MISSION 011

[etrayamods]

WHO: Everyone.
WHEN: September 19th - October 3rd
WHERE: Etraya
WHAT: Mission 011
NOTES\WARNINGS: Psychological horror, hallucinations, paranoia, body horror, violence, death imagery, loss of autonomy, existential horror. Threads may have their own individual warnings.

CONTENT WARNINGS: Psychological horror, hallucinations, paranoia, body horror, violence, death imagery, loss of autonomy, existential horror.

❬ Ashen Veil ❭

Aurora had issued a warning: the nebula's particles were coming, whether or not they were wanted.
Through multiple conversations, she had made her limitations clear: she could let them know what was coming, but provide no assistance in finding the vent to end it, nor offer safe haven outside of the already established mechanisms for skipping missions. This was a puzzle they would have to solve regardless of how much they hated the idea of participating, and solving that puzzle means being an active participant: it mean searching through the particles to find the vent, physically closing off the thing allowing them inside their city.

Yet some allowances have been made: on September 18th, she gathers up all the animals she can convince to come along with her, ushering them into the same dome that those with mission passes will find themselves within. People are welcome to bring her their pets, too, to ensure they do not experience the same horrors they will - all will be kept safe and fed, cared for by the companion bots and Aurora herself until the vent is closed and the particles are fully filtered out. They are not participants, and she would hate to have them suffer through a mission when they can be protected elsewhere.

The night of the 18th goes by quietly, companion bots ushering animals out of the way while Aurora herself offers a hand clearing the way. And once they've all been herded in, the vent opens, allowing the nebula's particles to slowly begin making their way through Etraya's atmosphere.

It doesn't take long at all for the small bits of dust to accumulate in the protective barrier's atmosphere. Thick fog enshrouds everything, it makes it's way through the cracks in windows, the space under doors, through the very fabric that makes up every piece of Etraya. And with the spread of the Fog comes the horrors it brings.

Everything becomes hazy.

While Etraya is green, brimming with life and bright colors - the Fog dims everything. What was once light and beautiful now looks drained, color leeched out and left as nothing more than a husk of what it once was. Every flower and leaf appears to wilt in moments under the heavy weight of the Fog's touch. The air itself grows heavy, tasting of metal and rot, seeping into the lungs of those under it's influence like a slow suffocation. Sound itself dulls - footsteps echo strangely, or perhaps even sound duplicated, the steady taptaptap making it feel as if one is being followed. Then again, considering how difficult it is to see mere feet in front of them - perhaps they are.

Shapes stir in the haze. Some may be tricks of the eye: distortions among the thickened air, but others linger a little too long, watching with patience in a way that feels wrong. Eerie. A shadow may linger where no one should be, only to dissolve when approached. Or worse - it does not dissolve at all but turns as if it look at those who approach it.

Yet the Fog also remembers things it should not. It bends itself into shapes familiar to those within it, taking the outline of loved ones and enemies alike, whispering in voices that should not be present. But it's whispers, it's movements, are all wrong. There are cracks, clear distortions of what may have been a happy memory now turned menacing. Perhaps a friend appears to offer comfort, before their features distort and their comfort curdles into ill wishes.

And through all of this, the vent breathes unseen. The nebula's particles continue to seep their way into the city, digging deep into every possible surface, clawing it's way through skin to settle deep. There is no safe space left upon the surface of Etraya - as soon as the Fog has been given leave to spread, it has entered not only the atmosphere but those within it. It lingers behind eyes, under skin, whispering that it will never leave.

You belong here now, under its veil.

❬ broken symmetry ❭

The street below doesn't feel stable - it shifts and sways, shifts from stretching out into the Fog to folding in on itself, leaving those on it at unfamiliar crossroads. Yet one will find that they are not the only one who has arrived here: a stranger, or a friend, stands opposite, but something does not quite feel right: they look distorted, not quite as they should, but it's almost impossible to tell what has changed. And yet both individuals will feel the same pull: that this person in front of them isn't as they should be, and something needs to be done.

Perhaps their hair is too long and needs to be cut, and one feels the intense need to take out a pair of shears to trim. Perhaps it is their clothing, somehow wrong in how it hangs off them. Or perhaps it's something - a little more dire. The shape of their nose, the color of their eyes. Regardless, it needs to be fixed. Repaired.

