epidemiology | EVENT ★ ZETA-12 WEEKS 3 + 4

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EVENT ★ ZETA-12 WEEKS 3 + 4

ZETA-12: WEEKS 3 + 4

After making their way through the biting cold of the tundra and the forest's deadly chasm, team Audentes reaches the swamp. Once there, their squidges will begin to transform.

For each choice your character has made, select one squidge evolution. Please note, you must have submitted your choice to the threads in the previous logs in order for your squidge to evolve.

For those who crossed the ice, there are two options. If they succeeded, their squidge has taken on one of the following features: fluffy fur, the ability to freeze small things with their breath, or small foxlike ears. If they fell through the ice, their squidge has one of these: fins, minor hydrokinesis, or protective scales.

Those who chose to walk around the ice, whether east or west, will have squidges with one of these attributes: faster speed, climbing ability, or goat-like hooves.

As for week 2 choices, everyone who soothed their squidge will find them with one of the following: small wings (able to keep them about a foot off the ground at most), a calmer demeanor, or the ability to soothe fear by touch.

For the grouping crew, one of these: the ability to heal small wounds on other squidges, long ape-like arms and hands (for hugging!), or a beautiful singing voice that can act as a beacon for other squidges.

Squidges that were forced to cross will have one of: increased independence, clawed fingers, or sharp teeth.

These evolutions may take place at a rate of your choice. Please note that apart from these changes, the squidges will not be undergoing any further physical development (size, etc) for now!

THE SWAMP (WEEK 3)

The swamp is damp and spooky, filled with rotting logs and large, spindly trees. The water level dips and rises, making traveling slow and difficult; at some points, there is no dry land at all, so recruits will either need to wade or find some other way to get through the murky water. Some of the fallen logs may create a series of interconnected bridges if you're nimble enough, but be wary not to put too much weight on the rotten parts of the wood.

Because there are no animals on this planet, recruits won't need to worry about mosquitos or crocodiles, but still be wary of dermal vines, which continue on from the forest, as well as something lurking beneath the water: in deeper portions of the swamp, recruits may run into a gangly, humanoid creature with gnarled fingers and a body made entirely of vines and twisted roots. The creature makes no sound and does not breathe, but it moves quickly and can shoot a cloud of powerful neurotoxin out of its maw.

Make your choice: You can attempt to fight the creature, but not all attacks will be effective and you risk injury to you or your squidge. Outsmarting is possible as well -- as the creature has no eyes or ears, it senses its victims through heat. Do with that what you will. Finally, you can choose to wait for someone else to do something and ride their coattails, as long as you’re okay with living with that. Please indicate your choice here.

After a week, the scenery begins to shift, lightening up as trees become fewer. Welcome to the grasslands.

THE GRASSLANDS (WEEK 4)

As opposed to the swamps, there are few hazardous plants in the grasslands. The most dangerous are more annoying than anything else: fluffplasters, the hairs of which become sticky and eventually harden like cement if they’re disturbed. For the most parts, the grasslands are grass, grass, and grass, with little variation in appearance. In fact, it’s kind of hard to tell if you’re going the right way, or if you’ve been here before. Everything sort of looks the same.

The other flora found are happygrass, which has a short-term calming effect on anyone who ingests it. On the other hand, beebulbs, long, spear-like stalks whose bulbs contain a delicious liquid which invigorates the drinker upon ingestion. Too much either way can lead to laziness or hyperactivity. A geared up squidge is a happy squidge most of the time, but there’s also the possibility of heightened anxiety.

The weather is pleasant for most of the journey, but near the end, the wind picks up and a storm begins to brew. The wind whips around and, while it’s very difficult to travel through (and very frightening for squidges!) it’s still possible to walk through.

The choices are these: Characters can keep going against the wind, although they’ll need to be wary of flying debris and their squidge’s fear. They can also choose to find shelter nearby -- there are several trees on the way that can be hidden under, a large cave many people can fit into a distance into the storm, and characters can also set up their own shelter. There’s less possibility for injury and squidge crying, but the tornado will put them back for hours; those who power through can talk their squidge through it, but they’ll still be a bit unhappy. Please select an option below to determine the future of your squidge.

Whatever choices the team makes, they’ll eventually all reconvene as they set up camp for the last time before they hit the desert.

OOC NOTES

This log ICly and OOCly covers two weeks! Characters may proceed at whatever pace they'd like, but going too quickly or too slowly will mean they travel alone. (And those going too quickly will probably have to contend with screaming squidges, who prefer to travel at the speed of an easy plod.)

New characters will find one of the unbonded squidges toddling after the group takes a shine to them. A squidge will imprint on them very quickly, then refuse to leave their side or rejoin their unbonded friends.

Direct questions about the Zeta-12 mission here. And don't forget about the bounty board!

Please remember to select your choices in the threads below! How you choose will determine how your squidge grows. Please choose before July 21st, 12:01 AM GMT!

