MISSION: THE SUN NEVER SETS ON AMARYLLIS GROVE

[ximilian]

● ● ● M I S S I O N   1 7 . 1

UNIT-Y • PLEASANTVILLE • AFTER DARK • FYI

// INTRO. UNIT-Y  

Over the course of the station’s downtime, even the least astute observer will notice the sudden influx of crewmates aboard the station. Before you can further inquire and investigate this anomaly in your usual routine, your earpiece will ping! with the familiar sound of a newly received mission file. Viveca’s voice immediately follows.

// VIVECA

“Hi everyone, you’ll find details for your next mission are ready. This time the orb has been located somewhere in a town called Amaryllis Grove, and based on my research, the best way to start looking for it will involve blending in with the towns-folk who live there. Just like our last mission, those of you who don’t have natural humanoid forms will have Degar’s potion available for you to help with that. See you on the platform tomorrow morning.”

After reviewing your mission file and gathering all of the necessary supplies and clothing options, those who are well prepared might have enough time for a decent night’s sleep. If you aren’t the sort to sleep before a mission, well … carry on.

When morning arrives, you’ll make your way to the teleportation platform to join your fellow crewmates. Viveca and Degar are already standing by, the latter passing around the aforementioned potion to those who will be needing one. Finally, when the entire crew has assembled, Degar starts to speak.

// DEGAR

“You might have noticed by now that there’s a few more of us than usual – there’s a reason for that, and it’s good news! I think. You see, according to our readings of all the orb shards collected so far, we’re actually coming up to the last couple of orbs. That’s pretty amazing, isn’t it? For that, we’ve been getting a few more crew members to provide a little more support as we near the finish line. But we can talk more about that after you guys get this orb back here.”

Viveca nods from her place.

// VIVECA

“Good luck, everyone. I know some of you will have questions, and we’ll be here when you get back to try our best to answer them.”

Degar lifts both hands to give them all a cheesy little thumbs up. Without further ado, the hum of the platform, as it begins to power up, grows louder and louder until it’s impossible to hear anything else but the machinery thrumming in your ears. Soon enough, you’ll feel the familiar tug at the pit of your stomach as you’re whisked away from the station and towards your destination. But for a moment that feels both too short and too long, you hear it: whispers, echoes, voices that speak to you in several tenors at once, all of them providing you with a goal in exchange for their help.

Before you have a chance to answer, your surroundings begin to paint a clearer picture. You’ll be found in your usual place of choosing: whether that’s your own household, the park, or one of the several locations in and around town.

Welcome, Orbers, to Amaryllis Grove.

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// PART I.PLEASANTVILLE  

On the day of the Orbers’ arrival, the weather is crisp and sunny, the trees still lush and green with only the barest hints of the leaves beginning to yellow and redden at their tips. As the summer months slowly transition into cooler autumn temperatures, the entire town feels pleasant, even cozy. The clouds in the sky provide gentle overcast conditions and you might think to grab a light coat, or wear a longer sleeve but it is by no means chilly enough to feel anything but pleasant.

Depending on where you decided to arrive, you’ll want to begin your explorations and familiarize yourself with the Grove, which will be your home for the next little while.

1.0   The town of Amaryllis Grove will feel spacious and sprawling while also being cozy and compact. Cleanly paved streets wind in and around residential pockets and cul-de-sacs, threading through the community’s amenities, goods, and service buildings. The community centre, the library, the government offices, and the Mayor’s office can all be found in the main core of the Grove. The police station and television station (playing news and sitcoms in classic black and white) are situated nearby, and are all within walking distance of each other, and the neighbouring retail streets are located just past the block. This includes clothing boutiques, restaurants, coffee shops, grocery and general stores (which will sell all manner of hardware, cleaning supplies, and simple, household magical items). Having a vehicle will certainly help to get around town if you’re in a hurry running any errands, but a bicycle works just as well, and the walkability is pleasant for those wanting to take a stroll.

Everyone here is well-dressed in crisply ironed slacks and button-downs in neutrals, or colourful A-line skirts and dresses with delicate detailing for their tops. Children and teenagers are likewise found in school uniform consisting of dark blue pleated skirts or slacks, and white shirts. With the weather beginning to cool, a well structured jacket may also be a part of the ensemble.

