(no subject)

[recollecters]

EVENT

Inverted The city of Recollé...this feels familiar, doesn't it? Everything about your precious city seems to be calm albeit weird, but that's normal for these parts. Is this just how life is now? Or should you be preparing for something else...? I. Hopping through dreams seems to be old hat by now. Have any of you experienced a good night sleep this last month? It seems as though it's inevitable to avoid falling into someone else's dreams, but at least the waking hours are safe... ...until the 5th of August. Though you may be awake and able to carry out your every day lives, Retrospec users will soon find that their surroundings will warp around them to reflect dreams they've been experiencing or memories of places they're familiar with. Hallucinations of these places will be solid enough to encompass you and those around you. People from your dreams and memories will exist and actively encourage you to chase after them, digging deeper to understand who you truly are. Some of you may find it a step further and discover yourself stuck in someone else's memories swapped out for your own, their hallucinations enclosing you and leaving you trapped in a place unfamiliar. The entire city may disappear right before your eyes as you roam the new landscape of these memories. Objects can be taken from the scene of the dream and pulled back into reality as a catalyst to break the hallucination. Monsters from the scene can be slain or a user can be coerced into forcing themselves to break the illusion themselves by rejecting what they're seeing. The possibilities are endless and mostly harmless. After all, several of you have experienced this before, haven't you? While the fog from last October isn't infiltrating the city, your hallucinations are as they spread far and wide, even going so far as to notify NPCs of certain changes around them. Good luck explaining that one. II. Dreamshares and hallucinations are quite cumbersome, aren't they? Manageable though they may be, they're nothing but a mild annoyance at this point and it may feel as though you're making some progress in avoiding them. However, for several users, falling asleep and waking up may have some rather drastic results. Upon awakening, you may find yourself somewhere you aren't familiar. You might be in someone else's bed, or perhaps you're in an entirely different district than you fell asleep in. Something feels off about yourself and you'll wake up with a slight headache and dizzying sensation. It will pass within the hour, at least. It's only when you start to look closer that you realize something is incredibly wrong. These hands don't belong to you, nor do these clothes or these walls. Your mind is the same and you remember everything as it should be, but your body belongs to another. You may recognize the person whose body you now inhabit, or perhaps you're incredibly unlucky and you've been swapped with a stranger. Get out there and find your match, Retrospecters. Swapping back won't be as simple as you may hope. It seems that the ability to swap back to normal is unique to every set of citizens and can range from talking things out, bodily colliding with one another, falling asleep and hoping it fixes itself or other circumstances. The longer you find yourself in the body of someone else, however, the more you'll find yourself taking on their mannerisms or obtaining their regained memories for yourself. You may even start to believe you are that person now. Careful not to lose yourselves. III. Never fear! Despite the bodyswapping that seems to be going on, Retrospec will still recognize users as themselves. Posting to the network will still attach the correct name to the correct users even if they're wearing someone else's face. The trouble, it seems, is that Retrospec itself is starting to fall apart. Some posts may appear twice due to errors in accepting new posts. Messages will be sent to people you don't mean to send them to, and in some cases your entire name field may be changed to a name you don't recognize. Messages will appear scrambled on occasion, and most importantly while you're posting you may receive strange messages as well. Small, descriptive blurbs about yourself will appear in your mailbox detailing information about yourself, places you've gone, items you've received and notations about unique properties and abilities you may have. Pictures of you from your current location will be mailed to yourself, and one of two words will appear. For those who have been on the app for over a year, they will receive: Alpha. Anyone who has been on the app for less than a year will receive: Beta. What does that mean? That's a great question. Perhaps you should ask one another. IV. So really, you might come to realize that a good solution to escape all of this ridiculousness is to hightail it out of the city and head for one of the four surrounding regions. Nobody needs to stay in Recollé. It's summer vacation! School doesn't start until September and if things don't improve in the city it might be easier to process what's happening outside. For those who venture to those regions though they'll notice a distinct difference in them from their usual presence. Magatus is still covered in sand instead of snow, and for anyone who enters Bosuma they'll notice that the flowers are beginning to blacken and wither. The water levels around Pesgare are below average as fish begin to struggle to find new places to live, and the temperature in Respatrum has dropped to an unusually chilly 80 degrees fahrenheit. While natives of Magatus don't seem to be alarmed, the other three regions will be distressed and uncertain of how to change what's happening around them. They will mention that there have been signs of this coming for some time now but that it's unlike anything that's normal for the region. More importantly, however, they'll pause when they look at you and they'll be hesitant to continue. It seems they'll be more distracted by bright blue Retrospec symbol tattooed on the side of your neck, glowing even through any fabrics you may be wearing. The symbol will disappear and fade once users return to Recollé, but should they venture out again the mark will return with a vengeance. BONUS. On the evening of the 5th, every single user will receive an unmarked, unlabeled package addressed to them. Should they choose to open this package they will find several puzzle pieces in monochromatic colors. As users begin to put together the puzzle, they'll notice that some pieces are missing. These pieces can be found scattered around the city in locations they usually frequent, but the full picture remains blurred no matter how much of the puzzle they complete. It's only when you find the last puzzle piece and slip it into place that the picture comes into focus. The colors are muted but the image is clear. A backside view of yourself is clearly outlined in the light from the door, but there's a message printed at the bottom of each puzzle in the same Retrospec blue. "Turn him to any cause of policy, the Gordian Knot of it he will unloose, familiar as his garter." Welcome to recolle's August event! As notated, this is the first event log! The effects of this log will only go until the night of 8/16. After this time, a new log for dream dives and further information and other things in the month will go up on 8/17! Please note: dream dives have not started yet! They will not be icly in effect until 8/17. For Prompt I, any items taken from the hallucinations should be small-scale items if they are canon-based. If they're AU-based, please keep them at a reasonable size. Characters should be able to carry items themselves in order to retrieve them from the dream. As a reminder, if you are planning to keep changes to your AU at the end of this month, please leave us a comment here! Finally, 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

MOD QUESTIONS

[recollecters]

Please leave all mod questions for this log here!

Re: MOD QUESTIONS

[burndownforwhat]

Question! Is the last detail in prompt #2 about taking on the body-holder's mannerisms etc limited to the way that character is currently portrayed, or how they are perceived by the person inhabiting the body regardless of their actual characterization, or even their old AU if that character had experience with them prior?

[blondferret]

So for prompt 1 how far of a radius would the dream hallucinations be in reference to the character?

Also could you expound on: "People from your dreams and memories will exist and actively encourage you to chase after them, digging deeper to understand who you truly are."

[belowaverage]

[the only prompt you really need]
[So, when Shinji saw the ticket that said 'semi-automated tank', he thought it was going to be a toy. He was not expecting something twice his height.

It comes with a remote, but as written on the label, it comes with some basic features... one of which is apparently recognizing simple voice instructions like 'follow me'. And obviously he's not going to test this thing near the mailbox, he might damage something?

Which is why he can be found in the park, sitting on top of a ten foot tall tank.]

There is no way I'm legally allowed to have this.

[wildcard]
[idk, if we plotted memorysharing, bodyswaps, or you just don't want to play with a tank for some reason??]

[imaginex]

[And Shinji had the nerve to ask Sakura why she doesn't trust the men in her life to do the most basic of tasks without hurting themselves...]

There is no way you're legally allowed to have it.

[Where does she even start with this???]

It looks like it could take out an entire city block...

[pronounces]

[ you know, it's a perfectly lovely day outside. sure, the entire city is going to hell, but it might be a nice day for a walk. between jobs, nazuna thought he might take his lunch in the park, which is why he's now staring at shinji on a tank.

...wait, what?

to his credit he doesn't drop his lunch. ] Shinjichin?!

[amodelidol]

[Makoto thought he was seeing something at first when he saw the tank. He walked closer to get a better look to see that it wasn't his eyes playing tricks on him. That really is a tank. Makoto slowly walks over in surprise, taking in the tank in front of him as he looked up at Shinji.]

Where are going to keep it? Is this really yours? How did you get a tank?

[What exactly did Shinji do in his past life that required him to have a tank?]

