intro log: august

[faileas]

Intro Log: August

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 brighter with the absence of the sister moons in the sky - it's the new moon, after all. 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. "There's always a right lot of you coming in, aren't there." 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 insanely colorful seats are summoned; half of them are wooden (sturdy and comfortable besides that), with the rest being misshapen and bag-like. Regardless, the seats fill the foyer and spread out a ways into the lawn behind them, making room for all of the new arrivals as well as the previous batch, should they have come to check on things. 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 interact with Nessie and Mhairi, please comment here. You have the option of handwaving the IC interaction to OOCly ask what questions your character might have for them, for us to summarize an answer for, or you can request an IC thread. Simply specify in your comment's subject and we'll respond accordingly. 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 through a bit of leftover ice and snow 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. LÙNASA Just like three months ago, those new to Aefenglom have found themselves brought to the city in the middle of a celebration. From dusk of Aguril 1st to the dusk of Aguril 3rd, Aefenglom celebrates something fairly special: Lùnasa. Traditionally, Lùnasa celebrates all kinds of traditional marriages sanctioned by Parliament, generally of the arranged kind, and handfastings, a ceremony based more on love and how long it lasts. The Coven's Bonds err on this side of things, though some Witches do have official spouses - Miss Nessie and Mhairi are an example of this, though not everyone marries their Bonded, either. Many of them are made during this festival, prompting the city to dress for the occasion just in case they find themselves in the middle of a ceremony, and just as many of them are formally renewed. Like during Litha, shops offer lovemaking potions, but only to those renewing vows or taking them; smaller fireworks, like sparklers and fountains, are also a common sight. Lùnasa is also home to the city's largest fashion show, showcasing fun and upcoming trends in the city. No experience is required to sign up to show off designs or to model them, and hundreds of tailors and needlework experts come together to quickly make dreams into reality for the end of the festival, when the show happens in genuine. The clothing is often wild and sorted into three categories: children, where those 14 and younger can submit their designs and model them as well; popular, where those 15 and older can do the same to try and vie for the judges' vote on what's in and what's out; and bonding, where all ages aspire to modify and make personal the traditional garbs of marriage and handfasting. While circumstances might be a little weird - and the month is a little cold coming in, given the snowstorm that happened at the end of last month - there's plenty to do, plenty to see, and plenty to take your mind off of just what a weird experience this all might be. Though those who have been in Aefenglom for a while now might notice something different over the course of the festival: they're a little more powerful than before, almost similar to the free-feeling that Boaltinn encouraged. Spells can still go awry, but the results will be much bigger - but it's frowned upon to use magic during festivals. Then again, characters will feel as if they're about to burn up if they don't use it a little... Well, just one spell beneath the shadow of the new moons wouldn't hurt, would it? a. JUST IN CASE While the city is dressed up on the off chance they might be roped into an impromptu wedding ceremony - it's likely that those who aren't native to Aefenglom don't have such luck. Thankfully, the tailors of city are offering free clothes on the caveat they advertise for them by wearing them around the festivities - they're long yet breathable garments, with colors that are fairly muted oranges and reds, not unlike the coming fall. It'd seem the fear of red skies from Litha has started to fade as nothing else too terrible has happened to the city at large, at least on the surface. And as it turns out, those offers might be better timed than they think: characters will be pulled into ceremonies at random to act as witnesses, to serve as dance partners for lonely folk, or just because they really needed someone to even out the numbers. b. ON THE CATWALK An annual occasion, the Aefenglom Fashion Show is always a bustling, bright time for those young and old to strut their stuff and try their best to either follow the latest trends, or spark them into being. Unfortunately, they're running a little low on models this year - many of their other ones decided to try their hand at sewing themselves - and so they're accepting volunteers! Willing or not; many of the more aggressive youths aren't above dragging those they deem perfect enough to wear their clothing to the back of the stage set up in the center of the Shopping District and pushing them out onto the catwalk dressed to the nines in all sorts of ridiculous-looking styles. c. EYE-CATCHING A few of the newest fashionistas in town have tried their hand at some rather... peculiar-looking clothing - but none so peculiar as those found in Precogstitchin' or Arwel's Tailory, in two completely different ways. While those who try on a piece or two of Precogstichin's wares will find themselves the center of attention due to their rather avant-garde shape, color, and pattern choices - not to mention accessories and rumor of being made of arachne silk! - those who try on Arwel's wares will find themselves being stopped quite frequently in the street despite the rather plain and dull colors and formless shapes the tailory provides as free samples. d. NEW MOON RITES While native Witches bemoan their weakened magics - some even expressing relief the new moon happens to land on a festival this year so they don't have to notice just how weak they are, mirrorbound Witches will find themselves feeling just the opposite: they're stronger. For those that chance a little magic despite the unspoken rules of the festivals in Aefenglom, they'll find the expelling of energy to be very relieving, as if a weight lifts off their shoulders. For those that refuse the siren's song of release, however, sparks of magical energy will fly from them, with a myriad of results - enchanting inanimate objects, transforming animals from one thing to another, starting small fires, creating illusions of the person or creature they fear the most... and so on.

