January Intro Log

[hugtopiamods]

January Intro Mingle Log
Welcome to Hugtopia, and to the city of Havenwell. This mingle is meant for new arrivals to get settled and meet the other inhabitants. New characters should be the only top-levels but everyone is free to tag around and make new friends. Who knows, you may find that Perfect Hug in here. You can use the prompts here, or create a wildcard of your own.

ICly, this takes place from the 2nd to around the 10th, with a proper event coming soon after applications are processed. The prompts below are optional, but are a way to get you started if you wish. Some also carry over from the TDM, so you can continue threads officially in-game if you wish! To help you create your own prompts, please take a look through our Settings and FAQ. Click on each prompt's title to see the text.

If you have any questions, feel free to direct them to the FAQ or to the Mod Question thread below.

---

❥ PROMPT I: Awakening

When you awaken, you're in the last outfit you remember wearing, and (up to) three of your belongings are laid nearby or your animal friend curled up beside you, waking up as you do. A stone slab is not the most comfortable place to sleep, but once you're awake, a humanoid-looking robot enters the room and explains that you're in Havenwell, then leads you out of the room and into the main portion of the temple where a welcoming committee of similarly humanoid-looking robots hand over a clear smartphone-sized tablet, some starting funds, and explain their dilemma. Then they release you into Havenwell to pick your new home from free housing in the city and give you the chance to settle. It might be a bit disorienting, but thankfully there seem to be a lot of robots and even some non-robots around. Maybe ask them for help? Strike up a friendly conversation, get to know your neighbours! It seems as if you may be here for the long haul.

❥ PROMPT II: Just Like Glue

After you're given an explanation of your situation, as well as your communication device, the priests are busy or shorthanded enough that there is little further guidance offered. Instead you are set loose to explore the city on your own, to take in the sights or find your own lodgings. The city is yours to discover! Go forth, and enjoy!

However, newcomers and current residents should beware: the arrivals are… sticky. Not noticeably so, of course, and they find no trouble moving place to place, but should they brush up against another person, or shake hands, or collide in any way- they will find themselves… stuck. Magically, inexplicably. The hold is not painful unless they pull too hard, but no amount of tugging will release them. However, should the initial point of contact be too awkward, switching areas can release another. Characters attached at the hip can swap for handholding, glued chests can trade to shoulder-to-shoulder. They have to figure that out first, of course, but it may ease some awkwardness out of the encounter.

This effect can last up to half an hour before characters are released for good. There is a cooldown period in the aftermath, a few minutes perhaps, but further contact will repeat the process all over again. Best to duck and run once you're free, unless you're into that sort of thing.

❥ PROMPT III: Get those Creative Juices Flowing

The weather within the city's barrier may be artificial, but that doesn't mean that the culture is fake, too! A full rotation around the sun has concluded, bringing with it their own year-end celebration. And as they've come to know their visiting residents, they have begun to recognize many similarities between seasons, calendars, and even some holidays, too. With your arrival, they know that their world has a chance of recovery, and they want to continue to show their appreciation for your efforts. The changes have been subtle in the months since the gods started to draw in their saviours, but even with such hiccups as the broken wall in recent times, there have been improvements in ways that may not be apparent to the non-natives. A new year will surely bring new changes, recovery, fresh starts.

From within the temples, priests are beginning to march out with various decorations, tassels, lanterns, and fresh new colours to decorate the area with. Not only is it a new year, but something else is coming, something loud and celebratory, though the residents themselves are keeping mum about what, exactly. To incorporate their visitors' cultures and designs at the same time, however, residents are encouraged to visit any temple at their convenience or pleasure and join in the design process. There are craft tables, ranging from basic (for the younger or less skilled, such as kites or papercraft) to intricate and advanced designs (like glass lanterns or embroidery). Those less creatively-inclined are welcome to use their various skills, magics, or just ladder-balancing talents to help with the decoration installations around town. Many hands make light the work, after all.

Come hang out, do some art, form a knitting club! It's a great way for new people to meet their neighbours, perhaps share a little bit of their own culture with this world that is to be, at least for now, their new home.

❥ PROMPT IV: A Delicious Delight

The limited edition drink selection has been so popular (weird side effects and all) that the priests and the scientists of Experiment 73 have carried on serving it, though as the month begins the promo booths around town have mostly been taken down in favour of allowing for the town decorations, hence they are more sparse than they were last month. However, in exchange, these drinks are now temporarily available in the at-home replicators as well! There are five drinks in total to choose from and you should certainly try them. When you take a sip of these exquisitely delicious (honest! For once they're good) beverages, prepare yourself for a little trick with your treat.

• Ginger and Honey Tea: A hot, thoroughly warming drink with the bite of ginger and the sweetness of honey. Drink this and you'll be shored up against the cold, but also feel compelled to tell or blurt out the truth. Whether you're asked a question or trying to tell a little white lie, you find you can't say anything but the truth. This effect lasts for up to an hour after drinking the tea.
  
