Event Log: May, An Inauspicious Arrival

[faileas]

Event Log: May, An Inauspicious Arrival

I. Boaltinn (1st - 3rd) Boaltinn comes around again. A handful of Mirrorbound will remember the holiday from last year, but for others, it will be brand new. In both Residential Districts, bonfires burn in central locations through the night, frequented by the residents celebrating another summer come to Aefenglom. Curiously, while last year the bonfires seemed quite segregated by human or Monster, this year, there is more of a noticeable mix at each, and Mirrorbound are invited to join the games and festivities quite happily. Characters are invited to try and jump through the bonfire's flames to burn away any poor relationship experiences, be it romantic or platonic, past or present; to aid them in this, those at the Eastern Bonfire will give those participating rune-etched accessories to protect them from the fire. The city has quite a bit to offer for this holiday: shared rose baths at public bathhouses and pleasure establishments that increase feelings of friendliness and talkativeness, poles draped in ribbons meant to be danced around, wrapping a ribbon around the pole to bring good luck for the summer, food stalls whose offerings are meant to be shared, and fortune-telling set up by Divination students of the Coven, who can tell your day is going to go. To see last year's Boaltinn prompts, you can take a glance right here! Much of it, including the bonfires, baths, and entertainments will be similar this year, so feel free to use those in your top levels.

II. An Unusual Arrival (3rd on) A full year from the arrival of the first group of Mirrorbound, the 1st passes quietly, with no one showing up in the mirror-lined halls of the Looking-Glass House. Dates and times are important in most kinds of magic, and this is strange enough that some Witches of the Coven get together on the night of the 3rd to try a probing ritual, attempting to gather some kind of clues that could be useful in prying out the cottage's secrets. Boaltinn is the best time for such things, when the boundaries are thinner, and magic is stronger. Those who are awake that night at 3 am might notice a pulse of harmless silvery light that spreads like ripples on water throughout the whole city, originating at the Looking-Glass House, but nothing further happens, and the Coven receives no answers. Well, nothing happens in the Looking-Glass House. Before long, the reports start coming in: people are emerging from mirrors, regular old mundane mirrors, all over the city. Anything with a particularly reflective surface could be an entry point for someone from another world! Inhabited homes, businesses closed and locked for the night, pools of still water in fountains or the river, these unorthodox Mirrorbound pop up anywhere and everywhere, causing chaos for the City Guard (folks aren't happy to find strangers in their bathrooms at 3 in the morning) and the Coven both. Out of nowhere, a glint of light catches your eye; your heart thunders in your ears as your body moves on its own, your mind consumed with inspecting the source. Your reflection stares back at you, just as curious from the surface - a mirror, a pool of water, your most trusted sword, something fleeting that your mind can barely remember - then ripples at your touch. If you are one of these unfortunate arrivals, it's likely a rude awakening for you, to find yourself somewhere inconvenient, somewhere other than where you've been. It only makes sense to be confused. Hopefully someone finds you and explains to you what's happened to you. Resident Mirrorbound will hear a message from Miss Nessie shortly after it begins, a call to arms: "Dears, I'm quite sorry to disturb you, but it seems your fellows are arriving elsewhere than the Looking-Glass House this month! We're trying to track them all down for the usual welcome, but we could use a hand or several! If you could just bring them by the Coven, the usual spot, that would be lovely." She'll give her usual orientation and pass out Watches, but no doubt the Mirrorbound will be more helpful in this regard, with so many arriving.

III. The Goblin Market (All Month) Life goes on in Aefenglom, despite the addition of so many new residents. With the City Guard decidedly busy dealing with the sudden flood of break-ins (or, more accurately, break-outs?), the vendors of the Goblin Market find opportunity to set up their stalls more openly than they have since the crack-downs some months ago. They pop up all over the city, but clustered more often in the Residential Districts and the Harbor District, where there are even fewer law enforcement agents out and about to run them off. These sellers, while not as devoid of morals as those major players of the Black Market, still have very few compunctions when it comes to lying, cheating, fencing stolen goods, and misrepresenting their wares to unsuspecting buyers. It's also the place to find those things that are- not quite legal, shall we say. They won't say a word if you don't. If confronted, they are quick to pack up their things and slip away, however; they know this city and its hiding places a lot better than you do. With a brand new batch of what the natives assume are Mirrorbound, many undergoing rapid transformations into their Monster forms, many of the wares on display are potions: supposed cure-alls for aches and itches, calming draughts for the full moon restlessness, some even claim their brews can halt changes entirely! Some concoctions are meant to increase a Witch's magical ability, or decrease it, or provide them a finer control. They offer potions that they say will eliminate the need for a Bond, or temporary Bonding potions of their own that they claim are more pure, stronger, than the ones offered by the Coven. Claims are only claims, though. A few remedies for the pain of changing or some regular temporary Bonding potions can be found here and there, but for every potion that works, there are twenty more that have less than pleasant side effects. A brew that will cause everything you touch to turn to solid gold for up to an hour; a potion that will invert your sense of direction - trying to turn right will make you turn left, trying to go forward will cause you to walk backward; a potion that will remove all traction from your feet, causing you to slide around as if cobblestone are the slickest ice. Worse, some shadier vendors sell things more sinister, including a potion that gives you the appearance of being moderately to heavily infected by the Cwyld. Even if you don't drink any, the vendors are not at all careful where they're sloshing those bottles around, trying to show them off, and they all activate on skin contact.

