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]

Only because you're a dork.

[ceruleo]

You like this dork, admit it.

[resnipstance]

... Eh. You have your charm points. Sometimes.

1/3

[ceruleo]

[ HOLD UP.

That wasn't a no.................................... ]

2/3

[ceruleo]

O-oh yeah?

[ He's such a puppy he may as well have a wagging tail. ]

3/3

[ceruleo]

I mean, yeah. Totally! Yeah.

[resnipstance]

[She can't help it. Lance is just so completely transparent in his attempt to play it cool that she bursts out laughing.]

[ceruleo]

[ And he can't help the answering grin that grows on his face in return. Mission: cheer-up, accomplished. ]

See? And to think you doubted me, O ye of little faith.

[resnipstance]

It's not that I doubted you. It's just that you're really easy to tease.

[ceruleo]

Wow. That's hurtful.

[ He doesn't sound too terribly hurt. Instead, he materializes a pocket, fishing inside it for something. ]

Hey, I got something for you.

[resnipstance]

Wait, what?

[ Dead stop. Ahsoka looks more than a little confused. ]

... Really?

[ceruleo]

Uh, yeah! I found it in the wrecked ship.

[ He finally pulls out what he's looking for, a small beaded bracelet held together by metal filigree. The beads are blue. ]

You're probably not a jewellery kinda chick--[ he's second guessing himself now, what if she thinks it's lame, she probably thinks it's lame ]--but uh, it made me think of you...

[ This is usually when he'd say something about the blue in her eyes, or the stripes in her horns, but instead he just lets the bracelet dangle between them, words tapering out. ]

B-but I can just--if you don't want it...

1/2

[resnipstance]

[She looks stunned speechless, for a moment.

There's a small voice in the back of her head reminding her of the Jedi Code-- something something leave behind material possessions, something something attachment is bad.

But she isn't a Jedi anymore. And the gesture is-- well... it's sweet.]

[resnipstance]

[Finally, Ahsoka smiles and reaches out to take it, her blue stripes darkening slightly in the low light.]

No, I think it's lovely. ... Thank you.

Even though I didn't grow up with them, jewellery is actually pretty important to my people. But I never really had any except my headdress [which she doesn't have anymore either-- the only thing on her head is a sensible-looking leather headband] on account of being a Jedi. ... I'll treasure it.

[ceruleo]

[ He can't help the little surge of delight that steals over him when he sees her smile, and his nervousness melts away. It dawns on him just how hopeful he'd been that she would like it, how important it was that she not find it lame, and how pleasant it is to see the corners of her mouth curl. Their hands are close enough to touch, and he has to quell the urge to bridge the gap between them.

Oh quiznak, he thinks to himself, you're in trouble now, man. ]

Heh, my gift-giving skills are still on point. [ He tries, but ultimately fails, to really sound pompous. Instead he just sounds fond. ] Glad you like it.

[resnipstance]

[With some finagling, Ahsoka fastens it around her wrist.]

There. It's attached.

[Her accidental word-choice rings in her ears only a second later, and she shakes her head as if to clear it. Teasingly:]

Oh-- do you give out a lot of gifts, then?

[ceruleo]

Well, I have a big family, right? That's a lot of birthdays, plus Christmas, Easter, all that stuff. [ He doesn't explain, expecting her to fill in the gaps in her understanding with context. ] So...yeah, sort of. Only people who--you know...

[ His head tilts away again. Only people who are important goes unsaid. ]

[resnipstance]

[She hears the implication, but Ahsoka figures she's teased him enough today, so she lets it pass smoothly without comment.]

What are Christmas and Easter? I'm guessing holidays of some description, from the context?

[ceruleo]

Uh... [ Wow, he really does not want to explain religion to an alien. How does he boil this down? ] Christmas is our midwinter holiday, and Easter is in the spring. Christmas is the big gift-giving holiday, but I usually give my little siblings at least some stuff for Easter too, even though my family isn't big on it. Candy, mostly.

[resnipstance]

Oh! [She seems to accept that without question.] That makes sense.

So, does that make you the eldest, then? [Somehow, it seems at odds with her mental picture of Lance.]

[ceruleo]

Nope, middle child. [ He says that though he's painfully aware he's got 'middle child' written all over him, though at the thought of his siblings his expression turns remarkably soft. ] But I can't help it, you know? Gotta do my big brother duty...once in a while. Makes up for all the crap I put 'em through the rest of the year. [ His wicked grin says 'I was the littlest, once upon a time'. ]

[resnipstance]

[Ah. That makes more sense.]

I'm sure they give back just as good as they get.