[promisedyou]

★ option ii-a: i've had enough of this hide and seek with time ( august 10th )

[ Waking up in an unfamiliar room is strangely comforting to her, yet at the same time it definitely bothers her. The headache isn't exactly new either, but the suddenness of it is definitely a little overwhelming.

The moment she moves her body and takes a few glances around and opens the door, her thoughts are confirmed. This location is a place that she knew all too well. It's Leon's apartment -- the Hong Kong house. And of course that means that she has to make breakfast. Thankfully she knows some recipes that don't require a knife, which a relief.

Which is why she's making congee, but she's definitely avoiding using knives at all costs.

After the final realization that she's actually Xiaolang - which, really, it's very strange but also, being able to go outside is actually good! After being stuck indoors for over a month, the fresh outdoors is just refreshing. Being able to feel the air on her cheeks is just really nice.

So the strange thing that people might notice him doing is checking out stores for female clothes or really cute furniture. Maybe that's something to potentially check out? ]

I might think about getting this... I hope it's cheap, though. Maybe I could start looking for a job, too.

[ Because she does need a job once she gets back in her own body and goes back to being herself. ]

☆ option ii-b: roleplaying in a roleplay ( august 11th )

[ Unluckily for Mio, she's still stuck in «Xiaolang's body» since she is very much aware that she can't visit until today, it's a bit of a hassle. But what's even worse is that she's suddenly remembering things that don't belong to her, which is essentially...

It's not good.

And the fact that she's remembering Xiaolang's stuff - some which are embarrassing - means that she has to hurry. Visiting hours should be soon, and she needs to make absolutely certain that he doesn't remember any of Shion's memories.

Hence why she's in a rush, running and not exactly paying attention where she's going. Maybe she'll in fact run into you! ]

★ wildcard

[ Anything else you want to play with me? Any other bodyswaps are for those who have close CR with Mio and are only on Fri/Sat/Sun! I can also work with actual posts and if anybody wants to play out hallucinations for any of Shion's memories if they visit her or just have them without knowing where she is. And I can work with any Retrospec text messages, of course. Feel free to PM or hit me up at endlesseight for more plotting! ]

wildcard!!

[cardcaptured]

[This was a nightmare. There was no other way to describe it otherwise. He knew something was off, immediately, when he woke to the feel of different sheets beneath his skin and his arms empty. Given his previous runarounds earlier in the week, it was easy enough to tell what happened-- he swapped, yet again-- but it was the setting itself that drew chills up his spine. He had only been here once before, about a month back, for a brief visit, but-- It was her body. He swapped with Mio, of all people, and the cold fury of it all was enough to make his stomach want to turn. Here he was, forced to be stuck here for who knows how long for something he didn't do, while Mio was running around in his body with easy access to the people closest to him. It was enough to make him want to panic, or at least, find some means of escape. But if his experience with his other body switches this week were any indication, no one was going to believe him if he tried to tell them who he really was, so it was pointless to go about it otherwise. And for as much as he was upset with Mio, he wasn't about to make things worse for her by throwing a fit and making things difficult for when she eventually returned. So all he could really do was just... wait, somehow, for this to naturally wear off. For as much as he liked being alone, though, doing so with little else to occupy himself with got very boring, very fast. He only had so much time on the computer, and what else could he tell people, anyway? To visit him in the sparse time he had available for it? It was all he could do but just... lay on the bed, trying to avoid getting too lost in his thoughts. But that proved to be a poor idea, as the more he tried to avoid his own thoughts, the more of Mio's began to creep in. Some were innocent enough-- shopping with an unfamiliar blond boy, and the same boy patting her on the head-- but as they start to become more violent, he curls up upon himself, burying his face into the pillow. No. No, no, no, NO. He didn't want to see the sort of stuff her other self had to go through. He refused. So when the guards come in to escort him to the visitor's area, he's almost relieved for the break. Part of him hopes it's Leon or Li-Na, to confirm that nothing had happened to them, or at least get them to try to keep an eye on his body until he got back. But when his eyes fall upon who it is, his body tenses, trying to hold back the flare of anger within him. The words are tight and clipped, but it sounds strange to him, coming from Mio's voice.] ... what are you doing here?

[frostythehitman]

I. august 6-10


[ If someone runs into John Egbert at all for a few days in early August, they may find his behavior to be....off. His left arm is covered in red splotchy patches. He often sounds confused and forgetful. He has a giant bruise on his cheek. You might even spot him flying around sometimes in the least elegant manner possible.

This is because James suddenly woke up one day as him and doesn't know what else to do except what he's always done: blend in, play the role.

Except he's never had to pretend to be someone with superpowers before. This flying thing is not that easy to get the hang of, much to his frustration. And he's never had a left arm before--he can't stop pinching it and generally moving it around. Oh sure, he has a prosthetic left arm, but being able to actually feel the air and the texture of whatever he touches? It's new and it's weird.

So anyway, if you see John Egbert flying straight into a billboard and plummeting to the ground like a bird in a window, that's why. ]

II. august 11-13-ish


[ The second time it happens, James has the hang of this a little more--he doesn't freak out at waking up as someone else, or at having a left arm. He does, however, take a while adjusting to the fact that he's in the body of a grown adult woman. And an adult woman he doesn't even know, at that. He has no idea how to even begin to work with this.

Her apartment gives him some details, but nothing enough to actually convincingly be her. He'd just hide out in her apartment until this passes, but he knows he has to find whoever's in his body right now to fix this...so this is Mariko Kawaguchi, walking the streets of Recolle and wandering by Fort McCoy and Peach Beach, trying not to look suspicious and probably looking the exact opposite instead. ]

III. uhh any day not in the above mentioned ranges


[ When James starts receiving photos of himself and cryptic messages and the word "alpha", he figures it's some mission critical message from Retrospec that he has to decode. Which is how he realizes he doesn't remember how to decode anything.

So he's burying himself in books and computers--both at the public library as well as the RU library--to try and figure it out. There's stacks of books on cracking ciphers, and a sea of wadded up notebook papers where he's tried and scratched out several different decoding methods.

James likes to think of himself as a very calm, controlled individual, but he is very quickly losing his temper with this. He might just stab the notebook. ]

iii

[invocate]

[Li-Na likes puzzles. To a point. The fact she'd even manage to find all the pieces had been an absolute miracle. A piece at Expressive. A piece at the Marlowes' apartment. A piece at Dancinerate. Her favorite bubble tea cafe and bakery. After finding the first few pieces by chance, she'd realized there was a pattern.

But why the creepy behind shot? Why couldn't it have been kittens? And then there'd been the quote. A quick Goggle had shown it to be from a Shakespeare play, but not one she'd ever read. So here she is at the RU library, a copy of Henry V marked to the scene the line comes from and a stack books analyzing the play.

As she looks around the reading room for an empty table... she spots James. And that creepy, dark dream she'd had the month before comes to mind. She shakes her head and pushes the thought away. It was a dream, nothing more. And as if to prove that to herself, she marches over to the table James is working at.]

Is this spot taken?

[burndownforwhat]

[ You wouldn't write Godzilla a ticket. ] (8/5 - bodyswap with Amelia Wagner)
[ if you are passing through downtown that morning, you may come across a curious traffic incident. a police officer is interrogating an angry woman while she gestures to the front of a heavily damaged automobile. from the looks of things, it's almost like a pole or tree had fallen across the hood of the car, hard enough to burst one tire, severely damage the hood, and crack the windshield. there is no sign of any debris or object to explain the damage. there's not even another car in front of this one, in whole or in parts. the person in the driver's seat is on their phone calling for a tow truck while the people in front continue to debate repercussions.

furthermore, to add a layer of the surreal to the scene, the frustrated woman with her demeanor as dark as her hair stood before the policeman wearing naught but a silken nightgown and matching robe. she has it tied firmly around her waist to preserve her decency but is otherwise bare in feet and unmade and gesturing emphatically as she speaks in a haughty tone. she's getting progressively angrier, so someone really should step in before she gets arrested, or even worse, committed. ]

Look, officer, I get where you're coming from and how you just want to do your job, but I don't know how I can explain this any clearer to you. I don't have a purse or pocket on me. I can't give you my insurance card. I don't even know which one I'd give you in the first place! Auto? Health? This is just as much an accident for me as it is for them and I'd love to make up for it, but there's no way I can do that!

