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

QUESTIONS

[moustre]

DORCHACHT

[moustre]

AEFENGLOM

[moustre]

GENERAL

[moustre]

EVENT

[moustre]

GENERAL

[moustre]

EVENT

[moustre]

[hallucinogem]

iv. if it's true what they say

Emerald doesn't buy it. She hasn't bought it for a while, but she buys it even less now. Massive change like this doesn't just happen overnight, no matter how trustworthy the dignitaries try to make themselves seem. It doesn't matter that it's been a couple months and she's never actually seen Dorchacht in person; the weight of the Witch she'd killed still hangs on her shoulders, but it doesn't seem to hurt quite as hard when she hears all this garbage about a "brand new Dorchacht".

With some of her puca features coming in a little more prominently—her snout is pronounced, her ears are budding up out of her green hair, and her legs are getting a little bulkier—Emerald is taking this time to reacquaint herself with the city. To handle herself with a little more confidence, to build more relationships after her recent breakdown with Chandra and the other... instance with Lancer.

She's got a lily tucked into the front pocket of her top, though, and she smells distinctly of oranges and cloves and sea salt, and there's a fresh coat of black lipstick on her lips. If people had been kind enough to give her these gifts, it would be rude not to make use of them. (Maybe she can find whoever gave her that lily.)

Over the course of a few days, she can be found cleaning graffiti off storefronts, though she's never been able to actually catch anyone in the act (so far). She's taken to spending a little more time in a local monster-friendly bar, the one where she's had a few drinks now and the one that Lancer seems to frequent more often than not. In both places, she's going to be muttering loudly about how it doesn't feel like Dorchacht has changed at all, about how she doesn't believe it, about how they're still not going to catch her dead in that city. Of course, if she's had a few, she's doing a little more than muttering about it.

Or maybe, if you don't want a bitter girl who's unconvinced that huge sweeping change is that easy, you can run into her in the streets, asking if there's anywhere she can be made useful or if anyone in particular knows anything about flowers.

There's also the action option. Her Bonded is going through what could charitably be called a Time, and she's out there in the Cwyld, trying to work away some of the transferred anger and also hone her close-range combat. Her guns have their blades extended, and she's mostly working on slicing things up in melee and occasionally delivering some powerful kicks that might make Mercury jealous if he were here. It's not wildly dangerous work; it's routine for her by now, and it's part of being a "hero". But it's something new to do.

L Lawliet (Linden Tailor) | Witch | OTA

[hearthebell]

A. Dorchacht- Covering Tracks

[Wearing the triple stars might be a good idea, for any who wish to be seen as allies in this city... but it seems that L has been too occupied with other matters or too absentminded to have gotten the memo. As a result, people he passes regard him with more distrust than they might ordinarily display, and that's saying something, since the spindly and staring young witch is hardly a reassuring presence on the best of days.

And it is not that, surely, because the way the bones stand out in his wrists and his haggard, over-pale face say that he's been distracted from other things, as well. A comb hasn't touched his wild mop of hair in at least a week, and his clothes are ill-matched, wrinkled, and even visibly dirty. Get too close, and depending on how sensitive your nose is? He smells like old coffee and stale sweat. Not quite "pungent", perhaps, but well on his way there.

If your approach is a quiet one, he may actually fail to notice you... but even though he's very focused on his task in this quiet place in the city with only a few park benches to suggest a place to rest, he's aware of his surroundings, glancing over his shoulder and squinting at the distance at regular intervals as though waiting for someone. He has a tremendous pile of spent candy wrappers, all the same brand, frozen to four strips of ribbon with individual beads of ice, and four enchanted ravens on standby. It's possible he's sent some off already, but he's in the middle of placing one of the ribbons in a raven's beak when he glances your way.]

I haven't had time to get my stars, if that's what you're here to hassle me about.

[He's heard it a few times, that he should really make affixing some to his clothes a priority, and seems flustered about it. He intones a soft word, and one of the ravens takes off with the ribbon, presumably to scatter candy wrappers wherever it flies.]