2.0   Once you’ve explored some of the town, familiarizing yourself with the backstory and family history you and your fellow crewmates have corroborated together, perhaps you’ll want to explore your house. Lined up in rows of pleasant, homogeneous pitched roof structures, each house in the neighbourhood will come equipped with all of the necessary spaces to live a perfectly suburban life, the most ideal environment to raise a family and grow old amongst generations of familiar faces. Each one-storey house, in either brick or ship-lap siding and in various colours, will have 3-4 bedrooms, an attached garage for the family car, a living room, bathroom, spacious kitchen, and enough yard space to require both a lawn-cutter and a green thumb for the garden. Interiors have already been furnished with all of the up-to-date items for the time, resembling Earth’s 1950s era to an almost eerily accurate degree.

Say hello to your neighbour when they greet you or wish you a pleasant day. Many will look perfectly human, while others may seem more alien with vibrant skin, an extra limb, antennae, gills, and the like. Some also possess magical abilities which is not seen as strange or abnormal here; however, the magic used in Amaryllis Grove consists of simple household magic to aid with cooking, cleaning, and keeping the house perfectly pleasant – otherwise known as ‘petty magic’. Whether you’re used to such sights will likely depend on where you’re originally from, but no matter who lives next to or near you, they seem friendly enough. They may even invite you over for dinner, or inquire when you plan on hosting your next party.

You’ll cook, clean, sleep, and host parties and dinners with your neighbours of Amaryllis Grove within the walls of your quaint abode so it’s best to get to know the space that will undoubtedly become second nature to you.

3.0   While the concept of ‘Halloween’ does not exist in Amaryllis Grove, other such Autumn festivities are highly anticipated, namely the annual gathering of the harvest. It is otherwise colloquially named ‘the Harvest’. It won’t come as news to any of the residents, as the season ends and food is plenty, the Harvest has been a long-standing tradition to celebrate the closeness of the community, and to express one’s gratitude for the people that you surround yourself around.

Your neighbours may inquire whether you’ll be bringing the same mash potatoes as last year, or perhaps the spiced meatballs that the Alkherns simply couldn’t get enough of — they were just so delicious! Either way, you may want to start coming up with a special dish to bring to the community gathering or find someone to snag a recipe from, as it’ll gain you admiration or admonition, depending on the popularity of your offering.

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// PART II.AFTER DARK  

Sunsets are beautiful, picturesque moments that conclude the end of a perfectly spent day, and the sunsets in Amaryllis Grove are certainly no different. As the town winds down and residents return to their homes for the night, you and your fellow Orbers will follow suit – as is the way of things. The nights are a little overcast during this time of the year, with cloud-cover masking out the stars and the glow of the moon. It’s quiet. Only the sounds of night-insects chirping can be heard, and the soft, occasional coo of a bird asleep in its nest.

4.0   Perhaps you’re catching up on some late-night reading, or grabbing a late-night snack or a night-cap. The last of the evening hours are usually spent in the comfort of your own home until a new day begins, although there is a town speakeasy that remains open until late, if you can find it. Once you climb into bed, there really doesn’t seem to be a reason for anything other than a soundless, well-deserved rest.

You’ll be tucked up in your own bed, or perhaps the bed you share with your backstory-spouse, when you hear a shrill scream that wakes you up from your sleep. High on the adrenaline, you may want to don a robe and your slippers and step outside past your front door where you’ll be joined by other neighbours on your street. They exchange glances with each other, and then may meet eyes with you, and they look scared, with their wide eyes and clenched fists, some of the husbands and wives holding each other’s hands for comfort. It isn’t outside of the norm for such a startling cry. The house in question will be fully lit, with Mrs Myrsdin sobbing into her hands, mumbling, ‘I told him not to say anything! I told him to keep quiet! It came for him–’ as the AGPD (Amaryllis Grove Police Department) approach her, one of the officers patting her shoulder in consolation. Another officer moves towards a cluster of concerned neighbours, assuring them that this will be taken care of, and when they spot you, they’ll tell you the same.

