♥ 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

[original_is_best]

The way you all speak you would think that you were the ones outnumbered by Imperial soldiers. I am here alone, unarmed, and have done nothing to any of you.

[He emphasized that. It seemed often he was suspected of intending to cause harm, though he was in no position to do so whatsoever. If anyone here should be concerned it should be him, the lone Imperial researcher in a sea of Lucian fighters.]

Why would it be of any concern to you whether or not I have color back? [He was highly skeptical of this explanation.]

[kingkingcxiii]

You have done nothing but be highly suspicious of every breath we take or look we point in your direction, you mean. It was a joke.

[Regis can't help but gesture as Verstael goes on to prove his point extremely well.]

It may be news to you, but in Lucis, we do often do things because it is of help to others. It matters not if it is something that helps us as well.

[original_is_best]

Speak the truth. Were I to appear on your doorstep and embrace you, would you not be highly suspicious of my actions?

[He observed Regis critically.]

There are plenty who do good in Niflheim. Myself included. [His intentions, however pure, selfish, or anything else, had brought good to his country and he wasn't ashamed to mention it.]

[kingkingcxiii]

Any sudden action is worthy of at least a little suspicion. That is how men in our positions stay alive, but were you to insist you were only doing it because you wished to, I would give you the benefit of the doubt.

[Eventually. Which is more than he can say Cor would do.]

I have been trying to give you the benefit of the doubt since we arrived here, if not for your sake, then for the sake of the friends we share.

[original_is_best]

You understand that when we return home, my life's work will revolve around ending yours.

[No apologies. This was important to the future of his country.]

[kingkingcxiii]

Perhaps, but then again, my own work will be just as detrimental yours.

[He's not forgetting the whole enemies bit. Don't worry.]

Or perhaps our visits to this place will change things. There is no way to know and I will not throw away hope of a better future no matter what odd circumstances may surround that hope.

[original_is_best]

The boy mentioned peace talks, as if it were so simple.

[He let out one soft snort, waving off the idea with a small shake of his hand.]

[kingkingcxiii]

[Regis huffs. Is it true? The might actually agree on something?]

Peace talks? Somehow I can't imagine those being anything other than a trap.

[original_is_best]

[Of course, he was a long way off from anything like that happening. Right now he was more focused on a much different sort of attack - outright breaking the wall and invading.]

His Radiance would likely feel much the same way.

There has been too many deaths. Too many have suffered personal losses in battle and foster hatred for the other side. It's unlikely the people would be willing to settle for peace through any means besides outright victory, much as the fantasy might be pleasant.

[kingkingcxiii]

I wouldn't go quite that far. Things only enter into the realm of fantasy when we give up the fight to make them reality.

[As unlikely as he feels peace talks would be, Regis would not dismiss them outright. He owes it to his people to give anything that might end the war a chance, no matter how slim the chance is.]

There are times when rulers must ignore the will of their people for the good of the country or even the good of the world. If I did not do that now, none of those your invasion has displaced would find safety inside of Insomnia's walls.

[original_is_best]

Perhaps.

[He quieted, thoughtful, before speaking up again.]

As I told the boy, I would not be opposed to it. I'm simply... realistic about the situation.

It may be that... [His hand made a circle in front of him as he thought aloud.] new opportunities arise from our current predicament.

[He was often an awkward man, but less so hesitant. There was good reason that someone like himself wasn't pushed to do the politicking. He was out of his realm of expertise here, and toeing the line of his role in the Empire.

He did look at Regis directly, though.]

My loyalties will remain with His Radiance and Niflheim, however. Don't expect me to ever devalue their position in the world any more than your soldier would devalue yours.

[kingkingcxiii]

Realism has its place, though some forgot that optimism has its place as well.

[Regis frowns as he listens to Verstael's words.]

I don't see how we could go back and not change things with what we have learned. The idea that we could be sent from here with no memory of this place and how we have changed is a frightening one that has, unfortunately, crossed my mind. Should that end up being the case, it is something we should fight against with all of our strength. No one has the right to take so much from us.

[As much as they disagree on, Regis can't imagine Verstael liking the idea of that anymore than he does. If nothing else, it would mean the loss of a great deal of research.]

I wasn't aware I had asked you to. Men can discuss differing opinions without trying to change each other's minds.

[original_is_best]

I've every intention of altering my plans. Going so far as making peace treaties or deals... I have generally left that to the politicians. If His Radiance were to arrive it would change things greatly.

[In other words, he was sort of the wrong person to make this change. It would be like if only Cor showed up then was expected to make the changes in Lucis on his own. He had some say, surely, but enough people already thought him mad without him raving about meeting future Regis in an alternate dimension. It would be difficult for him to lead such a movement.]

Just drawing the boundaries clearly and early.

[kingkingcxiii]

[There is no 'wrong' person to make a change, only a wrong way to do it. How much would Verstael's tune change if he knew what 'His Radiance's" fate was and that he might be the only one who could change it?

Regis is quiet for several moments before nodding in acknowledgment, not agreement.]

Just keep in mind the boundaries that last the longest are those that are flexible enough to change as circumstances change around them.

[original_is_best]

[Knowing his Emperor's future would, no doubt, change him greatly. But, for the time being, he was seeking a new path for his Empire in the best way he knew how.]

I'm afraid you'll find my loyalty to Emperor and Empire to be more like tungsten than gold.

[kingkingcxiii]

I can't say that surprises me.

[A small smirk pulls up the corner of his mouth.]

Just a word of warning, though. I've heard tungsten shatters much more easily than gold, despite its greater durability.

[original_is_best]

It does. It makes it quite suitable for explosives.

[Which is probably why it's a metal he's in contact with a lot. All those missiles and bullets.]

I will not agree to anything that would weaken the Empire. I could, however, work with something that was mutually beneficial. Or, at least, submit a proposal to His Radiance. It would not be my place to make any final decisions.

[kingkingcxiii]

[Regis sighs, that interpretation so far from what he was getting at that he can't help but roll his eyes. Why does he even try with this man?]

Of course. We will just have to wait and see what knowledge the future brings us.

[original_is_best]

[But missiles are cool, Regis. How could you not love explosives?]

Then we are in agreement, should we find a proposal that is... suitable.

And next time you are... [Well, this sounds a little weird to say, even for him. Maybe especially for him.] concerned about me, you needn't be. I can readily have any physical requirements of this place attended to when I need.

[kingkingcxiii]

[Explosives kill people, Verstael. His people.]

Is that so?

[Because you were looking pretty black and white when he got here. Still do, as a matter of fact.]

Then do try a little better to prove it next time, because that's not the feeling I get from this side of things.

[original_is_best]

[That's just working as designed.]

It is. I was simply too busy to notice any ill effects... Nothing felt any different. I have my own allies, though, so you can go without fear that your mortal enemy won't succumb to desaturation.

[kingkingcxiii]

As you wish. Next time I'll remember common concern is not welcome in this place.

[Regis gives him a nod and if Verstael doesn't stop him, he will take his leave.]