THE SQUAD DOES AN INTRO: GROUP MEET UP - [modplot] [event] [free-for-all]

[wildermods]

THE SQUAD DOES AN INTRO: GROUP MEET UP
OOC POST
The Green's binding spell finally works out its kinks and the entire group is teleported into the same area in the center of the city, near the statues of the Tin Man, Cowardly Lion, and Scarecrow.

Everyone in the group feels a tingling sensation as the magic sets in place and binds them. Anyone that tries to leave will now find themselves being teleported back if they wander too far. The group will have to try to stay together when it moves now.

They have a little bit of time to figure things out.

---

OOC INFO
✦ Post in actionspam format. Plots and mod-run events in the game are meant to be in actionspam format to keep a brisk pace.

✦ Free-for-all Post. This event will be in "free-for-all" format, meaning that threadhopping is encouraged and that threading should be treated in the same conversational way as network posts.

✦ By now, the language magic should be fully in place. By now, everyone should have magically learned Sylvaen so that everyone can speak it fluently and understand each other.

Comments

[shipoftheseus]

[It had occurred to them while meeting a few people at random before this, but once in the group it's painfully obviously how out of place Phos is. To them, anyway. Whatever these gem-shaped people are, it's clear that many of them look like members of the same species. It's a colorful group, but the details that had looked strange and off somehow on individuals are the same for many of them. Most of them seem unaggressive, if not outright friendly, but even still...

Phos is definitely the weird one here. And not even for the usual reasons.

They hover for a while, self-consciously gripping one golden arm with the other while they try to hop in on the conversation where they can, but eventually they fall quiet. Frowning, they scan the trees and ruins surrounding the group, and at a moment when everyone seems wrapped up in something else they peel away from the group and head back in. Cairngorm is still missing, after all. They could be looking for their partner instead of awkwardly hanging around here trying not to sound like they're as confused about everything everyone is saying as they are.

They don't get terribly far. Once they've gotten a good distance away, there's that sensation again from when they were getting elepoeted around randomly, and with a yelp they suddenly find themself stumbling in a new spot.

Or. An old spot. Back with the group in that same clearing.

Phos stares at everyone for a moment before sighing heavily and just...dropping to sit on the group and flopping onto their back.]

Ugh. Fine. I give up.

[wherenoonegoes]

[With a brief gesture to Toothless to stay. Hiccup walks over to Phos.]

Give up on what exactly?

[shipoftheseus]

[Still laying on the ground, Phos gestures vaguely in the air above them. They don't even bother turning their head to face Hiccup.]

Everything. [Their tone is flat as can be.] I'm done. Everything is weird and new and I'm mentally exhausted, so I'm just gonna stay here and enjoy this patch of sunlight.

[therevanchist]

Hey. Is this seat taken?

[It's rhetorical. With a single smooth motion, Revan sits cross-legged on the ground facing Phos, or at least would be if they were sitting up.]

That was brave, what you did.

[shipoftheseus]

[At Revan's approach, Phos opens their eyes to peek at her and they lift an arm in a lazy wave. But they remain where they are, laying in the grass. They're not sure where she was about to take this conversation -- scolding them for that squabbling before, maybe -- so the compliment is a surprise. Not enough to shift them from their position, but they frown slightly, gaze shifting up to stare at the sky through the tree branches up above.]

Hm? Oh. Nah, not really.

[It's not a particularly enthusiastic response. Phos can't consider themself brave. Not after they just watched when the Amethysts got shattered. Not when Antarcticite was taken and they couldn't bring themself to move until it was too late. All they've done here is start a fuss over something that are apparently just weird human decorations.

Closing their eyes, Phos shrugs, trying to play it off nonchalantly.]

He wasn't scary. When he tried hitting me before he gave up really easily.

[therevanchist]

[Revan shakes her head, feeling Phos's ambivalence.]

I don't mean Dixon, or a physical fight.

[She waves that off. Come on, he's an absolute pushover and they both know it.]

I mean standing up for the helpless even though you were the only one doing it.

[Revan doesn't want to see that flame snuffed by discouragement or embarrassment. It doesn't matter if the statues turn out to be people or not. What matters is what Phos thought at the time.]

That was brave.

