♥ March (Ainir) Event Log

[hugtopiamods]

March (Ainir) Event Log

The weather is growing quite lovely, punctuated by a sweet scent in the air as local flowers begin to grow and bloom, signifying the start of what many argue is the brightest and most comforting of seasons. While not all bend the knee for Ainea, she is beloved and well known as the kindest of the local deities, so even denizens of other chapters appreciate the good will she presents when her season comes to play. Brace yourselves, residents of Havenwell: spring has officially sprung, and the mouse is in your house. (Theologically speaking, anyway.)

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❥ PROMPT I: Skits and Giggles

As the month of Ainir wears on, things in Havenwell begin to turn towards the strange and chaotic…more so than usual. Circumstances align in unpredictable and convoluted ways, as though space and time themselves are making small tweaks here and there to rope the city's offworlders into a heretofore unseen range of odd situations. Out of nowhere, impulses will materialize into their mind(s), and while it is not forced, it might be hard to resist depending on the nature of the impulse or the people around them. Two people might find themselves on a simple shopping trip together searching for a strange item despite never having met before, or perhaps one will suddenly discover the urge to try making a multi-tiered cake and drag their friends along for the ride. It's very… unusual. One could even say such situations and desires almost feel randomly generated.

For the latter half of the month, Havenwell will be undergoing a more open-ended kind of chaos than usual; we encourage you to have fun and make your own range of situations from the ordinary to the improbably odd. (Like if Who's Line had no host but just inserted prompts into one's head.) Here are some random scenario generators, to get you started, though you are more than welcome to find your own, mix and match, or come up with something yourself:

A Very Helpful Master List

For One Character/General:
One Two

For Two Characters:
One Two

Something a Little Sillier

Curiously enough, these skits can be both contagious and magical to the point where objects useful to the scenarios themselves may manifest inexplicably to make it easier to play out. These objects don't tend to last long - they'll vanish before the end of the day if you take your eyes off of them at some point after their use has ended - but hey, maybe you'll find a use for that Turbo Doll you just fought some fella in the market for, before it's gone.

❥ PROMPT II: Festival of Flowers

With the influx of plantlife both natural and left over from the previous month's occurrences, Havenwell's residents are well supplied for the annual Festival of Flowers (MARCH PROMPT: Hold My Flower) celebrated every Ainir. Natives of the city will be happily working to weave crowns in all sorts pf colors and shapes; made with flowers real, synthetic, or a mixture of both. They will even be glad to instruct the offworlders in the art of flower crowns, or even insistently looking to weave flowers into the hair of those who might wear theirs a bit longer. If given the chance, they will even speak at length about their choices in both colors and the flowers' meanings, so long as the end result is made to suit its wearer both aesthetically and symbolically. The local greenhouses will be handing out the blossoms harvested for the festival, so feel free to participate guilt-free; remember, flowers are too impermanent to not enjoy! Offworlders will find plenty of species throughout the city, including some that might be familiar. It seems the world is still indulgently borrowing from home as it heals itself.

If anyone has leftover crystalline flowers, vines, and plants that grew from their hands last month, these items are more delicate than normal plants but can still be worked into the flower crowns with a gentle touch and a bit of effort.

❥ PROMPT III: Starlight, Starbright

Over the course of the festival, for some reason the night sky above Havenwell appears to be taking subtly different forms; it never looks quite the same twice, and often differs from person to person. The stars overhead arrange themselves into different configurations: that of Havenwell's distant past, perhaps, or even into constellations the city's offworlders might find familiar. If by chance one can see a sky that another can't, joining hands for an evening of stargazing might just sync them up to be underneath the same distant stars. Enjoy an evening of stargazing, sharing familiar or fresh constellations with someone special.

For those who are participating in the Festival of Flowers, you might notice a curious added effect: if you happen to go stargazing while wearing certain flowers, the starscape that appears may coincide with the location, season, or biome that flower is native to, as if the two are calling to one another. Since Havenwell has acquired a bountiful number of species from varying worlds over the last few seasons that this festival occurred, feel free to get creative with this concept. Does your world have a reverse sunflower that follows the moon during winter? Enjoy your winter sky and a very happy flower crown. Maybe you found a ghost orchid that only blooms in the hottest part of the summer. Sounds perfectly suited for a summer sky that just happens to appear above you now…

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This event will run from March 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

Lotor | Voltron: Legendary Defender I OTA

[waitatick]

II

Lotor still had a bit of remaining vine and some of the blooms from last month, and while he wasn't intending on doing anything with them, the natives seemed intent on using the blooms for their craftwork. He couldn't think of a suitable reason to deny them, and found himself soon wearing a crown of both the flowers from his own hand as well as the both natural and synthetic ones used to make it.