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 August'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

arrival;

[yokeye]

Through a mirror~!

[Toki doesn't sound worried himself, but he's smiling a bit too much to cover other feelings. He waves vaguely down the hall, where his own mirror is.]

Did you come through one too!? There's no way back, right!? Because I've tried to like activate several of them or whatever, and they're just... mirrors!

[He never could use his powers well, but he's getting absolutely nothing in here for all his efforts.]

[chosenside]

[The combination of Toki being rather young and his cheery disposition gets Theseus to lower his wand more. While all of this is rather confusing, even to someone that's dealt with magic all his life, there's no reason to take out any frustration he might hold on him.]

I did come through one and I regret to tell you that I haven't found a way to return. It's a one way trip. [He does seem a little apologetic, even though they just met. Theseus doesn't like feeling useless and right now, he feels that and lost.] I thought that one of these mirrors might hold a different passageway and I've attempted to break through whichever enchantment has been placed on then, but they don't react.

[Is it because of his weakened state? He's felt that way ever since coming here, but that's not something he's going to mention. Also he might just be assuming that Toki is from Earth and familiar with magic.] Have you seen anyone else here?

[yokeye]

A one way trip...

[That was his assessment too.]

I thought maybe one would open or turn on or something an- Oh! I just tried like- [He wiggles his fingers in some gesture of "magic~" or the like.] -you know, power stuff, but! What if it's electronic and there's like a wall panel that opens them somewhere!?

[He attempts to remove the nearest mirror from the wall, to maybe look behind it.]

No, I haven't seen anyone else yet! What's the stick for?

[chosenside]

[Power stuff...? Ah, so electricity. He's unfamiliar with wall panels, all of this sounds more like muggle technology--

Oh, huh. Did Theseus make a mistake and accidentally mention magic to someone that's not familiar with it? That's... definitely not good and he feels another layer of stress add on top of his current situation. Okay, just take one thing at a time-- figure out what's going on and then worry about erasing memories later on.

So for now, he figures it's okay to be more open about magic, especially if he has to Obliviate him later.]

For using magic, actually. [Theseus smiles a little, waving it a little, although he's also testing if he can do the most basic of charms. Maybe Lumos? The Auror's eyes narrow for a moment before the tip of the wand flickers with light and becomes extraordinarily bright, before disappearing completely.]

...Usually it works far better than that.

[yokeye]

[Toki watches the light with the interest of a small child. It's a magic wand!]

Are you a wizard!?

[He's just come from a place with demons and gods and mermaids, but he's never seen a wizard. His excitement turns to a questioning look.]

Wait, how much better does it usually work? My uhh, magic- [He supposes that's the term they're using now.] -doesn't work at all. Maybe there's some kind of barrier thing?

[chosenside]

[Mostly because he still doesn't know what's really going on, Theseus waves his wand a couple of times in front of him before nodding in affirmation. It's definitely a strange feeling to tell the truth about his status to someone that doesn't use magic (at least, to Theseus' knowledge at this point), but it's always easier to be honest. Too bad that such a situation is normally rare and he's not about to ask this whole mirror ideal to be a common occurrence.]

I am, but promise to keep that a secret?

[Of course, walking around with a wand in his hand might be a dead giveaway, but Theseus would still rather have it out and ready just in case. He has to use whatever remaining 'advantage' he has and he doesn't want this young kid to get caught in the middle of anything.]

It can normally light up the whole room, especially if we want to make that happen. Quite magical, isn't it? [Despite the bad joke that no one should appreciate, a small crinkle forms near his eyes, as he tries to place some levity to their current situation.

Still, Theseus becomes surprised when Toki mentions his own magic, wondering what he could mean by that.]

You don't use a wand but you have your own set of magic? [Normally, he would assume this to be a prank, but Theseus doesn't think that's the case right now.]

[yokeye]

A secret.

