FEBRUARY EVENT LOG

[recollecters]

EVENT

FOUNDER'S DAY It's finally here. This is the day the city has been waiting for. It's a day like no other when every resident of Recollé can be found buzzing with energy and excitement. Shops open early. The Recollé High School and University marching bands begin to play, and over in Tribunal Terrace Mayor Mayer strides up to the microphone atop his beloved giant chicken, Seabiscuit. --wait, giant chicken? You're sure the Mayor has something important to say, but all you can do is focus on the fact that Seabiscuit didn't have bright red feathers the day before. The rest of the Mayor's speech may not get through to you, but it's his last sentence that makes everything official. "Welcome to Founder's Day! Let's do our part and celebrate the city that we love." I. All of the hard work from the days prior has paid off. The weather is slightly brisk with no chance of snowfall until well into the evening and businesses are booming. Shopkeepers and employees working today will have their hands full taking orders from customers and keeping up with demands. Maybe that 50% off deal on wool-knit scarves wasn't such a great idea. On the other hand, residents that aren't working today will find the streets pleasantly busy. Chata has plenty of sidewalk sales to peruse. Music and the scent of cinnamon-sweet coffee will surely lure some people to the businesses in Tisse. School is closed for the day but an open campus tour runs a few times a day at the university, and the Founder's Day play is performed once in the morning and once in the evening at the Atrium. Are you enjoying a day with your friends? Or are you stuck behind a register wishing you were? Wherever you may be, the spirit of Founder's Day is all around you. II. At noon sharp, the bands strikes up again as crowds gather around Tribunal Terrace. Ladies and gentlemen, it's time for the main attraction! That's right, it's time for the annual Founder's Day Parade featuring the city's newly elected royalty: King Kurt Wagner, Queen Maya Aimoto, Prince Ryoji Mochizuki, Princess Rose Strider, Duke Viktor Nikiforov, and Duchess Arlene Sinclair. The marching bands play with gusto as they stride through the streets, the Recollé High and Recollé University cheerleaders right behind them. Beautiful floats follow in their wake, all decorated with flowers and depicting the historical events of the city. One thing that's different this year, however, is the addition of beads from the King and Queen's float at the end of the parade. The Recollé Royalty's float-helpers sit on the edge of the float tossing colored strands of beads and candy to the audience below. Most residents may not notice, but the beads seem to be shaped like a new logo some residents are quickly becoming familiar with. Residents will find that wearing the beads will produce some interesting results though. Are you on a romantic date? Your beads might slowly turn red with passion. Are you nervous about one of those floats suddenly veering off and rolling down the hill? Your beads might turn pitch black. No matter what district you're in after the parade these beads will respond to your current mood, and even if you take them off they seem to mysteriously turn back up in your pocket. If you take them off and try to get rid of them often enough, they might just appear around your neck, and you won't be able to remove them for the rest of the day. Then again, this doesn't seem to be a rule so much as a pattern. Perhaps you'll be lucky enough to ditch the beads to your pocket instead of having them prominently displayed no matter how many times you do away with them. Talk about wearing your heart on your sleeve. What's up with that? The beads may not be everyone's first priority. After all, once the parade's said and done someone has to be on clean-up duty. Will you volunteer? III. Later, back at Tribunal Terrace, residents who passed by a large metal truck earlier in the week will quickly see what all of the fuss was about as Mayor Mayer walks Seabiscuit down the street, monitoring over a small, gated pen for Chocobo-back rides. You know the Mayor used to own a horse. Seabiscuit has always been a beautiful Palamino with a shimmering coat. Asking most of the other residents, however, will earn you a concerned look. Recollé has always been home to Chocobos. What's a horse? Nearby there's a petting zoo that has been set up by the same company. Thankfully, those animals look familiar. Goats, sheep, bunnies and other small animals reside in the petting zoo. Are you the type to feed them? Or are you stuck on pooper-scooper duty? Gross. The Chocobos themselves seem friendly enough, though the little ones are prone to nipping at hair and fingers. Are you brave enough to get closer to take a better look at these mysterious creatures? Do try to be careful...especially since some of them are prone to running away and relocating themselves in other parts of the city. Seems like even the Chocobos want the Founder's Day special from Expressive. IV. Mayor Mayer, as good and true as he is, isn't one of the most careful people in the city of Recollé. It would make sense to keep Seabiscuit away from the city's pride and joy, the world's largest ball of red string. If you've been in Recollé for any length of time, you'll immediately recognize the ball. Large enough to see from any district, the ball has been wound and displayed near City Hall for years. Too bad Seabiscuit isn't one for tradition and this creature does startle easily. It's hard to say what caused the poor thing to become so scared that it kicked the ball right off of its pedestal, but once it starts rolling there's no stopping it. The red ball of string picks up pace, rolling down the streets and unraveling to tangle up anyone in its path. The string winds its way around the city and all districts, seemingly pulling people in and tying them up with at least one other person. It seems that the only way to undo this mayhem is to find your other half and work together to unravel yourselves. BONUS. You don't remember that building in Tisse being there. Was it there before? Perhaps it was empty in the days prior to Founder's Day, but today a small neon sign illuminates the front of the building with the name of its current business. Retrospec. Huh. Isn't that the name of that app that installed itself on your mobile device? As you've noticed by now, all aspects of the app are available to use. But there's still something ominous about that building. If you're brave enough to go inside, you'll find… …nothing. The building appears to be empty save for a few chairs in a waiting room-type area and a large fake potted plant in the corner. There appears to be several doors and even an elevator, but it seems no matter how hard you try you can't access any of those. What a waste of time. (And why isn't there a staircase?) There's really no point in staying here when the festival's outside waiting for you. When you try to open the front door to exit though it appears to have locked behind you. Are you alone? Hopefully you aren't alone, that would be quite dreadful. Of course, you can try a few things to break out. You can try ramming down the door for example. That won't work, but you may certainly try. Though the city is full of creative people with undoubtedly interesting methods of breaking free, residents locked inside Retrospec will find that the only way to open the door is by using the Retrospec app to post a status update, comment to someone else's status, or post a picture from their Founder's Day adventures. Is there a right or wrong way to do this? That's for you to find out. Time to get creative and maybe make a few new friends! Welcome to recolle's February event! As a reminder, all characters will be begin in-game AU'd as Recollé residents. As with our TDM, 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 a note, the effects from the beads in the second prompt can last throughout the month if you would like, but will fade as soon as February is over. Additionally, you may post Retrospec updates in your top-levels on this log for the bonus prompt if you wish to keep everything in one place. As another note, by participating in this log in a thread with five or more comments from you, you are eligible for one free memory regain! This means you can claim a memory without a trigger required. Please see our monthly plotting post for more details. Any questions you have regarding this event may be directed to the mod comment here.

Comments

MOD QUESTIONS

[recollecters]

Please use this comment for any mod questions you have regarding this event. Thank you!

[tarotcards]

For the beads! What happens if a character takes note of beads constantly returning and decides to toss them intentionally to see if they magically appear back on them, but without taking their eyes off them? (For example, Souji dropping them on the ground and staring at it as he leaves or something similar.) Would the beads only return to them when they're not looking?

[voideity]

i. the spirit of 50% scarves and cinnamon coffee

[ roxy loves founder's day. not because she cares that much about the founder(s), honestly, but because there's lots of little stalls to buy from. half of her shopping done each year is done on founder's day. she loves deals? deals love her.

which may be why she's swathed in at least half a dozen scarves (some of which are gifts!! fight her!!), draped in jewelery and other pieces, and has a grande cinnamon latte in hand. she's not planning on looking like this all day? just until she gets to the car. but for now, behold your scarved bejeweled strider girl. ]

Sup. How 'bout the Mayor's giant red chicken, huh? [ pause ] Noooot that that's weird, at all. [ latte sip. she sounds a little frustrated. like someone who spent 20 minutes arguing with their mother about horses chocobos. ]

ii. it's like mardi gras made a baby with a mood ring

[ roxy was too busy yelling LOVE LIVE PRINCESS ROSE (yeah long live the king and queen, too, but sibling priority y'all) to notice the oddly-shaped beads as she threw several necklaces around her neck. while fighting a small child or two for candy. she needs this more than you, go brush your teeth (no jk she let them win).

but after the parade roxy volunteers to help clean up, as any good citizen would. but in the middle of sweeping she's staring at the beaded necklaces. ]

Ok, that's a lil' creepy. [ they all seem to be yellow, but she's 100% sure she had several different colors. yellow isn't even her color?? but more importantly-- ] It's the logo of that fuckin' network. Did they sponsor the parade?

[ is she asking you or just talking to the trash left behind by the parade-goers. itsamystery.jpg ]

bonus.

[ sitting across the street from the retrospec building is a blonde using the zoom on her iphone to spy on the place. the only reason roxy hasn't marched right into the building getting all up in their business is because her twin brother would be so pissed if she did so-- alone, anyway. she still has parade beads around her neck, now purple with mystery. she's an Actual Spy for at least the next ten minutes until she just gives up and goes in, probably.

seeing anyone coming gets her attention. ] Hey, you ever notice that place before? [ gesturing. ]

wildcard.

