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

cw for internalized homophobia. it'll probably keep coming up throoughout the rest of the thread.

[badlydisarmed]

Wasn't worried about it being contagious until you brought it up.

[ He wasn't all that off about Medusa then. Thinking about magic maladies is stopping him from thinking about gay sex, which is great; he's still too sober to think about gay sex. ]

How much or you downplaying that number?

[ Obviously in this guy's case the toxic masculinity doesn't apply to sex, but maybe that makes the fronting worse in other ways.

He has more questions, mostly to keep avoiding the gay thoughts, but partly because he's a doctor with more or less acceptable ethics. ]

Yeah these dudes suck in general, be warned

[levindicated]

Really? And you call yourself a doctor.

[He chuckles as he brings the bottle up to his mouth and calmly uses his own teeth as a fulcrum to pop the cap off. He spits the cap onto the table and takes a long drink. He is an exceptionally noisy drinker.]

Well, you don’t see me screaming and ripping my own face off, do you? [As he looks over and taps the corresponding image.]

But it doesn’t end well for most people with the crystal’s curse. Flesh and stone tend not to move the same way.

[badlydisarmed]

You should know I'm storing rock hard jokes as we speak.

[ They're too obvious, he has to. ]

Incurable and progressive?

[levindicated]

Whether I am or not is partially up to you. [But he likes this- this irreverent joking, and his dark green eyes sparkle as he lifts his head.]

As far as we know. …But it’s not like anyone has spent that much time looking for a cure, either. There are things that can be done to slow the progress of it, though.

[Cid paces around the room until he finds a seat- the nurse bed. Which hopefully hasn’t seen too much action today. He takes a sip of beer.]

But I doubt quitting tobacco is going to make much difference. Especially at this point.

[There were other things, too. Like eating enough, getting rest… and not overextending himself. But damned if that was ever going to be how he lived.]

[badlydisarmed]

[ He makes a mental note to let the guy know to keep his expectations low. For all he's confusingly into the idea of getting railed, he'll be lucky if his performance lands anywhere near mediocre.

He sets his beer aside and steps towards the bed. ]

Would you treat it if you had a way to do it?

[ Because if this guy is just waiting to become a statue then why even bother looking into it? ]

[levindicated]

Of course. … And if not for me, then for every other poor sod with it. The good it could do. The lives it would give back…

[Cid recalls a few recent and very embarrassing failures of the flesh. He looks at his hand, and then clenches it.]

Everyone gets old, of course. But for all of us to be expected to do these missions- sort of a young man’s game. But no one is looking for excuses when the whole world is hanging in the balance.

[Cid sits back and gestures for Romano to join him.]

…You think there’s a real treatment?

[badlydisarmed]

[ He feels a flutter in the pit of his stomach that once upon a time was reserved exclusively for when women smarter than him sassed him or when he had the chance to lead a complicated surgery.

He's taking the offered sit and ignoring the stupid butterflies. ]

I died and instead of staying dead I wound up here, where magic and petrification are real. [ He shrugs. ] I have a patient with a magical malady we might be able to fix with medicine from my world, so I think not looking into it would be short-sighted.

[ And he's a doctor and medicine is considerably less nerve-racking than the other subject on the table. ]

[levindicated]

Ahh, another one of you living in a world without magic. Must be nice. [He says this, but he relies heavily on his magic anyway.]

-Not the dying bit so much, but we’ve got something in common at least.

[he chuckles and elbows Romano in the ribs.]

Be my guest, poke and prod as you like. Though some of it doesn’t bleed anymore where it’s really dense. I know my humours are misaligned, but…

[Its concentrated on his left forearm and hand, though it travels up his elbow to his shoulder as well. ]

So, how’d you die? [A little too flippantly. ]

[badlydisarmed]

Six passenger aircraft fell on me.

[ It's funny because it's true.

He reaches for Cid's arm, looking at the affected skin. It's immediately obvious this isn't something he can fix with modern medicine, but he didn't think he could. ]

Drop by the hospital once this is over, I got equipment there.

[ Plus, it'll give him time to think about what kind of test to even run. ]

[levindicated]

Ouch. Hope it was quick.

[Unfortunately a huge part of him is excited about the aircraft.]

A small airship, eh…? You’ll have to sketch it out for me.

[It had been a while since someone had touched him, now. So even the mildest “playing doctor” started to make him run hot.]

I can tell you how it’s caused, if that helps?

[badlydisarmed]

I assume it was. I saw it coming, but I'm pretty sure it killed me on impact. I'll get you a picture.

