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hugtopiamods ([personal profile] hugtopiamods) wrote in [community profile] hugtopia_logs2020-09-14 07:59 pm

♥ September (Ohnir) Event Log

an ethereal scene of a small island in space with a tree and a chair, the milky way arcing above
September (Ohnir) Event Log

The month of Ohnir brings with it a slow but steady relief from the heat, as summer gives way to autumn and the city begins to change with it. Plants are slowly deflowering, leaves are starting to fade and fall, and while the season is not yet in full swing, all the signs are there if you know where to look. The city is abuzz with new energy as the residents realize that for the first time in centuries, they have some actual nature clean-up ahead of them: raking leaves, pruning branches, protecting young wildlife and fresh plants from the incoming chills of winter. Such work used to be relegated to those who cared for the botanical gardens and zoos, but now everyone who's been enjoying this year's garden harvest has to learn how to future-proof their treasured flowers. Offworlders are encouraged to do the same, lest all of the growth be lost over the winter.



PROMPT I: A Clean Getaway
an animated gif of anime-style bird people in a hot bath

With all of the work to be done, it's no surprise that some are looking for new ways to refresh themselves and relax, and what better time would there be to open up the Public Baths! All the volunteer work cleaning the place has paid off, and the facilities are officially open and available for use. It is technically free to use, as a public facility, but those visiting are encouraged to tithe a small donation once in a while to pay for upkeep and freshen up the place, provide new soaps, etc. No judgment if you can't! It'll just make everything that much nicer in the long run.

The baths are separated into a few sections: oil baths for the native residents, and water baths for the offworlders. For obvious reasons, offworlders are encouraged not to enter the robot-residential sections! Though they are not strictly forbidden... it would be quite messy and bad for your health.

The offworlder half has additional separated sections that may interest characters when they visit:

1) Hot Springs Style - Clothed or Unclothed: there are 3 available rooms for each, one for separate presented genders, and a shared bath for those comfortable with the concept or don't wish to use either male or female. Each room has one larger pool and a few smaller sets, so you can sit by yourself or with others as you please.

2) Pool: a shared public pool! The water is nice and cool, which should be a comfort to those still struggling with the lingering summer heat. There is some water game equipment available for open use if people want to play and get their sports on.

3) Sauna: similar to the springs, once again, there are 3 rooms for gender splits so everyone can enjoy the place at their own comfort level.

It all seems very nice and relaxing for everyone, but this wouldn't be a proper event without some shenanigans now, would it? There are a few effects that may occur within the baths, and these effects are somewhat random. Some characters may experience them to a powerful degree, while others feel nothing at all. Players can decide for themselves who and where these will affect, so feel free to mix, match, and go wild. The effects are:
  • The spring water is so relaxing that you feel free and more willing to talk about yourself, or share your feelings more openly.

  • The swimming pool is cool and energizing, making you want to horse around and play with others nearby. You may also feel inclined to drape yourself onto others, like a cool, comfy pillow.

  • The sauna has you dishing up spicy hot takes, releasing negative emotions or complaints, and makes you a little more inclined to gossip.
All effects can either be nullified or emphasized according to player discretion by physical contact. For some characters, holding hands or something will stop the effects, but for others it'll intensify them - it should keep characters guessing!


PROMPT II: REM Stands for Realistic Emotional Memory in These Parts
a girl sleeping in yellow grass

Characters who were around last year might remember a bout of strange and sporadic dreams that plagued the town around this season, along with the sensation that they were being followed. This year, dreams once more enter uninvited to one's mind, but this time, it occurs as a random daydream while they are awake, and it is very different from person to person- instead encouraging you to do the following. All visions start out hazy, like a grainy old movie where details and figures are difficult to make out, but there is something both familiar and alien about it. It feels like a memory… but it is not your memory. Over time, the visual begins to clear the more often the dream repeats, until slowly the images grow more distinct, offering clearer faces, the addition of voices, discernable quotes or expressions. The memory will provide hints as to who it might belong to, though the subtlety of those hints will likely vary. Before too long, if you have not found a way to rid yourself of the dream, you will experience an entire memory of another person in town as if you were witnessing it from their perspective!

