002 - Growing Pains

[tabularasa_mods]

Growing Pains State of the World ▲ Locations ▼ Bestiary
OOC ▲ Comments A Light In The Darkness
Light seems to have been especially tricky for the world to comprehend, but it finally, finally seems to have figured things out. Light comes from more than just the sky, and now signs and lamps that were once dark have begun to glow brightly. From the Wall Market's dazzling exhibition of color to the dimmed street lamps of the City of Tears, the whole world has been made bright and lively once more without losing the comfort and tranquility that darkness brings. Even the broken screens of the Hammerlocke Stadium give off a pleasant glow, and the world doesn't seem to care that some lights need electricity to stay on - lights are simply lights, as far as the world seems concerned.

Unfortunately, these new lights are a little too simple. Without any need for a power source, there's no way to turn the lights off - if something is deemed a light source, it will always function as a light source. The only way to stop it is to destroy the object beyond recognition, but that might not be the most practical solution. Covering up the lights is the next best thing, but it's a task that's easier with some sources than others. At least no one needs to sleep yet.

Difficulties aside, now seems like the perfect time to start exploring all those new corners of the world that were previously too dark to navigate. Fire is an easy, safe and portable light source that anyone can use, and it even puts itself out after awhile. Just be careful not to get stuck in the dark by a stray breeze.

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Who's Hungry?
Animals need to eat. People need to eat. These are simple facts that people lost in the strange, changing landscape all seem to be well aware of, yet appear to not apply to this world. That is not to say that people can’t eat or drink, for many people do, but there is no actual need. Eating provides nothing but the knowledge that one has eaten, and anyone might go without food entirely. Lately, some might have found eating has become more satisfying and fulfilling an act, as though food is providing them with a vaguely-defined something they didn’t get before. It doesn’t seem to mean much in the grand scheme of things, but perhaps it allows them some sense of normality.

When hunger sets in, it’s sudden. Every person, whether or not they ever needed to eat in their homeland, is hit with a powerful, overwhelming sense of hunger, to the point it feels that if they do not eat they will soon starve. Those who have never eaten in all their time here might easily find themselves so hungry they can barely even move, and have little choice but to eat. Fortunately, food is plentiful. If it can be put in the mouth, chewed and swallowed, it is food, and thus will give a person temporary relief from their hunger. What goes in does not appear to come out, instead simply becoming part of that person and revitalizing them. How long it takes to feel hungry again seems entirely random, and each time there is no lead up - someone is either fine, or they are starving, without any in-between.

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Starving Mad Beasts
When people suddenly remember hunger, so too do the animals of the world. For some creatures this isn't an issue - the tall-necked beasts continue to graze on the treetops like they always have, and the smaller creatures seem content with snacking on whatever small scraps they can find. Not all creatures are so easily satisfied, however, and the more aggressive ones have turned to attacking other species for food.

The vicious water dragons are quick to clamp their mouths on anything within reach... but, lacking teeth, this doesn't amount to much. Still, they're as persistent as ever, and in a way their inability to viciously devour their prey only makes them more dangerous. These beasts are starving, and for all their skill in chasing down prey they can do little to actually eat their catch, which means they're constantly on the hunt and out to get anything that moves. Perhaps it might even be a good idea to help them out, if feeding the fish might make them a little less aggressive.

The machines are far better equipped for hunting, and all the more dangerous now that they're hungry enough to take a bite out of someone. Death is not a concept the world understands, so it's not like they're doing any permanent harm, but it's still a bit unnerving to see animals limping by with bite-sized chunks taken out of them. They haven't had a taste of people yet, but it doesn't seem like it'll be long before they try.

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Mushroom Hunting
Mushrooms are a new sight within the world, and a perfect snack to satisfy that sudden debilitating hunger! Harvesting them can be a bit of a problem, however. For one, they are massive, and the task of cutting one down and breaking it into edible chunks is made much easier with a group of people than one person working alone. Finding the mushrooms in their dark habitats may also be difficult... although, it is much easier to spot a mushroom the size of an entire person compared to something much smaller.

The real problem with mushroom hunting is where they can grow, which is nearly anywhere indoors. Though light now comes from other sources besides the sky, there are still buildings with dark corners that might suddenly acquire a giant mushroom or two (or three, or four) if left alone. And if those mushrooms are allowed to remain, they may just continue to grow, and grow, and grow...

So, if you don't want giant mushrooms bursting through your roof, it might be a good idea to keep an eye out for them before that happens.

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code bases by tricklet

Comments

[bridge_princess]

The mission? Oh right, cleanup duty. I'm not sure that I'd go so far as to call it a "Mission" so much as just something we're choosing to do. But, I guess now you can taste garbage?

....

You should go to Heavenly blanc sometime. Try the food there. It tastes better than trash. I'm sure of it.

[forwearemany]

Acknowledged.

(Where will they put the garbage now? They settle for collecting it into a single pile.)

Specific recommendations?

(What kinds of food are even available at Heavenly Blanc?)

[bridge_princess]

Ren's trying his hand at making curry. It's new to me, but it tastes good enough. You might ask him to offer you samples.

