Intro Log: May

[moustre]

Intro Log: May, Game Start

I. ARRIVAL Out of nowhere, a glint of light catches your eye; your heart thunders in your ears as your body moves on its own, your mind consumed with inspecting the source. Your reflection stares back at you, just as curious from the surface - a mirror, a pool of water, your most trusted sword, something fleeting that your mind can barely remember - then ripples at your touch. A moment later, you feel a tug, and you find yourself stumbling into a dark, musty room. Behind you, a mirror stands ornately decorated with reminders of home wrought in brass and wood: the faces of people you know, and symbols important to you; all things that send a pang through your chest with the desire to return to them. Touching the mirror's surface does nothing but leave the stain of your fingerprints. When you turn turn to survey the room, you find there are hundreds of other mirrors. None of them are as decorated as yours - they're plain and dusty, speckled with age. Then you realize a second thing: You're not alone. Distantly, the ringing bell of a clocktower can be heard. But no matter its distance, the time is clear to make out: it chimes three times, stark, resonating like a pulse of something in this mirrored hall that you and many others have found yourselves in. For those familiar with magic, they might feel the power of the witching hour upon them, though it will feel different from what they're used to - in fact, everything does. Besides the new arrivals, however, there's one more person in the building, and only one. A young teen stands; previously bored and mulish, he's now owl-eyed and slackjawed as he takes in each arrival, either from the mirrors or coming from another floor as you try to get your bearings. In his hands he's clutching a broom like a security blanket, until - "M... Miss Nessie! Miss Nessie, something's happened!" he yells, as he drops the broom and turns tail out of the building. Leaving the Looking-Glass House makes it obvious that the clock striking three was for 3 AM - the night sky is clear, but the stars are dim in the face of two moons, regardless of their waning crescent phases. Follow, or explore the rest of the mirrored halls you've now found yourselves in? The Looking-Glass House is rather nondescript two-story cottage made of grey brick, sitting at the edge of The Coven's courtyard; stones which glow as you step on them mark the path to and from the two buildings. While fairly small and plain on the outside, the inside has been enchanted to be the size of a large library, with hundreds upon hundreds of mirrors hanging, standing, and resting inside its walls. Some are broken, some are cracked, and some seem completely uninjured - but all of them are just as plain as the cottage itself, showing age in the silver beneath their glass and in the greening of their metals... Well, all except a character's personal mirror; to characters, one mirror - the one they came through - will be decorated lavishly with metal-and-wood-wrought reminders of home, and the surface will be as clear as a brand-new mirror.

II. "MISS NESSIE" Whether you've decided to follow the hapless young man, or decided to explore the rest of the Looking-Glass House - and perhaps finding a few familiar faces among the crowd - you feel a pull towards the foyer of the first floor. It's like a firm suggestion, as if to take you by the hand and draw you to where it begins, and the source of it becomes quite apparent upon finding one's way to the front room: a tall, comfortably-dressed older woman and her even taller wolfish companion. The woman covers her mouth with a soft "Oh my!" as she surveys those who begin to crowd in, and she turns to the werewolf (?), lowering her hand once more. (The handful of others who'd come with her peer as best they can from a ways behind her with unconcealed curiosity, closer to the door out than not. The boy previously seen before he ran off can be spotted at the very back of the group.) "This is right unexpected, isn't it?" She not-quite whispers, delight and confusion in equal measure in her voice. Her companion makes a quiet noise in her throat, unscarred eye narrowed - it's hard to tell if that delight is one shared by both parties. "Well, they've always said the veil is thinner during Boaltinn... We'll have to talk to James and see if he was doing anything other than cleaning, we will, but for now, we've got a full house to attend to, don't we? Ah, if they're all Witches, that'll be something, it will!" Without wasting another beat - much to the fond irritation of her companion, certainly - the woman turns back to the newcomers of Aefenglom, clapping her hands together in glee. "Well then! I'm certain you all have many, many questions... As do we! First thing's first, though, first thing's first! I am Nerissa Bell, the Head Witch of the Coven - that's where this house is located right now, on Coven grounds - and this is my Bonded, Mhairi Ainsley. Don't worry, she's a right softie despite her looks! You can simply call me Miss Nessie - everyone does, short of those stuffy folks up in the Parliament, but, well, that's just how things are with them, I suppose." She pauses a beat, for breath, before continuing with a wave of her hand; dozens of chairs and stools, all surprisingly comfortable despite their wooden looks, are conjured in an instant, and Nessie smiles wide as she gives a small bow. "Take a seat, and let's get familiar with one another for a spell! The city'll celebrate without us one way or another, and we've already finished our business for tonight anyway. Isn't that right, Mhairi dear?" Despite the onslaught of information and excitement at three in the morning, Mhairi inclines her head slightly after a huge sigh; her voice is likely exactly as expected, low and akin to a growl. "Best to take advantage of the distraction. Let's begin, before I have to report this to Parliament." NOTE: If you wish to interact with Nessie and Mhairi, please comment here. You have the option of handwaving the IC interaction to OOCly ask what questions your character might have for them, for us to summarize an answer for, or you can request an IC thread. Simply specify in your comment's subject and we'll respond accordingly.

