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JANUARY 2021 MINI EVENT
NEW YEAR'S EVE MINGLE
let's start the countdown for the best year ahead of us!
Santa Rosita’s got just a bit of snow left on the ground and only a touch of chill come in from the north. You wouldn’t know it though - not when celebrating is the one thing on everybody’s mind. It’s New Year’s Eve!
SEVEN...SIX...FIVE...
FOUR...THREE...TWO!
"TEN...NINE...EIGHT!"
While the mayor’s on some well-earned rest at home and Chief Harding is making sure that no teenagers are causing mischief, the citizens of Santa Rosita are having their last little bit of holiday pleasure. With tinsel aplenty and housewives having handed out invitations to all their distant relatives, it seems everyone and everywhere is busy tonight. Are you?
Over at the Blue Moon Diner the owners have thrown up a big hand-painted sign advertising that they’ll be your one-stop shop for all New Years’ celebrations. Throwing open their doors until the late, late hour of two o’clock AM, they have rented a big-screen TV, taking up one whole booth in the corner of the dining room, to have it tuned to the broadcast from New York City. Have your own television? Well what you don’t have are Margie’s thick milkshakes (half off tonight only!) and little plastic flutes of (non-alcoholic) champagne, free with every order of tonight’s End of Year Smorgsaboard Extravaganza meal!
For the low, low price of $2.99 you can get yourself a Blue Moon Big Boy Burger (two patties on a sesame bun, soaked in grease and cheese and bacon grease with a splash of chef’s special dressing), a half pound of French fries, a slice of gooey chocolate lava cake and a Pepsi-Cola with a splash of something special!
(The special is cherry syrup of course! Cherry soda - wowie!)
Over at the Blue Moon Diner the owners have thrown up a big hand-painted sign advertising that they’ll be your one-stop shop for all New Years’ celebrations. Throwing open their doors until the late, late hour of two o’clock AM, they have rented a big-screen TV, taking up one whole booth in the corner of the dining room, to have it tuned to the broadcast from New York City. Have your own television? Well what you don’t have are Margie’s thick milkshakes (half off tonight only!) and little plastic flutes of (non-alcoholic) champagne, free with every order of tonight’s End of Year Smorgsaboard Extravaganza meal!
For the low, low price of $2.99 you can get yourself a Blue Moon Big Boy Burger (two patties on a sesame bun, soaked in grease and cheese and bacon grease with a splash of chef’s special dressing), a half pound of French fries, a slice of gooey chocolate lava cake and a Pepsi-Cola with a splash of something special!
(The special is cherry syrup of course! Cherry soda - wowie!)
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"SEVEN...SIX...FIVE..."
Naturally, half the town has come to celebrate such a great deal and not the least of it is that it keeps them from having to throw their own New Years’ get-together. But hey, for those suspiciously antisocial citizens among Santa Rosita, you can watch the ball drop yourself at home!
All the local stations have been spicing up the evening with variety shows - Ginger Rogers dancing, Nat King Cole singing, and a whole brass band on the Jack Benny Show in tinny goodness. Just be sure to go get sparklers and shimmery foil crowns over at Honeybee’s before you do - Margie’s cleaned out all the stores and is giving them away at the diner.
Whether you’re spending the late hour home alone with just the family and close friends, or you’re crammed in a booth at the Blue Moon trying to shove that last little bit of Big Boy down your throat, the time is nearly at hand.
All the local stations have been spicing up the evening with variety shows - Ginger Rogers dancing, Nat King Cole singing, and a whole brass band on the Jack Benny Show in tinny goodness. Just be sure to go get sparklers and shimmery foil crowns over at Honeybee’s before you do - Margie’s cleaned out all the stores and is giving them away at the diner.
Whether you’re spending the late hour home alone with just the family and close friends, or you’re crammed in a booth at the Blue Moon trying to shove that last little bit of Big Boy down your throat, the time is nearly at hand.
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"FOUR...THREE...TWO!"
Get those sparklers lit and crackers popped!
For with a bit of static fuzz on that big old screen, the ball strikes its landing and the flashing white numbers switch from 1961 to 1961!
