recolle | MARCH EVENT LOG

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MARCH EVENT LOG

EVENT

RUMOR HAS IT
In the age of modern technology, people keep in touch 24/7. It's hard to find a resident that doesn't own a cell phone, a tablet device, or a computer. It's even harder to find a resident that doesn't use their devices every single day. But the wonderful folks at Retrospec know just how important it is for you to stay in touch with your closest friends. Retrospec also knows how important it is to bond with your friends and learn all about them. Isn't that how friendships are made? Why would you ever hide something from your friends? That just won't do. After all, Retrospec is all about sharing...

I.
In all parts of the city, all residents with the Retrospec app will notice they have one unread notification. You can ignore the notification all you'd like, but you can't do much of anything else either. Do you have an important essay to finish typing for class tomorrow? Are you trying to search for reviews on the latest restaurant that opened in Tisse? That's too bad. Until you check out that notification your device (and subsequently all devices you try to use) will freeze up.

When you finally get sick of being blocked from everything and open the notification, you'll find a video of…well, you. You don't recall anyone filming you, but that's not the most startling part. What's unsettling about this video is the narration over the audio revealing a deep, dark secret about you. The best part is that the video auto-loops so long as you have the app open, but even if the app is closed the video may very well appear on the newsfeed of all Retrospec members.

The good news is that there is a way to delete the video! With a little work (and after suffering the embarrassment of having their auto-loop blast for all to hear), residents will be successful in deleting the video. Willingly showing it to another Retrospec user will allow the video to play as normal, but at the end a "DELETE" button will appear. On the other hand, Retrospec is still new and filled with little bugs and glitches. That video will be deleted but it might be sent out to the entire network as a private message. It might even go viral on the hottest streaming website. But don't worry, these things are happening to everyone. Will you embrace your secret? Or will you be one of the ones desperately trying to hide it?

II.

Those who aren't glued to their mobile devices will notice that spring is starting to roll in as snow melts away. Birds twitter to one another as they nest in the trees and the rooftops of several homes in the city. The flowers aren't blooming yet, but residents know they will be soon.

Today's just like any other day…but it's strange. Nothing seems out of the ordinary, but it almost feels as though you're being watched. No matter where you turn, you can't shake the feeling that there's a pair of eyes following every step you take and every move you make. Occasionally, you'll hear the flash of a camera but you can't catch the culprit fast enough.

Before you can duck into any of the buildings to escape, however, you'll find yourself ambushed by one, two, or maybe even three tabloids reporters complete with camera crew and microphones. The barrage of questions is dizzying, but it seems as though they want to question you about your secret that was publicized on Retrospec. Refusing to answer their questions will only make the reporters angry. Will you give them a full-spread report of your life? Will you run away and lead a pack of desperate paparazzi down the street? There must be a way to get rid of them once and for all!

…you might need some extra help though.

III.
There's a nervous kind of energy in the air as residents carry on with their daily routines. Kids joke about their silly secrets. Adults hope their colleagues won't judge them for the things they've done in the past. It's not so bad though. Everyone has an embarrassing secret they have to live with.

Oh well. Life goes on, and the city continues the way that it always has. For example, those in the Apprassage district will notice that the Recollé public library is hosting its semi-annual book swap. Residents can come trade their old books for new ones during the first week of March. The library will also be holding a bake sale with all proceeds going directly to the Recollé school district. Are you helping out at the sale? Are you perusing the stacks upon stacks of books to see what catches your eye? It's a great way to mingle with people and share stories.

And speaking of sharing stories, residents may look up and notice that a few people leaving the sale have a piece of paper taped to their back. It's not clear where this paper came from. You're fairly sure you didn't see anyone wandering around taping signs to people's backs. The poor sap in front of you appears to be oblivious, but upon closer inspection you may find that this paper reveals another secret about themselves. Will you alert them about this note, or will you let them walk around advertising their secret for the entire city? Think wisely; you might have your own secret taped to you, too.

IV.
Isn't technology supposed to make things easier? That no longer seems to be the case as a power surge blows through all districts in the city. Appliances start to act up. Lightbulbs burn out. Electronic billboards deliver scrambled messages. Toilets back up, audio feedback blows out the eardrums of performers at the Atrium, toasters catch on fire, everything that could possibly go wrong seems to be going wrong. Are you stuck at work trying to calm down an entire store? Are you forced to go into a lockdown at school until they figure out what's wrong with the lights?

