(no subject)

[recollecters]

EVENT

REVERTED. "Every moment is a fresh beginning." - T. S. Eliot Happy July, Retrospecters. Can you believe it's been nearly a year since the city was under attack and several of you were pulled and lost in Unreality? Time sure does fly, doesn't it? But don't fret. It seems as though the city is in for a real vacation this time...rest easy. THE BEGINNING Recollé has been fully restored thanks to the effort of the citizens working to paint the city back to life and breaking down the layers separating the city from most of its non-Retrospec users. The sky is painted multiple colors (a permanent fixture, it seems) and some buildings and plants are extraordinary but everything appears to be in solid, functional condition. All buildings are where they should be. The roads are safe. And everyone around you appears to be preparing for one of two celebrations... THE 4TH OF JULY With the 4th of July tomorrow, citizens of Recollé are preparing for their own celebration. Much like last year, the city will be preparing with a large gathering at Peach Beach, food trucks aplenty, discounts at several stores in Tisse and Enprise, and of course at 9pm sharp the beautiful and historical fireworks display will begin. Street vendors sell glowsticks and lemonade as everyone gathers to watch the show in the sky. This year, however, while the fireworks display still shows events of the city's history citizens may recognize a few new scenes added to the show. As they look up into the sky they'll notice scenes depicting several of the events that have happened over the last year ranging from the Retrospec bingo games to the nightmare fog to the mistletoe bats and more. This year will also include scenery and displays from the four regions around the city. Perhaps you recognize these events a little too well. Care to share the tale with your neighbor? TANABATA It seems as though this week is a non-stop celebration though. As the 4th of July ends, several members of the city are hard at work in preparation for Tanabata. Celebrated on Saturday, July 7th this year, residents are hard at work decorating areas in Tribunal Terrace and Chata with massive colorful streamers and moving in several bamboo plants. Stalls are set up and prepared and carnival games line the sidewalks for citizens to play. On the evening of the 7th, all are invited to attend the celebration and try Japanese cuisine, play a few games, and most importantly write a wish on a colored sheet of paper to hang on one of the bamboo trees. No matter how citizens choose to celebrate at this festival, for anyone who makes a wish and hangs it on the tree they will soon receive a Retrospec ticket in their mailbox. While your wish may take time to be granted, good fortune is upon you and a free gift has been provided. THE NPCS NPCs are back in the city and all is well. They are unaware of the layers they were caught between but they are grateful and happy to see you again! Professors will be lenient of students whose finals have been delayed, employers will inquire about your vacation time, and your friends and family may constantly badger you for time and attention. Isn't that nice? In addition, citizens of the city may now place calls to members outside of the city for up to five minutes. While that pesky growling problem still appears at the tail end of all conversations, citizens will be able to reach out to anyone in the world and speak for that length of time. Let's just hope your loved ones aren't too bothered by the previous radio silence. THE DREAMS What was that about resting easy? Perhaps you won't be able to as well as you'd like. Though everything appears to be fine, the moment you close your eyes beginning on July 3rd, you may find yourself plagued by strange, unusual dreams. As you dream you'll find yourself experiencing everything from wild scenarios set in space or on a pirate ship to everyday, mundane interactions. Your dreams will reflect who you are, but...maybe in a different light. Perhaps your siblings aren't related to you in your dreams, or perhaps your hair is a different color. Maybe you find yourself dreaming about a whole different lifestyle than the one you currently possess. Why, you could even be one of the lucky ones and dream about those memories you've been receiving since you've joined the app. Then again, you'll also find that you aren't dreaming alone. When you look, you may find that someone has joined you. It's easy to move in dreams and intrude on other people's dreams. You may choose to watch the scene play out or find yourself able to change scenarios within these dreams. Some of you will recognize what is and isn't real, but...what is real anymore? Aren't you curious what it all means? The moment you awake, however, these dreams will fade away and