November Mingle

[etrayamods]

WHO: Everyone!
WHEN: November 22nd - Early December
WHERE: Etraya
WHAT: The arrival of newcomers, and an unexpected guest!
NOTES\WARNINGS: N/A, please note any needed warnings in threads.

⏵ arrival ⏴ Welcome to Etraya! Arrival goes as expected - or it would, except it is not just Aurora that greets the newcomers as they arrive. Certainly they receive their earpiece so they can communicate with one another as those before them have, however there is what seems to be a woman waiting for them that is of a more flesh and blood persuasion as they leave the hospital. She carries an air about her that isn't quite like the newcomers themselves, but she is decidedly not one of the companion bots, nor Aurora. She has bone-straight blonde hair reaching past her shoulders, with a straight-cut fringe hanging above her eyes. The black dress that ends just before her mid-thighs also has a rather revealing neckline, though the sleeves which cover her arms almost feel like a mockery of modesty considering the rest. She is also wearing black stockings and black pumps, and the red of her lipstick is striking against the extreme contrast in shades she otherwise holds. As each newcomer independently files out of the hospital, she makes certain to garner their individual attention, either with a wave of her hand, a wiggle of her fingers, or directly calling them over. She is persistent, and with being so new, it is wise to heed her. Not that anyone can force one to, if they choose to walk away, nor does she seem interested in trying to, but she has her means for those proving stubborn. However, those who aren't... “Hey! I know you’re not just walking past me. I’ve got- you know, plot relevant, written all over me. I picked this dress out just for you, you know?’ “C’mere, listen up. Mama’s got a little bit of homework for you, but it’s gonna help you, too, okay? I need you to go find the hot goss, the piping hot tea on the street for me. Find out what everyone’s saying about the people we’re stuck with, okay? People are a lot more relaxed and honest when they talk about others, right? This is about efficiency. Efficiency, honey. Don’t worry, I’ll be in the trenches, too. But make sure you come find me again. I’ll be around here, okay? I know you’re as confused as I am. Well no. I’m much less confused than you are. But if you can tell me about the people here, I’ll tell you more about where you are and what this is about.” For those who ignored her, or those not newly arrived, they will receive a message through their earpiece: “Girl. Hey. Listen. I’m kind of in a pinch, okay? I need like… a little favor. But its a fun favor! I need you to get your girl some info. I need the word on the street, honey. I need the tea piping hot- I need you to go talk to your friends, enemies, frenemies, butt buddies, cousins, and have them tell you about anyone they know. I need straight facts and good gossip on everyone here. And then get back to me. Kisses. And this isn’t something for nothing. If you bring me some good goss, you’ll get some good info in turn about your whole situation. Cause that’s what you’re missing most besides home, right? Context.” ⏵ spill the tea ⏴ Tatianna having now tasked everyone (new and old) with finding out more about their fellow inhabitants—if not for their sake, for her curiosity—and in exchange she will give them valuable information that may aid them with acclimating here, or something far more valuable depending on how hot the goss is! However, she will not just hand out her secrets so easily, and so she will need one piece of gossip about each inhabitant. So she expects everyone to get mingling and talking, she isn't a charity here! To assist in this, the companion bots have set up cozy little wicker daybeds around the main hub of the city. All of which are suspiciously cozy and warm once you have sat down on them, but especially so with the accompanying aroma of the tea wafting from the kettle which rests on the center table, accompanied by sweetmeats. The tea itself also stays warm despite the cool autumn air, and so long as you stay within the daybeds, the biting chill won't reach you either. However, the tea is not only perpetually the right temperature, but it seems to have a way of loosening one's tongue. Especially the more one imbibes it. Did you mean to share that secret that might not have been yours