Intro Log: July

[faileas]

Intro Log: July

I. ARRIVAL Out of nowhere, a glint of light catches your eye; your heart thunders in your ears as your body moves on its own, your mind consumed with inspecting the source. Your reflection stares back at you, just as curious from the surface - a mirror, a pool of water, your most trusted sword, something fleeting that your mind can barely remember - then ripples at your touch. A moment later, you feel a tug, and you find yourself stumbling into a dark, musty room. Behind you, a mirror stands ornately decorated with reminders of home wrought in brass and wood: the faces of people you know, and symbols important to you; all things that send a pang through your chest with the desire to return to them. Touching the mirror's surface does nothing but leave the stain of your fingerprints. When you turn to survey the room, you find there are hundreds of other mirrors. None of them are as decorated as yours - they're plain and dusty, speckled with age. Then you realize a second thing: You're not alone. Distantly, the ringing bell of a clocktower can be heard. But no matter its distance, the time is clear to make out: it chimes three times, stark, resonating like a pulse of something in this mirrored hall that you and many others have found yourselves in. For those familiar with magic, they might feel the power of the witching hour upon them, though it will feel different from what they're used to - in fact, everything does. You're certainly not the only ones here, however. On the first floor, with the doors wide open behind them in the foyer, is a small group headed by two individuals. As people begin to arrive, to come from the higher floor, they're waiting - and they're waiting for you, and your questions. Explore the rest of the mirrored halls you've now found yourselves in, or proceed to the foyer? Leaving the Looking-Glass House makes it obvious that the clock striking three was for 3 AM - the night sky is faintly cloudy, but the stars are dim in the face of two moons, even so close to the new moon as it is. The Looking-Glass House is rather nondescript two-story cottage made of grey brick, sitting at the edge of The Coven's courtyard; stones which glow as you step on them mark the path to and from the two buildings. While fairly small and plain on the outside, the inside has been enchanted to be the size of a large library, with hundreds upon hundreds of mirrors hanging, standing, and resting inside its walls. Some are broken, some are cracked, and some seem completely uninjured - but all of them are just as plain as the cottage itself, showing age in the silver beneath their glass and in the greening of their metals... Well, all except a character's personal mirror; to characters, one mirror - the one they came through - will be decorated lavishly with metal-and-wood-wrought reminders of home, and the surface will be as clear as a brand-new mirror.

II. THE WELCOME PARTY Whether you've decided to find a way out of the building you've arrived in, or decided to explore the rest of the Looking-Glass House - and perhaps finding a few familiar faces among the crowd - you feel a pull towards the foyer of the first floor. It's like a firm suggestion, as if to take you by the hand and draw you to where it begins, and the source of it becomes quite apparent upon finding one's way to the front room: a tall, comfortably-dressed older woman and her even taller wolfish companion, along with those which feel to resemble yourselves in a world-traversing sense: Mirrorbound, they're called. "I think this is the most of you there's ever been at once! And all of you properly bound this time, it seems." The woman sets her hands on her hips, with her Bonded casting a glance at those looking confused - newly arrived - and those who may have followed them in to talk to the newest addition of their Mirrorbound bunch. "About time for introductions though- this here's Mhairi Ainsley, ambassador to the Parliament and my Bonded, and I'm Nerissa Bell, Head Witch of the Coven - but you can just call me Miss Nessie, you can," she adds, winking. "The lot of you must be as tired and confused as the last batch - hullo to those who've joined us, too! - so just a moment, dearests, I'll set all you right up—" With nothing more than a wave of her hand, rows of seats are summoned; despite their wooden nature, they're all sturdy and comfortable, filling the foyer and spreading out a ways into the lawn behind them, making room for all of the new arrivals as well as the previous batch. After all, they'll find this just as interesting. The Witches and Monsters that accompanied Nessie and Mhairi move to make room, and some disperse into the building itself to see if there's anyone who needs tending to. Mhairi steps forward as the chairs materialize. "Please, those who are able, join us for a moment. There are many questions that I'm sure you have - we will do our utmost best to answer them, and you may take any that we can't as a promise to find some sort of solution or answer." NOTE: If you wish to handwave interaction with Nessie and Mhairi, please comment here. All responses will be summarized answers rather than an IC thread. For those that'd like a more player-based interaction, Aefenglom has its own Welcome Wagon! These are players who've volunteered for the role, and those that didn't sign up may assist as well if they'd feel their character would -- have fun, and make friends. Additionally, those with notable injuries or sickness will be attended to ASAP by Coven-based witches, and should anyone be curious about what they are - if they have magic potential, or if they swing a different way - then this can be done during this and the general hour or so the new arrivals are within the Coven's grounds. There are ongoing classes on magic, monsters, and Bonding as well, though they take place more during the day than at night - feel free to have your characters attend them at any time!

III. THE HAVEN After an hour or two of general chaos, questions that the natives attempt to help with, and injuries tended to for those who arrive in poor condition, it's time to make a trek to where you'll be staying while Nessie and Mhairi continue to search for a solution to the situation. As you're leaving with a few Bonded for guides, peculiar-looking devices - watches, the native Witches explain, compliments of Parliament - are passed around to all the new arrivals; they're given a quick rundown on their functions and bid to test them out when they can. They can even do it as they make their way out of the Coven's courtyard and to the Haven. Formerly part of the Aristocratic District, The Haven is just as well-kept and brightly-lit as the district it hails from. The houses err on the tall and ornamental-side, large enough to fit several families (or, according to the upper class, their one family, several dozen servants, and guests), especially closest to the Aristocratic District. They become a little more modest and smaller as one gets away from the realm of high society and nearer to the Residential District proper. Newcomers are shuffled here and invited to find somewhere to live - the Coven is currently handling expenses for the houses themselves in a program implemented by the Parliament, though if your character wishes to have anything extra - like maids, chefs, and so on - they'll have to pay for them themselves with their own earned money. Much of the landscape and fixtures are the same as in the Aristocratic Districts, though it lacks formal emergency services due to its roots as part of a district that already did. Much of the housing already has furnishing due to the speed at which homeowners were relocated; they were given enough time to collect their valuables, but standard furniture such as kitchenware, couches, beds, etc. were left behind for those moving in. Other houses appear the same, but the dust on the floors suggest these houses were left before the new arrivals even showed up - a reminder that the Cwyld can strike just about anyone, regardless of standing. Another portion of this district has been opened up to the new arrivals: the barracks, the row of buildings pressed against the very edge of the Bright Wall. As the city's military force no longer has the same presence it previously did, the barracks have gone into disuse, and a cleanup effort has been in place since before the new arrivals came through the Looking-Glass House. For those who desire something a little less opulent, the barracks might just be the answer. The barracks can also be used for business, for a welcome center, a communal space, for anything that the residents of the Haven see fit to use it for - so long as the legality isn't questionable, on the surface. To help with filling up the larger houses - and even some of the smaller ones, and the shared rooms in the barracks - the Witches put together a little roommate finding service, on a smaller scale from the grand opening of the Haven. For those who aren't entirely sure who they want to shack up with, they have a small survey for them to fill out and post on the board they've magicked up in the center of The Haven. The board also very helpfully reads aloud each form for everyone to hear in a cheerful, monotone voice. It isn't able to be shut up, nor is it easy to ignore, being imbued with a kind of amplification magic. It reads simply the information you've offered up yourself, or that someone might have written up for you, should that be their idea of fun.

IV. THE CIRQUE MYSTIQUE (3rd-5th) It drifts into the Bright Bay early in the morning of the 2nd - a painted ship, garishly bright, with billowing night-sky sails that sends the Harbor District, and then most of the rest of the city, into a flurry of interested activity, putting the rumor mill into overdrive. Onlookers can witness a mess of equally ostentatious people - Witches dressed in brightly colored clothing, Monsters with fantastical coloring and embellishments the likes of which are rarely seen on Geardagas - deboarding with supplies. (Just a few curiously are what seem to be fox-like Monsters with multiple tails and mischievous expressions - they're also the least likely to want to bother talking.) Parliament offers the use of a little-visited park, temporarily enchanted to be somehow bigger than it should be, and the new people work quite quickly, setting up decorated pavilions and stands in a style quite different from Aefenglom's usual, utilizing many paper decorations and fluttering fabrics. Those who try to talk to the workers are often rebuffed - they're quite busy, don't you see? Despite being foreign, they speak in the common tongue of Geardagas with different degrees of fluency and accents. Many will pretend they don't speak the common tongue at all if they don't want to talk, however. They finish within the day. Enchanted fliers go out overnight proclaiming "The Cirque Mystique is Open!" Explained to be a traveling circus from a land far away (the name of said land not offered to "preserve the mystique") they proclaim to offer a unique experience to the people of Aefenglom. a. Come On Down All throughout the days, a mini marketplace is open, selling goods and foods from another land. Unlike the more western Victorian-style fare in Aefenglom, the treats boast new flavors and textures. Elaborate little cakes made with exotic fruits and teas, egg tarts, cold shaved ices with floral or fruit syrups, dumplings and mochi can all be found along with savory foods with new flavor profiles, and exciting new alcoholic drinks. The styles of clothing offered are more elaborate and made with fine embroidered fabrics; the cloth is available on bolts as well. Trinkets such as small enchanted figures of the performers, cheap jewelry, and souvenirs are available at every stand for likely inflated prices. Other stands run enchanted carnival games: ring-toss (where you always seem to miss), guess the number of candies in the jar (you're always wrong), a wheel of prizes (that always seems to land on the duds), bobbing for fruits (this one seems fine, but the prize for winning is the fruit that's already been in your mouth), and a game to knock over milk bottles (which seem firmly planted). Well, you know what they say about carnival games, right? It's fun to try, at least! Or maybe you quietly break their enchantments in order to win the toys and cheap jewelry they offer as prizes. Those running the games will grumble and grouse, but you'll get your due. The main draw, however, is the performances. Smaller ones happen periodically all day, in small staging areas around the newly set-up fairgrounds: knife-throwers, fire-eaters, tight-rope walkers, magicians, acrobats and contortionists displaying feats of strength and flexibility, jovial Monsters with painted faces telling jokes. The Cirque Mystique has it all. The most elaborate, put-together performances happen after the sun sets, though, an astonishing display with all of the above and music, woven through with storytelling and fireworks, and even more flashy magic. It's hard not to feel awed by it all at the end... b. The Lunar Eclipse The major performance on the night of the 5th coincides with the lunar eclipse, when the Sisters darken in the sky above. It goes as the other performances do. It's flashy and elaborate, inspiring plenty of awe. The Diviner Witches' predictions apparently come to pass, however, and the light enchantment placed over the audience at end of the performance to subtly better their moods and perception of the show reacts... unexpectedly to the surge in magic. All around the city, natives and Mirrorbound alike might find themselves feeling... good. Uninhibited. Brain-to-mouth filters fail and loosen lips, or they may find their fingers stickier, feeling inclined to simply take whatever items or foods please them at the time. It doesn't necessarily cause violent thoughts, but if a person is so inclined already, it isn't out of the realm of possibility. The backfired spell simply makes one seek whatever delights they might desire, even if they haven't admitted those desires to themselves. It's quite possible to resist the spell still, and many do, just not enough - no doubt there will be some joyous chaos to contend with as excitement and revelry spread through the streets. Luckily it wears off by sunrise, or before in some cases, probably leaving many embarrassed about their uninhibited behavior. After the night of the eclipse, the Cirque packs up with practiced efficiency, and by the afternoon on the 6th, their ship has departed, heading on to their next location, leaving most of Parliament quite irritated at having to clean up after the mishap. A traveling circus like this, sailors from the Harbor District explain, never stays long. They stay as long as the cash flows and then they head on to the next city or the next continent. The rogues conveniently timed their departure to miss any potential fines from Parliament.