This isn't even my body!

"Whatever you say, lady. Like I've never heard that one before..."

[ she literally stomps her bare foot against the concrete at one point; a concerete section of the street that appears to be inset about an inch into the ground beneath it, with splits travelling from the site of the accident and from two large impact marks just on either side of her. did something ... fall on the street? there's no sign of it at all. ]

[ (of course, if you wanted to fast-rewind to about fifteen minutes ago, you could have witnessed what happened first-hand. a big black object fell from the sky onto the road. a towering being that could be described as some kind of giant winged, spiked lizard, about twenty foot tall and standing (very wobbly) on two legs. some may call it a kaiju or monster or even a dragon, but it is very much out of place in the city limits. so unsure was it about its landing that it stumbled back and sat on a car that was currently waiting at a red light. it looks more dazed and apologetic about what happened than angry, but that's until the driver gets out and tries to talk at them but all the creature can do in return is... growl, grunt, sneer, and roar.

do you dare see if you can mediate this incident?) ]

---

[ Hotter than the sun in the middle of July ] (8/9 - bodyswap with Kara Ellis)
[ on this day, things are going much MUCH smoother for Jen, and everyone around her if she can help it. because helping people seems to be the order of the day! the person she's switched with for this round is a different toned blonde with a bright smile and a can-do attitude, but what differentiates them the most is how this one is physically capable of doing so much more for the people around her. we're talking helping old people carry groceries to their car by literally lifting their shopping cart overhead, rescuing cats from trees by flying up to go get them, lifting up the front of someone's car with one bare hand while that person changes a tire...

really. anything that can be done with the powers of Supergirl and may attract attention: find Jen there, and put her to work. or, should an actual emergency or incident break out, expect to have her (literally) flying in to see what the fuss was about. ]

Hello there, citizen! What seems to be the matter?

[ of course, Jen has only had a day to play with Kara's power set before now. there is plenty of opportunities to do more harm than good by applying her super strength too hard, moving too fast with her super speed and crashing into something, or abusing xray eyes. good intentions don't make up for a lack of practice. ]

---

((OOC: I'm up for other wildcard prompts during those days if you have anything in mind along those lines or wish to plot something out! such as if you want to expose Jen-as-Kara to Kyrptonite. same for if you want to walk into any memories. since there's *three* whole lifetimes of them as choices and I cannot choose what would be good and interactive, please read and hit me up over here if you want to do anything with that mechanic! otherwise I'll be saving them for the later half's dream diving.))

i burn

[hauntedsavior]

Citizen?

[Annalise is dressed smartly, as she always is, in her trousers and white button-down shirt with heels bringing her to an even six feet. she glances at Kara over the frames of her black-rimmed glasses with the barest hint of a smirk on her face. it's an expression that feels out of place on her, but given what she and Kara have done together, she will allow herself to wear it.]

You are certainly falling into character today, Kara. I wanted to thank you again for what we discussed the other week. I have done some more thinking on the matter and I feel I may be ready.

[windeity]

Option I. August 6th-10th



[This was bad. This was…so, so bad. The first thing that John noticed was the fact that he could see clearly and that alone was a concern given he wasn't wearing his glasses.

The second thing he noticed as the lack of a left arm and that's about the point he scrambled out of bed and away from the house.

Reasonably, if he's in James' body, James is probably in his body but that doesn't solve anything.

The worst part, he thinks, is that he has to walk everywhere. Anyone on the sidewalks in Viea Village or in Tisse may come across "James" who appears to jump into the air to try and take flight…before absolutely biting it and landing on the ground, hard.]

Fuck. [Oh god even his voice is different? Stop this!! He's on the ground and he's grappling to try and push himself up, unused to working with a prosthetic arm and trying not to bust it. A little help, please?

Alternatively, you may find him in the following places doing the following things:

a.) loitering a music shop, which maybe isn't that unusual
b.) trying to play the piano which is harder than it looks this way
c.) chasing a small, black four-eyed cat around a neighborhood in Viea Village given Mewpac wants nothing to do with him. Help x2.]

Option II. August 11th-16th

[The dreamshares are annoying, but it's when the hallucinations come into play that things get a little dicier. John's going about his business and living his best life, maybe even greeting you if you're a friend, but otherwise he's reveling in being back in his own body.

On the other hand, a few things come up that make it harder to ignore.

a.) [One day sitting outside of Flix, you might find John sitting on the hood of his car and staring at a girl in front of him. His expression is carefully blank and uncertain, but he glances sideways at whomever is nearby.

The girl tosses her hair and gestures to his car.]

"You're still driving this thing?" [It's eight shades of judgmental and he shrugs instead.]

b.) [He's walking down the sidewalk and around him a gorgeous landscape unfolds. It appears around him and around anyone nearby, the light of fireflies flickering and the quiet peaceful sound of the night cutting off the hustle and bustle of the city.

It doesn't last long though before both John and anyone trapped are surrounded by salamanders. They crowd around, jostling and bumping each other. It's fine until one of the salamanders speaks though.]

"That weird white boxy thing appeared up there a little while ago. Then it gradually became even boxier, and also taller. They say that's where the Heir lives. Who's they? Wise folk I guess. Maybe elders or something like that. Man I don't know. Also, isn't it funny how I'm sort of taking your existence here in stride? I'm treating it like it's no big deal."

[John sighs in exasperation.]

They're still idiots.

c.) [The last thing that appears is a girl who looks alarmingly like John, green eyes bright with mischief and impatience as she hovers in the air.]

"John, come on! We need to go, the gate's going to close!"

[It's hard to say what, exactly, she's talking about but the next time he takes a step, a large golden battleship seemingly crashes from the sky and right into the middle of the street. Watch your step!]

Option III. Wildcard

[Hit me with whatever you want! You can PM me or hit me on my my plotting comment or plurk at alternatively!]

i-c

[cardcaptured]

[Meanwhile, a certain someone (who may look rather familiar to John) is currently sprawled on one of the benches in the neighborhood, staff in hand and looking exhausted. She's still in her pajamas, which is... odd enough, but there's something distinctly boyish about her body language that's hard to put a finger on, as she swipes at the sweat on her brow and tries to catch her breath. Getting from Tisse to Birch Hills was a haul, no matter which direction you went, and to factor in haphazard flying on top of that... But whatever break "Sakura"'s having at the moment is getting interrupted by a black kitty gunning for her lap, and she startles out of her tired slump immediately.] H-Hey, wait--! [She scrambles to try to get a hold of the cat, clumsy in her experience of dealing with them, looking up at the boy chasing after the feline with a befuddled look.] Is this thing yours?

[stressweets]

「i. at least there isn't silent hill fog this time」

[ There are two places that show up, time after time, in the space warped around Tsukasa.

The first is a normal house. It's plain, but well-lived in, with photographs on the walls and on a couple of surfaces. There are some watercolors of natural framed and hanging as well, a kotatsu sleeping in the corner of the living room, the distant sound of running water for tea... Not many people know it, but this is his old home. The one in his original life in Recollé.

It's familiar, the decoration not too different than his current life—less shrine-based, more neighborhoodly—and Tsukasa studies photographs with the same muted expression he always does. They're all the same: the Suzakura family, folded oddly to hide someone from view, or have someone straight up cut out of them. There's a pressure in this house too, one heavy with the desire to learn, and after a long moment, Tsukasa backs away from the photograph with a shake of his head. ] ...I don't want to.

[ It's too sad to think that even in another life (?), his brother was still...

The second one is an archery hall, similar to what you'd find in a school. There are bows, targets, arrows, the soft mewling of kittens and their mother... This is a little more populated; there's a short, fiery-haired young man stretched on the ground in club uniform, kicking his feet while he composes something to the felines around him. Tsukasa's dressed similarly, hesitating with a bow in his hands.

After a moment, he glances beside him—whoever's with him will also be in archery uniform, welcome to the club!—and tilt his head at the Leo Tsukinaga laying on the floor. ] He never looks up, no matter how hard I try to get his attention... Leader is just like that.

