Intro Log: February

[faileas]

Intro Log: February

I. ARRIVAL Out of nowhere, a glint of light catches your eye; your heart thunders in your ears as your body moves on its own, your mind consumed with inspecting the source. Your reflection stares back at you, just as curious from the surface - a mirror, a pool of water, your most trusted sword, something fleeting that your mind can barely remember - then ripples at your touch. A moment later, you feel a tug, and you find yourself stumbling into a dark, musty room. Behind you, a mirror stands ornately decorated with reminders of home wrought in brass and wood: the faces of people you know, and symbols important to you; all things that send a pang through your chest with the desire to return to them. Touching the mirror's surface does nothing but leave the stain of your fingerprints. When you turn to survey the room, you find there are hundreds of other mirrors. None of them are as decorated as yours - they're plain and dusty, speckled with age. Then you realize a second thing: You're not alone. Distantly, the ringing bell of a clocktower can be heard. But no matter its distance, the time is clear to make out: it chimes three times, stark, resonating like a pulse of something in this mirrored hall that you and many others have found yourselves in. For those familiar with magic, they might feel the power of the witching hour upon them, though it will feel different from what they're used to - in fact, everything does. You're certainly not the only ones here, however. On the first floor, with the doors wide open behind them in the foyer, is a small group headed by two individuals. As people begin to arrive, to come from the higher floor, they're waiting - and they're waiting for you, and your questions. Explore the rest of the mirrored halls you've now found yourselves in, or proceed to the foyer? Leaving the Looking-Glass House makes it obvious that the clock striking three was for 3 AM - the night sky is faintly cloudy, but the stars are dim in the face of two moons, even so close to the new moon as it is. The Looking-Glass House is rather nondescript two-story cottage made of grey brick, sitting at the edge of The Coven's courtyard; stones which glow as you step on them mark the path to and from the two buildings. While fairly small and plain on the outside, the inside has been enchanted to be the size of a large library, with hundreds upon hundreds of mirrors hanging, standing, and resting inside its walls. Some are broken, some are cracked, and some seem completely uninjured - but all of them are just as plain as the cottage itself, showing age in the silver beneath their glass and in the greening of their metals... Well, all except a character's personal mirror; to characters, one mirror - the one they came through - will be decorated lavishly with metal-and-wood-wrought reminders of home, and the surface will be as clear as a brand-new mirror.

II. THE WELCOME PARTY Whether you've decided to find a way out of the building you've arrived in, or decided to explore the rest of the Looking-Glass House - and perhaps finding a few familiar faces among the crowd - you feel a pull towards the foyer of the first floor. It's like a firm suggestion, as if to take you by the hand and draw you to where it begins, and the source of it becomes quite apparent upon finding one's way to the front room: a tall, comfortably-dressed older woman and her even taller wolfish companion, along with those which feel to resemble yourselves in a world-traversing sense: Mirrorbound, they're called. "There's always a right lot of you coming in, aren't there." The woman sets her hands on her hips, with her Bonded casting a glance at those looking confused - newly arrived - and those who may have followed them in to talk to the newest addition of their mirrorbound bunch. "About time for introductions though- this here's Mhairi Ainsley, ambassador to the Parliament and my Bonded, and I'm Nerissa Bell, Head Witch of the Coven - but you can just call me Miss Nessie, you can," she adds, winking. "The lot of you must be as tired and confused as the last batch - hullo to those who've joined us, too! - so just a moment, dearests, I'll set all you right up—" With nothing more than a wave of her hand, rows of seats are summoned; despite their wooden nature, they're all sturdy and comfortable, filling the foyer and spreading out a ways into the lawn behind them, making room for all of the new arrivals as well as the previous batch. After all, they'll find this just as interesting. The Witches and Monsters that accompanied Nessie and Mhairi move to make room, and some disperse into the building itself to see if there's anyone who needs tending to. Mhairi steps forward as the chairs materialize. "Please, those who are able, join us for a moment. There are many questions that I'm sure you have - we will do our utmost best to answer them, and you may take any that we can't as a promise to find some sort of solution or answer." NOTE: If you wish to interact with Nessie and Mhairi, please comment here. You have the option of handwaving the IC interaction to OOCly ask what questions your character might have for them, or for us to summarize an answer. Simply specify in your comment's subject and we'll respond accordingly. For those that'd like a more player-based interaction, Aefenglom has its own Welcome Wagon under the same header! These are players who've volunteered for the role, and those that didn't sign up may assist as well if they'd feel their character would -- have fun, and make friends. Additionally, those with notable injuries or sickness will be attended to ASAP by Coven-based witches, and should anyone be curious about what they are - if they have magic potential, or if they swing a different way - then this can be done during this and the general hour or so the new arrivals are within the Coven's grounds. There are ongoing classes on magic, monsters, and Bonding as well, though they take place more during the day than at night - feel free to have your characters attend them at any time!

