☆ 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

[manlet]

[Whatever she'd been doing, it'd been enchanting enough to lure a complete stranger to her side. Andersen sits on his knees - which makes him look even more bird-like, all things considered - and shifts as he makes himself comfortable.]

The words, please.

[sing_for_me]

Berserker..?

[ The realization comes with some relief at the familiar face, but also some panic as she quickly wipes at her face.

She wasn't sure if it was her timing or his, but it sucked. ]

Ah--that's..it's just everyone else was. These um..new parts don't really help with what I already have..

[ Her wings also quickly wrap around her, a conscious response. ]

But...you really won't, right?

[ It would hurt a lot more if someone she knew did. ]

Rose | Final Fantasy XIV

[poisontippedcure]

[Chaos]

[Good things have a tendency not to last, doubly so when there’s magic involved. She had a feeling when she was summoned that the peace wasn’t meant to last, and she was correct.]

[She’s woken up in the middle of the night by something being thrown from her window. Peering outside, it looks like chaos has engulfed the city. As much as she’d like to stay in her room and pretend this isn’t happening, she doubts that it would be safe here.]

[It’s not long before she’s drawn into a first aid tent, and starts to administer healing magic to whomever she can. It’s not as strong here, but she can manage.]

[Damage Control]

[Thankfully, by the second day, the chaos has died down enough she doesn’t need to be on constant first aid duty. Unfortunately, that doesn’t stop her from getting caught in the middle of a fight.]

[She isn’t sure what starts it, but as a Mirrorbound, she’s also a target. It’s an all out brawl, and every time she tries to dart out of sight, there’s somebody blocking her path. There’s too many people around and involved to make sense of anything, so she resorts to hitting things with her staff.]

Twelve help me, can I have a week without everything going to shite?

[Orphans]

[Rose hadn’t spent a lot of time in the orphanages, but she’d spent enough to recognize the children. Even when they were prawling the streets as a gang.]

[Usually, this is the sort of thing she wouldn’t bother intervening in, but she can’t stop herself. These children aren’t likely to get help if they get themselves into trouble with the law, and they certainly aren’t going to help the case of the refugees.]

[She doesn’t bother attacking them, just stepping between them and someone who’s lost consciousness. The look on her face is enough.]

Now, I’m not sure what you were thinking about doing, but it’s time to stop. Go home now.

[OTA]

[Wanna do something that’s not listed here? Just drop me a line and let me know!]

[belligerentwarrior]

[Well, that was easier than Fang anticipated. Holding onto Monika was she was, Fang hits the ground harshly when the naga falls bonelessly, growling quietly to herself as she shames her head out. The cornered humans waste no time in fleeing.]

[The spell wouldn't last long. Fang dragged the Monster (?) off to the side of the street, leaping up onto a little perch slightly above street level, sitting, waiting patiently. The question was whether the girl would wake lucid or not.]

[Lady Luck felt like giving her a break, it seemed.]

You lost your head. Attacked some people. [Her voice in her jaguar form was lower and rougher than it was usually.] Dunno if it's the work of that mist or the moons. You feelin' alright, or we still gonna have problems?

[curruid_coinchenn]

[ How easy it is to corrupt someone when they're at just the right point. A cruel, twisted smile comes to his face and he turns away. ]

Then let's go.[ He says as he's already walking. ] I see someone already...

[ A man screaming insults and obscenities at every visible monster that comes near him. While it's easy for Berserker to strike fear into someone, this is for Monika's benefit. He will simply be her guide and assist when necessary. No killing right now, though, not unless it's strictly necessary. ]

Go. Show him what fear is.

[ Of course, if she needs it, Berserker has a great trump card for causing fear and panic: his poison breath. ]

[belligerentwarrior]

[It's enough to stun her, at least. The beast hadn't expected him to fight back after freezing like that, and turned as Fang's head was, his reinforced skull slammed into her more delicate cheekbone.]

[The turnskin recoils back, stunned, her paws leaving Judar's shoulders, though her weight still pinned his legs.]

[overworker]

S-something like that, yes... this is all pretty new to me still. Normally I'm a witch-- I've never had monster changes like this before. So I'm afraid I'm not very good at... this.

