recolle | May Event Log

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May Event Log

EVENT

RISE AND SHINE
Spring is upon the city of Recollé now. The rainy season is starting to pass and the last of the winter chill has officially shaken off. The weather is perfectly spring-like with flowers blooming all over the city and the local wildlife rousing from their hiding places. People everywhere find themselves awakening to the sound of birds tweeting and the sun shining peacefully on them as they're drawn from the world of dreaming.

Too bad that's about where the peace ends today.

I.
It’s a leisurely morning when you first wake up. The sun’s rising and peeking in through the curtains of your room, birds are chirping happily, and you find yourself drowning in your sheets with the floor much, much further down than you recall.

Wait, what?

You don’t think that you’ve shrunken at all. After all, your clothing still fits perfectly fine. The trouble with it all is that all of your furniture has enlarged several times its usual size and the walls tower over you more than before. Getting ready for your day is going to be a challenge, but the outside world can’t be that bad, can it?

Think again. Buildings skyrocket dozens of stories higher than they originally were. The button for the crosswalk dangles over your head tauntingly. The tires for your school bus are coming dangerously close as you try to cross the street. Be careful out there!

Is there a safe path to avoid further incidents? As the days go on, citizens will find that if they look down a series of lit-up circles appear under their feet. Stepping on one will cause the Retrospec app to open, and a song will begin to play. How long will this go on? Unfortunately, Retrospec seems to be working just fine and will autoloop until your path of lights meets someone new. After all, isn't social media about bringing people together? Best get to exploring and seeing what’s out there…or, maybe, who’s out there.

II.
Speaking of exploring, it's much easier to see the wear and tear of the city at this size. With everything much larger you may notice that everything about your nice city isn't quite so nice. Cracks in the sidewalk present a hazard when walking everywhere and there are fractures in the buildings themselves. You may wish to avoid them entirely for your own safety.

But for the more curious residents (or anyone accidentally finding themselves falling into these cracks) a venture into these spaces will reveal something a little mysterious. Swirls of black float through space, occasionally punctuated by flashes of images and words. Presented almost like a movie, you may not be able to pinpoint what exactly you’re seeing but it seems to be calling your name to draw you further in. At first, the interior space in these cracks seems to expand and the images become clear. It’s…space? No. It’s stars, lots of stars and there’s a rumbling sound that seems to echo through the cracks along with voices becoming more persistent as they cry out for help. The swirls and mist become thicker with each step. Will you turn back? Or will you press on and risk getting lost in the echoes of voices you don't recognize and images you can't identify?

Those who turn back will find themselves on another path of light, resetting their device and urging them onwards to find someone new. Those who continue forward though and wish to seek the truth will find themselves assaulted either with a whirlwind of memories they’ve already obtained since they’ve received the Retrospec app or blacked out by the darkness as the mist becomes impenetrable.

How will you find your way back? It may be wise to work together on this one to retrace your steps.

III.
Despite the fact the city's experiencing some sizing issues, responsibilities are still important and these problems won't stop your boss from demanding you show up to work on time. Did you get lost on your way to school? What a bummer that this is the day your professors spring a pop quiz on you. The challenges of every day life are even more challenging and as per usual, many people don't even realize there's something wrong. Though your pencil may be taller than you are, you won't be allotted extra time to write things down. Even worse, navigating past shopping carts and down grocery aisles is nearly impossible, especially in larger, more crowded places like Freshens.

Outside isn't much better. Beginning on the fifth of May, clouds begin to loom overhead as the rainy season reminds citizens it's not over yet. All around you critters begin to jump into action to prepare for the inevitable storm. From this level of the ground it's easier to see ants hard at work hauling items 30 times their body weight. That caterpillar might be good for hitching a ride back home. Watch out for the furry four-legged beast running your way!

Speaking of beasts...well. Just because you're no longer your original size doesn't mean your furry and feathered friends won't be. Maybe you're lucky enough to have a companion you can hitch a ride with. Or maybe you aren't so lucky after all. Your pets may like you just fine, but other people's pets and even the insects will give in to their animal instincts, prone to chasing and sometimes outright attacking citizens (Retrospec users and non-Retrospec users alike.) Can you fight? Guess you'll have to find out.

