♥ December (Ranir) Event Log

[hugtopiamods]

December (Ranir) Event Log

As another year winds to a close, the air grows sharp with a wintery chill; the perfect weather for curling up with someone under a cozy blanket with some warm hot cocoa. To contrast the cold weather comes a distinctly festive warmth to the city itself; it's some holiday season, even if the natives still can't quite grasp what. While recovery from the recent worm-based catastrophe is still an ongoing thing, the natives are going through with the festivities as they've learned to celebrate: Decorations strung about the city are a bit haphazard and in all manner of colors both holiday-themed and simply colorful in general, the spirit and enthusiasm are certainly there.

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❥ PROMPT I: See You Next Level

Residents who venture past the wall to the northwest of the arena to visit the fishing pond might find an unusual sight this month: it's frozen over. This is kind of a big deal, because the city hasn't had a substantial amount of open water in- well, no one quite knows how long! It seems to have totally frozen overnight, which is definitely unusual, but hardly the strangest thing to ever happen in Havenwell. Examining the ice will find it sturdy and solid, a good 6 inches thick at minimum. It is safe to walk on, and more importantly...

Excited for a new experience after all the glum and gloom, some local metalworkers are creating skate attachments that can be adjusted for size and connected to the shoes (or the feet, in the case of the local robotic population) of anyone who wants to give skating a try. Visitors to the area will find a booth set up, occasionally manned but mostly left as a trust exercise, with a collection of these devices that are free to use. Please take as many pairs as your party requires and skate to your heart's content! As a courtesy, borrowers are asked to return the skates once they're finished with them, but if you're really itching for a pair, the booth has the equivalent of a QR code you can scan with your communicator and commission a personalized pair.

It seems that part of the city is extra cold this season, because an influx of snow has practically drowned the arena, leaving a thick layer across the entirety and high piles along the sides. Locals have cleared the entrances and done their best to keep it functional, but those wishing to use the facility might find the ground far less sturdy than usual. You can use it as extra training, or maybe just give in to the urge and have fun with it instead. Go sledding, have a snowball fight!

❥ PROMPT II: Fresh or Frozen

Purveyors of the fishing part of the new rink might be unhappy to have lost their hobby, but hey, no one's stopping you from carving a hole in the ice and giving it a go regardless. There's bound to still be something down there, though perhaps not what you'd expect. While you're out at the lake with another person, if you should happen to look into the water through a hole or the ice itself, you might occasionally see a series of dancing lights flitting around beneath you, mysterious but innocuous. Sometimes they disappear if you stare at them too long. Sometimes they follow you. If curiosity gets the better of you, maybe you ought to try dropping a line - or a hand - in to see what it is. If you're feeling really brave and don't mind the cold, you could even take a dive in and see what's going on up close. (Funny: it's not nearly as cold as you'd expect it to be, considering the frigid circumstances.) And there's no reason to worry about the rink, either. Likely through whatever actually turned the pond to ice, any holes carved into the ice somehow manage to freeze again overnight, as though it was never broken in the first place.

Whatever method you choose, these dancing lights will swirl around hook or hands, pulsing gently, until that light bursts and manifests into something familiar. Something you've been wanting, perhaps, or something you once had and have missed dearly. Maybe something you hadn't thought about at all, but would bring you delight. You can pull it from the waters and find it intact and undamaged by the cold or the water, alive if it is a living creature, though it appears to be hibernating. Dry it off, take it home, and check on it in the morning; you will find your gift as whole and well as if you'd plucked it from wherever you'd find it back home. Do with it what you choose, it's yours now. For those who might have the clever idea to try fishing more than once, surprises may await in the form of...a waterlogged old shoe? An empty tin can? A broken fishing lure? The possibilities are as endless as the objects are useless.

For those who may not have any creature or object of note they need or want, it is also possible for fishing to produce a small crystal, faintly glowing with some form of magic. Leaving the crystal by one's bedside overnight will result in a peculiar but pleasant dream; fulfilling one's heartfelt desire. Whether it's wanting to see somewhere back on your homeworld, getting closure with someone not in Havenwell, or hang gliding off of Everest, you will be able to see your desire in a dream and awake comfortable and well-rested in bed the next day.

This is a regain event! One regain is allowed per character, and it can be anything (within reason) that would fit within the Item Regain: Medium (100 point) category on the Activity Rewards page. Like with AC Rewards, regains must be approved by mods prior to regaining them, so please use the form below and comment to the Regain Request thread.

Player:
Character:
Item requested:

<b>Player:</b> <b>Character:</b> <b>Item requested:</b>

❥ PROMPT III: Snow Problems

As the weather shifts to something seasonally chilly, on occasion some small patches of clouds can be seen in Havenwell--specifically, hovering over the heads of offworlders. These localized little clouds find people to stick to and follow them a couple of feet overhead to shower them with a gentle dusting of snow, so hopefully you have an umbrella handy. And while the snow can be just snow and nothing more, to others it might have one (or even several at once) effects to it.

Cheers To You: No matter how much one drinks or how they choose to mix their cocktails, they will find themselves completely impervious to the ill effects of alcohol. No hangover, but also no fun to earn it in the first place.

Hand it Over: Some with their own personal snow clouds may feel nothing odd except for a slight tingle in their dominant hand. Whether one stumbles upon the actual effect or not, it is a very simple change: the power of their unarmed punch becomes superpowered and several times stronger than normal.

