♥ September (Ohnir) Event Log

[hugtopiamods]

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.

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❥ PROMPT I: A Clean Getaway

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

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

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.

Comments

[hedgehogsdilemma]

"I-it's all right," he assures once again. It's not like he can reasonably blame her if it was just her thoughts running wild, or if it were, somehow, his thoughts running wild.

So, that's probably what's going on with him, if that's what going on with her...? That's a lot of 'if's, but boy oh boy does he feel even more awful at the notion of catching wind of someone else's memories of a clearly terrifying and vulnerable moment.

"You don't have to apologize, it was just... a daydream that went out of control, right?"

No harm in letting her continue to think that's all it was...! Probably!

[daikonrose]

"Something... something like that," she agrees, with another sheepish, shaky little laugh. But now that she's had a few moments away from it, it seems all the stranger. Imaginative though she knows is, she can't figure out where she got the idea for that monster, or for whatever was going on with Shinji when he went up against it--all of that had been pretty weird, right? And that woman's voice shouting at him hadn't been sort of distinctive, but it wasn't one she recognized from anywhere in particular. Where did she get it?

"So--you've felt like this before?" He'd said that a minute ago, hadn't he? "You mean, like, just having weird dreams with friends in them? Ah, I guess that happens to everyone sometimes...."

[hedgehogsdilemma]

Ah.... ah, yeah. He's probably going top have to be a little more transparent with this answer if he wants it to make sense for her, huh? Give him a moment to put on a carefully neutral expression, no reason to spook her over something that happened in the past.

"Yeah, it was... a year ago," a year ago exactly, in fact! That's. Not suspicious at all. "But for a while, when someone was asleep there was a chance that someone else could... end up in that dream, too, and that person would actually be experiencing it. Like you and that other person would be sharing that experience, I guess is the best way to put it?"

It was. Weird. And pretty uncomfortable.

"I want entirely positive about what it was at the time, and felt like I needed to check up on the other person when I woke up from it." His expression softens into something a little more sympathetic at the memory. "So... I know what that feels like."

[daikonrose]

Wow, that's... a pretty distinctive sort of experience. Kyoko has to pause for a moment, eyes round as she thinks over the implications. Did this mean maybe her weird daydream was one of Shinji's nightmares? Or--or something else?

More to the point--"Then, do you think... it was actually the gods putting all of that in my head, or--or something like that?" Not an implausible scenario, all things considered.

[hedgehogsdilemma]

Yeah, it's definitely getting tougher and tougher to believably pass this whole thing off as 'nothing' with all that in mind, huh?

"I guess... it could be." That's probably what this is, some kind of divine interference. It's a good guess for basically anything that happens here, after all. "That... sounds particularly awful to make you think about, though." Bad! Very bad!! "I'm sorry you had to deal with that."

But hopefully that's the end of it, right? That would be just swell.

[daikonrose]

The way he says that... did Shinji truly not recognize anything she'd said about her daydream, or is he just avoiding saying he did? Is it even a good idea to ask? He's always been so cagey when it comes to talking about himself, but....

"No--" she holds up a hand, pulling on a gentle smile for him, though concern still creases her brow, "--it's not your fault, so it's nothing you should apologize for. I'm just glad you're okay, you know?"

[hedgehogsdilemma]

To be fair, that vague scenario happened a number of times, so trying to pin a particular instance to it would be tough without asking her more, and he really doesn't want to do that to her.

So! For now, all Kyoko really gets is him. He is here. Perfectly... not presently hurt. And unwilling to confirm or deny his involvement in scary monsters and getting yelled at.

"If... it makes you feel better," he says carefully, because really, he's not sure if it would make her feel better or worse, but might be a good thing to establish either way, "it feels like my imagination has been going a little extra wild today, too. So, if that's what is happening, it's not just to you."

[daikonrose]

"Ah?? Really?" That does make the whole 'interference-from-the-gods' scenario seem a lot more plausible. Is it something to feel better about? Maybe not, but at least they're possibly a little closer to understanding the situation. That's something! "Have you been thinking about scary sci-fi scenarios too?"

[hedgehogsdilemma]

"Oh, no, no. Nothing like that."

He doesn't need any outside influences for those! But, again, he's not about to say as much just yet!!

"It's more like..." how to put this? "Everything going dark, and this... overwhelming feeling of fear?" He drops his attention down a little as he squints in concentration, trying to go over this memory with more care, trying to feel out anything less vague about it. "There are a couple of voices at one point, but nothing really... distinct."

[daikonrose]

So, scary without the sci-fi, then? Kyoko frowns. That almost doesn't even sound like a daydream, from the way he describes it, though it certainly would be upsetting. "Like... being blind? Or no, blindfolded? Something like a hostage situation?"

[hedgehogsdilemma]

Ohh! Yes! Kind of like that.

"That... could be what it is." Hm! That's kind of extra concerning - who would have a memory like that floating around? "A blindfold, maybe, and... a really sluggish, helpless feeling."

[daikonrose]

"Hohh, like you've been drugged." Kyoko nods sagely. "I don't know if that's 'fighting-giant-monsters' level of scary, but it's still pretty scary! Especially if you don't really get what's happening--that definitely made it even worse when it happened to me." Poor Shinji, saddled with those kinds of thoughts out of nowhere. What the heck are the gods doing!

[hedgehogsdilemma]

H-hang on here! Just a second!! 'When it happened to her'?

