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

[nodyinteam]

[Backing down is not an option when you're Nekomaru Nidai!! He's hardier than most. Except for his heart, but at least that doesn't factor into this.

He looks back and watches as she leaps through the flames! He cheers and claps his hands as he watches her land.

Then as she points that out, he takes it very casually.]

It did? Huh. That would explain how why I still feel some heat... Hey, can you gimme a a splash? [He asks as he gestures towards the bucket.]

[stopfen]

[Her arm falls to her side. Then she quickly spins on her heel and returns to the bucket, just going to lift the whole thing up.

And yes. She's just going to unceremoniously splash him with it. All the water in the bucket. Mouth just set in the slight smile, the small little upward quirk of the lips.]

Does anything feel different?

[Supposedly jumping through would make one feel better. Discarding the past sadness and whatnot. But Mikasa didn't really feel anything, there was the slight giddiness setting in. But that had happened during the last festival as well.]

[nodyinteam]

[That's honestly exactly how he hoped she'd do it! He guffaws even more as the water rushes over him and leaves him free of any hints of flames. A goofy grin is left on his face afterwards as he stands there, soaking wet.

He does pause thoughtfully as he considers her question.]

Hmmmmm! ...Yeah, I think so. I feel refreshed. And I don't just mean the water!

[He says with another little laugh. He can't say that this exterminated all the pain and despair from his past, but it all feels a little more distant now. Like it truly is part of the world he's left behind for the time being.]

How about you? [He says as he raises an arm, just to send some of the excess water on his sleeve flying back towards her.]

[stopfen]

[It was the best way, or so she thought. A large amount of water in one quick throw, that'd stop it from spreading. Even if his response wasn't amusing for her, but that was fine. The festive mood was enough.

Even if the question was out of wonder, if it was true. So she waited, not even blinking at him. Only stopping her stare when the water splattered her face. It landed on her pointed ear. Said ear wiggled, trying to flick the water off. ]

I think...I feel a little lighter.

[The questions and thoughts still pressed down on her. But less urgent. Though she couldn't be sure if that was a result of the fire.]

And now for the next part, ribbons for good luck for the future? [There was a lot of little gestures in these festivals. Mikasa couldn't tell what was just a gesture and what was a part of some magic. Like how potion ingredients had to be added in a certain order, even if no magic was needed.]

[nodyinteam]

[It ended up feeling like something members of a sports team would do to each other after a victory! So it only helped him to feel better.

He looks towards her, impressed by her unblinking stare and the way that water splashes her ear. Nidai then smirks.]

Oh yeah? That doesn't sound too bad! It must be working on some level... or just burning off a little weight. [He jokes.

And then he looks ahead towards the ribbon poles, with a firm nod.]

Yep, looks like it! You ready for this? ...Come to think of it, have we even done names?

[stopfen]

[It was a shame she didn't know more about sports and sport rituals. Or he could have heard about the glory that was monster rugby... That was a fun time. Even to her, someone with a questionable sense of what fun meant.]

With this place, both are possible... [Still in almost deadpan, even if it was punctuated with a small birdlike chirp. But he got a small nod at the mention of names.]

Mikasa. [Not giving her last name, not thinking about the meaning of that tonight. Then she turns looking one of the poles up and down.] I think I need some good luck...

[nodyinteam]

[Alas, that's something he would have been completely into hearing about!

He snorts at her deadpan reaction. She's reserved, but she still knows how to joke!]

Good to meet you. As for me, I'm Nekomaru Nidai! [He is incapable of declaring his name in a way that isn't bombastic.

He looks over the pole as well, wasting no time in grabbing a ribbon.]

Is that so? Then I'll work extra hard at this for your sake!!

[stopfen]

[One day, people would learn to appreciate her sense of humor more. Instead of freaking out when she tried.

The yelled intro gets a blink. You sir, you're as loud as you are big. But it was refreshing, most people got kinda quiet after a while where she was from. So she shrugs, rolling her sleeves up to show dem guns.]

Don't you need any then?

[She's joking. Mostly, it'd probably be shared luck if it worked...Maybe. And it was good luck weather. Still she grabs a nice vivid green ribbon, the colour of fresh leaves. Looking at the best spot to tie it.]

[nodyinteam]

[Well, you won't get much quiet when this guy's around.

As she rolls up her sleeves, he does glance towards her gun show and looks impressed! Then he laughs at her response.]

Ha! I guess I could use all the luck I could get. At this rate, we might both end up forming some kind of loop of luck!

[Which would be pretty good! He grabs a long blue ribbon and wastes no time in starting to tie it up as high as he can reach. Which is pretty damn high!]

Hey, Mikasa. Do you play any sports?

[stopfen]

[It was fine. He could do the talking for both of them. It hadn't really bothered her until people started pointing it out, but she wasn't very talkative. Thinking up topics was...yeah.

Mikasa was pretty tall for a lady, an a giant among the fae. Even with shrinking an inch, she was still 5'8. Still tall enough to get her ribbon decently high as she gave it a small tug in the opposite direction of Nekomaru's, making sure it was secure and wouldn't fall mid-wrapping. Then blinking up at him.]

No. That's not really a thing where I'm from... [When she'd been young it had been a lack of resources, now it was a lack of time.] But there was a sports festival here not long ago. It was...fun..? [That was said with all the intonation of someone who wasn't entirely sure on the idea of what fun was.]

[nodyinteam]

[It's alright. Nidai's used to dealing with various kinds of people, including quiet types. He'll just do his best to hear the things she does say. She's definitely taller than most girls he knows, if still shorter than his massive 6'4".