[Describing the situation is difficult when the reason for the changes and the mist is still very unclear and what it has to do with the sudden changes she and others are seeing in their bodies.]

Under normal circumstances, it's dangerous to resist the changes, so I've been trying not to, but... unfortunately that... sometimes leads to trouble itself.

[Like right now. She's glad the grip has lightened, it seems as though she's understanding-- and Towa couldn't be more grateful.]

[sing_for_me]

[ He looked like those little angel decorations she'd see during the holidays. Would he be offended if she said that, though?

She nods at his request, but makes sure to move out of the water first. At least this way he won't be tempted to get in by accident. Her eyes close as she takes a breath and begins. ]


Smile though your heart is aching
Smile even though it's breaking
When there are clouds in the sky
You'll get by
If you smile
Through your fear and sorrow
Smile and maybe tomorrow
You'll see the sun come shin-ing through for you
Light up your face with gladness
Hide every trace of sadness
Although a tear may be ever so near
That's the time
You must keep on trying
Smile, what's the use of crying
You'll find that life is still worth-while
If you just smile

[ As she sang there, was a melancholy feeling. Was this something she sang to her brother long ago? Was that something she felt because of the young boy in front of her? She couldn't remember.

Once the song finishes, her eyes open again, waiting to see if that was enough for him. ]

It was um..an old song I learned a while back.

Morgan Yu | OTA

[psychotronics]

Morgan is sleeping— or at least, attempting to do so— when the mist falls over the city. Just seeing a mysterious purple substance like that, creeping past the crack under her door and into her quarters in the barracks, is enough to set her on edge. She kicks into a survivalist panic, searching for a way out… But of course, the whole city is covered. There's no escaping this.

She’s hyperventilating when she stumbles out into the city streets. Not from pain, but from absolute panic. She looks at her hands, sees inky blackness creeping down them like spreading tendrils. The sound of her own voice echoes through her head, a brief flash of a memory that she’s been trying to repress since she got here:

You’re not what they say you are.

Kill them all.

Morgan sinks to her knees, hands pressed to her temples, groaning. Then she feels her bones start to change under her hands, and she begins to scream.

When the damage is done, a humanoid figure with the features of a horrifying deep-sea fish lurches back to her feet, still clutching her head. Her inky black skin shimmers in an disturbing, almost cwyld-like manner, and it's all she can do to drag herself away from the panicking crowds while ignoring the overwhelming instinct to kill, kill, kill.

A. (CW for: Attempted drowning, stalking, potential death? Morgan's going to try for the kill. Contact me before you tag this one, let me know what your limits are! If you want your character to die I'm amenable but I'd like to plot out the details with you first.)

The benefit to Morgan's changes is that, when the transformation finally stops, it’s not too hard to hide herself relatively out of the way of others. She has gotten way too far from the barracks, by this point, to risk creeping back to them now... but she can at least put herself somewhere where shes unlikely to cross paths with any innocent bystanders. The solution? She throws herself into the harbor.

Unlike a true merrow, she has no aquatic form that takes over when the water touches her skin, but she’s still perfectly suited to existing in a submerged environment right now.
She swims to the bottom and lurks there, a dark black shape just barely visible in the murk. It's fine. She can deal with this. Down here, there’s no temptation, no innocent humans passing by to tempt out the demons running amok in her brain.

That doesn’t mean the demons aren’t there, though. She can still feel them, making her restless, and their influence sets her to “pacing” around the harbor floor, swimming in agitated circles. Through the long hours of isolation, it’s easy to get distracted, maybe wander too close to one of the piers…

She's completely feral at this point, all sense of restraint spent. There's nothing to stop her from launching half out of the water to grab you, and attempt to drag you into the icy depths.

B. High Aggro
She manages to drag herself out of the harbor eventually, when the night passes and the initial feral fervor has passed. Still, Morgan is, in a sense, playing tug-o-war with herself over what to do. The sensible thing now, she thinks, is to make for the barracks and lock herself in where no one can get to her, and she can't get to anyone else.

With tensions and aggression high citywide, though, the risk of confrontation may be all but inevitable. All it takes is the slightest display of ill intent, or a single muttered unkind word, and she may be back with her claws out and her mind gone.

