☆ Event: Fright Night

[moustre]

Event Log: October, Fright Night

I. The Mist It starts in the middle of the night. As the bells chime for 3 am, a slow fog creeps across the city from all four cardinal directions, swirling low to the ground, shining purplish in the light of the twin moons. It goes without notice for a while, an oddity, easily brushed off as too much rain and the changing temperatures turning it to mist over the cobblestones. The first ones to get caught up in it are the night workers, the drunks leaving the bars, the sailors returning to their ships, anyone out on the streets when it begins. In most cases, the effects are not instantaneous - it takes a little time to sink in before… a. The Transformations Even if you don’t find yourself out on the streets in the middle of the night, the mist creeps its way into buildings through cracks and openings, until exposure is almost guaranteed for everyone in Aefenglom, and even some just outside the Bright Wall in the Outer City. Though a lucky few, Mirrorbound and citizens alike, will find themselves wholly unaffected by the substance and will retain their physical forms and their own right minds, many more find themselves bent to its whims, changing in ways that could never have been predicted. There is little rhyme or reason to what changes occur or how - some simply wake with new parts, uncomfortable, while others run from their homes, panicking as wings tear painfully out of their backs or claws burst forth from their hands. The mist does not discriminate. Humans and Witches find themselves gaining the parts of Monsters, or even creatures that live outside the Wall. Monsters gain parts that don’t match up to their species - Arachne with wings or gills, Turnskin with antlers and Merrow tails, Puca with the teeth and claws of predators or the horns of unicorns or the scales of lizards, such strange sights become more and more common as morning approaches slowly. Mirrorbound may find that they can even gain the features and mannerisms of creatures from their home worlds. It all seems to happen wholly at random. These parts may not even last; plenty of citizens lose their new additions after just hours, only to gain new ones in the meanwhile. In the dark, wee hours of the morning, the city erupts into chaos. b. Widespread Chaos There’s no chance of peace tonight. Some may be lucky enough to escape the mists or its effects somehow, but the vast majority of the city hasn’t -- and it’s telling, from the sounds of people in the streets, that no one’s particularly happy about the turn of events. Many are in pain, many are blind with panic and upset. How could this happen? What’s going on? Many of the shouts attribute blame to the Coven allowing the practice of at-times experimental magics, while others turn it into anti-Monster sentiment, claiming the Monster population wants them all to suffer the way they do. Other tinfoil-hat-ists spread their conspiracy theories loudly, laying the blame squarely on Dorchacht - retribution for the Monsters the Mirrorbound stole from their city. This is an attack, they shout! The actual truth remains to be seen, however. There are plenty who don’t care about the truth and pay little attention to the rumors. They’re opportunists at heart, and a city in chaos is good for lining pockets. Some less-affected and less-moral citizens take to the streets of the Shopping and Aristocratic districts, throwing rocks through windows, banging down doors, looting shops and the houses of the wealthy of whatever valuables they can carry with them. Even a gang of kids from one of the orphanages in the Harbor District, sporting their own mismatched new features, can be spotted roaming the city, looting stores and homes, stealing from people incapacitated in the streets. They can’t pass up an opportunity when they have so little to begin with. c. State of Emergency Parliament, in contact with the Coven, is quick to declare a state of emergency in Aefenglom. A magical announcement rings out all through the city, loud and impossible to miss. Those who can keep it together are called upon to help find some sort of order before things devolve too badly and more damage is done than can be fixed. People will get hurt if things continue like this, they could even be looking at casualties. Those who have learned healing magic are asked to report to makeshift first aid stations scattered around the city to help those dealing with more violent, bloody transformations. Anyone with prior law enforcement experience are tasked with helping contain and stop the looting and the muggings. More still are called to try and figure out some way to get rid of the mist, or reverse its effects. None of the assignments are mandatory, plenty are unable to assist as they deal with their own afflictions, but any help is greatly appreciated.

II. Damage Control The chaos of the first night dies down somewhat by noon the next day. The air of forgiveness and cleaning up for the new year that was present at the beginning of the month is gone as the violet mist still spreads, wreaking havoc with the citizens of Aefenglom. Human citizens take it worse than the Monster half of the city, but one of the side-effects hits the Monster community harder. It quickly becomes apparent that the effects of this never-before-seen magic are not only physical. Fights break out over anything from minor slights to things worth fighting about, blossoming from a few thrown punches to all-out brawls that spill into the streets. Anger and agitation increase in most affected citizens, and you can cut the tension in the air with a knife. Relief efforts have to be redirected. Some can keep it together just enough to go about their daily lives as best they can with their new ‘additions’, but others rapidly start to lose their minds in ferality, even those with strong Witch-Monster Bonds. Miss Nessie is quick to whip the Coven into action to help preserve the peace as much as possible. There isn’t enough room to contain so many feral citizens, but they try to make do. All available Mirrorbound, Witch and Monster, who are able and want to help contain the people of Aefenglom or each other are taught a simple knock-out spell, or given slips of paper enchanted with the same, to literally knock some sense into the ferals. It won’t hurt them in the long term, but it will give them a time-out and help pull their minds out of their pits of animal instinct. Plenty of citizens will be thankful for this. That doesn’t mean everyone is happy to see the Mirrorbound around town. They may notice that they get more scowls while they’re out and about, more whispers and dirty looks. They come from humans the most, but especially the wealthier people of the city, dealing with their own share of terrible transformations, who mutter under their breaths words like, “Knew they would bring trouble with them. Knew it right from the start.” Known Mirrorbound may find themselves being kicked out of higher class shops in the Shopping District, or even spit on in the streets. Poorer citizens, especially Monsters, see things differently, however: they’ve seen the refugees from Dorchacht, they know what was done for some of their kind. They’ll admit that the Mirrorbound have brought trouble with them, but a little trouble isn’t always a bad thing - sometimes you’ve got to shake things up and disturb the status quo. Though they’re dealing with bizarre changes and an increased risk of going feral, they have faith that the Mirrorbound will help solve this problem. Of course, this difference in opinion just means both sides argue louder and fight harder.

III. The Refugees For those who’d found themselves rehomed, mostly Monsters and what few Witches came with, this is not what they had expected from a “full moon”. They’d been warned that certain urges would be stronger, that magic could wax and wane like the moons themselves, but this? This rampant disorder, the odd turning present in so many citizens and Mirrorbound alike, the Coven and Parliament’s bid on attempting some sort of damage control--? Is this what they left Dorchacht for, from one far too controlling city to one that didn’t seem to have any control at all? They aren’t in chains, at least. They can choose their Bonds if they’d like one. But it’s put them on edge enough that some linger by the docks, both wanting to leave to someplace “safe” in their eyes and wishing to stay. The latter wins out in most cases, seeking to help the Mirrorbound as they were helped themselves, though they may be suffering from the mists themselves... oddly, they seem to be more aware of themselves in a way that the natives are not, likely learned behavior leftover from Dorchacht to keep themselves in check; the compulsion spell had only helped compulsion, after all, there’d been a genuine want to remain secure and safe in their minds even with the situation as it was. Unfortunately, there’s plenty of locals who see the refugees as part of the problem -- before the Mirrorbound, before Dorchacht, Aefenglom had been fine, and in continuing these thoughts, they’re not... the friendliest to outsiders. Some are more likely to retaliate violently with new-found additions to their physiology and skillset when the refugees attempt to help, with whispers, conspiracy theories, and nasty rumors all the while spreading at a rapid pace. As bad as Dorchacht had been, maybe they had a point about the strange, suggestive magic used across the city. Maybe it’s something Aefenglom should look into too, during the fuller moons, should this be the beginning of something worse as the new year rises at the end of the month. But hopefully -- and this is the hope of all -- it simply remains a one-off, freak happening at the end of the year, and they pray the new one fares better.

IV. The Aftermath Thanks to quite a bit of Mirrorbound assistance, the city is still largely in one piece by the end of the day after the full moons. The mist, an unstable alchemical compound, eventually breaks down into nothing after a day or so, and the effects all fade or reverse, leaving everyone in their normal bodies and feeling clear-headed as the moons start to wane again. There are issues of property damage, stolen goods, and political discord to deal with, but the hardest to handle is perhaps the guilt of those who went feral and attacked their friends and loved ones. Samuin preparations continue with an unusual gloom hung over the city as clean-up and reparations commence. While before, though, humans and Monsters could often be found on the bridge over the River Temese, making amends with one another, the activity almost entirely ceases, leaving the bridge empty most days from now until Samuin.

