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

[wolfsclothing]

[The scent from the other is somewhat familiar, but maybe it's because not all of Wei Wuxian's puca traits have settled in that he doesn't think too much of it at the time.

At the very least, being feared isn't something new to him. He has always been used to how Herbivores look at him with fear at times that it was merely just a part of life. Frustrating, but he had long since grown used to it. He has many Herbivore friends though and he has grown to appreciate his appearance.]

Ah..ah Thank you. I don't think I can pay for it though. Do these stalls accept yen? That's all I have. [He ignores the bite comment. He isn't gonna bite anyone.

He does have emergency yen in his shoe. Soggy...emergency yen, but emergency yen nonetheless.] Thank you though. I think I can't really get anything anyways since I believe the vendors mentioned sharing. [And he's not with anyone to share with.]

[electrod]

[ That could have maybe met with a laugh on a better day. Today though it earns a grimace and a hissed curse. Because— shit, Rude might be actually right. His legs changed below knees as well, it's just far less obvious because so far his pants do a good job covering that fact up. Though one look down will prove that he no longer wears shoes, or has human feet for that record. ]

Fallen through a mirror's shop front. [ If not for the weird circumstances, and the fact that he faceplanted on the cobblestone, it could be a cool scene from an action movie. ] Got a fancy watch. Tried to make sense of this mess. You?

[wolfsclothing]

[He heaves himself out and sits on the side with the bag placed by his side.]

Legoshi. [It would be rude not to introduce himself, even if this is quite the odd situation they have going on here.] Legoshi, the gray wolf. Sorry...I don't know how I ended up in the fountain... [He's not trying to be scary. He's just a little lost is all.

Very lost.] You wouldn't happen to know where I am, would you? [Nevermind that blood is the least weird thing about her. What...What is she? No fur or scales. She's so weird looking!]

[shithogs]

[Next to Cloud, Kainé herself must seem like a regular chatterbox, if an aggressive one. When the vendor points that accusatory finger at her, she stifles a laugh just enough that it comes out as an unimpressed snort.]

I'd be more convinced if you didn't look like you were about to piss yourself.

[There have been no weapons drawn, no open threats— but even if Cloud can't see the hard-edged look she's giving the man behind the stall, her voice is cool and almost dangerously calm, unwavering in its confidence.]

Show me something worth buying, and we could do business— but take advantage of any of the new arrivals who might come here looking for help? I'll know.

[The strong implication being that he will come to regret it.]

Clean it up or pack it in. Selling bullshit garbage to people under false pretenses is no different than stealing from them— and you know what some places do to punish thieves?

[The vendor looks stunned for a moment, startled, and he looks to Cloud even as he makes a white-knuckled fist to try and keep himself collected.

Now, I never said any of my wares came with a guarantee, if they don't work for someone as intended, that's not my—

Kainé interrupts him by slamming a hand down on the stall's counter, causing the potion bottles there to rattle, some threatening to tip over.]

Sounds like someone's a scared little bitch to me.

im sorry man, i love you deidara......

[eyeforaneye]

[ Well, Deidara makes a compelling argument there. Arguably much more importantly, what is currently an unfortunate reunion that he'd willingly punch himself in the face to avoid will only become a much more excruciating scene if he allows it to carry on like this. So he wisely stops, glancing back over his shoulder first before fully turning to face him.

The nail in the coffin here is the fact that Sasuke looks older, now nineteen years of age and very much not frozen in time from his apparent death at Deidara's hands. ]

It's Sasuke, [ he corrects calmly, much as he'd once corrected the name of his jutsu to him. Like a dick. ] If you're going to try to kill me it shouldn't be somewhere this crowded.

( A - 1 )

[fabrications]

[ Akechi's first thought upon hearing clattering in his bathroom is not 'there's someone in my house' but 'my familiar is being a pain in the ass again'. Akechi drags himself out of bed, grateful that he wasn't really asleep-asleep just yet, and goes right for the bathroom. He pushes the door open, sounding tired but patient as he starts to lecture the familiar in question. ]

Saburo, you--

[ And then Ann speaks and he hears the crow croak out a curious greeting behind him and he freezes. That's not Saburo, that's-- ]

Takamaki-san?