[ ...For the astute, they'll notice "Leader" is in English, and you and him and everyone else? Regardless of if you actually know it or not, you're speaking Japanese. This is his dream—his hallucination—it's going to behave as it wants. ]

「ii-a. suzu kiryuu」

[ The day starts off poorly. He wakes up in a room not his own, with too many legs pressed against his cheek. ...it's The Isopod he won Suzu, which means—

bad. Very Bad. At least he has experiencing sneaking out, so after learning Far Too Much about someone he considers an older sister, he does so. "Suzu Kiryuu" looks meeker than usual, and she's sans her eyepatch too—he's already suffering, he doesn't need to add another level to it. At least she'd been trying to stop with it after Tanabata, but......

Mostly, "Suzu" looks like she's trying to just, like, avoid anyone who looks at her with any ounce of recognition... and he's also looking for himself (?!) to sort this out. Suzunee.... ]

「ii-b. izumi miyamura」

[ At least this is after his Time with Suzu, so he's not... as freaked out— okay, that's a lie, but at least Izumi's a guy. Granted, he's related to some people who are incredibly important to Tsukasa, so that's a little... but anyway, at least Tsukasa can play him a little better than he can Suzu.

...........Not that he's going to, really. Everyone should be able to see how lovely and wonderful Izutan is, after all... ♪

"Izumi Miyamura" is dressed for the summer—sun's out? Guns out. Tsukasa's actually personally impressed and in love with his tattoos, so instead of them being covered up with makeup... they're also visible, on his left arm and obviously snaking down his left side. He's sans glasses (who needs them when you have perfect vision, honestly) and his hair's put up in a small ponytail...

Yep, truly the best side of one of his best friends ♪ Even if having nine piercings is a little much. Actually, it's super cool— ]

「iii. "this is omega erasure" -- someone on my timeline, unironically」

...It's really creepy to get pictures of yourself.
Not in a "a friend took this and now they're sending it to you" or "this was a selfie" kind of way, but
I mean, you've had it happen too, right?
And what's "beta" mean anyway...?

[ ...this text was probably meant for a friend or two, but you know how Retrospec's acting up... ]

「wildcard」

[ got something else? hit me with it here, or plot something with me for a closed thread; my plurk's galaxydestiny! ]

iii!

[1620]

ain’t beta a fish?

[thisloveisjustice]

august 6 (bodyswaped with Matt)

[It was the sound Tatsuo noticed first. The relentless din of morning traffic, the garbled burble of thousands of people talking, a strange and rather disturbing gurgling and sloshing... (had he left his window open?), but no, it's too loud, painfully loud. And then the smells. He was used to smelling more than he had before the Retrospec app, but this... is overpowering. Smog and trash and hair gel and burnt eggs and shaving cream and spoiled milk and deodorant and... baby powder? All combined into a swirling mélange that fills his nose and mouth and throat and makes him want to vomit. Tatsuo lets out a whimpering groan... and suddenly realizes there's someone in bed with him. The way the mattress dips from two people laying next to each other, the warmth radiating off the other person's body, the feel of someone's breath on his neck... and the sound of their heartbeat. Loud, so loud like a drum being beat right next to his ear.

His eyes snap open, because he was pretty sure he'd gone to bed alone last night. But it's pitch black. It's pitch black, but there's no way that's possible unless it's 2 AM in the morning and the whole city has lost power. Which from the absolute cacophony of noise he's hearing is simply not possible. What the hell is going on?]

Mari, is that you?

[But before he can investigate his sudden bedmate any further, or even register that his voice doesn't sound right, there's something more pressing to deal with. Between the headache pounding at his temples from all the noise and the disgusting taste in his nose and mouth, the urge to retch is growing stronger by the second, so Tatsuo decides to sort out his possible case of suddenly blindness after he's found the bathroom and vomited up his guts. It can't be that hard. He's gotten up in the middle of the night a million times and practically sleepwalked to the bathroom. But the moment his feet hit the floor (did the carpet always poke so much?) things start to go wrong. He feels his way to the end of the bed, only to realize the bed feels different. Somehow... it feels bigger? And when he finally gets to the end and starts walking in the direction he thinks his bathroom is in... he can't find it. Instead, he rams his hip into some piece of furniture that is clearly in the wrong spot.]

OW!


august 7 (bodyswapped w/ Matt)

[By the second day, Tatsuo is somewhat able to manage all of the sensory input. Somewhat. Everything is still too loud, too smelly, too everything. He keeps thinking someone is touching him only to realize it's his clothing brushing over his skin. There's tiny air currents everywhere and he almost thinks he can tell what they come from, but there's so much going on it's hard to focus on any one thing in particular. But this morning, he managed to get up and get dressed (in sweats and a t-shirt), use the bathroom, and get himself to the kitchen without anyone's assistance. Just using his memory of the layout of Matt and Foggy's place. And now he's working on making himself a bowl of cereal. He's found the bowl and spoon, and he found the milk in the fridge. Now... now he needs to figure out which box of cereal is something he can stomach.

So one by one, he pulls down a box, cracks open the flaps so he can catch a whiff of the cereal inside, then puts back the ones that are obvious sugar bombs. Nothing against sugary cereals, he just isn't quite in the mood for something so sweet.]


august 9 (bodyswapped w/ Togusa)

[Waking up in Togusa's body, on the other hand, is a completely different experience. Like... he knew his cousin had this cyberbrain thing. And that it allowed him to do various high tech things. But it still hadn't prepared him for waking up to what could only be described as a virtual visual overlay.

At first, he just thinks Retrospec has gone and done something ridiculous again, because he can see the Retrospec icon hovering in one corner of his vision. Why keep using phones when you could simply patch into our brains instead? And the moment he even focuses a little bit on the Retrospec icon it pulls up his feed and friends list. No... just no Retrospec. But as he looks through the overlay at his bedroom... Tatsuo realizes it's not his bedroom. Though it's a bedroom he recognizes...

Climbing out of bed, he checks his reflection.

Yep.

One Hitori Togusa stares back at him.

After exchanging some virtual screaming with his cousin, Tatsuo attempts to tackle Togusa's life. He gets Hikari ready for day-camp and calls in sick to the precinct. Because even though he thinks he can fake his way through Togusa's job (thanks to Ryuuzaki), he's not about to actually do it. But then he realizes he's boxed himself into a corner. Because he's called in sick... he can't really go out and do anything.]


august 10 (bodyswapped w/ Togusa)

[By day two, Tatsuo is getting a little antsy and decides to chance walking over to the nearest cafe. Just for a change of scenery. So here's Tatsuo, in Togusa's body, enjoying a coffee and sandwich at a neighborhood cafe and hoping no one from the precinct spots him. Accompanying him is Togusa's dog, Daisuke, his leash looped around the leg of Tatsuo's chair and his snout buried in a puppuccino.]


sometime after the 10th (hallucination)
[Tatsuo is immensely relieved when he wakes in his own body again. Especially once he manages to go two days without waking up somewhere--and someone--else. But as much as he'd like to lazy about and just enjoy being Tatsuo again, he has things to do. Namely getting things ready for the upcoming school year. Which means a lot of shopping. Sure, he doesn't have to buy crayons since he teaches high school chemistry, but there's plenty of other things he likes to stock up on.

So here he is at XXXX-mart, loading a cart up with boxes of kleenex, galleon size jugs of hand sanitizer, bottle after bottle of hand soap, and boxes of pencils and erasers. Oh, and red pens. Lots of red pens. But as he turns down a new aisle, the store suddenly becomes an alleyway. Scattered around on the ground are little yellow markers with numbers on them. Some of them are accompanied by L-shaped rulers for size reference. Instead of pushing a shopping cart, he's holding a camera.

Tatsuo is wearing a jumpsuit of some nature and his hands are gloved. Even his shoes are covered with bright blue booties. At the entrance to the alleyway, someone dressed in the same get-up calls out. "Hey, Kihara, I'll leave this part to you and Matthews. I'll take the car out here."

Whoever 'Matthews' is.

Tatsuo looks down at the marker closest to him and spots a shell casing. Ah, there'd been a shootout. Crouching down, he brings up the camera and takes a picture.]

sometime after the 10th (after the 11th really)

[blondferret]

[Derek was pulling down a box of Reeses puffs when the scene around him changed and he wasn't in xxxx-mart anymore.]