[ or find her wherever during founder's day! wherever. like at the petting zoo thanking god and jesus that no other animals are now chickens. come at me. ]

I

[onceandfuturemascot]

That's exactly what it looks like, a giant chicken.

[She says this as if realizing it for the first time. The petite woman Roxy's walked up to is dressed more plainly and holding a hot chocolate from a less-known coffee chain, but she ignores all that in light of the implication that someone else thinks this is weird.]

The mayor normally has a horse, though, right? And I mean...people ride horses. Knights, cowboys, et cetera?

[parodeity]

[ for the record dave's in black skinny jeans and a long sleeved red dress shirt with a gray vest over the top. he also has a jacket. and a scarf. and early on in the day a flower crown and a name tag for prompt 1 but details. you know if you care ALSO FEEL FREE TO PLOT WITH ME over here if you want! ]

i: this is his day job

[ for at least a little bit of the day, though not all of it, dave will sit casually at the booth for mikorin's flower shop, manning it for a shorter shift in the morning.

"manning" the booth means casually playing various match 'em games on his phone beneath the booth as he slouches in his seat, tbh. how is he the most senior employee again? well, he actually will do his job...as soon as someone catches his attention. for the most part, people seem to be going to a nearby food stand before looking into the flower shop booth. the booth has flower crowns and other sorts of flower jewelry.

in fact, dave is sporting some of this? he has a crown and a bracelet on currently, and seems to be casually fine with this being a thing. he has literally no issue with wearing flowery stuff and will flick his eyes up when someone comes to a stop in front of the booth. ]

Welcome to Enchanted Blossoms' booth. Sup?

[ #professional ]

ii: parade time

[ the parade is one of the best parts of the day, and the beads are kind of neat up until dave starts noticing them changing colors on him. after a brief interlude of time spent with jade, he's begun trying to ditch the beads in a subtle way. just like...handing them over to some kids. trying to recycle them into the trash. trying to hand them back to founder's day workers.

so when he reaches into his pocket to dig out his phone and comes up with the strand of beads yet again he's more than a little annoyed. ]

Oh, come on. Hasn't today been weird enough? [ it's a muttered complaint, so he didn't mean it to be audible - but it sure was. ]

iii: where are the horses tho

[ hm. okay. dave almost definitely sends off a series of rapid fire texts to siblings asking if he's, like, potentially insane or something, but there's no point in not getting second opinions on that very possible fact. so he'll just kind of lean towards you and like.

squint. ]

So. Black Beauty. Spirit. Hidalgo. If you were to like, describe the main animal in those movies, how would you go about it? Get full on into the metaphors, here, don't be afraid to be creative. I will be ratin' your answer on a complicated five star scale, and the points definitely do matter. Probably.

[ look so many people seem Ok with the giant chickens that he is mildly concerned about his sanity. ]

iv: obligatory string option

[ welp. there are probably worse people to find yourself on the other end of a red string of - ok it's not fate. it really isn't. it's just the giant ball of red string that is recollé's pride and joy. as such, dave doesn't feel he can just use a knife or anything to cut it, and so he's actually actively trying to get untangled. when he follows the latest loop of idiocy to the source, he offers up a very small wry smile. ]

Yo, soulmate. I think if you lift your arm and I go under that might get this part of this undone? Shit, I feel like I'm in the animes.

locked to dirk strider;

[ it's not really a matter of bravery, although curiosity might have been a big enough impetus to get dave to enter the building even on his own. what it is, however, is the fierce opinion that is probably shared among any of his siblings: none of them should ever do a dumb, dangerous thing alone. there's four of them for a reason, surely, and there's always someone to call on to play the part of partner-in-crime. for dave, that's not always rose, although it often is. for different things and at different times he'll call on any of his older siblings to back him up on something new or weird or difficult.

this particular case, however, was more a result of dave attaching himself to dirk's side and refusing to be dislodged as soon as dirk expressed the slightest interest in going to the retrospec building. again. while he sees his older brother as endlessly capable and competent, he has never seen him as infallible. he wants to be around just in case.

also, he's really fucking curious about the building. dave's a half-step closer to dirk's side than he would usually be on a normal day, although his expression is pretty damn neutral and teenage-bored as they stand outside of the building, before he gives dirk his best little why-the-fuck not smile and takes a step forward to open the door.

which. well. he's not flashstep fast because neither of them are but he's athletic still. however, dirk has longer legs, so???? he might win??? either way as soon as the door is open dave will slip inside and see... ]

Well, if they're tryin' to hit the top of the eerie waiting room charts, they're maybe a little bit short of the mark. There's no abandoned kids' toys? And that's like, priority one for creepiness.

wildcard

[ or find dave wherever. he idles around lots of booths and is like surgically attached to his iphone while doing so, so ]

iv;

[spes_phthisica]

[Please help free this nerd, he has no natural advantages, he would never survive in the wild.

That is to say that yes, he's a tangled mess, and looks up with a relieved smile as suggestions are offered.]

Sure, I- Ah, could you help me with this first? [How he managed to get the string mixed up in all that hair is anyone's guess, but he's not going to move at all until he knows that it won't pull his scalp off.]

It's usually a lot less literal than this in most shows I've watched.

[metafaliure]

iii.

[ Irene is a fair distance from the smelliest part of the petting zoo, but she is watching the chocobos with a faintly puzzled look on her face. Well, they're certainly cute, and she can't get too upset about friendly giant birds, but it's weird that they aren't horses. Or at least she thinks it's weird. Nobody else seems to think it's weird, which is also weird. ]

Birds, though... why are they birds...

bonus.

[ The scientific mind's curiosity is both a blessing and a curse. In this case, it definitely falls on the curse end of the equation. Irene wandered into the new...? It was definitely new, right? The chocobo of buildings! Had it replaced an existing building...?

-- Anyway! Irene wandered into the new building just to see what the deal was with it. And then she discovered that the deal was it was empty and with auto-locking horror movie doors. ]

... This is it. This is absolutely when the serial killer appears...

wildcard.

[ You can also find Irene just on the edges of any given crowd, not quite fitting in, but appearing to enjoy the outskirts more than the hustle and bustle...? ]

iii

[digthefuzz]

[Kurt's been quite puzzled by the sudden appearance of these bird creatures, and he's been wondering about the explanation. So far he's been sure that it's some kind of a prank. So when he spots one of his teachers, who knows a thing or two about jokes, he thinks he has it all figured out.

Kurt approaches her with a smug grin and his arms crossed.]

You can drop the act, Professor. I can see right through your act. And I've gotta say... wow. Well played! [It had to take a lot of work, switching the animals and getting so many people, even the mayor, to play along.] It's gotta be the biggest punking I've ever seen!

OTA

[borntoolate]

III- Mambo de chocobo

[After the mayor's speech, Iris just had to check out these giant chickens for herself. She stopped asking about them after the first couple of people thought she was crazy. She's a little concerned about her own horse. I he a bird? Will he still remember her? Can she still ride him? This is all super weird.

Although... up close they're sort of cute. She's leaning against the fence around the chocobo rides. The little kids seem to like this as much as pony rides at least. Good for them. Still... she turns to the nearest person who also looks confused. Maybe you.]

Okay, so level with me. Are the birds new? Or am I crazy?


I- coffee break

[Late in the afternoon, Iris can be found taking a break from the festivities. She's seated at a corner table in Expressive, with various shopping bags at her feet, sipping a latte and reading. Every now and then she stops and marks something with a highlighter. Could she actually be doing homework on a holiday?

Nah. Sharp eyed onlookers will notice that she's reading a script. A soon to be shot episode of 'A Song of Crystals and Daemons.' Bother her?]

3

[true_noir]

I have never seen a creature like them in my life.

[The voice was a little high pitched, soft, and carried a french accent to it. A dark haired, short girl was staring at the same creatures that she was looking at with a similar level of curiosity, her gaze marveling at them. At first, she'd thought they were ostriches.

That had lasted until a green one passed by, making a 'Kweh' sound as children rode it with glee. No, that was definitely not an ostrich, definitely not.]

Are they perhaps from Africa somewhere, imported for this event?

Hitori Togusa

[standalonehuman]

I - On duty: (Bonus for other officers)
Togusa, like most of the other officers of the Recolle Police Department, is on patrol during the festivities. It's going to be a weekend of directing traffic, rolling drunks...and maybe, running into a few of his coworkers.

Gladio Amicia, Mako Lou, Detective Bigby Wolf, Detective Noah Gabranth. They were the other four on the app, and Togusa tried to get all of their duty rotations for this weekend so he could run into them. Whatever he's doing, he has a black folder on his person. Is Togusa up to something that's going to get him reprimanded...again?

I - Off duty:
There is still a lot on Togusa's mind, but he does have a few hours off to actually enjoy the festival, itself. He is stopped to watch a group of street artists. A bunch of them have things to sell, but someone supplied them with a lot of sidewalk chalk and paint, and there is a massive abstract picture being created by anyone who walks by. Togusa smiles as he walks around and around, looking at the designs from all angles so that he can catch all of the details that the artists are putting into their work.

