INTROS + MONTHLIES

[trainmasters]

Who: Everyone
When: Day 60, evening
Where: the Aurora

[The Candy Hearts are gone-- or at least, they're no longer all over the place. If you kept a few for your own purposes then well, feel free to enjoy yourself. Live your best life!

Though you may have just got out of a Trial recently, there is the sound of an announcement on your Chain: ]

WELCOME NEW HEROES

[And indeed, there is another round of newbies waking up in their rooms, in the usual nondescript undies or team pyjamas. They'll get their basic welcome message and a prompt to view the IC Guide.

"Someone" has seen to bring refreshments to greet the newbies. It's sparkling water, refreshingly cool and surprisngly sugar-free considering the surroundings. If you choose to drink it, you will find yourself instantly refreshed, almost as if you'd gotten a full day's rest. You will also find that the very next thing you say to someone is a mildly inconvenient truth. It cannot and will not compel you to tell someone your deep, dark secrets but it MIGHT compel you to admit you forgot to brush your teeth this morning....

Have fun and enjoy meeting your new people! ]

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

Comments

[otherworldlyking]

[ Well, McBurn will be exiting his room in the Licorice side of things, and kind of just...wandering around wherever he pleases. He did at least look over the guide, with little to no enthusiasm. There was some also a vague bit of skepticism at the "Hero" nonsense because of how things went last time he was on two trains.

But all in all he figured after walking around he'll just go lie down for another nap. ]

What a pain...

[ It never ends, does it. ]

[shintaiprotagonist]

[outside in the common area, another relative newbie in Jasmine colors looks up from his Chain, curious]

...another batch so soon? Be welcome, friend.

[otherworldlyking]

How 'welcome' I feel depends on what the situation we're in really is.

[ He'll size up this man in front of him, from head to toe, with something bordering on faint interest and disinterest. He's been awake hardly for long and he's wondering at this person's combat ability already. ]

Seems like you've been here awhile, either way.

[shintaiprotagonist]

[he's short, slim and moves with total confidence; not exactly like a fighter, or at least not one trained with fists or blades, but more than anyone who can't fight should have. if McBurn can sense power, though...that he has in inhuman abundance.]

A fair stance. I've seen nothing yet to contradict what the device tells us, but I awoke only days ago.

[otherworldlyking]

[ Sensing power isn't exactly something he's incapable of, especially when there's so much of it to be found. That definitely did perk his interest more, even if it'd been helped by observing the other male's movements. ]

Then you're practically as new as I am. [ ... ] Got a name?

[shintaiprotagonist]

Tide, until I reclaim the one I once had. Do you remember yours?

[malignstar]

Going to need to be more specific.

[otherworldlyking]

[ He'll yawn... ]

Being thrown into another situation where you've been taken onto a train and expected to just follow along.

[ ... ]

If it's not one thing, it's another.

[malignstar]

You usually get kidnapped by trains?

[otherworldlyking]

Been twice before now I've gotten myself kidnapped by someone runnin' some kind of train. It's annoying as all hell.

Supposedly it looks like there's a good reason for it this time, but can't say I'm about to just eat up everything this "Prince" yapped about.

[malignstar]

That's quite some pattern.

Aww, you don't trust Cardy? He's not a bad guy.

[bad_crowmance]

[ Before McBurn leaves the Licorice cabin, a head pokes out of the kitchen and then just... pauses. ]

Hey, you're that guy!

[ "That guy." Please understand, Crow only has two memories involving McBurn (that second link has CS3 spoilers if anyone else is reading this.) ]

[otherworldlyking]

[ That's...probably better than nothing, right?

Well, anyway, there's a familiar face to be sure. ]

Just that guy?

[ He didn't really take offense, really. He just thought it was an interesting way for Crow to refer to him, considering everything. ]

[bad_crowmance]

[ IT'S PROBABLY BETTER THAN NOTHING. ]

That guy with the flames. McBurn, right? ....Now's probably a good time to mention I don't remember a whole lot.

[ He'd try to keep it a secret but honestly, too many people around here know and it'd be hard to keep it up for long. ]

[otherworldlyking]

[ The idea of missing memories was familiar to him, in more ways than one. The immediate reason being that he'd experienced that on another train, and it wasn't really all that fun. ]

That's right. Least you remember my name, I guess.

Seems like missing memories and trains go hand-in-hand. Doesn't take you long to regain them, does it?

[ Just out of faint curiosity if anything. ]

[bad_crowmance]

[ Crow shrugs lightly. ]

It depends on how hard you wanna work at it.

[overworker]

[More new arrivals— Towa never knows what to expect with these things. What she never would have expected was a familiar face like this.

She doesn’t know what to expect. Will he remember anything? And even if he does— will he remember her? None of those things are guaranteed as she’s learned here.

But she hasn’t let it stop her yet. This can’t be any different.]

...you’re not wrong about that. Regardless, welcome to the Aurora.

[No matter how it turns out, goddess is she happy to see him.]

[otherworldlyking]

Good to see you too.

[ Unsurprisingly (or maybe surprisingly), he suddenly looked more attentive as soon as Towa had come into the picture here. Why should't he? Even though by his estimation it hadn't been too long since he'd seen her.

It's good to know that she looked like she was doing well. ]

Not anything like it's been on the previous trains we've been taken to, is it? There was this boring explanation I read, but figured it couldn't hurt to see if they're not trying to spring another kind of "trial" on us.

[overworker]

Ah--

[Not even Towa realized just how badly she'd been hoping that maybe he'd remember. After finding out Rean didn't remember her at all and Crow only remembered a little-- she'd prepared herself for the worst.

But this time, that's not the case.

She can't help it. For her, it hasn't been such a short time. And honestly, she's just really happy. Towa runs over and hugs him tightly.]

It's... a little more complicated, I'm not surprised you don't know how to feel about it. It's not all good-- but... it's not the same as those, either.

[otherworldlyking]

[ It was strange that not so long ago they had a reunion not all that long ago, but here they were, having another one. Maybe it was a little amusing too, but he's not about to complain...noooot too much, anyway.

He felt her arms wrapped around him tightly, and kind of just rests a hand against her small back, after sliding an arm around her. ]

Would say hearing that it's not the same is already better, but I don't doubt these ones could be a new giant pain of it's own.

[ ... ]

Funny that it hadn't even been long, and still meeting up like this feels just like how it was when we reunited back in that strange Hall.

[overworker]

...huh?

[Her face looks confused for a moment. She doesn't know where he's talking about. But then... well. Being on board a few trains now, she's familiar the tricks that timing can play in these matters.

Whatever she missed-- couldn't be that different, right? Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight.

Towa steps back with a sheepish smile.]

Oh. Well... I suppose it hasn't been that long but-- I've been here quite a while already. But that means I can fill you in a little on what it's like.

[misinforms]

[Well hello there new face. Being Licorice's last new addition, she knows that feeling. Might as well introduce herself.]

Isn't it? Nonetheless, here you are.

[otherworldlyking]

[ Oh look, another small person approached! Jokes aside, she's at least 3 inches taller than Towa. ]

Unfortunately. Guess it could be worse, though.

[ He'll give a yawn. Something something universes in danger or something or other. ]

[misinforms]

That's one way to look at it.

[She doesn't know much herself, so she can't say it couldn't be worse.]

Do you have a name?

[That choice of words is still very her-- but in this case, it doubles as a legitimate question.]

[otherworldlyking]

Yeah, McBurn. Some back home know me as the Almighty Conflagration, though.

[ Because that's one of his titles in Ouroboros. Yay. ]

You?

[ Honestly, she didn't look like much to him, but might as well ask anyway. ]