hugtopia_logs | ♥ June (Dianir) Event Log

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♥ June (Dianir) Event Log

a line of rounded streetlights with colorful flowering plants hanging from them

June (Dianir) Event Log
Ainea's time has ended and now Diacht's months have arrived. Dianir marks the beginning of the hot summer months with a rise in temperature as well as humidity. With each passing day, spring gives way to summer, and the natives of Havenwell are enjoying the blue skies along with the newly expanded barrier. With the most dangerous of the beasts gone thanks to offworlder help last month, researchers and conservationists head out on occasion into the newly opened areas to continue the work of cataloguing and preserving what they can find. Some take time to study the barrier and some just seem to enjoy being outside the walls for the first time in centuries. Meanwhile, the city within seems to have calmed from Ealom's excitement, settling into its usual routine with only a few…"hiccups."

❥ PROMPT I: Hana-hack-i

drawing of a girl sitting on the floor, covered in scattered flowers and flower petals

With the turning of the seasons, the weather warms up and Diacht's influence grows in strength. 'Tis the season to be honest with one another, because if you aren't, you may begin to feel a tickle in the back of your throat…

For those who have feelings repressed, secrets unaddressed, or maybe just won't confide in a friend when they're feeling depressed, the gods work in mysterious ways. Specifically, in the fact that the offworlders may find themselves coughing up flower petals. Whether petals of plantlife from Havenwell itself or another world entirely, the longer one goes without confessing their troubles or sentiments the more insistent their condition until they might even have trouble getting through a whole sentence without finding a corsage's worth stuck in their mouth. Speaking minor truths will lessen the effect a little at a time, while larger or more impactful ones will work to cure it completely.

While not painful or otherwise physically harmful, the affliction does feel awkward and very likely doesn't taste all that great. Not to mention it's going to be difficult to keep secrets when everyone can see you have a mouthful of flower.

❥ PROMPT II: Uproot of the Spirit

hearts made of different colors of yarn laid out on a wooden table

Those offworlders that have been present in Havenwell since the previous June may remember an outbreak of traits and desires not necessarily their own, reflecting the dominion of their associated god instead. With the return of the early summer season, so too do such urges begin to resurface--but not quite in the same fashion.

This time around, things are a bit different--adherents to one god may find themselves with any other god or gods' traits, with one or more applying at once, one and then another on different days, any multitude of combinations apart from those of the deity to which they belong. For example, one under Diacht may have the effects of Rawna one day and Ainea the next, or perhaps Ainea and Ohma both at once, but never contend with Diacht's influence. And while the previous year seemed to deal with the gods' animal natures, it seems this time things are a little different as people begin manifesting extreme versions of their gods' emotional domains.

Ohma: As the god of wisdom, Ohma's influence becomes a desperate and insistent need to exchange knowledge. The affected may ask friends and strangers all manner of questions, ranging from 'where did you get that shirt' to 'how do you like your eggs' and everything in between. In exchange, the affected also wish to share their own information on just about everything they know, whether the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow or the entire plot of a book they read that one time. They simply have to give and seek knowledge to and from whoever they can find.

Ainea: The influence of the god of compassion leads the affected to be almost aggressively kind. Complimenting every little thing those around them might say, do, wear--if it can be spoken kindly about, those under Ainea's influence will do so excessively and well past the point of obnoxious. So too might they feel a compulsion to give gifts to others--specifically, giving away the affected's own possessions. Once the effect wears off, one might even have to track down their new and old friends to get their more important things back...

Diacht: Honor and honesty being Diacht's domain, those affected by them will be incapable of lying. They will be compelled to not only speak the truth, but do so out of obligation no matter how awkward for them or the other party. Even if it means speaking a brutally honest opinion or divulging a carefully hidden secret, so long as the words are true to the affected speaker they will have the urge to share it. To tell a lie or general untruth will make them feel suddenly ill, dispelled only by speaking something truthful instead.

