etrayalogs | OCTOBER MINGLE

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OCTOBER MINGLE

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⏴

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[She shrugs, her head tilting back and forth as she blithely says,] I'm a cleric. [Most people here don't really know what that means, but she says it anyway, in case he does.] A healer. I can cure most any wound, and a few other things besides. Diseases, curses, that sort of thing.

[Her eyes rake over the whole of his body, taking a moment to admire the physique up-close that she'd previously been admiring from afar.]

And what about you? Your attitudes towards food aside, you're too muscular for a chef. So what sorts of skills have you got?

[ That's... really useful. Really, really useful. John thinks of all the times he's had stitches, of being stuck in that wheelchair in that apartment after Snow shot him. If he had an ally that could speed up that process or eliminate it entirely...

He catches her gaze and realizes he might have an angle. She could just be evaluating him the way he evaluates any target, but there might be something more there. He's well aware that he can be considered attractive. ]

Who says chefs can't enjoy working out? [ He gives a bit of a sly smile before continuing on. ] I have a military background, I like to keep in shape. It's useful.

[ That's true but not the entire story. As usual he's reluctant to give away too much, it's an urge he has to fight against, but some truth is necessary. He wants to make a connection here and that requires honesty. It's a practical trade. ]

[Her look turns appraising, eyes narrowing behind the mask as she cocks her head to the side and takes a short step towards him.]

A soldier? No wonder you're so concerned about what you eat. Those muscles must require quite a lot of sustenance.

[Flirting is not a requirement of making allies. Usually the opposite, in fact; giving people the impression that she's more attracted to them than she truly is would only cause more problems in the end. But when someone seems like a useful ally and they're genuinely attractive? Shadowheart's not above attempting to flirt.]

[ Well. John has to make a decision here on how far he's going to take this. It's an easy answer, though. He's simply too paranoid to let this go very far tonight. But there's nothing wrong with laying the ground for things later, should the need arise. He's certainly used his body to get things before.

Still, John doesn't move from where he is, letting her come into his space. ]

Being in the Army would inspire anyone to be a chef after what they feed us. Makes you appreciate food a lot more. Turns out you can make healthy food that tastes good if you have a kitchen and some time.

[He's not rebuffing her advances, but he's also not reciprocating. Shadowheart takes that to mean that, while he may not be repulsed or offended by her attempts at flirting, he's not especially interested either. She could keep at it, for fun if nothing else. But the wiser course of action would be to keep the alliance they're forming professional, while perhaps subtly letting him know she'd be open to less-than-professional activities in the future, should he change his mind.

Yes, she'll try that.]

I have no kitchen to speak of and I can't guarantee time, but if you're willing to offer a lesson, you'd find me a keen pupil. Allies should share their practical skills with each other, after all.

[She plucks the rose from behind her ear and tucks it into his breast pocket.

Subtle.]

[ Aha, that's an angle he can get behind. John has no problems teaching someone to cook in exchange for potential aid down the line. It helps that he genuinely enjoys cooking and doesn't mind teaching.

He passes his own rose over with a smile, carefully placing it where her own used to be, and if his fingers brush her hair slightly in the process— well that's a calculated move. ]

You're in luck, I can offer both time and space needed for a lesson. You won't learn five star dining but I can promise you'll walk out with a good recipe or two.

Lucky for you, I haven't got the faintest idea what 'five star dining' is. And anything you teach me would be an improvement over my current skills.

[She can't be sure whether the touch to her hair is intentional, or merely an inevitability of tucking a flower behind her ear. Not a reason to grab him and drag him off to a more private spot, in any case, even if that idea does appeal to her.

Grabbing him and dragging him off to a more public spot, on the other hand, doesn't seem like a bad idea. With a nod towards the dance floor, she slides her hand into his and gives it a little tug.]

Tonight, why not start by teaching me how to dance?

[ He can absolutely dance. Kara taught him, back in his early CIA days, just how to hold someone, how to move his feet just right, how to lead. He doesn't have any fondness for dancing with strangers, it's a learned skill, but he doesn't mind it either; it's just a skill he can employ, and he has many of those. But it suits him to put on a smile and let himself be led onto the dance floor. He doesn't want to be presumptuous and arrange them, but she did say she doesn't know how... better to ask. ]

Not a lot of opportunities for dancing? I don't mind showing you.

I can't remember. [It doesn't occur to her that that's a strange thing to say.

Whether she's had the opportunity to dance before is a mystery to her. Her mind is full of frayed edges and the tatters of lost memories, mere hints at experiences she may once have had or skills she may once have been taught but can no longer recall.

There's something familiar about this. Enough that she knows to slip her arm over his shoulder, not enough that she remembers the steps to any particular dance.]

Perhaps I was the belle of every ball back home.

[Her head tilts again as she regards him curiously, her eyes searching for his behind his mask.]

And where did a soldier learn to dance?

[ Something about the first and second statements in conjunction make John think that her comment about "perhaps" isn't just her being mysterious. Maybe when she says "perhaps" she really doesn't remember.

Either way, not nice dancing conversation. And he has a question of his own to answer. John's arm goes around her shoulders and he picks up her hand in his other and beings swaying them back and forth with small steps. ]

I had a colleague who taught me. She said it was a good skill to have. Can't say I can argue with her right now.

I'll have to thank your colleague then, should I ever meet her.

