hugtopia_logs | ♥ July 2019 Intro Mingle

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♥ July 2019 Intro Mingle

July Intro Log
Welcome to Havenwell! The walled city and its robotic inhabitants welcome all of the offworlders to Aellyn. New arrivals are given their tablets and showed to open housing, given tours around the city, and generally helped with settling into their new world. Some robots are more curious than others, more helpful than others, but overall the atmosphere of the city is one of hope and celebration. It is, however, a city that needs some help, and as newcomers wander, they may find that they can do a lot to aid Havenwell in its recovery.

❥ PROMPT I: Temple Jobs

The priests of each temple have a digital bulletin board in front of their temple doors that lists several tasks that each temple is asking of natives and newcomers alike. Havenwell is protected from the worst of the damage outside the walls, but it's still an ancient city and there's always something that needs to be done. Of course, the priests won't ask you to do these things for free, so anyone who wants to join up and complete a task will receive a reward of Dora sent to their bank accounts.

The sudden weather changes sometimes results in localized floods, so businesses and homes are always looking for help cleaning debris and mopping floors. The temples themselves always need a little extra help picking up after the temple animals or cleaning the altars. Some stores need help transporting goods across the city - normally a two person job, pulling carts and wagons. And lately, temples have been asking for help in cleaning up the city square for a "big *wink wink* project" coming soon. The priests won't say more than that, but they will offer payment for anyone willing to keep the square clean. Which may be a little difficult with the influx of new people, maps, and general trash and broken debris everywhere. It may be smart to team up to keep things clean!

❥ PROMPT II: Repli-fails

One thing that new residents might find that needs some help are the food replicators found in each home. They've been unused for so long that issues and trouble were inevitable. People who can fix them are few and far between, however, so until an antiques' maintenance-minded robotic denizen stops by, characters may have to suffer through some glitches. When characters ask for potatoes, they might find blue-flavored toothpaste getting dispensed instead. Or if they ask for 1 carrot, they get 20 hot pink ones instead. Or asking for a drink becomes a never-ending stream of said drink. Or they might not dispense anything that looks like food at all and instead inundate you with vaguely fish-shaped wooden blocks. Good luck, newbies. Even the natives are a little baffled by this one.

❥ PROMPT III: Virtual? Reality?

The VR simulation of the month, Petting Zoo, seems to still be pretty popular. Natives are plugging in to pet animals in record numbers and it's encouraged the proprietors of the VR parlors to keep the game a little longer than normal. New arrivals are encouraged to take the VR headsets for a spin to help proprietors gauge how to better adjust them for non-robotic clientele. That said, they'll still ask characters to pay for the experience, just not at a slightly discounted rate if they answer a survey afterwards. Characters will notice that holding hands with someone else during their VR experience significantly improves the quality of the visuals and audio input.

Unfortunately, as with most things in Havenwell, the VR experience doesn't always go as planned. On occasion in the city, glitches happen while residents are plugged in and suddenly that flock of giant pink sheep they were petting? Yeah, they're now manifested in the real world. In and around the entertainment districts, illogically colored sheep, giant house cats, miniature ponies, and - of course - the dreaded aggro rainbow chickens suddenly start appearing in packs. Their images glitch in and out, fuzzing into static in places, but they're very real and very confused about not being in their happy green pastures. Which means they panic, of course, and start running amok. Help the citizens corral these strange beasts until the glitch ends, run away from the now very real flocks of rainbow chickens that want to dogpile you, or simply stand by and watch the chaos occur. It's up to you how you want to help!

❥ PROMPT IV: The Ribbon Games

A couple weeks after everyone has arrived and had time to mostly settle into the weird weather patterns and machinery muck-ups, a notice is plastered across the network:

The citizens of Havenwell wish you well, offworlders! To show our appreciation for your assistance in saving our world, we cordially invite you to participate in an ancient tradition: The Ribbon Games! In the old days, this festival was held as a celebration of joyous events. You have a week to collect as many ribbons as you can from your temple by completing their Ribbon Task. Then, at the end of the week, we are hosting a party in your honor where you can compete to collect ribbons from the other temples to win fabulous prizes! Please visit your deity's temple to find out more and we hope you will join us for the Ribbon Games Party at the end of the week.

