It is a quiet day in mostly reconstructed Cerealia. The robots are busily running into walls that were not there before, the Cybuddy bees are buzzing...and CERES has still not said a word. Attempting to contact them still gets the User Offline error. Strange...
But who cares if CERES is offline? After all, they are the cruel and tyrannical captors. A Cerealia without them must be better than a Cerealia with them. So there's nothing to worry about on this fine, peaceful day. Or, at least, that's what it seems like, when suddenly there's a voice in everyone's head. A chosen few may recognize the voice, for they will have heard it before, but to the vast majority, it is brand new.
Looks like someone has been saved, and a reward granted... and no, you don't have a single choice in the matter.
 Your heroism will be remembered, lost and stolen souls.
You have saved me, and so now, I shall save you.
All of you.
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PHASE I [ day one ] It happens so quickly. One moment you’re in the colony, going about your daily life, and the next, you’re… floating. A moment later, every player character from the colony is transported with a wisp of fresh air to...somewhere very very different. The distance is far, but it is covered in what must have only been a scant moment, and it’s clear somehow, especially to air characters, that it was Caeli’s doing that brought everyone there.
There, naturally, being right in the middle of the jungle.
Everyone is then unceremoniously dropped. You may land on a tree, or in a patch of poison mushrooms (no really, look out for the colorful plant life, it’s probably poisonous) or in the river. There are some strange insects of all sorts and types, some of which have some uncomfortable side effects if you’re bitten, such as swelling or the uncomfortable urge to go hug the nearest person, and there are strange flowers everywhere, some of which glow only in the dark of night or the shade of trees. It is dreadfully humid, however, and a little hard to breathe--unless you’re of the air disposition.
Either way, you’ve certainly landed somewhere fantastical, so take some time to get used to your surroundings. It shouldn’t take too long to find everyone else, hopefully.
PHASE II [ day two ] Of course, this far into the jungle, and making this much noise, it was only inevitable before some company was attracted.
Some are clearly dangerous, some are peaceful as can be and some are somewhere in between; approach at your own risk.
Either way, these monsters are all drawn to larger groups of people and a lot of noise, so it may be best to keep quiet...though the ones that keep their distance may be even more concerning.
Everyone is certainly being stalked at one point or another in the jungle -- and at night, there are eyes watching from the darker parts of the trees.
PHASE III [ day three ] But perhaps if you follow some of those monsters deeper into the woods, you will stumble across an old, run down village of sorts. It looks as though time and the jungle has overtaken it. Exploring it will reveal plenty of homes that were clearly lived in however, by families and by people of all sorts.
There are empty rooms, covered in dust, and a central village fire, long gone out.
Small knick-knacks and various objects can be found… if you want to steal from the dead, you know. It’s a little rude. It appears they led a simple, peaceful life, however; most notably, there is no technology to be found.
And if The Bridge catches you doing it, she will look incredibly sad and ask you to put everything back in its proper place before she goes back to looking very irritated at Caeli. You may overhear words about how this “isn’t the right place” and Caeli’s unrepentant, “It is only a few hundred miles”. Looks like something went a little wrong in the transportation process.
Time to camp out for the night, perhaps. And your CereVices don’t get any reception out here, so no surfing the internet for you. If you try to connect to the internet, for some reason the device starts playing a song. Was that programmed…?
PHASE IV [ day four ] By the fourth day, it’s pretty clear that you’re going to be stuck here for a bit. Pestering Caeli or Maris gets nothing, while the Bridge still can’t be approached for pretty good reasons. So… you’ll just have to make the best of it while they figure out their next approach.
Time to figure out how to camp with few supplies and even fewer nice places to sleep. Maybe try to make a fire (though it’s incredibly difficult, considering how muggy it is here) or try to find some bugs to eat (ew gross).
Of course, you can try hunting, but the prey doesn’t look too friendly, so be careful not to become the prey yourself. The same goes for fishing, it seems.
Some of the trees are poisonous, some of the grasses will cause unfortunate rashes, and some vines will lash out to grab at people (especially colorful ones); basically, this is an entirely untamed alien jungle, so it may not be the fun camping trip you'd like.