His eyes widen as he hears that fact about her world. In fact, he tears up.]

Wh-what?! You come from... a world without sports?? [Clearly that must be the most tragic thing about her world.] I'm so sorry!! I can't imagine what that's like.

[He sniffles.]

A sports festival? Now that's more like it! I'm glad you had fun with it. You look like you'd be great at a wide range of sports!!

[stopfen]

Yeah... A lot of people said that it was normal where they're from. [She hadn't even realised he was starting to cry as she turned back to the post for a moment. There may have been some sports, in the richer, more populated areas. But she'd not seen another person other than her parents until she was nine, then she spent less than a year with two friendless boys before things went to hell. After that she really hadn't the time to play.

Then her head jerks back when she hears the sniff. Um... Awkward arm pat? Have an awkward arm pat.]

They had things called rugby and bulldog...It was a nicer way to settle things than fighting. [No death, a major improvement.]

[nodyinteam]

[He'll take that awkward arm pat! It's okay, he'll be fine, he's just feeling a lot of emotions right now. But it's passing at least, especially as she talks about the events.]

Of course, sports are always better than pure violence! Rugby's a good, solid choice. I'm glad you got to experience it! And bulldog... that's a general game that involves tagging others, isn't it? Not bad, not bad at all! [As he talks, and calms down his emotions, he starts moving and tying his ribbon around the pole.]

[stopfen]

It was a lot...louder than expected. People found it funny when I knocked monsters larger than me over. [With the arm pats given she just lets her arm hang at her side, other hand still clutching her roll of ribbon.] That and the other game were the only ones that I weren't taken out of. [And she huffs, a short exhale, then it's time to start walking around the post to wind it.]

...No one explained the rules.

[nodyinteam]

I'd call that more impressive than funny! Well done, Mikasa! [He flashes her a proud grin. She has the potential for greatness, he's sure!

Nidai moves with an energetic trot, thoughtfully taking in her words.]

Huh. Are you saying you got disqualified from other games for breaking rules you weren't aware of?

[stopfen]

It was strange being cheered for... [She'd had that conversation with others but it was still weird. It seemed more fun to take part than to watch the event. But he gets a small nod.]

One of them...Soccer, or football? [She looked up at him, like he'd know.] They made me sit out because I kicked the ball into someone. But they told me to do that in one of the other games.

[nodyinteam]

Is that so! I assume you're not used to that kind of attention? [She doesn't know about sports, so she may not be used to the glory too.]

Ha! [He laughs and snorts a little as she talks about having kicked the ball into something.] That is against the rules of several sports indeed! If it's one based around kicking, than both names are right! Where I come from, that sport is known as football in most territories, but the United States call it soccer instead, and they use the name 'football' for a completely different sport! [Here's your regular sports lesson from Nidai!]

[stopfen]

I've never been cheered on for something good before... [She'd gotten glory. Too much, that horrible heroes' glory that seemed so grand and she'd once been proud of her strength and ability to protect. Then it just became sad.]

Oh...I'd ask why but a lot of places have more words than they needed. [She might have been more taciturn in her youth, but she still wasn't the most talkative.] I liked the other sport though.

[nodyinteam]

That's a shame. You seem like a pretty incredible person, after all! [Those guns alone should be cheered on wherever she goes!]

Right. When the world's so big, it produces so many languages and terms that things can get confusing... [He chuckles and shakes his head.] Oh? Bulldog? I'd call that a game instead of a sport, but I'm glad you like it!

[stopfen]

Thanks... [That's all he gets there, followed by a snort. She's not sure what to make of that, compliments weren't exactly uncommon. She had the title of the 'girl worth a hundred soldiers' when she was younger for a reason. A lot of compliments came from that, and she wasn't sure what to do with them.]

Yeah...I've noticed. I've only heard a few, there's so many types of people... [She shook her head. That was getting depressing.] No. This one was called, dodgeball, I think. The other one didn't have a ball.

[nodyinteam]

[He's sure she can become the 'girl worth a hundred athletes' instead!

Nidai smirks as she mentions the sport.]

Ahhh, dodgeball. Of course it was dodgeball! That was just coming to mind a sport that seems suited to you...! That or some kind of combat-based sport would probably work. [He nods, confident in his conclusions, as he continues tying his ribbon around.]

[stopfen]

[She does need new hobbies!

But she pauses her ribbon binding to blink those large black eyes at him.] There are combat sports? [Then there's a small hum and she's moving again.] And it's not considered training for battle?

[That was why people learnt to fight wasn't it? But then again Asura had mentioned someone all that time ago when he asked her why she still fought. She's just replied by telling him it was to keep her edge but...]

[nodyinteam]

Uh-huh! [He nods along. He pauses his own movement to look at her with a grin while he explains.]

The only battles in those sports are competitive ones! There's a number of ones, ones for practically every top of combat out there. Boxing, wresting, mixed martial arts, the list goes on! I'm sure you'd fit in well.

[stopfen]

[Antenna flicking intensifying! The grin isn't returned but she's listening.]

I thought those at the gym were sparing...It's a sport as well. I'll have to ask the next time I go. Though I think I can already guess the rules. [Because if it's like sparing...]

I'm still not sure how they managed to think of so many kinds.

[nodyinteam]

They still could be! Not everyone does those things to compete in it as a sport. It's possible to just use them as a way of sparring, or exercise. Combat sports are truly versatile! [He grins, glad at how attentive she's being.]

That would go back to how big the world is. Or at least my world! So many different cultures throughout history developing their own forms of self-defense... It all evolves over time.

The possibilities... are ENDLESSSSSS!!! [As he shouts that last part, he races around with his ribbon!]