Now, how does one rid themselves of these strange visions? You could wait it out, if you're patient enough and not inclined to seek the answer, but those who've been here long enough can wager a guess: you must find the source of that memory and "send" it back to them through physical interaction of some kind. Some memories may take longer to transfer than others, and it may depend on the person, the memory itself, how clear the memory has become in the time you carried it… no two experiences are likely to be the same.

There are a few specifics about these memories that are worth noting:
  • the memory should be of a single event, not a series of events that span a long period of time. For example, you could witness the stretch of someone's day at a wedding or long party (sped up to skip insignificant moments so it doesn't play in real time), but not a memory of an entire war that goes for months. How long the memory goes for is up to the player that the memory belongs to, as long as it falls within these guidelines.

  • you are not limited to a single memory from a single person. Once you have solved one vision, after a certain amount of time, you may find yourself plagued with another.

  • you will not necessarily end up having the same memory partner! You won't always have the memory of the person who has your memory. Characters are encouraged to pair up and try to piece together clues that might lead you to your intended partner. Help each other out and guide one another in the right direction if you can.

  • those whose memory has been borrowed may find it difficult to recall it; it can seem fuzzy and indistinct, missing entirely or simply missing choice details. Through physical contact, that memory will fully return to them and both participants can experience it together.

  • you can find your partner accidentally! If you're still searching for clues and happen to touch your partner through other circumstances - such as shake their hand at first meeting, or hug a friend - you may find both of you are suddenly experiencing a memory together as it is transferred! Aren't you lucky, to have found your partner so easily?
!!! IMPORTANT !!! The contents of the memory shared is up to you, but please be mindful of harmful subjects and tag/mark your comments and toplevels accordingly! Triggering memories should be noted with content warnings. Be kind to your fellow players! If someone asks you to tag something and you have not done so, please correct it as soon as possible. Untagged comments that aren't adjusted and are reported to us may be subject to mod screening until the issue is resolved.


PROMPT III: I Shall Fight With My Bear Hands
a man trains with one fist outstretched in a dark room

Closer to the tail end of the month, one of the research facilities distributes a "Help Wanted" advertisement through the network, requesting the aid of offworlders. The advertisement reads:

"Calling all offworlders! Havenwell Research and Development is seeking volunteers for both physical prowess and supernatural ability testing. All are welcome! Even if you have no combat skills and feel only a desire to learn, we have a job for you. Those who already possess some form of self-defense or combative powers will be partnered and asked to "spar" in a partially digitized facility, or proceed with a simulation that will gauge destructive capabilities. And for those who possess neither, don't worry! Our program is specially designed to help you discover just where your talents lie.

No harm should come to any volunteers, as this is strictly simulation-based, similar to the virtual reality technology already widely used throughout the city. However, in case of any accidents, medical staff is on site to treat injuries as needed. Additionally, there is no need for you to wear any of the VR headgear typically required in our cafes, so if these devices cause you discomfort, this may be a simulation that better meets your needs.

Please contact us ASAP if you are willing and able to help. A monetary commission will be awarded upon completion of each session."

Any volunteers or inquiries will be provided with more information, and invited to one of the research towers located in town. They are guided to a floor that is abuzz with activity, partnered with whoever happens to be scheduled at the same time or a partner they themselves opted to bring with them, and taken to a room akin to Star Trek's holodeck. There, they can input "powers" or "no powers", and a simulation will be created for them based on their selected guidelines.

With Powers:
The console invites characters to select one of two options- their own abilities, or temporarily gain access to the elemental powers offered via AC Rewards (point levels 50, 100, and 200). They are able to choose a particular power level for the duration of the simulation, which can either dampen their natural abilities to a more fair level for the test you're undertaking, or remain normal. While in the simulation room, rather than actually using any real abilities, the room will materialize whatever ability you choose without causing true damage to either the room or your opponent. Science, or magic? It's probably both. Feel free to go wild and have fun, maybe try some powers you've never experienced before or vent your frustrations on being stuck here!

