EVENT ★ EXPLORATION

[futurologists]

With the storm gone, the water surrounding Komo has calmed considerably. Much of the affected area is in ruins, but thanks to ALASTAIR, a large contingent of Komo survived the disaster. However, with parts of Komo uninhabitable, they need to be able to reach Nalawi’s other islands. With their technology so limited due to dependence on their Gifts, it’s all they can do to build a few tiny, shoddy canoes, powered solely by elbow grease. They only fit two regular-sized people (but four Nalawi), and the wait time is long, but they do the trick. If you aren't willing to wait, you can always try to get creative. Strangely, though, anyone trying to use their magic to cross the waters will find that their powers are beginning to dampen. Similarly, anyone with superhuman abilities at all will find them waning, albeit at different rates. Those without any special powers at all will be completely unaffected. But that's nothing to worry about, right? It’s time to see the rest of Nalawi. PU’ULAI PU’ULAI is the centermost island of the archipelago and by far the largest. Most of the travel between islands is to and from Pu’ulai, as it’s the cultural hub of Nalawi and the location of Nalanni’s largest temple. It’s very populated during the day, but isn’t a residential area and clears out once the sun goes down. The first thing you'll notice is that the deer hate cats. The citizens of Komo are far more likely to let it go, but if you have anything slightly cat-looking with you here, at best, you'll be yelled at. Some Nalawi try to start fights, and no one but Komoans will allow cats anywhere near their homes or inns. Recruits might notice children running away from cats, screaming, "Dakal!" THE TEMPLE, referred to as Nalanni’s Garden, is closest to the Nalalona volcano on a neighboring island. The regular ash from it was viewed as a good omen from Nalanni, who’s rumored to live within the volcano, but it’s been months since anyone has seen any activity from it. The temple is dark as obsidian, which is coincidentally what it’s made of. There’s a copious amount of brightly colored flowers around the temple, hence the name. The gardens are free for anyone to walk through, as is the temple. One image is constant throughout the temple: an inhumanly large, vaguely feminine being made in stone and fire, a walking volcano. It would be easy for such a woman to look frightening, but she looks welcoming and caring, arms outstretched to embrace her children. Inside the temple are more murals of Nalanni, but also some curiously unrelated to her. They depict the Nalawi fighting against large, predatory cat-creatures, finally culminating in their enemies attacking Nalalona. This is when Nalanni reappears, striking them down. The temple is tended to by several Nalawi of varying ages, all very welcoming to strangers, especially those they’ve heard heroic tales of. News traveled fast once the Komo villagers crossed the waters and spread the news of their timely rescuers. There are plenty of Nalawi in the temple, making offerings and asking Nalanni to return to them -- some are hopeful, but others appear desolate. CITY HALL is where the ten members of the Council convene. No one is allowed in, as they’ve been discussing the changing state of Nalawi nonstop for days. There’s a group gathered around the hall each day, hoping their leaders will emerge and announce their plans, but nothing has happened yet. It’s a good chance to sit around and listen, though -- you’ll quickly find out that Nalawi is a meritocracy; the Council have the strongest Gifts of anyone in Nalawi, determined by a nationwide competition to prove their worth every time a seat opens. Some of the more disgruntled deer whisper that some must have lost their powers by now and no longer deserve to sit on the Council. A few arguments are beginning to break out around the city hall, and even a few scuffles. Luckily, their weakened powers have also dampened the damage they’re able to deal, and no one has been injured too badly. Just try to be respectful -- otherwise, you might upset the wrong person. Those hooves can hurt. ELSEWHERE, there's a marketplace where traditional Nalawi clothing can be bought, among other things, inactive spas shut down due to dormant volcanoes, and maybe -- if you’re very lucky -- you’ll stumble upon a ferry that still works. It’s unlikely, though, and haggling with its owner will be difficult. You could always steal it, but you wouldn’t do that, would you? You can always explore the SURROUNDING ISLANDS, which are mostly residential areas, similar in theme to the parts of Komo that haven't been destroyed. Oh, and if you're disrespectful to the islanders or were at any point rude to the people in Komo, you might wake up to find a bunch of tiny, adorable Nalawi around your bed, swinging around bars of soap in socks. Don't worry, they won't actually do anything but threaten you for a minute before storming out. ...Yet. The moral of the story is 'don't mess with the Nalawi.' OOC INFO The entire map of Nalawi is now available to characters. Updated location information can be found here.

Comments

QUESTIONS

[futurologists]

Re: QUESTIONS

[adlantisag]

The beaches come up as a searching option--but if Kida took her catshark (since Ninat wouldn't be welcome on Pu'ulai anyway!) and did some exploring out in deeper water, would they find anything? Specifically, they'd be looking to see what's causing the mana/magic drain on or in the water...

Ninat can dive deep, and Kida's a very experienced swimmer. She'd use her pendant to navigate, presuming it didn't go out--and if it did, Ninat can track electric pulses like a shark. Kida would presumably be relying on her to navigate, as it were. Would that be possible at this time?

Look, it's water world, fishy has had enough of being emo and is ready to be a fish again...

If it's not possible, that's fine! If it is, would it perhaps be all right to gather some interested people and make this a player plot? SCUBA DIVING.

SEARCHES

[futurologists]

Sign up here with your character and where they search to have the mods provide findings. Please only sign up for one location, although your character may search in all of these locations within threads. If you wish for your character to talk to the Nalawi in a certain location instead of looking for clues, you can do submit that for answers here as well.

Note: this is only for specific findings. You can assume that your character saw anything already mentioned in the log.

LOCATIONS:
Temple gardens
Temple interior
City hall exterior
Marketplace
Public baths
Ferry
Beaches
Komo Inn
The Dead Walk
Lava tunnels

[gutpunching]

hitting up the dead walk for the poetic irony! how could I resist, really

Aradia Megido | open

[timebender]

[ A. Lava Tunnels ]

[ Never one to pass up a good tunnel, Aradia follows some of the younger natives down into the tunnels. She lets herself be led into a small antechamber, where they pat at her front and sides, indicating that she should stay there. So she does, and they all run off into different branches, and she gets the idea that she's been roped into a game.

Well, why not?

She's not sure how long she's supposed to wait, so she sits there until she stops hearing the patter of little hooves, and starts off down one of the many thoroughfares. Though she takes it easy, she makes an active effort, poking her nose into various crevices, and she does manage to find some of the children, tagging them out before they run off.

She turns a corner, and finds herself face to face with a fellow recruit. Stopping short, she pauses for a second, then smiles, and waves. ]

Hello there. Are you here to play hide and seek too?

[ B. The Deadwalk ]

[ Aradia play a dangerous game, walking though the graveyard at dusk. At least, that's what the locals tell her, but if anything, all they're managing to do is egg her on. She wants to know if she'll actually see any ghosts, or if it's all just fairy tales. Strolling the paths at a leisurely pace, she looks around, hoping to see something interesting.

It turns out, all she finds are some natives packing it in for the night, giving her wary looks, and fellow recruits, the latter of whom she sees fit to strike up impromptu conversation. ]

How long do you think we'll have to wait? To see the spirits of the dead! Do you think it's a right-at-twilight? Or not until it's fully night?

[ C. The Temple ]

[ By the time Aradia makes her way into the temple, she's traded her usual godtier robes for some local fashion. She's even adorned her horns with some spare, unusable scraps, just because she thinks it completes the look. She wishes she'd brought her standard-issue uniform with her, with the way her powers have been flickering, and anyone who watches her for a while will notice two things: one, that she is completely calm as she slowly peruses the carvings and sculptures that permeate the grounds, and two, the faintest glimmer of fairy-like wings appear at her back, come and gone in a blink.

She does find it worrying, but panic isn't her way. She's still feeling it out; she was aware of the natives' diminishing powers, and wonders if the same thing might befall her and her fellow recruits. In her own way, she's trying to puzzle it out, by looking to understand the powers that might actually be at play here. Was their mythology only that, or was there something else to it?

Completely absorbed in pondering the mythos of the temple, and concentrating on her diminishing abilities, she doesn't seem to notice anyone, unless they speak up or come directly into her line of sight. ]

[ D. Wildcard ]

[ Or let me know where you want Aradia! ]

A

[headlining]

[He's been feeling dizzy. Keats had come to the lava tunnels, curious as to what they might contain, but had found himself suddenly feeling like the walls are twisting around him. Is he sick? He doesn't know, but he's found an outcropping of rock to sit on, allowing himself to take a break and hopefully get rid of this strange, feverish feeling.]

[He's rubbing his forehead, looking pale, before he suddenly sees Aradia come into view from around the corner. Well, looks like he wasn't the only one traversing these winding corridors.]

Oh, hello. [He lets out a short laugh at her question, though his expression is strained.] I can't say I am. I'm too old for such childhood games.

