etrayalogs | MISSION 001

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MISSION 001

WHO: Everyone!
WHEN: March 29th-April 20th
WHERE: Everywhere on Etraya
WHAT: Mission 001!
NOTES\WARNINGS: Potential violence, death.

⏵ mission prep ⏴
On the morning of the 29th, characters will receive a notification from Aurora to come to the hospital’s ground floor to prepare for their first mission. On this floor, pairs will be given slips of paper with matching numbers. If characters have chosen their partners, they too will receive small slips of paper with matching numbers, as these numbers match the room assignment they will be asked to please step inside.

The rooms themselves are bare. There’s a cot, two chairs pushed up against a small table, a miniature fridge set up below a sink, and a television that only plays static. On the table is a note, which simply reads:

Welcome. To prepare you for your first mission, we are giving you time to get to know your partner. You have a twelve-hour time limit to discuss your lives together. We recommend talking about moments throughout your life that have defined the person you have become. In addition, we have included several ingredients inside the miniature refrigerator. You must, without telling your partner specifically what it is, create their favorite drink using the ingredients within and above the refrigerator.

Do not attempt to cheat. Do not make your own drink.

If you pass, you will both be given two points and the door will unlock. If you fail, you may try again with the same partner or a new partner may be reassigned to you.

Good luck.

Within the mini fridge will be numerous ingredients - these ingredients could be anything, from Bantha milk to dragon fruit - whatever their favorite drinks are, they will find all the correct ingredients to make them. There will also be numerous extra ingredients. Maybe a character’s favorite drink is a nice cup of peppermint tea. The kettle, and the tea bags, will be present on top of the mini fridge, but there may also be soda bottles inside the fridge and various milk substitutes. Cheating by making their own drink will result in the game being reset, and a new partner being assigned or no partner at all being assigned and they will simply be removed from this part of the exercise.

⏵ the secret's out⏴
Numerous notes can be found throughout Etraya’s populated areas - falling from the sky, taped to doors, slid under them, or perhaps being handed out by a few of the companion bots who will eagerly note how these are meant to help, but a quick read may show that they’re not things anyone wants to be given out so freely.

After all, on the notes are secrets, untold truths, things that were never meant to be shared nor wanted out in the open. Some of these aren’t notes at all, but small packages that are not addressed to anyone in particular, or addressed to the incorrect party. Inside the packages are items that may be associated with a particular event: a knife that had been used to betray a friend still stained with blood, a mask meant to conceal identity, a picture featuring a moment in time that had best been left forgotten.

The goal of the game becomes clear by the notes written on the back or thin slips within the packages: match the secret to the person. You could simply ignore them, but the note also includes an addendum: more notes will continue to be sent until the person is matched to their secret.

⏵ cracked reflection ⏴

Every person is an intricate mosaic, composed of numerous facets that shape what makes them - themselves.

After all, one person is not simply one picture, but rather, a puzzle comprised of myriad pieces. These pieces may shape their strengths, their sense of humor, the influences of their upbringing, and who they admired in their formative years. Together, these fragments coalesce into a singular form: you.

But what if those pieces were rearranged? What if the fundamental aspects that define who you are simply… didn’t exist? What if, rather than being a courageous hero, you were cast as a formidable villain? What if, instead of pursuing the path that led you to greatness, you veered in a different direction?

A new dawn breaks over Etraya. The artificial sun rises over the horizon, accompanied by the melodic chirping of birds. As the denizens of Etraya awaken, they sense... a shift in the air - a feeling of dissonance, as if a piece of themselves has suddenly gone missing. Because it has.

Doubles of every current inhabitant of Etraya roam the corridors of the apartment building and the surrounding facilities. They let themselves into Roxx to get a few new outfits, get themselves a meal at the hospital cafeteria, or maybe they’re raiding the snack shelves at Kwik Trip. They may bear a striking resemblance to their counterpart and act very similarly, but there is something off about them. A quality that sets them apart. Remember that step you took, that led you to your current career? The step you’ve kept secret for so long, that has defined your actions ever since? They didn’t take it. They went down a different path, something darker, or perhaps something lighter. They took the path you most feared, the one you knew would turn out terribly. And they in turn - turned out for the worst.