Welcome to the intro log! 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. The network system is free to use once characters have their watches as well; information on that can be found at the bottom of the Setting page, while any extra questions about it can be found in the FAQ index. Quests can be picked up now as well! While new characters will have to get settled in, you can go ahead and put your name on some by replying to the July's Quest Pickup thread on the Quest Board. Finally, 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

QUESTIONS

[moustre]

GENERAL

[moustre]

ROOMMATES AND HOUSEMATES FINDING

[faileas]

Fill out the following form if your character is the type to participate, post it here, and comment around for some ??? profit! Since we know that character desires don't always line up with player desires, we have both an IC and an OOC portion to fill out; the IC portion is what gets read aloud by the board, while the OOC portion is just for plotting among each other - which can be done on this thread!

If your character wouldn't participate, but you'd still like to plot for housemates, just use the OOC portion of it.

• IC Portion (All of this should be filled out as your character would - if that means lying about any of the information asked after, or omitting certain things, go for it.)
Name:
Age:
Three words you'd use to describe yourself:
Favorite color:
Seeking: What they'd like in a roommate/housemate.
Not Seeking: What they wouldn't like.
Preferred living situation: With just a few people, in a house that house multiple groups (like an apartment or twin house situation), etc.
Extra notes: Pets, special circumstances, etc.

• OOC Portion (All of this is just for you, the player!)
Character name:
Character age:
Canon:
Choice: Witch or Monster?
Preferred housemates or plans: What kind of characters/living situations you'd like. Need someone to bully your character into being nicer or less lazy? Want someone to help your character loosen up a little? Put your wishes and plans here.
Extra notes: Anything else, be it ways to contact you, notes about your character, and so on.

• <B>IC Portion</b> <b>Name:</b> <b>Age:</b> <b>Three words you'd use to describe yourself:</b> <B>Favorite color:</b> <B>Seeking:</b> <B>Not Seeking:</b> <b>Preferred living situation:</b> <B>Extra notes:</b> • <b>OOC Portion</b> <b>Character name:</b> <b>Character age:</b> <B>Canon:</b> <B>Choice:</b> <b>Preferred housemates or plans:</b> <B>Extra notes:</b>

[awryprincess]

• IC Portion
Name: Heralia il Gardlanda
Age: How rude!
Three words you'd use to describe yourself: Outgoing, resourceful, thorough
Favorite color: Pink!
Seeking: Anyone, really! I like to think I get along with most people.
Not Seeking: I don't know if this place is as stuck up about unwedded folks living together as my home was, but I've no interest in marrying anyone.
Preferred living situation: Somewhere with lots of natural light. Size doesn't really matter; if you have a stable for a horse, even better, but I can always find boarding at the public stables.
Extra notes: As long as I have a place where my stuff is my stuff, I can deal easily with common use areas for reading or bathing. I promise I won't go snooping into your things~ [This is only a half-truth. So long as she doesn't dislike the person, or want to actively dig up dirt on them, she won't. Otherwise... lmao good luck.]

• OOC Portion
Character name: Heralia il Gardlanda
Character age: 29 (She looks ~21, and won't admit to almost being 30 though)
Canon: Original
Choice: Monster - Turnskin - Leopard
Preferred housemates or plans: Really, anyone! No plans here; she's just as well in a house of extroverts where they all like to party as she is being the one extrovert of the house that will drag people out to go do things. She's particular about people not really touching her stuff and valuing private space being that way, and as long as she doesn't have a reason to go snooping (IE she thinks your character is a bad person, or they have interestingly shady shit that will affect her), she will extend the courtesy in kind.
Extra notes: As mentioned, she has a horse, so places with stables are a bonus, but anywhere is fine, cuz she can just find public boarding for the critter.

IC QUESTIONS

[moustre]

If you wish to handwave interaction with Nessie and Mhairi, please comment here with your character's questions or actions. We'll summarize a brief response for you. We don't currently have time to do full IC threads with the NPCs, however if you'd prefer a more personalized approach...

Those who volunteered for the Welcome Wagon may also respond in our place, if it's a question your character would know the answer to! Nessie and Mhairi trust you all.

Just specify in your comment header if you're open to Welcome Wagon folks or not!

open to ww folks, and ic or ooc is perfectly fine!

[slushfund]

hello, hello! hiruma's got a few questions. a few of them are opinion-based, hopefully the fun, open to several answers kind (if people are so inclined). he's a very devil's advocate kind of guy, so if that's not your schtick then don't worry about answering at all. i'm totally aware of how high-maintenance he is!

here we go:

1. what steps have been taken to get the mirrorbound home—i'm totally open to vague shit, i realize this is a lot of work to answer—and where can he sign up to further the effort?
2. what is the most dangerous enemy the coven/mirrorbound have faced to date?
3. what is a decision the coven's made that made you feel uncomfortable, or otherwise odd?
4. has anyone done extensive experimentation on the mirrors (i.e. tried magic on them, tried to break them, tried to remove them from their location, etc)?

that's all i can think of off the top of my head. thank you!!!

Mogget | The Old Kingdom | OTA

[themogget]

i. arrival

[Upon arriving very abruptly in this strange, dim room full of unfamiliar people, Mogget does what most cats do when they are suddenly and severely startled.

He lets out a very loud yowling noise and bolts off into the nearest dark corner like a white, furry whirlwind. You'd be forgiven for having not seen him at all, and only now be stood there wondering just what on whatever planet you came from was that demonic noise.

Mogget watches the comings and goings for a little while, crouched and tucked in small behind the frames of one of the large mirrors. He hisses warningly at anyone who tries to come near, either accidentally or not.]

ii. the welcome party

[Mogget has never been terribly enamoured with the idea of any kind of binding, having spent many hundreds of years in just such a predicament. He feels peculiar here and the tug that pulls him along with the rest of those who emerged from the mirrors eventually tempts him from his hiding place. He winds between ankles and moving feet, always an inch away from tripping someone over but never actually managing it, and when the chairs appear he chooses to sit on one at the very front and ignores all attempts to shoo him away.

He's as much right to be here as anyone else, he surmises.

People ask their questions and he listens, silent and unblinking, his bright green eyes focused up at the people on the stage. After some time has gone by he finally moves, walking along the back of the front row of chairs with soft and careful steps.

Mogget doesn't stay too long - just enough to hear all he needs to know. He'd like to find out just what he needs to expect to happen to him here.]

iii. the haven

[A witch.

There's a delicious irony in a cat being made into a witch, and Mogget has realised by now that the strangeness he felt in his own body was down to the new powers stirring up within it. Powers that he can use, unbound by the Charter magic in his collar. It's different, but different does not always mean bad.

Mogget explores. He pads through the docks, where he might be caught stealing a small fish from a ship's catch. He walks through the streets, from the barracks to the grandest of homes, and over the days following the arrival of the new Mirrorbound can be easily found sleeping... just about anywhere. A warm rooftop, a patch of sunlight on top of a wall, and... your bed, probably. Did you leave a window open?]

iv. wildcard

[Hit me with anything! I'm open to Cirque prompts, just don't have any ideas outside of 'he will be there'.]

iii

[yesdoubt]

[Since Momo lives in a cottage, he has a decently-sized garden, and decently-sized garden means fence and wall to keep it in. Haku and Sen, Momo's petalwolves, are asleep in the front garden bed at the moment, leaving the walls of the back garden open for sleeping.

Momo himself, however, tends to do his exercises in the back garden, and a white cat sleeping on his wall is odd enough to draw his attention. It's only when he spots the familiar collar that he realises who the cat is, and rests an arm on the wall a little way away with a cheery grin.]

Do you want me to bring you a cushion or are you alright just on brick? [He's close enough that even if just the voice doesn't wake Mogget, Momo's breath might stir his whiskers.]

Yuki | IDOLiSH7

[gekijou]

I. Meeting and greeting

[It's 3 AM. It was unfortunately also 3 AM back home for Yuki, so he is beyond unimpressed with being awake right now. He'd been just about to put his guitar down and sleep when all this happened again. But here he sits, taking in all the info, as things come back to him from the previous visit. Thing is, for him that visit was months ago. He's kind of... disoriented and unsure how much time has passed. So he'll ask anyone nearby who looks less confused and more awake:]

How long's it been since the last time?

II. Come On Down

[You won't find Yuki unaccompanied often since he arrived, mostly by his own choice while he settles in for good. But here, he's on a mission. He wants to get Momo something, just something small and cheap but meaningful in some way. He's also looking for household items, any little thing he can do to help his partner out, considering he's welcoming him so enthusiastically. But he finds himself being accosted by the fun-peddlers and food pushers, one of whom is waving a stick of something in front of his face.

Yuki is... pretty sure it's meat, but he's being handed it so he's walking away with it, confused. Sorry, random person.]

Here. I can't eat this.

III. Eclipse

[He couldn't find anything in his price range for Momo before, so he's single mindedly doing one last walk through of the market when the enchantment goes awry.

So don't mind that he's absentmindedly walking off with a set of vibrantly pink ear studs that he hasn't paid for. Or that he's critiquing a performance under his breath.

Or that he's looking at you with a furrowed brow, as if you've done something horribly wrong.]

IV. Wildcard

[Drop me a line to plot!]

iii

[yesdoubt]

[Momo was watching the performance when all of this went down, and while an enchantment at the end of it is enough to give him pause given the whole theatre debacle, he comes away from it feeling a bit...odd. Despite his own opinion of himself, Momo has never been a naturally greedy person, and he passes through market stalls trying to pitch to the departing crowds sparing little more than a glance to the things on offer. Some are pretty, or foods that he likes, but none of them particularly make him want anything. There's something he's walking in search of, but he can't quite put his finger on it, like it's slipping away whenever he tries.

Or maybe he's just missing the forest for the trees when the thing is something that takes up so much of his thoughts at any given time.

As soon as he spots that hint of silver hair among the people, it brings him back to earth with one resounding feeling. It would be incorrect, after all, to say that Momo has never wanted anything in his life. There happens to be one person with an uncanny ability to make him want for himself.

Like a shadow, Momo slips through the crowd to his partner's side, offering a warm smile as a hand settles around his waist, natural and companionable but perhaps a touch tighter than he'd usually dare to in public.]

There you are, darling! I was starting to worry we wouldn't get to walk home together, and I'd have to stare forlornly out my window until you came back...

[He clutches his cheek with his free hand, the whole thing rather theatrical, but he does seem quite relieved to have found Yuki.]

Heralia il Gardlanda | Original | Turnskin | OTA

[awryprincess]

[1: Arrival]

[Really, the biggest cause of commotion as the mirrors open up and unceremoniously dump their contents onto the ground is the worried, high pitched, upset whinnying and grunting of a horse. Follow the noise to its source, and you'll see a young woman wrangling the reins on a palomino mare who is Not Pleased with the sudden change in scenery.

Heralia seems to have a good hand with the horse, though, and after a moment, the horse is down to only a few snorts, and a little anxious pawing at the wood floor. The woman continues to coo to the horse, softly, in a language that is definitely not of Geargadas, nor of any other world represented in Aefenglom. Finally, once she's sure she's not going to get thrown, trampled, or kicked, the woman takes the opportunity to look around herself.

