☆ 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

II-b.

[wiggleon]

Why I've never!

[Of all the useless people to witness the situation Aziraphale was probably close to the most useless, but alas, Aziraphale is who she got. At least he seemed suitably scandalized by the way Sokie was being treated, even if he was probably not going to be able to do much about it.

But he does rush towards her, offering a handkerchief as he glares at the so-called nobleman who spit at her.]

How dare, sir! That was incredibly uncalled for.

[weirdnecro]

[Oh, it was the fluffy angel! Hello fluffy angel. He's offended on her behalf, which is a good thing, because right at that moment, she needed that handkerchief to pat her face dry of spit.

The nobleman sneered at him, even as Sokie ducked her head down. Her hand was shaking, and it wasn't from fear.]

"How dare she for getting in my way! You and her-you're nothing more then mongrels who think you've the right to walk in our streets, eat our food, and work for us! You should be grateful for my spit."

[wiggleon]

Oh, do be quiet!

[That was probably the closest Aziraphale gets to being rude to someone, but honestly! He was getting on his last nerve. At least the fact that a mirrorbound would say such things to him seemed to have caught him off guard, but Aziraphale knew his type. He was going to keep on pushing and pushing because what he actually craved was a fight.]

She has the same right to walk these streets as you do! We did not ask to be brought here and we've done our best to help you protect this place, and this is how you repay?

[He turned around then, looking at Sokie.] He did not hurt you, did he dear?

[weirdnecro]

[It was still gratifying to hear someone take her side, especially against a snotty nobleman. She's dealt with fools before, but it's been a heck of a long night.]

Not at all.

[She took in a deep breath, and straightened up her shoulders. The nobleman was still sneering and she brought up her hand-and while she made a rune sigil, she only brought her hand down onto Azirphale's arm.]

I believe we should be taking our leave. Don't you think?

[Which...might be because...she might have cursed the noble's mouth shut.]

[wiggleon]

[Aziraphale will be the first one to admit that he's a tad slow on the uptake, sometimes. He's not an idiot, he actually thinks he's rather intelligent, but he is rather naive at times and so he hadn't realized what Sokie was up to until it actually happened.

But he's also quick to react, so it only takes a few movements with his hand for them to be surrounded by a protective barrier. Juuuust in case. It's becoming his trademark spell, and the one he can cast the fastest but he's okay with that.]

Indeed. We do not want people to be able to remember our faces now, do we?

[weirdnecro]

[There's being book smart and there's a common sense slash street smart. Some people would not have noticed what she did as petty revenge.]

Especially if some people decide to make a stink later. Let's see if we can find some tea, shall we?

[The barrier is great, it's good, but someone just realized his lips are stuck together. She could...try to modify their memories, but not yet. She doesn't want people to know she can do that unless it's a last resort.]

We don't want to be here when the spell wears off.

[wiggleon]

We do not!

[He replies, a tad too cheerfully. Maybe it's the ingrained sense of justice in him, God did literally create him to be a guardian. Or maybe he just likes it when bad people get what's coming to them. But either way he never seems more at ease than what they find themselves running away from this kind of situation.

So walking away rather briskly they go.]

I must say... we need to stop meeting like this, don't you agree? [He sounds more amused than anything.]

[weirdnecro]

[She stifled a laugh; he was far too cheerful. Not much of a poker face, was he? But it was fine. They'll get out. And it was kind of thrilling to power walk a way from someone she'd magicked at.

It was just a polite way to run really.]

We really do. But you know it's kind of fun and thrilling, isn't it?

[wiggleon]

I'll say.

[He says, his smile getting even wider if possible. For an angel he's definitely always kept it safe, and even though he'd never admit it out loud he has the most fun when he ends up involved in some kind of wacky adventures. Like, you know, playing the Nazis for suckers or totally going to France for crepes and not to get in some trouble.

It's always more fun when he gets to actually try to help and do the right thing.]

I'm sorry, I do not mean to offend but I'm afraid I must ask: You really did not do anything for him to react that way, did you?

[weirdnecro]

[She stifled a laugh behind her hand. She's the cautious sort-as he'd seen with her taking to disguise before-but this was fun and pretty harmless, as things went. She's done worse. For example, the twenty five years she bounced around Europe, because she'd stolen a dragon bone.

It'd been pretty messy, but fun.]

None taken. I understand your concern, and I don't think I have-he's the one who called me mirror bound trash.

I tried to calmly explain he was wrong, and then he spat at me.

[wiggleon]

Then he certainly deserved it, and more.

[He declares as he glances back, trying really hard not to bring any attention to themselves but wanting to get a last glare at the man. He's not bad at hiding and being subtle, per se- he wouldn't have been able to keep his friendship with Crowley a secret from Heaven for so long if he hadn't. He just has... his own set of priorities.]

It's... it is getting worse, isn't it? The way they have been treating us. It's not just me?

