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

[thelittlequeen]

Are they the cause of our being brought here and our changes? [The questions came after a long silence as she tried to process everything Daenerys said. There were so many thoughts, many of them objections to the news and refusals to believe this was true, but all she needed was to look at the woman and see some form of magic on her. Margaery was never a believer in those stories, they seemed only to exist to entertain children, but it was pointless and foolish to deny reality here.

That would make her no better than Cersei.]

What do you mean that my world is not as I remember it? Certainly it is still there? I was only in King's Landing moments ago.

[thelittlequeen]

I wish I were able to. [She managed a sheepish smile for him, trying to find some humor in this, but the realization she was cheated and now was suffering worse magic was an indignity! Her feet slid under her, each time she tried to straighten and catch her balance. She had never seen ice, but her Septa had told her stories of winters where one could walk on the water. Though "walking" apparently was nothing more than a joke.] Would you mind terribly helping me to a chair?

[Something, anything to wait this out...if it could be waited out.

Gods be good, this couldn't be permanent.]

[rootstalks]

[ She beams at him. Any remaining intimidation from his rank has been lost now that they're co-conspirators for a wedding, and his ever-easy acceptance of her and A-Xian's sibling relationship. And besides, he was raised as a clan heir, and she was raised to support a clan heir. Woe betide anyone who sets against them. ] That sounds perfect, thank you.

[ She's just glad that there is actually some kind of grocer here - she's heartily sick of alchemy and trinket stalls, even if they were exciting for the first ten or so. She falls in at his side, a little closer than would strictly be appropriate, but in this case is permissible given the width of the streets, the press of the crowd, and their need to be heard over both. ]

I admit, I was very glad to hear that you would be presiding.

lets start a club for slow people

[enkidoh]

Yes. When I was about to explode my skin started to crack. Which is rather strange, I am no servant anymore, neither am I who I used to be a long time ago.

[Enkidu blinks at the smile that appears on his face.]

I haven't been making a joke of some sort.

[They have been one of those who did not bond at all. They didn't want anything to do with it. But eventually they had no other choice. It was either that or an explosion.]

Follow me, Kirei Kotomine. [They turn and start to work.] Do you already know what you will become? A beast or a witch?

[plasticasshole]

It's an abandoned ship in Ferndale. Only androids could find it, using clues in the graffiti on the walls leading to it.

[He keeps his hand held out, determined.]

I got the information from an android who unfortunately destroyed himself after. I never got his name...

[It's just something else Connor regrets. But he can maybe make something right here. He can apologise to Simon, he can earn his trust. He's not the deviant hunter anymore.]

[brushworkmother]

Aru?

[She's never heard of chocolate, so… in theory, this isn't much of a loss. But now she's curious. …really, though, it'll be her own fault if she tries it and suffers. Salted caramel sounds like an acceptable offering in turn, though, and she darts forward a few times before stopping to wait for him.]

slow hi 5

[enkidoh]

[Enkidu just stays silent for a moment, blinking a couple of times.]

Corn then? [Perhaps this wolf-man has been raised by rodents and he does not know any better than to eat vegetables. Nature could do things like that, they have read about it once. Dogs being raised by cats who behaved like cats. It was an interesting matter.] There is this seller and he is known for very good corn. With butter and some salt. At times I find myself eating too much of them.

[And not having any cunes left to pay for essential things, like rent. Enkidu has no concept of money at all.]

Well, your teeth are made that way to be able to eat meat. Perhaps you will get used to it later.

yells happily

[electrod]

[ She's a proper lady, alright. Too bad between him and Rude, it's Rude who is the chivalrous one. ]

You're in the wrong "market" for that. [ Illegal markets usually deal in various trade, but given what he had seen on these stalls— ] I wouldn't trust any "food" you can find here.

[ He looks around, looking for a high enough point of interest, ah a lighthouse is visible that means harbor is that way ]

Real deal shopping district is nearby, that's your best bet.

[cryptsleeper]

In so many words. I grew up in a home surrounded by forest.

