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

Entry tags:

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.

JUMP TO TOP ↑ | ↓ JUMP TO COMMENTS

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.

JUMP TO TOP ↑ | ↓ JUMP TO COMMENTS

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.

JUMP TO TOP ↑ | ↓ JUMP TO COMMENTS

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.

JUMP TO TOP ↑

» navigation » network » logs » ooc » mod contact

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

WAITING FOR NIGHT
⇢ at and around the park;

[ to be frank, Reno has never really been a nature guy. none of that backpacking, barefoot, toes in the dirt, connected to the planet stuff for him. he was born in the city and came up in the city, and he'll probably die in the city, and that's the way he likes it.

but that doesn't mean he doesn't have a certain healthy appreciation for the impressive breadth of this park. it's huge, bigger than any park Reno's ever been in before. maybe comparable to the lands around Healen Lodge, but bearing a stronger resemblance to the wilds of the continent, places he'd only ever passed through on missions. Reno might be a city boy but even he can admit it's beautiful.

at various times throughout the month he can be found just sort of wandering the paths. he sticks to them, always, having long since learned his lesson about getting too close to things that might grab you and haul you down into the depths.

alternately, you might stumble across him at one of the playgrounds, not actually playing on them but rather just using them as a place to sit and think. ]

THE HEAT BROKE
⇢ fair rides;

[ the fair itself, on the other hand, is right up Reno's alley. he loves this kind of thing, the manic, sweaty energy of the rides and the bright lights and the jangly, discordant music. it reminds him of the Golden Saucer in a way, although he'd never visited for fun, only ever for work. (if he ever gets back to Midgar, Reno is advocating for work to let him ride roller coasters sometimes.)

depending on the day, Reno might be on the ferris wheel, occupying a car of his own that anyone else is welcome to squeeze into. those who do will be greeted with a grin: ]

Well, well. Looks like we're partners this time around.

[ he'll also spend some time at the bumper cars; Reno prides himself on being a good driver, and he'll be intent on demonstrating that by… running into as many people as possible. but on purpose, which makes it somehow different than just being a bad driver. right?

and lastly, at least once or twice he'll ride the Gravi-ator, where he can be found doing stupid shit like this as soon as he figures out how the thing works and what it does gravitationally.

he won't head into the Tunnel of Love on his own, but in theory someone could grab his hand and pull him in—he won't be opposed, even if it's not on his own personal list of attractions to visit. ]

IT SEEMED AN HONOR
⇢ fair food & games;

[ at this point Reno has already established that cotton candy is not high up on his list of preferred fair foods, so he's sticking with the popcorn and the funnel cakes for the most part. it's rare that the lights and sounds of the fair will ever be too much for him, but on those uncommon occasions he'll be found sitting in the quieter area where the tables are, legs stretched out into the walkway as he peoplewatches and snacks.

there's plenty of room on the bench, so anyone is welcome to join him, and he may even offer his popcorn if you look like you need it.

otherwise, Reno can be found near the games, finally having figured out the angle to shoot darts from to overcome the way the game is rigged. he's a good shot, but that doesn't mean he's always right on target, so while his dart prowess may be impressive, he's also losing once for every three he wins. but if you're in the market for a plush toy, he may be the guy you'll want to ask.

the shooting gallery isn't really for him. he's good with a pistol but it reminds him too much of work for it to be a fun carnival activity. Reno will, however, also spend some time at the ring toss. it's a game that's pretty tough to be truly good at, which makes it a perfect challenge for someone like him. ]

Up for a little competition? [ whether it's ring toss or darts, Reno's always good for a low-stakes bet. ]

[ spotting a semi-familiar head of copper hair among those passing by the area of the fair with the games and food is, admittedly, a little surprising for Reno. only because he'd thought Joshua would be more of a wallflower type, based purely on their interaction at the rooftop party all those weeks ago.

but here he is, out at the funfair, and Reno grins as he lifts a hand and calls out, ] Yo, Joshua!

[ Reno himself is sitting at one of the picnic tables with a cardboard container of popcorn and an alcoholic slushie of some kind, which seems to taste vaguely like lime, but he can't actually be sure. he waves a little to get Joshua's attention, and when he's close enough he offers the popcorn if Joshua wants to try it.

it's good, the popcorn. very buttery, but oddly addictive. Reno's fave. ]

Long time no see, eh?

[ Joshua's widen by a fraction when his name is called, and the one responsible for it brings about a pleasant surprise.

There's a smile on his face as he approaches the other man, eyes scanning his table for anything that is familiar to him. Popcorn is not, and the slushie looks... colourful! It must be delicious, if Reno is into it. And ah- now the popcorn is offered to him.

He grabs a piece and holds it up. No, he doesn't eat it yet. ]

It has been some time. I hope you are well. [ He imagines taking a seat is welcome, so he does that. ]

This is?

[ The popcorn, he means. He even glances at it, then looks back at Reno and waits for an answer. If this is made from carrots, he's not eating it. ]

Oh, yeah, I'm doin' good.

[ the way Joshua picks up the popcorn and just holds it is a little funny, and Reno grins up at him, reading that query in his expression before he even has a chance to ask. ]

Popcorn. [ he twists the box so Joshua can see the label on the side. ] Guess it's what it sounds like. Popped corn.

[ so definitely not carrots, Mr. "I Definitely Don't Have Any Childish Habits Left Over in Adulthood." Reno pops a few kernels in his own mouth, savoring them. ]

Havin' a good time so far?

[ Thank you, Reno, for explaining what popcorn is. All the more does Joshua look at the kernel in his hand funny, because... well, he just can't imagine this being corn! What an absolute transformation.

Without further ado, he pops it in his mouth. Those eyes of his widen as it pretty much melts on his tongue. Huh! ]

It does not taste like corn.

[ Do excuse him though, because he's taking yet another piece. ]

In this little fair? I suppose I am. It's very lively, despite not knowing where all this has come from. [ A beat. ] And you?

It sure don't, but I kinda don't hate it?

[ that much is surely obvious, based on the empty third of the container and the way Reno continues to pop pieces of it into his mouth to chew. it just has that slightly processed, extremely salty and flavorful taste that makes it hard to put down.

he has no objections to sharing with Joshua, though, and keeps the carton tilted in his direction as they chat. ]

It's a big step up from the shit this place pulled last month, that's for sure. [ he shudders theatrically, mostly to hide the fact that last month had actually been quite traumatizing for him. ] I'm lovin' it. Never been to an amusement park for fun, so this is all kinda new.

[ Ah, he imagines Reno got into "some shit" last month, then. Joshua briefly wonders if it would be a good time to catch up and talk about incidents then. It is such a happy occasion, after all!

There is one more thing, though. . . ]

For fun? I assume you have gone to a location like this for work, then?

Reno | Final Fantasy VII (Original)

closed ; joshua rizzfield

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

ferris wheel

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

Bumper Cars!

lmao POOR KEN.

no subject

no subject

no subject

im so sorry i dont actually know any real bumper car strategy

darts

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject