hugtopia_logs | ♥ December Event Log

♥ December Event Log

December (Ranir) Event Log
The city of Havenwell is recovering very well thanks to your efforts, offworlders. The hole in the wall is sealed up and, while maybe not looking like new, it certainly looks sturdy and safe. The city itself has removed much of the rubble from the battles you fought, and the people are back to their regularly scheduled lives. They're eternally grateful that you continue to put in the time to rebuild this final bastion of civilization and are pleased to see that you enjoyed their festivals so far. As the weather of Ranir turns colder and the nights longer, some may even see snow dust the cobblestone and paved streets in the morning. The time of Rawna has come and with it...

❥ PROMPT I: At Least It's Not a Sweater

a pair of hands holding each other with a red ribbon tied around their wrists

Normally when a new season belonging to a god rolls around, the temple priests gear up and start with temple festivities. Seeing how this is Rawna's month, however, nothing much of the sort seems to be happening. In fact, it's almost as if Rawna's priests don't even care that their god's season has started. Rawna is, after all, chiefly the god of Apathy, so is it all that surprising?

What might be surprising is the sight of Ainea's priests in pairs out around the city in their stead. Each pair carries with them a single bright silver sash and they alternatively stand in broad daylight or hide in the shadows of the buildings. Walk by on your own and you'll be left alone, but when the priests spot two people walking even remotely near each other, they spring into action.

The two robotic priests zip around you and another person with surprising speed, tying the sash off around you - either around your wrists, your waists, your legs, whatever it takes to tie you to another person. With a triumphant buzz of excitement, they declare "Happy Ranir! Kindness comes in many forms!" and depart to find a new pair of ~~victims~~ patrons. As they leave, one of the pair calls out an additional clue for you: "Be kind to unwind!"

Good luck, everyone, you're now stuck with this other person. You can either wait until the sash naturally falls off in a few hours, or you can take the direction of the priests and be kind to the other person to encourage the magical knot to come undone. Each compliment, word of encouragement, or other act of kindness directed at your new partner seems to loosen the sash a little each time, so get to winning the Niceness War.

Oh, and in case you were thinking of blasting, teleporting, or cutting your way out? No amount of magic or physical force seems capable of cutting or removing the sash. Hopefully you went to the bathroom before they got you.

❥ PROMPT II: A Delicious Delight

After a long hard day of dodging Ainea's priests or just slogging through the colder weather around the city, what could be better than imbibing a seasonally festive drink? Well, the scientists in charge of Experiment 73 certainly think so! They've added a limited edition drink selection to all of the replicators and have some delightfully festive booths spread about the city staffed by a few robots wearing Rawna's colors in their sashes and hats. There are five drinks in total to choose from and you should certainly try them! They're only here until the end of the month and then the scientists say they'll be gone! The best things in life are fleeting, aren't they? The best things in life are also surprises, so when you take a sip of these exquisitely delicious (honest! For once they're good) beverages, prepare yourself for a little trick with your treat.

Ginger and Honey Tea: A hot, thoroughly warming drink with the bite of ginger and the sweetness of honey. Drink this and you'll be shored up against the cold, but also feel compelled to tell or blurt out the truth. Whether you're asked a question or trying to tell a little white lie, you find you can't say anything but the truth. This effect lasts for up to an hour after drinking the tea.
Strawberry Shortcake Smoothie: A cold sweet treat of vanilla smoothie topped with sweet strawberry pieces and whipped cream. At the bottom, you'll find a layer of sweet sponge cake cut up into pieces. Drink this with its own special thick straw and enjoy the taste of cake; and the effect of a personal miniature snow cloud that appears over your head. The cloud dusts you and your immediate area within a foot of you with beautiful multicolored snow - and that snow leaves splotches of color behind that last for up to an hour after drinking the smoothie.
Hot Cinnamon Apple Cider: A deliciously steamy beverage that tastes of apple and cinnamon and comes with a cinnamon stick stirrer for effect. This beverage smells as delicious as it tastes and the aroma wafts around the area more strongly than the others. Drink this penultimate holiday drink and you'll find yourself heating up so much that you'll want to stay cold by giving your heat away via holding someone else. You'll want to be everyone's personal heater for up to an hour after drinking the cider.
Gingerbread Latte: A nice piping hot latte with the hint of gingerbread threaded through the coffee, topped with whipped cream and dusted with gingerbread spice. Served in a tall red cup that seems to transfer the heat uncannily well through its thin walls, sip this and you'll find yourself painlessly sprouting an animal's appendage at random. You can have one functioning or non-functioning, cosmetic animal appendage like a cat's ears, a dog's tail, a duck's beak or whatever else you can think of for up to an hour after drinking the latte. They can replace your original body part (e.g. your ears become cat ears) or grow superfluously (e.g. you have regular ears AND cat ears). You can move the appendages or talk with them as if they are your own, but they don't confer any special magical powers with them. So you can fly with those griffin wings, sure, but you're going to need to put the effort into it.
Hot Mulled Wine (alcoholic): This one isn't for children - and in fact, under 18 people might find it hard (but not impossible, be industrious, little ones!) to get their hands on this drink. Red wine is heated with spices and citrus fruit over low heat for several hours - or it would if it wasn't all synthetically created. The effect is the same though, a delicious adult beverage that's a nice way to spend an evening with someone special. And you'll want them to be someone special because drinking the hot wine makes you inclined to get a little steamy with people. Kisses, both chaste and passionate, seem to alleviate the urge which you'll be under for up to an hour after drinking the wine.

❥ PROMPT III: Winter (VR) Wonderland

a wooden lodge at night, blanketed in snow

There isn't quite enough snow on the ground to allow it in reality, but in the VR Cafes anything is possible. This month, the VR Cafes are decorated with snowflakes in odd patterns and designs - holograms, naturally - that spin and change shape and color in a timed routine. Plug into the games and you'll find a new selection among the usual offerings: Winter Wonderland.

There are two modes to Winter Wonderland and each are fun in their own ways.

Snow Fight! Head out into the powdery snow where fantastic snow forts await and battle it out with snowballs to claim the most territory or just see who can hit the other side the most. You can choose Team Battle, Solo 1vs1, or Battle Royale. All magic, skills, and cunning are at your disposal. While the snow might not be falling outside, it's definitely going to be raining down on you here, so bundle up and have some fun. You earned it!

Ski Lodge But maybe you don't want to go flinging snow down someone's shirt and would rather cuddle up on a couch in front of a big warm fire, huh? Sure, we understand that. Welcome to the Ski Lodge, a cozy getaway up in the mountains where you can relax with a hot chocolate (or cider, or glass of wine even) and curl up on the couches and experience a lazy afternoon in thick fluffy sweaters. It's even better with a friend, they say, so why not create this private little getaway for the two (or three or four, we're not judging) of you? For people wanting a romantic lean, you can always slip out the back (and out of your clothes if you prefer) into the private jacuzzi on the wooden deck, too.

For people who want to have some fun tearing it up on the mountain-side though, we suggest trying Ski-venture! A year-round game that lets you ski or snowboard your way down the mountain.

❥ PROMPT IV: A Mysterious Gift [REGAIN EVENT]

Toward the end of the month starting from the 20th and on, some people may find themselves drawn to Rawna's temple late at night, when most of the priests are offline or elsewhere. The only native creatures you can see here are the fledgling rainbow dragons which watch you from their various perches all around the sanctum. As you approach the temple's altar, you realize someone else has been drawn here as well. In the quiet, dim lighting, the barest of candles still burning and the watchful eyes of the dragons, you feel compelled to unburden yourself to the other person. Tell your tale of woe or sorrow, relieve yourself of a secret you've kept hidden for too long, and listen to your companion as well. They say a burden shared is a burden halved after all.

Once you've both shared something, a pair of dragonlings crawl up into the altar's clawed hands. They wind around each other until an iridescent light shines from their scales. The light is blinding and you must look away as it reaches its pinnacle and releases a burst of rainbow light. When you look back, the dragonlings are slithering away and in their places are two objects - one familiar to you and one to your partner - so long as both of you have shared. It seems your tithe has been rewarded with something from home.

OOC: These items from home must be approved by a mod. They cannot exceed the Medium Item regain limit. It cannot be a power or other ability. It cannot be something your character did not own or have knowledge of in their canon or their CRAU. Please post your regain request in the Regain Request thread before threading out the receipt of the item.

This event will run from December 6th to December 31st. Click on each prompt's title to see the text. You are welcome to use this log, or create entries of your own! If you have any questions, feel free to direct them to the FAQ or to the Mod Question thread.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[And lo, there was that familiar violet flower unfurling out of his pocket. There was another soft sound, and then big blue eyes peeked up at Noctis as Vianca blinked them open.