• Strawberry Shortcake Smoothie: A cold sweet treat of vanilla smoothie topped with sweet strawberry pieces and whipped cream. At the bottom, you'll find a layer of sweet sponge cake cut up into pieces. Drink this with its own special thick straw and enjoy the taste of cake; and the effect of a personal miniature snow cloud that appears over your head. The cloud dusts you and your immediate area within a foot of you with beautiful multicolored snow - and that snow leaves splotches of color behind that last for up to an hour after drinking the smoothie.
  
• Hot Cinnamon Apple Cider: A deliciously steamy beverage that tastes of apple and cinnamon and comes with a cinnamon stick stirrer for effect. This beverage smells as delicious as it tastes and the aroma wafts around the area more strongly than the others. Drink this penultimate holiday drink and you'll find yourself heating up so much that you'll want to stay cold by giving your heat away via holding someone else. You'll want to be everyone's personal heater for up to an hour after drinking the cider.
  
• Gingerbread Latte: A nice piping hot latte with the hint of gingerbread threaded through the coffee, topped with whipped cream and dusted with gingerbread spice. Served in a tall red cup that seems to transfer the heat uncannily well through its thin walls, sip this and you'll find yourself painlessly sprouting an animal's appendage at random. You can have one functioning or non-functioning, cosmetic animal appendage like a cat's ears, a dog's tail, a duck's beak or whatever else you can think of for up to an hour after drinking the latte. They can replace your original body part (e.g. your ears become cat ears) or grow superfluously (e.g. you have regular ears AND cat ears). You can move the appendages or talk with them as if they are your own, but they don't confer any special magical powers with them. So you can fly with those griffin wings, sure, but you're going to need to put the effort into it.
  
• Hot Mulled Wine (alcoholic): This one isn't for children - and in fact, under 18 people might find it hard (but not impossible, be industrious, little ones!) to get their hands on this drink. Red wine is heated with spices and citrus fruit over low heat for several hours - or it would if it wasn't all synthetically created. The effect is the same though, a delicious adult beverage that's a nice way to spend an evening with someone special. And you'll want them to be someone special because drinking the hot wine makes you inclined to get a little steamy with people. Kisses, both chaste and passionate, seem to alleviate the urge which you'll be under for up to an hour after drinking the wine.

---

Comments

1!!

[scentsitivity]

[ The sound that's coming closer isn't human, instead it's a crow. Tennouji Matsuemon wasted no time to fly towards Zenitsu and Ukogi the moment he notices his disciple Tanjiro was running to a certain direction. The crow circles around the slayer and kasugai until he swoops down to check on Ukogi.

Tennouji doesn't entirely trust the crying demon slayer, but he has Ukogi with him so he's in good hands. His disciple on the other hand... ]

ZENITSU!

[ Somehow Tennouji Matsuemon manages to get ahead of him as he runs towards the familiar scent of copper and salt. He notices the faint scent from the distance but the closer he run towards it, he's sure it's friend. He's glad that he isn't the only one in this strange place. Being surrounded by a group of robots was strange, it felt being surrounded by mechanical, whirling dolls except they're trying to emulate humans without having the essence of human scent. He would gladly help them if he could get a reading of what their thoughts were.

The moment he's close to the other boy, he has arms open and launches a hug at Zenitsu. ]

[zapdope]

[ Zenitsu's sadly staring at the dumb tablet when he picks up a familiar sound, but he's immediately going off in different levels of screaming ranging from scared to confused and relief when the talking crow shows up, then seeing Tanjiro running, then suddenly getting surrounded by the most kind sound he's ever heard of in his life—

—So kind and gentle that it makes him want to cry—

Except it actually does make him cry this time. ]

Tanjiroooooooo!!! [ He more or less clings onto the redhead instead of returning the hug, and he wails into the other's arms as he drops to his knees. ]

I was so lonely!!! I woke up and no one except Chuntaro was around!! I almost thought I was actually dead!!!

[scentsitivity]

[ Tanjiro's eyes started to well up, Zenitsu isn't the only one who thought he's by himself in some foreign land. He lets the tears fall but he ingrain instincts prevents him from saying he's scared too. No, he has to comfort Zenitsu. ]

We have each other now. We can survive and help each other out like always, all right? You have me and our kasugai crows.

[zapdope]

[ It takes a good few minutes for Zenitsu to get out all his loud wailing out. As his crying quiets down to hiccupping sniffles, he finally pulls away a little from the tight hug, wiping his tears and snot covered face with his sleeve. He still has his other open hand latched onto one of Tanjiro's arm, too scared to let go. He didn't want to take the chance of letting go and it turns out that his friend was just an illusion. ]

I-Is it just you?

[ Come to think of it, Nezuko's sound isn't heard nearby. Nor did he hear from Tanjiro's back, since he would carry her in the wooden box on his back all the time. Neither did Inosuke's rowdy sound was heard nearby, either... ]

W-where's everyone else?

[scentsitivity]

[ Tanjiro's own tears subsided pretty quickly, but there's still a hint of sadness in his tone as he tries explains things with a much smaller voice than normal. When he woke up, the only items he have hand on hand were the clothes on his back and his nichirin sword. The closest thing he has of his sister is just the haori he has given by his family. ]

I just woke up here. Nezuko must still be in the hideout.

