event pt 1 | full moon & litha

[moustre]

Event Log: June, A Midsummer Night's Dream

I. IUNERIL 17TH - THE FULL MOONS The days leading up to the full moons are the same as last month: Monsters are a little itchier and a little easier to agitate, whether they mean to be or not, which becomes increasingly noticeable the day before the full moons. But of particular note is that this may be the second full moons that some arrivals have experienced, and with that comes greater risks, greater agitation, and further reminders to take care of themselves. Weather fair, despite the worries of the city, Monsters will find that the Sisters aren't blocked away by clouds this night. The moons cast their light down on the city, and the pull is strong for even the veteran natives that call the city home. The Coven is offering potions and charms, in an attempt to encourage those without a Bond to ensure that they will be able to keep their wits about them throughout the entire stretch of the Sisters' time in the sky at their fullest. They're always allowed to reject the offer, but it's with a warning: if they let their newfound instincts overtake them, then they might find themselves back in the Coven under worse conditions. But the Sisters rise framed in stark red skies, even as evening falls across Aefenglom, much to the discontent of the city. Streets that are rarely dim are lit up even moreso, now, in the face of this omen, lanterns and candles leading all the way to the Harbor District. Their colors flicker with shades of blue, green, violet - anything to offset the red. Boats that come and go along the river also carry a lantern or two with the same intent, and ships in the harbor are decorated with magical faerylights, strung across hulls, masts, the works. There's no place in the Harbor District untouched by light, with nary a sign of red in the midst of their goods. Tensions are already high, between the humans and Monsters of Aefenglom. It's especially noticeable on this night: full moons already cause everyone to be a little jumpy, but with the red tidings for Litha, they're more on edge than ever. Some blame the new arrivals, though never directly to their face, especially when they don't know who, or what, someone might be. It's always a there-and-gone whisper, it seems like. Gossip. Distrust. Unease. It doesn't lend well to the full moons, but there are still those that want to help. Many will notice that there's already activities and decorations up for Litha, some of them still under construction despite the fast approaching festival. The most notable of all are the hedge mazes that have been constructed, both by hand and with magic to encourage their growth. Behind the festival organizers' backs, a group of people - both man and beast - are offering Monsters a chance to burn off some of their energy by embracing their instincts in a more... constructive manner, with native Witches and Monsters alike prepared to intervene if things get a little too violent. In a sort of mockery of Litha's traditions, they're partnering Monsters up with a willing participant to run the mazes, with a variety of options that they will list. The partner - or partners, if there is a party looking to go in together - can be either Witch or Monster, and the people organizing this won't judge as they inform the interested individuals of their options: a. A-HUNTING WE WILL GO, allowing the Monster to either hunt a small livestock or game animal (a piglet, fowls, rabbits, the like) or to hunt down their partner through the maze they've chosen. This need not end violently, and can become more of a game of hide and seek meets tag. b. EVERYBODY WAS FIGHTING, where one maze in particular has been devoted to a makeshift fight ring at the very heart of it. The organizers hope, somewhat, that by making the Monster(s) in question run the maze first they'll be a little tired out already when reaching the ring. c. UNDER THE PALE MOONLIGHT, because instincts don't always call for violence, the organizers offer a more intimate experience here, whether it's sexual or nonsexual. Maybe you just want a good cuddle..? The organizers emphasize the idea of consent, and will not force anyone against their will into the hedge mazes, no matter which one it is. They also want to make sure that they will step in to help if called upon, in case someone gets a little too overeager. Witches looking to use magic this night will, peculiarly, find that their magic is a little less... cooperative. Many of the Coven Witches speak of how they specifically wait to cast powerful spells on the night of the full moons, to ensure that they have the greatest chances of success with the help of the Sisters. However, Witches of the new arrival persuasion are much weaker on full moons. Their magic is still there, and they can still draw upon it for spells, but they'll have to put greater effort if they want to cast a spell with any significant amount of power. Overexerting oneself while doing this is entirely possible, so it's best to try and find some sort of balance, lest you find yourself exhausted and without a means to defend yourself. We ask that any and all NSFW threads be marked accordingly, or otherwise moved to a locked post on the log community or an entry/inbox on a character journal. Remember to please be excellent to each other, and respect all limits that your threadmates might have, if you explore the more sexual or violent aspects of the offered prompts. If things get OOCly out of hand, please let us know; if things get ICly out of hand, please let Nessie and Mhairi know.