Huh?

[Derek lowers his arm and realizes the box of cereal wasn't in his hand anymore and instead there was a flashlight. In his other hand a pair of tweezers. Not only that, but he was dressed in a white jump suit in an really dirty alleyway with yellow police tape everywhere.

At first Derek thought that he should panic, but then he realized he was fairly calm, as if he's been in this exact same situation before. At the entrance of the alley way, someone also dressed in a similar jumpsuit calls out, "Hey, Kihara, I'll leave this part to you and Matthews. I'll take the car out here."

Matthews? There was that name again. And Kihara? Wasn't that Tatsuo's last name? Derek looks around and his eyes finally land on who he's pretty sure it Tatsuo. It's hard to miss that busy hair. Derek takes a step towards Tatsuo.]

Uh... Tatsuo?

Taroutachi/Kenta

[toobigtohandle]

I. Dreamshare/Hallucinations

[Have you ever wondered what it was like to live as a tsukumogami? Or maybe to be the Saniwa tasked with coordinating all of them? Well, if that's the case, lucky you. If not... enjoy anyway? It's mostly harmless (except when it's not). And along the way will be a familiar face of a very tall and elegant- looking man, although he won't answer to the name you might known him by.

I.a [Citadel]

[Welcome to the Citadel, where sword tsukumogami live their daily lives. The place is bustling with many characters, some you might recognize from Recolle and others that you've never seen before. People are cooking, having tea, playing around or doing chores, and nowhere seems to be really quiet as swords call out to one another.

As you walk around, you might hear a loud noise of someone bumping into something, and a few slightly panicked voices.]

'Aniki!'

'Taroutachi-san! Are you alright?'

Ah, yes, this was lower than I expected, somehow.

[Or maybe you stumbled upon the secret bar deep inside the citadel, where a familiar face is serving alcohol -Jirou - and Kenta (or the man you know with this name) is drinking along a few others.]

I.b [Chores]

[And now you got roped into helping out. Whether it's tending to the fields, the horses, the household tasks of cleaning, laundry and cooking or sparring, your fellow swords are happy to help out... well most of them. You might have to chase up the lazy ones.]

I.c [Sortie]

[And now, this looks like serious business. You're being dispatched to take care of enemies, sent back in time with five others. Taroutachi is in full battle gear - and so are you.

You may have seen his absurdly long sword before. If you're lucky you may have seen him wield it, too, although usually in a dojo. It's something entirely different to see him in actual combat against weird bony creatures. And going to town on them. He crushes three of them at once with one swing.

Try to stay alive?]


III. /Shakes phone

First, the picture and then this?

[Kenta has tried tapping, editing, everything he can think off and that weird new label is not going away. He catches sight of you and calls out.]

Excuse me, do you know how to make this thing go away?

[He shows you his profile with the world 'Alpha' next to his name.]



[OOC: For III, I am also open to receiving misaddressed or weirdly formatted messages! here or in Kenta's inbox is fine. plotting comment here if needed.]

IB

[blondferret]

[Derek was already confused when he walked out of his apartment building and, well, wasn't on his street. It was like his was in a different town? He didn't recognize anyone. He had thought he had seen Kenta hit his head on a tree, but before he had the chance to walk over to him, some random person grabbed him and told he needed to do chores.

So here his is, alone, in a hallway, with a bucket of suds, a rag, and a handkerchief tied around his head. He's not only annoyed but also REALLY CONFUSED. He holds the rag on his hand in mumbles.]

I'm suppose to clean the floors with this? Haven't they heard of a mop? And why am I doing this?

[Derek throws the rag into the bucket of suds in frustration, which only causes some of the soapy water to splash on his pants. Realizing what he done, Derek throws his hands up in the air and looks up at... something.]

Really?

[godcards]

I. hallucinomemories

[ Malik has gotten pretty good at avoiding and otherwise ignoring his memories. 'Intrusive thoughts,' is how he rationalizes how they randomly crop up and bother him. However, they get pretty hard to ignore once they spill over into the waking world.

a. It's been a while since he shoplifted anything from Freshens, and he's bored. He's not entirely sure he even makes it to his destination before he starts hallucinating: the interior of a museum, with gold antiquities in neat little cases, and more importantly, a very large vault door. A woman is standing there, and Malik looks like a deer caught in the headlights. He recognizes her. He recognizes this. ]

"Malik, stop! Your actions will cause a new tragedy!"

[ He sideeyes pretty hard-- oh shit, is someone else here? ]

b.
[ This isn’t nearly as jarring. Malik is just going for a walk, skulking around like a usual teenager. On a side street, there is a dude who is literally flipping out. This gives Malik pause for about five seconds, and then he just starts to laugh. Cackle, if you will. ]

c.
[ Loitering around outside of various business, as he does, it seems like Malik is starting to collect a bunch of freaks in dark robes. He’s pretty delighted about it, making them follow him around like ducklings. They respond to everything he says with, “Yes, Master Malik.” ]

Okay, one of you go get me a coffee… Someone else can go get me something for lunch. I’m sure you can find something I like… You wouldn’t want to disappoint me now, would you?

[ Yeah, okay, he’s actually playing into this hallucination of his own free will. ]


wildcard.
[ Choose your own adventure, or hit me up and I’ll write you something! Malik’s plotting comment is here. ]

b

[compendiem]

[ What the hell do you mean "This isn't nearly as jarring."

Minato's five second pause doesn't end in laughter, but rather, a slow shift of his stare from the guy over to Malik. Normally, he would take laughter as a social cue that this is a joke or is otherwise something not very serious, but... this is Malik. ]

Right... I'm going to call for an ambulance.

[ If not for that guy, then for himself, because if this isn't real then that means he's tripping. ]

[keystaff]

I: Hallucinations:

H-huh? This is.....?

[Sakura pauses, whether this is somewhere from her own dreams or memories or from someone else's. It's still strange. Still surreal and unexpected. Or, mostly. Obviously they knew something was going on at Retrospec from Joanne's message earlier, but still. It's enough to make her stop and blink, taking in the surroundings confusedly.

If from her own memories, perhaps the basement of her house where she found Clow's book, or the woods and lake she falls into when she encounters Illusion. For encounters on Sakura's end of things, people could encounter Illusion as Nadeshiko with her, or perhaps others. Her npc brother in her previous au. Maybe even Fai, or Iwai.]

II: Body Swaps:

Li-Na:

[It isn't that she doesn't like Li-Na. That she isn't somewhat close with the other to an extent in their being friends and by extension of her relationship with Xiaolang, family in a sense. It's just that she would never have expected....this.

The hair will at least have some attempt to tame it, even if Sakura isn't as used to dealing with such long hair in comparison to her own, before she heads downstairs or out and about. She might be unsure on changing, avoiding the mirror or looking too closely as she pulls on some clothes from the drawers or wardrobe, the first things she finds. Which might be a casual dress or some jeans and a t-shirt. She figures it is Li-Na from the room, from photos, from recognizing the place they live, due to visiting Xiaolang at least.

She might be out and about, trying to figure to unlock Li-Na's phone to figure some sort of schedule to keep. Or at least get in touch with the other to ask and find out. Or be on her way to....er, her own house to check at least.]

Xiaolang:

[It's a number of things that should clue her in quicker. The different phone by the bed. The different lighting from the window of the apartment. The different bedroom fullstop. The different pyjamas. The different bear - pink, instead of the green one Xiaolang had given her. That and the different sounds from the morning hustle and bustle of the household. Okay, and maybe Jasmine sleeping at the bed. That too. It all culminates in Sakura slowly waking to realize that.....this definitely was not her place. Was not her bedroom. A familiar one, but not hers.

Which of course has her waking from her restless sleep of rolling around on the bed hugging the teddy bear and blinking as she takes it in confusedly. And loudly. In a rather trademark way for others in the household to likely all but immediately clue in that something was up.]

H-hoeeeeeee?!

[Or she might be seen out and about in trying to find.....herself? Which might mean she is out in public in said pyjamas since she was so awkward about changing clothes or showering like this right now. She might be literally running, and thus accidentally bump into someone in her haste to get around.]

