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Sphere Mods ([personal profile] sphererpmod) wrote in [community profile] thespherelogs2019-09-02 08:19 pm

Fourth Wall Month!

Who: Everyone and visiting Characters!
What: The Fourth Wall log!
When: The month of September!.
Where: All over.
Notes: If you have any questions about how this all works, please head over here to the Fourth Wall info post!.

Fourth Wall Log!
Company's coming!
So the Sphere is malfunctioning and there’s new arrivals here. In order to give them somewhere to sleep and rest, the Sphere has given them all temporary housing in dorm dome number two! That means sunken beds, three squares a day that are already prepared for you and clothing in the closets that just happen to be to your character’s taste. (And you know if they happen to die then you’ve got a nice space to Rez.) All and all it’s a nice little home base for people to have. There’s several common areas for mingling, and all though there aren’t individual rooms for the characters who are staying there, the domes also provide screens for privacy. Don’t worry, no one’s spying on you or something. Probably.

John (one of our resident NPCs here, who is a doctor and also a ghost but shush) knows the importance of family, and she knows how tough it can be when people arrive in a place they don’t know. The visitors haven’t really had the same experience as people brought in the traditional way, so John has stationed herself in the dorms with a sort of ipad thing, and she’s offering to take people’s information and to show them how things like the network work. She’s also there to hold hands and deal with any medical issues that these new arrivals may just happen to have. If people don’t want to talk to her, that’s totally fine! She won’t push. But she’ll also provide directions to places if people need them. Or at least point them in the general places that they need to go.

Speaking things out into the void.
This is a prompt for visiting characters to be able to put out a network post without actually joining the network community! Upon waking in The Sphere, each character (even temporary ones!) are fitted with a small golden circle behind their right ear. This is how they are connected to the network through a neural link. Touch and hold the button to create a broadcast of one of three types:
  1. Audio. Your character thinks audible words onto the network.
  2. Writing: Your character thinks text into the network.
  3. Video. Your character projects a broadcast of a video of themselves onto the network.
Replies are determined by the player. The network needs to be accessed by choice, so character broadcasts are not automatically beamed directly into people’s heads. The Sphere isn’t that rude.

Private messages are allowed by pressing and holding and pressing and holding again as you picture the person in your mind. This can be an image or a name, err more on the side of things being more accessible than less.

God let people have their pumpkin spice lattes, Karen!
It’s September, and that means that fall has hit the Sphere hard. Well, as hard as any place can be without having actual seasons or sunlight. So, in the artificial sun of the Sphere, what there is instead of colder weather and leaves changing is a new festival. The festival, which if you ask someone who’s been there for a while is in celebration of the most fall thing in the entire world: pumpkin spice. That’s right, there’s an entire festival just centered around pumpkin spice flavored things! Of course, the people of the Sphere do try and make an effort to invoke the spirit of the season, with large garlands of fake brightly colored leaves lining the street. The scents of pumpkin spice fill the air and there are small fire pits near Adirondack chairs that are clustered together with all the things to make s’mores.

For those not pumpkin minded, there are also a fair amount of apples picked from the Sphere orchards, and a few small knives. Some older women promise that if people can peel the apples in a long spiral and throw them behind them, then the peel will form the initial of the person that the thrower is destined to marry. Of course there is also bobbing for apples and pumpkin carving.

In both the merchant dome and the agricultural dome there’s massive tables brimming with enough pumpkin foods to make Harry Potter jealous. There’s all sorts of pumpkin baked goods, pumpkin ravioli, roasted pumpkin and vegetables and there’s even roasted meats with pumpkin sauce! There's also drinks of both the alcoholic and non alcoholic sort: pumpkin beer, pumpkin spice wine, pumpkin spice vodka, apple spiced whiskey and so on! At each place is a coffee cart with a poor overworked barista who is doling out every sort of pumpkin coffee, hot chocolate and tea imaginable including yes pumpkin spice lattes.

We're waiting for the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.
There’s even a pumpkin carving contest in the agricultural dome! Pumpkins of different sizes ranging from small sugar ones to ones that could comfortably form a children’s fort are stacked around, and there are picnic tables set in newspaper and with things like knives and scoopers and nails and even drills for those people who want to remove the pumpkin guts or use them to do some carving. Everyone who participates receives a ribbon as well as a bag of toasted pumpkin seeds to take home.