II. LITHA - IUNERIL 21ST TO 23RD Despite what chaos there might have been on the night of the full moons, and the subsequent day after as things began to calm, Litha still arrives as scheduled on Iuneril 21st, as the sun begins to set. The summer solstice reaches its peak the following night, and the festivities wind down the third dusk. While certainly still lively, it isn't as completely festive as Boaltinn, most certainly because of the red skies, and the natives are obviously trying to make the best they can of what they perceive as a poor situation. To say that the natives are on edge would certainly be an understatement. Whatever happened in those hedge mazes is untraceable, now, and everything looks pristine. Faerylights decorate every awning, overhang, and eave, magical and twinkling with colors to offset the red skies. There are no bonfires, this go around, but much like the fires it seems that the lights all lead to the primary area of celebration: in contrast to Boaltinn, Litha is celebrated in the Entertainment, Shopping, and Harbor Districts. Doors to businesses are wide open (with many even having large signs indicating VAMPIRES WELCOME HERE - those that don't make a clear statement), and stalls offering wares and foods and activities alike are set up at nearly every corner alongside preestablished businesses in the market. The harbor is especially lively, with many sailors coming and going as they prepare for setting sail. While ships themselves are always coming and going in the port, Litha is an important time for the more longterm voyages and those meant to carry some significance, and each ship departing is bid farewell with equal fanfare. Fireworks and celebration that is, at least in some part, genuine, but does carry a certain level of enthusiasm that borders on force of will. a. ASKING FOR A LITTLE COMPANY Though all businesses in the Entertainment District open their doors for the festivals of Aefenglom, the brothels of the city in particular are offering a warm welcome this Litha to anyone who might be interested in spending some time with someone - or, multiple someones. They have open rooms for mingling, lounges with floor pillows and low tables where customers can partake in spiced and unspiced drinks alike, where the unspiced are lacking in the potions and near-aphrodisiacs of the spiced drinks. Private rooms are also available for those seeking a more... intimate experience, however one may take that to mean. The brothel workers are more than happy to attend to any interested parties, but also aren't against randomly pairing individuals up, based on their specifications. And, after a little misunderstanding regarding their classes, the Head Madame of the guild has decided that they will be offering chances for individuals to perform at their establishments. She was rather charmed by the mishap, bless your souls, as were the rest of the guild, so the new arrivals have endeared themselves to the brothel workers. Dances, conversation, assorted busking - whatever skills that their quest-takers learned, whether it be of the more sexual nature or not, they'll provide whatever they might need to put on a show and attract or entertain clientele. b. I'M WISHING FOR THE ONE I LOVE Anyone interested in making their way into the Shopping District will find just as many open doors, as well as numerous stalls interspersed where they weren't before. Vendors hawking their wares and goods like always call out with Litha specials, and businesses set up temporary stalls to draw attention to themselves, with promise of greater bargains and products to be found at their main establishment. There are many that sell spiced foods and drinks, with varying degrees of strength depending on how one wants to feel. Others are selling candles and lanterns, offering a magitech version of a lighter at a steal, depending on how much you purchase otherwise. The largest stalls, and the biggest displays at storefronts, are the flowers though. Every single flower shop in Aefenglom has come out full force, practically painting the district in a myriad of non-red colors as they put their stock on full display. They offer deals for those who wish to buy bouquets for a sweetheart or someone they admire, as well as anyone wanting to make flower crowns for those they care for. Each of the seven largest shops are also handing out a single flower for those partaking in festivities to place under their pillow to dream of future partners, the flower they're typically most well known for; this varies from shop to shop, but the up and coming Rose Bush certainly isn't going to let superstition stop them, and are handing out red roses. It's a bold move, but one that causes the tizzy that they were intending it to. And if one is feeling particularly whimsical, they can go to any well at night, looking into the depths in a bid to see their future spouse and true love within. Perhaps making an offering of a flower would bring good luck..? Just don't linger for too long, as there's a rumor that someone is pushing unfamiliar faces into the well, likely targeting those they think are new arrivals. c. GET LOST WITH ME Though the Harbor District has some bleedover from the Shopping District in terms of festivities, their streets and warehouses are where the most room is available for the hedge mazes. Some are sprawling as they fill the streets and alleys, spilling into the towering buildings that have been empty to load the contents onto waiting ships. They create their own environments, with flowers from the flower shops blooming in the rows and creating archways at entrances and exits. Some are enchanted to seem neverending, although there always is an exit, if one can only figure out the puzzle. Each maze has a different method to its madness, and arrangements that those running them have decided on. (Some faces may seem familiar, to those that encountered them on the full moons; they'll feign otherwise, focused only on the now and refusing to draw attention to any recognition.) Some mazes send in the partners together, randomly selected and tasked with figuring out how to reach the end of the maze together. Others will send the partners in from different ends, with the instructions to find one another, whether in the center of the maze or in its winding path. Another variety offers something reminiscent of the hide and seek meets tag game, tasking one as the hunter and the other as the hunted, a game of pursuit meant to replicate the "playing hard to get" variety of courtship. There's no restrictions on how many times one can enter the maze, as it allows one to forge many bonds - and possibly Bonds - and replicates the process of finding your true love. Or, loves; no one here is going to judge anyone. They certainly won't judge, either, if participants opt to take a swig of something for luck in love before they go in. However, some mazes have been tampered with: rather than opening out into somewhere safe on the street or in a building, they empty out unaware participants into the port itself. Hopefully you know how to swim. Once again, we ask that if any threads take on a NSFW nature that they be marked as such, or otherwise moved to a locked post in the log community or an entry/inbox in a character journal.