Oh, and you better hurry...the rain that begins later in the afternoon is most unforgiving. At this size? It's quite easy to be swept away in a flood.

IV.
Do you hear that? Everything seems to be amplified now and with the rain pounding down around you for the next five days the echoes are even louder. This time, however, the words are much more distinguishable. Above the din of a hauntingly beautiful song, you may find yourself being coaxed to come out into the Apprassage Woods, whispered promises of your most sacred desire filling your ears. Perhaps it's irrational, like scoring well on college entrance exams. Perhaps it's something much bigger like seeing a loved one again long after their passing. Whatever it may be, the song is almost overpowering and tempting.

Along the way, bright, towering flowers serve as a guiding light deeper and deeper into the woods. The further you travel, the louder they echo those desires back at you, even louder than the song itself. Strangely, for those who have been gifted with a supernatural sense or the ability to see ghosts, you may find that there are figments flickering through the trees encouraging you onward. You want their help, don't you?

There are ways to break out of the song's trance, but it will take teamwork and effort to ground each other back to reality. It seems as though the rain itself may very well be the culprit. Will you seek to find shelter? Maybe you're lucky and happen to have a pair of ear plugs in your pocket. Do your best to guide each other home. The woods aren't very friendly after dark even with the fluorescent glow of the flowers.

BONUS.
The nice thing about being pint-sized is that it's much easier to go where you probably shouldn't. Should you find yourself back in Tisse and in front of the Retrospec building, you may notice it's much easier to slip under the cracks of the front door. Several of you may have been in this lobby before. Like usual, the lights are on. At this size, however, it's easier to hear the echoes of footsteps somewhere above you.

But don't worry about them. Being this size means that it's more possible now to enter some the previously locked rooms. Some rooms don't have enough space to crawl under, of course, but the two rooms that do will reveal something quite interesting. There isn't much in the way of furniture in these two rooms, but every inch of the walls and ceiling remains covered in maps. Not all of these maps are blank. Some of them appear to have small splashes of color varying in size and shape, like an incomplete picture. Some of them also appear to have images on them, such as a Chocobo, or an apple with a smileyface, or a strange die. Furthermore, after the fifth of May, citizens may notice one of the maps now has a picture of those strange glowing flowers from the woods.

Should anyone be ambitious enough to count in these two rooms (though really, that will certainly take time), they will come to find that there are roughly 110 maps in all. And with a little digging, they can explore and attempt to open drawers and closets in these rooms. Together, they will discover there are an additional 30 maps, including one with a picture of a strange-looking doll.

So you want to learn more about these maps, huh? For anyone who tries to draw or write on the maps, they will find that whatever they deface the maps with stays there! However, the moment you exit the room anything you drew on the map will appear on any surface of your skin that's available. Tearing the maps doesn't seem to work either. The maps can only be removed from the wall in one whole piece.

If one were to take a map from the rooms, they would only be able to get to the doorway before it dissolves into ash and creates a miniature dust storm for everyone nearby. Strangely, the map will reappear on the wall and the cycle will repeat itself for days on end.

The maps really, really don't like being touched.

What does this all mean? What a great question.

Welcome to

recolle's May event! All characters will be begin in-game AU'd as Recollé residents. You may use any of the above prompts for ideas or make up your own depicting your Recollé AU! Prompts do not have to be set in the districts listed above. You can review our list of locations for what's available and be as creative as you'd like.

As another note, by participating in this log in a thread with five or more comments from you with a character you have not tagged previously, you are eligible for one free memory regain! This means you can claim a memory without a trigger required; we ask that it be low-impact for newer characters, while characters who have been here longer can scale upwards. However please be sure to submit this regain to the regains page and just specify "May Freebie" in the explanation portion of the form. Please see our monthly plotting post for more details.

If you would like to explore parts of the city in their enlarged state, please contact the mod team so we can get you a write-up of what your characters may or may not find! This also goes for if your character has regained any supernatural sensing and you'd like for them to interact with the figments in the woods!

Starting on 5/5, the Echo Flower from Undertale will act as your newest world change! Once the event wraps 5/10, the echoing of desires will stop and they will return to providing white noise and echoing the last thing they heard. These flowers will only remain in the woods.

