It is a quiet day in mostly reconstructed Cerealia. The robots are busily running into walls that were not there before, the Cybuddy bees are buzzing...and CERES has still not said a word. Attempting to contact them still gets the User Offline error. Strange...
But who cares if CERES is offline? After all, they are the cruel and tyrannical captors. A Cerealia without them must be better than a Cerealia with them. So there's nothing to worry about on this fine, peaceful day. Or, at least, that's what it seems like, when suddenly there's a voice in everyone's head. A chosen few may recognize the voice, for they will have heard it before, but to the vast majority, it is brand new.
Looks like someone has been saved, and a reward granted... and no, you don't have a single choice in the matter.
 Your heroism will be remembered, lost and stolen souls.
You have saved me, and so now, I shall save you.
All of you.
|
PHASE I [ day one ] It happens so quickly. One moment you’re in the colony, going about your daily life, and the next, you’re… floating. A moment later, every player character from the colony is transported with a wisp of fresh air to...somewhere very very different. The distance is far, but it is covered in what must have only been a scant moment, and it’s clear somehow, especially to air characters, that it was Caeli’s doing that brought everyone there.
There, naturally, being right in the middle of the jungle.
Everyone is then unceremoniously dropped. You may land on a tree, or in a patch of poison mushrooms (no really, look out for the colorful plant life, it’s probably poisonous) or in the river. There are some strange insects of all sorts and types, some of which have some uncomfortable side effects if you’re bitten, such as swelling or the uncomfortable urge to go hug the nearest person, and there are strange flowers everywhere, some of which glow only in the dark of night or the shade of trees. It is dreadfully humid, however, and a little hard to breathe--unless you’re of the air disposition.
Either way, you’ve certainly landed somewhere fantastical, so take some time to get used to your surroundings. It shouldn’t take too long to find everyone else, hopefully.
PHASE II [ day two ] Of course, this far into the jungle, and making this much noise, it was only inevitable before some company was attracted.
Some are clearly dangerous, some are peaceful as can be and some are somewhere in between; approach at your own risk.
Either way, these monsters are all drawn to larger groups of people and a lot of noise, so it may be best to keep quiet...though the ones that keep their distance may be even more concerning.
Everyone is certainly being stalked at one point or another in the jungle -- and at night, there are eyes watching from the darker parts of the trees.
PHASE III [ day three ] But perhaps if you follow some of those monsters deeper into the woods, you will stumble across an old, run down village of sorts. It looks as though time and the jungle has overtaken it. Exploring it will reveal plenty of homes that were clearly lived in however, by families and by people of all sorts.
There are empty rooms, covered in dust, and a central village fire, long gone out.
Small knick-knacks and various objects can be found… if you want to steal from the dead, you know. It’s a little rude. It appears they led a simple, peaceful life, however; most notably, there is no technology to be found.
And if The Bridge catches you doing it, she will look incredibly sad and ask you to put everything back in its proper place before she goes back to looking very irritated at Caeli. You may overhear words about how this “isn’t the right place” and Caeli’s unrepentant, “It is only a few hundred miles”. Looks like something went a little wrong in the transportation process.
Time to camp out for the night, perhaps. And your CereVices don’t get any reception out here, so no surfing the internet for you. If you try to connect to the internet, for some reason the device starts playing a song. Was that programmed…?
PHASE IV [ day four ] By the fourth day, it’s pretty clear that you’re going to be stuck here for a bit. Pestering Caeli or Maris gets nothing, while the Bridge still can’t be approached for pretty good reasons. So… you’ll just have to make the best of it while they figure out their next approach.
Time to figure out how to camp with few supplies and even fewer nice places to sleep. Maybe try to make a fire (though it’s incredibly difficult, considering how muggy it is here) or try to find some bugs to eat (ew gross).
Of course, you can try hunting, but the prey doesn’t look too friendly, so be careful not to become the prey yourself. The same goes for fishing, it seems.
Some of the trees are poisonous, some of the grasses will cause unfortunate rashes, and some vines will lash out to grab at people (especially colorful ones); basically, this is an entirely untamed alien jungle, so it may not be the fun camping trip you'd like.
Time to work together to survive out here, at least for a little longer.