IV. A Wilde Hunt (7th - 22nd) All Mirrorbound, temporary or not, are likely to feel it. Monsters are always affected by the full moons, but this month, it is more. Stronger. Instincts rise to the surface as the Sisters emerge full and visible in the night sky, and for many Mirrorbound, they are undergoing rapid transformations into whatever type of Monster they are meant to be. Curiously, the natives get along like they usually do, noticing nothing out of the norm, other than the increased agitation and restlessness from Mirrorbound Monsters. Monsters' aggression fades when the Sisters start to wane, but as the new moons approach on the 22nd, Mirrorbound Witches will notice their magical reserves overfilling, and will find themselves stricken with the overwhelming urge to use it, until casting spells, pushing one's magical limits, is almost a compulsion. Those who are not in proper Witch-Monster Bonds will feel it even stronger, with no stabilizing magic to consume (for Monsters) or avenues to expend magic (for Witches) other than casting spells. (For those who are interested, the Coven does offer temporary Bonding potions which can be used to help alleviate the effects somewhat.) The Coven Witches notice the signs, and they take decisive action on the morning of the 6th, the day before the full moons. So many Mirrorbound, likely to be so heavily affected by the lunar cycle this month, many of them coming into new features and abilities at a breakneck pace, only spells danger for the city. They barricade off a massive chunk of Wilde outside Aefenglom, largely free of Cwyld and totally bereft of farms, homes, and Wilder outposts. They invite anyone who feels the effects of the moons too strongly to control to come out for a Hunt. The hunting grounds will be open nightly to anyone who needs to work off restless energy or overflowing magic; all participants will be warned that their safety cannot be guaranteed from others, but they won't be able to harm bystanders out here. The woods are thick, with the river cutting through them, and full of wildlife. There is room to run and chase prey, or room to play with your developing magic. Play cat and mouse with your friends or Bondmates, or stalk a stranger. If playing games isn't your thing, there is something else to hunt out here as well. With the deep Wilde entering into Winter, this patch of land so close to the city is much warmer, and fearsome Shades have emerged to search for prey. These were once living beings, Monsters, Witches, or animals, who have been overtaken by Cwyld infection long ago, leaving them dead but for the infection, white-eyed and seeking out sources of magic to consume and infect. Anything could become a Shade, but the most common out right now are the ferocious remains of bears, wolves, and nomadic Arachne and Turnskins. If not killed, these Shades threaten the people of the Outer City, when they inevitably escape the barricade. Careful to limit your contact, though; anyone infected upon their return to the gates will be escorted straight to the infirmary.

Welcome to May's Fourth Wall event, An Inauspicious Arrival! The comms are now open to comments from all registered users and will be until June 1st. Current players, if you don't want fourth wall characters tagging your posts, just say so in your text. Fourth wall characters can use this post for their own network top-levels, or this post for log top levels. This event is game canon; threads from this fourth wall can be used as application samples later and current players may use these threads for AC. As always, be courteous to each other! Let the mod team know if there are any problems and we will handle things.

As always, please direct your questions to this thread!

Comments

[mensrea]

[ The urge to pop that bubble in the man’s face is especially strong following that smug response, but since Stiles just watched it coalesce into existence from that offensive mouth… Eugh, no thanks. No touching. With his luck, he’d get splattered too. ]

Uh, sure. Fireworks are pretty, I guess.