Undyne | open

[aspearation]

[ A. Temple Gardens ]

[ Undyne manages to make it over to the central island, but by the time she makes it there, something isn't right. She can't put her finger on it, but it comes and goes, a feeling of dizziness, and vertigo, and she has to stop for a moment. It seems to dissipate by the time she gets tired of sitting around idle, and she gets back up and goes on her way, almost as if nothing had happened. Is she getting sick...? This would be a terrible time for it.

She finds herself in one of the temple's many gardens when another wave hits her, and she sinks down onto a bench, hoping that some of the shrubbery will hide her well enough that no one will see her and worry. She has to be strong, for the sake of her friends and fellow recruits. Languishing isn't strong.

Despite not wanting to be noticed, she can't help but comment to herself on the matter. ]

Heh. This sucks.

[ B. Town Hall ]

[ When she finally gets a second wind, Undyne finds herself outside the Town Hall. The leadership here needs to speak up; if anyone is bound to know something more, it seems like it would be them, wouldn't it? In the Underground, monsters turned to Asgore for answers, so it's only natural that she would turn to this Council to see what they actually know. From what the natives have told her, there's not much to be done from the outside, but she stands with the rest of him, a more petite citizen seated on her shoulder to get a better view of the crowd. Undyne herself turns to any nearby recruits, soliciting sympathy with a glance. ]

They're hiding something in there. What do you say we storm the doors?

[ Her tone holds equal measures of sarcastic frustration, and frustrated sincerity. ]

[ C. Residential Areas ]

[ When she's not trying to incite riots, Undyne finds herself in the residential area, entreated to help out some of the natives with even simple tasks that they can't handle anymore. In this case, she's been enlisted to help carry buckets of sea water back to a resident's home, though for what, she doesn't really know. Were they planning to drink it? She doesn't really ask. The native she's helping carries a single bowl, hurrying ahead, while Undyne trudges back from the beach with her makeshift buckets full of water. This is harder than it should be for a monster that suplexes boulders for kicks.

She's started to think she should get back to hunting down answers, when her knees go out from under her, and she winds up falling forward. The buckets spill their contents, and the water goes everywhere. Undyne can only groan and roll over onto her back, and hope that no one saw that. ]

This really sucks.

[ D. Wildcard ]

[ Want Undyne somewhere else? Hoping for a different prompt? Since she's literally made of magic, she's not doing too well, and is being sustained to some degree on small bursts of Determination that gets quickly "consumed" by whatever is impacting magical recruits. Otherwise she's not doing so well and isn't feeling her usual spirited self. ]

c.

[sadsack]

[ Bariyan sees the whole thing go down. He feels an immediate surge of sympathy. He's been there. He was 'there' not less than ten minutes ago, when he'd gotten up from a bench, turned around, and immediately walked right into a wall.

He trudges his way over to Undyne and only stops once he's hovering above her, blocking out the sun. ]

Yeah. You ok?

[ He doesn't offer a hand. He does, however, step to the side to collect the overturned buckets. ]

Keats | open

[headlining]

A: Temple Gardens

[The gardens are gorgeous. Ethereal, even, a botanist's daydream, but Keats can't enjoy them. How can he, when he's feeling like a truck just ran him over? He's trying his best to focus on the flowers and take in the fresh air, but he can't stop the sudden shake of his limbs, the fogginess in his mind that makes it hard to think.]

[It's strange. He doesn't remember feeling this sick in all his life, but at the same time, there's a familiar shudder that travels up his spine. A distant memory of a boy breathing weakly under the sheets of his bed comes to mind, but it feels like it belongs to someone else. It's not his memory, is it...?]

[He wanders the gardens a little slowly, like a zombie, and his attention is so far gone on his own predicament that, inevitably, he makes a misstep and bumps right into another visitor of the gardens.]

Oh. [He says, jerking back slightly, as if he's just been woken out of a sudden nap. His eyes blearily blink behind his glasses, unfocused. His tone turns bitter, like it wasn't his fault he happened to collide into someone else.]

Watch where you're...going.


B: City Hall

[Later, he's feeling a bit better, but he's still, dreadfully, under the weather. He heads to the City Hall, curious as to what all the commotion is about. It's interesting, hearing the snippets of gossip, but suddenly, an argument between two of the Nalawi gets rather heated. Usually, Keats would leave matters well enough alone, but the fight is happening dangerously close to him - he steps forward, frowning.]

Hey, hey, stop it, this isn't the time for this-!

[He pushes in between the two deer, placing a hand to shove them away from one another to stop them from fighting one another, but he has directly put himself in their line of fire, so to speak. The deer on his right lashes out, and it's unfortunate luck that Keats has bent forward to separate the two, because the deer's hoof collides squarely with his jaw.]

[The force of the blow knocks his glasses off of his face, where they fall to the ground (possibly at the feet of whoever has approached). Keats lets out a pained groan and squints, struggling to continue to stop the fight through his now very limited vision. He's kind of failing at it - it's very likely he'll only hurt himself more in the process.]

Oh, come on! Stop this nonsense!


C: Marketplace

[It may be because of the fight earlier, but by the time Keats reaches the marketplace, he feels like death. He can barely keep himself upright for long periods of time - his legs feel like they could break at any moment, and now he's got a dreadful headache, to boot.]

[He's been trying to find any kind of medicine among the wares of the Nalawai, but his search has, so far, turned up nothing that he thinks will fix his ailment. He can be found sitting on a small create near one of the booths, face pale, trying his best to keep up his strength through sheer will alone. It isn't really working.]

[He reaches towards the edge of the booth to push himself back up on his feet, but instead, he clumsily pulls down some nice clothing that was hanging up in a pole by the side of the booth.]

...I'm sorry. [He says to the poor deer vendor, though he makes no move to help with picking up the clothes now lying in a heap on the ground. He mutters to himself, a hand moving to wipe at his tired, exhausted eyes.] What the hell's wrong with me?

D: Wildcard

[Keats is a magical creature created through magic, but is neck deep in denial about it - therefore, he probably won't believe anyone who tells him what's the truth about what's going on with the whole draining of magic thing. Feel free to suggest and thread out any other prompt or location that isn't listed here!]

B!

[anteil]

| Helga kneels to pick up the man's glasses, and, in what seems to be the same fast, fluid motion, slides one of her legs forward, sending one of the deer-people to the ground. She's on her feet again before the deer is even sure what's gotten to him. At the same time, she pockets the glasses – don't worry, this isn't a finders-keepers deal, she just wants her hands freed until the fighting is done. |

Get it together, will you.

| The other deer, still standing and eager to get past Keats as to have a go at his currently-fallen opponent, doesn't seem to be impressed. Neither seems to have noticed the huge knife at Helga's hip, and she has no intention of pulling it, anyway. Though she would have thought that its presence alone could incite some ... peace. |

What is this about?

| She's technically asking the deer, but since Keats seems to have been here for most of it, he might be able to give a less angry answer. |

Adrien 🐾 OTA with one closed prompt

[chataclysmic]

Temple and Gardens

[In the island heat, Adrien has shed his coat and vest, both slung over one arm as he makes his way through the Gardens and to the Temple itself. He smiles at natives and recruits alike, but doesn't engage unless approached. He seems more distracted than usual, really-- pausing where he's not quite looking at the flowers in the Gardens but still stopped like someone who had considered it, frowning down at his vest and coat over his arm for longer than is really necessary. Anyone passing by will get a brief smile and maybe a wave before he's back to his distracted staring at nothing.]

[Inside the temple he seems a little more focused, if barely. He walks the entirety of it at least twice, stopping finally to reach out and draw the pads of his fingertips over one of the murals of the Nalawi fighting the catlike beasts. He looks caught somewhere between concerned and forlorn.]

Marketplace

[Significantly more focused than he appeared to be at the Temple, Adrien can be found stopping in literally every remaining stall of the Marketplace and asking an odd question-- if anyone has cheese. To the confused responses he often gets he tends to laugh, apologizing, and move on. The more negative responses he gets the more harried he seems to become. He's wearing his coat again, his vest nowhere to be found, and one hand constantly set on one of the small bags attached to his hip by belt.]

[It's probably not long before he crashes into, stumbles over, or otherwise collides with another person. He's quick to spring away, both hands now carefully guarding the bag on his hip.]

Oh-- crap, I'm sorry, I wasn't looking-- are you okay?

Closed to Sigma

[He didn't know what to do anymore. Plagg had always been a complainer, but this wasn't normal. If anything, he was complaining less, but in more worrying ways, and Adrien was going out of his mind trying to figure out a solution. He didn't know enough about the kwami on his own, Ladybug wasn't here, and he was running out of options.]

[The text he fired off to Sigma had been a rushed thing, tapped out by shaking fingers while he sat in some secluded corner of the Temple Gardens with his coat in his lap and a free hand idly drawing circles in the same spot of one pocket. He'd asked him to meet him at the Gardens, that he was having a bit of a crisis. He regretted the message just about as soon as he'd sent it, but couldn't take it back now.]