III:

I guess the app is still being weird. And....beta?

[Sakura might be taking a break, somewhere out in public, the library or park perhaps, sitting and swinging her legs as she checks on her phone about the app. It's been almost a year - another few weeks and she would have been on the app for a year. But not quite yet.

Though it's still confusing, the profile the app has on her. It seems accurate. Though perhaps a little creepy? That there's a picture of her right here and now.]

Wildcard:

[For other options? Especially in the body swap scenarios as Li-Na or Xiaolang.]

WONDER WHAT PROMPT THIS IS....

[cardcaptured]

[On the other side of the city, Xiaolang was having an equally weird morning. His rest had been pleasant enough, dreams happy and sweet thanks to their trip to the amusement park the day before, but certain things had been starting to stir him into wakefulness. There was the softer quality of the pillows, odd in comparison to the firm ones he owned, and the lack of an extra furry body in his bed, which he'd grown accustomed to sleeping around at night. And then there was the bear in his arms, less fluffy than normal, feeling as if it was lacking something very important... The growing ache in his temples is enough to bring him awake fully, and while his reaction to the change probably wasn't as loud (or iconic) as Sakura's was, it's still enough to probably rouse someone in the Marlowe household. After no doubt dodging some questions from Sakura's brothers, and realizing he can't get in touch with her without breaking into her phone (which was a huge breech of privacy), he decides to set off himself, to see if he could make it to his apartment and explain the situation. But he had similar trepidations about changing clothes while being swapped like this, and he was no doubt going to get weird looks if he hopped on the bus while clad in only pajamas, so he had to get creative with this. It's possible he could use her own magic while in her body, and she DID have the Fly card... A few botched key summonings and a hectic crash course in navigating her staff later, Xiaolang finally makes it to his apartment, only to find... Sakura already left trying to look for him. Dammit! It takes a lot of backtracking and searching the city streets to try to spot his body, trying to stay aloft but not draw attention, his worry mounting and growing in the meantime.The moment he spots the back of a pair of very familiar sleepwear, though, he swoops down, yelling at the top of his-- or rather, her-- lungs to grab Sakura's attention.] SAKURA...!

[dejerate]

I:

No, this....this can't be.....?!

[Maybe it is the orphanage he stayed at all of one day before the virus hit, before the vampires took them in. Or maybe he's in Sanguinem itself. The underground vampire city. Children in black and white uniforms, vampires in their white ones and capes, some in different uniforms signifying their rank as nobles. In which case he will definitely be panicked. Freaking out by tensing and having his breathing quicken as he pales and glances around with wide eyes, shaking his head.

There might even be a certain long haired noble vampire, or a young girl with long brown hair tied back in a low ponytail beckoning to him. Or perhaps a man in his mid twenties in military uniform, standing out some amid the white, or a girl with long purple hair. One of two, sisters, though both won't appear at the same time.

Or perhaps he is caught in someone else's memories?]

III:

Stupid...phone. Work already?! Wait, what's a beta? I dunno this number. But the photo.....is this some joke?

[A threat? Some message that someone was watching him? Where he was right now? Like some....stalker? Sure he knows he has fans, but he hadn't actually expected that? It had to just be the app being weird? Right?]

Wildcard:

[For other options! I have no body swaps planned for him but if anyone wants to memory swap to jump on Yuu's trauma train, feel free.]

I

[allforyuu]

[The memories are blurry at first, only a distortion in the regular city he's walking in. Then something shifts, and before Mika can truly mentally brace himself for the change he is suddenly back in what he recalls as the vampire city. The cobblestone path beneath his feet makes a hollow noise as he takes a hesitant step forward.

This place knows how to throw surprises at him. He knows this. But it's still a terrible surprise to see a childhood place that he associates with darkness and fear. Mika steps back, suddenly uncertain of whether or not it's safe to move forward. He holds his breath, listening for clues.]

[usurpers]

ＩＡ． ＨＡＬＬＵＣＩＮＯＧＥＮＯＣＩＤＥ (lets be real that’s all these are about)

( wherever you may happen to be is where it happens, whether or not you’re around eren. reality twists and you warp to a place unlike recollé. cars are most likely replaced with horses and carriages, a vast horizon line blocked by massive walls— or maybe you’re face to face with danger. you’re free to choose:

💥 mechaugust (it’s mechas, everything’s mechas)
💥 the female titan
💥 the coordinate
💥 the ocean
💥 your choice
💥 (i will) rng (for u)

and i’ll write a prompt for you to get started! )

ＢＯＮＵＳ

( if anyone dares to venture into the library, one might find eren taking an entire table for himself! stacked at the corner are medical technician books and the like, some treading deeper into care topics and patient handling while, on the table itself is . . . actually, a giant puzzle.

after days, he’s finally found the last of the pieces, except library staff has undone all of his work and dumped it in a box. he’s clicking his tongue and mumbling about how he should’ve taken this home, but regardless, continues working on it all over again.

and if he happens to see a retrospec user walking around . . . he’ll keep eye contact and try to get your attention, finally giving a small wave for you to come over if you see him, well, staring. )

ＷＩＬＤＣＡＲＤ
( he’s in the street, he’s walking dogs, he’s everywhere. feel free to contact me if you’d like to plan something to do, anything and everything! easily reach me via pm or liberos! ✨ )

bonus

[hauntedsavior]

[it will take little doing to bring Annalise over; it is such a rare sight to see someone of this gentleman's age reading from actual book and apparently studying that she can only be impressed. as she draws near to the table of her own volition, her two-inch heels clacking against the floor when it allows her the opportunity, she recognizes two things: the person at the table, as a sibling of her acquaintance Clover, and the puzzle. not the picture within it, of course, but she is familiar with what he is working with.]

So I am not the only one who has received this puzzle.

[she speaks coolly, quietly—appropriate, as with her trousers, white button-down, and glasses she feels like she may more resemble a librarian than a user of the app. she's made little progress on her own puzzle, but given the sender of the package, it seems important. perhaps seeing a complete form of it will help give her some context.]

You are Clover's brother, correct? My name is Annalise. Your sister and I have spoken a few times.

[lienhearts]

[I-A]

[He was just trying to walk with Eva.

The young girl had been skipping by his side cheerfully when the memory struck, transforming their surroundings into something quite different - the interior of a large resort, actually. Both Theo and Eva end up in quite the attire as well, and Eva - no, Efi - turns to look up at Theo, a smile on her face.]

You're 18, papa?

[I-B]

[This memory takes place with the same pair, and in the same location... sort of.

It's the garbage dump, and as the memory manifests, so too does the smell of trash and rotted food, Theo and Efi looking worse for wear after having falling right into the main pile. Neither look especially happy about this arrangement, but they don't have time to fret over it now, because there's weird, gloopy creatures there with them.

Theo instinctively draws out a dagger, and the girl beside him readies to fight as well. But... just what is this?]

[Bonus]

[He doesn't bring Eva with him when he begins seeking out the puzzle pieces.

He's got a lot of thoughts on Eva being around in general, after reliving some memories to really hammer the point in, but that's not the point of today. The point of today is to locate some stupid pieces of some stupid puzzle that has to be related to Retrospec because it always, always is.

He's got a handful of the pieces now, and can be found walking around town in his usual incognito getup, mussy brown hair and crappy, worn clothes befitting of a poor college kid. If he happens to see anyone else looking around rather determined, he'll make a guess and call out:]

Hey. You get some weird puzzle pieces, too?

[Wildcard!]

[Want to swap me a memory? Go for it! Just describe the scenario or give me a link and I can roll with it. Want to plot other things? Hit me up at danidanidanica]

[Bonus]

[toobigtohandle]

[Oh, hey, it's that guy from university back then...]

Puzzle pieces? No, I don't think so... why?

[invocate]

i. morning, august 8 (bodyswap w/ sakura)

[When Li-Na opens her eyes on Wednesday morning, it takes her a few moments to realize she's not in her bedroom at Leon's apartment. The blanket on the bed is different, the shape of the room is different, the colors and decorations are different. But they're not... unfamiliar. It's a room she's seen glimpses of now and then whenever she's over at Noah's.