[ Absolutely sticking with the idea of “fireworks” here because the alternative is a little concerning. That said, he does actually think he can understand the appeal of what Deidara is saying, though that kind of “beauty” is more depressing than exciting to Stiles. ]

So, you must like similar things, right? Like – uh, what’s the name…oh! – daylilies? And adult mayflies. What about the K-T extinction? Theory of the Big Bang? What else is there…

[ Stop him before he keeps rambling. Because he will. ]

[kingsroads]

[ As Alucard shows his fangs, Strange takes a step backwards, tensing instantly. He instinctively gestures towards Alucard, waving his hand towards the man in a manner that's somewhat theatrical.

Nothing happens. ]

What the devil... [ Strange murmurs to himself as he attempts to cast the spell again. Again, nothing happens.

This has made Strange visibly worried. ]

[voktys]

⟪ under ordinary circumstances, she would argue the faith, but these are not ordinary circumstances, and she holds her tongue in accordance.

still: 'horse god' piques her interest, 'night lands' has her questioning, and 'khalasar' is the confirmation she was seeking. it is not her expression that shifts as much as it is the air around them when she reaches out to take daenerys' taloned hands into her own. ⟫

It has been long since I last met one who has crossed the Dothraki Sea.

⟪ how else would she know of the horse god? how else could she call the people who hold their faith with it her own? ⟫

[lookslikeacinnamonroll]

I've never heard of any sort of Speaker clan.

[ Were they orators? Famous speech givers? ]

We're Cultivators. Or, we were. There's no one left from the Wen Clan anymore except me. Or, no. There's A-Yuan now too! But he's a Gusu Lan disciple now.

[lookslikeacinnamonroll]

[ Wen Ning looks around, trying to judge which direction looks the most like it would house an Aristocratic District. Aristocratic buildings are tall, aren't they? He points towards the tallest building he can see, some sort of clock tower. ]

What about that way?

[voktys]

I bend to none but the God I serve. ⟪ her tone is warm, with a hint of a smile to her as she leans slightly against him where he holds her arm, a nudge to indicate no hard feelings. still, she realise that her words held no clarity on the matter, so she adds: ⟫ Your advice will be taken with gratitude. Not once have I seen a good outcome to a taste-test of strange alchemies.

⟪ the pier seems to please her, and if he steps to a more polite distance, she'll move forward slightly to get a better view of the clear waters. the canals of asshai were notoriously dark, and the seas before dragonstone oft wild with strong winds. still, she's gained some appreciation during her time, especially when and where the light reflects. the lightness of her manner changes, though, when she speaks again: ⟫

It will have all the airs of darkness, will it not? The change, if it progresses without the aid of bonds?

[freecshow]

Hmm... I guess that's true. I guess we can't complain for now.

[this, however, as Gon steps in, is where he decides to rudely point out some Killua nuance, laughing.]

Wo—w! It's so clean! You really haven't been spending a lot of time here, huh?

[a gleeful laugh bubbles from Gon's throat, and he happily steps in, dropping the books on the desk. it's small, and Killua hasn't spent a lot of time in here, probably—but his scent lingers, and it's comforting.]

I guess cuz there's not much to do, huh?

[Gon plops himself onto the chair, swinging his legs once he's sat.]

No video-games or TV...

[is Gon teasing Killua. maybe]

[supersoldier]

[To Sephiroth, it’s an event that hasn’t even come to pass. Hearing about it was like knowing of some dread premonition, a pall hanging over the his future that’s been put on hold. In that way, it is surreal to him as it is to Zack — even more so, now that the man stands here living a second time.

The ex-SOLDIER tries to smile at him, but when Sephiroth meets his eyes, he can only feel something akin to dreadful realization churning in his chest. The same kind of acridity when struck with news that should not be as surprising as it is, not after what they had learned about both Genesis and Angeal. In tandem with details of how Zack died, it feels like a weight pressing into him.]

No. No one would have been left standing if I had been treated that same way.

[Maybe Sephiroth doesn’t realize just how true that is.]

You were test subjects? [Hojo? his mind flashes white-hot with blame, immediate and accusatory. And probably correct.

Why would Shinra impose that fate onto either of them? Treat them like the enemy, chase them down after their escape? Because of a mission critical failure? Is that why he, too, had gone “missing” soon after?]

What did they do to you?

[fiddlestick]

You don't have to apologize! It'd be really shocking for anyone.

[Goddess know he spent his first couple WEEKS in shock]

You too! [though that name...it's familiar] Elie MacDowell huh? Strange...I feel like I've heard that name somewhere before.

[Too bad his memory is crap.]

sorry for the delay, here's my gremlin

[redload]

Blood.

[dante repeats, somewhat in shock at the honest and straightforward request.]