... Huh? Huh?? Oh no.

Suddenly deeply embarrassed, Vianca reached up and gingerly pulled the pocket flap back down regardless of how much of her flower was still sticking out the side. Bye.]

[Nope, nope, that won't do. Absolutely not. He could just reach in and pluck her out, but he doesn't want to risk accidentally grabbing her flower, so instead he pokes at the little lump in his pocket and wiggles his finger. Maybe she's ticklish or something.]

[Judging by the amount of tiny sounds stirring up inside his pocket: seems probable. There's a whole bunch of extra wiggling, and then Vianca popped her face back out from under the flap to wave a tiny hand at his finger. Stop! Fine! Fiiine! You win!]

[Hah, victory! He relents and lowers his hand, gesturing it instead towards an empty spot next to him.]

Well? I think someone's got some explaining to do.

[Like how long has he failed to notice this?]

[Vianca made a distinctly deflated sound, guiltily sliding out of his pocket with a little buzz of her wings. It wasn't long before that empty spot next to him was filled with a little girl rubbing the sleep from her eyes.]

... I'm sorry. It was chilly earlier.

[Ah, crap, she looks so woeful now. Can't have that.]

It's fine, I don't mind. I'm just impressed by your stealth, I guess. I didn't even notice it happen.

[Vianca peeked up at him, but he really didn't seem to mind. That was good.]

You were a little pre-occupied. [Sleeping? VR? Gosh who knows.] I meant to only stay a little while, but... It's very comfortable in there.

...Yeah, sounds about right. [Both the pre-occupied part and the comfort. It sure looks like it would be comfy; he kind of wishes he could become tiny and hide in a pocket for a while, now that he knows it's possible for someone to do it. Plus it's his favourite jacket for a reason.] You should probably get home soon, though, it's pretty late.

[Who knows, Noctis, in the world of strange occurrences and events you might just get that wish someday.]

Oh. [It was a touch softer than usual as she folded her hands in her lap. Home. Right.]

Yes, it does seem rather late. [Actually, where... were they? Vianca gave a curious glance around the moodily lit temple, only noticing the dragon god after a moment.] Why are you here so late, Noctis?

[He glances sidelong at her. What's with that tone?]

...Dunno. You ever get a feeling, like you need to be somewhere but you don't know why?

[He's no stranger to the summons of gods, and this particular pull was a lot more gentle than what he's used to. Sometimes it's better to just go along with it and hope for the best.]

[Curious eyes found him again as she tilt her head. She was familiar with the concept of course, she'd read more than enough stories that had the draw of a higher power involved. Destinies, fates, divine purpose... those were all kind of heavy things, and not the sort of things that she would ever be important enough for.]

Hmm. I'm not sure if I have.

[Not the draw at least.]

Though... sometimes it feels Right to be where I am.

Sure, it's close enough to the same thing. It's like I was called here, but I didn't hear any voices. Instinct, maybe...?

[He glances down at his bracer hand, clenching and unclenching it a few times, the gesture habitual.]

I think... I knew to come here because I've done this before. Got pulled somewhere by gods, or their Messengers...

[This felt a little familiar. It was dryer this time, but the air was still chilly and the flicker of firelight was still dancing across their faces. She glanced down with him at his hand, quiet for a few moments. This was one of those times where it kind of felt like being where she was was the right place to be.

So she scooted over a little, completing that memory by leaning on him carefully to lend her warmth and her ear.]

Like when they called you on your mission?

[He leans back in kind, quietly appreciative, though more gently of course, since his weight would likely just bowl her over. He doesn't answer at first, reluctant to get into it; she's heard the basics already, there's no need to go deeper. And she's a sensitive kid- he doesn't want to worry her with things that can't be changed here. The more he resists, though, the more that urge to speak bubbles up within him. That same pull he'd felt from his house to the moment he sat down here, only the end goal is different.

Is this Rawna's trial? Being honest? Feels more like Diacht's thing, from what he's heard, but fine, okay. Time will tell whether this is easier than fighting an Astral.]

...Yeah. The first time, I wasn't told where to go or what to do. Just got this splitting headache, with a vision of Titan- and it wouldn't go away until I found him. Gods don't like it if you try to say no.

[He glances up at the altar, confused rather than angered by it. Why him, why this moment? For a god that isn't even his?]

[She's a worrywart sometimes, she knows, but everything was far more worrisome when left to speculation. Big imaginations meant big worries sometimes. Knowledge made things easier to understand. What she knew of Noctis and his Astrals left a lot up to speculation, so of course it was going to be a worry...! It wasn't something that Vianca had gotten the impression that Noctis was comfortable really talking about, so bringing it back up on his own had her attention on every word.]

They don't, but they love to make things a guessing game anyway.

[That includes you, Rawna. If she sat and laid out what Rawna meant for people, she might have clued in a little bit, but she wasn't thinking about these gods right now.]

Right...

[He lifts one hand to grip his wrist over the glove, pulling it close to his chest, almost in a protective manner.]

The more I hear, about the past, and the future... the more I'm starting to worry. If I'm doing enough. If I'm enough. What good is all this power or the Astrals' blessings if I can't use it to protect the people who matter the most to me? And if I can't do that much, how am I supposed to fix the whole world?

[His voice drops to a whisper, almost as quiet as she, and his eyes clench shut.]

Why'd they choose me...?

[Vianca took it all in quietly. She watched. She listened. Those were the things she could do, and it seemed... like those were the things that he needed, right now. Someone to listen, who didn't already have expectations of him. Even with all the whispering thoughts that he was important, that there was something greater than both of them going on, Noctis was still just Noctis to Vianca.

A silly boy who did silly things that was endlessly kind to her for some reason. Someone that made her feel braver than she was. A person who did not deserve the weight of the world on their shoulders. But did anyone?

Vianca nestled herself in closer, leaning more heavily against him as if maybe this was enough to help carry the load. What else was a pikmin to do, but help bear those burdens? She was just one, so she could not carry many, but she'd try.]

I don't know. [She wouldn't pretend.] But...

You inspire people. Make them brave and give them hope. Those are not easy things to give.

[She reached over herself to gently pat his side and curl her fingers in his jacket.]

You're you. That's enough.

[Her words are kind; he listens, as she had, hand clenching and unclenching around his opposite wrist as he breathes, in and out. He wants that. Wants it so badly that it aches- to be himself, to continue to be himself. But he's had to change and grow over the course of his journey, and the more he experiences, the more he learns of his destiny, the more he wonders how long he can resist changing completely. How far has he come from the naive prince who reluctantly left home to wed a friend as terms of a peace treaty, the lazy, outspoken child who'd sulked and complained when destiny dragged him down headlong into war? He understands so much better now, how the man he met here will become the father he knew growing up. Distant, serious, firm. A quietly suffering pillar of the city, crumbling inch by inch over time as the wall siphoned away everything that made him who he is. With the weight of that on his shoulders, with so much depending on the strength of the throne, how could a king not change?

How can he not change?]

I don't... know if it will be. If I can stay the way I am and still do everything they expect from me. It's selfish, right? If the world needs me to change so that I can save it, or if the Astrals or the Crystal change me to use their power, then I have to. I... I will.

[His hand shifts, curling in the fabric of his shirt. Gripping the ring of the Lucii, tucked out of sight on the chain around his neck. It's cold, and it whispers. It always whispers. The ring needs him to change, too.]

...But... I'm scared. I don't want to.

[Pyra had asked him to promise that he wouldn't become a tool of the gods. He'd said he wouldn't, as long as that choice was his. In the end, though, will it be? What even happens when he forges the last covenant, when all the runes are in place and he finds the Crystal at last? What does he mean to be crowned, to be the King of Light? What kind of choice will be left for him? There's so much he doesn't know, and that scares him too.

I'm the Chosen, not the Chooser. Who knew that his own words would haunt him in retrospect.]

It's okay to be scared.

[Spoken loud enough for both of them. There was nothing wrong with being afraid. It was natural, just as change was. She didn't know his gods, didn't know his duty, but she knew change. From red to white to pink. The differences between quiet and silence. Leaf to bud to flower. Farewells that had no one to hear them, leaving only what came after. The need to seek change, because people needed you and change was all you could do.]

It's okay.

[Vianca held his jacket a little tighter, looking up at him as her voice softened again.]

Change is frightening when you have to face it. You won't always know what will happen, or how far it will take you. You're changing already though, because you are living and growing like a flower does. Everyday you are a little different from who you were yesterday.

[He was a bud, just waiting to bloom.]

You will change, but you will still be you no matter what shape you take. They can't take Noctis away from you.

[It's okay to be scared. That's not something he usually hears. It's always been: be strong, be stronger. Endure whatever comes along, keep pushing forward. It's the way of kings. You have to be able to put the needs of the people before yourself, there's no time or space for the sort of weakness that can make you falter. But... to be scared, and to show that to the world... here, things are different. There's some leeway here, no kingdom, no Crystal, no Astrals. A world to save, but not his world, and he isn't the Chosen, so the burden isn't his alone to bear. If he's weak, there are others who can be strong until he rises again. Maybe... that's okay for a while.

Slowly, he opens his eyes, glancing down first at his own gripped fist, then to her, where she's curled against his side. His expression softens; he shouldn't be saying all of this, she doesn't deserve to have his fears shoved onto her. If not for this place, he'd never have said it at all. There's something... uncomfortably freeing about having it spoken aloud, but it's very much a mixed blessing. Saying it won't change the reality of his existence or instantly dispel those fears.

She's right, though. He's changed a lot already, but it's still him. As long as he can hold on to that and just- adapt, without losing the core of who he is? Then surely, it'll be okay. She's right. Or...]

I... hope you're right. I'd like that to be true, when it's over.

[One hand is still holding the ring beneath his shirt, but the other lifts and curls around her, pulling her into a half-hug. Whatever happens in the future, she's helping him now, and that means a lot. He can be grateful for that if nothing else.]

[Some of the bravest people Vianca knew were brave not despite their fears, but because of them. They had something to prove, something to lose, something they desperately wanted to keep safe. They wanted to be enough.

Vianca gently nestled her head against his side, nodding slightly.]

I believe it will.

[Even if, in the end... it was an end. A flower's life was fleeting, after all. She knew that well enough, didn't she?]

It might not be much help but... I know you will always be Noctis to me. [And softer still, a truth she was confident in:] I feel braver, knowing you.

[Is it weird that he has trouble believing that? He hasn't felt especially brave or inspiring recently. There are moments, sure. The attack at the wall, boasting his exploits to his father, experimenting and making strides with magic that he's been afraid to fail at for literally years. Taking those nerve-wracking (but ultimately wonderful) first few steps with Luna, finally finding the words he'd been holding back for so long.

There's still so much that needs to be done, though. So much he doesn't know. So much that terrifies him. He wants to learn magic; the path to doing so is in his hands, and he's scared to put it on and try. He wants to prevent horrible things from happening in the future; he's scared of what might not be preventable and won't ask what that future is.]

...Why? How?

[Brave he might be, facing down a daemon or monster, but he's a coward in so many other ways.]

[It hadn't quite occurred to her that this might get called in to question, so she didn't have an immediate answer for it. Not in words, at least. Voicing a thought or an opinion was one thing. Putting her worries into tangible words wasn't something she'd ever had reason to do.

She could only remember one time anyone had asked, and she hadn't felt the need to answer the question. That wasn't quite the same tonight. There was a part of her that wanted to try, that was just... tired.]

It... feels safe with you, to try and be me.

[Vianca drew her knees up to her chest, watching the flickering candle lights.]

I did not change shapes often, before.

[Safe... that, he can understand well enough. Helping people has kind of been his thing for a while, mostly since leaving home. The world isn't safe, so if he can do his part to make it better, he's satisfied. This world is very different, but not without risk. For someone so timid and quiet, not to mention young...]

...How come?

[He can imagine a few reasons for her to hide it, of course. Being different can net you unwanted attention; it can be scary, or it can affect how people treat you. He knows that flavour, even if the majority of his experiences are likely tame compared to what she might have known, with how different her forms are.

He won't make assumptions, though, so instead he asks.]

I... did something wrong.

[At least, she believed she did. It was a thought that had never been spoken out loud before now, not even once. It had stayed right there, untouched and unchallenged since the moment she had thought it. Every thing that had happened had been her own fault, something she had quietly accepted as everyone around her simply accepted her growing quieter and quieter as something that was just Normal.]

I... stood out too much. They knew I was pretending to be a person. Maybe because I am not very good at it. Or I was too bright. I looked different, before. They didn't like it.

[This was a lot, for her. Saying this much felt like more than she should have been saying, but now that she had started she couldn't figure out how to stop.]

They strung us up after... things happened. It was very cold. It hurt. [She tried to wear long sleeves and socks whenever possible, just in case the faint memories on her skin came into question.] People got very mad, and there was a lot of fighting.

So I wanted people to forget.

[That she was even there.]

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