With all our gratitude,
The Citizens of Havenwell

Those who choose to participate and head to their deity's temple will find a priest with a sash and a box of ribbons in the colors of your chosen deity. They point to a digital board at their side that lists the task you'll need to complete in order to earn one of these ribbons, and will allow characters to complete a ribbon challenge once a day until the week is over for a total of 7 ribbons if they come each day. You may only earn the ribbon of your assigned deity, so if you are an adherent of Rawna and go to Ainea's temple, even if you complete Ainea's task, you cannot receive her ribbon. The tasks are:

Rawna: Give comfort to someone or ease someone's pain within Rawna's temple to receive a shimmering silver ribbon.
Ainea: Do an act of kindness or show compassion to someone within Ainea's temple to receive a soft pink and purple ribbon.
Diacht: Reveal an honest truth about yourself within Diacht's temple to receive a bold red and white ribbon.
Ohma: Learn something new about or from someone within Ohma's temple to receive a delicate blue and gold ribbon.

Once a task is completed, the priest will remove a ribbon from their box and affix it to your clothing. Don't let anyone steal your ribbons! Good luck keeping them safe, offworlders.

Outdoor party space with hanging lights and flowers

❥ PROMPT V: The Fanciest of Welcome Parties

At the end of the month, once the city square is clean and the ribbons have been distributed to participating citizens, the newest residents of Havenwell will wake to the sound of music floating over the city. During the night while people slept, the natives decorated the city with streamers, brightly colored lanterns, and strings of beautiful lights that glow no matter the hour of the day. The natives have decorated themselves, too, and provide the offworlders with clothing and decorations to match. Garishly colored sashes, brilliantly (artificially) plumed hats, skirts and tunics, boas and fake flower leis - just about anything you can imagine, they're wearing. In and around the city square there are long tables of oddly colored finger foods - orange-colored grapes, bright pink meats, blue cheeses and the like are provided along with golden chocolates, fuchsia frosted cupcakes with pink cake underneath, and minty green cookies. The foods might look strange, but at least they mostly taste like they're supposed to. The citizens are trying, they promise.

All around the fountain depicting the four gods in the center of the square, pre-recorded music is playing and the natives are dancing in pairs, groups, and lines. Join them for a dance and they'll happily teach you the local customs, or break out your own moves and share your world's best moves to earn some applause and awkward attempts at recreating them.

The big game of the night is shared by the natives and it's announced halfway through the party. The culmination of the Ribbon Games is a contest to try and collect a set of four ribbons - one from each different god's temple. The rules are simple:

Attach your ribbons to yourself in a clearly visible location.
Tag and hold someone else for more than 1 minute. You can bear hug them, hold their hands, link arms, anything!
After sustaining contact, you can take one of their ribbons. If you aren't the character who initiated contact, you can't take a ribbon.
Gather one of each god's ribbon in order to win a prize!

If you successfully manage to get all four ribbons, a little shower of confetti will burst from your ribbons and a nice little chunk of Dora will be transferred to your account. This can only work once unfortunately, but it's a nice little bonus for your first month in Havenwell! The party continues late into the night and the natives are happy to keep the party going as long as any of the offworlders wish to keep dancing.

As a reminder, please post your character to the Taken Character list and your own information to the Player Contact list as soon as possible. It helps us keep track of our player cap!

If you have any other questions, please ask them in the QUESTION thread below. Feel free to use the CR/Intro Meme to do OOC plotting. Otherwise, welcome to Hugtopia's first mingle log!

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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"My name is Ib and it's very nice to meet you. May I have your name as well Sir?"

