etrayalogs | APRIL MINGLE

APRIL MINGLE

WHO: Everyone!
WHEN: April 25th - Early May
WHERE: Etraya
WHAT: The arrival of newcomers, spring activities, and feathered friends!
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.

However, if they are arriving from Aphaia, it's a little different, though mostly through means and familiarity. They will still show up in the hospital of course, but how can vary. Either through Aurora offering a portal for escape, their own demise (however it might have happened), or even a simple blink of their eyes and they're in the hospital. They had been given the briefest explanation last time they were here, but at least Aurora can better answer their questions now. No time constraints nor rushing them off to a dying world, this time!

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, spring is sprung, it is warm and comfortable. Flowers have bloomed, and everything is in a sharp contrast to Aphaia—there is life within the bubble, and even the myriad wildlife seems to be basking in the glow of it all. Almost as if a celebration of that life itself.

Bees are buzzing, birds are—warking?

⏵ Birds of a Feather ⏴

Etraya has always had its interesting assortment of critters, but there seems to be a particularly colorful array of birds wandering around. Those familiar would know they are named Chocobos, those less so familiar, well, these are some strange looking ostriches, or whatever large bipedal bird equivalent fits. While the birds all seem to be of the same species, there are certainly some variety in their features. Some with friendlier faces and others looking a bit more eagle-like.

They are not particularly congregated in any one spot within Etraya, seeming to stick to groups, while others don't, yet even some are accompanied by newly hatched chicks. The observant might be quick to notice that their colors dictate some level of behavior, or even where their little groups mingle:

Colors	Behavior and habitat
Yellow	Can be found just about anywhere in Etraya, they don't necessarily stick to self-made groups, and typically are more likely to be friendly to people. However, if they are in the company of a newly hatched chick, they can become wary, though easily won over with some greens.
Green	These Chocobos are mostly found in grassy or woodsy areas, almost always in pairs, and sometimes found in the trees themselves. They are more wary than their yellow brethren, though if they see someone struggling or in danger, they are quick to offer assistance in what way they can. Doting like motherhens.
Blue	Most often found by bodies of water, these Chocobo seem content to keep to themselves. Three to a group, they are not so easy to approach without being noticed. Their skill and love of water is clear, however, and it's not unusual to find them flapping about or swimming. Though they may flee to the water if you spook them.
Brown	The most skiddish of the Chocobo, they can be found throughout Etraya, though further away from anything occupied by people. They stick to groups of four, though they have a clear leader who sports blue and green feathers, but seemingly is not of the other two types. Should they catch sight or sound of someone approaching they are like to run off, or they might attempt to defend themselves.
Red	There seems to be only one of these running around. Highly aggressive to anyone who dares to approach it. Best to avoid it. Very likely to hurl comet-like balls of fire your way. Untamable.

The birds all favor these strange cabbage looking plants that can be found out and about in the wilds of Etraya. Some proving a little overeager in their voracity to eat the leafy greens. One should be careful, with those large beaks of theirs.

⏵ Gift Hunt ⏴

It isn't only the birds that have shown up out of nowhere. Small to medium sized boxes, wrapped as if they should be under a tree, and maybe not hidden in a tree, have also appeared. For whatever reason (possibly the same reason eggs were given out over winter) there seems to be gifts hidden all over Etraya! Some in more difficult to find locations (in trees, on top of a roof, on snake island), while others look as though whoever "hid" it gave up halfway through and simply dropped it on the ground and put a leaf over it.

For those who need a little extra help, well, certainly your fellow Etrayans could lend a hand, however there are also perfectly capable birds about for those still left wanting. Certainly that blue chocobo could assist with crossing the river to obtain that perfectly balanced gift on a rock! Or what about that green chocobo roosting in a tree not too far from that gift stuck in the branches because it has entirely too many ribbons?

With that said, there might also be some dangers in trying to take one of the myriad gifts from a chocobo's nest, especially if there's a chick presently sleeping next to it. Perhaps befriending them would be a good idea first, besides, isn't friendship with a big bird the truest gift of all?