"Ah... by that, do you mean the weird thoughts," which could easily make sense, but he just gets the strangest feeling of dread that it might be more like, "or... are you saying you've been drugged before?"

[daikonrose]

Oh... oh, come to think of it... that's not a great thing to bring up casually, is it... oh. Uh.

Well, now that she's already done it, she'd better emphasize how not-a-big-deal it really was, huh? So Kyoko gives a little laugh and flaps a hand. "Ah, there was this little," she pinches her fingers to show just how small! "incident with a girl who really really wanted the part I'd just won in an audition. I guess I never told that story before!"

[hedgehogsdilemma]

Kyoko that's actually kind of a big deal!!! He gets why it wouldn't have been brought up under any normal circumstances, but that's a pretty laid-back way of addressing something that's so obviously awful.

"So she drugged you?"

He doesn't really know anything about showbiz and the behind the scenes workings of it, but, uh, he's pretty sure that's not a normal thing to do to someone!

"To what end...?"

The question tumbles out a little carelessly, but in his shock he can't really stop himself from asking out loud.

[daikonrose]

Shinji come on, this is a chill story with a happy ending.

"Well!" Kyoko desperately keeps up the chipper tone, inwardly cursing herself for letting any of this slip. Not that it needs to be a secret or anything, but jeez, she's upsetting Shinji again. "I guess it was so I'd be easier to handle, and she wouldn't get caught, so--for convenience!" That is obviously not what he meant.

"But she got caught anyway, and I was rescued just in the nick of time! So everything worked out!"

[hedgehogsdilemma]

Easier to handle, and she hadn't wanted to get caught... Kyoko says she was 'rescued', that really just makes the situation sound all the more worse.

His brow creases and his frown deepens, completely unable to take any of what she's saying as 'not a big deal' in the least. Especially with the encroaching feeling of, hey, maybe he can piece together who these memories might belong to. Would it really be so strange for them to just end up having swapped some memories, one-for-one? Oh, no...

"I'm... glad you're okay," truly, but even then, "but it sounds like it was going to be a really dangerous situation, when you put it like that."

[daikonrose]

"Well," she says again, though her smile is starting to get a nervous edge, "I'm sure any situation involving drugging and blindfolding is bound to be at least a little dangerous... right?" How much can she sugarcoat it, really? "But it all turned out fine, so...."

[hedgehogsdilemma]

"... That's true, yeah," he can't exactly deny that. Still, that seems like a pretty clear cue for him to drop the subject - it's not like he'd want to talk about something like that if he were in just shoes, after all. She had brought it up so easily in the first place, though...

No, he really should pull away instead of digging deeper into this. It's not like it's really any of his business, and it wouldn't have come up if not for this weird god nonsense.

"Like I said, I really am glad you're okay." His look of concern softens a little. Definitely still there, but not as immediately troubled looking. "I'm sorry, that's probably not an easy thing for you to be remembering. I won't ask you to talk about it if it's making you uncomfortable."

[daikonrose]

Ah, jeez. What should she do? She didn't want to upset him, but it's not like it would be good to push him away either, right?

And she honestly can't help being touched, that he was so concerned in the first place. Even though nothing happened in the end!

Kyoko's smile softens into something gentler, and warmer. "... I didn't want to make you worry about me, but... thanks. For worrying. It was scary for sure, but scaring me was all it did in the end, so... don't be too troubled about it."

[hedgehogsdilemma]

How is he supposed to not be troubled over this information! Obviously it's in the past, nothing can be done to change it, but it's still very troubling information to know! Is showbiz always like that? Would she be in danger of something similar happening again in the future, whenever she gets her chance to go home?

"It's just... really awful," he doesn't want to press her to much more over it, but at least let him make his stance on it nice and clear! "To think that someone would do that to anyone else, but especially you... What would scaring you or trying to hurt you solve, just because you got picked for a role and she didn't?"

Kyoko is such a hard worker, after all, he doubts that it would have been an unfair decision in the first place.

"You don't deserve that."

[daikonrose]

"Well..." Kyoko pauses, before trying to explain it as gently as she can. "If I happened to get hurt, I'd almost definitely lose the role, and she'd have another shot... was her thinking, no doubt." Hm, no, that still sounds pretty bad. Maybe it's best to just move on.

"In any case, since she got caught, she's on pretty thin ice now, so.... I don't think she'll try something that extreme on anyone again."

[hedgehogsdilemma]

"Only if she ended up never getting caught, I'd imagine," he huffs softly. Yeah, see, that really doesn't sound any better.

"But even if she was caught and you didn't get hurt, going as far as she did is still really awful."

[daikonrose]

Well, there's really no arguing that, is there? So Kyoko gives another little laugh, almost sheepish. "Yes... she's really something. Compared to what she did to the person who beat her before me, I definitely got off easy. You could say this is a case of evil being defeated!"

[hedgehogsdilemma]

Wh...

how

is she allowed to get away with these kinds of misdeeds?? Or, was, from the sounds of it. But! Still!!

The world of showbiz is truly scary... he's not really sure he wants any more details on this nefarious actress, even if that particular tidbit of 'you should'a seen what happened to the last guy' is an incredible hook to just leave dangling there. He's curious, sure, but not nearly curious enough to imagine what kind of mercy Kyoko may have been at.

"That's... good." Definitely good. Still concerning. But. good. "There's really nothing to worry about right now, since we're both fine, right? So... please try not to worry about what you were thinking about before, okay?"