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⏴

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Bruce...really doesn't know what to say. That is. That's a lot of people. He's not sure he entirely approves of letting so many in. Could they all be counted on not to be liabilities?

Best not to comment on that. ]

He's Lucius Junior where I'm from. When Lucius left Wayne Enterprises and formed Foxteca, he became CEO.

[Jason slightly raises his eyebrow. It's odd to hear as Jason is used to the Foxes being loyal to Bruce and Wayne Enterprises]

What happened?

[ He says he doesn't want anything, but she plans on giving him something anyway. By the time the flowers completely dry up, she'll hopefully have made a decision on what color to gift him with. ]

I've wandered around places by myself before.

[ In Aphaia too, she was alone for quite some time before finding others to tag along with...

She doesn't find it strange that she's out somewhere beyond the city buildings. Many times she's wandered her own town by herself, even as far as outside of it. Part of the reason though was mostly because her parents didn't care anymore. Those places weren't exactly safe either—especially when the townspeople jeered at the poor, including children. But she does prefer having the company of others rather than being alone.

Though she realizes it would be silly to claim that she's "fine" after what happened earlier with the chocobos. She wouldn't have been able to do what Shadow did. She doesn't have the strength to aggressively push the big birds aside. Yet even if she did, she doesn't have the heart to be rough on anyone either. ]

What happened with the birdies was pretty scary. I'm glad you were there. I'm sorry... I'll be more careful.

[When she releases his hand he pulls it back reluctantly, curling his fingers. It's... fine, it's not like he enjoys people touching him and holding the hand of a total stranger is probably weird for her. He focuses on her apologetic demeanour instead, letting out a small sigh.]

No, you just need to be more careful next time. I doubt the guy who owns this place would ever charge anyone for anything.

[And not just because Etraya has no currency. Harold is simply that kind of person. There's no way he'd ever fine a little kid, even for some major rule-breaking. He's fairly sure he wouldn't bat an eye at something this minor.

That kind of makes Accelerator wonder if he's being too harsh (she's apologizing, she shouldn't be apologizing), but he shakes those thoughts off. Instead, he grabs the book, flipping the page to the next one to make sure it's fine. When he sees that it is he flips back to the page with drool on it.]

If you leave the book open on that page it'll dry. [There's a slight pause and he glances around, spotting a nearby table. Taking hold of his crutch, he carefully hauls himself onto his feet.] ... On a table, so no one accidentally steps on it.

[ Bruce seems resigned. ]

Wayne Industries was, for a time, merged with Powers Technology. A man named Derek Powers was CEO. He fired Lucius.

[The news hits Jason harder than he expected. Wayne Enterprises was... is a part of the Wayne legacy, something Jason's Bruce is diligent about preserving. Hearing the company getting taken and then removing someone who had been incredibly loyal to Bruce is very telling to how extensive this Bruce's isolation is]

Why was it merged?

[Maybe this Derek Powers did some slimeball tactics to steal the company and Bruce couldn't legally stop it]

Because I did not stop it.

[ Bruce's health was poor. He hadn't been seen in public in months. He'd tried to stop it, but in the end, it wasn't enough. ]

Things were that bad for you?

[Jason had assumed the company was still attached to him even if he was retired]

[ Well it certainly wasn't good. ]

It was twenty years before I met Terry.

...

[ it almost sounds like she's saying he has no choice, like she's making the rules and he has to abide by them. he rolls his eyes, contemplating that he should leave, but as she continues to speak... maybe he shouldn't have taught her that word. ]

The moment you tire, I'm leaving.

[ kids have energy, he'll probably regret this, but if he's lucky then she'll exhaust herself out along the way. one hand rests on his hip as the hedgehog takes a few steps to stand by fio's side, and with a groan he looks to her as if asking which way does she want to go. ]

I'll follow your lead.

[ that way if there's any chocobos, he can at least shoo them off if they get too close. ]

...

[ he's here. took him long enough (five minutes), but he'll pull his hands away as he turns his head to look at the other. ]

You don't have to learn.

[ it was just an option. ] There are places you can buy soap without going through the trouble.

[ ... ]

[That gets a raised brow from him.] And what if I'm sent somewhere that I can't? [What then? Also he's never been shopping before? He can kind of work it out based on what he's seen in those films he's watched, but this place is way different than anything he's seen on tv.]

...Can you make other stuff? [He chances to ask them. He feels like he should at least know these things, about what plants to use, what he should be spotting to be able to help himself, if the situation calls it.]

A collection of books and a chess board.

[One can look around at all the literature arranged in alphabetical order, at shelves burdened with all sorts of works, and get the irony. Gifts of literature for a man who spends more time in the library than his apartment.

He leans forward slightly in his chair, positioning himself marginally into the other man's personal space.]

I could be lying of course.

