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

[ It's that black hole in his soul, the way he's been dead inside since he was a kid. Not that he's touching those issues with a ten foot pole. Infinity foot pole; they're staying locked up tight in his mind in a box in the back of the closet where his sexuality sits. ]

By the time Cas comes back out he's much closer to being done. The meat is definitely falling apart by now, and he's got the mushrooms simmering in butter. Only a few more minutes at this point. ]

Yeah, I guess so. Went to the aquarium, that was nice. [ It's really freakin' weird for him to have so much free time. He's already cleaned the place top to bottom, done laundry, puttered around under the hood of the car outside (it's not his baby, but it's pretty close, classic in nature and big and black), and was still left with plenty of time to spare. ]

Did you?

[There's no black hole in his soul, just his gut, and if food was the key to a man's heart it was good at least that one of them knew how to cook. Castiel had tried to wake up early before work and make eggs for the boys, the smoke alarms in the bunker went off and Dean had to come to help him clean up the charred remains of what would have been breakfast.

It hadn't been his best moment.

The idea of Dean enjoying an aquarium of all things brings a gentle smile to his face. Castiel's always found some peace watching aquatic animals, and he considers for a moment what it might have been like if he had gone along.]

My day was adequate, but nothing worth mentioning happened. I brought home some pie for you. Blueberry.

[ Their little temporary home in suburbia is...sufficient, he guesses - the kitchen is undoubtedly nicer and less industrial, definitely more light, but he still misses it, anyway.

The mission can't go on forever, probably. So there's that. And Cas is now banned from trying to cook eggs.

But the aquarium is nice, and he's probably going to go back and see what he missed - it's big enough he knows he didn't absorb everything in one go and while he's no marine biologist, it's kinda nice to do stuff like this. Stuff that doesn't involve killing monsters and tearing plushies apart. ]

Oh yeah? Good choice. That'll be a good dessert.

Good.

[A sheepish smile finds its way onto Castiel's face, clearly proud of his choice of pie given his inexperience with food on the whole. He knew it was what Dean liked, and with him keeping their makeshift home and family safe during this particular trial he felt the need to give back.]

I'm glad.

I think this is about ready, want some?

[ He gesture, leans over the pot to take a whiff, pleased with his success. He's always wanted to do this, and it smells like he's nailed it. ]

I'll fix you a plate. [ Cas is getting some anyway. ] Feel free to have some wine; it's a pinot, that's what Julia says to pair it with.

Sure.

[Castiel is eager to try it, Dean poured himself into everything he did and he was sure this meal was no different.]

Thank you.

[Castiel pours himself a small glass of wine and sits down to partake in the fruits of Dean's labor a pleased look on his face.]

Will you be eating with me?

Yeah, I'm gonna. Just let me get this stuff off the stove so it doesn't burn.

[ And he made bread so - he needs to get that out of the little cloth bag he'd wrapped it in and cut it up. He'll bring it over on a plate along with his larger one with dinner, settling down across from Cas and reaching for the wine. ]

Bread? I made it, so if it sucks tell me so I can figure out where I went wrong.

[It's one thing to eat by himself, knowing he has no reason for it and therefore no desire, but part of the allure in sharing a meal with Dean was doing so actively alongside him. They had stopped at restaurants and shared plates before, and Castiel sometimes sampled off of the plates that Dean had typically ordered for himself if just to keep heads from turning. It was a ritual more than anything else, but it made him feel included, and so he did want to continue here despite the overtones of a fake union.]

Sure.

[Castiel's not all that great of a judge when it comes to cuisine but he grabs a piping hot roll and sets it to the side of the plate so he can use it as he enjoys the food and he does, taking his time to cut into each item and savor the aroma and taste in equal measure.]

This is very good, Dean. Maybe you missed your calling as a culinary specialist.

[It's a wry joke and a compliment wrapped into one, knowing what he knows of Dean, and having the same amount of reverence for that he knew it left little room for extracurriculars.]

Edited (hoje????) 2024-08-28 20:25 (UTC)

Maybe I did.

[ He'd taken over grilling for the pool party he'd been to, and now that he has a full kitchen to utilize at the bunker, he's started making more than just hamburgers and home made pizza.

Not to discount a solid home made pizza. But still. It's been fun. ]

Gives me something to do, you know? Keeps my hands busy.

[Castiel had taken some of Dean's homemade pizza and had turned it into something like Margherita with balsamic vinegar and cherry tomato. Then it had been fantastic, but his appetite for burgers was known to Dean and shared between them.]

Are you struggling with idle hands here?

[His own struggle has been with purposelessness but not just here, home had found him in the same circumstances.]

[ that love of red meat might be the death of dean (no it wont ) ]

A little. Kinda at a loss sometimes what to do when you're at work and the kid's in school.

For what it's worth, I'm not sure why of the two of us I'm the one working.

[Dean was very clearly better suited toward being social and helping others find things around a storefront. It took days for Castiel just to understand the layout of the place, and even then he preferred to stay busy by tidying rather than do his cashier work or maintain his title as an associate by helping customers.]

But you're a good homemaker and would have been a good father and husband if life would have allowed that for you.

Edited 2024-09-22 03:14 (UTC)

MISSION 004 (part 1)

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