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

[bootyshortsforoldmen]

Connor. Fuck your mission — tell me how to help you.

[Hank doesn’t even bother trying to mask the pain in his voice — although whatever Connor is experiencing is obviously miles worse.]

Fuck your goddamned mission and just tell me how to… Jesus Christ.

[instabilitatem]

I need biocomponents to repair myself, but they were unavailable at the hospital.

[He is literally in shambles and there is a quiet undercurrent of fear that he may crumble into dust without intervention.]

[bootyshortsforoldmen]

Okay. [Hank sucks in a breath through his teeth.

Nothing is okay. Nothing at all.]

What do you need? Obviously a whole fucking lot, but I mean — what’s the worst of it? Which biocomponent do you need to stop the pain?

[instabilitatem]

Biocomponent #g4147. It would allow me to regulate pain in the exposed areas.

[Connor climbs to his feet, bit by bit, hoping to not lose more plates.]

[bootyshortsforoldmen]

Sadistic motherfucker, whoever did this to you — made you feel pain.

[Grumbling as he watches Connor stand. Itching to reach out again, but Hank is just making everything worse.

As per usual.]

So not the hospital. Then… You know I don’t know jack shit about all this, Connor. Fuck.

[instabilitatem]

[Connor wants desperately to tell Hank everything in this moment. That no one did this to him and in fact it was the opposite. His disrepair came about because nothing has been done for at least six months.]

Connor, you are damaged because there are no parts to repair you where you came from.

[It's a lot of pressure, a lot of bending the programming around him.]

[bootyshortsforoldmen]

[Wherever this Connor came from — Hank wants to know. But what’s more important right now is getting Connor his biocomponents.

G4-whatever, first of all.]

And can we prevent… this getting worse? So we can get you what you need? Do I gotta wrap you in bubblewrap, Connor?

[instabilitatem]

I'm not sure, lieutenant. I have been in disrepair for some time now. I could run a self-diagnostic if you like.

[There's little to be done, Connor already knows that. The best he can do is try and find biocomponents here before his mission comes to a head.]

[bootyshortsforoldmen]

Stop fucking calling me “lieutenant,” Connor. [It would probably help to elaborate, but Hank is tired. They’re closer than that — or they were. And it just makes Hank feel worse, as if this Connor is going to disappear just like the last.

And he just might, if Hank doesn’t do something.]

Yeah, you run that test.

[instabilitatem]

[Connor nods, filing the difference away in his system. He runs the diagnostic and comes up with a triage list of parts.]

There are about ten main components missing, the plates included. [Pause.] Hank.

[bootyshortsforoldmen]

[The corners of Hank’s lips twist in a smile once he hears his name, but not for long.]

Figure this part you need for pain is some complex bullshit, right? You got the diagrams, or whatever?

[Etraya might not have the necessary components — not that Hank knows of — but there has to be someone who could make them, right?

Or would they have to ask Aurora for help...?]

[instabilitatem]

I do. Would you like me to draw the blueprints, Hank? [He'd need pen and paper, and quite a bit of it.]

[bootyshortsforoldmen]

[Hank sighs.]

You know what? Yeah. I do want diagrams for your doohickies. Then maybe we could find someone to help, since you know I’m fuckin’ useless with all of — [gesturing toward Connor] — this.

What d’you need? Figure it’s complicated shit.

[Does Hank have any sort of paper in his apartment?? He doesn’t think so, can’t even remember the last time he wrote something down.]

[instabilitatem]

I primarily need plates to cover the exposed wiring. That would reduce the amount of pain I’m experiencing.

[Connor looks up at Hank.]

Do you have a residence here?

[bootyshortsforoldmen]

Un-fucking-fortunately.

[Hank doesn’t elaborate, just starts making his way to the elevator.

Voice softening as he says:]

If it’s too much for you, just... give a holler. [The leash of their little string thing is starting to piss him off, though.] The fuck are we supposed to do with this? And no, we are not cutting it, Connor.

[He remembers what Connor had said about rejection, so...]

How do we do the opposite of all that? Not gonna cut it, not gonna reject you.

[instabilitatem]

Perhaps we should return to your residence, then.

[It’s not as if Connor can investigate Aurora while he’s tied to Hank.]

We can determine the course of action for the string.

[bootyshortsforoldmen]

Yeah, I’ll show you my residence, all right.

[It’s not as if Connor is wandering off the way Sumo does sometimes, anyway.

Regardless: up the elevator. Tapping along his thigh with his free hand till they get out and head down the hall to Hank’s apartment.]

Not sure I’ll have much that’ll help.

[Or anything, really. But Hank will just have to figure that out when they get to it.]

[instabilitatem]

I am confident we will find something helpful.

[And if not, Connor can encourage Hank to break the string. It will possibly cause further damage, but Connor is already quite damaged.]

(Hank voice) not the string Connor NO !!

[bootyshortsforoldmen]

Guess that makes one of us. [Hank pauses at the door.] I’ll try to keep Sumo off you, just... be careful. He’s a fuckin’ giant oaf, but you know he loves you.

[He doesn’t really give himself time to wonder if this Connor knows that — if this Connor ever really got to spend time with his dog, even — before Hank is opening the door.

Sumo raises his head from his food bowl before moseying on over. Greeting his duo with a soft “borf.“ Thwapping his tail against the ground until Hank is able to get him lay in his bed instead of crowding Connor.]

connor yes

[instabilitatem]

[Upon seeing Sumo, Connor’s expression brightens.

Hello Sumo. I remember you. It’s been too long

[Over a year on Connor’s clock.]

🥺💔

[bootyshortsforoldmen]

[Sumo ignores Hank’s commands — which isn’t anything new — to turn and drool in Connor’s general direction. Then he’s stretching out in his bed at the corner of the room, watching Connor and Hank with a lazy expression.]

It’s not the same. [Hank says this idly, stepping further into the apartment. Taking off his jacket and laying it across the back of the couch, dooming it to a flurry of dog hair.] Shit’s never the same without you.

[instabilitatem]

I apologize, Hank. [Connor at least does appear sincere or as sincere as he can.] I did not mean to be absent for a year.

[bootyshortsforoldmen]

That’s not what I — [mean, he almost says, but then he’s turning back to Connor.] Where the fuck have you been for a year?

[Assuming Connor will pull the whole “can’t talk, I’m on a mission” thing again, but Hank at least tries to ask.]

[instabilitatem]

I am not— [Connor pushes against the programming trying to find flexibility somewhere. And he thinks he’s found a spot. He pushes and there’s a tiny fracture.]

Solmara.

[bootyshortsforoldmen]

[Hank presses his lips together in thought.]

And you’re not gonna tell me what “Solmara” is, are you? Or where?

[It has a weird sounding name, though.]

Not on Earth, yeah?