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

Deidara | Naruto | Witch

[detonatability]

AN UNUSUAL ARRIVAL

[ The essence of his art means that he shouldn't be waking up on the other side of it — but Deidara staggers out of a mirror, over the edge of a bathtub and yanks the curtain down as he falls into the basin. ]

Shit!

[ He smacks his knee on the porcelain, nearly brains himself on the opposite wall when his arm gets trapped against his body by all the water-resistant fabric. The undignified flail as he tries to get himself upright tears the curtain beyond repair, but Deidara manages to get himself up with no small amount of noise.

It leaves him standing in the middle of an unfamiliar bathroom, shirtless, shin stinging, blond hair a wild scatter in his face — but entirely in one piece. Maybe even more than how he started, since Kakuzu's stitches and the dark, artificial skin have been replaced with real flesh, nothing but a ring of scars to show for the fact he'd once had his arms ripped off completely. Bewildered, he looks into the mirror at his own reflection. ]

What the... hell?

THE MARKET

[ The adjustment to being completely void of chakra isn't one Deidara is taking well. This magic thing, while similar on a surface level, isn't at all like his jutsu. It's with a faint sort of desperation that he's making his way through the market, sticking his nose in on all the vendors, searching for someone with the wares he's hunting for.

So far, he's not having much luck, and he's got a bit of a manic look in his eye as he blows up at the vendor he's talking to. It's fairly attention grabbing, because he raises his voice to a shout and when he throws his arms up it casts the long sleeves of his green tunic up to his elbows. ]

I don't want a potion, nn, I said I'm looking for clay!

[ Frustrated, he turns around sharply, elbowing anyone who might be too close to him roughly out of his way as he makes to storm off and continue his search. ]

A WILDE HUNT

[ The moon is starting to take it's toll on him, but Deidara is stubborn. He doesn't want his magic to be anything other than artistic — but he's spent his entire life revolving that around his ability to mold sculptures as an expression of that.

Without his jutsu, without his hands able to do what they could before, he can't create them quick enough. He's sweating under the strain, the magic needing to get out of his body. Deidara wipes his forehead with the back of his arm, then tosses something up high into the air. The gesture he makes next isn't needed, he's heard, but it works the best for him to channel this new power, so he makes a fist and raises two fingers in front of his face. ]

Katsu!

[ The explosion is enormous, much too big for what he intended it to be. The fireworks that go off light up the night, turning the immediate area so bright it nearly seems like daytime, and leaves everything all the darker when the intensity of the light goes out. It knocks him on his ass, so when Deidara is able to blink passed the stars in his eyes and look around, he can see he's accidentally felled a circle of trees. Some of them are still on fire. Leaning back on his arms, he tips his head back and laughs. ]

WILDCARD
[ ooc: ota for this, hit me with anything!! i'm kind of voice testing because it's been a long time, but feel free to shoot me a pm if you have any questions! ]

!!! c:

[meteodrives]

[ The crowd is difficult to maneuver through when she goes from one stall to the next, plenty of people boxing in the tables as they look at what's on offer. She's at a stall that claims to sell new equipment but there's nothing there for her but some famed gloves capable of lighting people on fire. A little too good to be true, that, so she passes along by, trying to move on to the next.

She hears her name in the crowd and quickly turns, nearly bumping into someone else. She knows that voice, too. It sounds like-- ]

Cloud?

[ When he calls her name again, she's sure of it, and she turns just in time to see a shock of blonde hair from around a burly creature - man? - as she tries to push through. Is that really... ]

Cloud! Cloud, I'm right here, hold on--

[ Now she's pushing a little less politely, finally giving in to shouldering a large, feathered body out of her periphery so she can get to him. ]

A.

[proudofme]

[Where some might see danger, Soren sees a girl in need. His naivety means there's no real conflict to his sense of honor here. He moves to her with his hands reached towards her, if not grabbing since... that just seems rude.]

Hey! Are you hurt? Is that your blood-? [probably good to know, might even be a chance for him to use a healing spell he's been trying to get the hang of. He knew he'd need it eventually!]

