etrayalogs | MISSION 004 (part 1)

MISSION 004 (part 1)

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⏴

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Her smile will deepen upon noticing his own. The glint in his eye will go unnoticed (or outright ignored) because she was starting to feel comfortable around him. It would seem he was on the same mindset as her. Hopefully for a different reason than her own because she wouldn't want the teachers to pick on him like they were doing to her.]

Have you decided yet? About leaving?

[It was an innocent enough question because she was curious to see more of his reactions towards her. The remark about the freebie will get a softer smile out of her because she honestly did believe him. Not to mention the way he acted reminded her a little of her mentor too. He would give her a couple of freebies for services he didn't sign up for. He was already winning points with her from the remark alone. That's the reason why she'll shake her head.]

No, I insist. You're doing me a very big favor. I owe you one even if you don't believe so.

[As for his next question, Nuvia will lower her head while bringing her hands together, her fingers playing with the other to try to calm her nerves because...]

They've been picking on me by announcing my low scores to everyone in class. All of them have been scolding me about doing better all because of my dad. They make it sound like I'm supposed to be super smart...or whatever.

[The way they hold Barnabas's job over her head doesn't sit right with her. As much as she likes their respect for him, it also feels like they were being overly cruel to him too. Disrespecting him, in a way. It was an odd feeling. Different to being persecuted but it still feels like the same prejudice she was used to.]

I've never been to school before. Of course I'm not going to be smart overnight...

[Which she tried to do because Nuvia doesn't need to sleep due to being self-sustained, but she did use the evening hours to work on her homework and study. At least, study as much as an illiterate person can.]

[ Another sweet, big-eyed optimist, tossing her feelings out into the world like the world can be trusted to, on average, treat them fairly. He'd know she'd never been to high school before even if she didn't tell him upfront. ]

Yeah. You don't have to let them get away with that.

[ Krouse shakes his head slightly, already half-annoyed in a general sense. He never really clicked with teachers as a whole, a handful of exceptions aside. Even the nice ones can let authority get to their head. ]

You should tell your dad about it. I wouldn't usually recommend that, but if he's head of the PTA, he should have some leverage.

[ He saunters closer, hands tucked in his pockets, and does another scan for teachers or conscientious looking students. ]

Getting good grades and being smart don't necessarily have much to do with each other, either. [ Krouse slips past her, turning as he does, and leans against the push bar on the exterior door. ] I have been to high school before, so you can take my word on that. Come on. Let's go before anyone else shows up.

[ He pushes back further, the door cracking open, and slips to the outdoors with one foot holding the door for her to follow. Apparently, he's made his decision. ]

['What can she do about it?' will be left in the back of her throat when he suggests in telling Barnabas about it. She presumes he has a point over him having some leverage, but...]

Why wouldn't you usually recommend telling an adult about it?

[Did something bad usually happen whenever a parent didn't have power over the teacher? It was an interesting thought, if it were the case. She didn't know much about school politics but knew enough through the context that Barnabas's position was important to the teachers if they were easily using it as an excuse to talk down on her.

As he goes to open the door, Nuvia will quickly do a double take around the hallways making absolute certain there was no one watching them or heading their way. Once she knew the coast was clear, she'll easily slip past the door without a second thought. He didn't have to tell her twice even if her mind did begin to wonder about the school alarm. Hopefully if she moves fast enough maybe the it won't sound? The moment she stepped foot outside, she was almost expecting it to be triggered only for it...not to be the case. He was right. There was no alarm in the doors at all.]

It's this easy to get out of school?

[ He shoots her an amused look as he eases the door shut, then stays close to the building, checking the nearby windows. They're lucky a second time, the sunlight streaming in at an angle that discourages too many glances outdoors. ]

It's not prison.

[ Krouse steps sideways off the stairs instead of taking them down directly, motioning for Nuvia to follow. ]

You stay because otherwise you're going to get in trouble, they know where you live, and you have to come back eventually. But skipping out once or twice, especially when you don't know how things are supposed to work, and you're being bullied by the teachers? [ He smiles, tilting his head. ] You'll be fine.

And while I'm doling out my hard-earned wisdom, you usually don't tell a parent if your teachers are treating you like crap because they either won't believe you, or worse, they will believe you, try to do something about it, and piss the school off.

