♥ November (Malom) Event Log

[hugtopiamods]

November (Malom) Event Log

With most of Havenwell left in varying degrees of shambles from the prior month's catastrophe, the city seems just a little bit more quiet and stony in ways not just owed to the chill of oncoming winter. However, the gray mood doesn't need to last; the offworlders and locals alike might just be able to band together to pick up the scattered pieces before long.

Unlike previous years, winter is approaching at a slower pace than usual. Whether this is believed as coincidence or the gods opting to give the city more pleasant weather while the reconstruction is ongoing is entirely up to each individual. Nevertheless, the sun is out and there is work to be done.

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❥ PROMPT I: Fetch Quest Frenzy

With the widespread damage of the previous month still a large issue, offworlders may find the marking-based powers of that incident manifesting again in different, passive forms. Regardless of the color one's ability takes, a little bit of trial and error will lead the markings' bearers to understand the powers are now geared towards helping rebuild or rehabilitate the city in various ways; examples being manifesting as telekinesis to move heavy objects around, or a magical compass to help locate something lost in the chaos. Some may find themselves inexplicably filled with knowledge previously unknown, Matrix-style: characters who have never picked up a hammer before will suddenly possess the skills needed to rebuild furniture or repair structural damage, weld parts together, or get really good at organizing search parties. Feel free to get creative with it, but these abilities are meant to build, not destroy like last month, so destructive powers are not likely to manifest unless for good reason.

There's no shortage of work to be done either; from dismantling petrified worms to running errands for the surviving locals, offworlders may find themselves lucky to have the supernatural assistance of the markings and their powers. With time and effort, taking up such tasks to aid the locals and fellow offworlders alike might just go a long way towards healing Havenwell on both physical and emotional fronts.

❥ PROMPT II: Fruits Basket

In places where the worms were slain before their fellows were petrified, their massive corpses have been reclaimed by the ground--specifically, they've turned to surprisingly fertile soil. So fertile that it would appear trees are already sprouting where they fell, bearing an arrangement of oddly-shaped fruits. With how delicious they look, one would surely be forgiven for daring to try them, but the result might be just a bit surprising...

-Eating a round fruit will make one have a sudden desire to cuddle up to someone else; the more of the fruit they've consumed, the more insistent the desire. Just take a bite? Maybe you could do with a light shoulder touch, but eat the whole thing and you'll realize you might be suddenly looking for some big hugs with anyone receptive to the idea.
-The square shaped fruits have a somewhat more subtle effect. The more one eats of a square fruit, they gain a steadily more obvious gentle glow and warmth to their bodies. With enough of one, someone could easily turn into a combination nightlight and comfortably warm space heater.
-Being curious enough to eat a spiky fruit will end up with one having some trouble keeping their footing; this fruit leads one to find no traction underfoot, sending them slip n' sliding around. Be careful, you might just skate right into someone's arms!
-Eating a star-shaped fruit may cause a gradual drowsiness, where residents will feel the urge to lay down and have a nap. Seems the aftermath of the worm attack left some lingering magic. (A small percentage may alternatively find themselves transformed into sheep. Weird.) Being held or gently cuddled, whether on the spot or while being carried home, will reverse the effects.

❥ PROMPT III: Corporate Concessions

You might recall that the research towers were awfully unhelpful during the attacks, preferring instead to seal themselves up in protective shielding and leave the rest of the city to fend for themselves. Now that the danger has passed, there have been some understandably divisive responses to this decision from their fellows. Many of the tower workers have pleaded ignorance for this choice, openly (or quietly, to avoid disciplinary action) blaming the higher-ups for creating company-wide lockdowns and not allowing anyone in- or out. Many were helpless to assist in relocating friends or family, and some have quit their positions over this stance. Those in charge of the decision-making are unapologetic for the most part, stating that due to previous security breaches, their priority was to protect their research and their employees, for the greater good of the world.

They are aware that doing this was not by any means a good look, so as an olive branch, they have released the research materials confirmed as stolen in the previous security breach to the public network, as they have been unable to track down those materials and would rather control its distribution themselves. Damage done, after all; those who know could pass it on as they please. Additionally, they are reallocating some tower resources to helping with restoration and rebuilding the surrounding areas and public buildings, and have donated a substantial amount of dora to the city budget for whatever purpose the council deems appropriate. Whether you think the released data is true or if their efforts are sufficient is up to you, really.

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This event will run from November 15-30. 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

[daikonrose]

Oh, you got it in one shot!

[ Her eyes go a bit round--he's good, wow! But she nods. ]

I thought I was being considerate at the time, but that idea got an instant rejection. But looking back on it, I guess it really was pretty weird of me... I mean, there's no way I'd want you pretending to be Kaito for me.

