(no subject)

[recollecters]

EVENT

ENCASED. "They are unique in the simplicity, the diversity, the related harmony of the forms of life that they enclose." Marjory Stoneman Douglas The message on the first was probably not that encouraging, but for the next couple of days it appears as though the city remains the same as it was. The paintbrushes from the previous month don't disappear, and the city remains half-painted into existence and a happenstance of colors. The city's quiet and preparing itself for summer...but on the third somewhere around midnight, every user will receive a mass message in their inbox from Zee Carlisle, a man many have heard of by now but that some may not be as familiar with. Okay. The reason we don't reply to you guys when we post to you every month isn't because we don't care and we're sinister, it's because we're busy. Not an excuse, I know. But you're thinking too hard about it. The city itself isn't being hacked, literally. It was a figurative comparison and it's kind of like this. This city and the world you're currently living in exist. Everything about this world is real, you're real, I'm real, etc. But the layers exist in another kind of...realm, I guess? It's freely manipulated beyond the base of the world and that's what's being messed with. Did you know it's hard to trace IPs when they're blocked? Leave that to us. We found a way to break through the blocks on the districts though, but it's up to you guys. Level one. Ready to start generating and get this place back together? Well that's not ominous, is it? THE NPCS What blocks? What the hell is he talking about? It becomes clear the moment you take your first step and a strange, almost invisible ripple appears around you. This ripple might happen right at midnight, or it might occur before or after the time. But not long after daybreak on the 3rd of June, every Retrospec user will notice a few things. The only people they'll be able to notice around the city are those who are also on the Retrospec networks. Friends and family members without the app seemingly have disappeared before your very eyes. No matter where you go to look for them, they've vanished. Animals are still around, and items still exist, but it's just the people who are lacking. The strange thing, however, is that even if you can't see them you can still hear them. Maybe you can hear your parents making dinner in the kitchen, or you can hear your professor lecturing about the importance of showing up for your finals on time. Your annoying co-worker is definitely doing that tapping thing with his fingers against your desk and the worst part is that they can't see or hear you. No matter how hard you try to get their attention, it's as if you aren't there. Trying to call them is a futile effort. Calls are distorted and disconnected, dropping after a few rings. Calling to those outside of the city, however...works? It works! After months and months of being disconnected from the outside world, calls will go through and last for a grand total of 90 seconds. Toward the end, a low, growling noise will filter through the line and distort the phone call and repeated calls to the same person will grow increasingly hard to understand. But hey. At least that's one thing fixed. THE MAINFRAME As of last month, several Retrospec users repainted most of the city into existence but there are still pieces missing! The brushes haven't gone away and while the task of reviving the city is easier now, everything that's been brought back remains a bit unusual. Purple bushes are bright purple and the orange roads are dusted with dirt and drips of colored paint. A lot of the large buildings such as the hospital, the university and more are back though and will need their interiors re-organized. Take some time out of your day to restructure the world around you. You'll never know when you'll need it. THE SOUL ENERGY As you begin to notice the veil that separates you from those not on the app, it becomes quite clear that there are two sides of the same city. Everything you know and love is still in one place, but as you hear the NPCs nearby you'll find that there's no way to get near them. Or is there...? Not long after the first text message, another message from Zee is sent along. The fastest and easiest way to change what layer you're existing on is to generate the energy. It's hard to explain in its entirety but working together will produce the energy needed to bring them back to this layer. It's not a drain or anything, but only you guys can do it. You know. Given where you exist right now. Your energy is staying with you, but the levels will change enough to break down the veil. It's not the same as extracting. We're not doing that here. Pick a district and pick a friend or six. I believe in you guys. Not long after the text, six different links will pop up in your messages, one for each of the districts in the city. Clicking on the links will bring up a map of each district, and each map will have a list attached to it. TRIBUNAL TERRACE Over in Tribunal Terrace, the buildings have mostly been repainted but the NPCs aren't present. With the need to reorganize and bring back the police, the fire department and more, there's a list of tasks assigned as written by Zee. -Volunteer with ReVA to create a community event such as a dance, party or other. -Create decorations and hang them in the children's ward at the hospital. -Clean up Recollé Square. -Discuss crimes or wrong-doings you've committed in this life or the past with one other person. -Solve a mystery. -Talk to the dead. -Take care of the firestation dogs. Suggestions, mostly. Leaving this up to you what any of this means, but go forward with good intentions to accomplish them. APPRASSAGE Several Retrospec users might be stressing about finals and graduations, but it's hard to worry too much when their teachers and classmates are missing. Though the buildings and landscape might be hit and miss, there's a list of tasks assigned as written by Zee. -Help someone study for their finals. -Teach someone a new skill and learn a new skill in return. -Tell someone your favorite story. -Repaint the stars and go