epidemiology | EVENT ★ ZETA-12 FINAL WEEK

EVENT ★ ZETA-12 FINAL WEEK

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.

Fyletto

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ 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... ]

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.]

[ 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!

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.]

[ ~~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. ]

[~~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.

[ 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.

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.]

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.

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!

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?

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.]

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. ]

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.]

We've raised them the best we can. It's good to want to keep looking after them the best we can, but this is as much as we can do.

[ He knows that Sorey is worried, but he wants to help him the best he can to know there's no need to worry far too much. ]

Yours seems happy, anyways.

I know. We can't stay here forever. I'm just glad we've managed thus far. This well. But Amenoch has been pretty great! Aside from the times he's tried to wander off exploring, anyway.....

[There are reasons he let Mikleo keep an eye on the goo baby while he got some shut eye at the least. Honestly.]

Sounds like two peas in a pod.

[ He's just teasing, really. ]

I have no idea what you are trying to imply there....

[Yes. He so does. Which is only too well shown in the way Amenoch finds it hilarious to try run off with one of his shirts that was drying. Apparently he'd been holding to it and then got distracted by something. Or someone.]

H-hey, where -- come back here!

Oh, I think you know.

[ He's smiling to himself despite that, walking after Sorey. Well, they definitely were two peas in a pod. ... Though, he does wonder if that means that he and Morgana have any types of like qualities, as well. ]

[Yeah. Amenoch choosing that particular timing kind of doesn't help that comparison. Still, Sorey is practiced enough by now after a few escape/exploring attempts to catch the squidge fairly quickly, picking him and the shirt up from the ground with a pout that quickly fades amid his chuckle.]

I guess at least it doesn't seem too dirty from being dragged behind you at least.

It doesn't particularly seem like it likes getting dirty.

[ Mikleo looks to Morgana, leaning downwards before picking the squidge up, and patting its head gently. It coos in response, leaning towards that headpat. ]

Well, it's the same with seraphim or humans. We're all different too. Some of us not minding being dirty or others avoiding it. I guess these guys are no different.

[He says, holding out Amenoch to Mikleo so he can thus put his shirt back on after drying himself a bit better.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

EVENT ★ ZETA-12 FINAL WEEK

:T!!!

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