That's when she realizes two things: One) she is definitely not anywhere she recognizes, and two) she is not alone. In this, once she makes eye contact with whoever wandered over curiously, she gives a bright smile.] Ah, sorry about that! Horses are flighty creatures sometimes. [She glances around. There's an awful lot of... breakable things around.] Do you mind... helping keep the path clear? I don't want her to break any of these mirrors.

[2: Out In The City]

[Well that was a... whirlwind of an introduction. She leads Aurua toward the stables she'd been directed to - all the way out near the edge of the city, where the old barracks are, but they should have open stalls. Now, she has time to ruminate on her current information.

... She's in a foreign city. An unnaturally friendly foreign city - who seems rather used to having random strangers drop in at a moment's notice and not be put on the kind of edge that would lead to mass imprisonment, accusations of spying, and war. That's weird enough. What's weirder is that she's been such told that her "magical signature" or something doesn't really exist - and she's no longer human. Or rather, she won't be for much longer. They couldn't be entirely sure, but they were leaned most heavily on being Turnskin. A term she is unfamiliar with, but a concept she actually knows well, once it was explained. Shapeshifter.

... What was worse, though, was the uncertainty of whether or not she would be able to get home. She has... people there. Laurel, Moraster, Mirial and the twins... there are a lot of things she has to do, and people she has to stay in contact with - not the least of which is her not quite knowing if she can even still maintain being alive here without Laurel's aid.

Troubling.

Once she has the horse boarded, though, she decides to head back toward the Coven, and try to pick out familiar faces along the way, as others slowly trickle back out.] Well, hello! I wouldn't suppose you know the way to the most interesting tavern in town?

[3: Cirque Mystique]

[She's quite familiar with tumblers and other traveling troupes; she grew up in a castle with elder siblings quite fond of tricks. It was several times a moon she'd see them perform, though rarely to her own satisfaction.

This is different. Not only do the nonhuman traits make things more interesting - there weren't many of those wandering about back home - but the whole environment, perhaps being in a foreign land adds a bit of mystique to everything, and she finds herself on the edge of her seat, excited. Giddy, even, a little. Then, it all starts to sink in. Not that she's acting so strange, but that she just wants to jump out there and join them.

That, she fights off - there's some burly security monsters around that she's not sure she wants to take. Even if it would take just a little dagger through the ribs to-

No, none of that. Not now.

Actually, something else grabs her short attention span. There's music, nearby, and some of the performers moving along and dancing to it, and even after the visual show fades, there's a tempo that keeps beat in her head. Lack of inhibitions means a lack of respecting personal space, and she's immediately hands around the forearm of whoever is close by, as she twirls a bit in front of them.] Have you been here long? If so, I have quite the question for you~!

[And if not, well, she'll roll with it.]

[4: Wildcard]

[For all your wildcarding needs! You can hit me up at Reslari or on Discord Reslari#9561]

3

[wylderrant]

[ Let it never be said that Iramaat passes up an opportunity for a good party - especially one that involves live entertainment. She's wandered down to the carnival-slash-circus to see the sights and participate in all of the fun. It's hard not to want to, considering who she is as a faun and who she was even before Aefenglom changed her. The crowd is wonderful, the music is light, she's having a good time - then someone grabs on to her arm and she glances at her new companion with a bit of a blink and then a wide smile. ]

Oh, over a year now-

[ She reaches over to pat Heralia's hand, apparently not at all bothered by the lack of personal space. ]

But before we get into questions, aren't introductions in order?

Misaki Yata | K | Faun | OTA!

[thevanguard]

I. ARRIVAL

[ It feels almost like deja-vu. One moment Yata's fighting, ducking under the whistling swing of a glaive that crackles with electricity, calling out a sarcastic challenge to the pain-in-the-ass kid who's making him late. He's got places to be, more fighting to do. A King to protect.

Only then he catches his reflection in a shard of broken glass and the next minute he's tumbling, even though there'd been solid floor there a moment ago. This time it's not an unknown bedroom he's crashing into - which he'd completely forgotten about until he's crashing through another mirror and ending up in an equally unfamiliar room. Surrounded by strange mirrors. No Saru. No punk-ass kid.

Somewhere distantly, a clock tower chimes, the sound distantly familiar, although he can't remember why at the moment. That sense of deja-vu gets stronger as he curls his fingers into a fist and turns around, trying to get his bearings and find out why his important fight had been interrupted. Again. ]

Oh, come on! What the hell is this?!

II. THE CIRQUE MYSTIQUE

II-a. Try Your Luck
[ His memory of his time here before is still a little muddled and hazy, but at least there's a distraction for his grumpiness at being universe-napped - again - in the shape of a carnival. Circus? Whatever. Having settled into the Barracks as his home-away-from-home for the time being, Yata quickly grows bored with trying to entertain himself and sets out looking for some fun. He's used to the modern era of video games and texting - and while the city has one of those things, he doesn't know anyone to text, which leaves for a very bored redhead. And that's never a good thing. (As most of Homra would tell you. If any of them were here.)

But carnival games! That's something he's always been good at. He has unnatural luck and accuracy at these types of things, so he tries for the ring toss. And the darts. Only to grow increasingly frustrated when his perfect aim turns out to... not do him any good.

Growing suspicious, he glares at the carnie running this particular challenge, putting his hands down on the front of the stand to lean threateningly into their personal space. ]

You asshole! These games are rigged!

II-b. Fire-eaters
[ It's the distant stream of fire in the skies above the crowd that eventually catches his eyes as the sun goes down and performances break out all over. Some are on stages, others wander the crowds and he'd been watching most of these with awe until that familiar red flare catches his eye.

For a moment his heart leaps and he pushes through the crows because that had... almost looked familiar? But it's only when he reaches the performer that he realizes this is just more of the show and not anyone from the Red Clan. Which makes sense, but...

His shoulders slump in disappointment for a moment before that performer turns towards him. Opens his mouth. And then breathes a stream of fire straight at Yata.

Normally, this would be no big deal. There was no fire that could burn him. Nothing burned as hotly or as brightly as his King and he'd survived that fire once, made it a part of him. He burned brighter than any of the Homra members and relished it.

But something about this replaced his normally eager delight for the flame with outright panic and without even realizing what he was doing, he ducked and covered his head with a startled yell that had many of the onlookers around him stepping back and laughing at the spectacle.

It's only once the flame receded that Yata realizes what he'd done. And then pulls his hands away from his head to stare down at himself in confusion. What had just happened to him? ]

....What the hell was that?!

III. OH DEER

[ It's only a few days after his arrival that Yata starts feeling... weird.

It's different from the last time he'd been here when his skin had started itching all over within hours of arriving and then he'd spouted feathers. And weird taloned feet. And... look the whole thing had been rather traumatic and he's not looking forward to going through all that again.

Only it doesn't seem as if that's gonna be an issue, because this time he just starts getting headaches. And his head starts itching weirdly. Like, really itching! As he wanders about his day, he keeps reaching up to rub at his beanie, grinding his palm against the top of his head as if that will ease some of the aggravation. Or the occasional pangs of aches he gets from up there. He's not sure what's going on, but he doesn't like it. It's getting to be more than a little distracting - and not just for him but also those around him as he gives an annoyed curse and reaches up to drag his beanie off his head, revealing an unruly rumple of bright red hair as he runs his palms over his scalp furiously. ]

What the hell! This is so annoying!

[ He needs something better to scratch at his head than just his hands - they don't seem to be cutting it anymore. At this rate, he's gonna have to find something tougher to scratch his head against and that's just gonna be... weirder. Like everything else in this place.

And while he doesn't know it yet, those are his antlers starting to come in. And that annoying itch isn't going to let up anytime soon as they start to form - the first of his transformations into a faun. Is this better or worse than being covered in feathers? At the moment, he's not sure... ]

IV. SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY

[ Boredom is never a good look for Yata. So, after about a week of getting himself oriented to this place - and dealing with the small nubs of antlers that have started to form on top of his head - he sets out looking for something to do.

That's when the rumors of suspicious figures lurking around at night catch his ear and he decides that hunting down these probably-nefarious persons sounds like fun.

He's got a warped twisted sense of fun, okay?

But that means he might be lunging out at any dark-cloaked figure wandering the streets late at night to see if they (or you?) are one of these 'suspicious persons'. ]

You! Stop!

V. Blink and Miss 'Em

[ He'd been minding his own business. Shopping, actually, because he'd only arrived here with the clothes on his back and his skateboard and that was only going to last him so long. But he's walking past a storefront when the door opens and sudden;t there's a pop of sound and a sudden weight on his head as an escaping kitten reappears atop his knit beanie, yowling in protest.

...Which has him yowling right back in surprise because since when could cats teleport?! And the harried shopkeeper that's hurrying out to catch the escaping furball is only having the thing get more upset from its perch atop his head so that suddenly there are claws, which has Yata letting out a noise far louder than the upset kitten. ]

Owwww!

VI. Wildcard

(( Want something different than one of these prompts? Feel free to write me one of your own, or hit me up at chaneystarr with plotting/questions! ))

Fire-eaters let's gooo!

[al_bhed]

Probably magic. I've never seen anyone breathe a fire spell before, but I guess it's possible.

[There's a teenage girl with no concept of how fire-eating works squatting next to him, her face furrowed in concern.]

Are you okay? That really seemed to scare you.

Jiang Yanli | The Untamed/MDZS | OTA

[rootstalks]

I. arrival

The gilt walls and sweeping gauze of her chambers are closing in around her, soothed by the chime of a bell and the soft sounds of a baby just drifted to sleep. There is no news, and she wants... She wants a great deal, all at once; not least to see them all safe, within the reach of her arms, where she can protect-- she cuts the thought off, blinking away the beginnings of what can't possibly be tears, with a-Xian on his way, and--

A sudden movement in the mirror, distorted through damp eyelashes, has her start to reach for her sword and a-Ling, not in that order, but instead, take a step towards the frame. She hesitates, lurches-- she surfaces into an unfamiliar chamber, in front of a mirror lush with pale wood, painted flowers and silver water.

Her understanding of the situation will have to wait, however, as the qiankun pouch that until now was storing the infant supplies for a-Ling later that day gives out. A blanket, rattles and toys, cloths and warm flasks all spill out of her sleeve onto the dusty floor. The noise is embarrassingly loud.

II. the welcome party

She listens attentively, expression fixed into a faint, polite smile. Through total chance, she's ended up near one corner of the seating area, and in the occasional breaks for water or breath from the speakers, she has the time to look around and take in all of the unfamiliar faces. Peers, witches and monsters all, even if she's only just beginning to understand what that means. So many strange colours and shapes, and outfits... only years of stern training prevents her from staring.

Accidentally, lost in thought, she makes eye contact with someone [you!!!], and, caught, smiles without thinking too much about it.

III. the haven

The moment the devices are handed out and explained, Yanli makes her excuses and steps away for a moment to try something. Not too far from the crowd, but enough that she feels she won't embarrass anyone as she muddles through operating the device for the first time. Her memories are muddled, shifting as she looks around with a certain sense of deja vu. She was here, she's sure of it. And not only that, but a-Xian was, too, as well as...

The watch chimes, and she fumbles it in surprise.

"Oh--!"

IV. wildcard
[ooc: I'll match whatever style you prefer! grab me at evildoers if needed]

二

[disasterstraight]

Yes, yes, this is all very strange. But he's been through this song and dance before. Or, at least the appearing-through-a-mirror part. This particular instance is different-- more mirrors, more people, more pomp and circumstance surrounding their arrival. Zixuan is ushered into a seat and told to listen carefully and, well... He sits. He barely listens, choosing instead to scan the crowd for any familiar faces. If he was here before, then maybe...

