Event Log: January, Return to Dorchacht

[faileas]

Event Log: January, Return to Dorchacht

I. A Tarnished Reality The teleporter to Dorchacht becomes operational by the 4th and the ambassadors return to their city with the first open, ceremonial operation of the device - along with any Mirrorbound who wish to join them, and Theodore Rosethorne and Sowilo, who make the trip as representatives of the Coven to ensure that all is well. Those who missed the first teleportation, never fear! Now that both waypoints are functional, Mirrorbound and others may travel freely between Aefenglom and Dorchacht at any point they choose to. Notably absent from the group, though - most of the Dorchacht refugees originally smuggled into Aefenglom. Only three or four are going back with the ambassadors, and they're primarily Witches. The rest have chosen to stay. Upon return to Dorchacht, it's obvious that some major changes have been made with the new regime. The sky is overcast, but it's merely fault of the weather at this time of year - the oppressive fog that used to hang over the Black City is gone, along with its effects on the natural lunar cycle. The auction blocks, damaged in the fires of the event the locals now call "The Rising", have been fully torn down, not a trace of them left to sully the streets. Where the triple stars of the Resistance used to be worn in secret, a majority of citizens now bear them openly (and in many cases, proudly) on pins and on clothing. In fact, any Witches who do not display the triple stars on their person somewhere, are generally regarded with suspicion, disgust, or fear unless they're recognized as Mirrorbound Witches - careful not to be mistaken for a Drummond sympathizer. The Monster citizens won't be outwardly cruel to any Witches, but will be somewhat fearful, hurrying their children along or crossing the street to get away. Recognizable Mirrorbound, those who were there during The Rising and before, are treated a bit like celebrities on the streets, though any Mirrorbound are given a warm welcome, albeit a little less warm for Witches. Storytellers share tales of how diplomats treating one another, Witches and Monsters alike, as equals so publicly and openly within Dorchacht gave them hope that such a life is attainable, or how a band of Mirrorbound snuck into the city under the cover of darkness and helped give their Resistance a leg up in the good fight against Drummond's extremists. Others share stories of being rescued from burning buildings or cruel Witches during The Rising by brave heroes. Many of these tales are shared in the form of song, as homage to those Mirrorbound who brought hopeful music to Dorchacht through the radio, which is still operational and playing a selection of music with a little more variety. Still a bit soft, their speakers and songs are, but as time passes, they grow a little more experimental, branching out from the lullabies that used to be played. Overall, the Black City is much less black these days, a little greener and brighter from the plants left by Mirrorbound before. Where the old Dorchacht could take your breath away with its feeling of barred oppression, many of those barricaded windows have been opened, reinforcements on the doors broken down. Though things are never perfect after a revolution, and it's clear that the work continues. Armed Resistance guards patrol the streets in trios, normally two Monsters and a Witch, to keep the peace. Their first priority is the protection of Monsters, many of whom still seem anxious and scared as they go about their days - not of the guards themselves, who they often greet with smiles, but of the Witches and humans they pass on the streets. In some cases, keeping the peace means breaking up fights between their own and those humans and Witches who do not want to accept Monsters as their equals, and in some cases it means putting Drummond sympathizers in their places with intimidation and force. While they do their best to keep skirmishes out of Mirrorbound sight, it's clear that despite the improvements, Dorchacht is still no utopia, and the road to a true peace is fraught with speedbumps. As noted, characters are free to travel between Aefenglom and Dorchacht by teleporter as often as they'd like! The waypoints will remain open even after this month and travel will be unrestricted; we will note if this situation changes in the future. Dorchacht quests are also now available ICly!