When asked if he'd like flowers woven into his hair, he paused, because such a thing had been done often during festivals on the Altean colony and he considered himself unworthy of the honor. To try to cover that vulnerability, he did what he did best and asked questions.

Eventually, his white hair was interwoven with flowers both real and not in shades of deepest blue, violet and gold, and found they suited him rather nicely. He was of half a mind to help others who might wish for such a thing.

III

The constellations were strange - shifting and changing to his eyes as if whatever controlled this place wasn't certain about the specific ones to show him. It made sense, since he called no planet home, but he wasn't bothered by it. The ability to see so many, both familiar from his travels to various sectors and not, was something that gave him peace. He even spied a few that had been prominent over the colony, and as he had the most emotional attachment to that particular place it made him feel serene to see them.

"Are any of these particularly familiar to you?" he asked whoever happened to be nearby, always interested in learning which vestiges of stars colored the night skies of others.

iii

[necromanswers]

Lup's comfortably sprawled in the grass, hands folded behind her head. Stargazing isn't exactly a usual pastime for her, but the word of shifting constellations has made it worth at least checking out. She glances over briefly at his question, then points up towards a simple patch of the twinkling lights, though she's not sure if he'll see it. The rules seem to keep changing since this all began.

"Up there- a square, with a single star in the center. That's the Sleepless Knights."

Tamaki Yotsuba | OTA

[21kingpuddings]

I
a. Strange urges, you say? Well, it's sort of a weird urge, but not one that's strange enough for Tamaki to think too deeply on it, rather than simply act. Hello, are you a friend of his? Or possibly someone who he may have seen at a hug club meeting before its organizer was whisked away? Well, get ready, because here comes Tamaki with little more than a, "C'mere," before he goes in for a hug.

Try to dodge it? There's (probably) enough space to do so, but, man, don't you just feel like hugging it out right now?

b. This one, too, doesn't feel very strange at all...! I mean, what is someone to do when they find themselves suddenly in possession of a box of colorful chalk sticks if not immediately take them out for a spin - ah, draw?

Out around the busier parts of town, you might run into doodles scribbled on the street or sidewalks. Pink rabbits, green clovers, blue snowflakes, white birds... though the most interesting are the circles, large enough for a person to stand in and arranged one-by-one or two side-by-side in one big line. Curious parties will be beckoned over with a wave of his hand and a large grin. "Give it a try, come on!"

c. Perhaps... things are getting a little silly. But perhaps Tamaki is just that easy to compel. And now it's going to be someone else's problem, as rounding a corner or passing too close by a bush puts one in danger of being pulled in to hiding with Tamaki. Any protests will immediately be met with him putting a finger to his lips in a 'shh' gesture, before whispering urgently,

"This is a sneaking mission."

Tamaki? What??


II
A couple of Ranirs ago, Tamaki had very graciously been gifted a telescope. Nothing to big or terribly powerful, but something that's been fun to get the hang of using. It's been pretty unfortunate that, despite the artificial sky above the city, the light pollution has been intense enough to make stargazing tricky, though.

But not this month, it seems. This month... he is ready for.

Every possible evening he'll be out, finding a good spot to set up camp for the night. Armed with blankets and a thermos of something warm to drink on chillier nights, he's plenty content to simply watch this starry sky both through the telescope by simply laying back and watching the night pass by overhead. The constellations may be entirely foreign some times, but on days where he's let himself get festooned with flowers from the festival, the allure of a familiar set of stars is simply impossible to ignore.

Ah.... this is nice.


Wild
[Hit me up with something else! Plot with me over at sandshrew or via PM, I'm down for whatever. I'll match formats so if you want to tag with prose or brackets go with whatever your heart desires!]

II

[ghoulserrand]

His first thought is that it's another survivor he's run into, someone hardened by an apocalyptic world and making their way. But, with a pang in his heart, he realizes that it's something much more mundane.

Camping. This person is camping. Outside and enjoying nature simply for the joy and comfort of it, not because of limited options. He doesn't believe he ever went camping. He wishes he had.

Bundled in his layers, he tries to make his footsteps obvious all the same. Normal camper or not, he doesn't scare anyone.

"You look like... you're having... fun out here..." Too bad about his raspy voice for that.

I. c.

[the4united]

Devon manages not to yelp as he gets dragged around a corner out of sight. He's completely dumbfounded and for a moment just stands there gaping as Tamaki "explains." Not that he has any better understanding of what is going on now than he did before the explanation.

