epidemiology | 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!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[hb's squidge has goat hooves, they match and it's real cute. closed prompts only, but let me know if you want to do a thing! PM me or hit me up on

bloodmoney.]

[Hellboy is trudging through the swamp and it's going okay. This is not his favorite environment in the world, but he has enough experience with it not to get grossed out by the weird softness of the ground under his hooves as he wades through water. There are no insects or animals on this planet, nothing breathing except for Audentes and (presumably) the squidges, so he's not too fussed about running into something dangerous.

He has his squidge tucked into his coat, though the clinging humidity is making him wish he'd thought to bring along a sling or something like that. But overall, he's not really bothered by too much in this world; apart from some handsy plants, it's been sort of a nice vacation. He's not worried and he's not on edge, which is nice -- but it's also not the best idea, as he hears something splashing in the water nearby.

He stops, hand instinctively going to the revolver at his hip.] Hello?

Blasted swamp-

[ Really, it's very unladylike to sweat, and Alice can't recall the last time she's actually had to wipe the sweat off of her brow. The squidge seems to be enjoying himself, swinging his little hands as Alice works her way through the swamp and mud, the squidge strapped against her chest. Never one to curse she finds herself nearly cursing wading through mud. She's nearly tripped a few times, climbing over plants and roots all the while trying to keep the little thing safe.

And through the water she goes, finally giving up on her skirt and rider's pants being clean. There's no point now in worrying about being filthy. If anything, she should be grateful her boots are so long. The humidity of this sort is a new concept for Alice, so after a period of time, Alice abruptly stops in the water, glancing down at the smiling squidge. ]

At least you're having fun.

[ When she hears a familiar voice, she forgoes the idea of stopping and taking a breath. She knows that voice- ]

Ah, Hellboy? Is that you?

[ Alice starts to move again, frantically wading through the mud to catch up to him, waving as she does. ]

Here! I'm here. Ah, thank goodness, someone else is here!

Oh -- Alice.

[He keeps running into her like this. He stays where he is, waiting for her to reach him, keeping a wary eye out in the meantime. Something about this place is giving him the creeps, the hair on the back of his neck standing up.]

Are you okay? [His tail swishes slightly through the water and the squidge in his coat peers down at the ripples. Hellboy takes a second to shove him back in so he doesn't fall out.]

It's kind of spooky out here. We can walk together.

I could be a bit better, frankly.

[ Alice stops to catch her breath, shifting the squidge to her side, rather than to have him across her chest. She smudges her face as she presses her hair back as she looks up at him.

The small smile of relief she offers is real. ]

It's exhausting, walking through all of this mud and water.

[ But spooky? Alice didn't really think so. ]

It's not so bad. It's... just a bit damp. And dark.

[ And Alice was the furthest from being afraid of the dark. ] I'll be happy to walk with you, strength in numbers and all of that.

[Okay, so. Lesson learned: not everything can be beaten. This is a lesson Hellboy has learned repeatedly, though, so it's probably not going to stick.

He's smacked the creepy swamp monster thing around enough where it's stopped moving, and now he's just kind of trying to get out of the immediate area just in case it decides to pop up again. He assumes it's dead, though it's a plant, so "dead" could mean something completely different, and he doesn't want to take any chances.

He makes it a few feet before he just kind of awkwardly falls forward, joints locking. He's now paralyzed, and it's awkward because he's face-down in swamp water.]

[ It only made sense that it wouldn't be long before a monster made its appearance.

And these days, being a totally normal kid in the ALASTAIR business made it rough to continue claiming oneself as a monster hunter—and that was without the equivalent of a baby in hand. From a safe distance, Dipper quietly peers from behind the thick trunk of a tree, analyzing the swampy creature the best he could. While taking mental notes, Dipper attempts to formulate some sort of plan to get past it; catching its attention right now would only spell bad news. Trying to face it head on would only mean his imminent demise.

The idea goes interrupted and swiftly scrapped the second Hellboy's glaringly red figure comes in full force—quite literally. It isn't the first time Dipper has seem him barrel in with fists flying, but it's no less impressive. Nonetheless, he keeps his distance; he knows exactly what might happen if he makes his presence known.

In a matter of minutes the monster gets beaten down, and Hellboy collapses along with it. Without a second thought Dipper gasps, darting out from behind the tree. ]

HB—hey! [ He kneels down beside him, shaking his shoulder with a hand. ] Oh, man, please tell me you're not dead or something.

[He can hear feet charging closer and swears in his head; he's stock still, unable to move, so if that's a second monster rushing him, he's basically up a creek. But the monsters here don't talk, just creep about soundlessly on legs like twisted roots, so that's not what it is. Dipper, he thinks, though his throat has locked up. He can't speak.

He can breathe, though, so he just kind of does that into the water. Aggressive air bubbles. He's not dead, at least.]

[ Bubbles! That's... something, but probably not the best news if that's all he's managing. ]

Uh—

[ Dipper sets the squidge in his arms down upon the lone dirt mound that isn't another puddle in the swamp—and thankfully, it sits obediently, watching curiously on—while he resumes frantically aiding Hellboy. The best he can, anyway. ]

Can you mo—no, no, okay, I'm just gonna—I'm gonna move you over, okay?

[ Because drowning in a shallow puddle would be. Unfortunate. Anyway, so Dipper starts trying to roll Hellboy over, starting with heaving him by the shoulder. Progress is gradual; you're freaking huge there, okay. ]

EVENT ★ ZETA-12 WEEKS 3 + 4

Hellboy / closed

for Alice / swamp

FINALLY. i'm so sorry e_e;

NO PROBLEM i'm also slow

no subject

for Dipper / swamp

no subject

no subject

no subject