☆ 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]

[When the knife is abruptly removed from his abdomen, he lets out a pained, stifled moan, his eyelids fluttering shut.]

Ask questions ... don't just ... stab others. [He'll attempt to sit up a little, but it takes too much energy to do so. Instead, he'll place a shaky hand over the wound as he reopens his eyes, the corners of which are still lined with blood.]

Take me somewhere ... [Or else?

He can't even think of those words; all he can think about is death, and how he isn't ready to go; plus, if Oda were to find out that this had happened ...

He might kill again.]

Quickly. [But if Dazai is healed, he can pretend this never happened.]

cw slight self harm

[escardos]

They say you learn more with hands on experience!

[ truth be told, a sane flat wouldn't have done what he had just done. perhaps he would have imagined it, thought about ripping someone apart to see their insides, but never have acted on it.

this does not matter now, however. he'll do as dazai asks, but not before dressing the wound as best as he can. he takes off his cloak, revealing blood-stained clothes and an empty sheath for his knife. ]

I never thought it'd be urgent for a vampire to get medical help. I thought you only died with stakes through the heart?

[ he'll press the cloak against the wound for a few seconds, hoping to put pressure on the wound. then, he'll look to dazai with a nod. ]

Press on it. I'll try to do a healing spell, okay?

[ he's not good at it in the least, and the way that he knows how to do it is far from being efficient. but with the same knife that he used to stab dazai, he slices the palm of his hand, letting the blood drop near him while mumbling the spell he had read under his breath. ]

There. The bleeding should be slower, so it'll probably be a long while before you die, which gives us enough time to take you to a healer. However, if you want to take that back and let me cut you open, you can tell me anytime!

[ with that said, he'll pull dazai to a sitting position, wrapping an arm behind his shoulders to support him. the size difference between them might make it awkward for dazai to walk with, but flat doesn't seem to care. ]

[proficience]

[Breathing is difficult at this point, but doable. Enough to where Dazai can function enough to watch the other man's movements, his own body relaxing a tiny bit once he realizes that he is, in fact, about to be healed.

Thank goodness. Oda won't have to know about this, after all.]

I'm not ... entirely sure of the specifics on vampire death.

[The books he'd read never made that very clear.

As soon as he's told to press the cloak against the wound, he does, though his hand is still shaky.

His dress shirt and vest are both torn, and next to the wound, the bandage is completely ruined. Saturated with blood and ripped. Only one person has seen under those bandages, and the fact that for a moment his skin was exposed makes him feel uneasy.]

Anything will help.

[Said with a raspy, quiet voice. His eyes do widen when he watches the knife slice Flat's hand, as this is something new to him, but he doesn't say anything else. His energy levels are at an all-time low.]

Mhm.

[But the spell seems to at least give him the energy to stand with assistance.]

Don't ... do that again.

[escardos]

Again, if you ever want to find out, I'm sure I can find someone with a wooden stake they can lend me.

[ he speaks casually as he takes dazai out of the alleyway. even with all the chaos, there's definitely a lot of people that are looking at the both of them, but too afraid to ask what's going on. they simply move out of the way, terrified.

flat doesn't seem to notice any of it, though. and if he does, he's simply ignoring them in favor of dazai. ]

I can't promise that, mister Dazai. It's quite fun, after all. [ he says it bluntly, with a slightly sheepish smile, like he's confessing to something innocuous instead of stabbing. ] Besides, if you get healed in the end, then there's nothing wrong with it, right?

[proficience]

[He simply groans at that, the mere thought of a wooden stake piercing through his chest almost enough to send a chill down his spine. That's certainly not a painless way to die, not that he still even has that desire anymore.

His eyes can see clearly enough to note those bystanders' expressions, and as much as he'd like to insist that there is nothing to worry about --

He can't speak without difficulty. So, he'll just continue to watch them move out of the way as he walks with assistance.

But those words he hears from Flat motivate him to muster that energy needed to speak. He can't risk a near-death experience again.]

My memory will remain.

[A pause.]

I've been told I have an ... excellent one. I won't forget your actions, Flat-kun.

[escardos]

[ when flat hears that, he can’t help but turn his head towards dazai. his eyebrows are knit together in confusion, as if dazai had said something absolutely incomprehensible

he continues walking. ]

We’re almost there but—what do you mean by that?

[ from the sound of his voice, it’s obvious that this is no lie. flat is honestly curious, wanting to understand just what dazai is trying to say. ]

[proficience]

I mean that no matter what you do to me, if I'm healed, I'll remember it all.

[He's feeling well enough to say that without hesitation, at least.

Though, his breaths are still fairly shallow, and his skin clammy. He pauses a moment or two before adding:]

And I have -- there are people here who won't take kindly to my suffering.

[escardos]

Ah, I see.

[ does he, really?

flat smiles, but instead of his more recent, empty smiles, there's a hint of loneliness behind it. still, he carries on. ]

I think that's great, you know? That people care about you. It'd be really lonely if you didn't have anyone around. And, well, I really don't mind if you tell them, either. Or if you want to get revenge. You won't be the first to try to kill me and I have a feeling you won't be the last.

[ he speaks in a neutral tone. it's not something that he looks very proud about, but not something that he seems too upset about either. he might as well be talking about the weather. ]

[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?

[escardos]

Not really.

[ flat shrugs with his free shoulder, as they continue. he thinks about his parents that tried to kill him, not once, but five times total before giving up and deciding to abandon him instead.

he thinks about the grail war, where his own inexperience almost got his servant killed. ]

I’m just used to it. It’s nothing that special, mister Dazai.