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find that the area has been purified -- while the buildings are still a bit damaged and overgrown, the monsters have been replaced by normal lizards and a few chattering monkeys, and the plantlife is now mostly harmless.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

[schrodingerscockroach]

[He has a hard time being delicate and he's learned to appreciate a good infodump.]

[He gestures at the exposed skin on his body. All covers in scars from burns to bullets to others.] It's worse under the clothes. Lotta things have tried to kill me. Only way to survive a lotta things trying to kill you is to adapt quickly.

So it's less 'okay' as more freaking out doesn't do me any good for what I want to do.

It does help there are genuinely good people here.

[survivaltricks]

[new guy isn't delicate-- he is anything but, really. but he is a bit catlike in his demeanor, so it's not surprise that an immediately direct approach puts him on guard more than it does ease him]

[either way, his brows quirk as his gaze washes over the visible scarring. his expression gives away nothing, and back into his pocket the Chain goes]

Adaptation is a strength.

[he remembers ABSOLUTELY NOTHING but that's something he knows is true, somewhere in the deepest recesses of who he is]

But I'm not talking about adaptation, or the quality of the people here.

[schrodingerscockroach]

[Listen, he can do cats. Human cats takes him realizing they're human cat and that's hard out the gate.]

...then what are you talking about?

[survivaltricks]

[YOU GOT TIME, DUSK!! YOU CAN DO IT]

You said you woke up just yesterday, but you're taking the time to tell me there's "truth" behind what the Star Prince says, and that there are "good" people here. Not to mention you don't know me and I don't know you, but you were quick to accept that we're teammates regardless.

[schrodingerscockroach]

It's easy to pretend to be nice. It's a lot harder to pretend to be a mother hen. There was like three different people who asked if I should go lay down for a nap yesterday. [He taps his cheek under the eyebags.] And since some people are actual dicks, it's not a train wide conspiracy.

This place yesterday was more corrupted. [Gestures out at the landscape.] There's more animals, more life and light now. Physical evidence that things are changing.

As for teams....there's a way to get your memories back if you earn sparks. I earned enough yesterday for a memory.

I'm military, with a lot of strong, positive opinions on teams. Probably why I haven't died from the lot of things trying to kill me.

[survivaltricks]

[. . . pfffft]

[huffs a little, lifting a hand to tug at the unicorn ears of his kigurumi, pulling the hood a little more over his head]

I'm not asking you to back up what you're saying with evidence, either.

It's the fact that you're saying it all, when by your own words you're just as new as I am.

[you are MOTHER HENNING A NEW ARRIVAL when YOU ARE ALSO NEW, Dusk!1]

[schrodingerscockroach]

....well, that would be because I am also a mother hen.

[HE KNOWS IT.]

I also don't do well with inactivity. I drank last night and I still woke up at like 6 AM.

[survivaltricks]

[. . . . . . .]

Doooo you need some water?

[ARE U HUNGOVER?]

[schrodingerscockroach]

I drank some water. Just a minor headache.

[He got drunk OFF A GLASS because someone hasn't drunk alcohol since Epsilon.]

[survivaltricks]

Does this place have painkillers?

[some headache medicine may do you well, bro]

[schrodingerscockroach]

They do in the clinic. I thought I'd get some fresh air to see if that'd help before the drugs.

[Also worried if it still doesn't work.]

I can show you where the Med car is if you want?

[survivaltricks]

I found it already.

[oh]

[WAVES A HAND]

Tours are unnecessary when I did some poking around by myself when I first got here.

[schrodingerscockroach]

....and someone was ribbing me for being on top of things.

[survivaltricks]

[completely evenly]

They sound like an asshole.

[schrodingerscockroach]

So what HAVE you gathered?

[survivaltricks]

The birds eat fish.

My name is apparently Twilight Pink Sparkleshy. Spark for short.

[. . . . . . . not what Dusk was asking about probably but ALAS]

[schrodingerscockroach]

Absolutely not what I was asking.

Did Morning name you? [He can't imagine the other two managing that.]

[survivaltricks]

Who? No. I named myself. Technically, I guess.

[schrodingerscockroach]

....well, I think that might mean you were meant for Clover.

The other two are named Noon and Midnight. Morning is also on the team.

[survivaltricks]

[. . . . . . . . . there's a theme. . .]

That's. . .

. . . one hell of a coincidence.

[schrodingerscockroach]

[He chuckles.]

Maybe it's a sign of good fortune. You'll bring team unity with your sparkling personality.

[survivaltricks]

[oh my god]

[SPARKLES but not really and fingerguns]

That's a lot of pressure you're putting on a new guy, Dusk-s. . . Dusk. I'm not sure I can cope.

[schrodingerscockroach]

You'll have to. For the sake of defeating the darkness and the power of friendship. [Said with the most solemn tone and obviously trying not to grin.]

Whichever is easier for you, honorific or no.

[survivaltricks]

Please pat my head and give me encouragement if the pressure makes me curl up into a ball and cry in my room.

[HE IS OBVIOUSLY NOT MAKING SERIOUS]

[and he also pauses, and makes a face]

I don't know. Using them feels natural, but I don't like it. And I don't really get it?

[because he doesn't remember anything that puts the honorifics into context]

[bond]

[schrodingerscockroach]

[You are getting a headpat. And affectionate hair ruffle. Because it's going along with the humor, but also hey. Sparks.]

I am pretty good at head pats and encouragement. Don't worry, I will be a pillar of mother henning support.

[He nods.]

That happens. You can figure out a few things about yourself, listening to those impulses. Might be you're not a fan of being formal?