♥ November Event Log

[hugtopiamods]

November (Malom) Event Log
The chaos of Lasohm's invasion is still fresh in the mind, but it's over. The ugly scar of the hole in Havenwell's wall is a jarring reminder that this world is dying and nothing goes quietly into that dark night. The phantom is gone as Malom overtakes Lasohm, the weather turning colder and chillier with each passing day. Still, the city of Havenwell has all of you offworlders to thank for its survival, and the fearful citizens make sure you know just how much they appreciate you by stopping you on the street to say their thanks. Your new home still needs your help to recover from their ordeal though, so will you lend them your strength once more?

---

❥ PROMPT I: Rebuilding Effort

The magic barrier over the hole that unknown monster punched through Havenwell's wall is repaired, stopping the onslaught and encouraging any other nightmares that lurk outside to move on and away, but the hole itself remains. Throughout the month of Malom, robot natives are working tirelessly to gather bricks and stone and patch the breach, but they could use some help. Work together with other offworlders and natives alike to repair the wall and be rewarded with a handsome bump to the Dora in your bank account. They need all sorts of help, from clearing away the dead bodies of the spider-like creatures for cremation, to retrieving and hauling stone for the wall, to actually slotting the heavy blocks into place to cement them back together.

Outside the barrier, now clearly visible through the hole, a storm rages on, obscuring the view of the world beyond it. Gray and black clouds whip against the invisible barrier, and occasional debris slams into it, causing the impact site to light up with silver, pink, blue, or white hues before it fades away again. It seems even without monsters, the world outside is as inhospitable as was rumored.

Work together or take a break along the base of the wall and get to know your fellow offworlders a little better. It's going to take a while before this mess is cleaned up.

❥ PROMPT II: Air Sickness

Those who worked at or were near the breach in the wall for any extended period of time will notice that, over time, it gets harder to breathe. Then they begin to feel feverish, even if they don't have flesh bodies or are immune to disease. Their bodies ache and groan and it gets harder to move about without help. Once the natives notice, they set up a recovery area away from where the breach occurred: a giant tent with cots and pillows, thick rugs and blankets to keep the chill away. Unfortunately, they don't have medicines available to treat flesh bodied people, so they're at a loss of what to do otherwise. The priests gather anyone who is ill and brings them here...which is when a curious thing occurs.

While conventional medicines and healing spells seem to have no effect on the illness, staying in contact with another person alleviates the symptoms. After a period of contact with another person or persons, the fever breaks and it's like you were never sick at all.

Return to the wall, however, and you'll notice your symptoms coming back with a vengeance after a few days. It seems that making regular trips between the wall and this recovery tent is the only way to keep working. At least it's an easy fix so long as you're not a germaphobe.

❥ PROMPT III: A Tasty(?) Reward

Toward the end of the month as the hole in the wall is completely repaired and the risk of illness declines, a message is sent to all the offworlders' communication devices. Those who choose to open it will find a very official looking message from The Havenwell Council that reads:

Greetings, Saviours of Havenwell!
We of the Havenwell Council greet you and wish to express our eternal gratitude for your valiant efforts to keep our wonderful home safe. Without you, we would not have survived this terrible onslaught. As such, we wish to express our gratitude in a more concrete form. Your emissary, Magolor, has been in contact with this venerable Council and has brought to our attention that your greatest concern is for the food available. We apologize that due to our inability to taste we have been unable to supply you with satisfactory meals.

To that end, we invite you to work with our scientists to improve upon the taste of currently available offerings from our replicators. Please come to the Northern Research Tower (map included) at any time this month to sample what our replicators can produce and give us feedback on their flavour and textures. We ask that you be as specific as possible in your criticisms so we may improve upon your general quality of life. Please feel free to bring as many friends as you wish.

May the Gods Protect You,
Havenwell Council, Community Liaisons

Those who take the invitation will arrive at the Northern Research Tower and be taken directly to the 40th floor, where a large banquet hall has been laid out. Five rectangular tables, over 5 meters long each, stretch down the room, creating aisles for people to walk down. At the far end are several high round tables, covered in white cloth, and high round stools for those who wish them. The tables are overflowing with food, much like the welcome dinner, but at each table and scattered throughout the room are scientist robots with arm bands that read "Experiment 73" in that peculiar Aellyn script you saw during your time at the Archives. They invite you to taste the foods - both raw and cooked - and to give your very honest opinions.