On the tag of each and every gift box says the same thing:

To: You
Love: 💋

Each gift has a random assortment within. Some contain candy, others contain alcohol, make-up...maybe even a pair of socks, very perfunctory gifts with very little thought or feeling put into them. However, there is at least one gift that is personally relevant to each character in Etraya. This item will be the equivalent of a 5 point AC reward, and does not have to be found by the person it is intended for.

What better way to break the ice than to give someone their gift which you opened!

⏵ NOTES ⏴

Welcome to Etraya newcomers and happy spring to everyone!

It appears that someone is trying to correct her previous mistake of handing out eggs during the winter holidays, and now there's a hunt for gifts accompanied by a bunch of lovely birds to help out!

Some notes in regard to Chocobos:

-Each color can be tamed except for the red one, he's a free spirit. Should someone wish to harm or attack this chocobo, let us mods know. There is only one of him, after all.

-The others will just take various amounts of work to win over, however, but they are loving and cute companions for those who are willing to put in the effort! And who knows, maybe more colors could arise with time and patience...

-Feel free to pull from all the designs of chocobos throughout the Final Fantasy series. If you fancy FFXII's, for example, there are some that look like that. Variety is the spice of life!

Concerning the personal item, be sure to plot out and get permission when finding someone else's item. This is meant to encourage possible new CR and mingling, but the choice of the item should ultimately be within the hands of the player who is receiving it.

If you are uncertain if your item is appropriate for the reward cost, feel free to ask here!

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⏴

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[The question of deception is no question at all. Crane hardly trusts anything told by anyone, whether he knows it to be true or false. Either his actions dictate the fate of his world or are as meaningless as the people who walk the streets of Gotham.

Nobody is truly important to the grand scheme of things. Here they are told the opposite. The question is why: but has wondering why ever truly mattered? His shoulders pull inward. He understands all to well it has.]

Or it is what she was led to believe.

[What a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive.]

But she appears to want to be a good host. [Role model.] I would consider the question of whether she is misleading or assisting us to be irrelevent. That is a question of morality. Even if she has ulterior motives she is still protecting us. It would be foolish to discount that.

They favor slow, predictable movements. But they like these, too…

Ugh. He almost had his beak around the pumpkin, too.

[He slaps it down on the dock in irritation. This whole round trip business had taken a couple hours. And this was the first time Barnabas was even talking to him in weeks. And they had better things to talk about than Chocobos. But he’d ease in. He’d been rehearsing this to himself for weeks as it is.]

So, you got any Gysahl greens? Or just more animal facts up your ruffled sleeve?

[ Scanning the list anew, Dion considers his options. Given a list of so many lengthy drink names that presumably denote what all goes in them, and names he doesn't find at all familiar, Dion is taking a shot in the dark no matter what he does. ]

I've not heard of these blends, but a "cherry chai" sounds less a mystery than the rest.

[ Here he is assuming it's just a variety of chai and hoping that is a black tea based on the selections on the board. The name is short and simple, making it seem like less of a puzzle despite the unfamiliarity of it. ]

So I may try that and see whether I'm gravely mistaken.

Stonhyrr does not possess the soil to grow such vegetation.

[Which doesn't mean that Barnabas couldn't have some, but more a testament to his unwillingness to help Cid befriend much of anything.

It's true that they have not spoken since their return from Aphaia, and why would Barnabas want to? Not that he wants much of anything. Ignoring them is just as good as not having them, tantalizing as they all may be.

He eyes the birds as they swim around, swirled slightly by the waters, but they correct and change their direction as needed to stay together. It's all rather effortless, as if they themselves were part of the water, really. Mesmerizing as the shifting waters themselves.]

. . . [Nice one, green guy.] They were in the way, right? [Looking at Shadow isn't going to do anything. You reap what you sow. Here comes another campanion bot! A question appearing on their screen and then an exclaimation point.]

Oh my! Is everything all right? Please wait while I request for further assistance. [A little light pops up on their head, flashing yellow.] Please wait while I request for further assistance. [It keeps repeating. More companion bots can be seen coming down the hall, all with their little yellow lights flashing too.]

