February Event: Just One Mist-ake

[lifeaftr_mods]

FEBRUARY EVENT: JUST ONE MIST-AKE

Who: Everyone who ends up on the floating islands
What: February's event
When: February 15th to February 20th
Where: The floating islands above Ensō
Warnings: Mark as needed!

Sky High

Those curious floating landmasses far above Ensō have only grown more prominent in the coming days. Whether you've chosen to explore the islands purposefully or have ended up there via a mana pool malfunction, you'll doubtless discover their unique properties soon enough. You might even take advantage of their impressionable nature to mold them to your own desires, shaping pieces of the places you once knew, or maybe a place you wish you could be.

Either way, the repercussions to using the floating islands as your modeling clay will be evident by the time midnight rolls around, each night, and the islands impose a regular reset cycle to wipe away whatever changes have taken place, including that peculiar, almost volcanic texture that seems to affect the lands sculpted by your mentality. Just make sure you're not caught outside the depressions in the shape of mana pools centered on each island, lest you bear some unpleasant consequences for a day.

If you haven't signed up for a Reset Penalty and wish to, you can still do so here!

Check Your Wishlist

But of course, it's not all doom and gloom. It's quite the opposite, in fact. If there's something you've been wanting, simple or complex, something that has been making its way into the texture of your thoughts with a frequency that's almost noteworthy, the islands will attempt to see to it that this wish of yours, this yearning, is satisfied in some way or another. Some of the effects will be temporary. Some won't.

Regardless, at some point during the event, if your character visits the islands, the possibility is there.

If you're interested in a Wish Request, let us know here! Remember that filling out this form is required if you want to take advantage of the islands' "giving" nature.

Event Timeline

[ ♆ ] February 15th: The floating islands appear
[ ♆ ] February 16th: The mana pools begin malfunctioning, and characters begin ending up on the floating islands
[ ♆ ] February 20th: Monthly Storytelling occurs, along with a vote as to the next land adventurers will brave. Upon waking, the Storyteller returns everyone to Ensō, and shrouds the islands in cloud once more

LOGS ● OOC ● STORIES ● MAIN NAVIGATION

( CODED BY BOOTYCALL )

Comments

[shatteredlenses]

That I did.

[Ignis laughs, not knowing at all what he did to cause this to happen, but like her, he doesn't really care. Not right now when he can be spending his energy on more important things. Like seeing.

He gentle wraps his hands around hers giving them a squeeze.]

I don't know if this will last, but temporary or permanent, I don't care. I've not been this happy for a long time. Pick something. Anything you want and show it to me.

[catpiper]

[If she had anything reflective on her person, she would whip it out and raise it up so he could see the bright smile on his own face. The light squeeze on her hands, his expression-there's nothing else she really wants to show him right now. Even the treasures in her bag don't seem quite right.

And while the sky islands are a mystery to her, there's something about them that seems to respond to her thoughts-memories? She's caught on to that quickly enough and she says-]

I'm going to think about a pretty thing and we'll go find it.

[She keeps her fingers wrapped around his, taking a step back and gently tugging him forward.]

It'll be here somewhere.

[She's gonna find this man a mirror!! Think mirror, think mirror, think grody ass broken mirror from her world so Iggy can look at himself. ]

OMG, Ren you beautiful, precious child...

[shatteredlenses]

Is it a scavenger hunt then?

[Somehow, his smile manages to grow wider. It's such a silly idea, and yet he lets Ren pull him along. How long has it been since he's felt this light and free? He has precious few memories of playing with the prince in their youth, before the Marilith attacked Noctis and stole his smile away. Before that day when Ignis had to cast away the remainder of his youth far too soon.

Those memories seem far away now, with Ren pulling on his hand and joy in his heart. Rather than thinking of old losses, Ignis would rather think of making new memories, of--for a short time--reclaiming what was once taken away.]

Are you going to give me a clue? A riddle perhaps? How am I to know what we're looking for?

iggy's the precious treasurenugget around these parts

[catpiper]

[As usual, Iggy makes a valid point. One that Ren ponders because while it's not a surprise-

It's kind of a surprise? It's one of the rare occasions she wants to hold onto this pleasant secret. Scavenger hunts, riddles, a clue-he gets none of that. Not even a name. She didn't intend for it to be a game, but with his wide smile and an enjoyment she feels all her own, she quickly falls into the idea.

It can be a game now.]

