recolle | CITY EVENT LOG

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CITY EVENT LOG

EVENT

The New Administration
Wait, what?
*[ooc: please be sure to read all mod notes at the bottom!]

The third is when everything seems to start with a bang. On the third day of February, several crashes and bangs are heard and the sound of creaky metal ripples through the air. Those who look outside will see a sight for sore eyes. The moon and the stars brighten the sky and the dome is nowhere to be seen.

Instead, anyone in Tisse will find yet another addition to the wonderful city of Recollé. At the very top of the Towers sits a penthouse with wide windows and an empty office building, soft lights glowing and illuminating the area.

The city goes silent after that, but at the top of the hour every single Retrospec user receives a text from a user named Zee Carlisle.

Nice city you've got here. They weren't kidding when they said I would fit right in. I've always wanted to live in a city like this. Jo, Maury and the rest of the team have given you a little bit of a breakdown in preparation for our little project, but they recruited me to step in. Seems like a lot of you want a more personal experience here with us at Retrospec. So let's talk. Get to know each other. I'll go first. Zee Carlisle, Hiring Manager. Nice to meet you, etc. I've been watching you for a while, Retrospecters. Kind of a unique group you've got going. I like it. Here's the thing. We've been experiencing some problems out of our control for a while now. The director's been trying to keep things under wraps for the last year, but HR and R&D finally convinced the higher ups that we need help. So. You want the whole story? Here's your story. The storms are getting worse. You might've noticed. Calls are down, mail's down, communication as a whole is down and isolating you into this teensy bubble of a city. It's why the dome went up, had to protect our resources and start isolating the sources. More areas and more people even outside of your little group here are being affected, but you guys are the only people who can help us. Some of you passed your assessments with flying colors and I've already sent messages. You'll leave for your assignments in the morning at 9am, congratulations. As for the rest of you, welllll…consider this an interview. You see...as a Hiring Manager, I'm looking for recruits for our new project. The Recollé Restoration Initiative (going forward known as the RRI) is a project we designed here to not only help us, but to help you help us help you. Make sense? Cool. You may ask, "Why should we trust you?" which is a completely fair question to ask. And hey, you don't have to trust me or trust them. But I think you might be interested to know that you and I have more in common than you think. As a user on the network, you can contact me via text, phone or email. I'll also have some office hours and more resources than you could ever dream of. But enough about me. Here's your first assignment.

I.

On the morning of the fourth, users going through their assessment period (i.e. those of you who are working inside the city) receive a diagram from Zee. In this diagram, a dot labelled "Recollé" sits in the center and in the four cardinal directions are different labelled dots. To the south is Pesgare. To the north is Magatus. To the east is Respatrum. And to the west is Bosuma.

Citizens will find that they are able to leave the city limits now and can explore the open areas leading to these four points. While they will not be able to visit them just yet, they will be instructed that they must work together to begin structuring paths, roads, or forms of transportation between the main city of Recollé and these four locations. Zee may take requests and provide items should users ask, but it's up to you to work together and start brainstorming the best ways to create maps and connect these points together.

But the best way to do that is to start exploring, right? Hit the road and grab a friend to begin getting a lay of the land. Southward leads residents to the beach while northward leads them through the forest, east and west giving way to desert and open field areas the further they travel. The expanse of directions seems endless, but eventually citizens will find that they will hit a point where they're unable to enter. An "ACCESS DENIED" notification will pop up on their phone, notifying them that they've reached the entry points of the special assignments volunteers have been sent on.

But even with restricted access, there's plenty to be done and plenty to take care of as part of the initiative. Flora in the area needs to be identified and the fauna may be a bit problematic if you aren't careful. Some of these plants and creatures may even look familiar to you, but many of them won't!

Off-roading and camping are encouraged and despite the fact it's February the weather seems to be amendable to these ventures. Clear as many of the monsters as possible to make way for the paths, report your findings to your hiring manager, and look out for each other as you start to shape the land.

II.

