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etrayalogs2024-08-09 10:32 am
etrayamods) wrote in etrayalogs2024-08-09 10:32 am
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
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 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 ⏴ 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. 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. |
no subject
Um... broadly speaking, yes, though I'm not sure how anyone managed to photograph it. I've always thought that if humans tried to look at it directly, their brains would implode or something, and the Archangels would be very upset about anyone with unauthorized access running around taking pictures.
no subject
But her brain catches on one particular word.]
Photograph? Is that what these are? [The word is completely new to her.
She glances down at the envelope in her hands.]
There's a picture here from when I was a child. How could anyone have done that? Another plane is one thing, but decades in the past?
no subject
[ Muriel trails off, and begins awkwardly gathering their photos together, like an absurdly big hand of cards. ]
... I don't know how they could have taken the photos, extraplanar or otherwise. You only look a few hundred years old [ Sorry Shadowheart, Muriel is terrible at placing human (or elf!) ages! ], but some of mine would have to be a few millennia at least, and I'm pretty sure photography hadn't even been invented at that point. It must be some kind of trick.
no subject
There's a whole stack of pictures in her envelope, and she's only looked at one, but...]
I don't even remember the moment in my picture. For all I know, it's entirely false. You're right, it must be a trick.
sorry again, sickness relapsed!
Right, yes, exactly! It's just a way to mess with our heads.
[ Muriel starts shuffling their photos away, although the vast majority of them look almost identical. ]
sorry to hear that, hope you're doing better now!
[But why trick them like this? And how does Aurora know what her father looks like? Is this really her mother's face? She wants to believe it is, just so she has some memory to cling to, something to picture when she thinks of her mother...
But there's no reason to think that anything in the picture, the... 'photograph'... is anything other than a fabrication.
She tucks her pictures away into their envelope.]
I suppose, if it's all just a trick, we don't need to share what these pictures mean to us, do we?
getting there, thanks for being patient!
[ It's something that Muriel actively tries to avoid thinking about, but the doubt has crept in nonetheless! ]
It... it isn't so bad. They could be exploding the city, or siccing monsters on people or something instead.
[ Muriel's last experience being trapped in a bubble city was, uh... significantly less chill than this one. ]
of course!
[Conversely, she's never had to sit down and share her feelings about her parents and her lost childhood with a stranger.]
But. If you think this will save our universes from destruction-- [Said with the utmost skepticism. She's hardly convinced that Aurora's stated goal of bringing them here and forcing them through all these tests is anything like the truth.] --go ahead. Tell me what one of your pictures means to you.
no subject
[ They shuffle through their photo collection, before pulling one out at random. It looks like nearly everything else in the pile: blindingly white office, Muriel seated at a glass desk (this time wearing long, white robes), the shadow of another person just leaving the frame. Muriel brightens, apparently this photo represents a good memory. ]
... Oh, I remember this! This was in 1493, Saraqael came to my office to requisition a file!
no subject
The date catches her ear.]
1493? But that's next year.
[Different worlds must use different calendars. Mustn't they? Or is Muriel showing her a picture from a year in her future?]
no subject
[ Muriel doesn't look too bothered by the discrepancy. After all, when you've lived for thousands, possibly millions of years, a few centuries don't make much of a difference. ]
I remember being really pleased to see Saraqael, nobody had come by my office since... 1100 AD, I think.
no subject
[She raises an eyebrow, considering.]
...lonely?
no subject
[ It comes out sounding a bit guilty, like this isn't something they should be admitting to. ]
... But it's all just part of the job, I think. Someone would come and ask me for something every few centuries, so it wasn't too bad.
[ It was. But hey, they brighten up quickly! ]
And, and I got an assignment on Earth recently, which has been wonderful! More people have spoken to me in the last few months than they have in millennia.
no subject
What of the gods? Do they not communicate with you?
no subject
[ Somehow, Muriel manages to verbalize the capital letter in that pronoun. It thuds into place with appropriate gravitas. ]
... Or on talking to anyone, really. I certainly don't have the clearance, not even the Archangels do. The only one who speaks with Her directly is The Metatron.
[ You know what, it feels like time for a subject change. Muriel straightens up, giving Shadowheart an encouraging little grin. ]
... What about your photograph? It looked happy.
no subject
She'd rather keep discussing this fascinating world where there's only one god, but suddenly Muriel has directed their attention to the photograph of a happy family scene that she can't remember, featuring parents she also can't remember.]
Yes, it does, doesn't it? I was too young to remember it, of course. [She's a poor liar, and she knows it, but it's better to pretend she's forgotten the scene due to the passage of time rather than her memories being stolen by a malicious goddess.]