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. ] |
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[But he hadn't been shot down, so Leon's still all smiles talking about it. He still has hope! And his crush hasn't gotten any better, even if it's not exactly on his mind lately with all of the other crap they're going through.]
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[He can kind of understand the urge to do scientific observation, but surely there was a better specimen for the cloud to watch anyways.]
Well I guess, good luck, when the time comes. Assuming she is the sort of girl that would be interested.
[No accounting for taste, but then again, everyone had their match out there.]
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[He is pretty sure there was an insult hidden in there, and he could just let it go, but he's curious. Curious, and in the mood to pick at it.]
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[]He's not sure how to articulate this, because William knows that things are different here and in this guy's time.
I don't think it is quite the correct wording, but the "loose" sort?
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[Ha ha. He grins and winks, bumping harder against William's side for a moment, jostling him deliberately. There are less delicate ways he could put it, sure, but that's the really important one!
And also, not at all Kirigiri . . . ]
She ain't like that. But there's a first time for everything! I mean . . . not that that's the only reason I'm into her. Don't get me wrong! It's just one reason of many!
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Hmmmm? Well I would hope that isn't the only reason. What else is you like about her though?
[Damn, he is really bored that he just asked that.]
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She's like, gorgeous . . . she's one of the most beautiful girls I've ever seen! She's got these eyes and this hair! And she's the real quiet stoic type, but then sometimes she smiles a little, or cracks a joke, and it's like, damn! That little tiny bit lights me right up!
[It's easy to talk about looks; Leon's tone is bubbly and casual. But then he pauses, sobers just a little.]
--And--y'know, she's been there for me . . . she doesn't give me any crap for anything we've been through no matter how bad she sees me get.
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But watching Leon talk like this is strangely charming? And not nearly as crass as he was expecting.]
So in other words, she is a very good companion, on top of being very attractive then.
[Or so he gathered. But he could actually respect that.]
So it is just a matter of receiving an answer then? Well I hope it is a favorable one.
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[Oh, he can get crass. But Kirigiri isn't the kind of girl who invites that kind of thinking . . . okay, she does, for Leon, but not in a crass way. It might be funny to embarrass William with that kind of talk, but maybe later. Right now he's having a Moment.]
You seriously don't even think about this stuff, huh?
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There's no time for that really. Besides, it seems like silly nonsense. Allowing ones self to become wound up over a woman like that. I mean sure, when I am older, I suppose I will marry a girl from a good family. Assuming I ever have enough money to make that a possibility.
[Everything has to be calculated out in that regard. Too many people ruin their futures for something that fades away too fast. Not that he doesn't respect the ones who can make it work.]
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[That's how it works, right? You're poor and find some hot rich sugar mama? It makes no sense to Leon that William would have to worry about his own finances if he's marrying someone noble.]
Or is it that you think you couldn't hook a girl like that without money of your own? Dude, I bet you totally could, don't sell yourself short! You just gotta have confidence!
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[He had the looks and the brains and wasn't lacking in confidence in that regard. Usually.]
But, the family of the girl matters a lot and if I cannot pay my debts, that looks bad. And besides, I do not want to rely on someone else's wealth. I will make my own.
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[Someone here knows nothing about Victorian England. Or the desire to make his own way, to be frank. Not that he doesn't have dreams of his own, but man, marrying a hot rich chick would be pretty great too--if he were the sort to want to get married. And even if he were, the rich is way less important than the hot . . . ]
But if that's what you're in it for, her family or whatever, it's no wonder you never think about it here.
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[Really, there was a bit of a social divide here, though William had read up enough to know that certain attitudes had changed drastically. Whether that was a good thing was something he had difficulty judging at this point.]
Well even without that sort of thing, doesn't it seem pointless? A person could disappear at anytime. And our lives can be very uncertain, even more so than under normal circumstances. I would have to be very serious about that sort of thing if I did wish to engage in it.
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[But he's not one to dwell too much on the future, especially in relationships. Or to deprive himself in the now because of what might be. It's not that he can't see the wisdom in it—maybe more than he wishes he could—but it seems like a depressing way to live, too.
Especially for a guy who's not sure he even has a future outside of this place anymore.]
. . . but I'm not gonna let that stop me, y'know? Whatever happens happens! I mean, if you disappeared tomorrow or somethin', it ain't like I'd be happy about that either, but does that mean I shouldn't give you the time of day today? No way!
no subject
[Well that isn't quite what he meant to be honest, though Leon did have a point. Strangely enough. Then again, when he thinks about it, isn't that what it's like for Kevin everyday? Wondering when his young master's mortal life will be snuffed out for good, leaving him alone?
But well, that's a grim thing to think on.]
Really now? Well of course you shouldn't be. You will never meet anyone as brilliant as me ever again. [He is not entirely joking either, despite his smile.] But, really I do suspect you have a point that I will have to think on a bit.