Land of a Time Passed: A Rune Factory Roleplay

[Reanimator Buns]

OOC

~ Spring 29th ~

It had been almost a month since the fateful night that the stormy seas had claimed their passage to the mainland and left them marooned on this isle long since forgotten by history. No initial reading from the smartest heads in the isle revealed much to them, and the most valuable source of information to them was Iris, a strange maiden who was once an inhabitant so long ago.

But their mystery and wonders were still the least of their concerns. With their current location unknown, finding a way to contact the mainlands would be difficult, and there was still the issue of securing food. Hunting and foraging had proven to be useful, but unreliable at all times. There was no way to guarantee they would be fed quite yet. But there is hope for that still: Up the hill and on the terraces, his ears wrapped in a white scarf stained with dirt and mud, a young man wanders the once rich soils of this farm land, having turned the soil with makeshift tools made from driftwood and stone. As he is working, the sun beats down. Things are getting hotter, and summer is almost here. He isn't paying much attention as he brings his tool down.

There was a crunch. He looked down, and noticed in the soil that he had just tilled, small green leaves. Bending down he dug through the dirt and the soil. As he did, he noticed... It was richer. Even if only slightly. Stuck to his Hoe's blade was a mound coated in dirt. As he dug it out more and more, he realized what this was. It was a turnip. It was food! There weren't that many, but here they were. A small patch of turnips. Hardly enough to feed everyone but enough to show that something could be grown here even if there was still plenty more work to be done. Petrus scooped up about all 5 of them in his shirt and hurried down the hillside to the town below to share the news.

Petrus was out of breath by the time he had made it to the town square. It still felt empty given it's size, but there were signs of activity bringing things back. He hurried to the best place he could think of to share with everyone. He hurried to the home of Brea and Finn. Brea was the best person to entrust with these new found blessings. Petrus hurried inside, still out of breath. "It's working!..." He hurried to the counter of Brea's "Inn" and began placing each turnip down one by one down. They were of varying shape and size, and some were less pleasing to look at (in addition to one having a massive mark gouged inside of it).

Still Petrus was excited. "I guess we're doing something right after all!" Of course things weren't perfect yet. Turnips didn't exactly need highly fertile soil to grow, but things were getting better.

---

~ Elsewhere ~

Jian Hua had been taking the time for a pleasant walk all on her own. She had spent much time with everyone so far, but there were still moments when she much appreciated the meditative moments she had to herself. About a 30 minute walk into the woods was a peaceful little pond with a waterfall that flowed from deeper in the island, and this river passed right by the village. She sat on the rocky shore of the pond with one leg stretched out and an arm propped up on her knee. There were tropical flowers all starting to bloom and birds nearby singing.

It was perhaps not such a bad thing that their ship had crashed. Truth be told, Jian was enjoying herself. Perhaps for the first time since she was just learning to dance. Having no obligation to another was a resoundingly free feeling. So much so that she leaned back and let her eyes flutter closed, bathing in the partial shade of the canopy overhead. Someone else was bound to stop by, no doubt, and she would not mind. But for now, it was just the light misting of the falls and the chirping of the birds, and that was quite meditative.

​

 

[Jessica]

~Iris~
Interactions: Petrus
Mentions: Brea and Finn
​

If the group had not kept a calendar, Iris would have forgotten that a month had passed since she was awoken from her slumber.

And still, the memories of her time on the island, before it all was wasted away, were fleeting. It wasn't that she had amnesia or anything. She remembered her family, her friends, and what the beautiful island city looked like before it was abandoned. What Iris didn't remember was what exactly happened to them. Had they simply left? Were they planning to come back for her? Were they… dead? If that was the case, where were they buried?

Maybe one day she would receive closure. Right now, her focus was to remain on the island inhabitants like herself, and the rebuilding of the town.

She was grateful, truly. Their arrival to the island was beginning to bring new life into what had been abandoned and neglected. Everyone had their own uniqueness, their own quirks, and their own specialties that they bring to the table. It was beautiful.
Perhaps one day, the city would be filled with more inhabitants. Maybe, with more families?
Iris would love to see the city return to its former glory. It was already on the right track there~

She'd been laying within one of the town square's flower beds, trying to take a nap, when she noticed one of the cuties of the group start running through with something in his hands. Petrus was his name if she remembered right. Iris sat right up, her ears perked. She wondered why he was so excited, and so, she decided to follow him. It was an exciting little chase that Petrus didn't seem to notice, which made it just a bit more fun~

She was led to Brea's and Finn's home… The lovely people who ran the inn. Iris entered right behind him without so much as announcing her presence or asking if she could participate.

