hugtopia_logs | ♥ October (Lasohm) Event Log

Entry tags:

♥ October (Lasohm) Event Log

a cloudy sky colored in pastel blues and pinks

October (Lasohm) Event Log

Lasohm brings with it a familiar chill and a dash of increased precipitation, as the city prepares itself for the coming winter season. Best practice is to go out with a jacket or sweater to avoid those goosebumps! Or don't and be cold, we won't judge. The wind carried over from last month doesn't help matters any, though at least the rest of the city is quiet and placid for the most part, as if entering an electronic hibernation. That peace is sure to last, right? Not like anything bad ever happens in Lasohm.

❥ PROMPT I: In Brightest Day...

seven glowing lights in the dark, each one colour of a rainbow

As the month carries on, residents of Havenwell may wake up one morning to find that if they possess any superhuman abilities or powers, these have become notably difficult to access or control for a while. However, with this odd fluctuation comes markings on one's hand, wrist, or arm in one of five colors. Though the color may change (as often or as rarely as player discretion dictates), it's always one color at a time. These markings glow when focused upon, giving one the ability to manifest powers made of light in a matching color. Cast projectiles, form hardlight weapons, the only limit appears to be one's imagination. (...And reason. Probably no orbital cannons.)

However, they come with the usual condition; the power granted is more easily used when in physical contact with another, and specific colors also have further complications...

♥ Red markings can be found on those that may feel particular frustration at the time or are predisposed to anger. Red energy is wild and difficult to control, risky to use unless the marked character talks through something that may be upsetting them while in physical contact with another.

♥ Yellow markings appear on the nervous or fearful, and the energy refuses to function as if afraid to emerge itself. Similar to red, it will only begin to work if the affected character admits to something they fear (no matter how big or small) while engaging in contact.

♥ Blue markings at first seem to have no correlation with the disposition of who they appear upon, and it may seem to anyone keeping track that they manifest completely at random. Utilizing blue energy may seem weak at first; projectiles may fizzle out, manifested weapons might be too small or even break, but it soon becomes clear that its strength is directly proportionate to how optimistic the marked character may feel at the time. Anyone with a blue marking might do well to seek out those that make them feel hopeful, if they want to use it at full strength.

♥ Indigo markings tend towards individuals with compassion in their hearts; while the power functions with little difficulty, it is only slightly more usable than blue energy at its weakest. Though this may seem inefficient and even useless, it will quickly be discovered that indigo energy becomes immensely powerful specifically when used to protect, aid, or otherwise benefit someone other than the user themselves.

♥ Violet markings, similarly, seem weak at first glance; however, they become stronger when the marked character is in proximity to someone they love. Whether familial, platonic, romantic--the specific kind of love is irrelevant. And perhaps as expected, it reaches its full power when the marked individual is in contact with their friend/family/significant other.

❥ PROMPT II: Rumble in the Bronze

a rock worm emerging from the ground in a cloud of dust

Rumble rumble rumble.

What is that? An earthquake? Construction? A hungry neighbor with a megaphone?

Whatever it is, you'll hear and feel that periodically over the first couple weeks. At first it's mild and starts around the mineshaft and forge, like a subway train passing under you, but as the days go by, it grows in intensity until midway through the month.

That's when the first of them bursts up through the ground. Worms. They vary in size and shape but not in diet. They come up through the rocks and it's clear, when investigated, that these were not dug into. There's a distinct marking through them to show that these were chewed through. At first, they only seem to be eating a lot of rocks, even stone buildings might have a good bite or two taken out of them. Peeking in might find some of the massive worms all curled up inside. They might also being curled around the buildings, twisting and gnawing, the sound of them chewing like gravel scraping over stone.

Eventually though, the minerals in stone aren't quite enough for these greedy grubs. Metals also share some mineral traces with stone, and vice versa. A few unfortunate natives were in a few of the buildings that were completely devoured before they could evacuate and the taste of them was like a fine seasoning. Or dessert. And even monstrous worms aren't immune to wanting dessert over a proper meal…

Now might be a good time to try out those new powers everyone seems to be getting. For some reason, they're more effective against the worms than any abilities otherwise available, though residents are welcome to fight in whichever way they feel comfortable.

❥ PROMPT III: A Little Help Here?

an unmoving robot with flashing blue lights sitting in the dark

With the chaotic arrival of the worms comes another troubling development. The priests and pious adherents who have been glitching out over the past few weeks suddenly and abruptly break down completely as the worms take over the city. The lights in their casings flicker on occasion, but they stop moving of their own volition and are completely unresponsive when interacted with. Other natives will be desperately trying to escape the worms themselves, so they just may not have the bandwidth or ability to fight off the worms to save the unfortunate robots. This is where you can come in, offworlders!

For those who cannot or would not fight the worms, they can still help out by directing these lost souls to safety. When pushed or pulled, the inert natives will begin moving, but as soon as any outside direction is lost, they stop again. Moving the natives out of harm's way and making sure that they aren't all gathered into one spot (after all, that's just like setting up a buffet invite for the voracious worms!) may just be a full time job while the siege is underway. On occasion, if a worm finds its way to these pockets of defenseless natives, people can try to fight them off or call on others for help.

The only place that won't help? The research towers. Once the worms invaded the city, they seem to have decided it's a problem for everyone else and have completely locked down their towers with the null shield seen previously during the tower assault. Even the worms don't seem to be able to penetrate the barrier, try as they might. And so long as the shields are up, no one gets in or out.

Finding safe shelter may be difficult, too, as the worms destroy roads and buildings everywhere, so those who can't direct natives may find it more helpful to clear roads of debris or patch up buildings so they can survive this onslaught. There's no telling how long this will last...

❥ PROMPT IV: How It Ends Depends on You

The city is breaking, the research towers have abandoned the pious to the whims of their gods, and those gods don't seem to be responding to the cries of Havenwell's people. The natives are distraught and, despite the offworlders' best efforts, there's no end in sight to the worms pouring out of the earth. ...or is there?

How the event concludes will depend on you! That's right, you! Those characters who feel like they have a deeper or stronger connection to their assigned gods will feel a vague sense of desperation in the back of their minds, like a weak tug crying for attention. Whether they listen or not is up to them, of course, and if the call is ignored, it fades away and does not return. Those who do listen, however, will get a sense that they need to start gathering people, natives (both active and inactive) and offworlders alike, in a single location: the Town Square. It may be dangerous to have everyone out in the open like that, but the strong impression of a mass of people in the square is what comes through before the feeling fades entirely.

Does your character listen? Do they obey the message and work to direct people to the square? Would your character follow the directions and gather themselves and others? Let us know down below in the comments here. Responses will be collected until October 14th at 11:59:59PM EST. If your character has not responded by then, it will be assumed that they ignored the message and/or did not follow the directions.

For those who gather in the square, feel free to discuss on this post what your characters would do in there. Please keep any major discussion of what your characters would do in the square here so that everyone in the game can see it. A discussion toplevel has been posted HERE.

This event will run from October 15-31. 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

[He's quiet as she tries, once, twice, three times. When she stops, hiding and apologetic, he sets the juice box aside, shuffles closer to sit at her side, and reaches out to set a hand on her shoulder.]

Hey. [What does one even say? She's not the only one who sometimes has no words. But he gets it, he understands this. He gives her a light shake, keeping his hand where it is, trying to urge her to look at him.] Hey.

[He's here. He's alive. He's not... whatever nightmare she's wrestling with. He doesn't know what the vault means or who her brother was but he's here.]

[ Era flinches at the touch, startled, and while she doesn't pull away she does hunch further in on herself, pulling her cloak closer for the extra warmth and comfort. She isn't ready to stop hiding just yet. She also doesn't want Noct to give her space, so she feels around blindly with her tail until she can cling to him with it. ]

[The tail is message enough. Closing the distance with another shift, he wraps his arms around her and pulls her into a careful hug.]

[ The motion is mildly disorienting, but she doesn't mind because she knows she's safe. She loosens her arms and slowly returns the hug. It feels odd, the lack of her horn making it easier to maneuver. As much as she hates her loss she does appreciate that she can better press her cheek against his chest, allowing herself to more easily feel the small reminders that he's whole and hale.

She does find some words, eventually. ]

He was laid across Aymeric's lap. He looked content. If not for the wound in his chest and the blood at his lips I could have thought him just sleeping.

[Sounds familiar. He must have looked similarly, because he remembers waking up like that, laid across Pyra's lap, sleeping away the trauma while his mind recovered. He could have been just a body, that day. If she hadn't been there, if he'd failed to call for help, if she'd come just a little too late. He was lucky, he knows. He was so lucky to have someone able to save him.]

That was... Haurchefant, right.

[She's mentioned the name before, he recalls distantly, but never in much detail. Makes sense why.]

[ A hummed note in the affirmative. ]

He always loved me for who I was, not what I could do for him. I was always Era to him. He made me hot chocolate whenever I was sad.

[ She squeezes Noct more tightly, but not enough to be uncomfortable. ]

And then he was dead. All I could do was hold his hand. All of my most powerful healing magicks did nothing. I stopped healing for a long time after that. I didn't see the point anymore.

