☆ 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

joins the C party

[amurder]

... Doubtful, but I can check.

[Salieri has been busy with his own damage control after all– attempting to help both those terrorized by the newly transformed and aiding said newly transformed with their burgeoning changes. He's spotted her just as he was considering calling it a night, and recalls an almost familiar way in which the conversation starts. She really does seem very relaxed... even at a time like this.

Salieri envies her a bit. He searches within the confides of his suit and from his pocket produces–

–a bag of candy. Ok???] Ah.

Will this suffice?

[Maybe for you it would, Salieri.....]

iii!

[amurder]

[For the Salieri from long ago, it would be appropriate to say that he had seen enough violence and conflict for one night. A musician and composer above all else, he would have done everything in his power to avoid the strife and confrontations currently holding the city like vice.

But for Salieri now... for the man (and the beast) he's become– its become all too easy to step into an altercation.

Especially so when he sees a familiar face.

Despite having not seen her as of late, he feels no hesitation when he reaches over and takes the scruff of the man pinning down her wing. Salieri yanks the fool back– tosses him aside with a low snarl accompanying his action.] Alex.

[There's a few startled yelps– clearly they weren't expecting a sudden Chimera to come to the Merrow's aid. He doles out a similar toss to the man who had went for her tail– and now it's him and her for a brief moment. Them, and the little family she seems to protecting behind her.

He sees the glow in her eyes. He's not sure... how she'll react now.]

[tryhard]

[ Waver is equally surprised, having been apparently too absorbed in trying to claw out Flat's heart. Suddenly having his would-be prey (and/or attacker) ripped from his grasp prompts a startled, snarling yelp from Waver as well, the anger and confusion mixed with fresh pain as the knife yanks free with its owner.

Immediately, Waver is trying to stagger back to his feet, or at least his hands and knees, even without the use of one of his arms. His new wings twitch behind him, bent and bloody, one of them sporting a gaping, oozing hole from the earlier stab wound on his back.

That shining crimson glow has overtaken the entirety of Waver's eyes, not even the whites showing anymore-- and not a hint of recognition.

As soon as Iskandar is close enough, he lunges, teeth snapping at his hands. ]

[amurder]

[He's quicker this time to see the assault come up from below– and with a low hiss he narrowly evades with a leap to his far left. Hot, unfamiliar anger burns in his belly. He takes the brief reprieve to assess the stranger better, red gaze narrowing tight–

–and yet he still doesn't reach for the twin swords at his waist.

No, he only flexes the claws this new form has given him.] Tell me.

What do you hope to achieve... by protecting them? They would sooner flee from you than give you thanks. [His breath becomes deep and labored.] Let me through.

wildcard no one can stop me

[tryhard]

[ Waver knows this scent. It pulls at him, sparking recognition and the sudden need to claim. To make sure. His.

He stalks along the rooftops, dark, leathery wings assisting his jumps and making sure he lands more softly, though they're too small and not strong enough for actual flight. He doesn't need it.

He leaps from one of the smaller buildings, some sort of shop or restaurant, down right onto--

Berserker!

Surprise! ]

[juzubeads]

[Kyo is aware of the transformations. Of course he is. It just hasn't been this bad. Not like this, before. He flees on instinct, in dealing with the pain on his own, and not necessarily wanting others to see this. But evidently, others have other ideas.

The winged cat seems unsure at first, not used to such assistance or support from others. At least, others that aren't Tohru or Kazuma. So he hesitates at first, in keeping his distance. Before eventually approaching, slowly, cautiously.]

[cryptsleeper]

I'd rather not have to manipulate emotions, but it is nice to know that the option is available.

[To her name, Alucard only nods.]

On your mark then.

[ressusciter]

[there are swords at his waist, Dantes sees - if there was enough distraction, he might go for one, to have some measure of more concrete offense. as it is, he has his fists and an unshakeable will. golden eyes keep to red, and his posture is ready to spring at a heartbeat's notice. dressed in all black, no mark says where he's from, except here.]

I hope for nothing. I expect only the worst from all. And I still shall not let you through.

[the sensation in his chest is heavy, thick. slow moving like honey, heated like tar, clinging to the bones. my place. mine to defend. strange thoughts to bubble in his mind, but he'll keep them for the moment.]

What joy is worth scarring your name and image into their hearts as a man to fear?

[usurpers]

Don’t reject them.

