EVENT: A Certain Confession

[joybound]

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!]

Comments

[newmodelblade]

[Having missed what happened because he was sleeping in because Licorice dorm is loud, lately, for a variety of reasons, Lucien can be found having decided to wander about both his dorm car and just about everywhere else he could find. He seems to be trying to gauge things for himself; the last time he had questions it didn't go so hot for him. Also he finally got new clothes!

Feel free to bump into him wherever.]

[desirestruth]

[Did you mean, be literally up to her elbows in dirt, coming back from the gardening car with the intention of asking senna if she can grow more flowers in senna's car?

Like. She just walked right into him, she was paying so little attention.

What a dumbass.]

[newmodelblade]

[Yes, good job, small jackal friend. Just headlong into him, huh?]

Ah? Oh. Naeva. Are you alright?

[desirestruth]

I--I'm fine. I wasn't--my mind was on other things.

[She might have yipped in the process, too. She's not a smart yipper.]

[newmodelblade]

[He smiles a bit then.]

Ah, good. It seems I missed a fair bit, today. I am glad to not add to it.

[desirestruth]

'A fair bit' seems like an understatement.

[She sighs--the Chainchat is still up and visible on her chain's screen, before she puts the dang thing back in her pocket.] But someone else will have to fill you in. I, ah, missed the game this morning as well.

[newmodelblade]

Hopefully for less ridiculous reasons than what befell me.

[He yawns a bit, tries to stifle it at least.]

[desirestruth]

...I feel like I'd be impugning either my dignity or someone elses', no matter how I answered that, Lucien.

[In reality; did you know making a den out of your blankets and pillows is extra comfy when you can literally turn into a jackal?]

[newmodelblade]

[No he didn't, because he's not a jackal.]

It is a bit of a farce already. But I suppose given the team it is to be expected.

[nihilmancy]

[Hlasoh hasn't been around the dorm for at least a day, except to sleep. With earplugs. She doesn't look so good- sad and exhausted and subdued, but she still approaches him.]

Ah, hello. I see at least you missed this morning's game.

[newmodelblade]

Ah, yes. I, ah... overslept, to not put it too finely.

[Why is everyone like this.]

And it seems to have been some chaos I missed.

[nihilmancy]

I'll lend you my earplugs.

...Fair warning, if I get to the boy with the horns, the noise will not be abating any time soon.

[newmodelblade]

Understood, and it is appreciated it, Hlasoh.

[He shakes his head.]

But regardless... There's a cloud over this train. What did I miss at the game?

[nihilmancy]

...Bad things. Very bad things. I... [Don't know if I really trust this team, or the idea of being on a team.]

We just need some time to recover. That's all.

[newmodelblade]

You needn't say more. I will find others, and get my answers from them.

[He shakes his head some.]

Are you alright, however?

[nihilmancy]

...I am not on good terms with Emilia right now. That is all.

But I am quite alright.

[She's extremely not alright and it shows on her face.]

[newmodelblade]

...Beg forgive my saying this, but you make a far better actress when you can keep your lies big. It is understandable, especially if something happened, that you would not be alright. And plainly, it must have.

So, I will ask instead, are you going to be alright? Is there anything I can do?

[bad_crowmance]

[ You're loud ONE time and you gain a reputation. Rude.

That being said, Crow is out and about and raises a hand in greeting when he sees Lucien. ]

Yo. How you doing?

[newmodelblade]

[He will wave back, then!]

Truthfully, I cannot complain. I seem to be the only one I have met today who can say that, however. What in the world did I miss this morning?

[bad_crowmance]

There was another one of those trial things, kinda left most people upset. Honestly, it was pretty messed up-- they wanted us first to pick someone to be a figurehead only to hurt ourselves to keep them safe in one round and then kill them the next.

[newmodelblade]

A game that is little more than a sanctioned assault, then? What manner of trial is that? It does explain so much, though... I am angry to have missed it, though I do not know what I could have changed.

[bad_crowmance]

Probably not much... Anyway, that prince guy popped up and said that he thinks there's something wrong with the guy who ran that trial, which is obvious, but...

[ He gestures around vaguely. ]

The less obvious part is where he admitted than he and his friends are behind them and he lied about that, but the trials weren't supposed to be like that.

[newmodelblade]

Mmm. So we are supposed to take this as a misstep in benevolence, then? I do not like this, Crow. "It wasn't supposed to be like this, something went wrong," it smacks of a confidence game.

[bad_crowmance]

Oh yeah, I don't trust any of it either.

[wontforbidtherain]

What are you doing?

[Cat is taking her daily walk around the safe parts of the beach] .