hugtopia_logs | ♥ September Event Log

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♥ September Event Log

a wide green pasture at dusk with a red-leafed tree in the foreground

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...

❥ PROMPT I: Robot Crossing

a farmer holding a bountiful box of vegetables

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:

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.
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.
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

a book open with images and words popping out

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.

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!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

He hesitated, mostly because it went against his nature to show any form of weakness and admitting to potential anxiety was part of that. When he spoke he continued to be dismissive of it.

"A stalker, of sorts. Perhaps malformed by plasmodia, since its features weren't quite human. I only recall it because it's unlike me to have such dreams."

Again he emphasized the fact that it was uncharacteristic of him. This was a rarity for him, something that would go away quickly. He would not be overtaken by fear.

"Perhaps in the next dream I shall confront it."

"I can imagine..... I didn't know you were a lucid dreamer." That's the main thing he's getting from this, honestly. An unusual occurrence, one Verstael believes he can control, or at least combat. Something that will go away quickly. A stalker that doesn't quite look human.....

Maybe it's not a coincidence? Maybe it's the same thing. But that--he wouldn't be interested in Verstael, would he? Why? How would he even know about him? How could he--?

Will lapses into silence as he washes up, mulling it over. Maybe he's just making a big deal about nothing? Maybe it really is just a coincidence, and he's reading far too much into it.

"Not particularly. I've no intention of letting anything intimidate me, though, even in a dream."

He had heard of methods to attempt lucid dreaming, but he believed he had the fortitude to do it even if he was having a normal dream. A battle with his own mind, of sorts.

By the time Will got back out he was sorted. Which honestly didn't take long for him to do. His hair wasn't long enough to cause much trouble so it was mostly a matter of getting dressed.

"Whatever the dreams are, they are mere dreams. A collection of jumbled thoughts collected throughout the day. They cannot cause harm."

Even in a normal dream, hmmm? That does seem likely, honestly. Verstael is just that kind of man--strong willed, ambitious, proud..... There's no way even his subconscious mind would cringe away from a challenge, right? He won't just stand idly by and accept someone or something trying to threaten him.

He wishes he were as confident as Verstael, as he emerges from the bathroom. He wants to just dismiss this as a hallucination, just an unconscious fear sneaking into his thoughts, because it probably is. But if it's not--if there's real danger here..... Will can't quite manage to make his smile as bright and steady as it's supposed to be, or as Verstael probably expects.

"I'm not so sure...... It kind of seemed like--it was hard to see them, but it looked like it could've been..... my old boss." It's the most awkward way to phrase it imaginable, but--the whole of it just wouldn't make sense without either boiling it down, or committing to a long, painful explanation. Even just as it is, he's already wishing he'd just agreed and let himself be reassured.

"You're afraid of your former boss?"

He invited Will to explain further, but if he was having nightmares it seemed clear enough that Will did not want to meet his former boss. Still, just dreams.

"It's a long story." There's definite rueful twist to his smile there, as Will goes to stretch out on the bed. Does he really need to explain all of it? Probably not. Hopefully not. The fact that the man is frightening should be enough, with such a concrete reason why behind it, even apart from their..... relationship.

"But the short version is--he can..... get into people's heads. Control them. They'll keep following orders, even without him right there to force it. I don't think he could do that from all the way on a different world, but....."

.....But you never know. That's the worst part, isn't it? The wondering and uncertainty, the doubt and second guessing? He almost thinks it would be more merciful to have an absolute confirmation, than this ambiguous limbo. At least then he'd know he's right to be afraid, that there might be some kind of solid precautions he could and should take take.

Interesting. But, given the things he'd learnt thus far, within the realm of possibility. He followed after, taking a seat on the side of the bed, the mattress sinking under his weight as he put off the inevitable for a few more moments at least.

"And what would he have you do if he were able to control you?"

"All the way out here? I have no idea. It's not like he could just force me to come back."

Even the gods seem to have trouble drawing people from one place to another, if such widely spaced group arrivals is indicative of anything. There's no way one man's power alone could manage something like that. Not without catching a god, at least.

Perhaps he shouldn't get into how possible it was to catch a god.

"What would he never have you do? Simply do that."

Surely someone who preferred to have that much control had rules.

"Hmmm.....? What's that got to do with anything?" Will raises his head to peer at Verstael in confusion. Of course there had been rules, but that seems..... irrelevant, to be honest. He's not 'home' anymore. Those don't matter anymore. Right? It's not like breaking rules could drive him away, if he's really trying to reach out between worlds.

Please don't get Ideas about Legendaries, Verstael. This is how nearly every single Pokémon villain is born. Some 10 year old asshole with a full team of level 100s will show up and just ruin your day, if not your entire life.

"If you can do that which he would not allow, then you have little to worry about when it comes to him being able to reach you across worlds."

Which he severely doubted, but from the way Will had described it it seemed clear the other man was pondering it.

He laid down on the bed, ready to settle in after that, taking his usual position of lying on his back and making no particular move to hold onto Will. He rarely did. He let Will handle to physical part.

".....Yeah....." It's so easy to assume. After years and years of submission and obedience, of knowing that control was absolute--and even after that, knowing even his hard-fought sanctuary could possibly come tumbling down around him at any second.....

The insecurity and paranoia could suck him down like quicksand, if he allowed them. There's never anything truly solid to hold onto.

Most of the rules don't apply anymore, not really. But the one obvious chain that still binds him, the one lock he's never found the strength to open even now..... Wouldn't that be proof enough? Will might not understand him or what he wants, but--he's always been proud. Possessive. He'd learned very quickly to never deny that claim.

It's slow and reluctant, and his hands are definitely shaking, but Will reaches up to untie his mask. He's already violently clamping down on the rush of panic as he pulls it off; there's a momentary glimpse of fine features and brilliant purple eyes before he looks away. This is enough, right? Verstael is there to see him, so surely that's proof? ~~Can he put it back on yet?~~

While Will might be on the verge of a panic attack, Verstael stayed completely calm. He glanced over, of course. Nothing seemed particularly unusual under that mask, and now he presumed it was worn for reasons much different than hiding any marks. They were all quiet thoughts, things he took note of but didn't put any great importance on. He never cared much if Will wore his mask or not. And, just like that, it mattered little to him if Will put it right back on. He wouldn't be there to insist he fight the power or free himself from the mask. Will was a grown boy, he could, and should, decide that for himself.

"So it would seem he has no reach here." He felt it safe to guess that Will wore the mask due to his old boss. Considering his actions, it was likely some form of control. It certainly painted Will's history in a different light with much more sinister origins. With a small, dismissive wave of his hand he continued. "It's naught but a shadow in your dreams. Your former employer has no power here. Confront it and tell it to begone."

Sometimes things were so simple from him.

There's nothing wrong with his face beneath the mask. No unsightly scars, no missing eyes, nothing that would cause alarm or make someone need to hide themselves. He could get away with not wearing it just as easily, if not moreso--if not for the ever present shadow of the one who had given him his first masks to begin with. That spectre of possession and promised punishment lingered, too heavy for him to shake permanently.

He--and everyone else who understood the message--had to know who he belonged to. Forgetting that fact wasn't healthy.

Denying that claim in someone else's presence, where it would really mean something..... That should be punished. So..... is that it, then? Can it really be so simple as 'if A, then not B'? Will moves to replace his mask, trying to will his heart to stop pounding as he rolls over to snuggle up against Verstael's side. "You're right. I'll just--wait."

His head never even makes it to Verstael's shoulder before another kind of simple answer hits him right between the eyes. Now that he's trying to force himself to think logically about this, the possibility seems so obvious..... "If you--that's probably not right at all. I'd bet a hundred Dora this is actually some kind of psychovore. I hadn't even considered that the locals might not be able to sleep and dream normally, too."

Tilting his head towards Will, he cocked an eyebrow up slightly, still without any sign that it bothered him at all that Will replaced the mask. He was quite willing to move on from that if Will chose. Things worked out better for him if Will was comfortable. He had no particular reason to deny him that comfort.

"'Psychovore'? Define it. It's not a term used on my world, though I could make some guesses based on the roots of the word." It did sound like it could be a potential threat, though.

Will's head settles on Verstael's shoulder now that the epiphany has hit; he's still trembling a little from the residual adrenaline, but he seems..... actually markedly less bothered by the idea of being literally preyed on. ~~Possibly because trainers as a whole have absolutely broken self preservation instincts.~~

"It's--you know terms like carnivore, right? It means a Po--um, an animal that feeds on some aspect of the psyche, or some kind of mental phenomenon. It's not a common diet, but there's precedence for it. I mean, I own a Hypno, I've fed them myself plenty of times."

Will taps a temple at that, implications clear; he hadn't done the feeding, so much as literally fed them some part of himself, or st least something he'd produced.

