EVENT: ~*~Heat Wave~*~

[trainmasters]

Who: Heroes! Old ones, new ones...!
When: Day 42, afternoon
Where: Around the train

[ Good news, everyone! Those pesky cicadas are gone at last! You might have even had a chance to relax, except....

Except for the heat wave.

It's like the worst parts of the last dregs of summer come to torture you with excrutiating heat. It's heat so bad you could swear that you've started melting yourself the second you step outside. It's terrible. At least with the cold you can add more layers on, how are you supposed to deal with heat?? You can't just walk around naked??

(That's not a suggestion.)

Here's the thing about the heat, though: It's bad enough that it's causing mirages-- mirages of people you may even recognize, people who are lost in the dark. People who will try to lead you into danger, people who don't want what's best for you after all....

That aside, you may or may not have noticed that there's some new teammates on the train! The notification appears cheerfully on everyone's Chains:

WELCOME NEW HEROES

And you may find yourself wearing a label you can't seem to remove until you've spoken to at least one other person: "Hi, I'm ______! Talk to me about ______!"

There's a mischievous giggle in the wind that you may recognize as the same one that ran the plants and secrets game. ]

[[ NOTES: You're welcome to make team posts if you like, or intro directly into this mingle if you haven't already. Until next month's placements, the heat wave will persist. Characters stand the risk of seeing castmates not in the game until that point, mirages from the heat. Enjoy! ]]

Comments

[schrodingerscockroach]

They're thoughtful like that. [Sigh.]

Don't remember anthing of my life before I was a soldier, but...

[He remembers the trust he had in crazy plans, how deep it was. The fear and worry Maine keeps invoking. He remembers being ready to fight an army, a whole planet to protect his men.]

But yeah. I think I remember family.

[time5kip]

Good. That's a starting point. [ Dusk not remembering everything is part of why he made sure to specify it didn't have to be blood related. The other part is that he's well aware blood means nothing. ] Mine's shitty, but it's mine. [ another bitter laugh at that ] Though I suppose I should say "was", considering our current circumstances. I learned not to give a shit about our father early on, as did my siblings, eventually. But I can say with a certain degree of certainty that I cared about the rest. I just didn't realize how much until I lost them. I spent the last 45 years doing unimaginable things just to get back to them and prevent the apocalypse. And now we're back to square one.

[schrodingerscockroach]

[Blood really didn't mean a lot if someone was a piece of shit. And good to know dad is still good on the punch in the dick list because a dad who names their kids numbers is a piece of shit.]

[But Dusk listens and....yeah, he gets it, he really does. He may have only had the prospect of fighting a planet, but he also did that without hesitation. Maybe he wouldn't go forty-five years, can't know one way or the other, but he could see someone doing it easily enough.]

Being yours is what counts, no matter how maddening or weird the people are.

[Certainly explains his issues though.]

Did you do it? Prevent what I assume was a non-malice apocalypse.

[time5kip]

No. Didn't manage to figure out what caused until it was too late. But I did go back in time again - with my siblings, this time. You know, for another attempt.

[schrodingerscockroach]

[Nods.] Certainly improves your odds. Intelligence and people who can act on that intelligence.

What happened?

[time5kip]

Your guess is as good as mine. Trying to get us back in time is the last thing I remember. Either I believe the story our kind benefactors gave us, or I accept that I lost my siblings through space and time. It's either of, really. [ A pause, and then he continues ] I found them dead in the apocalypse. Few hours after I got stuck in the future, I found their bodies.

[schrodingerscockroach]

For what it's worth, there are enough distinctively universes that'd it be odd if we weren't here due to the same event. Our benefactors may not be telling the whole truth, but at least some of it is. And people are here from different points. The guy whose five hundred has non-immortals here from when he was twenty. More likely all of time got consumed instead of a single point where it happened.

[Jesus Christ. Yep, that'd fuck with someone. Especially if he was an actual kid then.]

