☆ 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

[activatingcombatmode]

[He waves a scalded hand in the air a bit but he grins.]

Yeah, don't worry it's nothing to cry home about. But that's pretty damn cool, Elliot.

[sporelett]

[Nyskie doesn’t take offence at Red Wine’s lackluster enthusiasm for her professed skillset. He might be less easy to rile up than Steak, but they evidently both have the same “job,” and nothing else about the man in particular suggests that he would be any less of a wet blanket than his fellow food spirit. Well, at least Lambert knows what’s up.]

How gracious of you!

[With one last cheer-filled grin for Steak, she heads without any reluctance at all into the narrow alleyway, keeping a keen eye on Lambert as he scoots along ahead of her.]

[sparkstrikes]

[Maybe not to someone else, but to Lightning, it did. She's used to people either being too pushy for her liking, or simply walking away when they inevitably butt heads. This has been a nice balance, and a refreshing change.]

Yeah, well.

[Lightning shrugs, and sips her coffee.]

Most people wouldn't.

[judgementor]

Hmn.

[A quick glance goes to the bucket, and a small nod follows. As someone who isn't fond of strong smells, fish is often something to be avoided... but a little variety never hurts.]

What would you ask for in trade?

[long_live_the_queen]

[The Chimera turned once she got her head in the door, knocking an antler into the side and muttering about it. Her own thoughts about Fang seemed unimportant in comparison--Fang was important to Chariot, and Chariot would be upset if something happened to her.

So Kaede needed to care, as much as she just wanted to walk away and sleep.]

You won't be protecting anything if you collapse out there.

[Then it'd just take one flying Monster coasting overhead to spot her and take offense to Fang's presence, like the Turnskin had reacted to Kaede.]

[unyieldingmarch]

[Edelgard gives him a quick nod, slowly and deliberately moving down the alley while holding her axe-light so the child can't miss her approach. She wants to remain harmless, here.]

It's alright. There's no need to be frightened. We're here to help.

[belligerentwarrior]

[Another rumble, this one softer, as she lowered back to a quadrupedal stance.]

[Going inside and resting would be the smart thing to do, but... would the moons let her? Her head isn't clouded by the fog anymore, but it sang with the twin sisters, and they needled at her nerves to be alert. To be ready.]

[She tired, but she's restless. If Fang went inside, she wouldn't be able to sleep, she knew.]

I won't pass out, [came the reply after a long moment, Fang taking back her spot up against the wall, laying on her side. The moons were so much worse than usual, tonight. Fang had to stay. Had to watch, especially for Kaede's sake.]

[cryptsleeper]

[Alucard can't say if this is all truly over or not. It feels like a 50-50 chance as they all surge forward. There were a few worried gasps as the mist tried to reassert itself, but clearly? A non-issue, and thank goodness for it.

But that little blip has the small group traveling faster. Running, now with the end in sight. Alucard keeps pace, eyes always drifting over his own shoulder just to be sure that they have managed.

The park is without mist. It's full of people though, and Alucard suspects that there are other magic users in the crowd keeping it that way.]

That's everyone.

[He states it calmly as they all pass the threshold rather than shout it out.]

[chosenside]

More than acceptable, just what I was thinking as well.

[He doesn't distrust Viren, not really, even after the notable reaction. It'll be fine, he's sure of it and Theseus honestly feels better having someone with him on this. Even if he's unable to use magic, he's not helpless-- evident by the claws on him.]

If you're ready then...

[silentsavant]

"The brightest of minds may often conceal the darkest of agendas," replies Soren, considering his own world's most corrupt leaders as a mark of comparison. "But as beacons of knowledge and authority, they have garnered the trust of the people who will listen without qualm nor question. Many are comfortable in their ignorance. If the barbarians are nothing but grass to be trampled, then that only makes it easier to control and abuse them for the gain of me and my kin. We are naturally superior to them. Why should I change my mind?" His catlike eyes flash like an ember stroked by wind. "Humanity never changes, does it?"