Ah. There she is. They lock eyes and A-Li smiles and Zixuan can't help but smile back. He's completely lost the plot of what the presenters are saying now, something about witches and watches and who knows what else. He's found Yanli, that's what's important.

melisandre | asoiaf | vampire

[voktys]

( i ) free to a good haven

⟪ there seems to be no way around this: if she is forced to stay here for an undefined amount of time, she must inevitably seek shelter in some form or other, or else rouse more suspicion than absolutely necessary.

which is why she utilises this ‘roommate finding service’.

in other words: there’s a tall, red-haired woman in an equally red set of robes squinting red eyes at the form she is mulling over. plenty of space left at the table – in case you want to guess what she put down for her favourite colour.

some of her answers are already filled in, written in tidy, if terribly, medievaly old-fashioned handwriting: she is seeking for a roommate who does not fear fire, for instance, and describes herself as ‘warm’.

curiously enough, her ‘age’ field is left blank. ⟫

( ii ) come one, come all

I am almost certain this is naught but a bad trade.

⟪ she sounds wistful, though, her voice ringing with a lilting accent that might be difficult to place for most – unless they happen to know others who hail from the jade sea. it looks like an easy gamble, mind. a game of tossing rings over pointed stakes, with prizes of small plushen animals and enchanted little figurines, both of which she might have been eying. it’s a frivolous thing, of course, but she longs to distract herself from the greater picture of her predicament, and this suits her just fine.

at any rate, she turns to whoever happens to show interest in the booth as well: ⟫

How do you fancy your chances?

( iii ) eclipsed inhibition

⟪ the show is marvellous, but still, melisandre finds herself wondering what has overcome her. this type of unbridled joy is almost unknown to her – after all, there is a war waging on.

well, that’s a concern for the morrow. tonight, she is turning towards whoever is closest, having no qualms about touching a completely stranger. regardless of whether she takes you by the arm, by the hand, or touches your shoulder, she seems to radiate heat to a point that is almost uncomfortable, and it’s definitely not quite normal. but her smile is warm and her red yes are bright with excitement, so maybe that makes up for it: ⟫

Join me. I wish to witness the lights from there –

⟪ what is she pointing towards? a rooftop? a lone little boat that is absolutely not hers? a good and harmless pier? your pick, so long as it's a good spot for firework-or-other-fire-related-watching, because that's the part of the ongoing performances that seems to make her the happiest. ⟫

wildcard

⟪ hit me!! or message me on plurk at nehelenia / shoot me a pm and we can hash out a closed starter. c:

a note on roommate things: she’ll be living with merrin, but tbh i’m still here to thread out helping each other with the form and talking about haven in general. :’) ⟫

iii

[plasticasshole]

[Connor glances between Melisandre and the pier, nodding. Tonight he feels good for a few reasons besides the spell: not only is Markus back, but he's found he can walk on land during the full moons. Though blue and orange scales cover his arms up to the elbows, and fins keep him from being able to roll down his sleeves, he's happy. And he shows it with a sharp-toothed smile, offering an arm for Melisandre to take.]

Of course.

[His eyesight could be better. His eyes are still different from their usual brown, signifying his poor vision. But he isn't completely blind right now- another bonus.]

My name is Connor. What's yours?

[She's awfully warm, and Connor notes that it's abnormal, but he doesn't say anything about it.]

Minato Arisato | Persona 3

[afoolshope]

I - Arrival

[The blue haired boy stood amongst the crowded room of people and mirrors, hands in his pockets and headphones clipped neatly to his ears. He didn’t looked surprised or shocked at this place. He looked almost bored, in fact. He pulled one hand out of his pocket to yawn accordingly before finally taking a step to make his way to the front door and out of the home he found himself in. The clocktower alerted him to the time, and the magic in the air was familiar to the dream he had.

Perhaps it hadn’t been a dream then? How strange. He supposed only magic could be responsible for his arrival here once more. Seeing Shinjiro again, his other self, even a man who was also a deer. How very strange. Despite the look on his face, Minato was very curious. The mirrored halls and the foyer didn’t interest quite as much as the curiosity over finding those he met the first he was here.

So, quietly and with minimal bumping, Minato weaved his way through the people and towards the front door. Any questions he may have will be directed towards those familiar faces, but he was also okay to stop and chat should someone approach him.]

III - The Haven

[Minato spent far longer than he planned to actually exploring the city. Which meant his still tired body was even more exhausted and his feet hurt. He didn’t have a place to stay yet, or rather, he didn’t know where the house was that Shinjiro had. He remembered that he got to see it, big and blue, but other that the rest was hazy. It had felt like a dream, so it faded just like one. He had an overwhelming sense of deja vu. But that was it.

So, Minato found an empty bench and, as it was clearly summer time, he pulled the uniform jacket off to use as a pillow. He laid back lengthwise on the bench and while still listening to his music, promptly took a nap. Just got a little while, promise.

A little while probably turned into something much longer.]

IV (a) - Cirque Mystique

[He didn’t have any money. So, Minato either took samples of food or simply window shopped. Many of the people tried to sell him things and, really, a lot of it reminded him of home, but there was no way he could buy. So, he refrained and was suitably rebuffed once he said he had no money. Sometimes, they were nice about it, but other times...]

Move along if you don’t have any money! Go on!

[Sheesh. Minato frowned. He wanted to look at the fabrics for Shinjiro, perhaps he could make something for Koromaru. But he barely got to look for more than a minute before he was being yelled at. The fact that, aside from his frown, he was hardly reacting was making the merchant angrier but Minato was already turning around and doing as told.

Geez, since when did window shopping become a crime?]

V - Wildcard

[Let me know if you want to do something else! I’m good with making starters. mossflowered or mossflower#4962 or PM this journal!]

[hoboagogo]

[For once in his life, Shinjiro had actually been working. Just mindless washing dishes and talking shit down at the filthy pub right on the docks that sailors and fisherman and dock workers frequented, helping close up after the doors finally shut. So it's in the late night-slash-early morning that he's walking home, lifting a hand to scratch at where his hair tangles around the growth of horns as he reins in a yawn of his own. At least the weather is actually comfortable at night- he's not sweating with all the fur covering his legs, even if they're mostly exposed, thanks to discovering the wonders of the kilt.

The flurry of activity hadn't escaped him during his walk. There must have been a new batch of Mirrorbound, based on the excess of normal-looking people wandering about confused, looking around the haven as though wondering if they dare to just try a door and see if they can crash the night there.

...Which, doesn't seem to be a problem for the small lump laid out on the bench, music player still rolling.

His long ears flicker for a moment, and he sighs. This guy just can't stay in one place.]

Hey.

[Hooves clipping sharply on the cobblestones, he'll approach and poke Minato in the shoulder roughly.]

C'mon, you couldn't even get your ass to bed?

Markus | Detroit: Become Human | OTA

[ex_pathway290]

ii. The Welcome Party 

Having arrived earlier, and in a manner a bit more unorthodox, Markus found himself gathered in the strange room with a group of other individuals. As the chairs seemed to appear before them he took a seat - but not without some slight hesitation to check and make sure the chairs were solid. They did just seem to appear after all.

There was a short speech followed by an invitation for questions. Nothing too extraordinary. Aside from the unusual appearance of their hosts.  
As they dispersed for questions, he stayed seated and looked at the others seated nearby. They all appeared equally lost.

iii The Haven

After some time, it was time to head out into the city. Markus made his way into the open air and paused at the edge of the residential district. Instead of keeping his head buried in the numerous amount of guides and technological gadgets that were supplied, Markus opted for something else entirely. 

He spotted a nearby perch that was just a little higher than the current line of sight and made his way for it. Up he climbed, just high enough to where he could sit on the perch and look over the view of the residential area. Their situation might have been... less than preferable, but the view of the buildings and skyline certainly didn't disappoint. 

He stayed there with his feet swinging over the side, watching the countless people pass by.
 
IV Cirque De Mistique

A carnival wasn't typical fare for an android to attend as a guest. As he entered without resistance or comment, it seemed all too easy - as it should have always been. He breezed past the food, some of the entertainment, even some vibrant decorations all while looking on curiously. 

He didn't know many people yet, so he looked for someone who looked like they could use some company. Perhaps taking part in some games or entertainment would help them pass both the time? 

( I made a generic prompt for this last one. Go ahead and comment if you want prompt A or prompt B and I can write something accordingly. Or if you have any other questions of what-have-you, feel free to drop me a PM or hit me up at rarity)

ii

[heartmunculus]

Sieg doesn't look entirely lost. The concept of being pulled into another world or dimension isn't novel to him. What is new, is being pulled and not doing the pulling. He thinks he prefers being on the other end of this experience, but he actually knew how long the ordeal was going to take.

He does notice Markus looking at him and tilts his head, a silent question.

nami | one piece | witch

[weatherscience]

i. arrival

[ on her mirror, there are the pictures of nine people — among a cheery young man with a straw hat, a small reindeer, a woman with a solemn look and dark hair, a blue-skinned older man with distinct fish-like qualities — and for a moment, nami looks at the faces of her crewmates and then bangs on the surface of the mirror, yelling, ]

Ehhh, what do you think you're doing? Let me go back! [ then, as if thinking of something, she entwines her fingers, her index fingers pressed together to make...... something that vaguely looks like something a ninja might do. ]

Nin nin nin, return me to where I was!

[ when nothing happens, she sighs and takes off the strange piece of armor on top of her clothes. then she sits down on the floor. ] This is terrible... I'm all wet, too. I wonder if they have towels, here. [ the struggle when it was just raining from where you came... ]

ii. the welcome party.

[ she's not exactly pleased with any of this — of course not, away from her crew and stuck in an entirely new place alone. but... she is stuck, and she faintly thinks it's probably good it was her who got snatched here, and not anyone else in her crew. at least she's used to working alone.

and the first thing to start with is information. she goes around and tries to find out as much as she can, about the city, the people, the changes, all of it. eventually, after being told she's now a witch (and wouldn't zoro find that hilarious, she's sure), she tries to figure out what exactly that means.

and so, ] Excuse me! [ she waves at whoever she happens across, with a bright smile that may or may not be entirely fake. ] Do you know where class on magic is? [ she sighs and adds, half to herself, ] It's hard to believe it's really magic... do you think they could be mistaken? Maybe it's all just science.

iii. come on down

( a. )

[ should anyone happen near the stands, they will find one (1) very annoyed nami, pointing an accusing finger at the vendor, who looks like he doesn't know whether to try and placate her or to tell her to get lost. ]

That's robbery! These aren't even real gems, how can you charge that much for them? You know what, mister, I'll buy all of them if you give me a 90% discount!

[ the vendor seems so horrified he doesn't even know what to say. maybe...... save him, or her, whichever way you're looking at this?? ]

( b. )

[ later, when she walks past the game stands, she huffs when someone (maybe you?) fails at the ring toss for the third time in a row. ]

That's stupid! Everyone knows those games are always rigged. As if they'd make a profit otherwise! [ pls don't be offended if you're the one playing and she essentially just called you stupid... or maybe you just overhear her and agree. ]

( c. )

[ eventually, she makes it to a less crowded spot in the harbor, seeing a boat with no current owner; perhaps it has one, but they're not in it right now, so she doesn't really care.

she jumps in with practiced ease, and smiles when the boat rocks slightly from side to side. she's procured a bottle of alcohol from somewhere, and throughout the evening, sits there and drinks, staring at the water. ]

I wonder if they have ships here... I'd much rather live in one of them, [ she whispers to herself, with a wistful look. ]

iv. wildcard

[ you know the drill! hmu, no need to ask, but if you want to plan something in particular i'm on plurk @ celen. so far she's determined to stay by herself, but if you want to talk roommate shenanigans, pls hit me up for that! c: ]

i. arrival !!