Raise your glasses up to the new year, with all its potential and wonder to come! For Santa Rosita has seen strange things these last few months but all of that is in the past, and there’s bright new hope on the horizon! With the clink of plastic glasses, smooches on the lips from guys to their dolls, everyone is sure.
1961 sure won’t be at all like 1961.
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OOC INFO
Just like the mods are backdating this mini-event, feel free to have your characters do the same!
We don’t intend to retcon any New Year’s Eve activities you might have previously threaded, only to give a chance to have some holiday fun now that real life holidays (and stress) have passed. This will count for January AC, despite the December date in our header. No mod-controlled NPCs are available for this event but we do have an ongoing event with Chief Harding you can tag here.
Got any questions for the festivities? Feel free to ask them over here. Have a happy 1961, everybody!
We don’t intend to retcon any New Year’s Eve activities you might have previously threaded, only to give a chance to have some holiday fun now that real life holidays (and stress) have passed. This will count for January AC, despite the December date in our header. No mod-controlled NPCs are available for this event but we do have an ongoing event with Chief Harding you can tag here.
Got any questions for the festivities? Feel free to ask them over here. Have a happy 1961, everybody!
FAQ
Nie Huaisang at the Blue Moon Diner
Huaisang isn't about to miss a party, and he also isn't about to miss a chance to fit in. Showing up to the Blue Moon Diner in blue moon glam, Huaisang scoots into the booth beside you--whether he knows you or not, you look like good company. "Anything good on the menu?"
ii
With all the music events on the TV in between the scenes from some highly-lit square in New York, Huaisang can't help but be tempted by the music. He's still learning about the local musical styles, and he loves them. They're so fun and high-energy compared to the music of his homeland, and he's recently been learning about dance styles. Grabbing your hand, he pulls you toward an open stretch of floor. "Come on, dance with me!"
iii
The best thing about having his golden core working again, in Huaisang's opinion, is his increased need to eat. He loves food in general, especially sweets, and his golden core burns through food. Cheerfully licking his fingers as he enjoys his fries, Huaisang waves in greeting as you approach. "Want some?"
I
It's my first time here, but from the smell of it, everything here's delicious. [He rubs his stomach.] I'm waitin' on my burger, so don't expect me to order for you.
no subject
When the waitress comes by, he orders one of the specials as well, excited for the fat and salt and meat that are a staple of most things on the diner menu.]
How have you been since the party?
no subject
[He swirls the water in his glass thoughtfully.]
Those reindeer nearly scared the shit outta me, but I don't think they killed anyone. [That he knows of or cares about.] But I think it's all gone. I haven't falling into the lake in almost a week.
no subject
Everything seems... peaceful at the moment. Though I can't help but worry that this 'New Year's Eve' will go as poorly as Halloween and Christmas did. Still, it's nice to be out and in good company. I spent much of the snowstorm alone in my house eating cold leftovers.
no subject
It doesn't look like a weird party, so I guess we're safe. [At least he assumes this is a normal American diner. They have hamburgers and stuff. No one is looming over them and getting mad if they try to leave.]
At least we can all hole up here if something attacks us.
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[He keeps his voice soft while discussing such dangerous topics as these.] They bleed. Sometimes I think they are the most tragic victims of this place.
no subject
[He's entirely unbothered by their demise. He never knew them, so why should he mourn them?]
But that means we gotta make sure it never happens to us.
no subject
I agree we should make sure it never happens to us. But I do think that understanding them is the best defense against becoming them.
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Like they're puppets? I dunno how I could have another personality without actually feelin' it. [He absentmindedly squirts some ketchup onto his place.
no subject
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You still got your own personality, so it's gonna take way too much work to get rid of it. [He takes a big bite of the hamburger, immediately shifting his train of thought.] Mm! It's so juicy!
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Kipo | Kipo | OTA
[Technically a 13-year-old her age shouldn't be out this late, but she's here, and she's ready to party. She's got a burger, fries, and of course - a milkshake.]
All right, let's party!
[She sticks a noise maker in her mouth and blows on it.]
Party!
... I guess this is as exciting as it gets!