Welcome to October's event log! This event takes place ICly on the 12th, 13th, and 14th. The Questions thread can be found HERE! Please help us and other players out by putting the subject(s) of your questions in your header! Investigation briefs will be going out soon on the OOC Sign Ups thread to the teams who were chosen by RNG, so keep an eye out for that. And as always, while we do encourage you to use this log, you can feel free to thread things out on your own log or elsewhere.

Comments

[cryptsleeper]

Seeing how long you can keep this going qualifies as an experiment, does it not?

[Simple question, even as they're running out of time.]

Yes or no. Circumstances don't permit for any further debate of semantics.

[fieryimpulse]

Hey, it's weird, but you're still you on the inside. You're still my bonded.

[And that's all that matters to her.]

...Just what are you, though? I mean, this is not puca-like. Makes me think Nucklavee, honestly.

[fieryimpulse]

You do.

[She could probably work it in her favor indeed. If it weren't for the bond telling her quite a few things.

Her thoughts rankle slightly, along with her nose, and Chandra completes the motion...pulling Liliana into a quick hug.]

You're thinking about food again, too.

[And then she slips back to hand holding, her ears twitching more upright.]

The moon's bad this time. I can feel that myself, now.

[fieryimpulse]

Absolutely.

[She has a lot of experience with this sort of work, and with her own limits.]

It's not the work that's hard, it's the inherent instability of the spell. I can probably manage two more.

businesses, capitalism.

[ressusciter]

hello mods!

so because of his Bonded's stunt with his scales, Dantes has come into possession of a decent amount of money at the moment, and wants to make it grow via investment and returns. the options in his head are local businesses and trading ships, and he's versed enough in finances to figure out where to put his money to best use so that in the future there might be something to fall back on in terms of monetary resources.

my question is, would it be acceptable to say he managed to find one to three people who were willing to strike a deal with him in that respect? at the moment, he's been very discreet about being a Mirrorbound to try and fit in, and hasn't shown any visible signs of transformation, and he'd want to start this as soon as he can in order to get ahead of that changing.

[juzubeads]

Maybe. I'm -- This isn't exactly like last time, but. I lashed out a lot worse then.

[At her. Because she saw him like that back home, saw him for who and what he really was. Tohru had accepted him anyway. And these guys weren't fleeing at the monstrosity of Kyo's wings coupled with his feline features.

Probably because in this case he wasn't the only one dealing with this. As he can see by glancing around and noting the others here also getting treated. He might not even really register that his downplaying what she said about him being cranky, that it implied about his True Form back home.]

[weirdnecro]

Mmm. Well, maybe you had a reason for it. Maybe you didn't.

[She had no idea about the curse or about the True form. She just thought he was a redheaded kid who happened to be a turnskin and liked martial arts.

But here he was also a patient, one of many and he wasn't the worst off by far, for better or worse.]

But you can't take back what you did. All you can do is work towards being a better person, and perhaps working in penance for those you hurt.

You might want to think about that tonight.

[anotheroldsoldier]

[Well. This is normal. He has a cat-person attacking his arm, rather like an actual cat, but about a hundred times the size. At least the metal arm can stand up to some abuse - he's put it through worse hell than this, and though he can't easily get a replacement here, he figures it can take a little more tonight. Even if Tony will probably tut.

He uses his arm as leverage, tries to wrestle her down and pin her, hoping that if he can keep her still for a little bit, the fight will just bleed out. Maybe he can still get through to her.

Worst case scenario, knocking people out seems to be working. He's got one of those slips of paper with the spell on it tucked away in his back pocket, if he can just get to it.] C'mon, stay down, damn it-

[integrous]

[ Unfortunately the suggestion of fighting seems to do little to deter the group. If anything - probably due to the influence of the mist - it only seems to make them more enthusiastic. Beating someone up is probably exactly the sort of thing they were waiting for. The group starts stirring, one of the guys in the back shouting something along the lines of "let's go for it!"