Bonus:
And here Togusa thought this was going to be hard. As soon as he sees the building with precisely the company name he was looking for? He heads right for it. Togusa has already counted up the regulations that he knows the app has violated, but if he can't prove to anyone else in the department that the program even exists? Well, he'll get answers himself, then.

Togusa opens the door, and the wind instantly gets taken out of his sails when he sees no one is there. "Uhhh...hello?"

There's a festival outside, lots of people are going to be coming in to look at the place, why isn't there anyone here to greet them? Curiosity overtakes caution, and Togusa steps inside, letting the door click closed behind him.

Bonus

[momentaryspring]

"Wait! Nooooo!" Ryoga, lunging across the building lobby for the door, came up just short. All that was left to him was to pound a fist against the inside of the door in vain. Apparently, he'd come by before Togusa, and was now rather eager to leave.

"Damn it...!"

[constellates]

[ i + ii. that's the motto, baby, yolo. ]

[She's sparkling. Mostly figuratively, but - kind of literally? Anya took the beads without a second thought (she should stop taking things from strangers) but now that they're settled around her neck, they're picking right up on her very, very excited mood. Cue some beads getting really, really shiny.

Her nose leads her toward the sweet smell of baked goods. A chord strikes and she immediately turns toward the sound of it. The shine of some starry-themed wares catches her eye and she takes a step forward. Honestly she kind of just did a 360 turn.

She's excited - and overwhelmed.

You probably came here with her and that's why she's relentless, reaching out for your hand without a second thought because a) it's crowded and b) she wants your attention so she plans to take it.]

Where do you want to go?

[Because she clearly can't decide.

Of course Anya could also be so terribly distracted and excited that she would lose track of her friend and would be just as likely to grab a stranger's hand too—

Embarrassing.]

[ iii. curiosity did what to the cat? ]

[These aren't horses. Anya knows that. She knows what a horse looks like. They're popular on carousels, which in turn are popular for music boxes. They're lovely and elegant and... not feathered at all. So this is her idea of investigation.

Tilting her head at the petting zoo, offering her hand out to one of the chocobos curiously, so curiously - ]

Oh!

[and just barely pulling her hand back before it bites her. Yikes. ... except this is Anya so she's just laughing a little bit at herself before smiling.]

Silly friend, I wouldn't taste good at all. None of that please.

[it literally cannot understand her, this investigation is already off the rails]

[ iv. anya's terrible very bad no good day. ]

[Anya is a small person. For the most part she's also a graceful person, yes, but the chaos of a lost ball of string sure would make it harder for her to remain so.

It's a series of turns - her attempt to avoid bumping into running people, that's what she gets for being too considerate - that manages to be her literal downfall. A turn, a turn, another turn. She's not dizzy, she's more practiced than that, but rather the string is definitely getting wrapped around her heels and her legs up until she can't. Quite.

Turn anymore. She's balanced for a moment but then there's another person in a rush that brushes past her and -]

O-Oh...!

[timber.mp3]

[ wildcard ]

[also available if you want something new and different - or if we plotted out something different, hit me up and I can write the starter or you can just toss it at me! i'll pick up whatever you put down, ja feel]

iii!

[sharplydressed]

[This whole horses to big feathery chickens thing? Yeah. Yeah, it's weird. It's weird and Kashuu is honestly trying to kind of ignore it because damn it's weird?! Half the people he's heard talking about it are like "what the heck happened to the horses" and the other half are like "why are these crazy people suddenly talking about weird horse things what", so he's decided to go the safe middle route and just.

Not say anything.

But he's still doing some investigating himself!! Which is what's led him here, and also what's leading him to gently place a hand on Anya's shoulder.]

You prooobably shouldn't get near these things.

[sharplydressed]

i;
I'm so tiiired.

[This is probably what many people bustling through the crowded streets are thinking right now, so Kiyomitsu will just kindly voice it for everyone. You're welcome! He's sitting on a table outside of the cafe he works at, clearly on a break (though whether he's supposed to be on one or not is a mystery...) and propping his chin up with his hands. He looks like he might faceplant into his piece of cake at this rate, honestly...

But in the end, he's also still competitive to a fault, and that means not letting any other cafes win his customers over. Anyone who wanders close enough to catch his attention will be given a careful look-over.]

Hey, you seem pretty tired, too. It's not a good look, y'know? [RUDE. But hopefully before he gets decked, noogied, or dunked into a trashcan for his punkitude, he's holding both of his hands out, closed, with his palms facing the table.]

Pick one.

ii a;
[Kiyomitsu isn't really interested in picking tacky plastic jewelry off the ground and wearing it, but... Well. You've gotta keep at least one thing from these events for posterity's sake, right? It's like grabbing streamers at the end of a concert! And it's kind of neat to look at...

At least until he gets a closer look at the symbol that make up the beads.]

Hey. [Gently jabbing whoever's standing beside him RIGHT IN THE RIBS WITH HIS POINTY ELBOW. Sorry about that, kinda, maybe. He doesn't apologize aloud, but he apologizes in his heart, okay.] Isn't that the weird app logo?

[Why are they being haunted by social media. Is this some kind of commentary!]

ii b;
[OR catch him after he's put it on and before he regrets that decision! His beads are shifting into a cheerful orange color, which is fitting considering he is in a pretty good mood.]

They got really fancy this year, huh? Let me see yours—

[What color do you have, he wants a look!

Or maybe find him after he realizes he can't leave it behind. Seeing other people start to panic about theirs has left him trying to ditch his too, which is naturally unsuccessful. In a last bid at freeing himself from this cursed necklace, he yanks it off, turns, and lobs it.]

Ugh—!

[Hopefully he didn't just chuck it in your direction. (He totally did.)]

iv;
[HERE HE IS after a long day of working hard (or hardly working, but he totally earned all 20 of those breaks), ready to go home and take a nap. But no... no, instead he finds himself trapped in a literal hell of string. This is not the way he wanted to end things.

If you're a poor unfortunate soul who just happens to be struggling nearby, Kiyomitsu might be able to lend a hand!]

Hold still for a second, I see where your string's caught up.

[And he might actually be set you free, if you're lucky. Or he might just make things worse and tie your hand to a fire hydrant/tree/the leash of someone's dog/another person accidentally.

As for the even poorer, more unfortunate soul who's attached to the other side of the string he's tangled up in? Well, it's taking him a long time to unravel himself. Needless to say, the longer he works at said unraveling, the more frustrated he gets - until he eventually just gives the yarn a sharp tug with both hands.]

Just get unstuck already, would you?!

[Hopefully he didn't just mcstrangle you or pull you over onto the ground, whoops.]

ii b;

[spes_phthisica]

[Why would you do that, Kashuu?

Souji came here to have a good time and not to have a string of beads hit him right between the eyes. His own beads - which he's wearing around his neck and hasn't even tried to get rid of - stop flashing between yellow/orange/red and turn a blueish purple instead. There's also just a split moment there where his eyes turn blank and cold and his stance changes slightly, before he catches up with himself and relaxes. Letting out a petulant little noise, he rubs his face rather pointedly.]

I know you had strong feelings about fashion, but I don't suppose you could contain yourself a bit, huh?

Yosuke Hanamura | OTA

[youraffection]

Track 1

[ It's a holiday! Which means, of course, that Yosuke is working. It's not that he doesn't like the idea of just pissing off and having some fun, but the reality is that he has expensive tastes (in electronics) and it's a habit that needs to be fed. At least he's a responsible enough sixteen year-old to get a job to fund his habit, right? Right. Upstanding member of society right here.

Or, you know, time-and-a-half for working holidays doesn't hurt either.

Of course, what that also means is that Yosuke is out running about handing out free samples from the Freshens bakery as well as trying to pawn off as many Buy One, Get One Free Coupons for bakery and deli items. Which mean that you're the next lucky person! ]

Hey there! You look like you might need to warm up with some warm cinnamon bread, baked fresh this morning! It's always Fresh at Freshens!

Track 3

[ It's like he's in a really weird movie. Okay, so Yosuke hasn't ever been the biggest fan of horses--he's got this thing about not hanging around large, potentially grumpy animals--but he's also fairly certain that they used to be popular enough to bring to the festival. What's even with the Mayor, anyway? What he's riding is a giant, even more angry looking thing that makes the hairs on the back of Yosuke's neck stand on end.

He's never been so intimidated by a giant turkey.

It seems like he's the only one to find this weird, though. Petting zoos are so not his thing, but after finally being relieved from his shift, curiosity got the better of him. Yosuke stands at the outskirts, totally not buying this whole chocobo thing. He looks around as if he's expecting someone else to chime in and go "yeah, this is weird as hell!"

Because, you know. It's weird. ]

I mean, Big Bird is okay, but this is ridiculous...

Track 4

[ Yosuke tries, he really does, but he's not known for his luck. After the whole chocobo disaster earlier, he figures the farther he gets away from those animals, the better. After treating himself to something to eat, Yosuke takes to wandering around aimlessly and seeing what else is on sale. He slides his headphones on and flips to Pandora. And the strangest song in the world comes on. ]

A: Katamari Damacy

What the...?

[ It's too bad the fourth wall is a little far away or else he would have realized what a warning that was.

Firs the notices the crowds around him thinning. Then one person running past. Then two. Then multiple people jumping and springing. ]

What gives?

