citylogs | EVENT: The Nights Were Humid, Still. (September 2023)

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EVENT: The Nights Were Humid, Still. (September 2023)

THE NIGHTS WERE HUMID, STILL.

WE WERE DREAMING, WAITING FOR NIGHT.
» THE PARK — INTRODUCTORY NOTES

When District 3 opens up, subtle and silent at first, the most noticeable area is the large park. A mixture of open picnic fields and heavily wooded trails, the park offers an escape from the cityscapes for those who seek an oasis amongst nature. Benches and light posts dot the twisting paths, offering a moment's rest to anyone traversing the park for a leisurely stroll or running for… exercise. Unlike its smaller cousin to the south, this park is devoid of statues or monuments, instead more of a tribute to nature and the pursuit of its company. There are, however, several small playgrounds spread around the outer edges for anyone who seeks some playtime with their inner child.

Speaking of your inner child, should you venture to the southern half of the park, you'll find a small carnival that appears to be abandoned. The rides and stalls all appear to be in decent condition despite lying still and silent; if you choose to hop the fence, you'll find that the cables running haphazardly over the grass are connected but powerless. No amount of effort to turn on the rides nor break into the games will prove fruitful, but the park at large has posters stapled to trees here and there advertising the opening of the fun fair very, very soon.

For those who are brave enough to leave the paved walkways to venture deeper into nature, you may find hidden gems—a quiet pond covered in lilypads with a small dock to sit on and dip your feet into the green waters; a romantic pair of swings atop a small knoll overlooking a creek; a shortcut through the trees where even your footsteps are muted by the leaves and dappled sunlight barely reaches your face through the trees above. Here and there you'll find the woods open up to a secluded meadow where the grass is tall and the wildflowers grow thick.

You may also find yourself imagining things just out of reach, like shadowy figures darting from bush to bush, predatory in nature. The phantom call of a crow may echo through the forest's canopy though, like the rest of the city, there is no wildlife to be seen nor heard otherwise. Was that the shout of a woman in the distance, or the cry of a fox? The longer time stretches on, the harder you'll find it is to make your way back out of the treeline, and the trees stretch far above to block out any hope of navigating back to the familiar buildings of the surrounding city. You might want to call for help—if you get find service for your device, that is.

The new park is a permanent location that is open to residents 24/7 as there are no fences nor gates. It's larger than the one new City Hall and has more potential for exploring as well as different features from its cousin. For those that are familiar, it will evoke thoughts of New York's Central Park with its mixture of open areas contrasting with thick woods. Paved walkways, freshwater ponds, picnic areas, and a couple of playgrounds can all be found throughout the park. Along with these, residents may stumble upon other natural and man-made areas such as rocky outcrops, unmarked trails, bicycle paths, fountains, and other things typically found in large urban parks—minus the wildlife. It can be a romantic setting as easily as it can be a horrific one depending on the time of day as well as the company that you keep.

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THEN THE HEAT BROKE, THE NIGHT WAS CLEAR.
» THE FAIR — RIDES & ATTRACTIONS

At 6:00 PM City time on September 19th, the numerous light bulbs of the fun fair burst into blinding color simultaneously, lighting up the darkening sky as loud carnival music slowly churns to life from unseen speakers. The rides all spring into motion, operating on a strict schedule that will allow carnival-goers the time to get on the ride as well as stumble back off after they've had their fun. No one is running the rides that you can see, though they all have the typical podium with an array of buttons that could be used to start and stop the machinery that creaks and groans with age. If you'd like to see what it's like working as a rider operator, you're more than welcome—just make sure you're not making everyone sick.

Due to the fair's small size, the rides are all fairly tame in size and speed. There's a merry-go-round with brightly painted horses to ride along with a handful of mermaids, sculpted hair permanently billowing in the wind. One section at the edge is dedicated to a massive stationary head, evocative of a ventriloquist's dummy, with its mouth gaping open for riders to sit inside, perched on the tongue-shaped bench. For the braver riders, a few other unnerving steeds await, such as a lion with blood dripping from its teeth and claws, a zebra with eight legs, an uncomfortably hairy tarantula, and a gray-skinned creature with its eyeless head split open into a massive mess of razor-sharp teeth. Though the merry-go-round spins at a leisurely pace, staying on if for too long is likely to induce a strange sense of dizziness even after disembarking and attempting to walk it off. The repetitive groan of the pipe organ rings in your ears, hardly helping your disorientation at all though you seek a quiet place to recuperate.

