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

Home is what one makes of it, regardless of location or company. I wouldn't have thought my home to have been with my brother's descendants, and yet it is as much so to me as staying with Aera is.

My home is Ishgard. [ The emphasis speaks of love and warmth; belonging and family. ] A nation which loathed me for who and what I am, but for however cold it was and can still be in all ways, there is a warmth within.

[ Era offers him a wane smile. ] I never had a father, you know. Then the father of my dearest friend took me in despite what it would mean for his reputation, to have an outsider — an Auri woman, in particular — as his ward...

Eventually he told me I was like the daughter he never had, and it was an odd thing. [ She lifts a hand to rest lightly over her heart, contemplative. ] Even after I let his beloved son die, still he cherishes me as a child of his own.

[ A quick, rueful shake of her head. ]

But that is a different sort of home, I think. Can a person have more than one?

Edited 2019-12-10 22:01 (UTC)

Mm...I think so, so long as one feels welcomed there. Would you not agree?

I'm not sure. It isn't something I've truly pondered on overmuch.

[ Her Carbuncle takes a sudden turn, darting away, and Era pauses, then hastily goes the other, leading them into another more shaded alleyway. Were it not for Ardyn's company she would parkour to the rooftops now, but she knows of his sensitivity to light. ]

But on the subject of my dwelling, would you mind assisting me with something?

Of course, if I'm able. What is it you need?

[ She makes a very obvious gesture with her hand to indicate his height, then gestures to herself. ]

I cannot reach high enough to decorate.

Well...certainly, but decorate for what?

The Starlight Celebration. It is Eorzea's winter festival.

I fear I'm obviously unfamiliar. All the same, I would love to be of help to you.

It is a celebration of selflessness, unity, and generosity of those both past and present. Children are given gifts, and loved ones spend cherished moments together. It originated in the Holy See of Ishgard and spread across the continent thereafter.

[ With her makeshift home now in sight, Era picks up her pace. ]

H— Our mutual friend is not all too familiar with Ishgard, though I don't doubt he's familiar with Starlight. I think it would be fun to surprise him with festivity.

So not wholly unlike the winter solstice festivals of long past, I presume. Good, at least that holds the passing air of familiarity.

[. . .]

You're not much for keeping secrets, are you? Rest assured I am already aware of our friend's name, so you needn't fear a simple slip of the tongue.

Most worlds seem to have a similar celebration around the height of winter. The most common I've learned of is one called 'Christmas'.

[ Her cheeks redden, because while she doesn't necessarily keep secrets for herself, she is good at keeping them for others. This is just a ... unique circumstance. ]

It is... difficult. He gave me his name to use, and so it is what I call him. Yet it is not mine to share, and so I must refer to him by other means even if it does not feel right. [ A small, petulant huff. ] And I will not call him Emet-Selch.

It is far from my right or desire to question what one chooses to call themselves. I merely refer to him as he introduced himself to me, considering I learned his name through less than ideal means.

[He shook his head, offering a small shrug.]

Regardless. Let's see this conversation done in the safety of home, shall we?

He likes when people call him by his name. [ Era gives Ardyn a considering look. ] ...You should use it one day. I imagine he could do with hearing it uttered from another's lips, and you are not merely his friend, but also more his equal than I could ever be.

[ There is something worn and defeated in her tone at that, though not necessarily sad. Just... accepting. That he will never be able to consider her his equal even were he desired to. ]

It would not do to let him forget who he is.

[ She fumbles with the door, and upon feeling a searing pain build up beneath her skull she falters. Stumbles. Lifts her hands to press curled fingers deep to her temples as she doubles over from the agony, unable to do more than let out a sharp, choking gasp before she loses touch with the present. ]

Oh, I would never dare assume myself anywhere truly near his level. Next to an existence like his, even my own barely registers.

[But the line of thought was swiftly abandoned as Era doubled over, Ardyn quickly taking the last few steps to her side in obvious concern.]

Era, what's-

['The Starscourge is a disease. With the proper treatment, anyone can be spared. We must not condemn our fellow man and exile them as though they were monsters.']

