JULY EVENT LOG 2.0

[recollecters]

EVENT

CRASH AND BURN The last day of the ReConvention finds con-goers crowding the convention center for last-minute panels and purchases. The halls fill with attendees bartering for wares, attending autograph sessions and showing off their cosplays. But for a select number of people, time is of the essence. Those who scanned their QR codes at the Retrospec booth will notice that their countdown clock draws closer to zero. With each second ticking closer and closer to the end, a sense of urgency settles around the crowd. But, perhaps you’re one of the ones who will carry on as if nothing is happening. Or maybe you didn’t scan your code at all. It doesn’t matter though. There’s nothing stopping the clock from its descent backwards, and as the timer strikes zero a loud, piercing roar echoes off of every wall of the convention center. I. Those who were brave enough to scan their received QR codes (and even those who didn't but received one regardless) will find that their mobile devices shock them, a quick electric burst that leaves behind a white-hot sort of pain. When you open your eyes after the initial hit, a floating treasure chest appears. While there may be multiple chests surrounding you, it seems you may only open those with your name on them. Another beam of light shines upon opening your prizes, orbs skyrocketing through the air as they circle briefly before settling around you. A surge of energy ignites within, and for some lucky few new companions and items have also been rewarded to those who played Jim's game. But…perhaps they aren't the ones you expected. Perhaps they make no sense at all. Why not give them a try? II. But seeing how the convention center continues to shake, it might be better to find out what’s up. The source of chaos can be traced back to Seto Kaiba's gaming booth as a projector in the wall releases monster after monster that pour out of the projection and come to life. Though the TV above Kaiba’s booth is shattered, the projector keeps rolling and the monsters appear while destroying the booth itself in their haste to be free. Among the rubble left behind the blue glow of the Retrospec symbol shines brightly from a side-panel of the projector. For those in the convention center, there is the option to run and hide. With the building shifting due to the onslaught of attacks, piles of drywall, cracks and crevices and more provide for good hiding spots to give you time to make a new plan. Of course, there's always the fight option. What will it take to bring these beasts down? Maybe it's best to lure them outside instead and away from civilians. III. Or perhaps that was a bad idea. Whether citizens manage to wrangle the monsters outside or not the beasts will make their way out on their own, fighting amongst themselves and chasing people through the city's streets. Even those who didn't attend the convention will find that the infestation spreads to every district of the city itself, and their QR-given items and abilities kick in. They aren't going for the kill, but they will follow any moving target including those who aren't on the Retrospec network. Though these citizens may run, hide or need rescuing, if asked they will simply remark that the city's always had a bit of a monster problem. However, now that the fight's moved outside, it's easier to see the distinct red tint to the monsters' eyes every time they blink. A monster that has to forcibly change direction will flicker for a moment, like an image buffering and loading. Even when a monster unleashes an attack, some fighters may take the full impact while others get away with minor to no damage. In those moments, it's easier to bring them to a halt. When a monster meets its demise though, something strange happens. The flickering is more rapid and faster, and the creature will dissolve into black blocks and spores that evaporate into thin air. What the hell was that? Now probably isn't the best time to ask questions. IV. The fighting rages on but with the sun still hanging in the sky it's impossible to tell what time it is. One of the monsters seems to have knocked out the nearby cell phone tower, too, taking down not only cell phone reception, but the entire Retrospec network as well. It goes on for what feels like hours with the sun beating down from above. Retrospec users battle monsters and fight to reconnect while the network errors out any time someone tries to send a message about the city under attack. It seems as though a new wave of monsters appear just as the last one dies down. It's with a sudden jolt that reception on your mobile device returns, but Retrospec appears to be in a maintenance mode where the network is still inaccessible. A quick glance at the date on your phone reveals that instead of the mere hours you thought, nearly five days have passed by and you realize the date is now August 3rd. Upon that realization everyone's devices begin to chime with several notifications and the monsters all seem to pause for one brief moment. Not long after, Retrospec members will also find themselves frozen in place no matter how hard they struggle. The spell on the monsters breaks as they swoop upon these unfortunate few, picking them up in their claws, hands or mouths. A large swirling portal opens not far away and one by one creatures dive straight through the portal with the Retrospec users. These portals may spit you out anywhere in the city, but several of them send residents to Peach Beach. Strangely, the monsters are nowhere to be found, but way out in the distance appears to be a creature, swallowing up the ocean in a swirl of waves. You can try to run out to fight it, but the moment your feet touch what used to be the ocean floor a forcefield throws you back to the sand allowing the ocean to slip away right before your eyes. The moment the last drop is drained, that monster disappears, too. What happens next? To be continued… And welcome to the wrap-up of the ReConvention! As Prompt IV says, monster attacks will continue through all five days (July 30th, 31st, August 1st, 2nd and 3rd) and the network will not be accessible to anyone in-game from now until August 3rd when a mod-posted Retrospec post goes live! Please feel free to play with the monster attacks as you wish! You can have your characters escape via glitches in the monsters, or you can fight the monsters and and your character can actually take damage for a real battle (though death is not an option at this time.) We leave that up to you! Please do not post any threads in this log or in your inboxes set for after this log just yet! We will be setting up August's event via this log and for plot purposes we ask that you refrain from doing anything prior to our Retrospec post on 8/3. Those who are in Group One or Group Two will learn more about their small-focus teams on August 3rd when your logs goes live. Please direct questions about this log to the mod comment here. Thanks!

