etrayalogs | MISSION 009

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MISSION 009

⏵ CAMP ETRAYA ⏴
On May 16th, Aurora and the companion bots direct those not heading off to Solmara to make their way to Camp Etraya.

Nestled away from everything else in a large clearing full of wildflowers and redwoods, Camp Etraya is a nostalgic summer camp experience put together just for it's residents! Cabins are assigned, scary stories are told around campfires, gossiping happens among friends on the trails surrounding the cabins - and don't be surprised when something goes awry. After all, this is still Etraya.

While the rest of Etraya is still accessible and will not be blocked off, characters are discouraged from venturing far from camp for too long: Aurora will specify that they are on a mission, and that missions do require participation, but she has intentionally left them the freedom to wander. Not sleeping in their assigned cabins, not participating in events, and staying away from Camp Etraya will end with her having to take more extensive security measures, so please be on your best behavior! The last thing she wants to do is start enforcing boundaries, but she will if she has to.

Camp is set up much like your generic summer camp! Each cabin is named, housing is assigned to characters as they arrive, there are camp counselors, and rotating daily tasks and chores. There are also multiple activities that characters are expected to participate in, and each activity is worth points that goes toward their camp graduation score. This score will be visible on their earpiece, and follows the A-F grading system. We are not be monitoring this, and are leaving character scores up to players. We do, however, ask that you please report your characters' camp grade HERE for rewards and demerits to be handed out after the mission itself.

Cabin assignments can be found here, which also has their roles, and chores assigned to that cabin. Those who are participating in Solmara have received an assigned cabin, too, but their absence toward the beginning will not harm the cabin's ability to compete given how spread out their assignments are.

⏵ WELCOME TO CAMP ⏴

Camp life is meant to instill a sense of belonging, connection with nature, encouragement towards the creative, all on top of a firm foundation of responsibility. Upon arriving, campers will be escorted towards a table of white t-shirts and countless buckets of dye!

Each Etrayan will be invited to make three Tie-Dyed shirts- as well as required to wear one as part of their summer uniform. Camp counselors must wear 80s basketball shorts or cut-off jeans. Campers may wear cargo shorts or a skort. For those with physical limitations to what they can wear, accommodations will be provided.

Here, bonding is the camp runners' priority. They will be pushed into various ice-breaker activities, such as trust falls, two truths and a lie, and Never have I Ever. As the sun goes down, there will be weenies roasting over the bonfire, followed by s’mores and a sing-a-long! With the stars well-visible, it’s off to bed with campers.

Each day after will start much the same: with the ringing of the bell and raising of the flag (Aurora, while unfamiliar with flag designs but an understanding of the concept, has chosen a rainbow flag for the camp. Rainbows make people happy, right?), followed by a meal at the Great Hall, morning assembly, activities with counselors, chores, free time, and then an evening winding down by the great fire. An hour after sun down, campers will be escorted back to their cabins for curfew. Camp Counselors are expected to keep track of their campers, and ensure they're all within their cabins for bedtime. This is part of their grade, too! Curfew lifts an hour before the first bell.

⏵ CAMP ACTIVITIES ⏴

As with most summer camps, Camp Etraya offers a wide variety of activities to participate in. While some of these activities may be mandatory, others are optional. We'll be leaving this up to individual player discretion: perhaps Viktor is mandated to report to arts and crafts, whilst it's optional for Silco to show. Silco, on the other hand, may be mandated to report to the archery contest. Characters are encouraged to participate in a minimum of one camp activity per day.

Below is a non-exhaustive list of camp activities.

Three-Legged Race - You and a partner are tied together at your ankles, and you must race others to the finish line. Those with abilities that would give them an advantage will find that the rope that ties them together hinders those abilities from functioning.
Archery - This can be more traditional, magical, or include moving targets! If you're particularly unlucky, your target may even shoot back.
Softball - What instills a sense of camaraderie better than a bit of team sports? Games will be held on Wednesdays, the field is otherwise available for practice.
Dodge Ball - Standing diametrically opposed to Softball is dodge ball, the bully’s sport. This is a great opportunity to claim dominance or be sent to the Nurse’s Office.
Obstacle Course - You are directed into a large maze with multiple obstacles for them to overcome, such as rock climbing walls, ramps, tires, and nets.
Capture the Flag - Small teams are put together in order to take the flag from a particular bot, whose entire goal is to avoid being caught.
Canoe Race - Canoes are placed into the rivers just off of the camp, and characters must race to the finish line.
Chocobo Riding - Learn how to care for and ride these magnificent birds! Newbies will be taken around the corral, whereas more experienced riders can take the trail around the lake.
Arts and Crafts - Make friendship bracelets, bead lizards, paint rocks, learn origami! Or perhaps you're tasked with putting together an enchanted necklace. Don't know how to do enchantments? Now is as good of a time as any to learn.
Campfire stories - Share scary stories amongst yourselves around the campfire late into the night. If you're particularly unlucky, you may just hear the thing you were just warning others about..

