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

[beariot]

At that rate, you'd drink even Paris dry. [ Ursula laughed. ]

Try to take it easy, though. I'd hate for you to get in any trouble because of wine I gave you.

[curruid_coinchenn]

I won't get in any trouble. It's helping me deal with these crowds.

[ It was also easier to get to sleep when you've been drinking. It's not like he becomes more pleasant when he's drunk, either. ]

I need to catch up t you, don't I?

[beariot]

You're not too far from doing that. [ Another laugh. ]

I'm not surprised to hear you're unfond of crowds. You definitely seem like a guy that enjoys solitude. [ As much as he seemed to enjoy anything, which wasn't much, but he didn't seem inclined to the opposite, either. She was definitely getting to understand him, little by little. ]

Should we drink somewhere more private? To help you relax, I mean.

[curruid_coinchenn]

[ He considers her offer and gives a nod. Somewhere quieter would be nice. The drink is taking the edge off his headache and maybe he'll feel a bit more sociable.

Unlikely, but it's a nice thought. ]

... Yes, I would appreciate that.

[beariot]

There's a spot not far from here. A bench with a lovely flower arch over it. We can go there. [ If there was anything Ursula had learned in her years as a teacher, it was adapting and shifting to better suit the needs of whoever she was trying to reach out to. If her... acquaintanceship with Berserker was going to maintain at all, she definitely needed to find a way to make him more comfortable around her. ]

[curruid_coinchenn]

[ So long as it's more secluded is all he cares. He nods as he rises, looking to Ursula. He's a little more drunk than his behavior lets on, swaying slightly on his feet. ]

Then let's go.

[beariot]

[ Well he had downed quite a bit already. Ursula flicked her wand to lift their cups, the bottles, and the flower crowns all at once, letting them float about them as she made her way to Berserker's arm, looping hers with his, leading him away from the table and the associated crowd. ]

[curruid_coinchenn]

[ He's still not quite used to the magic usage and it catches his attention just for a moment. When Ursula takes his arm, he looks down with a little bit of surprise. ]

Most people won't get near me. [ That's changed here quite a bit. Personal space is a suggestion with some people. ] Being drunk is overriding your sense of self-preservation, isn't it?

[ He's not threatening her, that would be silly. An idle question because he's an asshole. Once they're to the bench he takes a seat and settles in. The warm feeling of being drunk is like a comfortable drunk. ]

[beariot]

I can tell you're a dangerous guy to know. Don't worry, I'm not underestimating you. [ Ursula hummed, patting his forearm gently as she lead them along. ]

But I also feel pretty confident you won't hurt me. Not here, not now. I haven't given you a reason to, right? You don't do anything without a reason to. [ That was the key, wasn't it? What made Berserker tick, so to speak. He wasn't fully lacking in emotion or direction, but he was also a man who didn't simply do or feel anything just for the sake of it. She didn't want to question what sort of life lead to a philosophy so wooden, but so far, she'd only benefited (for the most part) from that blunt-edge way of thinking. ]

[curruid_coinchenn]

[ It wasn't even that she's underestimating him, it's more that normally his physicality is a barrier. What changed...? Eh, it's not worth worrying about, not when he's inebriated, anyway. He reaches for his half-finished cup of wine and just holds onto it, leaning back against the bench. ]

... You're right. I have no reason to hurt you. [ His way of thinking led people to walk on eggshells around him. That kind of caution usually isn't necessary and irritates him. ] I don't think you'll give me one, either. Not any time soon.

[beariot]

And I don't intend to, either. [ Ursula sighed, resting her head against his shoulder, thankfully not spilling the rest of her collection of flower crowns all over him; she'd had the sense to take off her hat before they sat down. ]

If I ever do something that upsets you that much... I'll probably deserve it in some way, anyways... [ There's... a certain solemness in her tone, a softness that seemed to hang with some sort of regret in the air. ]

[curruid_coinchenn]

[ How close she is irks him, but he does nothing about it. Berserker just looks down at her with the mildest of irritated glances. He's already warm, but the additional warmth isn't unwelcome. His physiology changed more than he knew or cared to think about.

The shift in her tone catches his attention. His gaze softens slightly, back to his cold apathy. "Upset" is a strong word, really. When he decides to harm someone that used to be an ally, it's just a side effect of his nature. ]

Are you holding guilt over something you did before? [ An idle observation as always -- he doesn't really care, but it's easier to keep talking than to ignore her. ] An act that makes you think you'd deserve that sort of treatment?

