etrayamemes | TDM 002

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!tdm

TDM 002

⏵ arrival⏴
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.

When the first round of citizens arrived, Aurora and the companion bots had been largely unprepared. This time? They made sure to put up welcome banners, even if the sentiment isn't quite right. There are cupcakes and cookies set out in the hospital's lobbies, and a digital map has been placed just in front of the entrance of the hospital, telling others how to reach the various locations throughout Etraya. Companion bots wander throughout the city, some carrying construction equipment to half-built facilities while others act as nurses, servers, or sales associates throughout the constructed buildings.

⏵ rainy awakenings ⏴

Many concepts are new to Aurora, including rain. She is familiar with how it functions, and its purpose, but rain has never been present on the lands of Etraya. Given how new it is, that may not be all too surprising - but the method of how it’s being introduced is… a little much. Rainfall commences in the early days of April, a persistent downpour that waxes and wanes in intensity but never ceases entirely.

Most nights in Etraya are characterized by a soothing patter of rain against rooftops. Yet, some nights leave the grounds flooded come morning. Rivers begin to swell, the current much too strong to justify trying to go for a swim. These showers also bring a new assortment of plants blooming across the green lands: bright blossoms whose petals spread wide when the yellow sun shines down on them, while numerous cherry blossom trees have grown out of nowhere, flourishing despite the rainfall. Clover carpets the grassy expanses of the islands, weaving a beautiful tapestry of color across the grounds.

⏵ Getting drenched by the rain can trigger a surge, followed by a slump. Initially, individuals will feel giddy, excited, full of energy, and ready to take on the world. However, in the subsequent days, they’ll find themselves feeling depressed, lacking the energy and motivation to move forward. Aurora advises that these effects are only temporary and should fade within the week, but they can be resolved more quickly by embracing a stranger. Attempting to hug anyone they already know well will not produce the same effect.

⏵ With the rain comes a significant increase in the greenery around Etraya that isn’t fake. Most of these plants will resemble ones originally found in the characters' universes.

⏵ A couple of these plants contain magical properties:

The Emberloom is a bright red, fiery flower that only inhabits smaller land masses. Those exposed to its pollen will experience heightened aggression and impulsivity.

Shadowbloom resemble tulips during the day, but during the night the petals open and it looks more like the night sky: dark petals with specs of white throughout them. Growing too close to the apartment building for comfort, those who look at the petals after nightfall will fall into a deep sleep. Worse yet: the dreams they find themselves in are not their own, but are the dreams of other residents. Ones who had not looked into the Shadowbloom, but had drifted off to sleep elsewhere on the planet. The one who looked into the Shadowbloom will find they cannot awaken until the person whose dream they have entered does.

These flowers will continue to bloom through April, after which the companion bots will search for and remove them from the atmosphere bubble.

⏵ If there is a specific, unique plant that those in game (or those accepted during the next round!) would like to add, please comment to the LOCATIONS page! We’ll add mentions of these to the Outskirts section.

Along with the botanical resurgence, numerous new animals appear: glowing fish swim freely through the waters. In the canopy above, new species of birds and critters flit among the branches. Some diligently construct new nests in anticipation of the coming spring, while others seek refuge in the shelter of trees, retreating from the weather.

Not all the creatures are so small, or so peaceful.

⏵ Small critters make themselves comfortable in the forested area around Etraya, staying mostly out of the way. There are the occasional visitors that will let themselves in through windows for a quick visit, or maybe a snack, but they’re mostly harmless.

⏵ Several larger beasts make their way into the city to try and find land that’s more habitable for them. Giraffes navigate gracefully through the areas designated for new arrivals, using their elongated necks to reach for the foliage near the hospital when they aren’t finding new places to make themselves comfortable. An eclectic array of cats, ranging in all sizes and breeds, brazenly saunter into buildings they don’t belong. Hopefully, the lioness lounging in the apartment complex's common area does not prevent residents from reaching their rooms, because she has no intention of yielding.

⏵ The leopard adorned with a rattlesnake tail in the hospital's cafeteria may be difficult to ignore, given his determination to devour everything in sight and attack anyone in his way.

