TEST DRIVE MEME ( 008 )

[lifeaftr_mods]

Test Drive Meme #8

Hello, and welcome to LifeAftr! We’re pleased that you’re expressing an interest in the game. Here, you can test the waters, gauge how your character may fare in the world of LifeAftr, and even gain some in-game incentives, if you so choose.

Remember that Reserves open on February 16th, and Applications on February 23rd!

Two important notes:

1. LifeAftr's test drives take place on the island of Mu, which exists apart from the real world and possesses a dream-like quality that characters are innately aware of from the moment they appear on its shores. No need to panic or fret. Dreams are odd things, after all - and anything can happen in them. Why would anyone question where their mind chooses to wander in its sleep?

2. Due to the nature of Mu, threads in our test drive can not only be accepted as thread samples in your application, but can be accepted as game canon as well. In fact, certain choices your character makes in Mu have the potential to bear in-game consequences, largely in the form of test drive reward items.

Bring on the Night
It's dark.

It's overwhelmingly, impossibly dark, the sky both starless and moonless, and as soon as you awake, the chill of a perpetual night begins to set in. The dream has been kind enough to provide you with a torch, thrust into the sand of the beach upon which you've awakened, and that may be for the best, too, for you are not alone here. A deep, terrible growl will start to roll out from the surrounding shadows. It's soon joined by a rumbling chorus. Whatever it is lingering beyond the fringes of your vision, it's clear that it's not the only one. The torchlight may catch the odd prowling shape: the impression of a rough, kelp-like coat, parted jaws, and smoldering eyes. Grimlings are black-furred, quadrupedal beasts with ropy, greasy coats that gives them an almost seaweed-like appearance. The creatures resembles dogs superficially, but the proportions are nightmarishly wrong, as though certain parts of it were swollen and others atrophied beyond all use. No two Grimlings have the same general look, but all tend to travel in gurgling, snarling packs. They tend to surround their targets and swiftly overwhelm them.

However, they have one simple weakness: pack mentality. If one of their number grows too injured or overcome, Grimlings will quickly set upon their weakest member and tear it hungrily to pieces. And as they are creatures of the night, the guttering torchlight will be quite effective in keeping them at bay, as long as you don't grow too tired of swiping at the pack of the curs to keep them back.

Because once they've scented prey, they're loathe to let it go to waste.

An Attention Horse
The soft hush of waves against the sands are a soothing regularity in this pitch-dark dream, though Mu sees fit to allow you an impromptu torch, even if it is rudimentary at best: little more than a chunk of driftwood with one end lit up in guttering orange-red.

And unfortunately, even that light will offer little protection against the soft, musical cry of something standing in the shallows. Those familiar with the stories of water-horses or kelpies may find this creature familiar in some respects, though their function is far more similar to that of a siren. With a tall, powerful stature, Uskal resemble ordinary horses but for their size and the webbed, water-slick quality of their glossy coats.

Those who grow too close may be caught in the strange aura of the Uskal's ululating cry, which invites one to come close enough to touch its silky, beautiful coat. Provided you cannot resist the lure of the Uskal's song, physical contact with its coat will reveal it to be quite adhesive. Those who do not manage to cut, burn, or tear themselves free are dragged into deep waters and drowned for the Uskal's next meal.

Let There Be Light
But eventually, the proverbial sun does rise, just as it did for the islands of LifeAftr themselves. The "sun," in this instance, appears to be quite regular, though the snow raining from the bright blue sky is far from it, especially given that the temperature seems to have climbed a little too much for that sort of nippy weather.. Those grayish white flakes cascading from above? That's not snow at all - it's ash.

And borne on the winds of that ash are creatures small and helpless and wrinkled, little tufts of tawny-orange that squeak and croak rather pitiably as they come streaking to earth in wispy little trails of flame. Instead of one great firebird to light up the sky, Mu has granted you several dozen little phoenix chicks, all freshly hatched and all in all, rather helpless. You could certainly take advantage of that, if you wanted to, but honestly, the benefits of ensuring that none of them die on your watch are far greater, as long as you don't mind the odd first-degree burn, or the chicks' somewhat alarming habit of spontaneously bursting into flames. Not only do they freely provide light and warmth against the bitter winter cold, but you'll find they don't need much of anything in the way of sustenance.

Congratulations on your successful adoption!