Welcome to the event log, part I! While mingling on the log itself is highly encouraged, feel free to make your own logs; take the prompts offered and go wild, go crazy, go stupid, have fun. As ever, if your character is getting into any Shenanigans, let the mods know, and if you have any questions about the log, ask them here!

Comments

wildcard

[iminthebook]

Seeing Justine looking dazed, Harry heads for her. He has been wandering and has had many adventures, but today he was just wandering, and quiet. When he sees her, his heart leaps and also drops, for she looks not well.

Stepping to her side, he gently touches her shoulder. "Justine? Are you okay?"

It has been an odd few weeks since they slept together, and he has not been sure how to think about it, how to react. And so he has mostly done his best not to. Which... of course, had totally failed.

wildcard

[ishisstrength]

Her skin was cool to the touch but her cheeks flushed in a feverish rosy hue.

"Harry?" Justine spoke softly as she turned towards him, her brow furrowing in its confusion. What was he doing here?

Her dark eyes were distant and hazy, not unlike how she'd looked when Harry had first met her at Bianca's masquerade ball. It looked like she was on something and unsteady because of it. Justine gently shook her head and tried to dispel the feeling but it didn't work. "I'm- I tried something. Everything feels a little hazy."

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, her chest rising with the inhale and then falling again.

Re: wildcard

[iminthebook]

"Justine. oh damn. Not ag---" He bites it off, his mind full of the dream they had shared, and he gently reaches down and slides his hands under her, lifting her easily in his arms, his form even stronger here than it was back home.

"Damn it. We have to get you some help, dear. Hang on to me." And he began to stride forward, eyes blazing with anger, and with worry, his stride and his glare making the crowds part for him as he moved toward the nearest rest area he knew, which happened to be next to an alchemist, as well.

"Stay with me, Justine..."

wildcard

[ishisstrength]

Justine tried to shake her head, to tell him to stop but it took too much energy to move. "It's fine Harry. I'm fine. I know what it is." She placed her palm on his chest in an attempt to stop him but her movements were sluggish and hesitant.

"I drank a potion. More will only make me sick. This is... it's better this way." She closed her eyes and rested against him, seeking comfort in the weight of his arms. "The voices are gone... the nightmares. I won't hurt you anymore."

Tears dotted at the corner of her lips as she briefly fell into a light sleep.

wildcard

[iminthebook]

Harry slowed and paused, looking down at her and sighed.

"Justine... is there no medicine you can take that would not leave you like this? You deserve better."

