♥ August Event Log

[hugtopiamods]

August Event Log
The first month of the offworlders being in Havenwell has passed, the welcome party over, and the native residents are starting to get back to their usual routines while the new arrivals are perhaps starting to find theirs. The month of Achtom has started and with it, a crisp summery heat. The skies are gorgeously blue and dotted with high fluffy clouds that never seem to threaten rain - so long as the weather stays controlled. Businesses are picking back up, the natives starting to cater once again to flesh-bodied people with varied amounts of success. The VR cafes are featuring more helmets so even more people can play along with the ever expanding selection of games. Overall, it seems like Havenwell is quite the peaceful city.

And then...

---

❥ PROMPT I: Where's the Pied Piper?

It starts small at first as most things do. Astute observers might notice that the statue of Ainea in the town square and in her temple is brighter than the other gods' statues. Her colors are a little more vibrant, like they've been given a fresh coat of paint. Then, little things in characters' houses seemingly start moving of their own volition to other parts of the house and go temporarily missing. Search as you may, you just can't find them - until they suddenly they show up again where you least expect with tiny little teeth marks in them. The corners of books and furniture get chewed on. The pillowcases and bed frames get nibbled. The edges and hems of clothing get a little frayed without you noticing when it happened.

Then, the squeaking starts up at night. It's innocuous at first, one or two here or there in the house, just barely noticeable by most. Over time, it gets more insistent, longer, louder, until, by the end of the month, it's difficult to sleep at night for all the noise of chattering and squeaking throughout the long night hours. Trying to find the source is a surefire way to drive yourself mad, but it seems that sleeping in the same bed with another person makes it a little easier to bear, especially if you hold hands throughout the night.

And finally, mice start showing up - pink and purple and of various sizes from panda mouse tiny to chihuahua-sized rats. They pop up in kitchens, in bedrooms, in the temples that don't belong to them, at businesses, in the labs, along the streets and in the city squares. They're in your new favorite chair, popping out from cabinets and drawers, and scurrying from under sofas and beds. It seems the only place they aren't is where they're supposed to be - Ainea's temple - and that's a big problem. Her temple priests are out in the city, begging residents both robotic and flesh to peacefully and carefully capture the creatures and return them home to the temple. They pass out soft woven reed baskets to any who agree and thank all participants heartily for their help.

---

❥ PROMPT II: We Didn't Start This Fire

Throughout the month, pockets of the city experience magnificent dry lightning storms. Before each onset of the storm, an immense clap of thunder booms across the entire city like a siren and the natives hold their figurative breaths until the first strike rains down. A peal of lightning, searing hot, strikes the ground or hits the spires of nearby buildings, cracking stone and leaving nasty burn marks behind. Each storm is only 4 to 5 minutes in length before they suddenly disappear again, but in those few minutes chaos reigns. For anyone unlucky enough to get caught amid one of these storms, take cover! Residents throw open doors and push people inside, even shielding the offworlders with their own bodies if necessary to keep them from getting harmed.

When the lightning and its sonorous booms pass, residents scurry out to repair the damage. They'll be asking nearby offworlders to help as well with patching the stonework or removing broken debris. Most importantly, they put out a call for help in putting out fires that spring up after each storm. Their metal bodies can't withstand the heat for long without melting and the water is dangerous to their circuitry. After the fires are put out and the damage repaired, on occasion, residents will ask for the somber help of pulling a native robot unlucky enough to take a direct hit from the lightning to a local repair shop. Strangely, the natives don't seem sad when their friends and family can't be repaired, and instead start gathering up objects from home to take with them to the temples along with the bodies. When asked, they say it's to pray for a rebirth and go on their way.