They hope you really like pumpkin seeds. There’s a ton of them.

When the dark comes, people hunker down between the false stars above, with blankets all around them, the scent of pumpkin in the air. Flashlights and small lanterns are distributed by people, and when asked what’s going on, they’ll say that they’re waiting for The Great Pumpkin. Children whisper the name excitedly, and even some of the more inebriated adults do the same. Either way, at midnight the largest pumpkin rises above the crowd to gasps of shock and awe before it just magically changes into the types of candy and small toys that one would expect to come from an excellently stocked pinata.

The color of magical bounty.
In the rec dome, some magically gifted people have conjured up massive piles of dried leaves for people to frolic in. And when I say massive, I mean massive. It’s almost like an entire forest of leaves that’s thankfully free of all of the problems that come with jumping in leaves. With no animals in the Sphere, there’s not any of their presents hiding in the leaves and anything sharp hasn’t been created! Which means that it’s great for things like jumping in, burying things in and of course leaf fights.

If your character is missing nature, the area smells exactly how one would expect a late September walk in the woods to smell: it’s almost as if you’re there! The sunlight in the dome has also been altered a bit where the leaves are located, so it’s cooler, and a slight wind seems to be in the air, stirring the leaves every so often. It’s enough to encourage sweaters and scarves, that have been provided by people if they’d like them. The scarves and sweaters all seem to be of the handmade variety, and just the tiniest bit irregular, with one sleeve longer than the other, or the fringe on a scarf being slightly askew, that sort of thing. But they’re still lovely and soft and warm and smell of dryer sheets and leaves.

And we're flying, flying far beyond...
So the Sphere saw that everyone just loved the fireflies last month so this month it decided that what the city needs is to fly for real! So in the Rec dome, there’s a marked pad that people can step on that lets people fly around this particular dome for 30 minutes at a go using the same sort of controls that the communications behind your ear has! Press quickly once to go up and twice to go down. The clearance in the dome clocks in somewhere around 400 feet so there’s plenty of room for flying and even going up and touching the top of the dome and staring out into the abyss of water.

Be careful though because sometimes if you stare too long into the abyss, things just happen to stare back at you and then there are things in the deep water that you may not expect. Or that you might. Giant fish and squid may just find all this unusual activity quite interesting. But don’t worry the dome won’t crack. Guess what! You are now the fish in the aquarium for them! Or you know the bird flying past the cat in the window.

Wanna go to a real party? (CW: Mentions of drugs and alcohol.)
If people are looking for more illicit entertainment, and discreet inquiries are made, a passcode to the Black Market hidden behind some of the stalls is offered. The entrance is hidden enough that someone needs to be looking for it, and there is a rather large bouncer guarding the door and asking for the proper passcode. The passcode of the day happens to be I hate pumpkin.

Inside the black market is large, but much more dimly lit than the regular market dome. There are various pockets of people clustered under bright neon lights. The lights, someone confides to you, are code for what they’re offering. And nearly everything is on offer if a person has the ability to make a trade. Things from home, character skills and even favors tend to be the currency here, but watch out: the hawkers within are shrewd and sharp. If they make a deal with someone, it’s nearly always going to favor them. Eventually.

There’s also a large and loud party happening inside. Think of a rave with a large amount of people who happened to be a bit out of their minds. Drugs aren’t given freely here, they’re too valuable, but should someone want to figure out what they’re rolling on, eventually someone will ask or offer. The drug that they are currently using is called ‘self’ and it’s something that affects your character in an intensely personal way. For some, it’s an experience like your favorite cocktail mixed with vicodin, and for others it’s just like being drunk. For still more people, it’s like ecstasy without the side effects.

The drug has no physically addictive properties. It does however cause a hangover. The Sphere doesn't want to take all the fun out of imbibing too much.

photo inspiration

[personal profile] fancybroad 2019-09-04 07:58 am (UTC)(link)
Any who have given you assistance since your arrival here. [Does she have to force him to write thank you letters to everyone now? She feels like that's where this might go if she continues down this particular line of conversation. So, she chooses to cut it off by focusing instead on his accomplishments. Or his bragging. It's a bit of both, but that was something he was always inclined to do.]