It might seem difficult now to head back to sleep, but the crowd disperses and the AGPD lead Mrs Myrsdin back into the house. The lights remain on for another hour, maybe two, and then the entire block quiets again, the AGPD preparing to leave for the station once more. It seems there’s nothing else to do but get as much rest as you can before the morning ... but everything about this doesn’t sit quite right. Maybe you'll linger behind for a moment, see if you can ask a few questions, gather a bit of information, as it seems that after the brief moment of shock none of the residents seem to be particularly surprised by any of this.

5.0   The skies are blue and the sun is bright, and as Amaryllis Grove wakes up to a new day, everything feels as though Mrs Myrsdin never screamed into the night, with no signs of the AGPD having visited, and not a whisper to be said of Mrs Myrsdin's husband disappearing. If you try to investigate what happened at the house last night, Mrs Myrsdin will conveniently be absent, and any neighbours around you may either greet you with the most firm, reassuring smiles, or an outright aloofness to ignore anything you say. They’ll interject by telling you about the Harvest festivities, or make a comment about the weather. Some might sound snappish and dismissive. One thing’s for sure: everything feels tense.

But as the skies gradually shift to an overcast, one of your neighbours may gesture to the sky with another plasticky smile, commenting about the brightness of the sun. ‘It sure is bright today,’ they might say, the comment seemingly so off-handed. It’s casual, polite, and a little strained. ‘It’s got a far reach.’

It’s too bright to stare directly into the sun without damaging your eyes, but as you glance up just past it, you might notice that the sun looks a little … too close. And it doesn’t look a whole lot like a sun either, though it is bright but it looks like a large whitish sphere with a piercing, golden iris and it seems to be watching. This certainly wasn’t in the morning’s weather report.

6.0   As you continue to settle in Amaryllis Grove, you may begin to pick up on other strange things that you hadn’t noticed before – not surprising, considering the whirlwind of events that have taken place in such a short period of time and having to grow accustomed to the daily lives of the residents in Amaryllis Grove.

There are figures that resemble people scattered around town in all shapes, sizes, and races, replicated with excruciating detail, all the way down to their expressions and poses. In their everyday wear, they stoically fill in corners and take up empty spaces, and while it can’t possibly be true, their eyes seem to follow you as you move past them – even with the empty gazes of their glassy eyes. They’re made of metal and clad in something soft and pliable to make up their skin. Once you know what you’re looking for, they almost start to make themselves more visible to you. But if you study them for too long, you may begin to feel a little nauseous and queasy, and temporarily experience vertigo. Or you may start to have feelings of paranoia settle in, making you short-tempered and twitchy.

These figures can be found almost everywhere around the town, but they will mostly be populated in and around the residential blocks, looking as though they’re busily living their lives in passive background poses. They’re easy enough to miss if you aren’t sure what you’re looking for, and they’re so life-like you almost feel rude staring for too long, in case they turn their heads towards you.

And on the next night, you might catch the glimpse of a dark, stationary silhouette of a man in the Myrsdin house just before Mrs Myrsdin draws the curtains closed.

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F Y I

• The events in this log take place during the month of October.

• If you have questions about any of the prompts or the mission in general, please direct them HERE.

• To explore a specific location or speak to any of the NPCs, please submit your search request HERE.

• And finally, your soundtrack for this log: ♪ ♪ ♪

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Comments

Natasha Romanoff | MCU

[deaddrop]

[Open starters below, and closed if anyone wants them. Hit me up at sarosaron for planning, or just toss something at me here.]

PART I.PLEASANTVILLE

[deaddrop]

1.0

[Natasha does her best to blend in—and considering her experience, her best is pretty good. There's a part of her that almost enjoys the transformation. Smooth, curled hair. Buttoned up sweaters. Smart skirts.

She doesn't bother trying to find a job on this mission. Instead, Natasha takes on the role of the house spouse and does her best to infiltrate the ranks of stay at home mothers, fathers and otherwise gendered guardians. She attends dinner parties and luncheons, smiling and making charming light conversation, always subtly turning the questions around on her hosts.

Staying in the suburbs, it also provides her plenty of opportunity to keep up with her exercise routine, inviting both locals and orbers alike to join her for jogging or stretching routines.

