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

[ Fabian definitely did not notice the other.

Which is telling. He may not necessarily be the most perceptive of the group, sure, but it's not like Fabian to miss one of his friends when they're right there. In fact, it looks like the half-elf startles the moment Gorgug calls out to him. Like he's got a guilty conscience. ]

G-Gorgug!

[ He turns to face his friend, and though Fabian is quick to attempt to put one of his usual pompous smiles on his face, he doesn't exactly get all the way there. There's definitely something about him that seems a little like he's got the jitters, even now.

.. also, now Fabian has stopped moving, it's probably a lot easier for Gorgug to register that what Fabian's got there is actually a baby. ]

I, uh-- [ Q-Quick, Fabian! Think of what to say, dude! Try and look cool, and not like you feel like you're on the verge of a mental breakdown! ] .. hey!

[ We're reaching critical bad boys-only group chat levels.

Not to mention the bundle Fabian is holding starts wailing the moment he says 'hey.' This is all going so well. ]

[ Fabian not moving makes Gorgug stop temporarily, like there's some reason he should; and he is curious about what his friend is doing, which also includes when he stops. Should he stop?

...but Fabian is saying hey, so that should be a good sign. Even if everything about Fabian, the way he looks and the sounds coming from him are, uh...

Huh. They're something, alright, the closer Gorgug gets, and he knows what that sounds like, but it's not he's closer within Fabian's proximity that, with a puzzling look becoming more defined on his face... ]

Fabian? ...did someone leave a baby with you?

[ ?????????????????????????? ]

[ The moment the bundle started crying, Fabian does look like he's trying his best to soothe said baby Gorgug has now spotted. A little clumsily, like he isn't sure of what he's doing, but there is some actual effort going into his attempt to try and calm the baby down. At first Fabian starts rocking the baby back and forth in his arms, but when that doesn't help in the slightest, he instead presses the baby's front side against him, lightly patting the back like he's trying to either make the baby burp or reassure it.

L-Look, he doesn't know what he's doing either, okay, he just knows he needs the baby to stop doing this! ]

Uh. [ Guilty as charged.

He's also definitely reaching Gorgug levels of 'uh' now. That's how few words Fabian has to explain this entire weird situation. ]

Sort of? It was in front of my house when I showed up here. It's-- It's my baby.

[ Please don't say anything stupid, Gorgug.

Please don't say anything stupid...!! ]

[ Gorgug is staring at Fabian.

He looks down at the baby.

Looks back at Fabian's face. ]

Fabian's a dad now.

[ Gorgug cannot be stopped in his shock and repeating the truth, even though this doesn't help a bro out in the slightest. Please don't shout, Fabian, you'll make the baby cry-- ]

[ HE SAID SOMETHING STUPID.

Or at least - Gorgug said something that kind of makes Fabian look like he's about to freak out even further than his shock from a moment ago. His sole eye grows even a little wider, and his mouth opens and closes like he has absolutely zero idea what to say to that. G-Gorgug, you're making it sound so important, you're not really helping his parental issues here-- ]

I-- I mean, that's what this place thinks..!

[ He starts, making a desperate attempt to defend himself.

(From what? Maybe even Fabian doesn't consciously know. It's just-- This whole thing with the baby, it's giving him some sort of feeling, and he doesn't know how to deal with it, and Gorgug calling him a dad just makes it even worse--)

But, indeed, just as guessed.. Fabian raising his voice to defend himself only makes the baby cry even louder, no matter how many times Fabian is patting it on the back over here. ]

[ Alright, alright, so maybe Gorgug can focus now. Fabian's a dad, and that's a really crying baby, and Fabian doesn't look so pleased either, so--what's the answer here?

Gorgug isn't sure about this part, actually. But this crying seems to be a continuing issue, and, wanting to actually be of help (and seeing that patting the baby alone isn't doing anything), he motions his hands in a faux holding-a-baby position near his own chest and-- ]

Maybe you should-- bounce it. You know. [ And he makes a rather...violent up and down motion with his hands that looks more like shaking an invisible baby. ]

Like that?

[ he's helping ]

[ These truly are two completely clueless boys trying to work this out together. Because Fabian sounds just as unsure - or maybe even more unsure, in fact - when he answers with: ]

Like this?

[ He moves the baby. Just a little bit. He isn't holding it still against him anymore, actually moving the baby up and down a little, but it's a very slight movement. It's like Fabian is afraid of jostling the baby too hard and hurting it, judging by the small little bounces he's doing. ]

I--Is that helping? [ Maybe not, since the AI baby is still crying its little lungs out. Its little robotic lungs. ] I don't want to shake it, that seems wrong!

