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

Kaede | Monster | OTA

[long_live_the_queen]

I. [Dorchacht]

[This...wasn't what Kaede expected. Her time in Dorchacht—the dream and the waking city—had been...unpleasant. The dreams were worse, and she was just as dubious of sleeping here.

But in the day, the city wasn't holding to its old promises. The layout was still the same—but more open, somehow. The auction blocks were gone, the cages torn free of the windows. And she could actually see the sky in glimpses through the endless narrow spires—less like the bars of a prison, but hands reaching for the dim light. The smog haze in the sky still cast much of the streets below them into shade most of the day, but that was fine by Kaede.

She didn't escape detection—given how bright and flashy her colors were, even if she wasn't a Chimera. Even though she didn't take part in much besides being penned up like some garish canary in the then-Coven building, her forays out without a collar or glazed eyes hadn't gone unnoticed. The Witch at her side then caused most humans to simply dismiss Kaede's presence—but their Monsters saw otherwise, even if they could say nothing about it if they weren't Ordered to. The Monsters remembered.

A gaggle of them had cornered her while Kaede had stopped to peer up at the spires, pelting her with excitable questions. You were here for The Rising! What did you do? How did you get so close to a Witch without a collar before? It wasn't a...Bond, was it?

One particularly enthusiastic Puca was right in front of her, entirely unafraid of the Chimera's aura and her ears almost bobbing in Kaede's face.

Suddenly being able to speak freely after years—or longer—of repression and restraint was something Kaede understood well. She still looked distinctly uncomfortable with this sudden social attention, ears flat and her tail rapidly curling and uncurling on itself. Please send help.]

II. [Aefenglom]

[Once she'd gotten used to the absolutely-medically-sound feeling of herself being yanked through the teleporter in parts and stitched back together at the end of it, Kaede had stepped back and forth between the cities with...ease, sort of. She still felt a bit queasy if she jumped through the thing more than once in a day. Something about being a Chimera and sensitive to these things, a slightly unnerved attendant said when asked.

Back in this city, the unease and doubts of Dorchacht had given way to familiarity. The lingering snow and ice was no impediment to someone with clawed feet like hers.

Kaede had a camera in her hands; quite boxy, but without an attached flash pan. It didn't need one—not when a burst of light magic from its mechanical guts would do just fine. It didn't have a bulky tripod either, and its operator possessed wings, claws, a healthy capacity for climbing, and a thorough disregard for things like trespassing. Kaede could be found in any number of places—on a rooftop taking a picture of the city's skyline and fending off overly curious pigeons, with the camera pointed down at one of the Shopping District's busier squares to see how well it captured motion, at the mansion's garden though there weren't terribly many blooms to photograph. Even in darker side streets, to see how the camera dealt with low light.

She wasn't trying to get anyone in the pictures, and tended to be where people weren't anyway. But, well—Kaede hadn't gotten the hang of all the buttons yet. Or the timing, which was quite a bit longer than she was used to. An unexpected flash of magnesium-bright light tore out of the box camera at unexpected moments, falling on someone equally unexpected—or in at least one instance, directly in Kaede's face when she tried to see if the flash bulb needed cleaning.

She was rather unhappy about that one, if the shout and bitten off curse was any indication.]

[Wildcard]

[My plotting post is here, or feel free to contact me on plurk for other prompts!]

i

[beariot]

[ Help wasn't far off, at least. Chariot's hand rested on Kaede's shoulder stepping up beside her and slightly to the front, keeping point before her between Kaede and the enthusiastic Puca. ]

Alright, alright, please, give her some space. I'm sure you have a great many questions, but there are instructors at the Coven that can answer pretty much all of them. Why don't you all head that way, hm?

[long_live_the_queen]

[Kaede felt the Witch's presence before the touch on her shoulder—at least, one of them. Maria was elsewhere, and she felt no tug at her mind calling her off to the Wilde again. The Chimera didn't need to turn and look to see who it was—not when the touch was all she needed to feel, the gentle, steady breeze of Chariot's mana distinct from Maria's calm, disciplined burn. A measure of the tension in her mind unwound like a taut spring and her next breath came out more as a quietly relieved sigh. With a human shield between her and social interaction, some of Kaede's usual grumpy demeanor returned.