⏵ Cat scratches and bites pose a significant risk of infection. In the event a character is injured, individuals can expect the companion bots to quickly seek them out and approach them with a special antibiotic cream developed specifically for these cats. Refusal of treatment may result in severe symptoms, including high fevers and itching. In extreme cases, individuals may begin to exhibit cat-like characteristics, ranging from physical alterations to changes in mental traits.

⏵ Numerous other creatures of all shapes and sizes will be coming and going through the city. You may play with this as you wish!

While the uproar caused by these guests doesn’t particularly bother Aurora, she does send out a message to everyone wearing an earpiece to request their assistance in capturing the larger animals that her companion bots may not be able to handle themselves. She has converted an island to the East into a temporary holding area until the companion bots can set them up with something a little more permanent.

⏵ network ⏴

Welcome to Etraya! Upon your arrival, Aurora provided an earpiece, a device to make communication with others stuck in the same situation more simple. The device connects to an internal network, which is accessible by everyone else currently residing on planet. Whether you’re looking for guidance, camaraderie, or want to see if there are any familiar faces around, this is the perfect place to do it! Please feel free to post any questions, offer your name, ask for assistance, or maybe complain to the powers that be about how you’ve got better things to be doing than sitting around here completing their missions. Maybe they’re listening. Maybe they’re not.

⏵ NOTES⏴

⏵ During April, Etraya’s getting a little wet! Those who spend too long in the rain may experience a few unfortunate effects.

⏵ The rain brings in new flora, including a couple that may cause characters to experience aggression and impulsivity, or take a stroll through others’ dreams.

⏵ New animals also appear! While many of them are friendly, others… are less so. The cats specifically seem to be a little grumpy. Characters scratched or bitten by these cats may find themselves becoming just as catty.

For any questions relating to the contents of this log, please reply below. All other questions can be directed to the FAQ. The TDM is game canon, meaning everything happening above is occurring within the game properly. Those who apply to join in the April application round may keep their TDM threads as game canon.

⏵FULL NAVIGATION⏴

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

ARRIVAL

In the space between waking and sleeping, Mary remembers falling asleep in her cozy bed at the Inn Between the Worlds and Tim registers the sounds and scent of a hospital, and they're not quite sure where they are or who they're supposed to be. When they open their eyes, they find they're still wearing the glamour - Mary, then - but Aurora-the-illusion addresses her as Tim, and her heart jumps nervously at the sound of the name.

She stays and asks questions long enough to understand the situation, which is not entirely unlike the situation she was in when she went to sleep. An in-between world, though not one of the four free houses. Universes in danger. Being called upon to sort it all out. (The part of Mary that's Tim wonders, quietly, if they're really here to help decide what universes deserve to keep existing, or if Tim was needed as a power source to stabilize this world. It wouldn't be the first time, but Etraya's in trouble if that's the case because Tim's magic is still hidden away on Earth.)

The earpiece is left on the table while she dresses. She doesn't see any obvious magic around, but until she learns the rules properly, it's better not to take any gifts or eat any food. She can come back later for it, if it comes to it.

EXPLORING

For the next day or so, Mary can be found exploring Etraya. She follows the rivers, mostly - natural leylines, the only real magic she's found in the world so far. It's weird, honestly, and makes her think of back when Tim was taught about magic. This place runs on some sort of power, but it feels more like sci-fi than anything else. Did this place decide not to believe in magic? Is that why there's so little of it?

It's plenty strange enough even without magic. She does her best to keep distance from the wild animals wandering around (though she does stop to just stare at them from time to time - giraffes are brilliant, and maybe even more brilliant when they're standing side-by-side with lampposts). The only ones she gets close enough to touch are the ones that look like they could be domesticated, and at some point she finds herself sitting with something that looks like a cat, petting it the way she remembers being fond of during that brief time she'd been a cat.

"I don't suppose you've seen an owl flying around looking for me?" she asks as it yawns quietly and relaxes under her fingers. It's been a long time since she's seen Yo-Yo, but it would be nice to have a friend here.

