MARCH EVENT LOG

[recollecters]

EVENT

FOUNDER'S DAY The city of Recollé. With everything that happened in the last month, the townspeople are excited to proceed with their festivities as normal. The Mayor, though a little wary of public appearances now, makes his way through town atop his beloved Chocobo, Seabiscuit, a megaphone in his hand and shouting to everyone he passes. "Welcome to Founder's Day! Let's do our part and celebrate the city that we love." I. At noon sharp, the bands strikes up again as crowds gather around Tribunal Terrace. Ladies and gentlemen, it's time for the main attraction! That's right, it's time for the annual Founder's Day Parade featuring the city's newly elected royalty: King Yogi Perowna, Queen Kara Lee, Prince Kasen Kaneda, Princess Elizabeth Velveteen , Duke Garfield Logan, and Duchess Charlotte Williams. The marching bands play with gusto as they stride through the streets, the Recollé High and Recollé University cheerleaders right behind them. Beautiful floats follow in their wake, all decorated with flowers and depicting the historical events of the city. At the head of the parade is the Mayor on Seabiscuit, proudly trotting up front with the head of police, the head of the fire house and the rest of those who had been kidnapped following right after them on another float. Looking no worse for the wear, they're all smiles and grandeur waving and greeting the citizens of the city. At the end of the parade, the Mayor remains in Tribunal Terrace and steps up to the mic. "We would like to give a special thanks to those brave enough to venture into the tunnels to rescue us. Our captors have been dealt with and today we will honor our rescue team for their service." If present at this time, Eleanor Lamb, Yoon-sung Lee, Lucy Takada, Hinata Aoi, Sakura Tohsaka, Frederick Baudin, Tatsuo Kihara, Elizabeth Velveteen, Yukiko Amagi, Tatsuma Hiyuu, Jirou Hirata, Kenta Ooshima, Alexander Von Cumore, Rossiu Adai, and Kurt Wagner will be invited up to the front to receive a medal of honor. It's a shiny golden Chocobo. Like other Founder's Day celebrations in the past, several shops across the city have discount sales on items in the Towers, coffee drinks at Expressive, a marathon of historical films at Flix and more. Celebrate your home if you'd like. It's a nice break from it all. II. But what about those of you who have been city-bound for the whole month? What about those of you who have spent the last month exploring the boundaries outside of the city and helping to build the roads to new destinations? Thanks to the efforts of Retrospec users, several locations have now been stabilized and users may explore these areas to their heart's content. With Pesgare three hours south by boat, Respatrum an hour east and underground, Bosuma two hours west through the Recollé Woods and Magatus seven hours north from the city, visitors may come and go to explore the regions and their points of interest. The travel may take some time and the scenery will change around you as you go. Those same monsters from before continue to lurk just outside of the city and on the path to these locations and wild flora sprawls over various pathways. Take some time to study them if you'd like. And speaking of study, along the way you'll find various road signs and warnings along the way including giant man-eating frogs, fire-breathing horses, severe flood warnings and more. In addition you will find large directories in the middle of the road pointing you in the directions of the four locations. What's going on in these other places though? Well.... III. Over in Pesgare the fishing village has been saved from the hands of a greedy buyer and the villagers are in the midst of celebration. After the big rainstorm that occurred at the end of February, the seaside village begins setting out wares for sale in their marketplace that buyers may peruse. Items for sale include fish, paintings, clothing, books, handmade jewelry and more. On occasion though, you may find yourself in the midst of another rain shower as they come periodically in this area. While some of you may be prepared and have an umbrella on hand, others will notice that the rain is an iridescent color that falls and curves in arcs. Getting soaked by the rain may invoke a strange desire to cause a scene and yell dramatically at whoever is close by (and perhaps even belt it out if you're unfortunately unlucky), and so it may be wise to find shelter soon before you say things you'll come to regret. IV. Meanwhile in Respatrum the workers continue on down in the forge and begin creating new wares with the gems discovered by the exploration group from the month before. It's hot down here, boiling almost and the fires on all side means the heat's not letting up anytime soon. With caves and walkways and forges to explore, you may find yourself observing the creation of silver platters, swords, furniture and more. Further down in the region in one of the lower rings, you may hear the sound of loud cheering and applause as you enter into a large stadium. In the center of the ring is a man with a red cape, waving it in front of a burning, burly bull. A final flourish sends the bull back into its pen, raring and ready to go the next round. Who's up next? Why, it's you! Without warning the organizer of the bull fights grabs you by the shoulders and hands you a cape, shoving you straight into the ring with the crowd roaring above you and the bull bursting out of its cage. Think fast! Your life may depend on it. V. Out in Bosuma, the color's been restored to several of the flowers and trees and the people of the forest have been returned to their cottages. The creatures of the forest appear to be out and around including rabbits, squirrels, giant woodpeckers and rainbow-colored deer that aren't afraid to approach people. In fact, all of the creatures appear content to welcome these newcomers and show them around the forest. It's at night when the real show starts. Several large, blooming flowers begin to glow in various neon colors. For those who stick around and walk through the large gardens, they'll notice that colored pollen also appears to be falling from the flowers, leaving a mist over you that sweeps over you like a soft waterfall. Depending on the color though, you may find yourself feeling a little different...will you fight or will you embrace these sudden emotions? VI. Meanwhile things in Magatus are snowy and blustery as ever, but the townspeople seem to be in higher spirits now that their wolf problem is alleviated. With their shops open for business and the bright colors in the sky, the area is almost peaceful and perfect just to get away from it all. On occasion, you may see a black wolf darting in and out of the shadows watching over the town and the people coming to it. The path appears to be clear now and with a little navigating and a bit of a climb, you'll come across the newly up and running ski lodge. Plenty of cozy couches and fireplaces makes this lodge the perfect place to sleep and the rooms the original exploration team went through appear to be outfitted to be sleeping quarters now. Up on the mountain, however, there will be a fully operating ski lift and several mountain paths for all of you adrenaline junkies wishing to ski, snowboard and more. In fact, several of the locals will even begin teaching lessons and hold competitions for those of you into that kind of thing. Seems pretty safe, right? But the higher you go, the more you begin to feel like you're floating. In fact, the higher the elevation, the higher you will be lifted off the ground until you cap out floating a foot in the air. How are you going to get back down the mountain? Well, good luck with that. BONUS. Several of you may notice that the heart-shaped stone from February still hasn't disappeared. However, as the Founder's Day parade begins all emotional transfer stops. The heart's color seems to settle and all cracks and fissures are permanent. It's no longer in danger of cracking if you ignore your feelings, but it serves as a reminder that you should take care of yourself. Later in the day, all Retrospec users will receive a message from Zee. Assessment passed. We stabilized the four regions and you're no longer in danger of going native if you head out there. Feel free to explore and stuff. There's still a lot out there we don't know about, but it may be best to get a head start. Oh, and the hearts? Also stable for now. It's...if you feel any different or you realize something's missing, come talk to us? We might be able to fix it. The RRI will be taking more volunteers for other assignments as things come up. You'll probably hear from me sooner or later. The hearts will still project the thing that you love to the front of your mind so long as you hold it, but it's in no danger of shattering. Best of luck, Retrospecters. Welcome to recolle's March log! The prompts are simply loose guidelines for you guys to play with and make up your own fun adventures for the entire month! You may also create your own logs or inbox threads based on these prompts. This will be a fairly lowkey month meant for travel, exploration and recouping from the last month's event! As of 3/3 all groups will ICly be back in the city. The event feedback post will go up on 3/4 along with information about the new world changes that may take place and the upcoming quest board. Any questions you have regarding this event may be directed to the mod comment here.

