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

[rootstalks]

[ Given that her own hands are starting to grow soft scales, and claws of her own, he can perhaps be a little more at ease. ]

I don't believe that-- [ That someone as upright as Lan Wangji would knowingly turn you into a monster rabbit, she wants to say, but then he keeps talking, and she gasps. ]

Bonded to Hanguang-jun, and to be wed? Oh, A-Xian! [ He looks so happy about it that any reservations she could possibly have had are banished immediately. She waits for his grip on her hands to loosen again, so she can move them up to his face and stroke his cheeks and forehead, and back into his hair. She blinks away her own sudden tears, and tries to look as stern as she can at short notice. ]

You have to arrange a meeting, and I want to know about your plans for the wedding.

[brushworkmother]

[The people here are all so varied- the Oina are all wolves, but here they're all kinds of things. Amaterasu blinks up at Hisui for a moment, before giving him a whuff and a sniff by way of greeting. Then she gives a sort of shrug, and tilts her head to the side, tail twitching aimlessly. Well, she's not sure she's going to buy anything right now, but she's certainly having a look for whatever looks interesting. What about him? Has he bought something?]

[gunshow]

No, I haven't.

[ the words sound thick in his mouth, but measured. as if he both can't imagine it and is trying to understand that right now, it's for a good cause. it's - why he was sent here, as a monster. carefully, ryuu's gaze rakes over the other man, but eventually, it comes to settle on jean's face after all. ]

- you're used to it?

(have fun ~~~savoring the gil confusion, kirei)

[gilgamess]

A rematch?

[ Gilgamesh just laughs under his breath, typically haughty, but now at least their expressions align more. rather like old times for Kirei.
sizing this Kirei up, the King of Heroes has a distinctly different impression of him than his NPC counterpart. both have the same aura of being somehow incomplete entities, individuals who simply provoke an unsettled or even hostile feeling in those that they encounter, but there is, well, flavor to this Kirei. Gilgamesh does not yet apprehend it, but he shall soon. he deems himself the ultimate judge of character, even with sha naqba imuru having been dimmed in this world. ]

It is as you said. You are too weak at this time. I would be insufficiently entertained.

[ Kirei himself probably does not know that Gilgamesh is no longer a Servant, but a Witch, and that he has lost the use of all his original powers, including Ea and Enkidu. as the King of Heroes has been a member of the Coven for months now, of course he has been learning spells and gaining abilities, but his all-confident persona obscures his own relatively less powerful status. at least for now.

-- but there was one thing Kirei said that was far more important than anything else, and this must be addressed. ]

What ...? What absurdity is this that you speak of? Your Servant was none other than I?

[ by now, of course, Gilgamesh has come to learn something of this Fuyuki Grail War. he even saw a glimpse of his own battle with the King of Conquerors and its aftermath. thinking upon it now... ah, strange though it may seem, it has never once occurred to Gilgamesh to wonder precisely who was supplying him mana during said war. but of course he had a Master, and certainly the Master was not that mongrel Hakuno. now Gilgamesh looks at Kirei as though seeing him for the first time. ]

... if you are deceiving me, I shall not hesitate to strike you down. [ really, it's not cute, Kirei!! ]

Yet, if you are honest, speak further. I must know more of this.

[nodyinteam]

I'd call that more impressive than funny! Well done, Mikasa! [He flashes her a proud grin. She has the potential for greatness, he's sure!

Nidai moves with an energetic trot, thoughtfully taking in her words.]

Huh. Are you saying you got disqualified from other games for breaking rules you weren't aware of?

[trost]

[ The hesitation in Ryuu's face is one he understands too well. Titans, he could kill with no hesitation (at least, back when he didn't understand them). They were huge, stupid, and ready to bite a man in two. Humans, though ... He doesn't think he can ever forget the first time he had to take the life of another human. Or any of the other times at all. It's become easier to take action - he's now able to kill an adult soldier without flinching - but that doesn't mean he likes doing it at all.

He's hoping these Shades will be more like the titans: mindless and violent and lumbering. That makes him feel less bad about it, at least. ]

I don't want to die. Where I come from, that's what happens when you hesitate. It's probably going to be the same if we encounter a Shade.

[nodyinteam]

[Nidai looks towards the other person after he's entered the water, remaining curious. And he barks a laugh in response to his words.]

If that's really what you want, you should just throw yourself in your own bathtub! When you come to a hot spring like this, being social is just part of the experience. [Even if that's partly a cultural thing.]

To be honest, I don't know what team we'd be on either. A sports team, or just a team in general. All I know is, all of us who are stuck here in this world... we're all in this together!!

bad ex- wannabe baby mama drama smh

[gilgamess]

Fool! You are trespassing on a King's property!