[ It could be a trap. Akechi lets go of the door and takes a step backwards, wary. ]

Why are you in my bathroom...?

[wolfsclothing]

[He had very good reasons to have the bag! He promises!!!

Let's not ever talk about where he got this blood.

While he was a towering figure, his personality was far from towering. Haru made up for it tenfold.] Uh-

[Tomato juice. No one is going to believe that! There's no way the person is going to think it's just tomato juice. And yet, he just takes hold of her hand when offered because who is he to deny her? And maybe that in itself confuses the no name person. This big guy listening to this tiny thing that he could surely eat...

Comical.] Ah, we'll be seeing you then. [No they won't. What are you saying? They're probably hoping they'll never run across each other again.]

[sakyo]

The free housing they mentioned. Why go looking for a more stable place until we know how long we'll be stuck here?

[heartmunculus]

[If Sieg is here and Siegfried is also here, than is this all just a dream? It's nowhere in the Holy Grail.]

We should.

[That is, if they can find them around. It seems like a very empty apartment.]

I don't think so? What about you?

[He's pretty sure he still knows what an injury feels like.]

[supersoldier]

[It’s a better reaction than most from his planet have given him. And strangely, this is the reason why Rude’s ceaseless poker face is more comforting in its familiarity than it is off-putting.

He steps back to allow Rude more room, though there’s nothing to halt the fact that he’ll always seem like he’s looming if he’s standing over someone else. The cut of his frame dictates it.]

No, I imagine not. Just as I didn’t expect to find so many from our planet here at once.

[Which should imply that he’s certainly not the first he’s run into, though perhaps the only one whose changes are so prevalent.]

How long have you been here? Your transformation is already... more acute than I would have expected.

[sneaksweet]

Guess that's fair...

I've been here for a couple of months.

an unusual arrival

[lightblooming]

[ Aqua's heard of people arriving in a pattern that's been different from the one's she's become accustomed to. They usually arrive every other month, through the mirrors and then given an explanation of what was going on. However, these arrivals have been taken to this world earlier than what was the norm.

Aqua's taken it upon herself to see if there's anyone familiar who may find themselves here like she has. She still has some hope and fears that one day, she may find her other best friend here.

However, she finds herself stopping when she finds someone that she met in this world. Zack and Aqua had become close, but that's putting it lightly. ]

... Zack? Is that really you?

[sakyo]

...you were in the dorms when I left. You were fighting with Settsu.

[sneaksweet]

... Last thing I remember was the last performance of Picturesque.

[sakyo]

[What.]

That was a while ago. Winter's working on some mystery-themed play now.

[fabrications]

[ Well, Makoto's keeping her distance but she's also not immediately trying to fight him. Considering the situation, he's going to call that a rousing success. He's also going to, very politely, avoid closing the gap between them as well.

Her questions have him frowning, however. He had heard something about the strange lack of new arrivals this month, but he hasn't been here long enough to assume it was anything but a fluke. Makoto's clearly new here, but... ]

This is Aefenglom. They should have explained that at the Looking-Glass House.

[ Did she leave without waiting for an explanation...? No, he doesn't think so. That doesn't sound like Makoto at all, but that just leaves him even more confused. ]

iii b

[stopfen]

[Whispering doesn't really help when most the monsters had better hearing than a human. Or when the whisper-er looked shifty as hell. Leaning in to whisper to the merchant of the potion stall when all the other customers were just buying and going.

Mikasa was only here to try some cheap food. The hunger coming back and this was just a mad attempt to find something filling. So far, it was a bust and she was planing to leave soon. But this guy caught her attention instead. So he just got a slow blink from her mismatched eyes. One looked nearly normal, other than the iris that had expanded to cover the whole eye. The other was just a compound eye.]