In your case, you've got two things going for you. The first one is that your dad presumably should have some influence to throw around, thanks to his new prestigious position, and the second is that none of us have much incentive to worry about the long term here. What are they going to do? Suspend you? Put it on your permanent record?

Wait. How did you know I was thinking about prison?

[She was caught off guard by his response because the entire situation reminds her of the time, she had to rescue a scientist locked underneath a secret laboratory like a prisoner. There are surprisingly a lot of those in the 30th century. At least, the other scientist blew his up before escaping with her and Kael.

Watching him step sideways off the stairs along with his follow motion, Nuvia will copy him by sliding down the steps using the railing instead of walking. It was faster and more fun, if she could be honest.

She'll silently listen to his explanation over not getting into trouble if she skipped once or twice. A soft giggle will be given his way as she listens to the great sage helping her out.]

What about experts like you? Will you be okay in getting away with it too?

[As for his explanation about the reason another normal student wouldn't get their parents involved made sense to her. She wouldn't want to piss off a school when she already has most of the people in her world feeling that way towards her. It's never a good idea to poke the sleeping old man.

As he begins to speak about possible consequences, Nuvia will look at him a little in disbelieve because...]

Suspending me isn't much of a punishment when I can just do it myself and my permanent record is already tarnished.

[In the 30th century, reputation is known as permanent record while she believes suspend is just suspending in the air which she can already do all on her own.]

[ He lets her get through her questions completely before he starts answering, ducking under windows as he passes them. He probably looks like this is something he's done often. Technically, that's true. He just didn't pick it up in the context of school. ]

I guessed prison. Not a lot of other places people try to escape them.

And I'll be fine.

[ They're almost at the closest corner of the building, with a residential street not far from there. He holds up a hand for her to stop, head cocked as he listens for activity on the other side of the wall. ]

What did you do to already screw up your permanent record?

[ He's guessing that if she misunderstood suspension - and he'll circle back to that - she probably means something else by that, too. Since she's been so forthcoming so far, he's curious about how far she'll go with revelations. ]

What about a scam house?

[By "scam house" she actually means a cult village; she has been in one of those before after getting tricked and kidnapped into one by mistake. Nuvia will copy his movement as best as she can while listening to him speak. She's glad he'll be okay too.

His next question will leave her slightly uncomfortable. Not because she didn't want to answer his question. Far from it. She didn't know how to explain without making him uncomfortable or possibly offending him. Nuvia will close her eyes, look down, and clasp her hands together trying to figure out her next choice. What would her mother do in this situation? Tell the truth, was all she could say under her breath because she knew it'd be the case whenever it concerned her. Her mother has raised her with regarding honor and respect as important, no matter what form it takes.

Once decided, Nuvia will breathe in and breath out air she didn't even needed to admit.]

Existing. Humanity reacted negatively when I first began to search for my mother outside of my island home while the Nevu have been hunting me down especially after realizing I had half of their DNA.

[As she admits those truthful words, Nuvia will offer the boy some space just in case he begins to consider her a threat or a monster while keeping her hands in front of her where he can see it almost expecting him to attack or arrest her.]

[ Krouse isn't sure what a 'scam house' is, but it doesn't seem like a priority in light of the look on her face. He straightens up slightly and puts his back against the wall, his hands loose and obvious at his sides. ]

I'm sorry.

[ He's not a sensitive person, as a rule, but he doesn't have to be to acknowledge something that bad. Especially not when she's this obviously afraid of how he'll take it. ]

No one deserves that. [ He shakes his head, not lifting his eyes from hers. ] And if you're worried it'll bother me, don't be. As far as I care, you're just another person here. We're all in the same boat.

[Bracing herself for the incoming rejection was all she could do to soften the blow once it came. Tightening her hands into fists, closing her sky-blue eyes shut, while hardening her shoulders and slightly lifting them up a bit. She was taking every precaution to protect herself. Except his next words will leave her flabbergasted more than anything else. What did he just say...?

Her eyes will open wide as she continues to listen to his next words.

"No one deserves that. And if you're worried it'll both me, don't be. As far as I care, you're just another person here. We're all in the same boat."

Her body will begin to shake as his words leave her speechless. How many times had she thought about a scenario like this one? How many times did she yearn for someone to say those words to her whenever she saved someone only for it to blow up in her face in the end? Many, many, many times. Too many to count.

A stinging sensation will overcome from the top of her nose to her eyes. It was starting to get blurry, watery, and just...

