etrayalogs | MISSION 004 WRAP-UP

Entry tags:

MISSION 004 WRAP-UP

WHO: Everyone!
WHEN: August 9th and going forward
WHERE: Returning to Etraya
WHAT: End of Mission 004 Log
NOTES\WARNINGS: N/A

⏵ there's no place like home ⏴
On the morning of August 9th, every Etrayan’s earpiece receives a message from Eos: FAIL or PASS in big, bold letters with no further context. Players are free to choose which response their character gets; if they were able to go through Moorecroft without letting on that they were from Etraya, or another city bubble in general, they will receive a PASS. Those whose identities as Etrayans were spoiled, will get a FAIL. This response has no bearing on whether or not they participated in the midnight breakouts, nor what condition they’ve managed to get themselves into.

It wouldn’t be the first time some kids from Moorecroft tore up the town looking for answers, even if it is the first time in a while they’ve managed to get as far as they had and cause as much damage as they have.

Regardless, any responses sent to Eos will bounce right back to the original sender, with a RECEIVER UNAVAILABLE error: it seems that, shortly after sending through their results, all of those from Etraya have been disconnected from Eos’ network, and reconnected to Aurora’s by the friendly companion bots stepping through another portal in the middle of Moorecroft’s park. They’ll offer waves of their hands, and usher everyone back to Etraya proper. They’ll offer explanations similar to what Aurora would give to newcomers arriving to those who were dropped in with Eos, as well as offer to assist them in getting settled in Etraya.

The companion bots will allow Etrayans to step through the portal with items they can carry, minus the smaller android babies. If they insist, it will be explained to them that, much like the companion bots native to Etraya, these babies are meant to assist newcomers in settling, and they cannot take them from Eos.

Welcome home.

At the very least, everything looks normal on this side.

⏵ whispered secrets of the night ⏴
Or it seems normal enough. While previous excursions outside of Etraya have featured environmental changes, the city bubble now appears exactly as it had before everyone left. Buildings stand as pristine as ever, animals have been fed and cared for, and everyone is invited to return to their homes for a quick rest.

But as you meander through the familiar streets and over bridges, an unsettling stillness clings to the air. The usual sounds of Etraya–the rustling of leaves, the chirping of birds, and the chatter from the companion bots– feel slightly off. Shadows stretch a little too long, lingering in the corners of your vision, and the light, although warm, seems to cast an unnatural tint over everything. It’s as if the city itself had been holding its breath in everyone’s absence.

As days pass, the eerie stillness begins to ebb. The animals gradually resume their usual activities, and companion bots return to their routines, chatting with Etrayans as they wander the city and help set up new facilities.

Yet despite the return of normalcy, a sense of unease lingers. The city feels different as if it’s been touched by something while you were away. There are no curfews on Etraya, unlike Moorecroft, but those who wander in the dark may be unable to help but notice that it almost feels as if something is watching you, waiting for you to let your guard down. Etraya appears to be the same, but something has changed, shifted. And it’s only a matter of time before that change reveals itself.

Those who wander outside at night during their first several days back will feel like they are being watched, but will be unable to find what is watching them, regardless of the method they use to try and discern what it is.

⏵ sea la vie ⏴ The unsettling sensation of being watched gradually fades over the next few days. Etraya begins to feel more like the place you remember: slightly empty, but comfortably so. The weather shifts unpredictably, with cool breezes one day and almost stifling warmth the next.

The companion bots, seemingly oblivious to any lingering unease, appear to be in full vacation mode. They spend a significant amount of time on the two small, sandy islands that are just south of the hospital, setting up for what looks like the perfect beach day. Chairs are arranged in neat rows, colorful towels are spread out across the sand, and a small shack has been built just off the side of the bridge that offers swimsuits and any other beach-related item that they could need - or most of them! The narrow river means surfboards are out of the question; instead, the bots provide massive tube floaties, perfect for lazily drifting down the currents.

⏵ polaroid pandemonium ⏴ Everyone receives an invitation to Corrine’s Cafe, along with a table number. The invitation may arrive via a companion bot delivering it to them physically, or as a direct message from Aurora via their earpiece. The invitation instructs them to meet at the cafe at a specific time and sit at a designated table.

At each table, two envelopes sit in front of two chairs, each containing a collection of photos. These images capture significant moments from your history - events you may have forgotten or ones that have shaped who you are. On the back of each envelope, instructions for the task await: discuss the moment featured in the photo with your partner, and share what it means to you. Whether it’s a memory of a terrible ordeal, or one of your happiest times with your loved ones. The choice to participate is yours; however, Aurora and the companion bots make it clear that your place at the table is pre-reserved whether you show up or not - meaning, your photos may still be viewed by others, even if you decide not to show up.

⏵ NOTES ⏴

This log marks the end of their visit to Moorecroft! Characters return to Etraya on August 9th regardless of what shenanigans they were getting up to within the other city bubble. We'll be following up with the mission: breakout threads, as well as continuing to follow through with NPC threads and provide further information for those still participating in plotting.

For any questions relating to the contents of this log, please use the mod queries thread. All other questions can be directed to the FAQ.

⏵FULL NAVIGATION⏴

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Great, something else to worry about.

[ And she's learned that if it feels like something's watching you, there usually is something or someone watching.

She doesn't like that she can't figure out what it is. She rolls her shoulders again. ]

You seen anything that looks off?

Everything.

[Daisy admits, frustrated that she can’t pin point what it is.]

Everything seems just off enough for me to notice, but not enough to know why or what it is exactly.

