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

[cactusy]

[Thank god, someone else who's pragmatic. Now that the bear's been unloaded, she takes the flowers, holding them with zero care and consideration. These stems are definitely getting a little crinkled.]

You think I can give 'em to someone else now?

[miniroth]

Nothing said we may not. I don't see a point in being wasteful.

[Does that mean he plans on passing that bear out to someone else too? Almost certainly.

If it were green that might be a different matter, but it isn't, and so it's not likely to be kept for no reason.]

... It also doesn't specify what the feelings you are supposed to 'confess' to someone are.. so if I admit I have no idea who you are and don't care at all does that count as a confession, or do I need an entirely separate individual as you accepted my flowers?

[..Well, the kid's honest. And there's not even a hint of sarcasm.]

[cactusy]

[Shaw is absolutely not offended. Indeed, she appears to take the question seriously, tilting her head as she considers it.]

I don't know. I tossed out any card I found that had to do with feelings. But, uh-- I hear your confession, I acknowledge it, and I also don't know who you are and don't care at all.

[Hopefully that's good enough, because she's genuinely trying to help him out here.]

[miniroth]

[The list is considered, and then after a moment he pulls a pen out of his jacket and makes a checkmark.]

I should have too, but I didn't consider it might want more emotions than apathy. Well, I'm going to consider it a confession, as it's not something anyone would normally say.

[Of all the assignments given this might be the stupidest one he's EVER been involved in--

Actually, if this stranger was willing to help him out he might as well find out if there's anything else on her list that needs help. Then she can get more than one done at a time too.]

Do any of your other ones require assistance..?

[cactusy]

Maybe. Wanna help me find a flower shop around here? The one I hit up this morning is across the city, and hiking back would be a pain.

[She flutters the small stack of cards in her hand. There's a hell of a lot of flower deliveries in here.]

And let me know if apathy ends up working out for you on this, yeah? That'd be useful for me to know, too.

[miniroth]

[Immediately the boy pivots, reorienting on the nearby buildings and shops. He'd seen one, he's pretty sure..]

You may wish to pick up a basket as well if most of your options are flowers today, then you don't need to backtrack.

[Well, as much. It depends on exactly how many people need flowers!]

Is there a way to be certain it qualifies? This is the first time I've been set to such tasks, and I .. can't find information on what the punishment is if we fail.

[Oh, there's some flowers. Maybe that'll do. He heads in the direction of one of probably MANY temporary boutiques existing specifically for this little holiday jaunt.]

[cactusy]

If there's gonna be any direct consequences, I don't know about them. But...

[She follows along beside him, eyes trained forward, voice matter-of-fact and even despite what she's about to say.]

We're here to prove through our own actions that our worlds are worth saving. Right? And I figure that not playing along with what's thrown at us is a great way to get ourselves pushed down in the rankings.

[miniroth]

[She sounds as if she knows what she's talking about, so Sephiroth doesn't dismiss it immediately. Anyone who's been here longer could count on that front, he'd had .. exactly one mission so far.]

Are we though? Is it actually true or are we playing along because we can't risk that it's true and what would happen if we didn't cooperate?

[He.. didn't really think there's answers to that, honestly.]

I've .. heard of places that take people captive and make them do things purely for amusement.

[cactusy]

Me, too.

[She says grimly, curling and uncurling her fingers into loose fists.]

And yeah, it could all be bullshit. But which option is the riskier bet?

[miniroth]

[The boy gives a solemn nod, stopping in front of one of countless robot-run shops. This one happens to have flowers.

If there's more assignments on giving those out, at least there's options. He should get some too.]

Exactly the reason I am cooperating, as .. pointlessly stupid as this all seems. What did finding pieces of a pearl do? Or the train's chaos? Or ... giving people sweets?

[But if they don't.. what happens to their worlds?]

[cactusy]

Testing our morality, our cooperative skills, our ability to follow orders.

[Those are just the options that first come to her, off the top of her head. She has the last one down pat, at least. The first is debatable, depending on what definition of morality is being worked off of. And as for the second... okay, that one needs a lot of work.]