recolle | May Event Log

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May Event Log

EVENT

RISE AND SHINE
Spring is upon the city of Recollé now. The rainy season is starting to pass and the last of the winter chill has officially shaken off. The weather is perfectly spring-like with flowers blooming all over the city and the local wildlife rousing from their hiding places. People everywhere find themselves awakening to the sound of birds tweeting and the sun shining peacefully on them as they're drawn from the world of dreaming.

Too bad that's about where the peace ends today.

I.
It’s a leisurely morning when you first wake up. The sun’s rising and peeking in through the curtains of your room, birds are chirping happily, and you find yourself drowning in your sheets with the floor much, much further down than you recall.

Wait, what?

You don’t think that you’ve shrunken at all. After all, your clothing still fits perfectly fine. The trouble with it all is that all of your furniture has enlarged several times its usual size and the walls tower over you more than before. Getting ready for your day is going to be a challenge, but the outside world can’t be that bad, can it?

Think again. Buildings skyrocket dozens of stories higher than they originally were. The button for the crosswalk dangles over your head tauntingly. The tires for your school bus are coming dangerously close as you try to cross the street. Be careful out there!

Is there a safe path to avoid further incidents? As the days go on, citizens will find that if they look down a series of lit-up circles appear under their feet. Stepping on one will cause the Retrospec app to open, and a song will begin to play. How long will this go on? Unfortunately, Retrospec seems to be working just fine and will autoloop until your path of lights meets someone new. After all, isn't social media about bringing people together? Best get to exploring and seeing what’s out there…or, maybe, who’s out there.

II.
Speaking of exploring, it's much easier to see the wear and tear of the city at this size. With everything much larger you may notice that everything about your nice city isn't quite so nice. Cracks in the sidewalk present a hazard when walking everywhere and there are fractures in the buildings themselves. You may wish to avoid them entirely for your own safety.

But for the more curious residents (or anyone accidentally finding themselves falling into these cracks) a venture into these spaces will reveal something a little mysterious. Swirls of black float through space, occasionally punctuated by flashes of images and words. Presented almost like a movie, you may not be able to pinpoint what exactly you’re seeing but it seems to be calling your name to draw you further in. At first, the interior space in these cracks seems to expand and the images become clear. It’s…space? No. It’s stars, lots of stars and there’s a rumbling sound that seems to echo through the cracks along with voices becoming more persistent as they cry out for help. The swirls and mist become thicker with each step. Will you turn back? Or will you press on and risk getting lost in the echoes of voices you don't recognize and images you can't identify?

Those who turn back will find themselves on another path of light, resetting their device and urging them onwards to find someone new. Those who continue forward though and wish to seek the truth will find themselves assaulted either with a whirlwind of memories they’ve already obtained since they’ve received the Retrospec app or blacked out by the darkness as the mist becomes impenetrable.

How will you find your way back? It may be wise to work together on this one to retrace your steps.

III.
Despite the fact the city's experiencing some sizing issues, responsibilities are still important and these problems won't stop your boss from demanding you show up to work on time. Did you get lost on your way to school? What a bummer that this is the day your professors spring a pop quiz on you. The challenges of every day life are even more challenging and as per usual, many people don't even realize there's something wrong. Though your pencil may be taller than you are, you won't be allotted extra time to write things down. Even worse, navigating past shopping carts and down grocery aisles is nearly impossible, especially in larger, more crowded places like Freshens.

Outside isn't much better. Beginning on the fifth of May, clouds begin to loom overhead as the rainy season reminds citizens it's not over yet. All around you critters begin to jump into action to prepare for the inevitable storm. From this level of the ground it's easier to see ants hard at work hauling items 30 times their body weight. That caterpillar might be good for hitching a ride back home. Watch out for the furry four-legged beast running your way!

Speaking of beasts...well. Just because you're no longer your original size doesn't mean your furry and feathered friends won't be. Maybe you're lucky enough to have a companion you can hitch a ride with. Or maybe you aren't so lucky after all. Your pets may like you just fine, but other people's pets and even the insects will give in to their animal instincts, prone to chasing and sometimes outright attacking citizens (Retrospec users and non-Retrospec users alike.) Can you fight? Guess you'll have to find out.

Oh, and you better hurry...the rain that begins later in the afternoon is most unforgiving. At this size? It's quite easy to be swept away in a flood.

IV.
Do you hear that? Everything seems to be amplified now and with the rain pounding down around you for the next five days the echoes are even louder. This time, however, the words are much more distinguishable. Above the din of a hauntingly beautiful song, you may find yourself being coaxed to come out into the Apprassage Woods, whispered promises of your most sacred desire filling your ears. Perhaps it's irrational, like scoring well on college entrance exams. Perhaps it's something much bigger like seeing a loved one again long after their passing. Whatever it may be, the song is almost overpowering and tempting.

Along the way, bright, towering flowers serve as a guiding light deeper and deeper into the woods. The further you travel, the louder they echo those desires back at you, even louder than the song itself. Strangely, for those who have been gifted with a supernatural sense or the ability to see ghosts, you may find that there are figments flickering through the trees encouraging you onward. You want their help, don't you?

