etrayalogs | MISSION 001

WHO: Everyone!
WHEN: March 29th-April 20th
WHERE: Everywhere on Etraya
WHAT: Mission 001!
NOTES\WARNINGS: Potential violence, death.

⏵ mission prep ⏴
On the morning of the 29th, characters will receive a notification from Aurora to come to the hospital’s ground floor to prepare for their first mission. On this floor, pairs will be given slips of paper with matching numbers. If characters have chosen their partners, they too will receive small slips of paper with matching numbers, as these numbers match the room assignment they will be asked to please step inside.

The rooms themselves are bare. There’s a cot, two chairs pushed up against a small table, a miniature fridge set up below a sink, and a television that only plays static. On the table is a note, which simply reads:

Welcome. To prepare you for your first mission, we are giving you time to get to know your partner. You have a twelve-hour time limit to discuss your lives together. We recommend talking about moments throughout your life that have defined the person you have become. In addition, we have included several ingredients inside the miniature refrigerator. You must, without telling your partner specifically what it is, create their favorite drink using the ingredients within and above the refrigerator.

Do not attempt to cheat. Do not make your own drink.

If you pass, you will both be given two points and the door will unlock. If you fail, you may try again with the same partner or a new partner may be reassigned to you.

Good luck.

Within the mini fridge will be numerous ingredients - these ingredients could be anything, from Bantha milk to dragon fruit - whatever their favorite drinks are, they will find all the correct ingredients to make them. There will also be numerous extra ingredients. Maybe a character’s favorite drink is a nice cup of peppermint tea. The kettle, and the tea bags, will be present on top of the mini fridge, but there may also be soda bottles inside the fridge and various milk substitutes. Cheating by making their own drink will result in the game being reset, and a new partner being assigned or no partner at all being assigned and they will simply be removed from this part of the exercise.

⏵ the secret's out⏴
Numerous notes can be found throughout Etraya’s populated areas - falling from the sky, taped to doors, slid under them, or perhaps being handed out by a few of the companion bots who will eagerly note how these are meant to help, but a quick read may show that they’re not things anyone wants to be given out so freely.

After all, on the notes are secrets, untold truths, things that were never meant to be shared nor wanted out in the open. Some of these aren’t notes at all, but small packages that are not addressed to anyone in particular, or addressed to the incorrect party. Inside the packages are items that may be associated with a particular event: a knife that had been used to betray a friend still stained with blood, a mask meant to conceal identity, a picture featuring a moment in time that had best been left forgotten.

The goal of the game becomes clear by the notes written on the back or thin slips within the packages: match the secret to the person. You could simply ignore them, but the note also includes an addendum: more notes will continue to be sent until the person is matched to their secret.

⏵ cracked reflection ⏴

Every person is an intricate mosaic, composed of numerous facets that shape what makes them - themselves.

After all, one person is not simply one picture, but rather, a puzzle comprised of myriad pieces. These pieces may shape their strengths, their sense of humor, the influences of their upbringing, and who they admired in their formative years. Together, these fragments coalesce into a singular form: you.

But what if those pieces were rearranged? What if the fundamental aspects that define who you are simply… didn’t exist? What if, rather than being a courageous hero, you were cast as a formidable villain? What if, instead of pursuing the path that led you to greatness, you veered in a different direction?

A new dawn breaks over Etraya. The artificial sun rises over the horizon, accompanied by the melodic chirping of birds. As the denizens of Etraya awaken, they sense... a shift in the air - a feeling of dissonance, as if a piece of themselves has suddenly gone missing. Because it has.

Doubles of every current inhabitant of Etraya roam the corridors of the apartment building and the surrounding facilities. They let themselves into Roxx to get a few new outfits, get themselves a meal at the hospital cafeteria, or maybe they’re raiding the snack shelves at Kwik Trip. They may bear a striking resemblance to their counterpart and act very similarly, but there is something off about them. A quality that sets them apart. Remember that step you took, that led you to your current career? The step you’ve kept secret for so long, that has defined your actions ever since? They didn’t take it. They went down a different path, something darker, or perhaps something lighter. They took the path you most feared, the one you knew would turn out terribly. And they in turn - turned out for the worst.

