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Save Our Earth Mods ([personal profile] ourearth) wrote in [community profile] saveourearth2019-08-02 09:35 am

More colours than you can shake a stick at, don't even try [Mingle]

Date: Friday, the 2nd of August - officially Saturday, the 10th (and unofficially Sunday, the 11th)
Characters: Open to all!


It is Mossgate's fifth season, and the the first signs come when the flag above the town hall showing the town coat of arms is removed and replaced with the bright and beautiful pride flag. Anticipation is high in the LGBT+ areas of town, and the traditional pride pre-parties take place in the LGBT+ venues on Friday and Saturday nights. Bunting starts to go up along the main streets of town, and volunteers are gathered for meetings and rehearsals. Any latecomers who still wish to volunteer are invited to turn up and make themselves known at this point (especially anyone with a valid first aid certificate!)

Pride officially opens on Sunday, with special free walking tours of the notable LGBT+ venues and sights around town twice a day, as well as open lectures at the universities featuring such topics as “What is a definition anyway: LGBT identities throughout the times” and “50 years and going strong: An overview of the situation of Pride parades worldwide”. Interested parties can sign up online using the local theatre's website, where they will also be able to browse the special LGBT+ program for the week (which, unfortunately, is not free, but those volunteering at any point over the week will be provided with two free tickets as one of their perks – either to be used alone for two events, or with a companion for one). The twice monthly LGBT+ book club is holding a special taster event on Wednesday evening, and the comic store is also holding special events each evening, focusing on a different LGBT+ character or author each night. Some of the religious institutions in the town are holding special LGBT affirmative services, and some are also holding drop in sessions. The RSPCA holds a pride themed dog show. Certain beauty stores, hair salons and barbers are holding trans-friendly sessions and workshops, some outside of normal working hours (although some are only accessible by signing up in advance). During the evening, there will be LGBT+ pub quizzes and special LGBT+ events up and down the high street. And, of course, plenty of other stores will also be taking advantage of the pink pound and the locals will notice the sudden influx of rainbow products, especially in the touristy shops along the beach front.

Something else starts showing up on Sunday and will be found around town the entire week of Pride: Parcels of various shapes, sizes and colours, some packaged like a present, some like regular postal items, some in entirely different ways. They just sit around in places where curious fingers might prod them, annoyed people might move them, or people might pick them up with the rest of the delivery unthinkigly. Essentially, they can be found anywhere, inside and out. They only have one thing in common: When touched, they explode into a cloud of glitter. And the glitter gets everywhere within a fifty metre radius if nothing (like a wall) stops it. The glitter bombs sitting around and waiting to explode seem to get neither less nor more. Those who can recognize Mr Neutral's scent will find it on the packages.

The other thing starts slowly and almost imperceptibly. All around town, things that break the light like thick glass, mirrors, sprayed water, and so on, will grow more likely to show a rainbow. Short rain showers will almost invariably leave one. All of this is still very natural until Thursday, when the strong, lingering, beautiful rainbow left after a rain shower portrays the colours light blue - baby pink - white - baby pink - light blue. By the time the main event rolls around, there is a ridiculous number of rainbows of all Pride flag colours everywhere, and the sky carries multiple rainbows of various identities' colours at the same time.

The main event, of course, being the pride parade, held from 11AM on Saturday the 10th. It starts at the town hall, progresses along the main beach front road and ends up at the Green from around 2PM. It's a massive event, equal to Brighton or Manchester, with plenty of floats and sponsors. All along the parade route, flags, bunting and ribbons float in the sea breeze and barriers have been placed to keep the audience from getting under the feet of the walkers, dancers, prancers and stompers that will make up a part of the parade's diverse make-up. The parade itself is made up of an interesting mix of local businesses and big name sponsors; the local walking society walking behind Absolut vodka, the WI walking ahead of Skittles, and the local scouts being proceeded by Stonewall and followed by the Conservative Party.

The Green has once again been set up with stalls for sponsors and local businesses, including charities like the RSPCA and the Samaritans. Those out for freebies won't be disappointed, with stickers, badges and sweets being handed out left, right and centre, especially by the representations of political parties who are doing their best to build some trust back up with the population. Because every Tory representative called out for increasingly ridiculous reasons, Mary Saunders had to take the Tory stand into her own hands and is brightly chatting with people about everything that is not national politics. The local reproductive health centre also has a stand, handing out condoms, dental dams, and advice.

A dance area and a DJ have been set up around the bandstand, and with several bars having build temporary extensions, the party will go on well into the night, although the parade officially ends at nightfall, when there is a fireworks display. After the fireworks, the Green is temporary cleared, and after it reopens, only those with ID proving themselves to be 18 are allowed back inside. There is, however, an alternative, alcohol free party held in the town hall for any ages.