Many of the questions stilled at Chariot's arrival, the Monsters falling silent around a Witch by habit. The Puca was less wary, just as unafraid of Chariot as she had been of Kaede.]

"But this is easier." [She said, a long ear turning sideways to listen for any other approaching sounds.]

[beariot]

Trust me, [ Chariot emphasized, shaking her head. ] It's definitely not.

Kaede and I do have a Bond, but we don't have a lot of time to explain it. There's a lot of work to be done, after all, so please bring your quest for knowledge to the Coven, for now. I promise, you'll get all you want and then some.

[long_live_the_queen]

[If that wasn't enough emphasis, Kaede growled over her Bonded's shoulder, tail flicking in a more agitated motion.

A murmur went through the little gathering of Monsters, though more at Chariot's statement than Kaede's bluster. Things were different--very different, now, but the mention of the Coven still carried a brief hesitation with it before more pleasant memories replaced the ingrained and negative. One of the Monsters, a Faun taller than the rest, broke from the group first, though he didn't go far. "Come on, he said; the other Monsters continued murmuring amongst themselves.

The Puca frowned, her ears twitching after her companions before returning forwards.]

"If you say so."

[She turned on her foot--and that seemed to be a signal the rest were waiting for. The remaining Monsters left all at once, talking first quietly amongst each other and then at a normal volume after putting space between them and a Witch they didn't know--another habit.

Once they were even further down the street and thus finally out of Kaede's personal space bubble, she finally let the rest of herself relax. Her tail flopped to the ground out of its irritable curl, she slumped out of that tense posture in relief--and, gently, bumped her shoulder against Chariot's.]

I didn't expect to see you here so soon.

[beariot]

[ Once the others were gone, Chariot let out a sigh of relief and shifted against Kaede, rubbing at her other shoulder with her hand after wrapping her arm about her. ]

Well, the teleportation made it easier, so I came here after class to see how I could help. That, and... well...

I was worried about you, I suppose. [ It didn't take much parsing to realize that was actually the most important reason why she came over. ]

II.

[sing_for_me]

[ Sensitive as her eyes already were outside of water, the light was quite blinding, and the sudden loss of sight was alarming, especially in a busy area. Alex starts holding her hand out, trying to find something to steady herself onto, and to keep her from bumping into people, although that sometimes ends up with her pushing at them instead. She thinks she just bumped into another woman's chest--sorry, ma'am-- and she may have just shoved someone's shoulder--sorry, again!

Now she's walking towards Kaede, unknowingly aiming for her face wit her hand. ]

[long_live_the_queen]

[The flash had caused a little bit of a stir, a murmur going through the crowded square. It wasn't enough to disperse anyone, but it did garner some attention.

Kaede didn't notice, as the light had caught her too; having that bright of a flash going off directly into eyes meant to see in the dark left her essentially blind for the next thirty seconds. At least. She hadn't spotted Alex beforehand either, and didn't see her hand coming towards her face either until a palm brushed her nose.]

Hey--!

[The exclamation came out partially muffled--and Kaede snapped her teeth like a headshy dog while she scrambled backwards. She didn't swat at the Whatever It Was, her hands occupied with not dropping the camera.]

[sing_for_me]

Ow!

[ She pulls back from the sharp sting of teeth against the palm of her hand. But really, who was she to be offended? Alex was certain she'd just high-fived somebody's face. ]

Sorry! I'm sorry! Are you okay?

[ The merrow steps forward, trying to find the person she just hurt. She's a little more careful in reaching out this time, her visions slowly returning, though still blurry. ]

[long_live_the_queen]

[For a few steps the Chimera kept pulling Whatever It Was with her, though she didn't bite down any harder.

Her eyes were still pinched shut, but her ears perked forwards at the voice. She knew that one, that was--]

Rrlsh?

[That was hilariously muffled. Kaede let go, mortified, though her expression didn't change.]

Alex?

[sing_for_me]

[ Her hand, her hand! Not wanting to risk an injury, she goes along with the--was she the victim or assailant? It was hard to tell in this situation.