[ That's when the ground rumbles. A shadow looms overhead. Yosuke slowly looks over his shoulder and sees something more horrifying than a chocobo chasing him down: a giant ball of string going rouge. ]

ACK!

[ Yosuke runs. He drops his snack, but it's only fair. Can he make it?

Wait, can you? ]

GET OUTTA THE STREET!

B: Trash Canned

[ Well, what happens happens. Yosuke some how manages to escape the giant ball of string (this time), but he finds himself stuck by something else entirely.

See, it was a well-timed and quick jump around a tight corner that got Yosuke out of the deadly ball's path...and right into a pile of garbage cans and backs that had been oh so conveniently placed around the corner. One of which Yosuke finds himself headfirst in, half-choking on someone's discarded banana and his feet kicking in the air.

Help a guy? ]

Wildcard

[ Anything not in the above prompts...come at me! ]

POINTS AT OUR EYES POINTS AT YOUR EYES AKA TRACK 4

[covenantal]

[ For now, at least, it seems like they two are managing to avoid the red string of unfortunate tangled up fate. He and Souji had been wandering around together when the thing got loose, and really, only some quick thinking and a dodge into an alleyway kept them safe.

It's a bit of a surprise that they're joined so quickly, and by someone who just dove face first into a trash can. Yu blinks at the scene, just kinda soaking it in, then glances at Souji. ]

Should we help him?

[momentaryspring]

III
Ryoga wasn't planning on being at the petting zoo or whatever this was. In fact, he'd been trying to get himself a study guide at the corner bookstore -- but here he was all the same. He meandered about the Founder's Day celebration for approximately three hours before taking out his cell phone and attempting to call for help. No sooner had he slipped it from his pocket, however, than it was snatched out of his hands.

"H-hey!"

A plump, oversized bird stood there, phone in beak. There was an insolent look on its stupid dinosaur face, or at least Ryoga thought so.

"You... you oversized chicken! Give that back!"

IV (One only for getting tangled please! Ryoga will likely be dismayed and/or loudly indignant if he finds he's attached to a dude, and a nervous hot mess if it's a girl he thinks is cute)
By the time he managed to get his phone away from the chocobo, Ryoga lay in a dispirited slump over the back of an empty park bench. It was only the tugging at his hand that roused him. "Wh... what?"

He sat up, suddenly on full alert. A red string? A ReD StRinG???

After all these years, COULD IT BE?

No -- best not to hope all at once. Yet he began to follow the trail of the thread, collecting it as he went. So focused was he on his task that he failed to notice all else. For instance, other people. Or dogs. Or cars.

Wildcard
[Totally down for the bonus prompt, btw, which will no doubt involve Ryoga trying his very best to engage in wanton property destruction.]

IV oh why the hell not

[beastenderblood]

Vella had really worked hard on her lunch. A carefully prepared peanut butter and jelly sandwich with pancakes used instead of bread, with some carrots on the side. She'd managed to grab pancakes specifically for this experimental meal and was looking forward to enjoying it during her brief moment of freedom.

So of course she and the rest of the town were going to get tangled in this stupid string. With her lunch stuffed back in her bag, she struggles to move against the red-

what is that idiot doing in the middle of the street

"Hey buddy! You big on looking both ways or...?" Like jesus pal.

[daemonized]

I. these are actually tame scarves in comparison to his usual

[Did someone say half-off scarves?

Anyone who knows Ardyn Izunia well enough (or even not really that well at all), can take a guess at what he’s shopping for now. He must keep his scarf collection going strong, and that means picking out a new one for Founder’s Day — he’s managed so far to narrow his choices down to two. One drapes over his right hand, the other lightly held in his left, as he turns to face the nearest person next to him.

He’s not exactly shy about asking for a second opinion. Whether or not he actually takes it into consideration is another matter entirely.]

Which do you like better?

III. obligatory chocobo prompt for the ff character

[It had been a strange past couple of days, but as Ardyn reaches out a hand to pet what appears to be a giant yellow bird on the head, the man sports a rare discerning frown. (Something… is odd. Unsettlingly familiar. And yet he can’t quite say why, but it’s as if a memory flickers at the edge of a thick fog, and-)

The bird shakes its head, ruffling its feathers all the way down to its neck. It makes a noise that sounds an awful lot like a kweh and Ardyn retracts his hand. By default, his crooked smirk returns to his features, and he looks up at the chocobo with skepticism.]

And “kweh” to you, too.

IV. ball o’ yarn

[It certainly isn’t stranger than the chocobo, but the experience of being tangled up in bright red string is hardly convenient. Though Ardyn finds it far more amusing than actually annoying, flippant sort of man that he is. He even has the patience to weave his way through the string, sorting out all the knots and confusing twists down the street, until he reaches the other end.

Someone waits for him. He gestures with a hand, a bit theatrically.]

I’ve found my soulmate. I wonder if this will be one of those star-crossed romances, with one or both of us dying dramatically at the end of our journey? Wouldn’t that be novel.

[There's still string, however, caught annoyingly around his arm. It tugs at his companion, connected, as he moves.]

wildcard

[I am literally up for anything. Hit me with it.]

ball o' yarn

[doublesmall]

[Congratulations: at the end of the string, there's one small grump all tangled in it. What a catch, right? Especially with that sour expression.]

Well, I don't know about you, but after all this? Sure, why the hell not. I think I can still manage enough drama for a good death.

[Chuuya tugs the string right back as it pulls at him, nose wrinkling, and adds-]

Especially if you keep doing that, you're gonna make it worse.

[doublesmall]

III.

[Normally, Chuuya would still have been asleep until at least noon, but he got talked into coming out early today and has spent most of it mildly hungover with several regrets. He's not exactly paying attention to his surroundings while he lingers a little too close to the chocobos, idly watching them--

-which is how one has ended up with his hat in its beak.

He jolts upright with a start as the bird pulls it off his head, startling it in turn; the chocobo takes off still clutching his hat, and he dashes after it, growling and swearing the whole way.]

Somebody stop that damn bird-- get back here, you overgrown drumstick! Swear to god I'm gonna pluck you--

[honestly, it's probably pretty entertaining to watch. the bird is bigger than him. good luck chuuya...]

IV.
[It might even be in the middle of this chase that the Stringpocalypse happens, or maybe he's recovered the hat (somewhat worse for wear) and is just hanging around catching his breath. Either way--]

You've got to be kidding me.

[He's not even trying to untangle it yet, just... staring down at the thread like it's personally offended him. One eyebrow twitches, the beaded necklace wrapped around his wrist staying solid black.]

I knew I should've just stayed in bed-- hey, you, help me fix this shit already.

and an extra-
[He puts some serious thought into not bothering to work after all that mess, but Chuuya decides to open up shop regardless, heading straight from the festivities to the Inkwell. The bar's open from the afternoon on, for anyone of age (he'll check) who needs a drink or two after the day's excitement, and he's perfectly willing to hear out complaints. Helps to know he's not the only one who ran into trouble, right?

The hat is missing again, but the beads are still there, now a very dark blue-- almost hard to tell they're not still black. There are also little signboards around with specials for the occasion, drinks with names like the Mayorita (and one clearly written in later called a Runaway Chicken. It's the strongest one on the list.)]

iii.

[erythristic]

[the shouting is what she hears first, turning to see why someone's screaming and coming this direction. to see one of the mysterious birds running with a hat that certainly doesn't belong to it in its beak...well. she could let it pass by, or she could take the chance and leap out to be a roadblock for the thing.

chance is what she picks, and the bird slows as it gets closer, her holding her hands out to try to make it pause completely.]

There now, who's a pretty one, hm? You're fine.

[slower, cautious, still holding that hat, but now Chuuya has a chance of catching up to the feathered thief before anything else happens.]

Easy, you'll get hurt dashing like that...

SOUJI SETA (AU ➟ SOUJI NARUKAMI) / OTA

[tarotcards]

( i )

[ Souji has only been here in Recolle for a month so this event is a perfect opportunity for him to kind of explore and get to know the history of the city. But there's so much to do and see that he's not sure where to really start. He eventually finds himself drawn over to the market stands, though, and even if he could be looking at all the wonderful and beautiful items on sale, he decides to... ]

[ ... be at the sketchiest looking stand that is selling canned food that is probably very illegal in certain countries. ]

[ Look, a boy's gotta chase his curiosity sometime. ]

Hmm, what would unicorn meat taste like?

[ He wonders out loud while he holds this wonderful can. Someone stop him?? ]

( ii )

[ Souji's really not the type to approach others, or at least not at this point of his development. However, it's a festival and he figures that he could relax a little here. Keeping to himself is a little dull, anyway, and plus, he has just recently discovered something that he thinks is important to share. So, whenever he sees someone who needs a little excitement in their lives (or anyone who doesn't seem to be very busy), he approaches and starts off with this line: ]

Want to see a magic trick?

( iii )

[ ... well, these are certainly new and not horses. Uh, this is concerning for multiple reasons. One of the reason is... ]

... Did they just dye a bunch of emus yellow?

