JULY EVENT LOG

[recollecters]

EVENT

SURF AND SUN With the peak of summer upon the city of Recollé, many people are enjoying some time off to soak up the sun and hit the beach. Pops of green and blue sprinkle the city again though many people don't notice at all. Citizens remain as content as ever, complimenting one-another on their new tank-tops or asking for recommendations of the best ice cream flavors. It's almost as if there's really nothing strange going on here. I. It's a pattern at this point. Those who have been a part of the Retrospec network for long enough have noticed that strange things usually begin on the third of any given month and perhaps some of you may be expecting it. But this time on the morning of the third, everything seems alarmingly normal. Speaking of alarms, yours seems to be going off. "But I didn't set an alarm, it's summer", you might say, but it sounds strangely like the "wark!" of a Chocobo repeatedly. Some of you are able to turn off your alarms just fine, but others may not be so lucky. For a few selected citizens, disabling the alarm reveals a special pop-up notification from your friends at Retrospec. A short message appears: B-I-N-G-O! Looking to collect some of your memories? Ready, set, go. The message quickly dissolves and reveals an electronic 5x5 digital bingo card, each square filled in with an activity to complete. At the center is a prompt that hits almost a little too close to home, whether that be something you would do yourself or challenging you just a little to complete it. Shimmering just under the words of the center prompt, you can barely make out what appears to be a QR code before it promptly disappears. Wait. Perhaps you may recall that someone once mentioned QR codes. Or maybe you're still learning how this network works and you're uncertain what it all means. There's only one way to find out, isn't there? Grab a friend (or even a stranger) and get ready to play in all districts of your beloved city. Then again, maybe you really did get lucky and you weren't saddled with one of these cards, or perhaps you're the type to ignore silly games like this. There's plenty happening in the city elsewhere as everyone prepares for the big Fourth of July celebration. Tisse and Chata are bustling with people stocking up and hosting sales, not at all unlike the Founder's Day celebration. Everywhere you turn you may find yourself face to face with people offering samples or tempting you with the best deals around. Are you a shopper today? Or are you one of the employees counting down the minutes until your shift ends? It's just another day in the city of Recollé. II. Even though it's the middle of the summer, it's unusually warm for this time of year. A heatwave rolls through the city, but for some of you it's getting hotter than ever. It may be an ordinary day for you when it happens. Perhaps you're a student who's trying to enjoy their summer vacation. Maybe you're cramped up in an office all day desperately trying to soak in the air conditioning, or maybe you're running around trying to fill your bingo prompts. There's no telling where you will be when you come to realize a small item has made its way into your pocket or bag. Upon inspection, you find a blue-colored fortune cookie, glowing as bright as the Retrospec logo. Some of you may throw it away, while others of you may accidentally break it or even open it out of curiosity. The moment the cookie is cracked, the glow stops and a puff of smoke emits into the air leaving behind a singular white strip of paper. A short message: "Learn to walk a mile in someone else's shoes." The heat intensifies for those who have read the fortune before a cool, calming breeze floats over you. Like the crash of a wave, you soon find yourself overwhelmed with a memory that isn't your own, or the feeling of power courses through your veins, the wind whispering a message of a power or memory obtained . Will you seek out who these memories and abilities belong to? Or will you keep them for yourself for a while? There's only one way to change back to the way you were, even if you don't know it just yet. Yet even for those who aren't blessed with this fortune the heat's proving to be a bit much. The sun beats down intensely and everywhere you turn there are shops handing out cups of water to help keep everyone hydrated. There are several places you can duck into to borrow their AC, but all around the same time at 8pm on the 3rd, a rolling blackout hits the city. The lights go down and the air units stop working. It begins to have the effect of being cooler outside than it is inside (which you recognize as strange, but with the gray sky overhead it's hard to tell if this means rain or another sunset) and you feel the urge to go outside. That's when it happens. As if on cue, the crickets begin to chirp and cicadas make their presence known. Fireflies begin to pop up in little groups, swirling around Retrospec users in synchronicity. Those off-network will remark how beautiful the bright creatures are, but don't find this behavior strange at all. However, the fireflies will follow users around the city all night long. Will you focus on bringing the power back like you may have once before? Or will you enjoy the show? The fireflies will be with you no matter the choice. III. Down at Peach Beach a celebration's set up to take place over the course of the next two days. A stage sits on the sandy beach to host a variety of musical acts (including a few open mic hours) and food trucks are parked along the walkway. Some of you may notice that thanks to the fiasco during the food truck rally, several of the trucks have been stopped with parking boots. The boardwalk has a variety of games and specials to offer as well, fun prizes for anyone who plays along, buckets and pails prime for the taking to build sand castles and several carts selling Recollé's famous Peach Beach popsicles and ice cream parked along the docks. Best of all, the sun is high and the water's fine, the scent of the gray ocean wafts toward the sand. However, for those who venture into the gray ocean you may notice that it takes a little longer than usual to cross the sand to the water, the distance stretching before you. The water's clear as ever and refreshing from the sun, though the waves appear choppier than you recall from the past. Perhaps that doesn't bother you. Perhaps you're a great swimmer or you tell yourself the waves aren't nearly as intimidating as they look. Several citizens are out there surfing and sailing. How bad can it be? Do be careful if you venture further and further from the shore though; after a certain point far enough from the shore, adventurers may find themselves face to face with large, unidentifiable shadows under the water, a slick slide of something brushing against limbs in a gentle caress before the shadows retreat. Walking further will reveal a drastic dip in the ocean floor and you may sink under, the water strangely clear for being gray. Whatever touched you swims out of sight before you can get a close look, but it's clear its multiple fins and limbs propel itself forward and away. Following it seems to be futile. The waves grow rougher and should you travel too far, the water will carry you back to the shore almost as if it's protecting you from harm. Weird, isn't it? IV. But life goes on even aside from the weird ongoings of Retrospec. Life goes on, the world keeps turning, and the mayor still loves holidays. The Fourth of July is no exception and the city is bustling with activity. Much like the day prior, the shopping district and the beach seem to be where many residents gather. Several others enjoy the day in Hollingberry field with friends and family, barbecuing and playing games together. Those with bingo cards will receive another sound of alarm, a startled wark! from their device before there is a flash revealing that one day has gone by since the game began. Those who harbor a power or memory that isn't their own feel the impact a little more heavily, urging them to find their match. However, the world seems to stop as dusk settles around the city. Citizens hustle and scramble to pick the best viewing points for the annual fireworks show. Street vendors sell glow rings and popcorn and sparklers for anyone who wishes to play with the lights. The Mayor sits atop Seabiscuit in Recollé Square with an ice cream cone in hand, anticipating the time the bursts of color will appear. At 9pm sharp, the first boom begins. Displayed across the sky appears the history of the city in pops of shimmering color, pictures painted across the dark tapestry above among the stars. With most of the city distracted though, now may be the perfect time to do some last-minute sale shopping or cross off a few things on your lists without question. It may even be the perfect time to sneak away from the crowds and get up to some mischief. BONUS. It's quiet around the Retrospec building, but the doors unlock for anyone who ventures toward them. They have been locked tight since the first part of May, but you can't help but observe that this seems to happen periodically. A pattern? Maybe, but who are you to look a gift Chocobo in the mouth? For those brave enough to enter the building, they will find that rooms that were previously accessible are no longer available. Doors are missing, the elevator refuses to work, and the secretary's desk appears to be as clear of evidence as always. However, soft lights adorn the handrail of the stairs beckoning characters toward the second floor. There appears to be only one room upstairs and the door is ajar. Is it a trap? Possibly, but further investigation shows that it was simply a careless action. Inside this room is another desk, a laptop seated on its table-top and the room itself not much bigger than a walk-in closet. Scattered around are books on biology and genetics, notes about evolution and hybrid animals. Comic books and horror movies sit in a neat pile in a corner near a small TV, screen frozen on a large monster of some sort. A table in the back is home to a few fossilized items in jars, along with empty coffee cups and house plants. In another corner is a clothing rack with a handful of costumes and a sewing machine sits on the floor nearby. Tacked on the wall is a reminder of the dates of the Recollé ReConvention. What is all of this? A note on the desk reveals that all of this belongs to someone named Maurice and that "he better work harder or he will not receive his school credit." But what's an intern doing with all of this research? What a great question. Welcome to recolle's July 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 based on the ongoings of the city! 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 a note, while you are more than free to use this log to play with the bingo cards and regains swap these are in effect all month! You are free to make your own posts all month long as well and these will qualify for your bingo cards. With regards to the regains swap, as per our notes how your characters switch back is up to you! This could be anything from a hug, a synchronized dance, a duel, etc. Be creative! There is no right or wrong answer. Please see our monthly plotting post/event sign-ups posts here and here. Any questions you have regarding this event may be directed to the mod comment here.