[ Given her love of both healing magic and medicine, and how large a role it played in who she was, it says a great deal about how much Haurchefant's death impacted her. ]

I was really scared, Noct. I couldn't do anything except trust that you'd be okay.

Edited 2021-10-30 04:06 (UTC)

[He lets her cling without protest or rejection, petting her hair, carefully mindful of the horn. Her words and the effect his death had are not lost on him.]

I was scared, too. I didn't want to leave everyone, I didn't want to die.

[He's still afraid, in fits and bursts. That something else will go wrong, like it always does, that this is a bandage over a fissure that won't close, that Pyra will be taken from this place and if her crystal shard goes with her, he won't even live long enough to grieve the loss of her in his life or take comfort in those he'd still have with him. He has faith that she's strong enough to keep him safe, and if she says she can handle it, he believes her. Even so, this is all still new to him, and what's been done to him without even his knowing by the gods who were supposed to help him is terrifying.]

...I... wish you'd stayed. Or- I wish you'd told me you were there for me.

[It's okay that she left, if she couldn't bear to see it. But still, he wishes. This seems worse, to have let it linger so long.]

[ His words make her wish she stayed longer too, though it's easy to feel that way now. ]

I didn't want to intrude. I thought... "I'll make things easier for his family", so I scrubbed the floor. [ It sounds so stupid in retrospect. ] Carbuncle was grooming your hair. It kept licking and licking until she moved you to bed. Then Naran cuddled with you for a few minutes instead, curled up against your neck.

I asked for the door to be left unlocked, so when I came with food later I was able to put it away and leave without bothering anyone...

[ Unsure of what else to do or say, Era goes to rub her horn against him as her go-to gesture of affection with loved ones. This is a horrible idea of course, considering she has done this almost exclusively with the horn that's now missing. Never has she felt such instant regret.

She stops immediately, arms squeezing perhaps a bit too tightly now, and exhales a pained breath between her teeth. Shutting her eyes against the nauseating sensation, she jokes in a very tight, strained voice: ]

Let me rub what's left of my dismembered bone against you, like a dumbass.

[He huffs a breath of laughter, brief and tired. If the way she's holding him hurts, he doesn't say so.]

You are a dumbass. ...I'm glad you told me, though. You're still acting like you're not welcome.

[ She hums an absent note in answer. It feels nice against the throbbing in her skull, so she draws the sound out until she needs to take another breath, and loosens her grip on Noct to something more comfortable. ]

I know I'm welcome... [ They're too kind to be anything but welcoming. She wishes she could just accept it. ]

I've talked to your Dad a little. I think he may have pieced it together a while ago, after I told him some of what I learned about my childhood.

Um— The reason why I struggle so much with family, I mean.

Do... you want me to know?

[He's admittedly hesitant. This discussion is heavy enough as it is, and if she has his dad supporting her on this, he's probably doing a much better job than Noct could. Even so, if she's opening up about it, he'll listen. Getting answers might help him understand, if nothing else.]

Do you want to know?

I asked first, come on.

[ She falls silent, mulling it over. ]

Yes. I think it might help, since you would know the 'why', too. [ The knowledge has made her less hard on herself, because now she can pinpoint a reason, even if she isn't quite sure what to do about it just yet. ] But it's... I don't want to tell you if you— If it's not a good time for you to hear it.

[He does pause, first, giving the question the thought that it deserves. It's true, he's in a bad place. He's in a bad place an awful lot, especially lately. But he's... on his way to better places, and he doesn't want his issues to prevent him from helping the people he cares about. More than that, he's tired of fighting, not understanding. He wants to try, especially when the opportunity presents itself.]

It's okay.

[ With confirmation given, Era ponders how to explain it. ]

I had a loving family until I was two. After my father was killed I was taken in by a noble family who saved me out of spite toward the Holy See.

[ It still doesn't feel quite right to speak in the first person about it all, since she doesn't truly remember the majority of it, but she's working on accepting her past. ]

It was... Lonely. I wasn't allowed outside except for training. I wasn't allowed to talk to them except for lessons. I tried my best to be a good girl, but my best was never good enough.

I wanted to be family, but was never allowed it because I wasn't good enough. I didn't deserve it, because in that time and that place my heritage was a crime punishable by death.

[ She pauses for a moment, because she knows how awful it all sounds. Logically she knows it's not at all true, but logic doesn't erase all of her feelings. The deep rooted fear of making mistakes, and not being deserving of love. ]

I think it's why I'm so afraid of making mistakes, especially with family. As though... If I'm not perfect then I'm not good enough.

But I—

I deserve family, even if I feel like I don't. I'm good enough as I am.

