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

[hoboagogo]

[He won't comment on sleeping in Aigis's lap, but his first thought is that it sounds like hell on your neck. She's made of metal. How is that comfortable at all? Then again, Minato seemed to have the ability to sleep nearly anywhere, so he'll just shrug again.]

I dunno, seems easier to me this way. I don't gotta go to witch-classes or whatever and learn how to do magic. Don't gotta worry about exploding, either.

[Going feral, sure. But that fear has long since passed.]

Most the ones I know are deer of some kind. But I've seen sheep and moose around, too. A couple look like centaurs or something, so I'm just glad I didn't grow more legs.

[A witch. Not a vampire. That's interesting, but really... probably easier. He doesn't have to go through the feeling of having to hurt people just to survive anymore.]

Yeah. It's been nine or ten months for me here. [Longer away than he ever spent in SEES, really. And it probably shows in just how much more relaxed he is, compared to being constantly cagey and surly back home. He's even to the point of coming to terms with his next admission:]

Really... it's been better here than it ever was back home. And not having a Persona definitely helps.

[afoolshope]

[Rude, she was surprisingly comfortable. Also, you tend to not notice your own comfort when you’re struggle is real on keeping awake just long enough to see your friends.]

Hm. You never were one for school, studying isn’t so bad. But I guess the fear of exploding is a downside. [Not that Minato sounded all that concerned. He wondered about all those other fauns though. So it wasn’t limited to purely one animal, huh? Convenient, he supposed.

He looked at Shinjiro and his smile widened a touch.]

You look like you’re enjoying yourself, so I believe it. I’m glad.

[He supposed for Shinjiro it was better. The lack of the personas was a but startling for Minato. But he would get used to it in time, just like he did with most things.]

[hoboagogo]

[He'll give a short noise of amusement at Minato's accurate comment there. because-- yeah, he never had been one for school. But that doesn't mean he won't give a token protest.]

You say that like you even knew me more than a couple months.... [But even before he basically dropped out, he'd never been into it. And he wouldn't doubt that Akihiko and Mitsuru complained about it at times.] But yeah. Witches gotta worry about burning off magic with spells and bonds and whatever. Seems like a lotta effort.

[...lbr even his persona only had like. One 'spell' and it really barely even counted as that. He can't even imagine actually learning something as abstract as magic.]

The witches I know seem to enjoy it, though.

[He glances back over, brows lifted slightly at his comment about him enjoying himself. And Seems to just... consider that for a moment.]

....Yeah, I guess so. Not a whole lot else to do. This place definitely ain't perfect, though; there's been plenty've bullshit. But for the most part it ain't bad. Just kinda weird.

You gotten to check much out since getting here?

[afoolshope]

[He only smiled at the response. It wasn’t very difficult to see the kind of person Shinjiro was in the short time he knew him. But he didn’t push about it any further, simply leaning back and relaxing in the warm, fragrant waters.]

Well, then it’s just something I’ll have to watch out for. It’ll be okay.

[He hoped so, anyway. He didn’t really know all the powers he had yet or what more he can learn. But he was up for the challenge.]

No place is perfect, so I don’t expect it to be here. [He shook his head.] After getting pulled out of the fountain, I got some dry clothes and was told to check out the festival. I haven’t had a chance to check out anything else. Got any recommendations?

[hoboagogo]

At least it'll give you something to do every day. [Another shrug, and he'll lean back as well-- and then move one leg to cross whatever approximation of an ankle he has over the other "knee". Which looks absolutely awkward, but he seems to find it comfortable enough, the hoof idly bobbing as though tapping at the air.

Man, so Minato really had just arrived.]

You didn't come through a mirror?

[There's a faint surprise in his voice, but he continues regardless.] It's a city, so there's plenty. My bondmate likes to hit up a club for vampires some weekends, even though he's a witch, but I think he gets off on being eaten.

[bluntly accusing your bondmate of vorephilia. just aef things.]

There's a ton of food places, though. The coven's usually got magic classes going on. And then there's aodd jobs up on the boards, or outside the wall to check out. It's really whatever you wanna get up to.

[afoolshope]

[Minato couldn’t help but stare at the hoof. Can he touch it? He wanted to touch it. But he kept his hands to himself.]

I told you, I woke up almost drowning in the fountain.

[He got free clothes out of it. But he listened, a bit drowsily as the water really relaxed him more than he planned. Maybe all of this was catching up so his body really wanted a nap. But he refused to fall asleep on his friend here.]

Oh, so that’s all real? I didn’t think they were being serious about that stuff. [Look some of the locals were pretty explicit with him. He didn’t really care because it was hard to believe at first even with seeing the monsters. Just what hentai did he step into? Although Shinjiro still seemed nonchalant about it so who knows. He’ll find out eventually.] Guess I’ll have to check it out once I get my living situation sorted.

[hoboagogo]

...Weird. [He just leaves it at that, though. There's plenty of other things to adjust to once arriving here, learning that you're apparently some sort of anomaly doesn't have to be the very start of it.

And look, his hooves can totally be touched. It's a little weird, but whatever. They're new, to Minato, so like. Whatevs.]

Yeah, they're as real as anything gets here. [Which feels pretty real, especially after almost a year of living it. He brings up a hand to scratch at the thick hair at the back of his head, just managing to dampen it and tangle it further.] Same with the bonding thing, if anyone explained that. Monsters go way less crazy with it, and Witches don't gotta worry about magic buildup.

[Though the living situation...] I mean. I got two bedrooms open at my place. Koro's kind of taken over one, but I'm sure he'd share with you if you asked nice.

[afoolshope]

[Was he supposed to come out of a mirror? Probably. He did hear a lot of people talking about something like that, being surprised at his appearance in the fountain.]

Hm... I guess bonding would be beneficial. [It wasn't unlike social links, but he was genuine friends with those people. Would he be able to have time to do that before bonding? He would need to ask.] Koro-chan has his own room?

[That brought a smile to his face, a very amused one.]

I see, well, I'm sure I can persuade him to share.

[hoboagogo]

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

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

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

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

[afoolshope]

Sounds cozy.

[A kind of dog, huh? Minato could deal once he gets there and sees.]

I'll think about it. Learning and getting used to this place would likely be priority. Along with figuring out how the magic works here.