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

Oh. Hm. Well, he'll finish this peril potato and then he could grab that onion.

"I think I'm okay?" You're gonna have to be more specific about what part looks like it needs help. Chop Chop Chop.

Time For Onion. Chop Chop--

Time... Time for the Big Sniffle. Oh no. Oh god.

As long as Kai hasn't directly hurt himself or found himself struggling too badly, Shinji will return to tending to the meat. Perhaps while keeping a sharper ear out for any signs of difficulty coming from the cutting board.

Something like... sniffles?

"Hm?" Oh. Oh no. It's easy enough to put two and two together - this isn't something dire! Just onions! But still! "It's okay if you need to step back for a minute."

"It's fine," he said.

Crying.

He chopped the onion. He brought Shinji. The onion. Still crying.

Oh no... he hates this. He knows it's just onions but he still can't shake the thought of how much he hates seeing Kai all teary-eyed.

"Thank you," for the onions. not the tears. "If you want to sit down for a minute," he's a little more insistent this time, freeing up one hand in order to lightly touch Kai's forearm, "I've still got some time left before I need anything else."

Blinking down at Shinji's hand, he shook his head a little. Kai even tried to offer a reassuring smile, even though it still came out as a bit of a grimace due to the circumstances, patting the back of Shinji's hand with his uncontaminated one.

"It should be okay if I just rinse my face, right?"

Or like, shove his whole face in the sleeve of his other arm like he was doing right now?

"Just make sure you wash your hands first," no point in doing that if you end up getting a bunch of second-hand onion-juice mixed in...!

He's still frowning a little, but offers that arm a small squeeze before withdrawing his hand, allowing Kai the freedom to take care of his teary problem. Please... no more crying. Not when we're just making curry.

"Mm, good plan."

Especially if it helped make Shinji stop making that worried face. It didn't sit well with him. There was nothing to worry about, they were just! Making curry! These were just onion tears. Don't make that Face.

So off to the sink he went to give his hands a vigorous scrub, ridding them of all these dangerous sulfurs. Then his face got the same rough treatment. Get out of here, tears! One very doggo-like shake of his head later, Kai was rubbing his face on his sleeve again and rolling back up to the chopping board.

... You know, let's rinse this too. "So, what happens after we everything in the pan?"

They both know it's just curry! It's just a thing that happens with onions!! But Shinji still doesn't like seeing those tears! Irrational as it may be! So once Kai returns, eyes clear and tears washed away, that Face he was making has been pacified to the point of making its exit. No more tears, no more frowns.

Washing up the cutting board is a good idea, too! So helpful, Kaito. Good Boy.

"We'll get everything cooked up, and then the meat and vegetables need to be stewed for a while until they get tender."

And after that, the roux gets its time to shine...!!

Everything was back to as it should be. Only peaceful cooking times here as Kai re-brandished his knife to give those apples and carrots what for. The only thing that would have made this more peaceful was a good pat for being a Good Boy, but alas.

"Gotcha." So it was just... this? Was this the bulk of the work, here? "That... seems really easy!"

"It's not too complicated, if you know what you're doing."

It's mostly just a matter of getting the practice in the first place, and he can't exactly fault Kai for possibly not having that experience. Not everyone's going to get that kind of instruction, after all... but! Hey! Another nice thing about being kidnapped into roboworld - plenty of time to impart this Wisdom on Kai.

"Do you want me to cut the core out of the apple for you?"

Well he was sure glad you seemed to know what you were doing, Shinji. This was all very good knowledge to obtain.

"Huh? Is there a trick to it or something?" Kai had turned to blink at him, apple in hand, leaving this inviting space right there at the cutting board.

"Here, I can show you."

Just gotta give the food he's tending to a quick stir, and bump the heat down a little bit. Nice and safe to step away for a moment or two, now over to the cutting board we go!

"Cut it into sections, first. Just into half, then quarters will be fine." He can leave that much to Kai. "I'll show you the next step after that."

"Okay, yeah."

He can do that much! It was kind of what he was doing with the onions, and apples were far less deadly. So first we chop. And then we chop. And chop again. Then it was time to turn an earnest gaze towards Shinji, wordlessly asking for confirmation that he had not somehow fucked up this apple in three chops.

With apples, at least tears will only be shed in the case of a more major problem. Just so long as no one cuts themselves badly, then we won't have any problems!

"Good," and he does genuinely sound pleased. Well done! It's Shinji's turn with that knife, and he makes sure that Kai gets a nice view of the next step as he picks up one of the quarters: "It should be easy to just cut out the inside edge like this," a practiced slice is delivered to the apple, taking out the core with quite a bit less haste than he'd do on his own, just to make it easier for Kai to follow. So simple!

But... now that it's in his hand, and he can properly touch and smell it, it really strikes him how long it's been since he's had a real honest to goodness apple. He regards the slice with a very small moment of heavy consideration before giving in and cutting off a pair of bite-sized pieces. One of those pieces is held out to Kai with a soft, "Here." Can he tempt you into taking that bite? A treat. For good boys. Gotta test the product and all that.

