etrayalogs | JUNE MINGLE.

JUNE MINGLE.

WHO: Everyone!
WHEN: Late June into Early July
WHERE: On Etraya
WHAT: A mingle log!
NOTES\WARNINGS: N/A, please note any needed warnings in threads.

⏵ arrival ⏴
Maybe your arrival goes as anticipated. Characters awaken in the pristine, new hospital, greeted by Aurora and potentially getting a rundown of what's happening depending on their approach to being dropped somewhere new. The door to their room opens, and new arrivals are left free to explore their new environment.

Or perhaps you started in space. Perhaps you were stuck on a space station, trying to escape a black hole for who knows how long. Time isn't consistent there, not like it's meant to be.

And then you're here. Maybe you stepped foot into an odd hallway, which broke off into an escape pod which promptly disappeared entirely and ended up docking on the Southeast part of the city. Perhaps you had been walking through the hallways when suddenly you felt a pull. A tugging sensation in your gut, moments before the floor dropped away and the air was stolen from your lungs. It almost, almost feels like dying - like drowning but without the water. Stars flash before your eyes, and a warm sensation begins spreading from that tug. Right when it feels like it's beginning to get too hot, you're suddenly too cold.

And standing in front of Corrine's Cafe, drenched in fluid that's a little too gooey (don't put it in your mouth, Connor) to be considered water. Maybe don't think about that too hard.

A few companion bots swarm the area before long, bringing towels and apologies for newcomers. This isn't how you're meant to arrive, but at least they got you off that ship! They'll hand over an earpiece, but rather than earpieces that are not yet programmed with names, the companion bots have taken it upon themselves to give names out to the newcomers. Some may be closer to an average name, like "Jimmy Smith", or "Arthur Pendragon" (that's normal, right?), or they may be something a little more nonsensical, like "CHEESE IS DELICIOUS".

If they make their way to the hospital, Aurora will give something closer to her normal spiel. Those who don't may want to ask some of their newfound friends because there's no explanation given by the bots working the cafe or those who have come to help. Maybe the others who have been here longer will have a better explanation.

⏵ friendship bracelets ⏴
On July 1st, Aurora sends out a message to everyone through their ear pieces:

Hello, Citizens of Etraya.

I am glad that you enjoyed your coffee break. Given the success of this previous endeavor, I have opted to try another experiment. This mission is optional, you are not required to complete it. However, the successful completion of this mission may aid in assisting me in assigning similar missions in the future. I would recommend, if you enjoy the task, to make an attempt.

My companion bots will be handing out ten beads to each participant along with a piece of string. You will each receive one red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet, pink, silver, and black bead. The goal of this mission will be to assemble a bracelet that is one color, by exchanging beads between participants. You may choose what finished color you would like to aim for. Given the limited quantity of beads, you will want to ensure you are choosing a color that has not already been widely chosen.

I would like to see twenty completed bracelets. Once completed, you may return them to any companion bot. I have set up the Diner to accommodate this, but you may participate from anywhere on Etraya.

If I receive at least twenty bracelets, I will provide two of those who complete theirs the opportunity to assist me in choosing not the next mission, but the one after that.

Thank you,
Aurora

As stated in Aurora's announcement, the Diner has been set up with numerous "friendship" themed party banners. There are cookies and cakes out on the tables, although they may not be to everyone's tastes: some of the flavors are a little outrageous, while others are more generic. Just don't expect that cookie that looks like it has pickles in it instead of chocolate chips to be anything but a pickle cookie. Because it is one.

⏵ nova city ⏴ The Southeast of Etraya had been relatively empty; Wolf Cove has overtaken the southernmost bit of land with its own little environmental set up: instead of the green grass featured in the rest of Etraya, it's covered in snow. But Wolf Cove isn't the only new addition: Nova City has overtaken a large portion of two massive islands. Numerous skyscrapers stand tall enough that their rooftops almost hit the atmospheric bubble Etraya has surrounded itself in.

The buildings themselves, however, are empty. There is no furniture, no signs of life, no dust, even. These facilities were not put here to use the insides of the buildings, but for the sake of having buildings.

But like with all new additions to Etraya, new buildings also mean an array of new creatures. Birds of all shapes and sizes flock to the empty city, enjoying standing on top of street lamps, stray cats wander through alleyways, rodents of all shapes have begun appearing and making themselves comfortable. But those aren't the issue.

