MISSION 009

[etrayamods]

⏵ 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⏴

Comments

[oblige]

[ Dion's encounters with Shadow — both Shadows — have been brief. But they tell him enough that he feels confident in surmising that this foray is not without purpose. It must have something to do with the question that he had asked prior, which begs questions of its own in turn.

He remains quiet, following Shadow at a respectable distance, near enough to assist should some threat present itself (though having seen Shadow in action, there may be no need) yet not so close as to crowd. The lake seems as still and placid as ever, but now he wonders... ]

[sabigoe]

[ There's another failed attempt that sends her clumsily tumbling back into the grass. ]

Um... yes! [ Sitting up, she huffs and puffs, having quickly exhausted herself. Leaves, grass, and dirt stain her clothing from all the failed tries. Despite all the struggle, she puts on a smile. ] 'Cause I wanna sit across from you and I'll get to be closer to the moon.

she's already upset!

[sabigoe]

[ Flipping the rock over will just reveal the lovingly painted single red streak on the back. If this were the other Shadow, it would have been two streaks of red paint to indicate more quills (and fluffiness)!

Pouting, Fio thinks he's just being a grumpy hedgehog that's pretending he just doesn't know. How does the Ultimate Lifeform not see his face? Her hand remains outstretched, refusing to put away the gift until he takes it. Of course she also has "Dusky" in mind when it comes to gift giving, but this rock... it is a carefully painted rock with this Shadow in mind. ]

I can't give this to Dusky... I know he doesn't like being mistaken for you. I know you two aren't the same.

[bigpoofymammoth]

The name's Manfred, but I have also been called Manny. And I'm guessing you’re a human or humanoid-looking creature with squirrel features, right?

[shoplifter]

[Wade, she is going to wear the hell out of these things.

... And this, of course, earns him a quick but very earnest hug before she moves to start trying on the slap bracelets.]

[shoplifter]

[Laura will find Vax after the basic festivities have passed, and immediately holds up the chubby raven that he'd brought her in front of her.]

Did you bring this?

[There's a bit of a twinkle in her eye, and though her expression is subdued, she is totally teeming with excitement at the very thought that this was now something she owned.]

[wannasmash]

Seeing himself running around coupled with his past experience with body doubles is enough to make Izuku lose his cool and also his usually precise terminology. Body, likeness, the meaning still comes across.

"...Oh."

He stares at him like an awkward dork, eyes round.

"I was trying to leave too. I'm not a fan of the forced missions or the robots. Um... I can give you some cover so you won't be seen?" he suggests. So much for the good boy scout. "But please don't use my face?"

[fortitudosalutis]

[ Carver sighs. ]

Noisy. Complicated. But...good.

[ The world made sense with his family inside it. ]

[badfengshui]

Well, yeah, but --

[ But. ]

-- I'm alive. I can't ask for much more than that, I don't think...

[ Other than, he wishes that everyone else could have lived, too. ]

[fortitudosalutis]

[ Carver hums. ]

They do seem to swap people out on the regular.

[ So, that's certainly a thought. ]

[fortitudosalutis]

[ Damn. Okay. Carver tilts his head, considering that, then takes the camera. He hasn't done any work with camera for years, but he did have some training on it once. ]

How long's the battery last?

[thelightshines]

[Nothing happens for a time. One could think it was a prank, but this is Shadow. He knows what he saw and he isn't going to budge until something happens. Then something finally does. A new light source, faintly dancing over the water in the distance. Then another.

They were like little balls of flickering blue light, hovering over various points on the lake. Something almost alluring about them as one continues to watch them.]

[thelightshines]

[What if he doesn't want you to be sitting across from him?? A huff. Getting up from his comfortable spot, he looks to the tree she's trying to get into. He hops over to it, coming down slightly so he's closer to her.

If she tries again, she'll find his hand extended to her to help her get up and onto the branch.]

[crimsonsphere]

Paine could blink, and she did when she saw that the Custodian's tie-dyed addition to his outfit. It clashed like hell... but there were one or two outfits from the dresspheres that she could say the same about (particularly on Rikku).

She didn't smile exactly, but there was a bit of a warmer cast to her expression when he asked about the camera. It was the first time she'd seen him be something other than analytical or solemn. "Yeah, I've been collecting the ones I find around the city--the ones that aren't owned by anyone. Haven't gotten all the gear I need to develop the film yet, but I'm going to get started on it once we get back to the city."

She offered the camera to him. Someone from Earth would recognize it as the cheap one-use kind you used to be able to get from a drugstore, with a paper cover and that signature long beep with the flash. "Wanna give it a shot?"

[crimsonsphere]

Paine raised an eyebrow when Fabian abandoned his position to come chat. She would have thought he'd be more enthusiastic given how he'd enthused about bloodrush... then again, the steady pace of softball didn't seem much like that game.

"I kind of like the rhythm," she said. "Not enough blood rushing for you?"

[hyphanated]

[He knew it!! But also—]

Only half?

[Also he is indeed back to jogging...very slowly.]

[snapp_crackle]

Monsters can be mammals, horned hares and orcs and so on...

[ Popp has several friends that are some variety of monster. Some of them are small and cute, some of them are eight foot tall crocodile-men. None of them eat out of trees. ]

Wait, like all the way up? That's huge!

[twin_blade]

[ Once his foot is loose, Vax pulls his leg free and slings an arm around Kaeya so he doesn't go crashing down. Hopefully, he won't mind. ]

Sure. No problem.

[ He's not worried about Kaeya running off with his dagger. Obviously, Kaeya means to help, and he couldn't actually steal it if he wanted to, since Vax can just summon it back. ]

[twin_blade]

Vax watches and notices how well Jason handles the bow and lines up his shot. It's true, he has done this before. When the arrow hits the target close to the center, Vax tilts his head, clearly impressed.

"Not bad." He then positions himself for his own turn, drawing back the bow and narrowing his eyes a little. An elf with a bow looks natural, like he was born holding one, but that's far from the truth. When he lets the arrow fly, it hits the inner black ring, scoring him several points below Jason's total.

"... I'm just warming up." Too bad Vex isn't here to take the shot for him.

[devota]

It is... the very least that could happen, I suppose.

[What a sad thing to happen to him. She wishes she had any explanation at all.]

I'm glad you're alive.

[What a strange thing to say, and yet she doesn't regret saying it.]

[twin_blade]

[ Something about a young girl holding a bird so chubby it requires both arms is just too adorable. Vax hopes that she likes it. He thinks she might. ]

I did.

[ She said she likes stuffed, soft things. It's not a horse, but it's still kind of cute. Not that he's an expert on stuffies. ]

[snapp_crackle]

Why, the nerve of that little dog brat!

[ Popp growls and rolls around in frustration and rants out loud to himself, but eventually, he goes back to practicing. Slightly improved. And much, much louder.]

[snapp_crackle]

Popp has some opinions about Dark Magic; even if his association with Gaia has softened those considerably. It's easy to get past one or two personal experiences with Dark Aura Puppetry, but hard to erase a lifetime's worth of assumptions, even a relatively short lifetime. Case in point, he's craned his neck around to double check that Barnabas doesn't have pointed ears, or maybe a patch of scales or something. He looks human.

"You look just like a human, and you also look a lot like a guy who could be a legendary warrior king... I'd say it's the last one, nobody's invincible, but who'd set himself up to brag about a fight he lost? I lose fights all the time and I wouldn't do that!"

Not that he gets into many one-on-one fights. Certainly very few that he has not had to be subsequently rescued from! The people who do are more like... ah, okay, he's got it. He's a genius.

"...I think it's the third one. You lost a fight but it gave you some kind of amazing life-changing epiphany and that's why you don't mind talking about it!"

[odinpusrex]

Indeed Barnabas does look human, and that is by design. Of course all Dominants appear human, but Barnabas has something else that would mark him different from even his minority group, shielded by an illusion that is utterly imperceptible. Well, someone might be able to see through it, but he has yet to find any who can.

"Incorrect." He offers plainly, his eyes still cast towards the fire, an almost mournful note to his response. As if he wished such could be the case, but then again, that might just be his general moodiness permeating his voice.

"You may try again."

Is he a king or is he a human? Typically these things aren't mutually exclusive, but...

[lastonetodie]

Fascinating. So your path was already shaped to some degree by your upbringing, but you were able to divert it to another. One that is quite the opposite of what your strength was used for.

What an unprecedented amount of freedom. [ Strange thing to say, bud. ]

If you do not fold it correctly, it does not have the capability to jump. It is quite a complex motion for something so small and archaic.

Would you...like me to guide you through the instructions? [ good thing the custodian doesnt have a face or conventional means of expressing himself through body language cause boy he'd be vibrating right now if so. He's Being So Useful Let Him Be Useful ]