III. THE HAVEN After an hour or two of general chaos, questions that the natives attempt to help with, and injuries tended to for those who arrive in poor condition, it's time to make a trek to where you'll be staying while Nessie and Mhairi continue to search for a solution to the situation. As you're leaving with a few Bonded for guides, peculiar-looking devices - watches, the native Witches explain, compliments of Parliament - are passed around to all the new arrivals; they're given a quick rundown on their functions and bid to test them out when they can. They can even do it as they make their way out of the Coven's courtyard and to the Haven. Formerly part of the Aristocratic District, The Haven is just as well-kept and brightly-lit as the district it hails from. The houses err on the tall and ornamental-side, large enough to fit several families (or, according to the upper class, their one family, several dozen servants, and guests), especially closest to the Aristocratic District. They become a little more modest and smaller as one gets away from the realm of high society and nearer to the Residential District proper. Newcomers are shuffled here and invited to find somewhere to live - the Coven is currently handling expenses for the houses themselves in a program implemented by the Parliament, though if your character wishes to have anything extra - like maids, chefs, and so on - they'll have to pay for them themselves with their own earned money. Much of the landscape and fixtures are the same as in the Aristocratic Districts, though it lacks formal emergency services due to its roots as part of a district that already did. Much of the housing already has furnishing due to the speed at which homeowners were relocated; they were given enough time to collect their valuables, but standard furniture such as kitchenware, couches, beds, etc. were left behind for those moving in. Other houses appear the same, but the dust on the floors suggest these houses were left before the new arrivals even showed up - a reminder that the Cwyld can strike just about anyone, regardless of standing. Another portion of this district has been opened up to the new arrivals: the barracks, the row of buildings pressed against the very edge of the Bright Wall. As the city's military force no longer has the same presence it previously did, the barracks have gone into disuse, and a cleanup effort has been in place since before the new arrivals came through the Looking-Glass House. For those who desire something a little less opulent, the barracks might just be the answer. The barracks can also be used for business, for a welcome center, a communal space, for anything that the residents of the Haven see fit to use it for - so long as the legality isn't questionable, on the surface. To help with filling up the larger houses - and even some of the smaller ones, and the shared rooms in the barracks - the Witches put together a little roommate finding service, on a smaller scale from the grand opening of the Haven. For those who aren't entirely sure who they want to shack up with, they have a small survey for them to fill out and post on the board they've magicked up in the center of The Haven. The board also very helpfully reads aloud each form for everyone to hear in a cheerful, monotone voice. It isn't able to be shut up, nor is it easy to ignore, being imbued with a kind of amplification magic. It reads simply the information you've offered up yourself, or that someone might have written up for you, should that be their idea of fun.