[shipoftheseus]

[Was it? Phos doesn't know if they agree. But making a big deal out of it by arguing the point seems like it'd just draw even more attention to it, so they just roll with it. They gesture grandly but tiredly in the air above them.]

Yeah, sure. I'm sooo brave. Glad you can recognize it.

[Once upon a time they would have loved this kind of praise. Now it just feels uncomfortable and wrong. So they turn their head to peer up at her, eager to change the subject.]

So...what are you? All of you, I guess.

[therevanchist]

[Riiiight. Phos, you are not doing anything to sway Revan from her belief that you're a teenager. She snorts softly and rolls with the subject change.]

I'm human, and so are most of the rest, it looks like. I don't know what species the smaller furry one or the talkative green one are.

[Revan uses "talkative" in place of less flattering adjectives because she can be very diplomatic when she puts her mind to it.]

As far as I can tell, you're the only inorganic species here. I can't sense any minds in the statues, but that doesn't prove anything.

[She's willing to entertain the "comatose rock people" theory. By her standards, it's only medium weird at best.]

[loadme]

Maybe it's better if we just stick together for now.

It doesn't look like we have much choice in the matter. Whatever brought us here obviously doesn't to let us get split apart.

But something like that... is bound to get weird at some point.

[Speaking of weird, Monika has... multiple questions about why this one looks the way they do.

But asking them without coming off as rude? That's the real issue.]

Um.

[shipoftheseus]

Mm. It's already weird.

[Phos is unfortunately pretty accustomed by now to that look, the anticipation and awkward hesitation. It used to just be about their arms, but they suppose they shouldn't be surprised to be getting it again now. They're plenty aware that they're the odd one out here.]

Just go ahead and ask whatever you're thinking of.

[They lift a hand to wave tiredly, as if to say it's fine.]

[loadme]

Well, it's just. I couldn't help but notice how unique you look! Even compared to everyone else here.

[And that was saying something when the assembled group was already so... colorful.]

I especially like your hair and arms.

[Oh my god Monika, you can't just.]

I, um, hope that didn't sound too weird.

[shipoftheseus]

[It didn't sound too weird. It just sounded kinda familiar. Almost too familiar, really. They peer up at Monika with a slightly suspicious look, pulling their arms protectively to their chest.]

You can't touch them.

[Never again.]

[loadme]

You don't have to worry about that. I wasn't going to touch anything.

At least not without your permission!

[They were really on edge, weren't they.]

... Did something happen?

[shipoftheseus]

[The suspicious look lingers a moment longer, but they eventually sigh and let their arms drop back to their sides, eyes closing with pure weariness at the memory.]

Ah...everyone back home wanted to prod at them and play with them when they first saw.

[A beat, and they add as if to halfheartedly defend the others:]

We don't get a lot that's new and exciting, I guess.

[loadme]

Oh, really? It make sense you put it like that.

A change that big in everyone's day-to-day life is bound to attract a lot of attention!

Especially if the changes are your own, um, body parts.

... That is what we're talking about. Right?

[She needed to make sure. It was important.]

[followingdawn]

[ Sothe has been watching this from a short distance, and after watching what happens, he moves in closer and drops to take a seat on the ground himself. ]

So we really are all stuck with each other.

[ Goddess help us. ]

[shipoftheseus]

Looks like it.

[Says the exasperated rock who can't even be bothered to lift their head off the ground to respond.]

Unless you wanna try. I'm done getting zapped from place to place for a while. Or forever.

[followingdawn]

I'm not flattering myself by thinking I'd do any better.

[ There is absolutely nothing special about Sothe, as he sees it. Why would he have any more luck in trying to ditch these weirdos? ]

[outofresets]

[ Bart quietly settles down near Phos sometime after breaking off from his friends. He seems to have calmed down quite a bit since their last encounter. ]

You gonna be okay?

[shipoftheseus]

Hmm.

[That's...probably not the most comforting response. But give them a break, this has been the most mentally exhausting day of their very long life. The following pause is a little uncomfortably long, but they do eventually shrug against the grass.]

Ah...yeah. I'm fine.

[By certain definitions of "fine". They probably haven't been okay since like. Before last winter. Before whatever happened in the ocean? Eh.

The turn their head to lazily scan the area, all the emerald ruins and the lush, huge trees.]

This place is really weird.

[To say nothing of all the people in it.]