[ Evidently she has been working on things— ]

I... am good enough, aren't I?

[ —but there's clearly still a bit more work she needs to do. ]

[Some of that is familiar to him, other aspects completely alien. He's no stranger to the critical eyes of society being on him, the expectation of perfection, the fear of failing to meet the demands of a role he never asked for. His father loved and indulged him, but the council was strict, their demands harsh. Had Regis not protected him from all but their grumbling, his life would have been much, much worse. And growing up he'd been in danger from the Niffs, the daemons, occasional covert threats, not (for the most part) his own people. It makes him think of the night that a drunken Lucian had come at him with a broken bottle, cursing the royal family, of Gladio knocking the man down and nearly losing an eye for it. How would he feel, if that had been a threat any time, anywhere? From his people, his family? Scary to think about.

His eyes close, and his voice is quiet as he responds,]

Nobody's perfect. But everybody deserves a family, I think. It isn't supposed to be about you being good enough- that shouldn't be a question at all, for anyone.

[ He's right. She knows this, and yet it's hard not to question if she deserves all of the wonderful things she has. ]

I will keep working on believing it with confidence. It's been more of a struggle since Alphinaud and Alisaie woke up.

[ Which would also explain why she was feeling particularly unsure of herself during Noct's near-death experience. ]

...I'm sorry I couldn't do more for you, Noct. I should have tried to stay there with you for longer.

It's okay. Not like I would've been awake for it, anyway...

[He'd slept for hours and hours; he'd barely been conscious for long enough to get a visit from his father and Ardyn, nevermind anyone else. It'd taken him days to be self-aware enough to look around the room and find clues, or realize he needed to follow-up on those texts he can't recall sending. Hell, there are still days where he struggles with something that used to come easily, or sleeps longer than he ever would (and that's a lot, considering it's him). It's hard to say whether her visit would have done much for him during the worst of his recovery process. He was thinking more about her benefit, than his own. And some visits (he hopes) had helped Pyra, but he can't imagine the two of them would take much comfort from one another.

Speaking of, though...]

Just- next time, don't hide it. Don't ask people to lie about it, either. You thought it was to stop us from worrying, but did you not realize it could make someone believe you didn't care?

[If he hadn't checked in - if he hadn't found the scale - he might not have known. Pyra had been told not to share it. If he'd asked her, she would've had to lie outright, or defy Era's request. So... what? He'd go on believing that he'd sent a request for help and Era had opted to ignore it entirely? He's... really not sure how he'd have followed up on that one. But it would have stung quietly in the background, maybe for a long time.]

I never asked her to lie, just not to tell you. [ She mumbles, glad to be hugging him still as it means he can't see the expression on her face. ] ...I didn't. I was only thinking of what a burden my visit would be to you, if you knew what it did. You were going to have enough on your mind. You didn't need that, too.

C'mon, you know better. Lies of omission are still a thing- I'm enough of an expert to recognize that.

[He does it all the time, he knows it's bad. But he doesn't like it coming between him and his loved ones unnecessarily.]

Just think about it. All of this. It's all I'm asking.

If you'd asked it would have been answering, not telling.

[ When she's particular about words and phrasing she is infuriatingly particular and she is well aware of it.

She also knows that 'lies of ommission' are what have the twins so angry with her... ]

If you almost die again and I arrive to help you I'll let Carbuncle stay until you wake up.

[He rolls his eyes.]

If you blame that on her misinterpreting you, I'm walking out.

[She should know better than that. What a flimsy excuse.]

I will try not to almost die again, though. Getting kinda tired of it. No promises, we all know that would fall flat.

[ She rolls her eyes as well, though she still can't see his face and he can't see hers. ]

What blame on what? I don't know or care what she did or didn't do, and not freely giving information without prompting isn't the same as lying. [ An irritated huff, because she's feeling a bit uncomfortable now, thinking back on the jumble of days and nightmares she can barely remember. ]

...I will do my best to be better, but...no matter what I do or don't do it will never be from a lack of care, alright?

And if I almost die again just make sure to visit Hythlo. [ Speaking of whom, the little chick has long since wandered off to visit more of his friends, leaving Peki to lay his neck and head on the blanket, pointedly ignoring both her and Noct. ] You've no more competition as his favourite since Alisaie slapped his 'Papa' in front of him.

[He exhales heavily and draws back from the hug at that, rubbing at his forehead. Seriously... things still feel too high-strung to start an argument over this, but an agree-to-disagree sentiment is wrong, here. He's not okay with this. Getting weird with semantics doesn't make the dishonesty acceptable, especially when he already knows how Pyra feels about secrets.]

What, does that habit run in the family? I guess he had it coming, though.

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject