TDM 004

[etrayamods]

⏵ the usual arrival ⏴ NOTES\WARNINGS: Horror elements, themes of addiction, supernatural changes, light mind control Arrival goes as anticipated. Characters awaken in the sterile white glow of artificial lights, the hum of soft machinery thrumming in the background like a mechanical lullaby. The hospital room is pristine - almost too pristine - sterile, but oddly calming. Every surface gleams in a way that feels calculated as if someone had specifically designed the space to be comforting. Yet, a faint whiff of antiseptic clings to the air, and the silence feels unnatural. The first face they see is Aurora's: her smile appears to be warm, but it doesn't quite reach her eyes. She might offer a quick explanation, or leave characters to figure it out for themselves depending on their approach. The door to the room swings open, revealing a hallway that stretches out ahead of them. They're free to explore their surroundings now, but something tells them this place is more than just a hospital. The lobby is a stark contrast to the sterile rooms above. It's warm, almost welcoming. Currently, an array of cookie trays are strewn about the area just inside the door that leads them to the outside world, decorated with frosting shaped into leaves, pumpkins, and the occasional snowman. They aren't perfect, but - the companion bots tried their best, they're still figuring out this whole cookie decorating thing. At least most of the cookies are normal cookie flavors this time. However, it doesn't feel as if this is what they should be eating. Something is telling them to go outside. To find something more filling. ⏵ the unusual arrival ⏴ Perhaps you skip all of that, somehow, slipping through the cracks of the system. You arrive outside of the normal purview, outside of the hospital walls. Perhaps you come to, standing in line for a food truck covered in slime. You could be anywhere, though. At the Diner, perhaps the apartments, or a random shop. Anywhere. It’s okay, though. This has happened before, and they are more prepared for it. No matter where you are, the helper bots will be ready with a quick and convenient remedy. A companion bot approaches you, bidding you to step into a clear tube. Should you do so, it will seal before power-washing you from head to toe in an efficient handful of seconds. And then it will release you, sopping wet but clean! Oh dear, are you catching a bit of a chill? …They will come up with a solution for that next time, I’m afraid. ⏵ lunchtime ⏴ As the swelter of summer begins to fade into the first hints of autumn, a small fleet of food trucks arrives in each part of Etraya. When you arrive at one they offer a stamp card with a little map of Etraya and the location of each truck’s loop. "Make sure you don’t lose it," the cashier warns in a friendly tone despite their vague and shadowy visage. Once you begin sampling their offerings, stopping becomes near-impossible. The food is delicious--or seems to be. However, each dish comes with a catch, and the more you eat, the more its effects intensify. To break this curse, one must sample all and fill their stamp cards. Traveling between the Apartments, Hospital, Ramsey Farm, S.T.A.R. Labs, Bangsan Market, and Corrine’s Cafe, Bau Haus serves dumplings and bao so good you'll start feeling feral for them. And the more you eat, the more animalistic you become - your senses sharpen, your temper flares. Senses and reflexes may become sharper, and boy does that slab of uncooked meat sound satisfying. Do you feel the need to growl at people who come too close to you and your meal? Surely that can't be related. Moving between Hannibal Lecter’s house, Sector 5 Church, Wayne Tower, Daily Planet, Shinra HQ, and Clint Barton’s Apartment Building, the Owl Feather serves soothing tea and delicious boba. But overindulgence may make you overly affectionate and obsessed with helping others, whether they want it or not. Muy Biento serves Mexi-Japanese fusion bento boxes from the Avengers Compound, Bishop Publishing, Dhali-Wal-To-Wall Books, and Cafe Millennia. There are teriyaki chimichangas, tempura carne asada, carnitas onigiri, and more. After a meal, you begin seeing ghosts out of the corner of your eye, always vanishing when you turn to look. Serving fried chocobo and "popoto" wedges, The Golden Chocobo makes you ravenous no matter how much you eat. Soon, you'll be eyeing increasingly strange items to satisfy your hunger. It travels between Ebbet’s Field, the Diner, Wayne Manor, and the Bunker. Offering crepes between Xavier Institute, Harry’s Hideaway Pub, Roxx, Kwikk Trip, and Big Belly, Thyme Served’s food seems innocent enough—until the night terrors begin. The more you eat, the worse they get, with the truck still there the next day, calling for you. Perhaps… a banana one this time. Bill’s Buffalo Burgers travels between Beviin-Vasur Farm, Point Blanc Academy, and Muten-Ichi-Ryu Dojo and serves only one burger - topped with pork rinds for a satisfying crunch, but it sounds good to you. However, after your first bite, you're told there's a price: a lock of someone else’s hair. Refuse, and it will feel like hair is stuck in your mouth, driving you mad until you pay the price. After all that trouble, you go home and can’t stop thinking about getting another burger. Offering blue milkshakes and ice cream, repeated visits to the Milk Man will turn your tongue—and eventually your blood—blue. A creeping chill settles in, growing worse each time until no amount of warmth can help. ⏵ nova city ⏴ Nova City, vast and sprawling in its corner of Etraya, remains mostly abandoned. Its towering buildings stand silently, watching over empty streets where only stray cats and the occasional bird roam. The dragon, Zhaera, perches protectively atop the tallest spire at the heart of this desolate city. She has been guarding her egg since her arrival, waiting for the young dragon within to mature enough it can survive in the outside world. As its incubation period draws near, her anxiety grows. A tremor spreads through Etraya, an instinctive call to those nearby. As the egg nears its hatching, strange forces awaken within Etraya itself, spreading too into Nova City. Shadowy creatures crawl out from the ground, surrounding the tower the dragon and her unborn child have taken shelter on. The air crackles with the energy coming from the egg itself, and the cats throughout the city seem unsettled. The sheer amount of magic the egg gives off is enough to attract anyone capable of sensing it. The dragon, normally composed and fierce, appears to be visibly distressed by the changes going on in the city below it. Her maw opens, sending flames to ward off the inky black tendrils intent on getting to her egg. But she may need some assistance keeping it safe. ⏵ NOTES ⏴ This TDM covers September and October. The events happening in the TDM are game canon. Threads can be kept as game canon if wanted! For any questions relating to the contents of this log, please use the mod queries thread. All other questions can be directed to the FAQ.