"Excuse me… What's working?" She asked the group, looking over Petrus to see what he'd put on the counter.


~~

"~Aiguo~
Interactions: N/A
Mentions: N/A
​

Normally, Aiguo wouldn't be happy that his traveling days were stalled. After all, he built a boat with his bare hands just so he could start seeing the world. But… being stuck in this town really wasn't all that bad, surprisingly!

It wasn't the "ancient ruins" feel he got from the place or all the wonderful resources. Rather, it was the people that made things a lot more bearable than it would have been had he been alone. Back at home, his mom and dad were overprotective to the point of weighing Aiguo down, but they had good reason. He was always sickly, and they wanted to make sure he stayed healthy. But even Aiguo needed to spread his wings and fly. Here, no one had any reason to be overprotective of him. They needed him and he needed them in equal partnerships.

As an added bonus, Aiguo would get to participate in rebuilding a city from the ground up with these lively people! How many can say they got to rebuild something to its former glory? Not a lot, that's who!

Now, Aiguo was just off the main walking trail picking grass of different colors and herbs. Whatever viable plants for medicinal purposes he could grab, it would delicately stored away in one of his bags. He had plenty within the little shack he was currently calling his doctor's office, but it never hurt to have extras just in case. What if they were attacked and he run out of healing spell? He needed to be ready for anything!

However, the whole world seemed to stop when he spotted a rock.

"Whoa! Well, look at you, little guy!" Aiguo picks up a black and brown rock and admires it. The natural design etched in an orangish color on it reminded him of a honeycomb. "I shall call you Crumble Bee." He said with a smile, placing the rock in his bag.

 

[Nim]

Teva
Interactions: N/A
Mentions: Jian​

The past month had been anything but uneventful. From the ship she was on getting wrecked on the coast of on uninhabited island, to becoming part of a rather curious group that elected to focus on their efforts to rehabilitate the island. While many elected to focus on the abandoned city, Teva would find her living comfort outside of it, and focus her efforts on helping make the ground be farm-worthy. She also helped with writing down which flora existed on the island that was usable by the new residents, be it medicinal herbs, edible berries, or otherwise.

While she wasn't a big people's person herself, Teva did find that some of her fellow island residents were pleasant company, for one reason or another. So that, at the very least, made for some comfort as they made this into a new home for themselves.

Heading out, Teva followed her own feeling and went for a stroll in the forest. She found a yet untouched berry bush, and picked several berries into a bag, before deciding to take a look at a type of fungi she hadn't seen before. It was slowly becoming hotter and as the seasons will change soon, so too would new plants show up in the wild. This mushroom was still small, only beginning to grow, so Teva elected to give it a couple more days to grow. But she did write down her new finding, and where she found it, before carrying on.

Once she had gathered some more berries and some herb leaves, she arrived at a small pond a bit into the forest. She had known of it, having explored the forest multiple times with others and also a few times alone. Stepping towards the water, she had noticed Jian sitting by the pond as well, but Teva elected to say nothing for the moment. It seemed like Jian was enjoying the peace and quiet, so she didn't want to disturb her. Instead, Teva would remove her sandals, and gently put her feet into the cold pond. A nice break from the forest exploration.

 

[Equusheart]

~*~Brea~*~
Interaction: Petrus and Iris

Brea hummed a soft, but pleasant tune as she swept the floor of the little "inn" she had worked to set up with her brother's help. It wasn't much, but at least she could provide the others with a meal if they needed it. When she wasn't checking over what stock that had been salvaged, Brea often kept busy with cleaning. Finding the chores to be a good distraction from the passing of time.

She looked up at the sound of a familiar and excited voice, smiling when Petrus hurried inside and set something on the counter. She set the broom against the wall and went to great him. When she saw what it was he had brought, Brea gasped in excitement.

"Oh, turnips!" she exclaimed as she bounced over for a closer look. "I could make a soup with these, I think." Brea frowned and put a hand to her face as she went over what they had in her mind. "I wish we had some milk and maybe some carrots."