As far as exercise clothes go, it's short shorts all the way down.]

2.0

[At home and in the company of just her little "family", Natasha relaxes a little. She scrubs the makeup off her face, trades her sharp, vintage styles for slouchier, more comfortable clothes (especially shoes) and pulls her hair into a crooked braid.

She's not much of a cook, so it's probably a good thing at least one of them doesn't eat.]

I could make some popcorn.

[She offers in the kitchen on an evening in.]

Watch whatever's on the TV—I assume it's going to be Invasion of the Body Snatchers or the Blob.

2.0

[endofcompliance]

[Bucky wears essentially the same clothes. They might be nicer than what he's usually accustomed to, but they're comfortable enough, and it reminds him of the 40s, the way he used to dress.

There is even a part of his mind that wants to fall into older habits, even if not all of him can, not anymore.

He frowns to Natasha's words. None of those are commands. Not that he's sure he wants to follow commands, but she's the person he knows the most, at least close enough to know. She's the only one he's willing to follow orders from.]

You want me to turn on the TV? [Maybe that will push her to change her wording a little. This is awkward.]

[deaddrop]

[It's interesting. Awkward, but Natasha figures she deserves to be awkward. It could be worse—it had been worse, with Yelena and with Sam, the way they looked at her, knowing what she did.

But it's still not easy.]

Only if you want to. I could use an evening in, though. [And even she can make popcorn.] And you're free to join me.

[endofcompliance]

[Bucky never knew Natasha the way they did. She's still new to him in some respects. Add on the heavy part of what she did, and it was a strange air. But it was oddly domestic, in its own way.]

Only if I want to? [Bucky sighs, but gives Natasha some sort of crooked smile.] Are you always this decisive?

[Bucky does turn on the television, and takes a seat on the couch. His way of saying he does want to join her, regardless of watching The Blob, again.]

[deaddrop]

[Nothing wrong with the Blob. Natasha peeks into the living room while the popcorn works.]

I'm very decisive.

[It's just a fact.]

Yelena might have given me a talking to about making choices for other people, though.

[endofcompliance]

[Bucky rolls his eyes a little.]

I would normally agree with Yelena. Appreciate it, in fact.

[A sigh as he prepares the conversation for that 'but' he's working up to.]

But...I got this mission thing. And I'm supposed to follow a teammates every command for a day. Of course, I'm not going to follow Murderbot. [And he doesn't know Yelena that well, either.]

1.0

[constructually]

[The jogging is, as it turns out, not actually all that terrible. Murderbot hadn't been sure about it at first, but keeping its body moving has some advantages instead of just sitting or standing somewhere to watch media.

It is, of course, still watching media. Episode 213 of Sanctuary Moon is currently playing as Murderbot keeps easy pace beside Natasha, but that's neither here nor there.]

Should I feign exertion?

[To blend in better. Since this is the SecUnit equivalent of a lazy stroll downhill.

No offense to Natasha, Murderbot has already noted that she's far more athletic than a lot of humans, but constructs are designed to ran hard for long distances.]

[deaddrop]

[Natasha hangs out with super soldiers, gods and people who can fly. It's a little late to start worrying about the fact that all her friends can outclass her in a fair competition.

She'll try not to take the question too personally either.]

Probably a good idea.

[They're not going so fast she can't keep up a conversation, but Natasha is breathing harder, her heart rate up. That's part of the point after all.]

Can you sweat on command?

[constructually]

[Murderbot is, in fact, a tiny bit proud of itself for having a good idea(!), but doesn't show any actual emotional response, because it's weird like that.]

I've never tried, but if I can make hair grow...

[It takes a few seconds to do a slightly deeper dive into its code — which doesn't disrupt its running pace at all — for Murderbot to find the part that controls sweat glands. A couple new lines of code, and a thin sheen of sweat starts to form at its hair line.]

I found the right code, it was simple enough.

[deaddrop]

[Natasha might be slightly jealous of that. Or not exactly jealous, but it's a trick that would come in handy in her line of work.

Being able to slide under the radar with a moment of introspection.