It's not just the outskirts of the city and open areas that need help. Some citizens who have lived here for a while may remember that February 3rd is traditionally known as Founder's Day, a holiday set up by the city to celebrate the foundation. In the days leading up to the third, banners, signs and all kinds of advertisements have gone up reminding everyone that this year is the 100th anniversary of the city's foundation. However, as the third approaches, Founder's Day comes and goes without any sort of large celebration. In fact, the annual parade is cancelled and instead citizens gather to discuss a more trying matter.

Breaking news hits the airwaves that Mayor Mayer, the entire city council, the head of police, the fire chief and other prominent figures of the city have disappeared overnight. As newscasters record TV footage in front of City Hall and the police station, Retrospec users will receive a new message.

Uh. Well, that was unexpected. I wasn't really counting on something like this coming up but let's roll with it and count it as part of your assessment. You want your city to keep running the way it did? Find your mayor and the others. But hey...it's your city. What if you didn't?

Under your feet, blue pulses of light run under the streets and the sidewalks, energy thrumming beneath you as all lights lead back to the subway tunnels again. Will you be a hero and follow the lights to rescue these people? Or will you be a face of change and leave them to perish and redesign the city?

Those who do enter the tunnels will find that a new route has opened, a mouth to the left of the main entrance from the city. Unlike the other dirt-filled vine-and-rat-infested tunnels, this one is a sterile and bright silver path with floor to ceiling panels on one side of the tracks and floor to ceiling mirrors on the other. The path seems to stretch miles and miles under the city and the further you walk, the narrower the path becomes. The sound of wild animals echo through the tunnels from the other sides of the panels, and the mirrors to your left reflect skeletal forms of both people and animals alike. The closer you get to the end though, the louder the sounds grow and the panels to the right slide open to release several chimera-esque creatures who will do everything they can to guard the silver door at the end of the tunnel. These creatures can be defeated by normal means, and they will not hesitate to attack anyone who gets close.

Is it worth fighting to save these people? You decide. Those who defeat the creatures and find themselves at the silver door will receive yet another message.

Hang tight, I am grouping you with some of the others to finish this thing.

III.
Later on the fourth, no matter where you are, you may find something heavy resting in your pocket. A small colored stone shaped like a heart appears and even while tucked away safely it burns brightly. Holding it, the heart feels as though it's pulsating and you're flooded with an overwhelming sense of love for something special whether that's a person, an item, or an ideal. All users find themselves in possession of a stone, and soon another text comes through.

If you're anything like me, you're probably wondering what's up with the rocks. Had the techs run some tests on these. Don't freak out, but you might want to be careful with them? They're working as fast as they can but bits of your soul energy are tied directly to those stones. You break it or make it lose its shine, well, hard to say WHAT might happen.

Users who keep their stones on their person in their pockets or in a bag will find that whatever emotions they're dealing with will transfer to whomever they encounter. Feeling happy that the sun's back? Everyone around you will wear a smile. Stressed out that your loved ones volunteered for a mission and they're out who-knows-where? Everyone around you will pick up that same nervous energy. The stone's color will fade if you ignore these feelings and even worse, fissures may start to form if they continue to be ignored.

And though you may not know it yet, shattering the heart is the worst thing you could do: if the stone breaks, the thing that you love disappears from your mind completely. All memories and emotions associated with this heart will vanish without a second thought.

IV.
What's that smell in the air? Is it love? Close, it's cherry blossoms. It's a sickeningly sweet scent that occasionally blows through with the wind, strongest in the city and more faint the further you travel. However, citizens beware as invisible assailants appear to be on the prowl. Without warning, you may feel the prick of Cupid's arrow from behind. Though the effects only last two hours maximum, they're fairly inconvenient while on assignment. These effects include:

-Heart-shaped pupils
-A violent whirlwind of rose petals appearing any time you make eye contact with someone new
-Your emotions are intensified
-Your emotions are flipped. People you have a fondness for may now disgust you, or people you normally argue with may become your best friend

Inconvenient, yet manageable, right?

On February 14th though things become a bit harder. Yet another message comes through.

Hope you've been having an easier time with the residual effects than I am. You know what makes everything easier? Teamwork. And that's what today's assignment is all about. Happy Valentine's Day.

The first person that you see on this day may be a friend or a stranger, but soon you will find that a strangely magnetic force binds the two of you together. For the next 24 hours, you and your partner will be stuck together and must work together. Whether this is working on the road construction assignment, the rescue mission or just going about your everyday lives you'll have a built-in companion for the day. Who knows? You may even find yourself stuck with up to two additional people, too.