Any questions you have regarding this event may be directed to the mod comment here.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Times like these, she's glad she's got a gun. But, god, being small is literally the worst. Terrible. Nisha would not recommend it to anyone, ever.

Except she can shoot things as much as she'd like. It's a hell of a way to work out frustration, and there's no shortage of crap to shoot. And maybe it's a weird date to most people, but hell if Nisha cares. Obviously, he'd said yes, so he digs the idea.

Nisha Kadam knows how to pick 'em.

She's there when he arrives, carefully cleaning her gun. Mostly it's to give herself something to do; it'll be covered in bug guts and blood before the day's up. Or so she hopes. ]

Howdy. [ She flashes him a grin. ] Didn't know you could clean up so nice.

Ya know, I've got a few comebacks for that - "There's a lotta things you don't know about me, cowgirl" is my personal favorite, so let's go with that one.

[ When he strolls over, Jack brings an arm up to let her examine the dumb zappy gun attached to it. ]

You know a couple of your buddies wanted to take these? [ A snort. ] I mean, I see why - they're super badass and all - but seriously, these things come in handy. Like when you're being mauled by giant bugs.

Pffft. Cliche, but I'll let it slide. [ She pokes him in the shoulder when he's close enough. ] Just don't use it on me again, got it?

[ But she's pretty interested in the guns, and she's not shy about looking them over. ]

Probably thought they were dangerous. Fits you pretty good, actually. I like it. [ Wink wonk. ] Where the hell'd you get these things? Never seen anything like them before.

Somethin' somethin' lasers are dangerous bluh bluh blah. I totally know what I'm doing.

[ Kind...a....... yeah close enough, anyway. He lifts one of the guns and turns it over, tapping the HYPERION etched into the base because lbr Hyperion puts their name on goddamn everything. ]

Got it from Retrospec - dunno if you've heard yet, but they like sending presents. Mine just happen to be frickin' sweet. I kinda remember this name, though. Can't really put my finger on why.

Pfffft lasers are only dangerous if you're a dumbass and don't know how to handle 'em.

[ She traces the letters, one eyebrow raised. ]

Hyperion, huh. Maybe it's those things Retrospec puts into your head. [ She shrugs. ] Either way, those things are awesome, and I'm only a little jealous. But let's see if they can measure up to good ol' bullets, yeah?

Let's get it on then, gunslinger.

[ It's not going to take them long to find prey - there's a mantis up ahead perched on a low leaf, obviously eying them with its... big spooky bug eyes. Jack shrugs in its direction, checking the straps on his wrists. ]

What about that one? Could be a toughie.

You got it, handsome.

[ Nisha's eyeing it, too. Despite it being... considerably bigger than some of the other bugs, Nisha isn't one to turn down a challenge. Especially not when she's on a date. ]

Aw, you scared? Don't worry, I've got your back. [ She grins a little and starts to raise her gun. ] With the two of us on the job? Pretty sure we can take it.

Only one way to find out, right?

[ And he steals the first shot, ducking in to blast one of its wings. The mantis is obviously pretty pissed about this, and at this level, it lets out a chilling set of clicks when Jack takes another potshot at its leg, missing by a small margin.

Sorry gurl he fights stupid. Might need to come save him. ]

[ Ah. This is fine. Everything is okay.

... But if she doesn't step in Jack will probably actually die. So, saving Jack is a go. Nisha, luckily, is a hell of a shot, and she shoots the mantis (that was minding its own business before these two assholes decided to have fun at its expense) in the chest.... area... place.

And she lets out a laugh, unrestrained and wild, as she does so. ]

Take that, asshole!

[ Jack, meanwhile, decides to get up close and personal - Nisha's distracting it enough that it isn't immediately murdering him, but it still makes stabs with its arm blade things idk mantises are weird. Until this point he's played it safe, taken potshots from afar to cripple his target before closing in and bringing it down. He's been on his own, after all.

But now he's got Nisha, which means electric slide underneath its abdomen while he plugs holes in it. With a wooooooo! for good measure.

