♥ 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

[whenyouneedme]

Ha, it wasn't her that did it, I ran into your [...mom? momfriend?] housemate that mentioned you.

That's cool though. Lotta tricks up your sleeves then, yeah?

[abracafcku]

[His eyebrow raises a little further at that because he has two people it could be, since Kova can't talk.]

Gonna have to be specific here. The one with one eye and an itchy trigger finger or the one that looks like they might lurk out of a dark cavern and "riddle me these questions three?"

[Yes, that is how he describes the people he loves and cares about. What a great friend he is.]

[whenyouneedme]

[It's Kai's turn to raise an eyebrow.]

Wow, you're charming.

[Which wasn't a full on "wow you're a dick" since Honerva did seem fond of him, so. Charming! It was!]

The latter, your momfriend.

[abracafcku]

[He knows that's sarcasm, but Taako gives the kid a wink and a smile anyway.]

Oh, I know.

[But that answers that. He definitely wouldn't call Honerva the "momfriend" of the group, but she's probably the closest to it seeing how she's the only actual mom.]

She's only the "momfriend" by default. If it wasn't for me, she'd still be eating dehydrated vegetable chips and calling it a day.

[whenyouneedme]

[Kai rolled his eyes, but it was more faintly amused than anything else.]

That so. At least it wasn't just crackers, that situation might have been too dire.

[abracafcku]

I mean, if left to her own devices? It might have been.

[He has no idea what Honerva used to eat before he came along. She'd only just realized that salads were a thing and that? Gods. He could understand it in her case, but it was still a hard pill to swallow.]

I introduced her to soups and it's a very, very slow process.

[whenyouneedme]

Well if anyone's going to be successful with such a challenge it's probably a cool celebrity chef, so she's probably in good hands.

[abracafcku]

[Cool? Oh, you sweet talker, you.

Taako's ego is the easiest and most transparent way to get to him, but he honestly doesn't care and he'll eat up what little praise he can get. He tosses his hair over his shoulder with a grin.]

You're right about that. I'm her best bet to regain her taste buds.

But you? You might be in need of another of my considerable number of talents. [He gestures to Kaito from head to toe and back again.] Unless the monochrome look is what you're going for.

[whenyouneedme]

Me?

[Oh, the monochrome. Kai glanced up, as if he could see more than a few strands of the greys he had going on, reaching a hand up to lightly pass over it.]

Honestly, getting this shade on my own would be pretty impressive, but I can't say that's what I was going for no.

You got a color changing snack or something?

[abracafcku]

I mean I could do you up with a glamour to make you look less- [He gestures at all of Kaito again.] -but that probably isn't a permanent solution.

I noticed you and the rest of the world's been going grayscale lately. Anything change recently?

[whenyouneedme]

Eh, doesn't seem like its worth the hassle either. Everything seems to be in working order, just... like this.

I've been thinking about that, but I don't think I've been doing anything any differently?

[Spoilers: That was the Problem.]

[abracafcku]

Yeah, seeing how this is our first time meeting and I'm still not sure what your name even is? Gonna have to give me a little more than "not doing anything differently." For all I know, your normal routine is eating unidentified fungi for funsies.

[whenyouneedme]

[Let it be known that Kai could safely and honestly say that he was not the one to do this in canon. Small mercies.]

I get up, eat something, wander around town, check out the temple. Eat and sleep some more? It might just be cuz it's boring.

And it's Kaito, by the way.

[abracafcku]

[But the fact that someone did it in canon is a little concerning.

But also? Holy shit that is boring.]

Fuck, you're right. That is one hell of a boring life you got there, Kaito. I'd say that might be why you're going prematurely gray, but it's probably some other sort of bullshit magic that's going on since it's not just you who's doing it.

[Taako still has his full vibrant colors going on, but buildings and even other people he's seen here are also afflicted. It can't just be that they live boring lives because buildings don't have lives to lead.]

Do you not have any hobbies besides being a hobo or what?

[whenyouneedme]

[Doesn't that make buildings the most boring ones by default?

Kai huffed a laugh at his own expense, waving away these hobo accusations that were pretty accurate.]

'M working on it.

Usually I go out on my motorbike or hike in the mountains, but I'm pretty fresh out of both of those here.

[abracafcku]

[No, just you, Kaito. Just you.]

Might wanna work a little harder on that, my dude, before you turn so monochrome a pencil falls in love with you.

[Taako smirks and wiggles his fingers at Kaito.]

Because more than likely? You being such a loner might be what is causing your "predicament."

[whenyouneedme]

[w e l l]

[He cocked his head a bit, a thoughtful 'o' forming on his mouth.]

Ah. Y'know, yeah, you're probably right. I guess it's been a while since I've done any of this touchin' stuff.

[abracafcku]

Well, lucky that I'm here. I was running a hugs for hire gig last month. Got bored with it, but I guess I could revive it if you need me to.

[Taako brushes a bit of invisible dust off his shoulders then smiles at Kaito.]

What d'you say?

[whenyouneedme]

[There was another little roll of his eyes at the theatrics of invisible dust, but what the hey.]

Ha, sure, why not. Do you take hugs as payment too?

[abracafcku]

Usually, no. I've been trying to save up Dora or whatever the hell they call their money here to open a pop-up - where you'll be able to try foods like that yucky-pan or whatever it was.

[He knows it's yakisoba pan. He's just being a dick.]

But, seeing as you did help me out with the food, I guess I could give you a freebie for your first trial run.

[whenyouneedme]

[He won't fall for this bait, yuckyboy.]

That's just good business. Who's gonna say no to a free sample.

[abracafcku]

[Damn you, child.

Taako gives a long-suffering sigh and opens his arms, rolling his eyes.]

Damn you, getting on my good business side.

[whenyouneedme]

Y'gotta build a customer base somehow, buddy.

[This is. Kind of a bit different from hugging a tiny girl, and Kai was miserably awkward with that one too. Uh. Hmm. Well. Let's just get this over with. Here he comes for the huggening, loose with his arms around Taako's sides.]

[abracafcku]

[....Oh. My gods.

Okay, nope. Nope!

Taako backs up, laughing so hard, he doubles over.]

Holy shit! You're so bad at hugging! Like, I'm bad, but this? I won't die if you touch me, dummy.

[whenyouneedme]

[Kai laughed along for a moment, because it was too awkward even for him not to.]

Ha, well. Loner shtick and all that, right? And I probably won't die if you don't touch me, so it all works out.