MISSION 002

[etrayamods]

WHO: Everyone!
WHEN: May 3rd-28th
WHERE: Within the Labyrinth
WHAT: The second Mission
NOTES\WARNINGS: Potential death, violence, injury. Please add additional warnings as needed within threads.

⏵ into the labyrinth ⏴ Aurora's announced time for the mission was correct: four days after, as she had promised, the door to the Labyrinth opens, connected to Etraya's atmospheric bubble by its entrance point. Characters are directed to come to the entrance on May 3rd, and warned that they may want to bring medical supplies, weaponry, and any important artifacts along with them. She warns that large vehicles will not fit within the limited space available, and smaller ones may be difficult to remove, thus advises those to stay behind. Aurora also offers to watch over any companion animals and keep them safe while competitors complete the Labyrinth. They are given a short amount of time outside of the entrance to speak with one another, to plan and organize themselves, before they are ushered into it in groups of two to four. Once passed the entrance, they'll find that they are unable to turn around and exit out of it: a barrier keeps them from going back into the city proper, and as soon as they are far enough forward, the walls around them shift, closing them in, moving in complex patterns meant to separate them and bring them together. Characters with extraordinary abilities may find some of them inaccessible: super strength may be downgraded to closer to ordinary strength, magic may prove to be less predictable than it should be, and regardless of how strong, fast, or clever characters are: passing over the Labyrinth walls or destroying them proves to be impossible. While one may be able to run through the pathways at superhuman speeds, the pathways compensate for it by running them in circles, refusing to allow them to make any progress on their own. ⏵ pathways collide ⏴ Junctures of the Labyrinth often present competitors with choices, some that may have consequences: a left turn down a darker path may prove to be harmless, whereas the well-lit path may be full of traps intent on slowing them down: a trip wire that activates a swinging massive axe, or arrows that shoot straight out of the wall as soon as one gets close enough. Other junctures may present characters with choices that have consequences: they can choose the shortest pathway, but at great personal risk to themselves or their partner (ie, you can go this way, but your arm isn’t going with you) or they can choose the lengthy pathway full of traps and trials they’ll have to surpass to get to the end. ⏵ balancing act ⏴ The pathway opens up into a massive space, but it's not one with an easy path out: instead, competitors will find an obstacle course that will not let them continue forward until they complete it. Many of the tasks involve things that one cannot do on their own: they must walk across multiple wooden boards balanced precariously on a tall beam, but to ensure it's balanced, there must be one person on both sides of the boards and make sure that they're walking on the board in just the right space to ensure their weight doesn't cause it to sink too far on the opposite side. If a smaller child is on one end, they may want to stand significantly further away from the beam than the larger person on the other half. ⏵ help! i'm bleeding! ⏴ A large garden area spawns off of a pathway. The peaceful chirping of birds can be heard among blooming cherry blossom trees, and it all seems utterly peaceful and calm. An area one might wish to take a breather in, enjoy the sunshine reflecting from above, and get a good nap in. Or would, except a companion bot whose abdomen is covered in ketchup appears to be struggling across the ground, crying out for help. They state they are bleeding profusely and require immediate medical attention, otherwise, they will die. The companion bot also carries a bag of medical supplies and MREs, which player characters are welcome to utilize. The pathway out of this open space will not open until after the companion bot no longer states they are dying. Whether it's because they're "dead", or because those who came across them offered "medical attention" and patched them up until they've stated they're good and no longer need assistance - well, both will technically suffice. ⏵ choice is an illusion ⏴ After walking down an additional pathway, characters will find themselves trapped within a glass box. In front of them is a pedestal with two buttons: one red, and one green, as well as a tablet above it displaying the image of another group of characters. The tablet states hindering them will help you. You may either choose to make the second group's time through the maze more difficult, or hinder your progress by pressing the green button and helping the other group forward. Characters are given two minutes to decide which path to take; the timer, on the tablet, counts down regardless of any attempt to break or hack it. Pressing the green button will drop several squishmallows into the glass box. Inside one of them is a key that unlocks the roof of the glass box. Pressing the red button, while it promises to hinder the other group, actually. . . causes a toxic yellow gas to flood the glass box. The gas will burn the lungs of those who breathe it in, but it also begins slowly melting the glass box. This gas will make breathing difficult for the next 