Yet the one being judged may feel as if everything is completely normal, and the person opposing them just happens to be calling out the thing that causes them the most insecurity: the shape of their nose, the weight of their hair, their clothing. But the feeling of something wrong goes both ways.

Perhaps what is truly needed here isn't to change, but to accept.

❬ that which burrows ❭

Something pricks against the skin - sharp, fleeting, similar to a mosquito bite or perhaps a bee sting. But by the time one reacts, whatever it had been that had touched them has already slipped beneath the surface where no hand can reach. Yet it was no insect that had touched them, nor was it anything real in any sense one could understand.

It gnaws at the edge of thought, settling in one's gut and swelling into a panic. A worry that perhaps they had once dismissed, or perhaps had never stopped to truly be concerned over, blooms into something monstrous and all encompassing. It fills every corner of their mind, until breathing becomes near-impossible. Reason fractures, and the thought writhes, burrowing deeper, until there is nothing left.

Maybe they should have never been born. Maybe their existence is a blight upon those around them. Perhaps they truly are the disappointment their companions have assured them they are not. Maybe a mistake made eons ago resurfaces, until they are left sobbing with regrets and begging for forgiveness that has long-since been earned and yet they cannot accept it. Perhaps they are choking on regret, heart pounding as bile rises in their throat and nothing seems to successfully swallow back that sensation, the gut-feeling that their regrets were truly their fault.

For those familiar with panic attacks, many of the same techniques that help to manage can help push back the thought, but cannot circumvent it - physical contact being the most effective way to reduce cortisol, grounding the mind if only for a fleeting moment. Still, the presence remains, thrumming beneath the skin like a parasite of unease. One can muffle it, console it, distract it, but never banish it.

❬ hollowing road ❭

A narrow trail winds through the forestry of Etraya, murmuring to them that this is the way, this is where the vent lies.

If one follows, the Fog rewards each step with a loss. At first, it's nearly impossible to perceive what has been lost - perhaps it was a favorite color, a memory of where one had left a friend, or the taste of a favored meal. Small things, gone before one even notices their absence.

But as they continue down the path, they will find that the loss increases. Memories unravel like a thread being pulled from it's spool, leaving behind remnants from memories lost. Objects may become buried in the foliage behind them on the trail - a piece of fabric from a favored dress, a key that once opened the door to their childhood home, a picture of a family lost. Each pulses faintly with the echo of the memory they belong to, begging to be picked up and held close - or perhaps buried deep in the forest to never be found again.

Eventually, the truth will become impossible to ignore: those on the path will no longer remember why they came, nor what waits at the end. Turning around, they may find evidence of what was left behind in their wake, leaving them to gather the pieces that once made them whole. Each item will dissolve once pressed close to it's owners chest, sharing the memory itself with anyone who happens to be close enough to get a taste.

❬ MISSION NOTES ❭

📌 — The above prompts are just there to get you started. Feel free to play with the setting and concept beyond what we've suggested here!

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

📌 — Custom scenario prompts can be threaded here or anywhere else, as you like. Mod-driven threads will be posted here.

🔵FULL NAVIGATION🔵

Comments

[hexcorized]

[ A hallucination or a very real threat. Viktor doesn't stir from his spot even as he hears his name from a voice so familiar that it's enough to soothe his raised hackles. But it's not enough. Not nearly enough, as he is slow to get up, coughing into his arm as he limps towards the closed door and whatever unseemly manifestation that might be behind it.

He needs to...he needs to see him. His hand is shaky as he grips the doorknob and opens the door, partially peaking out from behind it with eyes filled with wariness and uncertainty. ]

Jayce...?

[hexcope]

[It's Jayce all right- if Viktor can suspend his disbelief for a moment. His face is cleaner than it had been when he arrived, along with a new brace on his leg and a fresh change of bandages. But his outfit is just as dirtied and torn up, his hair just as long and untamed. Not only that, but he has his hammer, the metal rusted and strange.]

Viktor.

[He repeats, this time less a question and more like a sigh. Viktor's still here. Still alive. Still whole. Still mostly skin and flesh. He could cry in relief.]