Without Powers:
The console invites characters to select a type of weapon and skill level, and said weapon will materialize in a basic form; while held inside the room it moves and feels real, but it cannot be removed from the facility. Those who are skilled in utilizing said weapon are free to wield it as if it were the genuine article in their chosen simulation. Those without much or any skill will be walked through a tutorial on basic techniques from a variety of styles, old or new, most unfamiliar but well suited to the body type of the person using the program. It's quite intuitive, though it is by no means perfect, so characters might end up being guided through a stranger workout than intended.

For versus mode, each participant has an HP bar displayed above their heads, and everyone has the same HP unless both players select an unbalanced mode, and the goal is to force your opponent to hit zero HP. Characters can also choose how realistic the simulated violence is and how the process feels: in low realism, it's similar to laser tag, where characters flash a colour when hit and take damage without feeling anything more than some uncomfortable vibration. In high realism, pain is genuine to a certain degree depending on how high a level they choose, though it is artificial and will fade as soon as the program ends. Hitting zero HP will not result in a knock-out, but characters will feel dizzy and be forced to sit down, unable to rise again until they surrender. All effects wear off as soon as the simulation ends.

For demonstration mode, participants are given a selection of virtual targets to practice on using whatever method of combat they've chosen. It could be moving targets, such as creatures that have invaded the barrier previously (via the Wild Wild prompt), or simulations of the more dangerous beasts in the museum/zoo areas of town. It could be simple targets built to take a beating without providing much challenge in return. It could be a collection of buildings that characters can break or explode as they please. This mode is designed to gauge just how strong a person's destructive potential is, either with their own powers or with powers granted to those who have been blessed by their patron god.

Characters are welcome to volunteer as many times as there are available partners and/or slots! So feel free to try a few times using different options.


PROMPT IV: A Bonus Trip Down Memory Lane
Last year, some offworlders might remember the tradition of sharing stories in the temple of Ohma, to offer small tributes to the god on their first month of devotion. It is that time of the year again, and everyone is welcome to return and share more stories, or perhaps retell an old favourite to a new audience. Here is the event as described previously:

Ohma's temple is particularly lively during Ohnir and the priests are busy cleaning and sweeping, decorating it with rolls of parchment and digital inkwells and quills that write as if they were actually fountain pens. The natives, especially adherents of Ohma, start to make pilgrimages to the temple in little processions, some playing music, others flying banners.

Anyone who chooses to follow can observe the natives going up to the altar and sharing stories with one another. They talk about things they did over the past year or things that are far, far in their past. Some of the stories are happy and result in the procession laughing and some are...well, not everyone returns safely from certain disasters that befall the city throughout the year. The priests diligently write every story down on those parchment rolls and deposit them onto the waiting altar, where they're summarily lit on fire to the cheers of those present. The more emotional the story it seems, the brighter and bluer the flame that it emits and the louder the procession cheers.

As the file out, they notice you watching and urge you to go up with someone else in the temple to clear your heart and offer up your own stories. They can be stories of home, information about your worlds, or stories about your life.




This event will run from September 14th to 30th. 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.
carbungle: nxctcaelum @ tumblr (117)

[personal profile] carbungle 2020-09-21 02:35 am (UTC)(link)
[What the-

Noctis exhales a huff and warps towards it to try and get between, batting the ball down towards the surface of the water.]


Are you gonna make a habit of interrupting my training everywhere?

[Is he allergic to asking? Good grief.]
scourgingstars: (this was my home)

[personal profile] scourgingstars 2020-09-21 02:42 am (UTC)(link)
Misguided, as I said. I would not begrudge one for being upset over the sudden change in situation, or even hesitant about the situation itself.
silversoldier: (Excited)

[personal profile] silversoldier 2020-09-21 02:46 am (UTC)(link)
And if I say yes?

[ Sephiroth spikes the ball upward before it hits the water, leaving just a ripple where he was before he teleports yet again to intercept whatever Noctis has planned next. ]
carbungle: nxctcaelum @ tumblr (122)

[personal profile] carbungle 2020-09-21 02:49 am (UTC)(link)
[For a long moment after receiving the vision, Noctis is not pushed into action; instead he is frozen, hands lifting to press against his face, wholely unprepared to see that. To see her.

