Character Introduction Log: May 2020

[storyevents]

Intro Log: May 2020—

§ instructions.

Greetings and welcome to the intro log for Forgotten Tales! There are no hard and fast rules here. Just include your Character, canon, and essence in the subject line and post away! Network prompts are allowed in the intro log, so feel free to put one in.

In terms of timeline, the intro log can span over several days, so don't feel as if everything has to happen all at once. You are also free to post your own logs at any time, and can even take these prompts for them!

---

§ prompts.

¶ I. Adjusting to a New Life. Even after being told by the Storyteller about everything, there's still a lot to learn. There's also the satchel and journal to investigate, and figuring out where they live. The Index itself is a large, vast city inhabited by a large variety of characters from numerous stories. Because of this, there is no uniform style to the city. One street could look like a normal street plucked out of a Victorian, English fairy tale and then the very next is made of candy. It makes for an interesting mishmash of cultures that somehow manages to get along. Most of the time, at least.

• A. Brushing Up on the Lore. Perhaps a trip to the Grand Library to read up on the essence's stories wouldn't be such a bad idea. It might help give the Aspect some ideas as to what they can do. But you know, it would be their luck to have a large tome dedicated to their stories way high up on a top shelf. And the ladder is rusty. Might need some help.
  
  
• B. Magic Journals. For those of the modern era, needing to write is going to be an interesting exercise. But after reading the instructions, maybe they want to reach out, see who else is out there. Or troll people with dumb doodles.
  
  
• C. Watch What You're Doing! Testing out a new spell or weapon? Great! Just be mindful of the surroundings—this is all new and no one has thought to create a special training area for everyone (yet). And while most of the locals are happy and hopeful about their potential heroes, broken windows or almost burning one of them won't go over too well.
  
  
• D. House Hunting. Among the items found in the satchel is a set of keys. These keys will magically lead their new owner to the house they will be living in for as long as they are in the Realm of Stories. The home will be styled to fit the essence and the location will also be fitting of that essence. It could be within the main city of the Index, outside of town, underwater, in the air—anywhere! Now if only the keys didn't take their own through...interesting, winding routes. Like through a random bakery or down someone's chimney. Who knows, maybe they will want to come back and visit the stores for clothing and other housewares.

¶ II. Rabbit Season, Duck Season. There are two new cafes that have opened up: Hare de Lune Teahouse and Bistro de Saison de Canards. The Hare's owners hail from the Book of Kaguya and wish to spread the joy of eating their local treats with the bonus of having a cute, fluffy rabbit as a dining companion. Canards, however, are more local and are competing against them with their own special delicacies focused on duck and eggs. A fierce competition is brewing between the two, and hair and feathers may end up flying before the day's out.

• A. Hare de Lune Teahouse. The inside of Hare de Lune's is brightly colored (almost a bit too bright and chaotic), but the perfectly brewed teas and beautifully crafted wagashi served are surprisingly elegant, adding a note of serenity to the riotous surroundings. … At least at first. After eating certain cakes or drinking certain teas, patrons will suddenly find themselves either suddenly growing or shrinking in size. The effects only last at most ten minutes, but it's still a bizarre change that sends many in a panic. Could the Canards across the street have sabotaged their food!?
  
  
• B. A Hareful of Trouble. Not only that, but even the cafe's rabbits are acting strangely. While most are still docile and enjoy a nice warm lap, others are acting rambunctious and are attacking cafe patrons. It gets worse when a few nibble on a few of the size-changing cakes. If they grow in size, they become a more dangerous threat while those that shrink make it harder to find. The owners don't want the rabbits to be harmed, however, so great care is needed to try and catch or calm them down! Perhaps a big carrot will help? Or figure out which size-changing food will reverse the effect—and hopefully not make it worse.
  
  
• C. We Ducked Up. Bistro de Saison de Canards has gone all out to be as fancy as possible in every way. Duck-shaped flower arrangements and topiaries, ice sculpture ducks enchanted to "swim" in the center of the tables and quack pleasantly, linen napkins folded like swans, menus inexplicably also folded into a duck shape (good luck trying to re-fold them), and very pretentiously named dishes which… might have concerning amounts of duck eggs and rabbit meat in them. To help attract customers, they are hiring volunteers to be their mascot who must wear a special costume and try to draw anyone who is heading towards Hare de Lune to their side instead. Unfortunately, sometimes the mascots are a bit too zealous, and one even tries to steal a rabbit! Perhaps it's someone working for Hare trying to sabotage Canards? Whether trying to have a meal, roped into being a mascot, or a witness to the ridiculous actions, it's a chaotic mess. (Was that a small flock of ducks that just waddled out onto the street with a chef chasing after them?)