It all comes to a head though starting the night of March 4th. Street lamps are bright and shining on the streets of all districts. Tisse is just as crowded and loud as ever with live music and parties. Employees in Chata go through their nightly procedures to close shop for the evening. It all happens so fast, but one minute everything seems to be functioning and the next the city plunges into a complete blackout. All lights and sounds cease to exist.

Are you out in the city? Maybe you were fortunate enough to be at home already, but it's never a bad idea to check on your neighbors. Mayor Mayer seems to be sleeping through the crisis. It's up to residents to work together to solve these issues and try to bring their power back. Groups can link up and search for any knocked-down power lines in the city (and will most likely find them in Apprassage.) There are several emergency generators scattered in the city, but it's best to take a buddy before wandering in the dark. Residents can also create emergency response teams to hand out supplies and direct other citizens to safe zones as the generators begin to kick in. There are no limits to how people can help. In fact...there may even be some residents who have a few unique ideas.

BONUS.
Okay. So your secret's out. No big deal, right? It's out and you've embraced it and life can move on. If only it were that easy though. Over the course of the month of March, several residents may start to experience other tricks of memory. For instance, maybe you order your favorite coffee drink only to discover it doesn't taste quite the same. A trip to the movies might surprise you when the trailer for the next big feature stars someone who looks a little like you. Your favorite song on the radio might get interrupted by a conversation between two people discussing, well, you.

Look around. You may find you're not the only one second-guessing yourself.

Then again, some people just want answers. For those who are sick of Retrospec butting into their lives, you're more than welcome to head back to their offices in Tisse. Getting in won't be easy. In front of the door is a large monitor-type device and an interactive screen. If you want to step into their headquarters, looks like you'll have to grab a friend and play along.

With the success of a fully completed puzzle, the door will unlock and allow characters to step into the lobby. This time, instead of being completely empty, there are a handful of large glass tubes mounted to the walls. Inside these tubes are colored stones of varying amounts, though it's obvious some are more full than others. The doors in the halls will still be locked, vents and windows will be unable to open, and--huh. Didn't there used to be an elevator? Where'd that go?

There's a large sign that says "DO NOT TOUCH" in front of the tubes, but for anyone who blatantly ignores the sign, they'll be hit with an overwhelming sense of homesickness that will drive them out of the building and to wherever they consider home. But on their way there, they'll find themselves at the mercy of those pesky reporters again, this time asking for details about the story they created with the Retrospec building's new security measure.

Welcome to

recolle's March's event! As a reminder, 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 a note, memories in prompts I and II are from your Recollé AU. However, memories from prompt III may hint at a canon memory that your character has recovered! Any questions you have regarding this event may be directed to the mod comment here.

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[Honestly, if she's at all hurt, Alicia may be lucky - if Maya hadn't noticed all that, she was about half a second from tearfully hugging the life out of the other girl. Emphasis on tearful - a good shine of the light will show her face is more than a little wet and splotchy, and her eyes red.

But for a second, she's more concerned about Alicia. Enough that "most of this blood isn't mine!" doesn't click with her in the sense that in most cases, that'd be the wrong thing for ANYONE to say in this situation. She quietly fumbles with the spare flashlight for a moment, looking a bit panicked then as she assesses Alicia's damage herself.]

Y- your leg is bleeding! Are you sure you're okay-?!

[She then blinks a bit, trying to clear the mist out of her eyes, and accidentally sniffles.] L- looking for me...? Since this afternoon? Really...? [She bites her lip and frowns, before "looking" warily around in the pitch blackness, and then focusing in just on where the light shines.] It- it's not been a great day, no... but it sure sounds like others have had worse...

[Not that she wouldn't have taken that, but adrenaline is a funny thing. Still, Maya's condition is more concerning than her own at the moment. She seems to be physically fine...?]

I'm... good enough. The cuts ache, and the bigger one must have started bleeding again - if it stopped in the first place - but they're just flesh wounds. They'll heal, and I'll be fine. I'll keep a while longer, in any event.

