☆ 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

[overworker]

[The fact that Azura seems willing to lie here and talk with her is about all the excuse Towa's feline instincts need to stay here. Her personality is soothing and she smells nice. But she's also aware of other instincts in the back of her feline brain that are far less appropriate. It's just. Talking, though. It's fine. Thoughts don't need to mean anything, unlike her as they are.

...right?]

Oh! Azura... That's a really lovely name. It makes me think of the color of the sky, like the color of your hair.

[This part of Towa is nothing new-- it's an earnest compliment. Kind as she is, she isn't the type to give empty compliments.]

[prayerwheel]

[ aaaaaaaaaa. how is this girl so cute. what the hell. ]

The sky? [ oh. huh. ] I hadn't thought of it like that.

[ it's definitely supposed to be water, but ]

Um...thank you.

[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.]

[prayerwheel]

[ She does not, because her life has sucked like that. While she'd normally switch the topic to avoid saying so, she's still distracted by Towa's everything. Azura makes an "ehhh" sounding noise. ]

Are you this kind to everyone you meet, Miss Towa?

[overworker]

Ahaha... I'd like to think so, but...

[It's not that she isn't. But there are normally things she doesn't say. And it's hard for her to pinpoint exactly the reason why that's difficult to control right now, with Azura specifically...]

I do think that... part of me really wants to see you smile, though.

[Well. She went a whole 10.5 seconds without saying something embarrassing.]

I think you'd have a really beautiful smile.

[prayerwheel]

[ Hey, did the temperature in this hallway just rise by about ten degrees? ]

I...don't know what I have to smile about...

[overworker]

Oh... Well. It doesn't have to be anything big. I know there are a lot of difficult things happening right now that are on everyone's minds.

[She couldn't fault anyone for finding it hard to latch onto happiness in the situation they were in. But she doesn't think that means accepting that they have to be entirely unhappy either.]

It could be... something as little as... making a new friend.

[prayerwheel]

I--

[ She wants to continue this conversation, but it's getting increasingly hard to concentrate with someone laying on top of her. What was she going to say? ]

...could you sit up, please?

[ note that that is not "please get off of me" ]

[overworker]

Oh-- yes, of course!

[Towa rearranges her legs so she can sit on Azura's lap instead, giving the girl room to sit back up. She should probably get off, but--

She hesitates. She doesn't want to. And she knows it's probably bad to let that part of her feline instincts persist, but--]

[prayerwheel]

[ Ah. ]

...er, what were we talking about, again?

[ she's a little dizzy-headed ]

[overworker]

I, um... well...

[Now that they're face to face again in this capacity, she-- can't remember. There are other thoughts kind of swimming around in her head.

Before she realizes it, she's blurting out the first thing that comes to mind--]

Can I kiss you?

[The affectionate urges were nothing new with her cat brain but this is... well. A new level. She'd only just met this girl, but-- denying she attracted to her is pretty pointless, if you ask her instincts.]

[prayerwheel]

[ Oh. Huh. That's not what they were talking about, she knows that.

But.

Azura puts her hands up to her cheeks not unlike a dramatic noble lady on the verge of a fainting spell. This is genuine, though. There's a cute girl sitting on her lap asking to kiss her. She's never kisses anyone before oh gods what does she do?? She wants to say yes, that would be great! But.

But, but, but. But what? Why say no? asks the part of her who is can't remember how this conversation started or why she feels so warm or why she's enjoying a stranger sitting on her. ]

...if you'd like to. Yes.

[overworker]

[People like affection, it's fine. The fact that she's all giddy over it-- light-headed and excited-- that's not such a big deal is it? Being given permission, there's no reason to hesitate is there?

Towa leans in, pressing their bodies together at the same time, and kisses the other girl. There's a gentle touch to it, but it's also a bit eager and clumsy.

Her heart is racing, but it's not a bad feeling. This... feels really nice.]

[prayerwheel]

[ Azura has absolutely zero idea what she's doing, and it's painfully obvious. She doesn't know where to put her hands, or where to angle her nose so they don't knock together, or how to, uh...relax, at all, when this is occurring, so Towa may as well have just kissed a brick wall. ]

--I'm sorry, ah, that wasn't...

[ can she. put her hands on Towa's shoulders, maybe? Azura looks at her as if to ask that.]

[overworker]

It’s okay, really—

[Towa’s just as uncertain about herself, even if she’s better at not showing it on the surface. This is still utterly new to her. But Azura’s soft apology and her anxiousness seems to help put her more at ease really. She wants to comfort the other girl.]

You didn’t do anything wrong.

[For her to finally settle her hands on her shoulders— that’s a good start. A start to... what... she doesn’t know. But she likes being here. She wants to think that maybe Azura likes being here too, even if she’s still working through it. She can’t be sure but... it would be nice if they both felt it.]

[prayerwheel]

[ Her heart's beating a mile a minute, here. ]

I just, ah...don't know what to do. I don't have an--I haven't done this before.

[ just to be honest about it. ]

[overworker]

It's okay, I... don't really know that much more.

[She has some experience, but it was-- shaky experience. And certainly not enough for someone like her to be completely confident. But... she's trying to listen to her heart here. Or at least that's what her instincts are doing.]

This is... the first time I've done this with another girl. But... it doesn't feel wrong at all... in fact, it feels really nice...

[prayerwheel]

You don't?

[ that's strangely comforting.

Azura taps her fingers on Towa's shoulders while she thinks. Though that's kinda difficult to do given how fuzzy her head feels right now. ]

...no, I-- [ should it feel wrong?

there's a pause, and then a faint nod. ] ...can I, ah, try again?

[overworker]

[Towa shakes her head wordlessly. She's glad it seems to put Azura at ease, even a little bit.

Even if she said she disliked it or wanted to stop it would have been fine but-- she's actually really glad that Azura wanted to try again.]

Of course... I'd... like that.

[prayerwheel]

[ Another nod, and she

moves very, very slowly, because if she knocks noses with Towa again she will be mortified, and she tells herself to breathe through her nose and not hold her breathe.

But she gets there, and she leans in for a soft kiss. ]

[overworker]

[The way her heart is pounding, it feels even longer. But she stays still, letting Azura take the time she needs.

Only when their lips actually touch does she press into it a little; gently returning it, trying to keep up the slow pace Azura set.

She likes this-- and she wants her partner to feel comfortable too, so they can both enjoy it.]

[prayerwheel]

[ Oh. Hm. That felt nicer than she was expecting. And she was expecting it to be nice. Azura breaks it off after a moment, though, because if she stays like that for too long and it might get weird and she doesn't want it to get weird, because-- ]

...excuse me.

[ She says it quietly, barely a whisper, before she kisses her again. And again. And another time. It's gentle and very mindful of where her hands are going, where her face is angled, but not tentative anymore. ]

[overworker]

Oh-- mmm.

[It feels so nice, to see Azura lose some of her inhibitions. The kisses are very sweet, but one after another they leave Towa a little breathless in a rather pleasant way. She's not sure she really wants to catch her breath entirely.

Her arms wrap loosely around the other girl's waist; wanting to hold her close. It feels better when she leans in and can feel the warmth of Azura's body nearby.]