[ Tennouji, now sure that Ukogi is okay, flies back to perch on Tanjiro's shoulder. The crow loudly states that the only demon slayers in the area are Tanjiro Kamado and Zenitsu Agatsuma. ]

[zapdope]

[ On one hand, Nezuko-chan is not here.

On the other hand, Nezuko-chan is not here. ]

Nezuko-chan's not here?!?! Well I guess I should be glad, but I'm also not glad?? How will I spend time with her if she's not here?!

[ THESE ARE NOW TEARS OF ANGER, TANJIRO. TEARS OF ANGER!!! He's still latching onto Tanjiro, but now he's using this to shake the other a bit. Also, here's the obligatory: ]

Neeezuko-chaaaaaan!!!!!!!

[scentsitivity]

I know she isn't here!

[ How do you think he feels?! But he still let's Zenitsu shake him around a bit. Whatever to help the other boy. ]

Calm down, Zenitsu! We'll figure something out.

[ 'WE?' The bird next to him squacks. ] Tennouji!

[zapdope]

[ Do you think he'll calm down just because you told him to...

THINK AGAIN ] How can I calm down!! Nezuko-chan's not here, the robot people are scary, I guess it's kinda nice to be away from the training hell they just announced, but Nezuko-chan's not here!!

[ so important, he's saying it twice. He's also back to crying as he latches back onto the other. ]

[scentsitivity]

[ You know at this point he's been around Zenitsu enough to know he isn't this bad, and especially since he knows his much better qualities but still it's not really helping for this situation.

Tanjiro places both his hands firmly on Zenitsu's shoulder. Not exactly to pull him away, but just to give him a slight wake up call. ]

The robots are hard to read but this isn't the first time I've met people like this.

[ Okay, the first time they were ghosts and the second time the mechanical doll didn't have a mind of its own. But it definitely isn't his first experience with non-human entities that mean no harm. ]

There's still people like us, I think we could ask them instead? I think so long as we're careful with the non-humans nothing bad happens.

[zapdope]

[ Talk to people... That's also something Zenitsu didn't exactly want to do. Unless it's absolutely necessary, he preferred to keep to himself more than socialize. Of course, there were exceptions like GIRLS but you get the point. ]

I-It's still so scary...! Something feels off with my ears, sometimes I'm having trouble picking up sounds when I try to listen closer to other people here...

[scentsitivity]

You're having trouble too? I can't pick all the scents here. It's like...

[ It's like his sense went back in time to before he became a demon slayer, it's slower and harder to pick up things. It's-- ]

It's like I caught a cold.

[zapdope]

Eh-ehhhhh?!?! That's not good!!! What if there's a demon here [ somehow ] and we can't tell them apart until it's too late?! We're gonna die!!!

[ Yes that's important. But also, ] But are you okay, Tanjiro?! Are there doctors here?? We should get you checked, it won't be any good if you're sick!!!

[scentsitivity]

I'm fine, I mean I just can't smell as well as I normally would.

[ This definitely isn't good though, not when they're both lacking their senses. ]

We'll have to train harder while we're here.

[zapdope]

[ And that actually causes Zenitsu to go quiet....

... ] ...Why do our senses being dulled down relate to training?

[ No. No training. ]

[scentsitivity]

It'll bring us at a disadvantage if sense as well. So we have to cover one weakness with another kind of strength.

[ TIME TO BREAK SOME BONES. ]

[zapdope]

I ain't training in a place like this. There's even a rule here of no fighting!

[ NO BONES WILL BE BROKEN IN THIS WORLD YOU MORON ]

[scentsitivity]

It's not fighting if we both agreed to it and be careful not to hurt ourselves!

[zapdope]

[ That can be true, but... ] ...It won't be a positive outcome for me! It'll still be tiring and I'll still feel the pain from the muscle aches!

[ yeah ]

I still say no!

[scentsitivity]

We need to get tired, it'll help us loosen our muscles and keep ourselves flexible.

[ Yeah!! ]

It'll be handy for us because there's something wrong with our senses.

[zapdope]

No means no!! You stubborn training dumbass!! You know how much I don't like training everyday!!!

[scentsitivity]

But we still have to do it!! No matter how tiring it is, we can't let our swordsmanship rust because we don't want to do training!

[zapdope]

Are you trying to kill me? Is that what you're trying to do?? I'll die!! You're ruthless, Tanjiro!!!

[scentsitivity]

You won't die, you're a lot stronger than you give yourself credit for, Zenitsu!

[ Besides the fact that they're not training to the brink of death pls he isn't that crazy. ]

[zapdope]

Seriously, even after all that you still say that? [ He's never going to believe how you think about him, Tanjiro. ]

I swear, I'm gonna die if we train too much, got it?? [ He jabs a finger at Tanjiro's direction, as if to make a point. ]

[scentsitivity]

We'll train just train with what we've been taught in the past. Keep ourselves from forgetting important breath techniques!

[ So yeah... that's going to be at least some level of high pain. ]