FEBRUARY MINGLE

[etrayamods]

WHO: Everyone!
WHEN: February 14th - March
WHERE: Etraya
WHAT: The arrival of newcomers, a mini mission, and some new city features!
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. In the hospital's lobby are several party tables set out with miscellaneous baked goods: croissants, cookies, breads, cake slices, as well as tea and coffee to accompany them - or hot chocolate, for those who are opposed to the other offerings. Outside the hospital, the last remnants of snow are melting in the sunlight as the weather begins to warm up. It's still chilly enough one might want to put on a coat, but not so cold a jacket is necessary for wandering around without freezing off one's fingers. We hope you enjoy your stay. ⏵ heroes return ⏴ As the Quantum Rail train glides to a halt, returning passengers step out onto familiar ground - the train station, right where they had initially begun their mission. When exiting the station, their earpieces vibrate, indicating the automatic download of a detailed map which highlights key locations, transit paths, and notable landmarks. As Aurora promised, she had been working on a few renovations around Etraya! A sleek trolley system now winds through Etraya, following clearly marked pathways through the city bubble to make travel across the city smoother. However, the trolley only moves one way, eternally following the loop Aurora has set it on. And because of this, it takes six hours to complete it's loop all the way around. Don't miss your stop! Pets and animals have been returned to their usual preferred areas, some awaiting the arrival of their owners, and others keeping to themselves in the forested areas throughout Etraya. Beyond the small upgrades, things seem relatively unchanged - until one familiar sign catches the eye. One marked by four vertical lines, methodically crossed out one by one: the final slash has now been drawn through. The tally is complete. What it indicates has yet to be made clear, but it has to mean something, right? No one would go through the effort of making an ominous-sounding sign without following through. ⏵ love in the air ⏴ This Valentines Day, Aurora and the companion bots have opted to try something a little different: they have scattered mystery valentines across the city. Hidden within mailboxes, tucked into cafe menus, slipped under doors, on the outside of high windows for those wall-crawlers to spot. There are countless of these little slips of papers, strewn throughout the city. And within each valentine, is a challenge or gesture to complete. Please feel free to make these up yourselves as long as they fit in with the theme! Some examples include: Deliver a flower to a stranger. Write a heartfelt poem for someone. Share a box of chocolates! Confess your feelings for another. Play matchmaker for two people - this can be platonic, or romantic! Gift a friend with a stuffed animal. Give five different people a genuine compliment. While not mandatory, completing five tasks will earn an individual an additional ten points to use towards anything they would like! Each little Valentine is signed "Your Secret Admirer. ♡", and some of them may even be addressed to specific individuals. Don't be surprised, Eddie, if you see one or two that are specifically addressed to you lurking around your collection of chicken friends! And while most of these are harmless, some of the valentines cards come with effects for those who come into contact with the paper. Perhaps they thought it was a piece of garbage, or were just kicking it out of the way rather than intending on taking part. It doesn't matter! They get to join in on the fun, too. Heart Eyes - your pupils literally turn into hearts for a few hours, making it hard to focus on anything other than things (or people) you find attractive. Love-Struck Stammer - You can only speak in poetic compliments or romantic declarations, regardless of whom you're speaking to. Chocolate Bliss - Everything feels good. Simple. Easy. As if there's nothing in the world to concern yourself with. You feel happy, without any concerns or worry. Rose-Tinted Vision - everything looks soft and romantic, as if you're in a romance novel. You know the ones. Magnetic Attraction - regardless of what you had been doing, you suddenly find yourself unable to leave the side of the person closest to you. Had you been eating chocolates while walking down the street? Well, have fun getting stuck to the guy who'd been out for a jog! Serenade Syndrome - you find it impossible to resist the urge to sing your words, turning all conversations into love ballads. Heartstrings - A thread appears, connecting you to someone close by who you share many similarities too. Perhaps you had never met this person before, but the threads tied around your pinky fingers that refuse to let go until you allow yourself to open up to them clearly means you should be a little more familiar with them. Love is in the air—or maybe just a bit of well-intended chaos! 💕 ⏵ NOTES ⏴ Welcome back from the mission, and welcome to Etraya for our newcomers! We've tried to keep this log simple for an easy introduction, as well as some downtime for our mission-goers who worked hard to solve the Quantum Rail mystery. There is something else going on, but. . . well, no one seems to know what! The computer that had been on the lower floor of the hospital is now missing, and Aurora may seem a little flustered as she flits around Etraya, in search of something. 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

mod queries.

[etrayamods]

[aimsforknees]

Do characters ICly know that completing tasks gets them points?

Connor | Detroit: Become Human

[instabilitatem]

Cookies

[Connor doesn't necessarily need to eat, but he's been lead to the tables and so he sits. He may look a little different as he sits down. He's missing his jaw plate, a plate over his eye, and his fingers are a mix of skin color and black. He looks at one of the other residents of the table and tries to smile.]

Hello, my name is Connor, I'm the Android sent by Cyberlife.



Valentines!
[Connor doesn't have any particular pathing as he looks for the little valentines, but he is following the suggestion to do so. He is a bit worse for wear with a missing jaw plate, a missing eye, and black and nude fingers. He's just found a valentine and sliding his mismatched fingers into a mailbox when he realizes someone is near him.]

Hello my name is Connor, I'm the android sent by Cyberlife.

[And oop out slides the valentine! He holds it up between his fingers.]

I believe we have work to do.

Valentine’s 💔

[bootyshortsforoldmen]

[Another weird game from Aurora with all this Valentine’s shit, Hank assumes. On the way out of the apartment building, he sees the mailboxes stuffed with brightly covered cards — do they really need mailboxes? — and then he hears that voice. Staticky and yet familiar.

And that name.]

Connor?

[That’s not... no. This is a nightmare. Connor is gone, taken from him by Echo-whoever. And Aurora is easier to blame for all that, but she wouldn’t do something like this, would she? Wouldn’t show him Connor, but... hurt.

Hank knows he’s not drunk because he could never cook up a vision like this, and because the pain at seeing Connor all roughed up is acute. Squeezing his stomach. Nightmares hurt, but nothing like this.]

Who the fuck...?

[“Who hurt you?” he means to ask, but the words are thick in his throat.]

Max Rockatansky | MMFR

[theroadwarrior]

I. Arrival
 
[Max is not very good at it. The arrival part, that is. Outside of his immediate tension from being there one moment, here the next, there is one other thing he is immediately struck by: how clean this space around him is. There aren't things pilfered from every corner of the room, and there's no rot on the curtains, no signs of horrible aging or desperate times. He hasn't seen such cleanliness in decades, and never anything so white. It hurts his eyes, but — can't stay in here long. Gotta stay on the move.

And so he does, pacing through the halls like a man on a mission. He collects his tattered bag and completely sidesteps Aurora and her attempts at an explanation — nothing she's not unused to, probably. Not with people Like Max. His eyes are tracking around the hospital, registering only in passing the faces of the Etrayans that happen to be in the same area as their new arrival.

Then he is distracted by the lobby food.

Max is not the healthiest looking man to arrive out of nowhere. After walking away from the Citadel, the year that had followed was a cruel and unrelenting one, one that consisted of too little food and water, of scavenging between jobs he hadn't particularly wanted to take. He's too skinny even for his usually broad stature, enough so that he immediately makes a beeline for the baked goods and starts greedily choking down as much as he can before he gets sick; there's not a lot of difference between him and a hungry, beat-down dog left in a kennel for days.

So. That's Max.]

II. Heroes Return / Etraya
 
[Everything is, again, clean.

