recolle | (no subject)

Entry tags:

(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

[ It takes almost slamming into Minato to break his focus, having not reacted at all to the ample warning Noah's shouts provided, but he spares Noah a brief glace- hands out as if to steady him without actually touching- before he turns his head back towards the thicket of trees, distracted. ]

Hey. Did you... happen to see somebody out there? Wearing a yellow scarf?

[ In the middle of summer? ]

[ Fortunately for Minato, Noah is good enough at balance to keep from falling over entirely. He's mostly just trying to kick off the plant bits still stuck to his pants. How annoying-- ]

A yellow scarf?

[sure it could be questionable to be wearing one in summer. But maybe it was a fashion scarf]

No? You're the first person I've seen.

[ A fashion scarf is still way too hot. Even the thin t-shirt Minato has on feels hot, him tugging at his collar to get some air inside as he frowns a little. ]

Oh. I thought I saw somebody I knew, but...

[ he shakes his head ]

Never mind. Any reason why you ditched the paths? [ Maybe Noah wouldn't have gotten lost if he'd stuck to them instead of stepping through bushes, just a thought ]

[There's an awkward pause]

Wanted to get a photo of a rabbit and got turned around.

[Yep. In his defense, it was a cute rabbit. He clears his throat]

Anyway, do you need help finding this person?

[ Minato taps the side bag he's carrying instead of replying right away— it's a camera bag, from the logo printed on the case- which is the main reason why he's in the forest in the first place as well, although he was led astray by mysterious ghosty persons instead of cute rabbits. ]

Hmm... It's not a big deal. If I see him again, I'll see him; if I don't, then... [ He shrugs ] Did you get your picture?

You're not worried about them....?

[that's a little weird. but maybe it was someone capable of looking after themselves? But hey, that won't stop Noah from using his phone to pull up a picture that he promptly shows to Minato]

Yeah, he even had a friend.

[Look at those cute bunnies]

The forest isn't that dangerous... maybe... [ Actually, it sort of is, huh? He can't say he's familiar with whoever he'd seen- he doesn't have a name, or a clear picture of his face in his mind's eye, just that unsettling feeling of familiarity- but he thinks it'll be fine. ] If something happens, we'll hear him scream.

[ That should be fine. More importantly are the bunnies, that make one corner of Minato's mouth lift in something of a smile. ]

Cute. If they're hanging around, I'm more assured that nothing dangerous is in the area.

[Yes, bunnies are more important. And he guesses that's logical enough, even if there's a twinge of worry]

Yeah, guess so. At least in this part....

[...]

Wherever this part of the woods is, anyway.

[I'm very lost.]

[ The slight worry is on Minato's end that Noah apparently doesn't know where he is, but it abates rather quickly, because haha, heck if Minato knows either. It's a forest, and as long as they walk in one direction, they'll either make it out of the woods eventually, or hit an insurmountable roadblock like the mountains. ]

I've been walking a while, but I don't know if it's the heart of the woods. If you want to get out, just keep an eye on the main... trail...

[ He turns around behind him, but. Looking more closely, it isn't really a trail he'd been walking on, but rather a narrow worn-down path, likely blazed by many a wanderer through the forest, continuing several more meters before reaching a dead-end of bushes. ]

[.....

There's a pause as he watches Minato look around, before he finally responds]

Think we already fucked up on that.

It's not too late to find the main trail again... Don't give up.

[ If he gives up, they're going to die out here, so Minato turns around, rubbing at the back of his neck. Backtracking is the way to go— he discounts wherever Noah had come from, because he just went from "lost" to "more lost," but Minato is pretty sure he was on the main path at one point. ]

Who said anything about giving up?

[He gives a huff! he's not content to die out here in the woods. But yeah, Minato seems to make sense. So he'll let Minato take lead and try to follow him]

[ That makes Minato almost crack a smile, more than anything, before he ducks his head and picks a stick off the ground, too thin to be a walking stick but long enough for him to drag it alongside the mess of footprints in the dirt as he walks- no looping around for them, thanks.

Back this way, and... None of it looks familiar, and the trial seems to taper and turn more than become a wide, straight path, the further they walk. ]

...Maybe we should've gone with your method instead...

[ Noah follows after, watching around to make sure no monsters approach. He leaves it up to Minato to navigate and drag that walking stick along, since he's rubbish at directions and he knows it.

So it's less than encouraging when Minato speaks up like that. ]

...Are we that lost?

Uh.

[ Yeah, they are, even though he doesn't want to say it. ]

I was just thinking, there's no need to find a path. If we pick one direction and go, we'll get out eventually.

[ Noah's method is a good method! They can just casually cut down whatever tree is in their way and forge their own path. ]

[.......]

Yeah okay, but one question.

What if the direction we pick lands up the opposite side of the forest from town?

Then we'll walk around the forest, and then there's no way we'll get lost again as long as we stay out of the trees.

[ It'll suck a lot! But at least they'll just be tired by the end of it, not lost and tired. ]

That could take days though...

[He's not sure he could survive days without food. Nor does he trust either of their foraging and hunting skills]

What if we climb a tree? We might be able to see which direction the city's in.

[ Minato is accustomed to zapping fish out of the river by now, so at least they won't starve... that is, if they manage to find the river. Noah's right, though, they might have a better chance of trying to see the city than finding landmarks in the forest. ]

We could give that a try. Once it gets dark, the city lights should be able to stand out. Can you climb trees? Or should I...?

[ He taps something kept tucked under his shirt, at his belt. Go shooting things, etc. ]

[Right now I don't trust them to find their own feet, much less a river okay]

Hmm...I think I could climb it? Hold onto my stuff, will you?

[He slips his bag off his shoulder and holds it out for Minato. ]

[ He takes the bag and sets it on the ground by his feet instead of actually holding onto it because... yeah. ]

Yeah, I'll look after your stuff. I'll spot you too, but shout or something if you start to slip or fall.

[ Give him an extra split second's head's up, in case his vigilance isn't vigilant enough. Noah just needs to get high enough to spot city lights, and Minato trusts him a lot more than he trusts himself. ]

[...]

Yeah, okay? I'll be sure to scream.

[Noah will head over to the tree truck, quickly pulling off his gloves so he can have a better grip. And with a muttered "here goes", he'll start climbing on up! Luckily all that gymnastics stuff seemed to be worth something, as he's getting pretty high up and there's no sign of him falling yet]

[ Minato hopes that "yet" never comes, circling the tree so that he stays under Noah at all times as he ascends from handhold to handhold, picking up the bag the next time he passes by it in case they need to extra cushioning.

Keep going, Noah, he's rooting for you. ]

[Noah will keep climbing until he reaches high enough in the canopy to look out. Then he shouts from below]

I think I can see it!

[ Minato squints skyward, but he can barely see what direction Noah's looking for all the branches in the way, so there's nothing Minato can do but take his word for it and trust that he'll keep that direction in mind when he gets back down again.

... ]

Great! Can you get back down?

[ Or is this like a cat situation, where Minato is forced to shake the tree to get Noah down? ]

(no subject)

redarm - 2018-07-30 16:54 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

compendiem - 2018-08-01 21:35 (UTC) - Expand

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only