MAY MINGLE

[etrayamods]

WHO: Everyone!
WHEN: May 17th-31st
WHERE: On Etraya
WHAT: A mingle log!
NOTES\WARNINGS: N/A, please note any needed warnings in threads.

⏵ a hero's return ⏴ As champions exit the Labyrinth, they’ll find that their environment has gone through some fairly drastic changes. Where there used to be larger bodies of water is now thinner rivers going through land; the amount of bridges connecting landmasses has decreased, given what had been individual islands are now much more connected. In addition, Etraya is significantly more green; flowers bloom, birds chirp cheerfully, and there are numerous additional species of insects, mammals, and aquatic creatures throughout the lands. Baby foxes roam through forested areas, bees pollinate the flowers to spread them more thoroughly around the inhabited areas, and it feels brighter. Or perhaps that’s just in comparison to how the Labyrinth had been. There are more areas to explore, new facilities, animals, and Etraya feels significantly more settled than it had before. Aurora’s promise of renovations had been true. And if one looks up, they may notice a city bubble visible on the closest planet that hadn't been visible before. ⏵ coffee break ⏴ After hearing Clarke’s suggestion, Aurora sets up a new cafe close to the apartment complex, and sends out notices to individuals with mandatory coffee hour times listed for them to come to Corrine's Cafe and make a few friends. While the note does state that it is mandatory, there will be no follow-up from Aurora nor the companion bots to ensure those who receive notes do show. Given this is Aurora trying to take suggestions in mind and see how successful they are among the citizens of Etraya, however, following directives may not be a terrible idea. It's up like a modern-day, smaller cafe. One walks in through the front door, and is greeted by a companion bot behind the counter who offers a wave of their hand and a friendly “Welcome! Let me know when you’re ready to order”. The menu offers lattes, mochas, espresso, black coffee, several different kinds of teas, and a few drinks that are a little odd to find in a cafe; ale, canned sodas and coffees, numerous bottles of wine, but only pinot noir. Soft music plays in the background, impossible to place but it sounds as if it may be based on tracks that were popular in the early 90s. Tables and booths are set up to seat two to four, with packets of sugar and small containers of creamer set out towards the middle. There are charging stations set up at every table, which may seem strange considering phones and laptops aren’t widely available, but Aurora’s doing her best. There are also a few bookshelves full of the classics, a few historical fiction, and several written by H.P. Lovecraft. Each seat has a placard in front of it, with a name, and a ‘fun fact’. One might say “Hello! My name is Joe, and I like to paint!” Another may say “Hi, I’m Jill! My sister died tragically in front of me and I’ve never gotten over it.” ⏵ new horizons ⏴ Several of the new bridges found in Etraya now have signs posted just outside of them, and on those signs is a QR code that the earpiece’s HUD can scan. Scanning this with the HUD will bring up a scavenger hunt, listing several items and circling areas where they can be found. Some of these objects will be obvious: find Corrine at Corrine’s Cafe - the companion bot who runs the counter, find a delicious meal at Bangsan Market, break into S.T.A.R Labs, or find room 87 at Point Blanc Academy. Some will be less obvious, like locating a bat, becoming friends with an archer, find a pink shirt, open bagged milk without making a mess, or get a drink at the mutant-friendly pub. Please feel free to make up your own items to find around Etraya! ⏵ NOTES ⏴ Welcome to our mid-month mingle! Please feel free to use this to explore Etraya, put up wildcard prompts (you don't need to use the above!), or use the open prompts to assist in jumpstarting cr. This mingle covers the period from May 17th to May 31st. Our next mission (and next mod log) will not go up until June 7th. ⏵FULL NAVIGATION⏴

Comments

[equivo]

Hang on.

[ Krouse pops his chopsticks into the to-go container and rummages in his jeans pocket, producing a Swiss army knife. He fiddles with it one-handed until he flicks one of the small screwdriver attachments out and comes closer to reach it up towards Natsuno, interest flickering.

