IC INTRO - FEB

[phantasmods]

The first thing the new arrivals will see, as the sun sets, is a set of distant lights turning on - the roof of the Station, perched on the cliffs above the beach.

The next thing, probably, will be the exploratory drone, a flying chrome thing about the size of a horse, descending near them, wherever they are.

"I can't believe it spat out people this time," says a voice through the speakers - androgynous, somehow sounding young and old enough to be incredibly tired.

Another voice, almost identical but almost unmistakably that of a different speaker from the cheerful tone, says, "Worry about it later! Hey, do you want a ride?"

And with that, the door of the drone's cargo bay opens.

--> WELCOME, NEW ARRIVALS.

Drones drop characters off on the well-lit lower section of the roof, where a pair of tall, gangly humanoids meet them. The two are clearly artificial, formed of silver metal and white silicone, and perfectly identical... Except for their standing posture, which is very different.

The one on the right, a step further back, looks indisputably excited, and peers at the new arrivals curiously. The one on the left has a bag slung over their shoulder, clearly thrown together at the last moment and not completely closed. They take a step forward and say, in a calm tone, "Hello. My name is Strange. Do you have any injured?"

A few minutes after the characters start to arrive, a third android bursts out of the door into the station, exclaiming (in the same voice as the rest), "Here! Wear these!" before shoving a purple scarf at Strange and a red scarf at the curious one. The new android is already wearing an orange scarf.

Once all characters have been brought up, the remaining three androids arrive on the roof, wearing green, dark blue, and white scarves. The one in white hangs back a little from the others, while the one in blue carries themselves with authority.

"Welcome to Keystone Station," says the one in blue, in a voice that must have the volume enhanced to carry across the entire roof. "You may call me Up. My siblings and I have been maintaining the station in the absence of our creators, and researching the phenomenon that brought you here, which we call Fissures. ...I am sorry to say that we have no way to return you to your worlds at this time, so please accept our hospitality."

They bow, low at the waist, and that seems to be a signal to the rest of the group to break up and join the confused, milling group of new arrivals.

--> INDIVIDUAL NPC TOP-LEVELS

Strange - Charm - Top - Bottom - Up - Down

--> THE REST OF THE STATION

Once explanations have been made as much as they can be, the newly arrived characters are set loose to explore the station itself. The labs are currently closed off, as is the door down to the generator level, but characters are welcome to explore anywhere else they please.

The androids, too, depart the roof, each setting off with a distinct task in mind. Charm and Bottom can be found on the lowest accessible level, the two of them working magic on stored seeds long into the night in order to tempt the infant plants into growing. Up and Strange vanish into the labs, (which open to characters the next day, the biology lab having been converted to a medical bay, along with the generator level).

Top and Down, meanwhile, make their home in the central gathering room of the residential floor for the night. Down is distributing network devices from a case at their side, while Top is noting down character housing arrangements and who is taking which of the station's rooms.

There's also a table set up near them, which is covered in a variety of snack foods that characters can grab and munch on before they head off for the night. Most of the packages have sand or dried salt clinging to them, indicating well enough their origins, and the expiry dates are of course all over the place even on the snacks characters might recognize... But it's certainly something to eat, isn't it?

--> THE NEXT MORNING

When characters come into the common room the next day, there's a set of large boxes on either side of the couch-filled lower area. One side is full of clothes of approximately modern Earth origin, loosely sorted by fit. A note tacked to the boxes says Limit yourself to one outfit, please!

The boxes on the other side of the room are empty. A clip-board set on a white folding table in the middle has a piece of paper and a black pen strung to it;

Trading Post

Found something you don't want? Leave it here in case someone else does.

If you're looking for something specific, scribble it down on this pad with your name!

Finally, those who adventure into either kitchen will find a box of plain donuts left out on the counters.

TRADING POST

Comments

[photoshooter]

[Well, yeah, he flinches--or cringes, really, freezing up scared--but the moment passes, and Prompto swallows and shakes his head.]

N-no problem, man. This whole floor's a common area. ...I think.

[Peep peep PEEP PEEP some of the chicks head over to investigate this new giant's shoes. Giants = food. Right? Right.]

Any idea what these things are called? They're adorable, whatever they are. I can't decide if they're more like baby chocobos or super-shrunk chickatrices.

[founderinglight]

[Well giants certainly CAN equal food. Izunia bends down carefully and offers them one of the pea pods that he's actually carrying in his pocket like a normal person, instead of the Armiger.]

Chocobos, I would think, since they're obviously domesticated. I can't say I have the faintest idea on names myself.

[PEEP PEEP peep peep peck peck yay food.]

[photoshooter]

Chocochick. Chickabo. There's no way these things get big enough to ride, though. Wonder what they're raised for.

[Oops, now all of them are congregating around Izunia. FOOD! Prompto sort-of-almost smiles and crouches with his phone to take a picture of the downy swarm around his feet. Snap.]

Pets, maybe? Or eggs.

