Intro Log: October 2020

[faileas]

Intro Log: October

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. "My goodness. In the middle of the month! We weren't expecting you, we weren't!" The woman smiles broadly, with her Bonded glancing over the newly arrived and those who may have followed them in to volunteer explanations and assistance to the newest addition of their Mirrorbound bunch. "Let's get through the introductions, shall we? This here's Mhairi Ainsley, ambassador to the Parliament, and of course, my Bonded. And I'm Nerissa Bell, Head Witch of the Coven -- but you can just call me Miss Nessie, you can," she adds with a wink. "I know you must all be tired and confused after all that. We're here to help get you settled, dearest. Let me just..." 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 -- namely, if they have magic potential or not -- 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 the trek to where you'll be staying. As you're leaving -- with Coven and/or Mirrobound escorts as guides -- you'll be given a peculiar-looking device. It's a very special watch, the native Witches explain, compliments of Parliament. These watches are passed around to all the new arrivals, who are given a quick rundown on their functions and encouraged 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, free of cost. 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 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. Much of the housing already has furnishing as well: standard items such as kitchenware, couches, beds, etc. were left behind by the relocated owners for those moving in. Though some are fairly newly-unoccupied, the dust on the floors of other houses suggests they were left long 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 them for -- so long as the legality isn't questionable, at least on the surface. To help with filling up the larger houses -- and even some of the smaller ones, or the shared rooms in the barracks -- the Coven put together a little roommate finding service, on a smaller scale from the grand opening of the Haven a while back. 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 simply reads the information you've offered up yourself -- or that someone might have written up for you, should that be their idea of fun.

Welcome to the intro log! While mingling on the log itself is highly encouraged, feel free to make your own logs if you prefer! 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 throughout the month 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 October's Quest Pickup thread on the Quest Board. Finally, if your character is getting into any Shenanigans or if you have any other questions, just let the mods know here!

Comments

[chefalier]

I know that!

[He's maybe a little more snappish than he should be, and there's an obvious grumpiness to Sanji, before he finally decides to pull out a cigarette and his lighter. He needs one right now.

It takes him a few tries to get his lighter going before he exhales a plume of smoke, breathing out slowly and trying to regain some of his composure.]

Super sunscreen. [At first, he seems less than impressed by that suggestion, but a thoughtful look soon comes across the pirate as he mulls over this. Well, he is in a world that is magic based, and it wouldn't be too out there to think there's some sort of spell or charm or whatever that can make everything a bit more tolerable.

In the mean time, guess he might have to find an umbrella.]

Huh... that's not a half bad idea. Magic here is something special.

[tothemetal]

[impatience is something that Styx is quite used to in conversation, given how slow he was in nearly every regard, and so the worst that the other man's bite does is cause him to duck his head apologetically for a moment. he'll have to try a little harder not to be such an annoyance, that's all.]

Yeah, right? Don't have anything like it where I'm from...even though people're using it all the time, still feels crazy to me every time I see it.

[every time he does it. with a gentle sigh, his gaze drifts for a time to watch the cigarette smoke drift away.]

Pretty sure the real good witches could do anything.

[chefalier]

[Wait-- shit.

A wave of guilt passes through Sanji when he sees Styx duck his head. It's apparent that his words affected him more than the pirate assumed they would. Maybe not in a large manner, but dammit, he's really not here to make others feel shitty.

Although, directly apologizing to him isn't something he's about to do either.

He just stays quiet for bit, listening to Styx talk and letting his cigarette dangle from his mouth for a while. So, he's from a place that doesn't have any sort of magic. Sanji briefly wonders if people would consider Devil Fruit powers to be magical-- guess seeing someone made of rubber would be strange. Heck, it's strange in his own world still.]

Yeah. If people are stubborn enough, usually something comes out from it. [He's not about to let some sun beat him down at at time like this.]

...Oi, you mentioned you've been here since summer. You're a Witch or something else?

[tothemetal]

Yep!

[he grins, any unhappiness he may have felt over being a problem in this conversation evaporating swiftly enough. folding his arms behind his head, casually, he accompanies the agreement with a wholly unnecessary nod.]

Was kinda hard to believe at first, but I can actually do some magic now! Nothing flashy, but 's way better than when I started.

