etrayalogs | MISSION 005 (part 1)

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MISSION 005 (part 1)

WHO: Everyone!
WHEN: September 13th-September 27th
WHERE: Throughout Etraya
WHAT: Mission Log!
NOTES\WARNINGS: Horror elements, including fear-inducing landscapes, distorted environments, unseen predators, mental/emotional distress, potential body horror, corruption, possession, brainwashing, and compulsion.

⏵ reality bends ⏴
A strange anomaly has overtaken Etraya. The skies, once familiar, now shift unpredictably, cycling through hues of unnatural colors as an eerie hum fills the air. Tension crackles beneath the surface, leaving an unsettling heaviness across the land. Aurora’s mission announcement offers little clarity—more cryptic than comforting—and she remains unavailable for further explanation.

Reality begins to warp, twisting Etraya into a surreal, haunting reflection of its former self.

The hospital deteriorates into a decaying structure, its halls haunted by phantom patients, endless corridors leading to nowhere. Rooms morph into massive white padded cells where characters may find themselves imprisoned, alone with spectral figures who whisper of treatments yet to come. Some of these apparitions seek the attention of those roaming the hospital, warning them of a dire fate: failure in this mission means not just the death of their worlds, but their souls becoming trapped in this fractured reality, far from home, forever.

The forest transforms into a dark and twisted labyrinth. The trees close in, their branches twisting unnaturally as unseen predators howl from the shadows. Narrow pathways wind through the maze, and while some may navigate unscathed, others will be violently pulled into the depths by horrors lurking just out of sight. Within this twisted forest, a small cottage appears, its walls echoing eerie whispers: "little scorpion," "selfish bitch," and "by the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes."

The rivers, usually calm, have become a dangerous, volatile force. Their waters churn violently, and inky black tendrils rise from the depths, lashing out at anyone who strays too close. These dark appendages drag their victims beneath the surface, where those who resist must battle their way to freedom. But those who surrender will be drawn into an otherworldly dome beneath the water, surrounded by strange fish, far from where they should be. Inside, they will find an eerie stillness, but their earpieces still allow contact with the world above. A large mirror dominates the dome, offering an uncertain way back.

⏵ shadowy haunts ⏴
Those inside the zones come face to face with an echo of fear - a personalized manifestation of what scares them most. It could be an oppressive figure from their past, or something more abstract, such as the feeling of failure, or isolation. These echoes are relentless, feeding off their weaknesses and digging into what makes them most vulnerable.

The Im'mari hungers, and preying on characters' weaknesses appears to be its chosen way of feeding itself. While characters may become stuck in their nightmares by themselves, some of these nightmares are shared between companions. Characters may become trapped within their friends' fears, or strangers'. However, the emotional distress felt by the individual the nightmare belongs to will affect everyone within the nightmare. An emotional prison built to torment those whom it belongs to, these echoes of fears may test the bond between companions, forcing them to face truths they may have rather avoided touching on. Earpieces will still be functional and may prove to be crucial in assisting characters when it comes to escaping their nightmares.

⏵ contamination ⏴
Im'mari may be weaker than before, but it is slowly regaining power, and the creature’s influence is spreading. It infects the wolves, the plants, and even the very essence of Vanessa Ives (and in addition, Aelwyn Abernant), feeding off the deep-seated fears of those around it.

Im'mari thrives in the shadows of fear and darkness, growing stronger with every moment of doubt, pain, and despair. Its presence lingers beyond the edges of awareness, whispering to its victims, urging them to succumb. Through Vanessa and those she has infected, Im'mari extends its reach, turning once-familiar faces into agents of fear, pushing their companions to the brink.

For those who fall under its sway, the transformation is slow, at first nearly undetectable. Perhaps a friend acts off, says something out of character, or expresses sudden, unprovoked anger. But as Im'mari’s power grows, so does the darkness in its agents, until they are no longer themselves—twisted into something monstrous, compelled to spread fear and destruction.

Welcome to your nightmares. We hope you have a pleasant stay.

⏵ NOTES ⏴

For all questions relating to this mission, please refer to the plotting post. We will be utilizing this post throughout the mission - including when we process the next round of applications, so please keep an eye out for new comments! All other questions can be directed to the FAQ.

⏵FULL NAVIGATION⏴

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The concern on Cloud's face deepens to see just how raw Izuku's devastation is. Does the kid even recognize him?

