MISSION 004 (part 1)

[etrayamods]

WHO: Everyone!
WHEN: July 19th-July 27th.
WHERE: Moorecroft Village
WHAT: Enjoy life in your new suburban neighborhood!
NOTES\WARNINGS: Potential death.

⏵ welcome home ⏴ Welcome to Moorecroft Village, where the sun casts a gentle glow through soft white clouds. Pavement paths wind around the village, adorned with wildflowers in every hue. Birds sing a soothing melody, while a few content cats lounge in sunspots or on benches along the streets. Cars hum by, ferrying residents to work, the store, or back home after a busy day. It looks almost perfect. The ideal little village, occupied by individuals from all over. Orcs, elves, faeries, werewolves, vampires, and dhampirs coexist harmoniously, each contributing to their quaint little town. Despite their varied backgrounds, they appear to embrace this place as their own. They take their baby carriages out during the day for a stroll, chatting with friends and neighbors about current happenings, discussing their most recent mission (a ‘game’ of Whodunit, in which one of theirs, Theo, was tasked with killing one of their own each day and they all had to figure out who had killed them before they could come back to life) and the difficulties therein, new job assignments, weird things the teens in their houses are getting up to... generic, neighborly conversations. The village is full of life. There are numerous facilities to wander and things to do! The library houses a vast collection of books spanning history from countless other worlds and whimsical children's tales. Teens gather at the ice skating rink, while the movie theater screens films spanning generations. An aquarium full of wonders: glowing rainbow fish, miniature great white sharks, a colorful octopus with patterns running over it that almost look like ivy, and numerous others. In the daytime, everyone can explore clothing stores, indulge in gourmet cakes from the grocers, and partake in leisurely pursuits without financial concerns; just like on Etraya, money does not exist here. ⏵ help wanted ⏴ Moorecroft surpasses Etraya in its development, offering attractions and activities to engage its inhabitants throughout the day. But with these advancements come additional responsibilities. By day, at least one adult from every household is expected to fulfill their shifts at 'day jobs', lasting anywhere from four to eight hours. Meanwhile, the youth are expected to go to school, absorbing knowledge in various disciplines. Each job duty requires different skillsets, but whether or not those required skillsets are matched to those who are expected to work them... well. They’ll have plenty of time for training, won’t they? Or perhaps they’ll get dropped right into their job and be expected to figure it out all on their own. For the younger residents, education is structured into two main institutions: "Sandalwood Lower" for those twelve and under, and "Maplewood Upper" for older students. These schools offer a broad curriculum encompassing Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Physical Education, Technology, Fine Arts, and a diverse array of Foreign Languages. Electives range widely, from specific sports to Survival Training, Creative Writing, Journalism, and Sociology. At lunchtime, the school cafeteria presents an array of choices. Options range from standard fare like school pizza to other offerings such as vampire's blood, brains, and hearts—just in case an unexpected guest should drop in. After all, one never knows who might show up in Moorecroft. ⏵ honey do's ⏴ But life extends beyond work and school. A structured routine of what is expected of each household is kept on digital calendars, and installed on the wall in the kitchen of each house. These calendars update daily with smaller tasks, and weekly with larger ones, detailing what is expected of those residing within its walls. Typical tasks include simple activities such as: Take the child(ren) for a walk outdoors. Visit the local park. Bake a pie for the neighbors. Tell your spouse(s) how important they are to you. Share a secret. Shop with your child(ren). Mow the lawn. Don’t forget to attend your child’s school’s PTA meeting! Help with homework. Take family photos. Go on a date. More complex tasks are found under weekly checklists, and may involve: Host a neighborhood barbeque competition. Volunteer at the hospital. Teach your child a sport. Start a soccer league. Create a garage band. Get a part time job. Join a club. Eos will check off each task as it is completed. At the bottom of each calendar, a tally records the completion of tasks, providing a visual measure of productivity and community involvement. ⏵ night watch ⏴ As the sun lowers over the horizon, everything shifts. Every long-term resident understands the consequences of curfew and the threats within. They retreat to their homes, urging those unfamiliar to them who may not understand the rules just yet that they, too, need to return indoors for the night. Within the confines of their houses, life continues under a fragile veil of normalcy. A peek into some of the homes of long-term residents will find them playing board games with their family units, completing homework or work assignments they were unable to finish during the day, watching a few family-friendly shows on their couches, or enjoying a late dinner. Eventually, they’ll return to their beds and wait for the sound of their alarms. In Moorecroft, no friendly companion bots roam the streets during the day. In their place, highly advanced robots emerge to enforce curfew once the time comes. They silently make their way through the streets, sweeping away anything that isn’t part of Eos’ design: trash left out on the street, bugs left by suspicious men wearing cowls that have ears on them, graffiti, new decor that Eos decides she doesn’t like. No winds shake the trees, there are no cars on the road, but noises can be heard coming from outside that don't sound... normal by any means. Croaks, whispers, scratches against doors and walls alike. Those who defy curfew will be asked, once, to return to their homes. If they opt not to listen, they are met with force: physically restrained, subdued, and dragged back to their homes. If they decide to fight, the bots are not above killing them and dropping their limp bodies just inside the front door of their houses. They will revive after 48 hours but not without cost. Each return carries an absence—a missing memory, a lost skill, or a fragment of their very essence, stolen away in the process of their revival. Even those who manage to evade capture will awaken in their beds with no recollection of their death or what they may have witnessed before dying. They will instead have a vague feeling that something horrifying happened. ⏵ NOTES ⏴ Daily and weekly tasks can be chosen by players! We won't be listing these out for each household, but relying on players to choose what's most fun for them to play with within their households. As noted on Mission Plotting, we're open to one group successfully staying out past curfew, but would like to keep this to one thread. We have a separate log for NPC interactions for this mission! For any questions relating to the contents of this log, mod queries thread on the initial plotting post to assist us in keeping all mission-related information in one place. All other questions can be directed to the FAQ. ⏵FULL NAVIGATION⏴

Comments

[utinam]

Arriving to the gym in a cheerleading outfit, Nuvia couldn't help but decide to hide in the gym from the rest of the squad currently searching for her. Unfortunately, she was roped into it by the girls having guilt trip her to join when she originally wanted to be part of the gardening club.

She had hoped the gym would be empty for the most part while tactfully believing if she hid under their noses, then they'll have a tougher time finding her. Well, it turns out there was someone at the gym, someone she knew and didn't expect to see.

A welcoming smile will appear on Nuvia's lips upon recognizing Izuku, she'll wave at him, "Hey! I didn't know you were into working out." Watching him working his arms out with the weights, she'll slowly realize he is buffer than she originally thought. She knew he was athletic because he has the body of one, but she didn't know he had trained for it.

[wannasmash]

Izuku tends to wear ordinary T-shirts that don't show much of his physique, but it's undeniable as he curls a weight inward. Everyone has to work hard to get this muscular, and he's no exception. He was not born this way.

He stops, sets it down, and recognizes the person from the store. She's wearing an American cheerleading outfit, which he supposes fits in with this American suburban aesthetic. He's heard tell that American cheerleaders perform great physical feats, doing flips and building towers with themselves. He hopes it's true, because that's seriously impressive to him.

"Well, I have to be to get stronger." He mimes a punch to the side. "Were you looking to work out too?"

[utinam]

The cheerleader's choreography at this school did include building pyramids, throwing the other girls high into the air, carrying them in their arms while they did flips, and all kinds of other gymnastic movements. Nuvia was recently forced to join the squad due to her own physique and experience with parkour. The uniform showcased her form, which her usual flowing dresses tended to hide to help others lower their guard around her.

"I wish," began to say Nuvia with a sigh in her voice by admitting further, "I'm hiding from my squad. They want me to do a week of pep rallies with them only because yesterdays did well." With that said though, Nuvia will have an idea though, it was enough for her to take a step closer, her eyes filled with a mixture of determination and curiosity.

"You know," she began, her voice thoughtful, "I used to train pretty hard myself. My mentor was strict, always pushing me to be better. Since he passed away, I haven't had much chance to keep up with the same intensity." She glanced at the weights, then back at Izuku. "I'm looking for someone to spar with, to keep my skills sharp. Would you be interested? I could use a good challenge, and it looks like you could too." She smiled, a hint of playful challenge in her eyes

[wannasmash]

All thoughts of cheerleaders fly from his head. Of course he's ready to fight. How can he say no? Part of a Hero's training is going up against people whose abilities he doesn't know. And she seems eager, which is great to have in a sparring partner. All Might and Katsuki taught the mild-mannered Izuku about the thrill of competition.

But first, he must nerd out.

"What kind of fighting do you do?" he asks eagerly. "How do you utilize your Quirk? Is it a transformation type or an emitter type? Do you have any weaknesses to the surrounding weather? How do temperature and humidity come into play? Do you have to do laundry all the time?"

[utinam]

Nuvia’s smile widened as she took in Izuku’s enthusiasm. She appreciated his genuine curiosity about her abilities and was eager to share.

“Well, I’m a long-range fighter, so I usually keep my distance and use my powers from afar. If I need to, though, I can handle hand-to-hand combat, but I prefer not to use weapons while sparring. As for your other questions…,” she began, organizing her thoughts.

“I do have some weaknesses against heatwaves and high humidity. My core has replaced my heart, stomach, and intestines, which means I don’t need to eat or sleep, but I can get tired. When I’m getting fatigued, my mist-like hair starts to get shorter."

As for the rest of his questions, she needed some time to think of the right words to use,

"Weather can affect me in different ways. For example, snow and thunderstorms can impact my abilities. Lightning can give me more energy instead of harming me, but if I absorb too much power at once, it can make me sick. I can manipulate water and its forms, including fluids, but I try to avoid using those powers unless it's absolutely necessary."

Only when her life is in absolute danger does she feel comfortable controlling someone by using their own fluids against them.

"I don't do laundry because I make my own clothes from the mist I create throughout my body. I call those water resources because I'm using what's inside me to create them. But I do need to bathe every day or else I would have a difficult time summoning the mist in my body to create clothes and hair. As for whether I’m a transformation or emitter type… I’m not really familiar with those terms. But I hope that answers your questions!”

[wannasmash]

He realizes too late that he was pelting her with nerd questions. Studying Heroes and Quirk applications is his special interest. Sometimes this is off-putting to people. (His hands even hovered a little as if writing in an invisible notebook...)

"S-Sorry, I guess I got carried away..."

He'll remember what she said though. Water... does that include air and his blood? He may have to find out later. The prospect does not frighten him, just poses another challenge. But to elaborate,

"Transformation is when you temporarily change your form. It's different from the heteromorphic type of Quirk where being invisible or having feathers is just normal. An emitter type Quirk is operative: It makes something or manipulates something. These are really broad classifications, and there are subtypes. Sometimes it may seem that a person fits into more than one—

"Oh! Right, you were—sorry—you were saying? You mean you want to spar right now? The gym is a pretty good place for it..."

Since he goes to Hero school, it doesn't cross his mind that maybe this is against the rules. This is what gyms are for!

[utinam]

Nuvia listens intently as he delves into the intricacies of Quirks and their classifications. His enthusiasm and deep knowledge about the subject spark her own curiosity, and she appreciates the depth of his understanding. It dawns on her why he hadn’t reacted with fear upon first seeing her; his world must be filled with such diverse abilities and appearances that someone like her wouldn’t seem out of the ordinary.

“You know, hearing about all these different types of Quirks makes me realize how varied and unique everyone in your world must be. It’s really fascinating,” Nuvia remarks, her voice filled with genuine interest. “I think I’d probably be considered heteromorphic in your classification since this is how I always look. It’s a bit different from everyone back home.”

At the sudden shift to the topic of sparring, Nuvia’s eyes light up with excitement. She’s always ready for a good challenge, and sparring is a perfect way to test her skills and learn new ones. “I would love to spar! But let me change out of my cheerleading outfit first. It’s only fair, and I want to make sure we both have the best chance to focus and learn from each other,” she says with a playful grin, eager for their friendly match.

[wannasmash]

Izuku won't pretend there isn't discrimination and favoritism directed at one Quirk over another, but it's not going to come from him. Growing up without one, he always thought every Quirk was amazing.

He could talk someone's ear off about Quirks and their applications, but that would derail what she had suggested. This place, like Etraya, kidnaps takes in people with many different Quirks. Why wouldn't the gym be a good place to spar?

"Oh right, if there's something you feel more comfortable working out in! There's a bathroom over there. I'll just finish my stretches. I'm looking forward to it!"