☆ 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

[betweenduskanddawn]

[Corrin honestly didn't know what to make of...well, any of what was going on. She'd had a few run ins with 'feral' people so far, and had mostly come away unharmed, aside from a peppering of scratches across her arms and a bandage on her neck. But at first, it seemed whatever was going on had passed her by. Until she had woken up that morning with an unexpected pair of black cat ears sticking out from her silver-blonde hair and a long, swishing black tail that absolutely refused to be still ever.]

[Along with it had come a kind of boundless energy, a restless heat that seemed to run through her limbs, urging her to just move, to run and rush across the city looking for...something. She had no idea what, honestly, and she wasn't even sure it actually mattered. It was the moving that mattered.]

[Eventually though, she had come to a sort of rest, standing on the corner of two streets bathed in mist, her weight shifting from one bare foot to the other as she tried to decide where to go next. Her right hand kept shifting, long, curved claws flicking out from the tips then vanishing back beneath her nails, a nervous, steady motion, almost like a tick.]

[She was so focused on her indecision that she almost missed someone approaching, and she half-turned in time to see Azura suddenly just there, nearly next to her, reaching out for her hand. In her surprise, she let the shorter woman take it.]

Azura? [She said, voice uncertain, her red, feline eyes narrowing faintly as she studied the girl and her...furry features. At least Corrin wasn't alone with whatever was happening. She squeezed her hand reassuringly and offered her a tentative smile.] ...You alright?

[prayerwheel]

I'm fine.

[ and also a bunny

Azura's eyes are a little glazed over, but she's smiling fondly and doesn't seem to have any injuries at all

And then

And then she sees the cat ears

As has been proven back home, this one is weak to furry ears and tails and will fall asleep cuddling one if given the chance. Being that she's also in rabbit brain mode she's not even going to ask and just reach up to touch one of Corrin's kitty ears.

Oh. Soft. Don't mind her as she gently pets it. ]

I'm just glad you're in one piece...ah...how cute...

[betweenduskanddawn]

[Corrin was pretty sure Azura definitely wasn't fine, not when the usual clear, certain look in her eyes seemed to have been replaced with a kind of distant glaze. Definitely not fine. But before she could actually say that, Azura reached up and touched Corrin's ears.]

[Oh.]

[She made a startled little noise that was somewhere between a little gasp and a...purr? Was that a purr? No of course not, don't be ridiculous. It ended pretty quickly though, if only because Corrin clamped her mouth shut to hold the sound in. Well. Of all the cat things she'd picked up in the last couple days, she hadn't been expecting that.]

Yeah, I'm okay. Been a few close calls but...Oh that feels really nice...

[That last bit slipped out unbidden, but honestly, the longer Azura was stroking her ears, the less Corrin found herself caring about how embarrassing it was.]

[prayerwheel]

...does it? [ pet

pet

pet ]

I've more feeling in my tail, but I suppose that's because it's fairly small.

[ and more sensitive.

What were they talking about, again? ]

[betweenduskanddawn]

I...[Wow that made it awfully difficult to concentrate, didn't it. She closed her eyes, feeling her head tilting more towards Azura's fingers, a faint flush forming on her cheeks. All this even as a little voice inside of her pointed out they had to look ridiculous and she should be more embarrassed about this!]

No idea how my tail feels.

[She managed to say, as said tail flicked back and forth behind her in a slow, languid motion. And there was that purr noise again, which ended in a little huff. She might have been enjoying being petted but she was going to try and pretend she didn't! So...like any other cat, really.]

[prayerwheel]

Do you--

[ "--want me to touch your tail?"

No. She shouldn't say that. Corrin's face is all red. Maybe she's embarrassed but is too nice to tell Azura to back off.

Azura pulls her hand away. ]

...do you want me to stop?

[betweenduskanddawn]

[From Corrin's expression, she couldn't decide if she was relieved or annoyed the petting had stopped. Because she honestly didn't know. She just shook her head slowly, letting out a noise that was somewhere between a sigh and a laugh.]

It's fine. You're fine. It was just...a little difficult to think straight when you were doing that.

[One of her ears twitched as she said this, and her grip on Azura's other hand tightened a bit, as if making sure she wasn't going to pull too far away now that she'd stopped petting her.]

But it felt nice.

[She added with almost nervous smile.]

[prayerwheel]

[ "it was a little difficult to think straight when you were doing that"

oh

hm

now it's her turn to blush ]

A-Ah, I'm sorry, I thought...

[ absently playing with one of her bunny ears. hm. she thought what...? ]

[betweenduskanddawn]

[Corrin was still holding Azura's hand, and she squeezed it again at that blush, which was matched with a lighter one of her own.]

It's okay, Azura. It felt really nice.

[Corrin hesitated as her gaze fell on the shorter woman's ears, and she bit her lip for a second, the fingers on her free hand twitching.]

...Can I?

[prayerwheel]

[ her bunny ears twitch ]

...mm. Go ahead.

[betweenduskanddawn]

[Corrin almost felt more embarrassed to want to do this than she had when Azura had touched her own. And yet after a second she reached up and traced two fingers gently along Azura's bunny ear, from top to bottom slowly.]

They're so soft..

[prayerwheel]

[ Azura opens her mouth to say something, but it comes out as a squeak. She just kinda...leans into Corrin's hand and her ears keep twitching and funny how the last couple of days have completely drained her of any dignity she ever had ]

Nnn...

[betweenduskanddawn]

[Corrin made a soft noise that was something like a laugh when Azura squeaked, her fingers still gently stroking the woman's ears. Wow, she was pretty adorable like that, wasn't she. Was that what Corrin had looked like a moment ago?]

