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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
[ Though, she may have to contest the bliss of ignorance in many cases, she can understand the sentiment of it. It would be simpler not to wonder, really.
Folding her arms, Vanessa glances to the woman at her side after nodding in the direction where the robots have arranged for people to frolic and lounge on the 'beach'. ]
Do you imagine that this little display is for the sake of distracting us from such concerns?
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[ Rats in a maze and all that. ]
What's the saying? Have their cake and eat it too?
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[ She is not eager to provide any sort of entertainment for their captors, but she can't help but enjoy the sight of so much sand. Walking a few steps forward, she elegantly kneels down to run her fingers through the fine grains, past where the sun has warmed the surface. ]
Do you enjoy the water?
no subject
[ Which, he knows, isn't what she meant. ]
I'm not much of a swimmer. Pale skin, easily burned, prefer being able to walk on my own two feet. Don't want any fish getting fresh with me either.
no subject
I was raised near the water. [ Pale as she also is. ] I walked along the stretch of the beach nearly every day.
[ The sand spills between her fingers as she lifts her hand. ]
Sometimes I still wish to swim to the center of the ocean. That I had tried when I was yet young. Now there is naught but a river in pale imitation. A mockery of a beach.
no subject
[ Seems like a big bunch of water to her. How you'd tell what the center was, she doesn't know. ]
How far did you get?
no subject
Mm, not very far. My dear friend would worry overmuch about drifting too far from the shore.
[ With a slightly tilted smile, she glances over her shoulder. ]
You fear the touch of fish?
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[ No, thanks. She knows that's not how Vanessa meant it though so she laughs after she says it before shrugging. ]
I just don't want anything weird brushing against my legs that I can't see whether that be a fish or seaweed or some man eating sea creature that I'm sure lives in there somewhere.
no subject
It is natural to fear what is unseen, but there can be wonder in the darkness.
[ Gently, she pats any clinging sand off against her elegant coat. ]
Something that the robots of Moorecroft were reluctant to let us discover. One hopes that the ones here do not take after such habits. I would rather learn what it is that hunts in the night, as opposed to being caged away from it.
no subject
[ Because she feels similarly. She'd rather be able to see what's trying to take her down rather than fight something that she has no idea about.
Makes punching things easier. ]
Just learn about it? Or learn about it so you can destroy it?
no subject
[ It is an incredibly optimistic take, and she also knows how likely it is that this is just one more enemy ready to wreak havoc on Vanessa's life. ]
But it is always best to prepare for the worst that may come.
[ Turning from the water, she glances Jessica over. Vanessa can't feel anything particularly magical about her, but she knows the woman to be far from 'average', and is curious how she would handle herself in a fight with true monsters. ]
You seemed eager to seek out potential trouble in Moorecroft. Was that for caution, or discontent?
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[ It was kind of what she did, after all. Jessica shrugs. ]
And I was bored. There's only so many days I can sit and drink and not hate myself so much that I wanna throw myself out a window.
[ Defenestration and all. ]
Plus, I didn't like that place at all.
no subject
[ She tries not to judge, but such domesticity seems worse than death, and its even more insulting when it isn't even real. Everyone had known it was nothing more than play-acting, yet some seemed to fit right in. ]
You have no such life of marital bliss waiting for you where you come from, then?
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[ She almost laughs and then shakes her head because no, no. No no no no no. That's not going to happen. ]
Not anywhere close. I don't really think I'm the marrying type. Not really my thing. Never will be.
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I can understand such a feeling. If I doubted such things before, time in Moorecroft only reminded me of how impossible such a life is for one such as I.
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[ It was a trip and not a trip that she ever wants to go on again. She isn't marriage material and she's never gonna be. She's not all that upset about it either. ]
Guy they had me hitched up to was fine enough but I think I might have gone insane if it lasted too much longer. He's too optimistic.
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And who were you…hitched to, that was so dreadfully optimistic?
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[ Maybe she's heard of him, maybe she hasn't. Jessica wouldn't be surprised if she had because Barry seems the type to just go out and make friends. ]
Endless source of optimism and smiling. I don't know how his face doesn't get tired.
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Without such sorts of people to enforce possibility, some of us may drown in the burdens we are mired in.
no subject
[ So, it'd be perfect for her. She half smiles. ]
I can't keep up with optimistic people like that. Too much effort.