Event: Tutorial Boss

[trainmasters]

Who: Everyone!
When: Day 2, noon
Where: :)

[You've been here just over a day, and dawn hasn't come. The night remains, reigned over by the malevolent flickering of the Prism. The Prince's recording hasn't stopped at all -- perhaps it's driving you mad or perhaps it's become just part of the background noise, along with the waves, which have been getting gradually louder all morning. If you're outside, you may occasionally catch what seem to be soft lights in the distance, under the surface of the too-still sea. The only movement is the creeping edges of the water, still trying to snag you and pull you in.

But then, abruptly, those edges recede, as if in warning of a giant surge. Out in the jungle, everything goes silent, wildlife still and hunkered low against the ground. But instead of water, a creature bursts forth onto the shore with a sound not unlike some kind of distorted foghorn. It's shaped vaguely like a dolphin -- if that dolphin were barge-sized and crimson red, with bands of twinkling lights running down its side like something from the dark deep. It has no eyes. And yet it seems to see you perfectly well, snapping at anyone who gets close.

It can't reach the train. Not quite. But when it slides back into the water it only comes back again, diving and twisting to send water crashing up along the beach. The train rocks slightly with each wave, threatening to from the sand and wash into the water, where you'll all be taken in.

It's then that the recording stops. With a whir, the emergency lights in the clinic and lounge car are replaced by normal lighting, and the doors slide shut. It seems these two cars at least are functional. Even the big screen in the second-floor lounge room has come on. It begins to display text, matching the pleasant robotic voice that comes over the intercom -- the voice has no distinguishing features, ageless and sexless, but it has a kind of polite artificial cheer.]

Good Morning, Passengers.

We apologize for the delay in services. As of now, Prism capacity has reached: 30%. Power has been restored to communal facilities. Please be patient as we work to restore full operating capacity.

[A pause--]

Systems have detected imminent danger. We shall move to a safer landing point in: 6 hours. Please gather inside the train and prepare for travel. As Chain services are unavailable, please direct questions to the terminal located on the second floor Lounge.

Remember: Stay Positive! The fate of the universe depends on your healthy bonds.

[It's a mystery what the voice means by "terminal"... but if you yell at the screen you'll get an answer. It just might not be a satisfying one... And yet, the brief, robotic responses are occasionally interrupted by one that's lively and human-seeming. How odd.

Whether you have time to figure that out, however, depends on how you intend to handle your current situation. You could wait and pray the train will move before you're devoured by the sea monster... Or you could attempt to increase your chances of survival. How? That's where your teammates and fellow passengers come in. Hopefully between the lot of you, you can formulate a plan before you're all swallowed up.]

[[OOC NOTE: If you'd like a response from The Construct, please respond to the relevant toplevel. The mods will move this plot ahead again on Wednesday. At that time all services will be restored, so you won't have anything super exciting to keep track of while those in the US have a holiday. Any new posts til ten should be dated within the Day 2 noon-afternoon timeframe. In the meantime, team up ICly and OOCly and find a way to survive! Please note you have absolute permission to do what you want with this enemy. You don't need the mods' input to fight it, kill it, or get killed by it. Feel free to play it how you like in your threads!

Again, this is an Event post and you can take 300 points for participating! If you have questions hope over to last week's placements post here. If you haven't yet, you can post OOC intros there as well, but we'll aim to do some kind of friending meme over the weekend.]]

Comments

[saddleclub]

[Seems like a late sleeper has been woken up by the rocking train, because stumbling out of a previously closed door in Clover's cabin is a blond young man in a unicorn kigurumi, looking. Alarmed? Especially as the message switches over.]

What in the world?

[Maybe he makes it all the way to the shared hallways and you find him there?]

[ruinatings]

[Hey so you might have met some people and you might have seen a monster, but-- As Jusis is walking around the hall a door opens and dead pig monster comes flying in and nearly hits him.

He doesn't get much time to react though because the pig is immediately followed by Rufus, who's dragging the door shut behind him just as a wave hits, the preliminary splash spraying salty water all over him and maybe a little bit on Jusis.]

[saddleclub]

[Good thing he has the reflexes to not get knocked over under dead monster carcass. More surprising is... Rufus.

Honestly that just has him standing still in shock for a moment, enough so that the water just splashes on over him leaving him damp and blinking.]

...Brother?

[ruinatings]

--Jusis?

[Well that's not who he expected to see. He's still in the half-crouch he landed in, leaning against the doorframe and dripping saltwater, but when he sees Jusis he straightens up, brushing wet hair out of his face and trying to look like his usual cool self.

Why, though, does Jusis look... younger?]

...I thought I was the only one from our world.

[saddleclub]

[Somehow that move with the monster was simultaneously cool, reckless, concerning, dumb, and impressive. And yet all at once all he wants to do as Rufus settles into that expression is walk over, take him by the arms, and shake him vigorously.

He does not do that.

Instead he takes a breath to actually listen to those words, standing straighter, which is somewhat ridiculous given the gap between the proud stature and dump kigurumi he's hardly noticed he's wearing.

He heard the first message, before it switched over, and now all this... But it hardly makes much sense really.]

How long have you been here?

[bowtiedbones]

[in the hallway, skittering out of Thyme's carriage and towards the front of the train]

We're under attack! Also, I love your onesie!

[these are EQUALLY IMPORTANT facts]

[saddleclub]

Pardon?

[He actually gets the first, the second is gibberish to him.]

Never mind, what measures are in place to repel the attack?

[bowtiedbones]

We're evacutating in six hours but ummmm otherwise none? We're being attacked by an evil shadow dolphin.

[saddleclub]

Yes thank you for that succinct summary.

[nihilmancy]

[Peering out the window at the thing emerging from the water when an almost unbelievable sight enters her peripheral vision.

It's... something. She's not sure if it's cute or terrifying.]

...Ah. I don't know.

[saddleclub]

[Look he's cuter than the crazy dolphin thing even if the kigurumi is something.]

It seems we're all at a loss then.

[nihilmancy]

[the boy cute, the kigurumi is something]

I believe my teammate wishes to fight it.

[unaffective]

... Was that the clothing left within your carriage?

[ like now is super not the time, she's making a run for a window to check on the dolphin problem but she's got to

some part of her can't really help ]

[saddleclub]

[He's had it pointed out and now he's just going to die. Here in this hallway, this is his grave.]

It's what I woke in!

[unaffective]

It's quite all right - yes, certainly it's very -

[ she has to think fast. fluffy footie pjs, designed after a unicorn. unicorns are like horses but they have horns and the horns are magic relics you can use for healing and that means ]

- cool!

[ got it. ]

[bitterwiththesweet]

A giant red dolphin. Not too out of the ordinary.

[saddleclub]

I've never seen a cryptid of its like but there you have it.

And who are you?

[bitterwiththesweet]

Ma'am.

[obsidien]

[Not many things can give a certain someone pause and force him to make a double-take, but this definitely does the trick.

He just leans back a little bit, and puts on a mild look of disgust. Or maybe he's just perpetually scowling, and his frowns just change depending on how he feels at the moment.]

Gods, but one must be asking you that.

[saddleclub]

Excuse me?

[He hasn't caught his own reflection yet.]

[obsidien]

Have you seen yourself lately? [Perhaps not. If he had, he would not be subjecting peoples' eyes to this...

Monstrosity.]

[hissoff]

[ well he was just making his way to the lounge (where there is light. and possibly warmth. and maybe less shaking because of the fish monster.) but he's already been conditioned to notice bright hot pink.

... not that anyone could not notice bright hot pink. ]

So there was another one after all... My, but you're a late sleeper.

[saddleclub]

So it seems. And you are?

[hissoff]

That's a very good question.

[ hm... ] We may want to move further up the train, lest we risk being eaten by a giant fish.

[heavenlyvisitor]

Eeh ... a bold fashion choice.

[ This guy super does not seem like the sparkly pink unicorn onesie type, so to try and make light of a situation he cannot do anything in (as a non-combatant) he's gunna ... rustle feathers. ]