etrayalogs | JUNE MINGLE

JUNE MINGLE

WHO: Everyone!
WHEN: June 27th - Early July
WHERE: Etraya
WHAT: The arrival of newcomers and summer fun!
NOTES\WARNINGS: N/A

⏵ 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.

In the hospital's lobby are several party tables set out with miscellaneous baked goods: croissants, cookies, breads, slices of strawberry shortcake, as well as iced tea and iced coffee to accompany them - as well as some strawberry lemonade, for those who are opposed to the other offerings.

Should they check their earpiece and the network it is connected to, they will find that they have an assigned username already, that being their own name. Furthermore, if they do not ordinarily possess a surname, they have been assigned one at random. This only seems to affect the newly arrived, as they will find that others don't have such a kindness bestowed upon them.

Outside the hospital, it is most assuredly summer! It is hot out, the warm summer sun bringing with it all the light and life one might expect of the season, but so too the possibility of sun burns if one is not too careful! What better way to beat the heat than to cool off with a swim? Though the many rivers that snake their way through Etraya might not be the safest place to do that, even if the aid of those large blue-feathered bipedal birds.

However it isn't long after leaving the hospital that they may find themselves approached by one of the companion bots ushering them towards a fresh path leading to the south. If asked, they will suggest that everyone is to follow the path, and everything will be made clear once you have arrived. Should they oblige the helpful little bots, they will take a little trek through Alexandrea's Wake, past the trolley lines, and towards the bank which faces Seasands. Every few meters there are signs staked into the ground pointing along the way that read Beach! Summer Fun! Waves this Way!

Once arrived, they will certainly see why...

⏵ sea la vie ⏴

Along the water's edge there sits what looks to be a water park!

As guests approach the pools, they will notice the water itself. While it is indeed water, and should one inquire about it or inspect it, they will find it is truly only that, visually it looks rather different. That is, it is not only blue in hue but also green, and red, and purple, and so on. An entire spectrum of colors across its depths, like light in liquid form. The colors will swirl and feed into each other, morphing with movement and shifting in prismatic range as one moves within their depths, or even as they walk around the edges of the pools.

As they enter, they are greeted by a stand with swimsuits available for those who do not have their own. However, these swimsuits are a little...retro in their style. Not far from them is another stand that has various types of water guns, as well as water balloons, for all your water-war related needs. Though, the largest and most exciting of guns needs an adult's permission to get, so be sure to have one of those if you're not of age!

This park has all the popular amenities. There are land-bound pools of various depths that are connected to each other, all with with typical water features as one might expect at a water park. There are water umbrellas that cascade water down from its brim, burbling spouts, splash pads, wave pools, and so on. Naturally there are water slides of various heights and types, emptying into the appropriate pools to accommodate for the velocity of the rider's exit.

There is also a lazy river that connects to the main pool, inner-tubes are available at the mouth of the river, offered by one of the many lifeguard companion bots. They are easy to spot, seeing as they seem to be wearing a strange headpiece of sorts, a hat that almost looks like the bristle of a brush (some looking oddly flattened giving the impression of a wide brim hat). An odd choice of fashion, but it certainly makes them distinct!

There are beach chairs around the park for those who are less interested in splashing around, preferring to soak up the sun. Though one shouldn't swim for an hour after they have eaten (Pool Rules), there are also concession stands, but they are offering food that doesn't quite fit the pool atmosphere. Perhaps someone somewhere wants to eat a baguette at the pool, but there might be many who question the choice. In fact, there are mostly Viennoiseries available. However, there are sandwiches like Jambon-Beurre, Chévre-Tomat, and Pan Bagnat made with the aforementioned baguettes. There’s a stand with every flavor of Macaron as well, should one dislike the pastries. As for drinks, there is wine (red or white) available, but also other non-alcoholic drinks, such as caprisun (tropical flavor).

There is, of course the matter of the waters beyond the park itself. That of the river that separates Alexandrea's Wake from Seasands, and while there is no physical barrier keeping one from going into the depths, as the tallest slide actually empties into the waters over there, the companion bots advise against any teens or younger from doing so. After all, there is wildlife in Etraya, and the waters themselves are not free of them. That is strictly adult waters, and everyone has to follow the Pool Rules!

