DECEMBER MINGLE

[etrayamods]

WHO: Everyone!
WHEN: December 21st - Early January
WHERE: Etraya
WHAT: Newcomers, a surprise gift from Tatianna, and a visitor!
NOTES\WARNINGS:

⏵ arrival ⏴ Welcome to Etraya! Arrival goes as expected - characters awaken on hospital beds and are offered an explanation of their situation: that they have arrived in the city of Etraya, and they are their world's only hope. They are welcome to wander the hospital if they would like to - the upper floors are mostly empty, full of pristine hallways and numerous rooms filled with supplies, cots, and things one would expect from a relatively average 21st-century hospital. The lobby is filled to the brim with tables of freshly baked goods. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" banners are taped to the walls, and several other typical birthday decorations can be found in this area. A few of the baked goods tables are lined with massive cakes covered in unlit candles, just waiting for someone to grab a lighter and sing off-key. Is it anyone's birthday? Who knows! The companion bots seem to believe it's every new arrival's birthday and will greet them as such - with friendly waves and cheers as they make their way to the lobby. A coat rack is situated by the doors leading out of the hospital, covered in warm clothing that fits the new arrivals just right - whether it's to their preferred style or not is something else entirely. Some of them appear normal enough. Others? Well. They can't all be perfect, now can they? Outside the windows, the grass is covered in a couple of inches of loosely packed snow. We hope you enjoy your stay. ⏵ an unexpected gift ⏴ Out by the hospital stands a tall, decorated tree covered in candles and golden pinecones with a handsome, red velveteen tree skirt. In front of it are a few oversized wrapped gifts for show- and atop one of those sits a familiar woman. Or unfamiliar, if this is your first time. It's Tatianna in a slutty Santa outfit with a big ol’ burlap sack. “Hey, I got something for you,” she says, digging into the bag and rummaging for a moment. She produces a painted egg and holds it aloft. “It’s your Winter Solstice Egg! This is the egg holiday, right? Wait, shit. I’m mixing them up, aren’t I? ...Well. It’s a little late to change it. Here you go!” How one treats their egg is fully up to themselves. They can choose to ignore it entirely, or destroy it and leave the yolk and innards to rot on the ground. They can hand it over to someone else or care for it as if it were something precious. No one will prevent them from doing whatever they please with it! ⏵ naughty or nice ⏴However, how they treat the egg will define how the egg treats them in return. Those who keep the egg and tend to it will get the benefit of being able to watch it hatch seven days after they are handed the egg. Eggs that are treated with attention and love may yield a loyal companion, or a weapon of choice that always returns to its owner, while neglected eggs may yield a curious, cursed trinket or an animal who treats its new owner very much the same way its owner had treated it before it was born. Please submit an egg request below for what items you would like your character's eggs to hatch into! Please note that these cannot be things that would be applicable in the game. Those whose eggs are destroyed or forgotten will simply get the gift of... nothing! ⏵ free your spirit ⏴ With the winter chill gripping the air, a mysterious figure makes their presence known in Etraya - a towering, horned creature dragging a massive sack behind them. 𝓐 𝖍𝖔𝖚𝖘𝖊 𝖇𝖚𝖎𝖑𝖙 𝖔𝖓 𝖑𝖎𝖊𝖘 𝖍𝖆𝖘 𝖆 𝖜𝖊𝖆𝓴 𝖋𝖔𝖚𝖓𝖉𝖆𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓. Regardless of a character's strengths or weaknesses, they will find that when Krampus raises his massive sack over their head, they are powerless to stop him from catching them. Those capable of great magical feats or other supernatural abilities will sense something... otherworldly about Krampus, but will not be able to place the source of that sensation. Once within Krampus' sack, they are welcome to fight, but escape is impossible. It will feel as if Krampus is dragging them over every rock possible, dragging the sack in through the rivers to the point it soaks through and drenches them - potentially almost drowning them. When the sack opens, they will find themselves in an impossibly dark space. Around them are others who have also been captured and dragged here by Krampus, trapped in small cages hanging from a massive, wiry tree. Krampus will return often, banging clawed hands and birch rods on the walls of the cages and knocking them into one another. 𝕮𝖔𝖓𝖋𝖊𝖘𝖘𝖘𝖘𝖘𝖘𝖘. The whisper resonates through the darkened area, regardless of Krampus' presence. Confess your secrets, and be freed. Otherwise? You'd better hope someone figures out where Krampus has set up base; those who refuse to confess may find themselves stuck here forever. ⏵ NOTES ⏴ Krampus' base is under Etraya! Deep within the catacombs, he has set up multiple cages to capture those who inhabit Etraya to punish them for their naughty habits. Fighting him is possible! Defeating him by means of combat is not, however, possible. Think of it like fighting a god: Krampus creates the rules in the space around him, including who can use what ability. 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

[cactusy]

That's messed up.