He grunts as he works down into a crouch. His knee brace is old and creaks as he sticks a hand into a pile of melting snow, scooping it up to look at it in his weathered palm. Couldn't even remember if he'd ever seen snow before, and he quickly palms it into his mouth and swallows down the chill. The other Etrayans who had been on the train mission had already arrived and were disembarking into their newly refurbished world. Max watches them with a critical eye at times, studying what he's meant to expect being here.

They look well-fed.

He does eventually end up at the diner... or rather, outside of it, at one of its many dumpsters. He picks through the rotten stuff, focuses on breads and fruit and vegetables that aren't on the cusp of decay. Some of it goes into his pack before he takes a bite out of a tomato he found with the top only partly sheered off. It's so good, he ends up slumping into the wall and just savoring it for a while.

Someone, please tell him he can eat inside without payment.

If he's not there, you might see him watching people from roofs with easily accessible ladders, or somewhere just out of frame of the city itself; he enjoys the outskirts of anywhere he stays... and beyond that, he is transfixed by the forested areas. Maybe because it reminds him of a world that doesn't exist anymore. A world that Furiosa had hoped to see. He wonders... how they're doing, in their Citadel. Have they built it up into something better? Something worth living for? He can only hope so.]

III. Love in the Air

[The poor bot that attempts to deliver his valentine gets shoved over the moment it tries to reach out a card to him. Which. Is par the course. Max looks at the well-meaning robot with an anxious glower, then grumbles under his breath, thinking of a particularly annoying robot who has bothered him plenty already. His hand leaves the handgun that is holstered on his hip, and he walks away.

But not before crumpling up the card and throwing it in the gutter.

The poor guy doesn't realize that it's futile, because the card has been touched. He doesn't even have much feeling in his pinky finger anymore, so he doesn't feel the thread that suddenly wraps it... and connects him to someone else who happens to be wandering close by. Looks like the valentine cards got 'im anyway. The loser.]

IV. Wildcard / Notes

[Feel free to hit me up for a starter or for any kinda wildcard! I'm open to most, anyway. My plurk is simpledog, or you can PM me for chitchat! Also, blanket apologies for any threads that are cut short because Max is a total asshole.]

Arrival!

[instabilitatem]

[Connor recognizes Catdog, but isn't sure how to approach him in public with the mission they have hanging over them. Still, there's something in Connor that needs to take care of Max. So he makes his way out of the crowd to sit next to him at the table.]

Catdog. These have limited nutrients.

[He looks over at Max with his mismatched eyes as he tries to find the healthiest cookie from the bunch. It's a peanut butter one topped with sugar. At least the peanut butter can provide protein.]

Sameen Shaw | Person of Interest

[cactusy]

[You know what? Shaw can do this. It's dumb, but she's done dumber things for jobs before, and she's pretty sure that she can bang this out in a day, tops. If attempting to speedrun the challenge isn't an acceptable way to fulfill it, she certainly hasn't been told that - which is why she'll be methodically checking every slip of paper that she finds, keeping the ones that seem easy enough to accomplish and discarding the rest (writing poetry? No thanks).

The ones she keeps all seem to follow the theme of delivering various items to various people - maybe someone that she already knows, or maybe a complete stranger. Regardless of who they are, she'll approach all of her intended recipients the same way: by stalking up to them, unceremoniously thrusting a box of chocolates, bouquet of flowers, or cute little teddy bear into their hands, and saying flatly:]

Here, this is for you.

[Well. Sometimes she'll say that. Other times, she'll intend to say that, but what comes out of her mouth will be something else entirely. The flat tone and deadpan expression will be the same, but the words will be a little more...]

You'd make my day if you let me get you a drink.

[She'll pause, eyes narrowing suspiciously, and try again.]

Hold up, scratch that. What I meant was, I could spend all night getting lost in your eyes.

[Yeah, no, this is really not going as intended.]

[OOC: Characters of any age are a-okay to be gift recipients, but 25+ only for the romantic declarations, please!]

Since he's sixteen we'll do no romantic declarations.

[miniroth]

[Had he not been aware of exactly what's going on with all of this, Sephiroth would have no idea what to do with a teddy bear being shoved at him. As it is, it's still with obvious that the toy is taken.

... And a small cluster of roses offered in return, expression so painfully blank that it has to be deliberate.]

Let's trade. You're a stranger, you should count.

John Reese | Person of Interest

[aimsforknees]

>> GATHERING VALENTINES

[ Harold has sent John out on a mission: gather valentines cards so they can get the points. Their idea is to gather a bunch, throw out the terrible ones, and pick five from the bunch to do together. It's a solid plan: hopefully they don't have to embarrass themselves in front of people. Or, at least that's John's hope.

Right now he's going around Etraya, a stoic 6'2" man in a suit and long wool coat, picking them up indiscriminately, and shoving them in his coat pocket with the rest. Even if he's caught he shows no signs of embarrassment for this activity and makes no comment. ]


>> HEARTSTRINGS

[ Eventually his valentine card gathering mission gets him into trouble. Perhaps he should have expected that nothing in Etraya would be so simple as just doing little things for some points; there's always a catch with this place. But unfortunately for him he's fallen right into the trap and realizes with dismay and some frustration that he suddenly has a thread tied around his pinky finger. With a mental sigh he turns to follow where it's connected and plasters on a smile. ]

Hi, how's your day?

[ His has suddenly taken a turn for the worse. ]


>> Closed to Harold

[ John eventually makes it back to the library and empties the contents of his pockets onto Harold's desk. He's not in the best mood after his adventure outside, and already seems tired of the mission they have ahead of them. ]

Hopefully there's some manageable ones in here.

[ He has very high expectations, clearly. ]

closed to shadowheart

[aimsforknees]

[ One of John's very embarrassing valentines card challenges is "give someone a gift." Do flowers count as a gift? But here he is at Shadowheart's door in the apartments, bundle of bright yellow daffodils in hand. There's two dozen, some blooming open and some not, because the bots got a bit carried away and— more flowers are better, right? Is that how this works?

Well, there's really nothing to do for it other than knock. And he can put a smile on his face as he does; while Shadowheart knows by now that he's not very emotional, even John knows better than to deliver flowers with his usual expression. ]

Gaia | Final Fantasy XIV (CRAU)

[hammerbearer]

A Note About Clothes

[ ooc: Gaia will arrive wearing clothes that look out of a rustic, medieval type setting: a chemise, a skirt of heavier fabric, a rabbit fur shawl. They will seem to be gathered up as best she could and somewhat oversized (she had been changing into a dragon person when she got pulled here!). After her visit to Roxx, she'll have clothes more in line with her usual aesthetic. ]

i. A Teenager Drawn To Food (Alexandrea's Wake, Hospital Lobby)

When all's said and done, Gaia had taken her sudden awakening in the hospital, the confusion, alarm and the explanation that followed better than most people probably did. First, because she's still shaking off the last dregs of the lethargy she awakened with.

Second, she's becoming frustratingly used to getting hauled from one multiversal summoning to the next. Okay it's been twice so far. But really isn't that more than most should have to suffer?

Her time in the previous world of Kamurkia had her nearing if not completing the transformation into a dragon thanks to the soul she'd been bonded to. In this new place, Etraya? All of that had been utterly wiped away. Her mind is silent, there's no scales, no wings. No 'growing pains'.

...Honestly it was kind of annoying having to go through all of that only to have it completely undone. So this is a mixed blessing. Once she's gotten all she can out of Echo, she gets up, dons her clothes and gathers the items- no sending stone but now this earpiece? A bit like a linkshell maybe but... Ugh, she'll figure it out later. Leaving the room, she finally makes her way down to the lobby.

