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

goblin market

[weiward]

[well, it is a goblin market, so does wei wuxian really need any other excuse to be there?

he is legitimately browsing though, looking for something a little hotter than the last peppers lan zhan brought home from market. the pit of hell that is his stomach can handle far worse than those, but maybe he'll find something with a little more flavor here.

the corners of his mouth turn down as he overhears the bits and pieces of deals and promises going on all around him. but it's one in particular that makes wei wuxian stop in his tracks. it's not the subject matter of the conversation, even if he knows what it's like to not be thrilled by one's own changes. it's the voice. he turns around slowly, and jiang cheng could have gills or tentacles or a damn clam shell clamped around his head, he would still know his brother anywhere.

he runs over to the stall, pushing the tonic away so he can take a long look at jiang cheng. his heart is racing, and every beat of it hurts. it reminds him of how much he's missed him, how much he's wanted to see him again. he could form a hundred new families, but yunmeng jiang will always own a piece of his heart.

and then the surreal moment is broken by aefenglom's brightest smile.]

Don't tell me you're still following after me.

[he does a little hop, trying to get his arms around the sect leader's shoulders.]

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. ]

BAHAHAHA

[weiward]

[fortunately he knows what jiang cheng's first reaction will be. he knows that his first instinct is always to push away, to discourage with scowls and harsh words, because it's easier to build a wall than show affection when you've known so little of it yourself. wei wuxian has always tried to give it, as rambunctious as it often was. it's just that he wasn't the one that jiang cheng really needed it from the most.

he dangles there mid-hug, arms still locked around his shoulders and toes dragging in the dust. it's a perfectly fair question, except they're brothers so instead of answering, he scrunches up his face and fires back.]

You have some nerve. Did I ask what the hell is wrong with your teeth?

[which is funny because he definitely has a little more of a bunny overbite too now.]

[sandu_shengshou]

[ this isn't the reunion that he thought it would be (and yes, he has thought about it, vaguely, in unclear terms, usually with more privacy for yelling), but apparently there is no getting out of this right now. this being Wei Wuxian with his arms around him, latched on tight, and is bantering with him like they are sixteen again and Jiang Cheng wants to scream.

there is another hiss of a noise, little gills along the side of his neck flaring just a little. ]

Wei Wuxian, let go of me. [ the words are edged, sharp and coupled with him trying to get his arms between them to pry his sibling the other off. ] For fuck's sake, have you no propriety!

[ ah yes. because he is the paragon of upholding the social standards of polite company.]

I am trying to fucking fix that but you decided to throw yourself at me.

[ which.... is confusing to him honestly. the last time they parted there was a heaviness to Wei Wuxian, to the both really, the truth weighing more than assumptions ever did. this Wei Wuxian before him seems lighter. younger. carefree again in a way Jiang Cheng hadn't seen since before Lotus Pier burned.]

[weiward]

Jiang Cheng! This is our reunion, not the first time we've met!

[have you no propriety. bitch, please. he of all people should know the answer to that, having grown up as the first and sometimes sole witness of the shameless things wei wuxian is capable of. he does let go of him though, dropping back to the ground with an unsure smile on his lips and eyes that are overbright.]

You really came.

[he didn't let himself dream about this moment too much. he knows there was a rift forming between them, the young sect leader and his brother the demonic cultivator. his memory goes that far, but he's unaware of just how bad it gets. wei wuxian mostly kept this longing to himself because he knew lan wangji would feel it too. lan wangji who had his brother here, but would ache if his bonded ached. it's always better if he suffers alone.

his brows knit together at those words though, and wei wuxian cups his brother's chin roughly to turn his head from one side to the other. the gills, the teeth...he knows exactly what jiang cheng is trying to "fix".]

Don't even think about it. Being a monster isn't something that can be "fixed", and you don't need to be. The bastards here are just trying to take advantage of you.

[he shoots the vendor a challenging look and makes sure that his words were loud enough to be heard. his next are softer though.]

Let's get out of here.

[sandu_shengshou]

What do you mean I really came? I fucking woke up in a lake with no idea how I got here this wasn't a fucking choice.

[ it has been a while since he was subjected to the shamelessness that was Wei Wuxian, even at the temple there was so much else going on that it was not his focus. there were more important things to deal with (more things to focus on instead of the ache in his chest where a core pulses strong and bright and familiar). now, with Wei Wuxian in all his shamelessness in his face so immediately, Jiang Cheng finds himself nostalgic for a time before the space between them was filled with blood and ghosts.

even now he can't quite reach across that chasm with the same ease as Wei Wuxian, always falling behind him, always clinging to something that was dead and gone, always a little too slow to keep up the pace.

there is a hiss as his chin is grabbed before he is knocking the hand away.]

I am fucking aware I can't be fixed, Wei Wuxian. [ he knows better than anyone that there is no 'fixing' the monster that he is, but at least he can hide it. ] Do you have a better plan of action for dealing with this?

[ he wouldn't be surprised if he does, Wei Wuxian is nothing if not a genius with these kinds of things. though what he offers up instead is something that Jiang Cheng has a hard time accepting. not just the words, the intonation. the warmth in the words and the offer extended to him.

( once again, Jiang Cheng is left a step behind, trying to catch up, to forget the same way his brother seems to have.)

for a heartbeat, his features are contorted while he wrestles with the desire to follow Wei Wuxian or to tell him to fuck right off. he settles for something in between.]

And go where? Do you have a radish farm here too?

[weiward]

[it's wei wuxian's turn to roll his eyes, because really, why does jiang cheng always have to be so difficult. it'll be miracle if he doesn't have a stroke before he's forty. or baldness. or still be a virgin-

huh. he appraises his brother anew at that thought. ...but it's something to address later. right now there are more important things to focus on here too.]

I do have a better idea.

[because of course he does, just not necessarily one that his brother is going to like. but that's nothing new either, and just maybe they can find a way to work around it anyway. maybe he can earn jiang cheng's forgiveness if he hasn't broken every promise yet, hasn't broken himself at the bottom of a cliff.

he reaches out to take hold of his wrist. he needs to lead him, and the market is crowded. that's all it is, even if the rapid rabbit beat of his heart knows the truth. wei wuxian has to be careful not to hold him like he's holding on for dear life with his new claws, even if that's exactly what he wants to do right now.]

Radishes? [he makes a face at him like he's crazy.] Who wants radishes. Potatoes are much better. And speaking of potatoes, I'm taking you home with me, so stop standing there like a sack of them.

[sandu_shengshou]

[ don't even fucking think about it. though when he finds out about the whole wedding fiasco he will probably willingly place himself between Wei Wuxian and Hanguang-Jun. not because he doesn't trust them but-- who the fuck is he kidding.

it is thanks to years of knowing Wei Wuxian, Jiang Cheng knows trouble brewing when he hears it, no matter how innocent the guise. which is the only reason why he didn't flinch when his wrist is grabbed. his fist curls inwards and there is tension in the line of his shoulders but he doesn't immediately yank his hand away. he does try to keep some distance between them though, which allows his own confusion at the comments about potatoes. it forces him to take a closer look at Wei Wuxian, eyes sharp.

surely, there are differences, changes that are similar in some sense to Jiang Cheng's own; the teeth, the sharpness to the fingertips wrapped around his wrist. but there are other changes too, ones that are not as obvious if you don't know to look for them.

it makes Jiang Cheng's chest tightens and he stumbles.]

Home? What-- where the fuck is home Wei Wuxian?

[ there is bitterness there in the bones of the words, the notion of home that has felt off-kilter and incomplete for years even when he didn't want to admit it.]

[weiward]

[if he's going to do that, at least do it horizontally. then they'll have one pre-wedding ritual complete.

wei wuxian's eyes are gold instead of brown now, but his vision is perfectly fine, and he's missed jiang cheng enough to drink in the details of him in no time at all. his brother also looks different. older, in a way that's more noticeable than it was with lan zhan. he died and his pain ended, but people that he cared for continued to bleed. it's no wonder jiang cheng is still pissed off at him. wei wuxian's pissed off at himself too sometimes, and he looks a little abashed as he answers.]

This way.

['home' exists in a direction, but also in the familiar pale ribbon tied around his wrist. it exists inside his brother too, in yunmeng and in gusu. it's no wonder that he could even make a home in that cursed place in yiling.]

Do you need some water along the way? [wei wuxian arches a brow as he looks at him.] To keep you, er - moist?

[sandu_shengshou]

[ do you want to die before your wedding? really?

more than anything, Jiang Cheng wishes that he could do what Wei Wuxian has done (will do? is doing?), that he could move on from the past and let the wounds finally turn to scars. they are at least scabbed over now, no longer the raw, bleeding things they were, but-- having Wei Wuxian tug him like this, along towards someplace he calls home, still pulls and stretches in ways that are not comfortable. no longer hurts but-- aches.

Wei Wuxian wants to bring him home, and isn't that a feeling he can understand.

Jiang Cheng doesn't pull his hand back.

he does, however, make a hissing noise and lurches forward to punch Wei Wuxian in the shoulder as hard as he can though.]

I do not--! Fuck you! I will be fine. [ a beat.]I went back to the river like half an hour ago, when I passed out and someone informed me of what was going on. Hence the tonic search.

[weiward]

[death probably actually helps with that - moving on. crimes are paid for in the only way that they can be sometimes. old grievances should be forgotten. the living should heal and keep on living, because wei wuxian knows what it's like to live with ghosts. it's not a fate he would've wished on jiang cheng or lan wangji.]

It kind of suits you, you know? [as much as he wants to keep teasing him, he also remembers what it was like to come to a new world and find himself immediately changed.] Remember when we were kids and spent every waking hour swimming off the docks?

[until madam yu yelled at them to get their asses out of the water. and to get each other in even more trouble, they'd sneak slaps at each other's backs during dinner, trying to get the other to cry out from a strike against sunburnt skin. what he wouldn't give for just one more of those days.]

Maybe you can finally outswim me now. [wei wuxian doesn't seem entirely convinced of that though, which calls for a return to the river at some point.] And if these tonics work at all, it's only temporary. What you really need doesn't come in a bottle. [he pauses to buy a couple of skewers of grilled vegetables, offering one to his brother.] What you need is a witch. And you can't keep being picky, Jiang Cheng. You're not choosing a wife. [he turns to face him, looking amused.] Or you could be. It would do wonders for your bond!