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⏴

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[ He savours her laugh, as good as applause, and nods cheerfully. ]

Rabbits from hats, escaping locked boxes, levitation, conjuring doves, the whole thing.

[ He drops his hand and tips his head sideways, caught between old embarrassment and a tinge of unexpected nostalgia. ]

I got really into it this one summer. I was going to sleepaway camp for the first time that August, and I thought if I went with a few tricks...well, there's a ticket to instant popularity, right?

Didn't exactly work out like that, but I got pretty good before I found that out.

Can you still do anything?

[ Not that Jessica's in a rush to see a magic trick but it might be a little entertaining and a break from the norm. ]

Pull a quarter from behind my ear or something? Saw me in half without killing me?

We're a little short on quarters, and sawing in half takes a whole magic box.

[ He glances towards the beach shack, weighing possibilities. ]

I could see if they've got any decks of cards over there. People play cards at the beach, right?

[ Old people, but still. ]

I wouldn't know. I can't remember the last time I went to the beach.

[ New York City wasn't really a beach town even if there was a coast somewhere in the state. ]

Don't think it's illegal though if you wanna show me what you can do with a deck of cards.

If it's illegal, I'll just get you to distract them while I run. Deal?

[ He seems to assume it is, rising to his feet in an easy unfolding with an equally easy grin. He holds up a finger - one second - and lopes off to the beach shack, sand shaking from him as he goes.

It's a little more than one second, but he has long legs, so it's not an unbearable amount of time. He comes back with a little white and blue cardboard pack, already thumbing open the top as he sits within arm's reach. ]

Our lucky day.

[ He slides the deck loose into his palm and discards the box before he starts to shuffle, cards a liquid whisper in his hands. ]

Want to do 'pick a card, any card', or is that too cliche?

[ At that, she nods becuase sure, it's a deal. She waits while he runs off to grab some cards and sits up a little when he's back.

She eyes the cards in his hand. ]

No, let's go with the classic. You gotta ask me though. Gotta say 'pick a card, any card'. I wanna hear it.

Happy to oblige, ma'am.

[ He's got a feeling Jessica isn't the type to love being called 'ma'am', and his teasing smirk shows it.

The cards snap crisply as he warms up, the deck better constructed than he'd have guessed a beachside stand would offer. For the hell of it, he throws in a faro shuffle, deck split and perfectly slipped back together. Then he flicks the cards out into a fan and holds them up to her, eyes wide and almost guileless. ]

Pick a card, any card [ the patter comes back as easy as the shuffle ] take it out, give it a look, and don't let me peek. You know the drill.

[ Yeah, she's going to roll her eyes at being called ma'am bt there's no heat behind it. It's Krouse being Krouse and doing his best to wind her up a little bit.

She eyes the deck of cards and then selects one. A moment later, she looks at it and finds that she's got a five of spades. Once she's got it memorized, she presses it against her thigh. ]

Got it.

Excellent choice.

[ He nods sagely, channelling every ounce of convincing wisdom he can muster. It's not much. That's part of the routine. ]

Now, contemplate your card. Make a connection. It doesn't work unless you're attuned to it, so I'm putting myself in your capable hands.

[ The deck ripples back and forth between his hands, then snaps into two almost equal halves, his eyes never dropping down. He offers one of the halves to her and closes his eyes. ]

Please place your special card on the top of the deck, and remember - don't stop thinking about it.

You want me to make a connection with my card?

[ You are very lucky she likes you, Krouse. With a sigh, she picks up the card and looks at it. She brings it closer to her face and taps her forehead with it.

There, connection made. She puts the card back down on her thigh. ]

My card and I are one now.

[ She puts the card back as he asks and continues to think about it as he asks. ]

[ He knows he's lucky, and he's never been one to miss an opportunity to push that luck when he stumbles into it. He flutters his eyes open, all but beaming in his restrained, teenagerly way. ]

Perfect. I sense a deep, metaphysical bond. Now, let's see if I can hold up my end -

[ Krouse seals the two halves of the deck together and touches them to his forehead in mimicry of her gesture, liking the dramatic flair of it. He hums portentiously, nods, and flips the deck over to fan it open with a snap of his wrist. ]

I'm seeing it...the image in your mind's eye...the card that truly speaks to your soul is -

[ He slips it up from the fan with his thumb, folds the rest of the cards shut, and turns the five of spades to face her. ]

The five of spades. Apt. The suite of turmoil.

That's...right.

[ She knows magic is nothing more than smoke and mirrors but that's still pretty impressive. She eyes him suspiciously and then her eyes flip down to the deck. ]

Let me guess, that entire deck is just fives of spades?

[ It's a good guess!]

Nah. That's a different trick.

[ She's not wrong that it's a possibility, though. He had a couple trick decks in a shoebox back home, collecting dust.

Here, he offers her the plain deck he has on hand so she can look through it if she wants to. It's all as it should be, every card represented, no marks on the cards or telltale folds in their corners. ]

No powers, either. It's all in the hands.

Do you want to learn how to do it?

[ Does she want to learn how to do a silly magic trick? Jessica sighs. ]

Fine, show me.

[ Isn't this what sitting on the beach is for>? ]

[ Tentative, begrudging enthusiasm counts as enthusiasm, in Krouse's eyes. He smiles and fans out the deck again, thumbing the edge of the card that was next to the five of spades. ]

The trick isn't keeping track of your card, or even knowing what your card is. I had no idea. The trick is when you split the deck to take the card back.

[ He folds the deck back into a stack and breaks it in half, showing her the bottom cards of each. ]

Everything I was doing was to keep you paying attention to your card. If you're looking at that, you don't see me look at the bottom card of the top stack. When you put your card back in, it goes next to that one, and if I know that card, I just have to look at the card next to it to find yours.

All the other shuffling is show. The break is the only part that matters. Anyone can do it. You just have to get good at making the glance at the bottom card subtle.

[ He offers her the deck, now recombined. ]

And this would be the part where I say something profound about that being a fundamental life skill, except I think you'd probably call me a pretentious dick. Which would be justified.

So, smoke and mirrors.

[ Still, pretty impressive. She wouldn't have guessed that was the way it worked if she'd sat and thought about it for awhile. ]

And I would call you a pretentious dick if you said that so you've saved yourself a little name calling.

[ How fortunate for you, Krouse. ]

Next trick, I wanna see a rabbit out of a hat.

It's all smoke and mirrors.

[ Part of the trick is getting people who know there's a trick - almost everyone over the age of seven or so - to look for the trick where it's not.

That's his real pretentious take on the whole thing. There's an art to lying to people in a way that they know you're lying, and still end up believing something other than the truth. ]

And rabbits out of hats take more set up. I need an empty box, a rabbit, a hat, and a week to train the rabbit to be calm in the box.

Doable, though. If that's what you're looking for.

[ He leans over his knees, smiling, and tilts his head at her. ]

But that's enough of my intensely suave, interesting childhood hobby. What about you? Did you have any cultivated middle school talents to dazzle and amaze?

Me?

[ God, had she? It's sometimes hard to remember that far back. Jessica leans back, legs stretched out in front of her while she tries to recall something on the level of magic that she might have been interested in. ]

I think I like softball at one point.

[ Did that count? ]

Didn't really follow through on it. I didn't like running that much.

[ Softball will count for the purposes of conversation, Krouse decides, although he doesn't have any immediately entertaining quips for the sports specifically.

Maybe that's for the best. ]

I can't believe you weren't an athletic, sporty child. Your glow of health really makes it seem otherwise.

[ Jessica looks like she lives in the basement of a goth detective agency, in a relatively easily sharp way Krouse kind of envies. ]

But then, I wasn't much for running either. One of my several regrets.

[ Hey, she'd tried! It was the one thing that sprang to mind as being somewhat like his magical aspirations. ]

I know. My healthy pallor and toned muscles really make me look like I should be some professional athelete somewhere.

[ She makes a face at him before rolling her eyes. ]

Maybe I should try that here. Start up a softball league.

[ Krouse scoffs slightly, pleased she took him up on his ribbing. At least someone around here gets him. ]

Yeah, it'd be great. I've got one guy training me for his version of rugby from the fantasy universe where you can legally turn into a bear or cast fireball mid-play. Softball would be a welcome break.

[ He smirks at her, raising his eyebrows. ]

Actually, if you opt against the effort of organizing a whole league of your own, maybe you could come try out for bloodrush. You'd be allowed to throw people. I'm sure Fabian would love it.

Bloodrush?

[ That sounds intriguing but also messy. And if it's a team sport? Well, she'll be terrible about that. But still, she's curious. ]

Fabian? He tasked himself with finding me a new hobby. He'd probably love to see me there.

You too?

[ Krouse pulls a sympathetic face, as if the prospect of two cynical individuals like themselves being subjected to all that 'enthusiasm' and 'friendliness' is a terrible burden to bear. ]

I'm sure he would. [ A beat, then: ] Did he have any specific old hobby he was objecting to?

I guess he didn't like me telling him that I didn't have any friends.

[ Or something. She shrugs. ]

And I might have told him drinking was a hobby of mine. That might have put him on this impossible task too.

Ah.

[ Krouse nods, trying to obscure the fact that he also maybe doesn't think having drinking as a hobby is fantastic -

But who the fuck is he to judge? Having powers isn't easy, and Jessica has been through something she hasn't had to explain to him beyond her reaction to the scrap of purple that fell out of the sky to understand is something that left her fucked up. They're all fucked up. It comes with the gig. ]

Fabian doesn't get it.

[ He shrugs, the matter settled in his mind for now. ]

He's a popular rich kid with charisma, a genuinely and annoyingly sparkling personality, and a dogged sense of optimism. You can only hold it against him so much, unfortunately.

Still. It can be a pain in the ass.

[ Then he smiles again, tilting his head, and puts a hand on his chest. ]

...wait, does this mean we aren't friends?

[ He doesn't care if she says they aren't, mostly because he assumes that's what she'll say. People can get along just fine without being friends.

Neither of them have a great track record with friends, anyway. ]

MISSION 004 WRAP-UP

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sorry for the lateness - disease!

all good, i know how that goes

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