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

Yako Katsuragi | OTA | Witch

[topslug]

1. coven: new mirror, who dis

Once they've been dismissed by their new hosts, Yako doesn't run off immediately -- she'll linger in the Coven a little, fiddling curiously with the small watch now held in her grasp, experimenting with the functions described to them tentatively at first, then with greater confidence once she gets the hang of the interface.

"They're not that different from regular phones, are they?" she murmurs, before she blinks, seeming to realize that talking to herself with other people around isn't a good look. Glancing up, when she catches someone's eye, she waggles the new device at them cheerfully.

"Well? Do you want to give using these a try?"

2. coven: makeover

Unlike others who've arrived at the same time as her, Yako isn't really dressed for Aefenglom at all, and a pencil skirt with a button-up shirt would draw far more attention than is probably wise.

Meaning she's been given a voluminous Coven robe to wear over it all, leaving her twisting and peering at herself in the mirror curiously to see how it falls.

"Well, at least it's ... comfortable?" She's trying to look on the bright side here.

3. bonfire banquet

To the surprise of basically no one who's met her, where food can be found, Yako isn't far behind. The best part about these, though, is that as far as she can tell, this is no magicked food: just plain, hearty, occasionally slightly charred fare that does a lot to make her feel more at home. It's hard to feel bad about anything on a full stomach, after all! She can easily be spotted around the general celebrations, weighed down by more food than is reasonably possible for someone her size to eat, but which seems to be disappearing at a brisk clip anyway.

When she comes across another new arrival she recognizes from the Looking-Glass House, she doesn't hesitate to stop and shove a yet-unconsumed piece of whatever she's digging into at them, giving them an encouraging smile.

"Dig in! We're supposed to share, so there's plenty for everyone."

Later, once she's actually managed to eat close enough to her fill, she's drawn to the sight of people hopping over the bonfires on the Eastern side, expression curious as she watches them but otherwise offering no immediate comment, like she's just absorbed in watching.

4. wildcard

None of these take your fancy? I'm pretty open for other ideas/getting stuck to share a bed with someone/etc. Feel free to hit me up on Yako's OOC intro and we can hash out something else. I'll switch prose/style to match whatever you use.

gardening with class, aka free! lunch!!

[thriftea]

[Truth be told, Ochako would have attended this class even if a free lunch wasn't, uh, on the table. Flowers... are wonderful? Learning more about them... seems fun? And in the midst of all this talk of magic and monsters and other strange things she can barely wrap her mind around, there's something decidedly nice about the idea of working with things as simple, as familiar, as plants. It just seems like something she can actually do!

And the class is interesting enough, she supposes. Far better than, say, math class, but by the time they break for lunch, she's definitely feeling rather... sleepy. Lectures aren't exactly her thing; like, one look at her page of notes reveals more doodles than helpful content, and yet she noticeably perks up when someone slides a plate full of food right in front of her. Aha? Aha! Here it is: the true star of the show! She's not exactly sure what all of this food is, but darn it, it's free and she's going to... enjoy it all...

Well! In a minute, anyway. First she has to admire her plate and then realize that one very important thing is missing.]

...Psst! Hey! [She leans in closer to the girl next to her, looking around at their surroundings—like this is some kind of huge secret!!—before she asks in a hushed sort of tone:] Do you think we'll get dessert, too?

[Not that she's greedy, but! Dessert is very important!]

the best kind of lunch

[topslug]

[ Apparently, and highly disappointingly, it seems they're only limited to a maximum of three servings; desperate times have made Yako speculatively eye her fellow classmates, wondering if there's any one of them she can talk into giving her their extra servings. No sense in wasting food, right? They clearly must have ordered enough to account for everyone eating at least that much!

She's snapped out of her food-scheming daze when she's addressed, but she doesn't seem to think Ochako whispering about food is remotely odd -- if anything, she lowers her voice to match, like it's a secret between them both. ]

I hope so. [ She confides in Uraraka, frowning. ] You can't really call it a whole meal without that, can you...?

