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

[resnipstance]

--Achoo!

Ugh. Sorry.

[ceruleo]

[ He blinks, vaguely alarmed. ]

You okay? Not coming down with a cold, are you?

[ Do Togrutas catch colds? ]

[resnipstance]

What? No! ... Probably?

I mean... the suit would take care of it, right?

[ceruleo]

[ He opens his palms, as if to say how should I know? ]

I dunno. Would it?

[resnipstance]

It helped with healing the scratches from the explosions...

Anyway, I'm sure it's fine! I don't get sick easily.

[ceruleo]

[ Not buying it. He reaches over and presses a hand to her forehead, because that has to be where Togrutas show temperature, right?

A beat. ]

What is a Togruta's natural body temperature even like?

[resnipstance]

We're not that different to humans.

[Her forehead is pretty warm, though.]

Come on, let's focus on your blaster.

[ceruleo]

[ He's had enough siblings to know that 'I'm fine' tone means anything but, and with her admission he can put the pieces together. His eyes narrow when he pulls his hand back. ]

We can't really afford anyone getting sick, y'know.

[resnipstance]

Well that's good, because I'm not getting sick. I haven't been sick since I was a youngling.

--I mean, I guess technically there was that time with the blue shadow virus, but that was a bio-weapon so it doesn't count.

[ceruleo]

Uh, last I checked, that is not how organisms work? I'm pretty sure 'get sick once when you're a kid, then never get sick again' only applies to chicken pox!

[ Do Togruta have chicken pox? Do they call it chicken pox? Asking the hard questions. ]

[resnipstance]

Are we really arguing about this?!

[ceruleo]

Obviously, yes! You..sick...bad. How is this complicated?!

[resnipstance]

Why can't you just accept that my immune system is clearly superior to yours?

[ceruleo]

Excuse you, my immune system is as great as the rest of me!

[resnipstance]

Whatever helps you sleep a-- achoo!

[Pause.]

... That didn't mean anything either.

[ceruleo]

[ WERE YOU ABOUT TO PULL A KEITH ON HIM

NEVER GO FULL KEITH, AHSOKA ]

Yeah, I totally believe you. [ /s ] Look, just rest a little, ok? I can figure this out.

[resnipstance]

[Is she pouting?]

... Whatever. I was going to anyway.

[NOT BECAUSE YOU TOLD ME TO, GEEZ.

Ahsoka shuffles around a little, until she's in a position where she can simultaneously lean on something else whilst sitting up, and also watch Lance trying to put together his blaster. Then draws her knees up around her chest and crosses her arms over them.]

[ceruleo]

[ Perhaps miraculously, he doesn't make a comment to the effect that she can use him as a pillow--he just watches her get settled in, seeming subdued.

Maybe this place is getting to him. After the bugs, he feels the urgency of not being armed more than he did before. In his defense, now that she's pointed out the weapon's heart it's a bit easier to just build around that, slotting mechanisms into place like a puzzle. He's shivering a bit himself from the storm, but he's content enough to slide into the work. It doesn't keep him from making mistakes, though, fingers slipping on small parts. ]

[resnipstance]

[Ahsoka watches him work silently, also somewhat subdued-- as if finally stopping to rest has made her aware of how tired she is. It's good for Lance to work out how to do it himself, she thinks to herself.

Finally, though, after Lance's fingers slip for the umpteenth time, she ventures--]

Mayyyybe we should... build a fire?

[ceruleo]

[ He turns a sour look on her. ]

I said I can handle it!

[ He's huffy out of principle. He's cold, too, but he doesn't want to admit it. ]

[resnipstance]

[Ahsoka looks genuinely taken aback.]

It was just a suggestion! You don't have to be such a jerk about it.

[ceruleo]

Who's being a jerk? You're being too sensitive, jeez.

[resnipstance]

[Ahsoka sighs and closes her eyes for a second, centering herself. She should be more mature than this. After a moment, she opens her eyes again.]

... For what it's worth, I thought you were doing pretty good. It's just-- you know. It's cold. That's all I meant.

[ceruleo]

[ He's prickly because he's the sensitive one, feeling like he's being called into question. Once Ahsoka yields, his shoulders come down from around his ears, and his chin comes up. ]

Aww, are you saying you want me to warm you up?

[ /ruins it ]

[resnipstance]

[EYEROLL.]

Ugh. You're impossible.

[She gives a small headshake, mostly to herself.]

Seriously. Has any one of those awful lines of yours ever worked? I need to know. For science.