[Bruce, in his mind, is studying the box like it's a booby trap. Why would he ever open it for the man?]

Just as you say, I am new to this place as well.

[ It comes as a relief that Dion isn't alone on that front. A certain familiar face has not joined him here, but he is far from the only new arrival.

He takes another sip of the chai, then tries swirling the beverage about in its cup as though he's heavy-handedly aerating wine. The pink foam at the top blends into the tea, and he samples it again.

His eyebrows lift. ]

...That is an improvement.

[ Blended in with the chai, the sweet foam doesn't overwhelm the palate. ]

Hm. [ he's right, he may not have the luxury. ] Depends.

[ no need to brag, but he can do many things effortlessly without any issue. like now, he's retracting his hands to show the other what it is they're focusing on. there's a pile of lance-like leaves piled together, and growing from them on a stalk is white, pendant in appearance flowers. ]

There's this one.

[ he stares tiredly at the plant. ] They'll damage your hands if you aren't careful.

[ obvious, but it needs to be said. ]

[ Was.

Dion catches that use of past tense, mentally filing it away in case the subject should see later review. So familiar structures could appear here just as well as beasts can... Dion is uncertain how he would feel about architecture from his world existing in this place.

He has not yet seen that a certain dark, foreboding castle already does. ]

Surprises indeed. I wonder whether there is some plan or purpose behind it, as with our presence here.

You want my honest answer?

( because it looks like their child is possessing a weird, fluffy ostrich. from his own experience possessing and being possessed [which is a horrible way of framing things], he knows that the bird is probably, totally fine. he also knows that sleeper will probably, totally abort the mission if and when things start to get lethal.

human-ass eddie still doesn't know the distinction between bondings that kill, and ones that don't. he'll ask one day. )

You certainly look... taller.

( only out of his peripheral does he see venom's tendrils slinking out, on the hunt for a chocobo they can grab. sleeper has the right idea, clearly. )

[Inexperience. He simply has not gain the same experience as you yet. All right? He will get there in due time.

...Also he's not touching those without his gloves on then.]

What is it used for? [He could try guessing based on it's appearance, and it's sharp leaves?

....

It could be for anything.]

[ Dion will politely refrain from speaking of the matter of gods. The one back home should not have had such power, but alas. ]

We are most fortunate these have appeared alongside the chocobos.

[ He extracts one of the gysahl greens from his satchel and offers it up to her. ]

They will consume these most eagerly.

[ Dion has, as of yet, not volunteered his status unless others have done so first. It isn't that he would pretend that he is not what he is, in all the ways that it defines him, but on the scale of worlds and universes, titles seem so small and negligible. ]

I command a force of dragoons, which is not dissimilar.

[ He settles with this to begin with. ]

[Silver nodded in understanding and straightened to 'stand' in mid-air before floating over slowly to the tree branch that An Zhe was perched on. Then he held out both gloved hands.]

Okay An Zhe. Take my hands, and I'll take care of the rest. Just don't look down and focus on my face. It'll be alright, I promise. [His gold eyes were bright and friendly, and his hands would be warm if taken. His pale body shimmered with a cyan colored aura. The same color glowed on the circular patterns on his gloves and around the cuffs on his wrists.

Back in his own world, Silver had experience helping survivors during the war and after during the restoration. This included helping kids or their families that were trapped in destroyed buildings among other things. So that definitely helped with this situation. Not that he thought of An Zhe as a child, or treated him as such, but the hedgehog was just as gentle.]

Edited 2025-05-07 08:09 (UTC)

[ With a thoughtful hum, Amy nods a little. ] Yeah, okay. Most of that does sound pretty familiar. I don't remember the secondary objective, though, but I know I did go into the casino.

[ Though she might have forgotten about the objective because of whatever was affecting her while she'd been in there. ]

Do you know if anyone was able to get the data stick?

Having something to eat is pretty nice.

[ Now that she thinks about it, she doesn't really remember eating the entire time they were in Aphaia. ]

Have you seen any of the others here yet?

[ She doesn't think they would have been left behind, but she wants to be sure. ]

"Nice to know there are things that you can count on to always stay the same." Even if that meant Shadow would always be surly and anti-social.

Seeing the bandage around Silver's arm, though, her mood immediately sobered. "Oh gosh," she said, placing a hand over it. Even though he said he was okay, she still couldn't help being worried. "Yeah, I'm all right. I know what you mean, though, I'm kinda glad to be out of that place."

I've been here a pretty long time now.

[ Yuri answers calmly, despite his private bafflement. Dimitri is here yet again, and he recognizes him, but his age... What fufure is this prince bound for? If he told him any of what he knows, would that change anything?

It could as easily make matters worse instead of better. ]

It's just me from Fódlan though. Has been, anyway.

[ He suspects it will be the first thing Dimitri wants to know: whether any of the others are in this place. ]

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APRIL MINGLE

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