II. A Few Alterations a. The Coven Major changes are still underway. One of the biggest that Mirrorbound will notice is that the new administration of Dorchacht have moved the Coven. The old building is in a state of disrepair right now, doors and windows wide open, the interior stripped of trappings. The library has shed its books to somewhere else. The basement where so many horrors took place is abandoned. Instead, a sign has been erected outside it, stating that this center of Drummond's operations will be turned into a museum to remember their unpleasant history, and to memorialize those who lost their lives fighting for freedom. It's still a work in progress, and not high on the priority list when survival and care of the citizens have to take precedence, but inside, characters may still find small shrines set up in various places to Resistance members who died there. Instead, Dorchacht's new Coven is currently based inside an old manor located just a handful of blocks from the town square, and it's a much more informal affair. Magic lessons have continued with Resistance Witches, though the subject matter has changed instead. They experiment with different types of magic based on their own interests, but many are studying plant magic, medicine, and defensive spells that can be used out in the Wilde. Anything that will prove to be practical going forward. Lessons are also open to Monsters now, so they can see what their magical brethren are learning (and know that the compulsion and control spells that Morgana loved so much are no longer being taught). With the Coven being moved, visitors from Aefenglom are offered places to stay either within the manor of the new Coven, or in various empty houses around the city. Stay as long as you'd like, they say, and apologize that the accommodations aren't nicer - reconstruction is still obviously ongoing all over the city, repairing damages from The Rising and the fighting that happened afterward. They don't really have anywhere as nice as the rooms their ambassadors were given in Aefenglom. b. The Walls One of the biggest on-going projects in Dorchacht right now is removing the Monster control spells from the set of enchantments on their city walls. High on the list of priorities is making sure that Monsters can feel safe again, secure in their own minds and bodies. As the spells are made visible, particular sets of runes have to be ground down and smoothed over. A spell is either cast or provided to soften the stone temporarily, and then it's basically going at it with magitech-powered sanders created by Hilda. The particular runes that need to be gotten rid of will be provided on reference sheets - please don't touch the others, they chide! Those are to protect from the Cwyld, and are still very important. While help is welcomed with open arms and enthusiasm at most sections of the walls, those guards posted at one particular small district, guarded with trios of Resistance members at each entrance and warded with alarm magic to warn of escape, turn Mirrorbound away; these runes are being altered, not removed, to help contain unruly Drummond loyalists, they say. The people who now live in that guarded district are all human, whether they're Witches or no, and all refuse to bear the triple stars. "Troublemakers," the guards will explain grimly. "We have to contain them for now. It isn't a perfect solution, but they've hurt people, or tried to hurt people, since Drummond was run out of town." c. Bond Lessons Bonding is a bit of a tricky subject in the new Dorchacht. Many Monsters are afraid of the idea, as it was once used as one of the collars around their necks, but the Circle of Three recognize it as an important way to wean citizens off the lullabies and calming draughts that prevent going feral during full moons. As part of encouraging others to form Bonds, partnerships at the very least the way most Resistance members describe theirs, there are demonstrations and public seminars that pop up around Dorchacht on the regular. They may be as informal as a circle in what's going to be a park or as official-seeming as a talk held inside a shop or lecture hall, but they have one thing in common. Many of the citizens are keen on getting Mirrorbound in on it -- mostly by dragging them in, asking if they have a Bonded, and if they do, they tell the Mirrorbound to talk about their Bonded. They're interested in the ups and downs (but mostly ups) of having one in order to show that if the Mirrorbound are into it, you should be too! They accept all stories but prefer the happy ones - the aim is to encourage their Monster citizens and help them be less afraid of taking that step with Witches. And for those who aren't in a Bond, or decline to talk -- well, they get what amounts to a "flour sack baby" in the form of a Dorchacht citizen of the opposite role of their own (a Monster would receive a human/Witch, a Witch would receive a Monster) that they must hang with for a day, ensuring no harm comes to them, bound by one of the temporary Bonding potions so popular in the Wilders' ranks. (As a note, for the second option, you have free reign of the NPC; do the personalities you find fun, be they cooperative or mischievous, shy or loud, abrasive to your character or someone they can genuinely get along with. They are all willing - no one is being forced into this. No Fae or Dragons allowed for Monster NPCs, unfortunately, as they are still very much not about.)

