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

[aimsforknees]

[ He feels like it was a good idea to ask Carver more about this when he sees the look on his face. ]

It's good to have people looking out for you, that you can rely on.

[ Once upon a time that was Kara, up until she shot him. Up until she strapped a bomb to his chest. He wonders sometimes if it was all just a job to her, if she ever felt any of the companionship she showed him. Now he has Harold, Harold who dragged his bleeding body from the clutches of the CIA, Harold who diffused his bomb vest. John doesn't doubt Harold's commitment to... whatever is between them. ]

[fortitudosalutis]

[ Carver just rubs his thumb along the rim of the glass. Expression a little distant. ]

That who Finch is to you?

cw: suicide ideation

[aimsforknees]

[ Is that what Harold is to him? Yes, obviously, but so much more. When he told the Machine he wasn't willing to live without Harold, when he put his life up as a bargaining chip to get that sliver of information, he meant it. It wasn't an empty threat. He only has this life because of Harold; Harold is his compass. Harold is so much more than that, the ways he fits into John's life are only things he thinks about in the dark of night when he can't sleep. The things he desired from Harold are secrets he'll never speak. No, what they have is enough. ]

Yes.

[ He's not going to elaborate, but something about the mood, something about trading these moments back and forth with Carver, makes him open his mouth again. But the words "I'd do anything for him" stay lodged in his throat and in the end he just closes his mouth again and takes a drink, staring at the liquid in his glass in the aftermath of the feelings he has no way to express. ]

cw: death of a child

[fortitudosalutis]

Ah.

[ That hangs in the air between them, the silence unbroken. Carver rubs his thumb along the rim of his glass, thinking about his sister, thinking about Bossie, about Mancea and Wash and Fisher and all the others he swore to protect. And he thinks about Delaney, who never got to see her child, and Matthew, who died before his time. None of them were prepared to be parents, but then Shaw pressed a red, screaming infant into his arms. Take him, Carve, she'd whispered. Just for a minute. And he hadn't known what to do, not really, none of them had, but he held Matthew and swore to protect him as much as they all loved him.

It wasn't enough in the end. Maybe it never is. ]

I failed her, [ Carver explains softly. ] I heard her get shot, but I didn't see her fall. And if I didn't see her fall, then she's not dead.

[aimsforknees]

[ John doesn't need to imagine the fear he'd feel if he thought Harold had been shot. It happened with Root in the train station; the gunshot, seeing Harold fall over from behind the pillar. The desperate seconds of not knowing what had happened. And then the utter relief that followed. ]

No, you don't know she's dead. It's not real until you know. Hold onto that hope.

[fortitudosalutis]

You don't know until you know.

[ He held onto the hope that Matthew was alive for six years when they were all separated, right up until Shaw showed him the grave. He held onto that faith. He can do it again, if he has to.

Carver downs the rest of the glass without a word. ]

[aimsforknees]

[ John offers the bottle again. He really means to show Carver he's welcome here, that he can relax, that he can have, that he doesn't need to deny himself. John knows what it's like to have to unlearn things like that, though not to the extent he images Carver does. But John can offer him this much. ]

I thought my old partner was dead for years until she showed up one day. You truly never know. Sometimes I still think she'll show up out of the blue again.

[ He says "think" but he means "has nightmares". What would Kara do to him next? What would she try to take from him this time? He doesn't think his life would be enough if she truly managed to cheat death a second time. ]

[fortitudosalutis]

[ By right, he should refuse. The commander never let them get drunk, lest their situational awareness suffer. And that is a grave sin indeed, worthy of punishment.

The commander's not here, though. The commander's dead on a rooftop in Meridian, rotting in the sun.

Carver fills up his glass again. Maybe he wants to forget. Maybe he wants to stop thinking for a little while. Just for a little while. ]

My sister got separated from us on the road, [ he replies softly. ] For years. But we found her. I'll find her again.

[ He'll stake his soul if it comes to that. If he's not rotting in Meridian with the commander, he'll go back to bury their dead and then he'll stand until the end of his days at Leah Shaw's side. ]

[aimsforknees]

[ John raises his glass. It's still his first. He's going slow. He could be on this third like Carver, but he made himself a deal that he wouldn't drink like that again while Harold needed him. He's been good about keeping it, even if can be hard. ]

To reunions.

[ He takes his drink. He remembers the way Kara's nails used to bite into his skin when they were together. He hopes it really was her burnt corpse in that car. ]

Tell me about the rest of your family?