[Cid pulls out a cigar and lights it. So, what was this? Was he finally bored of his own company? Lonely at last? Cid watches him watch the birds for a moment. Maybe if he leaves the produce on the docks, they’ll be inspired to come ashore at their own pace.]

And you don’t have serfs anymore. Maybe it’s time to haul some dirt in here and make a garden. The horses would appreciate it, surely.

[He takes a long draw of his cigar and looks up at the sky.]

Fuck off.

[He only just noticed the bird, he obviously doesn't own the damn thing. He wasn't the one going into the store with it.

And hey, maybe it's smarter than he thought. He watches as it... looks like it's trying to pick out an outfit that matches the scarf, which is completely absurd. The idea crosses his mind that Last Order would love it, maybe the other Sisters too.

He clamps down on his mind before it can wander too much, crossing the store to the accessories. Once over there, he picks out another striped scarf, this one blue, then walks back over to the chocobo.]

Hey.

[He holds up the scarf so the bird can see, before setting it down on a nearby clothing rack and backing off. Who knows if this will work, but it's Plan A. Maybe the giant turkey will prefer this scarf, and leave Kamijou Touma's alone.]

Putting this here as a formality. We settle on the fight happening somewhere near/around Snake island and part of the blue trolly route will be destroyed during their fight. Anything else worth noting will be included at a later point.

Update: Bird's right eye is injured, has a serious bruise on it's left side where feathers are missing. And probably suffering from some internal bleeding. Otherwise still walked out of that ok. :)

And a forest got decimated before they went south to finish the fight.

Edited 2025-05-01 12:57 (UTC)

Then I have no need of it, but I will ensure it is kept safe.

[ away from those who might abuse it, at the very least. blaze places the lid back over the box before lifting his gaze to him, peering up at him attentively. ]

Do these things appear often here?

[ she just arrived, so it would be good to know if she can expect others to find similar items. ]

Knowledge unfortunately has a way of getting weaponized when in the wrong hands. Whether it be the existence of it, the lack of it, or the flow of it.

[Something that Kirk has seen in so many ways]

[genuinely creeped out:] What the hell are these?! [they've never seen robots or golems before, and their experience with mindless servitude is............................fraught...........

forgetting the remains of their scattered stash, Knife climbs to their feet, shooting an uneasy look down the hall.]

...Yeah, no...

[they're getting the fuck out of here! stepping over the stabbed bot, Knife goes the direction opposite the phalanx, making it for the door outside an--]

HUH??

[WHAT'S WITH THE BIRDS???]

"Not a fan of them?" Kirk asks as he looks around at all the boxes scattered. He's wary about picking one up for now, given previous "fun" Etraya events.

[They are wild ones, so perhaps they don't have such pleasures as tamed chocobos do with their meals. Their next could be their last. He huffs, crossing his arms. If you want to feed them, do it yourself.]

...There are horses, cats and dogs. [These are things he was told by Maria, or saw on the television though.] All humans like you use cars to get around though.

[And right on cue, here comes the herd, warking expectantly for more greens! One of the browns lowers their head to nudge Shadow with it's beak. Ugh. He pushes them away. Stop that. Does he look like he has one? Use your damn eyes, bird.]

[The serfs comment gets a slight inward pull of his eyebrows, not quite a furrow, but it's a reaction at least.]

Know you naught of agriculture? Stonhyrr is built upon stone. One would must needs tend to the field beyond the moat for aught to find serviceable purchase, not simply deposit soil and hope.

[Though, there is always the option of modifying things through their strange rewards. Not a terrible idea, that.]

[Crane listens patiently and affects some level of consideration. But he believes this man will likewise as cruel with his knowledge as anyone.]

Some people just want to watch the world burn, don't they?

[Those people they are discussing.]

"The chariot of choice for all cats? I'm not entirely averse. But I don't think it would work very well here."

And Sleeper is really more independent than that. Sitting around waiting for the thing to meander somewhere would be too much like the already mostly useless trolleys.