[The voice was Ardyn's, but the memory not yet fully formed or distinct; fading in and out like a radio not quite correctly tuned. It was blurry at first before settling upon a darkened room; inside was a woman, writhing and struggling against the bonds holding her down. Patches of her skin were blackened, spreading visibly through corrupted veins along arms, neck, and face--her eyes had turned black, a feral snarling building in her throat as she thrashed furiously. Outside, the fervent and near-hysterical plea was one he'd heard countless times. 'Lord Ardyn, please, you must save my daughter!']

['Of course,' he answered, and the man in white stepped inside as calm as anything. A hood was pulled back from his face; though recognizably Ardyn he bore darker and shorter hair along with steel blue eyes. As the woman snarled and snapped at him like a feral creature, he calmly sat down beside her and extended a hand...the darkness lifted from her skin and eyes, vanishing into a dissolving black miasma. Once it had drained from her skin and eyes, the afflicted woman merely sank down and fell asleep, exhausted.]

[The smallest of smiles broke through his stoic expression, relief for one more person saved--and then like a knife the pain lanced through his arm, a burning sensation like acid beneath his very skin. The same dark corruption ran along his arm to his wrist, staining his skin and turning his own eyes the same black and gold--]

['My lord Ardyn-?']

[-and in an instant, he pulled the hood back into place and willed it out of sight, repressed it as hard as he could to lay dormant and quiet that he could give the girl's family some reassurance as they gave him their tearful gratitude...just as countless others already had.]

[The metaphorical needle skipped on the record, and when it resettled the dark room was replaced by a forest; the distant shouts of palace guards looking for someone, and the sage in white less than elegantly tripping and falling down a cliff. Fortunate enough to be out of sight--his whole body ached terribly, and he knew damn well he couldn't run any further. His brother's guards were relentless when they caught word or sight of him, and if they caught him...well, no doubt in his mind that Somnus would see him executed on the spot.]

[Why? Why was this happening? Why couldn't his own brother understand there was no other way? Purging the ailment through fire, worsening the fear of the people--had his own little brother become so coldhearted? The more Ardyn thought about it, the more he knew those soldiers would kill him if he were found...the more something built up within him, an agonizing corrosion in his very blood. Turning his skin black, overflowing as clouds of dark miasma around him, the blinding pain so much that all he could do was writhe in pain and struggle not to make a sound lest he be caught. Both hands pressed to his face--was it even the face of a human anymore, passed the idle thought through his head. His breath was ragged in his throat, and for an instant he thought it better he turned here and disappeared without a trace then let the world know that he'd failed. Better that than let Aera know he failed.]

['Even if others forget your name...I will always remember.']

[Thunder struck overhead, a torrent of rain fell with it, and everything went abruptly dark.]

Edited (I'M SORRY I'M DONE I PROMISE) 2019-12-11 04:42 (UTC)

[ The moment the vision fully takes her Era no longer feels the pain of its effects, and instead drifts with the soul of the one hers has decided to commune with until a powerful memory forms around her.

Even without the knowledge flitting through her head at the sight of the woman Era would have known what she was seeing. This is the Starscourge; a disease of darkness that twists those it infects, turning them into beasts.

She feels (distant; like sunlight filtering through pond water) what Ardyn himself does in this moment. At the forefront is the signature calm of a healer, followed soon thereafter by the relief of being able to ease the suffering of his patient. Seeing the woman fall into restful slumber stirs her own delight, though it is shortlived as soon enough the shadow upon Ardyn's fate rears its head.

The Light had been a burning cold. The warmth of the soul being drained away ilm by ilm as it pushes deeper and deeper, leaving discordance in its wake. Slow and insidious, the Light fed on all that gave a soul its brilliance. A lethargic, patient infection until suddenly—

It was not entirely unlike what she feels now through Ardyn's memories; this acidic burning under her flesh. The feeling of change that you must fight against at all costs.

And, much like with her own infection, the vanishes nearly as quickly as it began. So too does the memory fade, though Era is given no reprieve.

It is dark and they are running, running, running until suddenly they're falling; tumbling, rolling. They do not have the luxury of disorientation when their brother's soldiers are after their tainted blood, but neither can they continue to run — not with how their body aches as it does. Their body cannot continue running, and they're left to press their back flush against the rough bark of a tree, keeping out of sight the best they can.