simply be dreams. THE QUESTS If you're looking for a way to pass the time and bring a little adventure to your life, a new feature on the Retrospec app is the quest hotline! By submitting a request, Retrospec will generate a new task for you to accomplish either in the city or around one of the four regions. While Retrospec cannot claim that all tasks will be exciting, all tasks given are important to the functionality of the city. Or perhaps you're interested in exploring Mementos or Tartarus...? Just what are these new places anyway? Strange. Happy questing! THE REGIONS Travel is available once more for the regions outside of the city, though do watch out for the common monsters that still linger between districts. It will take three hours by boat southward to Pesgare, an hour underground eastward to Respatrum, two hours west via horseback to Bosuma and seven hours via driving north to Magatus. Depending on where you travel though you may find some surprises waiting for you. Fishing season is at its prime in Pesgare and it's the perfect place for a seaside getaway this summer. The region remains untouched and stable, and the economy is thriving once more thanks to the repairs after their tsunami and the work of Retrospec users. In Respatrum, the workers in the mines don't seem to mind the heat and continue crafting and creating. Anyone who ventures into these parts will be put to work, but may be rewarded with small tokens and hospitality from the natives of this region. Bosuma, however, is a little different. The Swamp Witch is nowhere to be found though the forest is alit with bright, blooming flowers, strange multicolored animals and friendly natives from a nearby village in the woods. Monsters lurk the deeper parts of the woods, but one would actively have to go looking for them. But should one linger in this region for too long, they may soon discover that they'll start to see things...not just things, but people. Vivid, life-like forms of people you've seen in your memories will appear before you even if you're unaware of who they are. They seem to beckon you to come closer, happy to see you and encouraging you to explore the forest further. Some of these forms may engage in combat if the relationship you remember is a hostile one. Should you follow or fight them, however, you will soon find yourself lost in the woods and it may take days to return to the city. Do keep sight of what's real, won't you? Finally, over in Magatus, for anyone who has ventured there before they may be expecting the snowy mountains and ski lodge. However, it's summer! Snow isn't fit for the summer and as residents approach the region they'll come to find that the ice-capped mountains have been replaced with cliffs, sand dunes and a desert-esque climate. The iced-over lake is now perfect for swimming and further exploration will lead you to a path in the mountains that's the perfect height for cliff-jumping into waters below. This is the perfect region for you outdoorsy, camping types. Just be careful of the scorpions and rattlesnakes out there. THE CITY It's summer vacation everywhere. How are you spending your days? Maybe it isn't such a bad idea to listen to Joanne and plan your days with fun and exciting ventures. Parties and meetings and spending time with your friends...it sounds nice, doesn't it? Even if some of you may notice your friends seem...off. The city is peaceful. Everything seems to be calm and safe, so much that you may not even notice the difference at first. It all begins in mid-July though. One moment you're sitting in a café and the next you realize you're wearing an apron and you feel as though you should be working behind the counter. One moment you're sitting in your bedroom and the next you look up and notice that the items on your wall have changed. These little hallucinations are minimal and only last a few moments, but they will begin to increase as the month goes on and leading straight into August. But hey. It's probably nothing to worry about. Welcome to recolle's July 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. Regarding Tanabata! If you would like to claim a free 10-20 point item, please head to the regains page and submit as normal! Please indicate that it is a Tanabata freebie. Characters are free to travel to one of the four regions this month (Pesgare, Respatrum, Bosuma, Magatus), but keep in mind the effects/changes as listed above. As a reminder, you may qualify for an additional freebie this month by threading out a dream sequence with at least one person experiencing a new AU! This thread must be at least five consecutive comments from you. Any questions you have regarding this event may be directed to the mod comment here. Be sure to review the mods' question thread on the plotting post for important information as well!

