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

[Angry. Definitely angrier. Even while the other speaks, Shadow is already gone and reappearing behind them. His quills are lit, his movements quicker, aggressive. A chaos spear forms as his arms move to swing it into the other. He's looking for more blood, their blood.]

[ 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.

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.]

[ he acts as if he's going to dodge, but allows the other to believe he's caught him before he had time to move. hand around the neck, pressure applied, and shadow is sent towards the ground with heavy impact, he shrugs it off at best, one foot brought against their chest to push them off.

as long as they're off, the hedgehog flips back onto his feet, one foot faced forward, and his fists tight before his chest in case he needs to block. ears twitch... listening.

how annoying. annoying in the way that they keep coming after him despite shadow's unwillingness to fully engage in what they want. all it'll do is cause the other to feel worse because between the two, the older hedgehog knows he can win, the other is naive and uncoordinated. his control over his body is lacking, all he does is hunt and throw punches with no strategy behind it. ]

What are you fighting for?

[ what is there to achieve. ]

[All manner of logic had left this hedgehog. His actions were powered only by hatred and pain. Feelings he never took a moment to understand, when everything just kept happening all around him. All he could do was bottle it up, kept too long and it got shaken up one too many times the moment these two met. And he could never really close it back up since.] What does it matter to you!?

[Just as the other kicks him off, he's grabbing them by the head to bring them along with.] Don't act like you give a damn! [He proceeds to toss them back into the ground.]

You're wasting time fighting me.

[ could the same be said about his previous advances, probably, but to him there are circumstances that have led him to be the person that he is. the look in their eyes could never match the one he's had himself. he hasn't experienced the true horrors.

one hand switches to grabbing their wrist, holding on tightly to try and pull it from his head. what he finds is that they won't let him up from the ground, maybe they enjoy looking down on him, but even though his own crimson eyes stare up, there is a bit of annoyance as though the other has one more time to make the same mistake. ]

Is this what makes you happy?

[ he knows asking these questions won't help, that it'll only make the other even more upset, but its not like they see what they're doing.

blinded by rage. ]

Am I, when I know you rather see me dead!? [He remembers those words. He said them himself to the one staring up at him now. It hardly stopped them. So why would that work on him? The grip on their head tightens. Fine, if they don't want to get up, he'll just push their head into the ground and smash their damn skull instead.]

Don't act like you didn't say those things. When I didn't do anything, did what you asked and took care of the girl that should have been your responsibility! [He completely ignores the question once again. They mean nothing coming from the one who wanted to kill him, wouldn't acknowledge him as anything but a fake. It hurts more when they have his damn face. He grits his teeth, quills flaring up, further pressure being applied to their head, squeezing, pushing.]

For just existing! [Kill them before they kill him.]

[ what a terrible tantrum.

why get up when the other wants to see him down, maybe he wants to see shadow fight back. it's not like the other is winning when shadow doesn't do anything in return, but he can feel the way his head slams back against the ground, and there's a brief moment where his vision blurs then returns back to normal.

his body can take so much more damage, he'll have to work harder. especially if he wants this hedgehog to resemble the waste of a chocobo against that tree. he's not gentle when his hand tightens around the other's wrist, pulling them forward to ram his own forehead into the other.

they can share the headache. ]

I know what I said.

[ it comes out as a growl, and rather than pull the other in to punch him right in his face, the hedgehog pushes him back. ]

I don't know what you know, but it's telling you haven't seen what I've seen.

[ all he knows is that this hedgehog has a maria, how far their lives share similarities are not known to him. the plethora of robots that share his face, the mistakes he's made not knowing who he is, how shadow the hedgehog can be a curse within itself. a friend, a pawn, a monster, a mistake, a cure, a failure.

which one is the hedgehog before him? ]

You can see now. I am your target.

[He wishes they would fight back, because them refusing to only angers him further. Like he's just being toyed with. Not taken seriously by the other again. He felt a sudden tug and their heads colliding. The force is enough to make his head spin and nearly have an out of body experience. It's enough to allow the other to push him off. A head pressed against his head as pushes himself to sit back up. His vision is blurred, but he keeps glaring in the direction of where the other is. The strike at least stops him from going a gazillion miles an hour and start to process what the other is actually saying.

They are...acknowledging what they did, what they didn't do.

He was never given a chance to explain himself. Wasn't given a chance to understand. Even with Maria's intervention, the other's mind was already set on what they thought he was. So he did the same to them.

