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etrayamemes2025-01-02 03:19 pm
etrayamods) wrote in etrayamemes2025-01-02 03:19 pm
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. 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 _______.”
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.
 ⏵ 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.
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? 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! | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
no subject
Ugh, no, Hellion definitely makes himself known. [Because Quentin himself is oh-so-subtle. Obviously.]
That school Logan ran? Keller was there at the same time as me. Real Biff Tannen type. Please tell me he's not the only other one of us here.
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Maybe he can move back into the apartments and avoid the mess. ]
Laura's here, but she's real young. I didn't know her well back home, so I don't know if she's different. I think Jean Grey's here, too, but she doesn't live at the school so I don't know if that's any help. You don't have to live at the school, but Julian insisted and I didn't care.
[ He'd been hiding his apartment for two days until Julian went on a tear on the Etrayan internet and picked a fight with a mutant-hater. ]
Actually, that's not true. I thought if he was going to keep getting into fights with fanatics that he shouldn't be alone.
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Yeah, yeah, sure, Hellion getting into fights, who could have expected that, big whoop. You said Jean?
[Julian whomst. There are Omegas to discuss!]
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Or maybe not. Julian could send an entire marching band through Jay's bedroom at 4 am, and Jay'd apologize for messing up their routine. Side effects of being on the wrong side and being shown visions of Julian all shot up.
Jay gets stuck on that for a second. No, Quentin asked about Jean Grey. Don't think about that. ]
That's what I heard. She's not at the school, and I never met her so I haven't tried to find her. She ignored the whole mutant anathema thing so I don't know if she wants to be involved.
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[He pats his own chest emphatically with both hands, as though that explains everything. It doesn't. Fortunately(?), Quentin is more than happy to continue talking about himself, his tone rushed and slightly manic. And once he starts going, he also starts pacing, making big cartoonish gestures to illustrate his points.]
We're here to quote-unquote "save the world", right? Right. And this "Aurora" chick, she's recruiting the best and brightest or whatever, right? But see, you guys already had Jean Grey. Like the Jean Grey. And then I got picked? Do you know what that means? That means you dorks didn't just need a telepath. You didn't even need an Omega level telepath. You needed me. Quentin Quire, accept no substitutes, baby!
[The smugness levels are truly off the charts now, even though that whole rant is kind of a pretty loud self-report regarding, you know, some pent-up self-esteem issues that may or may not be buried in there. But you know what, Quentin doesn't even care. This is the best day of his life.
Jay. Jay what have you done.]no subject
We're here to be "champions" for our universe.
[ Jay sounds dubious about it. Hellion and Kid Omega - they might fit the bill, but he doesn't feel like he has any place in that sentence. He's not supposed to be X-Man, and he doesn't have half the confidence of Quire or Keller.
Which right now, is an insufferable amount. ]
Guess she sees something in you that's worth having here - or Echo does, but I didn't meet them. Ms. Monroe was here before I got here, but isn't here anymore. People get sent back; maybe they don't make the cut?
And we aren't dorks. We're here too, which means you need us just as much as we need you.
no subject
[He scoffs dramatically, making a few broad explanatory waves of his hand.]
And as for the rest of you, well. Hellion's worth half of me, anyway. I mean, come on, telekinetic without any telepathy? Embarrassing. And you, do you even do anything other than have wings? You two basically my back-up.
[Sure, Jay does have a point with that whole "we were all chosen" thing. But here's the thing: Quentin prefers to bask in the glory of for once not living in Jean Grey's shadow. And if that means being unnecessarily obtuse and rude to his fellow mutants with whom he will likely be teammates in the foreseeable future? That's a problem for future Quentin.]
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It's one thing to think someone's got an interesting look. He doesn't want to encourage this much ego. The mansion is only so big.
Also, the guy's knocking Julian again. ]
Hellion's worth his weight in gold. I know he can be bossy and ignore that other people might have ideas of their own, but he always comes through when you need him. Lately... he's really surprised me with his - I don't know what to call it. Consideration?
[ Another shrug. He doesn't want to make it sappy, but Julian deserves a defense, too. Same as Paige. ]
So I'm cutting you off on talking shit about him. I know he can be a pain. But enough's enough. Also? I'm not in some powers competition with you. If you want to know else I do, you can ask, but it's not a pissing contest and nobody who went to this school got to pick their powers. Grow up.
no subject
He raises his eyebrows in mild surprise at Jay's little speech, glancing away awkwardly for a brief moment before he figures out how to work his usual devil-may-care attitude back into the conversation without looking like a complete asshole.]
Psh, I mean, yeah. Obviously. I was just [talking out his ass?] Look, I know the drill, everyone's special in their own unique way, blah blah blah. Don't take it so personally.
[Cringe. There's no other way to describe this. It's cringe. He's going to die from a self-induced cringe aneurysm.
Quentin clears his throat uncomfortably and soldiers on.]
And anyway, Keller doesn't need you defending him. Trust me. I've known the guy for years. Can't say he's ever "come through when I needed him" [doing the air quotes again, with a bonus eyeroll] or anything, but sure, he's an above average telekinetic. I'll give you that. Not completely useless.