---

LOGS ● OOC ● STORIES ● MAIN NAVIGATION

Comments

Kamina | Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann

[demonofjeeha]

-1-

Kamina held the torch aloft in one hand and waved a sword around with the other while he addressed the pack of Grimlings. Yes, he was talking to them. They seemed confused. In theory, Kamina was already dinner. But he was acting strangely, and they found themselves holding off on making theory into reality for just long enough to see what he did next.

"The raging furnace of heroism and manliness that could be neither contained by the Earth nor defeated by Beastmen! When they talk about that great legendary man, they're talking about ME! Kamina! My story grows with every day, and it sure as hell isn't going to be brought to an end by a bunch of ugly mutts like you! Come on! Gimme your best shot!"

So they did.

-2-

Kamina flailed wildly as the Uskal calmly plodded towards the sea, shouting. "What the hell!? This isn't a fair fight at all! If you're gonna fight me, do it properly!"

He planted his foot on the side of the horse to get enough leverage to pull his hand off and managed it, but that left him with a predictable new problem. Now his FOOT was stuck and he had to awkwardly hop along with his other foot to stop from just getting dragged. "Little help!?"

-3-

Kamina peered at one of the phoenix chicks curiously and, it must be said, slightly disappointedly.

"All that work for this? I was hoping for something more cool and manly. Not a baby bi-"

Then the phoenix burst into flame, coming JUST short of setting his hair on fire. He lay the ground where he had fallen over onto his butt, staring at the blaze, and slowly his face spread into a smile.

"...Alright. Maybe you're pretty cool after all."

3

[souris_keteer]

As Kamina recovers from the bird burns, a different sort of animal can't help but poke their head over. "Are you all right?"

[demonofjeeha]

"Something like that won't hurt me. My soul burns much hotter!" He said, off handedly. Then he turned around to see who was talking and saw...a beastman. There was no denying it. It wasn't a very big or threatening one, but considering every single beastman he had met until now had tried to kill him.

Kamina didn't attack Mickey on sight, but he was obviously on guard. "So don't get any ideas!"

1

[want_to_belong]

By now Prompto had a pretty good idea where he was even though it changed all the time. Normally he might write it off. It was some sort of weird dream place. They would wake up and nothing here would matter.

Except often it seemed like people who would be showing up on the islands showed up here first. And he didn't know exactly what happened if someone died here before they got to the islands. Despite seeming like a dream, the consequences of something like that might be more disastrous than imagined.

He jogged around the chilly night, winter gear and all, until shouting pierced through the air. His feet swiveled immediately and he made a beeline towards the yelling.

A small click and bright flash announced his arrival. For a brief second the area lit up and stunned the grimlings as he took a picture. And now that he had a better idea where they were, and he had some ammo he could use each day... He quickly swiped out his gun with his right hand and took aim. The camera snapped away and he fired off one, two, three shots that hit their targets dead in the head. At least he was good at something. But that left him with only seven more bullets and he didn't want to use more than necessary. Who knew what they could run into next?

"Hey, you need to get to the light!" He didn't recognize the man, who kind of looked like he was around Prompto's age based on the few clear looks he got, so he figured he might not know what the creatures were yet.

[demonofjeeha]

"You've got the best damn timing, brother!"

Kamina fought his way towards Prompto. It wasn't a very scientific kind of combat, but with big sweeping swings of his sword in one hand and the torch in the other hand he was able to keep the disoriented Grimlings away from him until he made it over. He was...not dressed for this kind of weather, unlike Prompto, and while adrenaline was helping him ignore the cold for now, that WOULD have to be addressed at some point. "Now what?"

Hades-sensei | Hokenshitsu no Shinigami

[caughtademon]

burd
[There's a little baby bird on the ground, and in front of it, a rather unsettling man. He'd be tall if he weren't both crouching and slouching, but right now he looks like a misshapen lump, down near the ground to look at the phoenix, his lab coat pooling around him. He has an unnaturally washed out, dried out sort of look to him, frizzled white hair falling limply across his face, eyes sunken and staring, skin yellowed and cracked like an empty riverbed.

He's watching the little creature with a fixed, hungry sort of intensity.

The bird might be a baby but it's not an idiot, and it doesn't like the attention. But it's just freezing and hoping the weird man will go away. So they're both stuck there, watching each other.]

the swamp is full of free dogs
[The horse is calling you, and you want to go to it, you want to touch it. Isn't it beautiful? You step closer.

Then, a hand on your shoulder and a man's voice behind you, soft but firm.]

I don't think that's a good idea.

burd

[tomatowizard]

[Something about his attitude gave Samata possibly the wrong idea.]