Enjoy the food, help them improve the flavours, and walk the room to talk with the others who have come. Those who participate will receive a small synthetic fruit basket to take home with them on their first visit. Feel free to come back as often as you like, however! Each time, they'll be changing and adjusting the food available so your first and last visit may be very different. Perhaps that strawberry actually even tastes sweet, finally.

❥ PROMPT IV: A Virtual Spa

The VR cafes are uncharacteristically quiet while the rebuilding effort goes on, but there are still those who come to plug in to unwind after a day of intensive labor. And what better way to unwind than with a hot bath, right? Since the people of Havenwell can't actually submerge themselves in water, they're doing the next best thing: going to a virtual hot spring. There are several types to choose from and despite being digital, their calming and soothing effects on the body seem very real. Choose from:

• The Classic Outdoors: a rock lined hot spring with natural rock floors and steamy mineral infused waters nestled in the mountains. All around you is beautiful greenery like a sweeping pine and low fragrant bushes. The serene air and the calm forest is only occasionally broken by the sound of a wooden pipe thudding hollowly against a rock at a steady interval or the sound of birdsong off in the trees. The relaxing atmosphere is enough to set even the tightest wound nerves at ease.
  
  
• The Marbled Columns: white and painted marble columns lead to a series of different shaped baths with statues of the gods pouring water into them. Each bath has a different healing property, which is clearly marked with a plaque at the rim of each: good for your circulation, your bones, your aches and pains, even acne and metabolic rate. The columns support a beautiful open ceiling that shows the perfectly blue sky overhead dotted with the occasional cloud.
  
  
• The Steamy Sauna: though seemingly austere in their white tile and deep blue bath basins, the air here is thick and steamy and the baths are deep with hand-rails leading down steps to help you enter. All around the basins are stone or wooden benches with towels laid down for those who wish to simply sit and let the warm air open their lungs. If you get too hot? Grab a bucketful of cold water from one of the freestanding tubs and douse yourself to get a shock and cool off.
  
  
• The Milk-and-Honey: a beautifully tiled bath with a large shallow rectangular basin. The surrounding walls and ceilings have blue, white, and gold geometric designs laid out with loving care in pleasant designs that ease the mind. The bath water here is filled with a concoction of milk and honey to soothe and smooth the skin, filling the air with a pleasing sweet scent. The effects of these baths on a person's skin is said to make them glow from the inside out for at least a day after bathing.
  
  
• The Theme Park: the first thing to greet you is the comically oversized bottle of red wine tipped to pour a continuous stream of red liquid into the large crystalline bath basin. The smell of wine is heavy but pleasant in the air and the crystalline basin is round and shaped like a wine glass. Climb up the glass steps and give yourself a good old soak in the red water. You might even find that taking a dip here gives you a heady happiness that lasts all day. And if it feels like you're a little drunk while there? That has to be your imagination! ...Maybe.

Hot springs are great to experience with friends to deepen that feeling of skinship you have with each other, and several Havenwell natives are doing just that. But what about those who don't have a friend to log in with? Don't worry! The game will randomly select another player from this or another facility and match you together. Isn't that nice? We're sure it is! Who doesn't want to talk to someone else while naked, right?

---

This event will run from November 14th to the 31st. 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 here.

Comments

ignis scientia | ffxv

[promittere]

a; experiment 73
[Ignis isn't much for construction work, unfortunately. He wants to help out, but he knows he would only be in the way. So he stays home, working on solving the mystery Regis laid before him, though he doesn't get very far.

(Sometimes, two heads are better than one.)

Still, one thing he can help with is food. While some of the creations of the replicator are completely foreign to him - he has no idea what a chicken or a cow is - he still knows food.]

This isn't supposed to stay crunchy after you cook it.

[He's talking about onions, standing next to a scientist. He's been here for...a while, now.]

Yes, I'm sure you can improve on it.

[The robot shuffles away, and he sighs softly.]

This is going to be more of an endeavor than I imagined.

virtual relaxation
[If he had it his own way, he wouldn't go - and it's not like anyone told him to go, he just...imagined there are people out there who would want to see him relax. So a virtual spa day it is!

Though he could have gone without the nudity.

Also, it seems like they've improved their technology since the last time he used a headset, because instead of being greeted by a voice telling him what's going on he, he can...see. He can actually see the person in front of him, and he visibly startles. He wasn't expecting that, and after so long getting used to his lack of vision he's thrown for a loop.]

Ah, my apologies. I...wasn't expecting to see you.

