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etrayamemes2024-04-04 08:46 am
etrayamods) wrote in etrayamemes2024-04-04 08:46 am
Entry tags:
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. 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. ⏵ 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. |
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Right now-- not so much, unfortunately for Riz. Given Fabian's circumstances over the past few months, he sure has a whole lot to process as he's standing there and trying to take in the idea of it all. Just the thought by itself of not having to spend so much time on his own is a wild one, and he didn't quite expect it to be dropped into his lap like that. Forget the entire reason they're here in this place - it's not nearly as surprising as Riz's offer.
After a few slightly too long silent moments, Fabian quickly speaks up with: ]
W-- Well, yeah! Of course it'd be fun, The Ball, I'm involved in it!
[ Ah, yes. Fabian's brain's infamous plan in any situations where he doesn't know what to say or do: just default to praising himself to high heaven. ]
So I mean, I-- I guess that would be alright with me. [ .. He realises that actually sounds way more disinterested than intended, so he shakes his head and adds: ] No, it'd be-- fun! It'd be fun, and being by myself was just starting to get a little boring..
[ Understatement of the year. But Fabian would rather die than directly admit to anything about that entire situation. ]
Besides, someone's got to make sure you sleep at some point. You can't literally stay awake forever.
[ No, he is absolutely not rapidly trying to think up ten thousand excuses as to why they should do this, like he's trying to cover up how eager he feels about it, or how his heart is doing little leaps inside of his chest! Not at all!! ]
no subject
Riz knows that he's not always the best at reading other people's social cues. While one teacher had delicately suggested to Sklonda that the trauma of losing his father had stunted him in that area, he knows that he'd been bat at it his entire life. Case in point: he had spent much of freshman year wholly buying into Fabian's haughty bluster, only to discover the truer depths of what lay underneath after -- well, after that wretched day. He knows Fabian a little better now.
Which is how he knows that Fabian's kind of full of it right now. Being in a place of his own and having a perpetual, Gilear-less party initially sounded like it would be Fabian's greatest dreams come to life, but Riz is quickly realizing that Fabian normally wouldn't be quite so gung-ho about a permanent sleepover with him of all people. (They are best friends. Fabian loves him a lot. Riz is also aware that he is, as a person, a Lot.)
He blinks three times at Fabian in rapid-fire, pupils narrowed, as though he can see right through him. Then he does the merciful thing and plays along. He grins. ]
I can for sure stay awake forever. Watch me.
[ Magnanimously: ] I'll even let you have the bigger bed. If you let me set up a clue board in the living room.
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It's that Fabian doesn't realise in the slightest that his bestie here could possibly be on to him. Surely his attitude is always perfect. No one can see through it into Fabian's little tiny vulnerable heart. He clearly totally convinced Riz here.
Though Riz is right in the sense that he is - as a person - a lot. Somehow even more than Fabian, and that's saying something, considering Fabian's sheer presence seems like it's capable of taking up entire rooms all by itself. And Fabian even realises that living with Riz may be a little bit more than he's bargained for, even though it doesn't make him back down. At least it means having a friend around at all times. At least it means not being so terrifyingly alone.
Still, he is aware enough of Riz's.. Rizziness that he can't help but ask: ]
How big of a clue board are we talking?
[ It'd be far from Fabian to deny Riz his favourite hobby, but he may already be imagining their poor apartment being taken over by it.. ]
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[ It's a complete bulshit answer, and Riz knows it. The clueboard in his room back home is pretty modest on account of the fact that his bedroom at Strongtower Luxury Apartments should barely even count as a bedroom, the clueboard at his office takes up practically an entire wall of the office, the Hangvan's clueboard shifts in size as it's dismantled and reestablished on a near daily basis, and the clueboard at Fabian's house --
Huh. Riz doesn't think that Fabian's found that one yet. He decides not to tell him about that one. That will remain a secret between him and the skull he's ignoring that he found in the corner. ]
We are trapped in a different plane without any people around or any way to communicate with the outside world. That sort of problem deserves an adequate clueboard. For peak detecting efficiency.
