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⏴

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[ He's heard of LMDs and hopes that SHIELD never went as far as making versions of babies, but who knows. The amount of surveillance they had been willing to use still leaves a sour taste. Living in Etraya, and now this place, makes him uncomfortably aware that they're being watched or at least monitored at all time. Even moving into the Avengers compound hadn't erased that. Aurora isn't like FRIDAY, or even JARVIS.

Sharon is probably right (she would know, after all) but it doesn't make it any easier to accept when the android curls its hand around his finger. He has to swallow a lump in his throat before pulling away. It's low, using people's instincts like this. Any decent person would be hard-pressed to dispose of anything this realistic.

He straightens up and lifts the basket by the handle. ]

Might as well check the rest of the place.

[She was relieved when she found out Adaine would be under her wing. Better this way, where she can know where she is. Aelwyn's gotten rather sick of losing people whenever she's not looking.

The other two strangers? Something she's less keen on. It nudges an old dormant fear in her. Forced intimacy and bonding, letting people in. The fact that it's all fake is a nice bonus. She's gotten more than a little sick of this little cycle.

Is this a betrayal? Being bound to another person in this sick little charade, when there was already another she'd given her life and soul to?

Go on a date!
Tell your partner how much they mean to you!

There's a sour taste in her mouth. If she were still a person, it might taste like grief.

So she leans against the table, waiting, going through the list. When the door opens, her eyes rise to meet her brand new housewife. Evaluating, more than anything.]

Mm. Could be worse, I suppose.

Edited 2024-08-01 11:45 (UTC)

You look ridiculous.

[She doesn't think it needs to be said. But she'll say it anyway. Aelwyn is in her work clothes, a chef uniform untucked with the top buttons opened up. She's outside her restaurant, a duffle bag on her shoulder, and a cigarette between her fingers.

Probably up to no good, yeah.

She doesn't seem particularly threatened by the presence of a teenage cop with a robot baby and a tit window though.]

Selling drugs for favours, if you must know. Why'd they give you a baby?

[She sounds more amused than surprised. It's probably distressing for him, especially in comparison to Aelwyn and Adaine's situation, but all the same... Aelwyn is an asshole.]

[ Steve actually laughs out loud when he gets the invitation. There's something to be said for both of them finally getting a semblance of a normal life, though of course, in the strangest way possible. The irony is that, Natasha certainly makes a nice magarita, Steve does in fact have some experience with quilting.

He sends a heads up via text and shows up a good hour before the first meeting is due to start. ]

So was this on your list?

[ .. this is just his luck, isn't it. Fabian thought that maybe it wouldn't be so bad. At least getting out here meant he could drive the motorcycle for a while. At least it meant he could get away from those god-away greasey donuts in the break room.

But no. Of course he just had to tempt fate, and daring to hope for something better than just being stuck over at the police station meant that he happened to drive right towards Aelwyn Abernant. Like this day couldn't get any more embarrassing. And while her negging him might have been exciting in what feels like a very, very distant past at this point, with all of the developments of the last year it just feels even more awkward.

Which means Fabian looks fully speechless for a moment before he manages to force out: ]

W-Well, why didn't they give you one?

[ Throwing the ball right back at you, Aelwyn!! He's doing fine and great, actually!! ]

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)

[ ...

Oh.

This is all happening very quickly.

So quickly that Fabian doesn't even fully realize what's happening at first. Sure, he's following her like she's wordlessly asking him to do, but it's more just his feet instinctively moving her than Fabian making any real decision to do so. He's looking kind of dazed, like he isn't even taking in half of what she's saying.

A fact that becomes rapidly obvious when he suddenly blinks at that last part, speaking up with a: ]

S-Sorry, what?

( ooc: holy shit, dreamwidth did NOT notify me about this tag-in, hence the accidental tag-in to your toplevel too!! if you're wondering why i deleted this one while accidentally ignoring this one, that's why... hopefully dreamwidth will chill now.. )

They did. Her name's Adaine. And another girl, haven't spoken to her much yet. [She takes a pull of her cigarette, blowing it into a ring fairly effortlessly. A very simple cantrip.] And a housewife.