...A knife would work.

[Mika no]

[sneaksweet]

I haven't even met Winter.

🔪🔪🔪!!!

[detonatability]

[ Sasuke turns around and Deidara seems to make a very good impression of a cat that's had all it's fur rubbed up the wrong direction.

Maybe in part it's because what he remembers doesn't line up with what's in front of him. The Sasuke he'd seen seconds before his death was shorter than this, he still had a roundness in his face that betrayed his youth, even if his eyes had that look of a person that'd seen too many battles. This one was taller — taller than Deidara, now — his voice a little deeper, his expression a little flatter.

He'd looked like Itachi before, but now the similarities are — unsettling. For a second, Deidara almost seems to forget what he's angry about. ]

You... [ He gathers up that self righteousness again. ] What makes you think I give a crap about witnesses, nn?

[sakyo]

[. . .]

What.

[abandonware]

[Her gaze flickers down to the corpse of the bear, the dark, sap-looking blood pooling beneath it, and gives an almost-imperceptible nod. She recognized this woman as one of the other humans, but she'd only met a handful so far that she thought of as being able to protect themselves. Anyone with a weapon that could hold their own caught her interest, albeit in the detached way she normally experienced it.] Yeah. Once they're that far gone, there's no saving them.

[She shrugs some.] They multiply fast. I'm just evening the odds.

[a pause.] There are more further in. If you're bored.

[sneaksweet]

It's... a time thing, I guess?

Omi's from after Stranger, but I haven't seen that script yet.

Wildcarding it >.>

[darkestbefore]

[ It's not full moon yet, but Yona had already picked on the whispered rumors and concerns about how things are seeming to amp up rather... intensely, this month. Moreso than normal, anyway. Not that she's been here long enough to know what 'normal' is yet, but she has been keeping her ears open, trying to soak up as much information as she could over the past weeks.

She's heading home from a late magic lesson and the streets are already dark. Although with all the celebrations this month, the city is far from empty. In fact, the main streets are rather crowded and busy, people out partying and laughing and congregating and generally making it more difficult than usual for her to take her customary route home.

Knowing a shortcut or two, she takes a quieter side street down past one of her favorite cafes, not thinking anything of the alternate path leading her away from the bright thongs and deeper into the shadowy quiet of a much more secluded avenue. ]

[weiward]

The inside is just as cozy, the architecture so much different from that of their world. But Wei Wuxian adapted quickly, and now it just feels like "home". Of course a big part of that has to do with the man he shares it with - and the bunnies, also white and winged. One of them flutters over to their guest, while the other stays nestled in her bed with many small babies.

"We're partners, just like you and Daozhang Song!" Err...though now that he thinks about it, maybe - just maybe - they're not exactly the same. But he's not about to ask his uncle such personal questions. "So am I. He's a witch, so we went through the Bonding ceremony right away. I didn't expect it to be so..." Intimate. That's the word that everyone uses, but Wei Wuxian isn't sure that that even does it justice. "I wouldn't be comfortable with anyone else."

And Lan Wangji definitely wouldn't be.

"Anyway, I'll go start the stew. It won't take but a minute. Bichen will keep you company - the bunny, not the sword."

[supersoldier]

[She’s all furor and heat, illustrated by a drawn blade flashing in his direction. But Sephiroth remains steadily unimpressed, and it’s more her unwieldy attitude that makes his brow cinch rather than the threat of violence. His grip around Masamune does not so much as tighten.]

I may be more helpful if you decide to be more cooperative. Or would you prefer for me to walk away?

[Surely someone will react to this blaring alarm still sounding — the owner, maybe, will make an appearance, and likely stir her into more agitation when they find someone making a mess in their shop. She would do well to remain calm and focused despite herself; but already, she’s baring her proverbial fangs at him, and maybe she’s lucky that Sephiroth is not the sort to be so easily provoked.]

Sheath your sword. It won’t accomplish anything.