I saw one of those explode earlier. You probably shouldn't eat them.

i think dogs should vote

[nitroglycerish]

[The horse isn't like anything he's seen before - and he's never even ridden a horse before, but does that matter? It seems tame enough. He could ride it in no time.

But there's a hand on his shoulder, snapping him out of whatever reverie he's found himself in.]

What the fuck do you know?

[He bristles, shrugging the hand off and baring his teeth. Fuck you, buddy. You don't even know what he was going to do. And it's not like horses are dangerous!]

Samata Mahto | OC

[tomatowizard]

-1-

In this case, YOU were the one surrounded by snarling grimlings. Just as you were starting to despair, a voice called down from overhead. "Up here!"

A hand reached down from up above. The hand was connected to a girl who was sitting on what was unmistakably a flying carpet. "Grab on! I'll try and pull you up!"

Samata wasn't SUPER strong, so your ascent might not be terribly dignified and involve a lot of dangling and swearing, but it was better than getting torn apart by wild dogs, right?

-2-

Samata chased after an Uskal that was plodding down the beach, and there was something odd about her silhouette. It was hard to tell in the dark, but eventually became clear that her left arm was missing entirely, and that the Uskal had a metal arm hanging from its flank.

"Do you have any idea how long it took me to make that!? I will not let you just walk off with it, you hear me!?"

The evil horse didn't respond, of course. It just kept singing its song while walking towards the ocean. Samata made an aggravated sound, then grabbed her scarf and stuffed the ends of it in her ears. Before any would be rescuer could ask her WHY she did that, she shouted out a spell incantation and then kind of awkwardly slapped her remaining hand against her chest. The sound of the clap was magnified a hundred fold. A shockwave of sound exploded outwards, sending sand flying away from her, but also more importantly scaring the HELL out of the Uskal, which shied away, stunned and confused.

The thunderclap might also have left everyone ELSE in the area a but stunned and confused, but it did give her the window she needed to catch up and start trying to pull her prosthetic arm off before it was lost forever in the briny deeps.

-3-

With the phoenix chicks reborn and the darkness retreating, everyone was feeling relieved. Samata herself had a jug of something alcoholic (probably one of those self filling jugs of wassail.) that she had already drunk a healthy amount of. "We just literally saved the world from eternal darkness! After that, I feel like we can do anything!"

She held the jug up in a toast. Tomorrow she would be complaining about a hangover, but the fact that there would BE a tomorrow was probably worth a little celebrating, right?

2

[lightlessfuture]

Weird, what's with that missing arm? Oh well, the Knight's seen weirder and missing limbs aren't uncommon on bugs. They wonder how she's going to stick it back on, though.

And then the creature makes an extremely loud noise and the Knight braces themselves as their cloak flutters from the force of the call. It must be all that bigness that lets this person make such a ferocious shout.

They run to catch up with the wandering Uskal, plunging into the water to pursue it. They leap up onto the dangling arm to try and cut it free without getting stuck themselves, which is proving to be somewhat difficult.

And also they look kind of similar to a shadowmonster, so there might be some misunderstandings about to happen here.

2

[knifewithnoname]

The girl stumbled backwards, sand flying in her face stinging her eyes. But most importantly the Uskal stopped singing and the girl stopped with a frown. The urge to go pet the weird monster horse fading.

She sees the woman. Several things become apparent to the girl. This woman is a priestess. It must have been her shout the child had heard. There's no one else in this dream to cast magic. Also the horse has stolen her arm? That is ridiculous because there is no blood and the woman is not dying the way she should be if a monster horse had just torn her arm off.

This dream makes no sense. She runs over. "Do you be needing help, priestess?" Because her manners might be questionable but magic users are always respected. The girl knows that.

Also the woman probably saved her, debts should always be repaid and she has two arms, she reaches to try and grab the... Arm? What is this?

Minako Aino | Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon

[loveme_chain]

Hello darkness, my old friend~

[Waking up in the dark was always unnerving. The fact that the sky held no moon or stars just made things that much worse. But Minako had learned a long time ago that it wasn't the dark that should inspire fear. The mere absence of light wasn't terrifying in and of itself. Rather, it was the things that liked to go bump in that darkness that generally posed the bigger threat.

Her first coherent thought was that she was outside. And that the other girls weren't here. Whether or not that was a good thing she had yet to decide.