III. Ahoy Mateys! With Dorchacht opening up again after the last few months of closed off internal fighting, plenty of trading ships' Captains are ready and raring to go build business relations with the new regime and find a new market for some of their wares. There has been increased interest in finding a shorter route to Dorchacht by sea - the teleporter is useful for small groups of people, sure, but it can't handle much cargo. The only problem? Ships are being turned back, barely halfway there, with significant damage to their hulls. Brave individuals looking for a seafaring adventure are asked to come aboard and help the crew navigate tumultuous waters, hopefully figuring out along the way what's causing the damage to previous ships. It's a three day trip to Dorchacht if the waters are kind, and characters can simply teleport back home once there. On board the various ships brave enough to return to the sea, Mirrorbound find the problem halfway through the trip: a colossal squid that's made it home at this point, thrashing ships that come too close to its den. While uninfected, it does have injuries on its body, which may be the source of its lashing out. The ships are able to bring themselves close enough for longer ranged attacks, and the Harpy on board are careful not to be captured by the churning waves caused by the thrashing, but there's others who want to seek a less violent mean to end this surf and turf conflict. Killing, healing, subduing, or relocating it are all valid options, but getting in close to do any of those will be difficult, as it has a tendency to ink up the waters around it and reduce visibility to nothing. Be careful of any creatures swimming around that are interested in the weakened squid as well, such as various carnivorous fish, sea-plants, and things that appear alike to Merrow, but rely only on instinct. The Merrow cannot be spoken to, nor are they infected; the Captains of the ships will explain that they're "wild", and refer to them as distant cousins to the Merrow that sparsely populate Aefenglom itself.

IV. Back At Home Back in Aefenglom, the stir caused by the Circle of Three's arrival takes time to calm. It's the talk of the town for days - many seem happy about Morgana Drummond's apparent demise. "Good for them," is the general sentiment in the residential areas more populated by Monsters and the Harbor District. They're glad to know that things are on the way up there. Others think this is a boon; should anything happen, now Aefenglom has an ally city to stand with them, one in their debt. Others still don't really care either way, and go about their lives as if nothing's happened. The refugees, in their neighborhoods on the far reaches of the Haven, seem happy to hear news from home and find The Dragon/Starlight/Fafnir freed, and while a few of them choose to return to Dorchacht, having never put down roots in Aefenglom, more still don't wish to leave the homes and families they've formed here, or the Mirrorbound who have helped them so much over the months. Some even doubt that things are as good as they say, and choose to remain for that reason - slavery and ill treatment from the upper class in Aefenglom instilled in them a sense of (well-earned) paranoia regarding the intentions of Witches, especially those back home. They hear that things have changed, but don't necessarily want to find out for themselves. Even still, the mood is upbeat, with a general consensus that if Morgana is really gone, that's at least a solid step in the right direction. In the Aristocratic District, though, the atmosphere is sour. The general sentiment is that they wish the refugees would have left with those ambassadors. The kinder ones think Aefenglom should focus on its own citizens - the people from the Outer City brought in to weather the blizzard have never left, after all, still living in the neighborhoods with the refugees. Those who are more vocally outspoken about the Mirrorbounds' presence in the city think they should have all left to Dorchacht. Let another city shoulder all the misfortune they bring with them! Many of the people grumbling about that are ones who were directly affected by the Mists back in October, either through temporary changes themselves or through being attacked by ferals. Some of the more hot-headed young people try to spread this message - through graffiti, on homes and businesses in the Haven and the refugees' district, though if caught, they're quick to run away and not willing to enter into a confrontation. The graffiti is wholly mundane and not particularly difficult to remove, just unpleasant, telling Mirrorbound and refugees alike to "go home" or "go back to Dorchacht", in so much colorful language. Seems there's still some work to do at home, as well.