to begin with? Or that personal detail about your best friend that wasn't meant to be known by anyone but who they themselves have told? Probably not, but the cat is out of the bag now, isn't it? Well, hopefully word won't get around...after all, it isn't likely who you are talking is going to tell everyone else, right? Right? Adding to the oddity of it all, the tea one drinks might not be the same tea that their companion is drinking, despite it pouring from the same kettle. What might be one person's earl grey, is another's pumpkin spice chai. Whatever it may be that pours out, it certainly seems to be to one's liking, or its closest approximation. There's probably some deeper meaning in that, some sort of symbolism one might surmise from the nature of sharing gossip and it being tainted by personal bias, but who cares about navel gazing about such a thing? After all, this is meant to be an enjoyable endeavor! Getting to know your fellow inhabitant should feel as comfortable as catching up with an old friend. What better way than to do it by sharing tea you both will enjoy? ☕ ⏵ close knit ⏴ As the tail end of November draws nearer, people will have already begun to see the first flakes of snow. It grows colder, and while there isn't quite a blizzard or a snow storm happening, the snow does not seem to let up with its descent. It doesn't quite get so cold that it is untenable, of course, but it would be advisable to bundle up! In fact, the companion bots seem to be on the case with assisting in just that! Around the city people will find groups of companion bots busily knitting sweaters, scarves, gloves, hats, and so forth. In fact, the moment they see someone they clock as not quite bundled enough, they will insist on supplying them with whatever they deem as being without. Are you already wearing a scarf? Well, clearly you need two of them! How about the gloves? Couldn't hurt to have several pairs! However, that isn't all that's available to people, after all there are cafes out and about where one might get a hot beverage to help fight off the cold, but for those less inclined for such establishments, the companion bots are here to serve! There is at least one companion bot per knitting group that seems to have hot cocoa on hand. If they see someone who is looking particularly cold (almost everyone is, the companion bots aren't particularly keen on the signs of successful temperature regulation), they will have a paper cup of hot cocoa imposed upon them that has their name on the side. Or, sort of. It is at least a close approximation of their name, or maybe it is an alternate spelling? Really, who can blame the bots for getting confused, there are so many of you! ⏵ snow more games ⏴ The snow is here to stay, but that doesn't mean that it has to be a bad thing! With everyone well supplied in their winter garb, the companion bots have set up spots for fun activities! Perhaps the inhabitants would enjoy a fun snowball fight, or some sledding? Some of the waters have frozen over, so ice skating is always a possibility too. Though one might want to be careful if they are to venture past what the companion bots have marked as safe. Some of the companion bots are trying their best at making a snowman, but all their efforts seem to come out rather...square. They're trying their best, but maybe they can learn by following the inhabitant's examples. There are others that will offer gold star stickers to those who seem to dominate in the snowball fights, but unfortunately the stickers don't stick too well with all the snow. Well, they tried! People will still find bots out and about with nice warm beverages available to fight off the cold, too. That service will continue to be available for the foreseeable future. Similarly, if someone comes out who is a little too under-dressed for the weather, the bots might have to pick up those knitting needles again, so be sure to put on your winter clothes..! ⏵ NOTES ⏴ To report information to Tatianna, do so here! She will only give each person their rewarded information once she has a bit of information on each character in the game. Each bit of gossip does not require a thread to count though it should be IC knowledge gained through IC means. Try to check what gossip has been given to her already, because doubling up will not yield results! Good luck! 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