There are ways to break out of the song's trance, but it will take teamwork and effort to ground each other back to reality. It seems as though the rain itself may very well be the culprit. Will you seek to find shelter? Maybe you're lucky and happen to have a pair of ear plugs in your pocket. Do your best to guide each other home. The woods aren't very friendly after dark even with the fluorescent glow of the flowers.

BONUS.
The nice thing about being pint-sized is that it's much easier to go where you probably shouldn't. Should you find yourself back in Tisse and in front of the Retrospec building, you may notice it's much easier to slip under the cracks of the front door. Several of you may have been in this lobby before. Like usual, the lights are on. At this size, however, it's easier to hear the echoes of footsteps somewhere above you.

But don't worry about them. Being this size means that it's more possible now to enter some the previously locked rooms. Some rooms don't have enough space to crawl under, of course, but the two rooms that do will reveal something quite interesting. There isn't much in the way of furniture in these two rooms, but every inch of the walls and ceiling remains covered in maps. Not all of these maps are blank. Some of them appear to have small splashes of color varying in size and shape, like an incomplete picture. Some of them also appear to have images on them, such as a Chocobo, or an apple with a smileyface, or a strange die. Furthermore, after the fifth of May, citizens may notice one of the maps now has a picture of those strange glowing flowers from the woods.

Should anyone be ambitious enough to count in these two rooms (though really, that will certainly take time), they will come to find that there are roughly 110 maps in all. And with a little digging, they can explore and attempt to open drawers and closets in these rooms. Together, they will discover there are an additional 30 maps, including one with a picture of a strange-looking doll.

So you want to learn more about these maps, huh? For anyone who tries to draw or write on the maps, they will find that whatever they deface the maps with stays there! However, the moment you exit the room anything you drew on the map will appear on any surface of your skin that's available. Tearing the maps doesn't seem to work either. The maps can only be removed from the wall in one whole piece.

If one were to take a map from the rooms, they would only be able to get to the doorway before it dissolves into ash and creates a miniature dust storm for everyone nearby. Strangely, the map will reappear on the wall and the cycle will repeat itself for days on end.

The maps really, really don't like being touched.

What does this all mean? What a great question.

Welcome to

recolle's May event! All characters will be begin in-game AU'd as Recollé residents. You may use any of the above prompts for ideas or make up your own depicting your Recollé AU! Prompts do not have to be set in the districts listed above. You can review our list of locations for what's available and be as creative as you'd like.

As another note, by participating in this log in a thread with five or more comments from you with a character you have not tagged previously, you are eligible for one free memory regain! This means you can claim a memory without a trigger required; we ask that it be low-impact for newer characters, while characters who have been here longer can scale upwards. However please be sure to submit this regain to the regains page and just specify "May Freebie" in the explanation portion of the form. Please see our monthly plotting post for more details.

If you would like to explore parts of the city in their enlarged state, please contact the mod team so we can get you a write-up of what your characters may or may not find! This also goes for if your character has regained any supernatural sensing and you'd like for them to interact with the figments in the woods!

Starting on 5/5, the Echo Flower from Undertale will act as your newest world change! Once the event wraps 5/10, the echoing of desires will stop and they will return to providing white noise and echoing the last thing they heard. These flowers will only remain in the woods.

Any questions you have regarding this event may be directed to the mod comment here.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Will you seriously take my scarf? [He is legit reaching for it, he will lie about his bandages if that's what it takes to make Dave warm. He hasn't taken it off though YET. He will not make this sacrifice WITHOUT being sure Dave will be warm.]

You'd be cold. [ clearly the current situation - dave in jeans and shirt soaked to the bone and sans jacket or anything remotely warm - is preferable to dirk losing even a single warm piece of clothing yeah he's literally going to give himself a cold this is stupid ]

You're soakin' wet, Dave, and probably bone cold. It ain't a good condition for a Texas baby.

...Yeah, but you're warm.

[ THIS feels like it should be a stronger argument than it actually is. fuck. ]

[He takes off his jacket and holds it out to Dave.]

Amazingly, I've managed to still be warm despite the lack of an extra layer. Fashionable accessorizin' really is a genius move.

[ dave shakes his head, crossing his arms. ]not takin' the jacket. [ something smaller he might agree to (maybe. why is he this way) but he will not accept the jacket because that means dirk isn't wearing the jacket and that just makes things terrible ] Will you please put it back on?

[Nngh. Dave said please.]

Will you take the scarf if I put the jacket back on?

...Are you gonna agree to put the jacket back on if I don't?

I'll agree to put the jacket back on if you agree to take your wet shirt off and wrap yourself up in the scarf to keep warm.

[Like a GIANT BLANKET god he probably brought one of those poncho scarves??? giant and blue and holy shit Dirk could you be less well-matched to your orange jacket.]