The change in angle makes the shallow scrape on his left cheek visible and reveals the dab of dark red on his lower lip as a scab, not stray sauce. They're not on his mind at the moment; just the typical wear and tear of a dangerous lifestyle. ]

I could go take a look. If they're faking the whole thing, there's probably some decorative shipping materials around. [ It's not like he has any better immediate plans. ] But first, satisfy my curiosity - what's the rush?

[neverleave]

[Natsuno notes the injuries, but doesn't comment. Considering what they had to endure recently, scrapes and bruises are to be expected. He simply accepts the swiss army knife with a hummed thanks, thinking he should get himself one of these. Natsuno starts on the first screw as he considers whether he can trust Krouse with this.

He doesn't know a lot about this guy. Some kind of criminal record, screwed his friends over nerd drama - neither are much of a problem as far as Natsuno's concerned. Rita doesn't like him, but she doesn't like most people. He might get competitve to ensure his universe survives, but that's expected. Honestly, the only question right now is whether Krouse would try to stop his current plan, and Natsuno doesn't think he will.]

Did you see the new city? I wanna talk to them. Thought that maybe if I plug enough lights and flash morse code, they'll see it from their planet.

[equivo]

[ Ah. Krouse glances skyward, which gets him nowhere. The other city isn't visible at this angle, the dome of the covered market not quite aligned with the right patch of sky.

He weighs the proposed plan. There's no actual property damage involved, at this point, and Natsuno is the one putting the plan together, so whatever limited culpability is involved would probably fall on his head. He doesn't have a personal interest in communicating with the other city, but he can think of a variety of reasons other people might. Low risk, low reward, but also low effort. ]

Why not?

[ He can also think of some pretty good reasons why not, assuming the other city is 1. populated 2. with other competitors. But just like he doesn't have a reason to be interested in friendly relations, he doesn't really care about potential misinformation beamed down to them from probable opponents. ]

I'll go see what I can find. Try not to break it before I get back.

[ And unless Natsuno has additional instructions, Krouse will wander off in search of something soft and large enough to support all of that humming glass. ]

[neverleave]

[Why not is a good response as any. At least he's got help with this particular bit. Natsuno rolls his eyes when Krouse tells him not to break it, but otherwise has no further requests.

He'll be unscrewing the sign carefully while Krouse looks, and cradle it carefully while he waits. Not very comfortable, but with his powers back from the labyrinth, at least it's not too heavy.]

[equivo]

[ It takes about fifteen minutes for Krouse to return, bearing a shipping blanket, a span of corrugated cardboard, and a few ratchet straps arranged awkwardly under his right arm. His take out container is gone, remaining food shovelled back in a practiced hurry as he searched. He drops his burden near Natsuno with a quiet whuff of an exhale and rolls his shoulder back, pulling a face. ]

I'm thinking we wrap the sign up in the blanket and use the straps to hold it in place. If you're going to keep doing this, you'll probably want some plywood and a handcart, or something.

[ One of the harder parts of theft had turned out to be transportation of stolen goods. People don't pay much for smashed laptops and damaged art.

He notices how Natsuno is able to hang onto the sign. Turns out vampire strength is probably real, if he's judging it right. ]

What are you hoping you'll get out of this, anyway? I'm assuming you're not just hard up for conversation around here.

[neverleave]

[Natsuno nods appreciatively. That good haul and a good suggestion. A cart would be useful, and he can keep working at night and stick to darker paths. It won't stop bots from noticing him, but there will be less questions from residents.]

Can you spread the blanket on the ground?

[So he can put the sign down and wrap it. Also, vampire strength is definitely a thing, his breath is as steady as ever.]

Aurora won't tell us anything about other cities - just that they're there. I want to know if they have more information. What their "missions" are like. Maybe there's a reason Echo allocates certain people to certain bubbles.

[equivo]

[ Dutifully, Krouse spreads the blanket out for Natsuno by circling its corners and tugging them outward, the thick padded heft of it not lending itself to an easy flick of the wrists. He uses the time to listen to the answer and process it for a few seconds, stepping back and crouching to start straightening the ratchet straps out of their loose tangle. ]

All for the sake of expanding your intellectual horizons?