[ Not that she's a huge dessert person herself, mind, but it's the principle of the thing! ]

[thriftea]

[Ah, someone who will play right along with her silliness? Someone who understands the importance of a full meal? Ochako likes this girl already, which is why she can't resist shooting her one of her brightest smiles.]

No way!

[Well, that was... a bit louder than it should've been, but she conspiratorially lowers her voice once more.]

I mean, I'm happy that we have food, and it's really, really nice that they've given us so much, but— [She glances back over at her "notes," smile turning the slightest bit sheepish as she notes all of the, uh, weird little pictures.] Sugar will help us stay awake, you know? It's very important!

[Ochako, that's dumb.]

[topslug]

[ Of course, in the time it's taken Ochako to speak, Yako's already steadily devoured most of her plate. Where did the food go? How did it disappear so quickly? Such is the mystery of Yako Katsuragi's unfathomable appetite, which questions about are best left unasked. Also, Ochako might want to look sharp, or Yako's wandering hands might make their way to lifting things off her plate too.

Popping her spoon free of her mouth, Yako nods solemnly. Her own notes aren't much better -- but she'd been paying attention during the hands-on things, if nothing else. ]

Maybe we could put that down in our suggestions for how to improve the next class. [ Do they even have feedback forms ... well, Yako doesn't know for sure. She taps her spoon on her chin. ] Or we could bring our own? Though, that just makes me wonder if they have a class on spells to make food...

[ Now that's a class Yako would be paying attention to. Sure, she can cook her own food just fine, but imagine being able to magic it out of anything! ]

3

[starseedling]

Steven is sitting somewhere near the bonfires, with Lion lazing nearby. He's looking pretty tired, but more contemplative than miserable - and he smiles up at her when she comes near. He's about to politely reply to her offer when Lion abruptly pushes past him and starts trying to eat whatever she's offering right off her hand. He probably gets the plate in his jaws, too.

"I - ah - oh, Lion, no!" Steven urges, all while Lion is making possessive rumbling sounds and just devouring whatever he can. Thankfully that doesn't include Yako's flesh - yet.

It'd be really unlikely to happen, but it's not like anyone but Steven knows that.

[topslug]

Since she'd been in the middle of stuffing her own face almost as soon as she got the invitation out, Yako hadn't exactly been the most aware of her surroundings. When the pink lion suddenly pushes past and starts eating the meat and vegetable wrap from her had, she's stunned for a moment, enough that Lion's even able to straight up knock more wraps off the precariously overloaded plate in her arms and onto the ground. And then--

She laughs.

"He's pretty hungry too, isn't he?" She can at least tell he's not attempting to take a bit out of her, but she takes the cue to dump out what she's holding onto a nearby bench, leaving her holding only a few wraps -- one of which she holds out to Steven while Lion's distracted. He was the one she was making the offer to, after all! "Is he yours?"

[starseedling]

Lion is quick to turn his attention to the wraps that fell on the ground, and starts scarfing those up as well. You might think cats are supposed to be obligate carnivores, but he just kind of eats whatever.

Steven is mostly just impressed at how chill this lady is about it. His look of panic slowly shifts into cautious relief and amusement as he takes the wrap in hand.

"Well... he is, as much as he can be anybody's. Lion is his own guy, right?" The last part is obviously addressed to Lion himself, who chomps extra noisily in agreement. Steven laughs, and sticks out his tongue at the beast playfully.

"You know... I don't even think he needs to eat. He just loves it so much he does it all the time, anyway."

[topslug]

It had caught her off guard to start with, but Yako's always been readily adaptable. She listens to Steven's explanation solemnly, nodding as she makes quick work of a wrap while Steven talks. Hey, she can multitask, okay?

"Well, he's got the right idea. Things are always easier to deal with when you've got food in your stomach," Yako declares, giving Steven a quick smile. "You were with the people who came in through the mirrors too, weren't you? I'm Yako."

@justbeingknife

[topslug]

[ Poor Billy Rudkins must have been incredibly flustered to lose hold of so many things. It might have been easier if Yako could use the sort of magic she could remember from her dream, but without that to access, all she could rely on was intuition and good old-fashioned process of elimination. Now, if she was someone practicing for a musical ... it would only make sense to go somewhere more out of the way, right? No sense in spoiling the show before it started. But wandering too far away wouldn't be too wise, either. With those things in mind, she'd aimlessly walked around for a few hours along the border of the forest, aimlessly searching.

