EVENT ★ ZETA-12 FINAL WEEK

[futurologists]

ZETA-12: FINAL WEEK After team Audentes makes it out of the desert in more or less one piece, they'll begin to notice the environment changing once again. After the sparseness of the sands and canyons, vegetation and water once again become more common; eventually, they've found a lush jungle with plants and rivers both plentiful. And like the changing environment, the squidges once again begin to transform. Please select an evolution according to your choice. Please note, you must have submitted your choice to the thread in the previous logs in order for your squidge to evolve. For those who encountered the cave: If they went into the cave, their squidge has taken on one of the following features: a fox-like tail, an armadillo snout (with tongue!), or enhanced sense of smell. However, if they stayed above, their squidge has one of these: a beak, a prehensile tail, or enhanced sense of hearing. THE JUNGLE (WEEK 6) The jungle air is thick with humidity, light barely filtering down past the dense canopy of leaves overhead. Unlike the forest back at the beginning of the journey here, the climate in the jungle is almost stifling, so recruits may want to look for refreshing Rainbow Berries to snack on and keep their energy up -- but keep an eye out for the Lucifer's Poppy, as its effects can cause the journey to reach an abrupt end. Rivers wind through the jungle, with waterfalls ending in relaxing pools where recruits can try to beat the heat and spend some extra time with their squidges as the journey's end approaches. Like the other biomes, there are no creatures here -- no birds, no bugs, no jungle cats -- but that doesn't mean that recruits can leave their guard down entirely. Apart from various poison plants (such as the Beezlebulb and the Malboro) other hazards to look out for include slippery, moss-covered ground cover that may cause a hapless recruit to lose their footing, and the dangers of heat exhaustion. Unlike the previous biomes, there is no major choice for recruits to make here. Instead, they must bathe their squidge in the Wellspring, a bubbling, faintly glowing pool of water in the depths of the jungle. The Wellspring is responsible for triggering the squidges' final transformation and allowing them to grow into adulthood. In order for squidges to evolve into an adult, squidge parents must have completed a certain amount of tasks during the Zeta-12 mission. If these tasks were not completed, the squidge will not evolve and will remain in its larval stage. The evolution form can be found on this post. Squidges who successfully evolve into adults will grow in size, anywhere between 122-183cm (4-6'). They will loosely retain their rounded shapes, their limbs and torsos elongating, and any physical transformations will also grow with their size. In adulthood, squidges are less needy and frightened than in their larval stage, and generally have a calm demeanor (with exceptions made if they happened to pick up an aggressive trait along the journey, of course). Their language remains a wordless burbling, but they can communicate with their caregivers through gestures. After bathing their squidges in the Wellspring, regardless of the success of evolutions, recruits should prepare to depart Zeta-12 with the knowledge that their alien children are better, stronger, and smarter for the time they spent together. OOC NOTES This log lasts ICly for one week, and OOCly for 1.5 weeks. Once the mission is completed and the squidges are bathed in the Wellspring, recruits will have until August 20th to say goodbye and let their alien wards leave the metaphorical nest. Direct questions about the Zeta-12 mission here. And don't forget about the bounty board! After August 20th, Zeta-12 bounties will no longer be completable. Please remember to fill out your squidge success form! Participation is required to pass AC this month. If you have any questions about the form, please direct them here. Forms must be completed by August 31th, 23:59 UTC.

Comments

Sorey l Tales of Zestiria

[historiology]

Jungle:

[Here's a teen who has no clue what may or may not be safe to actually eat or even touch around here, for that matter. But he's trying to be cautious for Amenoch's sake. Unfortunately, this does not automatically equate to knowing what is or isn't safe. Or for that matter, do anything to nullify his clumsiness at times, for all his attempts of caution.

All that moss? It's making him slip. He attempts to right his balance but fails, flailing as he trips.]

Water boys:

[Sorey being Sorey, he's willing to make the most of this. He might be basking in said pool in his underwear while washing the rest of his clothes after the harsher weather recently in the desert and all. Come help, watch or join him in the water. Either way, he seems to be enjoying himself, as Amenoch sits and watches from the edge of the pool, attempting to help lay out his wet clothes at the side.

Or alternatively, come across him and Mikleo playfighting and splashing each other. Though really, if Mikleo wanted, he could easily have the upper hand, being a water seraph and all. But Sorey's enjoying himself, even if their chatter and playfulness has devolved into this, laughing and evidently not having any sort of fear at all of all the water in spite of being unable to actually swim. At least Amenoch seems to be getting some amusement from it, clapping his 'hands' and seemingly laughing along.]

