♥ December Event Log

[hugtopiamods]

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...

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

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

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.

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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.

Comments

[meridio]

[The familial address to Ardyn startles Somnus, who makes no move toward Era. His brother, ever the healer, has already gotten that handled. He wonders just what happened while she was unconscious.

Something loosens around his leg. He looks down at the ground, where the sash has pooled around his foot.]

[astralera]

[ She lifts a hand to her head on reflex, though knows her body well enough to know the answer. Era gives a small shake of her head in the negative. ]

It was just the Echo.

[ She jolts when the sash suddenly falls slack around her tail, said appendage raising in alarm at the sensation. On reflex, she curls it around her front, holding it close to her chest, careful to avoid brushing against where she ripped the scales free and raw.

Era turns to look at Somnus now, and her eyes are filled with a measure of understanding that hadn't been there before. ]

...Thank-you for your kindness, Somnus.

[scourgingstars]

...I expected as much. [And wow, he already hated the implications of that.]

Still...it was good that you called me, brother.

[meridio]

[This is proving to be a most unusual encounter. Somnus meets Era's gaze, lowers his, then glances at his brother before climbing onto his feet. Whatever the Echo is, he'll find out later if he must.]

The sash binds us no longer. If you require naught else, I will go.

[She and his brother are friends, and his brother a former healer besides. He isn't required to be here.]

[astralera]

[ She clasps her hands on her lap, firm around the uninjured portion of her tail, masking how they tremble still. She feels both empty and full, struggling to separate her own emotions from the memories. ]

...No, I've naught else at this moment.

[scourgingstars]

You needn't worry, brother. I'll be sure she gets home without incident.

[Ardyn didn't know what she'd seen, didn't want to know, and all of it was between them. It was as simple as that.]

[meridio]

[Brother . . .

He regards them for a moment from where he stands. Finally, he nods. Turning around, Somnus departs.]

[astralera]

[ Era listens to him go, and the moment Somnus is well and truly gone from her senses it's as though her strings have been cut for how quickly she crumples in on herself. Her hands don't go toward her temples as they do when struck by a vision, but toward her eyes to cover them with her palms. Her knees are drawn to her chest, her tail shifted to curl around her legs. The cold air hits the open wound of it, causing her tail to flinch in reflex, though Era ignores it. ]

Never before have I questioned calling the Echo a blessing.

[scourgingstars]

Here--

[Ardyn pulled off the cardigan he'd taken to wearing, placing it around Era's shoulders instead; the cold only affected one of them, after all.]

Do you need anything? We can find Hades if there's naught else I can do to help you.

[astralera]

[ She is quick to pull the cardigan more securely around herself, finding comfort less in the warmth it provides than the scent that lingers on it. She shakes her head. ]

Just... stay, please. I don't wish to be alone, even if I'm deserving of it.

[scourgingstars]

Be at ease, my friend. I'll not leave you alone unless you wish it of me.

...Are you sure you aren't hurt?

[astralera]

...You are too kind.

[ It's difficult to compare the Ardyn she knows with the Ardyn of the final memory she witnessed. That gentle soul she sees as her friend and brother... If two millennia of tortured confinement did not twist him so, what did?

She peers up at him tentatively from beneath the safety of her lashes, eyes bright not with light or Light, but with tears that with for nothing more than to fall. ]

It was just the Echo, brother.

[scourgingstars]

Why are you...calling me that?

[He didn't object to it, merely tilted his head in simple uncertainty.]

[astralera]

...He never thought of you as anything else, even millennia later.

[ She glances away; insecure. Makes herself even smaller, until she's almost hidden by the cardigan draped around her. Most often her diminutive stature is easy enough to overlook, larger than life as she tends to be, but it means it seems all the more dramatic when she takes advantage of how small she truly is. ]

...It is... It's more difficult to pull free of his influence now, for how... similar our feelings are.

[scourgingstars]

[Ardyn didn't answer that--how could he, tangled in a million doubts and feelings as it was. He knew Era's word to be objective fact, with how she experienced such things...but it hurt too much and too deeply to consider right now.]

[So instead he simply extended an arm, in silent offer of a hug if she wished for one.]

[astralera]

[ Era looks at his outstretched arm, wide-eyed and hesitant for all but a moment before she bodily throws herself against his chest, burrowing in with no regard to the chill of his flesh as she curls her fists in his shirt. Her breath hitches while she fights back tears and memories not her own. ]

He killed you.

[scourgingstars]

...I know.

[He'd been hoping she wouldn't have seen that night in the throne room, hadn't experienced it firsthand, but...of course. Whyever would anything be easier than that?]

It's alright, Era. I'm still here, and you've not done anything wrong.

[astralera]

It hurts.

[ She rubs the smooth curve of a horn against his chest in an absentminded gesture of affection that brings her some measure of comfort. ]

Millennia later, it only hurt worse.

[scourgingstars]

...

[Still, he couldn't think of anything to say. The angry, bitter part of him didn't want to believe it could possibly have hurt nearly as much on his brother's side, and yet was the evidence of that not already clearly written on Somnus' face every time they crossed paths?]

[astralera]

You can't go back. Not if that is what's to become of you.

[scourgingstars]

It won't. I'm not fully certain what to do about it just yet, but I...don't want to become what the others know me as.

[astralera]

...If all else fails, you would be welcome in my worlds. [ Some of the tension begins to ease from her shoulders, though Era is still far from settled. ] You and Aera would be a boon to the First.

[scourgingstars]

That...isn't an offer I can answer right now. Not when my existence is itself a plague, and not while the descendants of Houses Caelum and Fleuret both are yet my family in need of aid.

It--it isn't 'no', only that it's something more complicated than a clear and immediate answer.

[astralera]

[ She knows, which is why she chose to offer it as a last resort. If all else fails, she can claim them as hers and perhaps take them home with her. It would be a better fate than what awaits him on Eos.

Era releases the grip she has of his shirt, instead moving to wrap her arms around him the best she can in some semblance of a proper hug. The flat of her horn presses firmly against his chest, and Era briefly stiffens at the odd feeling that runs through it. With how cold he tends to be there was no doubt his circulation would be altered, but...

She exhales through her nose, choosing to ignore it. The vibrations of his voice are accented by the vibration of his lungs as he speaks, which are both much more pleasant to listenhearfeel. ]

I was not wrong before, you know. The speculation I had made in Rawna's temple... While not wholly accurate it is not far off.

Have you considered speaking to him via text?

[scourgingstars]

...Noct suggested the same. I...don't know that it would do much of anything, even were I able to compose something expressing myself well enough.