As he speaks of bigotry's dimensions, his expression turns grim, his voice darkening with bitterness that wells up from an entrenched, long-standing mindset forced to confront this sort of issue before he was even old enough to comprehend it. As he stews over this human condition, his... tail flicks in irritation. It wasn't there before, and it certainly wasn't furry and feline, either.

[long_live_the_queen]

[Oh. That was...that was a lot of trust, to give someone like her. But like everything Chariot gave, it was given freely. No strings attached, no expectations. Just a more insistent plea this time.

Kaede gave her answer in touch, and another rumbling almost-purr in her chest. She cupped her hand around Chariot's cheek and kissed the other woman's forehead, letting out a tense breath through her nose. The hand settled on Chariot's back stroked the base of her tail one more time, and slowly, carefully, traced around her side and hip to the warmth between her legs. Kaede's touch followed the line between Chariot's belly and thigh as a guide, finally brushing against her Witch's folds and caressing the little bud at the top with the pads of her fingers. Still lightly, still with her claws pulled back--in case of any sudden motions.]

[long_live_the_queen]

[Just walk away, the practical part of Kaede's mind said. Not your problem.

The stupid stubborn human part of her brain refused.

When she heard the Turnskin's body flop back against the balcony floor, Kaede breathed out an exasperated sigh--and instead of ponderously turning around, just backed up out of the door. Then she did circle around until she was behind Fang, then lowered her head to bring her antlers to bear.

Not as weapons, this time--it was the beams that were lined up against Fang's back and flank. not the stabby points. Kaede had to lower her head a lot, with how her antlers were shaped, but she could still bring a decent amount of strength to bear. This was sharply cutting into her dwindling energy, but now that Kaede had her heels dug in she wasn't about to stop.]

Go inside.

[Shove.]

[lightblooming]

[ Aqua scowls then, giving a powerful flap of her wings, lifting her upwards - before launching herself right at Vanitas. ]

[lightblooming]

[ Aqua looks to Ven, making a noise of complaint. She stops grooming Kairi then, leaning in towards Ven--

And starting over with him. ]

[curruid_coinchenn]

[ He expected nothing less from Waver. There's not so much as a flinch from Berserker at his defense, the scratches and bites doing nothing to slow him down. Unstoppable and unyielding in any battle, this is no different. Berserker refuses to admit defeat now -- he knows what he wants and his instincts tell him to dominate.

With no regard for his own safety, he grabs for Waver's waist, the point of most leverage. He's trying to flip him onto his back and pin him down that way. It's not going to be easy and he's accepted that. ]

[curruid_coinchenn]

Nothing. Take what you want.

[ It's not like this was difficult for him -- he was doing it solely out of habit and a way to keep his attention occupied. The effort expended was minimal and not worth trading for, in his mind. ]

[lightblooming]

[ Aqua cries out once more, whimpering shortly after at the feeling of something else tearing. It feels like her entire body is filled with a burning sensation - that every inch of her is throbbing. Before she can react further, a long ice like tail appears from behind. ]

Ven - you need to go somewhere safe.

oops i forgot the html last tag huh......

[tryhard]

[ Waver's claws snag into Berserker's forearm but find his grip unyielding. Even as Waver tears flesh open, Berserker grabs him tight, leveraging their size difference and Waver's cornered position to his advantage.

The blood-scent is heavy in the air. Waver's heart is pounding.

He lands on his back with a grunt and a snarl, and immediately starts snapping his teeth at Berserker's face when he gets close. With the dragon on top of him, Waver's legs and tail are mostly pinned, but he does his best to pull his arms free. He'll claw at Berserker's chest and shoulders, even his throat, if given the chance. ]

[princessascended]

[Holding still while Aqua ran her tongue all over her, but especially through her hair, is an incredibly difficult task, but somehow, Kairi manages.

She can't help but sigh in relief when Aqua notices that Ven messed his hair up again and goes back to him, though.]

I don't have my watch with me. We'd have to get down from this cave to find anyone, and even without her standing guard, I don't see that happening.