And the entire introduction is done with perfect politeness and a small curtsy, even though it's a bit harder to do so as she is wearing shorts due to her work. All of it picture perfect etiquette like she had been taught such into muscle memory.

"Research Chief Verstael Besithia. 'Chief Besithia' works just fine."

It didn't go unnoticed. She certainly didn't act like the general children on the street.

"On your world, were your parents of some import? Nobility, perhaps?"

"No, Father was a business man and Mother believed everyone should have manners."

Sometimes it felt like her mother was a bit too dependent on manners and what was proper for a young lady. But, Ib didn't say so out loud as it would likely her her mother's feeling if she knew that she wasn't as interested in being proper like her mother wanted.

"'Young Ladies are to always have the best manners.' is what Mother would say."

"It would seem they raised you well. So what events led to you becoming lost? It's unusual for someone at a museum or, perhaps, an 'art show' to become lost. Were there many other people there? Was it a rather large building?"

He doubted staff would let a young child leave by herself. Surely she'd be kept in the building until her parents were found.

"It was only a two floor building, and there were a lot of people, but not enough to feel like it was too many. Father had taken the day off so we could go when it wasn't that busy. I was looking at some art when the lights went out, and then there was no one left in the building but me. Even the front door was locked."

That should have been when she got really scared but she had no idea at the time that wasn't part of the whole coming to see the art. Considering how odd a lot of it was.

"Then someone told me to come down below and there were footprints leading to a painting on the floor and when I followed them I was not in the gallery but somewhere else. Then I met Garry and he promised to help get me out and back home."

"Is there magic on your world?"

The entire story sounded fantastic, and being that it was coming from a nine year old child one couldn't know how much was true or fantasy. He couldn't discount bizarre happenings, though, when he was standing on a world not his own.

"There is a young woman who may come get you. She has another nine year old child as well that you will be able to play with."

Perhaps that would make things easier on her. Children did like doing children things together.

"Not outside of stories, at least that's what Father and Mother says. I never saw anything like magic before. Though Garry said the roses may be a bit like magic."

Which makes the entire painting world thing even more bizarre even as she touches the rose sitting behind her ear in nerves when he mentions another child. The time with Mary is still a bit too fresh in her mind.

"Oh, I don't want to be a bother to her if she's already busy."

"She is an adult, so she can decide what is a bother to her or not. It would be best to keep the children here together so that proper care can be more manageable. For now, just imagine this is a school field trip and behave while everything is settled."

Which didn't seem too out of line for Ib. She hadn't been making much trouble. "The citizens here seem to partake in some nostalgic activities that children might enjoy, so I'm sure she will be able to find things for you two to do."

Ib doesn't verbally respond to what is being told of her. Her upbringing and the tone of the situation making her fall back on being quietly polite, and obedient. Even if she wanted to assure him that she didn't need to be looked after that closely. However she turns to him suddenly in slight worry as she pulls her rose from behind her ear and holds it close to her chest but still clearly visible to Verstael.

"Ah, I don't know how to explain my rose to her sir. Not a lot of people seem to believe me about how important it is."

"You believe you will be harmed if the flower is harmed?"

He had his doubts, but this was a child. No need to be needlessly strict about it.

"I'm sure she can find a pot or other accommodations for you flower. There's no reason it couldn't be kept safe as well."

"It's not a belief, it's the truth."

And while the posture and tone is still perfectly in line for a well behaved child, her chin is up just a little and her eyes have a defiance in them. So many people say they believe her, but she can tell they don't fully or maybe think she's making it seem worse then it is. Until they saw that is.

"I can prove it if you wish sir."

He raised an eyebrow, tilting his head curiously, though he wasn't against someone proving what they said. If she had a way to show proof that was for the best, because he could establish it as fact.

"Very well."

Far be it from him to deny someone the opportunity just because he had his doubts. Many strange things turned out to be true.