He might have had a glimpse of what the other must have experienced at the colosseum, but still...Bitterly.] I didn't want it to be. [Are they really that surprised things turned out this way? With their behavior towards him?]

[ he is not surprised, he didn't know the other's circumstances. shadow faces what's before him like everything else, he remains suspicious and wary, but to meet someone with his face? how is he to trust that, he knew what he knew, but not what the other knew. how he saw things? that didn't matter to shadow, but he knows that he didn't give the other a chance to strike.

he didn't give the other a chance to even attempt.

shadow's good at that, cutting off advances, backing individuals into a corner, looking down on them. he knows actually what he did to the other. ]

I didn't trust you.

[ how could he? he's not asking for forgiveness, why would he do that when he knows what he did? ] I didn't know who "you" were, I knew what I thought of you.

[ he still doesn't know who they are, but one thing's for certain. ]

From her perspective, this isn't you either.

[ and how is he to know who "they" are? not his place at this point anymore, the amount of attempts to get rid of him has been met with realization or interruption.

they learn what they see, but they fail upon execution and try again. ]

Tch. Show me who you are. I'm not moving.

[ the unfortunate fate that he too has taken part in once before, but not like this. those replicas didn't feel pain, didn't bleed, nor could relate to him. this hedgehog won't be able to find himself out unless he can clear this fog before his eyes.

a hand comes to his own chest as he stands properly. ]

Again, I am your target.

[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.

[ he's unable to help them. he cannot help them figure out who they are if they haven't learned yet. if that's the case, then whatever route the other has chose hasn't picked up the pieces. the truth? or the lies? from the way they sounds, from how their energy begins to fizzle out to show shadow he's found some topic to sway their anger, he wonders if they'll snap again despite calming down.

or maybe they're concerned about who they are and having an answer. ]

...

[ he watches them with a trained eye, waiting for if they'll strike, but they stand there still. they just don't know.

they really don't know.

one brow lifts unsure what to make of this. he didn't expect to be standing as long as he has, he thought they would take advantage of this, direct their anger towards something. they don't. in return, the hedgehog crosses his arms waiting for the other to continue speaking. it shows that they have his attention, that if they have anything else to say they can say it. ]

[It's been eating at him since the day he awoke on earth. Who is he, and where did he come from? Why does he have all these powers that could easily take out anything on Earth? Even here. It hasn't been at the forefront of his mind, with the whole seeking misplaced revenge, fixing the mess he created and suddenly being thrown in, whatever all of this is. Being presented with essentially another reflection of himself, so prone to violence has gotten him wandering back to who he is. The other's words managing to hit those uncertainties again. Fighting is no longer what he wants while the other allows him the floor. Only a few stray sparks remain coming off his body.]

I thought...before I learned who you were, I thought you were someone who came from the same planet as me. No one could tell me where I came from and...for some time, there was no one else like me on Earth. [Until he met Sonic, but...even he doesn't feel they are quite the same. He clenches his fists.]

Why can I do the things that I can? For what purpose? [Questions he knows the other may not answer for him, but they are things that trouble his mind. Especially when they've been utilitzed for destructive means. Seems to be the same for the other, but it doesn't bother them as much.]

[ maria said things, that's what that means. what she said, he doesn't need to linger on because this is about them and not him. if shadow uses his own background, there's only so many moments where the truth was before his eyes only to be taken away. he mentions something curious though, something about a planet, and that concern reignites itself, but he doesn't act out.

he stays in place, watching, waiting. ]

...

[ their life is a little different, it doesn't follow the same rules that shadow knows (but they're not really rules, per se). if he attempts to fill in a gap, it doesn't work properly because what the other says counteracts that. one step at a time.

he wants to ask: "how do you know you're from a planet?" initially that stands out to him. there are reasons why he would ask, why he has to hold himself back from striking the other on impulse. he doesn't dare try and see if there's a connection, he won't tap into that side of himself.

shadow lingers on the new questions. ]

Are you or are you not "The Ultimate Lifeform"?

[One of his ears twitch at the question. A troubled expression on his face.]

The humans started calling me that after they saw what I could do and provide for humanity. Limitless possibilities and application using chaos energy. [He doesn't sound proud of the title, or what they were doing. There is bitterness in his voice. The things they had him do, it made him feel uneasy knowing he had a hand in it. All he ultimately did was cause pain, death, destruction. A tool toward these things. Inevitably leading to...]

