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

[crimeboy]

1. Licorice

[You've got a fluffy new mophead wandering aout into your cabin that might look like someone from Clover except he's in purple clothes and has some small black, red-tipped horns, and a whip-like devil tail which makes him look like the imp that he probably is.

He doesn't pay them any mind though, instead he's busily exploring the cabin's interior, tail swishing like a cat's with curiosity.]

Hmm! Nope! None of this is familiar at all... [Then he FINALLY stops to look into a mirror, grabbing onto his horns, brows furrowed.]

That's weird, right?

2. Lounge Car

[Imp boy is exploring! He's got no memories, so all of this is kind of new in an exciting way? That said, he's trying really hard not to look excited, instead just looking kind of puzzled as he stares out of a window.]

So, do you think we're actually headed "somewhere"? Like I think I kinda get what is happening here, but eh. I dunno.

Is it safe to get off here?

3. Outside!

[Of course he's not content sitting in the train with all of those big windows were showing him a whole world to be explored! And yet there's quite a bit of trepidation as he steps off of the train and heads a few steps toward the dirt trail.]

Hm.

I think we should use the buddy system before we go running anywhere.

1

[ewestmarch]

[Cooking something on the grill, doesn't really look up.]

Yes. It's weird.

[crimeboy]

[YEAH IT IS! Real weird, especially when he looks over almost DEFINITELY is a zombie.

......Wait a sec.]




...Is this Monster School?

[ewestmarch]

[This is such a weird fucking thing to say that it actually does get her to turn and stare.]

Is it what?

2

[bowtiedbones]

[...leans a little to the side, not so subtly eying his tail. is this a new guy? this is probably a new guy. could definitely hide a tail in a onesie though...]

Ummmmmm... Are you new here?

[crimeboy]

Huh?

Uuuuuhhh... [He squints.] ...yes. Yes?

[bowtiedbones]

Welcome aboard, then. Um. It's safe to go right outside, but don't go so far that things start looking dark and creepy.

3

[wontforbidtherain]

Do you know anything about what's out there?

[crimeboy]

[He points out there.]

Trees!

[wontforbidtherain]

I see them. Anything we can't see?

2

[saddleclub]

[Here's a guy in hot pink giving you the longest stare like. Why. Why? Why.

....]

[crimeboy]

[Turns to look at this boy after a bit.]

What?!

[saddleclub]

Nothing. Carry on.

2

[purrtagonist]

[with the new brightly colored rain forest outside, the view is spectacularly colorful and bright! especially compared to the dank and dark surroundings he's been living in for the past four days]

[but is Akira staring at those beautiful flora? nope]

[he's staring at the new licorice, expression sack, eyes wide and bewildered behind his glasses]

[so]

[hi???]

[crimeboy]

[It takes him a minute before he realizes there is an extra him in the reflection of the glass and he turns around to stare back at him with the exact expression depicted in this icon.]

[purrtagonist]

[opens mouth]

[closes it again]

[????]

[. . .]

[JABS A FINGER AT HIM]

Thief.

[smooth Akira]

Re: 2

[malignstar]

There's two of you?

1.

[nihilmancy]

[Eating an elegant meal of hard boiled eggs and cereal without milk. And an apple. She looks up quizzically. Wait a minute.]

...Aren't you on Clover?

[crimeboy]

.....

I am not small enough.

[To be on a clover, he means.]

2

[desirestruth]

It depends on what you define as 'somewhere'.

[HEY AKIRA DO YOU WANT TO LEARN ABOUT A BUNCH OF METAPHYSICAL NONSENSE THAT PROBABLY HAS NO BEARING ON ANY OF THIS?

>Yes
>Yes
>Fuck no
>flee?]

[crimeboy]

[That sounds like some Bullshit.]

...no.

sidles in a day late, 2

[crimeson]

I haven't seen the train move yet, but theoretically yeah, it's headed... somewhere? And sure, as long as you don't stray too far.

--Wait, purple?!

[crimeboy]

You can't stop me!!

Ugh yeah I'm purple! And I've got horns and a tail! I'm a different boy!

2

[malignstar]

[ Has folded his wings behind him and is definitely checking out those horns and tail ]

You hit your head, Akira? And uh a few other things...

[crimeboy]

[His tail shoots up at the name, and he turns to look at the guy.]

Okay so they're really not selling me on this not being monster school.

But also I'm not Akira, I'm Kiryuu! I know we're both devilishly handsome, but he's a unicorn, and I've got two horns.