♥ May (Ealom) Event Log

[hugtopiamods]

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!

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

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

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.

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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.

Comments

[needmyspace]

Family...? [Sorry Lance, he was too busy being confused to catch that bit about him being "Keith's older brother". He's baffled, frowning at him.]

You found Krolia?

[the_tailor]

Who's Krolia? I'm talking about your little brother Keith.

[And he crosses his arms.]

[needmyspace]

I don't have a brother. [He blinks, confused.] And even if I did, why would he have the same name as me? That's stupid.

[the_tailor]

But... You look so much like a guy I sorta know. Like you're his twin, except older. And you have the same name?

[Lance frowns, confused as well.]

[needmyspace]

[Kosmo nudges Keith's side, giving him a significant look, and it suddenly clicks.]

Lance. You're talking about me. [A pause, and he frowns.] You don't remember anything? You're really just a kid?

[That is...surprisingly more painful than he anticipated.]

[the_tailor]

Remember? What am I supposed to remember? And there's no way you can be Keith. He's my age, and he would have just flipped me off by now and walked off. You're old. ....er.

[This is making less sense by the moment.]

Is this part of the prank?

[needmyspace]

Oh man. [Keith lets out a long breath and scrubs at his face. Great. Just great. He self-consciously pushes his bangs over to attempt to cover his scar, though it obviously doesn't do much.]

It's not a prank. Look, it's a lot to explain, but basically we're on another planet and apparently it's made you younger for some reason.

[He just has to hope it won't last...]

[the_tailor]

Another...planet. And I was made younger.

[He stares at Keith, unamused for now.]

That's literally impossible.

[needmyspace]

[Keith can't help but chuckle at that. To be young and naive... He kind of misses it sometimes.]

You have no idea what's possible.

[the_tailor]

Don't patronize me! Tell me the truth! I just started here at the Garrison, I can't afford to be missing classes! I won't get kicked out when I just got in!

[He scowls.]

[needmyspace]

[It's almost mind-boggling how little those things even matter anymore. Funny how that used to be so important to them, and now, Keith really just doesn't care about his standing with Garrison at all.

Granted, it's best to have them on his side, but it's not something he's going to lose sleep over.]

I mean, I can tell you the truth, but you probably won't believe me.

[the_tailor]

[Lance continues to frown at him. This makes so little sense as it is. Why not, then.]

Go ahead. Try me.

[needmyspace]

Alright. You asked for it. [He gives Kosmo a few pets.] Let's walk and talk. I'll show you our house.

[He starts to head down the road, glancing back to make sure Lance is following.]

[the_tailor]

Our house?

[Strange. And yet he sighs and follows, because what other choice does he have? This supposed older Keith is the only one who's recognized him here so far as it is, and honestly, he doesn't want to be alone.]

[needmyspace]

[Wow, Lance. Completely disregard Kosmo, who saved you.]

C'mon, boy. [Said wolf starts to trot behind them then, bumping his nose against Keith's hip lightly.]

Alright, well the most important thing is that there's a big universe out there, and most of it is inhabited.

[the_tailor]

[Sorry, sorry! He didn't mean to leave out the wolf. Lance peers at Keith as they walk, examining his face, because...he really, really does look like Keith. Is there truth to this?]

Well, I always believed that anyway, but we haven't even gone beyond our own solar system yet. Not in manned missions, at least.

[needmyspace]

Right, well not all aliens are exactly friendly. [Keith launches into a highly abbreviated version of everything they've been through, omitting much of the detail. Frankly, he just doesn't want to relive everything again. But he knows Lance well enough that he won't rest until he gets a decent explanation.]

And then, we ended up here in Havenwell. So far we haven't seen any of the others.

[the_tailor]

[It's certainly a heck of a story. Lance follows along best he can, though it's honestly rather nonsensical. Robot lions? Space princesses? Evil galactic empires? It sounds like a comic book. But at the same time, Keith doesn't sound as if he's lying. Taking what he says as the truth would provide an explanation to this all, too, but it's difficult to wrap his head around.]

I...dunno if I believe you yet. This seems crazy. But I just... I dunno.

[needmyspace]

You do realize my space wolf teleported you to me, right? [He raises an eyebrow at him. They finally arrive home, and Keith stretches with a yawn.]

It is crazy. But it's true.

[the_tailor]

....point taken.

[Once they arrive, Lance glances around. It's actually a really nice looking place. A yard filled with flowers, and....are those mariposas...?]

So in the end, what you're saying is that I'm supposed to be older. Like, an adult? And we're...

[He gestures between them.]

We're friends?

[Because that seems as unbelievable as the space thing, considering how the Keith he knows always acts towards him.]

[needmyspace]

Um... [You know, this really shouldn't make him feel so sheepish. It definitely shouldn't make him flush, because he's talking to Lance. But this younger Lance makes him feel a little...vulnerable. He rubs the back of his head.]

We're... we're friends.

[Which completely explains the blush spreading across his cheeks.]

[the_tailor]

[...Something is definitely strange about that answer. Lance's eyes narrow.]

Why's your face all red? Are you lying?

[needmyspace]

I'm not lying! [He turns away and scrubs at his face.] We're...really close!

[the_tailor]

Really close?

[He's just going to keep. Staring at him.]

[needmyspace]

Really. Close. [Oh god please stop.]