You don't shake-- it's a bounce. [ Or so Gorgug repeats, even if his words apparently weren't matching his actions well. But he's reaching out for Fabian and the baby, putting his hands on top of Fabian's, hoping maybe.... ] Here, so-- like this--?

[ Gorgug, in his defence, is trying to be gentle too in what he does, but being gentle while trying to bounce your bro's hands and/or his baby's body upwards is also actually very awkward, because they can't be doing the small bounces that Fabian was doing. They were too stiff, they have to make this more natural, fluid! Fun!!

They have this, right. They can work in unison right here, right. ]

[ They definitely cannot work in unison.

Because as Fabian is still trying to gently bounce the baby, Gorgug is doing the same, except they're not doing it at the same frequency or with the same intensity, which means the baby is getting jiggled in all directions. Like it's some sort of pudding on a plate, but worse. As Fabian realizes what's going on, he starts looking horrified, especially since it only makes the artificial baby wailing get louder. ]

Gorgug!!

[ It's not even a scolding. Fabian does not sound angry.

Instead he sounds outright panicked. ]

W-Wait, I'll let go, okay? You hold the baby..!

[ Are you ready to hold the baby?

You better be, Gorgug, since Fabian is already letting go. ]

[ Oh no. Panic.

Panic from both the baby and Fabian, and the sound of his name makes Gorgug's ears twitch from humiliation, and he starts to let go, until Fabian is saying something about letting go-- ] What--

[ And even Gorgug has the realisation to yelp and to grab the baby again before it might fall. There's nothing delicate about the hold though, sharp and gripping, and the baby's cries, how can they get any louder? Somehow they do, while Gorgug fumbles to adjust his hold on the thing, bringing it close to his chest while moving his hands to maybe, just-- not be letting it dangle by its legs. He's got one of its arms pinned against its own body, and, um, he grabs it around its waist...

And he flips it around and hangs it upside down as his expression has become so utterly mortified.

Fabian. Fabian. He is going into a panic. ]

Now it's upside down!

[ Forget Gorgug going into a panic. This is a dual panic at this point, since Fabian sounds just as worked up as Gorgug likely feels in this moment..

At least it does make him reach out in panic to take the baby again and actually turn it the proper side up. It doesn't make the baby stop crying, so it doesn't help much, but at least Fabian feels a little bit more at ease not seeing the baby hang upside down.. That surely can't be good for the baby!

Still, the crying is very, very awkward. Fabian winces a little, looks around them, and then decides to use an emergency move. ]

Gorgug, can you-- Can you come inside with me?

[ He gestures with a thumb in the direction of his house.

Fabian definitely wasn't planning on inviting anyone in there when he knows just what mess it is in there - let alone one of the other Bad Kids. He doesn't want them to find out how bad he's doing.

But it has got to be better than standing out here, especially when more and more people are looking at these two teenage boys and their fake baby crying its head off. ]

[ Has Fabian taken the baby, is the baby upright in Gorgug's arms.

Either way, he will be wearing the same frantic expression he currently has been in all this mess because there is still a baby that's crying regardless of whose arms it is in. He nods to Fabian's request, and he'll start to walk with him to the house he-- actually hasn't thought about going to, to this point. All the houses are probably the same, right? And it's not like Gorgug would see anything different in Fabian's house just because he lives there.

But Gorgug is definitely now rushing to get into that house, Fabian. Please. We need to get inside your Cool House. ]

[ Don't worry, Fabian has taken the baby.

Though even with that fact, there still is much to worry about, so maybe actually forget that part about not worrying. It's time to worry. It's time to worry so much.

Maybe it's time to worry even more the moment they get into the house, Fabian closing the door behind the two of them while holding the still crying baby in his other arm.. because the sight inside is even worse, somehow. Fabian obviously knows this, since he's the one living here, but for Gorgug it will be the first time he's getting to see the inside of Fabian's house in this place.

And it's.. well, it's an outright mess. There's trash all over the place. There's a weird unknown substance splattered against some of the walls? It's hard to even decide where to look, since there's so much mess all over the place - a fact Fabian only becomes aware Gorgug is seeing now they're actually inside the house, having forgotten in his hurry to soothe the baby that he actually didn't want anyone at all to see the inside of this place.

It's why Fabian's mouth opens and closes a few times over the not-so-delightful sound of the AI child wailing its fake little lungs out, before he manages to force out: ]

Just-- Just don't look around!

[ .. Never mind the fact that's an impossible request. What is Gorgug supposed to do, close his eyes?

Yet Fabian doesn't know what else to say. Not in the face of all this. He just-- He doesn't want Gorgug to see it. He doesn't want Gorgug to judge him over being a terrible parent to this fake baby and also an adult who fails to keep their own house in working shape. Fabian doesn't want to look over at his friend and see judgement or disappointment - he wouldn't be able to take it. ]

[ what the hell has fabian been doing inside this house.

