hugtopia_logs | ♥ May (Ealom) Event Log

♥ May (Ealom) Event Log

May (Ealom) Event Log
Ainea's power begins to wane as the last of her months begins, but that doesn't mean it's completely gone yet! With all the effort everyone has put in to clearing and reclaiming the new parts of the city, Ainea and the rest of the gods want to show you the fruits of your labors. A fragrant and gentle breeze springs up through the city, winding through its streets. It's strongest near Ainea's temple, but the power seems to flow from the entire city as it sweeps outward through the new areas. As soon as the wind reaches the outskirts of Old Havenwell, it becomes visible - a shimmering semi-opaque swirl of mixed colors that curls along the ruins and streets. Wherever it goes, greenery and life follows, the atmosphere lifting and the city gleaming in its wake. Small, tentative flowers bloom along the path of the wind until it brunts up against the barrier wall, bursting into a shower of sparkles.

Congratulations, Havenwellians and off-worlders alike! You've cleansed the city!

❥ PROMPT I: It's All About the May-bies

an elderly woman looks into a mirror at her younger self

That beautiful breeze brings with it a strange magic as well. When it sweeps through the city, it touches everyone - flesh or metal-bodied alike - giving people a contented, youthful feeling. That feeling eventually subsides, but in its place is a little bit of magic gone haywire. Throughout the month, characters can experience a little bit of rejuvenation themselves as they suddenly find themselves de-aging abruptly. Whether they retain their memories of their adult lives or revert entirely to their previous selves at that age is up to player discretion. Curiously, no one becomes so young that they would be considered younger than a 6 year old human for their species. Characters can either know where they are in Havenwell or be completely surprised by this strange city full of robots and have no idea what they're supposed to do! Returning to their original age is quite simple though - they can either wait until the power snaps them back, or take the initiative and hug it out to see if it helps (it does, surprise!). If characters wait, they might find that it takes a while before the magic can remember what age they were supposed to be. You might snap from 17 to 29, then back to 12 and suddenly to 59 until you finally settle at your regular age.

Not everyone is affected alike, however. Some may find that they never age one way or another, and some may find they age up instead of down. For those who age up, only their physical appearance is affected and they will not gain canon knowledge of their futures. Sure might feel weird for that 12 year old to suddenly become a 25 year old though! But at least you got to skip the horror of puberty. To return to their original age, they just have to do the same as the others - wait until the power snaps them back (hopefully to the right age) or go find someone to hug these growing pains out with.

Please note, for this prompt you are welcome to use journals other than the ones currently registered to the comms, HOWEVER we ask that you post the journal names you intend to use to the Alternate Account thread on the plotting post. This is so we can more easily track comments for AC and AC Rewards at the end of the month. Thanks in advance!

❥ PROMPT II: There Must be Something in the Air

It appears that the offworlders aren't the only ones affected by the sudden influx of youthfulness. During the month, the city council puts out a call for help from those who are able to give it. The Havenwell Zoo and Animal Conservatory has had an unexpected surge of new baby animals born at the beginning of the month. There's so many that they can't keep them all at the zoo's nursery so they need your help! Characters can volunteer and arrive at the zoo to pick up a cuddly baby to take home with them to keep for the remainder of the month. They will be required to give it back once Ealom ends, however, since the natives will (hopefully) be finished with their new habitat expansions by then. As with any baby, characters will need to keep their little fluffy one close and tend to its needs - which may include having two parents. You and a friend (or frenemy, we aren't judging) will need to help this little one grow up enough that it can return to its conservatory home! The zoo will provide the basics that you'll need to keep these babies alive and well. The animals available are:

