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

[purposefulnonsense]

What luck, that the little one should have something that might prove of help in their situation! It perks him up considerably, to think that they may be one step closer to sorting out whatever it is that is the cause behind all this. "I shall be glad to assist in whatever way I may."

Being that he is the Chief Administrator of the Bureau of the Architect, surely there is something he can do to help. He has seen more than a few concept designs during his time there, after all. Both approved and rejected.

[anthropophagite]

[ Kaneki KNOWS the other is staring, but he isn't going to ask. maybe he really does look like the person this man knows, maybe this is how the man acts. He won't bring it up, though it's a bit uncomfortable being stared at so much. Though he doesn't show it, instead keeping a small smile on his face.

when he hears Takizawa, Kaneki blinks and it's his turn to stare for a bit ]

Uh- w-well- no, I don't think that matters. [ he isn't interested in girls anymore, the last one tried to eat him. And girls who'd be into monsters? They would probably be someone to be wary of, too ]

Uhm, Takizawa-san, are you hungry? It's fine to stop, if you want to eat something.

[devilyouknew]

No.

[He says the word firmly, and there's a bit of an edge to it though his usual ghoul undertone is absent.]

No... It's just the smell. [The sharpness eases out of his tone. He's doing a piss poor job of acting any kind of normal around Kaneki. He might not even be capable of "normal" anymore.] But thank you.

[He won't offer to get the boy anything either. Takizawa still finds the food off-putting, even though he's slowly coming to terms with the fact that it's most likely perfectly normal, and he won't encourage anyone to eat it.]

You said you'd just arrived? As in today?

[oomfies]

[ but....it is!!! ]

Thanks? [ Well, thank you definitely for the cheese and bread. Not so much thank you for that weird compliment. Lottie doesn't sound appalled, or disgusted, just.. Awkward. Unsure of how to take such a simple and genuine compliment in the midst of her having a crisis. ] I use a lot of skincare products so my complexion is pretty even.

[ Not without its struggles though! As life always is, she hit the genetic jackpot in terms of looks, but everything else has evened out to a steady terrible. She's not even sure how her face is going to live now without all her expensive products. She doesn't even dig into her dinner, just heaves a sigh as she considers what living here might really mean. She lifts her head to look at him, trying to sound nonchalant - ]

But none of that matters, now, I guess. [ A shrug. ] Being a vampire means I can't go out during the day otherwise I'll get blisters and probably die. What's the point?

[raventhaw]

I wouldn't put Yang into a situation I knew she couldn't handle.

[ mhm. said like the stubbon, prideful joke of a mother she is. she doesn't flinch, even as qrow has to take a drink -- what does make her pause though, finally, is when qrow mentions salem coming after her for the relic and the maiden.

a fatal mistake that she hadn't considered.

but she can't show that weakness in front of her estranged brother. raven's eyes, though, say otherwise. they show anger -- they show fear. ]

You say that like any of you are prepared to face Salem, prattling on as if you aren't searching for the same things yourselves!

[poisontippedcure]

Yes, they certainly don’t like to make it easy for us. Any of us.

[She’s gonna skip right over the torture. It’s good for newcomers to be cautious, but there’s no need to terrorize them with how bad some months have been.]

At first, I thought I had been brought here because I was the Warrior of Light, but it seems like they’re choices for victims are much more random than that. I have no special powers here, and I imagine it will be the same for you.

[Rose hasn’t confirmed the other girl is a Warrior of Light yet, but she certainly has her suspicions. If she’s wrong, there’s no harm done. Rose shakes her head.]

No, they usually have a designated area for new arrivals. It would seem this month is special.

[anthropophagite]

[ Kaneki tenses a little when Takizawa quickly recuses. But he doesn't say anything else regarding the matter, so there is no pressure from him. If Takizawa wishes to eat, he can; if he doesn't, it's not Kaneki's business.]

Ah, no. Few days ago. I was... Uhm- [locked in his room for those days, feeling like he was going insane] well, it was a lot to deal with at first, so I needed sometime.

But I figured it's no good to stay locked in.

[themogget]

[Cats have their own particular way of showing they appreciate something. Mogget is not a cat, but he has looked like a cat for long enough to behave very much like one.

Besides, normal cats are not so far removed from powerful Free Magic creatures from before the beginnings of time itself.]

The Charter does not exist here. [He says, sounding as if he's testing out the validity of the phrase by saying it.]

... Would you mind seeing if you can remove my collar?

