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
attractions
Let's see... Have you gone through the tunnel of love yet? It's a must for couples. ♪
[ He's a romantic at heart, and so it's only natural that he would ask. He's certain that this person had been on a date just the other day, and it's one of those traditions that must be adhered to. He laughs softly, continuing on without a care, ]
It's a shame there's no circus here though. They're a fair bit different than they used to be, but the performances are a sight to behold.
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[ He looks about, his sharp eyes alighting on that unmistakable entrance with faint consideration. He doesn't answer the question, because it's so like him to pick and choose how much or how little information he's willing to share, but he does offer this stranger a content smile in return. ]
I know what you mean. I was so looking forward to a big-top, some acrobats and some fire breathers…
[ He lets out a little puff of air that might be a sigh. ]
I went to a few when I was young, though never the big ones with the animals. They were always in the city… But then this city doesn't even have vermin, so I think expecting elephants is asking a little much, don't you think?
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[ There's no elephants here, not lions no monkeys in hats or lions for humans to stick their heads in the mouth of; no bearded lady or dwarves to serve as sources of amazement; no, those things have rightfully been done away with. But here so too have the tightropes and trapeze artists, the fire breathes and more, people who pushed the human limits all for the sake of entertainment.
Ah, well... ]
But perhaps one will appear! This place seems to attract sentient creatures without discriminating, so we might see one eventually! We could find an elephant that can fly, or any other number of creatures that can speak and dance and sing and so much more...!
[ There's a small laugh, and he seems amused by the prospect of such a thing, They're of childish fantasies and adults' dreams turned into words and pieces of art. He's not sure how likely it really is, but it's a fun idea, within the realm of possibility here more than the dull yet comprehensible world he came from. ]
no subject
So far the closest he's met is probably a fawn, which makes Lestat consider that Fearne would indeed be a very entertaining act to watch from the side of a ring. Perhaps she'd twirl elegantly around like the acrobats sometimes do on strings of ribbon falling from the sky, tossing out flowers that seem to come from nowhere, showering the crowd in petals.... ]
Well now, you don't need to be any kind of miraculous creature to dance and sing. I'm sure we could outfit this entire fair with those who can do such things, perhaps even a few who can play instruments; a concert, even.
[ He's having ideas which is never a good thing. ]
no subject
My, you're right! I've never seen so much talent packed into such a small area, and each with unique abilities and knowledge...
[ Impressive, quite impressive, and a unique experience that one can't get anywhere else. In what other place could a person hope to find a genuine firebreather, or a person who can create something from nothing, along with those whose mundane talents far exceed what the average man could ever hope to reach? ]
It's not as common anymore, but you can still find street performers in large cities if you know where to look... Add for myself, I've never performed outside of recital halls and the like, but I've mastered the piano and violin.
[ And others, but those would be the main two, the piano being for the rich and cultured and the violin being his passion. ]
no subject
[ Lestat can't think of the violin without thinking of Nicki, of Akasha, and though those thoughts bring pain the music that accompanies the memory is sweet. ]
You and I have similar inspirations, it seems. I favour those instruments, too... Though lately I've been taken by the guitar, the electric guitar, to be precise.
[ It comes somewhat with the territory of being a rock-star, and he's sure that had he not been inspired to start a war with his music, he might have instead worked his way around all the integral instruments of his band to learn each one with an easy fluidity and truly bask in his passion. In light of what that war brought, he almost wishes he had taken that path instead as perhaps then he wouldn't have been quite so changed by what he'd been through, but.. then he wouldn't have met Louis again, wouldn't have that house in Miami with the people he holds dear. No, the war was a mistake but the music was not, as it got him exactly what he wanted. ]
Is that what you are, in your world? A musician?
no subject
Ah, no, it's just a hobby for me... I've played the guitar a little, but I've only ever done acoustics... Playing an electric guitar sounds far more exciting though, perhaps I'll try to learn it sometime.
[ For someone who grew up squarely focusing on the classics and culture, it's an exciting idea. It's not that he's only enjoyed those, no - he has a bit of everything, but there's only so much that a person can learn at one time. But that doesn't answer the original question. ]
I'm a doctor by trade, though I work in medical research and engineering as well.
no subject
I wasn't interested in the guitar at all until I heard rock music. Something about the sound of it woke me from the trance I'd been in.