Wildcard

[Adrien himself isn't magical in nature, but his kwami is. He's not liable to share why he's so bothered, since he's under strict suggestion to not tell anyone about Plagg, but he's not being especially covert in his fit. That said, he'll be staying Adrien until the source of the drain is found and taken care of, because transforming into Chat Noir would only exacerbate his already-weakened whiny cat child. If you have any prompts in mind I haven't listed, come at me. ♥]

[12inches]

[ There are few words that get Sigma Klim moving faster than crisis, especially when sent from a young and reckless friend. It could either be incredibly minor or incredibly major, but meeting where Adrien had suggested would be far less grating on the both of them than pressing for information over the net, tempting as it is. ]

[ He usually had a better time of finding things, but in all honesty things had been feeling a little foggy and hollow since shortly after their arrival. Not necessarily an unpleasant feeling, simply unpleasant by virtue of being different and ultimately unable to place. But that's his problem. Eventually he hits the Gardens, quickly scoping the joint and eventually pinpointing the twiggy blond curled up in a quiet flowery alcove. ]

Hey! [ Out he calls before rushing over full speed, skidding to a halt and crouching in front of the kid. ] What's up, man? You made it sound pretty bad...

riku | ota

[curepotion]

i) allergy-ridden

[ three tiny sneezes echo through the temple.

he'd made a grave mistake to actually venture outside--the flowers are so big and colorful and pollen-ridden that riku can barely keep up. he sneezes once more before he groans and holds his head. ]

Great. [ he sounds to be a little bit of a grouch as he tries to stand up straight, having hunched over in the middle of a sneeze fit. ] Like they even sell any medicine here...

[ he rifles in his bag for a cut of cloth, frowning at it before he sniffles and just puts it against his nose and mouth. he can't really run away--he's gotta figure out more if he's going to be of any help... so while riku hunches his shoulders, he walks back out into the gardens, intent on looking at the statues even with watery eyes, even when he has to look in between sneezes. ]

ii) farsighted

Oh--sorry.

--sorry!

Ugh, excuse...

[ this is becoming a problem.

with his powers diminishing, it's harder and harder to discern the world around him. he could figure it out pretty well by rote routine and some guidance before, but as his darkness starts to lessen and lessen... riku's clumsiness starts to rise.

everyone he's bumped into at least is mostly polite. he turns a little too quickly and knocks a small wooden box out of a nalawi's hands (hooves?) and only barely manages to catch it with fast reflexes, handing it back with a frazzled look.

at this point, he's just resigned himself to leaning against one of the walls, looking chastised. to himself, he wonders: ]

How're you supposed to fix a problem when you can't see?

wildcard)

[ riku will be wandering both komo and pu'ulai! as his powers weaken, he'll be refusing to read and probably be tripping up more--some may even see him hooking a weird weapon to his belt as the days pass. he can be found most anywhere, but if you really want to catch him in his element, the beach and the sea are the best places to find him. ]

i;

[agrizzlysin]

[The sneezing is painfully audible, and King couldn't have missed it if he was trying to. Unlike with most everything else in this mess, however, this is something he might actually be able to help with. King and his ever-present green pillow approach so casually that it's almost suspicious. When he finally gets close though, he just nods and gestures to the cloth over Riku's nose and mouth.]

It should be okay to get rid of that now. At least right here. I can still do that much.

Helga Sinclair | Atlantis: The Lost Empire

[anteil]

✗ 1 Feeriliy Sure We're Closed

| The shoddy canoes weren't exactly to Helga's taste, so when she heard about ferries, she got curious. Her curiosity turned to frustration rather quick when her search hadn't been met with results. Perhaps it's the fact that she ditched her uniform for the day trip and went with her usual tank top-cargo pants-gloves combo, or perhaps it's the sizeable knife at her hip, or maybe, maybe it's just that she isn't the most diplomatic... Whatever it might be, when she finally does meet a ferryman (ferrybuck?), he's not at all cooperative.

Just when she's decided to leave him alone for good, a fellow recruit turns up: |

If you're looking for a ferry, I've got bad news for you.

| And if you're not looking for a ferry, do tell her what else you're up to. |

✗ 2 Giving Into Temple-tation

| Originally, Helga has come here for the sake of information, but... Religious sites are, without fail, of interest to her. She doesn't believe in anything that she hasn't seen with her own two eyes; this isn't a matter of faith to her. She seeks comfort in only one thing, and that's a hefty pay check. And sweet Nalanni, what a pay check this could be. Regardless of whether or not all this truly was made by deer-magic (though that could double the value, at least) or good old fashioned hooves and sweat, this is any treasure hunter's holy grail.

Except bigger.

And more mural-like.

If only she had the resources (read: minions, transportation, a way back home, etcetera), this might not cover for the failure that the discovery of Atlantis had turned into for her, but it would be a start. Throw in one or two living Nalawi...

She's vaguely aware that she isn't alone, but she's also busy being awed and doing terrible math in her mind. |

This is immeasurably valuable.

| Combined with her physical stance and the look in her eyes, this could almost be considered sweet. You know. If she wasn't putting a price on a species and the centre of that species' belief system in her mind. |

✗ WILDCARD

| Hit me. Hit Helga. Literally hit Helga. |

1!

[conqueress]

[ She thinks the woman could be a sellsword, with a knife like that. The rest of the garb is foreign to her, but among ALASTAIR's ranks, it is hardly the most unusual she's seen.

Dany had heard of a ferry as well, though the island is large enough that her time would be just as well-spent exploring elsewhere. As it is, the ferrybuck is now lucky enough to be met with two women who are accustomed to getting their way. Helga's new companion is small, but she carries with her a curiously regal presence. Perhaps it's the way she stands, back straight, whip held at her side. ]

Do you? [ Silver eyebrows raise. Sweetly, she turns to the ferryman. ] But he must have a price, surely?

[ Stubbornly, the deer shakes his head, antlers gleaming dully in the sun. A lie, Dany thinks, and she smiles. ] What would my lord ask? Fish? Coin? [ He must know he's the last ferry in service on the island. ]

Ban | ota

[perma_banned]

[Marketplace]
[The sensation of his magic gradually weathering away wasn't one that left Ban with unease. The ache of strain that came from moving around was welcomed. He did his best to move around as much as he could while spending the majority of the day walking around. He drank enough to throw up and even did a few favors. He could be found doing hard labor just because it would eventually let him feel a sense of fatigue.

By the end of the day, he was pleased with himself. He giggled to himself like an idiot, sitting on the stone stoop leading to one of the homes of a young couple he ran some errands for, coated in dry sweat. In his hand he had a stone jug filled with a fruity, sweet alcoholic beverage. Tipping his head back, he took a long swig of it and let out a joyful gasp--

It took him twenty hours of work set without stopping to wear him out, but it made him happy, regardless.]

Haaaah! For once, I'm really feelin' alive~!

[Reefs]
[Spending the next day doing nothing but hard labor didn't really entertain Ban all that much, but he still wanted to exert himself a little. Instead of doing odd-jobs with heavy things to make his muscles sore he flitted about the shore looking for things to do. He found a number of Nalawi's residents making impromptu repairs to one of their longboats before raising their heads in reply to a cry for help out in the water. Ban was slow on the uptake initially as a number of the villagers ran out with spears to help--as it was a shark attack.

Ban jumped in the water, dragging the downed villager from the water with his side covered in blood. He hadn't gotten away easily, the impression of a shark bite pressed into his upper body. Fortunately, Ban got away from it easier than expected despite his withering strength.

He kept walking, expecting it all to heal up in a matter of seconds. He stumbled, feeling the effects of blood loss awhile after. He gave himself a dizzy look, realizing the injury hadn't been closing up--or, not as quickly as it was supposed to. A few of the villagers surrounded him, forcing him to lay back as they bandaged him up. Salves were applied and he was told to rest awhile, forcing him to lay back on a makeshift cot out on the beach while they returned to work.

He glanced to the afternoon sky with a puzzled expression.]

Isn't that a shame...?

[Wildcard]
(OOC: If you'd like to toss in for another location, feel free to PM me!)

marketplace

[boneafide]

[Papyrus can say he's seen Ban relatively happy before. He knows the other has a myriad of issues, most involving different levels of depression...

But this is probably the happiest he's ever seen the other. This looked a lot more like... real happiness, and not just some act put on for him, or something out of drunkenness. It's actually quite nice to see. Papyrus waves (less energetically than he normally would) as he approaches, and calls out (quieter, than he normally would).]

Hello, Ban. It's nice to see you. You seem like you're having a good day.

[Papyrus winces slightly as he hears his own voice. The lack of enthusiasm in his tone is definitely noticeable, as much as he wishes it wasn't.]

Ford Pines / open

[weirdologist]

a: the dead walk

[Ford often lamented the fact that the supernatural didn't really excite him much anymore. Really, with the confirmation of extraterrestrials and ghosts that he'd had during his time in Gravity Falls, it had become more of an 'eh' feeling over time. Of course, he wasn't going to pass up the chance to explore the Dead Walk after dusk, even with the warnings that the local deer folk had given him when he'd asked for information.