.....................................................................

Crossing her arms, Nuvia will try her best to control her emotions because...]

D-Do you really mean it...? [A pause.] ...are you sure...?

[There will be a slightly crack in her voice after asking the final question. Her breathing will begin to increase as she shakes almost expecting him to say "April Fools" just like those in the 30th century would.]

[ As soon as she tears up, Krouse's calm splinters into anxiety around his widened eyes. He comes off the wall slightly, tugged forward by an inchoate urge to do something, but stops short. He doesn't want to make it worse by pushing a boundary. ]

Yeah. I'm sure.

[ His voice drops to a steady softness, gentler than all his earlier wry sharpness might have suggested he could be. ]

It's okay.

[ She reminds him too much of someone else, if she'd had the brittle shell cracked off of her to leave only the trembling terror of being seen and hated for it. There aren't many things that get to him. This is one of them. ]

[Nuvia will simply nod her head in understanding because if she said anything else she'll end up sobbing. She didn't want to scare a potential new friend away especially when they accepted her so easily. Without having to work hard for it as usual. She will begin to wipe her tears though, hoping to calm down because today was supposed to be a fun day!]

May victory....be earned through endurance....and persistence.

[She would have included the salute that comes with the saying but she didn't do it believing it wouldn't be his style. He didn't seem like the type to support the military. The salute and words are given when someone is very grateful over a kindness offered to them. It was a regular thing back in the 30th century.

Getting rid of the urge to cry by deeply breathing in and out, Nuvia will force a smile, trying her very best to bring back their earlier energy except this time she feels a lot calmer.]

Where do you plan on going now that we're out of school?

[ That sounds like a slogan for either a sports team or a military squad, both of which he has a little trouble picturing her being a part of. Maybe it's a nationalism thing. Whatever it is, it seems to help calm her down, so Krouse smiles back as reassuringly as he can manage. It's something he's not bad at. ]

I hadn't thought that far ahead. Go to a movie, maybe.

[ He shifts sideways to glance around the quiet corner, confirming the lack of anyone milling around past it. ]

But let's not get ahead of ourselves. We still have to get off school grounds. Walk as fast as I walk.

[ With one last scan, Krouse sets off at a brisk, confident pace, his hands tucked in his pockets. He keeps his strides more clipped than he usually would in consideration of her shorter legs. ]

And now that we're co-conspirators, you should probably know who I am. Krouse. Nice to meet you.

[She'll follow after him in a similar brisk pace in order not to lose him or get him into trouble if she gets spotted considering she is very easy to spot due to her cloud hair. That was the reason she got stuck joining the cheerleader squad in the first place. As he decides to introduce himself, Nuvia will perk up with a smile returning and nod of her head.]

It's nice to meet you, Krouse. I'm Nuvia! Thank you for helping me escape from school today. I don't think I would have managed to keep a strong face if one more teacher announced my failing grade to the entire class again.

[Picking up the pace by walking a little faster until she was walking beside him, she'll look up at him with a curious look.]

What's a movie?

[ Nuvia is bouncing back from sorrow with aplomb. Krouse isn't so sure that her breaking down in tears in class instead of in front of him would have been such a bad thing for her, in the long run. Making her cry by being a dick would be like kicking a puppy made of marshmallows. She even kind of looks like a marshmallow, when he thinks about it, or a swirl of whipped cream on a sundae.

But if she's used to people being unfair to her, that's a hard thing to shake. It's no wonder she'd rather bail than risk it. ]

Oh, it's my pleasure to assist a damsel in distress.

[ If he had a hat, he'd tip it. As it is, he settles for touching his fingers to his brow and bringing them down in a spiralling twirl as he bows his head, his smile growing as he plays up the bit. ]

A movie is like a play in a theatre, but it's recorded ahead of time. Do you know photographs?

[The gestures he was doing will get another smile out of her because she found it to be entertaining. It's almost like he was miming. Most likely he was, she mused, but she could tell he was a good person. He was helping her when he didn't have to involve himself. He worried about her. Nuvia had no complaints to give otherwise she'd be ungrateful and selfish if she did.]

This is the first time someone has ever referred to me as a damsel. I'm usually called a monster or abomination whenever someone talks about me.

[Which she is clearly enjoying because worser words have been said to her back home including inventing new degrading terms for the other half of her species. When he begins to explain about a movie, Nuvia has heard of theatre before, but not photographs. They don't exist in the 30th century especially when everything was digital.]

I know what a theatre is. You watch 5D shows with 10D sound effects. I don't really recognize the word photographs. What are they?

[ Krouse's easy smile flickers at monster. It doesn't fade, but goes sharper, his eyes narrowing slightly in something less than a wince. But he lets it slip past, at first, as the pair of them cross the invisible boundary of school to town.

Despite seeming not to pay much attention to their trajectory, Krouse shifts direction to tack around the corner of one house in particular, veering them up a narrow decorative garden path across the lawn and onto the sidewalk. ]

I see I'm coming at this from the wrong direction. [ He says, as he goes up the path, stepping only on the stones and not the grass in between - not because he cares about the grass, but because it's idly entertaining to follow a pattern. ] A photograph is a still picture. No movement, no sound. And a movie is a less advanced version of a theatre, apparently, made up of a lot of pictures going by very fast, with sound played over it.

And you don't seem like a monster to me.

[ He adds the last part like it's an aside, but the quietness of it following his light-hearted explanation of apparently primitive entertainment technology isn't quite casual. ]

[Once they left the school grounds and are entering the town's neighborhood, Nuvia will be observing her surroundings with great interest. The few individuals they pass aren't human but all types of different species. It was wonderful! Nuvia couldn't help admiring the town, even if it does give her a weird vibe sometimes.

The moment he begins to speak again, Nuvia will pay her full attention to Krouse without a second thought. She'll follow him stepping on stones by copying his movement too. Not because she likes grass (because she does) but it was fun to do. One can learn a lot about a person from their body language, tone, and vibe.

When he explains what a photograph is, Nuvia will remember something.]

It sounds similar to a watercolor painting I saw once in an exhibit.

[The explanation about the movie will leave her slightly perplexed because if the pictures move very fast how do people watch it. Instead of asking her question she is going to grow quiet by his last response about her not seemingly looking like a monster to him. His words, his tone, and the way he was looking at her will leave her frozen in place. He doesn't think she's a monster?]

Why...?

[It was a faint whisper leaving her lips almost as if she regrets having asked but wanted to know. Why doesn't he view her the same way as the humans in her world? What is the difference between them?]

[ Krouse stops a half-step after she does, pivoting on the sidewalk to face her. He misses the wall at his back, with its fig leaf of privacy through concealment. No one's watching them that he can see, but that doesn't mean they're not being observed.

He doesn't know if that's something Nuvia cares about. It's a reflex of his own, old protective habit stirred to life by her big, stricken eyes and that impossible open-ended question. ]

I think it's the things people do that make monsters. Not what they are.

[ It's mostly true. True enough for this moment, when the complicated parts aren't relevant to a fragile-looking girl who needs reassurance. ]

And maybe you've done things. I don't know, and it's not my business. But if you have, I'm guessing it's because people did something to you first. [ He pushes his hands deeper into his hoodie pockets. ] That doesn't count.

[The difference between Krouse and those from Earth are kindness, understanding, critical thinking skills, and empathy. Those are the differences. Nuvia remembers the times she had saved someone only for them to throw rocks or threatened her. Then there was those who fear her just because of her half alien DNA; for not looking normal enough to them.

When Krouse begins to list the very first thing she went through after leaving the safety of her island, her bottom lip will begin to quiver. How did he know this detail about her? Nobody knows anything about her. And yet he believes in her. That was more than enough for her to want to sob and scream; however, she won't do it -- make a scene unless she absolutely has to. Nuvia is quite aware there may be eyes and ears everywhere just like back home, but she was an open book just in case someone from her world appears.]

The first time I left my island home to search for my mother. Rocks were thrown at me by the townspeople. Law enforcement came to mediate but they started to accuse me of killing my own mother. They attacked me and I accidentally used my ice powers for the first time.

[She will freeze the arm into a light armor of ice with some spikes on them to showcase what it looked like.]

I escaped but not without being tricked and stalked by someone else who tried to kill me afterwards. I didn't hurt them though. My AI Father did to protect me.

[Now if she had to be completely transparent, she would admit.]

But I do take all responsibility for the damages my clones created.

[ Krouse listens to Nuvia with quiet intensity, his dark eyes empty of judgment. He doesn't flinch when she reveals her power, weighing it with the same purposeful attentiveness he gave her quivering lip. They're not that different, if a person knows what they're looking at.

It's clones that make him twitch, his mouth flattening out as he suppresses its movement one way or the other. He pulls his hands out of his hoodie pockets with a rectangular cardboard pack in one of them, flipping the lid up with his thumb. ]

Self-defense.

[ Is the first verdict he renders, sweeping everything under that forgiving umbrella. He wouldn't care if she had killed whoever stalked her. Good for her AI father, whatever else is going on with that. ]

And why would you take responsibility for that? They aren't you.

[ He taps a cigarette loose restlessly, then brings it to his lips. The spin and catch of the lighter wheel under his thumb is almost as soothing as the first inhale of smoke. ]

[Even though she knows her clones aren’t actually her, Nuvia can’t help but continue to feel responsible, especially when they take innocent lives. It’s her fault they were created to begin with. If she hadn’t given her blood to Lily after she died, maybe it could have been avoided. Or at least, she wants to believe so.]

When someone kills others using your face, wouldn’t you feel responsible for their actions, even though it wasn’t actually you who did it?

[She knows the path of morality is a slippery slope, but it’s the best she has right now. Her voice carries a hint of vulnerability as she speaks, hoping he might understand her internal struggle. As she waits for his response, she glances at Krouse, her expression a mix of hope and uncertainty. She’s not sure if he’ll offer any comfort or insight, but the need to be heard and understood is strong.]

[ Back in the world Krouse came from, he'd have to assume this was a trap. The question cuts close enough to the truth that he's not sure it isn't one here.

But what would be the point? Who would go to all this effort to set him up for this? There's a line between caution and paranoia, as shaky and changeable as it is. And if he's wrong -

He meets her eyes with a touch of weary, knowing ruefulness, blowing a thin stream of smoke off to one side. ]

I might. [ He allows, quietly. ] That doesn't mean I'd be right.

But you don't have to explain it to me. Or anyone, actually.

[Nuvia listens intently to Krouse’s reply, her eyes searching his face for any hint of judgment or dismissal. His weary acknowledgment resonates with her, adding another layer to her understanding of the complexity of his emotions.

She fidgets with the edge of her sleeve, taking a deep breath before speaking. Her voice is soft, yet steady, betraying the inner turmoil she feels.]

I understand. It’s not always about being right or wrong. Sometimes, it’s about how we cope with the weight of it all. I just... I needed someone to hear me, even if it’s just to share the burden.

[She glances at him with a touch of sadness mixed with relief, her expression reflecting a fragile hope that he might understand her plight without needing to offer solutions or judgments.

In this moment, she feels a small sense of comfort in the shared vulnerability, though it remains tinged with the uncertainty of whether her confession has made any difference.]

Thank you for listening. That’s more than I expected. I just hope... [She'll grow quiet, trying to find the right words.] I just hope this conversation didn't turn you off from wanting to be my friend.

[Because as far as she is concerned, she now considers him one especially after everything he's learned about her.]

[ He's not going to laugh. She'd think the joke was on her, and there's not much Krouse wants less than that coming out of this conversation. He does smile, quick and sharp and bright, like a stray bolt of light glinting off polished armour. ]

Not at all.

[ She shouldn't want to be his friend any more than anyone else should, but telling her that would be like laughing. She wouldn't get it. Lately, he's been working on not making everything about himself. It'd be a shame to fuck that up when it counts. ]

You've got baggage. Who doesn't? [ He shrugs, light and loose. ] I'm really not seeing what's supposed to be so horrible about you, to be honest.

"Baggage?"

[What does that mean? She was so very close to asking him about it until he continued to talk about her. It was enough to make her smile warmly because she wasn't used to being told anything he was currently telling her.]

I think people are just scared of the unknown while living in an unpredictable setting like war. They're scared I'll be just like my nevu relatives who want to trap them.

[After all, the only humans with special abilities were part of Humanity's Hand, while everyone else was a normal person without them. Nuvia had powers due to her nevu genetics more than anything else. Her human mother wasn't exactly a fighter.]

I understand why they think the way they do. War makes everyone cautious, and the fear of the unknown is powerful. But it still hurts whenever they reject me so heavily.

[Nuvia's voice softened, her eyes reflecting a mixture of acceptance and lingering pain. She had come to terms with the reasons behind their fear, but the rejection still stung deeply.]

MISSION 004 (part 1)

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