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

[worldcleansing]

They're memorized, but it was impossible to leave it there. Light wants to understand; he doesn't plan on being at this level for very long.

"I can't say I'm surprised." It really is a good thing he didn't mean L harm. That would have been hard to explain. "You like tests. I wasn't actively trying to pass that one, but I usually do assume you have tests waiting. That's probably the least surprising part of your work at the orphanage: you have some teaching instincts."

Though, Light does assume he's easier on the children than he was on adults. While he has no desire to join L in his work, he acknowledges kids are innocent and deserve their protection.

During his trip around the room to place the runes, Light notes that the protection is for L and Myr, meaning anyone wanted to do him harm wouldn't be barred from entry, and the defenses are people specific, not place. It's good that he has no enemies here. It's another reminder that there's no time to waste. It's not as if he lives in fear, but caution is always smart.

"I still haven't had a chance to meet Myr. I assumed he would come over more often."

[hearthebell]

"It was deceptive of me, and for that I apologize, but... I fully admit that it put my mind at ease. Even though we're Bonded, I still feel that I cannot be too vigilant when it comes to your cleverness."

And, of course, your own deceptiveness. As is often the case, when L compliments Light, it only highlights the things that would have made him more suspect, more capable of being Kira.

"You needn't fear any further tests." Either because there are none, or Light is sure to pass them; that much is unclear based on L's phrasing. The truth has a way of revealing itself.

He glances over Light's runes, his eyes briefly flicking to the other man's face before falling back across the paper.

"Usually, he does. I expect he's giving us space to settle, given the recency of our Bond's establishment."

It's subtle, but L's mind is anything but settled. He's not good at balancing relationships; it's been awhile since he's had more than one that was significant in his life. He's also not good at managing conflict, soothing hurt, damage control. He knows that Myr will come back, like a child in a tent knows that the shadows outside are only cast by the wind moving the trees... but it doesn't stop some of them from looking like curved and shredding claws. It doesn't stop the heart from quickening or quiet the anxious impulse to pull aside the cloth and check, just to make sure.

[worldcleansing]

While some would say the compliment is barred for its connection to Kira, and there's some truth in that, Light also knows that cleverness is part of L's favorite thing about Kira. If one or the other were less intelligent, the game would have been checkers instead of chess and over long before now.

"I'm not worried about passing, but if we can find a space that doesn't mean you don't feel like you need to test me, it'd make life here easier. We live together now."

L could more easily kill him considering his magic level, but it's not impossible for Light to do the same. There's an inherent trust between enemies/friends/rivals that their current relationship isn't going to involve murder.

The runes are those which L taught him the night before. Once they're in all four corners, Light returns to L's side. His very first lesson and something he's pushed and practiced until it was possible, was the ability to skip actual verbal commands when doing low-level magic. The need for something physical already slows him down more than it would high-level witches.

"Is that the only reason?"

Finally, it's time to ask a very important question.

"Linden, I know you came here with the belief that I'm Kira. Does Myr know about the investigation?"

[hearthebell]

"We live together, now."

L repeats the words, taking a moment after to focus entirely on the runes, murmur a few corrections and adjustments that enhance creatively rather than fix fatal flaws. He's a graceful artist, with runes, and is remembering as much now that he has his fingers back. There are also moments that Light will notice where the Bond shows him that, from certain angles, L is like brittle crystal filled to the brim with something sharp and white-hot that threatens, always, to shatter it. Invariably, it has to do with simple human touches that most would take for granted, that create friction and disturbance in waters that would remain clear and still otherwise.

He glances up again, and this time, his gaze holds.

"We've been Bonded for nearly a year. He has insight to my deepest convictions."

If Light has seen that crystal heated to breaking, Myr has seen it carrying lightning, cracking, requiring a bloody grip more determined than the detective's to hold it together.

"His heart will absorb what I believe to some extent, no matter what I say."

His eyes are liquid-soft, but his mouth is an unmoving line in his pale face.

"My Bond with you has tremendous power over what I believe. It's not my opinion that you'll squander it."

[worldcleansing]

In order for Myr to have an opinion on the Kira case, he'll need to know about the Kira case. Here, where neither can prove anything, it will be L's word against Light's, and there's no doubt who Myr will believe. It's one person, which is an annoyance more than an active problem, but the worry is what it implies: L has told people. Maybe one person, but it's not a secret he'll keep to himself no matter the circumstances. If it happened because of how close the two became, the implication is that it can happen with anyone L feels close with.

"So, he knows and believes I'm Kira, too."

