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

There was something right then as that touch trailed over his hand. It wasn't a chill, but. That tail was doing a thing again? One wag. Two wag. What. Why? This was such a confusing body part.

"Huh?" Kai didn't notice the snow at first, thinking it was just. Snow? But then he noticed that it looked a little... different. A lot more colorful than snow was supposed to be?

Kai blinked at it as the colors drifted down, gently making a home on the canvas of his hair.

Hey! Some of us can be mystified by Just Snow! Shinji sure is! Seeing the light dusting of it blowing around on the streets in the mornings has been one thing, not entirely unlike seeing photos and videos of it, but having this little flurry suddenly start overhead is another thing altogether. He holds out one hand to catch a few of the flakes with an extra quiet sense of awe, even if it's clear that this isn't... exactly the kind of snow that had been absent from his life. Colorful, yes, but still leaving cold little stings on his palm as the flakes melt.

It's. Different.

His moment of wonder is put on hold as he steals a glance back at Kai and sees those little spots of color nestling in to his hair. That. Is also different.

"Huh."

Without giving it a whole lot of thought, he reaches up to try and brush some of the snow out of his hair. Not quite a ruffle, and not quite a pat. "That's a different look for you." Black and blonde is good, too much more color and you might be overdoing it a little there.

Besides the colors, the snow mostly seemed like snow. That didn't seem like the most mystical thing, but glancing down from the snowfall revealed that maybe he was wrong about that. Kai watched the way Shinji seemed to marvel over the small flakes catching in his palm. There was something about this sense of wonder that was unexpected and just... very nice to see.

There was another swish of his tail.

This shifted into a full blown wagging extravaganza as Shinji brushed his hand across his hair, and Kai honestly wasn't sure which thing he was more surprised by.

"Huh?" No, enough of that. Kai bowed his head a little, giving Shinji the full view. "Ha, is it sticking?"

That wagpocalypse would certainly be hard to miss, and for as much as Kai seems surprised by it, Shinji feels a little shocked himself. That is... that is quite the reaction. And it's doing it on its own, right? So that... must have been... a good move on his part?

"Um, yeah, a little bit." He sounds hesitant, like he's carefully weighing his next move here. There's something about the combination of Kai dipping his head down like that and the appeal of netting such a positive reaction that's tilting the scales a certain way, and as the thought that it had been kind of cute, and a kind of fitting action for Kai floats through his mind, he can't shake the feeling of wanting to see it again. His hand lands in Kai's hair a little more purposefully, brushing it back in an action that could easily and absolutely be explained away as trying to shake some more of those flakes on out.

But is also definitely a head pat.

Kai's surprise persisted as this thing that was definitely a head pat transpired. This time the feeling of Shinji's hand carding through that blonde fluff seemed like it was more deliberate. It was a much more pleasant experience than he would have thought. Kai glanced up at him, that surprise manifesting as something soft and quiet, but he didn't think anything of it.

Who woulda thought his ass would be a lot more honest, giving Shinji exactly what he wanted. That tail just kept a-thumpin' away much to Kai's bafflement. The correlation wasn't connecting, he was just rolling with this weirdo happenstance. So weird.

"Mm... Hey, just wonderin' but. You ever see snow before?"

One (1) head pat, delivered to one good boy who deserves it.

Just the one, however, as the thought that, as nice as it had been, doing it again might be a little harder to justify settles in Shinji's mind. Those wags were worth it, though, and maybe he can keep those in mind should the opportunity ever present itself again.

It might make keeping a more casual tone to the conversation a struggle either way, so for now, he withdraws his hand.

"I've seen pictures." So it's not like he doesn't understand it at all or anything! But, from Kai's perspective, with no Angels and therefore no Second Impact for context, that's probably a little odd. "The... world I came from," good grief that sounds so weird to say, "It was always really hot, like a year-round summer. It never got anywhere near cold enough for snow."