[Is that a fucking pun--]

wildcard;
[Feel free to throw something at me, or hit me up at daintily to plan something!]

hell yeah hot springs episode

[scourgingstars]

[There was a quick splash as Ardyn ducked lower in the water out of surprise; long violet hair tied up a bit messily and a harsh scar from a stab wound in the middle of his chest, the visible difference between him now and the monster in Altissia was perhaps literally night and day.]

S-sorry, I...well, I thought I might see what all the fuss was about these devices...and, ah--sh-should I leave? Perhaps I should leave.

[Not the least of which being that he seemed legitimately self-conscious.]

[promittere]

[He's not expecting for Ardyn to be so incredibly awkward - which, really, is perhaps exactly what he should be expecting. The man is like a particularly skittish kitten on a good day.

Ignis shrugs, lowering himself into the water. It's warm, and that's precisely what he needs.]

It's cold outside of the water. It would perhaps be best to stay for a while yet.

[Enjoy the experience and all that.]

[scourgingstars]

[He sank a little lower as though he wanted to vanish on the spot, shifting to put his back a little more to a wall.]

V...very well. So long as the company doesn't bother you.

a:

[flawed_immortality]

Tell me about it.

[Cor slides into a seat beside Ignis, leaning heavily on the table and heaving a put upon sigh.]

Have you given up on coffee yet? It's hard enough with the basics but they're hopeless when it comes to the subtleties of coffee.

[promittere]

Not quite.

[He turns towards the sound of Cor's voice, a small smile on his face.]

I am certain some day they'll be able to replicate the complexities.

[Just, you know, when he's old and gray.]

[flawed_immortality]

In my lifetime?

[That's a very far off someday, Ignis. Despite his frustration, though, Cor chuckles softly.]

I've been trying to correct them on texture mostly... I made the mistake of attempting to make sushi recently.

hot springs also 1/2

[iustaegis]

[ ...He's not who she expected to see within the hot spring, either, and she holds the towel to herself as the water laps around her shoulders, seating within the spring along with him. She is also surprised that he can see at all, and-- ]

[iustaegis]

[ Excitedly she moves to him, eyes glistening as her gaze sweeps over him to meet his own. His are of a deep blue-green, reminding her of the canopies of rich and lush forests scraping against the sky above, ever reaching higher towards the heavens. While his scars still mar his face, they do little distract from the marvel that is, well, this.

She reaches for his hands, enthusiastic. The water ripples around them. ] I wasn't expecting for you to, ah, to see me, either!

[ She searches his face, eyes alight like the sun, and then it's back to his eyes once more. ] Incredible. [ A softer giggle follows, and she ask, ] Well? Do you "recognize" me?

[promittere]

I would be hard pressed not to, I believe.

[And it's honest. While he's never seen his face before, he doesn't think he could mistake her for anyone else. She has a presence to her he could sense even without his eyes, and seeing her in the flesh - for as much as he supposes a virtual recreation counts - just makes it more apparent.]

They've improved their technology since the last time I used it.

a; experiment 73

[kingkingcxiii]

If it is any consolation, the color is at least a little better.

[While his own road trip was the most experience Regis ever had with cooking, he does know some kinds of onions have a light reddish-purple coloration. Of course, those are generally eaten raw not cooked into a meal.]

At least they're not bright blue in this dish. I'm still not certain what they did to cause that in the other.

[promittere]

That is somewhat reassuring, yes.

[They're...kind of improving? Sort of?]

I'm not sure if the strange colors are strictly the fault of the technology, or if they are truly unaware of what things should look like.

[kingkingcxiii]

It may be some of both or merely because they have forgotten how some ingredients interact with each other.

[He taps the rim of a dish that is in front of Ignis and slightly to the right.]

This one has blueberries in it, but it's turned the whole dish an unfortunate bluish-purple. While that might be fun for a child, it's not really something an adult would want to see on their plate. I truly fear for the fate of any garment this might get spilled on.

FOOD

[unsunderworld]

[Ignis is hardly the only one giving complex critique; indeed, the voice of the other man, smooth and mildly accented, is probably one he's been hearing in the general vicinity for some time before Emet-Selch actually approaches him. Most recently, he would have been heard verbally dissecting the various fruits.

When that android is gone, he resumes his wandering, footsteps accompanied by the gentle sweep of some heavy fabric along the floor. From the sound of it, he's quite tall, though likely slim and not that heavy. Ignis' overheard comments get a chuckle.]