But what if you stray too far from your partner(s)? No worries. A red string will bind your hands together and ensure you're always connected, simply falling away once the 24 hours are up.

THE FUTURE.
So this is life now, isn't it? A year's gone by since Retrospec's impacted so many lives and it may feel as though you're nowhere closer to answering questions. Perhaps you're just starting your journey with the restoration company. Either way, your help is most appreciated and acknowledged. As you work toward the goals assigned to you, you will be rewarded. For an excellent show of teamwork, at the end of your assessment you will find yourself on the receiving end of a brand new memory or vision of a life lost. Some of you may also receive a ticket in the mail to pick up an item at the Retrospec mailbox by Wiffle-Waffle. A message will be sent not long after.

Congrats, you passed. Come to my office in March if you're ready for harder assignments.

Welcome to

recolle's February event!

Please read these notes carefully!

Prompt I may be played with however you want! There is really no right or wrong answer, and as mentioned Zee can be reached at his inbox to provide you with any tools your character may ask for to connect the four points to the city. You are free to make up plant names and what effects they have on the eco systems as well and report these back to the NPC if you wish. As of right now, the only monsters roaming the grounds are those in the above bestiary though other earthly wildlife may be found.

Prompt II will require some coordination! If you complete a thread with someone in which you defeat the monsters and get to the silver door before 2/16 at 9pm EST, please hit up Zee's inbox! ICly (and oocly) your character will be put in contact with the small group of others who have worked toward this endeavor and given the next step to save these important NPCs.

Prompt III will have set consequences! If your character breaks their heart, they will lose memories and feelings associated with something they love. Breaking the stone is entirely optional, and there will possibly be a way to regain these memories later down the line as a reward for the future, but please keep this in mind!

The Future will only be applicable once you've met your freebie requirements for this log! Remember, the requirements for one free memory are 15 comments spread across at least two threads (min. 5 consecutive comments each) using these prompts. For the free 10-20 point item, one of these threads must be with a character you haven't threaded with before!

A mod-posted Retrospec post may go up if necessary to connect city players with group players, dependent on player action!

As always, you may also create your own logs or inbox threads based on these prompts. Any questions you have regarding this event may be directed to the mod comment here.

Happy anniversary, Recollé!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Yes...

[The mention of Shinji always gets a... reaction out of her. Good, bad, doesn't matter. Today it's a quiet sort of resignation, unlike her previous spit and fire, and her glance falls to the wayside.

It's not that she's ungrateful. It's just accepting this has happened in the first place.

-- Well. She's not going to pout. After rousing herself:]

Thankfully some of my friends are looking out for him... until we can maybe find them.

[Which requires that boat, so as they keep walking, Sakura begins looking this way and that] Do you remember what your ship looks like?

-May gelt that reaction, expected it, and she reached to give Sakura's hand a small squeeze when it came. Just a bit, just enough to pass on the sentiment that it was okay to still be upset.-

Can never forget it... Maybe it's out at the pier? Let's check there, first.

[A small smile. Yes... the gesture does help some, and she'll return the hand squeeze before focusing again]

Okay, you lead the way.

-The docks weren't a far walk from the bust stop. But May had barely rounded the corner around the street before her eyes caught glimpse of something huge parked at the pier, and her own widened, nearly dropping her phone...-

No way... -It couldn't be, but that vessel out in the distance was unmistakable. Her heart began to race, leaping into her throat with each beat. Thanks to her stone, Sakura could feel it, too, as sensation difficult to describe. But it was intense, anxious, like seeing home for the first time in a lifetime...-

No way! -May took off running, towards the pier, temporarily forgetting she was still holding Sakura's hand.-

[She isn't familiar enough with the heart stones to realize it's May's feelings bleeding into her, and so Sakura looks to the vessel with the same intense, excited anxiety that coils her stomach into happy knots. Even having never seen it before, she thinks it's beautiful, and only lets out a sharp laugh of surprise when May drags her along]

We found it--!

