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

[whomthebelltolls]

[It's just the alcohol that makes Maria swing a little closer to Alex, to raise a hand to the other woman's back, just with the pads of her fingers, and guide her into the crowd. The bar is a busy place, but no one would dare get married in it, so for now... she's safe.]

I have nothing against weddings themselves, save that none of the ones going on in this place involve me and yet they keep trying to invite me to join. It reminds me of the balls back at home. [And even then she could say she wanted to go to a few of those, but none of the parties she's been dragged into thus far.]

No, what's really bothering me is that the new moon, combined with the festival, makes the mana more difficult to keep under control... and it's giving me a headache.

[sing_for_me]

[ Ah..the new moon. She did hear people talking about that. ]

...Need some help with that then?

[ She asks as she turns to face her on the dance floor, holding her hands out to Maria. It wouldn't be as effective as a bond, but it might help her even just a little. That, and they get to have a little fun dancing. Two birds, one stone, right? ]

[whomthebelltolls]

Help? [There's just kind of a dumb moment where Maria stares at Alex as though she might possibly not be processing what all that means, before she looks down at her hands.

... Dancing? Or other physical contact of some kind... Maria's not sure, and she's not sure she wants to do it, because there's a knot in her stomach telling her to hold her ground.

The knot is quickly drowned as she downs the second shot of alcohol, and sets it on a nearby table. Fine. She'll do it this way. There's only the briefest hesitation, before she slides her hands into the others'.]

You know how to dance?

[sing_for_me]

[ Alex waits, and..it's looking like a no. Maybe she shouldn't have offered. Now it's just a little embarrassing--

And then Maria drinks her last shot, taking Alex's hands after. That has Alex stunned for a moment, but she snaps out of it when asked a question. ]

Oh--um! I know the basics.

[ The basic basics..

But she does straighten up, maybe feeling just a bit nervous because Maria looks like the type who knows how to actually do these dances. ]

[whomthebelltolls]

... Then... [That is said with the barest tinge of doubt, but it's alright, so long as she leads. She's learned how to be on both sides of the dancing side - as a lady, she was taught to follow, but as soon as her height started outstripping many of the men in the castle, she found herself on the other side of it more than a few times.

Right into position she goes, one hand holding Alex's, the other firmly against the curve of waist, and their fronts very close together. No room for Jesus, here. She gives the music a couple more beats to start fresh on a 1 beat, and then moves into it, with a step that hopefully Alex is ready for. She's accounting for their height difference, but it does still cover some ground. To the side, and probably a little backward for Alex.]

[sing_for_me]

[ Alex steps closer, waiting on Maria for when they start. The moment she feels the start of her movement, she makes sure to follow--except the step is a little deeper than she expected. Her hold on Maria tightens, and she stiffens a little.

At least she didn't fall this time! ]

[whomthebelltolls]

[Well, a better first step than she thought would happen, Maria hums, softly, to herself as she adjusts her step to accommodate for Alex. And, what's more, she slips her hand a bit further around Alex's back, into a more firm, supporting position a little higher on her back. There, that should help a little more. The downside is it draws them closer together, which forces the dance to be even smaller on its steps, a little less dramatic and more muted.

Keep pace, Alex.]

[sing_for_me]

[ There was more support with her hand higher up, but now she really couldn't see her feet or where she was stepping. She would have to really rely on Maria's lead. ]

S-sorry if I step on your toes..

[whomthebelltolls]

You wouldn't be the first... nor the last. [Which... might... be assuring? Jury's still out on that one. Either way, she leads them smoothly threw a few steps, a few shifts, a few motions of the music, before stepping back, holding Alex's hand just by her fingers. This is going well, nice and smoothly... a little bit too much so, for as tipsy as Maria is getting.

... Because she's starting to miss the warmth of Alex's presence up against her. There's no way to overthink that, so she just steps back in close. It's a simple, stupid human reaction, nothing more. They're social animals, so clearly they like being closer to others. Even if those others are talking fish. Though that does remind her, on the subject of alcohol...] When is your shift over?

[sing_for_me]

[ Alex's fingers curl slightly to keep a hold onto Maria's as she steps back. She can feel her own weight pulling away, but Maria still keeps her steady. Things were going much more smoothly than she expected, but maybe that was the difference when dancing with someone more experience. She'd almost forgotten Maria was tipsy.

They pull together again, nothing but the air between them, and yet it still felt like a thin wall that kept them apart just so. Ah right..the pull of a witch's magic. It was still strange, the feelings ti gave Alex. ]

My shift?

[ That's right, she was still at work. ]

About another hour. Why?

[whomthebelltolls]

[This is definitely better. Drunk, Maria can't deny how soothing it is to feel the mana draining - slowly, far more slowly than what they say it feels like when one is Bonded, though without the parts that give Maria concerns - and the way it makes the headache throb even slightly less behind her eyes.

For a moment, the world slips from her mind, and if Maria closes her eyes - which she does, for a measure or two of the music - she can almost forget everything that isn't that little soothing push and pull of mana, like a gentle tide within her, and the always-pleasant sensation of a warm form in her arms, at least one that isn't trying to kill her. In fact, she almost forgets she asked a question, until Alex's response catches back up to her, and she looks down. Alex really is a pretty lady, it's almost a pity that-

- Oh, there it is, the ears. The finned, webbed skin, and the reminder of the fish, and the sea, and the way it knots her stomach. Suddenly, she can't keep eye contact, so she looks somewhere out beyond the crowd, trying and failing to focus on anything else.] It doesn't matter. I'm... not sure I'll still be here in an hour.

[Well, there went her potentially asking about them both enjoying a drink after the shift, then.]

[sing_for_me]

[ Alex is occupied watching where she's stepping, only looking up herself when Maria speaks again. Her gaze is elsewhere. ]

Oh..is that so..

[ Her ears droop slightly in disappointment. She would have liked to spend a little more time with a more relaxed Maria. ]

Then..what about somewhere else then? It..doesn't have to be here?

[ Maybe they could have drinks somewhere more quiet, like their lunches, but with alcohol. ]

[whomthebelltolls]

[What Maria is not expecting is Alex to chase that line of thought, right up to making the offer she herself failed at. The alcohol makes it hard to mute her reactions, and so she blinks, startled, and looks right back down to Alex.]

Nn? [A pause. Bar-hopping isn't really a thing that was done where she comes from, so going from place to place is a sort of novel idea. She just came to this one because it got her away from the festivities, and it was close. What's more, that little disappointed tone, the way Alex suggests somewhere else...] ... You actually want to go somewhere else?

[Oh, uh, that was not actually supposed to be said out loud. It just takes Maria's brain a second to catch up, that her tone makes her sound like she doesn't believe Alex wants to go anywhere with her. Which is, in some ways, true, but more than that, she's not sure at what point things got so familiar. She shouldn't encourage the Monsters to be friendly to her. They're enemies.

They're not supposed to -... it's just alcohol and Maria wants more of it.] I was going to finish my night out here, but... I did offer that drink. [If she convinces herself it's a matter of pride, maybe it's easier to try to pretend she isn't struggling to say no.]

[sing_for_me]

[ Startled wasn't a look Alex saw often on Maria's face, if at all. Still, was it that strange a suggestion? After those afternoons spent together in her garden and the somewhat life threatening situations out in the wilder gardens, getting a drink together sounded liked good middle ground. Granted, it was mostly her invading Maria's space or unwittingly dragging her in to unwanted situations.

Before she can retract the offer though, Maria seems to have changed her mind. Alex's ears perk up slightly and she straightens her back, her turn to be surprised with Maria's agreement. ]

Oh, really? Then--great. I'll..see you in an hour?

[ She asks just to make sure she's not misunderstanding. ]

[whomthebelltolls]

Yes. An hour, then. [She's... just going to continue to surprise herself with the compliance for it, but a drink is just a drink. Maybe she can get the chance to sober up a little bit in the interim, so she can get back to being drunk later. Or... so she can maybe get her brain to kick into gear and think about why in the world she is even agreeing to any of this.