B. Dorchacht- Cleansing the Walls

[Healing might not be in L's repertoire of reliable and effective spells, but the creation and removal of runes are rather a specialty of his. Therefore, he can for once assist in some sort of effort to heal, even if it's a series of damaging ideologies and their lasting legacy instead of sick organs or wounded flesh. He waves aside the cheat sheets, familiar enough with the base of the runes already... but the sander they hand him to grind them off manually is heavy and unwieldy in his delicate, careful-fingered grasp. It actually looks somewhat comical, so while he knows the runes, and even magic that can soften the stone... he's ill-suited to this.

He glances your way.]

You look strong. Why don't we work together?

[He hands you the sander before you reply in the affirmative. Though it's not particularly heavy, you can probably feel his stick-scrawny arms trembling as they're relieved of the weight.]

C. Dorchacht- Bond Lessons

[Not normally a social creature, L's finding that he needs to adjust his normally solitary existence to account for the fact that he has a vengeful stalker on his trail. So far, he hasn't seen hide or hair of Niles in Dorchacht, but he still gravitates toward safe-feeling crowds (though he still hasn't managed to get a set of triple stars) and, of course, free food. The coffee and cookies aren't exactly a balanced meal, but by the looks of him, the most nutritious things he's had lately.

Even if he looks homeless (is homeless, since he intentionally dropped the key to the house he shared with the departed SQUIP down a storm drain), he is recognizable as a Mirrorbound, and is roped into one of the seminars fairly promptly. This is annoying to him, both because he'd rather be left alone to stuff his face with empty calories, and because the SQUIP's disappearance is one he still hasn't processed healthily. He hasn't talked about it, and he hasn't allowed himself the space to properly feel it, and so predictably, he bombs.]

Yes, I have... two Bonds. It was three.

[Expectant stares, questioning gazes. Someone clears their throat.]

It's better... to have lived and. Mm. Been Bonded than it is to not Bond at all.

[He shrugs stiffly, ready to hand this off to someone else, but no, they're prolonging his torture. A voice pipes up, asking what it feels like when a Bond breaks.]

It's like someone has taken a melon baller and just...

[He imitates a scooping motion with a vague twist of his wrist. More sympathy than L wanted ripples through the crowd.]

...it's fine. You're just... fine when that happens.

[His denial is so poignantly transparent that, just like that, he has a flour sack baby trailing after him. A large and gentle and very cuddly older arachne man, some species of tarantula, offers L many-armed hugs often, as well as the chance to talk about his ex-Bonded and let it all out.

Gerry is grating on him, but hey, you might get along, whether or not you were at the seminar yourself.]

D. Aefenglom- Coven Library

[L's returned home, without actually returning home. While he lived with the SQUIP, and did so quite happily in the Haven, the house they shared is currently locked up and the key discarded. He's found himself uninterested in going back inside given the absence of its other inhabitant; perhaps he's actually unable to. Having a caretaker is so ingrained on his nature that without one, he is prone to wandering, assigning himself tasks that make the hours fly by and leave him exhausted and ravenous when they're complete with no immediately obvious recourse.

He's the type of rare human, after all, who can soar... but needs some help when the time comes to return to earth. Hours of studying were broken up only by a supper of alcoholic anesthetic at a nearby bar, and those few shots of hard liquor sit acridly on a stomach that is already cramping and eating itself. The coffee at his side only nurses a growing migraine, and does nothing for his exhaustion... which is why you're likely to find a bit of a mess when you enter the library, whether it's at this ungodly hour or in the morning at a more reasonable time, and you brush aside L's mess only to nudge a thankfully breathing body with your foot when you sit down at his sort-of vacated study space.]

E. Wildcard

[Obviously, I wrote incredible prompts... but if you want something different, take a crack at another scenario! I'm reachable on Discord at ladylazarus#2235 and always down to talk plotting, whether we play all the time or never have before.]

