Intro Log: The Forgotten City

[atlasmods]

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!

Comments

[ex_broach530]

[ Innuendo implies a level of flirtatious delicacy — the Bull is being crude. ]

Good. Heat, I can handle no problem. But I've spent long enough freezing my tits off in the past year.

[ Maybe if he put a shirt on, ever!

He is curious about that 'not the best judge' comment, prods at it. ]

So you're the type of guy who runs hot...

[ Now that's innuendo. ]

[anewhope]

[ Clark coughs suddenly, looking a touch bemused. ]

I'm just not affected by change in temperature, that's all.

[ex_broach530]

[ The smallest of smiles twitches Bull's lips. The awkward thing is cute. If he wasn't really, really taken he'd probably push a little harder. Get more... direct. Instead he lets the topic shift naturally; ]

Yeah? How's that work?

[anewhope]

[ He shrugs helplessly. ]

I wish I could give you a proper answer. All I really know is my physiology is a little hardier than normal people.

[ Clark pauses abruptly. Using the term normal people in a place like this seems disingenuous and he finds that he doesn't like it. ]

[ex_broach530]

Normal humans, you mean.

[ Given half the people he's met so far don't seem to be human at all. And he's certainly not, obviously. Still, that piques his interest. ]

You a soldier?

[anewhope]

No. I'm — an alien. I come from a different planet.

[ Which . . . probably won't mean much except to a few others, but the weight of the word alien still resonates with Clark. ]

[ex_broach530]

Hhhhuh.

[ You know what super doesn't mean much to Bull? All terms related to space travel. ]

So you're ... not a human.

[ He's pretty sure that's what he's taking away from this? ]

Let you in on a big secret, buddy: neither am I.

[anewhope]

[ Clark can't help the quiet chuckle. ]

I caught that part. I do look very human though, but there are differences.

[ex_broach530]

Yeah, you don't even have the pointy ears.

[ A glaaaance. ]

Unless there are some serious differences under that suit.

[anewhope]

Not like that.

[ His tone is gentle, despite the teasing. ] I'm just a little stronger and faster.

[ Downplaying himself is what he does. ]

[ex_broach530]

Yeah? Me too.

[ Not downplaying himself at all. But then he is physically bigger than Clark, so that he's stronger than a human must be kind of obvious. ]

Don't suppose you want to go a few rounds. Take my mind off this desert crap.

[anewhope]

[ He visibly hesitates. Clark hasn't fought anyone since Doomsday and the implications of that fight were still heavy in his mind. ]

It might be dangerous for you.

[ex_broach530]

Yeah, I don't see that as a problem.

[ A feature, not a bug. If the guy is stronger than him, good, he kind of likes getting beat up. Pain helps clear his head from all the bullshit. Unless... Bull squints his single eye. ]

You can control yourself, right? Not gonna go all berserk on me?

[ Not that he can talk given he is literally a Reaver, but he's probably not going to need to go into full battle rage for one guy. ]

[anewhope]

[ Clark meets Iron Bull's gaze head-on. ]

I don't lose control.

[ He's lost his temper, but not his control. ]

[ex_broach530]

Gooood. Keeps things simple. If you're too much for me, I'll tap out. Tell you to stop. Or if you want we can use a watchword.

[ Only not really that last thing, he's just teasing again, in the face of all that determined assertiveness. ]

[anewhope]

[ Clark glances at his power levels. They're still decent and even though he's limited, he's fairly confident he can hold out. And it'll be a way for him to properly gauge how much weaker he was. So he nods. ]

If you tell me to stop, I'll stop.

[ex_broach530]

Nice!

[ He's. So loud and enthusiastic. Bull claps his hands once, sharply, pleased. ]

But let's not step on the plants.

[ Not when they seem to be so rare in the desert. It's time to go out into the dunes! Where no one will see Bull get rekt. ]

C'mon, big guy.

[anewhope]

[ He sighs quietly, rolling his shoulders. Then he heads off into the desert. Far enough that no innocuous stranger will wander in and get the wrong idea but enough distance that Clark can locate the city and the others without too much trouble. ]

You can have the first blow.

[ex_broach530]

[ He could make a dirty joke, but instead he just gives a throaty chuckle and a half smile, settling into himself, solid-stanced. ]

Tell me to stop and I'll stop,

[ He echoes, and then finally throws himself into it, ready to find out just what he's got himself into. It's that reason that he starts direct, wants to take a measure of the other guy's strength — and shit, it's like punching steel, which he was already doing today before people warned him not to blow everyone up. If anything his grin broadens. And he gets this look in his eyes — the same one he gets when the Boss brings him to take out another High Dragon.]

Ohhh, today is a very good day.

[anewhope]

[ Clark cracks his neck before petting his jaw lightly.

He looks bolder, more real than he had before. The fight wasn't in him. He never felt the burn or desire but he seem to stand out more than he did before. A pale imitation to the real thing. He doesn't take a stance because Clark has never learned how to fight, always relying on his powers to help him get through.

But he's a quick learner and he hasn't wasted his time. ]

For now.

[ Suddenly he moves, in Iron Bull's space and initiates his favourite move - the flick ]

[ex_broach530]

[ It's not even a punch, so Bull should be able to dodge it, but it's fast and it hurts. He reels back with the force of it, let's out a grunt, and then rocks forward again and basically throws himself at Clark, seven and a half foot of overenthusiastic fighting machine bearing down. ]

[anewhope]

[ Clark grunts at the force, his heels digging into the sand as he's pushed back. He's still reluctant to throw an actual punch. Iron Bull didn't have any kryptonite infused weapons or powers to keep Clark's at bay. His fingers tighten into a fist before it breaks and he uses his palm to push at Iron Bull's stomach. It's a foreseeable attack and one that'll let Clark know if Iron Bull could dodge it. ]

[ex_broach530]

[ Bull is nowhere near Krypton level when it comes to strength or speed, but when it comes to noticing stuff in a fight, pushing his body through maneuvers he's trained a thousand times and then used in the field a thousand more, that he's good at. So he dodges, but he also frowns, pulls his next swing; ]

You holding back on me?

[anewhope]

I'd kill you.

[ His tone is flat. It's not courage or boasting, just simple fact. Pride has little to do with his statement. ]

[ex_broach530]

Hah!

[ He gets that the other guy is serious, can feel the power in him. Takes a step backwards and rubs the sun-sweaty back of his neck. ]

Here I was holding out for a pounding.

[ He doesn't care if he gets badly beaten and it's rare to find someone who can do it, but maybe they really are so unevenly matched that there's nothing in between feeling patronized and getting dead. And it's not like the former is gonna be a workout for his guy. ]

Hrrgh. I feel like this isn't gonna work for you.