Pride officially concludes on Sunday evening with the Kings and Queens ball, an extension by tradition that is held in the Hive. With the bar cleared out to make a second dance floor, there is a flamboyant tie dress code, (as long as it's smart and fabulous, you'll be welcomed), and while tickets generally sell out months in advance, Alexander keeps a few to one side for late comers, and volunteers are (again) provided with two as part of their package. When the bell finally tolls at 2AM, and the last partygoers are sent home, Mossgate will return to it's usual, quiet self (but the glitter will take some time to clean up completely).


[ooc: Everyone who comes in contact with the glitter can, but doesn't have to get a plot echo out of it.]
saveournpcs: (other)

All throughout Pride Week

[personal profile] saveournpcs 2019-08-02 07:44 am (UTC)(link)
One new tourist shop has sprung up along the beachfront in a tiny location that used to house a fish and chips shop. It sells all kind of pride themed stuff, unsurprisingly. It just also seems to have a second theme to its merchandise - half the merch are various types of mouse plushies, ranging from fluffy to crocheted, from locally handmade to Micky Mouse merch. The other half are teacups and -pots with tiny Pride flag coloured mice on them. The shopkeeper might look familiar to those who bought tea crockery at the summer fete last year: It's an elderly lady in a dress with a long skirt and long sleeves, sporting a large hat and sunglasses so that pretty much nothing about her is visible.
saveournpcs: (Pat Marsh)

Saturday evening

[personal profile] saveournpcs 2019-08-02 08:04 am (UTC)(link)
On Saturday evening, after all is said and done, Pat Marsh and Mary Saunders can be found in a pub in Mossgate together, each with a pint in front of her. Pat is covered in glitter - she has long given up on removing it, the next bomb will just be around the corner, after all - and Mary seems very tired. She is. It's been a long day.

They won't mind people sitting down with them, but are deep in a quite serious discussion and thus won't invite anyone without being prompted. Those passing by can catch a bit of it. "...might have to close that section of the graveyard," Pat can be heard saying. "The stone mason says that those gravestones might just be a sign of a bigger problem with the safety of the ground. After last Halloween that's really not something we could use..." Mary takes a sip from her pint and shakes her head. "I've heard about similar issues with two of the houses in Folkton. Maybe it's the same thing, the ground somehow lowering? One of the old women that worked for the hospitals that they put in the tunnels during the war said that it might be a tunnel caving, but there shouldn't be any that far away from the cliffs, should there?"
Edited 2019-08-02 08:05 (UTC)
catted: (uh huh)

Monday

[personal profile] catted 2019-08-02 10:38 am (UTC)(link)
On Monday, Mary Ann is cursing up a storm at half eight in the morning. She's standing in the car park outside her work, after having accidentally stepped on what looked like a bin bag to her when getting out of her car.

Whatever it was, it erupted in glitter, and now EVERYTHING is glitter. The front of the house, herself, the street, the car, and even a good deal of the inside of the car.

Eventually the cursing tapers off into: "What the hell was that?!"
iamnotgod: A man, holding a folder in one hand and gesturing with the other, looking off to the right. (And WHAT Is This?)

Re: All throughout Pride Week

[personal profile] iamnotgod 2019-08-02 02:23 pm (UTC)(link)
Walter had faintly noticed the mouse booth during last year's fête, but had elected not to visit it.

Now, what with the Echo-related fuss about dormice, he's much more curious.

Feeling somewhat like a character out of a James Blunt movie, Walter makes a show of looking at everything the shop has to offer before picking a fluffy plush mouse to buy.

"Have you been in Mossgate long?" he asks, once he's at checkout.

"I can't say I recognize you."
saveournpcs: (other)

[personal profile] saveournpcs 2019-08-03 05:49 am (UTC)(link)
She chuckles and gingerly puts the numbers through her little till, an action during which her hands never come into sight due to her long, wide sleeves.

"I have, I have. Longer than you, my boy.

Since long before you were born, I should assume.

But this shop is new. Only here for Pride. My sister's idea to put it up. Most of these are things we made, you see."
channingchanningchanning: (pomeranian: angry)

All throughout Pride Week

[personal profile] channingchanningchanning 2019-08-03 05:52 am (UTC)(link)
There is a tiny ball of glitter dragging glitter everywhere.

...Actually no, it's just Chad. Who is absolutely covered in glitter. The stuff just sticks most excellently to his nice soft fur, making the white dog underneath almost invisible against the newly acquired coating.

