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.

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[That gets her a sharp look, a clear warning. If they were in training it's the sort of look that would clearly define whatever her previous action was as an absolutely idiotic thing to do.

I beg to differ. After all she's the one that went off and nearly (or actually?!) got herself killed.

He doesn't want to talk about it, doesn't want to give her the opportunity to see him vulnerable like that, not when he suddenly has to question so much of the respect he thought was mutual. If she truly respected him she wouldn't play these sorts of games, like some foolish cadet that needs to prove how badass she can be.]

[She takes in that look of his with no remorse, but rather a responding challenge. Her eyes are unfocused, a little dizzy, but she holds his gaze nonetheless.

Are you calling me a liar?

He doesn't have to accept, and she hadn't meant to let it slip. But she'll be damned if she lets him get away with dismissing her like that, or acting like this is some kind of game. The game is her voice, the teases and the whimsy and the fake date they've created together. These thoughts are where the truth lies. That's the point of this whole meeting.]

[That look stays him, puts him right back in his seat and makes the indignation wither. He looks back at her, watches her for a long moment and his confusion is palpable.

I... don't know.

Finally an admission, uncertainty and doubt heavy in his voice, his brow furrowed as though staring at some great puzzle, the answers to the universe there before him if only he could sort it all out. But it's too much and it contradicts so much of what he knows to be true. But isn't that precisely what this place has been doing?]

[His response makes her close her eyes for a long moment, a rush of weariness passing over her. That uncertainty is familiar in a way that makes her heart ache; how many times had she seen that look on Barry, before she knew, before either of them truly knew what the next step would be? Doubt of the truth, a lack of sufficient self-worth to believe that she, the ageless and exquisite creature of fire and passion that he said she was, could ever choose him.

God, she has a fucking type.

It hurts to see it again, makes it hard to look at Cor. But the reminder helps her to understand, too, and she lets that pain wash over her like a cleansing wave, finally opening her eyes again and glancing down.

Men like you don't get it. I know how it goes- you've seen and been through enough to doubt the truth. You can't imagine anyone wanting you, so hearing something like this makes you reject it automatically.

A joke. A joke, he said. That foolishness doesn't come out of nothing.

I don't have any expectations, Cor. I'm a big girl, I can handle it when you say no. But don't try to brush it aside by laying the blame on me, just because you don't know how to deal- I won't abide by it.]

[It's so jarringly accurate, and so very similar to things Will and Regis have both said, that his gaze drops to the table. He can't... how could he possibly consider anyone wanting him. They always want the legend, the title, not the man underneath it. But Lup doesn't have any of those connections. So.. why?

I just... don't understand. My titles mean nothing here so why?

He shakes his head, brings a hand up to rub at his forehead where a tension headache is already taking hold.

I didn't meant to put any blame on you. This is just so far outside of my normal experiences I...

I didn't say no... and maybe that's even worse. Isn't my first response meant to be indignation on my partner's behalf?]

[Partner... ah, that's interesting. So she's not on untread territory, here. If he's already with someone he has many more reasons to hesitate than just his own self-worth.

She leans back in her seat, her hand sliding from the table to curl in her lap. Well, that's fine. She's no thief. If he can understand her point and acknowledge her position, that can be enough for her. At the very least, she'll have gotten it out of her system. And if he doesn't have that sort of arrangement ahead of time, she has no right to push for it.

That's... a conversation you ought to be having with them, not me. It could mean a lot of things. Her tone through the mental link is gentle, carefully controlled, though within her own mind it's difficult to mask the weave of quiet regret hiding beneath the surface. It's not like she's in love or anything. This isn't breaking her heart. But it would have been... nice, maybe. Distracting. She misses having this in her life, the luxury to touch and indulge. A body, hands, a mouth to take pleasure and give it in return.

It's the sort of thing you can let yourself forget with, and she has a lot she'd like to forget these days.]

[It is a welcome kind of release, he's slowly coming to realize that. Very slowly. Probably more slowly than Will would like.