Welcome to your establishing post for the current situation in Dorchacht! This log takes place through the entire month; characters can come and go as they please. As always, you can direct all your questions HERE. This month we're also putting up a City Tracker for PC actions, both in Aefenglom's plot later on and Dorchacht's log here. Let us know what your character is doing, good or bad! The cut-off for the tracker is February 3rd.

Comments

Momiji Sohma | Fruits Basket | Puca

[selfishwish]

I. a. Tarnished Reality - Dorchacht

[Three days after the teleporter is announced open to the public, Momiji slips through carrying an overnight bag, without bothering to tell anyone.

He hadn't ever expected to see Dorchacht outside of the Dream. There was no reasonable reason for him to go in person--he hadn't been one of the people to help liberate it. And shouldn't the ambassadors' and the first visitors' word that everything was as improved as they said it was be enough for him to go on?

It wasn't, though. His sleep's been restless for over a month, now, but suddenly it's full of dreams of the auction blocks he'd nearly stood on and of cages hidden in tunnels underneath Aefenglom. And, well--it couldn't hurt just to go and see, if they were being invited!

He finds a (surprisingly plain, for him) cloak and hood that (somewhat) covers his ears and makes the rounds. Through the ruins of the old Coven first, he can be found poking and nosing his way along, looking for signs of old life or lurking, recalcitrant conspirators. But there's just dust mostly, along with rubble and graffiti here and there.

The new Coven is more interesting. He goes intending to poke around in every lurking corner, just in case--but almost immediately, there's a helpful witch smiling and asking his name, if he wants to sit in on any of the classes that are still wrapping up, though it is rather late. He doesn't have the heart to say no, so he twiddles his thumbs and kicks his feet in the back of one of the last sessions for the day. But, as soon as it's over, he decides to borrow the face of one of the novice mages he was sitting close to and take a stroll further into the manor. He'll just see if he can get down to the basement, and if there's anything suspicious that stands out--

Which is to say, there's an odd child who sometimes looks like his puca self and sometimes like a somewhat mousy, teenage human (depending on how hard he's concentrating) poking around in the oddest corners of the Coven.]

I. b. Alterations - Dorchacht

[When he heads back out onto the street for the night, he's unsure where he means to go. His nerves ought to be resolved now, but they're not. Even the brighter streets of the Black City still feel vaguely oppressive, once the sun sets, and he fidgets and looks over his shoulder, trying to decide whether to make back for "home" or to find quarters for the night.

He's still standing when someone plucks back his hood to peer down at him, and he blinks up in surprise at an older, white-furred puca with tired eyes and a distressed patch missing from one of her long ears.

"Are you lost, dear? The streets are safer than they were, but you shouldn't be out by yourself this late--"

This is how he ends up at an inn for the night, crammed in at a little booth full of puca, pressed between the one who'd found him and a gaggle of denmates. He's not even sure, far along as his transformation is, if they realize he's Mirrorbound. From the sound of it, impromptu dens of found friends, after the uprising, weren't that far from the norm.

But...it's nice. Cozy. He's almost unnaturally quiet (for himself, at least), holding the older puca's hand when she doesn't need it and politely accepting any food or drink that's offered. By the time the evening draws on--dinner gradually transitions into stories and drinks--he's curled up in his chair and against the puca's shoulder, drowsing. Maybe it wouldn't be the worst thing just to stay like this? For the night, if he's invited and offered a bed. Or--for a while, maybe.]

IV. Back at Home

[But he does, eventually, return to Aefenglom, and outside Kyo's apartment building he's greeted by glaring, red letters painted onto the front wall, "Mirrorbound GO HOME."

He is a little miffed, and there are enough similar scrawls on the day's stroll that he stays miffed. Then, in the evening, on his walk home from Particularly Good Finders, there's a pair of human teens spraying something on stone, just inside the Haven--

They don't even really pay any mind to the petite puca-boy giving them a dirty look from across the street, and beat a path out of the neighborhood as soon as their artwork's complete. Momiji, though, is not nearly as harmless as he looks! And they have put him in the mood...for vengeance.]