Time to work together to survive out here, at least for a little longer.
It’s your time to shine. This is Person Versus Wild.
PHASE V [ day six ] On day six, the jungle goes utterly silent.
The monsters and animals disappear. The extra friends poof away hastily and suddenly. Maris and the Bridge fall silent (though Caeli admittedly continues floating there as ever). If anyone approaches them to ask, they'll just say that "she is coming".
And soon, she does appear. She moves slowly, lacking in feet; they are roots, as though that of a tree. Nonetheless, she has no troubles with moving forward, slow bit by bit. She does not speak, not at first, and behind her, trotting lightly through the woods, there is another. Both feel strongly of spiritual energy, just like Maris and Caeli. And eventually, after observing the people gathered, they can be spoken to.
BONUS [ day ??? ] After spending some time in the jungle, emotions might be running a bit amuck. And those emotions might bring some unexpected...friends. Yes, let's go with friends.
Because if a character is typically grumpy, gloomy, stoic, lineface, or anything along those lines, they may find themselves followed by a bright, happy bird. That bird feeds off of those emotions, and will just cheerfully follow around any lineface character for as long as possible. Or until they smile. The birds are otherwise harmless, chirping happily every now and then and following them around like a friendly shadow.
Happy, cheerful, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, energetic characters, on the other hand, will soon find themselves followed by... a different friend. Or maybe a handful of them. It depends on how cheerful they are. Either way, these creatures feed off of happiness and fun, but they will also chew on hair or an ear if they're allowed to get that close, making horrifying, chittering noises as they follow anyone who is in a good mood.
[ Remember to apply proper warnings on threads with sensitive or inappropriate material and do let a mod know if your thread careens off into maiming or canoodling so we can lock the log. ] |
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Hiro.
[It was mildly overkill and she knows. She knows. Still, they seem to be safe enough now, so Ruby just folds up her scythe again, beaming at Hiro. There are worse things, after all.]
Isn't this great though, Hiro? I mean, it's even better now that I know that you're safe and didn't get hurt or anything when we fell into the jungle, but--jungle! Adventuring! Exploration!
Plants!
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You know it's gonna take a lot more than some stupid jungle to rattle me, right? [That is to say he's not hurt at least. He can pretend to be cool, calm and collected but...he's kind of a huge, huge fan of the great indoors. He can navigate the streets of San Fransokyo just fine but living above a cafe with an overprotective brother and an aunt that knows how to cook has spoiled him more than he'll admit. Regardless, Ruby's enthusiasm is a little contagious.]
I'm not sure what's so exciting about plants, but this is pretty cool after being stuck inside the colony for a while. [Despite that, he's eyeing a couple of the vines hanging to his left.] Wonder why she brought us here.
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I mean, I don't care that much abut plants, but it means we're not in the city anymore, which means we can fiiinally see what's out here! I wonder what's over there, or through the trees, or--
[A beat, and she realizes that she's back to being hyperactive and rambling, and she looks sheepish, rubbing the back of her head.]
... I'm not used to staying cooped up in one place for so long. But I dunno why she did it. I guess she thought she was really helping us, since I guess some people saved her...?
[Which you would know nothing about, naturally.]
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He's not even really looking for an explanation as to why Ruby's essentially the human equivalent of a hummingbird at the moment while flitting this way and that. Though he'd been perfectly comfortable inside the colony and with all of his modern tech, she had a point.]
I bet. Huntresses can't really train if they're stuck inside all the time, huh? [He'd been using a gauntlet-covered hand to wrap around one of the vines when he catches the last part of that statement and eyes her warily, awkward laugh escaping as he grins a bit.]
Maybe she meant to send us somewhere else. I mean she's probably super-grateful to the guys who freed her and everything but I bet she didn't tell them she was doing this either. [Nah. He knows absolutely nothing about this, don't be silly.] What've you heard about people saving her and stuff anyway?
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She's willing to believe that he knows nothing about this though, despite the fact that his very way of speaking should be giving it away. NO, NATURALLY HE KNOWS NOTHING ABOUT THAT.]
Juuuust what she said--you know, the voice in my head. You heard that too, right?
[That happened.]
I wonder who did it! I kiiind of wish I could've been there to help out too though... well, maybe next time!
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[He gestures for Ruby to follow him. Come on. Let's go exploring. He's quiet for a minute as he watches where they're going, holding back vines to make sure he isn't smacking Ruby in the face as he carries his helmet in his other hand. It's not really necessary to tell her he was the one who did it, is it?
...oh who the hell is he kidding.] Next time we break into places and execute really important rescue missions? I'll call you.
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Good! I'll be counting on you, okay?
[Of course it was Hiro who broke in and saved the Bridge. For Ruby, that's not surprising at all; Hiro's a superhero who wants to save and protect people, and the Bridge needed saving and protecting.]
But good job! You're really really good at this hero thing after all, huh? But I'm sure we'll be even better together, so... next time! [Next time they'll do it together, hero partners.]
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Well we make a pretty good team already, don't we? [He doesn't see anything wrong with this. He really doesn't see anything wrong with potentially putting Ruby in dangerous by dragging her along, seemingly forgetting how Tadashi had scolded him for going alone. Ruby can handle it. And Hiro can handle it with Ruby. It'll be fine.] You'll be one of the first people I call next time we do something stupid and dangerous.
…but actually the raid was pretty bad. [Like. Very bad.] We lost a couple of people on the way but…it turned out okay. And the Bridge seemed pretty grateful Korra and I broke her out. [He'd already told Rei that he might share this secret with a few people…one of those may as well be Ruby.] We might have had a little insider help though, but not a lot of people know that. [A beat.] I haven't figured out Mosley's MO yet, but I don't think he's as dedicated to CERES as we think he is.
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[...]
Er, not that I'm good at stupid but-- you get what I mean. [God, embarrassing, MOVING ON.] So Mosley helped out... he's pretty weird. I don't know what to make of him either, but...maybe he wanted you guys to rescue her?
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I don't really spend my time with stupid people, you know. [He turns his head to face her, flashing her a grin.] You're actually pretty smart. [Hiro, however, is not since having his head turned leaves him wide open to be smacked in the face by a couple of branches. His hands flail to get away from the trees, ducking out of the way before turning back to face her.
Just…play it off. Totally meant to do that. Yup.] Anyway, I'm pretty sure that's exactly what he wanted because that's what he told us. He unlocked her cage and led us to her and everything. He said he was bored without CERES around and offered to make it look like she broke out on her own. I don't know how he was going to do that but they haven't come after us yet and that was a few weeks ago now. I need to talk to him when we get back because it doesn't make any sense.
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That should be easy enough, though! He seems pretty chattery. [Ruby should know, she's chattery too. Hopefully in less obnoxious ways.]
... I mean, if we ever get back to Cerealia. Actually, I kind of hope we do. There are a bunch of things I still wanna do and figure out there!
[As nice as the jungle is. Or not, as she finds when her boot skids in some mud and she has to flail and reach for a tree to catch her balance again.]
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He's chatty but he's also pretty cagey. He wasn't giving us a lot of answers but I think it's because they're still watching him. He was on his phone when he was talking to me and Korra…I don't think he was ratting us out, but they're definitely not as offline as we think they are.
[Without thinking about it, he moves like he's about to grab her when she slides but decides better of it and lets her grab the tree to right herself. At least his sneakers are built for better traction but he's definitely going to have to clean them off before he attaches to Baymax again.]
We'll get back. And if we don't get back, maybe we'll find a different city. We're on a whole planet aren't we? It'd be weird if it's just one city. There's still a lot I want to look at it in Cerealia, too. [But that brings up some questions.] Like what though? What are you looking for?
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[You can't fool her, it was funny. Her own slip not so much, but it's okay, they're doing great!! They're both still upright, that has to count for something. Mosley on his phone, though... hmmm.]
They're so mysterious! I wanna know what they're up to for real. [Which is partly an answer to his actual question.] But I want to learn more for myself, too. Like...we're stuck here, right? There's not a lot we can do about that yet. So... I want to learn a bunch of things that will make me a better Huntress!
