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

[scowlish]

[When Onni turns around and sees the load of things Reynir is carrying, his brow raises, and then he stands up. He doesn't manage to get to the Icelander before all the things are falling to the ground. It isn't shameful, really, considering how many things Reynir had been carrying and how many of them are small and difficult to contain without a basket or bag.

Onni crosses the room and wordlessly stoops to start helping him to pick up the dropped things. It's obvious what he'd had in mind, with the tape and tarp and the paint cans, so he just nods when Reynir asks if they should paint first.]

Yeah. Makes sense.

[Curiously, Onni turns over one of the cans and looks at the colour swatches on the side. A nice green, the type he might see in the forest. For a moment, Onni wonders if Reynir chose this colour on purpose because he thought Onni would like it.]

This is a nice colour.

[braidmage]

[ Reynir flashes a smile at Onni, delighted by his reaction. It's such a warm feeling, pleasing people. Pleasing Onni, in particular. He tells himself that's just because Onni is usually so neutral, so unimpressed by the world and other people in it. To get his eyes to soften the way they do looking at that shade of green... now that is a victory.

(There are definitely no other reasons). ]

I tried to pick the one that reminded me of your area in the dreamspace, as close as I could get it. I figured... it would feel like home, that way.

[ Maybe he shouldn't have said all that, admitted how much thought he put into it, but... Reynir isn't good at keeping that kind of thing back. ]

Were you allowed to paint your own rooms, at Keuruu?

[ Reynir knows little about Finland and even less about life in a military base. He's picked up a few small hints here and there of what it was like for Onni, moving there after his village was destroyed, looking after Lalli and Tuuri all by himself, forced into adulthood too soon and far too traumatically.

He shakes out the tarp as he speaks, moving to drape it over the bed to keep it safe from any stray splatters of paint. ]

[devilyouknew]

[Takizawa is staring again. It's ridiculous, but every time he tries to keep his eyes anywhere else they always stray back to this kid's face. It's the hand motion he's making now. He's seen him do it before - some sort of personal tic that he has.

If this is a fake, it's a very well-crafted one.]

Are you?

[He's cut off from adding more to his question as his stomach growls loudly. They've cleared the merchant stalls and the scent of freshly baked bread is in the air. His face immediately reddens and he clears his throat in a poor effort to distract from it.]

It might not be so bad. You could grow cute puppy ears and a tail. The girls would love that.

sorry about the delay!

[killuwatt]

Your father's, huh...?

[ The way Jin Ling is grabbing it looks so intense. Scared, almost. Like he's clinging to the sword like a lifeline. Maybe it's because it's the only thing he has left of home and of his father, Killua thinks, and withdraws his hand.

He sits back on his heels, crouched beside the other boy, and watches him with interest, though it's not unkind. ]

What does your father do?

[silentsavant]

( the longer the dragon gives chase, the more his flash of anger tempers at having been made a fool of — by his own doing, he would begrudgingly acknowledge, though taken out on the cat — but the heat of the mortification and the icy shock provoked him into this. his outrage sublimates with each bound into something brighter, something that rarely lifts his bogged-down spirits especially these days: thrill. of the chase, of pursuing the form of an old and trusted ally through the skeletal wintry shadows of unfamiliar wilderness with unflinching determination to catch him, almost as if he loses sight of him, he will do so forever.

that presentiment remains a peripheral concern, a doubt his greater mind won't let dominate because while it may be true in the broader scope of things, it won't be true for this moment. he's too focused on the wind streaking past his face through his hair, the scents that fill his nostrils and his head with information he could have never obtained as a mere branded, the cat's nimble liquid maneuvers that always keep him just out of reach, the single-mindedness of finally pinning his prey down for keeps... soren can tell he's teasing him, knows when he's feinting lower speeds just to whet his hopes even when in reality he could outstrip him if he really wanted to, and that only goads the dragon on more. when ranulf takes to the branches, he takes to wing, using those new appendages of his to spring and leap right after him. it's good practice. but strangely enough? it's... fun.

they keep up their chase like this for a few fast-paced moments longer until soren aims a weak blast of white-blue breath at one of the limbs ranulf is about to land on. )

[confectionerie]

[ She...wouldn't like what she sees? It might be an assumption on his part, but he wouldn't be making one without a good reason. Ann is the last person to judge people based off what they look like, but she doesn't want to make him uncomfortable, either. ]

...Okay. You don't have to show me if you don't want to, but for what it's worth...it doesn't matter to me what you look like. I know it's not the same thing, but a lot of people judge me based on what I look like, too.

