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]

( she's only met one other person who came here after arriving to a different world, so if mayuko ever did decide to share that with her, she would understand.

for now though heather crossed her arms and thought a bit pensively. although she was nearing eighteen and frankly had bigger issues on her plate back home than school, she had spoken to others about continuing her education. so she decided to propose something to the woman before her. )

I'm just about in 12th grade myself, or at least back home I was. This place doesn't really have a school or anything in place for students but I kinda want to educate myself a bit more. Do you think you have time to tutor me a bit?

[welcome_summer]

[An interesting request, that. Mayuko had seen to keeping her own students' skills sharp with occasional tasks using library materials. But she hadn't imposed on the other campers, roughly three-fourths of the camp's population; better to supply the books that they were actually interested in reading, help them gain knowledge that way.

It would be good to keep her own skills sharp. She hums as Daichi twines back around her own feet, switching the end of the leash from hand to hand to keep him from entangling her.]

That sounds doable-- we have a library and a bookstore. The store should have paper and pens. Are you looking for college prep or just broadening your horizons?

[ingestion]

I'm not actually sure, maybe I should focus on college prep stuff. It's kinda hard to make plans for the future when....I don't really know how long I'll be here or if I'll even remember anything from this place when I come back home.

( she didn't want to sound negative, but based on her conversations with one local spiderman, it was likely when or if they returned back to their worlds, there would be no memory of this place. )

I guess I should do the college prep stuff, even if the books here aren't that up to date but it doesn't hurt for me to try right?

[welcome_summer]

[Mayuko nods, looking out over the city in thought. She's all too aware that memory retention is never a guarantee. Not even back home.]

It won't hurt to try, it's true. And the main thing about preparation--for college, or career, I didn't mean to keep it so narrow--is the strategies you learn. They don't change that quickly, and once you get those, you can apply them to whatever age material you've got in front of you.

[ingestion]

That's a good point....ha...I guess that's why you're the teacher.

( was it a fruitless endeavor in the end? perhaps but heather had to try—

she always believed that the moment you stopped trying, it was when the darkness consumed you. )

So let's do it, I'll pick up some stuff from the library and get started on homework as soon as possible. Oh and one more thing—

( because she wasn't a selfish girl. )

If you ever need anything, really for helping me, don't hesitate to ask.

[welcome_summer]

That sounds like a plan--I would recommend a classic short-story collection to start with, so we can review the elements in a smaller set of packages. If you remember some of the stories, all the better.

[Mayuko blinks at Heather's declaration. A generous offer, diplomatically presented as a trade. Not that she expected payment, but the young lady was quite mindful towards her fellow residents here. She could respect that.]

I will keep that in mind; thank you, Heather. And for you:

[ahem]

The joy of teaching
is finding a mind eager
for new challenges.

[ingestion]

Catchy tune, did you come up with that yourself?

( as kind and as dedicated as she could be, heather couldn't help but tease her just a bit.

she was a sassy teen after all. )

[welcome_summer]

[Mayuko's eyes crinkle in amusement. This is tame compared to how riled up her high schoolers could get, she'll give it a pass. She gives a pat to her own HUD earpiece.]

That was more me making sure I was speaking in English and counting the syllables right for the poem. The translators are useful, but they cut out at inconvenient times.