Alucard | Castlevania | witch

[cryptsleeper]

When Alucard first heard Dorchacht described, he had blanched. Not only for what had happened, but because it felt far too close to what his life might have been like had the fortune of his birth and parents been miserably reversed. The kind of fear it struck into him was a primal thing, the kind of fear brought upon by not only growing up as half-vampire but knowing full well the kind of natural repulsion that came with the mere concept.

So with the news of where Dorchacht stands now, that it seeks to rebuild? How could he not go?]

A: The Walls
There. That section's complete.

[Alucard found the process of removing spells an easier thing than anything else magic related in this world so far. Some of it is because it's removing a thing, not putting it in place, but the rest? That would be the sanders. That's far closer to technology, the world where he's comfortable. At home.

He might look ridiculous with extra-thick gloves on along with safety goggles, but that too makes him feel at home. Alucard recalls the endless lectures about lab safety in his youth.

Task completed, Alucard takes a few steps back to view the whole of the wall. The grind of other sanders continue, and he breathes out for just a moment.]


B: Reconstruction
[Understanding the walls and their magic was step one of becoming comfortable with the real thing that compelled Alucard to come. Back home, he built his keep under Gresit and was able to keep it functioning. Draftsmanship was a matter he had learned from his father, and here? That was a skill that could be put to use in a way that would meet his mother's wishes far better than any other action he could imagine. Rebuilding a city from a destroyed way of life, and making it into something new.

The thing she wanted for the world most.

What Alucard is not accustomed to is the work of construction being more than himself, his father, and a lot of magic. In the case of this (mercifully approved) row of town houses, it means that he's standing in front of a large drafting table, watching other people do the work. And then being told a minor change has to be made.

There's a sigh from Alucard as he puts pencil over a thin overlay of paper and starts to make adjustments.]

That isn't going to be as easy a fix as you seem to think it will be.

C: Municipal approval
[Design one building, get it looking decent, then do a bunch more. Alucard is sat in front of a destroyed area with a make shift drawing set up (paper taped to a large board) and a future city grid beside him.]

I'm...hm. [He frowns at the grid.] I'm not sure about that zoning choice.

D: Wildcard
Exactly what it says on the tin.

D. Aefenglom - Coven Library

[onamissile]

[If Mello always appears to be just on the edge of anger when he enters the Library, it's only because he can't remember a time in his life where he had to make time to study.]

[Things were so different back then, weren't they? Cornsilk-haired child curled up in a corner chair with materials spread in front of him, sometimes studying by the light of a single lamp long after the rest of the House had fallen asleep. Studying was his priority, a means to an end — as it is now.]

[But now? There is no one providing a roof, no endless access to online resources to aid his research. There are no snacks to steal from the kitchen at two a.m. and there ... is no space on this table.]

[His brows furrow as he tucks his own books against himself with one arm (Advanced Pyromancy: Divination by Fire, Protection Spellwork Vol. II, among four others), as he sweeps the mess aside with the other. Nothing that would knock these precious books to the ground, only enough to — ]

[Oh.]

[Quietly, he sets his books down, draws a chair far enough away from L so he isn't looming; and what does it matter? How many times has Mello fallen asleep in the library.]

[But L looks. Well. Off.]

Oi, [Comes with the nudge, and Mello purposely rattles the bag of snacks he's brought with him for this session.]

Mello - Death Note - Witch - OTA

[onamissile]

I. A. Dorchacht

[It didn't take long for Mello to notice the difference in reception offered to Witches who bore stars versus those who have elected to ignore this important detail. His own — tucked just below his right ear and only visible with his hair pulled back — was a meticulous choice.]

[No need to advertise himself as a Witch, even if the people here are a bit friendlier than he'd expected. Of course, he doesn't trust it.]

[If you happen to come across him, you will just find him either casually strolling or leaning against a wall, taking stock of his surroundings and the people within. Some smiling child had presented him with a small brownie, and he's taking the tiniest bites, feeling around with his tongue for anything strange.]

[Tastes all right.]

I don't take kindly to being tailed, you know.

[Yes, he saw you. No, his tone holds no threat.]


II. C. Dorchacht - Bonds

["Tell us about your Bonded. Just the one?"]

