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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!

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[It's not hard for Xiaolang to blend in with this sort of crowd-- he could very easily be one of the students at this school, despite lacking the black robes and proper uniform. Still, there seems to be some sort of demonstration in the center of the room, and he picks his way forward to get a better view, only to stop short when recognition hits. The dark haired boy was a stranger, but there was something unsettlingly familiar about the smug blond facing opposite of him. He was only a year or so younger than Xiaolang was now, but there were features on him that he knew, but couldn't quite place. The shape of his face, his nose, his smirk...

... oh my god, it couldn't be.]

Derek?

[The disbelief is clear in his voice, and honestly, he wasn't even sure if this kid!Derek was even able to hear him. But he can't keep his eyes off of the scene about to unfold, his senses thrumming with that unknown hum of energy that always followed something magical.]

[Derek had been watching the memory too when he sees Xiaolang in the crowd of students. Oh, so hew was walking in on his dream huh? Well, lets see what this kid thinks.]

The person who Harry called "Professor" cuffed Harry merrily on the shoulder. "Just do what I did, Harry!"

"What, drop my wand?"

[Derek lets out a snort]

But the professor wasn't listening.

"Three- two- one- go!" he shouted.

Draco quickly raises his wand and bloowed, "Serpensortia!

The end of Draco's wand exploded and a long black snake shot out of it, falling heavily onto the floor between them. Harry clearly looked surprised. The snkake raised itself, ready to strike. Many of the students screamed and backed away swiftly from the snake.

[Xiaolang's hardly aware of the older Derek's presence in the room, his attention too caught up with his younger counterpart in the middle of the room. He should be rooting for Derek, as he knew him much better than this hapless kid he was facing off against, but... the incompetency of the other boy's teacher made this match somewhat unfair. Hopefully this 'Harry' boy had a fighting chance.

But a sudden bursting sensation had him turning his head, just in time for him to see younger Derek whip that out of his wand. There was a brief moment of confusion (where the hell did he summon that thing from?), but his body moves into action before he can even think. A bright, intricately patterned octogram flairs beneath his feet, sending a small gust of wind whipping around the fleeing students' robes, and he grinds the heels of his hands together, pulling a hilt from his palm. A fiery sword, coated in blue flames, soon follows after, the fire dying down to reveal his regular jian beneath. Normally, he'd have opted for one of his talismans, as it was considerably less flashy, but his dream self had none on hand, his sword being the most accessible.

Moving quickly, he dashes towards the center of the action, ready to neutralize the snake if he had to. Was interfering with someone's memory like this even possible? He didn't know, but he wasn't about to let someone innocent get hurt by hesitating about it.]

[Derek was surprised to see Xiaolang jump up on stage and even more surprised to see a sword come out of his hand. Well, this just got more interesting to watch.]

No one seem to take notice of Xiaolang at first, seeing him as just another student. Harry was eye to eye with the snake, standing motionless.

"Don't move, Potter," said the professor with greasy hair lazily. He then looks at Xiaolang. "Put that away boy before you poke someone's eye out." He takes a step forward to take care of the snake when the other professor steps forward.

"Allow me!" he shouted. He brandished his wad at the snake and there was a loud bang. Instead of vanishing the snake, the professor had sent it ten feet up in the air. It fell back to the floor with a loud smack a foot away from Xiaolang. Enraged, and hissing angrily, it slithered a few inches towards Xiaolang and raised itself again, fangs exposed, ready to strike.

Harry pushed passed Xiaolang and started hissing at the snake loudly. As if he was speaking to it. The snake stared at Harry, and started to lower it's body, it's eyes locked onto the person speaking it's language.

[He's not sure what he's more surprised over-- that the people in this memory were actually acknowledging him, or that this grease-ball of a professor was this blase about him wielding a weapon. It wasn't in his nature to ignore a teacher, even if it wasn't one of his own, but this particular man's tone bothered him so much that he makes a point not to follow his orders. Like hell he was putting away his sword now, not while someone else was in danger.

Gritting his teeth, he moves forward a few steps, but then the more dim-witted of the two adults comes forward, making things go from bad to worse. It happens so suddenly that he can barely get the sword in front of him in defense, his arm tense in anticipating the creature's strike. Could he be able to cut it down, before it got to him? Who knew.