She was pulled from her thoughts as Iris now entered and Brea greeted her with a smile before turning back to Petrus. She was also curious as to what he was talking about.

 

[Reanimator Buns]

~ Petrus Lapin ~

Interactions: Brea (@Equusheart) Iris (@Jessica)

Petrus was glad to see that after the great fruits(or vegetables) of his labor were bringing others a similar level of excitement. It was reassuring to know that things seemed to be working our alright. "Well, there's still quite a bit more to do. Summer's almost here, and even with these, I'm not too sure I'll have things in prime growing condition. I'll need to talk more with Teva-ah!"

He jumped as he heard the voice of Iris behind him. Had she followed him? Had she followed him without him noticing??? That was the most concerning part. If she ever wanted to chase him, well then he wouldn't even know. Still he tried his best to regain his composure, but as he did, he was starting to become aware of a few other issues. His hair clothes were dirty, he was covered in sweat, and several of his beats were... barely satisfactory.

All of a sudden, he was starting to feel a bit foolish. "Well um... Y-You said that I should, that the fields are um... And I grew..." He tried to form a coherent thought, pointing at the turnips, picking up the one that he had gashed with his hoe. He looked at it, and drooped his head, his ears flopping down to the side. "Maybe I was a little too excited..."

---

Jian Hua

Interactions: Teva (@Nim)

Jian may have been lying in silence, but she was not unaware of her surroundings, her eyes still closed, she heard the botanist approaching. "Good morning Teva." She stretched out, reaching her arm into the air and folding her legs underneath her. "The water must feel nice at this time." She stood up and took a seat close by, taking her own shoes off and dipping them in the pond beside her.​

"I hope you've been good. It's strange, having been stuck here for as long as we have." There were likely repercussions from her absence, but Jian didn't mind as much. "Have you been feeling homesick at all? If you feel the need to talk, I'm always there to listen." Jian leaned back smiling and closing her eyes in a similar position to how Teva found her. But as far as Jian had noticed, Teva was also a bit more of a private person much liker herself. Of course, Jian was much, MUCH nosier.

 

[Jessica]

~Iris~
Interactions: Petrus
Mentions: Brea and Finn
​

Iris offered a smile and wave to the others once she was acknowledged. Her eyes soon fell to the vegetables; or rather, the lovely turnips and other vegetables he'd managed to grow. She looked a little surprised at face value, but inwardly, she was in shock. Iris wasn't sure how to process the information that the land, despite having no Earthmates to tend to it, was still fertile. She thought the land might have become inhabitable since there was no one, not even her, to take care of the soils.

The poor boy was beginning to doubt his accomplishments. In response, Iris gave him a hug.

"Thank you." She told him. "The soils are not a lost cause. It means with enough care, the island can one day have bountiful harvests like it used to... I didn't even think the soil was capable of growing turnips at all, but here you are bringing big ones." Iris let Petrus go from the hug.

"I think this is something to celebrate." Iris smiled. "There's hope. There's hope..!"

Iris grew a little more excited, imagining her home from the past. Though it was a long shot still, it meant that the group would be able to survive so long as the soil stayed healthy.

 

[kookyboy9]

Rita
Interactions: Aiguo @Jessica
Mentions:
​

Rita was on her way back to town when she spotted the berry bush. She hadn't recognized them, but they looked edible and large enough to be useful. If only she'd noticed that all the little hairs on it had prickled up as she'd moved to take the berry. It turned out that it'd been a monster. Fortunately not a particularly strong one, but still a monster. She'd won, of course, but now her hand was red, swollen, and starting to go numb from the hair-like stingers the plant had been sporting. And it had dropped a few of the berries when it disappeared.

Rita gathered the berries into her bag and continued on her way towards town, careful not to attract the attention of anything that could be particularly nasty. As she neared the outskirts of town, however, she happened to spot a figure in a clearing talking to... something he was holding in his hand. She took a closer look, only to mutter to herself in surprise: "Wait. Ain't that the doc?"

She'd probably have to get him to take a look at the hand either, and it seemed like an opportune moment. At least she wouldn't have to wait for him to return to town this way.

She stepped into the clearing, waving with her other hand to get his attention. "Hey doc. The heck're you doing out here?"

---

Leslie
Interactions: Brea @Equusheart, Iris @Jessica, Petrus @Reanimator Spuds
Mentions:
​

Leslie found himself walking through the ruined streets of the city early in the morning today. Rita had vanished this morning without a word. Which either meant she'd gone to the tavern this early in the morning, or she'd left to go hunting again. The city itself was breathtaking even now, although Leslie couldn't quite place the architecture. Based on the planters, this city had to be decades or even centuries old, which made it almost creepy how well-preserved it was when the group arrived. And with how lavish the city was, he found it hard to believe that it'd simply been abandoned. He made a mental note to get Rita or Jian Hua to help him explore the ruined buildings in more depth once they were a bit more stable. Or maybe Iris sooner, if she had time. She always seemed pretty free. Especially with how much time she seemed to have to chase people around.

He walked into the bar only to start in surprise at just how large a group was inside already. Petrus was chattering excitedly about a couple of turnips on the counter, and Iris and Brea seemed to be various levels of excited about them as well. None of them seemed to have noticed him entering yet. "E-excuse me. Has anyone seen Rita around this morning? She wasn't at home when I woke up this morning."

His voice squeaked a little as he spoke the first couple of words, a blush spreading across his face quickly after.

 

[Nim]

Teva
Interactions: Jian
Mentions: Petrus​

Seeng Jian move from the spot she was sitting at before and acknowledging her, Teva nodded towards her as Jian came and sat by her "Good morning Jian. The water is very pleasant right now, yes. Though I imagine that as summer comes, we will want to dive deeper in." She said, offering a smile as Teva turned to glance at the different things that reflected in the water.

"While it is a bit odd, having no connection to the outside world, I can't say it bothered me much. I don't really have anyone out there, waiting for me. So I'm just content following the wind. And for now, it led me here. Crashed on this island with all of you." Teva said, turning her gaze to Jian "And I can return the offer to you. If you ever feel homesick or anything of the sort, you have a shoulder to lean on right here." She told Jian with a smile.

Her gaze moved to a bird that flew above them "And as odd as this experience is, I cannot say I've been bored. Working with Petrus to create a proper farmland, along with exploring and discovering all the new flora this island has to offer, I've had plenty to do so far."

 

[Reanimator Buns]

Petrus Lapin

Petrus was quickly embraced by Iris which only managed to turn him beet read, and his nose twitch a little. Still, to hear that he was actually making a difference helped in many ways. "Y-Yeah... I'll keep working on it." But he still had a few more concerns. What about summer? How was he going to keep things from drying out? And what would happen when they find a way back home?... Would they even be able to do that?...

His internal anxieties were interrupted by Leslie, the historian and scholar that was actually a bit younger than himself. Petrus was happy to help out though, having finished his other work for the day and just free himself from the comforting yet nerve-wracking hug that Iris had pulled him into. He wriggles his way down through her arms and jumped back up close to Leslie.

"I haven't seen your sister, sorry, but I'd be happy to help look for her." He then pushed past Leslie, and out into the streets, turning back around and bouncing up and down, still unable to stand still for even a few minutes. "I'll be looking this way then." And with that, he was running off before anyone could stop him

​

---

Jian Hua

Jian sat there listening. It was nice to hear that there were certainly those among them who may not be looking for a way back. To Jian, this place was an escape. And Teva seemed quite wise for her young age, it was fun to talk about more existential desires with her She smiled at the comment of feeling homesick "As do you Teva. I'm here to help, just as always."

When Teva started talking about working with Petrus, Jian couldn't help but laugh a little at that. "Well if nothing else, it most certainly doesn't get dull with him. I bet you've got your work cut out for yourself with all the crazy things he tries" Jian leaned back. There were some issues though. They hadn't found very many seeds on the cargo nearby, which means their choice of crop was somewhat limited, "Do you two get along alright?"
​

 

[Jessica]

~Iris~
Interactions: Leslie, Brea, Finn
Mentions: Rita
​

Iris's attention turned to the next voice that entered the room, Leslie. He was one of the cuties of the group next to Petrus and Brea. He was asking about his sister, the one who was as protective as she was stoic... It was strange seeing one without the other, now that she thought about it.

But the question remained; where did she go?

Before anyone could react, Petrus had wiggled himself free from her hug and dashed off to go look for the missing sister. She cocked her head a little, but shrugged, thinking nothing of it.

