welcome to akvos (log #1)

[acatamods]

I ▫ main IV ▫ premise       XI ▫ applications XIV ▫ activity II ▫ logs V ▫ rules VII ▫ bestiary   IX ▫ canon updates XII ▫ taken XV ▫ drop/hiatus III ▫ ooc VI ▫ faq VIII ▫ setting   X ▫ mods XIII ▫ reserves XVI ▫ players welcome to the kingdom of akvos. It will happen at random- you could be asleep, or wandering the Temple, or a variety of other options. It will feel a little strange, like a sudden warmth spreading across your skin, and then your bracelet will light up. When you blink again, everything has shifted - changed, developed, like in that blink of an eye you have advanced . . . where, exactly? A NOTE FROM YOUR FRIENDLY . . . WAIT, WHO IS THAT? But before anything too weird can happen . . . your watch flashes again, beeps once, and on it has a new message, a hologram-sparkly image with a young man who (to some individuals!) looks quasi-familiar. He is thin, with large eyes and speaks quietly, but with great purpose. Whoever this is, it doesn't seem to be a person that is a fan of much pomp and circumstance. . . but wherever he is, he is speaking on dry-land, though he looks like he's just recently gotten out of a pool. "If you are watching this, then you are a member of the Circle, and have triggered a protective rune that I have cast within this Kingdom known as Akvos that has activated this message. I do not have much time, but my name is Kathashun. I need your assistance, and I am not sure whether we will ever find one another again. But if you are listening to this, heed my words: take care, because you know not what your actions do. The magic in this world is powerful, and whatever is seeping through this planet may not be able to be stopped, but trust me when I say that when we meet -- " There is a noise, a banging on a door, and Kathashun's eyes dart to the left, before a voice off-screen says, "As much as I love listening to you talk, we need to go." There's a moment's pause before Kathashun refocuses his attention on you, and his eyes (normally a deep brown) begin to change into what appears to be a liquid gold color, and the message begins to crackle. "We will meet again. Heed my words; find the Princess." And, just like that, the connection dies, leaving you to the depths of the ocean. Welcome to Akvos. ARRIVAL A: THE PALACE OF WAHINE. The first group arrives at the Royal Palace of Wahine, smack-dab in the bustling center of what appears to be the lost city of Atlantis. It is in an area of Akvos that is completely underwater, with gentle currents wafting through the water that guide people on their merry way. There is plenty to locate here, depending on what you want to find. There are dozens of musically inclined merfolk wandering through the courtyards of the Palace, a shopping area selling intricate jewelry and other decorative pieces, and even the Queen herself. Feel free to set up threads regarding any information you discovered in the World OOC post, but here are some ideas for those needing a place to start! Prompt Ideas: - Are you musically inclined? There seems to be a band of colorful mermaids striking up a merry tune with reed flutes, horns made out of massive seashells, and is that a bass playing the bass? You bet your ass it is. . There's even a potential spot for the Circle to join in, if you're so inclined! They may even pay you for your services if you're really good. - The Queen has offered a reward for any information concerning the location of Princess Kea, who has been missing for a little over a week. A band of scrappy young investigators (complete with matching uniforms) is eager to begin, and has a list of potential "clues" to track down in the Palace area, ranging from: the Princess' prized hair-comb, her harpoon, information on her favorite restaurant, and her beloved pet flounder. None of these items are actually within reach except her favorite restaurant, which will happily either (1) talk about how amazing the Princess is or (2) accept help in the kitchens to serve up a busy restaurant time. Either way, you can earn some seashells. - The Royal Guard is looking for some mercenary work to comb the city for clues, and seeing as the Circle is oh-so-eager to help out with whatever is going on in Akvos, they're willing to give you a shot! The only problem is that you have to be ready to swim, so be prepared to swim endless laps in circles around the perimeter of Queen Wai's massive home to seemingly no avail. . . . do they actually need the help or are they just laughing at you? Dammit. - The Palace of Wahine has an underwater library, which is pretty expansive . . . how do they have all of these materials underwater? There are several helpful octopus-libraries that are using their various tentacles to grab books, scrolls, and other materials off of the shelves to hand them to nearby patrons, and there's a lot of material here about the history of Akvos! You may also find a pretty interesting comic book series revolving around a powerful mermaid who looks suspiciously like Queen Wai, who thwarts the evils of inequality. If you ask Queen Wai about it, she will assure you that she has nothing to do with it, and her constituents are creatively minded people . . . but she doesn't seem to mind the good press. ARRIVAL B: THE DEPTHS OF MARKOLOS. The second group arrives in a rare pocket of air in Akvos -- a massive cavern, with multiple alcoves along the walls. Here, the population seems to be rather bleak in comparison to the rainbow-colored folk in the Palace of Wahine -- merpeople with larger eyes, sharper teeth, and darker scales. You have successfully located the hunting grounds of the Kingdom of Akvos, known as the Depths of Markolos -- an impossibly deep sinkhole that stretches into the depths of oblivion. The local population here doesn't actually know what's at the bottom of it, but lately, there are odd happenings in the Depths that the population will tel you about. For one, dead fish seem to be appearing with increasing frequency, and the temperature of the Depths has dropped to a frigid point. Layers of ice have been found below the surface that were not there previously, and there is plenty of talk of whether or not their food supply for the Kingdom is endangered by whatever is causing this random bout of ice. Prompt Ideas: - Have you ever tried spear-fishing? An angler-fish mermaid, with haunting eyes and massively sharp teeth, is eager to teach the Otherworlders! She's pretty nice, despite her scary appearance, and will pay seashells to folks willing to stay in the "shallow" area of the Depths to spear pretty easy looking fish. She will also lend out fishing equipment for those want to give it a try! - The Brig is located in the Depths, and if you violate the law in other areas, you will be brought here. The cells are small and cramped, with no beds or cots to speak of, and you are fed less-than-great quality raw fish while in here. Petty thievery and the like will be punished for two days, and once you are released, you are stuck in the Depths You can also talk to some of the