(a)

[Hence, a half-hour later, the peace officer standing outside a particularly ostentatious manor in the Aristocratic District, frowning behind an oversized, walrus mustache at a woman.

"Miss," says the officer in a deep, gruff voice, though with the oddest hint of constrained excitement in his words' cadence. "I'm--umm, chagrined! To have to report that your sons were witnessed defacing private property earlier today. I'm going to let them off with an official police warning today. But you should know that next time they'll be subject to serious consequences."

What follows is a good quarter hour of the lady of the house calling down the culprits and giving them an earful, along with assurances that they'll be disciplined for acting like ruffians, while the officer...tries very hard not to snicker behind his mustache?

When it's over, Momiji barely makes it around the corner of the manor before the glamour he's been struggling to hold onto drops, along with himself, as he seats himself on the sidewalk and dies laughing at the top of his lungs.]

(b)

[Of course, after one taste of delivering justice, it's hard to just give up such a noble calling. Sometimes, though, local vandals are old enough to have moved out on their own, or he's turned away at the door by the help. And then he simply has no choice but to engage in escalated tactics.

He creeps along in the dead of night, then, with a bucket of his own green paint and, once he's out of the Mirrorbound's neighborhood, another borrowed face, to the homes he's tailed the perpetrators to. Once the place settles for the night, he lights a lantern, gets close, and makes quick work of delivering payback on a stoop or a front-facing wall, with such cutting messages as:]

"GRAFFITI-ING PEOPLE'S STUFF IS MEAN!!" and "YOU SHOULD STOP BEING A BUTTHEAD!!"

[Occasionally, when he's done, he can't help but duck off down the street and admire his handiwork from afar, his cottontail eagerly twitching. He is the hero Aefenglom deserves.]

IV b

[integrous]

[ Usually Asahi would be prefering to be sleeping at night. In her bed. Like a normal person. But a combination of sheer paranoia over everything that seems to be going on here lately and harpy instincts lead her to instead sit on a roof and think at night.

And although the streets aren't entirely quiet at night, they're a lot more calm. Calm enough to easily spot it when something does go on, especially with harpy sights. Asahi can easily spot someone sneaking around and..

Oh god, it's graffiti. Is that another one of those idiots putting those terrible things all over the place? Before Momiji can even finish the sentence, Asahi is already flying over - no longer paying attention as to what exactly is being painted on the wall. And it's that misconception that brings her to quickly drop down in the alley he has fled to to look at his work from a distance.

Asahi spreads her wings wide, crossing her arms and trying to seem as intimidating as she can. ]

Hey, what do you think you're doing, you jerk?!

[ She apparently doesn't realise who it really is.. ]

[selfishwish]

[The light from Momiji's lantern is, conveniently, just bright enough that it allows Asahi's wings to cast an unfurled shadow across his handiwork as she swoops down behind him. This is, predictably, just wonderful for an on-edge puca's instincts.

Which is to say that he lets out a single high-pitched noise and whirls around--and then goes deathly still, his eyes wide, waiting to be snatched up in his assailant's talons or something.

The silver lining--such as it is--is that, apparently, he's gotten better at maintaining his shapechanging power! The terror isn't enough to knock his current glamour off, at least not yet, as he shivers and gapes and finally manages a word:]

A-a-asahi....??

[The voice is his own, at least. He doesn't know what this guy even sounded like; he's been borrowing faces from randos in the Shopping District for his one-bun war against crime. The light tone doesn't really match the surly-looking, raven-haired ship's hand he's imitating at the moment, though. Like, at all.]

[integrous]

[ That definitely is an odd voice coming from that guy. Asahi was already overcompensating on how intimidating she was trying to act, considering this guy seemed.. well, not exactly the toughest, but not like a total wimp either. But that voice is much too high-pitched and emotive for how this guy looks.