Why?

The betrayal only adds to the plethora of other aches they feel.

Why is this happening?

Their thoughts are brought to a sudden standstill as blinding, searing agony burns its way through their veins. Their very blood corrodes what is left of their humanity, turning their skin black, bathing them in a swirling, twisted cloud of miasma.

They press their (blackened, daemonic) hands to their face. If there is any humanity left in them at all it is short-lived. Better to turn here, alone and in relative privacy, than let the world see their failure. Better to disappear here and now than let Aera see how badly they have failed.

There is a spike a pain, a flash of lightning, a torrent of rain, the rumble of thunder, and then—

Era is herself again, though feels far more disoriented than she ever has after being stricken by the Echo. That burning in her veins. The struggle to retain what was left of herself. It reminds her too much of that moment, and she finds herself ripping off the dark fabric of her gloves and scratching at the flesh of her hand with blunt nails, as though that will keep the transformation at bay.

Logically, Era knows she is fine. She is fine. The Light is in check. She is fine she is fine she is fine, but her mindbodysoul remembers what happened to her, and she cannot help but feel. So she scratches at her flesh and prie at her scales to make the corruption stop haunting her. ]

Era--Era!

[Ardyn gently but firmly took her hands to stop her from harming herself, voice urgent before evening out to the calming tones of the healer. He had no earthly clue what had happened, but he didn't need to; she was suffering and in pain, and he was at his core still that same person. Even though his eyes had long since stopped reverting from that daemonic gold, even though his hair had been blighted unnatural violet...even if his body had ceased to be human, there was still compassion within it.]

It's alright, take a deep breath. Listen to my voice and try to focus upon it--you're safe, there's naught but us here.

[ She seems to startle at his voice saying her name, confused. The last thing on his-their mind had been Aera, though her soul knows he is calling her own name. She shakes her head roughly, trying to rid it of the echoes of those times long past and not hers to behold.

His hands are coldcold but they are something to hold onto, and so she grips them far too tightly, fingers curled and desperate. The way she quivers from head to toe can be felt through her hands and heard in the way her breath shakes. ]

Like acid in our veins. [ She clings to his hands more firmly. ] Searing corruption. It hurt.

What?

[If the grip on scarred hand hurt at all, he showed no sign and made no mention of it. Better that than scratching herself.]

What just happened? Are you hurt?

[ She doesn't know how to explain it. The Echo and what it does. At home people always just seemed to know, or it occurred around those who knew enough to explain. ]

'The Starscourge is a disease.' [ She quotes, matching the intonation Ardyn spoke these words with himself so many ages ago. ] 'With the proper treatment, anyone can be spared. We must not condemn our fellow man and exile them as though they were monsters.'

...

[Ardyn went still at hearing his own words repeated, shock and confusion alike written all over his face.]

How...did you...?

I am sometimes stricken by the echoes of one's soul.

[ Slowly, her grip loosens. When she shivers next it's from the winter chill. ]

[...Oh. That explained it all, none of which Ardyn liked. It wasn't her fault and he was hardly about to blame her, but...had they not already seen enough of a miserable past laid out?]

...Come on. It must be terribly cold out here. [Not that he could feel it.] We can speak inside, if you wish.

[ She rises, slowly, finding her footing as she reaches for the door and pushes it open. She gestures for her friend to come inside, welcoming him into a space that has slowly begun to fill with the personal touches of those that live within it.

Era drops her bag in the middle of the floor as she makes a beeline to her pile of blankets. At her heels is her Carbuncle, conveniently late, but not so late as to let itself be locked outdoors. ]

You are welcome to whatever you like. What is ours is yours.

[ Era makes her Carbuncle pick up her bag and bring it to her, and it obeys without question, seeming to pick up on her current state. She maneuvers her hands around under the blankets she's burrowed herself in for the moment, opening her bag and reaching (far too deep for such a small satchel) for her purchases.

Out comes tinsel, ribbon, and already tangled strings of fairy lights. She sets about straightening out the wires of the little lights. ]

...After experiencing its effects, I think I may be better able to find a cure for it. The Echo does not grant me visions without cause.

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

1/2

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject