etrayalogs | 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

[Manny nods.]

Pretty much. When I arrived here, there was a bunch of food trucks around this place that gives out free food that comes with its own side effects. Like burgers that makes anyone, who'd eaten it, want to take a sample of someone else's hair. There’s a couple of other stuff that happens, but they seem to be tied to whatever holiday we had on that date.

[ She can't help making a face at that. ] Sample someone's hair? What for?

[ What was even the point of that? ]

Good to know, I guess. I'll be sure to keep an eye out. [ She blows out a breath. She figured there wouldn't be much time to relax, but having to be on guard all the time isn't great. ]

So what's your world like? Are you used to this kinda thing or is it all new for you?

Apparently a sample of someone’s hair is needed as a form of payment for the burgers they give out. And I heard that if they refuse to pay for it, the food starts doing something weird to their mouths until they give in.

[Needless to say, Manny's glad that he never had to see those trucks again for a long while.]

This whole saving worlds thing is all new to me when I arrived over half a year ago. As for my world, it’s exactly what you expect out of a planet going through an Ice Age.

That's... really weird.

[ She's really glad she wasn't here for something like that. ]

Oh wow, the Ice Age? All this must have been really shocking to you, huh?

Yeah, I'd never thought that I'd be caught up in all this. And yet here I am, talking with people who are not only from vastly different worlds, but also different points in time.

[ She nods a bit absently. She's pretty used to different worlds and time travel, as well as going on missions, so a lot of this isn't really a shock to her. But she could understand how it might be a lot for someone who doesn't usually do things like this regularly. ]

So what do you usually do around here when there aren't any missions or weird stuff going on?

Outside of the missions and the random scenarios around here, there’s really not much to do in this place. Sometimes, people like to host parties or do their own investigation on Echo and other things. Basically, we had to pass the time before the next mission comes around along with a new batch of arrivals. But sometimes, not everyone would be around to see that through.

So basically we're on our own until we're needed, huh? [ On the one hand, Amy didn't mind having down time between missions. But it didn't really sound like whoever was in charge really cared much about the ones who were brought here. ]

But what do you mean, not everyone sees that through?

A few weeks after I arrived, I learned from the others who were here before me that a couple of people would disappear from this place. As in they’d been removed from Etraya altogether and sent back to their home universes. But that doesn’t happen very often and there’s also a chance that they could be brought back here along with their memories of this place.

Really? [ Her frown deepens; she doesn't mind the thought of being sent back home, but there was still a risk of being brought back. Plus if their universes were still in danger it wouldn't be good to go back home if she couldn't help. ]

And I'm guessing there's no way to tell if someone is gonna be sent back home or not? Or even if they'll be coming back?

[Manny shook his head.]

As far as I know, there's no way to tell if someone’s going to be sent home or not. As for anyone coming back here, the only way we’re able to know about it is because they either announced it on the network or told us about it in person. Any memory of what happens here remains here until that person returns.

APRIL MINGLE

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Sorry for the late reply! It's been a rough month

It’s okay