It took her all of two seconds to realize that she wasn't alone. Suddenly that torch she'd spotted seemed like a good thing to have. That thought in mind, she got up, brushed herself off, and practically dove for the thing despite the animalistic noises surrounding her.]

I'm not afraid of you!

[Sure, because taunting them was a brilliant idea. Even still, she felt the need to tell them. If nothing else, the shouting might startle them enough to let her get away. It could happen, right?]

A little bit of light

[Blue eyes were about as wide as saucers as she leaned in as close as she possibly could while remaining upright. Fortunately her balance was quite good and she'd managed to avoid falling over up until this point.]

You're so cute, look at you! Rei-chan would lose her mind~

[And she was pretty sure that the others would be right there with her, cooing over the adorable little chicks.

The aforementioned chick chose that moment to burst into flames, and it was all Mina could do to scrabble out of the way in time.]

Was it something I said, chickie?

darkness

[souris_keteer]

[As she shouts and charges, another noise comes from the darkness...]

Well, gee, you don't have to be afraid of me!

[...Mickey doesn't mean to be hiding/spooking anyone, he's just trying to make his way through. Please don't dive at him. please dive at him.]

Hey again

[thermalwind]

No. They just do that.

[The voice comes from a young man standing a little ways away. He pulls his hood back and takes a few steps forward.] They’re probably the children of the Phoenix last month. ...not quite sure how that would work.

It was reborn and flew off. [Who the hell knows how flaming birds breed. Not his problem. He drifts closer and peers around.]

Remember how you got here?

Ritsu Sakuma | Ensemble Stars

[strayknight]

Bring on the night

[Unfortunately, for the grimlings the night was also the time for vampires. As Ritsu holds the torch out he watches as the creatures try to surround him. That was the main reason why his back is now to the wall. He looks around curious if anyone might be nearby. He could make a run for it but he is sure they could catch up.

One lunges at him he swipes the torch.]


Bring on the night

[Red eyes glare at the water as he sees the creature splashing around in it. Ritsu knows what type of thing this was and he isn't really here for drowning. As he narrows his eyes he looks around.]

Where am I...I miss Maakun already...


Let There Be Light

[A new father wasn't something Ritsu would ever expect to be. Here he is though with a new chick and he has to say he is fawning over it. It's really cute and he wonders what goes into caring for it. At least this wasn't anything as dangerous as the creatures from earlier.]

!!! let there be light

[seafriends]

[ Kanata's feeling more like a mother with the way his own chick is constantly trying to nuzzle into his palms, despite how he's actively trying not to touch it with his bare hands after it decided to set itself on fire the last time he had.

He needs water to soak one of his newfound burns in, but is stopping short at a familiar head of black hair he definitely recognizes as belonging to Rei's younger brother. He blinks once, twice, and still can't believe his eyes as he calls out to them, just to be sure. ]

..Ritsu-- ow, ow..?!

[ yeah there goes his chick bursting into flames again, right in the middle of his hands and interrupting his greeting. ]

bring on the night YEEE

[finethanks]

Ritsu-kun!

[Watching him attacked by those creatures that had hunted him on his first days here, Eichi cries out in an attempt to distract them. There's a pack, as limited as they are, and Eichi has been able to learn through watching just how they operate.

He has a knife in hand, gleaming in the moonlight as he calls out to Ritsu. He may not have been able to stop that one from lunging at him, but he can cry for their attention now. Looking as scrawny as he does, not moving, they may take the bait.]

Move away from here! I can take care of this... [He... thinks??]

KFC - KILLER FIRE CHICKS

[sorewatopsecret]

They have a rather mystifying charm, do they not?

[So says a silver-haired girl who is suddenly knelt on the ground next to Ritsu. How long she's been there is anyone's guess. Unlike the ice shark from the last time Takane was whisked to this particular island, she hoped this little fellow would follow her back when her consciousness returns.]

Not only do they make adorable companions, they cast such a lovely glow, and just being near one feels as if you are basking under gentle sun rays...

Katsuki Bakugou | My Hero Academia

[nitroglycerish]

a;

[This is fucked all to hell.

These fucking - they're not dogs but he can't think of any other way to describe them. They're just some really fucked up dogs - beasts have been circling him for a while now. He'd guess about twenty minutes, maybe? If his internal clock isn't totally off, anyways. There's nothing concrete to reference - the sky's just pitch black, the torch he inexplicably has is burning away merrily but it's not burning down.

It's all just bizarre and fucked up and he's not really in the mood for being eaten by some fucked up shadow dog.]