IV. Faiolleach From the 1st to the 3rd of Feoveuer is the holiday of Faiolleach, a time of spring-cleaning and purification in preparation for the new solar year, of rebirth and youth. It comes at a fitting time, after the dark happenings of the previous month - happenings that most natives are not willing to discuss, except in hushed, sympathetic voices. It was horrible, you know, best to cast that negative energy out. They won't discuss the details, not being privy to them; that's for Mirrorbound to clue the new arrivals in on. Many who have been here longer, though, will notice that Mirrorbound do not receive such a negative response in the wealthier areas of town as they did before. The vast majority of citizens, wealthy elites included, are, at the very least, polite. Despite the storm cloud of the Rathmores' trial on the 3rd hanging over the city, citizens are trying to put on their cheerful faces to celebrate Faiolleach. Originally celebrating the arrival of the sun, it was represented by a daughter of heaven whose name has been lost to ages - many still leave small offerings of food and drink out to this mythical figure, believing it bad luck not to do so. This is mostly done by older natives; the younger generation brushes it off as superstition. They're much more excited about speed-dating parties set up around the city, and blind dating, encompassing the traits of good luck and fertility traditionally held by the holiday. a. Speed-Dating The popular Faiolleach trend among the youths of Aefenglom is speed-dating, normally held in small to mid-sized gatherings of similarly-aged humans and Monsters both. The parties are all independent, usually held at small restaurants or bars, or other local shops rented out for the occasion, and many try to out-do the others - different themes, costumes or dress codes, and magical gimmicks are present at different bashes. They all hold to a similar mechanic: party participants are encouraged to make the rounds and spend just a handful of minutes with each person, sharing information about themselves in order to determine compatibility, but the level of structure (casual to organized) and the types of icebreaker games differ wildly. Revelers in the streets are out to pull walk-in participation in whatever bash is going on nearby, but they back off easily if the person isn't interested. It's certainly not a required part of the holiday, but they're eager to see people having fun. Whatever a person's tastes or interests, it's probable they'll find a gathering to their liking; some are skewed more toward finding someone to Bond with or making a new friend rather than finding someone to date, while some held in the Red Light District are a little spicier, with lingerie or kink themes to their parties. Participation is all optional, but meeting new people, regardless of how, is highly encouraged. b. Bonfires After dark, on all three nights of Faiolleach, bonfires of different sizes are held, scattered around the city, the flames magically contained in circles of runes (to avoid more possible fire damage, with repairs still ongoing from last month). People gather around them to dance, sing folk songs, and share warming drinks with one another. Like the speed-dating parties, they vary wildly from area to area; some are folksy, all-ages affairs where grandmothers tut and offer hot chocolate to ward against the evening chill. A common children's and young adults' activity at these bonfires are decorating wands of white birch wood with ribbons and baubles, and using them in the group dances to create mesmerizing swirls of color and sparkle. Others, especially those in the Entertainment District, feature beautiful dancers of all species in fine silks and satins, performing dances that are a little more sultry. At the obviously-adults-only bonfires, the favorite drink passed around is alcoholic in nature, and lightly spiked with a potion to help the drinker lose some of their inhibitions and help them loosen up. These effects will be readily disclosed to anybody who is offered a cup, to let them choose for themselves - but hey, where's your sense of adventure? c. Light a Candle The 2nd of Feoveuer brings with it a more minor, but still well-loved tradition. As dusk falls, all candles in the city are lit, casting a warm glow from every window and on every street corner as the dark of night sets in. The flickering lights lining paths and shining in homes lend a more metaphorically-magical air to Aefenglom, bringing with it a sense of renewal and shared joy. Light a candle with loved ones and new bonds alike, and it's said to bring good fortune to your friendship or relationship. As the candles burn, several food vendors can be found selling a particular festival dish, a thin pancake topped with fruits, nuts, and cream, meant to be shared with someone by feeding it to them. For couples (or those pretending to be couples), often the vendors will offer the sweet treats for free with well-wishes for their future together.

V. Inkchanted For some time already this has been hailed as the opening day for Inkchanted, a Mirrorbound led tattoo parlor in the Harbor district that offers… well tattoos, but not normal tattoos: these are enchanted. It’s not a popular use of enchantment school, but it works nevertheless. With the use of special ink, runic spells are weaved into the tattoo’s design, which allows for various effects. For Witches, this can mean instant activation of spells without the need for chanting or gestures. Just run your magical energy through the design and the effect is instantaneous! For Monsters... that’s where things become interesting because Monsters also are granted use of that specific tattooed spell. The caveat is that the tattoo must be charged with Witch magic, or draw on magic stored in a sort of ‘battery’ they also have in the store. Said batteries are made of various jewelry or pendants, ranging from simple materials like copper and glass to more expensive made of silver and opals. Ink in the tattoos does not last forever, though; they will fade away entirely after reaching the limit of their use (which is said to be anywhere between 15-30 hours of continuous use, depending on the design’s size). A cheaper alternative to the tattoos are painted spells, with similar specialized paint to help them stick to the skin. Instead of a time limit, these have a limited number of uses and will disappear afterwards. That’s what it says on the paper, but a keen eye will notice that despite opening on the advertised day, there must have been some complications quite recently. There are signs of fire around the building, and any help with painting over them is greatly appreciated. Likewise, windows seem particularly new, and there are still shards of glass that could be found outside; anyone willing to help with this particular detail will be compensated by an old sailor named William who is renting the space to the young Mirrorbound, If asked what happened here recently, he becomes serious but tries to brush off the questions. When it becomes apparent that new Mirrorbound have appeared, the owners of the parlor scramble to find something for them to do, and thus end up encouraging a simple activity meant as practice for Witches and Monsters, both old and new. They offer a vast amount of magical energy batteries and encourage the Mirrorbound to form pairs, where one person fills the battery with magic, while the other attempts to siphon it out, cycling the energy this way. The only thing they ask is to have the batteries left fully filled. Soon, it turns out that the exercise might come with some side-effects, from getting memory-flashes of another person that used the battery, to sharing their emotional state or even simple thoughts. And should someone try and steal the magical battery… they might find themselves chased by one of the owners or… knocked right into the harbor’s water by a magical ward placed on the entrance if they don’t have a way to counter it! Note: More on this player-run business and its owners can be found on the Locations page! Big thanks to Shuu and Lena and co. for this prompt!

