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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citylogs2023-09-19 09:00 pm
prompto argentum / final fantasy xv
the fair — rides
wildcard.
shooting range
She's very impressed and it takes her an additional few seconds to reply to him, because she's clapping for him first. ]
Sure! I like a challenge.
[ It sure is gonna be a challenge. ]
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that he probably should pick out his own prize doesn't occur to him just yet. ]
Try it out first and see how it feels.
[ maybe she's an expert at shooting? at least that puts him in neutral territory for now. ]
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[ She takes the gun, blinking a little because she's not exactly sure what she was expecting, but maybe it's just been a long time since she held a gun.
Like, a fake gun. It's fine.
Tsuruno lines up a shot as best as she can, but she is definitely not an expert in firing or sharp-shooting or anything of the sort and the bullet flies off to the side, almost majestically.
She stares down at the gun. ]
... I need to regain my honor.
[ Dramatically. ]
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No, no. It's okay! [ prompto is intent on making her feel better about this! ] I don't know if you can tell, but it's made like that so you miss. Here – I can show you.
[ and as long as he has some sort of (silent) permission, he'll step up behind her, leaning in close to adjust her arms and the hold of the weapon. ]
See how it wants to pull to the side? You just gotta anticipate that before you shoot. [ never mind that he says all of this quietly, like he's telling her a secret. ]
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[ Obligingly, she also lowers her voice, because clearly if he's muttering this, it's vital information that should not be spread to the average person.
Or something like that.
Tsuruno seems just fine with proximity and physical contact, at least; she's a friendly girl and this is helpful, because he definitely knows more about this than she does. She also seems to be a quick learner, dutifully holding the position he adjusts her arms to. ]
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Uh, yeah. It might take a little practice, but I think you can get the hang of it quick enough.
[ he steps back to give her posture a once-over before nodding his approval. ] Try that. See how it works out for ya. [ even if she misses again, it should still be closer than it had been last time she'd tried. ]
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shooting range.
Oh, he's been to a few in recent years, festivals on faraway planets that resembled this carnival in nothing more than spirit. But he'd been there for research first, and then babysitting later after March (and to an extent, Dan Heng) had been ushered aboard the Express. There's a certain image he'd always assumed he would have to maintain, that of responsible chaperone and distinguished older gentleman, regardless of how much his heart might have yearned otherwise.
Here, though, he has nothing holding him in place, no one with any ties to his past. He can be free, for a little bit.
Still, there's hesitation as he eyes the toy gun. ]
Promise you won't laugh?
[ Look, he knows there ain't no way he's going to be as good of a shot. ]
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Dude! [ said as if he's just been scandalized by the idea. ] No way! I'm not sure if it's your thing or not, but I won't laugh. It's supposed to be fun.
[ his smile is relaxed as he picks up the gun again. he can still feel that uneven weight throughout and wonders if he should mention it. first, however, he thinks he should offer any advice just to reassure this guy he isn't going to make fun of him for not quite catching on to a game that's (not so) clearly rigged. ]
You want me to show you?
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Even if he knows on a fundamental level what the fair gun is made of (and more importantly: how most carnival game implements are produced to burden the user with an unfair disadvantage), knowing and actually putting into practice that knowledge is a different thing entirely.
With his constructs and his gravity bullets, he has near perfect aim. With this dinky little gun though? Nah, bro. ]
Thank you, but I think I'll get the hang of it with enough practice. Besides, [ he adds with a smile ] watching you put everone else to shame has me all fired up.
[ He may do terribly but at least he'll do his best. ]
I don't think I'll be winning anything for the either of us though.
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When you say it like that... [ prompto gives him a sheepish smile and takes a couple steps back, giving him some space to maneuver if he needs it. ] Don't worry! If you see somethin' you really like, I'll win it for you. Easy peasy.
