☆ 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

[leatherdaddy]

[ His nose wrinkles. Their feathery companions were tolerable out in the open but in places like Wiz Chocobo Post? Eau de chocobo was pretty... potent. It's like that, only like he got right in there and took a good, bracing whiff.

Woof. ]

It's awful. [ And weirdly? The smell makes him feel agitated. Like he needs to go for a run. Or chase something. ] How do you stand it?

[clickclickbang]

You get used to it after a while, like how you can handle gym stench but I still gag if I'm in there for more than a minute.

[Chicken it is...and the stuff for sandwiches is in here soooo yeah. Hope Gladio likes whatever Prompto can make?]

Though trust me, when my nose started getting better I was giving Prim so many baths. It was was bad.

[leatherdaddy]

[ He has his uses. For cases as 'light' as hers -- no lost limbs or internal organs suddenly presenting externally or missing entirely, no weird toxins or anything else -- she gets basically the equivalent of basic first aid. ]

You're tougher than you look.

...Sounds like you might have a few stories to tell. So, let's hear what counts as 'worse'.

[weirdnecro]

You can do this Eren. It's just a little water.

[She made a noise, and made to reach for his face. Maybe if she covered his eyes, he could? No...he wasn't a horse, even with all of that hair.]

What can I do so you can get into the water? Because you're nasty.

[weirdnecro]

[She grinned at him. Not saying that she didn't believe him or anything, but still. She liked his spunk.

But seeing him sweep to the corner, she moves away, only to come back with a dust pan, offering it handle first.]

What, they try to strong arm you first?

[She snorts.]

That's crude.

no worries!

[gunsmithed]

[ Percy gives a noncommittal hum in return, but he is following for the moment. Most of his concentration is taken up by trying to hold the spell, but what part of his mind is left is busy trying to figure out how to manipulate the shape of it further, a straight line can really only do so much. If only he'd ever thought to ask Keyleth, but who could have ever foreseen this?

Quick thinking, at least, is something he can manage. Probably. ]

What were you planning on doing if I hadn't come by?

[fiddlestick]

Me? Chase anyone?

Fie, I've turned into a monster, not an athlete.

[PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IS STILL AWFUL]

[activatingcombatmode]

[But?! That's exactly the right idea he wants to give off?! Aren't they acquaintances? Maybe even... friends? Hopefully someday.

Zack raises an eyebrow at that for sure. With a slightly lopsided smile to match.]

Of course it's not. It's been a damn minute and a half since I've seen you last. I think the last time was in that dream we all had about the black city in the first place.

[Where they had to pretend to be cattle and master. Ugh.]

[activatingcombatmode]

[He's perfectly happy with her weight sitting on him aside from the way his wings are squished under his back. So he leans up on his elbows after a moment.]

More fights than just with me? And I thought I was special.

[He's joking. He gives her a self-deprecating smile.]

... I think my head's clearing up. Let me take a look at all those wounds for you.

[activatingcombatmode]

Yeah, you showed me that.

[He snorts as bit as he rubs his smacked nose.

... He's definitely pouting.]

[kuroi_taiyo]

[ Yeah, he's just going to stare at that dust pan, not even trying to take it. He was told to sweep it to a corner, not pick things up. Do you think someone with hair like his crouches? Not without magical support, he doesn't! ]

Yeah, what kind of hag would think of strong arming people for what she wants?

[ Staaaare. ]

[activatingcombatmode]

[Aw, that's kind of noble of her. She already seems the type but if she's keeping titles up for people important to her that's pretty sweet.]

Yeah, no problem. I'm assuming those are friends of yours from home?

[She's lucky, then.]

[activatingcombatmode]

[Zack practically cackles in response and gives Theseus a big warm grin. The man has a good sense of humour and Zack just can't let that joke go. And honestly... It feels amazing to actually laugh about something.]

Don't worry, I've had my fill of snacks today.

[So the niffler is safe for another day from chimeras.

He turns slightly to show Theseus a bit more of his back which shows that two extra wings have somehow grown underneath his usual ones. The extra ones are smaller now since the mist has dissipated but they're still there and painful.]

And yeah, the mist gave more of these damn things.

[onlyangelshavewings]

[Regina tries to... stay calm, but she can't help but give a shuddering, pained sound as the fangs are removed; she immediately, reflexively clamps her hand over it, attempting to stem the flow of blood, which is... pretty considerable.]

Um-- u-um, I don't-- think so, ahh, oh god--

[long_live_the_queen]

[Kaede's tail kept switching this way and that, but only the end this time. A thinking gesture.]

Everyone's losing their heads except me, I guess.

[why is Kaede the responsible one, this seems backwards]

Depends. Are you going to behave this time?

[The feathered Chimera reached over to grasp his wrist, but didn't let Zack budge just yet. He hadn't smiled like that before, though. This was promising.]

[kuroi_taiyo]

[ This is enough new things for Judar to be kept a little off balance. Of course, when he's that way, he's more likely to tease and try to make others the same way, but it's fiiine.

Though now he's wondering if this coffee is some kind of juice, for needing a press. ]

So you're saying that you're that much of a coffee expert?

[activatingcombatmode]

[That really just makes Zack's senses tingle even more. A reciprocating female monster is exactly what is gonna get his feathers fluffed.

With her in his arms, he ends up stealing her away to some remote spot out of the public eye but very much still outdoors (he doesn't seem to care?). He ends holding her up against a stone wall and his red eyes narrow. One hand drifts down to her hip towards her thigh.]

Maybe you can.

[He's going to nip her once more and then go to steal a real kiss.]

[fiddlestick]

[It's a giggle of love, truly! He shivers a little as he feels the fabric of his underwear being torn away, exposing his skin to the air. Being a guy, it's easy to see how aroused he was, with an erection quickly forming now that it wasn't be restrained by clothing.

Her teasing? Only pushes it along further. It was like cool fingers running along burning hot flesh. His hips jerk a little to the movement, and he lets out an involuntary gasp]

Ah, Towa!

[Okay, deep breathes Craig. Don't lose yourself just yet. He knows that this is most likely Towa's first time. He knows that look in her eye, when she's mentally steeling herself.]

...It's okay, just take your time and do what you're comfortable with. You're already doing great.

[activatingcombatmode]

[Zack laughs, all the more amused by Elliot trying to squirm out of his grasp. Poor kid, you'll never escape this chimera.

He continues to snuggle the poor dragon with a big grin and a swishing wolf tail.]

You're so damn cute though, Elliot. What the hell.

[activatingcombatmode]

To see the city from the sky.

[He grins and holds her closer and securely to his chest. He's strong and in this feral mood, he feels stronger. Invincible even. Like he could fly.]

You wanted to try that, right? Here we go. Just don't let go of me.

[Up and up to the top of one very tall building...]

[fiddlestick]

[This is like being with his family all over again. Just when he had gotten so good at dodging his father's hugs, he finds someone else who is just as bad. Aidios, why does this keep happening???]

I'm not that cute- c'mon Zack...this is really embarrassing!

[activatingcombatmode]

[Mostly because Zack isn't really in the most laughing mood. He's tired and in pain and silently keeping all of that in so he just sighs and looks out at the water again.]

Who else are we supposed to go to for help?

[There's no one else from home here. Their skills from home don't work. There's nowhere else they can even go. The coven is pretty much the only option to help with these extra monster changes.]

I guess you could just keep the antlers if you like them.

[chainveil]

[ What was left of her self-control officially dies in that moment. It's too much--it's too close. She'd tried to draw it out, tried to play along. But really, there's only so much one can struggle against raw instinct to feed. On any other night she might have been able to stave off the impulse a bit longer, but the mist and the moon addles her senses. The blood is all she can smell and all she cares about. Sound itself disappears.

When Gwen yanks her arm, Liliana's pupils dilate fully to take over her irises. She hisses, her grip on the other woman's arm tighten immediately. Fangs fully descended, she bites down, attempting to sink her teeth into that tempting flesh. ]

[activatingcombatmode]

[Honestly he can't help twitching a little when he watches her tail at a glance. He wants to grab it--

No. Bad dog. He inhales in a shaky breath.]

Promise.

[He sits up a bit more which makes him lean closer to her since she's got his wrist. He's slack underneath her, watching her curiously.]

[activatingcombatmode]

[He growls happily and his hand comes up to ruffle up through Elliot's hair.]

Who knew you'd be a dragon as a monster?

[Is he even listening to Elliot-]

Whoever you're bonded with is lucky.