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⏴

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ CURSES, FOILED AGAIN!! ]

Look, it's not like you have a mailing address!

[ True to her word, the homemade greeting card does literally say 'sorry I got brainwashed by a stuffed toy, my bad', complete with drawn-in sparkles and a drawing of a squirrel with angry eyebrows and pointy teeth! ]

Do you really need an address if you can see me?

[It's fine, Doreen, he's just teasing you for kicks.

Taking the card from his web with a quick THWIP, he reads it and glances over.]

Hey, it's not like you beat me up or anything. You don't actually have to apologize.

Well, yeah, but I could've listened. I mean, if you're anything like the guy from my universe, you generally deserve the benefit of the doubt. Plus, plus! Superheroes don't go around trying to murderize stuffed animals unless the stuffed animals are evil! You don't see Captain America decapitating teddy bears!

[ Unless those teddy bears are secretly robot HIVE assassins or something, crazier things have happened! ]

I don't know about that, Doreen; I think a lot of people were struggling. Something about those dolls really messed with people's heads... [Peter's just lucky he was able to resist it a little. Or maybe it just had to do with the fact that he was one of the people given the order to destroy them? Either way, it sucked all around.] Just don't be too hard on yourself.

[A beat.]

... I would love to see Captain America fighting evil teddy bears, though.

If we're being honest.

[ Now THERE'S a mental image! Doreen breaks into a grin. ]

... Honestly? Same. I'm picturing some kind of evil Build-a-Bear situation. There's probably a mad scientist involved.

[Spider-Man laughs; his grin is hidden, but evident in his voice regardless.]

Yeah, well. Let's hope this is the last time we're dealing with murderous stuffed dolls... You need any beads, by the way? I noticed you were about to run off without checking if I've got one for you in return.

[ Making Spidey laugh is its own kind of victory! ]

Oh! Uh... hm. Got any greens? That's what I've been collecting.

... Where do you keep them, anyway? Like, does that suit have pockets, or are you rocking an invisible utility belt, or what?

[He blinks, then says OH — then holds up one wrist to reveal the lovely row of beads there. And yes, they are held together by webbing. Of course they are.]

Right here!

... I do have pockets, for the record, but they're hidden.

And they make my legs look way too lumpy.

I really need to start carrying around backpacks more often again...

Man, just pretend the lumps are extra muscles! I used to hide my tail down my pants when I was in 'civilian mode', [ of course she does the fingerquotes! ] that worked out super well.

[ It made her look like she had, in Doreen's own words, 'a rad badonk', but even if this one seems like he's around her age, she can't quite bring herself to say 'rad badonk' in front of Spider-Man! ]

Not gonna lie, a backpack probably would be a lot easier, though.

Edited 2024-07-30 01:48 (UTC)

[Peter cannot afford to have a rad badonk, not when there is an internet in his world and the next that will take that to the absolute next level of madness.]

It was easy to justify in high school.

... But it also meant losing, like, ten backpacks a year...

[He struggles, Doreen. Struggles.]

... Ooh, or you could pretend they're spider-legs. Like, extra little ones. Or just spiders! Pockets full of spiders!

[ Sorry buddy, she's in brainstorming mode now! ]

Think of the money you'd save on backpacks!

... I think if I put spiders in my pockets, they'd just get squished.

[Oh, to crush her dreams.

But it's gotta be done.]

Aw man...

[ She does look momentarily depressed! That lasts for all of two seconds! ]

... Oh! Oh, that reminds me! I've always wanted to ask... can you talk to spiders? Is that a thing? I mean, technically anyone can talk to spiders, but do you get it when they talk back?

[Snort!]

How long have you been thinkin' about that one?

... Unfortunately, I don't have a spider army I'm able to talk to. Love to have one, though.

[Actually.]

Do you only talk to squirrels, or can you talk to similar animals? Guinea pigs? Moles? Chipmunks?

A totally normal amount of time!

[ IE since the first time she saw her version of Spider-Man on TV when she was a little kid! ]

One of my best buds talks to chipmunks, actually! They're pretty linguistically similar, but it's kind of like trying to decipher someone speaking English with a really, really thick Glasgow accent or something. Like, it's technically the same language, it sure doesn't sound like it, and the vocabulary is totally different!

... Dude... I'm a little jealous now...

[He folds his arms, a little sulky.]

The spider couldn't even make me bilingual before dying...? Uncool...

I mean, the whole Charlotte's Web thing you've got going on is pretty cool too!

[ She gestures at the webbing display, Will Smith meme style! ]

Is Ant-Man a thing in your universe? Maybe he could set you up with some kinda helmet? Then again, he doesn't actually talk to 'em, he has some kind of magnetic signal thingy going on. As far as I know, Dr. Strange does not have any 'talk to animals' spells.

I've never seen Dr. Strange talk to animals, but that doesn't mean the probability is 0%.

[He's just sayin'. The guy has a lot of very misc. spells.]

I didn't really get to meet Ant-Man; I met him as Giant-Man... kinda! We were on opposite sides for a minute and I tripped him on purpose, so we never really got to talk properly.

Yeah, good point. To be fair, Loki was subbing in for the Sorcerer Supreme job when I asked him. He's mostly cool in my universe.

[ it's important to clarify that last bit! ]

... God, I'm swearing you to spider-secrecy on this, but my mom once tried to hook me up with Ant-Man. "He has a steady job and his own car!" Mom he's like forty!

Edited (icons ran out!) 2024-08-30 04:45 (UTC)

[Well, at least some Loki is mostly cool.

(Sorry, his Loki, the aliens in NYC thing is still engrained in his brain.)]

I swear, I'll never talk! But oh my god, that's so super embarrassing. Do people try to hook-up heroes all the time in your universe? 'Cus there's not very many heroes my age back home, so it's something I haven't had to worry about...

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

JUNE MINGLE.

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