Will seemed calm about it, which led Verstael to believe it was, perhaps, harmless.

"Does such a thing disturb or disrupt the mental processes in any way? Or would it be more like solar energy, simply converting energy without causing harm to anything around it?"

He relaxed slightly, though his mind was already switching gears. Even if it was benign, he didn't like having uninvited guests in his head.

"That's the big question, isn't it? We don't know what we're dealing with or how it works. If I had to guess, I'd assume it's closer to a Misdreavus. They're ghosts that feed on emotion, mostly fear." Will smiles wryly, opening his hand in a 'what can you do?' gesture. "They actively scare people to eat. No harm done, except for the pranks and haunting themselves. Stalking people in dreams would take care of that."

"On the other hand..... it can hurt if it's more invasive. Hypno put their prey to sleep, then devour their dreams. I used to wake up with a nasty migraine the morning after, but once I got used to it and stopped unconsciously resisting? Then everything was fine. It's just the difference between getting something torn from you by force, or handing it over without a fuss."

"True. We can't assume that your theory is the correct answer. I will look for a solution regardless, because I've no intention of unwittingly feeding anything against my will. However, if it was true that it feeds off fear, it will likely stop wasting its time on me anyway."

He just was not the fearful type. How he came to be that way was questionable. Born that way? Desensitization? He often barreled forward, indifferent to danger.

He shot Will a smug smile.

"Should you need any assistance, you are free to summon me in your dreams."

"Hehehe..... How gallant of you~ ★ I guess I can just leave it all to my knight in shining armor, hmmm?" Will just offers Verstael a coy smile in return, shifting a little so he can nuzzle into the man's chest instead. He's not quite sure it works that way..... But who knows? Maybe it would be possible during a more lucid than usual dream.

"It probably won't waste much time if it wants fear. The other one is a little harder to guard against..... But I'm sure that won't be much of a challenge for someone like you, right?"

He let out a small, amused huff. Will did enjoy playing things up in that stroked his ego. While he still wasn't one to make physical affection a pastime of his, he did find himself enjoying Will's company more often than not. It was, admittedly, a refreshing break from the lab life back home in at least one way.

Just look at him. Was he going soft?

...No. It was just sensible to be amicable with a valuable ally.

"I've no particular powers, but there's always a way. When I gather more supplies you could assist me. I will need to test methods to protect the mind, but it would be impossible to test without an aide."

He allowed himself to relax with Will against him. To be honest, it was sometimes nice to sleep with the extra warmth there.

Even such subdued amusement is a victory, considering how serious Verstael tends to be, isn't it? Will hums in satisfaction and closes his eyes, listening as much to the rumble of the man's voice in his chest as his actual words. Now that the anxiety and adrenaline are ebbing away, the exhaustion is catching up to him, more quickly than he'd really prefer.

"I'll do my best..... Just try not to knock me around too much, whatever you come up with." Frankly, he has no idea what kind of methods would be good for protecting someone from psychic intrusion, but he's interested to see what Verstael can devise. If anyone can unravel a puzzle like that, it would be him, right? As long as it means they're taking steps in the right direction, he doesn't mind if some of those steps mean taking a tumble.

"I would say the request should be reversed. I will need to be psychically attacked, in a sense, in order to determine if it is being blocked or not. I doubt you or your Pokemon will need to go through any discomfort. At least to begin with I will only be searching for a method to nullify any attacks."

He, on the other hand, did not enjoy anything intruding his mind. How else would he test it, though? He would be placing his trust in Will to do something he disliked to him. But, in the end, he hoped to find a way to counter it completely.

He lazily rested an arm over Will, putting aside any concerns about showing affection and simply making himself comfortable.

"I'm sure I can handle that without actually hurting you. Deja too, if she gets involved." Attacks--real ones, at least--probably aren't necessary. At least, not at first. Maybe after Verstael's developed something effective and needs to stress test it.....

Until then, though? He doesn't want to think about hurting his friend. This is nice, just like this; he doesn't want to somehow ruin it or throw it away.....

"Yes, that should be fine for the time being."

He wasn't a fan of getting mentally pummeled, either. But, in his experience with Will, he was confident it would go fine. He'd take risks for his research - and it would honestly be better to test with Will and get hurt than not to test it and be vulnerable to someone who actually wanted to hurt him.

"Sleep well, Will."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

♥ September Event Log

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Hot stripping and hardcore nudity, TOTALLY NC-17 all up in here /clutches pearls

brb fanning myself off

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