Comments

[breakingvoice]

a. so when it flies to the sky [tanabata]

"Oh no, come back here!"

Suddenly, out of nowhere, there's a blue-haired girl chasing a small black and white bird with a strip of brightly colored paper in its beak. She'd like to wish this magpie a particularly bad morning for all the trouble it's getting her into. Lina's wearing a baseball cap with the brim turned backwards to hold her blue hair out of her face, and even though it's getting warmer, she has absolutely no problem still wearing blue and black plaid, apparently. At least her undershirt and shorts are weather-appropriate, but she looks basically like the disaster she is.

Not that she expects anybody who finds her to get the whole view all at once, because in the process of chasing after this bird that stole her tanzaku, she ends up tripping and nearly eating concrete before catching herself on a light pole. She needs a second to recover and catch her breath, because she definitely does not have insurance and doesn't want to think about what she would've done if that pole hadn't been there.

"Stupid bird..."

b. tell me the name of these feelings [bosuma]

Zero standing at the foot of One's impaled body. Both of them with their eyes wide open, both of them whispering for Lina to come closer.

Bosuma was supposed to be relaxing. Outdoors is one of the only places Lina can spend her time that doesn't cost any money, and even walking to Bosuma was enough of a change from arguing with people on the app and trying to get out of a blind date her roommate had set up that she was able to clear her head. But she's... staring down two people from her memories right now. And Lina's following them because of course she is. Because she's an idiot. Because she wants answers.

"Why did you say you would kill me?" she asks the person she knows is Zero, but there's no way she's actually there, right? But Lina can see her. "So I wouldn't kill her?" It doesn't make sense. None of this does. Lina scowls, desperate for answers, and puts up her fists like she's actually going to be able to do anything.

"I'll kill both of you if I have to!" She has enough problems and she doesn't need this and they're not real and they can't be real. It's too bad that Zero has a sword, even if One isn't going to be going anywhere. Somebody might have to bail Lina out.

a

[admiringly]

Chiyo watches that entire exchange and winces as soon as she sees Lina trip. There's a huge sigh of relief when the older girl catches herself. It's not long before Chiyo approaches and offers a similarly-colored tanzaku to the one the magpie stole.

"Do you want another one? It's not the same, but it's blank."

[breakingvoice]

...That's strange, that people are actually offering help to her. Lina did just nearly beef it, though. Maybe Chiyo's taking pity on her. Lina takes a moment to straighten herself up (gets harder every day) and forces a smile.

"I appreciate it, but I need to get that one back. I don't know where the bird's going to leave it, and I don't—" She doesn't want anyone seeing what she wrote. Of course. But she can't say that, so she course-corrects mid sentence. "Think it's going to actually work if it's not hanging up, you know? Can you help me get it back instead?"

That's a big ask and she doesn't expect the help in return. Why would she?

[admiringly]

Was it a super private wish? Chiyo wonders. "Did you sign your name on it?"

Even if Lina didn't, it's not like Chiyo has the heart to say no. If that's the one she has her hearts set on it, who is Chiyo to deny it? Sometimes, it's hard to write down a wish or to admit you want something to happen.

"Okay! Let's go get it back, and then hopefully your wish can come true!" She looks off in the direction the bird flew. "Ready?" she asks in case Lina did get hurt in her almost fall.

[breakingvoice]

"Ready," Lina agrees once she's finished checking herself out to see if she really did hurt anything. Not that it would stop her if she had, because the wish... it's something anybody who knows her would already know, but it's so. It's heartbreakingly embarrassing to admit that she's wishing for it when she already knows wishes don't do jack or shit.

If people cared about the wishes of others, after all, then Tentei would never have been an asshole to his daughter and Lina wouldn't be chasing a bird through the city and nearly eating shit in the process.

"We're only going to scare it away if we're too noisy or fast," she says as though she knows anything about what they're about to do. "Have you ever, um. Chased a bird before?"

[admiringly]

"No, but I think if we try to feed it or lure it with something shiny, it'll come?"

Chiyo has no idea how bitter or embarrassed Lina is about her wish, but that's not going to stop her from thinking about catching birds.

"Most black birds like shiny things, right?"

That's the stereotype.

[breakingvoice]

Lina nods. "That's what I've heard. Um, let me see if I have anything..."

She reaches into her pocket and pulls out a faded pink wallet that, at one point, looks like it may have had some kind of design on it. She doesn't know why she bothers opening it up when she already knows it's going to be empty, but she does anyway. It's a discreet look, one that doesn't tilt her wallet forward too much, and she keeps it open only long enough to get the idea across before putting it away.

"Nothing." Faking a sigh would be too pathetic, so she holds off from that, at least. "If you have a coin or a... compact or something, I'll hold it in the sunlight for you."

[admiringly]

"Oh, um...!" Chiyo unzips her mini backpack. She doesn't have a compact mirror, but she pulls out a metal water bottle for Lina to take. "Hopefully, this can work! I'm going to walk toward the bird now."

She tries to be as sneaky as she can, which isn't very, but she is moving slow.

[breakingvoice]

And she does take it, carefully watching the way the sunlight reflects off it to make sure when it's facing the magpie she actually has some idea of how it might come at her. Once that's taken care of, her attention goes back to Chiyo, who looks like she's making good progress on sneaking up on this bird.

As Chiyo gets closer, Lina starts holding the water bottle in the sunlight, tilting it back and forth to make the reflection move just a little. The magpie's attention seems to shift with a few quick head turns and a tilt of curiosity, but she doesn't know enough about birds to know if that's just how they are? The point is that it's stationary for the moment and doesn't seem to notice Chiyo, nor does it want, necessarily, to take off and dive-bomb Lina's shiny thing. For the moment.

Lina's tanzaku is still in its beak, and the situation is almost making her heart race. What she wrote isn't devastatingly private or anything, but wishing for help from the gods to have enough money to keep surviving is the kind of thing that she doesn't want getting out. And she doesn't know Chiyo well enough to tell if she'll read it or not if she gets there first.

a

[me_matey]

"Whoa, easy there girl," Satsuki was nearby, providing a steading arm to the person she sort of vaguely recognized as being Jen's roommate, but had never really taken the opportunity to know, herself. But hey, she was the helping sort, and this girl looked like she could use it, at least.

"No wish is worth biting the pavement over," she tries to assure her in a gentle tone. "Besides, it's not as if you can't write the same wish twice. That's what I always did when I was little if I lost them."

[breakingvoice]

Maybe she could use help, as long as the question of what exactly she wrote doesn't come up. Lina's fingers brush against this other person's arm—there's very, very vague recognition there, but she doesn't know her name and just knows that Jen probably knows her or something. The less she thinks about Jen right now, the better, but it's time to recover as best she can, it seems.

"You're right. It doesn't matter how important the wish is if I end up hospitalized trying to ask it," she says, trying her best to sound sheepish. "Sorry, um. You're... are you one of Jen's friends?" God, she hates having to be polite and kind sometimes.

[me_matey]

"Satsuki. Satsuki Hojo. The wrestler," which she was probably sure the only detail about herself Lina was bound to remember if Jen had mentioned anything about Satsuki to her.

[breakingvoice]

"Oh, right," Lina says, vaguely remembering overhearing something about that. She doesn't really talk to Jen about... much. She probably should start, given that conversation they had on the network the other day...

Anyway. "Sorry. I figured. I don't expect a lot of totally random people to help others out. Um, anyway." Okay, she has to keep up the niceties for now, at least. "How are you at catching birds?"

[me_matey]

"Well, I can't fly, but... hm," Satsuki looked over at the magpie, clicking her tongue, thinking over her options.

"What I can do... is this," Satsuki crouched down slightly, bracing herself against the ground below, looking almost like she was about to take off for a foot race, but instead, when she finally launched herself, it wasn't straight forward, but instead leaping into the air itself...

Well higher than any normal human was capable of, at that.

[breakingvoice]

Lina took a moment to look over Satsuki with close scrutiny, since she didn't really interact with a lot of people with special powers or whatever and was kind of expecting her to run off after the magpie without even really thinking about where it had gone.

When all of that horizontal energy turned out to be vertical instead, Lina stepped backwards and followed Satsuki, tilting her head back farther than she should have to after a human being jumping. "Oh my god," she ended up saying quietly without even thinking about it.

"What the hell?"

[me_matey]

Unfortunately, Satsuki being launched like a bat out of hell after the bird only served to startle it more, dashing off well beyond her reach. At least it let go of the paper, finally, but Satsuki couldn't get close enough to grab it, needing to focus on her landing. Which wasn't really that graceful, sort of just slamming back down with a squat, wincing as her knees shook.

"Gotta... get used to landing when I do that, still."

[breakingvoice]

Yeah, that—right, okay, she was chasing after a bird, sorry, she'd gotten more than a little distracted by the literal superhuman feat she was watching unfold right in front of her. She winced right with Satsuki on hearing that impact; her knees were probably going to go to shit in a few months if she kept that kind of thing up.

"Retrospec gave you that?" she asked, making what she felt was a pretty solid assumption. "All they gave me was this hair." No need to get immediately bitter about it or anything. No need to be a huge bitch quite yet.

B...... what I did a fourth thread....

[nachetanya]

[ Natalia liked Bosuma.

It actually... no, she liked it, but she was also terrified by it. It reminded her a lot of the commune, if she was honest. But those rainbow deer were cool and so she did wander out here herself, not walking so much as riding a bike. After a certain point though the roads to give way to paths and then suddenly, she's too far among the trees to do anything other than walk the bike with her and... That's awkward but oh well.

...

Wait that voice was- she follows it to see... Lina. Lina's there and- Wait, no, how should she be reacting to this? Err. Hmmm. ]

oh no... guess i'll have to keep doing the good rp with you...