Li-Na sits up and has to catch a green teddy before it tumbles to the ground. Doesn't Xiaolang have one similar to this? Setting the bear safely next to the pillow, she gets up and looks at herself in the mirror. Yep. Sakura. Picking up the younger girl's hairbrush, she carefully brushes her hair until the bedhair is gone. Then... she heads to the kitchen. She's pretty sure there's Reese's Puffs cereal in the cupboard.

But as she opens the cereal cupboard she spots the pancake mix. Even better.

Within a few minutes, she's mixed up some batter and warmed up the skillet. She's even rinsed off some blueberries she found in the fridge to add to the pancakes.]

ii. day, august 8-9 (bodyswap w/ sakura)

[Once they'd realized Sakura's key responded to Li-Na in Sakura's body... well, she couldn't exactly not try it out. So here she is, in a secluded corner of Hollingberry Field, key and cards in hand. She fans out the red and gold cards and looks at the pictures on the front. They're really very cute. Fly, Sword, Windy, Shield, Glow, Mirror, Illusion, Watery, Shadow, Firey.

After a moment, she picks Windy and slides the other cards into the pocket of her skirt. Some of the other ones seem interesting, but Li-Na feels she'll have better odds trying Windy. After all she is used to using Mist Wind.]

iii. hallucination (au1)

[Her first year of university will be soon and that means new school supplies and new clothes. She's already hit up a number of shops for cute pens and notebooks. Next up is the dance store for a new pair of toe shoes. Probably best to start breaking them in before the beginning of classes.

But as she approaches the dance supply store, her surroundings change. Instead, she looks up at the storefront of a men's accessories story. Ties, belts, wallets, and various other items sit in the display window. She looks down at her To-Do list on her phone, and right under "- school supplies" and just before "- toe shoes" is "- birthday present for brother."

Of course. Her brother's birthday is in September. So she should pick a present out now so she has enough time to ship it to Hong Kong. Of course, the mail is still being a bit... off. But she has to try right?

Li-Na pushes open the door to the shop, a soft jingle chiming out. What to choose for the gift though?]

iv. hallucination (ou)

[Li-Na is sitting in the park when her phone rings. She pulls it out to answer... and another hallucination sets in. Instead of the park, she's standing in a large room that reminds her of how some of the old houses in Hong Kong look. Large windows, plush sofas, folding screens, and old-fashioned lamps. The room exudes a opulence last in style in the 1800s.

Her golem is hooked up to an old corded phone and she's talking to someone. Komui, her brother. He's telling her there's no way to save Suman. That when being a Fallen One finally kills Suman, she should retrieve his Innocence before the Akuma can find it. He doesn't say 'dies,' but it's there, between his sentences.

She grips the receiver tightly, her face heating with anger.]

Are you telling me to just watch him die?!

[Komui's voice crackles in her ear, then echoes in the air around her.]

Recover the Innocence. That's an order. Suman's Innocence could be the Heart. Do you understand?

[She does understand. If the Akuma destroyed the Heart of the Innocence... Still, it's an unfathomable thing, to standby and just... wait for her fellow Exorcist to die. Tears fill her eyes and start to trickle their way down her cheeks.]

But he's one of us!

I

[redarm]

[ It's summer, so of course Noah is going to sleep in a little. But the smell of pancakes wakes him from his slumber, and eventually he comes out. He's still in his pajama pants and a tee-shirt, with bed hair standing up in all sorts of weird angles.

He yawns and stretches as he steps to look over her shoulder.]

Morning. Making pancakes Sakura?

[amodelidol]

[II. Body swap with Suzu]

[Makoto woke up that morning with perfect vision in a room that wasn't his own. He sat up and looked around as he tried to piece together how he ended up here when he noticed something else. Makoto got out of bed and over to the nearest mirror to see Suzu staring back at him. He's not in his own body? How does that even happen? He had such an awkward morning trying to get changed so he could get to his apartment without anyone seeing him. Makoto doesn't have her eye patch on, he found something he could wear that he hoped wouldn't seem too out of place.

Please let him get back to his apartment so he could get his phone at least! He did remember Suzu's phone so he can give it to her when they meet. Of all the things to happen he didn't expect this.]

[III: A few days after the body swap]

[Makoto frowned as he looked at the mail in his hands. How did they get all this information on him? However, the more pressing question is where did they find time to take a photo of him? Why did he receive beta in the mail? All of this is really creepy, not to mention confusing. He didn't take it back to his apartment he carried it over to the nearest bench to look through it again. How did they get all this?]

Hmm, did anyone else get something like this too?

[Makoto is talking loud enough for anyone to hear him.]

[Wildcard]

[If you have anything in mind you can send me a PM or hit me up at sunnycrow!]

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[unlightmusic]

[Oh god not this again. Once again, Suzu had woken up to find herself with different equipment, and was slightly blessed that Makoto had terrible vision, making the morning routine more bearable. Once she made herself more presentable, she puts Makoto's glasses on and braces herself to venture out to find herself... in the non-philosophical sense. Except when she finally opens the door of Makoto's apartment, she's come face to face with a very familiar set of mismatched eyes. Sigh.] ... Let me guess. Yuuki-kun?

[long_live_the_queen]

[I—Man Behind the Glass(es)]

[It's not a frequent thing. Every so often on the streets or in the Towers, passing by a set of large glass windows, there seems to be a man standing behind it who wasn't there before. He watches, passively, judgmentally. Sometimes his mouth moves, sometimes it does not. But his voice is as clear as if he was standing close by.

"People like you shouldn't be here."

A few moments, and he's gone again. But he hasn't vanished. He's back again, watching again, the next street over.

Most of the people out today didn't seem to notice him much—but one person did, snapping her horned head around to glare at the glass too far and too high to reach. Lucy had been dealing with these flashes of memory all day she'd been out, and she was more than sick of them. But she wouldn't let this man follow her home.

At one point, though, the memories escalate to more than an annoyance. Though it was a clear day, blinding floodlights shone forth suddenly, taking over as this street's light source. The rest of the city hummed along as normal—only this particular stretch of space was different.

Only this one had that damned man and his damned glasses standing in it, no longer ensconced behind windows.

"Horned people and humans cannot coexist."

Soldiers were arrayed to either side of the man—SAT was the only visible insignia on their armor. Their guns were levelled down the street, but they as of yet took no action. This time, the crowd did seem to notice, the forward motion on the sidewalk ceasing and the crowd milling backwards nervously. Was this a prank? A...film set? Riot police? What was the deal with the lights? They hadn't been there a moment ago. And while there were civilians in the way, the soldiers didn't fire.

Lucy didn't budge an inch, and as the crowd pulled back she became its front face, her expression twisted into a scowl.

Whoever was in the crowd with her—terribly sorry, you're involved now.]

[Bonus—Puzzle Game Genre Shift]

[Lucy, like many, had also gotten those puzzle pieces in the mail. They didn't come with any attendant memories, good or bad, and they were certainly not as outlandish as an entire Koromaru in a mailed box.

But they seemed nevertheless important, though precisely why was difficult to put a finger on. Were these something familiar, after all? Or were these just do-it-yourself stalker photos? That triangular white smudge on one of the pieces looked startlingly like one of her horns.

She'd decide whether to burn them all at a later date. For now, Lucy was on collection detail. Fishing a puzzle piece out from under a bench someone was sitting in—without touching it, the piece just floating into her hands with a glint of something not-quite-there. Standing directly below a traffic light hanging some twenty feet up in a currently empty street, arms crossed and a frown on her face.

Normal teenager things.]

[Wildcard]

((OOC: Lucy's plotting post is here if there are any other memories you're interested in, including those from her old AU if you're wanted some insights as to why she's so prickly, or other things. I'm willing to do custom top levels as well.))

I!

[digthefuzz]

[Kurt was walking down the street, fiddling with his shades when he witnessed the sudden change in part of the scenery. The floodlights, the man surrounded by armed soldiers... Kurt had a bad feeling about this, and a chill ran through his side. He glanced towards Lucy next to him.]

Wh-what's going on?! [Whatever it was, she seemed to be reacting strongly to it!]

[smothershadow]

[II—Equip arm (bodyswap with Jen Bowen/Yang), 8/5]

[Amelia kept to a responsible schedule, waking up and going to bed early.