Comments

[invocate]

I -- so this is what they meant

Li-Na's taking a short break at the dance studio when she hears her phone making an extremely strange noise. She dives for her dance bag and after some fumbling manages to figure out how to shut off the alarm. But then the bingo card pops up and Li-Na is just lost. Is this what everyone meant when they told her the other day the app would make strange things happen?

"Choreograph and perform a new dance with at least two or three partners? Huh... would be fun."


II -- lightning bug > firefly

The electricity going out is an unwelcome surprise. Li-Na is used to muggy summers, but this is just too hot. She flings the windows of her room open, but that doesn't help at all. Sighing, she drinks the last bit of water from her water bottle, then heads down to the kitchen to refill it.

But once she's in the kitchen, the door outside proves tempting. With as stiffling hot as it is inside, maybe being outside would feel less suffocating? Empty water bottle in hand, Li-Na goes out the front door and stands on the sidewalk. Within moments the fireflies start to swarm around her.

And Li-Na remembers a square on the bingo card she got earlier that day.

"Fireflies!"

Unscrewing the lid off her water bottle, Li-Na shakes out the last few drops of water and starts trying to catch the glowing bugs in her bottle.


IV -- just here for the fireworks

Li-Na loves a good party, especially when fireworks are involved. So even though she doesn't celebrate the Fourth of July herself, she is going to celebrate with the people who do. While there was still light, Li-Na located the fireworks installation, then from that hunted for the perfect vantage point. Once the blanket has been spread and claim staked on that patch of grassy hillside, Li-Na goes in search of snacks.


wildcard

[If there's anything else you want to do with Li-Na, just let me know!]


[ooc: Li-Na's bingo is over here, plotting post is over here, and my plurk is anacrusis]

iv - also taking the spar if that's ok!

[frisyr]

[ Emil has bought two glowsticks while out tonight at fireworks, and he's standing in line for snacks too, all the while standing on his toes every so often to check how crowded it's getting and make sure no one moves his blanket.

As they stand in line right next to each other, Emil gets an idea. ]

Hey, this is going to sound weird, but... do you want to pretend to have a swordfight?

yes! totally okay!

[invocate]

[Li-Na gives Emil a blank look for a moment, because that really is an odd thing to ask a stranger.]

You are right. That does sound weird.

[And then she smiles.]

But... it sounds like fun, too.

[Because at her core, Li-Na is a performer.]

Is there a reason behind our swordfight? A story?

Re: yes! totally okay!

[frisyr]

[ He thinks about it for a minute, tossing her a stick and getting into position, before answering. ]

Err, maybe we are fighting for the hand of the same princess!

Or prince if you prefer!

[ Why they're fighting this out with glowsticks though... ]

They... Want to take one of us to a rave...?

[invocate]

[Li-Na catches the glow stick and looks it over, before holding it in a sword-like grip. She grins and points the glow stick at Emil.]

Or... you are the prince seeking my sister's hand in marriage, and I, the younger sister, must judge if you are worthy of her. My weapons of choice, a magical sword of light, for I have been trained from birth to protect her, in arts both martial and magical.

[She's a ballerina. Dramatic storylines are a thing.]

[frisyr]

Wow, you're way better at this than I am.

Alright. Your sister must really be something! Because I'm here for her hand. And I've never trained with these magical swords of light, but I will do my best!

[ He takes guard and then uh.

Lunges? But gently. ]

[invocate]

Well, your suggestion sounded a bit like a fairy tale and fairy tales always make me think of ballet.

[As if that is a proper explanation??? Li-Na brandishes her glow-stick 'sword' dramatically and fake parries Emil's thrust.]

My sister is both clever and wise, and our people love her. They know they can trust her to rule with fairness and mercy when she ascends the throne on her twentieth birthday. What makes you think are worthy to be her Prince Consort?

[frisyr]

You raise a good point, princess, but I'll have you know I'm well-studied, strong, and our kingdoms have been at peace for a hundred years. This would be a good union for the both of us!

[ Actually, why did they send these two to fight? Shouldn't they have envoys? ]

[invocate]

Ah ha! So you desire this union for political reasons! Do you have no feelings for my sister? Does she stir no passion in your heart?

[shhhhh this is much more dramatic, and ballet is all about the drama]

[frisyr]

I do like her! I will someday grow to love her, given the chance, but that is not one of my many virtues!

