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!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[You know what, completely fair. And normally, he'd complain like hell about being carried in such an undignified matter. But if it means staying out of the water, he's absolutely not complaining.

...Even if he gets an eyeful of Ramir's honestly ... evil looking Squidge. Wow, dude. You grew up... oddly. He'd probably mention it, but--wait, what.]

--You were just born like that? Seriously? Without any training at all?

...

Did you eat some sort of magic fruit to get powers, too?

What? No.

[ She'd been scanning the way ahead, but Luffy gets a pointedly weird look for that one. Magic fruit, what. ]

It just... kicked in a while ago. Why, is that a thing where you come from? [ because that's really going to need more explanation, thanks. ]

It sure is. You can eat a Devil Fruit and get all sorts of weird powers. But it means that you can't handle being in water anymore. [There's your hint.]

Just 'kicked in', huh. It's like you grew up and they just came outta' no-where.

[Sighs, that's so cool.]

[ That's exactly what it was like, yes, but she's not officially more interested in Luffy. She did think it was a little weird, how fast he'd perked up again when she picked him up out of the water. ]

Yeah? So what's your power? [ Hazarding a guess and presenting it like a determined fact. She'll feel stupid for being wrong if it comes to it. ]

[He's half wondering how his friend and other Devil Fruit user is doing with the water--but honestly, Law could teleport, so... lucky bastard.]

I'm a rubber man! [This is the most nonsensical thing you'll probably hear all week.]

[ ...Okay, does that mean she was right? She stares at him for a few seconds, waiting for it to make sense, and when nothing clicks: ]

You don't look very rubber.

Nihihi. [What a weird laugh. It's cheeky, as well as just a little bit amused...

and without making any other sound but that laugh, he reaches up with a hand...

And stretches out his face to pretty weird proportions.]

[ She blinks, looking startled for a few seconds... which slowly turns into dawning delight. ]

Oh my god. [ She wastes absolutely no time in shuffling around her hold on him again, pausing to add a knee to free up one hand. It goes straight for the other side of his face, pulling it even weirder. Her grin almost manages to get as wide as his face, it's all very impressive. ]

Holy shit! Look at you! Look at this! [ The laughter starts. It might not let up for a while. ] You look so fucking stupid!

[One would think that the guy would complain about being pulled and yanked at in such a rude way. And honestly, who wouldn't? Who likes getting pinched and pulled at by someone you just met?

Well. Seems like Luffy doesn't seem to mind at all. In fact, he's laughing along with her.]

It's stupid, it's stupid, right?? [Luffy, don't agree with her!]

It's got it's uses, so it's a pretty good superpower. [Huf!]

[ If Ramir hadn't just decided she liked this guy, this would definitely do it. She has to appreciate anyone who takes as little offense as she does. Her laughter finally subsides, and she drops her hold on his face to take her hand back again, to get back to properly carrying him so they can press on. So she can press on, anyway. Luffy's pressing on vicariously. ]

Yeah? [ She's sounding interested now, most attention still angled down on him. ] Like what? Besides, like, reaching for shit you're too lazy to get up for, I guess...

[People who take themselves too seriously are butts anyway, so who needs them. He's still grinning when her laughter dies off, his arms moving to cross back over his chest. Where he might have been a little indignant about being carried, he's decided he's made a new friend--and therefore, Ramir's continued task is A-OK in his book.]

Well, that's definitely useful. And I can steal portions of peoples' dinner, too, when they're not looking. [What a cheeky grin.] But I can punch like a pistol, and from pretty far away. Not to mention other stuff, like Gatling Punches and being able to make my limbs giant....

[What the fuck are you talking about.]

[ Gatling punches, okay, she can kind of imagine what that looks like from the name. But making a limb giant? She squints suspiciously, trying to envision that and failing. ]

Bullshit. Show me that one, the giant thing.

[He looks put-out. Immediately. And not because she's calling bullshit on him, but rather, because:]

If I do it now, I'll get wet again! My arm'll fall into the water!

What, seriously?

[ was he not exaggerating?? She glances around them, searching for a spot of dry land... it's not easy to pick out in a swamp. ]

Alright, hang on, there's no way I'm letting you say something like that then not show me — how much room do you need?

[Something that Ramir would, in time, learn about the pirate--while he's definitely a criminal with some pretty grey morals--it's the fact that he's pretty incapable of lying.]

Yeah, seriously! [His head tips up and he looks around, too--a hand moving up to his eyes to squint out into the distance.]

At least a little bit'a land to put my two feet on should be fine. I can hold them up easy. [The water... the water makes his powers so hard to use.]

[ Alright, so just any land, she can work with that. In fact, that might be a neat little island over there in the distance — she's even lucky enough that the canopy is sparse there, and she could jump it. Nice. But first: ]

Hang on, though — what's the thing about water? What happens when you're in it?

Huh? Oh that.

[He's looking around, still, his head shifting back--ah, there is a little spot over there, isn't there? Maybe there'd be berries growing on it too--wait, she asked a question.]

Water makes me weak. I feel all goopy and I can't stretch good at all. And if I fall into water, I sink like a hammer.

Even taking a bath makes me feel like crap.

[The things you trade for a stretchy body.]

[ She snorts. It's a simplistic response, but she gets it. A curse along with his weird-ass gift. There's stranger stuff around here. ]

That's rough. Too bad you're not like me, I'm perfect.

[ She's definitely settled on that little island for their demo ground. She glances around for Vito, and spots him hanging at about head-high a tree over. ]

Vito, c'mere. Sit on this guy, we're gonna hop. [ you don't mind right Luffy?? Because there's a small, black, toothy squidge obediently incoming. ]

['Perfect', huh. He was ABOUT to make a joke about that, but as he's apt to be easily distracted by the simplest of things, his eyes go a little wide when Vito starts heading towards them.

It's...

So different looking from Shanks that Luffy's actually a little startled at first.]

Whoa, whoa, whoa--!!

[And then... a grin.]

Your squidge looks so WEIRD!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

EVENT ★ ZETA-12 WEEKS 3 + 4

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