epidemiology | EVENT ★ EXPLORATION

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EVENT ★ EXPLORATION

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.

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( 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

_{[ 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? ]}

( 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. ]}

Edited 2016-04-04 02:57 (UTC)

[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.]

_{[ Well, in that case, Sadaharu hadn't expected to come across another person in the reef while he and Gintoki fish for the Nalawi.
He's attentive when he spots Kojuro and lets out an excited, yet puppy-like bark, possibly to get Gintoki's attention.

..who promptly ignores him. ]}

Yeah, yeah. I just took you out for a pee break, but I guess I kind of have to go too..

_{[ nvm that, he's just going to trot right up to Kojuro, slushing water along the way.
Yes, that horse sized dog is coming right for you. ]}

[would he rather fight one horse-sized dog or a hundred dog-sized horses? He's not sure. Though he's excellent with horses and decent with dogs - maybe he can handle this.

He lifts up his hand for the giant dog to smell - that's usually a decent place to start]

Hello there. [his expression of calm is a little forced, but his voice doesn't betray it.]

_{[ A good place to start! Sadaharu sniffs the hand and opens his maw to pant, hot breath right in Kojuro's face. I hope you like dog smell.
The new voice gets Gintoki's attention and he turns to look at them both, eyelids falling halfway open. Huh. Another person is joining them.

Gintoki begins to tread behind, bringing along a net filled with fish with him. ]}

Sadaharu-kun, don't even think about humping. Or biting. Or peeing on this guy.
—Not yet, at least.
_{[ what was with that response. ]}

[when you have slept on a battlefield for weeks on end, dog breath is plenty-tolerable by comparison. Kojuro reaches up to tentatively pet the huge dog on the forehead - he can't quite reach the top of his head easily]

Ah - is Sadaharu your name, then? [talking to the dog first, here. He then glances at Gintoki]

Is he yours?

_{[ it's okay, Sadaharu dips his head down to get pets. YES. BETWEEN HIS LITTLE DOGGY-BROWS.. RIGHT THERE.
Gintoki doesn't quite make it to them when he stops in the more shallow water. He rubs the back of his neck, not seeming too thrilled with this topic of conversation: ]}

He might as well be.
_{[ Kagura forgets to feed him and take him out, so..
Might as well be his. ]}

I dunno what I feed it to get so big. He's always been like that.

[GOOD BOY have lots of scritches, because petting furry things is soothing to everyone, Kojuro included]

Ah... [Who is he to question, really. He's from a land of shounen nonsense too.

Anyway, this weird dead-fish-eyes guy sounds familiar]

...You're that odd samurai, right? [what a way to remember someone]

_{[ Gintoki too. Not like he's going to so easily admit that, though.
Odd samurai though. ]}

That'd be me.
_{[ sure, he'll take it. The title he has doesn't mean anything in the world he's from, but it means something to him. ]}

[ turns out, gintoki and sadaharu aren't the only owner/pet pair to come by this way this particular evening. (why they choose to visit a place called the dead walk during the nighttime is beyond mortal comprehension tbh...)

but all it takes is a turn around a corner and suddenly gintoki and his friend will come face-to-face with a hooded figure and her friend, though olivia is first to respond with a startled gasp and a little jump — enough of a movement to make the hood of her clock fall back, revealing her features under the moonlight. at her side, a small lion cub squeaks noisily at the pair who so dared to make his adoptive mother so startled. not that he is all that intimidating, considering he still barely comes up to her knee.... ]

_{[ Gintoki stops in his tracks, feeling his heart rate accelerate at the sight of a hooded figure and instantly assumes the worst. It's a ghost? A phantom? The grim reaper trying to finally take his soul?

You have to realize several things. Gintoki has killed too many people to really count in his lifetime; the only thing he needs is their spirit back to haunt him. And secondly, a spirit isn't driven away with a weapon like Gintoki knows how to use, so it makes him a bit skittish.

Anyway, he shrills.
Sadaharu, on the other hand, can sense Olivia's innocence and her scent, and just barks (very much like a puppy) a her. ]}

[ gintoki's shriek nearly has olivia yelling a second time, but thankfully for everyone's ears, sadaharu's barking comes quickly enough to distract her. hand still pressed against her chest, olivia is at least able to determine that this new addition to gintoki's side is a companion and not a threat. ]

Oh gosh —

[ mistaking the giant dog's barking for aggression, however, saffron squeaks loudly in complaint, his tiny lion roar sounding quite minuscule in comparison. especially when he has yet to come out from behind olivia's legs. ]

Mr. Gintoki — you startled us!

[ yes, this is all your fault... ]

Oh, but who is this? A friend of yours??

Edited 2016-04-11 01:26 (UTC)

_{[ Sadaharu opens his mouth, panting, unable to really side what appears to be like a smile on his muzzle. His large tail is wagging behind him, but he also gets distracted by the small creature behind Olivia. His mouth shuts, nose twitching and following the ground to its scent, giant paws leading him right to Olivia.

He allows his nose touch to Saffron.

Gintoki, looking exasperated, slouches his posture. ]}

Don't say crap like that when you very well startled us first. What's with that get up? Are you trying to be a reaper?
_{[ oh.. but girls like dogs, right.. he remembers that when he took Sadaharu to the dog park once.
Quickly, he replies: ]}

He's a pain in my ass from home. That's who he is.

[ at the sudden invasion of personal space, saffron jumps back a bit in shock, his own minuscule maw (in comparison to sadaharu's, at least) opening to let out a small squeak of discontent.

however, just like his adoptive mother, the lion cub's own curiosity soon gets the better of him, and before long he starts to inch closer and closer towards the large dog, tentatively sniffing at the air between them...

until finally the little lion is bumping his own nose back against sadaharu's. a challenge accepted! or friendship acquired, whichever. ]

Wait — he's someone from your home?