Myr's an unknown. Is he vengeful? Is Light now sharing a home with someone who will wait for the chance to kill a man he believes to be a mass murderer? As nice as it would be to believe he could see and understand Light's vision, could picture the kind of place the world would be if it were rid of criminals, Light isn't in a habit of believing the best when it's unlikely to be true. Depending on how their interactions go when they do meet, depending on what kind of person Myr is, Light might have to find a new place to live. While he can trust L, it's a lot harder to trust a stranger. The cottage is the best-case scenario in a lot of ways so he hopes that won't be the case.

"Who else did you tell about Kira?"

[hearthebell]

L's wide eyes blink, a rarity. He cants his head, before choosing his words very carefully.

"To tell is a very conscious action," he replies softly. "My life is something the merest bit of information could forfeit, and my caution hasn't changed, here."

But his control has. There are shared dreams, magical occurrences, psychic Bonds and bizarre flukes that can coax things out of people. Light will learn in time, might regret any harsh sentiment he currently holds. Even so...

"Details of the case aren't known to most. Even Myr is only aware of the essentials; my profession. The general circumstances of what I was doing before I came through the mirror. He knows that I had a handler, that I helmed a task force, that there was a mass killer at large I disagreed with on a deep philosophical level."

He straightens slightly, turning away so that he can stare into a middle distance (or the wall, which would ultimately be a practical venture fruitful to their current goal.)

"He knows that you were my friend, and that I value our friendship."

He even knows that I am unwilling to give it up, knowing what I do.

Dying, how he had.

[worldcleansing]

"I don't like to say it, but I know you've come to the same conclusion: I'm unusually vulnerable here. I won't always be. I'm working hard so that I can at least defend myself, but right now, I'm just starting to learn magic. You mention your trust in me, but I also need trust in you."

Light doesn't turn away from L. He faces him, his body language open. L already knows he can seem fully honest while concealing the truth, but he can also be honest with seeming to be honest.

"I'm not asking you to defend me, but I am asking that you keep the Kira investigation secret. There's no way either of us can prove our side of the argument so it will be your word against mine."

And L's had more time to gain allies.

"I know the bond makes it harder to hide anything so I'll try to be understanding that Myr knows. I just need you to tell me if his knowledge makes him a danger to me. I haven't met him, I don't know what kind of person he is. "

[hearthebell]

While L doesn't turn fully toward Light, preferring (as usual) to keep his posture somewhat hunched and curled, eye contact at least remains accessible.

Light's right; he does need to trust L, for this to work. And the Bond will be helpful in convincing him, because while L doesn't intend to tell any lies, some of it could well sound unbelievable, given what they both know in the darker corners they don't want the other to see.

"You're not asking, but it goes without saying that I will defend you. You came here as my friend, but you're my Bonded, now, and we've been over how sacred a pact that is."

For what it means, but more for what it can do. They'd both experienced it once the ceremony was complete, the profound sense of belonging to each other that wasn't merely an abstract part of a an enemy's honor.

"It's very simple. Until Myr has cause to hurt you, he won't even consider it. And it would take more than my word to set him on that course."

He knows what you are to me, at least as well as I do. Conflicted, perhaps, but earnest enough to mourn the absence of.

"You might understand better, once you have met. He's reasonable... more than I am, to be completely honest."

[worldcleansing]

After a moment, Light nods.

"I'll feel better when that does happen. Right now, he's someone who holds a belief that could be dangerous to me, and we've never met."

There's a certain level of stock that Light can place in L's tastes. Even if he's 'friends' with Light, he's never backed away from what can, and will, do. Instead, he's also admitted that it was a mind that mattered to him, more so than moral standing, even if he's willing to sentence that mind to death. Light was playing with the same stakes.

Silence falls for a moment before a look of concentration falls over Light's face; he still has to work hard at this. However, he does manage without words and soon, the runs around the room begin to light as the illusion begins to peel back. They're lucky to have gotten a beginner's illusion, and that L really does seem to be a decent teacher.

When the light fades, the illusion is broken. Looking back to L, Light smiles.

"As much as I still want to return home, I do like magic."

It's an entirely new and powerful field of study, one completely open to him.

[hearthebell]

For the moment, L doesn't try to reassure Light further or make any grand, sweeping promises. Either meeting Myr will assuage his concerns or it will not; regardless, L has done what is within his power, and if he ascertains more with suspicious fervor, it'll only seem strange, try-hard, desperate, and, of course, suspect.

He lets the matter rest, for the moment, unless Light chooses to pursue it further, watching as the other man successfully strips away the illusion, leaving...

"...eggshell?" he says, furrowing his brow and chewing the pad of his thumb. "That's sort of boring, isn't it? I guess if you wanted this practice to last a little longer... you might cast a new one to redecorate."

[worldcleansing]

Perhaps luckily for them both, Light is the opposite of clingy; he's confident, and he knows that no matter the circumstances, he'll figure it out. Some ways will just be easier than others, and he's displayed his preference for how they handle things.

