hugtopia_logs | ♥ April (Lasai) Event Log

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♥ April (Lasai) Event Log

April (Lasai) Event Log
Lasai is a beautiful month. The weather is warmer, the sky is a breathtaking blue again, and with the flowers from Ainir growing nicely, the entire city of Havenwell just feels more alive with every breath. It's a time of renewal, of rebirth, of Ainea's greatest strength as her adherents open the temple gates to invite people and robots from all walks of life to enter and share together. What should be a joyous time, however, is suddenly interrupted as the earthquakes mount day by day through the start of Lasai. Those messages that people have been receiving since Nalom? It seems it's time for the gods to deliver on their promises.

❥ PROMPT I: The Wild Wild West (East, South and North)

side view of a large wall surrounding a city

As Ainir gives way to Lasai, one morning the earthquakes, which had been growing more frequent again, suddenly mount in their intensity. The entire city is shaking and the native residents cower despite their faith in their gods' protection. The guards along the wall shout alarm and abandon their posts as the walls start to shift under the strain. When the last of them are safely away from the walls, the barrier and the wall itself quivers. The citizens cry out in alarm and fear until they realize that the walls aren't falling - they're moving. And they're moving further out. As everyone in Havenwell looks on, the walls and its surrounding barrier fluctuates and expands, sliding through the city streets as if on hidden tracks, avoiding buildings and ruins, pushing the toxic air and the storm further away. They finally come to rest and snap back into place, new walls rising from who knows where to fill in the gaps. The barrier strengthens and the earthquakes stop, and as the dust settles, a cheer rises from the citizens.

"Praise the gods! Praise the off-worlders!"

Among the din of their celebration, however, other cries start up among the newly incorporated ruins. Cries that sound like howls and screeches, and certainly do not sound human. Grab your weapons and steel yourselves, off-worlders, with the addition of this new space comes the need to clear it of anything potentially dangerous that got caught up in the expansion. Not all creatures you'll find are hostile, but some certainly are. Docile ones might just fetch a nice price from the Research Towers and the Conservatory if you can capture a mating pair.

OOC: These are the creatures you can encounter in the city as you go through to clear it. It's not an invasion level of infestation, as the majority of creatures will prefer to remain inside their known territory beyond the original barrier, but you will on occasion need to take up arms and fight. Next to their names are the frequency with which you can find them, ranging from common to extremely rare.

Inky Black Spiders (common - hostile): These relatively small, black spider-like creatures have very basic melee attacks, using their fangs and their sharp legs to bite and claw at people. Those who were around in October when the wall broke will recognize them as the most common enemy back then. Their exoskeletons are hard and when they die, they smash into a black goo. They tend to travel in packs, using sheer numbers to overwhelm their prey.
One-Eyed Lizard (uncommon - docile): An iridescent scaly purple and green lizard approximately 8 to 10cm in length from tip to tail. It has a single eye at the top of its head that can rotate to see 360 degrees around it. This creature's main defenses are its tough hide and a spine on the tip of its tail which it whips at predators to dissuade them from eating it. It's more likely to run than fight, however, and can usually be found sunbathing on exposed rock with its eye closed.
"Bone Giraffe" (extremely rare - hostile): A nearly 20-foot tall, long-necked skeleton of a four-legged creature long dead with a single curved horn protruding from its skull and a sharp snout. It's usually found lying in a heap, as if it laid down and died that way. A black seven-petaled flower sometimes (but not always) grows from the skull and beneath the skeleton is an oily black film. Touching the oil slick activates the creature, which draws the oil up into the skeletal cage. Its main attacks are brute force, using its bony legs and neck to kick and slam against its prey, and its acid breath. It breathes a black fume that sizzles and burns anything it touches.
Rive Talon (rare - hostile - medium): In the past these creatures may have been canines of some form, now they seem to have melded with the detritus of the fallen buildings and creatures of the landscape. Extra spikes, ridges, and protrusions extend from its body at odd angles. Many of them are metal or stone, rather than bone. And some of the bones clearly were not originally its own. (Suggested by Sierra!)
Outskirts Hare (uncommon - docile): A shy creature, roughly the size and shape of an earth hare, covered in fuzzy-looking, curly pink hair and cat-like whiskers. Normally quite timid, this creature's poor eyesight causes it to flee when it feels threatened, and relies largely on a sense of touch to navigate its surroundings. Contact with this creature's fur is markedly pleasant, but its skin discharges an oil that causes mild skin irritation on contact when it's nervous. Active mostly at night time. (Suggested by Mel!)
Ansaurini (rare - annoying): a bipedal feathered bird with sharp claws and teeth good for chomping; some possess flight capabilities, but the majority are prone to a lazy waddle. Mostly harmless and deceptively unassuming until you turn your back- and suddenly it's run off with something it stole off your person! They are excellent at escaping, though they can be traced back to their hoard, and if their collection is raided they will make a lot of noise in protest. Just watch your back- they will try again until you leave their territory. Truly, a horrible thing.

❥ PROMPT II: Welcome to the (Urban) Jungle

Once the creatures are mostly taken care of and the newly revealed area is deemed safe enough to venture into, the city council will put out a call for those willing and able to assist the natives with a clean-up effort. The city outside the walls is badly damaged, left to the ravages of the time and the ever-present storm, which means clearing dust, debris, and flotsam is a high priority before people can begin to repair the new districts and salvage material or live there. Thick brown vines cover large parts of the city, grime from the storm is caked onto windows, rocks and scattered rotted bones and twisted metal can be found in roads and crashed through buildings. The atmosphere in this part of the city seems to mirror the decrepit state of the land, too, feeling heavier and grayer and more depressing than it has any right to be. Going out with people and helping together, taking breaks to lean against one another tends to help clear away any negativity that this land seems to bring to your thoughts, however. Since it's dangerous to go alone, be sure to take a friend.

The biggest concern is the vines, so natives offer to lend machetes to the offworlders to help the hack them away. The vines look brown and dead, the leaves withered and curled up. When characters hack into them, the vines release a puff of yellowish dust. Inhale the dust or get it anywhere near your face and over time, you'll begin to get sleepy - very sleepy. It's hard to keep your eyes open, no matter your resistance to poisons or magic, and eventually you'll find yourself falling asleep wherever you are. And once you're asleep? The vines start moving, crawling toward you at a snail's pace. Hopefully you did bring a friend because you'll need their touch to wake up and stay awake long enough to get away from the vines before they pull you deep within their grasp.

❥ PROMPT III: Take a Load Off

Not everyone can fight or clean or even wants to do it, so while those who are more suited to being on the front lines are off doing their thing, those who remain behind must begin the effort of preparing everything that people will need to live in these new areas. At the temples and in the main square, the priests have set up large rest areas with blankets and pillows, and are busily putting together repair kits for mechanics and explorers to use as they go through the ruins. Those who want a place to rest that doesn't require going all the way back to their homes might find these waystations more convenient.

At each, characters can find hot soups with chunks of hearty replicated breads and both hot and cold drinks available for any who wish it. They're trying to replicate pain medications and bandages for people who have been injured while exploring or fighting off the monsters who were unlucky enough to be left inside, and will ask you to try it if you're injured. Taking this medication might have some unintended side effects, however, like a feeling of euphoria or delusions of grandeur or even something as banal as turning your hair a shocking shade of chartreuse - the effect, if you want one, is up to you! The rest areas also have robots "skilled" in giving massages that are looking to test their newly acquired skills and with four pairs of arms, they can work on two people at once! In fact, they're rather insistent about giving you a free massage if they hear even the slightest hint of fatigue in your voice and will usher people into their curtained off booths regardless of whether they know the other occupant or not. These robots are still learning though, so anyone curious enough to try may need to work with their partner to give these robots pointers. They're trying, but not having fragile little flesh bodies is a major obstacle in learning how to have a gentle touch.

