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

[curruid_coinchenn]

[ He's a very serious dragon and that is his very serious flower crown, thank you. At least it's covering up the dried blood surrounding his horns. ]

I'd be fine staying where I was before.

[ Yes, he's going to keep complaining until he's on level ground. ]

But you didn't give me a choice.

[holyswordwielder]

[ That is true enough. Arthur worked very hard on making it. He's pretty good at it. ]

No, I didn't. Because I wasn't allowed one either. So I am going to tell you the same thing someone else told me: there is little difference between us in this place now and it seems there is nothing we can do about leaving here, so it is best we form alliances.

[ He's thinking this is their street. It's super fancy and the houses are veritable mansions here, so it looks like their street. He also reaches up again and pats Berserker on the head gently, over his new flower crown. ]

And he was right. Servants understand each other more than regular people understand them. Servants of Chaldea especially. You don't know what you'll be facing here and it is more likely that you will be able to survive if you throw in your lot with other Servants.

[curruid_coinchenn]

[ If Berserker cared about such aesthetics, he might be impressed, But no, he's just tired of being carried around. The houses around here are much more than he's seen before. This is where Arthur lives...? It doesn't seem quite right for someone like him. ]

Do you normally carry off your allies like this? Put me down already.

[ He has a feeling the Saber won't put him down until it's actually in a tub. Sigh. ]

... You're right, though. [ A grudging admission. ] If you want to help me, so be it.

[ Like he hadn't already resigned himself to that. ]

[holyswordwielder]

[ Oh. That makes Arthur pause. Does he normally carry off his allies like this? ]

Er... actually, I used to.

[ He’s a knight in shining armor, what do you want from him! ]

I think you need someone to help you.

[ And, well, his own code of ethics dictates he do this. But that isn’t the only reason. A part of him feels he owes Cú Chulainn for his help and he sees helping Berserker as a part of him repaying that debt. He can’t really help himself. It’s the same reason he couldn’t turn down Ozymandias either. He feels a little bit of loyalty to these Heroic Spirits.

It’s another short while before they get to right house because Arthur (drunkenly) mistakes the house across the street as the right one and almost breaks into it before he realizes, oops, that’s not it. When he finally does get them inside the proper house, he’s not too surprised to find Ozymandias isn’t home. The pharaoh does like his revelries.

As predicted, Arthur carries Berserker all the way upstairs to one of the bathrooms and it’s only then that he puts him down. ]

You aren’t as heavy as I thought you would be.

[curruid_coinchenn]

I don't need help.

[ Defiant to the end.

When he's finally on solid ground again, he wobbles for a moment, but remains standing. First order of business is to strip, Arthur's presence be damned. For as drunk as he is he's quick to remove his clothing. Vest and shirt are quickly tossed aside, his pants prove to be a bit more troublesome. Halfway down, his legs have had enough of standing and he ends up on the floor.

Hm. ]

I need help.

[holyswordwielder]

[ Arthur waves off Berserker’s stubborn insistence and turns to undressing a little bit himself, stepping just outside the bathroom once the other man starts undressing, to get off the outermost layers of his clothing. He didn’t have his armor on, but he certainly had everything else so he was glad to be rid of the garments.

Down to just his breeches and loose undershirt, he happens to turn back around just in time to witness Berserker eat it, a loud thud shaking the room a little.

For a moment, they just kind of stare at each other blankly, until Berserker’s admission and Arthur laughs again before rushing back into the bathroom to help.

Or at least, that’s what he was aiming to do, but he tilted forward again too fast and he ends up falling right on top of Berserker, the two of them now a jumbled heap of scales, horns, flower crown, and tangled clothing. ]

I... think I do too.

[curruid_coinchenn]

[ Ah...He's too close. Way, way too close for his liking. And yet, something about it is enticing. There was something off about the wine they had, but he'd ignored it until now. Berserker doesn't move out from beneath him and, instead, starts to pull off Arthur's undershirt. ]

You're helpless. [ Like Berserker's not right now. ] Let me do this.

[ Once the shirt is dealt with, his hands go to his breeches. Or they would have if he were less drunk. In his attempt to grasp the waistband, he aims a bit too low, grabbing something else entirely.

Oops.

He realizes his mistake after a moment, but tries his best to just ignore what happened. He fumbles with the closures for a moment before finally getting them open. ]

You can handle the rest, can't you?

[holyswordwielder]

[ Arthur’s not sure when this turned into Berserker fully undressing to them both fully undressing, but he doesn’t get a chance to question it or stop the other man because before he knows it, he’s having his shirt pulled up over his head. He lifts his arms reflexively to let the shirt be tugged off and then— ]

Ah...!

