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

[sullenstallion]

[Dylas doesn't even register that someone is talking to him at first. His own voice in his head is too loud. He's yelling at himself over and over, focusing only on the pain of having his skull warped to include two new horns. Does he know that bull horns aren't composed of just keratin, that they have bone cores? He doesn't. Hell, before coming to this world he didn't even know what a bull was.

What he does know is that it hurts. Where his horns push out, blood trickles after. Right in front of Majima Goro's eyes, Dylas' horns get a little bigger. Barely noticeable. They're not growing at a steady pace. Barely half a centimeter, maybe less. A few seconds later, the same thing, and they still have a lot of growing to do. In between the sound of his own skull cracking to accommodate these horns, someone has spoken to him twice.]

Stop...talking, dammit!

[He places an arm out against the wall of a building that he's passing, no longer sure enough that he can keep walking without some support. It hurts. It hurts so much, and he's supposed to be the tough one—! His breath is coming out uneven, ragged, like he's gasping for air. And he is, because he's so focused on the pain that he's forgetting to take breaths.]

You're too loud!

[justbeingknife]

[ Was it just him, or did that voice sound familiar? Majima took a step forward, only to catch sight of blood and the start of horns breaking out from the man's skull. He looked unsteady, he looked like...

Dylas?

...okay, so clearly he'd like to help the guy, it was shitty to leave reasonably nice dudes in the lurch with what sounded like their own bones slowly breaking themselves. But how the fuck was he supposed to communicate with Dylas without talking? The guy didn't exactly seem in the mood to pass notes.

Compromise: he'd lower his voice. ]

Let me help. Might be able to do somethin' for the pain.

[ For the horns, though? Nooooope, no idea how to stop horns from breaking out of a dude's skull during a monster transformation. ]

[sullenstallion]

[Just like before, it doesn't immediately register to Dylas that it's Majima looking at him and speaking to him. His eyes are focused on the path in front of him, his head tilted down both from the weight of growing horns and his belief that staring at the paved street will make it easier for him to walk on it.

His first attempt to communicate with Majima is to wave his arm in his direction, as if attempting to shove him but not realizing he's not close enough to be shoved. Then, he comes to a stop to catch his breath. He tries to focus through the pain and...and whatever energy this is filling him up, and he asks a single question without looking away from the ground.]

I'm fine.

[He's decidedly not fine. He's. Starting to slump a little, but you know, it's Dylas.]

[justbeingknife]

[ Dylas didn't really look fine? In fact, he looked like he was bleeding and disoriented and also had a history of assuming he was fine when sometimes he had worrying medical symptoms? So Majima took out a book with thin, delicate pages, and began to quickly ink a few runes onto the first blank space.

Carefully, he approached, with the page in hand in an attempt to touch Dylas's arm with it. If he was actually successful, the charm would help dull the pain, but

really the operative word was 'if', here. ]

[sullenstallion]

[All he wants is for the world to stop blurring, for the pain to stop long enough for everything to come back into focus. The pain is so intense, growing worse than lessening just a half-second or two, just long enough for him to think that if he keeps gritting his teeth it might stop.

But it's not stopping. Like a horse with blinders on, he doesn't notice any book or any runes being inscribed into it. The only reason he can tell Majima is getting closer at all is because he can hear footsteps in between the sound of growing bone. He looks over his shoulder, and he thrusts his hand out, trying to shove Goro away. There's a fair amount of force behind it, aided by his panic.]

Don't come any closer!

[justbeingknife]

[ Majima might have been stronger, but his mass was about the same, which meant he was sent skidding a distance backwards. Whew, good thing he'd bothered with those reinforcement spells. ]

[ But if Dylas couldn't bear being touched or being spoken to, then what was there to do? Not much, Majima figured -- trying to help might only make the situation worse. The only thing he really could do was watch.

Or maybe call for help? After all, healing magic wasn't exactly his specialty. Now if he recalled correctly, there was a charm they used at the store that had been popular with children... he tried his best to remember the runes, and the next page he wrote with began folding up, separating from the book. ]

[sullenstallion]

[Everything would've been fine if Majima had just given up. Really—Dylas keeps telling himself over and over again in his head that he's got this. He doesn't need help, he'll just tough it out. But he's still not alone. In addition to not being alone, he has that energy burning through him, horns cracking every few seconds—

He finally yells out in frustrating, holding his head. When he finally lifts it to look at Majima again, his eyes are different. His pupils have widened more than is normal in the red light of the moon. It's not an uncommon drug side effect, and that's the only hint that the Witch is going to get before Dylas violently charges at him.]