24 hours, but will not kill those who inhale it. Healing factors will not offset the gas. ⏵ who deserves the knife? ⏴ A group of two characters will walk through one corridor and find themselves strapped to two chairs, the backs of which are leaning against each other. In front of the both of them are drills, slowly approaching their chests. They cannot go sideways but can push forward and backward. They can push backward and get themselves further away from the threat of injury - forcing the person behind them to suffer but allowing themselves to escape - or they can push into the drill and free the person they're with. Alternatively, they can choose not to push either way, potentially sacrificing them both. Three options, but they are left with minimal time to decide as the drill continues to press closer. If they choose to go out together, they'll find that as the drills press against their chest - they simply stop. Minimal blood will be spilled, and they will have all the time they need to figure out how to squirm out of their bindings. ⏵ the Siren waits for thee ⏴ A seemingly harmless pathway turns into much more trouble than it's worth. A few steps through a corridor, and suddenly competitors will find the floor falling out from under them, revealing a body of water and - no solid ground on either side of it. There are the walls, but they lack any good climbing holds. Within the water are numerous Sirens - beautiful androgynous creatures that sing soft songs meant to entice others into following them deep into the water. While they may look beautiful, their mouths are full of razor-sharp teeth, and their intentions certainly aren't innocent. However, the Sirens can only touch competitors once they have initiated touch first. They will do their best to encourage this: holding out their hands, crying out for help, pretending to drown, or trying to coax them into coming in close enough for a kiss. As long as they remain on the path, they're harmless. But the moment they reach out for the Sirens... getting away from them will not be easy. Their tails are powerful, built for moving swiftly throughout the water and dragging others along with them. They bite hard and will dig their teeth deep into flesh to discourage struggling. If one gets captured by them? They're lunch. Or worse yet: if they get bitten but manage to escape, they may find themselves becoming a bit.. scaley around the neck, eyes shifting color to a too-soft green, and an almost impossible-to-resist urge to take a bite out of their friends. This effect will continue until May 28th regardless of when the character reaches the end of the Labyrinth. After May 28th, they will find that their scales slowly begin to shed, their eyes begin to turn back to their normal shade, and any other new features slowly turn back to how they were before they were infected. ⏵ don't forget your ball of twine ⏴ The Labyrinth is large, and there are many challenges around each corner. There may be space for breaks in between monsters, challenges, riddles, places to sit and recuperate between battles and mind games. It's not all chaos and challenges meant to test one's strength of will. ⏵ NOTES ⏴ May's mission is completing a massive Labyrinth. All characters must enter the Labyrinth; whether or not they participate once they're inside is up to them, but no one will be permitted to stay behind in the city. The duo who completes the Labyrinth first will be allowed to assist in choosing the next mission. Sign-ups for this are here. We will contact the chosen characters on May 13th. This mission will cover the time between May 3rd and May 28th. After May 28th, any characters who have not yet exited the Labyrinth will be gathered by the companion bots and brought back into the city. The companion bots will be aiming for nonviolent intervention. If more is needed, please let us know here. The first to exit will be returning to the city on May 15th. There will be powercapping during this mission, but the extent of which is fully up to players. We want the Labyrinth to be challenging but don't want to hinder gameplay too much. If you have any questions relating to this or want assistance coming up with ways to powercap your character, please feel free to ask us here. We will be largely leaving this up to player discretion. Food is scarce within the Labyrinth, but not impossible to find. There are chests (or maybe they're mimics?) strewn throughout with various useful items. One might have a sword, another might have a fresh chicken nugget Happy Meal from McDonalds. Or an entire birthday cake, candles included. Large vehicles will not fit in the Labyrinth and must be left behind in the city. Numerous challenges are throughout the Labyrinth. You are welcome to make your own, but we will also provide several you may utilize! Please feel free to throw down wildcards, or your own challenges into your prompts! The limitation is that characters must remain themselves throughout the challenges. There are no mirror replicas, nothing within the Labyrinth will affect their personalities or core values. It’s meant to challenge, not change them. Deaths that occur within the Labyrinth will last 24 hours. Please report these on our Death Tracker. All new locations will appear after player characters have returned to the city. Feel free to note the differences from the May 3rd map, versus what characters will be returning to on May 15th.

Comments

[brat]

( damian feels like he's been walking in circles, even if it becomes quite clear the further he gets that they're not circles, just - walls meant to make him feel like he's getting nowhere any time fast. they curve, move, create new pathways to make him feel as if he's going mad. counting his steps, memorizing landmarks, none of it makes a difference in ensuring he's continuing in the direction of the exit. this labyrinth, much like the last one he had found himself trapped in, doesn't follow the laws of physics. it was created to irritate him, to show him he cannot rely on his senses alone, and that.

well.

damian doesn't like that.

the gait of which he makes his way through the pathways shows his irritation clear as day if it were any other teenager, it might have been considered stomping. but damian's steps, despite the anger clear in his body language, are near-silent. his breathing remains almost too even, and when he sees clarke around the next curved pathway, well.

aside from the dirt on his kneepads, clinging to his cloak, and how a few strands of his hair have begun falling out of place, almost drooping into his line of sight but not quite, he doesn't appear too worse for wear.

even if his scowl deepens when his head tips up and his eyes focus on clarke herself. arms raise to cross over his chest, adding to the exasperated air he's giving off. )

Not you.

[skaikru]

( just like the first time they'd met, the boy is eerily silent but the baby hairs on the back of clarke's neck prickle. there's just something heavy about a room when one isn't alone within it, and in a makeshift coliseum suddenly the echo of her own breathing isn't reverberating quite as hollowly. several seconds after he lays eyes on her, she's perking up and whipping her head around to catch on the errant hairs and yellow of his cape, and — well, he puts the wave of disappointment about as eloquently as she ever could. damian just also says the quiet part out loud and... how does one respond to that? )

— sorry?

( clarke still hasn't got an accurate beat on if the masked robin just dislikes people indiscriminately or if she'd done something beyond her scope to piss him off in particular. but, a little derision is nothing new; it's actually so grossly familiar it almost falls into the category of comfortable. at least she isn't the only one about to have an absolutely terrible time summiting this obstacle course.

be it that small grain of satisfaction or the medical tape, her hands don't hurt nearly as much as she flexes them — then braces against her knees and moves to stand up again. )

For what it's worth, I already know how to get through this. We can make it quick.

[brat]

( luckily for clarke, it's somewhere in the middle. he dislikes her specifically, but he also dislikes almost everyone, so it shouldn't be taken too personally. probably. not that damian is specifying that to her, especially not here. she flexes her hands, and his eyes fall on the medical tape on her hands. rolls his eyes, then reaches into his tunic to pull out his own medkit. )

Remove the wrappings, I'll fix it. ( she did fine, but he has moleskins, antibiotics, if they're bad enough that draining before they break on their own is the safer plan. she's just pulled herself up, but he's dropping himself down onto his knees to start going through his supplies. pulls out moleskins and bandages along with antibiotics, just in case. )

[skaikru]

( between the bookshelf, the kidney, the perpetual snark, spinal secrets, and now gruff... offer... of medical assistance? wow, robin sure knows how to keep her on her toes. it's not quite enough for full scale emotional whiplash, but enough for clarke to note the awkward timing of one standing while the other knelt and feel stuck just sort of hovering instead of turning towards the trials at hand. )

You really don't need to do that, I'll be fine.

( nowhere near as fine as she'd be with the addition of moleskin bandages to alleviate the rope burn, but clarke promises herself in this exact moment that at least he'll never hear her complain when her palms inevitably split and ooze. )

[brat]

Successfully crossing this course relies on both of us being capable. If you slip up from your hands hurting you, it's my time that's being wasted.