Re: help is coming

[cultivatingrabbits]

[ the flow of energy, the edge of relaxing intent in it almost puts him under, and he blinks forcibly, doing his best to keep his eyelids from slipping closed as the tension in his body eases somewhat. the energy is familiar, he knows, because it's his own.

and there's nothing he can do to dispute that. the notion that this would have to be impossible simmers underneath all his thoughts, but he can't argue with proof as clear as this. no disguise can hide it, even if he still doesn't understand. he has no sword to point at him, demand answers, though he probably wouldn't be able to lift Bichen right now, limbs powerless and sore.

getting a better look at the person in front of him, albeit still blurry, he sees himself but also someone completely different, older and more in tune with the world. while he's vaguely reminded of Xiongzhang, he can hardly imagine himself growing up to be anyone but himself. if growing up is worth it, right now. ]

How...?

[ his voice feels like sandpaper to his own ears. ]

[kingofunification]

[From his quick survey of his surroundings, it's not long before he pinpoints the flash of red approaching--an unsettling familiar face in a unfamiliar place.]

Sylvain?

[He stands taller, pushing his hair back once again. He makes no move to approach because...sure this person looks like Sylvain, but who knows if they are actually one in the same. His fingers flex again, cursing his lack of weapon, cursing this...place or whatever it may be for tossing him out here so unprepared.]

[sandu_shengshou]

[ it stands to reason that, when things are going to hell, clearly things can only get worse. and by worse what he means is have one Lan fucking Wangji show up while he is trying to figure out how to exist in this place without the heavy stare on his shoulders. he is well aware that, while once upon a time they were allies, whatever bridge was between them died with his bro-- with Wei Wuxian all those years ago. Jiang Cheng didn't understand at the time, why Lan Wangji did what he did, but--

after the temple, after seeing the way he and Wei Wuxian were together, he thinks that maybe he understands a little better.

(and the truth of the matter tastes a little bitter on the back of his tongue, the reminder that he was not enough all over again.)

stiffening at the voice, it takes a moment for him to turn. he almost expects a weapon to be drawn but instead, he is met with restrained politeness.

he returns the tilt of his head, barely.] Lan Wangji. [ the name sounds stilted. ] Do you have personal experience with these potions and the ailments they remedy?

[crestfallenfor]

Yeah, it's me.

[He can't even be offended that Claude is also questioning what he's seeing. It's late. He's lit just by the light of the moon (he never really knows when his lance is or is not going to decide to glow and twitch, here, after all...) and...

Well, and Claude was just unceremoniously dumped in the lake. Apparently. Can't blame the guy for being disoriented.]

You alright?

[kingofunification]

[Claude is pulled from his thoughts eyeing a curious bundle of dried flowers hanging above a vendor that he can't identify by a calling of his name in a voice that was--

--almost familiar.

The last time he had heard the sound was after the owner of said voice had turned down his offer to work together, threatening his head if he got in their way. So, it turns out to be quite a shock to Claude when he turns around and is met with a face he hadn't seen in 5 years.]

Dimitri? [For a man who prides himself on masking his emotions, there was no hiding the open shock on his face. Even here under whatever spell this place had on him, the Dimitri he saw before him had been long dead.] Is that really you?

NO WORRIES.

[livingimpaired]

[ As Lancer's smile freezes, Kirei's appears.

He soaks in the look of discomfort and silent agony with a calm smile. The smile doesn't reach his eyes, of course. The gaze that he sets upon the Servant slowly deadens until little emotion seems to even flicker in the cool gaze. It is, as it always is; his joy feeds into his own anguish.

Even your pitiful end, I find amusing. But do not fear, Lancer... one day, I will stand before God and I will ask him why I am this way. I will ask Him the reason that he felt I should exist in this fashion. He thinks these words with leisure venom. It is an anger that he has held in his chest for a decade. It has not faltered; it has not dimmed; his anger is all-consuming and so he offers solace to the Servant before him.

The solace is ... that there is an answer for the existence that you see before you. You will not come to know it, however. You will only feed into it until I am gone. In short, the hope that he gives Lancer is simply that there is reason for all meetings; there is reason for all suffering. Because the torment you feel now will make you cherish your freedom and happiness all the more... or ... you will come to fear the day it will be taken from you..