Comments

[banworthy]

[ If he were someone else, he might have knelt to help her. If she was one of his flock, he might have offered a kind word and hand on the shoulder. As it was, he was furious at the state of their world. There was almost no reason to save their universe - which left a very interesting problem that they had for themselves. Where were they to go? They could not stay here indefinitely, could they? Could they abandon their world to figure out how to live elsewhere?

Because even if the Powers that Be end up sparing their universe, the God born from Claudia's insanity will soon end it. His hand presses over his face as he chuckles to himself. The irony of the situation that they're in is not lost on him. ]

You hesitated. I understand. [ The bite is not left out of his voice. ] Oh, the woes of having power and having to live up to the potential and hope that people place on you. [ He breathes in. ] But that's unkind. You are only a teenage girl. I suppose it was a bit much to believe -- well -- all that planning really went nowhere, hm?

[ Cocking his head to the side, he stares down at her. ] You understand what this means, right? I don't know if time is still moving forward but if it is, there's no point in going back to our world. [ Hm. ] It may be that she wanted you to live. You know, your other self. She is quite powerful. I can't imagine she wanted you to wallow and suffer in the mistakes of others.

Congratulations on your second chance... now all we have to do is figure out how to lose gracefully and not be blipped out of existence.

[ingestion]

Vincent...

( that's all she can say as his words flowed like poison seeping into her flesh. each word, each flick of his tongue was like a cruel lashing against her. he had such a way to express what he truly felt, even if what he was saying was restricted or held back. she could feel that, it was the same way dahlia was at times-

manipulative and hurtful.

these words weren't comforting ones, instead they were meant to make it clear to heather how useless she had been in the end. )

You don't know that Vincent...what if we go back and things return right to that moment?

( but she doesn't argue further. it made no sense. with a last quip, she finally spoke in a rather sarcastic manner. )

I guess I got distracted by how easily you let yourself be killed. It was hard not to mourn for you.

( with that, she decided it was time to move on. there was a nagging urge in the back of her mind that the stamp card she had to be completed to be set free from this. so she stared at vincent briefly before turning away and walking off. she knew or rather felt he wasn't going to come after her. they may have been from the same world, but did they really have to stick together? especially after what he had said...

she decided for now she would keep an eye on him. see what exactly his goals and plans were for this new world. )

[banworthy]

[ The sound he makes out his nose is a dismissive one. It's the idea that they would be able to return right at the exact moment everything went to shit. His mouth quirks into a half-smile, but he says nothing else. There's a scream burning in his throat - it presses against the skin until the insides feel raw and bleeding.

However, he says nothing else. His eye twitches at her sarcastic barb. ]

Nice to hear you sound like yourself, again, Heather.

[ Not quite the last word, but close enough to accept. He drags his heel back against the pavement before he turns to walk away. Before he had almost a decade to plan and scheme, now he has significantly less time. Irritating. So irritating. ]