Characters will find they are facing one of their worst fears: themselves, but their worst selves. The version of them that they fought so hard not to become, that they strove against rather than towards. And the mission? They need to take out their worst selves.

But there’s a twist: interaction with their doubles isn’t possible. Both halves are cognizant of each other’s existence, yet they are incapable of verbally or physically interacting with each other. And while the double understands what they are, the original? Well… how do you truly know you are who you’re supposed to be? What if you were the double all along? What if you are your own worst self?

There is one way to be sure: the color of the copies’ blood is slightly darker than what it should be. Running closer to a red-black than the red you would anticipate. Or for some, perhaps their blood is red where it should be running black. While they feel and look real, driving a unique blade straight through where their heart would be will cause doubles to dissipate into nothing once the knife penetrates deep enough. As for the genuine articles, well, the blade is sharp—and it’s going to hurt.

A blade is provided for every authentic copy. Those who were sleeping through the night will find it beside them upon awakening. As for those who remain vigilant throughout the night, the blade will manifest beside them in the early hours of April 2nd.

Guess someone is going to have to kill your double.

⏵ quicksilver has no sense of tact ⏴

Aurora’s announcement left out several crucial details: the existence of the doubles, for one. But also the looming deadline to take care of the mess that has been dropped onto Etraya. Inside the characters’ wrists, they will discover a timer gradually counting down. The timers are only visible for the person who dons it, as is the amount of time given. Every person is given an individual time limit, but it cannot be longer than two weeks. As the numbers dwindle, more black marks appear going up the inside of their arms toward the inside of their elbow. And what are the black marks?

With each additional black mark, they begin to feel… less like themselves, and more like their doppelgangers. In the beginning, maybe they barely notice the change. Maybe it’s a favorite food they loved that they now hate, or perhaps it’s an event that has shifted: something small but important - a decision to save a life changed to taking one. Maybe they’ll feel like a piece of themselves is no longer the same, replaced with another feeling or sensation. Where something would have usually made them empathetic to another's blight, now they find their suffering funny. Regardless, the longer their doubles are around, the longer they slowly begin to become their doubles - and their doubles begin to become just like them.

If their doppelganger is not taken out at the end of their provided time, it will simply dissipate and the original will remain changed. The only way to return to normal is to kill the original. After death, the character will remain dead for twenty-four hours before returning to their normal selves as if the death had never occurred. While killing them to return them to normal is information Aurora will readily share, no one will inform them that they will simply return to normal by April 20th.

⏵ OOC ⏴
Welcome to the first mission! For any questions relating to this mission please reply below. All other questions can be directed to the FAQ.

Please note that while ICly, characters are not given a choice, players can choose which missions they wish for their characters to participate in. They may have missed receiving room assignments, or their secrets may not have been dropped, or a copy may not have shown up for them. This may not always be an option in future missions!

⏵FULL NAVIGATION⏴

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[ Starters will be going up below so that I can add more as needed. Let me know if you want something specific. ]

[ Tim gets to the room first, although there isn't any great prize to being the early bird. (He wouldn't want the worm anyway.)

But he does get to read the note without anyone craning over his shoulder, checking the back for more writing before setting it back down on the table. Cot, chairs, tv. He's clicking through the channels to see if anything functions.

(Why include a tv if it doesn't work? Robot ambiance?)

What he doesn't do is bother with the fridge. They might as well sort through the ingredients together, if they're going to play the game by the rules. If he looks at it himself, who is going to notice his utter disdain of flavored coffee creamer? ]

[It is so futzing early, whose idea was it to do this before anyone had a chance to grab at least their first cup of caffeine? She misses living with teammates who understand the important things in life.

Oh, no. Did she just admit to missing Quire and Gwen? No one heard her, so it doesn't count.

She makes her way to the appointed room, takes one look around, and then looks at Tim bleary-eyed.]

Please tell me you've already figured this out so we can be done.

[ With two people in the room, the door swings shut and locks audibly. Tim looks at the coffee pot through his fingers as he scrubs his face with his hands. That shouldn't count as telling - the fridge is also on that side of the room. Why didn't he grab a drink from the cafeteria on the way here? ]

No. I haven't.