Comments

[scythegun]

[They do look like people don't they, um...]

Well then what do you propose we do? Wait for them to kill us?

[He's shifted the scythe a bit though, his finger over the button to shift it back into briefcase form.]

[manufactured]

[He sees Jaeger shift his grip on the scythe, and between that and the question his brain fucking goes places and he just...hesitates, and he doesn't say anything outside of just kind of staring for a moment too long before he turns, sharply and abruptly, and shoots one of the damn things in the chest.

...So apparently that's a no? It's an awkward as fuck no. He may have just killed a person for that no? But it's melting into black boxes and spores, so maybe not, he can't be sure but holy shit, he sure did just kill someone.]

[scythegun]

[...Oh.

Oh okay. Alright, that's. Fine. Yes, totally fine. It's clearly a monster even if it looks like a person and now it's dead and the other two have paused for a moment. That's good, since Jaeger kind of needs a moment to stare blankly.]

...Well, it definitely isn't a person.

[WHAT DOES HE DO WITH THIS]

[manufactured]

[...It takes him a moment, you know how he gets, sometimes words aren't going to be a thing and it takes a moment - ]

...I suppose not. Come on.

[He levels his gun again; he'd really prefer not to, but here we fucking go.]

[scythegun]

Maybe we can outrun them? Maybe we don't need to...

[He doesn't finish the thought and just trails off instead, looking a little lost. It's obviously not a person but it sort of looks like one and holy shit he doesn't know what to make of this.]

[manufactured]

Do you really want to risk it if we can't?

[His aim isn't as solid on the next shot, however; the damn splicer is fast, and he manages to embed a bullet into the join between the wall and the ceiling near it rather than actually hit it.

He backs up a bit, putting some distance between himself and that thing's advance.]

We've been at this for hours, and these things don't seem to tire. I'd rather not take the chance.

[His resolve seems far more solid as he aims again. Looks like he's made up his mind; the next shot catches this one in the head, and it drops hard to the ground.]

[scythegun]

[Of course he doesn't want to risk it, but they look like people and even though he knows they're monsters, he's not sure he can fight them.

Still, he tightens his grip on his scythe and steels himself, just in case Wesker misses another shot. That thing's close enough to drop at any moment and if it does, Jaeger won't have time to hesitate. He'll either have to kill it or it'll get them.

So are you going to manage to hit the last one?]

[manufactured]

[When he shoots, he does in fact get the last splicer to drop; the problem is that it isn't dead.

It falls to the ground, writhing and seeping black spores out of the gunshot wound to the abdomen; it's making a fuckawful noise, really, and it's something that would almost be pitiable if it weren't just trying to kill them.

Honestly, though, it's enough to get Wesker to lower the gun for a moment, because this is...

...

He should probably have a stronger word than "awkward" for what this is, but that's about the most he's got.]

