♥ 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.

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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

[daikonrose]

"No," Kyoko said, cracking an awkward little smile, "I guess I just thought you'd like to hear it." It wasn't a particular comfort to her, just something that made all the things that had happened to her easier to understand.

"But it really is nothing to worry about. I guess you didn't get to see it, but I made her talk to me the day after that broadcast." A pause, and then she gave a tiny laugh. "You know, she was only mad at me that time because she'd heard I was a dropout?"

[whenyouneedme]

He would have said that actually, he liked to get proven wrong. If he thought about it though, did he know anyone with parents that weren't kinda shit? Anyone at all. Anyone? Kei was probably the closest.

Up went his eyebrows though, for more than one reason. "That's, uh, extreme?" To get denounced on national television? For something like-- "You were a dropout?" If he sounded baffled, it was because he was.

[daikonrose]

Oh. Oh right, if she's going to mention that, she probably should also explain it. Right.

Slouching heavily to one side, Kyoko grimaced and let out a sigh. "It's more like, I just didn't apply to any high schools and spent a year wasting my life.... I did properly finish middle school, though." So maybe that's not technically dropping out? Maybe? "But, considering I only got a chance to enroll in high school later because of my talent agency, I guess it did count as dropping out, at the time...." She trails off on a grumble.

[whenyouneedme]

O...kay. Still baffling. More questions were being raised than being answered. It just seemed like it was that kind of scenario all around.

"Huh," was Kai's simple reply. "Not sure that actually counts if you didn't start it first." There had to be a different term for for that! And yet. Kai sighed a little. "But I guess that doesn't really matter to other folks."

[daikonrose]

Sighing again, Kyoko nodded as she sat up straight, though her shoulders drew in a little. "Skipping out on an education to run away with a guy is gonna look bad no matter what the details are... and for someone like her, it was too shameful to even acknowledge me."

[whenyouneedme]

... huh.

..... Huh?

Kai's head was tilting, a furrow forming in his brow as he squinted. Kyoko? Ran away with a guy? This Kyoko? Huh? How wild. Back to that in a moment though, he had to huff over moms a bit more. "If that's all it took, you were better off."

A beat after that was all Kai would manage before he was whipping right back to the other point: "Was it that guy?"

[daikonrose]

Kyoko stiffened. Almost as soon as she'd recovered from the last revelation, it was time to deal with the next one. Ah, the whole conversation was going to be like this, wasn't it?

"It was that guy," she confirmed flatly, though she couldn't look at Kaito as she said it. A beat. "Mind you, we already weren't friends anymore, by the time of that memory."

[whenyouneedme]

That both made things better and worse. Wow!

"Oh, good, so I can punch his stupid face."

[daikonrose]

Kyoko blinked. And then she blinked again. "You can't," she protested, or maybe it was actually just a correction, because she continued with, "he's not even here, you know?"

[whenyouneedme]

Kai huffed. "Which is great, 'cuz he's an asshole. I'll just punch his memory or something."

[daikonrose]

It wasn't that anyone she'd told about her history with Sho had ever thought well of him for it, but this was definitely the most extreme reaction she'd gotten from such a minimal amount of information--and he was so unquestioningly on her side. There was a soft glow of warmth in her chest, but Kyoko pushed past it to insist, "... You definitely don't have to go that far."

There was a pause, and then, softer, "Well, but I guess you are that kind of guy."

[whenyouneedme]

He didn't even know about the fact that Sho was the whole catalyst for Kyoko going into show biz in the first place, and yet. Here we were. But this had everything to do with the few details he had, and the everything else Kai had picked up about Kyoko. The fact that he'd shown up because she wouldn't pick up the call was almost a point in his favor, but then he'd thrown that all in the trash and spat on it in a blink of an eye. Kai was mostly astounded and angry over just how deliberately the mark had been missed.

There was a guilty little start at those softer words, because ah. That would be the impression with this and that, huh. Kai rubbed the back of his neck a bit.

"Just 'cuz it seemed more like he hurt you. I'm not cool with that."

[daikonrose]

Had he even made the connection that this guy was the 'Sho-chan' her younger self babbled on about marrying? Very possibly not! And yet he had grasped the situation so well, and was mad enough to want to do something about it. For someone like her.

"You're not wrong," she confirmed after another moment, and then hesitated. "... Um, I'm grateful, you know, to have someone like you beside me." There was a shy little smile as she peeked at him sidelong. "But even if you are just that kind of guy, it's definitely my job as a friend to tell you not to get yourself in a pinch for my sake."

[whenyouneedme]

Kai was maybe not so sure what kind of guy she meant then, if having him by her side was actually? A good thing? But it wasn't as though he was usually starting the fights. No, usually the pinches he ended up in were just like that one where everything carried on like normal as if he wasn't there.

For a real long time, that was the normal. It wasn't quite that anymore, huh.

Kai met that tiny smile with a steady look. "You'd be worth it though. Absolutely."

[daikonrose]

Was it the steady light in those golden eyes that made her breath catch in her chest? Was it those warm words, laid on her so firmly? Kyoko didn't know--she was too busy shaking her head after the moment passed, pulling herself down to earth before her heart could do anything silly.

"... Even so. I definitely couldn't stand by and let you do that. That guy's not allowed to lose to anyone but me, and there's no way he'd be a match for you."

[whenyouneedme]

That got a grin out of him. Atta girl.

"Fair enough," he said with a laugh. "Take him down, Kyoko."

He held up a fist towards her though. Expectantly. For a bump. "If you ever need back up though, I got you."

[daikonrose]

Thank goodness, this lighter mood was much easier to deal with. Kyoko could even smile back at him as she raised a fist for the lightest of bumps.

"Well, if I can kick some of those guys in your memory too, we'll call it a deal."

[whenyouneedme]

Kai huffed a chuckle with a shake of his head.

"S'long as its just a memory. They're not anything to worry about."

[daikonrose]

Oh good, and now it was time to segue into a huff. Kyoko primly crossed her arms over her chest, head high.

"You say that, but being ganged up on like that is pretty worrying no matter how I look at it! Don't expect me to be okay with it!"

[whenyouneedme]

Yes, it was truly time for the huffing to begin, because Kai was just shrugging and looking entirely unbothered by it.

"I mean that's just kind of how it goes."

[daikonrose]

"That's even more reason not to be okay with it!!" Really, Kai! Was that meant to be reassuring? "You're definitely not okay!"

[whenyouneedme]

Yes???

"Huh? No, I'm good. That was a while ago now."

[daikonrose]

"I mean, of course it's a good thing if that's not happening to you even here," Kyoko grimaced, before insisting, "but something like that scene being normal is no good!"

[whenyouneedme]

Kai frowned a touch, giving a little shake of his head.

"I'd rather it be me than anybody else."

[daikonrose]

"If it shouldn't happen to anybody else, then it shouldn't happen to you either." Kyoko was pouting now, but there was a stern edge to it. "Am I supposed to just be fine with you thinking it's normal to get beat up like that?"