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

[abit_ofboth]

[It’s actually a bit of a relief that she does not seem wary of him, though he’s not exactly sure if she knows who he is. He supposes he’ll find out soon enough, though.]

Yes, indeed. I wonder if there is a market for it? Putting up decorations magically for those who are not able? Or perhaps some might enjoy the long and boring route. To each their own, and all that.

[He offers her a tentative smile as she turns to face him directly. It’s nice, he thinks, running into another mage. He wonders if she’d ever be up to talking about magic, or even testing out new spells. It’s just a bit rare to run into someone of her power level.]

I think ghosts. I do not understand why people are frightened of a vegetable.

[wundagores]

[she meets his tentative smile with something a little less so. not much less tentative — smiles, now, are uncertain steps, and it feels like it's been years since they haven't been — but this can be a beginning of something.]

You'd be surprised. Depending on the movie, a jack-o'-lantern can be quite terrifying.

[a shrug, the lightest breath of a laugh.]

I think there's appeal for some in the long way, though. Tradition. A way for families to spend time together.

[there's a moment, brief, when her voice falters. she swallows, quietly clears her throat against that, with:]

But you could still find a market, I'm sure.

[abit_ofboth]

Is that so? I can’t say I’m all that well acquainted with the films of Midgard. Perhaps I should correct that. Do you have any recommendations?

[It might be a small laugh, but it’s there and Loki can’t help but be proud he had something to do with it. He’s found he enjoys making people laugh.]

Hmm, I don’t believe I have ever considered that before. Perhaps that is why Thor enjoyed the feasts on Asgard so much. [That was the closest thing to tradition Loki could think of himself. And it was definitely a time when they would all spend time together as a family and their 500 closest friends.

He frowns slightly at the small hitch in her voice, but doesn’t press.]

I suppose it is at least something to look into. Not everyone has family. Or has family they are able to see.

[wundagores]

[try as she does, wanda knows that the wave of sadness that's always at her heels can't be held off forever; even now, the attempt starts to falter when it's barely even begun. she doesn't know why she'd brought up family, when the whole concept is so entwined with loss. there's a stinging in the corner of her eyes, which she blinks back —

and then something that he says directs her attention toward a different place.

once again, her gaze on him is curious.]

I knew Thor. [the curiosity is there, too, quiet in her voice.] Only briefly, but that sounds like him.

[wanda glances behind her, where the companion bots are still hard at work on their decorations. in a moment, as she turns back, she makes a decision.]

Do you have time for a cup of tea? Or coffee, or whatever you like to drink? [it's awkward, stilted — and she's aware of that; after everything, she feels out of practice with so much. still, she presses on:] I could tell you more about those recommendations.

[abit_ofboth]

[It’s clear to him that something they are discussing is upsetting her, but he’s not really sure exactly what it is. He might have been keeping the timelines active and alive, but he doesn’t look in on everyone all the time. Loki does know who she is and that she becomes the Scarlet Witch, but that’s about it.

He frowns a bit and is trying to think of a polite way of asking if she is alright when things turn slightly.]

Did you? I suppose he did meet quite a few people on Midgard. Always popular, my brother.

[He smiles a bit awkwardly. She says she only knew him briefly, but Thor isn’t really one to make only a minimal impression. And if they were allies, it is possible Wanda actually knows a lot about Loki. A lot of what he was like before. But she doesn’t seem hostile, so he takes that with a grain of salt.]

I would love a cup of tea and a chat. Yours or mine?