[ More information tends to be better. Maybe it'll give him an idea. ]

Do tell.

Im sorry about Final fantasy exposition.

[levindicated]

Ah, I appreciate it. [punctuated with a grin. He clinks his beer against Romano’s and takes a drink.]

[he wants to ask more about that in particular. He will ask more. But he wants to nurture his fellow academic, too.]

Well. It’s sort of understood as the price and punishment for using magic. Not everyone can, mind. It’s a god given… curse- Blessing, depends on the day, I suppose.

But using it concentrates and disperses the Aether found everywhere. I think this is the source of the damage. [Said matter-of-factly,
like he’s discussing molecules or something real, even though he just brought up humours a moment ago. ]

very helpful

[badlydisarmed]

Let me see if I'm following; when you use magic, your body filters it in some way, and the residue makes you gradually turn to stone?

[ He may not know a lot, but that sounds fixable. ]

[levindicated]

Well, that’s a sight more scientific than it simply being God’s divine will to punish us for using magic.

[Cid looks pleased and impressed with this synopsis.]

It can be mitigated with enough rest or proper meals, but it can’t be undone. …Though sometimes the affected flesh is excised, and it sometimes grows back a bit less grey. So I’ve heard.

[Cid looks to Romano’s arm. Then to his own. ]

…Though no one ever lops off an entire limb, even when it’s fully petrified.

[badlydisarmed]

[ Robert lifts his prosthetic arm and gives Cid a thumbs up with it. It's a very jerky arm, very unimpressive. ]

Six passenger aircraft cut it off.

I don't have great luck with aircrafts.

[ If Cid thinks he's fucking with him all the better. ]

Anyway, I don't know if I can treat you, but it doesn't sound too foreign.

[levindicated]

Did that happen when you died?

[prosthetics in Cid’s time were little more than ornaments, so this is great.]

[Wait he said aircraftS- so more than one-]

…Are they a common danger where you’re from?

[Cid gives a sheepish chuckle.] Ah… it’s alright if you can’t. I never expected this to get better. Though, I also never thought I’d have to live with the consequences after I died!

[Cid finishes his beer, then measures where the other man is at.]

[badlydisarmed]

Not usually.

[ He's finished his beer and is considering another one. ]

I lost the arm about a year before I died— more or less. Pity, I think I'd have shown up with two arms if the first aircraft had killed me.

[levindicated]

We can’t all be so lucky, eh?

[As he gives him a hearty slap on the shoulder. And an even drier chuckle than the previous ones.]

Let me know if you need a little help out of your shirt.

[badlydisarmed]

What, no foreplay?

[ Saying that was probably a bad idea, he realizes it it immediately. Now this guy will go for foreplay and make things more awkward for him. ]

[levindicated]

If you want to kiss me so badly, just do it.

[As he raises his brows at the other man.]

[badlydisarmed]

[ When was the last time he kissed anyone? It's been years. He's not drunk enough for this.

But the man showed up here and if he was going to back off he would've done it halfway through their stupid text conversation. He leans over and kisses him.

He's not a terrible kisser, but he's very obviously out of practice. ]

[levindicated]

[not drunk enough. Yet refuses to drink enough.]

[Cid brings his non-beer holding hand up to his neck- which happens to be the partially petrified one. Flesh and cool, smooth stone squeeze comfortingly as he returns the kiss.]

[It must have been difficult, losing that arm with his occupation. Knows how it would have frustrated Tarja, his own doctor and friend.]

[He parts the kiss to breathe, his hand slipping up to Romano’s bald spot.]

Ah, look at you. You’re a real bastard, but you’ve never stopped thinking about everyone else all the while. Lost your hair about it. Relax, would you?

Finish your drink.

[badlydisarmed]

You got me all wrong, I don't think about people.

[ There's no heat in the way he says it, or at least not the angry kind of it. He cares about fixing what's wrong with people, but the person themselves is irrelevant.

He catches himself licking his lips and immediately grabs his beer again, downing what's left of it in one go. ]

The hair started to go in my twenties. I kept my luscious red curls for as long as I could.

[levindicated]

Compartmentalize all you like. At the end of the day, that’s all there is. bit lonely otherwise.

[He watches the other man chug his beer.]

“Lucious red curls”? …Perhaps losing it was the more dignified way to go. Another?

[badlydisarmed]

They were lovely, you'd have been jealous.

[ He'll get up and grab more beers for both of them. His fake arm can grip a bottle, but it looks like one of those too-loose claw machines, like he might drop it any second. ]

Mind opening it?