The baked goods and beverages are eyed for a split second before she shrugs and makes her way over to them. Thank goodness there doesn't seem to be any signs of the Fae this time because honestly? She's famished. People will find her picking up a selection of food, choosing tea over coffee or hot chocolate, and then trailing over to find a seat and eye the world outside of any windows that are available.


ii. Hitching a Ride (Various, possibly. Starting in Alexandrea's Wake )

It's time to explore get supplies. The problem is that as she asks around for places to find what she needs, Gaia discovers that shops are spread across the islands. And while the new trolley system seems fortuitously timed with her arrival to Etraya, the schedule leaves a lot to be desired for a girl on a mission.

So at various points around the islands she might be found trying to hitch a ride. Got a vehicle? Motorbike? Something vaguely horse or chocobo in shape? Honestly she'd probably take a bicycle at some point if it meant not having to wait up to six hours for the trolley to loop around again. What is with that schedule anyway?

Those with some form of transportation will either see a teenaged girl trying to flag them down- her clothes depending on whether she's been to Roxx's yet- or approaching with a determined expression and a mind for conversation.


iii. Finally, Proper Clothes (Quiverfields, Roxx)

Gaia can be found lost among the clothing selection of Roxx. 'Lost' is probably a misleading; she prowls the racks, meticulously sliding hanger upon hanger to the side and fixing a critical eye upon certain articles. It is not unlike a predator in the bushes, sizing up a potential prey and deciding if it's worth her time and energy to strike.

Over one arm are a few choices that have made the cut. There is definitely a prevailing theme of 'black', maybe a hint of lace and belt, and a glimpse of corset-like support.

The teen is on a mission; the clothes she's currently wearing are a far cry from what she's selected. What can only be deemed rough, she sports a long sleeved chemise and a simple brown skirt of a heavier fabric; straight out of the bare minimum of dressing up for a ren faire, though with a more authentic feel. These clothes were meant to be worn daily. Around her shoulders is a shawl, stitched together rabbit furs to protect against the chill that lingers in the air outside.

...Pragmatic though that is, she is absolutely keeping an eye out for a proper coat.

A handbasket next to her feet- that she picks up as she moves to the next rack- has a burden of various cosmetics and hygiene products as might be found. While they might not be top tier, she will at this time take what she can get.


iv. Tasks on Paper (Charronway, The Diner)

"Not this again," Gaia mutters with a groan on reading the paper and a task assigned to it. She had sat down in a cafe, finally wearing something more in her style, bags of purchases ensconced in the booth seat beside her and ordered some food. While she didn't recognize everything on the menu and she'd come to be a fairly okay cook, it was nice to be able to just sit down, relax and have someone else make the meal for a change.

The roast beef wrap, salad and french fries had arrived with a small note covered in hearts. 'Deliver a flower to a stranger.'. She'd been doing her best to avoid these notes; not because of any willful distrust but largely because she was trying to get things sorted for the latest in her string of summoning upheavals.

Was there really no choice here?


v. Wildcard

[ If something doesn't fit the above, or more tasks other than the prompt? HMU! ]

ii. Hitching a Ride! pre-Roxx

[nimbuster]

It's not that unusual for Cloud to get asked to ferry someone somewhere, but usually the request is from someone he knows, or at least has seen around and exchanged mutual nods of stoic acknowledgment with. This time, it's someone who at first, for a jarring split second while he's zooming toward her, he thinks might be Tifa - it's the long, black hair, that's really it.

But he only has to get a little closer to see that it's obviously someone else. He slows just enough to pull his usual parking stunt, drifting with a screech of rubber into a turn that deposits him into a perfect halt right beside where she's standing. Judging from her clothes, she's probably from one of those worlds with very little technology, so hopefully she won't bolt or freak out over the bike.

"Need a lift?"

ithaqua | identity v

[leewards]

stuffed animals

[Well, sharing chocolates is right out of the question because Ithaqua doesn't share food, so what is someone like him to do? Find something he is willing to do, that is. This is a silly little holiday, but the only reason he's taking an interest in it is because he's getting sweets of some sort. Chocolate? How novel! It takes him a while to chew those chocolates he pops into his mouth, because for one, he wants to savour them, and for another, because of his low body temperature, they just don't melt quickly.

Watching his mask move as he chews on them might be odd, espeically when he's facing someone head on. Why? Because he's holding out a stuffed animal right at them. Oh right, that was one of the challenges, wasn't it?

If the person he's holding a stuffed toy at isn't taking it, the mask stops moving after a time, and Ithaqua will speak.]

Hmm. Was I too shy about gift-giving? [He tilts his head like a confused bird, the long ears of his hood flopping with the motion.] Or perhaps this is not the animal you'd like?

[Then he looks down at the toy clutched in his claws. It looks like a bear, honestly.]

heartstrings

[What would happen if one were to tug on the string wrapped around the finger?

A load of nothing, apparently. Or perhaps Ithaqua is not doing it right. He's not sure-- many things about this place are so new to him. Even this frankly vivid colour of red is new, the closest he knows is the color of blood or someone's hair. Though he can't remember if he even knew someone with red hair before.

Still, he follows the thread all the way to what's tethered on the other end, but...]

I never expected someone to be on the other end of this. Is this a prank of some sort? [Despite the accusing words, his tone is more neutral than anything. Perhaps a little curious.

Then he crouches down to be more on level, owing to the sheer advantage he has in height thanks to his stilts.] How did you manage to get this around my finger without my noticing?


[ ooc: some of ithaqua's traits for matching include: dislike for humans, introversion, fondness for tricks and messing around, impulsiveness, and a deep-seated dislike for one's own appearance. feel free to dm or pm me if you want to discuss things first! ]

stuffed animals

[instabilitatem]

[Connor can't say he's received many gifts in his life, especially in the other city. He flicks his gaze down to the stuffed animal being held out to him, unsure what to do.]

Oh, no. It's wonderful. Are you sure it's for me?

Sephiroth | FF7: Ever Crisis; CRAU

[miniroth]

Everywhere .. one stop at a time - For A Couple Weeks even!

Having nothing to really check on in the apartment he'd claimed for himself, Sephiroth only takes long enough at the Apartments to get clean and change clothes into something more suitable, and then heads right back for the new train system.

Trolley system. Whatever. They're bus-looking trains.

It's set a long term goal in mind, now that travel is rather easier than it had been: visit every. Single. Stop, and investigate the area around it with deliberation and patience. Obvious private residences and locked-off areas will be avoided but anything else?

Well, there's a black clad, gray haired teenager prowling around, and making no real effort to hide his study of the area. Six hours per stop is a lot of time to try to get a general idea of what's where at every location, and the impression he's getting is ..

... There's hundreds of thousands of people who should be here and aren't. There's entire small cities, empty.

Since he's not hiding or trying for stealth, it's easy to catch Sephiroth aside from his choice in clothing, sometimes roaming at night does make it a bit harder to spot him, but even then he's pretty out in the open.

Maybe he's come across a location he shouldn't be. Maybe it's your house. Maybe it's your cave. Maybe you just happen to be in the area too, chasing Valentines instructions. Way out away from the main lines, this might be the only chance to check something off the list!

[OOC: Open to all. Location is vague because location is 'everywhere'. Unless it's obviously locked or obviously a private residence he can be found sooner or later in the next couple weeks creeping around. He can be caught on the trolleys or off them!]

trolley problems

[sortie]

Lars doesn't have too much interest in the transportation system, but he does have something he's looking for. Someone, rather. He can tolerate being crammed into a trolley car for most of the day if it means his search goes a little more efficiently than it would otherwise. It's not like he has much alternative beyond marching about on foot.

For a good dozen or so stops he notices some other guy looking around as intently as him. Is he, too, searching for something? Lars reasons it's not his business, but when he catches the guy peering into the window of some curiously empty building, he drifts nearer.