Luna... alive, and well, and as strong as he remembers her. Steadfast and sure of her destiny in a way he'd never been, brave beyond measure. That was... Insomnia. Through the motion blur and shaking he'd recognized the Citadel's architecture. Powerless, she'd jumped from a dropship. Incredible. She'd always been incredible, from the moment he'd met her as a child. His heart aches just seeing it, imagining what must have happened in the minutes and hours that followed: how hard she'd been fighting, not just that day but every day. How much she believed in what she was doing, right to the end. She suffered so much without complaint, using her voice to encourage others instead.

Fists clenching tightly, he barely manages to shake off his grief enough to march out the door, seeking one person in particular- the only one who could have been with her at that time, who'd protected her in his stead until the city fell.]
carbungle: <user name=fontech> (364)

[personal profile] carbungle 2020-09-21 02:54 am (UTC)(link)
[Noctis doesn't answer at first, blinking rapidly as if that will somehow shake off what just happened. He looks over at her, purses his lips, and heaves himself up out of the water.]

Hey... can we talk for a minute? In the back.

[He doesn't know why he was given this memory, why here and now, but he does know that with how privately she keeps her past to herself, this isn't a conversation for the side of a public pool. Normally he'd take her hand and help her up, but he hesitates and keeps to himself for now, not wanting to trigger something else. He knows firsthand how strange visions work sometimes.]
silversoldier: (Innocent)

[personal profile] silversoldier 2020-09-21 02:54 am (UTC)(link)
Hm. [ Differing perspectives were always so alien to him. It was part of the reason why he took his time researching things. ] I will take your words under advisement.
scourgingstars: (taking my sulking to the masses)

[personal profile] scourgingstars 2020-09-21 02:56 am (UTC)(link)
See, maybe talking isn't so difficult all the time after all.
silversoldier: (Resting Bishounen Face)

[personal profile] silversoldier 2020-09-21 03:02 am (UTC)(link)
Of course not, when discussing something worthwhile.
original_is_best: @Fontech (Excited)

[personal profile] original_is_best 2020-09-21 03:17 am (UTC)(link)
Thus Cloud signed his death warrant. What an awful question to ask Verstael.

He paused to turn, for a brief moment neutral as he curiously acknowledged Cloud again. But somehow he seemed to miss the tone. Not caring one bit about whether there were naked women around or not, he assumed that Cloud was the same and was expressing interest in his work.

Just like that he was approaching Cloud with feverish enthusiasm - eyes lit up, extra energy in his step and seeming to practically buzz with electricity as he excitedly told Cloud all about 'what he was doing'.

"I'm documenting the art uncovered in this building. When I first arrived it was in ruins, but now that it has been cleaned up we can finally see it more clearly. You have noticed the statues? Though relics like these can certainly take 'artistic liberties', they are generally based on what is real. For example the many monsters an artist might draw that are, in essence, based on exaggerations of the human body." His gaze flitted around the room at the various pieces as he spoke. "Art can leave a surprising amount of historical information. And, given that we have never seen the natives as they were, this may be the largest clue we've yet received!"

Wasn't that thrilling, Cloud? He was so excited to see someone else was interested.
Edited 2020-09-21 03:18 (UTC)
nyxly: (pic#14139351)

[personal profile] nyxly 2020-09-21 03:17 am (UTC)(link)
[ It occurs to Nyx that he does not know where that monster is-- but he's certain that Ardyn has responded to the network before. It would be a simple matter to look him up and contact him through there. He takes out his device just as he's turning a corner-- ]

Wh--

[ --And walks right into someone. Instincts, heightened by anger and alarm, cause him to immediately lift up in defense to shove him against the nearby wall.

It's then that his memory of the dropship and Lunafreya return to him, causing him to immediately release him afterwards. Nyx takes a step back, lowering his hands, and looking at his palms in disbelief. That-- what was that? How could he have forgotten that? Hers words, her actions that followed...

He snaps at Noctis. ]
The hell.
carbungle: nxctcaelum @ tumblr (126)

[personal profile] carbungle 2020-09-21 03:21 am (UTC)(link)
Besides us? Guess not.

[Noctis shrugs. He'd thought he was alone already, but clearly he'd been lost in his training.]

