☆ 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

[beariot]

Not just refugees but anything that just... disrupts the status quo. Homeless monsters, orphaned children, anyone whose very existence exposes holes in the social safety nets they all just assume work, so they stop paying attention.

[ Ursula's frustration was... palpable. She even surprised herself how strongly she was reacting to it, but perhaps she'd always hated the idea of people being left behind simply because they weren't "valued"... ]

[beariot]

I am very much n-not bold, sir! [ Ursula stammered more, shaking her head wildly as her tail betrayed her once more, straightening out and twitching in curiosity. ]

I'm a nervous wreck. A total mess. Also my name's Ursula. [ This was going terribly. ]

[beariot]

[ It took Ursula a few moments of trying to steady her breathing and get her senses back under control, maybe restore normal bloodflow to her feet, before she took the offered hand, finding Lighting about as sturdy as Fang was when she pulled herself up. She supposed that made sense... ]

S-sorry... I promise this isn't... isn't a normal thing form me.

[ Nervous, clumsy, and anxious? Sure. Outright collapsing from an mild panic attack? Not... very. ]

[curruid_coinchenn]

No. [ Not normally. ] Killing is boring, so I don't like to do it unless I have to.

[ Irritation keeps building in him, no matter how hard he tries to fight it. This manifests as a low growl rumbling in his chest that he also can't stop. Everything is out of his control and that's making it worse. ]

I don't know what's different.

[ Aside from the mist. That's the only conclusion he can come to. ]

[betweenduskanddawn]

[Corrin's expression narrowed even further. She knew she wasn't exactly intimidating compared to the monster woman, but she wasn't useless either.]

I'm not being ridiculous! And I'm not going to step aside and let you hurt these people even more!

[She was going to get her ass handed to her, wasn't she. This was certainly different from picking a fight with her army at her back.]

[beariot]

[ She had, but... Most of what Chariot felt was her usual neurotic anxiety, just amplified. Which definitely felt like something she needed to fight to control, to struggle against for both her sake and that of her Bonded, of the kids she was so worried about. She'd only wind up hurting herself otherwise, just as Fang said...

When that panic started to fade into backgound noise, Chariot shifted again, back into the small cat she'd been before, but keeping her glamour off. When she spoke again, her voice was... tiny. Almost comically so. ]

I feel so powerless..

[twoplayergay]

Michael is maybe the least awkward boy in the house, but that's assuming he isn't being walked in on while masturbating.

At least she knocked a little first, so Michael has a chance to yank the blankets up over his lap. He still has his hoodie on so if he manages to play it cool, maybe she won't ever notice. Maybe. Come on, Michael, you can do this.

His face is flushed and there's a little bit of sweat beading on his forehead but maybe he can play that off. "Justine! Hi! Yeah, I'm... I'm okay. I mean, I have horns now, right? That's weird." Help. Him.

[beariot]

[ Chariot bound out along with her, climbing her way up Kaede's shoulder and perching there. The mist made it difficult to see, but the shouting was still very much happening... all over the place, really, all down the street in both directions, as well as several blocks over. ]

I'm starting to think... whatever happened to us is happening out there, too.

[beariot]

It's not a sort of 'cute' I'm used to being... [ And she was really only used to certain, significant others thinking she was cute at all. Even in her time as Shiny Chariot, it wasn't quite like this, and it certainly didn't involve the compulsion to seek out affection and attention of others. ]

But... it does feel nice, I suppose.

Wildcard-ish on Damage Control :^)

[newtralize]

[A roar farther down the street can be heard. It's a familiar sound though. Greg made the same noises, but this one was quieter. A different voice. Even then, Greg never left the barracks unless Newt had told her too and usually he only let her run off out in the Wilde and never to stray too far.

So what could be making such a beastly noise?

Well, apparently it was the magizoologist himself. Theseus will find that Newt had also been affected by the mist rolled in. He was currently crouched low and seemingly staring another feral citizen down. Sparks of electricity from his hair and the pink tendrils that had grew amongst his messy hair. His long tail swished behind him as he stared the other down.