The primary way to tell that yes, it is in fact Chad, is of course the barking. He's a bit nervous with all of this, so there's a lot more barking than normal. Move, and he'll bark at you.
iamnotgod: A man, smiling and holding a book. (When He Smiles.)

[personal profile] iamnotgod 2019-08-03 02:03 pm (UTC)(link)
Walter doesn't question whether or not the woman has hands - instead, and more realistically, he wonders whether or not her arms are tattooed, and whether she'd just prefer to keep that private.

"Longer than Nanny Ogg, perchance?"

Give him a timeframe to work from, here.

Walter keeps his tone light, genial.

"They're very well-made," he compliments - meaning it, even though he did find several of the designs... odd.

"You don't have dormice around working as models, do you?"

It's said in a joking tone, but also a genuine question, a testing of the waters as it were.
iamnotgod: A man staring up and off to the right. (And He Asks Why.)

OTA for Walter

[personal profile] iamnotgod 2019-08-04 02:50 pm (UTC)(link)
Prompt 1: Glitter in the Air (Sunday)

He'd tried to be careful; really, he had. If he'd had any reason at all in advance to know it was a glitter bomb, he would have reported it instead.

But he hadn't, and the package had literally blown up in his face. That he wasn't anywhere near the flat was small comfort, and there was a very present-if-irrational worry that the glitter would never come off and would get stuck in his laptop...

And then there was the new memory, which of course couldn't be dislodged. As it was more confusing than irritating, however, panic passed quickly and he made it his most present mission to clean up the mess.

Anyone walking by this particular park in Mossgate can see one small man in a cleaning furor. And possibly hear muttering along the lines of, "Couldn't it at least be biodegradable?"

Certain among his friends will get an additional text: New Echo. Be wary of randomly-placed parcels.

Prompt 2: Rainbows (Also) in the Air (Thursday)

When the nature of the rainbows changes - a light blue - baby pink - white - baby pink - light blue rainbow showing up right above his head - it is at once both awe-inspiring and, frankly, like a nightmare come true.

He runs off. Someone might want to go after him.
iamnotgod: Black and white picture of a man looking up and off to the right. (What Even Is This?)

Re: All throughout Pride Week

[personal profile] iamnotgod 2019-08-04 02:53 pm (UTC)(link)
It looks like both of them have been 'got', then.

Small comforts.

"You haven't found anyone who can give you a bath yet?" Walter asks, exasperated.

He is concerned for the dog, though. Why Chad hasn't taken matters into his own hands - er, paws? - and transformed to go seek his own bath, Walter isn't sure.

Maybe Chad had been too startled to consider it.
spaghettimonster: (RUSSELL 3)

[personal profile] spaghettimonster 2019-08-04 05:10 pm (UTC)(link)
It's Saturday evening, and Russell has half a mind to bury his head in a pint - or into the table itself. His sister's been playing nanny since they returned, after the scare of his appearance changing as she drove them back into the boundary, and the nearly constant company has him on edge.

That was Friday morning. After more than a day back in Mossgate, she's no longer convinced he's going to faint or collapse of malnutrition, or whatever it is she's been thinking, and she seems to be relaxing... as much as she ever relaxes. Now, she's up at the bar, flirting - however successfully or unsuccessfully, he doesn't know or want to watch - with the barmaid.

Russell's at a table with Walter, and they've been catching up on how things have been - especially the things Walter didn't want to talk about over text, with a Russell missing so many memories. Easier to feel and express sympathy when you have an idea of at least half the things being mentioned. Glitter bombs with more terrible memories, strange rainbows that bring to mind those conspiracies about chemicals in the air...

"I don't know why I'm surprised at all this happening. If it isn't one thing, it's... another..." He trails off mid-sentence, frowning as he notices conversation from the next table over.

"...Did you hear that, about the tunnels?"
lovedramamoron: (pic#12874328)

Sunday

[personal profile] lovedramamoron 2019-08-04 05:11 pm (UTC)(link)
Too late.
iamnotgod: Black and white picture of a man looking up and off to the right. (What Even Is This?)

[personal profile] iamnotgod 2019-08-04 05:22 pm (UTC)(link)
Half of Walter's explanations are backed up with real-time citations - double-timing with looking at webspace, ironically enough, helps his eyes wander less and reduces the chance of Russell's sister coming back and trying to flirt with him - but the other half remains speculation.

Those snippets of conversation do not escape his notice, however, and he devotes extra milliseconds towards reviewing his memories of the conversation.

"'Another' sounds like the right word," he says, nodding for emphasis.