I'm here right now, at least, because I was worried about you. All I heard was that you'd run out - given the state of things lately, I didn't want something to happen to you, and I wasn't sure if anyone else had gone after you, so... here I am. Whether or not something worse has happened to someone - and given what I've seen on my way here, I can say that perhaps it has - that doesn't make your problems any less significant.

[A small, almost hollow chuckle, before she looks down at her hands and works out which one is a little cleaner, offering it to Maya.] I'll understand if you'd rather I kept my hands to myself right now, but... can you stand? There's some moonlight outside, at least. I don't trust these flashlights to keep up forever.

[In spite of it all, after hearing Alicia say all that, she then lacks any hesitation in grabbing the other girl's hand and holding onto it tightly. She'd been worried about her... Rachel had chased her down... Melody even had helped her escape those stupid reporters. She was relying on all of them without even trying, but what had she done for them...?

Still, she can't worry too much about that, she's too busy being swept up in her own emotions there, as her teary eyes begin to spill over.]

S- sorry, I didn't... I didn't mean to worry you! But, just. My phone was going crazy, screaming things about-- mn. [She tilts her face down, letting her flashlight shine on the ground.] Things that I'd-- I'd be too embarrassed to tell anyone. About how I... I just. In the dark, without any light, by myself... I lose my nerve... and when this happened...!

[She grips that hand tighter.] I was scared senseless...

Worrying is something I do whether I mean to or not, sometimes. [It's in what she's hoping is a calming tone; the grip on her hand is strong. Poor thing must have been terrified.] But... it's okay, isn't it? Everyone has things they're scared of. And sometimes fears aren't rational, or even tangible. But you do the best you can... and you count on other people to help you through, right? People work better when they work together.

[Alicia tugs gently on Maya's hand, trying to convince her to move. Being stuck in Freshens is only going to become a worse idea as time passes, and better lighting will allow her to assess both their conditions more accurately.]

Take your time. It's okay to be scared, as long as you don't let it control you. Deep breaths, okay? I'm here if you need me.

[At the reassurance, Alicia will find Maya's grip - well, it was already strong, but it's a little less fearful. Just drawing as much strength from the other girl's presence as possible.]

I- I, it's just... [She moves as she's urged, even as she finds her eyes watering more.] I've been kind of worried, too... With all of these stupid memories, everyone is so weirded out by them... and I've- I've caused a lot of them because of what I've said or seen... It feels like I always- always make people go away, because I do too much, or not enough, and-- I was scared I was starting to do it again! I didn't want to- to be someone you'd be afraid to look at because of what might come up...

[Dammit, she is crying now. At least it's dark enough one can't easily see how red her face is.] Even then, you were still looking for me...

[Alicia is a rock. It's how she lives her life, lately. Still, she senses some of Maya's insecurity as the other girl speaks, and her mind whirls, reaching for anything she can do.]

I freely admit that some of these memories freak me out. A lot. I don't know what to think, but that's because I'm trying to work through them. I don't want to see that pink-haired girl when I look at you, Maya - I want to see you. So while I'm curious about what everything means, more than anything else, I want to make sure I'm doing right by you until then. You are still you, no matter what our memories say we may have been sometime in the past. I may be afraid of what those visions mean, but as much as I am able - I am human, after all - I will never be afraid of you.

[They're not out quite yet, but there's a large window looking in onto the produce section from outside, and moonlight is streaming in, giving an ethereal white glow to the bunkers and providing rather a lot of light in this particular spot. Sensing it's enough right now, she drifts with Maya toward them, setting the flashlight down so her hand is free once they're in the light. Then, seeking to give Maya something to latch onto so she can work through everything - her sobs were audible even before she could see them - Alicia gently wraps an arm around Maya, careful to go slowly. Pulling some of her cuts open would be bad for both of them, let alone spooking her friend.]

So of course I'd look for you. You're my precious friend - I'm not going to leave you to wander the city in your fear. I'm sorry it took me this long to find you, and that I didn't really understand when I did, but I'm here now. It's okay, Maya. Everything will be all right.

[As the words finished leaving Maya's mouth, she felt instantly horrible about dumping all of that on Alicia. Hell, she was a few sentences short of expressing a bunch of deep rooted issues that she's never even so much as given a thought to sharing with anyone. But she stops short and listens to her.