Dusk comes and goes, and for a while he's simply committing feelings and thoughts to memory as he wanders along in the dark, tense but ready for something to happen. What kind of paranormal investigator would he be if he wasn't? It's quiet, before his ears pick up something and he holds an arm out, stopping his tracks. Almost like a watchful rabbit, he turns his head this way and that to get the source into his line of hearing, and then turns towards someone approaching with a raised eyebrow.]

Is that...drums? I'm not going senile, am I?


b: the temple

[Religions have always been a fascinating subject, and the temple - Nalanni's Garden, Ford reminds himself as he peruses the murals - is no exception. He doesn't touch them out of respect, but it is interesting, his eyes wandering over them as he walks, arms crossed behind his back, until he comes to the end, the latest murals not nearly as exotic and marvellous as the few before depicting the end of their enemies. He draws a hand around and taps his chin, humming and murmuring to himself.]

These were obviously made after their Gifts were lost...but when did it happen?

[Of course, he could be wrong but for now that's his best bet as he follows the murals back the same way to the beginning, rather than go back there straight away. He pauses, adjusts his glasses, and stares at the giant volcanic woman in some awe. His brain is already ticking over with possibilities, theories and other such things, and it's clear on his face as he goes around the murals again, taking in the stories they have to tell.]

wildcard

[hit me up!]

B

[beyourrock]

[Pearl had been spending quite some time within the Temple. She was fascinated by what facts about these deerfolk's culture in which she could decipher from the murals and other artifacts. Her gem in her forehead produces flashlight of sorts, her head moving to scan along the mural.

However, as she walks, her entire body fizzles out of view, as if it were a corrupted image. The Gem gasps and falls to one knee as she feels a wave of weakness wash over her entire being. Pearl stares down at the stone floor in confusion, resting on both knees. With her gem still glowing, she looks at her hands as she rests on both knees. Yet again, her body distorts and fizzles out of view for a brief moment, leaving only the gem in her forehead floating in mid air.

Well, this wasn't good, especially when someone was approaching. Last thing she needed was to freak someone out. She silently curses under her breath as she tries to maintain her flickering. Pearl closes her eyes, concentrating.]

C'mon, stop... stop.

[historiology]

Temple:

[Of course, the first thing that Sorey gets curious about is the temple. He's always been curious about shrines and temples and ruins and the like, even back home. So this really isn't any different. Or so he tells himself, as he walks through the garden, admiring the plants and flowers, as he walks through the temple itself, admiring the story it tells with the murals, the artwork.]

It's almost like the shrines back home. Telling stories of the seraphim or previous Shepherds......

[He says thoughtfully, almost to himself as he pauses in front of one of the murals, a gloved hand reaching to it in wonder and consideration.]

City Hall:

[Sorey, ever to peacemaker and good Samaritan that he is, is attempting to try diffuse the arguments and scuffles, as best he can. Hopefully without actually hurting the smaller deer people. Actively placing himself in the middle of them, in between them as a physical barrier as he tries to get them to calm down if things do come to blows.

Still, he offers to potentially heal anyone who does get injured, if he has a seraphim with him to armatize with, or simply to get them to someone who can heal them. Come help, ask what was going on?]

Elsewhere:

[Basically, wildcard option. Any other prompts you guys can think of, just hmu.]

Temple

[servant]

[He had a little trouble navigating his canoe here, even resorting to paddling at the end when his magic navigated him through the waters a bit uncertainly. It's definitely on his mind, but once Merlin sets eyes on the temple, he mostly forgets all about it.

He's standing in front of one of the murals himself, looking up at the image of Nalanni.]

She's certainly beautiful in her own way, isn't she?

[Merlin realizes that he's actually speaking to someone then, looking over.]

You have shrines to herdsmen where you're from?

[blacksilk]

[Dead Walk - Day]
[Even Chrollo Lucilfer could fall to temptation. Hearing of the nature of the Dead Walk, he immediately made his way there. The explanation the natives gave him made sense enough. Underestimating the spirits of the dead would be hazardous to anyone, regardless of talent. Death was a powerful, immutable law.

He found a nice place to sit amount flat rocks in the middle of the path taken by most that wandered it. He sat and let his eyes fall on the ground, remaining still for a long while, enjoying the atmosphere that drove out its residents. He sat there for hours with nothing better to do. He had already laid his 'tools' all over the island. He had twelve hours to waste. Anyone from ALASTAIR's ranks passing him by during the day would earn a smile as he lifted his head to greet them.]

It's a rather gloomy place, isn't it?

[Night]
[The Dead Walk emptied at that point. After taking a few of his human needs, Chrollo returned to sit for the duration of the night. He wanted to experience and witness a few of those spirits firsthand, even if he was keen enough to not raise his eyes out of temptation the entire time.

Ghostly shapes passed him as he kept his eyes on the ground. The spell must have been simple enough. A direct look would paralyze him and leave him vulnerable. He didn't need to summon courage to deal with the constant stress of witnessing and being bound by a passing phantom. Chrollo felt at complete ease, smiling the entire time.

Anyone else accompanying him would earn a sunny smile.]

I wonder--do you like this atmosphere as well?

[City Hall]
[Seated with a notepad and pen, Chrollo listened to an argument between Council members. He was seated on a bench, taking down a few notes as the argument grew heated. Names and descriptions came with a few quotes of dialogue. His pen moved quickly, jotting down his thoughts in minimal, waste-free script. The 'conversation' between the two Council members came to an abrupt close as one attempted to summon a ball of fire which immediately dissipated. The other member, affronted by what amounted to a call for a duel reared back and hammered a punch into the other Council member's cheek.

He could tell that in the past, the duel itself would have been more excited. He found himself giving the two a curious smile as they went down in a fit of hooves and joints, hammering each other with immaturity and imprecision. He set the pen down in his notebook and shut it. Guards and other Council members rushed to break things up. He spoke to somebody nearby, chuckling before opening this notebook to continue writing.]

I suppose the term 'political arena' makes more sense depending where you live, doesn't it?

[The Island - Random Locations - WILDCARD Option!]
[The pattern and craft of it was always the same, no matter where he went. Chrollo traced a line in the dirt. He traced it in the sand. He traced it in stone. Inside of the circle, he arranged rocks, twigs and leaves. With his fingertips, he layered his aura into the makeshift structures. No matter what, the entire miniature 'tower' he made always came out perfectly level, regardless of the composition of its structure. Chrollo repeated this dozens of times along the island, mapped out to cover even spaces.

He was looking to see where the 'aura' in his structures would leak. If one was to understand the situation at hand they would need more information. Each time, he would sit with the little towers he made, watching their levels shift. It would take awhile for the power in them to degrade, but he also had very little else to do other than wait.]

I suppose there's no point in hoping for quick results... Fortunately, the map I bought was accurate enough. They only really neglected to include hints of elevation.

[He sighed, on occasion during his trips, as he found himself in ravines or atop cliffs. He could only hope things would pay off with time. There weren't many experiments would could perform with the use of aura to prove when and where it was draining away.]

Sakura Kinomoto l Cardcaptor Sakura

[keystaff]

Party:

[Well, after her network post and Graham proposing a party of sorts at the beach. of course she then messages people to potentially invite them too. She spends some time attempting to help set things up, arrange some food, a net and ball to play volleyball. She doesn't want or need anything too fancy, given it's on the beach, and she is aware of the current situation around Nalawi and all as they rebuild and recover from the storm.

Come join them in a game, partake in some cake or other assorted foods available, bring snacks of your own, presents for the birthday girl?]

City Hall:

Ah, wha--no, stop!

[Everyone is distracted by her appearance, as she suddenly calls down a barrage of thunder to startle everyone into pausing at least momentarily, aimed in the middle of it but not close enough to actually hurt anyone. Possibly because of her obvious younger age though, whether the deer listen to her or are simply momentarily stopping and then continuing once she's used the Thunder Card.]

Marketplace:

Let's see....I should probably get some more meat, for cub-san....and...maybe some toys? Shall we go see?

[Yes, she is wandering the stalls and the like while a small lion cub follows her, or alternatively is carried by her. Come help, offer advice with her first pet, ask where the heck she got a lion for a pet if you missed Gilgamesh's network post with that?]

Wildcard:

[If anyone wants to run into her at the temple or anywhere else, go for it. She'll also have a tiny lion cub with her too, though. In all scenarios.]

party obvi!

