

[Gosh, so casual. Leaves a curious mind wondering!]

My, my... naughty girl. What'd they put you in for?

[liveinskin]

Oh, I wasn't put in for anything. I was born inside the prison. Guess that makes me an extra tough criminal.

[songbird_slayer]

Huh. I've never thought of babies born in prisons before...

[liveinskin]

Well, I wasn't really a baby back then, but I was born in the prison. I'm not actually a human at all, so don't worry about feeling bad for me.

[Though she does know an actual human child whose mother was a prison inmate that was killed. He's a brave little kid who has nowhere else to go. She hopes he'll be ok.]

[songbird_slayer]

Curiouser and curiouser.

[She saddled up and leaped down from the tree, landing neatly upon her boots. Bejeweled fingers brushed off her blouse.]

Whew...! My arms were beginning to grow a tad sore. But I think the boars have been given enough of a message, wouldn't you say, my mysterious friend?

F

[lalliho]

[He has his knife drawn, and his shoulders are still tense, but there's an understanding in his eyes that the danger has passed for now as he takes a few steps forward and switches his attention to her. Nice shootin', Tex.]

...I'm a night scout.

[And he couldn't sleep for the life of him right now...]

[songbird_slayer]

[She retracted the wings on her bow and smiled down at him.]

Then I will instead be grateful for the assistance. I find myself sleepless tonight. ...And hungry for pork, I suppose.

[lalliho]

[Awh dang... The bow looked neat. But he supposes it's better relaxed than taut, when there's no hint of danger. His eyes slide over to the boar and he adjusts his grip on the knife with a hum.]

...I can take it apart. I'm...good at that.

[Yep, gonna...go over with the intent to cut up that boar without so much as batting an eyelash.]

It's...weird here. Hard to sleep. I want to go home instead.

[songbird_slayer]

[Huh. Look at him go.]

Sleeping under a new sea of stars can be difficult. But if we're to go home, I suppose that's up to Madame Qri.

Unless you'd like sleep assistance, of course.

[lalliho]

[ugh he's so sick of hearing that it's ~up to qri~ already, qri sucks!!!]

...What does that mean?

[Because to him it sounds like she knows how to take him to sleepytime junction, but that would...be weird.]

[songbird_slayer]

[She clicked her tongue. Oh, she was hoping to get a rise out of him, but he really was lost.]

A lullaby, perhaps, even if my voice lacks magic. I could get a frying pan to knock a little encouragement into your skull as well, if that's your preference.

[lalliho]

[Yeah, unfortunately conversations with Lalli aren't exactly predictable.]

Um. No.

[He'd still like to avoid being smacked over the head just like everyone else, though.]

I thought maybe your magic from this place did something.

[songbird_slayer]

Can't help you there, tiger- I can make others dance when I do it, which is very new but very... appropriate? Literal?

Yes, literal. I suppose Qri peeked into my life at home, naughty naughty... regardless, maybe I could get you into some aerobics and wear you out that way.

[lalliho]

[He glances up from the corpse and pauses long enough to rub his face, leaving a smear of blood in his fist's wake.]

I have no idea what you're talking about... You talk weird.

[songbird_slayer]

Hahah... it comes with the territory in my line of work. If I cannot bamboozle my foes, how do I earn enough coin to eat?

That, and I'm... I'm a little tired at the moment. It's hard to tell what time it is around here and it's been odd adjusting to a land that isn't stuffed to the gills with aether.

It feels... hollow, in a sense.

[lalliho]

I...think I understand?

[Knowing she talks weird and trying to keep in mind possible substitutions for the nonsense made him very unsure about how he was keeping up, but... Maybe?]

More alone. Too many things are missing.

[songbird_slayer]

[She nodded.]

The aether was thick in Eorzea. Crystals the size of mountains sprouting in every corner of it. They hummed and fed into every spell you tossed, carried my songs farther than I thought imaginable.

I never thought I'd miss it.