[ So...she gets it. But she won't press the issue either. ]

But never mind that, are you telling me we're from different worlds?

[exsoldier]

[ The offer itself isn't all that surprising, but the way that Cloud says it, as if he's half-expecting Zack to refuse it, forces a laugh out of him. ]

Of course I do.

[ But leave it to Cloud to assume otherwise, even though this is a reunion that he suspects both of them needed. There's still so many questions that Zack wants answered, even if Aerith had already filled in a lot of the blanks, and so without further ado, he slings an arm around Cloud's shoulder and leads them forward.

Not that he really knows where they're going, but he'll let Cloud show him the way. ]

Making time for little old me, huh? Are you usually pretty busy around here?

[ The more proof he gets that Cloud's been able to go on and live his life after everything that happened to them, the better he feels. So he'll keep peppering him with questions, if Cloud lets him. ]

I... may have hit up Mettaton's network post.

[purposefulnonsense]

"Hmn." Hythlodaeus hums with a healthy measure of amusement, the sound paired with a fond expression as he lifts his hand before his face, smiling behind the curves of loosely closed fingers. "Well, you do know how to bring an end to that disquiet of yours should you end up worrying too much." Telling him a proper location and meeting time would be an easy fix. Perhaps too easy for his friend, in the end.

Still, it's plain to see that the man was capable of making an adjustment or two. Quite literally plain to see, given his appearance. Though Hythlodaeus is not privy to the reality of how and why Emet-Selch has taken on such a shape, it does seem rather convenient to have in a place like this, where everything and everyone seems to be small, save for the wall that sticks up in the not-too-distant distance.

"How is it, by the way, moving about in that form?"

[beguiledcard]

I am.

[ As gently as he's saying that, he's also giving her a look and using a tone that both imply it's the actual truth...

But, on the note of the last part, he nods and proceeds to do just that. ]

We're in a world where people are divided into two major groups. We have the group that contains everything from Puca to Vampires, and then we have the Witches.

Usually, everyone arrives in a different way from how you did. In fact, when I first came here, the first way I met some of the people was in a dream... [ his steps come to a pause; he's somewhat out of breath, holding a blink, and then resuming his steps like everything's fine ] ... Then, next thing I knew, I was coming out of a big mirror in a place that's filled with them. I've been changing into a vampire ever since.

[ That last part is said a little too casually.

And timed with the arrival to his house, from the way he simply walks inside. It's a pretty large one, too. And it'll probably be clear to her that he's far from the only one living here. He leads her into a nice-sized living area, gestures that she's welcome to sit, and then somewhat... sinks into the couch, himself. ]

[beguiledcard]

[ He offers her a small, understanding smile. ]

If it is, this will officially be the longest I've ever spent in it without a break.

[ Now he's shifting to sit just a little more comfortably. It might be a good idea to give them time to grow bored of their search. ]

Some people like us have been here for going on a year... and I've been here... going on a month now? And... [ ... ] Akechi's been here roughly three times as long as I have.

[supersoldier]

[It doesn’t matter? How can he say that it doesn’t matter? Sephiroth had lived years under the cycle of experimentation and testing, and though likely not nearly as detrimental as what Zack had been through (Hojo would not risk permanently injuring, disabling, or otherwise making useless his most successful project to date), he knows what it is like. The pall it casts over the perception of time, the inability to always understand what’s being tested, or why, or if he’s reached an acceptable threshold in the data he represents so that the same round of prodding can be avoided for that one day.

No. It matters. He is almost offended by Zack and for Zack’s sake. He’s sweeping the details under the rug, and Sephiroth wants to pull it out from under his feet to see all the ugly things that Hojo might have done. To better bring to light all that Shinra had taken from those who gave them their loyalty, and for so long.

The wildlife won’t give either of them the chance.

A noise picks up, thudding and rustling, and Sephiroth’s instinct already has him turning to face it, Masamune gripped tightly.]

A Shade, probably.

[He replies, his voice chilled from their severed conversation, but not enough to deter the undertone of a warning. They’ll have to continue this later, because the Wilde cares for no one’s idle chatter in the woods.

The foliage of the underbrush spreads open like a haphazard curtain pulling back to reveal what can only be described as a monster — a life twisted into a hollow version of itself, mindless and aggressive. It’s shaped like it used to be a bear, but dark with the sickness of the Cwyld, skin like tar and eyes like bleeding ichor. Its jaw is so disjointed that it almost unhinges itself as it lifts onto its hind-legs and lets out a warning roar.

Sephiroth takes a step back, not out of fear or trepidation, not even out of instinct. But only to observe, briefly, from an angle not obscured by branches in his periphery.]