I'm sorry. [What can someone say to that? Even that's nothing really, more an acknowledgenent because there really isn't anything.]

[time5kip]

I hope you realize absolutely no part of that sounds any better. [ there's a sigh, and then he adds ] Not that it matters. The only thing to do is to move forward, and I still have a vested interest in saving the world. Jesus I hope this was enough to get this thing off of me. [ he hasn't exactly opened up on everything, he knows that. But thankfully, the label does come of ]

[schrodingerscockroach]

It means if they were going to be okay, then they're likely to be okay when this is done. Instead of a falling apart road fucking up a path, it all just popped out of existence. [Okay, even he thinks its weird he feels confidence in that answer, but that's his life now. Feels oddly confident in weird things.]

And...as frustrating as square one is, there is an opportunity here. I know Eliza has had contact with other universes and I suspect 80H too. We know the train travels the multiverse. Could end up with more resources or allies to work with by the time this is done.

[Not at a place to offer much emotional comfort, but practical comfort is something.]

[time5kip]

I don't need nor want either. I already know what we need to do once things get back to how they were. Besides. I'm not too keen on trusting anyone on another team. [ making a gesture toward Dusk ] I barely trust you.

[schrodingerscockroach]

[Surprise shows on his face because he didn't expect trust at all.]

[Well, yay, still managing trust.]

[But he shrugs.] Just a suggestion. Keeping an open mind is important for answers, right?

[time5kip]

Not really, seeing as I already have the answer. I know what caused the apocalypse and the way to avoid it is for my siblings to get their shit together. So unless someone decides to play therapist for a bunch of emotionally stunted menchildren and women, we probably won't need additional hands on deck.

[schrodingerscockroach]

[There is that sudden feeling of being on The Office.]

....

[Maybe maturity is a myth.]

Well, there is one bright side to here. [Pulling out his Chain.] Easy to get small material indulgences. What are your preferred coffee beans and flavors? My treat.

[time5kip]

Get me a margarita instead. I've had enough coffee and I need something stronger.

[schrodingerscockroach]

[That does give him pause because the BODY is still thirteen and alcohol will mess that up more.]

[....but he did also remiss about dead family.]

Don't tell anyone I got that for you unless they believe your age or I'm never getting you drinks again.

[But putting in the order and will put away the unopened soda.] I'll show you where our stuff appears. Its in Clover.

[time5kip]

You can relax. I'm not going to let anyone believe I'm actually thirteen for long. The benefits of catching people off guard are not enough to make it worth it.

[schrodingerscockroach]

True. Especially here. I'm definitely not the only mother hen around.

[time5kip]

[ He stays silent for a suspiciously long pause at that, looking annoyed just at the thought. And then, in an entirely worrying association—] I can get weapons with sparks, can't I.

[schrodingerscockroach]

Yep. But it does take a bit of processing.

Please don't threaten someone for worrying. No one goes through the effort required to mother hen on this train without meaning it.

[time5kip]

I reserve the right to threaten anyone I want. [ It's a joke and he says it in an exaggerated way, but like, also kind of not ] I'll be on my best behavior, so long as people know how to take no for an answer.

[schrodingerscockroach]

[Considering a moment.] Rean can be stubborn depending. He kept trying to get me to take a nap my first day. [He's been getting better sleep the past few days, but still looks like he could use one.]

But I did also spare with him to get him to stop so maybe the threat would work.

[time5kip]

Considering my body is thirteen and I don't have my powers, I think I'll have to stick to actual threats.

[schrodingerscockroach]

That is the downside of power loss. Real hard to call what's worse.

[And into Clover.] There's the locker where stuff appears. Things bigger than it appears in the hall. [And will pull out some prrmixed Margarita because he has no idea what goes into the cocktail.]

[time5kip]

[ He's going to grab that thing at like, record speed and chug it down ] I'll make one for you next time, if you manage to avoid pissing me off again.

[schrodingerscockroach]

....jesus. [try breathing????]

I don't drink. I completely forget everything after only drinking a little.