His lips curl a little more. But I suppose that will be up for you to decide. Either way... there is no easy end. Cover your ears, cherish your happiness. Or curse that I reminded you of your pitiful, humiliating end... by a Master that was unworthy of you to begin with... by a Master that you sacrificed everything for, and received nothing in return beyond a resentment that tarnished your Heroic Spirit. ]

Indeed, we may well be. When I became the next Overseer, your Master no longer was part of the Holy Grail War. [ He couples his word with a small sigh. Indeed, the word "circumstances" have never sounded so ominous, and so he plays into it, by taking out a knife and driving it deep. ]

I am also certain you were unaware that he had a hand at murdering the previous Overseer. [ His shoulders drop before he takes a step forward; he keeps walking toward Lancer before subtly turning to the side -- indicating the other should join him on a leisurely walk. ]

So, we are but strangers that happen to be tied together in a messy fashion. Still ... it is good to see you as you are. [ He doesn't break his stride. ] Truly, a magnificent Hero.

[bookofyonah]

Yeah! He's always working really hard... so I wanna find something nice for him!

[ She nods, her face lighting up with a smile. Wherever her father is, she's certain he's strong enough to take care of himself. Still, she would really like to have him by her side for more than a few seconds... ]

Oh, uh... what's your name? I don't think Dad's ever told me about you.

[ Sometimes she hears of her father's friends. Like Kainé, Emil... but they were always staying outside of the village. ]

Makoto Niijima | Persona 5 | Witch

[lapapesse]

[1: Arrival]

[Popping up out of a mirror and straight onto someone's vanity is not how Makoto thought she would be waking up in this place. Especially not with the clatter of makeup cases and other items spilling off the counter and onto the floor as her weight slides over, and off, and only sheer instinct causes her to land on her feet.

There's some hollering, a lot of apologizing on her behalf, and eventually Makoto is shooed, flustered and confused, onto the streets.

Only to be... even more confused.] E-Europe!?

[How in the actual hell did she end up here...?]

[2: Goblin Market]

[She has Questions about the ethics of all this. Actually, she seems rather suspicious when some Monster or another in a stall is trying to sell her what they're claiming to be a cure-all for magical backlash.

In truth, though, Makoto is still having a hard time wrapping her head around this whole situation.]

So what ingredients does it use? -- W-what!? I am not drinking something that has werewolf eyes in it! Is there anything better around here for that?

[Her questions about the ethics have increased. She turns, and nearly bumps into whoever was standing next to her.]

[3: Wilde Hunt]

[Actually, she has additional questions. She wasn't really going to participate in this 'hunt' thing - she's definitely not any kind of a hunter, really, but they said it would be a safe place to test out her magic. Magic which is definitely not what Johanna and her other Personas were capable of.

... This is not, actually, safe, and if she weren't a Phantom Thief and hadn't actually killed a god, she would probably be in danger. As it is, there's a small fox former-turnskin Shade barreling down at her and yapping in that fox-y way, and she only remembers at the last moment that they said it's a bad idea to get into hand-to-hand combat with a Shade. By then, it's too late, and the thing's rotting jaw cracks, echoing through the woods from the force of Makoto's punch to it. Despite the fact it spins its head halfway to the side, and leaves the whole thing cocked at a broken, unnatural angle, the Shade doesn't stay down long.

What she's not expecting is to see someone approaching.] Stand back, I'm going to cast a spell.

[There's no real Aef equivalent of her nuclear element here, so the next best thing is... fire. And the conflagration might get a little out of hand, because she's really not used to casting spells. Sorry for the singed hair, friend.]

[4: Wildcard]

[Hit me up! You can PM me or get me at Reslari or Reslari#9561 on Discord.]

[kingofunification]

Define "alright". [The sight of Sylvain (or the compelling doppelganger) settles his dizzying thoughts, if only because now he had a conversation to focus on instead of questioning absolutely everything around him.] I've certainly had better evenings...

[He takes a moment to attempt to wring out his shirt, finally feeling the cold set into his skin after his unceremonious dip into the lake. Claude makes no move to approach, part of him too wary of a trick to trust the first familiar person he sees. He looks Sylvain up and down, taking in his clothes. He seems awfully comfortable with the local here.]

You seem like you're doing well...

well, I guess you win this time

[meteodrives]

[ The apology is already on her lips when the arc of lightning goes wide and she sees the shadow of a man in the distance, stepping out of its trajectory. Tifa even has her arm outstretched, like she might call the lightning back before it hits him. He seems fine enough, unharmed, and the words almost manage to come out.