prisoners here, who will be interested in swapping a surprising amount of seashells for fresh raw fish. They also like to gamble. :) - There are some side-tunnels in the Depths along the walls that contain shellfish to hunt and scavange! The only problem is that some of them have a fairly strong current, and -- voila, it is a massive Slip-N-Slide. Sneaking into one will rocket you through a tunnel and spit you out at a lower level of the Depths, but be careful -- you might wind up face to face with a pretty terrifying looking fish that is a bit too big for you to handle, so explore these tunnels with some care. - The mermaids here will warn against going too deep into the Depths, but there is nothing to stop you from exploring. In addition to the ice clustered along the western wall of the cavern, there's plenty of creepy looking fish in the depths. In particular, the mermaids will warn you against infuriating a creature named Honohu -- who is this beloved little Leviathian-looking monstrosity who will absolutely attempt to eat you if you go too deep. Enjoy? ARRIVAL C: THE FIELDS OF AKOVOSIA The third group will be deposited in a beautiful coral reef, full of color and swaying seaweed. It is an impossibly beautiful sight, and the merpeople here are equally bright and colorful, to blend in with tehir surroundings. There are no shortage of clownfish and angelfish-esque merpeople floating around, collecting plantlife, creating new clothing, or even hunting poisonous smaller fish for usage in their medicinal techniques. However, the more you explore the fields, the more you begin to notice odd patches of dead coral. It almost looks as if certain random patches were afflicted by some type of illness that has completely robbed it of its color. The merpeople nearby will not know very much about it, but if you continue digging and asking the right people, perhaps you'll find out the source of this sudden illness. Prompt Ideas - Have you ever gone dolphin-racing? . . . or, well, they look like dolphins, complete with saddles and harnesses that the merfolk are entirely too eager to pass off onto the landfolk. It seems they race these dolphins in the currents for sport in between their collecting of plantlife and hunting. Feel free to ask the curator of these beings, a burly-looking mermaid who will happily lend you a dolphin for a seashell an hour. - Batter up! You can find what appears to be a weird baseball/rugby crossover sport, in which the merpeople crack hunks of coral with sticks . . . but then tackle each other at the different bases instead of, you know, tapping them lightly to signify them being out. They're always looking for new players to join, but be warned! They take their sport seriously. - Investigating the beautiful coral reef will garner a lot of pretty looking rocks and other types of intricate material that could be used for crafting, which is always up for collecting for money. Mermaids will be wandering around with baskets to collect various goods, so feel free to help out! - Finally, there are a lot of mermaids just sitting around shooting the shit, gossiping, fussing about home, and collecting materials to make what's needed in their day to day lives. A few of them seem to be knitting some type of material underwater -- weird, right? But feel free to obtain some cool textiles fresh off the proverbial racks, for a price. ARRIVAL D: THE THUNDERDOME. The last group to arrive may think that this is some type of stupid joke, as the merfolk around this area really do refer to it as the Thunderdome. It is a massive underwater cavern, filled with thousands and thousands of jellyfish. It seems that the merfolk tend to these beings for a multitude of reasons -- one, for food, two, for venom, and three, for . . . electricity? The jellyfish in this area seem to crackle with energy, and the merfolk in this area will inform you that this is where they obtain power which they charge their weapons and lights with. The bioluminescence is pretty startling to see, and the jellyfish themselves seem to be relatively harmless. But there is a certain area of the Thunderdome that is flickering in and out of darkness . . . an area where the jellyfish seem to be a lot less bright. The merfolk don't really understand what's going on, but whatever is happening in Akvos seems to be affecting the jellyfish in a negative way. They don't seem horribly concerned, but. Here we are. Prompt Ideas: - The armory is located in the Thunderdome, and you can buy a bunch of cool weapons here! Glow in the dark swords, electrified knives, bows, and harpoons can be found here, varying in price. They all seem to be rust-proof, too, given their environment, and the craftsmanship here is like no other. The people here really take their craft seriously, so happy shopping. - The main attraction here, though, is definitely the jellyfish. They deliver a rather nasty shock, and anyone who touches them will glow a weird blue color for at least three days afterwards. The merpeople seem to know how to fix this, but likely will not do so because they warned you not to touch the damn things, you stupid landfolk. Navigate them carefully, and you may even be able to earn some coin in helping shepherd them! - A group of mermaids are looking for people to fish out the sickly looking jellyfish in order to be treated by what appears to be Akvos' version of a veterinarian. The sickly looking ones are the ones that are flickering dim, and while the veterinarian has no idea what is going on with them, they want them out. Just be careful not to touch them, though. You will definitely glow blue for a few days, even though these ones are ill! - The mermaids in the Thunderdome enjoy practicing their skills with each other, in terms of weaponry, battle tactics, and the like, but they also enjoy their downtime too! Find little pockets of folks hanging out, chatting, and playing some weird game that involves what appear to be coral dice and flattened stones. It almost looks like they're gambling seashells or something . . . time to get in on the action, if you can learn the rules, anyway. Additionally, please feel free to write up and work with your own prompts! These are presented as jumping off points for your characters, not limitations. The idea of this world- as with all the others- is to explore. If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask them back on the various threads back in the OOC post from before! REMEMBER: For the entirety of this log, you can only physically interact with those in your group. For the first two weeks, the network will be completely defunct. After two weeks, you may send intermittent text messages to those in other groups. From this point forward, the Circle has become involved with the Kingdom of Akvos. What your character finds out, decides, and does from here on out will affect the future of this city- one way or another! But what you do is completely up to you. What you discover, explore, and uncover will be yours to discover, explore, and uncover. Who knows what you might find? :)