"A... sneaking mission?"

I.c

[pinkmin]

Getting dramatically pulled into a bush was enough was enough to get a squeak of surprise out of Vianca. What! There was a frantic look at Tamaki, which led to a quick series of events once she realized who had pulled her in. First was relaxation, and then she was nodding fervently.

This was a sneaking mission!!

Kaito

[whenyouneedme]

Stargazing
All the extra blankets in the house had been stolen.

By a mouse.

Some had been tucked away into the storage of one yellow motorbike. The rest had been spirited up to the roof of the house where an elaborate spot had been set up. The heavens had opened up and blanketed the sky in stars, and Kai was going to drink 'em in as much as his greedy eyes could. On most nights finding him was as easy as climbing up to join him. Some nights he needed a little more, and he'd look for one (or two!!) someone to drag with him out into the night to find a darker patch of sky to lay under.



White Day [Closed]
Rise and shine, it was a wonderful day for Revenge.

The victim had absolutely no idea that there was any reason to suspect anything. There shouldn't have been! There was zero significance to this day, as far as he was aware. Not that it mattered, Mondays could be plenty dangerous on their own when determined enough people were on the case. Even with the Monday threat established now, Kai had no reason to think anything was going to be happening.

Everything was super normal today. He'd stirred a little when Shinji slipped out of his arms, but had settled back in soon after. He was still there now, drooling slightly on the pillow as he dozed.

revenge

[daikonrose]

Their victim's ignorance was a blessing--one they had hoped for, but not dared expect to receive such a bounty of. But everything had gone almost shockingly smoothly--gift finished in good time, menu planned, and Shinji had been able to join Kyoko in the kitchen not too long after she'd started the quiet preparations that morning.

Maybe it was going just a little too well, actually? How long was Kaito going to sleep in today, anyway? Antsy, Kyoko looked over their small mountain of pancakes. "They should be fine if we keep them warm in the oven... Do you think we actually started a little too early, though?"

Scoots back here again because I want stars

[hedgehogsdilemma]

On nights where a little more wasn't in the cards for one reason or another, time spent up on higher ground can still be made into a cozy little adventure. A nest of blankets is a superb start, but what if Shinji were to bring up a couple of mugs and a thermos of hot soup, and perhaps smuggle a selection of tapes and a pair into his jacket pocket? That would make the atmosphere downright date-like, he'd imagine. Whether or not it would be, based on how little planning actually went into these decisions, would probably be up to the two of them to agree on. Either way, it's something to elevate an already rare scene into something just a tiny bit extra, and that should be nice.

"Here we go," he mutters softly as he carefully climbs his way up to the roof to meet with Kai.

Teo | OTA

[ghoulserrand]

The robots were insistent. This is what he tells himself and intends to tell Faust when he's inevitably asked what the hell he was thinking.

Of course, he's still got his goggles on and his gaiter up and no amount of robotic prompting is going to get him to remove either. But he's sat down and he's shown the flowers and the options and his hair, dark but fading to grey, is drawn back and tucked free of the loose ponytail he keeps it in. It's really long and this gets the robots even more excited. He is prime braiding potential.

It couldn't hurt, right? They're robots, right? He's not going to infect robots, and besides, it's only hair. Of everything about him, that has to be the least infectious.

Jokes on him, it seems someone living has been brought to him, a whole plethora of floral options lain out for them to choose from and plenty of robotic encouragement. He anxiously grips the edge of the seat under his fingers.

"Uh... hi...?"

[pinkmin]

It was prime braiding potential. Anyone could see this.

This was probably why the living person that the robots were shuffling over to him was the extra small one with many flowers tucked into her own braid. She had already proven to be very enthusiastic about the learning aspect and equally gungho about the sharing.

She peered up at him, brandishing a brush.

"Hello."

[relictus]

If he'd known he'd get his ear talked off about flowers and then (figuratively) dragged into participating in this event with someone else even after he refused allowing any of the robotic denizens to craft him a crown or touch his hair, he would have just done his best to ignore the festivities entirely rather than asking what the occasion is.

But when he sees who he's been led to, there's a brief sense of relief... until he realizes he shouldn't be relieved, he should be annoyed. Disapproving, even.

"What do you think you're doing?"

Devon Darconin - OTA

[the4united]

1a

Devon really had no real thoughts for shoes. Why would he? They were just shoes. Yet oddly, he woke up that morning with an intense desire to start a shoe collection. It was a desire he simply could not ignore no matter how hard he might try. Left with no other choice, he ventured out into the city to find himself some shoes.

