INTROS + MONTHLIES

[trainmasters]

Who: Everyone
When: Day 51, evening
Where: the Aurora

[It's evening, and as the stars come out you get that text again:]

WELCOME NEW HEROES

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

Outside, the fog is gone. In its place is a pleasant evening, its beauty enhanced by tiny, softly-glowing flowers along the jungle paths. Unfortunately, should you peer closer toy may notice these flowers have blackened, curled leaves -- and the scent that wafts up when you step on them will either heighten or dull one of your senses.

But hey, why go in the jungle when you could eat questionable snacks in the lounge again? This time there are towers of round chocolates in varying colours, and sparkle blue and white snowflake decor on the walls and hanging from the ceiling. In typical Star Prince and Knights fashion there is a lot of glitter, and the chocolates definitely have a magical side-effect: in this case, transformation.

☆ Blue-wrapped chocolates cause your character to shift in age. They may get older or younger, and this transformation may be purely physical or may include mental shifting as well.

☆ Silver-wrapped chocolates cause your character to gain animal features -- anything from cat ears to fully becoming a cat is acceptable, and any animal real or mythical is game. It won't change you to a size that doesn't fit in the train, though.

☆ White-wrapped chocolates cause a transformation to a different physical sex.

☆ Black-wrapped chocolates cause you to take on the form of another person -- someone on the train or someone you remember from elsewhere. It won't turn you into anyone you don't personally know, however.

These effects wear off within a few hours, and you can combine more than one. Enjoy your icebreaker and make that fresh meat feel welcome!]

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

Comments

[schrodingerscockroach]

[Listen, if you think he can't cradle a child in one arm, you are mistaken, these are arms made for cradling small things.]

[And grabbing Sousei's arm with the other and he gives him a flat look.]

What. Started. Her. Crying.

You leave a kid with you, you are going to tell me what circumstances I'm dealing with. Because I assure you, I can carry her all day and follow you.

[comingstorm]

[God why are you stubborn, it's kind of endearing.]

She had some issue with being mine. Something about her mother getting angry. I can only assume the woman was an abusive ogre to elicit the reaction. Satisfied?

[schrodingerscockroach]

Mother?

[Looks at 80H, frowning.] .... [So 80H lied and an abusive parent, that WOULD actually track very well.]

[Looks at Sousei.]

Depends. Are you hiding things from me to be deliberately a pain because I can and will hunt you down later if I find out you did.

[comingstorm]

I suppose she may also be afraid I'll eat her. But I already said I would not unless I was a snake. She has terrible self-preservation instincts.

[schrodingerscockroach]

....

[Looks down at the naga tail.]

You are bad with kids.

[comingstorm]

Yes. I know. Now do whatever it is you nice people do to make her stop crying. I'm going.

[schrodingerscockroach]

Ugh, stupid impression....

Try not to make anymore kids think you're going to eat them.

[comingstorm]

Children should definitely think I'm going to eat them. It's a good impression for survival.

[schrodingerscockroach]

Your childrearing skills are terrible.

[Focusing on child.]

So...I promise I'm not gonna eat you?

[comingstorm]

[Yes! He knows! He's leaving them though.]

[voreaciously]

[she's just like whimpering and sniffling and hasn't really calmed down.

she's really cold to hold right now sorry for your arm

she doesn't seem to realise she's being spoken to]

[schrodingerscockroach]

[It's cool, he's got a hoody, though....]

[He should get Sunset out of her pocket. Whose now mewling, so let's try this.]

Hey. Sweetie, come on, look at this.

[And pulling out POCKET CAT, whose clambing up his arm after he pulls her out of pocket.]

[voreaciously]

[it's many moments but his words do reach and she peeks at him and the cat with wet, glassy eyes. She doesn't bother to rub her tears away.

To his credit, the kitten does seem to hold her attention a little.]

[schrodingerscockroach]

You need to be a little warmer. So the kitty will be comfortable when you pet her.

Can you take some deep breaths for me to calm down?

[voreaciously]

[She doesn't say anything yet but she is clearly listening and taking at first shallow breaths, but they grow deeper and more even over time.

She gets warmer.]

[schrodingerscockroach]

There we go. Just like that.

[Going to pull Sunset out from the scruff after she hid in his hood and holds her out in front of 80H.]

[Sunset gonna sniff at her. And tilt her head in confusion. Why tiny snow lady.]

[voreaciously]

[tiny snow lady who smells a lot more human and a lot less constructed]

...is it really okay?

[she asks very quietly, hesitantly.]

[schrodingerscockroach]

[So WEIRD tiny snow lady.]

Of course. Sunset is very friendly.

[voreaciously]

[she reaches out and then draws her fingers back before resuming and touching the top of the kitten's head.]

[schrodingerscockroach]

[Sunset gonna lean into that touch, rubbing her head against her fingers.]

See? She's friendly.

[voreaciously]

[she sniffs a bit and tries to pet, her fingers moving along the fur.]

...She's soft.

[schrodingerscockroach]

Isn't she though?

[Moving Sunset closer, whose trying to grab onto tiny ice lady's arm to better sniff.]

Do you want to hold her? She's pretty curious about people.

[voreaciously]

I-is that okay?

[she seems uncertain? tiny kitten is tiny!!]

[schrodingerscockroach]

Of course. She's a cat.

She could fall from the top of my head and land on her feet unharmed. She's perfectly safe to hold.

[voreaciously]

Okay...

[she reaches out to take sunset very, very, very carefully.]