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

[copsormasks]

Fuck. [The way Bruce(???) stops is enough of an answer. Jason stiffens, his jaw clenched tight as he looks at the former stranger again. This must be some younger version, one that doesn't even know Jason. Doesn't give a shit until Jason boosts the hubcaps off the Batmbobile.

The one who strips Jason of the Robin title, of who he is, of everything Jason has ever wanted in his life.]

You... fuck you. [Jason tosses the energy bar and drink before he's sick of looking at Bruce's face and turns to walk back the way they came. Fuck this. Fuck Bruce. Fuck all of this.]

[batsymbol]

( Right. An unexpected reaction to have with the realization of who he is, but. In the time he's spent here, he's come to learn the names Bruce Wayne and The Batman seem to hold a great deal of weight, legacy, and emotion to them for anyone who knows some version of them.

He stands there still, huff on his lips, and he licks over his lips before he calls after the kid. )

Whatever your issue is with him, you should take it up with him. Not me. You don't even know me.

[copsormasks]

Fuck off. You don't know me either. [Which is really to Jason's advantage, but he isn't thinking about things like that. There are too many emotions choking his ability to logic, to think. The further he gets away from Bruce, the better.]

[batsymbol]

( Despite the time he's spent here in Etraya and having Damian at his side along with a few of the others popping in and out, he still hasn't mastered the ability to be more than who he currently is both as Bruce Wayne and Batman. He's trying, but he still has his own limits, his own temper, and so he scoffs with a shake of his head as he turns to head the other way. )

Suit yourself. Don't say I didn't try.

( Could have gone worse, he figures. )

[copsormasks]

[Jason turns back and all but growls,] What were you gonna do? Tell me I can't be Robin again? Tell me I'm a mistake? Come back around for round two so you can remind me of how much of a fuck up I'm being?

[All that emotion is pouring right out of him.]

[batsymbol]

( Again, there's the sudden emotional outburst and, again, he stops to look back in the direction of the kid. His own anger usually comes out when he wears the mask — when he's out on the streets of Gotham and face to face with some of the scum that slithers through the night. When he's more himself and less restrained as he is when he's Bruce Wayne. It's why it feels familiar. As if he's fully aware of how he's been and how he sometimes still is.

There's confusion there on his face — a quick cataloging of everything he says; the contacts he wears also record it all for later. He quickly goes down the list of Robins that Damian has told him about and in what order they came to be. Given the current knowledge he has of a Tim his older self had stripped the title of Robin off of, he wonders for a moment, but. The fuck up comment doesn't sound as if it would pertain to Tim, so... )

Jason.

[copsormasks]

[When he's identified, Jason finally pulls back his black hood. Beyond the obvious of being relatively short for a bat, the severity of his anger is written into his face. He's carrying around a grudge the size of the manor on his shoulders.]

In the flesh.

[He straightens up and releases a breath through his nose.]

But don't worry, I'm not on that Wayne teet any more. I'll make tracks. You don't have to fucking worry about me.

[batsymbol]

( It's... startling. To think there's... two of them here now. Granted, there's an older — much older — version of himself here as well, but. He hadn't thought it was so common of a thing to happen here. Then again, so much of what he didn't think was common or even possible seems to be just that here in Etraya.

He takes a moment — mulls over those words thrown at him and licks over his lips as he stands there, staring to the kid. To [a] Jason. )

Because you can take care of yourself.

[copsormasks]

That's right. I can. I've done it before. [Jason cocks his head ever so slightly to the side.]

I won't bother you, Bruce. I'm not your Robin anymore.

[And then he turns away again.]

[batsymbol]

I don't have one.

( Well. Here, he has Damian at his side, but. He clarifies. )

In my Gotham. I don't have any of you. I don't know if I ever will.

[copsormasks]

[Jason comes to a stop.]

I don't believe a single word of what you said. Batman needs a Robin. It's a balancing act.

[Jason shakes his head.]

Who am I kidding. You won't listen to me here any more than you did before.

[batsymbol]

I know the story.

( He adds, glancing down for a moment. )

That I meet a young Dick Grayson first. Then Jason Todd. You're the second Robin. But I haven't met Dick. I don't know if I will or not. My Gotham isn't your Gotham.

( Maybe. )

[copsormasks]

Yeah. Grayson the boy scout. You give him everything. And the moment I start making mistakes, you bench me. There it is. You take away everything that matters.

That's the story.

[Jason is sorely tempted to pull up his hood again, to hide in its depths.</small]

[batsymbol]

( Again, he's left to wonder if any version of himself is capable of protecting or giving hope to any of the children that come under their wing. From what he's heard thus far, it doesn't bode well. Maybe he's the exception... maybe he won't even have any of them. Would that be better for them? to not come into his life and end up walking the same path that he's currently on? Would they be happier? Would they be protected in ways he seemingly can't protect them? He doesn't know and it makes him wonder in his bitter silence sometimes.

So he seems relatively unfazed by what Jason tells him of his story with his own Bruce. His own Batman. He does, however, offer him a look of sympathy before his gaze drops down. )

That's his story.

[copsormasks]

Yeah and you'll never turn out like him. [Jason's anger has a sieve, it leaks out into the space between them. However, this Bruce is still here. He's not flying off to London, not trying to avoid the obvious.

Not trying to avoid Jason. The boy who should have been his son.]

What the fuck do you want then, huh?

[batsymbol]

I saw parts of myself in you.

( Glaring and a bit unsettling, but. Familiar as well. )

I wanted to make sure you were ok. I know it's jarring to go from Gotham to here.

[copsormasks]

[That's. Not something Jason's ever heard before. He stands there, looking at Bruce, brows furrowed as he tries to take in those words.]

I don't need your help.

[He's said it before and he knows he's repeating himself.]

I'm not anyone's charity case.

[batsymbol]

Didn't say you were.

( A charity case. )

Others are here, too. It's not just me. Far as I know, I'm the only one from my Gotham. Wayne Tower's mine. Wayne Manor is theirs. Who do you know from Gotham?

[copsormasks]

[And Jason seems to relax, just a touch.] Who don't I know. There's Bruce, both Gordons, the Titans, Grayson, Alfred, and the whole host of fucking assholes you keep pissing off.

[batsymbol]

Dick's here. A bit younger than me.

( Weird to say probably. )

Barbara, Tim, Damian... ( He's just... going to leave out the other Jason for now because... yeah. ) ...there's another Bruce here. He's old. Keeps to himself mostly.

[copsormasks]

So, what. You're the head Batman in town? Or is the geezer the one running the show.

[Because Jason would like to be part of none of it.]

Not that I give a shit. You're not gonna see me again after this.

[batsymbol]

This isn't Gotham. Bruce Wayne and Batman don't mean anything here.

( He's only just begun to make a name for himself — become a celebrity — back in his own Gotham. )

I'm just letting you know.

[copsormasks]

[Jason scoffs and rolls his eyes.]

I don't believe that for a second.

[batsymbol]

This place is a melting pot with people from all different cities and worlds. Most of which neither version of myself exist.

( Bruce Wayne or Batman, he means. )

Like I said, it's a bit jarring at first. To be in another world entirely.

[copsormasks]

Can't be too jarring if both the Tower and the Manor are here.

[Another scoff, another roll of the eyes.

And then Jason's on the move again, shouldering his way past Bruce.]