Comments

GROUP A

[p_mortem]

i.
[ Minato had wished for a large city for their next world to save, so he should be counting his blessings instead of lamenting the fact that not only is the place underwater, but even the indoors is submerged in water. There's no denying that the palace is beautiful, and Minato feels incredibly out of his element even as he treads water and looks about him- to find several groups of mermaids looking back.

They're like girls in his high school, always travelling together in pairs or small groups, which makes it hard to approach, but that never stopped him. Maybe he'd gotten too comfortable around them, because eventually, he's surrounded by all sides like a child being ganged up by a group of colorful thugs. But if you get close enough to hear their conversation, they're talking about...

makeup?

They're discussing liquid eyeliner and Minato has five sticks of pigment in his hands. ]

Guaranteed waterproof, huh... These'll be useful. Can I really have them?

[ They'll be useful for what? Listen, despite all other evidence, he knows what he's doing. This time. ]

ii.
—sorry, could you repeat that again?

[ There are half a dozen babbling children surrounding Minato, tugging him this way and that, and his feet have floated off the ground so that he's at the mercy of whichever way they pull him. He doesn't look too bothered, although he keeps trying to listen to one child before another pulls on his hair or undoes his shoelaces in a bid for attention.

"Keali'i'wahinewai!" one of the little merchildren gurgles in his ear, from where she's clinging onto his arm. "Ke! A! Li! I! Wa! Hi! Ne! Wai!!" ]

Keali'i'wa— ouch...

[ That's his hair being tugged again... Minato heaves a sigh, casting his gaze out for somebody else- mermaid or otherwise- who looks to be good with children. Somebody, please. He's not sure he's the best choice for a babysitter, and he definitely isn't getting paid enough for this. ]

iii.
[ It's always the case, in a small town or a large city, that gossip travels quickly- and even quicker when you find the right people to ask, who are ever eager to talk to somebody who hasn't heard the story half a dozen times already. Minato's more of an eavesdropper than an interrogator, but while he's usually fine going around by himself and mingling with the crowd regardless, he really stands out in this population of tailfinned folk, lingering in front of the princess' supposedly favorite restaurant. ]

Hey, do you want to grab lung with me...? I keep getting weird looks when I'm just standing around by myself.

[ Nobody just stands there doing nothing, that's suspicious. But with somebody else with him, he won't look so pathetic eating alone and drawing pitying looks.

He's also. getting a tube of eye liner out if you say yes. He knows what he's doing, okay? ]

iv.
[ After several days of asking around, Minato starts feeling a little restless about the situation. Disappearances... apathy... It's not a problem new to him, although he hopes the situation is entirely different. He's not the best at making sense of information, but he can at least start somewhere and try to get everybody to collaborate and pool together what information they have.

He finds a place near the center of the palace where they'd all originally arrived, and has a tarp stretched out before him, weighed down on the corners by an upside down pot, a stack of rocks, and two cans of beans. On the tarp, he'd been writing down some of the things he'd heard around the palace— of the princess' strange behavior, of her last sighted location being the "Fields", etc. ]

If you learn anything else, could you write it down here? Having everything down in one place will help us put the pieces together.

[ Threadjacking is a-okay for this prompt! Or if you just want to jot down some notes and be on your merry way. ]

wc.
[ My plotting comment is here and my plurk is birdseed if you want to plot something else! This wildcard prompt may also apply to people from other groups after the 2nd week. ]

GROUP C

[cmyk]

i.
[ deep breaths

just take a deep breath and

CALMING DEEP BREATHS DON'T WORK WHEN EVERY TIME SHE TRIES, THE SENSATION OF DROWNING GRIPS HER THROAT and there's no way she'll get used to this, fighting against the natural instinct to hold her breath and not inhale water when she's completely submerged. With all this water around them all, nobody can even tell she's crying, eyes squeezed shut so water doesn't get into her eyes (salt water? freshwater? she doesn't know! it might be teeming with bacteria!! what if she goes blind!!!!!)