[ It's so goddamn late; he's in that sour spot between having been up all night and that glorious second wind of morning coffee. He can make it through 12 hours without crashing, but it would be better with something to grease the wheels. ]

We're essentially in an escape room with all the fun sucked out of it. Without giving away the answer, we have to make each other's favorite drinks while chatting about our lives and how they made us who we are. So pretend you're a carny doing a cold-read. What factors into taste.

[Even after hearing the lock catch, Kate still walks back over to the door to try and open it. You never know. There was always a first time, it might only be a trick to see how long it took them to try to leave.

She collapses in the other chair with a sigh.]

Great. Not you, this.

[It wasn't his fault they were stuck in this situation.

Would it be terrible if she made the crack about liking her favorite drink like she liked her last boyfriend? Strong, black, and able to keep her up all night? Yeah, no, that would be in bad taste and probably against the rules or something.]

Age, background, where you live.

[ He nods approving as she checks the door. It never hurts to doublecheck. They should probably do that periodically over the 12 hours too, but he can't just offer to pick the lock. That particularly skill will only be a surprise once, if at all. The others may not know Tim's talents; he finds it hard to believe Aurora doesn't. ]

You never have to worry about being sarcastic with me. Okay - I'm Tim Drake, and I'm from Gotham.

[ He says it the way people from megametropolises say it - no state, no country. New York, London, Tokyo, Seoul. He is from a city of ten million. Everybody knows it. ]

I'm 17 and I was adopted by a family friend a few years ago when my dad was killed. I finished high school early and was accepted to Ivy U at 16, but didn't go. I don't have any biological siblings, but have 5 adopted ones. You?

I'm Kate, not Katie Bishop. Or Hawkeye, recently from LA but still very much from New York. 22, my parents are...

[A vampire and a life-model decoy, more or less. Both things that many people don't realize are things that are out there in the world.]

Complicated. Let's go with complicated. I've been an Avenger [said in that same tone -- everyone knows what an Avenger is] in some form or another since I was 16. No college either, but I was busy doing other things. I was a Hero for Hire and a private investigator for a while. One older sister.

[ He's sitting on the obvious question about the nickname Hawkeye, but permanently lets that one go by the time she hits hero for hire. ]

I've heard of Hawkman, Hawkgirl, Hawk, and Hawke. Last one has an E. But not Hawkeye, not the Avengers either, if I'm being honest.

[ And he is, thus far. But nothing earth shattering. ]

So no higher education, but we're both smart enough to pull it off if I got in and you worked as a P.I. And nobody was forced by their parents anyway. What's your diner order, sans drink? I'd go for a pork roll, egg and cheese with disco fries if it's late.

[ The double, being aware of what Tim was aware of and having little patience for sitting back and learning the game before playing it, is taking more of a direct approach to solving the problem of how to get back to the correct universe and timeline, and if he can resolve the problems of a few more universes, well, that's all to the good.

To those who aren't great judges of height at night, he looks a lot like Batman in a trenchcape. Those who've spotted Batman may want to look again or check holsters and hands for a pair of nasty guns. Where he's hiding during the day, no one can say, but at night, he'll be investigating the apartments, hospital, and surrounding areas and looking to take out both the guilty and the competition. ]

Edited 2024-03-30 21:24 (UTC)

( damian recognizes the suit the moment he sees it.

it wasn't all that long ago that tim drake came to titans tower intent on hurting jon; almost succeeded in taking out his best friend, too. he remembers the fight they'd been in before he'd gotten to jon, too. enough to know well that while damian manages to spot him investigating the outside of the apartment building from his place perched on a balcony, that this drake likely knows approximately where damian is too.

or if he doesn't, he will shortly. best not to waste time then, isn't it?

fingers grap onto the top of the railing, and damian throws himself off of the apartment building. it's approximately four floors down; enough the impact would hurt if damian doesn't manage to stick the landing where he's intending to: right on top of drake himself, but not high enough to break anything as long as he manages to roll with it.

he's hoping it won't be an issue. that he'll land on drake's shoulders before drake has time to respond, that he'll be able to take the bo he has in hand and dig the end of it straight down into drake's collar as he falls.

this isn't a playful hit like he'd done with robin, but him intending on dishing out damage. )

[ There's only the briefest warning. A second - less - of the rustle of the cape in the wind, and feet driving into Savior's shoulders before he can even look up.