He makes his approach audible, knowing as he does how he'd react if someone snuck up on him, pausing a little more than an arm's length away with his hands tucked into the pockets of his jacket. "You looking for someone too?"

A casual question, as though it doesn't matter all that much.

Quentin Coldwater; the Magicians

[filloryfanboy]

Arrival

Waking up in the hospital causes a kick of panic, a frantic memory of the last time he thought he woke up in a medical setting with no knowledge of how he got there. (And of course he'd, he'd considered it when he realized the library wasn't part of Brakebills, of course he did, he's not an idiot. Of course, he doesn't know who would have possibly trapped him in a dream again or why, and the level of consistency, the lack of nightmare elements eventually made him dismiss the possibility that this was just another Scarlatti Web.) But no one's keeping him here, he's not trapped. And while he's not sure how much he trusts Aurora's explanation, he spends plenty of time with her, asking questions, getting information. At the end, he takes the earpiece and goes looking for an exit.

When he finds the spread in the lobby, he hesitates. He's hungry, yeah, but he also doesn't trust it. It's a little too Alice in Wonderland for him; what if it's drugged? So he perches at a table with a plate and a croissant. There's a spell for detecting poison and other dangerous ingredients, and pretty much every Cottage student knows it by heart for safety reasons. His main concern is that he doesn't know the Circumstances for the proper casting - but then, if he tries it and it doesn't work, that's information, too, isn't it? If he's somewhere on Earth, then maybe he can triangulate where he is from what went wrong (if you were that good at magic, his brain helpfully reminds him, that idea's more Alice Quinn-level shit).

He decides to go for it, anyway, muttering a couple words and moving swiftly through a couple sets of complex-looking hand gestures. The spell's supposed to light up the item if there's something dangerous in it; instead, the whole thing goes on fucking fire, and he jerks away from it. It's a small fire, admittedly, and there isn't much for it to feed on, but he still rushes to a table to grab an entire pitcher of water and douse it.

"So - so not Earth, I guess," he says aloud with a shaky voice.

Chocolate Bliss

There's probably some irony to the fact that the medically-diagnosed Ball of Anxiety gets the Valentine that makes him feel Chill As Fuck. Admittedly, he's aware enough to realize that he's been affected by something (contact high? something he ate, maybe?), but he also can't muster the right emotions to worry about it. Because everything feels pretty great, actually? It can't be that bad if it makes him feel this good.

Unfortunately, the valentine also says to pass it on to someone else, and he can't think of any good reason not to (because it just makes you feel good, right? that's not a problem), so he's currently surveilling the area for someone who looks like they could use a little holiday love. Maybe it's you he's heading towards now.

Bring Your Own!

[tag him with an original starter or contact me to plot out something else!]

Arrival

[shadowsincryo]

As Quentin rushes to grab the pitcher, Kaeya turns back to the tables. He walks over and flicks his fingers. Ice snaps up around the pastry to prevent damage to the table. “Not a name familiar to me. But, this isn’t anywhere in Teyvat either. According to our benefactor we’re very far from our homes.”

He looks over the pastries and picks up a cookie. “You weren’t looking to toast that, were you?”

Cidolfus Telamon | OTA | Will match style

[levindicated]

Trolley Ride, nearly stranded in Nova City

This new trolley has Cid curious. He can’t help but hop on, even noting that it could be outpaced with a light jog. Still, it had never been convenient to move between the islands before, and who is he to pass up something new? He gets on the Blue Loop with a packed lunch and a notebook. Sure, the HUD of the map can be accessed through his earpiece, but he wants to take notes of the trolley itself and the new landscape!

Once he recognizes the new location of the Kwik Trip he pops out for a case of beer and goes back to wait… And soon begins to wonder and worry if this is a once-daily thing like a ferry.

…So he gets it in his head that he might be able to catch up with it. Cid starts running on the tracks heading south.

He does eventually catch up after the next stop- and any new riders will be greeted by a case of beer being tossed onto the trolley, followed by a man climbing aboard and coughing blood.

“Ah, fuck’s sake!”

Drunk on Love

After an eventful loop through the south islands, Cid comes up to the interchange as the other trolley for the Red Loop pulls up. He hurries over to it, catching it just as it departs northbound… Towards Stonhyrr.

His first ride yielded a stack of Valentines that he’s now thumbing through for clues… and absorbing their many effects on top of his inebriation.

Do you dare talk to this man?

ooc: Open to any kind of wildcard as well! He’s all over the City, do stuff to him if you want!

Drunk on Love

[cantilevers]

Vander was marveled by the new trolley. This wasn't quite a novelty, given topside and bottom had the bathysphere which was notoriously slow. This was smooth on tracks, which might have been why he had decided to spend some time riding on it and people watching.

He was seated nearby when the other man settled down and was clearly absorbed with leafing through those slips of paper that had appeared all over the place. He seen and heard some of the effects and steered mostly clear of them personally, but his curiosity was piqued at the sight of this guy simply going through a stack as if there were no effects.

"You're a daring fellow, aren't you?"

Gadriel | Warhammer 40K

[thecodexabides]

Arrival

[He's been pulled out suspended animation before, so for a moment, the disorientation is 'normal'. Expected, at least, to suddenly come to and not know where you are, or who you are, and then get struck with the sinking feeling that everyone you knew the last time you were awake...is probably dead now.

[So he clocks the whole situation as 'oh, a LOT of time has passed and things are different' until the whole thing about saving the world. He thought Etraya was the name of the new ship he was on, like the Resilient.

[He's still processing it, and how BRIGHT everything is. So much light, and none of it candles or torches. But he knows to be quiet during a briefing, so he sits, and listens, head bowed, obedient.

[He makes an obvious and hard to miss sight, down by the snacks--he's nine feet tall, his face ripped with scars, and wearing a heavy suit of armor, with a chainsword. Definitely does not fit into the hospital waiting room vibe. He's also looking slightly scared of the food. He's tried one or two things, and other than the coffee, most of it has just too much flavor for him. He manages to eat them, because he needs the calories and glucose is one of the nutrients he knows he needs and can taste in them, but he does NOT look like he is enjoying them. ]

Do they have any with less...flavor?

Railway Adventures
[The railway map was something else, and he spends the next several hours randomly getting off and on at different points, trying to orient himself to this place. ]
(ooc: feel free to bump into him, physically, in any location. He's large will probably stop and stare at just about anything.)

Love is in the Air

[Flowers. He has to give flowers to someone? This is possibly the most absurd mission he has ever been sent on.

[Still, he has had it ingrained in him to follow orders when given, so if you cross his path, at any point, he may shove a flower at you. It may be a rose, or it may be some flower he yoinked out of someone's garden. Whatever.]

HERE. [Surely that's romantic. A large person shoving floral items at you. So much charm. Very romantic.]

Magnetic attraction
[Well, this is your lucky day, if by lucky day, you mean a day when suddenly everything you do is shadowed by someone large and heavily armed, following you around. Every time you look over at him, though, he is either staring directly at you, or assiduously staring in the opposite direction.

[At least his weapons aren't drawn so he's probably harmless, right? ]

What?

(ooc: the standard wildcard, just feel free to bump into him anywhere and do things. He WILL actually talk. He's just not great at initiating conversations that have nothing to do with things like killcounts and Imperium history. )

Love is in the Air

[cantilevers]

[Ah. Well, that would be a flower shoved at him, root ball, dirt, stem and all. Vander took it and tilted his head to regard the man in question. It was rare that he was the smallest guy in a room, so he was impressed to meet someone taller than himself.

He held up the flower by the root ball with the stem swinging dangerously close to falling over. He had learned about the occasion and finding it an odd custom but willing to play along, and this one in particular seemed to perhaps be stoic enough to need to lighten up? Who knew.]

