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

[ingestion]

( after all the questionable things she had seen in her life, a red-costumed vigilante hanging above her [wearing a valentine's day scarf] was nothing too strange.

what seemed to bother her more was the whole affair of having to engage in this ridiculous holiday. did she completely hate the idea of love? of course not. her father had loved his wife once and she respected that romance. what she didn't enjoy was how confusing all of it was to her, who couldn't fathom the idea of having it in her own life. so she simply scoffed at him, handing the flower with a bit of an eyeroll. )

All yours buddy. I guess even 'heroes' have to work today huh?

[keepitgoing]

[Peter totally has a girlfriend who no longer remembers ever being with him, so he totally gets it. Well, okay, not the same way as her — but still. Lucky for him, the Chocolate Bliss is easing any of the discomfort thinking about the past would bring! Huzzuh!]

Aw, sweet! Thanks a ton. [He hops down from a distance that would definitely break anyone else's ankles, then takes the offered flower.] It's a stretch to say I'm working today; usually, I'm stopping muggers and saving people from burning buildings, stuff like that. Etraya is way more chill than New York City.

[ingestion]

New York City huh?

( don't mind her just watching his aerobics, eyes settling on his ankles and wondering what exactly this 'spider-man' was made of. she was only seventeen [in this body] and even she had aches and pains from being attacked by monsters.

if she did what he just did, her ankles would surely be obliterated. )

You know there's someone else from here too and he said he missed the food from the bodega. I'm kinda envious of you two, back home I was stuck in the middle of the 'New England' area more or less.

[keepitgoing]

[Yes, please don't obliterate your ankles by testing this theory.]

It's kinda crazy how many people from New York get spirited away to Etraya... But hey! Fellow East Coaster! What's your neck of the woods like? I've always been meaning to get out more, visit other places...

[He's been to outer space. That's pretty far.]

[ingestion]

Boring, trust me.

( that's all she's going to say about that, because if she mentioned silent hill, a specific domineering member of the cult there would probably lose his mind on her again. )

So you...you did all this back in New York? Isn't that kind of dangerous? I mean last I heard there's at least one crime an hour or two.

[keepitgoing]

[He 100% will take your word for that. Boring, nothing to see here, moving along!]

Well... yeah! There is a lot of crime in New York, that's true. When you've got that many people crammed into one place, you gotta keep an eye out for the little guy. But it's not all about crime, you know? Sometimes, it's just offering a hand with something you know you can do.





... But yeah, I get shot at a lot.

[ingestion]

'But yeah I get shot at a lot'—

( immediately, almost humorously she parroted him and even waved her arms around a bit as if she were getting shot at. )

I hope they have good health insurance back home for you, that sounds like a nightmare. Are you getting shot at here too??

[keepitgoing]

Dude, uncool!

[CAN'T BELIEVE YOU PARROTTED HIS SUFFERING... Wait, no, he doesn't seem that torn up about it, because he's too busy looking mildly caught off-guard.]

... Health insurance...?

[A gloved hand moves to his mouth. Or wherever his mouth would be, on a mask.]



Shit.

[ingestion]

( she's this close to parroting his next phrase, but heather decided that was enough teasing for one day. he was a nice enough guy and maybe a little clueless about the real world.

thankfully for them both, etraya was a lot more safe than new york. most days anyways. )

Seriously? So you mean to tell me you're swinging around from light post to light post without insurance? I mean what do you do when you get hurt?

[keepitgoing]

W-well...

[He rubs the back of his neck.]

I only just started living on my own, so — its all kind of new. For me. [Translation: he has been swinging around from light post to light post as a minor who did not have to worry about these things.] Besides, I'm super durable! I don't usually worry if I get hurt, because I heal pretty fast.

[ingestion]

Well okay if you say so.

( should she be more concerned for him? worried perhaps?

if she wasn't so irritated about this entire valentine's day ordeal, she probably would be. instead she simply shrugged and decided to change the subject up a bit. )

So you have powers then? They work here?

[keepitgoing]

Of course! This place seems to love making sure you keep your usual skillsets.

[He flexes, as if that... tells her anything useful. That he's hecka tough?]

Which I really appreciate, because it's way easier saving people in town from falling space station debris when you've got all your powers.

[ingestion]

I'm guessing they aren't healing powers given your surprise over my previous question? But what do I know.

( she wasn't the one dressing up like a bug and swinging around the place. )

Speaking of, have you noticed anything strange or different about Etraya since your return?

[keepitgoing]

Hey, I heal a little faster than normal people! So it counts.

[so there.]

... Strange? I feel like most people would argue everything about Etraya is kinda weird.