[ IS THAT LEGAL ]

( iv )

[ Unlike many other regular humans tangled up in the mess of strings, it's actually not Souji who's trapped, but... a cat. Did you really expect him to be anywhere without picking up a stray cat or two? ]

[ He holds the poor, but surprisingly calm kitty, as he tries to make his way over to whoever's tangled with this little creature. When he does, he can only say one thing... ]

A cat as your soulmate. I can't say that I'm not jealous.

[ He's very jealous. ]

( wild card )

[ Anything else can go here! ]

i

[momentaryspring]

[Ryoga eyed the can with what could only be described as extreme suspicion.]

I strongly recommend that you refrain from eating whatever is in that can. Have you ever read a story about eating supernatural creatures that didn't end poorly for someone?

[rhapsodeity]

i

[ it's worth noting that jade's not wearing something that just looks like a rainbow threw up on her for once. she's dressed in a pair of sparkling silver tights, with a black skirt, a floral top that you've probably never seen a specific pop singer wear before! really. she's thankfully purchased a bright yellow scarf to drape around her hips for extra warmth, because crop tops aren't really end of winter slash early spring wear. she insisted, though.

in addition to the outfit, though, you're pretty likely to notice jade's holding onto a sketch pad and a black sharpie. upon seeing someone approach, she smiles and claps her hands together - or rather, smashes the sharpie and pad together. ] Hey! Do you want to play a game with me?

[ dont do it. ]

ii.

[ there's a rouge chocobo, pecking at random stalls and seemingly going to continue being a menace to society. its head dips and it plucks up a shirt with a meme on it, because this was never a serious thread to begin with. before anyone can approach it, though--

jade climbs on its back.

nothing bad is going to happen here, clearly, as she grabs on for dear life and -- ] That-a way! [ directs the bird creature. feathers fly as it lets out a squawk - better duck, because jade's never ridden a horse in her life, much less a chocobo. or maybe jump aboard, because the more the merrier on this rescue mission. ]

iii.

[ it's like mardi gras, but with creepy app beads. jade places a string around her neck, and it immediately fades into a deep blue, even though her expression is decidedly curious.

...just to test this, jade puts on several more beads. really, but the time she's done, she can barely move her neck from the sheer weight. she apparently ran out of room around her neck and decided to drape some around each of her shoulders. it's kind of a disaster and a wonder how she can move at... all, but she manages.

despite the blue, jade looks pretty thoughtful about the whole ordeal. or maybe she's regretting draping a bunch of beads around her body. ]

Well... I won't let this dwell too much. [ jade is nothing if not a ball of sunshine, even if she's a cautious ball of sunshine. ]

iv

[ congratulations on the soulmate. it's an easily excited teenage girl, who is walking away, grinning, oblivious to the string she's been caught in. drink in hand, she is the perfect image of a court fool.

except she tries to take another step and finds herself... stuck? jade looks down, and realizes that, oh, hey, her calf is somehow wrapped up in a nice red string! ...actually, isn't that - ]

Oh, fuck! It's all the way over here, too?!

[ you're stuck to an apparent potty mouth, sorry. ]

v, joint with parodeity

[ it's really not a surprise that even bakeries are busy on founder's day. sugar's a good pick me up in the middle of the day, and there's just something about 2pm that makes everyone tired. as such, the little shop's more than a little packed. it's specialty is gourmet donuts in a variety of unusual flavors, and there's not much space for placing anything down as patrons go about their business. the line’s long, which is not unexpected. there’s plenty of time to listen into conversations thanks to that. ]

Oh my god, Dave, did you seriously hand me this much stuff??? I think my wallet's at the bottom... where did you even get this much crap?

[ the pair of teens who just placed an order for a box of a dozen donuts seems to be having a little bit of trouble, if the girl of the two complaining is any indication. she’s digging into her purse, looking confused above all else.

the boy, on the other hand, is holding out his hands to be given whatever his counterpart pulls out. or one of his hands, anyway, as his right hand is kind of fiddling with the mood beads that got tossed earlier strung around his neck. They’re currently pink. ]

We needed snacks? And also it’s not my fault they sell cool stuff at Founder’s Day. C’mon, you know you wanted that - shit what even was it. A lucky cat only it was like, the founder? It’s so creepy. How could I not buy one? I absolutely could not live without it. Also, you could always just let me buy the donuts. I know I bought the ice cream earlier, but like, it’s not like I mind buying the donuts, too? Oh hey your necklace thingy is changing colors, sweet.

[ jade’s beads are turning a shade of grey. they’d been pink before, too, but as her expression sours, the color deepens. ] No, that’s not fair, and I said I’d pay, so I will pay for them. Hold this!

[ hope you’ve got a free hand, because jade is now holding a box of apple juice out and waiting for you to grab it. there’s more where that came from, with such a full purse, but that’s all she’s holding out.

though even if you do have a free hand, there’s an immediate protest as dave’s beads fade from pink to a mottled green. ]

What, no, hey! This is temporary, you can’t actually have that, just to be clear?! Jade, cold?

[ but he has too much stuff in his hands by now to take it back? rip ]

[ ooc: this is a joint top level with dave! the order for this thread with you > dave > jade, also, have fun with the obnoxious meme team ]

wildcard

[ if we've plotted for something else or you'd like to find jade out and about elsewhere, feel free to use this option! you can hit up my plotting comment here or pp me on plurk @ walpurgisnacht! ]

iv

[constellates]

[oops.

sometime in... the nexus - probably after they text each other - anya ended up wandering around and here we are, stuck with jade. she's gotten caught up in the string, rather terribly tangled up as she'd tried to dodge out of the way so people didn't end up crashing into her.

but now there's Jade and Anya is blinking.]

Oh... Jade!

Where's Dave?

[she's not her soulmate, don't be silly. position's filled. anya's decided.]

[flank]

III. PONY??????? RIDES

[when anyone mentioned a horse around jack, immediately what came to mind was a powerful, four-legged animal that could run for miles. in fact, his family had owned two such creatures; his father's prized clydesdale and his mother's pinto. growing up around horses had made him pretty adept at taking care of them, taming them, and how to treat them. probably why when he had seen the advertisement for volunteers to handle horses for rides, jack had immediately signed up.

while he had left the farm life behind him a very long time ago, how to handle work animals like these was still in his blood.

so, when jack showed up on founder's day to help get saddles, tacks, and bits on the horses, he was understandly surprised when, instead of equines, there were birds. like, HUGE birds. birds he had never seen before in his life. when he had asked where all the horses were, everyone there had just laughed at him.

fast forward a hour or two later and there jack was, helping people mount the birds for rides but still utterly and hopelessly confused. enjoy your........ostrich rides?????????]

BONUS. WHERE'S LIFEALERT WHEN YOU NEED IT

[the obvious response to the restrospec creators not answering anyone over their own app was obviously to storm their building like the beginnings of an angry mob. right? right. which is what jack did during his break from bird-duty. it totally seemed like a great idea, right up until he was suddenly very trapped inside the building.

a completely empty office building where no one seemed to be working. or had ever worked, really. it had all the feelings of entering a long abandoned building, but without the decay.

trying to take his escape into his own hands had done absolutely shit. the doors wouldn't break or open, he couldn't get into the elevator, and nothing else opened. excellent. sorry if you happened to be trapped in there with him, he's not a happy camper.]

TEXT >> GABRIEL REYES/ANA AMARI: This is gonna sound crazy but I'm trapped.

TEXT >> RETROSPEC: DO NOT come to the Retrospec building.

WILDCARD.

(hit me up w whatever else u want!)

bonus: retrospec (text)

[rosettareflected]

If you're back already, it must be serious... and I'd been wondering what they had to do with today's events, given the beads. Why are we not going to the Retrospec building?

[Believe it or not she is trying not to be sassy about it, but that's not entirely possible, ahaha.]

[orbweaver]

i — these part-time dj gigs

[ Somewhere along the rows of booths set up on the sidewalks of Recolle, Aranea’s reclining on a folding chair, crossed legs in tight black leather pants balanced on a table next to the controls of the music. Styx, the tattoo parlor she works at, is closed for the holidays — business is shit for them this time of year, so she’s lined up a series of DJ jobs to pay the bills and keep herself occupied.

Got an opinion about the mix of pop & top 40 hits that she’s been hired to subject your ears as you casually pursue Founder’s Day sales? Have a mixtape that you’re desperate to get airtime in any which way possible?

She’s your woman.

Aranea takes a break from fiddling with the controls, and is playing a mindless mobile game. Looking up from her means of distraction, her eyes land on someone that interests her, whether stranger or someone she already knows, and Aranea promptly winks in their direction. ]

iv — get tangled up in her web

[ Strands of cheap beads around her neck, strands of red yarn trapping her in the messy metaphor of fate. Aranea lets the annoyance wash over her, arrested as she is from her pursuit of work and the thoughts ping-ponging off the walls of her mind, spinning relentlessly at the first sign of a chocobo and her phone calls lately out of the city.

It seemed that her small side-business would only do as well as her reception out of Recolle — intercity business has always been the best way to trade. Recolle was too tightly watched, too lawful and orderly to be very profitable just within its borders.

Sigh escaping her parted mouth, she says mainly to herself, though the refrain is loud enough for her partner to overhear: ]

And I’m the one that’s supposed to be making the webs.

[ Craning her head to see who was unlucky enough to be stuck with her, she lets out a single note of laughter regardless of who it is. Aranea maintains a still composure, wanting to be careful that she won’t be forever tied in a red knot. ]

Work with me and we may be able to make it out of here alive.

bonus — let’s have fun in an empty building.

[ Being a woman of infinite curiosity and very little impulse control, Aranea opens the door to the Retrospec headquarters without much hesitation at all. Her eyes draw together in a frown when the door clicks behind her, and she realizes that the front desk is entirely unoccupied. Pursuing all the possible leads — the elevators, the other locked rooms — Aranea’s shoulders rise and fall in a light shrug.

This Retrospec business is some weird shit, but they all knew that.

Also knowing that she isn’t the only one driven unnaturally curious by the sudden, unexplained interest of the application, along with the building, fear fails to leave a shiver up her spine. She doesn’t know she’s been locked in quite yet. Making her way over to the reception room, Aranea sits on the table top with one leg folded over the other and arms crossed under her chest, one set of black-painted witch nails tapping the part of her bicep inked with a tattoo of a lotus moon.

When someone else enters the space, Aranea arches an eyebrow and greets them, tone enriched with a sense of foreboding. Her impression of a secretary isn’t exactly terrible, but everything from the posture to the flatness of her voice immediately call into question the legitimacy of the act. ]

Welcome to Retrospec. How may I help you today?

iv.

[glacian]

[How silly it is to be entangled within red strings!

A quiet sigh escapes Gentiana once she's forced to open her eyes. For some oddity she gains more enjoyment from hearing the excitement within the air rather than seeing it all unfold. It's the oddity of her unusual reserved nature. Never did Gentiana ever dare to involve herself in festivals like these before. She always watched from a safe and elegant distance as the teeming masses enjoyed themselves well into the night. This is the first time Gentiana ever dared to join them and she's actually having some fun.]

Quite the predicament. [She muses as she tugs lightly at the strings around her.] Is it so perilous?

[A gentle smile lingers upon Gentiana's lips as she smiles at the blond. There's mirth within her green gaze.]

Fate seems to have other plans.

Riku | Kingdom Hearts

[darkinferno]

[ooc: riku's au workshop comment! if you'd like pre-game cr or knowledge of each other feel free to hit me up via that or pm; otherwise first-time meetings are great too!]



i. not your color, darling
[If there's one thing Dante enjoys, it's meandering throughout a crowd during an event like this. Sure, he's been mocking the concept of Founder's Day ever since he first learned about it, but when you get right down to it holidays and traditions are the best way to learn about a city and its inhabitants. So Dante's winding his way through all the sidewalk sales and shop stalls, pausing here and there when something catches his eye. He stops to buy coffee first, dark roast with no sugar and the tiniest dash of creamer, then pauses at a stall selling specialty stationery, notebooks, and postcards (overwhelmingly Recollé-specific, of course), before finding a vendor that's selling scarves.

Scarves are a godsend on a cold winter's day, and Dante's forgotten his at home. He fingers a number of the scarves available before selecting a finely-knit, dark green scarf. He loops it around his neck and searches for a mirror to look at the overall effect when...]

Not that one.

[His expression twitches slightly with distaste as he selects a different scarf and offers it instead to the poor person that's draw his attention.]

Try this one instead.


iii. wark!
[Dante will never, ever admit it... but these chocobos are pretty neat. They're markedly different from the horses he's seen in every other city, and he doesn't think he's ever heard of them before this...

So like a small child at a petting zoo, he's loitering near the fences where the chocobos are, trying to see if maybe he can pet one or feed one.

Dante hisses with pain, jerking his hand back from the fence as a small chocobo crows at him.]

It bit me!


iv. red string of fate
[Is this a joke? This has got to be a joke. Dante lifts an eyebrow at the red yarn that's somehow, inexplicably gotten itself tangled up all around him.]

Someone remind me why we can't just find a pair of scissors and cut all of this free?

[Ugh. What a hassle. He starts following the trail of string, untwisting and unlooping and following the lines that have somehow bound themselves around him... and when he gets frustrated enough, grabbing one of the lines attached to his and yanking on it.

Hey, surely it'll be easy enough to figure out who it's attached to that way, right?]


bonus - failed step one
[As soon as Dante sees the new Retrospec building, he's making a beeline for it. The building strikes an ominous note in him, almost like an itch between his shoulder blades he could never relieve, but far from dissuading Dante from coming nearer it only serves to egg him on more. This is exactly the type of thing he's interested in, getting to the bottom of urban mysteries and discovering new things about his world, even if he puts on a front of being completely uninterested in such things. But with nobody around to take note of him, Dante pushes through the doors and...

Into a waiting room. A pretty barren waiting room, if he has anything to say about it. A few chairs, a potted plant, doors, an elevator... boring.

He heads for the elevator first, pressing the buttons to see if it's operational (it isn't), then checking the doors to see if they're open for him to press on further (they aren't). He scowls, wishing that he had something with him that might have allowed him to pick the locks open. Unfortunately, he hadn't expected to need such skills today.

It's only when Dante finally heads for the exit that he realizes he's locked in.]

...shit.

iv. really there was no other option

[twelfthspark]

[Again?!

Arlene just got out of the last one and was making a beeline for the safety of somewhere indoors when a stray loop caught her boot heel like a goddamn tripwire. Somehow, it ended up around her ankle too, and just as she's crouching to try and untangle it it suddenly tightens painfully. Biting back a curse, Arlene straightens and looks around for the culprit.]

Hey! Do you mind?

[rosettareflected]

[I-a]
[It's mid-morning, maybe 8 or 9. Alicia is backstage for the first performance of the play at the Atrium; she's confident everything is set up and ready to go, but there's still a tiny flutter of nerves. There are a lot of people involved, and a lot has to go right - and not everyone has even half her training. She may be backstage, but the tension is almost tangible even back here. Alicia finds herself mouthing the words as she goes around getting everything into place, and shuffling set pieces into position between scenes. It's busy work, but it has to be spot on. And even at this level of production, it has to all be right, or she'll feel like she's letting people down. Get in her way at your own risk.

Once the first show's out and curtain call is finished, Alicia walks offstage and lets out a massive breath. Everything seems to have gone more or less without a hitch? From now until the announcement of the Royalty, she's got free time. Her list includes at least one cupcake, shopping, and catching up with anyone she recognizes. She's dressed for a brisk walk around town: a pale dress with yellow and white accents that hits below her knees, hair tied back into a single tail to keep it out of her way for work, and a denim jacket over to keep her at least relatively warm. Eye-catching, but not terribly so, and even moderately functional. Not quite warm enough that she doesn't need coffee at least once, though.]

[II]
[The announcement of the Royalty comes with a surprise: that's Maya up there, isn't it? She knows that person! So she'll join in the hooting and applause as they come down the street. It's a good show; people worked hard again this year. The beads are a new fixture, she thinks, but she puts a set on as one slides her way, while also picking up a hard candy and popping it into her mouth after making sure it hasn't been damaged in transit. Granted, being this excited about the floats is just a little bit strange for her, but hey, she can be happy for a friend, right? As the parade winds down, she goes to hunt down Maya, but generally just mills around for a bit before returning to the city.

At some point she really looks at the necklace as she picks up another one left behind, and realizes what the beads are, tilting her head briefly in confusion. Wasn't that the logo for Retrospec? What did they have to do with all this...? (Unseen, the necklace she's wearing briefly runs black before the previous yellow-orange prevails.)]

[I-b]
[Alicia can be found again in the afternoon, roaming the city as before, wearing a set of beads with another set or two in her pocket in case someone is being boring. For herself, the beads are largely yellow and orange, with occasional tinges of pink, blue and green - really the whole spectrue with her. As the sun starts to set, she'll hurriedly break away from whoever she's with to bolt back to the Atrium, shucking her jacket and getting back to work for the evening performance. She'll make herself free again after that, but she'll really be wilting by then; she may end up leaning on someone at some point because she is too tired for any of this anymore, sob. She's not sorry.]

[IV]
[At some point that afternoon, there's a rattling sound Alicia can swear she hears from a block away. Whirling in instinctive reaction, her eyes widen as a what can only be described as a red mass comes barreling down the street toward her. She'll swear, telling the story later, it was at least as tall as she was, and picking up speed somehow as it came down the street. The crowd is too thick for her to properly get out of the way, so all she can do is dive as it gets too close for her to do anything about. Somehow, the string coming off the ball catches her arm, and try as she might she can't get free before it's around her legs and she finds herself on the ground, groaning. There's no way she's going to get out of this by herself, is there? She can barely even reach the string, let alone get any leverage against it. Better see if she can find the next link in the chain... ideally without getting further tangled, which is definitely an option...]

[X]
(I'm totally open to other stuff happening, too; if none of these quite fits but you'd like to do a thing, grab me and we'll do stuff!)

[I-b]

[clear_eyes]

[It seems fate just wants to have Rachel and Alicia meet up again. By now, she's found out her new friend(?) is involved in the play, but she hasn't had a chance to see it. And it turns out she's wearing the same outfit as what she and Alicia picked out the other day: a cream-colored blouse with the long blue skirt with fringe, with a pair of black slacks, new shoes, and a red scarf supplied by her mother. Rita had actually complimented Rachel on it, which was something of a comfort after the last few days.