---

❥ PROMPT III: Let's Play the Friend Connection

With all the craziness going on, some people might just want a distraction. A lot of Havenwell's natives certainly seem to think so. Despite everything, the Entertainment District is as bustling as ever and this month the offering is to participate with a friend or group of friends to play a game called: Friend Connection. Rather than the usual plug in and sit configuration, this time the VR cafes have been reorganized into 3 meter by 3 meter square pads with no chairs or furniture available. Players plug in or put their helmets on and they're instantly transported to a garish neon-lighted stage with multicolored spotlights that show a floating, legless robot with a rainbow bowtie and a magnificent mustache. The robot's LED face lights up into the approximation of the :D emote and then a disembodied voice comes from speakers overhead:

"Hail, well met, and welcome to the hottest game show around: Friend Connection! As the studio audience already knows, this game is simple! You and your new friends compete to complete more challenges than the other hidden team. The more fabulously you and your team completes each task, the more points you'll be awarded. At the end of the game, the team with the most tasks cleared and the highest point value will be declared the winners and take home some fabulous prizes. On today's team is..."

And the robotic host waves an arm to a scoreboard behind it, showing your names. The heading "Other Team" has ???? underneath it and a list of challenges is revealed along with a burst of applause. The list reads:

1. Play Twister until someone falls! The longer you go, the more points you win!
   
2. Help each other do a handstand! The Wheelbarrow is acceptable too.
   
3. Recreate your favorite scene from a romantic movie. Take, for example, That Scene from the hit movie, Skytanic! Or hum along to this song as you and your friend make some pottery together.
   
4. Create a complicated Best Friend Handshake consisting of more than 5 moves and do it together 3 times without messing up!
   
5. Answer trivia questions about each other and your worlds while holding hands and staring into each other's eyes. The more questions you can answer, the higher your points!
   
6. Do a trust fall into your friend's arms. The higher or further you fall, the more points you'll earn.
   
7. Play two truths and a lie with your friend. If you can guess correctly, you'll earn points for your team!

Are you ready, contestants? You have 20 minutes. Good luck!

At the end of the game, the characters are declared the winners by a slim and, naturally, exciting margin of just one point! And their fabulous prize......? The friendship they earned along the way! Congratulations, players! And don't worry, when the game ends, you'll be in the exact weird position you were last in as the helmets turn off. Hopefully you aren't still in those weird Twister positions because everyone can and has been able to see you. Yup, the entire time.

---

❥ PROMPT IV: Comic Logic

As Lasdia comes to a close and Achtom begins, characters will start noticing something odd happening. Throughout their day as they go about their daily routines, helping people out or trying to find their missing items, the natives stop looking at them and start looking above their heads. In fact, as characters meet one another, their attention may also be drawn vertically above their companion because floating above every offworlder's head is a faint white cloud. Whenever they move, the cloud moves too. Attempts to dispel it by magic or physical means does nothing and it seems like you can't touch it at all.

It's annoying isn't it? Or maybe you're feeling quite curious about this phenomenon? Or maybe it scares you? Whatever you're feeling or thinking, it shows up in that cloud clear as day. It's not every thought or feeling that shows, but it's enough to be disconcerting, and any attempts to control what appears will fail. Like it or not, you're now broadcasting your innermost self to the world.

...For a time, at least. Over a period of time, smart characters might notice that after prolonged physical contact with another person, the cloud fades away and stays away for an undetermined amount of time. Sometimes it's an hour, sometimes it's a day, sometimes it's only 5 minutes, and then it begins to reform again. Whatever it is, it's here to stay, so good luck keeping your secret inner workings, well, secret.

---

This event will run from August 9th to the end of the September application period, September 9th. If you have any questions, feel free to direct them to the FAQ or to the Mod Question thread below.

Comments

[heron]

Ah . . . I'm not familiar with chocolate.

[abracafcku]

[Taako goes rigid and turns around like he's been burned, stalking across the kitchen until he's right up in Reyson's face.]

You're fucking with me. You have to be kidding. You've never had chocolate?

[heron]

[ okay, too close. reyson immediately pulls back, his wings flaring. ]

No? Should I have?

[abracafcku]

[Taako presses his hands together like a prayer in front of his face, breathing in as he composes himself. Then he whips back around, his braided hair swinging through the air as he stalks back over to the replicator.]

Full stop! We're changing direction.

[The kettle is dropped into the sink, the faucet closed, and the flurry of activity that follows is practiced and a blur. He has a pot under the replicator in one moment, milk filling it as he pulls down two mugs and starts warming them. The milk is transmuted with a snap of his fingers into something finer and richer, then the pot is transferred to the stove. He doesn't start it heating yet though, instead getting a bar of chocolate and flicking magic over it, changing its cacao content as a cutting board and knife fly across the kitchen into his hands. He's about to start chopping when he glances up at Reyson suddenly.]

