APRIL MINGLE

[etrayamods]

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⏴

Comments

[godsandbats]

For Kirk, it's an odd sort of comforting knowing someone else who has has a similarly restrictive diet like his own. Especially relatable is how those diets can easily go after sentient species. They could easily come off as not particularly friendly to most people.

"How sufficient has chocolate been?" Kirk asks, remembering their previous conversation.

[leastdramatic]

[Another sip before Jason replies in a careful manner]

He's obsessed with seeing how people are when they're terrified. The thing is, the guy who just came here is from a different version of my world so I don't know how similar he might be the one I know from home.

[restingstitchface]

[Crane remembers their first meeting, recalls their tense pleasantries and introductions, and finds himself becoming more suspicious. He seems pleasant and unassuming, but he doubts anyone finds his company a pleasure.

Which begs the question what does this man want?

He controls his emotions and makes himself difficult to read. One meeting can be circumstantial, two indicates motive, three creates the beginning of a pattern. But doesn't a pattern start at the very beginning?]

Not bad at all. I think it treats me as well as it treats yourself.

[Think not feel.

In any case, this world treats him the same as any other place. The world is bricks and stone. What treats you - excludes or invites you - are people. And he is quite done with people.]

[sabigoe]

I look... cool?

[ Once more, she lifts her glasses to peer at him with curious eyes. Surprisingly that's a word she knows, except she never expected anyone to ever use it to compliment her. She's the sort who wants to be "pretty" like a princess or an angel. But "cool" sounds like a good word too.

She lets the pair of glasses rest on her face again, slightly lopsided due to the wrong frame size for her face. Normally, she would be hesitant to take something that isn't hers, but Scott clearly already has his own pair, so she agrees to keep it. ]

...Thank you. I'll take good care of it. [ It isn't "cheap" in her eyes. Gifts are treasures. Not even her parents gave her gifts. She smiles, pleased. ] Hehe. We both look cool!

[restingstitchface]

[One brief moment and this man is inviting himself to a game. Crane finds himself suspecting his motive: one might play out of boredom but does this one play because of curiosity? He carefully draws the closed set back towards the middle of the table.]

Of course. But this particular set is valuable. [Financially would be his excuse. It does look old after all.] I would feel more comfortable playing indoors.

[Where pieces might not tumble off the table and scrape on the floor. Still, he chooses not to invite or rebuff but to evade. He cannot stand playing this game and the emotions it involves, the memories it raises.]

[bubblegumheart]

[Don't worry, Peter. She's had worse. She's made worse. This is edible, at least. And sure, it's closer to a graham cracker than the soft chocolate chip cookies she'd normally prefer, but that's not necessarily a bad thing!]

Yea! Well, in theory, you can. I was thinking of trying to use them for a cheesecake crust.

[restingstitchface]

Not at all. I plan on ensuring people cannot escape before I ambush them with a discussion about aesthetics.

[He observes the suit in the window: a figure of style and taste that is now the centre of a subtle little joke. Her last statement was clearly designed to provoke a reaction. One hidden behind the calm and patient expression on his face.]

In any case, I may have paid a visit once or twice.

[Removed some books more than once or twice. But he promises to bring them back!]

[imperatour]

A gun.

[ Which doesn't fully explain her reaction. A gun is a useful thing at the end of the day, a tool she's deeply familiar with. The box sits in her lap, and her palm lays on top of the box, like it might jump open if she let it.

For a long moment, she considers if she can leave it there. If Max might excuse her reaction and pretend like it hasn't happened. She glances over at him, before she sighs, resigned back at the box. Easier to face this than let it sit.

She pops the lid back open and shows him. The Apache Revolver is folded in the box, the metal is tarnished, the barrel is mottled with old grease, and the knucklebuster is worn down, all characteristics of a weapon that lived in the wastes. She loops her fingers through it, holding in her palm deftly. It feels the same even now. ]

Old one. Belonged to someone else before me. Thought it was gone. That's all.

[limiterrings]

[ get rid of this thing is all he's thinking, but that doesn't seem to be in his favor at all. ]

Everything is meant to be connected to that "Aurora".

[ from the way he says it, he's not fond of what they know, and what little they do know. it's pretty irritating, especially as the bird stomps away once blaze shoos it off. ]

What contacts have you made that are local to this place? There's information you could gain.

[thelightshines]

[He's quiet. Question giving him pause. It's hard, to push pass the image of her cold dead body laying on the floor, the distinct smell of burning flesh. Still feels like it only happened yesterday for him. Not fifty years ago. All those precious moments with her, gone. He rubs his arms slightly. Could he speak of her without losing it?]

...She was a kind, warmhearted spirit. A friend. [The only one that even tried to reach him.] Yours reminded me of her in some ways. How she would offer her love unconditionally. Didn't matter who or what I was to her either. She just...treated me like I was another person, and we did things that friends would do together. [Even as it hurts to recall these memories, his expression softens. His happiest days were with her afterall.] I always looked forward to her visits. She made those days at the base more bearable.

[limiterrings]

[ as they make it through the open green, they'll find that there's no chocobos around at all. like the army... has disappeared somehow.

not one wark, coo-coo, or warble to be heard, but all the trash from them pecking and ripping up cardboard and boxes still there. if there's anything pending had left out there, they'll find it, probably unless one of the birds have it.

...

it's pretty quiet outside.

for the bird, it doesn't take long for it to pull out the knife from it's flesh, and it seems that... it'll remember that, it'll remember the individual that forsaken it.

shadow has taken each one outside further than what they were so they can't bother anyone. not out of kindness, but because they'll become pretty annoying. though keeping one would mean who he left it with can use it to their advantage.

...then again, with how fearful they were, that probably didn't happen.

quickly, he jumps into a tree to survey the area to see if his job is done. ]

[thelightshines]

. . . [And Scott will discover when he tries to take the box back, that he can't. Shadow is keeping a firm grip on it.]

If you're just going to hold onto it, then don't bother. Especially if it does blow up. [He can survive an explosion, Scott, as he claims, cannot.]

[limiterrings]

...

[ now he doesn't have to answer this, but since max asked so politely. ]

Shadow.

[ his question is straight to the point, and since he's asking something to try and understand without making a fuss... then shadow doesn't care. ]

Shadow the Hedgehog.

[ and because he answered that. ] When that bird returns, you'll take its attention.

[devota]

[Claudia, to her credit, listens quietly without interruption. Outsiders insulting the Order is not something that particularly bothers her. She assumes it's the same for Vincent.

She's already told Alessa that she'll leave her alone. It bothers Claudia a great deal to have to do something like that, but she's willing to do it.

But as for this story, she cocks her head curiously.]

I'm listening.

[limiterrings]

Hm.

[ interesting. he doesn't pry, no reason to pry. not his maria, not his life. there are things that stand out, but to pick at these glaring differences will only make him wonder what went wrong. ]

You should keep those thoughts in mind.

[ because there might come a time where those memories are too scattered, it takes one small crack to shatter that happiness, and he'll have no way to pick up the pieces until...

... ]

...

[ their words in some way reminds shadow of things he used to feel, things he would say to her if she was here. it's a vulnerability that the other showcases by being honest, but it's something he knows.

he's felt like this. ]

Use your powers to protect them.

[ he won't ask to know more, he can't know more. ]

[devota]

At school?

[That is some ridiculously unfortunate timing.]

It's a strange thing to hear about, people vanishing, but I came here after dying, so perhaps it's not so unusual.

[manifesthope]

[Silver spread his hands, grinning.] I don't mind weird! Besides, normal is boring. [It honestly lifted his spirits and got him excited to know that there were others that had powers like him. He hadn't really thought on it that often. But now that he was aware, it really meant a lot!

The hedgehog blinked in surprise at the question. Well, that was a first. He supposed it was a pretty valid question if Scott hadn't met a hedgehog like him before. But related to Shadow? He snorted with a wry grin.] Which one? [He asked drily, though it was obvious he wasn't offended or bothered by the question. He held out a hand and a chocolate chip cookie hovered over to it with a cyan shimmer. He used his powers like someone who was used to just using them openly. A natural act like breathing.]

He's a hedgehog like me yeah, but no we're definitely not related. [Silver said finally after taking a bite out of the cookie.] I'm not even from the same time period as him. Er...either of them. I take it you met one or both Shadows that were brought here? [He still couldn't believe that this Echo pulled two versions of Shadow from two separate universes. It made his head spin thinking about it, and he was a time traveler!]

[devota]

...Indeed.

[That might be one of the most disconcerting things she's ever heard.]

That is a monstrous power better reserved for God.

[She means it more in an act of nature sense than of her particular god, but she moves on quickly enough to indicate she is going to avoid thinking too hard about the terrifying red birds. In any case, she brightens at the sight of the vegetables.]

