APRIL MINGLE

[etrayamods]

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⏴

Comments

[oblige]

[ It wouldn't surprise Dion in the slightest if the tall birds she refers to proved entirely foreign to him. Aphaia itself stood as a testament to how wildly different their worlds could be.

Since she has interest in chocobos, however, he thinks of something else that may bear mention. ]

Curiously, some chocobos I have seen here have unfamiliar traits. Their physiology, the size and shape of their beaks, for example... Or even the arrangement of their feathers.

[ They're different enough that he has difficulty imagining they hail from his world, yet where do they come from then? ]

[welcome_summer]

[Mayuko nods eagerly. Although there is enough movement amongst the chocobo herd to see glimpses of a present, she's too caught up in the conversation to be keen on retrieving it. Just yet.]

You've seen it, too! I can't speak to the differences in plumage, but I've seen birds with larger wings or more compact, their beaks distinct on their heads or more subtly blended in. They must be denizens of many worlds...

[She taps a fist against her open palm.]

Like moogles! The people who know what moogles are, they always describe them differently.

[oblige]

I have, yes, but...

[ Dion turns her way, brow furrowed. That was not a word he'd expected to hear in this place. Then again, he hadn't anticipated the presence of chocobos, either, and here they are in great numbers. ]

How would you describe a moogle?

[ He asks, almost cautiously. Moogles were held as the stuff of tales where he comes from, whether they exist in truth or not. ]

[welcome_summer]

[Mayuko crosses her legs and begins to sketch something like this. Yes, including the book.]

Hmm, let's see... they're small creatures. They stand upright, but they tend to flutter along on little bat wings. They tend to have white fur, and a big pom-pom at the end of an antenna. Some of them wear clothes, like a hat or bandana, to help the humans around distinguish between them.

[She taps her lips with the pencil. There was something else....]

Oh, they liked eating a certain type of nut! Although they probably ate other things as well.

[oblige]

[ He leans to steal a glance at her work, though he's careful not to linger, lest he crowd her. Between her description and what he spies of the drawing, it sounds very much like tales he'd heard. So then, moogles must exist in different worlds as chocobos also appear to.

It makes a certain sense. So many of their number appear to be human, so why wouldn't other creatures also be common between them? ]

Ah, a kupo nut, I believe.

[ He supplies this after a few moments' consideration. They were the stuff of cradle tales in his world, so far as anyone knew, but Clive had brought back documentation regarding them, made remarks... Now he wonders. If only he'd been of the mind to ask. ]

I suppose clothing makes good sense, though it's the first I've heard such a thing.

[welcome_summer]

Mmm, for some it was for pure adornment, and for others it was utility.

[Mayuko points to the book in the moogle's paws, her gaze solemn.]

Just as Aurora is able to revive those that have fallen here, the moogles revived residents in... another place I have been. But one could only be revived by the moogle they had last spoken to. They needed to be found quickly so that they could go work their magic. Otherwise, the unlucky deceased would have to regenerate slowly in fetid swampland.

[She wrinkles her nose at that. Few people spent more time in the swamps than they had to, if they could help it.]

Some moogles ended up being more in demand than others, if you get my meaning. Hence, the ornamentation... as the pieces were often gifts from grateful residents, the moogles tended to accept them. Alongside their treats.

[When she concludes, she blinks, then looks back out at the flock milling below.]

Apologies. Blathering on about the bad old days isn't the best habit.

[oblige]

There is no need to apologize. I knew not of such a place, nor that moogles might be capable of such a feat.

[ He didn't consider that Aurora could either, but it would explain some familiar faces around here. It might well explain his own presence, but his fate remains something that he is uncertain of. ]

Perhaps we may yet see moogles here as well, though I imagine they wouldn't face the same demands.

[welcome_summer]

I'll pray they don't have to, since that would mean the situation here has gone significantly downhill.

[General healing and doctoring will always be useful. She hasn't heard of any illness circulating around Etraya, but anything like a cold and flu season up to a plague would be taxing on the one Etrayan doctor the place had.

Resurrection, though. If more people and creatures capable of revival magic/technology were needed....

She shakes her head.]

As far as I know, there weren't any Etrayan deaths in Aphaia. However, there might have been some on the train mission prior. Before that, I've heard of only one person dying on Etraya proper. So I can only hope that trend continues.

[oblige]

[ Dion hopes the same. He'd rather stability for the lot of them, insamuch as they might have it during their endeavors. Yet Etraya seems a nexus of oddities and mismatched parts, one that is wholly unpredictable to him.

He supposes he has no true way of knowing. ]

I know someone who may not have left Aphaia. [ Dion offers this quitely, struggling to gauge the weight of the statement when he has not yet relinquished his hold on hope. ] I've been looking for him since arriving here, to no avail.

[ Would this count as a fatality? He doesn't want to consider it, but the possibility looms over him like an enemy's blade. ]

You say one death occurred here? Were they...revived?

[ A peculiar notion, yet he doesn't doubt her account. ]

[welcome_summer]

[From Mayuko's understanding, an Etrayan left behind on the dying planet, who hadn't taken Aurora's portals, would be trapped there. But then, she cannot recall this person entering the initial portal to Aphaia. Perhaps there would be some kind of exception for newcomers brought in in the midst of a mission.]

I couldn't say with any certainty, but I don't believe Echo would leave newcomers to any city on that world. Established residents, yes, we were warned to take the portals back as soon as we saw them because there would not be more. Most likely he was returned back.

[She touches her earpiece.] In addition to translating speech, these transmit a form of communication which requires individuals register a name. There is a contacts registry where one can view the community list, check for names or sobriquets people might use.

[It is not the most hopeful suggestion, but it is a way to scan the community at a glance.

At the question of the death, Mayuko nods.]

He was. This was before my time here, but by his account, he had been killed by another resident. And unless you receive a specific boon from Aurora, any revival she performs has a cost--an extremity, an ability, a memory. I'm not sure what he lost, or of a boon was called in.

[oblige]

[ Dion takes this information in without comment or interruption. He knows naught of what is typical or expected, and it's evident that she does. If she believes no one like him would be left behind, that Joshua was not left behind, he can only pray she is right. ]

What worries me is that I should be able to tell that he is here, unless something about this world would cause my senses to fail. We are alike in such a way what normally, we would know.

[ Yet no matter where he goes in this world, no matter how far he ranges, he has not found his fellow Dominant, nor any indication of his presence. He frowns at the thought and pushes it aside for now, as yet unprepared to give up his search. ]

How strange, that there should be a price unless one received such a boon... Unless it too comes at some form of cost.