Allergies?

[heron]

[ this . . . sure has taken a turn. ]

. . . I cannot have anything with meat?

[abracafcku]

[That gives him pause and he flicks his eyes to the pot and back to Reyson again.]

Completely vegan or is shit like, uh, milk and cream fine?

[heron]

[ reyson nods. ]

It only applies to meat. Fish, pork and so on.

[abracafcku]

Oh thank the gods - that's fine then. Sit and wait to be amazed.

[The activity starts up again immediately. He finely chops the chocolate with a practiced hand, creating two piles - one of milk and one of dark chocolate. The stove is turned on and Taako has the cutting board hovering while he stirs the pot of milk with a wooden spoon. Bit by bit, he adds the chocolate, stirring it constantly until it goes from white to beige, then brown, and finally a dark rich color. To this he adds a pinch of salt, a dash of transmuted rum and then a pinch of powdered chili pepper.

After he gives the mixture another stir, he removes it from the heat and pours it neatly into the two waiting mugs. He tops it with a healthy dollop of whipped cream from the fridge and some chocolate shavings. All in all it doesn't take long, but once the mugs are ready he hand delivers one to Reyson, holding it out to him.]

Try that and tell me how much I just transformed your life.

[heron]

[ unsure, but okay. reyson takes it, having a tentative sip. ]

It is very sweet . . . but nice.

[abracafcku]

[Of course. He can be in a completely new reality and still find people who don't appreciate artisan concoctions. Taako sighs and leans against the kitchen island, rolling his eyes as he sips his drink.]

Good thing you're a prince and not a food critic then.

[heron]

Considering I cannot eat most foods, I will think the food industry is spared.

[abracafcku]

Any good chef worth half their salt would still be able to make you a full fuckin' feast, regardless of any dietary restrictions.

[He plucks a piece of chocolate off the top of his drink and pops it in his mouth.]

[heron]

Perhaps. I cannot say I have much experience with chefs or prepared meals.

[abracafcku]

What do you usually eat then?

[Worms??? Ruffage???]

[heron]

[ reyson's wings flutter. ]

Fruits, nuts, berries. Plants. That's all we can stomach.

[abracafcku]

[So...literally a bird. Holy shit.]

You're not gonna puke on my kitchen counter from the chocolate, are you?

[heron]

[ he frowns. ]

I don't think so.

[abracafcku]

Well, if you feel sick?

[He points to the trash can nearby.]

Not on my counters.

[heron]

Yes. You said that already.

[abracafcku]

Just making sure the message gets through.

[But now his brain is working on this new puzzle - fruits, nuts, berries, and plants, huh? That whole raw diet thing could be a real challenge for him and it's not like he's lacking in the skill to do it. Just the motivation, he supposes.

Taako's ears flick again as he looks away, still leaning on the counter.]

Bet I could still make something to wow you with those restrictions.

[heron]

[ that is surprising. ]

Truly? I know most chefs don't bother.

[abracafcku]

Well, then they're some shitty chefs, aren't they?

[Taako still doesn't look anymore interested than he was before, but the tips of his ears twitch as he thinks. Raw desserts, granolas, baked fruits and nuts, it wouldn't be hard to make. He sips his chocolate casually as he can.]

For a prince, you certainly got shafted in so many ways.

[heron]

You are picturing human royalty.

[ he takes another cautious sip of the chocolate. ]

Herons lived in a forest. We didn't have much in the way of castles and riches. We had no need for such things.

[abracafcku]

[So like...those tree-hugging wood elves. Good to know. Taako shrugs.]

Human, elven, dwarven, gnomish - a lot of 'humanoid' races like to deck themselves out when they're rich, I guess.

[Herons sound like they might actually take their whole bird thing literally though - other than the not eating fish thing.]

But if you didn't have castles and riches, what did you all have?

[heron]

I'm not familiar with those.

[ he's never met an elf before until lup. much less gnomes or dwarves. ]

We have our powers. Our galdr. The songs we sing can change a person. Release one from curses, free minds.