[The kids are fine. She took charge of looking out for some of the younger teenagers in Gloucester, they all vanished without a trace. Fine. She's done that before.

The presence of a partner though, that grates on her. It's like another reminder, digging at her skin. What she's lost, what she'll get back. If she were any more self obsessed, she'd suggest it was an intentional slight.]

I'm aloof, perpetually judgemental and emotionally distant, though. That makes me the ideal father figure. You, on the other hand...

Thank you mister expert. I'll remember that if I ever decide to feed them.

[Frozen peas. Here Dick thought they were only used for putting on swollen limbs and black eyes. They really worked the best of the vegetables because they molded around things so well in a pinch. That's to say a person didn't have one of those really nice frozen packs that were made for laying around a hurt body part. He didn't have any of those here in Etraya, but he did have peas.

Dick wasn't going out to pick up birdseed for the ducks, but he'd see what he came across at the store, given that he was the person who did all the shopping right now. It was so strange. He was used to doing shopping for himself, or even the titans-- but a family he didn't know was weird. ]

No, that's alright. I think you and I can use our efforts for better things. I know you're supposed to be at that building that has teachers in it. I already dropped off my kids. Not that I'm pushing you. I imagine you are out digging around the town to find out what it's made of.

[Dick moved slowly behind him. He wasn't sure how long he'd follow, but spending a little time with the younger male wouldn't be a bad thing. ]

[ Hob takes a notepad out of his pocket and jots the details down. ]

I'm sure you'll look positively dashing. Everyone you know in Etraya will love it. Any particular colors?

( somewhere out there in the multiverse, is a damian living the life damian only wishes he could want: surrounded by countless creatures of various shapes and sizes while he settles in front of an easel and paints the sunset.

but he recognizes that it's impossible for him: he is a wayne and an al ghul, and his path forward will not be so blissful. damian opts to let richard get away with what he's taking as a snarky side comment about his expertise, instead focusing on his actual expertise of - )

Not one teacher in that facility could teach me anything I haven't already mastered. ( well, there is, ) Drake has been placed in the lower school. Back home, I would be classified as a high-schooler.

( his fourteenth birthday is coming up, and it's before the september cutoff. damian may not want to be in school, but he understands how it works. )

And I dislike sitting idly when there is work to be done.

I do not know why. It is very strange.
I held it and I didn't break it. I guess that is alright. I have to change diapers, this is not a great world.
I envy you. I have one half grown boy? He's not quite human, so I'm a little uncertain.
His name is Riz.

I have met them, one is a nice man that I saved from a snake named Hob. The other is an X-man, her name is Ororo. She has powers. My other self, in another world knows her.
Everyone is always comparing me, but I am starting to get used to it.
I think I might have to share a bed with Hob, but I think he's nice enough. At least I am used to sharing beds with strange men from missions. Training at work.

We were never fake sisters. Never.

[Nat can almost feel the way that last sentence strikes her sister, and she knows that this brings up so many feelings for both of them. Cardboard houses, fake families, it's a lot like missions they've been on, and the one they had-- but theirs lasted three years, not a month and they were only children.]

Oh.

[ .. there's something a little weird about that initial 'oh' as a reaction to what she's saying. It's almost as if - for a split second - Fabian looks almost.. awkward? Or troubled?

It's definitely there, but a moment later it's suddenly gone. The corners of Fabian's mouth quickly pull up into a grin, like he just realizes he was forgetting to smile, and he quickly corrects himself with a more spirited-- ]

Oh! Siblings! That is-- It's wonderful!

[ Uh-huh, Fabian. Hmm-mm. Very convincing. ]

So you are saying they prepared you for having these kids here?

.. eighteen?