I suppose such is the limitations of language - it's difficult indeed to describe the exact differences in flavor between a raspberry and a blackberry, no?

[promittere]

[Ignis' hearing is sharp, so he's well aware of the other man - and he's also aware that his voice is familiar. The tone, the cadence, that's something he's heard before, albeit behind doors and walls. A friend of Ardyn's, he knows, despite not knowing the man at all.]

Yes - there are only so many words one can use. Tart, sweet...nothing that really covers the complexities of flavor.

[He cocks his head.]

Though you seem to be making a commendable effort.

[unsunderworld]

I have the gift of far too long of using words behind me, I may as well put it to some productive use.

[Most of his other talents aren't particularly useful at the moment, after all. Little use for an architect in a fully built city; little use for one who sees the life of a dead world.

Ignis can't see how his gaze pauses just briefly on the scarring, but the consequence of it is apparent enough. Congratulations, Ignis, here's one person you won't need to explain your blindness to.]

Hot Springs Episode Take #576832

[twistedempathy]

[Will always likes to take a foray into the VR cafe's new offerings, to scope things out and see if there's anything he wants to share with friends. And what better setting for test running this program than a peaceful solo soak in some scenic mountains? The air is crisp and earthy, the sound of strange, unfamiliar birdsong keeps the area from being eerily silent, and the water is perfectly steamy without being too hot to bear. All in all, he quite approves! The only thing that might make this better--

--Would be a friend to share it with. Well, hello there. Will grins welcomingly up at Ignis without missing a beat.]

I could say the same thing. Did Regis bully you into taking a day off?

[promittere]

[Who wears a mask into a hot spring? Will, apparently. Ignis is mildly confused by this - he had no idea Will wore a mask at all - but he recognizes the voice enough that he can now put a face to it.]

I wouldn't say that I was forced, no.

[But he does know that there are several people who would have gladly done just that.]

I thought I would see how things were improving, and it seems they've made quite a few advancements.

[twistedempathy]

Isn't it amazing? They've really made a lot of improvements! You picked a good time to test it out.

[Good boy, Ignis should take some time to relax every once in a while of his own volition. Now he doesn't have to fuss at him at all. He raises a hand from the water to make a welcoming gesture instead.]

Come take a load off?

[shroudedsecrets]

[It turns out the one thing Ignis is more suited for is one of Honerva's... well, weaker areas. Which is likely why not long after the first robot talking to him walks away, another one... approaches him, asking for his opinion on a beef dish.

... seems they didn't get the memo that he's less familiar with those kinds of meats, but he was the closest person in the vicinity.]

My apologies, but you seemed more likely to offer... a more accurate opinion.

[The soft, measured tone might vaguely be familiar.]

[promittere]

[It is familiar - Ignis has always been good with voices, and having to rely on that to identify people has just made him better. He tilts his head in greeting.]

I'm not quite familiar with beef, though if it tastes absolutely dreadful that's still something that needs to be addressed.

[He seems to be in a good mood, at least!]

[shroudedsecrets]

Perhaps. However, there are nuances in what they are asking for that I am unable to provide.

[And there's a reason she's heading over to a relative stranger to ask rather than the people she lives with, in this case. She's not ready to be drilled by the twins over the subtleties of seasonings or the way certain things should be cooked. That and, she does not exactly have a preference for meat.

The robot pipes up immediately about the dish, about how it's supposed to be medium rare, a replica of a rib roast, certainly with an implication of a higher quality involved when it comes to a meal serving.]

hot springs heck yeah~

[carbungle]

[Noctis is already in the water when Ignis arrives, facing towards the wall of the bath, arms folded on the ledge as a makeshift pillow. He wasn't sleeping just yet - more of an in-progress - so he lifts his head at the voice.]

Sure, whatever. There's plenty of- [-and then he stops, sitting bolt upright.] Wait, you can see in here!?

[promittere]

[Stop napping everywhere, Noctis!]

It seems that I can.

[It's...nice, to see Noctis again. The last thing he ever saw becomes one of the first things he sees again - it's just a recreation, something projected into his mind, but he didn't realize how much he missed being able to see until he could again.]

I don't know how they've managed that, admittedly.

a

[thermoregulate]

[ Overhearing the remarks, Todoroki momentarily pauses before speaking when he has the chance. Maybe the scientist will keep listening. ]

Not entirely, but it depends. You can coat them in batter and deep-fry them, for one.