etrayalogs | November Mingle

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⏴

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Music? I don't have anything against it. It's just not anything I've ever gotten into, listening or playing.

[ Sorry this man's existence is so sad. 600 years old and he has no appreciation for music. ]

[ He doesn't even read sheet music?? Now it's the confusion, but even a sad sort of sympathy can be seen in Gorgug's expression. No...music? ]

Really? You don't think you never found the right kind?

I... don't know?

[ He sort of feels like he's getting interrogated here. He can practically see the faces of the whole two people he somewhat considers to be his friends giving him pitying looks and telling him to get out and live a little. Listen to music! Find a little joy!!

Uuuuuugh. ]

Don't get me wrong, it's not that I avoid it. I simply haven't curated my own collection.

[ IS THAT BETTER OR WORSE? ]

[ Congratulations, Ivan. Gorgug rarely questions anyone insistently about anything, but music? Music? His best friend in any world?

He must insist, sir. He must!! Especially when he feels that answer is giving him an opening, and Gorgug nods his head eagerly. ]

That's okay, that's-- I know they have music players here that work with the power supplies here. And they have music stuff you can put in them. [ "music stuff" ] We're gonna be stuck here a long time, so-- you might want to find some music when you're feeling alone, or sad, or when you just want to feel good.

[ It's time...! It's time to make the collection...!!! ]

[ Help him. How did this conversation so quickly become one he wants to escape from? He doesn't want to hurt the kid's feelings or anything so it's not like he's going to just get up and bolt, but damn if he's not looking for an excuse to get out of here now. ]

Do they... do they not have TV here or-?

[ Gorgug is going to feel so good about how helpful he has been today. Especially in his goal to help an old man discover his love of music!!!

But, before that! ] Um, they have-- shows you can get in one of the stores... Where they stick a bunch of the episodes together, but not the entire show? I watch movies sometimes with my friends, but- I don't know if there's any good shows to find, if you're into them.

You have to hope there's a TV and the rest of the cables in there, though. You might have to check back, or as a companion bot to keep whatever you need for you if they have any to put out.

[ Gorgug is really trying his best over here, and Ivan is trying his best to melt into the furniture and vanish. It's nothing personal, really. Ivan just has a very strong aversion to people telling him to enjoy things.

Even after all these centuries, it feels wrong. Enjoying things. ]

I mean... if there are things to watch, I'm not picky about how I watch them.

Then...that should work. [ Right? Going to the stores? Except, oh, ] There's not a lot of them, the shops. The ones you wanna look for... it's Kwik Trip. It's a convenience store, so you wanna go to the not-food sections.

Don't try the city-looking space with the skyscrapers. There's nothing there. Unless you like cats.

What do you mean there's nothing there? No shops or... just nothing?

[ He's not sure how to feel about knowing parts of the city are just straight up empty. ]

Everything's empty. You go in them and there's...nothing. I don't know if it's been there the entire time. But when I showed up, there were big snakes there, and other animals?

But nothing's changed since. I haven't heard anything. [ Oh. ] Except the snakes got moved.

[ As they do. ]

Hm. Creepy.

[ It doesn't sound like he's particularly bothered, but when one is a grim reaper, the definition of "creepy" gets a little skewed. ]

Where did the snakes end up?

On an island--it doesn't have a bridge to it, so they just live there now? I went once.

[ Here, he's squinting a little (a thing he often does), trying to remember.. ]

The guy who showed me... he saw people carrying them from the city to move them. Aurora asked us to deal with them, and some people didn't wanna kill them. [ He pauses. ] ...I dunno how they're doing.

[ Huh. He totally forgot about them, actually.. ]

Of all the things I've seen and heard since I got here, "island full of snakes" is by far the most normal.

[ The multiverse is ending and the food here will make you fly. Snake Island is so not even worth worrying about. ]

[ Gorgug's looking at him, eyes a little wide. ]

You have snake islands where you're from?

[ Really?? Tell him more?? ]

Uh.

[ Give him a moment. There's got to be at least one snake island out there in the wide world that he knows of. ]

There's the Ilha da Queimada Grande in Brazil, I guess? People call it Snake Island because it's so full of snakes.

A lot of them are venomous so people can't live there.

Oh. [ Just, oh. He wonders if to ask why they don't just kill them, but then, maybe they don't need to? And the whole thought of "snake island" becomes less interesting, despite it initially being so.

Like a teen brain. Gorgug looks instead at his little offered trinkets, and asks instead: ]

Do you want something for chatting?

[ A gift for giving a half-orc your attention! His parents would be proud. ]

November Mingle

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