[The collar, made of a red velvet material and secured around Mogget's neck with a golden clasp, sports a silvery bell that chimes a sleepy-sounding ringing when it moves. The Marks that normally flow across the fabric, binding Mogget in this form, are dead and dark... and yet he is still not freed from it.

It should come off easily, despite the fact that only a powerful Charter mage should be able to remove it.]

[themogget]

[He is definitely staying up here, given that he has no desire to be held.]

No, I most assuredly would not.

[And he isn't moving down there to give her an opportunity to find out whether or not she's going to try and make sure he's serious.]

... I tend to object to being stared at like I'm someone's next meal, by the way.

[themogget]

You could call it that, if you wished.

[Mostly just... lazy observation, for a lack of really wanting to do anything else.]

And why are you here?

[themogget]

I'm aware of the possibility.

[Creatures made out of magic tend to have that kind of knowledge... but he doesn't need to explain that.]

And that's interesting. Also, inconvenient. Are all the monsters and witches also from elsewhere?

[sparkstrikes]

[Sorry she's so bossy in battle.]

Yeah. Figured as much.

[There isn't a lot around here that can buy them any more time than what Ardbert can with his distractions, and once he brings the axe down onto the Shade, Lightning breaks off from him and vanishes into the trees, putting as much distance between herself and him as she possibly can without allowing him out of her sight.

Her fear is that the moment she triggers her magic, the same thing will happen to him as it did to Zack. That her lack of control will be what brings them both down with the monster, and better only one of them than both, right?

Hopefully he can handle the bear a little longer.

Fingers wrapping around the handle of her sword, she tightens her grip and shuts her eyes. She has no idea how she's supposed to do it besides focusing what little magic she can feel into it, because that'll be the only way they destroy this thing for good and stopping it from terrorizing anyone further. The lightning crackles across her sword, but shocks her in the process, the sharp pain enough to make it clatter against the ground, and the sound draws the bear's attention away from Ardbert and back to her, hiding somewhere among the trees.]

Damn it—

[electrod]

Does it matter? It's unlikely we meet again. [ And he's not the sort to get his name out there by doing people favours. He's not interested in getting his name out there period.

But he is also bored so with a tilt of head, and a drawled amused tone just asks ]

—or is this your way of asking me to be your guide?

[devilyouknew]

You won't learn anything that way, that's for sure.

[He was hiding away? That could be true. It could also just as likely be an excuse for why he hadn't seen the boy up until now. They could be studying him, searching for weak points. Maybe they knew that this version of Kaneki, this innocent and unbroken version, would tear at him mentally more than any other.

It could be that the boy wasn't even here. He could just be seeing--

Takizawa stops suddenly, crossing his arms over his chest. His eyes squeeze tightly shut and he takes a long, deep breath.]

...I tell you what, Kaneki-kun. I've changed my mind. Let's get something to eat after all.

[He'd say it would be his treat, but the festival food is free.]

[sparkstrikes]

[A huff of laughter escapes her.]

Cross that bridge when you get there. I'm sure he isn't the only one.

[With the number of people she's seen emerging out of pools or crashing through mirrors into ladies' bathrooms, she's certain that whoever owns this very unlucky wall will have heard the news before they discover that it's broken. How that happened... well, that'll be Dante's story to tell, won't it?

At least there's some remorse on his part for plunging his sword through it. +1 to Dante.

And with that, Lightning feels a little bad, too. It's far from the same reasons he does, but maybe her first impression was a little too harsh for someone who'd just ended up in another universe, in someone else's home. There will be absolutely no saying that out loud, of course.

She makes a sharp half-turn on her heel, eyes falling onto his hands at his chin.]

You need some ice for that? I think I know a place.

[anthropophagite]

[ Kaneki still gives a couple of steps before realizing Takizawa stopped. When he does, he glances over his shoulder curiously, waiting for an explanation that comes soon.

Ah. Food.

In truth, kaneki still can't eat. He isn't a ghoul anymore, supposedly; he can't use his kagune, and he can actually get hurt with things like papercuts. But his sense of taste and even smell didn't return back to normal; food tastes horrible to him, the texture is horrendous, and he pukes out everything he tries to eat. He was never good at recognizing smells, but offer him any kind of food and it's like his nostrils are being invaded by the smell of putrefied fish. The boy doesn't know if it will feed him, but when he forces himself to swallow, he still feels horribly sick.

So he doesn't know if he is a ghoul. But he is certainly retaining some ghoul parts.


Which means, he is not going to eat ] If you want to...

I've eaten before coming here so I'm not hungry. But I can accompany you.