[dishearten]

( it's odd, actually, graham actually feels a bit... tired? after getting together the details for Sakura's birthday celebration. he does not remember the last time he actually felt weary, so it's a strange change. one he's trying to ignore, because as important as putting all the details together were, enjoying the party is nearly as important.

food finished, volleyball net up, more or less the gathering is running itself, now. and of course, he has a present for the birthday girl, even though it's perhaps not as ideal as it could be. Graham is always one to make something when he can. it's probably not what Sakura would get at home, but hopefully she'll enjoy it anyway. )

I couldn't wrap this for you, but I hope you like it. ( the gift is a pair of coconut lamps. with a candle in each they scatter the light in quite a pretty way. as for now, they're unlit and easy to handle. ) I know that it's hard to celebrate without your family, but I hope you've had a good birthday anyway.

king; open

[agrizzlysin]

a. a komo beach

[King stands at the edge of the water, his gaze captured by one of many islands visible in the distance. His shoes and jacket are piled up on the sand where they'll (hopefully) stay dry. Though he and all of ALASTAIR's recruits have no doubt seen this scenery plenty already, today he's intensely focused. After a deep breath, he rises a few inches off the beach and heads out over the water. Only to splash back down to Earth a few minutes later.

...Someone might wanna haul him out of those waves. He doesn't seem to be doing such a great job on his own.]

b. nalanni's garden

[One full day of walking everywhere later, King has to plop down on the ground for a rest. He takes up most of the walkway, lying spread out on his back the way he is, but rather than being concerned with anyone who might have to maneuver around him, he glares at a poor, innocent flower bed.]

You're mocking me, aren't you?

a

[jamminshield]

[Steven was just chilling on the beach in some swim trunks when he happened to notice another boy floating into the air. Cool sight! Except then, he took a dip into the drink, and panic crossed Steven's face instead.]

Oh no! [He paused and took a moment to pose dramatically.] It's Baywatch time! Baywatch 2: The Baywatchening!

[With that, Steven runs (luckily not in slow motion) towards the waves to try to help the boy.]

Jason Todd | open

[gutpunching]

DEAD MAN WALKING.

a. [It's pretty festive, for a graveyard. Not the cold stone monument deal that tends to be the norm back in his neck of the woods. (The locals lunching there tell him they visit regularly, to make sure the spirits of the deceased know they are still involved and loved. Cute. They ask if he'd like to join but the whole thing sits strangely on him, so he makes an excuse and lets them be after that.)

And now the sun's almost down, but not quite. The last of the deerfolk are packing up and moving out, casting concerned glances back Jason's way when he doesn't seem inclined to follow. Couldn't really resist the irony of a Dead Walk—all things considered—and as far as getting the lay of the land is concerned, urban legends are always a great place to start. Just a matter of killing a few more minutes until the sun sinks over the horizon, so he spends them circling the perimeter, walking through the cheerfully marked graves until he stops besides one with a careful chain of fresh flowers wrapped around a worn fishing spear.

Or course, he wasn't planning on company during this little excursion, but who cares what he wants. He can't be the only person waiting to do some ghostbusting tonight.]

b. [Alternately: The downsides to the whole lone wolf life—when you get yourself in a bind, there's no one at your back to bail you out of it. And Jason's pretty much a pro at sticking his nose in where it doesn't belong, so he's pretty used to getting himself out of those kinds of situations. Unfortunately, going solo and risking the curiosity to skirt the letter of the local advice—keep your head down until the spirits pass—doesn't quite work out for him, this time. The sound of drums has long faded in the distance, and that figure in the spooky distance is not a ghost, but a recruit gone eerily still. Head bowed just a little, spine locked tense and eyes focused far away, breathing gone slow and shallow. Try and shake him back toward the land of the living if you're feeling generous, but fair warning—there's a pretty good chance he'll kneejerk to going right for the throat when he snaps out of it. You can take a hit, right?]

LAVA TUNNELS.

c. [As it turns out, abandoned lava tubes aren't actually the best places to let your deer-children spend their afternoons. Jason's been nosing around mostly for posterity, right up until he stumbled on a steep drop into a crevice and an unconscious deer-kid sprawled at the bottom of it. Luckily, he's not the only one who's taken up spelunking, today. He's crouched at the edge of the drop with his borrowed lantern at his side, but he lifts his head when he hears someone passing by. Congrats, bud, you're being volunteered.]

Hold up, I need another set of hands, here.

MARKETPLACE.

[The intricacies of alien deer-politics aren't the most riveting of topics, but it's good to be in the know. Since the City Hall is shut up tight, he's taken to skirting the general populace for gossip. Beyond the faint revolutionary rumblings—none too surprising in a society that seems to choose its leaders on a matter of power—it really starts to paint a picture of how the powerloss is pulling the rug out from the people here.]

d. [Case in point, he has to duck a sudden waterfall as one of the few remaining Water Runners loses her grip on her gift. The water crashes down from above and into the marketplace, deep enough to flood the street and sweep away some of the goods and lap over the feet of anyone standing nearby. If you're close enough, he'll grab for your arm to tug you out of the way. (You're welcome.) If you're not, hope you've got good reflexes of your own.]

e. [Unless that's you, he's running into out here and losing your grip. Struggling with your waning superstrength? Casually fading out of existence? That's not supposed to happen, huh. Give me a scenario (marketplace or otherwise) if you'd like and I'll roll with it!]

ETC. [These are pretty open ended already, but feel free to wildcard me basically anywhere else on the island or ping me oocly to write you a more specific prompt/plot something out!]

b!

[heavyhitter]

[ This is exactly the last place Ramir had intended to be after dark, but she's not really sure how far this Dead Walk thing goes, or if there's any way to loop around it to get to where she's going. It's totally bullshit, the inn and the bathhouse she likes best are pretty close together! Just, with this thing in the middle. That the natives keep telling her about.

She'd almost had a heartattack when she'd heard drum beats — holy shit is this stuff actually real, are there dead deer taking a stroll down to the shore — but she remembered what the locals had advised she do in the same breath that they told her about it at all. She's real quick to cast her eyes down, and even drops into a less-obvious crouch, head bowed. There is no way she's looking up and seeing anything spooky. No way. If she stares really hard at this pebble right here and doesn't see anything, then she doesn't have to admit anything was there.

The flickering torch light in the periphery of her vision and the drum beats are probably totally unrelated.

It works, though, which is why when the drumming fades out again, it's Ramir staring in mild surprise at Jason and not the other way around. He'd been a ways down the path from her, she hadn't even known he was near, but that is some uncanny stillness. She's pretty sure she can put together what happened here.

She heads over, head dipped a little to try and catch eyes that probably aren't going to catch hers back, and she tries hard not to think about what all this implies about the validity of ghosts. ]

You fucked up, huh?

[ Is she going to have to hoist him back to the inn, because there's no way she's waiting around on this path. ]

Rick and Morty / open

[ricksybusiness]

[ joint thread with rick and mortyfied! let us know in the subject line if you have a tag order preference. ]

a. CITY HALL.

[Rick doesn't particularly have a lot of love for government, but there is a huge gathering of people out front every day -- so, it's probably the best place to come for gossip. His height makes it impossible to really get into the thick of the crowd, so he may or may not be trying to shove the much more deer person-sized Morty forward.] J-just-- just, just do it. I swear to god I'll put you in a deer costume if I have to. Come on. [Maybe he shoves Morty... right into an unsuspecting non-deer-shaped person???]

b. LAVA TUNNELS.

[Volcanic rock, depending on its quality, can be pretty pricey. It can also be used as a component in a number of scientific pursuits, and when Rick doesn't have access to the intergalactic black market, he has to be sure to be a very shrewd opportunist. He's got Morty carrying a rucksack full of various bits of obsidian, leisurely strolling ahead as he pulls another chunk of lava rock off the wall every now and then and tosses it back.]

Hey, hey Morty, um... does-- does this remind you of that one time we were on that lava planet? What a trip that was.

c. GRAVEYARD.

[Grave robbing isn't new. Rick has done this before, so much so that he doesn't even feel bad about it anymore. The graveyard on Pu'ulai is bigger and more extensive than that on Komo, which just means more graves to plunder. More (possibly magic?) riches to sell and/or use as experimental catalysts.

They've gotten their hands on shovels somewhere, though Rick is really the only one doing any actual digging.] Would you -- give me a hand here, Morty? We're in the fucking jungle, it's fine, nobody's going to catch us and put us in deer jail.

d. ELSEWHERE . . . or, THE WILDCARD OPTION.

[It must suck being stuck waiting for ferries or rowing stupid boats with your stupid, dumb arms. Really, just a super shame. Rick had already been scouting on the other islands while everyone else was stuck on rapids-plagued Komo, thanks to his portal gun and a habitual inability to stay in one place for too long.

As such, Rick and Morty can be found basically anywhere in Nalawi. That island over there you thought was abandoned? Probably looking for expensive volcanic glass to hawk at the market. The beaches? Rick drinking Nalawi rum while Morty fights a giant crab. Spooky jungle ruins? Loudly arguing about the existence of ghosts (i.e., do souls exist and if so, do deer people even have them). The marketplace? Rick may or may not be casually shoplifting while Morty freaks out behind him. Etc. No wrong answers! Just do a starter, it'll be fine.]

C - no tag order preference!

[headlining]

[Be careful, you two, graveyards are known to hold a lot of super scary things, like the living dead and ghosts. Look, here comes one such undead creature now!]