"Do you think they'd mind us hopping over? They are off-duty."

In other circumstances he might have been able to suppress his curiosity - but it's not his main focus just now, and that costs him precious self-awareness.
iamnotgod: A man, staring down and left, looking unimpressed and/or concentrating. (*Really?*)

Re: Sunday

[personal profile] iamnotgod 2019-08-04 05:23 pm (UTC)(link)
[Oh, joy of joys.]

Where'd you find yours? I'm at the park.

[Walter goes on to specify which park as well, just in case.]
lovedramamoron: (pic#12879340)

[personal profile] lovedramamoron 2019-08-04 05:28 pm (UTC)(link)
It was waiting outside my door. I thought someone had just delivered a package.
iamnotgod: Shade Over Face (What Did You Do To Me?)

[personal profile] iamnotgod 2019-08-04 06:24 pm (UTC)(link)
Not unreasonable. Though, we've had recent reason to take interest in unexpected packages, too.

[Recent by Jimmy's standards, anyway, not Walter's.]
lovedramamoron: (pic#12879340)

[personal profile] lovedramamoron 2019-08-04 06:35 pm (UTC)(link)
Obviously I know not to touch packages on the doorstep now. It took me forever to clean up all the glitter.
iamnotgod: A man, holding a folder in one hand and gesturing with the other, looking off to the right. (And WHAT Is This?)

[personal profile] iamnotgod 2019-08-04 07:07 pm (UTC)(link)
Whoever did this better not replace opened packages, or we'll never be done.

[Walter envies you for being clean now, Jimmy. Just a little.]
lovedramamoron: (pic#12874328)

Throughout the Week

[personal profile] lovedramamoron 2019-08-04 07:47 pm (UTC)(link)
It started on Sunday, when Jimmy nearly tripped over the package lying just outside the front door. It exploded into glitter, and he fell into the all too familiar feeling of an echo. But this time it came with no memories, no new knowledge. Only glitter settling into everything.

The next day he happened to be standing by another package when someone made an attempt to steal it. He got covered in glitter again.

The day after? A pickpocket, who tripped over a package while running away. Jimmy was brushing glitter out of his hair for the rest of the day.

From there, it kept happening. More pickpockets. People trying to steal the packages and walk off with them right in front of him. And every time it ended with his being covered in glitter.

saveournpcs: (Pat Marsh)

[personal profile] saveournpcs 2019-08-04 08:33 pm (UTC)(link)
"I don't think there should be any tunnels down there..." the reverend frowns. "Why would anyone have dug that far inland? But perhaps there's natural caves..?"
dreamtamer: (around the corner)

Monday

[personal profile] dreamtamer 2019-08-04 09:51 pm (UTC)(link)
On Monday night Thom comes home from taking Gizmo from a walk, laughing at the glitter in their hair (and Gizmo had a lot of hair to hide glitter in), but confused. It had felt like an echo. Just like before. But nothing seemed to have changed.

Later that night he sends out a message.

Has anyone ever felt like an echo was happening without getting one?
lovedramamoron: (pic#12879340)

[personal profile] lovedramamoron 2019-08-04 10:04 pm (UTC)(link)
Don't even joke about that. Running into one of those was enough for me.
iamnotgod: A man staring slightly off-center, looking serious. (Let Me Explain You A Thing)

[personal profile] iamnotgod 2019-08-04 10:15 pm (UTC)(link)
I wish I could be joking about this; given what happened on the lead-up to Mother's Day it is a very real possibility.

[Walter's not happy about it, either.]
iamnotgod: A man, hands up at chest level, staring left and down (In The Dark)

Re: Monday

[personal profile] iamnotgod 2019-08-04 10:20 pm (UTC)(link)
I'd thought that was the case with my first Echo. But it wasn't so much a change as a memory that hadn't made sense at the time.

[But, over the past year, he'd come to understand a bit more of what had gone on.

That's not necessarily helpful to Thom, though.]

Echoes can bring all sorts of things, though, not just memories or physical objects. It might well just be something that isn't relevant to your lives yet, this time.
dreamtamer: (pic#7374738)

[personal profile] dreamtamer 2019-08-04 10:34 pm (UTC)(link)
So it did something, but I can't see it?
iamnotgod: A man staring slightly off-center, looking serious. (Let Me Explain You A Thing)

[personal profile] iamnotgod 2019-08-04 10:42 pm (UTC)(link)
That's the most likely option.

[He'd say 'go ask your mother', but he honestly has no idea if Mary Ann would be able to make anything of this.]

Short of helping brainstorm situations that might trigger Echoes that could add context, though, I'm not sure how to help.

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