All that exertion had made Yako pretty hungry, so when she caught the smell of something sweet in the air, she immediately perked up, distracted from her search. Where was that smell coming from? She couldn't quite identify it, and she had a pretty good nose. Following it brought her to a clearing that seemed largely empty except for a large plant of some kind, and ... wait, was that a book on the ground?

Stepping closer, she moved to pick it up, but the sweet scent only grew stronger, making her waver. In the meantime, the plant with its pitcher-shaped leaves was subtly angling itself towards her, as though inviting her to slip right in and pass out in its embrace. ]

[justbeingknife]

[ Great minds think alike? Not exactly, because Majima wasn't technically looking for said book. But he did spot a flash of bright hair out in the forest, and also...

the hell? A giant plant? ]

Hey! Ya sure you wanna touch that thing? It might have some magic bullshit.

[ He called. He was further away, up near a small stream, but... what was that smell? It was like honey or some kind of sweet nectar...? Pretty appetizing, actually. ]

[topslug]

[ Hearing someone else's voice was enough to startle Yako out of her daze, looking up at Majima in surprise at first, and then wonder. She thought she'd seen someone who looked like him, when they were all being shuffled around, but with so many bodies it was hard to keep track, and it was a pleasant surprise to see a face she'd assumed was a figment of her imagination wasn't so imaginary, after all. ]

Ah! Majima-s -- gyaaah! [ The sudden yelp was more from being caught off guard than pain, since without quite realizing it, she'd already kept walking straight into the plant and accidentally plunged an arm into one 'pitcher.' The sweet smell hit her harder, then, and Yako slumped to an awkward, sitting position on the ground, legs splayed, as her mind tried to process the sudden overwhelming sensory input it was getting. Stay, the scent seemed to urge. Come here and stay for a while. ]

[justbeingknife]

Wh-whoa! What the hell?!

[ Being unfamiliar with Yako, Majima just plain mistook her cry of surprise for one of pain as she stuck her hand in that delectable-smelling pitcher plant. He ran towards her but

wait

ok pitcher plant

sweet smells

BIG pitcher plant though

+ killer plants earlier?

He skidded to a stop, and grabbed a sizable rock instead, winging it hard at the plant and striking it high in the, er, pitcher. A little ways away from Yako's arm. ]

Don't let it eat your arm!

[ If this was just a normal pitcher plant he was going to be so embarrassed later ok. ]

1.

[sullenstallion]

"Huh?"

Dylas' attempts to force his two brain cells to cooperate long enough to make sense of what's happening around him are interrupted by a voice he isn't expecting. Startled, he almost drops the pocketwatch he's holding, but he manages to lean down and catch it in a short series of frantic movements that ends with his tail flicking nervously.

"I, uh...don't really like phones." The way he says the word 'phones' is awkward, like he doesn't often use it or he's wondering if he's using the syllable correctly. "I'm fine. It's not like I really need a watch." He still doesn't really understand what it does. Talking to people? What?

[topslug]

With someone so visibly nervous, Yako doesn’t want to press too much, but it’s hard not to want to offer some reassurance. He already looks like he could be a native of this world, with features that clearly don’t mark him as human, but Yako can relate to the feeling of being a fish out of water.

She reaches up to brush a bit of hair behind one ear, giving him a small smile. “That’s all right. Could I still try practicing sending a message to yours, though? I’d be worried about messing up, otherwise.”

[sullenstallion]

That seems harmless enough. He thinks it over for a second before nodding, and he holds out his pocketwatch for her to take. Dylas, despite listening to the conversation about said devices, still doesn't quite understand how 'sending a message' works.

"Here. You can do whatever you want with it. I don't think I need one." It's not that he doesn't think he needs one, he just doesn't know how useful one can be or how to use it, and he'd rather save face now than be embarrassed and ask for help. "I'd be surprised if they even work right."