"I have not seen her either." She looked over to the siblings. "Have you?"


~~

"~Aiguo~
Interactions: Rita
Mentions: N/A
​

"Huh?" Aiguo looked over to Rita when he heard her question, greeting her with a smile and a wave. He remembered her as the scary sister of the shorter redhead boy; the one who Aiguo would never call scary to her face unless he wanted to risk the consequences of her becoming even scarier. Still, from what he'd seen, she seemed nice enough. He hadn't noticed her wounded hand just yet though.

"I'm collecting herbs and grass for some concoctions I want to make." He began. "You see, I got to thinking. What if there was a medicine that not only heals you but makes you stronger? What if it's like drinking a recovery potion and eating protein, but better?" Aiguo tapped his lip in thought of the potential product. Of course, he had an ulterior motive to this particular concoction, something he wouldn't share with Rita just yet. "You'd think mixing protein and a recovery potion would work, but all I got was a dry mess that chokes you." He sighed, commenting this more to himself than Rita.

"Anyway, what are you doing all the way out here?" Aiguo asked her. They were a little ways away from the main town. Did she and Leslie come to explore or something?

 

[kookyboy9]

Rita
Interactions: Aiguo @Jessica
Mentions:
​

Rita made her way further into the clearing as Aiguo waved to her. The doctor was at least pleasant enough to deal with. By now, her hand was quite swollen, red, and starting to blister. Not that she particularly showed it. If anything, her normal glower was a tiny bit deeper. "Might have some stuff for you, then."

She had to think a moment before responding to his next statement, however. Who the hell would actually be willing to eat a combination of the two things? "Probably tasted like shit too. I've had both, and neither is particularly appetizing." She waved her injured hand it him. "Tried to grab something I probably shouldn't have. Could you take a look?"

---

Leslie
Interactions: Brea @Equusheart, Iris @Jessica, Petrus @Reanimator Spuds
Mentions:
​

Leslie flinched a bit as Petrus wriggled out of Iris's arms and jumped back up next to him before running out the door. "W-wait! It's not that urgent! I just wanted to know if anyone had seen her..."

His voice trailed off as Petrus quickly made distance from the tavern, apparently not hearing him. He turned to the other two. "I'm really sorry for bothering you. I figured she'd either be here or she went out of town to gather food, and this was the easier place to search. I'll go look around the gate and see if I can spot her."

He gave the two an apologetic bow before heading back outside to head towards the gate to the outskirts of town.

 

[Nim]

Teva
Interactions: Jian
Mentions: Petrus​

Teva nodded at the mention of working with Petrus not being dull "It certainly isn't dull. I keep needing to make sure all of his attempts at making things easier for maintaining the farmland won't end up harming the plants in any way. But for the most part, it does seem like he just really wants to help. So even if I don't understand it properly, or really like it, I won't stand in his way as long as the plantlife won't suffer from it."

"The two of us?" Teva pondered briefly "I'd like to think we get along well. Aside from that side of him, we actually have a few common grounds. So he is nice company to have while tending to the farm." She said, before glancing at Jian "What about you? Anyone you've gotten along with so far?"

 

[Jessica]

"~Aiguo~
Interactions: Rita
Mentions: N/A
​

At the mention of Rita's guess of the taste for the protein/healing potion experiment, a look seemed to cross Aiguo's smiling features.

Pain. Disgust. The memories of what washed over his taste buds the second he tried the concoction was still fresh on his mind. Sure, he felt stronger, but his stomach? Quite the opposite.

"You're right. By far the worst thing I've tasted, but in my defense, it's difficult to make those kinds of things tasty in the first place." There were also different reasons, like being careful certain culinary ingredients didn't counteract with the medicine or the fact that it was difficult to play around with the flavor of medicine. The day he meets a chef who can turn a healing potion into something delicious would be the day he did a triple backflip.



Rita requested he take a look at her hand with his eyes first. Then, for further inspection he took out a pair of medical gloves and put them on. He gently took her wrist in one hand so that he could get a closer look.

"Let me guess, one of those hairy berry monsters? Or something like it." He smiled. "Got you good by the look of that hand, the little bastard. Don't worry, this'll be quick."

He reached into a pouch within his bag and pulled out a container with a screw on lid. Making quick work of opening it, he scooped some of the substance onto his gloved fingers.

