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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Their brow knits.

"Tooth brush? Made of whose teeth?"

I'm so sorry Blaze.

[So good of Knife to be with someone who notices the things to make life easier. He snags a little stack of napkins while the bots finish up. He puts in his own order while he’s up by the counter.]

Then you’re taking the offered housing? [Knife seemed like a wild creature before. And the talk of fey stuff has a suggestion there.] They do have that box that chills things like a good cellar does. That could help some of it keep for longer.

[Older Jason had anticipated the younger one taking a swing at him. He quickly sidesteps, grabs tightly that arm, pins it behind the teenager’s back and then throws him to the ground. The counter takes only a few seconds and in that time, older Jason purposely slips a tracker onto the younger one’s back]

Nice talk then.

[The dropped greens will at least take their attention away from Fio. The ones that went with Shadow will notice the others getting excited over something and will start to approach. Shadow is already a step ahead of them, turning his head to glare back, hands balled up in fists. Stay or get hurt. The display from this small hedgehog was enough to keep them where they are.

There wasn't a lot of greens, so it won't be long till those birds are turning their attention back to Fio. Their advance are halted though when Shadow comes through and pushes them both aside. They nearly stumble as it wasn't exactly a gentle push, but being rough gets them to do what he wants. They're no longer trying to get to Fio as Shadow puts himself between them and her.]

There's not much I hold of importance.

[ that comes out of a box anyway, but he still says it in the most horrible manner to make it worse for himself. instead of leaving, he stands there, watching as the girl begins to undo the box's ribbon to reveal a white piece of fabric trimmed with another color.

he stares at it, not really caring what it is, but is it a blanket or something. fitting for a child like her if anyone should have it. ]

Hm.

[ there's no name attached from what he can see indicating who it belongs to. he waits for her to pull it out so he can get a better look, but even so, that doesn't mean shadow will be of any help. ]

The birds fan out. Kaeya stays where he is, offering the birds a leaf at a time. He smiles at Shaan and tills his head slightly.

Then focuses on a dark blue bird that comes right up to him. His voice is low and melodic. “Hello again. You’ve been following me lately, hm? I don’t mind. But why not stick a little closer?” The bird coos and he reaches up to gently stroke the bird’s beak.

He glances to the side to see how Shaan is doing.

[At this point, he's honestly half-expecting her to just conk out on the book a second time. That wouldn't bother him very much, it's what he'd do, and he's fairly sure he'd just keep being a pushover and sit there and wait for her to actually wake up.

Ugh, he's such a wimp when it comes to little kids.

But no, he is spared on this day, and he lets out a little sigh as she blinks up at him. He still doesn't make any move to pull his hand away - it's fine, it's totally fine, shut up - and waits for her brain to catch up to her surroundings. It might take a few minutes, he's never been very good at waking up, so it always takes him a while. The question isn't one he's expecting to hear though, and he raises an eyebrow.]

Do I look like a librarian?

[Rhetorical question, he doesn't care about what her answer is. He gestures at the book she was sleeping on, specifically the page with a wet spot drying on it.]

You were drooling on the book.

[He eyes her a little after saying that, noting the things around her neck and wrists. The one around her neck looks like a collar or something, which is a strange fashion choice for a tiny kid.]

Edited 2025-05-04 15:13 (UTC)

[Jason knows he's a weight class and a half beneath the other Jason, but he doesn't expect to be pinned so quickly. It reminds him of Dick in the worst ways possible.]

Get off! [Humiliation burns hot through him.]

I see. I assume your objective was getting something from the casino? [He crosses his arms over his chest. If she says yes, his eye narrows. He covers his mouth, seemingly lost in thought for a moment.]

What did she say before she sent you through? Anything stick out to you?

Okay.

[He'll keep that in mind. It still likely won't be a problem, but it's good to know he'll need to keep an eye out for any quick movements.

At the comment about the scarf he grips it a bit tighter.]

Tche. It'd just be a pain in the ass if that thing ripped this up, that's all.

[Honestly, he isn't even sure if Kamijou Touma would care if that happened, but he may as well try to protect it. In case that idiot ever shows up here.]

[The sound of chocobos is what gets Paine's attention. It's the first time she's heard their signature wark's and kweh's here--she can't help but be intrigued.

The sound of a sword repeatedly hitting metal? Also of interest.

Being that she doesn't want to interrupt uncomfortably closely, Paine takes her time in approaching. That's probably why it's the chocobo on the edge of the flock that sees her first, and it spreads its alarm to the rest of its friends in short order.]

Whoa! Hey, wait a--[and in a cloud of wark and fluff, Paine and the stranger are on their own.]--second.

Guess they're just as skittish here as they are back home.

[they construct a very unruly tower of bagged boxes with beverage holders atop it. this is not OSHA compliant, but that's ok because they don't know who OSHA is or why they would defer to them.

distractedly:] No. Haven't made sure... [whoa. Jenga moment. again: don't know that, not an issue.] ...those spaces are safe yet.

[Quite the contrast when this one would rather avoid initiating unless forced. It's only been with the other that he felt compelled to take action before they do. For obvious reasons. Why is that? What else have they gone through to be who they are? ...Did he want to know, after everything he's seen and experienced?

Doesn't trust him, yet that's not what he was seeking. That be demanding a lot from a Shadow. He wanted something that wasn't fighting, or an immediate attempt at taking his life at least. Even as they say that, they left him with the one person the other would do anything to keep her safe. She believed he's not like this, the other says, but not how they feel. Even he thinks her faith is misplaced. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the chocobo that had initially led the other here, hovering over their beaten comrade. Hardly recognizable anymore. Why do Marias carry such confidence they know who a Shadow is, when he hardly knows what that means. Only that pain and death follows him.