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[ she approaches him not too long after he has pulled that distinct hat over his eyes, and so she hopes he hasn't yet fallen into too deep a sleep. normally, she would have let him be and chosen another time to bother him, but she's certain they'll begin moving again before long, and with his propensity for keeping to himself during this trek, she did not want to risk losing the chance to approach him. ]

Um... sir?

[ she inches closer, her footsteps quiet almost to the point of being silent. a few feet back, a young lion cub hangs back while a blue squidge sits comfortably along its back, watching their adoptive mother as she shifts closer and closer. ]

Mm? [urahara lifts the edge of his hat up, bringing one gray eye just slightly out of the shadows that are normally blocking about half of his face. he sits up, dislodging Osaki, who had fallen asleep on his chest, and she squeaks indignantly as she rolls into his lap.

and proceeds to angrily scold him with little squidgey angry noises. Urahara rubs the back of his head, awkwardly, and tries to console her.] Sorry about that, Osaki. [Osaki's unhappiness momentarily soothed, he looks back up, cheerfully- the easygoing shopkeeper persona coming out in full blast despite them being out in the open meadows of some strange planet.] Can I help you?

[ olivia blinks for a second, momentarily taken aback by the cheer that greets her. it is a stark difference to the grave man who'd stepped out in front of them all, earlier that day, saving them all with what appeared to be (at least to olivia) magic akin to the kind the dark mages of her home use.

she hastens to find her bearings again, attempting a tentative smile. ]

I, um. I wanted to thank you. F-For what you did for us, back there with the storm... [ it did not look easy. ]

If you'd like, I wanted to give you this — [ and here she holds out a small fruit and oat bar, wrapped in a small piece of cloth. one of her last rations that she'd brought over from oska. ] I know it's not much, but I thought — since food here is hard to come by... um.

Mm? [he looks momentarily taken aback by the gratitude- it's not as if he never gets any, but considering the amount of things he could do versus the amount of things he does do, he doesn't particularly expect it. he made a call and he could have easily deemed it not worth the effort.

not that anyone can tell that about him.] Ah... You're welcome. It wasn't really that difficult, though. [You liar, Benihime murmurs from the back of his head, sounding, damn her, amused. The two of them are both well are of how awkward he is about gratitude.

he still takes the bar, because he'd be a fool to refuse it when he put so much strain on himself the previous night and food is hard to come by, but he makes it a point to break the small bar in half and hands the other half back to her.] Here. This is all I need, and even a little goes quite a ways on such a long journey. I wouldn't want you to run short on my account.

[ though she is entirely unaware of the silent conversation between man and sword, there is a certain fold to her brows that seem to imply she and benihime are on the same page.

still, propriety has her saying nothing of it, but though she steps forward to take the other half of the bar back, she lingers uncertainly. her eyes land on the slumbering squidge behind him. ]

Perhaps your squidge would like the other half, then? [ true, food was hard to come by, but olivia didn't worry too much about herself. she had saffron to hunt for her, and achilles to help her gather flora when she needed it. ]

[significantly less awkward about gratitude and more spoiled than anything, Osaki has been eyeing the extra piece with an expression of half-awake incredulity ever since Urahara broke it in half, because by all accounts, that should be hers, though she makes a show of looking sulky and disinterested when Urahara glances down, because he should have offered it to her in the first place.

He is, however, aware of that tactic.] I'm not sure. It doesn't seem like she's hungry. Perhaps I'll give it to one of the other squidges, then-

[he makes a move like he's going to stand up and Osaki grabs a hold of him by the crook of his arm and wriggles her little feet, making unhappy noises.] Oh, so you are hungry? Well, if you insist.

[once she knows she's getting the treat, she lets herself fall back to the ground and takes it greedily, even wandering a safe distance away so she can eat slowly and not worry about any take-backs. that done, Urahara turns back to olivia.]

Don't let her fool you- she's actually quite sweet.

[ olivia can only feel amused by the little squidge's antics, in all honesty, though that much is evident by the hand she lifts to hastily muffle a little laugh. ]

Oh, I don't doubt it. She must have just been that hungry.

[ she turns back towards urahara, letting her hand drop. ]

Sorry — I didn't get to introduce myself. My name's Olivia. It's nice to meet you!

[ she wonders if he is new, as she has never seen him till just recently, but is having a hard time trying to ask without seeming too rude. ]

[he tips his hat slightly without actually removing it.] Urahara Kisuke. And the pleasure's all mine, Olivia-san.

[he gestures to the spot near him.] Would you care to join us? We may be waiting a bit to move out again, after all. We might as well keep one another company.