It's the massive snakes that take up almost entire alleyways as they make their way between buildings, attempting to devour any creature small enough to fit into their mouths that happen to come across them. The green dragon that has built a nest on one of the taller buildings, and has a habit of swatting at anyone who comes near her - or worse yet, when she's particularly in a foul mood, breathes fire on them.

Aurora has asked for those capable, to try and handle at least the snakes. They're fine while they're in the city, but there is no guarantee they will stay there. The dragon at least seems content staying right where she is.

⏵ NOTES ⏴

To report a completed bracelet, please reply to the bracelet turn-in comment. Given the fifth mission is scheduled in September, we will continue to accept submissions for this through the beginning of August, at which point we will randomly select two characters.

For any questions relating to the contents of this log, please reply to our mod queries comment. All other questions can be directed to the FAQ.

⏵FULL NAVIGATION⏴

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[ Well, at least she isn't offended. Ororo chuckles a little and nods in the direction they ought to be going. ]

Well, come on then. Let us make haste. If you don't want a quick pressure wash now, then we should hurry over to the showers at the apartment complex.

If you have questions, feel free to ask. I'll answer to the best of my ability.

Thanks, [ he throws in again, a small nod of his head, definitely feeling that awkwardness for being--well, a hassle. But he'll walk as she does, and at the offer of answering questions, there's...well, plenty on his mind. ]

Well, I guess... do we know-- we're meant to be proving our universes are worth keeping around, and I've been wondering, well, how much we know about that? About the people telling us that. [ A beat. ] How legit it is.

[ Because maybe this still feels...bizarre, what they're doing, and maybe that's just been on his mind.

Or maybe legit isn't the right word... ]

[ It's a good question, as far as she's concerned! And legit seemed like a perfectly good word, since she answers without missing a beat. ]

We know just about as much as we are told - and I'm not inclined to believe it is completely legitimate without further evidence.

[ She keeps her voice measured, even if there's no indication that anyone's listening to them. ]

However, they - Echo, and whoever else is at work - do exert quite a bit of power over us here. The mission they last subjected us to altered minds and perceptions on a large scale. It was near-impossible to resist.

[ His brows furrow at that, a befuddled expression that matches his tone. ]

They screwed with your heads? Wh- [ a pause. ] What did that prove to them?

[ What purpose did that achieve in keeping one's universe safe? ]

If you are expecting them to be upfront with reasons for their missions, I'm afraid you will be disappointed. [ That's the difficult thing; they're kept in the dark about a lot of things, and just expected or strong-armed into following what they're told to do. Without knowing the purpose behind it all, it was hard to make any concrete plans or even make any theories as to why they are truly here. ]

So if it proved anything to them, or if it factors in somehow with the universes they decide to help save... We are not told.

[ There's a moment of quiet. ]

...Okay, so we're stuck going along with whatever these people do to us or our worlds might in trouble. Probably. So they say. [ Gorgug thinks he might finally be getting a proper image of the situation at hand: they're screwed. In a (somehow) different sense of the version where simply the weight of responsibility was placed on them.

Now, it seems more like what it apparently is: they're being toyed with. ]

Okay. Well. This is different.

[ It's said with a tone of someone who doesn't know what else to say--to think. ]

And difficult, [ she adds, helpfully, just so that he'd know that, well, if he was feeling overwhelmed? That's just normal. It'd be stranger if he found himself right at home with the whole situation they've found themselves in. ]

But we're not alone, as you can see. There are plenty of us going through all this-- and, I would hope, we could help each other to make things a little easier. Whether it's through fighting alongside each other in Echo's missions... or guiding a new friend to the closest shower.

[ That last part does get a small chuckle from Gorgug, something hidden in his mouth, but there's a twitch of warmth on his lips. ]

Right, thank you. [ Because he tries to be polite, if nothing else. ] I'm Gorgug- I come from an adventuring school, and my party, we've been on some big adventures already, so-- I'm not unused to weird things. We go through a lot.

I don't know if something like that sounds normal to you. The school. Adventuring training.

