recolle | (no subject)

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!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ This was a terrible idea. Akira is going on the record with that. So he gives Goro a sidelong glance. ]

What do you think?

[ He sighs, shouldering his own bag. ]

So that's seven hours wasted.

[God.

They're supposed to be smart, aren't they? They're their father's sons, aren't they? No, this is an unavoidable tragedy, because there's no way they could've know. Magatus was nice and cool before...

... It just... isn't now.]

I'm sorry, Niisan. I thought it'd be... Well, the frozen terror it was before. There's no wolves or large hoofed animals now, which I'm thankful for, but now there's just sand and rocks.

[Huff. So much for showing off his dependability.]

[ Well, the asshole's dead so maybe being less like him is for the better.

As unimpressed at the turn of events as he is, Akira isn't going to blame it on Goro. Retrospec is known for making this difficult. So he shoulders shakes his head. ]

Let's just make the best of it. There's likely still something up here worth checking out.

At the very least, there'll probably be some unique activities.

[Like sandsurfing. That sounds fun. He'll head towards the lodge that's usually here, now turned into more of an air-conditioned heaven, and

oh my god they have lighter clothes available for those who came unprepared. Oh, there's probably some level of godhood out there. Like, it's the tacky Hawaiian flowers, but. There. Goro's taking a straw sunhat while he looks dubiously at the fashion left for those as punishment.]

It's better than dying, I suppose.

[ Better than dying. Is their dignity worth this?

Who are they kidding. Their family has been in the mob, they have seen their fare share of terrible, tacky clothes. Track suits. So many track suits.

He may be wearing a pink flamingo shirt but at least it's not a velvet track suit. ]

I'll take it.

[ He puts his sunglasses on. ]

Besides, any distance between us and them will be a welcome change, even if it's temporary.

[May they burn in hell.]

Even if it's in this fashion... Anyway, I'm glad I didn't invite Ren along after all, he'd be having the time of his life with this.

[And making fun of him. Genuinely thinking he's good looking. Embarrassing. Goro puts on the sunhat and decides that this, at the very least, is an okay selfie, so he'll only do his shoulders up. ♪

A pamphlet catches his attention soon enough, barely holding back an excited expression.]

Niisan, let's go sandsurfing. ♪ It seems they take advantage of the dunes and wind to have a kind of competition to see who can hit the finish line fastest. The prize is unknown, but it could be worth the win.

[And he just. Wants to do it.]

[ He's mostly indifferent to his younger brother's boyfriend. A little ridiculous at times, but Akira can tell he's not an idiot. The fact that he makes Goro happy should really be the catalyst for an overriding sense of approval, but Akira has always been practical. Ren is not an inconvenience at this point, so that's what matters to him.

Akira raises his brow. It's not really his thing, but if Goro wants to try, he sees no point in saying "no".

It doesn't mean he won't give him a bit of a hard time, though. ]

Have you ever done anything like it before?

[ He says, though, before turning them in the direction the pamphlet indicates. Off to the dunes, he supposes. ]

Of... course! I've experienced plenty of things, niisan, please allow me to show you how it's done. ♪

[He will just. Learn from the pamphlet and watching people before he embarrasses himself. It'll be fine. He can learn that way, and he will show off to Akira, and it'll be great. His big brother will think he's so cool.

The dunes are high and dotted with people, all ready for the competition. They're given rental boats for the contest, sails a blinding white against the sun's rays, and Goro steps uneasily onto what's apparently their excuse of a windsurfing board. This is. Totally safe, perhaps, and he hums away his nervousness as he glances at Akira. Is he nervous too, or is his niisan cool as a cucumber, this is what he's trying to learn.]

[ Yes, that will go totally well. Akira has faith in him.

Except now Akira is part of this too. If it weren't for the fact that Akira is actually extremely competitive by nature and that they need the prize money, he would call this off.

This is not safe at all. But is his doing his best cucumber impression because Akira doesn't show weakness. No, he freaks out only when he's completely alone. The team beside them looks much more competent, which could be demoralizing, but it offers something to learn from. Akira glances at their boat. ]

Goro, can you steer?