Further along in the fair is a low building comprised of little more than a laminate floor, metal grating roof, and bright red railing that encloses all sides. Strewn about inside are bumper cars, big enough for two if you want to squish in together with a friend, but lacking seatbelts. As you run to find a car you like, you can hear the electricity begin to hum through the roof and spark with the bent antennae of each car as their motors awaken. Loud rock music drowns out the sound of squealing wheels as the drivers begin the arduous task of steering the bumper cars into each other. It's all fun and games at first, but it's easy for a little competition to turn into a grudge match.

The last ride looks like a large metal bowl with steep sides painted dark blue and covered with stars, plantes, galaxies, and a comically simplistic spaceship. The archway standing just in front of the ride's entrance calls it "THE GRAVI-ATOR" with a disclaimer in small print about holding on tightly to personal belongings once on the ride. Stepping into the door cut out in one side, you'll find there are no straps nor seats—everyone should find themselves a comfortable place to lean, preferably in one of the spots that has padding on the walls, because soon the ride will begin to spin and everyone will be pinned down by centrifugal force.

Though they may not be as thrilling as the mechanical rides, there are a few tamer attractions for those seeking a break from the bright lights and loud sounds of the carnival. A hall of mirrors stands to one side of the area, a gaping clown mouth serving as the entrance to the dark building. The laughter and screams from outside are quickly muffled as atmospheric music plays lowly while you try to navigate through a maze of mirrors, many of which distort your appearance. You may see flashes of people that you don't remember seeing come inside, oddly shaped and shadowy where the corners of two mirrors meet. Did you feel someone brush up against you? No, impossible in such tight corridors, but you should probably hurry along to the exit.

There is also, of course, a tunnel of love, though it is a cheap imitation of one. Rather than sitting in a romantic gondola, those interested in going through will do so on foot—a rather daunting task considering that you'll be in the dark once you walk through the heart-shaped door and through the musty red curtains. Still, there's enough time to steal a kiss, or grasp blindly for a hand to hold if you're scared of the dark. Has your lover always had such cold, rough hands? It might be soothing in the muggy warmth you find inside, or maybe it's reason enough to find the way out on your own.

Located in the southern half of the large park is a small fun fair that will open to the public the evening of September 19 with operating hours from 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM City time. Before opening, none of the rides or games will be operational; however, there will be fliers advertising its opening all around the city on billboards and telephone poles, and adventurous characters are able to hop the fence and explore if they so desire. However, they will not be able to turn on any of the rides or games, and will not be able to break into the rides or booths under any circumstances.

Upon opening, there will be a number of rides running themselves on a schedule that allows people time to get on, have some fun, and then get back off again. Though there's something unsettling about the music they play, or maybe how shaky they feel, there's no apparent danger anywhere. Residents are encouraged to enjoy themselves with a group of friends, or maybe a date, and experience all that the fun fair has to offer! The fair will not be open forever, though; its gates will close permanently at 11:00 PM on September 30 and all traces will disappear that night to leave a large, open field behind in the park.

This is a good, ol' fashioned carnival designed to bring together groups of people for thrills and fun. Though there are no overt game mechanics at play, we encourage everyone to get creative and add their own flair to this month's event. If you have any questions about player plots you'd like to run, please revisit the Events & Interactions section of the F.A.Q. and drop us a comment on the mod contact for any additional questions.

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IT SEEMED AN HONOR TO HAVE A MOUTH.
» THE FUN — GAMES & FOOD

The majority of the fair is occupied by stalls full of fair games, their walls and awnings decorated in various themes to match. The shooting gallery is a scene from the American West, cowboys astride horses with a background of cacti and orange rocky mesas. The targets themselves are a variety of desert animals: vultures flying from the roof, lizards skittering along the ground, and coyotes chasing rabbits throughout the middle. A handful of rifles are waiting along the half wall in front, chained and bolted to the wooden surface to keep them from getting carried off, and an array of hats hang above them as prizes displayed for winners. There are the typical cowboy hats, then some pink and green ones, some multi-colored jester hats, and a few that look like uncomfortably realistic rubber masks of faces twisted into horrifying expressions.