[If he wanted it to be a secret, Theseus really shouldn't have shown him anything. Unfortunately, Toki cannot keep secrets and will absolutely tell anyone that this man is a wizard with a magic wand as soon as the opportunity arises.]

So, it's like dulled...

[And then it seems Theseus is amused by something, but Toki doesn't get the joke at all, and he's just confused.]

I've never seen a magic wand except in movies and things, really. My uhh, powers are... well... I was very powerful, but not very good at like making it work, so I don't know like what's happening here- and it was also magic tied to a specific place? And I'm not there anymore, so...

[He shrugs. He has no clue what's going on.]

[chosenside]

[KIDS THESE DAYS...

But Theseus just believes him, at least until he has to obliviate him anyway. Although, maybe he won't have to, if he really has magic of his own. He seems more familiar with muggle life, since he was amazed by wands and knows about movies, but he's not going to disregard the fact that Toki has magic. It doesn't make much sense to him, but that's how magic can be sometimes. The most he can do is help this kid out.]

Your magic is tied to a specific location...? [His eyebrows furrow at the thought, trying to think of a reason why that would be the case. This isn't the case of an Obscurus at least.] I honestly can't provide an explanation about that, but how about you stick by me for the time being? Until we know where we're at.

[yokeye]

Oh, I know why! I think! Because that world wasn't real, not really, and it's a virtual reality place and so like this magic thing was like fake too and...

[He knows it wasn't real, logically, but he still believes it was. Toki stops there at the explanation, because it will just get weirder. He nods and gives Theseus a smile that does not befit the situation.]

Okay! Lead the way~!

[He'll just trust this wizard man for the time being.]

[chosenside]

[Virtual... reality...? Is that a muggle invention? Theseus has no idea what Toki may be referring to, but if it's not actually real, maybe it's best to just leave it be for now. Even if it's slightly disconcerting that this 'virtual reality' allows muggles to wield magic, it's probably not something to worry about.

Theseus rubs the back of his head for a moment, but he nonetheless begins to lead the way. While he's still alert for anything that may be out of the ordinary, well more out of the ordinary, he decides to ask a few questions as well. Probably the most important one is:]

I almost forgot to ask-- what's your name? I don't wish to call you 'kid' all the time, and I'm sure that you have a perfectly good name to use.

[yokeye]

[He almost laughs at the "perfectly good name". His name is horrible and people make fun of it, and even refuse to use it in favor of a nickname. Which is also not the best, because it's a shade of pink. He goes with the nickname anyway.]

I'm Toki! It's a pleasure to meet you~!

[Introductions are odd in situations like this, and it feels a little awkward.]

[chosenside]

It's nice to meet you, Toki. You can call me Theseus.

[After double checking to make sure that Toki is following him, he begins to make his way out of the room. While there's a chance that he might've missed something there, there's a higher possibility that they'll get more information in a different part of this building. Maybe find the person responsible for this...

He knows that he really is in no shape to fight, but he'll take the chance for now.]

I want you to stay behind me, okay? [Even if he can't use his magic, Theseus will be damned if he let a kid be hurt.]

[yokeye]

Theseus.

[He repeats it, and it's a weird name. He's likely to forget it in an hour and still refer to him as "wizard man".

Toki has no problems just following along. He's less worried about things than Theseus, convinced there's some electronic wall panel or a hub they'll run into at some point. He does occasionally look into the mirrors as they pass, but they're never anything but reflections.]

[chosenside]

[If he's completely honest with himself, Theseus has never explored a potentially dangerous place with a kid before, let alone one that doesn't really have magic. It'd break all sorts of laws if he did something like that back home-- and for good reason. He's not quite sure how to address Toki and he can't flat out ignore him either.]

Speak up if you see something that's strange to you, even if it may not seem like it at first.

[Can't hurt to have an extra set of eyes, right?]

[yokeye]

Everything is strange.

[It's true, so he says it. But the way Theseus states it, even if it may not seem like it, has him looking closer for things that he may not have noticed in his search for electronics. A turn in the hallway just leads to another large room with mirrors. He's beginning to think that's all that's in here.]

Oh, wait! Hold on a second!

[He has an idea. He'd tried to open the mirror portals, but he hasn't tried to see anything. Toki stands in the middle of the room and covers his right eye with his hand. He slowly turns around in a circle, an expression of intense concentration on his face. After he's done, he just puts his hand down and shrugs.]

No, it's all black! Nevermind! Carry on, wizard man~!

[Yes, he's forgotten the name already.]

[chosenside]

[. . .