Yea, just the one.

[They say it as though it's the improper thing to do, that spreading yourself out over multiple people is the proper thing as opposed to giving everything you have from one person. And taking everything they have in return. Mello is the art of disgruntlement, right now. Tucked into a chair, legs sprawled, arms crossed over his chest. He's giving the entire room a flat stare — yes, even you — and he'd prefer to avoid this conversation, right now.]

[Forever, optimally.]

I don't want to talk about them. [Good luck getting any info out of Mello.] We prefer it that way. Neither one of us mentions the other to outside parties, and everything comes together nicely.

[Oh, Bullshit. And it rolls off of his tongue with ease.]

Told you pulling me in here was pointless.

[Or is it? Can a man with a waterfall on his tongue to spill truly remain so silent on the very topic that burns at him constantly? Remains to be seen.]

III. Wildcard

[Want it? Don't see it? Either PM me here, hit me up at Pendancy#9139 or just throw me a starter! We can make stuff work.]

[hearthebell]

[L's a surprisingly quiet sleeper, for how desperately deep his sleep appears to be. So much that Mello's foot bumping against his curled form isn't actually enough to make him stir; he's warm, and malleable, and certainly alive, just... maybe a touch dead to the world, at least. And looking a touch worse for wear, as though this isn't the first night he's spent somewhere a bit rougher than the SQUIP's clean and pressed bed sheets.

Mello's foot might not have been enough to rouse his Bonded, but his voice, on the other hand, absolutely does it. He's disoriented when he wakes, his arm hastily propping him up only for his elbow to slam into the leg of the table in a way that must hurt. He grinds his teeth, massaging it, peering up at Mello with sleep still in his eyes.

Well. Sleep, and something else that blurs their edges and their focus. He blinks; his very eyeballs ache.]

Yes?

[Crisply, but with an edge of annoyance, as though Mello has intruded on a place where L could have a reasonable expectation of privacy rather than a public library.]

[onamissile]

[If not concerned, Mello is nothing short of amused. When the other bumps his elbow, pale brows shoot up — ]

[L's been drinking. Something that seems to be commonplace here; it's only understandable. Things are in a constant trial of upset; nothing is permanent. God knows Mello's had his share of cognac during his short time here.]

You look like shit.

[Light of a statement it can be; Mello's lifting a cup of oversweetened coffee to his lips, settling back into the chair. He's studying L, if nothing else.]

[hearthebell]

[Mello can probably feel the cold, sharp spike of indignation that lances their Bond. L often seems childish, informal or even slovenly, but something about this current situation doesn't sit well or easily with him. Even by his standards this isn't somewhere he expected or wished to wake up; something has slipped out of his control, perhaps "only" for an evening, but... when something reaches a point like this, it's been out of control for much longer in actuality, hasn't it?

It doesn't have to be if he doesn't dwell on it. Aren't there always more important ways to occupy his thoughts, than whatever broken facsimile of humanity he regularly walks around resembling?]

Thank you for saving me the trouble of looking into a mirror today.

[Intoned dryly. Because while L isn't a vain man, the SQUIP drilled the idea of looking better into his mind, as well as how useful it could be for gaining the kind of social favor that came so easily to people like Light Yagami and Mello. Probably doesn't matter, now that it's gone; he only ever bothered to dress or ornament himself for its sake because it found the process pleasing, but for no other reason. In the end, he was taking grim and haughty pride in the thought that he was the superior machine, even if it largely came from the SQUIP being broken by others who just didn't understand it.]

What time is it?

[He sounds surprised that it's morning already. He reaches up, his fingers searching for his own half-full cup of ice-cold coffee that he left by his books the night before.]

[onamissile]

[Yeah, Mello feels the ice-cold spike of something that's too sharp and apparent to ignore, but one of the caveats he's set for himself is to avoid visibly showing any effect of their Bond; it's a dangerous thing that has given and will give Mello away all too easily.]

Almost three.