[ Quite literally. Though 'coma' is probably more accurate. At the mention of medical research, something not unlike a mixture of fear and excitement floods Lestat's system. He'd always wondered how someone interested in medical science might react to the existence of vampires and what it might mean for their safety.. and here he is without any of his stronger mind abilities to be able to charm his way out of it. What a predicament. ]
Doctors are quite busy typically, aren't they? How on earth do you have the time to recite music?
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[ That's the lower range for when a child can start learning, but it's not out of the ordinary. His schedule was always busy, and there was always so much to do. It makes being in a place like this difficult - he can always find ways to kill time, but it lacks the satisfaction that comes with proper employment. Those who have no leisure are able to keep their thoughts bus, and so they ca spare themselves from boredom or hardship.
The people here are interesting though, and he does enjoy good company such as the man he's speaking with now. ]
Though even now I try to make time for more than just work... You lose a fair bit if you focus solely on work, don't you think? It's important to find time for other things too.
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For this, he decides the former. He laughs, loud and warm and approachable; there's no malice nor nastiness in it, but instead a more genuine quality. ]
I haven't had a job since I was twenty, which was... oh, perhaps.. Somewhere over two hundred years ago, at this point?
[ He shrugs, casually. ]
So I spend almost every day seeking pleasure to fill my time.
no subject
[ He takes it in good humor, pleased by the idea of a person who can live such a hedonistic lifestyle. If one were to take a complex idea and simplify it, it could be said that in the modern era people have less leisure time than they did before. Nothing like what he's mentioning, but not quite matching Hiyori's tendency to spend all of his waking time keeping busy. He works himself to death, and even his free time serves some goal. That's how it's always been. ]
How do you ever fill the time? Certainly, 200 years isn't anywhere near close enough for a person to experience all there is in life... Rather, I'm sure you've been able to live a more interesting life than most for having so much time to live freely.
[ It's difficult to wrap his head around, the idea of living so long and so freely, but that makes it interesting - charming, even, the sort of thing that one spends a lifetime looking for without ever finding.
He is interested in the reason behind that, of course... But ever a social creature, the idea of who always precedes what ]
no subject
[ It's probably the thing that sets him apart from other vampires the most; his indescribable lust for life. Sure, he had his own moment of weakness when the world seemed to be moving from poetry and paint toward steam and metal, but he woke to the 1980s and to rock music and rebellion, and if that isn't enough to relight the fire in an impulsive soul, then nothing is. ]
And what about you? If you're so reluctant to imagine spending your time so wilfully, what on earth have you been doing here to fill your time, when jobs are so very unnecessary?
no subject
[ If one picks them apart they can find the same patterns, same tropes, same talent; they come in and out of fashion, dress themselves up with modern terms and settings, but he can't imagine growing bored with it. The world changes, collapses on itself, revives, rebuilds - people are too simple, too unimaginative, in believing that one could ever catch up.
He loves humans for that reason. It's by their hand that the world turns. ]
For my own part, I wish for humanity to be able to reach its full potential... You must be aware enough of how people suffer from pain and loss... They even have their memories stripped from them... I'm not arrogant enough to think I can erase all suffering, of course, they would cease to be human if someone did... But I'd like to ease it enough that they can live freely.
[ He clears his throat, a little sheepish for having given such a lengthy answer. ]
That is to say... I work as a doctor, but also in research and development. My work is essential, because people need someone to cure them, and they need someone who can keep them from coming to harm.
[ He's one of those "my work is my passion" types fr. ]
no subject
Research and development...
[ Lestat hums. It's always been a secret guilty pleasure of his to see how a scientific mind might react to the dark gift, whether through studying it or becoming a child of the night themselves, and he's weak to resist that same consideration now. Throwing caution to the wind - he figures that telling one man can't be that much of a problem, can it? It's not like this strange magical city has a strange magical MI5, does it? - he continues: ]
Have you ever studied a supernatural creature?