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

[exsoldier]

[ The first thing that Zack hears is rapid footsteps against the cobblestone. Still woozy and out of it, he's focusing primarily on making sure that he continues to put one foot in front of the other.

Then it's there. Her voice.

And there she is, running toward him.

Even in the dim light and even with the distance between them, Zack can see that she's older than he remembers. It can't be her, can it? If he's in a place that you go after you die, it would make no sense for Aerith to be here. This must be some illusion that his dying mind is dreaming up, a reunion that never actually came to be.

He'd promised he'd go back to her. He'd dragged himself and Cloud across two continents to try and make that happen. She'd waited, too. All those letters. And right before he could cross that final threshold, he'd failed. ]

Aerith—

[ His voice comes out hoarse and rough, like it hasn't been used in far too long. It'd felt the same when he'd come to in the Shinra mansion. He decides that it doesn't matter if this is a dream or not; he still wants to hold her. And so as she races closer, he stretches his arms out, half-ready to collapse against her. ]

[evanescent]

[It hasn't been long since she's seen him, truthfully. But here the both of them were alive in a way the Lifestream could not replicate. She all but falls into his arms, and for a moment settles there into the embrace. She doesn't laugh in relief; she doesn't cry. She only presses her cheek into his chest to feel the rise and fall of it, to hear his heartbeat.

She stays like that for a while.]

You're so late, [she finally says, her voice watery, and now she laughs some, just a little.] I thought you would never show.

[She doesn't want to move yet, which surprises her. She had thought herself more resolute than this. Eventually, though:]

You're soaked. Let me see —

[He's holding her so closely that she can barely pull back, but she does, eventually.] Where did you wake up?

[exsoldier]

[ For all that Zack has tried to convince himself in the brief moment between hearing her voice and having her crash against him that she couldn't be real, it's much harder to believe that when she's a solid force in his arms. For all that Aerith might have delicate features and even a soft voice, her actual spirit is full of life and energy. Zack feels all of that flow into him as they wrap their arms around each other.

It all happens so fast that Zack doesn't even think about the fact that he's still dripping wet, and that means he probably isn't the most pleasant person to hug right now. Not that Aerith seems to mind in the slightest. ]

You're right. I really made you wait way too long.

[ She feel so real. Even now, Zack can pick up on the faint scent of fresh soil and flowers when she's pulled this close against him. As she makes to pull away, though, his grip on her loosens and he lets her go. He feels like he's barely blinking as he continues to take in her features. A few years older, but it's undeniably Aerith.

If anything, his heart's beating a lot faster than it should be. He lifts a hand to place flat against his chest, not far from where bullets had torn through him, and then lets out a breath. ]

Uhh... back there. [ With his other hand, he motions over his shoulder with his thumb. ] In a fountain? Aerith, what is this place?

[ His stomach churns. He's not sure he's ready for the answer, or what it might mean. ]

[evanescent]

[Without thinking about it, her hand moves up to cover his own, never mind that he's drenched in water. She composes herself, follows his motioning and sees the fountain off in the distance. They really were dropping Mirrorbound everywhere, it seemed... were Zack not the way he was, she would've worried about him drowning.

His question makes her look toward him again, and her expression muddles some. She isn't quite sure how to answer that question.] It's a crossroads. That's what I think. A place connected to many worlds. We're sent here through mirrors. From different places... different times. And this Planet...

[Now she seems troubled.] I can't hear anything. I don't feel connected in the same way.

[exsoldier]

[ Zack won't protest the warmth of Aerith's hand as it settles over his against his chest. Being if not alive, then aware after what he just went through is a strange experience. Then again, hasn't Aerith served as a grounding force for him as everything fell apart around him before? He'd broken down on her after he'd had to take out Angeal. Her being here feels strangely appropriate, even if it still makes no sense to him.