stargazing. -Paint a self-portrait and have someone analyze it. -Discuss a dark period in your life and create a display based on that. -Gather the horses and chocobos and have a race. -Guide a tour through one of the museums. Suggestions, mostly. Leaving this up to you what any of this means, but go forward with good intentions to accomplish them. CHATA Even with everything a total mess, there's always time to be kind and try to better humanity. Not sure where to start? Don't worry, there's a list of tasks assigned as written by Zee. -Help someone with their grocery shopping. -Donate items to the orphanage. -Attend to the animals at the animal shelter and hold an adoption drive. -Steal from the rich and give to the poor. -Start a food fight. -Reorganize Freshens and move items to different levels of the store. -Create a Kickstarter for a new business and pitch your ideas to people. -Start a petition about something you're passionate about, collect several signatures. Suggestions, mostly. Leaving this up to you what any of this means, but go forward with good intentions to accomplish them. VIEA VILLAGE Home is where the heart is, but what is it that you love and value? There's a list of tasks assigned as written by Zee. -Plant flowers in front of someone's house. -Create and organize a game day in Hollingberry Field. -Set up a stall at the Farmer's Market and sell your goods. -Do yardwork for a neighbor. -Egg someone's house. -Talk about your family and why you love them with someone. -Do something nice for your neighbor like give them flowers or bake them cookies. -Tell someone about a family secret you've been keeping. Suggestions, mostly. Leaving this up to you what any of this means, but go forward with good intentions to accomplish them. ENPRISE Businesses and empires, items and wares. Enprise's important for those with big goals and big dreams. While those dreams may be on hold, there's a list of tasks assigned as written by Zee. -Host a fashion show. -Return wild animals to their cages in the zoo. -Swim with the sharks. -Volunteer to deliver packages around the city for the day. -Rent/buy paintball equipment and start a city-wide game, tagging buildings as you go. -Analyze your dreams/nightmares with at least one other person. -Engage in a duel of your choice with someone. -Pamper someone. Anyone. Any way you can think of. -Have a public debate with someone. Suggestions, mostly. Leaving this up to you what any of this means, but go forward with good intentions to accomplish them. TISSE Entertainment makes the world go round and there's plenty of entertainment to be found in Tisse. Even if it's just you in the city now, there's a list of tasks assigned as written by Zee. -Complete the Big Bang Burger challenge (or try, anyway.) -Buy a dozen cupcakes from the Confectionary and hand them out to strangers. -Teach a dance lesson at Dancinerate...any kind of dance. -Beat someone at a video game at the Hubbub Hub Arcade. -Steal someone's coffee from the pick-up counter at a coffee shop. -Write a poem about your feelings and share it with someone. -Create a work of art using whatever you can find. -Create a large game of crack the whip at the Stardust, skating and convincing people to skate with you. -Buy someone a drink...anyone...they can even be underaged. (Not that we're condoning that, but trust me, it'll work.) -Host a performance of any kind at the Atrium. -Perform one embarrassing stunt in public. Suggestions, mostly. Leaving this up to you what any of this means, but go forward with good intentions to accomplish them. What do "suggestions" mean here? It means that while these are ideas, things that push and challenge you and encourage building bonds will work the best. But never fret. There are things outside to do, too. OUTSIDE The paint-thinner monsters from last month begin to phase out throughout the month, but several of the creatures around the perimeters of the city begin to move inward, starting to appear around the places that aren't quite filled in yet. Areas that aren't fully painted or areas where tasks aren't being attended to are more prone to being infested with monsters that will need to be defeated. The roads to Pesgare, Respatrum, Bosuma and Magatus seem to have vanished and any attempts to leave will reroute citizens into the woods or into the ocean. The subway tunnels underground are empty and silent, the sound of trains running echoing through them but no trains come. Working together to clear out these areas and ensure that certain areas are receiving high enough energy readings is just as important as completing the above tasks. But then what..? ZEE I know, doing tasks for us is getting old, but given your connection to the world you're the only ones with the right kind of souls to generate the energy field needed to wear down the blocks. Work together. Get to know each other. Make this city your own. And report to me as you cross off tasks so I can track the readings of the district. We'll bring them back. Promise. Welcome to recolle's June log! The information above provides loose guidelines of things occurring this month, so please feel free to make your own prompts based on these. You are also free to create your own logs and inbox threads. Characters will not be able to travel to places outside of the city at this time! As you do these tasks or tasks similar to these, please report them to the correct headers on the JUNE OBJECTIVE REPORTING post in the mod journal! This will help us track what's being done and how it will impact the city for June and July. As a reminder, you may qualify for a memory freebie in June by threading out one district-objective with at least one person you haven't threaded with before. This thread will qualify when there are at least five consecutive comments from you. Finally, if you turn in six threads (one for each district) with your character performing an objective, you will qualify for a memory freebie! The threads must be at least 5 consecutive comments long and at least two of them should be with people you have not threaded with before. Any questions you have regarding this event may be directed to the mod comment here.