THE DINER

The problem with deciding that it's safest not to eat or drink anything until you know for certain that it's not a trap is that there's really only so long you can keep that up, and she's still not sure it's not a trap. Mary entered the diner to explore, but she's found herself sitting at a table with an abandoned, partially-eaten burger and half-drunk milkshake, eyeing it with both longing and fear. She's hungry - it's impossible to pretend she's not, she hasn't eaten anything in over a day now - and this doesn't feel like Faerie, but feeling is no guarantee that it's safe. Her life's already fucked enough without adding trapped herself in another realm because she her stomach was rumbling to the list of problems.

Kyra's picking at some onion rings herself as she watches the rain slide down the windows. That is, until her attention is grabbed by the loud rumbling of someone's stomach. She glances over and says nothing.

Then she hears it again. And says nothing.

The third time, she decides to take pity on the girl.

"It's not poisoned."

She hadn't been paying anything near enough attention to the people around her, so she's startled when she hears someone speaking to her. Her head jerks up, finding Kyra after a moment. "It's not poison I'm worried about. Exactly."

Kyra just stares.

"Then what?"

It's free (as free as anything is here) and not poisonous.

She reaches out with a finger to nudge the bun around the burger, which seems real enough. She sighs. "In my experience, accepting gifts and eating food that doesn't belong to your world can get you in a lot of trouble."

"You've been kidnapped by an unknown entity and are monitored by a so-called AI. I think you are already in trouble."

She chews on another onion ring.

"Number one rule of being me," Mary says. "I can always manage to be in more trouble. For example: there are realms where eating the food changes you so fundamentally that you can't survive in your home again."

Oh boy. More weird stuff. At least she's (mostly) gotten over the shock of magic being real. She takes a sip of her soda and steels herself for another weird conversation.

('Make friends' Alex said. 'It'll be good for you.' She's really reconsidering that advice.)

"If you don't eat, you won't go home anyway."

The problem is, the other girl isn't wrong. Mary is absolutely capable of dropping dead of starvation and/or dehydration. This could very much be a lose/lose situation, damned if you do and dead if you don't. She'd rather be damned than dead, probably, but.

"I'm not at the point where I'm going to drop dead yet. And I'm going to really hate myself if I find a way out but can't take it because I gave up too fast."

She shrugs.

"Your choice. Might want to make it before you get too hungry and weak to defend yourself."

"I mean, that's - what? Another day or so?"

It's not like they extensively covered how long you can go without feeding or hydrating yourself in school. She taps her fingers against the table. "It doesn't make you feel weird at all? Taste weird?"

She has no idea either. It's not a situation she's ever been in.

Kyra takes another bite of her onion ring.

"No."

The way Mary looks at Kyra is... disconcerting, probably, but she promises she's not being pervy. Just using her other Sight, which continues to only show her no particular magic.

"Well, you don't look magically changed. Or magic at all."

Kyra just stares back. Two can play at that game.

"I would hope not."

Seeing as how magic isn't a thing where she's from. Probably. Hopefully.

She taps her fingers against the table thoughtfully. "Might still hold off for a while longer, just in case. But you made a good point, so - thanks."

Kyra doesn't bother arguing. She doesn't acknowledge the thanks either. She just goes back to her food.

She'll answer questions, but she's not one for small talk.

Meanwhile, across the diner, there's a chubby Chinese teenager with a bowl cut and bad acne, helping himself to a large cola as he watches this girl deliberate over the half eaten burger.

"You can order a fresh one," he suggests. "You don't have to eat someone's leftovers. If... that's what you're worried about."

That's not... what she was worried about, exactly, but it isn't not a good point. Mary's at the point now where she's pretty sure that, even if she traps herself here by consuming the food, she can't keep going without eating, either. Potentially damned if you do, definitely dead eventually if you don't.

So don't accept gifts is probably also out the window. And she might as well get her own food, and make it worthwhile. "What would you recommend?"

Baixi shrugs. "It's all American food, so not quite what I'm used to. But the sodas are good, if you don't mind them being overly sweet."

But he's got a burger and fries on the plate in front of him, much like on the plate in front of the girl.

"Where are you from?" she ends up asking as she flags down a bot to get her basically the same thing he has. Why not? She's pretty sure anything would taste amazing right now, with how hungry she let herself get.

"Shanghai," he answers. "We have one or two Western food chains there, but the food is still not quite the same as the real deal."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

TDM 002

Tim Hunter | DC Comics

diner

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