While Zack had already figured this couldn't be anywhere on Gaia, hearing it's another planet is still a bombshell of sorts. He pauses to look around them, the deserted streets. It may just be because it's late at night; this place looks lived-in. ]

I guess... the things you can do, that only applies to Gaia, huh?

[ But it must be odd for her, for something that she'd felt and experienced all her life to have been taken away. Zack looks back to Aerith and studies her face; honestly, he feels like he can't get enough of it.

He lets out another breath. ]

I can't believe you're here. Is there somewhere we could go and talk?

[ It might be easier than hanging around in the middle of the road like this. ]

[evanescent]

Mm. [A minute nod of her head.] It was a surprise to me too. That's how I knew right away that this place wasn't... [A pause. Her gaze flickers down, briefly, as if his focus on her has her shy, though it isn't just that.

Finally, she looks up at him, smiles. It's a genuine smile, reaches her eyes — but it's a little sad too.]

I can't believe you're here, either. [She takes a second to think, then reaches for his hand to gently tug, as if she's worried that he'll disappear if they aren't close enough.] There's a park nearby — let's go.

[The apartment was an option, but Cloud...

She isn't sure. Best to hold off on that.]

[exsoldier]

[ Zack has so many questions that he doesn't even know where to start, but Aerith's presence alone is helping to keep him calm and centered. He lets her tug him forward by the hand, following along even as he studies their surroundings with a careful eye. It's not like he's forgotten all of his SOLDIER training, even if he spent the better part of five years in a basement as a science experiment.

While he would prefer to go somewhere he could dry off and maybe even get a chance of clothes, he isn't going to argue with Aerith's decision. A park works just as well. Once they get there and find a bench to sit down, he heaves out a breath, relieved to be off of his feet. ]

Aerith... [ He has to get the first word in this time, and his expression will show how much he's matured since the last time they saw each other. ] I want you to know, I never meant to disappear on you the way I did.

[ She'd mentioned different places, different times. Maybe she already got the news that he'd been killed in action, or maybe he'd been painted by Shinra as a deserter and a betrayer.

Still, he needs to say this. If she lets him, he'll reach out to grab both of her hands with his own. ] I'm so sorry.

[evanescent]

[It will occur to her that she should find him somewhere where he won't catch cold, though for now she seems a little shellshocked as the joy and surprise over seeing him fades into a strange dreaminess, old memories clashing with the new. She lets him take her hands, studies his face.

She had seen him, true, in the Lifestream. Their reunion there had not been like this — not so settled in reality. His apology to her makes her smile — she's happy to hear it, and a little sad, too.]

I know. I... [She can't tell him what she'd felt, when his life had flickered out on the edge of Midgar, in that vast wasteland. Instead she makes her smile go a little wider.] I know you tried your best to get back.

You were trying to save someone, weren't you? I—I didn't see all of it, but...

[a pause. Her gaze flickers away.]

There's a lot we need to catch up on. But you know, he's here too. Cloud. He's gotten a lot better.

[exsoldier]

[ Zack's struck with relief as soon as he can see that Aerith isn't upset that he never came back. Maybe she had resented him before she'd known the truth, but she seems to have some idea of it now, whether it's through her innate abilities or because it's become common knowledge. She says she didn't see all of it, though, so...

It's just good to know that she understands, and that she hasn't been harboring anger toward him all this time. She'd dutifully written him letters, even when she must have had no clue what happened to him, prior to his escape.

When Aerith looks away, Zack squeezes her hands, wanting to make sure she doesn't drift too far. Having her right here and being able to touch her still feels like a dream come true.

The moment she mentions Cloud, though, Zack's bright eyes go wide. ]

Cloud? You know him? He's okay?

[ In his final moments, that's all Zack had wanted. To just know that Cloud was safe, that he was going to be all right in the end. ]

That's really good to hear. [ He heaves out a breath and lowers his head, as if a weight has suddenly slipped from his shoulders. ] I'll have to go find him... once it's not the middle of the night, anyway.

[exsoldier]

( to overflow! )