❥ PROMPT IV: That Which Remains

the remains of an abandoned factory with decrepit materials and equipment strewn about

With the opening of the city, there seem to be a lot of buildings that need cleaning. Some are so dilapidated that they're better off demolished than repossessed, and most are residential and commercial buildings reminiscent of the ones the offworlders are used to seeing everyday in the Havenwell they've all known up until now. However, among the ruins of these older sections, those intrepid enough to venture and explore may find a few unique gems awaiting them. Just remember: the first rule of urban exploration is to never go alone. You never know what might be lurking in those abandoned buildings or what obstacles might be in your way. Doorways blocked by rubble will need more than one person to remove them. Frightened (and frightening) animals might be lingering in the dark. And, most importantly, you don't want to fall through the floor and vanish into a basement. There seem to be quite a few weakened floors out there. In the following parts of the expanded city, characters can find these interesting ruins:

Northwest: The Arena - In the northwest of the newly opened area, characters can find what looks to be a ruin of a large open air oval building. The building itself is almost 3 stories tall with walls overgrown with brown vines and dead foliage. There are doorways that have no doors, instead being high archways through which people can access in the interior. Stairs lead up into what looks like worn stone benches and down below is a rubble-strewn open area. Part of the walls have collapsed over time but it's very clear this place was used once as some sort of viewing area. It'll take a bit of work to clear this place until it's usable!

There are archways with stairs that lead downward, but you'll need some help clearing away the rubble to get to what's below! If you're successful in getting beneath the arena, you'll find hallways with empty rooms that vary between large enough to possibly be some sort of training room to small enough to be just enough space for someone to put a slim single cot or bed and maybe a wardrobe to have a small private room. Some rooms have rusted metal that may or may not have been weapons at some point, while others have faded wall paintings, chipped and worn with age. It's hard to make out, but with enough reconstruction work, you may just learn who used to haunt these halls.
Southeast: The Baths - In the southeast of the newly opened area, characters will find a domed building unlike the rest of the architecture around it. It's extremely large, for one, and squat, while the rest of Havenwell's buildings seem to be lean and tall. The walls are made of the same stone, but the dome above is broken glass. There are several metal sliding doors set in the walls, but many are fused shut with grime and years of disuse. One main door, larger than the others is sightly ajar, however, and with some help characters may be able to force it open.

Inside, they find an expansive lobby with white floors that must have sparkled before all the grime, dirt, and broken glass took over. The dome overhead reflects the light, making the interior of the building as bright as outside. At the center of the lobby is a dry fountain with two broken statues - four armed humanoids holding urns. Their heads are missing and many of the arms are broken and lying in the dry basin. From the lobby there are alcoves in every direction and two hallways that lead further into the buiding in opposite directions. In each alcove are low stone seats and round basins sunk into the ground that are either dry with a black film around the inside, or full of a dark oily substance that's nearly coagulated.

Go down the hallways and you'll find identical looking chambers. First, you enter an open area with broken sinks and mirrors, with stone cubbies on the walls. Then when you pry open and push past the metal sliding doors, you'll find yourself in a wide open semicircular area filled with baths of different sizes, shapes and depths. Some are free-standing stone tubs, others are large basins sunk into the ground, and still others are rectangular and just big enough for one or two people to lie down in. Each of these basins are like the ones in the lobby, either filled with that same coagulated black ooze or dry with a black film inside. Looks like it's time to get cleaning because each basin also seems like they might be able to be retrofitted to produce water perhaps.
Southwest: The Factory - In the southwest, closest to the wall, the characters can find an imposing square building. It has small thin windows and boasts a plethora of chimneys and smokestacks on the roof, some of which are crumbling or broken with age and exposure. There are two square doors, both of which are large enough to drive a truck through and made of metal which needs to be pried open before accessing the inside. Once inside, the characters find a massive operation geared toward ore and mineral processing and metallurgical refinement. The machinery is old, but extremely well laid out, as it seems this plant was used to process huge volumes of minerals and ores before being lost to time. There are stations for every imaginable part of the refining process separated neatly so they can work efficiently, but all of the machines are broken or currently inoperable and will need significant work before they can start functioning again.

Explore the refinery and you may still find one or two of the ores lying about. They contain an unknown metal that gleams a slick oily silver. At the back of the refinery is an industrial elevator which is currently inoperational. Peering down through the cracks, however, reveals that the shaft goes a long way down. The view of just how far is obstructed by a shimmering rainbow-colored barrier, not unlike the one that is just outside the walls.

This event will run from April 15th to 30th, although due to the areas and effects not technically vanishing, feel free to continue playing with it for some time beyond. 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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Noctis makes a faint sound of almost-laughter again, shaking his head on Ardyn's shoulder.]

Don't think I'm even capable of going it alone like that. Last time it... didn't go so well.

[He never wants to relive that. Sure, he'd been forced into it all through Zegnautus, but it was still a long stretch of time where he'd suffered through this pain alone. It was awful, the worst. It'd almost killed him, not just by daemons by despair, too. He's been given a choice here, to rely on his friends and his family, instead of concealing it all. Why would he choose that?

...or... continue to choose that. Because he already does, sometimes.]

If... if I start to... can I come here?

[The question is tentative, stumbling; it's not the answer he worries about, that Ardyn might refuse, but the situation that might call for it. He doesn't want to end up like that, secluding himself and hiding his troubles. But there is some guilt in sharing these burdens, and it weighs heavily against his need to show what he's feeling without restraint. Better to ask, and to know. It... might make it easier.]

Of course you can.

[No hesitation. The same gentle tone answered Noctis, a scarred hand running light over Noctis' hair in reassurance, the consolation of an elder brother that had never completely lost that protective nature even in the wake of betrayal and eternity.]

[That offer was something Ardyn had never had--no, something he had foolishly never allowed himself to have. He could have confided in Aera, could have gone back home and reconciled with Somnus before things went too far. But...he didn't. He'd been afraid, just as he said. Afraid of failure. Afraid of being seen as a monster. Afraid of letting the weight of all the world crash down around him because his shoulders could no longer bear it.]

Any time at all; no matter what's going on, how late it might be, or anything else. I would be flattered to know you were willing to trust me enough for that, and truly happy to give whatever aid I can be to you.

[It's heavy, this burden. The world is far, far too heavy for one person. Maybe that's the reason it took two thousand years- simply because no single soul had enough of anything to bear it alone. Not enough power, or will, or heart. Not even a god could do that, not even the Draconian himself. He carries those souls with him now; 113 kings, five Astrals, even the soul of the planet itself. It won't just be him, no matter what happens, no matter which path they take. Even if he has to die in the end, they'll all save the world together. He'll... try and take some comfort in that. It's better than going alone.

Pyra had told him months ago, whimsical but genuine, that hugging the ring was like hugging his whole family. It had been silly, of course, but not wholly untrue. His family was there. And his family is here, too. And they love him, as he loves them.

With an awkward sniff he draws back, not enough to break contact but enough to cast a hand across his eyes to dry them as best he can. He tries to smile, even just a little. He can... come here. If he's about to break, he doesn't have to let it happen. Just knowing that is enough to soothe a few of those wounds he's been nursing for weeks.]

You know... I just realized something.

Hm? [Gods knew Ardyn was more than emotionally wrung out to cry himself, but...well, he couldn't. Not while knowing what that would look like, and not when Noctis needed him to keep somewhat steady for the moment.]

[So the look that met Noctis' was as calm as the voice to match it, the familiar small and hesitant smile back on Ardyn's face.]

And what's that?

I got dragged into the Crystal to absorb it. Was already starting to, when I woke up. It's here.

[He pats his chest. A very strange feeling, to say the least, even through the ring: a bit like being marked by the gods but on a deeper level, carved directly into him, a connection similar to the retainer bond as one soul tethered to another. He's carrying around a piece of their planet now, split from the rest- the source of all of their powers.

He doesn't know if he's supposed to be telling Ardyn this, but... to hell with it. Bahamut never said he couldn't, and what's the point of being asked to share his burdens if he doesn't do just that? Anyway, that isn't the point of him explaining.]

It doesn't hurt you to touch me, right?

[He leaves the implication unspoken. A bit of a stretch perhaps, but an olive branch offered nonetheless; they could use a bit of levity here, after the conversation they just shared.]

Wh...huh?

[It used to be that Ardyn was nigh unreadable--the healer sage of Lucis was a steady and stoic presence, with little variation in that except in the small smiles and playful jabs exchanged between himself and Aera. When he'd been taken out of Angelgard, he wasn't even sure if he felt enough to express or cared to try.]