[rootstalks]

[ she's cleared most of the mess around her own mirror several rows back by this point. next up is making her way out, although she's sorely tempted to linger near the frame...

but, no, if the half-memories she's currently sorting through are right, she needs to leave. find her family.

first, though, she stops to lean down to the other woman, fishing a small, soft towel from the pile in her arms the moment she hears her complaint in passing. granted, it's more for a baby, but it's still perfectly absorbent.

if... a little ornately embroidered, for such a practical item. ]

Ah, excuse me. Would this help?

Jasper | Dragon Quest XI | Witch

[leitstern]

A - Arrival

[Jasper stares down at the earth from the castle that has become home as the wind does its best to blow his fringe into his eye. He pins it behind his ear, too busy with his thoughts to pay any mind. Stress has stuck by him more than he figured, undoubtedly because of hopes it will vanish. He makes a sour face and turns his back. He should have learned by now that hoping is useless.

The first pull comes when he looks towards the window. Glass stained bloody crimson like his hands. His head turns on its own, his feet too agitated not to follow. His pale face stares back, dispassionate and sour, a discontented look that catches his eye. The next second the latches unlock and the glass swings open like a door. Gentle wind pushes from behind and the next second after that his feet are stumbling across a dim and dusty room. One large space filled with hundreds of unadorned, antique mirrors.

He touches his fringe and turns his shoulder and finds his way home barricaded. Though the brass metal is common by anyone’s standards, he recognises the etchings and carvings in the wood, eyes skipping over images of pendants and flowers to the face of the man he had betrayed. Despite the life the two of them had shared - the rapport and camaraderie of companions united in a common goal, the empathy felt for the lowest of lows - he clenches his fingers and balls a fist.

The desire to return burns his heart but bridges have been burned, roads destroyed. The distance is untraversable.

It becomes too much to process and the frustration he harbours towards the man launches itself towards the mirror. His fist striking brass or glass a little too desperately.]


B - Welcome Party

[Minutes pass. They lead him towards the entrance of the building, down towards the first floor, where he stands within a room more comforting than the last. He notes every presence with a studious glimpse and directs his attention toward the woman who gestures at her companion. Her promise of an explanation for his predicament is welcome. The promise of having to listen to it surrounded by people is not.

He fans himself with his hand and plays with his fringe. A sign of being overheated, perhaps. Or simply a sign of nerves? There are a great many people around. So he goes to sit on one of those chairs upon the lawn.

Much to his consternation, somebody takes a nearby chair. His body begins feeling pressured with the polite compulsion to begin conversation. How should one people?]

Been here long, have you?

[Nailed it.]


C - Come on Down

[Cakes.

Butter cake. Angel cake. Pound cake. Sponges and battenbergs. Banoffee pies and banana bread.

Pastries. Tarts. Macaroons. Almond croissants and chocolate eclairs. Jasper orders the lot and notices one or two people making faces at him, but is too busy satisfying himself to pay them mind. Are they hungry? Well, they can eat cake! Perhaps not, he theorizes to himself as he deposits his boxed purchases beside his feet - but they can munch some cheese straws and mushrooms!

When looked at again, he swallows and tries not to sound salty like all those savouries.]

A trifle rude to stare, do you not think?

[Trifle. Cakes. Desserts. He doesn’t notice the pun.]

C

[sonnestark]

Oh—

[She hadn't meant to stare, really, but as someone who had been eating her way through what the Cirque had to offer herself, it was nice to see someone else enjoying themselves so thoroughly. She shakes her head in response, offering a slightly sheepish smile with the remains of a half-eaten eclair in one hand. She doesn't have quite the collection he's amassed for himself, but mostly because she's been eating as she goes.]

I didn't mean anything by it. Actually, I'm impressed.

[Other people may look irritated by his extravagant orders holding up lines, but she doesn't seem to mind, at least.]

I can hardly blame you, there are too many offerings here to pick just a few.

Oscar Pine | RWBY | Witch

[inheirence]

( one )

[ The boy who comes tumbling through the mirror has seen better days — patches of dirt and soot coat his face and clothes, and there's a good moment between when he hits the floor, and when he pushes himself up to sit on his knees. Mind reeling, his eyes go first to the silver handle of a cane clasped in his hand, but it looks as it always has, without a trace of any ripples or other strangeness. At least, no stranger than the years of sentimentality he feels for something he's had for less than one.

Fingers closing around it, he gives the Long Memory a quick squeeze for strength before returning it to its place at his back, takes a deep breath, and promptly begins to talk to himself. ]

So... I can think of a few other times where it would've been nice to know we can teleport.

[ They can't teleport, but only a faint tremble in his tone betrays his attempt to lighten the situation as he waits for a voice from within, hoping Ozpin will have some ideas, if not answers. In the meantime, he starts to pick himself up the rest of the way, but as much as he'd like to find his way out of here, his legs have different plans. They buckle underneath him, the adrenaline and wave of magic that had rushed over him left behind in the Solitas snow. But as if to replace that, he could almost swear he feels some other power flickering through him, new and unfamiliar.

Mostly, though, he just feels tired and sore, and it looks like he's going to have to stay here and catch his breath for a bit. ]

( two )

[ As the Coven's orientation winds down, hopefully anyone walking behind Oscar isn't in too much of a hurry, because the instant he steps outside and catches sight of the twin moons, he freezes. Hearing that he's been brought to a completely different world is one thing, but seeing it is another. Doubtless many new Mirrorbound are having the same revelation tonight, though for him, at least, the plural part isn't the biggest surprise. ]

They're... whole.

[ He brings his arms up around himself, uncertain whether the shiver that runs through him is out of fear or the vestiges of the arctic kingdom he came from, but his voice still rings with awe. ]

( three )

[ Come the next day, it's time to explore! While he's far from finished processing the last forty-two hours, that won't stop him from trying to carry on as though he has, but it's a little daunting just how many people there are here — or rather, how many people there are from different worlds, places he would have never heard of or been able to imagine before. It's kind of like he's just stepped off the train to Mistral all over again, but just as he did then, he primes himself and goes up to someone who doesn't look too busy for a question. ]

Excuse me. Do you know where I can find... books?

[ What he'd meant to ask was do you know where I can find a library but, well, close enough. ]

( four )

[ The carnival is almost overwhelming in its ostentatiousness, and over the course of its run, he gets talked into buying some of the gaudiest souvenirs he's ever seen, accidentally hits someone else in the head at the ring toss, and leaves the performances feeling juuust a little queasy after witnessing a contortionist. But he'd still say he's had fun, although each group that passes him stirs up a longing for his friends from home to be here with him.

In the aftermath of the grand finale, he seeks people out, no longer concerned about interrupting or bothering anyone. Whoever you are, whatever you're doing, some random kid just walked up and hugged you, and he doesn't seem like he's going to let go anytime soon. Still, even an "uninhibited" Oscar is pretty mild — his grip is far from a cling, and pushing him away is easily done. ]

( wildcard )

[ Please feel free to hit me up with anything else if you'd like, or pm/pp me if you want to hash something out! ]

[foundfamilies]

[ Leslie actually has a book with her, a corner of it sticking out from the bag at her side, but that one comes from her housemate’s personal collection, so it’s not going to be super helpful on its own. When she’s asked, she takes a moment to consider. There are a few places she knows about that could work, but it depends on.... ]

To read or to own?

lightning farron | final fantasy xiii | witch

[sparkstrikes]

i. arrival: lightning strikes thrice? 🗲

[It's only a blink, maybe two if she's lucky, before Lightning feels her boots stomp against a hard floor. Her balance is lost—only for a moment—until she's able to reclaim it mere seconds before she stumbles forward. There's a dusty smell to the room, and it's one that she's familiar with. And when her eyes adjust, she can see the mirrors surrounding her, as well as several others who have stumbled through with her, and the realization finally sinks in when she turns to see her reflection in an intricately decorated mirror.

Oh, for the love of Etro's tits.

Her nose wrinkles, and she presses a hand to her temple. She can already feel the Aefenglom headache coming on. At least this is better than the last time, when she'd woken up in this place coughing dirty road water out of her lungs. That was fun.]

Three times, [she grumbles to herself, knocking the frame of the mirror with her boot.

With one last disgusted look at her reflection, Lightning turns to the rest of the room to see if there are any others who need her help, but with no one nearby, she goes to leave... that is, until someone is nearby, emerging from a neighbouring mirror at just the right time for her to either catch or bump into them. Pick your poison.]

ii. cirque mystique 🗲

ii-a. food for thought
[Lightning isn't even sure why she's here, besides wanting to know what all the fuss and noise is about, and it won't take her very long to end up with handfuls of food samples from the different pavilions as she strolls through alone. As if these samples would make her more inclined to buy their food? If anything, it only pushes her away from their business! Within the first hour, she has a large plate covered in an assortment of goodies—egg tarts, fruits, small cakes, dumplings, mochi—and in her other hand, a cone of pink shaved ice.

The only thing she's missing is a goddamn costume.

It's an awkward sight to behold, and even more awkward for Lightning when she approaches someone seated on a bench.]

Here. Take something.

ii-b. joke's on you
[Visiting this place wasn't her brightest idea. There are too many sights and sounds, and more people than she'd care to deal with right now—it's all too gaudy and far from Lightning's tastes... even if the food was pretty good. But when fire-breathers and knife-throwers started bringing their tricks a little too close for comfort, she was Done.

It's on her way out—fairly early into the party—that she hears the footsteps and jingling of bells from behind her that stop anytime she does, and start at the same time, too. At some point, it stops when she shoots a warning glance over her shoulder at the masked trickster, but Lightning never lets her guard down. Especially not in a place like this where anything can happen.

And something does.

From around a corner, a painted, masked face emerges suddenly, its beak long and sharp and coming way too close to her face, while a cheerful voice comes from behind it.]

"What do you call a—"

[Reflexes kick in, and Lightning's fist shoots out to collide with the man's belly, doubling him over in pain. Someone... might want to help him. Meanwhile, she'll be cursing under her breath because goddamn it, she just punched a man in a bird mask.]

iii. blink and miss 'em 🗲

[How she got roped into a job involving babysitting kittens is anyone's guess, and maybe she'll tell the story if she can get a handle on the three that have taken an immediate liking to her. A ginger, a grey, and a striped trio have been at her ankles since she stepped foot near the shop. They'd managed to escape—a mystery to her at first—but the more time she spends with these kittens, the more she comes to realize exactly how they did it.

She holds the ginger one out in front of her with both of her hands under its arms, like it'll go off like a bomb if she were to move, and she tries to (carefully) bring it over to its elaborate cat tree when the grey kitten appears under her feet, almost tripping her. Meanwhile, the third is mewling incessantly at her as it rubs at her other ankle, forcing her to shimmy sideways so as not to step on the other.

Whoever happens to be nearest her will have a ginger kitten held in front of their face, and a very flustered and angry looking Lightning behind it.]

Hold this thing—

[But just as she growls those words, the cat vanishes from her hands and reappears draped over her shoulder, where it proceeds to groom the side of her face, getting her hair caught in its mouth.

:|

... help.]

iv. wildcard 🗲

[None of these prompts work? Feel free to leave something else below! Or contact me via PM or @ crystariums if you'd like to plot out something specific!]

lightning strikes thrice!