( it's a reasonable excuse, at least, and it isn't far from the truth: their success does rely on both of them, and while damian has gloves to protect his hands, she has bandages that could be done better.

she's up on her feet, but he's still crouched down low, idly setting out supplies. )

Let me fix it.

[skaikru]

( ...





... god dammit, she can't even argue with that reasoning. would probably utilize it herself, if ever found in the unfortunate position of being forced to complete the obstacle course a third time. but stubborn is as stubborn does, and feeling moderately condescended by someone who's full on face she's never even seen apparently gives clarke the traction needed to dig her heels in — even while being inevitably dragged. )

I can acknowledge that you were better prepared than I was. ( ego she didn't even know she had: bruised. ) ...And fine, I'll rewrap my hands. But I can do it myself.

[brat]

( it doesn't feel like something worth being proud of. damian is always well-prepared; he would be surprised if she had shown up more ready for this than he did. his eyes roll under his mask, but damian does get up and gesture down to the medical supplies he's left on the ground. )

Suit yourself.

( he's not going to fight her on patching up her hands. if she wants to do it, she can do it herself. damian, meanwhile, crosses his arms over his chest and - waits. they have to take it on together, he's not going to risk wasting time by running ahead. )

[skaikru]

( this feels like as happy a medium as they could have reached.

damian stands and after an appraising beat, clarke kneels. she makes quick, messy work of undoing the strips of medical tape — outright using her teeth when broken, dirty fingernails fail to get purchase under the edge — and generously applying the moleskin patches to the serum swollen blisters at the base of seven out of her ten fingers. just give her six minutes, one of which is spent meticulously regathering the loaned supplies, and clarke will stand up again to perfunctorily offer them back to him.

the relief isn't instant, the ropeburns beneath the fresher bandaging still very much feels like it's burning. but it also feels better guarded, and she can still flex her fingers easily so — that's the first hurtle vaulted. now just to turn towards the impending obstacle course and try to swallow her own resentment. twice, in one day? really?

but at least she knows what to do, and can share the long and short of it to hopefully cut out all the stumbling from her last venture here. )

All of these are designed to require two people to complete. We have to do every single one, and then a chunk of the wall will slide out and we can continue on. But I don't think it matters what order we do them in, so any preferences?

( making a bridge out of boards across a balance beam, rope wall, the wall that's juuuuust high enough that one cannot run and jump onto it but rather requires a boost... )

[brat]

( while she busies herself with patching over her hands, damian takes a moment to look around the obstacle course. he's careful about his movements, solely because he's well aware how much this labyrinth likes to leave traps all over for them to fall into, and he's not allowing this place to catch him off-guard with one again. even if the last time was less on him and more - the trap was laid outside of where he could find it. this does just appear to be the obstacle course itself, of which looks relatively straightforward. the balance beam, the rope wall, the other wall which damian is sure he can use his grapple to get over without difficulty, but that's likely going against what they're after, and he'd rather just - get it over with as quickly as possible. )

They're all child's play to me.

( he also does have gloves on, which are made to reduce friction to his hands beneath them. which helps. the small kit gets put back into his belt, and damian gestures a hand forward towards the course. )

And you're the one with injuries. I would imagine the balance beam would be easiest on your hands.

[skaikru]

( this kid is so...

oddly considerate, while still giving off the aura of a pintsized grumpy old man who's a bit of an asshole. that juxtaposition had been apparent they very first time they'd met; even if clarke had been too laser focused on getting her bearings in a new world, at least in hindsight it'd been noted. then completely absent in their second — he'd been cagey during the body part exchange, though who could honestly blame him, that day'd sucked and she'd argued rather than share secrets too. and now this third time...

she wants to again argue that she's fine — even better now, with her hands re-wrapped and the addition of moleskin already heating to her body temperature and melding into a flexible protective layer over the blisters. but... really, what is the point? )

Sounds good, we'll start with that then.

( sooner this is over with the sooner she doesn't have to spare him much mind at all, and can return to being pointedly determined to get out of this place first. so without sparing another second, clarke pushes into the arena proper and makes a beeline for the balance beam. )