[ the excitement and fondness that had been in olivia's eyes with regards to the large animal suddenly triples, but now it is directed at gintoki instead. her eyes even get a little teary at the thought because finally, finally — a companion from home that can keep him company and keep all the terrible loneliness at bay...! ]

Oh gosh, I'm — I'm so happy for you...!

[ screw propriety YOU GET A HUG, GINTOKI!! ]

_{[ Gintoki just stares at her flatly— as he often does— and somewhere in the back of his mind is wondering if she is.. actually crying over something like this. Gintoki was relieved to find Sadaharu, and when nobody was around, buried himself in the giant animal's fur and probably was an embarrassing mess.

Gintoki is worried, though. That leaves Kagura and Shinpachi without their pet.
He much rather him be back home to at least protect his "family.."

Gintoki grunts when he's hugged, weight shifting back on his heels before he slowly lifts his hands and wraps his arms around Olivia. ]}

Thanks.. I guess.
_{[ He doesn't sound too thrilled about it. ]}

[ WAIT IS HE ACTUALLY HUGGING HER BACK WITHOUT MUCH OF A FUSS/FIGHT?!

sadly, olivia is too distracted by his lackluster answer to even fully appreciate this moment (gdi >:'c).

she pulls back from the hug a little — not enough that it breaks, but just enough that she can lean back and look at him, eyes wide and glassy. ]

You guess...? Aren't you happy?

_{[ Aren't you happy?
Gintoki isn't sure he can really remember when he was actually, truly happy. It was probably an odd time when Shinpachi and Kagura were getting accustomed to working for him and they became more "family-like" as opposed to subordinates. That's probably what made him happy again after all he had gone through. Things like sugar, JUMP, alcohol and one night stands were passing gladness— not anything permanent but it was a futile attempt to try and make himself feel good without anybody knowing that. It's not like they needed to know, anyway.

He keeps his arms around her, loosely. He'll actually let her break the hug whenever she wants. ]}

If he's here, then he probably isn't back home, right? _{[ Honestly, that had never been answered to them— what happens to their homes or their presence when they're here instead. Do their lives freeze? Do they go missing? Who knows. ]}

Kagura-chan is probably heartbroken. He's her pet.
_{[ ah.. ofc.. thinking of others before himself. ]}

[ olivia can't even be surprised.

of course he'd be thinking of others before even thinking of himself. she's seen him do it before, oftentimes because of her, and while it breaks her heart to see him deny himself even this little bit of joy, she can understand.

to gintoki, it's never about him.

(i'll only corrupt you.)

it's always about everyone else. ]

Oh, boss... [ briefly, she slips into the persona of catherine-san, his devoted assistant. easier then to look him in the eye, easier still to lift a hand up to his cheek and gently cup it. ]

I wish you'd let yourself be as happy as you deserve.

spoiler-rific

naturallywavy - 2016-04-18 15:06 (UTC) - Expand

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[ She's seen many odd things today and has seen Gintoki act oddly, too. Still, there's something strange seeing him upset, or rather, just downright startled. Fortunately for him, Alice is far too kind with him to poke fun at him. ]

Mister Gintoki, are you alright?

_{[ Gintoki almost jumps if he wasn't so accustomed to Alice's voice. But, hearing her reassures him a little.
Meanwhile, Sadaharu wags his tail as he sees Alice. NEW FRIEND!! ]}

O—Oi, of course I am! What made you think I wasn't?

You seemed nervous about something. Are you sure?

[ It's so strange to see him so jittery. Although, on the other hand, dog. Fluffy animal. Alice immediately extends her hands out, big grin and all- ]

Hello, there. Aren't you lovely?

_{[ Of course her attention diverts to Sadaharu. Who could ignore him? He's so big and white.. and.. eager to get pets.
Sadaharu presses his big, wet nose against her palm (her hand probably fits exactly around it before he opens his mouth to bite.. but doesn't.
Because Gintoki is giving him a warning look. ]}

It's fine. It's whatever.
_{[ It has nothing to do with the fact he has a crazy imagination and is expecting the souls of those he's killed to gang up on him here.. or anything. ]}

Edited 2016-04-23 13:10 (UTC)

Stuff and nonsense?

[ Alice adds as her eyes bounce between Gintoki and Sadaharu. It doesn't take long for Alice to nuzzle herself against him. Of course her attention is going to be diverted to a big, fluffy dog. How can it not. ]

If you were startled, it's alright to admit to it.

[ She's joking with the straightest of faces; teasing Gintoki is a rarity for her. ]

_{[ Oh nooo. Cute. Sadaharu likes the nuzzles! And somebody so small too.. it's almost like having Kagura here.
The big dog sits, tail thumping up and down against the ground. Yes, big happy dog likes little pets.

Gintoki huffs, admitting to it without actually saying so: ]}

Surely you're nervous in a place like this.
_{[ .. right? He's not just wigging out for no reason.. right? ]}

[ And Alice loves to pet and cuddle animals; they're about the only thing she will ever be this affectionate with. ]

Sometimes.

[ The omission has Alice doing a double take. He doesn't seem like he would ever admit to something like this. ]

I don't like being a place I don't know. There's too many strange things, strange people...

[ So she has a bit of social anxiety. ]

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EVENT ★ EXPLORATION

Gintoki Sakata | OTA

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did their pets just kiss

;0

i hate you

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spoiler-rific

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