⏵ pool rules ⏴

The rules are simple, and perhaps "has to" is a bit strong when there isn't any noteworthy repercussions that occur if someone doesn't follow them. In truth, it only results in the bots fussing and reminding them to follow the rules. All the same, there are signs posted throughout the park of the rules, which are as follows:

1. No running
2. Must Wear a Swim Suit
3. No Kids in Adult Areas
4. Wait 1 Hour After Eating Before Swimming
5. No Horseplay Except in Designated Areas
6. Have Fun
7. Be Nice To Your Lifeguards :)

While the bots will not be punishing anyone who breaks the rules, those who extensively do so will find that they are being watched more closely than other people. They might even notice that the lifeguards' entire attention is on them, as if anticipating a rule to be broken at any moment. Some others might pull out a small notepad and start writing. The paper is surprisingly waterproof! Though if one confiscates the pad of paper, they will see that it is not the beginnings of a manuscript, but rather amateurish doodles of said rulebreaker decidedly following the rules and having a lot of fun doing so, everyone around them overjoyed by the change of heart!

If only reality were so sweet, alas.

⏵ fun in the sun ⏴

Water parks are often known for their chaos despite their suggestion of rules, however those are not the only thing being suggested in this watery playground. Indeed, there is something else that might inspire the inhabitants than the polite reminders of the companion bots to maintain safety and order, which is the promise of points. These will be offered for those who are willing to participate in what might be considered a "mini-mission". By no means is this required, and lack of participation will not be held against anyone. However the bots will inform everyone their participation will be rewarded with 5 points should they complete five of the following activities.

	Activities
Ride the Slides	There are many slides throughout the park, some more winding than others, some far taller, and even others that are both winding and tall. To count this task complete, one must ride each of the slides that are available to their age group at least once! The tallest slide with the most loops (thus the most fun) is naturally not accessible for teens and younger, this is "strictly" for adults.
Raft Volleyball	This game takes place upon the river, as the rafts themselves are anchored there away from other swimmers for safety's sake. Because of this, the activity is adult only, though this will not be enforced. The object of this game is a 1v1 match where each participant tries to stay on their raft as they hit the ball back and forth. Falling off the raft is when the game ends, otherwise points are ranked up when your opponent misses the ball and the ball hits their raft. Effectively, if no one gives up or falls, this could go...indefinitely. May the strongest serve and will win, for only then will the task count!
Pool Noodle Duel	Choose your noodle and be ready to duel! While duelists will be encouraged to keep these duels to the shallow pools and away from groups of people, they can technically happen anywhere pool noodles are (which is everywhere around the park). Each duel will be decided by best of 2/3, first to land a hit will win the round (the hit will be obvious as the pool noodle will leave a temporary slap of color where it has struck). This task is considered complete when a duel is won.
Chicken	One of the medium depth pools will serve as the "Colosseum" for this game, companion bots will be available for those who do not have someone's shoulders to ride on for this water-based wrestling. Once your opponent(s) have been decided, it will be a test of strength to knock the other off the shoulders of their "steed" into the water below! Win or lose, participation counts this as complete.
Treasure Diving	Around the deeper pools there are coffers of "treasure", the contents look like they might be fat gemstones and gold bars, but in reality they are fake weighted toys meant to be thrown into the water to then be collected. However, this particular challenge is for a competitor to collect all the contents of a coffer within two dives.
Hotdog Eating Contest	Despite there not being hotdogs available to order at the concession stands otherwise, they are available for a test of gluttony! So long as you challenge someone to an eating contest, you and your opponent may eat as many as you both like within the time limit (10 minutes). Participating in this marks the task as complete.
Lazy River	Relaxing on the Lazy River is highly encouraged, but especially so when done with a friend. Enjoy its gentle course for its full length and the task will be considered complete.
Surf the Waves	Experience the wave pool! Catch the waves in whatever manner or meaning of the term appeals most! Whether it is literally trying to surf or just being bodily tossed around by the waves themselves, it doesn't matter. Participation is completion.
Try a New Treat	Try something you've never had before at the concession stand! If you've already eaten or drank everything on the menu, well, you can always get creative with what's available...
Sunbathe with Friends	Soak up some sun and work on that tan with a friend! Of course don't forget to apply sun lotion to each other first, which is available on a small table near each of the tanning chairs around the different pools throughout the park. Regardless of your tanning results, doing this at all will be considered complete.

⏵ NOTES ⏴

Welcome to Etraya newcomers and happy summer!!

For those wondering who qualifies as "adults" that is anyone 20 years or older. What this means is that this is not based on height, appearance, nor physical capability. Simply chronological age. So, if someone has the full capability and mind of a grown adult but has only been alive for, say, 3 years, they will be considered "one of the kids".