Almost.

Instead, they hook in her throat and keep her from speaking, eyes falling on a figure she knows immediately. The spike of fury, of hatred, hits her so quickly that she almost feels dizzy with it. That outstretched hand becomes a fist. ]

You.

[ He has his answer: she knows him. But for Tifa, this has to be a trick. It has to be. Of all of the people she could run into, why did it have to be him? She could ask all kinds of questions - why is he here, how, what does he want - but none of them seem intelligent enough. The anger is blinding. She can barely think. Her legs feel like lead. ]

That's all you have to say, after everything you've done?

Marianne von Edmund | Fire Emblem: Three Houses | Monster

[cursed_descendant]

[An Unusual Arrival]

[It's not unusual for Marianne to prefer the company of animals over humans at the end of the day, so the stablehands have long since stopped trying to chase her out, so long as she isn't underfoot while they're doing chores or something more important than entertaining a noblewoman's whimsy.

This late, she's the only one there, and she hangs her lantern from a hook in the stall of one of the newly acquired horses, the creature still restless despite having spent the day turned out in the paddock with some of the other energetic youngsters. The mare is uneasy around their soldiers, not having been trained for battle, but they need every mount they can get.

A glint in the candlelight catches her eye as she strokes the mare's neck, and she spots the horse's tack still sitting on a stool. It's hard not to sigh in disappointment, because really, the grooms know better than to just leave the equipment laying around. Picking up the bit, the metal catches the light again, but this time, it seems brighter, like a flash that whites out her vision, and everything seems to drop away for a breathless moment, her stomach in free-fall, and she drops the bit, stumbling forward. But instead of catching herself on the wall, or the stool, she collides with something at the waist, which sends her tumbling over some unseen ledge and onto the floor.

A floor not covered in hay and horsehair. Rubbing her eyes, she looks around and finds herself in.....a bedroom?]

[The Goblin Market]

[Since arriving in this strange land, Marianne has been plagued by nightmares; this in and of itself isn't an unusual thing, but the intensity of them is terrifying, leaving her unable to sleep. Ordinarily, this would leave her tired, exhausted really given how long it's been since she had a restful night, but instead, she can't seem to sit still, like there's an itch under her skin, and her usually calm nature is upset by fidgeting and restless moving about.

It's worrying, but she figures these are just side-effects of so much lost sleep. As a healer, she knows there are potions or draughts she could resort to if needed, and while she's loathe to do it, she can recognize that it's time to swallow her pride and seek help.

The strange marketplace seems to be the best place to start, and she twists her fingers in the material of her sleeves as she walks, trying to find anything that looks familiar.]

[Wildcard]

[I'm down for anything, so if you have other ideas, let em fly, or hit me up if you want to touch base first!]

jiangcheng.exe has stopped working

[sandu_shengshou]

[ there is a good chance that the tonic that is being offered to him (sold, and probably at an absurdly high price for that matter) will do nothing for his current situation at all and he is aware of that. there is that teeny-tiny chance, however, that it helps him control this change he will take that chance. and he has every intention to do so until the tonic is pushed away and there is someone in his space pushing it away as he curls his fist, Zidian nearly sparking until--

of course, it isn't just anyone.

Jiang Cheng tries not to think about how he goes from pissed off to relieved to confused back to annoyed in the span of a heartbeat when confronted with the smile of one Wei Wuxian. he knows that they are not what they used to be, but he also knows they are not as bad off as they could be, when they parted at the temple, Jiang Cheng was content with trying to let the past go.

(with trying to let the ghost of this brother go)

now, said past is jumping on him and his first reaction is the same as it always has been: to push Wei Wuxian away. it isn't meant to hurt him, not like it could have been, but he also just doesn't want the other close. he snaps, lips curled and brow furrowed as he hisses.]

Wei Wuxian! What the fuck are you doing? What-- why the hell are you so short? [ because that is clearly fucking important to note right now. ]

[crestfallenfor]

[...Fair enough.]

Are you unharmed, then?

[Because, yeah, this is definitely looking like a pretty awful evening, but if he's hurt then he can at least make it a little better immediately with a quick healing spell. If he isn't?

