JUNE MINGLE

[etrayamods]

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⏴

Comments

[velocityraptor]

[ Yep, just a nice relaxing time and it is, Hawks has a habit of wanting to keep moving and this kind of satisfies that requirement while he lounges and has a conversation. This is far more fun than it probably looks. ]

I guess I hadn't considered that. [ He chuckles. ] If you ever think I need a warm beverage, I practically live on coffee.

[ It's a great substitute for sleep. ] I haven't noticed any, and that's pretty strange.

[reincarnesiac]

Ooh, coffee is always good! What ways do you prefer it?

( She lets one foot drop into the water, then eventually lets her leg up to the knee hang over the side of the pineapple. The fact this lets her lazily swing her foot through the water as well as navigate a little while her eyes are closed? Is matched by dropping her hand into the water on the opposite side. )

Black, with cream, espresso, americano, lattes, cold pressed, drip brewed, cappuccino...

( Thinking about the birds again, she frowns, opening her eyes. )

It doesn't make sense if we never see any. Maybe they're just not over here? There's fish in the bay, I heard about that. We're in a bubble city, sure, but this isn't exactly Skyhaven.

( A pause, and she adds for context: )

That's a city formed out of floating archipelagos about a mile off the surface of Earth, over my city back home. Birds are usually only there because they've been brought in, since it's too high for most to fly to safely.

[velocityraptor]

Nothing as fancy as that, although at home I prefer the canned one with cream and sugar. If it's too bitter, that's not good. There's some people I visit and their coffee is just awful. [ He bets it's Skeptic's fault. That man seems like the kind of guy who would drink it strong and black. ]

It's possible, it'll be something to keep in mind when I fly over the region after I'm done here.

[reincarnesiac]

Mmm, decent canned coffee. Do you ever get the ones that serve the cans warm to hot?

( Not burning hot, that'd be asking for trouble, but better than lukewarm. Alex has to wonder if there are any vending machines around this city or not. )

That and wherever the upper limits of the bubble is. Or how much of a dome we're under.

[velocityraptor]

I do, there's a wide variety of vending machines in Japan. [ They're not hard to find, although in their short walk to the water park, he hadn't noticed any so far. ]

I could do that too, see how high I can get.

[reincarnesiac]

Wonder if we can ask about getting any of those here... I think there's at least...

( She considers. )

One convenience store? This is the worst city, seriously.

( In a bubble and built to have... (not that she knows it) but two whole convenience stores. What is remotely convenient about that... )

[velocityraptor]

Sounds like a great use of a request, admittedly. I prefer the convenience of having coffee at my fingertips everywhere I go. [ That's partly was so offending about the remote villa he was spending time at, it was so far out of the way with no conveniences, ugh. ]

A convenience store sounds good enough I guess, in terms of getting food. [ He isn't too worried about the convenience of it, he has wings, he can get there. ]

[reincarnesiac]

You know what would be a good quirk, or Evol? Being someone who could summon coffee or other hot beverages on a whim. What team wouldn't be trying to poach them?

( Yes, firmly in sillier conversations again. )

One bot mentioned a diner... that we can cook in? Oh, that might be a good place to find at least some sauces and spices.

[velocityraptor]

[ There's a small pause and Hawks lets out a laugh. ] That would be a wildly useful quirk! [ So sue him, he's giggling a bit. ]

Actually I don't know of anyone who could...oh! There's a student! She can create things, but I've never seen her create beverages. [ He watched her fight in a tournament, no one was serving tea. ]

You did say that was an interest of yours, you should check it out.

[reincarnesiac]

You can tell her about an amazing new business opportunity when you make it back to your world! Your safe world.

( She sounds a little more thoughtful at that, mostly because she isn't sure she believes this reality tv set-up is what it says it is. Still, no reason to treat it less than seriously at the same time.

She flops her other leg off the pineapple raft and into the water. Honestly, it feels nice. )

Ugh, what am I going to do without the VR training room... I mean you're right, I can spend more time cooking and baking when we're here and not on mission, but that's so...

( She trails off. After a few seconds, Alex ventures a word: )

Restive?

[velocityraptor]

[ Safe is a bit much, but he doesn't correct her. Hawks is quiet as they float along for a few minutes and he hums at her words. ]

I am not exactly great for advice there, I've never had a day off before, not without being on the injured list. [ He doesn't know how to rest. ]

I'm not familiar with VR training rooms, but I am familiar with sparring.

[reincarnesiac]

( She plops an elbow against the raft, propping herself up to get a better look over at his much larger floating raft. )

Oh boy, you're going to be in as much trouble as I am if we get too much downtime, huh?

( Alex smiles, not meaning anything rude by it, more interested in what else he'd said. )

Saying you're up for it? Honestly, it'd be better to work on fighting as a team as far as it goes for me, but I never turn down an interesting sparring session.

[velocityraptor]

It's never come up, I don't know what I'm going to do about it. [ He hasn't really moved, he's just bobbing along in a lazy enough fashion. The movement of the river is doing plenty to keep the side of him that's always itching to move quiet. ]

I don't think getting an assessment of each other's abilities hampers teamwork, if anything it makes it much easier, but I've teamed up with all kinds of people before. Not frequently, but it happens.

[reincarnesiac]

( She flops back down, kicking her feet lazily in the water. )

You're usually a lone agent?

( That said: )

I'm not saying no to sparring, mind you, just that it's likely more effective to see what of your skills I can boost and borrow from. Resonance! It's... sure something.

( She chuckles, personally amused, because people really don't understand Resonance, and she's still figuring out some of its permutations. Resonating with people wasn't just to their powers, if they had any, that was just the most obvious way. )

[velocityraptor]

I'm too fast for people to keep up with me. [ Hawks chuckles. ] I catch the villains and my sidekicks run after me and do the initial paperwork. Then again, I have to do it all after the fact.

[ That's a good built in excuse. ]

Hmmm, interesting. I'm not sure what you mean by that, but I guess it doesn't have to be sparring directly. Gaining an understanding of someone's abilities is more important than beating them up. [ He's got no desire to hurt people for no reason. ]

[reincarnesiac]

I can't believe you actually call them sidekicks...

( Alex sounds more amused than anything else, but hey, hero terminology isn't part of her life. Partners were partners; in the military, subordinates were subordinates. She's thankfully outside of that particular organization. )

I think it'll be easier to demonstrate. Even explaining with people form back home can get a little iffy... Resonance isn't as easy to grasp as, say, fire, or light, or even gravity. You get a pretty clear picture what those are right away.

[velocityraptor]

Calling them my employees would be so boring. [ Hawks quips without missing a beat, with a little chuckle. ]

I do, but I've seen a lot of strange quirks really, so I probably won't be that surprised.

[reincarnesiac]

I see, I see. Are you a good boss, Mr. Hero?

( Still sounding more amused than anything else. )

Good! Then we can set up a time for that... after we figure out how to turn in "points" for being lazy.

( She kicks her foot a little in the water. Hah! Lazy rivering. )

[velocityraptor]

Depends, I guess on what people want out of a boss. [ They mostly start paperwork after his actions so he can keep his numbers up, but they get paid well to do that. ]

Sounds good to me, I think I'm ready to be lazy for awhile.

[reincarnesiac]

Mmm... I'm not sure about most people, but my boss back home is pretty great. Considering the amount of vacation time she gives me to go undercover.

( Flexible and thoughtful, that's her Captain. Of course it's all because it dovetails with Hunter's Association interests, and it's... ... ... not without dangers, but being a Hunter is inherently dangerous as it is. )

Make at least one loop... did either of us check how long the lazy river actually is?

[velocityraptor]

That just sounds like work. [ Hawks can't help but quip. ] I give people time off. I don't know, I just sign the timesheet, I have a secretary that does scheduling. No one's ever complained about it. [ It's the job itself he can't be sure he's the best hero to work for. ]

No. [ Hawks chuckles. ] But I think it'll be nice anyway. It's not like I'm in a rush at the moment.

[reincarnesiac]

Yes, but it's not work work, and at least if I'm using PTO, I'm still getting paid to learn just what shady things corporations and militaries are up to.

( Alex snorts, more amused than anything else. She can say all this because no one here cares. What a load off, instead of worrying what EVER Group's next move will be, or just what they're doing through Caleb in the Far Space Fleet. )

Yeah, same.

( A pause. A minute's worth of pause. )

Why do I not feel relaxed yet.

[velocityraptor]

No? Sounds like a different kind of infiltration than I'm picturing. [ Or one he's engaged in. His double agent running around is running him completely ragged. ]

I don't know. I think this is okay for a bit at least. If I was just sitting still and we weren't moving it would be driving me crazy. [ Hawks has too much energy to sit still all the time. ]

[reincarnesiac]

What kind did you have in mind?

( Curious — there are so many kinds it's really anyone's guess. )

I think if this were something I was doing with friends by choice, not on a bubble city in the universe's worst reality show, I might actually relax.

( That said, she lets her leg slide back into the water up to the knee. It's not horrible, but she's definitely feeling antsy. )

[velocityraptor]

I'm pretty sure stories of secret agents are probably pretty universal, you know, sneaking in places and convincing people to let you in, hiding in the shadows waiting to strike. Things like that! [ Yeah...in fiction. That's what he means. ]

On the chance that this is all true, I guess it would be up to me to save the world. Doesn't feel like being here helps with that, honestly.