IC INTRO - MARCH

[phantasmods]

Sometime after the showdown, those with communication devices from the station will all get a collective message -

Okay, everyone come back! We might need to do a final sweep or two of the beach, but it looks like most of the Fissure is stabilized! °˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖°

Everybody go ahead and come back up - and bring anyone else you found with you! I know I saw a couple new faces on the drone cameras. (*･▽･*)

Also, if you get a chance, check out the new door leading out of the residential area! It's a surprise for all your hard work. (´◕ ◡ ◕｀) There's also food in the kitchens if you're hungry and want something warm!

With that in mind, grab your new friends and go ahead and come on back.

STATION EXTERIOR

Upon returning to the station, the first thing most will probably see is Up, standing on the rooftop to congratulate everyone on a mission accomplished and also handle any questions the new arrivals might have that haven't gotten answered yet. They stand tall and graceful beside the ramp... Most of the time. Occasionally, one might catch them trying not to fidget with the belt that now hangs fashionably askew on their hips.

For those who want to seek out the surprise Charm promised, there's a second ramp leading down off the far side of the roof, as well as the door he mentioned on the network. Both lead to the shiny new viewing deck, with its mismatched furniture, half-roof, and view of the beach.

Charm himself is here, long android limbs spread across one of the lounge chairs as he fiddles with one of the wind element crystals in his lap. It occasionally reacts and blasts the tails of his red scarf in random directions, but he doesn't seem to mind.

STATION INTERIOR

Those adventuring to the kitchens will find that there are four large pots arranged in a line beneath a set of heat lamps on the stove. Three contain curry - labeled "mild," "spicy," and "the fire of a thousand suns" in neat handwriting - while the last contains plain rice. An assortment of mismatched bowls and utensils sit on the counter nearest the pots. (Welcome to Keystone Station, you'll have an easier time finding matching cutlery at your local Goodwill.)

In the common room, meanwhile, the boxes of clothes and trading post are set up again. Those who investigate something fluffy in a particular box on the end of the couch may discover a girl and friend taking a nap...

Comments

UP

[personalityquarks]

[Everyone came back okay, right? Let's do a headcount and - well there are sure a couple more of you.

Awkward boss android wave.]

[shiritai]

[ There sure are! And over to Up one of them comes, with purpose in her stride and a remarkably heavy looking typewriter travel case in her hands.

... it's sort of hard to tell if this is an implied threat or not?! ]

Excuse me.

Are you responsible for bringing us here?

[personalityquarks]

[Fortunately even with her very threatening travel case, Violet is not the scariest thing Up has ever seen!

... Though the scariest thing Up has ever seen was "Prompto, having a meltdown" so that's maybe not a great bar.]

I'm responsible for the organization of the station. No one brought you here intentionally.

[shiritai]

Then please organize for myself and Miss Iris to be sent back to where we belong.

[ Coming from someone else, that might've sounded a little rude or demanding, but Violet says it so calmly and so straightforwardly that it's hard to read any real aggression into it. ]

... is Miss Iris also present? I haven't been able to find her.

[personalityquarks]

We're doing the best we can. Unfortunately, it will take some time.

[We're trying Violet, please don't get mad...]

...And I confess that I'm not aware of anyone by that name here.

[shiritai]

Miss Iris Cannary. The two of us were travelling together by train prior to my arrival here.

[ But she's starting to feel a little deflated. It looks like she really is here by herself. ]

Is there any particular reason as to why the two of us were not brought here together?

[personalityquarks]

No more than there is a reason why you would be.

[A brief, awkward pause.]

I'm sorry.

[shiritai]

Why is an apology necessary?

[ Again, coming from someone else, that would have been curt or rude, but the slight crease of her brow takes some of the sting out of it. ]

If you were not responsible for bringing us here to the station, then there is no need for you to apologize.

[personalityquarks]

[What a day, when the android does human better than the human.

There's no judgement, though, because learning to people is hard, and Up has a digital memory and still remembers the early days in perfect clarity.]

It isn't necessary. But I still feel that I should, because it's unfortunate that you're here alone, without your friend.

[foolishjustice]

[A few more...but one missing. Goro's looking around the group nervously, before...practically shouting at Up. Sorry, he's still a little mostly deaf.]

I HAVEN'T SEEN AKIRA SINCE WE LEFT.

[personalityquarks]

[You know what they probably heard that sound all the way at the station

Have some projected holotext in navy blue instead of speech, Goro.]

We've had a couple people vanish so far, but there's still some evidence of a - signal isn't quite the right word, but it will do. With luck, he should reappear. If not, he's probably been returned home.

[foolishjustice]

[Thank you, he probably wouldn't have been able to make out what you were saying if it had been out loud. ...Actually, you know what? He's just going to take out his phone and text you, he's done it a couple times with his deaf sorta-adoptive-dad.]

That is better than what I was concerned about. I suppose I'll have to keep hope that he'll return.

[personalityquarks]

[Oh, well, that also works. The response just comes straight to his screen, almost instantly - actually, probably faster than talking.

Androids type at the speed of thought.]

I'm not sure which scenario is the more likely, returning or not, but I'll keep hope for you, as well.

[foolishjustice]

Thank you.

By the way, your personal stabilizer worked perfectly this time. The only headache I have is from Astolfo-san's horn blasts.

[personalityquarks]

Excellent! I'm glad to hear it. I'll prep another just in case we have anyone else arrive with the same kinds of issues. It's certainly getting to be a motley group.

[foolishjustice]

It's certainly not impossible. Kurama and I are hardly the only ones we know of with the ability to shift between Frequencies.

Thank you for putting in the time to help us with that problem.

[personalityquarks]

I appreciate you helping with ours. Please don't concern yourself.

[thoroff]

[So this one of the 'androids' that Izunia spoke of? How fascinating! And indeed a little eerie, though less for the height, as he suggested, and more the overall not-quite-humanity of them; while she has known her fair share of non-humans, none of them hit the uncanny valley in the same way. Wren finds herself simply staring at Up for a moment before she remembers, this is a person, staring is rude, and approaches them.]

Hello.

[personalityquarks]

Hello.

[Up bows slightly, hands folded in front of their waist.]

I take it you're a new arrival. I'm sorry for the trouble.

[thoroff]

You've nothing to apologize for. Unless you're bringing us here deliberately, and I've been told that's not the case.

[...It's not, right?]

That said, you are the one in charge here?

[personalityquarks]

As much as anyone is in charge, yes. What can I help you with?

[thoroff]

My mount was brought through the Fissure with me. I need to know if there's any safe place I can stable her, or failing that, if something could be arranged? I see that things on the shore have settled down, but I'd still rather not leave her out in the wild, you understand...

[personalityquarks]

Your... mount?

[Androidal blink, glance around.]

Oh! ...Well, we don't have anything prepared at the moment, but it shouldn't take that long to arrange something, now that we have the old construction drones working again...

[thoroff]

...Construction drones?

[Please bear with her, Up, she's from a swords-and-sorcery world.]

[personalityquarks]

[No that's ok.]

Large equipment for building and repairing structures. We hadn't had any need of it for some time and it had fallen into something of a state.