Comments

[keystaff]

You did? I should have thought of that. I could have at least checked in the library or something before coming out tonight. But that sounds like it'd be a good start at least.

[She straightens then, looking a little sheepish and also amused? Perhaps. At his stomach exclaiming it was fine to devour those snacks that Sakura had bought with them. There's a nod then, even as she raises one hand to her mouth as she giggles in spite of herself, before she shifts to straddle the staff again and ensures he is ready before she goes to lower them back down.]

[cardcaptured]

[His blush deepens at her sweet giggle, ducking his head and hunching his shoulders a little to hide his face. Ugh, stupid growing body and it's stupid growing hunger that came with it. He wasn't a glutton, by any means, but it was taking more and more food to fill him up than it used to, and it was getting rather embarrassing. Still, maybe it was worth it to hear her laugh, even if it was at his own dignity...

He mirrors her own actions and carefully shifts his leg over the staff as well, making sure to keep his own paintbrush safely tucked away as he maneuvers around it. Keeping his grip on the wand tight, he gives her a short nod of confirmation before she goes ahead and gets them back on ground level. Once they've touched down, he slides off the rod and makes his way over towards his bag upon their blanket, steps a little uneven as he adjusts to his land legs. Fishing through it, he pulls out a few glossy textbooks and reference tomes, most of them involving star patterns and guides to constellations in North America, and sets them onto the ground.]

Leon and I used to go stargazing a lot, so I sort of brought these out of force of habit. I didn't think we would really need them, since we're mostly painting, but I'm glad they're getting some use, anyway.

[keystaff]

Force of habit. Well, I can't complain about that now. It could help in trying to get painting the constellations about this time of year. I've always liked looking at the stars but I haven't gone out of my way to figure more like you have in reading about constellations and all.

[Once they land, she hands him some of the food she had made and bought as she places her paintbrush down to try not get any on the blanket. Sakura then peers over, head almost leaning at his shoulder as she glances at the books, the pages.]

So which constellation should be up about now?

[cardcaptured]

[His eyes practically sparkle as they set sight upon the bento she hands to him, staring at it in quiet awe. If he had a tail, much like his namesake, it would have been eagerly wagging in anticipation to try it, each and every little dish looking more wonderful than the last. He pauses his book rifling to set the food carefully onto his lap, although something she says does grab his attention away from it for the moment.]

Well... if you want, whenever this gets fixed, we can do a proper stargazing night together. I have a really good telescope I can bring, if you want to get a better look at them, but we'd have to--

[But the words get stuck in his throat as she leans in to get a better look at the books, his pulse rocketing at her sudden close proximity. She was near enough for him to smell a whiff of her shampoo, feel the warmth radiating off of her skin, and he has to swallow hard to fight the heat rising in his own face. (Spoilers-- it wasn't working very well)

But right, she had asked him a question, didn't she? Quickly, he reaches over to the books, flipping the pages to the current month.]

Uh... um. T-There should be a few right now that are visible... there's Boötes, the herdsman, Libra, the scales... Circinus, the compass, Ursa Minor, the little bear...

[And the last one gets him to pause for a moment, before smiling slightly to himself, as he notes the irony behind it.]

... and Lupus, the wolf.

They're not all that complicated, so it shouldn't be hard to replicate them.

[keystaff]

We could? That would be nice! I mean, once we fix things. Once we get back to normal. Or, as normal as things yet.

[It's something for her to look forward to. Though she is oblivious to him being so overwhelmed with how close she is, not thinking anything of it but to focus on the book. Not thinking on him recognizing the smell of her shampoo.

Sakura leans in to peer at the pages as Xiaolang points out some of the pictures. Listening as some of them are named.]

Which one should we do to start?