[Which is both technically correct and bullshit. Alucard grew up in a giant castle that could move, but it tended to land in forested areas and other remote locations. Places away from people, because Dracula had distinct preferences and being away from humanity was the first among them.

Alucard goes still again, and-- another fish.]

Would you like any to take back with you?

[yesdoubt]

[Momo generally does pretty well at dodging the people, because really, this isn't nearly as many people as he's used to seeing on a city street at any given time. As they get closer to their destination, though, the architecture changes very slightly once again, and Haku in particular pulls ahead when they finally turn left into the Haven. The houses here are less prim and proper than the Aristocratic District, if still recognisably closer to them than the houses on the other side of the major street, but Momo isn't quite stopping yet. They do need a specific part of it, after all.

Eventually, though, they weave onto a street that seems to end with a large courtyard and one big, old house. There's still time to catch up, with how long the route is - as for Momo's group, Haku is still pulling the lead, with Momo a few paces behind her and Sen trailing not too far behind him.]

[rootstalks]

[ Her manner thaws somewhat when he starts giving genuine instructions, and she follows his gaze to the lighthouse. ]

Near that signal tower?

[ It seems odd that a market with little to no legitimate goods is so full. She looks around again, slightly dissatisfied. ] Why is such a market encouraged..?

[chifeng_zun]

[Caring about a sibling is something he can understand, having raised his own from when he was a teenager. He doesn't know all the details of their personal situations, but he's glad not to see much lingering resentment toward the man who - yes, made some very poor choices after the Sunshot Campaign, in his opinion, but has not shown himself now to be anything but a young man who wants to get married and do right by his spouse.

Nie Mingjue doesn't mind it, if she walks a little closer than propriety allows. It's all for the better anyway; he knows there are pickpockets out and about. He's quite tall, at his full height, and with Baxia strapped to his back, he's a deterrent for petty crime in himself, and happy to subtly shoulder away anybody who might get too close.]

I could not refuse. Wei Wuxian wishes to do the honorable thing, and he is wedding my sworn brother's younger brother. [A nod accompanies this statement; he approves of the idea of wanting to do things right.] It is good to see he will have family present after all, however.

[purposefulnonsense]

"Were my normal abilities available to me, I might be of greater help... Without them, I can only suppose that it is some manner of aetherial transportation network, with these mirrors... and it would seem, mirror-like surfaces... set to be its anchoring points." He pauses, imagining a rough idea of it in his mind. It does not go very far, though, given the minimal amount of information he has at hand to work with.

"...I wonder what their readings would be, were we to obtain an instrument capable of measuring them...."

[anthropophagite]

[ it's easier, but grosser.

There is a hand in his face and it's obvious how uncomfortable Kaneki is when that happens. People touching him is... yeah. Last time it was Tsukiyama and look at where that got him. At least the other pulls back.

Ah, so it was just a misunderstanding. Kaneki is sort of relieved because he isn't entirely sure what he'd do if ghouls were around here too, it'd probably be a bit dangerous ahahaha, kaneki......

He shakes his head, adding a smile ] It's alright. I guess we are all trying to find familiar faces in the crowd. [ that is, if this person isn't from this world. ]

Uhm, I don't feel anything... [ but this person is probably right. he mentioned he could set the Goblin's stand on fire, so he is probably a Witch, so he probably knows better about this sort of thing, too ] I will be careful.

And I'm sorry about... [ UH vomiting all over your feet? ] dirtying you.

[roarspetals]

I believe so? Forgive me, the peoples of my world go by different names than most, I think.

[ But "hume" to "human" is not so much of a leap that he can't follow, though he's still trying to wrap his head around there being worlds out there without Ronso.

Rorik twitches an ear at the vendor, but otherwise he, too, pays the man no mind. ]

That is a comfort to hear, though you wouldn't happen to know how long that sort of thing takes, do you?