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.. alright, The Ball.
[ It's a good thing that Fabian has got a crippling abandonment complex at this point and would do pretty much anything as long as it meant he could keep one of his friends around and not have to be all by himself. Even if it means sacrificing personal space to a clue board of all things. ]
We can have an average-sized clue board in our apartment. Average-sized. You heard that part, right? Should I repeat it again just to make sure? [ No amount of repeating is going to save you from your fate, Fabian.
But you can believe. For now. See where this optimism and trust in Riz to not get wildly out of hand (a very, very bad assumption!!) leads you. It leads to you being locked out of your apartment in a few threads, that's where. ]
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Only in the living room. [ That's not saying average-sized. ] And if I use my room too, that's more than enough space! That can be an office-slash-living area. [ There is a moment where he almost tries to push for luck to see if he can get the bigger bedroom so he has more space to spread his notes out in, but comes to his senses just in time to magnanimously say: ] And you can get the bigger bedroom, of course. I think I saw a walk-in closet in there. You love a walk-in closet!
no subject
But it's definitely one of those sacrifices Fabian is willing to make in order to not be alone right now. And Riz's last statement does seem like he's trying to meet Fabian in the middle.
.. maybe he should just make sure to meet any friends he might make here over at their apartments instead of in his and Riz's. Then he can live with it, right. ]
I need a walk-in closet! I need to look stylish!
[ Never mind the fact that Fabian has nothing but the clothes on his back right now. But surely there's a place here to get more clothes? Surely he could still contact his banker here. Maybe they have a branch office here too. ]
We're going to make so many first impressions here. No one probably even knows the Bad Kids! [ For once.
Though that might be a good thing, given that they mostly just cause a lot of death and property damage wherever they go. Even if they do save the world. ]
Any impression you make on someone right now is how they'll remember you forever!
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(Besides, if they stay here for longer than either of them would like -- Riz can be helpful enough that Fabian won't get sick of spending so much time with him. He knows how to do a load of laundry and wash the dishes and how to cook meals that will fill your gut even if it won't fulfil your soul. It's cool. He's good at being useful, when he's not having a multi-clue-board meltdown.) ]
Then it's a deal!
[ His chipperness quickly fades, however, as Fabian continues speaking. He just sort of slides down, like a marionette whose strings have been summarily cut. He groans. ]
Why would you say that? I think that's the single most horrifying thing I've ever heard. I had to sit through Gilear talking about sexual tension, and this is worse.
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No, Fabian is practically laughing throughout this come on. Or getting close to it, anyway. His smile splits his face from ear to ear, and he moves a hand to give his friend a 'helpful' pat on the back.
Which is closer to a friendly jock slap, but.. still. ]
Aren't you looking forward to it? None of these people remember you from freshman year! You could do your best to become the coolest person ever from their point of view-- until they meet me, anyway! [ Sorry, bro.
He'll let you be second coolest though. ]
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[ That jock slap nearly took all the breath out of Riz's lungs -- though he's largely just playing along with it. He knows what makes his friends laugh. ]
We gotta start the benchmark a little lower than coolest person ever. And a little higher than being slam dunked into a trashcan, I guess. Besides, what kind of first impression would even inspire that kind of response? Enlighten me!
[ ... ]
Without it involving punching anyone.
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I can think of some ways.
[ That don't involve punching, thanks!! He'll ignore that offensive statement! He can see what you're doing there and he doesn't like it, Riz! ]
.. some of them involve a motorcycle. [ Judging by the dumb grin that currently exists on Fabian's face, he is definitely already imagining all of it in his little mind palace.. ]
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[ Actually, hey, that's a good point -- did the Hangman not get brought in here with Fabian? It's not like they're glued at the hip (even in Aguefort, it is generally frowned upon to bring a shrieking motorcycle to class with you), but the idea of them being parted for more than a few days is kind of weird.
Oh well. They'll probably find a way back home by then. ]
Are any of your ideas still cool on a regular bicycle? We might be able to swing one of those.