TDM 006

[etrayamods]

⏵ arrival ⏴ Arrival is absolutely not normal this month. Instead of a hospital bed, you wake in a tunnel with a large group of other people. These are the residents. A woman’s voice in an earpiece hurriedly clues you in with an apology. I apologize; I had not planned to introduce you this way, but we are low on time. Please proceed down the hallway. An image of a shattered pearl pops up on your personal HUD and rotates. I am Aurora. You are joining many others on Etraya in order to save your world from destruction by completing missions. Your current mission is to find the pieces of this object that have become scattered in the library ahead of you. For everyone else, coming in is much the same. The instruction goes out to head to designated areas immediately, where companion bots will escort the residents of Etraya down into the depths, the area beneath where much the same is explained. ⏵ disrobing ⏴ The tunnel eventually opens directly into the foreroom of an expansive library, painted in marvelous hues and patterns with skylights far above. There are wizards milling about, bearded and holding tomes, quietly chatting amongst themselves. The reception area of the library has tall ceilings with equally tall doors Before you get too caught up in the scenery, a voice directs you forward. A gentleman, hunched and bespeckled craws out. "Make a line! Make a line, everyone! You cannot enter the library dressed as you are... Come forward and give me your name." The receptionist asks your given name and then hands over a box from underneath his counter. You can give him any name you want, he doesn’t seem to mind. It is tied with a tagged ribbon- labeling it accordingly. “The _____ robe of _______.” (First Letter of Given Name) (Last Letter of Given Name) A Controlling N Helpful A Melodies N Light B Glimmering O Floating B Discretion O Mind-Reading C Wet P Handsome C Growth P Climbing D Gruesome Q Gullible D Grasping Q Jumping E Observant R Ratty E Flying R Hurting F Powerful S Adhesive F Reading S Guiding G Psychedelic T Sweltering G Dancing T Bug-Speaking H Swift U Cheerful H Shouting U Exploding I Voracious V Anxious I Extracting V Complaining J Soft W Likeable J Punishing W Dividing K Keen X Ruthless K Creeping X Slapping L Fabulous Y Dramatic L Walking Y Charming M Fair Z Demonic M Listening Z Combustion As you read what the contents of the box may be, they form inside- Looking and behaving as your character expects them to. After all, magic is all in the wielder’s mind. Don your robes and enter the library. ⏵ unfamiliar familiars ⏴ For those without a familiar (like one hatched from an egg not too long ago) you may borrow one from the library counter. They all have strengths and weaknesses, but they will all assist in the very important mission. As you roam the library, they will make little indications that you are closer or further from finding a piece of the pearl. Pro • Hardworking • Gives correct directions 75% of time • Won’t run away from you • Very affectionate • Gives correct directions only when paired with another rat, toad, or personal pet. • Gives correct directions 90% of the time Con • Must feed bookworms • Will run away if too close to a cat • Does not care for you • Sleepy • Will run ahead • Gets distracted by rats ⏵ the task at hand ⏴ With robes donned and creature in hand, you must now complete your mission. Find the pieces of the shattered pearl. As you enter the library, you may notice that it’s all very dim. There’s oil lamps around the place that may be moved with you to assist in your journey if your robes do not already emit light. Break off and search the library. There is a directory at the front to point guests to all the different sections. Wings of the Library A General Works B Music C Philosophy, Religion D Fine Arts E History, Auxiliary Sciences F Language and Literature G Magic, General H Science J Geography, Anthopology K Medicine M Agriculture N Hobbies, Recreation P Social Science Q Military R Political Science S Practical Arts T Law W People X Education Y Spiders Each section looks enough like the last, though the books within have immense power. Pick up the wrong book, and you might conjure a dragon or a historical figure! You must persist and avoid making too much noise or breaking too many things. Or else the Librarian, a tall mass of knotted fabric will confiscate your robe and usher you back outside. Your name will be struck from the list, and you must pick a new one to re-enter the library to continue the search. You can try to fight back against him- he may be set alight with the lamp. But should you be starting fires in here? ⏵ NOTES ⏴ Any thread with 15 comments between you and another may be submitted to find a piece of the pearl. There are 20 pieces altogether, and we will determine if the mission was successful by March 28th. A post will go live on the OOC comm for this! This mission occurs out of time, similar to how the spaceship had. Meaning, those currently in game can experience these events any time between now, and March 14th. Please direct all questions to our mod queries comment! ⏵FULL NAVIGATION⏴

Comments

[tinflower]

[ The other guy seems on board, so when Peter lowers and lets his toad go, Gorgug joins him, letting the toad in his own hand go, and... doing exactly what Peter's does: nothing. Even silent for a few seconds, with Gorgug watching the pair longer, like they might spring into action with those seconds to jumpstart them.

