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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[...Honestly, Bruce should have guessed. Jason had been acting strange since he spotted the jack in the box. If Talia was involved, he was near a Lazarus Pit at the very least. The Joker had done enough damage that maybe it necessitated the use of one.

Quietly, he says: ]

Tell me what happened.

Correct.

[Crane pulls his hands towards the edge of the table, knowing that With one word, the topic is brought to a cold and final end. He underlines it and confines it to the recesses of his mind.]

I appreciate having answers for my questions.

[Is he polite enough to care? Hardly. He cannot quite bring himself to the emotional intimacy of saying thank you. But he acknowledges others appreciate the order of rules and law.]

[ It comes as a relief, seeing tea in a form he recognizes. The aroma is certainly different from the blends he knows, but the note of citrus is apparent even as it steeps. He remains curious as he follows the other fellow to a table and seats himself primly across from him once they get there. ]

At least some aspects of our surroundings aren't wholeheartedly foreign.

[ How tea steeps, for one thing. On the other hand, Dion has yet to acclimate to the low, constant hum of the lights overhead. ]

After Aphaia, I was uncertain what to expect.

[ She walks over, reaching for an empty chair. Wait. Just as she's about to join her feline friend, she remembers the materials left behind on the floor. She backtracks, scampers over to scoop the books and her supply bag off the carpet, and returns to the table, piling everything on the surface. As she moves back and forth from her previous reading area to the table, she chatters away. Another good habit she needs to keep in mind is to tidy up her own space for future patrons. ]

Uh-huh. They're also so cute and soft. I like the sound they make... wark, wark.

[ Stifling a giggle. A poor squeaky imitation of their chirp, but she tried.

Finally, she scrambles up into the seat across from Blaze. The new dress is something she chose for herself, just something plain and simple with a ribbon on the back. Every other new piece she wears though, had been given from another—the red and black hair clips and cloak were both from a certain grumpy hedgehog. (And there's a pair of sunglasses from Scott tucked away in her bag as well...) ]

...Well, Darkie gave me this cape. [ Forgetting to explain who exactly "Darkie" is. ] It was in one of the gift boxes, but he really didn't want it for some reason. I like it 'cause it keeps me nice and warm. Oh, and look at these... he got me these hair clips too.

[ Tilting her head slightly, showing off the black and red clips. The colors stick out against the rest of her outfit. Fio may need to think better about how to coordinate her clothing. ]

[ And Henry would allow it, after all he had built up a tentative rapport and he thought that it would be easy to soothe their quite literal ruffled feathers. He heard Alex whisper pitched to his ears alone and he let out a little snort that came out not loud enough to startle the Chocobos.. thank goodness. ]

Alright, then? High praise indeed-- I hope that my future self bedeviled you outrageously for that type of nonsense.

[ Oh he did alright, just at this moment Henry could not comprehend it.

He made a further strangled sound at the other guy's bird-calling as the case may be, oh but there was points for trying. ] I absolutely cannot with you.. [ But he absolutely was. ]

[Since they were trying not to spook the chocobos, that must be the only reason that when Alex answered, he did so by whispering directly to Henry's ear, lips absurdly close but not quite touching.]

Don't worry. You drive me entirely crazy.

[By doing things like being likable and funny and beautiful and infuriating and confusing and then kissing him and ghosting him. Henry was Alex's own personal hell.]

What? I'm playing nice.

[To the birds. One of whom warked in what was somehow avian amusement, and Alex eeped and ducked further down behind Henry.]

[Jason tries to take a breathe and he looks away before responding back]

Your Tim isn't the only one who got hurt by that psycho.

[Even now he can still remember clearly the sounds of the crowbar beating him over and over again]

Except with me, he finished the job. Once the crowbar beating was done, I... I remember lying there broken and bleeding out. And the ticking of the bomb. I was locked in.

[ Why did that fill him with an almost unreasonable shiver of anticipation? He could feel his entire body become aware of Alex's proximity and there was the slightest hitch of breath, though for a moment he worried about giving himself away-- though thankfully the hitch of breath came nearly on the heels of the the wark so that kept Alex for the most part distracted.