You might find yourself walking around when suddenly the ground beneath one food solidifies and you simply walk out of one shoe or maybe there's a gust of wind that you don't understand only to discover a moment later your shoe has been untied and is being pulled off your foot by the air itself. If you're lucky, or maybe unlucky, you'll actually see Devon (shoes laces tied in a knot over his shoulder) as he darts by and just yanks the shoe you're wearing off your foot.

1b

The shoe collection need long since gone, thank goodness, Devon thought he was free and clear of odd compulsions until he found himself once again wandering the city that he usually avoids. This time he's equipped with a small pad of paper and a pencil.

At any point you might discover him standing nearby and observing or flat out following you. Every little detail of what you do is verbalized (as if you're not even there!) and written down in his little notebook.

"Subject purchases a blueberry muffin. It does not smell very tasty."

"Subject barely avoids tripping over rock. Possibly clumsy?"

Should you try to address him of course, he will continue to pretend like you aren't even there... and might even write some snarky comment in his notebook about you "talking to yourself."

Prompto Argentum | OTA

[this_loser]

I
[It’s a beautiful day. Flowers are in bloom, the sun is out, the weather is nice. And Prompto has set aside the camera and is trying a new artform: painting! Where did the easel and paints come from? Not important. It here, and so are you. You have time to sit for a portrait, right? Please sit down on this ridiculous little stool and let the artist work his magic.

After some time and a lot of squinting and slapping his brush on the canvas, he will give a satisfied nod.]

Sure wish I knew how to draw.

II
[Everyone’s looking great with the flower crowns. Prompto thinks so, anyway. He’s feeling pretty pretty himself, with his head decked in a wreath of blue and white. Which is why he’s become invested in making sure there are crowns aplenty for anyone who wants one.

He’s found a nice little patch of grass where he can sit and weave. Various flowers are scattered in bunches around him, and there’s a small pile of already made wreaths of questionable quality beside him. But each one gets better than the last (he’s learning!) Want something woven into your hair? He’ll give that a go, too!]

I

[carbungle]

[Weird, it usually takes Prompto longer to convince him to do something for the camera, especially when it's ridiculous. Yet here Noct is, leaning right into it with a cool-guy pose (or whatever he thinks passes for cool which is rarely the same thing), sitting patiently while Prompto does... art?]

Hey, you remember that caricature artist in Altissia? Knowing how to draw is sometimes a bonus, not a requirement.

I

[the4united]

[Devon slides off the stool and wanders over the "stare" at the canvas. Why not? Seems like a good opportunity for being a pain. If Prompto even realizes Devon is being a pain of course.]

Could have fooled me that you can't.

[Devon is a horrible judge after all. He can't see the painting whatsoever.]

Nico di Angelo | OTA

[wakemelater]

I
[When plants whither up and die around you just because you’re a little upset, it’s best to stay away from flower festivals. But the robots can be persistent, and when one of them insists he take a crown made of asphodels, he reluctantly agrees, if only to get them to back off.

As predicted, the fresh flowers dry up before they even touch his head. He’s offered something else – something synthetic that won’t die, but he shakes his head.]

I like it better this way.

II
[He doesn’t often stargaze. He’s more likely to doze or daydream than pay any attention to the heavens. Even so, when Orion wheels across the sky, he notices. At first, he thinks it’s a fluke, just a coincidental alignment he hadn’t heeded before. But he eventually picks out other familiar constellations: Cancer. Aries. Perseus.

He points to one cluster in particular.]

That’s the Huntress. Her name was Zoe.

II

[iustaegis]

...The Huntress.

[ She follows the line of his point, gazing up at the constellations. ]

Constellations-- they're given to those who've done something great. [ She keeps her voice low and respectful. ] I'd love to hear more about her.

ardyn | ota

[scourgingstars]

[ii;]

[Having particularly long violet hair made Ardyn a perfect target for the festivities, much to his mild alarm and surprise upon being dragged into it by a few enthusiastic natives. Some halfhearted protests later, Ardyn found himself with some neatly braided hair interwoven with small white and yellow flowers.]

[Conceding this was not in fact the worst fate imaginable, he eventually wound up sitting in the shade of a tree weaving flowers together himself from a pile beside him; if anyone was looking for a crown of their own, he certainly looked approachable enough.]

[iii;]

[On most nights, Ardyn would be found at home...but on some, he'd be found specifically on the roof. It was, after all, easier to stargaze lying on a rooftop, arms folded behind his head. (He was still awake, right?)]