That is an accomplishment that is worthy of being proud of, Loki. Though, I must admit it seems a bit uncharacteristic of you to be so generous in offering your assistance. [Especially to mortals.] Not that I wish to dissuade this change of heart. [But she does wonder what finally brought it on.]
itsnothingpersonal: (loki_032)

[personal profile] itsnothingpersonal 2019-09-04 09:38 pm (UTC)(link)
And I have. [He petulance is slowly creeping back into his voice. He loves this woman more than he can ever put into words, but seriously mom?] Shall I provide a list, maybe send them small boxes of chocolate and choice salon credit?

[There's a sense of stubborn pride mixed with sadness that filters across the network at her words. Thor thinking less of him? Understandable. Thor's friends thinking he's self-serving and arrogant? Permissible. Mother?]

They insisted on tagging along.

[personal profile] fancybroad 2019-09-05 03:37 am (UTC)(link)
I think that's actually a beautiful idea, Loki. Perhaps it would give you something positive to occupy yourself with. [Well, now this is what she expects of him.]

And you allowed this? Despite the knowledge that you could most certainly have handled the situation yourself? >[She's impressed he would have even allowed them to go along with him.]
itsnothingpersonal: (pic#13183842)

[personal profile] itsnothingpersonal 2019-09-05 06:52 am (UTC)(link)
Why do you assume I haven't been focusing on something positive, Mother?

[He nods.]

I did, yes. There aren't any easy means of escape here, is there? I thought it best we work together rather than antagonize one another.

[personal profile] fancybroad 2019-09-05 07:31 am (UTC)(link)
I assume nothing, Loki. If you have been focusing on positive actions then I would be proud to hear of them. [Go on, impress her.]

Is that the only reason you chose to help them? Simply because it would be unwise to make enemies in such a remote location?
itsnothingpersonal: (pic#13183842)

[personal profile] itsnothingpersonal 2019-09-06 07:15 am (UTC)(link)
Well, I...that is an associate and I further explored the inner recesses revealed during the repairs to better understand our predicament. What we found there was fascinating, magicks I've never encountered before, technologies that are...antiquated but suggest this place has been in operation for quite some time.

[We also found something entirely living (possibly) but that doesn't need to be discussed...yet.] Is that positive enough for you, Mother?

[Because you know me, mom. You know very well why I allowed those people to help and it had nothing to do with benevolence and everything to do with opportunity.]

[personal profile] fancybroad 2019-09-07 05:39 am (UTC)(link)
An associate? [She sees him trying to hide defining the people he has associated with here and it only makes her more curious.] It sounds like a productive use of your time. [Unless he is planing on using that knowledge for less than good things.]
itsnothingpersonal: (easycompany_009)

[personal profile] itsnothingpersonal 2019-09-07 07:27 am (UTC)(link)
Yes. Her name is Charis. She's a member of a race I've never heard of or read about in any tomes in the library.

[He does nod, though.]

It was fascinating, Mother, and enlightening if also daunting. Leaving this place isn't as simple as simply finding the exit.

[personal profile] fancybroad 2019-09-08 04:12 am (UTC)(link)
I am sure that in itself peaked your interest. [There were very little realms that they did not have records about in their libraries.]

Well, I am certain if anyone were to find a way out it will be you.
itsnothingpersonal: (loki_035)

[personal profile] itsnothingpersonal 2019-09-08 05:45 am (UTC)(link)
...perhaps. [And that particular grin says clearly that was the chief motivation, though it turns into something more akin to pride at his mother's praise.]

I'll do my best, Mother.
Edited 2019-09-08 05:45 (UTC)

[personal profile] fancybroad 2019-09-08 06:29 am (UTC)(link)
That is a statement I am very pleased to hear, Loki. [She falls silent for a second.] It seems you have made some actual friends in this place. But what of you and your brother? [Are you still trying to kill him?]
itsnothingpersonal: (Default)

[personal profile] itsnothingpersonal 2019-09-08 05:02 pm (UTC)(link)
Thor? [As though he isn't sure, momentarily, to whom she might be referring.] No. He and I...reconciled.

[He pauses for a moment, not even sure where to begin, before continuing.]

