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

[notmyfuture]

[ Oh, this is how it's going to go? ]

Didn't suit anyone. [ It comes out a little gruff, but if they're being direct then ] Natasha, she didn't talk a lot about herself, but she mentioned a sister.

[ Finding her had been near the top of a long, long list of things to do after the last fight. Returning the stones had taken priority over all of it. ]

[waytodie]

Debatable. [Though there are many deaths on her hands she will never forget or forgive herself for, she can’t say she is upset by the of Dreykov and his reign on girls he deemed unimportant to the world. The deconstruction of their thoughts and beliefs, the way he dehumanized every single one of them, taught them they were only tools and weapons to be used and fired… a man like that, death is perhaps the best option.

Her sister’s name falling from his lips makes her hesitate. Her eyes drop briefly to her coffee, and she busies herself with taking a drink.]

She told you about me? [Her voice is quiet, little more than a thick whisper as she looks back up at him.]

[notmyfuture]

[ He and Natasha had grown closer over the years, and talked about quite a lot, but her past and her family had been rare topics. ]

A little. Said you disappeared after the Snap. [ He takes a deep breath. ] Clint, Hawkeye, he knew more. We were going to find a way to reach you, after.

[waytodie]

[The mention of The Snap has her go very, very still, except for the tiny crinkle of her nose in distaste. She hasn't really thought much about it. Hasn't had time to, really, and… well. She's not sure how to feel about it, or what to do with the whole thing.

So she just keeps ignoring it, I stead if dealing with it.]

That is the problem… we always think we have more time than we do.

[notmyfuture]

[Nobody had much time to talk about anything, at least from the last point he remembers before finding himself here. To Steve though, they had been gone. Crumbled to dust, effectively dead for five long years.]

Don't I know it. [His lips curve into something not quite a smile, but commiserating anyway.] Glad you're back though.

[Someone has to be, for Natasha's sake.]

[waytodie]

Yeah... [She stares down into her coffee.

She doesn't say 'me too'. She doesn't say she wishes she wasn't. She is mostly neutral and undecided about all of it, if she's completely honest. And with the drill room, she has one more thing to try to box up neatly in the closet inside her mind that she keeps all the worst things locked up inside.]