[ so it is his business, beyotch!!

yes, yes, Gilgamesh knows (a version of) Rin. he would not have reason to suspect she is someone else, given that no such combination of Rin and Ishtar existed in his own era or continuity.

that said, he himself compared Rin's personality to Ishtar's and observed them to have certain aspects in common, so he would not be too surprised. he regards Rin as something like an avatar of Ishtar already. ]

I did not grant you permission to fall upon my floor, woman. What foolishness brings you here, calling yourself a goddess? Has that Moon Cell taken your mind as well as your clothing?

[brushworkmother]

[Haku seems a lot like herself, and Ammy finds herself fond of them all already.

She wags her tail, very amused. She can handle this pace, but…. She ducks down all the same, tail waving, letting out a huff. Why don't they make a race of it?]

[gunshow]

[ a sound murmurs from his throat in acknowledgement more than in agreement; he's having a tough time going against his morals, his natural instinct to think killing is wrong. then again, there had only ever been men and animals in his world. no monsters, no magic.

not wanting to die... he says it so casually. ]

I don't want you to be in danger because of me. I may not really understand what I'm capable of yet, but I'll try not to weigh you down.

[weiward]

Good. She deserves to be happy.

[do not make her unhappy. wei wuxian's words seem to be saying that too. but who knows? it sounds like he's off to a good start.]

I haven't experienced that yet, but now I'm looking forward to it. I hope to teach him a lot growing up.

[something comes over his expression right as he says the words. right, except he probably won't be alive to do it. he does know that much.]

Anyway, you can't wander the streets all night. Inside the wall is pretty safe from Shades, but there's still thieves.

[and jins are shiny.]

[yesdoubt]

[Momo can at least read that kind of body language, and between that and Haku trying to shunt him forward, he gives a grin that bares his unusually pointed canines. Truly a whole pack of wolves they have going here.]

Oh, do you want to race? Haku, can you stop shoving me if we do that? I don't wanna trip over, that's a sad way to lose.

[Haku seems to consider that for a moment before backing off and prancing to one side, legs moving as if she's trying to loosen them up. Sen keeps his poise, but pauses to stretch his front legs out for reasons that definitely aren't related to this idea. Momo instead stretches his arms over his head, but he rolls himself onto the balls of his feet at the same time, the move easy and familiar.]

Should I count us down or is it just every wolf for themselves?

[yesdoubt]

Well, a lot of this kinda does, doesn't it? [At the introduction, Sen gives a doggy huff as if he's accepting Ryuu's presence in a vaguely tsundere kind of way, and Haku bounces up to try and get her head under Ryuu's hand to demand some attention. Clearly, she's the one that resembles Momo more of the two of them, the way she jumps at the prospect of physical contact.

Momo gives a fond sort of laugh at the sight before answering Ryuu's question.] It's not that big, but yeah. I live in...it's kind of a cottage type thing? They let us basically pick places to live when we arrive, and it looks like they cleared out a little bit of the fancy part of the city to make the Haven, so there's a lot of options. I figured I'd just take something small for the moment, but not super small.

[Big enough that he could house at least one or two more people. He'd been thinking ahead for the potential of others from their world arriving since he got here.]

C.

[electrod]

[ Why look up, when you can look down. The trees of this size come rarely within the city, and there is something way more comfortable about branches than just roofs (which, honestly, is pretty bleurgh to have as a realization. Damned bird habits and all)

Something, something, misery loves company so there's someone suddenly landing right next to him— the branch creaking a warning and wavering under the doubled weight. ]

You're in my spot.

[brushworkmother]

[Tripping someone over is definitely not a fair way to win, even if it does work. The point is that you can outpace and outthink the others!

She nods, tail wagging madly now. And- oh, they're all going to participate- him, too? Even better! She gets down, ready to go, and barks. A countdown is perfect!

…she should probably figure out where they're ending this, but eh. Details!]

[brushworkmother]

[Different worlds…. Her tail waves, a little uncertain. She's curious, but she has responsibilities! …even if she's here for now.

She whuffs, ears perking. That sounds very nice! Though- ice cream? How does that work- do they mix ice and cream together? …is it tasty?]

oh boy here we go

[thevanguard]

[ He bristles - and he hates that with all these feathers now, he actually ruffles up like some poofed up cotton ball. Staring down at this person yelling back up at him, he twitches on his branch a little, shifting from foot to foot in agitation. ]

You're yelling, too! What the hell are you so jumpy for?!

[ ...Not like he had anything to do with that or anything. ]

redheaded punk throwdown it is

[thevanguard]

[ Yata wobbles a little, because he's still getting the hang of this whole bird thing in the first place. And hanging out in trees is not his idea of fun, thanks. This is something he would have taunted Saru about doing once upon a time, except now the irony's come 180 and he hates it.

And then someone lands on the branch next to him out of nowhere and he jolts a bit, because he hadn't been expecting someone to get the literal drop on him like that, but his surprise is quickly masked by a scowl as he crosses his arms over his chest and gives the other guy a mulish stare.

Man, he looks like a real wannabe punk ass too. Just his luck. ]

Don't see your name on it anywhere. Get lost.