Sticks and Stones: Still others may feel completely normal and go about their usual day's business with absolutely no awareness of any change but a persistent snowfall overhead. However, should they meet with anything that might ordinarily hurt, they will find that they have twenty-four hours of complete invulnerability starting from when their snow cloud latched on to them.

Time and Tribulation: Perhaps along with the slight chill comes a sudden awareness that one is a bit shorter than usual. Or taller? It would seem that yet another odd side effect of the little snow clouds is that one has aged an entire decade–in either direction, rendering them either younger or older. Luckily, the changes seem to stop at only physical…at least this time.

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This event will run from December 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!

Comments

[astralera]

It's a very strong nose.

[ While the thought occurs to her, Era flips through her phone for her 'Hemera' photo album. It's been a while since she last looked, but she shows Noct a selfie of her and her original incarnation. From the front they are nearly identical apart from a few minor differences, and the more major ones like the fact that Hemera wasn't an Au Ra. The woman also had no bangs and while their hair was the same curled texture, Hemera's was a lovely, deep shade of copper.

The eyes are where they're the most strikingly similar — that same unnaturally bright shade of blue, all the brighter for the identical smiles they wear. ]

[revolucian]

[The picture nets her a questioning look and a headtilt from him, recognizing the similarities well enough, but never having met the one who bears them.]

[astralera]

Sometimes I have to remind myself of all the ways we're different... [ She shrugs a little, tucking her phone away and readjusting the bolt of fabric she carries. ] And now all I see when I look at her pictures is how we aren't alike.

This face is mine because I wear it, you know? Just like my soul.

[revolucian]

[He frowns for a long moment, considering that. Hemera, perhaps? That would make the most sense- another 'her', so to speak, connected by the soul, and one she's mentioned at length multiple times.]

If you woke up with her face now, though, without warning or growing into it- wouldn't it feel weird?

[astralera]

[ She considers it for a moment. ]

If I didn't have my scales it would be weird. But our faces are almost identical, so I probably wouldn't notice right away...

[revolucian]

I can't read souls, and I didn't choose this. Didn't grow into it, either. To me, it's like looking at a stranger.

[He's not trying to be a bummer about it- he knows it's temporary, and that's some comfort. It's mostly matter-of-fact. He's not a fan, but he's trying to be an adult about it.]

[astralera]

Your smile is still your smile, no matter the face you wear.

[ Era knows it's different for her, with the experiences she's had. After Lahabrea stole Thancred's body she's paid more attention to the little things, unwilling to be tricked so easily a second time...

But what would it be like, to wake up one day and see a stranger in the mirror?

She smiles somewhat wryly. ]

I remember the first time I saw my face. Scared the ever-loving shite out of myself, thinking someone snuck in my room.

[revolucian]

Because you didn't remember what you looked like?

[He's guessing the context. She's had so many forms and ages and soul-linked associated people that may or may not be remembered that it's hard to know for sure without asking.]

[astralera]

[ She nods. ]

I'd seen my eyes and shape of my horns in the weeks prior, but never my face. Mirrors and privacy aren't really commonplace on the streets.

[revolucian]

That makes sense. [He certainly has no experience with living on the street, but he's been homeless after Insomnia fell, and if not for caravans and hotels he'd have been hard-pressed to find his reflection that wasn't in a body of water.] Did it take a while to get used to?

[astralera]

[ Another nod. ]

A few months, or more. I rarely had opportunity to look at my face until I fled Ul'dah.

[revolucian]

Ugh. I mean, it's fair enough, but that's so long.

[Maybe he should consider himself lucky he won't have to get used to it. Certainly not here, where everything is so temporary.]

[astralera]

If I'd been free to roam uncloaked it would've taken less time. Even if I never got used to it I was just happy to be alive, and able to help people.

[ She is momentarily distracted by Narangerel darting up her leg to curl up around her neck. Even having sensed the approach Era still lets out a startled squeak, and the irritated huff she lets out ends up being more of a pathetic whistle due to the gap in her teeth. ]

Did you get anything from the pond?

[revolucian]

Ah... yeah.

[He looks a little embarrassed, idly toying with a wandering strand of his long hair.]

I fished up a crystal... it gave me a nice dream.

[astralera]

Did it? [ She sounds happy for him. ] I'm glad. You deserve nice dreams.

[revolucian]

People keep telling me that.

[He even kind of believes it!]

[astralera]

If anyone tells you otherwise I'll beat them up.

[ Narangerel chirrups her agreement. ]

[revolucian]

I wouldn't mind seeing that.

[Particularly in their current states.]

[astralera]

You just need to point them out and I'll do it.

[ Gotta love being a fighty teenager in the midst of puberty. ]

[revolucian]

We'll probably be safe from that sort of thing- you can spare your fists. Everyone here's too damn nice.

[It's definitely not a complaint.]

[astralera]

[ A nod of agreement, though she really wouldn't mind a good fight while she still has all her limbs again. ]

[revolucian]

What about you? Pull up anything interesting?

[astralera]

Magic rocks.

[revolucian]

...Magic... rocks?

[astralera]

Hades says they can create an aetheric confluence, but he won't tell me what they're for. So they're mystery magic rocks. [ A pause. ] They've holes through the middle of them.