TDM 002

[etrayamods]

⏵ 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⏴

Comments

i

[upbyone]

[ Kyra is coming back from a supply run at the Kwik Trip. She has no idea what the other teen is about to ask before the lioness grabs their attention. Kyra freezes.

Slowly, she digs into her shopping bag and produces a ham sandwich. A paltry offering, but it's the only food she has on her that has meat.

She hands it to Billy. He's closer, he should do it. ]

[wiccant]

( kyra shows up with a sandwich, which - billy's looking down to, then up to her with a quirked brow. takes it, but not without a, )

I really don't think this is going to work.

[upbyone]

[ She frowns, annoyed. ]

If you have a better idea, do it.

[wiccant]

Where were you trying to get to?

( he's not taking his eyes off the lioness, who is eyeing the sandwich so maybe it wasn't a terrible idea. luckily for them both, she hasn't moved yet. )

[upbyone]

There. [ She nods in the direction of a hallway a few feet to the right of the lion. ] Why?

[wiccant]

( a step back, slow, to make sure he's not going to anger the lion with his movements. she's still keeping watch but isn't - moving towards them. it's as good of a sign as any. one hand holds onto the sandwich, while the other moves back towards kyra, fingers extended. )

Grab onto me? I can get you over there.

[upbyone]

[ Billy reaches out, wanting her to grab his hand.

She doesn't. ]

What are you going to do?

[ Run really fast? ]

[wiccant]

Teleport.

( which he can do without holding onto someone, but given he doesn't know her, he doesn't want her to stop halfway and accidentally lose her somewhere in the middle. )

[upbyone]

[ ....
...
.. ]

What.

[wiccant]

I'm a witch. This is a totally normal, completely fine thing that I do often enough, and is safe. If you can just hold onto me.

( please? his hand is still hanging here. )

[upbyone]

[ Deadpan: ] Right. Perfectly normal.

[ She's just going to leave. There's always the fire escape.

But when she moves to leave, the lion growls. ]

[wiccant]

( yeah, that's going to go great. the lion growls, and billy throws the sandwich off to the right of her, turns around towards her and hopes it's enough to momentarily distract the lion (it's not, she's standing now and heading towards them) while he twists around and - grabs onto her wrist, gently, pushing her towards a newly opened portal that sparks blue around the edges and takes them straight through to the other side of the hallway she'd been going for. )

[upbyone]

Shit.

[ Everything happens too fast. She barely moves before Billy grabs her wrist and pushes her through something straight out of a video game-- a glowing blue portal.

Kyra is too shocked to resist. And she's so startled that she doesn't immediately move after being pushed through the portal, in spite of the lion still in the lobby.

So she just stares at Billy while she waits for the world to go back to making sense again. ]

[wiccant]

( she's shocked, and he gets it. billy hadn't come into the world full of magic, he'd picked it up one step at a time after a not-so-fun, getting shoved around by childhood bullies incident. there's no judgement, but they've also still got a lion to get away from, even if billy did take them a fair distance away from her. they're in the same open space, he doesn't know what door she wants to go in, and he's not going to pull out bigger spells to get her there because - people generally dislike being stalked and having others know where they live. just because he can doesn't mean he should. )

Witch. It's normal-ish. I know it's weird, I'm sorry, you'll uh, get used to it? Maybe. But you should probably pick a door to go into so you can close her out before she gets any closer.

[upbyone]

[ Kyra takes a deep breath, her head still spinning. But there's enough sense left in her to do what Billy says. She breaks into a dead run for the nearest door and yanks it open. ]

[wiccant]

( unfortunately for kyra, billy's following right on her tail, running into the room with her after the door's open and making sure it's closed behind him. his fingers spark blue - a bit of magic, an extra layer of protection to prevent the lion from breaking in after them, if she chooses to make an attempt.

and then he's pressing his forehead to the door, letting out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. )

Sorry for startling you? I mean it's - normalish for me, yeah, but I know it's not for you and magic is a lot to just drop on someone.

( the deadpan and refusal to believe it is what got him to realize it's probably not a thing on her side of the multiverse. oops. )

But I really, really can't fight a lion. I'd die. She'd chew me up and spit me out in pieces.

[upbyone]

[ Kyra doesn't stop running until she's nearly halfway across the apartment. She whirls around just in time to see Billy 'lock' the door behind them.

Billy's words filter through and she leans against the back of the couch. Kyra is a realistic person and she can't deny what she just experienced. ]

Why did you help me?

[ Easier to focus on the familiar. Selflessness for a stranger is only slightly more believable to her than magic is. ]

[wiccant]

What do you mean, why?

( she's halfway across the apartment, and he's staying very, very close to the door. just in case, but also to give her some distance. just in case. )

I'm not going to leave someone to face a lion. Who would do that?

( it was loki's fault he had to fight a bear that one time. but loki's a different story entirely. )

[upbyone]

[ Kyra just watches him. Not afraid, just wary. ]

I was going to leave you.

[wiccant]

Okay?

( he's seeing where she's going with this now, at least. understands a bit of the why would you. )

You're only human. People get scared. I was scared. If you left me and I was stuck there helpless, I would've understood. But I'm not helpless. And I'm not going to leave someone behind, regardless of it they would've left me.

[upbyone]

[ Kyra looks at him, her body language still closed-off but with less tension. ]

That could get you killed.

[ It's not a rebuke, not a sarcastic 'gotcha', not resignation. There's a very, very slight change in her voice. Softness, sadness? Maybe he reminds her of someone, who would bleed himself dry for a world that doesn't deserve it. ]

[wiccant]

It could. It could also help more than it hurts. Honestly, I'm not all that worried about it. I made my choice.

( billy decided to be a hero, and even if he'd chosen to stop being one for a while, he's -- well, he's back on a space ship, trailing after tommy while avoiding mother. it feels as close to picking up where he left off as he's going to get. )

[upbyone]

[ Her body language becomes distant, any hint of real emotion hidden away again.

Why would she care anyway? For all she knows, he's going to come collect a favor from her later. Relying on someone being genuinely selfless is too big of a gamble for her. ]

If you say so.

[wiccant]

( if you say so, she says, as if she isn't used to the helping hand. he. . . understands where it comes from, even if billy doesn't like the implications behind it. )

Back home, I was kind of a superhero for a while. I guess old habits just die hard, but--also like, people deserve help.

[upbyone]

Not all people. Not at all costs.

[ She's encountered some real monsters. To her, some people don't deserve saving. ]