I'm going to fucking murder all of you.

[Do they even understand?

Does that matter? No. Whether or not these monsters have any idea what they're in for isn't going to stop him from brandishing the torch at them like it's a weapon. Which, well. Isn't it?]

b;

[This is too many birds. One bird is probably reasonable - would even be a little familiar, in that distant sort of way where that familiarity is just a huge stretch - but this is an entire flock.

Of phoenixes.

Which, alright, Bakugou doesn't exactly have experience with phoenixes. Or...any sort of bird that's not Tokoyami, who probably only half-counts. So he's out of his element, but how hard can it be? At the end of the day an animal is just an animal.

So it's fine. Probably. Hopefully.

What damage can be done just letting birds clamber all over you? The fires are a little annoying, though.]

Cut that out.

[Though there's not much heat to his words. Burns aren't anything novel to him by this point.]

A

[tomatowizard]

[Samata, the other person there, was taking a slightly more defensive approach. She was encased in a bubble of softly glowing light that had a few cracks in it from repeated attacks, but was still holding up. It also meant she couldn't fight back, but she wasn't much of a fighter, honestly. Bakugou was offensive enough for both of them.]

I'll just...be in here. Go get them! I believe in you!

A

[knifewithnoname]

[This girl is used to the dark. She spends a lot of time in darkness. But not like this. Not without stars or moon. Also it's cold, far too cold for a small child in a short sleeved dress and no shoes. But the girl is pretty sure it's a stupid dream.

Why she is dreaming about stupid monster dogs she doesn't know. These aren't monsters she has learned about in lessons. They don't exist so they can just get out of her head.

She has a torch. The stupid monster dogs don't like fire and that's good because she's quickly getting surrounded.

She keeps backing away though and is surprised to hear a voice.] Do you be having the means to be backing up your threat?

[Or even a weapon. That would be useful. Why is there a strange man in her dream? Who knows but two torches are probably better than one]

lady maria | bloodborne

[cainhurst]

ONE;

[Let them come, she thinks, those teeth flashing in the dark. She hears their growling, the way they gnash in her direction, and Maria turns to face the sound. Her expression still, as if carved from porcelain, with the smallest exception of how her brow knits together — to peer out in the dark proves challenging, when there is not even starlight nor moonlight to be guided by. Maria has only the aid of a burning torch in one hand, and a strangely shaped blade gripped by its hilt in the other.

Odd, twisted creatures. Hounds, but not quite. But perhaps they can be cut open all the same, and with a flick of her wrist, she turns her blade to prominently face the pack. It casts a thin, long shadow in the flickering fire.]

Beasts always hunger for blood. Even in this strange place.

[Another gnashes its fangs at her again, growling, then lurches forward. Maria catches her blade in its teeth, twisting, before it can reach its aim — her neck. A successful parry, but there are still many left, and they all begin to encroach in a semi-circle.

Perhaps some aid would not go amiss?]

TWO;

[She stands so close to the water’s edge that the toes of her boots are wet. But she does not move in farther, only listening to the siren’s call beckoning, not adhering to it. She knows, vaguely, that ethereal song does not equate to safety. Best to observe from afar, with the sorry excuse of a torch she’s found, its fire already waning.

She hears another approach, however, and sees fit to give an appropriate warning-]

Do not tread farther into the shallows. Listen only. More than that would be foolish.

THREE;

[There is light now, and she’s been given a charge as a result. A small, chirping thing, warm to the touch. Maria wears her gloves so that her skin does not burn, picking up the chick from the ground. She holds it close to her chest, smiling faintly, and her voice is soft.]

Hush, little one. …Ah, your warmth and light is a welcome thing.

[What’s there to do, other than to sit and rest a while with it? Maria sets her sword down, sitting cross-legged moments later. She hums in amusement.]

Should I give you a name?

ryo asuka (70s/80s devilman)

[reillumination]

a. )

[ Anyone'd tell if you count after a lightning strike until you hear the thunder, you'll determine how far away the storm is. The same is true for the figure who appears — briefly and intermittently — illuminated by the fever bright kick-back of their short-barreled shotgun. A good set of eyes or a good set of ears will allow anyone to track them when they reload, surreptitiously picking up shells whenever they can get an inch in.

