hugtopia_logs | ♥ January (Lasra) Event Log

♥ January (Lasra) Event Log

indoor decorations with winter wonderland theme

January (Lasra) Event Log
The new year has dawned and many natives are busy with their VR pilgrimages to the sacred mountain. Others are busy redecorating the town after all the excitement of the last month. With the cold winter days and nights continuing, the occasionally clear blue skies seem all the colder even with Havenwell's nicely temperature controlled environment. The winter has fully set in and so the celebrations continue as natives try to incorporate more of the offworlders' traditions into their own. They know it can't be easy being away from your homes for so long, but they hope adding touches of home to their celebrations might help ease the loneliness some.

❥ PROMPT I: Festive Flora Festoons

festive holiday garland with metallic colored berries

They're trying to keep the holiday spirit going with some greenery among all the cold wintery snowy weather! All around the city, over doorways, strung across roads and walkways, threaded in entryways and hallways alike, people can find colorful wreaths and garlands hung overhead. Prominently displayed among the Rawna-centric ribbons and synthetic greens are real live plants! It seems the natives have picked up on the idea of holiday decorations involving seasonal flora and other decor to brighten the darker winter days. Sadly, it seems they've missed the mark on what kinds of plants are meant to be involved. Here and there, people can find all manner of plant strung up from things that look like ivy to pine-adjacent trees to weird decorations that miss the 'plant' mark entirely. Moreover, it seems these decorations are being tampered with by the gods in a haphazard manner. Some, not all, of these decorations carry a strange field around them, affecting people when they walk beneath them. Watch out, offworlders! While the natives are also getting caught sometimes, you're the most susceptible to this mysterious meddling.

♥ Mistletoe: Some of these plants are actually mistletoe, and for those familiar with the Earth tradition, they carry the same effects. On occasion when you and another person walk under the mistletoe, an invisible force field springs up, trapping you both in a six foot circle beneath the plant. Any attempts to destroy the decoration does nothing to dispel the field and teleportation does nothing but bounce you to the other side of this odd bounded circle. For those in know, they may have an inkling of what needs to happen to escape this little trap: positive physical contact in the form of hugs or kisses! Platonic kisses on the hand and cheek do seem to work for some people, though, so maybe you can both escape this without too much embarrassment? ...Maybe?

♥ Missile...toe??: Some of the plants around town have brightly colored stockings and socks hung in them. The natives seem to think that hanging footwear is an integral part of the offworld winter tradition, so they've carried it over to Lasra. On occasion, when you and another person are caught under these decorations, a cloud will form overhead and begin pelting both of you with tiny foam darts. The cloud moves with you both and will give chase for an indeterminate amount of time. It even seems that it can follow you indoors, which is entirely illogical but so is a cloud blitzing you with foam darts and here we are. It isn't omnipotent though and quick thinking or some fancy moves can throw it off your trail for awhile. The only problem is you and the other person can't seem to get more than six feet apart from one another, so you better come up with an action plan to either dispel the cloud or figure out a way to elude it or you'll be spending your day annoyed at the constant barrage of toys.

♥ Verdant veritas: This is just getting weird now. Some of the garlands have miniaturized versions of entire trees hung upside down from them. These trees range from off-colored pines to what passes for this world's version of plastic palm trees to miscolored birches, oaks, and fruit trees. Most of these trees are plastic, but it can be a little strange to see a scaled down tree hanging into the roadway. Getting caught under one of these with another person when they go haywire will trap you both in an entirely uncomfortably small circle of 3 feet from one another. The only way to widen it is to tell the other person a truth about yourself that they may not know. With each truth you tell, the circle widens by 1 foot until it snaps at some indeterminable point. For some, this might just be 2 truths and you're free. For others it might be 20. The natives tend to get caught by this one the most, so at least you have examples of what needs to happen should you find yourself trapped!