Comments

[hananobooks]

[Robin quickly puts back the cat statue she found on sale to turn around to see the person that bumped into her when she stops. Wait a minute...she knows him. She's seen his face before. Robin isn't one to make outbursts, however when she sees the man's face she automatically knows his name.]

Sanji?

[concasse]

[Well.

That certainly gets his attention.

It's the name that he goes by in this city -- Sanji, not Alessandro -- but he's never seen this woman before, either. When he turns his head to glance back at her, it's with a neutral, bemused stare]

Yeah, that's me.

[Spoken with the hints of a French accent]

Uh, sorry, Mademoiselle, I'm blankin' -- have we met before?

[hananobooks]

[Yes, it's him the man in that weird flash she had in her mind that time. She's not sure where it came from, but she knows him. She recognizes his face, yet she can't explain it. Robin gives a polite smile as she nods.]

Yes, we have. I apologize for suddenly calling your name it's just we have met before. I can't remember the place, but you look very familiar to me.

[concasse]

[His eyebrow (yes, it's curled) arches up to his forehead, and there's a beat of silence before he shifts into a smile]

That right?

["Was it on an ocean?"

... But that's a little too bold for him, he decides, when he hasn't exchanged more than twenty words with this lady. No need to ask questions that have him coming off as unstable. Shit, is she even a retrospec user, he wonders?]

Well, you got me at a disadvantage here. We might've met, but I can't recall your name.

[hananobooks]

[His eyebrow is curled just like the man that she got that memory from. While she's normally not at a loss for words she's not sure how she should approach this. Well, she isn't one to be too nervous when it comes to finding information.]

Oh, well, my name is Robin Nikolaev. I recently joined this network called retrospec after that I received a memory that contained you. This is very new to me, but I'm sure we've met somewhere. I'm just not very clear on when or where it happened. I'm still learning how this network works.

[concasse]

[Wow this lady went right ahead and said it.