Lois Lane | My Adventures with Superman | OTA

[metrop_lois]

SPILL THE TEA;

[Cat Grant isn't the most revealing dresser but everything else about Tatianna just screams gossip journalist. The hair, the way she talks, all of it strikes her so much like Cat back at the Daily Planet that she is nonplussed when she beckons Lois over and starts talking about the 'hot goss'.

And when it's in trade for good info? WELL.

Lois is more than happy to slide right on into one of those wicker daybeds, immediately putting her chin in one hand and pulling out a bit of the old razzle dazzle.]

Why hello there!

[The hand under her chin now comes to lay against her chest a moment. Cat 2.0 has her dramatic flair worked up.]

Lois Lane. I was just hoping to ask you a few questions if you don't mind.

[The tone of her voice seems to say she can't imagine whoever it is she's talking to minding. If they do it's not exactly stopping her either as she pulls out a small handheld recorder from her pocket.]

MORE LIKE SQUAREMAN;

[Lois just sort of cocks an eyebrow up at the snowman before her. She like everyone else has had a warm beanie slapped on her head, a way too familiar jacket thrown at her and both gloves and a scarf to boot. Basically she couldn't be any better dressed for the weather if she'd come dressed like this to start with.

Now with a cup of personally-labeled cocoa in her hand she's eyeballing this very square snowman.]

... The bots made this, right?

SNOW MORE GAMES;

[Okay Lois, you've got this. C'mon just --]

Oof!

[Down she goes for at least the second or third time in as many minutes as she's been out here. Lois is soon grasping onto a nearby railing the bots had probably put around the lake turned skating rink, rising from her rear to her feet with a long sigh.]

I swear I've done this before. I was a lot smaller then.

[Back when her mother was still healthy and her dad wasn't half so obsessed with making her into a wilderness survival expert.]

WILDCARD;

[Feel free to hit me with any prompts you've got cooked up! Want to snowball fight? Go riding on sleds? Maybe make snow angels! Just toss them here. c: PMs are open for plotting.]

Squareman

[bigpoofymammoth]

[Manny was also looking at the square snowman. Like everyone else, he outfitted with a scarf and a beanie on the top of his head, although his one is much larger by comparison.]

Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s the case.

[metrop_lois]

[After seeing him last time Lois is largely at ease with seeing the talking mammoth again. What gets her this time is the fact the scarf and beanie are just the right size for him. The companion bots really do think of everything, huh.]

Do they usually do sort of human things? They were handing out hot cocoa too I noticed.

[bigpoofymammoth]

[Manny nods.]

Yeah, they do this a lot. That’s just how it is. Haven’t tried the hot cocoa yet.

[metrop_lois]

It's actually pretty good! Just the right amount of chocolate and everything.

[Now she surveys the square snowman again.]

How do you think they got it so ... square? I've made a lot of snowmen but never got one in any shape other than round.

[Not that she had tried to get it in any other shape of course.]

spill the tea

[furtitude]

[(If she's Cat 2.0 does that make this guy Cat 3.0?)]

[Not that it's immediately obvious what he is when she first settles in. His back is turned slightly as he squooshes some of the too-soft pillows to try get more comfortable (his life has not been a soft pillow kind of life, after all), his tail is curled under the sweater the robots shoved him in for extra warmth. A hat is covering his ears and one might mistake the flash of orange fur on the back of his head as the close cropped hair of an extreme ginger.]

[But when she speaks and he turns, he's clearly not human. He sees the device in her hands and somehow instantly jumps about a foot in the air on the cushions, tail slipping out of his sweater and floofing into a bottle brush. He briefly yowls in surprise as he scrambles away slightly, going full "cat randomly freaks out over a cucumber on the floor."]

[Whoops.]

[It's not his fault! He's on edge right now! (What if it's a weapon??)]

[It's not really a normal reaction to someone coming up to you with a simple question but he's from a pretty rough neighborhood, multiverse-wise. In fact, he'll pat himself on the back later for not instantly drawing his gun. (Drawing his gun, of course, being a totally healthy and normal response to a mild surprise when you're slightly on edge).]

[metrop_lois]

[(Are you obsessed with celebrity gossip? If yes then you can definitely be Cat Grant 3.0, my furry friend.)

The yowl has Lois rearing backwards in surprise too, her free hand rising in a 'stop' gesture while the other clutches onto the recorder.

Lois is smart and quick even in the worst of situations so it's little wonder she near immediately jams the recorder into her coat pocket again as she begins quickly speaking.]

Hey now! It's just a recorder! Nothing to be scared of ... er, well, unless you hate interviews?

[furtitude]

[Okay, not a weapon. Maybe he's just a little too on edge from the whole situation.]

Dude!

[It is a slightly outraged "dude," and very humanish sounding.]

Maybe don't run up to people with random tech. You don't know if everyone is going to know what it is. I thought it was a weapon.

[He's noticed that while this place is human-heavy (compared to how humans are just generally in the mix among many species back home), there are still some other non-humans. Some might make the same mistake.]

Why do you want to interview people?

[That's like a news thing, right? He knows some worlds have news. The ones that have social order instead of absolute chaos. Sometimes it even tells the truth about some things. Unlike the news where he grew up, which only existed to tell everyone how great Lord Commander was.]

[metrop_lois]

[The talking cat has a good point. Back home nearly no one mistook the recorder for any kind of weapon buuuut then again she also introduced herself as a reporter with the Daily Planet so naturally they just saw it as a recording device. The chiding seems to sober her mood up some.]

Yeah, you've got a good point. Sorry about that.

[Lois quietly slips the recorder in her pocket, her other hand rubbing at the back of her neck. She's got no reason to hide the request that had her sliding up to other people so she spills her own tea real quick.]

There's a lady looking for some gossip. You probably talked to her too -- blonde hair, lots of skin showing?

[She pauses a moment to see if he had and then continues:]

She's offering information about this place. The journalist in me can't say no to that deal.

more like squareman

[tinflower]

[ Gorgug's non-human qualities are nearly hidden amongst the amount of scarves the companion bots have decided he needs, as well as a hat and earmuffs to cover over the top of his head. As if that wasn't enough, a cotton shawl covers over his shoulders and down.... around his waist. But it's a good attempt, for his 6'6" height.

That now comes to join Lois and the squareman, which is what really brought his over. Him, and two cups of hot chocolate he holds in his hands. ]

...They're amazing. It's really cool.

[ He is in awe, Lois. It's magnificent. ]

[metrop_lois]

[Lois is about to make a comment on how it is pretty cool how amazingly angular it is but she looks up at Gorgug first. Then she snorts and is quick to slap a hand over her mouth even if she is giving a rather kitten-ish amused grin.]

Wow, they really made sure to keep you warm.

[tinflower]

[ He blinks at her, and then looks at himself...which just means straightening his arms out some, minding the drinks in hand. ]

Yeah, they said they didn't want me to freeze. They know it's bad if living people get too cold. [ Which is the kind of thing they've been insisting and repeating to everyone. ]

...I don't know what I'm going to do with all of this.

[ Probably the more worrisome point. ]

[metrop_lois]

The scarves or the drinks?

[Or both maybe? Lois purses her lips a moment and then offers out a hand.]

I'll take one of the drinks if you don't want both.

[She had already downed her cup of hot cocoa but a second couldn't hurt.]

Spill the Tea

[redheadcarrier]

[ Asuka had been nice and cozy in her daybed, enjoying a mug of tea and sort of vibing out after the last couple months of weirdness - and then suddenly there was someone else. An adult of some kind. Asuka blinks at her, not quite sure what to say at first. ]

Uh.

[ This is not a familiar face. ]

...it depends on the questions?

[metrop_lois]

[She immediately clicks the recorder on, plopping it on the table for now.]

Oh of course, of course. You don't have to tell me anything too private or personal unless you want to.

[Lois reaches for the tea now. She's not about to ignore it in this weather and if she's hoping to chat up anyone she's going to have to appear relaxed and casual. Which she sort of is anyway, this is a nice daybed.]

But you can always tell me all about the people you know here. You know, any deep dark secrets?

[redheadcarrier]

Why are you recording this?

[ Asuka asked a touch flatly. She wasn't sure she wanted that right now... but whatever. ]

Also what kind of question is that? Even if I knew any dark secrets, why would I wanna share 'em?

[ Sorry, Lois. ]

spill the tea!

[eatsnutsandkicksbutts]

Oh! Uh... sure?