But before they could find out, the dark haired boy shoulders his way in front of him, much to Xiaolang's horror.]

No, DON'T--!

[And then the other boy........ starts hissing. Like he expects the snake to actually understand him. And the craziest bit is, it seems like it's working, in some weird way or another. His arm starts to lower, unsure if the threat was really neutralized, but willing to hope.]

Harry turned to Xiaolang and smiled. However, a student in a yellow uniform yelled at Harry.

"What do you think you're playing at? Don't get others involved!"

All around the students were looking at Harry with a shocked or scared look. The greasy haired professor stepped forward and waved his wand causing the snake to vanish in a small puff of black smoke. He too, was looking at Harry. His look was shrewd and calculating. Weasley and Granger, came up to the Harry and yanked on his robes, pulling him away from the crowd.

"Come one," said Ron's voice. "Move- come on-" Weasely steered Harry out of the hall, with Granger following quickly behind.

[This is where the memory ended, so people started to fade, leaving just Xiaolang and Derek in the empty room. Seeing the show was over, Derek pushes himself away from the wall and starts walking over to Xiaolang.]

"So, what did you think?"

[When the dark-haired boy turns to smile at Xiaolang, he's at a loss for words. What in the world did he just do? Was this sort of thing normal?

If the reaction of the other students were any indication, though, it probably wasn't. He takes a step back as the oily looking professor comes forward, keeping his sword drawn, but before he can say anything, two other kids wind up stepping in. The red headed boy and the bushy haired brunette seemed to know the bespectacled kid rather well, but as they usher him out, Xiaolang can't help but try to follow behind him.]

Wait, no...!

[Before he can catch up to them, though, and ask what that strange boy just did, everything starts to fade, and he can't help but glance around in confusion. Derek's voice-- the older Derek, not the younger one here-- gets him to start, and he whips his head over his shoulder to glance at him.]

You-- You were here the whole time?

[Well, duh, this was his dream, but--]

Why didn't you do something? Someone may have gotten hurt!

[Derek's eyebrows raise at Xiaolang's question.]

Do something? You do realize this is a dream right? Besides, in the memory no one got hurt. When it actually happened the snake went for Finch-Fletchley, not you.

[A beat.]

Or were you questioning Draco's actions? Or lack there of.

[His cheeks burn red for a moment, as Derek points out the obvious, but it doesn't wind up deflating his indignation over the whole thing.]

I-- Yes, I know that! But if I was able to interact with the people here, you could have too!

[Unless Finch-Fletchley had a sword, or pointy object of some sort, which he highly doubted, but--]

Although I can't imagine what your other self was thinking, setting something like THAT against someone else. That other boy didn't even know what he was doing!

[He's not even going to comment on the Draco thing, since he was already aware of alternate names with Mio and Shion, but it is something he's keeping in the back of his mind.]

[Derek points a finger at Xiaolang.]

Hey, don't pin this all on Draco. It's not his fault his teacher told him to use the spell. I mean sure he knew what it did, but that teacher should have done something sooner. However... Lockhart made the matter worse. I'm just going to come out and say it, most of the teachers here are pretty incompetent.

[He scowls at the finger pointed in direction, tempted to bat it aside, but decides against it.]

He should have had the common sense to tell him it was a bad idea, though! Just because he was his teacher doesn't mean he has to blindly follow his orders! I mean, just because the adults are incompetent doesn't mean the students have to be...!

Don't you feel even a little bit bad for Draco's actions?

[Because even if they weren't these people in this lifetime, they were still who they used to be, at some point. Xiaolang knows he certainly has his share of guilt over some of Syaoran's actions.]

[Derek rolls his eyes.]

He's twelve! What more do you expect from a twelve year old rich brat whose rude to people?

[Maybe it's because Xiaolang's fourteen himself, or that he also used to be a rich brat who was less than nice to people, that Derek's brush off only frustrates him further.]

That's still too much...! Even if he was rude to people, it doesn't mean he should--

[But before he can get further into that, a wall of flames suddenly erupts around them, and he staggers back, stunned. His head whips around, trying to pinpoint the source, when his eyes fall upon four figures facing the fire not too far away. It was a teen boy, a woman in about her twenties, and two ten year old kids, a boy and a girl who looked rather familiar...