I said...get...lost!

[His goal isn't to push Majima away this time, no, it's to ram into him as hard as he can.]

[justbeingknife]

[ Now technically speaking, Dylas hadn't told him to get lost, but technically wasn't going to get Majima a room at Hotel Kamuro. Apparently, what it was going to get him was an angry monster trying to break a couple dozen bones -- which he could only assume would be the best case scenario if Dylas hit him.

He quickstepped aside, hands still full of parchment paper and pen; even as he did so, his page pulled itself away from the book and folded itself mid-air with impossible delicacy into what looked like an origami unicorn.

With... only three legs. Meh, it was a work in progress. It whinnied, high and brassy, then 'galloped' a bit awkwardly off onto a cobblestone path, headed toward the Coven. ]

Hey! The fuck?

[ He'd pulled a baseball bat out of somewhere. His ass? Who knew. Either way, depending on where Dylas ended up, he was ready to use it. He liked the guy in theory, but a fight was a fight. ]

[sullenstallion]

[That's the most tragic part—Dylas likes Majima, but right now he's only seeing red. Someone who won't stop bothering him, another nuisance that compounds his misery on top of the growing pains he's experiencing and the surges of energy his body and mind can't comprehend. If he had a choice, he would never choose to fight someone he liked this much, but in the red of the moons, he can't make that choice. Majima looks like a target.

He whirls his head in the direction of the origami at first, wondering if that unicorn was supposed to mock him somehow, and for a split second it seems like he might give chase after it. He's tempted to. Anything that moves or annoys him right now is a potential outlet for his frustration. But then he sees that baseball bat, and damn, he really wants to fight that.]

I knew it—

[But what Dylas knows or thinks he knows he doesn't elaborate on. He rushes in close, trying to prevent Majima from getting a good swing of that thing in, but his body is larger than it used to be by a few inches and he's not as steady on his feet as a result. His goal is still to grab or slam his opponent, but there's more than enough time to get out of the way.]

[justbeingknife]

[ While Dylas was rushing in, Majima was moving to meet him -- not in a tackle, but in the manner of a baseball player with his eye on that breaking ball.

Only substitute 'ball' for the side of Dylas's head, and one might have a picture of what he was going for as he swung for the fences. Used to be back home, he could send a guy flying with a little applied strength. Here, it was all reinforced magic, but he imagined the effect would be about the same.

God, he hoped Dylas was built sturdy. Those horns looked pretty hard, was his skull also reinforced? Monsters were supposed to be pretty strong, weren't they? ]

[sullenstallion]

[Built sturdy is an understatement. Magic or not, he's the stallion who will get up no matter how hard he's hit, time and time again. Dylas has proven that several times before, has proven it even before he became 'Dylas' as he sees himself today.

The bat hits him square on the side of the head, right where emerging horn meets skull. But it's not enough to send Dylas flying. In the last moment before the strike, he reinforced his stance, dug his feet into the ground and braced for impact. His eyes are wild even as the hit both makes him bleed more and makes him feel like his brain is rattling around in a little cage. Did his skull just crack, or is that more horn? He can't tell.

Dylas grabs Majima and attempts to throw him to the side. Regardless of whether or not he's successful or not, the next moment he collapses to a knee. The blow was a solid one, but on Dylas it had only taken a moment to fully register with his mind and body.]

Damn it. Fuck!

[He doesn't feel any better after that, but now his senses are coming back to him. It turns out when you're in a lot of pain, it's easier to ignore everything else that's wrong with your body.]

That hurt.

[justbeingknife]

[ Majima wasn't particularly heavy (well, beyond what one might expect for a human man of his height); it was easy for someone with increased strength to throw him. He straightened himself out midair with the grace of an wild animal pivoting mid-run, skidded a couple feet on the soles of his favorite boots. If it hurt to stick that landing, he sure wasn't going to complain. ]

Kinda the point, ain't it?

[ He looked energized, even wired, and still possessed of that strange battle posture that seemed to radiate carelessness and danger at the same time. The bat he swung at the wrist, like a player at the plate keying up for another pitch. ]

Ya wake up yet? Or maybe ya want to beat on each other?

[ From his tone, it didn't sound like Majima would be let down by either alternative. He'd totally forgotten about the little unicorn. ]