[...Except it's just Keats, stride a little shaky as he passes by. He notices the commotion and comes over, arching an eyebrow as he sees what they're doing.]

What the hell are you two doing? [He says, frowning, his face oddly pale and sickly. Even his voice doesn't have much strength to it.] Looking for a skull to put up on your mantle...?

Evan Friave-Goodlace | OTA (mostly)

[evantuality]

a. marketplace

Look, if you wanted to, you could probably punch the middle right out, then you've got two--

[Evan is having a heck of a time trying to work through his shopping list. Though he's loathe to part with them, he's trying to haggle away some of his remaining Canadian coinage for good rope. The deer he's bartering with looks deeply skeptical about the toonie on offer.]

Look, how much can I get for it? Enough for a harness and some slack?

[The look the stall owner offers him says plenty. Evan takes his toonie back and heads some distance off to count his coins and look terribly embarrassed.]

b. miscellanea (wildcard)

[Evan can be found all around Komo today: sketching terrible drawings of local flora, picking his way through the village again helping deer make more minor repairs, swimming himself to exhaustion at the beach when there's no one there to judge him for his nerdly physique.

Run into him somewhere, he's easy to find!]

c. Tiny backpack, big dreams (closed to Ramir)

[The skittishness of the deer people about the lava tunnels had been enough, thus far, to make Evan a little jumpy himself about exploring them by himself, but roping the eminently capable-looking Ramir into the exploratory venture had finally settled Evan to the idea.

Playing to his own strengths, Evan had prepared diligently for this trip. The pack he'd procured had been big for a Nalawi but was small on his human-sized back, and it was stuffed full: ropes, both coiled and cunningly shaped into a couple of harnesses; some makeshift pinions; provisions; a knife; the jewellery-replacement sunglasses that everyone'd somehow procured; other survival miscellanea he'd scraped together. Attached by a stick to the top was a pair of coconut lanterns, and Evan had out his pencil and precious paper he'd brought with him from home base.

So kitted out, he'd headed to the wide entrance to the lava tunnels that sat in the village, and, for a short while, sat on the edge and stared down into the tempting, ominous hole. Finally he'd bitten the bullet and pulled up a text.]

Hey Ramir. Are you free to explore the lava tunnels?

a!

[hellshaped]

[Hellboy has found that the Nalawi seem to treat him a little more forgivingly when compared to the more human-looking recruits. Maybe it's some kind of hoof solidarity; he doesn't know.

But the point is, he's had no real problem haggling at the market: paying with fresh-caught fish and crabs, he's managed to secure a very large blanket made from some nebulously furry animal skin. He's hauling it rolled up over his shoulder, and passes by this human who is apparently having a very difficult time with money.

Stopping, he glances down at the coinage in his hands.] Did you tell them what it's made of? They don't use a lot of metals here.

Ahad | ota

[dailydouble]

a. Temple Gardens

[ He really had no one to blame but himself.

Ahad had felt the strangeness in the air and, on a more mundane level, was aware of the information contained in the mission briefing. Magic was fading from this place, but through either arrogance or foolishness he hadn't thought to consider what that would mean for him. He did feel slightly hungry and ill, which was odd enough, but the true problem wasn't apparent until he teleported directly from Komo to the temple gardens on Pu'ulai.

Arriving both intact and in the form he was current using was a struggle. Anyone who happened to notice his arrival would see him kneeling on the ground, looking more translucent than anyone should. The struggle to hold his form lasts for a good ten minutes, before he's mostly solid again and struggling to catch his breath. Eventually, he'll use a bench or something similar to help him pull himself up and stand.

Anyone caught looking in his direction will be met with a raised eyebrow and something close to a glare. ]

Was there something you wanted?

b. City Hall

[ There was something darkly funny about being sent to solve a problem that was actively killing him. He was a being made of magic, and the disappearance of it led to only one conclusion. Not that Ahad intended to spend too much time contemplating his end; it was morbid and there was much to do before slowly fading away.

If nothing else, he could listen. Outside City Hall seemed the place to assuage some of his curiosity about the political situation in Nalawi. Even if that seemed to amount to listening to various factions yell at each other while standing near the closed door.

If anyone decides to wander close to his position leaning against a wall, he might nod to them in greeting and speak: ] Politics seems much the same anywhere.

a.

[selfimage]

[ it was obvious, like a shock as his senses began to dull. it was happening just slowly enough to be disorienting, and when he noticed how prominent it was, it left him feeling ill. ]

Something is amiss.

[ ignoring the glare, Loki offers him something akin to a hand up, hand-to-wrist. ]

Something dire ...

[ he says, lowly, and mostly to himself. that it's affecting Ahad in such a way is ... troubling. not just for Ahad's sake (he would argue otherwise), but for the multiverse's. magic wasn't something ethereal, it was the very foundation of the universe, and to see it begin to flake off and crumble was disconcerting. ]

Nicholas St. North

[thebelly]

ONE. THE BEACH

[ The ferry is down and North is definitely way too big for the canoes - swimming isn't an option either. But as if that'll get him down! The impromptu workshop hosts a sizable raft, and from the looks of it things are progressing rather smoothly. In fact, if you were to drag it out to the sea right now, it'd probably do its job. Only, that's not all- just off to the side is his current pet project, a stool for him to sit in as he gets around. Beside that are his brand new oars, and an anchor with a decent length of rope. There's also what looks to be some sort of fence - or a tent? - made out of old nets... He's definitely not going overboard with this. Nope.

He's more than open to visitors though, given the fact that his face lights up at the sight of someone new joining him. ] Ah, Welcome!

You are looking for ride to islands?

[ ... Of course, all non-believers are going to see is a free ride to another island and a bunch of other pet projects that have yet to come together. ]

TWO. THE TEMPLE

[ Thanks to his project, it's dark by the time he arrives to Nalanni; but none of his enthusiasm has waned. ] Amazing! [ He lets out, barely above a whisper, expression probably stuck in wide-eyed wonder.

His awe only sticks with him for a few moments though, the Guardian immediately beginning his exploration - one minute he's studying the murals with curious eyes, the next minute he's staring at the statue of Nalanni with what might be described as "fond nostalgia". Then He's about to run back out to the gardens, when suddenly the giant man loses his footing, and the man tumbles past the rows of flames outlining the walkway.

( Losing his footing? The last time that happened was when - ) ] Rimsky Korsakov-

[ He groans, hand clutching his head as he tries to regain his footing. Uh, it might be a good idea to let him know the tail of his coat has set on fire! Unless you can't see him, of course, then you're treated to a flame suddenly jumping out of where it's supposed to be. Maybe Deadman's Walk isn't the only place that's haunted -? ]

THREE. MARKET PLACE ( closed to believers! )

[ Luckily, he manages to save most of his coat, except for a large hole at the back, near the bottom. There's a determined look on his face as he storms into the market, prepared to find the finest tailor and fix this once and for all (he's already moped for a few hours until the sun rose)!! ... Only after his third time circling the streets he's a) hopelessly lost, and b) tailor-less. ]

This is worse than that one time when Bunny decided that - [ Santa sure is slipping into another round of sulking. It'll probably last him until mid-afternoon-

But that's the exact time a rambunctious child, breaks into a run right in his direction. He notices, but it's too late to dodge, body strangely sluggish when it should be feather light, oh no this is going to be bad--

The child runs right through North, continuing dodging and weaving past the rest of the crowd.

Shock doesn't quite describe his expression - horror, or fear might be better suited for the man completely rooted to where he's standing. The natives don't seem to pay any attention - in fact, some seem to pass by his arm like it doesn't exist, others running straight through the middle. Uh, you might wanna ask what's going on. ]

FOUR. WILDCARD

[ North won't be outright disappearing, but by the last couple of days of the event he'll be hobbling around the island with his sword as a cane; believers might also have a hard time seeing him. If you wanna play around with the later days (or none of the prompts strike your fancy), hit me up with a wildcard prompt! Or if you wanna plot someting out find me via pm or charred @ plurk. c:

And as usual, his belief mechanics can be found here! ]

two!

[humerous]

[WELL.

It's a good thing he caught that when he did, or he may have walked right into that flame. When he's over the initial shock though, he wonders what the hell this is all about. Ghosts can't catch fire considering they're incorporeal, so it can't be that...

So he stands (at a safe distance) to observe the flame he doesn't know is North's coat, head tilted forward a little.]

Hey, c'mon little guy. If you stand there you're gonna make a mess...why not go be with the rest of the fire?