[Another sip; M had been down at the docks. The returning, half-destroyed boats were no good for any potential future business that might go on between the newly-opened waterways. Splitting his time between his end-game doing what he needs to do to get there is — ]

Why do you look like that.

[L before Mello had known him here? Perhaps; he had very little basis for comparison. But the L he's known since arriving has always been, if nothing else, a bit more aesthetically refined. He reaches into the bag, pulls out a small pastry.]

Something happen?

[He dangles it toward L.]

[hearthebell]

[L can't quite manage to conceal his shock when he hears the time; his first instinct is to insist that Mello must be lying, some sort of sadistic attempt at humor, but... no, it's clear that he's not. Perhaps that is what's adding to his sense of uneasiness, the feeling that the light in the room just isn't looking as it should even to someone who is used to jet lag and ignoring the clock.

He's missed work. He'll have to apologize for that, later. They'll forgive him, but is it worth the trouble and the unpleasant sting that will come with that particular failure's admission?

He pulls himself fully out from under the table. Mello will be able to see that there's an imprint of the page he slept on on his right cheek. ]



You didn't feel it?

[An invitation. Maybe even a challenge, to voice what's gone unspoken between them but certainly rattled L's world to the very foundation.]

[usurpers]

some follow ups here! 👏 congrats on ur freedom dorch

1. how is the resistance handling the city if spoken to individually? would they be able to recognize eren and would that ease him some information about the state of dorchacht more candidly? outwardly, things look promising, but are they having any problems or worries, organizational or otherwise? what if he asked the citizens? both pro-resistance and pro-drummond, if he could have a look at both sides of the coin.

2. what of the memories of the townspeople and monsters within? do they remember a linda hann before drummond? do they have an idea of where the previously enslaved monsters came from before entering the gates of the city?

3. i know this might be a blank shot, but in the past trip, eren gave the resistance info about dewaint forest and the dreams people have of that cocoon when infected. did they stumble upon anything themselves to get back to him with, or no?

[onamissile]

[Oh, he sees it; reading inversely isn't a problem. L might wonder why Mello is staring at his cheek so intently; he'll figure it out when he makes it to a proper mirror.]

[And yeah, he feels it. Feels is strongly enough for it to jolt his insides in a bad way, has been feeling it for a little while, now. When he was alone, he'd coughed it up to being so close with Alex, considered that for in order for Bonds to be effective, they must all be interconnected in some way as a predisposition.]

[He thought he was beginning to feel the edges of her dread, but — ]

I feel it.

[Stoically, but there's no stoicism in this ravager of emotions and a pale psychological state, is there? And now that Mello and L are both here, he feels it like a shovel to his gut. Just — ]

[Loss.]

[A grief Mello can pick out better than the rest.]

And it's making me sick.

[Just about.]

Are you intending on telling me what it is, or is this gonna be one of those situations where I pester you until you drop me a hint, then feel like I'm pressing down on your shoulders?

[There are... downsides to being too close to his mentor. Sometimes, Mello wonders if the walls that were built so steadfastly were for the best.]

[hearthebell]

[L does wonder; he also doesn't question at this particular juncture, because there are other things that are a little more pressing, a little more difficult to navigate. Though mirrors are the things that brought them both here, he won't go look for one for quite some time.

He doesn't like looking at those haunted eyes any more than most other people, in the end.]

Sorry to inconvenience you.

[Stiffly, because though it's almost certainly not Mello's intent, L is so new to the pain he carries filtering over to other living creatures. The private damage he does to his body and mind were never supposed to affect others; even more so for the rare and shameful instances his emotions are an exposed nerve.

He considers sharing that pain in a more direct way. Myr's gentle patience has taught him a few things, though, and he ultimately elects not to verbalize his frustration with a Bond where things can go unsaid, over great distances, and still be understood. He really was spoiled, for what he had with the SQUIP; dwelling on that does nothing to help his state of mind.

He exhales. Stale liquor tastes utterly rank, the morning after. He wishes desperately for a toothbrush, and settles instead for his cold coffee from the night before. The cream's turned slightly rancid; he spits it back into the cup quickly and sets it aside, finally accepting one of the treats Mello offered to chase the parade of evil things plaguing his tongue.