[scythegun]

["Awkward" is definitely not the word you should be using here!! Jaeger wasn't expecting the damn thing not to die immediately, but now that it's there and just writhing on the ground in pain...

Well, he'll act on it, then. He swings his scythe down and ends it.

...]

Come on, there's still something here, ja

[The less he thinks about it, the better.]

[manufactured]

[Wesker just...watched all that happen without comment; it was strange, watching something die slowly like that, and then Jaeger had ended it and it'd been...

Well, it was interesting, anyway. Awkward, but interesting.

He can tell Jaeger is troubled, however; he'll come with him as he turns to leave.]

...There should be, yes.

[scythegun]

[Jaeger nods and transforms his weapon back into its briefcase form for easier carrying. He's not sure what to make of all of this and it's something he'll only let himself think about once they're safe. For right now they need to keep moving.

He's not very familiar with the convention center, but he can still feel the tug and he'll follow it. He's actually quiet, for once.]

[manufactured]

[Thankfully, Wesker recognizes the layout the convention had going for it, though it was fairly thoroughly wrecked by all hell breaking loose along with the monsters. There's the spot that the blue-eyes had broken through the wall, there's where he'd found Elizabeth...]

...Retrospec had a booth here; I'd put money on the notion that that's where we're being led.

[And if that's the case...come on, this way, it's a bit longer but it's less open, less of a chance of being jumped by monsters they won't see coming.]

[scythegun]

Ja, of course.

[He'll follow Wesker, then. If there are any other monsters like that then it's best to let Wesker take the lead anyway since apparently he'll only hesitate a little before shooting them. Which is kind of a concern? Probably?

...He's not thinking about it.]

[manufactured]

[...You're not a subtle man, Jaeger; after a while he just kind of...sighs, and he pauses where he's standing.]

If you expect me to try to answer for myself eventually, I can't. But there's a reason I've never been interested in engaging in violence.

[scythegun]

...I see.

[He's not sure if he really does or not, but he's got an idea, anyway.]

It's just a lot to think about, I suppose.

[...]

If we run into any other kinds of monsters I won't hesitate.

[He's still useful, dammit.]

[manufactured]

I didn't think you would.

[And that's immediate; he knows, all right.]

I can handle those, should it come to that. Preferably it won't.

[...]

We had to handle them. I didn't want anything to happen.

[You know. To you.]

[scythegun]

[He wants to brush that off, to say that he wouldn't have let anything happen, but he has no way of knowing if he could have actually killed one of those things if it was coming at him.

Jaeger shakes his head instead, forgoing the usual flippant attitude for once.]

Thank you. I really do appreciate it.

[Both saving his life and offering to take out any more of those things. Maybe he should be worried about Wesker's state of mind if he can kill them without any problems, but right now the important thing is to get what they came for and get out before being attacked by anything else.]

[manufactured]

[The silence is...uncomfortable, before he simply turns away and keeps moving.]

...Come on. With any luck, we shouldn't be here long.

[scythegun]

Ja, you're right. Let's just do what we need to do.

[The Retrospec booth is up ahead with some items out on the table. Jaeger immediately finds things that are "his" - a ring and an outfit. He recognizes the outfit immediately, but he's making a face.]

I came all the way here for this? I was hoping I'd never see it again!

[why are there spikes on the jacket, why is it so weirdly cut, why is the shirt yellow, etc]

[manufactured]

[....................WOW.]

Oh, you have to put that on.

[scythegun]

Absolutely not, it's hideous! This is what I was wearing in those memories and I can assure you it's exactly as ugly as it looks!

[manufactured]

Oh, come now. How often do I make requests like this?

[scythegun]

[Never, because you don't have a sense of humor, but...!!]

No way! It'd look terrible on me!

[manufactured]

Really. And here I thought you would be the sort to insist that you look good in everything...?

[scythegun]

[. . .

well damn that's true, that's exactly the sort of man he is and now he's got something to prove doesn't he??

except wesker did this on purpose so he'd have this exact reaction....

oh fuck it, his desire to be right is outweighing his desire to be contrary, so he'll sigh loudly.]

Fine, I'll try it on. But I'm not doing it here. With my luck I'd get attacked while trying to change!