☆ 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

[overworker]

[Neither of them are the type who'd ask to be first, but after the conversation they had-- well, she has no proof of it, but she thinks she understands his reasoning.

Not that she'd let him get away with something like even if it didn't work.

Once she's back on her feet she nods. Bed. Yeah. That makes sense.]

Alright. But first...

[She leans forward on the balls of her feet to press a kiss to his lips. He's not the only one who's a little nervous here. Still, she hopes the pleasant, familiar gesture might help ease his nerves a bit.

Then she sits on the edge of the bed.]

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya rubs his jaw, testing its movement before he slowly looks up.]

Yeah--I'm fine. [It's these changes, and if this kind of pain is what monsters usually go through then he feels sorry for them. It's agonizing.] I'm going to the coven to see if they have anything to help everyone.

[And he'd rather Judar didn't contribute to the chaos, but he has to accept he can't really stop him.]

[befucked]

That's kind of ya. I was off with that "Coven" [audibly derisive scare quotes] for most of it, seeing to the injured. Or those just losing their shit 'cause they grew a second fucking head.

[She knocks back another drink, then actually pauses long enough to squint at Jill before reaching for the bottle again.]

You from around here? They told us showing up here gave all of us mirrorfolk some weird power or what-have-you. Which I didn't credit, but--already proven wrong about my own fucking self.

[That's worth of pouring one more drink. She's still not sure what to make of the fact that she's supposed to be a Witch! And has spent the past two days doing mostly witchy things. Does she have to avoid churches now? Should she get a cat?]

damage control

[thejoyrider]

[She probably should have been more careful. Or just walked the other way when this scary, clearly annoyed man entered her field of vision. However, she got distracted by another passerby's fancy beautiful coat flowing on the wind and ended up not stepping way from Berserker in time. Now Marie had to deal with 1 (one) angry dragon.]

My sincerest apologies, Mister! Were you hurt somewhere?

[Maybe if she shows him she's sorry...]

[unsundered]

[And Emet-Selch does take a minute or two to inspect the place, much like a cat investigating its new territory, scoping out good places for a nap. Or at least checking out those books. Personal journal? Yeah he'll just be taking that with him over to the couch, just to have something to idly flick through while Mira was busy with the drinks.]

I should find something similar to this place for myself. I've mostly been making do with... [Absolute wrecks of places.] lesser accommodations.

[Hopefully with Mira making the tea, she can avoid another unfortunate poisoning incident. No guarantee about the fire though; so many things often did end that way.

But no, with any luck it would stay nice and cozy, a pleasant chat between Ascian and champion.]

[prayerwheel]

[ Oh. He definitely knew what he was doing, here. Azura...did not. Her experience was limited to the past few days, so she hoped her general enthusiasm would make up for it.

Touching her tail more actively is making her twitch, and getting more tiny pleased noises out of her. It kind of hurts but also doesn't, just having someone tug on it like that. ]

Ah, hold on...

[ Her other hand pulls the back of her dress up, bunching it around her waist so her tail is free. ]

...keep going.

[ a gentle request before she kisses him in turn. She's not the best kisser, but she's eager to touch more of him and takes either side of his face in her palms. ]

[sporelett]

[She manages her surprise at Steak’s entrance admirably, simply flicking a withering look his way. Fortunately, this time he’s come with a minder who’s fairly prompt about telling him off, but she’s not sure whether to be insulted or flattered that he apparently took one look at her on the street and rushed right over to thwart her “evil plans.” Evidently she made an impression.]

Yeah, Meat. Don’t bother people for no reason.

[She shoots him an unpleasant, deliberately-smug smile before seemingly remembering why she’d “accosted” Lambert in the first place.]

Yeah, I know! I heard you yelling about it inside. So―where are we headed? I’m gonna help out.

[Again, decisions have been made without the input of certain other relevant parties. Par for the course where Nyskie is concerned.]

[befucked]

Wha--?

[Jane starts at that voice, blinking and twisting her head around to look over at Jennifer, then hastily sitting upright in her seat. She's bothered to get acquainted with few enough folks so far that she didn't expect any familiar faces in her random watering hole of choice.]

Uh--appreciated, but no need. I have funds, for the moment. Witches at that "Coven" were paying a stipend for those that stayed over with the wounded.

[Normally, she'd never be one to turn down free liquor. But taking money off Jennifer seems obviously wrong, as out-of-sorts as she was, last they spoke. Besides which, bargoing wouldn't exactly have been the most reputable activity for a young lady in her world, and she figures Jennifer's just young enough not to know how it might look.]