[rootstalks]

[ the stumbling is familiar, and if anything she's just happy that this time it isn't straight into the middle of a cold fountain. But while Yanli can look perfectly graceful while standing or sitting, walking is always more precarious. Having done this before doesn't stop her catching the hem of her heavy robes against the mirror frame, nor the lurch as she goes toppling forward--

Ah. ] I- [ she blinks up at an utterly unfamiliar woman, and offers an embarrassed smile. ] Sorry for the trou-- oh no!

[ Like a firecracker going off, the small, embroidered pouch dangling from her wrist - the wrist currently awkwardly braced against Lightning's shoulder, even - picks this moment to break. The rattledrum toy and the doll land in Yanli's lap, but the handtowels and wrappings hit them both. The beautifully embroidered baby blanket flies straight up, and then drifts down to cover them. ]

youichi hiruma, eyeshield 21. vampire.

[slushfund]

𝙞𝙞, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙚𝙡𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙮.

(after questions—posed outside, easily overheard—are asked and answered, there’s a loud crack of gum being popped. missable when he prefers to be, a slouching hiruma is standing apart from the dispersing crowd. and not without the assault rifle balanced against his shoulder like a cautionary statement to all of his fellow arrivals not to put any misguided anger or aggression on him. he's not in the best mood.)

–and how long, exactly, have you fuckers been here? (asked to a small group of coven witches who mutter scornfully about the brashness of new mirrorbound, before turning to the next available ear.) Don’t got much to say, do they? Well, I wouldn’t either if I had nothing to bring for show and tell.

𝙞𝙞𝙞, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙣.

(instead of filling out his own survey for the roommate finding service, hiruma’s listening for other people’s. waiting beneath the public service board, head tilted towards the microsoft sam voice vacuously listing off people’s qualities, he seems to adopt a rather thoughtful expression—committing everything to memory. after some time, when the messages begin to loop, he straightens and stops the next person to post an ad.

a raise of his hand signals the start of his warm, friendly greeting.)

Hey there, I’ve been hired by the city to conduct more in-depth interviews for this here Roommate Finder. (a click of a pen that’s twirled between long fingers, raising a clipboard that’s not-so-subtly been torn from its nail on the announcement board.) It’ll only take a moment, if you’re interested in connecting with your “best fit.”

𝙞𝙫, 𝙘𝙞𝙧𝙦𝙪𝙚 𝙢𝙮𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙦𝙪𝙚.
𝘯𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬, 𝘶𝘯: 𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘶𝘮𝘢.

Are you a WITCH experienced in ENCHANTMENT? Do you think “LAWS” and “RULES” get in the way of enacting TRUE JUSTICE? Would you like to emancipate a boatload of COLD, HARD CASH from UNDESERVING SCUM? If you answered “YES” to any of these questions, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

Contact me for more details today! Don’t let this once in a lifetime opportunity pass you by!

𝙫, 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙙𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙙.

(obligatory wildcard option, i'm open to anything you can think of. if you wanna' plot anything out, or do a monthly quest, just hit me up on frooting!)

iv. text; un: bone_daddy

[auriphrygiate]

Why is this witches only? You're missing out.

minako arisato | persona 3 | witch

[missleading]

I. ARRIVAL.

[ She should probably be more outwardly concerned than she is. The details of how she got here, along with the past few weeks, are murky at best. She remembers the roof, sitting there with Aigis, and feeling more tired than she ever has before. She thinks she might have seen her reflection in a looking glass in her own mind before reaching out, and then suddenly, she's in a house of mirrors.

This isn't where she's supposed to be.

But standing around here and twiddling her thumbs isn't going to help her get to the bottom of this. So Minako wanders around the looking glass house, mostly investigating the mirrors. Some she will simply walk by, but occasionally she can be found with both hands against the glass, pressing against it like it will eventually give purchase.

Or, if there's something particularly interesting in the mirror you came out of or are looking at, the teen will side in behind, crossing her arms and staring at it thoughtfully. ]

Hey, are you okay?

II. CIRQUE MYSTIQUE (jurli 4).

[ The pop-up marketplace is much more her speed. Reminiscent of the festivals back home, the novelty of it all has her taking multiple laps around the perimeter, sneakily taking out her phone to snap a few pictures. It should be fine as long as she doesn't drain the battery too much (although who is she going to show it to). But each time she stops long enough to flip open her phone, a hawker glares or yells at her for loitering. Get out of the way, girl, stop blocking the customers!

Yeesh, talk about rude.

She doesn't have a lot of money to spend, but she knows exactly what she wants to spend it on as soon as she sees it, practically shoving what coins she has toward the peddler and taking her prize—a very unique-looking cake. It looks almost too beautiful to eat!

And therein lies the problem.

Sitting in a small dining area cordoned off in the park, Minako stares down at this food-slash-art-piece, tiny spoon in hand, looking incredibly conflicted. Is this even edible? This feels like a forbidden food situation here. Maybe she should have held out for something a little more practical. ]

III. CHEERFUL BUNS.

[ All that time in home ec is finally paying off. Bread is serious business, and she might not be an artisan baker, but she can knead the heck out of some dough. Using a liberal amount of flour, she watches the person next to her work, going through the motions in the air before taking a hold of the dough mound in front of her. It's sticky and dense, and it's hard for her to get a rhythm at first, but she manages to get it into a reasonably tight ball.

Just. Don't look at the bottom. The dough isn't tucked as much as it's just shoved underneath.

She wipes her brow with the back of her hand, looking over at the person next to her with a satisfied smile. Whoops, got some flour on her face. ]

Phew, that's a lot harder than it looks. Okay, what's next?

IV. BLINK AND MISS 'EM.

[ Herding cats should be its own career designation. She's definitely no pet whisperer, but Koromaru at least gave her some experience working with animals. Dogs are a lot different, they at least listen to commands.

But nothing really prepares you for teleporting kittens.

At first she tries to fight an extremely futile battle, attempting to hold one of the lankier kittens while the staff transfers a few others between rooms. But he keeps squirming and disappearing on her, making it difficult to keep him from making a jailbreak.

So she takes a different approach. ]

All right, ready? Set... Fetch!

[ Throwing a bright yarn pom pom, the rambunctious kitten bounds after it, teleporting mid-sprint before grabbing it in his mouth. He triumphantly trots back with the toy in his mouth, as Minako holds out a treat with a grin. ]

Good boy!

V. NETWORK.

un: arisato.minako

question for everyone. what year is it where you're from?
just curious!

VI. WILDCARD.

[ Have an idea for a prompt? Feel free to hmu on discord @ Pearl#1577, on plurk @ impearls, or via PM. ]

ii

[peacewithouttyranny]

[Minako probably won't be resolving her issue anytime soon. But Soundwave found her to probably solve his own. Earlier while he was strolling the carnival alone, he's been shove food samples after food samples into his hands- mochi, cakes, possibly samples of everything on the plate. Does he look like he could eat them, let alone interested? He'll just pass these food over to someone who needs them more.

So, Soundwave heads over to the dining area. Where he first spots the red head- she's just unlucky (or lucky) that she's the first person his optics catch, walking over to her table and setting the plate of assorted foods besides her artsy cake.]

Take them.

[Couldn't have asked if she wants them first, Soundy?]

Styx | OC | ota

[tothemetal]

[your character very well may have seen Styx during the arrival chaos - he's big enough - either literally sitting in front of his mirror and waiting for something to take him home until that 'tug' become impossible to resist or sitting in one of the conjured chair, fidgeting heavily and looking pretty uncomfortable. I won't be posting a starter for this because he's literally just standing/sitting around looking lost outside of taking the litmus test (he's a witch) but if you'd like to run into him feel free to tag in with it! aside from being enormous he'd also be looking very obviously at the turned monsters who showed up with something akin to awe.]

haven;

[a witch...Styx had been too frightful of insulting any of the people who'd welcomed him to this world to say it aloud at the time, but he still couldn't help but feel that there had been a mistake in the reading of his test results. something like that was too refined - too academic, given the explanation he'd struggled to follow along with - for someone of his ilk. surely he was meant to be a monster? he was already halfway there, in terms of appearance; feathers or horns would only serve to make him look cooler, an improvement rather than a detriment.

still, they'd seemed pretty certain. and no one else had protested their results, from what he'd seen. but even so...well, he supposed there really wasn't anything he could do about it right now, was there? this whole thing still seemed like a dream, although the surety with which people had spoken to him had been enough to calm his dull mind into accepting this surreal happening as reality. after all, it was...kind of cool, wasn't it? a whole different world, full of monsters and magic. pretty killer.

after being dumped in Haven and instructed that finding a place to live would be a good first step, he'd wandered the streets feeling increasingly out of place in this district. all of these houses with their ornate decorations, practically screaming of wealth...he just couldn't wrap his mind around being allowed to stay in one, even on the more 'modest' end of the neighborhood. it was this unease that eventually drew him to the center of the district, called in by the echoing drone of the notice board.

a survey! that seemed like the best possible way to solve his dilemma: by putting all of the decision-making responsibility onto someone more intelligent than himself. Styx fills out the handful of questions diligently, almost certain giving them far more thought than is required for such superficial details, but when the time comes to finally tack it to the board he falters.

someone comes up beside him at this point, likely to pin their own survey to the board, and he thoughtfully moves to the side before they so much as had to brush up against him. mustering up his courage (they looked like they knew what they were doing) he subsequently asked:]

Hey, um...do you know what happens if nobody wants you?

[like...was he banned from houses if that happened? or did he have to go around knocking on doors, hoping find an empty one...god, just thinking about it was making his stomach flop.]

circus;

[the circus!!!!

oh good god, Styx has always wanted to go to a circus. it's something he's seen on television many times during his childhood, watching with the wide-eyed fascination of someone who knew in their hearts that such an experience was out of reach for themselves. but it appeared that this was no longer the case and Jesus fucking christ was he living. he'd been dropping by the docks repeatedly during setup, just to watch them all like some kind of giant shadow, but now that festivities were in full swing? you couldn't pull him away if you tried.

you can find him there every day the circus is in town, completely enthralled by the spectacle of it all. he's visiting every part of the place at least once, so feel free to tag in anywhere! but some things he'll definitely be up to are:

stuffing his face at the market. there's a pretty large Asian population in his hometown, so many of these delicacies are familiar to him, but that does nothing to curb Styx's excitement. he'll be spending most of his money here, sampling nearly every stall that catches his eye like a seemingly bottomless pit. as much as he was enjoying himself, however, if he spies someone looking with particular longing at anything he'll offer to share his own in an instant - or buy the stranger a fresh one from his own meager finances.

losing repeatedly at the games. it doesn't even really occur to Styx that the midway could be rigged - he just assumes he's too stupid and untalented to actually manage to win more than a few (very tasty) apples. the rapidly stacking losses don't bother him too much, and he can always be seen smiling and laughing at some of the more spectacular failures. the only place that doesn't hold true, however, is at the goldfish pond; you can find him squatting there for quite some time, growing increasingly more unhappy as the broken nets start piling up next to him.

entertaining some kiddos. Styx isn't one of the performers, not by a landslide, but he had gotten his face painted at some point - and that's apparently enough for some of the local children to mistake him for one, combined with his size. he keeps trying to correct them gently, but as more circle around him, tugging on his pant legs and looking up at him with pleading eyes, he can feel himself crumbling.

passersby may hear the sound of squealing children soon after; turning to look will reveal an impressive number of the little ones hanging off of Styx's arms like some kind of impromptu carnival ride as the big guy lifts them up and spins them around. he's laughing just as loudly as they are, super into this stupidity.]


