♥ 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

[daikonrose]

Shifting forward to sit on her knees, Kyoko bends her head to the task, shamefully glad for the excuse to not look Shinji in the eye. But maybe he wouldn't mind that either; it might be better to give him a little privacy with his teary face.

A couple more quiet moments pass, with just the ginger pressing of bandages over the banged up spots on his palms, before she manages to pipe up again. "Um... so you know, I really didn't know it was you, until you told me your name. I didn't guess at all." It feels important to make that clear, as long as he's letting her stick around.

[hedgehogsdilemma]

Aaahhh, this is still so awkward, especially with her still down there like this. Like it's some kind of punishment. He definitely should have asked her to sit up on the bed with him before having her do this, would it be too weird to have her do that now? Maybe, but would it be more or less uncomfortable than this position?

Before he can decide and possibly speak up, she breaks the silence. It's kind of a relief, and his confusion over what that could have possibly changed is enough to cut through some of that particular brand of discomfort. "Oh," that's, you know, probably not totally unexpected, but makes him wonder, "Would it have changed anything if you had...?"

[daikonrose]

"Not... really." She hesitates, and then admits, "Well, a little. If I'd realized it sooner, I wouldn't have bothered you with all that touching, you know?" Though he'd seemed okay enough with it at the time, and now he was tolerating even more of it. Maybe today had already been so weird and uncomfortable that adding on a little more at this point didn't make much difference to him.

"But, more importantly, I just... I guess, I don't want you to think I was targeting you for all of that stuff at the beginning."

[hedgehogsdilemma]

That would be a valid concern, wouldn't it? He shakes his head a tiny bit in response, "I hadn't thought that at all," a concern that she shouldn't trouble herself with, though. Having it said is probably good, but he wouldn't have suspected her of it in the first place.

The first part seems more like something that might actually trouble the both of them, but when he thinks back on it... a younger him didn't have all the same hang-ups that he does now. It's a different set of problems to worry about, but nothing that isn't easy to cope with. "It wasn't a bother, though. It... was kind of comforting, actually."

. . . Good grief that probably sounds so stupid of him after everything that led up to it. All that chasing and scaring and whatnot, that he'd turn around and let himself feel comforted by the perpetrator of it all? He means it, but wouldn't be surprised if she doesn't buy it. He frowns to himself, letting his focus drop down to his hands and his voice drop to a softer register.

"Your hands are really warm."

[daikonrose]

While she wouldn't have used the word stupid, it's definitely pretty hard to understand. Maybe not so much that it had been a comfort to him at the time--she wouldn't have done it at all if she didn't think that was the case--but more the implication that he's still sort of okay with it? Is she understanding that correctly??

Kyoko is still turning it all over in her head when those soft words fall on her ears.

... Huh?

Huh?!

Her head jerks up to stare at him, cheeks flushed, because what? Hey, Shinji?? What??!

"I-is that--I--are they?? Are they too hot?!"

[hedgehogsdilemma]

Man, if saying it hadn't been mildly embarrassing enough, that reaction sure tips it into incredibly embarrassing territory! He might, might be able to pass the flush that comes to his own cheeks, spreading up to his ears, as a side effect of that earlier crying, but... it would probably be a hard sell.

"Wh-what? No, no! That's not what I mean!"

If she weren't still in the middle of patching up his hands, those would be held up in front of him as he stammers that reply out. Alas, they remain at her mercy.

"It's - it's nice! It's a good thing!"

[daikonrose]

Well it was a concern! Even if she hadn't thought about it at all until Shinji said something! Like, what if her hands were sweaty? How terrible! She just kept making his day worse and worse!

The bandaging effort is temporarily forgotten, her hands frozen over his as she grapples with these horrifying thoughts, until his clarification makes them clench in surprise. Ah jeez, she just crumpled up a bandaid. The process of dropping it to the side and picking up a new one puts enough of a pause on all her frantic thoughts to leave her in a quieter sort of confusion.

"O-oh. I just--thought you really hated this kind of thing, so...." Actually, did he ever say anything as extreme as that? She can't remember now.

