INTRO LOG - APRIL/MAY 18

[phantasmods]

Eventually, Charm starts herding people towards the parked exploratory drone, a few at a time, mostly people who have finished their noodles or other business. "It's almost nightfall at the Station," he says, "and with this many new arrivals, we're going to have to make multiple trips."

(For those who might ask, he also explains that they've chosen not to stabilize the noodle shop for the time being, as the other androids will almost certainly want to speak to Viella, and have no other way of doing so, due to the fact that they don't dream. Aside from that small region, the Fissure is largely stable.)

It in fact takes four trips total to get everyone to the Station. Those of you who don't fall asleep on the way there - the minute you hit stable reality, the inability to sleep vanishes, and most will be hit with a wave of exhaustion - will find that the Station Annex, a building off to the side of the main station, has been finished, at least outwardly.

By the time the first group arrives, the sun is dipping towards the horizon; by the time the last gets there, it's set, leaving a few pink-tinted clouds in the sky. The drones drop everyone off (and that is everyone, even though of you who have fallen asleep) on the observation deck, where those of you who didn't get your fill of noodles will find several buffet-style tables set up with...

...Pizza? Yeah, pizza, in damn near every variety you can think of, including a few things that only loosely fall under the heading of "pizza." Half a table is full of calzones of various varieties; another significant chunk is things that are just desserts in the general shape of pizza, including a couple of iced cinnamon pastries, a pair of brightly-colored "pizzas" made of canned fruit over cream cheese, and a two-layer cake that's just decorated to look like a pizza, with strawberry jam and round slices of strawberry 'pepperoni' sandwiching yellow icing. Finally, the last third of the third table is just three baskets of breadsticks with varying amounts of cheese and garlic, accompanied by two turrens of dipping sauce (one white, one red) and a tower of little plastic dipping cups.

(Those who opt to head directly to bed will find that the banquet gets packed up and moved back to the kitchens around midnight, though it stays warm under a stasis enchantment for roughly the next day before someone packs the remainder into the fridge.)

In the common room, meanwhile, the usual boxes of clothes and trading post sign are set up. Unclaimed rooms can be claimed by writing your name in on a list set up next to the boxes, on what seems to be a broken music stand with a large ROOMS AVAILABLE sign hanging from it. There is also a rather hastily assembled, hand-poked Braille version of the sheet (with the paper punched through in one or two places).

Those who go looking will find that the androids are somewhat more absent than they usually are after an expedition; save obviously for Charm, and Strange who arrives on the deck as usual not long after, you'll have to go looking. Considering the amount of the station you have available, they could be just about anywhere... But perhaps it'd be worth checking over in that new building...?

[Mod note: Strange is the only NPC with a top-level this round, but others may respond to your top-levels, especially in the Annex areas! Consider it a fun surprise. c:]

Comments

[riderofcharlemagne]

[Even the never-tiring Astolfo finds himself exhausted from that mission. He sluggishly approaches the buffet table and grabs himself an assortment of dessert pizza-based items, and sinks down into a chair on the observation deck.

Shoving sugar into his mouth, he regains some of his usual pep, and excitedly waves over to friends and newcomers.

Later in the day, fully recharged, Astolfo sets out to explore the station annex...

...and his explorations cease when he discovers the hot tub. For the rest of the day, he can be found there, submerged in water, half-conscious in a swimsuit that leaves little to the imagination.]

much later, hot tub

[founderinglight]

[Izunia doesn't get around to exploring until the next day, which means Astolfo is already in place in the hot tub by the time he rambles through.]

Having fun?

[riderofcharlemagne]

[Astolfo responds with a noise that's something of a mumble and a purr.]

It's heavenly.

[founderinglight]

I'll have to give it a try when I feel a little less like I'm likely to fall asleep there.

[He's still kind of exhausted.]

[riderofcharlemagne]

Whaaat?

[He turns around to look at him, splashing a little water over the side in doing so.]

Falling asleep in it is ideal!

[founderinglight]

I like not being at risk of drowning, my friend.

[riderofcharlemagne]

Oh, right. [He'd made some assumptions about the whole "old and just getting a body back thing" that are proving to be false.] You still need to breathe, huh?

[founderinglight]

I'm functionally mortal at the moment, yes. Just very, very old compared to how I look.

[He will, however, take a look through that box of swimsuits as they talk, considering that he doesn't have one.]

[riderofcharlemagne]

Well, if you start to drown I can wake you up.

[So long as he's paying attention, of course. He peeks open an eye to glance at Izunia's rummaging through the swimsuits.]

Anything you like there?

[founderinglight]

Not yet, but I suppose I can likely modify it with illusions if I must. Fit is probably more important.

[And also not being like, a speedo. He's not about that life.]

[riderofcharlemagne]

[Maybe he should be about that life.]

It shouldn't be too hard to find one... [He idly splashes the water.] Does that mean you're thinking of joining me?

[founderinglight]

At a later time, perhaps.

[He's still tired enough that that's a risky proposition for falling asleep.]

Hmm, these will probably do... At least they're black.

[Said about a pair of trunks that he shakes out and holds to his waist for sizing. They're perhaps a bit on the shorter side for him, but it's hard for them not to be with how tall and thin he is.]

[riderofcharlemagne]

[He gives him a lazy nod. He plans to hold him to it, the bubbles will probably do no small wonder for the god-knows-how-many years of stress that have built up in him.]

Aw, does that mean no fashion magic today?

[At least put flames on it or something.]