[Dragon Aqua was annoyingly smart like that, apparently. Then again, Kairi wasn't really sure how smart dragons usually were.]

[anotheroldsoldier]

It ain't me you're fighting, it's this shit in the air, so c'mon- [He keeps going, punctuated with the occasional grunt whenever he gets a taste of claws or teeth on flesh. The arm is holding up fine, thankfully, and the rest of him has had worse.

He can see it, when she starts to break through, and he grits his teeth, shaking her to try and bring her back up. The feral side so far is winning, and it's no wonder, everyone is acting fucking crazy (thank god he doesn't have to lose his mind like this again), but he's desperate to drive it away from her fully.]

C'mon, damn it! Where's the Sheva I know? Push it back down!

[anotheroldsoldier]

[Bucky tries to use his weight to pin him, since that's one of the things he does have going for him these days. Grunting with the effort of it, he knows he's going to be bruised all to hell later on, but every instinct in him is screaming to restrain Steve (whether that's the best idea or not, it's hard to say - maybe the spider is rearing up in him, just a little).]

Damn it, Steve! You're gonna be real pissed at yourself later on if I let you keep this shit up-

[enkidoh]

[Enkidu does not expect kindness. All humans are different. Some are grumpy and others are kind. And their best friend has been a cruel tyrant of a king, don't worry Vanitas, they got this.

So they listen closely, trying to envision what they mean. How dislikes and likes and feelings and memories make a soul. Because if that makes a soul then they would have one. But why doesn't it feel like that? Perhaps the other is right and they have a soul, a soul that the gods attached to a simple lump of clay and that could grow but only in one way.

And really, there aren't many things that anger Enkidu or frustrates them. They don't mind being called names or being beat in battle. They don't mind being rejected. All they wanted has been at their side a long time ago.

But it seems all gone.]

The best way to walk alongside of humanity is to possess a human soul. [They are getting awfully melancholic over this.] Not that of what I am now. I do not consider it a soul at all. It is merely...something that drives me. I want to grow like a human does.

[They look at the other.]

Have you lost yours? Or is it broken?

[futhark]

Caren... [ He starts almost carefully. Tasting the melody of her name all over again. City lights down below them, unknown stars and high above them. A damned isekai adventure no one asked for. ]

Is this a lack of purpose that bothers you, or is it the uncertainty? [ Trying to narrow it down, trying to lock on the true heart of the issue. Stumbling is fine, and hurting is only human— but genuinely losing faith in yourself, that could be crippling. She's stronger than that, he's sure of it, but there are times when one has to be reminded of their own strength— And also get hugs, so he tightens the embrace. ]

[whattaprick]

[ Yeah, about those horns ... it's about twice as hard when you have antlers. The tips of Lambert's un scrapes unpleasantly against the stones of the alleyway, making him grimace, but some creative maneuvering later and he's through, rubbing at his head and stepping aside to let the others follow through.

On the other side, is, well ... run-down would be one way to describe it. There's a few of these stalls scattered around in other areas of the city, but they're clustered together here, dimly-lit and smelling strongly of preservatives, something sharp and medicinal, and underlying it all, the faintest whiff of ichor. There are some furtive-looking monsters and would-be-shoppers whose faces are obscured by the high collars of their fine coats milling among the stands, run by shopkeepers who keep themselves mostly withdrawn, some of them sporting new additional parts of their own.

Not that they command the center of attention, here. The wares they're hawking are far more interesting, but also anything but pleasant -- unidentifiable bits floating in in jars of clear liquid, curled-up and dried talons strung from beams besides what looks like the better portion of someone's tail, even horns not dissimilar to what Lambert and Steak are displaying, some whole, others chopped into rings. Monster parts, one and all, and many of them boldly displayed to see. ]

[scatmaam]

[ Her grip on his wrists tightened, and upon getting her feet back to the ground, she attempted to sweep out one of his legs, aiming to throw him off balance and get him onto the ground with her. ]