[ said with a confidence that usually isn't there. at least with this, even if the game is rigged, he can take pride in the knowledge he knows how to aim true and hit his target 99.99% of the time. if he's distracted, it's harder to make it, but he's got plenty of focus right now. ]
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Or don't, Welt's not the boss of anyone here anymore, even if he used to be. Now he just another guy, stuck in a city with a bunch of guys, holding a rigged rifle up level with his face so he can peer along the barrel to the targets all lined up. ]
You don't need to get this old man anything. [ What a good kid though. ] As long as you're having fun, that'll be enough for me.
[ After a certain age, material goods start to lose their value quickly enough. Things come and go, and admittedly so do people, but the joy of a smile and a good time tend to stay longer in his heart.
What's not a good time? His shot that ends up missing entirely, grazing off the edge of the largest target to bounce uselessly against the wall behind. Well, he tried. ]
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ferris wheel!
he's probably holding it up a bit as he takes something out of his pocket for a second and placing it into another. which is probably nerve-wracking considering that it's kind of starting to move. don't worry, at least it's not a very fast ride. ]
Are you? [ why does he feel it's more important to answer this question? who knows. ]
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although prompto is still convinced that yoshida is just slightly on the weird side, he doesn't seem to mind it at all. people can't help it sometimes, and really, he hasn't had the opportunity to get to know him yet. (and he is totally going to ask him about whatever it is that's in his pocket; don't think he didn't notice that!!) ]
Nah. Not like this anyway. [ ask him how he feels about moving trains, and he'd give a completely different answer. ] What have you been up to?
[ just in general, he means, but it could also mean at the carnival. ]
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but, it seems to dissipate when he remembers he's been asked a question. ] You sound confident. [ whether in the ride, or in his lack of fear. ] You know, nothing much. What about you?
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he shrugs just a little in response. confident? maybe only just enough. ]
Pretty much the same? I haven't decided if I wanna decorate the place I'm stayin' in or not. [ there's a pause. ] Not sure how long we're gonna be here, you know?
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It might not make a difference. [ when they leave, he means. ] But, what sort of decorating were you thinking of doing? [ he has to wonder... if just because knowing yoshida his house probably seems perfectly un-lived in. ]
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Ferris Wheel :)
[Dorian sighs looking up at the ride; okay, so, even if something goes wrong, he can just jump out and levitate himself down. But he can't just leave Prompto up there! If he tries to levitate both of them, they'll crash down. Man, this place is making him always think of worst-case scenarios.]
Are you sure we won't get stuck up there?
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I can't say we won't, but no one else has so far. [ it's all he's really got to offer him right now. ] Come on. It isn't gonna wait forever.
[ and to coax him forward, prompto takes dorian by the hand to drag him towards one of the available cars. ]
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But before he can express his concerns further, he's pulled along towards the cars.]
I suppose... [It really isn't hard to get him to try new things. He steps inside with Prompto, even takes a seat next to the window so he can look out.]
gravitron
Also, if he ever ends up getting dizzy in one of the rides, he might end up getting sick... At least, it is how he feels. Everyone seems to be enjoying themselves, so he'd much rather not ruin the mood with his coughing! And... other things.
He's seated by a bench just right by the ride's exit when he spots Prompto. Remembering him from the mall, he decides to wave a hand. ]
You were very brave in there.
[ At least, he assumes so. ]
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prompto wobbles over and plops down on the bench next to him, flushed from both the comment and the ride. that he isn't spinning around so fast anymore seems to help him gain some composure. ]
You think so? Probably isn't a good idea to think about food now, huh?
[ he's mostly joking. mostly. ]
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[ Eat to your heart's content, Prompto! ]
I should consider it a reward for your hard work.
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Dude! It's not hard work to let somethin' spin you around real fast. [ and then he remembers that, oh yeah, this is the guy who isn't sure there's a difference between favorite colors and colors you just wear. ] Wanna go check out some of the other rides? Have you been on the carousel?
[ that seems like an easy one to get used to. ]
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Such as, ]
Does that also spin around "real fast"?
[ The last two words have some emphasis. This is not how Joshua would normally phrase things, but he is trying to be hip and cool like Prompto is!! :) ]
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