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

[redheadcarrier]

I kinda like skrits and dresses in general, y'know.

[ She can't say if that dress was really one of her favorites or not. But she does kinda miss her old wardrobe, even if it feels like such a small thing to be worried about. To think about. Especially when the world ended and now she's... here. At the end of the universe (multiple universes). Weird.

She tries to brush past that with a little wave of her end. She can't dwell, right? ]

Well, if someone wants to treat me to a little fashion show, I'm not saying no!

[ She smirks, trying to project some of her old confidence. It's not as easy as it used to be. ]

What about you though?

[utinam]

[That was a good question. What types of clothes does she like to wear? Most of her outfits are usually made by her cloud hair. It was rare for her to wear actual human clothes like the one she had on at the moment. The only reason she was wearing it because it was one of the assigned tasks for her to do. It felt weird and a little itchy to wear other than the skirt being far too short for her.]

Hmmm. I like dresses and skirts a lot too. I tried to wear pants once, but it didn't really look good on me.

[Then again, to create pants out of clouds was tricky enough as is trying to make it look good was a different challenge altogether. A challenge Nuvia was not afraid to accept at some point.]

I don't normally do this sort of thing. It's my first time.

[Hence the reason she was offering her gratitude about it earlier.]

[redheadcarrier]

Hmm.

[ Asuka wrinkles her nose as she eyes Nuvia up and down, as if she's trying to sort out what she thinks. She's not a fashion expert by any means, but... ]

Wait, what do you mean it's your first time? First time clothes shopping?

[utinam]

That's right. It's my first-time clothes shopping and clothes shopping with someone else.

[How to explain this without offending her? Not that it's Asuka's fault, it's more the circumstances back in her own world are the problem, but...]

There's war going on back home. It's been active for hundreds of years now. People in the 30th Century, my time, don't shop like this anymore. They do everything virtually with their AI assistants. Only the rich and powerful can shop safely at stores.

[There was more to the story but Nuvia wasn't lying about there being war, online shopping preferences, and only the rich can go to normal shops without fear.]

[redheadcarrier]

...that sucks.

[ Which is really all she can say about that. Her own world is kind of fucked up beyond all recognition, but the idea of being stuck away from any kind of interaction with the world unless you've got the money for it? Yeah, that sounds bad. She frowns in thought. ]

So you've never been shopping before? Really? What do you wear then? Just... order stuff and have it delivered? That sounds a little miserable, if you ask me.

[ Astute observation, Asuka. ]

Well, no one is trying to kill you. So- [ She sweeps her hand out at the store. ] -find something. There's gotta be a better skirt out there. Or shorts - maybe you'd like shorts...

1/2

[utinam]

[Nuvia agrees with her assessment over her timeline indeed sucking major dirty nails. But when Asuka begins to ask about her clothes, Nuvia will simply ask her.]

Are you really curious to know? [A small playful smile will appear on her lips.] Which way would prefer to know the answer? Just telling you or showing you instead?

2/2

[utinam]

[At the mention of shorts, Nuvia's smile will disappear as she grows a little quiet because...]

What are shorts...?

[redheadcarrier]

You can just tell me. You don't gotta be all-

[ Wait. Her train of thought goes in a different direction. ]

What do you mean? You don't know what shorts are? How do you not know that?

[ This is baffling. ]

[utinam]

Mama never wore them...?

[Answering the question like it's the most obvious response. Nuvia bases her fashion off her mother's tastes. Realizing Asuka may need to be shown than simply chat about her powers, Nuvia will decide to remove the cheerleading outfit without a second thought. The minute they were off Nuvia isn't wearing anything underneath except for the mist from her hair creating a covering to protect her body in just as quickly as she got undressed.

The mist will wrap around her chest, stomach, arms, and some of her shoulders before moving downward to her abdomen and thighs while a mist string will go further downwards to create ballet type shoes to compliment her cloud ballerina form.

Extending her hands up, Nuvia will say.]

Ta-dah! What do you think?

[redheadcarrier]

Whoa, hey-!

[ Asuka starts to object as Nuvia starts to strip down - and then goes silent, shocked, as the mist and cloud-like coverings settle over her body. That's... very different. She's silent for a good few moments. Just give her a second to process this. ]

Um. That's... uh. Cool?

[ She's trying to get herself back together here. ]

I didn't - I didn't know you could do that.

[utinam]

[The surprise and speechless reaction from Asuka was completely new to Nuvia. She was accustomed to people shaking in fear or screaming at her in anger. This was new. Very new. How does one react at this point? Nuvia had no plans outside of showing Asuka her cloud powers to make it more exciting.]

We did just meet today. I don't blame you for not knowing. You're the first person to witness me changing in this new world.

[redheadcarrier]

I - uh - sure.

[ She scratches the back of her head, trying to get her brain to work again. ]

What... are you?

[ Nailed it. ]

[utinam]

[Asuka's reaction wasn't the first time someone had asked Nuvia that very same question. A soft, understanding, smile will appear, trying her best to remain as inoffensive as possible.]

I'm a hybrid -- part human and part alien. My father is an Elder Nevu while my mother is a regular human.

[redheadcarrier]

W-well - first of all...! We're gonna show you some shorts!

[ She's just gonna bursh past that for now and try to get control of the situation back. ]

C'mere.

[ She gestures - if not stopped, she fully intends to lead the way back to the clothing section to hunt up some shorts... ]

[utinam]

[Unfortunately, Nuvia was not going to stop her because she wanted to know what shorts are. She'll follow after her without a second thought. Happy Asuka was still willing to shop and teach her even after knowing she wasn't a complete human. It was definitely enough to make her get a little teary-eyed, but she'll hide it with one of her forced smiles that looked a little too natural.]

[redheadcarrier]

[ Asuka has dealt with a lot of weird shit. She's not sure she can even be that surprised by it. She pauses in front of a display. There's a variety of shorts here - cargo, athletic, booty, you name it. She gestures. ]

There you go! Shorts! They're... like pants. Except obviously shorter. Useful if it's hot out or you just want to show off your legs, I guess.

[utinam]

[Fascination was all over Nuvia's face as she observes the baby pants.]

I've never seen pants this small before. It's so cute!

[Reaching out for something comfortable is a dark blue color baggy cotton shorts with a decorative wool belt adding the finishing touch to them. She'll show them to Asuka wondering...]

These are cute, right? Do you think they'll fit me just like the sundress does you?