III. THE COVEN After an hour or two of general chaos, questions that the natives attempt to help with, and injuries tended to for those who arrive in poor condition, a solution is presented. Though they certainly can't answer every question, Nerissa and Mhairi promise to help find the answers, and open the doors of the Coven to all new arrivals in the Looking-Glass House. The walk from the quaint cottage to the imposing structure ahead is lit only by magic provided by Miss Nessie and the Witches accompanying her, as well as the path of stepping stones coming aglow with each step that's taken across them. Beyond the courtyard, with its high, opalescent walls, a city can be seen. There are torches accompanying the flickering light posts outside, and the sounds of life clear even this far from the heart of Aefenglom, something that sounds like... merriment? Festivities are in full swing, even this close to dawn. The rest of the world continues on, even though you've arrived, confused and perhaps missing a few aspects of your usual persons. But while they certainly weren't expecting to spend the festival like this, the Coven has worked as quickly as it can. Their doors, decorated in cowslip flowers, are wide open - welcoming to the public, and to new arrivals as well. The Coven's main building has a surprisingly large front room, compared to its outside; the ceiling stretches ever onward, with stairs of the solidly-flush-against-the-wall variety and floating-ethereally-in-the-middle-of-things variety both. Magic and mundane intermingle as if meant to, with brooms inscribed with runes to clean making quick work of dirt and dust, shadowy figures opening and closing doors as people enter and exit, plates of snacks drifting around as if carried by invisible servers. The brooms are especially attentive to the door as new arrivals step in - they don't apologize for knocking into anyone, and really, anyone particularly scruffy will get swept at until the brooms are satisfied. None of this seems to mind the Witches coming in, with small murmurs of gratitude given to the busybody brooms instead of reprimands. Doors lead this way and that, on higher floors and on the ground floor, but runes glow by their frames in indecipherable patterns. Peculiar-looking devices - watches, the native Witches explain, compliments of Parliament - are passed around to all the new arrivals; they're given a quick rundown on their functions and bid to test them out when they can, and Nessie waits for things to calm before she steps up the floating stairs and addresses the room. "We'll see to it you all have lodgings for a bit, we will, but for now, the festival's still going on - if you couldn't tell!" She laughs a little, hands on her hips. "There's nothing we can do about things right now, so you might as well enjoy yourselves, you might. If any of you want to stay in 'til morning though, well, we can provide - just mind your manners, magic's real particular about them. At least," she winks, head tilting with the motion, "that's how I teach all my classes, it is." Those deciding to stay will be lead to doors that seem to follow no real pattern by native Witches; the rule is "two to a bed," so get cozy with the person next to you. They're the ones you'll be sleeping with tonight. The beds aren't too small - enough to accommodate at least three humans - and they're fairly comfortable too, for their old-looking age.