Which instantly makes Asahi take a step backwards. She's not going to hide behind Iramaat - although it sure looks like she's halfway there - okay, she's just.. being cautious! Like a smart person! ]

Let's not go for that..

[integrous]

[ There's a slight moment of hesitation - mostly out of instinct more than anything else. It doesn't matter if she tells people here, since it's not like she can use her Iris in this place anyway, but the secrecy about it has been so ingrained into her that it takes her a moment before she answers. ]

I could see people's lies. They grew a devil tail whenever they lied.

[betweenduskanddawn]

[Okay, that was adorable. The nerd in the back of Corrin's brain was suddenly sad she hadn't read any books on rabbits to know what it meant to get one to tap their foot like that. Probably good? She hoped good. And Azura wouldn't lie about liking it anyway right?]

[So she kept gently stroking the base of her ear with her thumb, her hand resting in the shorter girl's hair.]

Uhm.

[She did not know what to do with that question though. The mist, the cat thing, the way other people were acting...the way Azura was acting...she just didn't entirely know what to do with it.]

I...not sure what you mean..?

[The joys of being sword-rapunzel in her castle. Her tail flicked back and forth uncertainly as she studied Azura's face, a flush on her own cheeks as some part of her knew what she was asking, maybe...]

[activatingcombatmode]

[Zack can be a trouble-magnet in the best of times and the people in Dorchacht had it out for him in particular. Perhaps because he's a chimera on top of being from Aefenglom but that trouble seems to be spilling over into this city too despite it being considered home.]

Yeah, it hit me pretty hard, honestly. [Zack moves a wing where it's tattered and looks like it might have been recently bleeding.] Just what we need right now, huh? Monsters going feral for no reason right when things were starting to look up for the Dorchacht refugees.

[Because now even the Aefenglom upper class are questioning everything. It sucks.]

But it's good to see you, man.

[activatingcombatmode]

[Someone, for the love of god, please fix up his tattered and knotted feathers for him. He looks so scruffy and it's actually a bit painful for Zack even if he tends to ignore it. Bad feather maintenance is bad.

He shares the same sentiment for sleep so he smiles and gives a small chuckle and nod. It's better being back home in Aefenglom but, still. A peaceful sleep without intrusive moons or mist would be nice.]

Hopefully we can all get some real rest and relaxation for a while. That mist hit me pretty hard a few nights back. But I'm on the mend.

[Mostly. Feathers aside.]

Your niffler doing okay too?

[He might smirk a bit at that.]

[moustre]

He can certainly find a few business owners and trading merchants who would be willing to let him invest in their ventures. While some may turn their nose up if he's outed as a Mirrorbound, due to the current political climate, others only care about money and they don't care where (or who) it comes from. So yes, he definitely has opportunity to play the market like this, whether he keeps his status on the down-low or not. Feel free to play with it!

[activatingcombatmode]

[Zack balks.]

That is one hell of a mouthful!?

[Sir Fair... He's not sure how he feels about that either.]

Do I have to call you Emperor Edelgard... the whole thing?

[activatingcombatmode]

[Look, he just doesn't want to get stabbed here. As much as his feral mood is making him antsy he doesn't want to get stabbed. And he still likes her.

He nips her one more time before he feels invited to do just that, then. He moves to stare at her, heated red eyes on her like he's hunting for something. Then he grins, wolfish as usual, before he kisses her lips.]

[activatingcombatmode]

[He's definitely not usually the type to act so rude and aggressive towards people and touch them without permission. She's right on the nail about that. And if he had dog ears they'd be flat against his skull right now.

Zack looks away, hand covering his nose to try and stop that sweet nice witchy scent from assaulting him.]

It's not my fault that you... [... !!] Whatever.

[whattaprick]

Steak, Red Wine, and entertainment. Great. This really is dinner and a show.

[ Lambert drags a hand over his face, but it's clear enough that the quip is more rhetorical -- a commentary on the absurdity of the situation than anything else -- before he shakes his head and pivots on one foot, turning away. ]

You know what? Fine. I'm not going to turn down free help.

[ His nose wrinkles, and one ear twitches back. ]

... but like I said, you'd better not get in my way.

