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

[He just needs five minutes man. There's still blood on his shoes to deal with once he comes back out of the water. Setting his gloves down to dry, just as he was about to move onto his shoes, he sees the other had reappeared from wherever they had been hiding. They are sitting on the ground, picking at the plants again.

Ah.

There's a sound of grass and dirt being disturbed as the younger hedgehog approaches them. He's still dripping wet, so there's some space put between him and the other. So that he doesn't end up ruining whatever they're trying to gather.]

...

[ 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.]

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. ]

[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.]

[ it's odd, speaking to him like this despite all that's happened. it doesn't feel wrong to him, no, because everything he does is for choice reason. it's not something he'd expect the other to be doing like listening to a small lecture on this plant. ]

In your case: soap and shampoo.

[ his head finally turns to look at them, one hand tapping at the ground. ]

Once you're ready, you'll dig.

[He listens, because he's tired of the older one constantly having the edge over him. But also, it's information he feels worth knowing. It's something different too. Definitely not something the scientists would have bothered to teach him at the base. Life skills? There's just no way around it that he's lacking in that department. All he knows is whatever Maria would tell and show him of the outside world, in that little box of light called a television.

Experiencing it all first hand? Overwhelming. No time was given to take in the outside world right after he escaped his eternal prison. His mind eventually consumed with revenge to think of anything else. So right now...he appreciates having this, however simple or small it is. That the other is willing to explain.

...Kind of what he had hoped for when he was made aware of their presence, really.

He looks at them for a moment, to the plant. He then starts to walk off, back down to the shoreline so he could gather his gloves. The chocobos are thankfully still pre-occupied. Would the other mind if he wiped down his shoes for a moment...? Well, that's what he's doing first before getting them back on. Compared to the others, a few detailing difference aside, his shoes are still not as worn down as the others from use if one were to observe.

He'll return a few minutes later, still a little fluffed up from being in the water, but sitting down with the other to continue the....lesson?]

[ shadow doesn't care how long the other takes, he's used to being alone, thinking and reminiscing. without him nearby, shadow can stare down at the plant thinking back to why he knows this. those makeshift "classes" with maria, those experiments of what would be used to cure her illness, those chances where shadow would take part in experiments and learn because his dna, his body would be used and paired with what humans could gather.

he remembers this, certain plants are used to make cream, others can make soap, and most are used for medicines.

just little additions to what he needed to learn. ]

...

[ as the other hedgehog appears, shadow turns his head to look at him and sees his gear has been returned to them. nor are they completely dry, but that's neither here nor there. ]

You have to dig 2 to 3 feet to remove the root.

[He doesn't know when the other's patience is going to wane, all right? He looks to the plant, bringing his hand down to start moving the dirt around it. His movements are slow at first, uncertain how far the roots spread, not wanting to damage it too much.]

Do we use the roots?

We'll cut away the roots.

[ but that doesn't mean anything for now, all the other has to do is focus on getting it. digging that low will allow for the other hedgehog to obtain the bulbous core, maximizing how much soap he can make. ]

Above, there's a core.

[ he'll begin to see it once he digs low enough. ] Yank it up when you're ready.

[His brows furrows in concentration to see what the other is referring to, continuing to dig until-- Oh. It is indeed, obviously round and core-like once he gets deep enough. He'll use both his hands to carefully pull the plant out of the dirt. Root-like veins clings onto the core beneath.

He lifts it up to let it sit in his hand, looking to the other expectantly.]

[ he points to one of the lance-like leaves. ]

This can be used to make soap or cordage.

[ they don't have a knife so it's fine if the other hedgehog doesn't use it now. later, when he's alone maybe. ]

You'll cut right here, across the top to remove the leaves, and at the bottom to take off the roots. The core will be left.

[ his finger slides against the mental line of where the other should cut on both ends, he's looking at the hedgehog to see if he understands.

then again, if they wanted, they could use their nails or something else nearby to cut. ]

[...Well, the other somehow prep this without using any instruments, so he will do the same. Doing it in practice will help him retain the memory of how he did it. And besides, there's a chance he has to rely only on what he has on hand.

He lifts the plant up, noting where the other says to cut. He lifts the leaves up gently, revealing the stems. Keeping them together, he brings it to his mouth and uses his teeth to separate the top half from the bottom. The leaves might have left a few small cuts on his muzzle, but they will easily heal on their own. He sets the top down, looking to the roots latching onto the bulb.

He could probably peel them off...? He carefully tugs at the roots wrapped around the bulb, loosening them up, so it's easier to pull them off without ruining the core. Like peeling an orange, he eventually gets the roots off, leaving just the bulb in his hand.]

[ he is removing the top and bottom layers without any difficulty, the leaves will cut, but they'll heal in time. same for if he removed it all with his hands, but it's fitting for the other hedgehog to go through these methods. once they finish, shadow looks over the bulb in his hand, and he leans forward to indicate the outside of the mass. ]

Here, remove the first layer only.

[ it's like a tough skin, because the top layer he ripped off shows various pockets from above, even below when they took away the roots. the layer around it however gets in the way of allowing the insides to break down properly once they get to the squeezing segment. ]

It'll look smaller afterwards, but that's fine. It produces a lot despite the appearance.

[His ears wiggles slightly, assessing the outer layer for a moment. He isn't sure what happens once he removes the layer, so maybe he'll need a more delicate touch. He lifts his other hand, tugging the glove off with his teeth. With the leaves removed, there's no threat of getting cuts now. Claws prod at the points that would allow him entry and start to remove the outer layer and-]

...Is it supposed to crumble like that? [Cause as soon as he removed a part of the top layer, the bulb no longer holds it's round shape. It's contents breaking into smaller pieces within.]

You didn't break anything.

[ which is the truth, it's where shadow pushes at the other's hand just a little. ]

Squeeze them gently, and you'll notice a white, foaming substance.

[ getting up, the hedgehog walks over to the lake to cup some of it with his gloves. once he has enough, he slowly makes his way back over to the younger. ]

[He looks from the other, down to what's left of the core. As the other starts to walk off, his hand closes around it, squeezing gently as told. It makes a squishy sound and there came the foam as the other said. His ears perk up, seeing that he must done all the steps correctly to get to this point. His tail wags, only slightly.

He looks up when the other returns, seeing their hands cupped. Putting his own hands together, he presents the plant to them.]

[ he pours some water into the younger's hands, and if he continues squeezing the broken pieces together, he'll see that it'll start to make suds much like using soap. it's a waxy smell, a sweet scent that'll tickle their noise. ]

...

[ shadow drips a bit more water to help it foam more. ]

That's it.

[The pleasant scent reaches his nose as he moves the pieces in his hands to produce more foam. He made soap. He can make soap now. He's unable to hide the growing smile on his face, how his features would soften. He's...happy. It shouldn't be such a big deal, but it is to him. Knowledge he can use for himself, far separate from what he was learning back at the base.

He looks up to the other. The brightness on his face going slightly dim. Uncertainty. Hesitant to say these words at the tip of his tongue.] Can you...show me other things? Like this? [It doesn't have to be now, just, if they felt like it.]

[ shadow watches as the bubbles form in the hedgehog's hand, the pieces break apart, but that white foam continues to build. they're able to lather their hands to see how much use they can get out of it, and it's not a sad amount at all.

when he hears their voice, the hedgehog lifts his head having missed the glow on the younger hedgehog's face and can only see the uncertainty that's upon it. from the look, he doesn't know if they want this really or not, but it stands out simply because the other normally isn't going out his way to share space with him unless there's a reason. ]

...

[ he gets up, it seems like glass is over. while he didn't show the cordage or how to make it with the leftover leaves, he will continue. ]

Cut off the sharp tip and the base of the leaves. Scrape off the flesh of the leaf, you'll feel a sticky substance, and stack the leaves together with the shavings on top. Have a bowl of water and rub the leaves together, the liquid will foam up.

[ he's already making his way towards the forest as if he's going to leave, he probably is considering the lesson is over. ]

[...Did he overstep?

They continue to instruct, and he continues to listen. A bowl. Well, the bowl he was given is currently bobbing in the water with the chocobos. He looks up as the other starts to walk away. His mind caught on where to get a "bowl". He looks to the hole in the ground he had made earlier.

Looking around, he pulls a piece of stray tree bark and sets the foaming bulb onto it. He gets up, looking around for materials. A nice large piece of leaf or tree bark will do. He wanders away to from the site, coming back a moment later to set a large leaf he found into the hole. It fits well enough to hold fluids. Water next. He heads down to the lake. The birds have finished snacking, but seem content just lazing around on the lake. He'll return to the site a moment later, water cupped in his hands that he puts into the makeshift bowl in the ground.

It's now that he does all the previous steps the other had told him. His glove and hand feeling sticky themselves once they finished prepping the leaves, struggling a little to set them into the water, but he eventually gets there.]

[ he only stays to see the job done, watching from a distance as the hedgehog works on making the soap from the leaves. shadow isn't disappointed in what he sees, the other is putting his effort into learning how to do it on his own.

with this knowledge, at least he'll be able to clean himself better than before. it'll leave a smell into his quills and fur, but it's not bad, especially if the other feels accomplished being able to create it on his own.

with a nod, shadow accepts the pace that the other takes, and figuring that he has it. the other is too determined not to have it, he's practically doing it step by step without shadow repeating that the hedgehog takes a step into the forest's bushes, disappearing.

he's only on the other side, haven't left in case there's audible frustration. ]

[He does have it, without any incident. The hole was practicaly a little bubble bath for a small critter now. He lifts his head, expecting the other would have returned already.

But they haven't.] ...? [That's puzzling. He stands back up, ears swerving about to try and hear any movement. There's only the sound of chocobos distantly chirping in the water.

...

Did he leave? He looks to the soapy foam in the ground....guess, that was it? Lesson complete? His ears fall slightly. There was no other reason for them to stay, he suppose. Better things to do. Honestly, this is an improvement after all the previous times they were in each other's presence. They seem to have reach a neutral stance between them, making their departure a bit...sad this time to the younger one.

He stares at the soap for a moment longer, putting it to memory what was shown today. He gathers the glove, putting it back on while taking another look around. Seeing no one, he'll start to move into the forest himself. There's no point in staying anymore. He doesn't feel like going back to learning how to do that spinning move. Maybe just a place to settle for a moment, to think about all that's happened. Eyes are glancing toward the plants on the ground as he moves, idly wondering what else there is that he could do with them?]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

APRIL MINGLE

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