IV. BOALTINN For those who journey out into the city, they'll be sent off with a word of warning to keep out of trouble from Mhairi, to find everything still quite lively - and still quite unaware of what's taken place. There's very little left to the shadows, with dim light filling in the gaps between the flickering streetlamps and the extra candles and such people have put up themselves. Curiously, small bonfires seem to follow a pattern, culminating into a wide plaza in the center of the Residential District where a larger, brighter one burns, with people dancing around it, their clothing jingling softly with little bells hanging from their hems. The same is mirrored on the direct other side of the city - the only difference is in who's dancing. The Eastern Bonfire has more visibly humanoid beings enjoying themselves, while the Western Bonfire has creatures more monstrous in looks. Regardless, they all seem to be happy- And the reason is this: Boaltinn, a festival lasting the next two dusks. The nights and early mornings are filled with flickering firelight, while the morning and daytime have all but the small fires leading the way to the giant bonfires extinguished; the bonfires, however, stay lit. - and in general, it seems the city is quite happy, quite cheerful, and quite close. a. The Bonfires The main attraction of Boaltinn, as they are with any fire festival, the bonfires on each side of the city are tended to by various Monsters every hour of the day. While much of the scenes are similar - there's plenty of food to be shared, with those partaking in it cowed into sitting with someone else regardless of how familiar they might be, and children of all kinds play together and invite those sitting or watching to come too, in all manner of games, such as jacks, hopscotch, and running ribbons around the tall poles at the bonfires. But there are marked differences, too. The Eastern Bonfire primarily has humans or those that can pass as humanoid in attendance, and they're much friendlier to those who look similar to them; to those that look a little more monster-like, though, their replies are far more curt and their shoulders colder. The area around the bonfire is also littered with trinkets and baubles, all shiny and new and utterly forgotten by their playmates; the ribbon poles are similarly new, made professionally as if by commission. Characters are invited to try and jump through the bonfire's flames to burn away any poor relationship experiences, be it romantic or platonic, past or present; to aid them in this, those at the Eastern Bonfire will give those participating rune-etched accessories to protect them from the fire. Meanwhile, the Western Bonfire has primarily those who are more monstrous in looks, and they're similarly friendlier to those who resemble them, with a similar brusque and cold manner to those who look more human. The area around the bonfire is carefully kept clean, however, and the ribbon poles look handcrafted from lumber and grass, with tightly-woven knots and clumsily-made paper decorations. Those attending here are also invited to jump through the flames, but no such protection is offered; it's simply assumed that, as a Monster, you're likely much better at handling a little fire. b. A Little Entertainment It isn't only the bonfire celebrations that one can participate in, however. All throughout both the East and West Residential Districts, as well as a portion of the Shopping and Entertainment Districts, there's a number of stalls, stands, and stores available for perusal. Take a gander at the rest of the city and find something to do. Of note: Divination readings are available in various stalls, set up by Coven-official Witches as well as homegrown ones, with tarot cards that vary from pristine art pieces that one would almost hesitate to touch to the personally drawn and cut. They offer free readings, enticing all who pass by to join them at their table. Good or bad, the cards seem to bring with them lessons and words of wisdom, interpreted expertly by those handling them... or as expertly as possible; some readings seem a little unsure and muddy. Regardless of belief, those who take part in these readings will suddenly find their day going either exceptionally well or incredibly poor, depending on the overall feel of their reading. Carts and booths are available for one to partake in more food, however there's a stipulation to taking anything from these vendors: one must share this food with others, either in pairs or a group. While relations between humans and beasts seem to be a little frosty, they can be seen intermingling a tad more freely when it comes to this portion of the celebrations, sharing the treats and small meals that are being offered to everyone. The food available all seem to be those easy to hold in hand, not unlike modern-day food trucks; of note, the thin pancake wraps seem to be the most popular, with a bubbly drink similar to a milkshake filled to the brim with drinking straws for best sharing experience coming in second. Flavors are plentiful and varied, though they err closer to the fruits, vegetables, and spices side of the spectrum. Finally, the more pleasure-based businesses offer the chance to relax one's weary feet and take a chance with a little aromatherapy with their rose baths. While traditionally this had its roots in imbuing the bather with good tidings and blessings for the upcoming seasons (or so they'll say when asked), nowadays, it's simply become a luxury treatment for those needing a little TLC. The waters here do have the added bonus of making those who share them friendlier and more talkative with their partner(s) - and yes, all baths are a shared experience. Rather than being split by sex, baths are split by monster and human; co-ed bathing exists for those who don't mind mingling with the opposite species, and if really pressed, they can offer separate baths for different sexes, but their focus seems elsewhere. c. Impulsive Compulsion Throughout the whole festival, new arrivals, particularly those with magic talent gifted to them by the world, will feel like they can do anything and will push themselves to the limit. While not inherently detrimental, those who feel it will become more reckless, their inhibitions lessened and impulses heightened; trying new things is easy as pie, with any thoughts of fear left far in the back of their minds. While magic is highly discouraged on festival days, given their rest day quality, those under the spell of Boaltinn's madness will feel the temptation to try some anyway, regardless of knowing the proper way of performing it - perhaps it's about time to try out what one discovered in that strange dream... Those found doing magic will get a firm scolding, but no actual punishment; it's only looked down on, and they'll be cautioned against using too much. If any property damage occurs due to reckless magic use, however, there are fines; those without any money to their name can be recruited to pay it off by working at the buildings and stalls they may have accidentally damaged, serving people, looks, or whatever else the business might offer.

