recolle | 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

Well, I don't know about that. But you're right. I probably should get out more. It would be nice to have a social life again.

[Kara does follow to the bench, plunking down on it.]

And I should hope you aren't calling me high strung. I'm way more laid back than my co-workers. I actually make time to sleep.

[and Anna sits down next to her, keeping a polite but comfortable amount of distance between them.]

Yeah, I guess the bar's a little lower for relaxation in science, huh? Not a lot of stoner biologists. [high-ologists.] Now that we're on Retrospec, feel free to slide into my DMs or whatever if you ever wanna do something. Can't promise I'll be up to it every time, just to be honest, but the offer's there.

You know there might be. [She snorts.] I'm sure someone's trying to engineer new strains of weed. But not me. [For obvious reasons.]

But yeah? I'll do that. I mean, I'm not exactly the most demanding person, so don't worry about that. If I ever don't give you enough space, you can yell at me.

You already know I will. I probably won't do it literally unless I'm having the worst day in the world. [she glances over at Kara and grins.]

There's a movie for you. Punk rock college dropout and total genius nerd turn out to be really good friends and protect people together.

[Kara snorts, rolling her eyes good naturedly.]

Well hey, I guess. Could be a fun little comedy. Because I for one am saving nobody. Unless it's with robot legs.

Edited 2018-02-23 05:24 (UTC)

[that almost gets a laugh from Anna, but she has a reputation to uphold. obviously.]

Not yet. But both of us are going to get exactly what we want. It's positive thinking. There was that whole book about it.

The power of positive thinking, huh.

[Definitely not her cup of tea but...]

I can get behind that. Worst that happens is I feel happy for a bit. And it does seem to make this stone happy.

[Digging into her pocket she pulls out her heartstone, the little thing practically vibrating in her palm.]

That or it really likes you.

Oh yeah, these things.

[she pulls her own out and it looks positively ready to burst with how much attention she seems to have been inadvertently giving it. for some reason it puts a smile on her face to see that both of their stones are apparently doing really well.]

Maybe mine likes you, too. Still can't figure out what exactly makes this thing happy, but I have a couple ideas. And I'm not exactly used to any of them.

Yeah no shit, looks like it's about to roll away it's so happy.

[She pokes her own, curious, but not really daring to do too much with it lest it crack. ]

The dude said that they're tied to our souls. Sounds like some new age mumbo jumbo to me, but seeing mine, and yours? I believe it. It's definitely stimulated by something.

What's your theory?

This is gonna sound like the corniest shit.

[but they are talking about soul stones or whatever. and it's not like she hasn't been corny on main enough already.]

I think it's reacting to me being happy? Not like I do it enough without a magic stone feeding off it or anything. But I mean... ever since this whole Retrospec thing started, I don't know. It's been easier?

[Well, it is corny, but Kara does not laugh because she feels kind of the same way. That her stone is somehow tied to happiness, though, more for the people around her.]

Easier to be happy, huh? [Kara leans forward a little, pursing her lips in thought. Her face breaks into a smile after a silent moment, and she nods. Because that does make sense.]

It has been, I think. Easier to forge new connections and deepen old ones. Corny as it might sound, you're right.

Yeah, sure, we'll go with that.

[Anna leans back instead and spreads one arm out along the back of the bench. the stone stays in the hand closer to her body.]

Like I said earlier, it's exciting. I feel like I actually have something to do with my life instead of just sitting around waiting for it to happen to me. And it's been a while since I've been able to feel that way. You know?

I do, yeah.

[She was that way for most of her life, until she found her calling. Moving out of Midvale had been a huge step in the right direction for her, but sometimes people take longer to figure themselves out. Anna? Seemed that sort.]

I'm glad that you've got that feeling too. I know a lot of folks will complain about it, but I think it's a chance. Maybe a chance to mold the world around us into something we like more.

[Kara has no idea.]

Yeah. Whether or not it works out the way we want it to, we'll still be part of this whole... thing that we weren't a part of before. And it's gonna change us. And maybe all we needed was a big change.

[and her face twists in mock disgust.] Ugh, listen to me. I sound like an after-school special.

A cautionary tale.

[Kara chuckles to herself.]

I completely agree though. We do need a change. And this is a chance to take it.

Yeah. Here's to... not sitting down and letting stuff happen to us anymore.

[she knows there's a word for that, and it takes her a second. her brow furrows, then her eyes widen suddenly.]

Agency. Here's to agency. [she grins.] We got this.

Yeah. We do.

[Kara extends a hand for a fistbump. That much shouldn't be too uncool for Anna, right?]

Hell yeah.

[her? please. she hasn't fistbumped in a while, but she's glad to oblige without even a sardonic look. she does at least have the decorum not to blow it up at the end; she's not in college anymore, after all.]

Hey, just so you know, I don't think being all happy like this is going to be an all-the-time thing for me. It feels nice and everything, but it doesn't feel right on me, you know? [plus it's kind of draining, but one, it's not nearly as draining as it could be because it's genuine, and two, she can't say that politely.] So if I'm a little less high on life the next time we run into each other, it won't be your fault.

[Kara's never had the decorum to blow it up at the end, herself. She was always lame.]

Don't worry, Anna. I won't hold it against you.

[She tosses her stone up and catches it, shoving it into a pocket.]

It's definitely the stone, and while I like this side of you, I like the other side too.

Glad you like all of me, then. You're not so bad yourself.

[she's smirking as she puts her own stone away, then looks back at Kara.]

But you would've hated me when I first moved here. Remind me to tell you about that garbage fire of a person the next time I get drunk or something. You know, if you're interested.

CITY EVENT LOG

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