[Sorry, Dazai: this is Shaw, blunt and unfiltered.]

Newsflash: Romeo and Juliet aren't aspirational.

[unaliveyourself]

[If there’s to be any proof that what he was upset about before wasn’t the depression callout, it might be this: there’s no reaction at all to what she says, this time, not even a minute twitch in his jaw or hands.]

No, Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy.

[It’s a little funny, he thinks, having it cited as an example to him, when he’d used it as an example of what he doesn’t want to Krouse in a conversation not too long ago.]

Each of them died alone in the darkest of despair, torn apart by a loss they couldn’t imagine how to move forward from. That’s nothing like what I’m looking for at all.

[cactusy]

No, you just want a codependent horrorshow. Totally normal.

[Shaw mutters as they reach a fork in the corridor. She slows, scanning the walls for clues or markers, but comes up with nothing.]

Right or left. You got any idea?

[unaliveyourself]

[It's almost a little disappointing. Most people don't understand; he doesn't expect them to. She's more like him than most, and yet she's no closer. He doesn't bother to clarify further, to protest that codependency implies a desire to live, an intensity of need for connection to the point of allowing others to run roughshod over oneself. That's not how Dazai operates. It wasn't even before he got onto the notion of a double suicide as an ideal.

But he doesn't need to correct her misconception, either. He spreads his hands a little dramatically.]

Haha, I don't think either of us have much business making claims toward normalcy, do you?

[With that, he lets it drop until they reach the fork, at which moment he gives it a sour look. Two roads diverged in an underground labyrinth, and neither of them are obviously traveled!!! It's very annoying.]

None at all. It seems cliche to suggest flipping a coin, so...

[He picks up some debris in the path that is vaguely stick shaped as a makeshift divining rod, and lets it fall. It lands to the left.]

Shall we?

[cactusy]

Never tried to claim I was normal.

[She says it lightly, certainly casually, her eyes on his hands as he does his little experiment. Apparently it passes muster with her: without another word, she'll head left.]

[unaliveyourself]

Ah, so you really are saying you're happy to throw stones from within your glass house! A bold choice, I applaud you.

[He heads along the left path, whistling a cheerful tune to himself, before he addresses her again, as though the previous conversation never happened.]

Say, we should play a game to pass the time while we search for the exit.

[cactusy]

[Shaw snorts, still scanning the walls.]

Lemme guess, Russian Roulette.

[unaliveyourself]

Hey, now. I might be a suicide maniac, but I do have other interests! There can be too much of a good thing, you know~

[He seems a pretty amused by the suggestion, though, even as he shakes his head.]

I assume neither of us are much in the mood for Two Truths and a Lie, mm? And Never Have I Ever is terribly boring without drinks ... how about Would You Rather?

[cactusy]

You know, I have another idea. Did you go to elementary school?

[Her words are friendly enough. Her tone is not.]

If you did, maybe you've heard of the Quiet Game.

[unaliveyourself]

Interesting. Shall we have stakes?

[Is he aware that he's being told to shut up? Yes. Does he care? Not in the least.]

[cactusy]

[Honestly, she gives him a couple points for being open to the idea. You go, Dazai.]

First person to talk for any reason other than logistical planning gets punched in the arm.

[unaliveyourself]

Mmm, no, that's hardly any incentive at all to win.

[Like, would he prefer not to be punched? Generally. But being manhandled was also just an average day at the office for Dazai.]

How about, winner gets to boss around the loser until we make our way back up to the surface?

[cactusy]

[Hmmmmmm. On the one hand, being on the receiving end of that from this guy would be irritating as hell.

On the other hand, Shaw feels completely confident that either she's going to be the winner or it's going to be a draw, so--]

Sure, whatever.