It's special. It's going to be-

[How does she remember it? A large mirror with cracks that distorted her appearance and made her laugh. It's not supposed to be broken, she realizes that, but it's the only way she can imagine it. She keeps her grip tight on his hands, walking backwards to her destination-wherever that is.]

A lot of pieces put together. It'll make you happy.

[Look, she didn't intend to make this a riddle, but here we are. Enjoy. It's hard mode now.]

But...but... REN! *gestures at her*

[shatteredlenses]

A special thing that will make me happy once it's put together?

[Well, he had asked for a clue and that is certainly one. Not that it really helps him figure out what they are looking for, but he is hardly upset by that. How can he be when she is smiling so widely? Ignis gives her hand a gentle squeeze as he is pulled along, looking around them for something in many pieces.

There's a lot of things in pieces around, truth be told, and walking backwards doesn't really help any. Still, how can he turn down such a joyously given challenge?]

Is it something that naturally has many pieces like a puzzle or something that is broken?

[Wait just a minute there, Ignis Scientia. This is a scavenger hunt not twenty questions!]

she's bad!! throw her off the island!!

[catpiper]

[This right here? This game? Makes her expression shift into one that's far more serious. Like his guess-his accurate guess-somehow forces her to reevaluate all her life plans. At least it's a step in the right direction,]

It's broken.

[He probably doesn't need to hear the answer when he can see her face clearly enough, but she offers it anyway. Good job, Iggy. She's proud of him.

And true to her word, there's a glint in the distance-the sunlight bouncing off the item obscures it and while she can't be 100% sure, she has a feeling that's where their scavenger hunt should end.]

Maybe it's there?

Noooooo! Hug her and giver her SHINIES!

[shatteredlenses]

Oh?

[Ignis honestly hadn't expected to be so close with his guess. Logically, something with many pieces either is that way naturally or must be broken, but still, Ren's mind works in such a different way from his own. He half expected to somehow be way off the mark.

He's a little proud he wasn't.

When she points toward the shine, his gaze follows, curious. Something that shines and is in many pieces when broken.

Are they looking for a mirror? But, for what purpose?]

The only way to find out is to continue forward. Lets see if we've found your treasure!

nO give iggy all the hugs and shinies

[catpiper]

[She guides him that way-flowers, pieces of cars, toys from abandoned stores and other weird items glitching into existence in the interim. It's harmless stuff from her memory and she doesn't seem distracted by any of it. Her overwhelming happiness at this successful venture keeps her from concentrating too hard on the world around her. Nope. She's got a goal-a gremlin plan. It's great.

When they're close enough, she lets go of his hands and claps her own together.]

That's the treasure-a pretty mirror and your pretty smile.

Okay, he won't dispute the hugs now, but Ren still gets the shinies! LOL!

[shatteredlenses]

[It's amusing all the odds and ends that pop into life as they move toward Ren's goal. So many bits and pieces, and there's part of Ignis--the curious, child-like part--that wants to take more time to look at each thing so he can find out what it is and where it belongs. Perhaps later. Right now, Ren is so focused on their destination that he can't bring himself to interrupt.

Despite a mirror being one of the obviously solutions to the riddle, both her words and the actual item itself shock Ignis into silence. This may be for the best though, because the surprise does give him just a moment to see himself as she did, expression alive with child-like joy, eyes twinkling, but that expression slowly fades as he looks closer at what is reflected in the mirror's shattered surface.

This is the first time he's seen the scarring, after all.

Ignis moves closer to the mirror, eventually dropping to his knees in front of it, hand unconsciously reaching out toward the cracked surface to lightly trace the jagged edge of the scarring around his left eye.

Without really realizing he's speaking, Ignis finally breaks the silence with a whispered question.]

Doesn't it frighten you?

and ren will hoard the treasure like the garbage goblin she is

[catpiper]

[Doesn't it frighten you? registers when she's able to connect the dots and realize he isn't talking about the scary, sharp edges of the mirror. He's looking at himself and not seeing the treasure she found in his smile a few minutes prior.

And to that, she can't say it doesn't-it's frightening. Because she can't tell if it hurts his eyes, because she thinks he's too worried about making sure everyone is eating cooked fish and unable to say help me, if it is. The scarring itself makes no difference-she met him while injured and to her, this is the only Iggy in the world. The only one there can ever be.]

No, because I can see your smile in your eyes too. Even if they're closed, you can tell that kind of thing. That's how it is. That's why I wanted you to see it.

[Even if he never sees it, she does. ]

You're not scary.

She hoards wisdom in with that garbage too. :-D

[shatteredlenses]

I...