...It must mean something different for you. [Just from what he knows and has gathered. The title must not hold the same resentment he feels for it to them.]

[ it does, it means something to him because of what he was to achieve, what he can achieve. despite his failures, he's never allowed that title to dirty what greatness he was meant to achieve. ]

I am "The Ultimate Lifeform."

[ the name carries, at least. though, the other doesn't sound as proud as he does, and why is that? ]

If you are able to unravel limitless possibilities, you should be capable of something. "What?" is the question.

[ that's if... they really are the ultimate lifeform, the hedgehog turns, his back facing the other. he takes a few steps forward, growing the distance, but he waits afterwards no different for a child on another world. ]

And the answer is it depends on how you apply it.

[...That's easier for them to declare, when their purpose seem more filled with hope. Created to cure a girl.

...

There's more to it than what their Maria has told him.

He manages to finally look at the other, telling him he is capable. All depending on how he applies it. What...he wants it to be? ...What does he want? These are thoughts he hadn't consider. At least...not since his Maria told him he could be whatever he wants. He watches the other start to move away, but then stop. His ears perk up slightly, confused. Is he expected to follow them?] . . . [He starts to take a few steps towards them, only to stop again as a bird's cry catches his ears. Cries of mourning. The leader had called the herd to join it by their fallen companion. Some still nudging what's left of their own, hoping they would move. Nothing.

Their actions and behavior, how they cry and call for their friend to wake up, causes Shadow to freeze in place. He doesn't have to understand them. It's familiar. This is familiar as well. Like the time before with Tom, and before that with Maria. His breathing gets caught in his throat, the world starts to deafen, his vision getting small. Another life taken unnecessarily. He did it again.]

[ and what's been done is done.

shadow doesn't look back to see whether the other follows, there's no reason as the cries of the birds are by his own actions. what the older hedgehog does is something he must commit too, all he can do is know if his methods should be adjusted or if he made a mistake. he's not against admitting to himself where he wasn't correct, and if need be, he can admit it to others in a way doesn't cause much debate.

he stops, a twitch of his ears, and he stands.

listening. ]

...

[ what can the younger hedgehog even do to fix what he's done. lives wont come back, none of them, that is outside of his control. why he's gotten so sensitive over the blood on his hands is beyond the older hedgehog, and he turns around to finally take a look at what's happening behind him. ]

Hm.

[ he can hear the mourning. that's what happen when someone passes, there's always someone who can grieve. at least they have a body to look at. ]

Nothing will change if you stand in place.

[He tenses, hearing the other speak up. Eyes are still fixated on the scene of the birds.] I... [They're all dead, because of him. Memories start to flood his mind as he grips his head with both his hands. Pain, loss, guilt.]

I can't. It's my fault. It's all my fault they're all gone. [Why couldn't she just open her eyes? Her hand gone cold in his. Why couldn't they all just wake up? Why does he continue to live while others suffer for his continual existence? He shuts his eyes, but still unable to escape, the memories haunting his mind.] Nothings changed.

[ "they're"? his eyes look to the chocobo before returning to them standing there unwilling to move. ]

Hm.

[ these will be constant reminders, the truth of the matter they always will be. whoever is gone may or may not come back.

... ]

They come back. Whether you like it or not.

[ it's the letting go that is the most difficult part. ]

After you decide what to change, in time.

They're dead! She's dead-! [There's no coming back, just constant reminders of his failures, his existence being a curse onto others. Was it different for them? Or had they truly overcome what had happened to their Maria?

He slowly opens his eyes, staring at the ground before him. Ears falling forward. Hands slipping down, gripping his arms as he held himself.]

...She's died, because of what my powers brought. [A name doesn't need to be said. The other already knows. They know and perhaps, that's how he finds himself quietly confiding in his guilt, his fears. Why he can't see what the other does. A way forward from this.]

[ he groans, eyes watching the other reflect while visibly showing their pain. there's nothing he can say because he can't confirm or deny, he wasn't there, he doesn't know. what he knows is what happened during his own past, and even then he was unsure, but the hate in his heart orchestrated by another to guide his path is what helped him before his would started to scab over.

it's not entirely healed, but he knows that it's there. ]

...

[ while they don't have to say a name, it's clear as day, and there's nothing shadow can say to make them feel otherwise. ]

What do you remember of her?

[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.

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. ]

...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.]

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