sphererpmod: (Default)
Sphere Mods ([personal profile] sphererpmod) wrote in [community profile] thespherelogs2019-01-01 02:35 pm

January Welcome Event

Who: Everyone!
What: January's welcome log.
When: Jan 1st-7th
Where: All over the place.
Warnings:
Notes: This is your January welcome log with Sphere New Year Traditions. Come in, go nuts.


A new day has come.

So unlike many other places, the Sphere doesn’t celebrate New Years on New Year’s Eve. Instead they celebrate it in s three day festival commencing on January first to the third. The festival starts on the first at dawn with people waking up early to watch the first unofficial sunrise in the Sphere. Unlike most other days, this sunrise is universal, moving into each of the domes and filling them with such a bright light that it looks like an idealized version of a bright summer’s day. Groups of people join together to watch it in the dormitory dorms as well as in several public areas. The agriculture dome and the recreational domes are popular places for such activities and there are several places where there appear to be flowers blooming and almost the sound of birdsong.

Also in the more public places, there are large tables filled up with what seems to be a standard light breakfast of fruit, cheese and various loaves of bread, including a particular loaf of bread that everyone is given either in their attendance or in the dome itself. It’s a circular loaf with nuts on it that’s perfect for sharing. Indeed people keep trying to share a piece with the characters around them.

One thing that’s missing though? None of the places seem to have any sort of caffeine in any form. If questioned about it, someone knowledgeable will respond: “you can’t have caffeine until the sun sets!” The words come with a good natured laugh and characters are then handed a glass of fruit juice.

Out with the old and in with the new.

As the sun is about to set on the first day, crowds gather in the rec dome. There in the middle of the area there’s a large bonfire set up. The smoke billows up towards the top of the dome before it disappears. People gathered around the fires are throwing old possessions into it, some of which are their own and some of them are the possessions of the people who had left. The idea is to unburden yourself of things to face the new year with a clean slate.

There are smaller fires around, and they burn different colors with the smoke being sweet smelling and light. Some people show the newcomers how to gather the smoke in their hands and release it over their heads, in order to clear out dark thoughts and whatever is troubling people. The smoke gives people a slight feeling of euphoria, and makes them feel as if whatever is happening isn’t quite as bad as they think it is.

And we’re dancing through life.

On the second day, the public domes are fairly dead. The merchant dome is closed and only a few restaurants are open, and only those are for delivery. The entire city almost seems to be holding their breath and waiting for something. When the clock turns to eight pm, it’s almost as if the entire city is lit in a combination of stars and candlelight. In the gardens in the Rec dome, a large ball has been set up. Everyone in the city has been given their ideal fancy dress outfit, including mask in order to wear to it. The idea behind it is that the characters are in the middle of their transitional state. Day one was the day they put their old life behind them, and day three will be the day that they form their new selves for the year ahead. Which is why at the ball, people wear masks and have the option to give into some of the things that they wouldn’t normally do.

Wanna eat that there whole pint of ice cream? Go nuts. Wanna drink a bottle of vodka? Hey it’s your liver and it’s not like you can die! Wanna hook up in a dark corner with a stranger. It’s your life and there’s some nice velvet couches over there; out of sight and out of mind.

Dinner is in the form of an elaborate meal, sort of along the idea of Fat Tuesday in New Orleans, no expense is spared and everything is extremely well done and extravagant. Rich food, insane desserts, open bar, everything this night is too excess. At various points in the evening, the sky which has been showing stars shifts into things like fireworks, and glowy nebuleuses, causing people to burst into spontaneous bouts of applause.

All the while, there are various and shifting dance floors with an assortment of music to dance to, including classical, swing, fiddles, big band, pop, R&B, and basically anything that you can think of. The dances that people do there are as varied as the population, the drunkenness level and of course the all important dances of people's native Caucasia.

The party goes until dawn, at which point, the drunken releveries spill onto the streets, and people return to their personal domes singing loudly and off key.