The music winds down a bit, and Maria decides that's about as good a time as any for the little dance - short as it was - to end, and as they wind down and she steps away, she does so with a firm delicacy, taking a whole step back before slowly releasing her grip on Alex's hand.] I will meet you out front of this place, and we can go from here. Until then.

[She needs a walk, suddenly. Like parting from the physical touch has left her with more restless energy than she had before they even were close, as though she was the one absorbing the energy instead.

It's a bad feeling. She's drinking to make things; her senses, her emotions, her energy duller, not stronger.]

[sing_for_me]

[ Was Alex supposed to bow? It felt like she had to, but she doesn't get the chance as Maria speaks up and takes her leave. So she waves awkwardly instead. ]

Yeah..until then.

[ She hears her name get called out, signaling the end of her break. By the time she looks back, Maria was gone.

Alex couldn't help but wonder if she was being a little pushy, there. Although, Maria was more than capable of saying no. So..maybe it was a successful invitation?

The thought floats around in the back of her head as she gets back to work, that last hour push keeping her busy for the most part until she was finally free of her shift. She changes into cleaner clothes, hopefully smelling less like booze and food, and lets her hair down to hide her ears a little better. The still stuck out, but at least less so , which attracted less unwanted attention.

Out the back door and around the tavern, Alex pushes her glasses up as she looks around for the tall witch, who usually isn't all that difficult to spot. ]

[whomthebelltolls]

[Even in a city the size of Aefenglom, wasting an hour is difficult. Wasting a few minutes is easy, and wasting several hours the same, but knowing you're on a schedule to return somewhere limits the amount of places one can go, and what they can see. Maria elects to travel back up out of the area, away from the docks as is her usual, and look over some of the clothing boutiques and magical reagent shops in the trade districts instead, just doing a bit of window shopping, before she returns, and even then she comes back several long minutes early.

The clocktower chimes the top of the hour, and a breeze rolls in off the ocean, bringing with it the briny, repulsive scent of the sea. The alcohol has faded enough that all she can do is wonder what in the world she's doing, but before the answer to that makes itself apparent, there's the sound of footsteps approaching her.

She peels her eyes from the sky she'd been watching, and steps forward off the side of the building, standing back upright, and looks in their direction.] Are you ready?

[... Is she ready? Well, yes, she should be. Emotions are so easy to drown beneath alcohol. It is the one thing that alcohol did just as well as Blood.]

[sing_for_me]

[ Alex pulls out the bottle of alcohol she bought from the bar from her bag. ]

Yup. Did you want to drink somewhere outside?

[whomthebelltolls]

You just...-? [Took something from the bar? ... Oh, well, she supposed it doesn't matter. It was Alex's choice, after all.] Very well. Perhaps somewhere up higher, with a better view? [The clocktower springs to mind, but Alex can't get up that far, so maybe just further up toward the housing district and the Bright Wall. If they're lucky there'll be a roof to sit on.

Because Maria is still secretly a gargoyle.

Or, either way, they'll be further away from the harbor district, which is a place she distinctly doesn't like being. She motions with her head as she turns and starts walking, keeping her pace sedate, her stride short so Alex doesn't have to work too hard to keep up with her. It's a practiced sort of thing - she has to slow down for other people a lot.]

[sing_for_me]

Sure, that sounds nice.

[ Alex hadn't tried hanging out anywhere higher--not gargoyle level anyway.

She holds the bottle of wine close to herself as she follows Maria, or well, walks alongside her. It wasn't too difficult to walk with her this time around, noting that the other was adjusting for her. ]

Oh..I probably should have gotten something for us to snack on, huh..

[whomthebelltolls]

Hmmm... perhaps we can mitigate that. We can head toward my home? [There's a nice, tall roof to sit on and try not to fall off in a drunken stupor and die.

Or maybe do, that's the fun part of the gamble.]

I doubt either of the others will be there. [Come over, my other Monsters aren't home]