[weirdnecro]

Freaking agree right there.

[She had to smile, seeing the angel glare back like that. It made her feel vindicated, and she moved to pat him on the arm.]

No dear, it's not just you. But it's just the rich snobs that are getting their panties in a twist by their choice. If that makes sense.

[wiggleon]

[Aziraphale purses his lips.] That's what I thought.

I suppose it'd be a tad rude of me to blame them considering they were forced out of their houses, in a way. But it's hardly our fault, and there's definitely little that we can do about it.

But if they keep getting more and more aggressive things may end up badly. We have to defend ourselves, like you just did, and that will only make them angrier...

[weirdnecro]

Well...I don't think we forced this current generation out of their houses, if the dusts says anything.

But their aggression...mostly we can ignore them, I think. The problem is when they start getting creative and spiteful.

Especially because we don't know what they're invested in. Thankfully, there's no army nor milita for them to bribe.

[wiggleon]

You don't think... [He's can't even finish that sentence, even Aziraphale isn't naive enough to think that they wouldn't get aggressive. Not after what that man did to her. So he sighs, playing around with the ring on his little finger like he always does when he's nervous.]

The problem with these things is how much they feed into each other. If that man's friends are as angry as him they will only encourage it and let it go from bad to worse. And we've seen the ways magic can be used if people aren't held back by morals.

[weirdnecro]

[Lightly, she touches him on the shoulder. That was a bit of a nervous tell there-as if she hadn't heard that in the lilt of his voice.]

Let's not borrow trouble. We'll react when we see it. The only thing we can do for now is learn the counter magics and be more knowledgeable then they are on their laws and customs.

[Though there's something that creeps into her tone as she adds:]

We don't have to beat them up. We just have to be better, with style.

[wiggleon]

With style.

[He agrees with a smile. They are far away from trouble now that putting the barrier out would only cast suspicion to themselves, so he spells it away as quickly as he casted it. He's making progress! Not as quickly as he'd like but beggars can't be choosers.]

But I'm not good at just waiting and reacting, I guess. I like having a plan. But that's hard to do when we don't even really know what to plan against...

[weirdnecro]

[She nods, smiling with him-and she felt herself breathe a little easier, knowing that Guy was out of sight and the barrier was off. He's not doing too badly, and Sokie was trying not to think of...well...how well she was or wasn't doing magic wise.]

No, we know what we're against. We're against some spoiled people who have only a few recourses in order to ensure the public goes against us-or at least the Coven and Parliament.

Knowing this-I think we can come up with a few plans. Or even just a few ideas. What do you think?

[wiggleon]

Well...

[Aziraphale lets out a little hum.] That's not entirely true, is it? They have a plethora of time. I haven't been here that long, and I've already seen how quickly people's opinions on us can be changed.

I wonder if we could do something to turn's people opinions.

[weirdnecro]

Maybe they do, maybe they don't.

[She's smiling, her hands clasped behind her back. Ahhh, it is nice to see a sharp mind at work. He's right. Public Opinion is quick to flip flop.]

But I think you're right. We can do something, have been working hard, and shown we'd help those in need. Even if they're not in the original city, and nothing for us to gain.

So...what would you say our opinions are? It doesn't eve have to be big things. Little things matter too.

[wiggleon]

[Aziraphale nods.]

I actually think little things would be much, much better in our situation. Big things will be seen as exactly what they are: a show, pandering to them, and usually people like that don't like being pandered to- or, rather, they don't like realizing they are being pandered to.

But if we keep on doing small things like helping rebuild, taking care of people, helping whenever we can... I think that could help a lot.

[weirdnecro]

And we wouldn't want to be taken as insincere. That'd only undermine us.

So...basically we should continue as we are now, by tiny steps? It sounds pretty doable.

[And means they could take some time to enjoy some tea or learn magic or whatever.]

[wiggleon]

Indeed!

[He gives her a bit of a smile.] If we want them to see us as people and not invaders, we have to act as such. I am sure eventually they will realize we mean no harm, and that we didn't even ask to be brought here.

Though I must say: if they keep treating you like that nobleman treated you, my dear, I may have to rethink my stance on that matter.

[weirdnecro]

Mm, and I agree, completely. We just need to carry on with dignity, and make sure the refugees are all right too. We're not here to cause trouble.

[She smiled slightly.]

If one of them try what that prick did, I'm not going to settle for a little mischief. I'll beat them with their own legal system. It'll be very satisfying.

[wiggleon]

[Aziraphale grins. He's supposed to be above an eye for and eye and all that, and he usually is. He doesn't usually hold a grudge for long. But he's also all for people getting what they deserve, and if they are stupid enough to attack Sokie then that's on them. He's not supposed to believe in Karma but, eh.

Close enough.]

And I will be there to help you if you so wish. You know, I never asked- were you looking for something specific before that man so rudely attacked you?