[Midnight]
[The countdown happens, and at the strike of midnight, Kipo blows on her noise maker, drinks a flute of non-alcoholic champagne, and... wait.]
-Uhhh... does that say 1961?
( prompt: midnight. )
[ and daylight is certain about it too. after he rubs his eyes a bit to make sure he's not seeing things, the year 1961 still remains on there.
he knocks back the last of his milkshake, unable to hide his frustrated expression but does his best to keep his voice down so it's only kipo hearing his comments. ]
So we're stuck in a town that's stuck in a loop. [ because of course. ]
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Not even a milkshake can make me feel better right now.
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[ he gives a pointed sip of his empty milkshake glass, annoyed and worried by the turn of events. then he looks over at kipo and raises his eyebrows when he realises something: ] You're taking this pretty well, all things considered.
no subject
Still... seeing humans on the surface is kind of nice, even if there's no Mutes around.
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[ oh, a mood. that would have been the weirdest part for him if not for the fact he's, you know, actually human himself. ] I gotta admit... The liveliness is something I didn't think I missed until now. Even if we know we've got ourselves some time shenanigans on our hands.
no subject
[Long story.]
It's kind of nice, isn't it? Seeing everybody here on the surface. I've met so many nice people here, even if we are kind of kidnapped and away from home.
[She does miss her friends. And her parents.]
no subject
plus, she seems happy with the chance of pace. ] It's always nice to meet new faces but, I won't lie, I would like to be back home. Got some unfinished business I need to address and with-
[ he makes a gesture to their surroundings. mostly towards the 1961! still proudly displayed on screen. ]
-this thrown into the mix, I can't help but wonder about some stuff now.
Kiara Sessyoin | Fate/Grand Order | ota
[Since things have calmed down a bit, Kiara doesn't really see much reason to not partake in the festivities. Besides it's a great way to see how people are doing after everything the second half of the month was. She's ordered a shake for the time being, though that cake certainly does sound tempting so maybe she'll get one before she heads back home.
But she'll figure that one out later, for now she'll wave over whoever seems to be looking for a seat. She'd certainly prefer conversation to watching a televised special from decades before she was born. It's not bad, but it's just not really her idea of entertainment.]
There's a seat over here if you'd like. I'm not waiting for anyone, so please feel free.
[B]
[By the time midnight rolls around, Kiara's acquired a party hat from somewhere. It's a bit ridiculous, sure, but she felt it would be a bit rude to decline. At this point though, it feels less festive to her as she glances at the TV with a puzzled expression on her face.]
Oh. That's...
[Not really something she expected. How strange and unexpected.]
I suppose it might still count as new depending on how one looks at it.
[Not like any of them were here in January, so it's not like any of them can say they've been through this before.]
( prompt: b. )
he sets down plastic flute glass with more force than needed, crossing his arms and leaning against the chair he grabbed earlier. ]
It's new alright. [ he rubs his temple with one hand, the other one drumming against his thigh. ] A new source of this headache I have. Does this mean we're in a time situation?
[ really? ]
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[Hardly an expert despite being in a time loop situation right before coming here. But hey, it's not like she really paid attention or got too involved with that mess, so she really doesn't have much expertise in this area.]
Oh...
[A deeply concerned expression crosses her face because there are definitely some concerns about a time issue.]
Do you suppose this means we'll have to go through last month again? And October?
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well. he now knows how to better kick a zombie kid if he does to go through with that again. ] -This is bullshit.
[ there's a surprising amount of heat in daylight's words, finding himself irritated and worried that they're trapped in a loop and they have no idea why. if they don't know why, how can they beat it or stop it from happening to set the timeflow back to normal.
he scratches the back of his head with a lot more force than needed, his glare scanning the place around them in irritation. the sight of people celebrating, laughing, and clearly having fun together has his expression softening pretty quickly, however. ]
Something's going on. [ he sighs, looking back at kiara with raised eyebrows. ] Something's going on and I think we're not the only ones trapped. We're just the only ones aware of it.
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[Admittedly she isn't terribly concerned about them, but that's the logical conclusion. And she sure can continue to wear the concerned expression she had previously.]
