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

[aimsforknees]

[ Honestly? Better than he was expecting. ]

Neither Shaw or I would make it easy, though I don't think you'd get much resistance from Harold. I appreciate the reassurance, at least. A little bit of a futile effort since people can't permanently die here, maybe that would be enough motivation to land on "agree to disagree".

[fortitudosalutis]

[ No, they wouldn't make it easy. They'll go down brutal, Carver thinks. And they'll close ranks, they'll protect Harold. He respects them more for knowing it. True loyalty, the kind that cuts to the soul, is rare.

He watches John and nods. Solemn. ]

If the commander gives the order, then it's the order, [ he explains serenely. That's just how it is. ]

[aimsforknees]

[ That's so different from how Harold does things, so opposite. Harold explains things, provides plans, but there's always the option. They can always do something else, something their own way. There's room for disagreement and Harold does not begrudge them when it happens. Even with the senator Harold didn't give an order, they just chose to follow him. When John chose to shoot Quinn, Harold didn't order him not to, and didn't condemn him afterwards. His method of leadership is inspiration; maybe that's why Carver doesn't understand. ]

I know doesn't sound real to you, but Harold doesn't give orders. Except maybe to tell someone to rest.

[fortitudosalutis]

[ Carver just shakes his head. He knows he's being stubborn, even childish, with how often he crashes against their refusal to admit there's a hierarchy. With how they refuse to add explicit rank to the calculus. But there are always orders. There have to be. ]

It's nice, what you've got. I bet it took a long time to build.

[ He knows it took a lot of sacrifice, too. ]

[aimsforknees]

[ Did it take a long time to build? In a way, yes. It took time to build trust between them. There was even Jennings, who Harold tried to hide from him, but that was also a turning point. John proving his trustworthiness, his commitment. ]

Yes and no. It's been Harold's policy since day one. We disagreed on more things at first, it took time to trust each other. But from the very start Harold promised never to lie to me, and only broke his word once when he was trying to protect me. Just once.

[fortitudosalutis]

The commander never lied to me, either. Even when it would've been easier.

[ A pretty lie to soften the truth of their world. Carver shakes his head. ]

He made us strong enough to survive it regardless.

[aimsforknees]

[ John doesn't like the kind of "strength" that's been forced on Carver, at least from the little Carver has shared. But he knows to keep that opinion to himself. Besides, he can't judge the harsh reality that Carver has lived. ]

Having a team to rely on is important.

[fortitudosalutis]

[ He nods again. ]

I trained a lot of the younger ones, [ Carver admits, a little softer. ] I got a talent for hand to hand. They got like family. We looked out for each other. None of us had anybody else, anywhere to go.

[aimsforknees]

[ He understands that. He had no one after Jessica died, and then Harold came into his life. And then Joss, and Fusco, and Shaw, even Root. It still doesn't feel real that he's standing in the subway and it's Carver here and not them. This was their home. ]

That's how a team should be. Family.

[fortitudosalutis]

Pope brought us together. Even after we were back home.

[ His smile turns a little crooked. ]

I was messed up. But Leah, she kept bailing me out of jail. Pope would send me money so I could pay rent. I still don't know where he got it. They paid for motels when the kids got evicted, so they wouldn't be sleeping in the woods.

And then one day they said they had a job for us. Real money. And I could come if I sobered up.

[aimsforknees]

[ Carver has told him bits of this story before, but John is happy to hear it again. He wants to piece together a clear picture of Carver's life, and maybe he can get some new information from him this time. ]

The kind of work that involves guns?

[fortitudosalutis]

Mhmm. Same job as before. That part surprised me. It wasn't different at all.

[ Carver shakes his head. ]

Only, being a merc paid a lot better.

[aimsforknees]

Says a lot about how the country treats their soldiers and veterans.

[ John is faithful, he's committed, but he's also not blind. He served his time because he believes, not just because a judge gave him no other choice. He always wanted to do good for his country. ]

[fortitudosalutis]

[ Carver makes a bitter noise. ]

Bullshit on bullshit. I believed it for a while, but not after Korengal. But Pope and the others, that was real. That was family.

[ And he would face the devil and Hell itself if they asked him to. ]

[aimsforknees]

[ He always told himself he was doing the right thing in the CIA. That he was helping. That he was making a difference. He probably was. And then he met Harold. ]

Harold taught me how to make a difference, how to really help people. It was small, but it mattered.

[fortitudosalutis]

I guess we never got that far. Nothing we did in the Army helped people.

[ Not a single thing. Carver puffs out a breath. ]

But we took care of each other. That was real. So, we built from there.

[aimsforknees]

[ John personally disagrees, but he's not about to tell Carver what to believe. They went through different things. ]

Hard to take care of other people if you can't take care of your family.

[fortitudosalutis]

I guess. Sometimes you can't care about a lot of people or it gets you killed. But a couple, a few you really know?

[ Carver nods to himself. ]

You can fight for them.

[aimsforknees]

That's what we did. Just one person at a time. Saved them or stopped them from hurting others. Seemed anticlimactic at first.

[ But just those small lives. Most of them were nobodies. Just random people here and there. A few days in their lives and then gone again. So many of them over the years. A mission with no end. ]

[fortitudosalutis]

[ Carver considers that. ]

Something like that builds, I guess. If you do it long enough and don't die.

cw: suicide ideation

[aimsforknees]

[ John is quiet for a few moments, and then— ]

I didn't think I cared about that. Thought dying on the job would be a good way to go. Always was going to happen sooner or later. I knew one day I'd get into trouble I couldn't get out of.

[fortitudosalutis]

Tends to be how it ends in this line of work.

[ It's said without judgement. He watches John for a moment. Wondering. ]

Harold know that?

[aimsforknees]

I don't know. He knew I was on my way out when he picked me up, but I don't think he realized just how borrowed my time since then felt.

[ They have discussed it since, and with great pain. John has actually thought about it. Thought about his life, what it means to him. What his time with the team meant to him. ]

[fortitudosalutis]

Mhmm. A body can go for a while on momentum.

[ A long while. Carver learned that on the road. He went a little mad once after he got separated from the group. He didn't speak for three months. He barely functioned, more animal than person.

It happens sometimes. It's just the way of things. ]

You believe, though. Maybe not at the start, but now...

[ Carver recognizes true faith. ]

[aimsforknees]

I do. I died and realized after I woke up that I didn't actually want it to end. I wanted to keep going. I couldn't have chosen a better death and I don't regret the circumstances, but I wish it hadn't happened.

[ That's what made it hurt so much. He didn't want it to end. He didn't. He wanted to do more numbers, work with Harold and Shaw longer, be in the library or subway or wherever they would have ended up next. He told himself for so long that whatever time he got was a gift and it was always going to end this way, but it turns out he didn't actually want that. ]