♥ September Event Log

[hugtopiamods]

September (Ohnir) Event Log
Ohnir is in full swing now and the weather, while still boasting hot days, is starting to cool slightly at night. The residents are recovering after the lightning storms from the previous month and, curiously, most of the robots that had been damaged in the storms are back. They don't look the same as before, but they seem to act the same, still happy, still thankful that the offworlders are here. A few even thank those who carried their bodies to the temples with small gifts of painted stones. Havenwell continues as it always has and welcomes their new arrivals with a few rather odd changes...

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❥ PROMPT I: Robot Crossing

Now that all the new and old arrivals have mingled and met, the robotic natives start pointing everyone toward the VR cafes. The bright lights and cozy insides have been decorated with fake leaves and carved and painted plaster approximations of fruits and vegetables in odd colors. When an offworlder comes in, they explain that back when they were still in their flesh bodies, the month of Ohnir was one for harvest and celebrations of the summer bounties. Now, without any real farms or need to eat, they've translated the Harvest Festival into a game, so why not play?

Logging in with another character will net you a little farm and a variety of games to choose from:

1. Pick and harvest as many Aellyn vegetables and fruits as you can before the timer runs out! The more you pick, the better your score. Work together with your partner to clear the field in any way you can. Strangely, once you finish clearing a tree or a field row of their bounty, they seem to magically refill when you turn your back. Oh well, at least you won't run out before the timer hits zero and with the sheer number of levels and combinations of trees and fields with obstacles in your way to make harvesting a little more challenging with each new level, you certainly won't be running out of things to do.
   
2. With a partner, use the giant slingshot to launch comically large fruits into a garden patch of other colored fruits. Match a line of 3 or more similarly shaped fruits to clear it from the field. The more fruits you can clear, the higher your score - aka welcome to Fruit Crush. Stack lines of 6 or more to get shining clear diamond fruits that clear the entire row and snag yourself some bonus points.
   
3. You and your partner(s) are given a magical golden pumpkin and it's your job to grow it into the largest pumpkin possible. Why? There's a county fair of course and the largest pumpkin wins! But how do you grow this pumpkin? Well, there are a lot of methods! You could gather up materials and work together to stick it to the pumpkin until it absorbs them and grows. You could do a song and dance routine together to encourage the pumpkin's soul to grow big and bright. You could hold hands and share stories and entertain the pumpkin until it feels encouraged enough to grow on its own. The possibilities are endless, so get to work making the best pumpkin that (digital) fair has ever seen!

As always, when playing the game, the picture and quality seems to increase as long as you're in contact with another person. Once the games are over and your scores tallied, the cafe attendant walks over and asks to see your communicators. To the winners, he or she attaches a little floating charm in the shape of one of Aellyn's weirder fruits. It looks like a cross between a blue rambutan and the hala aka puhala fruit, and it's called the sikheen fruit here. The sikheen are extremely rare nowadays, but their appearance is so unique that Havenwell residents still like to remember it for the Harvest Festival. Enjoy your prize!

❥ PROMPT II: Paint by Number

The new arrivals get to enjoy Havenwell in all its glory for about a week before suddenly, one day everyone wakes up to find the entire city has gone gray. And not a natural, nice gray either, but a strange dull, lifeless gray. Everything from the sky to the houses to the grass to the native people have all turned the exact same shade of graphite gray. Even the natives are confused and the devout flock to the temples while the science-minded head to the labs to study this new phenomenon. The only ones who seem spared from this strange color drain are the offworlders and the statues of the gods in the center of town. Or, well, at least most of the offworlders are spared. A few people might notice that their colors aren't as bright as they once were, or that parts of them are starting to turn gray as well. Those offworlders unlucky enough to lose some of their own can touch another player character to regain what was lost easily enough. Overall though, no one seems harmed by this sudden loss of color, but they're certainly perplexed.

A few days later and round silver platforms start showing up around the city, dragged out of storage by the natives. The first arrivals might remember these as the fireworks platforms that are activated by people standing and holding hands on them. The temple priests and scientists encourage the offworlders to stand on the platforms again and to hold hands or engage in some other sort of physical contact on them and wait.