¶ III. Untitled Swan Princess. It's a lovely morning in the Index… unless you happen to be the latest princess cursed by a rogue sorcerer. Unfortunately, this particular magic user was under the impression that swans are lovely, serene birds and make complacent captives. He was proven very, very wrong very quickly. Now the princess-turned-bird has a lot of anger to unleash, and quite a few acts of chaos on her to-do list.

• A. Write Your Story. Apparently either the princess or her new bird brain has quite the case of kleptomania. Everyone wandering the streets today will want to keep a close eye on their valuables: lunches, keys, potion supplies, even journals and quills! As a result, some might find themselves on the receiving end of squiggly, angry beak-writing from strangers, or chasing after the thief while dodging bubble traps or ice slicks from potions dropping out of a snatched satchel!
  
  
• B. Hot Fuzz Sundae. Somehow, the swan has managed to orchestrate a massive accident involving broken barrels of caramel sauce, a teddy bear parade, and a cart full of down pillows. Thankfully for anyone caught in the crossfire, the caramel is room-temperature, but now the whole intersection is covered in a sticky, fuzzy, feathery mess! Are you a passerby, a volunteer for the clean-up crew, or a stunned victim? And more importantly, is that caramel making you stick to something (or someone) else?
  
  
• C. Wild Goose Chase. Finally, after hours of chaos, reports come in of the swan storming the Grand Library, stealing artifacts from the four Drafts the Aspects have restored thus far: a Jack-o-Lantern from A Hollow Christmas Carol, a bamboo sword from The Legend of Princess Kaguya, a pearl necklace from The Little Mermaid, and a rose-decorated dragon egg from A Midsummer Rose. It's up to the Aspects to stop the swan before she leaves the Library with the relics, but it won't be easy. The swan has planted rotten egg bombs all over the place, some even ready to fall on the unsuspecting. They do not smell until cracked open and are camouflaged to match their surroundings, especially the carpeting. Then there are some that are large and tick ominously once someone is within range, counting down until they explode. Either get those eggs out before they explode or somehow neutralize them, or the Grand Library will really be a mess for months to come.

¶ IV. Of Tea Leaves and Dragons. Somewhere outside the index is a newly opened nursery farm focused on raising tea dragons — special little dragons that produce leaves on various points on their bodies. Teas brewed from their leaves will reflect the temperament of these dragons, and although friendly special care must be taken for them. As they are a new addition to the Index, both the dragons and their caretakers are still learning to adjust and thus need a little extra help. These are the mains types of dragons and their teas at the nursery:

1. Rooibos. Active, curious dragons who tend to get into trouble. Drinking Rooibos tea will lead one to being unable to sleep or sit still.
   
2. Earl Grey. Easygoing and protective dragons, they are the largest of the group. Drinking this will lead the person wanting to be around those they care for, making sure nothing bad happens to them.
   
3. Hibiscus. Although calmer, they are willing to try new things and socialize with others. Drinking this tea will make one want to explore new places and or become more talkative about what they discover.
   
4. Ginseng. Very sensitive, these dragons can read the emotions of others and are loyal. The tea will help strengthen bonds between relationships as well as have an odd side effect of allowing one to read each other's thoughts.
   
5. Chamomile. The smallest of the dragons, they love to take long naps and just laze about, not really caring about what's going on around them. Similarly drinking their tea will make the drinker more apathetic and prone to sleep more often.

• A. How to Bribe Your Tea Dragons. The dragon tea leaves are ripe for "plucking," and while the process is painless for the young dragons, they can still be a little ornery about it. After all, no one likes being manhandled by a stranger. One has to earn their trust, and fortunately it's not too difficult. As they are young, playing with them will go a long way in forming that needed bond. Tossing balls for either a game of catch or fetch, playing chase (the flyers are cheaters), hide and seek (they love hiding in bushes), and other similar games. Another good way is to offer them their favorite treats; fruits, veggies, and specially cooked biscuits are all part of a balanced diet, and will add some delicious notes to the final tea.
  
  
• B. Harvesting Tea Leaves. Once settled in, the dragons will allow their leaves to be plucked and harvested. The process is really more like "grooming" the dragons, using special brushes to gather the loose leaves before hand plucking those that remain. First a special oil is applied to loosen the leaves and then a rake-like brush is used. It's a simple enough process, but the real problem comes from the dragons. While one person could possibly harvest a dragon on their own, they get so comfortable and cuddly while grooming that more often than not they end up pinning the holder's arms or keep butting their heads against the brushing hand which can hinder gathering the loose leaves. A second person is usually needed to either help distract the dragon or to collect the leaves.
  
  
• C. Taste Testing. At the end of the day, everyone is welcome to try a taste of the finished tea. They all have different effects, and everyone can carry a small sample home with them.

¶ V. Wildcard. Make up your own prompt! Especially in regards to the festival, anything can really happen.

Comments

Huey Duck | Chiron

[goingbythebook]

A. Magic Journals

[Those paying attention to their journals will find a new hand filling a page, topped with the customary Name and Essence, though his message- written in a quick, neat print -didn't seem to be to anyone in particular. In fact, it seemed to be a stream of consciousness sort of list.]

-Window panes, crown glass
-Cobblestone to unpaved dirt path
-Edges of forest, likely temperate
-Candy roses (cherry)

[And so on. Looks like he's making notations while walking around the Index. It's unclear if he's aware the journal is a journal, so someone might wanna clue him in- or at least get him to stop spamming.]


B. Brush Up On Lore
[LIBRARY.


....Okay, so there has to be more to the prompt than that.

Huey's found his way to the Library and has a whole stack of books, of which exactly two actually concern his Essence. Everything else is history, stories, and whatever else he felt he could get his grubby mitts on. With this RESEARCH~ in hand, he takes a seat at a table and immediately begins poring over the books. Such a little guy to have so much reading to do.]


C. Harvesting Tea Leaves
[What a fascinating little creature! Huey had bonded well with a hibiscus tea dragon, and had it calmed down and snuggled up to his size. The delight was clear in his face as he combed through the leaves, carefully harvesting each one, making sure no scrap went uncombed.]

Alright, tilt your head up!

[The dragon obliged- and leeaaannned against Huey in the same motion, like an over-affectionate Great Dane. This got a bit of a squawk out of him, and he pushed back a moment before he was outweighed and went down.

Spotting someone going by, he waved a hand from underneath the very, very relaxed dragon.]

A little help...?


D. Wildcard
[Go nuts! Feel free to ping me at zumidotexe to plot anything specific~]

A

[itsasteel]

[The first thing Steelbeak notices is the nonsensical list. The second thing he notices is the name above it. Duck? Like... One of those Ducks? It's a common name, though, so who even knows? Not important.]

What am I reading here???

[goingbythebook]

Information, that's what!

[Spaced enough apart from the list that it was on its own.]

I'm making observations in a public space so others can weigh in as they so choose. Particularly those who've been here longer than I have which, having been present only for a few hours, isn't all that hard at all.

[itsasteel]

You're expecting other people to weigh in on candy roses? And cobblestones?

[His first, immediate thought is "who even cares about those things?"]

[goingbythebook]

Well, yeah! Who wouldn't? This world is so much different from where I came from and, unless someone is literally Hansel or Gretel, I bet the same can be said from everyone else!

So I'm hoping to get general observations, perhaps input from those who've been here longer. Who KNOWS what sort of valuable things they'd have to say?

[itsasteel]

[... Huh.]

Hang on, let me try.

- Stupid windmill house
- Loud grinding noise 24/7
- No microwave
- Shower barely works
- Itchy fleece on couch
- Needs a microwave badly. Seriously

[Complaints are totally the same as observations, right?]

[goingbythebook]

[Oh totally! Complaints are just another take on it, they're still notes about the world at large.]

There you go, now you're getting it!

Hmm, you note in particular the lack of a microwave. The general tech level of this world so far has been about fifty years or so before the microwave was first invented, but I wonder if something similar could be engineered. There's some objects here I've noticed with some intriguing, perhaps magical, properties and it could be fun to experiment...

[Huey don't make friends with the villain-]

C

[forachange]

Oh! Oh, Huey, oh no!

[Wembley rushes forward to help his newfound friend, nudging the dragon and making shooing noises. It's being a bit stubborn, which is tricky, as Wembley is determined not to hurt the dragon. But in time, he gets it to move away.

At that point, he offers Huey a hand so he can get up steadily, smiling.]

Well, hey again!

[goingbythebook]

[That voice wasn't hard to miss, even if they hadn't first met only a little while prior, and at the moment it's a welcome one. He breathes gratefully when the dragon is moved, and Wembley gets much the same in a smile when Huey gets to his feet.]

Thanks! Thought I'd be trapped under there all naptime, for sure.

[forachange]

Well, we wouldn't want that, nu-uh! [Wembley gives a little giggle.] I'm glad I could help! How are things here going for ya, so far?

[goingbythebook]

Better than before! No rogue jellybeans to chase after.

[The dragon yaaawwwned and got up, nuzzling against Huey's side. In response he laughed and ruffled the leaves on its head.]

Still getting used to everywhere. Junior Woodchuck rule number 23: Know your surroundings!

[forachange]

[Wembley nods along at first, realizes he doesn't understand what Huey was talking about at the end there, and then tilts his head to the side.]

What's a Junior Woodchuck? And why do they have so many rules?

