trainmasters: (Default)
Aurora Express Mods ([personal profile] trainmasters) wrote in [community profile] auroraexpress2018-11-19 07:54 pm

Event: Tutorial Boss

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.]]

THE CONSTRUCT

[personal profile] happybot 2018-11-20 01:56 am (UTC)(link)
[please comment here if you want to yell at the construct. remember everyone in the lounge can hear what you say and read the responses on the screen!]
ruinatings: (044)

[personal profile] ruinatings 2018-11-20 02:06 am (UTC)(link)
[Rufus has been out in the jungle for the last little while, trying to procure food. He's a bit scuffed up but mostly alright, given he has the means to cast annoying jRPG magic and has just been dropping giant metaphysical hands on things.

So he's carrying back one of those pig monsters when what the fuck is that.]

--Oh.

[Now. How do we get back to the train...?]
Edited 2018-11-20 02:06 (UTC)

[personal profile] unperturbed 2018-11-20 02:18 am (UTC)(link)
[yikes. Mr. Amnesia was at an open window to lean out and see while the monster is far-ish (he's planning on closing it after, okay) when he notices Rufus all the way >>>>>>>>>>>> over there.

Uh.

Wa...ves... gingerly... are you. are you okay out there bro.]
saddleclub: (54)

[personal profile] saddleclub 2018-11-20 02:18 am (UTC)(link)
[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: (006)

[personal profile] ruinatings 2018-11-20 02:28 am (UTC)(link)
[He's... he's fine. Waving back, even!

He's weighing his monster-fighting options here. He could try to kill it, but he might, y'know, die. He has no sword. So he has to consider, but ultimately he opts to wait til the monster is just starting to swim away, then sprint for the nearest door.

He makes it, barely, slinging his catch into the hallway and following after, to slam the door behind him just as a wave slaps against it. Some spray gets through, but that just means he's wet now.]
ruinatings: (038)

[personal profile] ruinatings 2018-11-20 02:35 am (UTC)(link)
[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.]

[personal profile] unperturbed 2018-11-20 02:40 am (UTC)(link)
[Are you sure? Are you really sure?!

He's openly giving Rufus a are you really- DID YOU REALLY- kind of look when the guy starts booking it. There's a few seconds of breathless watching, but he does have the presence of mind to jump back inside and slam the window shut before the wave hits. Directly after he runs over towards that door down the train.]


Are you alright, sir?!
saddleclub: (04)

[personal profile] saddleclub 2018-11-20 02:58 am (UTC)(link)
[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?
magicmoment: (found the place to rest my head)

[personal profile] magicmoment 2018-11-20 03:02 am (UTC)(link)
[HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO STAY POSITIVE WITH THIS GOING ON???

Hestia is hauling ass into the train, taking a few steps in before-- realizing something and whirling around, brandishing her staff as a glowing circle appears around her feet. At least she's in the relative safety of a train car, albeit like one step from the doors.

Please uh, don't let her fall over while she's casting?]
ruinatings: (015)

[personal profile] ruinatings 2018-11-20 03:15 am (UTC)(link)
Quite fine.

[Just... wet... And maybe a little stressed but y'know what? He calculated the risk and he succeeded and that's what matters.]

And we have meat.
saddleclub: (08)

[personal profile] saddleclub 2018-11-20 03:18 am (UTC)(link)
[Jusis is already wet and in a unicorn kigu and now here's Emma he'll just fucking, reach to balance her automatically while she casts.]

Careful.
ruinatings: (043)

[personal profile] ruinatings 2018-11-20 03:19 am (UTC)(link)
--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.
magicmoment: (as i dive into the dark)

[personal profile] magicmoment 2018-11-20 03:21 am (UTC)(link)
[that's very helpful and she's accepting the help gratefully, firing A FUCKING RIVER OF ICE into the black sea to try and stabilize the train a bit, give them a buffer of non-dolphin]
bowtiedbones: (46)

[personal profile] bowtiedbones 2018-11-20 03:22 am (UTC)(link)
[tapping on the screen, is this touch- or voice-activated? HELLO ALEXA??]

Thank gosh— Hi! Question! What's Prism? Is that the power? What does this thing run on?

[personal profile] unperturbed 2018-11-20 03:25 am (UTC)(link)
Oh... good.

[entirely to the first part, the second seems to go through one ear and out the other. whew. Looks relieved that there's nothing broken or whatever, though he's also looking Rufus up and down now. Wet and scuffed up is ... better than horribly injured, he supposes. Since he's not forward or tall enough to fuss properly (right now) he just slips his coat off and offers it like one would a towel.]
saddleclub: (55)

[personal profile] saddleclub 2018-11-20 03:26 am (UTC)(link)
[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?
saddleclub: (08)

[personal profile] saddleclub 2018-11-20 03:30 am (UTC)(link)
[Cool nice that is in fact pretty normal. He left his ARCUS in his room because he rushed out without looking for it so he can't try to combat link right now to give her a boost, but he would. Wouldn't that be a surprise.]
ruinatings: (022)

[personal profile] ruinatings 2018-11-20 03:32 am (UTC)(link)
Hmm? Did you not get here with the rest of us?

[Jusis I know you hate mornings but c'mon.

Also... also. He's only just now taking in the kigu, so Jusis can see the smile slowly creeping across Rufus' face.]

I suppose you do look like you just woke up.
nihilmancy: (Neutral 2)

Re: THE CONSTRUCT

[personal profile] nihilmancy 2018-11-20 03:33 am (UTC)(link)
What do you mean that the "fate of the universe depends on our healthy bonds?" How exactly does the Prince propose that we rectify this crisis that he alleges?
magicmoment: (you are the moon)

[personal profile] magicmoment 2018-11-20 03:38 am (UTC)(link)
[that would give her a fucking heart attack, jusis

in any case she needs a few moments to recover, so she's still taking advantage of him balancing her for a little bit before she realizes and straightens with a squeak]

Ah! Thank you!

[personal profile] happybot 2018-11-20 03:39 am (UTC)(link)
A "Prism" is a source of energy and light, gifted to the universe by an ancient King. Prisms take in positive emotions and turn them into energy. The Aurora is powered by a miniature Prism.
Edited 2018-11-20 03:40 (UTC)
saddleclub: (02)

[personal profile] saddleclub 2018-11-20 03:41 am (UTC)(link)
[This is just sleeping in to the extreme. Maybe the last thing he remembers is being up all night cramming on provincial tax codes, that'd make anyone sleep through a day.

He isn't sure what that expression is about though, and it makes him automatically want to check his hair, which means pushing the hoodie down and running a self-conscious hand over his bed-head.]

I did just wake up. What's going on?

Re: THE CONSTRUCT

[personal profile] happybot 2018-11-20 03:41 am (UTC)(link)
Malice is a force made up of negative emotions. The Aurora is on a mission to purify Prisms of Malice corruption using the positive emotions of its passengers.
saddleclub: (52)

[personal profile] saddleclub 2018-11-20 03:42 am (UTC)(link)
[He doesn't know!!]

Of course. I apologize that I couldn't be of more help in the moment, I lost my cool a bit when I woke.
magicmoment: (and all this devotion)

[personal profile] magicmoment 2018-11-20 03:45 am (UTC)(link)
That's quite alright... did you only just wake up when the monster appeared?

Page 1 of 18