When characters do as asked, the platforms shoot fireworks like they did before - in brilliant colors instead of the dull gray everywhere. And wherever the sparks fall, color starts returning to the world in splotches. The natives are overjoyed and move the platforms all across the city, asking the offworlders to find and use them wherever possible to return the color to their town.

❥ PROMPT III: Sharing is Caring

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. It would probably be far more impressive if the colors weren't still so gray and splotchy, but they're trying their best.

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 came back from the lightning storms. 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. It seems the more personal the story, the brighter the flame though and the more Dora that will mysteriously show up in your account at a later date. If the priests are asked about this donation later, they're just as perplexed. No one they know would have paid anyone for an offering to Ohma, so where could it have come from....?

❥ PROMPT IV: Sleep Sweet

With Ainea's temple familiars finally back where they belong, quiet returns to the city at night. We're sure that first long uninterrupted sleep felt heavenly, right? Although there may not be color in the city, the world of dreams at least is fully technicolor and safe. Which might be weird for some characters in case they don't normally dream or remember their dreams because now everyone is dreaming at night. Most of the dreams are the usual variety that your character always has, but every so often in the midst of a pleasant dream about home or a funky one about flying pizza (whatever it is you usually dream about, we don't judge), there's a glitch.

Out of the corner of your eye or just on the edge of your vision, a person appears. Their face can't be seen and their arms are longer than they have any right to be, but they appear and stand there, watching. Trying to focus on this person causes them to flit away and it's easy enough to dismiss as a random event, until it keeps happening. And it keeps happening, and it keeps happening, and every time you see this person, they get closer and even less distinct. Waking up and talking to or holding someone might help calm that disquiet in your heart, offworlder, so hopefully there's someone around to help you.

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This event will run from September 16th to September 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 on the OOC Entry.

Feel free to also use the OOC Plotting Post for planning what your character is up to!

Comments

Will | Pokémon (Ainea)

[twistedempathy]

Robot Crossing
[Did you get randomly paired with someone by the proprietor of the VR cafe? Did Will snag you to go check out the new festival game they're advertising? Either way, he's pretty hyped to check out all these minigame areas.]

Which one do you want to try first?

Paint by Number
[Are you meeting Will on the first day of this bizarre grayscale curse? His clothes have managed to keep their color, but the rest of him looks like he's a leaden statue, a uniform, featureless gray. He seems more confused by this than anything else, but at least it hasn't dampened his spirits! Come say hi or help him?

It doesn't take him long to regain his usual brilliance, though! So by the time the platforms are dragged out, he's having a grand old time cruising around town, reaching out to grab passerby's hands or shoulders with a brilliant smile.]

Let's make some fireworks!

Sharing is Caring
[Parades are certainly entertaining, and Will is happy to trail along and watch--but as soon as he realizes that there are stories to be had? He's going to be spending quite a bit of time in Ohma's temple this month, listening with rapt attention to anyone who goes up to speak.

You may find him sidling up to you if you're part of the audience as well, giving you an encouraging nudge and a sly smile. Don't think you can get away with just listening if he can't!]

I bet you've got some fascinating stories just waiting to be told, don't you?

Sleep Sweet
[For the first few days of these strange dream glitches, you may actually find Will subtly unsettled, a bit quieter and less lively than usual, although he's doing his best to keep his usual energy levels up.

Once he realizes this is a shared phenomenon, though? He's not shy whatsoever about offering to sleep with people once again, ready and willing to bedsurf even with near strangers if they seem particularly miserable or exhausted. Are you day napping in odd places? Do you look haggard enough to catch his eye?]

Wildcard
[Got an idea I haven't touched on? Have we plotted something unique? Hit me with your best shot~!]

Paint by Number

[wannabethehero]

[Kiwi was still very dull grey and sad-looking. They hadn't been able to maintain contact enough to keep their colors, and furthermore between recovery from being ill and those weird dreams waking them in the night, their energy was still hard to come by. Especially when the grey had taken away their singing voice.