[and while he can remember a few times where demons of all sorts have wished to bathe in his blood and other similar things, he's never had such a polite request for it. his devil powers don't work, so he imagines that he doesn't necessarily have much to grant in terms of how special his blood can be—but he's really no expert in hematology.]

[which is why he shrugs, despite the woman's somewhat worrying look, and grins easily.]

Sure. I got plenty to go around.

[he lets go of her shoulder and pulls back, pointing a finger over at the vendor, before speaking.] You heard the lady. Pack up the potion to go.

[beaumains]

[ Gareth just met Freya, hasn't even asked her name, and has already decided she's great. But then again, she always fancied herself an excellent judge of character. But that wasn't something they were about the unpack the wrongness of, especially since Freya actually was someone worthy of her admiration. But she'd learn that well enough on her own.

After the return of the salute, the affirmation, and seeing Freya leap and bound in brief amazement, Gareth remembered herself and took to moving herself. Low to the grown, her tail holding her balance as her literally wolf like movements carried her through towards whatever foes laid before her.

It didn't take her long to find any. ]

[scatmaam]

If you ever tell me what to do, I'll box your damn ears.

[ Scathach remarked back, crossing around to flank the beast while Cu took the point, dashing with an almost pounce-like motion before spinning her blade into a crossing slash. ]

[crowsfeat]

Eileen was good at that. Though it wasn't always intentional. She was just... like that, sometimes.

"You'll want to find animals that have not succumb to the Cwyld. Shades have their dark blood, but I doubt it's healthy for you to eat," at least she assumed. She didn't actually know. But it definitely felt like a bad idea, considering particularly nasty Shades' humors burned against raw skin, from her observation. Definitely not something wanted to fool about with.

"With your knife throwing skills, that shouldn't be a problem."

EMMMMMEEEEEEEERALD~!

[clickclickbloom]

Ruby certainly didn't recognize who she was about to pounce. All she saw was a waskally wabbit and the proud hunter dragon in her took the wheel. There was a surge of pride as her prey froze before she came in for the pounce. It knew it couldn't stop her, knew it couldn't outrun her, knew it had been beaten.

So she pounced and happily pinned her prey to the ground, letting out the proud war cry of a delightfully cute rawr before she blind and looked down at a very familiar face.

"...Emerald?" There was a stunned moment of silence as she realized she was dealing with an enemy from her home. Someone who had pretended to be her friend to blend in with the crowd.

"What are you doing here?"

[fairyherder]

[ but he'd like to. probably. maybe not now, but going on a night hunt is bonding, right? the longer they sit there, the more he feels himself relax, though he's still a whirlpool of emotions and it's... difficult to maintain.

and then his father is just watching him and he blinks and looks up, finally facing him, and is kind of at loss for words, because it's silent and he's not sure if he's supposed to say more? it's overwhelming to say the least, but he's almost getting used to it, and there's a ball of something growing inside him that he doesn't know how to define yet, but it's not. not bad, really.

but he's also afraid this is just a one time thing and he doesn't want to lose it. he doesn't want to think about things going back to before. especially not when his father says that and his mouth twists in a frown and he swallows on a lump again, because it almost sounds like a goodbye and that's not fair. ]

I'm... I... I don't want you to leave again.

[ leave. because saying "die" would probably choke him up again, as if he isn't already doing so, and he takes a breath. would his father still be dead once he somehow makes it back home? the details of coming here are still muddled and confusing and it doesn't help. ]

[westernstone]

[ Something in him is darkly pleased by that flinch, by the acknowledgement, which is all the more reason Ao Zailun needs to put himself back together properly. He pulls in a deep breath and lets it out slowly, and it becomes just a little easier to give Ao Lengshan nothing but a dry look. ]

You really think I could do something like this? [ Wrong question, maybe. ] No, not me. I found myself here as well. And.

[ He gestures vaguely to himself. It had come on slowly, enough that he hadn't entirely noticed at first. At least until he couldn't get rid of any of it. ]

wildcard

[weiward]

It's a little early for Wei Wuxian to be up and active. It's especially strange when he has not one, but two Lan Wangjis meditating under his roof. But that's also exactly why he's not there. His absence is probably equal parts mourned and relief, especially for the younger Twin Jade. His Bonded would be willing to let him comfort and confess to him. He'd even encouraged it, forgetting for a moment that they shared everything through the bond of this world, so Wei Wuxian could feel the confusion and hurt at his own bittersweet suggestion.