The next stall over is as different as can be imagined with psychedelic rainbows, glow-in-the-dark smiley faces, and paint splotches covering all surfaces. Inside is a grid of brightly colored balloons that rain silver glitter once they're popped. Cups of plastic darts lie in wait for those who wish to try their luck to pop five balloons in a row, though the observant will notice there are only four darts per cup. The sides are lined with prizes ranging from sticky fingers, slide whistles, and bouncy balls to an assortment of blow-up weapons such swords, hammers, maces, and frying pans.

Another quintessential carnival game is ring toss, set up in an extra large stall with three open sides for groups to play together if they wish. The bottles are all uniform in size, shape, and their clear color, but if you get a good look at a few, some appear to have items floating inside of them, suspended in glowing liquid. Above, massive stuffed animals hang from every possible section of the ceiling. None of them look quite right, though, such as the smiling bear with an extra row of teeth or the goose with two heads at the end of one floppy neck. The dog is pretty cute, but it's missing an arm and a leg in a way that appears intentional, and that cat has its eyes sewn shut.

Of course, no fair would be complete without food. There are plenty of stalls ready to serve, much like the restaurants in the city, where residents are welcome to swing by for some greasy grub. Corn dogs, fries, funnel cake, pizza, shaved ice, and fried junk food are all easy to find around the carnival. Spread amongst the stalls are popcorn machines playing cheerful music, carts with towering racks of bagged cotton candy, and poles planted in the ground with rainbow lollipops and candied apples sprouting from them. In one corner of the fair where the biggest concentration of food stalls can be found, there is an area of tables with umbrellas for anyone to sit and eat. Food at the fair adheres to it's own unique reset cycle and can be found replenished every evening at 6:00PM just in time for opening.

Despite the potential for danger from the shooting gallery and balloon dart games, both are designed to be as harmless as possible—the bullets are rubber, and the darts are made of plastic. While they will still leave a bruise, there shouldn't be risk of blood loss. The shooting gallery guns are chained in place, unable to be stolen. Removing the darts from their stall will result in thiefs walking in a tight circle that always brings them back in hopes the darts will be restored to their rightful place.

Though the food and games are free, the prizes are not—anyone who attempts to steal prizes without winning the games first will find themselves misplacing their items before leaving the carnival. If residents become aware of this phenomenon and try extra hard to focus on not losing their stolen prize, it will nevertheless slip from their hands and be lost—though a keen eye might see it back in its rightful place at the game stall. If you have the right temperament, this could become a game in and of itself!

Additionally, if there are any fair games or foods that have not been explicitly mentioned above, players are welcome to assume they can be found. Nothing as extravagant as a theme park or amusement park will be present as all of the stalls are designed to be mobile—this is a traveling carnival, after all. Similarly, players are welcome to design their own brand of unsettling game prizes as long as none of them can be used as an actual weapon or to otherwise harm fellow fair-goers.

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WILDCARD.

The city is by no means small, and there are plenty of things for you to see. There's no rush in exploring, so feel free to take your time looking around and peering into various nooks and crannies and alleyways—and don't worry, you're not very likely to find anything peering back.

If none of the above prompts appeal, feel free to check out the Locations and Maps pages and write your own freestyle prompt using one or many of the available locations.

This month's event headers come from "Midsummer" by Louise Gluck.

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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

last night i took a walk after dark.

[ The addition of a new park is something Lestat can't quite decide if he's happy with, just yet. Of course, it doesn't really matter if he's happy or not, The City clearly has a mind of its own that couldn't care less for the wishes of the famed Vampire Lestat, but nevertheless he considers his personal thoughts on this change, and they are as follows: He would have preferred a Costco. A big gigantic building full of everything a mortal - or immortal, though he's sure they're not quite ready to make that part of their branding - could dream of, easily accessible under one roof and always a place for vibrant conversation. Though, with a sigh, he supposes even Costco would lose its charm the same way the supermarkets in this city have, by now. Everything is simply too big and too empty, and this great maw of open grassland only makes that more painfully obvious.