[ —And then. That is definitely not his pants waistband, no. A sharp, hot jolt of excitement hits him and Arthur shivers, gasping softly. His heart leaps into his throat and color floods his face immediately. He stays absolutely still, but Berserker kept his hand there for a little too long. Warmth pools into his groin and in spite of himself, by the time the other man undoes his breeches, they’re already tenting from Arthur’s reaction to being touched.

He clears his throat and nods, also doing his best to ignore what just happened. Instead, he reaches down to remove Berserker’s shoes, then begins to push the other man’s pants the rest of the way down his legs, taking them off for him. ]

...I’ll draw the bath.

[curruid_coinchenn]

[ Well, this got a little awkward, didn't it? The effect that brief, yet agonizingly long touch had is very visible. Normally, this wouldn't interest him -- Berserker has a strange relationship with sex and it takes a very particular set of circumstances to get him to indulge in such a thing. He's not really sure what's different about it, but he has an urge to touch Arthur like that again.

It's impossible to deny the effect his curiosity has on him, either, his own arousal slowly twitching to life. It, like the rest of his body, has been changed by this place, less than human in its shape and texture.

Right. What he'd been dragged here to do. Slowly he stands up to move out of the way, leaning on whatever fixture is closest to him to remain upright. ]

... Go ahead.

nswf from here on out; also cw: brief mention of incest

[holyswordwielder]

[ Indeed, and Arthur is now very hyper-aware of Berserker's nudity. While the other man gets to his feet and leans against the sink counter, Arthur slowly clambers over to the huge claw-footed tub against the wall. Leaning over it, he turns on the faucet for the hot water, letting the temperature warm up and steam rise from the surface of the bath.

He continues to lean over the tub, his face still flushed, staring down at the running water and trying hard to focus on anything but this pressing need he hasn't felt in such a long time. To say he has no interest in physical intimacy isn't entirely true — he is human — but it's a natural need he just doesn't pay much attention to. His view of human sexual appetite has been complicated ever since Morgan took advantage of his and manipulated that of others in his life. As such, it's usually not that difficult for him to ignore his lust.

Tonight, though, somehow it's different. He consciously, actively has to struggle to keep his breathing even and not to think about Berserker's hand pressed against his groin, or the warmth of his naked body while he was on top of him. Arthur closes his eyes and lets the steam from the water hit his face. They definitely drank too much and now he's beginning to think about the descriptor that had been attached to those drinks:

Spiced.

Damn. ]

[curruid_coinchenn]

[ In a need to survive, he gave up everything in the name of strength. Desires, wants, joy, pleasure -- they were all meaningless to him. Sex and physical pleasure were firmly in those categories. They were generally a way to get someone to leave him alone, something he did because he had to. An inconvenient nuisance. To actually want this again is strange.

Berserker comes up quietly behind Arthur, wrestling with his own desires. He'd come here for just a bath, right? There's no denying his arousal. Thoughts drifted back to how the other man's cock felt beneath his hand. He wanted more, but taking more was beyond him. ]

Are you alright?

[ Claw tips ghost across his back -- he couldn't help himself. A small concession to his wants is all he'd allowed himself. ]

[holyswordwielder]

[ The tickle of those claws against his bare back is unexpected and Arthur shudders. The touch is so light — truly barely there — but still trying to regain his composure as he is, it's the tease of real stimulation that gets under his skin. If he wasn't feeling at the mercy of his senses before, he certainly is now. He grips the edge of the tub a bit more tightly, his erection getting stiffer in his pants. ]

I... Y-Yes.

[ Arthur stammers, but still manages to get his response out. He pushes himself up from the floor finally and steps away from the tub, wanting to give Berserker — or, rather, himself — some space. He gestures to the bath, his other hand going to the waist of his breeches in an effort to keep them up. He might also be trying to not-so-subtly hide his arousal from Berserker. ]

It's ready for you.

[ He hesitates, biting down on his lower lip, as he goes back and forth with himself, until his own wants win out against his senses. ]

I can help you wash the wounds if you need.

[curruid_coinchenn]

[ What a curious reaction. He wants to see more of that, but he's still too hesitant to push it further than that right now. Extremely unfamiliar feelings brought up by the spiced wine and the monstrous transformation he's been experiencing. Bury them again or act on them...? He's drunk enough that the latter will likely win out.

Berserker gives a nod and slowly settles himself into the tub. The heat of the water warms him further than what the wine managed to do. It doesn't help with the heated feelings simmering under the surface of his apathetic expression. ]

I won't stop you if that's what you want to do.

