recolle | FEBRUARY EVENT LOG

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[well. this is a complicated situation, all told. parts of the string have wrapped up around her and currently trying to undo everything is only making some things worse.

and to top it all off, she dropped her purse. bending down isn't going to happen like this without the risk of utterly faceplanting, but she has to check - maybe there's something to help cut her way out of it. well. she huffs and manages to get at least the string off one shoulder.

but someone's passing by, and she waves to try and get their attention. please. if he turns, she'll give him a smile.]

Do you have a second?

( he turns, but this is not her lucky day. unless her lucky day includes teenagers on cell phones, lips pressed into a thin line as he's scrolling through postings on his normal social media, as contrasted to the weirdly focused kind coming through retrospec. he glances up, noticing this woman's difficulties even as he's... still holding up his phone, tapping twice on the bottom to pull up the camera and take a snapshot.

documenting this day has become something of its own adventure. )

Huh? Sure, I guess.

( he doesn't come closer. if there's one thing he's noticed, in his own adventures being tangled up in string, it's that the string seems to have a mind of its own. or more: he keeps getting caught up in it too, like it has its own unique, specific string gravity.

though now she has a teenager staring at her, waiting for her to state what she wants. he could probably go for her purse................. but he doesn't dress like he's Mr. Helpful, or the Kid Nextdoor, and he doesn't need to hear someone screech at him that he's a thief just 'cause he could take some initiative. hence: standing there, chin tucked in, watching with his eyebrows quirked up. )

[her eyes narrow, and the purse for one moment is forgotten, noting that exact action. the sound of a photo? is he serious?]

If you're going to photograph, at least give someone some warning so they can be properly prepared! How would you feel if someone took unflattering photos of you?

[priorities...]

Probably the same way I'd feel if they were flattering.

( he'd deal, basically, but he does keep his phone lowered and offer a blink and a half started apology... that he never finishes. )

I was surprised. You can delete it if you want.

( saying this to someone currently caught up in string with no easy way of accepting or handling his phone: shortsighted, or just being a jerk? (shortsighted this time; he blinks twice, then lifts a hand to cough into it and glance away when he realises what that probably came across like.) )

Look, can I help you?

...Yes, if you wouldn't mind.

[her indignation will keep. her picture won't suddenly ruin her reputation in two seconds. now this is about getting free, and she relaxes a little in the string, even thought she feels rather like some strange puppet.]

Could you pick up the purse over there and look for the first aid kit inside. It should have scissors in it.

[should, but she's not sure. they could be somewhere else.]

This one?

( there aren't exactly a plethora of purses lying around, but he double checks anyway, carefully making his way over and getting down low to reach out and gently snag her purse, pulling it toward him. he uses more care than he'd bother with, say, a backpack; purses register in the back of his mind as being potentially expensive enough that he won't be able to afford replacing one or running forever if anything happens. once he has her purse free from the puppet-trap of string, he crouches, balancing on the balls of his feet and setting her purse in his lap.

all of this is angled to make it easy for her to watch what he's doing. he'd hate people going through his stuff without asking; even asking, it wouldn't be easy. some privacy invasions just suck more than others. )

This it?

( he fishes out a likely candidate, clearly not so comfortable with what's going on. waiting for a nod of confirmation or a shake of denial, or the equivalent, he opens it afterward to find the scissors she'd been asking after. it's easy enough to tuck the first aid kit back in her purse, this time careless; then stand, holding her purse by the straps as if it might try to sulk away otherwise. )

Going to try cutting your way out? I don't think it'll work.

[she watches, and she notices what he's doing. there's gratitude, instantly, because she can see where he is - not that she wants to automatically be suspicious, but there's a relief that he's not taking advantage to just rifle. nodding to let him know that's the kit, she's glad the scissors are there.

now, to try cutting.]

Why not? It's string, it can't possibly be too hard.

[she says this, and yet the part she's been trying to snip doesn't look so much as damaged right now even with a few cuts.]

( because I tried gnawing my way out earlier and that failed too. teeth aren't equivalent, on the other hand; even scissors like these are better meant to cut. so he doesn't answer so much as shrug; helpful in the way of teenagers, but quiet and still holding her purse instead of dropping it to the ground.

eventually, watching her continue to snip away, he points out: )

Burning didn't seem to work either.

( when someone had tried to light string on fire to escape. thankfully, nothing had burned other than the lighter. er... that was better for everyone. )

[and the snipping is doing approximately nothing. with a sigh, she gives up the attempt, carefully reaching to put the scissors in her pocket from this angle, which requires thoughtful stretching.]

Who makes fireproof, exceptionally strong string, and then forgets to go and secure it?!

[she takes a breath, though the outburst had been a little more for effect than anything, and then looks to the stranger again.]

If you think you could help me get out of this, I would owe you quite the favor.

( he looks from her to the tangle she's in, grimacing and not bothering to hide the expression. at the same time, she's asking directly, and in spite of what he'd love people to believe, he's not that much of an ass to leave someone genuinely asking for help with no other immediate options around hanging.

he slings the purse over his shoulder, edging forward and ducking down to gingerly take hold of one string, pulling it down until it's closer to the ground. )

I don't know if I can, but since I'm here... step over this, all right? We've got to find the other end of this particular string.

You know this better than I.

[nodding, she carefully steps over the string that he indicates. she's willing to follow his instructions, at least, and hell if he can get her out of this, he can keep the picture he took. whatever. she's already gotten herself into this mess, he's being kind by helping her out. such are the thoughts in her head, and Yuri has one (1) favor now owed him even if it turns out in the end he can't help all the way.

with her luck, she wouldn't be surprised if the other end was wrapped around a random tree.]

( here stands grell, fate dictating her ties to a random tree. how shall she survive...

as it is, he watches her step out and over the thread, making a small noise of approval in the back of his throat. getting fully untangled might be difficult, but he can help her navigate through being tangled like this to something easier to manage. )

Right. This one...

( he tugs on another string, tracing with his eyes where it goes up to Grell's shoulder. )

Is this pulling on anything, or do you just feel it over the shoulder?

FEBRUARY EVENT LOG

yuri's photo op

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