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

[aimsforknees]

[ Vincent seems... upset, still, if the shaking of his hand is to be believed. It's been so long since John has cared about his own inevitable death that he doesn't remember what it feels like to value one's life in that way. ]

It was nothing. Sorry that you died.

[ That came out... awkwardly. But what does one say in this situation? ]

[banworthy]

Don't be irritating, John.

[ The awkward reply does knock him out of his spiraling, at least. ]

If I did something similar and said it was nothing, would you agree with it? [ He jerks his head forward in a gesture to intimidate and clicks his tongue immediately afterward. ] Those two need to keep living. So, it wasn't a -- [ He pauses without meaning to do so. ] -- a big deal that I died for them.

It worked more in my favor that they didn't die at all, you see.

[ His lip curls up briefly. ] Sorry that you died. You owe me just for having to hear that apology.

[aimsforknees]

[ This is generally why he has Harold in his ear at all times. He'd probably get a disapproving "Mr. Reese..." for his poor attempt at conversation. But it does have the unintended benefit of getting Vincent to change how he addresses him. He'll take "John" over "Mr. Reese". ]

Don't push your luck, Father Vincent. [ There, that's his favor. He'll call Vincent the way he wants to be addressed. ] I owe it to them to offer up a place to stay and keep an eye on things, not you. Are they friends of yours?

[banworthy]

That, so? Fair enough.

[ Since it means he isn't "on the hook" of feeling like he's in debt to John. If there's a debt, it's miniscule and should be relatively easy to pay back without feeling like he's breaking his back for him. His head bobs side-to-side as he accepts these terms. ]

Friends? [ The first question is incredulous, then: ] Yes, Maria and I are best friends... and Heather is something like a ward to me.

[ He squints, then relaxes his gaze. ]

What's your relationship with Finch? Actually, how do you two know them? Are you friends with them? [ One large size of UGH, hold the frustration, for now. ]

[aimsforknees]

[ John feels a bit sorry for Heather that Vincent considers her a "ward", but he did just die for her so maybe that's not a terrible thing. ]

Maria walks Finch's dog and he's friends with both of them. We're [ he can't believe he's going to say this word to Vincent ] partners.

[banworthy]

Pin that last comment.

[ He makes a gesture with his hand like he is pinning something in the air. ]

She walks his dog and that's enough for you both to risk your lives for them?

[aimsforknees]

[ That's... maybe not usual. But that is what they do. Day in and day out they risk their lives for people who are strangers. Harold doesn't deserve to be putting himself in that situation and John does his best to keep Harold safely back, but it's always a risk. And here Maria and Heather are more than just strangers, so of course they deserve protection. ]

They're friends, too.

[ It's not just the dog walking. Though it could be. ]

[banworthy]

[ His head tips down; it seems he has to re-evaluate their worth a little further. He pushes his glasses up with the back of his hand, gently lifting them against one frame.

The willingness to suffer (not necessarily die) for Heather and Maria elevates their stock some. He needs both of them to be alive to make his case about his world; there is no telling if he will remain in Etraya or not, after all. Connor has come and gone, presumably; Hannibal is no longer around (to analyze and muse over).

Time (and all the uncertainty with it) is not necessarily on his side. ]

Then, it does seem like I owe my thanks. [ So. ] Thanks.

[aimsforknees]

[ John gets thanked regularly, but almost universally by numbers when they're parting ways. Does he have much to say to Vincent anyways? ]

You're welcome. Do Heather and Maria believe in your god too?

[ He is curious. ]

[banworthy]

Belief is a funny thing.

[ But John could just ask them; he has his own feelings on the matter. ]

Heather knows God exists but doesn't believe much in Her. [ Which is the fault of her insane mother more than anything. The Order was tainted when in the control of Dahlia, but there's no need to get into all of that. ] Maria has most likely witnessed the miracles that God created but did not connect them to Her.

I'm sure they know She lives as much as any deity can live, but they have no faith.

[aimsforknees]

[ So Vincent is alone in his belief of his god. That doesn't really have a material impact on anything besides knowledge to file away; he doesn't think it's particularly relevant unless Vincent plans on converting people here. ]

What kind of miracles?

[banworthy]

What do you mean by "what kind of miracles?"

[ He holds his hands up in surrender. ]

I do love to be pedantic, but this isn't one of those times, I promise.

[aimsforknees]

You said Maria witnessed the miracles that god created. What kind of miracles? Water to wine? Eternal life?

[ It seems like a straight forward question to him. ]

[banworthy]

Not water to wine. Water to blood.

[ His shoulders give a brief shrug. ]

And yes, I've witnessed eternal life, but it's ... a punishment, not a reward.

[ This is honestly a sticking point for him! ]

cw: suicide ideation

[aimsforknees]

[ That's... ominous. ]

What's the point of water to blood? Did you need to do a transfusion?

[ Honestly John has to agree on the eternal life, he's... not exactly counting his days, but he doesn't expect to live all that long with his line of work. That suits him just fine. ]

[banworthy]

Ha-ha, no.

[ Vincent waves his hand dismissively at the idea that he would need a transfusion. Well, technically, he would - if he survived the multiple times he was stabbed. He's starting to wonder if he looks like a pin cushion to people. ]

What would you say are the main elements of the world?

[aimsforknees]

[ That stumps John for a few moments. What are the main elements of the world? What kind of question is that? He's pretty sure there's religions who have core elemental properties like earth, wind, etcetera, but that's probably not what Vincent is getting at. Right? Finally John settles on an answer. ]

People are the core element of the world.

1/2

[banworthy]

[ Vincent stares at him for a beat.

The desire to swing his leg back so he can kick his shin is strong. ]

[banworthy]

[ But he accepts that he'll end up hurting himself.

Shifting to the side, he holds his hand up to indicate he will ignore the answer given so that he can continue with his explanation. ]

Blood, steel, and darkness are the true elements of the world.

[aimsforknees]

[ John had no clue. He sometimes feels like Vincent is speaking a foreign language. ]

Sounds pretty pessimistic. What did you do with the blood?

[banworthy]

If people are the real elements of the world, I think that's far more depressing, John.

[ His face scrunched up in confusion. ]

Do? Well -- nothing. [ Nothing with that blood, anyway. ]

It was a miracle. There isn't much for us believers to do beyond accept God exists.

[aimsforknees]

[ John almost says "Seems like a waste of good water" but catches himself. That's probably not the right thing to say to a priest talking about a miracle his god performed. ]

There's a lot of things here that I wouldn't believe if I didn't see it with my own eyes.

[ Magic, for one. Seeing Shadowheart actually do magic washed away the last of his doubts. ]

[banworthy]

So, there you go.

[ He holds his hand out to him. ]

I believe but they only know God exists.

[ His shoulders give a quick shrug. ]

It's irritating but it is what it is.

[aimsforknees]

[ Is there a difference between "knowledge" and "belief"? Probably, in a religious sense. Belief is probably more like prayer, like wanting god... or something like that. John isn't a spiritual person and has spent little time contemplating religion. ]

Are there other gods where you're from?

[banworthy]

There are other religions.

[ A diplomatic answer, he supposes. ]