[ooc; if you want to hit me up with a starter other than these, feel free! you can PM me if you've got anything in particular you'd like, but I'm super easygoing so odds are you're fine just tagging in rofl. Styx'll be around during the eclipse too, but he's soft enough that the spell will just make him a lot less insecure with his general friendliness.]

game stalls!

[currysseur]

[ Izumi considers the stalls for a while, thinks about playing, but ultimately bows out from the idea. She needs to save whatever coin she's managed to get (probably borrowed from Juza or Omi, if we're honest, and she'll certainly pay them back as soon as she's settled down) for other things.

Besides, they don't have any shooting stalls here, and that's where she shines brightest.

But instead, she's happy enough to watch people playing, particularly delighted by the young man who seems to be enjoying himself no matter the miss or failure. When he skims the side of one of the milk bottles with a ball, she finds herself clapping before she even has time to stop herself. ]

That was your best one yet!

merrin | star wars | witch

[sisterless]

Roommate Service

[ on the one hand, merrin has lived alone just fine for many years. on the other hand, those years were without doubt the worst of her life. she was much happier among the few friends she made (and has now been torn from) than she ever was alone. maybe then it's a good thing to try and find companions.

however the survey frustrates her. she has never had to ask these questions of herself, nor does she feel able to open up on a form that just about anyone who walks by will see. it even sounds like the board magically speaks the writing aloud, which only further alienates her desire to post anything. there is a fear inherent in opening up and she would rather do it on her terms, not throw it out to the wind for all eyes and ears. at least this way she can let instinct guide her.

if you're filling out the survey nearby, or taking a look at the board, you may feel the approach of a woman dressed in all red, hood up, her appearance could very well spring the word "witch" to mind. if you turn to her she will immediately speak- ]

I seek companionship. [ a beat, as she pulls down her hood to better show herself. ] A... roommate. If you would allow me, I wish to assess if we are... compatible. I will only ask for a few minutes of your time.

[ nailed it. ]

[ ooc: as a preface, I already have plans for merrin's rooming, but think this prompt can be a good kickstart to CR nonetheless. if you tag in just keep in mind it won't end with a roommate match but will start CR. ]

Carnival Games

[ the strange games are not like anything she has seen, but the concept is easily explained. knock over bottles, toss a ring, win a prize. the jewelry they offer up are obviously fake and plastic, but a bracelet with a plastic shine of silver gets her attention. she feels a want for it she can't explain.

the trouble is she is awful at these games. her ball throws are too high or too low, the rings never even get close to circling the target, and steam would be shooting out her ears if it could with how fumed she starts to get. never does it cross her mind the game is rigged though, and so she hits her hands on the stall with a growl. ]

Again! I demand another round.

[ the stall runner laughs, happy to scam another happy customer if someone doesn't come by to make her wise to the scheme. ]

Fireworks

[ the entertainers who cradled fire without flaw immediately got her interest. the magician tricks were fun and humorous. her guard is down and she's truly enjoying herself for the first time since coming to this strange place. maybe it won't be so bad to be here after all, if the nights are so jovial and full of laughter and life. she didn't realize how much she missed merriment.

but then the fireworks begin, booming noises echoing around the crowds, and her heart clenches, stomach turning, fear rising. everyone looks up to the sky and cheers crackle through the onlookers, but merrin starts taking uneasy steps back.

then the sky bursts into colorful lighted patterns and her gasp is sharp even among the cheers. ]

We're under attack!

[ she calls out, ready to run, but doesn't realize someone is behind her when she turns around and crashes into them. merrin falls backgrounds to the ground, still shaken as the booming noises continue. even after many years, the fear she relives in this moment never quite goes away. it just goes underground until it resurfaces. ]

wildcard

[ for anything and everything, feel free to PM me if you want to plot. ]

carnival games

[archaeo]

[Watching this girl continue to lose is starting to be less funny and more sad. Eventually Aphra sighs and walks over, approaching as the stall runner begins to prepare Merrin's next round.]

So. Uh. [Kriff, she doesn't know how to be nice.] What round number is this...?

Jin Ling | The Untamed | turnskin

[fairyherder]

I. arrival

[ it's when Fairy decides to bolt off in a random direction (again) where everything goes wrong. one moment, she's there, and the next she's not, and something catches at the edge of his vision, a flash of light somehow familiar in a way he doesn't understand. the air is suddenly less clear, tinged with the same sort of musty quality as the Nie sword mausoleum he got himself trapped in and it's on pure instinct that he doesn't crash into the person walking past and he stumbles a little, back connecting to the surface of the mirror he just stepped through.

his arrival is far from serene as his qiankun pouch suddenly expels all his supplies onto the floor. most of them deity-binding nets, more arrows for the bow on his back, his money pouch, a couple of packs of food and a jar of water, some medical supplies that he barely has ever touched. he's about to stoop down to gather things up when Fairy is right in front of him, barking up a storm at the room at large.

he immediately crouches down to grab at her, tugging her closer with a shush, narrowing his eyes suspiciously at the crowd around him. ]

No, Fairy— Quiet.

[ he doesn't know where he is. something is nagging at him, but it's too far away for him to grasp. for now, he's alone in a crowd of strangers he doesn't trust, the only safe thing his spirit dog. he curls his fingers a little tighter in her fur, holding her closer for comfort, gripping his sword with the other, mumbling under his breath: ]

Where the hell is this?

II. the welcome party

[ it's with ill concealed trepidation that he claims a seat at the edge of the crowd, keeping a tight hold of Fairy's collar to make sure she doesn't run off and leave him alone again. he listens to the introduction, the explanation, but isn't sure if he wants to believe in it. bonding? witches? monsters? he frowns as he wracks his brain for the familiarity it somehow sparks in his head but it's no use. he stays right where he is, seated halfway off the chair to stay close to Fairy. his face is set in a scowl even as he looks around with a tiny hope he'd see someone he recognizes, anyone.

he can feel the lack of connection to his golden core and it's... well, it's more than concerning, so he's not about to let his guard down. ]

III. the haven

[ it's not exactly an ideal situation, but so far no one's been hostile and he's quietly going along with things, for now. the watch device he's handed does take up some of his attention as he tries to familiarize himself with it, turning it this way and that before poking at the functions. he won't admit it, but it's interesting in a way and despite his apprehension to being lost in a foreign place (his Jiujiu is going to kill him for being reckless), his curiosity feels better than the earlier trepidation. almost to the degree that he kind of wishes Sizhui and even Jingyi were there with him right now. purely for numbers, of course, not because it's fun to explore with friends, nope.

so he scrolls the lists on the device once he's figured it out, heedless of the way Fairy is definitely running up to you (yes you!), barking and wagging her tail to say hello! ]

IV. wildcard

[ anything else beyond the introduction! ]

iii.

[disasterstraight]

[ He remembers. It's hazy, like a half forgotten dream, but Zixuan remembers being here before. He's reunited with Yanli and made his way out of the Looking Glass House, allowing her some space to catch up with others (we're looking at you, Wei Wuxian), standing off to the side examining his watch device, when suddenly there is a snuffling noise and something nosing at the hem of his robe. He looks down to find a very fluffy dog barking at him. This is... unexpected.

He knows about his son's spirit dog, but somehow hasn't put it together that this might be her. To him, it's just some random dog.

And so, he scolds her. He doesn't change his tone of voice, so it sounds like he might as well be speaking to an unruly human. ]

No. Stop. Go back to your owner.

traejan lightrend | world of warcraft (oc) | friendly neighbourhood arachne

[auriphrygiate]

↳ { i. arrival; open to all }

[ traejan’s arrival in the looking-glass house isn’t a quiet one. even when the factions claim to be putting aside their more petty conflicts in order to deal with a larger threat there's always some little battle going on somewhere. resource issues, no doubt. he's in the thick of it when it happens. it's like something snaps inside him and he's reeling from the shock and the pain he isn't sure is really real.

he sees the blade coming for him, his enemy having taken advantage of whatever was happening to him. traejan can't even be mad about it — he would have done the same. the steel catches the light and traejan's sure what he's experiencing is some sort of strange hallucination that exists only in his mind because he's been in enough fights and been stabbed enough times that he knows he's never had the opportunity to spot his own reflection.

there's a sudden lurching sensation and the disorienting feeling of falling for a moment or two before he appears from the mirror as if someone on the other side has just shoved him. he even has a little momentum, given how he skids when he hits the ground with a crash of metal and whatever the floor's made of. the twin one-handed swords he's clutching are still bloodied from whatever he's killed last but the ornate runes carved into the metal no longer glow as they were moments ago. traejan picks his head up just in time to see his hulking skeletal construct appear through the mirror and then almost immediately fall apart, clattering into a pile. ]

This isn't fair..

[ it's the first thought that springs to mind and escapes, unfiltered. he's so rattled that he's not thinking about trying to save face. getting up, he secures his weapons and movee to the bone pile, trying to gather up everything he can all at once. an average human skeleton has 206 bones and while in life it had definitely not been an average human, there was probably a similar number of bones involved give or take some bony cosmetic addons and such, like spikes everyone thinks spikes are cool.

it's honestly a bit distressing considering what'd he felt just before he ended up here. that was an extremely familiar feeling to him, actually, but it was somehow even worse than he'd ever imagined. his right hand presses against his chest, just over his heart, his fingers tense as if he's gripping something unseen and holding it together. it's probably a bit of a sorry sight, this very large elf kneeling next to a very large bone pile and looking like a friend had just died.

if someone were to approach just then, he's totally going to pretend like that last part never happened and you were just imagining it. obviously. he can't deny the bone pile but he can deny everything else! ]

↳ { ii. the haven; open to all }

[ someone's finally set this man up with a sack.

... for the bone pile.

he's done his usual thing by now — which is to ignore that there's a problem and keep moving — so by the time he's made it this far he's feeling much more like himself. at least, in terms of his mood. his utter lack of magic remains completely uncomfortable. even as an undead thing this is the most dead he's ever felt.

while the locals are of varying size and there are plenty of larger monsters, it's probably traejan's overall look that they find disconcerting. he at least had the foresight to ask one of the witches to apply a little prestidigitation so he doesn't look fresh out of combat. still, he's two metres of very armed and armourclad elf and lugging the rattling bag of bones around with him, bearing the weight with his left arm which appears to be fully mechanical as well. maybe some would see his pale, greyish pallor and assume he's simply a vampire. either way, he's hard to miss.

he takes a break eventually, finding enough of a space that he's not immediately blocking traffic. it's not that traejan cares as much as he doesn't want to have to move again, sitting right down on the bag of bones after removing his weapons. he lays the pair of swords across his lap for the moment, staring down at them like he's expecting something to happen if he concentrates hard enough.. ]

↳ { iii. fireworks; open to all }

[ this whole thing is just like the darkmoon faire, so he approaches it with the same sort of anticipation. they always had interesting liquor and if he was lucky he could pay in tickets.

or not, as it turns out.

he has none of the local currency, so he's been waving gold pieces around instead. at the very least he's offering something shiny and clearly metal which could then be made into something else. that seems worth it to the merchants to part with their liquor — and potentially grossly overcharging them if his gold is equal to some higher denomination of cune — but he doesn't seem to mind too much. he's had quite a bit of the drink by the time the hour of the fireworks is upon them, but perhaps the only way anyone could tell just by looking is his somewhat more relaxed posture and lowered ears.

at first he watches the fireworks display with interest, though he's not awed by it. it almost looks like he's... judging? yes. he's definitely judging. ]

It's alright but I could do better..

