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

[prayerwheel]

Of course I am. [ doubt!

If she were more prone to threats of comical violence, she'd say something like "The Lady of the Lake, which I'm about to go drop you into." But alas, she just keeps frowning at him. ]

Azura.

Are you so inebriated you can't properly hold onto your drink? What exactly are you looking to get out of this interaction, Mr. Dazai?

[ She will sit here and chat with him if it keeps him from bothering other girls, but lord. ]

[proficience]

[He's at least sober enough to pick up on that frown, but that doesn't mean he'll do the same. In fact, he just smiles a little more, tapping his index finger against that glass a few times before speaking again. Thankfully, there's so little liquid left in the glass at this point that nothing spills out from the tapping.]

I'm fine! Only had two of these so far.

[He's taking his previously deceased best friend being here a little harder than he'd let on, it seems.]

Hm~

A date, perhaps?

[prayerwheel]

[ the oda experience... ]

Before you even know anything about me? How shallow. [ her tone is less biting this time because uh

No one's ever asked her out before.......besides Laslow. So she is ever so slightly flattered despite herself. ]

[proficience]

I know that your beauty truly captivates me. Is that not enough for me to decide that I'd like to take you out on a date?

[He blinks a few times, beaming. Though -- the issue that he has no job, yet, may be a problem! How will he pay for a nice date? He'd already spent a bit too much on these drinks, alone.]

[prayerwheel]

I suppose in the mind of some, no. But don't people tend to chat with one another before deciding to go out?

[ fixing him with a challenging look. Go on. Talk with her about something that has nothing to do with how pretty he thinks she is. ]

[proficience]

Let's chat, then. I have no obligations at present, and I do enjoy getting to know others.

[He grins. Sure, he wouldn't have complained if she'd just said yes to a date, but he's not surprised that she hadn't. Talking now is just fine, too, honestly.]

Your world. Is it one with a lot of conflict, perhaps? Tell me about it some.

[prayerwheel]

I struggle to think of a world that isn't rife with conflict, frankly. But yes. A war, and all that.

[proficience]

Hm. Well, I did mean a world with war, specifically. [He doesn't smile, though -- honestly, he was hoping his thought was wrong, there.]

Were you involved with that war personally?

[prayerwheel]

[ a nod ]

I was a soldier in its primary army.

[ She doesn't seem like the type on first glance, but if he looks at her more carefully, it's clearer--her arms are toned from hauling around a weapon and there are a handful of faded, barely-visible scars on her skin.

Surprise, she fights a lot. ]

[proficience]

Oh.

[He'll lean in a little and stare, without realizing, at her arms. That claim of hers can certainly line up with how toned they appear to be, so he nods.]

I see. Well, that's a shame.

[This is coming from a man who has killed an incredible amount of people, though he hadn't done so in a while. He's still a dark, disturbed man with issues beyond comprehension, but he'd at least like to not appear that way.

So, he smiles again.]

Only because I think you're far too lovely to risk dying alone! [That last word is slightly quieter than the others, as if he's slightly improved his tendency to spew out his desires for suicide constantly.

Slightly.]

That, and war is never a pleasant thing. But you know that, I'm sure.

[prayerwheel]

[ ....hm. That was a serious look on his face there, did---aaaaand we're back to flirting. ]

I've learned to live with it, as one does.

[ She doesn't like fighting and killing, but sometimes it's necessary. ]

Are you speaking from experience?

[proficience]

[That's just how Dazai be, for better or worse. He nods, though, at that.]

Slightly. I come from a world with a lot of conflict, but usually on a smaller scale. [Smaller, he says -- even though he'd killed an absurd amount of men in his past.] Abilities tend to get to certain people's heads, which I'm sure didn't help prevent conflicts from occurring in the first place.

So, what forms of combat do you specialize in? [He'll assume physical, based off of her physique, but perhaps she uses magic? He's intrigued, either way.]

[prayerwheel]

"Abilities"?

[ raising an eyebrow ]

Polearms, if I must engage in physical combat. Lances, primarily, but I've been trained in using naginata, javelins, spears--that general weapon family.

[ a beat ]

I'm usually more of a healer, however.

[ so, both. he's not wrong! ]

[proficience]

Yes. I had one until my arrival here. It was more of an undo button, you could say.

[Or an eraser.]

Oh! [He's genuinely impressed by that list, and he starts to look at one of his own hands that he clenches and unclenches.]

I don't know if I could use anything like those. I can wield a pistol, but I can't say I've had the chance to try a lance.

[He pauses a moment.]

If there are any around, would you like to give me some lessons?

[prayerwheel]

[ ......okay she has a couple questions. She wants to ask about 'undo button' but immediately gets distracted by this weapon type she's never heard of. ]

What is a 'pistol'? [ that sounds like 'piston' which makes her think 'musical instrument.' Is Dazai a killer bard? ]

I'm not much of a teacher, truthfully. I try not to engage in direct combat, so my lance training is mostly for emergencies. But I suppose I can show you the basics if you're genuinely interested.

