☆ 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

[proficience]

[Revenge is, without a doubt, out of the question. If Oda were to find out about this incident, there's a good chance he'll lose his right to become a writer. That's the one thing Dazai can't allow, the one thing he'd promised he wouldn't have happen while he's here.

And if Atsushi or Chuuya were to find out, they'd react differently. But not in a way where Dazai would need to feel concerned.]

Are you trying to build a list? Of those who want you dead?

[A pause.]

Does the idea of a long one thrill you?

[scatmaam]

[ Within the darkness of the alleyways surrounding their home, Marie's reaction of following Scathach out would soon to prove a mistake... From those shadows, the natural friend of Scathach for so long, she sprang forth, her wings giving her even more of a boost to clear the space between them, aiming to bring Marie to the ground below in a single pounce. ]

[proficience]

[Noting the change in Viren's pupils, Dazai blinks, but opts not to comment. There's no need to; everyone seems to have undergone some changes during the Mist for reasons he has yet to learn.

But --

He will answer that question with a grin.]

It means that I'm fond of you. You've been a reliable friend to me so far.

[beariot]

I don't know! [ Ursula's frustration bubbled over, clenching at the bring of her hat, tail swishing rapidly. ]

There's probably one closest to the river, but I don't actually know!

[beariot]

I'm not sure it does them any better to keep them cooped up in the refugee housing, either, though. [ Ursula sighed, her hand clenching. ]

I'll... I'll figure something out. Let's focus on you for the moment, okay? Let's try and get a better hand on your movement.

[beariot]

Even if that's true, no one's going to offer them any sympathy when it comes time to doll out judgement for what folks are doing in this chaos. They don't get that privilege of empathy from a lot of others... [ Ursula sighed, tail swishing as she looked about for signs of the kids, still trying keep in pursuit and dragging Flat along if she had to. ]

I think that's safe to say, yeah lmao

[kuroi_taiyo]

[ At least one of them will be able to be mortified when the mist fades. For the other, while the desperation may ease, the drive will continue for a few months yet. One could only hope that someone manages to bond and handle him to be less of a danger on the populace's sheets and clothes. ]

Apartments... That's definitely nearby enough.

[ Enough so that while close and keeping a warm hand somewhere on Azura, he manages to behave while walking that way. Which he seems to have gotten the hang of, with finding his way around the city, after only just arriving. It's great always being able to know the way, even when you don't realize why it's so innate. ]

[bloodwit]

[ what the...!! ]

You were calling me that only after -- three encounters.

[ how nice, viren apparently now has a tally of that. he pulls a face. ergo, he means to say, '-kun' must have a hidden meaning...: ]

Don't lie to me.

[beariot]

[ He was making it very difficult to give a coherent reply, but somehow she found the ability within her to manage it, though it came out on the edge of a moan, with insistent intensity behind it. ]

I don't care where so long as it's close! [ She could hardly believe herself. This was too much. She'd probably die of humiliation later, but lord knew she'd already embarrassed herself enough as it was. And Ramesses, at least, was someone Chariot could trust to be vulnerable around... ]

[fiddlestick]

[Girl you're amazing okay. He's not just saying that, he really does mean it.]

I... [He sighs. Yeah. He can't fault that logic.] I-I know you're right. It's just harder to get myself to fully believe it sometimes. [It's hard when he's heard these things for so long from so many different places. He wasn't Angelica, his own resolve was more fragile] Thought I'd be over those thoughts after going to the Music Academy, but ... [He sighs] Guess I still have to work at it. Those two make it seem so easy...

[It was still nice though, to hear that someone did like him for who he was, and not in spite of his flaws.]

Yeah...I thought about that. I thought it'd upset you if that happen. [Having your first time be based on a lie is a terrible way to go about things. He couldn't do that to Towa]

...I'm willing. If it doesn't work, at least we know we tried.

Randy Orlando | OTA

[guardianreaper]

[Chaos]

[Randy has a very special set of skills—namely being a barely functioning police officer. When the chaos breaks out, he’s one of the first ones called. Not directly, of course, but he’s eager to help.]

