IC INTRO - JAN 2019

[phantasmods]

Sometime after the group all heads back down the mountain, comes another mass text from home base -

Hey guys? We started getting some weird readings overnight... It might be good if you started heading back this way? We're not sure what the Fissure is doing right now. (,,꒪꒫꒪,,)

So back you had better come! Along with that new friend of yours, who surely won't raise questions...

With the time issue being what it is, it's over the course of a day or two that people actually get back to the Station. Thus, there is no single feast set up like usual; instead, there are lots of hot drinks and various pots of soup made up throughout the two days that people trickle back to base. It's warm and filling, can't ask for much more.

The Station you return to hasn't changed that much from the one you left, though all your left behind pets are very glad to see you. It's now January and frost is on the ground, though not snow, at least for now. There is an air of emptiness around the Station that the first group of arrivals - the few of you who remain - will likely find familiar, though the murder sign has been updated while you were away as usual.

The androids, for their part, are very glad to see everyone (or at least, most everyone) returned safe and sound. (Though certain injured parties are destined for the medbay and Strange's fussing before they even get a chance to settle on rooms of their own.) In particular, Muon - now in a bright yellow vest instead of her previous scarf - spends a lot of time hanging out in the glider bay to welcome everyone back, both new faces and old.

TRADING POST - STRANGE - MUON - SIGNAGE CATCHALL - And don't forget to get on the housing post!

Comments

[eudaimonikos]

[Michael peers at him closely.]

You do look like it. I'm pretty sure I could tell, the malaria demons didn't sound like the subtle type...is that body new?

[Still, he thinks about it a few moments longer before answering.]

I'm friends with Ignis and Noctis.

[burninglight]

Hm...this one's a little over a year old, I think? Maybe closer to two by now, time's hard to measure.

[But he actually brightened a bit at the rest, looking honestly interested.]

Oh--really? That's good to hear. Well, not good for your opinion of me, but I like hearing they're doing well.

[eudaimonikos]

Yeah, pretty sure I know most of your life story.

[Though obviously whatever got him a fresh body happened outside of Ignis's experience. God, he'd be pissed.]

They're both good. Noctis got sucked back to his home universe - you know, the one where he's dead now? But we got some gods to fish him back out, no problem. Sinnoh gods, not Eos ones. Obviously. [Everybody hates the Astrals!]

[burninglight]

Most people across seven galaxies do, so I really don't mind.

[Ardyn shrugged, folding his arms.]

Do you? Glad to hear it--I'd hate to leave fate in the hands of the divine, but he deserves better than the fate he was handed.

[eudaimonikos]

Your gods are dicks. You know that, but they really are.

[burninglight]

Yes. You are entirely, unfortunately correct.

[eudaimonikos]

...so now you're just, what? Trying to be a good person again?

[Hey at least he said again]

[burninglight]

That's the short version, yes. The longer version is 'I'm much less insane and working on dealing with that.'

Is that going to be a problem?

[eudaimonikos]

[He'd sort of like to stay angry. If Ignis were here, he probably would. But there's no friends to keep safe, and it seems unnecessary anyhow...]

...no, it's fine. I'm an immortal demon wearing a human suit right now, I don't think I can justify that kind of hypocrisy.

[burninglight]

Wait...you too? How old are you? Is that normal where you're from?

[SO MANY QUESTIONS]

[eudaimonikos]

[Michael blinks; he didn't expect that reaction. Granted, he was definitely trying to provoke some kind of reaction, so he deserves this.]

We've been around since time began. The human form is relatively new. Any demon who works directly with humans takes one - some people go lava monster too, but I always found that unwieldy.

[burninglight]

Holy shit. Finally, someone's older than I am.

[ARDYN.]

I would imagine 'lava monster' to be a bit much, yes.

[eudaimonikos]

You're what, two thousand years old? Psssh.

[He waves it off like you're Princess Ariel and just declared yourself an adult at sixteen]

The standard lava monster build is largely boulders, with magma running throughout. Less disgusting than a human body, but boy, it does not run fast.

[burninglight]

Something like two thousand forty...seven? I'm not entirely sure, it's possible I'm off by up to a century.

[i mean, fair.]

No, I'd guess not. I have to admit that for all the limitations and drawbacks, a human body isn't all that bad in overall efficiency.

[eudaimonikos]

I still think the joints are weird. And there's so much moisture.

[He bends his elbows like he's trying to work out some kind of kink, but never can, because he's a formless horror who now has to contend with Bendy Bits]

But my hair is fabulous. I did good on that front.

[burninglight]

Never said it was perfect. Not bad on the 'not a giant unwieldy lava monster' front, though.

[A shrug.]

You could have done worse, certainly.

[eudaimonikos]

Yeah, it's alright.

[So, this is a little weird. But Ignis would get it, he thinks.]

Anyway, what's our deal here? Are we working on something to fix all this?