[fulgency]

Ozymandias does not spend much time at the Coven these days. It's not so much that there isn't a particular need to anymore (although there is some truth to that when one considers his proficiency in certain schools of magic) as it is time. Splitting his attention between Parliament, the cafe, both of his Bonded, and whatever other ventures he could possibly find himself focused upon leaves Ozymandias with very little time. This means that the scheduled classes often clash with what he has available.

But there are some days when he makes the time. While trying to gain a better handle on other schools of magic he's a little less experienced with, the more formal structured learning is helpful. It allows him to develop enough of a foundation that his attendance will become optional.

Today, he decided to make the time, squeezing in a class for enchantment between meetings with the council. Class let out a little early today, so he's content to take things at a leisurely pace as he leaves. By his estimation, he should have some time to return home for a length of time worth heading there. With his eyes trained on his Watch, Ozymandias catches up on messages he missed during the lecture and even takes a moment to peruse the network itself. (He still has very little use for the network overall, and almost never responds or uses it, but he's come to appreciate its utility. There is certainly something to be gained looking through it every now and again.) Behind him trails the sphinx cub that has now grown to a size that exists somewhere between a large housecat and a small bobcat. The kitten bounds down the stairs ahead of him once through the doorway, but doesn't get too far out ahead, waiting for Ozymandias to reach the bottom step before continuing to lead the way.

"Let's get you home," he says to the kitten, still not looking up from his Watch. "You may have some time outside before I need to go."

[trost]

It's my decision to stick around. [ His decision to protect this person who doesn't know how to fight, so it wouldn't be Ryuu's fault if anything were to happen to him. ]

But in terms of physical strength, you've probably got me beat. I don't really know how to use my magic yet. [ He'll be giving that a try, because he needs to release it before it becomes dangerous to himself and others, but the outcome is quite unpredictable. He'll mostly be using his gun and a blade he picked up if they need to fight. ]

So, you should probably start thinking about how you're going to use those teeth and claws of yours in case it ever comes to that.

A-1 >.>

[thevanguard]

[ Unfortunately the person on the other side of the door is neither of those people. Yata had just passed face first through a mirror to faceplant into some stranger's empty bed and he's just as confused - if not more so - than she is.

Of course, he'd been hoping for a way out when he reaches for the door, only to come face to face with a girl. A girl in a bathroom.

Oh. Oh god.

His face immediately turning bright red, he panics and tries to yank the door shut again. ]

Oh god! I'm sorry! I thought this was the way out!

[ The floor can open up and swallow him at any time now. ]

[arturiarex]

[ Saber doesn't much like the sound of that, but Maria seems to have accepted it as a given. She shifts her weight slightly with a sigh. ]

They might be suited to what you're becoming, but I always wonder if these changes are actually to suited to us. Although I suppose that it doesn't matter; we have to deal with them either way.

Arrival Shenanigans... >.>

[thevanguard]

[ He'd been fighting. That dumbass kid was getting really damn annoying and Yata had just about had it. A side-swerve on his skateboard, a ducked blow from that long, deadly scythe, and there'd been a glass window right in front of him, catching his reflection for the briefest of instances before everything shimmered and he was crashing into it...

...or not, because a moment later he goes zooming into a strange room that had really not been on the other side of that window a second before. He has a split second to register a figure in front of him, words being yelled in his direction, but there wasn't enough time to avoid the inevitable crash, not with the speed he was going. ]

Fuck! Look out-!

[ That probably wasn't enough time for a warning either, because a moment later he's colliding with someone's chest at full force, his skateboard flying off to the side and owww no one had the right to be as solid as an actual brick wall, what the fuck? ]

[electrod]

[ The bird thing admittedly sucks! On the other hand, it could be worse. But then it could always be worse, why settle with that thinking? ]

So you're blind or stupid, it's right there. [ And he uses a taloned hand (thank god he still got hands after the whole arm-wing thing) at the trunk of the tree. Spoiler alert, there is nothing there, he is just trying to taunt his way into getting an opening. ]

002!

[thevanguard]

[ He'd actually walked up because he'd heard that statement she'd made a few moments before. And hey, that's actually a language he understands! And one that certainly doesn't belong in Ye Olde Brothers Grimm, or wherever else the hell he's managed to land in.

Yeah, yeah, he's gotten the whole spiel by now but he's still not sure he believes any of it. Yeah, sure, he's definitely not in Shizume anymore but this whole tall tale of magic mirrors and monsters and witches (oh my) is a little far-fetched. This sure doesn't look like Wonderland. And okay so maybe that's too many references jumbled into one very wrong metaphor but you know what. He's having a day and nothing makes sense right now, least of all him.

So hearing someone talk about NPC's and MMO's is the first real language he's heard used in this place yet. So he latches onto the source as maybe at least one other sane person in this whacked out place. ]

If this was an MMO, there'd at least be a quest marker around here somewhere with some clue about what we're supposed to be doing. [ He sounds a little sour about it, in fact. ] Where do I report a bug so I can log out already?