Intro Log: October 2014

[highseasmods]

WELCOME NEW CHARACTERS!
Have an intro log for the month of October!

Who: Any and all new characters, as well as anyone hanging out on or around Isla Empieza!
Where: Near the fountain in the town center.
When: New characters will arrive around October 10th! The log is good for as long as you need it.
What: You've just been dropped on your head in a weird new world. Time to figure out what the heck is going on!
Status: VERY OPEN.

It's cold. The day is cloudy and a chilly wind blows from the East, rattling the red and golden leaves of the forest just outside the town. There's a definite chill in the air and the residents of Empieza don't seem too happy either. Some are grumpy, others are going out of their way to be downright malicious, so be careful that the free beer isn't poisoned or the apples that are piled around in barrels don't contain anything you'd really regret eating.

The town even lends itself to a more sinister appearance with lanterns strung throughout and overhead, that at night, cast everything in an uncertain light and make the shadows seem longer and more dangerous. Ask the residents what they're for and they'll just give you a long look and say, somewhat cryptically: "You'll see."

HAVE FUN! And welcome to High Seas!

Comments

Cherri Cola - OTA

[cherri_cola]

Talk about a hostile situation. Actually, it wasn't as bad as it could be, really, but damn people around here were all grouchy. He was checking out the town, wondering what his afterlife would be like, or if this was just a shitty delusional dream.

Cola walked, avoiding some people (those that looked like they fit in, he himself didn't look to fit in). He tucked his mask into his vest, his pistol into his belt, and the journal was folded up and put in his back pocket after reading it.

He wandered, looking very out of place with his strange style and blue streak in his hair. Answers didn't come easy, and the locals seemed more interested in him getting on a boat and getting the hell out of here.

Honestly, that didn't sound like a bad idea. Spend the rest of his days (or spend all of his afterlife?) on a boat in the water? Better then a desert, that was for sure.

You can find the man in town, near the fountain investigating it, or at the docs, considering over what he can do and can't do.

[forhylia]

The great thing about looking for newbies was that they stuck out like a sore thumb on Empieza.

Link was lingering by the fountain, keeping an eye out for newcomers. This was where they showed up, after all. He spotted Cola with a small, hopeful smile. He looked able-bodied. A positive first impression.

"Have you just arrived?" Link approached with an amicable smile, his thumbs slipped under his belt.

[cherri_cola]

Able bodied and mentally sound (most the time). He stuck out like a thumb only because he didn’t dress here. Oh and he looked amazed at his own afterlife.

When someone spoke, he gave a faint smile, turning to look at... and elf? huh. Interesting. “You could say that. Few hours ago, but yeah. is it that obvious?” He knew it was. He didn’t try hiding himself.

[forhylia]

"Given the way that the local folk have been looking at you..." Link glanced over to a small cluster of villagers staring warily in their direction. He rolled his eyes.

"Nigh unmistakable." He offered another smile. "My name is Link."

[cherri_cola]

He chuckled softly, already knowing he was obvious, but the statement amused him anyhow. He glanced off at some people, saw one woman staring, so he winked, giving her a smile. The woman bristled and turned away, walking off.

Looking back to link he gave a smile. "Cherri Cola. And I suppose I can't help how I look. This is standard back in the land of the living." Shhh, he died, so this is the afterlife, right?

[forhylia]

"The land of the living?" Link asked with a slight tip of his head. What an interesting way to put it.

But really, he was dead, as well, wasn't he?

[cherri_cola]

“Assuming I didn’t survive and woke up in this place as the afterlife, then that’s something. it’s a little nicer then home at least. if this isn’t then I’m more boggled then not.”

Either way was actually boggling, honestly. He assumed the Phoenix Witch would come get his soul or whatever and walk him off. If he got real fancy, he could go party with the boys. Not... this.

[forhylia]

Link gave a small chuckle.

"This is not, as far as we can tell, any sort of afterlife. Though I did assume something similar when I first arrived." Alive, then dead, then alive again in some strange, unknown place. It was a reasonable reaction.

"It is not a life of luxury, but... it is better than many potential alternatives." That included being trapped on the Surface back in Hylia.