[founderinglight]

Probably eggs; I did see some about the right size in the kitchens, though I doubt these will be producing any time soon. Likely meat as well.

[Hello, small peeping friends, please cluster slightly away from him so that he can sit on the floor in the least royal manner possible, thank you.]

Most pets with a long history of domestication had some other purpose originally, after all. Cats to protect grain stores from vermin and dogs to hunt with.

[photoshooter]

How could anyone eat anything so cute?

[Prompto sits, too, and picks up one of the chicks to stroke its precious little head. LOOK AT IT. IT'S SO CUTE!]

Totally unconscionable. They're so tiny, anyway.

[founderinglight]

They are probably at least a bit less cute as adults.

[No one is eating the babies, Prompto.

Then again, Prompto probably thinks that literally every bird is cute. Local Insomnian Would Hug A Zu.]

[photoshooter]

[What, no, Zus are terrifying. ...Maybe if it was a baby Zu. Or a Zu that needed help. Or a Zu that would let him ride it in exchange for love and companionship. Okay, maybe Prompto would hug a Zu.]

They can't get big enough to give a lot of meat, though. Not unless this place's biosphere is way weirder than I thought.

[founderinglight]

[That maybe sounds like a definitely.]

If they're not flightless, then the chest muscles would be quite powerful. And smaller livestock are actually often more convenient for meat; there's less of it at risk of going bad before it can all be eaten.

[He lets one of the birds wander into his hand and lifts it up closer to eye level. It peeps gently.]

These will probably end up about the size of a gallon jug, I think.

[photoshooter]

[Prompto whines and keeps petting the chick in his hands, holding it closer to his chest.]

Aww, there, there, buddy. I won't let the big scary Founder King eat you, no matter how tiny and tasty you are. Attaboy. Or girl.

[founderinglight]

Probably mostly girls, if they're being raised for eggs.

[The big bad Founder King munches another pea pod as he sets the chick he's holding down.]

Not that I have the faintest idea how to tell.

[photoshooter]

Wiz says it's actually really hard to tell, and even he has trouble sometimes. Uh, with chocobo chicks, I mean. He's run the chocobo post in Duscae since, like, forever.

[Not actually forever, since that's really more Izunia's department, but y'know. Prompto keeps hold of his chick for a while, petting it with the side of a single finger, before finally releasing it with a sigh.]

It kinda smells like that here. ...Gives it almost some kind of homey feel, I guess.

[founderinglight]

I wouldn't think that another bird would be much different, but they are from another world, so who knows, really. I'm no expert on chocobos in the first place.

[photoshooter]

Really? But wouldn't Lucis have been more, like, rural in your time? And with less public transportation? I'd've thought, with more room for them to run around, you'd have had chocobos all over the place.

[founderinglight]

Oh, certainly, but that doesn't mean I knew everything about them. I wasn't particular inclined towards travel in the first place, and knowing how to drive is different being able to put together an engine, is it not? Same principle. I can feed and care for a bird well enough, but the most expert aspects of their care are beyond me.

[photoshooter]

Huhm. That makes sense.

[He thinks about that for a second, then rearranges his seat.]

Did you get to have your own chocobo? If there was more room.

[founderinglight]

...Technically, several, royal stables and such, but I never much bonded with any particular bird.

[That was Ardyn's choice of pet, after all, and they're Not Talking About Him by whatever unspoken agreement.]

I'm actually a cat person.

[photoshooter]

Awww, cats are great, too. I dunno if they're better than chocobos, but they're really cute. I always wanted one of my own. Or a dog. Maybe a dog more, once I started running and stuff.

[founderinglight]

Nothing beats something warm and purring curling up in your lap at the end of a difficult day, if you ask me.

[Though he can see the appeal in a running buddy. A chocobo would outpace a human far too easily, of course.]

[photoshooter]

I bet. But dogs do that thing where they put their head on your leg and look up at you, right? And maybe wag their tail just a little? And then you kiss them and they lick your face and... man, I wish I had a dog.

[founderinglight]

[Prompto you are made of sweet sunshine.]

...I admit that's probably more pleasant than a cat licking one's face in the morning.

[Sandpaper tongues on the face aren't a great way to wake up :[ ]

[photoshooter]

...Probably the only way to know for sure is to have both.

[Both is good.]

[founderinglight]

If I see anything suitably canine and friendly-looking, I'll be sure to inform you immediately.

[For right now they have... peepers. peep.]

[photoshooter]

And if I find a cat, I'll chop up one of those sharks and lure it back here with sashimi!

[founderinglight]

I've got that part handled, at least. I make a habit of always carrying some fish and a toy or two.

[He pulls a chocobo feather out of the Armiger, trailing string, and waves it at Prompto's face.]

[photoshooter]

[Prompto laughs a little and bats it out of the way. Hey, that might be the first time he's laughed since he got here.]

So is it, like, a requirement for the royal line to be a bunch of junk-hoarding nerds?