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

[There's a small flush in his cheeks as she brings up that very good point, realizing he hadn't thought of his end of the equation for this. He had been more intent on getting her warm and dry instead of himself, as she had gone through a much greater trauma than he did. Shaking his head slightly, he urges her forward once more, so she wouldn't get too caught up in worrying about him instead of changing.]

I'll be fine. I don't want you rushing or pushing yourself any further than you already have. Get yourself changed and relax, and I'll figure out something in the meantime.

[Because even if Noah's clothes were on the larger side, the t-shirts should still fit him comfortably, and he could probably roll up the pants to a certain extent to make it work. It's not like Noah was in the dream to say something about it, anyway.]

A-alright.

[She gives a nod though, figuring if she changes quickly then they could make sure he was sorted. Sakura waits till he is out of sight before changing into some dry clothes, throwing her wet ones in the hamper with her dirty washing to be dealt with later.]

Alright, I'm ready. [She calls out and opens her door, checking on Xiaolang.]

[He makes sure to give her a wide enough berth to respect her modesty and her privacy, heading straight over to Noah's room the moment she stepped into her own. It felt a bit invasive, digging through the other boy's clothing like this, but as far as he knew, they were the only ones here at the moment. And it's not like Noah hadn't dug through their stuff at home, either...

By the time Sakura's done changing, he's just about done as well, donning the smallest and simplest things he could find in the dresser. That just so happened to be a spare band T-shirt and a pair of drawstring lounge shorts, the string tied as tight as it could go and the 'shorts' still reaching to about his shins. Still, it was better than wet pajamas, anyway, which he's trying to collect into his arms once she calls out.

He exits the door to Noah's room, tugging on the shirt a bit (kind of needless since it's already baggy on him), eyes searching for her.]

I am too.

It doesn't look too weird on me or anything does it...?

Hm? No. I mean, it is a little bigger. But that's fine to just get you home in and you can bring them back next time you come over?

[Barely anyone would probably see him anyway. In this dream, but also with her being able to use Fly to avoid most people's notice up in the air while they walked or drove. She hands him a spare plastic bag for his wet clothes, before gesturing back outside.]

I'll get you home.

[He deposits the soggy clothes into the plastic bag she gives to him, but he stops short as she makes that offer. Logically, he probably should head back, and hope that being in familiar territory would snap him out of his dream, but--

His hand twists a little in his shirt, his mouth moving before his brain can intercept it.]

I'd rather stay here, actually.

[It takes him a moment to realize what he just said, and he shakes his head a little, frowning.]

I-I mean-- you've been through a lot already, and I'd be more comfortable if you rested up and took care of yourself instead of making yourself go out there for my sake. Besides, this is a dream, so-- I don't think it's going to matter if I'm here or at home when I wake up. I just...

[And he straightens his shoulders some, mouth setting in a straight line.]

I want to be here if you wind up needing anything else. If... you want me to be, anyway.

You want to stay? I guess it isn't like you haven't stayed over before. And it is a little later now. And if it is just a dream, you'd probably still just wake up in your bed in the morning.

[As far as she figures. However this was supposed to work. It wasn't like she had done this before or anything so she was just guessing on that. Still, it doesn't take long for her to figure getting bed ready, and offering to help him set something up as well.]

[He nods in agreement, a little more than relieved that she hadn't insisted on him leaving. He would, if she had wanted him to go, but it was the best for both of them, in his opinion, if he stuck around.]

Yeah. I doubt we're actually physically traveling through these dreams, so it doesn't really matter where I end up being. Derek and Noah don't seem to be here either, so I don't think it'll be really inconveniencing anyone.

[Although if Derek was around, he wouldn't bother asking to stay, anyway, because the older man would probably try to skin him alive at the very idea. He's quiet as he helps her with her own bed stuff, although he blinks a little at her offer to set his up as well.]

Um... I-I'm fine with just a pillow and blanket for the floor, if that's okay with you. I mean, I'm not really going to be sleeping here, so it doesn't make much of a difference.

[Granted, they shared a pillow nest together the first time he slept over, so sleeping next to her wasn't a new thing to him, but... sharing an actual bed with her made him feel incredibly shy, for whatever reason.]

A-alright then. I guess that's true. Or, I hope so.

[That Derek and Noah wouldn't actually wake up to find her boyfriend camping out in her room with them having been clueless on Xiaolang having been staying over at all. That probably wouldn't go down well. At all. Not for him anyway.]

I have a spare pillow. And there should be another blanket or two in the wardrobe....

[She passes him one of the two pillows on her bed, then goes to the wardrobe to reach and find a spare blanket for him.]

[Nope! Not well in the slightest!! But if Xiaolang had managed to rummage through Noah's dressers and get changed in his room, all without the other boy noticing, then it was a pretty safe bet that he wasn't actually here. That, or a very, very sound sleeper...

He accepts the pillow with a small thanks, setting it onto the floor near her bed, though he glances up as he sees her travel to the wardrobe for the blankets.]

Ah-- do you need any help with that?

[She really should be resting, and not hunting for things for him, so he wanted to assist her as much as he can on that front so she didn't need to do any more work.]

Hm? Oh, it's alright!

[She did this whenever friends were over. Either setting things up in the lounge or making up another bed next to her own. There was something reassuring and soothing about it too. In knowing that she wouldn't be alone. Even if this was just a dream. Knowing he was there with her.

Sakura brings over the blankets and passes them to him.]

This is okay? I can get more if you need.