Welcome to the intro log! While mingling on the log itself is highly encouraged, feel free to make your own logs; take the prompts offered and go wild, go crazy, go stupid, have fun. The network system is free to use once characters have their watches as well; information on that can be found at the bottom of the Setting page, while any extra questions about it can be found in the FAQ index. Quests can be picked up now as well! While new characters will have to get settled in, you can go ahead and put your name on some by replying to the February's Quest Pickup thread on the Quest Board. Finally, if your character is getting into any Shenanigans, let the mods know and if you have any questions about the log, ask them here!

Comments

Candle Lighting

[wordsinthesoul]

[Lights in the darkness, a reassuring sight in the homes- something they probably all need, Thancred thinks. And the food doesn't hurt, either.

He'd been looking the vendors over, humming thoughtfully, when Tataru's movements catch his attention. He turns towards and- ah. Well! A smile spreads on his face, and he moves to stand beside her.]

I'd hardly call that a bother at all. Rather- it's good to spend time together after this long, don't you think?

[seemstressed]

_{[The familiar voice has her eyes widening as her grip on the plate tightens, head tipping upward to take in the sight of a familiar yet feathery friend.]}

T-Thancred?! Oh thank the Twelve ah-!

<sub>[Okay so, clearly something's up with him since, y'know, feathers and all that, but she's far too excited and overwhelmed to care or process it properly. She's jittery, legs stepping fast in place, but hands unable to flail about thanks to being occupied by what she's holding. So, clearly she solves the problem by shoving the plate into some stranger's hands only to fling herself at Thancred's legs, nearly knocking herself out on his knees, to give him a big Lalafell squeeze.

She missed you buddy. Really.]</sub>

I'm so happy to see you!

[wordsinthesoul]

Ah- wait- [Perhaps it's been a little long since he's seen her, for him to be this unprepared. He gives the stranger an apologetic look- which, thankfully, they return with an understanding look. He bends to try and return the hug, careful with his taloned hands.]

So am I. It's a relief to see you hale and whole.

[seemstressed]

_{[No waiting, sorry. Once Tataru's set on course for a hug there's no stopping her. Once she's satisfied with the embrace they share she's pulling back to really get a better look at Thancred which, well...has her heart sinking, brow knit with confusion and worry. Just what had happened to him? The feathers, the talons...Twelve have mercy!]}

I'm relieved to see you as well but...what's become of you? You look like you're part chocobo!

[wordsinthesoul]

[Well. A hug from a dear friend is certainly something he's not about to turn down, though he lets her pull away with only a little regret. He can't blame her for wanting a look, either, though he shifts a little at her expression, feathers resettling.

He attempts a chuckle, but- his heart isn't entirely in it.]

Something of the sort- though I've not heard of any chocobos here, save those that have come with some of the others. It's… I couldn't say whether anyone has tracked down the means of it yet, but- t'would seem we all take some of the nature of this world in arriving here. Have they been able to tell you anything about it for yourself?

[seemstressed]

_{[There's an empathetic shake of her head as she regards him with worry. She can't imagine the stress he must feel, to have his body change the way it has. It scares her, even if she won't say as much aloud. If she began to change into something other than what she was...well her little heart surely couldn't handle it.]}

No, they haven't. I didn't realize people here became monsters themselves. _{[She thought they were just, y'know, born them. Like beastmen.]} I've been told I'm a Witch. Funny, that is.

_{[Her gaze trails over to the dessert she'd shoved into another man's hands before she decides to take it back, motioning to Thancred to follow her.]}

Come with me! Over there, there's a private spot on a bench just for us.