[electrod]

[ He shakes his head and just waves the arm— to the left of the tower. That's an actual, real direction given. It's her second question he answers with actual words ]

Because someone is being paid to not raid and close it just yet. [ That's what he assumes with a wide shrug. Illegal activities in the broad daylight usually come from some higher-up either not caring enough, or being "convinced" to not ]

[electrod]

[ Hollow bones are bullshit. Someone more reasonable could wonder on how awful it would be to break something, and thus become more careful.

But he's disappointed, visibly so. It would be funny to see the dude get off the branch, fly away, or something. (Would also satisfy that dumb, dumb, territorial feeling— like hell he wouldn't want to yell "this tree is mine" in normal circumstances. Hopefully...!) No time for much disappointments when he takes a punch on the face. And he takes it like a champ because dodging it would mean leaving the tree.

Among the feathers flying and probably some undignified sounds (there must be other birds in the area, surely) suddenly there is a new sound. A large bottle flies between them and then falls down only to shatter on the pavement. A large chimera stands under the tree, weighing another bottle in hand. He seems to be...upset at what is happening on the tree. ]

Quit yer yappin you goddamn pigeons!!! Take your dumb mating habits elsewhere!

[ . . .

Who knows, definitely might have successfully stopped the scuffle. Definitely did succeed redirecting Reno's aggression and attention at the NPC#451. They're no pigeons, that's just beyond insulting! ]

What the— shut up, asshole! [ Another bottle flies in their direction ]

[towards_okeanos]

Servant, hm?

[Does it surprise him?

In truth, no.

Iskandar prophesied yet another battlefield for him once. Their war was not to be his only war. Already then he saw the strife and hardships that still awaited his boy. Some part of him, shameless in its cowardice, wanted a quiet life for Waver. Yet even that part knew that no hero ever goes to live a quiet life. And Waver's path was the path of heroes from the moment he dared to pursue an impossible dream, to summon the World's greatest conqueror, the moment he chose to follow him.

While it is true that the path of heroes is steep and abounds in danger, something tells him that the trials of chasing a dream are what's on older's Waver's mind right now. Only a great loss can cause such sorrow. And what that might have been Iskandar doesn't even try to guess. He just keeps Waver in an embrace, close to his heart. Let the boy speak if he wishes, or stay silent if that is what he needs. All his King can do is to provide a reassuring presence. But Iskandar knows he's not only Waver's king, knows that he loves both the boy he met and the man his boy became. That he would love him always. And it is this love that doesn't allow him to remain idle.

So it may appear quite unexpected when the hand on Waver's head moves to his waist and Iskandar lifts him from the ground as if he weighed nothing. To him, even taller and older, Waver is still light as a feather. Iskandar makes his way to the sofa where he sits depositing Waver in his lap.]

Ah, that's a more comfortable spot to talk.

[He raises his free arm making space for younger Waver to snuggle in. He wants them both close. Doesn't he have two hands? There's enough to share.]

Now, tell me what happened.

[roarspetals]

I am not usually that fast. I surprised even myself!

[ Like her, he flicks the gore from his blade and attempts to clean it as best as possible in the grass. ]

I think it may have something to do with being a... Harpy? Yes, a Harpy.

[ He'll get used to that eventually.

He stands at last, replacing his sword at his hip, and spending a moment in obvious concentration to make sure his wings are neatly folded against his back. (He'll get used to that eventually, too.) ]

I thank you for your help as well, Kaine. Wolves oft travel in packs, yes? We had best not let our guard down.

[blankpieces]

[If Rufus wanted something to eat while he was there he's at least come at a time where Near wouldn't have any issue allowing him into his refrigerator. That hadn't always been the case. There was a phase during his first transformations where one could find dead rats next to the milk. He's scrubbed it out since then.

While he has the space to accommodate someone else, he isn't looking to open his home up to strangers.]

If you don't have a mirror connecting you to this place, then that building won't help you. You will, however, want to visit the Coven.

[Which sounds either campy or ominous depending on who you're talking to. There aren't many better terms to describe a headquarters for witches, though, and at least he's not having to point people in the direction of Hogwarts.]