[His snout scrunches up at that second question. Ew, rules.]

[goingbythebook]

A Junior Woodchuck is a lot of things! We're scouts, explorers, and recorders of the unknown! The Guidebook is the greatest repository of information in the world, and there's hardly a fact that exists that isn't in it!

As for rules, well, how else would you know how to build a campfire, or tie a reef knot, or how to use the water cycle to predict the weather? It's not only a Guidebook for information, it's a Guidebook for life!

C

[outofyourshadow]

[ While Lena hadn't been doing any harvesting herself, she had at least been helping to play with the young dragons and relax them enough that they wouldn't be too resistant to having their leaves plucked. At the moment she was walking around with another dragon at her heels, looking for someone to do the harvesting instead.

Hearing the familiar - if somewhat muffled - voice, she paused and looked around, before spotting what looked like a snoozing dragon, and the hand underneath trying to get someone's attention.

With a frown, she thought for a moment before walking over to the dragon's side and started scratching its back. It fidgeted pleasantly, arching into her touch and moving with her as he hand moved down its side. She continued until the dragon rolled over, and off of the back of its victim. ]

[goingbythebook]

[Huey coughed a couple times as the dragon's weight got off him. Sitting up, he raised his arms to mid-chest and twisted from one side to the other, popping his spine and stretching his muscles, to hopefully head off any painful cricks down the line.]

Thanks, I really appreciate- Lena??

[He looked up at her with a surprised blink. His brothers he knew, yeah, but THIS was a surprise.]

[outofyourshadow]

[ Though she's surprised as well, she manages a grin. ]

Thought I heard a nerd.

[ Despite her words, her tone is more playful than anything, as she holds out a hand to help him up. ]

[goingbythebook]

[He takes the hand gratefully and gets to his feet. Her tease gets an appreciative and appropriate laugh, though no further comment as he concentrates on the more important aspect.]

When did you arrive? I know for my brothers and me, it wasn't really all that long ago.

[outofyourshadow]

Probably not too much sooner than you guys did, I guess. I haven't been here all that long myself.

[ By this point, she's not surprised to hear that the others were there, having already run into one of them before. ]

[goingbythebook]

Then it really must've been around the same time. What an intriguing thought!

[Destiny? Fate? Coincidence? Either way, he shakes his head a bit before going too far off onto a tangential thought for once and gives her a smile.]

Well I'm glad you are here. It's nice to have another friendly, familiar face around.

B!

[richestduck]

[Huey's essence isn't the only one to drive the duck holding it to the library. Odin wants to collect knowledge as well, not that Scrooge complains. The library has become one of his regular haunts.]

[He's currently pulling down books on magic to supplement his lessons from Magica (what a weird thing to think!) before frowning. It seems a book is out of place.]

Should be here somewhere...

[He can be heard quietly shuffling books around.]

Thought. Memory.

[The two ravens immediately begin flapping around, hunting for the missing tome. Assuming Huey hasn't heard Scrooge's voice to snap him out of the book, a large black feather might help draw his attention.]

[goingbythebook]

[He heard the voice, but hearing Scrooge in his background is such a normal thing for him, it actually takes him a second to realize it's out of place here. Shutting the book he's currently got his beak in, he hops down to the floor and looks around, following the sounds of "someone else in the library" until he spots him.]

Uncle Scrooge??

[richestduck]

[It takes only a moment for Scrooge to place the voice, freezing up for just a moment. His right eye starts to open in his shock, but he squeezes it shut quickly.]

Huey?

[And there the lad is! Gods, he hasn't seen any of the boys since...since..."There were too many variables!" And now they're all here.]

[goingbythebook]

Uncle Scrooge!

[As natural for him he dives forward to hug him.]

Oh man I didn't know you were here! I have so many questions! How long have you been here? What's your Essence? Oh wait wait, lemme see if I can guess-

[This gives a reprieve from what would normally be a further peppering of questions, as he steps back to take in Scrooge's appearance and companions, rubbing his beak in thought.]

[richestduck]

A few months.

[Oh, gods, there's a part of him that wants to find a deep dark hole to curl up and cry in because the enthusiastic hug means this isn't his Huey. However, he pushes that down and away. Instead, he gives an indulgent smile, waiting for the lad to puzzle out his essence.]

[goingbythebook]

A few months??

[He's briefly distracted from his puzzling by that answer, which causes a whole new slew of Hueyness-]

Incredible! I just saw you, after our bout with the Moonlanders. I wonder what sort of time distillation is at work here? That'd be something to look into, among everything else...

[-before remembering he has a MISSION here, snap to it Huey! Back to studying Scrooge, as he looked him up and down. Then he brightened and pointed up at him.]

Odin?