Welcome to the intro log! While mingling on the log itself is highly encouraged, feel free to make your own logs; take the prompts offered and go wild, go crazy, go stupid, have fun. The network system is free to use once characters have their watches as well; information on that can be found at the bottom of the Setting page, while any extra questions about it can be found in the FAQ index. Quests can be picked up now as well! While technically most of them won't start until after festivities, you can go ahead and put your name on some by replying to the May Quest Pickup thread on the Quest Board. Finally, if your character is getting into any Shenanigans, let the mods know and if you have any questions about the log, ask them here!

Comments

[whomthebelltolls]

[Or Maria is the delusional stranger, which she very might be, because she still doesn't understand how she can be in the Waking World. She's dead, and she knows she's dead. And the only thing keeping her spirit moving on is the Hunter's Nightmare. Outside of that, she's been lost to history... almost entirely. So she can't comprehend how she got taken out of the curse, brought back to life when her body should be little more than so much bone and dust, and... there's no reason for it.

Cape, blood-stained cravat, outer coat, and she folds them up neatly next to the bed, on the floor, cape-first.] Yes. A nightmare. A curse. I don't think there is any other way this could be like this, if not.

[long_live_the_queen]

[...that led Kaede's thoughts to something less pleasant.

She'd thought death would finally let her sleep, yet here she was--intact, but like her body had been pieced together as if from a spare doll's parts, instead of left in a pool atop a tower. And she was tired. So very tired. Would she be trapped like this?

Still, seeing the tall woman fold away her clothes made the exhaustion Kaede felt reassert itself, no matter her new misgivings. Her body was going to make her sleep, even if it was to be a pointless exercise. And even though there would be someone close by, which she was too tired to be skittish about. Kaede pulled the blanket back, and laid her head on the pillow; it was soft enough that it didn't press on her horns, but at this point the hardest floor would have been just fine.

She staved off unconsciousness to ask one more question, though.]

Didn't get your name before.

[whomthebelltolls]

Maria. And yours? Since we seem to be stuck in this place together. [Aaand off goes the vest, and the second coat, leaving her with just her shirt and pants. She bends down to unlace her boots, after piling her hat and gloves onto the rest and slowly walks back toward the bed once that is all off, pausing to remember, just a moment before she falls into it with a soft whumpf, to pull the tie out of her hair and let it down so it doesn't poke her in the head when she sleeps.]

[long_live_the_queen]

Kaede.

[And that was all she wrote. She saw movement in her peripheral vision, but quiet blackness overwhelmed her senses too fast to make it out.