But they see the platforms coming out, and they remember the fireworks when they first arrived. They just remember how that all worked when suddenly Will is in front of them and grasping their hand. They can barely reach up to catch their cap from falling off their head as they're pulled to the platform. But at least it appears to have the added benefit of color gently flushing back through Kiwi's form. And it looked like Will needed it too.]

[twistedempathy]

[Awww, sorry, Kiwi! Don't lose your cap! Will's just excited to see the platforms again. They haven't been out in a while, after all--and who doesn't love fireworks? He beams at Kiwi, extra bright to help make up for the dreary gray weighing the poor bard down. It's okay if they're still not feeling 100%; he can just be perky enough for both of them, right?]

I think we've only got pink and purple between us. What do you want to make?

Robot Crossing

[thekingsshield]

Boy, this is tough... they all sound fun!

Maybe we should flip a coin... or go eeny meeny miney moe?

[twistedempathy]

.....Is eeny meeny miney moe just a thing in every world?

[Excuse him while he gets distracted by the most inconsequential detail imaginable. What are the odds, though?]

No reason not to, though!

[thekingsshield]

Okay!

[And with that, he begins to play said game to decide... the game. Finally-]

... Looks like we get to use that big ol' slingshot! Oh boy!

Sharing is Caring!

[21kingpuddings]

[Tamaki, on the other hand, seems to be only paying passive attention to the proceedings. Hearing about what other people have to tell about themselves could be interesting enough, but he also sort of feels like he was pushed in the direction of the temple with very little room for protest, making the whole thing a little less appealing.

Still, he's stayed long enough to get pestered by someone and... huh. He somehow didn't think about telling his own tales.]

Who, me? [Hm....!] I mean, yeah, I guess so. Probably.

[twistedempathy]

Who else~?

[Will's smile only brightens encouragingly. Don't you [x] doubt at him, mister!]

You only guess so? Are you worried people won't find them interesting?

[21kingpuddings]

It's not really that...

[The audience seems to be giving out enthusiastic and very sincere reactions to pretty much anything, after all. He gives a pensive hum.]

I don't mind performing, but I'm not the one who handles things like storytelling, usually.

[That... sure is one way to put it.]

robot crossing!!

[yaoyoroshka]

[Really, Momo wasn't intending to try this out. At least not yet. She was at the sidelines, mainly just watching people play first and trying to see how exactly one goes about doing so. Of course, given that the actual gameplay can only be seen by the players through the VR, observing as an outsider isn't exactly giving her much intel.

And now, she's apparently pushed into playing the game herself, with a stranger no less. Though she supposes this isn't exactly unpleasant. She has to admit, it is kind of exciting to finally try out video games.]

I haven't really tried any of this before– [I mean, who has, Momo?] –but the harvesting game seems particularly challenging. I'm curious about the mechanics of the golden pumpkin one as well! Would you care to try any of those with me?

[twistedempathy]

[Even Will hasn't tried out this particular game yet, though he does make an effort to come check out all the new releases. Now that he's gotten used to the technology, it's fun! So why not share that excitement and sense of discovery while making a new friend in the process? He claps his hands energetically.]

Those sound fun! Let's try out harvesting first, then; maybe we'll learn enough doing that one to make figuring out the pumpkin easier. That seems more like a puzzle game, don't you think?

[yaoyoroshka]

[She nods at Will's assessment. She hasn't thought of it that way; alas, video games are shaping up to be more in need of strategy than she initially thought they would.]

It does, doesn't it? It's one thing to make a pumpkin grow over the span of time through natural means, but how exactly does one do it through virtual reality...

[She picks up the VR helmet, turning it over in her hands as she inspects it with a smile. Oh, wait–]

I apologize for forgetting my manners – I'm Momo! I'll do my best to help us win the harvesting game!

sharing is caring!

[somakemelaugh]

[He had been content to settle in for the stories and just hear what other worlds have to say, but here he finds himself nudged by this young man, and he can't help a grin at it all.]

Oh, I'm sure I do, but I'm afraid they'll have to wait for another day. Quite personal, you see, and my roommate might be more than a little cross if I were to put it all on display here to these strangers.

