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⏴

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Kirk did not find the last mission particularly pleasant as it greatly limited access his already... restrictive dietary needs. But he keeps his expression neutral as he stands back up. He's finished organizing the pile for now.

"About five months ago, someone was giving away eggs. Not all of them hatched into the usual animals known to come from eggs," Kirk replies. "About a month after that, there was a temporary shop trying to have people dress up like a particular aesthetic."

"Huh. That's strange." Not at all what he expected either. Eggs that hatched creatures that wouldn't normally be in eggs? A store that got people to wear clothing of a certain aesthetic? He looked over at the tall pale costumed human when they finished arranging the gifts and stood.

"What about these missions? What do you think of those? Has there been any patterns to them that has stuck out to you at all?" He had only been told very little by Aurora and so figured asking others who had been here longer might reveal more information.

“The last two missions transported us to dying worlds with oppressive and collapsing societies,” Kirk replies. “Though based on past network posts, not all missions are like that. I suppose the only real possible pattern is we’re suppose to bond with each other.”

And something Kirk wasn’t particularly comfortable with.

Edited 2025-05-04 14:20 (UTC)

"Huh. I wonder why the missions focused on dying worlds?" He muttered almost to himself. Maybe it was to bring the point home why they were summoned here in the first place. They were here to save their own respective worlds after all. Something the costumed fellow said caught his attention and he looked up with curious golden eyes.

"Bond with each other? You mean like...making friends?" That wasn't so bad in his opinion. Though he supposed for anyone that wasn't as social it would be harder. A couple of black and red hedgehogs came to mind at that thought.

"I'm Silver by the way." The hedgehog introduced himself with a grin and gesture like a lazy salute. The stoic nature of the costumed fellow didn't bother him any.

Kirk gives a short nod to Silver when the hedgehog introduces himself. He's still not the most comfortable in most social situations. It's only become more difficult after the last mission.

"Kirk," he replies simply. "And I suppose friendships would count as bonds. You landed in Aphaia and then came here?"

"Nice to meetcha Kirk!" Silver grinned, planting hands on his hips with a nod. "Yeah...I woke up and pretty much got booted through the portal to Aphaia. Talk about a rude wake up call! I'm not a stranger to portal hopping but geez..."

He shook his head. "I sure don't miss that place. So far from what I've seen of Etraya, this place is gorgeous! So vibrant and full of life." He spread his hands. "I had just left the hospital and was flying around exploring." The map on the HUD didn't do the place justice. It was large enough that it would probably take him a few days to check it all out.

Silver's quite enthusiastic. Kirk will give him that much.

"What is your world like? Is it normal for you to portal hop?" He asks, curious. It sounds like Etraya's display of plant life is unusual for Silver.

Silver grinned, looking up at Kirk. "The answer to that question entirely depends on what time period I'm in." He admitted. "Back on my world, in present day, it's actually really beautiful there too. Not unlike this place. The only places that aren't are spots that were taken over and wrecked by Dr. Eggman and his empire." He huffed a sigh and a slight frown.

"Now in my timeline, 200 years in the future, it's well....it's completely destroyed by pollution and natural disasters. It's dangerous, and the environment makes it very hard to survive. There's no blue skies and sunshine where I come from. It's why I time travelled to the past to try and find a way to fix it."

Huh. Not the kind of answer he was expecting. It’s interesting though.

“And has intervening in the past worked so far?” He asks, curious. “Have there been any unintentional consequences?”

Silver thought on that for a moment or two. "I've done it a handful of times so it's a bit trial and error, yeah." He admitted. "The first couple times definitely didn't work. The last time though had more of a positive effect. But I didn't get much chance to see how, before I ended up back in the past again."

He spread his hands. "Normally when I go back, there's a set objective to fix. So I have a good idea on what to do. But this last time I went back, nothing really seemed amiss. So it jarred me a bit. Then I ended up here." He huffed a sigh with a small shrug. "I don't have control over it to be honest. But I have noticed I tend to go whenever I am most needed."

So maybe coming here to this world was where he was needed.

"Landing here would fit that pattern," Kirk notes. "So this portal hopping is an ability you don't have much control over?"

His monotone suggests he's not judging Silver though. Only a question asked in curiosity.

Silver shook his head, perhaps looking a little sheepish at that. All the things he could do and he had no control over something like the portals that took him to different time periods.

"Nope. Though I sure wish I did!" It would probably come in handy. "Though I'm not sure if I can take any passengers when they appear or if other people other than me can see them. I'm not even sure if the powers that be lets them show up in a place like Etraya! I mean, I had already been in present day and not in my time period when Echo brought me here." He didn't look bothered by Kirk's questions. In fact, he seemed thoughtful.

In fact, he wasn't sure if this ability to travel through time was something latent in him or something else entirely. It was interesting to think about.

"What I do have control over is my psychokinesis." He said finally. "So I can still be of use to help out while I am here." Maybe fulfilling some unknown purpose would enable him to travel back home.

"It does sound like a versatile ability," Kirk agrees. He then thinks about how under normal circumstances, Hernan could easily fly off-planet but something about Etraya has dampened a portion of his powers.

"Besides the portal hopping, have your other abilities been affected by this planet? Your psychokinesis?"

Silver actually reflected on that question for a few moments, planting a hand on his hip as he considered.

"Not that I've noticed yet." He said finally with a thoughtful frown. "I'm still able to lift myself to fly around and I haven't had a problem lifting anything yet. I haven't really had a chance to test them out very much. Definitely not in combat." Usually in combat situations was when he got the most creative and he had to usually act fast and at times multi-task.

Suddenly curious Silver looked up at Kirk. "Are you able to do some cool powers too?" He had noticed that he seemed curious about his powers. Maybe he had some of his own!

It feels natural that Silver would inquire that, given how many questions Kirk has already asked.

"I have some abilities," Kirk replies calmly. "Levitation, enhanced speed, enhanced strength, and infrared vision."

Those were not all of his special abilities but Kirk would rather not explain at length his vampiric traits.

Silver took in that information with interest, eyes brightening.

"Hey that's awesome." He said, enthused. "Does that mean that you can see in the dark?? That must come in handy!" He laughed a little. "I definitely can't do that. So I activate my powers so I can glow in the dark a little and be my own light source!"

The enhanced speed part also caught his attention. Having a blue speedster friend back home helped with that. "So how fast can you go?"

“Fast enough to dodge bullets,” Kirk replies. “There are others in my world who can go faster.”

As they talk, Kirk mentally notes that Silver seems young and enthusiastic in spite of what timeline he originally came from.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

APRIL MINGLE

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