Kaede didn't dream this time--that much recursion would have hurt her head to think about. More than it was, anyway. When she awoke, she could make out the walls of this room from the light spilling under the cracks of the window shutters. And she felt...still terrible. Maybe marginally less like a ghost about to be banished away, but her limbs still felt cold and heavy like they didn't belong to her, with one of her arms tingling and numb on top of that. Thinking was easier, tho--

...hadn't she fallen asleep on her back? Kaede didn't recall her horns jabbing into anything before. Maybe her pillow had slipped, or she was holding it in her arms--

That was not a pillow. That was lanky and bony and arm-shaped but not her arm, and Kaede had curled around it like a burr. She didn't need to confirm there was a person attached to it for yester(day? night?)'s events to flood back to her. She was dead, until she wasn't. She'd dreamed a strange dream, had fallen through a mirror, and from there into a bed.

And there was someone in it with her and Kaede barely knew them, yet was wrapped around their arm like a tick.

Thinking was easier, as was feeling mortified. Kaede froze, as if she could pretend to be asleep while figuring out if the taller woman was awake or not. Her first impulse was to recoil, but she couldn't move that fast yet. So she'd have to be stealthier about it until she could escape and pretend nothing was wrong.]

[whomthebelltolls]

[She can't blame the young woman for not being particularly verbose. She also can't particularly say she feels like much discussion, herself, so once she's sure everything is in order and she remembers how far a reach it is to her Rakuyo, she falls right on asleep, deep and easily, like she hadn't just spent the last few years... decades... centuries? Sleeping a sleep that would not release her unto death.

Blissfully, there were no nightmares, nor dreams at all. It was the kind of oblivion she'd been waiting so long for - a release from the horrors of the Hunter's Nightmare. But, eventually, she had to drift back toward the waking, and her body sluggishly had to return to come back up, as well. She felt rested, but still very sore, like she'd been through days of continuous, intense training, and just now woke up the day after to feel the stiffness in her muscles... and she'd really over-exerted herself.

The bed was not some place familiar - it smelled different, there was no blood or beasts, no incense to cover the stench of burning flesh and rot; of spilled guts and oh it was worse in the Nightmare, but she didn't really sleep in the Nightmare. Just relived her own death over and over, and the curses from the Fishing Hamlet, too.

When she finally did stop thinking of that and decided she should try moving, her arm protested in a loud sort of way at having a certain amount of extra weight it had to drag along with it... weight that, as Maria realized, was unfamiliar. Pressure around it that she didn't recognize, but felt vaguely like... someone was holding on to her?

Confused, in the dim morning light, she turned to see a shock of pink hair far closer to her now than it had been the night before. You have about that long to get out of the situation, Kaede.

But rather than say anything, she just stares. It's a very "hey, personal space" sort of stare.]

[long_live_the_queen]

[One sleepy gaze met another, and abruptly one was not so sleepy. Shit. She was awake. There was a witness now. Shit.

As quickly as her heavy limbs could manage (medium-slow), Kaede untangled herself. Trying to hide now was a pointless endeavor, now that she'd been spotted. While she wriggled backwards and away, she grumbled a still-hoarse word.]

...sorry.

[The last twenty four hours were full of remarkable things. Kaede willingly sharing a bed with an actual human shaped person, and Kaede apologizing. What wonders would the next day bring?]

[whomthebelltolls]

[Indeed. And Maria admitting she was dead as a doornail, and maybe thinking a lot on the guilt she'd had for her problems with the Fishing Hamlet.

But then, Maria was sure they were both just too tired to care about the intricacies of their situation, and honestly, she's still not sure she cares about the arm attachment, because she's still tired and sore and that takes some precedent.

... Though she realizes she can't fall back asleep at this point, so slowly starting to get up once her arm is free it is.]

It's alright. People do strange things when asleep.

[Time to start putting layers back on.]

[long_live_the_queen]

[Maybe so, but when has logic ever gotten in the way of Kaede's thoughts. She'd still rather evaporate right now, but the lack of an angry or even annoyed response helped. It made it easier to just slide off the other end of the bed without another word, though the illusion of nothing happening was thoroughly shattered.