There's a reason that he can't, and he's out in Aefenglom looking for it, red ribbon trailing behind him as he jogs through the marketplace, along the river, and takes quick peeks inside the bars before he can be encouraged to stay. It's late afternoon before he finally spots his own doppleganger, but he's far from shocked. He's relieved, crossing the room to take the drink directly from Wei Wuxian's hand and downing it himself.

He slams the cup back down on the counter, looking into his old eyes (brown instead of the gold that they are now) before reaching for his wrist.

"Let's go. He needs you."

never apologise

[voktys]

⟪ he can feel some of the tension easing out of her before he lets go, and it's both at the ease of which he agreed and the smile with which he did so. it has... been a while since a need has gripped her quite like this, she is cold, even, and she knows all the struggle will come to an end with his half of the bargain.

she counts out the coins for the vendor (can't help herself with the counting, it's another one of the compulsions that came with the change she underwent). where has she gotten the money? simple enough, she's sold one of the dozens of gold-and-ruby pins that she fastens her hair with everyday. not appropriate, of course: like her, they belong to the temple. but it's asshai'i gold, cursed in its very nature, and she has faith that the thing will return to her in time.

once she holds the potion in her hands: ⟫

Where to?

[redload]

[so much for having fun. nero seems to be the actual antithesis of that, at least in robbing him of the delight of having a good hunt. at the lack of demons in sight, the next best thing is some actual monster.]

And you gotta ruin it for me, huh? You numpty!

[you can tell he is properly crossed when he starts using that kind of lexical choice.]

[so much for the cool trick of stabbing a wolf into his horns. he makes a noise of general displeasure and slaps the air towards nero, in a motion of 'forget it.']

[his sword still managed to touch base with the chest of a rushing lobo, so dante focuses his efforts on getting there and taking the sword in hand—pulling it out from its fleshy residence, and swinging it above him before chopping the head right off. clean, maybe, but for the rugged aspect of the cut, given the devil's swords casing.]

[roarspetals]

[ Are people staring? He hasn't noticed, but apparently some few market-goers find the sight odd enough to stop and watch. He'll find time to realize and be properly embarrassed later, but for now he's just glad that something's finally been done about that blasted itch between his shoulders.

The relief is only temporary, he knows, because it seems nothing will stop these feathers from coming in. It feels nice for the moment. ]

That might not be a bad idea! Certainly better than trusting the strange concoctions here.

sorry for the delay! work got me good

[redload]

Yeah, yeah.

[is the reply to her questing words. dante is pulling himself up on his feet with a groan, straightening his back in an attempt to check if anything's too broken or too damaged. seemingly in good shape, he lumbers over towards grace—not really minding to look her over, not really.]

[he's rubbing his jaw with his left hand and using his right to grab at the hilt of the devil sword. he makes pulling it out seem way too easy.]

You're pretty lucky. [he offers, finally turning his blue eyes towards her—despite the coat of shaggy, white hair covering them. he's grumbling and not in the mood, for all intents and purposes, but he still manages to quip.] You should try the lotto. Get some magic numbers going.

[roarspetals]

[ She landed in someone's bathtub? Oh no! That certainly indicates that he's not the only one to have just appeared here at random, which is a small comfort but a comfort nonetheless. ]

Was the bathtub occupied? If so, I might concede that you had the worse experience.

[redload]

There's no telling what this really is.

[these are his wise words... hardened by years of experience and overall not paying too much attention to his surroundings and letting himself go with the flow. even if, well... a straightforward puzzle is easy to handle, but there are not signs currently of his being able to figure this one out with the information currently available to him.]

[one would say it might be easier for him to actually be stuck in hell.]

But it's a good start as any. Nico, right? Goldstein's grandkid.

:9

[redload]

[and his pointing diverts to melisandre as she gets hold of the potion that he so desires.]

You're the one calling the shots.

[with a click of his tongue, he pairs it together with a casual bang-motion of his hand, spreading out his arms as he looks around them.]

Wherever you want. I'll take a stabbing if that's easiest for you.

[he has no idea how exactly she expects to get blood from him.]

[roarspetals]

Thankfully, no one has given me grief for it. There have only been simple misunderstandings.

[ Once he learned that not every star out there had the likes of Ronso, or even Mystel or Drahn, it was an easy thing to take such misunderstandings in stride and explain accordingly. Most folk here were understanding.

But no, his ears are certainly not just for show, and he stills when he hears footfalls in the brush, coming to a stop just as Kaine gives her signal. His hand moves to the hilt of his blade. ]

Aye, I hear it to.