[beariot]

[ Ursula gave a melancholy sigh, her smile looking tired as she stroked her thumb over his knuckles. ]

I don't think it deserves that. But it is something I carry with me. Maybe something I always will.

[curruid_coinchenn]

[ He almost jerks his hand out of her grip, but stops himself. There's no point in spurning he affections, it might upset her and he doesn't want to deal with that. He finishes off his wine, setting the cup down. ]

Don't let it consume your or you'll only lose yourself.

[ Certain Servants have obsessions and guilt from their time when they're alive. It could destroy them and make them hesitate in battle. A king's regrets about his empire falling, a failure in life coming back to haunt them. This didn't seem much different to him.

Warm from the wine, he leans against Ursula just slightly. ]

It's pointless to hold onto such things here when there's no one here affected by it...except for you.

[beariot]

Oh, don't feel like you need to direct me on this one. [ Ursula chuckled, though mirthlessly. She found herself nuzzling slightly against his shoulder, as if on instinct, absent minded. ]

It's something I've lived with for a long time. I like to think I did alright for myself, despite this lingering ache... Think of it like an old war wound, just on the soul.

[curruid_coinchenn]

I didn't know. [ Or care, really. ] I was just speaking to what I know. Take it or don't, it doesn't affect me either way.

[ He can relate to her situation in a way, but he'd never admit to it. A growing resentment towards the Queen that made him this way festered inside him, her influence on his existence like a cancer. A dull ache and irritation that he ignored until he couldn't anymore. No one needed to know that, so he just let it go.

Something he didn't want to let go is Ursula's behavior, though. It puzzles him why she grows more affectionate with him despite his relative indifference. ]

Are you really so lonely that you're seeking comfort in someone like me?

[beariot]

I'm not lonely. [ Ursula chuckled, shaking her head. ]

I guess I just feel... comfortable around you like this. I'm sure it must be the wine, but it's not a problem, is it? Like you said, it doesn't affect you...

[ Him not being affected by it was sort of the bonus. Just a sponge to soak up all of her bottled up affection that was spilling out thanks to the wine, and wouldn't make anything awkward between them as a result. It didn't hurt that he felt so warm, in that moment... ]

[curruid_coinchenn]

[ It isn't a problem. If he were to be honest about it, it's welcome, but honesty isn't going to happen. A silent acceptance of her affections is the best she'll get.

It's strange that she's comfortable around him. That apathy and coldness that surrounds him is enough to keep people away or at least unsettle them. How easily she just snuggles up to him concerns him. ]

If you say so. I will leave at some point, but until then, you may do as you please.

[beariot]

Well, let's hope I don't fall asleep before then. [ Another small chuckle. Honestly his concern was completely understandable. If it hadn't been for the wine, she probably wouldn't be nearly so close to him otherwise. But at least his disposition made it feel safe. She knew Cu would feel no pressure to reciprocate, or feel any differently about her, or really anything. He just kind of... sat there and took it. She could live with that in the morning. ]

[curruid_coinchenn]

You'll just get a rude awakening if you do.

[ He might fall asleep himself, at this rate. Pleasantly drunk and relaxed, at least enough to let his guard down that far, he settles further into his seat. ]

As I said, do as you will. It doesn't bother me.

[beariot]

That's the whole appeal, you know. That it doesn't bother you, and I believe you when you say that. [ Ursula hummed. ]

If I did this with anyone else, just to get this snugglebug out of my system, it would get awkward.

[curruid_coinchenn]

[ The idea of himself being the "safe" option is so strange. Her reasoning is sound, though, so he doesn't stop to question it. There's no point because she's right ]

So you won't be embarrassed by your actions when you're sober because of the kind of person I am? [ Less a question and more a statement. ] There's no arguing with that.

[beariot]

Exactly... pretty clever, right? [ Another giggle, a sip of her wine, a nuzzle against his arm. ]

[curruid_coinchenn]

[ He can't say it's not, so he just shrugs. A comforting warmth comes from Ursula, combined with how drunk he is makes him a little bit sleepy. He closes his eyes for just a moment. Vulnerability isn't something he likes to show, but there's nothing to fear from the witch snuggled up against him.

It's fine. It's just a brief rest. ]