"I didn't smell explosives or anything dangerous in anything yet. But I could be wrong. Maybe whoever made these is playing nice for a change. Last month was a doozy."

No, no. You can just bring dirt places. Stick it on top. Grow plants in it. We were growing an apple tree in the cave. It was in half a barrel. The apples tasted like ground up corncob and ash, but that was more about the blight itself.

[Cid gives him a wry smile as he nears him and gives him a friendly slap on the back.]

Let’s get to it, eh? There’s bound to be wheelbarrows around here somewhere. Carts, for certain.

No.

[ he does know someone who dabbles in that art, but it's not as though it's something he believes in. rose would be thrilled at the prospect of pulling out her cards and showing this person something, but unfortunately, rose isn't here, and shadow won't hand out names of acquaintances.

that places a target on their back.

however, watching the other pat at their clothes in search of something, the hedgehog exhales with a tired sigh figuring what it is.

did they lose something out there... to the chocobo war? ]

What is it?

[ does he even want to know? has nothing to do with shadow, but maybe the other will go back out and the chocobos will be satisfied with their prey. maybe not because they're here for two (2) prey. ]

[ Dion hums softly as he considers that. He wonders how many creatures or even plants worlds may share. It might be interesting to compare such a thing, if they're to have time between missions. ]

So we have some animals in common. [ He pauses then, debating with himself before he decides to ask. ] Are there dragons in your world?

[ Right on cue, Dion offers Shadow another of the greens. If the birds are intent on getting them from him anyway, why not indulge them a little? They have only been friendly, after all. ]

[Barnabas slowly turns his gaze to Cid as he explains what they've been doing in the Hideaway. His expression remains mostly stoic, but his brow does pinch a little bit more.]

No.

[If they are going to do anything like this, it will not be in some barrel. It will be done properly.]

Why are you so difficult…?

[He sighs, looking out at the frolicking birds.]

Nevermind. [He taps his chin, considering ways to fence them in until they have the means to lure the birds.]

…You could just walk over there and rope one.

[They're just there to be a distraction. Slow her down while he continues to get further away. Or so he like for her to believe. He hasn't moved from this area, hidden somewhere among the denser parts of the trees, out of her line of sight. He still stands at the ready should this plan fail.

The brown chocobos are puffing themselves up, flapping their wings in an intimidating stance, but they are otherwise not going to attack until they feel threaten. They are huddling around a particular section of trees though, like guarding something there that's out of her sight.]

[Barnabas looks back to the birds, choosing to ignore the question that Cid himself clearly doesn't want answered.]

You have a colt you have been neglecting, and yet you are preoccupied with these chocobos.

[He absolutely could tame them with ease, and he plans to. Just, not right this moment.]

[ there's something about the other as soon as he notes the flower, hm, out of all the things here to comment on like the destruction of their surroundings and everything else, it's something as small as a flower. then again, even shadow had went out of his way to protect the small thing that he wonders if this is something familiar them too.

it's not shadow's, it only reminds him of something, but he stands in the way, crimson eyes watching the other. ]

It found me.

[ but that doesn't mean it's for him. all it does is jog memories that he doesn't want, reminds him of a loneliness, and it's without even questioning the other. ]

Take it.

[ it's a command. one that he follows through with himself as he walks to the side, fully revealing the plant to the other. as purple as lavender, in the shape of what reminds him of a lily... these are things that dwell inside his chest, hurts him only briefly, and then remind him that such feelings should be overridden with anger.

shadow can leave if it's someone else's problem, besides... his flower is somewhere else, with the memories of a loved one.

however, he's quick to continue: ]

Before I change my mind.

[ the hedgehog is waiting now to see if the other will take it or if he was only curious much like those chocobos. if he feeds it away, then that is not shadow's problem at all either, he's done his part protecting it from the dangers close by. ]

[ he wouldn't like them.

fragile. check. probably can't withstand heavy damages, useless meat-shield. ]

Shadow the Hedgehog.

[ ...

don't ask if "the hedgehog" is a last name. ]

Stand.

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APRIL MINGLE

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