But her panic subsides when she hears her name, the voice taking her back to glances from a window, peering from a rooftop, the occasional wave inside a grand house. ]

K-Kaede...?

[ Blinking a few more times, Alex's visions slowly starts to return, and she can being to make out the familiar features of a certain chimera. ]

Oh god--I'm so sorry for hitting you like that. Are you alright?

[ The merrow didn't think she had hit her too hard, but that didn't make it any better to hit a young girl in the face. ]

I

[showsnopiety]

We've all been encouraged to take bonds in Aefenglom.

[Caren isn't much for a socialite either, but it seems that the fact they have two tiny chimeras, even if one of them was wiggling to Kaede's side, was enough to make them pause, from excitement or nerves-she wasn't sure which.

But she did try to move to take Kaede by the hand.]

But mirrorbound, witch or monster, remember that we are people, of all things. If you don't mind-we have an appointment we need to get to.

[long_live_the_queen]

[The red-feathered Chimera's ears swiveled to the presence at her side first, and the rest of her head glanced sharply afterwards. Caren? Hm.

She'd allow that touch, though she didn't curl her hand too much in response. Claws, you see.

The Puca did back up half a step; bold as she was, two Chimeras staring at her was a bit much. Her eyes widened, but not in fear.]

"You--are Bonded? Two Monsters?"

[She'd heard what Caren had said--but her mind seemed a bit staggered right this instant. The other gathered Monsters murmured too, a mix of surprise and excitement.]

[showsnopiety]

[She gets it. She has her gloves on, but her nails could easily do damage without the reinforced tips. Bold little Puca, wasn't she? She was used to getting a few wary looks.

Must be the celebrity veneer.]

We're just friends. But there are bonded Monsters back in Aefenglom. We really do need to get going.

[She's trying to be polite, and gently tug Kaede along, or rather pry her away from the group. It's well meaning, but slow process it seems. Social rules make things hard.]

[long_live_the_queen]

[Kaede's usual surly nature had recovered with the additional moral support. She was rather stiff when tugged at first, until she realized what Caren was doing. Her next few steps were much less restricted, though the Puca kept following after each one.]

No more questions.

"But you just got here--"

[Some of Kaede's feathers bristled up like hackles, and the Puca quickly leaned back on her heels. One of her companions, a Faun of decent stature, touched her elbow. That seemed to be a sign of some sort, and the group began to withdraw, murmuring a bit excitely amongst themselves despite the rather brusque dismissal.]

[showsnopiety]

It's been a grueling trip. Forgive us.

[That's a lie, but Kaede can't take much more of this. She might start smacking people with her wings, and Caren might join her.

Thank goodness for that faun who figured out not to press further. Once they're out of ear shot, Caren sighed.]

It's weird being popular for a good reason.

wildcard

[belligerentwarrior]

So this is it, huh?

[Fang crouched closer to the tracks. She hasn't taken well to the cold, between being used to the desert and running hot as a Turnskin—she's wound up with thick clothing and a fur cloak over the snowy months.]

You made 'em sound bigger than this.

[Not everyone grew up with adamanturtoises, Fang.]

[long_live_the_queen]

[Having all these feathers was quite handy, as long as it had nothing to do with camouflage. The Chimera's tail especially was bright against the new snow, iridescent and scarlet.

Said tail flicked at the end while the rest of Kaede's feathers, already raised against the cold, bristled up a bit more indignantly.]

They're big enough. [She huffed.]

[Mostly, Kaede didn't know what they were. And that bugged her. This field was close to the edge of the forest, but not too close to the Wilde. Spending half the time glancing over her shoulder in case of a lowercase monster or worse wasn't a good way to practice following a trail.

So it should be mostly mundane animals out here, unless a Shade had decided to take a walk. Some kind of rabbit had left its tracks in the snow--followed by something much larger padding after it, probably a fox. A pigeon or some other bird had landed, startled, and shed a few of its feathers over there, a deer had been by--and a few human bootprints could be found too, following the same trail as the deer. Kaede's tread had been light, but there were still a few of her odd four-clawed pawprints left in softer patches of snow.