Perhaps this is a conversation better shared in person.

[personal profile] fancybroad 2019-09-09 07:06 am (UTC)(link)
That is one of the best suggestions I have heard you make in quite some time, Loki. Shall I come to you? [So she can hug him for finally making up with his brother.]
itsnothingpersonal: (pic#13183840)

[personal profile] itsnothingpersonal 2019-09-09 10:05 pm (UTC)(link)
[For a moment, he doesn't respond, as though meeting her in person might somehow shatter this illusion and the reality of her death due to his actions will return. After a moment's pause, he responds.]

No, mother, I can come to you.

[And not as an illusion. He's been trying to avoid that as of late. It's part and parcel of trying to change, after all.]

[personal profile] fancybroad 2019-09-10 08:03 am (UTC)(link)
As you wish. Do not make me wait too long. [The voice she uses is gentle. It seemed like an appropriate time for some teasing to lighten the mood.]
itsnothingpersonal: (loki_026)

[personal profile] itsnothingpersonal 2019-09-11 08:56 pm (UTC)(link)
[He smiles at that, because this must be a dream that he's able to see his mother's face again.]

I'm always prompt when I mean to be, Mother.

[personal profile] fancybroad 2019-09-12 03:37 am (UTC)(link)
[She's just going to wait for her son patiently, hopefully he won't keep her too long.]
itsnothingpersonal: (editspacks2_001)

[personal profile] itsnothingpersonal 2019-09-15 08:40 am (UTC)(link)
[Frigga wasn't difficult to find, and Loki made his way to her as soon as she'd asked. When he sees her, he stops, staring. The last time he'd seen her alive, she'd been nothing but an illusion, defiant of Odin's orders, visiting him in his prison. He'd been callously bitter, and his last words rang in his ears as his eyes fell on her.

He swallows, squares his shoulders, and approaches, forcing an easy smile.
]

Hello, Mother.

[personal profile] fancybroad 2019-09-16 06:55 am (UTC)(link)
[A mother was still a mother, no matter what her son may or may not have done. Once he got close enough for her to reach she pulled him into tight hug. Hearing him say mother again almost brought tears to her eyes. That last argument where he'd defiantly told her such a bold face lie had stung more than she would have ever let on. His motives had been clear. No matter what he thought he was always so terribly easy to read. ]

It is good to see you, Loki. [She pulled back, still keeping hold of both his hands, and looked him over in that way only a mother could. There had been changes, that was as clear as day.]
itsnothingpersonal: (archivedits_001)

[personal profile] itsnothingpersonal 2019-09-20 09:11 pm (UTC)(link)
[For his part, Loki clenched his jaw as she pulled him close, trying not to tense. The last time he'd seen his mother, he'd said such awful things, and it had been a year since he'd felt the warmth of her skin against his own, or anyone's for that matter. All he'd had all that time were his illusions. Since his release from captivity, he'd taken his mother's words to heart, that one loses track of what's real when one lives in illusions too long.

She'd notice the shine in his eyes a she held him to look him over, but he swallowed before he actually speaks.
]

And you, Mother.

[personal profile] fancybroad 2019-09-21 05:46 am (UTC)(link)
I see you are as restrained as ever, Loki. [There was no doubt that there was a distinctive shine to his eyes and that only made her squeeze him again. Clearly much had happened to him since she they had last spoken.]
itsnothingpersonal: (editspacks2_001)

[personal profile] itsnothingpersonal 2019-09-25 05:30 pm (UTC)(link)
[He couldn't help the smile that touched his lips. She was here. Alive.]

Would you have me some other way?

[personal profile] fancybroad 2019-09-26 02:38 am (UTC)(link)
Perhaps I would. [She smiled.] Perhaps I would like to see you finally express what went through that mind of yours.
itsnothingpersonal: (pic#13186445)

[personal profile] itsnothingpersonal 2019-09-28 08:00 pm (UTC)(link)
[He flexed his jaw for a moment, saying nothing. There were so many conflicting thoughts rushing through his mind and he swallowed, casting his eyes away from her gaze.]

What do you last remember?

[personal profile] fancybroad 2019-10-02 11:42 am (UTC)(link)
[ She pauses before answering because she knew what was in store for her. ] Malekith and his brute.