recolle | september mini-event log

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september mini-event log

MINI-EVENT

All's Well That Ends Well
Summer's officially drawing to a close in the city of Recollé. Students and faculty alike begin to prepare for classes to resume. Vacations come to a close and stories are shared among co-workers. The amount of beachgoers lessens which each day and the nights start to become a little cooler as the leaves slowly change color. Unreality is kept at bay for now. But that doesn't mean the city's entirely back to normal...

I.
It's a beautiful day and many citizens in the city are embracing their last days of freedom. With a long weekend ahead of them, several people pack up and head back down to the beach to welcome the ocean home and partake in the annual End of Summer party. Much like July's celebration, Peach Beach is the place to be for food, fun and sun. The food trucks are back (and seriously, is this the only action they get?) and the stage is set up for musical and theatrical performances. Soak up some rays and spend the day with your friends, and don't forget to take advantage of the end of summer deals on the boardwalk.

However, the party doesn't get too far before there's the sound of a something soaring through the air. One by one, beachgoers will notice several boats falling straight from the sky and down into the ocean creating huge waves that crash against the shore. Tour boats, sailboats, and even a houseboat will plummet down into the water, miraculously avoiding crushing any swimmers. Make way, everyone: the boats are back and they're making a splash.

II.

Perhaps you're new to the Retrospec network and you've spent the last couple of days trying to remove the persistent app. Or perhaps you've been a part of this group for a while and you're currently filled with dread bracing yourself for whatever will inevitably come this month. It's not a bad assumption to make and though it may seem as though all things are normal for once, it all starts with an innocent text message.

From an unknown number, all users will receive a picture message along with a smiley face. Though there's no name or message attached to it, several users may know exactly where this came from.

Try as you might, replying to the text message won't work. No matter how many messages you send, the last half of these messages are unknowingly sent out to various Retrospec users. Likewise, you may receive other out of context messages from other users experiencing the same weird effects. Well that's inconvenient, isn't it?

III.
You know, texting can be considered overrated. Why text when you can settle for good old-fashioned face to face communication? With several new faces in the city and the autumn season beginning to settle in, there are plenty of places to go and people to see to unplug for a while. Now that all of the monsters are gone things seem to run smoothly as you go about your daily business. While there's some debris left around the city, the buildings are all in one piece and NPCs seem to be as oblivious as always.

It may be unnoticeable at first. After all, how many people look above their own head? Not many. At any given moment unprompted and unannounced, a gray wispy cloud appears overhead displaying any thoughts you may not wish to share with the public. While the thought bubble won't remain at all times, it will pop up on and off throughout the month of September changing messages and even changing color when speaking to someone face to face. Think your professor's talking too much? Want to ask out that cute barista? Good thing they can read all about it!

IV.
Even with the embarrassing texts and thoughts, this appears relatively tame by Recollé standards. Maybe the effects of unreality really did mess things up and the team's too focused on fixing it. Or, perhaps, this month's twist is a small one in comparison to the temporal storm of August.

On the other hand, it wouldn't be Recollé if things weren't a little more physical, now would it? Settling back into everyday life, users will find that things seem more vibrant now. Sights are brighter, smells are more savory, and sound is sharper than ever. Sound has become so loud, in fact, it's almost as if the sound waves have taken on a life of their own. No matter where you go or what you do, sound will make itself present in new and interesting ways. Musical notes will float out of your mouth as you sing along to your favorite song. Glaringly red jagged lines wind themselves around the feet of someone being yelled at. Storm clouds follow and drench someone who's crying. Hearts rise up in the air like bubbles and pop into small showers of confetti with every expression of love. Sound is fluid and expression is free; there seems to be zero limits to what shape the noise will take.

What are you doing today, Retrospecters? You may find yourself dealing with one, two, or all three of these strange phenomenons.

BONUS.
Over in Tisse, the Retrospec building is as sturdy as ever. Several of you know by now that there is more to this building than meets the eye, but even with the map in-hand it's impossible to navigate anywhere the building does not wish for you to explore.

Today, the doors to Retrospec are open to anyone interested in visiting. The lobby appears to be empty as usual and the receptionist desk in the center of the lobby is completely abandoned. Surrounding the desk, however, are several items. In fact, these are all items Retrospec users bought from Jim Halloway's wedding registry during July's bingo game. Several of these items are useful, such as his and her towels or silverware,
but other items seem outlandish or useless such as meme t-shirts, rubber ducks, and other assorted odds and ends. A stack of thank you cards sit on the receptionist's desk but it appears they have not been started yet.