When she ran into Alicia, it was as she was purchasing a hot chocolate from one of the coffee stands. For some reason, this felt like a cause to break her usual tradition of saving it only for special occasions. She's turning away from the stand, and quite literally walks into Alicia's path. What can she say in a circumstance like this?]

O-Oh! Hello again!

[... good enough.]

[catsudon]

i | stop: picture time

( Yuri Plisetsky simply isn't the most social of beings. He is, in fact, seemingly reluctantly social, considering he walks around with his hood up and generally avoids conversation if he's not initiating for some purpose of his own. Yet today, out on the streets for Founder's Day, you may hear him as he approaches people to ask a simple question: )

Hey, can I ask you to take a picture of my with my app? I want to send my grandpa evidence of how Recollé celebrates Founder's Day.

( If he doesn't know you, you even get a smile. If he does know you... he tosses his head before giving you a Very Serious Look. Most often he's asking NPCs or PCs he's not familiar with, handing over his unlocked phone.

The app he asks for you to open? )

It should be there on the home screen. Retrospec?

( Pearl, you better damn well appreciate his effort on your crazy behalf. He hasn't even gotten into a brawl yet, he's winning. )

ii | wildcard

( hit me up with a blank toplevel if you want a randomized personal prompt, or hit me up over on the ooc plotting post comment if you want to plot something out! otherwise, also feel free to randomize me, captain! personal starters will be in response to this toplevel. )

izuki & red string

[catsudon]

( It's one thing to have dodged the world's most ridiculous ball of red yarn that used to sit, confusing and proper and round, near City Hall. It's an entirely different thing to have ended up half jumping, half dodging said ball of yawn and landing in a mass of crisscrossed string (how in the world has this happened?!) that's claimed one of his arms and leg in some weird form of Yarny People Trap.

Yuri yanks on his arm again, bracing with his other foot and pulling backward. Unfortunately, when he yanks on his arm this time, it's not just his arm that's being pulled suddenly sideways.

Sorry, Izuki. Hope you're not aching too much caught up in this red string mess like half the city seems to be. )

What the hell did they make this shit out of?! Magnesium alloy?

Gentiana Illyria

[glacian]

I.Sightless Wanderer

[The faint scent of cinnamon delights her nose while the slight chill in the air brings her joy. Gentiana enjoys the coldness of winter more so than the warmth of spring. She's at ease within the cold. No person, man or woman, looks more serene than dear Miss Illyria who's enjoying the festival with such glee. She weaves her way through the crowded streets soundlessly like a ghost within the night, her black heels barely making a sound. Gentiana let's out a soundless chuckle once she spots one of the bright colorful birds near. She has no idea why horses been traded out for these fine feathered beasts but she's amused.

Gentiana continues along her way eyeing the various wares until she accidentally bumps into someone near. It's unlike the poet to be so clumsy but in her euphoric glee, Gentiana forgotten herself. She turns ever so slightly and gives the person a demure smile. Clearly she meant no harm.]

My humblest of apologies. [The black-clad woman says with a slight bow. Her eyes are oddly closed.] It's quite crowded here today.

[Despite the chill in the air, Gentiana is dressed quite lightly in a simple black wool coat with a moderately long black evening gown underneath adorned with a white sash across the waist that resembles the oriental flair of an obi. She has a matching white scarf hung loosely around her neck and dons pair of open-toed black leather boots.

Quite and oddity she is for such a drafty climate. Surely she must be cold.]

II. Alone in a Crowd

[A jovial chuckle escapes Gentiana as she manages to catch one of the festive beads without much effort. The black-clad woman merely raised her hand and with perfect grace, she caught one. The Queen tossed several beads towards her direction and Gentiana was fortunate to be standing there when she did. Curious about the trinket she caught so effortlessly, Gentiana decides to wear it.

One by one the rainbow of colors fade off the beads as they quickly change to blue. A look of mild confusion lingers upon Gentiana's face but it's quickly masked with serenity. Now sporting a bold streak of blue upon her black ensemble, Gentiana walks along the side of the street casually watching the parade from a safe enough distance.

She feels oddly lonesome here among the crowd; a raven amongst doves. A faint sigh escapes Gentiana as she slows to a halt. There's a strange look upon her unblemished face, one that looks something like melancholy. The beads around her neck slowly change to purple.]

II

[myboggartisthemoon]

You'll distract the students horribly if they spot that look on your face.

[Lunise's smile has gallons of sympathy behind it as he strolls a little closer to offer this comment. His own mood frayed at the edges long ago, thanks to weariness and, well, other issues, but he feels an obligation to stay and put on a good smile for the sake of his pupils, many of whom had worked so hard on the pageants and schoolwork and everything the holidays brings.]

Chloe Bouchard | Open

[true_noir]

1) Flowers are more of a Valentine's Day thing, so... time to shop!
[Ok, perhaps it was better to say that she was window shopping mostly. Chloe was a fairly frugal person by nature, and didn't have any especially big desires when it came to toys, clothes or furniture. However, she wasn't one to turn away from the sales. Some of them might actually be worth checking out after all.

So, she was bundled up against the cold, going from one shop to another on one of her remaining days off. The chill was pleasant, causing a little mist to form in front of her as she went from booth to booth, curiosity in her gaze. She was wearing a string of blue beads, a small smile on her face as she looked them over, not especially concerned about the color shifting. After all, she'd seen mood rings before. Why would this be different?]

1b) Maybe a bite to eat?
[All of this shopping did build up a bit of an appetite. So, Chloe stopped by one of the open diners. Of course, everything in Tisse was busy at this time of day, so she was there, waiting in the crowds for an open table, sighing to herself. This really shouldn't have been too much of a surprise, but she was hungry. Maybe, if she could find someone who would join her?

She looked at the person next to her and smiled hopefully.]

Hello, perhaps you'd care to join me for lunch? They said it might speed things up.

4) Red strings of fate
[Ok, the chaos was fading at this point from Seabiscuit's little wild ride. The only problem was that Chloe was currently a bit ... tied up, namely at the elbows, which made it very hard to get off. Now, this was annoying, very annoying. But, she'd cope, just as long as the string she was tied to came to an end soon. She'd been trying to untie her way out and started following the strand, looking for what was pulling on the other end.

Whoever, or whatever it was she'd been accidentally tied off to, they were tugging something fierce, and it was making it hard to remove the string from around herself.]

Bonus
[Chloe looked around, making a personal note that investigating this company was proving to be a very frustrating and confusing enterprise. She was currently sitting in the waiting room, sighing as she hadn't yet thought of trying to send a message out to someone on the network. All the usual, perfectly logical, ways to get out had failed, and now she was leaning back against the chair, pinching the bridge of her nose.]

What is going on around here?

[She'd figure it out eventually, by process of elimination, but it was hard not to be nervous, or to look with envy strong enough to turn the beads around her neck green at those outside. She was enough out of sorts that she didn't even notice when someone opened the door at first, before calling out.]

No, wait! Don't let the door... [sigh] close. [Greeaaat]

1b

[momentaryspring]

Huh?

[Oh, right. Maybe it would be faster to seat a two-top. Yeah, that was the ticket. ]

W-well, all right. If you're okay with that.

[As he spoke, Ryoga grabbed a paper to-go menu in case he had to pretend to read it later. Trying not to be awkward everything was fine]

[strongestheart]

I.

[Founder's Day is here, and ... Maya sure wishes she wasn't as mentally freaked out as she was. Awhile back she'd been busting her butt running around trying to set up for it! She'd felt kind of proud of herself, happy she'd accomplished something!

Now, the whole Retrospec thing had her on edge.

But, she's trying her best! Maya's actually quite a bit better at hiding her emotions face to face, and puts on as cheerful an attitude as she can as she dashes about.

Hanging out with friends? Hahaha, surely you... jest... She's too busy being busy! Helping out at booths or events that need it, trying to keep herself focused for the day at least, distracted. She does take some time for herself to wander about and take in the food and activities, but she's trying not to let her mind drift. Surely, there's not going to be any big reminders of all that mess here, right? Hahaha.]

II.

[Wait. Wait, WHAT?!

Okay, sure. Maya had submitted herself to the vote. Why not, right? It was just for laughs, there's no way anyone would vote for her. Much less... vote for her the most?! HUH?!

She's more than a little shell shocked as she's thrust to the front of the parade. That whole thing about her being better at hiding her emotions face-to-face? Is somewhat shattered as she laughs and waves nervously at the crowds. In her head she would have thought she'd eat this attention up, while in reality she looks more than a little stiff, because she actually doesn't understand.

Eventually one of the beads being tossed about lands on her, and she just shrugs it around her neck, because why not? It's a little weird though, it almost seems like it wants to be pink before turning... yellow? Orange? Actually, she thinks it's kind of cool at first--]

Oh neat, does it change colors in the light or something--?

[--before she notices the Retrospec logo, and then her eyes widen and that nervous walk and wave seems to ratchet up a bit as she laughs woodenly.] ...I don't guess anyone else recognizes this?! [She asks aloud but to no one in particular.]