[He means to say he doesn't understand how she can say that, but the words get lost somehow on their way out of his mouth. It feels like he's giving up somehow to say it and he doesn't want to give up on something she can see so clearly.

Ignis makes himself look at his reflection again, searching not for the face that looks back at him, but the one he'd glimpsed for just a moment before he realized what he was looking at. Even more, he's looking for the smile he wore more often when he was younger, before the weight of his duty erased it.

After a few seconds, he makes a small sound, a shaking breath, as he carefully rests his forehead against the broken mirror. Without raising his head, he reaches back toward Ren.]

I don't know if I can see it. Will you help me remember until I do?

it's the gremlin way

[catpiper]

[There are so few things she can do for the kind people in her life and if a constant reminder of something he can't see, that she can easily, will make him happy, then she'll help him remember. In silent acceptance of this request, she reaches for his hand with both of hers and holds on tight.

And she can already see it, the smile on his face the first night they spent together on the island. Back when there weren't islets or small families forming and it was only all of them, stuck together, in a temple with an unknown god lurking nearby.]

I won't ever forget. You can always say 'Ren, help me' and I'll stay by your side until you remember. That's how it is now.

\o/

[shatteredlenses]

[Ignis turns back to her when she takes his hand, eyes bright with tears. As if he wishes to escape what he saw in the mirror, he moves away from it, toward her, resting his forehead against one of her shoulders should she allow it.]

Thank you. Thank you.

[It's so easy for him to convince himself of certain things. To hide emotions he doesn't want to deal with. He's done it for so long, but he knows Ren won't allow him to deny this to himself.

It's one of the most precious gifts anyone could give him.]

[catpiper]

[There's no way she's going to deny this guy that small comfort and she doesn't move away when he rests a head against her. There's nothing much to say-the thank you is unwarranted, unexpected, and any response she has to it falters when she tries to speak.

In all the time spent in his company, she never realized how much was bothering him. Her attempts to help had been mostly due to her own worries-shoving cotton candy behind his head, making sure he was covered with a blanket when he didn't feel well and-

He must've spent a long time, not feeling well. His eyes must hurt in a way she can't fully understand. Will probably never understand. And all she can do is comfort him in her own gremlin way-without words and by patting his hair down, as if he were a cat trying to hide in her lap.]

[shatteredlenses]

[In a way, the comparison is quite apt. Ignis has spent a lot of his life surrounded by people, but separate from them aside from a very few. His blindness is just one more way of setting him apart from them. This is something he already knew--something he realized the moment he woke up into darkness. Seeing the scars shouldn't make that much difference, and yet here he is trying to hide from the memory of them.

Eventually, though, the pats do their job and he calms, sitting back on his knees and sending a small smile her way. Even though he's said it twice before, Ignis can't help but feel he needs to say it again. Carefully, he reaches out hoping she won't object to him entering her space once more, this time to press a hand lightly to the side of her face.]

Thank you.

[catpiper]

[She doesn't shy away from his touch. It's welcome, more than anything. Human contact had been nothing but a dream in her world-something terrifying to run away from and now she finds herself craving that touch of warmth people so easily offer here.

And again he says thank you. It's strange to have that directed at her and while it's commonly said by the kind hearted people who reside on this island. Thank you is-

It's nice to hear, maybe. From the voice of a man who found himself quietly suffering from his wounds, from the mouths of two elves who think she's worth thanking, from a boy who's always said thank you for being with him, when she should be expressing her gratitude to all of them instead.]

It's-Does your heart feel better now?

[shatteredlenses]

A little, yes.

[It will take a long time for his heart to fully heal, if it ever does, but even a little is a step in the right direction, one made much easier since he's not having to do it on his own. Ignis lets his hand drop from her face and then takes a moment to wipe the remaining tears from his eyes. As he finishes, a small smile crosses his face.]

Do you know what will make my heart feel even better? Lets go find some more treasures.

[He doesn't really care what they find. Old toys. Scattered broken trinkets. Worn out books. It's not the 'treasures' they find that matter. It's the time he spends with her. That's the real treasure.]

[catpiper]

[That's something she can get on board with, Iggy. Sign her the heck up. Treasure hunting is her forte and she's a master of garbage collecting-he'll have a full bag of terrible gifts in no time. Things that'll shine and make him happy and keep the tears from collecting in his eyes again.]

Okay. We'll do that until the sun goes away.

[Because that's when the Trouble starts and she's not into that.

And without further ado, she takes a few steps ahead, singing about pretty treasures as she walks. Let's go you bean!!]