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

[bravelyathome]

I...I know.

[It hurts a little to have her hand squeezed like that but she takes it. He's scared too, she can tell. She doesn't know what ghost he saw but if she can help him win against it a little bit then she can squeeze her hand all he needs to.

He doesn't even have to tell her what he saw. That's fine. She just hopes that this helps.]

Are you okay?

[She doubts it but that's supposed to be the question you ask anyway.]

[crestfallenfor]

[She's right to doubt it.

But the question is grounding in its own way, and he takes one more deep, steadying breath before loosening his grip on her hand again, offering her a bright smile that is most of the way back to being normal.]

Yeah. I'm alright.

[Because that's how he's supposed to respond.]

Are you really sure you want to bond with me, Bernadetta?

[bravelyathome]

Yes.

[Suddenly, she finds herself surprised that she didn't hesitate. Looking down at the hand he's been holding, she sees the edges of the cloth somehow still around her shoulders. Lightly, he runs her fingers over it before speaking softly.]

Because you listened to me.

[He really listened and stopped right away. And she knows he wasn't trying to hurt her. Honestly, he didn't at all.

Bernadetta lowers her hands to her lap, clasps them together to squeeze them tight.]

Because you stopped.

[crestfallenfor]

I'll do it... on a couple conditions, if you don't mind...

[His response came quickly enough that he had to tack on the rest, though it feels... almost cruel to, at this point. But he has to try and be rational right now, and not let emotions take control of the situation more than they already have.]

I won't bond with you - or with anyone - right now. I... don't understand this magic yet, so I don't want to hurt anyone I'd make a bond with while I'm trying to figure out the basics. I... should have it before it gets dangerous for you, but...

[He still can't look at her, and brings his free hand up to rub at the back of his neck. It sounds like he's making excuses not to, even to him, but... it's all true, so he has to hope she'll believe him.]

If you find someone else you'd want to make a bond with, and if they want to make a bond with you, please do it. Don't... get your heart set on this idiot at the cost of your safety, alright?

[bravelyathome]

[Looking up at the conditions, she finds herself listening. Really listening. It's not one of her best skills when she's stressed if she's to be honest but she does this time. Probably because the shock of them having an unexpected understanding has somehow settled her.

It's hard to explain.

Because she's actually listening to him, really hearing him, she's able to piece together what he's saying. Far better than her usual bad habit of jumping to conclusions. Which makes her realize that maybe she needs to find a way to apologize to Hubert. She might have twisted his words now that she's thinking about it clearly.

Hands folded in her lap still, she takes a deep breath.]

Okay. But I... I still want to with you. If that's okay. It feels right, you know?

[She smiles a little. Bernadetta can't put her finger on what has led her to this conclusion but suddenly she's just...not scared anymore.]

If I do find someone else and still want to... Will that be okay?

[It goes against everything she's been trained to think about herself. To ask for something that she wants, to really ask for it. To not only ask for it but to be insistent on it. This is different from standing up for herself when it comes to how she's treated because this is asking for something purely because she'd like to have it. It's a little scary but it feels pretty...good?

She just has to ask. That's the first step. Ask.]

[crestfallenfor]

[Honestly, he knows she tends to jump to conclusions. Oddly enough, he's not assuming she will this time. Maybe it's because she's not backpedaling a mile a minute. Maybe it's because of the odd understanding they found.

Whatever the case, she listens to him, and decides she still wants to.

He honestly can't help but laugh a little at that. It's not a bright or happy sound, though - it's more... tired. Disbelieving. That self-depreciating edge still very much there.]

Yeah. Yeah, I think so.

[He should probably put down some more conditions for that, though, but... he doesn't want to. He should probably say that if she finds a second, it would be easier on all of them if it was another Witch. He should probably discourage her from choosing him in the first place.

But she clearly doesn't want that.

It sparks a warmth in his chest, small and fragile, and he doesn't want to let it go... and he's pretty sure it'll stay even if she does find someone else and doesn't go with him after all.]

If that's what you want.

[bravelyathome]

[It's not really a nice laugh but it's a laugh. It's a start. They have to start somewhere. Reaching up, she pushes away the tears that have been in the corners of her eyes. She doesn't need them anymore. For whatever reason she's okay for the time being.

