MISSION 005 (part 1)

[etrayamods]

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⏴

Comments

[tinflower]

[ It's different, when Krouse looks back at him. There was something excitable (uncomfortable) in watching him without his focus, perceiving him from inside and out, the way his emotions spoke and how his body tried not to say anything at all. But when his eyes turn back on Gorgug, it's-- difficult. It's too close, too personal, and he thinks this is wrong when he tears his eyes away and looks at the ground as the other tries to explain.

This is wrong, repeats in him, and it boils in his stomach. Wrong. But the wrong one is Krouse. He's the liar, he's the one who can't be trusted. He should be punished because it feels good, and is it wrong to do what feels good? Gorgug's hands flex and twitch at his sides until he grips them tight. Doesn't he want to see where this can go? It doesn't matter if it's Krouse. It doesn't matter who it is. ]

...Fabian and Riz trust you. Especially Fabian, [ he speaks softly, after a long silent pause. ] He's softer than he likes people to think-- his relationships mean a lot to him. You mean a lot to him.

[ Is it true? It doesn't matter if it's true; what matters is if Krouse can believe it, just enough to let it find purchase inside Krouse. Let it hit the right notes, the right reactions. ]

I have to think about them. [ He's still looking at the ground, head hung, before he says those words; but lifts them after they've left him, a small step taken back. His brow is furrowed like so many times when he appears to be thinking, confused--but there's something else there, the look in his eyes still wide, and yet: there's fear. ]

I can't let anything screw things up for them.

[ He can't let a who, and in this place is where judgment is decided: even if some part of them both realise that this isn't fully real, it's no less a prison, is it? There's no way out, possibly, even if there seems to be a way in: the way Gorgug came in, by whatever means.

And the one who decides Krouse's outcome sits there in the chair, what happens to him--and what happens to everyone. ]

cw: nihilism

[equivo]

[ Gorgug's developing instincts lead him in the right direction, the seeds he sows taking root before his eyes and other, deeper senses. Krouse's surface level flinch is minor, a faint wince around his eyes, almost flippant; the underlying cringe from Gorgug's words is a contraction away from the idea of someone trusting him like a slug recoils from salt.

Krouse already thinks Fabian is soft. Not in a bad way, per se, but lacking an edge of cynical armour that Krouse associates with durability. He's not entirely right in his assessment, just like Gorgug isn't entirely telling the unvarnished truth about his thoughts, but it's the close enough that gets you.

These are things that could be true. Are true, from certain angles. ]

I don't want to screw things up for them.

[ There's a defensive coil brewing in Krouse Gorgug can just see in his hollow eyes as they are, the thinned tilt of his mouth. Some part of him that wants to say, in the crumpled excuse of habitual liars, it's not my fault people trust me.

But it is, whenever they do. It's never the fault of the person being lied to, because the lie doesn't exist before the liar tells it. ]

Or you. Or Adaine. [ he shakes his head, as the figure in the shadows remains impassive, ceding the floor to Gorgug, for now ] They're decent guys. You're a decent guy. Why would I want to screw you over? What did you ever do to me?

I really don't give a shit about the evaluations, man. The universe I'm from isn't making the fucking cut. [ His mouth twitches, smile-like, and gestures with his mask at the room. ] This place is a fucking nightmare. It doesn't matter how many times it gets saved. I think maybe some universes, you know - maybe they want to die. Maybe that's what this is for. Separating the salvageable from the irreparable.

[ The twitch is holding, the corner of one of his eyes pinging with tension, a flutter of tiny constrained motion. ]

I'm not competition. I'm not even in the running. You don't have to worry about what I'm doing.

[tinflower]

[ His fingers twitch, his lips moving once but without making a sound; without formulating a word. There's something else he thinks he should be saying, but the fear makes it hard for him to even figure out what it is he wants to. Does he want to ruin Krouse? He thinks he could, has been wanting to this entire time. But the thing is, the fact is-- Krouse is--

There's a shine to his eyes, the whites of his pupils looking momentarily gold as Gorgug stares at Krouse before he turns his head away to face the other in the room instead. ]

You're right, [ he finally speaks; finally answers the question directed to him, about net benefits. His voice soft, a conclusion found without pity or regret. ] I don't see anything useful. He's in the way.

[ And why keep around someone who can't even be an asset to the circumstances? ]

[equivo]

[ The air roils invisibly. A wave of something settling, poised potential energy collapsing into a realized form. It brushes over Gorgug with the quiet, satisfied weight of approval.

Or maybe nothing happens. Maybe it's a trick of air pressure, generated when the door that was no longer there appears once again at the back of the office, a door of no particular shape or size or colour that Gorgug will still recognize as being for him. Him, and him only.

Krouse stands still where he was, with no particular specific change to his stance or how he's holding his mask and his hat from his hands. It's just that before, he didn't look like he'd been shot dead centre in the chest, and now he does.

The only thing Krouse has ever really had to bring to the table is being useful. He's a bad friend, a bad boyfriend, a bad person, a liar and a fraud and a perpetual fuck up, but sometimes, he could be useful.

If he heard it from someone else, someone less gentle and thoughtful than Gorgug's always struck him to be so far, he could have taken it better, he thinks. Or maybe not, in these circumstances. But Gorgug saying it like that - like it's an unfortunate but unlamentable fact - is like hearing a door shut.

Or an alarm going off, over and over and over, a low battery beeping in his ears that no one else in this room can hear. ]

Thank you, young man. [ The voice behind the desk says, approvingly, as the shadow it's cloaked in thicken and spread. ] Your candour is appreciated. Sometimes, we have to face difficult truths in life. I find doing so without undue sentimentality is the less damaging option in the long run.

There's nothing as cruel as false hope, is there?

No. [ Krouse says, quietly, ducking his head to put his mask back on. ] I don't think there is.

[ He fastens it in place, then flips his hat by the brim between his hands, staring down at it for a long second before looking up at Gorgug, dark eyes flat and hollow in the red mask. ]

You should go before the door disappears. You don't get a lot of second chances on that here.

[ He says it like: I'm sorry. ]