GOOD MORNING NEW ARRIVALS
This time for real!WAKEY WAKEY.
As the storm finally peters out and characters can once again move above ground it becomes abundantly clear that the landscape has
changed. Where vast expanses of sand dunes once laid is now the half-buried remnants of what looks like some sort of...city? Full of structures. It stretches so far it's really hard to tell. But there is one thing characters will notice:
There are more stasis pods.
Revealed by the sandstorm, a whole new flurry of pods can be found scattered on the way to the city (curiously though, not
in it. Hurry and wake those guys up!
SPREAD THE LOVE. OR ACID.
With the departure of the storm there's even more new arrivals to be found besides those fellow travelers of yours! The
"Seedlings" and
"Cactus" are now both available, the former blown in by the storm and the former uncovered.
The Seedlings are generally pretty harmless. They like to burrow into the sand so only their "Leaves" plant-like leaves remain above ground, and they're quite happy to stay that way until surprised. Then they pop up and trip over themselves a little, before slowing down and wandering aimlessly. When they find a patch of sand that looks comfy they begin burrowing back down.
Pull or yank on their leaves though and you'll find yourself with
a face full of pollen that makes you want to just tell everyone
how super-cool they are. It lasts a while, and then you get a fever and vomit for two hours. Good times.
The Cacti are much less harmless and just...why would you eat them? Everything about this plant is poisonous, and cracking it open causes a corrosive acid-like substance to spill out. It'll eat through everything but...dirt, oddly. Metals and flesh are like hot oil on plastic.
DON'T GET LOST
And last but not least: The Forgotten City. Maybe you want to check out the Hull first for some loot, but maybe that's not such a cool idea anymore? Although it looks like the ship's definitely more powered after draining the suits of whoever went in, now it's started to spread and fill the sinkhole the ship's in. Suits can go from 100% to 0% in just ten minutes--not good!
Lucky for everyone else, it looks like
finally there's
some sort of civilization up ahead. Go on and check it out!
OR DO. THAT'S OKAY TOO.
Go nuts, have fun, and enjoy! (This is the wildcard option)
OOC
The
Flora, Fauna & Resources page has been updated with information on the seedlings, cacti, and crystals! These items are now all available for
Discovery, and The
Forgotten City will be available indefinitely from now on! Characters can take this time to settle & build up a foundation for themselves, explore the area, and of course, harass those poor little seedlings.
We encourage players to make their own open posts for this setting--you don't need to stick to just this intro log! But make sure to make our newbies feel welcome!
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3
... You haven't even seen me before.
[He'd noticed the guy getting sprayed by one of the wandering plant-looking things earlier, and been half-intending to ask if he was okay when he'd come wandering close, but he really didn't expect this. And maybe it's unfair to be wary, but aside from Zack, Cloud doesn't have much experience with honest nice behaviour, stemming from alien pollen or not.
And anyway, the sort of... fuzzy look on his face makes Cloud wary (and a little concerned) for more reason than just his initial suspicion.]
no subject
Why would I need to? As soon as I saw you it was like, KA-POW! [ He mimes getting his mind blown. ] I mean, have you seen you? You have like, the most awesome hair! How do you get your hair like that?!
[ He sure is trying to touch Cloud's hair... ]
no subject
At least the comment about his hair brings things back to a level Cloud can handle, and he's well-versed in (trying to) avoiding hands coming for his hair. And Lance moves like a turtle compared to Zack, so at most there's fingertips brushing past the end of his spikes. Which, despite the heat, are standing like they usually do.]
It's... uh, natural. They just... do that.
[At least that was, like... an apparently genuine compliment instead of making fun of it. Cloud's not sure that makes up for the rest, and...]
... are you okay?
no subject
Yeah. [ He probably doesn't sound 'okay', exactly, but he does sound incredibly relaxed. He doesn't seem to mind at all that Cloud is inching away, because he's moving closer to make up for it. ] I mean, now that I've met you, day's going pretty stellar!
no subject
Wonders if he's being made fun of, but he's looking so very earnest, still, in the middle of that slightly glazed, gone look. That, if nothing else, makes it easier to take a breath and reflexively take one step back again. Even if Lance seems to just... continue to follow him, every time he does that.]
Did--- um, did you eat anything weird recently..?
[As he days it, Cloud feels like groaning; anything 'weird' could probably be every single edible thing on this... this planet, because it's not their home, so that question is probably pretty useless.]
no subject
[ He makes his backpack materialize, reaches into it and pulls out a makeshift tin of a strangely pear-like fruit; he offers this to Cloud. ]
Inui and I found this in the hydroponics room of the downed ship. Tastes kinda like pineapple, but the effect is like coffee! [ Obviously, that isn't why Lance is acting this way. He pushes the tin to Cloud. ] You can have it, pal. You're so awesome, you deserve it.
[ On the one hand, he probably wouldn't be offering under normal circumstances. On the other...well, coffee-fruit is useful, Cloud could probably use some. ]
no subject
You... don't have to do this. Don't you need it? [Arching an eyebrow and glancing from the tin to Lance, Cloud's pretty sure this can't be responsible. Mostly because coffee doesn't do this. Of course, there's the part of him that certainly doesn't want to give it up now that it's been given over, but not protesting when the guy isn't exactly in charge of all his faculties just doesn't seem right.]
... are you sure you didn't run into something you haven't had before..?
[There must be something, though maybe he simply won't think of it while affected like this...]
no subject
Oh, oh! I met a new little buddy. He was so cute. He totally threw sparkles at me! Like he was throwin' me a little party...what a cute fella.
[ He sighs dreamily. 'Sparkles' is most certainly not what that was, but Lance's happy-to-be-happy mind is glad to supply him with any number of strange delusions.
Unfortunately for Cloud, Lance seems to have determined that this line of questioning has gone far enough, and he goes straight back to...draping. ]
Sooooo. What's your name, Mr. Awesome?
no subject
A thought which Cloud doesn't get to pursue because suddenly there's lanky teenager draped over him again and Cloud twitches. Of course, nothing else happens, again, so while he could probably relax on that front, he's not... very touchy at all.]
Cloud. And, um. You? [Blue eyes wide and blinking before they're narrowed again and Cloud tries to shift away once again. He managed it before, after all...]
no subject
Lance! Man, I'm so glad to meet you. This is the best. You're the best. [ A beat, then, cheerfully: ] Did I say that already?
no subject
... thanks. And yes. You did. [Pretty deadpan, that, before Cloud frowns slowly.] Do you... have anyone here you know?
[Getting Lance to some people who know him, either here or from... wherever he's from, seems like a good idea.]