Stand back.

[He doesn't explain anything as he shifts his stance, placing a second hand on the shaft of his hammer.]

[hexcorized]

What are you... [ talking about. It's what he wants to ask, but Viktor does as he's told because Jayce looks...rough, different, like the one he had met back in Aphaia.

He had left again, presumably, given the state of him and that hammer...

This was real. This was not an illusion caused by the fog. So he moves further back into his room, almost back into the corner where he opted to hide. ]

[hexcope]

[With a heavy grunt, Jayce pulls back his hammer, and swings it down upon the doorframe. The bars are smashed, easily, but just to be sure, he swings a second time. Enough room for someone to squeeze in and out, at least. Jayce finally puts his hammer down, and sinks to his knees outside the formerly barred door.]

Sorry. I'm sorry.

[hexcorized]

[ Ah. Viktor is quick to respond once the bars are dismantled in a show of strength that he never really thought Jayce capable of. But there are many things that he was not aware Jayce was capable of.

He will come over tentatively at first, almost as if he's unsure if he should disrupt and potentially make things worse, but concern overrides any cautions he might have.

He is standing before Jayce, before he kneels to his eye level, with a shaky hand reaching out to gently cup the other's cheek. ]

It is fine, Jayce. What happened to you? And do not tell me nothing happened, I will not have it. [ A pause before he whispers. ]

You have been gone for two days...you went back home, to Piltover, didn't you? [ It's the only assumption he can possibly make with the state of him. ]

[hexcope]

[He leans effortlessly into Viktor's hand, eyes closing and silent, like he could fall asleep right here. But Viktor deserves an answer.]

I did.

[He frowns, brow furrowed even with his eyes closed. Blindly, he leans even closer and starts grabbing at parts of Viktor- his shirt, his sides, any part of him he can get his hands on to make sure he can feel how real he is.]

I thought... [His throat feels like it's closing up, the telltale sign he's going to start weeping if he doesn't get a hold of himself.]

[hexcorized]

Jayce... [ Gods. He allows Jayce to claw at him, like he's some sort of anchor, and Viktor will brace himself on Jayce's shoulders now. But the hand that's rested on Jayce's cheek will draw soothing circles with a thumb. ]

It is alright, Jayce.

[ He is also trying to avoid Jayce having a mental breakdown right now, too. But he's never been very good at, well, this. He's doing the best he can, though, to give his assurances to the other man. Jayce looks like he's gone through hell, and it makes something inside Viktor's chest hurt. ]

I am here, and we are both safe.

cw: suicidal thoughts

[hexcope]

... I was going to die. Somewhere no one would find me.

[All of the fears he had when no one from "the future" could tell him where he went; a part of him considered that he'd taken his own life, but it shocking even to himself how quickly he wrote that off. Call it ego, call it fear, but even if he wasn't around in his body anymore, he didn't want to never be found. To leave his mother wondering what became of him.

And now, no one knows where he was. Is. Was. Unless he survives somehow, no one ever will. And given how he feels right now, survival in that other world feels impossible.

He holds onto Viktor harder, burying his face into his shoulder. The tears finally start, and he shakes as he sobs. Is it selfish to tell a dying man how afraid you are to die alone? Will Viktor think he's entitled for this?]

cw: suicidal thoughts

[hexcorized]

[ Viktor visibly winces because that...that is truly a thought he's had in his own past. The steel oasis, Sky's ashes, his own choice to finally end it all, but with a calm resolve. But Viktor was not trying to survive and was not at all expecting anyone to find him, so his breath is a bit shaky as Jayce sobs into his shoulder. Dying alone for himself is fine; he can accept it for what it is and would have been. But Jayce? It was no way for someone like Jayce to end up. If Jayce's words affect him in any way, he doesn't show it, at least not in the present moment.

His hands are a bit shaky as he idly cards one through Jayce's hair. ]

I. I do not believe that for a second. Considering the you I encountered in Aphaia...I know this to be true. You are stronger than that.

[ Is what he murmurs as he places a soft kiss against Jayce's tangled hair. They look almost identical, but there is a certain resolve missing from this Jayce that the one in Aphaia had. ]

[hexcope]

[He cries, not feeling particularly strong at all right now. He's a match burned down to the end of the stick, and all that remains is ash and stump. Jayce doesn't know who Viktor means from Aphaia, because whatever strength Viktor saw in a version of him must have been yet another act of pretending to be someone he's not. It disgusts him to think he'd lie to Viktor like that, but it's the only conclusion he can come to that makes sense. Tears streaming down his face, he at least keeps himself quiet in his sobs, the smallest sense of pride still in him to not wail openly onto someone's shoulder. That's for when he's alone.

Through some more soft heaving breaths, Jayce wipes his tears on the back of his hand, as if he hadn’t also ruined Viktor’s shirt and vest with the stains, and exhales shakily.]

I’m sorry, [He murmurs again, because it’s all he wanted to say, over and over.] For everything I did. To us. To you. I’m sorry.

[He doesn’t actually expect forgiveness, but it’s what he says as he begins to pass out, finally feeling safe enough to rest. Unfortunately that means falling asleep on Viktor.]

[hexcorized]

[ He wants to tell Jayce that he has nothing to apologize for, that all the apologies Viktor ever needed have already been said and done with. Whatever he wants to say dies on his tongue as he feels that sinking weight of Jayce slowly push into him.

Oh. This is not good. ] Jayce. Wait. The-the bed...I can't... [ he coughs as he tries to move himself from underneath the other man. ] Do not fall asleep on me just yet.

[ There is no way he will be able to lift the other man off of him. ]

[hexcope]

[He slowly still keeps falling asleep on Viktor, but fortunately, it only lasts for a few seconds before the sharp pain of the uncomfortable angle jolts him awake with a start.]

Hah-?! Ah... What?

[You fell asleep on him, idiot!

Jayce shakes his head a little to wake himself up again, and begins to push himself to his feet. He can make it to the bed. It's so close. But he'll help Viktor back up as well first, with an extended hand.]

[hexcorized]

You were falling asleep. But you do look exhausted. [ It's Viktor's turn, once he's back on his feet, to pull Jayce towards his bed and make sure he's settled before sighing. Jayce should probably have a shower first and get some clean clothes, but with the door not barred anymore, Viktor can get those things for Jayce like he had done for him.

The other seems far too exhausted to push this, so Viktor won't, today, sleep is definitely in order first and foremost. ]

Rest. I will wake you up later.

[hexcope]

Wait.

[He's led to the bed easily enough, holding onto Viktor's hand with such gentleness now that he's finally feeling like everything isn't going to fall apart at the seams. But Viktor wants to leave him here, and his mind panics at the thought of this entire time being just a dream and he wakes up again in the ravine-]

Stay?

[hexcorized]

[ Oh. Viktor does pause, gripping his crutch as he turns to look back at Jayce. Features worn, sallow, those dark circles under his eyes more prominent than normal, but he still remains steadfast in his wanting to help. He gives Jayce a small smile before sighing. ]

That is a bit of a tall order to ask for. Considering I have been stuck here for several days. Technically speaking, as per our last exchange, I should not be speaking with you at all. [ Amused, he would never do that, especially not now, but he thinks this whole situation calls for some levity. He will still wind up sitting on the edge of the bed, waiting for Jayce to get comfortable, to relax and wind down. ]

But for you, I will stay.

[hexcope]

[That’s right. Viktor should be too mad at him to give in to any request he has. It’s selfish to ask him to stay even for a minute longer. And yet… Viktor does. Right on the edge of the bed is good enough, feeling the way the bed spring shake a little with the addition of some different weight distribution. Jayce crawls onto the bed further, moving into the center and laying his head on the pillow. He’ll wash everything later, including himself. For now, this is enough peace.]

Thank you. Just until I fall asleep. Please.

[But even with that said, he's asleep in minutes, the tips of his fingers touching whatever part of Viktor is closest in reach.]

[hexcorized]

[ He starts out on the edge of the bed, but he will soon be resting up next to Jayce. He doesn't sleep but merely watches Jayce in fear that the other might stop breathing or disappear again?? He's not sure which is more alarming in this moment, but he will take Jayce's calloused hand in his own, only letting it go once he's certain that the other is sound asleep.