Yeah sorry Nisha, your boytoy is an idiot. ]

[ Normal people would probably roll their eyes at Jack's attempts to be cool, but Nisha's way too full of adrenaline from slaughtering bugs to think it's anything but awesome. She lets out an answering whoop as she dodgerolls closer to the bug and litters the thing with bullets.

Hopefully those blarms (blade arms) won't get anywhere near her. Or him. She's got enough bug innards on her, her own blood shouldn't mix with that shit. ]

Think we're almost there, sweetheart!

Then let's take this fucker down!

[ Which is his cue to climb up onto it and hold its wings down with his weight, straddling it and throwing an arm up like he's riding a bull. Again with the wooooooooo! He's got it in place for what he hopes is a killing shot - it's just way cooler that way. But he's a gentleman, so he'll offer up the glory for his date. #romantic ]

Cap this motherfucker!

[ A man after her own heart. Nisha's pretty impressed with how much of a gentleman he's being, and she flashes him a 100% genuine smile as she delivers the killing shot.

Nice. ]

Careful on the way down, you don't wanna hurt that pretty face!

[ The thing topples over, and Jack has to slide slightly to the right to avoid being crushed under its weight or slammed into the ground. He's crawling up and planting a boot on its head, hands on his hips for a dramatic hero pose. ]

Thanks, babe. Knew I could count on--

[ R-R-R-REGAIN. Jack's eyes unfocus and he topples off the bug, in fact landing directly on his face. It's muffled against the ground, but he stumbles out something like shooting. ]

[ Oh, that's-- uh, okay. Nisha rushes on over to him and helps her idiot up, because even though it wasn't an especially long fall, she's still worried about his face? ]

You ok--

[ She manages to somehow keep a grip on him, even though it slackens slightly.

... Nice. ]

... hehehe. Awesome.

[ He's up on his knees with her help, hand dragging over his face, but hangs there - for the present, at least, he seems completely oblivious to what they've just done or the fact that his face kind of hurts, ow. ]

I r--uh. [ A huff. ] Remembered something. From the other guy.

Remembered something, too.

[ She pauses, digesting the information she's just been given. Disorienting as hell, but she gets it now, at least. ]

Killing bugs on the moon. My gun shot fire bullets.

Wow, that is... that is freakin' kickass. Were they made of fire or on fire?

[ Okay, he's getting up now, still rubbing at his eyes. ]

See what I mean, though? It's weird. Mine was, uh... [ He kind of doesn't want to look like a gigantic puss in front of her? So Jack acts like it's nothing, shrugging a little. ] I was in some crappy western town shooting at people without shirts. And they were all like, blaaaarhghghfbhfb I'm gonna make you my meat pants and stuff.

Couldn't really tell, but the moment they hit the mutant bug bastards-- fwoosh! Set 'em on fire. [ A pause, and then, thoughtfully, ] I had a whip, too.

[ But, okay, that's like... a million times more interesting than her own? Like, killing bugs is awesome, but at the same time? ]

Super bizarre. 'Specially the meat pants thing, the hell? [ She snorts. ] I hope you fucked 'em up really good, babe. Guess cowboy really is a fitting nickname for you.

...A whip.

[ This look. He extends his arm, indicating they move on in the direction they'd been going. Maybe they'll find some challenging game. Like a mouse or something. ]

Tell me more about this whip.

[ Nice.

She takes his arm and gives him a grin, bumping her hip against his. ]

Good priorities. [ She's not even being sarcastic. ] I whipped some of 'em and they died in, like, a hit. How awesome is that?

That is so incredibly badass that I can't even express it in words? You'd have to paint it, and the painting wouldn't be half as friggin' awesome as the actual thing.

[ What the fuck is he even talking about. He's having the time of his life, at least, gesturing widely, talking just as much with his hands as with his voice (okay, maybe almost as much). ]

I mean, this whole sitch is the tits. I really like it. I really like you... uuuu....

[ FUCK HE CHOKED ]

uuuuuit's fun. We're having fun. Right?

[ He's staring at a tree now, arms stretching above his head. It was supposed to be something like I really like your style, but now he's probably hit all kinds of "first date stalker" red flags. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

May Event Log

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