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

[newmodelblade]

[A - For Licorice:
So as far as he is concerned, he woke up somewhere strange, with no recollection of who he is, in what appears to be a room for somebody else, and with no real idea of what to do next. So that is a full-grown man in his underwear is moving slowly and cautiously through the team car, making notes of his surroundings, a primed to startle if interrupted. Certainly this will be a good time for all.]

[B - For Everyone:
We are going to presume this is later and somebody explained the idea that those are his clothes and he belongs here now, however he wants to interpret that idea. Lucien can be found wandering around the Heartbeat Festival. He doesn't seem to be looking for anyone in particular, or really trying much of anything. He just is taking in the spectacle of it all.]

[desirestruth]

[Well, here's a dumbass with a tray of drinks. She's not looking where she's going, so she bumps him and has to scramble to steady the tray a bit, so she's not really paying attention.]

--Ah! Please pardon me...

[This gon' be some shit.]

[newmodelblade]

Oh!

[On reflex, he will reach out to try to steady her, then! It just seemed only polite to do, after all.]

No, I should have been paying closer attention. Are you alright?

[desirestruth]

I'm fine--[She does know that voice. And very nearly drops the tray again! She'll just. Put that down on something before disaster strikes.]

Lucien?

[Oh, she's. Happy to see him! Hm.]

[newmodelblade]

[Well, here is probably the last thing that she wanted to see: he smiles in return, as someone being so bright is essentially contagious, but there's a clear bit of confusion to this.]

Ah? I'm afraid that you have me at a disadvantage.

[saddleclub]

Another one...

[I suppose I should care about licorice now.]

[newmodelblade]

Pardon? Another one?

[He's having quite a time of it! But it does only take him a second.]

Ah, yes. I am a new arrival to--

[He gestures a bit aimlessly around him.]

--wherever it is that we are.

[saddleclub]

The save the universe train more or less.

[newmodelblade]

[That. That takes considerably longer than a second or so for him to process.]

I beg your pardon, but could you perhaps explain that a bit more?

[enduringdawn]

[ There's this tall man with a glass of gold drink, noticing they have a hell lot more confused facesthan they did before. ]

Just showed up?

[newmodelblade]

[His head snaps to whoever addressed him, and he nods.]

Yes. This whole experience has been quite surreal, I must say.

[enduringdawn]

Surreal's one way of putting it. Anyone explained things to you?

[nihilmancy]

[A slight young woman of about twenty abruptly notices the new face, and the new lack of clothes, and clears her throat, averting her eyes. Her clothes match the decor, and behind her glasses she's wearing blue kohl that matches the color of her eyes.]

A new arrival, I see.

[newmodelblade]

Gah!

[He hadn't expected to come across anyone, given how quiet it had been, but he has the decency to try to put whatever is on hand between himself and the other person.]

Yes. Yes, you could say that.

[nihilmancy]

There are clothes in your room, you may wish to know. Pretentious, but functional.

[bowtiedbones]

[NEW KID waves, beckoning]

Oh! Hi, hey, you're new right? Lost?

[newmodelblade]

More than a bit, yes.

[He will nod his head in greeting, trying to be polite.]

[bowtiedbones]

I guessed as much! This is a wild place to wake up in.

But! Welcome aboard! I'm Eliza, and my team is Thyme. Thyme is sort of supposed to be a teacher team, so hopefully I can help you get a little bit less lost.

[newmodelblade]

Oh, that would be very much appreciated. I am so confused at this point that I do not even know where to begin asking questions.

[He doesn't audibly sigh but his shoulders drop some, there's some relief at hearing some details about what is going on.]

A

[crimeboy]

[There's another amnesiac here who is less startled but kind of startling when he just pipes up:]

Hey!

Make yourself decent!!! There are children around!

[He's not one of them, but he did get dressed like a good boy should!!!]

Re: A

[newmodelblade]

Aaah!

[Yeah that went from an almost creepily quiet car to someone yelling at him, guy jumped pretty dramatically.]

What? Where even were there clothes?

[crimeboy]

[The boy with an imp tail and horns giggles like the evil critter he resembles as the dude jumps because why not. It's funny.]

Uhhh in your room? There are dressers. Did you need some help, buddy?

A

[ewestmarch]

[Looks up from book. New person. Looks back down.]

Wear something.

Re: A

[newmodelblade]

[He jumps because well, he wasn't expecting to have just walked past someone, and that was a bit of a surprise.]

Oh! Ah, my apologies. I'm not quite sure where I am, and it seemed a bit improper to just start taking things.

[ewestmarch]

You've been kidnapped. The room you woke up in is 'yours.' Closet has stuff that fits.

[Hand-quotes.]

...Oh, and it wasn't me that kidnapped you, I'm just here too.