I think this is the first flower anyone's ever given to me. Usually its rocks. Does this gesture come with a name from the giver, hmm?

Shelley Lang | oc

[dustyroad]

Valentines

[The Tally was unnerving, but Shelley didn't know enough about the larger picture to even start hazarding guesses-- especially with the introduction of a rail system, his sceen reader sputtering and stammering over the map as it tried to interpret the data into a simple, verbal form, and the hustle and hustle over the last few weeks wearing on him enough that he just wanted to retreat into the woods.

It wasn't that simple, especially when a little mockingbird flapped into his face when he returned to his apartment and threw a paper Valentine at him.]

Damnit, Mandy. What is--?

[He squinted at the pink and red card, then held it out at arm's length to focus.]

Give a stuffed animal to.... Oh no no no.

[He shook his head.

So it goes.

Later on, at the coffee shop, he would approach anyone who looked lonely and offer them a rainbow colored squid of a plush toy, complete with heart eyes.]

Hey, you're looking like you could use a friend right now...

Take it. It's for you.

[Please. Don't ask questions. Especially about the little gray bird napping in his wide brimmed, leather hat]

wildcard!

[Don't see a prompt you like? Make one up. 20+ for drinks, older than that if you want to ship tease. Hit me up at woodrift for plotting. ]

Valentines

[welcome_summer]

[Mayuko was waiting for one of the afternoon trolleys to roll around when Shelley approaches. She seems to be sitting by herself, but as soon as the squid plushie is extended, a white paw reaches up from her lap to bat at the dangly tentacles.

Of course someone would find a rainbow Marcy...., she thinks ruefully.]

Thank you-- it has met with Daichi's seal of approval.

[The large cat in her lap sits up with a stretch as Mayuko receives the squid. As the bird is being still, he focuses on the new toy.

With her other hand, she rummages through a collection of paper slips.]

Give me one moment, I need to get started on these, too....

Maria | Silent Hill 2

[heavensnight]

Confessions
[after the hell that was that mission, and everything she has gone through, she wasn't in the mood for all of this. yet as soon as she started on her way home, she picked up a valentine and ah. a challenge. she thinks about her next move and considers it. if she did just go to her room and ignore this, would anything happen? but maybe if her staying here depends on her finishing these challenges...

well. okay. she'll do it.

the one she picks up is you have to confess your feelings to someone and geesh. fine. okay. so to the nearest person, she waves the paper at them. luckily no effects for this one!]

This is awkward but want to confess your feelings for me? Or I can confess to you. Not too picky. It doesn't say what feelings, right? [loophole!]

Chocolates
[and this little challenge is share chocolates? she's not in the mood but off she goes to get chocolates because she's not trusting anything else that might be lying about.

...until someone takes the box of chocolates she was about to get. she eyes them and then attempts to look pouty at whoever was about to buy them.] Are those for a challenge? Want to share them with me? I was just about to get those. [whether or not this works is another story.]

Flower language
[Maria had wanted to get pink flowers (it fits the theme okay) but all that was left was yellow roses. the challenge was she was supposed to give out flowers so honestly, what did it matter the color? until someone mentioned they meant friendship now but apparently in some older flower languages, they meant jealousy and deceit.

way to get in a girl's head, random person.

but she's handing them out regardless.]

Yellow doesn't fit the love theme but hey, it's a flower? Humor me and take it, please. [her put upon cheer is really starting to hit its limits and she's desperate to get this all over with at this point.]

closed to Vanessa.
[she had gotten lucky by not having any side effects and just as she was about to head home, she saw another paper. she strongly considered just ignoring it but really, what if it was another simple one? like giving out a compliment? so she picked it up and then immediately, a string wrapped around her pinky and connected to another woman. Maria frowns and tries to take it off but it's not going anywhere, won't get off at all.

she looks up to Vanessa and then back down to the string. it feels like she should talk to her, actually tell her what's going on, and that seems like it should be a terrible idea. but her feet move anyway and she shows the string to Vanessa, frowning.] I really just want to go home. I mean, to my place here. Not home home. [she shakes her head, embarrassment creeping up on her. any other time, she might want to talk and be a people person. now just isn't the time.] I'm feeling awful, sorry. I'm usually better at this.

Wilcard.
[happy to do anything else if you have an idea, just PM me!]

Chocolates

[ornithologist]

[ Harold is here for the same purpose, looking composed as ever, his only concession to the holiday that he's wearing a suit, tie, and pocket square combination in the warmer family of color tones. Since they'd last talked he's gotten access to his full usual wardrobe, which means it's an expensive and artful mismatch of prints and textures.

He stops as he sees her reaching for the same chocolates, and finds a small smile for Maria. ]

I am, but I think I could make a pit stop provided we don't eat them all, [ he concedes. He needs to keep some for him and John. ] I hope you've been well since leaving the train.

[ Harold had offered her his room in the Neon quarters to stay in with Heather after Vincent's death, and then moved in with John next door, but he hadn't had much time to talk with them apart from that. He'd been quite busy helping Gorgug with Rex, and then making a move on the King... he's just glad it all ended well. Though he's going to have to revise his opinion of Vincent (poor, dour, unimpressed) up at least a few notches. ]

heather mason ― silent hill 2

[ingestion]

— love is in the air (five tasks)

( although heather was a girl who didn't consider herself phased by love and romance that came with it [did she have a crush on someone or two occasionally? perhaps], she was a girl on a mission-

and ever since she learned the true nature involving asking for things around here, she knew she had to play ball to get what she wanted. which was a personal space to hold her little faux 'therapy' sessions with others who just needed to vent and have someone listen to their feelings about being here and other things she could help with.

so with a large scowl on her face and wrapped up in appropriate holiday wear, heather began to walk around with a number of things tasked upon all residents of etraya who wanted to participate in this. so if your character so happens to be in sight, she will be doing any of the following:

- handing them a flower
- sharing a box of chocolates
- giving them a stuffed animal (perhaps a rat one)
- or regaling them with a compliment

whatever your character ends up receiving from heather, she will simply say this at the end of it all. )

This world is bullshit.

— serenade syndrome

( although by now heather knew she couldn't trust anything about this place, she had yet again fallen victim to the effect of touching one of the cringy valentine's day card-

which immediately made her run out to whoever was unfortunate enough to be before her. there were no romantic stirrings in her heart, but rather a deep and platonic love for the friends she had made here. so naturally the song that came from her was something along the lines of—

'we're all in this together-
like true friends should be
let's have some fun
together, we're here for each other
let's do this right )

— sitting outside the crowd

( after a long day of playing 'cupid' and regaling people with an outburst of music, heather can be found sitting on one of the curbs with her rat friend on her lap. wearing a heart headband, she looked a bit miffed.

whoever happened to come check up on her, would immediately get an ear full of how all of this was dumb. )

Isn't all of this lovey-dovey stuff stupid? Real love is....the love a good father has for his child...or mother, or between family. People who support each other and help each other to be better.

This 'crush' and weird cards are all just silly.

— wildcard

( ooc | if none of these starters work for you, please feel free to hit me up with one of your own or dm me for a closed starter. please note: no true romance/kissing for heather beyond just platonic hugs, familiar cheek kisses, and other friendly platonic affection. please note: I did have to handwave most of the last event due to a hiatus I had to take during the time it took place. please feel free to assume heather did xyz and/or check if you have any questions on her role as an apprentice sprawl. )

Sitting outside being grumpy together.

[thecodexabides]

[FINALLY someone speaking sense. He has no idea why she just blurted that out to him, as he was trying very hard not to look at anyone (because he'd found himself weirdly compelled to follow some strangers around already and it was...not good) but it was about the first sensible thing he's heard since he arrived.]