It isn't long before Newt and the other citizen or hissing and scratching and biting at each other. Theseus better break it up before either of them get seriously injured.]

[fiddlestick]

[He feels that lift, and it feels like as much of a go ahead as you can get, so carefully he'll slide it off her hips - careful not to tear it with his claw even if it's pretty dainty feeling between his fingers. He keeps sliding it until it's past her knees, letting gravity do the rest of the work.

Once they're down, he'll shift gears. He moves from her lips and kisses her jaw, down her neck, the center of her chest...leaving a trail of kisses as he moves down. It's still crystal clear that she's a girl and not his usual type, but he's feeling more mentally prepared for it this time, so there's no hesitations or pauses as he goes down, until he's on his knees in front of ]

[overworker]

[Towa sits still through each kiss, watching him with a soft expression on her face. The purring sound is occasionally broken up by a soft hum-- sounds that are more human, but just as much sounds of pleasure.

As he settles on his knees in front of her, she lifts her hands to his shoulders; fingers gently playing with the tips of his hair affectionately. Her legs still sit comfortably together, while she continues to watch him.

He may have insisted on going first, but she still wants him to take it at his pace.]

[ilves]

[Leaving important people behind in some (misguided) attempt to protect them is the Hotakainen way? Shouldering burdens alone is definitely The Smart Move? Or: Emil is Lalli’s one true friend, which is why it's better to shove him away than purposely put him in harm's way. There's a cold sort of logic behind it, a reasoning that feels, mmm, increasingly unpleasant the deeper their friendship becomes—but also increasingly necessary, somehow, because what wouldn't Lalli do for Emil? This is his way of taking care of his friend, as backwards as it may seem. It's the best he's got.

Being certain of this, however, doesn't make everything he's hearing sting any less. And that's stupid, in Lalli's opinion! It is! Lalli was only trying to do what was best for Emil; Lalli was putting Emil first because he recognized, on some level, that Emil would not put himself first, and because he didn't want to hurt Emil like he did, and god damn, but would you look at all of these tricky concepts Lalli has absolutely no idea how to express. How... frustrating.

...Seriously, that's so frustrating. He pulls his hand back with a quiet huff, missing the comfort of the contact immediately (weird!) but ignoring it as he wraps his arm back around his legs.]

Not when I'm not me.

[Which both does and does not sum up the Bunniculalli Experience. Hmm. Speaking the same language sure is convenient—until it isn't, because now he can't fall back on that language barrier and let things go. Now he has to consider how, exactly, to piece words together.]

I bit you. I couldn't... think, and you were— [Abso-fucking-lutely delicious. But no, no. Let’s try a different approach.] ...What if I didn't come back?

[To his senses, he means. Back to himself, because hey, he'd certainly been tempted to do worse than nibble on Emil's forearm.]

[twoplayergay]

Michael chuckles again, amused at the grumbling. Who would have thought a house-sized dragon could be so cute?

His amusement gives way to fascination as Rich starts to shrink, though. He watches the process with wide eyes and a slightly slack jaw. He releases his hold on Rich's face partway through the process so that there's nothing in the way of Rich returning to normal.

"Woah, dude, I cured your dragon puberty." After a second of staring, though, he realizes Rich is naked and maybe would want to cover up some and he peels his hoodie off to offer it. "Uh... are you cold? Oh wait... fire wings... uh..."

[overworker]

[They sure are. Towa can't say she's surprised even Fie has to take a moment to take it in. She's still trying to get used to it herself.]

Right. I wanted to check on everything inside as well anyway, just to be certain.

[Chaos or no, there could be smart criminals. She'll feel better once she knows for certain that things are alright on the inside too. And they do have a few things to catch up on she supposes.]

[fiddlestick]

[The sounds are delightful to hear - the purrs and the hums. Towa was letting herself enjoy herself, which is what Elliot wanted.

As those fingers play with his hair, he'll reach back for a moment to pull off the hair ribbon holding his hair back. His hair comes down, spilling around his shoulders and giving her more to play around with.