[awooligan]

[IS THIS SOMETHING TO BE AMAZED BY... He shifts forward, still connected at the hip but examining her with an incredulous squint to see if she's being genuine. Doesn't seem to be mocking him... Wild. Back to her shoulder he goes, though she manages to immediately earn an eyeroll.]

Wow. Thanks. [Not that he's arguing, actually.] So it was some confession thing. They were dating first, then? [Pause.] Why am I gossiping?

[daikonrose]

[ Kyoko's not incapable of teasing, but the chances that she's in earnest are generally way higher. She really is just this weird, Cliff, sorry. ]

Is it gossip if you're talking about it with an involved party... [ There is a bit of a sardonic tone to that, but it fades into plain old awkwardness pretty quickly. ] There wasn't any confessing involved that time, we were just in a tight spot. ...You're right, though. Shinji was first by a long shot.

[ THIS FEELS LIKE A GOOD TIME to start crocheting again, give her something else to focus on before she dies. ]

[awooligan]

Whatever, it's dumb like gossip. [And yet, he looks vaguely thoughtful for a moment before making a soft noise and continuing,] That must be weird, sometimes.

[But maybe he's just projecting his feelings of being something odd tacked onto a normal group, and that feeling of having to go out of his way doing things the "wrong" way to get attention from those he actually wants it from.]

I'll probably regret this because there's only one tight spot I'd want to hear about, but what do you mean?

[daikonrose]

[ It's dumb and he'll regret it (Kyoko only tips her head in very mild confusion at that reference to tight spots) but he keeps asking questions anyway. Is it really that interesting? A dusting of pink rises into Kyoko's cheeks, but she just slowly works through the yarn and her words. ]

I mean... it was one of these kinds of incidents, you know? There weren't any strange urges or anything though, we were just trapped in a bubble, and Kaito thought he knew what would set us free. [ There's a pause, before she adds, in a smaller voice, ] ... It was weirder back then than it is now.

[awooligan]

[It takes a beat for him to realize that she's talking about being trapped in a literal bubble -- being "set free" is a lot less stupid sounding once that clicks into place. There are more questions he could ask, poking at these spots that were either flustering, sore, or both, judging by ever reaction she has drawing back from it even more...but he is starting to feel a little bad. The diminishing voice thing happening was pretty much never good.

...What does he do, though... Honestly, he'd sort of been expecting her to shove him off and slap him, but since she didn't understand how crude he was being, he's at an absolute loss. Normal...conversation... Interacting without being a total nuisance... Hmm.]

What are you making?

[daikonrose]

Hm? Uh? [ She'd just started settling into the awkwardness, but now we are talking about crafts only? Oh? Okay? ] It's a sweater. [ Smiling uncertainly, she holds up a sleeve. ] For Shinji. 'Cause he gets cold.

[awooligan]

[A small part of him is brave enough to say that's kind of cute, but it's very small and he plans to keep it that way. Then he imagines, briefly, his girlfriend doing something like that or even just buying him a hoodie and wow he's gonna die about it.]

Man! You guys are lucky. You get both your boyfriends here and I don't even have a real picture of my girlfriend. Her dad is here. That sucks!

[He likes Héctor, but like. He's no Coco.]

[daikonrose]

Bo--[ Her eyes get big, and the flush on her face deepens for a moment because wow. Oh gosh. This is actually a little mortifying. ]--um, Shinji and I aren't... like that... --Anyway! It's true that I've been kind of unreasonably lucky. I'm sorry about your girlfriend, though.

[awooligan]

Huh?

[ugh why does it all have to be so CONFUSING, he was just adjusting to the idea of this shit and now there's a wrench thrown in because ????? Wouldn't that be...upsetting... Wouldn't it feel unfair, or like you'd be worried over who the favorite is... It just seems better when it's all One Thing.]

Oh, does Shinji not like girls, or something? [That must be it. That would make sense.]

[daikonrose]

[ On the plus side, Cliff seems distracted enough to be momentarily less sad about his own girlfriend situation. On every other side, Kyoko is hurtling quickly towards death. ]

I don't know! I didn't even think Kaito liked girls before he said he liked me! Honestly I'm clueless to the point of being useless! Me having any boyfriend is already a really astounding fluke on its own, let alone ending up in a situation like this!

[awooligan]

[Maybe she should stop saying absolutely wild things.]

Pfh. Are you kidding? Don't get me wrong, you voluntarily made your hair the worst color ever, [he says, as a ginger] but saying you're hot wasn't part of the making fun of you the other day. [Snuggling up against her is one of the worst times to tell a girl you aren't dating that she's hot? Cliff rolls his eyes and leans into her more in order to just make himself more obnoxious, because then it's fine. Who doesn't want this kind of pep talk from a sixteen-year-old stranger boy?] Plus you cook and make sweaters. You give a shit. What's not girlfriend material about all that? I mean, it's not like not knowing what to do makes Coco any less perfect. Who cares about clueless?