I'm already learning about how to build other things and take apart robots and stuff like that, but I think there's a lot more I can learn here too!
[A beat.]
That's not weird, right?
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We all do, but what's weird is that they're actually giving us hints about what they're doing. I don't know if Mosley's a double-agent or what, but I'd like a meeting with him if he'll take it. And if he won't then I guess I'll just spam him with cat pictures or something. [Because that's mature.
It's not weird. Everything that Ruby's learning isn't at all weird and actually it piques his interests a lot more than most things.]
Why would that be weird? I'm a robotics major back home, sort of. [Undeclared, but the more he thinks about it that's where he'd like to go.] I think it's pretty cool that you actually want to learn. I've been picking up some new things, too. Tadashi wants me to enroll at the university here but I haven't really had time to. Just do me a favor and don't take apart my robot, okay? [You know. The robot who's very much not here right now.]
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[That's Ruby's contribution to that idea--she thinks it would be amazing. She ducks a branch and flails away a chittering bird that comes out of nowhere.]
Like, even if he picks up, maybe do it anyway.
[It'd be great. But phew... another moment in which Hiro proves that he's actually just a really cool guy who doesn't judge her for her weird traits or habits! He thinks it's cool that she wants to learn all sorts of weird things...]
Eheheh, of course I won't take apart Baymax! That'd be silly, he's the robot who's looking out for you, and he's your partner too!
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Maybe he'll appreciate it. Who knows? [He moves to hold aside another curtain of vines so that they can both walk through. The jungle's fairly quiet save for the few rumbles of smaller beasts, but he doesn't seem too concerned.] It wasn't always that way with me and Baymax. When I first met him I just thought he was another machine, but he's not. Only thing now is I might need to do some upgrades on him when we get back. [There's a pause...and maybe it's a weird offer, but.] If you're really that interested in learning stuff and taking things apart, I can always bring him to Tadashi's workshop at the tech shop. You guys probably have better tools than what we have in our apartment anyway.
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Either way, she tilts her head thoughtfully at that.]
It doesn't really matter what people are made of, so long as they're people. [Like Penny, Baymax is enough of a people that Ruby classifies him as such. A lot of it is his programming, but he just...he's a people.] Even if he looks like a giant marshmallow.
[The offer is an exciting one, though; she perks up, grinning.]
Reaaaally? I'd like that! I mean, it sounds weird after just saying he's people, but I definitely wanna see how you upgrade him!
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Tadashi said he wanted him to be huggable and non-threatening. I'm pretty sure he was a little too successful. But he's still learning a lot and his database can keep growing. Sounds like a normal person to me.
[And yes, maybe it's a little morbid to offer to dissect his best friend who's a robotic person, but he doesn't seem to be too perturbed.] A lot of it is just writing code but I want to see if I can install some solar panels into his frame so he can get a charge from the sun just in case he's away from his charging station for a while. [Like now.] As long as his chip isn't damaged it won't hurt him at all. It'll be better for him. …I mean I know Tadashi never intended for him to be anything but a robotic nurse but he had way more potential than that. So…I might need you as back-up anyway.
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Ruby just grins at that, though, nodding. If he's learning and he's growing, then he's definitely a person. A person who is Hiro's friend and pal! That's important too.]
Hmmm...back-up, huh? [But she's really only able to keep the thoughtful look up for a brief second; a moment later, she's nodding easily and eagerly.] Sure, I'll be your backup--and Baymax's too! You don't even have to ask!
[A beat, and she realizes that that...actually doesn't make sense.]
Well, I mean, you have to ask or I won't know that you need back-up but-- [...nail..ed...it?]
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He does find himself mimicking her nod however. Ruby, stop being so
cuteenthusiastic about everything.]Trust me, you'll probably know exactly when we'll need back-up. [He can't help but snicker under his breath suddenly, foot getting caught in a root and tripping him up for a moment. Please wait while he retrieves his shoe.] Tadashi doesn't really yell but when he's annoyed he sighs a lot and his eyebrows get all scrunched up. It's pretty easy to tell when you know what to look for. [Not that Tadashi gets frustrated too easily, unlike the younger Hamada.] But I figure if I tell him I'm teaching you things he'll be okay with it.
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But good. So long as she knows when Hiro needs back-up, she's satisfied. That's really all she feels like she needs at the moment, so...patiently, she'll wait for Hiro to fetch his shoe. She's not even laughing this time, see.]
Eheheh, I think that's what they do as siblings. I mean, Yang doesn't do the eyebrow scrunching thing but she does prop her hands on her hips and get all fussy.
[Ruby does just that, propping her hands on her hips and taking a deep breath, trying to pitch her voice like Yang's.]
"Ruby, you need to get used to wearing heels, you can't wear your boots with a nice dress that I'm totally forcing you into wearing anyway!"
[...ahem.]
So yeah. I think I get it.
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…but.]
Wait, why would you need to wear a nice dress anyway? [He ends up losing his balance and there goes his foot into the jungle mud-dirt mix. Gross.] It's Cerealia. I mean I know there was a ball or whatever at one point because Natalia told me that but…[Shrug???] Seems pretty dumb.
[With his shoe situation fixed, he analyzes Ruby for a minute.] My friend Honey wears heels all the time and all they do is make her taller than Tadashi. When I made her armor we paired it with platform shoes and everything. I don't get how you guys can even wear those. [They look horrifying, honestly.]
Tadashi doesn't get annoyed about what I wear. Instead it's more like--[And it's apparently time for his own impression because his voice changes octaves and his index finger comes up to tap the side of his head.]--"When are you going to start using that big brain of yours and stop botfighting? Start using your gift for something important." [And like that he drops the act.] It's not as much as it used to be since I started school, but man. […there's a beat.] If you're here, where's Yang?
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Yeah... it was for that ball, but even so! They're awful and horrible and I don't want to wear them ever!
[Ughhhhh.
The Tadashi impression makes her laugh though; it sounds about right for him.]
Botfighting, Hiro...? [Naturally, that's what she picks up on. You're doing botfighting?]
Oh, but she's probably around here somewhere. Punching things, maybe. You know, in a Yang-y way. [Ruby is supremely unconcerned about Yang, Yang is always fine. A beat.]
But no, really--botfighting?
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Then you better hope we never have another ball here. [He tilts his head.] And if we do, then we'll skip it and go do something else. [Problem solved. She seems totally unconcerned about Yang, but then he remembers that she first told him about her sister as someone who was punching things into submission. Idly, he's a little worried about where Tadashi is but they had a gameplan and Tadashi can handle himself. So…there's an impish grin. Botfighting.]
Botfighting. I, uh…kinda used to do it a lot. [Eheheh.] Botfighting's exactly what it sounds like. People get together and it's two fighters with their robots in the ring. You've gotta pay to play so you put in as much money as you wanna bet on your bot and whoever destroys the other person's bot wins. [And there's an almost-arrogant smirk.] I used to be the best botfighter in San Fransokyo because nobody knew what to expect. I made a lot of money that way. That's…kinda why Tadashi wanted me to enroll at SFIT instead. I used to go botfighting a lot. I was good at it, it was fun to watch all these guys lose, and it was lucrative. [A beat.] And thennnn I got us arrested and Tadashi decided I couldn't do it anymore. I mean it wasn't that bad, it was just one time. Botfighting's not illegal but betting on it is. That's the only time I was caught. [And he's still clearly unbothered by that.] I can show you Megabot when we get back if you want. He showed up with Baymax and Mochi.
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Eheh, that would be great, really... I didn't get the chance last time, but next time...! Next time we won't get pressganged into their evil deeds of swirling dresses and lady stilts!
[So dramatic, Ruby. So unnecessarily dramatic. Either way--she can't help but grin at his own grin. It sounds dangerous, but he sounds so energetic when he talks about it that she can't help but feed off of that energy a little.]
I can't believe you got arrested! [She should sound scandalized, but with the entire atmosphere, she can only sound amused and intrigued.] Okay, I definitely want to see Megabot too! Does he talk too?
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