Hopefully everybody's already gone on their merry way from where they all first arrived so Yachi can die in peace. ]

ii.
[ However long it gets her to open her eyes, the sight immediately steals her breath away- and it's such a sight to behold, all the colors and the life the water is teeming with and she can't help but gasp in wonder.

Against her better judgement, she pushes off the ground towards the reef—- or, that was the plan, but something grips her around the ankles and she's saved from falling flat on her face only because the water steadies her back out.

But looking down at her feet, there's a patch of seaweed that doesn't look like it belongs in the fields of coral, tangled around her ankles and legs and only growing thicker and more unwieldy every time her feet stomp the ground as she struggles, trying to pull herself free to no avail. Alright! Yeah! Cool! ]

Somebody help...!

[ Hmm, maybe don't struggle, because coral is deceivingly sharp, and while nobody can see her tears, they could definitely see blood. ]

iii.
[ Over the course of a few days, some patches of dying coral appear to see new growth- not of coral, exactly, but other aquatic plants that are just as bright and colorful, a trail of which follows behind Yachi every time she steps down on the coral's surface. The streaks of plants and flowers here seem a little haphazard... aaaaand there is Yachi trying to run and dodge from one of the mermaids, who keeps trying to shove a bag of something in Yachi's hands but the other girl keeps trying to go around her and run away— an impossible feat when you're trying to walk under water and are faced off with somebody who can swim circles around you.

"Please stay still! I just want to pay you for your help!" the mermaid is saying, rattling the bag of shells as if the sound of clattering currency would get through to Yachi, although it's questionable that she hears any of this when she's screaming as per usual. ]

iv.
[ Presumably by now, somebody's gripped Yachi's shoulders and told her to calm tf down. She's calm. Super calm. Staring a dolphin dead in the eyes, like you're supposed to do with either a cat or a dog to establish dominance but not the other and she can't remember which is which.

The dolphin stares back at her, chattering.

Be brave, Hitoka, she tells herself, easing towards the dolphin and gripping the harness. She had wanted to see what was on the other side of the field of coral, where the patches of coral seem to be getting worse, and it would take forever trying to walk or swim that distance. The dolphins are used as transportation, she'd been told, and she knows all those stories of dolphins saving people from drowning- they're good, helpful creatures! She's got to believe that!

...

And here we flash forward to something zooming by your character's face like a torpedo, and if you happen to catch what it is, you might see (or hear; you'll probably hear, long before it comes and a while after) a girl, who'd fallen off the saddle, with her foot caught in one of the stirrups, at the complete mercy of this speeding dolphin who either does not notice, or is an asshole who thinks it's funny and does not care. ]

wc.
[ My plotting comment is here and my plurk is birdseed if you want to plot something else! This wildcard prompt may also apply to people from other groups after the 2nd week. ]

group A

[reeliable]

a.
[It hasn't been all that long since arriving, but Noctis has been having a somewhat unique problem - and that's the gaggle of mermaids that have taken to following him around. What he really wants to do is get away and figure out just how to swim and actually speak better while underwater, but having a crowd is making it difficult.

It doesn't help that the mermaids are giving him some very pointed smiles, batting of eyes, and express how nice he would look with a tail - and the look he gives the first Circle member he finds is a strained help. He's not straight out uncomfortable yet, but boy this wallflower wants to melt into the floor with this additional attention he's getting. The cause is more apparent when he swims closer, with two slits on either side of his neck flaring partially open and revealing neat, light blue gills.

Swooping around, he is just going to hold onto this unfortunate (fortunate?) person's shoulders and give an awkward smile.]


b.
[Noct has finally slipped away from his admirers long enough to find the library, and - well, there is a stack of comic books beside him - he has his nose in a larger book that shows the general geography of the city, and he is currently trying to decide further places to explore once he figures out how. It's a lot of space to cover without fins, and it isn't that he's a bad swimmer. Frowning, finally glancing up as he spies someone else going by with another book, he reaches up to catch their attention and gesture at his table.]

Hey, are you researching? I've got space, if you want to bounce ideas.


c.
[Wildcard! If we planned something out that we want to have happen, slam it here! Otherwise you can hit me up on discord, or on plurk at garchomps]

ii

[extirpator]

[ the sensation of drowning overwhelms his senses for a moment — but he's practiced being underwater enough. hyperaware of his surroundings and a bit too alert, he registers the crimson before he registers her...well, actual scream. ]

I'm coming!

[ he shifts his onto his heels, launching himself forward (like sharknado), motioning his arms forward and back to propel himself further. his heel settles onto the coral, and he unsheathes his sword before crouching down. ]

Stay still, alright? [ nier's voice is gentle; soft, in spite of the circumstances, look a mother trying to soothe a crying infant. ] I'm going to cut through the seaweed. If you keep stomping, the coral'll hurt you, so bear with me for a moment...

group c

[intoningly]

I. SEABISCUIT

[

This

but it's Zero on a dolphin, and that dolphin is barreling towards you at an extremely fast speed.

Get out of the way or don't? Regardless of whether she does or doesn't mow you over, she'll trap you by swimming very fast circles around you. ]

HEY! You got a second?

[ She asks, like you can really get away from her anyway. ]

II. Alls Fair in Love and Underwater Rugby

[ Again, you're probably just minding your own business– collecting shells, getting hit on by merfolk, etc.