[ he says this to... no one in particular? it's not like those operating the explosives are nearby nor could they be expected to hear him over the show. open commentary then, so enjoy. at least the stall serving strips of grilled, seasoned meat on a stake look interesting.. ]

[ WILDCARD: hit me with anything else! i'm open to all sorts of nonsense! if you want to get specific, find me at koutenko ]

iii.

[freecshow]

[no one in particular, you say??? that sounds like a role Gon Freecss constantly and unwittingly volunteers himself for, and Gon turns to blink his dark eyes up at Traejan.]

Really?? Do you make fireworks?

[Gon considers, of course, that this guy might just be an asshole. but there's also a chance he's someone interesting! and ... sometimes—often, people are both, so.]

Lan Xichen | MDZS | OTA

[zewu_jun]

[ooc: I have an open log with these prompts as well as some quest things for more options. I'm open to tags wherever!]

What could possibly go wrong? (The Cirque Mystique)
I. It's all fun and games...

[Lan Xichen is as fascinated by the new arrivals as everyone else, eager to see the performances and admire the array of costumes and new food. He happily partakes in all of it, enjoying the display while munching on snacks and taking up his new hobby: losing at the various games. He doesn't seem to realize he's being cheated, trying several times at the same booth before cheerfully giving up and moving on to the next, having equally abysmal luck. The various stall workers soon pick up on an easy mark and start encouraging him to specifically come make his attempt at every game lined up, planning to completely fleece him of everything he's got. It's not hard to tell he's being taken advantage of, and if any less opportunistic soul is around, the poor Lan needs an intervention.]

I just don't understand. I believe my accuracy is not this poor. I assure you I am normally a better archer...

II. Until the bottles come out

[Some of the new items might not be the best thing for a Lan to try, but with the promise of new, exciting liquors and Lan Xichen feeling especially bold lately, he can't help but be tempted by them. He has at least been trying to resist, declining a few times when vendors urge him to take free samples, but it's clear he wants to know what these rare treats are like. Wavering in front of one particularly nice looking drink--a rosy colored liquid filled with tiny specks that reflect like stars--he hesitates, debating with himself.]

And you say it is not very strong?

[ Not strong at all! You won't even feel a glass this size. ]

It does look nice... And if it is not strong, it probably can't hurt...

It's all fun and games...

[islandhuntress]

[Petra also feels confident that she should be doing better than she is. She's positive her inability to hit every mark perfectly can't have anything to do with her new naga body.

She pauses to look at the bow and arrow in her hands, frowning as she inspects them but quickly comes to the conclusion that they're not the problem either.]

I am normally having more skill also. Let us have another competition. [She glances around.] Oh! There. [She points to the side of a stall with writing on it.] The arrow needs to be hitting the inside of the 'o'. You first.

[The suggestion is so bizarre and impromptu that the person running the game takes a moment to realize what's happening, starting to sputter that that's not what they're supposed to be doing but Petra is obviously determined that this is the new game.]

Tieria Erde | Gundam 00 | Naga

[virtuell]

ii. Welcome Party
[ Well. This is absolutely insane. Tieria sits through the initial presentation silently, very focused. Inside, he is seething. None of this makes any sense, he isn't where he's supposed to be, this should not be possible and if it was Veda would have said so--- but no matter how much his rage eats at him inside, the reality isn't changing.

So in the end he just gets in line for the magic test, which reads negative, and that's it. That's just the final straw here. ]

Monster? Redo it! That has to be a mistake! Pay better attention!

[ When the Coven member refuses and points tiredly at the many other arrivals still in need of their own testing, Tieria simply turns on his heels and storms off. Where is he walking? He's uncertain himself. So he just kind of comes to a halt on the other end of the foyer. Embarrassing. ]

iii. Haven
[ Tieria immediately gets stuck on fiddling with the Watch, opting to stay behind while most of the newcomer mirrorbound are already pouring deeper into Haven to take a look around.

He flips through the different apps with the practiced ease of someone who has used many electronics in his life, but his frown deepens by the moment. He's muttering to himself, sounding aggravated. ]

This is their most modern...? This is ancient... How did such a backwater dimension slip past Veda's notice...?

[ And while he still grumbles quietly about the lack of technology standard, he finally makes his way a bit deeper into Haven as well and is forced to stare at the architecture and that... truly leaves him speechless for a moment. ]

...just what year are we in?

iv.a Come On Down
[ Tieria can be found by the food stalls, taking a very close look at the different delicacies offered. He appears to have a vested interest in identifying every item and sometimes he asks the salespeople to name something for him. Yet he doesn't buy or eat anything at all. He's just trying to figure out what countries on the Earth he knows these different foods might correlate to. It's a desperate attempt at understanding more about this world he has found himself in. Before long, Tieria starts to simply feel stupid.

For the rest of the afternoon, he can be found simply wandering. He always gives his best to avoid the most crowded areas but it's still hard to avoid bumping into somebody from time to time. If you are such a person, you can expect a glare sent your way. ]

Haven

[marmoron]

[ Tieria is absolutely not the person Keith was hoping to come across at 3AM on the night the mirrorbound are due to arrive. But all the same, you don't just overhear someone mumbling something like that and just walk on by.

Or well. You can. But Keith is on the nosy side. He pauses. ]

You have the technology fo travel between dimensions?

Rikku | FFX | Witch

[al_bhed]

I. Arrival

[In hindsight, Rikku realizes it started with a glint in the sands of Bikanel. She had gone over to investigate what it was, and POOF! Weird room filled with people staring into mirrors.

As if to add insult to injury, the mirror closest to Rikku shows images of home, family, and friends--both alive and otherwise. The more she stares into it, the more her heart sinks.

After a little while of standing there feeling sorry for herself, she inspects the rest of her surroundings. Other mirrors seem to be dull and lifeless, so clearly there's something special about this one. As such, Rikku is inspecting it very, very closely, turning it over and picking at its pieces in an attempt to take it apart and figure out how its machinery works. Assuming it's machinery that's the cause.

If it's not mechanical in any way, then... well, maybe she'll break it so she doesn't have to be reminded of the home she already knows she misses?]



II. Quests: Part-timers Wanted!

II-a. Alechimcal Apprentices

[If Rikku's going to be here for the long-haul, she might as well make herself useful. Plus, she needs spending money if she's going to eke out some sort of living here in the city. Thankfully, there are people looking for hired help!

Unfortunately, this part-time gig isn't quite what Rikku had hoped it would be. The grouchy old man in charge isn't letting her actually make anything depsite her insistance that she mixes ingredients like this all the time back home. Well... maybe not dragon scales and whatnot. But she mixes ingredients to make bombs and healing items, and that's what matters!

As a result, she's currently (huffily) dissecting pickled toads for parts, audibly debating with herself how much trouble she'd get in if she just starting mixing things together anyway.]



II-b. Cheerful Buns

[Rikku's other part-time job, however, more than makes up for the tedium of ingredient-prep for the alchemist. Kneading dough for hours on end is a bit hard on her arms, but she's enjoying the heck out of the cheerily-complimenting-everything part. It's silly, sure, but it's comforting to just settle into the positivity and let the nice words flow.

After telling her dough what a handsome loaf of bread it's going to make, she turns to the person next to her--you!--and grins.]

Your hair is looking REALLY good today!



III. Wildcard

[Feel free to poke Rikku with whatever!]

ii-a!

[sonnestark]

[Karin has been much of the same mind— if she's going to be here for any length of time, then making herself useful is essential, and she's never been one to be content with sitting idle. Part-time work seems like an excellent way to get to know parts of the city and what daily life here is like, and that pursuit is what brings her alchemist apprenticeship, the same as Rikku.

While she herself is more content to take direction in this area, it's impossible not to notice that Rikku seems to be struggling with that, and so as they stand side-by-side dissecting toads, she leans in a bit, her voice low.]

Just hang in there, okay? I bet if you spend enough time doing what he wants, he'll let you experiment a little. You just have to earn his trust first!

[Maybe. Hopefully?]

Reynir Árnason | Stand Still, Stay Silent | Faun | OTA

[braidmage]

III. CHANGES [Open to Monsters]

[ Arriving in the Looking-Glass House is disorienting, of course. But for Reynir, this time around, it's disorienting for a slightly different reason than for the other new arrivals.

See, he's been here before. Not just in a vision, but really, truly lived here. He remembers it all in a rush, the moment he comes through the mirror again. That mirror looks the same as it had, the last time. The room looks the same. It's all so familiar.

But there is a nagging sense, in the back of Reynir's mind, that something is different.

Amidst the chaos of such a large influx of new people, Reynir manages to slip away. He's had the whole welcome spiel before, and he doesn't need to hear it a second time. He needs to figure out how long he's been gone, what's changed, if his apartment is still there...

It isn't for an hour or two, until he tries to do a simple little spell, that Reynir understands that vague itch of wrongness in the back of his mind. Because the spell doesn't work. Not the first or second or third time he tries it. It's just a simple little spell - one he ought to have been able to do half-asleep and with his eyes closed.

So, if his magic doesn't work... does that mean...? ]

Oh.

[ Shaken and unsure, Reynir doesn't think to do research on the network or in a library or anything of the sort. Instead, he heads to somewhere with a lot of people - somewhere with a lot of Monsters. That way, he can find someone who looks friendly enough and ask, stammering and nervous: ]

Excuse me, um - I'm sorry, I don't mean to bother you, it's just- I was wondering something and I - I don't have anybody else to ask.

IV a. CARNIVAL

[ After the initial shock of returning to Aefenglom, and realizing that he is no longer a mage, no longer even a Witch, but a Monster... let's just say Reynir is ready for some colorful, cheerful distractions.

What better time for the carnival to come to town? He is drawn to it like a moth to a flame, bright-eyed and open-mouthed. There are so many games to play, so many performances to take in, so much food to eat. Reynir lets his enthusiasm carry him, buzzing here and there, chattering and laughing and making friends with total strangers.

At one booth, offering tea, he turns to the person standing next to him and asks, delighted: ]

Why's this soup so weird?!

IV b. DISINHIBITION

[ On the night of the 5th, Reynir is in that audience, and is hit right away by the spell that alters everyone's inhibitions. The signs of it are not immediately apparent, in him. He was already someone who spoke without thinking first, more often than not. He was already a person wearing his heart on his sleeve, laughing loud and saying what he thinks.

But it turns out there are a few more layers to him that he keeps hidden, most of the time. And with the effects of that spell in place, and his self-control in tatters, Reynir becomes bolder. Less shy, less self-doubting. The confidence that he works so hard to project isn't an effort, anymore.

He lets it take hold of him, almost a frenzy, laughing and whooping and jumping on various structures in the park that probably are not meant to be climbed on. If he stumbles by any music and crowds, he will swoop in and begin trying to dance with the first half-willing person he encounters. ]

For Onni

[braidmage]

[ In his enthusiasm for all the different kinds of entertainment and knick-knacks and food to be had at the carnival, Reynir ends up in a bit of a situation. His arms are full, clutching a dozen or so items to his chest: a vibrantly-colored embroidered vest, a big plush multicolored cat, several toys and figurines, a bag of strange puffed savory snacks. Yet despite the fact that he can clearly carry no more, he has gotten to the front of the line at the dumpling cart, and he is going to get some dumplings.

He manages the balancing act for a few steps, away from the cart. Then, however, he loses his footing - not surprising, given that he cannot see the ground in front of him through the mountain of his purchases. He makes a small eep! of surprise, tripping and clutching at everything, but losing his grip on the little carton of dumplings... ]