auroraexpress | Event: A Prelude

Who: Everyone!
When: Day 8, evening
Where: around

[It's a beautiful evening in the jungle tonight. It's warmer than usual, and some new plants have appeared, black vines that climb up the trees near the Aurora, opening hundreds of tiny white flowers that glow in the darkness. They let of a sweet smell that's soothing like a chamomile tea, and are filled with a dew that, if consumed, leaves characters feeling relaxed and just a little more likely to act on positive impulses.

However, the vines of this plant aren't so harmless. When broken they drip a milky white substance which irritates the skin, leaving red welts that burn and last anywhere from an hour to a full day, depending on how long the substance is in contact. Eating this won't kill you but it'll give you really intense heartburn and nausea for a few hours.

Additionally, if you're walking around in the nearby jungle, you might trip over one of the small cracks that have appeared in the forest floor. Mostly they're not visible underneath the grass and underbrush, but the bigger ones have caused a slight unevenness in the ground that can catch careless toes. There doesn't seem to be any particular pattern or origin to the cracks, nor do they have any other affect on their surroundings. They're just there, suddenly, in a roughly 100-foot radius from the train.

But there's plenty of reason to ignore these natural phenomenon, because there are some new teammates waking up in your carriages! In response to this new wave of arrivals, existing players will hear a cute jingling ringtone come from their Chain. Upon checking, the screen displays... a silly animation of balloons and confetti and the words "WELCOME NEW HEROES", which goes away on its own after a few seconds or when characters tap it. The same display is shown on the big screen in the lounge, in which trays full of colourful drinks have mysteriously appeared. The drinks taste like Kool-Aid and change some part of you the corresponding colour -- pink hair, blue skin, purple eyes, or maybe just a literal green thumb!]

[[OOC NOTE: Newbies can review the arrival scenario on the navigation page if necessary. The drinks in the lounge come in any colour you want, and cause colour shift in whatever and however large an area you want. It could just be a strand of hair or it could be your entire body, whatever you feel like playing with.]]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

It seems like the best place to go for answers, although I don’t expect it to be easy.

Well, if you ever need any help...

[seems like the right thing to do!]

[heh. gives a nod at that]

I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks.

Hey, random question.

Did you believe in magic before you got here?

[that is a random question, and there's a pause before Akira responds]

. . . why are you asking?

[pause...]

People seem pretty nonchalant about that aspect of the situation as a whole. I was curious if more people are used to it than I realized.

[eyeing him thoughtfully]

They could just be really good at adapting.

[he doesn't know why, but he struggles somewhat at lying, depending! so he tries to dance around the true subject at hand: have there been other people like him this whole time?]

I mean, fair. I guess there's still an element of shock at work, too.

Yeah. Exactly.

[a pause]

What about you? Did you believe in magic before coming here?

Hm. Anything's possible.

[his mouth twitches, and he responds with a lightly amused]

Nice dodge.

How about you, then? Did you believe in magic?

[stares at Aria for just a moment too long before responding, with painful and blunt sincerity]

Yeah. I did.

...Really?

[congrats you caught him completely off guard]

[just nods easily, but doesn't say anything else. he doesn't have to explain his answer]

[that's fair, Aria wouldn't be quite ready to explain his end either, after so many years of hiding it... though if he saw someone else use magic, he'd be a little more willing]

I guess that makes this slightly easier for you.

[Akira's keeping his own skills on the down low, mostly out of habit. but considering the nature of this place? it probably won't be long before he has to go public with them]

Mmm.

[hesitation; he could admit he's been in a pretty similar situation before, but. . .]

I'm just very versatile.

[he'll go with that instead]

I can tell.

[bats eyelashes at]

Well, just between you and me Akira, since you're being sooo honest, I'll tell you one thing: magic was real where I was from, but I've never seen anyone use any before. But that's all for now~.

[rrraises a brow, and then huffs a laugh, genuinely amused]

But you've used it before?

[he's pushing that "that's all for now," it seems]

You ask for such juicy gossip, yet you offer nothing in return.

[raises a brow back at him]

[. . . hm!!]

You're asking for a quid pro quo arrangement?

Precisely! Scratch my back and I'll scratch yours, etcetera etcetera.

[eyeing Aria thoughtfully, rocking back on one heel in an idle motion as he thinks. on the one hand? this guy is obviously fishing for something, and Akira still doesn't know how much he can trust this place, the Star Prince, and the other people here?]

[on the other hand?]

[. . .]

Do you take payment in the form of IOUs?

[laughs, pressing a hand against his chest]

Touché.

[using his own words against him, how the dare u]

Depends, will the wait be worth it?

Can't say. It depends on how patient you are.

[and how quickly this place forces Akira to bring out the big Persona guns]

(no subject)

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