[ [ Feel free to wildcard, or hit me up via PM or on plurk at awkwardpossum if you want to plot anything different! ] ]

[prayerwheel]

[ And Zero also has red eyes, which makes Azura's confusion last a few seconds longer, even after hearing Zero's voice, which is definitely not Corrin's. Long white hair, red eyes, that should be...

No.

It's not. ]

--ah.

[ Azura just. Slowly pulls back her hands. ]

S-So I do.

A.

[manlet]

[Growing wings allows him to bypass some of the chaos breaking out in the streets by flight. His path is unsteady and crooked, and Andersen has to land more than a few times to reorient himself, but he carefully makes his way through the city in this haphazard fashion. He's too restless to remain inside - dangerous as it may be, he feels the need to stretch out his wings.

Which is how he winds up gliding down to a spot near Louis's position, his landing a little rocky. The sheer size of his wing-arms cause him to tilt a bit before he quickly regains his balance.

That's when something lands near him. Thump.

A rabbit. Dead.

Andersen slowly looks up, all senses alert.]

2B, we've talked and big maybe on the nsfw.

[fieryimpulse]

[Chandra's newfound horns and attitude are making her life a little more irritating than they perhaps need to. She hates them both, but some part of her is unable to resist the urge to turn her nose up at eyeblights, a term that just floated into her thoughts all on it's own. Her now elven ears perk up at the sound of music though, and she's drawn to it.

Drawn closer to water, drawn to the person she's seeing, Chandra moves dreamlike, with an impossible, inhuman grace. She's not wearing her armor today, instead favoring a simple green jerkin and trousers, loose and flowing, as they should be. It's simple aesthetics.

Alex's question snaps her out of the daze...confusion welling up in her eyes.]

Run? From you?

[No. No, she settles down next to Alex, looking over at her.]

Whyever would I?

[curruid_coinchenn]

[ Berserker studies her, noting she's been changed by the mist, too. His changes are more subtle, with fur coating his extra appendages and soft, dog-like ears in place of his more human ones. Something stirs in him, brought on by his feral instincts, but he ignores it for now. He's fighting for control of his mind and someone he can talk to helps. He gets closer to her, as close as he can. ]

No... [ It's nice to see someone familiar, when they're both aware of their behavior under the light of the moon. ] And you're not going to drag me in, are you?

IIA. this is gonna be peak stupid

[manlet]

[Only, as it turns out, Elliot isn't the only hoarder around the city. Andersen has controlled some of his more feral urges, but there's still some he can't exactly wipe out. Namely: the desire to steal things, just for the sake of stealing.

Which is why, when Elliot tries to snatch a nice trumpet from the junk pile, Andersen will try to slap him in the face with his wing-arm and a swan-like hiss.]

Back off, I saw it first.

[ilves]

[Lalli is doing the best he can, even if his best is, um, astonishingly little? Aside from resisting the urge to chomp, that is, because that is a herculean effort in and of itself. Emil is delicious; he would very much like to bite Emil again, but the thought of drinking blood is disgusting—and so is the thought of hurting Emil any more than he already has. That's what really makes his stomach twist.

So he's prepared to sit here and be petty for the foreseeable future, thank you! To let his annoyance with Emil overtake absolutely everything else, because that's a simple enough thing for him to understand and to focus on. He's getting the feeling that he needs something to focus on. What if he falls asleep and that's all that it takes for him to lose what little control he does have, you know... what if...

Well, he's in a tricky spot. He doesn't like feeling weak—and ashamed, and angry at himself, and a number of other, smaller emotions that are quickly snowballing together. Emil wanting to help makes this both better and worse, somehow? Everything is stupid and nothing makes sense, and yet, as he glances back over at his friend, Lalli knows that there's... some merit in that last suggestion. Some.

And let's be real: those eyes help Emil's case, even if they do prompt another twinge of something distinctly uncomfortable. Aha. When, he wonders, will he be able to look at Emil without feeling that...]

Mmh. [And that's initially all he has to offer, because yes, Emil, tell him a dumb Swedish tale? But as he leans forward, settling his chin atop his knees (and accidentally allowing his hood to fall back just far enough for the bottom of his grey ears to become visible):] ...I don't want to sleep.