Goodbye, I'll miss you:

[Of course, Sorey is reluctant to say farewell. But he has to eventually let Amenoch bathe and go his own way. This was always going to be a temporary arrangement until the next mission. He knew that. But it's still sad, there's still something of an ache as he hugs the goo baby farewell before releasing him and watching the squidge go forward and into the water of the Wellspring.

Of course he stays to watch what happens, and stick around a little after to ensure Amenoch will be okay. There may be some tears shed. Sorey is indeed a huge sap, okay?]

jungle

[headlining]

[Sorey may be two seconds from falling flat on his face, but suddenly a hand whips out, grabbing him by the front of his shirt and pulling him back onto terra firma.]

Whoah, now, watch where you're going.

[Says Keats, pushing up his glasses as he releases Sorey after he's made sure he's not going to fall again.]

This isn't the time to be clumsy.

[historiology]

Whoa! T-thanks....

[Usually it's Mikleo right near him that pulls him back to his feet. But Sorey doesn't really mind who it is. Just so long as he preferably avoids falling on his ass or face first into this. He gives a relieved and almost sheepish smile as Keats assists him to right himself proper again.]

I'm not usually too bad, but this stuff is pretty slippery. Lucky you have such good reflexes!

[headlining]

Ah, no need to thank me. [He says, with a flippant gesture, as if to say "it's hardly a big deal".] I've had plenty of experience from catching stray pieces of paper or pens from falling off my desk at work, ha!

[Yes, you're being compared to an object, Sorey. Sorry.]

But either way, you haven't hurt yourself? No twisted ankles or the like?

[historiology]

Heh. Well, it's got you some pretty good reflexes, so I won't complain.

[Whether Sorey clicks that he is being compared to the likes of a pen, or whether he just does not particularly care given the circumstances is debatable but either way. He shifts, looking down and turning a little, slowly.]

No. I think I'm okay. If I was hurt, I could easily just ask Mikleo to heal me though!

[The seraphim are kind of the reason, or at least part of it, that Sorey is often so reckless and carefree, after all. With their artes and ability to help him in various situations. His absolute faith in them as a result.]

[headlining]

Mikleo? [The name doesn't ring a bell.] You have your own personal doctor on call or something?

[Is he being serious? The smirk on his face might say otherwise.]

Must be useful. This Mikleo doesn't charge you, either?

[historiology]

He's my best friend! He has healing with his seraphic artes. But if you mean money, no, he's never asked for money for healing me.

[Sorey usually just gets that pursed lip look and a warning to be more careful next time. That he is only a human and far more likely to get hurt than Mikleo as a result.]

[headlining]

What a good friend. Though...

[He pushes up his glasses, his eyebrows furrowing.]

Was I hearing you correctly? "Seraphic arts"? Like what, an angel?

[historiology]

Seraphim are sort of....hm. Like elemental spirits? Only certain humans have high enough resonance - like a spiritual sense, to see and hear them though. They're called a few different names over time, but that's the one I mostly hear or read of.

[He tries to explain, more used to people asking since most here were obviously not from home and did not grow up among the seraphim or reading about them.]

you know the one

[circulets]

[ Maybe, at least for a little while, Mikleo just wanted to play with Sorey without using his artes to his advantage. Though, when Sorey moves to splash Sorey with an especially large amount of water, he looks mildly irritated before doing the same in turn. ]

Got you!

No I don't. Lies. Okay, I do really.

[historiology]

[Sorey laughs, spluttering a little when the water seraph retaliates, coughing for a moment before splashing right back. He's not so worried about the water wetting their clothes that are supposed to be drying. Eventually, they will dry. He's just trying to make the most of this as best he can.]

Take that!

[He's noting the lack of artes being used. Half relieved and half wary of it, really. Expecting it eventually when he likely does toe the line and Mikleo has had enough. But he can't not enjoy this in the meantime.]

:T!!!

[circulets]

[ Indeed, they can dry their clothes later on. Mikleo's just relieved to see that Sorey's enjoying himself here. After the last mission and how things've gone in this one, this is all Mikleo really wants right now.

... Though, going home would be rather nice.

Mikleo stops that water before it reaches him, firing back to Sorey in turn. ]

No, take that! [ ... Hey, he did go without his artes for a while... ]

[historiology]

M-Mikleo? No, st--ack!