Rawna: Rawna's reasoning takes the forefront of their influence; anyone under their affect will be insistent upon hearing and soothing the emotional hurts of others. They are certain they need to be a listening ear or comforting shoulder to the absolute best of their abilities and beyond--that is to say, they will not only go out of their way to find others' problems, but potentially assume ones exist where they do not. Some dear friends haven't spoken in an entire day? Clearly they had a terrible fight, and it's up to Rawna's affected to fix it.

❥ PROMPT III: 'Cause I'd Get A Thousand Hugs

a painting of trees backlit by a full moon and covered in small lights

Yet another indication that the world is recovering is the reappearance of the Fairy Lights. As the weather turns warmer, these beautiful little insects take to the air for their mating dances at night, dimly and softly glowing like Earth's fireflies or lightning bugs. These tiny little bugs float through the air, flitting about as their bodies pulse with light. The Fairy Lights come in a multitude of colors from red to purple, turning the night into soft rainbows of light. They make their triumphant reappearance in two locations: the botanical gardens and the green belt that grew up where the old wall used to be. Their beautiful displays start once the sun goes down and stop at sunrise, and natives are delighting in their return by taking walks among them.

If offworlders follow suit, they'll notice that the Fairy Lights are attracted to those who come in pairs or more, especially those who engage in sustained positive contact with each other while among them. The Fairy Lights seem to enjoy it when people are touching and will land upon them, one of each color until a rainbow has formed - usually in a crown around the head. Once the rainbow crown of Fairy Lights is complete, that character will feel a pleasant calmness and a feeling of peace and happiness wash over them. For as long as you and your partner(s) are in contact, the Fairy Lights will stay and so will the peace they confer. Once contact is broken, one by one the little insects will fly away, off to find a new perch.

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

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He hesitates a moment, since she's normally more reserved about touch, but finally takes a break from the petting to drape one arm around her shoulders (for warmth, totally!) while the other braces behind himself to hold them upright.

He nods again at her words, taking a bit of time to mull all of that over. He'd felt the presence of his father a handful of times, during his journey. Through the connecting souls of the past kings, he'd felt his history, the strength of his family. Through the ring, when he'd finally acquired it, one familiar voice rang out amongst over a hundred, pushing him onward to face his destiny. A king pushes onward always, accepting the consequences and never looking back. And in his final moments, when he goes home one day, his father will...

"Dad... trust in me."

...he closes his eyes, and pushes those thoughts away. Not now.

"Do you... remember your dad? Since you remembered the bunny, I was wondering." He tilts his head, throwing caution to the wind. "Sometimes it's hard for me, too- to tell if your memories are coming from the Echo or not."

Era has learned a lot since she began suffering through the indignity of her recovery, and comrades not minding her leaning on them for support when she needs it, or when she needs the extra warmth (insisting upon it, in fact), was one of the first things drilled through her particularly thick skull after waking. Now, it just seems like the sensible thing to do.

Noct's question causes her to go still, but does not stiffen—meaning that while she is caught off guard she doesn't feel like she needs to be. His comment on the Echo, however, causes her to duck her head as she's struck by that reflexive feeling of shame she always struggles with these days when it comes to matters involving her 'gift'.

It takes her a few long moments to relax and ponder how, exactly, to answer. What can she say when she isn't sure of it, herself?

"The events I've spoken of were your memories, but the feelings..." Era frowns down at her hands. Narangerel vocalizes an encouraging chirp from where she's curled around Noct's neck. "I think...learning what I have of Kiyo's childhood, your emotions were burned so clearly in my mind because they were familiar."

The question about her own father is also difficult to answer, but she tries:

"...He was taller than Gladio. He had brown skin, large hands with calloused fingers, kind eyes, and a warm voice. His name was Nobuyuki. He loved his baby girl more than anything in the world. He was— He was barely twenty-two—"

Her breath catches, and she does her best not to cry.

"'Stay quiet and still until I come back. You'll be safe—I promise.'"