[Now, after some months on the other side of perhaps the longest traumatic event in recorded history, it was a bit different. His heart wasn't so much on his sleeve as it was a glowing neon sign hanging over his head, unsure or unable to quite conceal emotions he didn't expect to feel--which was most of them.]

[So that measured and controlled look faltered into blatant confusion, Ardyn caught off guard enough that he hadn't quite put one and one together just yet.]

N...no? It doesn't whatsoever.

[Goddammit, really. Like- it's useful to know, as a just-in-case measure, and there's been no evidence to the contrary, but...]

Okay, good.

[Noctis lifts his brows pointedly, his head tilting. At least the surprise makes it clear that Ardyn isn't just saying that to make him feel better.]

...So?

[He doesn't actually have to explain it, does he...]

...O-oh.

[It clicked into place after a second more, confusion gradually shifting into something closer to realization. The Crystal had violently rejected him that day at barely a touch, so if it--or at least its power--was harbored within Noctis now...for whatever reason it didn't hurt, and he wouldn't have even known had nothing been said.]

So it doesn't, then. That's...well, I don't know if it could mean anything, but it's certainly worth note.

We're stuck here for a while, and Bahamut can't set us straight. It can mean whatever we want it to.

[Screw the truth of the gods, no matter what it might be in this instance. If he's forced - and he was, it dragged him into itself unwillingly and ignored all his cries for aid - to become the bearer of the Crystal's light, he gets to be the one to decide what is or isn't worthy to be touched by it.]

I accept you, so... that's that.

[For whatever that's worth to him... well, that's not up to Noctis, what with Ardyn rejecting the idea of vying for acceptance from the gods or the Crystal. But their precious Chosen deems him worthy, and that's his right.]

[And that pretty much struck Ardyn speechless. He'd done--would do, had done--horrendous things to the world at large and Noctis specifically. Yes, he understood that monster wasn't him just yet, but the distinction wasn't always an easy one to make for Ardyn, much less Noctis. Having one's unworthiness almost literally burned into them tended to linger, and even now he thought almost alarmingly little of himself.]

[But despite all that, despite everything he would become and everything he would do, despite how he'd failed utterly and been named a monster for it, despite being worthless in his own eyes...he was still accepted. By distant descendants, by friends he'd otherwise never have known, perhaps even by his brother. By Noctis, destined to kill him and with all the reason in the world to reject him just as violently as the Crystal in his blood.]

[Forget the gods and the Crystal; it wasn't their acceptance he wanted. Not their acknowledgement or anything else. It was worthless next to all of that--neither meant anything at all to Ardyn compared to his family.]

[Completely at a loss, Ardyn chose instead to hug Noctis a little more tightly again and hide whichever of the half-dozen different emotions he felt that was showing on his face.]

[Apparently that was the right thing to say. At least, he hopes it is. It sure feels like it is, with the way Ardyn is holding on to him. There's no denying it's a little frightful, because many things are these days - still jumping at shadows in the worst of times - but it's... less than he'd expect. It only takes a moment or so for him to lift his arms again to return it.

They're all carrying scars, here. Some are deep, and some are old, and some reopen too easily. But wounds are wounds, even so. And many of them are too similar to deny. They're too similar, Chosen of the gods and destined to die together. Maybe that's why Izunia hates him, too.

It's not him.]

I know, I know... I'm amazing. Better to get it all out now.

You're wonderful beyond compare, my dear nephew.

[Which sounded a fair bit more genuine than Noctis' general goofing about, mostly because it was. Noctis didn't have to say that--heavens knew Ardyn didn't always think himself to even be worth accepting at all. But he'd said it all the same, and maybe once in a while Ardyn could even let himself believe he was worth that.]

[He pulled back just slightly again, smile shaken and unsure but no less genuine for it.]

However can we possibly stand it?

Half the time I can't stand it, so there's less hope for you all.

[The sincerity of Ardyn's response has his cheeks a bit red, not really used to that. Still, at least he seems happy about it. Ish. It's a bittersweet kind of happy, unsteady and waiting for the other shoe to drop.

