♥ 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]

"...Oh. ...Huh."

It's a far cry from her claim in the argument they'd had months ago, which catches him off guard but also serves to demonstrate what a hot mess they'd been back then. In a sense, the guide ought to be something of a relief, though it clearly annoys Era. More discomfort, but more honesty- whether or not it's a good trade in the long-run has yet to be confirmed, but it's a start.

He's still not sure what to say otherwise, and when he opens his mouth intending to say something vague and probably unhelpful he instead coughs into a hand, clears his throat, and draws back to find a tiny, perfect blue sylleblossom bloom in his palm. He stares down at it for a long moment, feeling a twist in his gut and irony on his mind. The thought to comment on the hypocrisy comes to mind, or perhaps to just offer it to her to see if she'll really eat anything.

Still, the flower sits there in his hand, accusing him with its innocent demand. He doesn't need a book to remind him what it means. Don't give up, it says. Have a sincere heart.

Faintly he sighs, spinning it by the stem between his fingers. "Maybe you can give me some advice."

[astralera]

Having said her piece (and thoroughly aggravating Era, who is too tired to do anything about it beyond shrinking down even further), the polecat settles back down and rubs her head fondly against the underside of Noct's jaw. She and Era both ignore the cough to be polite, and when he eventually speaks up Narangerel's tail wiggles — someone is clearly pleased with herself.

While her dream-guide is pleased with his words, Era is startled by them. She jolts a little, confused, and says nothing at first, assuming he's speaking to Naran.

"...What? From me?"

She sounds incredulous, but who can really blame her at this point?

[carbungle]

Such a situation might call for some discretion or gentle affirmation, but in true Noctis fashion, he rolls his eyes helplessly. "Come on. After all the crazy stuff you've experienced in your life, you don't think you're qualified to give advice on anything?"

[astralera]

"I have mentored students in combat," she admits. "And some medical situations. But that's hardly of use here."

[carbungle]

"Might be surprised."

He's not especially surprised by her lack of confidence, though. All things considered, it could be a lot worse than this. Though this does mean he still has to explain himself properly... goddammit.

Quietly he exhales, already tired and delaying just that much longer, and after a hesitant pause, mumbles, "I think my crystal gave me an Echo, kinda."

j/k here u go

[astralera]

"Oh. Um."

That doesn't surprise Era as much as it probably should have (as much as she wishes it would have).

"That's kind of shite," she intones with great sympathy.

[carbungle]

His initial response is a brief, half-muffled bark of laughter, smiling weakly and shaking his head. "Kind of, yeah."

He leans back a bit, clearing his throat, though no more flowers bubble up so it seems that he's on the right track. "We talked about it before, didn't we? Or you did, and I sorta danced around it, because I didn't know what the hell it was yet. And I still don't, not really, but for a while I didn't bring it up because it's been... well." He gestures vaguely. She knows. "They weren't memories before. Just... flashes of nothing, or something, and then nothing again? I dunno. But lately, they have been."

[astralera]

Still leaning against Noct for support, Era shifts along with him and Carbuncle adjusts to accommodate the change.

"We must've, since I wasn't really surprised," she admits. "...How bad is it?"

[carbungle]

He makes a quiet, uncomfortable noise, silent for a long moment after, which speaks for itself in a way. "It's been getting worse. I didn't notice it for a while, now it's a couple times a week. More if it's... well, bad."

He doesn't know what constitutes as a 'bad' week, but he's been working through some theories. Carbuncle helped. Pyra helped. Still, he's not an idiot, he's done the math. He knows what it means for a situation to escalate over time.

[astralera]

She mulls over his answer for a few moments.

"Tell me what you know so far?" That might be too vague... "Are there any patterns with what activates a vision, or what they contain?"

[carbungle]

"I've been thinking about it for a while now. Nothing's confirmed in much detail, but Carbuncle said something that stuck with me." He kind of wishes he'd had that conversation outside of Pyra's crystal, since the texts didn't transfer over into reality, but he had really needed the peace of Elysium at the time, so the trade-off was more than fair. Maybe he'll double-check with them later, if he can wrangle the same answer out of the elusive little fellow.