[And despite thinking Jessica seems to be feeling the same, Daisy tries to come up with an excuse.]

Maybe I was just starting to get used to the other place, I don’t know. Maybe I am finally losing it.

[The last part is said as a joke, calling back to Jessica’s remark a moment ago.]

Yeah well, join the freaking club.

[ Usually, drinking helped her curb those thoughts and feelings but it's not doing enough here. Every time she wakes up and realizes she's here, it gets worse.

She slides her hand into her pocket, clasps her fingers around the flask and then sighs. ]

Any ideas on what to do about it?

It’s not easy to fight something you can’t see. Trust me.

[Her tone makes it seem as though she’s fought an invisible enemy before, because she has.]

Probably not smart to stay out here.

Probably not.

[ But she's never been all that smart and she doesn't want to go back inside just yet. ]

Doesn't mean I'm going to go running back inside though. This place wants to fuck with me, it can deal with me fucking with it back.

[ Not that she knows how she's going to do that but not running away is at least part of it. ]

[Daisy’s eyebrows raise in surprise.]

Well, then I guess I’m staying out here too.

[It’s not how she planned in spending her night, but she’s not about to let Jessica get hurt by whatever maybe lurking.]

Figure it’s better to have the odds in our favor.

[ Jessica's about to say something smart but...Daisy's probably right. She has no idea what's out there and no idea where something might come from and while she thinks she can handle it, backup is probably better.

You will never hear her admit that. Instead, she just nods minutely. ]

Nothing else to do tonight but walk around in the dark?

[That gets a small laugh out of her, hands going back into her pockets. She’ll take the lead to keep on walking, unless Jessica does first.]

I mean, isn’t that what you’re doing?

Yeah, but I do it all the time.

[ There's a difference, Daisy! ]

It's what I did back home, it's what I'm going to keep doing now.

[Sure there is.]

So did I.

[You know, when she was a vigilante. But it’s not something she readily talks about.]

So I guess we both have nothing better to do. Were you heading any particular way? Or just trying to lure whatever ‘it’ is, out?

No, I was just walking.

[ No ulterior motives, no destination in mind. ]

I needed some air and some space so outside seemed like the best place to get that even with the weird, nagging feeling of being watched.

[That feeling of being watched hasn’t disappeared, despite being with Jessica now.]

It’s peaceful.

[Daisy looks up at the clear nights sky, before looking to Jessica with a knowing smile.]

Stalking aside. You still in the apartments or did your place from back home randomly pop up here?

Apartments.

[ She grimaces because she really would have liked to see her place from back home, something familiar and some place to hibernate. ]

My luck's shit. I'm not getting anything special unless someone dies or something. What about you?

[Daisy scoffs that, a dark thought crossing her mind.]

Knowing what this place is capable of, it’s only a matter of time before that happens.

[Just call them Doom and Gloom.]

I’m still at the apartments. Never really had a ‘home’.

[Not wanting Jessica’s pity, although she doesn’t seem like the pity type, she smiles over at her. She had a home in other ways, but not in the physical sense.]

It's not all that it's cracked up to be.

[ It was a place to sleep, sure, but Jessica had never made her place all that homey. It was hers but she'd slept in other places when she had to. ]

I don't really buy into the whole 'there's no place like home' thing.

[Daisy agrees with that, to an extent. She grew up in and out of a lot of foster homes. Some she could’ve easily stayed with for the rest of her childhood, but that option was never given to her.]

Yeah, well, this place? Even lower on the list compared to other places I’ve been to.

Edited 2024-08-20 22:21 (UTC)

I don't disagree.

[ She doesn't hate the roof over her head and that she can get booze when she wants to but still.

This is not the place she'd have chosen to go to if she got the choice. ]

I would say it could be worse but I think this place would take that as some freakin' challenge.

[Daisy laughs at that, looking briefly behind them. That feeling of being watched hasn’t left.]

It wouldn’t be entertaining for them if it wasn’t.

See, I think you're one of the few sane ones here about this place.

[ Someone else who didn't really trust what was happening and who was in charge. ]

I think that's half of what's happening. Whoever runs this place is just looking at us like rats in a maze.

[A small smile tugs at her lips when Jessica calls her sane.]

I think some of the people here are just naive. They haven’t experienced anything like this before.

[Whereas Daisy has the advantage of having gone through things like this. Or maybe it’s a disadvantage…]

Why else would they bring us here other than to watch us fight for our homes?

This isn't exactly something I've experienced before either. When people kidnap me, they don't tend to take me to other worlds.

[ And they didn't usually succeed either. ]

As for your second question, who knows? Maybe they're cruel sons of bitches who wanna see us dance for their amusement.

But you’ve been kidnapped before?

[Daisy asks, her tone almost amused because she doesn’t truly believe that’s happened to Jessica.]

I wouldn’t be surprised if they’d literally want to see us do that. Especially after this last month.

People have tried. It hasn't stuck.

[ Obviously. ]

And not something I wanna repeat either. Except it has repeated because here the hell I am. Kidnapped and stuck.

Yeah, I know.

[Frowning in thought, Daisy glances over her shoulder again.]

You wanna head inside somewhere?

Yeah, I guess.

[ Nothing really to do out here but wander aimlessly and she has her whole life to do that. ]

Come on, I'll buy you a drink or something.

(no subject)

morethan084 - 2024-09-21 23:28 (UTC) - Expand

good to end!

ebrius - 2024-09-22 15:00 (UTC) - Expand

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only