Gintoki Sakata | OTA

[naturallywavy]

( 1. ) CITY HALL

_{[ There’s a bunch of noise coming from the crowds outside of City Hall as one tall, white haired figure stands in the midst of the small, deer people. They’re all shouting different things at him and two deer people that Gintoki has separated by force, holding them apart by the scuffs of their necks as they swing their hooves at each other. Some of the spectators are attacking Gintoki himself, telling him to put them down, a long with a bunch of other colorful words. ]}

Wait a minute! Wait a minute! Oi! I know you’re both wanting to take Prancer’s position ever since he resigned, but let’s settle this by talking, aaa?
_{[ Obviously, that isn’t what they are arguing about but.. yes.. talking.. you, know, maturely.. as if Gintoki knew anything about that. Maybe you should assist him? Or assist them? ]}

( 2. ) THE REEF

<sub>[ Taking a break from investigating seemed to be a good idea for the time being as Gintoki finds himself fishing along the reef. Accompanying him is a giant, white dog, it looks like— who is also assisting by fishing with his mouth. Gintoki is using a different method with his unearthly bokken and a net made out of rope he received from the market place.

Maybe you’re fishing too or you just happen to see him in the water, but it looks like he is trying to catch a whole lot of fish. I wonder why that could be? Surely he doesn’t need to eat that much, right? ]</sub>

( 3. ) DEAD WALK

_{[ Don’t mind him humming the Doraemon theme to ease his nerves as he walks through here. How did he even find himself here? He didn’t mean to find himself here of all places!! Yet, here he is.
Sadaharu, the large dog, is also coming along for this event. They both seem equally nervous and scared— Gintoki’s hand placed on Sadaharu’s side. ]}

W—What are you talking about? Goin’ this way was your idea, fuzzball! I’m n-not scared, you’re scared…!

_{[ feel free to wildcard me with whatever you want if these don't work out for ya. ]}

2

[sengetsu]

[Kojuro isn't really much of a fisherman - he's more content to forage and hunt on land, generally. Not that he's been doing the latter, it seems in poor taste given their hosts. But there's something to be said to escaping from the bustle of the town for a while. And he doesn't have a garden to escape to, so swimming out to the reef for some quiet is the next best thing.

He hadn't anticipated coming face to face with a dog the size of a horse, though.]

Papyrus | Open

[boneafide]

A. PU'ULAI LANDING

[Islands! Beaches! It's all very novel to Papyrus, who has not only spent almost his entire life underground where there wasn't even sunlight, but also in a snowy village that was typically freezing. Not that it matter, given that he is a skeleton and can't feel temperature like that, but still. It was nice! It was new! It was exciting!

It was a little odd, actually. For some reason, ever since he got into that boat to travel across to Pu'ulai. Strangely... weaker? A little lightheaded, even.

Weird!! But nothing he should worry about!!

Excitedly, Papyrus leaps out of the boat once it's docked, and takes off running... Immediately feeling a strange weakness in his legs and tripping. Right into someone. That someone being you.]

Oof- oh! I'm sorry!

B. PUBLIC BATHS

[Look, he may be a skeleton, but he prides himself on being a very clean skeleton. So maybe even if the public bathhouses are no longer are being kept regularly due to the Water Runners being too busy to take care of everything everyday, and the water certainly isn't pleasantly warm, Papyrus is still intending on cleaning. Even if that means he also accidentally scares the rest of the Nawali out of the area once he finishes undressing, because. You know. A skeleton. It might be easier to talk to him when he has clothes on since a majority of his skeleton-ness is covered up by clothes, but all he has on right now is a towel around his waist as he wanders around the bath house.]

Hello?? Is anyone else in here??

[He might actually like being alone for this, though...]

C. THE GARDENS

[Now, with the Water Runners busy trying to take care of their own kind, and the needs of their respective villages, Papyrus is pretty sure no one has had the time to really water and tend to the flowers here. Lucky for the Nawali people, he is glad to take up that task himself! It took some time to gather up some water from the beach, and then to boil the salt out of it, and then to make sure he had enough, but here he is with several buckets full of water as he makes sure the plants have enough to keep blooming brightly.

Maybe you'd like to help him? Especially since he seems to be sighing with fatigue after all that work he did. How very... un-Papyrus-like.]

D. WILDCARD

[JUST THROW THINGS AT ME, DO IT.]

a

[ninmu]

[ it's not novel to Melan at all, but the tropical locale is soothing to him all the same - it reminds him of Submaton Color, and the sunset, and gentle time spent with Marin. Maybe that's why he's standing near the docks and looking out at the sea instead of flying up in the sky like he usually is.

Or maybe it's because he needs to be here to catch Papyrus in a most dashing fashion. Either way, the one Papyrus bumps into this time is Melan, who doesn't even budge at the impact - in fact, after a moment of brief surprise, he's quick to catch the skeleton in his arms, careful not to hit him with the edge of his blade. ]

Papyrus. Are you okay?

edna ; OTA

[terrormine]

I. PU'ULAI; MARKETPLACE

[Edna was taking a stroll in the marketplace with her trusty umbrella over her shoulder when her idle exploring is interrupted by a piece of some fruit flung at her. The umbrella took the hit, and thankfully it didn't get damaged, but the unprovoked assault was definitely enough to fully flare the irritation of the already usually not-so-sunny Seraph.]

Hey! What the HECK's your problem?

[What follows is angry yelling from a local Nalawi, pointing fervently at a certain something attached on the side of her umbrella as it ranted on about 'Dakal'. The ruckus is quickly gaining public attention, as some braver Nalawi look on with curiosity but others are looking fearful/concerned, if not shying away from the scene. The cause becomes more obvious as the argument escalates: the little plush-like accessory on her umbrella is getting mistaken as some sort of devil.]

I don't know what's got your antlers all up in a twist, but whatever those 'Dakals' are, they're nothing like Normins. But you're not even listening, are you--?

[--As another piece of produce is flung her way, but this time, she manages to parry it on point. The fruit is deflected by the tip of her umbrella, before falling harmlessly onto the ground.]

You're really trying to pick a fight, huh? Are you even aware of how many of your own's day you just ruined through fear-mongering? And stop wasting food, you moron! They're grown from the ashes of your precious volcanoes, aren't they? Are you seriously so stupid and desperate to think that you're making a difference, squandering your own resources and assaulting visitors just because of an accessory I carry that's from a different world entirely?

[This may or may not get worse...]

II. KOMO; LAVA TUNNELS

[okay so screw the Pu'ulai Nalawis, who're so deluded and panicked that they found her cute little Normin offensive. At least it wasn't everyone, as some curious locals at the scene didn't quite think the little critter hanging off her umbrella was particularly cat-like. So Edna's opted to seek out an isolated area by the exit of a lava tunnel to the shoreline of Komo, a particularly rocky one where only daring children would come play.

Still, she's here for several purposes. One to cool off and find some peace and quiet for a change, but the other is to verify a nagging concern that's been eating at her since morning. It is so that bringing one boot down onto the stony surface as she takes one firm step forward, the immediate vicinity of the cavern quietly rumbled. Steadily, a series of jagged rocks begin to rise from the ground before her, but the straight formation is created a slow rhythm, and they don't come up any higher than her knee.

Her eyes narrow.]

Hmph.

[If the rumbling and shaking of the tunnel just now didn't catch anyone's attention, the next few ones might, as she'll be casting more earth-based Seraphic Artes to gauge the full strength (or lack of, honestly) of her powers. As an entity practically made of magical powers, she's definitely starting to feel the drop.]

1!...or i

[humerous]

[Y'know usually he'd make more of an effort in trying to break this up, but he's really not feeling up to it. While Sans is joining everyone in enduring the sensation of their magic disappearing, the guy only has a single hitpoint, so he's weakened a lot easier in a shorter span of time. Still, he sees her as he's walking along and decides it's...probably for the best she doesn't start anything, approaching to take her by the arm with a not so strong grip.]

Hey, c'mon kiddo. This is hardly the time and place for it.

[And he knows it's frustrating, really. Chantes had been like this considering the humans were suspicious towards anything particularly inhuman.]

Just let it go.

badou nails | ota!

[nichocolatine]

A: INN

[ it ain't the worst place he's ever had to stay in, but it ain't exactly the best either. then again, most of that's due to the fact that everything here's made for people — animals? creatures? aliens? — two feet shorter, so after the fourth or fifth time he bangs his head against the doorway, it can get kinda irritating.

you can probably hear him banging around in his room right before his door suddenly swings open, and out walks a man in a pretty sharp suit... if it weren't for the, you know, large blood stain all along his side.

he's fine, though! at least he seems fine, especially when he walks right towards you, regardless what you're doing, all smooth smiles and chipper tones. it's almost easy to forget the slightly frayed look to the edge of his one visible eye. ]

Howdy, neighbor! You wouldn't happen to have some detergent on ya, huh? [ he sheepishly gestures towards the stained shirt, as if it were nothing more than an inconvenience. ] Had a lil' accident, y'know how it is.

B: MARKETPLACE

[ it's a pretty comical scene that he makes: this tall pole of a man stooping down to try and make eye contact with a diminutive native, looking for all the world like he's trying to impart the world's more important message. ]

Ice cream. Ice. Cream. Y'know, like — ice but also cream?

