etrayalogs | FEBRUARY MINGLE

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⏴

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[There's a small nod at that comment.]

It's true...I admire that resilience. I'm not very strong, myself, so I can't help being awed by it.

[Ithaqua is not of the same opinion, and it's obvious with the sound of disgust that he makes.]

Admiration for resilience... bah. I can think of more things to admire for that trait than humans.

[An Zhe blinks, curious.]

You can? I don't know much about other creatures, past how dangerous they are to me.

Bears, wolves. The beasts of my forest that still work hard to survive, even in its state of perpetual winter.

They haven't any tools, unlike humans, and yet they still live. [Ithaqua waves a hand.] Far more impressive than humans.

...The animals where I lived were always hunting and fighting to survive, too. Humans would visit sometimes, but they rarely went far, and many of them died...I'm not sure their tools help all that much, in comparison, but they're definitely...

[He's not sure how to continue that, actually, instead trailing off as he stares down at his feet, trying to think of more words.]

You needn't continue with that.

[Mostly because Ithaqua is slowly getting more and more disgusted and he'd rather not have a physical reaction.]

I can already tell you're fond of them, little one.

[An Zhe stops, just as told! He can tell this guy isn't fond of humanity...which isn't too surprising, considering how much destruction he's seen them cause over the short time he's known them...and yet.]

They were the first and only creatures I'd ever communicated with, before coming here. [And then he adds, almost like a concession:] I'm not fond of all of them, either.

Then you should experience more. You may just see a society with less humans than usual more appealing.

[He's reveling in it, sure, but Ithaqua would enjoy it more if it wasn't controlled by an AI, whatever the hell that is.]

[...Well! He can't argue that, exactly. So the boy nods, if somewhat reluctantly.]

I'll try...everything here has already been a new experience so far.

You really are akin to a mouse-- small, timid. [Ithaqua places his hand son his hips.]

Where is your adventurous spirit?

[A mouse...he hasn't met many of those, to be honest. Possibly just the ones in that weird wizard library? Still, he frowns slightly at the descriptor that follows.]

I've been on adventures before. If traveling to the human city counts as an adventure...or escaping it later.

Human settlements? I'd more consider that a horror story. [Because those things are death traps for people like them.]

I wouldn't call it horror...it was definitely very dangerous though. That's why I needed to escape, in the end. [A matter of life or death...]

Unsurprising, given what humans are like. [Another noise of disgust, but not at him-- instead, at humans in general.]

[He can't really argue that...and his expression doesn't change much, but a vague hint of sadness does cross his features.]

It was bound to happen eventually. That city barely allowed any plants or animals aside from humans, so it made sense that they wouldn't want me, once I was found out.

[Ithaqua gives a snort.]

All human settlements are like that. Best you learned that early in life than late, just so you know their natures. And your experience was straightforward-- they found you out, and you left their city. That is the best scenario.

[An Zhe falls silent for a moment at this, not to let this life lesson sink in, but because he's making a mental note not to tell this guy that he still ended up in a relationship with a human after everything that happened.]

...Did humans hurt you, before?

Of course they did. One look at me, and you immediately know that I am not one of them.

[He crooks his fingers, brandishing the claws on his gloves.] And humans hate those who are not.

...In my world, humans hated things other than them, because even getting stung by a bee could transform them into a creature that forgot who it used to be. By the time I arrived here, barely anyone was fully human anymore.

[He looks at those claws, then at his own soft and clawless fingers, then up at Ithaqua again.]

But I still think...there are humans willing to befriend us, even if many will not.

Befriend? That's an overly idealistic way of thinking. [There's a load of pity in his tone.]

[Why is he being pitied!! I mean probably it's because the guy hates humans so much, but still!]

Is it wrong to want peace? I could never do very much, when they attacked me.

[He shakes his head, the ears of his hood flopping with the movement.]

I prefer carving out a space of my own, and guarding it fiercely from them. That's a better way of having peace.

[That makes sense, and it's what many animals do, but—]

If I could guard my space like that, I never would have gone to the humans' settlement...now I can't find my cave anymore, and I live with a human instead.

[He does miss those days, and his gaze grows somewhat wistful as he speaks.]

FEBRUARY MINGLE

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