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

[heavensnight]

[that's interesting.]

A place like this must be hell for him. You almost have no choice but to be around people. So many chances for people to tell him he's a good person.

[aimsforknees]

Too few people, [ John agrees. ] We're used to being another face in the crowd back home. Big city. What's it like, where you're from?

[ He can't say too much more about Harold without getting more personal than he wants, so it's time to move the conversation away from that topic. ]

[heavensnight]

[this is always the complicated question. home is the biggest secret she has.]

Small town. They tried to make it more popular for tourists but well, still just another small town so who's really going out of their way? [cultists were. but she's not mentioning that.]

It'd be nice to live in a big city.

[aimsforknees]

You should visit New York City if you have one back home. Big as they get, almost. They call it "the city that never sleeps."

[ He wonders why he's being so chatty with Maria, but it's surprisingly easy to talk to her. He understands why Harold likes her, why he has her walk Bear. ]

[heavensnight]

Oh, we have a New York City, too. [she knows she's never making it there but she'll play along.] People really romanticize living in a small town and everybody knowing your name. Overrated, really.

[funny how she only ever had one person to talk to before ever coming here to Etraya. being desperate for conversation apparently did wonders. she thought John was easy to talk to as well.]

[aimsforknees]

Not all that different from here. I'd have to agree with you that it's overrated. I much prefer getting lost in the big city. For one, there's better food.

[ His cooking skills have certainly improved since arriving, but he misses takeout. He also misses feeling like he can trust anything he eats. He cooks groceries only because he'd starve otherwise. ]

[heavensnight]

You mean food that doesn't make you worry you're being poisoned? [a beat and then:] Well, I guess that's a concern for everywhere. Depending on quality.

But I mean more about the effects of this place.

[aimsforknees]

Finch and I are more used to keeping to ourselves. I never thought I'd get to know so many people before I arrived here.

[ There's so much of Etraya that's out of his comfort, though some parts of it are easy for him. Easy to just follow orders, do whatever Aurora asks. Harder to get along with people, talk to them. Harder to accept all the wild and crazy things that happen here. ]

[heavensnight]

And so many different types, right? Where I'm from, there isn't all this...magic? And for so many people, it's so common. Just normal.

[and that is really strange to accept.]

[aimsforknees]

[ It's the same for John, though he's seen enough magic to believe in it now. ]

I know someone who can cast spells but doesn't know what a gun is. And there's many more people than just humans where she's from. It's like a fantasy book.

[heavensnight]

Like a fantasy book, yeah! Wild to me that you never hear of a gun but then probably crazy to people I just don't know magic to some of the others?

Feels good talking to people like you. Makes me feel normal.

[aimsforknees]

[ John suddenly feels like he wants to do something nice for Maria. He has no clue what that could possibly be, but the way she said "Makes me feel normal" made him feel... something. He's not really sure what. Just that he'd like to give her that feeling again. He's so fortunate that he has Harold, Shaw, and the library. That he gets to live in the library with them. ]

We'll have to make sure to stay in touch, then.

[ He hesitates a moment, and then, ]

I've enjoyed talking with you, too.

[ He can't remember ever telling someone he enjoyed spending time with them. Not, at least, since he returned to the Army and ended up with the CIA. Kara told him once that he got chosen because he was so willing to just throw everything and everyone away. Talking with Maria... lets him pretend, just for a bit, that he's a normal person again. It's a lie, but it's an enticing one. ]

[heavensnight]

[it's been a few months since she had come here and yet it still surprises her every time someone says something like this. it surprises her how it is possible that someone enjoys her company. being trapped so long in one place, with only one person to talk to that didn't seem to want her company at all; this never stops being new.

it always feels like the hard part is not acting like such a simple compliment doesn't mean the world to her.

so she smiles.]

Thank you, John. I've enjoyed talking to you, too. And really, I'm not smart like Harold and can't fight like half the people here but if there's anything you need help with just let me know.

[aimsforknees]

[ Her offer gets a small but genuine smile. ]

There's plenty of things Harold and I aren't good at, I'm sure I'll come across something sooner or later.

[ Like, anything related to actual people. For all that John knows how to fake it, his knowledge is rusty. Maybe coming to Maria for advice would be embarrassing, but he thinks she probably wouldn't laugh at him. ]

I don't suppose you know any good recipes? I do a lot of cooking these days and I'm always on the hunt for something new to try. Harold isn't much of a cook.

[heavensnight]

[no, she does not. but how does one explain she doesn't know any recipes because she had never had to eat before coming here? one does not!

so one comes up with anything else.]

Hardly. [she huffs a laugh, light and easy.] I was practically nocturnal back home and living off bar olives most nights. Not very domestic of me.

[aimsforknees]

[ John gets that. Been there before. He offers no judgement. Actually, he's suddenly reminded of something she might have an answer for. ]

Actually, you can help me with something. If you looked hungry and someone offered you a sandwich, would you get mad at them?

[ Somehow Maria seems like she'd have a reasonable answer to that strange interaction. ]

[heavensnight]

[not the question she was expecting! which shows on her face when she looks confused.]

No...? I can't say I would. I'd be happy someone thought of me. Did someone get mad at you?

[aimsforknees]

[ Thank you, Maria. He's still confused by the reaction he got. ]

"Mad" is an understatement. It was on the train, she was clearly from the Dregs and you know how bad the food was. So I offered her a sandwich. I've seen her in Etraya since then.

[heavensnight]

[when he explains it, she considers it.]

Some people don't like charity. Feels like pity. Maybe that was it? Might have had some pride going on with her.

[aimsforknees]

[ John has seen pride before. Denial too. Some numbers just don't want to admit that they're in over their heads, even when danger is staring them in the face. ]

Could be. Thanks for the insight. I'm staying clear for now.

[heavensnight]

[she smiles.]

It was nice of you. Just like it was nice of you to talk to me today and help with Heather and I before.

[aimsforknees]

[ He gets called "nice" by numbers sometimes, but it never feels real. It's just because he happened to be there to save them. He gives Maria an unsure smile. ]

I hope that means you'll continue walking Bear.

[heavensnight]

Hey, even if you were a jerk, I'd still walk Bear. The dog's grown on me. Never saw myself as a dog person but I guess we're learning and growing every day.

[aimsforknees]

He's a good dog. Has Harold taught you any of his commands?

[ John worked with dogs like Bear in the military so he knew the Dutch commands already, but Harold had to learn them when they were introduced. ]

[heavensnight]

I know the sit and stay [said in her awful Dutch accent]. The basic ones you need for that kind of job, right?

[it was just some walks, nothing too major.] He is a smart dog, isn't he?