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
no subject
(He's practically skipping towards the carriages now. They just barely miss one and have to wait a few seconds for the next to come and stop,)
Where I'm from, there are festivals all year long. For the seasons, for the moon, for the stars, for children... some of them are big and some of them are small. (They sure do love to celebrate.) I was once in a place where everyone would gather to look at the flowers in the summer.
Ah, and there was another one where everyone rode horses and did tricks!
(But the next carriage approaches and Tsurumaru quickly reaches out to grab Asato so he doesn't miss it,)
Come on, come on! You don't want to miss it! You wouldn't let me go all alone, would you?!
(Get on, Asato.)
no subject
Mm… If I find a costume, I can show you.
( probably not as funny or cute as if an actual cat did it, but… well, maybe they could track down kaijin…
they come to wait at the foot of the ferris wheel, and as the machine ponderously turns so that another cab approaches them, asato listens. the picture that tsurumaru paints is a beautiful one; he can barely imagine a world full of so much vivacity that they would celebrate so many things. he wonders if sisa was such a place once, before the Sickness and before the Void, where there were many more holidays and festivals to celebrate the wonder and beauty of their world before it had started to reject them.
he looks to tsurumaru with particular interest at the second to last one he mentions, deep blue eyes sparking. ) Oh! I like the idea of that one. ( he has always liked flowers. as for “horses”… he has no idea what that means, but they must be impressive if they could do tricks. )
It must be a nice place, to celebrate so much.
( he starts a little bit at the casual way his companion reaches out to take his wrist, but he follows him with ease onto the cab, crossing over to the far side and looking around with wide eyes as its path slowly took them across the platform below and began to lift them up into the air. his eyes are wide, his tail flicking back and forth—a little nervous, but excited as well. )
Wh…! It’s a little scary, how I can feel it moving under my feet, but… ( after the door has closed, he inches closer to the wall of windows closest to the platform where they lift away from. ) Wow… we aren’t even that far up, and it already looks so small. ( by the time they get up to the top of the ferris wheel, it will probably seem tiny. )
no subject
(A modest statement but he sounds very proud. For all of the ugliness he's seen... it really is a beautiful place. He may complain about how boring his days can be at times but the truth is, he never gets tired of the changing seasons. He always looks forward to the new year repeating, to each festival, and all of the ways things can stay the same but also change in such delightful and exciting ways.
It's a shame it isn't open air or else he'd be leaning over edge. But maybe it's for the best because if he could have it his own way, he'd be leaning so far out, he'd be a hazard. Instead, he watches Asato with pale gold eyes, smiling fondly as the other seems to vibrate in place.
How cute, he thinks. He's like a kitten.)
... Ah, how nostalgic.
(Don't mind him just thinking out loud. It's been a long time since he's experienced that sort of excitement. It makes him feel old and creaky... )
Hm? (Yes. He's aware that even if they're in a closed space, they're still moving up, up, up, and he comes over to look out the window, down at the shrinking ground below,) It makes everything look insignificant, doesn't it? From up here, you can't even see anyone's faces... it's all just shapes and lights.
no subject
he thinks he might ask tsurumaru more about the festivals later, his life up until this point having been so scarce for joy that he’s ravenous even for stories of it.
they crowd to the wall closest to where they entered in order to peer down at the slowly-shrinking lights of the carnival. the music, laughter, and shouts grow steadily more distant as well. oddly enough, this feels more familiar to him—more natural. he has become accustomed to observing the thrum of life from afar.
less so here. in a way, it’s bracing and exciting; he has learned so much in such a short period of time. but it’s also often overwhelming. even being slowly carried aloft by this enormous machine, he’s more comfortable here with tsurumaru’s company than amongst the strangers below.
these are all thoughts and feelings too large and complex for him to put into words; or, at least, he would be too self-conscious to try. despite this, he does say in a quiet voice, ) That’s okay. Being around so many people… I’m still not used to it.
( he hadn’t liked it in ransen, and he doesn’t like it here.
he adjusts his gaze out over the city; the buildings loom beyond the park. ) It seems like they go on forever… ( his brow furrows in thought. ) Do you think there’s anything else out there? If we could get past all of the buildings. ( he’s already tried to wander past the limits of the districts thus available to them once or twice. he can’t remember anything about it, and he just ended up back here. he thinks about what it could be hiding often. )
no subject
(He tilts his head ever so slightly at the comment. Is his new friend the shy type? He makes a small note to himself. If he is, then Tsurumaru will have to take it upon himself to help him adjust to life in the city, right?
Because in comparison... he thinks he prefers when there are people around. It's more exciting. There are more surprises to be had. When there are people around, the air feels so full of life and he doesn't have to think about a place without people, where everything is quiet and still and the air is stale and he's so bored he could cry.
(Because it's definitely the boredom that makes him miserable, right?)
But for now, he won't press it. He's only just met Asato so he'll let it slide for now. He'll save the uncomfortable and teasing questions for later. Instead, he looks out at the view that glows coolly in the artificial light of the city,)
Of course, there's something there.
(They can see buildings and shapes even if they can't really make any of it out,)
Whether or not it's something you want, is another question.
no subject
he still feels odd and slightly nervous walking the streets as anyone else might, and that’s in addition to the general haunting strangeness of this place. and then there are locations like the carnival, a calamitous cluster of confusing lights, sounds, smells, colors, and movement. his own world is still, silent, and generally morose, so it’s a culture shock that goes deep.
he stares out into the vagueness that rings the city available to them as if focus could pierce through the fog, but even as he does so, he knows that the answer wouldn’t likely mean much to him. place means relatively little to asato; a piece of his heart is buried in his home of kira, but those feelings are complicated and barbed, and as he’s certain they wouldn’t find his home village beyond the veil, whatever they might discover out there wouldn’t matter to him. )
Want… ( he considers this for a long minute, then he shakes his head. ) As long as it’s not something dangerous… it would be fine. I’m not sure what I would “want” from this place.
( he looks to tsurumaru, blue eyes sharp with an edge of curiosity. ) Is there something that could be out there that you would want? Or — not want?
no subject
(He nods in agreement.
Without knowing what was really out there, there could only be surprises. As much as he loves surprises, he prefers them to be fun for everyone; or, at least for him. Fortunately for most, he's never been one to find joy in pointless cruelty.
As for his own answer? He can feel Asato watching him but instead of meeting him, he continues to look out the window. Pale gold eyes stare out into the city lights, at non-descript shapes beyond his vision, to the point in the darkness where the landscape blends with the sky. Just staring, staring, staring, far, far, far away...
Maybe if he looks hard enough, he'll find the thing he wants. What he wants? What does he want? He stopped wanting a long time ago. It's only recently that he's been able to stir his heart again and feel that thing that he now knows is called "desire." )
... No.
(And its now that he leans forward on his palms and cranes his head up to look above the city instead, at the black sky with all of its stars and its bright, bright moon.)
All I want is the moon.