It takes a moment or two for the gears in her head to start turning enough that the realisation hits Asahi very, very slowly. ]

.. wait, Momiji?! [ So that's where she was recognizing that voice from! And she knows he can shapeshift, so his appearance makes sense, but it still surprises her that he's up at this time of night committing vandalism! ]

[selfishwish]

[The seeming-stranger stays frozen, trembling in a barely perceptible way, the entire time Asahi is trying to process the situation. Only when she blurts his name is there sudden movement--and even that's not really voluntary, as two long, blonde-furred ears spring into existence from the top of the man's head.

A moment later, the remainder of the shifting drops, and Momiji is there in-person. He blinks hard, shakes his head, and manages to convince himself that he's not about to be murdered.]

O-oh...um, hi! Asahi, you really scared me! [He says all this in an urgent whisper, then quickly holds one finger to his lips in a "Shh!" gesture.]

Quiet, okay, you'll get me in trouble...!

[Because, clearly, now that they've got the identity issue worked out, there's nothing else to explain here!]

[integrous]

[ This whole situation is just so confusing. Especially with how quickly the premise she went into this situation with is being turned completely on its head.

At least the upside of it is that she's looking less intimidating and more just confused at this point. She glances around them as if there was someone else vandalizing that building rather than him, but the streets are so quiet here.. ]

I-- No, wait! Why were you writing that awful stuff around town?!

[ You know, Asahi, if you'd just.. simply turn around.. you'd see that he wrote something entirely different than you're thinking.. ]

There's no way you'd do that!

[selfishwish]

Huh?

[Momiji just blinks back at her, entirely baffled. Obviously she thought he was a common vandal before, but now that she knows it's him it should be clear that he's writing awesome stuff, right?

He frowns, turning around and hefting his lantern and paintbrush. Behind him the message so far simply reads GRAFFITI-ING PEOPLE'S STU.]

Noo, this is only the second one of these I've done! These guys are the graffiti-ers! Look--

[He goes to hold his lantern a little higher to better light the message he's writing--and, just as he does, a light comes on in a window off to the side of where they're standing. Muffled voices are just barely audible through the glass...]

Oh, rats. [Momiji whispers.]

[integrous]

[ To be fair, it wouldn't have been weird if anyone had noticed they were out here by now. Asahi is not exactly great at being subtle. Or quiet. No matter how much Momiji warned her to keep her voice down just now.

And yet Asahi herself doesn't seem to realise that, since the opening of the window really startles her. She was too caught up in Momiji's explanation and trying to figure out what the non-lit part of the graffiti was saying. So her eyes grow wide, and after a moment she impulsively pushes him against a nearby shadowy wall. Asahi spreads her wings to cover the two of them, suddenly feeling really glad they're a darker shade than her hair. It makes them blend into the darkness pretty decently.

She doesn't say anything, finally being quiet for once. But from Asahi's facial expression it's easy to see she's pretty nervous. ]

[selfishwish]

Oh--!

[Momiji yelps unsubtly when he's suddenly pressed forward, but he doesn't try to resist. When Asahi's wings fan out, he even catches onto the ploy and hastily lifts his lantern between them to blow it out, casting them both in darkness, save for the dim glow coming from the window off to the side and the street-lamps further towards the curb.

He holds his breath. There's the rattle of shutters opening, and then the voices from inside grow less muffled.

"Someone out there?" a voice asks warily, tired but distinctively upper-crust Aefenglomian. The edge of a face from someone leaning out to peer can be seen, before a lower register responds: "Think it was just a damn big bird."

"Could've sworn I heard--" answers the first, but by then the window's gone shut again, and Momiji is having to fight to muffle a fit of giggles against Asahi's shoulder.]

[integrous]

[ Excuse you, random person! Asahi takes offense to being called a damn big bird, thank you very much! Despite that literally being what she is.

But thankfully she manages to swallow any potential outburst back down into her throat before she can start on it, since that'd blow their cover real quick. She stays in their current position even when the window sounds like it's being shut for a few moments more, just to make sure, but when the voices don't return she takes a step away from the puca and folds up her wings again.