[Whether he was stargazing or taking a nap, there would regardless be a tonberry sitting nearby, clutching a heart-shaped rainbow lollipop.]

[You know, normal things.]

ii

[carbungle]

[Noctis is nearby, watching for a few moments and internally debating after he notices Ardyn's presence. Whether Ardyn notices or not, at some point here is a nephew who saunters over and flops down next to him with a huff, half-turned with his back towards the other.]

Okay, fine, you twisted my arm. Make me beautiful or whatever.

ii

[iustaegis]

[ She'll call his name with a greeting before she approaches him.

She teases, gently. ] Don't tell me, are you thinking of opening a flower-crown business?

ii

[relictus]

[Faust is, in fact, doing the opposite of looking for someone to make him a crown, much less put flowers in his hair. He made the mistake of asking the locals some simple questions about the festival, only to find himself being urged to participate.]

[After narrowly escaping his third encounter with a pleasantly insistent robot, he pauses as he passes by Ardyn.]

Do you mind if I sit here?

[Maybe if he at least sits near someone making a crown, it'll look enough like he's participating to be left alone.]

2

[astralera]

[ The unusually lustrous dog approaches, carrying his overgrown lizard of a mistress by the scruff of her sweatshirt, and depositing her unceremoniously on the ground next to Ardyn. Era says nothing, but even with half her face obscured by a mask her displeasure is writ clear as day in the downward curve of her lips and the flicking of her tail.

Argos ignores Era entirely as he settles gracefully onto the ground beside her. ]

Regis Lucis Caelum CXIII | OTA

[kingkingcxiii]

Festival of Flowers:

[It might seem strange for someone to find comfort in doing something they aren't good at, but if the pile of crooked and slightly misshapen flower crowns next to Regis is any indication, he is--in fact--doing that very thing. Even the kindly instruction of the natives hasn't helped his skill much, and he's started to wave off those who venture near with that "look" about them. Let them spend time teaching those who will actually benefit from it.

Besides, it's not like he's looking to make a perfect crown anyway. If he wanted a perfect crown, he could pull out the one he wears every day back on Eos. No, the comfort he pulls from this act of creation is actually because of the results being so imperfect. The memories tied to them wouldn't be if perfection had been the end results of his efforts back then.

So he sits, eyes slightly distant, and makes his imperfect crowns, a small smile on his face.

These memories are so much more pleasant than the ones he's been dealing with for the last few months, and he deserves a chance to linger in the good for once.]


Starlight, Starbright:

[Eventually, Regis turns to making flower crowns from some slightly more sentimental flowers. Considering both his shop and his home have pots of Sylleblossoms and Fire Flowers, it should be no surprise he feels the urge to make crowns of them both. One for each of the partners who were once here and now are gone.

As he'd sit a top Valeo's roof that night wearing the crown of Sylleblossoms and thinking of Cor, Regis slowly began to realize that the stars looking down at him were familiar, so familiar he thought he had to be imagining it.

When he had gone the next night wearing the crown of Fire Flowers instead and saw the night sky was different, he had realized he was not imagining anything and that meant the sky he was looking at now could only be that of the far off fantasy land of Narnia that Peter had ruled. He can't help but stare in wonder. The night sky of Eos had been comforting and familiar, but this sky is unknown and mysterious. Learning it is like learning another bit about the love who had left so long ago.

From the street, one might just be able to make out the soft orange glow put off by the Fire Flowers in the crown that sits atop Regis' head as he moves around the roof discovering each new star and constellation with a look of wonder on his face.]

fof heck yeah

[carbungle]

[From one flower-weaving relative to another. Noctis spots his father at a distance and heads over almost immediately, hands in his pockets and a jaunty crown made of bright green flowers on his head.]

You trying to make enough for the whole neighbourhood?

[judging_you]

{ii}

[The turn of the seasons is not new to Gabranth, at this point. Nor the celebrations that seem to come with it. Still, he is no more fond of the sudden profusion of flowers - and flower crowns - than he had been previously, and though he makes no direct attempt to keep other people from enjoying themselves, he none the less spends the majority of his time passing through the streets of the city both deeply unimpressed and trying his best to avoid getting saddled with any floral decorations.

This, it seems, is one celebration he means to do his best to avoid.]

{iii}

[The change in the stars, on the other hand, has all but his full attention, once he first catches sight of them, and it becomes not at all uncommon to find him sitting out after dark, on a bench or under a tree simply staring at whatever he sees in the stars.

A welcome sight, perhaps, by the expression on his face, if also one that's slightly bittersweet.]