[well...he's pretty sure that he was still constantly hovering close to another Umbrella Incident whenever he tried to cast spells outside of moments of pure stress. but he hasn't had a repeat yet, and that had to count for something.]

Guess that test they give you when you show up's the real deal, even if the answer feels weird.

[chefalier]

[At least he easily perks up, almost like a puppy or something. Be one thing if this whole bit was an act, but it's not-- doesn't seem like it at least.

Thus it would explain why upsetting this guy made him feel more guilty than normal.]

Isn't magic in itself supposed to be flashy?

[He buries his hands in his pockets when he recalls the results of his test. Right, no magic potential, he'll be transforming into a monster and he'd have to be an idiot to not know what he's going to be in a few months or whatever.] Yeah, got that test. I won't be waving a stick around.

[tothemetal]

If you're good at it, for sure! Seen people do some real crazy shit with it here.

[the fashion shows during Lunasa alone had been...really, truly mind-boggling for someone as easily impressed as Styx. it's probably the only thing aside from protecting people that motivates him to keep smashing his head against the academic wall that is magic: learning to create absurdly flashy spectacles for when he performs.

his warm cheer ebbs a little after a moment or two, several longer than the average person would have needed to connect sticks with withcraft. his little frown has nothing to do with imagined reprimands this time; rather it's an expression of sympathy. he's seen firsthand how much people can struggle with monster transformations.]

Sorry dude, that sucks. [although-] Not all bad, though! Monsters are real killer too.

[chefalier]

You're saying that you aren't any good at it?

[It doesn't surprise Sanji to hear that people are capable of some amazing feats with their magic. He hasn't really looked into the various spells that they can cast, but it might be something to do so later, despite his inability to use any himself. Just good to know what people are capable of.

The sympathy isn't entirely unexpected, and while Sanji isn't really comforted by his words, he doesn't brush them off.]

It's fine. Already have a feeling which monster I'm gonna be. [It's still not the best, but his luck could've been even shittier in the end.] Won't cripple my main method of fighting.

[tothemetal]

[he nods.]

'm way better than when I started, but I'm still pretty shit at it.

[magic required an unexpected amount of academic work to be utilized, something that Styx had never excelled at even under more mundane circumstances. it isn't a surprise to him in the least that he's struggling here - but it does get him down on occasion when he sees all of the amazing things he'll likely never be capable of himself. all he can do is try his best, though, and it's those thoughts that allow him to look towards the future with optimism.]

No kidding though, you already know? They give you a sneak peek or something?

[also, how did he fight? ...the cigarette? he tries (and fails) to be subtle, but he's definitely staring at Sanji's smoke as if it's suddenly going to do something really cool.]

[chefalier]

[Sanji seems to study Styx for a moment, largely quiet as the Witch mentions his struggle with using magic here. Honestly, he'd be more surprised to hear if he didn't have trouble, but Sanji isn't so crude to say something like that out loud. It's obvious that he's lacking confidence in stuff like this.

And yeah, he can't exactly blame someone that has a hard time learning magic if they never dealt with it before.

So, the cook breathes out again, pulling his cigarette away from his mouth, his eyes darting away to look at the normal civilians participating in their usual mundane activities.]

...You're improving, yeah? Focus on that.

[He doesn't let the words rest for long, however, moving quickly to answer his next question.]

The sun being uncomfortable for me is a glaring clue.

[If this guy doesn't get it from here... although, what is he looking at? Sanji blinks when he notices Styx's unsubtle staring, his eyes tracking the other man's-- and is he looking at his cigarette? Why???

...]

ARE YOU AN IDIOT?!

[He suddenly swings his leg around towards Styx's head, although he stops himself before any contact is made.]

[tothemetal]

[he was, wasn't he? even if it was incremental, at a glacial speed compared to everyone else...it was still a little better each day. Styx wouldn't pretend that he still wasn't worried that soon enough he'd hit his limit, woefully below any level that would allow him to help people, but at the same time it would be unfair not to acknowledge the progress he'd made already. he was practicing his magic now, after all. that was already so much fear he'd dispelled.

the thought makes him smile, almost to himself, although the expression doesn't last long in the face of the riddle Sanji had unintentionally posed to him. monsters that couldn't stand to be in the sun for long...well, vampires, obviously. but maybe that was a little too obvious? it's as the drummer's trying to put the pieces together that the other man solves his own private question, and, well...

the sudden violent movement has Styx giving a startled cry and taking a small step backwards, but otherwise making no attempt to defend himself from what looks like an honestly terrifying blow. his heart is still racing even when the guy's foot stops short, although that agitated question does have his brows crinkling gently.]

