Unlock! (1)

[trainmasters]

Who: Everyone
When: Day 12, evening into night
Where: the Aurora

[As evening approaches, you hear the jingle associated with an official message from your Chain. It's the same balloons and confetti animation as the last time newbies arrived, and the same message as well:]

WELCOME NEW HEROES

[As anticipated, some newbies are waking up in their rooms, in the usual nondescript undies or team pyjamas.

Just after this, however, something much more startling happens...

Outisde, the bell tone gets all the louder, a beautiful resonating sound that fills the air. Then, suddenly, a flood of strange square-shaped sparkles appear, floating around like magical fireflies, bringing with them a pleasant warmth. They increase in size and volume until the air itself whites out with a bright but pleasant light. While you can't see, you can hear the bell, and the distant rumbling of stone.

Abruptly, the sound stops, and the bright light fades to reveal a sky painted in sunset hues. Where there was once a dark and hostile jungle with cracks in the ground, there's now a colourful rainforest environment and a floor thick with bright moss. The sounds of birds and insects and regular wildlife rise over the previous silence, and the aggressive plantlife is replaced by large flowers and succulent fruits. In one direction, a dirt path winds through the trees, and in the opposite, the brush gives way to a stone formation with a flat top and an opening flanked in carvings of water and plants.

If one were to enter the new cave entrance, they'd find the previous moon crystals replaced by rainbow ones that reflect sparkling light onto the floor, and feel soothingly warm to the touch. Further into the caves, there's a carved stone path that leads to the beach you initially arrived on. There stands the Prism: a large floating cube in the center of gyproscope-like concentric rings. Where it had been glowing black, it's now a royal purple, and the light and energy from it are significantly less malicious than before -- though still far from pure. The beach itself is now covered in fine white sand, and the sea no longer tries to pull you in -- provided you don't go out too far.

Because not all is well on this Star just yet. While the nearby water contains a reef of colourful fish, 100 meters or so out to sea the water turns black again. While under water in the safe area, you can occasionally see the shadows of great and terrible monsters deep in the dark.

Likewise, should you choose to follow the first path, after ~1km you'll find the forest fades back into the previous dense, dark jungle. At the edge of the darkness, there's something new -- the remains of what looks like a modern town. It's all overgrown, cottages twisted into ruins and streets covered in vines and prowled by tiger monsters and a new threat: towering reptilian creatures that climb the crumbling shells of apartment buildings and the empty City Hall, like geckos increased to dinosaur size. They're fast, and if they catch you they'll swallow you whole. On the one side, that makes it easier for someone to save you -- they could cut you out. On the other, those unable to be rescued will find their skin and muscles becoming slowly more transparent and stiff, the colour and feeling leaving them until their minds are trapped in a useless shell. Those found in that condition later must be saved via the healing pods -- but they'll remember their stay in their glass bodies, with their blood running and heart pumping like a living anatomical model of their organs.

On the Aurora, however, you're welcome to enjoy the first sight of the sun in 12 days. As the brilliant sunset moves into a night reigned over by a gentle moon, the Heartbeat Festival remains in full swing. So celebrate your victory with a glass of shimmery alcohol and a kiss, because you've done it -- your love has purified a part of this Star!]

[[OOC NOTES: CONGRATULATIONS on your first Prism purification, guys! There is a toplevel for ICly suggesting train upgrades here, so check it out! Next week we'll post a poll, and the week after the upgrade will be implemented.

The updates to the Setting page to reflect this post will be made soon, so keep an eye out!]]

Comments

[desirestruth]

[A: For Senna

So, there's a strange pale woman in your train car. She is in the pajamas because she is very uncertain about the fashion options presented to you, and she is inspecting the car top to bottom. Probably walking into bedrooms without knocking. Poking at the lockers. Being kind of distressed by the idea of a communal bathroom.]

[B: Open to All.

Or, otherwise, Naeva's wandering through the train, inspecting other cars. She is similarly just opening doors to look at stuff and doesn't say anything unless addressed so uh, enjoy being stared at by a pale lady in senna colors?

She's also eyeing the drinks provided by the Heartbeat Festival, and has absconded with an entire tray of them. She may just hand one to someone who stares back at her too long. Hello!]

B

[ewestmarch]

[Also pale, staring back, looking at her drinks.]

I wouldn't drink that.

[desirestruth]

...Are they serving us unsafe things?

[She's pausing to stare at one of the glasses. It doesn't smell poisoned. But then she can't smell hardly anything now.]

[ewestmarch]

The last time I drank one, I changed colors. They're probably enchanted.

[desirestruth]

Oh.

[She considers this. And the glass.]

That's not as bad as I thought.

[bowtiedbones]

[blinks at the tray]

You're not going to drink all of those, are you?

[desirestruth]

No, I don’t intend to...I just felt it best to have something to share?

[She’s not that much an alcoholic. Yet.]

[bowtiedbones]

Oh! That's a nice thought.

[desirestruth]

It’s always best to be polite, whenever possible, in my experience.

[cawnflict]

[ When she walks into his room, he's... plucking a feather out of his wing?

And giving her a very strange look. ]

Good... morning?

[desirestruth]

...Hello.

[She's not that weirded out by the feathers he's clearly gotta molt????]

[cawnflict]

[ thanks for understanding friend. ]

Let me guess; you've just woken up.

[desirestruth]

[Her best friend molts and her other one has to do snake sheds, she knows the Suffering.]

It's that obvious, is it?

B

[nihilmancy]

[Stumbling a bit towards a sofa in the Lounge is somebody who might have had a few too many of the Heartbeat Festival drinks. She squints at the newcomer for a second, her cheeks red, before looking away.]

Oh. Welcome aboard.

[desirestruth]

Hello...[Naeva stares for a long minute. And then sets the drinks down away from this new girl. Yeah, none of those for you.]

Are you quite alright?

[nihilmancy]

[Well, this is mortifying.]

I overestimated my fortitude. Please don't mind me.

[desirestruth]

[Madam why do you talk like that. Naeva is over 100 years old and you're more formal than she is!]

...I see.

[She's considering this, and looking around the lounge car, thinking--]

Please do not move.

[GONNA GO GET WATER FROM THE DINING CAR, BRB.]

A

[assassinatedassassin]

[Was sitting on the floor un-braiding his hair in his room but ok.]

... ... ... ...Evening.

[desirestruth]

[Look she has ass-length wavy hair she understands the Struggle, believe her.]

...Hello.

[assassinatedassassin]

...

You lost?

[desirestruth]

I just arrived here. Wherever here is.

[A long pause.]

So, yes, a little bit.

A

[unaffective]

[ As she barges into Elaine's room she's vaguely tucked beneath the corners, disheveled, but she

sits up, right away. startled, red in the face? ]

Ah - Is there something that you'd like...?

[desirestruth]

I--please excuse me, I did not realize someone was in here...

[She's kind of. Frozen. Trying to figure out hat is happening in here. She's flushed. Is she sick? No that can't be right. Um...]

[unaffective]

It's quite alright. If there is something that you would like to eat, there should be leftovers available... though - should they fail to suit your tastes, I likewise believe that I may be able to cook something.

[desirestruth]

I--don't believe I need to eat anything but blood?

[THIS IS AWKWARD.]

Ah, though I can eat, if I need to, I am sure your cooking is lovely.