[ He sounds like he's being honest, but is also entirely unsure about whether or not he's giving the right answer here. Like she's giving him a pop quiz, rather than asking him a very simple factual question.

I-Is eighteen the right answer, Asuka? He's giving you such an uncertain, half-worried look now..! ]

What?! No, I--

[ His voice practically raised an entire octave between those words, and Fabian looks-- He looks a whole lot of things. Still tired, but there's a whole lot of emotions setting in as well as he stares at his friend. First there's surprise, but then the surprise turns into a stronger shock, and a moment later he looks a weird mix of appalled and horrified.

He moves his hands awkwardly, like he isn't sure what to do with them, and then just lets his sword drop to the floor, clattering against the floorboards. ]

There's nothing! There's nothing, The Ball! There's-- This just happened!

[ Fabian gestures around them at that last part, as if 'this' is supposed to mean the general state of this house.

Which definitely does not look like even a hurricane would be capable of causing this only 'just now.' Nor would it explain the way Fabian himself looks in this moment. ]

I'm fine, okay? [ There's something almost offended in his tone, but it's not so strong as the sheer panic that's setting in. It's audible in his tone, visible in his body language.

Fabian is freaking the fuck out. ]

I'm fine! Everything is fine! You can just-- go, and I'll make it all fine! You didn't see anything..! [ It's hard to tell if the person he's trying to convince with his words is Riz, or whether it's Fabian himself. ]

[ Clarke definitely gets to see Fabian's reaction change in real time. Because-- yes, at first he looks kind of annoyed at her dismissing his words. He kind of looks like he's about to roll his eye, really.

But when she gets a little closer, and when she suddenly moves on to that question.. that's when the boy's expression changes. Suddenly he doesn't look so offended anymore. Instead the offer of help seems to make him look a little surprised, eye wide and staring at her, before it shifts to something that almost seems more flustered, or ashamed.

It's not entirely unlike their situation back in the maze, except reversed. Clarke who had looked so conflicted about Fabian's genuine offer of help - and this time he seems to be the one looking conflicted.

He still doesn't open the door further. ]

Why--

[ He clearly isn't as good as she is at this.

.. which is saying something, because even Fabian caught on to the fact that Clarke was being weird about this last time around. But Fabian is somehow even more obvious, looking so obviously like he's not doing well, and yet he asks: ]

Why would I need help? [ He's trying so hard to sound tough.

And yet-- The question isn't an outright rejection of her offer. If anything, there's almost something desperate in his tone, like he's begging her to see through it. To see that he does need help, even if he desperately does not want to admit to it. ]

[ 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. ]

[ What Dean is telling him to do here is pretty simple - yet Fabian doesn't listen to it right away. Instead he gives Dean an uneasy gaze, maybe thinking back to what happened last month with the plush animals.

Granted, Fabian helped destroy those, so he should understand to just trust someone and hand over something when they ask for it - yet he's a little wary all the same. He feels weirdly protective of this baby, no matter how fake it is. ]

You're--

[ He frowns a little. Dean has seemed cool so far, and Fabian does feel a little guilty to doubt him so openly, even if he doesn't mean it badly. He would have given this reaction to anyone who asked for it. ]

.. You're not going to do something weird to it, are you? [ Maybe it's why he asks the question so cautiously, rather than as accusatory as he'd usually be. It's not like he wants to be dramatic and hurt Dean's feelings, he's just genuinely concerned. ]

No!

[ It's such a quick and vehement answer that it's almost kind of suspicious. Like maybe there is someone threatening him. Why else would he deny it so quickly?

Though the truth is just that he's denying it so quickly because he doesn't want Aerith to get the wrong idea. He doesn't want her to worry about him for no reason.

.. yes, even if there are plenty of other reasons to worry about him. He still doesn't want her to! ]

I mean, I-- [ He chews his lower lip, not even realizing he's doing it. His mind desperately seeks an excuse, something that might make her back down, but the lack of sleep means he's coming up empty. ] There's just..