Around the water park leading to the river's edge is a sandy beach newly placed with the apparent construction of the water park. This can be enjoyed by both "kids" and "adults", though the bots will certainly remind the former that the waters are dangerous and not for the kids.

Towels, sandals, showers, and so forth can be found within the park's myriad little buildings, but they aren't meant to be anything too fancy. Simply functional and convenient!

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

[Carver's scars aren't a surprise, nor are they a novelty. But Carver has solidified his place in Shaw's mind as team eye candy, so when she comes upon him shirtless and lounging on a rooftop like he owns it, she's going to oogle a little. At least she's respectful and (sort of) subtle in the way she looks him up and down before she turns her attention back to her own food.]

It's not.

[She says, holding up her own half-eaten baguette.]

It's soggy, though. Bread and pools don't mix.

[ Hey, Shaw. Carver hums a little, setting the bag aside. If it’s for points, it’s not an indulgence and therefore not a sin, which is what he told himself when he had a chocolate croissant earlier. The first he’d had in more than ten years. ]

I really don’t want to know what’s in that water to make it those colors. Least there’s coffee.

I don't know about you, but I'm sick of the answer to everything being magic.

[But still, she's clearly been in said water; she's finally consented to change into her swimsuit (a black one-piece sourced from her own closet, thank you very much), and her hair is still damp.]

God, I hate that magic is a thing.

[ He accepts it now because he has to. There’s only so much you can fight something as inevitable as gravity.

He tilts his head at her, taking in her swimwear for the first time. ]

Having fun?

[ It looks good on her. He doesn’t allow his gaze to linger, but he notes that fact. ]

[Sometimes the thing you do is silently acknowledge each other's hotness and move on. Shaw can appreciate that. She blows out a frustrated breath, sagging her back against the building of the roof he's settled on.]

If I wanted to spend my days at a Six Flags water park, I'd have had plenty of opportunities to do that at home. These vacation missions are the worst.

[ Yeah. There is that. Uncomfortably, Carver thinks of the summer camp bullshit and all the ways that went sideways in him. Shaw saw part of it. John, too. But Harold?

Harold saw all of it.

Carver breathes out slow. He drinks some of the coffee. ]

I’d rather avoid it. But that’s not the game. So, here I am.

You're more than just bored.

[It's not a question, and it's a statement that only invites elaboration if he wants it to. But though her own triggers are not set off by this beach any more than they are by the rest of Etraya, she knows what being on the edge looks like, and it's written all over him.]

If you're earning points, pretty sure it doesn't count as idle hands.

[ In a better moment, Carver thinks he’d laugh that off. Change the subject, shoot the shit. Talk about something that doesn’t matter just for the noise of it. And it occurs to Carver then that he hasn’t had one of those better moments for a while now, that maybe too many of them have just been sliding scales of bad.

You can survive bad. But there’s always a cost.

He works his jaw and doesn’t answer for a while. He watches the corners and tried to imagine how a normal person would respond. The sort of answer a man like that would give Sameen Shaw that she wouldn’t immediately call bullshit on. And then he realizes he doesn’t know, has never known. ]

I’m setting a good example for my brother, [ he says finally. ]

[He may not know, but nevertheless, it sounds reasonable to Shaw: she nods slowly, and any other suggestion she might have given dies on her lips.]

Then I won't say we should blow this joint.

[As tempting as that is. She doesn't have anyone to set an example before, but she has the literal weight of her world on her shoulders, just as they all do.]

Give me a croissant?

[ He hums at that, offering her the bag. ]

Go nuts.

[ At least these ones aren't soggy. That's something, right? ]

I got problems with crowds, I'm realizing, [ Carver says after a moment. ]

[Rather than straining to reach it from the ground, Shaw sets about getting up onto the roof with him: first scouting out her path, and then gingerly climbing, hand over bare foot. Doing this kind of thing in a bathing suit feels both precarious and ridiculous, which is one of the reasons why she rarely wears them. Back home, she swam laps at the Y sometimes just to switch things up, but other than that? Give her her jeans and combat boots any day, please.

Once she's settled and has figured out how she wants to arrange her limbs (cross-legged-- no, tented knees-- no, feet dangling over the edge), she grabs the bag, pulling out a pastry at random.]

You're realizing.

[She echoes, raising an eyebrow. Bro, please; your problems with crowds have been obvious from day one.]

[ Getting up onto the roof in a bathing suit is a tricky thing, apparently. Carver watches absently; he hadn't thought of that part, really. But it's not like Shaw needs help and he won't insult her by offering. There's no real risk she'll fall.

He looks away. Watching the oddly-colored water and all these strangers without a care. ]

I mean, it's a problem, [ he explains, his tone very even. A problem he's realizing he needs to do something about. ]

[Shaw hmmmmms, leaning back and propping herself up with her elbows.]

There's worse places to work on that than on rooftops.

[She says, tentatively - she's out to sea with this sort of thing, and not sure if this is the right thing to say.]

Worse places to do it than crappy water parks, too.

[ It’s not a problem that Shaw has, Carver knows, and he wonders if he’s jealous about that. Other people seem to adapt to this place just fine. Sometimes it seems like he’s the only one who gets caught on the edges of moments like this, paranoid and sulking, unable to get over himself.

Other people are having fun. Maybe he doesn’t need that, but part of Carver can’t help but wonder what it’s like to move through the world like that.

He frowns down at the crowd. ]

I don’t know how to work on it. But I’m here.

I don't know how to give advice.

[But she sees the frustration on his face, and understands it intimately, as someone who gets caught on different edges. She drums her fingers on the rooftop, restlessly.]

Does the "you're not alone" line help?

[Her phrasing might not be the best, but her expression is completely genuine.]

[ Carver snorts at that. ]

Not really.

[ It just is what it is. He didn't need to abide crowds back home. There was no call for it. And now things are different here, changeable, and he seems unable to adapt. ]

I did therapy. Once. Court mandated. Judge said she went easy on me 'cause I was a vet. Didn't go well.

[Shaw gives him a knowing look - respecting the answer for both its honesty, and the likemindedness of it.]

Yeah, never helped me much, either. But I used it to talk down a homicidal perp once, so it has its uses.

[ Quietly, Carver mulls over a thought he's had before. That maybe this is just what he is now and there's no changing it, and the only thing he can do is try not to get fucking worse.

But he's responsible for Bossie now, even more than before. He has to set a good example.

Be nice to know what that looked like, he thinks sadly. He puffs out a breath and watches Shaw. ]

Yeah?

I was riding the subway, trying to get somewhere important. Turns out there was this guy on my car who was wearing a bomb vest.

[She kicks out a leg just for the sake of movement, her heel drumming against the side of the building when it falls back.]

I tried to call John for advice, but, uh-- I ended up on the horn with this cop we work with sometimes instead. He told me about a suicidal guy on the force, who would always talk about how alone he felt. So I thought, screw it, couldn't hurt, and I ran with that. Only I'm no good at the warm-fuzzy crap and I figured 'we're all here for you and it's going to be okay' would fall flat in a car full of strangers, especially coming from someone who didn't actually believe it. So I said--

[Her eyes narrow in thought, and she stares out into the middle distance.]

Life is crap; it sucks for everybody. Suffering is universal. And that's why you're not alone.

[ A bomb vest. Carver puffs out a breath. In a subway car? That'd be messy as all hell. The lessons of Afghanistan transported back home, even before the end of the world. It would've been a twist of blood and bone and metal.

Carver watches Shaw for a long moment. Wondering what that'd be like, talking someone down. He never has. ]

Did it work?

Yeah. Good thing, too, because I think Fusco wanted me to try the warm-fuzzy crap.

[But then, maybe that wouldn't have worked. Maybe there's a reason things had happened the way they did.]

[ Carver puffs out a breath. He probably couldn’t have done that, talked somebody down. A stranger with a bomb. ]

That your advice? Find people to listen to?

No.

[She says it, and then immediately makes a face; she'd meant it to sound more That isn't what I meant and less That's a bad idea.]

Just... more people will understand than you think. And fewer of them will judge or punish you for it than you think.

[ Sounds like optimism, Carver doesn't say. He watches Shaw a moment and then looks away. Optimism's never really worked for him. ]

I am trying, you know? To be better at this shit.

Sure.

[She says, with a shrug that borders on careless.]

Being able to sleep and being better with crowds would be a boon. You'd probably be happier if you were better at it. But-- for what it's worth, I think you're fine the way you are, too.

[There's a delicate balance to hit here, and one that she's never been good at, at least not when it comes to words. It's not that she wants to discourage mental health and better coping mechanisms; those are both objectively good things. But so much of the way he talks about it seems to center around doing better for the sake of proving himself, of justifying his place, of not annoying them so much that they cut him loose - and she doesn't know how to explain that the only thing that ever annoys her about him is his absolute certainty that he's perpetually on thin ice.]

JUNE MINGLE

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