[cardcaptured]

[His heart felt just about ready to explode, the longer she stayed this close in his personal bubble, so when she leans in to get a better look at the books, he nearly lets out an audible sigh of relief. It was ridiculous, that he'd still get so nervous and tense about these things when they were dating, for goodness sakes, but there really was something about her that overwhelmed him (in a good way, of course).

But they were figuring out the constellations, and while his heart skipped at the idea of getting to show his favorite person one of his favorite hobbies one of these days, they had to make sure there was actually things in the sky for them to view when the time came. And they couldn't do that if he was too busy having a heart attack over how warm she felt or how nice she smelled.]

We should try with Ursa Minor first. It's the most recognizable one, since people know it as the Little Dipper, and the star Polaris is in it too. Navigators like to use it a lot because of it's fixed position, so having it back would help those out in Pesgare or on the ocean a ton.

[He moves to pick up his chopsticks, but not before admiring the bento still settled upon his lap.]

This looks really good, though. It must have taken a bit of time to put together.

[keystaff]

[Sakura notices the warmth as she leans in, but she is more focused on the book and simply grateful for the warmth. For his presence and comforting reassurance. She listens to his answer, giving a small hum and nod in agreement.]

Alright. That makes sense if that one is used to navigate. We can paint that one first. And -- well, this is....I figured we had to have something to eat. So it seemed easier to make something than assume much stores would be open.

[cardcaptured]

[It's entirely possible that warmth was from his whole face heating up like a Christmas light, but-- the food was a good distraction, as he decides on which part of the bento to try first. But it all looked so good...]

I hope it wasn't too much trouble for you, though. You really made a ton of stuff.

[Because even if the bento was small, all these little dishes had to take time to put together!! But something from a memory gets him to smile a little to himself, though, and he moves his chopsticks to the tamagoyaki. Part of him idly wonders if his Sakura had been practicing as much with them as the one in his other life did.]

Is it okay to start eating?

[He didn't want to be rude and eat before she did or anything.....]

[keystaff]

Whatever we don't eat can be saved for later. So it's fine.

[Probably. Mostly, she enjoys the variety making things like bentos give her. In making various dishes in smaller amounts to try multiple favourites at once. That and it is good in hopefully better picking something he liked as well, even if she has already noted some of his food tastes through their hanging out before. So she gives him a nod. Both eager and sheepish as she takes her own chopsticks and tries some.]

Go ahead!

[cardcaptured]

[Honestly, he wasn't a picky eater, save for a couple of things, so whatever Sakura had made, he'd be happy about. And even if it was a dish he wasn't crazy over, he'd still enjoy it nonetheless. She put it together for the two of them, after all, and he'd appreciate every little bit of it because of that. Bolstered by her encouragement and eager look, he selects a slice of tamagoyaki and brings it up to take a bite.

His eyes light up at the flavor, and he can't help but give a small, enthused smile once he's finished the piece, turning his eyes to Sakura as his beam grows warmer.]

It's really good...!

[Look at how you're making him sparkle over your delicious food, Sakura. LOOK AT THIS NERD WHO LOVES YOU AND YOUR COOKING]

[keystaff]

It is? Ah, I'm glad it turned out okay!

[It would have been awful if what she made had been inedible somehow or something he didn't like. So she's relieved that it seems to have worked out. More or less. She's been cooking with Iwai more recently, expanding her recipes she can figure cooking, and still definitely thus more Japanese oriented in what dishes she knows, for the most part. But that doesn't seem to matter.]

[cardcaptured]

[He doesn't really mind the heavier lean towards Japanese cooking in the bento-- he'd been practicing certain dishes himself, too, on and off, to make for Sakura some day, so he was used to it. But despite his experience, he doesn't think he'd be able to make anything half as tasty as what she made here. It wasn't restaurant level of cuisine, but there was something comforting and soothing about it, something... home-like, that he relished.

Her cheery reaction gets his smile to grow a little wider and his expression a little softer, the look of pure adoration crossing his face as he gazes at her clear to see.]

... yeah.

[... Xiaolang eat the rest of your food and stop making goo-goo eyes at your cute girlfriend, oh my god???]

[keystaff]

I can make it again next time. Or even teach you if you wanted.

[She offers, happy to help, to offer at least, either way. She can make more whenever they were going to be out during the day or later in the evening for a meal. It might be a little odd in having this as a 'date' but even so. They were trying to make the most of this. But even so. Sakura is glad it turned out okay, and that he approves of it.

She focuses then on eating, on finishing her food to get back to the painting, now that they had a plan in place, sort of, in prioritizing that particular constellation of stars next.]