Well, then making his night go a little better will be entirely contingent on Claude letting him offer him a warm bath and a warm fire and some explanation of the place he's found himself in (and an offering of a warm bed, which he fully expects to be denied), which is... a bit more dubious of a prospect.]

I've been stuck here for a while, unfortunately.

[bravers]

[Well, that's one pissed Harpy. He hears the sound of Tifa's shoulder connecting with the unsuspecting bird's own, hears a brief, sharp caw of rage as soon as it understands what happened to it. But it's fine. The thing's in no position to shove back, pushed along by more of the current of people which are all around them.]

Hey-

[...Honestly, it strikes him to tell her to hold on, that he'll be right there, but... she... got there first.

It's her, all right.

It's emblematic of her. Them. In general. He'd... always tried to save her. But she never needed it. It was... a vague attempt to be kind on her part, way back when, and years later, she'd only indulged that promise for him. So all he can snap back is-]

Be careful.

[A... lot of wriggling against the tide of people in both directions and no doubt more annoyed mirrorbound, and- he's got her. He's really got her, his hand is clasped, tightly, around her wrist, and he's pulling her toward the side of a stall. Literally stepping right through it (much to the chagrin of a goblin) and edging around the boxes of dubious wares held at the back of it, and...

....They're out.

The back of where the stalls are set up is shabby. Loud too, from the foot traffic a few yards away. Discarded packaging litters the area. One of the goblins is even smoking at the back of one of the stalls and staring at them with yellow eyes. But...]

How did you get here?
How long've you been here?

[There's an urgency in his voice, a look of disbelief on his face, and perhaps his hand is still holding her wrist.

...A little too tightly.]

You alright?

Three

[whomthebelltolls]

Yes. [That's it, that's the reply. Okay, so maybe Maria's not paying too much attention, because Maria is very distracted - the aftermath of last month's little mirror-induced dream was horrible for her, for a wide variety of reasons - and she's instead poking through for some other hidden ingredients. She needs stuff for spells... and to help her distill the roses she has. Anything to distract her from... from where her mind wants to go.]

You'd probably have to work for a couple months, at least, to pay that off. [There, that's a better explanation. She takes stock of Orihime, then, as though just realizing she's probably talking to someone else that's fairly out of place in Aefenglom.] Have you even been here that long?

I'm ready for this - Sorry no shower Hank icons tho

[fuckingpassw0rd]

Hank Anderson had a routine. It was back to his old basics before he fell into hard times where the routine had been disrupted with drinking, ignoring, sleeping, feeling sorry for himself, repeat ad nauseam. Now that his life was (somewhat as far one could do here) back on track, it meant that he took a shower each morning.

So his first thought when he heard a noise is; it can't be Connor. The humidity would probably trigger his transformation and as funny as that would be, there was something that didn't add up. Cop's intuition, he would say.

So it was just a peep at first to see if the dog, the cat or the dragonfly had come in and made him a little too paranoid. You know, so he could laugh it up and joke about it during breakfast and Connor could see he needs to turn his paranoia down.

Things Hank hadn't expected that morning; the leader of the android rebellion perching on top oh his sink and the entire thing about to fall down.

"JESUS CHRIST!"

More surprised at what the fuck was starring back at him before he violently ripped off the bath's shower curtain so he could use it as a toga, knowing how barely intimidating he probably looked. Here's Hank Anderson, that lieutenant that was with the deviant hunter turned deviant liberator Connor, covered in a shower curtain with water still spraying downwards, starring back at him with an equally confused expression.

"The fuck is going on..."

Unconsciously, his right hand began to steam up. He shouldn't be a threat but like, maybe this was a trick of some kind. Or maybe he was going insane. In his shower.

"Connor! I'm in need of a 10-57 stat! You won't fucking believe who the fuck is in the bathroom! Or maybe I'm just going insane I can't tell right now!"

It's cute that Hank sometimes forgot that androids like Markus probably had access to police codes.

Goblin Market

[unyieldingmarch]

[If Claude has been asking around, there's a chance that he's heard Edelgard is here. She's made a number of arrangements with the local merchants, including the goblins down in the market, and she's one of the people on the Mirrorbound council. It's entirely possible that it may have been missed, too.