Edited 2021-06-20 01:36 (UTC)

He winces a little, though she might not see it with the way they're positioned. Hard to miss the way her breath was just now. "You can tell me not to ask, if you'd rather not talk about it."

He's well acquainted with the idea of a lost father being a sore spot, for sure. And his breath had caught that way plenty of times soon after Altissia, when the death of someone precious caught his heart unawares. That sting doesn't fully go away, or at least it hasn't yet, so he gets it.

"...He sounds nice, though."

"It's fine."

And it truly is. Era doesn't mind his asking, knowing that he won't mind if she can't or won't answer.

"He was." From the memories she bore witness to, at least. "She was born too early, and her mother didn't want her. She was weak, and sickly, but he loved her all the same. He kept her alive against all odds..."

It's hard to say that Kiyomi was her, even though she knows it's true. The memories she bore witness to felt more like the Echo than anything else, save for one.

"...He broke that last promise to her, though he had tried his hardest to keep it." She pulls her stuffed bunny from the bag at her side, hugging it close. "She stayed put for a long time, until it was quiet. He never came back, so she went searching for him. I watched as she found his head first."

Jījí gets a tighter squeeze.

"She tried so hard—" Her voice cracks. "—to wake him up, and I remembered how it felt."

That is a familiar story, in part. Born too early, and though his mother had dearly wanted him, she hadn't been able to stick around. Left alone with a father too young, only to lose him well before either were ready (if one ever could be). It's no wonder she feels the way she does.

He holds her a little more closely, quiet for a long moment, letting her finish and allowing that quiet to linger. Sometimes there's peace to be found in silence and warm company, in the lull of mutual understanding and griefing empathy. To be understood and have those feelings recognized... he's come to appreciate that experience more than he can properly express through words.

Finally he murmurs, "I'm sorry." Because what else can be said to ease that kind of loss? He's not yet figured it out himself, so he can hardly offer her any answers.

She appreciates the silence, and more than that Era appreciates being held. With Carbuncle behind her, her plush bunny in her arms, and Noct's arm around her shoulders, she feels safe, warm, and comforted. Not so long ago she would have thought herself undeserving of it, but she's since learned that it doesn't matter how she views herself — if Noct thinks she's deserving of comfort then she is.

"It's—" fine. The word is on the tip of her tongue, heavy like a lie. Era flounders for a moment, squeezing Jījí more tightly. "...Thanks."

There is more she wants to say, and at first she thinks it better to remain silent, keeping it bottled up like she does for so many other things, but...

"She was barely two years old, and she thought it was her fault for not waiting until he came back... It's almost funny how little things have changed, isn't it?"

Era gives her bunny one final squeeze, then shyly places it on Noct's lap. It's a bit embarassing, but it also feels important to introduce him.

"This is Jījí."

"Funny..." He's not sure he'd use the word, but he understands what she means, of course. It's been a point of contention for some time now, on and off. Whether or not it's merited has yet to be agreed upon.

Anyway- "Hey Jījí." He accepts the toy with care, lifting it up to get a closer look. Kind of reminds him of the moogle toy that Iris had given him, what feels like ages ago. Obviously handmade and a child's plaything, but done with love and in this case clearly loved by its recipient. (He hadn't been as charitable as a two-year-old in that department, unsurprisingly.) He turns it towards her after a moment. "You'd warn me if this was gonna start talking too, wouldn't you?"

It is both playful and expectant. Come on, do him a favour this time. One voice in his head is enough! (Or two, or three, or one hundred and thirteen.)

His question leaves her baffled for a much longer moment than if she hadn't still been recovering, but once it clicks her lips quirk upward in an amused, lopsided little smile.

"What fun would that be?"

He scoffs a quiet laugh, shaking his head, and offers it back to her. "Should've known." How very sisterly.

He settles into comfortable silence for a little while, watching the floating lights dance around in the air, at first keeping their distance, then gradually drifting closer to them, creating a curious starscape in their corner of the green belt. It's pretty, and nostalgic in way he suspects she might share.