...

Honestly, do that. Seriously do that. He'd flip over the chance to have a robot try his food.

[forwearemany]

...Acknowledged.

(They will... at some point.)

[bridge_princess]

Heh, you should also tell him I sent you. I think he'd get a kick out of that.

[Or come looking for her. Same difference really.]

[forwearemany]

Affirmative. We will inform him of your referral.

(Whenever they actually get around to trying the curry.)

[bridge_princess]

Cool... so, you're not hungry right now, right? You're good and I'm good... gah, this place is weird. We should get some of this stuff off the beach and try to relax.

[forwearemany]

Acknowledged.

(They're just gonna start gathering up what they've collected so far for transport.)

[bridge_princess]

I'll be over here if you need me, Legion. Some of this stuff's heavy.

[She waved over to him as she went to grab one of the bigger pieces. No hurry. If the robot needed her, it'd let her know she was sure.]

(OOC: This actually feels like a good quick handwave point.)

[forwearemany]

(OOC: Got it.)

(And well, getting all the stuff off the beach and ... wherever they're taking it probably won't take too-okay time doesn't really work here as it should, but it probably won't feel like too long.)

Is Parsee experiencing hunger?

[bridge_princess]

(OOC: Ooop! That's actually something to chit chat about isn't it? Hehe)

Eh?

[She was in the middle of stuffing things into a bag when he asked that, trying to decide how to get rid of all this trash when it dawned on her... they didn't crap, which meant it all just disappeared inside them.

...

She might have been stuffing a banana peel down her mouth and swallowing, don't mind her.]

mebbe a little. Until we make waste ourselves... we're like trash collectors aren't we?

[forwearemany]

(OOC: probably yes.)

(They were going to see if she wanted to get something to eat with them and then they look at her and is she eating garbage?)

We do not recommend this course of action.

(Why would she eat garbage it's terrible.)

[bridge_princess]

Blech. Ok, maybe you have a point. I don't think I can destroy the trash this way. Ugh.

[YOU ARE NOT A TRASH COMPACTOR, PARSEE!]

Let's go get some curry. I'll wash the taste out of my mouth with some salt water first.

[forwearemany]

(They might concede it was worth a try if garbage wasn't so intensely, overwhelmingly offensive to the senses.

As it stands, it really just seems like a way to cause oneself needless suffering.

Then again, organics experience a far greater deal of sensory discomfort than the Geth in general, so perhaps it is less overwhelming.)

Affirmative.

[bridge_princess]

Wait... actually, I have a question. You might be one of the only ones who can answer it without being gross about it.

[Blech. Salt water didn't taste good, but it did get the aftertaste of garbage out of her mouth. Already, though it felt like she was back to 'empty' but not 'hungry,' which had solicited this question as she gestured towards Legion's gut, where it had put the trash before.]

Ok, so you put the trash in here, right? And it jut seems to disappear. Is there a way to watch the process? Because I have a hunch there I wanna prove if I can manage it."

[forwearemany]

Yes.

(She could, you know, just look inside.)

Our internal cavity is visible. However if you choose to look inside, we request you not stick parts of your physical form inside: we are uncertain of how consumption works, and are uninterested in the prospect of consuming allies.

(They don't want to accidentally eat her hand ... or part of her face should she stick her head in for a better look.)

[bridge_princess]

Yeah. No eating people. Got it. Sort of more important for me. That's kind of something youkai are known for, but I'm behaving. Besides, there's decent curry where we're going.

[She got down to have a careful look, opting to avoid looking too closely. She was trying to see if the stuff dissolved into papery void-y type stuff... because she had a feeling it did.]

Alright, let's do it.

[forwearemany]

(They chatter awkwardly for a moment, as they consider the dearth of anything worth eating.

...Plastic is supposed to be tasteless, right? It also comprises much of them--they do not know if nutrition is an applicable concept here, but if so, plastic is likely to be a necessary dietary component.

They grab a piece, and drop it in.)

[bridge_princess]

[She watched whatever it was be put in. And within, what she saw was exactly what she expected to see. Unbeknownst to her, for now there was no consistent rule of how this worked, so her imagining that it would bubble and melt away like paper mush until it was just dissolved played out. She nodded in self-imposed acceptance.]

I think the white stuff is what it is before and after it breaks down. It takes substance and becomes things, with parts, but when it stops being the thing it turns into the white stuff...

[forwearemany]

You refer to the substance in the void?

(They headtilt. They cannot see what's going on, so...)

What did you see?

[bridge_princess]

[She saw... what she had expected to see. Unknown to her, it wasn't consistent yet. So it was more her expectations at play here.]

I saw it sort of melt into the white goo, bubble away and get aborbed. That's all. Weird.

[forwearemany]

Acknowledged.

(They chatter.)

You spoke of obtaining curry?

[bridge_princess]

Yeah, I did. Come on. Let's stop eating trash and get some curry.

[And she led the way off the beach. This sounded like a good and productive use of their time.]

(OOC And now we handwave! \o/)