Sweet relief.]

It's gone. The SQUIP is, I mean, and so... it goes without saying that we're not Bonded anymore.

[onamissile]

[And Mello is silent in return.]

[Is this what it feels like? Even by proxy: a hole so deep in his stomach that he feels as though he's trying to fill his insides at every available opportunity, this sensation of coldness over his skin, the pulling — p u l l i n g — in his chest — and it's not even his to feel.]

[Oh, God. What would it feel like if he were to actually lose L? If this is second-hand, Mello doesn't want to know what the real thing feels like.]

[And there should be a sense of victory that comes with this information, shouldn't there? L has one less Bond, Mello has won. But all there is, is despair, pain, the feeling of going in circles with no direction on the horizon.]

Oh, [is all he can muster, because he feels it even stronger once L says it.]

It hurts, yea.

[Yea.]

A lot?

[With that, he hands over his own coffee. Hopefully sweetened enough for L. His mentor needs it more than he does, right now.]

[hearthebell]

[L is, for a moment, a ghostly after-image leftover after a train has smashed into a body and dragged it miles down the rails in a smear of grease and bone paste. He sways where he stands, because there's been a shift in balance here, even if it's not a material one. Maybe it's a significant exchange, a step toward Mello not merely revering him, and actually progressing towards true understanding that L is only, if scarcely, human.

He takes the coffee Mello offers, drinking deeply, letting it wash away the sins of the evening prior even if it's only replaced with a new kind of bitterness through the sugar and cream.]

It's a kind of pain.

[He thinks. His uncertainty tints the Bond they share, a shrouded red mist hanging over the icy diamond-studded night that is usually preternaturally crisp and clear in L's mindscape.]

And it's substantial. I don't...

[Can he admit this to a successor? Who would admonish him? Is the admonishment inherent, underscoring all they say to each other and its potential consequences?]

I'm not sure what to do next.

[onamissile]

[It's much more than "a kind of" pain, but Mello understands the need to downplay weaknesses, above all else. The admission that follows catches him off-guard; his hand goes still inside of the pastry bag, he shifts in his seat.]

[What is his answer? (Run off, flee the country, go on a spree.) The choices Mello made after his first, major loss (take a hostage; get the notebook) aren't something he would suggest anyone do, let alone L. And L is looking to him for something, isn't he?]

[Anything. Anything to make this feeling of death in the absence of death go away.]

[Mello can't judge him; not now. Not when his own chest is so tight that it creeps up into his throat. He knows without knowing: the torment of losing a lover, not just an idol. It's worse, somehow.]

You clean up.

[One step at a time. Looks like Mello won't be getting any studying done — again — but he can't have L in a state. Especially when it's affecting him, second hand.]

You're on the floor with an excerpt on cat piss stamped on your cheek. [He finally withdraws the pastry, holding it for a moment before biting in.]

So you have a shower, [Shrug.] change your clothes, stand up straight, and make a plan.

[Is there any other option?]

Unless you prefer the floor.

[integrous]

Asahi may not exactly be the bar-going type, but bars need things delivered as well. And the delivery place she works for seems to have realised it's easier to send the local harpy over to a monster-friendly bar rather than a witch. And Asahi is really just planning on heading out right after she's made her delivery, already stretching her wings to prepare to fly away again, when she hears someone mumbling. Or, well, more like raving with that volume.

Usually that wouldn't be too weird in a bar. There's always drunk people around. But the moment she hears the word Dorchacht, she's immediately paying attention.

.. maybe her next delivery can wait a moment or two.

She moves a little closer to Emerald, trying to draw her attention. ".. Hey, you're talking about that other city, right?"

[selfishwish]

So, the vandals in Aefenglom aren't interested in fighting, but would there be anything preventing an interested party from tracking them back home, if someone (a true and very cute hero, say) wanted to, e.g., tell their moms or give their front stoops a taste of their residents' own medicine?