Theseus is suddenly reminded of the difficulties being around muggles, especially young muggles. He's doing his best to take it in stride, but even he feels himself somewhat exasperated. At least Toki is trying, even though it's also tempting to rub his forehead right now.

It's fine, really, he's handled far worse situations.]

I appreciate you trying, Toki.

[He looks at this new room of mirrors, very similar to the one they were just in. If each mirror represents someone that's been brought to this world... then there should be signs that they're here. Unless they're just preparation for more incoming kidnapped people.] If necessary, we'll return to this room, but let's find an exit to this building. Perhaps the outside will provide us with more clues to our current whereabouts.

[yokeye]

[He's getting the impression Theseus doesn't believe he has, or had, magic powers at all. "I appreciate you trying" is a condescending dismissal as far as he's concerned. But that's fine. It's nothing new, and he knows he's irritating sometimes.]

That's a good idea. I haven't seen any windows though... is there an outside?

[The number of mirrors equating to others who have come through them never once occurs to him.]

[chosenside]

Even the most isolated building has an outside.

[He's thinking mostly about Azkaban as he says that, and Theseus is definitely glad that they're not there, despite how confusing their current location is. And while a part of him, a quite frankly somewhat reckless part of him, wants to suggest blowing a hole in a wall, that's probably not a good idea. Especially since his magic is currently unreliable, as painful as it is to admit that.

Oh, and also just destroying buildings and probably alerting everyone, including potential guards. Those are also good reasons not to blast a hole.]

Let's continue looking.

[yokeye]

[There's silence for a minute and then an epiphany.]

What if the outside is just another inside and this is a building that was built inside of another one, and though that's technically outside the first building, it's not outside like out in the open?

[He pauses to listen for a minute. Soft voices from somewhere down the hallway. A potential way out.]

[chosenside]

[Theseus rubs the back of his head upon hearing Toki's theory. That's... certainly one way to look at things. It's honestly not the strangest idea to hear, especially since he can't name where they're currently at.]

That's not impossible, actually. [He'll give him that. Even though he's definitely dubious about the magic that Toki has dealt with back home because of the whole virtual reality bit, it's... better than just waving magic off completely. Theseus smiles a little despite himself.] Trapped in a powerful charm, where we keep on finding a way out, only to end up in a different building.

[Oh, that's probably not reassuring, is it?] But that means it's an enchantment that just needs to be countered.

[But Theseus also stops to listen to the voices coming from down the hallway. With his wand in hand, he peeks around the door to look down the hall, and for some reason, feels a certain pull to go down it.] The voices are coming from the lower floor.

[yokeye]

A charm, like a spell?

[Well, why not? He has a magic wand.]

Then let's go down there!

[He doesn't wait for confirmation that it's a good idea, just running down the hallway until the stairs are found.]

[chosenside]

Yes, a spell that adds certain characteristics to an item--

[NO KID COME BACK...

Theseus stops his sentence short as Toki runs off ahead of him. It takes only a second for the Auror to start following him and he catches up rather quickly, mostly because Toki had stopped running not too long after.

Still, once Theseus reaches his side, he steps in front of Toki, looking quite agitated even though nothing terrible happened. Just. Something could have happened and that's enough to get his temper to slightly slip. Theseus quickly glances at him to make sure that Toki isn't about to run off again, before looking down the stairs.]

I said to stay behind me, Toki. [His voice is probably a bit harsher than necessary, but Theseus has already decided that he's responsible for Toki's well-being until they get out of here. It's what any responsible adult should do. But he lets out a deep breath, trying to recollect himself before speaking again.]

I'm going to go down, okay? Remain a few steps back.

[yokeye]

It's just a stairway!

[Okay, there could be demons or monsters or any number of hazards down there, but what is Theseus going to do? His wand is basically a flashlight. He's no better equipped for this than Toki is. After that initial response though, he hangs back.]

[chosenside]

[UM W O W.

Theseus is confident in his glorified flashlight, okay no he isn't, but he's making his way down the steps in a quiet and almost careful manner. Somehow, he isn't taking forever and he only briefly stops when he reaches the bottom, peering around the corner and spotting a small group that's beginning to form out on the foyer.]

There's a group.

[And now this older lady is beckoning for them to come forward. Well, they've already been spotted, so...]

[yokeye]

[Toki follows him down the stairs without another word until the old woman shows up.]

Is that... a wolf?

[Outside, they're setting up chairs for some announcement or the like. He wonders if everyone else here came through the mirrors too. It's a mass kidnapping or something.]