[ obviously you can’t punch them back bro, do you take him for his nine year old fool self, who would in fact attempt to punch horns back. though there isn’t . . . much he could do here because of that. only ring his scaly neck to elliot’s writhing body, touch upon his feathers with snout and tongue. ]

There’s something in the air. [ something that— is doing the same with a lot of people, if the cries and shrieks beyond them were any sort of sign to follow. ]

[trouvaille]

( it's the little things.

like: a human, in gwen's position right now, might pause at the coolness of liliana's hand. the combination of putin's increasingly obvious unease and liliana's pale coolness and intent, fixed interest. but gwen, her head ringing and the more generalized anxiety keeping her teetering on the edge of true panic that's thick and hard to think through—her skin is cool, too, the perpetual feeling of one who has only now left cold water. and vampires, where she's from,

well, they don't look like liliana vess. mostly, they look like eurotrash trainspotting rejects, bitterly complaining about not being taken seriously after the quote unquote recruitment drive that had kept their species from being completely wiped off the map and unfortunately resulted in a lot of vampires that still think acid-washed denim is, like, a thing. anyone dating further back than the fucking '80s is too smart to have been caught dead anywhere that a baby fae doted upon by apex predators could pin them down; her conception of vampire is not the impressive, pop cultural seducer. it's heroin chic without the chic. it's not a nice lady whose hand feels comfortable against her offering her help.

although it will be, after this. )

I—yeah, thanks—it's really just a scratch, I kind of—

[unsundered]

[Putting down the book for later perusal, Emet-Selch accepts the cup with a nod. This was definitely a day to bring out the Big Cups and something warm.

Mira's words draw a frown though, and a dismissive sort of shrug.]

Concerned for my safety? [The idea still struck him as a touch bizarre, or at best belated.] I may not have your giant sword, but I believe I can handle a few aggressive locals, even now.

[Really, his problems were entirely self-created. Pride, and a general desire for solitude made it difficult to accept the presence of strangers, not when he was so severely reduced. These weren't people from a known world he could easily subjugate or manipulate. They were potential threats.

His extremely low opinion of mortal forms didn't help any. He'd never been so limited, even when actively pretending to be one of them; he'd always had the awareness of his real capabilities, he never stopped seeing the world in his particular way. It was hard to get over the idea that his body was anything but 'completely useless.']

But if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were offering myself a place to stay for a time.

[He's... not entirely sure what he thinks about that.]

[unsundered]

[Those of the Light were rather strange. Always trying to save what couldn't be saved, what shouldn't be. Even as they brought down the sword, the heroes extended their hand soon after. Why? It wasn't mercy, or even something as insulting as pity, but- it was as though they genuinely regretted the necessity.]

Exactly. [An exasperated sigh, a head shake.] If I didn't know better, I'd think they didn't take their promises seriously. I don't offer more than I know I can fulfill.

But born of negative emotion, you say? [That was a curious sort of origin. And further accounts for Vanitas' cheery personality, he figured.] Well- the Light is quite inscrutable at times. If their misery is based off of something ultimately good- a rather pathological form of kindness, perhaps- that would make it harder to understand.

2

[unsundered]

[Well now. That was a sight. Thancred was looking quite different from how he remembered. The feathers and scales were certainly new, and for a moment he's not entirely sure it's the same person at all. But when he calls out to him- the voice was certainly recognizable.

Not that Emet-Selch was entirely unchanged as well, though his additions were much less drastic. Cat ears adorned his head, claws tipped his fingers, and a lashing tail was concealed thankfully beneath his coat.

He walks slowly in Thancred's direction, his manner calm, detached. Apart from his ears, which were twisted back slightly, wary. Of all the Scions, Thancred had always shown him the least courtesy, the most aggression. It was almost like he had some kind of grudge against Ascians.]

Knocking them unconscious tends to do the trick.

[kuroi_taiyo]

[ Judar was lucky with the mists in that they happened relatively quickly- Even if it had been painful, it was condensed and mostly odd, instead of new teeth or something that needed more than pushing past the skin. ]

Sure. Good luck with that. Maybe ask about something for that pain, if it's getting to you.

[kuroi_taiyo]

[ It's more that he knew sex more than he knew anything about these monster parts or how any of those things felt. Like, there were more sensations around the fins, and his wrists and neck were more aware and sensitive to the gold jewelry that he continued to wear, so it seemed to make sense that other parts from other monster 'types' would have their sensitivities.

So while he felt the twitch, her hitching the dress up meant more that the tail was free. There's a hummed sound of understanding as Azura pressed for the kiss, and his hands returned to do more than brush, pet and fondle around the tail. His other hand went lower, along the curve of her ass to tease and grab, but also pull her more against him as fingers teased against more sensitive and intimate areas.

Which... Would've been a good time to either have magic, or have gotten stronger. The idea of pulling her up onto him more was strong- But all he could do was go for the bed.

[usurpers]

[ bro . . . they could be same hat.

they would have as much time as the stalking chimera would allow, now particularly wary of something possibly twice or more its size. the tail of the sphinx-monster lashes as the wild shriek of something feline drawls from its throat, and two big yellow eyes watching for its next move. ]

Knock it out. [ how, he’s wondering, when the grappling limbs of a man was capable of may not suit so well with the quadruped body he held. ] How bad is it?