The only fear Cloud feels is the fear that Izuku might lose himself completely to this nightmare and do something he'll regret when it ends. Or, worse, that it might not end at all. Cloud's expression darkens into fierce resolve. Hazy as his memories are of the times when he lost himself to the nightmare that is Sephiroth, he knows intimately the pain and guilt of waking up from it to find that you've hurt someone you care about or become someone you don't want to be. He refuses to let that happen to Izuku. He will save this kid from himself, even if he has to knock him out to do it.

"Can't get rid of me that easily." Cloud shifts his weight forward, ready to move. "You can't save him like this! He needs you to--"

--keep a clear head, is what he's going to say, before Izuku kicks a shockwave at him. This is more like what Cloud expected from the kid's Quirk. In one smooth movement, he hefts Buster up over his shoulder and spins around once for momentum before bringing the sword crashing down. The impact sends a counter-shockwave made of glowing beams of light to intercept the attack, and they clash with a resounding rush of air and force, canceling each other out.

But in the seconds it takes Cloud to do that, he loses track of Blackwhip and doesn't have a chance to anticipate it before it grabs him and wraps him in its tendrils. "Ngh...shit."

Loki might be amused to see Hob as he was hundreds of years ago. He was quite a lively fellow back then. Even if he engaged in banditry, he wasn't really a bad person, but he was a man of limited means until he received an opportunity to better himself.

At the question, Hob nods, resting his arm over the back of the couch beside Loki. "I'm not saying it's the same for everyone, but yeah. For me, it's been worth it, and I've lost a lot of people. It was never easy, and I've never stopped missing them, but to me, it's worth it."

[ It doesn't particularly matter to Gorgug what Linhardt does, so long as it isn't trying to take his arm back from Gorgug--that, he keeps a good enough grip on, and anything else is secondary unless it interferes with the first. Linhardt can swipe out his hand and go for a slap, and Gorgug wouldn't stop him.

So when Linhardt takes Gorgug's finger, he doesn't stop him. He only follows with his gaze to see what he might do, and as he starts to push against the finger, Gorgug doesn't retaliate: he only makes it difficult for Linhardt to move too much that he might be able to fully stand, keeping a hold of that arm, refusing to let it be. Though there is some pressure, a side-effect from his finger getting bent, bent, bent; when Gorgug starts to hiss between his teeth, a small whine before the crack that comes between them, and the sound turns louder, into a proper cry. He holds onto Linhardt's arm tighter, but not putting a deliberate, heavier pressure against the wound with his thumb.

His head hangs, he moves--if he can, if Linhardt will allow--his hand with its broken digit to view what's become of it, between them both, and releases a small sob at the sight. Vision returning onto the mage, his eyes widened from the pain now shooting across his hand, mouth parted for the breath he's taking in faster, quicker.

I want to frustrate you more.

His eyes look scared, his expression fearful. And yet, with his voice a hiss, ]

Try harder.

[ Gorgug sucks in his cheeks, and spits directly in the mage's face.

And he hasn't bothered to hide away the hand. The dare has been set.

Do you promise? ]

Amused would be right. Loki might have been redeemed (at least somewhat) of his own past misdeeds, but that doesn't mean he wouldn't still do the same if he were ever to find himself in a similar situation. He just wouldn't actually attempt to harm anyone anymore.

Without really thinking about it, Loki slouches slightly and leans his head back against the couch, bringing himself much closer to Hob's arm and hand. "Does it at least get easier?" He doesn't mean it to, but it's likely pretty clear that he's no stranger to loss himself.

Hob watches him, unable to help but admire Loki's handsome face when he tilts his chin back to rest his head. He has the most perfectly sculpted jaw Hob has ever seen. And those cheekbones? It's like his face was made to catch the light. He should not be thinking such things during a conversation like this.

"Every time you lose someone, it hurts all over again, so I wouldn't say it gets easier. It hurts a lot at first, but after a while, there are more good days than bad days. Sometimes, you still miss them, though. That never goes away."

"None at all. Little here does, to be honest. All these machines... it's been pretty disorienting." She taps her chin as she mulls it over. "I mean, we do have some automatons at home? Karakuri dolls; they're kind of a little like the robots, I guess. But they need to be operated by someone, they don't move on their own. But they can still be pretty impressive. Some can shoot tiny arrows!"

Now she's curious about Gorgug's perspective. "What about you? Do you have stuff like this--" she taps her earpiece "-- where you're from?"

[ He shakes his head as an answer.

Not that stuff hasn't been happening to him, but-- well, it's not a lie when whatever she has been through hasn't happened to him. Fabian can just shove all the shit he's dealing with right under the carpet, the way he always does. She looks like she needs way more help right now. ]

I've been trying to get not too close to the water. [ Just in case. ] Do you think you can get up and walk? I can bring you back to the apartment building with my bike. Then you can dry yourself off back in your apartment-- maybe lie down for a bit.

Okay. Okay. What Fabian says -- it makes sense. Etraya messes with them. Echo messes with them. Somewhere inside, Rin feels a spark of desire -- desire to someday get back at Echo.

Maybe that's not an impulse she should follow, but right now? It grounds her. Along with Fabian's voice, his words. Alright. Breathe in, breathe out. You can do this, Rin. She seeks eye contact with Fabian and says: "Let's keep talking. Please."

"I'm not sure okay is the word," Rin replies, leaning her head back against the tree trunk. For a moment, she just lets herself feel the texture of the bark and looks up into the thick foliage. The forest labyrinth itself is pretty creepy, but still miles better than what she just saw. She needs to keep a hold of it.

But she lowers her head to look at Ed. "Uhm, what about you?" Seeing as she finally has time to get a good look at him, she notices just how disheveled he looks. Not to mention the missing arm, and... well, either only one of his legs is armored, or the leg itself is made of metal. Huh. How interesting, if that were the case.

Rin is still shaking when Mal takes her hand and pulls her and staggers as she tries to follow suit. The blood lapping at her knees feels like morasses. And then -- something happens that's never happened to Rin before, something that is so completely alien to her she has to look up, eyes wide, searching for Mal's gaze, because -- does Mal know what's happening?

Like a foreign presence in her mind, different from whatever Etraya has so far done to her in ways she can't describe. "Wha--?"

[ Krouse tenses when Fabian tugs him closer, like he's expecting something terrible. He tenses, but he doesn't shove Fabian away, and if that doesn't say something fucked up about him, Krouse doesn't know what does.

And if Fabian hugging him doesn't say something fucked up about him, too, Krouse doesn't know what does either. Fucked up in the sense that no one should be this forgiving, not if they want to keep themselves from getting stabbed in the back.

Krouse could literally stab Fabian in the back right now, if he was one of those capes who kept a knife up his sleeve. Fabian doesn't know that he isn't. Krouse tells himself that, even though part of him knows, deep down, that Fabian does know it. Krouse slipped up. He didn't hit hard enough to make a point. ]

Don't -

[ He chokes out, his arms stiff at his sides as his face is pressed into Fabian's shoulder. That's what he tells himself is happening, anyway, as his nose buries into Fabian's shirt. His eyes squeeze shut as he hisses like a radiator, his shoulders hitching into sharper tension. ]

Then you're an idiot. [ He says, muffled and wretched. ] Like I'd fucking let you be that fucking noble.

[ He digs his face deeper into Fabian's shoulder, or maybe he's pushed there. Maybe there's no real difference that matters. His heart struggles and throbs, and then, with another hitch of his shoulders, gives up. He slumps against Fabian, exhausted and pathetic, and lets himself actually breathe. ]

[ Noelle didn't love Krouse like that, if she loved him at all. He doesn't think she did. She didn't hate him, either, and knowing that is almost worse than knowing she didn't love him back the way he thought he wanted.

He's not telling Riz that. Not yet. He doesn't trust himself to explain it right, to make it fair. He didn't need her to love him. He'd learned that in the worst way, but he learned it. Love isn't something that needs to be given back.

But she told him he could stop, too, even though she didn't love him. He's not telling Riz that either. If he tells Riz that, then he'll have to admit how fucking selfish this all still is. There's a horrible freedom that comes with already being past someone's forgiveness. She'll never get over him doing this for her, if he pulls it off, and it'll be just one more thing he didn't listen to her about. The thought claws at him, terrifyingly close to making him have to really look at that, but he just - can't.

Better to focus on the now. On Riz's small hand on his knee, grounding Krouse to whatever facsimile of reality this is. ]

I haven't exactly had a great track record with asking people for help.

[ When in doubt, fall back on flippancy, however it creaks and strains in his ragged voice as he plasters on a terrible attempt at a weak smile. It slips off as he jerks his head at their surroundings. ]

That's how I got here. I trusted the wrong person, and I fucked us. You know - you know how it is when you need something. That's how people own you. And what the fuck do I have to offer in exchange? Why would anyone help me with this? Because they're my friends? [ That flickering, awful smile again, there and gone. ] That didn't pan out last time, either.