[Yup. If Sorey could get more utterly drenched, it's just happened. For all his protesting and flailing, holding out his hands in some futile attempt to stop the water actually hitting him. He's been waiting for this, but it still hits him and takes him a little be surprise to see the water he'd splashed to Mikleo being flung right back at him like that.

But of course he has to retaliate now! So he does. Or he tries to. Whether this works, Mikleo allows it of makes it backfire on him again though, is another story.]

[circulets]

[ Mikleo's looking rather smug with himself. That is, until Sorey quickly retaliates. Mikleo doesn't dodge quick enough this time - and all he can do is frown deeply at his new, rather soaked appearance before he's back at it again and trying to splash Sorey yet again the hard way. ]

You'll have to do better than that!

[historiology]

You're on!

[Hey, Sorey recognizes a challenge. And sees that smug expression. He's well aware Mikleo has very good reason to be confident and naturally has the upper hand, but that doesn't stop him trying. Flicking and pushing up more water towards the seraph as he fails to entirely hide his amusement at Mikleo looking quite so drenched.]

[circulets]

[ He probably looks like a drenched cat right now.

Mikleo uses both feet and hands to continuously splash Sorey, never relenting. It's that amusement that just makes him all the more determined to win... whatever competition this is. ]

[historiology]

[A very angry and disgruntled kitty. Yes.

Still, Sorey tries his best to retaliate as much as he can. Putting up a decent fight even against Mikleo's onslaught and obvious advantage of duelling with his particular element. It's a fun game, nostalgic in many ways as they grew up playing with Mikleo's water artes and getting soaked as a result more often than not. Amenoch seems more amused than annoyed at least, apparently trying to cheer them on as he claps and giggles.

Of course, eventually, the water over time does kind of seem to sap Sorey's energy and he stops, coughing and looking down at wrinkled fingers, laughing weakly.]

Okay, okay....that's enough.

[circulets]

[ Morgana, on the other hand, is watching on the sidelines, where he can stay dry. He chirps from time to time, calling out for Mikleo to come get him again.

... Well, it won't kill his squidge to be alone for a bit. In fact, it might be even good for him.

Mikleo smiles to himself once Sorey admits defeat, putting his hands to his hips. ] As expected, I'm sure. That's another victory for me.

[historiology]

Of course it is. It involved water, didn't it? I never stand a chance with you like this. But it was fun, right?

[That much both of them could admit. Even if they're by now rather tired as a result of their playful splashing about. Sorey turns and reaches for a towel, Amenoch attempting to help by passing it and almost managing to fall in before Sorey catches him.]

Careful. Is Morgana okay?

[He uses the pillow to attempt to dry his hair a bit, turning again to glance over to the other squidge that seems to be feeling neglected in the process of their playfighting.]

[circulets]

Morgana's alright. [ Mikleo answers him easily, moving over to approach Morgana. ]

She gets skittish if I'm not close by. But, I'm sure that it won't harm her too much if we're apart for a short amount of time.

[historiology]

You're not even really apart. She can still see you.

[Unless it's more than that. Babies need that physical contact and reassurance, don't they? Or, Sorey himself is kind of physical as well. So in a way he could kind of understand if that were maybe the case. Still, it seems easiest to do whatever helps and calms the goo babies. It's been trial and error in some ways, but they manage.]

As long as she's fine. I'm just glad between the two of us, we made it this far!

[circulets]

That's not exactly what I mean.

[ Morgana was awfully clingy. But, that was an understatement. Morgana was DEFINITELY more clingy that Sorey's squidge. He... hopes he can teach her a little Independence before they have to say good bye. ]

She's still awfully skittish, isn't she?

[historiology]

Kind of. But that could be something she grows out of? Or she's just kind of shy, I guess.

[Amenoch never had such problems. But that doesn't mean both don't come with their own issues and difficulties in dealing with each of their personalities. Still, Sorey doesn't really seem to mind Amenoch, just wishes the little guy would be more careful with his curiosity and explorations.]

[circulets]

Either way, it isn't harming anyone, but it isn't as though we'll be a permanent part of their lives, either.

[ So, she'll have to become accustomed to living without Mikleo.

Still, he doesn't exactly want to say good bye, either. ]

[historiology]

No, I know. But I want to be sure the little guys are going to be okay too. After we head back to Oska and wherever the next mission is.

[But well. It isn't like Sorey can't relate. He had never exactly adjusted well to being without the water seraph either. And that was just as a best friend and not...not like some sort of surrogate parent of sorts.]