The freedom to choose his pace was appreciated. He still had his resolve, it hadn't wavered, but he still needed a brief moment to reconfirm it in his mind. There was no pressure on this...just some friends experimenting. He just had to remember that.

Finally, when he's ready, he'll gently pull her legs apart. Thanks to his interning at the infirmary, it wasn't the first time he's seen that part of a body, but this was a pretty different context from a sterile hospital area. This was a dear friend, showing him something so intimate.

Tentatively, he'll reach and brush the back of his finger gently against her entrance. To confirm what he's about to do, and maybe show that he's not backing down even if he's needing a moment. ]

[overworker]

You don't have to thank me... really... I was just saying whatever came to mind in the first place.

[Even she's a little embarrassed that she came out with a line like that all of sudden, accurate or not.]

But it's true, it really is a lovely name. But you probably hear stuff like that all the time.

[She's a really pretty girl, so why wouldn't she? But then, after just blurting something embarrassing out just a second ago, she doesn't want to add blurting out that she thinks she's really attractive to that-- even if she's surprisingly having a hard time not thinking about that in this position.]

[overworker]

Oh, right-- I'm a graduate of Thors Military Academy. During my second year, there was a civil war within the empire that even our school got wrapped up in.

[It was near two years ago now, but she still remembers it quite vividly. It was a tumultuous time, but also one that meant a lot for her and her classmates.]

I was asked to help assist the other students in putting an end to the conflict peacefully with the royal family's support from the perspective of an unaffiliated third party.

[overworker]

Ahaha... thanks.

[It's not so bad. There are some perks to the monster zone.]

That's true... I would certainly be grateful, if you have the time. I'm doing my best, but there are some things that are easier to resist than others.

[starseedling]

[Steven watches him, as if he isn't quite sure that what Yuya is doing is a good idea. Some of the gathered locals step back when Yuya approaches, as if worried he's going to attack.]

"You're one of them, aren't you? You and that bug. Mirrorbound, they've been calling it."

[The one speaking is a man with horns sprouting bloodily out of his scalp, and elongated claws. He is simmeringly angry.]

[overworker]

In that case... thanks a bunch!

[She knows her limits pretty well, and now's as good a time as any to accept a little extra help.]

Yes, I have one right here! [It would have been quickly pulled out of her pocket, if she wasn't still getting used to claw-like nails after keeping hers short for so long.] It's not terribly long, but we have a pretty big household, so we go through things pretty quickly these days.

[overworker]

You're doing it right now, you--!!

[She puffs out her cheeks.





As she wiggles her fingertips to try and catch it on the end of her catty claws.]

[hippocarnival]

His name is Steven. [Just clearing that up.] And yeah, we're Mirrorbound.

[He looks to each of them, hands kept to his sides. That's plenty non-threatening, he's sure.] What's everyone gathering and watching for?

[omnicrafter]

[When she replies, it's a little on the dry side.]

Yes?

[And when she glances up, it is with a bizarre blend of bitterness and guilt -- but guilt about her actions, or guilt about getting caught? Perhaps a little of both at once? It's hard to say.

Gods. She's barely been here long at all, and already she's fed up with the hierarchy. It seems there is a need for a bit of shaking up the status quo here, too.]

I hope you're not meaning to tell me off for this. With all that the locals have been shunning us, and them...

[overworker]

[Normally her instinct at a time like this would be to try and keep it down-- but between her feline instincts and the way that Elliot seemed to like them meant she was trying to ease up on it and let loose a little and stop holding back.

Easier said than done, but baby steps. It helps that she can soothe herself, brushing her fingers through his hair and playing with the colorful strands. He really has such lovely hair, it's nice to see it down once in a while.

When he spreads her legs, she wants to close her eyes. But she forces them to stay open, even if it means her face gets all that more red for watching and knowing what's about to happen.]

Haah...

[It's a sharp exhale that comes out as a soft moan. The gentle brush is a complete tease-- but it's not unpleasant in that way, her toes lightly curling back as she makes an effort to keep her breathing steady.]