[roarspetals]

[ Faster than most, but certainly slower than Rorik would like. It's only been a day, and already this blasted itching feels like a special sort of torture, meant to slowly drive him out of his mind.

He gives a roll of his shoulders when the scratching stops - he's alright for the moment, so at least there's no sulking about it, but it's only a matter of time before it starts up again. ]

Rorik. Thank you for your help, Zack. [ He'll accept that offered hand, though his own most certainly dwarfs it. ] Long before, technically speaking. I have always looked like this. It is only the feathers which are new.

[sparkstrikes]

[She drags the back of her hand across her face, wiping away any stray drops of water that might've come from him squeezing it out of his hair, but her hand falls to her hip as she casts him a tiny smile.]

This isn't my first time 'round the block.

[Probably a good thing, too... or else they'd both be at a loss for what to do in a strange and unfamiliar city like this. At least with her past experience, she can vaguely recall places through muscle memory. The bar she spoke of is just ahead on the corner at the end of the street.]

I guess whoever wants us here wasn't done with me yet.

[Though now that he brings it up... It does occur to her that their circumstances aren't so different, so why then—]

Except I still have my memories.

[Confusion begins to settle in her expression, forcing her smile to fade.]

[tryhard]

[ ...Servant?

Waver starts slightly at this revelation, eyes wide with disbelief. What on earth does that even mean? Flat hadn't mentioned anything about that.

There's no way. He's no hero. Servants are spirits of the heroes of men from ages past. It makes no sense.

The younger Waver is still speechless when Iskandar picks up the stranger of himself, and his heart twinges uncomfortably with a feeling he doesn't understand. It's not so ugly as stark jealousy, but it is... unpleasant.

He hesitates. Opens his mouth briefly, then closes it again. It's not like him to remain so silent, but he really has no idea how to even interject, what to say, and he doesn't want to interrupt. He wants to hear just as much as Iskandar does, of course, but at the same time--

Thinking of this as himself is disconcerting on a visceral level he can't really fathom, a faint existential panic just hovering in the back of his mind. Is he going to have to accept this? Is this man -- this Waver -- going to live with them? He can't even wrap his head around the concept of having to share his lover with... himself. But he can't think of this man as himself either, not exactly; they're clearly different, with different experiences and even different forms.

The whole thing is very confusing and frustrating, even with his understanding of alternate realities and even keeping in mind Berserker and Caster, both Cu in their own right but so different. He'll have to get used to that. He wonders how long it took them.

Finally, Waver rises from his chair, taking some time to gather himself and look away from the two on the sofa while he walks over to the door, locking it firmly. There, he lingers for just a moment before turning back to the impossible scene behind him. He doesn't exactly snuggle. He sits, stiff-shouldered, on the edge of the couch only because Iskandar beckoned him.

He doesn't want to share what he has. It's a cruel thought, and Waver is not a cruel man; he's ashamed of himself, and worried, and his ears are pressed so close against his hair they've practically disappeared. ]

[stopfen]

[The grumble makes her slow. Then he moves towards her as well, earning him a short breathy hiss that barely lasts a second as she pauses. But she hardly moves after that pause, waiting to see what he does.]

To see a friend. Why?

[It's dry, why did he need or want to know where she was going?

Mikasa, appearance, monster appearance didn't look all that different. Not like some of the others, not like him. Her sleeves where rolled up, showing where chitin had spread, now covering her elbows. The slightest shimmer of fae dust peppering her skin. The biggest thing, if he could notice in the low light was her eye. Just one. There now seemed to be a dark overlay over it, more insect-like.]

[stopfen]

[She does need new hobbies!

But she pauses her ribbon binding to blink those large black eyes at him.] There are combat sports? [Then there's a small hum and she's moving again.] And it's not considered training for battle?

[That was why people learnt to fight wasn't it? But then again Asura had mentioned someone all that time ago when he asked her why she still fought. She's just replied by telling him it was to keep her edge but...]