[proficience]

A gun! [Which is not a very helpful answer, he realizes, so he pulls his pistol out from under his trench coat to show it off. It's not loaded; he'd made sure of that as soon as he'd arrived.]

There are no bullets inside of mine right now, so you can take a look if you want.

[He nods and then gently pushes the pistol across the counter to her.]

You could teach me about the lance, and I could teach you about this pistol.

[prayerwheel]

Bullets?

[ what

what is that thing

damn, dude, you're giving the medieval lady a crisis, here. She looks at the gun but doesn't touch it, worrying, uh, it might hurt her anyway. She literally has no idea how this works. The most advanced tech her world has are crossbows and combat karakuri. They are like. Just barely discovering gunpowder, here, and that's for fireworks. ]

Um...alright. You'll have to start at the beginning with me, though. I'm not sure what any of this is.

[proficience]

[Oh.

Well, it's very evident that she knows nothing about firearms, so Dazai will slide the pistol right back toward himself, casually picking it up with a delicate flick of the wrist and holding it near his chest. He's not exactly sure how to begin to explain firearms as a whole, but --

He feels compelled to try.]

There are no firearms in your world, I take it? They're a blessing and a curse. They make it far too easy to take a life, for one thing. [Morbid description of them, but Dazai wouldn't be Dazai if he didn't slip a little morbidity into a conversation.] A very unpleasant way to die, but quick.

My friend here is more proficient with them than I am. Not to say I'm terrible, but I'm more of a behind-the-scenes fighter. [He tucks the pistol under his jacket.] In an appropriate location, I'd be happy to load this gun up and shoot some bottles or something similar with you.

[prayerwheel]

Fire arms? I've never heard the term, no. How does it work...?

[ if he says something about gunpowder, she'll get the gist of it. It's like a crossbow but with firework powder in it. Scary.

She listens to his explanation, but her frown gets deeper as he talks. ]

How unpleasant. I'm not entirely sure I'd like to use one of they have this stigma about them...although the same could be said of all weapons.

[proficience]

[He nods slowly and sighs.]

They are unpleasant. But necessary in my line of work. [Rather, his previous line of work, but he won't go into detail about that. The last thing he'd want to do right now is go on about his years as a mafioso.]

I suppose all weapons have that stigma, but in my world -- guns were the primary one used. Not counting abilities, that is. [He'd much rather spin the topic into something more positive, but he's not quite sure what about. He ponders a few moments.]

Do you have any friends here? From your world?

[prayerwheel]

If it's a quicker method of killing, I can see why. I suppose they make fighting wars a bit easier.

[ but sure, she's up for a topic change. she doesn't actually mind talking with him? like, she looks interested in this conversation, now that he mostly dropped the flirting ]

If I may, what do you mean by 'abilities'? The phrasing you keep using is curious.

[ Azura shakes her head. She does, actually, but she doesn't know Niles is here, yet. ]

No, it doesn't seem so.

[proficience]

[He has to think a moment on how best to explain them.]

They're similar to magic, I think. From what I've gathered magic is, anyway. Every ability user back in my world had their own unique one. Mine would nullify other's just with a single touch, for example. My protege, Atsushi, could turn into a tiger!

[He sounds proud of him, there, honestly.]

Perhaps someone you know will show up here, in time.

[prayerwheel]

[ "Nullify other's just with a single touch"

When Azura hears that, there's a spark of interest in her eyes. But it fades quickly. Right, right, no one could use their powers, here. Not her pendant, and likely not this "undo button" of his either. What a shame. She finally hears about something that might be able to de-curse her and it doesn't even matter, because this whole realm de-cursed her and stripped her magic away the second she set foot in here. ]

A tiger? [ blinking ] I've met a few shapeshifters before, but no tigers. I take it he doesn't use a stone to transform?

[ although now she's imagining petting some tiger ears, now. ]

I'm not sure if I want to see anyone else from my home stuck here...

[proficience]

[He thinks he catches that sparkle of interest in her eyes, but then again --

It's admittedly dim in here, so it's possible that he'd imagined it. Either way, he won't bring it up. There are other topics at hand, anyhow.]

The moonlight. Though, in time, he was able to do so at will, moonlight or no. His powers work incredibly well with my former protege's, as well, and I'd have loved to see them work together more, but --

I'm here, and Atsushi-kun is not. [Akutagawa is, but is he going to talk about him? No.]

I understand. There's one man in particular I'd rather not see here. If you happen to see a shorter man with a fancy hat and a terrible demeanor around, I'd advise staying away.

[He pauses.]

That would be my former partner, Nakahara Chuuya.

[prayerwheel]

The moonlight? Like a werewolf?

[ that kind of fits! the wolfskin tribe were called loup-garous, sometimes, and she knew loup-garous were sort of cousins to werewolves ]

I'll exercise caution if I see him. But what's so terrible about him?