OCTOBER MINGLE

[etrayamods]

WHO: Everyone!
WHEN: October 25th - Early November
WHERE: Etraya
WHAT: The arrival of newcomers, and some holiday fun!
NOTES\WARNINGS: Supernatural elements, temporary physical alterations, mild horror and jump scares, spooky scary skeleton robots, mild suggestion of compulsion or loss of control, mild body horror.

⏵ arrival ⏴ Welcome to Etraya! Everything is fine now. 😊 Arrival goes expected - or it does for the most part. Aurora greets newcomers in the hospital as they awaken, offers a brief explanation and gives them their earpiece so they can communicate with one another. Around the hospital and outside of it, Companion Bots are hard at work decorating the city for Halloween—complete with festive touches like pumpkins, cobwebs, and glowing ghost decorations. The atmosphere is fun, light-hearted, and maybe just a little spooky. 🎃👻 Some carry buckets of candy, and offer those they come across a trick or treat. Except both options are, in fact, treats. 🍬 Tricks are treats specifically wrapped in a green wrapper that very clearly declares that they are tricks. Treats are wrapped in orange, and labeled with treat! Companion bots will recommend that those who do want to take a trick take them when they're beside their friends. There won't be any permanent effects from these, nor will they be terrible tricks - just fun ones! All effects last roughly 24 hours. Giggle Drops cause uncontrollable giggling that bubbles up randomly, even during serious conversations. Beasty Bites cause characters to grow small fangs, and they will begin craving red foods - apples, cherries, etc. Bat Gummies cause small, bat-like shadows to follow characters around wherever they wander. These shadows are harmless, and super cute. Pumpkin Puff is a cotton-candy-like treat, that causes their voices to change dramatically. Either becoming significantly deeper or perhaps very high-pitched, as if they've recently inhaled helium. Floating Fudge gives characters the ability to float in the air! Just a few feet off the ground, but it's still fun. Right? ⏵ getting spooky! ⏴ Etraya is embracing the season - and maybe even going a little overboard. Around the hospital, a few small pop-up shops are manned by festively dressed companion bots. They offer samples to everyone - although sampling isn't really necessary. After all, everything here is free! Candy Shops: Perfect for stocking up on sweets and treats for the upcoming trick-or-treating event. These will not stock the tricks the companion bots offer around Etraya, but instead only carry harmless sweets. They do take custom requests, too, and are happy to create the treats others want! Costume Shops: Find the perfect costume for Halloween! But beware... rumor has it, if you wear a costume, you might become whatever you dressed up as for a few hours. Those who put on vampire costumes may find themselves suddenly craving blood and growing fangs - those with werewolf costumes may find themselves feeling a little wolfish. These effects may last a few hours, up to a few days. ⏵ masquerade ⏴ In the spirit of mystery, Etraya will be hosting a Masquerade Ball outside the hospital through the nights of October 26th and 27th. Dance anonymously with other attendees and make new friends under the cover of your disguise. Everyone receives a single rose they can exchange with someone else throughout the evening. At the stroke of midnight, the roses will reveal the true identities of your masked dance partners. 🌹 ⏵ all hallow's eve ⏴ On October 31st, multiple companion bots set up shop along one of the walkways through the larger island towards the center. With chairs and small booths set up, they offer candies out to trick-or-treaters who wander around through the first part of the night. Some of them will request trick-or-treaters to do a trick for them, to earn a bigger treat! They may ask characters to dance, sing, or show a talent unique to them. Can your character bend themselves into a pretzel? They want to see it, and will offer them a nice bracelet in exchange! Can they whistle super loud? Maybe they'll get a nice piece of kevlar armor after showing off. This can be anything within reason - bike parts, small weaponry, armor pieces, toys, canvases for painting. Please request these items HERE. Not everything is as light-hearted as it seems, however. Aurora issues a warning to the citizens of Etraya: Do not stay outside after midnight. Strange happenings have been reported, and those who disobey may start seeing visions of past loved ones. The visions are compelling—guiding people away from the safety of the buildings and into the mysterious mist surrounding the outskirts. But be careful, these spirits may not be as friendly as they seem. If you come into contact with these ghosts, you’ll feel a chilling cold, leading to hypothermia-like symptoms. The longer you’re exposed, the worse it gets. Treatment? You’ll need to be warmed up quickly. ⏵ skellys! ⏴ The Companion Bots wanted to join in on the fun, so they painted themselves with glow-in-the-dark paint to look like skeletons. But in the dead of night, for those already suffering from the chilling touch of the ghosts, seeing glowing skeletons approach from the darkness might not be the most comforting sight. 🤖💀 Stay safe, warm up, and enjoy the festivities! ⏵ NOTES ⏴ For all questions relating to this log, please refer to the mod queries comment. All other questions can be directed to the FAQ. ⏵FULL NAVIGATION⏴

Comments

[sonofzod]

Metropolis.

[ He taps the emblem on his belt while he giggles. ]

I am Superman. [ Sorry, Jason. What is a secret identity? ]

[leastdramatic]

[At that, Jason raises an eyebrow in interest]

Really? You look very different from the Superman I know. Though I gotta say, the duster's a much better look than a cape.

[sonofzod]

You know another Superman? I thought they were all dead.

[leastdramatic]

[Oh boy. This might be an awkward conversation]

Well... that's probably true in your universe but there are alternate universes where Superman isn't the only surviving Kryptonian. In my universe, there's also a Supergirl and two Superboys.

[sonofzod]

[ He really doesn't know what to do with that. He saw the footage. He saw Krypton's destruction. There was no way anyone else could have made it. He's never given much thought to alternate timelines or multiverses. That was Kirk's wheelhouse. ]

This Superman, what is his name?

[leastdramatic]

[It's a risk to lie in front of a Kryptonian given how they can listen to heartbeats but Jason doesn't know yet how different this Superman is to Clark. So for now he'll have to play dumb]

Not a clue. The guy maintains a secret identity.

[sonofzod]

[ Of course he realizes Jason is lying. But that isn't the part that is of immediate interest. It's the secret identity part. When he laughs it's a cross between his genuine laughter and the candy induced giggle, starting at his normal register and lilting up. ]

Why?

[leastdramatic]

[Jason shrugs, still trying to play dumb]

Protecting his loved ones? So he could have some breaks when he doesn't want to be Superman? Seems like he tries to pick and choose when he wants to be public.

[sonofzod]

[ Honestly Hernan could not fathom not being Superman. It's so interconnected to his identity it's nearly interchangeable with his government name. It is who he is. ]

Your Superman sounds shy. Thankfully I am not.

[leastdramatic]

Yeah? Does anyone bother with secret identities back home or you're just being brave?

[Jason's curiosity on what makes this Superman different remains and it shows in his tone. So far the biggest thing Jason's noting is that the man has a lot of confidence in himself]

[sonofzod]

[ Very confident. Some might even call it arrogance. ]

Why would we? I'd rather everyone know exactly who I am.

[leastdramatic]

I guess it's saves a lot of trouble when you got everything out in the open. You got other superheroes back home too?

[He's particularly interested in learning if there's a Batman. If there's a Gotham, then the chances of some version of him being around are high]

[sonofzod]

[ There used to be more than three of them, if you counted the Forever People. But they were dead. Or in a coma. ]

On Earth? There is just me and Wonder Woman and Batman.

[leastdramatic]

[Huh. A much smaller Justice League than the one back home. Is their world more peaceful or do they just have more work to do?]

That Batman also from Gotham? We got one back in my Gotham.

[sonofzod]

Yeah, Kirk is from Gotham. Does your Batman have a secret identity too?

[leastdramatic]

[There's just the smallest pause as Jason takes in that a Kirk from Gotham is Batman in another world. Is it Kirk Langstrom or is Jason thinking too hard about this?]

Yeah, he does. Most of the superheroes in my world do.

[At that statement, there's no signs of lying at all from Jason]

[sonofzod]

That is something I will never understand. What are your heroes so afraid of? Don't they put an end to threats?

[ you know, like permanently. ]

[leastdramatic]

Depends on your definition of "end." Usually the supposed end is imprisonment but depending on the threat, there's always a chance they'll escape.

[And for Jason, even though he's sworn off killing for the sake of his family, it still pisses him off how certain villains keep breaking out. It's why the temptation to slide back into his more violent methods is still around]

[sonofzod]

When we put an end to a threat they very rarely come back for a second try.

[leastdramatic]

[Jason knows what Hernan means by that and deep down, Jason understands. There are still days when Jason wants to act on it. He's just gotten better about holding back. But as much as he might agree with Hernan, a Superman with that kind of moral code might... cause issues. So Jason's guard remains up]

Pretty effective. No wonder you don't need to hide anything.

[sonofzod]

[ Hernan isn't ready to admit their methods have put them at odds with the government. It was why everyone was so eager and ready to believe they were capable of outright murder of innocent people. It's why Waller trotted out Fair Play.

Hernan looks down at his hand. The burn is nearly gone now. ]

You're right, amigo. It is effective. No one has to be afraid if they do not break the law. Simple right?

[leastdramatic]

[Jason nods]

Yeah. Problem is some people would argue there are gray areas.

[Hell, Jason worked in a moral gray area for most of his life]

Also, with that much power, some might question accountability. You guys work with the government? Is there a Luthor in your world?

[sonofzod]

[ Luthor. Jason do not get him started on Lex Luthor. ]

Tch. Not anymore. He's dead.

[ A pause. ]

And no, I didn't kill him.

[leastdramatic]

[Jason snorts]

Maybe Luthor being anti-Superman is multi-universal. He's publicly against him in my world. His argument is that people shouldn't fall for the Boy Scout act and that anyone with that much power can't be trusted.

[sonofzod]

He called me a pit bull and said I couldn't be trusted.

[ he wasn't wrong but that was still really unnecessary. ]