I couldn't ask you. I couldn't ask, and then, even if shit changed - I mean, listen to you. You don't even think I should be trying.

Loki can feel Hob’s gaze on him, but he doesn’t outwardly acknowledge it. He doesn’t really know what to do with it. He knows he likes Hob more than anyone else he’s met here, he knows he feels better in his presence and wants to spend more time with him.

But considering their topic of conversation, is any of it a good idea? No probably not, but Loki would be lying if he said he didn’t want to say screw it and spend all his time with Hob.

“I can’t imagine not missing them.” Loki rolls his head along the back of the couch to look directly at Hob. He smiles, it’s a bit melancholic, but real. He can’t imagine not missing Hob, when the time comes.

"I have no idea, but we shouldn't stick around if we can help it," Accelerator answers, switching his choker back to preserve the battery before taking several steps away from Rin. Unfortunately it's dark, really dark, and he has no idea what direction to go in to get back towards the main area of Etraya.

He takes another step, though this one has him bumping into something soft but solid. And wet.

It's the form of another body, though this one is smaller and more delicate than the previous ones -- a girl, around their age, with a pair of broken military goggles on her head.

Accelerator freezes.

Hob can't tell Loki what the right thing to do is. It's different for everyone, as is grief. He just knows that, personally, the pain is worth the joy.

"I still miss them. Often." Sure, he can distract himself with things like his work or even meet someone new, but that doesn't replace his lost loves. It just adds another person to the list for him to miss in the future. The same goes for friendships, too.

"I think it'll be a shame if we return home one day and don't remember this place. I'd hate to forget you."

Rin follows and is about to ask him what's up when he stops -- but then she sees it, too. A girl. Just a girl, who's very obviously dead. It's not someone Rin recognizes, and from Accelerator's reaction, she can guess that this must be coming from his mind.

She swallows, hard, and walks over to Accelerator. One hand delicately touches his arm as she says: "It's not real, you hear me? Not. Real. Let's keep going."

They have to believe this. Right? They have to, if they want to make it out of here alive and sane.

".............."

Accelerator's gaze remains on the body, and at Rin's touch he abruptly yanks away from her, his expression shifting into a scowl. "Fuck off, I know it isn't."

It's needlessly hostile, but seeing a dead Sister is instantly putting him on edge. He takes a step away from both Rin and the body, intending to move forward, but -- there's more of them. Some of the darkness is receding a bit, to reveal less a mountain of corpses, more a whole field of identical ones, spread out into the distance.

It's a gruesome sight, and it makes Accelerator tense up out of a combination of rage and agitation. "Goddamnit."

It figures that Midoriya wouldn't take the bait. This mousetrap isn't built for the likes of him. If this was really Coil, if this was really real, this would be going another way.

But now they're so far off script that Trickster doesn't know what's going to happen next, a rogue superhero on the loose inside of Trickster's personal lament configuration, and he's saying Trickster - Krouse is his friend. Still. Like the pain in the ass he is.

"A knockout?" Krouse snaps, flicking a hand in Coil's direction. "Do I look like I know how to hit someone in the head without killing him? You do it!"

He's good at having two fights at once. He could thank Perdition for that. Probably the only useful thing the idiot ever did in his life.

The world's always ending. [She may remember little enough of the first decades of her life, but she knows her world well enough to know that there's always some dire threat looming just over the horizon or simmering just beneath the surface. And here, well, it might as well be every week that something new and horrific pops up.] Getting drunk every time it does will only leave you with a permanent hangover.

[She glances around, considering her options. Considering how alone she feels just now.]

But if you insist, I suppose I'll come along.

[Shadowheart circles around behind him, the soft clink of her armour betraying her movement despite her best efforts to be quiet. When she speaks, there's an anger in her voice where she tries to be calm and commanding – anger that he won't simply cower before her, that she doesn't know how to make him, that lesson after lesson after lesson Mother would rip the rod or the dagger from her hand and turn it on her for her incompetence – and a quaver that comes from lack of conviction.]

The world is a parade of violent monsters and murderous lunatics willing to carve their way through any innocent soul in search of a next meal or a bag of coin, people cowering at the feet of gods who couldn't care less whether they live or die, counting on lies and corrupt institutions to save them. And there'll be no peace in death, either. Have you heard what the ghosts are saying? If we fail here, our souls will be trapped. Forever. Alone. There isn't any happiness to choose.

[What had she thought of saying to him, the last time they spoke? That love and joy are worth the pain they leave when they're gone? Does she really believe that? It seems a foolish notion, here in Shar's darkness.