She's not sure she'd like what comes with that talent though.]

Very convincing. Though if anyone asks, you might want to say you ran track.

[constructually]

[This is where Victor Stone gets a massive shout out for sharing information on the 21st century, because otherwise Murderbot would not have had context for that comment.]

It's disappointing they don't have much competitive sporting here. I could make a lot of currency.

[That's literally cheating but go off.]

1.0

[oiorpata]

[ andy shows up in similarly in shorts (just not as short), given her usual leggings preference for a work out would be out of place. they can handle slacks on women in this universe, but apparently not tight stretchy pants. ]

[ she sets her water down and starts in on some of her own stretches, lifting and twisting her arms. ]

I'd wolf whistle for funsies for you pulling that off here, but I don't think it'd go over all that well in this town. [ something about marriages. ]

[deaddrop]

[Truly a mystery how these are less scandalous than yoga pants.]

There are a lot of fun things that don't go over well here. I'll go ahead and pretend you did, though, just between you and me.

[Natasha stops with her hands on her hips, catching her breath.]

They do seem to take this whole perfect community thing very seriously.

[oiorpata]

Love a good small town secret.

[ she has to find enjoyable parts of this undercover. ]

Isn't that pretty standard suburbia? Uniformity and all that bullshit.

[deaddrop]

I guess I haven't spent enough time in the suburbs to know for sure. Not since I was a child.

[And that had been different. Had come with its own disillusionments.]

It's going to be a long mission.

PART II.AFTER DARK

[deaddrop]

4.0

[Natasha acts on instinct when she hears the scream, stepping into her slippers and appearing out on the lawn of her shared house to assess the threat. Assess the threat, because there's no other option in her mind. Whatever's happening, it is a threat.

Nothing she sees outside as she calms down changes her assessment of that.]

Did anyone see what happened?

[She'll ask, among other questions like:]

Was anyone still awake at the time?

[Or maybe most importantly:]

Does it kind of seem like everyone local knows what happened here, or is it just me?

[drawsblood]

[ Dressed in standard dad sleepwear that wouldn't be out of place on a black and white tv show, Joric stands nearby with crossed arms. His burgundy robe is tied shut, disguising that he sleeps with no shirt on and his blue striped pj bottoms are just a little too short for his tall frame. A couple of housewives are already talking in hushed whispers about it as they depart, as if that's the most pressing issue tonight. ]

They know, and they're unlikely to tell us. Something has them scared of stepping out of line.

[deaddrop]

[Natasha rubs her eyes, sighing softly. She'd kind of hoped it was just her, but there was never any chance of that.

The people around here aren't subtle.]

Well, apparently they have a reason.

[Since this is apparently what happens when people don't follow the rules.]

Either that, or they think this is normal...

[A glance over her shoulder, taking in the air of discomfort.]

But I don't think anyone actually believes that.

[drawsblood]

No. If it was normal, she wouldn't have screamed like that.

[ People are dispersing and he has the feeling the two will be watched if they continue to stand out in the middle of the street. ]

Do you want to go indoors so we can speak more on this?

[deaddrop]

[It's fairly clear they won't learn anything else out here either. Natasha nods.]

I'm not sure I want to go back to bed immediately, anyway.

[zune]

[ Bleary-eyed, and in his own set of slippers (and a robe over his sleeping clothes; this stuff's so freakin' comfy, what the hell), he comes up to Natasha, arms crossed, and looks to where the AGPD are still present but packing away their gear, the scene of the crime slowly growing a little quieter.

The main excitement is clearly over but it's still got the immediate neighbourhood full of adrenaline. ]

Not with my own eyes, no. But I definitely heard the scream. That was like, a movie scream.

[deaddrop]

What makes something a movie scream?

[That's probably not the question to ask, not how it sounds, but she can't argue it.

There was something very... attention grabbing about it.]

[zune]

[ It's fine. Peter can play along, mostly because he's still ... processing. ]

Dramatic, extra scary, like that scream is gonna be echoing in my brain for the next couple weeks.

[deaddrop]

It was very memorable.

[Natasha will be thinking of it for a while herself, trying to figure out why no one had seen anything.]

You think there's a chance this was staged?