Thanks for muffling those giggles though, Momiji, because that would have been the second dumbest way to blow their cover. Right after Asahi's dumb almost-outburst. ]

.. let's go somewhere safe first. [ Since she so doesn't want a repeat of that. Asahi is even lowering her voice's volume for once, which is saying something about how committed she is to not being caught here. ] And then you can explain everything to me there.

[selfishwish]

Mn!

[Momiji gives a furtive look around once Asahi's wings close, then nods once...and then promptly turns back towards his masterpiece-in-progress, dipping low to hastily cover his brush in more green paint and begin to slap more letters onto the townhouse wall in front of him. Look he agrees about the not-getting-caught thing, but he can't just leave this half-finished! That would just be unprofessional. No one would even know what it was trying to say!

Still, he is trying to hurry, at least, bouncing on his tiptoes as he sets to completing his message mostly blind, without the aid of the lantern's light. By the time he's finished, it reads, roughly: GRAFFITI-ING PEOPLE'S STU fF i s MeA N ! !]

Okay, done, let's run!

[He declares, before jumbling paintbucket lantern, and brush all into one arm, grabbing for Asahi's hand, and bolting.]

[integrous]

[ At least Asahi does manage to get in a glimpse at the full message - as oddly written as it is - before getting dragged off. And that really does make the misconception in her head fade away. She even realises she was misunderstanding it to begin with because she didn't bother to read what he was writing! Geez, Asahi, get a grip on yourself next time before your dumb emotions make you jump straight into something.

No time to say anything out loud though, since they're already dashing through the street. It's probably hard to find a safe spot outside with all the trouble recently, but.. ]

Hey, you end up at my place if you go down the third alley to the left! [ That's at least one place Asahi knows for sure is safe. ] Let's go there!

[selfishwish]

The third one...?

[Once they're off, Momiji is more than happy to beat a steady retreat away from the fringes of the Aristocratic district and closer to home. He keeps from launching ahead at full puca speed, but there's a definite haste as he follows Asahi's directions, keeping away from the light cast by the streetlamps as they go.

If they've been detected, though, there's no sign of it before they're well out of reach of his night's target. And, finally, he skids to a halt, turning off of the side-street the alley had led out to.]

Is-- [His breath's coming a little fast, and he interrupts himself with an excited pant.] Is this it?

[integrous]

Yeah. [ It's almost a nod more than an answer with how out of breath she is - it's faintly whispered more than said. Ange moves to lean against the wall for a second to make her head stop spinning, but once she feels steady enough to walk again, she quickly opens the door and holds it open for him. ]

Come on in.

[ Momiji might just be the person she'd mind having over the least, after all. ]

You can even sleep here for the night if you want. It isn't safe outside.

[selfishwish]

Thanks...!

[He doesn't need to be told twice, hopping inside and slipping out of his shoes out of habit. His shirt and the fur on his arms have gotten slightly paint-spattered on the dash over, from the hastily-capped can and wet brush he's still toting.] Nobody saw us, I'm pretty sure--

Do you think? [He asks, slightly surprised, in reply to that last warning. Sure, there have been vandals, but they're not that scary...] Kyo's apartment's not that far...

[But, hey, he's never been the type to turn down a good sleepover. Those were virtually unheard of back home.]

IA.

[manlet]

[It seems Momiji isn't the only one out and about.

To gather good materials for a story, you had to go out of your way to look for them. Dorchacht is rebuilding itself, that Andersen has no doubts about, but he's interested in the areas where there are still cracks - still sources of tension - and above all he wants to see the differences between the Coven here and the Coven back in Aefenglom. He could ask for a tour, but he's always been the sort to follow his own impulses.

Which is how, when he sneaks around a corner, he happens to see... a kid? Andersen frowns and decides to take a chance.]

You're not supposed to be here, kid.

[Contrary to his young appearance, his voice is that of a grown man's.]

[selfishwish]

Mn?