[ WHY THE FUCK DID YOU BUY THAT, DIRK, GOD. dave just stares at dirk blankly for a moment. ]

Why the fuck do you ever go shoppin' without me and Roxy. [ that isn't a yes or no, but he'll reach down to the bottom hem of his shirt and haul it up and over his head. god, fine, give him the terrible scarf, at least that will get dirk to put the jacket back on.

he probably has a few bandages on from various bug battles but nothing. too major? don't flip ]

I've got better taste than you.

[He notices the bandages. There's a frown, but it means Dirk pulls on his jacket, flips up the the collar to keep his neck warm (to hide it) and takes Dave's wet shirt from him before shoving over the terrible, terrible scarf.

It's dark out. The night is wet and they're both deep in shadow. The bandages on Dirk's neck match the colour of his skin, and the collar of the shirt shadows it more. Dave could miss it easy.]

I'm not standin' near you if you keep sayin' shit like that. I don't wanna go via electrocution when you get struck down for your lies.

[ dave takes a moment to fuss with the scarf. he doesn't look happy. he looks the opposite of happy. why the fuck did he agree to this.

he immediately reached out to fix dirk's collar when he's done, though, because he always does that when dirk flips his collar in dave's presence, probably. ]

I hate you so much sometimes. [ he also probably says exactly that, in exactly that tone, because STOP DOING THIS TO DAVE ]

[The habit is so familiar Dirk doesn't even tense or pull away.]

It looks cool.

[Narrator: It did not look cool.]

It does not.

[ at least this argument doesn't involve anything new and different and weird, just the same old shit of "for the love of god don't dress yourself or touch your clothes ever" that comes up every so often. dave's thumb brushes up against the bandages before he pulls away.

he doesn't freeze up. he looks more closely but he doesn't ask. it is in its own way a continuation of pulling away from dirk, because he doesn't know if he can or should ask, or if dirk is even that much his business any longer or if he should be his business any longer. this kind of thing belongs to anyone else in the world who isn't him, maybe, or should.

dave drops his hands to his sides, turns to keep walking. he'll tell roxy about it later and let her handle it from there, maybe. ]

I think I recognize that collection of rocks. Nearly out.

[So he noticed it. And he doesn't ask. And Dirk wonders what he's supposed to do.

Maybe being honest would be cruel. Maybe he shouldn't.

Maybe he doesn't care anymore, and the ocean loneliness has gotten into his bones.]

I was tryin' to remember.

What?

[ blankly, because clearly dirk is not talking about what dave thinks he might be talking about. ]

I was tryin' to make myself remember dyin'. Logically, it would be some kind of wound inflicted by a sword. I'd recently acquired one, making it a relatively simple task to simulate an injury.

You - what the fuck.

[ ok, forget about the part where he wasn't going to engage. dirk just had to be talking about what dave thought he was talking about. ]

I told you that it wasn't about you dyin'! And a bandage ain't simulation.

[Dave shouts but Dirk doesn't. He stays weirdly calm. It's strange even to his own head.] I know.

[ cool, dirk, you do that. dave actually steps closer to get at the edge of the bandages, because he wants to see under them to see exactly how much damage dirk did to himself here. he's once again forgotten he was trying to get home.

apparently we are not responding to dirk's "i know" because holy shit. ]

[The important thing is he has a nice warm blanket scarf on to keep him toasty!

Anyway Dirk doesn't fight it. The cut's very shallow? It'll heal over in maybe a day or so and vanish before the week is up. Dirk was being careful.

You know. While attempting to simulate decapitation.]

[ that sure is a thing. dave does the bandage back up very gently and steps back again. ]

I'm not tellin' you jack shit ever again. [ this would be cooler if his voice were like, steady, but it shakes and he's completely terrified by the magnitude of the thing dirk attempted to do. it's a miracle his hands don't shake.

holy shit, he has to learn to lie better. if he hadn't been stupid and weak and let himself check that dirk was still breathing when it was obvious - ]

No.

[Dirk reaches for his hand.]

Don't. I don't want you to hide things from me. You're my brother.

You cut your throat. [ or dave as good as did it himself (again! christ) and dave pulls his own hand back because he's not allowed to touch dirk right now, he thinks, if this is the end result from the mess of memories and emotions and everything else tangled up inside of him. granted, he hasn't been sure he's allowed to touch most people for a little while, but this seems like solid proof the answer is maybe "nope". ] That angle -

[ that angle, he thinks, would have required dirk to do something really fucking stupid. ]

Yeah, I cut my throat. I cut my throat because I wanted to remember. I wanted it. I want to remember everythin' and stop feelin' so damn oceanic.

[He means alone, the ocean means 'alone' now, it has to even though part of him likes it, takes comfort in it. In the ocean no one can catch him if he drowns.

He gestures at the flowers.] It's in the whispers. Do you seriously think that cutting yourself off from me will protect me? You may as well try to solve a person's thirst by denying them water for the rest of his life. I'm tryin' to remember because Roxy isn't my sister in those memories, and you are afraid of being near me, and I'm pretty sure everyone else I remember hates me, so maybe if I can figure out what happened I can make it stop goddamned happenin'.

Edited 2017-05-12 09:40 (UTC)

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