Being jolted awake by an alarm at 4:45 on the dot was still highly uncivilized, and Amelia responded in a similarly uncivilized manner by throwing a pillow at it, muffling the alarm's sound. Had she been in a better state of mind, she'd be a touch mortified by her actions. But she was not getting up now, even though her right arm didn't seem to be responding properly.

Later.

Option a.) Someone who appears to be Jen has escaped the house—at a much more reasonable hour around seven, wearing Jen's best dress and nice shoes, but...not a right arm. She's managed the cuff, but not the prosthetic itself.

She doesn't even make it all the way down the street before she stops, turns on her heel, and stalks back to the house. As aggravated by failing to put the arm on as she was, she...definitely needed that. Thinking clearly was difficult right now.

Option b.) She's figured out the arm, but...not where she is. Her proper body, anyway. Right now, Amelia was at a bus stop in Tisse. She had to take public transportation, to get home how mortifying.

The fingers on the prosthetic were drumming an uneven but forceful beat into the metal of the bench arm, the force slowly escalating with her irritation. It's hardly a pleasant noise.

Option c.) Outside an apartment building in Tribunal Terrace, specifically near one of the more private side entrances. It's out of the way, but not exactly hidden. And this mane of blonde hair was the opposite of unnoticeable.

Amelia's having a bit of an argument with her own doorman, a usually quiet individual who asked few questions normally.]

Mr. Roland, if you please—

[He bows his head, professionally polite.]

"I'm afraid I can't let you in without prior notice."

[Her own privacy measures coming back to bite her, what fun. Today was turning into a terribly frustrating day.]

[Wildcard]

((OOC: Amelia's bodyswap will be done with after the 6th or 7th, if you'd prefer to do a different memory prompt. Her plotting comment is here.))

a

[breakingvoice]

[and enter Jen's always-pleasant roommate Lina Geteilt, who has no idea anything is wrong and just knows that she picked up some bullshit mid shift down at Big Bang to get some extra money (look, these gacha games aren't gonna play themselves). this means that she's waking up shortly before Jen is out the door—out the door? where's she going? weird.]

[since most of the boundaries between them have eroded at this point, Lina walks into Jen's room to see if there's any hints as to where she might actually be going. she can't waste too much time since she does want to actually shower, but—]

What the hell? [where is Jen going without her arm? she picks it up carefully, like she could break it just by touching it (and probably will, with her luck). this feels. so weird. it's so obvious that it's just some mechanical thing like this, devoid of the life Jen can breathe into it. still holding the arm by its. like, forearm, if that even counts because this is just metal right now, Lina blearily walks out of Jen's room and to the door of their apartment.]

[she's pretty sure she can see a familiar silhouette walking towards the place when she opens the door up, but the morning sunlight sucks and she's an introverted gremlin with delicate eyes.]

Jen? You feeling okay?

[steadycourse]

i- dream/memory

[Whatever you may be doing, you'll now suddenly find yourself on the outside of a large batting cage. It's blocked off by a large fence and it's impossible to get inside, but that's probably for the best, even though there's nothing notable inside besides a machine that shoots baseballs out.

Strange, maybe, but probably not as strange as the black and white bear waving its hand at you from in front of the fence.]

Upupu, do you want to come see? I promise it's something exciting~

[Whatever your response may be, a panicked voice calls out from behind. Ishimaru looks stricken and upset, but also afraid of the bear for one reason or another.]

D-don't go near him!

wildcard;

[ooc: Have something else in mind? Contact me at currykirby]

Backdated like whoa

[megatechbody]

I. august 6-8 [Body Swap with Togusa]

She wakes up too early feeling strange and too heavy for her body. Christ, how much did she drink last night. Probably left the water out on the counter. With that, she gets up, fully expecting the pain of the hangover to hit at any moment. It never comes but she grimaces like she's been slapped when she opens the door.

It's Togusa's place.

Not quite awake enough to start screaming, she turns around and heads back into his bedroom and lays back down because really, the hangover would have been better. Fuck Retrospec and fuck this crazy town, but this is the one person she's not even willing to risk ruining his reputation with an error. Togusa is a good guy so for the next however long this is going down, so is she.

It's only by the good grace of knowing Hitori Togusa for what feels like forever, eases the difficulty masquerading as Togusa. Okay, so it's a little more like a really good impersonation - it's maybe a touch too saccharine, a bit too bright in spots, but Hitori had always been the nicer of the two and it reads in how she manages to get away with it. Hikari mostly just thinks that Daddy is being more silly than usual when she misses the mark. It's relieving to know that Hitori is doing well with his little photocopy of a daughter. Seeing her this much, there is so much of him in her little face: the wonder, the grin when she's being cheeky, the surprisingly hard furrow of brows that would probably be cartoonish outside of the shock the expression brings.

The noise of the cyberbrain is harder, everything is rushing in her (his?) brain before she has to breathe and try to remember that mindfulness stuff that she used to practice before she'd found akido. If had been up to her, she would have preferred doing forms - but everything feels ...wrong when she moves and it's just too much. Simple aerobics it is, to mostly try and adjust to her new digs.

As disorienting as this entire experience is, it pales in the sheer mess of rage and heartbreak that she has when she goes to shower. Hitori Togusa has a gunshot scar, far too close to his heart for her liking. It takes everything she has not to start screaming, to not drive home in the middle of the night and bang on the door hard enough to rattle the door frame.

No. No. She grips the edges of the sink and breathes, she breathes until she can think of calling her phone and try to prepare for the sound of her own voice to answer.

II. august 9-10 [A reprieve]

It's probably the wildest night that Mariko has had in ages, having not drank quite so much since college but being responsible for the most adorable 6 year old on earth on top of being stuck in her father's body for three whole days is enough to drive anyone to drink. She's not the family having sort. Not years ago when she thought that was what she wanted and not that weird as hell dream she had.

No, she's got all the family she needs around her and all the comfort she needs from them. It's fine. Really.

Another shot couldn't hurt though.

III. august 11-13 [Body Swap with Bucky]



She knows, before she's even really awake that her body is different again, and it's probably another guy. Scrubbing her hands over her face, she sighs before fumbling around for a phone or a wallet to try and get a lock on this dude. Unlike Togusa, she has no sense of propriety for the poor sap who got stuck in her body, convinced that they'll never They'll probably never see each other.

Except for he's a retrospec user.

With a sigh, she goes fumbling for his phone - 3:30 am, christ. And then she notices the calendar. Football practice, band practice....Using the flashlight, she fumbles around for a wallet because no. No no nonononononno

Recolle High. Recolle fucking High on the school ID.

First order of business: grab pillow and scream into it.
Second order of business: hooky.

She is done with high school and is never setting foot into one again. She might have protected Togusa's rep, but this kid seems like a step away from an intervention anyway. School is bailed on for the coffee shop, winning the favor of the barista with her best approximation of an expression that says 'Today is rough and I just need one act of mercy.' The largest coffee 'Bucky' could afford in hand, she holes up in a table in the back, puts headphones in and texts her own number, to see check on her body's new passenger.

This is either the best day ever for you or the worst.

IV. Wildcard

[Please run into her in the wild, mortify Togusa and Bucky further. Hit me on wingedbeastie if you want to be my hero and help me boomerang a little.]

We're just making this face all week

[standalonehuman]

The hangover was just insult to injury. The most unnerving feeling for Togusa was actually the absence of the cyberbrain's flood of information when he wakes. He'll have the capacity to realize how odd it is that he has started to depend on the change later. The awkwardness of the first few minutes is tempered by the unrelenting pounding in his head, until he finally gets that first good look in the mirror that shows him Mariko's face.

Fucking Retrospec.

And yet, if he could have swapped bodies with anyone, this is the one situation where they might both come out of it all right. It is amazing how quickly Togusa's mind turns to the practical. If they have to fake being the other one at their jobs, for example, Mariko can be trusted with anything on any of those pieces of paper, and he hopes that he lives up to the same.

He turns out to have too much to take care of before he can get a message out to 'himself,' only for Mariko to beat him to the punch. He is lying down again when he answers the phone.

"Mariko?" Oh, that sounds weird. It doesn't even quite sound like Mariko.