Xiaolang blanches, despite the heat, and quickly turns his eyes away from the group. He knew what this was now, and he wasn't about to let Derek witness it. What was that about rude rich kids again?]

W... We need to get out of here. Right now.

[The fire surprises Derek too and he looks around, his eyes finally falling on the four people nearby.]

Who are they? Is this your dream?

[Derek continues to stare at the people. Two of them looked familiar.]

Is that.... is that my sister?

[His lips clamp shut, keeping his eyes firmly away from the scene and only buckles down further once Derek asks that question. There was no point in answering, as he gets his answer quickly enough, once the girl starts to speak. She's whispering in worried tones to the boy next to her-- who's very clearly a younger version of Xiaolang-- and even though her voice is kept low, as to not attract the attention of the taller teen protecting them, the sound carries over to them as if she was speaking at normal volume.

'... what should I do?! I can't use my magic in front of ***-sensei... let alone ***-san!'

The younger Xiaolang looks equally as concerned, thanks to the fire and the apparent situation at hand, but quick thinking has him ducking in front of the older boy facing the flames. He bows stiffly and abruptly to the high schooler, much to the older boy's confusion, along with Sakura's.

'... PLEASE PARDON ME!!'

It's all the warning the small boy gives, before driving his fist upward into the teen's gut, the dull impact of the hit echoing into the air, making the current Xiaolang wince. The boy collapses to the ground with a loud thud, followed by a terrified shriek from Sakura, clearly horrified.

'LI-KUN?!']

[Derek watches as the younger version of Xiaolang punches the teen. His jaw slightly drops. Does the Xiaolang he knows able to punch like that?]

Nice punch... but uh...

[Derek leans towards Xiaolang.]

Can you punch like that now too? And why is my sister involved here?

[His lips flatten to a straight line, moving away from Derek as he leans in, the discomfort clear on his face. It's not as if Xiaolang was against fighting or anything-- after all, he did have his sword, and a fiesty temper to boot-- but he didn't condone violence against someone like that unless there was good reason. And even if Sakura was distressed about her magic, it didn't justify knocking someone out.]

... I can, if I wanted to.

[And the look he ushers the older man makes it clear that he will demonstrate such ability on him if he kept pressing the matter. But his expression clears as that other question finally settles in, and he ducks his head, considering. He swore he had told Derek about their connection, but... possibly not?]

And she's involved because... this is a memory of that other boy's life. [A beat, and then--] Her other self knew him, during that time. He had close ties to the magic she was using.

[Derek looks at Xiaolang as he explains, but there is still one question on his mind.]

But why did the other you punch that guy?

[A beat.]

And what kind of close ties?

... because Sakura had to use her magic, and she couldn't do it in front of those other people. I'm assuming the other me thought knocking one of them out was the best solution for that.

[Though the look that crosses his face makes it clear that he's not exactly in agreement with those actions. That older boy protected them, after all, and he didn't seem to be all that dangerous, so knocking him out seemed like a cruel way to go about things.

He crosses his arms as that second question hits, though, his eyes focused elsewhere as he answers.]

As for the ties... you know the cards Sakura has with her, right? The ones she uses for her magic? They were made by a powerful sorcerer named Clow... and apparently, my other self was a descendant of his. He came all the way to Japan to try to collect them.

[Derek frowns.]

But that punch is just... a bit...

[Derek's voice falters. He hopes no one ever does that to him...]

Collect the cards? You were some sort of rival?

[He can hear the waver in Derek's voice, and his posture tenses, unwilling to look him in the eye.]

... I know. Desperate situations call for desperate measures. But I don't think it was the right call to make.

[Him. Not the boy in his memories. There was a distinct difference between them, in his mind at least, and that was certainly one of them.

But Derek's questions seem to be hitting all the wrong chords, and instead of answering, he's just... going to start walking away. Because it's bad enough he had to see him acting like that, but to explain yet another uncomfortable part of that other boy's life...

... not that he has anywhere to really GO, since this is Derek's dream and he can't exactly get out of it, but he can try??]

[Derek's eyes follow Xiaolang and once he realizes he's walking away from him, he starts to follow.]

Woah there kid! Hang on!

[Derek reaches out and grabs Xiaolang by the head.]

Is there a reason you're avoiding my question? Hmmm?

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