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

Oh, not for me, either. It's-...what's the word? Cookie-cutter?

[ Aerith's never seen a place like this, not in any of their travel so far. Even above the plate, there wasn't space like these houses had. And outside of Midgar, the styles were really different, and there definitely wasn't this much space. ]

Here's how I feel about it: work on the mission, but stay on your guard. It's okay to at least pretend like everything's peachy while keeping an eye out, right? [ That green gaze flits away to scan the horizon, the picturesque park, before returning to Asuka. ] I don't think most people are letting themselves get complacent. Maybe I'm wrong, but...

Cookie-cutter is definitely the word I'd use. It's... too samey. It's like it came out of a movie or picture book.

[ She scoffs, face turning into a frown. ]

It'd be easy to just pretend everything's fine, but I've had enough of doing that. There's something off and I'm not gonna sit around and wait for it to sneak up on me.

[ She makes a little noise. ]

I am gonna take advantage, though.

Yeah, like...they'd never seen a house before, when they build the first one. And after that, they thought "well, if it ain't broke, don't fix it" and made all the rest the same. [ There's a dismayed shake of the head at the idea. ] Boring!

[ Maybe it's easy for her to say, coming from Elmyra's picturesque house in its little corner of Sector 8, but...still! ]

Don't think you're the only one who feels that way. [ Conspiratorially, she lowers her voice, lifting a hand to shield one side of her face. ] Pretty sure some people are gonna break that curfew to see what's going on. I'm thinking I'm gonna join them.

[ If not in an actual group, than in spirit, leaving the house after dark to poke around. ]

If you're doing the same, be careful, okay? We don't know what's going on yet, and it could be something...pretty bad.

I mean, I'm not gonna stick inside just because they want me to.

[ Asuka apparently feels pretty strongly about that. She settles her hands on her hips and frowns. Just a little - then smirks. ]

If you find anything, you gotta tell me, OK? Because I'm not gonna live in the dark the whole time I'm here.

[ She leans in to respond. Whether this is a brave face she's putting on or her actual feeling is up in the air. ]

What's the worst thing it could be?

Sitting around inside baking pies while something sketchy's definitely going on? No way!

[ Aerith also seems to be getting fired up, though she does make sure to glance around after the declaration, seemingly scanning for anyone - or anything - who might overhear them and cause problems. ]

For sure. Same with you, though: I want in.

[ This is probably a bad idea, but they're enabling each other and nobody's around to stop it, so...! ]

"The worst thing"...? [ It's easy to think of some of the awful things so far - the deadly labyrinth, the trauma-laden plushies. But... ] Hm. Well, whatever it is, we can handle it.

I don't bake anyway.

[ Not often, in any case. She scoffs.

There are a lot of terrible things that could happen, honestly. A lot of things - death, dismemberment, more trauma. But she pretends not to care about those things, because the alternative is to say she might need help and she's not doing that. ]

Absolutely. I've seen my share of freaky shit. I'm not about to run away.

[ Well, she will. But she says she won't and that's the important part. ]

You ever deal with stuff like this? The whole weird too-perfect town...?

Me either, but it's on that list... [ And she's absolutely going to try it, if only for the novelty, but she'll also be doing some espionage. ]

Hmm? No, not really. There's no place like that where I come from, at least as far as I know. [ Of course, she can't speak to every corner of the world, but. ] What about you?

[ Hopefully places like that are pretty limited (assuming, as she is, that there's something nefarious going on below the surface). ]

I mean, it looks like something out of an old movie. Germany was... different.

[ She shakes her head. She doesn't wanna dwell on it. Tokyo-3 was different, too. ]

Don't think I like it, anyway. People telling me what to do... Meh.

Yeah, it really does. [ "Germany" is an unknown, but it's easy enough to connect the dots. ] Where I'm from was really different, too...

[ Both above, and below, the plate. ]

You definitely seem like you're your own gal. [ Aerith winks, raising a finger to her lips. ] Me too. It's why we're gonna get to the bottom of things here!

You sound awful confident.

[ Asuka is a bit of a downer, sorry. But she does take that in stride - it's kind of nice to have that little compliment laid on her. ]

I guess someone's gonna have to bail you out if you get into trouble.

[ She says, as if she can do that. ]

So what if I am? I'll stop feeling confident when I've got a reason. [ There's an amused little hum at that, and she shrugs. ] In any case, I'm glad I've got someone like you watching my back. If you do have to bail me out, I'll admit I was overconfident, okay? But not a second sooner than that!

[ At this, she offers a wink and a smug smile. Sorry, Asuka: you're stuck with her now... ]

...well. Fine. I guess I can live with that.

[ It's flattering, though. Strange. But... not unwelcome, right? ]

Just watch yourself, OK?

Will do. [ As if in proof, she salutes. Whether or not she'll actually be careful is...debatable, based on her track record. ] You make sure you do the same, alright?

You don't have to tell me twice.

[ But she does manage a smile. ]

I'll be fine.

MISSION 004 (part 1)

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