Although none of the rooms are available for entry, underneath the television mounted on the wall sits a DVD clearly labeled "for educational purposes only." Should anyone put on the DVD, they will find a variety of clips from events from the last several months. Strangely there does not appear to be anything from the nine groups that were split between reality and unreality. It's a nice review of the year so far, isn't it? Perhaps it's time to explain to some new users just what this world is truly capable of.

Welcome to

recolle's September mini-event! The prompts are simply loose guidelines for you guys to play with and make up your own fun adventures for the entire month of September! While prompt I is only for the long holiday weekend, the rest of the prompts and the bonus can take place over the course of the month. You may also create your own logs or inbox threads based on these effects. All effects will cease on 10/1 at 9pm EST. Any questions you have regarding this event may be directed to the mod comment here.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Fang's nice, even to dogs. Especially if he thinks you have a brush.

[The cat didn't resist in the slightest at being picked up, readjusting his paws under himself and curling his tail in front of his feet to form a contented Maine Coon(ish) loaf.

Lucy's paranoia was soothed enough that she finally looked away, fetching a nondescript coffee mug from the cupboard—and another after a moment, in case Luna was serious.]

Animals don't care about what's on your papers.

Well I don't have a brush. Sorry Fang.

[The cat gets a scratch on the head, at least, as Luna settles him in her lap.]

Yeah. Pretty much way better than people, aren't they.

Roommate's dog is friendly too.

[That's okay, cat will also accept pets. He started purring right as he was set down and his ears got a scratch, butting his head towards Luna's hand.

Lucy poured out a cup of coffee, paused, and blinked sleepily. She set the carafe back down halfway through and turned towards the cabinet again, thoughtlessly taking the half-full coffee mug with her. Not with a physical hand, though. A nearly transparent ghostlike hand had snaked out of her back and curled its fingers around the handle, carrying it just like a hand. Lucy didn't seem to notice in the slightest, ruffling through the things in the cabinet for the sugar.]

Someone going to come looking for you?

[The coffee mug was still floating in midair, steaming innocuously.]

Eh, maybe. You know how it goes, sometimes they care and sometimes they...don't...

[Luna had looked up from the cat to watch that hand, that...ghost hand?...come out of Lucy and pick up a coffee mug. Because What.]

Lucy. What...what is that?

[She managed to stammer out, suddenly hugging the poor cat a bit tightly.]

[The cat mrred in protest when he was held like that, tail flicking but not super alarmed. He was used to humans and their capricious, weird ways. Especially certain humans. As long as the ear scratches came eventually and nothing important was being squashed he didn't mind very much. He didn't seem to mind the ghost hand either. It was attached to the human who gave him pets most, and could be pestered into feeding him twice.

The other actual human in this equation wasn't nearly as reasonable. Lucy leaned back out of the cabinet with a scowl on her face and a plastic tub of Dominos sugar in her (physical) hand.]

What, you don't like this sugar now?

[The coffee mug was still floating there.]

[That question was dumb enough that it yanked Luna out of her surprise, and she just made a face and rolled her eyes before pointing at the floating hand thing.]

Floaty ghost hand!

[Lucy blinked, wrinkling her nose and frowning. She put the container down and followed her sister's hand to the coffee mug...floating...midair.

She stared at it stupidly, blinking slowly, and then just. Grabbed it. The now mug-less vector floated in midair for several moments before vanishing, blending back into the transparent air.]

...that's mine.

[Well. Okay. Luna stared at her for a good ten seconds, her expression one of consternation, before she figured out what to say.]

The floaty ghost hand is yours.

[What.]

...yeah.

[Things that sound like 110% bullshit for 500]

It's been that way for a few months now.

[Lucy continued staring at the spot the vector used to be, brows furrowing. It took a few moments, but a spectral copy of her hand appeared again in more or less the same place, floating on a jointless arm.

The cat made another mrow of complaint, wiggling in Luna's arms. Too much hug.]

[Luna's grip relaxed as she felt the cat struggle, giving him an apologetic head scratch without looking away from Lucy.]

You've had a floaty ghost hand for a couple months. [Hm.]

So...this is that powers thing everyone was talking about?

[Fang is appeased! The cat starts purring again once the pressure is off his ribs.]

Used to be two. Stopped counting after awhile.