Damian's small, but four stories of acceleration is on his side, and there's an audible crack as his right clavicle breaks on impact and Tim hits the ground hard, but isn't incapacitated. Fuck, that hurt.

He draws a gun with his lefthand and points it, uncocked, towards his pint-sized assailant. ]

I'll give you one chance to stop.

( good. the crack is a great sign; that arm will be more difficult to use, which helps with damian's task. drake is competent, and damian doesn't really want to do this. it leaves drake with an unfortunate advantage, one that arm being out of commission may assist with.

he had seen the gun earlier. doesn't flinch when it's pointed at him, but tightens his fingers around the bo. )

You wish I'd make it that easy on you.

( because he isn't. instead, damian's ducking down but charging forward, bo extending out towards drake's gut. )

[ Drake dodges away in a one-handed cartwheel. Over-rotates from restricted movement in his upper body and lands in a sloppy crouch instead of on his feet.

But that works for him, doesn’t it, keeps his center of mass low and tight as he barely raises the gun to shoot at Robin’s boot, where foot meets shin. Where the material needs more flexibility than body armor could ever allow, but the damage couldn’t be fatal. ]

( the gun raises, and damian could have lurched to the side, avoided the trajectory of the bullet, but that would also put him off his current path straight towards drake. he's almost surprised at how drake is avoiding killing blows; perhaps tim has more of an attachment to damian than he's let on, even this odd, alternate version who tried to kill jon.

a thought damian can come back to later when he isn't in the middle of taking out his brother's copy. the bullet digs in close to his ankle, and damian's weight shifts onto his uninjured foot. jumps into drake with the bo still extended. he keeps one hand wrapped around it, while the other grabs onto the blade he'd been given specifically to take out replicas. slides his hand down the bo so he can get closer and tries to dig the blade down into drake's abdomen beside the bo. )

[ Nothing so heartwarming. Damian has a part to play in the future; however bleak his particular future may be. While Drake has gamely tried to edit his future by amending Damian's present on more than one occasion, he's not nearly so wanton with his chess pieces.

Damian Wayne is an important player. Sacrificable in the right circumstances, but this? Is nowhere near that situation. The timeline is better served with all of them returning to their respective moments.

The bo is the bigger reach, the bigger advantage, and so he puts his faith in size difference, body armor, and redirected momentum to reduce the impact of the blade. Although he twists his body when his free hand grabs the bo to let him put his own body weight into "helping" Damian further along, the knife catches through a break in the armor and he hisses in pain. ]

Why can you never accept that we are on the same side?

That's where you're wrong, Drake.

( the blade slides in, and damian's eyes, for the briefest moment, focus down to where it penetrates skin.

notes black blood.

good. the knife slides out before it gets pushed in too deeply, and damian leans into the bo. it leaves damian open momentarily, but it's a sacrifice he's willing to make. drake may manage to turn that bo around, to hit him hard, but damian's hardy. he can take the hit. and if drake goes for it, even better.

because damian needs to shove the blade straight through tim's chest, which is exactly what he's aiming for next. )

[ Drake's effort is concentrated in holding them in a grapple over the bo, hissing out the words in a quick rush. ]

I know all about this place. I know what Tim wants here, and I know he doesn't have it him yet to make sure it happens. For you and him to win and our world to survive again. We can agree we all want a future.

[ He knows he's the double, but somewhere, he is the real and current Tim Drake. He wants to ensure that Tim Drake, the one committed to the common good at any cost, has a chance in his mission. That means making sure two teenaged capes go home. ]

Work with me for now. I'll let you be my Robin. It's what you've always wanted, isn't it? A partner that doesn't hold you back?