So do I make space, or not? Your call. I can do this later if you want.
iustaegis: (pic#13566142)

[personal profile] iustaegis 2020-09-21 03:25 am (UTC)(link)
[ This would be the time he would take her hand. Finding it odd, she can only nod to him instead, rising out of the pool alongside him, not bothering to don herself with a towel because she'll be dry within minutes, given the heat she provides.

For him, she only grows more worried. ]


Er, is something wrong?
carbungle: <user name=fontech> (270)

[personal profile] carbungle 2020-09-21 03:29 am (UTC)(link)
[Distracted as he is, Noctis can't react in time before he's shoved, gritting his teeth as his back hits the wall. He reaches his hands up to defend himself, but before anything else can happen he's hit suddenly and unexpectedly with the memory of- Leviathan. The rite. That fierce battle, and- Luna.

Had he forgotten? He'd thought of her with such grief, remembered her words, waking up days later... but how she died had been-

Gods. He exhales a shaky breath, hands dropping to his sides, and he can barely hiss in return,]


The hell yourself. Why did I see that...?

[He doesn't even know which memory he's referring to. Both, probably. He's confused by either. Just what are the gods of this world doing...?]
carbungle: <user name=fontech> (348)

[personal profile] carbungle 2020-09-21 03:38 am (UTC)(link)
[He shakes his head - not as an answer but a momentary dismissal. Not here. Instead he leads her from the pool, finding an unoccupied change room that looks about as private as it's gonna get. Once he's sure no one's around, he turns back towards her and wordlessly reaches a hand out, as a test. If this doesn't work, he'll tell her properly.]
nyxly: (pic#14139350)

[personal profile] nyxly 2020-09-21 03:51 am (UTC)(link)
[ It occurs to Nyx that Noctis does not know the reason why these visions have been granted to them. The return of the one involving the princess fiercely defying his expectations of, well, princesses painfully contends with the one of seeing her being struck down before his very eyes.

Lunafreya did not trade her life like Nyx did for the power of the ring. She was slaughtered by a daemon at the altar; a monster robbed her of that choice. He's not a particularly religious man, but something about that strikes him as uncanny, sickening enough to twist his gut. He spits to the side.

This whole time, she had already been dead. ]


You didn't even make it to her.

[ Whoever took the Ring from her to pass it to him, did so taking it from a cold corpse. ]
carbungle: <user name=fontech> (110)

[personal profile] carbungle 2020-09-21 03:57 am (UTC)(link)
[Just... casually gonna brush off all the embarrassment, yep. Nothing weird happened here.]

You really do expect too little, you know?
whenyouneedme: toniii (089)

[personal profile] whenyouneedme 2020-09-21 04:03 am (UTC)(link)
Kai hummed, sighing out a soft, "I know." It would have been fine just to leave it like that. Similar to Shinji's feelings on the matter, this was already way more than Kai would have ever hoped to get out of anything. Really, he should have been completely satisfied.

There was still that lingering thought though. The one that knew that Shinji had someone else here now. If something shifted, it wasn't Kai's place to say anything about it. That's just how it was.

Except this once, Kai didn't want to let it go quietly even if nothing had happened.

It was after a few long stretches of comfortable quiet that he spoke up again in a low murmur. "Just don't forget I'm here, ok?"
scourgingstars: (all a fire needs is a single spark)

[personal profile] scourgingstars 2020-09-21 04:05 am (UTC)(link)
Do I? I'm not sure what you mean.
carbungle: <user name=fontech> (18)

[personal profile] carbungle 2020-09-21 04:10 am (UTC)(link)
[Noctis flinches at that; he opens his mouth to respond, but nothing comes. He has no defense against the truth. He didn't reach her, couldn't save her, the one thing he'd wanted more than anything since he left home and lost everything. All he'd done is lay there as she was wounded, and she hadn't stopped despite death clawing at her. She'd used the last of her strength to give him power, and instead of using it to reach her, to save her life, he'd been too focused on the task at hand to think about how much time she had left.

His eyes lower along with his hands, clenched tightly into fists at his side. He stares silently at the ground. No one had blamed him for Luna's death except himself, but here it comes at last, and he knows he deserves it.]
iustaegis: (pic#13566120)

[personal profile] iustaegis 2020-09-21 04:13 am (UTC)(link)
[ It works.