[fortitudosalutis]

To reunions, [ Carver echoes. His tolerance for alcohol is shit right now. He's going to be stupid drunk when this is done, surely a sin. But maybe this is a lesser one, on balance. He takes another drink and tilts his head back, breathing out slow. ]

We all served in Korengal. Some of us started this thing in the mess hall, where we'd hang out when everyone else was getting their mail. Called it the orphan club. 'cause we didn't have anyone else.

[ He hefts the glass, shaking his head. ]

Anchetta cheats at cards, but he's the smartest fucker I've ever met. Choi whittles dice. Mancea got fucked up jumping out of planes when he was younger, but he can still hold his own. We don't worry about him going out, even though he's an old man.

[ They're all dead now, he thinks. Everyone but Shaw. ]

[aimsforknees]

[ John listens. It's clear Carver cares about these people. John never got close to people back when he was in the Army. Sure he had buddies, but not anyone he cared enough about not to leave when the CIA came knocking. And then he let Jessica walk away and truly had no one. He never could really fool himself into thinking about Kara that way, even though he did his best to make believe. Even if he couldn't shoot her in the end. ]

They sound like good family.

[fortitudosalutis]

Leah bailed me out of the drunk tank when I was back stateside.

[ His voice is soft. A little distant, again. ]

I owe her a lot for that. She and the commander told me to shape up, they needed me. So, I did. I would've followed them back to Korengal if they'd asked.

[aimsforknees]

[ It says a lot that Carver would follow them that far. Their bond must have been that strong even before the world ended and they were forced to band together. It sounds like they already were together. And John can't really judge Carver for where he ended up, John chose the CIA rather than return to civilian life. He chose to never go home. ]

I never really made it back stateside. Ended up with the CIA.

[fortitudosalutis]

[ Carver hums, lifting his glass in somber salute. ]

We went private. Took some CIA contracts. Took some others.

[ Maybe some of the same work. ]

None of us were good at being civilians. And we had bills to pay.

[aimsforknees]

[ Yeah, John understands how that is. He's the same. ]

I never figured it out. Still haven't. I have no clue what I'm doing here.

[ It's a confession, but he thinks Carver will understand. Harold understands in a... factual way. Has tried offering him solutions. But they never reach the core that John just isn't suited to this lifestyle anymore. ]

[fortitudosalutis]

I wouldn't be any good at it now.

[ The world ended. The world remade itself. He's suited for what's left. Not this place, though. ]

Dunno what I'ms supposed to be here, though.

[aimsforknees]

I've been taking care of the library, but Finch gives me looks when he catches me mopping too often. It gets use but not that much.

[ Harold had suggested getting a setup to manufacture his own ammo, but he spent his points on the sniper rifle and their suits instead. Seeing Harold back in his usual look was worth it. ]

[fortitudosalutis]

Idle hands.

[ They fuck you right up. Carver exhales. ]

I patrol. Map out parts of the city, mark the blind corners and the kill boxes.

[aimsforknees]

[ He's not about to ask Carver to share that information, but it would be useful to have. Maybe he can start doing that himself. It'd get him out from Harold's watchful eye but also take him away from Harold. Pros, cons. ]

That's valuable, gives you an advantage if things go bad.

[fortitudosalutis]

Bad things happen if you don’t know the terrain.

[ It’s said simply. You have to be prepared for these things. Carver watches John for a moment. ]

You know?

[aimsforknees]

Yeah, I do. I'm especially fond of escape routes.

[ Which is such a weird phrase, but he thinks Carver will understand. One of the many things he relies on Harold for, one of the many things that makes him an excellent partner. ]

[fortitudosalutis]

[ Carver nods just once. These things are understood. ]

No one here seems to realize how bad things could get in a place like this. They don’t evaluate the environment. You do.

[aimsforknees]

Hard habit to break, even if I don't want to believe it.

[ He's choosing not to. He knows Carver disagrees, but John is choosing not to believe the worst will come to pass. He's choosing to believe he and Carver will sit and drink like this again. ]

[fortitudosalutis]

You will.

[ Give it time, Carver doesn’t say. Just give it a little time, and then you’ll see. He used to believe that people were mostly good, deep down. That given the option, they wouldn’t be so goddamn brutal to each other.

He knows better now. He won’t forget the lessons learned. ]

[aimsforknees]

[ John doesn't reply at first, just takes a slow drink. He used to believe in the darkness of the world. He still believes in it some, doesn't think he'll ever get its stain off his soul. He can still hear Kara saying "We are the dark" and he believed her then and he believes her now. Only Harold showed him that he can do good with his darkness, that even if he's damned he can make a difference for other people. That other people are worth being saved. That he can be the one to do it. Pay back some of his debt to the world even if he'll always owe. ]

Time will tell which of us is right.