[ He could probably stop himself from inserting a dry twist of sarcasm here, but he doesn't. He's being helpful enough he thinks he deserves a pass. ]

What I meant was what you want to get out of it. How do you think knowing what's happening up there helps you down here?

[ In spite of his irony moments ago, he actually wants to know what Natsuno is thinking. It's all about keeping his mind open to possibilities. ]

[neverleave]

[He puts the sign on the blanket, gently, and kneels down to start rolling the fabric.]

Insight, mostly. Bigger picture. [He doesn't mind the sarcasm. It's a valid question.] Call it "intellectual horizons" if you want, but you never know which piece of information would turn out useful.

[Natsuno considers himself as someone who can collect information, but not necessarily make sense of it. He's fine with being the one who passes it on to someone better at figuring out what it means. This is how it's been ever since he asked the village doctor if his dead classmate could rise, and the doctor said, she'd have to be a zombie of a vampire.]

What would you want to get from something like that?

[equivo]

[ That's a good enough answer, and a good question. As long as Natsuno isn't coming up with half-baked ideas of city to city solidarity, Krouse thinks he's up for participating further in this little side project. He tilts his head and gives a little hum of approval as he lays the straps out in neat rows, a fastidiousness that doesn't actually accomplish anything except to look organized.

It's a new habit. He's noticed how much he does it every now and then, and then stops thinking about it. The fact that everything on his kitchen counters could be lined up to a ruler without moving a thing doesn't mean anything. It just keeps his hands busy. ]

I'd want to know if their city works like ours.

[ 'City'. He's still not sure that's what he'd call it, but then again, it's not like he's coming up with anything better. City it is. ]

I want to know how this city works. Having some points of comparison could tell us how consistent the rules are.

[ And that's what it comes down to. The rules of the game. Once he knows what they are, he'll know what he can do with them. Or so goes the hope. ]

[neverleave]

[Pfft, city-to-city solidarity. Natsuno doesn't trust 90% of this city to not turn on him the second missions turn even a bit competitive, so a whole other planet? He's has no interest in fighting anyone over a universe - he left his a long time ago, and there are infinite versions of it anyway - but if that other city decides to fight him he will have no qualms about nuking them from orbit.]

That's a good point. This city is evolving around us specifically, right? And they're taking suggestions. If all cities are like this, we can learn about the residents too.

[equivo]

[ Evolving around them. Krouse hasn't thought of it in precisely those terms, but once Natsuno says it, it slots into place as another angle to consider. There's something about the concept that gives him uneasy pause.

Not biological evolution, but a digital facsimile. Procedurally generated environments that response to player choice. In a game, the sales pitch would be that it adapts to player behaviour to produce tailored challenges, which usually amounts to so much fluff. But here, it might actually mean something. ]

Are you planning on sharing much about us with your theoretical new penpals?

[ He asks, deliberately casual, not lifting his attention from the straps. ]

Because I'm assuming they'll ask your questions right back at you. It'd be worth thinking about what your answers are going to be.

[neverleave]

Of course. Deciphering messages would take time anyway, so it's a given you'd consider every word you say.

[Not that the message itself, but the complexity. He can't even assume they know morse code, so he'll have to keep it simple at first.

It's good that they're talking about it. Natsuno plans to be careful, but he knows he has blind spots.]

I don't plan on sharing about us. I think it's fine to say our city has places we know from our homeworlds, or that we get participation points, but I'm not gonna elaborate about what kind of people we are or what we can do.

[equivo]

Good call.

[ It saves Krouse from having to persuade him to do it, which suits him just fine.

As soon as Natsuno finishes wrapping the neon sign, Krouse will shuffle closer to help slide the supporting platform of rugged cardboard underneath. ]

If they are competing for the same things we are, we can't trust that everyone up there is as helpful as the locals here have been. Or that there actually is anyone else up there. Not to sound paranoid, but it's not out of the question it's some new kind of test. [ His smile twists up, wryly. ] Or that it's not where our evil twins have wound up.