[hedgehogsdilemma]

'Really hated it'...? Had he given her that impression? It isn't totally far off from the truth, exactly, but he's not so inflexible that he's going to be upset about Kyoko setting aside her own dislike to help someone out. It couldn't have been any easier for her, right? It would be silly of him to be anything but grateful.

But, even with that in mind, it's not exactly the whole picture in this case, is it? Not quite a matter of tolerating it for the sake of getting everything straightened out properly. None of it had been bad, not when she was trying to help calm him down, and he thinks that, maybe, even if he hadn't been so young... it still wouldn't have been bad.

He's quiet for a moment as he tries to puzzle all of this out into a satisfying answer for her, but first breaks that silence with a gentle, "Hang on, just a second."

He's gonna just. Stand up off of the bed to join her down in front of it. Meet her on her level, there we go.

"I didn't hate it." In other circumstances, with other people, he might feel more negatively, but with Kyoko... he feels like he can take a softer stance on it. "You aren't doing anything bad, Kyoko-san."

[daikonrose]

It isn't Shinji's fault that Kyoko's mind jumps so easily to the assumption that she's made a misstep. Kyoko barely even realizes she does it. That's just how she's always navigated life; there have always been tempers to tiptoe around; there have been too many times the failure to anticipate a mistake has blown up in her face. It's no more his fault that her active imagination tends to catastrophize more often than it lets her look at things clearly.

But as he slips down next to her, everything is just unusual enough to interrupt all the old thinking habits that loop her into finding the safest, least risky interpretation of his words. This time, she can just listen to them.

Eyes meeting his, Kyoko goes quiet. It's a few moments before she finds any words of her own, but they come out softly soon enough, her hands cupped gently around his. "... Thank goodness."

[hedgehogsdilemma]

Was she really so worried about it? When was the last time anyone worried that he might be mad about something? Did he really seem like the kind of person, or is it just that she's used to that kind of person...? The questions settle on his shoulders, weighing them down a tiny bit with a soft exhale. It's a lot to think about, and maybe not anything to solve immediately.

He lets her keep that gentle hold of his hands, not protesting or pulling away even if there's no treatment happening right now. "Mmm, yeah," she seems less tense now, thank goodness indeed. "You know it's me now, but if you still want to be friends, please don't feel like you have to worry about that kind of stuff too much."

[daikonrose]

Relief easing the tightness in her shoulders--how strange, she hadn't even noticed until now--Kyoko feels herself relax into a soft smile. How had she managed to be so wrong about how this would turn out? She'd always worried that she was reading him wrong, but Shinji really was just this type of person, huh--mature, and gentle.

"... Mm! I really meant that, you know? I was really, really hoping we could be friends."

[hedgehogsdilemma]

He could understand why it might have felt important to establish with a little kid, but having that kind of warmth and importance extended to him now is a surprise. And such a gentle smile on her part, too...

"I was hoping so, too." It feels a little silly to be putting such a fine point in it now, after knowing each other as long as they have, but it's been kind of a weird, rocky relationship so far. Maybe cementing that label on to things will make it easier for the both of them, if they both feel the same about it. The thought brings a small, equally soft smile to his face. "Even if it wasn't a smooth first impression, it sounded nice."

[daikonrose]

Even under excellent smooth-sailing conditions, Kyoko is used to erring on the side of not assuming people are her friends. It's just better to be cautious about it! That's more considerate, right? It's always better to make sure.

But now it's all out there, and, ah... she really doesn't see Shinji smile much, does she? Kyoko gives a warm little giggle, happy to let things stand as they are now, and then she starts slightly. "--Oh! I'll finish this, sorry--" She didn't mean to leave him hanging with the bandaging. Time to hustle back to that.

[hedgehogsdilemma]

It's really, really easy to assume that people don't think of you as a friend, he understands. He doesn't like making that assumption either.

Enjoy that tiny smile while it lasts, because it's a fleeting expression - once she brings up the subject of the bandages again, it shifts into something a little more surprised. "Oh! Right, it's fine," no need for apologies! "Thank you."