[ Still too awkward to speak about it, he fumbles, trying to find words that maybe won't feel as bad to voice. ]

.. There's been a lot going on. [ He admits.

Yet it's not him being fully open. There's still something about Fabian that seems like he's trying real hard to keep himself strong, even in this moment. ]

Okay. [ He starts - with that typical Fabian tone that tells anyone he's about to launch into some sort of protest here. At least it makes some of the awkwardness fade, considering this response is very instinctive, pushing aside all other emotion. ]

First of all, not all fathers are like that. [ It's not like he doesn't know she's likely saying that because her and Adaine's father sucks.

But considering all the issues the setup of this place is blasting straight back into Fabian's mind, of course he's going to be defensive here. He's not even being defensive of himself as a father, since he doesn't feel like he's doing all that great so far. No, he's obviously being defensive of another man here. ] There are plenty of fathers out there who unconditionally love their children, and--

[ It sounds like he was about to go on about this.

But he's interrupted by the baby he's carrying, considering it starts to wail so loudly that it's louder than anything Fabian could even say. It's so close to Fabian's ear too that the boy visibly startles at the sound. ]

Very strange. You're doing great, sweetie.

[Yes, that IS a meme reference.]

What is wrong with a snake? Why was he so terrified of it? Has no one told him they are just large noodles? I can not say much on comparing... the Kate Bishop here is not the one that I know, and it is a bit hard not to clock the differences. Sharing a bed with a strange man sounds like the most normal part of all of this so far, honestly. You say this now... but not always.

[She doesn't like being so petty, but she can't help it. There's just too much swirling in her head right now. One night in this new city and she already feels like it's been too much.]

[Natsuno raises an eyebrow when Fabian pulls the fake baby closer. Guess this guy is more parental than it seems. Well, Natsuno has no idea how to calm babies down, but he's got no issue ignoring bursts of misplaced fatherly instinct or fear of punishment.]

What, you think someone will put you in prison for imaginary child abuse? This thing's about as alive as a vacuum cleaner. [He's being rational, here.] You can always say you dropped it on accident or looked away when he crawled to an electric socket.

No idea. Wouldn't be surprised if Eos forced it on them.

[The photos hanging around the living room show a young couple. Nice house, two dogs - maybe a baby is the next natural step in Eos' creepy suburbian checklist.

Natsuno doesn't acknowledge at Riz's head tile with anything other than a casual glance at the camera, but the warning is appreciated.]

I cleaned up their garage. Pretty basic stuff. [First time inside the house proper, nothing special about the garage.] C'mon, the nursery should be upstairs.

I got that part figured...

[Nat truly was intelligent, she'd just been thrown for a loop with all of this so close to the last event, which happened to thrust her into processing the fact that she'd died prior to coming here. It was one of those things that took a little bit of getting used to considering the circumstances around it. She was slowly growing more accustomed to things, and probably would have everything wrapped up tight within the next couple days. Normally, she was quite the consummate professional, her veneer rarely split even in the deepest of shitstorms.

One thing that Nat really doesn't do very much of is sleep. Plus, there's two other 'parents' at their house. They both work, but they've been taking turns. Natasha has the majority of the night work, but she doesn't mind so much. It's the little things that get to her. ]

Guess not, especially since we're only going to be here for a little while. I don't know. We are supposed to be good at this, and who knows what our punishment would be if we weren't.

[She looks at the armored man and shrugs. She grabs a few sizes of diapers. They're free, and the worst thing she does is 'buy' too much, and they have to throw some away. There's a baby monitor on the shelf. She gets another one, since there are several rooms, and more than one parent. Babies require so much stuff, she thinks. ]

I think I'm glad I can't have one of my own. I used to wonder about it, about what I was missing. I stopped, and gave up on it all because of what I do, and now, I think I'm glad I did.

[ 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 ]

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Page 28 of 67

MISSION 004 (part 1)

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