It's hard to imagine Will being indignant or upset over... really any kind of display of affection. He shrugs helplessly. He can't be angry on Will's behalf because he can't imagine Will getting angry over it. Not with how openly he flirts wit everyone, in spite of (or maybe because of) Cor's presence and what they mean to one another.

That quiet regret is something he is all too familiar with, a tone he has heard from his King for years. It may be from a different source this time but he'd recognize it anywhere.]

[Her brows lift at that. She hadn't actually expected a name, nevermind that one in particular. A blessed distraction; she clings to it, trying to lean away from her own now-uncomfortable confession.

You and Will, huh? I suppose I can concede to a friend. Congrats.

Lucky bastard. She can't begrudge him for it though, honestly- Cor wears that quiet sadness perpetually, as surely as he wears his uniform. Whatever source of happiness he can find is better for him, and she can satisfy herself with that.

Whatever you might imagine, though, I mean it. You need to talk to him. Assumptions are the best way to ruin a good relationship.

And she'll have no part in that, nor will she take the blame for the aftermath.]

[I would not presume to know his thoughts, no matter how thoroughly he knows mine. He shrugs a little awkwardly, uncertain what exactly they're even talking about at this point. Would Will be upset if he kissed her? He has been gradually getting to be more comfortable with giving the boys encouraging, affectionate kisses when they're upset, when Noctis is falling apart under the weight of his duty.

But this... this would be different, wouldn't it. Crossing a line that must be enforced. What is there to talk about? You don't kiss other people when you have a partner. Right? Even Regis had said something about talking to her Majesty, however. Something he'd barely even registered amid all the panic and agony of that night.

You are a brilliant, talented, breathtakingly fierce woman, Lup. You deserve far better than some jaded old soldier, regardless. I don't see what there is to talk about.]

[She snorts indelicately at that.

All of those things are true, but that's never stopped me from doing anything else I've wanted to do. I told you already, don't put that on me- what you do is your decision, but how I feel is mine.

She's said her peace, though, and is satisfied with that. Or- perhaps not satisfied, she's annoyed and embarrassed (and more annoyed by said embarrassment), but she's not going to pressure him into anything. Instead she downs the last of her wine and tucks her lunch tin back in her basket, pulling back and dusting any crumbs off the table.]

This has been delightful, but I think I'd better head back. Can't stay idle for too long. I hope you enjoy that book I lent you; do let me know what you think of it.

[She rises to her feet, smoothing out her dress, and begins to stride past him, her expression a pale mask of calm to cover her sudden anxiousness. She's not used to being on this side of things, admittedly, and it feels absolutely ghastly. Not a fan of this at all.

She barely makes it three steps before her knees buckle and she drops.]

[He feels like he should apologize, again. It's not that he was trying to put anything on her, it's just more of the same inability to see any value in himself. He hates feeling like he's disappointed her somehow.

Especially with how she dismisses the subject and makes quick work of packing things up. They were having a good discussion and, more than that, they'd been having a little fun with dual conversations. And now he'd gone and ruined things for her.

If he'd been paying more attention, he'd have caught her. If he hadn't been so wrapped up in the confusing jumble in his head he'd surely have seen her waver and had that split second to react. As it is the sound of the basket falling catches his attention a fraction of a moment before she falls and he's already spilling from his seat to try to cushion her fall if nothing else.

Too little too late.

He draws her up against his chest, one arm supporting her the other feeling down her arms and hands to check for any injuries.]

Lup? What's wrong?

[Her eyelids flutter, unconsciously leaning in his direction. His examination finds no wounds, but she is hot to the touch, which is unusual for her; she typically runs cool. It's not quite feverish, more like how he might find someone dehydrated and overheated in the deserts of Leide. She responds at first with just an unsteady exhale, clearly not okay, but she tries to sit up anyway, lifting a hand to her forehead.]

...Fuck... 'm burning up or something. Who lit the fire...?

[Her eyes flit open, glancing warily up at him, and- oh.

Oh, he's very close.]