In effect, while she feels awful for having those doubts, hearing the reassurance helps tremendously. Knowing Alicia was still concerned for her, about her, regardless of whatever those memories held was ... well, it gives her a different, warm sort of comfort she's not used to. Then when they step and she moves to gingerly hug her, Maya doesn't really stop crying, but taking it as a sign it'd be appreciated in turn, she gently hugs her back, careful not to squeeze so hard she's going to hurt anything.]

I'm ... you're... mm. I... I'm sorry, Alicia. I was starting to freak out, I've ... been freaking out quietly for awhile, and I just... I've really liked having you around and was starting to be afraid all this stuff would screw it up!

[She sucks in a breath, trying to stave off her stupid tears and put a smile on her bright red face.] I'm... glad. I'm glad you came here, and I'm glad you're my friend...!

[Alicia draws a certain amount of comfort from knowing that Maya is all right; the arm snaking back around her just as gently is surprisingly reassuring, and some of her tension about the situation melts away. Her collection of cuts doesn't even bother her at the moment, her attention focused outward now that everything is some semblance of fine.]

It's going to take more than that to scare me away, Maya. A lot more. [She grins, seeing Maya working to smile again.] A smile suits you best - getting that back is worth whatever it took me to get here.

[Despite the chill in the air, and the clammy feeling from both fear of tonight's unknown and having already been in danger once tonight, she feels warm. Her heart is soaring, and even as she realizes they need to keep moving, part of her is content just to stay like this for a bit.]

I'm glad we're friends, too.

[Maya is actually pretty content to stay like that, for a moment. She feels safe like this, but she also feels a lot stronger. Perhaps a long ways from the girl who proclaimed she "wants to protect everyone's smiles," and today she's felt further from that than ever before.

She pulls back a little bit as Alicia speaks again, her face heating up more, heart jumping a little as she realizes just how close they are and how much she's just kind of lingering. At the smile though, her own becomes a bit more genuine.

She sniffles and nods, giving a small laugh at her own stupidity.] Mm... I'm... I'm happy to hear that...

[Her eyes shift a little bit away, embarrassment rising even as she doesn't budge.] Smiling's better! I'm just... glad I got given a reason for one, tonight... Thank you, Alicia.

[Both of them have a bit of growing to do, yet; Alicia feels like she should have been here sooner - or should have understood there was a problem without needing to have been told - but she's setting that aside for now. She's not terribly concerned with the space between them, or the lack thereof - it's a hazard of the job, in some ways, and her relief overrides almost everything else anyway.]

I understand, I do. The hardest thing when you feel like nothing is to keep the faith. But... sometimes that's when hope can burn brightest. Just keep believing, and everything will work out. So... I'm just glad I made it. I don't want to think about what it would have been like to have been stuck here alone much longer, and now we don't have to.

[She's quiet for a moment. Then, softly:]

This is my stage, too. My dream is to make people smile, and this is a performance as important as any other, you know? Working without a script is challenging, but... well. It feels good when everything goes right. But even before that, I warned you I was going to hover a little bit. [Her smile turns a little bit mischievous.] Or perhaps a lot.

[Alicia might find Maya suddenly seeming to tense up as her voice drops softer, and says all of that. It's not really in a ... bad way, mind you, but it's a noticeable reaction. While outwardly friendly, Maya's always had difficulty making connections, and there's also the widening gulf between her and her parents, but this is... quite different from that, isn't it? It feels quite a bit different from just acting casually friendly with people, too. Indeed, there's very little "casual" about Alicia asserting that.

Maya sniffles a little more, and dries her eyes, meeting the mischievous smile with a nervous, but happy one.] I-- mm. Keeping faith is hard sometimes, but it- it feels easier, like this.

[With someone to help facilitate it.]

You do, heh... you do pretty well ad libbing it, then... [She really hopes the light is dim enough to cover how red her face is, truth be told.] I think I'm okay with that hovering, it's just not something I'm used to but... [She lets out an uneven little breath, uncertain of herself or her own words for a moment. Once again, a far cry from that pink haired girl in the here and now.] It feels nice.