Real love is that between you and your brothers. [Or his brothers. All thousand of them or so.] I do not understand the...items. And what they are supposed to show.

Manny | Ice Age

[bigpoofymammoth]

[Heroes Return]

[Manny couldn’t be more relieved to have returned to Etraya. Especially after everything that had happened on the Quantum Rail.

As soon as he stepped out into the train station, the mammoth quickly received the automatic download of Etraya’s map. So far, not much had changed aside from the newly-implemented trolley system around the place. Seems a lot like the train he’d been on, but much smaller and slower by comparison. Doesn’t seem like there’s much room for him to get on, not like he’d any intention on using it anyway.

At one point, he decides to check out the spot with the familiar sign he’d seen a while ago. From there, the mammoth stared intently at the tally, now that it’s complete after the final slash had been drawn through. If anyone decides to check up on him, the mammal turns towards them to ask.]

You worried about that?

[Stuff Animals]

[Manny couldn’t even care less about Valentine’s Day. If anything, it’s an even more glaring reminder of how much he misses his family back home.

At first, he wanted nothing to do with any of the tasks relating to the mystery valentines hidden across the city. After all, they’re completely optional so there’s even less of a reason for him to complete them. But to his dismay, the mammoth somehow manages to find one hidden within the plants right outside of Big Belly Burger.

Fortunately, the task written on the valentine itself was relatively simple; Gift a friend with a stuffed animal. With that in mind, Manny decides to go and get himself a mastodon plush from one of the stores in the city. Then, the mammoth walks up to anyone he sees, regardless of whether he actually knew them or not, and presents them with the toy that’s being held up by his trunk.]

Want one?

[Wildcard]

[OOC: If you want to start something with Manny, I'm open to any ideas. But if you need to discuss it with me, feel free to contact me on discord or on plurk by HyperGaming999]

Stuffed Animals

[hammerbearer]

[ Gaia is still getting used to the city. She's seen some animals out in the wilds from the windows of the trolley or when she chose to walk. So she knows they're there. And there's plenty of spoken races who do not share her general humanoid dimensions.

Giant talking mammoth is, however, pushing the bar pretty dang far.

The individual she might have first thought was a type of transportation approaches and she looks up, only to find herself addressed offered a plushie of... itself? She looks a bit stunned at the moment. ]

Oh! Um... thank you?

[ What would you do when given the same option? Hopefully be polite at the minimum. There's a lot she clearly wants to say. But also a lot Gaia knows would be pretty damn rude to voice. ]

...Why though? I don't think I know you?

[ She's met a couple people but... did one of them suddenly become a tusked, furry... Forgive her, most of the animal life on her native world was wiped out by a calamity. She has no idea what Manny is. ]

bruce wayne/batman — the batman.

[batsymbol]

VALENTINES.

( Another post-mission day in the heart of Etraya and, speaking of hearts, seems a Hallmark holiday has shown up without him even realizing it. It's the little touches of decor here and there in the cafe he's currently in that really tipped him off. Just another day for him... another day closer to his birthday, too.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, he stands there off to the side, waiting for his order to be up. Idly reaching for a menu card placed atop one of the table there as a means to have something to look at it while he waits, a slip of paper falls out from it and, upon picking it up and giving it a quick glance, he stares at a few of the words scribbled across it. He knows what this is. A challenge, one that makes him sigh. Paper in hand, the first person he sees, he holds it out between his fingers, face down, for them to take, smile faint on his lips. )

Think you dropped this.

( Sneaky, but. Better you than him. )

JUNKYARD.

( If you happen to find your way out in the very far west of Etraya, you'll find the junkyard that one Bruce Wayne dressed in his drifter outfit often frequents and, just so happens to be right now. Hood up, scarf pulled over his nose, he digs through the various mounds, backpack already filled with various computer and a few car parts that can fit in it. On the ground next to it, a couple larger pieces and a possibly salvageable bike he thinks he can fix up. For the most part, he keeps to himself — focused on trying to find whatever he can, but. The moment he happens to notice someone else, he straightens himself up, broken broomstick held in his hand. He's a little ways up a particular mound — throws a fleeting glance to his backpack and stash there below, but remains where he is for the moment. )

Don't find too many out this way.

( Attempt at light conversation? Made. )

ETC.
( the last few weeks have been a bit rough 🥺 if you'd like to continue anything, please feel free to hit me up with a pm. otherwise, we can do something else here. if prose is more your style, i'm fine to match, just toss it at me. wildcards and discussed threads also good to be thrown here. as for the challenge, i'm open to it saying whatever, just no effects. )

Junkyard

[leastdramatic]

[Jason snorts, not at all intimidated. He has a good idea of why Bruce is out here. There's always a piece of BatGear that needs to be tinkered or upgraded. Given Etraya's limitations, the junkyard is as good of a source as any for parts. Jason himself has scrounged around in the area for things to upgrade his motorcycle with]

You're telling me. You know how hard it is to get engine parts?

sevika / arcane

[ascarylady]

two trolley problem

[ Lo and behold, and much to Sevika's own surprise, her suggestion had been taken seriously. They return to two trolley routes trundling along the new road system. Initially, she'd been somewhat pleased that she'd been listened to even in passing, but hopping on one of the trolleys for a tour of the route reveals... a problem. ]

...she didn't add multiple trolleys. Are you kidding me?

[ Aurora?! Hello?! Regardless, Sevika has taken up a spot in the back of the trolley. She's rolled the window down to let the cold air in and the smoke from her cigarette out because, yes, she is smoking on the trolley, and who's going to stop her? She watches the scenery roll by, quietly muttering to herself all the while. ]

She could have at least done three or four per route. The stops don't even have schedules listed. [ Ughhh, listen to her, she sounds like a— Sevika grimaces. ] No, this isn't my problem. This is someone else's problem.

she will not be your valentine

[ Stationed at her usual hangout — for now — of Harry's Hideaway Pub, Sevika is working on something that is decidedly not related to the cards being strewn around Etraya. That isn't without the companion bots trying, of course, and a pile of crumpled-up valentines lays where they've been tossed behind her onto the floor.

While ignoring those, she's instead focused on the mechanical arm laid out on the pub table — a contraption of oxidized copper, brass, glass, and various other materials. She's made do with the tools she could find, and the ones she couldn't, she's jury-rigged out of crap she found at the junkyard. The panel for the forearm lays open, and she's repeatedly trying to get the connections between that and the fingers to respond.

Unfortunately, she isn't getting far with it, leaving her in a foul mood. This means when you wander up thinking you've found someone to complete a cute little valentine's task with? She looks up with a glower and a scowl and snaps, ]

What the hell do you want?

valentine (scary metal arm lady club)

[imperatour]

[ Fortunately, Furiosa isn't put off by a little intimidation. Actually, it's a little refreshing. Familiar in a way that makes Furiosa huff an amused grunt out of the back of her throat. And that's not the only thing that's familiar about Sevika... ]

Just wondering where you scavenged that up.

[ She jerks her chin towards Sevika's project. The reason for her curiosity should be obvious, her left arm ending in a gnarled, old scar just past her elbow. She was unlucky enough to wake up without her own metal arm, having spent time to let wounds between her ribs breathe, free from the jerry-rigged leather harness that anchors some of the weight around her waist. ]

Been missing something ever since I arrived.

Chrissy Cunningham | Stranger Things | ota

[bubblegumheart]

Clang, clang, clang, went the trolley

To someone who spent her entire life in a town small enough to walk across in a couple of hours, finding herself in a place like Etraya had been overwhelming to say the least. The trolley system is new, and therefore the most interesting thing that's happening currently. Chrissy can be spotted riding near the middle of the vehicle, turned slightly to make it easier to look out the window.