♥ Berries aplenty: Some of the decorations are filled with red and white berries hanging in clusters. These are the most innocuous seeming of all the garlands and, since the berries are small enough, the easiest to miss. They do, however, seem to be causing quite a stir with anyone caught beneath it. When you and another person walk beneath these garlands, you'll find yourselves trapped with one of you suddenly wearing a Santa outfit projected over your normal clothes like an illusion. You cannot escape the six foot circle under the berries unless you sit on Santa's lap and tell them what you really really want for the holidays. You've been a good person/robot/cat/creature this year, right? The gods hope so because only those on the Nice List who say what you want and mean it get to leave the clutches of the berries.

❥ PROMPT II: Ski for Free(dom)

Stick figure yeti creature running and gnashing teeth

For those of you who frequent the worlds of virtual reality, there's a new game available! In SkiFreezin', you and a friend can enjoy an excursion to a beautiful mountain covered with freshly-fallen snow for a fun ski trip!

But hopefully you're quick to clear the course; every so often innocent skiers looking for a fun time might find themselves in the sights of the mountain's inhabitant; a cranky creature giving chase with stick figure limbs and angry eyebrows. Better get to the finish line quick! If it catches up, you just might find yourself dumped into a pile of snow with a hat placed on your head at a jaunty angle befitting a snowman.

And the chase doesn't end there! The VR network's errors that brought on Havenwell's cube-shaped bee friends is acting up again, bringing the particularly pixelated pursuer to the city's snowy streets to chase around the local inhabitants. And if it catches you...well, Frosty, hope you like snowbanks!

❥ PROMPT III: The Weather Outside (and Inside) is Frightful

dog with white face and black fur buried in snow

To some, the best part of winter is the beautiful snowy landscape and Aellyn is delivering on that this year. All across Havenwell, the snow is drifting down in lazy, cozy piles that turn the city even more picturesque than usual. It's a lovely sight and even the natives are enjoying it by doing things like building snowrobots, snow forts, snow sculptures, and snow fights! Some of the less jolly ones are grumbling about the need to shovel the snow to keep roads and walkways clear, but overall the city seems to be enjoying the weather.

The grumbling might be justified, however, because at random times and in random places all over the city, the gentle drifts of snow suddenly become small localized Snowpocalypse pockets! Small storm clouds will whip up in pocketed areas, dumping feet upon feet of snow all at once before dissipating. These massive snow drops have the potential to trap people inside homes, businesses, in doorways, or even bury them outside. If you're unlucky enough to be caught outside, you'll need to cuddle up to keep warm until you or the locals can dig you out. If you're stuck inside, you better start digging out from your doors or you might be stuck for awhile. The cold of these snow drops seem to seep in through the walls, making even those inside want to cuddle up for warmth before either digging themselves out or awaiting rescue.

The gods must not know the saying, "All things in moderation" when it comes to snow!

This event will run from 15 January to 31 January. 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. You can also use the Havenwell Status page or the General Plotting Comment to give you other ideas for original prompts!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Barely touching truly was the method, here. Kyoko wasn't going to fuss about avoiding contact altogether when she was already in their bed, sharing their blankets, for the express purpose of closeness. That would be a little too silly even for her.

But that didn't mean she ought to give in to the siren call of body heat and book a train to snuggle town. Look, her shoulder was touching Kaito's! Also her elbow! And that was definitely his foot bumping into hers! Surely all this was adequate, and she would get actually warm eventually.

The blanket situation at least was a good shield for her blush when that sudden up-close smile assaulted her, followed up by all those sweet sentiments. "N-no... I mean, you're the ones being outrageously generous, s-so... I don't deserve thanks."

Those sirens would come for them yet.

"Hey," Kai chided softly. "Everybody is winning, so everybody gets a thank you." It was truly an extremely mutually beneficial situation they were in now. More warmth, peace of mind, nice company, it was all good.

"Besides, you didn't put up a fight and make me carry you here or nothin'. A smooth transition. Oh." Kai rolled his head towards Shinji now, speaking softer. "Tho I think you sorta became a bargaining chip, sorry."