Edited (?words?) 2019-12-14 05:20 (UTC)

Just pictures? It's a weird thought at first, but not unheard of even back home. Some places just didn't get snow. Still, the way Shinji talked about it was enough to imply that this was something that wasn't just isolated to one place. Summertime all the time, huh.

"Mmm... This is all kind of weird then, huh." Kai held a hand out, catching a few flakes for himself.

"A little."

But not a bad kind of weird, at least. Now that the heat of the cider has made its retreat and the chill of the air is starting to set in again, he pulls the scarf he had left draped loosely over his shoulders back around his neck. That settled, he reaches out again to collect some more snow on his palm.

"You'd hear adults talk about how they miss the seasons changing, but I kind of figured I'd never see it myself."

Kai glanced at this scarf action briefly. It seemed like we might have been back to chillier temperatures, which, you know, made sense with this shift to snowfalls. Well. Seeing as an endless summer had been confirmed, Kai didn't see a reason he shouldn't scoot over to lend his services as the chilled on the bench.

It gave him a moment to tuck that information away too. A memory of seasons meant it wasn't always endless summer.

"Well, welcome to winter then. I dunno about this place but it can get cold as balls sometimes." The indication here being that it... was not yet cold as balls.

That. Uh. Huh. It can get colder. His mouth thins a bit in response to that thought, and while he doesn't make much of a comment on the idea, that little motion probably betrays his feelings on the notion. More cold. Well then.

"At... least they're offering warm drinks for us."

Some of these side-effects might be worth it, he'll just have to be careful about which ones he goes after. A super warm friend it also a good way to stave off that chill, too, so when Kai scoots in closer, Shinji relaxes into the touch. Thank you for soaking up some of that heat earlier, that's surely going to come in extra handy now.

There was a lot bleeding through that little line. Kai saw it. A kinda dopey grin was making its way through the corners of his mouth, amused even though he knew he probably shouldn't be. Don't worry too much, Shinji, you had at least one blanket that was willing to drape his arm back around your shoulders.

Like right now! Even if it came with another thump of his tail. Geez, calm down.

"Yeah." Though he had to wonder, did the robots know? About the side-effects? Did those just kind of... happen? Or what. Very weird. "I'll have to keep a pile of emergency blankets around too. Y'never know when you'll need another one."

"You really don't have to go that far."

Was that just a joke suggestion from Kai, or is he serious...? Shinji's not sure if he could really put it past him, considering he's been on the receiving end of being picked up and hauled around for his own health. He does catch that extra wag, though, and after a brief moment of consideration, he shakes the collected snow out of his hand in order to carefully move it around Kai's back. Get closer. Get warmer. Get... more dog-like reactions, maybe.

...Thump thump thump--!!

Gosh it was almost like reciprocation was pleasingly fulfilling or something. Having since decided it was easier to just let it do whatever it wanted, Kai just kept going as if nothing weird was happening at all and they were just getting nice and cozy to battle the chill of personal snowclouds and chilly afternoons.

"Hm? S'not a big deal, just gotta keep 'em by the bed." It seemed that they were possibly on two different pages here in the blanket scenario handbook.

Ah, that would be a little more sensible, but... still. Not sure he'd put it past him to keep a blanket on him in a more casual setting, just in case.

Anyway, thank you for those wags, it gives Shinji the impression that he's not pushing any boundaries too far while trying to navigate this particular interpersonal relationship. Getting warm again is definitely well and good, but there's also a growing degree of niceness in just... being in close contact with someone else. It's good to know that he hasn't overstayed his welcome yet.

"Hmm," Kai, aren't you a warmer sleep accessory than any blanket could possibly be? "I guess I won't stop you, if that's what you want to do."

Well, maybe. Let that idea simmer in his brain for a while, and you might be surprised by the results.

The current results might be just as surprising, when placed out as plainly as Kai was laying them down. "Well, yeah," he rumbled, as if this were a completely obvious thing of him to do, "I don't want you to get cold, y'know?" Specifically you, Shinji.