I wonder why they're unaware and we're not though. Is that something we have to worry about in our future? Or is there another reason for it?
oh a mood as i struggle to figure out what broke this comment for ten mins......
kiara brought up a really good point and it causes daylight to still, fidgeting halting altogether. why aren't they affected by this? not immediately, at the very most? the worries of slowly losing their autonomy and will are... thing they'll tackle some other time. he promises.
back to the original question: what sets them apart? well, the obvious question is there: ]
Maybe it's because we're not- [ uuurgh. he hates using this word but it's the only way to describe the difference between them. ] -native from here? Not from this place originally?
Could explain why they're pressing so hard for us to conform. It might speed up the possible process of us becoming one. [ urrhghgh. saying it aloud makes chills run down his spine. ]
that absolutely is a mood
[She doesn't like thinking about it either, honestly. Sure, if she were pressed to admit, she's what, exactly? Brainwashed? Indoctrinated? Reprogrammed? Whatever the word is, she's done it a fair bit, so it's not like she would take too much issue with it being done to her.
But at the same time, being made into one of those seems like such a waste. For any of them really.]
I still entirely feel like myself, but if you play a role long enough, even without anything to speed up the process, it can become second nature.
[She'll take a sip of her drink, thinking that over. Unpleasant conversation aside, she's really not interested in letting this go to waste.]
It seems strange though, if the goal is to makes us like that by conforming, then recent events certainly seem counterproductive.
[Kind of hard to conform when reindeer monsters and snowcorpses are about.]
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[ what they've been through could be considered... an extreme response, for sure, but daylight wouldn't put it past it to the people(?) behind all of this trying to wear them down quickly. and for good reason. they had to strip them of their powers, their real forms. knows they're getting into something and are prepared for it.
he huffs and takes a sip of his drink- only to grunt in disgust when he remembers that yeah, right, he finished a few angry sips ago. he doesn't feel like interacting with anyone outside of those in his predicament right now. ] There's got to be somewhere where they're overseeing this. There's got to be. If we can figure that place out and break-in, we'll be able to get our hands on actual things to work with.
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A control room of sorts...
[She's thinking about the one in the oil rig. Sure in her case the mastermind wasn't in there and anything useful wasn't there, but Kiara is painfully aware that no one thinks like her. So if they do find such a place, it's bound to be full of actual useful information! Probably.]
I wonder where that could be.
no subject
[ some heads turn their way and most are pertubred by the sudden burst from his spot. some annoyed for ruining the fun atmosphere.
... whoops. he laughs, weakly, and tries to muster enough confidence as he flahses a pair of thumbs up and a megawatt smile. ] Nothing to hear here, folks! Just pals being pals. Please move along.
[ the fact it worked both surprises and disappoints him. are the people here so used to being told what to do, or ground down to accepting the flow of life no matter what? either answer leaves him feeling twitchy because what if that ends up as them-
brrrrr. for now he's going to count his blessings, lower his voice to something more managable, and continue the talk.
starting off where he left off: ] Yeah. A control room.
It’ll need to be well-defended, well-kept, and, most importantly, well-maintained. There has to be a paper trail for it, disguised as something else.
no subject
[She might be teasing a little. Just a little. She doesn't think they're in any danger over his outburst, not with how everyone settles down. And even if they were, her reaction probably wouldn't differ too much.]
But I can't really think of anywhere like that. Or at least anywhere that checks all those boxes.
[The police station for example checks most of them, but unless the police are running the show, it doesn't fit. The school she works at is well maintained and kept, but she hasn't noticed any security or defense that's out of the ordinary. And so on and so forth.]
Where I worked before, the control room was...in the center of things.
[Yeah, that's a tactful way of putting where she moved it. Definitely.]
But I don't think that necessarily holds true here. This situation is quite different, of course.
[Though not dissimilar enough that she thinks she's wasting time bringing it up. Without context, it doesn't really do anyone other than her good, but talking about it gets her thinking about it, so there's that.]
no subject
how about he focuses his attention on not his faux pas but, rather, the conversation at hand: ]
Maybe it can still apply? [ the center being where the control room is, he means. ] We've got below to think of as well.