[Eh, maybe it wasn't so bad, if only Azura was seeing her...]

Now you know how I felt.

[She teased, her hand shifting to stroke the other ear then.]

[prayerwheel]

[ Just. Gives her this look. Her face is red, now. This is getting progressively less SFW on her end, Corrin, do you want to continue petting the ears, y/n ]

[betweenduskanddawn]

[Azura's blush just earns her a little, self-assured grin from Corrin...she's pretty sure she's never made someone blush like that!]

[And she keeps gently stroking her ears...]

[prayerwheel]

C-Corrin, if you...keep doing that, I'm--

[ Hmmmmmmmmm that groaning noise in the back of her throat is sounding a little suspect. ]

[betweenduskanddawn]

[Corrin wasn't sure if that noise was an actual worry or not. Azura's expression seemed upset and flushed but that could've almost been a purr, in a way? Still...she at least slowed down, her hand sinking to the base of one of Azura's bunny ears and resting there, her thumb gently stroking at it still.]

...You want me to stop?

[She really would, if Azura asked her to. Probably.]

[prayerwheel]

No. I quite like it. But--

[ nooooooooo not there. Her foot starts tapping, like a rabbit would thump. ]

I'm just...is this something you want to be doing? ...with me...?

[ this relationship is going places very quickly and she's not sure how she feels about it ]

[betweenduskanddawn]

[Okay, that was adorable. The nerd in the back of Corrin's brain was suddenly sad she hadn't read any books on rabbits to know what it meant to get one to tap their foot like that. Probably good? She hoped good. And Azura wouldn't lie about liking it anyway right?]

[So she kept gently stroking the base of her ear with her thumb, her hand resting in the shorter girl's hair.]

Uhm.

[She did not know what to do with that question though. The mist, the cat thing, the way other people were acting...the way Azura was acting...she just didn't entirely know what to do with it.]

I...not sure what you mean..?

[The joys of being sword-rapunzel in her castle. Her tail flicked back and forth uncertainly as she studied Azura's face, a flush on her own cheeks as some part of her knew what she was asking, maybe...]

[prayerwheel]

Please don't make me spell it out...

[ there's another pause. Again, she's not stopping Corrin, but her breathing is getting a little shaky. Azura closes the distance between them and moves to slip her arms around Corrin's shoulders ]

[betweenduskanddawn]

Wha-

[Corrin froze up when the shorter girl was slipping her arms around her shoulders like that, finding herself face to face, almost nose to nose, with her friend. Her bunny-eared, blushing friend who was breathing heavy and...and...oh.]

[Even she wasn't too dense to pick up on that. And admittedly, whether she blamed the mist, or the curious, needy sort of nature of her transformation, or even just herself, Corrin had to admin there was something pretty appealing about having Azura pressed up against her like that.]

[Her tail flicked back and forth still, full of nervous, uncertain energy. One of Corrin's arms, the arm stroking her ear, was now wrapped around Azura by nature of how she had moved, hooked under her arm...and curled up, still resting against her head, stroking her ear with her thumb. But the other dropped onto Azura's side (at least partly cause she had no idea what to do with it now that she wasn't holding her hand.]

I...

[Wow she was so close. And her scent was kind of overwhelming. She could feel her breath. But she wasn't pulling away, definitely didn't want to pull away...]

[prayerwheel]

[ Well, she's taking this as permission to go forward a little. Azura puts her hand on the back of Corrin's head and gently urges her down. ]

Mmm, if you want to stop, just let me know...

[ Azura steps up on her tiptoes, and in the midst of all this ear-touching, she moves in to kiss her. ]

[betweenduskanddawn]

[Corrin had basically zero idea what she wanted, in general. But a decent chunk of her did not want Azura to stop what she was doing. At all. She felt her breath catch, and her lips parted, possibly to say something...say what? She didn't know, but then...]

[Azura was kissing her. Azura was kissing her. Arguably one of her closest friends. Someone she relied upon. Practically family? And literally none of that mattered right then. Her eyes went very wide, somehow surprised even though this had been obvious in the moment, and yet even that faded after a second or two because...because this was nice. Very nice. She had no idea what she was doing, but it was nice.]

[Oh, this was her first kiss, wasn't it? Well. The circumstances were strange but Azura was definitely on the list of people she wouldn't mind that coming from...now that she mentally had one of those.]

[Azura might also feel a slightly warm sensation at her waist, which was Corrin's black kitty tail flicking loosely around her, entirely unconsciously though. But it was now in her way if she tried to pull back...]

[prayerwheel]

[ She wouldn't even dream of pulling back, right now. The tail around her just makes her press in closer.

Azura's kissing experience is limited to the past few days, so it's probably an awkward tangle on both girls' ends. But it feels so nice to be close to someone, and because it's someone she implicitly trusts, there's no current of nervous energy running through her this time. She runs a hand through Corrin's hair and kisses her again. And again. Azura's about two steps from melting into a puddle, between this and the ear attention. ]

[betweenduskanddawn]

[There was a part of Corrin's brain that knew this was probably a mistake. That the two of them were caught up in the mist and their transformations and who knew what tomorrow would bring after this? But most of her was so enthralled by the feeling of Azura's body pressed against hers and the admittedly fascinating taste and texture of her lips and just how nice it all felt to actually know how to stop. Or even want to stop, really.]

[Her hand stopped stroking Azura's ear though, just resting against it now, too many different sensations popping off at once for her to manage more than one activity and kissing was pretty much going to win there. And the wonderful sensation of the other's hand in her hair was definitely a plus too.]

[In fact, after a bit of the kissing, Azura might notice that Corrin was making a noise that was definitely a warm, rolling purr. Even if she'd never, ever admit it.]