He still spends time there, obviously, in this new humongous park in the hours when the sun has gone down. He's no brute who craves modern comforts, he still longs for and basks in the joy of grass under his hands and the sparkling dappled light of running water. But there's certainly some charm lost for a park at night, with no wildlife venturing out once the humans have retired to bed, no wayward vagabonds setting fires in the planes of grass, no teenagers making out under the stars....

➤ Perhaps you'll find him taking a walk by himself on one of these nights, a thin pair of headphones over his ears, his gait slow and meandering, humming whatever tune is playing from the little cassette player in his hand.

➤ Or the night after, when he's found a piano by one of the crossroads and has sat at it with the familiarity of coming home to an old friend, his large white hands spreading across similarly white keys, and bringing forth a surprisingly uplifting song that, should you comment on it, he will assure you sounds much better when played on the violin.

➤ Or, on another night, he might have company already; a slender man in a woollen sweater and smart pants, and Lestat will be trying desperately to get him to even step one foot onto the sandy stretch of ground that makes up the children's play area, to just try the slide before he writes it off as something ridiculous, why not the rocking horse then, or the climbing frame??? If he sees you, he will almost definitely call out to you to ask for help making his stubborn companion have a little fun. ]

a swingin' place called palisades park.

[ Lestat has never been to a funfair before, or at least not one with this level of of flashing lights and sounds; immediately it reminds him of being up on stage and the thick cloying heat of the spotlight as the speakers all but deafened the crowd. If he closes his eyes he can smell sweat and leather, booze and the crush of bodies... and yet when he opens his eyes there is only eerie music and rickety looking rides, permeated by a faint steam about the air that smells like sugar and fat. The fairgrounds of his time were much more likely to be wooden shacks and the odd coconut shy, a travelling animal circus and perhaps a musical ensemble to wile away the evening. This is, very obviously, quite different from that but he can't say that he minds too much.

➤ If your character is lingering outside without anyone to join them through the gates, it's very safe to assume that you won't go unnoticed in Lestat's radar, and soon he'll be insisting on accompanying you inside. Should you need company for the evening he's happy to take you on whatever ride you'd like to try, and if your eyes catch sight of a prize you'd like to be won you can bet your ass he'll play the game to death so he can win it for you.

➤ Once inside, he gazes around at the series of attractions like a child might; his silver eyes reflecting every shimmer of the lights around him until they seem to be glowing in their refraction. He doesn't know where to start, and so naturally he'll find the first person he can, and ask for their recommendation.

➤ Sitting next to Lestat on a ride is a relatively lucky place to be, all things considered. Nothing, in his opinion, can be more frightening than he is, so if it's a steady hand you need or a reassuring word, he's your guy. Just try to ignore how cold he is, and try not to stare too much. ]

to have some fun and see what i could see.

[ The rides are fun but not so much fun that Lestat wants to give any of them a second turn, and after spending an entire evening sampling every single one, he feels pretty much satisfied as far as they are concerned. The area of the funfair that interests him the most are the quaint little games lined up in their organised rows of huts, each one sporting an array of hanging prizes to be won alongside vague instructions for success.

There's shooting games, games requiring accuracy, tests of strength, challenges of luck, and so much more. A few of them are timeless classics - the hoopla stand complete with its painted wooden sticks and rings, the skeeball stand, the stack of tin cans and the ball to knock them down with - but others he has never seen in his life, and it's these uncommon sights that attract his attention first.

➤ You might be minding your own business when Lestat catches you by the elbow and urges you to take part in a game with him - it's the one where two players must compete to spray the most water at a target in order to fill up a reservoir and win the prize. There's a certain sparkle in his eyes and an intensity about his plea that will make it incredibly difficult to say no to him. Come on, it's just one game, it's not like he'll catch you in a loop of playing this same game over and over again until he wins.

➤ His favourite stand by far is the one set off to the back, hosting a range of fabulous costumes and a hand-painted scenery background set up before a large polaroid camera. There are ballgowns, evening dresses, cowboy hats and spurs, great towering pompadour wigs, fairy wings, dark velvet cloaks and plastic fangs (which he finds very amusing), and a whole array of other outfits of varying styles and from a range of time periods. He's already picked out an outfit for himself - a jewel blue frock-coat with golden trims, a matching long waistcoat, dark knee-length breeches, woollen socks and shining black shoes - and a similar one in different shades for the demure looking man in his company. He's halfway through tying a lace jabot around his throat when he sees you looking on in interest. His eyes will flash in recognition and, regardless of whether you're interested in dressing up or were simply marvelling at the outlandish style of the French aristocracy, he will drag you over to pick something out and offer to be your photographer.