Which isn't a bad thing. Just means this isn't the time for mind games and asking circles around each other, huh. Sanji decides he might as well switch tactics; after all, her name changes a few things.]

Robin...?

[Some part of him swears her name is naked without an honorific, his past self would throw a fit, but it's a discomfort easily ignored as he folds his arms, humming]

... Y'know, it might be a good idea if we, uh -- sat somewhere and talked. You got some free time?

[hananobooks]

[Robin hasn't been the one to try to talk around the issue, especially when it comes to gathering information. Her eyebrows raise slightly when he says her name. Oh, so they do know each other. That's interesting. At his suggestion, she nods.]

Yes, I do. Where would you like to go?

[concasse]

Anywhere that's got coffee.

[So any of the numerous coffee shops around the area. Quiet, nice atmosphere, what he hopes is perfect for the discussion they might end up having. Sanji still remembers Zoro's goddamn blunder when the idiot jumped in with both barrels blazing, demanding Sanji conform to his ideas of the crew.

No, none of that, Sanji decides. If he's gonna be the one to start this, he'll handle it with a more even hand.]

There's a place about a block way. [He nods in the direction] Shall we?

[hananobooks]

[Well, he does have a good suggestion. It would be better to discuss this in a quiet environment where they don't have to worry about being pushed around due to the shoppers in the area. She can also get coffee which is something that's always good in her book. Robin readjusts the purse on her shoulder as she looks over to see the coffee shop he gestured to. Oh, she visits that one whenever she's out. Well, she's been to the coffee shops here at least once during days when she goes to which one is the closest. She turns to him as she gives another nods.]

Yes, let's go.

[Before walking out the shop, making sure she's not walking too fast for Sanji. She's not sure what kind of conversation will come from this, though she's not going to dwell too much about it, not when they're on their way to talking things out.]

[concasse]

[At no point is Sanji stiff or anxious, but the start of their walk doesn't fill him with relief, either. Hands shoved in his pockets, his mind engines in at least three different directions as he cuts and pastes his thoughts into some semblance of order.

... But eventually he figures he could try that Small Talk thing people like so much.]

You said you're new to the whole Retrospec bullshit? [A hum]

[hananobooks]

[Robin places her poker face on while her mind goes through over about a dozen questions. She has alot of questions, yet she's not sure which ones to bring up. It's pretty rare for her to be indecisive like this.

Maybe she can try some small talk too.]

I am. I wasn't aware of all the things this retrospec can do. How long have you been on it? Is it like this all the time?

[concasse]

Not as long as some of the others. Just a couple months.

[... Jesus, a couple of months. Put into words, he's briefly surprised at how much time has passed.]

But from what I've seen? Yeah, it's batshit insane 24/7. Something is always going on.

[And that's not touching the memories, either, but he'll get to that, wanting to save whatever shell bombs they might be dropping for the cafe. They're approaching it at a decent clip, and once they reach the door, Sanji opens it for her.]

[hananobooks]

I've only been on here since the beginning of last month. All those odd occurrences that have been happening suddenly makes sense now. I wasn't sure what was going on or that it could appear on your phone either. It does feel like there's something going on everyday, including the parade. I've gone to this parade every day since I was a child, yet now everything looks different to me. I wonder how the network is able to change things so quickly.

[It's something she's been thinking about since she got on the app. While she's adjusting to the best of her abilities it's still something that can't happen overnight. However, it is good to know that she's not the only that has such questions about this network. Robin thanks him on her way inside as she looks for a place where they can sit.]

We should take those seats over towards the corner. We should have more privacy there.

[concasse]

Biggest shock of my life was realizing horses weren't a shitty fever dream, so trust me -- I get it.

[And there's a nod of agreement when Robin suggests the corner seats. Privacy would be welcome today, and he quickly paces over like an aggressive leopard just in case anyone else is eyeing the seats.]

You want anything? [Look at him, on his best behavior today]

[hananobooks]

[That's right, she was very surprised when horses returned. That's another one of her questions that she doesn't know when she'll get an answer to soon.

Robin walks over in normal, graceful way before she takes a seat in one of the booths.]

I would like a vanilla latte and any muffin they have available. How much do I owe you?

[Since she's not sure how long this will take.]

[concasse]

Hey now, I might be a college student, but I'm not that poor.

[It's on him today. And before she can answer or decline his charity, Sanji walks off to place their orders.

Lucky them, it doesn't take long at all -- a couple of minutes, tops, before Sanji moseys back over with the latte, muffin, and some black tea with honey for himself. He places the items in front of Robin while he takes a seat]

So... guess I'll start.

[Though, that begs the question, where does he start? With a more personal introduction? With what he knows? He stirs at his tea before picking through his words] Not that I got that many memories myself, but I remember being a chef on a pirate ship.