Be careful. You don’t want to get infected, either.

[supersoldier]

[He tries again to not let 'Monster' resonate too much with him. Ignores the context from home -- the faces associated with it -- and focuses instead on how it would be treated here.]

That isn't something to worry about in this city. As I said, Monsters and Witches have a symbiotic relationship with each other. They're an essential part of the equation, and it wouldn't make sense to drive them out.

[This seems to be a nice segue into his next question for her.]

Do the monsters on your planet have anything to do with the lack of people?

[confectionerie]

Crystallized...life?

[ It sounds pretty alien to her at first blush, but once she considers it more closely, it sounds almost kind of like...fossils? It's about the closest approximation she can come up with, but at this point, she's just accepting anything she hears at face value, wholesale. After the Metaverse and now this place, she has no idea what is or isn't unbelievable anymore. ]

That sounds pretty different from the magic here, too, then. This whole witches and monsters thing is like something right out of a fairy tale.

[ But she has no choice but to embrace it for now. If there was an easy way home, Akira wouldn't have been stuck here for months. ]

...Riiight down to the magic potions. [ She holds out the bottle she's been inspecting for Zack to see. ] What do you think? Couldn't hurt to have one to boost my magic just in case, right?

[ They'd used all sorts of sketchy medications from a back-alley doctor in the Metaverse, a magic potion doesn't seem any worse. ]

[doublesharp]

I know, but I haven't hugged anyone for so long! I mean... I guess it hasn't been that long, but it sure feels like it! I'm really happy to see you!

[Of course, part of him would rather have Momo home safe and sound... but even though it's a little selfish, Riku can't help but be overjoyed to see a familiar, smiling face. All at once, so many of his worries are already put at ease.]

I don't think so. I haven't seen anyone since I got here a few days ago... But that only makes me even happier that we've run into each other!

[Squeeze, squeeze. It's like they've met by fate... or something! Something like that. A vague explanation is good enough for the time being. He can think about all of the details later... It's far more pleasant to bask in the company of a dear friend and smile wholeheartedly.]

Do you know if anyone else is here?

[bravers]

Right.

[He doesn't mind the arm around him. Which, if anything, is pretty unlike him. Even with people he was close to, his first instinct is to pull away, to say something abrasive, to make them not do it again. But this is fine. It's more reassuring than uncomfortable.]

I try to be.

[It's a simple statement, but it's the truth.]

There's jobs, sometimes, on the boards in the square. It's not like they pay well, and there's no point to doing 'em. The coven pretty much provides housing, and being [A werewolf.] what I am means I hunt, rather than buy stuff. But it's something to do. Even if it's less about helping people with things they can't do, and more about fetching stuff for 'em because they're too lazy to do it themselves.

[With most, he'd leave it there. But Zack's easy to talk to.]

...Feels like I should be taking jobs, too.

now that i have changed all my icons i must use them

[trost]

[ While Jean's spent a good portion of his formative years trying to one-up the boy in front of him, trying to beat him in arguments or fights or find some other way to prove his superiority, it's never actually nice seeing Eren go quiet like this. Leaving Eren of so few words, retreating into himself, is never a victory. Jean first saw this four years ago when Eren began to change. He would often slip deep into his thoughts and stopped reacting at every push of the button. It was a bit like watching a candle lose its light. He doesn't like it. When he speaks to Eren he wants the guy to push back, to yell and shove and proclaim his often stubborn notions. Their relationship isn't a normal one, but that's how it works. ]

Shouldn't we get a choice too? [ On his side of things it just feels like they've been thrown through loop after loop, and every time they try to make sense of a situation everything flips around again. Going to find Eren was the only decision they actually managed to make on their own, the only time they were moving toward something rather than chasing the chaotic circumstances. ]

I'm not stupid, and I'm not idealistic like the others. I know exactly why you did it.

[ Because he's cowardly, he understands the fear of having the whole world come against you. Because he's been trying to do the right thing, he understands why genocide is wrong. Because he's known Eren for so long, he knows that Eren's doing all this because he cares about them. Jean's in a unique position right now, standing at the crossroads of so many different perspectives. ]

I want to live, but ... Eren. You don't have to save us.

[ Eren's not the founder, and he isn't some messiah the Jaegerists make him out to be. To Jean, he's still the jerk who flipped him when they were 12 and forced him to get better at fighting. He doesn't think they've ever asked Eren to save them, but have they been putting pressure on him all this time? It's likely. He remembers the many times he's told Eren 'We're counting on you.'

He wants to believe that if they all put their heads together a better option would arise, but even he isn't sure it will. ]

[xaela]

A plague...