[For a moment, Alicia's worried she did something wrong when Maya tenses, but she slowly comes to see the girl isn't offended or anything, so she doesn't worry about it so much. For her own part, Alicia is letting some of her walls down - this is more than a show, for all her bluster. Maya is an important friend, and she's willing to open up her heart and be a little less guarded about things. Whether or not this is a good thing is up to interpretation. In this moment, she's not really thinking about how she looks on the outside - she's more concerned about getting her message across, about reaching out and touching the heart she's worried about.]

It usually is, when you have someone else to lean on. Whatever problems we have - whether it's Retrospec, or memories, or fears, or just because you dropped something and it makes you mad - we can handle together. Everything will be fine. If we can believe that in our hearts, we can make it happen.

But... I work hard at it. I want to be more than just a pretty face - I want to be there when people need me. So I push myself, and I can be a little forceful, but... [She takes a moment to truly take in Maya again; she seems more calm, more stable now, though that shaky breath gains notice for a different reason. The light's not quite dim enough for Alicia not to notice at least a little bit of what's in Maya's expression, and her smile becomes warmer, more true.]

I'm here for you, if you can put up with me.

[More than anything, Maya feels ... a lot more comfortable now than she'd really have anticipated, in this situation. Especially given she basically got herself into it, for all intents and purposes. In this, a simple light wouldn't have been enough. It's really taken another's presence to get her back to herself...

...and with the fact that someone is Alicia, it's not exactly unwelcome. In fact, a small part of her wonders if she's a little too comfortable like this but she quietly tries to snuff that thought out.]

I'm not used to that - leaning on, or ... relying on someone else. I'd always feel like I'm imposing, or that I should be strong enough to do it on my own...

[She sucks in another breath, and... lets out a calm one. She pulls one arm back and reaches around until she finds one of Alicia's, pulling it around and grasping it. She's not entirely sure herself why she's doing this, but it feels more or less correct, though the pink in her cheeks doesn't fade in the slightest.] I can definitely put up with it, though! I'm... really appreciative, you've done so much you didn't have to do, and...

Mm. I'm... really grateful for that...

And- and I want to be able to... return that, however I can...! Sometime, some way!

That's okay, too. When you can stand up on your own, stand. But when you can't, depend on your friends, on the people that care about you. We'll help you up. Together, we can make it through anything, right?

[Maya seems to be calming down finally, which is a relief. Everything should be fine now. That feeling is compounded when she feels Maya's hand on her own. The warmth of the contact is reassuring in more ways than one, and for the first time tonight, she relaxes. Alicia carefully pushes off thoughts of whatever else Maya's reactions could mean for later. They're probably not important right now... maybe. For the moment, she just grins wider.]

I don't have to. But I want to. You're important to me. I want to make sure nothing happens to you, and if it takes me hovering until I'm sure you're safe and in good spirits, that's what I'll do. And if you want to return that... keep an eye on me, in exchange. I have a bad habit of going a little crazy sometimes. [There's a certain twinkle in Alicia's eyes as her smile quirks a bit.] It's a problem I'm working on. But I could use a little help so I don't go overboard.

[The moonlight shifts. Now that Maya seems calmer, it might be better to get outside. Being anywhere but here seems prudent, although she'd definitely rather just be home right now. She suspects Maya feels the same.]

If you're up to it, should we get moving? I don't trust these alarms but to turn on when I don't want them.

Together...

[A lot of what Alicia's saying makes her head spin and in ways she can't quite piece together, the way her day has been. She'll .. figure that out at some point. Hopefully. For now she just nods, though she doesn't let go of her hand or lighten the grip on it at all. Even if she feels her blood pumping a little faster than before, and not out of fear now.]

Of course! I'll do just that! I- mm. You're an important friend, too, and I've ... done a bad job of keeping people around me in the past... I'll definitely do that...!

[Not that Maya keeping someone from doing crazy things is ... the most likely thing to happen, but it's the thought that counts, right? While "calmer" might not be the exact word to describe her, she's feeling better. She's having some trouble keying in on her precise words, but as Alicia suggest that she blinks, and laughs nervously.]

Oh, um. Yeah...! So long as I've got you with me, I think we'll be fine doing that...!

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MARCH EVENT LOG

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