"Finally got to see the fireflies again…"

The silence is comfortable enough that, when combined with everything else, she falls into a cozy doze until Noct speaks. Once he does, she opens her eyes and sees how much closer the fireflies are to them. If she had the energy to bother grabbing her phone she'd take a picture for her memory album, though somehow she doesn't think a photograph would truly capture the moment.

Era lets out a soft, sleepy hum.

"You should have a picnic here with your dad for Father's Day."

He pauses for a moment to think about whether or not the term has come up before, but when nothing comes to mind, he can only ask, "For what day?"

The heck is Father's Day...

"Father's Day," she repeats. "A day to be thankful of the paternal influences in our lives, and show appreciation to them. It is on the twentieth day of this month."

"Oh." …!!! "Oh, wow, that's a thing in your world? I've never heard of it."

Hard to imagine trying to wrangle his dad into celebrating or taking time off for another holiday, when it was trouble enough to get him to relax for all the civic ones. Here, though? Totally doable, albeit a little last minute...

She shakes her head.

"I learned about it in Deerington. Earth has a lot of strange holidays... but I like this one."

"It's a good idea, at least for people who don't have lousy dads."

He knows there's plenty of those in the universe. And while his upbringing was hardly ideal in every way, Regis was - is - a good dad. Noctis wouldn't mind surprising him with a little celebration in some way.

Not that it has anything to do with him, but he's curious, so- "I'm guessing there's also a Mother's Day?"

Era offers a small hum in agreement. She takes her time in answering the next question, but eventually does with a nod.

"It was last month."

"Hm." His tone isn't exactly disinterested, but it's definitely neutral. Good to know, but not really relevant to him specifically. "I hope you told Hythlo."

Little featherball would probably lose his mind to have yet another reason to celebrate a day (besides the simple "today exists and it's great because it does" reasoning as children often invent).

"Every day is Mama's Day to him," she laughs. "And he has been a menace lately. Ardbert keeps taking him training to tire him out for me."

"Yeah, he wasn't hurting for energy with me. Captain sat on him at least three times to give us all a break from the jump-tackles. He's not as light as he used to be."

Nothing but fond, though. He'll always appreciate a well-meaning troublemaker. ...Well, almost always.

"It will be nice to see him full grown one day, but I'm glad it has slowed down... He's nearly half my size already." Hythlo has been much more careful with her lately, but he's still an excitable chick and prone to forgetting to be gentle at times. "I remember when he would sleep in my sweater with me... Now his he can barely fit his head in them anymore. He's a perfect size for hugging though."

"That's supposed to take years, isn't it? To get really big. How old is Seto?"

Amaro are still very much out of his wheelhouse of knowledge, but it did kind of feel like Hythlo grew endlessly until it tapered off somewhat. He's seen chocobos grow in the old royal stables, that's about it; for obvious reasons he's not expecting that to share the same experience.

"It takes a few year to reach adult height, but the first year is the biggest growth spurt..."

Era ponders the answer, knowing that neither she nor Ardbert have an exact answer. They do, however, have a solid estimate—

"He's older than you."

"That's not even saying much," he muses. He knows he's still pretty young, especially when surrounded by people with age-old souls or bodies. A non-answer is fine with him, though; it's not like he knows how old Captain is, beyond 'old enough'. "If it takes that long, then we've got a ton of baby Hythlo to enjoy. No complaints here."

"I first met Seto when he was over a century old, and near as big as a small cottage," she shares. "Peki's about nineteen, and he's got another few decades... I'm glad our birds'll live long lives."

Era bites back a snort of laughter.

"A ton of baby Hythlo, aye. How enjoyable that is will be debatable some days."

"Over a century... that's crazy." Hard to believe, though not that he doubts her. He's not used to animals living such long lives. "Reminds me of the adamantoise back home. That thing just grew and grew for centuries, until it was the size of a whole mountain."

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