[That's repeated with no attempt to hide her complete and utter disapproval at that. Flood of Light? Sure, she can deal with that. But something like a plague? And others have been brought along for the ride?

It makes her very much align with Rose's ideas already, huffing in irritation as her arms fold in front of her chest - tail flicking side to side in quick, agitated motions.]

Of course they won't let us go, that seems too easy. [A heavy sigh escapes her, before she looks around for a moment... It seems like she was the only one brought here (luckily, she doubts Rose would've been happy if more people fell out of her mirror), but -]

But do they usually make it a habit of dumping their guests into peoples rooms?

[brushworkmother]

[Amaterasu skids a little on the turn, scrabbling to get a grip and build up speed again. This area looks nice- perhaps she can investigate more later, once they're done.

She perks up on seeing the big house- that's bound to be important- and builds up again. Still- she doesn't have her divinity here, and so she's panting a little more than she expected. But the race is still on the line, and she digs in a little deeper, pushing to try to keep up with Momo and Sen- though beginning to flag a little.]

[brushworkmother]

[Well, what kind of god would she be if she didn't have energy? …even if she doesn't choose to use it all the time. She whuffs a little- well, but if she doesn't explore, how will she get to know the city?]

[nodyinteam]

Uh-huh! [He nods along. He pauses his own movement to look at her with a grin while he explains.]

The only battles in those sports are competitive ones! There's a number of ones, ones for practically every top of combat out there. Boxing, wresting, mixed martial arts, the list goes on! I'm sure you'd fit in well.

[digthefuzz]

[He does feel conflicted about whether to take it off. She does seem nice and trusting, and he doesn't doubt her words. He doesn't get what people could judge her for - unless it's just her looks.]

...Thanks. Well for what it's worth, I don't think you're just a pretty face! [That's it right?]

Anyway, um, yeah! That's the skinny, at least what everyone's been telling me. That everyone's getting pulled in through mirrors and pretty much everything reflective. I came in through a fountain... [He says with a bit of a groan in his voice.] ...And I don't know if I believe it all yet, but it really seems like we're not in Kansas anymore! Or New York for that matter.

[yesdoubt]

[Momo gives a happy little giggle when Riku says he's happy to see him, and gives him a particularly strong squeeze. He'll probably let go eventually, but it remains to be seen how long that eventually is going to take. Riku might have to cave first.

The question of others here does make him take one hand off Riku to count off his fingers, though.] I caught Yuki and Ryuu coming out of the mirrors...and Mitsuki contacted me when I was doing a radio show the day after everyone started showing up. And now there's you too. Four all at once is pretty wild, since I'd already been here for three months without anyone from home showing up!

[He says it brightly, but considering it's Momo and he's not exactly shy about how much he loves company and people and so on and so forth, it's probably not hard to imagine that he took that span of time rather worse than he's implying.]

[yesdoubt]

[Slowly, Momo starts to fold his current barrier outwards - it's a little experimental, like he's trying it because of the excess of magic, but the shape of it follows along quite well. It starts to dip in towards him and curve out towards the Shade instead, which doesn't look like it quite knows how it wants to react other than starting to back off slightly.]

I can try. I feel like all the Witches here end up with their own style in terms of how they cast and stuff, and I haven't been that great at conveying how to do certain kinds of magic before, but I probably get it a little better than I did the last time I tried.

[The last time he tried was with illusion, which he's more experienced with...but it was also in his first month, so he definitely wasn't more experienced with it back then.]

[purposefulnonsense]

"So those among us are from different times as well as places? Interesting..." His head sinks, jaw tucked lightly against the backs of his knuckles as he ponders over what the design of the concept behind it might look like. "I wonder how it was managed."

Ah, yet she has mentioned something else as well. Something he does not quite grasp. So it is soon that he drops his hand, lowering it to his side carefully to avoid upsetting the small... well, he's not entirely sure what manner of being she is, but she speaks well enough. "What does it mean, to be someone's enemy?"

[hoboagogo]

[A short nod, both at the idea of bonding being beneficial, and at koro having his own room. Of course Shinjiro would find the immediate upside in bonding: it was the single easiest precaution against losing control of himself. As for Koromaru....]

I mean, it was no one's room, and it gets afternoon sun, so he's taken to snoozing in there with Bela. [A beat, and then he'll clarify.] That's my bondmate Louis's pet. He's... uh. Kind of a dog.

[Minato will see eventually, so he'll just... leave it at that.]

Yeah. If you wanna get your own place eventually, that's cool, but I think way more places are taken than when I first showed up. So you can at least start by crashing there.