⏵ NIGHT TIME ⏴

Once campers have been put to bed, the counselors can still stay up. Unwind with hidden beers and the strumming of a guitar. Don’t get too comfortable, though, since without supervision, no one is keeping the campers in bed.

After dark, should campers evade their counselors, they can go exploring in the dark. Eerie lights glimmer from the lake. There’s rumors of a headless spectre walking from the archery field to the edge of the forest. Should you behave, you still might hear a scratching at your bunk house window.

And on the very last night of camp, there will be a talent show. Show off your hidden talent and bask in the excitement of wowing your fellow campers!

⏵ NOTES ⏴

Welcome to Camp Etraya! Please enjoy the s'mores and campfire songs. :)

Camp will last approximately two weeks, going from May 16th to May 30th.

For all questions relating to this mission, please refer to the plotting post. All other questions can be directed to the FAQ.

⏵FULL NAVIGATION⏴

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Well, since I'm earning your best performance, I have no right to complain about missing anything here. I suppose I'll just have to make you sing for me when we get back to the city. [He provided a little charming wink that allowed him to get away with more than he should usually.] That fits actually. You are a good listener and you like to help people. I suspect you'd be an excellent therapist.

[He offered a long-suffering sigh at her requirement. A monocle? Well, he supposed it would make him look very distinguished. Maybe he would even bother with beard wax for once and sell the whole dress-up adventure if she would. The trouble they convinced each other into was baffling sometimes.] Fine, fine I'll agree to a monocle if you're in fancy dress with your hair all styled up and two fingering a flute of champagne.

[He watched her quietly; this was the second time this subject had come up in quick succession. He shifted where he sat so he could draw his bruised leg back in and resting normally.] That's the second time you've brought that up, Maria. Are you uncomfortable in our living arrangement? I don't want you to be, and I won't be offended if you make a decision that's best for you in this either. I enjoy living with you, but I understand it's... an odd situation. I'm probably not supporting you well, not nearly as much as you are me in this.

[ Dion tilts his head curiously, wondering what he would be expected to be bothered by. Is it his power or how it works?

In either case— ]

Why would it bother me?

[ None of them choose what they're born to. ]

I think that would be a good way to live.

[He nods sagely, crossing her arms while covered in squirrels in party hats.]

Every year can be better than the last year.

[ octavia isn't too concerned about the fact that they haven't really talked much prior to this really ] You don't need to apologize for that— I kind of assumed that was why you were looking over there.

[ Silco turns his head, because for a second he very much is about to repeat that.

Nunya, huh?

He'll remember your name, Nunya! ]

Hm.

[ He grumbles, before he goes to fixing up his space so he can sit and smoke in peace.

And later, he will ask after this... Nunya. I'm sure that will go well. ]

It's more that it's more familiar to me than all of this. [ which happens also answer the question if she has done this before ] I've camped before but nothing like this.

[ Riz is so consumed by his work that he jolts when Paine approaches, shoulders hunching up to meet his ears, but he relaxes a little once he turns around and it becomes apparent who's managed to get the jump on him. It's kind of funny; he's never spoken to Paine outside of a probable life-or-death scenario, so much so that it seems odd seeing her standing over him, still and peaceful, if not a little on edge. ]

Oh! [ His mind races for a moment before he realizes that Paine's not going to rat him out, because he won't at her out. ] Hey, Paine. [ He gestures down at his laptop. ] I'm teaching myself how to code. It's not very interesting.

[ To listen about, he means. To learn, it is pretty interesting, albeit a little frustrating. ]

Couldn't sleep?

[Maria liked Vander and it was easy for him to get away with many things because of that. it wasn't as if Maria hadn't already been considering how they would both get back to their usual business. what with his busted knee. luckily, their usual go to didn't require his knee at all.] Too bad becoming one of those probably means a lot of reading. [and she hated that part.

there wasn't much she could do with her hair, considering the length, but she'd figure it out for him.] I'll skip the nurse outfit and just wait on you in the dress. How about that?