He lifts a hand and calls a leatherbound journal from the armory, flipping through pages to check the few things he's managed to keep a record of. "It's kind of depressing, but uh. Memories keep showing up when I'm too... happy? Complacent? Like it's a kind of Echo that only exists to remind me that my life is supposed to be a disaster or something."

He halts at a centerfold, where in-between scribbled dates and notations are a couple of fractional quotes, the tidbits he remembered from his exchange with Carbuncle and Pyra:

the big guy's making it worse
Draconian's claws sink deep
doesn't know what's happening but can't be undone
thinks there's a solution we haven't thought of?
"not alone"
stop minimizing, be kinder to yourself.

Next to the quotes is a rough sketch of a dragon's head emoji. The top of each page has a piece of relationship advice in Regis' neat calligraphy, though Noct's hand is positioned in a way that covers most of one of them.

"Short version is... something Bahamut did is causing the ring to throw memories at me, and it kicks in when it - or the kings, maybe - feels like me being happy is going to threaten the prophecy." He exhales heavily, trying to fight off the urge to feel miserable at the very idea of it. "That's the running theory."

[astralera]

"What about when you're feeling upset or angry about other things?"

Era listens closely, but makes no move to read the journal he holds beyond a cursory, squinting glance to confirm she couldn't read it even if she wanted to.

"I don't have my glasses," she admits. Not that Noct would know she ever had glasses, since she forgets about them a majority of the time, though Hades would often remind her...

...and usually put a pair of her glasses into her bag. She pauses and checks her bag. She hasn't used this bag in a while, so there might be a leftover pair in the—

There.

Her tail wiggles with the delight of success, and Era carefully puts on her glasses. Blinking owlishly at the journal, she takes a moment to consider it.

"It sounds akin to Tempering."

[carbungle]

He blinks in surprise, first at the glasses and then at her suggestion. He really hadn't been expecting either of those to come up- the glasses were definitely new, the other familiar but not especially relevant until now. "Tempering... that's when your Primals brainwash people, wasn't it? Like Garuda." He tilts his head questioningly. "But hers didn't work on me."

At least, he hadn't felt any influence back then. They'd challenged her just fine. And none of the other Astrals had done anything to affect him directly. Though... Titan and Shiva had both spoken directly into his mind and sent visions before...

[astralera]

"Bahamut claimed you from birth, didn't he? That would protect you from the Tempering of others, like how Mother protects me."

She tilts her head as well, regrets it, then immediately returns her cheek to rest firmly against his arm.

"You were resigned to what was being asked of you before, but now you want to fight for yourself. If you're being punished for it with memories to subdue your free will... That is not very different from Tempering."

[carbungle]

Since he was five, but it's close enough that correcting her would just be semantics. He purses his lips, considering her words for a long moment. Tempering... is Bahamut, or the Crystal, or the ring corrupting and brainwashing him even this far from Eos? It's hard to believe, but so long as he's still not certain of what the truth of it is, he can't really discount any theories. Their worlds share enough similarities that who knows, maybe some form of Tempering exists. Subjugation of daemons, people, and even Astrals is a real thing, that much has been confirmed already, so who really knows.

"I don't want that, though..." His voice is faint at first, near-tremulous, but as he continues it gains more strength. "I'm not fighting it. I'm not! I'll do what has to be done for the world, I'll accept it. There's no reason to punish me when I can't go back on my own... i just want to be happy in the time I've got left." He hunches over a little, grimacing. "If that's what it's doing, then it isn't fair."

[astralera]

Narangerel takes advantage of her nature as a dream-guide and offers comfort as only she can manage, rubbing her head against his jaw and making soothing chirping noises. Era moves her tail to curl loosely around his hip, and Carbuncle purrs loudly behind them all.

"It's not fair," she affirms. "So let's find a way to make it fair, before there's a memory you can't come back from."

