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

[leewards]

[Ithaqua snorts.]

If I wanted to harm someone with magic, I would simply cast a spell, no need for curses and little toys. [How... reassuring?]

[badfengshui]

So... you'd come at someone straight on?

[ Yeah - that's reassuring.

He reaches out to take the offered stuffed animal. ]

[leewards]

Is that not what I just said? [Said, implied... semantics.

He drops the bear into the human's hand and then withdraws his own, flexing his long fingers.]

[badfengshui]

Guess so.

[ He turns the stuffed animal in his hands. ]

Did you make this?

[leewards]

If I did, I would have considered your hesitance to be an insult, for anything I make is sure to be special and worth being owned by anyone. [well, he's of the opinion that people would have to prove they're worthy of owning something he made...]

But I would have made something other than a bear, mind.

[badfengshui]

That's fair.

[ Henry hadn't thought about how his earlier actions may have been insulting. ]

What would you have made? [ He turns the bear over in his hands - looking at the stuffed animal in every angle. Like there may be some secret sewn in or on the object; there isn't, but it also, at least, gave him something to do with his hands. ]

[leewards]

[He cups his hands together as if holding something between them.]

An owl, or a snowman. [Meaning, something round and easily used as a pillow.] Relatively simple, but challenging to make interesting because of its simplicity.

[badfengshui]

A snowman would be interesting.

[ He rolls the stuffed animal in his hands. ]

Would it have a hat? [ A beat. ] I'm Henry, by the way.

[leewards]

Why are you asking me about the potentials of something that does not exist, and will not exist? You odd, odd man.

[It may seem like a rebuke-- and perhaps it is-- but Ithaqua sounds more like an exasperated adult speaking to an overly inquisitive child.]

[badfengshui]

[ Henry isn't quite sure how to respond to that statement. He thinks that it might be a rhetorical question, but what if it isn't? His eyes widen slightly before he relaxes his face - not that it doesn't always have a blank expression decorating it.

But what if it isn't? Also, is he odd? This isn't the first time he's heard that, but he isn't sure. Could he say that he's just trying to make conversation? Of course, he probably could have picked a better topic than what he chose.

However, he's realized that he's been staring at him blankly for quite a long time and hadn't said anything, because he was thinking of what he should say. ]

Anyway...

[ Henry trails off, but doesn't really have a good "anyway" to go to -- ]

... did you make your mask?

[leewards]

[That's the first time anyone's asked about his mask-- as far as he can remember, anyway.]

I did. I carved it with my own two hands when I was very young. But you'll not like what I made it out of... so unless you're particularly brave or gormless, you might not want to keep asking.

Heheh. [That's not a particularly nice laugh.]

[badfengshui]

Is it bone?

[ The question comes out before he can stop it.

Ah... he shouldn't have asked. That laugh is creepy; it sends a chill down his spine. Henry supposes that it's good that his expression is usually stoic.

Could this person be really dangerous? Maybe even insane? ]

[leewards]

It was, heheh. [He taps on the mask with claws-- it definitely sounds like bone.]

Now, was it a wolf? No, perhaps a bear...? Certainly not a deer, the skull would have been too small.

[badfengshui]

Oh. I guessed right. [ That's a bummer. ]

... is it human?

[leewards]

Human? [That tone is sheer disgust, followed shortly by a noise like he's a cat hacking up its fur.]

Why would I wear human on my own body. You insult me.

[badfengshui]

I'm sorry.

[ That was rude. ]

That was rude.

[ Nice, he was able to say his thought without faltering. ]

[leewards]

At least you apologized.

[Even if it seemed as if he's not that sincere. It's not as if Ithaqua wants that from a human anyway, he knows they're rarely capable of such things.]

Don't assume anything about me ever again. I mentioned animals, and you immediately thought of a human? Sick, twisted little man.

[badfengshui]

[ Henry wanted to say that humans are animals, but that's rude. It'd be like saying he didn't believe him when he said it wasn't.

His chin drops a little. ]

I won't. [ He can, at least, promise that much. His eyes grow round as he wonders if he is a little unwell. Flicking his gaze to the side, he hopes not. ] Sorry ... some things happened... but that's still not fair to ... have you ...

[ A beat. ]

... anyway... maybe it's a boar?

[leewards]

[Now he's just insulting Ithaqua, constantly guessing other things as if the beast's words are unreliable. As if this were a game.]

I have already told you that it was either a wolf or a bear and you still believe it's something else entirely? Go away, you useless bastard, before you make more attempts at impugning my dignity.

[badfengshui]

Oh.

[ Well, friends. We did a social faux paus. It's time to t-pose our way out of this place. ]

Okay.

[ Henry doesn't really have a good argument to stay when he's said so many upsetting things already. He holds the toy up as he tips his head down - a means to say thanks for it before he shuffles off to find the nearest place to enter and "leave" the conversation. ]