CITY EVENT LOG

[recollecters]

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!

Comments

[broroona]

[basil's eyes snap to hers. the idea of skipping work startles him more than the idea of her skipping school. hell, he even thinks to fight it, chewing his lip for a hot second before realizing that. yeah. she's right. maki would definitely make a terrible busboy.

still doesn't mean he has to like it.]

Fine. But you have to tell Dad why.

[darin]

[ There's something in how long he takes to think about it.. ]

Hey, you were just thinking something that would piss me off right?

[ Maki!! You're priorities!! ]

I'll tell him whatever you want if you buy me new scissors. For now we need a plan-- I have stuff I need to get done before the end of the day and I'm guessing you do too. We'll also need to figure out whose place we're staying tonight if we can't get rid of this stupid thing before then.

[ Because obviously with the rest of this app/dome/whatever else weirdness this was not some normal string. ]

[broroona]

[for once basil actually looks scared.]

Yours. Definitely yours. I'm already skipping work. The last thing I need is for him to think it was because I had some date with you.

[not to mention his dad would skin him alive for even touching maki]

It's your place. Definitely your place.

[darin]

[ Naturally, Maki being Maki, finds reason to fight him on that statement too. ]

Don’t say that like it’s such a bad thing! You’re not exactly a catch yourself.

[ cue offended hair flip!! ]

But fine, my house it is then. Mom and dad are going out tonight so they probably won’t even know you’re there.

[ she could explain this situation to her brother no problem (he’d probably find it funny if anything). Her parents on the other hand, strict as they were, would probably not be very enthralled at having a stranger sleeping on her floor. ]

Like I said, I have things I need to get done today. So if you don’t have anything better to do I need to go home.

[ so she can make her dumb chocolate obviously! ]

[broroona]

[basil quickly files away all of these facts. mom and dad: out tonight. good. he can pretend he left instead of sleeping over. they won't assume anything that way. the trouble is they were... there now? he'd have to be careful. stay as far as he could with this stupid string in order to make it clear they're just friends.

he just continues this overwrought strategy as he stares expressionless at her.]

I had something to do. [DON'T FORGET HE'S DISAPPOINTING HIS DAD FOR THIS MAKI. he'll remind her constantly] But fine. Let's just go.

[darin]

[ Makis huffs a little before turning on her heel and yanking her hand forward so that the string jerks roughly (does it hurt her finger? yes. Is it worth it? Double yes. ) ]

Well, come on lets get this over with.

[ She's never had friends over at her house, so the entire thing is already bizarre enough without this string nonsense. Thankfully no one is home ]

We're fine until 5, that's when my parents come home from work. So I need to get everything done before then.

[ She struggles for quite some time to get the next few sentences out of her mouth, she looks like shes in physical pain as she says them actually. ]

You know what day today is..right?

[broroona]

[well since she's yanking him around, yeah, he follows.]

Of course I do. The restaurant gets swamped every Valentine's Day because of couple reservations. It's one of Dad's most stressful weeks.

[totally missing the actual point of valentine's day. but. wait.]

What do we do after 5? Hide in your room?

[this is hell]

[darin]

Do you have any better ideas? They'll leave for dinner anyway so quit whining-- this sucks for me too you know.

[ They're friends, really. I promise. Maki clears her throat.]

Anyway, like I was saying it's Valentine's Day and..

[ Well, it would be easier to just show him. She gives the string another rough yank and practically drags him into the kitchen. There's a neat little spread of chocolates, decorations and molds that Maki had neatly organized before she left. ]

Don't say a thing-- I'm going to make these, I'm going to put them in the mail, and then we're never going to talk about this day ever again.

[broroona]

[does she know she doesn't have to yank him everywhere? he's following without resistance here. that lessens even more when he the kitchen setup is revealed. he's surprised. honestly maybe kind of impressed?]

I didn't know you knew how to make chocolates.

[he honestly is skeptical if she can even cook eggs.]

[darin]

[ Um wow, don't be f*ckin rude? ]

It's not hard.

[ She says, like she's ever done this before. ]

It can't be that hard. My mom would make them all the time when we were little and it never took her longer than an hour or two.

[ She hands him a really frilly apron, and dons a plan white one herself. ]

Put this on, I'm not paying for your dry cleaning if you make a mess of yourself on accident. Anyway, the less you bug me the faster I can finish this.

[broroona]

[he doesn't even blink when putting on the frilly apron. honestly it weirdly suits him. he definitely seems to be completely comfortable in it.]

Where should I stand that's out of the way?

[wow that seems so compliant... how rare for basil, you may think.

except he 100% knows how to make chocolate and. yeah. he's not gonna tell her that at all.]

[darin]

[ What a fashion icon.

Maki has her back to him as she messes with her ingredients and waves him off with her string hand. ]

I don’t know! Figure it out!

[ she sounds kind of agitated?? She’s already having trouble it seems. A few minutes pass as she works and then suddenly there’s just the nasty scent of burnt chocolate in the air because she tried to heat the chocolate right on the stove instead of using a double boiler. ]

What the hell what the hell what the hell what the hell—

[ it’s a quiet kind of angry muttering?? Maki is literally just standing at be stove scowling at burning chocolate. ]

[broroona]

[basil's being the fakest bitch acting innocent and all that. kicking his legs as he sits on the one bit of counter that seemed too small to be useful, he tips his head in curiosity.]

