☆ 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]

I can... [ And she wasn't sure what to make of it. The whispers were more like vague, formless suggestions at the moment, for which she was grateful, but the moons were certainly what was guiding her to just let her instincts guide her. They'd lead her to panic before, but now it felt like they wanted her to relax, and feel comfort in the presence of her beloved. She'd thought of them as a chaotic force before, but now feeling them...

She understood Fang just that much better. ]

[belligerentwarrior]

Don't ignore them, [Fang warned, between licks of her partner's fur.]

Guide them. When the moons scream at me to hunt, I focus on an animal. Or a big Monster, if I can't. [Focus that call for blood away from humans, or children, or vulnerable Monsters.]

Stay busy. Tired. Easier to control that way. Appeasin' one whisper sometimes helps another.

Play the instincts against each other, if you have to. If it wants you to curl up somewhere but you don't feel safe, focus on that.

Work with it. Bad things happen if you don't.

[beariot]

[ Chariot hummed in confirmation, feeling herself that much more grateful for Fang in that moment. She could feel so much more lost in this new situation, small and alone, but her guiding star was with her, protecting her and helping her along the way. This... would take a lot of getting used to, for sure. But knowing Fang was there... ]

Thank you...

[belligerentwarrior]

[Fang rumbled in response, ceasing her grooming to nuzzle the smaller cat. It was affectionate, reassuring, and felt nice, but now that Chariot's senses were heightened, it also served to rub her scent onto her.]

Don't have to thank me. Promised we'd tackle things together, didn't we?

[beariot]

Even so, I like thanking you... for every little thing you do for me. [ Chariot sighed, rolling into her side within Fang's arms and feeling herself just... relax. Considerably so. As if all of her panic that had been there before slipped away entirely and was replaced by a deep, calming comfort. Surely she could be spooked away at any moment, she knew, but in this moment, she felt a warmth inside that compelled her to simply rest within Fang's scent, mixing with her own. ]

I could get used to this.

[belligerentwarrior]

[Fang mulled that over, and something gently clicked into place. That's what that contentment was—a kinship. She wouldn't wish being a Monster on the Witches, constantly struggling to remain themselves under all the extra influences creeping into the mind, but...]

[There was something wonderful about the understanding that came with Chariot's new form, particularly the feline aspect. There was so much she didn't have to explain or justify, that she could just let be like this.

[Hunting together, drunk on the song of the full moons suddenly sounded incredibly romantic.]

[Fang rumbled.] Yeah, me too.

[She lifted a paw-hand, running the back of a finger along the house cat's spine to keep the retracted clawtip away.]

A shame you're so small.

[beariot]

[ Chariot's back arched as she felt Fang's pad run along her back, her hips lifting when it reached the base of her tail, earnestly surprised at how good that felt, confessing a small tremble. ]

Ah... w-well... being small has its benefits. I can snuggle you almost entirely like this. Just completely surrounded by your warmth. Probably the best naps I'll ever have. [ A small giggle. ]

[belligerentwarrior]

[She would've grinned at that instant reaction, if this form would've let her, and stroked along her spine again.]

Bet they'd be. [Curling around her Bonded did sound pleasant, but...] We'll just have to find out later—when the moons let me sleep.

[Not until well after the sun had risen. Fang could stay still for now, but she could feel their insistent pull like an impatient puppetmaster, making her restless. She needed to hunt, or something else, before the hour was out before the twin sister's pulse in her ears drowned everything out.]

[beariot]

If you're feeling restless... [ Chariot turned about, not so much that Fang couldn't keep petting at her back, which still felt so wonderful and was almost making her feel flushed and hot in the face, looking up to catch Fang's eyes with her own. ]

Take me with you.

[belligerentwarrior]

[Raw excitement sparked into the Bond at the suggestion; whiskers puffed and her ears swiveled forward, her pupils dilating and sitting up a little straighter. Her petting stalled as the eagerness sunk in, but then continued, this time with a feather-touch of the tip of Fang's claw scratching down her back.]

You'd hunt with me? Not gonna get queasy?

[beariot]

W-well... More I just want to come along with you. I probably won't do any hunting myself.

[ But the more she thought about it, and it was probably the feline nature speaking, she didn't seem nearly as bothered by the messier truths of the hunt as she had been. But she was still Chariot, at the end. ]

[belligerentwarrior]

[Her ears relaxed and a bit of the intensity dimmed in her eyes, tempered by disappointment. She should've expected that, considering this was Chariot they were talking about.]

[But Fang wasn't willing to let go of the hopeful spark just yet. She made a last scritch down the smaller cat's back before rising to her not-quite paws, playfully circling her Bonded, tail idly swaying back and forth.]

Not even a lizard? You can let it go. There's no rush like the catch. Hell of a thrill.

[beariot]

Let's... just take it one step at a time. [ The last thing she wanted to do was disappoint Fang, and she did feel that drive in her new form, along the whispers of the moons, but like always, Chariot definitely wasn't going to rush head long into a new experience... or at least she wasn't going to do so on purpose. ]

[belligerentwarrior]

[Fang would've grinned, if this face let her.]

You think too much.

[But there's a little concession in her tone. Fang breaks from her circle to stalk towards the door.]

[That feeling of a grin in the Bond probably tipped her off that she was up to something—Fang pivoted around just before the door, dashing at Chariot and paws (clawlessly) batting like they would at a small mammal.]

[beariot]

[ Despite the whole act confusing and catching her off guard at first, Chariot was surprised at just how well her instincts took in, rearing up onto her hind legs and giving a swat of her own to that attacking paw...

... and immediately losing her balance and stumbling over, ass over teakettle. Being a cat may have given Chariot a bit more grace but she was still very much Chariot beneath it all. ]

[belligerentwarrior]

[That almost went well—Chariot reacted quickly and didn't run, like Fang expected. The were-jaguar looped back easily and laughing under her breath, playfully pinning the smaller feline with a paw-hand.]

See? It's not hard. The instinct guides you.

[Delight still sparkled in the Bond as Fang nuzzled her again with a purring rumble, breathing in her scent and reveling in this new kinship.]

[beariot]

I just fell over backwards... [ Chariot whined, though the comfort of that gentle affection from Fang certainly helped her bruised dignity. And the delight was hard to miss, too. This meant a lot to Fang... and she indulged letting that delight form into a feedback loop, purring herself. ]

[belligerentwarrior]

You fought back. [Kind of. In as much of a sense as Fang "attacked" her, but it was something. It would have amused her normally, but with the moons in her head, there was a joy in watching her Bonded push back, however little.]

[The responding purr and delight only bolstered Fang's own, and she licks at Chariot's neck, as if in encouragement for her fierce little effort. Still, it's not quite the same as a kiss.]

You know, I'm jealous you can shift on the moons. This just isn't the same.

[beariot]

It's not as if your intentions don't come through. [ Chariot hummed, happy to receive the lick, easily smoothing over her wounded pride and drawing out more purrs from her as she nuzzled Fang right back. ]

Communicating like this, it feels... different, but exciting. Like I'm getting to see a whole new perspective.

[belligerentwarrior]

Mm, do they?

[Fang lowered her weight next to her Bonded, chuckling into her fur. She pointedly wiggles the digits of her pinning paw-hand, the tips of her hidden claws scratching feather-light at Charoit's skin.]

There's a lot I can't do with a paw...

[beariot]

[ Those little sensations... the curiosity Fang's words put in her mind, inspired a different sort of affection in her, shifting out of her smaller form into the more visibly humanoid one, but still remaining close to Fang, her tail swishing before straightening out with a slight twitch at the tip, her instincts guiding her... ]

Such as?