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

[badlydisarmed]

[Connor sometimes makes him wish he'd paid more attention in Philosophy classes. There's a deep conversation about freedom of choice there that he's frankly too tired to have. Robert knows machines, he's worked with them most of his life, Connor's more than zeroes and ones.]

Perhaps.

[He's here in part because he's been hoping for a new arm, or at least the parts to repair the one he has. It's a little annoying how used he is to doing without now.]

[instabilitatem]

Would you like assistance, Dr. Romano?

[Now that the cookie bowl is nice and full.]

[badlydisarmed]

You're the most annoying vacuum cleaner I've ever met. And that's something, vacuum cleaners in my time are so loud and cumbersome.

[He is exasperatedly fond.]

Come on, let's check out the hospital, see if the local leader can help us with repairs. Bring the cookies.

[Might as well, plus Connor will have better luck making friends and influencing people if he doesn't look like he was pulled straight out of a horror movie.]

[instabilitatem]

Of course, doctor. I'm ready when you are. [Connor stands up from the table, collects the bowl and is ready to follow!]

[badlydisarmed]

Don't you get tired of being nice?

[Connor has somehow managed to override whatever happy effect the cookies had on him. Exhausting robot, probably simultaneously the best and worst choice for this stupid mission.

Robert tries to lead the way to the hospital, but he has no idea of how to get there and without guidance he'll absolutely get turned around.]

[instabilitatem]

I don't get tired, doctor.

[If there is to be a day where Connor overrides his presets, it is not today. He walks beside Robert as they move in a duo. When they seem to be getting turned around, Connor hesitates to access the AI for information.]

We seem to be lost.

[badlydisarmed]

Don't you have— [There was a word for it, an acronym, but it escapes him.] what was it? An internal compass? A radar?

[Something like that. Connor's clever, he'll know what he means.]

[instabilitatem]

I do, but it would require me to connect to the AI here. [Connor is not about to do that with their mission so important.]

[badlydisarmed]

What, it's a two-way road?

[That doesn't sound safe, but what does he know about cybersecurity?

He grabs a cookie from the bowl Connor's carrying, he can walk while he eats.]

Can't you... encrypt it or something?

[instabilitatem]

It's something I can try, but perhaps not while walking and talking. [The thought of connecting to the AI is... is it fear that Connor feels?]

[badlydisarmed]

[That's odd. Sure, he knows Connor's got feelings, but it's not like he's seen much evidence of it, the guy's an expert at fronting.]

Nah, don't bother. We'll run into it sooner or later.

[They're dealing with enough as it is, no need to go into why the friendly robot doesn't want to risk letting another seemingly friendly robot in his head.]

[instabilitatem]

Of course. [Connor looks around at all the buildings and tries to spot one with the levels one would expect to see in a hospital.] Perhaps that white building, off behind the trees.

[Connor points for good measure, too!]

[badlydisarmed]

There we go. Who needs maps?

[He starts towards it, looking around at the streets as they walk. This whole place is so normal]

How easy do you think it is to go from this to war-torn?

[By the time he arrived the city was torn already, he didn't see how fast things went down. But he can't imagine it took too long.]

[instabilitatem]

[Connor would silently agree that the place is strangely normal, as if the apocalypse had only come for their half and not this one.]

Without infrastructure like supplies, it would likely devolve in a matter of weeks. Humans have needs and when those needs aren't met, they become more like animals.

[Which is one of the ways Connor had lost one of his fingers. Someone thought it was chow town.]

[badlydisarmed]

We are animals.

[When it comes down to it, when a person's frightened or angry enough, they're no better than a feral dog.]

Did they program a self-preservation instinct into you?

[instabilitatem]

No. [However one is being borne; there's only so much damage one android can take.]

[badlydisarmed]

Any urge to self-repair when damaged?

[Maybe he can find a mechanic here. There's a network, he can ask.]

[instabilitatem]

Of course. I self-diagnose regularly. I am missing several biocomponents. I cannot repair without those components, doctor.

[badlydisarmed]

Get me a list.

[No harm in trying to find whatever he needs. Maybe he'll ask the AI directly, cut the middle men.]

[instabilitatem]

Of course. [Connor thinks for a moment.] I'll write them down to make it easier.

[badlydisarmed]

Good robot.

[And there's the hospital. Robert stops walking before going in, a little overwhelmed.]

[instabilitatem]

You can do this, doctor. [Connor is earnest as he carries the bowl with them. As soon as he has access to a writing pad, Connor will start writing down biocomponents he's missing: 8087q, 6847j, 3251m, 9164j, 4717g...]

[badlydisarmed]

[ The last time he was this close to a hospital, he died. But he doesn't talk about it, not about what his life was like before being pulled from his world, how it ended, how he lost his arm. He talks about his dog sometimes, Greta. About his work as a surgeon, about wanting functional prosthetics.

The PTSD is obvious right now though; if all of Connor's sensors are still working he'll have picked up his breathing and heart rate. ]

Sure I can.

[ He will because he can't afford to have a phobia of hospitals, he's a surgeon for fuck's sake. He's gonna walk into the damn building and nothing terrible will happen and then maybe his stupid body will start working as it should.

He walks towards the hospital, deliberately trying not to hurry, purposeful. He'll make it all the way inside before the panic attack sets in. ]

[instabilitatem]

[Connor does pick up on that raised heartbeat and increased respirations. He flicks his gaze over to Robert.] Doctor, do you need assistance?

[badlydisarmed]

No.

[ He just needs to collapse on the nearest chair, stick his head between his knees and breathe for a minute. He knows what this is, he just needs to get through it and then he'll be fine. ]

One minute.

[ There are chairs, he finds one and sits down and tries to breathe. ]