Oh my God! That's it! That's the one from the other me's world! -She finally slowed to a stop once they were at the pier proper. The giant airship dwarfed every other boat there, and some of the other sailors had gathered around to gawk in wonder. But it was unmistakeable who the ship belonged to. On the port side, two dolphins were painted in the shape of a heart, angelic wings extending from their dorsals. In between the dolphins, in big bold beautiful letters...

"MAYSHIP"-

Ooh--! It even has your name on it!

[Don't ask why that detail in particular seems to delight Sakura, but her hands give a clap in glee. And goodness, the size of it... admittedly she'd assumed something much smaller than what May had probably described, but there's no denying the ship's majesty in person. It's like they could invite all their friends and still have room left over.]

-May let go of Sakura's hand, but only to grab the strange key she'd gotten in the mail. She couldn't begin to understand how the device worked. It was a key fob, sort of? But way way more advanced, and seemed to respond to her thumbprint. There's a soft chime and the port hatch begins to open.-

Whoa... you see that? -May gestured as the ramp extended, pointing out a large glass orb further up the ship.- In my memories, that tank can actually hold dolphins!

Really?

[Just ogling the tank on her way up the ramp, still following close to May.]

Everything's so big here...

It's amazing! Let's see... -Once inside the hatch, there was a panel next to the door leading to the rest of the ship, with a scanner on it.-

I think it takes... yeah, my handprint! -May placed her palm firmly on the scanner, a confirming beep and green light accompanying it. There's the sound of air pressure leaking from the door before it whirred and slid itself open, leading them to a long hallway...-

I can't believe it... It's all real, just like it was in my dreams! All of us, the Jellyfish crew, we stayed here. That's Ms. Leap's room over there... Oh, and there's July and June's room! I think... Yeah, and over here is the room April and I shared! -She lead Sakura the whole way, clinging to her hand once more, happy as the day was long. This place felt like 'home' the same way the apartment with Sakura had. It was warm, despite it's metal interior, the halls echoing with memories of a found family that meant the world to eachother...-

Let's go see the main bridge! -She dashed off, down the hallway, rounding around a curved hallway.-

[May's excitement is contagious to be sure, though Sakura feels her smile dimming at the corners when her friend chatters off a list of names she's never heard before (or rarely, at any case). Ms. Leap, July, June, April... the Jellyfish pirates. An entire family that once lived in this ship, right?

But it's... it's so quiet now. The halls are warm but empty, filled with echoes of the past. It's just two girls wandering by themselves today, and as Sakura watches May dart around the hallway while she herself walks at a slightly slower clip, her only wish is that May's enthusiasm will never run out. Let this ship always be her happiness.

-- A sigh quickly follows. Then she shakes her head, clears her thoughts. Really though. She's thinking too hard. Everything's fine. Content in that knowledge, she springs into a little jog so she can catch up again.]

-In May's gleeful reverie, the reality of the situation was kind of lost on her at the moment. In her mind, it felt like the Jellyfish girls were all around her. That Sakura was just, like... one of them. The colder truth that this home of hears was cold and empty and lifeless hadn't set in. And it wouldn't set in any time in the next moment, as the hatch to the main bridge opened up...-

Whoa... -The view looked out over the bay, crystal blue sky and water (finally) reflecting back in May's eyes as she slowly stepped onto the bridge.-

This... is it. That chair, over there... -She pointed at a red cushioned seat, the nameplate above it reading "Captain May".- It's all here... the helm, the communications console, the sensor console, all of it... -There was a weapons console, too, but she ignored it for the moment. Not like she had any idea just what the Mayship's payload was...-

The water...

[She breathes the word out like a prayer, stunned by the view and how the water keeps stretching on for an eternity. Her little cousin is out there somewhere, but at least in this moment she wants to forget part of the reason they're here, just be content with what they're given.

... She still smiles pointedly at the seat, though.]

You should go sit!

-Well, yeah, shouldn't she? May bounced a bit, giggling as she let go of Sakura's hand once more to run over and plop herself down into that captain's chair, settling in. It fit like a glove, comfortable and almost overwhelmingly familiar.-

Steady as she goes... -May whispered in reverie, the words deeply reminiscent for both her and her other self. She was back, finally. On her blue sea, looking out to her blue sky.