Uh...yeah? [he blinks, very slowly.] Sorry. Is that, uh, a problem?

[it usually was...although it's been a while since he'd fucked up in a way he couldn't immediately identify.]

[chefalier]

...

[Honestly, not the sort of reaction Sanji expected from him. Usually when he asks someone if they're an idiot, they either get angry at him in return or become indignant from the question alone. This guy, however, just seems to be fully acknowledge it.

How does one even respond to such a simple agreement??

At the very least, Sanji slowly lowers his leg, straightening his posture once more, his eyes averted from Styx. He seems disgruntled, a hand ruffling his hair, obvious that he's trying to come back with some sort of answer to him.]

This is where you're supposed to say that you're not an idiot, dumbass.

[tothemetal]

[you're about twelve years too late for any self-defense on this field, Sanji. the drummer watches him with open concern, the sentiment muddied only briefly as he admires how easily the guy can straighten back up from near horizontal posture. it was like something out of an action movie, wasn't it?]

Oh! Sorry, uh, 'm not that good at lying.

[and if Sanji is calling him a dumbass, then did that mean he already knew it was untrue that he wasn't actually an idiot? so why did he want to hear it..? you can practically hear the gears turning as Styx runs a hand through his own hair.]

Can still try if you want, though! 's no problem.

[chefalier]

['Not good at lying,' so he fully believes that he's an idiot and just accepts that as fact. Likely shit at studying or people around him continuously pokes fun at his intelligence. But despite that, he seems to be a nice person.

...

Tch, there's no way he's going to make him lie. It will probably turn out bad and make him more annoyed.]

No, forget it-- forget I called you an idiot too.

[Everything feels a little more shitty when the guy getting insulted just takes the comment without any fight or comeback whatsoever. Sanji digs his hands in his pockets, almost thinking if he should say anything more, and eventually, he speaks again.]

I'm sure you can figure out how I fight now.

[tothemetal]

Uh...sure, if 's what you want.

[it'll take him a little while to edit that insult from his memory, because Styx just about everything as literally as he can, but it's not something that he minds in the least. especially not when he's been gifted with a hint that even his meager intelligence can grasp at.]

- yeah though, think so! 's like one of those action movies dudes, huh? Bet you can kick through walls and all kinds of shit.

[it's definitely extremely cool to this particular dude.]

[chefalier]

[Sanji's definitely glad to have that calming nicotine running through his system, because he probably would've snapped again from how this conversation is going. It's fine, completely fine. He said he's going to just forget being insulted, it's just what he wanted.

Right.

The cook resists the urge to rub between his eyes before sighing, eventually coming up with a proper response to him.]

Yeah, I can. Kick through walls and shit. [Even now, possibly. He does feel more tired in the mornings than he should, but.] Took practice.

[tothemetal]

[he can actually kick through walls!? if Styx's eyes could sparkle right now they're be putting every star in the sky to shame. only the fact that he'd nearly gotten his head knocked straight off his shoulders from staring last time prevents him from dropping into a crouch to openly gape at this dude's legs...but somewhere he still manages to give off the vibe of very badly wanting to.]

Shit, dude, that's killer! How'd you practice? Just like, kick stuff a bunch until it stopped hurting?

[maybe if what he was practicing to do was have his legs amputated...]

[chefalier]

[Styx's reaction almost reminds him of Usopp or Chopper, so he takes the admiration in stride.]

Basically. An old geezer wanted to make sure that I knew how to defend myself.

[But despite Sanji calling his adopted father-- his dad an old geezer, there's some genuine affection coating his voice. Maybe it's from the fact that he just dealt with the Vinsmokes, but now more than ever, he feels indebted to the old pirate that took in a shitty kid and raised him like a real parent.]

How about you? Do you fight at all? [Styx has a large physique, but he's not about to make an assumption.]