Then in another second, you're on the ground. You've just had 130 pounds of Zero hurled at you in a full body tackle. You probably want an explanation right? Zero stands, a ball tucked under her arm. ]

You were standing on my third base.

[ To make her point she prods a large, flat shell at your feet with her toe. ]

I'm practicing. So either play, or get out of the way.

III. Wildcard

Hit me with whatever, my plurk is valroyeaux if you wanna plot

Group C | Hunk | OTA

[formleg]

I. Meet the Locals
[Hunk spins around.]

Woah what?!

[He gasps, speaking under water is startling and he gasps for a second, thinking he's about to die. In his surprise he sort of...spins...in the water before collecting himself. He's fine. This is just that world jump they'd been warned about...but who was that guy on the watches. Hunk looks around but doesn't see anyone he recognizes. He tries again.]

Hello? Can anyone hear me?

[He's speaking slowly, getting used to the feeling of it, but the watch doesn't seem to be responding at all. Hunk frowns, tapping at the screen with his finger.]

Come on. Don't tell me they're going to break now! Did I get the only non-waterproof one?

[He debates breaking it open, but exposing the inner workings to the water seems like an even worse plan. He hears voices nearby and swims over, coming around a particularly thick batch of coral -- only to find a trio of mermaids. Of course. He floats for a moment and they stare at him with equal surprise.]

Uh...hi? [There's a pause and then he asks.] It's not safe and warm here, is it?

II. Food Or Medicine
[After he gets adjusted to the fact that they are under water, they can breathe, and nothing here is immediately trying to kill him...well Hunk takes to the culture pretty well. He'd obviously drawn to the food stalls which seem to be just as colorful as everything else. The mermaid behind the stall is giving Hunk a curious look, but she doesn't seem to mind his attention or questions.]

Okay, hold on, you're telling me the mucus from this sea slug can unclog your sinuses AND you use it as a sauce? [There's a pause and then he asks.] Can I try some?

III. Coral Collection
[Hunk's a baker and a mechanic, so he understands the importance of gathering the right materials. He'd seen a lot of stuff in the market, figured out their system of exchange, and decided why not? Hunk can be found floating among the coral, holding a basket and tucking various pieces of coral and plants into it. Maybe you're helping him or just swimming nearby, but he sees you and waves.

But then his eyes go wide and he calls out.]

Watch out! That's poisonous.

[Apparently whatever you were about to swim into or touch isn't good for you.]

IV. Boldly Open
[Don't see something of interest here? Hit me up on Discord, PM or bouncyerbear if you want to plan something or start your own prompt below.]

[cmyk]

[ "Stay still," he says, wHILE HOLDING A SWORD.

Yachi doesn't have much of a choice, though, but to stay still, because even as she recoils away from Nier and tries to get her limbs as far away as possible from the blade, the seaweed holds her tight and it's like a finger trap that gets tighter the more she tries to pull. ]

Don't— Do you know how to use that!!?

[ "Yes" would be scary, "no" would also be scary; she doesn't actually know which she prefers. ]

Sara Lance | Group A

[sassy_assassin]

I. Arrival
[ Sara's first reaction is a bit of panic—she and deep water don't have a good history. However, it's just for a moment. Her training to remain calm kicks in and she realizes she can breathe... or something like it. In any event, she's not drowning, this isn't Lian Yu (probably) and... Are those mermaids? ]

What in the fresh hell is this?

II. Investigation
[ After a few minutes adjusting to her situation and processing her location, Sara decides... hey, why not investigate? She's got nothing else going on and she'll probably run into Zari and John sooner or later. She's not great at being idle, so why not ask around. Maybe the fish princess will be grateful for her efforts. So, she approaches some of the locals to inquire. ]

Hey. How's the whole princess hunt going?

III. Restaurant life
[ For lack of any real leads on the investigation, Sara decides to help out at the restaurant. She has experience, after all, and it'd be a good place to eavesdrop and try to get clues. Come and find her there! ]

IV. Wild Card!
You probably have some more creative encounters in mind!

(( you can hit me up at lulabeth ))

Konoha | Group C

[lumberlady]

01 | ARRIVAL | LOST: ONE BLACK JINBA

[It's disorienting enough to breathe air one minute and water the next. To be listening to that message and then be in the ocean. Thanks to one of Waver's spells back in the lake caves this isn't the first time she's done it, miraculously enough, but she still thinks she's going to drown at first. Still takes a while to figure out how to speak, how to orient herself underwater, navigate the currents, but-]

Have you seen Mikuni?

[She's growing frantic again for a different reason, paddling around with powerful kicks and trying to be understandable when she speaks, gesturing around them, at the scattered, smaller seeming group.]

He's a jinba, like me, but all black! He was just here-

02 | DEAD CORAL REEF | GRAFTING

[Konoha may have grown up on a farm, spent every year since she was old enough to stand planting rice and tending crops, but she didn't know about coral. Still, she was hoping the same general rules applied... and if there was a blight, you had to clear it out and replant! So she's swimming with purpose, hauling a large chunk of living coral in her hands, weighing her down to the point that she can semi-walk along the sea floor, gritting her teeth with effort but not complaining.