Clackoos: These rainbow colored chicks resemble chickens, except that the babies are almost a foot tall and when they "chirp" it sounds more like the clacking of wood. They're mostly flightless, but they do enjoy trying to fly and can get a few feet off the ground or glide when they get older. At this stage, they're testing their wings out and are more likely to fall off of high places and bump into people and walls in a manner more akin to flailing falling than actual flight. Keep them warm at night and make sure they eat a variety of seeds, simulated insect mealworms, or fruits.
Sinory Lizard: These feathery lizards look a little like a cross between an iguana and a komodo dragon, being almost 2 feet in length from snout to the tip of their tail. They come in a variety of colors like striped blue and green, yellow and pink, silver and black, etc. They're most notable for the downy feathers on their legs and along their backs. They make a rumbling sound if you pet the down on their back. These lizards are known for their sluggish nature when it's anything less than hot hot hot, so they tend to slither away quickly to seek sources of heat like sunny spots, people, or stoves. You might want to keep them away from stoves. They enjoy eating the simulated meats or kibble provided by the zookeepers, but will also steal whatever food is on the table if it's not guarded.
Lohpeh: This large pink creature resembles a rabbit with long thin ears and powerful hind legs, except that it also sports brown antlers that sprout light blue leaves and pretty yellow flowers. They're about half a foot tall not including the antlers and pink like bubblegum. They eat mostly grasses and vegetables, and will happily munch on anything that even slightly resembles their preferred food - so hair, clothing, anything flowing. Their teeth are pretty sharp though, so be careful of the accidental nip here and there. They don't like to be alone, so they'll follow the largest group of people they can find, chasing after them to rub their antlers against their legs. Apparently it's to mark them as family.
Nirofu: A small black and white giraffe-like creature with gangly legs, a long neck and two little stubs on the top of their heads that look like they're meant to grow into something much longer. As a baby, the creature is extremely awkward looking as it's trying to grow into its long limbs and neck and they vary in height from runts who are barely over 2 feet tall to ones that are nearly 4 foot in height. They like to swing their heads and bash them into things as a form of play and once they start running, it's hard to get them to stop. They're extremely playful, but the zookeepers still haven't pinned down exactly what they like to eat. Feed them a variety of raw foods from meat to vegetables and these nirofu seem to gobble everything down.

Please choose only one animal to foster!

❥ PROMPT III: A Bigger, Better Nursery

a zoo enclosure with greenery decorating it, and an elephant in the center

Remember when the city council said they'd be expanding the zoo? Well, they're going to need all the hands they can get and have asked people willing to help to do so. This job will be paid, of course, with a healthy dose of Dora into your accounts if you don't mind a little bit (or a lot of) physical labor. The habitats for the creatures in the zoo need to be expanded, new paddocks built and populated with vegetation, water, and play areas. The simulated vegetation like trees, grass that feels real but is very much fake, simulated moss and bushes need to be arranged and planted. Water areas need to be cleaned and then filled. The fake wood play areas with ropes and ladders, slides and swings need to be assembled and secured within the enclosures. There's no lack of things to do! For the more construction minded, they can help pour foundations and lay the mortar and stone for building walls in the new enclosures, or help add the glass or build fences to separate the soon-to-be curious zoo-goers from the animals that need protecting. Grab a friend, roll up your sleeves, get to work and earn some Dora!

❥ PROMPT IV: I Can Show You the City

With all the hustle of last month, the VR cafes were rather sparse and this month the owners of those cafes want to make up for the lost time and profit! This month they're offering a new experience that any and all may enjoy. The cafes' decor have been updated to be painted a light sky blue inside with soft diffuse light that resembles sunlight. On the ceilings and walls are holoprojections of very realistic clouds that slide along like they do outside. Hook up into the VR sets and join others in an extremely realistic and detailed flying tour of Havenwell.

Ever wonder what the city looked like from above? Well, wonder no longer! Once you're loaded up in the game, you'll find yourself floating gently in the sky high above the city. There are others here, too, holding hands or linking arms as they zip about, free as birds. You, however? Well...you can't do much more than float or sink closer to the ground! It seems you need to find a partner and keep in contact with them in order to control your flight, so you better hurry before you end up on the ground like some regular ol' walking Joe. Thankfully, everyone is being loaded into the same game experience, so it shouldn't be hard to find a partner!

If you want a little excitement in your game, feel free to load the "Balloon Challenge" mini-game and compete against other teams to catch the most balloons. Once the game starts, you have 2 minutes to maneuver with your partner to fly through virtual obstacles and collect brightly colored balloons. Catch them by the string and hold on because the more balloons you and your partner collect, the higher your score. If you're crowned that Balloon Challenge champion by beating out all the other teams, you can collect a little balloon of your own when you leave the VR cafe. The balloon floats happily along on a little string and never loses its air, no matter how long you keep it.

This event will run from May 14th to 31st. 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.