Yes, good, praise him more for this incredibly basic task.

Kai watched Shinji's stroke attentively. "Oh," he murmured quietly to himself. "Yeah, makes sense... don't want to get seeds in there..." What a simple and important step!

Those quiet murmurings were interrupted by this apple temptation though. How was he supposed to say no to such a treat? He could most certainly be tempted in to it. "Thanks," he said cheerfully, casually leaning over to chomp that apple right out of Shinji's fingers.

So crisp! So fresh! Such a dense burst of juicy flavor having a party in his mouth! Kai blinked with a quick swipe of his tongue across his lips. "Mm, that's a good one for sure."

Ahh, he was kind of expecting Kai to just take it from him, not go straight in for the chomp! He'll chalk up that brief, odd little flutter in his chest that springs up in response as surprise. Yeah. That's probably all it is. He pops the other piece of apple into his own mouth without giving it too much more thought.

"Hm-!" Definitely worth the temptation, if that little sparkle in his eyes is any indication. "That's going to be really good in this."

He can save the rest of that delicious little fruit for the curry, though. The sample was a good treat to tide them over in the meantime. "You'll just need to do that with the other pieces before cutting them up," clearly, "I should be ready for the rest of the stuff in just a little bit." Shinji will leave you to this very important task, Kai. Good luck!!

"Got it." He could do this! This very basic task!! He could!!!

So he did. It was definitely just a matter of setting up a different chop and brushing away some of the seed fall out that followed. No sweat. Kai diligently went through this work of decimating the apple into bite sized pieces, then moved on to all those carrots. Hell yeah.

There was just the sounds of chopping and the the sizzle of the pan, but this was a pleasant affair. Maybe this was what homey was supposed to feel like? It was the same little nice feeling that had filtered in to a lot of these pseudo-lessons. Just nice.

There's a lot of inherent warmth that comes from cooking a hot meal like this, and the sounds involved are their own kind of relaxing - Shinji's really no stranger to these sorts of sensations. They're just the kinds of things he usually absorbs alone, and while their excuse had very reasonably been cooking together as a means of offering culinary tips, there's something extra warm and relaxing in being able to share the work like this. To be able to quietly put something together with someone who's willing to offer that bit of effort, and cut through the expected loneliness of that standard routine.

It is, in fact, just nice. Nice enough to lift his general mood up into a very calm, pleasant space. It's. Good.

Once all the chopping and sizzling has been completed, the chopped and sizzled components are ready to be stewed, giving the pair a brief break from steady preparation work. That, the rice, and the roux, they're so close to being finished...!

"I'm sure it's going to be delicious."

Ah, they'd reached the part where everything was starting to smell good, even if they hadn't put in the real star of the show yet. It was making Kai realize that yeah, actually, he was pretty hungry! Maybe if he stared at the pan hard enough, it would stew faster!

So he did just this while he leaned next to Shinji a bit, resting his chin on his shoulder to stare the contents down. C'mon. Cook faster, everything.

"It already smells really good. Good job, us."

Maybe if we stare at it hard enough, everything will cook faster. Definitely won't just make them hungrier for longer. It does, if nothing else, provide a nice excuse for getting a little contact in, apparently. He shifts a bit in order to give Kai a nice, clear look as he skims the top of the water.

"I don't know if we'll get another chance to make something like this anytime soon," he says, not knowing the next two weeks are going to be full of the exact same thing, "So I'm glad it's looking so good already."

Who could truly predict such a curried future. Who could predict the return of such casual contact as well? Well, a few people, probably. It had become much easier at this point to just touch, especially someone that felt so comfortable to be around. Settling in right here didn't feel all that out of place.

"Mmm, yeah. At least the ingredients have been getting a bit better but... yeah. What a lucky gift."

Lucky... it probably was luck that landed him with such a rare and valuable treasure. That thought is an easy enough one to swallow, but mostly he's glad that he has the chance to share this gift with someone who he knows will appreciate it. Keeping it to himself would have made him feel far too greedy.

"Mhmm," he nods slightly. "Thank you for agreeing to help with it."

As if the reward of a portion of that meal wasn't compelling enough, or like Kai wouldn't want to know about it in the first place or something. Gosh.

Geez. Kai huffed lightly from Shinji's shoulder. "Course. I'm not gonna ignore a big box showing up at my door."

"You could have been busy."

For once, a reasonable doubt to 'of course'! Though the are probably countless reasons to turn down an unexpected visit like this, Shinji figures.

"So I'm glad we can do this."

'Being busy' seemed unlikely, but... hey, maybe. Maybe he'd have been wandering the perimeter of the town. Maybe he'd run into someone along the way. It was odd to think that actually, yeah, he might have been doing something other than laying around on his roof.

"Hmm. I'm glad you felt like sharing, cuz I woulda made time."

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