Getting to the space she'd cleared out in preparation for new transplanted growth... Konoha is displeased to see an eel has set up shop in the hole she made, and she casts around for the nearest person, not wanting to deal with wrestling the large chunk of rock and attached coral down and then back up again. (It's a real awkward shape!)]

Hey- Excuse me! Can you chase this eel out of here?

03 | LIVE CORAL REEF | INJURY

[Trying to get live coral for these grafting attempts doesn't prove easy. The merpeople had thankfully been willing to show her not just how they did their weaving but also how they waterproof their metal, so she's got her tools, but. You need a really good footing to pry a large piece of coral out of the reef bed, have to weight yourself down so you don't float away, and with poisonous fish to dodge every now and then, the ocean currents, and, you know... trying to brace on coral...

For anyone else in the area, there's a sudden yelp, a scraping, scrambling, and then the noise dies in a whimper and a barely audible "ouch, ouch, ouch-"... Before the scent of blood in the water, and then the sight, begins to drift out from where a certain centaur's front leg has punched through some rocky coral branches into a hole in the reef, cutting her in the process.]

04 | ENCAMPMENT | TETHER

[It's hard to tell the time, under the sea. It seems like the days blur together, and Konoha has to end up just... sleeping when she's tired, or when the merpeople do. Just like when they're in the Temple she keeps as busy as she can, trying to figure out why the coral is dying, "infiltrating" the merwomen weaving circle to talk with them a bit freer...

A. And now she's trying to brush her hair. Usually done up in a bun atop her head, long, voluminous strands are wafting in the water like inky black tentacles as she tries to get it untangled with a small comb... Until she spots a fellow Circle member also headed to sleep- or looking like it.]

Need some rope? I've got some extra.

[... Which might be a weird question, but. There is a rope wrapped around her lower equine chest, tied loosely to... a large hunk of coral. This centaur isn't drifting off into the depths while she sleeps, thank you very much.]

B. Other times she can be seen tethered to some coral... crafting? She's got a basket filled with the textile materials favored by the locals as well as shells and pretty sea glass and coral, staring at the pair of arm guards she'd been given by the merwomen and trying to replicate the weave, nibbling on her bottom lip in concentration.

When she sees someone approaching she assumes it's for her Astoria power, which she's been vocal about to the new arrivals, looking up with a smile.]

Hey there... Hungry?

05 | WILDCARD

[If there's too many hits on the other prompts or you have a different idea, feel free to tag me with whatever, hit me up at stormcoming, or consult Konoha's plotting post comment]

Group D

[foundafamily]

A. Shepherding jellyfish, anywhere, any time

[Firo is relatively adaptable to their physical situation—after frantically trying to swim the surface and resigning himself to drowning when he doesn’t make it, he eventually figures out that they can breathe here. For… some reason. He’s not going to think too hard about it, wary that if he does, the spell will break and he’ll drown for real.

If the crushing weight of the water above (don’t think about it) and the lack of air around him (don’t think about it) don’t disturb him for long, one thing does: where the hell is everybody? Information is sparse as he wanders the waters, and he eventually has to admit that this isn’t going to be a quick search. In the meantime, he finds himself roped into helping with the jellyfish. Maybe it’ll ingratiate him with their hosts, maybe it’ll get him money to bribe them, either way, it seems a good plan.

Now the only problem is the implementation. Fellow shepherds may notice that one of their own is having a spat with one his stubborn jellyfish charges:]

Hey, you—get over here—

[He’s been warned. But he reaches out to swat the jellyfish in the direction he wants it to go anyway.

And gets fried for his troubles.

When he regains his senses, he growls at the jellyfish, impotently angry. And very blue.]

You little—

[Point and laugh, y/n?]

B. Gambling, anywhere, any time

[Firo’s not not enjoying playing with the jellyfish, but he’s relieved to see that gambling is alive and well here too. He may be underwater but this is his element. At any point, you can catch him first observing to learn the games and then diving into the action himself—eventually amassing a pile of shells.

He studiously keeps his eyes on the objects of play and away from the mermaids themselves, using only his peripheral vision to pick up clues in body language. Maybe it’s strategy …maybe he’s just really shy, as the observant person may notice a faint pinkness to his cheeks. Underwater fashion is a lot for a 1930s guy to get used to.

In between games, he’ll give a nod of greeting to any Circle member who arrives on the scene.]

You played before?

C. At the far wall, a few days after they arrive

[Firo squints at the message, as if the longer he looks at it, the more it might reveal. Predictably, that’s not the case.

He’s talking to himself but, since he’s not bothering to modulate his volume at all, it might sound like he’s addressing someone.]

Guess we didn’t really help much in the end, huh?

D. Wildcard
[ooc: Feel free to hit me up (pm, crowghostie, discord at crowghostie#2437, carrier pigeon, etc.) or just throw something out there if there’s something else you’d like to do!]

03

[extirpator]

[ crimson. copper. his ears perk. his eyes rover. and then— ]

Konoha!

[ the water has er, nerfed his speed quite a bit, but he "sprints" just about as much as he can — once he reaches her, nier is quick to undo the cloth belt around his waist before dropping to his feet. ]

Come over here. We need to treat this.

a;;;

[p_mortem]

[ Oh. Hello.

Minato blinks at Noctis' face for a second, before tilting his head to look over his shoulders at the other mermaids circling around them. With the way they keep trying to reach for Noctis' hand, or play with his hair, or coo at his face, it isn't hard at all to put context clues together.

Minato clears his voice, and puts his hand on Noctis' arm, turning to address the mermaids. ]

Back off. He's mine.

[ Is this how you scare away suitors?? idk ]

Group C

[brodakota]

[A - Initial Arrival]

[North has never really jumped worlds before. There was his initial arrival, but he doesn't remember that a whole lot, on account having several different thoughts at the time. Needless to say, suddenly finding himself surrounded by bright coral and water was a bit of a wake up call. Wait...water?

There's a brief moment of flailing and floundering as North attempts to swim up, looking for place with air because he's probably going to run out soon before it occurs to him that he's not drowning. He also doesn't have his armour with him, which he's not sure is a good thing or not.]

So....is that normally what happens?

[B - Dolphin Racing]

[Things North should probably be doing: looking for his friends, checking in on the other people who have arrived, setting up some sort of camp or respite area to sort out what's going on.

Things North is not doing: Any of the aforementioned things.

Things North is doing: getting completely distracted by the dolphin? racing.

He can honestly say he's never seen anything like it. He's seen horse races, sure. but this is on a whole different level. And well, he wants to try it. What's the point of coming to a new world if you can't try things like this after all? He'd never get the chance otherwise.

He'll at least try to be subtle about it.]

So I think we can rent those things. It might help us with trying to figure out what's going on here. Or at least cut down the travel distance.

[He's not eager, not at all.]


[C - Investigating the Coral]

[North is not quite sure where to start with this investigation. It's never really been his job or strong suit. He was a sniper after all, so he could do long distance recon or taking out targets. Hard investigations and talking to people? It's still kind of a new area.

But the locals are friendly, or at least, interested in him. He's been handed a basket and is using it to collect pieces of coral that seem interesting. Some of it is shiny and bright and could be used for currency. Most is dull and dead, but North figures he can use that to maybe get a closer look, see if they can science anything out of it. Hopefully someone in the group is a little more inclined towards that field.

Of course, all of this is kind of hard to concentrate on when he can hear the locals giggling, and a few swimming past a little close for comfort.]

I think this is enough for now.

[Maybe he has enough for some of the textiles he saw. He's got to keep his pants deals after all.]

[D - Wildcard]

[ooc: If you want to plot something else, let me know!]

Beat | Group D

[soundsurfing]

1. i'm blue da ba dee da ba daa

[ 'Don't touch the jelly fish' had gone in one ear and out the other, and once Beat had figured out how to maneuver himself around more gracefully in the water, what's the first thing he's doing?

Reaching straight out towards a jellyfish. The Princess could wait until his most basic need of sheer curiosity had been filled. Plus, back home, Jellyfish fights are a thing during the game and maybe they're warning not to touch if you don't want to fight?

No, they're warning because the moment Beat paps a jellyfish - relatively gently with his palm - there's a water-muffled CRACK! of someone being zapped and a lot of bubbles. Those bubbles are because Beat yelled, a lot, and hasn't figured out how to talk properly underwater. Which is probably good as there was a lot of swearing.

Beat backpedals as fast/good as he can, cradling his hand and slowly beginning to glow blue. He hopes no one saw that... ]


2. sorry beat, your princess is in another gambling circle

[ Okay, so this isn't looking for the Princess either but, well, he didn't want to be among the Jellyfish right now. The mermaids, after heartily laughing over his blue state, agreed to introduce him to their little game. He's simply watching for now, however, sitting nearby and nursing his right hand where he got zapped. Oh it requires shells. Shoot.

He turns to the nearest non-mermaid with a furrowed brow look. ]

Uh... do you know if they mean specials shells or jus' like, beach shells?


3. whose afraid of the big bad jellyfish?

[ Back at it, Beat looks like he's now actually helping out, using tools provided by the mermaids to gently catch and bring in the sickly looking jellyfish. His careful handling gets a few giggles from the stalwarts who've been at this for years, but he remembers the shock, and doesn't care if these are ill. They probably still hurt. ]

Yo what's wrong wid 'em??

[ The murmurs he gets back are along the lines of don't know, unsure, trying to find out, etcetera, and he looks frustrated. He's still helping, however, and will be grateful for anyones aid so he doesn't get shocked again. Yeah he's completely forgotten about a Princess. ]

4. round and about

[ Wildcard! Anything else you want to snag Beat for? He'll be here and there, checking out weapons or warning people to NOT TOUCH THE JELLYFISH. ]

[extirpator]

[ he probably shouldn't answer that question.

his attention from the task at hand does not waver. as she struggles, he manages to grip her by the ankle — only to then run the tip of his blade right through the seaweed. it happens in an instant, and he promptly lets go.

nier rises to his feet. ]

Hey. Are you alright?

IV.

[dadandgone]

[Maes is all about information gathering and now that he had a clue of what to expect this time (underwater, fish people, etc.) he'd tried to pack a back that could accommodate some water-based travel. And food, because after the last world, he wasn't risking that fiasco again.

He'd come upon Minato's spread mostly by chance, but he's impressed by the ingenuity of it. He treads water for a moment, taking it in.]

That's a great plan. What have we got so far? I've been visiting the library, so I can try to contribute some of that information.

[lumberlady]

[Embarrassed by her misstep and wincing in pain, Konoha is still glad to hear a familiar voice... Even if... their voices still sound really weird underwater, and every now and then she feels like she forgets how to breathe.]

Nier- ?

[She twists at the waist, biting on her lip to suppress and pained noises but weirdly enough... not crying, despite how emotional she has proven to be in the past, anxiously trying to pull her leg out only for broken pieces of coral to dig in deeper with a fresh trail of blood dissipating into the water.]

Can you grab my handsaw? I think I'm stuck-

[With how jagged the surroundings are, trying to pull her leg out now might just... make it worse. And her tools had fallen to the sand just out of reach.]

iii

[moonlightbeast]

[Clearly this means he needs to team up with a detective, then. And Atsushi had the same idea of checking out that restaurant, so. Teamwork it is!]

Sure. Though I think we'll still get weird looks. Two outsiders is no stranger than one.

[cmyk]

[ He's smart not to answer that question, and he's lucky the seaweed's got her legs bound or she might have involuntarily kicked him in the face for helping her. As it is, she tries to leap back as soon as he lets her go, and all she manages to do is float upwards and upside down and make herself feel a little sick, but she stares at him with wide eyes and open mouth. ]

No! [ THE HONEST TRUTH ]

...But, better now. You saved me!

[ She can at least show gratitude for that, trying to bow when she's floating upside down and she's just going to accomplish a somersault this way. Being underwater sucks. ]

i

[dadandgone]

[Maes is only prepared for this place in that Astoria had warned him there would be water involved...and fish people. Keith had also mentioned that maybe Astoria would forget that they couldn't breathe under water. So, when Maes blinks and finds himself floating in the ocean's depths he's...also nearly in a panic.

Hadn't he already nearly drowned once thanks to those eels in the caverns? And now he was about to do it AGAIN? He'd thought that surely Astoria couldn't forget something so crucial.

Except then his panic catches up to his logic. Arriving here, he'd already taken a breath and while he had breathed in water it hadn't really...felt like that. Maes hears a voice near him about that time as well and he looks over at Sara.]

This.

[There's hesitation, he's testing out this whole 'speaking under water thing'.]

This would be the new world...

[extirpator]

[ he can hear the struggle in her voice — his sense of urgency overwhelms him in the moment, and instead of being logical and taking a moment to retrieve her handsaw, he decides that he wants to settle this right here and now.

so like a brute, he ascends and unsheathes his blade — before raising his sword high over his head, and bringing it down hard so that it slices through the coral.

basically, he used the force necessary to split a man's head open. ]

Can you walk?

group b!

[televised]

option a:

[Well. This sure is happening. And as if the entire experience of suddenly being shifted to another world isn't disorientating enough, then there's the message they all receive shortly thereafter. North keeps staring at her watch after the connection dies, eerily still in the way that only an android could be, no effort expended in avoiding the uncanny valley. It's only after a good, long moment that she snaps out of it, mumbling to no one in particular:]

... Who the hell is Kathashun?

[Whomst the hell, indeed.]

option b:

[After an initial bout of exploring, North can be spotted exiting the Brig. There's something of a thoughtful look on her face, her eyebrows knit together as she rubs her thumb against her index finger in something of an anxious gesture... and then she makes eye contact with one of the other members of the Circle. Her expression hardens as soon as that happens, her hand stilling entirely and falling to her side. After a beat, she marches right up to whoever it is she spotted.]

You. [Yes, you.] Are you any good with a spear? The prisoners will supposedly pay us if we bring them fresh fish.

[They're gonna need some of that sweet, sweet money if they're going to be stuck here for a while.]

option c:

[So. About the dead fish.

Because androids gotta be androids, North is just going to. Casually pick one up. Turn it over. Inspect it like there is absolutely nothing gross about this. And once she's apparently determined that it's just, you know, a dead fish? She's going to toss it over her shoulder without making sure nobody was standing behind her.

Sorry, but not sorry if it happens to hit anybody on the face. Them's the breaks, folks.]

wild card.

[Come up with your own scenario or remix one of the above! I have a plotting comment over here, and anyone is free to hmu on plurk over at beheads.]

[p_mortem]

[ Minato shuffles out of the way so Maes can stand in front of the information he'd written down, keeping his own bag of things slung over his back to keep him anchored to the ground even as he get up. ]

Stuff about the princess acting weird, mostly... the last people who saw her, the last place she was seen. I haven't seen the library yet, though. Is it reference materials, or story books?

[p_mortem]

[ It's your time to shine, Atsushi! Minato's only played detective once in his life and he was completely off base, so he's glad to have a friend to partner up with. ]

The weird looks will be divided between us. [ That sounds nice, but does that make it any better? not at all. ]

I earned some shells, so I'll pay. Um- [ He wades up to the front counter. They're definitely getting looks. ] Table for two... Somewhere in the middle of the restaurant.

[ He shoots a glance of Atsushi to play along. ]

I'm afraid of doors.

[moonlightbeast]

[Sure he is.]

I don't mind sitting with my back to the door if you want?

[Just. To make Minato feel reassured. He can take a hit anyway so he's not worried about surprised attacks.]