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[As the father of a small child, Regis has already grown used to their tendency to find little places to hide and wait for someone to find them. That's why he's not all that surprised when he spots the little girl hiding nearby. It's his lohpeh's fault, really. He's watching it as it hops around trying to make friends with everyone it runs into and it passes right by the girl more than once.

Of course, such young children usually do not remain hidden for so long without someone coming to look for them, so when his knee has finally recovered and Regis is getting ready to leave the bench he's been sitting on, he can't help but call out gently to her.]

Young one, is everything all right?

[ The odd pink bunny reminds her of her stuffed bunny, even if it's the wrong colour and has branches growing from its head. She hopes Jíjí isn't lonely. Who will cuddle him if she isn't there?

There's a man nearby, but when he doesn't see her she keeps her attention on the not-bunny instead. She wishes Jíjí was here with her. Then they could keep each other safe.

Kiyo quickly brings her hands up to cover her mouth the moment the strange man speaks to her, afraid she had somehow been too loud. She thought she had hidden well enough... It's no wonder her Grandparents haven't come to find her yet—why would they want to take such a bad little girl back home? She'll just have to do better.

She's supposed to stay silent unless spoken to. Does that mean she always has to answer when spoken to? Is she allowed to stay quiet if it's a stranger? If he was Grandfather she'd get in trouble for ignoring him, because it's disrespectful and you're always supposed to respect your betters.

If she tells this person the truth then he might try to help her... But then he'd see that she's a Dravanian bastard and chop off her head. She doesn't want her head chopped off. She also doesn't want to lie—only bad girls lie, after all.

Kiyo doesn't know what to do. Is it worse to be disrespectful, or would it be worse to lie?

She eventually blurts out a response in her growing panic— ]

I'm hiding. You can't see me.

[Regis has to fight wincing when her answer finally comes. Fortunately, his fuller beard hides whatever little twitches might slip through. Oh, how that response reminds him of the traumatized children that come in with the refugees fleeing the war. So young and already so scarred and scared. So much lost when it should have been enjoyed instead.

What kind of king is he if he doesn't try to help her just as he's tried to help his own people back home?]

Of course, I can't see you. I'm merely a silly old man talking to his lohpeh.

[For as lost and scared as those refugee children were, Regis found that most of them were also very good at catching on when someone wass attempting to speak with them in a roundabout way. They had to be. Sometimes, it was the only way they survived.]

Are you hungry? It's getting close to suppertime.

[ Kiyo doesn't know what to make of this man who isn't going away. She wishes he would go away, so she could run and hide someplace else.

He asks her if she's hungry, and suddenly Kiyo becomes very aware that she is. She bites back a small noise of discomfort. ]

Suppertime is only for good girls.

Oh, now that sounds like a silly rule. Everyone should eat when they are hungry, even little girls who sometimes do bad things.

[Who has been denying her food for being 'bad'? Regis would certainly like to have a word or two with them.]

I suppose it's a good thing kings can remake rules they don't like. I do believe I will change that one right now.

[ The only king she knows of is King Thordan, and he was the one in charge of all the bad people. She muffles her noise of fright, scrambling backwards until she can't get any further away. ]

Please don't kill them, ser majesty king. They're not— They're not heretics, I promise.

[Ah, well if that reaction doesn't explain a bit about where she is from, nothing will.]

My country has been at war for far too many years for me to want to kill anyone, child. There has been too much blood shed already.

But you killed Grandmother and Grandfather's son, and my real family. [ She doesn't understand... Why would he say such a thing? ] After one hundred hundred years why would you stop?

[Oh, she doesn't realize... Well, that also explains a lot.]

Did you know this city's name is Havenwell?

[For the moment, he completely ignores her accusations. It's obvious she has confused him for the king of her world not knowing she's now on another one completely.]

Do you have a Havenwell on your world? There's certainly not one on mine.

[ 'Havenwell'? ]

...I know of the Holy See of Ishgard. It's in Coerthas, and I live in Coerthas. Coerthas is in Eorzea.

I'm afraid I know of no such places going by those names. My home is Insomnia, capital of the land of Lucis on a planet called Eos.

[His eyes follow his lohpeh as it continues its wanderings, though his attention is completely on the conversation, and more importantly, her reactions.]

We both are apparently far from home.

