☆ 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

[sing_for_me]

Berserker..?

[ The realization comes with some relief at the familiar face, but also some panic as she quickly wipes at her face.

She wasn't sure if it was her timing or his, but it sucked. ]

Ah--that's..it's just everyone else was. These um..new parts don't really help with what I already have..

[ Her wings also quickly wrap around her, a conscious response. ]

But...you really won't, right?

[ It would hurt a lot more if someone she knew did. ]

[curruid_coinchenn]

[ Berserker studies her, noting she's been changed by the mist, too. His changes are more subtle, with fur coating his extra appendages and soft, dog-like ears in place of his more human ones. Something stirs in him, brought on by his feral instincts, but he ignores it for now. He's fighting for control of his mind and someone he can talk to helps. He gets closer to her, as close as he can. ]

No... [ It's nice to see someone familiar, when they're both aware of their behavior under the light of the moon. ] And you're not going to drag me in, are you?

[sing_for_me]

I won't!

[ She'll even pull herself out of the water to make a point. ]

I promise I won't hurt you. So please..please stay?

[ She'd told herself before she wouldn't cause any problems for him again, but she can't help it today. There was this strong desire, or was it fear, of being alone.

It felt like a little much to ask him to come closer, but her expression didn't hide that that's what she wanted. ]

[curruid_coinchenn]

[ Against his better judgement, he does come closer. It's hard to ignore her desperation and he can't deny his own interests right now. Though he won't push it, baser instincts gnaw at him. Hunt and breed...Berserker is still in control, but just barely.

It's easier if he stays, anyway. ]

I'll trust you. [ At least until she does something to set him off. Somehow, that doesn't seem likely right now. ] ... Do you want me in the water with you?

[ It's against his better judgement to get into her domain, but his better judgement may as well not exist right now. ]

[sing_for_me]

[ There's a sort of brightness that fills her at hearing those words. Trusting her. Being with her. The lower half of her tail that was submerged responds in kind, swaying just a little more in the water. ]

Yes--I'd like that.

[curruid_coinchenn]

[ Short-sighted as he may be, he does take a moment to strip out of his clothing. It's a practical consideration -- dealing with soaked clothes later is a pain in the ass (and gods know he's dealt with it enough in this city to take precautions). With that out of the way (what is shame?), he slowly wades his way into the water.

There's a tension about him that's not normally there. Alex is still a potential danger until proven otherwise and he's so prone to acting on first instinct because of the mist that it's a dangerous situation. ]

You're feeling it, too, aren't you?

[ As if he has to ask. It's obvious -- she's more changed than he is. It'd be more surprising if it hadn't spread to her mind. ]

[sing_for_me]

[ This time around, she doesn't look away, her eyes trained on him as he slips out of his clothing, his tattoos, his muscles, everything exposed for her to take in. She watches as he dips into the water, but keeps herself seated on the edge, thinking that if she's not fully in the water, he won't feel as threatened.

He does seem tenser than usual, but she can't quite put her finger on it. ]

What..exactly?

[ Because she was feeling a lot of things, more so when Berserker arrived, and even more now that he was naked in her territory. Her heart was beating a little faster, but it didn't feel like fear. ]

What are you feeling?

[curruid_coinchenn]

Aggression. [ He answers simply. ] Like everyone's my prey...And it takes very little to make it worse.

[ It's aggression in everything. Violent urges are harder to repress, encouraging them in others is satisfying, and he's easily riled up in other ways, too. Despite his normal indifference to such things, he can't keep his gaze from trailing over Alex's body. ]

Everything is either a threat or to be hunted and it's difficult to keep it under control.

[sing_for_me]

[ Strangely enough, she didn't feel a threat. She felt something yes, like a rumbling in her chest, a hunger in her eyes, heat beneath her skin as she feels his gaze on her.

She leans a little more towards the edge of the water, more towards him, shoulders rolling forward as her eyes stay on the dragon. ]

Which one am I?

[curruid_coinchenn]

[ Everything about her is so enticing to the point he's struggling to keep control. Her languid movements, the way she looks at him, her voice, they're all combining to create something so intoxicating. He shifts a little bit closer to her before answering. ]

...Both. It feels like you're both. [ He admits. ] But I want you closer.

[ Even if she was a threat, the thrill of being so close to someone that could be a danger is exhilarating in a way he's extremely unfamiliar with. ]

[sing_for_me]

[ The words have her ears perking up slowly, eyes widening just so. Her wings unhook and slowly slip off to the sides, making it easier for her to reach out to him as he comes closer. Her finger tips lightly touch the side of his face, tracing up his jaw line before burying themselves in his hair. ]

That's the first time..

[ She extends another hand, this time brushing along his lips, her eyes following her fingers, studying everywhere she touched. ]

The first time I've heard you say you want something...

[ Her voice stays soft, but in awe, as if she might change his mind and scare him off should she not be careful. This wasn't like the game they tried to play on the last full moon. It felt different from the other times they had met before. Was this what a clean slate felt like? ]

How close?

[ She asks, lifting her gaze to catch those piercing red eyes. Slow as their movements might be, Alex could still feel the tension around them, like at any moment something would burst. And yet, she wasn't afraid of that. Rather, she felt anticipation. ]

[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. ]

[sing_for_me]

[ It's possible he was prey. The sadness she was showing, the tears, real as they may have been, it could have very well been another form of hunting. But this time around, Alex didn't feel like playing with him, nor did she want to hurt him. But she certainly wanted him. He was playing a dangerous game indeed, giving her permission like that.

But her movements remain careful, using the hand behind him to guide him closer towards her, enough that when she slips of the edge and into the water, she's pressed right up against him. A position he might find familiar from just a month ago. Alex does keep her promise though, not using his horns this time. Feeling his body against her own has her breathing in deeply, feeling relief but also growing impatience. It wasn't enough, not yet.

She tilts his head backwards gently by the back of his neck, just so that they were properly looking at each other, their faces close enough that their noses brush against each other, lips just a hairsbreadth apart. It was quite a sight, looking down at such a monstrous man. ]

How close do you want?

[ Was she teasing him? Maybe just a little. Can't really change that about a merrow. But he had also said he was learning. ]

[curruid_coinchenn]

[ She's so close that his nerves feel like they're on fire. He's on edge, his feral instincts scream at him to fight or run. He does neither and puts his arms around her instead. It's an intoxicating blend of instinctual fear reactions and baser desires. The chill in the air and from the water makes her all the more enticing. ]

This close, [ he murmurs. This is so much more intimate than he's used to for casual encounters. Quick and as a means to an end is all they usually are, but this feels different somehow. And...he can't mind it. He captures her lips in an eager kiss as he lets his hands roam her back. Merrows are new territory for him, territory he's eager to explore. ]

[sing_for_me]

Continued here!