hugtopia_logs | ♥ December (Ranir) Event Log

a small fishing rod seated in snow, with the line leading down a water hole

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.

❥ PROMPT I: See You Next Level

people ice skating around a rink at night, lit by multicolored star-shaped light fixtures

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

a hand dragging a stick through blue bioluminescence in water, followed by someone's feet stepping into the same

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:

❥ PROMPT III: Snow Problems

cartoonish images of dancing clouds, raining down snowflakes against a blue background

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.

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!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I don't think I have anything capable of containing something like that.

[How strong is that acid, anyway? He's burning with curiosity.]

It's not much, but I'll use what I've got.

Well- then that's fine. You could try to pile up the snow at least, so i will just dump acid on it afterwards!

[ Mina doesn't mind doing the same, either. In fact, she will use the nanobots of the arena to make shovels and this way they can both work together ] here you go!

[Blinking, he accepts the shovel and looks around them. He was ready to shoot some fire, but this just might be better.]

Oh, thanks. Where should I pile the snow?

Anywhere, really! [ Mina starts shoveling, pilling up the snow ]

We can make just a couple of them and then try our powers on them! This will be actual training.

That's not a bad idea. Okay, I'll start over there.

[With the shovel in hand, Louis moves away from Mina and begins to pile what snow he can, away from the walls of the arena.]

[ since Mina is really excited about this, she tries to pile up the snow as fast as possible. She only stops until she has few piles gathered, and proudly, she turns back at the other ]

Ready?!

[Louis is nowhere near as fast as Mina. He has at most two modest piles of snow by the time she calls out to him. They're not impressive like hers, but he thinks they should do the trick, seeing as they'll have far more dry ground available to them soon. Lowering the shovel, he nods and steps back.]

Ready.

[ to be fair, Mina's energy comes from her excitement. Sometimes it's hard to keep up with her, don't feel bad Louis!

When they are ready, Mina approaches with a grin ] Now, now, show me what you can do! Don't hold back -that's what the arena is for.

Okay. Here goes . . .

[A red misty substance gathers around his hand as he raises an arm across his chest, and then he throws his palm out toward the farthest pile of snow. Like bullets, the red substance blitzes into the snow's base with fiery force, melting it with each projectile that makes its mark. It's a little messy, but gets the job done. The residual substance fades from Louis' hand, and he watches the melted snow for a beat before he turns to Mina.]

[ and mina claps her hands, so excited to see ]

That was so cool - it's like fire bullets!! What are those, how do you make them, what are they made of? [ ah yes, curiosity. Mina's is huge ]

[Those are all questions he'd love to ask her in return. Maybe he'll get the chance once it's her turn.]

Simply put, it was my blood. What I can do with it is limited, but I can at least invoke the properties of fire if I concentrate it somewhere.

Ohh that's like one of my teachers! He can't make fire but he can control his blood and can harden it. [ so she isn't really freaked out by this ]

That's really impressive!

[A teacher who solidifies blood . . . ]

Really? Does that mean not everyone can do what you can?

Most people have quirks - powers. But there are many different kinds. [ she moves to her piles of snow, to drop acid into them ]

Some can do acid, or control electricity. I got a friend who can make things explode from his sweat. [ a pause ] ... kinda gross when you say that outloud.

[He watches from a distance, fascinated by the display. It's hard to imagine sweat that explodes, but he's seen and heard of many unimaginable things by now; being here is one of them.]

Does that acid of yours originate from a fluid in your body, too?

My skin makes it. [ mina shakes her hands afterwards ] That's why I'm pink, cuz my skin has to be resistant to the acid. [ otherwise she'd burn ]

[He wonders what the pink is a result of if it's related to her quirk. It's true, though; her skin looks perfectly fine after all the acid she's shaken off.]

Then your complexion is unique to you . . . I thought it might be a trait of people from your home.

People from home all look different because of their quirks. [ mina smiles ]

Some would look like they don't have powers at all because it doesn't manifest like that. So it depends on that!

I see. That does make sense.

[There are countless variations between even a handful of people. Speaking of which . . . ]

Out of curiosity, what do you refer to your people as?

My people...? [ she is a bit confused by that question ]

Humans..?

[There's a beat before he shifts his weight with a short hum.]

Sorry for the strange question. It's just, no matter the world, it feels like humans are an almost universal existence.

Hmm, really? [ Mina taps her chin ]

I mean, not here. Here they are robots.

[The obviousness of Mina's answer gives Louis pause. That's true. Very true, actually, and a welcome shift in his train of thought. He gives it another moment before he nods.]

You're right. But they weren't always like that. It begs the question of what they were originally known as . . .

Hmm-

that's actually a good question! [ Mina claps her hands a little ] Maybe I could ask the priests or something, they probably know that stuff.

I suppose it wouldn't hurt to ask.

[Meaning, it's a question for the priests, and he ought to stop eating up her time with his meandering thoughts.]

Anyway, looks like you've got most of the snow here cleared up. Are you going to start your training now?

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