It's gone in a moment, though, as he purses his lips and thinks of what comes next.]

...Do you know... who else knows about all this?

[Ardyn didn't bring it up until now; that's understandable, considering the no-contact situation, but it makes him wonder if there are others who are aware and just waiting for him to speak up.]

...I don't, no.

[That did kind of complicate things, especially when they were already complicated enough.]

It was confided to me under somewhat distressing circumstance, and I've said not a word of it to anyone but you.

[Noct's lip quirks a little at that.]

"Confided to you" means a yes, you know. [Someone told him.] It's fine. I just... I haven't told my dad, or Prompto. They've got their own stuff to deal with.

[His father's still trying to regain a footing on his own happiness, he's not about to ruin that. Knowledge of the prophecy might even have been what created a rift between them back home as much as the crown did. The last thing he wants now is a repeat of history here.]

I meant that I don't think anyone but the three of us know. [A sigh, Ardyn knowing the wording was hardly important.]

...They'll have to know sooner or later. Not now, by any means, but...I don't think concealing it will be of much help either.

[Wording is very important when you're talking to a brat, remember.]

I'd rather it be later, at least for now.

Understandable enough. We can figure the details out later, if you like. And I'll be more than willing to be there when you tell them, if you think that would be of any help at all.

I'll think about it.

[Both the offer, and telling them. Ardyn is right that the inevitable will come. Either of them could be sent back to their world to live through whatever memories lie in their future. His father could learn of the prophecy from the Crystal, he could live through his whole life and death, Prompto could suffer through years of darkness...

Even Ardyn could go back. He could change.

He's pretty sure none of them want to acknowledge that, though, so stubbornly he exhales a panicked breath and shoves the thought from his mind.]

Is that what you wanted to talk about, too? Or is there something else going on?

No, it was the same for me. I wanted you to be aware that I knew, and to ask you about the possibility of changing things--I wouldn't have wanted to entertain the thought if it was something you were against in the first place. It's more your life at stake than mine, anyway.

Don't think that's true. If you end up like him, isn't that kind of the same as killing the "you" of now?

[They're pretty damned connected. To kill one, you have to kill the other.]

...The person I am now may well stop existing someday, yes. But it won't be you who kills me then, and it is not only for my own sake that I want to live.

[If Ardyn Lucis Caelum 'died', then it would be because something unthinkably terrible had put a knife in his heart. Something beyond sanity or reason, who would bring about untold devastation and the end of the world. That wasn't him, or at least Ardyn wanted desperately to believe it wasn't. So long as he existed as he was now, maybe things would never fall so far as they already had.]

I should have died long ago, Noctis. I was already prepared to, well before what happened between my brother and myself. It doesn't bother me to know that I'm destined to die so that the world can continue on, because I had already assumed as much when I was still human.

Besides, there are plenty of things worse than death. I would prefer it to becoming what you know me as, or another thousand years in Angelgard. So the idea of seeking to avert my own fate...just doesn't concern me.

[Noctis is quiet for all of that, pensive and thoughtful. He taps his heel against the floor when Ardyn's finished, glancing down and away.]

...It concerns me.

[He's quiet, almost petulant. Ardyn can think whatever he wants, but if they're going to investigate ways of altering fate, they might as well go all the way. Save everyone, as he'd told Cor months ago. It's one thing to kill Izunia, if he truly wants to die or if killing him is a requirement for saving the world and he's actively making it worse. But killing Ardyn, who has done no such crime... it would just be sacrificing someone needlessly. The prophecy shouldn't require two sacrifices. One is bad enough.]

If we're gonna look for anything, we should find a way to make you human again.

Are...you sure of that? Seeking one impossible thing is difficult enough, two feels more like pushing our luck. Even setting that aside, to be rid of the Starscourge would mean to be rid of me by simple necessity.

I'm gonna be honest- I'm not sure of anything. But if the Crystal's light is meant to rid the whole world of the scourge, then it should be able to get rid of what's inside you, too. Hell, if we can find a method for that and it works on Izunia, maybe he won't be such a piece of shit.

[...No offense, uncle. There aren't enough hugs in the world to make him stop disliking that man these days.]

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cw: suicidal ideation

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