etrayamemes | TDM 006

TDM 006

⏵ 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⏴

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

It is a new avenue to pursue and I enjoy learning new things.

[Connor does bed down to one knee to hold out a rawhide for Sumo to take. Can't forget about Sumo!]

All right, then. “Learning new things” — you add that to your list.

[Sumo accepts the rawhide gratefully, getting some slobber on Connor’s hand as he does so.

It’s slobber of love!!]

Spoiling that damn dog. [Hank doesn’t mind. This is the way things are supposed to be, he thinks.]

Adding it now. [Connor releases the rawhide to Sumo and then stands up. He returns to the kitchen and starts boiling water for the spaghett.

Connor pauses a moment, looking over at the lieutenant.]

How do you prefer your pasta?

Don’t think anyone’s asked how I like my pasta before. [Hank shrugs. It’s not like it’s steak, right? How much can you do with pasta...?]

Soft. Like my pasta soft. Not all — al dente. [Is that the term? Does it even mean what Hank thinks it does? All firm and weird??]

You, uh. Need any help?

Soft. [Connor processes rhe information and files it away.

He looks over at Hank and his offer.]

I do not need help, but if you want to help, you’re welcome.

Don’t want you feeling like you have to do this, again. [Heating up some spaghetti sauce shouldn’t cramp Connor’s style too much, should it? So Hank grabs a jar. A pan.]

Thanks for getting all — [waving the sauce pan at him] — this. I just... haven’t had the motivation to do much cooking lately, y’know?

[When Vincent came over a few days back to cook steak, he had to bring his own pan too. Which, in retrospect... Hank should have had pans. Even if to give off the illusion that he cared enough to cook for himself.]

[Connor smiles up at Hank and easily surrenders the task of heating up sauce. Connor turns to the asparagus and rinses it before beginning to chop off the dead ends.]

I like this. It’s nice.

[His smile widens.]

I hope this will help with you improve your motivation.

It does. [A mutter, then:] You do.

[Hank’s gonna heat the fuck out of this sauce. Not gonna burn it at all!! Just to prove he can.

And he’s sure there’s more he could do to help.]

You get any... cheese?

[He tries not to sound too hopeful. It’s just cheese, and if he really wanted some, he’d walk his ass down to the store.]

I have mozarella, provelone and parmesan.

[Connor turns in place to open the fridge and one of the crisper drawers.]

[Hank said he was going to try to be less stubborn. Less... stubborn...]

Didn’t have to go and get me three cheeses. But thank you. [He says this a little softer, with one hand pressed to his chest as he stirs the sauce.]

No one’s ever gone and got me that much cheese before. [And he didn’t even have to ask!

Hank really doesn’t deserve Connor. Doesn’t deserve any of this. And he would whine about that — if he wasn’t trying to be less of an asshole.]

You’re welcome, Hank. I thought you could use the others for sandwiches.

[Connor continues to smile up at Hank.]

Which cheese would you like now?

Gonna kill me with that smile of yours, Connor. [But in a good way!! The best way!] Like seeing you happy, is what I mean.

...Mozzarella.

[This is one of the last things he imagined himself talking about with Connor — if he ever came back. Cheese??

At least he’s not fucking up again. Yet.]

[Before Connor can ask how a smile can kill, Hank clarifies and Connor nods. He hands over the mozarella cheeze and a knife from the block.]

Do you ever miss my predecessor?

[Connor knows he’s in deep water, but he wants to know.]

[It makes sense why Connor would ask, but the question still takes Hank off guard.

After a moment, Hank accepts the knife. The cheese.]

I miss each of you. You’re all different. All special. [Which Hank isn’t sure makes sense, so he adds:] Back in my world, you were dying a fair bit.

But it’s not a pressing thing right now. [Turning from Connor as he starts cutting the cheese.] And I know I may seem grumpy right now, but I’m happy. I couldn’t ask for much more than this.

[He’d like it if Connor deviated, sure. But Hank can’t force that. Won’t. It’ll just have to be something they work on, bit by bit.]

[Connor regrets asking as soon as Hank is taken off guard. Connor's smile dims and he knits his brows.]

You're happy? [Connor's voice is uncertain, as if Hank's happiness is not as obvious to him.]

What? Is that so hard to believe?

[Which would make sense. Connor didn’t get to see how Hank was acting before. How he was living here on Etraya.]

I’m not even drinking. [Now, he means. It’s not as if he’s stopped completely.

There’s no alcohol in the apartment, more because Hank hasn’t been to the store, again. And there are empty bottles, sure — ones he swept away into a bag, left in a corner of the kitchen, when he had company the other day.

The difference now is that the incessant urge to drink is quieter. Because some things are more important.]

No, it isn't hard to believe. I simply remember a Hank who seemed much angrier.

[Connor continues to cut the asparagus before he turns on the oven for the texas toast.]

That is a good life decision. [Pause.] Is your pistol in the house?

I am angry. Just not at you.

[Hank finishes cutting the cheese, but he stiffens when Connor asks about the gun. It’s a split second before he’s back to stirring the sauce.]

No. I don’t have a gun here. [Hank doesn’t elaborate on how he doesn’t really feel like he needs it here — not in the sense of how he’d use it back home.

If he wanted to die — and he used to want that — there are other ways here. Hell, someone just asked Hank the other day if he wanted to get all murdered. And would they have gone through with it if Hank said yes? He has no idea.]

[Connor pauses, considering what all that means. Anger without an obvious target. What does that do for Hank? He notices Hank stiffen at his other question and while Connor is grateful that there's no gun for Hank to play Russian Roulette, he also never wants to make Hank uncomfortable.

Connor reaches into the oven and pulls out the hot rack with his bare hand. There's only a slight sizzling sound.]

[Hank is about to change the subject — ask about the asparagus, or something — when he turns and sees Connor.]

The hell are you doing?

[Muttering expletives under his breath:] Jesus. Fuck. Goddamn.

[He grabs Connor’s wrist, leading him over to the sink. Turning on the cold water, whether or not he can even feel it.]

How is reaching into the oven like that staying safe, Connor?

[Well color Connor confused as Hank holds his hand over the water.]

I'm not damaged. [There's no burn on his external layer of skin and Connor even draws that back to show the white beneath. No damage seems to have been done.]

I'm alright.

Well — fuck. Okay.

[Hank breathes out a sigh of relief and mild irritation.]

Just scared me, is all.

[He still gets Connor’s hand wet. Grabbing a nearby dish towel to dry him off.]

It’s not too hot, or anything? Your hand?

No. The burned android you saw before saw repeated heat trauma to the same area.

[Connor pulls back to set the texas toast on the rack and push it back in.]

You would need to hold my hand there.

Okay. I get it. And I know you know your limits, and everything. Just...

[Hank leans back against the counter.]

The sight of it. You hurt. And I know you’re saying you’re fine, I just — it looked like it hurt. It’d hurt me.

Which is why I handled it. I did not want you to possibly burn yourself.

[And oop there it is.]

... I see.

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cn: alcoholism

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cn: suicide ideation

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