He laughed. ]

They are cute birds, Alex. There is no reason to be afraid-- are you sure that you do not have some sort of traumatic event involving birds in your lore that predates turkeys?

[Alex was indeed distracted in fear for his life. But he slowly stood up straight and stopped hiding quite so much behind Henry. ...still behind him though.]

No! And it's not all birds. I'm not afraid of pigeons. I'm just... wary of the unreasonably big ones who make demon noises.

[He muttered quietly before deciding that he was going to be very brave. A deep breath and he shifted to stand in the water beside Henry now instead of, well, cowering.]

It sounds like you know a little something about that.

[ About being a good leader. There is something sort of regal about Dion. Maybe it's the way he carries himself or the way he speaks. Vax, on the other hand, is probably more rough around the edges. ]

What leaders should do and what they actually do doesn't always line up, though.

[ He looks down at the box tucked under his arm again. ]

Anyway, thanks for this. I know you just happened to find it, but it means a lot to me. Nothing here costs money, but let's have a drink sometime.

[ A gasp. ]

Demon noises? The noises these sweethearts make are absolutely not demon noises. [ He was actually affronted for the cerulean blue birds that were clearly trying their best and just wanted a nice calm tranquility. He had not met the red one yet though, to which he'd probably change his mind. Hopefully Alex never encountered the red one.. actually neither of them should if they knew what was good for them.

But at the show of bravery, he clapped Alex on the back. ]

Just remember they are more wary of you then you are of them.. look at them?

[Oh god if Alex ran into the red one he might rethink his lack of fear for pigeons. But for now he just wrinkled his nose at Henry.]

They one hundred and ten percent are not.

[Because Alex was stupidly wary of them. But he would try to be brave and not look like a scared little kid in front of his crush.]

...do you think they'd let me pet them?

I consider it eventful - you have been here longer than I so perhaps you may disagree.

[The thought gives him pause.]

Is an event even surprising when it is expected, doctor? When it is routine?

[ Her gaze drifts back over to the hedgehog. ]

...Shadow, huh. [ A pause. That's a fitting name. Somehow that didn't cross her mind when looking at the other one's fur. He may have escaped being called "Dusky", but he hasn't entirely escaped from a nickname: ] Shady.

[ From the start, it may have been what the other Shadow could have had if he told her his name...

Her attention shifts back to the two chocobos. With how close the leader is, she should take it as a sign that it's perfectly fine for her to stick around on their land. She reaches out to the leader bird, gently stroking the feathers. Still, she would like to offer some kind of thanks. Let her pay the bird toll before she moves on ahead. ]

Um... hang on a second, birdies. [ She rummages through her supply bag, which is mostly full of picture books, both intended for reading and for storing flowers between the pages. Luckily, she does find a very small bulb of greens and a couple of loose leaves sitting at the bottom of her bag. It's hard to carry much more than that. She pulls the bulb out, holding it up. ] This isn't much, but is this okay?

...I'm fine. I'm worried about you.

[ Again, doing the opposite of what he tells her to do! Suddenly there's a rustle, rustle. Fio emerges from the bushes, clumsily stumbling out and dropping the gift onto the grass.

She scoops the unopened box back off the ground, ignoring how there's little twigs and leaves stuck on her dress after pushing her way through the bush. The same hair clips from Aphaia still adorn her disheveled hair, standing out from the rest of her white attire just like before. ]

I'm sorry... you couldn't find a way back. But you can try to keep searching from here, right?

[Maria doesn't know why but something about her pities Claudia. this was the woman who hurt Heather, and Maria could never forgive her for that, but something about her just comes off as sad. it's a similar thing to Vincent, she thinks. members of this damn cult. they all come off the same, so broken. no matter what Vincent says.

she sighs and sits down next to her.]

