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

[hexcorized]

Jayce. [ His voice is shallow, sharp, almost too much so as he winces at how his own voice sounds in his ears. But the sharp pain that blooms in his chest and makes his lungs seize as he hears those words is just painful enough to make him blink his eyes to fight away that burning sensation of unshed tears. It's unfair how easily those words wound, knowing what he knows now about them, only makes it cut deeper to hear those words spill so easily from Jayce's mouth. ]

I. Do you not think it's the same for me? [ He knows that he had saved Jayce all those years ago. Saved him from taking that final step off that ledge, and he knows that Jayce had saved him too in the same night, but in a different way entirely. ] You gave me a sense of purpose, a dream, and a means to help people that night. You saved me from a life of mundanity that I would have otherwise died in with little to no legacy. If not for you...

[ his life would have been so woefully boring. He swallows thickly, looks away again. ] So to say such things so easily. Then I am the same. [ A shaky breath that ends with a small cough. ]

Because I...[ Because I love you, have loved you for 7 years, and don't want to lose you. That he's afraid he will die here, and Jayce will do something stupid or drastic or both, and it will be this constant, never-ending cycle of them hurting each other because this body of his is useless and deteriorating.

But he doesn't say outright, but in so many words, it can be inferred when he finally manages to speak again. ]

My feelings for you have always been the same. They are...far deeper than you know, and I know that yours are the same... [ a pause as his voice comes out softer. ] because you told me back in Aphaia.

[hexcope]

[He feels like his heart is in a vice. The anguish of his own feelings mixed up and blended with how he wants nothing more than for Viktor’s every dream to be accomplished. It might have been Jayce’s dream alone at first, but without Viktor, it would have been aimless; spun out, wheels with no traction.

It’s only when Viktor keeps going that Jayce starts to freeze.]

I- told you?

[The color drains from his face, as if he's just heard awful news. His hand curls into a fist and he holds it in front of his mouth, covering up how he anxiously gnaws at his bottom lip. He doesn’t remember that. He would remember this. This is— his future self, again?]

That I…

[He feels like he’s going to faint. What did his future self say, exactly? Feelings for him— there’s no way he’s misinterpreting that, right? If he’s wrong, this would ruin everything. But if he’s right…

Jayce looks to Viktor, exhaling a shaky breath. Silently, he takes a step closer. Then another, and another, until he’s only inches away.]

Viktor.

[He places his hand on Viktor’s cheek, his breathing heavy, feeling like anxiety is trying to pull his lungs out of his chest. With one last push of determination, he closes his eyes and leans forward, capturing Viktor’s lips with his own.]

[hexcorized]

[ Oh. This is so bad. He shouldn't have said anything. He shouldn't have, but he couldn't stand it anymore, denying himself these feelings towards Jayce and pretending everything was fine and normal (as normal as it can be when it comes to them) between them both. He's wasted far too much time, and he has far too little time left, not just to say what he means now. Whatever the outcome was to be, he was ready to accept it. So when Jayce moved closer, and closer, Viktor's breath seized in his throat as he took a step back, unsure of what Jayce was going to do. But then his small gasp dies in his throat at Jayce's warm hand against his cheek, and then his lips pressing against his own.

There's a soft noise of surprise from him as his own hand comes up to cup Jayce's cheek, deepening that kiss with a hitch of breath as he wants to taste and feel Jayce. His eyes will close as he presses against the other, only to stop and pull away, fear and worry in his eyes. ] Is this-Is this okay?

[ He doesn't want to ruin it, he doesn't want to ruin this. He doesn't want to seem so desperate and needy that he can barely control himself. How embarrassing it was that his face was so red already after just a kiss.

Viktor's expression is...strange, almost questioning, as if asking Jayce if he actually is the one he wants. As that unspoken question lingered between them, Viktor shifted awkwardly away, and for a second his eyes looked elsewhere, anywhere, but at Jayce. ]

[hexcope]

[He kissed Viktor. He did that, and Viktor kissed back. Is he rushing this? Should he have said something instead? All Viktor said was that they both have feelings for each other— he didn’t say it was romantic, or sexual, or… But it has to be, doesn’t it? Unless Viktor was just going along with it because Jayce is touchy, pushy, always getting in his space—]

I...

I don't know?

[He thinks of how it felt so natural to crawl into Viktor’s bed and sleep next to him, or when he fell asleep with his head in Viktor’s lap. The low rumble of Viktor’s voice when he says Jayce’s name, how good he imagined it would sound forming certain other words. The way he wants to push around Viktor’s hair to untangle it with his own fingers. How he would do anything… anything for him. Even things against Viktor’s will, just to be able to stay by his side. Viktor even knows this now, and he still wants to be with Jayce? That can’t be right. What he confessed to wasn’t normal. Maybe Viktor doesn’t realize yet that wasn’t a one-off situation. That Jayce would do that, or similar things, again and again.]

Are you sure?

[Are you sure you want me?]

I don’t think… I can change how I feel about you.

[It’s love; they both know this now. But it doesn’t feel the same way he loves Mel. It’s a kind of love that Jayce would make himself dizzy over; where he feels like the edges of it have grip that’s not afraid to leave clawmarks behind. Viktor should know this, before he agrees.]

[hexcorized]

You don't...know? [ Just a quizzical look directed your way, Jayce, as Viktor tries to parse how that response makes him feel. His expression falls somewhat, and there's the beginning of inner turmoil trapped behind his eyes as he gets carried away with his thoughts. Of course, it's short-lived given the nature of this whole revelation and conversation now. Having said too much, having given away too much about something that Jayce probably doesn't even feel towards him, or so he thought.

Viktor flushes as he looks at Jayce and then looks away again, thinking much the same thing. Does Jayce really like him, as he is, like this? That's all he can think, and it takes all his strength not to ask that question, fearing it would ruin the moment. But what Jayce doesn't know is that Viktor feels much the same. He has always been so eager, so willing to help and do good. Viktor has only ever wanted Jayce. Wanted him to understand, wanted him to believe, wanted nothing more than to just work with him in the lab, and work on their dream. Viktor has more restraint than most and even now he finds himself holding back in taking everything he possibly can from Jayce. ] I-I am sure, Jayce. I have...always been sure, since we met.

[ Another revelation that's probably going to be hard for Jayce to swallow and to accept. But Viktor says it just as easily as if it's nothing. Viktor swallows thickly, his amber eyes locking with Jayce's. It's love because that familiar pang in his chest that he knows all too well sits deep inside his chest cavity and threatens to knock the air from his diseased lungs. ] I don't think I could change my feelings for you. [ A pause as he idly strokes Jayce's cheek with his thumb. Of course, there have been times, like on the bridge, or their talking of making hextech weapons. His feelings may have faltered there, but it always ended up with Viktor wanting nothing more than his partner back. ]

I don't want you to change either. [ Even if he knows deep down how strange and utterly weird this is. The knowledge of Jayce using the hexcore on him to keep him alive, the betrayal that he felt when he was turned into something inhuman. How the knowledge of Jayce's actions towards him were all because of his devotion and love. It's hard to pinpoint if it's wrong to continue feeling this way, or if there's something fundamentally wrong with them both. Viktor doesn't linger too much on it because, despite all of that, it just feels right.

They were right for each other ever since that day they met and the night they decided to change the world. Two outcasts the world didn't believe in, only to have each other to the bitter end, it seems. ] I just want you.

[ It's only ever been just you. ]