[theaxeeffect]

[There's a young Viking woman walking around the town, getting increasingly irritable as people only give her vague answers to her questions. She wouldn't stand out much except for the large axe she carries... oh, and the spiky blue dragon trailing her. The cold weather doesn't seem to be bothering either of them in the least.]

[She ignores what the journal said about ships, because who needs one when you can fly, right? With that in mind, she mounts the dragon and heads for the sky.]

Come on, girl. Let's see if we can figure out which way's home.

[But no sooner do they begin to fly out over the ocean then they crash into what seems to be an invisible wall, tumbling into the water with a squawk and and a yelp.]

[She may not have been cold before, but she certainly is now.]

[cherri_cola]

[He had seen them take off, a low whistle and a really confused 'well I've seen everything' was mumbled while he stood his ground on a dock.]

[He stood there, watching the blonde and... a dragon take off and... did they just crash out there? Far enough out that he wasn't sure. He squinted, staring a bit, seeing the figures in the water. He looked around, no one was near at the moment, and there was a row boat ear by.]

[Just a tiny one.]

[So guess who's rowing out towards the blonde and... her dragon. He rowed out part ways, then stood, careful to keep his balance, a few yards away to call to the other.]

Hey there, you two alright?

[theaxeeffect]

[She surfaces, coughing and sputtering, and reaches for Stormfly's saddle to help keep herself afloat... which is becoming more difficult because of her wet furs and boots. The dragon is floating on the water like a very large, spiky duck, and seems a lot less bothered by this turn of events than her rider.]

[It takes a moment before she even notices the boat, and she pushes her wet hair out of her eyes to get a good look.]

Ugh... yeah. We're okay.

[cherri_cola]

[He crouched down, rowing a bit closer and coasting towards her. He brought the little two person row boat closer to her and turned it side ways, leaning over a bit to offer her a hand]

Come on. You got to be freezin' out here.

[He'd help her into the boat if she took the hand, keeping it balanced if possible.]

[So far he's not looking at a dragon too oddly, but give him a minute. THAT is going to kick in soon enough]

[theaxeeffect]

[She hesitates for a moment before taking it, and hauls herself into the boat without too much effort.]

...Thanks.

[Once she's in, she huddles into herself, shivering, and looks back at Stormfly.]

Back to shore, girl.

[cherri_cola]

[Once she's in he moved to sit on the other side of the small row boat. He's got nothing to give him to dry off or stay warm. It's a stollen row boat after all.]

[He is however, looking at.... girl. Heh. As his hands take the oars and start to move them back inward to land, he can't help but stare.]

Is... that a dragon?

[theaxeeffect]

[She sits up a little straighter, looking wary at the question, and is suddenly very aware that she left her axe attached to Stormfly's saddle.]

Yeah. She's a Deadly Nadder.

[cherri_cola]

[He just watched the ...Deadly Nadder a moment before sounding off a "HUh"... and rowed on]

Now I'm pretty sure I died and this is the aftermath. One minute I'm in the Zones, deep in a battle in the desert, the next I'm in paradise.... for pirates... and watching a young woman crash into the ocean with a dragon.

What happened up there, anyhow?

[theaxeeffect]

[Gives him an odd look, because what, but at least someone being a bit nuts is better than them being hostile.]

I don't know. We ran into something, but there isn't anything there to run into.

[aphatos]

If he had come from anywhere else to here, then the atmosphere might be a little more than unwelcoming to him. Fortunately or unfortunately, Corvo has seen his Empress' city at it's worse, and so this seems almost cheerful in comparison. At the very least, it seems less overrun with a corrupt military machine and horrendously sick plague victims. The people are disgruntled at best and outwardly vindictive at worst, but it's not so bad when he's so used to it back where he's from.

Which isn't to say he's inclined to approach anyone and ask what's going on. Instead, he takes a careful inventory with his hands, briefly touching everything he knows he owns until he finds a journal that's not quite familiar, with an entry from someone he doesn't know. He follows the advice to an extend, reading the poem on the plaque before he wanders away from the fountain just to let it all run through his mind.