[Then that grin shifts to a giggle. Time to turn the tables.]

But what about you? Any plans to head on up there and entertain us for the evening?

[twistedempathy]

[Will's hand flies up to cover his mouth for a melodramatically scandalized gasp.]

My my, I had no idea they allowed those sorts of stories in the temple to start with! I suppose I'll just have to wait for a private retelling, hmmm~?

[Just what kind of stories "those sorts" were, he'll leave ambiguous, but he'll just assume he gets private story time later without missing a beat. After all, they're not strangers anymore! They've talked to each other, so they're at least acquaintances now.

Will makes an effort to look absolutely mournful, made rather less convincing by the grin that keeps trying to sneak up and ruin his pathos.]

Well, I would, but I couldn't possibly do it alone..... How am I ever supposed to hold hands by myself?

[somakemelaugh]

[There might be private story time after this, who knows? He has a few tales he can relate back and forth if this person wants. Though some of those rely on the permissions of his roommate, he'll gladly keep the banter going, because it's fun and he likes fun.]

It all depends on what your experiences have been, doesn't it? This world doesn't really know what it asked for. [Another giggle, and he raises his hands, curling his fingers in a gitchy gesture, long, dark nails glinting in the light.]

Oh, it can be done, but that's not what this place would ask of us. Care to try?

they gotta share

[begguiling]

Oh, maybe one or two!

[Magolor titters. After all, he owes Will a story or two, doesn't he? And doesn't Will owe him the same? It's an ideal situation that they should get paid for doing what they'd already planned on doing this month. Also, doing it this way is way less awkward, to Magolor, than doing it as a coffee date . . . that's probably really saying something, isn't it?]

But only in return for yours, hmm? Is it a deal?

[twistedempathy]

Hehe, deal!

[Here, they can even shake on it! They may as well, since they'll be holding hands up there anyway, right?]

[begguiling]

[Yessss, perfect! Of course Magolor doesn't let go of that hand as they approach and step onto the altar. Whether holding hands is required or not, why wouldn't they do it? This is all very intimate-seeming for a public display . . . but that's how this place rolls.]

I guess it's only fair for me to begin, since I did put you off before. Maybe I just wanted an excuse to spend more time with you, though . . .

Sharing is Caring

[kingkingcxiii]

[The only answer Will gets is a raised eyebrow and a look. Talk about a foolish bet. You already know the answer to that question, Will.]

[twistedempathy]

[Will just laughs aloud, raising his hands.]

Awww, don't give me that look! You know I'm right. Besides, weren't you talking about doing public speaking here forever ago?

[kingkingcxiii]

This is not quite the kind of public speaking I had in mind.

[Not that he really minds telling stories, though. It's why he's here.]

Would my speech writer like to show me how it's done first?

[Dramatic storytelling competition go?]

Sharing

[arraignments]

[ He wrinkles his nose...

Goro's still not looking especially energetic, and it's probably clear he's still bothered by everything he's missed, but he manages a small shrug and quiet huff-like sigh that's almost fond. ]

Ah... maybe? I guess I haven't really gone into some of the things I saw while in the Metaverse...

[twistedempathy]

See? There you go!

[Will's smile only brightens encouragingly; participating in the customs of this world can probably only help, right? If Goro got sick from not being properly attuned to this world, then he's sure helping the boy integrate more fully in any way he can should maybe make him feel better. That in mind, Will offers him a hand.]

Come on, I'll go with you so you won't be up there by yourself.

sharing

[velvetinmate]

Ahaha...

[Akira's reaction is a bit sheepish, as he brings up a finger to scratch at his cheek in response.]

I don't know if I'd call some of them fascinating... but... I guess it wouldn't hurt to share one, at least.

[Most of the Metaverse stuff he's still keeping close to his chest for personal reasons, but... maybe some of his circumstances wouldn't be bad to get off his chest. He's still mad about them and... while there's nothing that can really be done at this point, so far away from home... maybe he can feel a bit better.]

[twistedempathy]

That's the spirit! I'm sure a lot more people will be interested than you think.