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

[theroadwarrior]

Ugh.

[Such a way with words, this one. The moment he sees and hears Romano, his mood seemingly plummets. But that's just how it goes when your working relation with someone is 'we both tolerate each other while judging others', or something to that effect. At least Romano is an asshole right back -- that's more Max's lane, when it comes to begrudging relationships.]

Don't need you poking around on me.

[Will you ever convince him doctors aren't the worst?

Stay tuned for the thrilling next episode.]

[badlydisarmed]

You don't know that, maybe you'd like it.

[By now Robert doesn't expect to ever succeed, but every time he sees that leg brace he thinks he could fix the problem. Possibly even without surgery, he just needs a closer look.]

[theroadwarrior]

[The unenthused scoff that follows does not inspire confidence.

But at least Romano tried, and that's something! Baby steps, at the very least.]

Get a fully functioning arm first.

[badlydisarmed]

[Robert waves his good arm, the fully functioning one.]

I'm right-handed.

[Small blessings. If he'd lost his right arm he'd probably have sunk into a full depression, instead of the mostly rage-induced one he got.]

[theroadwarrior]

[You are so annoying.

Max will just have to accept this, and lock in:]

... Scout around the hospital yet?

You'd be the best choice, to - ahmm. Look around, make yourself 'useful' there.

[He'd certainly blend in more than some dirty, paranoid wastelander who growls at people who aren't actually there.]

[badlydisarmed]

I did. They let me check out the basement, but only the first couple of levels.

[Same team, they should be sharing information.]

I'll see about joining the staff once I settle in.

[theroadwarrior]

Mm... Was told by someone — people get weapons from the AI. Ammunition.

Might be good, ahh... to invest.

[Max was 'the weapons guy' most of all. And a decent enough scouter. Quiet, out of the way, studious of others captive here in Etraya. It was important to know just what the demographic was like, if they're stuck here.]

[badlydisarmed]

You gotta earn it, don't you? You can't just walk up to her and ask.

[Hence his handing out compliments.]

... maybe that's how we fix the vacuum cleaner.

[Connor. Connor is the vacuum cleaner.

Clearly Robert isn't keeping their mission as his first priority.]

[theroadwarrior]

Mm.

Would be stupid not to take advantage.

[Not that he would admit that he cares a little bit whether or not Connor's repaired. The android is just as capable of becoming a threat to whoever stands in front of his mission, but... he has been vital in Max not withering into dust.]

And a lot of people here know machinery.

[Max's skillset is in guns and explosives and how to fix an automobile.

Don't ask him how computers work.]

[badlydisarmed]

I'm planning to ask the network for help with my arm.

[Both because he wants an arm and because getting an idea of who can do what might be helpful in the immediate future.]

I'll see if anyone can help with more advanced machinery as well.

[theroadwarrior]

It's a good opportunity.

[He's not exactly buddy-buddy with just about anyone in Solmara, but he's a big advocate for one-armed people getting the things they need to use both. Not because of any particular person at home, mmm, no sir.]

You don't get it here... might not get another chance for a while.

[badlydisarmed]

I figured. There's a bunch of mechanics, you could get a better leg brace.

[Since he won't let Robert fix the actual leg.]

[theroadwarrior]

... I'll consider it.

[Which is not the best answer, but for someone like Max, it's something. It's honestly a miracle that he's behaving himself and not just wandering off to try and resolve the mission on his own. He can be a valuable team player in... the right hands.

At any rate-]

Anything comes up...

[He taps on his earpiece. Call him. If it's serious.]

[badlydisarmed]

Yeah, same. And let's keep an eye on the robot, there's a lot of tech-savvy people here and I don't want any of them in his head.

[Not until he knows what their deal is, anyway.]

[theroadwarrior]

Aah... Bad way to be discovered.

I'll keep an eye out.

[The android would most certainly have files on Solmara. But at least Connor is so married to a mission, he'd probably fight tooth and nail to keep it confidential. (... Poor Max has no clue that Hank is here, but he'll figure it out sooner or later.)

But with a slight nod to Romano, he turns and starts away.

At least he's an easy co-worker in that regard. No hovering!]