A new day a new you

So despite however much you may have done the night before, or whatever else you may have engaged in, and however long you may have stayed awake for, when your head hits the pillow, you wake up feeling well great for lack of a better word. You have no hangover, you're not tired, you're not in pain, and any heavy or dark thoughts will suddenly seem not at all so bad. It may be better than you've felt in your entire time in the Sphere, or better than a long time depending on how things are at home.

Either way, when you wake up, day is late (even if your character doesn't normally sleep) and there is a crowd of people in the agriculture dome. People are there working together in order to plant new things in the greenhouse. They're planting baby plants that will grow to feed people in the new year, according to Annie, and it's all about breathing new life into the world.

Afterwards, there are different things like yoga and meditation classes, and people just spread out smiling among the flowers. No one is as pushy as normal, it's just kind of there. They're just kind of there, stretching, enjoying the sunshine and just kind of chilling.

Later, people set up a large sort of barbecue and outdoor kitchen. Food is cooked communally, and people will ask your character to come and cook. Even if you can't cook, passing out food or cleaning up. This is a community building activity people tell ya, so you can go with it or not. But the rest of the city is, so please enjoy some delicious food your characters may or may not have a hand in cooking or giving out. Wine and fruit juice is in a wide abundance here, as is water and caffeinated drinks. A few people can even be found having some harder stuff (vodka and whiskey) if your character looks to be in need of it.

And the end of the night, the sky above the dome lights up with aurora borealis, in brilliant lights and hues, and there are what appear to be a smattering of actual, living fireflies buzzing lazily around. People who are here longer than the characters seem puzzled, and more than a few children and adults are out catching them between their palms.


Inspiration images

11calls: (3)

[personal profile] 11calls 2019-01-06 09:50 pm (UTC)(link)
[Okay. So that’s impressive and Alex just grins at him in response. She can’t help it. Nor can she help the low wolf whistle that comes along with it and is then followed by a rather bright and cheerful grin. ]

Wow Dorian you look great! I love the whole outfit. Damn. I should have you take Richard shopping next time there’s a giant event like this.
tevinteraltus: {<user name="vikael">} (069)

[personal profile] tevinteraltus 2019-01-12 06:12 pm (UTC)(link)
I may be persuaded to attempt separating him from his monochromatic fate, but the question remains: what's in it for me?

[He smiles though, mischievous rather than any sort of actual meanness.]

Though I hesitate to see what he's attended in if at all, to stand beside this.

[He gives her a long look, appreciating the dress and the figure beneath.] I do hope it's worthy of the woman.
11calls: he's hot but look at him (look at this idiot)

[personal profile] 11calls 2019-01-13 10:32 pm (UTC)(link)
My undying love and gratitude and the fact that he’s wearing something that actually brings out those fantastic eyes of his?

[Laughing softly, Alex gestured around towards the crowd where he’s gone off in search of scotch.]

He came of course. Wearing black which I actually don’t mind because god damn can that man wear a suit, especially with a waistcoat.

[Alex may be the slightest bit tipsy right now.]

Not that I'd tell him that, of course. You should have seen the joke suit I bought him for Christmas. It was ghastly.
tevinteraltus: {<user name="anabiotic">} (062)

[personal profile] tevinteraltus 2019-01-15 03:35 am (UTC)(link)
[He raised an eyebrow.]

Ghastly, you say? I believe I'll need more details.
11calls: (lol really)

[personal profile] 11calls 2019-01-15 11:42 pm (UTC)(link)
[Alex just beams at him for a moment, before she presses behind her ear and just sends him a picture of the suit with it's terrible ghosts and all. Because honestly, who needs a suit like that other than the Alpha Skeptic Richard Strand?]
tevinteraltus: c: ?? (002)

[personal profile] tevinteraltus 2019-01-17 09:46 pm (UTC)(link)
[After a moment, he starts laughing.] Oh my! Choice work, that. Has he worn it yet?
11calls: (9)

[personal profile] 11calls 2019-01-17 11:23 pm (UTC)(link)
[Alex just beams at him for a longer moment before she shakes her head with a smirk.]

Nope. He burned it in the fires yesterday, actually. Spoilsport.
tevinteraltus: (dorian_003)

[personal profile] tevinteraltus 2019-01-22 04:06 am (UTC)(link)
[At that, Dorian shakes his head.]