[ she seems to perk up at the suggestion, as if the possibility hadn't ever occurred to her (or, perhaps she simply hadn't dared to think about it). with a bob of her head, she shuffles a bit closer, taking a seat just beside him. she curls up quite well, legs drawn up to her chest, so that she doesn't take up too much room. however, upon seeing that their adoptive mother had taken root elsewhere, her lion cub and squidge don't hesitate to wander up from where they had earlier perched. ]

Oh — this is Saffron, [ she says in afterthought, looking a touch embarrassed that the other two had just invited themselves in on this. she gestures to the lion who lays down at her feet, yawning loudly. ] And this is Sapphire. [ the small blue squidge waddles over and plunks itself down in the circle of saffron's resting position, making the lion grunt begrudgingly and shift to accommodate it. ]

You're getting quite a menagerie following you! [he beams, leaning as close as he dares to get a better look at the cub. Yoruichi would probably have as much of a fit as her dignity would allow at that. it does sort of hit him where it hurts though- of course adorable predatory cats would make him homesick.] And a blue squidge, too. My, my. Osaki's going to turn green one of these days. She can be a little petty about things like that.

[can't imagine where the little dear would find it in here to develop jealousy over her peers picking up things better than she does. she certainly didn't get that from him. no sir.]

[ she giggles a little, casting a glance towards the aforementioned squidge, who thankfully seems more content to nibble on her fruit bar than listen in. at least for the moment. ]

She doesn't have anything to be envious of — she's a gorgeous squidge. Why — I'm pretty sure Sapphire is a little shy because of it.

[ true enough the blue squidge keeps mostly to himself, though a cautious and curious glance will get sent over every now and then. one wonders where he gets that from too... ]

[Osaki at least hears the compliment- or that's the part she's choosing to acknowledge. she finishes licking the crumbs over her blob-like hands and runs them over her new horns to draw attention to them. s-so proud.]

I hope prancing around like a peacock serves her well when I'm not here to watch her.

[even though he's teasing, Osaki makes a HRMPH!!! noise in offense.]

Edited 2016-08-09 22:30 (UTC)

[ olivia's smile falters a bit at that. without really thinking, she glances back at her own squidge, who is still preoccupied between ignoring and oggling the osaki to notice olivia herself. ]

Oh... right. [ it is perhaps too easy for her to forget that they will one day have to say goodbye to these little creatures. ]

I forgot about that part...

[it's not something that sits easily with him, either. he's sentimental more often than he'd like to be, and even if he can bury it under the knowledge that this is simply how it has to be for the good of this planet, as far as ALASTAIR is concerned, it's still not an ideal situation.]

I'm not ready to say goodbye myself. [he sighs, taking a moment to look down at Osaki who has taken notice of the oogling and started waving at Sapphire.] It feels like abandoning her.

[ olivia visibly flinches at his choice of words. abandoning. she hadn't wanted to say it, for fear that voicing it might make the reality of the situation that much more inevitable.

she watches the two squidges interact. how osaki's simple gesture has the blue squidge stiffening against his brother, hastily attempting to turn away and pretend he hadn't just been staring, now that he's caught.

saffron, in the meantime, lets out a feline grunt, and shoves at the blue squidge, making him squawk in surprise when he suddenly topples over. absently, olivia reaches out to help sapphire back up to his feet. ]

Do... Do you think they'll see it that way?

[ she hopes not. they are young, and learning yet, but she hopes that sapphire won't think she were abandoning him. that she would even want to. ]

[Osaki bursts into a fit of high-pitched giggles that have her flat on her back, herself, rolling around in the grass in amusement.]

I hope not... Perhaps this Wellspring we're taking them to will rid them of whatever's left of their dependence on us. They'll think they're abandoning us, because we're no longer needed. It's still harsh, but I'd prefer that than the alternative.

[ the once fallen squidge's cheeks seem to turn a darker shade of blue in his embarrassment, his stubby little arms flinging up to cover large eyes that he has now squeezed shut. despite the seriousness of their conversation, olivia cannot help but smile fondly at sapphire's reaction, and how he instinctively shuffles closer to her, hiding his face against her leg. she runs a hand over its back in soothing circles. ]

I think I would, too... I'd rather be the one hurting than him.

[Osaki flops over on her stomach, curious about Sapphire's reaction and crawls forward on her little squidge belly like a curious cat for a few inches before clambering back on her waddling feet to approach the embarrassed little squidge and tap him on the back in a gesture that may be intended to be apologetic.

Urahara seems delighted by this.] Well~ It looks like she realized she may have hurt his feelings, after all. You can't play with a man's heart so cruelly, Osaki~

[ sapphire stiffens, but after some cajoling from olivia, he eventually picks his head back up and shyly looks over his shoulder at osaki. he seems surprised to find her so close, and shuffles nervously, almost using olivia as some sort of shield. but she keeps her hand on his back to sort of keep him in place, meaning he has nowhere to run to now. ]

I'm afraid he's just a little sensitive, [ she says to both osaki and urahara. ]

He didn't want to look foolish in front of such a pretty squidge.

[Osaki puffs her little translucent cheeks and adjusts her crown of flowers, deigning to focus on Olivia's flattery and not Sapphire hiding.]

What man does? [he shakes his head, still chuckling.] Especially one that acts like such a princess. She'll convince every other squidge here she's royalty some day- I'm sure of that.

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EVENT ★ ZETA-12 WEEKS 3 + 4

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so sorry about the wait!!

NO PROB!!

:)b

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