[ daylight taps the ground with his foot for emphasis. the first place that comes to mind is the quarry. it leads to the literal underground from what he understands and who knows what's hidden down there if you have enough resources or manpower at your fingertips.
there's also the tunnel, wherever the leads to because despite the claims it'll take them to the highway, daylight knows damn well that's a fucking lie. that many cops shouldn't be crawling there almost 24/7. ]
no subject
[If that's the case, it could be in a number of buildings or other areas.]
Not so many that anyone could just stumble across one, but enough that it would be easily accessible from wherever needed. Assuming of course it's not accessible the same way the village was. If it's a magic door or something along those lines, then we could look forever and not find it.
[She's not trying to be pessimistic about that one even if it might sound that way. If it's magecraft or something along those lines, then her or Da Vinci might be able to figure something out there eventually.]
Please forgive me if that sounded discouraging, I'm merely thinking that if we don't find anything, then perhaps there are other possibilities to consider.
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Not at all. Never hurts to try and be realistic and remind ourselves that there could be roadblocks ahead, even if we make progress. [ which sucks, yeah, but it's why you always gotta keep trying, no matter what the odds may look like. getting deterred once or twice or even thrice and later giving up does no one any good.
it may take them forever to find the place but it doesn't mind it'll take them forever to find out who is using it or what could be in there- a door locked means you gotta try out more doors and see if they'll open. ] So we're in agreement, at least, that there must be a place for them to do stuff like planning and executing their weird stuff. Maybe let's be generous to ourselves and say there are multiple places too.
In my experience, the real smarties make sure to never have all their stuff in one place. That's begging for all your shit to get wrecked by a bomb or a fire or a really angry null ray charger. [ but okay he's gotta off-track here- ] Do you think these ideas are something we should share with others? See what they think and suggest?
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[After all, she's got some experience with being trapped in places and trapping others in places, so she can't be the only one? Probably?]
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[ all the while trying to avoid animal catchers. he sighs again, rubbing his forehead at the mere idea of having to find a decent place that can fit several people, be far away enough to not be noticed or intruded upon by the locals, and offer them some measure of security. that’s not even touching the gathering them, transporting them, and sharing information aspects.
yeesh. ] Yeesh. Much as a headache it’ll be, I want to do that. No doubt others have some measure of experience in this — I do, at least, kind of? — and we’re definitely not the only ones who noticed this.
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[It certainly leaves...a lot to be desired. But she's not going to let that get to her too much. Then again, she isn't terribly interested in dealing with the technological hurdles, she'll leave that to him.]
But yes, I'm sure we can't be the only ones who've noticed.
no subject
You know... [ daylight looks up at the ceiling and sighs, smiling exasperatebly when something comes to mind, at long last. ] Maybe my job can come in clutch when we need to share these kinds of findings.
[ who knew it would come in clutch?
daylight then explains he’s working as a courier. how it allows him to traverse town with little-to-no suspicion. so, if needed, daylight could bring items and letters to the others that won't be detected or snooped at by anyone. ]
... There are flaws to this idea, I know, but better than nothing, right? [ it should get the ball possibly rolling for the group to begin sharing things that they've learned or discovered. he hopes as much. ]
no subject
That does sounds like the perfect cover for sharing information. Just...be careful.
[Kiara would really hate for some sort of terrible fate to befall her friend, okay?]
this is where we can wrap up a thread if you want! i am baffled by how i mixed up threads like that-
all the same, the look of puzzlement morphs into an expression of confidence — one clearly meant both for her and for him, with how he tries to sound convincing and certain as possible: ]
I’ll do what I can! Even if some bumps and bruises happen, I think it’ll be worth it for us if progress is made or ground is covered.
[ he gives her a thumbs up and grins all the while. maybe something will happen, maybe something won’t happen. daylight won’t know until he tries and he will try. better than doing nothing, when the unknown and the mystery is looming over them. ]
Sure, let's wrap this one up! And it's fine, don't worry about it.
And will have hopefully figured out something new between now and then. That would be nice.]