[ Doreen, who has paused with a mug of hot chocolate halfway to her mouth and her tail curled up behind her like a question mark, raises an eyebrow. She is not immune to the ol' razzle-dazzle! ]

What's up? What can I help you with?

[metrop_lois]

[Perfect! Lois practically glows.]

Weeeell I'm looking for a little gossip. You know, who's dating who, who has a crush on who, who is who's sworn enemy, that sort of thing?

[eatsnutsandkicksbutts]

... Um.

[ Razzle-dazzle and tongue-loosening tea aside, Doreen isn't a very gossipy person, and she has absolutely no poker face. Lois will be able to see exactly how conflicted she is about this, before the figurative lightbulb moment hits her and she brightens up. ]

Does it have to human gossip?

spill the tea!

[stresstokens]

[ Riz glances up from the book he's got his nose buried in, a thermos of coffee - brought by yours truly - being drank from in lieu of the provided tea. The cover of the book proclaims itself: THE THOROUGH GUIDE OF EMERGENCY PREPARATION: IT COULD HAPPEN TO YOU! When Riz lays it down, still open, the interior proves itself to be much drier than the exterior, resting on a page filled with diagrams about the human musculature system.

From the slight droop of his eyes, it doesn't appear that the book's held his attention all that well. Riz himself is fairly noteworthy in appearance - short and green-skinned, with large ears and yellow eyes, the fingers wrapped around his massive thermos tipped with claws - but hey, once you've seen one non-human in this place, you've seen 'em all. ]

Huh? [ His eyes narrow. ] This isn't about the mission that creepy lady gave us, is it?

[ Apparently Tatianna's feminine charms hadn't worked all that well on him. ]

[metrop_lois]

[Frankly after the giant mammoth talked to her Lois was pretty much chill with whatever. She's seen very human aliens (in fact she's dating one), she's seen robots, she's seen very not-human looking human / robot creations, she's seen a whole ship full of different versions of herself so ... yeah, claws. And yellow eyes.]

That's the one!

[She gives him a glittering smile that would make Cat back home envious ... and then she droops.]

Look, I hate reporting on gossip. It's why we have another reporter who does it where I work. But I want the information she's offering.

[She wants it badly enough to try even the tiniest bit to employ Cat's techniques, okay.]

[stresstokens]

I do too, if she's even telling the truth about that -- or intends to do anything but feed us false information. But I don't want it enough to dig up people's secrets and report them to some... I dunno, some weird lady.

[ Riz taps his nails against the table. People have, historically, found him a little unsettling. It's not necessarily the whole Goblin thing - though the Goblin thing doesn't exactly help - but the way he has a tendency to stare, the way he lapses into silence for just longer than socially acceptable, like he's trying to see right through the other person.

Sometimes he can. Sometimes he can't. It never stops him from trying. ]

You're a reporter, right? Don't you think it's better to strike a deal than it is to just try to convince someone to spill?

spill the tea

[maximumlegend]

[ Sure, technically Fabian should appreciate Lois' flair for the dramatic. It's the same thing he's working with, most of the time.

But maybe it's the particular subject she's using it for, or the thing she's suddenly pulling out, but Fabian is instead squinting his eye with suspicion, like he's trying to scrutinize her in this moment. ]

What is this about?

[ It could have to do with the message they got, but.. then why the recorder! This feels awfully suspicious, Lois! ]

[metrop_lois]

[Why are all you people focusing on the recorder? Look, she needs notes in order to write reports, okay. It's a force of habit! Plus if she's going to reporting these she needs something alongside her memory to help her ... remember. Basically.

She leans back in her seat on the daybed.]

You heard the lady asking for gossip in exchange for information, yeah?

[maximumlegend]

Yeah.

[ At least he seems willing to give her that answer, despite still awkwardly eyeing the recorder a little as he says it. ]

Seems like we all did. [ Considering both of them have, and Fabian has overheard other people talking about it too after his friends told him they also got that message. ] So is that what you're trying to do? Going around and getting gossip for her?