Aha! That's quite useful.

[devota]

I see.

[The answer just leaves Claudia with more questions.]

What sort of situation were you in?

[It's clear Claudia assumes the girl can handle herself, but nevertheless she worries.]

[manifesthope]

"I guess some things never change. No matter what universe." Silver chuckled, sipping at his hot tea. He reached out though and rested a hand on Amy's arm, expression warm but concerned.

"Seriously though, you okay? That Aphaia place was no joke. I mean..." He points at his upper arm at the wrapped bandage. "I got hit with shrapnel from an exploding vehicle. Managed to shield myself just in time too." He shrugged, adding quickly: "I'm okay though. I've been through way worse." He grinned.

"I won't miss all the cameras watching our every move that's for sure."

[cantilevers]

[Vander remained relatively unperturbed for the moment. People taking it upon themselves to terrorize others was hardly an unusual play. Yet, Jason seemed rather agitated about it.]

So he forces people into situations that would provoke terror in them? I assume that you and yours will keep him handled.

[thelightshines]

...Protect them? [The way he repeats the other, it's clear the concept has never crossed his mind. All his powers have ever done is cause harm. How can it be used to protect anything?

...

No, the earth still exists because he made the choice to save it. Because that was what he could do at the time. His gaze moves towards the sky. It is still daylight, but he knows there are stars up there. Hold onto the love that he shared with her.]

. . . [His ears return to their positions, he arms lower back to their sides. There is still doubt within him, uncertainty that he can change anything. But he can't stay stuck. Time, this world will not wait for him to make a move, so he has to keep going. He lowers his head, hearing a wary chirp. The leader was cautiously walking up to them.

He frowns. He dare not look towards their fallen companion, eyes staying on their leader instead. Usually, they'd lower their head and nudge him, but they remain upright, watching. His gloves are still stained with blood, but he extends his hand towards them anyway. The leader turns their head slightly to look, considering. Not coming forward to accept.]

...I can't stay. [Annoying as they were, neither mind the other's company. At some point, without saying anything they started working together, warning each other when danger was nearby and so forth. Now though, maybe they'll finally understand and leave him alone. He blinks, snapped out of his thoughts when he felt a beak against his hand. It holds for a moment, and then the leader backs away. After looking at the two hedgehogs for a moment, it turns it's back to them, returning to it's herd.]

[limiterrings]

[ he doesn't understand, maybe that's a good thing, or a bad thing. shadow doesn't say either, instead he turns away with his back towards the hedgehog as he stands there while they swallow down his words. do they understand that these memories can be changed, rearranged, removed and implanted in ways that he'd never feel that sort of comfort or confident in what he knows.

because he doesn't know is why he's unable to understand the weight of these words. ]

...

[ shadow doesn't stay. he doesn't linger on what's been told to him or even use it as an excuse to bring the other along. their life, their choices. they'll have to move eventually in order to do what shadow had advised.

whoever their maria was, whatever she was like, what sort of life they lived. if it was great, if it was something worth cherishing, then they'd know that they have to keep going.

his steps start once more, moving along back into the woods in the direction that he once was before. grass and twigs snap under his footing, it's the only noise that graces his ears, something that prevents him from thinking about what he heard, what he saw. did anything he say mean anything to them? not like they're worthwhile words, but if nothing resonated then this hedgehog's life is drastically different... in a good way, maybe.

as long as they haven't met what he has, then they have a chance. ]

[manifesthope]

[Nods with a considering frown. She encountered it at a nearby park?] Hmmm how about we head over there and see if it's in the area. I can go high, you go low.

[He held one hand high and the other lower as he spoke, indicating that he'd take to the air and Blaze would be at ground level. He'd be able to keep up with her from above no matter how fast she went.] Then at least that way, between the two of us and the different perspectives, we might spot it faster. I won't be so far up that I can't call down to you if I see it or hear you if you do.

[oblige]

[ It is a nice thought. Dion supposes that, should she encounter a dragonet, it would be much more easily tamed than its larger cousins. Wyrms were well-known for being easily handled, and nimble little things at that.

He thinks to offer this information, only for the question to give him pause. ]

I have, in fact. I'm fairly well-known for it.

[ Bards have sung lofty tales of just how many, but he keeps this to himself. ]

It isn't the safest of tasks, but you could say I became accustomed after a time.