It’s your time to shine. This is Person Versus Wild.
PHASE V [ day six ] On day six, the jungle goes utterly silent.
The monsters and animals disappear. The extra friends poof away hastily and suddenly. Maris and the Bridge fall silent (though Caeli admittedly continues floating there as ever). If anyone approaches them to ask, they'll just say that "she is coming".
And soon, she does appear. She moves slowly, lacking in feet; they are roots, as though that of a tree. Nonetheless, she has no troubles with moving forward, slow bit by bit. She does not speak, not at first, and behind her, trotting lightly through the woods, there is another. Both feel strongly of spiritual energy, just like Maris and Caeli. And eventually, after observing the people gathered, they can be spoken to.
BONUS [ day ??? ] After spending some time in the jungle, emotions might be running a bit amuck. And those emotions might bring some unexpected...friends. Yes, let's go with friends.
Because if a character is typically grumpy, gloomy, stoic, lineface, or anything along those lines, they may find themselves followed by a bright, happy bird. That bird feeds off of those emotions, and will just cheerfully follow around any lineface character for as long as possible. Or until they smile. The birds are otherwise harmless, chirping happily every now and then and following them around like a friendly shadow.
Happy, cheerful, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, energetic characters, on the other hand, will soon find themselves followed by... a different friend. Or maybe a handful of them. It depends on how cheerful they are. Either way, these creatures feed off of happiness and fun, but they will also chew on hair or an ear if they're allowed to get that close, making horrifying, chittering noises as they follow anyone who is in a good mood.
[ Remember to apply proper warnings on threads with sensitive or inappropriate material and do let a mod know if your thread careens off into maiming or canoodling so we can lock the log. ] |
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
no subject
And then just watches him helpfully.]
...Are you quite alright?
no subject
[It was the most pathetic, wheezed out lie ever, but in Kazuya's defence, trying to seem confident that you were totally okay was fairly difficult when one's internal organs were recovering from being turned into purée. At least, that's what it felt like - who knew tumbling down a tree could hurt so much]
G-Gimme... minute. Hour... days...
[Or just put him out of his misery, that'd be great too]
no subject
Do you think you're likely to die from your little fall? Because honestly, I've really got enough to worry about at the moment. I don't need that on my plate, as well.
[A beat.
Then Draco sighs.]
But if the pain is really bad...
no subject
You're not... a good nurse, y'know... [He finally shifted, carefully pushing himself up into a sitting position. Everything spun, he felt sick, and he was fairly certain he had a cracked rib, but he wasn't keeling over any time soon, at the very least] Bedside manner... negatives. Negatives.
[So negative, he had to say it twice. Hm, wait a moment, now that he was focusing a bit better...]
Wait... are you, the... magician?
no subject
He rolls his eyes slightly.]
Well, it's hard to be a good nurse when I've not got my uniform on, you know, and unfortunately that got left behind in the city.
[The question makes him frown a bit, though.]
Wizard. Not magician. Magicians are muggles with decent sleight of hand and fancy tricks. [A beat.] I'm Draco.
[He gestures vaguely at Kazuya.]
Would you like me to do something about...that?
no subject
[Oh! Right, yes, he remembered! The guy who made him fall into the puddle! Feeling a bit pleased about this bout of minor recognition, Kazuya stopped his puzzled squinting to give his unfocused eyes a rest. He closed them, pressing a hand over his eyes and took in a deep breath - only to nearly choke on it. Ugh, why was this air so thick? It was like being in a steamroom filled with sweaty old men...!]
Nnhh? What, your magic stick... can heal too? [He lowered his hand, keeping his eyes closed] Sure. You can't make... can't make me feel worse. Gimme your best shot.
[He might knock him out. Oh, that sounded rather nice right now. A little doze... in the middle of a jungle...]
no subject
[Honestly, man, get the terms right.]
But yes, healing is one of the things. Though there are different spells for different injuries, so you'll have to tell me what hurts.
[He crouches down next to Kazuya, looking him over.]
Do you think you've broken anything? Or are you just bruised up?
no subject
[Kaz knew better than to try and compare magics. He forced himself to focus, to try and gauge the extent of his own injuries, where he could feel his own magic concentrating. Well, the head was the main thing - it was all bunched up in there to the point where he felt like his brain was going to burst. That was... the most injured area. Aside from that, though...]