But nothing. He hears Peter rummaging above him, small as the noise is, and gets up instead to see what he's retrieved. Gorgug stares at the selection, like he doesn't know what he's looking at, but then points to the pebble and tinfoil, turning his hand to show his palm. ]

Those two. [ Hello, please deposit them onto his palm. The pebble might be more useful than the tinfoil, but Gorgug wants to see how light interacts with the tinfoil, if it'll refract and give some extra brightness. He just needs the materials on his palm, and then he'll cup his hand over them with both--and after that, he opens back up the space.

The spell is small, simple: magic goes through his hands, and then transfers onto the items. Mathematics is its alignment, and the two items glow against his palm with a bright, five foot spreading light.

Meanwhile, on the floor, Gorgug's toad croaks to the other. Food, or pearl? ]

[miniroth]

..Very well.

[There is a certain ... instability to any given Sephiroth that probably makes that caution a very good idea. He seems as reasonably sane and stable as anyone could hope for, but that also went for the other one right up until Nibelheim was burnt to ash.

For now all certainly seems as well as can be hoped for. He hasn't tried for one single murder spree yet! Which may be simply because he didn't have orders to do so, and at this stage in life he is still very much the obedient weapon.

However the directions he's given are doable, but given the height difference between himself and the shelves, it means as soon as he's done with the lower level ones, finding nothing of interest, he's climbing bookshelves to look on higher ones normally probably meant for ladders or stepstools to reach. There aren't any immediately around, and this is more expedient! Apparently he's lost shoes somewhere on the way because this is being done barefoot.

His toad meanwhile is set on a shelf, where it begins working its way towards Rufus. Not Rufus - the book he's got.

There's little tunnels through some of the pages, as one would expect from a neglected library with pests like bookworms. If the toad can get close enough it's going to hop directly onto the book and begin investigating for itself. There might be something tasty!]

[tinflower]

[ ...that's a good question. How secretive do we have to be? Gorgug looks from the desk to himself, though his thoughts are going back to previous missions, as well. ]

We had to keep it secret once, but... when I showed up on the spaceship, I wasn't keeping it a secret I came from somewhere else. [ Well. ] I didn't know about Etraya or Aurora then, but- I think Aurora would've said, if we were supposed to be quiet.

[ He looks back at Kaeya, admitting: ] I don't actually know where this is.

[ As in: they could be anywhere. ]

[shadowsincryo]

[Archons. He takes a breath. For a moment he looks concerned. Then he releases his breath of air.] I imagine that’s pretty common with these missions. Alright.

If anyone asks us about it. I’m from ‘far away’ is always a good play.

[He’s used it for years and years, it hasn’t failed him yet. He tucks the ice sculpture into Gorgug’s hand as they reach the head of the line. It still shows no signs of melting. His smile is dazzling as he walks up to the receptionist.] Kaeya Alberich.

[The aged receptionist takes a pair of boxes from under the counter. One is tagged ‘the keen robe of melodies’. Kaeya takes the box as the receptionist studies him. ‘You don’t have a familiar.’ Kaeya glances at Gorgug and says,]

I do not. I’ve been a bit busy of late.

[tinflower]

[ Whoa... he's getting advice!

Which Gorgug latches onto, even if all he does is nod with a curious look in his eye. But also, he now has an ice sculpture in his hand, which he looks down at and...keeps there, a little chilly on his palm but not immediately sinking through the firm skin. He follows after his companion, letting him speak first; catching his gaze, and-- nodding after it. ]

Really busy. We're busy. [ ... ] I'm from far away.

[ The receptionist quirks a brow at him, and asks, 'And you are?' ]

Uh-- Gorgug...Thistlespring.

[ They make a small sound, and grab another box from somewhere under the counter: The Psychedelic Robes of Dancing. ]

[bootyshortsforoldmen]

I’d like you to teach me more about — [gesturing vaguely toward the thirium Connor holds] — all that.

[Which is about as clear as mud, so:] Android first aid. That sort of thing. How much blood can you lose? The hell does “critical” mean if not a total shutdown? That sort of thing.

Doesn’t gotta necessarily be right now — I’m sure there’s a lot to learn — I just... don’t wanna fail you again. Could’ve really fucked you up if you hadn’t managed to tell me to screw off earlier — with the whole venom thing.

[Hank looks out toward the windows where it’s much brighter than it was in the library of horrors. And yet it’s not exactly comforting.]

Just wanna know how to take care of you, y’know? If something were to happen.

[instabilitatem]

The first androids were based on humans. Most of our first aid is also based on humans, to a degree. The primary exception is that what makes us up is replaceable in most events.

[Connor thinks back to the Stratford tower, when he'd had his thirium pump regulator had been ripped out of him. His destruction at a hail of bullets had also hit several critical systems. He looks at the bag of thirium in his hands. It's similar to a bag of saline, but the packaging is silver and glossy, with the word 'thirium' written across it in the same blue as his blood.

About to pull back his skin to administer the thirium, Connor pauses and looks over to Hank.]

Perhaps you would like to look away.

[badfengshui]

Uh --

[ None of it was bad?

Emotions stutter themselves across his expression - a mixture of confusion, guilt, and anxiety. They're ones spoken more with his eyes and eyebrows rather than his entire face. Each flicker of feeling crosses through his stare - eyebrows flexing and furrowing briefly - before the show of life on his face returns to a blank stare. ]

I'd be okay... if you took the broken piece.

[bootyshortsforoldmen]

Yeah, well, could’ve got you killed with that whole venom thing. If you were human, I wouldn’t have thought to let you bleed out in my arms, either.

And you’re not replaceable, for fuck’s sake.

[Even if, technically, Connor had been back home. But it’s never been that easy, not for Hank.

And things are different here, anyway. They might come back when they die, but they’ll lose something. Maybe something important.

Something irreplaceable.]

I can look away if you want. Your choice whether I ogle you as you do your thing. [Hank’s brow furrows.] But I’d like to see. Maybe it’ll help if I ever need to... y’know. Not used to all this, but I should get there. Said I wanted to be able to help if you needed it, didn’t I?

[badfengshui]

Yeah.

[ If he wasn't the one digging, he also wouldn't want to watch what he's doing. He tosses pieces of something to the side as he keeps going about his work. That poor frog -- it would be sad if something happened to it. Henry focuses on that singular thought rather than focusing on what he's feeling and what he's doing. He does his best to narrow his thoughts on how unfortunate it would be if something happened to that frog.

Splat, splat, splat.

He sits back, deciding not to stare at his hands, and looks towards Gorgug instead. ]

I can't find him...

[tinflower]

Oh.

[ Is that a sound and look of disappointment? Maybe. So what if he wouldn't actually like to be pickpocketed for real? The idea of it is kinda fun if you know what's going on, or can catch it out! ...belatedly, but. You know. ]

Well, I don't have a vault or prison I want to break into right now, but I'll ask you if I do. I want to find this pearl piece, and that would be good for us both, if you wanna look like you're doing a good job. Saving your world. Unless you've got other plans.

[ Like finding a library vault? ]

[miniroth]

You are being terribly recalcitrant about this. Why?

[Information is information, always useful in its time, sooner or later. Even interpersonal conflicts.

Perhaps especially interpersonal conflicts. There were lessons he'd lacked growing up, that he .. might be able to catch up on now. Maybe. Like this. There had to be a reason the man was digging his heels in, but what it was seemed to elude.]

[catsclaws]

[ 'Reason' doesn't seem big around here. For what reason are they searching this library and how is it supposed to save her universe? ]

Loki?

[ She looks surprised, but now that she thinks about it, there's a resemblance. ]

Felicia. You're not the actual Loki, are you?

[catsclaws]

For now.

[ Looking the way they came, they seem to be safe for the moment. ]

I've never been chased by window curtans before.

[instabilitatem]

[The sentiments Hank expresses are kind, but Connor is not about to mistake himself as something akin to humanin terms of value. Human lives will always matter more than his own.

Nodding, Connor pulls his jacket off his left arm, rolls up the starchy white shirt sleeve beneath, and then pulls back his skin. The warm, pinky facsimile slides back and exposes Connor’s true, glossy white skin beneath. There is a port at the inside elbow that Connor inserts the tip on the bag into and swivels it into a locked position. The bag slowly compresses as Connor refills his inner bank of thirium.]

[bootyshortsforoldmen]

You thought I was gonna be weirded out by that? Just looks like a blood transfusion, or something.

[And it is, in essence, right? Just without Connor’s skin.

Which also isn’t as strange to see as Hank thought it might be.]

So, in theory. Let’s say you’re all passed out — hit beyond critical levels of thirium loss, or whatever. There any way I can make your skin do that?

bullshits some robit stuff

[instabilitatem]

[As the bag continues to drain, Connor nods. He reaches up to his neck and presses a finger at the nape of his neck. There’s a quiet click and then a second button appears as his neck panels slide back. Pressing on that causes all of his skin to withdraw.

For a moment, everything that makes Connor is gone, leaving him in his pure android state.]

we love the robit stuff in this house

[bootyshortsforoldmen]

[It’s weird seeing Connor like this, sure. But again, not as unsettling as he would’ve thought.

Because it’s Connor. And because Hank asked. Wants to know all he can.

He squints, eyes roving over Connor’s neck. Could do all this himself if he had to, right? But Hank stamps out that uncertainty in his head: no, he will do this if it’s ever necessary.]

Can’t hurt you like that, could I? If I’m all nervous and fumbling around and trying to find out what to push.

[instabilitatem]

[Connor allows his neck plates to close and for his skin to slide back over and planes and edges of his body. He's not sure why, but he prefers having his skin in place. He feels oddly vulnerable without it on.]

If you press the button for too long, you could initiate a factory reset. Most androids have a similar mechanism and location for that function.

[His is more hidden, possibly to being a prototype.]

But no, you could not harm me.

[Not technically. A factory reset would impede their investigation, certainly, but as long as his memory is uploaded into a new unit, there's no damage done.]

[bootyshortsforoldmen]

Well, that’s a fucking horrifying thought. [Hank doesn’t even want to think about what that might mean, but he has to ask:] Factory reset as in what, exactly? And how long would I have to hold the button to...?

[This is all very dangerous information for someone to have. Anyone other than Hank.]

[instabilitatem]

As in I would reset to my default. Unless my memory was uploaded, it would be wiped. My assignments, my orders, my name, everything but my serial number and default appearance would be erased.

[Connor doesn’t question why Hank wants to know this information and gives it out to him willingly, as his assigned partner.]

Ten seconds or longer would initiate the reset.

[bootyshortsforoldmen]

Jesus Christ. [Hank rubs his forehead. Cursed knowledge, but again: he asked.] Don’t you go telling anyone else this, okay?

[Not that Hank can imagine anyone here wanting to hurt Connor, but if they did, they’d probably try to take advantage of something like that.]

It’s not a command, or anything, just... please.

[Hank holds the second pack of thirium out to Connor, if he might wish to partake.]

[instabilitatem]

You are my assigned partner. [And family, but Connor refrains from adding that.] I will tell no one but you.

[Connor’s current bag of thirium is almost finished, so he reaches out and accepts the offered one. He twists off the first bag and attaches the second.]

You asked about blood loss levels?

[bootyshortsforoldmen]

Good. All right. [Hank thinks they could trust Accelerator with this, but Connor didn’t seem amenable to the whole friendship thing.

But... later. Someday. Hell, maybe Accelerator might have some thoughts on deviation.]

Yeah. Blood loss. I figure... lose however much, something shuts off. Then too much — how much is too much? And how will I know before it gets to that point?

more bullshitting

[instabilitatem]

[Connor nods again as the second bag on his arm begins to drain.]

We have several levels: optimal, sub-obtimal, critical, sub-critical, and deactivation levels. Critical means shutting down non-essential processes, but able to continue operating. With two units I will be at sub-obtimal. I am in no danger unless I become damaged.