He is still holding her in his arms, and shivering a little. Not from effort, but from emotion. She fell asleep as he spoke and he laughed to himself as he picked a nearby resting area to stop at, a bench where he could lay her out and sit in front of her, putting his shirt under her head and his cloak over her without hesitation.

he felt battered, and torn. and he was utterly tempted to take her to the coven infirmary. But he waited, instead, and sighed.

Hells Bells.

wildcard

[ishisstrength]

She woke roughly five minutes later.

"Harry?" Justine looked up at him and a hazy confusion knotted at the center of her brow. She distantly remembered the last thing he had spoken to her and picked up the conversation as if it hadn't had a fifteen minute interlude. "I've told you before. Do you remember?"

She reached out towards him and ran the tips of her fingers absently across his forearm. "I've tried to take medication in our world but it made me sick. I went to the Coven and asked for something that might help here." It was easier and cheaper than trying something more illegal. "That is what I took." She closed her eyes and a tear streaked down her pale cheek.

"It was too loud. I couldn't-" Justine hadn't wanted to go to Harry then and while she's been spending some time at the whore house, she couldn't live there. Perhaps if she worked there. Then she'd have her fill of distractions. Justine honestly hated the idea but she didn't know what to do.

"I'm sorry Harry."

Re: wildcard

[iminthebook]

Harry felt his heart break at the pain that he saw in her, the confusion. It hurt.

"I'm so sorry. Justine. I should have been concentrating on helping you."

As Harry looked at her, under a red moon, mind swirling with pain, and confusion, and worry, he felt something a little like a snap. A new feeling grew in him. A thought he had never had filled him.

"Fuck magic."

wildcard

[ishisstrength]

She placed her palm at the edge of the bench and gingerly pushed herself up into a seated position. Her brow knitted in confusion while her eyes struggled to focus on Harry.

"What?"

Justine didn't understand what he was saying. He couldn't be upset at magic. Magic was his life, even before they had arrived in this city. Like all wizards he coveted it but also used it to help people.

"Harry? You don't have to help me." It wasn't his job. "I'll find something." Or go crazy trying.

Re: wildcard

[iminthebook]

For a moment, harry stared off into the distance, a small war happening inside his skull.

Magic had been his life since the beginning. To be without it would suck. To not use it would suck. To turn his back on it would be unthinkable.

And yet.

He was a defender, a helper, and his entire life was about protecting others, saving them, whatever it took, to death and beyond. His hand wandered up his body and under his shirt to the bullet wound there, where the bullet had taken his life, and a small smile, utterly assured, stretched his face.

No matter what.

He stood between.

Magic and defense, two sides of his soul, stood together, and yet opposing, and yet... in truth, there was never a question as to which would in.

He took along breath, and smiled as he looked down at Justine, and it was a smile free of fear or pain or confusion.

"I will do my damnedest to help you, Justine. Its what I do." And the words were simple, no boast, no demand, and no cry out, and yet... if somewhere, something was listening, and waiting, for a declaration of war? Of absolute promise? It would have just heard it.

wildcard

[ishisstrength]

"Harry." Justine pleaded with him.

She recognized the look in his eye. He had made a decision and she knew that he wasn't the sort of man to turn back or away once his mind had been made up. And it was because of her. She didn't want to hurt him anymore.

"Wait." Her palms lightly cupped his cheeks to force her eyes to focus but it didn't work. She was too far away from him. Her actions and her words couldn't reach him now.

Justine leaned forward and lightly placed her forehead against his. "I don't need you to help me. I can do it." She felt tears prickle at the corner of her eyes. "Please. I don't want to hurt you anymore. And that's all I'm going to do." She pressed a light kiss to his lips, her fingers trembling slightly as she pulled away.

"I'm selfish Harry. I will always be selfish. You need someone to think about you." With Harry worried about every woman and every world in his care, he needed someone who could focus on him and Justine didn't think she had it in her to do that. Now he was ready to sacrifice for her again and she couldn't let him do it.

wildcard

[iminthebook]

Harry gently hugged her and gently tapped her nose.

"You will be okay, and so will I, Justine. And I will find to make things even better." He nodded, eyes darkened.

