♥ June (Dianir) Event Log

[hugtopiamods]

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."

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❥ PROMPT I: Hana-hack-i

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

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

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.

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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!

Comments

[carbungle]

And you're biased, [he muses playfully, reaching up to try and coax one of the bugs onto his finger,] but I like it.

[He likes that she likes him, in other words.

Fireflies can often be shy, but whatever is drawing them to the pair is enough to get the one he's inviting to crawl onto his hand, wings fluttering lazily as it settles.]

Surprisingly friendly little guys. Though there's no denying they've got good taste.

[iustaegis]

[ She watches as the winged insect crawls over hand, and, curious, she lifts up her own towards the sky, seeing if she might beckon one of her own.

It doesn't take long for another firefly to approach them, and this one lands upon her finger. ]

It's incredible that they've appeared. [ A year ago, she's not sure they would have. ] I wonder... just how long it's been for them, too. Maybe they've been hibernating in the ground this entire time.

[carbungle]

I like that idea... them sleeping, waiting for the world to be safe.

[There's something kind and nostalgic about that, not just because of certain similarities to his own world (which he wisely dances away from before it can spoil his mood). Like the apocalypse is just a winter for them, something to sleep through until spring comes back.]

Kinda like the birds from a few months back- where'd they come from? And where'd they go? Did the world make them appear out of nowhere, or were they waiting for this, too?

[iustaegis]

I like to think the birds came from a ...birdtopia of their own, half-way across the planet! [ She giggles freely, allowing the firefly to crawl up her palm. It flutters off, joining the other light atop her head.

They may theorize all day and night about this, asking questions, thinking up answers, and not expecting any truth to come out of it as their imaginations work for them. More than all of that, though, is that-- he's right, including the birds, the world seems to be making progress on its restoration. ]

Maybe we weren't cool as the birds are, enough for them to stay. [ A soft 'snrk' there. ] Maybe we should build a giant birdhouse for them next time.

[carbungle]

[That makes him grin easily, wiggling his fingers to encourage his firefly to join the others as well. They're already starting to form little crowns, and it looks very cute.]

Build it on top of the mews. I'm sure Horus would love that.

[They've already got two birds, what's a few (dozen) more?]

[iustaegis]

[ She chuckles softly, just imagining how both Horus, and Captain for that matter, might view a giant birdhouse. ]

What if we put a light on top of it, too? Like a bird lighthouse!

[ What if that attracts things that aren't birds to havenwell tho-- ]

[carbungle]

You're lucky I can sleep through anything. I bet our neighbours wouldn't find that annoying at all.

[He's not too sure about the rest of the household. Ignis probably wouldn't care, at least...]

[iustaegis]

Th-then I'll get right on constructing that-- [ Unable to finish, she bursts into a fit of giggles, which seems to attract a few more fireflies their way. Her crown is nearly finished.

Pyra exhales, calming her small fit of laughter down. ] But... really. I love seeing all of this-- life around us. It's almost starting to look [ Her head lifts, and she turns to look outward towards the barrier. ] ...sustainable, as its own ecosystem.

[ Each expansion of the barrier involves the discovery of new creatures, beasts that have survived in the wastes and animals such as the fireflies and birds that seem to come with the new bloom. Things are green again, and it's lovely.

Softly, ] It gives me a lot of hope for this world.

[carbungle]

...Yeah...

[Noctis follows her gaze, quiet for a long moment, not quite somber but a little less jovial. It is exciting, he won't deny that, and it's been amazing to not only watch it happen but (in part) be a driving force in that change. A kinder, gentler way to save the world than anything he'd ever heard of before, and he can appreciate that.

On the flipside... the world getting stronger and healing itself means that eventually it won't need them anymore. And yeah, with the progress they've made so far, that could still be a long way off, but it still means that that day will come. Selfishly, he doesn't want it to happen any time soon.