Is that part of the process?

[darin]

[ Maki's head snaps up and she scowls-- though she struggles between him and the pot of (now) tar, not being able to decide which deserves her ire more!! ]

What do you think?!

[ Maki huffs, trying to scrape the burnt chocolate from the bottom of the pot before throwing it into the sink. ]

Why--

[ She lifts her dirty spatula to his to his face rather accusingly. ]

-- do you look like you've got some kind of dirty little secret?

[ FESS UP PAL ]

[broroona]

[he maintains a straight face for a good few minutes before taking the spatula and sliding off the counter. without a word, he washes it thoroughly in the sink before pulling out a fresh pot, filling it halfway with water, and setting a slightly larger glass bowl on top of it.]

You can't heat it directly.

[he lights the burner to a low heat and starts putting the ingredients in, almost without thinking.] Just because it's a quick recipe doesn't mean you can be aggressive with it.

[he motions her over. watch, nerdo.]

[darin]

[ Maki stumbles around for a moment, trying to mind his movements and the string. She peers around his side when he motions her forward. She feels a little stupid for not realizing. ]

I would've figured it out eventually!

[ After she'd burnt through the whole of her chocolate supply probably. ]

You sure do know your way around the kitchen pretty well for just a waiter. Don't tell me you're trying to work your way up to head chef?

[broroona]

[wow?? he chuckles sheepishly. might even be blushing. it's hard to see since he's looking down.]

It's not that.

[he's just going to keep correctly making chocolate here.]

We're family run so there's not a lot of people in the kitchen aside from my dad. When he gets sick he needs someone to take over who knows the right way to do the recipes, you know? [rubs his neck with his, not-stringed hand] I just taught myself so he could take a break.

[darin]

[ Maki lets out a rather inelegant: ]

Huh??

[ Both surprised and just a little bit amused she rests her elbows on the counter so she can lean around and get a look at his face even despite the fact that he's looking down. Bashul Basil? You really thought she was gonna pass up this view buddy? How the turntables. ]

That's pretty considerate and responsible of you. Color me impressed.

[ There's a thoughtful silence passed between the two of them and then-- ]

So what you're saying is, you knew I was doing it wrong, but you let me have a faceful of smoke anyway. Jerk.

[broroona]

[ah finally the compliments have passed. he can smirk again, still looking down but still giving her a sidelong glance.]

Mistakes are the best way to learn.

[darin]

Shut up.

[ She smacks him lightly with the sheet of heart molds she'd had ready for the chocolates. ]

If you're done being smug pour the chocolate in these things so I can put them in the fridge and get this over with.

[ As he pours the chocolate into the molds she's sort of quietly muttering and counting off to herself. Presumably all the people she's going to give chocolates too. ]

Mom, dad, Akira, sis, Rise, Hinata, and--

[ It's unfortunately instinct, but because Basil is here and she means to count him on her list, she looks up at him. And immediately regrets it. ]

[broroona]

[shockingly, he doesn't catch on. just cants his head and blinks, bowl in hand and ready to pour.]

... And?

[darin]

[ Somehow the fact that he doesn't realize makes it worse!]

.. And some jerk.

[ There! That's fine! None of the people who were getting these were supposed to know about them anyway. Once the chocolate is in the molds Maki pulls out a little notebook with a detailed list of the likes and dislikes of all her recipients. Basil, as elusive as he is however, is not on the list (Maki has no fuckin clue what he likes). ]

What's your filling of choice..

[ She refuses to looking up from her lil list. Practically staring holes into it. ]

If you say something stupid I'm going to put horseradish in yours!

[broroona]

[well that mystery lasted for one tag. slowly, a smile grows before he starts laughing. actually cracking up, his body wracked by the laughter he's trying and failing to muffle. it's brief but genuine. the smile lingers well after he's done.]

Mint. Or orange cream.

[he's looking at her even if she's furiously staring at the list tbh.]

You're really going to have me make my own chocolates?

[another hiccup of laughter before he gets back to preparing the chocolate. or pouring it. or whatever. oh,
he also pulls another mold out.]

What's yours?

[darin]

[ SHUT UP she had to find out one way or another!! She's got a few piping bags filled with store bought fillings laid out already-- no orange since she hadn't been able to plan ahead for his tastes, but thankfully someone else on her list had been partial to mint. ]

No, obviously I'm going to make yours! I never wanted you to help me.

[ She's still not looking at him!! Instead gets busy piping the filling into the molds for the other halves of her chocolates. ]

I like hazelnut or coffee.

[ Finally, her embarrassment subsides a little and she finally manages to look at him again. ]

You know, if you talked about yourself more this could've still been a surprise.

[ AND THEN SHE WOULDN'T HAVE TO ASK ]

[broroona]

There's not much to know about.

[he steals the piping bag filled with either hazelnut or coffee and fills a mold before she can get to it. hers now. fight him.]