_{[Look Thancred she needs to eat her feelings right now, okay? Please tell her you can hold a fork...]}

[wordsinthesoul]

[It hasn't been easy, that's for certain…. But he doesn't much want to say so, and worry her further. Best to seem as at ease as he can.]

…I wouldn't say… that is, it's not as though we've lost who we were. But it's… certainly something to adjust to. [Or, well- to try to, he supposes.] A Witch? Hm… perhaps so, but I believe I can understand it. You've ever been a wonder at keeping track for all of us.

[Thancred nods, moving to follow Tataru. He could probably do with a spot of that himself- and while he's changed, he's learned to work around the talons.]

Perfect. Would you permit me to give you the first bite, then?

[seemstressed]

<sub>[She's going to end up with greys at this rate but Thancred's composure helps to quiet the internal screaming she's going got going on. She's not sure how he does it, but then again that's probably why he's an actual "Scion" and she's, well, the receptionist.

Breathe in and out. You got this, Tataru.

Taking a seat she turns to face Thancred a bit more, still holding the plate. Ah, the first bite. Should she just go for it then? It's not like he's going to feed her. That'd be ridiculous! (Even though that's...kind of what all the pairs of people around them are doing.)]</sub>

I won't turn an offer like that down.

_{[Especially when there's a strawberry with her name on it.]}

[wordsinthesoul]

[Years of practice, and probably having somewhere quiet to curl up and fret. It's… not exactly a good example, really. But that she manages all that she does is impressive in its way, too.

He has noted the other pairs around them doing that, and- perhaps it's a little embarrassing, but it's charming in its way, too.]

Then I shan't dally.

[A strawberry, loaded onto a little bit of pancake, and a dash of cream, and he holds the fork by the handle.]

By your leave…? Or- you are free to take it, if you wish. [It might not be quite how it's done, but- it's close enough, surely.]

[seemstressed]

Ah-!

<sub>[Damn, so he really did go for it, huh? Always a charmer, aren't you Thancred? Even with the additional plumage, it seems. Tataru's cheeks find themselves warming up at the sight of the fork offered to her and the implication for her to, well, y'know, lean in and take the bite. Everyone else around them seems to be doing so so...why not? Besides, she's always thought it'd be nice to be fed something sweet! Just...maybe not by Thancred.

But it's fine. This is fine.

Not saying anything but instead making an embarrassed sound, Tataru simply goes for it, opening her mouth to quickly lean in and snatch the forkful of dessert. Chewing thoughtfully she begins to hum, as if that'll erase the pink off her cheeks.]</sub>

Mm...quite good!

[wordsinthesoul]

[The plumage helps, sometimes. Not necessarily in this case- which is one he hadn't quite anticipated, either. But- well, it's done.

…maybe they can get away with just a few bites taken that way.]

That's good to hear- though I'd expect nothing less of a desert you chose. Would you care for another?

[seemstressed]

C-Certainly!

_{[Another bite wouldn't hurt, even if she's doing her best not to squirm in her seat. Relax, Tataru! Relax! Even so, she can't imagine the teasing she'd get from Minfilia or the others if they saw Thancred stuffing dessert into her mouth.]}

Next bite is yours, however. I promise I've got good aim.

_{[Meaning she won't get cream all over your face. Don't worry.]}

[wordsinthesoul]

[Probably there would be teasing both ways- but it is nice not to have to think about it. And- well, he wouldn't call it stuffing, at least.]

Thank you, Tataru. I know I can trust you on that.

[seemstressed]

I won't get cream on your nose.

_{[That's right, trust her. Trust the plan, which is to eat this plate clean. They've got a few eyes on them still, some onlookers curious about the strange pair. Steeling herself she ignores their stares, parting her tiny lips to wait for the fork to come her way again.]}

[wordsinthesoul]

Just a dash would be quite charming, though, I'm sure.

[It's a good plan! One he is certainly on board with- they could all do with a few nice things, couldn't they? He does flick a feather or two- but curiosity is fairly harmless, and he concentrates on getting the fork to her mouth without spilling any of the dessert.]

[seemstressed]

Now now, do you need to be made any more charming than you are?

_{[Granted the feathers are going to take a little getting used to (read: a lot) but it was no secret to Tataru that Thancred could be charming when he wanted to be. She pops her mouth open again, eager to take the bite she's being offered. Thankfully the transfer of dessert happens without any mess and she's quick to take up the other fork she'd been given to ready it for Thancred's use.]}

Your turn now!

[wordsinthesoul]

[[continued!