"It’s, once again, the beginning of our Fall Semester here at CCU, and I’m happy to welcome each and every one of you to campus! Here at Cherry Coastal University, we’re here to help you find your path, and whether that’s joining our social clubs, or supporting you through major requirements and crammed study sessions - we’re all up to the task. On behalf of the entire staff here on campus, have an excellent year, and always hold your head up high knowing that you’re part of the CCU community. Go Cherriots!”
“As for the students - and young citizens of our town - who were called into meetings with me during orientation, you have all unfortunately been summoned to campus for community service this weekend. Our beloved, and historic library has been left dismantled and askew - much like the historic carousel that was destroyed at the Orchard Shore Boardwalk earlier this summer - and to pay back your debt to CCU and it students, you will spend the day cleaning up your mess. The Cherry PD has been generous enough to offer this in lieu of further punishment, but if you wish to arrange something different you may contact Chief Keith Kenner directly. See you soon, Breakfast Club.”
The one and only Orchard Shore Boardwalk has invited us all to a sneak peek of the brand new stretch of sand that’s taking Cherry by storm: Carousel Cove! They promise Food, Games, and Fun in the Sun - but local protestor, Sylvia Salt has something more sinister to say on the matter at hand.
“It’s just despicable, you know?” Mrs. Salt scoffs, holding her homemade sign; ‘DOWN WITH HARGROVE, DOWN WITH ORCHARD SHORE!’ painted artfully across it’s surface. “Buying up the town, little by little; raising the prices on rent - tearing down our historic buildings! He says it’s all fun and games, but where does it stop?” She - along with her daughter, active local protestor Sloane Salt - are two of the many locals intent on stopping the new Boardwalk expansion. Their protest began shortly before the controversial purchase of local landmark Motel Row - a row of motels built in the early 1920′s that used to overlook the beach - and it’s only been ramping up in steam since then.
As the citizens of Cherry know, we rely on tourism to keep those beloved Cherry Blossom’s coming in every year, but as Harvard Hargrove II - beloved Dean of Cherry Coastal University, and owner of the Boardwalk - puts it, “How could expanding one of our greatest assets, our Historic Boardwalk, possibly be a bad thing for this town? Hargrove Incorporated is investing in Cherry; we are setting this little city up to weather any storm, and while people like Mrs. Salt may not be able to see that yet - I am confident that it’s only a matter of time until she and her lovely daughter begin to see things from our point of view.”
While choosing sides between the ever growing lines between protestors and Beach-goers is a personal choice, the Cherry Times still welcomes you to celebrate along with the Orchard Shore Boardwalk - or join the protests!
Orchard Shore Boardwalk’s ‘A Day in Carousel Cove,’ will serve as Cherry’s dash opening event! The Carnival will take place over the course of one day, although the event will stretch from this Saturday AUGUST 14th, until Thursday AUGUST 19th - ending in a series of plot events that will determine quite a few turns our little story will take!
The dash opens tomorrow at 3pm CST, at which point a list of daily activities will be posted that your character’s can participate in! Also, keep Cherryusa’s open starter rule in mind! Everyone will be expected to post a starter for the opening event. This can be in para, or dash chat interaction, etc - it’s up to you!
Also keep in mind that this event takes place one week after the events of Lux’s funeral! Everyone should be moved back to Cherry by this point.
Is anyone really in the mood for partying? Maybe not - not after Police Chief Kenner’s press conference, but that's never really been enough to stop any of the young people in Cherry from gathering... and especially not this gang of followers and pretenders.
From Dusk ‘til Dawn, that’s how long they’ll be on the beach; and though they’ve had countless sleepovers like this before, they all know there’s something different about this one. Maybe it’s the fact that they’ve all grown up - and maybe apart - over the summer. Maybe it’s the fact that they were all, and especially Sloane, just blamed for the Candy Girl’s antics at Carousel Cove.
Maybe it’s the fact that Lux is dead.
Whatever it is, there’s a strangeness in the air. There’s a feeling in the pit of everyone’s stomach that they can’t quite seem to quell, no matter how much alcohol they sip into their systems. Maybe they should all just go home while they still can: pile into Harvey’s basement or into Zahra’s favorite booth at the Drafthouse.
They won’t, though.
Fearless, or just stupid? Maybe that’s up to an individual to decide, but those who knows the Gang best could say it’s something else entirely... a mindless attempt to hold onto something that no longer exists. Whether that’s Lux’s memory, or a taste of their own, lost innocence?
Who knows.
Either way, they’re on the beach tonight. They’re determined to have fun.
...But maybe someone else is too.
ACTIVITIES:
HARVEY’S BIG BEACH BEER PONG:
Maybe it’s a little sus to bring trash bins and painted soccer balls to the beach just to play a giant version of beer pong, but being Hargrove’s son and all? That’s never stopped Harvey before! Play one-on-one for the ultimate showdown, or gather up a group to share the wealth, but either way... Everyone’s a winner when they’re playing by Harvey’s rules!
VIRGINIA’S BEACH VOLLEY BALL:
The net came courtesy of West Virginia - who was very clearly NOT to come by his sister - and though the Virginia’s are the only two who really know the rules to volleyball, they still manage to have fun! ...But maybe that’s because the losing team usually has to take shots.
SLOANE’S SANDCASTLES:
Who else would be playing in the sand but our very own resident Artist, Sloane Salt! Is Cherry getting you down? Then hit one of the joints being passed around the pails and shovels, and build your very own castle! Winner at the end of the night gets to sleep in the only tent that was brought to the beach!
THE BONFIRE:
One rule. No wonderwall.
NOAH AND CASEY’S DRINK PIT:
Keg courtesy of Ronnie Russell, and big hole full of ice courtesy of Noah and Casey ( but mostly Casey ) - the Russell brothers are sure to never disappoint! If beer isn’t quite your style though, don’t worry! There’s definitely going to be bottles passed around the beach all night.
note: more activities will be coming through the week!
Summer is coming to a steadfast end, and with fall rushing in, one Libby Logan has decided that her friends should still celebrate their annual last hurrah with a bonfire on the beach. Jamie Dyer is weary, and so is Rory - everyone else seems content enough with the promise of getting black-out-drunk to attend. One thing is for sure, though: they want to forget. Even if it’s just for a stolen moment.
They’re no strangers to stoking the fire all night; no strangers to sleeping in the sand. This has been a summer like no other, though... Who’s to say that this little ‘last hurrah,’ won’t truly be their last?
Cherry’s second event will be a bonfire on the beach. The event will begin tomorrow, Thursday, September 2nd at 8pm CST, and end with a Plot Event that will take place from September 9th - September 12th! Just like the last event, little activities - and even mini plot drops! - will be sprinkled throughout, and for all of those new townies that will be accepted... Who knows! Maybe they’ll get to stop in too!
COMING SOON TO THE CHERRY COAST SAGA.....
BOOK ONE: A MYSTERY ON MARASCHINO DRIVE
CHAPTER ONE: A HOLLY JOLLY CHRISTMAS
Come one, come all! It’s 1985, and it’s almost time for the Holly family’s annual Christmas party. The night will be rife with games, good company, and plenty of Christmas Weirdness sprit! And for the Gang, it’s been something to look forward to for weeks now.
They’ve got their Secret Santa Assignments all picked out, they’re intent on spending most of the night in the backyard while the adults all have the Dining Room, and the Den to themselves... So what if they’re all being forced to mingle within the confines of the Holly property? It’s big enough to find a hiding spot in some corner or another.
THE DASH WILL REOPEN ON SATURDAY, DECEMBER 10th @ 6:30pm CST WITH THE MARKING OF THE OFFICIAL EVENT POST. OUR CHRISTMAS EVENT WILL LAST UNTIL DECEMBER 28TH. UNTIL THEN, YOU ENCOURAGED TO PLOT, POST FINAL CHARACTER INTROS, MUSE POSTS, AND ANYTHING ELSE TO GET YOU EXCITED FOR THE REOPENING.
SECRET SANTA ASSIGNMENTS WILL BE DISTRIBUTED SHORTLY.
the sigma pi kappa party - hosted by lucas bright.
Oh, the Orientation Dance! A total bore every year, and a total CCU tradition... but our favorite CCU tradition? The urge that Sigma Pi gets to show off and fuck things up whenever a party doesn’t quite live up to expectations! There are people flooding out of the front of the house - students lined up wall-to-wall - and we even heard there’s people from all over town having fun in the backyard. Is it weird to be chilling at a frat party when you don’t even attend CCU? Maybe. But since when has Cherry ever been normal? Whatever. Whether you want to get totally wasted, experiment with drugs in the bedrooms upstairs, or maybe even play a rousing game of spin the bottle in the living room - do it at the Sigma Pi house tonight! You won’t regret it.
Or you will. But that’s half the fun, right?
admin note: All pre-event threads should be paused until the end of the event. The club sign-up sheet is at the bottom of the page once more, don’t forget to sign up for clubs! Each CCU student should be signed up for at least one. If you’d like any clubs added, please let admin Em know! And don’t forget to start those Candy Girl assigned threads <3
Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god! It’s happening! Like, I actually can’t believe the boys seriously convinced Hargrove to let them headline the whole Carousel Cove thing - my bet is that Lux Lewis’s influence from the grave totes had something to do with it! - but my god, do I have to make sure they remember me when they’re, like - famous or whatever! Except Jamie. I could leave Jamie.
Anyway! If you haven’t heard already, our very own Mystic Cherry is going to be playing tonight, post-ribbon ceremony! Is it just me, or is anyone else, like... so camping out for a front row seat? I’ve just got to see that Russell boy up close, you know?
As a fun treat to celebrate, I’ve decided to post a special gossip column for all my adoring fans today, so totes drop off your burning-hot goss, and your totes revealing questions, and maybe it’ll pop up on the column! It’s, like, always worth a shot, you know? Even if we do have the highest standards over in Clarissa’s Corner!
It’s 3pm, and you know what that means! Cherry, USA is officially open for business! Post a starter, get interacting, and make Admin Em, like, so proud! Just remember that this is a week after the events that happened on the night of Lux’s funeral!
And remember that threads can take place in any way you want them to! If you want to interact with paras that’s okay, if you want to do some dash chats, that’s okay! A lot of drama happened last night that I’m sure you’re just dying to talk about, so if you want to go for a three way dash chat, or even a discord thread with multiple people, even better! Feel free to make this place yours, and have so much fun! Welcome to Cherry, and enjoy A Day in Carousel Cove! You know... While you still can.