Edelgard, on the other hand, is simply down in the market to pick up a few things. Mostly presents for Hubert, little alchemical gifts...and so she's strolling along merry with a basket under her arm, looking surprisingly normal. Heavy trousers, a starched white shirt and gloves that reveal no skin at all, with a red cloak to offset things. She's a good bit paler, and carrying a sword at her hip, something simple.

Pausing as she turns a corner, she blinks, shakes her head...and looks right at Claude.

She doesn't seem nervous as she marches closer, or especially hostile. More curious than anything.]

So you're among these new arrivals, Claude? How curious.

[meteodrives]

[ The harpy's forgotten. (Mostly, anyway; she'll likely feel bad about it later.) It's not about them or about anything else, she just wants to get to Cloud. There's an urgency in his voice that she's used to, the sort of thing that communicates his worry long before anything else, even when he never says the words.

Funny, the thing he's usually worried about is her and the others, after all.

But through the wriggling, the wandering crowd, she feels his hand clamp down on her wrist and it's all the insistence she needs to keep moving, to nudge her way through a few more people as he pulls her along and to the stalls, around, through the side and out the back, where they're free from the press of bodies and out of the thick of things. Tifa sighs, a little dramatic, with relief. And that relief only grows when she finally, finally gets a look at Cloud.

He's here. He's all right.

For him, she manages a smile, just like always, even if she can feel the concern in the way he holds her wrist and doesn't let go. ]

Shouldn't I be asking you that? I didn't realize you were here too. When did you get here? Are you okay?

[ She...hasn't answered any of his questions. Instead, her eyes fall down to his hand on her wrist, and she lifts her own to cover his. ]

Hey, it's okay. I got here a few days ago. It's been a little crazy since then. I'm fine, though.

[ There, better. ]

You?

1

[extirpator]

[ the face is a familiar one, the only thing tying him to it being the thin thread of his bondmate's dreams. she'd spoken of her, once; a friend of her mother's, who'd served as a pillar of strength in even the most trying of times.

nier watches from afar, placid as lightning springs from her fingers. it was impressive, he must admit, and he's almost content to watch her get her way.

but as a knight of the princess, he supposes he should keep her own out of trouble — right? a step forward, offering the merchant a hefty amount of cunes. ]

Please, give her the best you have. I'll pay for the damages.

iii

[thisisamazing]

[Hiccup doesn't buy from the Goblin Market vendors, as a rule. He's been around long enough to know how shady they are, and how much worse some of their Black Market compatriots can be. He's only passing through, on his way to pick up some new tools for the forge, since his and Percy's are showing some un-fixable wear and tear by now. There is a cat-sized green and brown lizard draped over his shoulders like a scarf, but Toothless is at home, Hiccup not wanting to try the suddenly-more-crowded streets with a big dragon at his back.

Yes, he's only passing through, when a woman nearly runs into him. He laughs awkwardly, holding up both hands in a placating gesture while Sharpshot squawks, undignified.] It's fine! Don't- don't worry about it. The city's a little more crowded these days- [It can't be helped, can it? The mirrors went a little wonky this month.

And then he pauses, glancing back at the stall she seems to have come from.] Wait, did you buy something from that guy?

b,

[escardos]

You are absolutely surrounded by trash!

[ despite his own common sesne--or perhaps because of the lack thereof, flat finds himself approaching the man with a skip in his step and a shine in his eyes that is probably too bright to be normal. ]

Really, the Goblins here usually sell things that are either bad or just completely ineffective-- [ hey!, yells one of the sellers, stop talking shit about my products!

flat keeps going, however. ] --But I suppose they have to make their living somehow, right? Even scammers must have a purpose!

[plasticasshole]

Connor bursts in immediately, gun poised and ready despite only having a few bullets to spare. He'd use them to save Hank, if he had to.

"Hank? Hank, are you-"

He blinks and lowers his gun when he sees Markus, though. He glances between the two of them- Markus sitting on the sink, Hank in the shower using the curtain as a toga- and rubs his temples instead. After a year of being in Aefenglom, you learn to take these things as they are.

Which is, a magical cock up.

But Markus is probably extremely confused right now, as he should be. So Connor holsters his gun again and gives him a weary smile, because even if this is bizarre he's glad to see Markus again.

"I never thought I'd see you here."

It doesn't even occur to him that this could be a Markus who still sees him as a threat.