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

[odinpusrex]

No.

[He answers wryly, not at all put off by her attitude. One might assume he's used to dealing with contemptible attitudes, or maybe he likes the sass. It's honestly hard to tell with how he doesn't seem to be impacted either way.]

You were making quite the ruckus. Assume you that none would take notice? Foolish.

[Well, if his odd clothes weren't telling enough about what time period he's from, perhaps the oddity of his speech will do...

Still, even if he did take notice, he didn't have to stare at her like she was some sideshow attraction.]

[ingestion]

( 'foolish?'

well she supposed he was right and as much as she hated to admit that, she had made a bit of a fuss towards the bots. she just wasn't expecting someone to stare at her for very long-

and remain quiet while doing so. )

Fine, fine you're right. I was a bit loud, sorry.

( she held her hands up as an involuntary reaction, almost as if to defend herself. )

They spelled your name right then? I'm assuming?

[odinpusrex]

Indeed.

[A simple, yet decisive reply. Though for the question of his name, he doesn't spare the cup a glance. He knows what it says, knows further how inaccurate it is, and the pun it seems to be playing at. He does not shake his head, nor change much of his expression, he almost makes the companion bots seem more alive by comparison.]

I am King Barnabas Tharmr.

[There is no note of pride in that title, nor his name. The words spoken as if they are as ordinary as anything else.]

We share in our paper cup plight.

[He just didn't make a fuss about it.]

[ingestion]

( to someone like heather, considering her age and years of experience with questionable adults, barnabas ended up falling into the 'boring' category. he seemed strange, but perhaps that was just the way he was-

which failed to lend itself for her to be truly moved by him. instead she simply shrugged at the way he spoke, wondering who named their child 'king'. [clearly she missed the part where he was a real king]. )

Nice to meet you....King? I'm Heather, Heather Mason.

( she doesn't offer her hand, instead she looked at his cup idly and smiled a bit at the pun. )

I guess we do share in it. Have you been here a while then?

[odinpusrex]

[Strange is indeed what he is, and yet it proves itself an understatement. Something time will certainly reveal. Though, that she would find him boring is probably for the best, for the both of them, in truth. After all, Barnabas does not care for those who take too great of an interest in him, and Heather would benefit greatly if he did not take too much of an interest in her as well.

To her introduction, where one might nod or bow their head, Barnabas does nothing but hollowly stare at her. He does not seem to fully catch that she is using "King" as a name, and not a title. After all, it is not unusual for others to only refer to him by such a distinction, anything more personal avoided entirely.

He moves on to her question without hesitation, taking more of an interest in that, than the pleasantries of an introduction.]

Nearing six moons since my arrival. You are newer.

[Not a question. A statement.]

[ingestion]

( 'six moons'

it takes an immeasurable amount of power for heather not to roll her eyes and scoff at the way barnabas spoke to her and the way he phrased that. was that suppose to mean months? days? weeks?

she almost didn't want to ask, but she felt the need to defend herself a little here. )

Hey, I'm not completely new. I've been here....at least two moons.

( case in point, she immediately lifted up her right hand to hold out 'two' fingers as she spoke. )

[odinpusrex]

[As she raises those two fingers, his gaze slowly slides from her face to them, before returning to her once more.]

Feel you well acquainted with this place?

[Two months might be too quick for some, just right for others. Whatever her answer may be, it will tell him about her all the same. Though, he has a sense that she is the confident sort, whether earned or otherwise.]

[ingestion]

( well she had tried to be humorous with him, even if she wasn't successful at it, heather had a feeling any kind of humor would fly over his head.

so she returned back to a relaxed pose, shrugging a bit as his question. she wasn't alone by any means, technically, but she did feel lonely.

it was a difficult thing to share with a stranger, especially after all the things she had witnessed and gone through here so far. )

Well....I feel better acquainted now than when I first arrived.

( he wasn't too far off from his observation of her, but when you've gone through what she has, fear and shyness were useless traits. )

[odinpusrex]

[It's not you, Heather, it is absolutely him. His humor died a long, long time ago.

Her answer seems honest enough, yet it is also vague. He does not blame her, he is but a stranger, it would be foolish to tell him anything beyond the perfunctory.]

Did your arrival prove difficult?

[His was...far from ordinary, after all. Having been on some sort of station in space, then being transported into Etraya properly. Covered in some strange slime for his trouble.]

[ingestion]

( at the very least she wasn't quite as disturbed by him as she was before. while it had been strange that his reaction to her little outburst was to stare her down, she didn't fault him for it once he explained why he did that.

she could at the very least be reasoned with at times. )

To be honest I was pulled from my world at a rather precarious moment...so I arrived quite disoriented.

Not to mention the free food trucks...those really got me.

( she had woken up in a hospital unlike him, but she had heard stories about the spaceship from gorgug. )

[odinpusrex]

[As she speaks, he keeps his gaze on her. His stare is a little intense, especially for how deadened his expression otherwise proves itself to be. Maybe that's what helps make it so intense, in truth.

At least it's clear she has his undivided attention.]

That would seem to be the preference for our warden. Inopportune moments in which we were purloined have thus proven common among us. As for the food they offer...

[He glances at his untouched drink in his hand, before looking to her once again.]

It is wise to proceed with caution ere you consume aught they offer.

[ingestion]

( although to others his manner of speaking might be difficult to decipher, as someone who was once raised by a high priestess and leader of a cult, she was surprisingly used to such language.

his words in fact seemed to trigger a memory hidden deep within her, words filled with ominous predictions. 'the time is nigh. everyone will be released from pain and suffering.' )

So would it be fair for me to say you feel like you've been brought here against your will?

( she isn't trying to be nosey or be an instigator, she's genuinely curious. his deliberate choice in using the word 'warden' seemed to indicate a resentment. )

And yeah, I learned that lesson already. Trust me.

[odinpusrex]

[There is just something about cultists and their vocabulary embracing the archaic. Though, if one were to be fair to Barnabas, he is from the 800s.]

None have been brought here of their own volition. [Wretched as volition proves itself to be...] Do you believe otherwise?

[He tilts his head slightly at her, as if curious himself. Does she not consider this some form of abduction? It fits every definition, even if their bars are plated in gold, and they kept fat and complacent.]

[ingestion]

( well now he was giving her something to think about, and standing before him in a ridiculous amount of knitwear one could wear, she remained silent as a curious expression took her over.

she hadn't really had time to think about her situation and how it could be viewed as being held prisoner. she had been pulled before an intense battle, brought here confused and dazed, and had hit the ground running.

now that barnabas [or king] had mentioned such a notion, well she couldn't help but start to agree with him. )

No...now that I think about it, you're right. We were brought here without our consent and now we're being forced into things...

I just never really had a chance to think about it.