2

[nemuru]

Unlike Yako, Ritsu's state of dress - while it is just a costume he'd been dressed in for a concert - does actually suit the era... way more than he'd like it to, actually, but that's what you get for being a vampire (ha) and having a gothic aesthetic to go with it.

Regardless, he's looking at her robe with some jealousy, rolling his microphone between his hands. He's only a little nervous; he's mostly on edge, as anyone might expect to be being thrust suddenly somewhere new, and with very few people he recognizes besides.

"Kinda wish I'd been in my school uniform so I could have one of those too," he replies, sighing after. "Aa~aaah... Think they'll still give me one if I ask...?"

[topslug]

"I heard them mention they have plenty of these, so I don't see the harm in asking."

Ritsu's outfit is certainly pretty eye-catching, in Yako's opinion, but it's the microphone that catches her attention. The sleeves on her robe are a little long, so she's working on seeing if she can roll them up a bit at all while she responds to his question, though she pauses to look up at him with a smile.

"Besides, you have to change out of those clothes at some point, right? They look too nice to get dirty -- are you a performer?"

[nemuru]

"Mmm, yeah, guess so. I'm part of Knights." He pauses, watching her face for recognition of the name - they're getting pretty popular again - and continues anyway, gaze relaxing. "We're idols... Well, students enrolled in the idol course, but idols. Singing and dancing and stuff like that."

All that fun stuff. Which is... genuinely fun, but his voice stays its same level, sleepy tone.

"I was on stage right before this actually, with my..." Ritsu pauses, frowning slightly- but he called him it then, he might as well do it now- "With my older brother. Mmm, if you see him, don't tell him I called him that... We look kinda alike, so you'll probably know him when you see him. He'll make it all weird if you do."

2.

[lonewanderer]

"Comfortable," Lex repeats, currently struggling with getting her robe over her combat armor. "That's... yeah, that's a word for it."

There's a backpack off to the side, as well as some guns, and a dog. At least she took the backpack off, but Lex is still getting pieces of fabric stuck and bunched up on the armor. She can already tell that getting it to fit might require a larger robe.

"I've never met anyone who wears anything like this, though, so it's kinda hard to believe it'll get us to blend in."

[topslug]

"They had a lot of them on hand, so someone must wear them," Yako muses. They'd called them Witches -- was that it, then?

But Lex's obvious technical difficulties with her robe are a more pressing matter. Yako takes a few steps closer, holding up her hands.

"Here, let me help you with that -- could you stay still for a moment and keep your arms raised?"

[lonewanderer]

For what little Lex knows about witches, which is mostly that they don't exist, robes seem like a good fit for clothing. Still, the stories definitely hadn't mentioned anyone advertising that they were witches. The stories hadn't mentioned a lot, though, so Lex forgives them for that. No relying on stories; this is real, now, and she has a lot to learn.

Like trying to put a robe on over combat armor. "Oh- yeah, I can do that." She pauses, though her eyes track Yako's movements. "Thanks."

2.

[alienwear]

Peridot is getting much the same treatment, because a bright green outfit complete with yellow boots and pointy anime shades probably sticks out even worse than a pencil skirt does.

She's pretty chafed about having to cover up, though, and thus incapable of looking on the bright side.

"'Comfortable' isn't enough. This is unacceptable. I shouldn't have to wear this, I got zapped by Yellow Diamond, spent forever trapped in my own gem trying to craft the perfect new form, and now I'm not even allowed to show it off?!"

[topslug]

Peridot is one of the visibly inhuman individuals who've shown up, so she's hard to miss. Her shrill complaint draws a small smile from Yako -- she's not the type of person interested in making the best of a bad situation, is she -- while she tries to understand the nature of it.

"It's only temporary, isn't it?" she asks, putting a hand to her chin. "Besides, if you worked so hard on it, wouldn't showing it all off at once make it seem less impressive?"

[alienwear]

Peridot scoffs lightly; apparently she doesn't think much of that logic. "That doesn't even make any sense," she replies stubbornly, one hand on her hips. "But it's fine. You're right, it is only temporary. It's just also a terrible tragedy."

There's something almost tongue-in-cheek about the last bit that she says, but it's subtle, and she plows on past it anyway. "I'm Peridot, by the way. And you would be...?"