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

let's make this awkward

[thecodexabides]

[Congratulations, you are the first female type person to ever talk to him that wasn't a tech priestess.

[Whatever the opposite of congratulations now, though, because it looks like you might have broken his brain with that. Tech priestesses do not talk like that ]

I.

Uh.

Do you need medical attention?

I'm laughing so hard; what an introduction to women at large

[cactusy]

[The look on her face is positively murderous, which can't help with poor Gadriel's confusion. Gritting her teeth together, she spits out:]

I think I do need to see a doctor, because you've just made my heart skip a beat.

[Please, please let this bullshit wear off soon.]

Might as well make it as stellar as possible

[thecodexabides]

[What did he do? Obviously something wrong. Because that is a look that normally ends with someone getting a chainsword to the face. ]

That.

I do not think that is

technically possible? [He has no idea what's going on. He's not sure to be horrified or just back away slowly. ]

[cactusy]

Sure it is. I can't take my eyes off you; you're the best-looking thing I've seen all day.

small>[Maybe if she just. Rips the card in half. Will that do anything?]

[thecodexabides]

[Gadriel looked a little panicked, first to one side, then the other. What...what is happening?

[Gadriel is under no illusions that he is the best thing anyone has ever seen.]

Please. Stop. [This is hurting his brain. ]

[cactusy]

[Maybe the universe is taking pity on him, maybe ripping the card up actually worked, or maybe the effects have just worn off on their own. Whatever the case may be, Shaw exhales sharply, and this time, she says what she actually wants to say.]

Okay, seriously, dude; you got that that wasn't me doing the talking, right?

[thecodexabides]

[He's still sort of unsettled.]

Then. Who was? [He's not doubting her, but asking for an explanation. ]

Are you [Nope, back to wariness, one hand dropping to the hilt of his chainsword.] are you possessed by a daemon?

[cactusy]

[If you try to stab me, I have a gun, and guns are quicker is probably not something she should say in this scenario, so she keeps her lips zipped. For now. If she sees any steel, maybe she'll rethink that.]

Not as far as I know. It's-- magic, or whatever.

[The word is said with a certain amount of disgust.]

[thecodexabides]

[Ma'am. Ma'am. What Gadriel may not have in brains or street smarts, he has in superhuman reflexes. Please do not. ]

SORCERY. [One of his least favorite words and things. Where is it coming from? ] Why are you susceptible to heresy?

[cactusy]

[Oh boy. Don't laugh, don't laugh, don't laugh--]

Probably because I'm a big-time sinner. Guilty as charged.

I feel the need to apologize in advance

[thecodexabides]

[Oh no.]

Is. Are the nature of your transgressions sexual perversions or bloodlust?

I mean, same; she is not helping the situation

[cactusy]

Gotta say both. Sorry.

[She clicks her tongue, shaking her head.]

I'm a lost cause. But don't worry, you're safe from me. I can tell you're too pure to be swayed by my wiles.

GASP

[thecodexabides]

[His eyes widen, hand tightening on his chainsword's hilt again. Wait. No purging the heretics. Yet. ]

I can help you. [Has anyone ever asked you about your relationship with the Imperium of Man's Emperor?]

[cactusy]

Pass.

[Flippant response aside, though... the hand on his weapon is once again noted. And while she figures she probably shouldn't all-out threaten the guy, she doesn't think she should play along for too long, either.]

Look, I'm armed, too. I'm not gonna attack you, but if you attack me, I'll fight back. Wouldn't you rather not risk being infected by my heretic ways?

cw for the link: death/dismemberment gross

[thecodexabides]

You would lose. [That's not arrogance. He has one skillset in the universe and it obviously isn't charm. He's...very fast and also more or less bulletproof.

But he is not moving, one way or the other, watching her warily.]

My faith is unquestionable.

Why have you given yourself over to the Archenemy?

[cactusy]

Okay, first up.

[She holds up a hand, one finger in the air.]

I wanna know what specific weird religious heresy I'm being accused of. Is this a Christian thing?

[thecodexabides]

[Empty blink. Christi..what now?]

Khorne: the worship of the blood god. Unholy rites of blood and pain and madness.
Or Slaanesh, the goddess of degeneracy and excess.

You said that you followed them. [so, THAT heresy.]

[cactusy]

[Oh, okay. An alien religion. She's got this.

(She maybe doesn't got this.) ]

Nope. I said I'm prone to sexual degeneracy and violence. I've never even heard of either of those guys.

[thecodexabides]

[A XENOS!?!? religion? Absolutely not.]

They go by many names and many guises. You could easily have been deceived.

[cactusy]

And if I don't worship anyone?

[She asks, raising an eyebrow.]

[thecodexabides]

Everyone worships something. Blood. Sex. Power. Money.

[He shrugs. He is naive, and isolated from the rest of the Imperium because of his duty, but even he knows that much.]

[cactusy]

People like those things. Pretty much everyone likes at least one of 'em, unless they're a monk. But worship?

[She shakes her head, resolutely.]

Nope. No way that's universal.

[thecodexabides]

I have seen a Chaos god with my own eyes. [One of Tzeentch's Lords of Change, hideous, birdlike and malevolent.] They are real. And transcend not only planets but species.

The Eldar created Slaanesh, and now Slaanesh poisons everyone with excess.

[People like a lot of bad things. It doesn't make them not bad. ]

Is there something wrong with having faith?

[cactusy]

[Honestly, Shaw doesn't have a lot of patience for religion. She doesn't think there's anything objectively wrong with it as long as it doesn't lead to zealotry, but she can't wrap her head around it; it doesn't make sense to her. So she pauses, but then she says--]

No. No, there's nothing wrong with religion, unless it makes you stab people.

[Her eyes flick back to that sword.]

[thecodexabides]

[...what's wrong with zealotry?!]

Were it not for my kind, and our faith, humanity would no longer exist. [Bad news: he's...kind of right.] Between the xenos and the heretics, humans would be obliterated.