etrayalogs | FEBRUARY MINGLE

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⏴

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

We aren’t in most countries. But if we were, I’d have to say you’re being a nuisance, too.

[He just raises his eyebrows at that little threat to kill him.]

…Alright. Look, lad, I’m not interested in catering to whatever sick little delusion you’ve got in your mind where you get to kill anyone you don’t like. And I really don’t want to hurt you. So… Why don’t we each stand on our own sides of the trolly and relax?

If I believed I was permitted to kill anyone I didn't like without repercussions of any sort, there would be significantly less people in this city. ( just. as a general heads up. there aren't many people damian does like to begin with. significantly more now than there had been a handful of years ago, but nonetheless. ) It wasn't a threat. I have no intentions of causing you harm. . . currently. But considering your current physical state of being, I wouldn't be surprised if you did suddenly die here.

( and yet he's still not moving to his side of the trolley. damian remains standing just a little out of cid's reach. )

Which brings us back to - easy way, or hard way?

Now, what would you know about my physical state?

[Cid shakes his head. He weighs his options. Does he trash the three hours it took to get here and make his beer run? What is the best course of action.]

Whatever happened to live and let live? You aren’t my authority. No man is. But fine. I’m not looking for a fight that you most certainly will not win. Go on, deprive me of the only reason I came out this way. Take a dying man’s comfort from him, if you must.

You were coughing up blood, and now you are referring to yourself as a dying man. You're doing this to yourself.

( the sigh he gives is more exasperated than anything else. robin lowers himself to a squat in front of cid, and looks him over. )

You're pathetic.

What, your sense of humor get obliterated when they dropped you on your head?

[He’s been called pathetic plenty of times in his life, but the indignity of this is… somehow sort of worse.]

Maybe, but at least I don’t go trying to throw my weight around under the guise of some law that doesn’t exist here. Does it make you feel like a big man to strut around in your little jester costume and harass folks?

Ha.

( unfortunately for the both of them, damian's sense of humor has always been fucked. no head dropping needed. although it isn't as if he has a shortage of head injuries. he doesn't get up. doesn't move any closer, either. just - )

You're the one acting like an idiot while riding one of the two trolleys we currently have available. Look at yourself: you're a disgrace.

… Alright, you smarmy little prick. I’m done listening to you.

[Cid makes a grab for his case of beer and heads towards the open door. And then he hops out over the ocean.]

( unfortunately for this guy, being a smarmy little prick is robin's best skill. and he's just grinning while he grabs onto the beer and heads... out of the trolley. )

Are you sure that's safe? I wouldn't want you to drown.

Haven’t drowned walking around and just yet. I think I’ll be just fine.

[And then Cid grabs the rail and flips himself up onto the roof of this thing with a little kick of lightning.]

There is a first time for everything.

( he says, but his attention is more focused on that spark that seemed to follow the man up onto the roof.

it's interesting enough to get his full attention, and robin, instead of staying down below, opts to walk himself to the edge of the trolley and use the rails on the outside with his sneakers on the windowsill to pull himself up onto the roof alongside him. )

Just to be clear, we aren’t in the trolley anymore. Those rules don’t apply.

[He cracks open a beer and takes a seat on the roof of the trolley car.]

… Did you need something?

You're on the trolley.

( damian is now, too, after climbing up onto the roof and settling himself on the edge. )

I would say the rules do still apply.

Let’s be clear. I’m being facetious about the rules. There aren’t any rules. None of us is in charge of the other.

[As he just watches him crawl onto the roof.]

FEBRUARY MINGLE

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