And besides, how could she decide anything for herself, when she never has before. The one choice she's ever made--

The only choice you've ever made of your own will was to free the Nightsong. And it brought you nothing but pain, Shar whispers. I alone can ease that pain. Kill him, and I will make you forget. You will forget it all. And when you die, your soul will be with me. Thought, feeling, doubt, decisions: all shall fall away when I grant you the peace of my oblivion. Do not let them trouble you now.

Her hands tighten once more on the spear.

Remember, Shadowheart, this is what you want.

This is what she wants.

With a shout of rage, she lunges out of the darkness into the little pool of light that Fabian's made for himself, and drives her spear towards him. But whatever his reaction might be, she hesitates before the spear can reach him. That same strange whim that made her spare Aylin, stronger than the will of a goddess and perhaps stronger than the will of whatever black sickness currently curdles in her veins, now urges her to spare Fabian too.]

Midoriya determines that the shots he heard earlier were probably aimed to kill. Damn it, Krouse.

"Manchester Smash!!"

He flips down from the ceiling with an axe kick to the ground, but Coil ends up just a little to the right in the same way he avoided being shot dead. Undeterred, Midoriya sweeps new rubble with his foot at Coil with the force of a car.

"I don't know what kind of people Heroes are in your world, but in mine, everyone's lives are our responsibility. My power is for saving lives. Death is failure to me. Someone I admire very much never accepts anything but total victory. It'd be too bad if I didn't measure up!"

He can see his hits boxing in the areas of probability. Even if this is a nightmare, it has been following its own rules. He releases more power in his legs to leap faster than usual to Coil's blind spot on his other side. Everywhere at once. He drives his elbow towards the back of Coil's head.

Well, talking is something Fabian can do. Talking even in the middle of situations that seem outright awful is kind of his speciality, actually, so he feels like he's in the right place at the right moment here.

"You just want me to talk about anything?"

Maybe not about Echo or Aurora then, he thinks. It might remind the other a little of the situation they're in right now in the first place, and that's what he's trying to avoid.

"Well-- Have you ever been to a party, Rin?" It's just about the furthest thing he can think from their current situation. "A big house party, I mean! You know, the kind of party the most popular kids at school throw in the weekend?"

"Uhm, not really? I never went to school." Rin is glad he chose this topic. Now they can compare differences and talk about that for a while. "Though sometimes Father's students would have a party at the dojo, and sometimes they'd ask me to sit with them for a bit. Mom always pulled me away when the drinking got too rowdy, though." A quiet laugh escapes her as she reminisces about the good old days.

The before days.

Oh. Oh no. Do not think about before what that was. Remember the good, remember Mother's smile and not her body painted with Father's blood on the -- "What was your school like?" Rin asks, a slight tremble in her voice now.

"They were never here, Rin. It was a trick."

It's not a kind way to speak to someone as openly devastated as Rin is right now. Riz knows that. He knows that there's a right combination of words to say, that he should be accepting of her clear, vivid trauma right in front of them, that there's a certain course of action that's correct to take on. (Jawbone would know it, he thinks. Maybe when he gets back, he needs to take, like, some sort of mental health seminar that lets you only worry about everyone else's mental health and not have to talk about your own at all.)

But right now? His focus isn't on Rin's state right now. It's on keeping them alive, for as long as he can muster. He digs around in his briefcase and comes out with a change of clothes -- meant as a change of clothing for Adaine, originally, but she and Rin were close enough to being the same size to make it count. He pulls out one of many towels too, holding it out to her before turning around to help her preserve her modesty.

"Dry yourself off and change into these. We're no good to anyone with you dying of hypothermia," Riz says, tone even, level. "When we get somewhere safe... maybe we can talk about it then."

Wow. If this wasn't such a serious situation, Fabian definitely would have told the other that at this point Izuku is just showing off - but he knows better than to risk it when the situation is this tense. Hard to ever really get to joke around with Izuku when this place apparently loves messing with this guy's mind..

"And how do you expect me to prove that?!" He retorts - not going to fully bend in the face of all of this pressure. That would just make him feel pathetic.

He at least wants to hold his head high. Especially with how stupid this place has been lately, with how much worse it keeps getting.

"You tell me!"

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Page 23 of 26

MISSION 005 (part 1)

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I'm so sorry for the lateness

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you're totally fine, thanks for getting back to this! <3

cw: blood, pre-sexual assault, disturbing imagery

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