Truly a tragedy. Clearly, you'll need to remain persistent.
11calls: (3)

[personal profile] 11calls 2019-01-22 07:10 am (UTC)(link)
[That just makes Alex laugh all the more.]

Of course I'll have to be. He hates it.

[So clearly it needs to be done. In the name of love. It's what they do.]
tevinteraltus: {<user name="anabiotic">} (005)

[personal profile] tevinteraltus 2019-01-22 08:42 pm (UTC)(link)
Do keep me abreast of the developments.

[He smiles.]

He really does bristle most amusingly.
11calls: (i'm not saying anything)

[personal profile] 11calls 2019-01-23 02:16 am (UTC)(link)
He really does.

[A beat and another laugh.]

He would say the same thing of me, honestly. It's probably why he burned it.
tevinteraltus: {<user name="anabiotic">} (041)

[personal profile] tevinteraltus 2019-01-23 10:32 pm (UTC)(link)
Normally I wouldn't condone the destruction of a good suit, but really, you did see it, didn't you?
11calls: (dorkly)

[personal profile] 11calls 2019-01-24 01:13 am (UTC)(link)
[Alex just leaned in and whispered in a conspiratorial tone.]

It really wasn't a good suit. It was polyester. I'm pretty sure that if Richard believed in god, it'd be like some sort of cardinal sin.

[The laughter is completely evident in her tone, she can't help it.]

And yeah, of course I saw it. I mean, that's why I bought it! I sort of used it as wrapping paper for his actual present, honestly. My taste isn't really that bad.

[Most of the time.]
tevinteraltus: {<user name="anabiotic">} (059)

[personal profile] tevinteraltus 2019-01-27 02:51 am (UTC)(link)
Polyester? The material, I take it? [The word seems to have no meaning to him.]

Cheap then? And you claim to love this man?
11calls: (2)

[personal profile] 11calls 2019-01-27 06:11 am (UTC)(link)
[That makes Alex laugh all the more.]

Cheap and horrible and extremely flammable and smelled terribly when he he burnt it today. That was the joke present.

The real present is personal and tasteful and expensive and very from me.
tevinteraltus: {<user name="curled">} (021)

[personal profile] tevinteraltus 2019-01-28 02:34 am (UTC)(link)
Almost curious, but I'll move on for now.

[Because 'personal' also suggests 'provocative' and he's not interested in hearing about her sex life.]

Maybe of the materials here smell awful when burned, honestly. It's disheartening.
11calls: (6)

[personal profile] 11calls 2019-01-30 10:23 pm (UTC)(link)
[Alex just chuckles softly, and she shrugs a bit. It's definitely not a sex life thing, it's actually a watch, but she's not going to tell him about that if he doesn't want to hear.]

Well, a good thing is that I don't think that they burn things all that often, if that helps any.
tevinteraltus: {<user name="anabiotic">} (050)

[personal profile] tevinteraltus 2019-02-02 10:28 pm (UTC)(link)
I should hope not.

[He glances upward toward the domed ceiling.]

This place was hardly designed to breath.
11calls: When did I start working for you, exactly?! (Researching)

[personal profile] 11calls 2019-02-04 06:23 pm (UTC)(link)
Yeah. But they seem to have a really good filtration system. I mean they kinda have to considering how many people the city holds. Yeah there’s a lot of plants everywhere for photosynthesis but there’s also not enough I don’t think to convert all of the carbon monoxide to oxygen again.
tevinteraltus: {<user name="herbskillz">} (071)

[personal profile] tevinteraltus 2019-02-05 05:41 pm (UTC)(link)
Yes, indeed.

[It's plain from his expression her words mean little to him, but that they aren't beyond his comprehension. Simply that he's never encountered them before.]

Hooray for plants.
11calls: (smiling)

[personal profile] 11calls 2019-02-06 09:46 pm (UTC)(link)
[The way he says it makes Alex laugh quickly, and she can't help it.]

I'm a big fan of plants, honestly.