"This'll take the hairs right out, but it'll tickle. Keep your hand completely still."

With that, Aiguo would spread the beige colored substance all over the affected area of Rita's hand, making sure to cover every part he could. By the time he could the jar away and changed his gloves, the substance dried from a cream into a sticky blob. Aiguo would then grab it from one side and slowly peel it off of Rita's hand. Stuck to the blob would be the hairs that had previously been in Rita's hand.

"Alright," Aiguo carefully placed the blob into a specimen bag that he would put away in his travel pouch. "Just one more thing."

Lastly, he would then use a healing spell on Rita's hand. The blisters and any opening the hairs made would quickly disappear back to normal. "Your hand is good to go, but give it about 10 minutes to fully heal if you can."

 

[Reanimator Buns]

- Petrus Lapin -

Just as he had promised, Petrus began searching every which way all along the path which took them back to the beach. He checked every barrel and box along his way, but was going the complete wrong direction for that. But this was not something he knew, and he soon found himself standing at the old port and the beach nearby. Every so often flotsam would wash ashore from their ship wreck even after the month they had been there. And today was no different. He figured it was possible that Rita was looking around here, so he took to the liberty of walking the shore line.

And that was when he spotted something, underneath a piece of broken hull. It was wet, leather bound, and the ink was bleeding throughout almost every page, making it incredibly difficult to read. But as he gently thumbed through the pages, he made out the words "Crops and seeds," as if by some miracle. He couldn't make out anything else on the page, but judging by the spread of ink across this, it was likely a ledger with inventory for them. That meant somewhere on this island, at least one crate could have made it on board.

With summer fast approaching and soon followed after by fall and winter, it should be clear just what they'd need to do: They needed to build up a supply of food before it was too cold to really do much else. Some extra seeds would go a long way for that. Petrus picked the book back up and hurried back to the township: Rita wasn't here.

- Jian Hua -

Jian couldn't help but giggle at Teva's question. "Oh dear me, I do hope so! I may have prided myself as a dancer, but really I'm a glorified courtier. Having people like me was my occupation." Jian was still pleased to hear that her companions were fairing well. It also was good to hear that the farm work was continuing smoothly. Hopefully there wouldn't be any food shortages. She had heard of some attempts to form a party to try and tame some animals like Cluckadoodles and Buffamoos and start producing some milk and eggs, but what of seeds?

"Well keep an eye on that one. Make sure he doesn't doom us all." She said these with an air of levity in an attempt at dark humor. She had complete faith in them both of course.

Later that Night

Petrus had gathered everyone together, he shared with them his findings and said that he wanted to send an expedition around the island in search of more crates that may have washed ashore. There was still quite a bit of land unexplored.

"I'll be going out to search for some seeds. There's bound to be something somewhere. I'd be happy if some of the stronger fighters chose to accompany me though. So... What do you say?..." He looked around the group as they gathered around the table in the makeshift in, his eyes wide and excited, as his nose wiggled with anxiety, anticipation, and excitement. ​

 

[Jessica]

~Iris~
Interactions: Petrus
Mentions:
​

Iris was present with everyone else, listening in regards to the crates washing ashore. With the turnips and now the possibility of more supplies, she was more excited than ever that the island would become prosperous. The more resources they had, the better for everyone's survivability after all. However, a part of her wished she could just sleep, but that wouldn't be very guardian-like, would it?

"I can accompany you, Petrus." Iris offered him. "It is my duty to protect everyone here, after all."

Of all the people here though, Petrus seemed to be the one who needed protecting the most.

~~

"~Aiguo~
Interactions: Petrus, everyone
Mentions: N/A
​

Aiguo, admittedly, wasn't a fighter. If anything, he was an avoider, a dodger, a slippery eel. If he'd been given this mission by himself, he'd be able to run away from prospective danger. But if he had a frontline, he could work in the back and keep them healed. So long as they protected him, he could keep them up and moving. A good trade off, wouldn't you think?

"There's bound to be more potions or grass, right? Or something we're about to discover?" Aiguo asked more so to Petrus than the others. There was a big chance that whatever he could use was washed out by the salty waters, but even if just one potion survived in those crates, he would consider it a success. "I'm itching to get my hands on anything I can make potions out of. If anyone wants to come with, I would love the company."