Okay, it's a mess. It's honestly not the immediate worry present (because that's the baby, and the baby is still keeping both boys In A Worry), but the sight of it does confuse Gorgug when they enter, when he unfortunately does look around. Like one does when they enter any space, though his judgment levels aren't particularly high.

But he looks back at Fabian when he's looking at him, making a request that's already too late, with an expression that's confused--that could be read by Fabian to mean anything that his worried mind might twist it into being. Especially as Gorgug stands a little lost as to what to do, especially after being asked not to do what he just got doing; his own mouth ajar, having trouble formulating words, before finally: ]

O-okay. [ Okay??? No more--no more looking. ] Does the baby-- have a room?

[ That's where they should go, right? The baby room? They can go straight to the baby room and then Gorgug can't do the thing he shouldn't be doing!! ]

[ It's a good thing that Gorgug is at least complying with his request in the middle of an already difficult situation. Especially since Fabian knows for a fact that some of their other friends definitely would have insisted on talking about the state of things around this house, which clearly is not possible when Fabian is holding onto a wailing baby, alright.

.. though the complying could have been a little more convincing. Still, Fabian isn't going to look a gifted horse in the mouth, especially with the baby being the main problem here. ]

Down the hall, third door to the right! [ That's.. probably a 'yes'?

Or more likely, it's Fabian trying to get Gorgug to the room as soon as possible without wasting any time on questions like 'what happened here.' Fabian doesn't want to talk about it. He refuses to talk about it.

But at least his answer to the question is honest - if Gorgug follows the directions, he'll end up in a room that's clearly meant to be a baby nursery. There's a crib and all the usual baby stuff you'd expect.

Not that either of these boys know how to use any of the baby stuff, though. ]

[ If Gorgug has to go to the room first, then he'll go first by following those directions, asking a "In here?" before he opens the door, but hand on the handle. He'll open it up with confirmation, step on into the room, and maybe it's in a similar state as the rest of the house seen, maybe not.

But Gorgug isn't going to dally to gawk by the doorway and get on inside instead, stepping around to look for anything useful, and trying to decide what it is a baby would need. There's the crib (a nap?), the changing table (a diaper change??), and Gorgug isn't sure if either of those are the right options, turning to Fabian instead. ]

Does it drink? Does it eat?

[ Does it need a bottle?? ]

[ Sorry, Gorgug, the room is definitely in the same state as the rest of the house.. Who knows what that means about you being allowed to look around in this room or not. Maybe you should just close your eyes?!

.. maybe don't close your eyes. That probably won't help all that much here, despite Fabian's insistence on no one being allowed to see any of what's going on here. ]

Y-- Yeah.

[ Who knows what that says about this fake baby.

Fabian hasn't even had the time to really think about it. He doesn't have the time to think about it now, considering the crying baby in his arms. ]

I've just been feeding it milk, but-- [ He opens and closes his mouth a few times in a row, looking so very unsure. ] Maybe that's not enough?!

[ G-GORGUG, BRO!! WHAT DO YOU FEED A BABY!! ]

[ Is it enough? Fabian's worried energy is rubbing off onto Gorgug, who is already very unsure. ]

Do babies eat food? [ DO THEY?? MAYBE THEY JUST DRINK MILK. HE'S ALREADY BACKTRACKING ON HIS IDEAS. Food, change, food, change--

The crying really isn't helping here, and he wants to help, he does! So he's thinking, and they have two options here... ]

You go and get it milk, [ he says, ] and I'll take the baby and change it. Then if that doesn't work, we have the baby milk!

[ DO BOTH. Even if Gorgug's looking at Fabian with no confidence in his expression, hoping for guidance or reassurance in whatever he says.

Truly, this is the blind leading the blind. ]

[ Man, at this rate he should maybe instead just make both of them some bad baby milk. It might do more good than milk for the baby might at this point..

But Fabian doesn't really know what to do here either, so of course he's just going along with his friend's suggestion. ]

Alright, I'll go!

[ He looks like he's ready to run off, only to realize at the last moment he's still got said baby in his hands. He turns towards Gorgug, remembering the other's struggle with holding it only a few moments ago, but he holds out the baby towards him all the same.

Can you hold the baby, Gorgug? Can you do it? ]

[ His hands come out first, and Gorgug approaches Fabian at an arms length to take the baby being held out to him.

This baby is a fucking bomb or something.

But, he'll do it!! He will be holding the baby (outstretched) and will continue to hold it until Fabian leaves, if at least turning it towards its destination. This has to be the problem with robot babies, surely--they never have a need to shut up. It's not Gorgug's responsibility, but it's been gnawing at his nerves, frazzling him how loud it is. Pounding between his ears, pounding at his chest.