"There's no reason it has to be a singular color."

That said, Light isn't skilled in illusion at all. It's not a topic he's studying aside from a lesson or two that's thrown into another class.

"It can be a mural. That would be a lot less boring."

[hearthebell]

L stares, a short chuff of quiet laughter following. He laughs seldom; when he does, it's more to do with surprise than amusement or mockery.

"A mural? Ambitious..." he muses, though the glint in his dark eyes says that he doesn't dislike the idea. "I'm curious to know how you'd go about it. I'm here to answer any questions you might have, of course... but to get you started, you can't just cast a spell for a mural to appear. It has to be based in your own skill and artistry, or else a cast of one you've seen before and know extremely well. A photographic memory is almost required, in that case, which... is rather why most cast solid colors."

[worldcleansing]

"I assume it's the equivalent learning to paint any kind of picture, and I'm managing my expectations. Don't worry, Linden, I don't think I'll be leaving the coven with a Mona Lisa."

Even if that is something he could bring to mind easily enough. Light has a horrifyingly good memory and is good enough with his hands, as well as many other things, that he's sure most things would be possible for him in time. However, while he keeps his standards high, overestimating himself doesn't benefit anyone.

"I have an idea. I'll just need to know the basic runes. Are the illusion runes and dispel runes based on one another?"

Light Yagami has an idea.

[hearthebell]

"Worry?" L repeats, brows raising as he gives another soft, surprised laugh. "Any teacher who worries about having a prodigy on his hands is only concerned for his own ego. Please think more kindly of me, I really do want you to succeed to the best of your ability, here."

His dark hair falls over his face as he bends to write a new set of runes, more of an extension or a variation on the ones Light already knows than something new entirely. It's mutually intelligible, a dialect perhaps, something one familiar with the language can at least use to the extent they're required.

"Sister studies, I've always thought," he muses, in answer to Light's question as he slides them over. "Like the verse and the refrain, if you care to compare it to a song."

[worldcleansing]

As expected. Creation and destruction were often thought of as a circle, something that feeds into one another.

Light waits until L finishes his changes. His plan is ambitious, even while he's keeping his expectations within realistic limits. However, his own limits have always seemed to be higher than those for other people. While his skill isn't yet to the point to realize the full extent of his vision, it should be enough.

His eyes close. This will take concentration, and as he invokes the runes, Light wants the picture to be crystal clear in his head. With L being L, it might not even take him long to realize the moral Light is creating. Above and around them, the walls begin to fade to black; easy enough to do. Next come the dots of light, filling the four walls and even the ceiling. There aren't as many stars as the bond allowed displayed, but that's a limitation of Light's current skill level. Next, the floor becomes blue, the colors darkening at the hint of something beneath the ice that Light sensed when the bond first formed. Again, there aren't as many blues as there should be, but he does what he can, choosing splashes of color instead of more distinct, more complex shapes.

When it's finished, his eyes opening, a faint sheen of sweat now dotting his forehead.

"Better than eggshell."

[hearthebell]

L watches, curious and bemused, as the walls darken around them in awash of oblivion. Are you sure? Sort of dismal, japes a more playful side of the Bond. But of course he's not finished; there's more to this, just as there's more to Light Yagami, and L watches the illusion leave the path of mere expectation as it morphs and melds into specks of cold and distant light.

What-

Beneath his feet is a familiar pattern of blurry, distorted colors. The Leviathan is a part of him, and also starkly terrifying; in startled reflex, he bolts to his feet, his chair skidding sideways.

Is it that he's afraid, reacting as to a threat, or that this is an intrusion, even considering their Bond? Or is it something else? The Leviathan is only half as terrifying as being known, after all, and Light...

"Yes, it's... very impressive, excellent work."

He channels the adrenaline into vigorous nods, a swift and pale smile assuring Light of his success.

"...that said, however... I think it's enough for today."

[worldcleansing]

"Linden?"

It's an abrupt end and when combined with the obvious startle, there's no doubt that something in the picture has thrown L. It's a surprise, but not a welcomed one. There's a part of the design that disturbs L to the point of having him run from the room.

It's not stars.

"Why the sudden need to leave? We should work on dispelling this one, too? It's not something I planned to leave for the next people coming in."

[hearthebell]

L has neither the time or the space to parse his own reaction to the pattern. At the moment, his one task is to handle Light, through the rather unique combination of deep respect and placation measures.

"Right... of course, we should probably clean it up for the next practicers."

It's not a lesson anymore, however. While Light could undo this given the time, it's not time L wants to give him, for complex reasons that go beyond simple disquiet or even anger. He crouches, spreading his fingers over the colors at his feet and appearing to pull them apart like tissue paper, leaving a blank and dull floor beneath them. Around them, the illusions on the walls appear to melt into the baseboards.