When she's not busy riding, she can be approached while disembarking to look around at one of the stops. Or boarding to go elsewhere.

Valentines Day Hijinx

Of course she's seen the valentines around town. She's even pocketed a handful for herself, to work on completing later. Maybe she's looking for a distraction, or maybe she just feels like doing something nice for people whenever the opportunity arises. Either way, she'll be more than happy to hand out flowers, real or paper, share chocolates, gift a stuffed animal or compliment someone in passing in an attempt to brighten their day.

She's not expecting to receive any valentines, and she's not actually sure how she'd react if she did. For a while, she'd been holding onto the hope that Vance might show up, but it's been half a year and there's been no sign of him. Perhaps it's better this way. He might not feel particularly motivated to save his world even if he did show up here, an she wouldn't blame him for that.

[ooc: I'm open to people running into Chrissy pretty much elsewhere because she'll be spending a fair amount of time riding the trolley or snooping around the stops. Also open to the valentine card effects in any combination, whether it's Chrissy being effected or someone else. She's not likely to confess any feelings at this point. Heartstrings could be entertaining. As far as that goes, points of similarity include having died twice, being from ye olde past (she died in 1986), having been a cheerleader for many years, having been haunted by a weirdo demon (wizard. whatever Vecna is lol). You can also find me @ cornyflake on plurk or discord/find me in the game discord to work something out.]

Clang, clang, clang

[welcome_summer]

[As soon as Chrissy boards, a white and orange cat peers over and meows at her from one of the seats. It tries to lean closer, but the woman holds its harness lightly.]

Let's let her get settled before you bother her--Sorry about that. He just got here.

an zhe | little mushroom

[hyphanated]

trolley

[It's been a while since An Zhe got to ride public transportation, though a trolley isn't quite a type of transportation he's seen before. It's nice! Convenient! He likes it!

Problem being, he might have nodded off at some point and missed his stop...should he get off and walk? Should he just keep riding until it comes back around again? He's been sitting here for at least an hour now, staring out the window, watching the scenery go by...eventually someone new sits down nearby, and he finally asks:]

Excuse me, how long do you think it would take...to walk to [location] from here?

[The answer is more than an hour, that's for sure.]

valentines

[What's this? A strange card tucked amidst the potatoes at the market? And inside, it reads: "Confess your feelings to another." Well! That sounds...kinda challenging, but not difficult? When he looks up from the card though, his vision is suddenly...strange.

Anyway, wherever you are, whoever you are, a kid with heart-shaped pupils is now walking up to you, squinting slightly before quietly asking aloud,] Do I have feelings for you?

Valentines

[miniroth]

[And it's... another kid.

An Zhe is given a long, looong unblinking stare as he approaches - it's rare Sephiroth actually looks at people directly, his own eyes are a bit strange to most, but at least his pupils are a shape found in nature. THAT. That is not.]

Indifference or curiosity are an emotion, technically.

[VERY technically.]

If you're working on your checklist, I believe you must state the emotion, not ask someone else what you might be feeling. Otherwise it is not a confession, it's a question.

Barnabas Tharmr | Final Fantasy XVI (will match style)

[odinpusrex]

I. A New Kind of Trolley Problem

[Those who thought they might enjoy the slow yet reliable transportation of the new trolley will find themselves in for quite the contrary experience. If they deigned to take the red line through Purple Windy, that is. Everything seems fine, up until they have passed the area's stop and are nearing the shoreline—the trolley slowing prematurely and stopping due to there being a large obstruction on the tracks. It does not seem to have any intention of moving out of the way, either! What with it appearing to be...sleeping?

Its eyes are closed, at least, and its massive head rests upon its paws—though that is difficult to see with how its back is to the trolley. The slow, deep breathing is easier to clock, however. The rise and fall of its broad spike-adorned back clearly visible for anyone peering out the front of the vehicle. The rumble of its breaths can also be heard.

So, what is there to do? Does one wait for the behemoth to move on its own, or do they throw caution to the wind and wake it? Should they take too long to do anything, the beast will shift, its large tail brushing up against the trolley and rocking it with impressive force, though not causing any damage. The creature is still seemingly asleep.

This is absolutely going to throw off the trolley schedule. Not that there is much of one.

If one is keen, they might notice a man with shaggy black hair dressed in black and blue clothing standing a couple hundreds yards from the trolley tracks. He is upon a large boulder out in the surrounding stretch of wilderness, watching whatever is going on. Whether this is his fault, or he is merely a concerned resident really depends on the context his observer has over his relationship with the beast blocking the path.]

II. Wildcard

[ooc: Barnabas will mostly be residing around Stonhyrr and Purple Windy, so if you want to throw a starter at me with your character doing whatever in the area or wanna hash something out with me, feel free to do so! Hit me up at Zornsable or on discord(Zanono)!]

[devowr]

[Ragnvaldr was having a totally pleasant little ride, having his mind pleasantly blown by this trolley. It was a far cry from the little hell they spent on the train. Though, that little hell was nothing in comparison to what he’d endure. And he’d eaten much worse things as it was, too. And being hungry all the time really also wasn’t unusual either. He didn’t appreciate the lack of freedoms- but they were ultimately temporary.]

[But now that hard thwack from the Behemoth’s tail has sent the liquid from his disposable teacup all down his front. He looks out onto the landscape with keen eyes and spots his old roommate immediately.]

[What else is there to do but leave the trolley and investigate? Even though he was on his way to the book store, it truly was not dire enough to risk waking the Behemoth.]

[He turns to Barnabas and waves with a grin.]

Vander - Arcane (Closed Starters)

[cantilevers]

[Please feel free to PM journal or use apomorphine for a closed starter! Always happy to plot! Otherwise, I'm happy to tag out more too!]

Closed to Silco

[cantilevers]

[It was supposed to be a simple task of heading out to go to the grocer for some stocking up on supplies. It was supposed to be nothing out of the ordinary after that whole train debacle. It was supposed to be Vander walking down the many flights of stairs, out into the main foyer then the street.

He had seen the little slips of paper, experienced some people having to perform funny, ridiculous, sweet and sometimes bizarre acts. He had largely avoided all of them, though been subjected to one or two because he couldn't be holed up in his apartment for more than a few hours or he'd go stir-crazy. He had mostly had good experiences, which was a welcome distraction, but he also wasn't in the mood to be the one who had to perform a song and dance - literally or figuratively.

So naturally, it meant that he had to be caught eventually. A piece of paper that he thought had been discarded by another apartment dweller stuck to his shoe. He sighed and leaned down to pick it off, intent to throw it away, but in the process of touching it, he felt a jerk behind his navel that nearly pulled him off of his feet as he was magnetically drawn to...]

No. Not you.

Shiraki Mayuko| Fruits Basket (CRAU)

[welcome_summer]

[Despite being pleased with the outcome of the mission, Mayuko is only too happy to see the last of the Quantum Rail. She is already making plans as soon as it pulls into the station. After she gets supplies, it’s going to be “Bathe, Eat, Sleep”, rinse and repeat. The outside world can do its own thing for a while.

However, on seeing the nearest companion bot, Mayuko beelines to it. Makes an inquiry. Puts in a request. Now she’ll just have to pick up her supplies AND cat supplies.]


Valentines: OTA

[The addition of a big, fluffy white-and-orange cat back into Mayuko’s life does wonders for her mood. She hasn’t seen Daichi for… months in Sidereal time, and she’s missed him. For the kitty’s part, he seems a bit miffed at being transported to another new place and not allowed to roam around. But there’s treats and cat trees in the apartment, Mayu’s fussing over him and new friends to meow at and demand pets from. It’s not all that bad.