[ He crosses glowsticks with Li-Na, and smiles. ]

You will see, I am strong and also-- um.

Kind? I'm kind!

[invocate]

Hmmmm, kindness is a good virtue to have. But are you loyal? To be strong is one matter, to be loyal is another altogether.

[She taps her glowstick against Emil's.]

If I am cut down in battle, will you take my place as her shield and sword? Will you protect her life with your own?

[frisyr]

Yes, and undoubtedly yes! I have trained my whole life to protect our fair kingdom, and a Queen I should take to bride!

[ He looks on with resolve ]

I should be so fortunate for your sister to be my Queen!

[invocate]

Very well. I consent to you asking for her hand. Of course, the final decision rests with her.

[Li-Na raises her glowstick to point straight at Emil's chest.

But know this. If you hurt her in any way, I will cut out your heart.

[Whoa, little intense there Li-Na. Siblings are supposed to be super, extra protective, right?]

[frisyr]

So be it.

I consent to this agreement.

[ He stands upright and "sheathes" his glowstick. ]

[invocate]

[Li-Na laughs and holds the glowstick out to Emil]

That was gun! Though, why did you want to do that?

[admiringly]

Some lazy night they all get their Bingo cards, Chiyo comes knocking on the door to Li-Na's room, bottles of neon nail polish in her hands.

"Hey, Li-Na, are you free?"

Chiyo's trying to hit two birds with one stone: bond with the new person living with her and appease the Bingo gods.

[invocate]

Li-Na is sitting on her bed looking over some vocabulary cards. And thus is extremely welcoming to any interruption. The moment Chiyo knocks on her door, she stuffs the vocab cards back in their box and bounces off the bed to answer.

"Chiyo! Yes, I'm free... is that nail polish?"

[admiringly]

"Yes!" She looks a little sheepish and holds the bottles up higher for a clearer view. "I don't know if you'd be interested or if nail polish is something you like, but I thought painting our nails together would be fun? If that's something you wouldn't mind doing, I mean!"

Chiyo looks behind her where her room (and her phone) is. She has to be honest. "And I don't know if you got something sent to you, but I got a Bingo card and.... this was one of the squares."

[invocate]

"I like nail polish. But I did not bring any, because I was afraid it would break mid-flight."

And there is very little worse than broken nail polish in a suitcase full of clothes.

Li-Na goes back to her bed and flops down onto it, patting the blanket next to her.

"I have a bingo card, too. And I think I also have the nail polish square. So if you paint my nails, I will paint your nails, Chiyo."

[admiringly]

"Yay! Works for me!" Chiyo would clap her hands, but her hands are full. She sits down as beckoned and sets her bottles down. There's basically every color she could carry, so Li-Na will have her choice.

"You first or me first?

[invocate]

[cont here]

wildcard- let me know if this doesn't work

[thorninyourheart]

[the line in the Expressive coffee shop is long, and Myca is one of the people stuck in said line. they tried to work on their comps reading list, but after a few hours, took a break to get coffee before they start working again. it's a slow-moving line, held up by the usual elaborate, ridiculous orders, and they've mentally worked through, discarded some possibilities, and added several more titles to the list by the time they get to the front of the line.]

One small iced coffee, please. [there's...something about the barista behind the counter that nags at them. some kind of...vague sense. while still...trying to think this over, they set their cell phone on the counter briefly while digging for their wallet in advance. They don't even think about the Retrospec app icon in full view - since most people can't notice it anyway...]

[invocate]

[Working at Expressive has been a real test for Li-Na's English comprehension. Luckily after her week, she's grown accustomed to most of the usual types of orders and barely has to ask for clarification anymore (extra luckily shes not going to start learning how to make the drinks herself until next week). So even though it might seem like the line is moving a little slower than usual, the drinks are still coming out at their usual pace.

She smiles pleasantly at her next customer.]

One small iced coffee. May I have a drink for the order please?

[Li-Na taps the order into the register then starts marking up the plastic cup to match.]

[thorninyourheart]

[Myca, in return, is pleasant, their voice quiet but clear when they speak. they're a little distracted, trying to puzzle out the mystery of the wrong memory, but hide it very well.]

Of course. It's Myca. [they'll spell their name for her, slowly, and will repeat letters as necessary. they're not expecting a correct spelling: it would be nice, but it almost never happens. ]

NAME i mean NAME /omg

[invocate]

[cont here]