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

[anarchia]

[Carnivac opts to skip the buffet, and heads straight inside the station, to the common room where he...collapses? A faint rise and fall of his chest suggests he's still alive. It might be best to let sleeping dogs lie, but this one's in an inconvenient spot, right on the floor there.

Whenever he wakes, and has gotten over the embarrassment of falling asleep in public, Carnivac sets about exploring the entire station. He takes particular interest in the library, wandering around the bookshelves, occasionally pulling one out with his paw to flick through- to some success.]

Library

[caduceusoncall]

[Angela is not a dog person, per se, but she certainly isn't against them. She's somewhere in between a cat and a dog person. But when she sees this particular animal pawing through a book as if it's reading, she just sort of stares. Yeah, this really is a different world.]

[She's a little more casually dressed than usual, having shed the suit in favor of some well-fitting clothes from the new arrivals pile.]

[Clearing her throat and feeling a little silly, she checks to see that she's alone before talking to the animal.]

Hello?

[anarchia]

[He looks up from the book he's flicking through. It's a US History book, but apparently from a universe where one of its Presidents had swords and died atop City Hall. His paw sits neatly between the two pages.]

Hello there.

[caduceusoncall]

Ah, you do speak. Apologies, I come from a world where that is quite unusual.

[She avoids calling him an animal, in case that's considered offense where he's from. Winston was the only talking animal she knew of and he certainly never appreciated being referred to as a monkey.]

Are you new as well, or have you been here a while?

[anarchia]

I'm not sure if you'd be in the minority on that or not anymore.

[He's had a mixed bag of reactions.]

A newcomer, also. My name's Carnivac.

[caduceusoncall]

Angela, pleased to meet you.

[This is typically when she'd extend a hand in greeting but like. Unless Carnivac is fond of the "give paw" trick, she feels this would be somewhat insensitive.]

I hope I'm not intruding. I had heard there was a library in the building and was hoping to find some books relevant to our situation. About Fissures, magitek, and the like.

[anarchia]

[He opts for a small nod over a handshake, its just easier that way.]

Feel free, by all means. I was...just browsing.

[For entertainment purposes, mostly. He feels a slight twinge of embarrassment for encountering someone who already seemed to be trying to take some action towards the situation. It's what he should be doing himself.]

[caduceusoncall]

[Nothing wrong with that. Angela Ziegler has just never rested a day in her life, Carnivac, you're in the clear.]

Have you found anything interesting?

[She squints at and runs her fingers down the spine of a book titled Complete History of Ducks, half tempted to open it and see how complete of a history one can actually compile on. Well. Ducks. She ultimately decides this would be a massive waste of time.]

[anarchia]

...Interesting would be one word for it.

[He glances over the selection of books, and sighs with a slight frustration.]

They have a unique collection here, if nothing else.

[caduceusoncall]

I understand that many of the books come from other worlds. The knowledge contained here could be incredibly diverse.

[She almost says this to herself, honestly.]

[anarchia]

I wonder...

[He gazes over to the shelves again.]

It'd be far too coincidental for there to be any from our own worlds, wouldn't it?

[caduceusoncall]

[Angela considers this a moment before smiling faintly.]

Unlikely, perhaps, but not impossible. If we were pulled into this world, why not some of our books or media as well? Are you hoping to find a specific book? I could help you search.

Common room

[cyclicalconcept]

Oh--!

[OH NO--Oh. It's...just sleeping. She kneels in to try and look it over. Just to make sure it's not hurt or anything like that.]

[anarchia]

[He twitches ever so slightly in his sleep. An ear flickers at the sound of her voice.

Then, when she kneels closer, his eyes flick open.]

Wh-

[He tries to spring into action, but...he's exhausted. He cranes his neck up, and then lazily flops back down when he sees his visitor. No cause for alarm.]

...Who are you?

Library

[daughterofthemark]

[Things Arianna expected to see in the library: a shitload of books. Things Arianna did not expect to see in the library: a wolf.

She does not question this.]

Oh! Are you searching for something?

[anarchia]

[He turns to her, glad not to be inviting too many questions about being a wolf that also talks and does things. Though, by this point, he's not entirely sure why he's still keeping this form. He doesn't need to pretend anymore.]

Just some reading material. Nothing in particular.

[daughterofthemark]

[Does anyone really need a reason to be a wolf, when you get right down to it?]

Do you enjoy romances? I could make some recommendations, if the ones I'm familiar with are available here.

[anarchia]

[He, briefly, appears flustered by the question. Of course, they had romance novels on Cybertron. Of course they were trashy and questionably written, and of course he would never have had any interest in them at any point in his life, because that wouldn't be fitting of his stoic and cool lone wolf persona at all.]

...Not particularly. [Said with a growl.] I'll entertain your recommendations, though.

[daughterofthemark]

[Of course not. The very idea seems ridiculous.]

I-I could recommend a different genre, if you would prefer....

[anarchia]

[Okay, maybe he got a little too defensive and scared her a bit. He feels a little bad for that.]

It might be worth seeing what's on offer to begin with.

[daughterofthemark]

[It's understandable! When you're trying to get Arianna to Stop, there's really no right answer.]

I'm not certain yet, but there seems to be a wide variety. Fantasy, drama, science fiction, myst--perhaps not mysteries...

[anarchia]

[He tilts his head.]

Not a fan?

[daughterofthemark]

[Arianna looks away...]

Not anymore.

[...but then abruptly brightens up.]

In any event, there are many options. To fully catalog them would be quite an undertaking.

[anarchia]

[The brief dip in her composure doesn't go unnoticed.]

Then you should seek out something you like. I'll take it as a personal recommendation.

[daughterofthemark]

That is what I shall do, then.

[You know, once she finds something she recognizes.]

Ah, I've yet to introduce myself. I am Arianna Wakasa.