[Just firmly throwin' that out there. Hey, he's using words... improvement...]

A

[unyieldingmarch]

[Help arrives with the tromp of boots and the crack of wood on bone. From out of an alley, Edelgard steps, swinging a heavy oaken staff at the base of the pursuing monster's spine. The feathered creature shrieks as it falls flat on it's face to the cobbles. Snarling, it begins to claw to it's feet, but a heavy boot slams down onto it's back.]

No more of that.

[It still struggles, trying to turn, but for the moment Edelgard's armored weight holds it. Her eyes widen slightly when she realizes it was Hubert that the creature was pursuing...]

Are there others on your trail, Hubert?

[Judging by the sounds of something scrabbling a few streets over, there's a strong possibility that something else has his scent.]

[sylphid]

Well that's unfortunate for both of us.

[Fie's tired, but it doesn't seep into her tone. Instead, she sounds pretty chill right now, like she's just relaxing because she can.]

Mainly me, I guess.

[sing_for_me]

[ Seeing Chandra was like a breath of fresh air she didn't know she needed. As soon as she sat down, Alex leaned in closer, both of her hands taking one of Chandra's. ]

You won't be scared? Every..everyone else was..I don't want to scare you. And I won't hurt you..I wouldn't--

[ Now that she was so close, Alex could see how Chandra was affected as well. ]

You too..?

[sylphid]

[Fie's only on a second story ledge right now, so her view is even better. Of course there's stuff to be done. Corralling rioters, keeping civilians out of harm's way, stuff like that. It's all important and vital and whatever, but! But!!

This is enough to make her sit down and simply watch. No way in hell is she missing this show.]

[tryhard]

[ The blood scent is even stronger up close, enticing and intense, and beneath it Flat's scent. Even fresher, hot blood under his skin. Waver lands right on his chest, claws digging into Flat's shoulders and pinning him to the ground with his weight, one knee in the boy's stomach.

His mouth opens wide, fangs flashing, long and wicked.

Waver throws his weight forward, trying to pin Flat more securely so he can't get the knife high enough. One clawed hand lashes out to grab Flat's wrist and twist it up, head bending low to try to sink his fangs into the soft flesh of his forearm.

Between his animal instincts, Turnskin strength, and the muscle memory he's starting to build with Geralt's training, Waver's a lot faster and more efficient than Flat might be used to. ]

[sing_for_me]

I won't!

[ She'll even pull herself out of the water to make a point. ]

I promise I won't hurt you. So please..please stay?

[ She'd told herself before she wouldn't cause any problems for him again, but she can't help it today. There was this strong desire, or was it fear, of being alone.

It felt like a little much to ask him to come closer, but her expression didn't hide that that's what she wanted. ]

[fieryimpulse]

[Chandra's hand, now devoid of her usual gloves, closes around Alex's, her head canting curiously to one side.]

Why would you? That doesn't make sense. You're...Alex. I like you.

[Her other hand reaches up, brushing her pointed elven ears and the bone-white horns.]

...And yes, I am. I can still do magic, but I guess I'm some sort of elf now.

THIS IS BEAUTY HONK HONK

[fiddlestick]

[A CHALLENGER APPEARS.

Elliot is surprised by the wing back, his head jolting back as he gets smacked with some feathers. He turns an hisses back. Then he responds with his own wing smack at this swan!!!]

No way, I was here first!

[Gonna try to grab the trumpet!!]

[sing_for_me]

[ There was no expression how hearing those words made her feel. It calmed her almost instantly. Alex loosens her grip, but doesn't let go just yet. ]

Do you think..we'll stay this way?

[ Her other hand moves to reach for Chandra's horn, touching it curiously. She's normally more respectful of boundaries, but that seems to go out the window during the full moon. ]

Did it..hurt?

Re: chaos

[fieryimpulse]

[That's rarely a good idea. Chandra whirls as he gets closer, her eyes blazing, her newfound horns standing out starkly against her blazing hair. The spin also reveals her newfound ears, pointed and sharp.]

Zack?

[There's no hostility in her voice, just confusion.]

Why the hell are you sneaking up on me?