Characters will find they are facing one of their worst fears: themselves, but their worst selves. The version of them that they fought so hard not to become, that they strove against rather than towards. And the mission? They need to take out their worst selves.

But there’s a twist: interaction with their doubles isn’t possible. Both halves are cognizant of each other’s existence, yet they are incapable of verbally or physically interacting with each other. And while the double understands what they are, the original? Well… how do you truly know you are who you’re supposed to be? What if you were the double all along? What if you are your own worst self?

There is one way to be sure: the color of the copies’ blood is slightly darker than what it should be. Running closer to a red-black than the red you would anticipate. Or for some, perhaps their blood is red where it should be running black. While they feel and look real, driving a unique blade straight through where their heart would be will cause doubles to dissipate into nothing once the knife penetrates deep enough. As for the genuine articles, well, the blade is sharp—and it’s going to hurt.

A blade is provided for every authentic copy. Those who were sleeping through the night will find it beside them upon awakening. As for those who remain vigilant throughout the night, the blade will manifest beside them in the early hours of April 2nd.

Guess someone is going to have to kill your double.

⏵ quicksilver has no sense of tact ⏴

Aurora’s announcement left out several crucial details: the existence of the doubles, for one. But also the looming deadline to take care of the mess that has been dropped onto Etraya. Inside the characters’ wrists, they will discover a timer gradually counting down. The timers are only visible for the person who dons it, as is the amount of time given. Every person is given an individual time limit, but it cannot be longer than two weeks. As the numbers dwindle, more black marks appear going up the inside of their arms toward the inside of their elbow. And what are the black marks?

With each additional black mark, they begin to feel… less like themselves, and more like their doppelgangers. In the beginning, maybe they barely notice the change. Maybe it’s a favorite food they loved that they now hate, or perhaps it’s an event that has shifted: something small but important - a decision to save a life changed to taking one. Maybe they’ll feel like a piece of themselves is no longer the same, replaced with another feeling or sensation. Where something would have usually made them empathetic to another's blight, now they find their suffering funny. Regardless, the longer their doubles are around, the longer they slowly begin to become their doubles - and their doubles begin to become just like them.

If their doppelganger is not taken out at the end of their provided time, it will simply dissipate and the original will remain changed. The only way to return to normal is to kill the original. After death, the character will remain dead for twenty-four hours before returning to their normal selves as if the death had never occurred. While killing them to return them to normal is information Aurora will readily share, no one will inform them that they will simply return to normal by April 20th.

⏵ OOC ⏴
Welcome to the first mission! For any questions relating to this mission please reply below. All other questions can be directed to the FAQ.

Please note that while ICly, characters are not given a choice, players can choose which missions they wish for their characters to participate in. They may have missed receiving room assignments, or their secrets may not have been dropped, or a copy may not have shown up for them. This may not always be an option in future missions!

⏵FULL NAVIGATION⏴

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[They're lucky that a positive attitude isn't one of the requirements, or this would've been an instant failure. Natsuno could snark back, but that won't get them any closer to completing this task.]

Yuuki, [He says instead, introducing himself.] I'll try to get the drink right, but the last place I've been to was pretty tough about preventing underage drinking.

[Dropping hints: one, he guesses that Angel's favorite is alcoholic and two, his favorite drink isn't.]

[ Oh man, he's in danger. There isn't a lot of underage people in hell, for obvious reasons, so it's been a long time. He's having enough trouble here as it is so he decides you catch more flies with honey than vinegar and he is a spider so, he'll try a little harder to be a little less himself.]

