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

Kitchen

[thoroff]

[Thought you were rid of her? Nope, Wren happens to wander into the kitchen not long after Robin, and she barely even bothers acknowledging her twin as she brushes shoulders with him on her way to take a look around for herself.

Spotting the large jars, she leans in to examine the "fire of a thousand suns" curry with a skeptical expression. She opens it up and takes a quick sniff, then coughs and hastily replaces the pot's lid before glancing over to Robin.]

...

I'll try it if you do.

[matchmakes]

[He raises an eyebrow at her, then glances to the curry.]

Yeah, forget it. [He punctuates that with a soft snort, reaching for the spicy curry.] If it's enough to make you cough, I'm not even going to make the attempt. My mouth's getting numb just thinking about it.

... You alright after earlier?

[thoroff]

[How incredibly boring. She actually pouts a little as she watches him take the comparatively mild curry.]

Pah. Don't be a craven...

[His question cuts her off from pushing the subject any further, however. She blinks in response.]

Huh? I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?

[matchmakes]

A craven? Hardly. I'm just a man who knows my limits.

[He pauses, then glances up.]

Just wanted to make sure.

[He's not gonna scold her on an empty stomach, so he'll wait for Wren to get food herself.]

[thoroff]

[How considerate... Don't think she didn't notice that pause, though. She absolutely noticed that pause. She narrows her eyes, but lets the moment pass; whatever, she's hungry. She prepares her own helping of spicy curry (surprisingly without incident) and sits down to eat it.]

What about you? Doing okay yourself?

[matchmakes]

[He moves to sit down with her, staring at the food for a few moments before responding.]

Well, my annoyance from the fight has cooled, but... I'm still pretty irritated about us being here instead of back home. I know there's nothing we can do about it, and yet...

[... He doesn't finish that thought, instead taking a bite of his curry.]

[thoroff]

And yet.

[She too leaves the implications hanging as she eats.]

[matchmakes]

I don't know about you, but I'd feel a lot better about this if one of us were back home instead of both of us being here.

[thoroff]

Mm-hm...

[Annoyed munching.]

[matchmakes]

I suppose it could be worse, but that's hard to imagine.

[If his hands weren't occupied, he'd be pinching the bridge of his nose.]

I know there's no use complaining about what we can't control, though.

[He takes a bit to eat more of his curry.]

Did those... 'androids' tell you where you could put Catria for the time being?

[The noticeable pause was him trying to remember the term he heard when he got here.]

[thoroff]

[She perks up a bit at that.]

Oh, yes! They were very accommodating, actually. They're going to build a stable, but until then, she stays by the nearby lighthouse.

[matchmakes]

Ah, I'm glad to hear it.

[He pushes some of the curry he has left around his bowl. Now that they're on the topic of Wren's pegasus, there's one thing Robin feels like he needs to address, but...]

[thoroff]

[But? Wren's sure as heck not gonna broach the subject if you don't, bro. She just nods and goes back to finishing up her own food.]

[matchmakes]

[Eventually, Robin sighs quietly, setting down his food.]

Wren. What in the gods' names were you thinking earlier?

[thoroff]

[Sigh. Here we go.]

Why don't you ask the person who actually jumped from the pegasus' back?

[matchmakes]

Trust me, I'm going to have words for him, too. But right now I'm asking the person who allowed him to do so.

[thoroff]

He was very passionate about not wanting to sit on the sidelines while everyone else risked their lives fighting the monster. He had this whole speech! It was really moving, I couldn't just say no...

[Honestly, she's not even convincing herself. But, uh... that's what happened, so.]

[matchmakes]

[... Siiiiiiigh.]

... Well, I figure you won't let it happen again, so I guess I can't stay too irritated. Just... say no the next time if he thinks he can talk you into it. Tell him your brother'll kick his ass or something.

[A snort. He doesn't think it'll actually come to that, but.]

[thoroff]

Trust me, there's no danger of that.

[If she'd known he was immune to magical healing she never would have caved in the first place. Now she does, so yeah, not happening.]

[matchmakes]

[A nod. There's no need to say any more about this, he thinks.]

... Oh, yeah, by the way... I managed to grab another one of those feathers from that bird for you. Don't know what use there'd be for them but... you know, just in case, right?

[thoroff]

Oh, thanks! If nothing else, they're very pretty.

[matchmakes]

That's true!

[He pulls out his pouch of odds and ends, then pulls a pair of Glimmerstones out of them.]

Speaking of things that are pretty if nothing else, I picked up these, as well, if you'd like one.

[thoroff]

[She takes one of the stones and turns it over in the palm of her hand.]

So the gull just... had a bunch of shiny rocks on it?

[matchmakes]

I couldn't tell you. Honestly, my best guess is that it'd snapped these up similar to how the smaller ones liked doing with people's belongings.

[thoroff]

I suppose that makes...

[She pauses momentarily.]

As much sense as anything else to do with that thing.