[ Kiyo doesn't really understand what he's saying, but with her limited knowledge can come to her own conclusions.

They're either across the sea in the New World, something weird happened with the aethernet, or they're dead.

Kiyo thinks it's most likely that they're dead. ]

Um— If we're dead, ser majesty king...

[ She doesn't know the proper way to address a king, just that proper address is very important when talking to your betters, so she just uses all the ones she can think of to be sure she gets it right. ]

Does that— Um... Is my real papa here? Bába was— He was really tall. With big hands, and— And skin like... Like Grandmother's wood floor.

Please, it's all right to just call me Regis.

[Her request tears at his heart so much that Regis finally can no longer resist turning to look toward her. His expression is both sad and concerned.]

I am fairly certain we're not dead, but that doesn't mean your father isn't here. This place has a strange way of bringing us together even with those who are lost.

[After all, in Cor's time, he's one of the lost.]

Would you like me to help you look for him? We can get you something to eat while we do. I know of a wonderful little cafe that has the cutest cats in it.

[ He says it's all right for her to call him that, but is it really? If he's a king, it's rude to not use titles. But if he's a king, he gets to decide what's rude, doesn't he?

It's all very confusing, so she falls silent, focusing instead on making sure to hide her horns as best she can as he finally turns to look at her in her hiding spot. ]

Um... I can't. [ There are many reasons why she can't look for Bába, but one of them is the most relevant: ] I don't— I don't remember... I was too little. And I've grown a lot since he—

[ Since he was killed. ]

So he wouldn't know me, too.

It's all right if you don't remember.

[And he hates thinking about how young she must have been when this happened considering she knows but doesn't remember.]

I would not underestimate your father, though. I am a father myself, and I would like to think I would know my child no matter how old he was.

[After all, he had felt a connection to Noctis when he first arrived in the city, even if he didn't know until later he was his son.

That counted, right?]

[ Kiyo wrings her hands together nervously, picking at the scales on the back of them. She still thinks she should remember, even if her father was dragonspawn like her.

It's nice to think that her father would know her even though she's bigger now, but it's the rest of what Regis has said that catches her attention. ]

Are kings allowed to be papas?

[Despite the seriousness of the conversation, Regis can't help but let a smile return to his face when he hears her question.]

I would certainly hope so or else that is another rule I'll have to change. My son would be quite upset if someone told him he wasn't allowed to be my son anymore.

[As quietly as he can, so not to startle her, Regis pulls his tablet from the Armiger.]

Would you like to see a picture of him? I have a couple on here.

[Is this Havenwell's version of a dad with a wallet full of their kid's pictures? You bet it is.]

...A picture?

[ She is, in spite of her fear and desire to obey the rules, very curious. What he pulls out certainly doesn't look like a painting or a drawing, let alone 'a couple' of them. ]

Indeed. This little device can hold a great many of them. It's quite remarkable.

[Regis takes a moment to pull up his favorite picture, one taken not that long ago when he and Noctis were playing with the cats in the cafe. He then sets the tablet on the end of the bench and moves a little ways away from it, so she doesn't have to worry that he is going to grab her when she gets close.]

[ Her curiosity puts her in quite the predicament, because for all that she wishes to see these pictures she also doesn't have anything to hide under if she crawls out to look.

Kiyo wrings her hands together nervously, hesitantly thinking of a solution. Eventually she tries to twist her hair around her horns to hide them, but her childish hands lack the dexterity to do so effectively. She ends up compensating by covering with her hands what she couldn't cover completely with her hair... Though being unable to use her hands to crawl out from her hiding spot soon becomes another issue to deal with. She uses her elbows in the end, and it works well save for how uncomfortable it is.

But her horns are hidden away, and her scales are generally obscured by her hair and how they blend in with her sun-deprived skin. It leaves her feeling a bit more secure—enough that she only shoots one quick, nervous glance over to Regis before she turns her attention to the picture.

It looks like real life, just... smaller, still, and stuck in a little frame. Kiyo stares at it for a few long moments, clearly surprised and awed by the strange 'device'. Eventually she takes into account what the picture is, then speaks up once again. ]

He is—He is big and, um... grown up.

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♥ May (Ealom) Event Log

SIX ☘ THE CHILD (I'm okay with the implications if they come up!)

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