Angel. And, no one really cared about that sorta sh-uh... crap where I'm from. [Either the land of the living or hell. He sort of takes a look at the ingredients in his hand and sort of determines one thing; there's about four different sweet things in his hands which can't be for him because he honestly hates that sort of sugary crap. At least in the way of chocolates and candies.]

Let me guess, you like chocolate? [He seems to be allowed to ask that much.]

[He rolls his eyes.]

You can say "shit." I'm seventeen, not seven. But yeah, I like chocolate, as long there's something to balance the sweetness.

[Hence the coffee. But, they're also here to get to know each other, and Natsuno IS curious. Angel is very different than most people brought here, who for the most part look human.]

So what kinda place are you from?

Hey I dunno what your rules are, I was fucking wild at seventeen. [But that's good at least.] So your favourite drink probably ain't something like chocolate milk or whatever. [He thinks on it for a moment.] But it ain't like a martini or somethin' either. Is it a breakfast thing?

[He thinks he's close, there's only a few things that involve chocolate but not just chocolate. Most of them being coffee drinks.]

I'm from New York, duh. [Course he knows that's not what the other means. But how do you even begin to explain that you're from Hell really?]

Not necessarily breakfast.

[He thinks. His schedule is whack anyway.]

You don't look like you're from any New York I know. Everyone from my world is human, or at least looks like one. Do all people in your world are...

[A vague handwave. You know, fluffy spider people.]

But is it usually?

[That's fair, Angel usually works a lot at all sorts of weird hours.]

I was human once too, but I am from New York. And then I died, and became well this. It's complicated, but it ain't got nothin' to do with my drink. Cause my drink? Perfect for the big apple. [One part trying to give hints without being too 'helpful' to get in trouble, and one part not wanting to talk about his 'world'. He knows it'll come up, if he sticks around, but it's not something he's quite ready to get into depth about.]

I guess it can be for breakfast. It'll wake you up, that's for sure.

[He considers Angel's words, and reaches for the apple schnapps.]

Yours is probably a cocktail, right? Hope I can get the amounts right. [The only cocktail he ever made is Molotov, sorry.] So how come you've changed? Mess with forbidden magic or have an accident with a radioactive bug?

Is it hot, or iced usually for you?

[A wise choice indeed. And even if the other can't quite make it right it probably still counts right? As long as it has tons of liquor in it he'll be fine. He's been disgustingly sober since he got here. It's been a bit of an issue.]

I think that's just how it works for hellspawn. Everything is torture; I mean I used to fucking hate spiders. Now I am one.

At least I'm still cute.

Hot.

[Okay, apple schnapps. Natsuno pours some into the shaker, pauses to think, then adds vodka.]

So you're dead? [That's nothing new. Natsuno stopped being shocked about talking to dead people when they started to rise from the grave and knock on his window. No, what's interesting is - ]

Hell's actually real?

Alright you got it.

[There is a whole like, coffee machine combo thing in this space. He's gonna do his best to figure this out. They got this, they totally got this.]

I mean, it is where I'm from. Cause I'm in it.

[And now he's here making coffee, what a world. But hey in some way this place is way better, I mean it's hell for a reason.]

So what about you, where you from?

You sound so casual about it.

[He supposes it makes sense, though. People get used to anything given enough time, and damnation is supposed to be eternal. Natsuno certainly doesn't seem to mind talking to a literal hellspawn, but then again, who is he to judge? If death ever catches up with him, he's definitely going to hell for murder (not to mention all the assault, arson and grave desecration).]

Anyway, I was born in Tokyo. Then my parents moved to a tiny village. [Schnapps and vodka should make most of the cocktail, right? He considers the other non-coffee ingredients, like apple juice and lemon, and pours them in smaller amounts. Next is ice, and then... shake.] After that, I ended up in a pocket dimension fueled by suffering.

[Which sucked, but whatever, he's definitely not traumatized or anything.]

MISSION 001

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