auroraexpress | EVENT: A Certain Confession

Who: everybody!
When: Day 16, evening
Where: wherever you are

[As the sun sets and the new stars come out, there's a message on the ChainChat app. The username is new -- it's not The Construct, but it also doesn't have a profile attached, and doesn't accept private messages. It appears to be some different admin account.]

★: Hi everyone. Good news and bad news here. Good first: you should find your new train car attached as of this message! You guys wanted a garden, so hopefully you'll like this one.
★: As for the bad news: we're having a bit of a problem generating positive energy, so from now on we're adjusting the whole "sparks of light" thing. Starting tomorrow, you'll only get a payout when you consciously make a decision to increase your bonds. We're talking about increasing prices, too, but... one thing at a time.
★: Sorry for the bad timing.

[There's a pause, and then a follow-up.]

★: There are some things I ought to explain now, but I'm not sure where to start. Just be aware that things might get rougher in the future. And that Trials... I might've lied a little about those.
★: I'm sorry. This wasn't supposed to happen. Please try to hang in there.

[It's not a cheerful message, but on the upside, there is in fact a new train car at the end! On the outside it looks like one of the communal cars, with a stylized flower symbol on the door. Inside, however, it's a huge greenhouse. There are several different "rooms", each about 50 feet square, aligned to different climates. It also comes with various basic gardening tools - trowels, gloves, etc -- and enough seedlings to get started growing flowers and veggies. There's always (artificial) sunshine coming down through the glass roof, and the soil in the beds never loses fertility. There are even benches here and there -- it's not only a practical facility, but a nice place to relax!

More seeds and seedlings, equipment, and decor, can be bought via the sparks shop. You may in the meantime assume any simple plants you want are provided -- but they won't be re-issued for free if you kill them!]

[OOC: You can use this toplevel to reply to the prince's chat message. He'll respond for a limited time, but you can use this opportunity to uncover some major plot info! You're also more than welcome to talk to eachother -- it's a chat room and the conversations are public. The changes to the sparks system are outlined in this OOC comm announcement. Thank you!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

You're right. And naturally, we should have our own team's herbs in their garden, for whatever that means. Which isn't much lately. But thyme and ginger will be nice for cooking.

'Isn't much lately'?

[Hlasoh. C'mon. But she's pausing, and considering.] Licorice is often used in sweets, and senna and jasmine have medicinal purposes. I'm a little uncertain about clover, but I'm sure there's uses for it as well.

Crow wasn't the central issue. But I'm sure other teams have felt it too. This arrangement is unstable.

[nah, she's just really bitter and bad at emotions and communicating.]

I have heard that senna is an effective laxative.

I haven't.

[She pauses, and just stares at Hlasoh. She's trying very hard to not go "is that why you are spewing forth more bullshit", because that'd be unproductive.]

This arrangement is not the core problem. A lack of communication, trust and understanding, as well as constant fear and distrust--of each other--is the enemy. Literally, from the sound of it.

[She is picking out some chrysanthemum seeds to get started planting.]

If you don't trust your team, that's none of my business. If you don't trust anyone here, that becomes everyone's problem. We must not let the Prince's incompetence undermine the only weapon we have to work with.

[Okay, I could address this, but consider also: not]

Mm. You'll want to make sure not to overcrowd them.

I tended the royal gardens, Hlasoh, but thank you.

[Doop doop doop. Just gonna plant flowers and let you stew in your emotional problems!]

[this is what she meant, you're so smug!]

Wonderful. I'm sure you'll do a great job, then.

[She pulls out her flute and begins playing a tune.]

[MAYBE IF YOU DIDN'T TAKE ANY INDICATION OF SKILL AS SMUGNESS, HLASOH?]

Maybe, maybe not. We'll just have to wait and hope it's enough without magic.

[YOU'RE JUST BRAGGING AND LORDING OVER IT]

Mm, indeed. I am, and perhaps you do not believe me, truly looking forward to the results.

[No????? Get your projecting out of my narration boxes!]

Why would I not believe you?

Do I look like a cheerful, optimistic person?

No. But you do look like someone who likes flowers.

Yes. I am. I like many things, actually.

I look forward to finding out about them.

[Emotional terrorism is one of Naeva's favorite pastimes.]

[Uuuugh she knows what this feeling is and she has so much ambivalence that it's happening to her

to her it's an aching longing, something that she denies herself but has let slip in piece by piece over the years working with the Committee. It's friendship. Or the beginnings of it, anyway.]

Melodramatic fantasy, romance, drama novels.

[She doesn't stop her work, but she does pause, tapping a shovel to her chin briefly.]

...Kind of a shame we don't have a library, come to think.

That's why I bought myself a few books that I remembered.

It makes it hard to share them with others that way, doesn't it?

[Hmmm.]

I never read a lot of fiction, on my own...but then, I never had anyone to talk about it with, either.

...If you want to borrow one, you'll have to actually ask me.

Well, I assumed if you wished to loan me one, you would prefer to offer on your own terms.

[She dusts her hands free of accumulated dirt, while they talk.]

And in either case...perhaps the next time we gain such an upgrade, a library would be nice, wouldn't it?

I see. I'll consider it.

[She stares at the place where the chrysanthemums are planted.]

Yes, it would be very nice.

[It'll be a day or so before they start to sprout, but somehow the beds themselves seem...hopeful. Anticipating their bloom.]

Perhaps I'll purchase some of the books from home. I may not read much fiction, but given a large enough selection, I'm sure I could find something interesting.

It's one hundred per book though, so the cost adds up.

I have near two-thousand sparks. I do very little with them, so far...most of what comes to mind would still leave me some leeway to purchase books, regardless.

Yes, it would. I seem to buy several things all at once, when I do use the store.

[She glances down at her flute.]

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