( that's part of the problem with fighting off people who have a bit more weight on him: damian's capable, talented, he can keep up with some of the best warriors the world has to offer. on the flip side: he has little to offer when it comes to brute strength, to the extent even someone as pathetic as drake can outclass them when they're merely pushing against each other like this. damian has two hands versus drake's one, given his fucked up shoulder - and he's putting all his weight into it.

or was.

until the be my robin line comes out of his mouth and damian takes a moment to reverify with himself that he heard that right before he starts laughing. doesn't let up any, because he's not idiotic enough to let something that stupid throw him off too much, but it's--well. it's not quiet. )

Is that what Tim thinks I've always wanted? ( hold on, he's - he needs a minute, another breath in, he'll finish the thought. just. damian hasn't laughed like this in a while. ) Say it again. Ask.

He's how old now? Seventeen, maybe eighteen? He's an idiot. He thinks that if he tries weally hawd, he can still save all of you. That kind of naivete is going to get people hurt.

[ He doesn't want to waste a potential ally, even if it's a long shot, and destabilize the timeline by removing a necessary cog, and so Drake prolongs the fight. Let the kid have his ego trip, make him see the sense in this. ]

Work with me, Damian. You can hate all you want when you're back in your own universe where you belong.

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brat - 2024-05-01 16:35 (UTC) - Expand

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mostdangerousbird - 2024-05-03 00:50 (UTC) - Expand

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brat - 2024-05-03 19:17 (UTC) - Expand

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mostdangerousbird - 2024-05-05 03:16 (UTC) - Expand

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brat - 2024-05-05 20:43 (UTC) - Expand

[It's by sheer coincidence that she realizes anyone's on her balcony in the middle of the night; Rita doesn't hear any suspicious sounds, but after deciding she feels like getting a glass of water, she spots the shadow outside.

It's too tall to be that bratty kid. Just how many weirdos are there going around in these costumes? Annoyed more than anything, she stomps straight over and throws open the balcony door, cutting an umimpressive figure in her cotton pawprint pajamas despite the almost authoritative attitude in her voice.]

Hey! What the hell do you think you're doing, huh?

[ The figure stops calmly when the door opens. He'd been lining up a path to the next balcony - once he'd established this occupant was an unfamiliar teenaged girl, there wasn't a need for further immediate surveillance. She was of equal interest to anyone else he'd observed thus far, thus the greater use of his time was still in cataloguing all residents.

Still, she'd spotted him. Though he didn't relish of twice victimizing an abducted girl, everyone's objective remained the same: prove the worth of your universe to survive. Drake doesn't expect altruism is the path to survival. ]

Avoiding the traffic jam on the stairs. What are you doing here?

Isn't it obvious?! I'm living here!

[Being asked what she sees as such a pointless question spikes her annoyance further on its own, but what really takes the cake is his excuse. Traffic jam? Here? --And in the middle of the night, no less.]

And what about you, huh? Is that really the best excuse you've got? Because you sure look like a thief to me!

I’m not a thief. Thieves wear balaclavas; heroes wear cowls. I live here too, if you must know.

[ He gives a smile underneath the mask, trying for something warm and friendly. In a roundabout way, he does have an apartment here. Or did, once upon a time.

Drake makes no move to leave the balcony or crowd her. She’s too on edge, and he doesn’t want her to panic needlessly. If he decides to thin the herd and better the odds, he wouldn’t want people to suffer. ]

I’m only catching my breath on the way up.

Huh?! What the hell kind of classification is that?! Besides, you're wearing a mask! That sure screams "thief" to me!

[This non-Earth girl doesn't understand superheroes yet! This guy might not be mouthy like that little brat, but his smile just makes for a different kind of infuriating. Her scowl deepens, and she raises a hand, a small flame appearing above her palm in what she expects should be a very clear threat.]

Give me one good reason I shouldn't send you right back down to the ground.

It's an overly broad and flawed classification, but so is "thieves wear masks."

[ He's keeping one eye on the fireball and slowly moves his hand to the grappling hook dangling off the side of his belt. ]

One good reason? How about -

[ Drake fires the gun almost straight up, and the hook grabs on the roof. He's hauled off his feet immediately, shooting up towards the roof calmly. ]

I'm already gone?

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MISSION 001

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Mission Prep 1 (Closed to Kate)

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Cracked Reflection - Doppleganger | OTA

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very late tag-in but 👀

Apologies I'm catching up after a crazy week and a half

no worries!

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