[Randy’s peacekeeping efforts are mostly focused on keeping people as safe as possible, which is a pretty hard job considering the chaos. Between the fights and the muggings, Randy really has his work cut out for him.]

[You might see him separating two brawlers, or chasing after a thief. On at least one occasion, he knocks a would-be mugger out, before kindly handing the citizen their belongings back.]

[It’s too much to do alone, though, and when he sees something he can’t manage he’ll turn to the first Mirrorbound he can find.]

Hey, mind lending a hand?

[Damage Control]

[Randy can’t blame the citizens for being weary of the Mirrorbound, but did they have to be such assholes about it?]

[When he sees somebody get kicked out of a shop, he can only grit his teeth. As far as he could tell, the Mirrorbound hadn’t been responsible for the majority of the chaos, but the town had decided to blame them anyway.]

[Incidents of violence against Mirrorbound aren’t unheard of, and when he sees somebody walking alone, he’ll offer to walk with them. If nothing else, Randy is muscle.]

Hey, want a date?

[If only he didn’t phrase it like that.]

[Refugees]

[Randy’s working helping out last month hadn’t gone unnoticed, and it’s not long before he sees faces he recognizes. Or rather, faces he recognizes see him. He gets swamped pretty quickly, and a genuine smile spreads across his face.]

Hey, it’s good to see ya! Glad to see you’re doing good.

[callmeven]

Vanitas, stop!

[ven exclaims when he catches vanitas in the middle of egging on a poor citizen.]

You're just making things worse!

[beariot]

[ Ursula nearly choked. ]

I beg your pardon?

[ The very suggestion had her tail swishing and face deeply red. She caught his meaning, and while yes, that was a pretty good joke, she still found herself a knee-shaking mis of mortified and... intrigued by the suggestion. And she really wished the latter wasn't so prominent in her animal-addled mind. ]

[beariot]

Panicking. [ She managed a squeak before her knees finally gave out and she began to collapse entirely. ]

[fiddlestick]

I can flirt...it just doesn't usually get noticed.

[Because Rean is really really dense. But now he got Crow to notice and react positively. So now...

...

He's not used to getting this far. Any experience he had in this field was a lot more spontaneous. What the heck does he do. He feels so on the spot right now. Just thinking about it makes his cheeks go red.]

Um ... y-yeah, I do.

[beariot]

[ If Chariot had enough presence of mind to guess, she'd figure the shifting was tied to her state of mind more than the moon itself, marking her as different from the average turnskin, but all she wanted in that moment was just to be surrounded in Fang's warmth and the comfort it brought her.

Her explanation, though... ]

A fog? It's making people change into cats?

[illequipped]

[Not everybody is a baby 24/7, Lalli. Emil is spending all of his maturity points here and now, so expect him to whine about something inconsequential later, for sure. For now he sits back to take in his handiwork: a dumb bunny with a scarf wrapped around his head.

Honestly, it works. Don't smell the scarf so overtly.]

Hmm, well... that will do for now, I guess. [Because! He's still not going anywhere! But he's satisfied with this, and sinks back into the couch with a sigh. Whew... what a day.] Let's just wait.

[......]

Ugh. Maybe I need to go to sleep.

[Not that he will, because someone will disappear, but oof!]

[beariot]

[ The contact, the jolt of magical shock from the Bond, was ultimately what jarred Chariot's brain out of non-functional panic into at-least-somewhat-functional panic as she started to at least become aware of where she was, and who she was with. Rearing back, the arch in her back started to lesson as the air of familiarity hit her in the way that voice said her name...

It was Kaede. This beast was... Kaede. ]

W-what... what's happened? [ Her voice, in contrast, was so small, pitched, definitely coming from a creature so small as a house cat. ]

[kuroi_taiyo]

[ Was it really so mortifying? He sees the red face, definitely, and his eyes catch the movement of the swishing tail. Yet, with the way his mind was working, especially in this mist-ifying days, it seemed like a good chance to double down and lighten the mood more. ]

Even the lion girl I knew would jump and do tricks for some fish in her mouth... Though it's an offer, more than teasing or bait. Wherever you wanna go, until you're left purring- Sounds good, right?

[ He'll say it more plainly if this keeps causing her to stop at mortification, but this is kind of fun. ]

[beariot]

[ The signs of cat wouldn't be found elsewhere, but a closer examination would show they were certainly present on Ursula, her ears feline peeled back and trying to duck her head low as her tail settled around her legs, clinging close. ]

Please don't think I'm strange, I swear it's the mist doing this.

[belligerentwarrior]

Just... changing people.

[Fang's ears folded back as something howled outside. It sounded too close for her instinct's liking, even if she could tell it wasn't all that close.]

Are you okay? Does it hurt? [Some of them had been screaming...]

III

[ishisstrength]

[Justine is wandering, aimless and half dressed. She briefly considered changing out of her night gown but it felt so unimportant. She isn't wearing shoes either and yet the chilly stone sidewalk doesn't bother her. It's just another detail in an overwhelming tapestry of sensations. Justine whispers a soft spell but it only makes the mist around her curl unsteadily before settling back into place.

She slows to a stop when something blocks her path.

Not something… someone.]

Monika? [She whispers into the air, her eyes refocusing on the form in front of her. It sounds like her friend but something is different. Justine shakes her head, attempting to chase away the cloudy weight of her thoughts. So many voices. So loud.

She closes her eyes and when she opens them again she can finally see the form in front of her.]

It is you. What-

[Justine lowers to her knees, but doesn't reach forward. She doesn't want to startle Monika and she doesn't know if the image of her friend is truly there or if it might vanish with the touch of a hand.]

What are you doing here?

Damage Control

[ishisstrength]

[Justine doesn't notice Prompto's advance until she feels the slight tug of resistance on her arm. She turns in a quick motion but falls short when her eyes land on the familiar blond tuft of hair.] Prompto? [She blinks, tears stinging her eyes as she lowers her arms and steps away from the man she'd been attacking. He panics, says a curse under his breath and begins to run.

It takes every ounce of focus not to follow him and finish what she'd started.]

Why not? [Her voice is whispered, trembling slightly from the feelings she can't entirely control.] Tell me why I don't want too.

[Because she does and it terrifies her.]

[leatherdaddy]

[ Feeling a familiar hand on his shoulder grounds him a little, a small touch of reality among a lot of wild shit, as Prompto put it, that he's having a hard time reconciling with. He doesn't really nod but he glances at him and hums his assent. Staying here is pretty ill-advised anyway, and the smells are overwhelming. He wonders if this was what happened to Noctis or Prompto... or Wolf. ]

Yeah. [ Another glance at his hands and he flexes his fingers, his breath steaming in the cold air as he exhales. Somewhere down the street, someone shrieks something about their legs. He smells something like... snake? How does he even know that? ]

Lets go. [ He hoists himself up, but thanks to the added weight of a pair of horns, he ends up swaying and leaning on Prompto. ] Woah, that feels...

II-A

[theunluckygirl]

[It isn't like Jennifer's gone looking for a fight or anything, but trouble always seems to find her. She'd just gotten caught up in some feral monsters fighting and her attempts at trying to calm them had done nothing but turned their ire on her.

She's fine, though--somehow, she always comes out of the worst of situations with little physical damage. but there's a nasty gash she's sustained almost the whole length of her leg that makes moving difficult.

But she hasn't complained. She's been perhaps one of the quietest patients, just watching everything and everyone, waving off care with a smile (clearly they should all be more focused on more deserving patients!) and trying to stay as out of the way as she can.

So she's a bit startled when her clever plan to become a chameleon is thwarted by Gladio speaking to her. Her eyes go a bit wide and she goes still, as if the lack of movement will make her invisible, before he offers the cup and she realizes he is speaking to her.

She fumbles a bit with the cup, before bringing it to her lips without thinking to drink.]

Th-thank you. But I'm alright, really. I'm sure there's someone else who needs it more.