[Not that Jay even brought up Julian's powers in his defense. But it's the most genuinely positive thing about the guy Quentin can come up with at the moment.]
no subject
Don't take it so personally? You made it personal. You said my teammate's worth half of you and implied that I'm worthless without even knowing anything about me beyond what you can see.
[ Former teammate, but the adjective doesn't matter. ]
But you're right. He doesn't need me to defend him, but I don't stick up for anybody unless I want too.
[ Jay turns and starts back towards the line for the receptionist. ]
Do everyone a favor and hold out on your do you know who I am routine until the rest of us get into the library.
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Look. Quentin's not going to say the dude is fully unjustified. He knows he's an asshole. It's his brand. He tried to walk it back, and apparently it wasn't enough. Them's the breaks. But... Well, come on. Jay knew Quentin had a sketchy past, and they've been talking for plenty of time to know how Quentin talks. But now he's had it? Hit his breaking point? Just seems like a bit of an overreaction. Or it was building up for a while, and he finally snapped? Who knows.
Regardless, Quentin crosses his arms with a perplexed frown as Jay starts to walk away, but he does call after him before he gets back to the reception desk.]
You want me to install psi-comms before you head in there, Woodstock? You know, just in case shit hits the fan.
no subject
But he does stop at the offer and looks back. It's not an immediate yes; he takes the time to consider it. ]
Yeah, okay. But "Woodstock" isn't a thing that's gonna happen. For one, wrong color. For another, I'm taller than you.
[ Barely, like an inch. But it counts. ]
So you don't get to be Snoopy.
no subject
What, you wanna be Iago? Not exactly a ton of red birds to choose from, you know.
[He puts two fingers to his temple as a visual indication he's about to do some telepathy stuff. People get weird about that kinda shit without a warning.]
You ever worked with telepaths before, Foghorn Leghorn? Had someone else upstairs?
[See, Jay, this is what you get for saying no to Snoopy's lovable sidekick.]
no subject
I wanna be Jay. Not Josh, or Joshua, or whatever cartoon character you're going to thorw at me. Same as it's Quentin for you. Respect goes both ways.
[ See, that's the subtle trap in giving him your preferred name, Quentin. Honoring that means he'll expect you to respect his. ]
Yes, I've had telepaths in my head sometimes. Ms. Frost usually announces it in your head if you're in trouble, and a couple times the Cuckoos set up a team link. It's only going to be the surface thoughts, right?
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[Because "doesn't like being called terrible nicknames" counts as "not fun" in Quentin's book. He sighs and rolls his eyes, lowering his hand for a moment.]
Alright, Jay, rule #1? It's never "only surface thoughts." We just tell people that shit to make them feel better.
[All the most comforting things to tell someone before you start messing with their head.]
I, however, prefer not to listen to most of the drivel the brains of the plebs have to offer me, so I figured out a way to do the whole team link thing better. Semi-permanent, routed through my brain stem so it filters out the noise, leaves me with the good shit. You know, where you are, if you're getting your ass kicked, all that fun stuff. Once I track down the rest of you dweebs, I'll get a psychic network up and running for missions. Works great for my team back home.
[If he looks very proud of himself, it's because he is.]
So, you've heard the elevator pitch. You game?
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As much as he thinks it would helpful to have that on a mission - tracking, communication, everything - right now, Jay's only casually accepted that he has to participate in missions. The "team" is three people, counting Quentin, maybe four if Ms. Grey is available; the "mission" is a library. Spooky, but it seems relatively safe. ]
I don't believe you. Either you're right, and telepaths lie all the time about linking us up; or you're a snoop, and you're trying to make it out like they all are. So no. I'm not game. I don't know you enough to trust you, and you don't want to listen to 'plebians.'
no subject
And frowns.
No? Jay said no?? That's not how this is supposed to work!]
Wh—me? You don't trust me?? I'm the one telling you the truth, dude! Did you miss the part where I said I didn't want to snoop? I had a whole thing about it!
[He sighs, pressing his mouth into a thin line unhappily. Un-fucking-believable. You think you know a guy.]
Fine, whatever. Have it your way. If you need me, you can just think loudly at me. Assuming there's no stupid magic bullshit in the way, I'll hear you.
no subject
What he does know is that Quentin Quire led a pro-mutant, if not anti-human, riot, and Jay himself has memories of a human girlfriend and thinking that... maybe the depowered mutants on M-Day were the lucky ones. Getting swayed into allowing William Stryker to amputate his wings. Things he doesn't want Quire to see if they're stuck here together. ]
I don't know you and nothing's burning to the ground around us. We don't have to trust each other yet, but that's not a permanent decision.
[ He stuffs his hands in his pockets and purses his lips together, in a sort of I dont know how to put this in words expression, as he starts walking backwards towards the entrance line. ]
Even if you don't want to snoop and it's an accident, I want people to know me on my terms. If shit goes down, I'll holler - mentally and physically, and you won't be able to miss that last one. If shit goes down with you, you've got my permission to do that thing Ms. Frost does where she's shouting in everybody's head in the building.
Oh yeah, and we're both promising to not do anything stupid.