Kaede had less to put on, mostly because she hadn't taken most of her clothes off before passing out. Her hair was more of a mess, though, and she should do something about the clothes situation later. For now, she just put her shoes back on, and found her jacket hanging on the desk chair. The room was simply furnished besides the bed; a wash basin over there, a writing desk here, endtables with snuffed candles near the bed itself. There was what seemed to be a dresser, but it was empty; the horned girl drifted towards the vanity table, sparing a passing glance in the little mirror. There were still shadows under her eyes, blotchy pale skin over her left cheek that didn't seem like it belonged. A patch to cover up something less pleasant. And it wasn't the only one; her hands and feet were paler than they should be, and more pallid swatches peeked out from under her shirt collar, suggesting discoloration on her arms as well.

But she'd found a brush, and didn't linger long. Kaede shuffled back to the desk where her jacket was hanging, intact as it used to be in the moments before her limbs began disintegrating. Brush in one hand, she started going through the drawers through another. It was clumsy and slow going.]

[whomthebelltolls]

[Maria's not sure where her attention to detail went - though she suspects it has something to do with how tired and sick she'd woken from death feeling, but once she'd put on her first coat - the undercoat layered beneath the vest beneath another coat beneath her cape (Victorian style, man) - she paused to note... not the pale blotches of skin, those were irrelevant, but rather... the horns.

Only the largest Beasts she'd seen grew horns, and even then, they were more like antlers - Laurence had sprouted a pair, she'd noted, after his beastly corpse had washed up in the Nightmare, all black fur and burning alive, but unable to die from it.

Maria supposes, then, it's good they both seem to be so tired, and that nothing risky had happened - not even what would normally be considered "risky" in a bed.]

Are you seeking something else? [She stays where she is, as much as she'd had a momentary inclination toward heading toward the wash basin to clean her face for the morning... because here is where her sword is.]

cw for self harm

[long_live_the_queen]

[Always use protection in case of monster cooties.]

[Kaede gave no physical indication that she'd heard the question, opening the next drawer. There had to be a pen or something in here...]

Something to stab myself with. [A blunt, short, still-tired answer.] To see if I'm dead or not.

[She didn't know the pale woman was so close to her sword, or she might have phrased that a bit differently.]

[whomthebelltolls]

[That's... a surprising answer, and Maria blinks, then looks down at her sword - it would be easy to break off the parrying dagger and hand it over...

But there is no reason to do that.

Instead, she has a different question.]

What does it matter if we are or not?

[long_live_the_queen]

[The young woman paused in the middle of opening the next drawer. What...indeed?

Kaede was good at acting in the moment, in cultivating her actions through long years of spite. Too good, sometimes.

What came after the dust settled? When she'd escaped the institute, made that damned doctor suffer, killed Kakuzawa and his children--what next?

She knew how to do things, how to endure what came at her from all directions. She didn't know what to do when the anger went out like a snuffed flame.]

...I don't know.

[It was a brief, but startlingly honest answer, devoid of Kaede's usual caginess.

She'd never died before. What was she supposed to do?]

[whomthebelltolls]

Harming yourself isn't likely the answer, then. [Pots and kettles, etc.] Perhaps we should just get ready to face the day. That might be our only choice.

[Her vest slips on next, and she does it her customary style - up until the last two buttons, then leaves those open for extra movement in her torso. And then, the bloody cravat, which she frowns at briefly, before starting to affix it anyway.

The smell of old blood under her nose never bothered her anyway.]

[long_live_the_queen]

[Kaede came back to herself out of those abstract and existential questions, grumbling to herself in a growly sort of way. That seemed like such a...hollow answer, and--she didn't have a better one in mind.

After a moment, she shut the drawer, flopped onto the desk chair with a sigh breathed out her nose, and set about brushing her hair. It had gotten fairly long again. Maintaining it was getting bothersome. She should cut it soon--

The young woman stopped mid-brushstroke, blinking. How quickly she'd gone from marveling at having limbs to even move to latching on to things she once knew as familiar and normal.]

...funny how your mind does that. Faced with all...this-- [she gestured in the air with the brush] --it grabs onto whatever made sense last instead.

[Nope, she's still rambling about existential questions.]

[whomthebelltolls]

I understand. It was why I posed the questions to our... hosts... that I did. They didn't seem to have an answer, either, but I do think we're all alive here. However impossible that may be.

[For some more than others. She's still focused on the idea that her body in the waking world is a skeleton, and then barely even that.]