His own function as a very toasty pillow was vaguely noted, but he wasn't going to make any assumptions that Shinji wanted to get all his warmth from Kai's chest or anything. It'd made him feel a little pleasantly funny back in the tent, but feeling sick was a hell of a ride?

Surprising indeed!

Kai might be able to notice a very slight coloring to Shinji's cheeks, but that could very easily be from the cold starting to nip at his face. The smoothie is momentarily set aside on the bench so that he can cozy up his scarf a little more without relinquishing his hold on Kai.

"I... appreciate that." Even if he's not having sleep issues nearly as extreme as the ones leading up to the wall breach, but having that avenue open to him, having that guaranteed peaceful place to end up, is very comforting.

"Mmm."

There were only so many reasons for the color dusting Shinji's cheeks. They'd already ruled out that it wasn't a fever, and Kai felt pretty confident that Shinji hadn't come down with something else while they were talking. He wasn't over heating anymore either! Watching that faint redness intently, Kai could only conclude that it was definitely the cold.

Maybe carrying a blanket around really was going to be a good idea!

"You doing okay right now though?"

Definitely Just the Cold.

"Hm? Ah, yeah," he may also not be totally aware of the color that's risen to his face, but that's Fine Too. "It's... kind of weird going from cold to warm to cold again, but sitting with you like this is nice."

Going right back to Warm again.

Very Warm.

Very...Wiggly. Those thumps seemed like they were just here to stay at this point, nearly swishing against Shinji's hand. Here and there he might have gotten a hint of soft.

Kai chuckled a little, a little relieved and a little because he didn't know what else to do when part of him was having a rave. "I bet. I'm glad I can help regulate stuff a bit."

Soft!

There's definitely a part of him that would like to just sort of reach out and touch that fluffy tail, probably the same part of him that had that headpat to offer earlier, but that... that would be weird, right? Like, really weird. He's not gonna just give in to that impulse with no warning!

"Um..." It's tempting enough to at least get him to ask about it first, though. "Sorry if this is weird, but, is it okay if I touch it? The tail."

"Hah?" Kai blinked at him. Maybe this was something he should have expected, what with all the commotion that was going on back there. It made some amount of sense though, right? Dog tails were for petting. Or something.

Not really thinking too much else about it, Kai shrugged. "If you want? Sure. Go wild."

Come on down to F l u f f y T o w n.

One ticket to Fluffy Town: scored.

Time to glance back again - with how wiggly that tail's being, it's probably a good idea to at least try and track it before going in for the pat. No accidental butt-touches are going to happen here! Just a hand, reaching down, and running gently across the length of that curly tail. Time to marvel this time at the

S O F T

Amazing...!

You know, even though he was well aware that this tail was kinda firmly attached to him, Kai hadn't actually thought about it as an actual extension of his body or anything. It was just kinda something that was there, doing its weird waggy thing. No big deal.

It was in this moment that Kai discovered that this a grave error.

All it took was Shinji's gentle hand brushing across all that luxurious fluff. Kai's eyes went a touch wide as a shiver shot right up his spine, punctuated by the soft, sharp breath he sucked in. Just one moment more and that shiver bled out into a pleasant buzz.

There was one (1) single tap of his heel.

He gets approximately one (1) pat deep into this endeavor when that small gasp reaches his ears.

Ah, damn it, he knew it was going to be weird. It was definitely nice enough on his end, that fur was ridiculously soft and pleasant to the touch, but if it's going to make Kai uncomfortable, he can forgo a second pass at it.

"Sorry," he offers softly. "That was probably pretty strange."

It was kind of weird. What was also kind of weird was that the tail that had been so set on thumping into oblivion had now drooped a little bit. The weirdest part was that Kai did not actually want this to stop just yet. Whatever the fuck that meant.

"Kinda surprising," he admitted. It was his turn for a tinge of color to sneak up on his face as he glanced over at Shinji reassuringly. "But, uh, you don't gotta stop? It didn't feel bad."

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