His existence? Being used as leverage? Say it ain't so.

"I think I can live with that."

Kinda easy to see where that may have come in to play, especially with Kyoko being as concerned about him as she was first thing upon getting to the room. He lifts his head a little, too more pointedly address her, "He didn't make you worry to much, did he?"

The idea that Kaito might have actually picked her up and hauled her over to his bed if it had come down to that was just a bit much for Kyoko's already-frayed nerves, so Shinji was going to have to forgive her for the pause before she responded to him. Just gotta bury herself deeper into these blankets and contemplate what her fate could have been. Such a near brush with death. Goodness.

"N-no," she piped up after a moment, her voice muffled. "It was a worry no matter what. I'm telling you, we need to build you up to survive colder climates, you know?"

He would've done it too. Just scoop her right up in his arms so that she became the blanket caterpillar princess. Oh what could have been.

"Hohh... What's that, are we working on a bulk up plan?"

If there's any doubt left in her mind on whether or not Kai would have done that, Shinji would be happy to confirm that, yes. That's exactly what would have happened.

"If there's a plan, it's my first time hearing about it." It's all probably just jokey banter, he's sure, so there's no real offense is being taken here, even if he punctuates the thought with a tiny puff of a sigh. "Not my fault it never got this cold while I was growing up."

"That's what I'm saying." Kyoko nodded earnestly, incidentally bringing a little more of her face out from under the blanket in the process. "If you lived in a hot climate for most of your life, it's only natural that your body wouldn't be equipped for the winter!" She met Kaito's eyes, earnest. "It's gotta be a bulk up!"

Kai wiggled his arm over to gently pat Shinji's. There there. Only bantering now.

He looked over at Kyoko, pleased to see a bit more of her now, and nodded. "I see, I see. Like a bear, but without the hibernation. Which means extra strawberry cream sandwiches."

Oh, is he a bear now? If that's the case, why not just let him hibernate?

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but bears mostly eat fish, right?" Not strawberry cream sandwiches. He's not... necessarily complaining about the idea, but perhaps a drastic diet shift is not the ideal course in this hypothetical scenario. "So maybe more seafood hot pot is actually in order."

"Bears are omnivores," Kyoko piped up insistently. Goodness, this was a much better thing to think about than how very close her shivery body was pressed into Warm Boy Town. "They also like berries, right? So, seafood hotpot with a double-decker strawberry cream sandwich for dessert."

Shinji you can't smooch if you're hibernating, bro.

And that was still a lot of shivering over there. Sure, results wouldn't be immediate, but maybe... he'll just scooch over a tiny bit for just a bit more warmth on Kyoko's end, since he knew Shinji wouldn't be far behind in scooting in closer himself.

"Oh man. Double-decker? We're really getting into it now. Maybe some beef skewers and stuff some other time too. Bet a bear wouldn't say no to a forest cow."

The scoots are hot on Kai's heels indeed, Shinji's not about to let that warm toastiness escape him under these circumstances.

"I wouldn't be able to eat a whole cow." That's just silly. He'd probably end up hibernating for real with such a huge meal at hand! "Beef skewers would be doable, but all of these things at once is definitely too much."

Had Kaito meant to shift closer to her like that?? No, right? What a careless motion from an oblivious boy!

Tensing slightly, Kyoko quickly pulled a grin--think about bears! Bears, Kyoko! Hibernation!

"That's true, beef skewers wouldn't go with seafood hotpot at all! But would gorging on just beef be enough, even with dessert after? We'll have to think seriously about the Winterizing Shinji Diet Plan."

Even if he hadn't, there was no going back now!

"That's why I said some other time!" Kai exclaimed with an incredibly real, extremely genuine pout. (It wasn't.) "For the future of the Winterizing Shinji Diet Plan. Maybe they'd go better with mapo tofu or something. That would really warm us up."

Rest in pieces, Kyoko.

"Mapo tofu..." That sure would warm them up a bunch. They probably don't have all the right ingredients for it just yet, but maybe that's something he can look into for later. He will keep it in mind. "Just as long as you two are fine with eating all of this too. It's easier to make a meal for all three of us than to make something extra."

So, really, this would be a Winterize Everyone's Diet plan.

Talking about spicy food when she was so close to burning up (while miraculously still half-frozen), jeez. Madness. How was she supposed to contemplate how to even make something like mapo tofu in this state?

Still, she could easily assure Shinji, "It won't be any extra work for you, don't worry! It was my suggestion, so naturally I'll take responsibility."

That just seemed like she needed some more wiggling to happen.

"Hey, not all on your own. I've got hands." How many times had Kai reminded them that he had hands. So many times. Please use them, these hands. They were here and so willing to help.

"But I'm definitely making suggestions for things I want to put in my mouth, don't worry."

Double deluxe strawberry cream sandwiches, please.

"There are easier ways of letting us know what kinds of foods you want than this, you know." Obviously, that was Kai's aim all along. "You can make requests any time you want."

Whipping up some strawberry cream sandwiches is going to have to be a task for Later Everyones, when there's no risk of freezing for either the cream or the chefs. Strawberry icecream sandwiches are going to remain off menu until the house is overall warmer, thank you very much.

"Your hands are going to be busy keeping Shinji warm," Kyoko countered flatly. "It's a very important job, and not just anyone can do it. Feeding him is important, but not as important as ensuring his immediate warmth." See how uniquely useful you are, Kaito.

"But with that in mind... keeping the heat source fueled is pretty important too. Shinji's right--go ahead and ask for whatever you want."

Wow. What a compelling argument for his usefulness. Kai let out a little puff of amusement.

"That's what I'm doing. They just line up real good with winterizing, is all. So you two will get nice and warmed up, and I'll get lots of tasty stuff. Everybody wins."

"No one's going to be getting any new meals if we're all freezing, though." Warming each other up is a vital step in this process. Everyone's contributing! "I guess the first things we should really be thinking up are breakfast foods. Give us a concrete plan for the morning."

Much more productive than making them hungry for dinner foods. Winterize your morning meals.

Edited (words) 2021-02-07 02:19 (UTC)

"Ah, that's right... if we're gonna start as soon as possible, that means tomorrow morning. It should probably be something extra nourishing, too, to recover from tonight." Nothing will truly heal her after the toll all this sorta-cuddling will take on her heart, but nevertheless! "A really hearty miso soup is a must, right? And maybe... takikomi gohan, with an egg on top...." she mused, dreamily. Breakfast was so very good and important, guys. A very comfy topic.

Dinner or breakfast foods were equally dangerous to think about at this point. Late-night food chats led to late-night munchies, and there was nothing to do about those with this predicament!

"Ohhh... that sounds really good," Kai rumbled. "Maybe some grilled salmon too?"

Hopefully thoughts of warm foods will warm their hearts up fast, but realistically, it's only a matter of time before they start wanting to actually brave the chill for some snacks.

"That would be really good," Shinji nods slightly. A good plan, all things they could reasonably just go and make without any extra ingredients. All tantalizingly within their reach, right now... "That's definitely a breakfast worth look forward to."

Kyoko nodded into the pillow. "Let's do our best to survive the night, so we can have it tomorrow." A very good victory prize.

But now that they'd settled all that, it was hard to know what to focus on besides the current situation. Especially now that the chill was finally starting to seep out of her in earnest--maybe not as much as if she'd actually been in an embrace, but enough that there wasn't much to distract her from the thought of it anymore. Which was clearly unacceptable! Being pressed up against a person was adequate, and already way more than she would dream of doing normally!

So, sleep just wasn't going to happen for her tonight. All the better to slip out of bed early tomorrow, when the worst of this cold would hopefully be over! "I'll make it, so you just focus on staying warm, Shinji."

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