Just worn out, and ain't had a drink for two nights, 'cept for some piss-tasting brandy one of the healers had squirreled away. [She quickly looks Jennifer up and down.]

What about you?

A

[thejoyrider]

[The commotion on the other side of the road grabs her attention immediately. Uh oh, someone was in trouble. Marie observes the situation from a safe distance. Obviously, the smartest thing to do would be to leave the fleeing man to fend the monster off on his own and leave this place as quickly a she can, befofe whatever was pursuing Hubert notices her as well. However, this is Marie we are talking about.

She quickly assesses her options. She was no longer a Servant and as for her Monster form, she barely acquired any Fae traits so far, no matter that even a fully grown Fae would have trouble taking on this opponent.

She thinks for just a few seconds and throws one of her earrings at the creature, hitting its back. Not enough to do any damage, but enough to get its attention.]

Run away, sir! Now!

[Even though Marie might soon require saving herself.]

aftermath

[thejoyrider]

[Marie notices him loitering around during her stroll through the docks. The sight of Flat is reassuring - the chaos that swept around the city left her unharmed but worried about the fate of her friends and acquaintances. Including, of course the Vice President of the Friends of France club]

Flat! I am glad to see you are okay!

[Someone like him would probably not stand a chance if attacked, say, by a psychopath with a knife, Marie thinks...]

[curruid_coinchenn]

[ He wondered how long this could go on for and how far she would go, so why stop now? The night is young and there are the unaffected citizens that have yet to be run off. There's are plenty more opportunities to for Monika to get in touch with her monstrous side. Berserker's more than happy to push her to find her limits, if there are any. ]

[battlebound]

[ Some might say that Red Wine is always out of his comfort zone, then, because as far as Steak's concerned, he's always an annoying presence by his side. The hissed shut up, bastard! to his partner more a stage whisper than anything actually inaudible, delivered with a glower to the side, eyes not entirely unwilling to fully tear themselves away from one certain criminal in his midst.

And then Nyskie just has to... give him a nickname? ]

What did you just call me?!

[ And wait, what did this guy — Lambert, Red Wine said, because Steak is actually in the habit of remembering people's names :| — just say? ]

You're investigating?

[ Sounds like your solo mission just got a bit bigger, Lambert. ]

[ua_duibhne]

[There's no shortage of those. His ears lie flat against his head and his tail twitches under the attention, but that's about where the agitated body language ends. Diarmuid melts into him immediately, yielding and even a little submissive in the way he allows Berserker to set the pace. That isn't to say that he's passive; rather, he's quick to slip both hands up under his shirt, nails- they're more like claws now, though he's not sure when it happened- drawing lines in his skin. Ah, now there's a foreign sensation: he wants to mark him. Make sure everyone knows-

Gasping, he draws back.]

We can't do this here... [There's a hint of reluctance in his voice. The last thing he wants to do is pull away; he barely even registers that he should be embarrassed about the speed with which his body's reacting.] We're not animals.

[Damn well feels like it, though.]

[inlikethebrume]

[That comes out as a shock to Mira as she pokes her head, having already set up the kettle and is just waiting for the water to boil and sing. As for that journal, good luck finding any dirt there. But there is a sign within Mira's writing that each stroke is an attempt to be precise and clean.]

Truly? I would think it little for you to have found a place by now.

[Ok so she for some reason pictured him going into one of the fancier places and claim it for himself.]

May I ask where exactly have you been staying these past couple weeks?

[bad_crowmance]

Would I do a thing like that? ♪♫

[ He absolutely would. Crow lowers the toy to juuuuuuust within Towa's reach. ]

[long_live_the_queen]

[Kaede could hear footsteps before she saw a person; her tufted ears pricked forwards, and her head dropped low in case she needed to line up her antlers in a hurry.

But she didn't need to. The Chimera watched them with an unblinking red gaze, but stopped--though if she just took a step forwards, she was certain she could knock this person over, with how shocked stfff they were. A human--mostly. And one still in possession of their wits. They were in her space, but Kaede wasn't about to back up herself. And she wasn't quite as touchy when approached from the front, in this form. Something about sharp antlers and a body that could actually use them this time.

The human could stay scared, though, that was just fine by her.]

Good. Then you're not what I'm after.

[And the patchwork nightmare hyena...sits, like a dog. Her mouth twitched back in a grimace as she shifted her weight off of one of her front legs, the motion subtle.]