[It's cold outside and yet she is this warm. He frowns, hesitating for a moment before drawing on a blizzard spell, chilling his hands slightly. One sliding up her back to rest against the back of her neck under her hair, the other he brings up to cradle her face.]

You're burning up.

[He's worried, especially with how quickly this set in. Could it be an effect of the wine? Should he get a potion?

Do they even have any potions in the armiger? He's holding her but looking through her, focused internally on a quick inventory of the armiger for a moment.]

[Tell her something she doesn't know. The coldness of his palm on her neck brings her some relief, enough to regain her clarity. Any retort she might have is lost on her lips as she looks up and catches sight of his profile, that sharp jawline and stern features, brow creased with concern. Whether it's the light of the day or the warmth of her body as he's supporting her like this, she can't tell- he looks wildly handsome in this moment, unfairly so, extra tempting. She shouldn't. She really shouldn't. She'd already said she would not.

She is not, historically, known for her self-control.

And that's why she shakily lifts her hands to catch either side of his face, turning him towards her and tilting her head up to catch his lips in the middle with her own.

Sorry, Cor.]

[His initial reaction to her hands on his face is to assume there's something she needs to bring his attention to. Did he miss something? Is it getting worse? Is the chill too much?

But then she's leaning up to kiss him and for a moment he freezes, startled and confused. Hadn't she just said she didn't want to be a part of... whatever this was? The warmth of her, especially when he's trying to force a chill into his hands, a sensation that teeters on the edge of old traumas, is irresistible. Her lips are soft but demanding and he whimpers against her mouth.

This is a bad idea. A terrible idea, really. And yet... he doesn't pull away, not when he can taste the sweet spice of wine on her lips.]

[She'd expected him to push her away at once, though she had secretly, almost desperately hoped that he would not. When he doesn't, a huge rush of tension just drains out of her, and her urgency calms, allowing her to kiss him more softly than that initial push. Between that quiet sound he'd made and the stunned stillness of his body... he's softer than he lets on, more fragile than one might ever expect by looking at him.

That just makes it more tantalizing; it makes her want to peel off those thick protective layers, find the man hiding within, whoever he is when the mask comes off.

Apologies can come later. She'll find the words somehow, when the heat is gone and the temptation is more comfortably distant. For now, though, she arches her body against him and tries to deepen her kiss. A little more, a little longer. She feels so much better like this.]

[He should push her away. He knows that. They were just talking about it and he's only going to be hurting Will by doing this. But she's warm and soft and he's worried about what else might happen if he releases her.

It's not enough that she nearly got herself killed last month. Nor that she didn't tell him. But that illness may well still be with her and that's a terrifying thought.

It doesn't excuse this, he knows that, but it does make it harder to pull away, to hurt her instead. So he stays, holding her carefully, gradually relaxing into the soft press of lips, breath catching when she arches against him. And when she tries to deepen the kiss he concedes readily, making no attempt to control the kiss but no move to stop it either. Whatever she desires of him, he will give.

And feel horribly guilty for it later, no matter how much he might enjoy it now.]

[She kind of hates how much she's enjoying this. If he was a bad kisser or if it turned out they had no chemistry, it would be so much easier to cut things off here, to pull back and fumble through an apology, go their separate ways. Instead, he's sweet and attentive, his breath heated, fingers soothing against her skin. She can feel the soft scrape of his beard on her face as they move together, a sensation she hasn't felt in a long time. Then again, all of this is something she hasn't experienced for a while. Even for an elf, a decade is still a lot for someone normally so active. Whatever heat had burned through her body is beginning to ebb away, as if being absorbed by the kiss. Were she paying attention to the cause and effect, she'd have realized why, but not yet. He's good. He feels good. She could see herself doing this for a while.

Ahh, fuck. It really is unfair.

She lets herself indulge in it for a few moments longer - longer than she knows she should have - before she finally breaks away with a shivering gasp. An inch or so apart from his lips, she takes in his expression and has to close her eyes to resist the urge to just lean in and keep going. This handsome asshole. This absolute monster of a man. How dare.

