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

[hammerbearer]

Gaia waves off any hesitation over the handkerchief. She is not going to take it back at this time. Cid needs it probably and seriously. He can wash it first if he wants to return it that badly. Later.

But his... probably rhetorical question is met with a somewhat reproachful stare. She might not know exactly what was in the case but she does recognize the man from the Kwik Stop. That store was pretty amazing by her standards but it also was not, in Gaia's opinion, a place that had anything worth burning one's lifeforce for in order to get to sooner.

"Are you seriously saying that?" Why is he on trial... honestly. The petite teenager can't be more than sixteen, maybe seventeen max but here she is trying to dress him down. Her hands fall to her hips and she studies him for a moment.

There's a suspicion that he's not taking her seriously because of her age.

"What's your name?"

[levindicated]

He tucks the kerchief into his jacket, making a mental note to return it. He sighs and pats his thigh as he resumes the battery of questions. He asked her name first, and she hadn’t answered! Oh well. Girls.

“Cid. I’m Cid, and you still haven’t told me your name, for all this excitement.”

He finds it in himself to chuckle, easing his posture. “Come now. I promise, it looks worse than it is. Let’s just sit and chat, eh? No need to get all worked up over it. You’re an interesting one yourself, aren’t you? Conjuring things out of the darkness without batting an eye…”

[hammerbearer]

Hey don't you girl her. She absolutely, totally did not miss him asking because she was worried, understand? This was a calculated ploy to get a name before delivering her own.

Ahem.

"Gaia." The name of Cid doesn't raise much of a reaction. If there was a 'Cid' on the First, she never met them. Would she have ever heard mention of one of the Warrior of Darkness's allies? Maybe. Nuance. Doesn't matter.

Her eyes narrow slightly when she's questioned about the conjuring. 'Out of darkness.' he says. Like he knows.

"Nevermind that." But she does sit. And what is she doing next? Well, starting to fiddle with the earpiece she was given. By this time she's gotten some idea on how to work it, but it's still pretty foreign. The nearest thing would be a tomestone or a linkpearl.

Wait, what's she doing? Is this another very teenager thing? Trying to tune out adults that they're exasperated with?

No. No this is far worse. Watch out Cid, she's going to start calling for help.

[levindicated]

Cid does not catch on to what she’s doing exactly. He’s not a stupid man, but her genuinely calling for help is absolutely the last thing on his mind. He knew it had taken him a few weeks to stop being irate with his own earpiece, and she’d just gotten here…

“…Well, Gaia. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

And while he might not know what she was up to, he knew young ladies could be a little fickle.

“How far are you going on this train? …I wouldn’t advise getting out at the next couple stops, were I you. Snake Island should be coming up in a bit.”

[hammerbearer]

She's still figuring out a few of the settings, so she needs some time. Or rather, she hears Cid's continued queries and is a bit distracted. Enough to respond.

"I don't know what Snake Island is other than how it is on the map. But I planned to go back to the apartments unless there was something interesting to see."

Ah! She's got it! One more glance over her shoulder and she's... partly turning in the seat so Cid's somewhat behind her? Rude?

No it's camera angle.

"I hope this is right. I'm on the blue line trolley between... the Farway stop and the next island. A man named Cid just jumped on after burning his aether to a life threatening level. Because he missed it while picking up something at a place called the Kwik Stop.

I don't have healing spells, so I'd appreciate anyone that can catch up to the trolley who might come and look him over. It's not exactly fast.

Well, if anyone's looking for him and worried, he's here."