[ the wound, he means. ]

[textsfromhotland]

[pls no bully :(

Alphys shudders at the thought of claws in her eyes, even though she doesn't actually have eyes at the moment.]

C-can't you just nudge me a little more gently...?

[bloodypath]

Yes. Left, and at the end of the block. [Even in the fog, with the light of the moons choked out, he recognizes exactly where they are. The other Eagles probably wouldn't thought something wrong with him if Hubert didn't memorize the surrounding streets within the first few days of picking a residence.]

There's no telling how long this chaos will last. As ideal as staying inside is, we don't have enough food and water for more than a couple days. [Especially on the off-chance Caspar comes to his senses and joins them. There's no guarantee whatever's going on would last longer than the single night, either, but Hubert was hardly an optimist.]

[long_live_the_queen]

[...did the skull shake just now?

Weird.

Kaede does do as she asks, carefully easing the front of her pawlike hand under the skull's...mandible, like she was tickling its chin. Then the Chimera scoots her hand forward, hopefully pushing the skull along too and not sending it rolling again.

Hopefully.]

[plasticasshole]

[He seems to relax some as Justine makes it clear she isn't going to stop him. He needs to expand his collection of shiny trinkets, so he has more to admire. Maybe he'll even take some to the bottom of his pool...]

You do. But what's the harm in having a few more?

[He leans in to kiss her briefly, then looks over the storefront he was just robbing.]

I think I've taken everything I want from here anyway.

[He takes Justine by the hand and wonders where he should go next... maybe he can go put his new acquisitions into that jewellery box he has at home. Although... he looks at Justine's hand and scans it, then feels around his pocket. Then he pulls out a pretty little diamond ring, and slips it on her finger with a wink.]

I think this would look prettier on you than in a box.

[He'll absolutely pay for it when he comes to his senses (and boy will that take a while to save up for), but for now...]

[theunluckygirl]

Well, no, I suppose not, but... [But it still doesn't really feel right?? But if she insists...] If you're sure, um, Edelgard.

[SHE DID IT. She lets out a slow exhale, looking around the streets] I'm...alright. I think I'm plain enough that no one seems to realize I'm one of the... The mirrorbound people. I suppose I should be thankful, but I just feel bad for everyone else...

[plasticasshole]

[Connor almost protests, but he supposes that man doesn't want Connor anywhere near him after that. So he just nods. People are still standing around them, and he's acutely aware of how they stare at him. He wants to leave.

He goes silent for now, unsure of what he could say to make the situation better. He wants to try to defend himself, to say it wasn't him beating that man, not really. But Caren must surely understand that... right?

When she picks the man up, Connor turns in the direction of the Coven.]

[plasticasshole]

The cause?

[Connor has been so wrapped up in thieving, violence and sex for the past day or so that he had no idea there was already a team sent to investigate the cause of the fog. It makes sense though, given the destruction it's caused in such a short time.]

What did you find?

[He looks to Wataru, dog ears perked up towards him in interest.]

[sageprincess]

[... She'll take "Things she doesn't want to know the meaning of" for $500, Alex.]

You've gone mad.

[She says, more to herself than anyone else at the moment, to hammer that point home as the adrenaline courses through her veins. Shadow's gone mad, and taking the risk of trying to get through to her with words will mean putting her life on the line. And that's a chance she simply cannot allow herself to take. Her survival comes before all else, and Courage has never been her virtue.

There is very little she can do, pinned beneath Shadow as she is. But she's spent so many nights reading by the light of her own magic that it hardly takes but a wiggle of her fingers to summon the familiar orb of golden light that so often hovers around her head when she does. Only... it glows brighter, and brighter, and brighter, until she's pumped so much magic into it that it's akin to a fallen star hovering in the breath of space between them, in the hopes of blinding the woman above her, of forcing her to release her hold on her "pretty prey" even just slightly, even for just a moment.

Because you can bet the moment Zelda feels any change in pressure bearing down upon her, she's capitalizing on it and scrambling for freedom as fast as her winged body can carry her.]

[sparkstrikes]

You don't need to thank me.

[But wait… Hearing that voice, Lightning's gaze shoots up and all she manages at first is the longest, loudest, most exasperated sigh imaginable. Of all the people to run into while she has a giant set of horns sticking out of her head, it's this guy.

Not that it being Zack would have changed her mind about helping – that's just what she does – but she'd rather be stuck in the bushes again than be standing here in front of him.]

Yeah, well that makes one of us.

[Just… deadpan stares at him while a bird flits around her horns, looking for a place to land, before it flies away. :| ]