[holybeasts]

[Ah, there's another sympathetic look from the blonde.]

It must have been uncomfortable if it was anything like this then. The restlessness is a bit much.

[devilyouknew]

[That causes Takizawa to narrow his eyes in Kaneki's direction again. Ate before coming here, did he?

He can't help this paranoid thinking. He can't take what this place is doing to him - even though what it's done might have been considered a boon by someone else in his position. He can't live normally. He's not that person anymore. He can't sit down to a normal meal and enjoy it. How does he deserve that?]

No? [That edge to his tone is back again.] You wouldn't even want ice cream?

[He reaches a hand out to grip the boy's shoulder tightly.] Yeah, come on. Maybe you'll change your mind when we get there.

[The grin on his face now is terribly forced and not at all friendly.]

[anthropophagite]

[ why does it feel like a threat?

Kaneki is not the type to be paranoid, but everything that has been happening in his life is leaving him on edge. Not just being turned into a ghoul, nearly eating his friend, fighting a Ghoul investigator or being kidnapped by Aogiri, but also being brought to a magical world where he is told he will be turning into a monster.

So maybe he is a bit on edge and the hand landing on his shoulder sends Kaneki a sudden red flag. He is bad at judging others, but he can't deny being a bit worried ]

It's alright, I'm not really a fan of sweets. [ should he really go with this person? Technically they are still in public, right? As long Kaneki doesn't walk into a shady shop or a dark alley or leaves the busy market, it should be fine, he supposes ] I don't really need to eat.

[judgementor]

Of course.

[As a Food Soul he could have held her up easily. Thankfully, as vampire, that supernatural strength is not at all diminished. He gets a more comfortable hold on her - one hand at her elbow, one arm around her waist - to keep her from falling as he casts his eyes about for somewhere to set her down.

Luckily for her, there's a bench nearby.]

Over there. Just keep tight hold of my arm.

[confectionerie]

Yeah, I think so...

[ Though she appears less confident than she sounds. This city is completely foreign to her, and seems to be several centuries in the past. Still, they surely still have public restrooms, right? And people all throughout history have needed to shop and cut their hair.

So she nods, starting down the street and slipping her hands into her pockets. ]

I just hope they're open. I don't suppose you have any idea what time it is, do you?

[confectionerie]

[ She nods, looking a little sheepish. ]

Yeah...I fell out of a mirror into some guy's bathroom. He freaked out, which is why I was running from those guards. If that's how you got here too, though, shouldn't people be used to that kind of thing?

[ Not that it's probably ever not alarming to have a person fall out of a mirror in your home, but that man had seemed really surprised to see her there. ]

[bolstafir]

[He rolls his eyes.]

Whatever helps you sleep at night, Raven.

[His mouth thins, then, expression laced with a colder anger than he showed at Haven. For all these months, he's wondered where exactly it all went so wrong that Raven would join Salem, after everything they went through as STRQ, but it turns out there's no real revelation here at all. Raven's the same person she's been for the last twenty years. The strong survive, so get that power at all costs. Nothing else matters more. Not even family.]

Yang's strong, sure. No thanks to you. But she deserved better than to have her mother turn her back on her a second time. It doesn't matter what she could handle.

[He didn't deserve to have his sister turn her back on him again, either. But that's not something he'll say.]

As to the rest....heh, you're really gonna act like it's the same, huh? I asked you where the Spring Maiden was months before Haven. Months. The only reason that Relic was in play at all was because you had her.

[His voice is rising again, frustration oozing from each word, each syllable.]

How long have the Academies protected those things, Raven? How long? No matter how powerful Salem is, she can't do a damn thing without the Maidens! You knew that!

[A hand curls into a fist, smacking against the side of the brick wall next to them.]

It was one thing not to want anything to do with the war anymore, but you just had to hang onto a piece of the game, too. You were too scared to either fight or make a clean break, knowing she was out there. Maybe you can lie to yourself about that, but you can't lie to me.

[They were family once, after all.]

[confectionerie]

No, not that — [ even if it was still awkward even if she wasn't even doing anything in there ] — I mean, for how I got in your bathroom! What kind of weird trick is this?!

[ Because he must have something to do with her being here, right? He's the first person she's encountered since she fell out of the mirror, so...it's really all she has to go on right now.

Even if he seems just as flustered and confused as she is... ]

[stopfen]

[That just gets a snort.]

It is. I got a bond, and now they complain that I need another one...

[But she's going to drop it at that. The awfully wedded bonded life...He's lucky that he won't suffer it, probably.]