How they can actually see these shells and the pack with absolutely fucking zip to consistently chase the dark out with is an explanation best left for another time. Especially now, as one breaks from the pack to try to get a snack in. ]

Shit—! [ Definitely a younger voice, but they cock the shotgun again and fire without any kind of hesitation to speak of. They nail the abomination square in the chest, sending the grimling howling and rolling back with the force. The next one takes its chance as the — the boy? — is distracted by the blood that lashes across his face and clothes.

Too bad he's a quick reload regardless. He manages to send that one hobbling back too, though — is he laughing? Man, stress does weird shit humans. And so does exterior sound in high pressure situations. Step too close and he's gonna yell to you over his shoulder, never quite taking his eyes off the things circling around him like he's some soft lamb in a meadow. ]

Hey! [ He'll bark out, swiping the blood from his face with one hand. His mouth knifes into a smile — it's full of teeth. ] Quit fucking around and give me a hand here!

[ Seriously. ]

b. )

[ He doesn't know how many of the fuckers he's come across, but he has to give it to them that they're cute in an ugly sort of way. Either way, after all that bullshit he dealt with earlier, he supposes decompressing with anything that isn't keen on taking his extremities off is fine enough.

He's got a few of the chicks by his feet and has taken to sitting in a relatively secluded spot with his back pressed up a rock. The awkward things roll and stumble fatly under the trench coat he's got slung around his shoulders, though some more contented to watch him smoke. Even after his dunk into the ocean and his Battle Royale with the grimling pack, it seems a pack or two of cigarettes survived it. ]

I'd share, but it seems like my dealer didn't come with me either, [ he says after a moment, throwing you a glance up from under his lashes. He looks objectively exhausted and he doesn't let his attention linger.

How long has he noticed you were there? Who knows. Also, is that... No, that stench isn't something that comes standard in your dime store pack of Lucky Strikes. He takes another drag, pale smoke spilling past his fingertips. ]

You want one of those instead? [ He rasps on an exhale, mouth tugging into a little sneer. He gestures with the cigarette toward one of the chicks currently making itself comfortable near his ankle. ]

Masked Disciple | Dai Gyakuten Saiban

[chippedsoul]

A - The darkness is not your friend
[There were strange beasts lurking in this darkness, but the Disciple did not seem visibly concern by them. The torch he carried kept them at bay. So long as they didn't attack him, he left them on their own, conserving his energy. The rising chorus of growls and snarls kept him on his guard though, his free hand remaining close to the saber at his side. Was he being lead into a trap? Were these things smart enough to do something like that?

He'll get that answer when he finds himself staring at a dead end. Where did this giant rock face come from?] Tch. [In one quick motion he turns, drawing his saber as he does so and points it at the monsters in the darkness. He is not afraid, only mildly annoyed that he had to waste his time dealing with this instead of finding answers about this island.]

B - From the Horse's mouth
[He'll eventually reach the shores of this island, moonlight dimly adding it's light to his torch, revealing a little more of the area. It was calm, an opportunity to catch a breather. It sadly won't last long when an eerie sound breaks through the calm waves. That's when he sees it, a bizarre creature in the shallows of the water. It looked almost like a rather hideous horse. He shakes his head. This by far has been the strangest realistic dream he's having.

The cries it was making though, not as terrible as it looked. There was something sad about it, an emptiness that need filling. He takes a step in it's direction but then stops himself. There was someone else who had the same idea and was getting closer to that water horse. It raises it's head, almost poised to do something as the individual got closer. Something wasn't right about this, he realizes this.

With quicken steps, he comes forward to grab a hold of you.]

C - Birdsitting
[This would be cute, if it weren't for the fact these baby birds kept bursting into flames. His cloak was visibly singed from being within close proximity of them. He didn't have much of a choice. How else will he get a fire going? He has some wood, he caught a kill during the night, he needs fire to cook his meal. There's a bit too much for himself to eat though, so he's willing to share if others come by. Just don't question the bird sitting in the fire.]

B

[thermalwind]

[He hadn’t meant to fall under the sway of the cry. He’d originally approached to dispatch the threat. Keith had realized far too late that he should have brought something to fend against the cries. He’d known better and yet. The hand grabbing his shoulder snaps him out of his daze. He brings up a spear made from coral, bits of shell and fish bone with a wickedly sharp point and drives it forward with all the force of his body behind it.]

Get the lantern off my belt and turn the top a quarter turn!

[The lantern is strapped in place but easy to retrieve. A strange greenish liquid sloshes inside the glass. When turned it will flare into brilliant light that cuts through the darkness like a beacon. The kelpie screams in rage as the weapon pierced its shoulder.]