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

CHARM

[personalityquarks]

[Down on that shiny new viewing deck, just kinda chilling with a batch of crystals, here's this one.]

[newlawtolight]

Here comes a very well-put together woman, looking around at the viewing deck.]

Ah. You must be one of the clockworks?

[personalityquarks]

Androids, if you would. 'Clockwork' is kind of old fashioned.

[He's not offended, just gently correcting.]

[newlawtolight]

I see. Android it is, then.

[She tilts her head with a smile.]

I must confess myself to be surprised by your existence.

[personalityquarks]

Yeah, I guess our technology was more advanced than the worlds most of you guys are from.

[Charm fiddles with the crystal a minute and then - VICTORY, he's gotten it to float.]

[newlawtolight]

...And your technology can manufacture souls, as well?

[She may as well get to the bottom of it. If they can, well...]

[personalityquarks]

[Now that's interesting. Charm's hands don't freeze over the levitating crystal, but they do twitch.]

We're magical constructions designed to imitate humanity as closely as possible.

[newlawtolight]

[A smile.]

I see. An interesting answer, all things considered.

[personalityquarks]

[A one shoulder shrug. The crystal starts to spin.]

It's how it is.

[superstylishsquid]

[Hey, Charm. There's a demon coming out to check out the deck and giving that crystal you're holding an irritated look.]

Are those things common around here?

[personalityquarks]

They're the result of the unstable magical energy in the Fissures. A lot of them have been building up for quite a while.

[At least he looks up.]

[superstylishsquid]

Just what exactly is a Fissure, anyway? I got some answers while I was down there, but I'm still a bit confused.

[personalityquarks]

They're unstable chunks of reality - places where other worlds are partially merged with ours. Usually that just results in weird magical effects, but it's all been getting worse the last few years.

[superstylishsquid]

So like a bleed area between two worlds...except with a lot of different worlds? Yeesh, sounds like a mess. And lemme guess, you have no clue what triggers slipping between worlds in those areas where they're all mixed up, right?

[personalityquarks]

Nope! That's one of the things this station was designed to research. Of course, it was just items that slipped through back then, not people.

[superstylishsquid]

That's...really weird. I've seen places where multiple worlds overlap before, but there was always some sort of obvious point for shifting between them. Like a hellgate, or a movie screen...I've never seen one where you could just slip through anywhere.

[personalityquarks]

Yeah, well... It's not supposed to be like this. I'd assume that the ones you're familiar with are more stable gateways? Instead of just...

[Gesture, out at the beach, with the hand that isn't messing with floating crystals.]

[byanyother_name]

It looks so normal now. A rather sharp departure.

[Not that Kurama is sorry to see the blood red water go in the least.]

[personalityquarks]

[Who would be?]

It does, yeah. It's weird. That's not the oldest Fissure around here - the one out on the reef is older - but it's been here so long that seeing it not do that is...

[Yeah, it's weird.]

[byanyother_name]

[Eh, he knows a few people.]

I can imagine. One does become used to the status quo, even when it's not what we might want it to be.

[He glances from the view over to Charm, expression thoughtful.]

Will the six of you be able to leave the station safely now, as well?

[personalityquarks]

We should be able to, yes. At least as far as the next Fissure or two over - the beach and shoreline are safe enough.

I don't know how much we actually will, though. I think we've all kind of turned into homebodies.

[byanyother_name]

[Kurama smiles a little at that and shrugs slightly.]

Well, there's certainly more than enough to keep you busy here at this point, making sure the rest of us have a home to come back to.

[He nods slightly towards the crystal Charm has.] Not to mention the interesting trinkets we've been finding.

[personalityquarks]

Yeah, especially since Top dragged me into working on a new project...

[He tosses the crystal again and grins.]

These should be a big help with that, though.

[byanyother_name]

[Well now you have him curious, Charm.]

Oh? What sort of project?

[personalityquarks]

[Did Goro teach this one to sparkle? Well, maybe not, but the expression is rather close.]

It's a surprise~!