[Shadowheart falls into the rhythm with surprising ease, her feet starting to recall a pattern that her mind can't. Perhaps she has had occasion to dance before. Something stirs in the back of her mind: not any particular memory, merely a feeling of what it was like to be in a place like this, granted a rare opportunity to pretend to be anybody but Shadowheart for a little while, knowing she mustn't return empty handed yet desperate to lose herself in another life before focusing on the mission at hand.

She always did like pretending to be somebody else, she remembers.]

I need to thank you as well. I didn't expect to enjoy myself tonight, but I've been pleasantly surprised, thanks to you. [For a little while, she might just be able to pretend she isn't trapped here in Etraya, that she's some Baldurian aristocrat dancing without a care in the world.]

[ John hopes she never, ever will meet Kara. Sure, she had her moments, but that's all they were. Just moments. As Mark put it, having them take each other out was poetic. And then neither of them died and Kara strapped a bomb to his chest.

So no, John hopes no one will ever see Kara again. Ever. Not that it's really something one says to one's dance partner. ]

The feeling is mutual. I didn't have any expectations for a masquerade party, especially in a place like this, but here we are. Not everything is as doom and gloom as I've been led to believe.

Not for the moment, anyway. I'm sure the doom and gloom will reassert itself in short order. [She's never exactly been an optimist.

The arm around his shoulders tightens, pulling him flush against her, the blunt snout of her wolf mask coming dangerously close to thwacking into John's chin.]

Have you been here long? [If they're going to be allies, and especially since she's planning to keep flirting with him, a little more information about him won't go amiss.]

About a month. If you have any advice you're willing to pass on I'd appreciate it. How long have you been here?

[ John doesn't mind the close contact. He's always been confident and comfortable in his body, has never minded physical contact. He also doesn't mind sharing that sort of information. He's heard a lot already (and researched the network extensively) but new perspectives are always welcome. ]

Months seem to be measured a little differently here than in my world, but I'd say about seven.

[As they continue dancing, she grows a little more confident in her ability, even trying to lead John a little.

When had she learned to dance? There's something there, nearly gone, an older man nudging her feet around with his. But the more she tries to focus on the memory the more it slips away.

He was kinder than Mother, she thinks.]

As for advice, the best I can offer is to keep your allies close. [Genuine advice, as well as a little joke about how physically close they are just now.] And be careful who you trust.

[ John isn't the best dancer, Kara only taught him so much, but he can tell when she tries to lead and lets it happen. It's not that he's not enjoying dancing (he is, to some extent) but he's here to be the supporting actor; this is essentially his job. ]

And which do you fall in? The former or the latter?

[ It's said lightly, teasing. He is genuinely curious but anyone who isn't worthy of trust is unlikely to say so outright; that's the sort of thing he'll have to find out for himself in time. ]

The former, of course.

[She smiles, knowing perfectly well that he must know that that's exactly what someone would say if they fell into the latter category.]

But what would you do, were you to discover that I'm untrustworthy? [She's being playful. But her curiosity is genuine. It's the sort of question that can teach one a lot about a person, even if their answer isn't truthful.]

[ Of course. As for her question... ]

Nothing, as long as you don't hurt innocent people.

[ Really, that still is his line. There's a lot of kids here, he's discovered, and he's mostly thinking of them. They don't deserve to be caught up in this mess, and he's really not pleased that they've been put in such a high pressure situation. ]

The heroic type, are you?

[It's... sweet, almost. And there's some sort of... something... that flutters in her chest every time she runs into someone who's so determined, despite the way the world works, to protect the innocent. Some soft reminder that the world is not, perhaps, as doomed as one might think.

Her hand slides from his shoulder, downwards until it's resting on his chest. She cocks her head to the side.]

Would you consider yourself an innocent person?

[ Is he a hero? Is he innocent? John can't help a small sarcastic smile from flashing on his face before he gets it back under control. He's so far from both of those things. Perhaps one time he thought he could be a hero. Wanted to be. And then he went to war and realized such a thing doesn't exist. And then he joined the CIA and killed so many people over the years that his hands will never be clean. His work for Harold can only barely begin to make up that debt. ]

Neither.

Neither am I. [She says it easily, with a shrug. It's easier to pretend it's easy than to admit that everything she's done is an unbearable weight on her shoulders that she fears she may never escape.]

But no need to worry, I have no intention of hurting innocents, or of betraying you. Unless you betray me first, of course.

[ John sways with the music, lets his feet move, lets himself focus on his hand on her back, her hand on his chest, her hand in his. Centers himself as she talks. That got a bit personal for a moment and while it goes towards getting her to trust him, he'd like to pull away from that again. ]

And I have no intention of hurting or betraying unless provoked, so I think we have ourselves an agreement.

[ This is his first explicit ally, the first person he's come to an open arrangement with. Everything else has been a careful dance, but he can't say he regrets this. Her abilities as a healer will be a great boon if the need arises. ]

Very good.

[Who can say what tomorrow, or even the rest of the night, will bring. But for now, she's perfectly content to have made an ally – a handsome one at that – and to enjoy a spin around the dance floor in his arms. The thrill of pretending to be some pampered aristocrat at an Upper City gala hasn't worn off yet.]

I'm sure you must have quite the entourage of admirers waiting for you. But. [For a little while, she wants to keep pretending.] Dance with me for a while longer, won't you?

[ John pulls her just a fraction closer at the request. Not enough so they bump together, but enough to be noticeable. ]

I would like nothing more.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

OCTOBER MINGLE

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