You should know the score around here. I love Heather. I'd do anything for her. You hear that? Anything. And whatever you or your religion thinks about her is wrong. [she could be a little ruder but well, she was trying to play nice in regards to The Order. mostly play nice with Vincent. as Maria told many people, it was easier to get along with Vincent, and insulting the damn cult wasn't going to get her anywhere.]

So that's that in regards to her. But you should know about me before Vincent goes telling you his ideas. [though she assumes they might have a similar thought process anyway.] Ready for a story?

[ his ears twitch, that brief change in the air quickly calls for him to turn, and jump back to avoid the spear's tip. he can tell the other is angry, his feelings all over the place, and possibly for good reasons.

what happened with the bird, however? ]

...I'm not here to fight you.

[ shocking, really, as much as he's always prepared to fight. this one doesn't call for his attention as something he needs to win. ]

Calm down.

[ Oh look, it's the little drunk guy from the party - the First Son, mister famous, something like that. He flashes a wry smile, lifts a shoulder and smirks. ]

Yeah, yeah. If I’m stripping, someone better be stuffing twenties in my belt, not handing me trauma glitter and mystery candy. [ He flicks a bit of shimmer off his sleeve, not that it helps—he’s going to sparkle like an extra from Twilight for days. ]

Good to see you made it outta that unicorn rave fever dream. [ he gestures. ] Go on, open it. Could be booze, could be a frog that sings Elvis. Only one way to find out.

[That makes Jason turn on his heel, a rush of anger flashing through him.]

Who says I even want to be Robin any more. Who the fuck do you think you are?

[Jason knows the guy is his older self, that he likely knows better than anyone else how desperate Jason is to slide back into that role, to be a part of something more. And still, Jason's anger is explosive, ready to burn up anything in its path.]

Shaan nods seemly used to speaking with people without words. He goes even stiller and keeps the hand holding the food completely flat watching with delight as the purple bird hops right up to him and starts to nibble at the food in his hand.

Shaan sighs as quietly as he can. "Such tasks teach patience, "he says, keeping his voice as low as possible to not startle the birds. "Something that both you and Henry often need but refuse to learn."

A yellow bird cocks its head curiously at the pair and decides to hop into Shaan's lap for food anyway. "Good things are always worth waiting for as my father used to say."

Shaan hasn't had shortcake, it's not something England is known for after all, but he's traveled with Henry enough to know what it looks like. He scans over the table and nods as he finds a whipped cream topped cake with strawberries on it and takes a plate handing it down to the creature with a little bow and a smile. "This is it I think."

[ If Joker had ever killed one of them, Bruce always imagined it would have been him. If only because he would never have allowed him to get close to Tim or Barbara or Dick. He'd been wrong about it. Tim's kidnapping a clear indicator that there wasn't a line he wouldn't cross just to make Bruce suffer.

Of course that psychopath would take his Robin.

Jason's story does give him the angle he'd been looking for. Except, it's a new perspective on the prevailing theory. ]

And you were brought back with a Lazarus Pit?

[ He isn't skeptical. He just couldn't see Bruce agreeing to it. ]

[She just came up with a different nickname instead. A groan, because of course she did, and that's what she decides on?

The leader coos when she gave it pets, lifting their head slightly as Fio starts to rummage through her bag. They both inch closer in anticipation. Now, while they aren't going to hurt her, they are still big wild birds. And when their favorite snack is on the line, they forget about personal space and can easily overwhelm a little girl. And that's what happens. They wark excitedly when their familiar greens is being presented, pushing each other to get to the bulb.

Shadow can see what's going on from where he is, an irritated frown. Well that's her own doing if she ends up getting pushed around by those birds.

...

A sigh. He'll turn around and backtrack towards them.]

Shut up and die! [He wants anything else, but to calm down. That they would continue to act like they're above him. He wants them to hurt, bleed, kill. Make them pay. Know what he had put him through.

He doesn't miss a beat, chasing along with them they jumped away. His arm outstretch to catch them around the neck, continuing his forward momentum to send them slamming back into the ground.]

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APRIL MINGLE

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rip dusky route!!

she would give him a #1 dad mug and another one if he breaks it

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Re: Birds

Re: Birds

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