[There's a guilty jolt up Momiji's spine at Andersen's voice behind him, as he straightens up and turns away from a door he was facing (and fiddling with the handle on). If the skulking weren't enough, that's pretty firm proof that he's wandering out-of-bounds.

Still, he sizes the other interloper up in silence for a second. He doesn't look like any of the Witches he'd seen around the classrooms? Or any older than he is, despite that grandpa voice!

So, he sticks with an age-appropriate argument, giving the doorknob another experimental turn:]

Am too.

[manlet]

[The reaction is a dead giveaway and Andersen can't help grinning to himself. For all he complains about being treated as a child, there are times when he can be really bratty.

Like right now.]

Is that so? Then why can't you open the door?

[Since they're both breaking the rules by sneaking around, he goes over to peek under the door's crack, just to see if there's anything noteworthy.]

[selfishwish]

Because it's locked!

[The puca answers, voice raising in petulant indignation. Maybe whoever sent him just forgot to give him the key! Or forgot that it would be closed up. Anyway, whatever fib he settled on would be at least as credible as the other kid(?)'s, judging from that peeking!

For now, he steps back and folds his arms across his chest, watching Andersen look.]

Do you see anything shady in there?

[manlet]

If I said "yes," would you want to break in?

[Neither of them are fooling anybody. And if any guards came walking by, it'd be abundantly clear these "kids" were up to no good. Andersen can't make out anything of note on the floor - no skeletons, no cursed circle, nothing. As far as he can tell, it's an ordinary room, and that's the most disappointing thing of all.]

What are you looking for, anyway?

[selfishwish]

I'd wanna see what it was.

[So, yeah. But "break in" sounds so dubious! It's not like he's a burglar. This is an innocent investigative mission for the good of Monsterkind. He's inspecting. Just, you know, freelance!

Though the "for what" is vague enough that Andersen's question draws a peevish shrug.]

Dunno. Suspicious stuff--weird spells or secret tunnels or things like that.

...Are you from Aefenglom?

[manlet]

[The question earns a chuckle from Andersen, who gets up and dusts off his pants.]

You ask me that now? Well, well! For a thief, you don't have a very good sense of danger. No, I shouldn't say thief. You haven't stolen anything yet - perhaps you're closer to Hansel and Gretel, who nibbled on what wasn't theirs out of curiosity.

[He's going... incredibly off-topic...]

But to answer your question, yes. I am. And you?

[selfishwish]

You don't look very dangerous! An' I wasn't going to take anything...

[He pouts, wounded by the accusation. He hasn't stolen anything in, like, at least a week. (Which is probably a model citizen by puca standards!)

There's a last forlorn look towards the locked door, then, before he nods.]

Uh-huh. You're Mirrorbound, too, right? [Andersen looks (and sounds) weird, but it's a different kind of weird than the locals, Momiji thinks.] ...I just wanted to come look around, in case they were lying about not being bad guys anymore.

[manlet]

[The question earns a nod from Andersen. Geardas is full of strange people, but Mirrorbounds came with their own unique brand of strangeness. He glances down the hall to make sure nobody's coming their way before he answers.]

Not a bad idea, coming to the Coven. But don't you think it'd be better to come during the night when everyone's gone home? As an investigator, your technique is sorely lacking! Detective work is all about the covertness. Mysteries aren't my genre, but I'm well aware of this. Why else would so many criminals operate under the shroud of night?

[selfishwish]

Noo, 'cause then I couldn't find my way around, and they'd probably have a night watchman or something! [He counters very seriously, because those are definitely things he thought of. It's not like he's just winging this! He's winging this.] Plus, it's way easier if I just blend in!

[He pauses, holding his hands out to the side and drawing in a deep breath, taking on a look of concentration--and then, instead of a prissily-dressed puca-child, there's a taller human boy with mousy, brown hair and student's robes.

Momiji looks down with satisfaction at his very impressive handiwork, then adds:]

Plus, I wanted to try to get back home before bedtime.