Rib, my rib is... definitely broken. [Or, something was cracked enough for it to not move as it should with every inhale] S'just, my head, really...
no subject
[But once Kazuya finally gives him an answer, Draco nods, his brow furrowing in concentration.]
Potions are usually better for these things, but...
[He thinks for another moment, then points his wand at Kazuya's head, muttering a quick spell that should at least lessen any throbbing.]
You'll have to lie back so I can fix your ribs.
[Broken bones are easier than head injuries. IF HE'S GOT A CONCUSSION OR SOMETHING...]
no subject
Nnh...
[The migraine stabbing at his temples fades slightly - not enough for it to be much of a relief, but enough for his vision to stop wavering with each slow, painful throb in his head. It certainly wasn't an Amrita, that was for sure... but in his current state, he couldn't be picky, could he?]
Right... right. Going back, mmhm... [He slowly eased himself back, releasing a short breath once he was flat on his back, peering up at Draco with an unreadable look] Y'know, for a... rude guy, you're... weirdly okay. Healin' me... I mean.
[Grumpy and rude and standoffish, but here he was, helping him anyway, even though Kazuya was fairly certain he kept insulting him by calling him a magician (what was wrong with it, anyway? Weren't that and wizard the same thing anyway? Magician just sounded so much better! So dramatic and cool!). Those rare, rough on the outside, somewhat softish on the inside, people...]
no subject
But the broken bone he can definitely help. Though he most definitely makes a face at being called "weirdly okay".]
I'm actually brilliant, you know. Though admittedly, you might've caught me on a bad day.
[Waves his wand over Kazuya's chest, this time nonverbally casting an Episkey that'll mend his rib. The sore area will feel very hot for a second, then very cold, but when it fades everything will be fixed!]
What with, you know, the whole being stolen away to an unfamiliar, alien world thing.
[He sits back on his heels, peering closely at Kazuya.]
Your head still hurts.
no subject
Huh? Uh, yeah. [He sat up, a bit easier this time, but still doing so carefully, his eyes squinting. Without the stabbing pain of a broken rib, he found himself able to focus a little bit better, blinding migraine aside] No spell for... concussions? Never mind. [he waved his hand suddenly] It'll be fine in... in around, a few hours. Regeneration. Stuff. Y'know.
no subject
[Huffs.]
Even a simple headache potion would be so simple to brew, too. Well, no matter. Just don't go to sleep until you, er...regenerate. That's how it goes, right? When you've got a head injury? I'm not exactly medically trained, I've only taught myself some things. Perhaps if I cast a Cheering Charm on you, you'll forget you're in pain?
[Because that would be SO smart.]
It's Kazuya, right? What's this regeneration stuff you're going on about?
no subject
Um, yes, Kazuya, or Kaz. [He gingerly ran his fingers through his hair, feeling for any hidden cuts or bumps. There was a particular spot that felt very tender, his head giving a very powerful throb whenever he so much as applied light pressure. There. There was the source] Regeneration is... the, y'know, when, when my... is when Bel- um, my magic, I mean, yes, my magic accelerates my, y'know, uh, natural healing... healing rate? Yeah, that.
[In short: having a demon sleeping inside of you paid off from time to time]
It'll take, uh, twelve hours, maybe...? Twenty, at most, I... I think.
no subject
Well, that's handy. I imagine you won't need to stay awake that long. Maybe just a few hours?
[Draco watches Kazuya run his fingers through his hair, noticing as he found the tender spot. He points his wand again, quickly casting another healing spell that's meant to remove any bruising. WHO KNOWS, maybe that'll also help a little.
He sits back, moving his gaze away from Kazuya to survey the forest surrounding them.]
...Don't suppose you have any idea where we are, do you?
no subject
It looks like... the Amazon or something, but... [Cerealia didn't have anything like this, to his memory. Could this be another of those ViViD glitches? Or... something??] I don't know.
no subject
Merlin help me, I do not want to be stuck in the bloody amazon. Unless this particular rainforest is on Earth, but I highly doubt that. I was just getting used to my flat!
[Huff huff.
But then an idea pings!]
I wonder if I can Apparate back?