And then there were these tracks, which were the source of Kaede's current questions. Whatever it was seemed to be dragging or scuffing its feet. Its toes seemed stubby, and she couldn't tell if it had claws or not.]

[belligerentwarrior]

Maybe for you.

[Fang stood again, tapping her lance against her shoulder. As much as she enjoyed hunting big prey, she was too seasoned to underestimate the smaller creatures.]

Well, let's get a move on. [Fang glances over at her Bonded-in-law.] You wanna give this a shot?

[long_live_the_queen]

[That got another huff from the surly Chimera. But she stood, instead of indignantly bristling further or prodding the bottom of one track to see if it had melted and refrozen. It might have, but how long ago had that happened?

Kaede ruffled her shoulders, her feathers, and shawl all at once.]

Of course I do.

[Kaede had brought her short swords, though she only expected to use one. They were sharp enough and she was strong enough to hack through even woody undergrowth if she couldn't or just didn't want to hop over them.]

[belligerentwarrior]

[Fang shot her a lopsided smirk, gesturing vaguely forward with her lance. ]

Then show me what you can do.

[unholey]

[It's been a weird fucking month. There's a tension in the air, both in Aefenglom and Dorchacht, that is impossible to ignore but both cities refuse to acknowledge. He can't even say it's a relief to be back in the city he's more familiar with-- not when there's all sorts of nasty graffiti harshly pointedly painted over homes and workplaces of Mirrorbound and refugees alike. Fugo is busy at work scrubbing some clumsy, misspelled profanity off of a storefront window in the Shopping Distric the old fashioned way when he hears the cry of of pigeons overhead. He looks up, squinting--]

Kaede? [What... is she doing up there. With a camera and all those birds?] What are you doing up there?

[long_live_the_queen]

[The Chimera's ears pinned back when she heard a voice below--a familiar voice, directed at her.

There were witnesses she had to care about now. Ugh..]

Chasing these stupid-- [an irritable swipe of a spindly feathered arm. A few of the pigeons fluttered up, and then landed right back in the same places they had been.] --birds away.

[Two stories up, perched on what could have been charitably called a gargoyle, with a half-dozen pigeons swarming her and taking great interest in her shiny feathers. Were they food? Were they hiding food? Some of the birds pecked at the Chimera's tail--carefully. When they weren't sneaky enough, Kaede smacked them away with it--but without momentum, the fluffy tail wasn't much of a deterrent. The birds kept coming back.]

[unholey]

[Oh, that is a problem. It's bright enough that Fugo has a hard time seeing the details of Kaede's problem, but it doesn't take a genius to put together that she's having problems with pigeons. What is she doing up there? Is she holding something?]

Hold on, I'll be right back-- [Dropping his rag into the bucket of soap and water, Fugo hustles into the store he's helping to clean. It happens to be a bakery, which is probably why there are so many birds on the roof to begin with. A short while later, Fugo emerges with a bag of day-old crusts purchased from the store owner.] Hey! Down here, dumbasses!

[Fugo puts two fingers in his mouth and whistles sharply. The pigeons don't really understand him, but they're startled by the noise. And once they're in the air, they're quick to notice when he starts scattering the crusts on the side of the street.]

[long_live_the_queen]

[At first, Kaede watched the door Fugo had disappeared through with a slightly skeptical tilt of an ear.

Then a pigeon tugged right on one of the shiny eyespot feathers on her tail, and the Chimera twisted herself around with a gravelly snarl. This time, a more solid bit of her tail smacked the bird away, and it fell much farther as if stunned. It managed to correct itself before hitting anything, but by then the ground was so close the pigeon just...landed there, burbling to itself like it was trying to work through what had happened. As pigeons went, this didn't seem to be a very bright one.

But that meant it was in the prime position to scramble and grab one of the fallen crusts--and the other birds swiftly followed its example until all of them were on the ground, pecking away at much less opinionated targets.

The Chimera huffed, shaking out all her feathers. And she turned on her perch--carefully, until she could face the man below properly. With her gangly legs folded like they were, she could do more than a passing impression of a gargoyle herself.

The boxy camera in her hands was a bit out of character for one, though.

And Kaede just stared at Fugo for a minute--

Oh. Right. People were supposed to say words to each other.]

...thanks.