[carbungle]

Noctis winces at that, though it's tempered somewhat at the surrounding cuddle. He's literally surrounded at this point, enhanced further when he feels a fuzzy weight on the other side, as Umbra finds them and curls up against his hip without pause or preamble, tail lightly thumping in the grass. He's quite safe, and he'd feel happier if he wasn't already thinking so deeply about how dangerous joy is to him these days.

"You mean, before I lose myself in someone else's."

It's not a question. She'd been worried about that happening to her, as she'd mentioned here and there before now, and it's fair to assume the risk could be the same for him. He hasn't struggled to disassociate himself from the memories after the fact so far, and his feelings don't seem to be artificially altered as far as he can tell, but in the moment... he can't deny that he'd had times where he forgot himself. Not replaced by another, just... empty. And that was scary in its own way.

[astralera]

"The more it happens, the more opportunity for your spirit to be crushed," she warns. "I know there are methods to help with this... I will do some research for you, once I've recovered a bit more.

[carbungle]

He exhales a heavy sigh, but doesn't argue. She's probably right, and he need only look at the dates in his journal to confirm it as such. Memories compounding on themselves over time... and while he technically does have a solution already if he chooses to take it, it doesn't hurt to have options. Nothing in this world is guaranteed, after all.

"Well... it doesn't seem to be going anywhere fast, so if you come up with anything, I'm all ears."

[astralera]

"I've a few ideas... I just need to look into them more."

Admittedly she had already toyed with a few vague concepts for redirecting her Echo visions elsewhere, like her crystal of Azem. Something like that may work, but would need refining.

"In the meantime, I would suggest trying to find a safe place to put the ring for however long it takes to rule it out as a cause. Can your dad hold onto it for you?"

[carbungle]

Her suggestion earns another silence from him, as he struggles with finding an answer that doesn't just sound irrational before he finally manages, "I... can't. I have to carry it, I don't care what it's doing. A lot of people died getting me that ring, and I wasted so much time being a coward about it... but I made a promise."

Don't let anyone else have it. She died for this. Dad died for this. It wasn't just destiny or the expectations of gods and kings that drove him to cling to the very thing that will destroy him one day - his body and soul, and now perhaps his mind as well - but the trust and faith of so many who fell before him to grant him this gift, this chance. He promised, and he owes their sacrifice more than what he's given thus far.

He lowers his head, shutting the journal and dismissing it back to the armory. "...I can't."

[astralera]

She frowns. It's stupid, but she can understand it.

"If you can feel a memory coming on, can you get it away from you just long enough to see if it changes anything?" Era asks, trying to find a way they might get some sort of confirmation. "If it's coming from the ring I can find a way to protect you from its influence while you keep it close."

[carbungle]

He shakes his head quietly. It is stupid, but it's his choice. "It's too fast. Sometimes I don't even notice it's happened until after it's over. Hell, there's been times I didn't realize until I talked about something I shouldn't know and someone caught me on it. Wearing or carrying the ring doesn't matter, either... it's just- it's not there, and then it is there, and I can't tell where it started or even who it came from. I just remember something I shouldn't, because it didn't come from me."

It isn't the most helpful answer, but then again, the situation isn't ideal. No answers and no gods around to ask, not that they've ever given him much in the way of a clear explanation for anything. He's been fumbling his way through this without a guideline, so it's probably no wonder that he's so lost and getting more so as time passes and it gets worse.

[astralera]

Era considers what he says. The ring never gave him any problems before, as far as she knew. At least not earlier last year. What happened between then and now?

"What happened? Did something change after a visit home?"

[carbungle]

Noctis looks uncomfortable for a long moment, but it's undeniable that she hit the nail on the head, there. With most people, he'd be worried about the weirdness factor of it, but with all she's experienced, that's not really a concern. Still, his tone is awkward as he responds, "A lot happened... we finally found the crystal, and it, um. It ate me."

It was a little more refined and magical than that, but it sure felt like he was being eaten, so it fits.