[ And he starts walking off with no real indication of where he's headed! ]

[foursakes]

Thank you.

[ grace was laughable when four had to waddle to lead them on. beauty, what beauty? the only beauty she saw was her end in this, in at least some point. someone had to do it, and she was far too much of a coward to inflict something upon herself. ]

What is your name—?

[foursakes]

[ alex's hands are webbed, covered in scales where four's are caked with bumpy black hide. they're both . . . they're both so hideous in appearance, but why was alex's heart still beautiful? why was there not a single bump of dishonesty in her words?

how . . . is everyone so much better than me? she questions. why was her heart still ravished with holes? why did she have to be ugly inside and out? she wanted to be all of those. she wanted to be bright, like one, determined, like zero, kind, like two— why was she never like them, no matter how hard she tried? ]

Then— I can be like you?

[ she had to know. she had to make herself believe it before she fell down the trench again and it was so close to swallowing her again and she was so scared— ]

[foursakes]

This is . . . Where I bring people, yes. The ones that do not flee.

[ she sighs, her words quiet and trembling through her saw-like teeth, a webbed hand raising to touch them and— and just curling them back to her chest when she realizes just how hideous. ]

I understand why.

[divineconfetti]

( wolf has a few minor scratches and bruises, but there is nothing to be concerned of. they are all injuries he has borne hundreds of times before. perhaps the sphinx is worse off, but he doesn't believe the creature is in any danger -- not from those superficial wounds, anyways. he had posed a more imminent threat a moment ago, but... well, it is fortunate caren was here. wolf does not think the suddenly-transformed sphinx evil or innately malicious. it was simply out of control. this way, should it regain its normal form soon, it would not have the added psychic weight of blood on its hands to contend with.

she reflects his question, and his ears pin back against his head. not out of aggression, but more out of... shame? he is aware that it is ironic and almost hypocritical, that he asked her this question when certainly he is worse off.

he is silent a long moment, searching for the words. they are difficult to find, so he has to settle. ) It... is not as easy now as it has been, to think and act clearly. ( he reaches up with his clawed hand to touch gingerly at the scaled protrusion of the dragon-like visage on the left side of his face. he sighs. ) I do not know if it has to do with this. It does, however, seem as though the effects of Bonds have been weakened.

( he is new to them, but he can already tell that the clarity of thought they usually give to him has been dulled. it is not enjoyable, going back to that kind of muddled thinking.

he looks to the sphinx, to the looter that had been attacked and rests, wounded and unconscious, nearby. ) We should try to move them to where they can recover safely.

[tryhard]

[ In turn, Waver shoves himself down obstinately, lowering his body against Berserker's and sliding further up, knees squeezing around his waist for leverage and to keep from being pushed off. His long tail wraps around one of Berserker's calves, squeezing firmly.

Meanwhile, Waver's teeth pinch the delicate skin. He holds it there: a warning. Unless Berserker moves to jerk away or really shoves Waver off though, he's not actually pulling or biting hard enough to pierce flesh. His breath is hot, ruffling the soft fur.

For now, Waver keeps still, a low growl building in his throat, stubbornly holding his position and waiting for Berserker to give up. ]

[usurpers]

[ a dragon's strength was no laughing matter, and eren manages— he balances every throw of weight with his own, digging his toes into the earth and hurling forward against the little space between them that they'd possibly not fill with their horns in the way. it wasn't any different from clinching. eren holds his arm against his face to protect himself against the powerful thud of a paw, biding the impact and taking the dangerous raking of claws over his limbs as a sign that now might be a very good time to make an effort into undoing their tangle.

he's bringing out the outrage. that's just what he wants for big ol' pooh. ]

You're just going to let me waltz around here? [ words may not be clear, but meaning is as much as the last taunt, and displays still run high on repeat. in a snap, eren manages to pull back and free himself, snapping his tail sideways to incite the bear more than truly hurt him. eren can't shake off the scent that seems familiar, so he won't do anything unnecessary.

with a few steps back, he just wants shinjiro to bolt for him. ]

[bad_crowmance]

If you're not enjoying yourself, you can stop anytime.

[ It would help, perhaps, if he didn't look entirely too pleased with himself. ]