etrayalogs | MAY MINGLE

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⏴

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

( he's still leaning down against the table. doesn't bother looking up as she makes herself comfortable, but her sitting down and getting closer to the same height he's sitting at does make it clear that damian is - definitely young. barely into his teens, even if he's a good bit smaller than most thirteen-year-olds would be. and focused on directing his character through the grassy areas, to find... yet another pidgey. )

Конечно.

( his accent isn't perfect; russian isn't a language he uses often, but it's one he'd picked up from a tutor long ago. )

[She laughs, one loud, amused, HA! and will continue in Russian until he decides he's bored of it.]

Это было частью вашей учебы в детстве или вам просто нравятся языки?

Это было частью моей учебы.

( he does, eventually, turn down the volume and put the game face-down against the table, scowl still on his mouth as damian pulls himself to sit upright. )

Это твой родной язык, не так ли?

Edited 2024-06-10 23:31 (UTC)

Да. Я всегда приятно удивляюсь, когда встречаю человека, который это знает. [She sets her coffee where she won't spill it and rests her chin in one hand.]

Это не один из сексуальных языков, люди обычно его не ищут. [She cocks her head a little to one side, a curious twist to her mouth.] Почему вам было важно знать русский язык?

Edited 2024-06-23 16:45 (UTC)

Мы с мамой часто путешествовали. ( with a lift of his shoulders, as he raises his lukewarm drink to his mouth to take a drink from it. ) She had business partners in Russia.

( not to mention damian's own excursions that way as robin. )

A language's appeal has never been a deciding factor on if I opted to learn it. Russian is the most widely spoken Slavic language and among the top ten most-spoken languages on Earth.

I guess if you were traveling so much, it isn't the worst thing to have in hand. [She smiles, still, it's just... nice to be able to use her native tongue sometimes, okay?]

Are we really in the top-ten? [She laughs a little.] I didn't even know that. I guess it is true you learn something every day.

It's ninth on the list. Below Portuguese.

( he's just full of fun facts. granted, this one tends to be a little more relevant to his interests. )

Knowing how to communicate with others who may not speak my native languages has often proved useful.

You seem very... practical. [And sullen teenager, a little bit, but she supposes that pointing that out specifically will do her no favors, so instead she just sips at her coffee and keeps it to herself.]

Someone has to be.

( that someone just happens to be damian currently. though his teachings are a little less practical. most don't train their children from birth to be efficient assassins. )

My family is full of reprobates.

( he means this lovingly. even if damian doesn't look like he does. )

Hmm, yes. [She hums a soft agreement, accompanied by a slight nod.] I know the type.

[Her family is... complicated, to say the least.]

MAY MINGLE

hovertext!

Was it part of your studies growing up, or do you just like languages?

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tag back or we can discuss+handwave, i'm easy-peasy either way ❤️

i'm good with backtagging!

sweet! I tend to tag until complete or someone needs to drop for sanity, myself <3

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