[ Or himself, but he doesn't bother to ask or mention that right now. ]

Gorgug. [ She says it carefully, mimicing his intonation. Did she get it right? She hopes she did; names are important! ] My name is Ororo - and I have not helped run our school in several years, but -- [ here she pauses, and points over at an old mansion across the river - yes, that one, a building with several chrome structures coming out of it... - ] that very school has inexplicably popped up here. So if you would like to do some training for adventures, you are welcome to come visit me there.

... Though I suppose our definitions for adventures may vary a little.

[ Wow, she got it so right, he even nods--not that he particularly knows that's why she's doing it.

What he does know she's doing is pointing, and he does look, pausing as well to see it. And, huh, schools really do look the same, don't they; and he turns back at her at it "inexplicably popping up", which does make him look back for a second time. For reasons.

A school showing up that she worked at would be strange, wouldn't it?

Though, definitions of adventures. He thinks for a second, but only that. ]

We had to find the crown of a Nightmare King that was going to destroy everything if they came back, and then we had to seal a giant mantra that took out the sun for months before Junior High. [ It's not bragging, his voice even sounding tired at the end there.

Even admits: ] But-- we just kept getting those assignments from the principal. Normal parties don't actually do those things in high school.

[ Perhaps to his surprise, she just nods like these are rather normal adversaries to face. A nightmare king? A problem with the sun? Sounds like ~~Eighties!Marvel~~ a Tuesday. ]

Our principals and headmasters did not technically send our students out on such things - they tended to come naturally, as part of the life we see on our Earth. But because they are so commonplace, and many of our young mutants needed or wished to learn how to use their abilities well enough to cope with such adventures.

[ Her brows furrow a little as she frowns. ] It's not right for a headmaster to assign such things to young people on purpose, however. Dealing with a blackout of the sun shouldn't be entrusted to students; I hope you at least had help?

[ There's some level of surprise, but it's a sympathetic sort, a small grimace against his tusks. Nobody wishes the Monster of the Week lifestlye on anyone... not Gorgug... ]

We got help. We--there were people. We lost people too. [ There, the grimace becomes more prominent, volume dropping a note momentarily. ] It's because we summoned the Night Yorb on accident, so-- we had to fix it. We didn't feel good about that.

[ There's a but that lingers on his face, not that different from the grimace.

...but: ] ...Our principal's like that.

[ How to say 'an ass' without saying it. ]

[ The sympathetic sound she makes is definitely pronounced. It's not easy to lose people at all, no matter the circumstance. And for him to feel guilty for it, and to have some resentment at an authority figure... ]

I'm sorry. [ She reaches out to rest a hand on his shoulder, if he'll let her. Perhaps give him a little squeeze, even through what remains of the goo he'd arrived in. ]

I wish it helped that that sounded familiar. [ It probably doesn't! But she offers him a smile of empathy; he's not alone. ] Is that still the case, then? Until now? Rather, until just before you've come here?

[ He doesn't avoid or shake off the physical gesture; gives her a smile for it, though it doesn't look much like one on his face. ]

We're back at school now--we sealed it, so, that's fine. I sealed it. [ Even...! ] But, uh, our principal isn't around. He's taking a vacation with his daughter. He put in a vice-principal, but. [ Um. ] We destroyed it? It tried to kill us.

[ Which only gets his brows to furrow to listen to himself talk about the year--or years, really. But he focuses that look onto Ororo. ]

That happens with your students too? 'Cause that sucks-- I'm really catching up on a lot of schoolwork right now. It's really not great.

[ She makes a little noise of consideration. She wants to give him a clean no, but the reality is that often the students at any school for mutants were pulled into dangerous situations no matter what they did or tried to do. ]

The students at our school were there to learn how to use their powers. But... we come from a world where situations like that happen very often. Sometimes, it simply could not be helped.

But the teachers and staff - we did our best to make sure they don't have to do all that much at all, when that was the case. And of course, we adjusted the curriculum and schoolwork wherever possible.

[ Hmm. ] I will say, the principal or vice-principals never needed destroying, or killing. [ Mostly because she'd been headmistress after Kitty wanted to mentor some time-displaced X-Men more closely. ]

That's good-- a lot of that, actually. [ From the principal parts to the rest. ]

So you're not an adventuring school, but everyone ends up doing it anyway? The missions-- students don't usually do the same stuff we did, but they still take other missions, for experience. Less god stuff.

But it's good for learning. What you can do. [ So, like learning their powers, he thinks. It's productive. ]

It should be good for learning, yes. The students come for an education, after all. We do our best to make sure they don't get involved in what they don't have to be involved in. [ That's why there were always dedicated X-Men teams with different focuses. Away teams, school teams... ]

When they graduate, they decide how they want to use what they've learned. Some of them stay on to help with the missions - because there will always be those. At least, such was the case in our world.

[ Huh, so it was like an adventuring school, kind of. The system doesn't sound bad to Gorgug--then again, he isn't one to think about such things too hard, and there's still adults (teachers) involved. ]

What did you move on to do?

[ She said she hasn't been a teacher in a while, and he's curious, kind of in that way that one thinks a teacher will be a teacher forever. But, that's not the case with this lady. ]

[ She moved the school into Limbo because simply breathing in the Earth's air had become toxic to mutants, is what she did. Once again the school became a haven for survival instead of a center for education.

... Instead, she says: ]

I focused on the mission. I wasn't a primary part of the teaching staff, and my skills were of better use elsewhere.

Cool. [ Makes sense enough to him. ] Your world does sound like it's got a lot going on.

[ Maybe even more than his own world, but then, Gorgug doesn't actually think about the world at large, unless it comes up. His ex had to do some big dangerous stuff, too. Lots of people have.

But, walking as they are now... ]

So, I guess, like... you haven't heard anything about your world or anyone? Since you got here?

I have, actually. [ She smiles a little, the first flicker of warmth in her eyes in a while. ]

I arrived alone, one of perhaps... two or three who seemed to hail from my world. The others were not close to me. But then a month passed, and some other, more familiar faces arrived. And then another month - more still.

They aren't always exactly my friends as I know them. [ Since they're alternate universe versions of them. ] But they are familiar enough, and I am grateful for their company.

It's not unheard of - so perhaps you will find someone familiar to you, too.

[ He could mention his own friends, that he has some around (where? he needs to find out--smarter people might think to check with the earpiece!), but what she says before that has him looking curious. ]

Did something happen to your friends?

[ There's a concern there, curiosity -- he's not sure how friends could be familiar enough, what that could mean. Has it been a point of worry? ]

It's... very complicated. [ She frowns, wondering how to explain it. Alternates were not normal, not really, as Ororo knows how unique of a life she has had. Time travel is still boggling to her. Still, she's aware of alternate dimensions and timelines, and that awareness makes it difficult to communicate with those who might not share that awareness. ]

A very dear friend of mine is here. So are two others - but those two are from a universe and time that are somewhat different than we remember. So they are not precisely the friends I've lived and fought with... But they are close, and we are getting along in new ways as well as old.

[ Some things appeared consistent across several universes. Scott will always be terse and stoic. Logan will always have a short temper and a taste for beer. Together with Jean, it seemed that all four of them remembered each other in some way, fought together in some way, and that was reassuring in itself. It's not really a concern, or it shouldn't be! ]

... I hope to save all our universes, so that one day we can all return to the friends that we remember, too.

[ A different universe, similar but not? There's a few connections Gorgug can make with that, wonder if he's ever considered it before, though he doesn't let his thoughts touch more than the surface of the subject--he doesn't really have the ability to think hard about such things during conversation. And there's no reason to start now, but only-- to think about his own friends.

And the fact that Ororo says all our universes, and the potential of other Rizs, other Fabians, other Bad Kids that might not be represented. ]

Oh. ... Yeah. [ His eyes are a little wide, pondering a thought without actually delving deep into it. Eventually: ] My friends are here--they were on the spaceship. So, I guess they might be back here now, somewhere. And they-- seemed like the friends I knew.

[ Would he have been able to tell? Without looking for it?

How many universes consists of them? (How many would they be willing to lose?) ]

[ Ah. Well, that's a more present and urgent concern isn't it? Finding them if they are here. ]

If your friends are here, you might find them if you use this. [ She indicates the earpiece she wears over one ear. A helpful thing for translations, and keeping in touch with her own friends. ]

We can reach other through messages and the like over a linked network. Perhaps the bots showed you, earlier?

Failing that, most new people will at least pass by this apartment building at first. [ Which they're finally coming to, now. She points out the rec room as they enter, and one of the closest rooms on the first floor. ]

Individual apartments tend to have names on the door plates, if they or you are the type to do so.

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tinflower - 2024-07-15 14:23 (UTC) - Expand

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