It works enough that Pyra actually withdraws her touch from his as if she had been touched (and could be effected by) hot coals. Her lips part with an audible after thought, as if a million thoughts condensed into one, only to shatter upon unification. ]
....Ah.

[ She blinks as her vision blurs, her expression distant and lost, her limbs slack at her side, her face growing pale. In this mist of her eyes she sees not the blue of a uncrowned king before her, but the golden ones of another. Blinking again yields wetness down a cheek, and she's brought back to the present. She has to focus upon the present, who's right before her...

But Addam, Addam, and the continent, lost. And her world, she has to get back, she has to. It's not safe here, it never was; what a fool she had been to think otherwise.

Pyra reaches for Noctis' hand again. ]
whenyouneedme: (049)

[personal profile] whenyouneedme 2020-09-21 04:19 am (UTC)(link)
There was a slight raise of the blonde's heavy brows as Mr. Visual Kei called him by name. Who... Who was this? UhhHHHH.

Those eyebrows just went up even higher as he dropped his problem right there. "Oh," Kai said simply, as if that made everything about this make sense. Which it did, actually! Havenwell just doing what Havenwell did best. He sighed, pushing himself up a bit to sit up straighter as he raised a hand to wave the idol (??) over.

"Yeah, I'm Kaito. You must be new, c'mere."
nyxly: (pic#14139352)

[personal profile] nyxly 2020-09-21 04:22 am (UTC)(link)
[ In the memory, Noctis had lamented the lack of potions-- potions? There was water all around him, he had ample power, hell, instead of fighting the sea goddess he could have turned the entire ocean into one giant potion--

Silence isn't good enough. He wants to hear it.

Nyx is unable to help how his voice raises as he demands, ]


Well?
shroudedsecrets: (don't mind if I fall apart)

II

[personal profile] shroudedsecrets 2020-09-21 04:23 am (UTC)(link)
[ Staring into the distance. That's not quite an uncommon thing anymore, with the way this world can be. Though it seems that Kyoko has arrived at Affurgato today. Luckily, it's a quieter day, so she has a chance to have more than one cat angling for her attention.

Which is probably fine, except for some reason, the service is a little slow. What could be causing that...? Well, Honerva seems to be the person out on the floor, but aside from greeting Kyoko and then saying she'd be back to check on her when she was ready, she seems to be looking at... nothing in particular. Not even one of the cats seems to be getting her attention, at that. ]
carbungle: ponponpon @ dw (43)

[personal profile] carbungle 2020-09-21 04:38 am (UTC)(link)
[There it is- he feels it at once, his breath catching for a moment as the memory becomes less vibrant, less real- instead like something he'd watched on TV rather than experienced firsthand. When she pulls back he doesn't chase, his eyes lifting to study her expression, drawn immediately to the tear as it falls. As he thought, it was hers, and one that hurts her deeply.

He ignores her hand, instead closing the distance between them and drawing her into a tight hug, one hand around her back as the other rests against her hair.]


I'm sorry...
carbungle: <user name=fontech> (299)

[personal profile] carbungle 2020-09-21 04:49 am (UTC)(link)
[It's such a far cry from the blunt and polite conversation he'd gotten from Nyx before; just goes to show how much influence Luna can have over someone, to incite such anger after knowing her so briefly. This, he understands. He's pretty sure he'd loved her from the moment they met- a child's love back then, but one that grew stronger as he did. She was just... like that. Kind and vibrant and deserving so much more than what life handed her.

It isn't fair, and-]


You're right. I didn't... I didn't save her. I wanted to, but...

[The rite. Leviathan. The city was falling to pieces all around them, the power his ancestors had imbued in him would only last so long. If he'd gone to her when Leviathan was targeting him, he could have made things worse. He could have failed to defeat her, when he'd only barely managed it with the choice he'd made. And later he'd learned... she was dying already. She wouldn't have been able to wake Leviathan again, and he'd be another covenant short. The gods demanded he act like a king, not a child longing to rescue a loved one. Even if he'd wanted nothing more in the world than to do just that.

Excuses, all of them. The blame is still his to bear.]


She did it so I could live.

["My prayers have been answered. My calling fulfilled."]