[Fucking telekinesis how does it work]

I don't know about everyone, but this...these, are mine.

[The vector wiggled its fingers on command, flexing out and curling into a fist.]

But...

[Okay. She could deal with this.]

What is it, exactly?

[At that Lucy shrugged, almost sloshing the contents of the half-full coffee mug in her hand out of it. She scowled at it now, setting the mug aside.]

...I don't know. What this is, or why. The only doctor who can see them has that app too.

What did they say about it?

[Luna lifted the cat up as she asked and put him on the table before standing up and walking over to peer up at the hand, her eyes narrowed.]

[After a few seconds she just reached up to touch it.]

Edited 2017-09-11 18:10 (UTC)

[That felt...weird. Like what Lucy imagined fiddling with an animal's whiskers was like, or an object passing close by her ear but not touching it. Luna's hand passed through the vector harmlessly, feeling mostly cool. It made a very slight static crackle, too.

Lucy leaned away anyway, frowning a bit.]

Not to use it if it made my head hurt too much.

[The front door opens at this point, and Minako steps in, toweling off from her morning jog with Koromaru. Who has paused in the entryway with his ears pricked forward and tail alert.]

Korochan, move your fluffy butt, I have to--

[She blinks and glances at Lucy, then their guest. Hmmm.]

Good morning! I'm sorry for interrupting, I'll be out of your way in a second.

Edited 2017-09-11 20:24 (UTC)

[Well. She sure as hell isn't getting back to sleep with all the noise out there. No use fighting it any longer.]

[Freya trudges out of her room, scrubbing a hand through her hair on her way towards the bathroom and. Stops. Staring at Luna.]

[Her gaze flicks to Minako, then to Lucy, then back to Luna.] Why are you here?

[There's nothing hostile or indignant in Freya's tone. She seriously just wants to know why the kid from the program she's been dragged into is in her apartment, and so damn early in the morning.]

[Luna blinked as her hand passed through it, then swiped at the hand again through the cool air again before Lucy looked away.]

So how did you know that you had-

[She cut off as both of Lucy's roommates appeared, one after the other. Minako got a smirk, and she would've said something if not for Freya's appearance.]

I'm visiting Lucy. [She said as if that made perfect sense.] What are you doing here?

[The second time Luna did that, Lucy made a face and arched the vector away, like a hand curling away from something unpleasantly hot. It was hanging somewhere over her sister's head, she'd have to jump for it—

Her head snapped around when she heard the door open again, and just as quickly relaxed when she saw who it was.]

Did you need something, Mina—

[Why did so many things happen in the morning, Lucy did not approve. She twitched, shoulders bristling again as her voice turned more scolding.]

She lives here, Luna.

[Ah, so this is Lucy's sister. Minako arches an eyebrow in the face of that smirk, tilting her head and glancing at Freya from the corner of her eyes in a "you know her too?" sort of way.]

Don't worry, Lucy, I was just a little surprised we had a visitor. [Since. You know. It's way too early in the morning for visitors. Directing her question to Luna on the way to the kitchen, she asks:] What can I get you? Coffee, juice or tea?

[Freya's shoulder moves not quite enough for a shrug to acknowledge Minako's glance.]

Never thought I'd see the day Lucy had a visitor. [Again, there's no malice in that. She's just... Lucy.]

How do you know her?

[Luna would've jumped for that hand if they weren't suddenly distracted with people. She took a half-step backwards as Minako walked by.]

Lucy was making coffee.

[And then her attention turned to the most important person in the wrong...the dog that had come in with Minako. She crouched down and held out a hand to see if he'd come over to her.]

She's my sister?

[She said with a glance up at Freya, then at Lucy, then back tot he dog.]

[The vector dispersed after a moment, and Lucy uncurled a bit once once Minako was close by. Normally, being around her roommates wasn't an issue, but now with Luna in the picture things felt strangely crowded.]

I told her she could stay here if her family was being a problem.

[And back to Luna, though Koro was also distracting. But, first.]

You did see the doorbell, right?

I'll bring it out then.

[A quick smile, and then she's off to the kitchen because maybe coffee and bagels will help everyone wake up a bit. Koromaru stays behind, mostly because he's curious about the newcomer, and noses at her palm when Luna offers it.]

Huh. Who knew.

[Freya runs her hand through her hair again, a strange cloud forming over her head, containing the two jumbled phrases small world and not awake enough for this. She shakes her head before shuffling into the bathroom.]

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