[Don't mind him, he'll just quickly be hopping up to his feet and spinning on the spot with no explanation beyond that -- and he actually does disappear with a loud crack!
...Only to pop back into existence about ten feet away.
His brow furrows in confusion for a moment, and then he lets out a noisy exhale.]
Damn. Alright, well that didn't work.
no subject
I... [Wait. What was it with humans and being able to have easy teleportation abilities? Kazuya couldn't go ten feet without getting stuck in a tree or leaving behind his leg, or something equally horrible. He called shenanigans!] I nearly peed.
[No. Wait.]
I mean- why- wait, teleporting isn't working? Ah, lame... [There goes his desperate last attempt to get back to Cerealia then] There goes plan X...
no subject
[Snorts a little.
And then snickers.]
Sorry? I assure you, that was not my intention.
[The question makes him frown again, though, because yeah, that's annoying.]
Not sure... Granted, I'm fairly new to Apparating but I haven't had any trouble with it. I should've been able to pop right back into the city. [SIGH.] Whatever whisked us away must really want us to stay out here.
no subject
[Was it for their own amusement? Honestly, Kazuya's memories were a little fuzzy inbetween Cerealia and arriving here, for obvious reasons, so he couldn't recall anything that might be a clue during the transition to here. Cautiously, he slowly rose up off the floor, still feeling off-kilter, but steady enough to move around without falling over or being overcome by nausea. Huh... that guy's magic did enough to finally kick start his regeneration into overdrive, then. It was enough to spark a bit of optimistic hope in him]
Hmm, well, anyway... we can't go back for now then. So, first thing's first... [he snapped his fingers for emphasis] Survival. So that's, ah, shelter, food and water? We should, y'know... prepare for being stuck here for a while. I think.
no subject
I can't ever catch a break, it seems.
[WOE IS ME and all that. He huffs.]
Alright, well. Water and shelter aren't a problem. I can't just conjure up food, though. My magic doesn't work like that.
[He looks around somewhat warily.]
I...guess there are probably animals out here or...something.
no subject
[Well, not that Kazuya could say anything about that, since he was a city boy too. But, but, this was his thing. In a dangerous, impossible situation, where one had to scavenge food and avoid hungry predators? It was his jam. He had experience, and if there was one thing he knew how to do well, it was to topple hungry, powerful predators and eat them instead]
Well, you've struck lucky-! Ow... [Argh, no shouting. Kaz winced, and continued in a more subdued voice;] Ah, I mean, if there're animals, I can, uh, hunt them. Easily. How're you with raw meat?
no subject
I'm not a city boy, I'm just...
[HOW TO SAY IT TACTFULLY... Eh, whatever.]
Wealthy. I actually live quite a distance from the city, I've just not often been in a situation where I have to hunt my own food.
[Uggghh. His expression doesn't get any better at the mention of raw meat, and he sort of side-eyes Kazuya a bit.]
...Disgusted. Disgusted is how I am with it if you're suggesting that raw is how we should eat it.
[Ah, but no, that would be silly. ...Right?]
I can make us a fire. So we can make the raw meat not raw anymore.
no subject
[Well, it wasn't natural, and the burns it left were toxic to humans, so he had no idea if meat cooked by his flames would be poisonous or tainted. He shouldn't risk it]
...nevermind. So! Then! If you're happy with cooking your own food, I can have the nasty raw bits you don't want. [He was starving - his magic was burning through his spiritual energy at an insane rate to boost his regenerative abilities beyond their limits, so he needed something with a lingering life essence to stay on top of it. That meant raw meat. Yuck yuck yuck, but Kaz would suffer through it] Leave all the hard work to me. I'm... I'm well enough to kill something modestly sized.
[Though "modestly sized" probably meant something different to him...]
no subject
After a moment, Draco glances skyward and draws in a breath.]
Alright, one -- I want to ask about your fire, but that can wait. Two, I'm not at all happy with cooking my own food, but I can manage it. [Probably.] And three...if I'm going to be cooking, then why on earth would you still eat something that's raw? I might not be able to do much, but I can at least guarantee it'll be better than that.
[A beat.]
Wait, no, and four -- are you sure you're really up for hunting anything right now?
(no subject)
(no subject)