The other tells him to show who he is. No retaliation, no insults. They stand ready for him, whatever may come of this. But there is a problem. The overflow of energy from him starts to calm, the intensity from him feeling less than before. Coming at them isn't going to give that answer. They tell him to show who he is...well, if they really mean that, if they're ready to listen then...]

...I don't know. [He has no answer to give. He moves to stand along with the other, unable to look directly at them. The urge to fight slowly going away. That was never what he wanted when he first saw the other with his face.] I was trying to find out.

Shaan manages a slight smile "I will do my best," he says already feeling uncomfortable with the changes. Zara has been working on getting him to loosen up claiming he needs to remember he's a human and not a robot. "It will take time but I promise to change my mindset."

He looks Henry over. "How are you settling in?"

Not hardly. Returning my wardrobe to me cost participation points. They're awarded for helping in missions and engaging with Etraya as a whole, I believe. You may have some already yourself.

[ It's never been explicitly explained anywhere how that works, but Harold can put clues together.

He also words this carefully so he doesn't have to indicate that it wasn't he himself who spent points on his clothes -- John did. John buying him his wardrobe was entirely frivolous and very personally meaningful. It's second nature to hide his close acquaintances, and even more so to hide John. Spending a few years at home since he last spoke to Inara makes it doubly true; he's still adjusting to being back in Etraya, and the relative freedom of information that entails.

Harold inclines his head politely at her greeting. ] It's good to see you well, Ms. Serra. I hope you find Etraya more hospitable than Aphaia, if no more fashionable.

Not at all. My name is Harold Finch; I'm a friend of Accelerator's. He asked me for book recommendations for you.

[ Harold nods courteously at her book as an indication of how he'd recognized her. He's smooth and comfortable with small talk, finding it easy to keep to a social script. He also doesn't hesitate to refer to Accelerator as a friend, whatever he might have to say about it. ]

I thought I might introduce myself.

[ Well, that could be an invitation, or it could be an opening leading to a rebuff. No way to find out without asking, and though chess isn't Harold's favorite game, that just means he has no real emotional attachment to whether or not he gets to play or whether or not he wins. ]

Is that your way of asking me if I'd play a game with you? [ he asks mildly, graciously ignoring all the signs that this means something more personal to Crane. ]

I wouldn't mind. As a way to pass the time.

( He does the math in his head as they go, making a mental note of it all because. He's Bruce Wayne. Of course he would. )

What were you doing before?

[Vander offered a sheepish smile when it seemed that he had pulled Rosie out of her work with his question. He raised his hands in a show of defensive apology, having not meant to disturb and hadn't realized she was so engrossed in her notes.

He did make a point to lean over to view her notes and smiled at the sight of music and lyrics. No wonders she had been so in zone there. It seemed she was in the process of making magic here, and he was pleased that the place was the kind of place that had an ambiance that allowed that.]

So it would seem. Sorry to disturb the magic here, Rosie. Though, do I get a test run when you're done?

[Vander looked around to make certain that no other patrons currently needed a refill or a meal. He used a foot to move out the chair with Jason's table and eased himself into it, crossing one knee over the other casually.]

I'm willing to listen if you want a casual observer to these problems of yours.

Whatever hunts them must be big, fast and strong to bring one down, and I expected probably in packs.

[Even when Vander was shrimping his shoulders forward to appear smaller, he still was a large man. Of course, it seemed that his normal charms on people did not exactly translate over to enticing a giant bird to take a green from his hand. This was what he earned for never having anything that could be considered a pet for long, right?

He watched her actions, peering over at the fallen tossed green as if it might root itself right then and there. One of the birds warbles in uncertainty but stepped forward to investigate her offering cautiously. Should he throw his too? No, not yet.]

I wouldn't even know where to begin taming one. They would be invaluable of course and give people something to focus on between those missions.

Yes. One took place on a train and the other on the planet Aphaia.

[ They both seemed to highlight an overconsumption of resources. But Bruce is yet to figure out how it all fits together or how it helps their current predicament.

He's also not very willing to share. He's not much a team player these days. ]

If you want details beyond that, you're better off asking Aurora. Or checking the network.

[ Shaw. John wonders if it nags at Carver like a splinter when he has to talk to Sameen. What are the chances. ]

That's a good name. I bet he was loved. Sometimes that's all you need.

[ It's good that Jason tells him this, even if he'd mostly guessed it. What other reason would Talia have had to dig this boy up out of the grave and drop him into a Pit if not to unleash him on Batman. Jason's death must have struck a deep, agonizing chord. He really did not have to imagine how painful it was for Jason's Bruce.

It also highlights a terrible, grim reality. It's very possible Tim felt the same way Jason had. A desire for revenge. He didn't know what Bruce might have done to earn Jason's ire. Maybe it was as simple as not doing enough. If Tim felt the same way, what was stopping him from using the visage of Bruce's greatest enemy and the memory of his greatest failure to ruin him?

The answer was nothing. Nothing at all. ]

Did it work?

I was on the streets.

[Living a life of crime, the usual.]

He found me boosting the hubcaps off the Batmobile.

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APRIL MINGLE

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no... what would make her cry what is it that shadow is capable of...

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birds of a feather

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Re: WHAT SORT OF HENRY WOULD I BE IF I DID NOT TAG SHAAN

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