He will brush those long bangs out of Jayce's face, a look of fondness and worry etched into his expression. He has so many questions, but none of them need answering right now. Instead, he will get up and start to tidy up the room and maybe head down to the kitchen to make himself some tea before heading back upstairs to sit in a chair overlooking the bed while he reads. ]

[hexcope]

[Jayce, at some point, will wake with a sudden yell. He looks around the room wildly, almost blindly, like he's not sure what he's seeing. Just as he's running a hand through his hair, his eyes focus on Viktor who's only a short distance away. The panic begins to ebb away, relief flooding him instead.]

You stayed.

[hexcorized]

[ Viktor is up immediately when that yell reverberates through the room. He all but fumbles with the book in his hands, but he's directly by Jayce's side in an instant despite his inability to move very well. His hands cup Jayce's cheeks as he lets out a sigh. ]

You think I would leave you in such a state by yourself? I thought you knew me better, Jayce. [ It's a chiding tone as he slowly caresses the other's cheek. ]

Besides. What am I to do out there on my own? [ He's probably get killed is what. ]

[hexcope]

[The look Jayce gives Viktor is nothing short of broken. He's trying to not break down crying (again), and his eyes are wet with unspilled tears he has to push down.]

I don't deserve you.

[hexcorized]

Jayce. Enough. [ He says it sternly but not harsh enough to be too mean. Those golden eyes of his flicker with annoyance that he can't seem to hide, however. But it's definitely stymied by that utter look of devastation in Jayce's entire being. ]

I have always let you decide things for us, for Hextech, when it was before the Council, and even here. I do not let just anyone do these things for me. Only those deserving of my trust and time are allowed, you understand, yes? [ His closed-off nature, those pieces of him he hardly shows anybody but Jayce...

His thumb will still gently move over the other's cheek in a soothing motion. ]

But, for this, you are not the one who gets to decide such things for yourself.

[hexcope]

[It certainly shakes him a little out of his spiraling when Viktor takes a slightly harsher tone; a sobering experience to hear Viktor sound like that, as if all parts of his body are attuned to the nuances in Viktor's voice. He has to trust that Viktor means it. And every time he's second guessed Viktor's judgement has only lead to his own questionable actions. Never again.]

Okay.

[He wants to remain here with Viktor's hand on him, and let this moment last as long as possible. But even he's aware that he needs to clean himself up- make himself not torturous to be around.]

[hexcorized]

[ Jayce would never be torturous to be around, especially not to Viktor, and especially not in this moment. He sighs and gives a wavering smile before he nods. With that out of the way, he will remove his hand and slide off the bed to straighten himself. ] I will, just, um, let you get cleaned up.

[ He is looking pointedly at the other before he smirks. ] Perhaps make us some tea in the meantime. If you need anything from me, I will be here.

[hexcope]

[The passing thought goes through his mind to ask Viktor to join him in the shower- not even with sexual tones, but just so he doesn't have to take his eyes off of him. The horrific idea that Viktor would see the state of his injuries in full immediately erases the notion of him asking for that much, and Jayce gives a little nod.]

Tea sounds good.

[As they go their separate ways, Jayce takes a shower. It's steaming hot, and he scrubs every inch of his body that he can. It takes over an hour, and even then he doesn't feel completely clean, but that might be more in his head than anything. Caked blood and dirt, he showers until the water finally runs clear off him, and he covers himself in a towel around his waist with a sigh. It's a step toward feeling normal again, when he finally leaves the bathroom.]

[hexcorized]

[ When Jayce finally leaves the bathroom, Viktor is there, reading over some scrawled notes for the nanobots and other such things. Things he half remembers writing as he went a little bit stir-crazy, locked away as he was. A funny thing is that Jayce was going through much the same back home. He'll look up with two lukewarm mugs resting beside him. He'll just slide those notes into a haphazard pile before turning fully to regard the other.

The change was...striking in a way Viktor did not like at all. There's an exhale through his nose before he coughs into a closed fist. His voice comes out a bit ragged when he finally speaks a second or two later. ]

I was getting worried. I half thought you might have drowned in there. [ It's a poor attempt at being cheeky. But when has he ever been good at making jokes? ]