[tothemetal]

[that sort of derisive reference to someone who held a special place in someone's heart is one which Styx is rather familiar with, thanks to his guitarist back home. while Vincent would never have been so obvious in his fondness, the sentiment resonates in exactly the same way.

that was nice, he thinks. it's wonderful to have people who care about you do much.]

That's super cool! Was probably real hard for him to do since he was so old. [you know, lifting his legs up that high and stuff.] Must've meant a lot.

[Sanji's return question makes him laugh, shaking his head easily. it's an easy assumption to make, given how big he was, but it couldn't be further from the truth.]

Can't really fight at all, nah! Or, I mean, never tried to do anything fancy? I can punch 'nd stuff, you know. Usually just let people kick my ass.

[chefalier]

The shitty old man never let his age get in the way of slamming his pegleg on top of my head. He should be in a retirement home.

[Some more grumbling, but still affected by his earlier fondness that lessens any sort of displeasure about the 'shitty old man.' But Sanji's more easy demeanor quickly drops when he hears Styx admit his lack of fighting prowess.

It's not the fact that he can't fight that bothers him, it's the whole 'letting people beat the shit out of him' that causes him to frown. In a way, it hits close to him.]

Really. You're just gonna let people kick your ass? Why?

[tothemetal]

[oh, the guy had a fake leg too? this just sounds more and more like he taught Sanji out of love, which is awfully nice...until the guy starts frowning again, that is. Styx guesses that it's probably something which requires a little clarification if they're not from his world.]

Yeah, 'course! Uh, 's a little different here 'nd all, but back home people'd just try and start stuff 'cause I'm so big, you know? Not like they were mad at me or nothing. So I'd just let them do what they had to since it'd make them look tough 'nd then the real nasty dudes'd leave them alone.

[he was helping, essentially, buying these people a lifetime of relative safety in exchange for a moment or two if discomfort. it wasn't like he couldn't take the beating - he was pretty tough! so why shouldn't he be useful where he could?]

[chefalier]

That's a stupid reason for people to start fights with you.

[...Although, Sanji isn't surprised by it either. People start all sorts of crap for the most inane reason sometimes-- often? Doesn't mean that he won't call something out for being completely moronic though. And doesn't mean that Sanji won't be at least a little annoyed that Styx lets this happen, heck, even encourages it.]

They can kick the shit out of an inanimate object instead. I'm sure that's what punching bags are made for. Besides, nothing strong about picking on someone that won't fight back.

[tothemetal]

Maybe! Most stuff about me's stupid.

[it wouldn't surprise Styx one bit if his few redeeming traits also had some element of idiocy to them. but the thought doesn't bother him; the big guy's laughing, in fact, holding his arms up in a mock defensive gesture to playfully help illustrate the rest of his explanation.]

Uh, 's not too hard to sell it though! Keep your arms up around your head 'nd it kinda just looks like they're running a train over you before you can get a hit in.

[chefalier]

That's not what I meant, dumbass.

[Somehow, Sanji stops himself from losing his temper at that comment. Maybe it's just from the overall good mood he's been having that he doesn't just snap at Styx. Oh, he's annoyed, but no yelling or threats of violence.]

...

[At that, he doesn't even know what to say in response. Not for a few seconds at least.]

Oi, don't encourage this sort of behavior. They're gonna keep beating people up and you won't be around to absorb the damage.

[tothemetal]

[his arms lower slowly when the motion isn't met with laughter as he'd expected, peering at Sanji with confusion through the gaps before they fall back to his sides. it isn't even disappointment in himself for having failed to express himself properly - he really doesn't understand what's wrong with the way he'd been preyed upon at home.]

Mean...maybe some of them do, yeah, guess it's possible. But I think most've the guys are just looking for a way to keep everybody else off their backs, you know? So it only happens to me.

[he shrugs, lopsidedly, and offers a smile.]

Kinda better like that, I think? 's just me getting hurt sometimes 'nd not everybody else.

[chefalier]

Don't care about their shitty reasoning.

[Beating on innocents is a no goal to Sanji. The only way he can possibly forgive something like this is if they're being threatened in some manner, but just for fun? Just to make themselves feel better? He's dealt with that mindset enough.]

Look, don't know why you'd think that, but I'm gonna tell you now, it's not fine that you're gettin' beat up, even if it doesn't hurt you much.