[daikonrose]

[ Over the course of her life, Kyoko has been called many things--some of them positive, even--but Cliff was honestly the first to use the word hot. Honestly, it feels even more ludicrous now than it did the first time. All of this feels pretty unreal, actually! Why is she being praised! By Cliff?! What has brought this on.

She's gonna need another minute to process all that before she even dares to have feelings about it, but first thing's first: ]

... More fruit side effects?

[ Swiveling her head to face Clint, she eyes him cautiously. ]

Hey hey, are you feeling anything strange besides the urge for skinship? Feverish? Dizzy? Compelled to tell your secrets or random details from your life story?

[awooligan]

Hey --

[Rude? This girl is constantly rude to him?? What the fuck???

He opens his mouth to snap something back at her, but then catches himself with a frown.]

Maybe that last one? No, it's not dumb fruit shit. Look, I'm not saying I want to fool around or anything, jeez, it's just obvious?

[daikonrose]

[ It's a real concern! She's just looking out for you, Cliff!

But now it sounds more like the usual him, and he isn't taking anything back, which might mean... Huh. Maybe... maybe, maybe, Cliff actually doesn't hate her.

She's quiet for a moment, wide eyes thoughtful, and then a lopsided little smile tugs at her face. ]

... Coco found herself a really good boy, huh.

[awooligan]

[Meanwhile, Cliff is dead certain now that Kyoko hates him. Why else would she want to murder him like this? It only makes it worse that his inner wolf is having a kneejerk reaction to being called a really good boy that's completely mortifying. Why!!!

Instead of responding, too torn between annoyed, flustered words and a fake-confident smugness, he gives her a glare before pulling up his hood and burying his face in his arms on top of the coffee table. He might set on fire between that and the warmth from his blush, but that's fine. Burn him.]

[daikonrose]

[ Unfortunately, Kyoko is the kind of person who will use "good boy" unironically. Be careful, Cliff. This is what you get for being a good boy.

There's the lightest little giggle when Cliff glares at her, but Kyoko doesn't rub it in any more than that. If she knew him better, and if he hadn't already said he hated being touched, this would be the moment to pat his head, but no. She'll let him stay glued to her hip until he's ready to pull away, and otherwise she'll let him be. She'll just work on that sweater with fresh energy, and start up the chatter after a brief moment. ]

So you're staying for lunch after this, right? Fruit isn't a proper meal.

[awooligan]

[He's never being a good boy again, he's gonna take that cooking sake and drink ALL OF IT, JUST YOU WAIT --

Oh, but then he's actually being invited for food and he peeks around the rim of his hood, amber eyes bright with cautious curiosity because he is a wolf and also a teenager, food is high priority.]

...I dunno. What are you having?

[daikonrose]

[ This is acceptable. Satisfied to have piqued his interest, Kyoko keeps talking cheerfully without looking his way, don't wanna scare the boy with direct eye contact too soon. ]

I made curry! --Ah, it's a kind of stew that's spicy and a little sweet. I made it with chicken this time.

[ And vegetables, but shh. Gotta lure good boys with meat. ]

Kaito and Shinji would be glad to see you, too.

[awooligan]

[You literally have to lure good boys with meat, he wasn't sold until he heard chicken. Sorry Kaito and Shinji, he likes you guys, but you're an afterthought in this case. Also he's privately thinking they wouldn't be so happy to see him if they knew he was wondering why the fuck Kyoko doesn't have two boyfriends, he definitely has to ask Shinji if he doesn't like girls. Maybe he won't do it in front of everyone else because both of Kai's partners seemed real skittish, but it's over for him one way or another.]

Yeah, sounds good. [food... but,] Can we just say I came by randomly again? Like I didn't need anything.

[daikonrose]

[ Ignorant of the plot for Shinji's demise, Kyoko nods, and sends Cliff a knowing grin. ]

I'll protect your secret~

[ No cuddle urges will be divulged, his pride is safe(?). ]

[awooligan]

[He glares at her again, but it's much milder this time, more exasperation than anything. Why does she have to put things the way she puts things? Plus... His secret, huh? Cliff has to scoff out a laugh, however little, at that. Yeah, he wishes.]

I feel like you'd be horrible at keeping secrets. You kind of speak before you think, don't you?

[daikonrose]

I do not! [ A beat, and then she turns sheepish. ] ... No, sometimes I do. But not where anything important is concerned! I've kept plenty of secrets! I've even kept whole jobs a secret!

[awooligan]

[Pfh. He shakes his head, grinning to himself. There she goes...! He raises an eyebrow at the rest of it.]

Why did you have to keep a job secret? I mean, my mom was weird about letting me get one, but isn't that kind of intense?

[daikonrose]

Well, for one of them, discretion was part of the assignment... The other one doesn't have to be a secret, but it would make some things complicated if it got out.

[ That clears everything up, right. ]