[ He wants that. A craving for any kind of touch overwhelms his senses. He's not going to outright ask for such a thing, that would be too much. Passively accepting it is fine, however. ]

[holyswordwielder]

[ But it’s not fine as far as Arthur is concerned. It’s not enough for him. ]

No. I am asking you if that is what you want.

[ The words are uttered with more weight and in a firmer voice than Arthur originally intended, but he can’t exactly take it back now and an annoyingly persistent part of him doesn’t really want to.

He watches Berserker step into the bath, then sink down into the steaming water, and he feels a powerful yearning for the heat to envelope him too. His eyes trace the long trails and thick patches of shiny black scales covering the other man’s tanned skin, shimmering that deep crimson color with the flexing and twisting of muscle movement. It’s beautiful. Arthur finds himself wanting to run his hands along their smooth hardness, strangely and viscerally drawn to the other Servant.

His cheeks flush more hotly and he tears his gaze away, pressing his lips together in a tight thin lip as he busies himself with reaching under the sink counter for a washcloth and a brand new bar of lightly cinnamon-scented soap. He then crosses to the bath and holds them out to Berserker, his tone tense when he gives his command, but unwavering. ]

Tell me what you want, Cú Chulainn.

[curruid_coinchenn]

[ His own wants and desires rarely mattered. They were secondary to those of others, the lowest priority in anything important. It didn't matter what he wanted, did it? It only mattered what the other person wanted. It's telling of the kind of life he'd led where getting asked what he wants strikes him as bizarre. Confusion clouds his expression at Arthur's words, unable to understand why he's asking at all. ]

That is what I want... [ Does he really want to admit anything else? No, but he's drunk enough he's going to. ] Clean my wounds. Put your hands on me...Do as you will. I'll stop you if I don't want it.

[ He couldn't stop thinking about Arthur's hands on him. Warm and soft, a complete opposite sensation to what he's used to. The more he contemplated the idea of being touched like that, the harder his cock got beneath the water. Ah...That hasn't happened in awhile. ]

[holyswordwielder]

[ Indeed, the look of bewilderment on Berserker’s face strikes Arthur as very uncharacteristic of Cú Chulainn and he has to wonder just how terribly twisted his existence has been up to now. He knew it was bad and he’d caught that glimpse of his deep apathy before, but this... He was genuinely not understanding why Arthur would want to hear what he wanted. It’s something the knight-king doesn’t understand. Surely in so intimate a situation such as this, Berserker would voice his own thoughts. It’s natural, right? So why did he look at him as thought it was so unnatural?

His concerns aside, Arthur takes the answer he’s given as good enough to merit him at least staying close. It had, after all, been his (albeit, drunken) intention to help the other man clean up the wounds in his scalp, so that’s what he’s going to do. Keeping the bar of soap and the washcloth, Arthur seats himself this time on the flatter parts of the lip of the tub, swaying only just, and reaches down into the hot water behind Berserker to soak the small towel. He’s as careful as he can be about where he does this, actively resisting the impulses his arousal and the potion have stirred in him.

Once satisfied, he turns to soaking Berserker’s hair and then lathering the towel with the bar of soap. He moves a bit closer to Berserker so that he can more easily see his work, beginning to card his fingers through that dark hair while gently wiping at the area of bloodied skin at the base of one long, black horn. From personal experience, he knows how tender the wounds still are, so he focuses hard on not applying too much pressure and he listens for sounds of intolerable discomfort from Berserker. ]

[curruid_coinchenn]

[ It does hurt, but he doesn't show it. Pain is a constant in his life, a result of the endless battles he'd fought. Countless wounds upon him wouldn't stop him, nothing would stop him. Relentless pursuit of his enemy, survival his only concern. The gravest of injuries couldn't stop him, what was pain? He inflicted it on himself every time he threw Gae Bolg, throwing his Noble Phantasm with enough force to dislocate his shoulder, break bones, and tear muscle -- only his Rune Magic healed the damage.

It's not a sound of pain that comes from him, but one that bordered on pleasure. It felt good to let someone else touch him like this. It had been so long since he'd let someone get close to him that he'd forgotten what this feels like. Berserker doesn't shy away from the touch, but leans into it instead. He'd blame it on the wine despite that not being the complete truth.

There's an indescribable intimacy about letting someone else bathe him. There's a certain amount of trust that goes into such an act. Berserker is so vulnerable right now that Arthur could easily take advantage of the situation. To let him clean his wounds and wash his hair...it's almost unthinkable -- surely the Saber recognizes this fact, too. ]