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

[messenger]

You're welcome.

[ he likes being thanked. he likes being appreciated. he gives dean a small squeeze at his upper arm, glowing with something very close to pride despite the lack of effort being expounded on his part. he really should be doing more, or at least that's what it feels like, but maybe he always feels this way. maybe he always will.

another few minutes later, and he speaks. ]

I guess there are some situations where personal space isn't necessary.

[venatoris]

[ Dean gets that, honestly. He can always do better. Save more people. Do more than what he's already done. Feels like he'll never rest, but he's come to terms with that by now, he knows there's always gonna be something up until the day that he dies.

His eyes close and he grudgingly allows himself to enjoy the presence of another person in bed with him, pressed up against his back, offering their heat and company. But then Cas speaks and Dean's barking a laugh, vibrating under Cas' grip. ]

Yeah. I guess you're right.

[messenger]

... I never really understood that.

[ it's a small, softly spoken confession. not a shocking one, by any means. it's obvious castiel never understood why dean made the request, not least because he often forgets to follow it (and dean often forgets to correct him).

but dean has an odd advantage over him in this situation. he's seen the person castiel will become. ]

Do I get better at it in the future?

[venatoris]

[ It's awkward, the way he lets his hand wander up to cover Cas', fingers ice cold and light, tentative as it comes to rest. ]

Uh, yeah. Kinda. You still have your moments but I've kinda given up.

[messenger]

[ dean's hands are very cold. it makes him frown. he folds both of his own around dean's fingers. the extremities are more prone to frostbite. ]

... Dean, did I stay on earth with you?

[venatoris]

[ They're kinda holding hands and Dean shivers, and it's got nothing to do with how cold he is. ]

Directly after?

[messenger]

[ he rubs his thumb over dean's calloused fingers, thinking his shuddering is from the cold. ]

I'm not asking for details.

[ he knows dean won't tell him if he does. ]

[venatoris]

[ he would not, no. ]

You stay.

[messenger]

[ he never considered staying.

it has nothing to do with desire. his home is in heaven. his duty is to heaven. if the apocalypse doesn't come to pass, if they could be that lucky, his first thought would have been to return, if they allowed him, to set things right.

it's only now, in the process of this conversation, that he considers: maybe this isn't possible. ]

Was it my idea? Or did you ask me to?

[ five years in the future, this would be a loaded conversation. oh, how he wanted dean to ask him. longed for it, like he's longed for nothing else. but this castiel hasn't even considered the possibility. they're endless. the future, infinite, all stretching out before him, terrifying in its enormity. ]

[venatoris]

[ It's certainly a complicated question. He thinks on the question, not sure how to answer. Cas had had a civil war to fight, important shit to do. Raphael wasn't dead yet, and there was a lot to deal with. He wanted Cas to stay, but how could he ask with so much going on? ]

You knew I wanted you to stay.

[messenger]

[ and when he did inevitably return to heaven, it was with the thought that dean was in good hands. he didn't know dean wanted him to stay.

he doesn't know until dean tells him so, right now. ]

Okay.

[ simple as that. ]

Are you feeling any warmer?

[venatoris]

[ It's an answer and a non-answer, but it at least gets the point across. He did want Cas to stay, after. He was alone, and because he was alone he showed up at Lisa's door as Sam asked, because he couldn't make himself go to Bobby's. ]

Yeah, a little. Not much. Think I really might be cursed.

[messenger]

I'm sorry I can't heal you, Dean.

[ he feels guilty, for some unfathomable reason.

he peers at the nape of dean's neck before covering it with his rough cheek, glancing around the room as he settles.

there's an assortment of small colorful green pebbles that look like sea glass on dean's nightstand. castiel found them a few days ago and left them there.

there are some other odds and ends, too, scattered around other places in the bunker, small enough to go unnoticed. if there's any pattern to it, it's unconscious, following some unfathomable geometry. ]

[venatoris]

Not your fault, man.

[ this stupid city. He likes a lot of it, but there’s also a lot he doesn’t like. Shit like this falls heavily into the dislike category. ]

I’m not making you cold too, am I?

[ It’s a worry, transfer of curses and all. Magical STDs. Dean chews his lower lip and fixes his gaze on the little pebbles, shivering again, heart squeezing in his chest. ]

[messenger]

No. I'm fine.

[ he doesn't feel cold. at least, he thinks he doesn't feel cold. but he's worried — dean is still so chill. he rubs his hand over his arm again, back and forth, back and forth. he would feel lucky if he could get dean to fall asleep, but that seems unlikely for a number of reasons. ]

Should I get you a... a hot drink?

[venatoris]

[ This is gay as hell, but he’s so cold he can’t find it in himself to really care. He closes his eyes and breathes deep, catching Cas’ wrist with one hand and hauling it over so he can slap that warm palm right in his chest, in the middle. ]

No. Stay with me, don’t leave.

[messenger]

Alright, Dean.

[ he relaxes, letting his hand be led. pausing, then resuming his rubbing. in circles, now. ]

Do you... like it here? In Etraya?

[venatoris]

[ Both the talking and the heat of Cas' palm are helping - one distracts, the other warms him up. Or maybe they both do both, he doesn't know. He just knows his ass is up against the angel he promised to keep and that's doing things to the animal, caveman part of his brain. ]

That's kinda complicated. Yes and no. The missions can be fucked up, but there's less pressure on just me, you know? Can kinda share the load.

[messenger]

You're not alone.

[ he can sympathize with dean's position. it doesn't come as a shock to him that no other angel rebelled — that even anna's attempt to halt the apocalypse came at a cost too high for him to entertain, to the point where he threatened her with murder. but it's disheartening all the same to stand against the end knowing he's the only one of his kind who cares enough to act. ]

I understand. It's a heavy burden to stand alone between the apocalypse and all of humanity.

[ they're fit together very snug, aren't they? castiel's hand is still moving, the rhythm shifting from conscious action to unconscious tic. ]

[venatoris]

[ It certainly felt like it in the year after the showdown that didn't happen, but even after he felt isolated. Kind of always has, maybe. He and Sam are close, obviously, but even in their relationship there can be fractures, rifts when they don't see eye to eye. ]

Guess it's a good thing neither of us are alone here, then. Least we got each other.

[messenger]

[ dean says he stayed with him, after the world didn't end. he knows it's more complicated than that. he can't imagine how events transpired, with what little he has to go on. he can't imagine how it is that anything turned out the way it did. and he doesn't want to know, fearful for what might change if he comes back armed with information he shouldn't have ever had — it's clear enough that being here isn't a part of the natural course of their lives. never mind that, for at least a brief moment, there were three castiels all in one place. that maybe there still are.

he can't help but feel guilty.

he never planned to stay with dean. he hadn't even considered it. ]

And the other Castiels...?

[venatoris]

I dunno. I guess they're gone. They've been quiet.

[ Which is depressing and something he hasn't really talked about, because he'd been getting close to the Other one, and then he'd vanished into then air. He can't get a hold of either of them. ]

Guess all we got left is each other.

[messenger]

Dean...

[ he's sorry. that they're gone, and that this is what dean is left with. ]

[venatoris]

I'm glad you're here.

[ And helping him, trying to keep him from turning into am ebay popsicle. ]

[messenger]

... I am, too.

[ it's a confession, to admit it. said with a sigh. he shouldn't be allowed to run away from his problems. but it's easier being here than it was being there. he doesn't have to watch the world, and dean, fall apart. ]