III.

[The parade done, Maya's able to slip away, letting out a long sigh... but weirdly satisfied! Her necklace has decided to stay orange for now weird logo aside, no reason to take it off, she figures. As she wanders about somewhat aimlessly, she winds up coming upon... ... ... ...]

Wait, where did the Mayor's horse go?

[Wait.

Where did ANY of the horse's go, she wonders to herself, looking around at the petting zoo, her heart beginning to race and not in a good way.

She really hadn't escaped the weird stuff, after all, and now this is WAY beyond some silly forced app on her phone.

Time to make a hasty retreat while she pieces this together in her head.]

IV.

[Attempts to retreat however only end up with her in the path of the giant rolling ball of string. For a moment, she's caught like a deer in the headlights.

Then she's screaming, and running.

Does she just barrel right into you, dooming you both to get caught up in the mass of red string? Or do you run into her afterwards, as you're all trying to untangle yourselves?

Either way, she's kind of lost her cool at this point.]

III + IV

[clear_eyes]

[Rachel is trying to take it easy today. The whole exhausting set up for Founder's Day, followed by the existential and invasive terror of the Retrospec launch had left her mentally frayed. So... she was trying to take seemingly everyone's advice and enjoy Founder's Day.

And she had seen that her new friend (at least, she hoped they were friends) had been elected Queen of Founder's Day.

Rachel couldn't help but smile when she'd seen it. She'd sensed something in the other girl, a desire to be accepted, that she could relate to. On the other hand, she wondered if this was widening the gulf between the two of them before they could really get to know each other.

She barely noticed that the beads that had hit her in her face, and she'd begrudgingly decided to wear, shifted between blue and green.

But then, as she was walking along, she hadn't noticed the strange occurrence that only a portion of the population had noticed. For once, her observation was dulled. She did, however, spy Maya, and her face lit up a bit. Why not congratulate her...? They were on fairly good terms, right? It was only a barrier if she let it - for once, Rachel could be someone who took the initiative, right?

Right. So, not hearing Maya's question, she hurried over, her hand raised in a wave.]

Maya! Maya, hello! Congratulations...!

[potentite]

[II]
[For now he's ignoring the prank the mayor played with that giant chicken thing. CLEARLY A PRANK. Though he's surprised more people didn't laugh? He thought it was funny.

Anyway now he's wearing a bunch of beads and shopping. Since he's in a fairly good mood, if you didn't have the right change or plain didn't have enough money for your purchases, Jake will pop in.]

Here, I'll get that for you. Consider it a Founder's Day pay it forward.



[III]
[At first, Jake thought his eyes were playing tricks on him. And then he thought everyone else was playing a trick on him. It's actually really, really bothering him now. It was funny at first but now it's really not? He's actually snapped at a few people, which is rare for him, and he's currently talking to himself as he looks through his phone, near one of the chocobos.]

The Moa were a species of flightless bird. The largest of the species was about 12 feet tall. They've been extinct for... thousands of years though.

[He's comparing pictures of moa recreations to the chocobo. The chocobo is nibbling on his hair and he. Doesn't even notice right now...]

But even then that doesn't explain the disappearance of horses. All right, say somehow a species of Moa existed right now. How would it replace horses? That... doesn't make sense?



[Retrospec]

Jake English 2/3 near Tisse

Predictions for what happens next? Uh. If everyone... here... remembers chocobos aren't a thing anyway and are also confused. If you don't please don't think I'm crazy. I'm super tired of everyone giving me that look today.

[Wildcard]
[Jake will be around everywhere so feel free to hit me up however you want!]

[ghostories]

Yuuko Kanoe yoohoo, psych ward!
Yuuko Kanoe we've got another nutcase here!
Yuuko Kanoe just kidding ♥
Yuuko Kanoe it's pretty weird, isn't it?
Yuuko Kanoe maybe they'll switch out cats for moogles next
Yuuko Kanoe imagine the uproar!

[digthefuzz]

II

[Guess that Kurt's tv star popularity came through for him, and he's all too excited about it! He eats up his role as a king, and he's even wearing a very regal looking crown and cape! But aside from those accessories, he's wearing his usual get-up.

As the parade comes to an end, King Kurt is still hamming it up and dancing around as he disembarks from his float in a shroud of confetti.]

Aw yeah! Long live King Kurt. King of the castle, king of the castle!

[He even managed to nab one of those sets of beads, which is right now glowing purple with arrogance!]

III

[Kurt looks flabbergasted as he looks at the scene unfolding by Tribunal Terrace. From across the street, sees the startling new form of Seabiscuit, and from there he looks towards the pen offering rides on... "Chocobos"?

He rubs his head in confusion, but he has his phone out as he tries to record everything.]

I don't get it. Am I being punk'd? Is this some super weird new version of punk'd?

IV

[Kurt was just trying to innocently use his phone's internet to try to discover how deep this chocobo hole goes, having long forgotten about his hopes of finding some cool party to attend, when suddenly he looked up as he heard a loud rumbling sound growing gradually closer.]

What... what's that?! [A giant ball of yarn, that's what. Kurt shouts and jumps to the side, but his ankle still gets twisted in one segment of the string, and he gets sharply pulled back by it.]

Dude, this is totally not cool! What is going on today?! I just wanted to be king!

[Within moments of flailing, somehow he's only gotten all of his limbs tangled in the string. He gives a loud and agonized groan as he realizes this.]

Bonus

[Kurt sure notices that odd building while wandering around and trying to figure out what to have for dinner. Looking disheveled from the day's events, part of him is tempted to just go back home. But he's still curious about that Retrospec app... and now that he thinks about it, that app stands out as the first of the weird events in recent history. Maybe they have to do with today's weird pranks? Is this some global punking organization? Does the app have a secret pizza mode?!

There's only one way to find out! Kurt enters the building... and finds a ghost town. And then almost immediately realizes that he's locked in. Okay, this is quickly becoming Actually Scary.]

Hello! Anybody home?! Um... olly olly oxen free!

[If being loud and obnoxious doesn't solve all of his problems, what will?! Teleportation? Ha, get real!]

[Wildcard]

[Feel free to run into Kurt around the city, shitpost at him, invite him over to your booth, whatever! Hit me up if you'd like to plot out any other sort of specific scenario. For reference, most of the info about his AU is here!]

bonus

[catsudon]

( Kurt could have had someone helpful show up. Or, you know, largely considered nice. Instead, he gets this guy. Who,for his part? Yuri is already done for the day. Yet it's been the little comments and thoughts niggling in the back of his mind since the first that leads him to trying to see if this parent company behind Retrospec has anything to find in their dear city of Recollé.

The problem, as it turns out, is that when his... version of hunting down clues leads him to a building, Yuri handles it very maturely.

By kicking the door open and tromping inside.

Only to allow the door to slam shut behind him.

This locking them in...

... still. )

Okay, where the hell do we file complaints here?!

( This is a poorly lit, largely empty lobby. Yuri finds he's increasingly suspecting............................. a mistake has been made. )

[appraiser]

iia.
[ You all better come watch the parade! With plans shifted when he found out he'd been elected, Ryoji spends his morning in a whirlwind of flitting between people and telling them to come see him as the crowned Prince, and to take his picture please. He's got cameras in plural that he's pushing onto your hands and entrusting to you...! ]

iib.
[ Rather than sitting on top of the float and waving until his arm gets sore, he spends much of the time on the ground running alongside and letting his cape billow as he goes. The prominent yellow scarf usually wound around his neck has been confiscated when he'd been outfitted, but it isn't missed, because in its place is no less than a dozen strands of beads looped around his neck, all shining the same sunshine yellow. You don't have beads? He'll give you one of his!

For girls in particular, Ryoji has tucked under one arm a sizable bouquet, courtesy of his early morning stop by Enchanted Blossoms, and hands them out freely: they come in pairs, a red poppy and a white, stems bound together by a short length of twine with a slip of paper attached to the end. Yeah, that sure is Ryoji's phone number scribbled on there, with a "call me! ☆⌒（＊＾∇゜）v" tacked onto the bottom of it. Give him a call or text later— the float's moving on without him, and he's got to run to catch up.

But the main reason why he wanted to be down with the crowd is to seek out people he knows, those he doesn't, whoever looks like they're enjoying themselves and wouldn't mind being dragged out for a little dance on the streets or up on the float, take pictures together with him while he's all decked up in furs and jewels, and maybe tell him what exactly he's supposed to be doing as Prince because lmao his only memories of Founders Day is getting the day off as a little kid, please sit up here with him as his Royal Adviser for a spell. ]

wildcard.
[ SORRY it's all the same prompt because I'm going to tag out for all the other ones; if you want Ryoji anywhere, PP or ping me at birdseed! ]

iib

[constellates]

[Oh goodness.

Anya's absolutely delighted to find Ryoji as their proud and regal prince, taking pictures happily - and then wow, there's a couple of flowers and his number. Well then. She'll give him a call some time after the parade has concluded, still carefully holding onto the flowers and immediately chirping happily into the phone:]

Hello, Your Highness! Did you have fun?

[so cute he's so cute and she's weirdly proud of him?? let everyone get to know the sunshine known as Ryoji]