Which means it’s no surprise, as Mayuko introduces the cat to daily walks on harness and leash, that Daichi bats and brings over to her any Valentines that he comes across.

You might find her taking a break and sorting through the different options, crumpling some into a ball for the cat to play with. No confessing feelings and no matchmaking for her.

She might be at the store picking up the necessary components, Daichi draped across her shoulders out of the way with a new red collar/bowtie.

Maybe she’s stumbled across you and is looking through the Valentines for an applicable option.]


Trolley or general Wildcard: OTA

[Or maybe it’s none of the above! She is very interested in the trolley system, so you can catch her and Daichi taking a day trip around the islands, at least for a few hours. Or you can find them elsewhere! It’s all good.]

valentines

[maximumlegend]

[ Oh, Fabian sees what's going on here the moment she's looking through those hearts. He initially approached Mayuko because he recognizes her, wanting to ask her how she was doing after that whole mission, but he only spotted the valentines she had when he got close enough that it'd be awkward to move away again.

So he's letting out a groan the moment he spots those in her hands. ]

Oh, no. Just-- Just forget those things, alright?

Bruce Wayne | Batman Beyond

[knightowl]

Heart Eyes

[ He finds the Valentine inside the paper cup he'd planned to use for his usual one coffee a week. I only have eyes for you, Valentine it says. Maybe, 20 years ago, Bruce would have felt compelled to give it to someone. Right now, however, he's only compelled to toss the thing into the garbage, along with the cup it came in. By the time he gets back to the coffee maker, selected a new cup and begin pouring his coffee, the shape of his pupils had changed.

He doesn't even realize he's reached the top of the cup and the coffee's spilling over until it burns his hand. He grimaces, but otherwise doesn't make a sound. He's just gonna...leave that mess and get himself cleaned up.

Outside of the Kwik Trip, Bruce has to stop a minute and think about what was he was going to do. His damp, still slightly warm sleeve reminds him. Right. He was going home. ]

Excuse me, [ Said to whoever might be standing nearby ] Where's the apartment building? [ It's something he feels like he should know, but he's not able to focus enough to recall it. ]

Tolerance is in the air

Here.

[ There's no preamble. No pleasantries. There's just an old man holding out a silk rose for the person close by. Take it. ]

Wild card

Or bring your own prompt. Hit me up on tapsters if you want to plot.

Tolerance!

[instabilitatem]

[Connor is just passing by, looking as horrific as ever, when an older gentleman holds out a rose to him.]

For me?

Peter Parker / Spider-Man | MCU

[keepitgoing]

I. Heroes Return / Wildcard (Peter Parker)

[When they get back, Peter is exhausted. It's not like he'd gotten hurt or anything — other than some pretty unextraordinary scrapes and bruises that were already healing — but for him, it's usually the mental cuts and lumps that really hurt. He just hoped that they'd all done the right thing, and that everyone could find a way to create something equal and capable in the midst of all that misery.

Peter can be found at the local diner, a little disinterested as he prods at his breakfast meal.

Feel free to find him on his way back to the apartments, too; if you're someone he's familiar with, he'll perk up immediately, especially considering he hadn't been able to do a headcount and make sure everyone else was alright during the skirmishes aboard the quantum train. Without a lick of hesitation, he wanders up and says something along the lines of —]

Hey! I was wondering where you were; you doing alright?

II. Love is in The Air (Spider-Man)



[Spider-Man has been... somewhat influenced by the valentine's day bug. It had started with five tasks — and he was all about throwing around the compliments. Which means he is currently sitting on top of the trolley and is pointing at people as he's driving by:]

Hello, everybody! Great day today -- looking good!

Love the hair! Nice biceps; have you been lifting? Your outfit is super cute! You ever think about being a supermodel!?

[Sometimes, he throws a flower after the fact; it doesn't matter who you are or if you know Spidey, you're getting a rose flying down to greet you. For most people, he just comes and goes as the trolley carries on, leaving them baffled. But every so often, the trolley also stops to pick new people -- and Spider-Man laughs in mild embarrassment where he's perched on the automobile's roof.]

Oh, man. So much for a drive-by compliment...

[Little does Peter know, he's suffering from Chocolate Bliss.

After all the stress, he probably could use it.]

ii

[maximumlegend]

[ Most people would likely appreciate a drive-by compliment. It's sweet! It's the true Valentine's spirit!

But Fabian? Well, he usually wouldn't necessarily mind the compliment, but he turns his head to see who's giving it to him..

And his jaw drops. Instantly. The trolley is still going, but Fabian immediately starts to give chase. He even takes a quick moment to cast a spell on himself so he can keep up with it - thank god it's not an incredibly speedy train! ]

You! [ He just says - his eyes on Spider-Man the entire time as he's running. ]

Popp | Adventure of Dai (CRAU)

[snapp_crackle]

Arrival

Oh boy. Oh boy, there are some stakes here! The fate of the world isn't exactly a new level of concern - no, actually, it totally is! There's a difference between a world overrun with dark magicians and monsters and flat out no world at all, which is a hard concept to even wrap his head around. Why scoop him up for this specifically! There are other people in his world who are better at dealing with this kind of pressure - no, he can't even tell himself that, he excels under pressure, he just really really wishes he didn't so this could be someone else's job.

"If I save the world up here and come back to Dark King Vearn ruling the whole place I'm going to be so pissed. Can't I just have one crisis at a time, just one?!"

In the absence of any immediate action to take he's angrily eating croissants and complaining. If not interrupted, he'll start in on complaining about various kinds of dragon-related bullshit with no regard for presence or absence of audience. He's very stressed! This is also his first time drinking coffee, which is not helping. He poured himself a cup and was not expecting it to be bitter so he's making dubious faces every time he has a sip but also, he refuses to admit defeat to a simple beverage on his first day here, he has dignity [citation needed]!

Valentines Shenanigans

Oh come on, he was expecting... he doesn't know what he was expecting! He was bracing himself for a fight, or possibly a quest to retrieve some sort of rare ingredient? Difficult things that he could handle! Not confessing his feelings, which is completely impossible! Off the table!

"Who writes these? She's not even here!"

The person in question not being here isn't why Popp can't confess, he would not be able to if she was standing right in front of him. But it's a very good excuse to be indignant about it. But...! There's this red string that's appeared around his finger. What if she is here? What if he has to confess his feelings or else a goddess will blow up his home planet? This might be a literal nightmare, actually. He's going to confess his love and then she will laugh at him and also his parents and the surviving leaders of the Dark Army will be there, all tsking and shaking their heads...!

He will follow the string eventually, after some time slumped despairingly over the diner table at which he was cruelly ambushed by this devil-card. He has to get this out of his system it's an essential part of making plans.

(( Things that Popp might have in common with someone - has gone through multiple capes this year (he's wearing one right now), his family owns a weapons shop, he's seen someone he loved die in front of him. Or pick your own if you know his canon! ))

Trolley Time

"This is a way smoother ride than a carriage, or even a hot air balloon!"

Popp is wide-eyed with childish awe for, if not the full unbroken six hours, a good portion of the trolley loop. He's not familiar with skyscrapers or indeed most modern architecture, and even the castles and monasteries are inherently impressive. If there's someone on the trolley, he's happy to strike up a conversation re: whatever they're going by at the moment, but the scenery is entertainment enough as it is.

"Another classy house - look, I know people here are from all over, but I guess a lot of them are nobility?"

Of course, locals are going to know the most about a place! If he sees someone near the trolley route at any of the locations, he'll go right for them - by opening the trolley window and flying right out if there's no immediate stop.

"Hey - do you live around here?"

He tacks on a sir/ma'am as appropriate if whoever he's talking to looks older than their 20s. He can be polite! He chooses not to be most of the time, but he can be!