It seems fairly clear cut, once he considers it. Find pieces of a jewel, put it together, go home. He has the luxury of thinking in the open here, but Corvo still sticks to the shadows when he can, peering out at the people milling about and simply watching. In dress, he fits in a little better than some. In mannerisms, he appears like he's stalking around, regardless of how intentional it is.

At least he isn't wearing his mask.

[blowfishabq]

It wasn't like Isla Empieza was someplace to feel comfortable, but he'd been here before. So when he felt the unmistakable prickle of eyes, hairs rising on the back of his neck, Jesse knew just enough to know that it wasn't a local. He didn't quite stop walking, but the immediate slowing in his step was probably noticeable, as well as the nervous flicking back and forth of his eyes. His danger sense was pretty well heightened by now, and someone was setting it off like a fire alarm.

[aphatos]

There is a moment where he stops letting his eyes rove entirely, noticing someone in the mass of people meandering to and fro slowing down and actually looking around. He's just slightly startled at that. Even the guards back in Dunwall hadn't been so aware of their Masked Prowler as to notice his eyes on them when he watched them make their patrols.

It's probably for the best that he doesn't get caught, but it also might be a fair bit wiser to let whoever this is know he isn't trying to murder him, especially since he looks a little like he might be in the same boat as Corvo is in himself, regarding being spirited away here. At least, he doesn't seem to blend in like a local would.

As soon as those eyes shift over to him though, he sort of fails to do anything but stare back until he slowly lifts his hands up to show that he doesn't actually have any weapons in his hand. Just all over his personage, which is less threatening. (Probably.)

[blowfishabq]

The smart thing to do would be keep walking. Pretend he didn't see a damn thing and keep going. But part of him insisted that this was a new person, just like he had been- it had to be, only someone new would be hiding in an alley, no matter how weird they looked- and someone new that was this dangerous looking was probably better off thinking fondly of his name than otherwise.

So with an ease born of years of drug deals, Jesse sidestepped and slipped through the crowd like it was the most natural thing in the world, heading over to the alley. It would probably be a good thing to have this guy in their court in the future. That was at least what he told himself when he leaned against the building by the alley. The fact that he terminally felt bad for new tranplants- being a rather new one himself- didn't enter into this at all.

[aphatos]

He wasn't expecting an actual confrontation out of the simple reassurance that no, he wasn't going to start massacring people on his first day here. Corvo looks around for a moment before staring back at the other man while he slips to the crowd and towards the alley he happens to be lurking in. In the end, when he leans against a building next to it rather than coming in, it's a relief. That gives Corvo some time to think of a way to actually start a conversation he's not even sure he wants to have.

He slips out of the alley and stands against the building instead of leaning.

"I'm not going to kill anyone."

It's clearly the most reassuring thing he can say, regardless of the flexibility in that statement and how bluntly he says it.

[blowfishabq]

"Well, Jesus, that's good to know."

Jesse leaned his head back against the building, speaking while barely moving his mouth- another talent picked up from multitudes of back-alley deals that looked just like this one. He kept his hands in the pockets of his sweatshirt, purposely concealed, the layers of clothing serving to make him look bigger- like an bird fluffing up its feathers.

"Look, you're new here," he continued, not looking at him. "It's obvious. You're gonna get yourself snatched up by the Navy."

[aphatos]

His brows furrow at that remark. He's not surprised that he's under threat by a Navy, just curious as to why they'd even bother setting foot on land as an authority. But then again, maybe things are different here and the Navy acts on-shore as well as off.

At the very least, Corvo's picked up rather easily on the clandestine nature of their meeting, and continues avoiding eye contact and being a little grateful that this man does the same thing.

"I won't," he says simply. There isn't really anything confident about his tone. All there is is bland certainty. "I would appreciate more to go on in this place than a poem, however."

[blowfishabq]

"Well, you're lucky I'm feeling generous." Jesse pulled out a cigarette, lighting it and taking a long drag before continuing. "...In this place, if you're not one of the locals, you're a pirate. No choice in the matter. And that means you get your ass on a ship and get outta here. With a crew if you need the help, without if you can manage it."

He let out a slow breath of smoke, watching it curl through the air. "...And this place? Weird as hell."