➤ He can't actually eat any of the food, but like an alien crash-landed onto Earth he is fascinated with the whole process. Of course, it's much less involved here than the food carts he's seen back in Miami - the carts kind of just stay full and are completely ignorant to the distinct lack of attendants to refill or monitor their progress - but he remains enticed nonetheless. The cotton candy, in particular, is a machine he marvels at; now and again sticking his finger into the cone covered with plastic and drawing it out covered in sticky strings of pink spun sugar.

➤ He's also very taken with the shaved ice machine, and this will be the only time he attempts to take any human food into his mouth. Theoretically it's just water and flavouring, so he reasons it can't possibly be too repulsive. But then, the look on his face after he laps his tongue out and into the blue tinted cone in his hand says more about his reaction than words ever could. He looks utterly disgusted, like he's just licked a boot that had just been fished out of the river and left to bake in the sun for a week. He dumps the cone unceremoniously into a nearby trash can with a mixed expression lingering somewhere between horror and disappointment. ]

that's where the girls are.

[ wildcard totally fine with me!! you're welcome catch lestat literally anywhere in the course of his actions over the next few days. he is free and easy B^) although one of the nights he spends at the fairground he will be on a very serious first date with his companion of 200+ years, so if you'd like CR with lestat AND louis (imagine, two vampires for the price of one... a vampire sandwich, some may say) then please just assume louis is Also There. :)

if none of these work for you and you'd like to do some fairgrounds shenanigans with a vampire man, find me at mirobug, PM or hit up my ooc comment for plotting! feel free to also just link me your toplevel at any of those three places and i will Zoom! i am very excited about this plot haha, can you tell. :')

Edited 2023-09-20 04:28 (UTC)

[ there were a lot of strange things in this place, and as far as he comprehended, nothing was truly free. he half-wondered what the price of all this was, and what sort of unspoken horrors might have awaited them. that said, while there were a few uncanny things, yoshida hasn't been able to find any actual evidence of anything actually dangerous, but maybe that's precisely why it's more unnerving. akin to simply waiting for ones doom, or like waiting for a prophecy to be fulfilled—

it's in these thoughts that he feels the contact of a stranger. to be honest, while yoshida is quick to say— ] Nah, I'm... [ but when he looks him over, he decides to change his mind. who knows how much of this is influenced by their passion, or maybe he really is curious to see how this all pans out.

that said, he follows along just to end up in front of this water shooting game. he looks it over before finally speaking: ] You sure this won't be too easy?

[ Lestat isn't sure what inspired him to pick this human in particular -- perhaps the dark hair, he does have a penchant for dark hair, or perhaps it's the look in his eyes as he stares into the middle distance like that, thoughts of fate and inevitability permeating through the din of all the other mortal thoughts around them and catching Lestat's attention like a shark smelling blood. Whatever the reason, he's thoroughly pleased that he did when he acquiesces and follows him to the stand. ]

That's the point, I think. It's - ah, I think you say, bunny slopes? I have only fired a real gun before, never one like this one. What a strange idea, filling it with water.

[ His water pistol is in his hand, his stare unblinking and excitable as he regards his new companion with a smile, expectantly waiting for him to pick up his gun too. ]

If you are some kind of water shooting expert, you can teach me your craft.

[ bunny slopes, huh? he guesses it wasn't exactly wrong. he's not sure if this sort of thing needed such expertise, but to each their own. he wasn't about the discount this. if anything, yoshida was all too aware of the disparity of one man's excitement to another— sometimes other people and/or devils just aren't as into your prophecies. hence, he seems to play along for the most part. ]

So you've fired a real gun? [ concerning, maybe, but for all he knows there could easily be a valid explanation for all this.

he takes his own position before picking up the gun. ] The person who hits as close to the target first probably has the advantage. [ that said, he doesn't seem to take it all too seriously as he tilts his head, pressing the trigger a few times absently. ]

Lestat de Lioncourt | The Vampire Chronicles

to have some fun...!

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park!

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a walk in the park;

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for louis ♡

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walk after dark, piano

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attractions

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fair(play)

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