There isn't any true hesitation outside of her moving so she is easier to see by him and taking her rose into her hands. One hand holding the stem tightly enough it won't be lost if she flinches, the other already singling out one rose petal. Two fingers pinching it loosely before the grip firms and it's plucked away with one quick movement, like a bandage being ripped away from a wound.

There's a flinch and a small sharp inhale as purple blooms from the bottom of her chin all the way up the right side of her face and ending at her temple. She's silent for now, waiting to see how he reacts before asking to go find a glass of water to fix what she had to do.

Eyes fixed on her in a way that might be intimidating to some - though it wasn't meant to be this time - he stayed silent and watch. A moment of surprise crossed his expression as he witnessed the color of her skin change, and he knelt to take a closer look.

This was a bizarre affliction unlike any he'd ever seen.

But he didn't doubt his own eyes. What this meant was coming up with theories for how it was possible. It also meant finding solutions for the current problem.

He put a hand to his chin as he pondered.

"I don't yet see what could have caused this sort of link. However, it would be best for you to keep it close while we're in foreign territory. I could always build a secure place for it. A portable safe of sorts would be easy enough, with some modifications to replicate sunlight and give it water..."

His mind was skimming through the possibilities.

"The book, it said keep it close. At least that's what Garry thinks it meant when he lost his and felt empty inside. Before the painting lady started ripping it apart. And I don't think it needs sunlight. The painting world was really dark at times and it was all inside a building that didn't make sense."

She can't explain why not being able to see and hold her rose made her feel so scared, but it did. Just like when they fell into the toy box and she was so frantic to find it in case something else did first.

"I've never been away from it since I found it. Never out of the same room, so I don't know if the glass of water will work if I'm not there when I get hurt instead of it."

She said things that didn't make much sense but he listened.

"Should I make a safe that was portable, you would be able to transport it more securely. I don't have the equipment for it yet, but when I'm properly prepared I could investigate the cause of this strange... affliction. If there's a link between yourself and the flower there must be some way to detect how it is happening."

It was a curiosity that intrigued him. When he saw something he didn't understand he had to work at it until he unraveled all its mysteries.

"I didn't understand all the words but would knowing what the book said about them help you? I can spell the words out that I couldn't really read if that would help."

She's at the moment trying not to really think about locking the rose away in any sense at the moment, mostly due to the feeling of being afraid of what would happen if she did feeling like cold water dripping down her back. The talking also reminds her about the throbbing bruise that is one side of her face now, but she isn't sure how to exactly phrase that it hurts without seeming to be rude to the man.

"Is it alright if I find a glass of water, to replace the petal?"

"Replace the petal?"

It didn't seem a mere glass of water should do that, but neither should pulling a petal off a flower hurt a human being. Perhaps he should even re-evaluate the assumption that she was human.

"Very well. It should not be difficult to find some water." He stood. "You can tell me of this book on the way. If there were words you did not understand, they might be important for understanding your situation."

Taking that as a verbal okay to go, Ib starts walking to the closes shop near where they were standing to ask. Luckily most shops that had a replicator or even just basic water lines tended to let her have one if asked without much fuss. A lot of the robots seeming all to happy to give in to such a request even if a few charged a dora or two for it now and again. So it wasn't all that long before she has a small glass of regular water in hand as she closes her eyes for a moment in thought. Trying to remember exactly what words the book used, but knowing some likely weren't right but still close.

"It went something like this Pretty at a glance, but if you get too close, it will I n d u c e pain. It can only bloom in W h o l e s o m e bodies. You and the Rose are C o n n e c t e d know the weight of your own life. When the rose W i t h e r s, so too will you W i t h e r away. It wasn't a lot but after how I first met Garry and how all the bad things tried to get the rose is why Garry made a lot of the rules we followed."

And without any ceremony she places the rose stem first into the water, a small bright light right after water touches stem, the glass is empty. The rose is also once more sporting five full petals and Ib looks as if she had never sported such an ugly bruise at all.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

♥ July 2019 Intro Mingle

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