Unlock! (2)

[trainmasters]

Who: Everyone
When: Day 36, early morning
Where: around :)

[In the wee hours of the night, you may be woken by an increasingly loud clear, bell-like tone, 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 rushing of water.

Abruptly, the sound stops, and the bright light fades to reveal... no particular changes in the immediate area. No visible ones, anyway, besides a break in the rain. Audibly, on the other hand... suddenly, the air is full of birdsong. While a few tropical birds already existed in the nearby jungle, there are far more of them now, especially in the direction of the abandoned town.

Should you head that way, you'll find that the area has been purified -- while the buildings are still a bit damaged and overgrown, the monsters have been replaced by normal lizards and a few chattering monkeys, and the plantlife is now mostly harmless. As the sun rises, millions of new flowers will bloom in its warm rays. Unfortunately, there are still no residents. But their belongings are now yours to shuffle through, or to preserve for their potential return -- it's up to you!

Past the town you'll see that the wetlands on the opposite coast of the island have also been revived. A mangrove swamp grows lush and mossy, with remarkably clear waters full of tasty fish. Wetland birds nest in the trees, and frogs (now without any poisonous ones mixed in) chirp away in the night. This area, however, is not completely harmless -- while free of corruption, there are still perfectly normal alligators!

Head back towards the Prism on the beach, and you'll see that it's now glowing green, and the sea is clear and beautiful much further out than before. In fact, it seems the entire island you're on is now purified -- you can swim all the way around with no trouble. The island itself turns out to be about 8km in diameter -- the rest of the surface is taken up by ocean, now full of healthy fish and even some dolphins!

However, you haven't cleared this Star yet... about 2km from the Prism shore there's another, smaller island, mostly taken up by a some kind of ancient ruin, the sea immediately near the island is black and oddly still -- should you enter it, you'll find the water is still alive, reaching up to try to drag you down into the waiting mouths of unseen horrors. Get past this and you'll find the ruin a trap-filled nest of corrupted snakes, tiger monsters, giant man-eating geckos, and an overgrowth of plants that are almost entirely deeply poisonous. The halls and passages are full of caustic slimes that take on the form of your fears -- basically every enemy you've faced so far is now concentrated on this tiny island. The last baston of Malice on this Star is a deadly one.

But you've made some amazing progress! Almost as if in celebration, a flock of little blue birds settles in the Aurora's clearing, chirping away in the trees. Their song makes you feel celebratory, too -- hearing it greatly increases one of your positive emotions. Joy, love, trust -- some part of you is feeling great!

What a good time to respond to that ChainChat Message asking for upgrade suggestions...]

[[OOC NOTES: CONGRATULATIONS on your TWO levels of Prism purification, guys! There is a toplevel for ICly suggesting train upgrades here, so check it out! You can submit more than one suggestion if you wish, as there will be two upgrades added. 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

[survivaltricks]

[SOMEONE IS PRACTICING THEIR DISNEY POWERS TODAY]

[which is to say, there is a pink. . . blob. . . with floppy ears (read: a young man with a unicorn kigurumi on) crouched down outside in the clearing, one hand extended towards the chirruping birds. he’s trying to beckon one towards him, fingers wagging]

Tweet tweet— no. . . twitter twitter?

[hm]

I don't speak bird. . .

[that is mostly mumbled to himself, idly and nonchalantly]

[wellhanged]

That is very bad at birdspeak, it's true.

[hi, there's this guy who just came out of the ocean with arms full of fish which are now on the beach.]

[survivaltricks]

[ARE YOU AN EXPERT IN BIRDSPEAK, SIR]

Do you give lessons?

[the young man shoots back quickly without looking up]

[wellhanged]

[I'M AN EXPERT IN BEING A NUISANCE]

Step one is to think like a bird! Now, what do birds think about?

[fuckyew]

[Noon was just gonna get a breath of fresh air out of the stuffy train when he stumbles upon the blob.

...

There is a brief moment where he considers destroying it, but he instead he just tries to leave quietly.

Except the birds are now following him...]

[survivaltricks]

[hey where are the birds going— oh]

. . .

[SUPER CASUALLY stands up to follow the birds following the other man, hands dipping into his pockets]

[fuckyew]

[no go away]

[all of you]

[shoo shoo]

[bowtiedbones]

[one of the birds is... very bony. and with extra legs. and spikes.

cheep cheep feed the dragon skeleton]

[survivaltricks]

[. . . . . .]

[YEAH, OKAY. WHY NOT]

Chirp chirp? Cheep cheep? Am I getting it right?

[he has no food for the skeleton bird but he is wagging his fingers at it!!]

[bowtiedbones]

[the little skeleton hops forward, cocking its head sideways and opening its parrotlike beak

fingers?? FINGERS... FOR TO TASTE???]

[schrodingerscockroach]

[PINK]

[Who is trying to charm birds. He'll approach slowly so as to not startle birds away and crouch down nearby. Give him a minute to notice more pink.]

[survivaltricks]

[he may notice gray eyes locking on him immediately before he notices more pink, cuz the new guy is watching him with the sort of low-key wariness of someone who isn't really sure how much caution he should be utilizing here but who won't let down his guard entirely]

[schrodingerscockroach]

[Oh, definitely notices that. Freelancer sixth sense is keen like that. He ignores the need to be tense and wary himself, he was freaked when he woke up too.]

Hi. My name is Dusk. [Still keep his voice low to not scare off birds.] You lose your memories too or did you get lucky?

[fisherofmen]

[ but do you speak cat

because there's this striking white-and-black cat hanging out, watching the birds (and also you???) carefully ]

[survivaltricks]

[INCIDENTALLY, YES]

[not that he remembers]

[he notices the cat pretty quickly, but keeps his attention focused on the birds. at least at first, just to make sure he doesn't startle the animal]

[and after a moment of trying to seem as non threatening as possible, he starts wagging his fingers at the cat]

[fisherofmen]

[ cat picks its head up, tilts head at fingers

curiously stepping forward ]

[rolebreaker]

[ ... another one.


he considers just leaving this one to his own devices, but. ... this is frustrating to watch. ]

Just use bread.

[survivaltricks]

[WE ARE MULTIPLYING]

Okay.

[and then he holds out his hand, because obviously?? this guy has bread??? and will give it to him]

[rolebreaker]

[ .... ???????????? ]

What are you doing?

[voreaciously]

[...]

...

[survivaltricks]

[. . . ?]

[watching her silently instead of the birds now, though he's still trying to beckon them over]

[voreaciously]

[she sighs very, very gently, it might be carried off by the wind.

this one likely does not know her, then.

but...there is one thing she does not know for sure. if this is the one she knew or the one that was here before.

She does not know if she can forsake him either way.]

Good day to you.

[nihilmancy]

[Staring at momentarily, several emotions passing over her face.]

Oh. It is you. Welcome back.

[survivaltricks]

[that is the very first time something someone else said is giving him pause]

. . . sorry?

[nihilmancy]

[She cocks her head for a moment, surprised, and then nods.]

Sorry. You look like somebody who used to be here. A couple people, actually.