etrayalogs | 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

[Despite knowing that this baby isn't real, it's easy to forget when it's so life-like.

Especially with the ear piercing cries.]

It's fine.

[Adjusting her hold on the baby, Daisy recognizes pretty quickly why she's here. It's one of her tasks.]

Would you like to come in?

If you'd like. [ Ororo's smile gentles into something less wry, and more resigned. ] I can get this into the kitchen for you, as I see you have your hands full.

Has she been giving you trouble? [ That's a bit concerning! Ororo shared her house, and android baby duty, with two other adults. They were making it work! ]

That'd be great, thanks.

[Daisy says with a small smile, moving out of the way for her to enter.]

It's straight ahead.

[Her house was smaller than some of the others on her street, but it's much bigger than what she's used to.

Closing the door once she's in, Daisy follows behind her into the kitchen.]

Oh, you know. As much trouble as any other baby.

[It's only been a few hours since she's become a 'mother', so it's hard to really compare to any of the other children around here.]

This was really thoughtful of you, thank you. Did you make it?

Oh, goddess, no. I picked it up on the way over from one of the stores. [ Ororo chuckles a little, quiet. The door has closed behind them, and she figures it is as safe as possible to be frank about this ridiculous mission, the "blending-in" they have to do. ]

I am glad you think it thoughtful, but I cannot take credit for the sentiment. It was one of the tasks assigned to us. [ She gestures to the similar calendar display that's on Daisy's wall. ]

I've yet to see what happens as we complete them - but I think this one is relatively harmless. It is always good to share food, don't you think?

[Looking behind her at the calendar, Daisy smiles slightly in amusement when she explains what really brought her here.]

Always. Especially when someone else is paying for it.

[She's about to thank her again, but she finds herself tilting her head towards her 'child' when she grips tightly onto her hair. Daisy has to gently pry her fingers open to release her grip.]

Did you also have a baby dropped on your doorstep?

[Daisy asks, moving her hair off of her shoulder so the baby can't grip onto it again.]

We did, yes. But our baby is purple. [ Ororo's eyes crinkle up in a slight smile as she gets the fridge open. She finds an empty spot to slide the tray of casserole in. ]

Other than that - she is very human in appearance and behavior. We've had no more trouble than you might imagine - but then, there are three of us adults in the house. [ She turns back around and gives Daisy a sympathetic look. ] If you'd like help or a night off, I can always stop by when my housemates have Violet in hand?

Purple?

[A person being that color would normally be a cause for concern, but judging by the smile on her face…

Of course Daisy would be a single parent. It only seems fitting considering she always seems to end up alone. Her baby seems to pick up on her sadness and starts fussing in her arms. Adjusting her hold, Daisy reaches for a spoon she seemed intrigued by before and hands it to her. Babbling in excitement she starts waving it around in her fist, hitting Daisy in the shoulder with it in the process.]

I appreciate that, but I can’t ask you to do that.

[Even if it is very tempting. It’s only day one, and Daisy is feeling overwhelmed. Which is ridiculous. She’s been in far dire situations than this before.

Then again, she never imagined she’d ever be a mother. Speaking of…]

You-?

[She glances at the baby in her arms, whose now put the spoon in her mouth.]

You’ve already named yours?

Edited 2024-08-01 14:07 (UTC)

My... partner? Stand-in husband? [ How does she refer to him? Husband, probably, especially if they start speaking to other people here, but ugh it's going to be tough using that word again. ] He had already named her when I stepped into the house.

I did not want to imply that his idea was a bad one by any means. Seems to run contrary to... living a stable, normal life, hm?

But as I said, we get along alright. And since there are three of us adults in the house and our 'son' already a teenager - I am sure I will have some free time to come and help. Or at least offer you company that is not a baby?

[Daisy almost laughs as she struggles to figure out what to call them.]

I can’t say I would know the first thing about that.

[Living a stable, normal life that is. She says it in a light, teasing tone, but it’s true.]

I’d appreciate that. Sorry, I didn’t get your name. I’m Daisy.

Ororo. [ She says of herself, and since Daisy's literally got her hands full, Ororo just nods pleasantly in lieu of offering a handshake as she introduces herself in return. ]

It is nice to meet you, even if it took coming to an entirely new planet to do so.

I hope we will get to help each other further in the weeks ahead...? I don't think I caught how long we will be here, but I hope we can watch out for one another.

And a new family.

[Daisy adds, managing a brief smile before her kid grabs hold of her hair again.]

Her size is deceiving.

[She says after managing to pry her hair free from her tight grip.]

I'd like that. Maybe our--

[No. Daisy is not trying to get attached to her fake child.]

Maybe they can have a play date together.

[ She catches how she corrects herself and merely smiles. She gets it. ]

Once we figure out our respective routines, we can arrange one for them. [ She looks at the calendar and list of tasks on Daisy's kitchen wall. ]

If anything, I'm sure our tasks will have us running into each other more often than not. You do count as a neighbor.

But if you need me on the network - my name is 'Storm.'

MISSION 004 (part 1)

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