In this big scary world there's someone who understands her for some reason. It's...a lot.

Deep breath in and then she lets it out.]

I know I don't have magic but if you want help I'll...find a way to try. But it's okay to say "Bernie, I've got this." I'll believe you.

[A firm nod. Yes. If she's going to follow through on this then she needs to be the best for him on her end too. It's important.]

[crestfallenfor]

[It's a start, she's right. And with a start, they can gradually settle back into something normal, something okay.

Suddenly, the comfortable melancholy of the atmosphere around them is... actually kind of comforting.

Deep breath. Look up at the sky, at the moons, instead of the dirt.]

I think I've got this, Bernie, but... Hah, I'm probably wrong. Don't go out of your way for me, but if you find any information about this place, or about magic, or anything that seems interesting... especially books! Let me know? Or bring them to me?

[He'd like to believe he's got this. He's... not entirely sure he does. But if someone else is also keeping an eye out for study materials, then even if she only finds a small handful of things, then she'll have been helpful.]

[bravelyathome]

Okay!

[She can do that! She imagines she can easily do that actually. Books are something she's good at finding simply because she loves reading so much. So, she'll find books here.]

Oh...

[Uhhhhhhhhh...]

Where...do you live?

[crestfallenfor]

Oh! Right... let me just...

[And he'll just go ahead and pull out his watch and text her the address, so she'll easily have it on hand.]

Felix is living with me, too, so don't be too startled if he answers the door instead of me, alright?

[bravelyathome]

Felix? Okay. Um...this is where I live...

[She texts him her address. Even though she doubts he'll ever come to visit because...]

Lady Edelgard and Hubert live there too.

[crestfallenfor]

Ah...

[...Honestly she's probably right.

But they had been allies, and it wouldn't really be a stretch to believe they were friends... even if he was of the opinion they were monsters.

And not the good kind, like seem to be here.]

We... have something of a truce, but...

[bravelyathome]

[She blinks and then her eyes widen as she leans towards him to whisper...]

You're one of the other timelines...

[Wooooow.]

[crestfallenfor]

[...Well, that reaction is certainly unexpected... but it's Bernie, so he probably should have expected something unexpected.]

Yeah, I am. My Professor was a man and went with the Blue Lions... and didn't take anyone from their houses.

[bravelyathome]

[That means that she... But it's okay. She understands people not wanting her. She's honestly sadder that the others weren't taken.

She gets a determined look on her face.]

My Professor was a man and went Black Eagles. And he saved everyone he could. You too.

[Because somehow that means more to her than her own demise right now. She doesn't want to die or be dead but also... Well, sometimes you have to put others first.

Never mind that she always does that.]

[crestfallenfor]

[That means that she should have stayed home instead of letting Edelgard drag her back to Gronder.

But there's no going back, now, and he'll take what time they have here.]

Heh... I'm... disappointed in the other-mes that left Dimitri, honestly. They should have stood by him.

[He was driven off the edge because of how much he was hurting, even when everyone did... so he can't imagine what it must have been like for him to be left alone.]

...Especially considering what Edelgard has done, at least in my timeline.

[bravelyathome]

A lot of it is... Scary. I'm not smart enough to understand most of it.

[More like she was never trained to. With that said, she looks up at him, touching the cloth around her shoulders. The one that he let her have to keep her warm.]

But maybe here we can be friends? I'd...I'd like to be friends.

[crestfallenfor]

...Yeah, that's for sure.

[He knows he's smart and he doesn't think he's smart enough to understand most of it. War is confusing enough already without taking everything else that apparently happened - differing timelines and all - into account.]

I'd like that, though. Let's be friends for as long as we're here, Bernie.

[bravelyathome]

[He... He really wants to be friends with her! Weird and dumb and plain faced Bernie. Her of all people. It makes something in her heart warm and she can't stop the smile that appears on her face.

Because Sylvain actually wants to be friends with her!]

Mm. Please. I'd like that too.

[She knows she's the one who asked for it but she's still treating it like somehow it was his idea.]