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

[twin_blade]

This is... fucking crazy.

[ Vax hardly knows what else to say. ]

And whole worlds are going to perish because one goddess I've never heard of says so? What about the others?

[ There was a time when the gods fought over such things, but that was long ago. In his world, the planes have existed without needing to destroy one another. ]

[abit_ofboth]

You are not wrong.

[Loki can hardly blame him. The only reason he hasn’t completely lost his mind is because he’s already well acquainted with timelines. If that isn’t the understatement to end all understatements.]

That is what they claim, but I am not so sure it is true. Unfortunately, I have found no way to get in contact with whoever is running this place so I can fix things. But I have not given up.

Which others? The other patrons here? Or other gods?

[twin_blade]

[ Vax looks around, still a bit inside his own thoughts, but he does turn to Loki to answer. ]

Yes, other gods. Everlight. The Wild Mother. The Stormlord. Matron of Ravens?

[ He's getting the sense Loki might not know who he's talking about. ]

[abit_ofboth]

I see. They must be from one of the new pantheons. They are the gods of your world then?

[Look, Loki might be the God of Time now, and he has spent the last who knows how long making sure all the new timelines get to grow and survive, but that does not mean he knows the intricacies of them all. At least not yet. It hasn’t been that long.]

[twin_blade]

[ New? Vax doesn't consider that a thousand years is a drop in a bucket for other beings. ]

Yes, they are, and I serve the Matron.

[ How powerful must this 'Echo' be to steal him away? ]

[abit_ofboth]

[Loki doesn’t expect most mortals to understand, but he doesn’t think to explain in the moment either. He’s more curious to hear about this other pantheon.]

I see. Tell me more about this Matron. What is it they stand for?

[One could really learn a lot about a person by which god they follow.

What Vax might think to hear Echo is powerful enough to take an actual god and not simply ones followers.]

[twin_blade]

[ That's really going to make Vax worry about his chances here. ]

She's the goddess of death.

[ Well, he wonders what Loki's impression is of him now. Some of the Matron's followers are definitely kind of... cult-y? And strange in their worshipping practices. Vax didn't sign up for that. ]

[abit_ofboth]

[Well, that isn’t the answer Loki is expecting, but he’s not put off by it either.]

Ah, yes. In my world she is referred to as Hel and is also the god of the Underworld. In some realms, it is believed she is my daughter, but that is a timeline that I am not specifically from.

[Once everything is settled, and he gets back to his work, Loki definitely wants to take a peak at some of his variants and see just what his children would have been like.]

[twin_blade]

[ Vax is surprised he gets such a calm response. He sort of expected he wouldn't be believed when he talked about such things. ]

Your daughter?

[ Would that make him a god? Vax is a bit confused. ]

Hell is ruled by another where I come from.

[abit_ofboth]

Yes. Well not my daughter, but one of my variants. Or possibly it just hasn’t happened to me yet, though at this stage, I find it hard to believe that is something that will happen.

[As always, Loki doesn’t think to explain properly. He’s still used to people simply knowing who he is, at least to some degree. And considering the nature of this place, he guesses that many have at least figured out about different worlds and timelines. One day he will stop assuming.]

Oh really? They must work closely together though, no?

[twin_blade]

[ Vax tries to figure out what that means. It sounds like they're living outside of time or something. With things that have happened or are yet to happen, or maybe not happen at all. He doesn't really like the idea of limbo, even if he gets a sense it may be in his future. ]

No, the Matron maintains the transition of souls, not their planes of existance.

[ He shakes his head. ]

I cannot believe she approves of me being trapped here.

[abit_ofboth]

[Loki doesn't really like the idea of limbo either, if he's honest. Most of his life he's been lonely and to go back to that after finally finding some true friends is one of the hardest things he's had to do. He knows it will be even harder to leave this place after everyone he's met here, and just being able to talk to people again, but it's something he knows he needs to do.]

So there is not communication between the two? That seems odd. In my world, those two jobs go hand in hand, but I do not pretend to know the details of all timelines. It is far too much for anyone, myself included.

I doubt she would approve. I am starting to think that for one reason or another, our presence has not been missed.

[Loki has not discounted the possibility that they are in another sort of TVA, that they are once again outside of time. It would explain why the multiversal war hasn't started without his presence directing the timelines. But he still needs to find out who's really in charge before everything falls apart in his absence.]

Perhaps you and I could work together to find out what is really going on here? I could really use all the help I can get.

[twin_blade]

The gods are on speaking terms, but they have their own domains, too. I'm not really an expert, though. Serving a goddess is kind of new for me. As in.. very new.

[ He only recently became her champion, and it was under some drastic circumstances. ]

What do you mean, hasn't been missed?

[ As for working together, Vax nods. He doesn't know this man very well yet, but he has been helpful. Finding a few allies could be useful. ]

I'm Vax'ildan, but call me Vax.

[abit_ofboth]

Oh? Is that so? I thought most people started worshipping from childhood. [That's really only something Loki's heard in passing. He's never really understood or paid much attention to who that sort of thing works from a followers perspective.]

Well, you see, what I was doing before I was taken is quite important. Important enough that my not being present should be felt here, but so far there is no sign of issue in a way I might expect. This has me wondering if something has happened so that my absence has not been missed at all.

[It's a thought that scares him, one he doesn't like to voice, but thinks it might be necessary. After all, what does it mean if no one is looking for him?

Loki smiles and nods in response.]

It is nice to meet you Vax. You may call me Loki.

[twin_blade]

[ The thought that the people here are not being missed at home or have somehow gone unnoticed is a little difficult to imagine. Vax knows at least one person who would realize right away he was missing, and others would follow. ]

I don't want to think about how things might be at home right now. My friends and I fought some difficult battles recently, and those battles were only going to get harder.

[ Vax finds it hard to put those worries out of his mind, but he does nod at the greeting. ]

Good to meet you, as well. You've given me some things to think about.

[abit_ofboth]

[He’s not about to say it to someone he’s just met, but it’s crossed Loki’s mind more than once that perhaps some of their timelines have already been erased. Like this is another sort of TVA. All the nonsense about competing to keep your timeline in existence is just subterfuge.

That or variants have taken their places.

Neither are things he wants to think about, but they pop into his head anyway.]

I do hope your friends are doing well then. I know how hard it is to be taken away during such events. Hopefully we can figure this place out sooner rather than later and get everyone home.

I hope I have helped at least a small bit. If you ever wish to speak on how we might figure out more of what is going on here, please do not hesitate to ask me.