He can't bring himself to voice those thoughts, though, so instead he gives her hand a squeeze and leans until his side is pressed against hers, their firefly crowns intermingling.]

What would you want to see happen next, if you could choose?

[iustaegis]

[ While she doesn't turn to look at his expression, she hears the change in his tone, and feels his more stance against hers. She can't pretend to know what he's thinking, but she doesn't doubt that the world being restored after such a long time is giving him something to think about.

As for herself, she's only glad of how far the world has come. Theirs is a little pocket of green on top of a much bigger planet. They still have so much more work to do, yet there is no guarantee either of them might see it until the end.

But what would she want to happen next...? She exhales a soft, musical 'hm', thoughtful, before she responds. ] If I were to be honest...

Something spectacular like... the cloud sea, in my world. Or an actual sea-- an ocean. Just something very, very blue...

[ As far as she knows, they're surrounded by land, and she's not heard mention of any greater rivers around, either. ] That we could sail on together, and see the stars above. [ With nothing but the quietness of the ocean around them, and the boat rocking them as they drift to sleep. ]

[carbungle]

The sea...

[The last time he'd been on the deep waters, he'd been sailing towards more trials than he could count- grief, pain, and a reunion that would never come. He'd been anxious and eager, almost hopeful but not quite daring to be. Before the rite they'd taken time to explore the ocean, fish, discover new places they'd never seen (and places they perhaps would never see, in the case of Angelgard which had not wanted them there). That had been exciting and fun, just a near-carefree adventure in the open world. It's what the sea should be like.

He wouldn't mind exploring that with her here. No heartbreak awaiting them in the future, no destiny or wrathful gods. What would the ocean be like, in this world? Newly revived, and ripe for discovery. And maybe real stars to gaze at, not just a fake sky with constellations no one remembers.]

I like that... we could go anywhere we wanted, I bet. Oceans are the pathway to open up the whole world, after all.

[He can't help smiling, though he has nothing to prove those words, just a hunch and a hope. ]

[iustaegis]

[ Now, hearing the softer smile in his voice, she turns to look at him to see it for herself. She bumps her upper arm against his, then looks out again towards the fireflies that dance in front of them both. ]

They really are...

All that unknown and adventure...

[ She recalls the cloud-sea in all of its misty glory, the mysteries both beneath and within, and all the Titans that swam throughout, yet to be discovered or inhabited. She remembers how Addam had mentioned that, before becoming the Aegis' Driver, how he had wanted to explore its expanse and find those new, living continents. Mythra, on her time on Alrest, hadn't had the chance to explore all the Titans, either.

...Something like that, being an adventurer, an explorer-- in this world, anyone could become one, if only the world opened up again. She could. Noctis could, too. Freedom at last, for the both of them.

She smiles to herself, closing her eyes and trying to imagine just what it would be like. ]

There's a deep sea alien fish just waiting for you to catch it.

[carbungle]

[He chuckles faintly. That brings to mind quite the mental image- pulling a huge, mutated fish thing out of the water, feeling that visceral struggle of life and death at the end of his line... he's sorely missed that, and VR just can't cut it. The thrill of discovering a new species, figuring out what it is and how to cook it, if it indeed can be cooked. How amazing would it be to finally do that again, after almost two years?]

Are there fish to catch in the cloud sea?

[Do fish fly!? He's never caught a flying fish before. Even the fish in the ocean back home were waterborne, and at most the Bismarck launched itself into some spectacular jumps but never more than halfway.]

[iustaegis]

Oh, plenty.

[ She seems to perk up a bit when he asks, and her eyes open to look at the dancing fireflies as if she's seeing something else. ] And all manner of sizes... some as big as the lesser titans themselves! [ Okay, that's an exaggeration, but, c'mon, everyone exaggerates with fishing. ] Although their habitat is in the cloud-sea, most of them can fly above it, too, and migrate across the continents.