[breakingvoice]

[how indeed. Lina's been in a couple fights before, and the vision of Zero in front of her doesn't exactly seem eager to slice her in two, but that sword is definitely going to be an issue—a bigger one than Lina even really knows, but that's telling.]

Fine! Fuck you!

[she rushes up into Zero's personal space, hopefully too close to actually use that sword, and punches at the illusion's jaw. it feels real and Zero reacts like it's real but it doesn't make sense that this thing can even take hits because Lina knows that Zero isn't real. the sword falls after a lucky hit to Zero's arm and the illusion doesn't seem deterred in the slightest.]

[Lina takes a hit to the gut from the illusion that, fortunately, doesn't seem to know how strong Zero actually is, but it still hurts like a real-ass punch and she doubles over just in time to see a rising knee clad in white robes. she moves her head out of the way quickly so it doesn't smash her entire face, but Zero's knee does clip her own collarbone as she dodges. Lina hasn't noticed Natalia yet, but her eyes are shut right now as she tries to reorient herself.]

Look...

[nachetanya]

[ Torn between a few different reactions here, Natalia hesitates. Honestly, it's very possible she's hesitating too much. Is this even like her...? She's not sure what defines "her" the most right now.

Still, that Lina there, and she does like Lina. But Lina's rough, and she can handle herself? And the initial beginnings of the fight does reflect that. But it's as Lina starts to get hit back that she inhales and ... Well. ]

-- Lina!

[ She at least steps out into the open here, not yet sure what she's doing, but. ]

i'm looking B|

[breakingvoice]

[that would make two of them not sure of what they're doing. Lina just wanted to come out here to enjoy the forest, not get her ass kicked by apparitions. her head snaps to attention around the same time as Zero's does, and she ends up shouting as she runs towards her friend in an awkward stumble.]

Nat!

[Zero isn't giving chase, but she is doing that dramatic slow-walk thing. maybe because that's the only way Lina's seen her act in her memories? it's hard to tell. they still don't have a lot of time when Lina comes to a stop next to Natalia and gestures at the woman in white with a flower coming from her eye.]

You can do magic at it, right?

don't look at how slow I've been this month.

[nachetanya]

-Lina that's a person.

[ She answers in a shocked gasp as the other gets closer to her, up next to her. To be sure, Natalia gets out and tightens her grip on a small pocket knife from her purse, her grip becoming quite, quite knuckle biting. She...

Her blades are deadly.

She might play around a bit more these days, but to attack with it? ]

i will tag forever you're good <3

[breakingvoice]

No it fucking isn't.

[she's insistent, as if the swear wasn't enough of an indicator, and she grabs at Natalia's arm to try to get them a little more distance away from Zero. if they try to run, it won't work—she knows it won't, somehow. or maybe she's just too pissed off to run. but she needs time to convince Natalia to do something.]

Whatever she is, she's not human, and she's going to kill both of us if you don't kill her first.

[her eyes aren't glowing with energy because she can't do that (yet), but they are wide open, and behind the anger, she really is begging for her life.]

[nachetanya]

[ It's really a moment like this where Natalia is reminded that for however much it is fun to tease Lina and she really does like the girl, it's still... scary. To have her rationalize that like that, is that even... how can she do that? Maybe she's hard harsher memory experiences, or maybe that's just how she is. Natalia doesn't like the arm being jerked, but it's easy to do. She licks her lips and sees the approaching other and...

It really does look like a person...

Hell, even so that's... ]

Lina you can't ask me to kill someone.

[ It's said lightly, but perhaps a little scared. Still for what she's already said about her memories, she has, in that other life, done that before. ]

[breakingvoice]

[Lina lets go, glares at Natalia, then turns her attention to the slowly approaching Zero. if Nat won't do this, she'll handle it herself. she'll throw herself at the specter of Zero until her body breaks if that's what it takes to get her out of here.]

I'm not asking.

[though she completely lacks the physical strength, she knows now that Nat isn't going to be any help. so Lina cracks the knuckles of one hand against the open palm of the other, then does it with her other hand, and starts a slow walk forward of her own.]

If you won't fight, then get the hell out of here. No sense in both of us getting killed.

[and Lina throws a punch, low and towards Zero's gut. it doesn't do much to deter her, but it doesn't look like she was expecting her sweet, innocent sister to fight back very hard. Zero scowls and swings back, a hook that Lina only barely manages to dodge out of the way from.]