[ large doe-eyes blink up at badou just as he feels a large bead of sweat trail down the back of his neck. distractedly, he swipes at it, but there are still plenty more along his brow that seem to completely go unnoticed by the komoan vendor standing stoically before him.

he grits his teeth, absently gnashing on a twig he'd plucked up from the ground (don't ask), and straightens up to his full height, earning a grateful crack or two from his spine. ]

I'm just sayin' — you'd make a real killing!

C: CANOE

[ frankly, he's not entirely sure why he got on this damn thing in the first place. he probably had a pretty good idea, in the beginning, but by the time it came time for him and another on the line, he'd forgotten it, but by then it seemed a little silly to just suddenly back out. i mean, shit, he musta been in line for two, maybe three hours?? you don't just let that kinda dedication go to waste! (spoilers: it was more like 50 minutes.)

and, okay, okay, maybe he'd been getting a little stir-crazy mulling about on that little island. maybe good ol' curiosity felt like killing the cat some more, and took hold of his legs to get him to the shore. maybe he was just plain bored.

whatever the reason, he's here now, squashed into a teeny canoe with one other person, his suddenly-too-damn-long legs drawn up flush against his chest and trying very hard (but probably failing) not to kick the other person as he wriggles a hand down his side to try and coax a cigarette pack out of his pocket.

he squints in the horizon, just barely making out the shoreline of the next island. ]

So, uh. Is it a bad time to say I gotta go?

CYOA

[ if there's something specific you'd like to do that isn't listed here, feel free to hit me up! ]

A

[roque]

[Eyepatch man in sharp suit, meet near albino boy in a pristine white... surely a uniform of some sort, with a strange cape-like shape covering almost every inch of him. ... Honestly, the garment is almost too white for the fact that they've been on this island for some time now, let alone anything it might have been through before Nalawi.

There is only the slightest reaction to the bloodstain- a look, a slight raise of brow, cock of head, glance over the person in question... yet they seemed to be standing, speaking without much strain. Seemed almost... nonchalant, even, in their request. A nonchalance met with a slight deferential bow of head.]

I am afraid I do not.

[What a talkative neighbor.]

[dbag]

[ as before, please fill out these special snowflake permissions! ]

a | the inn

[ After being spotted grappling with deer-children — it was in self-defense — Rhys isn't the Nalawi's favorite person. The innkeeper is old and sweet and maybe a bit senile, though, and Rhys is playing a long-term game of chess with him, so they're basically BFFs. (They aren't BFFs.) Because of this and this only, he doesn't have to sleep on the cold hard ground. He still doesn't hang around the inn for long, though, what with the dirty looks he gets. In fact, as he makes his way down the stairs, he fully intends to get the hell out of dodge immediately.

He stops by the chess board, sees the innkeeper has made another move (dammit, he's winning) and stares at it for a bit before moving his knight. He turns to leave, then suddenly jumps. ]

Don't do that, [ he says to thin air. He's not even trying to whisper, it's embarrassing. ] Where have you been?

[ A pause, like he's listening to someone talk. ]

Okay, that's... disturbing. I'm just gonna pretend I didn't hear that.

[ Annnnnd he keeps talking. To literally nothing. ]

b | marketplace

Come on, we can work this out. [ Rhys is standing in front of a merchant, accompanied by a small floating robot. Well, it's sort of floating? It's doing a really bad job of it, jerking around in the air. ] You said things, I said things— I mean, you said some... really, really uncalled for things, but I'm willing to forgive and forget.

[ They've been arguing for the past half-hour after Rhys tried to haggle with him. Things got a little nasty. Feelings were hurt, egos were damaged. ]

You people have to use wrenches or something, right? [ Yes, "you people." It's an improvement, though, since before he wasn't even referring to them as people! The deer makes an obscene gesture, clearly done with him. The people behind him begin to complain about him holding up the line. ] Fine. [ He starts to walk away, then turns back to say, ] You know what, your— your face is... punchable... also.

[ Having had the last word, he starts to walk off, Dumpy in tow. Immediately, Dumpy bumps into the side of Rhys' face. This is why he needs a wrench... or something. As they walk away, whoops! Dumpy runs right into you, too. Luckily, it won't leave any marks, but he is made of metal, so it sort of hurts. If you're really lucky, he'll respond with an indecipherable scream. ]

c | wildcard

[ as usual, do what you want, idc, hit me up on plurk or by pm if you wanna discuss! ]

A

[headlining]

[This has been a terrible day. And like all terrible days, it feels as if time is going much slower than usual, and Keats is almost half surprised it isn't the afternoon yet. One of the major reasons why it's a terrible day is that he's been battling the strangest onset of sickness - it came on him so suddenly, and he's been struggling to try to go about and investigate things as usual. He feels weak, wobbly, his head foggy, and the sudden sight of a man just blatantly talking to thin air is not helping matters much.]

[Keats pauses to give Rhys a bleary look, raising an eyebrow, before turning away and muttering to himself:]

Oh, great. I'm surrounded by crazy people. Of course I am.

[He says, as if this isn't even the strangest thing that he's seen, but it's sure adding to the giant pile of weirdness that's been building ever since he joined ALASTAIR.]

[likemyfatherbeforeme]

a. The Temple

[ Luke's prior experience with temples is minimal at best. The last one he'd been in (ok, and technically the first one he'd been in too) had been the Jedi Temple on Vrogas Vas and that had ended... less than ideally. So far this temple has exhibited a noticeable lack of homicidal droids, which is definitely a point in its favor even if he still isn't quite sure just what it is he's supposed to be looking for.

For lack of anything resembling concrete instructions, he's taking his time doing a recon of the temple's interior, leisurely inspecting the murals wrapping along the walls. They don't really do much to take his mind off of things or to dull his sense of frustration, but it's got to be better than nothing. Besides, there's something about the temple itself that feels right in some way he can't quite define. It doesn't necessarily feel familiar and it isn't exactly a strictly good feeling either. It's more a weight, as if the centuries of beings and their belief have been building up over the years. He doesn't know what a non-ruined Jedi Temple would feel like, but perhaps it's just a bit like that. Quiet and still and waiting and filled with a history that remains tantalizingly out of his reach. ]

b. The Beach (aka this fricking novel idek)

[ By all rights, it shouldn't be this difficult. He's stuck here for the moment and, wherever here is, it's surrounded by water. He isn't leaving here until They decide he can. So it's in everyone's best interest that he get used to the situation as soon as possible. But it really would have been nice if someone could've warned him about the water.

It's not that Luke has anything against water. Not really. If anything, he treats it with the sort of reverence that most reserve for precious metals or valuable gems. His entire life to this point was more than enough to drive that point home. Water makes sense when in containers ready for shipment, or being carefully doled out into a hydroponics system, or being rationed aboard a starship. It's liquid credits.

So to suddenly be confronted with an entire ocean full of the stuff is... unnerving at best. His brief experiences with rain on Yavin had been strange enough, but this is something else entirely. Everything in this place seems to revolve around water and he's well aware that he'll have to adjust fairly quickly. Paramount to that adjustment will be learning how to swim. Or at least figuring out a reliable way of not drowning if and when he falls out of a boat.

Which is why Luke is now standing alone and silent on the beach. From a distance he looks calm, even determined. But at a closer range a certain degree of trepidation can be seen. Try as he like, all that he can think of is that thing on the Death Star pulling him down and under the murky water of the trash compactor. The unfamiliar weight of the liquid pressing against him, the burn as it flooded his throat when he tried to scream, the building pressure as the creature simply waited for him to given in and drown while he fought its tentacles. The water here is nothing like that though, calm and clean and crystal clear. There are no mysterious creatures lurking in the shallows, only colorful schools of small, darting fish. There's no real reason to be afraid. ]

Okay. This is easy. It's no big deal, right? No big deal.

[ As he speaks encouragingly to himself, Luke cautiously moves one bare foot into the water. But he pushes past the apprehension and moves steadily deeper and deeper, going almost to his knees before something in the sand beneath him decides to wriggle out and swim away. The shock is enough to send him stumbling backwards with a panicked yelp until he's safe on dry land again, sitting in an undignified tangle of limbs on the sand. ]

No big deal, huh, Skywalker?

c. Wildcard

[ hit me up on plurk or pm and we can set something up ]

[conqueress]

[ Drogon sails upon the wind in lazy, cutting movements, dipping to lance the water with his claws when it pleases him. In the clear blue shallows, Dany can make out clouds of silver fish arcing away from him in fear, scattering frantically into shining fragments. Has he always played with his meals like that?

The sound of a minor commotion draws her attention, even above the dull roar of the waves, and she lowers the map she's been studying, sighting a man some yards down the shore who is near enough to her age to make no matter. He's stumbling, yelping, landing upon the sand--had there been something in the water?

Curious, she casts another glance at Drogon, and starts off in the direction of a jerkin so garishly yellow, it might have put Daario to shame. Before long, she has reached him, extending a hand in help. There's no blood upon his legs, that she can see. ]

Were you struck? [ The question is polite enough, though now she wonders what might have made a man grown flail like that. Her silver-blonde hair is pale enough to almost be blinding, in the sun's glare. ]