One time, [ She continues, her voice nostalgic, light. ] Mythra caught one the size our head! [ A puny thing, and she giggles. ] She was so disappointed, because it had given her a hard time...

[carbungle]

I wouldn't mind catching a few of those. Though it's hard to replace the mental image of my Titan on the end of the line with one of yours when you say it… actually, that might be fun, too.

[Understatement, of course. He would love to catch any of them. He can't see what she's seeing, so he focuses instead on her expression, helplessly fond.]

Haven't forgotten about the monkfish, either.

[iustaegis]

Who knows, maybe they have flying monkfish here.

[ Monkfish are ugly af but at least they're tasty! When prepared by anyone who's not named Mythra. ]

....And, what about you? [ She continues after a moment, looking at him sidelong. ] What would you like to see happen next, if you could choose?

[carbungle]

Mm... good question.

[He should probably have been more prepared for a turnaround, but he's kind of in love with her answer already. Including the flying monkfish.]

I guess... if not water, [Because it would absolutely be that,] A bigger sky would be nice. Like if the barrier went up all the way, and we had a real sun, moon, and stars. I'd like that.

[iustaegis]

[ That suddenly reminds her that the evening sky they're seeing is that which is projected by the barrier. For all they know, the true sky above is something incredible-- maybe there's more than one moon at night, or maybe those birds are occasionally flying above them on their paths across the world.

...While her voice quiets, she's smiling. ] It's been a while, hasn't it? Since either of us will see the real thing.

[ The sun, the sky, the day and the night... For her, it's been years. For him, perhaps it hasn't been that long yet, but it's likely he'll be confined for a decade.

Her hand squeezes his, not intending to make it melancholy, but to agree with his wish: ] I hope we'll get to see it too... Together.

[carbungle]

Yeah... me too. [He bumps his head lightly on hers, a few of their fireflies fluttering away for a moment before wandering back.] I want to see a lot of new things with you.

[The sea, and the sky, and new animals and birds and fish and everything that comes back to life in this world. Maybe one day they'll meet the gods at last, like he'd met the Astrals or she knew her world's creator, and they could learn the truth of what's happening here. Or maybe they just watch the world revive bit by bit and help it become self-sufficient. Maybe their family grows bigger, through more arrivals from either world or adopting others in who need connections. He'd be fine with so many of those options, so long as she's by his side.]

[iustaegis]

[ She can only imagine how it would be to have a body made of flesh and blood, to feel how a heart might beat quicker when she hears his words, or how comfortable and warm it might feel within knowing that they're wishing and wanting for the same thing. Even if the world neither sky nor sea to them, she thinks she'd still be content so long as she's alongside him.

And just like that, the fireflies have finished forming the "crowns" above their heads, and another wave of peace settles over her, complimenting the tranquility of the moment. She lets it last, turning to look at him. The crown of lights looks beautiful on him, and it's quite fitting, she thinks, as if he's been anointed by the gentlest of this world's creatures for his gentle heart. ​]

You know... [ She speaks up after a moment. ] Barrier aside, I get to see the real night every day.

[ Get it, because. Noctis. She just had to... ]

[carbungle]

[He can't help a faint snort of laughter at that, shoulders shaking against her.]

Is that why I sometimes catch you looking so starstruck?

[It's a silly joke, but he appreciates her so very much in these moments. The ability to turn dramatic or potentially saddening thoughts into something to smile about, the way she can slice right through all pretense and bring joy when it's called for. It's a gift, and he'll never deny that he's been blessed.]

[iustaegis]

I do call you dazzling.

[ Gurl ain't even denying it. ]

And I think these fairy lights agree!

[carbungle]

Yeah, well. This explains why I find you so hot.

[Two can play at this game, fire girl!]

[iustaegis]

[ She blushes lightly. ]

Does that make me opposite of you, because you're so cool?

[ Together, they make things... steamy! ]

[carbungle]

Dunno. But everybody says that opposites attract.

[Someone says that, anyway.]