[Maria had been joking, since he'd made the comment about the apartment as if he didn't like being there. she'd known what he meant, that it had nothing to do with her. Vander had stated he liked being with her again and again. what more did she want? for him to say it again? the answer was yes. maybe she'd just wanted to hear him say he wanted her around. but he didn't (which didn't mean anything) and now something is itching inside of her (which is ridiculous).

but this was why she had avoided conversations about them, how they were living together, and how odd it was. but it had come up and now it was just always there. if she had just gone along with the idea of moving out after the mission, joking about an extended post mission date, they wouldn't be here now. it just felt like he was waiting for her to decide to leave and that wasn't right. here they were, though. wandering into this tricky situation and it was hard to navigate. she was hardly being fun and that was what had made him like her. so she reminds herself. fun. you're supposed to be fun.

so she elbows him playfully.] You really think I'm the kind of girl to do this on a date? Give me some credit. But sorry, the joke didn't land. Relax and let me make it up to you. [her hand moves to his thigh with the bad knee.] Put that knee of yours back out.

Edited 2025-06-23 10:27 (UTC)

Yeah. Nunya business. [muttered as they skedaddle. bye stinker!!!]

Oh.

[ Yeah, that makes sense. ]

No, there isn't anything. I just -- [ Henry stares at her in turn as he trails off with what he's saying. He doesn't think what he's saying is particularly interesting or useful to her anyway. After a bit of mumbling, he says: ] -- anyway, how are you?

Are you enjoying camp?

[ His feet find purchase, and there's nothing new that Gorgug does, and nothing extreme that he has: his breathing is deep and heavy through gritted teeth, his hands continuing to flex and tighten and release near to his sides. His mind still buzzing, too full and violent to be entered easily if any attempts are made, but at least that much could be taken. Violence without a target, but still present. Boiling.

Gorgug looks at the guy, and the girl if she's nearby; expression already a scowl, and he says, carefully and deliberate: ]

I'm...going.

[ The shine in his eyes hasn't diminished. And he's also not going to wait for permission to leave, though he might pause if either of the two have anything more to say. But his direction will be in the same one he tried going in the first time. ]

[He perked a little at her dislike of reading, nudging her with an elbow lightly.] When I was in the library, I saw something that I'd never seen before: audio books. Have you ever seen them? It's literally someone reading the book to you and all you have to do is listen. [He was all about enabling her.

He huffed and had no doubt that she would. Maria did like her dresses, and she was the kind of person who knew how to doll herself up.] All that just to watch me lay on a couch with my leg up, huh? I'll just apologize now if I'm a bad patient. [He would be. Guaranteed. She'd be smacking him to sit back down at least once an hour.

He never wanted her to feel obligated to be with him in the apartment; he liked that they shared such a space so easily and without effort. They both helped around, her stuff was nice to look at, she was learning to cook and he was learning that maybe baths weren't a complete waste of time. He had a good time with her, but he was able to admit their situation was odd. It wasn't a normal friends-with-benefits situation and anyone looking in on it would likely pass judgment.

He quite frankly didn't care what anyone but Maria thought, but this has come up before the Solmara mission and now directly after it. In his experience, repeated nudges about a singular subject usually meant it had more weight to it than perhaps he wasn't providing it credit. Perhaps this was her joking call for help. Or perhaps it was nothing and he was tired and sore and reading too much into the whole levity.]

I give you all the credit, but this is also the first time we've seen each other alone since I came back through the portal. I just... [He trailed off to gather his thoughts, though extended his leg again at her request.] I like you. I like all the time we spend together. It isn't beyond me our situation isn't typical, and I avoided talking about it when you first moved in because... I liked that you were there and didn't want to lose it. You pull me out of bad head spaces, but that's also not your responsibility either. I want you to be who you are, go where you want to go, do what you want to do. What do you want, Maria?

[Shaw agrees, technically, but she cuts her eyes to him all the same. Carver isn't exactly an open book, but he's shared enough of his mindset, assumptions, and expectations that she has a good idea of the motivations behind those words. She pulls her stick away from the fire, blows on the smouldering, charred marshmallows, and remarks:]

People-pleasers are annoying.

[Though she doesn't actually sound annoyed; she means it as a little nudge, not as a reprimand.]

Maybe.

[But she still sounds highly skeptical; she has doubts that anything on offer here is going to be to her taste, and she's fully picturing baggy mom shorts in her mind.]

Show me what you got.

"When I can." It's a light enough admission to be both inadmissibly an understandable 'shortcoming' and obliquely honest—when someone doesn't know just what Barbara can do, and does nothing short of that ever. Refuses to stop where that line ends. Ever. As though it's a personal necessity to always the line. She tracks so much of what's happened here. Enough to know the data is as interesting as it is, often still inconclusive. Just as much as the number of people she can fully discuss that with is still at a minimum, even so long later into it.

There's still so much they don't know.

She appreciates the pragmatism of his words. Most of her family set themselves to it long ago—though none of them quite at the same level as her; and most, beause, you only need to look to Damian's menagerie to know where some of them out it—and she'd think most people here would, as well, but most people aren't trained the way they are. She hasn't stopped accruing points and using them for just that reason.

"But not cooperative enough to brave a lake."
It's more light ribbing than it is anything else.

A lightness to her voice even as it feels oddly, and not uncommonly, like she's having a completely different conversation with herself and this place right below it. Staring out to the water, and the shrieking people, but just as much seeing them as not at all. She knows, on some level, she's sulking, as much as one can be without it having more than the outward appearance of that one sentence said, and it won't help her with what hasn't changed, that she still needs to do. But maybe she's giving herself the day. After all, she is still here.

[ That stills him. He watches his marshmallow toast in the fire, going brown around the edges. And he watches Shaw in turn. Wary, now. ]

That how I sound?

Now? None of them specifically.

[ Not that she doesn't have favorites. She does. Some things prickle right under the surface of the words, even. Her toes on the ledge of a building several hundred feet up, right before she jumps, and especially right after she does. The hard, fast contact of her boot and a cheekbone, or the crunch of a nose against the back of her head. Her fingers dancing across keys faster than a breath, a heartbeat.

She reaches out, calmly, picking up three colors. Cyan. Yellow. Pink.
Nothing she'd choose for herself, or anyone else in her family. ]

At the time? I think it was how synergistic both were—using your whole body.
It was like two different languages, or ways of using the same instrument.

"Suppose it's still better than the labyrinth."

There's a vague squint, letting that one lie for the time.

"I can't tell if I'd rather it stayed this calm, or just stopped pretending it was."

[Shaw makes a noncommittal sound, waggling her hand back and forth. Technically, yes, but it's also not the term she would have used if she weren't teasing him a bit.]

I know you think you've got to toe the line, that's all.

[ That’s not a good thing. It’s a step away from suck up, which nobody likes. Pope despised that shit. Fawning is a sin, he used to say.

Respect is different. Respect is earned.

Carver twitches. He pulls his stick out of the fire and watches the marshmallow. ]

Bad things happen if you don’t.

[ Maybe that’s paranoia here. Back home, it wouldn’t have been. ]

I-I guess it's just a force of habit? I haven't...really gotten used to the fact that I don't need to anymore.

[ Just fiddling with his gloves as he says that. He will give Jayce a sheepish smile before shrugging. ]

I know I can't convince you that you're wrong.

[So she won't try. Harold is the one with the patience; the one who might, eventually, be able to talk Carter around. But Shaw has already told him how their team operates, and if he doesn't believe her, that's his business. Either he'll come around on his own with enough evidence and experience the way she had herself, or he won't.]

It's just funny to think of Harold captaining the kind of ship you think we're sailing. I was insubordinate as hell. I tried to shoot John the first time I met him.

Mm soup is a pretty good way to start since it's fairly simple. Do you know the basics? Like using different cutting techniques? Chopping, mincing, slicing, things like that? If not we can start there first.

N-No! It-it's okay! It happens! [ Does it though, does it?! Shigeru flusters a bit when he realizes that his tentacles are out and he tries to shove them...somewhere?? ] S-Sorry! I-I can't really control them sometimes.

[ Please pay no attention to the tentacles, he is so embarrassed right now!! ] We can just-just make another one. I don't know who left paper by the firepits but it's a pretty bad idea!

[ Shame for whoever did that! ]

(She's kicked out, which means she's not exactly in his brain, but it's not like she can just turn off her ears. She can sense the violence, and truth be told, if this kid goes for them, she isn't... Particularly worried? Neither of them will hurt him, but she turns into a whole organic diamond, and he can float the kid away.

... Although it isn't excellent that the kid is just going towards where they're not supposed to cross. Ah, the dilemma, because the right thing to do is just a little blurry. Leave the kid alone, certainly, but if he goes and gets caught, it sounds like a really bad time for everyone involved.

For a second, she looks at Gorgug with some? concern? She's not even sure exactly what she is feeling? Is she worried? Feeling guilty? No clue, but her hand falls on Julian's chest and she taps it with her index finger a few times before the intrusive hero thoughts win. The hand that once was warm is now freezing cold, as she takes up her almost-never-used diamond form. Just in case this kid wants to throw hands with her, and she's off, Julian can come, and honestly? She'd appreciate it.

No feelings or empathy like this, which means any apology would be insincere, so she doesn't even try. Instead, she just walks towards him, hands up.)

That's the opposite direction you want to be going in. What's that way?

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MISSION 009

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