[curruid_coinchenn]

[ The nails on his back draw a gasp from him -- well, that's a fun reversal since it's normally him who's so eager to mark. Berserker's about to bite his neck as a sort of tit-for-tat when Diarmuid speaks up. It cuts through the haze in his mind long enough for some kind of sense to make its way through. ]

Mm...Fine.

[ But he doesn't pull away from him. Instead, he scoops up the Lancer for a quick flight back to their apartment. It's animal instinct: the fastest way to get what he wants. The door's barely shut behind them before the dragon is all over him once again. Hands pushing up his shirt to get to any kind of skin; hungry, desperate kisses, more tongue and teeth than anything. His only focus is his lover right now and giving into the instincts tearing at him completely. ]

[unsundered]

[Even with the lack of secrets, the book does tell him that Mira is organized and with decent enough handwriting, which is another small mark in her favor. And any information she'd gathered is information he didn't have to seek out himself, so, bonus.

The question has him glance up to her, then immediately look away, ears twisted back. Not quite embarrassed, but- disgruntled?]

Eh....

[If he had his normal abilities- then yes, the nicest of places, and good luck to anyone who tried to evict him. But well, if he'd had his normal abilities he could've just created an entire damned city to live in by himself.

But a large place, a nice place would attract others, who would either expect to live there with him (unacceptable), or attempt to oust him (also bad). Until his magic was better, he doubted his ability to defend against the unwanted hordes.]

I've drifted between a few abandoned... things. It's not as though it's my preference, even if it's not the first time I've had to make do. Better than failing to fend off a group in defense of someplace nicer.

[It's just a given that he'd be doing everything on his own.]

[mantiger]

Do you want to double check? Counting might be important. Just in case.

[ His ears twitch with curiousity, but he doesn't seem to mind the staring at all. In fact, he doesn't even seem to notice it as him staring, really. ]

[onlyangelshavewings]

[Regina's breathing was sharp and pained as she struggled with the paper... but Monika's pause was just what she needed. In that moment of clarity, she was able to straighten the paper out, flattening it against the ground...

... and then she lifted it and, in a sharp, sudden gesture, pressed it against Monika's forehead.

And then she braced herself for whatever would happen next-- she hoped that it would be the activation of the rune, and something felt... different beneath her fingers as she held it in place there, the rune illuminating against the paper.]

[curruid_coinchenn]

[ His irritation flares for a moment before it dies down. Despite the feral instincts tearing at him, telling him to make her regret her decision, he doesn't. It's too much effort, plus he recognizes this girl before him. another Servant from Chaldea...When did she get here? ]

... No. You're careless, though. You're lucky I decided to show you mercy.

[curruid_coinchenn]

[ As opposed to his normal indifference, there is some response to her touch. He tilts his head up as her fingers slide into his hair, his lips part just slightly as her fingers draw across them. Something about his altered state of mind makes this so much more enticing than normal. He still hesitates to reach out for her, the feeling that he's prey in another predator's lair extremely hard for him to shake. ]

I'm learning. [ He manages to say and it's true. The idea of wanting anything is still so alien to him, but he's adjusting to it. Berserker meets her gaze, a glimmer of something behind the usual coldness. ] Come as close as you want.

[ Because that mattered to him suddenly and not in a practical way. The water's chill is getting to him, too, and maybe her body will be warmer than that. It's curiosity, danger, and instinct mixing to be something undeniable intoxicating and alluring. ]

[rightfoot]

[ He breathes deep, eyes flickering dangerously as he looks towards Andersen. His face is still covered in blood, the throat ripped out of the rabbit that lands near his feet. There's no joy in his eyes, and the rabbit doesn't seem to taste any good judging by his expression. He opens his mouth, revealing his fangs.

His entire body seems to tense. There's definitely a fight going on inside.

He's watching the man next to him, taking in his steps.

Finally, rather than a simple look, he turns, starting to close the distance. ]

Need something?

[unyieldingmarch]

[Edelgard dips her head in a similar, if shallower manner. She very rarely stands on formality much, and the reaction made her feel a touch more at ease with the situation as well.]

It's not a title that means much, here. But two of my retainers arrived with me, so I can't fully ignore it, either.

[She'd rather not come across as deceitful, if someone overheard conversations with Hubert and Caspar for instance.]

May I ask what you do, if it brings you into contact with your own royal family?

[mantiger]

It's no trouble at all.

[ He keeps his voice kind and there's also something warm in his words. ]

I like being able to help out when I can. [ And this is no exception. ] Do you have a list of things that you need to get? I can help keep track.