Instead, she curls her fingers in the material of his shirt to keep herself grounded. Easy, easy. You're a goddamn adult, Lup, get ahold of yourself.]

...Whoops, [she murmurs, praying he doesn't notice how pathetic she sounds,] Hope you can forgive me that one freebie...

[Considering the conversation they'd just had it would make sense to pull away, or at least put distance between them when she breaks the kiss. But he stays precisely where he is, breath shuddering out of him, breath coming a little too fast. If she's mad at him for being too handsome then she'll be even more angry when he blinks down at her, those pale icy eyes heated with something more than alcohol, something that makes him shiver for a moment, tilting ever so slightly forward as though he might chase her lips.

And then she speaks and some of his sense seems to return. He's unused to such intimacy and over the last few weeks he's found himself to be thoroughly derailed by it, weak to the soft warmth another can provide, at least those he holds close. The tremor in her voice isn't unnoticed but he will do her the favor of not calling her on it. Even though he wants to pull her close and make sure she's truly okay.]

Just... this once. [A hesitant nod, his fingers lifting to carefully straighten her hair as though the fall had mussed it and not his own fingers.]

[Oh, hell. If she wasn't already on the ground, that look in his eyes would have her quaking. That's dangerous. That's a look about to cause some problems for her mental well-being. She wants to keep gazing at him, wants to lose herself in that deep, frozen blue. She also wants to close her eyes and lean in once more, and-

Just this once, he says. And it's not as if that response is a surprise, but it's a bucket of cold water dumped over her, regardless. It's the push she needs to lean back, away from his lips and into his hand. Right. It's just the wine talking, she'd thrown herself at him when he was unprepared. Maybe his instincts were just to play along.

That's a shame, she thinks, and then, fuck, because their minds are still connected and she'd gone and forgotten. With a pained exhale she leans forward and presses her forehead against his chest, gently inhaling his scent, indulging in the feel of his hand in her hair. She can't kiss him again, much as her body is aching to, but this is nice. This is... innocent. Surely no one can get angry with her for doing this.

She also reaches inwardly, winding mental fingers around the telepathic bond that lies between them, and neatly severs it, cutting her mind off from his. It's a waste of big spell, but it's caused enough trouble today already.]

[There's a flicker in his eyes, something not quite surprise but perhaps a hint at just how unprepared he was for her to speak in his mind again. Especially given what she says. He swallows hard, hand sliding deep into her hair when she leans into his chest. rubbing soothing circles against her scalp as though that could possibly make up for this mess.

....isn't it.

He doesn't even mean to think it at her exactly, doesn't really mean to put words to it even but it's there, a whisper in her mind just before the connection breaks.

He doesn't have the heart to rush her though, to ask her to pull herself together or give him space again. Not when she'd just collapsed. He was too afraid it might happen again if he tried to ask her to get up before she was ready.]

[One last twinge, one last little razor's edge, just before the connection snaps. She winces, feeling like she's been punished for something, even unintentionally.

Well, she did fuck up royally, here, so that's fair.

With a muffled exhale she indulges in his touch for just a moment longer, but the overwhelming heat that had plagued her before is finally eased, leaving behind a weariness and irritation with herself. She hates letting things get awkward like this. And it's not his fault that she kissed him, but the fact that he kissed back just makes it harder, more confusing. Was that his way of being kind as he rejected her? Does she even want to know? She's not sure.

Right now isn't the time to decide that, so she very carefully extracts herself from his grasp, reaching up to pull his hand from her hair and hold it between both of hers. She gives it a squeeze and lets go, smiling apologetically.]

Starblaster porn's a good read. Have fun with it.

[And then a spectral doorway appears behind her and she falls backwards into it with a farewell wave; as the last bit of her dress crosses the threshold, it (and she) vanish entirely, leaving Cor alone in the street. She can't trust her voice or her legs to gracefully carry her out of this situation right now.]

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♥ December Event Log

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