He just needs to ignore it. Set it on the dressing table and stare at it with the most worried expression he's worn in months, as he actually has to get through its delicate buttons (delicate, to a guy like Gorgug) without ripping them. It takes undressing the thing entirely to get to the diaper, and--okay! Gorgug can see a diaper peeking through, which means there are diapers, and he fumbles around with finding a new one before he begins to assess how the hell to get its limbs out of the onesie it's wearing. Why are these limbs so stiff? All he needs to do is grab the arm at the elbow, tug it one way while he tugs the sleeve the other way--

Snap.

Gorgug feels it, the way his hand just--bumps along. The bump of pressure and then it's gone, and it's so sudden that he squeezes his fist to a crunching against skin.

He jolts back, letting go, and the arm drops as Gorgug stares wide-eyed at the bot that's loud. Loud, so loud, but it's no longer a scream: it's a beeping, an alarm, with its eyes fluttering open to blink red, and who knows how far into getting baby formula Fabian got before he heard not that sound, but a different one:

Grogug yelling with his hands raised, panicking, before putting his hands up in his hair. ]

FABIIIIIAAAAAAN.

[ MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY. ]

[ Fabian has no idea what's going on. He's just busy navigating his house, stepping around the junk and the puddles of liquid all over the place to try and make his way over to the kitchen so he can attempt to make some milk for the baby.

Not that he gets too far. Sure, he physically gets to the kitchen, but he's not even far in the process of making the milk with the formula when he suddenly hears that scream. A very alarming scream, because-- well, when does Gorgug ever scream like that. Certainly not often. What could even be happening, and then there's that other loud sound, and oh god, oh god--

Fabian is rushing back to the baby's room, paying way less attention as to where he's stepping in the process, and ends up wide-eyed and maybe even a little dirtier because of his rush back when he's standing in the doorway. ]

What happened?! Is--

[ He stops mid-sentence.

Right at the moment his gaze drops from his friend towards the ground. The ground, where a single tiny robot baby arm is lying on the ground.

Fabian's tone raises two octaves when he speaks up again with: ]

What did you do?!

[ It's a good thing he's yelling, or he wouldn't even be audible over the loud alarm coming from the baby at this point. ]

I didn't mean it! I didn't mean it!!

[ It's all Gorgug can think to say in the face of--everything, of even before Fabian coming in. But in that pleading, loud and frantic, is also a begging to be believed; even if the bigger worry might be the beeping coming from the baby, and what's that, Fabian? A message beeping from your earpiece? At this time?! ]

I'm sorry! [ Gorgug continues, and if Fabian wants to get close to the baby, he is very happy to move far, far back. Can he do that anyway? His hands don't know what they're doing, moving closer to his chest, and then hovering somewhere lower. ] Wait, maybe-- maybe I can mend it--

[ A mending spell! It'll work on the doll, right? ]

[ Sorry, Gorgug. Between the loud sound coming from the baby and the weird sound suddenly coming from his earpiece, Fabian is a little too distracted to focus on the possibility of a mending spell. He does move closer to the arm-less baby, but Fabian looks weirdly distracted, as if he's paying attention to something else here.

Something else that might become apparent - or maybe just more confusing - when Fabian says, out of nowhere: ]

I-- I have an appointment at the hospital.

[ Maybe he's lost it, Gorgug. Maybe that's why he's not making sense anymore. ]

[ Fabian??? Fabian??? ]

I'll come with you!? [ Bro. Bro. He is looking at you like you're looking to abandon him in this moment, even if you're not paying attention to him--which just proves his point!! He is standing there about as frazzled as anything, hoping the answer he isn't going to get is a negative, his hands uselessly held up but with nothing to hold or grab onto.

He might grab onto Fabian if he tries to shuffle by him so he can further plead a hopeless case. But he hasn't done that yet. But what if Fabian does!!! ]

[ He does look like he's about to leave.

But that's the weird thing. Usually when Fabian decides something, he just goes right ahead and does it, no hesitation or anything. But right now, even though he's making an initial move towards the baby to grab it in his arms, and even though he stands up with the armless baby and looks like he's about to move..

.. he doesn't.

He just stands there, looking so terribly unsure. Like he dreads doing what he's being told to do here, but also dreads what might happen if he doesn't. ]

It's-- It's telling me. [ He sounds so calm and so panicked at the same time, somehow. Like he's so baffled by this situation that it keeps him from loudly freaking out, but he looks so panicked all the same. ] It's telling me I have an appointment. At the hospital.

[ Maybe he's lost it, Gorgug. Fabian kind of looks like he's lost it. ]

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