She hadn't even realized it... but she'd started crying.-

[... May really loves the sea, doesn't she?

Or perhaps it's the swell of everything happening that's elicited such an emotion: the ship, the memories, the return to home. Sakura never doubted her friend's words, that living in Sakura's small apartment had still given May a harbor, but looking between the sea and the tears trailing on May's cheeks, Sakura still thinks it could have never compared to something like this.

So her smile is peaceful, heartfelt, as she slowly approaches the chair too, digging from her pocket a handkerchief of all things, to pass to May if she'd like it.

It's a beautiful moment, so... it's okay if May cries.]

I-I'm sorry. -May took the kerchief, dabbing at her eyes and then sniffling, loudly.-

I just... I never thought I'd be here on the open sea again. I'd kinda... I mean I didn't say anything about it, and it was easy to smile so long as I had you in my life, but I'd given up on ever getting out here again.

-Sakura had given her so much, pulled her up from utter darkness, saved her life... but as wonderful as Sakura was, her calling to the ocean never went away. It felt like... where she belonged. Her freedom in its most pure form. But knowing that...-

I guess... I guess this means I'll be moving out soon, though.

[Hand suddenly gripped against the frame of the chair, Sakura's smile... it...]

... Yeah!

[It brightens politely as she loosens her hand and takes one step back.]

Of course. You've got a new ship and everything. And with a view like this...

[Well certainly May can't waste it, she thinks. Had Sakura not just thought how much May loves the sea? It makes sense that the follow through would be the other girl moving to spend her days here, her home, the place of precious memories.]

Yeah, it's... so beautiful, it's overwhelming... -Another sniff... There's a long, absent pause before May suddenly springs from the chair, crashing into Sakura, wrapping her arms tightly around her shoulders and openly sobbing. But these are definitely not tears of happiness. Something is very... wrong...-

[It's a sudden, desperate move that nearly takes three years off of Sakura's lifespan, and with the sobbing girl suddenly clinging to her, can do little more than stand frozen and shaken at the same time.]

M-may-chan...?

[Her hands twitch uncertainly before they gain a life of their own, wrap around her best friend and hold her close. Their are tears in her own eyes now -- either she knows or she suspects the "why".

But even still--]

May-chan, what's wrong?

I thought this was my dream! I thought this is what I wanted, but... -She choked out the words through her tears, rubbing her face against Sakura's shoulder, only finding the barest comfort in her warmth, in her scent, and in fact it only felt that much more painful, because...-

But I don't want to leave you! You saved me when I was at my worst and I can't just... I can't just let you go!

[Oh.... oh.

(so she still needs me)

The thought is so ugly, and yet so warmed and delighted that Sakura nearly recoils away from both it and May, like she's found the one corner of her soul that's filled with puss instead of light.

... But she doesn't let go, either, just tightens her hug and rests her cheek on May's shoulder.]

... Why do you think you have to?

[...]

W-we'll still be friends. [Her voice quakes, only steadying when she bites back the tremors] We can still see each other.

Edited (/ADDS MOAR) 2018-02-28 06:11 (UTC)

It's not... It's not the same. -And she knew, more deeply, why that was, but there were reasons that didn't have to do with those feelings, and as compromised as she was, she forced herself to remember Kei's words, and what it meant to protect Sakura from those parts of her heart that were best left alone...-

You... you're my anchor. I'm not ready to be on my own again yet.

[And again, her voice rises from the crevice of her thoughts

Why do you think you have to

Except here she can allow herself peace of mind, that her suggestion won't be wrong. There's water in her smile, but warmth in the delivery]

... I could always stay with you.

[Is that too bold, she wonders? Acting as if she has any right to May's treasure. No, it won't matter. Because regardless of the answer, Sakura knows she will be careful for her friend's sake, mindful of her place and whose home is whose. She'll be a visitor so May isn't alone in this huge, empty ship filled of memories.]

-May sniffled, digesting the offer. She... she could do that. It would be a longer commute to school and work, to be sure, but that didn't seem like something Sakura would mind. And the cats would have more space to explore, she knew the ship was cat-safe from her memories. And, above all else...

Neither of them would have to be alone.-

Would you really be okay with that?