auroraexpress | Newbies + Monthly Prompts!

Who: Everyone
When: Day 47, morning
Where: the Aurora

[It's that time again: this morning, you're awoken by the jingle associated with an official message from your Chain -- the usual "newbie time" balloon animation and text:]

WELCOME NEW HEROES

[This round's newbies are waking up in their rooms, in the usual nondescript undies or team pyjamas.

Outside, the cold snap has broken. It's back to jungle warmth, though the sudden change in temperature appears to have caused a thick fog. So thick, in fact, that you can't see more than a few feet in front of you -- and it doesn't burn off with the daylight.

For the next few days, Origin Star will be lost in the mist, and should you venture too far, you may be too. Because out there in the humid dim are willow-the-wisps, faint lights in the fog that will lead you to perilous terrain or into the jaws of beasts.

Sometimes, you may also hear a voice -- a distant song from across the sea, in the direction of the corrupted island. If you get too close, long and spindly arms will reach out of the water and pull you down, for a kiss from a scaly human-like being that sucks all the emotion out of you and leaves you feeling hollow and lacking empathy for others. The cure is time -- you'll be better in a day or so, but you can speed it up by basking in the warm feelings of others.]

[[OOC NOTES: As the monthly prompts, the fog and mermaids will continue until next month's placements. If you have any questions, please ping the mods via the q&a. Thank you!]]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

What is your job?

I'm a necrozoology student, which means I practice necromancy in the support of paleozoological research. Big extinct sabertooth tigers fall right in my area of expertise!

[...Tilts his head]

Are there any of those here?

Yes and no! We don't have actual machairodonts, but we do have a very close lookalike. The ones here differ in that they have six eyes, horns, and they're extant.

They're still around? Co-existing with us that easily?

They're around, but they do try to eat us when they see us. I should mention that only the people on this train right now are the only people on this island. The original population is gone.

...Did they all get eaten?

Um, some of them, probably. Some escaped, some died in warfare, some were corrupted into monsters, and others were consumed by the Malice when it took over this star. You lost your memories as an effect of pulling you out of the Malice.

[OH THAT'S A HORRIFYING BUNCH OF WORDS YOU JUST SAID]

Wh... What, is the Malice? How...

Well... Was there a message on your phone when you woke up?

[He didn't check he just rolled out of bed still half asleep, looking back to the door of the room he came out of.]

I missed the alert, I'll, uh, go check.

Do that.

[Nods, back to his room he goes

closes the door and takes a couple minutes to freak out about everything first tho

kind of still hoping this is all just a dream]

[pours the coffee meanwhile

and on second thought, starting another pot brewing]

[AFTER A LONG TIME OF HIS FREAK OUT, going to check his phone at last.

Right. Star Prince. And there's a conductor? How do they bring joy back to the stars??

He reads 'Due to the process of restoring your body, you may find some things are missing' and not only is annoyed about his memories, but slowly turns his head to glare at his stump arm. Rude, Star Prince.

The message doesn't actually tell him that much, so he looks through the rest of the phone for any helpful information. Hey this Contact Construct app sounds helpful, that's what the Conductor is right!!!

...No wait it's just telling him how phones work. HE KNOWS HOW PHONES WORK!!! Goes back to home screen and presses 'I am upset' instead.

OH GREAT NOW IT'S TRYING TO GIVE HIM THERAPY. Turns the phone off and goes to get dressed before he leaves his room again.]

I'm back.

[sitting at the kitchen table with the coffee. there's a little lizard-like skeleton with a parrot's beak skittering around on the the table, chasing one of her hair rollers]

Welcome back.

[Eyes widen slightly at the skeleton, but he looks more curious than alarmed. Coming to sit down with her, smiling at Eliza before turning his attention to the lizard.]

Is this one of yours? Hello lil fella.