Harry's smile felt almost automatic on his face as he paused at her request for him to wait. He canted his head.

"Oh, Justine, you wont hurt me. I know you better than you know yourself. And i wont spoil you, but I do not... you are not the bad thing you think you are."

His eyes sparked with a touch of anger, and then gentled to warmth and he bent over her to gently place a chaste kiss on her lips.

"I expect nothing of you, Justine. But I will find a way to help you."

wildcard

[ishisstrength]

His lips were warm and sweet. She felt him like he was diving inside of her and tugging her forward. Justine firmly told herself that it was the heady distant feeling of the potion, teasing her senses with promises of things that would never come.

"I wish you would expect something of me." She answered softly, her thoughts hazy and unclear.

"I wish I could pay you back. I wish it could all be counted and measured. You're too sweet and I'm- not. There isn't anything I can do to possibly repay you."

Justine leaned forward, her palms coming to rest against his chest as she steadied herself.

"Is it because of Thomas? He told you didn't he. Is that why you're so kind to me?" Did she owe her White Court vampire more with every one of Harry's actions? Justine didn't understand and the hazy affects of the drug were making it even harder for her brain to process.

"Why Harry? Why help me?"

She rested her forehead against his shoulder and closed her eyes. "Why can't I help you too?"

Re: wildcard

[iminthebook]

"I'm kind to you because of who you are, and because of... spoilers, but who you become."

He shakes his head, sipping the drink he had been given earlier, drinking it down as he tries to speak his mind and feeling warmer.

"I expect you to do your best." He smiles sadly, as he looks at her, and he shivers.

"I like you, Justine, and I respect you, a hell of a lot."

He smiles at her warmly, and then pokes her lightly as he sits up on the table next to her, steadying her.

"And even if I dd not like you, I would help you. I help people. Its what I do. Its what I have always done." he looks at her, wishing he had his soulgaze for the first time, so he could just show her... let her see.

"You do help me. You steady me, and keep me sane. You rarely saw me back home, and how lost I got, how over my head."

Since she had not objected, there is another kiss, just as gentle and warm, and maybe a touch hungrier.

wildcard

[ishisstrength]

Justine's heart leaps in her chest. She must have heard wrong. It's the drug or something else in her system. Her head was reeling and she doesn't hear exactly what Harry says next. She watches the shape of his lips as he forms the words but it all feels distant and far away.

She reaches for him, brushing her fingers against his cheek as he meets her gaze. "I know..." Justine whispers softly. "I used that against you." She'd blackmailed him when they'd first met.

His kiss came too suddenly for Justine to stop and she found that she didn't want it to stop. She returned the kiss, her fingers running through his hair as the dizzying sensation mingled with the heat blossoming in her chest. Her mouth parted and her tongue sought his. She breathed him in and felt a shiver as her body remember the intoxicating feeling of his touch.

Their kiss broke and Justine was breathless. "I want to help you more." She was only vaguely aware that they were still in public when she pressed a kiss to his cheek and then nipped at his neck.

Re: wildcard

[iminthebook]

"Justine, you are... amazing." And he was lost in the clouds of the moment, the warmth and her body and the touch of her fingers, and her lips, and he kissed her, again, his body folding against hers, long and muscled and rough. His hands were gentle touching her, finding every place on her that was soft and hot and kissing her with his passion that seemed to grow and grow with every moment.

"Justine." He gasped her name, soft, hot, and wanting.

"You do help me, every day."

wildcard

[ishisstrength]

It was easy to lose herself to the warmth and promise of his touch. It was easy to let the world around them melt into the background. It didn't matter where they were or who might have been watching them.

His lips were warm and soft though hungrily capturing her mouth in a heated kiss. She sighed as he pulled away, her entire body humming with need. "Harry." She moaned his name softly. Her head continued to spin and tilt uncomfortably but the touch of his hand grounded her and kept her here with him.

"Let me do more." She pressed a kiss to his lips and then his jaw. Unaware of those around them, Justine pressed her palm against his crotch as if she was ready to bend a knee and taste him right now.

Re: wildcard

[iminthebook]

Over here - NSFW from here - https://iminthebook.dreamwidth.org/4491.html